|
|
Post by "The Standard" Damian Juarez on Oct 17, 2007 17:01:18 GMT -4
His lungs were overwhelmed by the consuming smoke and ash... yet another handicap he'd have to deal with. His cane would be his guide, leading of the blind if you will. It had to be the only thing he could truly rely on at this moment in time... since three of his SIX senses had been nullified by the abrasively fiery environment. His sense of sight, clouded... His sense of smell, stifled by the ghastly smell of pure carbon dioxide... And his sense of hearing, reduced to the sounds of blaring sirens and crackling fire. He treads as carefully as he can, using the sense he's had ever since he could remember... his third "eye".
CHRI$!*coughs*JOEY!*coughs*
Damian feels for the surrounding walls, to get a sense of their security and where solidity becomes rubble...
SIL*coughs*VIA!!*coughs*
How could all of this have happened? All the effort to keep her away from any danger had gone to waste... he feels like a complete failure. He couldn't think what he'd do if his long time friends are gone... if she's gone. He should have been there... it should have been him...
The intensity of his cough heightens, along with the flames, causing him to believe that he was heading in the right direction... |
|
|
|
Post by Laura De'Icco on Oct 17, 2007 17:12:10 GMT -4
Laura followed Damian's lead as closely and as faithfully as she possibly could at the moment. The thick clouds of smoke as well as her impaired vision made it very difficult to truly follow any path through the scene of destruction and fire they had seemingly chosen to wade through in search of their friends. Cough after cough escaped her mouth as she held her hand closely over her mouth, the only filter for the clearly dangerous environment, a handkerchief tightly clenched in her grasps. The entire scape of things resembled just what this entire ordeal had seemingly become...A remnants of a warzone...Her attempts to call out to Damian in hopes of not losing him as well in the rubble seemed to be all for nothing. As his instincts clearly had taken over with the severity of the situation at hand, proceeding through the thick smoke at a more swift pace than even she could muster at the moment in time...Seeing that he was indeed slowly but surely escaping her line of vision she called out to him, hoping he would heed her calls and keep them from being separated in the midst of the smoke...
Damian!...Da*Cough*...Damian?!!?...We should sl*Cough*Slow down be...*Cough*Before*Cough*We get too far separated!...*Cough*Damian!
|
|
|
|
Post by "The Standard" Damian Juarez on Oct 17, 2007 17:51:24 GMT -4
He stops in place. Did he just hear someone calling him? Waving his hand in front of his face to rid himself of this blasted smoke and hopefully catch sight of where and who the voice was coming from...
SILVIA?!
Damian squints, to focus on whomever had followed him into this inferno. The first thing he could vaguely see is the person's hair, and then slowly the silhouette of said person... lady-like.
Lau*cough*ra!?! His hand and cane relinguish the sturdy wall they used for direction... |
|
|
|
Post by Laura De'Icco on Oct 17, 2007 22:32:19 GMT -4
The smoke inhaled by Laura by this point had begun to take it's toll on her movement through the remnants of the building. Her efforts to find her way through the smoke , as well as attempt to keep in close contact with Damian simultaneously was just too much to bare for her it seemed. She found her footsteps becoming slower and slower by the second...Barely able to support her own weight by this time as she made it to the nearest wall, or what was left of it after the explosion, her frame nearly collapsing against it, her words mumbled and clearly not what she hoped would escape her lips when she parted them to call to Damian once again...
D...Damian...*Cough*...I...Ca...*Cough*...
|
|
|
|
Post by "The Standard" Damian Juarez on Oct 17, 2007 23:03:31 GMT -4
He couldn't see her anymore. The constant blinking just disrupted every attempt he made to focus... Something within told him that she's risking too much... that if anything were to happen in here... it should be to him alone. He just didn't want Laura to be another casuality in whatever war this was becoming. It's become a bloody coup... and the Familia are dropping literally like flies... What they have been reduced to...
Chunks of drywall and cement from the walls and ceilings riddled what was left of this particular hallway they both found themselves in. He needed to go get her, but he's lost all direction after parting with the wall. He tries to use his cane, to reach in every direction... but to no avail. Damian now has to be extremely careful, that he doesn't lose the little communication he has had with Laura.
Laura! *coughs* Keep talking!*coughs*I'm*coughs*coming...*coughs*
Damian uses the cane he's grown so accustomed to... as the perfect anticipator for any possible danger that lies ahead... |
|
|
|
Post by Laura De'Icco on Oct 17, 2007 23:21:05 GMT -4
Her efforts to call out to him had been broken down to all but faint whispers by this moment. She knew that the amount of smoke she had inhaled by this time could certainly be fatal. There was no use. She was only slowing Damian down. Diverting his attention from where it needed to be placed upon. She made a mistake following behind him into the fiery rubble of the building. She knew that to be true yet...Perhaps it was too late she thought as she attempted to call out to Damian once more, her eyelids already becoming extremely heavy by this time, her body slowly but surely slumping towards the ground at a methodical pace...
*sigh*...*Cough* Damian...Get ou...Get Sil...*Cough*...Find them and...
She was seemingly on the verge of blacking out and there was no denying the severity of that fact alone. She struggled to keep her eyes open...Her airwaves open and her focus on something to keep her as aware as humanly possible given the situation.
|
|
|
|
Post by "The Standard" Damian Juarez on Oct 17, 2007 23:56:18 GMT -4
Curses! Her silhouette had once again disappeared out of sight. He takes one last step before tripping over a beam that had collapsed from the ceiling ventilation. He hits the ground with a thud, landing on his knees... which causes him to let out a painful groan. Things take a turn for the worse when he realizes that his cane had escaped his grasp. Now on all fours, with his palms cut by shards of glass from the ceiling's lighting, Damian's lungs can't take it any more. Suddenly, the distress from the overbundance of carbon dioxide gas and the surging pain in his injured knee activates a hidden "distress signal" that sends what looks to be a powerful beam of light from his forehead!... Miraculously, the beam pushes the gases upward, completely clearing the lower half of the hallway... Some sort of shield encased it just above Damian and Laura, who was several feet away from him... Yet finally they both had clear air, but would that shield hold?...
Damian collapses after his forehead dims, with his cane just a few inches from him... |
|
|
|
Post by Laura De'Icco on Oct 18, 2007 0:21:19 GMT -4
A few seconds...That's all that separated Laura from complete darkness as she remained motionless against the broken wall she had nearly collapsed near.
Suddenly a rush of...Fresh and untainted air seemingly invades her space instantly, a hard gasp from her lips as her eyes flutter for a few moments, as if trying to focus with the still lingering sting of the previous clouds of smoke still present in her vision. Within seconds her lungs began to almost force air into them, as if sensing that the surrounding atmosphere had been cleared within an instant, even if only temporarily. A hard and almost gruff cough emanated from her mouth as she leaned forward, placing her hand over her mouth and nose as she attempted to replace the polluted air in her lungs with fresh air as quickly as possible. Her breathing was erratic, hardly able to make out where she was as she tried to focus as she spoke out...
Damian?...*sigh**Cough* Silivia...Where is...Did you find...The boys...*Cough*...We need to find...Th...Them...
|
|
|
|
Post by "The Standard" Damian Juarez on Oct 19, 2007 22:05:15 GMT -4
Damian's cane begins to shake sporadically, as if it were alive... It's owner, however, had been completely knocked out of his own senses after experiencing something clearly unimaginable... but he's come to know this world to have many hidden secrets, unescapable even...
With his right hand inconspicuously reaching for the cane while in a state of "recession," the eyes of the metallic Dragon perched at its top begin to glow, a coming to life. The smoldering red tint intensifies before it slides into Damian's outreached hand. Seconds later? Damian comes to, with a bulging headache no less and in a state of confused shock. Unfortunately, it passes as he comes to the realization of his current whereabouts and the task at hand.
Silvia...
He tries to stand up, until he sees some sort of barrier just overhead.
... The fire roars in its current captivity. His eyes fall on Laura, who looks to be in rough shape. The headache ensues... |
|
|
|
Post by Laura De'Icco on Oct 20, 2007 13:33:11 GMT -4
The flames had begun to reach even more so dangerous levels by this moment. Laura's frame lay almost motionless as she continued to struggle to regain some sense of independent stance, nearly making it to her feet once more as a few more hard coughs from her lungs ensued...Time was of the essence and despite her clearly impaired state of being, there were friends in need of dire assistance.
Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity enduring her struggle, her body supported by the nearly destroyed wall she had collapsed against moments before, she neared a returning position of stance, almost forcing herself to stand to her feet once again, her vision landing upon Damian mere feet away from her point of position, an almost pleading look in her eyes as she nodded her head as if to inform him that she was neither in need of assistance nor in want of stopping their "rescue mission"...
|
|
|
|
Post by "The Standard" Damian Juarez on Oct 20, 2007 21:42:48 GMT -4
He pays no mind to the throbbing headache for he knew that time was of the essence... seeing Laura's determination and her strong will, something he had never seen in her or could imagine she possessed, had motivated Damian to push aside his aches and pains... for losing those he cared for... would bring about his own destruction...
Then, he could sensed that the barrier overhead wouldn't hold much longer. He still wanted to wonder how such a thing just manifested itself... practically saving both from smoke inhalation. Yet... he couldn't. He nods for Laura to hurry as the firefighters on the outside battle the expanding flames, especially with the oxygen of the world aiding the fire in achieving unimaginable growth... He extends his arm and hand, for her to push and reach...
Laura! We must hurry...
He could feel Silvia calling to him. As fading as it was, it gave the man who doesn't deal in hope... just that... |
|
|
|
Post by ~*Miss Silvia Banks*~ on Oct 20, 2007 22:02:34 GMT -4
The ringing in her ears has yet to stop even if she was unaware of it at the moment... Smoke continues to seep into the room and the fire has been at its highest level here... since she was literally in ground zero during the blast. Covered in debris and partly by Joey's near lifeless body, one couldn't decide whether or not she deserved this, but it had been done... and she would have to deal with the consequences if she makes it out of there. One thing is certain: She is still alive... at least for the time being. Her hopes for survival? A little "LOVE" and a "STANDARD" in her life she couldn't live without...
|
|
|
|
Post by Laura De'Icco on Oct 21, 2007 0:04:08 GMT -4
Laura continued to push on despite the undeniable difficulties that she had succumbed to during this entire ordeal. Still barely able to continue on, her thoughts remained locked onto the task at hand. To locate their family and ensure that they were still "with them"...Her ears could surprisingly clearly make out the cries of the team of firefighters outside of the rubble, diligently fighting the flames that seemed to never cease in their ravaging of the structure that once was. Though her efforts were greatly effected by her continuous dwindling physical condition, she pressed on, vowing to herself that if only the faintest chance of saving them was evident, she would proceed, even until she couldn't any longer.
|
|
|
|
Post by "The Standard" Damian Juarez on Oct 22, 2007 10:29:42 GMT -4
Both individuals stagger their way down the corridor, past endless debris and intensifying temptures. Finally coming upon its end, the hallway had been sealed off to the rest of the building with a wall that had tilted forward and crumpled into thousands of pieces, the perfect stone block. What to do now... what to do...
He looks back to Laura, to make sure that she's still somewhat capable to continue. She would near him in a few seconds, until she's forced to fall to floor on her hands and knees, the barrier that kept the fire and smoke at bay had disinigrated...
Damian ducks and covers as well... his voice thundering over the chaos now quickly filling the hallway again...
LAURA! CRAWL! KEEP LOW!
As masochistic as it may sound, this would prove to be the perfect distraction. He would need to use this cane's extraordinary abilities to save them from this "fiery smoke tomb." Pressing its end into the tumultuous rubble, Damian triggers a button on the cane that sends a pulsating burst of energy right through the barrier, creating the perfect and sizeable tunnel for both of them.
LAURA! HOLD ON TO MY FOOT! HURRY!
He needed to guide her right into this saving grace of a tunnel, so that they could continue on in the hopes of finding Silvia and the boys... in one piece... |
|
|
|
Post by Laura De'Icco on Oct 22, 2007 11:04:09 GMT -4
Heeding his words, her arm extended as if her very life depended on it which...Given the scenario, it was quite the possibility at this point in time. Within seconds her hand came into contact with Damian's left foot, grasping as firmly as she possibly could while her opposite hand sporadically found it's way to her a covering position of her mouth through the entire ordeal as the hard coughs from her lungs seemed to be never ending.
Her efforts were not as powerful as she would have hoped for given the situation, nearing being dragged along by Damian's relentless need to locate their friends who were in need of dire help following the explosion. Her body readily maneuvered and shifted accordingly through the small tunnel that seemingly...Appeared out of nowhere? Her current mindstate not able to even recall noticing the small opening they continued to make their way through at the time, she merely pushed on as best she could, hoping, praying that their destination would soon be realized.
|
|
|
|
Post by "The Standard" Damian Juarez on Oct 23, 2007 1:16:53 GMT -4
He could see the darkness of the tunnel finally coming exposed to some sort of light source... How unfortunate it is that with the tunnel's end, it'd be the beginning of true Hell on Earth...
His forearms are scraped beyond belief, as he pushes himself forward... and always mindful of the extra "baggage" that willingly jumped into this fiery deathtrap without a second thought. Seeing the fire taunting and waiting for him pushs Damian further. God have mercy on the individual(s) who are at fault here... and they had BETTER pray to whatever god(s) they worship that Silvia and the boys aren't...
He shakes off such a thought, while sliding his cane forward to neutralize the fire at the tunnel's end. A flash soon follows and Damian continues to crawl out of the hole, pulling Laura out with him...
Picking the cane up, he surveys the area... hellfire everywhere. Where to go from here?Meanwhile... Laura, who had kept her eyes closed all the way through that long tomb, finally... |
|
|
|
Post by Laura De'Icco on Oct 24, 2007 9:05:38 GMT -4
....Reopened them finally. Her vision instantly re-focusing on the scenery. Destroyed. Ravaged in ways only the cleansing power of fire could produce on a structure it seemed. Seconds after the force of Damian pulling her from the tunnel subsided, she found herself standing to her feet, her eyes narrowed slightly as the coughs continued as they both seemed to be in a state of confusion as to where exactly to go from here.
Damian...Wh...*Cough* Which way...How are we going to find them from here?...They could...*Cough* Could be anywhere.
Her voice showed traces of understandable despair. Despite the fiery and dangerous trek they had just completed moments ago, perhaps the hardest part of this rescue mission was upon them.
|
|
|
|
Post by "The Standard" Damian Juarez on Oct 28, 2007 23:54:51 GMT -4
Fire, everywhere. They couldn't escape it even if they tried... only if they continued with eyes closed could they escape the horror of it all... yet it cackles devilishly into both their eyes. Damian closes his eyes after surveying the area causes his headache to intensify... specifically the center of his forehead. Mere moments later, he can feel someone's breath across his cheek, slow though steady...
...
His eyes widen, just in time to see the walls of this particular hallway lose their footing... weakened by the intensity of the temperture. As a result, the roof is beam-less... the support no longer there... and its only route? To come crashing down...
Damian pulls Laura back with his right arm, pushing her closer toward the mountainous rubble from which they crawled though... as her screams match those of those watching outside who gawk in horror... the firefighters yelling to their fellow bretheren what is transpiring... and the cannons from every engine targetting this part of the facility, the source, at full blast...
He now had a choice as he held the cane close to him. Risk blowing his cover... exposing his true dealings in the "business world" to Laura... or risk losing Silvia, who Damian knows without any doubt is still in this world in her current condition. He'd risk himself before her. Choice made...
He points the Dragon's Eyes toward the collapsing roof... a flashing red light shoots forth. It strikes the falling debris... causing time around the roof to stop. The water that began falling over the scene at this moment in time... if it was unfortunate enough as to fall into this ceased "timezone", the water would do the same, halt and be of no use at all. The water that managed to splash away from it would push away the flames... as little as it could from such a distance.
Damian couldn't budge without risking Laura's chances of crossing to the other end and into a particular hole in the far wall... the room where another wall was at the brink of falling over both Silvia and Joey... He'd have to risk himself when it was his turn to "cross" though...
Laura! Go now!
Preliminary testing of the limits of this cane had started just a few days before he was summoned by Cross... but this was far from a controlled enviroment. Damian would have no other choice but to test it where he would have no control. All he could hope for is that Laura, who at the moment is in disbelief while she witnesses such a feat, be careful when crossing this fiery "trail" in hurry yet cautiously... |
|
|
|
Post by Laura De'Icco on Oct 29, 2007 0:20:38 GMT -4
Her ears could barely process the words from Damian as he instructed her to cross over first. At this point in time, she wasn't completely sure she had even seen some of the things she thought she had during the course of this entire ordeal.
Not wasting another second she obliged with his request, quickly leaving the confines of the rubble they both leaned against awaiting the moment when they could pass. Her legs carried her as quickly as possible, debris falling down all around them still as her arms raised as she proceeded at a moderately fast pace, momentarily almost tripping in her efforts.
She catches herself, almost instantly regaining her balance as seconds later she found herself on the opposite side of the fiery passage. Once she found herself nearing a possible second "safe point" in the destruction that surrounded them, another moment of losing her balance ensued, partially falling into one of the nearby walls that still stood tall through all of the chaos. A look of pain quickly found it's way to her face as she slowly began to make it back to her full standing position again, her head turning as her eyes once again fell upon Damian as she looked to make sure he wasn't far behind.
|
|
|
|
Post by medium on Oct 29, 2007 0:35:16 GMT -4
Fire. Chaos. The burn. So destructive. So beautiful. Yet it is like all other things. It can be controlled. Contorted and shaped. To his very will. He watches. Undisclosed. Such a scene to behold. Contact instructed him to deal with this man. Predictable, he is. To save that which has become his one true weakness. Fault lies within him. To pay? Of course.
Come forth fire, says The Medium from his post. Eruptions ensue within their location. Wait. There is another. He tilts. Examines. Who is this? Unexpecting. It was LOVE. The Medium's eyes squint. Behind two insect-like, bulbous ovals. Darkened for the shadows. Time to play with "The Standard" of all things. Emotions to crumble while LOVE is in distress? Let it commence.
With a flick of his wrist. Fire escalates. Twitch of every finger. Towers of fire closes in on LOVE. Each more intense than the last.
|
|
