[Nexus] HT's plots

[Morty]

[Charlie's Place]

And so the Innocent leaves the van, while Sophie remains there. The girl doesn't run away blindly, but hides nearby to try and determine where the van is going.
Sophie doesn't try anything. She has a feeling the "test" will involve the cult doing something heinous to some non-humans and she'll try to prevent it if she can. Hopefully the Innocent will manage to call for help from Remnant or other Hunters.

[UncleWolf]

The Spirit World

The baby grabs a handful of Pathfinder's fur and chortles in delight. So soft! =D

"Marthorne," the woman suddenly says. "The dark witch made a window to a place called Marthorne, and drove the wagon through it. She and the child were both glowing in fear, though the witch's fear was darkened with anger, and the boy's fear brightened by gladness."

Pathfinder may recall that the caravan went through a town called Marthorne, and some of the slaves were sold there. He and his brother were not put up for sale at that time, since they weren't considered broken yet.

Spirit World

Pathfinder nods, remembering the place. He offers the child back. "If I see any of your people, I will gladly tell them how you honor them. If there is anything I can do for you, I'll gladly help."

[happyturtle]

Charlie's Place

The van drives away with Sophie inside, and the Innocent left behind.

The Spirit World >> The Forest

Remember us... the elderly man says, and the spirits fade, leaving Pathfinder in the forest once more.

[UncleWolf]

The Forest

Pathfinder shakes his head, feeling dizzy and weak. He looks down at his paw, seeing it still bleeding and soaked in blood. Normally he'd avoid covering the wound, but he's lost too much blood for now, so rummages through his pouches until he finds one of his bandages and wraps it. He doesn't bother trying to stand, knowing he'd likely collapse, and instead lays back to stretch out as he looks around for Whisper.

[happyturtle]

The Forest

Whisper scurries over from her lurking place. "You hurt." she says, and offers him a handful of grass in a bit of misplaced empathy.

[Morty]

[Charlie's Place ==> The Van]

Sophie remains in the van, looking around and trying to get a feel as to where they're going.
The Innocent tries to get rid of her restraints, then vanish into the city to look for reinforcements...

[happyturtle]

The Van

No windows in the back of the van. She can tell by the noises and frequent stops that they're still within the city though.

The Alley

'Maria' is able to get free of her bindings - electrical cord is not the greatest rope - and sneak sneak sneaks away from the crazy cult house.

Freeeeeedom!

[Morty]

[The Van]

Sophie waits patiently for the van to reach its destination.

[AmberVael]

[Alley]

Latas arrives with remarkable alacrity, riding a black horse that looks normal at first glance, but on second seems a bit... unreal. The colors are off, and what should be hair is too uniform in coloration and texture. It's as if it were a stylized, moving portrait instead of the real thing.

She's not wearing a Remnant uniform, though she carries an ID with her that should declare her status if she needs to. Within her jacket is a handgun and a combat knife, and also her medical kit- it's all positioned to be neatly hidden away as necessary, though.

Dismounting, she looks around for the person who might have contacted Remnant.

[Morty]

[Alley]

She will find only one person in the alley; a thin young girl - looks to be about nineteen - with short blone hair and pale blue eyes, dressed in a worn gray jacket and jeans.
Uh... you're here from Remnant, right? I was the one who called.

[AmberVael]

[Alley]

"I am. Has the situation changed? Do you know where the van is going?" Latas asks, glancing at either side of the alleyway, and at the roofs around them.

"Remind me of your name again?" She asks, keeping her voice quiet.

[Morty]

[Alley]

Julia Faruz. I don't know where the van is going, I barely escaped the cult myself. She hopes she doesn't have to explain how, or she'll have to lie to conceal the fact that she used supernatural powers. I know its description, serial numbers and the way it went, though.

[AmberVael]

[Alley]

"Right. Tell me everything you can." Says Latas. "What do you know about the situation and the cult so far?"

[Morty]

[Alley]

They're fanatically devoted to their leader, who calls himself Charlie. They believe that non-humans will threaten humanity one day and will have to be removed. Charlie claims to have learned it from a vision.

[AmberVael]

[Alley]

"...and the description of the van? The direction it headed? The serial numbers?" Prompts Latas.

[Morty]

[Alley]

It was white and non-descript, the kind you use to make deliveries. Julia will also give Latas the van's direction and serial numbers.

[AmberVael]

[Alley]

"Very well. It's likely best if I catch up as quickly as possible." Latas decides, moving back to her horse. "Do you need assistance? What will you do from here?" She inquires, as she makes ready to chase after the van, or at least travel.

[Morty]

[Alley]

Julia looks uncertain.
Er, I'd like to help but I'm not sure how much good I'll be. Is there any chance you could help me get there quickly as well?

[AmberVael]

[Alley]

"Another person won't slow this steed down." Latas says decisively, mounting the beast and then holding her hand out to Julia. "Are you capable in combat?" She inquires, deciding that was her most pressing concern about taking another person along. "Hopefully it won't come to that, but if it does, I need to know who I'm working with."

[Morty]

[Alley]

Julia sits behind Latas on the steed. Not really. I manage to stay alive, but that's it.

[AmberVael]

[Alley]

"Very well. Stay behind me if things become violent. And hold tight while we ride." Latas makes sure Julia is secure, then urges the horse forward with a whispered word, and it races out of the alley, its gait smooth and swift. It is surprisingly quiet, and moves with a speed and tireless stride that is unnatural for such a creature.

[happyturtle]

Charlie's Plot

Van >> A house

The van parks, and Susan and Linda get out. There seems to be some sort of plan, as the rest remain inside, waiting a few minutes with Sophie for something. Tex, in the driver's seat, calls back, "They're in."

Charlie opens the back door. "Good. Bring Jacqueline and... where's Maria?"

"She... she must have teleported away," the nervous woman says quickly.

"It doesn't matter. We'll just have to do this quick. Bring Jacqueline." Charlie says.

And Sophie is dragged-pushed out of the van.

The house is a very nice one, with a large lawn, set back a ways from the road. Definitely rich.

When Sophie gets in, she finds an elderly couple being terrorised. Both are human. The man has been pushed out of his wheelchair, and Susan is kicking him. "Please, don't hurt us, I have jewels..." the woman is pleading.

I'm on a horse!

While Latas is speaking to Julia, the Comm Center is searching satellite data to try and locate the van, giving the new soldier directions as she gallops. They'll likely arrive on scene in the next post.

[Morty]

[A House]

Sophie almost frowns in disgust, but hides it well. Some defenders of humanity they are, robbing the elderly. Scum. But she has to play along for a while more, until reinforcements arrive... hopefully. How does this serve the mission of saving humanity? She asks Charlie.

[AmberVael]

[A House]

Or rather, outside a house.

Latas stops the horse on the road, somewhere where it won't be horribly conspicuous, and whispers something to it again before helping Julia dismount. "I don't want to draw their attention, so we'll go on foot from here, and try and keep quiet until we have a better idea of what is going on. I suggest you keep a bit behind me, while I lead the way."

With that, Latas will carefully make her way down to the house, choosing a route among the trees or other vegetation if there is one, or perhaps behind a fence- anything that can conceal her, really. If it is an open lawn, she'll instead try and find a section of the house with no windows or doors and move swiftly and silently towards it before edging around and looking for an entrance.

[UncleWolf]

The Forest

Whisper scurries over from her lurking place. "You hurt." she says, and offers him a handful of grass in a bit of misplaced empathy.

The Forest

Pathfinder accepts the grass, figuring it a rare gesture from Whisper, and chews it. "Need meat later to heal all the way." He tells her. "But I know where they went."

[happyturtle]

[Whisper's Plot]

Forest

Whisper makes a squeal of delight in her own wind-like language, and dances in place, absolutely overjoyed.

[Charlie's Plot]

Inside

"The filth should have had their uprising by now. But they haven't. They need humans to show them how it's done." Charlie says.

Linda puts her knife up under the elderly woman's chin. "Take me to the jewels."

"Please, I'll show you. Don't hurt him." The victim leads Linda out of the room to get her jewels, giving a frightened look back towards her husband.

"Is anyone else in the house?" Susan asks, kicking the man again.

"No.. no one..." he says.

"Perfect," Susan says, pulling out a knife, and slashing down at the man.

Outside

The house is not built well for security, with plenty of shrubbery and trees that make it easy to reach the building unseen. If Latas chooses to approach one of the front windows, she'll see the seen above. If she approaches from the side, she'll see Linda and the elderly woman in a different room.

[Morty]

[The House]

No! Sophie shouts, using the Edge that will make Susan feel an unnatural compulsion not to finish the attack. At the same time, she struggles against her bonds, hoping that she'll manage to remove them after making sure they're looser earlier.

[AmberVael]

[House - Outside]

Latas approaches from the side and peers through the window, but with her keen senses, it's easy for her to hear Sophie's shout from another room. Gritting her teeth, she abandons stealth and draws her handgun, rushing around to the front door. If there are no obvious guards or people between her and the door in question, she'll slam into it shoulder first, striking with significant strength, but bolstered by supernatural methods- wherever there is wood in the door and its frame, her power will find it, and attempt to shatter it where it is weakest.

Likely, the door will crumble around its bolt and hinges, so when Latas slams into it, it will either bang into the wall or fall onto the floor in a single piece, allowing Soldier Girl through, ready to fire. Still, all this will take time. Latas is keenly aware that she may be too late.

[happyturtle]

[Charlie's Plot]

Susan finds herself trying to stop her attack, pulling her arm back enough that the knife grazes the man's skin and punches into the floor rather than piercing his body.

"Shut up, ****," Charlie says, trying to backhand Sophie across the face.

About this time, the door suddenly goes SLAM landing on the ground, with splinters flying up. Not much dust though, as the place is kept too clean for that. And at the same time, Sophie manages to get her hands free.

[Morty]

[House - Inside]

Sophie is backhanded and recoils, but as soon as she gets her hands free, she tries to respond in kind by aiming a hook at Charlie's face. She's not very strong or trained in hand-to-hand combat, but she has some practical experience.
Julia stays behind Latas, letting her handle breaking doors and people.