That cable gently pulls Pine forwards, enough to straighten his posture and for him to regain his balance, letting the cable vanish just as Meditat lowers his head to face the root, its caustics subtly brightening, but enough to be perfectly observed and reacted to with a brief, "No…."
He turns to Alder and immediately warns, "We need to leave, now." Without giving time for a response, he then turns away and lifts his head as he frantically thinks, "Link Network, we struck a root, everyone needs to abandon the structure immediately, prioritize getting to the grass if possible, I'll carry anyone remaining once we're out."
Inside a building that resembles a restaurant, for it's a fairly open space with tables accompanied by groups of chairs dotted around, a single large root stands in the middle of the establishment, having penetrated through a table which is now creepily held up against the ceiling as if raised. At the far end of the restaurant is a row of stools in front of a bar table, one of which Hemlock is seated on to rest, taking breaks where he can.
He faces forward at the wall covered in shelves that are lined up with copious bottles of booze, many of them still containing liquid despite the time that's passed since the establishment was run by its official owners. There are however scatters of shattered glass on the shelf, spilled on the ground below, with bullet holes to explain riddled on the walls. Standing on the other side of the table where a bartender would be instead is Ekitai, who in his hands holds a handgun that has a sleek black design without a physical trigger, shaped like a Colt but with smooth curves that distinguishes it from the firearms passed.
His inspection of the weapon ends prematurely as his gaze rises up towards Hemlock or rather past his shoulder, immediately to which his yellow eyes widen and his mouth drops in horror, warranting Hemlock to turn around as well, for the both of them stare at the root that has all the sudden began pulsating, the caustic glow oddly aggressive.
Not inside any enclosed structure nor walking on a bridge, Kokei and Maple explore what they found to at first appear as any porch, though this one doesn't support a building despite its massive size, supported by two trees that the square platform stretches between. This platform instead supports a grid of what resembles food booths, made with tarp roofs covering squares of tables. Two parallel rows of booths cross with an orthogonal pair, forming a cross where all four exits lead directly into the four bridges leading off the plaza, although in the very center is a root along with another four, one in each corner.
Both Kokei and Maple have reached the center of the platform at the cross, surrounded by the booths as they walk from one to the next for inspection. While Kokei walks towards a booth in exploration before raising her head, Maple is currently situated inside one at the inner corner, staying behind for deeper cleaning. The tarp above her oddly has holes in the tarp, though she focuses instead on the cabinets and tables inside the booth, mostly finding boxes of batteries, however Maple does oddly enough find a cabinet full of bottles containing a dark brown liquid.
Her head tilts in curiosity and she reaches in to grab one just as Kokei abruptly sprints towards the booth, catching herself on the table which scares Maple backwards. Kokei opens her mouth, but a sound other than her voice emits, an ominous growling sound that from Maple's perspective appears to come from the direction Kokei is standing from, however Kokei turns around to find that the sound is instead being produced from the root in the center of what appears to be a marketplace. That growling sound already heard this day further horrifies Kokei, as now Maple has gone from shocked to dreadful.
That same growling persists in interiors as well, including what's best described as a store as indicated by the racks along the walls beside shelves, ample space to store objects to be purchased, though the objects occupying those spaces are now weapons, pouches of pellets, bandoliers, and other equipment that wouldn't be for any peaceful village. The store has a long shelf straight down the center to divide the establishment into two distinct spaces, with the other side being not so different other than the dense infestation of roots nearly making the space impossible to navigate through, all of those roots pulsating as the sources of the growling.
At the other end of the shelf, opposite from the open doorway, standing behind another display table is Aspen behind Dana, both of them facing the awakened roots. In Aspen's hand is a battery she was inspecting, but is no longer the object of her focus, and in her other hand is the handgun she had used in the initial skirmish, already taken out in preparation. Despite having her weapon ready, she uses Dana's metal body as a protective barrier, for in truth she's far from ready for what's to come.
While Dana holds a defensive stance, her gentle albeit rapid electric breathing indicates that even she's unsure of herself, stuck in an unfortunate predicament. Her head turns to the doorway on the far end, then to the awakened roots, but back to the door. She raises her closed hand in a signal as if ready to communicate movement, grabbing Aspen's attention as she takes a step back to more clearly see her, her shaky stance indicating her uncertainty in this situation, relying now entirely on her companion. That companion though, upon witnessing what appears to be a black stick emerge from a root, immediately drops her arm and in fact grabs Aspen's before ducking below the table, prompting her to do the same as that black stick begins to bend at the middle as another creeps out.
Similar appendages creep out of the many roots infesting the center of the church, pulling all the attention from Meditat, Alder, and Pine who still holds onto the canteen. They all stand, frozen on the stage, watching those sticks bend to grab onto the surface they emerged from, slowly pulling up.
This time though, Meditat quickly snaps out of the trance, glancing at Alder and Pine before facing the right column which he then leaps towards with a boost before spinning around as each shoulder fires a cable backwards to the wall as he aims both hands at the two survivors, projecting a wire onto each which pulls both out of their trance as well. All in one swift act, Meditat pulls not only himself into the column by the wall, but Alder and Pine too, who stumble from the unexpected yanking though Meditat grabs both of their shoulders to steady their balance. Meditat glances over the wall to find those heads start to crawl out of the roots, prompting him to, while still holding their shoulders, press down on both of them as he bends his own legs into a crouch, prompting them to do the same, enabling them to hide behind the partial wall just as those bodies slip out of the roots, and the sound of thuds behind the wall fills the rest of the process.
Tilting his hands back, Meditat motions both of the survivors to crawl a few steps back deeper behind the wall, which they abide to, freeing his hands to drop to his side. They watch him in silence, Pine's mouth shut to quiet his breathing as much as he can, though even just from the nose it's still rather loud. Knowing they are doing their best to control themselves, Meditat focuses forward, or rather he takes a deep, quiet breath before very cautiously peering around the wall, trying to catch a glimpse of the center column which further worries Alder. He peeks part of his head out to witness several of those fully black, humanoid yet creepily alien creatures stand up from the ground as a few more push themselves out of the roots, succeeding by falling face first into the ground but getting up without any sign of pain. After rising, the monsters begin to turn and survey the church interior despite lacking eyes, for the only feature of their face is the huge mouth stretching across the center, opening and closing as if breathing. As one of those creatures turn to face the right column, Meditat instantly ducks behind the wall again, hiding from detection.
He turns to face both Alder and Pine who stare at him in visible panic, though he maintains a calm composure as, remaining crouched, he creeps along the wall in the direction of the exit, leading both of the survivors who glance backwards, wary of being noticed. Pine grips the canteen with both hands, almost as if using it as a stress toy, while Alder holds onto the straps of his bag now in anticipation, following Meditat to the other end of this portion of the wall, reaching the open end where Meditat pauses at the edge, gently placing his hand against the wall.
The two watch Meditat silently as he once again warily pokes his head out from behind the wall to find that there are no more creatures crawling from the roots, leaving seven monsters in the church with them, all of which begin to spread out. One of them in particular walks along the central aisle, turning its head both ways similar to Meditat's previous scanning, though now its eyeless gaze is jumping to the portion of the wall they hide behind. He ducks his head back slightly just as that creature turns to glance at the opening between the wall where they hide by, nearly having spotted him. Pine takes a step back before Meditat turns to face both of then before returning his focus forwards, counting in his head before slowly again peering out from behind the corner just as that creature has begun to turn its head the other way, opening a window for Meditat's chest to fire a cable down the right aisle, zipping his body straight past the open space and relinquishing to drop him on the corner of the next wall so he could quickly spin around and aim each hand to a survivor to project a wire and jerk his arms, yanking the both of them across that opening almost immediately as well, relinquishing the cables in follow through before catching both of them to freeze their momentum instantly, their feet already just hovering over the floor which allows them to ground themselves fairly easily.
Meditat glances at both of them who nod back to him, letting him turn around and drop his arms to the side to continue creeping down along the wall, getting ever closer to the end of the aisle where their escape is just waiting for them. Again, the survivors follow Meditat, not just in motion but stance as they keep their heads low to remain shorter than the walls. They pass tables of the old pirate gear, Pine staring at the window by the next opening while Meditat has his head locked straight ahead on the path, unable to afford excess anxiety. With silent steps, the three reach the other end of the wall's portion, onto the next opening they'd need to slip through, though at least they were making rather decent progress especially with such little time.
Repeating the process, Meditat peeks around the corner to assess the state of the surveillance, finding that the monsters have spread apart much further now, for there are even a couple wandering inside the left aisle. He checks to find that they've passed the monster they were hiding from earlier, that one likely no longer a threat, at least as long as they keep moving. He gradually turns his head forwards to prepare for another quick zip, but that's when he notices a monster much further ahead, in fact pretty close to the entrance of the church, which wanders between benches the right benches, moving to the right side of the church, the very aisle the three are moving along. Panic now begins to set in for Meditat who glances backwards to find Pine and Alder still behind him and nothing else, confirming that they've yet to be caught from behind, though he faces forward again to find that creature now at the edge of those benches, a few seconds away from stepping through the opening, only needing to make one right turn of the head to catch all three of them in the open.
Meditat glances back at the two once again to confirm their positions, and just as the monster's black foot steps into view at the other end of the aisle, Meditat dashes forwards as his left hip fires a wire attached to the corner of the wall as both hands project a cable onto each of the survivors, pulling all of them seemingly out into the open middle aisle, relinquishing all wires to land between two benches which they crouch lower to hide below, these barriers not as tall as the walls. As both Pine and Alder gaze around at their new spot, Meditat vigilantly raises his head to observe that monster just having entered the right aisle, turning around to face where they just were and patrolling down, at the very least not having noticed the stranded. He drops his head once again to face Alder, then Pine, who are now more anxious given their vulnerable position, as Meditat pans around carefully to find that behind him are three monsters still roaming the center column, one walking down the aisle and each of the other ones taking one column of benches. He then faces forward to find that towards the front of the church there is another monster currently inspecting the left benches, trapping the group from both sides, leaving the two survivors to look to Meditat for answers, ones he's struggling to make himself as it seems any direction he faces gives him the view of another beast, waiting for just the quickest of glimpses at potential prey who couldn't resist if they tried.
Hiding behind the bar table down at a crouch, Ekitai peers around the corner to find that crawling out of the root in the center of the restaurant are two monsters, which after falling to the ground are quick to stand back up and immediately begin patrolling. They growl and gurgle ominously, their mouths slowly opening and closing as if breathing, seemingly excited for a feast. He turns around to face Hemlock who is also crouching beside him, visibly nervous with his hands over his mouth. He watches Ekitai gently pull on his own coat to insert his bony hand into the inside pocket, which after a suppressed flash allows him to pull out his handgun, raising it to the ceiling as he swipes on his screen a few times to make his selection. He then peeks around the table to find both of the monsters facing in the complete other direction from him, leaving a window he takes by creeping towards the closest table, still low to the ground, leading Hemlock to do the same. After reaching below the table, hiding under its top held up by the one thick leg in the center, Ekitai looks down the same direction where the monsters were, now only able to observe their legs though at least he can still discern their orientation that way.
Finding that they're walking though not towards him, he resumes his crawl to the next table in the direction of the exit, leading Hemlock. Once getting under that table, he does another check before advancing to the next, the two able to move fairly swiftly through the restaurant with this method. That is until Ekitai and Hemlock reach the table by the middle and the old gunslinger turns back to face the monsters, finding one of them to turn around, its clawed feet now in view before it begins to walk towards him, shifting the route against his favor. Ekitai pauses as does Hemlock, covering his mouth once again in fear, the two watching the monster approach ever closer to them, at least until it makes a turn away, continuing on towards the bar table.
Once more out of sight, Ekitai turns back to Hemlock before facing the door and creeping to the next table, assessing the two monsters before continuing to the next, both of them again making their way for the exit. They get closer to the exit but Ekitai pauses again upon noticing the other monster approaching their direction, prompting him to remain under the table he's currently at, Hemlock covering his mouth to hide his breaths. The two watch the monster get concerningly closer to them, more than the first, reaching to just a few tables away from them which is when it turns to the left, again changing directions away from the pair.
Eager to take the window, Ekitai turns back towards the door and leads Hemlock to the next table, and then the next, as only those brief glances is enough to maneuver the two to the last table, the one closest to the entrance which is only about an additional seven or so feet away. Underneath this last table, Ekitai turns to Hemlock who shows relief in his eyes which Ekitai at first shares, but suddenly Ekitai's eyes widen in concern and he turns to face that monster that had gotten close to them, now finding that monster to switch directions once more, again approaching them straight. Ekitai glances at Hemlock and assuredly nods, expecting a divergence in direction that'd provide the requisite window for escape, however to his dread the monster doesn't do that, but instead patrols up to the very table they're hiding beneath before just stopping for no apparent reason. Hemlock tightens his grip over his mouth as Ekitai just stares down at the monster's black, sharp feet, not even a foot away from his own brown shoe, its own foot greatly larger with a sharp ankle similar to a lion's. He just stares at that foot, waiting as the monster's growl is uncomfortably close, passive but nonetheless hostile.
Finally, the monster's foot turns around, and the beast patrols off in the direction opposite from the door, leaving the two to glance at each other and then to the door, and with this gracious window presented before them, Ekitai hurriedly sneaks out of the table straight for the doorway in front of Hemlock, the two of them at last exiting the restaurant back outside on the porch.
They both stand up straight and continue to creep until reaching the railing, which is when they're able to pause to show relief, still silent as they're wary of any sound they make, and they both glance around to find other monsters scattered on further porches. Hemlock notices a porch that connects to a ramp that leads back down to the ground, though frowns upon noticing a monster patrolling that area, for it seems that just finding their way down would be a whole separate task. At the same time, Ekitai peers over the railing, staring straight down at the steep drop to the grass, contemplating. Hemlock leans towards Ekitai before whispering, "I'm not sure where's the safest way to go, everything looks pretty crowded to me."
Ekitai nods to himself confidently before then whispering back, "Can you hold your mouth as tight as possible and try your best not to scream?"
Hemlock's eyebrow raises in perplexity before explaining, "Well…yeah that's what I've been doing," to which Ekitai confirms, "Good, here we go," before –with no additional warning– grabbing Hemlock from the back and shoving him over the railing, throwing him straight over the porch before jumping the railing himself.
Hemlock's eyes widen in horror but he instinctively grabs his mouth, gripping it so tightly he could dig his nails into his cheeks, muffling his scream that does emit but only registerable to himself and Ekitai, both of them in free fall side by side as Ekitai aims his handgun at the ground and presses the trigger twice, firing pink bolts that strike the ground first before expanding out a veiny bean bag that the two immediately drop on.
The bags both depress upon their weight, but cushions it nonetheless, letting Ekitai bounce out of the bag to his feet with ease, letting him face Hemlock who still lays on his bag, safe, but needing rest just to process what had happened and make sure that his own heart is beating from the terrifying experience.
Ekitai sighs before glancing around, finding nobody else around, indicating that they're the first to escape. He raises his head back up to the outpost worriedly, able to do nothing but hope for the best, for he had to rely on the rest to save themselves.
All at once, three monsters crawl out of the cluster of thin roots on the left side of the store, beginning their patrol as they fan out with one walking towards the exit and the other two creeping up the establishment beside the long shelf dividing the interior. Not only was that left side already impossible to maneuver through due to the density of the root cluster, but the danger spreads as the monsters reach the end of the shelf, one of them turning around the corner to patrol down the right side while the other approaches the counter table at the end. Its growling gets louder, its large clawed hands open, approaching the table that both Dana and Aspen hide behind on the other side, crouched down with their heads raising upon hearing those footsteps creep ever closer.
Dana slowly raises her arm over Aspen to shield her if the time comes, waiting anxiously as the monster reaches the counter where it stops, its hips right in front of the table, as it could very easily just lean over and easily spot the two. To their luck, the monster doesn't do that, and instead it turns to the left to continue strolling, seemingly leaving the two alone. As Aspen shows relief from that close encounter, Dana turns her head and keys into those footsteps, instinctively grabbing Aspen's wrist before silently sneaking to the right corner of the table, which at first puzzles Aspen until she too focuses on the footsteps which is when she realizes that the monster hasn't left them but rather stayed close to the counter, now circling the left corner for it seems intent to walk around the table, which would expose their current position. While fear swarms her, Dana manages to patiently wait for the very moment that the monster takes its first step along the short side of the table, facing towards the back wall, which is when Dana breaks into a silent sprint, whilst forcefully leading Aspen, for the table on the right side of the dividing shelf, however there's another monster on the left side of the table currently on patrol, scarily close. Keeping that in mind, Dana races for the right side of the table, running around to the long side next to the wall of other shelves, which is where she's able to take a stop.
Aspen clenches her jaw to keep her mouth shut as right on the other side of the table is the tall, dark monster just standing with its face to the exit, not staring with eyes, only that large, alien mouth. Dana acknowledges the position of that beast before turning to the counter table they were just behind, finding the monster they hid away from now standing on the opposite side, where it definitely would've found the two. Instead, it just turns to a doorway behind the counter leading into an inventory room, choosing to explore there, leaving Dana to focus on the two monsters ahead. Slower now that urgency isn't as immediately demanding, Dana lurks to the other side of the table, peering around the corner to face the exit, though finds that the other monster is standing with its back to it, in front of the long shelf as if to intentionally guard the doorway. Furthermore, the monster doesn't move from its place, similar to the one that had walked around the dividing shelf, resulting in them nearly perfectly covering that lane to much of Dana's dismay.
Stuck to that corner, Dana again can't do anything but wait, wait until the monster lounging next to the table strangely perks its head and turns around before patrolling off towards the counter table, leaving just one monster guarding the exit. Even then, that monster's position is practically perfect, physically imposing a barrier in front of the doorway, as while it's not exactly in the frame but rather a few feet in front, it'd be simply foolish to try sneaking around it. The monster turns its head periodically between the two halves of the store separated by the shelf, from the infested left side to the right one which Dana and Aspen hide in. Even though it does therefore regularly turn away from the two stranded individuals, that alone doesn't open a window, as its body remains stationary. While this is the case, Dana raises her head to the ceiling, noting that it's decently high which is understandable given the necessary room for the tall shelves, something that plants an idea in her head. As the monster turns its head to face the right side, Dana's back slowly secretes a tentacle that wraps around Aspen's waist to much of her confusion, unable to receive a verbal explanation as the most Dana can do is glance at her and raise a finger to wish for silence. Aspen nods albeit hesitantly, following along to which Dana faces back at the door, and watches as the monster turns its head back to the left side.
At that very instant, Dana launches herself off the ground with an energized thrust before rolling her body with another, reorienting herself to grab onto the ceiling in a low position as if to crawl, her golden claws capable of sinking into the wood perfectly to hold her weight as well as Aspen's whose closely held to her side by the golden tentacle, oriented the same way to keep her body nearly pressed against the ceiling. Oriented to face down, Aspen just stares straight at the monster from above, watching as Dana cautiously pulls her right arm down and extends it forward before clinging onto the ceiling once more before doing the same with her foot, then with her other hand, crawling on the ceiling itself like an insect. She raises her head up, or rather faces down to monitor the monster which then faces the right side of the room yet again, completely unaware of what had happened.
It's similarly unaware that Dana crawls above it and past, having no reason to raise its head, thus it just stands in place on watch as Dana crawls as close as she can to the door before loosening her feet's grip, letting them swing off the ceiling, straightening her posture. Still clinging to the ceiling, Dana doesn't merely let go but rather extends all ten fingers to let her body gently descend, those fingers like wires, gently letting her down to the ground just about a foot behind the snarling monster, Aspen still closely at her side considering the tight squeeze. They both touch down, allowing Dana to then let go of the ceiling and reel all ten nails back down, retracting all of her fingers back to their traditional length, though her tentacle still grips Aspen. She keeps this even as she steps out through the doorway, outside on the porch with steady, silent steps. She glances around to find distant monsters on the further bridges, patrolling around the ramps descending down to the lower levels. Aspen notices those patrols and frowns, however Dana ignores those for they would pay no purpose, as she instead leaps off the porch while holding onto Aspen, diving over the railing before thrusting her body to soar down alongside the tree trunks at great speeds that expel a golden trail, shooting her straight to the ground before two more tentacles emerge from her back and cling to the ground before her body can make impact, absorbing the momentum immediately which freezes her fall just a few feet above.
She orients herself upright before the tentacles carry her to the ground after which they retract into her back as does the one holding Aspen, uncoiling around her. Both of them freed from the outpost, they are immediately spotted by Ekitai and Hemlock nearby who race towards them in relief to find another pair safe. Dana and Aspen run towards them as well, the two groups converging close enough for Ekitai to immediately ask in a low voice, still wary of the monsters despite the distance from them, "Did you get Kokei?"
As Aspen and Hemlock embrace in relief to each other's survival, Dana freezes still and raises her head to the bridges above, her rejoiced mood dropping quickly as she asks remorsefully, "She's…still up there? I didn't think about that…I'm sorry…."
Both Aspen and Hemlock raise their heads to the outpost which Ekitai does too with gritted teeth in a pained grimace, unable to do anything but wish: "Oh…I hope she's doing alright…."
That perhaps wasn't the most accurate description of the conundrum at the outdoor marketplace plaza, as the root in the center of the cross in between the booths grows a single monster which crawls out, pushing against the stalk that births it. However it is not only that, but the roots on the other corners that birth a monster, five of them quick to occupy the space, already spread apart as well. The monster in the center stands up after detaching completely, glancing around at the booths composing the center square of the marketplace, one of those booths occupying both Kokei and Maple, sitting down with their backs against the tables, understanding the tricky position they've found themselves in.
Kokei turns around and very slowly rises up, just enough for her eyes to peek above the table though Maple shows hesitation to even attempt sight, keeping herself low. Kokei on the other hand watches the monster in the middle turn its head before facing the opposite corner which it begins to wander towards, beginning its patrol away from the two, an opportunity that cannot be sat on as Kokei urgently tugs Maple's sleeve to silently signal her to stand up, which she apprehensively does but with a low stance same as Kokei despite their heads still poking above the table. Without much time to worry, Kokei turns around and races to the left side of the booth before climbing over which Maple does as well, getting out of the enclosed space. Starting at the left aisle, Kokei glances back to confirm that the monster is wandering towards the top aisle, facing away which inscribes the confidence in her to face ahead and begin running down, closely beside the booths to her left. Maple follows right behind her, constantly turning her head, both of them running low to the ground to try their best at remaining hidden by the booths although the fairly open space doesn't inspire much, but they nonetheless press on towards the bridge at the end of this aisle, exercising caution.
Caution turns to terror as from the left side of the aisle's end steps out a monster, prowling from out of the corner, entering not only the main current of the market but straight in view of the two, as immediately Kokei snatches Maple's hand before dashing straight between two booths to their left, pulling her away from the direct line of sight the monster would have. They both duck at the same time, now both just barely peeking over the top edge to nervously watch the monster pan its head down the aisle before beginning to patrol down it, crossing over to the other side of the aisle, further away from them. Maple maintains her tense stare at the monster whereas Kokei's gaze wanders in the other direction, out of the cross and instead to the corner where one of those roots are, as she does in fact find that the corner is currently vacant for the monster who was produced there was the one that they just hid away from. Her gaze slides over to the left, specifically the outside of the aisle across from them, leading to another bridge as a possible avenue for escape.
She turns back to face Maple who hasn't changed her fixation, but with another grab of the hand she pulls the survivor's attention, quick to notice the open space, subscribing to the plan simply by the sharp look she gives. Kokei nods back before running in a straight line across the corner, aiming for the booths equidistant from the center, leading Maple who frantically glances at the root and around as she feels vulnerable out in open space, momentarily far from any booths, at least too far to easily retreat around one. Especially being outside, she notices the distant buildings surrounded by monsters, porches and bridges occupied.
Without even facing the direction she's headed, Maple is led to the back of one of the booths along the aisle they crossed to by Kokei, who is quick to duck her head low and remain stationary, letting go of Maple's hand. Noticing that they've reached the next safe path closer to an exit, Maple instinctively begins to run in a straight line along the backs of the booths, keeping her head low. Yet the very moment she steps past the booth Kokei hides behind, she is immediately grabbed by Kokei who yanks her back just as a monster wanders between those booths on the other side, turning its head where it could've easily have caught the runner. Shivers run down Maple's spine as she turns straight to Kokei who stares back with wide, horrified eyes to the close call, though she places her hand on Maple's shoulders to help calm her, understanding of the stress the survivor is already experiencing. The two of them crouch behind the booth, the exact one that the monster walks in front of before turning to face that very booth, prompting Kokei to just slightly squat lower, pulling Maple down to do the same to ensure not even a strand of hair is poking out from below the table. They both remain perfectly silent as the monster's mouth just creepily opens and closes as if to breathe, gargling coarsely, making its presence painfully known when it had crept up on them out of nowhere just before. At last though it turns ahead and resumes its stroll down the marketplace, passing that booth that the two hide behind, Kokei confirming such with a glimpse over.
She then turns back to Maple and pats her shoulder with a firm nod to help soothe her before peering over her shoulder at the bridge ahead, a soft smile coming to her upon the observation that none of the monsters on the platform are around to guard it. She lets go of Maple's shoulder and once again begins to run with a low stance along the aisles, deciding to stay on the outside now knowing there was a monster on the other side, which doesn't result in any hindrances to prevent the two of them from quickly approaching the exit where the bridge awaits them.
Closing in on the end, Kokei just subtly raises her stance higher to get a better scan of the bridge, planning the escape in her head, but that's when her eyes widen in shock to find that the bridge they've been chasing after is already occupied with several monsters who are wandering straight towards the very marketplace they seek to leave. Kokei again grabs Maple's hand to halt their run, knowing that path is no longer viable, and she turns around to face the bridge they were originally aiming for in hopes of switching back to it, only to find that bridge also walked on by monsters approaching the plaza, as in fact some of them are just now stepping onto the platform and spreading out, including to the wide corners where the two out in the open find themselves in. Maple realizes this dreadfully, though her shoulder is patted twice to alert her to find Kokei crawling into the booth right beside them before gesturing her in. Without any other option, Maple throws herself over the back booth table, rolling over and dropping inside, instinctively standing back up before Kokei yanks her down once again to duck low as the front line of monsters steps off the bridge closest to them, spreading out into the plaza, cornering them.
Kokei winces beside Maple, constantly scanning around to find the marketplace becoming more infested than ever, every bridge occupied, every opening closed, thus forcing them to hole themselves in and just wait. She turns to Maple upon noticing her hand being gripped tightly, finding the survivor to be horribly petrified, their hopes squandered so abruptly. Kokei frowns from the weight of the plan's failure, raising her head up as all she can do is sit as the monsters pass them, covering the marketplace, besieging them to one tight spot with no indication of an opening.
Raising his head up, Meditat gazes over the rows of benches to focus on the center aisle of the church which has slightly darkened due to less light through the windows, overgrown with black roots spread apart both hanging in the air and slithered on the ground as well as the benches, his attention specifically fixed on the monster pacing up the main aisle of the church, turning its head constantly to scan out, making it far too dangerous to even straighten his legs just a few more inches as he could very well be caught. Worse, it would endanger the two survivors he glances back to, Alder and Pine, the boy still clinging to the canteen they had discovered just before the trigger. They face him anxiously, entrusting him with their survival, watching as he turns back to focus back to get a thorough scan of the area, marking the two other monsters behind which both examine the columns of benches as they make their way up, including one that's walking around a few rows that aren't too far from the three, compounding a timer to the list of concerns Meditat would need to juggle.
Action a necessity, Meditat glances back at the two survivors and gestures with his hand before facing down the row and sneaking down, keeping his head low as to remain hidden from the monster in the central aisle, leading both Alder and Pine to follow with the same low stances, at least no taller than the backs of the benches to their left. Along the way is a thin root laying on the ground, which Meditat cautiously steps over with steady motions, turning around to monitor the other two who do the same with similar precision, tensing their bodies to disallow any minor mistakes. After they all pass, Meditat faces forward and guides them closer to the center as the monster in the middle approaches closer to them. Blocking the way to that aisle though is another root that sits over the benches, hanging right at their head levels, requiring them to be prone and crawl underneath the root as they couldn't squat any lower. Again after reaching through the obstacle, Meditat glances back to monitor the survivors after rising back up to a crouch, and after they both crawl to the other side he faces forward and leads them to the final remainder to the aisle, pausing at the corner just seconds before the monster reaches them. Both Alder and Pine pause further back, terrified at the proximity to the inhuman beast, watching it walk straight past the benches they hide between, overlooking them. Its path remains straight forward with no sign of suspicion, letting Meditat face back at the two before he points his hand in the direction of the aisle, a somewhat confusing signal but one he explains in action by sneaking out of the corner and into the central aisle itself, trailing the monster out in the open. Alder and Pine immediately exchange horrified glances at the realization of the plan, however Alder turns towards the monster inspecting the benches of their column, getting ever closer to them. Knowing there's no other choice, he winces before turning around and following Meditat out into the aisle, leaving Pine to do the same despite the clear hesitancy.
Last to leave the walls of the benches is Pine, following behind Alder who follows behind Meditat who follows behind the monster, though while the monster walks in the very center of the aisle Meditat chooses to linger along the right edge, as sticking closer to the corners would allow for a quick hide if need be. Above their heads are several roots stretching towards the exit, forcing them to be wary of their stance, only about six feet off the ground. Those roots do depress further ahead, not reaching the exit but eventually slumping to the ground, blocking off passage. To remedy this, Meditat glances to the left, finding that the monster further back inspecting the benches has its head low, as does the other one further ahead in the same column, at least not focusing on the aisle. After the examination, Meditat tilts his path to lean instead on the left edge of the aisle, Alder and Pine following promptly, equidistant from the monster but now unworried as they pass the slumping root that runs along the ground before ending. The three stick to the left side as there's nothing unsafe about it, advancing at a fairly decent rate as they're in fact already getting close to the second last opening in the outer columns, the very next one being practically beside the door.
Then without warning, the monster begins to turn around, instantly prompting Meditat to strafe between the left benches which Alder and Pine do though in different rows, hiding in the corners as the monster spins around completely before resuming its patrol in the other direction. Meditat turns his head to watch that monster leave as Pine tensely clutches to the canteen, his heart having skipped a beat, especially given how close they were for so long. After also observing the monster's departure, he turns to find Meditat slip out of the corner, turning his head to make another scan before continuing ahead but at a slightly faster rate, no longer needing to concern with remaining behind an entity. Alder and Pine follow that same speed, taking the chance as soon as they get it, advancing closer to the front of the church during which Meditat notices the monster further up on the left column begin to prowl straight towards the center aisle, breaking its original searching pattern of just focusing on the edge. Realizing that the monster would be intercepting them, Meditat has no choice but to make a quick divergence, turning to pace back to the right side of the aisle and slip between the benches, guiding the two survivors to do the same as they also notice the approaching monster.
Not just at the corner, but upon glancing back to find the monster not only walking into the aisle but through it to the right column, Meditat leads the two deeper into the row, trying to get far enough to not be spotted. He stops about halfway between the benches, turning around to both monitor the two survivors, who are indeed still close behind him, as well as watch the monster not close behind, having entered the row right ahead of them, to which Meditat tries to crouch even lower as do the other two, huddling up closer to the bench to their left to try blending in. Stationary, all three of them listen to the monster prowl past them, moving with steady steps that echo in the open chamber among the constant growling that reminds them of the threat they're just barely threading between. They just stand still though Meditat hears another pair of footsteps in the other direction, leading him to gaze towards that source to find the monster further back inspecting the right column originally to be steadily approaching them, scanning the benches around them. It approaches rather fast too, too quickly to wait for the monster ahead to perhaps creep a safe distance away, requiring action imminently. Meditat perks his head up to monitor the monster which continues further past, its back now facing them, and he faces back at the two survivors before pointing his hand straight forwards in the direction of the exit.
Quickly, Meditat breaks his rule and rises up above the benches to climb over the one in front of him, throwing himself over to the very aisle that the monster is walking on, a decision that plants a haunted stare on Pine's face yet Alder follows without hesitation, leaving the boy to stuff the canteen in his pocket as much as he can –albeit it still sticks out– before climbing over the bench too. As he does, facing the monster just a few feet ahead of them, he notices Meditat climb over the next bench, hastily trying to climb to the next row away from the monster, his intentions clearer. Both he and Alder follow the procedure, landing on the row right next to the monster and quickly jumping to climb over the next one, landing down next to the other two who turn to him, all three of them exchanging stares, both Alder and Pine visibly terrified yet at least relieved to know they're all safe.
Meditat breaks that exchange prematurely to face down the end of the row towards the outer column, suddenly springing to aggressively pat Alder's shoulder before hastily climbing the next bench ahead, perplexing Pine as they aren't in the same row as the beasts, or that is what he thought before facing the end of the row to find the opening into the outer column, where another monster turns the corner to begin prowling into the benches, the monster that had forced them out of that outer column earlier. Pine frantically turns ahead to find Alder having just climbed over the bench, and without enough time to easily do the same, he instinctively slips out of his backpack straps and just dives beneath the bench itself, rolling through the sliver of space, space the other two wouldn't even be able to fit through. With that quick thinking, he does manage to pass into the next row even if without his bag, rising to a crouch before facing both Meditat and Alder who face back at him, Alder freaked out as he nearly thought the boy would be caught. Meditat does another quick panoramic scan to confirm that all the monsters are currently either investigating other rows, or too far to easily detect them. He nods his head before pointing down the end of the row, specifically to that opening leading to the outer column, signaling for a safe return now that they know it'd be clear. Both Alder and Pine nod back, following Meditat who starts to sneak down the row, the three forming a single file line given the tightness of the space. Meditat turns to the right to find that the monsters are still close by, just in the other rows, but the one who was originally on the left side is now uncomfortably close to the edge of the row, where it'd easily catch anyone trying to make a dash for the opening to the column. Nevertheless he advances towards the end of the row where he finds another root laying on the ground which he has to deliberately step over before coming to another halt, both Alder and Pine doing the same.
Meditat peeks up to stalk the monster's movements, watching it at the edge as well, facing towards the opening. The monster then turns away just to focus in another direction for a brief moment, one Meditat uses to fire two cables from his hip at the far wall to zip himself straight through the opening, stopping to spin around, close to the edge as Alder then steps over the same root. He turns to the monster before slipping out of view as that monster turns towards the opening again, nearly having caught him, though it settles its alien face straight down the thin walkway between the bench and walls which it then starts to patrol down, passing the opening and leaving the three, its back once again to them. Meditat jumps at the opportunity to slip back into view and aim one hand at Alder to project a cable onto the man's chest to swiftly reel him straight into the outer column, safe as he places his hand on his chest to release a silent breath. He steps out of view, so close to the front of the church, presumably waiting as Meditat does, standing out in the open and gesturing Pine forwards to pull him next. Pine takes a deep breath and cautiously steps over the root to be safely pulled, which he does, though just as he takes his step past the root, the loose canteen in his pocket slips out and drops on the root that instantly growls.
Horrifyingly immediately, high pitched grating shrieks fill the church, spurring Pine to instinctively drop to the ground and roll under the bench to his right as Meditat slips out of view just a second before both the monster that had passed them and was formerly on the left column both leap straight into the row with the canteen, one of them crushing it with its feet unknowingly, their heads unhinging to reveal their gaping mouths that roar ferally. Seconds later, two other monsters charge straight into the vicinity, followed by a third, all of them senselessly shrieking as they frantically turn around to find the source of the trigger, that very trigger hiding just beneath the bench beside them. Both of his hands clench his mouth, his eyes squeezing shut as another two monsters join the cluster, attracting the entire horde to crowd around him, enough to rip him to shreds just a second after being found. The aggressive footsteps, roars, shrieks, growls, gargles, amplified by seven all overwhelms the boy who, despite squeezing his eyes shut, visibly sheds tears. He's forced to open his eyes in fact to just release the buildup, to which he finds that at the far end of the benches, peeking out of the opening is Meditat, one knee dropped thus visible even from a low angle. He rapidly gestures his hand towards himself, signaling the boy to approach him, his head moving in subtle yet frantic jerks to keep himself hidden, though he does his best to maximize his presence for the boy.
Despite the attempt, the boy doesn't move from his position, shaking his head in fact not out of rebellious anger but pure fear, his body frozen in the absolute horror of the situation, unable to drive himself to move as it felt just shifting by an inch could have himself slaughtered at an instant.
Meditat glances to his side where Alder is before facing back at the boy and trying to gesture more, his fingers moving faster to try his best at expressing urgency.
Even then, the boy just shakes his head in rejection faster, unable to follow through with the command, unable to comply, unable to move. He couldn't, surrounded by stomping feet, hearing nothing but ear-piercing shrieks, burying the boy yet it was the only position he felt safe in, the position where he didn't have to do anything, he didn't have to cause anything.
Meditat drops his arm to his side and glances over to Alder once more for a moment before facing back at the boy, but doesn't just try gesturing to him again. Instead, he pauses for a brief moment before grabbing the top edge of his hood and throwing it backwards, resulting in his white mask cracking with bright blue fissures that creep over the entire surface before those tiny fragments seemingly disintegrate, breaking off the veil to reveal the man behind, his wavy black hair poofing out of the hood, his starry azure irises uncovered now staring directly at the boy with a gentle, almost paternal gaze. He doesn't show terror as his mouth is instead closed and his cheeks are calm, yet he isn't aloof either as an active concern shows in his eyes, not for himself but the one he gazes upon.
The boy just stares back at the man, those starry irises reflecting in his own eyes, and slowly he drops his hands from his mouth to his side, staring straight as monsters rampage on both sides, those shrieks not stopping yet they don't oppress his mind so absolutely.
Staring back at the boy, the man extends his arm forwards, not gesturing his fingers but simply reaching out, his hand open, inviting like his human expression.
Surrounded by monsters who stomp and roar, the boy raises his arm forward to grab the wooden floor, dragging himself forwards, shuffling his legs to help. He then raises his other arm to do the same, and again, slowly crawling towards the end of the bench. He doesn't look at the large, animalistically clawed feet crowding next to him, he doesn't focus on the demonic growls and screams, he doesn't bear mind to the crushed canteen that he slowly crawls away from. He exclusively concentrates ahead at that one man, one arm after the other, one leg after the other, his hands open to grab and cling to the wooden floor to pull himself forth. Steadily he crawls away from the dense horde, reaching the end of the bench where he's able to crawl out from underneath the bench, reaching his hand forward to which the man fires a cable from his open hand, attaching to the boy's palm which then swiftly pulls him straight into the outer column, away from the corner.
Immediately after the cable vanishes, Alder who's next to Meditat charges at Pine and embraces the boy who just again freezes up, though not due to fear. In fact, he manages to weakly smile, feeling the warmth of the embrace that comforts him. Slowly, Alder slips out of the embrace, letting both Pine and himself turn to Meditat who tilts his head towards the front of the church, prompting both of them to nod in compliance. They all turn and begin sneaking down the remainder of the hall, steadily away from the monster shrieks and roars.
Without any additional hindrances, the three reach all the way to the end of the isolated hall, approaching the final opening which in fact is the beginning of the column. Meditat at the front, he peers around the corner once more to find all the monsters still preoccupied in the same cluster, leaving room for him to walk up beside the long barrier functioning as a block table, one tall enough to cover the top of his exposed head. It similarly hides both Alder and Pine who follow him who face straight ahead, and after safely getting behind the table they trail his gaze to the same sight: the open doorway leading them outside to the porch, not as bright as when they began the operation, the filtered sunlight also a more greenish cyan, the intense yet dimmer light of sunset.
A relieved smile grows on Pine who then glances at Meditat who throws his hood over his head again, causing blue streaks to crawl out from behind his head and cover his face like a web before ultimately solidifying into the white mask, blocking his starry eyes with parallelogram lenses. He turns to Alder and then to Pine, whose smile has subtly mellowed, though he nods understandingly. Meditat nods back before facing the doorway which the two survivors then do as well.
Staring straight at freedom, Meditat kicks forward and dashes straight for the doorway as two cables fire from his back, grabbing the chests of the two survivors which pull them with him through the exit and outside over the porch, just barely bolting over the railing, letting Meditat place his foot down before kicking off it as well which combines with a dash to boost the three far from the church, flying freely over the village before descending down from their bound under the bridges, dropping down from the top level where they're able to better see the main floor that they began from. As his cape waves vigorously against the outdoor breeze of the noticeably darker forest, Meditat stares down to notice the group of survivors all the way down at the grass, to which he spins into a diving position and fires two cables from his hands onto the porches below before jerking his arms for a quick pull past them, dragging Alder and Pine through the air at great speed before firing another cable upwards to attach to the bottom of a bridge they've passed which they swing from, reorienting them upright before he lets go at the bottom of the swing, not even a foot off the ground as the grass bends against their feet, to thrust them forwards before firing four cables out in a cross from his hips onto different white trees, quickly suspending his momentum just as he reaches the group where Dana and Ekitai are first to run towards him. Meditat disengages all six cables to drop himself as well as Alder and Pine, who once free sprint straight to both Hemlock and Aspen who race towards them, the four embracing each other in overwhelming relief. However, as Dana and Ekitai approach Meditat, Meditat's first observation is the one not present as he leans and glances around but to no avail.
Right as Dana and Ekitai stop in front of Meditat, he briefly orders: "Keep them safe, I'm going to get them," before then suddenly launching straight up with a burst expelling a residual trail, nearly knocking Ekitai backwards as Dana raises her head to watch Meditat bound high towards the village before projecting a cable from his hand onto the underbelly of a bridge, letting himself swing around it to return back into the very village he had just worked so tirelessly to escape from, for he knew his job wasn't finished. Dana knows that too, though she sighs in not having been able to even exchange a word before his quick departure.
Racing up along the pendulum starting at the bridge, Meditat leans into the swing before detaching at the very end, flipping in the air in a straight upward rise towards the greenish cyan sunlight through the leaves. It's enough though for him to soar high over the first level of the outpost, stabilizing upright to begin scanning with swift turns of his head before locking onto the discernibly large square plaza ahead, lacking any buildings though supporting a grid of booths as well as a dense mob of creatures.
Despite registering the grave threat, Meditat raises both hands forwards and projects five cables from each hand onto the thick trunks around him, letting him then bend his arms back before releasing the buildup into a slingshot that flings him forward, amplified by a quick boost that rockets him towards the marketplace, sped up with another pair of cable zips from his hips, flying through the outpost at blazing speeds. He's still able to concentrate on his destination well enough to very intricately notice that within one of the booths on the far right side, one figure emerges from under the tables, a figure who is immediately recognized as his ally. Next to her, another figure emerges, both of them facing him before turning to scan around their space.
A heightened kick of urgency empowers Meditat to cross his arms over and fire countless cables out of his hands, coiling around his fingers with each as thin as spaghetti, before jerking his arms to the side for an additional thrust forwards, his cape flowing with the intense current same as his hood before he once again boosts forward, leaving behind a residual blue trail.
Poking above the table beneath the tarp to stare straight at the approaching blue comet, Kokei lowers her head to find several of those monsters prowling around ahead, in between the booth they hide inside and the bridge they were hoping to escape to. She then turns to Maple and confidently nods, puzzling Maple who's unsure of what the signal is, as she only knows that there's a plan soon to be hatched. Kokei then hastily grabs on the table and climbs over it before bolting straight for the bridge, bewildering Maple at what looked to be a suicide run, yet without a second thought she also grabs the table and pulls herself over, flinging herself out in the open and landing to break into a sprint to Kokei's side, both of them racing for the edge of the plaza blocked off by the monsters that all turn to them and unhinge their heads.
From high above, Meditat observes the monsters which notice the two running straight for them, to which they shriek before charging straight at them. Still at a distance, Meditat throws his arms forward and shoots not cables but instead streams of azure flames forwards, the heads of both streams sharpening into a cone before solidifying into the shape of missiles which materialize silver before continuing forwards off their own propulsion, soaring for the marketplace. Before they reach the plaza, they both burst, yet it's not from breakage but rather they split off into six smaller missiles which each have their own propulsors to let them soar for the marketplace in individual trajectories, all twelve of them reaching the group of monsters where they explode on impact, releasing balls of blue energy that shake them off guard, however they react to it as no more but a slight inconvenience. Heavy stomping rises from behind as a far greater horde begins to approach from the other end of the plaza, alerted by the fireworks as the small group turn around towards the direction that the projectiles were sent, that being the blue comet soaring towards them.
Again finding those constructs to leave little impact, Meditat throws his arms forward rapidly, each throw flinging a blue fireball which quickly materialize on their own, a few of them becoming spherical orb drones that continue flight on their own and open a barrage of energy bolts, some of them blue and others purple.
Those energy bolts strike the monsters, those in front of the pair as well as the ones behind who are rapidly approaching, the mob multiplying in seconds as many even climb over the tarps of the booths just to swarm faster. However the monsters at the front again only seem mildly irritated by it, both the blues and purples, growling in disgruntlement before being nearly struck by pellets, which just before impact explode to open up giant metal nets that cover them before administering electric shocks, initially annoying the monsters as they wobble from being bundled up, at least allowing both Kokei and Maple to weave around the crowd, as all the gunfire has meticulous aim with no loose fire that would hit them, enabling Kokei to rush through without fear.
The monsters do however grab the electrified nets and rip them apart, quickly shredding the netting until the rest just falls off their bodies, freeing them to focus on the two runaways who they then shriek at before rushing straight for among the reinforcements that finally catch up, the great pack charging straight through the energy fire as well as the barrage of physical bronze pellets that simply bounce off their alien bodies into each other, ricocheting intentionally as each pellet controls its own bounces, but still not even slowing them down as they've fully adapted to the attacks, now outright ignoring them, letting them get ever closer to the two runaways as the monsters run far faster.
Quick to realize the plummeting efficiency of the suppressive fire, Meditat boosts himself with another dash coupled with four cable zips from his hips and hands, hurling himself alas close to the marketplace, close enough for him to aim both hands at the pair and project cables onto their chests before jerking his arms back thereby yanking them in the air just an instant before one of the monsters dives forward with a slash, missing by a hair.
As both Kokei and Maple fly towards Meditat, Meditat keeps his focus ahead to find the monsters below all begin to leap up at him with inhumanly great bounds, as while the pair are more than twenty feet above the beasts, they still get close enough to reasonably reach the two who, now in the air, can't do anything to evade them. Not a second to plan, Meditat instinctively throws both arms forward as his hands fire a fanning blaze that widens out before separating into countless small flames that all shape into darts with gleaming crystal blue tips that propel themselves past Kokei and Maple, striking the bodies of the monsters before detonating the tips, scattering the tips as shrapnel which does blast the monsters backwards, causing them to shriek though not in the same aggressive sense but rather as if in pain, falling backwards back on the plaza square, away from the two.
As the monsters are expelled back, Meditat focuses on the other two also being expelled but in the other direction past himself, to which he projects two cables from his hips that attach onto both Kokei and Maple's chests, both of them instinctively grabbing onto the cable as the only support preventing them from falling down a lethal height. They both turn to Meditat who raises his head back to the repelled monsters to which he just pauses in bafflement, hovering between Kokei and Maple who are both connected to him by his glowing blue cables. Thoughts race through his head as he notices the glowing fragments embedded inside the skin of the monsters, as if it had managed to penetrate through what might be adjacent to flesh, and crowding around those fragments are brighter veins of a similar texture to the caustic surface of the roots they had crawled from, a reaction rare when they previously were entirely unaffected.
That trance breaks upon the electric scream from below: "MEDIT!" which immediately brings his attention towards the source, both Kokei and Maple doing the same out of curiosity.
All three of them gazing the same area by the ground below the outpost, they come across the sight of the group running along the ground, led by the golden cyborg who waves her hands before shouting again, "LET'S GET OUT OF HERE," next to Ekitai, both of them leading the survivors with Hemlock and Aspen side by side in front of Alder along with Pine, all five of them facing up in anticipation especially now that they've made themselves known.
Recalling the urgency of the situation, Meditat spins his body to orient himself towards Dana, then raises both hands to the trees below before firing a pair of wires, curling both arms to reel all three of them, bolting away from the marketplace along with the pair amplified with a expulsive boost off the soles of his boots.
That is however until his focus spins around once again upon the sudden surge of roaring coming from the plaza. He thus turns his head, finding to his horror a whole fleet of monsters all leaping off the edge of the plaza, diving straight for the group en masse. Countless beasts all throw themselves over at once, shrieking with wide mouths exposing the spirals of black teeth glowing with white outlines, razor sharp.
Meditat chuffs and spins around before aiming his hands at the mob, though uncertain of how to expel a group of this size, especially as he's not entirely sure how to properly deal with them, his attacks seeming to almost always fail or at least only partially succeed, but nothing for him to confidently repel this horde.
Yet in that momentary pause, his hands forward but no flames firing from it, Kokei throws her own hands forward as both it and her whole body begins sparking bright pink, that sparking quickly intensifying before she shrieks back against the horde right as all that energy funnels through her arms before she releases a devastatingly great swarm of pink arcs, fanning out like a tornado of pure lighting that engulfs the diving mob, freezing them in the air immediately on contact despite the arcs not directly striking them but rather slithering past to expand as far as possible.
Maple turns to Kokei, astonished, as Kokei pulls her arms back and lets out another shriek twice as intense as she jerks her arms forward again, causing the entire pink tornado to suddenly grow straight through the base floor of the outpost, through the upper floor, all the way to the forest ceiling, carrying all the monsters as it propels them straight with the swarm, repelling all of them far in the distance, allowing Meditat to spin around and barrel roll into a downward dash coupled with rapid cable zips, racing straight for the ground as if to collide into the other survivors.
Seemingly just an instant before impact, Meditat's body projects six cables off his ribcage paired with a backwards dash, effectively halting all his momentum in a single moment, his hip cables keeping straight to avoid giving whiplash to Kokei and Maple who are left just about a foot off the ground before those cables vanish, dropping them straight on their feet. Meditat next detaches all six cables to land on the ground, swiveling to follow the racing group in a sprint, leading Kokei and Maple to do the same as in seconds they catch up to the group. Meditat reaches the head before passing Ekitai though Dana accelerates to match his pace, that pair becoming the new head as Kokei settles into Ekitai's speed at his side, the two pairs crossing glances to show brief relief, Ekitai and Kokei's facial expressions visibly reassured.
As Maple slots by Aspen, the full group now reunited continue their sprint down until at last running past the final white trees carrying structures, leaving the bounds of the outpost. They continue on as Meditat turns his head back to find that they're not being pursued, for the nest high up in the former village has been silenced, and without questioning the luck further he returns his focus ahead and helps to lead the group as far as possible away from the danger that had nearly claimed the lives of the survivors. Despite the obstacles met, every single survivor escaped alive, marking a success for the Bellators' primary objective.