[OPEN] Mission 156

[soul_mods]

Characters: Open to participants who signed up here.
Location: Lake Tahoe, CA
Rating: Various.
Time: March 27th, late morning.
Description: The second of the three Madness emitters outside Death City is the target for this mission. Bundle up, everyone -- it's gonna be a cold one.

The mission begins late in the morning, to allow the mission-goers as much sunlight as possible in the warmest part of the day. Not that it'll help much… Temperatures are well below freezing already -- unnatural even for early Spring in the mountains -- and a howling snowstorm threatens to blot out the sun, beginning up the mountain where the slope just begins to rise sharply.

The slopes themselves are fairly barren: a windswept-looking tree here, a cabin that may have once belonged to the snow patrol there, maybe a Madness-crazed bear or mountain lion. Those braving the storm are lucky enough to see five feet in front of their face in these conditions!

Those brave few who manage to make it to the top (enduring falling temperatures and defeating the corrupted fauna and hulking kishin yeti along the way) may come across their goal at the very summit of the half-mile-high mountain: the Madness emitter itself, in the eye of the storm… And one last obstacle: the Witch guarding it.



OOC NOTES.
- The event summary post containing all relevant links is located here.
- Make your own threads, but please indicate in your subject line [CHARACTER(S) | LOCATION | OPEN/CLOSED]
- If you have any further questions, the mod thread on the coordination post is here!

Comments

[incinerare]

Roy nodded silently at the suggestion of sticking to this level of the mountain, walking away from the corpses of the animals. At the question, he paused and flexed the fingers of his free hand. "Yes, I'm sure. Though, if it'll make you feel better, I can stick them in my pockets to warm them up some."

[comradery]

"I don't think it'd be a really good idea to put your hands in your pockets. Not out here anyway." They could get caught off guard like that. "You don't have a spare scarf do you? You could wrap it around the base of your hand. That way, at least part of your right hand could stay warmer."

Since Hughes was going to be staying in his Weapon form and did not need his own scarf, he could offer it to Roy if Roy needed it.

[incinerare]

Hughes had a good point, even if it was quiet now, that didn't mean it would remain quiet for long. The scarf idea was good, except for the fact he didn't have one spare. "You're right. However, I don't have a spare to use like that."

[comradery]

"You could use mine? I don't need it, y'know. I'd just have to switch back real quick for you to get it from me."

Simple as that.

[incinerare]

Roy glanced around the area, listening as well as trying his best to scan the region to be certain they weren't about to be jumped by more animals. The snow and wind made that rather hard, but as far as he could tell they seemed to be in the clear for now.

"All right."

[comradery]

"Okay, hold up."

And with that, he slipped form Roy's hand and changed back into his human form. Hughes started unwrapping the scarf he had worn from around his neck, though the weather made him a bit slower than he would have preferred.

[incinerare]

Roy paused as Hughes changed back to remove the scarf. While waiting, he kept watch on their surroundings, but it was sound that ended up warning him about the bear cub that abruptly came running out of the storm toward and then passing by them. Considering he was weaponless, the fact it kept on running was good for them. If it hadn't continued on...

His attention shifted abruptly to the man beside him. There was something not right about this situation, and he was almost near certain it was the man with him. The man with him wasn't Hughes, no, that had just been the most convenient appearance to use in order to get close to him, to put him off his guard, so that he could sabotage him and then watch him as he fell during one of these missions. It nearly had worked too, but he'd caught onto the trick now. Just because he was lacking a weapon and alchemy, he'd show the little freak he wasn't going down easy.

Turning back toward 'Hughes', he swung a fist at the man's face.

[comradery]

Hughes had just been moving to hand the scarf over when the fist crashed into his cheek. What had happened did not cross him until he recalled that a bear cub had just run by and the Madness affecting it could have afflicted his companion. He stumbled back to catch himself from the punch and narrowed his eyes.

"Roy. What do you think you're doing." His voice was sharp, almost commanding, despite the plain statements. He had no idea if he would get through to his best friend, but at this point, the only thing he could do was try.

[incinerare]

There was no use in telling Envy that he'd already seen through his little act and that trying to keep the act up wouldn't work. Though he could imagine what it might look like to someone who didn't know just what was actually going on here. He'd just have to finish this before someone showed up and interfered.

He swung again, aiming to shut him up one way or another, one fist going for the face again, while the other was aimed lower.

[comradery]

Though Hughes managed to dodge the face shot, the lower shot hit his gut hard. "Urk!" He winced and stepped back again.

Shit. "Roy!! Snap out of it! The Madness is affecting you!" He did not want to actually hurt Roy. This was not good. Retaliating was out of the question. His friend had clearly lost it, but fighting him would not help that much would it. Perhaps if he tried resonating...

He grunted as he felt Roy's soul reject his wavelength. No, this definitely was not good at all. Hughes had to question why Roy had suddenly turned on him of all people, especially so adamantly, but there was no real point in asking. Was there? He decided to give it a shot. "Why are you doing this?"

[incinerare]

"Why am I doing this? Because I'm sick of your games, Envy. I told you, they're just adding fuel to the flames. You're just fortunate I can't actually set you on fire this time." Roy was already moving after the demon again as he finished speaking, aiming this time to actually take him down into the snow and possibly pin Envy beneath him.

Then he could beat him until he finally decided to shift into one of this other forms and reveal himself for what he really was.

[comradery]

What?! Roy thought that he was...

He grunted as he hit the ground, caught off guard by the new information, and tried to shove Roy off, but the other man had already started pinning him down. Hughes had reacted a second too late.

"No!! I'm not! Roy!! It's me! Maes Hughes! I went to academy with you, and you got pissed off at me for stealing your quiche, and we fought in the war together! Hawkeye saved us that one time! Remember? I was there!!" As he shouted out as much reasoning as he could he struggled to get out from Roy's hold. He had loosened himself a bit, but the relatively deep snow surrounding him made it hard for him to roll and turn the situation around. Since rolling was not an option, Hughes attempted to shove the other man off instead.

[incinerare]

Roy ignored the cold of the snow where his legs lay in it due straddling the other man. The words briefly causing him to still for a moment, his raised hand pausing between their bodies. Then the moment was gone and his expression darkened once again.

"You started that war." The words were growled out as he sent another punch toward the face below.

[comradery]

"No! I d—" Hughes barely turned to soften the blow in time, though his could hear his glasses suffering from the hit regardless.

This was going nowhere. He needed to get Roy to stop. He needed Roy to stop thinking. A thought occurred to him and reached up, trying to grab the collar of Roy's clothing.

[incinerare]

He'd been about to deliver another blow to the demon's face below, when the hand caught hold of the collar of the coat he was wearing. Instead of letting the blow fall again on the man's face, he turned to try striking at the wrist or arm of the hand that held him in the effort to get it to let go of him.

[comradery]

Hughes's grip was firm, however. He hooked his fingers under the rim of Roy's shirt and jacket beneath the coat as well and pulled the man forward. As he did so, he raise his right hand palm up and brought the heel of his palm down hard against the side of Roy's neck, striking the bundle of nerves below where the skull met the neck.

[incinerare]

A pained hiss was all he got out before everything went black and he knew no more. With the onset of unconsciousness, he fell forward against Hughes.

[comradery]

Sighing, he shoved Roy's dead weight off of him before stumbling to his feet. What a mess of things this had become.

Resetting his glasses, Hughes let out another sigh before grabbing the scarf that had fallen from his hand and slinging it over his shoulders. He needed to get Roy away from the Madness. Even better would be if he could find someone would a calming wavelength. Recalling that there was typically a medical area reserved for such scenarios, he decided to take advantage of it and hoped Roy would not wake up before he got help. After leaning down and throwing Roy over his shoulder such that the smaller man's abdomen rested against his shoulder, he began the trek back toward where they had first arrived.

Several minutes had passed by the time he finally reached medic encampment. Unfortunately for Hughes, the cold was taking its toll by that point, and his already battered state proved even more of a challenge for him to struggle onward. He stumbled several yards from the tents despite his efforts, Roy remaining as a dead weight against his body. He could not help but think how dumb and pathetic this situation was.

[motherofthesun]

The snow broke easily beneath her paws and gave little resistance and she moved around the medical tents. Everything was still in relative order after one dash up and back. The peaks were perilous and while most traveled with the best intentions up the mountain, they should really consider their skill levels.

Prepared to make another trek up, Amaterasu froze when she noticed something fall. Madness swirled in the air and scents were tossed wildly by the snow beyond the barriers, but sometimes, they gusted in her favor.

Her nose quivered as it whip lashed again towards her and she broke into a run towards the fallen figure... scratch that, make it two. Snow broke as she dashed, making her way to the combatant and their unconscious companion. She released several booming barks as she neared.

[comradery]

Hughes groaned, recognizing the sound of a canine calling out. He tried pushing himself up onto his knees, but Roy's added weight made it more difficult than he had first imagined. If the man had been conscious, he likely would have made a joke involving losing a few pounds. Still, he could use the mild humor himself and muttered it under his breath as he looked up to find the source of the barks. To his relief, they were not the calls from a coyote but were in fact from Amaterasu, who had once again come to save his hide.

"Ammy!" he called out with fervor. Hughes attempted to call out further, but Roy's weight and the cold sapped the air out of him, and he found his lungs begging for more oxygen.

[motherofthesun]

Yup, her nose definitely hadn't failed her. There was Hughes with Roy on his back. She slowed to a trot and stopped before them, sniffing. Hearing the strain in Hughes's voice, she walked around and grabbed Roy, pulling him back and off of Hughes. Her muzzle curled as she pulled the unconscious Meister aside. He reeked of concentrated Madness...

Setting Roy down, she trotted once around him before laying across his stomach. And now, they just waited unless Hughes wanted to get back to the tents. That would be easy enough.

[comradery]

Hughes sat up as soon as he could, glad that Amaterasu had pulled his friend off of him. "Thanks!" He brushed himself off and nodded toward Roy. "He, uh, kind of went a little cuckoo earlier, but I guess you can tell." Rubbing his bruising cheek he tried to think about what else to say. "Your able to get rid of the Madness, right?" Possibly a poorly phrased question, but he was not exactly an expert on the subject. Hopefully, Roy would have the Madness that had affected him drawn out, though.

[motherofthesun]

"Ruf..."

Her tail flopped slightly and she nudged Roy's face with her nose. That's right; she would be able to get rid of the Madness afflicting him right now. Obviously, someone would be attending resistance training in the future.

[incinerare]

The cold of the snow beneath him was the first thing that caught his attention, but the weight of something warm on top of him pulled his attention away from it. When he tried to lift his head to see what it was, 'please, let it not be Hughes' the action brought his attention to the fact the back of his neck ached. He ignored it for the moment, trying to see what was on top of him, but all he could see at first was white.

It took a moment for him to realize the white wasn't snow but fur, which was a little confusing in itself, but at least it wasn't Hughes. But just where was the other man? "...Hughes?" He thought about trying to sit up and look around, but he wasn't sure if he should disturb the animal currently resting across him.

[comradery]

Hughes nodded at Amaterasu and smiled faintly. Now all there was to do was wait.

When he heard Roy say his name, Hughes' attention was drawn back toward the man lying on the ground. Leaning toward to Roy's head, he offered a small wave. "Right here, kiddo'. You okay?"