video;

[thxforthememories]

[The link appears to have been... dropped. It's just sitting on the floor of a hallway in Trion's temple. There's a partial view of a nearby room, the door half-open and sitting strangely on its hinges. The room itself appears... trashed. Like the storm blew through the room as well as the Haven.]

[Everything is absolutely still. Absolutely silent.]

[For several minutes.]

[And then something slams itself down off-screen, hard enough to rattle the Link itself. It actually vibrates a few inches forward at the impact.]

[Someone laughs. There's no amusement in the sound, only smug satisfaction.]

Look! Look, look, look!

[The voice is probably familiar, but the cadence is all wrong. The speaker grabs the Link, jerking it toward the room.]

I did it. I did it so well too, didn't I? You thought you had me -- what was it? What was it? Are you punishing me? Is that it?

No, no. That won't do. I got out!

[More laughter. Delighted, echoing laughter.]

[And all of the sudden, a face pops on-screen, upside down. The smile it wears is sharp, harsh. It's... Kagerou?]

Aren't. You. Proud? Brave Police.

[There is a fevered light in his optics -- both of which are visible now, the scanner no longer marking half his face. And then the feed goes dark.]

Comments

[Action]

[thxforthememories]

Don't you say that! You always think -- you always said this was our world so why -- why, why, why did you do this! What--!

[His vents are cycling sharply. His optics blazing, and his whole body shaking with the effort of restraining himself. He looks half-panicked. Completely mad. There is nothing sane behind those darting, wild optics.]

[He makes a sharp, sudden lunge toward the other BP, restraining himself at the very last second.]

[No. No, this is all wrong. There should be a fight. There should be a struggle. Something. But there are only words. Denial he doesn't understand. None of this makes sense. Just as suddenly as he lunged forward, he darts backward, hissing, wings spread.]

[He can't stay here.]

[No, he has to move. There's a wild, avian scream, and he leaps straight upward. He has to move, to think. The others will know -- they'll see.]

[Action]

[thankyou4myheart]

[Deckard backpedals at the lunge. He'd begun to lower his pistol but it snaps back up on reflex, and then he tosses it down altogether as he brings his arms up defensively. He would not, HE WOULD NOT, shoot Kagerou, not even in self-defense. There was another way to handle this, there had to be. His mind is racing even as Kagerou catches himself at last instant. The shriek startles Deckard, and then Kagerou is leaping away. Damn!]

Kagerou! Kagerou, no! Come back here! Come back!!

[He can't follow. He can't fly, and even on foot, he's not fast enough. He knows Kagerou's speed. He's seen it in Shadowmaru. All he can do is watch . . . watch and hope that the broken ninjabot will be all right. He'd turn up again. He'd have to! And by then, hopefully Deckard would have better answers.]