She had a hunch that even with the cure, it wasn't going to be easy dealing with the patients. Given her usual leaning towards logic, she tried to explain her instinct given all the data they had. One particular thing she found odd, was the involvement of animals. This wasn't just something that killed the victims, it was a consciously and deliberately made concoction to instigate a very particular reaction. One that they'd even bothered to test first on beasts. At this point she wondered if the toxin that they used was even lethal in the dosages that it was going to end up being delivered... Since they hardly had control over that in precision. In the wee hours of the morning, she freshened up and decide to head to Tsuru's room to discuss her theories.
Stop the plague [Quest: Hatsuharu]
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Sun Dec 02, 2018 9:08 pm
She had a hunch that even with the cure, it wasn't going to be easy dealing with the patients. Given her usual leaning towards logic, she tried to explain her instinct given all the data they had. One particular thing she found odd, was the involvement of animals. This wasn't just something that killed the victims, it was a consciously and deliberately made concoction to instigate a very particular reaction. One that they'd even bothered to test first on beasts. At this point she wondered if the toxin that they used was even lethal in the dosages that it was going to end up being delivered... Since they hardly had control over that in precision. In the wee hours of the morning, she freshened up and decide to head to Tsuru's room to discuss her theories.
Sun Dec 02, 2018 9:08 pm
Having slept earlier than usual the previous night as he was very tired from pouring all his mana into the water, Haru woke up hours before sunrise and was looking forward to an eventless morning. He went down to the gym, finished his morning routine of the workout, came back up, took a shower and was in the process of making a cup of coffee for himself when he heard the knock on the door.
“Come in,” he said, as he had left the door unlocked. If Akira entered, the healer’s joy to see her would be obvious with his wide grin. “Good morning! Would you like some coffee?” he offered, stopping to add a bit more water and coffee to the moka pot. Seeing the expression on his partner’s face, he turned towards her and asked concernedly, “Everything okay?”
Sun Dec 02, 2018 9:09 pm
Unintentionally, despite noticing his warm welcoming grin, she didn't return it. Her face remained impassive, if not a tiny bit concerned as she awkwardly walked in and pulled herself a chair. Since they'd spent so much time together, he was quick to notice. 'Mostly... yeah. Just didn't sleep too well.' she started, stretching her legs and curling her toes.
She went on to fill the silence with what she'd come to talk about. The Shimada raised her concerns about the gang as she waited for the coffee to brew. She shared her thoughts on how the poison was of a deliberate design, not just to cause eventual fatality perhaps, but to elicit aggressive behaviour. She recalled how the gang leader mentioned that he wanted to see the townfolk destroy one another...
Sun Dec 02, 2018 9:09 pm
For a moment, Haru thought they may be overanalysing this. However, as he remembered how that shopkeeper kept chasing him relentlessly, he saw her point and couldn’t help but agree. “Alright then. Let’s finish what we started properly. We go out and make sure the whole town is immune to it,” he said, as the water began boiling.
But before that, Haru wanted the two of them to eat breakfast. “Pancakes?” he asked, as he approached the cabinet. The healer had managed to stock up a little on groceries in what little time they had between helping the doctor. While Baskan food was delicious, it was also notoriously expensive as they cater to many travelling merchants. The poor Knight couldn’t afford to eat out every day. Once he finished making the pancakes and the coffee was ready, he would set the table with two plates and two cups so that the two of them could eat together.
Sun Dec 02, 2018 9:09 pm
He boasted that they'd ensure that the whole town was immune to it, but all their attempts to prevent the plague had failed, all they had managed was to concoct a cure. 'I don't know, that's what I'm worried about, I'm assuming water isn't the only way it spreads.' she said and this time, when he offered pancakes she nodded eagerly with a gentle smile, allowing herself the smallest moments of contentedness between all this anxiety.
As he set out the table, she continued to rant about how the aggression would cause all hell to break loose even if only a few townsfolk were successfully poisoned by the toxin. They'd stop at nothing to tear others down, as the two had witnessed. She went as far as to elaborate that running away from the sick would only cause thirst... She didn't have to explain what that would lead to.
Sun Dec 02, 2018 9:09 pm
“Hey… It’s going to be okay. We will find a way. Maybe the doctor knows how to make the cure airborne,” he said, trying to convince his partner, as he ate his pancakes. While the effects of the plague were extremely concerning, Haru had not seen as many people affected by it to be worried sick already. And with the cure, they may be able to contain it. Nevertheless, since they knew the gang was behind this and that most of them were still sticking around, their job wasn’t done yet. There was no way Haru was going to leave town before they found Mattoro and put him behind bars for what he attempted to do to the town.
Sun Dec 02, 2018 9:09 pm
For a moment she was pleased and grinned at the food in front of her. Quickly though, her smirk turned sour, as she realised that he'd shirked the kitchen duty in Orchidia. Holding up her fork she shook it in his direction. 'You lied about not knowing how to cook!' she exclaimed. Perhaps, she was the only one who could turn a compliment into an attack over something in the past that truly didn't matter given their current predicament.
'I suppose you're right, if we could spread the cure around in time, maybe we'll finally succeed in foiling their plans.' she said. Now conflicted about whether to continue frowning out of the latent ever-present anxiety and the memory of being conned into doing all the work in Orchidia, or to let go and enjoy the moment and the food. A sip of the bitter coffee ensured that the former prevailed over the latter. She was smart to have left a bite of the pancake to get rid of the dull coffee after taste.
Sun Dec 02, 2018 9:10 pm
Haru tried eating small bites to try and not look like a barbarian in front his partner, but couldn’t keep up the charade for long. His morning workout had made him very hungry and soon enough, he was gorging up multiple pancakes in mere seconds. The not-so-smart Knight had his coffee only after finishing all his pancakes, leaving him with a very bitter taste in his mouth. He quickly rushed to the tap to get a glass of water to make things better. Thankfully, he didn’t have to worry about being infected by the plague. The doctor had ensure both of them got a dose of the cure and that kept them immune.
Once Akira was done with her food too, Haru would quickly wash the dishes and get ready to leave. Wearing his black cloak and tucking the hilt of his lightsabre under the cloth belt, he opened the door for his partner and then followed her out, closing and locking the door behind him.
Sun Dec 02, 2018 9:10 pm
Even now, it would seem the healer had more belief in the doctor's work and their own. Perhaps because they shared the craft. When he was ok, she too had just a little more faith in their plans. That was until she walked out of the door and down the corridor. As they reached the main entrance of the headquarters, she was met with a feeling of unease, since the reception was unmanned. Within moments, she noticed the doctor streaking towards them with two Knights following him.
He was prepping something in his hand, something that looked like a gun. He turned and shot two darts at the Knights, who fell unconscious after a brief bit of struggle. She raised her eyebrow at the doctor, waiting for an explanation. 'Not... dead... cured.' he said, reassuring her first between heavy breaths, as he stooped to clutch his knees and catch his breath.
Sun Dec 02, 2018 9:10 pm
His suspicions were confirmed the moment the duo exited the building. The doctor was being chased by two Knights who were clearly infected and if Haru had not seen that hand-gun before, he would have panicked that the doctor was trying to kill his pursuers. Thankfully, he had seen what the gun does when he brought the shop keeper to the clinic.
“What’s happening, doctor?” he asked, once the man had caught his breath. “They released the poison in high concentration and everyone in the town is now affected by it,” he said, panic obvious in his voice. He then went on to explain how he planned on releasing the cure into the air and save the townspeople, but admitted he could not do it alone and requested their help. “Everyone has gone crazy. They won’t allow me to set up the detonators. I need your help,” he pleaded. “Of course, doctor. Lead the way,” Haru said without a moment of hesitation. After all, this was why they were here.
Sun Dec 02, 2018 9:10 pm
Then she targeted the poor doctor, since he was to come up with a way to make the cure air borne overnight since he had the solution now, she cursed him for not reaching out to them the moment he had addressed the problem. That way the cure could've been spread over town as a precaution even before Mattoro's men had the chance to roll out their idiotic plan. Her words were wasted, they did nothing more than serve as a vent for all her anxiety.
She knew that the doctor and the healer were probably feeling as guilty as her now. Their destination was far out from the main town, unlike their starting point. The headquarters were obviously placed centrally, for effectiveness. She led them as they ran, since she still recalled all the secret less populated paths to their destination. The doctor understood her intent and meekly corrected the path if she ever strayed off-course.
Sun Dec 02, 2018 9:10 pm
The three of them kept taking alleyways that Haru had never been before or at least didn't remember being in. He simply followed them, as he saw what they would have to deal with if they chose to go through the main streets. The whole town was full of people trying to rip each other apart, just like Mattoro mentioned. A surge of guilt and anger overtook the healer as he witnessed an evil man tell them what his plan was and manage to pull it off. Haru cursed himself for relaxing after making the cure, and not being more vigilant.
After a long-winded journey, they were at the east outskirts of the town. They were in the vicinity of a short, but large windmill. It was obvious what the doctor planned on doing, especially once Haru noticed that the windmill was facing towards the town. However, before the doctor could set up the cure and the detonator, they first need to deal with the two infected townsmen who had spotted them and were after their lives.
Sun Dec 02, 2018 9:10 pm
She frowned at the doctor and didn't want to speak to either of them long enough for an explanation. For the moment, she'd have to trust that his intent was noble and he didn't just stick her with the pointy end to shut her up. The protective assault did get her to finally stop however.
They reached the windmill unharmed. There was a small mercy in the way the toxin worked. From her glances, she had managed to piece together the fact that the increased concentration of the toxin meant and increased urge to main and hurt out of the crazed aggression, but it also made the people less efficient in their movements.
She narrowed her eyes as the two plagued men fought each other. So far they hadn't even taken note of the three intruders. Akira wasn't in the mood to waste any time. She snatched the gun from the doctor's hand and shot the men. Luckily her aim was perfect, but those were the last two shots.
Sun Dec 02, 2018 9:11 pm
The doctor got to work without any further delay. He set up the large tank of the cure underneath the windmill and began setting up the detonator next to it. While he worked, Haru asked Akira to go help him, as she was far better with these things than he was, and decided to keep watch in case there were more infected townsmen around. Once they were done setting it up at the east windmill, it was time to head to the west one and do the same. There was no need to tell them to avoid the inside of the town and just go around it to reach their destination. Both of them were smarter than he was, after all.
Sun Dec 02, 2018 9:11 pm
She really wasn't ready to take the lives of those who had no choice in the harm they were intending, but putting Gerard at risk would mean the whole mission could go awry. She didn't want to dwell on it, but the thought of Tsuru getting hurt or infected felt worse than even the doctor. Even though she knew that the emotion was selfish, she merely chose to channel it towards the better.
They decided to go around the town so they could avoid the sick people. Akira wondered why the first cure packet couldn't be detonated already. Her own understanding of the cure and the way it probably worked was enough for her to arrive at a logical conclusion. For the moment, the hypothesis that it needed a certain burst bolus dose of concentrated inhalation was enough to quell the need to ask the question.
Sun Dec 02, 2018 9:11 pm
Haru thought maybe it was better one of them went back and guarded it. But he also didn’t wish to leave the two of them to deal with the other two locations alone. The doctor would be busy with the setup and Akira would have to handle all the infected attackers all by herself. That was not a scenario he was willing to risk. “I hope so too,” he replied after a few seconds of deliberation.
When they reached the west windmill, they faced a very similar situation as they did at the east. Two men fighting each other, but immediately changing their target to the three of them the moment they spotted their presence. They no longer had the doctor’s gun to make this easy and Akira’s gun wasn’t an option against civilians. Haru knew how to deal with one, but they would still have the other to deal with, unless he got them both with a single spell. “Throw one of them on the other,” he told Akira, as he ran around them to get into a better position to use his Phase.
Sun Dec 02, 2018 9:11 pm
They were meant to save the civilians. Besides, even if things went too far she didn't think she had it in her to pull that trigger and take yet another life. When she heard the healer's request for just a brief second she was perplexed. His language was so strange, she certainly couldn't pick up a man and throw him. She realised much like her partner, in the moment of panic, she'd almost forgotten that she was blessed (or perhaps cursed) with the ability to perform magic.
As the man neared her, she swiftly made a rather precise calculation. As she cast her spell, she had to hope that things didn't go wrong, there was no room for error. She made the gesture to create the disk of darkness under the man chasing towards them. Her hand shook, tilting at an angle and her disk followed suit almost immediately.
Sun Dec 02, 2018 9:12 pm
With a quick sigh, Haru quickly cast his Phase just as the two men fell to the ground, making them sink in. As usual, he cancelled the spell in such a way that their heads were still outside, but most of their bodies were underground. “Doctor! Get to it already. They’ll dig themselves out soon,” he said, looking at Gerard. Hearing him, the doctor rushed to the bottom of the windmill and began setting up the detonator just like he did at the east one.
Haru watched impatiently as the two infected villagers screamed and dug around them crazily. Their sharp and elongated nails from the plague helped them dig faster than he anticipated and they were already almost free. “Doc! No pressure, but these guys don’t look like they are gonna stay put for long,” he said, urging Gerard to finish up soon. Almost at the same time the doctor was done, the two men dug themselves out and began chasing them again. “RUN!” he yelled, shielding the doctor from the attackers, giving him time to get away.
Sun Dec 02, 2018 9:12 pm
She followed the hushed and rushed instructions of the doctor as they set up the detonator. Her partner was helpful in several scenarios, but his constant reminder that they needed to be faster was certainly not helping with Gerard's fumbling fingers. She took over and finished the deed just in time for Tsuru to come and escort the man away. She followed in hot pursuit as the plagued men chased them as relentlessly as that shopkeeper had yesterday, if not more.
'Where are we headed next?' she asked, hoping for yet another offsite. A raspy whisper shattered that hope as the doctor relayed that they needed to get to the factory in the centre of the town. The final destination for the detonation was a large exhaust that would help deliver the drug being blown in by the windmill all across the town.
Sun Dec 02, 2018 9:12 pm
Despite them taking the most deserted routes, they still ended up facing a few on their way. The healer took responsibility for those and urged Akira to keep going forward with the doctor. “I’ll meet you guys there,” he said, as he took a slight detour to distract the chasing crazed men. Every time he turned a corner, he waited close to the wall and pushed the infected one who came after him deeper into the alley before running back into the one he came from. The aggressors were relentless, but very dumb. So, this trick worked like a charm every single time.
Once he had ensured there were no one following the doctor, he ran to catch up with them just in time. Now that they were at the factory, it was time to get set-up the last detonator and get the cure into the air.
Sun Dec 02, 2018 9:12 pm
However, as they neared the factory, she noticed how eerily quiet it was. The only way to the exhaust was from the inside. Who would've though the factory was actually a beverage company. The whole place was chock full with the infected water. From packaged drinking water to colas and other drinks...
There was no way that they were not going to run into trouble here. Getting to the factory hadn't been too tough especially with the healer's help, but now that they were here, it was up to her to ensure that Gerard remained safe. She remained as silent as she could, however the man's panting was a dead give away. She hoped for the best and quietly ushered him towards the ladder that led to their destination.
Sun Dec 02, 2018 9:13 pm
Noticing this, Haru ran towards Akira and yelled for her to climb the ladder too. “CLIMB! THEY’RE COMING!” he bellowed, pointing at the incoming horde. Once Akira climbed, Haru would quickly pull his lightsabre, activate it and dash towards the ladder. He arrived there at the same time as the infected villagers. Before any of them could attempt to climb the ladder and chase after his partner or the doctor, he drew their attention by striking the wall with his mana blade and causing a loud noise. The moment the horde noticed him, they left Akira alone and came after him. The healer took this opportunity and began running the opposite direction, kiting them further away.
Once Haru was a few meters away and he was sure both Akira and Gerard had made their way to the top, he threw his lightsabre over the horde that was chasing him and towards the ladder. The mana blade spun and hit the wooden ladder, destroying it completely, ensuring that no one can climb it anymore. After destroying it, Haru dashed to the side to ensure there was no one between him and his sabre, and pulled the hilt to his hand. Now, all he had to do was keep these six attackers engaged while the doctor and his partner did their job without having to worry about being attacked.
Sun Dec 02, 2018 9:13 pm
The doctor had a near heart attack when he noticed the ladder falling to pieces once they had finished their ascension. He stammered his complains and she quickly quelled them with the reminder that both she and Tsuru possessed enough magical powers to ensure that they got off from the structure unharmed.
When she noticed a slightly smarter plagued man approach Tsuru from an unpredictable spot, she was quick to use her gun. She aimed her bullet away from the healer and on the other side of the exhaust. The metallic clang caused the confused guy to turn about and walk aimlessly towards the sound. She wasn't sure how long they could keep this up.
The doctor and she were safe, while Tsuru had to relentlessly move around to keep the infected assailants engaged. The doctor still stood there, reeling from the events no doubt. She had to urge him to start his work, for the sake of the healer.
Sun Dec 02, 2018 9:14 pm
Extremely grateful that she had his back while also helping the doctor, Haru looked up at Akira and nodded, conveying his gratitude. That moment couldn’t last for long, however, as the plagued aggressors came his way once again. This time, two of them were behind him and four in front of him. Just as the two groups were about to collapse on him, the healer cast Feather-Light on himself and jumped up high into the air, making the crazies dash into each other. “Sorry!” he muttered, as he glided away from the group.
He could repeat the jump and glide routine for a while, but it came with a lost of risks. He wasn’t as fast when gliding as he was on his feet. So, if the infected ones had the brains to predict his trajectory, they could run to exactly where he was about to land, making it impossible for him to escape. “Uh… Doc! Is it just me or is this detonator taking longer than the other two?” he spoke out his concern, worried that he might not be able to hold this for much longer without hurting the poor infected souls.
Sun Dec 02, 2018 9:14 pm
Not only had they almost perfected their coordination, they were always rather efficient at communication too, perhaps because she had always been rather brusque with her choice of words to begin with. 'Bury two.' she added, without explaining. The doctor looked at her aghast, but when she cast him a furious look in return, he seemed to recall what Tsuru had done earlier and simply went back to his tinkering.
She meanwhile aimed her gun at yet another pillar. The sound stole the attention of two of the plagued men. Before she even had a confirmation from Tsuru, she took her leap of faith. This was a dangerous gamble. At least the jump itself served its purpose. Two of the remaining plagued men noticed and instead of their pursuit of the healer, they ran towards the spot Akira was to land.
Their hands outstretched, they waited for her to fall into their gnarly disease contorted arms. She swallowed and closed her eyes as the ground got closer, hoping that Tsuru had heard her order amidst all the chaos. Relying on him this much made her feel just a little inadequate, but then, the two of them were saving an entire town after all, she could hardly expect to be ready for that already.
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