Zino Bertran nodded along with Anni. For a teenager, she was astonishingly perceptive. He felt like he was simultaneously trusting and distrusting every person involved in this; the air of distrust that everyone had for the Magician, for the Ghost Girl, for their situation had permeated his entire thought process. Every theory was as valid as the next when you are placed into totally unknown circumstances. 

He listened to the others’ talk about Ascot’s plan. It seemed they were all in general consensus: it was a bad idea to fight the Magician, no matter how misled or betrayed or horrified they felt by his actions. Bertran folded his arms and tilted his head in contemplation. ‘[color=eee0e5][i]Ascot seems desperate for some sort of validation—he tries so hard to prove himself… But why?[/i][/color]’ He glanced down at Anni and softly smiled. ‘[color=eee0e5][i]Interesting...[/i][/color]

As quickly as the moment of comfort had come, it was replaced with horror. A flurry of movement caught the periphery of his vision. One of them—Zino wasn’t sure of his name—had transformed. A hungry maw lurched forward and embedded itself into the older woman. Blood and darkness scarred his memory. Abjection boiled in his stomach, and terror burned hot behind his ears and down his neck. Adrenaline froze him in place—eyes wide, primal, and transfixed on violence.

“[color=ff4500][i]Stormy![/i][/color]” 

Anni called out, her voice breaking with panic. Her eyes were impossibly round, haunted, already full of tears and unbridled fear. They searched the scene as if begging it to only be a nightmare, praying that she would just wake up. The hair on the back of Zino’s neck stood on end; it was enough to move him to action. He wrapped his left arm around the girl’s head, pulling her closer and covering her eyes with his hand. “[color=eee0e5]Don’t look, Anni…[/color]” With the other, he reached for his gun—but it was too late. Someone had already fired. ‘[color=eee0e5][i]Did he miss? Did it pass through him?[/i][/color]’ Zino’s heart raced, watching Tristan dodge the darkness that had once been man. There was a pause, his breath hitched, his hand lingered on the butt of his gun—ready to arm himself. Light and sound washed the scene away, and when it returned, the creature was little more than ash on the wind.

Vomit rose in his throat. ‘[color=eee0e5][i]At least it had been quick… At least it was a swift—[/i][/color]’ Soot drifted to the ground like snow. He felt sick. Zino pulled away his hand from Anni’s face. He noted distantly how it trembled. “[color=eee0e5]It’s over. It’s over.[/color]” He gave the girl a small and gentle shake. 

Shock numbed him, but training had prepared him for moments like this. He ran over to the woman’s side. The area around her smelled thick with blood and charcoal. “[color=eee0e5]Are you okay?[/color]” He knew the question was stupid; it was easy enough to see she was far from well. Zino knelt down beside her. “[color=eee0e5]I'll help you. You're going to be fine.[/color]” He lied through clenched teeth and a smile. “[color=eee0e5]Can you talk?[/color]”

Stormy knew she was dreaming - no, remembering, or… both? The water was warm all around, dappled sunlight danced, and Stormy drifted. The blue octopus with rings of black and gold came into view, as it always did. It bobbed around her head whilst she tried to recall something. The cause of the nagging feeling tugging at the hidden chords of her subconscious mind. Something was wrong. 

The sea darkened. Grey and crimsons replaced the blue and golds. The octopus latched onto her arm and bit, teeth sharp as the red triangles that now covered its body. She screamed, letting water in, stinging her throat and flooding her lungs, plunging train spikes in and out of her chest like sewing needles.

At the surface of the water, she could see him. A silhouette, blurred by water. 

She gasped awake. Her arm throbbed. Eyes flitted about. They fixed upon Zino.

[color=bc8dbf]“Muh?”[/color]

Zino Bertran pulled off his jacket and removed the contents of his pockets: the mask, a gun, and a security I.D. He placed them gently on the ground before addressing the victim. “[color=eee0e5]I'm going to stop the bleeding.[/color]” Blood splatter had painted the ground like Jackson Pollock. Life bubbled up from her shoulder and soaked through her cardigan. ‘[color=eee0e5][i]What kind of person would do this…?[/i][/color]’ The agent didn't wait for her to respond; he lifted her enough to wrap the jacket around her shoulder, tied it tightly, and then applied pressure. 

Zino's gaze drifted to the discarded food on the dirt path. “[color=eee0e5]Maybe he wasn't a vegetarian…[/color]” the man whispered to himself. He could not sincerely find humor in the situation, but the absurdity and horror of watching a man turn into an umbral wraith and try to devour someone only to be [i]vaporized[/i] was too abjectly terrifying to confront right now. 

Gloved hands pressed firmly against the wound. He glanced at Tristan, then stared intently down at her shoulder. ‘[color=eee0e5][i]He just…[/i]--[/color]’ Zino swallowed hard. The android had certainly made his list of people not to cross. He thought about Three and her yo-yo, about Anni and her friend, about the pale-faced woman bleeding out. Images of them being burned alive, or torn apart by shadowy fangs, or atomized in flash of light filled his mind. His brow furrowed. 

“[color=eee0e5]Can you talk? What was your name, again?[/color]”

[color=bc8dbf]“W-what…”[/color] Stormy wetted her lips, [color=bc8dbf]“I can, yeah. I’m Stormy. Stormy Jeans. You’re what’s-his-face, right?” [/color]She chuckled, but the smile quickly became a grimace as she groaned, clutching the side of her head, and looking down with wide eyes at her arm. She was shivering, she realised. [color=bc8dbf]“What happened?”[/color]

Zino nodded. “[color=eee0e5]Zino Bertran.[/color]” In spite of all the chaos, he could not help feeling relieved. “[color=eee0e5]You're bleeding pretty badly. The man you were with…[/color]” Mr. Bertran shuddered. “[color=eee0e5]He attacked you. ...He's dead now, Miss Jeans.[/color]” The agent glanced up at Tristan, then back to the woman. He was unsure how else to describe it.

[color=bc8dbf]“Huh… so that bit was real?” [/color]She pursed her lips to a thin line, let out and explosive sigh that made her whole body hurt. [color=bc8dbf]“Bummer.”[/color] She felt so cold. 

“[color=eee0e5]Bummer…?[/color]” He repeated, cocking his head to the side, looking at her as if she had aphasia. Her lackadaisical attitude had started to get under his skin. “[color=eee0e5]Your life was at risk. [i]Our[/i] lives. You understand that, right?[/color]” He was trying not to raise his voice, but he could not help himself. Desperation and shock creeped into his tone, making it harsh and fast. He tightened his grip on her shoulder. “[color=eee0e5]...Are you lucid?[/color]” '[color=eee0e5][i]Perhaps the blood loss is affecting her mental faculties…[/i][/color]’ With his other arm, he lifted her legs and put them in his lap. “[color=eee0e5]The elevation will keep as much blood in your torso as possible,[/color]” he explained. Zino glanced around the group, scanning their shocked faces. '[color=eee0e5][i]There has to be some power or… or something these people can do.[/i][/color]’ 

In collaboration with [@jdh97] and [@TaroAndSelia]