[center]
[h1]Bad Idea[/h1]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/rF32h3E.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/jw3F1O9.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/FWMorlL.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/qpk2y0k.png[/img] 

[img]https://i.imgur.com/XZCyPaz.png[/img] 
[h2][color=ff57ff]Siena[/color] | [color=B0C4DE]Brent[/color] | [color 00a99d]Ernie[/color]
[color=8A3DFF]Emma[/color] | [color 33ec06]Marcus[/color][/h2]
[sub]A Collab by [@Papitan] [@ERode] [@Diggerton] and [@Chasers115][/sub][/center]
[hr][center][color=silver]𝕎𝕖𝕕: 𝕆𝕔𝕥. 𝟟, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘   / /   𝔹𝕒𝕝𝕕 ℍ𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕀𝕤𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕   / /   ��𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕤𝕖   / /  ~𝟘𝟝𝟝𝟝[/color][/center][hr]

[hider Bad Idea]
There were a number of things that Siena expected as she moved after Brent to the outdoors. She expected things to be worse than they'd been before, knew that she had to expect a certain level of disaster from her own interference, but imagining it, [i]expecting[/i] it, was a far cry from actually experiencing it. The Arbiter found her eyes trailing over...she couldn't call it ruins. She could barely call it shambles. It was...disaster. Destruction. Uninhibited, but not unstoppable. A hollow echo of something that might have been remorse? Despair? It was too muffled, too quiet a reaction for her to accurately identify, but Siena knew it was there. It required little acknowledgement in the face of the two thoughts that came to mind in response to sight of destruction. 

[i]You couldn't have stopped it.[/i]

[i][color=ff57ff]You could have done worse.[/color][/i]

No shudder passed through her, the lack of reaction causing the brunette to pause in her tracks, grey eyes turning to find something better to focus on. Something easier to make her priority, something that took her mind off of everything else. She'd have time to regret and grieve later, so she had to keep walking. Ignore the ache, ignore the exhaustion, ignore her own problems because she could do more. She could [i]do more[/i]. The words repeated themselves in a rhythm to match each step, to overpower the feel of her heart beating against her ribs. It was easier that way.

Perhaps that was what made her so much more aware of the motions of the boy before her. The turn. The moment where she thought he might speak that lapsed into something that might have been a smile. The instant he started walking. It couldn't have been more than a few seconds, but it seemed to drag on, fill countless minutes as twenty thousand thoughts created a sandstorm that screeched and burned and [i]tore[/i] at her, each one demanding something different, the same thing. She. Couldn't. [i]Tell[/i]. 

Her feet started moving before the rest of her caught up with the moment, words forming with surprising ease. 

"[color=ff57ff]You are aware that regrouping usually doesn't involve walking away from our teammates, right?[/color]" 

He took too long to act on his impulse. Too much hesitation again. If he didn't turn, if he didn't think to and then suppress that urge to announce his plan of action, perhaps Siena wouldn't have pursued, wouldn't have asked. Maybe it'd be easy enough to lie about needing to piss in the trees. Or that he noticed something or the other. Or some equally weak attempt at deception.

But Brent remembered every little 'promise' he made, and even if he was prone to breaking some, the arbiter still bound himself to some others. Suicidal and idiotic and pitiful as he was, he could at least...

[color=B0C4DE]"Yup. Totally aware."[/color]

That was enough of a non-answer. He continued walking.

[color=00a99d]"Town's the opposite direction."[/color]

Ernie's voice called out, the boy having followed his two friends out. His face was a show of barely restrained irritation.

[color=00a99d]"Are you aware of [i]that[/i]?"[/color]

Brent didn't even have to turn this time. Tone alone was enough to detect the boiling frustration and anger. Something was going to burn down, sooner or later.

[color=B0C4DE]"Yup."[/color] Solid, yielding. Quickly, like tearing off a bandaid. [color=B0C4DE]"Heading to the estate."[/color]

It didn’t take long for it to turn to bickering. It seemed to Emma it was inevitable. She trailed Ernie out of the lighthouse, Determination in turn following her. She gave Brent a look of incredulity, [color=8A3DFF]”And why, exactly, do you need to head back there? We should probably stick together with the Amigos lurking about.”[/color] she said, trying her best to sound non-confrontational, in hopes of maybe defusing the potential situation in front of her. 

Again? Something close to fear rose in response to Brent's declaration. Back to the estate. By then, whatever distractions that had been afforded to their first venture were almost certain to be dealt with. Images of broken bodies, lifeless eyes, and--[i]stop. Stop, stop, stop![/i] The mental barrier rose suddenly, as though desperate to stop her from accessing something beyond whatever visions she could conjure. It was something different from the usual attempts to pull herself away before she dove too far, and...and [i]what[/i]? But the divide did not fall, and Siena was left with only what was before her to deal with. 

"[color=ff57ff]They're right. We...we can't be certain that the hostiles haven't taken over the estate.[/color]" Even if that meant accepting that everyone [i]in[/i] the estate had perished in the onslaught. A flicker of hesitation--she could lie, but what good would that do when he'd started without saying a word? Would he have stopped even without a surefire escape plan? 

...would she even have let him go alone? It was hard to determine with so much of her ripped away.

"[color=ff57ff]You really intend to go back with that risk?[/color]"

[color=00a99d]"God, it's not even a risk!"[/color] Ernie complained, [color=00a99d]"It's plain suicide. Cal, Sander and Hazel almost died trying to take out just one guy. You don't even have anything to Overclock, not that it would make a difference."[/color]

"[color 33ec06]I've got to side with Ernie on this one...[/color]" Marcus said. He'd wandered over to the largest group that was gathering in an attempt to locate some of the people he knew. After all, sticking with his friends offered at least some level of stability at this point, and he was greedily accepting every ounce he could get.

Stick together with Amigos lurking about. Hah, what a fucking lemming. Sticking together had nothing to do with a location. He bit back his disgust, and prepared his own manicured answer, when Ernie's words hammered his ear drums.

'Plain suicide'. That gave Brent enough time to pause. He understood the odds of even surviving an encounter. Three of Unit B's powerhouses almost died, and those Mexican aberrations weren't even going for a direct encounter. Zoe, their organic decomposing specialist, couldn't chew through the amount of trees that was tossed in their direction, and Grant [i]hadn't done a thing[/i].

Lasers, both cutting and piercing. A form of evasion or defense that made them all but impervious to bullets. He rolled over that distorted memory clip again, wondering what the hell he was thinking. He wondered, realized that he didn't do this in order to 'think' to begin with, and nodded. [color=B0C4DE]"Fair point, Ernie,"[/color] Brent said, steps stopping. [color=B0C4DE]"I won't argue with that. But..."[/color]

He had plenty of arguments. He could extol the importance of dispersing the 'unknown' that was the status of the estate. He could talk about how, even dead, the soldiers would at least have weaponry that could be looted. He could even say that the communication devices within the estate would be beneficial in getting the word out to Zhang and Kardos, because only the library had a non-shit connection.

[color=B0C4DE]"...the estate was attacked first. Anyone who's there is dead now. Doesn't that mean the town's the next target?"[/color]

Gods above, that's not the angle he was going for [i]here[/i].

[color=B0C4DE]"If the ones that broke off from their main...group are just here to kill everything, isn't it safer to move somewhere they thought they already cleaned out?"[/color]

That didn't explain [i]anything[/i].

[color=B0C4DE]"Why are we going to town to begin with?"[/color]

[color=000000]Don't answer a question with a question.[/color]

Ernie was caught off guard for sure. Not just by the logic behind Brent's point, but by how adamant he was in such a careless move. Was this really the Proteus that had led a team in D.C.?

[color=00a99d]"Th-the Amigos wouldn't crash USARILN turf--[i]Zhang's[/i] turf-- for no reason. They're mercenaries, not aimless psychopaths. What if they're looking for something at the estate? Why else would they stay?"

"Town's got supplies. Clothes, maybe weapons, maybe people that can lend us a hand. Better than heading to the mansion and blindly hoping that they've left already."[/color]

[color=B0C4DE]"...not aimless psychopaths."[/color] Brent repeated, wondering about the laughter he had heard while his mind swam from that spinal injury. Aimless, no. Psychos, yes. And a stigma was a stigma, no matter how much of a mercenary they were.

[color=B0C4DE]"So...they attacked the estate, took what they needed, stole the ferry, and left." The arbiter blinked. "Is that about right?"[/color]

Ernie knew what this was. Brent was trying to lure him into sticking to a line of thinking that would easily be disproven.

Manipulative fucker. He'd seen Owen do the same thing.

[color=00a99d]"I'm not saying anything is right,"[/color] Ernie crossed his arms and scowled, [color=00a99d]"I'm saying there's less risk if we go to town instead of going back to a place the Amigos have been confirmed to be at. Zoe and Cal and Sander are already moving there, safety in numbers, so I don't know why you're so bent on going back to the mansion!"[/color]

"[color 33ec06]Hang on. They've already hit the estate?[/color]" Marcus said, jerking slightly with surprise. It shouldn't have been as much as a shock as it was: the estate was one of the larger and most logical places to attack, especially if the Amigos knew what they were apparently looking for. Still, everyone there had been a subnatural; if they were dead...they were supposed to be the first line of defense.

He shook the thought out of his mind. Focus. "[color 33ec06]If the estate's already fallen, then there is [i]absolutely zero[/i] reason to go back. We don't know if the Amigos are still there, and there's likely nothing of use left. Hell, it's probably been burned to the ground at this point.[/color]"

"[color 33ec06]Right now, we need to find shelter. Somewhere safe. Somewhere that won't get you immediately murdered upon arrival.[/color]" Marcus said, shooting a look to Brent with the last comment.

"[color=ff57ff]...the town is made up of subnaturals too.[/color]" Siena claimed, the words quiet, but not lost. Her mind still worked through the situation, a number of emotions failing to rise where she expected them to in response to grim visions. Supplies and potentials aside, there was something far more valuable if she thought about it. "[color=ff57ff]There's one that can gather information. He knew the Amigos were making movements, he might be able to tell us more now.[/color]"

She actually doubted the latter statement--something had blocked him from knowing more then. It would stand to reason that the same something would be still be blocking the cafe owner.

"[color=ff57ff]Besides which, the estate makes a good stronghold for the Amigos if they intend to stay for any reason. Far better than the town.[/color]" Efficient bullet points again, thoughts that she stripped of emotional value because she couldn't afford to give them any. Words that felt just as hollow even when she spoke them. "[color=ff57ff]I imagine that they have killed most, if not all, of the soldiers stationed at the estate. If they are as skilled as I'm led to believe, they will make a quick exit after finding whatever it is they want.[/color]" A pause as she considered something before she finished the thought. "[color=ff57ff]I doubt their goal has been to neutralize everyone. Only the ones that stand in the way. There's no reason for them to escape before a dead check otherwise.[/color]"

[color=8A3DFF]”Staying here and arguing isn’t going to help.”[/color] Emma finally got the nerve to cut-in, [color=8A3DFF]”Now isn’t the time to squabble about what to do next. The others are going to town, we should follow them. That’s it. This isn’t fucking Scooby-Doo; we’re not splitting up and searching for clues. That’s just going to get one of us killed. If we’re together when they attack we’ll stand a chance, but alone? No way.”[/color] She eyed Brent, [color=8A3DFF]”Is that reasonable?”[/color]

Yeah, this wasn't getting anywhere.

[i]He didn't have the resources to prevent them from stopping him, nor the false logic to convince them to let him go.[/i]

F for effort, F for results. He pulled something out within the roots of his mind, and let out a long sigh. His shoulders loosened, before Brent turned around, an easy smile on his face. He'll take the loss like he always did then. Should have stopped after the first failure, cause losses became streaks much too easily if he pushed it. Needed a hard reset. That was it.

[color=B0C4DE]"Yeah,"[/color] Brent admitted with a half laugh, [color=B0C4DE]"My bad. You're all totally right and my...optimism is just getting the better of me today. Sorry about that. Let's catch up to the rest of them, eh?"[/color]

There was a brief moment where Marcus didn't seem convinced, scrutinizing Brent with unsure eyes. His gaze darted between everyone involved, attempting to gather their feelings about the situation. His stopped at Siena for the longest amount of time; she seemed colder than usual - as if all traces of the Siena from Suite 430 had been stripped away. It made him uneasy, but he couldn't blame her right now; if he could distance himself as much as she apparently could, he'd do the same.

Finally, he spoke. "[color 33ec06]Good. Good to hear we're all on the same page.[/color]" There was a certain bitterness to his voice, one that he made no attempt to hide. "[color 33ec06]Shall we? Before our friends wander too far?[/color]"

Ernie glared at Brent a bit longer. 'Optimism' clearly wasn't the word for it but the Aberration had no other ideas for the moment. A silent nod was sent Marcus' way.

"[color=ff57ff]I believe the town's too far for me to teleport all of us there safely,[/color]" Siena started, her hand already digging her phone from its confines, fingers moving deftly from memory, a source lighting the screen. With the sun out and most of the forest decimated, it wasn't likely that they could really escape notice if they were to cross hostiles. A distant part of her felt dread at her next words, but didn't stop them from forming. "[color=ff57ff]But I can provide some semblance of cover. In case the worst should occur.[/color]"

[color=8A3DFF]”Right…”[/color] Brent had agreed, but it didn’t quite sit right. It seemed that he had backpedaled too easily, said sorry too many times. It was… odd. Different than the Brent she’d journeyed into the tunnels beneath the school with. She also noted Siena’s behavior- she’d told her before about the ‘emotional bleeding’ that came with her power and for a moment Emma thought she might be witnessing it. It was like Siena also wasn’t herself, at least, she wasn’t the Siena she’d had a handful of conversations with. A pang of guilt hit Emma. Hadn’t Siena confided in her with the hope that she’d help? And here she was, clearly in need of that help. 
 
[color=8A3DFF][i]I’m just imagining it, right?[/i][/color]
 
[color=8A3DFF]”Well, let’s get going than. Since we’re all in agreement.”[/color] Emma shot a long glance towards Determination, who’d been characteristically quiet. For some reason that didn’t sit right with her either. Everything seemed wrong, but then again, she didn’t really have any idea how that couldn’t be. No doubt being involved with this ‘school’ changed people. It had changed her. So maybe, she thought as she turned in the direction of the town, it was just natural that everyone seemed so…
 
[i]Wrong.[/i]
[/hider]