Hale and Maia hover above and behind the rest of you.

I touch down in front of my friends and set down my large ball of assorted shrapnels a little ways away. It can still help us later. "Hey," I say shortly.

I follow Hale, landing and giving a nod to the others.

i jolt up slightly, a bit startled. "oh hey hale! hi maia!" i reply longly.

Time to put the penance aside “hey guys” I climb off Cinnabar and rush over and hug both Maia and Hale. Hale a bit longer, sorry Maia.

Cashel nods at Hale and Maia, dismounting. Ryker does the same.

I then look over to Ryker and Cashel. “so whats the plan boss”

"How are you guys holding up?" I ask, returning Finn's hug, before looking over at Ryker and Cashel.

"I almost died, again!" Ryker gives you double thumbs up and a cheeky grin. "So, normal day for me."

I give Finn an awkward pat on the back. "Got impaled." I gesture to the ball. "They'll pay."

"Not soon enough." Cashel turns and looks up at the moon. "Damn it," He swears under his breath. "So, anyone know what these things oozing white smoke are?" One of the soldiers pipes up from the line.

"What white smoke."

The soldiers part. Among them, in the middle, with a few brave soldiers poking at it, is a tall metal spire embedded in the asphalt of the road. The leaves of metal are shifted apart, thick white fog funneling out of them and coating the ground.

I want to dismantle it so badly. The fog is covering the ground, right? If I go examine it closer up, I won't be in significant danger?

"The fuck is that?"

I grip Hale’s arm. “dont”

The fog doesn't seem to be having any effect. Unlike the one Finn and Silas ran into, the fog is only on the ground.

"I want to know how it works," I mutter to him.

Since there are soldiers crowding around it, you doubt you'd be in any danger.

I let go and breath a sigh of relief.

"Whatever you do, don't light it on fire." Ryker mutters.

I zip off as soon as he lets go, flying circles around it, examining it, etc. Bringing out my mechanical expertise, babey.

I look over to Ryker. “how” “how did you light fog on fire”

I look over to Ryker as well, I am genuinely wondering what the fuck happened over here before Hale and I joined up with the group. "You what?"

"Cashel did. He's the light-player-fire-man." Ryker gestures over his shoulder with his thumb. The spire is like nothing you've ever seen before. There's no hint as to how it works or why it's doing this.

I knock on it.

Something feels wrong.

"is that why you came out of the fog suffocating??" i ask ryker.

It's freezing cold to the touch. Your hand feels cold too, after touching it.

I frown and look down at my hand. Fine. I won't touch it anymore.

"We seem to have activated ours, whereas this one is inactive. They should be trying to activate all of them, I'd guess..." Cashel muses. "How would they light every single one of these things on fire from up there? I bet the teams that were sent down are supposed to light them." Ryker interrupts. Cashel turns to look at the spire and goes still in realization. "Hale. Hale, get back."

No arguments there. I glare at the spire and return to the group. "It's freezing," I report.

Without warning, the entire spire lights up in an explosion. The fog bursts as you shield your eyes, expanding and enveloping all soldiers nearby, moving towards you quickly. "SHIT!" Ryker yells. Cashel spins around and looks up, swearing under his breath. "They're firing on the spires from above. They're going to bomb the fucking city to pieces." "FIVE MINUTES!" Someone shouts out of the chaos. Soldiers run everywhere, trying to get out of the fog as quickly as possible.

"What the fuck do we do!"

"Shit! Do we fucking have any sort of plan here?"

I point at Silas. "You grab the fish!" Now, Finn: "Grab Cashel!" Maia: "I don't know, I trust your judgement! I'll get the wolves. We have to get out of here." I jump into action, grabbing as many of Finn's pack as I can with my brain and rocketing straight up.

You feel an invisible force push you down, preventing you from moving. Ryker shoots you two middle fingers and then extends his hands. Golden rays of light visibly wick from everyone in his nearby radius except for Cashel, who pulls a blindfold from his sylladex, ties it around his eyes, and charges into the fog. A black tendril lashes out from the fog and wraps around Maia, pulling her inside.


MAIA


The dogs wheel around, picking up Silas and Finn in their mouths and gunning it.

I scream as I see Maia dragged into the fog. "maiaaaaa"" I try and struggle against the dog holding me

Cinnabar isn't letting go this time.


MOON LASER


Freshly alone, I think? Now is the perfect time to make stupid decisions. I look around at the fog rolling in and fly headfirst after Maia. I can't leave her here. Cashel went in, why can't I. I take a nice deep breath first, though. Don't want to breathe it in.

Maybe you should've said that a little bit sooner?

maybe its ok it doesnt have to happen

HALE