Forum Thread

Startling at the new arrival, Steve smiled. "Hi!" he grinned, waving slightly. He was entranced by the wriggling ears, watching with fascination.

Jesse nodded, mind wandering elsewhere. He kind of knew what he wanted to do here but it seemed like he wouldn't have the chance to say it tonight. It was fine though, he still felt exhausted even after that bit of down time

Finishing up the minor injuries, Semi diligently washed his hands again. "I'm all done over here." He reported to the nearest medic. "Do you need any other help?"

---

Trike tried to keep his composior when he felt a weight onto his side. Instinctively, his tool was in his hand but his wandering eyes were faster, locking onto one of the twins that layed against him. Without pulling the tool out of his pocket, he sighed, releasing his grip and letting the kid rest. That one comment from Jackson shook around in his head, at least he figured now he had a reason to talk to Leaf. Leaning over, careful no to wake the twin, he whispered,

"hey, sorry to bother you, what do you think he means by 'powers and abilities'? I have my tool and I can build things to survive but I wouldnt call that a 'power'? Does he mean electrical power or maybe political power?" (Trike has yet to unlock his abilities and thus, has no idea that anybody else has them too)

---

Red smiled and wiggled her ears again, seeing that Steve seemed intrested.

The medic didn't look up from his clipboard which was full of paient names. "As of now, no, you're excused."

Leaf looked at Trike. "Um. . .I dont think so? It's more of like how Blaze can control fire and I can use inchantations to make things happen. If you dont know what yours is, they give you some tests to see what you're capable of then go from there."

---

Seeing that the meeting is over, Alex tugs at Dallas's arm and shoots her a look. Dallas sighs, she excuses herself from the meeting. The two walk away from the cafeteria and stop near the bedrooms, they stand in the middle of this hallway. "What do you want?" Dallas snaps. "What couldn't wait until later?"
"We can't stay-!" Alex shouts back. The two launch into an argument on why they should/shouldn't stay, their voices getting louder with every passing moment. They suddenly stop, thinking they heard footsteps.

As everyone headed back to their rooms for the night Jackson stopped upon hearing Dallas and Alex. "Is there a problem here ladies?" He raised an eyebrow and they shook their heads. "Good, then please head back to your rooms for the night."

It was now later that night, Leaf was sleeping sounding when the sounds of someone fighting woke her up. She sat up and carefully got out of bed to avoid waking her kids. Throwing on a shawl Leaf headed out into the hallway, she found Dallas' room and knocked on the door.

---

Alex shoots a glare at Dallas and enters her own room, while Dallas enters hers. Why is she always like this? Dallas wonders. She turns towards her door when she hears the knock. She sighs and opens the door, an irritated look on her face. At first, she thinks it's Alex, instead it's Leaf. Her face softens, "Sorry for that look" Dallas says with a laugh. "I thought you were someone else"

Leaf gave her a paitent smile. "I'm sorry to bother you, but do you hear all the aruguing down in the basement?" The aruging was a bit louder now, though muffled it could still be heard though words weren't distinct. "I would go down by myself, but with all the walkers walking around. . .last time someone went down alone, they came back up a walker. I hate to ask, but would you go with me to check it out?"

---

Dallas nods. "Of course I can!" She tells Leaf. She hasn't even noticed the arguing until now. She listens for a moment. Whatever it was... it didn't sound good. She frowns, feeling worried for Leaf. She was a single mother after all, she wouldn't want anything bad to happen to her. "I can lead the way" Dallas offers, as she steps forward.

Felice sensed the sting of strong emotions from Dallas and Leaf. She went out of her room and went to the room with Dallas's name on the door. "Is something happening?" She asked, peeking into the room. She flinched slightly from the sting of strong fear, slight curiosity, and such.

---

Leaf nodded and Dallas took the lead, the two women slowly started their way down to the teh source of the fighting. They followed the voices down then teh voices became more distinct and the conversation came into focus.

"You can't just keep doing this! People are just going to keep asking and-"

"Shut up! You don't know that Cora! Just a few more and it'll be finished." Leaf and Dallas shared a glance before taking a few steps forward, Dallas' foot lightly splashed a puddle and the two flinched. A flashlight's beam of light shone on them. "Leaf? Dallas? What are you doing here?"

"Your fighting woke us up." Leaf insisted.

"Not fighting, just a disagreement. Both of you go back to bed." Richard said dissmissivly turning back to Cora, who looked like she wanted to say something.

---

"It's nothing, we just heard something. Just gotta make sure everything is all good" Dallas tells Felice as they pass.

Dallas doesn't say anything. Instead, she shoots Leaf a worried look, wondering what they should do. Dallas steps closer to the group, she watches the two closely, trying to read their body language. She had a feeling that this was not simply a disagreement.
(Oof that was short)

Felice followed Leaf and Dallas. She saw what was happening. She hid out of sight when Leaf and Dallas were discovered and continued listening. I wonder what was happening. Felice vaguely sensed that Dallas had disbelief radiating from her, so she probably didn't believe Cora and the other person. That influenced Felice greatly in her views. She eventually realised it was a private moment due to certain emotions from Leaf and left.

---

"It didn't just sound like a disagreement." Leaf found herself countering. "What are you fighting about?"

Jackson shot Cora a warning glare when she looked at him with almost pleading eyes. "It's really none of you business, go back to your dorms." Leaf glanced past Jackson to Cora, Jackson gave a light warning snarl of agitaion at Leaf in response.

"Someone here has been dabbling in Dark cleric arts and alchemy!" Cora finally burst out, her voice trembling in fear.

Jackson gave Cora another warning look. "Cora. . .Don't listen to her Leaf, you know she can get crazy sometimes, you just gotta tune it out-"

"Let her speak a**hole!" Leaf burst out, it was a bit of a shock for the group to hear Leaf curse as she was normaly mild. "Say what you need to Cora, dont be afraid. What dark arts?"

"The kind we're banned from. Jackson even said that it might help." Cora said after gathering herself a moment.

"What? We were told to never use those dark arts."

"That's what Jackson told us, but he's been at it almost non stop."

"I said shut up!" Jackson snapped stepping towards her threateningly.

But Cora refused to stop, as if the words just tumbled from her mouth now that she'd started and couldn't stop. "He's dabbling in the dark arts because he's so ashamed of-"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Jackson suddenly brought down the flashlight on Cora's forehead and she stubbled back putting a hand to her head.

". . . I'm sorry. . .what. . .what did you say?" Cora lowered her hand and the blood gushed from Cora's headwound as she fell the the ground. Leaf gave a starlted squeak and knelt down to Cora gripping her hand. Jackson was cursing up a storm as he fumbled through the items for a medical kit.

Leaf looked at the wound and her eyes filled with sorrow, this wound was too fatal, too much blood was already lost, she couldn't heal it.

---

Dallas's eyes widen. She steps forward and extends a hand. Trying to stop the bleeding. But too much has already spilled out. She would only make it worse if she tried to use her powers on Cora. Her face pales. It was ironic, she has taken two lives, and yet, she can't stand the thought of watching someone die. She turns away from the body and glares at Jackson. She wants to say something, she wants to shout at him, do something. But she is frozen in shock

Leaf spoke gently to Cora, the words sounding almost forein to Dallas, but then Dallas realiized Leaf's words weren't for her, but for the dying girl. "Cora, it's me, Leaf."

Cora's hand tightened aound Leaf's as her eyes searched the room for Leaf, the damaged eye facing Leaf, but yet still couldn't see. "Who? I. . .I can't see."

"Leaf, remember? We talked about driving through a city and looking at all the buildings."

For a moment Cora's eyes lit up as if recalling the conversation. "Lights." Cora breathed as if longing to see the said lights on buildings, Leaf nodded. Cora's tone suddenly became serious. "Leaf, you're all in grave danger."

"What danger?"

"Jackson'll kill me if I say. He's scared, and when he's scared he get angry." Cora's voice caught at the end.

"It's okay, I'll handle him." Leaf promised.

Cora smiled at Leaf, Dallas could see the left eye was dialted like she was in a really dark room, which explained the damage, but what made her fear worse was the internal damage. The brain had to have taken a serious hit, possibly fatal. "You're a good person Leaf. I know you can handle him, you're strong and he's not." Cora's eyes flicked around the room as if trying to find something. "Jackson's been messing with the dark arts. Remember his little sister? I think he's got her somewhere here, chained because she's still a zombie. He said he could cure her. I dont know if it's true or not."

"What?"

Cora's hand gave a twitch, Leaf held fast to it. "He's trying to keep it quiet, if you threaten to tell, he'll kill you. . .just like he did Natasha." Cora suddenly started choking and twiching violently. Her eyes rolled up and gave a final huff before finally stopping as he eyes shut. Cora's hand slipped from Leaf's grasp.

Jackson suddenly started to run, towards the exit.

---

A sense of anger and protectiveness rushes through Dallas, a dangerous combination. She chases after him, shouting: "Don't you dare!" She takes a corner too fast, and hits it hard. She is back on her feet right away, but that crash gave him a great head start. She feels wetness form on her hands, she must've scraped them when she fell. She forces herself to run faster, her lungs burning with the effort. She raises up her bloody hands, which is rather uncomfortable, since she is running. She tries to fire her own blood at him like bullets. Unfortunately, since she is running, she misses him. Although she swears she spots a blood bullet graze his cheek and shoulder. She tries to dig down and create a final burst of speed, but it's useless. The man gets away. Dallas slows down, her breath short. She is rooted in her spot for a moment, trying to catch her breath.

Felice sensed the overpowering anger and protectiveness from Dallas. She nearly doubled back, but heard fighting and knew she would be of no help there. Instead, she dove into her room and closed the door, reining in her powers. Oh gosh, something must be very wrong. What could be happening? Felice heard distant crashing and the feeling of excitement and energy, most likely adrenaline-induced, ran though her. She had to fight not to run outside or punch something.

---

When she hears something metalic and large clatter she suddenly runs again, only to find that Jackson has shut them in with the dead Cora. "Jackson you son of a b*tch don't do this!" Dallas pounds on the door but it's useless, theiy're locked in.

Through a gap she could see Jackson's face twisted in regret and sorrow but also fury. "I'm sorry. . .but I can't let you two talk to the others." Then he was gone, the sound of his footsteps bolting away from them on the wet ground confirmed it. Then Dallas heard something that made her blood freeze, it sounded like Cora was choking and groaning, but since she was already dead. The sickening realization hit her in the stomach. Cora was turning. And Leaf was still there! Dallas bolted back to where Leaf was and Leaf was a good few feet away, her face twisted in shock, sorrow, and sickening guilt. Cora was moving a bit, not quite fully turned, but it wouldn't be long.

---

When Dallas had gone back to check on Leaf she finds that Jackson has returned, and even worse, trapped them in with Cora. Dallas steps in front of Leaf, ready to protect her from Cora. Her blood powers were strong, but it took a lot of blood and energy to kill someone. It was best used to injure, but you can't injure a dead person. She isn't quite sure if she wants to risk using up lots of blood. But when she glances down at Leaf's horrified face, she decides to take the risk. She raises a hand up. A rod that can be best discribed as a bloody looking spear flies at Cora. It smashes against her skull with a sickening crack, it also is absorbed into the wound, it drains out of the wound. Dallas winces at the sound, her hands start to shake a bit from the major blood loss. She turns away from the sight. "Please tell me that, that did the trick" she tells Leaf worriedly.

Mercfily the shards of broken skull embedded themselves into Cora's brain, finishing her off. The lack of movement or sounds coming form the deceased zombie confirmed it. When Dallas looked at Leaf she saw that Leaf had tears streaking down her face, Dallas could see that there would be obvious trama.

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