the darkness keeps growing, the shadows cutting deeper

[hfm_npcs]

Warnings: Darkness, Nox, darkness, manipulation, darkness, violence, and more darkness
Location: The sewers
Characters: Agent York, Aaron, Celestia, and a lot of Nox
When: Shortly after the attack on the city.
Summary: The Nox approach the hapless prisoners, and attempt to make them a deal

It's dark. This should come as no surprise to those who have a clear memory of what happened, but the sheer size and scope and depth of the darkness is suffocating. Pressurizing. There's a dripping in the distance and the Nox's guests will find themselves covered in...something that's rapidly congealing. Communicators don't work, and if listening close to the silence reveals they aren't alone...

Something's out there, watching the three warm bodies. Almost breathing on them.

((OOC: Check this log periodically for subheaders which will direct the plot!))

Comments

The prisoners awaken...

[hfm_npcs]

The Nox are all around...but they seem to be waiting for something. There's some time to talk to the other warm bodies.

[letteropener]

"A pony," Celestia said as she shook her head, "could get very very tired of being kidnapped."

First things first: she reached for her magic, the better to light the darkness around them.

[exuviiated]

A pony may get tired, but a human already is-- and plain terrified, just to add insult to injury.

Aaron gropes around in the darkness, voice down to a whisper. "Celestia? Is that you? Did they--?"

The question is drowned out by his nails against the floor and its own volume, but it likely needed to continue no further for Celestia to understand.

[goddamngrenades]

"So you got away before?" that- that's good. That's something they can use once he has any kind of idea who they are and where they are. York flinches at the flare of light, flicking his good eye over- a kid and a pony.

Well.

It could be worse.

"How far down do you think we are?" Panic can come later. Like. After he's sure there isn't a way out.

[letteropener]

"Oh, not here," she said, as casual and calm as if they were simply in a living room with the lights off, "but as ruler of Equestria I tend to be the first target for those wishing to conquer or destroy it. At least here, imprisoning me will not stop the sun from rising."

She settled herself gently on the floor, hooves folded. "We are, I suspect, deep enough that we will need to be rescued. Though I would be delighted to be wrong."

[exuviiated]

"Who are you?" That's directed at York. If this were literally any other time, perhaps his introduction wouldn't be so curt, threaded with fear, but--

nothing is convenient right now, it seems. "I've never been down this far before. Or down here. Period." It should come as no surprise that he's talking to fill up the silence and the darkness, unwilling-- or afraid-- to use his healing magic's glow to lighten the place up. "Our eyeglasses don't work down here." He's just tried. There's a new note of panic in his voice, and he abruptly stops talking to fiddle with the now-useless communicator.

[goddamngrenades]

"Yeah, no. If we were in a cell and there were soldiers we were up against instead of, I dunno, creepy little shadow things that you can't really reason with? I'd be in favor of waiting it out. But we aren't and they aren't so..." York pushes himself to his feet, squinting into the darkness. "If I knew how far down we were I could try porting us back up but I have a feeling that'd end badly."

And he's not about to test with anyone else on hand.

"Me? Agent York of York's Taxi and Delivery. Formerly of Project Freelancer. Currently trying not to lose my shit. Nice to meet you." He manages a half smile at the kid- shit, there's a kid stuck down here. "Okay. Magic works, comms don't, can't get any word out of here. We are covered in..."

Ugh.

He scrapes a hand down his hair, squinting at it. "Something."

[letteropener]

"That's not very surprising."

Celestia had no scruples about using her magic -- she pushed energy into her horn to summon light around them, well aware that it might be their only protection against the Nox. She also spread her wings to full, already calculating ways to earn then an advantage in these terrible circumstances.

"I have no doubt help is on the way."

[exuviiated]

The light fills the space efficiently, even illuminating some of the Nox that are hovering close. They're crafty, though; not too close to merit any sort of resistance. Resistance likely isn't even possible, what with how Celestia is down here too and not making any attempts to fight!

Aaron makes to scoot out of the way with the spread of Celestia's wings, and gets brushed in the cheek by a remex anyways. "Yeah, but when's help going to get here? Do they know we're even down here? Agent," and a pause as he decides whether that's a name or a title, "York, you can teleport, Celestia has light magic, and I have healing magic which is pretty useless if nobody's hurt, so--"

They're both more experienced in this sort of thing, so why he's trying to make a plan, he doesn't know.

"What are we going to do?"

[goddamngrenades]

"Celestia, you got the light, you take point. Kid, you heal? You stick between us." Rule one, powerhouse in front. Rule two, cover your medic. "I bring up the rear. We pick a direction, we start moving. We hit a wall? We follow it. Maybe we get close enough to a vent or something that we can get word out."

Is it the best plan? No, no it's not. But it's what they got. Celestia can buy them space and light, if anything goes wrong? They got someone to patch them up. He...doesn't have a weapon but he can move them around if they need to get somewhere quick.

"Sound good?"

[letteropener]

"I did hit my head during the initial assault," Celestia said, evenly and calm so as not to worry anyone. "I am likely nursing a concussion, so if you can heal that before we begin this adventure, I will be more reliable with my magic."

The shadows stir...

[hfm_npcs]

As the trio wanders the sewer, they may find parts of the shadows under them...more solid somehow. And they may or may not notice the moving writhing dark among the rest of the darkness that Celestia cannot illuminate.

"Princess...

Agent...

Healer..."

But there is no missing the whispers that echo through the sewers at the same time they resonate in the brains of the Nox's captives. A set of white eyes appear in the tunnels, rapidly moving towards them.

"Welcome."

Someone wants to have words.

[letteropener]

"Good afternoon," Celestia said quite politely, neither pressing against the darkness with her light nor letting it yield around them. "My apologies for being rude, but you could direct us to the way out?"

No, she didn't expect that to work.

[exuviiated]

He doesn't know why Celestia's being so calm about this. Against all better knowledge, Aaron fights the urge to bolt back to the place he'd woken up; but York was behind him, Celestia was in front of him, and he felt frozen, anyways. Celestia's politesse, he figures, won't work; he takes a different tack.

"Why are we here?"

[goddamngrenades]

Panic or roll with it. When in doubt, follow the lead of the person with the biggest gun- right now? That's Celestia. "Yeah, We got a little turned around. Just point us in the right direction and we'll get out of your hair. or. Tentacles."

[hfm_npcs]

A small rumble of discontent from the darkness, and though it seems to emanate from nowhere, those who hear it may feel that it shakes the ground at the same time.

You are always welcome here

But you understand

We cannot let you leave.

[letteropener]

"I'm terribly sorry," Celestia said, and her polite words surrounded a thin core of diamond resolve, "but we weren't asking your permission, nor your opinion."

[exuviiated]

Aaron nods in firm agreement with Celestia, grateful that she's taking the initiative of talking to the things and more grateful still that it isn't him. He does, however, look back at York to see whether he was going to add his own comment or not.

[goddamngrenades]

York braces himself where he stands, one hand slipping out to rest against Celestia's flank, the other on Aaron's shoulder. A quick getaway might be in order. And by might he's pretty damn sure this is gonna go bad in a bad way.

"That's all very Hotel California but I think we're gonna check out now."

[hfm_npcs]

Not surprising...No one asked your permission. Or opinion. When they brought you here.

It would make sense. That you believe you could do the same to me.

Another rumble, this time accompanied by a wheezing, echoing sigh.

Do you know why. You are here?

[letteropener]

"You either intend to bargain with us or threaten us." That much was obvious, and almost beneath her to acknowledge. "Though I think you might get farther if you attempted to negotiate with us."

[exuviiated]

"I don't really care why we're here. I just want to go back up there."

He could say something caustic and rude, but. Not the best idea, even with York's hands on him and Celestia in case things go south. And didn't he say he wasn't too confident in his 'porting abilities at this depth, anyways? Best to let them handle it and keep his healing magic ready.

RESCUE MISSION

[unrecovered]

It's barely been an hour since the shadows grabbed people and dragged them into the depths of the sewers. It feels like it's been forever and yet somehow no time at all. Time flies when you're traumatized and still have to prep for a mission.

It's a feeling Wash knows well. That doesn't mean he hates it any less.

He's taken the time to go back to his apartment and get his armor. It may be useless against the Nox, but it has night vision and external lights, both of which will likely be useful underground. Plus, it makes him feel better. It's a half ton of mechanical comfort blanket and dammit he needs that right now.

He stands at the entrance to the subway and looks at his companions. "If anyone wants to back out, now's the time." He's fairly certain nobody's going to take him up on the offer, but it is a volunteer mission and he needs to make the option known nonetheless.

[panspermia]

It's nigh impossible to know what exactly could be waiting for them down there, but Greg did his best to prepare--mostly through taking as many sources of light as he can justify. Handheld flashlight, headlight, emergency flares, lighter... he's grabbed a few water bottles and protein bars, since Leo taught them there's no way to know how long they'll be down there. Better safe than sorry. He's filled pockets with just about as many seed packets for roses and ivy as he could get his hands on.

He tries to dry off his sweating palms on the straps of his backpack. Despite his best efforts to appear otherwise, he's nervous as hell. Greg's never really done anything like this before. He's gotten caught in the middle of a few Nox disasters, but he's never actually stepped up to the plate with forethought and preparation before.

Still, Wash's comment is met with swallowing down his misgivings and planting his feet. "Figure we had time for that already." He tries to make it sound lighthearted, but there's still a tremor underneath. The Nox can do some pretty horrific things to people, and they're heading into the thick of it.

His fear can't be the same as those dragged down there, though. York and Celestia are capable, sure, but Aaron's already been exposed to what the Nox can do to a mind. None of them deserve that, and Greg can't just leave this to someone else to handle. Not this time.

[jonesiseverywhere]

Casey's got all his gear, even if he's pretty sure his pads aren't going to do much to stop the Nox if they get the idea that he looks like a good snack. And even then, experience has taught him all he has to do is get eaten alive and he can get stuck in it's throat.

Shouldn't be hard with all the spikes. And all his stuff is flammable anyway.

But this more about getting down there and getting their friends back than it is an awesome fight, so he can exercise a little more caution than usual.

Time to get his game face on. He nods at Wash and pulls his mask over his face. "Let's do this."