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Kevin Ford ([info]becomedeath) wrote in [info]devolve,
@ 2011-01-31 01:26:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:kevin_allen, kevin_ford

Who: Kevin, Kurt and Freakshow
What: 'clean-up' run
Where: not too far off the grounds
When: Monday
Rating: probably PG...but maybe higher depending on your thoughts on decomposing corpses?
Status: Incomplete



Kevin glanced to where Kurt had taken up a position on a nearby rooftop with a good view in all directions before tugging off his gloves, shoving them in his hoodie pocket and pushing up his sleeves as far as they'd go. It was cold, of course, but he didn't really mind, and even if he did it wouldn't matter. He couldn't do what he needed to unless he was bare handed. One major bonus of the cold was the fact that at least it didn't smell too bad, which was far from being the case when they made these runs in the height of summer. Triple digit heat and humidity wasn't a good combination with rotting flesh, and sometimes between the stench and the flies Kevin would tie a bandana around his face.

Today, though, there was only a faint charnel-house reek to the air from the bodies strewn haphazardly around the street, and Kevin barely noticed it as he got to work. There were only a couple dozen in sight from where he stood, though Kurt had said there were more in one of the nearby houses. The two days since he'd been out on Saturday was enough that his powers were hungry again, though the world out here was full enough of death and decay that he wasn't entirely sure if his death sight was currently active or not. It had been flickering in and out since sometime last night, and while Kurt had been whole and intact when he'd glanced at him a moment ago, Kevin had the feeling that if he looked back up at him now he wouldn't be anymore. He didn't look.

"You sure you're going to be okay with this?" he asked Freakshow instead, not looking at the other boy either as he stood over the first body, skin itching with the desire - the need - to bend down and touch. "It's pretty disgusting, and if you want to move farther away Kurt can probably give more than enough warning from where he's stationed."


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[info]freakydeaky
2011-02-01 08:01 am UTC (link)
Freak suddenly decided he was considerably less okay with the situation, taking a few steps back. Still on all fours, the torso of the Alien grazed the ground as he shrunk his form a little against the cracked asphalt like a dog cowering as if it had been scolded. He wanted to firmly state that he wanted to go back to the school, managing to avert his gaze, as much as he could with his eyes tucked seamlessly behind the dome of the Alien's sneakily transparent cranium, much like the tinted windows of a sports car. No one could see in, but you could see out just fine. He fixed that immediately, happy to blind himself for a few seconds for Kevin to get rid of the body.

"Just make it go away," he said quietly, but firmly, turning his head to the side and returning the skull back to transparency as he pretended to inspect the house across the street from where he was.

Little kids weren't supposed to die. They just weren't. It wasn't fair and it wasn't supposed to happen.

He couldn't get that reasoning out of his head, and when he finally did move it was to slither back toward the vehicle that had brought them there and plant his haunches near one of the tires until he could compose himself again. He felt like he was hiding, which wasn't untrue, and he was probably proving how incapable he was for the task at hand, but he couldn't believe that everyone was so used to it that it didn't phase them to come across something like that.

He suddenly wished Jimmy was there and he didn't know why entirely, other than Jimmy was big and familiar. No one fucked with Jimmy, right? Not that they were in any danger, or that the big guy could have done anything about the situation at hand, but dammit, it would have been better.

As for himself, Freakshow was glad that the Alien form didn't have tear ducts, because for as much as he was shocked by the situation, he couldn't get over the fact that the little body was just about the same size as the twins.

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[info]becomedeath
2011-02-01 08:27 am UTC (link)
It would have been hard, even as distracted as Kevin was, not to notice how Freakshow backed away. The words were even more concrete proof of how disturbing he found this duty, and Kevin ducked his own head, wishing they hadn't sent the other boy along for this as he laid his hand against the remnants of an arm and shuddered as he erased all evidence of another life lived and died in the horror their world had become.

He didn't look at the other boy again as he moved on to the next body, irrationally afraid he'd be able to see the horror and disgust clearly on his face if he did. Older this time, though far enough gone to decomposition that he - it was definitely a man - could have been anywhere from twenty-five to eighty-five for all Kevin could tell. Another brush of fingers, another silent prayer and a blaze of power beneath his skin and he moved on to the next before he spoke again.

"You can wait in the truck if you want, or ask Kurt to take you back...I'd be okay for the few seconds he'd have to be gone," he mumbled, still not looking back at Freakshow. He'd been doing this for two years, been looking at a world that looked no better than most of what they saw around them now for most of the last five. That didn't mean he didn't understand completely just how horrifying it was, or how disgusting his role in it was, and he couldn't blame Freakshow for wanting to get as far away as he could.

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[info]freakydeaky
2011-02-01 08:36 am UTC (link)
"Nah, I'll....keep an eye out." Freakshow replied as normally as he could, though he didn't move from where he was. Still, he could see up and down both ends of the street, and if he didn't focus too much he didn't even have to see the bodies or what Kevin was doing. Yeah, that could work. He wasn't about to leave Kevin by himself just to take his pansy butt back to the colony....as much as he really, really wanted to go. He was there to do a job, and he could fake being tough about it for a little while longer, right?

His mind started to work a little better then, trying to wipe the past few minutes out of his head as he pulled back away from the tire and zipped up the side of the truck and onto the roof, perching there to get a better look around. His eyes only scanned for movement that wasn't Kevin, not focusing on anything in particular, though his gaze caught Kurt a few times. This was better. He could do this. He didn't need to be up Kevin's butt, getting an eyeful of the task at hand to get his own job done.

He composed himself a little better, sitting a little taller on his haunches, pretending for a few seconds that he was lion or something stupid to that effect, looking around for some dear-thing's ass to bite. Movement, always looking for movement. Disassociating helped, though the tightness in his stomach didn't go away.

"Hey, we should hit McDonald's on the way back. I could go for a Frosty." He called out lightly, though not loud enough for anyone but Kevin, and potentially Kurt if he was listening, to hear. He meant it as a joke, to lighten the mood, before he realized his slip-up a few seconds later. "Crap, that was Wendy's, wasn't it. Nevermind, I want a Mc. DLT." It occurred to him that he had no idea what that was, but Family Guy had made a joke about it once. It also made him think of The Princess Bride when Miracle Max was going on about his Mutton, Lettuce and Tomato sandwich. Yeah, that movie was funny. Funny things were good. Good things were good to think about.

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[info]becomedeath
2011-02-01 08:54 am UTC (link)
Kevin nodded silent agreement, still without looking back, as he moved on to the next body and then the next. He heard the scratch of metal against metal as Freakshow climbed to the top of the truck, though, and jerked around and upright in surprise before relaxing at the sight of the alien perched on the cab of the truck.

He took a moment to get his breathing back under control, glancing around until he caught sight of Kurt on a different roof than he'd been on before, and nodded acknowledgment of his quick all clear signal then turned back to the task at hand. His skin was thrumming with energy, and it was a bit easier to ignore the tightness in his chest at the thought of Freakshow sitting back there, watching and passing judgment.

Three more bodies, three more abbreviated prayers, and he stopped at the sound of the other boy's voice again. "Yeah, that, um...fries. Fries'd be awesome," he made himself answer, voice hoarse as he scrubbed ash-covered hands over his face. If babbling was what Freakshow needed to keep it together then he wasn't going to shoot him down by pointing out that he couldn't remember what anything but ash tasted like anymore.

"I've, um, just got a couple more out here, then a few in that house over there." He pointed across the wreckage of the street to the ramshackle remains of what had probably once been a cozy little suburban home. "You can stay out here for that, Kurt's already cleared the building."

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[info]freakydeaky
2011-02-01 09:31 am UTC (link)
"Extra salt. Cloggin' them arteries." Freakshow mused idly, still scanning around. He was thankful that he didn't really recognize the area that they were in, that he couldn't outright compare what it looked like now to what it had looked like before. Most of the buildings just looked harmlessly abandoned, like the time he'd gone to Buffalo. An ironic snicker came from his throat as he realized that the city probably didn't look that much different, but then he occurred to him that he probably shouldn't mention that to anyone. There were people at the colony from that area, after all. Consideration and all that.

When Kevin spoke again, Freakshow perked up, rigid, his tail pausing the light swaying motion it had been transfixed in before. "Wait, you're leaving me out here alone?" He immediately figured that Kurt would be going with Kevin. After all, they were there to watch his back so leaving him alone sort of defeated the purpose.

Weren't there zombies? What if they came while everyone was gone? What if they came after them and he couldn't help? What if they came after him? If occurred to him that even if zombies could reach him, chances were in his current form they couldn't bite through anyway, even if they could get near enough without becoming intimately acquainted with his tail. Besides, someone needed to guard the truck. That was kind of an important mission, wasn't it? Making sure it didn't go anywhere? Not that zombies drove.

"Right," he managed after a few seconds, offering a nod. "I'll guard the truck." He tried to make it sound important, and wondered if he really sounded as lame as he felt about the whole thing. Here he was, finally getting a chance to grow up and be a man, and all he was doing was acting more like a kid than ever. "You just shout if you need anything. Not that you'll need to shout or anything. I'm sure it's fine." He made a 'you go ahead' motion with his oddly-shaped hand and made a show about settling on the cab of the truck again in his surveying stance. He was getting good at that.

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[info]becomedeath
2011-02-01 11:15 pm UTC (link)
Kevin turned back to Freakshow in confusion at the question, face and arms and clothes all streaked with ash that was all that was left of what had once been human beings. The bodies he'd dealt with now nothing more than spots of filth on the snow, not that it had been anywhere near pristine to begin with, already stained with blood and gore from whatever had left him bodies to deal with.

It took him a moment to process what Freakshowhad said, a moment in which he'd apparently been talking himself around to being okay with being left out there alone, and his brow furrowed once he put the words together in a way that made sense.

"...Kurt will still be right up there?" he pointed out gently. "He already made sure there wasn't anything alive in the house before he went up to watch, and it's safer for me to be alone in an empty house for a minute or so than it is for him to not be watching for anything or anyone approaching."

He pulled out the Glock tucked into the back waistband of his pants just in case, though - he always did if he was going to have to be out of sight at all - and disengaged the safety even as he tapped the walkie-talkie snapped up near his collar and opened a channel to Kurt.

"Four bodies, all up front, right? So in and out in no more than a minute and a half or come looking?" he asked the scout, even as he looked up and found him again. "Freak's gonna keep a watch from here." He waited until he got an affirmative from the scout then looked back to Freakshow. "That work for you?"

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[info]freakydeaky
2011-02-02 06:29 pm UTC (link)
Freak kept telling himself to stop getting panicky over everything, feeling a bit ashamed of himself as he watched Kevin and Kurt talk through the communicators. When Kevin's attention turned back to him, he nodded emphatically, not sure if the stiffness in his body would have even let him move his head if he didn't force it.

Kevin had a gun. That was good, right? He probably knew how to use it better than anyone else on the team. Even the gun that Raven had given Freakshow was still in the cab of the truck. Freak knew how to shoot it, but he wasn't very dependable, and he had more of a worry of accidentally shooting Kevin or Kurt than a fear of not being able to handle an infected with more familiar weapons.

Besides, if he needed it it was still there.

A minute and a half. A minute and a half and he was going to-

Damn, he should have brought a watch.

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[info]becomedeath
2011-02-02 09:06 pm UTC (link)
Kevin had to work to muster a reassuring smile for the other boy, his focus too tight on the task at hand for much of anything else to come easily for him. He wasn't used to this, to needing to be reassuring. To needing to be anything but focused on what he was doing and the possibility of interruption. And the reminder of fresh eyes and fresh horror for what he did made his skin crawl in ways that had nothing to do with his powers. The others...if they minded now, or ever had, it was lost behind the mask of simply dealing with the hell out here day in and day out.

He made himself wait a moment to be sure Freakshow was settled, then made his way across the street, through drifts of snow filthy with ash. Just outside the door he paused, checked the Glock again and found Kurt, used the shorthand of gestures he'd learned in the last two years to reconfirm the plan and start the ninety-second countdown and slipped through the battered door hanging askew on broken hinges.

It was dim but not dark, thin winter sun streaming through broken windows to illuminate the ruined interior of what had once been someone's home. Snow had blown in and piled in the corners of the front room and drifted over the furniture. The weather damage was mostly new, though, and he could understand why someone hand tried to hole up here, safe from the elements and trying to stay safe from the infected. They'd smelled them, though. They always did. The snow had drifted in fresh since the front windows had been shattered in the mindless attack, and there wasn't all that much left of the small - probably family, he thought. Two adults and a child - who'd tried to take refuge here. The three of them, broken and bloody and picked mostly clean, and one mostly rotted out corpse that they might have managed to take out in self defense or might have finally decomposed so far it could no longer continue on.

Four brief prayers, four quick touches, a surge of power that burned across his skin like fire despite the cold and he turned back to the door, out in well under his allotted ninety seconds. He engaged the safety on his Glock, tucked it away again, and crossed to the truck, rolling his sleeves down with shaking hands and tugging his gloves back on.

"Done here, ready to move on to the next spot," he told Freakshow in a low, tight voice as he waved Kurt down. The scout materialized on the other side of the truck in a burst of acrid smoke, eyes sharp and tail lashing restlessly as he continued to scan the street.

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[info]freakydeaky
2011-02-02 09:20 pm UTC (link)
Freakshow's eyes were on Kevin, then on the spot where he'd disappeared the entire time the older boy was gone, then followed him again for the duration of his walk back to the truck. He was notably more comfortable now, sliding easily into the bed of the truck so the other two could take the driver and passenger seats without him having to change back. He opened the back window a bit to be able to hear them as things settled, and was notably happier with the fact that they would be moving on from the area.

It occurred to him that there would probably be situations like what he'd just experienced elsewhere, but he felt like he was more prepared for it now. Also, just the fact that the three of them were in close proximity again helped.

"Is there anything you guys want me to do at the next place?" The question was a little more timid than he was hoping. He wanted to be useful, manly, dependable. Not someone they had to worry about coddling, even though Freak was more than happy that they were being lenient with him his first time around. A little coddling wasn't so bad when he was new, right?

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[info]blueisbetter
2011-02-02 09:41 pm UTC (link)
Kevin settled in behind the wheel, leaving Kurt free to respond immediately if anything threatened without having to worry about keeping the truck under control, and Kurt shifted sideways in his seat to glance back at Freakshow through the open window before returning his attention almost obsessively to their surroundings. The truck made him uncomfortable. He preferred to be under his own power in the open air, not trapped in a metal box.

"This trip is just getting your feet wet," he assured him. His tone wasn't at all unkind, but he was much more clipped and terse than he ever was behind the safety of the mansion's walls. "Get used to what to expect out here, what's normal and what isn't. Other than that you're the man on the ground for now. If anything happens you're job is him-" he looked back at Freakshow and jerked his head at Kevin, who glanced away from the road for a moment as well, grimacing slightly at being referred to as a job, though he was well used to the fact that he was always the weakest link on these outings and always would be. "You get him and you both get someplace high and wait for the all clear." He'd given Freakshow the lecture about how the infected couldn't really run, couldn't climb even stairs with any great facility. If they got to a roof they'd be relatively safe.

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[info]freakydeaky
2011-02-02 09:53 pm UTC (link)
Freakshow's claws dug into the metal of the truck bed to keep himself steady, his tail curling over to grip the side as the vehicle moved, though he kept his gaze intently on Kurt as the man spoke. He was in training, which meant Kurt and Kevin were definitely his bosses while they were outside of the walls, and even as absentminded and playful as he was at the school he was aware they couldn't afford either one of those traits out here. He wondered if he'd been slipping into them by habit, if the playful banter he'd started earlier was really unappreciated, or even worse, stupid. Could it give away their position? It could sure be distracting which wasn't good.

The alien head bobbed in a nod, and he swore to himself he was going to play it smarter now. He was thinking now, even without knowing what the layout of their next destination would be, of what would make the most sense as far as a good place to tuck himself and Kevin if things went downhill. Zombies,though it felt strange calling them that even in his head, didn't climb so if he could find a good place on a single story house he could still use his tail for offense.

He glanced up at some of the roofs that they passed as the truck moved on, noting the collection of ice and snow, knowing he could grip onto it just fine but Kevin probably wouldn't be able to. Something to think about before he just dropped the guy somewhere "safe".

He felt like he was doing research, even as they were just driving along, and just that idea was making him feel like he was more capable than he thought. Older houses were probably bad ideas, not knowing how sturdy their roofs were, or how often they were repaired or reinforced before the breakout. One story houses were more practical for himself for defensive and offensive purposes, and a fall would be less hazardous. Also, probably not a house that had a first story roof and an additional second story just in case an infected decided to pop out of a window. They did that in the movies sometimes.

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[info]becomedeath
2011-02-02 10:39 pm UTC (link)
Kevin knew the route they were taking, he'd gone over the maps with Kurt before they'd left, all their potential stops marked with green X's and estimated numbers, areas they needed to avoid shaded in red. It made for a slightly circuitous route, but he knew the area around the mansion - and all the way in and around New York City - better now than he ever had before the outbreak. He knew which buildings were still sturdiest, which had stairwells too steep and cluttered for the zombies, which roofs were pitched too sharply for him to keep his footing even in good weather, let alone snow and ice. Knew where the alleys came out and which bolt holes Kurt or whoever would check first if they were separated and lost communication. He didn't envy Freakshow needing to learn it all now.

It took almost fifteen minutes before they made their next stop, most of the spent in silence as Kurt kept a sharp watch on their surroundings, looking for any signs of movement. Kevin finally stopped the truck in the middle of the road in what had once been a warehouse district. He made sure there was an unobstructed 360 degree view and a clear road out ahead of them, leading down one of the streets Kurt had marked as unblocked and most likely to be safe, then left the keys in the ignition as he stepped out.

"There are more bodies here," Kurt reminded them both. "And more scattered as well. At least all of them were infected this time." It didn't help much, they'd all been living, breathing people at one point, but for some it made it at least a little easier and he'd offer Freakshow what comfort he could manage, little as that was."I'll be on the roof to the North, it has the best vantage." He pointed and Kevin nodded, familiar with the routine, and then the scout was gone in another burst of smoke.

"You want to watch from there again?" he asked Freakshow, gesturing at the roof of the truck again. "You should be able to see me pretty much the whole time." He jerked his chin back towards the dark scatter of bodies in the snow. Some of them looked to have been killed by someone, others had just finally fallen where they lay, too decomposed for the virus to keep them moving any longer. There were pieces of those ones to deal with, which would slow him down.

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[info]freakydeaky
2011-02-02 10:53 pm UTC (link)
When the building style changed Freakshow grumbled a bit to himself, realizing that all of the tactics he'd been working on during the drive weren't going to do much for him where they were. Through the window he peeked at the map, though as unfamiliar as he was with the area he couldn't really get a handle on what was what. The red area was bad, that much was certain, and if they were staying away from it he was cool with that much.

When the truck stopped again, Freak's gaze instantly went to the available roofs. They were much farther up than he'd hoped, which meant a smaller chance of any position being easy to defend for himself, and it would take longer for him to climb with Kevin to safety if the situation turned bad.

When Kurt spoke to him, he glanced over and nodded, speaking for the first time since they'd entered the area. "I'm going to switch forms though. The walls are too high, and probably too icy for me to climb up with Kevin if I need to." Still as the Alien, he dropped out of the back of the truck and onto the ground, then shifted into his human form, shaking off a bit and composing himself for a moment before he walked a few steps away, keeping a careful eye on his surroundings, glad for more space than before.

Once he'd composed himself enough he transformed again, once more careful to make sure his outer coating was comprised of metal scales as the dragon form took shape, his head standing twenty feet over the top of the truck, craning down now to listen if Kurt had any more orders. "I've got ice breath. Don't want to burn anything down. Or, like, explode the truck on accident. I just figured it would be easier to get up high if I need to plop Kev somewhere."

He glanced over at Kevin, large yellow eyes blinking. "You're kosher with heights, right?"

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[info]becomedeath
2011-02-02 11:51 pm UTC (link)
Kurt nodded acknowledgment of the boy's tactical decision. It was a good one, so long as he had enough fine control in that massive a form to handle Kevin without damaging him, and wouldn't panic if things did go south and catch them all in his ice breath. He didn't so much do him the courtesy of trusting his skill as resolve to keep an extra close watch, just in case, and be sure to deal with evacuating Kevin if it looked like there was any possibility of it being an issue.

"Keep a close watch," he reminded him. "There are lots of shadows and hidey holes here." He was too well aware that no matter how hard he tried to Kevin frequently didn't - couldn't, it seemed - manage to remain as aware of his surroundings as he'd have liked. Then he was gone and Kevin was left looking up...and up...and up...at Freakshow with no inconsiderable amount of awe.

"...that's kind of really fucking impressive," he muttered, taking a couple of steps back so he didn't have to crane his neck quite so far, the itching under his skin easier to ignore now between the distraction of standing next to a twenty foot tall dragon and the fact his powers were already at least partially sated. "Yeah, I'm...heights are fine. Just...if you've gotta grab me or something...you can do it without squashing me, right?"

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[info]freakydeaky
2011-02-03 12:00 am UTC (link)
At the compliment, Freakshow openly grinned, showing row upon row of gleaming metal teeth. Afterward, he glanced down at himself, careful that the protruding horns didn't get close to the proximity of the two figures below him. "Doing it metal is a bit harder. I'll have to practice when we get back before we go out again. It's wearing me out a little faster than normal but I should be okay for a couple more hours if we need to go anywhere else. But yeah, I did Mecha Godzilla once. That was fun."

For emphasis, the end of the metal tail lifted from the ground, sliding carefully around Kevin's waist without squeezing, just to demonstrate that it would be alright. He kept it there for half a second before retracting it, not wanting to invade the guy's personal space for too long. "I pick up kids with it all the time, and you're a bigger and not so squishy so it shouldn't be easier. I promise not to fling your around either, I'm good about that. Normally."

He decided not to elaborate on that, plopping down onto his haunches after making sure there was nothing behind him to be crushed. The wings puffed out repeatedly, as if he were a runner stretching in preparation for a jog. It didn't hurt to be ready. "Any places they like to hop out of in particular?"

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[info]becomedeath
2011-02-03 12:26 am UTC (link)
Kevin shifted his attention - a bit reluctantly - between Freakshow and their surroundings as he stripped his gloves off again and shoved his sleeves back up. There'd been a time when he would have given almost anything for a power like that instead of what he'd gotten stuck with. Now...what he did was incredibly useful, no matter how much it freaked some people out, and he wasn't sure he could function without the rush of his powers activating, the burn of life leeching out of his...subjects...and into him.

He was distracted by the thought when Freakshow's tail reached out to gently curl around him and he nearly jumped away, one bare hand settling reflexively against metal scales to brace himself before instinct kicked in and he jerked it away even though it really was metal and his powers hadn't activated. By the time he recovered enough to let himself touch again, quick and light, the tail was slipping away as gently as it had come and he curled his fingers into a loose fist and dropped his hand to his side. It wasn't like touching skin, at least he didn't think it was. It had been so long he wasn't sure. But it was touching something else alive that didn't fall to ash between one heartbeat and the next.

"Um, not flinging would be good. Really good." He scrubbed his hand across his face and looked around again, reminding himself to be alert. At least until the rush of power distracted him to the point he couldn't be. "They...they don't really like anything. There's not enough there for them to do anything like hide, they just sort of...shamble along until they catch scent of food. Of us. And then they shamble after it."

He shrugged and looked up to where Kurt was perched, the gargoyle-like familiarity of it settling him again.

"I'll, um...I'll get started then." He wasn't used to feeling this awkward and uncertain, and he felt like he could feel Freakshow's gaze boring into him right between his shoulder blades as he turned his back and made his way towards the first body, or pieces of one, sprawled in the street ahead.

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[info]freakydeaky
2011-02-03 12:37 am UTC (link)
"No worries, you'll be safe little cargo," the dragon chirped lightly, its head lolling back and forth a little cheekily, a keen indicator that no matter what form he turned into the freak was still a freak. He listened carefully when it came to the description of their potential guests, though he forced mental images out of his mind, only for them to be replaced by wondering if he still smelled like dinner. He wasn't sure if he would remember to ask Jimmy if his smell changed at all when he transformed, but he wasn't really sure he wanted the answer. Maybe a bigger target meant a bigger smell.

Freakshow stretched his neck back up, realizing that the dragon form was so much cooler than the alien just for the fact that he could see a lot farther. As before, he kept his gaze on Kevin, glancing over at Kurt every once in a while just to get a handle on his whereabouts, ready to glance off a little when it came time to dissolve bodies.

His eyes darted at every sounds, every falling icicle, every plastic bag that rolled or piece of garbage that dragged along the road as the wind blew. The snow itself, blowing across the expanse of empty land, was enough to get used to and ignore as background noise. Every area seemed to have different kinds of sounds, and that was likely going to be nerve-wrecking getting used to.

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[info]becomedeath
2011-02-03 02:24 am UTC (link)
Kevin snorted at the comment. "Little cargo," he muttered under his breath, though with more amusement than insult as he headed for the first body. It didn't take long for him to get lost in his 'work', only managing to pay attention to his surroundings by constantly reminding himself that it was essential. The dark hum of power under his skin was intoxicating, but he couldn't just be a burden to his keepers.

One body, one prayer, a hum of power and a drifting pile of ash. Two and then three and then eight and nine more, quick and smooth as he moved from corpse to corpse. Brief stops between for the rotting bits big enough to be worth bothering with, noting the child-sized bodies scattered among the grown almost absently as the stench of death and decay became a smothering blanket even in the cold until he had to struggle not to gag, despite the distracting buzz of power.

His eyes were glazed and his breathing was coming short and sharp when his walkie-talkie and Freakshow's crackled to life, Kurt's voice terse and sharp. "Movement to the southwest, lots of it. Get to a roof now."

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[info]freakydeaky
2011-02-03 03:06 am UTC (link)
The smell was awful even where Freakshow stood, and he made a motion to breathe through his mouth, which honestly wasn't a load better. He couldn't see the sizes of the bodies, and didn't want to pay attention to it even if he could, still scanning around from his seat when the walkie talkie sounded.

Instantly he was alert, his head bobbing in all directions to see if he could catch a glimpse of what Kurt was warning them of. Which way was Southwest?

The other half of his brain was screaming at him that it didn't matter, and instantly his massive form was bounding forward, stopping a few feet shy of Kevin as his tail once again snaked around the older boy's middle. "Time to fly, amigo." The stretch of his wings brought a draft of air that stirred up more snow, lifting his hulking body into the air and onto the roof of the nearest warehouse. He was steady for a moment, making sure his weight was held easily enough, then released Kevin onto the surface.

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[info]becomedeath
2011-02-03 06:22 am UTC (link)
Kevin was just drawing up and scrambling for his Glock when Freakshow's tail was suddenly around him again. He managed to keep his grip on the gun through the surprise of being held tight and hoisted into the air and he turned his gaze in the direction Kurt had indicated. He caught sight of the men Kurt had spotted in the shadows at the far end of the street - it looked like they'd been inside one of the warehouses - just as the scout's voice crackled back to life over the walkie-talkies.

"They're human. Heading your way...and they just saw the dragon." The statement was immediately followed by the sharp report of gunfire, and then a series of startling 'pings' closer to home as two or three bullets bounced off Freakshow's metal hide.

"Are you okay?" Kevin asked over his shoulder as he dropped into a crouch and moved towards the edge of the roof, Glock out and safety off even as Kurt appeared behind one of the gunmen. He was almost surprised that it was only the man's gun the scout apparently 'ported away at first, but there was always a chance they just felt threatened rather than being truly aggressive.

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[info]freakydeaky
2011-02-03 06:41 am UTC (link)
"Aaaaaah!" Freakshow's shout was more out of surprise than pain, barely feeling the bullets bounce off him, staring down at himself to see if they'd even made a dent. "Yeah, I'm okay." His attention moved to the group coming toward them, and in a well-practiced fashion, he braced both sets of talons on the edge of the building, peering over to hiss threateningly at the men in an effort to get them to back off. He wasn't exactly sure what they were supposed to do about them, but he sure as heck wasn't going to act like he was happy to be shot at.

Still, they were people. Living people, not infected. He wasn't even entirely sure that they really existed anymore other than at the colonies, even if the scouts and supply runners mentioned them once in a while.

"What do we do?" He craned his head back toward Kevin. He didn't know the policy on actual attacks, but he didn't imagine they were actually going to start killing perfectly healthy humans.

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[info]becomedeath
2011-02-03 06:53 am UTC (link)
The man Kurt had taken the gun from spun in shock and no little terror, and Kevin could hear his voice carrying over the distance between them. A thin screech of, "mutie freaks!" as one of his companions spun and shot at the last place Kurt had been. Too late, of course, and then the scout was back for another gun, golden eyes ominous from within his cloud of dark smoke.

The others were still focused on them, though, and Kevin ducked as a bullet chipped at the concrete edging the roof disturbingly close to his head, others bouncing harmlessly off Freakshow again as well.

"We stay down and make sure they don't just think they're defending themselves." He didn't look back. He was taking careful aim with the Glock, though he didn't fire yet. The range was too far unless they got closer...which two of them looked to be doing as more bullets bounced off the concrete coping and Freakshow both.

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[info]freakydeaky
2011-02-03 07:13 am UTC (link)
"Oh....those kinds of people." Freakshow drawled lightly, the dragon managing to look less than impressed as more bullets popped at him, and he sat and took them like any proper metal lizard would. Seeing that Kevin was having a more difficult time of things, he shifted one claw to the other side of the older boy, becoming extra cover for him.

He contemplated roaring, but knew the sound would likely draw even more unwanted company. Instead, Freakshow reached his head over the edge of the building, opening his wide maw, and sprayed the area in front of them in a wide cone of ice. It wasn't anywhere near close enough to hit the shooters, but now there was a nice shell of gleaming, slippery fun. It wasn't much different than the rest of their surroundings, but he hoped either the presence of the obstacle, or just the show of power would deter them from coming any closer.

"Does this happen a lot?" He managed to ask amidst the shooting, nervousness in his voice as he looked to Kevin, moving his tail now to better protect him.

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[info]becomedeath
2011-02-03 08:03 am UTC (link)
"Yeah, those kind," Kevin answered, attention still focused on keeping the Glock aimed on the nearest of the humans, though he shifted to take advantage of the cover provided by Freakshow's claw. He definitely didn't want to take a bullet, not as the only person in the damned community Foley couldn't heal if something went wrong.

He watched in appreciation as Freakshow covered the area between them and their attackers with ice, and then as Kurt appeared in a burst of smoke to take one more gun away from them, saying something he couldn't make out at that distance as he did so...and then they were all breaking and running, throwing curses and insults over their shoulders as they went.

"Not...a lot." He stood up and leaned against the metal claw in front of him, bracing a bare hand tentatively against it. "But enough. Sometimes they just feel threatened, or they're looking for help and...sometimes they're not so easy to run off." And those days he invariably had another body or more to add to his tally.

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[info]freakydeaky
2011-02-03 08:22 am UTC (link)
"Well, it's nice to know tolerance hasn't improved much." Freakshow snorted through his nostrils, watching as the attackers fled, looking back to Kevin, then out once more to make sure they were really going. "We should....probably go before they get help, right?" His tail raised, poised to help Kevin get back down again, still peeking over to make sure more attackers weren't on their way.

"And sometimes they're just assholes with guns?" He sighed, his head shaking a little. "Here, come on, I'll get you back down there again so we can get the heck out of Dodge. Maybe we should just....leave the rest of them? The bodies, I mean." He felt a little bad about that, considering they came so far out to do the job, but with potential danger was it really worth it?

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[info]becomedeath
2011-02-03 08:35 am UTC (link)
Kevin nodded as Kurt reappeared on a roof across from them, his back to them as he apparently tracked their assailants retreat.

"There's no sign of any other movement," his voice came across the walkie-talkies again. "Get in the truck and be ready to head out while I make sure they're not rounding back on us or going for reinforcements. I'll be back in two to three minutes max."

"Yeah," Kevin told Freakshow, tipping his head back to look up at him with a cockeyed smile. "We never stick around after something like this. We'll probably just head straight back now, not worth the risk they might try to track us and catch us off guard later. And, um, thanks." He tapped the claw Freakshow had shielded him with as he re-engaged the safety on his gun and tucked it away again. "Really a fan of not getting shot by bigoted rednecks."

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[info]freakydeaky
2011-02-03 09:05 am UTC (link)
"I'm cool with you not being splattered everywhere too." Freakshow replied with a nod, sliding the tail up, but pausing before hooking it around so Kevin was ready this time. When he was loaded on, Freak carefully swept down to the ground again, carefully unloading Kevin near the car before changing into his real form again a safe distance from Kevin. He planned on returning to metal form, but needed a moment to compose once more. Too much excitement, too many new additions to forms.

"Home is...good." He nodded a bit, climbing into the bed of the truck once more, shifting into metal without becoming any sort of creature. "I'm okay with not doing this again for a few more days, just for the record. Not that it hasn't been a boatload of fun." The sarcasm was a little thick, but his mind was relaying that it could have been a lot worse, that their attackers could have hung around, that one of them could have been wounded. "You guys have serious balls, you know that?"

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[info]becomedeath
2011-02-03 09:42 am UTC (link)
"It'd be a real mess," he agreed, cockeyed half smile still in place as Freak hoisted him into the air - a bit less abruptly this time - and took him back to the truck. He stepped a bit farther away reflexively when the other boy reverted to his natural form, and pulled his gloves out of his pockets to tug rapidly on. He could almost feel the bodies still waiting for him, but he hadn't been kidding when he'd said it wasn't worth the risk.

"Yeah. A wall is a...really good thing." He slipped back into the driver's seat as Freak climbed into the bed again, snorting at his comment about how fun it had been. And as for having balls....

"It scares me just about shitless every time we come out here," he admitted, biting his lip as he turned to look back at Freak and relaxing slightly to find him metal again. "But it needs doing and...honestly?" He shifted his attention back out the front windshield, shoulders hunching slightly. "I...I kind of have to, um...have the outlet. For my powers. Now." It wasn't like Freakshow wouldn't figure it out sooner or later if this was going to be a regular gig, after all. Might as well just put it out there. And try very hard not to think about what he'd do in the world Dr. McCoy was trying to regain for them, a world where the streets weren't littered with decaying bodies needing to be disposed of.

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[info]freakydeaky
2011-02-03 10:12 am UTC (link)
Freakshow was watching through the windshield in the direction the group had disappeared in, not really thinking that they would be back, but wanting to keep an eye out just in case even as he and Kevin spoke. He rested his chin on the sill of the back window as they both waited for Kurt to return, and when Kevin mentioned his powers, Freakshow felt as if it was a golden opportunity to bring up a few of the things that had come to mind in reference to them. He'd wanted to ask before, but it never seemed like there was a good time, and the little tact he had told him it was probably a touchy subject. If Kevin was going to bring it up on his own it seemed to be now or never.

"That makes sense," he replied, still keeping his gaze forward through the glass, determined to continue on with his job until Kurt showed up again. "Like, they sort of build up?" He didn't know the full context of them, but got a vague idea that he got some sort of relief out of it, even if the truth was a lot darker than that. "I mean, I wouldn't be able to do it unless there was something like that. It's good what you do. With the bodies and all that. Not just for cleaning or whatever." He shifted a little bit, his gaze slightly relaxing, though he wasn't paying any less attention than he was before. "It's sad to think of all the people who are just...out here. If I were...like that I think that if I had any idea of what happened after I died I'd someone to do something like that for me so I'm not just...here. It's better than being left there without anybody caring, and at least this way someone can be like 'hey, I don't know who this person was, but I can acknowledge they existed and send them on their way'."

He was quiet for a second before he laughed a little sheepishly. "Sorry, I've just been thinking about it for a bit and didn't want to bring it up before. I don't try to be insensitive about stuff, it just sort of happens sometimes. I figured this was as good a time as any."

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[info]becomedeath
2011-02-03 10:36 am UTC (link)
That hadn't really been the answer he'd expected, and almost glanced back over his shoulder again, away from where he'd been scanning the shadows lining the buildings along the street. Almost, but not quite, and he kept his gaze on their surroundings as Freakshow...well, babbled, really. But for once he really didn't mind it.

"It's...it's okay," he answered after a long moment of silence, still watching out the window for danger or any sign of Kurt's return. "And, uh, yeah, it's...I guess? I mean, I never really thought about it. Caring about after." His voice was very quiet and slightly strained. Because really? He never had let himself think about it for himself. Tried not to really think about any of it beyond that brief, meaningless prayer and the rush of power. He knew it was disgusting and more than a little wrong, no matter how essential it was, and he figured everyone who actually thought about it felt pretty much the same way. It wasn't exactly something he tended to table for discussion.

"I say a prayer. For each of them," he added, quieter and more tentative after a moment. "I'm. Not really sure why. It's not like I believe or anything," he added, faintly defensive even as the words ran unbiddent through his mind. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace.

He was almost irrationally relieved at a flash of blue coming back over the rooftops towards them. He wasn't sure why he'd opened his mouth in the first place. really, and he put the truck in gear as Kurt burst into existence a few yards away and trotted towards the passenger door.

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[info]freakydeaky
2011-02-03 06:50 pm UTC (link)
"It's better than nothing, and they deserve something, you know? I think that's-NYA!" Freakshow jumped back in surprised when Kurt popped into their presence in his line of view, feeling a bit like a jackass, and that his nerves were wound a little too tight for the moment. Not that anyone could blame him. He looked sheepish, watching as the blue figure came toward them, his hands moving to the edge of the windows to hold on in preparation for the drive home.

He wasn't sure how much he would want to talk about, knowing he still wanted to find Jimmy and hang out with him just for sanity's sake, but he had a lot to think about considering all that had happened that day. During the drive home he was quiet, thoughtful, honestly considering if he could keep doing this more. After all, he'd helped Kevin a lot, hadn't he? And he'd probably seen just about the worst things he could...maybe. It was something to consider, but he didn't feel like he had to do it all on the ride home.

Home, thank god.

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