what a confession. it was almost confirmation that he assumed she’d ran, not for research, but to leave this life behind–and she was trustworthy because of it. how ironic.[break][break]

yet, while his words helped her to feel safer, they were ultimately disappointing. not for the idea of peace itself, but that he believed it would happen because they would make it so.[break][break]

”it’s good to have something to believe in.”[break][break]

she looked on through the dark, only to then catch a glimpse of something she had not seen before.[break][break]

a cyclone of darkness, whipped around and ate away at what little light there was in the area, leaving a blackout ahead of them before zig-zagging back around the corner again.[break][break]

”what the hell was that?”[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] THEO BECKETT [break]
mission: into the wild[break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-marshadow"][break]

”not enough.” for the years she’d spent wishing there had been a way to get to ultra space, she’d picked a hell of a time to up and leave. ”it’s only my second field trip here. i have a lot of catching up to do.”[break][break]

and oh, she was trying. strewn about her lab were piles upon piles of research to review on many things, not limited to lesser megalopolis, or even ultra space. certainly, she would never catch up with all of it.[break][break]

the cyclone did not return, although another halo of light would blink out in the distance along its path.[break][break]

”we should get to exploring then? how familiar are you?”[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] THEO BECKETT [break]
mission: into the wild[break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-marshadow"][break]

she did recall the detail of madness from a report or two, but it was not something she’d read up on at length.[break][break]

“interesting, certainly–though i don’t know much about megalopolan behavior to begin with. my interest was always more in their technology.”[break][break]

while other things commanded her attention and energy now, that same curiosity still remained, practically sparkling in her tired eyes as she peered up at one of the prism-like towers.[break][break]

“shall we try to go into one of these buildings?”[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] THEO BECKETT [break]
mission: into the wild[break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-marshadow"][break]

she watched him stride ahead, noting that he was different, in a way. while she had returned to find others more morose than usual, he seemed somehow more alive.[break][break]

her marshadow stepped out of the shadows to join them. it watched the hatenna jump up on his shoulder, and briefly looked at lulu, before deciding against a similar maneuver.[break][break]

”ready,” she confirmed, returning his small smile. hers held a tinge of curiosity, but all wondering subsided when they entered the building.[break][break]

inside, she shined a flashlight. the interior did not make obvious what purpose the building had once served. there was a wide open room with a waiting area and many seats, and a front desk that had been left a mess; otherwise, it was nondescript.[break][break]

”some kind of medical office maybe?” she guessed. it could have been anything, though.[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] THEO BECKETT [break]
mission: into the wild[break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-marshadow"][break]

a lucky guess, perhaps. she stepped over to the desk, shining the light over the disarray of records and reading a few lines. [break][break]

“i’m as much a biologist as i am a behavioralist,” she reminded him, which was to say not at all, really. ”but i’ll take them with me, back to the labs.”[break][break]

collecting them into a tall pile at the edge of the desk, she hesitated to haul it with her just yet, looking deeper into the darkness building.[break][break]

”should we explore more? we could come back for these.”[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] THEO BECKETT [break]
mission: into the wild[break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-marshadow"][break]

the signal was lost on her, but the name confirmed her instant suspicions at the sounds coming from deeper within the building. how strangely awful it felt to be snuck up on in the dark, betrayed by shadows that had once been her refuge.[break][break]

she shined a light in the direction she thought the sounds had come from, and indeed, the figures of several megalopolans rushed towards them.[break][break]

”oh,” she said with surprise. not a second later, her marshadow swung a shadow punch and knocked one across the room.[break][break]

she scrambled around the desk to put distance between herself and another, coming face to face with a toothy, wild expression. ”i see what you mean by mad,” she told theo, eyes not leaving the drooling predator across from her.[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] THEO BECKETT [break]
mission: into the wild[break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-marshadow"][break]

”there must some way if they're in a group like this... are they hunting together?” or maybe they just lived there.[break][break]

the megalopolan across from her slobbered onto the desk before throwing themself across it, stumbling in the process and reaching for an arm as they fell. ”shit.” reflexively, lulu kicked, catching them in the head, and they rolled off into a pile of papers.[break][break]

she locked eyes with the next megalopolan that tried to corner her before bolting for a makeshift weapon. as the hungry foe charged, a chair was hastily grabbed with both hands and swung around, releasing. it flew through the air, toppling that threat too, if only for a moment.[break][break]

a spectral thief went after a third, energy pouring out of the megalopolan’s shadow and further lighting the room in an eerie glow.[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] THEO BECKETT [break]
mission: into the wild[break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-marshadow"][break]