𝜯 ten

[wearethemeta.livejournal.com]

Wilderness Filter

[Meta may look relaxed outwardly, sitting on the stump, journal open on his lap, unmoving as he records the more interesting dictated entries into his audio logs for future reference. Beneath the surface, however, under the helmet, the AIs are all but still. Speculation, anticipation, and strategy. Giddyness and a resounding, malicious patience.]

[At this point he was only paying peripheral attention to Amy, seemingly to have forgotten her at the moment. He purred, deeply, as something in the journal caught his attention. ]

[His guard was down. Or, it was misdirection. It could also be that he just didn't believe Rory to be any sort of challenge, and hardly worth the effort of posturing. Whatever the driving force behind it, that was the scene that Rory would find.]

Comments

[nurse-boy.livejournal.com]

[Rory has come within several yards of the clearing now and, using his infrared vision, can clearly see both the Meta and Amy. His phantom heart leaps back into his throat when he sees his fiancée slumped against the fallen log; he can't tell whether or not she's unconscious and the only thing he can think is, 'oh god--if he's hurt her--I'll--'

Do what? Shoot him? Even though he has his gun out and ready, he doesn't think he could make the first shot. Hell, Amy had to yell at him just so he'd whack an old lady who wasn't really an old lady, but an alien bent on killing them.

He is so out of his depth.

As quietly as he can, he maneuvers so he's as close as he can get to Amy without the Meta noticing--he doesn't seem to be focused on her at all--and still staying under the cover of the trees. How in the hell is he supposed to get her attention to try and make a grab for her? She might not even be conscious--now that he's closer he can tell that her eyes are closed. There's the sensation of his not-stomach twisting, and he figures there's nothing else for it except to make the first strike.

Swallowing again, he raises his gun hand and aims it at the Meta, letting the automatic targeting reticule pop into his vision, and steadies his gun hand with the other. He moves to take a step forward to get a better line of sight on him when--CRACK!--he steps on a twig. It snaps underfoot.

Rory freezes in horror]

[wearethemeta.livejournal.com]

[Meta's up at the sound, dropping the journal, grabbing a mace with one hand, and reaching for Amy with the other, closing the distance in one large stride.]

[And he's purring.]

[too-fairytale.livejournal.com]

[Amy's startled out of her semi-conscious doze--she's been trying to stay alert, she thinks she might be going into some kind of shock, but it's difficult when the Meta is not exactly up for conversation--by being hauled back to her feet again]

[nurse-boy.livejournal.com]

[Oh shit oh shit oh shit--

Rory's thoughts are racing as the Meta surges to his feet and goes for Amy. He almost cries out at the rough way in which he yanks her to his feet, but restrains himself, and then figures it doesn't matter. The Meta knows he's here.

And that purring. Oh god, that purring. He'll probably be hearing that in his waking nightmares.

Steeling himself--he can't, can't let on how frightened he is--he steps forward into the clearing, his gun hand aimed at the dead center of the Meta's chest, and says loudly but clearly]

Let her go.

[wearethemeta.livejournal.com]

[A rumble in the purring, flexing his grip on her arm,]

You know what we want.

[too-fairytale.livejournal.com]

[seriously, she's not going anywhere, not even now that Rory's arrived. She knows better than that by now. Plus, the Meta's really the only thing keeping her upright--she's half-sagging into his grip.

She looks too pale to be entirely healthy, the cast on her arm is partially broken open, and there's blood leaking through her hospital gown, but just seeing Rory brings a significant amount of spark back to her face. But she doesn't speak, fearful of incurring more of the Meta's wrath]

[nurse-boy.livejournal.com]

[his eyes dart briefly to hers, and there's fear and worry for her in them, but then he's focused back on the Meta. The other man's words are both terrifying and confusing; Rory had been afraid that this is what it would be about. He has no clue how to fix things so no one gets hurt.

He shifts his weight carefully to a more balanced position]

I already told you ... ['don't let your voice shake'] ... I can't just take it off and give it to you. It's--it's my hand.

[wearethemeta.livejournal.com]

[Snarling,]

We can help with that.[and with one fluid motion he's chucking the mace at Rory's head and shoving Amy behind him.]

[He's not at all worried about a shot from Rory, either. Before, it had been at point blank range and he'd been under powered, but here, now, his overshields are fully charged, and he had all his enhancements available to him.]

[too-fairytale.livejournal.com]

[Amy stumbles back, then promptly falls on her ass and stays there, reflexively blurting]

Rory!

[nurse-boy.livejournal.com]

Woah--!

[Rory's eyes go wide and he instinctively ducks; the mace goes flying right over his head and hits the ground behind him with a loud 'thunk', the spikes burying themselves in the soft dirt. He gets to his feet with his mouth hanging open, spins around to gawp at the mace, then back at the Meta. He can just barely see Amy behind him on the ground, and a surge of bravery and protectiveness hits him.

Stumbling backwards, he snaps the hinge on his hand shut grabs the handle of the mace with both hands, yanking at it. It takes two tries before the weapon pulls out of the ground; Rory hefts it in front of him and steps forward again, that uncanny feeling of deja-vu hitting him. Time to try again]

Let her go! [waves the mace threateningly] If it's me you want, she hasn't done anything to you. Just--just let her go and we'll work this out ... somehow ...

[wearethemeta.livejournal.com]

[Growling, pulling down his battle axe and stepping forward, now that his prey is this close he has more or less completely forgotten about Amy,]

Yes, lets 'work this out' [And here he comes, running at you with the battle axe.]

[too-fairytale.livejournal.com]

Rory--

[she chokes out, her very real heart leaping into her throat. He might be a super plastic robot now but he's never been a fighter, she doesn't see any reason for that to have changed]

--don't--

[she can't see any way to help him, or hinder the Meta; she doesn't want to be That Heroine but she hurts too badly to move fast at all]

[nurse-boy.livejournal.com]

[he hears her shout, but things are moving too fast for him to respond. With a yell that's half-terror, half-challenging roar as the Meta barrels down on him, he--instinctively, again--raises his mace to block the incoming attack, and it really does feel like Venice all over again, except ten times worse.

The clang and rattle of the two weapons meeting nearly rattles the teeth right out of his plastic head and he strains to push back and fend him off. This can't, won't end well; Amy's right, he's not a fighter and never has been.

Not while he was alive, anyway.

Because something like muscle memory is taking over, more than instinct, and it's like watching someone else fight as, with a grunt, he suddenly pushes back against the Meta and swings his mace down, bringing both it and the axe down to the ground. Then he's pulling the mace back to wield in front of him and backing up several paces into a defensive stance, blinking in vague confusion. His eyes focus on Amy again]

Amy--run!

[nurse-boy.livejournal.com]

[Rory has come within several yards of the clearing now and, using his infrared vision, can clearly see both the Meta and Amy. His phantom heart leaps back into his throat when he sees his fiancée slumped against the fallen log; he can't tell whether or not she's unconscious and the only thing he can think is, 'oh god--if he's hurt her--I'll--'

Do what? Shoot him? Even though he has his gun out and ready, he doesn't think he could make the first shot. Hell, Amy had to yell at him just so he'd whack an old lady who wasn't really an old lady, but an alien bent on killing them.

He is so out of his depth.

As quietly as he can, he maneuvers so he's as close as he can get to Amy without the Meta noticing--he doesn't seem to be focused on her at all--and still staying under the cover of the trees. How in the hell is he supposed to get her attention to try and make a grab for her? She might not even be conscious--now that he's closer he can tell that her eyes are closed. There's the sensation of his not-stomach twisting, and he figures there's nothing else for it except to make the first strike.

Swallowing again, he raises his gun hand and aims it at the Meta, letting the automatic targeting reticule pop into his vision, and steadies his gun hand with the other. He moves to take a step forward to get a better line of sight on him when--CRACK!--he steps on a twig. It snaps underfoot.

Rory freezes in horror]

[wearethemeta.livejournal.com]

[Meta's up at the sound, dropping the journal, grabbing a mace with one hand, and reaching for Amy with the other, closing the distance in one large stride.]

[And he's purring.]

[too-fairytale.livejournal.com]

[Amy's startled out of her semi-conscious doze--she's been trying to stay alert, she thinks she might be going into some kind of shock, but it's difficult when the Meta is not exactly up for conversation--by being hauled back to her feet again]

[nurse-boy.livejournal.com]

[Oh shit oh shit oh shit--

Rory's thoughts are racing as the Meta surges to his feet and goes for Amy. He almost cries out at the rough way in which he yanks her to his feet, but restrains himself, and then figures it doesn't matter. The Meta knows he's here.

And that purring. Oh god, that purring. He'll probably be hearing that in his waking nightmares.

Steeling himself--he can't, can't let on how frightened he is--he steps forward into the clearing, his gun hand aimed at the dead center of the Meta's chest, and says loudly but clearly]

Let her go.

[wearethemeta.livejournal.com]

[A rumble in the purring, flexing his grip on her arm,]

You know what we want.

[too-fairytale.livejournal.com]

[seriously, she's not going anywhere, not even now that Rory's arrived. She knows better than that by now. Plus, the Meta's really the only thing keeping her upright--she's half-sagging into his grip.

She looks too pale to be entirely healthy, the cast on her arm is partially broken open, and there's blood leaking through her hospital gown, but just seeing Rory brings a significant amount of spark back to her face. But she doesn't speak, fearful of incurring more of the Meta's wrath]

[nurse-boy.livejournal.com]

[his eyes dart briefly to hers, and there's fear and worry for her in them, but then he's focused back on the Meta. The other man's words are both terrifying and confusing; Rory had been afraid that this is what it would be about. He has no clue how to fix things so no one gets hurt.

He shifts his weight carefully to a more balanced position]

I already told you ... ['don't let your voice shake'] ... I can't just take it off and give it to you. It's--it's my hand.

[wearethemeta.livejournal.com]

[Snarling,]

We can help with that.[and with one fluid motion he's chucking the mace at Rory's head and shoving Amy behind him.]

[He's not at all worried about a shot from Rory, either. Before, it had been at point blank range and he'd been under powered, but here, now, his overshields are fully charged, and he had all his enhancements available to him.]

[too-fairytale.livejournal.com]

[Amy stumbles back, then promptly falls on her ass and stays there, reflexively blurting]

Rory!

[nurse-boy.livejournal.com]

Woah--!

[Rory's eyes go wide and he instinctively ducks; the mace goes flying right over his head and hits the ground behind him with a loud 'thunk', the spikes burying themselves in the soft dirt. He gets to his feet with his mouth hanging open, spins around to gawp at the mace, then back at the Meta. He can just barely see Amy behind him on the ground, and a surge of bravery and protectiveness hits him.

Stumbling backwards, he snaps the hinge on his hand shut grabs the handle of the mace with both hands, yanking at it. It takes two tries before the weapon pulls out of the ground; Rory hefts it in front of him and steps forward again, that uncanny feeling of deja-vu hitting him. Time to try again]

Let her go! [waves the mace threateningly] If it's me you want, she hasn't done anything to you. Just--just let her go and we'll work this out ... somehow ...

[wearethemeta.livejournal.com]

[Growling, pulling down his battle axe and stepping forward, now that his prey is this close he has more or less completely forgotten about Amy,]

Yes, lets 'work this out' [And here he comes, running at you with the battle axe.]

[too-fairytale.livejournal.com]

Rory--

[she chokes out, her very real heart leaping into her throat. He might be a super plastic robot now but he's never been a fighter, she doesn't see any reason for that to have changed]

--don't--

[she can't see any way to help him, or hinder the Meta; she doesn't want to be That Heroine but she hurts too badly to move fast at all]