[ 01 ] [ Audio // Commentlog ]

[forthebothofus]

[Abeni remembered pain; a distinct sharp, burning sting in her abdomen from where the blade had driven in again and again. She remembered the fight, the way she and Zachariah had been ambushed, separated and how she had carried on while he fought his way back to her.

When the man had returned, it had been too late. Abeni had known that and told him to run. The world faded black and there was no doubt in her that she had died... Which was why waking up fully healed but still covered in blood in a strange cell was enough to put her on edge.

She had woken with a gasp, hands moving to fend off attackers that were no longer there. Instead she struck the journal on the table beside and it fell to the floor, pages open to kick off an Audio transmission. It was one that would go unnoticed. Abeni had bigger things on her mind. Confusion ran through her as she found her wounds gone, but the blood that soaked her clothes still wet. No part of this made any sense. Abeni still had her weapons, a hunting knife and a pistol, which only set her caution on even higher alert.]

What-- No. I am not doing this again. This ends now.

[Neglecting the journal and leaving the letter unread, Abeni stepped into the hall. She would not be captive anymore, neither of them would. Abeni would find Zachariah and they were getting out once and for all. The woman wanted answers, and would stop at nothing to get them.]

Comments

[helluvachin.livejournal.com]

[Zachariah knows that voice. He knows that voice better than anyone, and when he hears it his heart just stops. There's no way this is possible but there's no mistaking it. That's Abeni. Didn't that one guy tell him that people come back from the dead here? Maybe that's what's going on. One way or another he has to find her. He needs to make sure.]

Abeni hold on!

[Whether she hears him or not he takes off in a full sprint towards the barracks and starts searching each and every floor for her.]

[forthebothofus.livejournal.com]

[She doesn't hear him speak. She's already out in the hallway by then.

With swift but carefully quiet steps, Abeni treks down the hallway of the fourth floor, searching for someone or something that might explain what the hell is going on.

In her hand is a gun, six shots remaining, loaded and ready to fire.]

[helluvachin.livejournal.com]

[It's about the fourth floor he starts running out of steam. Maybe he just imagined the voice. Abeni's dead and gone, there's no way she-

Then he sees her. He stops cold and just stares at her. If he wasn't so sure that she'd sock him in the face he'd run over there and hug her.]

A-Abeni?

[He just doesn't know what else to say. What can you say to some who's come back from the dead? Looking good?]

[forthebothofus.livejournal.com]

[She freezes, weapon raised and pointed at him. For a brief moment surprise registers on her face, but it's gone in an instant and replaced with her usual serious look.]

Who are you.

[It's not a question, it's a demand. He looks like Zachariah, sounds similar but on both accounts is older than he should be. Was this their new game then? Find the one thing that mattered and fuck around with it for entertainment? And yet the look on his face was so damn familiar.]

[helluvachin.livejournal.com]

[There's a brief smile but it's gone when she points the gun at him. She doesn't recognize him. He got older but she just stayed the same.]

It's Zachariah. I swear to all that's holy it's me.

[He doesn't move forward. In fact he doesn't move at all. The last thing he wants is to spook her and get shot.

Please recognize him Abeni. Please.]

[forthebothofus.livejournal.com]

[She shakes her head.]

No way. I know Zack.

[The fact that he looks like him is the only reason why she hasn't pulled the trigger. At the back of her mind, Abeni wonders if Zachariah had a brother, or a cousin who looked like him. Perhaps she should have listened to him more when he tried to talk instead of shutting him up every time.]

You're too damn old.

[helluvachin.livejournal.com]

[No no no, for once in her life why can't she just listen to him?]

I wouldn't lie to Abeni. I took a bullet for you. There's no way I would lie to you now.

[It's something they both know. Something that can help prove to her that it's really him. He doesn't want to have to pull off his shirt and show her. Then he'd have to explain the other scars covering his body too.]

[abstinentzombie]

[Well hey, Abeni. Meet Kloe, who is just walking down the hallway minding her business.

Until she spots the upset-looking lady covered in blood. Kloe stops quickly.]

Are you injured?

[She'd approached another person previously who looked injured and apparently wasn't, so she's not getting any closer than she has to.]

[forthebothofus.livejournal.com]

[She'd heard Kloe approach before she'd seen her, but without a decent place to hide and watch, staying in the open had been the only choice.]

I'm fine.

[And the gun was still in her hand.]

Who are you?

[abstinentzombie]

[Oh, Kloe can see that gun all right. Great.]

Doctor Kloe Bishop. Who are you?

[forthebothofus.livejournal.com]

[So now Deadworld was bringing Doctors into the mix. This only added to Abeni's confusion.]

That's not important. Where's the exit? I want out.

[abstinentzombie]

[What a polite individual.]

The exit is on the first floor, you're on the fourth. The Keep is walled in, but there are gates right outside the barracks. If you want to leave the area, I don't think you'll get very far. There's nothing but wasteland and forest as far as I can tell. This place doesn't even have a damn sun.

[Though she doubts anyone really cares about that last part except her.]

[forthebothofus.livejournal.com]

[She has her reasons for acting as she does, none of which Abeni is in the mood to explain.]

Good enough for me.

[Now if you don't mind, Kloe, Abeni will be on her way. She starts and... pauses, giving Kloe a confused look.]

What do you mean, 'no sun'?

[Surprise! She cares.]

[kptn-sparrow.livejournal.com]

[There is a pirate in the hallways, preoccupied with a large compass whose needle does not seem to point in the same direction always. He is trying to figure what the bedeviled object's problem is. It swings suddenly and he looks up, seeing a bloodied woman.

Not one that he's seen before on the Keep grounds either.]

Are you alright there?!

[forthebothofus.livejournal.com]

[It's the raised voice and the odd clothes that make her grip her gun. No one had really asked her if she was alright in forever. Well, none but Zachariah, and he wasn't around.]

I'll be better when I get out of this shithole. What the fuck is going on?

[Jack earned himself a critical glare.]

[kptn-sparrow.livejournal.com]

[He doesn't miss the grip on the odd gun there. His own hands are visible and away from his sword.

Why are there so many women using that word?]

Now, that question I would like an answer to myself. I don't rightly know.

[He's shifts side to side, looking at both her and beyond her, seeing if there's a body back there or not.]

What just happened, there with the- [he makes a gesture to her bloodied self.] ?

[forthebothofus.livejournal.com]

[Abeni can't see any reason to lie, nor can she put the effort into coming up with something. She motions to her bloodied front, material torn in more than a few places.]

I was stabbed. [And more than once.] What is this place.

[She ain't asking. She's demanding.]

[kptn-sparrow.livejournal.com]

[Perhaps she is one of the ones that had died? But so soon? Will there be someone else on the Green now? So much blood there though.]

Are you alright then? ... Does it hurt?

And well...

This place, officially, claims itself to be a refuge of many worlds for the few souls that were pulled from the existence as to which they were native to.

[A unamused and wry grin quirks on the corners of his face.]

There does seem to be more to it than that though. Most of it unkind.

[forthebothofus.livejournal.com]

[Her expression darkens.]

I'm fine.

[And physically she is, though she knows that there should be damage to her front. Hell, she shouldn't even be alive right now, assuming that's what this is.]

And I'm leaving.

[No way is she going back in the cell or staying anywhere near them. She's armed and missing her partner. Abeni is getting out of there.]

[heavyweaponsbot]

[Hello random woman in the hall. There is a giant, alien robot limping his way back to his room.]

[He only gives her a glance before making an attempt to pass her by.[

[forthebothofus.livejournal.com]

[WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT. Abeni stares, side steps out of the way and raises her gun to point it straight at him.]

What are you?

[heavyweaponsbot]

[He glances at her, his good optic barely giving the weapon a second's look. Human firearms became nothing but a minor annoyance a long time time ago.]

Tired.

[And cranky. Did he mention he was cranky? It's his naptime.]

[forthebothofus.livejournal.com]

Oh real funny. You know what I mean.

[She's cranky too. And covered in her own blood but lacking an open wound.]

[heavyweaponsbot]

[He grunts, looking her over.]

... You damaged? Got fluid everywhere.

[forthebothofus.livejournal.com]

[She must have hit her head. Or maybe this was what happened when you died. All the weird stuff comes into play. Maybe she was in a coma and this was all some crazy dream.]

I was. Not anymore though. Any idea how I healed up so fast?

[Abeni has no idea what the hell is going on right now.]