It's the sound that draws her; someone is crying not too far away and even without the city in the state it is, Steph would still go towards it. When she rounds the corner, she's greeted by the sight of a Xenian person standing in the middle of an empty street , fighting off something that Steph can't see. They keep trying to run, starting to move before seeming to come up against something that makes them step back. Steph doesn't know what it is, but from the way the Xenian is acting, they seem to be surrounded and terrified. They're not screaming though, which is what confuses Steph, instead she can definitely determine them as the source of the crying.
She hates herself for it, but she hesitates. What can she do, against something she can't even see? After a moment more, the Xenian falls to their knees, apparently having lost the will to fight further, and that makes the decision for Steph. She runs towards them, frowning when she realizes how cold the air temperature and how dark it's gotten, but she doesn't slow until she reaches the Xenian.
Just as they collapse completely, suddenly unmoving although Steph doesn't get a chance to check for a pulse because suddenly she's terrified. The feeling hits so hard she stumbles, looking around her even though she knows she won't be able to see them. The Xenian has to be dead, because Steph knows that she's going to be dead herself, soon, if the way she feels is any indication.
It's when she hears Black Mask's voice, like something dragged up out of a nightmare that she knows she has to run. This can't be real, something is doing this to her and she has to get the hell away from it. Her footsteps echo through the empty street, but the coldness and darkness and fear seems to be following her. It doesn't help that she's noticing more victims lying in the street, completely still but otherwise unharmed. She wonders if whatever is trying to get her is responsible. She thinks it was.
She realizes she can't keep running forever, not only because she'll run out of fight eventually, but also because she can't leave other people to face whatever this is. With shaking hands, she reaches into her pocket and pulls up the first useful number she can think of. Well, the one that will answer, because she doubts Martel has time to take calls, but Hermione will.
"Hermione, oh god," she doesn't wait for a response, knowing Hermione can just play the message back, "There's something here and I can't see it but it's killing people." She realizes how panicked she sounds, but she doesn't have time to slow down and regain her breath or composure, "I think it's a ghost or something. It's dark and cold and I can't--" she doesn't know how to explain what she's feeling, "Please. I can't see it, but you're magic and maybe you can. I'm in Rim, near the Verso train line, please come."
She has the CiD pressed near her ear as she keeps running, waiting desperately for Hermione to respond as the air starts to grow colder.
[Hermione]
She hates herself for it, but she hesitates. What can she do, against something she can't even see? After a moment more, the Xenian falls to their knees, apparently having lost the will to fight further, and that makes the decision for Steph. She runs towards them, frowning when she realizes how cold the air temperature and how dark it's gotten, but she doesn't slow until she reaches the Xenian.
Just as they collapse completely, suddenly unmoving although Steph doesn't get a chance to check for a pulse because suddenly she's terrified. The feeling hits so hard she stumbles, looking around her even though she knows she won't be able to see them. The Xenian has to be dead, because Steph knows that she's going to be dead herself, soon, if the way she feels is any indication.
It's when she hears Black Mask's voice, like something dragged up out of a nightmare that she knows she has to run. This can't be real, something is doing this to her and she has to get the hell away from it. Her footsteps echo through the empty street, but the coldness and darkness and fear seems to be following her. It doesn't help that she's noticing more victims lying in the street, completely still but otherwise unharmed. She wonders if whatever is trying to get her is responsible. She thinks it was.
She realizes she can't keep running forever, not only because she'll run out of fight eventually, but also because she can't leave other people to face whatever this is. With shaking hands, she reaches into her pocket and pulls up the first useful number she can think of. Well, the one that will answer, because she doubts Martel has time to take calls, but Hermione will.
"Hermione, oh god," she doesn't wait for a response, knowing Hermione can just play the message back, "There's something here and I can't see it but it's killing people." She realizes how panicked she sounds, but she doesn't have time to slow down and regain her breath or composure, "I think it's a ghost or something. It's dark and cold and I can't--" she doesn't know how to explain what she's feeling, "Please. I can't see it, but you're magic and maybe you can. I'm in Rim, near the Verso train line, please come."
She has the CiD pressed near her ear as she keeps running, waiting desperately for Hermione to respond as the air starts to grow colder.