View source for 2981/Outbreak: Patient Zero

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/10/28
|Location=Mitakihara - Mitakihara General
|Synopsis=CONTENT WARNING: Scene contains elements of horror, suspense, zombie bloodshed, macabre themes and implied child abuse. When a berieved man uses a Jewel Seed to wish his deceased wife and child back from the dead, he also raises every cadaver in the Mitakihara General Hospital morgue with them.
|Cast of Characters=5,200,204,51,6,47,171,102
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:5|Fate Testarossa| (5)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mitakihara General Hospital. 24: hours ago.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I'm sorry. There was nothing we could do."<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"What do you mean 'nothing you could do'...?"<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"We did everything we could, but it was just too much. I'm sorry. She's gone."<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"No... No that... That can't be right... This can't be happening..."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mitakihara Park. 16 hours ago:<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sob... Sob sob... "It's not fair... I can't lose them. Not like this! Not like... What. ... What are you...?"<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;*~gleam~*<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I ... Can have them back?<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mitakihara General Hospital. Morgue. 12 hours ago:<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I want them back... You'll give them back to me..."<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;*~Shine~*<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mitakihara General Hospital. Now:<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It comes with no warning. The sudden activation of a powerful magical artifact. The sheer force of the Lost Logia activating sends out a ripple through dimensional space, waves of powerful magic spreading outwards from the hospital. Magical girls all over the city can feel it. Mages will know precisely what it is. A Lost Logia has just sprung to life, with enough force to short out the hospital's electrical systems, power dropping entirely before the backups kick in. Every hospital has backup generators, after all, in order to keep power going for more sick patients during disasters, and to keep life support systems running in blackouts.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mitakihara General's lights are all out from the outside, and Fate Testarossa arrives, perched on the roof of a nearby building observing the hospital from across the way. The air is brimming with a static charge, palpable even from outside the doors of this eerily silent home of healing.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That is when she puts the Barrier up. The sky darkens ominously, people vanish from the streets and from inside the hospital, as it shunts all non-magic users to a safer displaced zone. All the better to allow her to search inside for what she seeks, hopefully unhindered.

:'''{{#var:200|Kokoro Akakuma| (200)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kokoro Akakuma does not have any special way to detect magical surges. She's never been especially sensitive. She doesn't have some kind of magi-technical gizmo. If there's a mystical companion for her, it shoulda taken that left turn in Nagano, because it sure didn't find its way here. But even with her general lack of metaphysical observational skills, when something as powerful as a Lost Logia starts up not too far away, that fluttering tension in the back of her mind is enough that even the gruff girl realizes something abnormal is up. It's half a heartbeat before she ducks into the nearest alleyway.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dengeki Shoujo is just leaping across the space from one rooftop to the hospital when the Barrier goes up. It's at a different angle from Fate, but she recognizes it almost immediately, looking up at the sky with a grimace. 'Tch... either Rashmi got here fast, or ''she's'' here.' But there's no time to worry about it. She's gotta find that Jewel Seed.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So of course, she smashes open the nearest rooftop door. Knock knock.

:'''{{#var:204|Jin Meiyou| (204)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>PFC Kouboku doesn't land; he descends to flank Fate and hover there, his gauntlet gleaming as bright as his gold-trimmed white dress uniform. "I could stand guard and distract them when they show up," he tells the girl quietly, lifting his hands to be ready. "Then you can make a run for the thingy. Osiemnastka and I can definitely hold them off, if you want to do that."<br /><br />He waits for her call on it, and generally just watches her six. Nobody's gonna sneak up on her on ''his'' watch..

:'''{{#var:51|Akane Hino| (51)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Akane Hino knows when something's wrong, it's up to her to make things right again! And when the darkness comes, the sunlight shall vanquish it!<br /><br />Of course, she's in the form known as Cure Sunny, and already she's dashing to where the strange sensation came from. When she realizes it's a hospital, Cure Sunny gasps and goes wide-eyed for a moment. "Of all the places for something to go down!" She shakes her head. "Nevertheless, the sunlight shall overcome this!"<br /><br />She moves in beside Fate and says, with a smile, "I am Cure Sunny, and I am here to help!"

:'''{{#var:6|Nanoha Takamachi| (6)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Nanoha Takamachi doesn't sense anything but what's happening is enough to make Yuuno's fur stand on end make Nanoha go out when she was in the middle of helping family bake. This was weird to the Takamachis-- USUALLY Nanoha didn't budge so easily from helping the family but Yuuno insisted it was a Jewel Seed and whatever just happened was pretty major enough.<br /><br />She was flying when the power obviously went out in the Hospital. But then also a Barrier went up that she didn't cast. Which means... Well it's gotta be Fate-chan. Right?<br /><br />Unless it's Rashmi-chan. Or Koji-kun. or ... anyone. Besides Fate.<br /><br />She lands of course, near Dengeki Shoujo. Then says.<br /><br />"Dengeki Shoujo-chan!" she calls out. "It's a Jewel Seed." she says.<br /><br />"It's a really big signature." says Yuuno on her shoulder. "Be careful. This is the biggest spike yet of all the ones we've experienced." he asides. "Which means dangerous and unstable- and the fact the main locations happens to be a hospital doesn't particularly give me high hopes about the situation. Too many wishes to be made. Too many bad outcomes." he says wearily.<br /><br />"Yeah." adds Nanoha, as she hefts Raising Heart in her hand.<br /><br />Kokoro seems to have the door handled. That's good! A barrier means break down walls if you want, Shoujo-chan!

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Riventon has... been rather neglegent in his efforts to help Fate find the Jewel Seeds. Partly because he keeps holding them for himself. But partly because he's been busy. So it helps to be here, now, clearly providing support for Fate - so that he can at least keep some credit for helping, and look like he's keeping his end of the deal with Precia and Eclipse. To that end, he's here - flanking Fate on the other side.<br /><br />"Hospitals are creepy." he notes before sharing any other sort of USEFUL information. "I'll stick with Fate-chan - my shields have been getting stronger, and she needs to be the one to take this.<br /><br />Because he doesn't really want to go through the floor again.

:'''{{#var:171|Jiaying Maki| (171)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>A quiet evening, a relaxing walk at night, a sudden magical vortex that makes the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Jiaying manages to look annoyed as she scrambles to her feet. Coming to a run, she jumps along from rooftop to rooftop, catching the telltale sound of someone having the same idea. Minus she's not really strong enough to bang through a door. Without cheating. Heavily. <br /> <br /> As she comes to a stop, she actually puts her shoes on, which is a rarity for her, but hospitals can be icky! Also it's probably not the best idea. Hopping around, she gives up on the idea of smashing through a door and instead runs towards the one opened up previously!. Her mist surrounds her as she walks through the door, her outfit changing to an open wu's robe, pale green trimmed in black with a more traditional style kung fu hero(ine!) clothes. Only partially marred by those shoes. Anyone else entering from there would get a wave from the cheery fox.

:'''{{#var:102|Mikoto Nakajima| (102)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Thank you for brining him in so quickly, Nakajima-san," the doctor says as he looks over the notes on the clipboard. "I assure you, his injuries may have looked severe, but he's tougher than he looks. We expect him to make a full recovery." <br /><br />Mikoto gives a brief sigh of relief at that. It wasn't even a monster fight, just another normal day. She hadn't been paying attention to her surroundings, stepped out to cross the street, and... on came the driver. Reese hadn't hesitated at all, just jumped straight in to push her out of the way. Now ''she'' has some bruises from falling to the pavement, and ''he'' has several cracked ribs and a fractured leg courtesy of the car she hadn't noticed coming up. <br /><br />Or at least, id ''had'' been a normal day. "Thank you, Doctor, how long do you - " and then the barrier washed over her, and the mundane in front of her vanished from sight. "Kusoooo...." The power flicker just makes it worse. Because there are who knows how many hundreds of people here depending on that power. Which means she's got to track this thing down and fast. <br /><br />"Carnwennan, set up!" she barks, and the spell-glyph washes over her, leaving the familiar blue-and-white Barrier Jacket. Most certainly not a happy camper.

:'''{{#var:5|Fate Testarossa| (5)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Mn."<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;From atop the roof, tired scarlet eyes watch as Kokoro- Dengeki Shoujo arrives, and Nanoha takes to her side. Fate is silent a moment, where she stands flanked by Jin and Riventon. "No." Her answer is decisive. "Arf will stay out here and do that. I want you with me. The both of you." She says. Her red-headed wolf familiar bobs her head in a hesitant nod.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"If they're entering from the roof we can avoid them by entering lower and going down. We'll just have to be faster." It's a simple plan for her team as she lifts off. With a shatter of glass, she's inside through a window and waiting.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On the rooftop level, as Dengeki Shoujo smashes her way in, creating a convenient entry for others, the hospital is dark and silent. Lights flicker once again, but stay off as the majority of the power is devoted to other, more necessary life-saving systems, and that means the lighting is even more muted and darker than it should be, within the grey-shaded world inside the barrier. It's not a public part of the building and that means the internal decor is spartan and without the normally welcoming design afforded for the rest of the building. The walls are bare plaster, with pipes sticking out. A stairwell leads down, with a single door leading to a white tiled hall. The top floor here was a place for patients staying the night, though each room is dark, empty, and silent, save for the room where Mikoto just donned her Barrier Jacket.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Lower, where Fate's group enters, the room is clean and neat. It's a doctor or administrator's office, the desk is strewn with complicated paperwork and test results, but the door leads out into a hall of similar offices for staff just like it.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The elevators are non-functional, short of prying open the doors and dropping down, the groups will have to find stairwells from here and hoof it in the darkness.

:'''{{#var:200|Kokoro Akakuma| (200)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Yo," is the only, simple greeting that Kokoro gives to Nanoha. This time, she even manages not to look abashed at being called That Name - either she's getting used to it, or she's learning to cover her own embarrassment. "Figured it was one of those things," she replies to the young mage, nodding a little. "...Figured this barrier wasn't you, too." Jiayang gets a brief stare, but the red-haired girl doesn't seem to have anything to say.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As they head in, Kokoro steps to the fore, keeping a firm two-handed grip on her hammer. "I'll take the lead. Something hits me, I'll survive." She's cautious in her forward, downward pace, but not ''slow'' - the clock is already ticking, after all. She doesn't even bat an eye when they go past the room Tessen is in; just stares at the other girl long enough to ascertain she's not a threat (which is a very real possibility if she's in the barrier!), then heads for the nearest elevator.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It refuses to open.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So Dengeki Shoujo sets that hammer of hers down, and begins trying to apply that immense strength of hers to prying open the door.

:'''{{#var:204|Jin Meiyou| (204)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Kouboku startles slightly at Riventon, but-- Fate seems to trust him, wants him with her too, and so the older boy literally just accepts his presence. And then she has orders for them both. "Yes, ma'am," he says without any kind of negative inflection on it: she must have something in mind. She has more experience at this; she's a better soldier than he is.<br /><br />So he follows, flying down after her, then landing to go inside with her and the taller, white-haired boy.<br /><br />For a second, Jin's glancing with blank incomprehension at the scattered papers, like he should be curious but just isn't processing what he's seeing. Then he looks kind of horrified. "Oh man, patient privacy... this is awful." They can both see him looking wistfully in the direction of the paper shredder, but it doesn't have any juice to it anyway, and they have ''stuff'' to do.

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>It's the sterile, clean-room nature of hospitals that gets to Takashi more than anything - and the time he spent trapped in one while Ayana collected the energy he needed to get moving again, too. But it's not the darkness that bothers him - his lab is dark, the Dusk Zone is dark.<br /><br />Quiet, though? Stillness? An emotional dark cloud of depression that seemed to exist in most hosptials? THAT is creepy.<br /><br />And so Riventon flies alongside Fate, and... well, he has no idea who Kouboku is either, but he's used to working with new allies at the drop of a hat.<br /><br />Axion pings softly, and Riventon turns to the new acquaintance. "Not now. They're here, too. Gotta move."

:'''{{#var:51|Akane Hino| (51)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Clean and neat. Doesn't mean it's safe.<br /><br />Cure Sunny carefully looks around the room, trying to find any possible clues or something that might help with finding out what really happened here. If that doesn't work, she'll look into the hallway to make sure it's safe. Even if, and when, they do proceed, Cure Sunny is willing to stand back and cover her allies!

:'''{{#var:6|Nanoha Takamachi| (6)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Nanoha Takamachi blinks at Jiaying and squints. Has she meet Jiaying before. She feels she has, but her mind is currently focused on moving forward and then she blinks at Tessen and waves cheerfully as she can manage. Yuuno looks determined on her shoulder- as much as a tiny adorable ferret from space can.<br /><br />Oh, it's actually kind of spooky in here? Is that... the result of the Jewel Seed? Or are they just in the service area?<br /><br />Nanoha tells herself it's just because they're in the service area as she moves forward- letting Kokoro take point for everything.<br /><br />"Let her take point. IF anything comes for us, she'll stop it before it can get any closer." she asides.<br /><br />She has a lot of faith in Kokoro's ability to hammer absolutely anything. That's for sure, as she looks determinedly ahead. Don't get scared, get determined, she thinks to herself.

:'''{{#var:102|Mikoto Nakajima| (102)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Carnwennan, Wide Area - " She's about to order a survey of the hospital for the cause of the incident when someone walks right past the room she's in. "Cancel that." She ducks her head out and looks at them, recognizing Nanoha right off. "Takamachi-san," she offers in greeting. "Looks like we've got another one, eh?" <br /><br />She exits the room and falls into line with the others, offering a brief nod to Dengeki. "Putting the tank on point, hm? Probably workable." She pauses and hrms for a moment, looking around, as if she'd heard something, then shakes her head. "Let's get on with this."

:'''{{#var:171|Jiaying Maki| (171)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Jiaying Maki returns that squint to Nanoha and says, "Just how many foxes have you met that you don't remember us?" Recognizing that look. There's a sudden look of realization on her face then she scowls. "...I think you've never seen me like this. Hi. I'm Jiaying." <br /> <br /> The spookiness thing, it's spooky for her for other reasons. Strong smells, sick people, a lack of oddities, it feels off! And it kind of is. Nevermind that she's not a fan of hospitals in the slightest either. However, it's just a building is currently the mantra in her head. Which is kind of true, right? They're sealed away all magical-like right? <br /> <br /> "Alright." She replies ot the call of shotgun. Point. Whatever. "I'll cover behind for now then. Any ideas of the cause?"

:'''{{#var:5|Fate Testarossa| (5)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Quiet. Still. Right now the hospital is both of these things. Have you ever gone to an old school at night? The halls, normally brimming with life and sound and people, are transformed entirely once empty and without light. It's a transformation that's always enough to activate the primal part of the brain that turns on only when there's a threat of danger. The hospital, right now, very much emulates that same foreboding and lonely atmosphere, the only light shining in from windows outside, casting long and ominous shadows from every piece of furniture and leaving long dark fingers of shade on every wall.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Up top, Kokoro's great strength lends easily to ripping the elevator doors open. The elevator was not at that floor though. It's lower, at least six or seven, and stopped dead in the shaft. But the cables are sturdy and it looks like the elevator door down lower is open as well. Odd, though... There's Kokoro. Jiaying. Nanoha. Tessen, and Sunny... Why does there sound like an extra set of foot steps with them?<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Leave it." Fate says while Kouboku rummages over the sheets of lab results and pages. This doctor must have been under a lot of stress, there are a pair of death certificates just left out, though one bears no name, and the other has the name of a woman. The times are very close together. Such a minor note though, out into the hall, Fate leads with Bardiche held up and providing a dim golden glow of light. "The source is coming from deeper in." Murmured as she marches on in the darkness. Somewhere, the sound of glass breaking can be heard, sullying the still silence with the crack and tinkle of shards of something muffled hitting the floor and breaking into a million pieces.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In spite of the Barrier... The hospital might not be completely empty.

:'''{{#var:200|Kokoro Akakuma| (200)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kokoro heaves the doors aside and leans into the shaft, getting the best look downward she can. "...clear. Ain't an express trip to the bottom, but it'll get us a few floors at least." She stops briefly, frowning at a faint sound, but then writes it off and turns back around to the group. "Anyone need a lift down?"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once they've got everyone down to the lower floor - however they might get down - the tall thundergirl steps out into the hall and brings her hammer up into an idle grip... only to immediately make that grip much less idle. A few tiny arcs of lightning dance across her arms, along the hammer. "...this place just keeps gettin' creepier. Watch yourselves, I think we ain't gonna have an easy trip much longer."

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Riventon looks... perhaps less out of place in the darkness than he might in the light, with his long lab coat flowing behind him. It might be harder to notice the flecks of energy traveling between his fingers. Hospitals are eerie, sure. But there's also a fight coming up, one way or another - the Jewel Seed must have a holder and must be put under control.<br /><br />His green eyes are darting left and right - but it's just that preparation for a fight, right? Even in such a creepy place, someone who vacations in the Dusk Zone wouldn't be afraid...<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;right?

:'''{{#var:204|Jin Meiyou| (204)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Right, right, sorry," says Kouboku to Riventon and Fate, voice low; he doesn't hesitate, just -- glances aside at Riventon, and figures therefore that flying is the thing to do. Definitely follow the lead of the people who are better at this, more used to this, better at predicting the competition...<br /><br />The death times stick in his head, though. And he's silently flying alongside Fate opposite Takashi, thinking about it, and then there's noise that's-- well, there's judicious application of hammer to things that are loud and echoey, somewhere else in the hospital, and that's pretty easy to identify. What's not so easy is the breaking glass in a completely different direction.<br /><br />The grey-haired and metallic-eyed soldier boy's jaw works, and he frowns, lifting his hands as he floats along. "Osiemnastka," he says.<br /><br />''Yes, Jin.''<br /><br />"How many people are moving around in here? There's not, like, an invasion of magical girls, is there?"<br /><br />''Can you sense an invasion force of that much power?''<br /><br />"Well, no, but..."<br /><br />''Identify all of the metal. You can see it in the walls like a grid, can you not? Now look to see if any of it is moving. Very few people have no metal on them at all in this day and age.''<br /><br />Obediently, Jin closes his eyes, relying on a spell he calls up between his hands that's something like magical magnetic sense-- to both direct him so he doesn't fly headfirst into a wall, and to do as instructed by the Space Polish voice.

:'''{{#var:6|Nanoha Takamachi| (6)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Nanoha Takamachi blinks at Jiaying. "Oh! It's been a while." she asides. She looks over to Tessen and nods between them. "It's a Jewel Seed, yes. Yuuno is sure of it." she says sofly She eyes Kokoro and taps her feet together. Flier fin!<br /><br />"I can get down by myself." she says softly. She lets herself float downwards.<br /><br />Raising Heart is emitting a pinkish light from it's orb that offers a little ambient lighting at least. Though it isn't exactly a flashlight or concentrated. Spooky.<br /><br />Unsettling.<br /><br />Come on Nanoha, be determined. Not scared. Determined. Not scared.<br /><br />She's keeping a straight face so far as Yuuno looks around uneasily. "Something is moving." he asides. Or somethings.<br /><br />"Keep your guard up." he urges Nanoha for reassurance.

:'''{{#var:51|Akane Hino| (51)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Meanwhile, Cure Sunny is looking around the hallway, trying to keep an eye out for unsuspecting threats. "No need to worry," She whispers to the others. "The sunshine shall always triumph!" A smile forms on her face, which may seem strange given the circumstances, but Cure Sunny is always noted for trying to remain positive in dangerous situations.

:'''{{#var:171|Jiaying Maki| (171)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Jiaying Maki hops the railing and sits against it for a moment. Looking dodwn, she says, "I'm good on my own." as she starts to hop down from floor to floor, keeping up with a faint splash of water with each landing and leap away. <br /> <br /> Sliding to a stop, she hops foot to foot to catch her balance before peering around the others present, trying to get a better look. "It smells funny here." She offers, maybe helpfully, maybe not. Then she mutters, "Though it could just be that cleaner stuff killing my nose finally."

:'''{{#var:5|Fate Testarossa| (5)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As if things weren't bleak enough... The extra pair of footsteps stop. After the glass shatters, the hospital is still again. It's a silence so deep and pervasive that it makes very air feel heavy and thick. Like walking through a blanket.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This is where things get awkward. The elevator shaft creaks quietly, a passing wind howling over the roof whistles into the shaft, sounding more like a low and pained groan than a winter breeze. The door on the lower floor opens into a hall... <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A hall where Fate Testarossa pauses awkwardly. Jin and Riventon might have to stop fast in order to not bump into her from behind, but she has reason to stop, when Kokoro Akakuma is the first to step out of the elevator shaft, followed closely by that girl with the pigtails, and the rest of their companions. Fate stares the group down in silence, hand shifting her grip on her Device she prepares for a fight, but...<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A long, dark, glistening wet streak decorated the floor between the two groups. Pink and golden light shining on the dark red fluid is enough to play havoc on the imagination. The stain travels all along the hall in front of the elevators, sitting in the center of a T junction. And from both ends of the hall comes the sound of shuffling feet... Before anyone can say anything, the first figure staggers out of the darkness, skin sallow and pale, eyes glassy, hands red and bloody, the man shows no sign of any pain in spite of the glass shards making a pin cushion of his hands. He makes no sound as he's joined by another figure from the opposite hall, wearing a tattered surgical gown. A walking corpse with the sewn up Y cut of a recent autopsy down the chest. And they aren't the only ones.

:'''{{#var:200|Kokoro Akakuma| (200)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Cure Sunny gets what can only be described as a Look from Kokoro. Apparently, relentless optimism is not welcome in a school environment!<br /><br />(yes this isn't a school shut up)<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;However, Nanoha gets a somewhat softer look, and the tall magical girl does her best to be in a position where the younger one feels protected. She's prepared to keep taking the group lead, but it turns out that just stepping into the hallway leads to the next threat.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Spotting Fate is enough to put her into a tense, wary silence, with the small arcs of electricity dancing across her arms a little more frequently... at least until the third party at this meeting of mahou makes itself known.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There's a moment of incomprehension. Kokoro can't actually figure out what she's seeing. Then it gives way to naked shock. A moment of revulsion, of confusion. What happened here? What happened to ''them''? Quiet horror settles in for just a heartbeat - and then instinct takes over. They are a threat. They are the enemy. That's all she needs to know. The details are for everyone else to figure out. She's the battering ram.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dengeki Shoujo's violet eyes lock with Fate's crimson. She says exactly one word. "Truce."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then, hammer crackling with thunder, the crimson thunder girl throws herself at the nearest zombie, and starts swingin'.

:'''{{#var:51|Akane Hino| (51)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>So relentless optimism isn't welcome? Well, what can you do?<br /><br />Just then, Cure Sunny spots the walking corpses and almost immediately she widens her eyes and her smile fades. "Oh oh..." She sputters out. "It looks like we have trouble!" She looks to the others then forwards again. "Those things... they're... they're zombies?!"

:'''{{#var:6|Nanoha Takamachi| (6)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Nanoha Takamachi feels protected, from both the boogey men that probably lurk at the corner of her mind in this environment and there is Yuuno on her shoulder and the others here too. She's a big brave dog! She's a big brave doooog!<br /><br />Outside is...<br /><br />Wait. is that Fate-chan? And--- nrg. Riventon. "Fate-chan." she blinks. And then frowns. "Riventon..." but then another blink...."<br /><br />"....Kouboku-kun?" is he really on Riventon's side? This causes a 'nrg'. A look of betrayal and IT LOOKS like she's about to go on some righteous speech about 'how could you work with jerks that hurt people!?'.<br /><br />But then there's that bright red mark. Her first thought is that it's a line meant to help guide people to important department. But that's WAY too slick and WAY too uneven. Like something was dragged...<br /><br />Then two figures? More people? Well. It's something like a person. Well. Was a person.<br /><br />She blinks rapidly because her brain is trying to process what's in front of her. Zombies...?<br /><br />Yuuno grimaces. "I was afraid of this." he says. There's only SO many things you can wish for in a hospital. 'I want someone back from the dead' is probably one of the worse wishes you could ask of the Jewel Seed.<br /><br />Nanoha Takamachi is too stunned. Also fear is settling in because imaginary thoughts are one thing. The real thing is another thing all together.

:'''{{#var:204|Jin Meiyou| (204)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>There's a giant hammer approaching at 12 o'clock, so Jin opens his eyes and his mouth, about to say something-- but there's no wall in the way. Both Fate and Riventon can see her. And since Jin's looking with his ''eyes'' now, he can see what the other moving bits of disembodied metal are attached to, and his eyes widen. And his jaw drops.<br /><br />He kind of squeaks, "No ''way''..."<br /><br />And then he looks at Cure Sunny, and his voice is a little flatter when he repeats it, "No way, ''really?''" His hands come up, like he's gripping something in front of him in the gauntlet and the bare hand, and he steps around and in front of Fate as a rifle with a bayonet, as gleaming white and gold as his uniform, appears in those posed hands. Without hesitating, he lifts it to sight on the ''other'' nearest Zombie's head and pulls the trigger.<br /><br /><span class="fg_243">BLAM!</span> Reload. Neck. <span class="fg_247">BLAM!</span>

:'''{{#var:102|Mikoto Nakajima| (102)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Taking rearguard for the moment, Tessen floats down the elevator shaft behind Nanoha and the others. Catching site of Fate, she offers a pleasant wave, and another to Riventon. "Oh my. Opposition. How unusual. Looks like we're going to - " <br /><br />And then she breaks off for Zombie Interrupt. Well. <br /><br />She looks up at Riventon, right in the eye. "If these are yours, we're going to have to have a ''talk'', old man." <br /><br />She sighs and shrugs as Yuuno postulates his own explanation. Yeah, that's more probable. Probably. <br /><br />"Welp. Be glad you brought a Grey Knight." With a shimmer, the rapier in her hand seems to become heavier and longer, almost claymore-like, and she steps up between Nanoha and the zombies. "Stand back and play fire support, Takamachi, I'll hold them off you."

:'''{{#var:171|Jiaying Maki| (171)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Jiaying Maki looks at the zombie quietly for a few moments. Something isn't right about it. "Why aren't they hopping?" She asks. It's a few moments later that she mutters, "Oh right, wrong kind." It's another few moments before she asks, "Wait wait wait, how are these up and going?" She looks down at her hands and scowls, "This is going to be gross an- ugh I'm glad I put my shoes on." <br /> <br /> The mist around her swirls, starting coalesce into the shape of a Chinese glaive, held in hand, slowly leaving a dripping trail behind her even as the dripping trail fades and rejoins the spear. <br /> <br /> She does move in a way to try and keep them away from the other though, not advancing too far ahead and in general lashing out.

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Riventon's fingertips flare up with a strange black light the moment he starts to pick out figures in the opposing group - only for things to get Extra Interesting. Zombies... well, at least zombies, unlike creepy feelings and odd sterile silence, have an obvious solution for an obvious problem.<br /><br />"Not mine. Truce." Those are the words Riventon speaks before he starts shooting blasts of Dark Energy down the hallways. His lack of Pop Culture awarness shows because his bolts are very firmly going for the center rather than the head. But at least they carry an awful lot of kinetic energy.

:'''{{#var:5|Fate Testarossa| (5)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's a tense stare down for all of ten seconds. Fate already shifting her stance and holding Bardiche at the ready. But then... She and her team are given very good reason to accept Dengeki Shoujo's offer of truce.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It comes when Scarlet eyes fall on the first figure. Then more dawning realization on the sight of the second ''corpse''. Fate Testarossa; unflappable, cool, always tactical-minded Fate Testarossa locks right up where she stands, eyes wide in confusion and horror. It's Kouboku stepping in front of her that pulls her back from her moment of horror.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;All it takes is one hit from Kokoro, and there's the sickening sound of crunching bone. The body collapses in a shattered heap with a wheeze, but... Even with the majority of its bones broken it tries to drag itself along the floor at her ankles.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kouboku and Riventon concentrate fire, a headshot and blast to the center of mass drop the corpse and it does not get up.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But it's not just two. It's never just two zombies. There's a silence that lasts only for a breath in the hall once the two are dropped... Before more shambling, shuffling, footsteps can be heard. And from the darkness more come, swarming the group on both sides, tattered hospital gowns, vacant eyes, dried caked blood...<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Truce." Fate practically breathes out in agreement, before she motions back toward the hall her team had come from. It's the only path open, aside the open elevator doors, and the blonde is already shoving open a stairwell door. "Downstairs, now. ''Everyone.''"

:'''{{#var:200|Kokoro Akakuma| (200)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In close quarters like this, it's impossible for Kokoro to get full swings of her hammer like she'd like to. Instead, she decides to make ''herself'' a one-girl wrecking ball, choking up on the hammer in a one-handed grip and taking smaller swings that end up not really far from punches. As she does so, the hammer's head crackles with thunder, unleashing charges into each one she hits, each one she slams down - she's trying not just to damage them, but to hit them with enough juice to fry their muscles, nervous system, anything that might be keeping them moving.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With her bare arms, by the time Fate calls for the retreat, there's a fair few scratches and even a gash or two, but she doesn't seem particularly hindered by the pain. All she does is whip around and call out, "Takamachi! Let's get moving, I'll keep 'em out of the way!" And that's exactly what she does. She intends to stay back until the rest of the group has started moving, and only then will she join them.

:'''{{#var:51|Akane Hino| (51)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Meanwhile, Akane summons forth her sunlight power into small balls of light and hurls them at the zombies. "Don't get closer! The power of the sun shall stop you!"

:'''{{#var:204|Jin Meiyou| (204)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The young soldier-mage with the silvery grey hair glares at the gathering zombie horde, and does his best to stay between Fate and the monsters as he can, firing here and there, and then stabbing through heads and wrenching when they get too close for the rifle to fire even point blank. Fate's calling out instructions, and he nods, shifting position so that he can maintain a clear path for the others to get to the stairwell doors. He stabs the rifle through some other zombie's head and holds it there, using it as a shield, then pulls a handgun out of the holster on his other side and starts firing with ''those''.<br /><br />There's also-- beginning-- a horrifying shriek of metal-against-metal coming from the elevator shaft, and what light there is coming from various magical weapons, flickering and glowing, reveals that the thick steel cables in the shaft are slackening. "Hammer Girl!" he says firmly. "You come in with me at the end. I'm going to block the doors behind us once we're through. If any make it through with us, you smash them while I secure the barricade, you're way better at smashing."<br /><br />He starts backing toward the doors, holding one zombie at length, half-dangling from his bayonet, and using it to push other ones away; he keeps firing the white and gold handgun at zombie-heads.<br /><br />The elevator car appears in the door of the open shaft, and the edges of the frame start straining forward, outward; the tile and concrete around the metal frame begins to crack and buckle and crumble. BLAM BLAM BLAM. ''Creeeeeak.'' BLAM BLAM BLAM. ''SKREEEEAAAWWWW.'' BLAM BLAM-- '''''crack'''''<br /><br />"Okay COME ON--" Jin rapidly re-holsters his gun, hits zombies with a zombie on a stick, and reaches to grab for Kokoro's arm and pull her toward the doors. The elevator is literally about to burst out of its shaft into the hallway, and they are between it and the doors.

:'''{{#var:6|Nanoha Takamachi| (6)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>It's Kokoro yelling that pulls her out of the god awful reverie she's in. Yuuno just spent the last few seconds trying to shake her out of it. She looks around. "R..right." she says as she begins to move into retreat. Tessen tries to tell her a plan of action but she's too busy being kind of scared of horrible zombies right now to make a run because...<br /><br />THERES MORE of them?<br /><br />She turns around and takes a few pot shots with a quick cast Divine Shoot , small magenta orbs arcing through the air as she makes her get away. She isn't saying anything.<br /><br />"Hurry!" insists Yuuno though.

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Takashi grumbles. His attacks - well, they're certainly not the most effective of the group. It's only the raw kinetic magical energy that's doing any good, pushing zombies back and away - it turns out the dead things aren't weak to dark energy.<br /><br />And Takashi is certainly not staying behind with the others - though some of his orbs do find Kouboku's shoulders, little dark spheres orbitting him and sending smaller blasts at anything that he hasn't removed from getting too close. Takashi though, is staying near Fate.<br /><br />"Only way to stop it is to go to the source." he notes as they move.

:'''{{#var:102|Mikoto Nakajima| (102)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Tessen is unafraid to place herself between others and danger -- it's a Knight's duty, after all. And it's not like she isn't used to working with people who are not exactly on the side of the angels. Still, it's zombies. They. Just. Keep. Coming. <br /><br />Swing. Chop. Swing. Dodge. Chop. Shield. <br /><br />She's good. She's strong. She's got decent protection in the Barrier Jacket she wears. But. They. Just. Keep. Coming. <br /><br />And Riventon has a point: They need to find the source. <br /><br />She turns to yell at Nanoha. "Go! Like she said, get moving! Find the Seed and stop this! I've got your backs, GO!" One of the zombies staggers into her, grabbing at her shoulder, but she lashes out with a kick and slams it into the wall as she hops back from it. Her way clear for the moment, she sprints after the others for the stairwell, pausing only to grab the unmoving blaster, Akane, and drag her along after.

:'''{{#var:171|Jiaying Maki| (171)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Jiaying Maki whinces at the sound of breaking bone. That's never a pleasant sound really. She hops away from them, lashing out when they're told to run back. She turns over her shoulder, then follows behind the rest, using the guandao. She's swinging low, each swing leaving behind a lash of water in an attempt to slow them all down as they back away. <br /> <br /> "These aren't the kind I can tag right?" she asks, not that she'd try wtih this many here and all, but it's a good question! Any time she thinks she's got a good chance, she'll lash out higher, a wide swing, aiming to stagger or even incapacitate! Decapitate. One of the tates! Then she quickly turns on her heels and runs to the doors.

:'''{{#var:5|Fate Testarossa| (5)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Telling a zombie to not come closer is like telling a tidal wave of molasses to stop. It moves slow, but continues coming, inexorably forwards, and the magical assaults upon them are met with mixed results. Kokoro's physical brutality, and Kouboku's bayonet work are seemingly the most effective, along with Jiaying's cutting, while Divine Shooter, sunlight blasts, and dark energy, not as much. The trick seems to be... Causing actual physical harm to the dead bodies.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Fate holds the stairwell door open though, firing golden bolts down the other side of the hall as another swarm starts to close in. "''Hurry.''"<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's not until everyone is through the door that finally, the elevator comes screeching behind, Fate slams the door shut as soon as Kouboku and Kokoro are through. The force of the impact shakes the walls, dust falling from the ceiling overhead and making cracks appear in the masonry work. ... The blood pooling beneath the door says there were a few zombies between the elevator and doorway.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So. Awkward stairwell moment. Everyone is together and just held off a swarm. Fate gulps softly, breath coming in quick, shivering puffs, before she regains her cool as though none of that had just happened.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At least that's how she tries to act. But the blonde's hands are shaking, and she's standing a little closer to Riventon than she was just a few breaths ago, firing a brief glance over her shoulder at Nanoha.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"The source is a few flights down." She instructs, not withholding information, during this critical, dangerous, time, while leading the way. So it's down a few floors before she peeks out the door. "The hallway looks clear."

:'''{{#var:200|Kokoro Akakuma| (200)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Attempting to pull Kokoro along is like trying to pull something made of solid granite - but there's just enough strength to it that she gives him a faint, surprised look, followed by a short, affirmative nod. The two of them hurry into the stairwell, the door closes, and-<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;'''WHUD'''<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;-Dengeki Shoujo is instantly standing close to Nanoha, until she's sure the stairwell isn't coming down on their heads. Only then does she finally relax, and that only partially, one or two last crackles of electricity dancing across a shoulder. She stares at Fate for several long seconds, torn between any of a number of reactions, until she finally just settles on a soft, "...oi. Hang in there." Coming from her, it's a fairly big show of concern.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Few flights down. Okay. They can do that. As Fate leads the way, she'll find a towering crimson girl walking right beside her, holding that hammer properly. "Lemme go first. Just in case." And assuming no one prevents her, that's what she'll do.

:'''{{#var:6|Nanoha Takamachi| (6)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Nanoha Takamachi just makes it in and then is suddenly panting. And shaking. And oh god. Were those really zombies? Not even. Magical-like zombies. But legit walking corpses? What the hell happened with the Jewel Seed here- she thinks. Yuuno seems less shaken and more concerned. Before her eyes lock onto Fate and...<br /><br />...is Fate scared too?... really? Part of her thinks Fate is always cool and stoic but there's Fate- and she's shaking too. She wants to ask if she's okay. But she's there close to Riventon and even if she looks her way, she just gives a concerned look and is clearly not liking this a lot as she hefts Raising Heart closer to herself. The device gleams a bit.<br /><br />She looks to Kokoro appreciatively because her actions that's currently driving her forward right now as she eyes Jiaying. That girl seems odd. And barely seems frightened. and asking odd questions. It's a welcome distraction at least!

:'''{{#var:51|Akane Hino| (51)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Akane's uneasy, but she still believes the power of sunshine will get her through this! She looks at the others with a sunlight sphere in one hand, a determined look on her face. "Everyone just stay calm, OK? We can do this!"

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Riventon nods at Fate. He decides not to say anything about the final holder of the seed - smart enough to know that for the time being it'd be best to not open that can of worms. He might, after all, need their help. The two orbs that were circling Kouboku return to take up positions near their owner.<br /><br />He almost puts an arm protectively around Fate - almost enough that other people might notice it heading that way and then returning to his side.<br /><br />Instead, drawing black smoke into both hands and clutching them tightly, until the oil-like slick squeezes out from between fingers, twirling through the air - until it takes the shape of an ebony halberd, which Riventon now holds in his right hand, Axion still gleaming in his left. "Get ready, stay ready." he says.

:'''{{#var:204|Jin Meiyou| (204)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The girl and the hammer together? Harder to move than the elevator. Or that car a while ago. Or-- the older teenager gives Kokoro a quick, faint smile of his own when she nods, and then they're in the stairwell with the others and Kouboku's eyeing the blood seeping under the door in disapproval. Then he glances up. "Thank you for the assist," he tells Riventon gravely, and then sees the general unease and stands up straighter. It's okay, guys, they're not people anymore. They're just... animated ''things'' that happen to look like people," he says confidently; Nanoha has protectors, but if she looks his way, he has an encouraging smile for her too.<br /><br />When Kokoro volunteers to go ahead, he doesn't argue-- Fate's staying by Riventon, and so she's safe, but ... no, no, she's safe and that's the important part, she should be where she feels safest. And he notices that abortive motion of Takashi's, too, and that actually makes him relax. "I'll take rear guard," he calls. "There's some bodies moving up ahead-- or at least some tooth fillings and a bone pin. They're behind some doors..." He wipes the bayonet off on a cloth he pulls from a belt pocket, then keeps the rifle ready to shoot anything that moves behind them. Yes, walking backwards.

:'''{{#var:171|Jiaying Maki| (171)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Jiaying Maki doesn't seem too shaken up about the walking corpses, something about spending a lot of time near ghosts gets her not quite as concerned about the walking dead. Though to be fair, it's starting to sink in that these aren't the kind she can hit with a spell tag and burn away, or control or hit the wu controlling them or-... well she's not too worried right now right? <br /> <br /> "Everyone okay?" she turns back, trying to figure out if anyone got left behind or anything. "What's the plan?" Did she not catch what people were saying. There's a lot of blood... that's not a fun thing. She's getting a touch nervous, regardless of how she handles creepy things, that is a freaky group of enemies that could definitely do bad things. And she keeps lashing out with that watery spear.

:'''{{#var:102|Mikoto Nakajima| (102)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Tessen backs down the stairs after the group, keeping watch for approaching zombies. Rearguard's an unpleasant job, but somebody's got to do it, even in a group like this. It's one thing to team up with an enemy temporarily, it's entirely another to let a pack of zombies sneak up on you while you're watching said enemy. <br /><br />Clutching her sword tightly in one hand, the other resting on the flat of the blade, she pauses to look down towards Fate. "I'm liking this less and less... if this weren't a hospital I'd say we back off and just bombard the place into rubble." But they really can't do that here. Even with a barrier in place. And besides, it wouldn't stop the Jewel Seed. <br /><br />"Takamachi, you doing okay?" She steps down the stairs to join the rest. "You've handled worse than this."

:'''{{#var:5|Fate Testarossa| (5)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Staying calm is difficult with adrenaline still surging through her veins. But Fate manages. It's a long few breaths before she can play it off.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class=" bold_fg_y bg_n ++ hy">[SIR.]</span> Bardiche pings, pulling her attention to her Device. Before she realizes she's holding him with a death grip tightness.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I'm... I'm fine." She manages after a beat, to Kokoro. "I'm fine. Because I'm strong." Fate recites her old mantra once more, voice firm enough to hide any quaver. But she cedes leading out the door to Kokoro, turning her head just in time to catch the odd movement of Riventon's arm. "Are... Are you alright?" Murmured curiously, pointedly not looking at Nanoha.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's so easy to call them ''things'' though, isn't it? To dehumanize their human appearance. Because in spite of that human appearance, it's something they no longer ''are''. Just walking... Shambling... Dead... ''Things''.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"We can't do that." She says to Tessen firmly. "Let's go." Fate prompts, voice soft, letting Kokoro lead the way down a new hall. Though it's silent, the rooms here each have windows out into the halls, giving views into silent, empty, lonely, rooms with empty beds with disturbed sheets. Some have the curtains drawn, making it impossible to see behind, but then, a very pale Fate motions. "That way."<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Down a new path where a sign points ''Morgue''.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This is when glass shatters. It was impossible to see the zombie behind the curtain on the other side. But it certainly heard the group moving, arms smashing through the glass to grab--<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;''"Look out!"''<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nanoha is shoved out of the way of grasping arms. Only for Fate to let out a panicked choke as cold hands yank on her cloak.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This is when more windows start to smash, hands clawing at Riventon, Kouboku, and Jiaying.

:'''{{#var:200|Kokoro Akakuma| (200)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As they're pushing out the door, Kokoro stops, just long enough to stare at Fate for a few moments. Then she looks out into the hall... but speaks a soft response in reply to the blonde. "...yeah. So'm I." A statement with an unspoken half, carried by tone alone: 'So I'm not fooled.'<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's left unspoken, though; she's not the type to press that sort of thing, and even if she was, now's not the time. They've got a Jewel Seed to deal with, and- and a surprise zombie lunge to deal with. From all sides, instead of just 'in front'. There's a growl of surprise and ire out of the tank, and she whips around to Prov- to lunge after the nearest zombie, which happens to be the one going for Jiaying. It earns a sudden, fierce hammer-thrust to the head, complete with a ''KRAK'' of lightning at the moment of impact, but in that same movement, she spots the one grabbing Fate. "-crap, Testarossa!"

:'''{{#var:51|Akane Hino| (51)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Fate needs help. That's when Cure Sunny rushes in to help! She uses her sunshine powers to try to get those arms off of Fate! "No, I won't let you take her!" Cure Sunny calls out as she throws more spheres of light at the arms.

:'''{{#var:6|Nanoha Takamachi| (6)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Nanoha Takamachi is walking along carefully. Then there's an explosion of glass, as grisly hands come through the windows- and for only a second there's a hand on her arm and the next second- she's actually in the air- about two inches off the floor. It's amazing the amount of information that can flow through your head in a mere second.<br /><br />....is this how it ends? What will happen to Raising Heart? Well Yuuno find someone else? Will Yuuno even survive this?...<br /><br />....What about Fate-chan?....<br /><br />''Look out.''.<br /><br />She's checked hard enough that she instead goes flying, face first, against the ground- rather than be pulled through the broken window. She didn't get grabbed? Was that Fate-chan she heard?<br /><br />She works to quickly to get to her feet. She'll need a moment as she places a hand to the cold ground and begin to push up to her feet.<br /><br />Yuuno also got tossed and he's recovering too for the moment. "Nrg..." she mutters.

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Riventon is actually keeping a close eye on Fate - and doing that is keeping him more relaxed. Especially in the company of so many other people, who he expects to be on the opposite side of - having something to focus on is helpful.<br /><br />Axion pings something - in trying to help, though, it distracted him as he tried to translate the raw magical data into his brain. Arms grab Fate, and Riventon is moving so fast to get to help her that he almost isn't grabbed himself... almost.<br /><br />A rather...inventive curse, in Space German, leaves Riventon's lips as he is grabed, and starts jabbing the owner of the arms with the halberd. "Get Fate someone!" he shouts. And then there's a surge of Dark Energy around him as he starts to shift from worried and concerned... to angry.

:'''{{#var:204|Jin Meiyou| (204)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>PFC Kouboku is like a machine in his reaction time, here, nothing holding him back from reflexes honed well before he was a mage. He instantly pivots toward the crash, then lunges re-murder-first toward the falling glass and grasping arms, bayonet held high enough to go over Fate's head and stab into the face of the corpse that's got hold of her. He doesn't seem to give a damn about the ones trying to pull and grasp and claw at him:<br /><br />"Use me as leverage to pull yourself behind me," he instructs Fate with calm self-assurance as one of them starts gnawing on the arm holding the bayonet impaling Fate's zombie's head. Pulling a combat knife out of a sheath next to the handgun's holster, he lifts the knife and hacks off the hand gripping Fate's cloak, at the elbow. "Just, quickly, please."<br /><br />That other one's got its teeth sunk in pretty good. "If you leave me here to occupy them and aggro more, I should be fine once you deactivate the seed. There's no such thing as zombies-- only inanimate objects with a shoddy semblance of life. They're not even *good* at faking being alive..."<br /><br />All this discourse and Opinion while being gnawed and hacking arms off and trying to be a decent jungle gym-- "Ow," he says.<br /><br />''I was wondering,'' says Osiemnastka dryly.

:'''{{#var:102|Mikoto Nakajima| (102)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Tessen gladly turns over the rearguard role - for the moment, at least - as they step out into the hall towards the Morgue. Creepy enough, that. She's never visited one before, and assuredly does not want to see one again. <br /><br />"Keep a sharp - " she starts to say, and then it becomes pointless. <br /><br />"Empty Night," she mutters, and races after Fate, blade in hand to lash out at the zombies dragging her off. She casts a brief glare over at the soldier-boy, but he's helping Fate as well, so she doesn't say anything. "Move it, girl, we'll cover you." She slashes down at the zombie, her blade lined with power to make the cut easier.

:'''{{#var:171|Jiaying Maki| (171)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Jiaying Maki is suddenly grabbed from behind. She's having a hard time hearing for some reason, now that the adrenaline surge from earlier has passed. She lets out a startled yelp-yell and tries to immediately twist, grab and pull to flip her grabber. Whether this works or not with the situation isn't the point! Regardless of how she gets free, she spins on her heel, stumbling briefly. Reaching back, she draws a small ball of water and suddenly thrusts it forward, trying to jet the thing as far away from her as she can while saying, "Ewewewewewewewew" She's doing this dumb little dance for a moment before snapping out of it and trying to regain some composure. And maybe clear herself of anything gross. The spear comes back out and she starts trying to help anyone else grabbed, slashing at the arms or stabbing through the openings behind them.

:'''{{#var:5|Fate Testarossa| (5)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For once. For once, all of Fate's cool demeanor flies out of a window. Especially as she's nearly pulled ''through'' a window. Scarlet eyes shoot wide in wordless terror as the inhumanly strong, dead, arms hoist to lift her up, a cry dies on her lips and cuts off as she reaches out for succor from someone, anyone, when her unnatural speed cannot save her.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Between sunshine and soldier, she's freed, Kouboku pulling in a lion's share of undead aggression as he rips Fate free from the jaws of undead doom. She comes staggering away, toppling onto hands and knees with a bad landing as her cloak is ripped off in the chaos, but this next group of zombies is smaller than the last. It takes less energy and effort to put them down- almost none at all between Kokoro, Riventon, and Tessen.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Fate scrambles behind Jin, panting, heart racing, picking herself up on shaking legs.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Th-thank you." She does manage, if only barely, to remember her manners, as Bardiche flashes.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class=" bold_fg_y bg_n ++ hy">[Sir. ... Sir...]</span> Her Device pings warningly. <span class=" bold_fg_y bg_n ++ hy">[Your back.]</span><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In an instant all of Fate's terror is washed away in a much colder flood of a different kind of horror. The angle and lighting are both bad, but there's no missing, plain as day, the raised lines and marks on the girl's back. Scars, harsh, cruel, and some, horrifyingly, more fresh than others.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Fate tips her head down, a dark shadow shrouding over her face as she marches for the morgue door, wordlessly, her stance and body language says everything as she turns her back to the wall, waiting for someone to take point.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This is not to be discussed. Ever.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"The source is in here."

:'''{{#var:200|Kokoro Akakuma| (200)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kokoro Akakuma is no soldier. She doesn't have a wealth of expertise in weapons and the kind of wounds they cause. But she's a street tough; she's been in her share of brawls, even as a 14-year-old, and moreover she's got an instinct for fighting she can't quite explain. She'd never be able to put it into words ''how'' she knows, but she knows the instant she gets a glimpse of those scars.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Those aren't battle injuries.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Fate's reaction seals it. Kokoro's expression draws into a frown, then a scowl. There's a crackle of electricity dancing along her biceps, up the length of her hammer, along her legs. The look she turns on Riventon and Jin is utterly furious. But... but something in Fate's behavior blunts her response. Something about it forestalls her fury. She'll do a lot of things, but she can't trample on wounded pride like that.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So without a word, she turns and marches down the hall, taking the lead into the morgue. And crackling with barely-contained lightning the entire way.

:'''{{#var:204|Jin Meiyou| (204)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Jin sees. <br /><br />He ''sees''. His eyes widen, and something goes wrong with his expression. No. ''No.'' Briefly, it's not just his eyes that glint metallic in the dim magical light; it's his face, his hands. He swallows, and then there's a snap of wild magic and he falls like his strings have been cut.<br /><br />''Riventon,'' says Osiemnastka as the light of a teleportation spell begins to swirl around the soldier, ''Please accept PFC Kouboku's apologies for his inability to continue assisting Testarossa-san today.''<br /><br />Then they're gone.

:'''{{#var:102|Mikoto Nakajima| (102)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Tessen pauses, ever so briefly, at the sight. It's certainly not something she'd ever considered at all likely for someone like Fate. And it gets her dog-piled by a group of zombies as she defends Fate's retreat from the mob. <br /><br />Fortunately it's only a few seconds before the pile practically explodes, the blue-clad figure rising from the pile of zombies with a wild yell. "No more!" she calls out. <br /><br />"No more of this! No more, do you hear me? I. HAVE. HAD. ENOUGH!" She starts carving her way back towards the group, cutting through a half-dozen zombies that had passed by her while she was dog-piled. "We are going to FINISH this! And YOU are going to go back to sleep!" <br /><br />She kicks a last zombie out of her way and, spattered with unnamable stains, glares as if daring anyone to say anything.

:'''{{#var:6|Nanoha Takamachi| (6)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Nanoha Takamachi gets to her feet finally to spin around and face Fate. She wants to say thank you. She wants to express her gratitude, despite the horror, of Fate stopping her from facing the horrible fate of being ripped apart or... eaten? Are the zombies wanting to eat them? She doesn't know. She doesn't care. She doesn't have to find out.<br /><br />She moves her mouth as if to express that- the same as Fate does to jin, except...<br /><br />...Except.... marks Many of them. Some look fresh and her first thought is the zombies. But some look.. old so old.<br /><br />....Mon has a large burn scar on the side of her arm. She says it's a reminder that ovens are hot and are to respected that she learned early working in a bakery. It looks old and raised. And many of those look like that. What could make those?....<br /><br />Who could make those?. "Nanoha!" calls Yuuno and it snaps her out of the second awful reverie of the night as her vision refocuses.<br /><br /><span class="fg_207">"You...."</span> she says seethingly and she's looking VERY specifically at Riventon and she looks upset in a way that she doesn't typically look upset.<br /><br />But Yuuno is there again. "Nanoha, not now. It's dangerous. Please. Later...." begs Yuuno.<br /><br />He has to beg. Yuuno hasn't seen her like this.<br /><br />It's like Zombies don't matter right now as she turns to the matter at hand and jogs after Kokoro.

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Riventon finally gets his halberd between the offending zombie's torso and head, and it flares with a vile energy as it cuts one from the other, then he wrestles himself free from the arms, stumbling forward and looking up just in time to see...<br /><br />That.<br /><br />The word 'Fate' escapes his lips, but it's got no vocalization behind it, no force. No way to make anything come out of his mouth upon seeing it. There's even a dimming in the cloud of black energy around him.<br /><br />Until the looks from Nanoha and Kokoro. "Me?" he pauses. And then he puts two and two together and makes four. "you think... HOW DARE YOU!?" And that energy swirls a lot more furiously now. But he doesn't really move from the spot. He's just overcome by the emotions of it all.

:'''{{#var:171|Jiaying Maki| (171)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Jiaying Maki sees those scars. Sees that they're newer. Doesn't say a thing about it. She's got her own, albeit from being dumb, but she's also used to seeing that sort of thing on other entities? Is that a good term for a ghost? Still, she's starting to lose her patience as well, lashing out with that guandao, chop, slash, stab, chop trying to make a rhythm of it. Each slash leaving a trail of water that slowly trails back to the haft of the weapon. <br /> <br /> Then bad things happen. There's energy swirling nearby and it's about then that Jia recognizes the guy. Finally. Not being distracted by walking smelly bodies. . . . She won't admit to being that slow later. <br /> <br /> Well, everyone's distracted now, it's not her thing, she plays cleanup. Sometimes somewhat literally as she sweeps the glaive low to try and push away the creatures.

:'''{{#var:5|Fate Testarossa| (5)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Enough." Fate's voice cuts sharp and firm. She had been shaking just moments ago, now there's an edge to her tone that says very much that this is neither the time nor place, between Nanoha and Riventon. If she had her way, neither would have ''ever'' found out. But instead she expends the small amount of magic necessary to manifest a new cloak for her Barrier Jacket and throws it over her shoulders, clutching it tightly to place.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Out of sight does not mean out of mind, though, does it?<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Into the morgue though. Fate lets Kokoro lead, too busy staring silent daggers at anyone who so much as looks her in the eyes.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The morgue is stone silent. Every single shelf and ice locker for human bodies are ominously open and empty. But the room is not empty.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A man sits on a hospital bed, cradling an infant on his lap, a woman in a hospital gown stands silently at his side. Though her eyes are glassy and dead, the man's are not. And the Jewel Seed hovering in the center of the room gleams vibrantly as soon as the magic bearers enter to seal it.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I have them back now..." The man whispers.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Jewel Seed shines brightly. It's been active for too long. It needs to be sealed now, or the consequences could be disastrous. More disastrous than a zombie outbreak.

:'''{{#var:200|Kokoro Akakuma| (200)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"..."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;From fury into growing horror... and then right back around to the start. As Kokoro realizes what she's seeing in the morgue, the crackling lightning that comes with her ire dies out. Comprehension leads, yet again, to a quiet, deep-seated revulsion at the very concept of what she's looking at. A mother. A child. Neither of them alive anymore. Neither of them...<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's too cruel. Her brain, her ''heart'' doesn't want to accept it. But she's had to look at cold hard reality a few times too many to just reject it out of hand. So she takes it in.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The crackling starts again. She's not even seeing the Jewel Seed at this point. Someone else will take care of it. She doesn't care who. Right now her eyes are fixed on the man responsible for all this. A father. A parent. Perhaps it's just her ire at whoever might be responsible for Fate's scars, redirected onto a target she can actually see. Maybe it's dovetailing with her own parental issues. But she's only got eyes for him.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"...no... no, buddy, you don't. You ain't got 'em back."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Step, step, step. "That ain't them." Step, step, step. "Those ain't nothing but puppets. Mean, dangerous puppets. Your own wife and kid. And you just... and you just..." Dengeki Shoujo... no, Kokoro Akakuma reaches out the moment she's within arm's reach, to grab the man by his collar, to haul him up into the air, and to pin him against the nearest wall.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"HOW THE HELL COULD YOU DO SOMETHIN' LIKE THIS TO YOUR OWN DAMN KID?!"

:'''{{#var:171|Jiaying Maki| (171)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Jiaying Maki hesitates before speaking up, "That's not them." She looks torn, she can understand that desire. It's one of the things that keeps others lingering. What brings them back, what turns dark. She works her hands a few times. "They're gone. They've moved on to where they belong." She's trying to make an appeal here. Probably helped by the fact that she doesn't know just what the source of the magic is fully. Maybe he'll release it right? <br /> <br /> That's about when he's slammed into a wall and she whinces. "H-hey, easy." She says, not really feeling the conviction she thinks she really needs here.

:'''{{#var:6|Nanoha Takamachi| (6)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Nanoha Takamachi is expecting for something to be in there. Some sort of gross mass of awful from which the zombies spawn. The Jewel Seed menacingly animating zombies. Well it's technically doing that. Yes. Some sort of zombie slug. Maybe nothing because it's a morgue and all the dead are out /here/...<br /><br />Nothing prepares anyone for this. She blinks a bit and sort of blanky stares a bit. Nrg. This is... horrible. Does she say anything?...<br /><br />This isn't the thing that's solved with a speech of any kind- justice or not.<br /><br />She just raises her staff and begins to start the sealing ritual because that's what's best, magenta symbols appearing around her.

:'''{{#var:102|Mikoto Nakajima| (102)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Tessen pauses, eyeing the scene on display before her. She's tempted to just finish it and seal the Jewel Seed. The woman and probably the baby are already dead, after all. It's not as if she can hurt them. Indeed, she even lifts her blade to make the strike... <br /><br />And then Kokoro rushes in and grabs the man by the scruff of the neck. She pauses, hesitating to make the move, but.. it has to be done. <br /><br />"Carnwennan, Sealing Mode." The Device acknowledges the order and shifts its form, flanges springing out from the hilt as a glow spreads along the blade. Royal-blue spell-glyphs circle the blade as she gathers power for the sealing.... <br /><br />With any luck, sealing the Seed will strip the motive force from the zombies. She hopes.

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Riventon literally ''stomps'' in behind the group. He's quiet, a sort of simmering anger that has no real direction. It's anger at what he saw on Fate's back - anger that he had to see it rather than have it brought up by her to him - anger at the obvious blame he's getting - anger at zombies...<br /><br />He's silent, but he nods. "Seal the damnable thing." is all he says. At this point he even finds it hard to care who ends up with it.

:'''{{#var:5|Fate Testarossa| (5)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There's a grunt, and the man is winded when a girl half his age hoists him up and pins him to the wall. For a moment he stares almost through Kokoro with almost-zombie-like eyes of his own before he focuses on her. "You wouldn't understand... I couldn't lose them. We need to be together."<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The zombie... Moves. Pawing at Kokoro. Not aggressively, but urgently, as if pleading for her to drop the man, groaning breathily and demanding. But that's about as emotive as she gets.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It won't matter much in a moment, Fate steps in, her own spell forming as Nanoha and Mikoto start to try and seal the seed. But it's been active for far too long. The entire hospital shakes. Three spells go off, just as the Jewel Seed unleashes a tremendous wave of magic, seeming to shake the whole world in a violent dimensional quake, radiating massive amounts of sickening energies. But then three spells hit it at once.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The undead go quiescent and collapse, not to rise again. The man sighs.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Fate is on her knees, bracing against bardiche.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And the Jewel Seed floats in silent dormancy, sealed and no longer dangerously active.

:'''{{#var:6|Nanoha Takamachi| (6)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Nanoha Takamachi's spell fires off......<br /><br />Just as a powerful dimensional quake rocks through the area due to the Jewel Seed and as if reacting to the arc of her sealing spell, something powerful and awful rocks back through it.<br /><br />It feels like two trucks just hit her back to back and it looks like it too because she's flung back HARD enough into the steel wall of the morgue to leave a large vaguely Nanoha shaped dent-- not to mention her head just took most of the brunt of the impact. That'd be really bad if not for her barrier jacket...<br /><br />Which almost shreds apart upon impact, stopping her from being smacked very hard as opposed to becoming a red Nanoha-shaped ketchup stain on the wall.<br /><br />What basically happens is an unconscious Nanoha falls forward from the floor and onto her face into the ground.<br /><br />She is definitely hurt and out cold without too much word.<br /><br />...Where did Yuuno go?

:'''{{#var:200|Kokoro Akakuma| (200)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I... I wouldn't understand. I... I wouldn't understand...?" Kokoro's grip tightens on the collar. Not enough to choke the man... but only just. The pawing at her goes completely unnoticed. She's trembling. She's crackling.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The dam breaks.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You blind asshole, ''I'M THAT KID!'' I WAS THAT KID FOR SOMEONE! Only instead of me, it was ''them''! You ain't got a clue what it's like, goin' through my whole ''life'' with my parents just a distant fadin' memory! Ain't never had a single person give two craps about me until I got here! I ain't ''never'' had what you got, you hear me?! I'd give ''anything'' to have it back! Just one night, just ''one night'' with my mom and my dad! Just one night to hear 'em talk, spend time, ''ANYTHING''!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Teeth grit. Electricity arcs. "But you... you just come in here and you turn your wife and kid into those... those ''things''?! That ain't them. That's a slap in the face to everything they were. I'm tellin' you right now, as that kid, I'm tellin' you that if you were my dad, if I found out you did somethin' like this just to cross space and time to be with me, just for one night. I'd throw that night back in your damn face, turn around and march out the door. There ain't no forgiveness for somethin like this."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The dimensional quake doesn't even register. Her distracted mind writes it off as part of the sealing process.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She'll be kicking herself for it later.

:'''{{#var:102|Mikoto Nakajima| (102)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Tessen grits her teeth as the sealing spell fires off. She's only going to get one shot at this... she's got to focus. She barely even notices Nanoha and Fate firing off their own Seals. The spell slams off her blade and into the Seed, and between the three of them it quickly goes quiescent. <br /><br />Except that the world doesn't seem to have noticed. Sparks arc along her blade's length, and the ground underfoot betrays her as reality itself bends and twists around them. <br /><br />The blue-clad form slams into a wall, bounced away from the Jewel before she could reach for it. Something cracks as she hits, and she goes limp as she slumps to the floor. It is perhaps fortunate that they're in a hospital.

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Riventon is... vaguely aware of everything. If he was more aware, he'd probably comisserate with Kokoro, to a degree. The things he'd do to see his mother - well, they'd outweigh even the degree of things he's done for other purposes. But - he's still just. So out of it. But... the seed is sealed.<br /><br />Short terms, short words, short commands. While Fate has been leading up until now, Riventon pushes his way in - at least verbally. It's that dangerous, stern talk - it's Riventon talking more than Takashi.<br /><br />"Take the seed. Let's go." It's easier to focus on the mission, harder to focus on anything else. In fact, he's already preparing a teleport spell for the two of them - since Fate can't really walk through the Dusk Zone.

:'''{{#var:5|Fate Testarossa| (5)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The undead woman collapses to the floor. The little bundle on the hospital bed has stopped squirming. And for a long moment, the man stares in silence at Dengeki Shoujo- no. He stares at Kokoro Akakuma, in bald and blatant shock when she erupts with all the righteous force and rage of a volcano. He's silent for a long moment, letting his head hang. Because when he finally can speak, all he can utter is a whisper.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I'm sorry..."<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then he says it again.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"... I'm sorry..."<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then he chokes it. Then he sobs it as he realizes the gravity of his foolishness and failure.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Fate, pushes up to her feet, holding Bardiche out .<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class=" bold_fg_y bg_n ++ hy">[INTERNALIZE IX]</span> The axe pings somberly as it collects the Jewel Seed. Takashi is already preparing the teleportation spell out. The Jewel Seed is handled. Fate drops the Barrier. The hospital will return to normal like this madness never happened.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Wait." It's a soft prompt, asking for just a few seconds more as an uneasy Fate glances to the fallen Nanoha.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It takes more strength than she expected- to slide arms under the other girl and lift. But she hoists the unconscious Takamachi, before stepping into the sigil, intent on taking the young mage with her.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"--Riventon... To my place. Please."
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