NIGHTSHIFT 28: BUS 1

[byname-bynature.livejournal.com]

Artemis had always been skeptical as to whether or not the things present in the Institute actually turned into their nightly counterparts. He'd never seen a kitten turn into a rotting cat, or a nurse turn into a syringe-covered monstrosity. Now he had, and he was very sorry that he'd seen it up close and personal. It'd been difficult to keep from panicking and shoving Hokuto out of the way to bolt. Instead, his mind focused on the facts.

First, and foremost, the monsters were blocking the exits, offering no means of easy escape. The only way out was through. Second, he was not armed. Third, and by far the most disheartening point, neither was anyone else. As a normal fourteen-year-old would put it, they were screwed.

Six targets, a handful of patients. The only option was chaos, unless someone took charge. Someone could get seriously hurt inside such a small fighting arena. He wasn't going to be one of them. Legs shaking, he stood up on his seat, hunching slightly so his head wouldn't hit the ceiling. What was he doing...?

"Everyone!" He shouted, "I know this will sound insane, but remain calm! A house divided falls to the lightest blow!" The boy swiveled his eyes around the bus. Four nurses, two orderlies--Hitsugaya? Oh damn.

"F-form into groups and take them down! Anyone who cannot fight, get under the seats and stay out of the way!" Did his voice just crack?

Comments

[claire-ity.livejournal.com]

And just like that, Claire's light-hearted, normal conversation was brought to a close as the buses reached their destination. The institute looked even more menacing from the outside.

She knew what was coming when the nurses started to jerk uncontrollably.

Her hands gripped the seat in front of her as her eyes widened in shock. It was one thing to know the transformation happened every night. It was another thing to see it happen, right in front of you.

In a very enclosed space.

The nurse was on her feet, letting out a blood curdling scream.

"Holy shit."

[no-side-effects.livejournal.com]

Even though Wesker no longer had his enhanced speed, he was still next to Claire as soon as he heard her shouting.

Apparently the buses had not gotten back as soon as the institute had planned, but this did explain some of how the institute changed at night. This would certainly require much more research, but for now the most important thing was to survive and get off the bus.

"Claire, stay close to me."

[notmyfather.livejournal.com]

....

What in the name of the Ancestors was happening? Valyn's eyes widened as he watched the disturbing scene unfold before him. He'd seen grotesquery before - he'd seen his father punish slaves, he'd seen gladiator matches - but this was something altogether different.

Someone was attempting to take charge. Valyn wished them luck. He leapt to his feet, ignoring the pain in his shoulder and neck, and summobed a levin bolt. He gripped the lance of magical lightening in his hand, waiting for the right moment to hurl it at one of the changed nurses.

[notmyfather.livejournal.com]

Valyn watched in horror as Keman went down. He dispersed his levin bolt and leapt over the seats, deciding the rest of the patients had things as under control as possible.

Besides, he knew how to heal, and it looked as though Keman needed it. And after earlier....

The young elven lord winced, remembering the last exchange he'd had with the dragon. He bolted to the exit, ignoring the pain from his wounds, and followed after the young man that had taken Keman....

(to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/252798.html#comments))

[rubbermancan.livejournal.com]

One minute, he and Zoro had been clowning around. And then the next? All hell had broken loose.

Immediately, his heart pounded with adrenaline, and he sharply rose from his seat. "What the hell!" he shouted without even thinking. "They didn't even put us back in our rooms! This isn't fair!"

But, of course he'd learned a long time ago that Martin Landel didn't play fair. Not by a long shot. That didn't mean he'd ever accept it, though.

"Looks like we gotta fight to get out of here, Zoro," he said suddenly, his tone growing a little more quiet now. It was almost difficult to hear him over the racket from within and outside the buses, but Luffy figured his swordsman would be able to understand him. "You ready? 'Cause this isn't gonna be like other fights before."

[i-promised.livejournal.com]

"Yeah." Short, simple, and to the point. There was no way Zoro would let a little lack of weaponry set him back and Luffy knew this.

They were at the very back of the bus where people were trying to shepherd some of the weaker ones out through the emergency exit. It was noble of them, sure, but there was only one thing the mass of screaming patients made him want to do and that was to find his nakama.

Nami and Usopp were out there somewhere (the idiot cook too but who the hell cared about him?) and Zoro would bet his swords that neither were properly equipped to deal with this kind of fight, assuming (correctly, going by what he could hear coming from the outside) they were experiencing the same thing. He and Luffy would have to get to them before anything bad happened.

They were probably on one of the other big, yellow things.

"Come on, we'd better try to find the others." Zoro clambered over their seat easily, trying to avoid the general mess of people rushing to get out.

[adorkabledragon.livejournal.com]

Keman had been having a great time, chatting lightheartedly with Fai and Ururu, and then...this.

The dragon stared, wide eyed, at the nurses' transformation and gripped the side of the seat. It was like a sick, twisted version of his own stolen abilities. From what he could see--it was so bloody dark!--they almost looked like dragons shifting.

He swore (in a language that would not taint the little girl's perfect ears), trying to look a lot braver than he felt. He couldn't panic. Not now. There was a child here, and he needed to protect her.

"Fai," he said urgently, turning to the tall man. "I'm going to try to get closer to them. I've got magic, but I don't know if I can reach them from this range." His voice cracked. Come on...be brave. "I...good luck. Please protect Ururu."

The boy ducked down and started to inch along the aisle, squinting in the blackness.

[not-rly-fai.livejournal.com]

This was certainly an unexpected twist. It was odd that even he couldn't quite detect what kind of sorcery was behind it, but he wasn't going to dwell on it. Keman was already up and going after the monsters, leaving him with the responsibility of protecting Ururu. Keman was terribly like Syaoran in that regard, protecting the ones important to him seemed to come first. Yuuhi wished things could always be that straight-forward and simple, but it just wasn't the case.

"Do your best Keman," he said encouragingly as the boy left them to face the dangers on the bus. He did feel slightly guilty for not volunteering his own magic, but then, he'd promised himself he wouldn't use it.

"Hold on tightly, ok?" he spoke softly to Ururu as he rose from his seat, one arm under her bottom for support, the other protectively around her.

[icy-pole.livejournal.com]

Ami almost leapt to her feet when the orderlies and nurses began changing, shoving her hand into the coat pocket for...something that's not there. Darn it! If only I had my change rod!

She heard someone yell for people to organise into groups and fight, or to hide. She glanced frantically around the bus. It was too confined a space to fight easily. She spied the emergency exit window at the rear.

"Logan-san!" she whispered over the ruckus. "I need to get to the emergency exit to get everyone who can't fight out of here. Can you take down the...monsters...at the back while I open it?"

[ol-canucklehead.livejournal.com]

The bus pulled to a halt as Logan awaited Ami's next response, but it never came before the last light faded from the sky. He fell silent as the feeling washed over him. The animal within knew this sensation far too well. Anticipation. Something coming. He took in the bus with slow, sweeping gaze, hands tightening, muscles bunching. The wound in his leg throbbed lightly, but he was hoping it would be strong enough for whatever was about to happen.

Logan had already changed his breathing pattern to one more suited to fighting,and mentally began clearing his mind and focusing on his senses. He knew something was up, but had no idea what.

And then it came, a twisting, warping of the vision, and all hell broke loose. His eyes widened as the first of the nurses began to writhe and change, and the others quickly followed suit. Jus' like tha Brood, his mind growled. So that was how it happened. There was no more time to sit around gawking, there was only time to act. His mind raced as he took in the scenario, and his eyes focused first on Artemis Fowl as he began bellowing out orders like a drill sergeant (very strange for a kid, he noted absently), and then on the patients moving to engage the monsters at the front of the bus, between them and the door.

Something else clicked into his mind at that sight; there had been more nurses at the back of the bus, too. Spinning in his seat, he saw them. Two hideous monstrosities that had once been prim and proper ladies, and a huge hulking thing that could only be what used to be an orderly. The very orderly who had dragged him back here, no less. Well, well.

Logan was just about to start moving when his exceptional hearing picked up on Ami's voice. It sounded like as good a plan as any. "I c'n try, darlin'. You jus' be careful, okay?" He whispered back and then raised his voice as he leapt onto his seat, facing the rear of the bus.

"Alright kids, ya heard Fowl! Any who c'n fight, let's go! Gonna need some help back here!" Without missing a beat, he turned to address the orderly at the back. "Hey ugly! Yeah, you! You n' me pal, let's have us some FUN!" With a roar like a caged lion, he stepped up onto the back of his seat and threw himself with all of his might towards the beast. Oh, what he wouldn't give to have his claws right now, but a pair of adamantium punches would be a good start.

[idolism]

Oh no, why'd you have to go back early, Akatsuki!?

It was the first thought that entered Aidou's mind as soon as the plebeian buses became death traps, and somehow it was the most tangible concern he could muster. They'd spent the remainder of the day just scoping out the town--the Sheriff, despite Aidou's plans, had not been present when they'd passed the Sheriff's Office, and the rest of the place was full of that aggravatingly faux tranquility. His cousin had chosen to go back a little ahead of him, to nap and regain some of his strength. Aidou had assented. He'd wanted a small bit of space, he'd thought.

Now, however, he sorely regretted ever thinking it, because now he was trapped on a different bus from Akatsuki, and the situation was dire. It was not an advantageous setting to fight, at least not for him, and he was nowhere near a level with which to contain things himself. Trapped, with a large group of humans that would surely panic, and... and those things.

The vampire reached for his tattooed shoulder, an impulsive reaction, before cursing and planting both hands on the backs of the two seats around him, better to hold his ground and get a taste for how the bus's occupants were reacting. So close to the back already, haven chosen a seat out of the way on purpose, the emergency exit at the rear was the best possible choice.

In pitch black darkness, Aidou could clearly see the girl crawling along the floor, and as one of the few who didn't seem to be charging the enemy, she seemed to have the same idea as him. Though when it came down to it, he wasn't about to avoid combat by going down on his hands and knees. Going over the seats, he pushed back as far as he could, before dropping back down to his feet and laboriously trying to avoid the combatants. Not easy, given the circumstances.

[icy-pole.livejournal.com]

As Ami crawled closer to the rear, she could see numerous people pushing towards the back. Hopefully swamping the monsters would be the best way to defeat them. As she reached the back seat, she pulled herself up, wincing from the pain in her hand and shoulder. Trying to stay low and unobserved, she reached up to try and unhook the clasps that held the emergency window in.

Just her luck that they were rusted shut.

[whiteychan.livejournal.com]

Hitsugaya didn't have time to hear Momo's answer to his question when the lights went dark and he could hear the growling of the nurses as they slowly changed into the monstrosities of the night. Artemis stood and shouted some kind of orders that naturally went completely ignored...or maybe they were listening to him. It was hard to tell with all of the commotion that suddenly arose as everyone bolted for the nurses and the exits they guarded.

There wasn't room for all of the able-bodied warriors to fight the nurses from this side...but maybe from the other side. Besides that, they had to get everyone out! They had to withdraw! They could make their plans once everything had cleared.

"Artemis!" he shouted, standing and looking across at the bus seat that had already been vacated. "Stick with Momo. The two of you, be ready to run when I say so." He glanced around at everyone else who was scrambling for freedom. Holy hell this was going to hurt a lot.

Hitsugaya summoned up the kidou, feeling the pain searing through his gut already. This level of power was nothing for a captain--even academy shinigami could do something like this--but here at landel's...it was more than anyone had tried before. There was no time to worry about it. Either this worked, or they were all screwed. He cried out the incantation, speaking forcefully as he finished. "Hadou 18!" he cried, letting the energy escape through his body and forcefully tear its way through his body. There was a low explosion as the spell actually did what it was meant to do, blasting a hole in the side of the bus large enough for the others to escape. His vision became blurry, but he paused long enough to glare at Artemis. "Get us..." he stopped to cough up more blood than could be healthy. "...get us the hell out of here."

Then darkness took him as the young captain passed out from the strain of such a desperate and powerful kidou.

[byname-bynature.livejournal.com]

"CAPTAIN!" Artemis shouted, trying to get to where Hitsugaya had fallen. It was proving to be more difficult than he'd anticipated. People were rushing through the aisle, screaming and fighting. He was knocked back and forth as he tried to part the patient sea and reach where he was needed. If his first couple of nights had been a nightmare, this was hell in its purest form.

Finally, his hand found a stable surface and he pulled himself towards Momo and Hitsugaya. The hole in the bus was enough to fit an adult male through, so no doubt both he and Hitsugaya would fit.

"Miss Momo," He grunted, slinging Hitsugaya onto his back, "Please cover us as we run. I am unable to hold my own in a fight. We'll make for my own room--M47. I have medical supplies there," He looked back, clearly terrified, "Is this acceptable?"

[for-marian.livejournal.com]

This was madness. People were crowding both ends of the bus, moments after the nurses transformations. Did no one have any long-range capabilities? A sense of strategy? What he wouldn't give for a half-dozen crossbowmen right now. Well, maybe there was something he could do. Majinken wasn't really meant to be used in a situation like this, but if someone could clear him a path, however briefly...

Closing his eyes and shutting out the noise and violence, Leon took several deep breaths and began gathering the energy for the attack. He also slipped the knife out of his bandages--it would be good to have a focus for the power again, even if it was vastly inferior to Chaltier. He vaguely heard other people yelling, trying to plan, but couldn't afford to truly listen or he'd lose the energy he was fighting to control. This shouldn't be so hard. But finally, he felt the energy 'click' into the right form for a majinken, and he stood, holding onto it firmly in his mind.

Stepping out into the aisle, facing the back of the bus, his knife glowing faintly blue, Leon used his best Military Officer voice to bellow, "Clear me a path, damn it!" The power was holding for now, but he couldn't wait forever, and hitting one of his allies with the majinken would fucking suck.

[son-ofkrypton.livejournal.com]

"Claire, I don't think..." but when Clark turned around for Claire in the chaos breaking out on the bus, she was already gone. "...it's a good idea."

He was half-tempted to go after her, but there were other people that probably needed help, and Mr. Wesker was with her. They'd just have to meet up at the F-blocks like the plan was. Trying to make sense of what was unfolding on the bus was pretty much impossible at this point - all Clark got was an impression of arms and legs and a whole lot of yelling, some it practically in his ear. The buses were dark, and he instinctively glanced over his shoulder as one of the windows shattered. It'd be easier just to push his way through, but mutant monsters or not (what had happened to the nurses?), he still didn't want to hurt anyone if he didn't have to, and that meant keeping his arms to himself and trying to wade through the mess like everyone else.

He tried to push his way to the front.

[loyal-soldier.livejournal.com]

[from here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/252308.html?thread=18716820#t18716820)]

TK wasn't really fond of this idea, even if there were others who would be at the back of the bus to help. It might keep that set of nurses from coming up behind them in the confusion, but... Did Claire even really know how to fight? Because even those who did were bound to get cut when blades were involved. He'd seen quite a lot of disturbing things during his life as a stormtrooper, but medical staff suddenly sprouting blades had just managed to take a top spot on that long list.

Too late to change it now. TK pushed forward through the bus along with Clark, mentally blocking out most of the noise and confusion that could easy leave someone disoriented in the dark like this.

[enigmaticmedium.livejournal.com]

Well. He hadn't seen that coming!

Along with the physical attacks, screaming, and people all but trampling on each other or dragging each other towards exits or towards the fights, people were flinging magic openly. Xelloss crouched back in his seat, sitting a bit like Rhode had earlier, on the heels of his feet atop the seat so he had a better vantage point and ease of mobility in case he had to duck, intending to flee the bus too... just after he saw a little more of this.

The panic was soured a bit by all this determination, but it was still a rather good dessert.

[sugarsweetblood.livejournal.com]

The darkness had set in, but Rhode hadn't minded either it or the scream she had heard erupt from the direction of the institute. For her, the darkness was welcome, and the screams, whomever they came from, overly welcome. Night was the time to play, and it was not just playtime for the nurses. They weren't the only creatures that changed with the night. Rhode herself could feel her own bloodlust bubbling up. She couldn't see that her skin had changed its hue, but she knew that it was now much darker and that a very vivid line of crosses had come across her forehead.

"It's just like an Akuma invasion!" she chirped playfully, casting her golden eyes to where she could see the nurses and the carnage commencing. Chaos always did amuse her, especially when it accompanied the scent of blood and screaming.

How she wished her abilities would come back at this very moment so she could play to her fullest!

"This looks fun, Xelloss~!" She called without looking to him, then caught something and cast him a glance. Hey, he'd joined her up on the top of the seat too! That made her realization all the more fun! "Ohhhh, you're not human! That's even better!" She'd gotten a reading on him now, an excellent thing considering that she had hoped for him not to be human. "Can you play?" she asked, also hoping for a positive answer. If he could, then they could have just as much fun as the nurses seemed to want to have!

[longlivetheking]

When the vehicle came to a stop, there was only the silence accompanied by the darkness. Scar felt a sense of alarm, his instinct trying to tell him that something wasn't quite right. He could barely make out the silhouettes of the chairs in the darkness, his feline eyes scanning the bus for anything strange. But there was only darkness.

What happened next was something that the former lion couldn't quite describe. He could only watch in horror as the staff members began transforming in something hideous. Screams broke the silence, and for a moment Scar could only remain frozen on his seat while he stared wide-eyed that the creatures. He realized the danger he was in, and the lack of any means to dispose of the large threats. And, perhaps the worst of all, they were in an confined space with the monsters blocking the only available exits.

Panic began to claw at his mind, and it took the former lion everything to suppress it. He needed to remain calm. He needed to think straight. Though keeping his composure was easier said than done.

In an attempt to create some distance between him and the monsters, he stumbled to the middle of the bus, his shaky hands finding support on the chairs as he moved. Patients screamed, battle ensued...but the king's only interest was to escape this chaos.

He occasionally glanced at the back of the bus to see where the nurses were.

[longlivetheking]

Scar had managed to reach the bus without any of the monsters following him. A fight still raged at the back and the front of the vehicle, but the former lion had no intention of joining it.

Eventually, his feline eyes fell on the hole. Someone apparently taken the liberty of creating an exit, of which the king would gladly make us of. He stumbled through the hole and jumped from the bus.

[To here]

[gentiana-clusii.livejournal.com]

"...shit. This is going to fucking suck." With that masterful understatement, Ken got to his feet and moved into the aisle, giving Yohji room to move. Monsters inside the bus, monsters outside the bus, and Ken knew he still wasn't anywhere near healed enough to take on the Institute's creatures.

That, and seeing the nurses transform in front of his eyes made him hesitant to react. They were innocent people caught up in all this, just like them.

He jumped as Hitsugaya's kidou blasted a gaping hole in the side of the bus. Well, there was their exit. But to use it would mean leaving all the people on the bus...

"Yohji!" When in doubt, Ken defaulted to listening to the older Weiss.

[never-learns.livejournal.com]

Ken's expletive pretty much summed up Yohji's thoughts as well. Well, at least it wasn't entirely outside their realm of experience? Except they were usually armed and there were usually four of them, and usually they were expecting it.

And why the hell was Ken asking him what to do? He sucked as a leader! He looked around quickly, noting the rather large hole in the bus. At least people could see it, but those escaping were pretty vulnerable.

"Guard the people escaping," he said quickly, moving towards the centre of the bus as he said it. They at least had a bit more fighting skill than some of them.

[outtokillhim.livejournal.com]

As pleased as he had been for at least taunting Ed for a little while, Envy still wasn't in much of a mood for talking. He had registered that Lyta was on this same bus, which was good. Now he felt at a fork in his options. Did he continue to try to escape from here? Or did he work with what he had and just go ahead to make little-Elric's life miserable? The latter seemed like an increasingly good option. It seemed almost as impossible to seek out hohenheim from this strange world as it would have been to retrieve his mind body and spirit from wandering within the gate and put them back together just to kill him again.


The bus stopped and the sun set, and a scream brought his thoughts back to present. The difference in this case from the last was that now, he was really no better off than the Elric bastard. They were all in imminent danger. His eyes darted around, amidst the panic, and he was able to settle on Lyta. It was probably a mess of thoughts for her, and he doubted he'd catch her in thought. What she knew was too valuable to just leave her behind. He deftly got up (not as smoothly as normal; these damned pants and shoes got in the way) and dashed over a few of the vinyl seats behind Lyta's and pulled a window open beside her.

[ontheabyss.livejournal.com]

A mess of thoughts was an understatement. Lyta was sitting with her hands pressed to her face, eyes squeezed shut as she struggled to block out the wave of fear, panic and pain that assaulted her. It was enough to make her think she was panicking and afraid and in pain.

But slowly she managed to block out the worst, until it was a dull roar in the back of her mind. She took note of envy, suddenly there beside her.

"I've got...to get out of here..." She managed, her eyes suspiciously black. she was losing control already.

[muted-flame.livejournal.com]

Just as he and Hughes had been preparing to force their ways into one of the hotel rooms, their nurses happened to find them and take them back to the buses. As Roy was loaded back on, he stewed in his seat, arms crossed in irritation. He had barely gotten to do any looking around - hadn't even been able to ask any questions and get information that way. The trip had been a waste of time when he could have been back at the institute making plans for the Arts and Crafts group.

Then again, wasn't it a little strange that he would have rather been back in Landel's than out in the open? That worried him, enough that his packed dinner didn't seem all that appetizing.

Once they got back and nightshift came, he planned to simply collect Hughes and work solely with him to continue sweeping the second floor's locked doors. It was quite likely that they would work better without a third wheel when it came down to it, or so he figured. They were both capable enough fighters, especially if he could manage to shield himself when it counted.

Roy took a glance around the grounds as the bus entered the institute, taking note of what the outside of it looked like. While he had caught a glimpse of it in the morning, he had been too tired to process a lot of it. He would get a better idea once they were unloaded--

That was when the feeling hit him, that sense of something having changed. It was subtle, but the effects came almost immediately. Roy's expression hardened and he stood from his seat the moment he saw the nurses transforming. So his suspicions had been correct...

The other patients were on their feet just as quickly and Roy watched with narrow eyes as they jumped into action. He would have been doing the same, but he didn't have his matches or his lighter with him, having been forced to leave them in his room that morning. Even if he'd had them, trying to use his fire alchemy in such close quarters wouldn't have been a good idea.

When the bus shook, Roy turned to the source of the blast, only to see Hitsugaya collapsing. He had done that? The boy was more impressive than he'd thought. He watched as his friends exited with him and quickly moved to follow. What he needed to do was get back to his room, and hopefully Hughes have the sense to do the same.

[muted-flame.livejournal.com]

[repolarization.livejournal.com]

Ginji hadn't really enjoyed the trip to town, but he had made the best of it as he could. He had been dozing at his seat as they traveled back to the hospital, back to prison, when night fell.

Ginji felt all at once the desire to fight and help, but when he moved to fight his leg reminded him that he couldn't even walk so much as fight. He fell to the ground and moved to hide in his seat the way that he had yelled, feeling completely useless.

There was chaos around him and everywhere. He didn't want to die here but he couldn't even so much as make the tiniest spark let alone help.

A girl close by started yelling though and he didn't want to completely ignore her. He could at least try to stand long enough to get a window open, and even in he couldn't really escape (since running was out of the question) it would help others get out.

Ginji stood carefully but quickly, favoring his uninjured leg. His stomach hurt at the movement but he forced himself to ignore it to try and help the blond with the window. He didn't say anything, he was too afraid the pain would overtake him if he stopped gritting his teeth.

[ham_fisted]

His head injury was causing him to suffer this! He'd probably bumped his head against something in reality, and that was why it had hurt when it'd come in contact with the ceiling earlier. Not that sleepwalking was a bad habit of his or anything... He didn't forward glances through the window either, unearthly shrieks seeming to resonate from the building's roof. He needed to escape and do whatever was in his power to assist the panicked patients. Just calming one of them down, at this rate, would be a near impossible task.

"Ms. Elena!" He called, meaning to place a hand on her shoulder and finding nothing but empty space. Wh- where had she gone?! He jerked around in the seat, screams and all other sorts of noises overwhelming the bus' once-relatively-pleasant environment. He had no idea what was going on, but these various chilling sounds served the belief he had to get outta here. Fast.

Slouching so as to avoid another impact with the ceiling, Gumshoe shielded his face with one arm and scuttled inelegantly across the narrow battlefield, noticeably fresh air informing him he'd somehow made it to an exit.

[ham_fisted]

[ moving here ]

[entropy-effect.livejournal.com]

The only warning Naoya got was a shiver, one long shiver that ran down his spine as the buses pulled to a stop then... Chaos broke loose. A whirlwind of panic and screams and horrorterrordetermination!! Naoya clamped his hands over his ears and waited for the collective burst of emotions to pass as he shook.

Go away. Go away. Go away. Please. Naoya clinched his eyes shut with a small cry.

[thecoming-storm.livejournal.com]

Naoto's eyes widened as he witnessed the transformation of the nurses, and then Naoya was in pain and all of that was forgotten.

They couldn't get out of the seat anyway, due to the fight occurring in the aisle next to them.

Naoto pulled Naoya off the seat and down onto the dirty bus floor, pressing him against the wall of the bus. They'd just have to stay put until the chaos died down or Naoya's empathy came back under control...somehow. He did his best to project calming thoughts (not the best circumstances for it, that was certain.)

[radiant-howl.livejournal.com]

Luke had fallen asleep on the way back from their "field trip", exhausted even though he didn't do much. He had the feeling that he had lost his chance to do something useful, but the trip was sudden and he was really unprepared. At least he got to speak to Asch, but the other redhead had gone off somewhere and Luke was left wandering around until the nurses ushered all of the patients back into the buses.

He was in for a rather rude awakening as the nurses transformed into monsters and the screams of the other patients jolted him awake. Within seconds, he had gone from a rather peaceful nap to right in the middle of the battle!

"Damnit!" was all he could say when he realized there was really nothing he could do to help. Everyone had already gone after the monsters and throwing an unarmed fighter in the mix would have thrown everyone off.

With nothing else to do, Luke had to make his escape. Following the cue of the other patients, he moved past to the end of the bus and out of one of the exits. He had to get that bat Jade him, and then he'd be able to help everyone else.

[to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/252798.html?thread=18914174#t18914174)]

[deathbymidget.livejournal.com]

At least the trip back hadn't been a complete waste. Mostly because Hiei had spent the time sleeping, which usually did wonders for his mood. Something seemed off when he woke, however, but before he could place what, he took in the scene of chaos around him. Fights going on, one of which had apparently sparked a fire nearby.

It was a rather pleasant change of scenery. A bit more like home.

But apparently the chaos around them meant that night had started, and the demon was ready to get something accomplished for once. As useful as belt buckles were to Kurama, Hiei hoped to find something a bit more fitting.

Ignoring the fights and the panic, Hiei rather calmly took his leave through the large hole someone had conveniently blown into the side of the bus.

[deathbymidget.livejournal.com]

[To here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/252798.html?thread=19079294#t19079294)]

[spandexorgtfo.livejournal.com]

Kratos had sat down in an unoccupied seat in stony silence. His quota of conversation seemed to be filled for the day, and he was in little mood for any other sort of talking. Somehow or another he had dozed off, probably still exhausted by the previous night's events. When he had woken up, the semi-calm he had left had disappeared, replaced by, well...night in all its typical fashions.

Being unarmed and clearly unprepared, Kratos could see no advantage in diving into one of the fights currently spreading throughout the bus. If anything, he would need to get out before something caught him. His conversation with Leon had left the swordsman perfectly happy with his current "wholesome" state, and losing a finger or two was something he wanted to avoid now at all cost.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Kratos slipped out through an exit. As long as he was rested, he might as well help Tamaki out again...

[spandexorgtfo.livejournal.com]

((to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/252798.html?thread=19172734#t19172734)))