revivalproject | [OPEN] Network + Log

Entry tags:

[OPEN] Network + Log

WHO: Echo and youuuu
WHERE: Sh'Ka
WHAT: Echo needs to check on people and ask what the heck was that
WHEN: A-Side is now-ish; B-Side is during the event
WARNINGS: N/A
Notes: The network part of this is still in action format, jsyk <3

= = =

A-Side: [Network][Video]

-Echo to anyone at this point, do you read me? We need a status report.

[As he waits for a response, he glances off to the side, muttering under his breath.]

Everyone better be alive…

- - -

B-Side: Flashback to The Storm:

"Echo to Temba. Come in, Temba- !"

Third time's the charm and it was still no good. The comms weren't working. Nothing was working.

The hiss in the former ARC Trooper's voice dropped off as he stayed low, using whatever was available for cover in Sh'Ka. His helmet jerked upward as a giant shadow passed over him, staring at the shambling bear-like creature making its way through the wilds of the city.

Exhaling a thin breath, Echo waited before glancing back over his shoulder to be sure Omega was still there, relaxing a bit more when he confirmed she was indeed still with him. "All communications are down," he quietly informed her, albeit mildly irritated that this was all happening again. "Unless we come across other people out in the storm, it looks like we're on our own."

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The girl's lips were pressed in a tight line as she kept pace, and at Echo's words she looked up at him in concern. No, not surprising if this was another storm, but she didn't like being out of contact with anyone. At the very least she wasn't alone, a fact she was most thankful for.

"I hope everyone's all right..." Temba during a storm had been terrible but she didn't think it would be all that different here just because they were in another city.

Echo tensed, letting his gaze drop behind the visor. "Me too." While disgruntled, concern held weight in those two words. "Some of them have been through this before. They'll know what to do."

He couldn't say the same for everyone else, unfortunately. They were going to have to learn the hard way.

His grip tightened around the pistol as he tried to focus on their current situation, glancing back to where the giant creature wandered off to. "Think we're ready to move?"

Omega hugged herself as she also cast a look around. She wasn't sure what to make of the large figures, but it hadn't seemed intent on chasing them at least.

Echo's words made sense, and trusting others to be able to take care of themselves was about the only thing they could do. She nodded, trying to put on a brave face. That included them as well, after all. They were together at least. They could deal with this, even if it was a little scary.

"I think so. Where do you suppose it went?"

"It was heading down that road, but it didn't look like it had any particular place to be," Echo canted his head, nodding to where the giant once was. "And if it keeps wandering about without noticing us, I'll take it."

His objective at the moment was to watch Omega's back and keep her safe. He knew she could hold her own, but he still would have done the same if it was anyone else in his company.

After a few beats, he turned to face the girl, gesturing for her to follow. "Alright. Let's go."

"I noticed that too..." Omega said, frowning a little. Maybe they didn't care? Or just didn't see them... It was foggy, after all.

With a firm nod, she started along after him, just a step behind and to the side. She loosened her arms from around her, feeling a little more confident now that there wasn't anything tromping about, but mostly because Echo was there. She didn't want to let him down and knew he wouldn't let anything happen to her either.

Omega's observation confirmed she noticed similar things about the beast, doing little to settle that tiny voice in the back of his head that tried to warn him from leaving their hiding spot. He ignored it, proceeding as planned since experience proved there would always be risks involved; the longer they stayed there, the more time they wasted. Better to try the next option and see how it went from there.

The fog's cloaking benefited them as much as it obscured their line of vision, showing no signs of letting up any time soon. It parted, swirling about Echo's metal legs as he tried cutting a path to the closest building, keeping his pistol up in case any other surprises decided to appear out of thin air.

At times Omega attempted to sweep the fog clear, not that it did very much. She wished it wasn't so difficult to see in front of her.

"I was going to say it was too bad the stairs are broken in the hotel here, but with all this fog, getting to higher ground wouldn't help much, would it?" But at least they had walls around them and limited chances of something appearing out of nowhere. She didn't know this city that well to be able to work out where they were exactly but she had no objections to being led towards another building as Echo continued to make way.

Something else caught her attention as they walked, and at first she wondered that she was imagining things. Easy to do when one could barely see two feet in front of them. She smiled a little as she saw the little disoriented Barry walking about, watching as it also seemed to be making way for the building. And then it stopped, and Omega blinked, wondering if it didn't like that they looked to be following it. Crimson lightning flashed nearby, making her turn to look, and her eyes widened as she saw the familiar, hulking form once again. "Echo..."

It was easier to navigate when it was clear. Whatever Echo remembered of Sh'Ka was literally clouded; he might have recognized the walls of the nearest building, but he couldn't see anything beyond it. Only shadows and vague shapes that vanished the longer he stared at them.

"Not a chance," he frowned, the chin of his helmet tipping a few degrees downward in Omega's direction. "Fog's too thick. While we can still try it, it may be the same up there as it is down here."

He shifted forward, staying crouched as he tried to cross over. Had he been too focused on trying to get to the building, he wouldn't have heard the girl. If it weren't for the flash of light, he wouldn't have turned to see what she was looking at. And now that he did both, he didn't want to know what could possibly happen if they waited for the massive shadow to overtake them.

"Run!"

Where did it even come from? It just appeared, along with the strange lightning. She'd never seen it that color before.

Echo hardly needed to urge her any more than with that one word. Omega took off, looking to the little flailing Barry. "Sorry-!" she apologized as she scooped it up to hold in her arms as she ran with Echo for cover.

Boots scuffed against the ground as the soldier dashed after her, laying cover fire to try distracting it from its intended path. For something that big, it logically couldn't have made a round trip in so short a time. It also didn't look like the shots fired did anything to harm it.

After getting a better look at its face, he didn't waste time catching up to usher Omega and her new Barry friend inside the nearest entry point. "Get down," he nearly whispered once they were technically out of sight, neck strained as he tried to see if the creature was still outside.

Omega didn't argue as she slipped inside, moving against the wall. She crouched with her back against it, trying to calm her thudding heart with a slow breath as she cradled the little Barry.

"Shh...you're all right. We won't let it hurt you," she whispered, not that she knew if the little guy could understand her, but its attention seemed to flick from her to outside where the stomping behemoth had been. Omega swallowed, glancing at Echo before glancing that way as well as she listened.

Thick rivulets of liquid streamed down from the giant's barely-closed maw, hitting the ground hard enough to shake, sharply hissing upon making contact. Snarling breaths echoed overhead as it leaned in closer, the pair of bulging red eyes threatening to pop out of its sockets searching as it loomed in.

Echo held his breath, shifting slightly when the lighting changed, casting a quick glance over at Omega and the Barry. The thing was too close for him to try moving, shaking the building under its weight. One hit. Then another. Splattering even more questionable liquid over its surface, burning it away as it veered back-

And then, nothing.

It was so close and terrifying that Omega squeezed her eyes shut, drawing her knees up as she curled in as tightly as she could without crushing the little Barry, gasping as she heard the sounds. She didn't dare look, fearing that the moment she did, it would find them.

But then it stopped. The noise, the sense of something there, just suddenly absent. Very slowly, Omega lifted her head peeking towards Echo.

"I-is it gone...?"

Echo waited, uncertain of what just occurred. Or what hadn't occurred, to be more precise. "Stay here," he replied quietly, meeting the girl's gaze briefly while preparing himself for the unexpected. And he slipped out like a shadow, pistol raised, relying on his peripheral vision before having to turn his head to scan everything around him.

There was no sign of the monstrous being. No signs of recent damages that should have been present.

"...It's...clear." Disbelief colored his tone as he returned to the building, hopping back inside to inform Omega of his lack of findings. "Not just gone. It's like it was never here."

Omega held her breath, not wanting to be left alone, but she gave him a reluctant nod then. Slowly she eased out of her position, glancing down at the Barry. "You all right?" She carefully set the little one down.

Echo's return was received with clear relief, although his report made the girl blink, confused. "But...we heard it, didn't we? It was right there and...and melting things." Echo wouldn't lie though, so it was just strange to process. Omega frowned, looking from her brother to the little Barry.

"I guess it's clear, little guy. Will you be okay?" She managed a smile, giving the Barry a light pat with the tip of her finger.

"We did. It was practically on top of us," Echo nodded, gesturing out toward the hole in the wall. "Everything around here should be worse off."

As they both unwound, he continued to mull over the conundrum. A thin smile formed while Omega spoke with the Barry, slowly dropping off again behind the confines of his helmet once he was able to collect his thoughts. "...It disappeared as quickly as it reappeared. Like the ghosts."

"So it was an illusion...? Or another ghost?" Omega stroked her chin the way she'd seen Hunter do so when in heavy thought. "And why would it be so big? There was something familiar about them though..."

She shook her head, unable to work it out. Movement out of the corner of her eye had her look back towards the Barry, and she waved at it as it began to scuttle off towards a crack in the wall.

Holstering his pistol, Echo hummed under his breath. Perception was easily warped if an illusion acted that real. This is the first time I've seen anything that large wandering around." If it was another version of a ghost, then it proved they came in different shapes and sizes. "Whatever it is, there's no telling when or where it will come back. And I'm not looking forward to any other surprises that may come with it."

The former ARC Trooper's helmet swiveled a few degrees to where the Barry was skittering off to, letting Omega see her little friend off. There was something endearing in the way she always waved goodbye to everyone the Bad Batch had come across so far in their journey, and he hoped it would stay like that for a while longer.

For the time being, however, he needed to make sure they survived the storm experience. "Do you still have your supplies?"

"Me neither," Omega agreed. Real or not, it had been terribly convincing. She got to her feet, dusting herself off before adjusting the strap holding her bow and the bag slung on the opposite shoulder.

"I do. I'm not sure how long they'll last though, especially if this all stretches out," she said with a concerned frown.

"A few days, maybe," Echo estimated, frowning as well. She was right to be concerned about the storm's duration. They hadn't planned on this happening at all when they first headed out. "The longer we're out here, we'll need to find shelter and restock at some point. It may be safer to head back to the ship..."

The girl nodded. "Temba had some kind of safe haven, didn't it? Maybe there's one here too." But supplies were something else entirely, given that no one really lived out here. Well, save for the little Barry things.

"The ship at least has the basic things we'll need," she agreed.

With that in mind, Echo nodded, leaning against the wall to be met with layers of fog again. "It's worth looking into." If Sh'Ka was anything like Temba, then there would be a similar facility available for its visitors. "We can try heading there first to confirm it exists. Then we'll move on from there."

That sounded like a reasonable plan to her. Omega gave him another nod. "Ready when you are," she said with a little salute as she stood at attention. Being scared about thing wouldn't help them, and at least if they had some sort of goals then they wouldn't just be running around trying to avoid strange, gigantic ghosts.

Goals were good to have on missions. And despite this not being an actual mission, they were going to treat it like one. Omega would have done well as any other clone cadet in training did, and Echo was proud to have her as part of the squad.

Another nod, and the clone trooper silently signaled for her to follow. The ghosts on a larger scale were going to add some complications to their plans, but he knew what to expect now. Dodging them and the other ghosts that try to gain his attention added to the work.

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[OPEN] Network + Log

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answering with cayde would've been awkward

GOTTA PROTECT CAYDE

pleez protec i m bb

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