plot } the creatures descend.

[synergismus]

Who: Everyone!
What: Creatures descend!
Where: All across the city, although attacks will be most fervent at its heart.
When: Friday/Veerdi evening and into the week.
Notes: Slow and back-tagging is, as always, permitted. If you are confused, look at these two posts for more information.
Warnings: Violence, creepiness, swearing knowing these characters.

On Veerdi, the presence of the creatures reaches a fever pitch. Something has provoked them into launching an all-out assault, though it is one that begins slowly. The pipe-crawlers, generally harmless though they may be, are seen across homes in Baedal, sneaking up through the pipes and into bathtub drains or sinks. They come by the dozens, and their keening makes most homeowners nauseated--but it's their appearance that leads to a number of distressed Network calls.

This is just the distraction for the rest.

The call of the crawlers draws in the armored, sickly creatures with the tiny primates carried inside of it. They are inelegantly lumbering, but much faster than one might expect, and certainly hostile. They trudge across the city, barreling over anyone who gets in their path and leaving them half-crushed in the street. They're certainly unsettling in their obvious unhealthiness, and the disease-ridden animals they carry are downright vicious, especially once they escape (messily, bloodily) from their fleshy cage.

It's the birds that are the worst, though; the cleverest, and the cruelest.

These strange black birds are resistant to typical attacks and flying in large groups. They descend on pedestrians, picking at their eyes and faces, ready to rapidly tear flesh from bone until there's nothing left but skeletal remains. They fly out of range when they can, only to divebomb anyone who might think they've escaped.

Comments

[hehaseatenthepancake]

While Mike works, Hellboy keeps enough distance to hopefully minimize the patient's nervousness, except when he's needed to lend a hand.

"My appearance is unusual pretty much everywhere." Well, except Hell, presumably, but he doesn't care about there. "Back home, I was kind of a celebrity, but there was still the occasional person who'd panic, even when they should've known better."

[seal_clubs_you]

"Well I know I'm glad to have you on our side. Not that I'm really sure who 'we' are yet, or anything, but..." Hopefully Hellboy knows what he means. Mike's pretty much used to being thrown in the deep end, and he's already concluded that -- appearances notwithstanding -- Hellboy is on the side of the angels.

Now that the patient is cooperative (and increasingly under the influence of the strong painkiller Mike gave him) things go quickly and smoothly. Soon everything's pretty much done.

"We have some cots set up in the other room for patients... could you help me transfer him to one, please? Then you can get back to the battle." There's a hint of wistfulness in Mike's voice, like he wants to be out in the thick of things, himself.

[hehaseatenthepancake]

"Thanks. I'm used to it, though. I mean, even aside from how I look, I mostly show up to deal with horrible spooky stuff, and I'm not especially delicate about it. Some associations just make themselves." He shrugs.

"Sure." While Hellboy isn't delicate with monsters, he does his best here, slowly scooping up the patient and carrying him over to one of the cots. He looks down at the patient for a moment, then turns to Mike. "I'm no medical expert, but it looks good to me. Well done, Lieutenant." He extends his left hand to shake.

[seal_clubs_you]

"Sounds like this attack is right up your alley, then." He smiles and extends his own left hand, shaking Hellboy's hand and skipping the whole manly grip contest; he already knows who'll win. "Thank you. And thank you for your help, too. If you find any more wounded, I'll be right here waiting for them."

A hint of that wistfulness appears again. He's going to be a good boy and tend to his patients, but clearly he'd love to be out in the middle of the action. One day.

[hehaseatenthepancake]

Hellboy's known enough military guys over the years to at least vaguely recognize that wistfulness. Even without any idea of Mike's real capabilities, he knows that corpsmen are as much soldiers as they are healers, and that he'd been kidnapped directly from the field. Not too surprising that the guy's used to being out there.

He nods, acknowledging it. "I'll keep that in mind. Take it easy." He heads out, lights up a cigar once he gets outside of the Inn, and goes looking for the next trouble spot.