The serpent beneath

[Girlzilla]

((This takes place after Darkness Falls))

I lay on the floor of the hanger, unsure if I’m awake or asleep. These days, its all just a continuous blur of exhaustion. My skin feels hot, especially against the cold metal flooring. You would think that the chill against my back would be a bit of relief, but it isn’t. It just makes me ache more. That’s the worst part. The constant aching. My face aches, my bones ache, my muscles ache. I must have come down with a nasty bug, because that seems to be the only way I could feel this bad. And even if I wasn’t sick, I doubt I’d be sleeping. The stinging ordure of my own sweat fills each of my breaths, making me want to gag. I’m rotting from the outside in.

I blink, and the hanger has disappeared. I’m standing in the kitchen, the door is wide open, the soft light spilling out. Another blackout. They’ve been happening more and more lately. I’ll just find myself in different parts of the campus, from out of the blue. It doesn’t surprise me, I’ve gotten so little sleep that its only natural I’m losing my grip on things. I look over the inventory, my eyes drifting casually over each item, before settling on a large ham, or at least the remains of one, leftovers with a plate or from dinner a few nights ago. My mouth starts watering a little, the cool scent of its juicy skin flooding my nostrils. I grab it, not bothering utensils. Just a late night snack. I tear off a fistful, biting into it. Oh, it’s delicious. Another bite, and a third.

Its morning. I turn my head slowly, trying to recall when exactly the sun came up. The ham is gone, just a few scraps of bone left on the plate. I must have drifted off at some point. Guess the snack helped calm my nerves a bit. I drop my dish of fin the sink, heading off to the bathroom to get cleaned up. It takes me longer than I expected, not to get cleaned up, just to find my way to the restroom. I keep getting turned around. Urg, my head is killing me. I half stumble into the restroom, heading to the sink. I rest my hands on the rim of the sink, which instantly snaps under my weight. Water starts pouring out of the all, slashing against my face. I growl with annoyance, reaching out and grabbing a hold of the damaged pipe, squeezing it till it closes shut.

Its then that I actually look at myself in the mirror. My hair is a mess, sticking up all over the place. I can see bits of skin stuck in it, and it takes me a good fifteen seconds to remember that it must have come from the ham. My skin is pale and blotchy, and my eyes are marked with deep set bags. I reach out to turn the knob of the sink, so I can wash off. I grab at the air for a few moments. Where did the sink…oh, yes, I broke it. My head hurts to much, I cant focus on it. I need to sleep. I stumble back out of the restroom, Trying to head back to the hanger. Each step is exhausting, and it hurts so much. My joins scream at me like rusty hinges, begging me to stop.

[shadow=green,left,100]“Just be quiet”[/shadow]

I mumble. I’m not sure who I was talking to, but I just want them to stop talking. Its making my headache worse. I close my eyes, covering my ears, listening to the thundering boom of my heartbeat. I clench my teeth together, hoping to drown the Noise out.

[shadow=green,left,200]“Why dose it hurt so much?” [/shadow]I sob under my breath. I try to lean against the wall, but I misjudge the distance and I fall over onto the floor. I cant tell you how long I must have laid there. My vision jumped again. Sitting on the floor now. The hallways has run of somewhere without mean, I’m in class. Why am I in class? Its Saturday. No, wait, it isn’t. I don’t know what day it is. It hurts to think. Oh god it hurts so much. I want to cry, but my eyes are bone dry. I cant even hear anything, the noise is just drowned out into this flat booming. I look down at the floor, and see there’s a paper in front of me. A test? I don’t remember there being any tests. When did this happen. I take hold of my pencil, and find my hands are shaking, I use my left hand to help steady my right, but it doesn’t slow the shaking down.

It hurts, my hands hurt, my skin hurts. It hurts just like. I push the pencil against the paper. First line of the test: Name_____. Alice Vance. Name, Alice Vance. How? Alice Vance. How do I…? Alice Vance. I cant do it! Alice…? I can’t even write my own goddamn name. Alice! Im scared. Gasping, cant breath. It hurts Like. Name?! Answer Alice! Blacking out. Can’t breathe. Heart is racing. It hurts Like before. Shaking so hard, Screaming. Can’t breath! Name?!

[shadow=green,left,300]“ALICE!”[/shadow]

I look up, wide eyed, breathing harder than I knew I could. Everyone is looking down at me, saying my name over and over again. It hurts like before. My head is spinning. I feel my limbs sprawled out on the floor. What happened? When did I get here? Who are these people?! WHO THE FUCK ARE THESE PEOPLE!?! So much pain, rushing through me. My heartbeat pushing it out, into my blood, into my skin and muscles and bones and nerves, into every last corner of my body. I want to die. Nobody can be in this much pain and still be alive. Make it stop. It hurts like Before when. No, can’t. The eyes. All these people and their eyes, looking at me. I can feel them, burning my skin, scraping my bones and blood. Make it stop. I’ll MAKE THEM STOP.

My lips curl back into a snarl, eyes darting about at them, my claws swinging wildly. No…not claws. No nails. Fingers, palm. Hand. Hands swinging wildly. I jump to my feet, but I don’t make it. My body is heavy, and the pain is blinding me. I fall over, smacking my head. My ears start ringing. I press my palms into my eyes, trying to push the ache away as I scream. My bellows turn into sobs, and I don’t even know why. This is all wrong. This cant be. Its hurts like before when I. hurts so bad. I start trembling , my whole body shaking. I push myself up, the motions feeling strange. This isn’t my body, these aren’t my muscles. I Push myself up, making it to a standing position before staggering forward, blind and aching. The wall. I break through it, screaming. In a hallway now. I see light. Outside? Safe. I need to be outside. I start walking, stumbling. Something hits my head. I look up. Ceiling? Why is the ceiling here. No, pressing against me. To small. I squat down, everything so small. I crawl, hands and knee’s, crushing anything that gets in my way. Pressing me down, crushing. To small. I drag myself along on my belly. It hurts like before when I.

Another wall in front of me. I need to be outside. I put my hand against the wall. No…not my hand. Scaley, green. Not my hand. Not my hand. Pressing against the wall. . It cracks, then crumbles. I crawl through, squeezing. My skin is burning. Its so hot. Outside is safe. Big, open, sunlight on my scales. So warm. Wind in my hair. Cant focus. I look down at the school. Everything is so tiny. I see a hole in the wall. Its so small, how did I possibly manage to fit through that? There are rags on the ground. A memory bubbles up. Clothing. Mine. My skin is bare to the world. I don’t care. So many wonderful new senses, taking in the world. It still hurts. It hurts like before when I changed.

A convulsion hits me, knocking me clean off my feet. I feel it. My back, burning. The pressure against my hips. Bones snapping, growing into a new shape. Skin slithering around it. I scream my bellows long and loud. My tail! My tail thrashes behind me, cracking the air as it whips to and fro. My claws dig into the loose earth, feeling the soil in my palm.

It feels so good. So wonderful. All this energy, all this strength inside me. It doesn’t hurt anymore. All except for my stomach, which aches. Hunger. I sniff the air tentatively. Sweat, lots of it. Meaty bodies, delicious meats. Flavorful, yummy, squishy, bloody bodies. A voice whispers to me, telling me to stop. No..cant hear it. Hungry. Free.

I look down again, seeing people below. Tiny, tiny people. Bugs. Urges burst up to the surface. Rip, tear, smash, crush, eat. Kill them. Eat them. Hungry.

I open my lips and roar, with the fury that I feel inside, letting my power burn so brightly. It feels so good. All this might, this primal and savage strength. Mine. Free.

Hungry.

[Conduit]

* I'm worried about Alice.*

* Ever since that 'Evil Dead' thing went down she hasn't been herself. There are times that she just seems completely out of it... like she's mind controlled or something. Her eyes are all glazed over, and if you try to talk to her and she just mumbles a few one word answers. And when she isn't like that she's just... grumpy like you wouldn't believe. She just freaked out on Kat last week for no reason. Seriously! Kat wasn't even being her usual bitch self at the time! And right afterwords she didn't even remember it!*

* I had wondered if this hadn't been... y'know... that time of the month or something. Not that I really want to know how that... feminine stuff works for her. Or any girl for that matter...*

* I've tried talking to her about it... the few times I've actually gotten an answer she just says she's not feeling good. Thing is she's been checked out and cleared by the staff. I've talked to them about it and they just chalked it up to stress due to some insomnia she's been suffering. Like anyone here has had a good night sleep after Dead Rising... I don't see anyone else acting like this.*

* I am REALLY worried.*

* Even here in Algebra, my attention is focused more on her than on the lesson. Well... it's not like I've never done that before. It's a little different than in the past. This isn't about making googie-eyes from across the room. She's been in a haze since Sunday morning... and it is really worrying me. She's just sitting there like a statue... even after the teacher passes out the tests. I write down my name and start winging it... looking over at her spot after I'm done with each question. I'm past question 5 when I see somethings wrong.*

* She's... she's crying, or at least trying to. Then she just... collapses right there on the floor. The teacher runs to get Dr. McCoy... while everyone else forms one big circle around her... like bystanders at an Automobile accident.

" Get out of my way!!!"

* I shove my way through the crowd... trying to get by her side. She's sprawled out on the floor... breathing heavily... her arms shaking like she's having some kind of seizure. All the while she just keeps muttering her name over and over. I move down, right in front of her. I've gotta try to talk her through this... whatever it is.*

" Alice... ALICE... can you hear me? Hang in there... Doctor..."

* Her head just shoots up... for a brief second I get a look at her face. It's... it's like staring at a different person. Her eyes are wild... confused... crazed... almost like an Animal that's cornered, her lips curled back... angry... pained.*

* I remember flashes... a sudden pain wrenching through my body... like I've been hit by a cinder-block... the wind forced out of my lungs. I remember a light feeling... my arms and legs limp... not touching anything.... and then I hit something... hear glass shattering... and I skid to a sudden stop... violent stop....*

* Then things... just... blank out for a bit*

* Can't breathe... can't think.... no glasses... can barely see... everything just... just swirling around like a big.... swirlie...thing.... I can hear screaming... crying... and crashing... I can feel tremors rattle the floor... rattle the very building... I try to get up... it's hard... can... can barely walk... have to use wall for leverage. *

*... follow the screams... just... follow the screams...*

* I start getting my bearing back... moving down hall... there's a big hole where the emergency exit used to be. What was a big shadowy blur turning into this... this big bright blur. Then... this loud... horrible roar just rips through the air, like something out of Jurassic park. The shock-wave cuts right through me... knocking me back down to the floor... my ears ringing.*

* Look up... see a shadow... big blurry shadow, hunched over everyone like a giant lizard. Godzilla? No... can't be... Godzilla's not real... plus... this isn't Tokyo... and there's no spinning turtle.... but... what is... it can't be....*

" ...Alice? "

[Firekat]

* Biology is SO lame.*

* I just sit here, semi slouched at my desk, my head held up by my arms as I impatiently fiddle with my pen. All this is SOOO boring... Phylum; Class; Order; Family; Genus; Species; all a bunch of gobbledygook that nobody is ever going to use in real life. Seriously, why do they have to beat us over the head with this crap?*

* I would SO much rather be outside right now. Seriously... I could be out on the town, getting some pampering done, doing a little shopping... but NO. I gotta sit through this snooze-fest on slimy critters. The only time I care about Lizards is when I'm buying something to drink. I just let out a frustrated huff, blowing around a loose strand of here.*

* god when does this class get out?*

* Then the classroom shudders. At first I just roll my eyes, it isn't even a 3 pointer... not like it's anything this Alien super-fortress or whatever can't handle. Then they start growing... the whole school starts to shake violently. I can here other students screaming down the hall and outside. I roll my eyes. What kind of Sci-fi stupidity has landed on our doorstep NOW? Naturally, everybody's running to the windows to try and see what all the commotion is about. Yours truly is lucky enough to get a front row seat.*

* Sure enough, here she comes... just shoving her way out through the school in some overly dramatic fashion. All cramping and anguished and everything. Just great... More property damage. I wonder if she'll go all emo again after this. At first, I'm just OMGing over the fact that she doesn't have many clothes on... but then I notice her skin's different, all green and scaly. It doesn't take her tail ripping out of her fat ass for me to realize what's going on.*

*Oh great... it's bad enough the spaz has turned into a fleabag... now thunder-thighs is a giant Lizard. The nerd must feel like SUCH a lucky guy right now.*

* Along the windows and outside, everybody's just standing around like idiots... jaws hanging open, all scared and confused. I really don't know why I am. There's just this sick feeling in my stomach as I stand there looking over at her... the way she's hunched over everybody... the scaled hue to her skin... the way that tail swishes back and forth. It's like I've seen this before, like I've got that... what do they call it... Deja'vu thing going.*

* I'm snapped out of it when I feel it... like a small tremor running through the ground, a growl that rattles all the windows. Everyone who's had a class with big-butt knows what that is... her tummy growling. She sniffs the air and then looks down... her long freaky tongue tracing over her lizard lips as she gives everyone these lizard crazy eyes. And the deja-vu hits again.*

* Shit this can't be good.*

* She lets us all know how psycho-menstrual she is by making like she did after she and the spaz renovated frisco... just throws her scaly head back and screams. Well... Roars I guess. Whatever it is... being at ground zero here makes it a less than pleasant experience. Even inside and with my hands clasped over the side of my head my ears are ringing... I'm almost knocked on my ass with the force. That's right... you can FEEL this just like you where standing in front of an Amp at a concert. The windows are even rattling.*

* Yeah... this definitely can't be good.*

* I'm really not sure why I'm opening the window... or why I'm burning out the screen and jumping out. I feel the cool air run alongside my body as I take flight, I start gathering my powers... let the fire begin to twist around my hands as I swoop up, flying over the rest of the student body in their panicked frenzy. I still don't really know why I'm doing this. I hate them all you know... well, most of them. For the most part I hate this whole damn place. It's not like I want to see them all die.*

[glow=red,2,300]" Hey Thunderthighs.... OVER HERE!!!!"[/glow]

* I reach back like I'm pitching a baseball... and let the ball of fire fly, cutting through the air before nailing her right in scaly snout. Yeah yeah yeah... I know, she's invulnerable, not like it's hard to forget after the last time. I'm not looking to hurt her just yet...*

* I want her attention. *

* She doesn't like me... hell, she HATES me. I know that. She's been able to hide it for like EVER, being all sweet and insufferably cheerful... aside from lashing out at me that ages ago over Robin, last weeks freak out are the only times she's lost it. Right now... there's no chipper little mask holding her back. This is something I can use.*

* Her charge is stalled out as she cups her nose... scratching at it. I probably got her to notice me, but it never hurts to hedge your bets.*

" Heya lardass... hows it goin? Nice makeover... something from the 'Jurassic Park' catalog?"

* I greet her in a feigned Sweet & Friendly tone... even had a fake wave after I've reached eye level. The old 'best buddies' act... though anyone would have to be brain-dead not to recognize the condescending manner it's being presented... even if their a lizard.*

* And she's definitely NOT brain-dead.*

* She growl out... tears coming from those crazy lizard eyes of her as she lunges ahead... taking a swipe at me. I swoop down low... circling around her while I cross my arms, giggling. My left reaching up as I place one finger on my chin, pretending that I'm perplexed over something...*

" Wait... 'Lardass'... that just doesn't sound right anymore... hmmm... I KNOW! We should start calling you HANDBAG from now on!"

* I say enthusiastically, the same bitter, friendly tone in my voice. Once again I have to go on the defense... flying up into the air to avoid her tree-trunk arms and those nasty claws of her. I'm up in the air, one of the few times I'm actually looking down on her; an angry, malice-filled look on that crazy lizard face of hers. A wicked, content little smile forms on my face.... before I lean over, my hands on my knees as I lean over... and speak down to her in a patronizing tone... as if I where talking to a puppy.*

" Does the widdle handbag wike it?"

* She doesn't like me... she's NEVER liked me... I know it... she knows it... the whole damn class knows it. Yeah she hides it, even if she helped me with that U-freak business. She might have been able to keep it held back... but lately she's been slipping. She's already turned on her best freind... it won't take too much prodding to get her to turn on me... to focus her attention solely upon me and not the buffet of fleeing students.*

* Come on thunderthighs... I'm waiting.*

[Kami]

It looks like I've missed allot being in Jail.
Everyone's walking around like they're in a daze, speaking about zombie attacks.
Perhaps I was better off with the Anti-Mutant-Christian-Supremacists.
With even knew horrors experienced, it's like we barely get a moment before some huge disaster hits us.
Never a chance to fully rebuild.
Hell they still haven't fixed the room Alice and I tore up!
I've spent a little time in the Hanger to talk with her. But lately she says she's getting sick.
Horribly ironic that she's damned near invulnerable in every way, and yet a cold brewing is kicking her ass.
I can't really come down on her for not resting. I should be resting up for my own injuries, and I just can't stay in bed.
As always, natural for me, I have too much energy.
Wrapping the spot on my arm where I'm missing a huge chunk of fur and flesh, I head down to the Danger Room.
I make sure to set up some privacy settings, making the control room window turn opaque, and setting the doors to Staff security level only, so no kids can wander in here unexpectedly on me.

"Danger Room, build mode."

The blank room hums to life, even as it stays blank, and I walk around looking at the space, wondering how to go about this.
I need a starting point. Somewhere I remember the most.
I stand there looking a bit longer before the most obvious answer practically smacks me in the head.
Of course!
All of this started in a cage.
I'll start with that.
I move my hands, using hand held controls to program the perfect parameters into the Danger Room, the cage roughly outlined in a green matrix style light.
I pull and push on the light with the hand controls like 'hot pads' to the light, moving it to my specifications, the form right in size, as I start to play with the materials/color scheme options.
I look in closer, tweaking a couple settings, getting it as close to memory as possible, before stepping inside of it, to get the other pieces in place.
There was no real furniture, but there was a sink...
I twist things around with the light beams some more, before adding the substance and shape.
Shutting myself inside the makeshift cage, I sit still, amazed how easily it came together.
Finishing my setting may take some time, but it'll actually be fun to build it.
I stand up, to get out of the cage, and feel things shaking with my speed sense.
I get out, and perk my ear, listening.
Down here, in the sub basements, there are no real signs that anythings happening top-side.
But My powers feel the entire ground and upper structures being shaken violently.
What the hell is it now?

"Dangerroom, Save program: Kami, private simulation...."

My voice trails on a moment, the kinetic feelings I have telling me I don't have time to be thinking of simulation names, so I finally blurt out:

"Dark B, password: 319."

'Program saved.'

I clear the room with the hand controls, putting them in their place before running out to see what's going on.
Everything seems in Chaos, and as I go against the flow of the panicking students, the things I pick up from the crowd cause me to loose patience, using my powers to lift over them, speeding out the first exit I see.
They said it was Alice....
I make it to the lawn, at the same time Alice's belly starts to rumble, and I can't believe it's her....
She's... got an animal form too!
And... She's looking at a flock of students like they are food, licking her lips.
I raise into the air, the same time Kat does, and I can feel her flames spring to life, shooting at Alice.

"KAT!"

What the fuck is she doing? This is Alice!
I fly over, to see, the kids starting to go after Alice, all of them here with their own powers, and scared.
I hear the things Kat's shouting at Alice, and I feel myself grating over it, as I know the situation needs to be taken care of, and Kat's keeping Alice occupied so the students can get away.
Now, if only they would run. Most do, but there's several that stay out, intent to take Alice down.
Kat won't hurt Alice... She's taunting her, not attacking her really.
I let her keep Alice's attention, as I turn to the kids, holding my hands up,

"This is another student, STAND DOWN!"

Little effect, one of them actually pops off some sort of energy power, fortunately not aimed right.
If they get Alice's attention attacking, Kat's taunting may end up for nothing.
Except a little talk we'll be sure to have about this later...
But right now, there's other things to worry about.
I use my kinetics, sweeping the students off their feet and into the air, pushing them toward the door.
Not in a way that will hurt them, but in a way that forces them inside.
As I'm doing it, I notice Chris.
Poor Chris... this has got to be something straight out of a nightmare for him.
He looks much worse for wear, even his glasses are gone.
I keep forcefully pushing everyone else into the building, running to him.

"Chris! We need to calm her down!
Where are your glasses?"

Wow... She messed him up pretty good...
I look from him, up to her and Kat's little interlude.
What are we going to do?

"Chris, I'm sorry there's no time to get your glasses.
I need your help to try and calm her down, before she just eats Kat.
If I use my Kinetics to get us to her level, could you try to get through to her?
She loves you... if anyone has a chance..."

[Hawthorn]

Sitting in Geometry class not one of my favorite classes, now if you are talking science class or any other class that has do with science those are my favorites, Math is okay but not my strong point, but strong enough. As I listen to the teacher on the current assignment and jotting down notes.

Suddenly the school shakes really violently and the windows shake and rattle all the kids in the class dive under their desks including the teacher thinking it might be an earthquake ever since the last attack everyone seems to be on edge and jump at the slightest thing they are not sure of. I more or less just roll my eyes, and then there is ear piercing roar I think it was and then a huge loud rumble.

Everyone knew the loud rumble and came out from under their desks it must be Alice and she is hungry. The kids head to the window to see what was going on. I was first to the window and see Alice has another form and out of control oh this is not good.

I see Firekat is trying to distract Alice from the other kids that are outside, no this is not good at all pushing my way through the kids in class and bolt to the door and out and bolt down the hallway, coming to the end of the hallway there is a huge hole in the wall where the exit use to be. As I was headed to the hole in the wall there is a reflection coming from the side of hallway skidding to a halt to see what the reflection was most likely broken glass from the door. Then I see a pair of glasses on the floor picking them up I know at least one person who wears glasses and that is Chris and I believe these belong to him. Damn how did Chris manage to get outside without falling all over the place he really can’t see without his glasses.

Stepping outside and hearing Kami say to the few students that were outside to stand down and that they were attacking another student.

Pushing my way through the small group of kids that were fleeing, I see some of the fleeing kids had minor injuries and they would need medical attention when I got back from giving Chris’s glasses back to him. I see a small group of kids that didn’t flee and I also see Kami using her powers to push the kids back inside it looks like they had a few injuries nothing major mainly minor injuries.

Bolting as fast as I can towards Kami and it looks like she is with Chris if anyone could calm Alice down it would be Chris and Kami is using her powers to life off the ground towards Alice.
Skidding to a halt taking a very deep breath and I yell on top of my lungs, “KAMI WAIT PLEASE! I HAVE SOMETHING FOR CHRIS!”

With my right arm taking all my strength and I throw Chris’s glasses towards Kami and Chris hoping the Kami will be able to grab them for Chris, from where I can standing it looks like Chris is pretty banged up when this is over most likely he will need my help with healing some of the injuries he has.