[log] Event: Metamorphosis, Part Three

[snowblindmods]

Characters: everyone
Location: all around town; note location in subject line
Date: Night 415 onward; note time in subject line
Summary: They break out and they wake up.
Warnings: extreme body horror, unreality, eldritch horror, absolutely definitely 100% include warnings in subject lines/before your comment if the subject line isn't long enough

Comments

cw: body horror, potential cannibalism/electrical burns/fires, semi-blindness, coma-talk

[termineur]

[ ooc: 'A body that feels like licking an electrical socket, humming and buzzing and crackling. Eyes that can only see the electrical pulses of the bodies nearby. An urge to reach and pull out all those pulsing nerves and keep them.' Also- I'll follow writing style, so feel free change it up! ]

A - Annoyed Anomaly (maintenance tunnels)

So they're out of the room, but this isn't what Gabriel expected. He thought for sure they'd all be connecting together, but he's just as separate as he's always been. He's still missing something. And he still can't see-- or rather, he sees differently now. Little sparks of light are in the distance. It's figuring out that they're above him that makes him realize they're in the tunnels.

There's still something familiar about it. The seance- right. He's data again, he's electricity. And he needs more. And- And...he's an anomaly, isn't he?

He heaves a crackling sigh, and suddenly shifts from standing to sitting down, then to walking next to one of his previously-trapped comrades. "Hey, are you cold? I'm not cold anymore." Let's look at those silver linings, shall we?


B- Time to Say Hi (anomaly- anywhere other than the bunker)

It's clearly time to give up on being Gabriel for good. If this is his existence now, if he's so empty, he has to be Sylar. His friends won't be his, anyway- they're going to want to hang around the 'real' one, the 'less dangerous' one.

His appearance is going to make his usual ambush tactics a little harder. But he'll give it a good college try, anyway. Following the light of the electrical pulses running up and down people's nervous systems, he's able to find someone outside- or maybe even in a house. He can't really see the houses anymore, after all, and maybe he can just push his way in or zap through a window. He can hear, somehow, so as he gets closer he calls out a cautious-sounding, "Hello? Can I get some help?"


C - Getting Tired of Comas (Gabriel - any safe room in the bunker)

He wakes up in the Bunker- Room 2 again, since they started passing out for way too long- and he can already tell it happened again. With a groan, he pulls himself up to a sitting position and rubs at his eyes. Just like with any of these 'glitches,' he's not sure what he can do about it, other than continuing on.

And since he's apparently been out for awhile, he needs to stretch his legs. He'll check on his friends, ask how they're doing, then head to whatever other rooms he can reach today. Maybe he'll feel a little less useless if he offers people snacks or whatever they might need. So you might notice Gabriel coming up to you and holding out a candy bar. "Wish it were more 'gourmet', but you've gotta keep your strength up. I've heard comas are exhausting for everyone."


D- Do-It-Yourself

Just indicate who you're running into in the comment!


E - Edited Additional Outside-the-Bunker Times (Sylar-nomaly)

He finally figured out where the bunker was, but there's a problem. He doesn't have a tablet anymore. Apparently, the copies aren't important enough for them, or something. But that's okay. He'll wait.

He'll wait until someone comes outside for a Network break. If it's someone he knows well and he hears their voice, he might stay and talk- say hi, hop on their nerves a little, hopefully keep them around. If not, he'll zip quickly into the bunker, moving so fast that only his afterimage remains. Feel free to go after him.

A

[bywolves]

[ No, he's not cold, but wow he super doesn't like that light. The shivering, half-formed monster lets out an echoing, distant screech of a sound - like a sound coming from another room down the hall. It rises up and skitters away, and the parts of it that are at least somewhat solid absorb the shadows around it, fading half into the floor and wall, nebulous.

It stays far away from the electricity, in the dark, and then whispers, in Royce's ragged and pained voice: ]

... Not cold.

[termineur]

[ Huh. The noise is weird- but he's not exactly sounding normal himself, with the crackling and zapping of his electricity- but then he hears something moving away. And finally, there's a voice. ]

Royce? You okay? I mean, you don't sound so great.

[ He takes a step towards the voice, jumping a few feet closer- but then he thinks better of it and is suddenly about ten feet further away. ]

What can I do?

[bywolves]

The light.

[ Royce mumbles, soaking up the shadows. He breathes out a sigh of relief at the snap and crackle being further away. ]

Keep the light away. I can't stand it.

[termineur]

...oh.

[ He's not actually sure he can- oh wait, he can do it. The knowledge comes to him instantaneously. He knows how this body works, even if it's different than it used to be. The knowledge is a comfort. If he doesn't think about it too hard, he can pretend he has his intuitive aptitude back.

The crackling of his lightning dims, until he looks almost human again. Sparks dance over his hair occasionally, and snap between his fingertips. A small bolt wraps itself occasionally across his torso. It's a bit like holding his breath, but he'll be okay for awhile. ]

That any better?

[bywolves]

[ Much. Royce slowly sludges his way out of the shadows, and while the formless shape seems to flinch every so often at the sparks and snaps, it doesn't run away, this time. A jittery, melting sort of hand comes out from the pile of shadows and rests carefully on Sylar's foot. ]

Better. [ The whole shape shivers, and starts to melt. ] Thank you.

[termineur]

[ He listens carefully, as his eyes are basically useless over here. When he feels a hand on his foot, he smiles. ]

Good. Guess we got opposite ends of the spectrum, huh? I'm a little surprised I ended up with this. Makes me wonder if it was random, how we ended up changing.

[ That's a lie, easily made. He doesn't know what happened to Royce, after all. ]

[bywolves]

It feels like it did before. [ Royce says, quietly. He seems to be having a hard time speaking, but he's trying. ] The first time we all turned. But.

[ A beat, as Royce curls up and around Sylar's leg, formless and restless. ] This is worse. There's no. There's no going back.

[termineur]

[ Ah, so Royce is the cloak monster again. That does explain why he's so short. And...oddly shaped. Gabriel feels strange at hearing him speak- Royce is upset, he thinks. That's not good. ]

No, I don't think there is. Wish I had better news for you.

[ Gabriel himself had felt annoyed that they weren't all smashed together like he'd wanted them to be, but he's not really upset at the moment. Just hungry, and honestly? That's like slipping back into worn, comfortable shoes. ]

Guess we were the 'copies' after all. Our data corrupted out or something. [ Sigh. ] At least I'm not cold anymore.

House > Will > Gabe

[rubikscomplex]

Okay. Okay. There are way too many anomalies in the goddamn Bunker. It's like it's a beacon for them. He's escaped Beckett and House has grabbed Will to get them the hell out. They can maybe make for that little meat shack to the north and wait out whatever this is.

"At least we know what Miller was doing with our copies. Borrowing. Freaking hell..." Whatever that thing Beckett's become... House just hopes the real one makes it out of this alive. He taps the Galaxy Key on his tablet to get the door to open.

[ex_this_ismydesign36]

Will is very much on board with getting the hell out of here, and he is not a man who likes to retreat as a rule. But this is too much. The implications, the bombarding information each anomaly holds, the horror of it, is nearly overwhelming and when House says 'leaving' Will grabbed the packs and was ready to go.

"This is assuming we're not the copies," he can't help but put that thought out there. It has to be considered.

[termineur]

Sylar is quiet while the door opens, standing against the wall so his two targets won't see him until they come out. He'd intended to zip in while they had it open, but- well. He'd like to talk to these two.

"That's true," he notes. "And no one's gonna want to admit they're the copy. I've already seen that, and I'm really not seeing much of anything anymore." It's true. Bright blue-white tendrils of electricity move rapidly over his form, but especially over his blank eyes. On the spots where he's still flesh, the electricity that hits it burns and curls the skin. Sylar doesn't look like he minds too much.

He was about ten meters away, but he steps forward and is suddenly only five meters away now. He doesn't look like he's coming any closer, at least? "I do see you two, though. Sorta. Hi."

[rubikscomplex]

House just about jumps out of his skin at Sylar's sudden appearance. Or... a thing that looks like it used to be Sylar. It ends with him nearly yanking Will into the snow as he grabs for the smaller man and half-clings to him, prepared to run like hell. His heart is jack-hammering as he looks over Sylar, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Graham Cracker here didn't get copied. Kinda points to you guys being the doubles." He'll release Will from a minor death grip and take a step back. Running may be needed. A lot of running.

[ex_this_ismydesign36]

When House jumped and grabbed him, Will turned to position himself slightly between the Sylar shaped object and the doctor. He was moving backwards, showing his approval of the idea of running, but his eyes moved with fascinated curiosity over the figure in front of them.

"An interesting combination of mixed signals," his voice was level and calm, feet still moving to try to make sure he and House had an open escape route. Though the speed at which this Sylar moved was ... concerning.

"What do you see, if you're not seeing much?"

[termineur]

"I'm seeing your thoughts," he says, pausing for effect. "--or your synapses firing, anyway. Every electrical impulse running through your nervous system- you might not want to grab Will so hard, by the way, Doc, that looks like it hurts."

He shrugs and takes another couple steps forward. At least this time, he doesn't 'jump' forward. His feet melt the snow around him in an odd, chaotic pattern. "Anyway, the better question might be: does it matter if we're copies? I mean, obviously, there are some people who don't have doubles. But for the rest of us-- we're all brain maps, right? You two just didn't go through the latest torture session. Why should that mean anything?"

[rubikscomplex]

"No, it definitely matters." House backs up along with Will. "I mean the whole 'evil twin' thing is a trope and since this place is like a horror soap opera... Plus, we've had people who turned into anomalies. Epps? That Fiona chick? They weren't real friendly. You feel like swallowing someone? Or... barbecuing them."

There's a lot of electricity going on.

"Taking our lights, maybe?"

[ex_this_ismydesign36]

As Sylar moves forward, Will keeps moving himself and House back. He's noting every part of the conversation, trying not to be transfixed by the dance of electricity (it wsa remind him of mushrooms) but it's hard.

For the time being he's quiet, letting House lead the Q and A session.

A cw body horror, mouth/mud horror

[zunesareawesome]

"Sure, we aren't cold anymore, but the monsters are us," Peter says disappointed, mud spilling out around his words.

Look, he was really hoping for King Kong or Godzilla here.

His voice comes from somewhere near the ground, he's still having a hard time figuring out how to move, much less what he is. As best he can tell he's some kind of...heavy, slug-shaped, sludgy rock-thing. He can...kind of crawl, pushing himself forwards, reaching out with extensions of himself.

"I mean, we could probably do some damage, but..."

[termineur]

"We probably could," he agrees. "And I bet once we're acclimated, it's not gonna be so bad. Just got to figure out how these bodies work. Maybe we can work together and do some King Kong damage, once we've got ourselves figured out."

He leans down, trying to hear what's going on with Peter better, but it's nearly as incomprehensible as the rest of them. Even with proper sight, it probably wouldn't help much. "You're not person-shaped anymore, are you? Bet that's even harder."

[zunesareawesome]

"You know what, dude? I really, really want to."

He's not quite sure what it is, but the thought of just...mowing down the entire town sounds absolutely fantastic? He wants to do that.

He should probably be worried about how bad he wants to do that.

"No, man." There's a slightly disappointed--okay, a lot disappointed sound to his voice. He's not sure how he can get used to this, especially if they're stuck like this. "I'm not sure what I am, but...definitely not anywhere near person-shaped. I'm stuck on the ground, like...made out of goopy rock stuff. I can kinda move it around. And I keep spittin' mud." Considering how dark it is in here, he's not thinking about the fact that he might not be able to see him.

"What about you, bro? Got anything cool?"

[termineur]

Hey, with this sort of thing? It almost never does occur to a person to not wreak havoc. Gabriel-- no, Sylar now-- he's really on-board with this idea.

"Oooh," he says, after hearing about Peter's change. He kneels down and tries to pat at him, but Peter's probably just going to feel the tickling sensation of several small zaps. "I bet you can do a lot with this. You're basically your own quicksand pit. Need help getting around, though, and I'll try. But I'm sure you'll work out a sort of erosion locomotion or something like that."

It would be a little hard for Sylar to help, probably, considering his own change. But he's happy to talk about it. "I'm electric. Apparently. Pretty sure I can shoot lightning bolts if I want." He sniffs in an unnecessary breath and suddenly blasts the ceiling with a bright blue bolt. It's probably easier to look at the after-image of it than the actual bolt itself. It leaves a nice scorch mark on the top of the tunnel, not that anyone would be able to see it now. Sylar laughs in delight.

[zunesareawesome]

Look, wreaking havok is an excellent pastime.

Peter feels the electric zaps--that's pretty cool, and a little terrifying? But Gab--Sylar's suggestion sounds kinda neat. "Dude, a quicksand trap would be awesome. Just like, glorp over in some rubble and then--gotcha! I can kinda...move parts of me around, I'm just real heavy. Erosion locomotion would make a great band name, though?"

The electric blast gets a cheer and a slightly wild laugh from Peter.

"Dude, that is sweet!" He's also a little blinded by all that, so he's gonna lie here and blink a lot. "You can do so much with that? Like set stuff on fire--hey, does snow conduct electricity?"

[termineur]

He can follow Peter's train of thought there, but he snorts anyway. "Nah. Have to wait for it to melt, which ain't happening here. But the fire thing? Yeah. Moment I come across a board that's not soggy, we can start something up."

He is rather pleased to hear such high praise for his ability. It was something he used to be able to do, too, after all. (He's trying not to think about how different it actually is being the electricity. He feels more like a creature than someone in control now.) So he's in high spirits. See? This is all fine.

"You might be able to collect things, though- put your wait over things- maybe we can even break into the houses that way. You break it open and I'll set it on fire? I did promise Steph that we'd burn down at least one building, y'know." And he's not going to go back on a promise like that.

[zunesareawesome]

"Nice. We can get a big ol' bonfire goin'." Not for warmth, just for wanton destruction. Cool.

This is all completely fine.

Well, Peter would prefer having a humanoid form, being this low to the ground and having such a heavy, hard-to-move shape is difficult, but he can work with it. He's a little less horrified by it now.

"Yeah! Oh dude, that would be so sweet? I can kinda...grab stuff too, it's a little hard but I can hold onto things." He certainly wasn't strong enough to smash through houses before, that...actually sounds like a lot of fun. He could just smash over everything! "It's a deal. We're wreckin' the joint! Steph will be proud!"

[termineur]

"Yeah," he replies, sighing with satisfaction. Right now, that means he sounds vaguely like the snapping of logs crackling in a fireplace. "Hey, maybe we should go find Steph, have her help. She wouldn't want to miss out."

And Sylar doesn't want to miss her. "She was in the bunker, pretty sure. Ah...that way." He points in what might seem like a random direction, his fingertips lit up with blue-white bolts. "You wanna see who we can collect? We're not the only ones who'd like to see the place burned to the ground."