[indent][sub][color=#B9BABC]T H E  F I E L D S[/color] // [color=#ffcc99][i] Graham Tosches[/i][/color] // [color=#B9BABC]After Shock[/color][/sub][/indent][hr]


[indent][i]Wake up.[/i][/indent]

The sound of some blaring klaxon, the rumble of the ground around them as fiery judgment still rained down from above, pain racing through the body like a live current. A moment ago he was in the garage giving greetings and small jokes to the other Guardians as they arrived. Now he was in hell. Eyes opened for a moment, a pale face looking down framed by hair long and the color of sunshine. Darkness followed again soon after. His eyes would not open again for some measure of time was it seconds, minutes, whatever it was it felt like an eternity. This time though the old familiar face was nowhere to be seen only the view of a world turned on its side. The others were starting to awake or had already started to move again, spirits having shielded them from the brunt of the blast. He looked down at his own arms skin a combination of fiery red and pitch black like hardening magma fading away upon sight back to it’s normal pale constancy. 

He reached backward bruised and battered body yelling outwards in mute protest as he grabbed one of the daggers and pulled it free. Moments before he had casted a prayer upwards into the unforgiving expanse; his wish was simple release from the iron coffin. He didn’t think that he would get a response so quickly. Nevertheless the time for contemplation had long since departed. He brought the dagger up to the heavy harness that held him suspended in the air. He had just managed to strap into the chair when the blast went off. He was thankful for that considering if he hadn’t he would've been thrown about the cabin like a forgotten child’s toy in the wash. Problem was now that he was stuck suspended in the air as the locking mechanism had jammed from the trauma. So he went to work sawing away the straps cutting at the thick fibers until he had enough slack to slip out of them and onto the ‘floor’ with a light thud.

He felt the pain in his legs even form the slight force of the fall. Lesalo had prevented any major damage from occurring no broken bones or anything major but he was certainly going to be sore. He looked about the overturned transport to his left the others lead by  Monika were crawling out of the broken down corpse and to his right deeper inside lead the door to the cockpit. He looked between the two for a moment but his gaze brought him back to the cockpit once more and he knew he had to do something. Rising his hand in a single to wait a moment he disappeared deeper into the wreckage taking deep breaths. In and out. In and out.

The cockpit was a hellscape of blood and metal. The force even from only partial contact with the plasma had caved in the armor like a finger pressing into an egg shell sending fragments of metal and glass at high speeds into the pilot and copilot. He moved quickly the constant rumble as more artillery and plasma fell around them reminding him of the urgency of the situation. The two were soon cut free from the bonds that held them to their chairs and laid down on the floor. Graham checked the pilot first feeling for a pulse but he received only silence instead. So he reached his hand down to grab at the small glittering object dangling about the man’s neck. It was a small clear crystallin object that when activated by Graham on body heat activated like some miniature display. The display showed a picture of the man with his name smiling, his date of birth, a blood type and place of origin. They were standard issue military dog tags, the military did it’s best to remember its own. He looked once more from the picture of the smiling man to his battered corpse before he sighed and stashed the small crystal away in a pocket.
He moved on to the copilot next but as he reached for the crystal that dangled about his neck, a hand slick with blood grasped his arm tightly. He looked down at the soldier a boy maybe about eighteen with a few bare spots of facial hair dotting his face. Unlike the pilot though his eyes were alive if glazed over with pain and shock. Graham starred at him as the boy spoke through the blood forming up in his mouth.

[indent]
[color=00a99d]“H-h-h-help me. Sir.”[/color]
[color=#ffcc99]“Yeah... of course.”[/color] Graham replied as he knelt down and began to cut away at the man’s blood soaked clothes with his dagger.
[color=00a99d]“I don’t want to..... I don’t want to die.”[/color]
[color=#ffcc99]“You're not going to die kid. Just think... about something else.”[/color]
[color=00a99d]“Like what?”[/color]
[color=#ffcc99]“I don’t know you have a home don’t you? Where do you come from?”[/color] Graham spoke as he fought the shaking in his own hands as he pulled away the clothes form the body. He let out a deep exhale as he saw the extent of the damage. While stray shards of glass and metal had produced numerous lacerations that main damage was from a large metal shaft once part of the support structure now jammed into the boy’s chest stopping just short of the heart.
[color=00a99d]“I’m from Kellry, it’s a small town up north along the Boan about three hours away from New Atrias.”[/color]
[color=#ffcc99]“I know the place. I was sweet on a girl from there once.”[/color]
[color=00a99d]“R-really?”[/color]
[color=#ffcc99]“Yeah it didn’t end too well. Have any family there?”[/color] Graham asked trying to keep the boy preoccupied as he continued to inspect the wound. He heard a voice coming from further within the vehicle probably wondering where he went.
[color=00a99d]“M-m-my  mum and two younger brothers. My dad is in the air force so we don’t see him much but he was proud of me when I signed up for the army.[/color]
[color=#ffcc99]“I’m sure he was.”[/color]
[color=00a99d]“So how bad is it mister?”[/color] The boy asked looking Graham right in the eyes. Graham looked down at the wound and back up at his face. There was no way he could move him without moving the metal impaled in his chest and if he did that he would bleed out. The kid was a goner.
[color=#ffcc99]“Y-you're going to be fine. But before I move you, I’m going to do something to help with the pain.”[/color] The boy’s face brightened and Graham’s heart sunk.
[color=00a99d]“A-al-alright. I’m not sure I can do much right now. It just.. hurts so bad.”[/color]
[color=#ffcc99]“Yeah, I know just when I say go I need you to pushed against me as hard as you can. You can do that right.”[/color]
[color=00a99d]“I think so.”[/color] Graham nodded then and grasped the peace of metal in his hands. He looked the boy in the eyes.
[b][color=#ffcc99]“Alright ready and........... go!”[/color][/b]
[/indent]

The boy pushed forward with all his quickly vanishing might and as he did Graham pushed hard on the piece driving it the last few inches it needed into the boy’s chest. The boy gasped and his grab on Graham’s arm tightened like a great python but a moment later it loosened and the gasping sounds vanished leaving only the sound of Graham’s heavy breathing and the rumble as artillery continued to explode about them. Graham sighed and reached for the small crystal about the boy’s neck pulling it free with minimal effort. He didn’t look at the smiling face in the picture but rather just stuffed it into his pocket with the other one hard. Without another word he made his way out of the cockpit and back up through the dead carcass of the transport towards the others.

He pushed away the hand that was offered to him as he clambered his way out of the wreck and back into the open sky above. Despite what he had just had to do his voice carried the small bright and playful cadence to it. He was good at doing that.

[color=#ffcc99]“Let’s move kids. We don’t want to be late to the party!"[/color]

[hr]
[indent][sub][color=#B9BABC] M T.  K I N A B A L U[/color] // [color=ec008c][i] Roxelana ‘Roxie’ Cacciatore[/i][/color] // [color=#B9BABC]Coverup[/color][/sub][/indent][hr]


[i][indent] Roxelana, and Thael. Head to the Townhall and see if you can find anyone with information there, and if you can, try to get in contact with any town officials [/indent] [/i]

Roxie given a slight nod towards Subria about as good as a gesture of consent that one could expected to receive from the girl as the group became to split up to go searching for information. She turned towards Thael and give the tall blonde something akin to a light shrug before she moved further into the town without another word. Sidio was quaint if anything else a small mountain village that had the general impression about it that not a lot happened around there, an impression that was shattered by the almost constant charge in the air as spirits from over seemed to be slowly drifting towards the mountain that hung high above them. 

A brisk walk managed to lead her to the steps of the town hall. Outside atop of a ladder a groundskeeper a handsome tanned skin man of a muscular frame was trimming a tree. She needed to lose Thael and quickly as she unfairly believed that her fellow guardian would only become a nuisance in their current situation. Upon looking at the ground’s keeper she came up with an idea, well she came up with a plausible excuse if any to get the towering frame of muscle off of her back. 

 [color=ec008c]“Blondie I’m going to go inside and see if anybody is in. Try talking to the groundskeeper over there. The help always overhears things that shouldn't be heard.”[/color] She called backwards not even sure if Thael had followed behind before she moved up the stairs off the town hall building and pushed the heavy doors open disappearing inside. 

The inside was almost exactly as she expected it to be faux-wood floors and clean white walls adorned with some simple paintings. A women at a desk looked up at Roxie but quickly thought against speaking when she noticed the blade strapped to her hip. The women instead choose to simply nod towards the Guardian letting her enter the building. Roxelana approached a small directory nothing more than a small glass case with some labels within and read. Each one had a simple title and what floor number said person was located on all written in impeccably neat and delicate hand writing, so soft as that the ink had not bled through the thin white strip of paper. The piece of paper she was looking for was at the bottom on a slightly large piece of paper the words were simple but all she needed. [b]Mayor’s office. Third Floor.[/b]

She found a stairwell rather quickly and ascended the small rectangular passageway upwards going up stairs stained by heavy footfalls over the years and splashes of coffee having fallen from stray cups. She came out of the stairwell and into a small receptionist area another woman much younger was at a desk short red hair kept in a tight ponytail soft green eyes were framed behind a small pair of glasses. Behind the desk was a large set of wooden doors that reached up to the ceiling. Roxelana stepped forward her feet clacking against the floor drawing the women’s attention as she looked up.

[indent]
 [color=ec008c]“I’m looking for the Mayor?”[/color]
[color=7bcdc8]“He is in his office. But he is terribly busy and has no time for visitors today.”[/color] The women asked standing up as Roxie passed her without even giving her a glance.
 [color=ec008c]“He’ll make some time then.”[/color] The Guardian explained and pushed the heavy wooden door open without a second thought stepping inside the mayor’s office and letting it slam shut behind her.
[/indent]

The office was a fairly nice affair the walls taking up by large windows giving a superb view of the surrounding area while letting in plenty of light. The mayor himself sat behind a desk deep mahogany in color in a large high back chair. He was mid-conversation talking to somebody on his earpiece but upon seeing Roxie his eyes widened and he whispered something before he stood up smoothing the creases of his suit. He was a reasonable young man in good enough shape in his late thirties maybe with well trimmed brown hair and a pencil thin mustache, his suit was black and upon his breast pocket was a pin with the logo of Nexus Industries upon it. He smiled as Roxie approached even as his eyes threw daggers at her.

[indent]
[b][color=cyan]“How dare you interrupt me in the middle of my mayoral duties. For a matter of fact who in the name of the Spirits are you?” [/color][/b]
[color=ec008c]“Roxelana Cacciatore. Guardian. Now Mr. Mayor you are going to answer a few questions for me or would you rather be charged with hampering a military investigation?”[/color] Roxie spoke her voice joyful and even pleasant even as her cold analytical eyes met his.
[color=cyan]“Ah yes, yes. I was informed that some of you from Oakridge were coming. I wasn’t aware it was going to be so soon though. I guess I have some time for some quick questions.”[/color] The Mayor explained backpedaling as soon as Roxelana mentioned who she was exactly. 
[color=ec008c]“Excellent. We’ve received reports that there may be a Eidolon somewhere in the vicinity of the Mountain have you heard anything like this. Mr...?”[/color]
[color=cyan]“Crimbell. Xavier Crimbell. And no Mrs. Cacciatore I have not received any reports of any Eidolon in the area. The villagers speak of the spirit of the mountain but it is merely superstition, a scapegoat they use for their own acts such as those at the mine.”[/color] Crimbell tried to cut himself off before he mentioned the mine but he had no such luck, he face a picture of dismay
[color=ec008c]“The Mine. What happened there?”[/color]
[color=cyan]“Ah well, the Mine was a project started by Nexus Industries designed to draw raw materials out of the mountain proper. It was supposed to bring Sidio out from the small slum it currently is and into a thriving city, a center of industry!”[/color] The mayor announced proudly as if he was some sort of cars salesmen. 
[color=ec008c]“You don’t think highly of your own town Mr. Crimbell?”[/color]
[color=cyan]“No I do child but I have dreams that it can be much more than the sleepy little village it is now. We could all be rich and live like kings. I’m just trying to do what is best for the people.”[/color]
[color=ec008c]“Oh I understand perfectly Mr. Crimbell. You are a man of industry and innovation something to strive for in society. Now what happened to that mine of yours?"[/color]
[color=cyan]“Yes.. yes it was terrible. The people of the town were outraged by the idea, saying that it disturbed the balance of things and that it would make the spirit of the Mountain angry. So one of them set off an incendiary device within the tunnels burning some of their fellows and making the whole place unstable. We of course had to close the place down after that you see.”[/color]
[color=ec008c]“And do have any reports from that act?”[/color]
[color=cyan]“Nexus’ own security force is dealing with it Guardian. I’m sure you understand.”[/color]
[color=ec008c]“Oh I’m sure I do. Though speaking of Nexus I see you are wearing their pin are you affilated with them?”[/color]
[color=cyan]“They fancied my campaign as we have mutually beneficial ideas. But what politician isn't backed by their coffers these days?” [/color]
[color=ec008c]“Well thanks for the information Mr. Crimbell. If anything comes up I’ll be sure to stop by again.”[/color]
[color=cyan]“My door is always open dear for the proud members of our military.”[/color][/indent]

 Crimbell explained as he escorted Roxelana to the door before slamming it behind her. Roxelana sighed as she exited the reception area and headed down the stairwell back towards the ground floor. The Mayor was definitely lying to her about the mine and about whatever Nexus was really doing down there. She figured her next best move would to be go investigate the mine itself and see what had actually happened. First though as tiring as it was she needed to regroup with her squad. Shaking her head the guardian walked out the door and back into the fresh mountain air.
[hider=In Summary]
As the Hammer of the Army pushes deeper into the Dark Zone Graham finds himself inside the wreckage of the transport luckily only a little worse for wear due to Lesalo. Having a heart before he could leave the transport he went towards the cockpit to grab the dog tags off of the pilot and copilot so that their sacrifice could be remembered. While the pilot perished in the crash, the Copilot survived if barely impaled on a piece of metal. After a quick medical examination it became apparent that the kid would not make it and here away from the eyes of his companions, Graham did the thing he thought was right and killed the boy out of mercy to end his suffering. Seemingly unaffected or used to events such as this he spoke none of his actions to his companions but rather spoke in usual joking manner despite their dire straits. 

And in the hunt for the Eidolon, Roxelana Cacciatore did her best to immediately separate herself from Thael once Subira told them to go together. Upon reaching the town hall she suggested that he speak to the rather handsome guard's keeper mending the trees to get the inside scoop while she talked to the mayor. [@Ozerath] The mayor one Xavier Crimbell was of really know help blatantly lying and not giving Roxelana any real information. Though it did provide a clues further linking the Eiodolon spotting with the mysterious Nexus Industries Mine and suggesting the Mayor may be in on some sort of cover up operation. Roxie having seemingly gathered all she did headed back outside to meet back up with the others.[/hider]