[CENTER][img]https://i.imgur.com/Fq212Ud.png[/img][/CENTER][COLOR=#de184b][indent][sub][B]Location:[/B] [COLOR=DARKGRAY][I]Midway City,[/I] - [I]Michigan[/I][/COLOR][/sub][sup][right][b]Episode #3:[/b] [COLOR=darkgray][I]The War Room[/I][/COLOR][/right][/sup][/indent][/color][sub][hr][/sub] [INDENT][color=#de184b][sub][B]Interaction(s):[/B] [COLOR=darkgray][I][@Omega Man] - The Shield | [@Birdboy] - Shuriken | [@Hillan] - Accelerate | [@Damo021] - Flamebird | [@PatientBean] - Oracle | [@Blizz] - Shattercrash | [@PapaOso] - Sacrifice | [@Mistress Dizzy] - Origami | [@Zaibatsu] - Gravitas | [@rocketrobie2] - Chemaxzord[/I][/COLOR][/sub][SUP][RIGHT][b]Post #3.05:[/b] [COLOR=darkgray][I]Dreaming to be Late[/I][/COLOR][/right][/SUP][/color][/indent] [COLOR=SILVER][INDENT]It was sardonic, the thought, as she waded through the sludge, that of all the time spent ensuring she looked her best, it was her who now found herself in the middle of nowhere, in the dark, trying to find an exit to a damn swamp. Her breathing was slightly laboured and her eyes strained to see anything in this blankness. She halted for a moment, doubling over to rest on her knees and steady her lungs before she tugged at the thick ooze once more, figuring that if she were to move forward, she’d eventually find something. The smell was unbearable, and while she knew it was familiar, she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was. Once again she halted as the message tone to her phone went off, and she frowned as she patted her body down, looking for the device, only to find it wasn’t there. There was nowhere for her phone to be, she was in a shirt and underwear. She hadn’t questioned how she’d managed to wind up in such a place in the middle of the night, nor had she really given much thought as to where the rest of the Titans were; but an uneasy feeling had settled into the pit of her stomach, and the further forward she pushed, the deeper it grew. After what felt like an eternity, she finally found the edge of whatever the wet, sticky pool was and her hands reached out to steady herself as she craned her neck upwards to see the way out. She was going to have to climb. She’d have turned to smoke, had it not been for the goo that prevented her from doing so. Hopefully, she thought, hopefully once she got to the top, she’d be able to dry off and disperse and get a better idea of her surroundings. Not wishing to waste anymore time, she grasped onto the wall of the marsh and hoisted herself upwards, her arms feeling sore, fatigued and weak. The rancid smell was at its worst, and it was taking all she had not to heave; and as she reached the halfway mark, her phone sounded once more, this time a light illuminating her surroundings from somewhere she couldn’t quite tell. But the fleeting glimpse of what she was currently climbing caused her to freeze and her face to deadpan. [COLOR=#de184b][b]“You’ve got to be kidding me,”[/b][/COLOR] her voice was dull, and while outwardly she was entirely apathetic, the anxiety in her stomach lurched, making her want to be sick. Swallowing the rising bile, she tried to ignore it and push on, but as she did, the phone sounded again, this time, the light was brighter, and as she reached up for the next thing to grasp, she felt it loosen, and her blue eyes looked up in alarm as she felt a domino effect take place. [COLOR=#de184b][b]“Well, fuck.”[/b][/COLOR] The dead bodies, piled as high as a building became unstable, and as they began to tumble down towards her, she frowned, opening her mouth to vocalise her discontent but the avalanche silenced her complaint, and she was engulfed by the mass grave, buried beneath it. Her phone went off once more and her eyes snapped open before they darted around the dark room, taking in her surroundings. She could still feel the blood that drenched her body, and she sat up, trying to catch her breath and prove to her brain that there was no danger. With a shaky hand, she threw the blankets off and weakly made her way to the shower before she turned the water on so the steam made it near impossible to see, and then she sat beneath the scalding water, scrubbing her skin in an attempt to wash away the blood that wasn’t there. Her actions betrayed her emotions, or lack thereof, as her dull eyes and expressionless features stared down at her hands, her mind replacing them with the faces of the dead in her dreams. The faces of those she’d killed. [b][i]This sucked.[/i][/b] [/INDENT][/color] [CENTER][hr][/CENTER] [table][row][indent][COLOR=silver][b]It had taken her over an hour in the shower,[/b] and she was exhausted as she exited the bathroom, collapsing on her bed and taking the demon plush toy in her arms, pulling it towards her and pressing her cheek to it, like a child. Her eyes were void of life and her mind blank as she began to drift back into a heavy sleep, only to be interrupted again, by her phone. A glare replaced the empty gaze, as a hand left the toy and grasped her phone as she breathed a sigh of annoyance, which only grew as she read the contents of the message. [Hider=UNREAD MESSAGES][img]https://i.imgur.com/qB5GFlG.png[/img][/hider] [COLOR=#de184b][b]“Go to hell.”[/b][/COLOR] she had no issue voicing her annoyance as she scrolled further, reading the next two messages before she typed a reply, [HIDER=UNREAD MESSAGES][img]https://i.imgur.com/ZE0uxRR.png[/img][/hider] She harboured no ill-will to the man who had messaged her at such an ungodly hour, and she figured he was doing it out of worry for her rather than any other agenda. However, her response didn’t convey any of the warmth she felt for him, nor any respect. [HIDER=INBOX][img]https://i.imgur.com/EsDwhlU.png[/img][/HIDER] Her final message before she blocked the number was said in jest. It was a well known fact within the Lécuyer that Pachid Michaud had seemingly superhuman tracking abilities. For a mortal, non superhuman guy, his skills were damn near terrifying, and for a moment, Arina considered taking Cyborg up on the cyber security coverage. With a small sigh, she placed her phone down, and returned her arm to the plush demon as she pulled her knees up to her chest. She wondered for a moment, what time she needed to be up, and before she could even care, she drifted into unconsciousness.[/COLOR][/indent][/row][/table] [CENTER][hr][/CENTER] [table][row][indent][COLOR=silver] She didn’t remember falling asleep, but by the time her eyes opened, she noticed the unfamiliar, dark room she’d been assigned had begun to fill with light that defiantly spilled past the curtains and into the room. Her eyelids fluttered open as she inhaled, stretching her limbs like a cat. She had no clue what time it was, but what she knew for sure was that she was late, which didn’t seem to bother her. She lazily pushed herself upwards, her body aching from the physical exertion that had taken place in her dream. She felt stiff. As she reached the bathroom, she turned the water in the shower on, momentarily inspecting the light red lines that grazed her porcelain skin from where she had scrubbed earlier that morning. Her brow furrowed slightly as she stripped off and stepped under the water - late or not, there was no way she was showing up to training looking like a wreck. An hour later, she looked as if she’d just come out of hair and makeup for a film studio, she had her training outfit on with her hair carefully curled and plaited into a french braid that cascaded down her left shoulder. The scratches engraved in her skin and the dark rings under her eyes, she couldn’t do much about, but the scratches were light enough that she was sure the less observant of the group wouldn’t notice, and she gave the rest credit enough to mind their own business. She entered the training area as Chie and Crash (she thought? The girls name evaded her) disappeared into the depths of the arena with some guy she vaguely recognised, a new mentor she assumed. She stood for a moment, her eyes scanning the rest of her team as she rested her weight on one leg. She noted the absences of two in particular, Lincoln and Dragonson. She’d heard the commotion Blitz’s Father had made after their display at STAR Labs the previous week, and she couldn’t help but wonder if she’d been correct in her theory about the water prince. [/COLOR] [/indent][sup][h3][color=2e2c2c][b]▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅[right]▅▅▅▅▅▅[/right][/b][/color][/h3][/sup][/row][row][cell][/cell][cell][COLOR=SILVER] She didn’t dwell on the thought for long as she made her way towards Alex, her footsteps light and quiet as she swiftly crept up behind him. She reached up on her toes and leaned in so she was inches from his ear before she whispered a, [COLOR=#de184b][b]“Boo”[/b][/COLOR] A Cheshire grin played on her features as she manoeuvred herself from behind him to beside him, [COLOR=#de184b][b]“Morning,”[/b][/COLOR] she greeted, as if she’d arrived on time, her playful expression faded slightly as the new mentor approached the group once more, calling for volunteers. She eyed the man intently for a moment, trying to figure out who he was. She definitely recognised him, but he wasn’t as memorable as Flash or Cyborg. Tilting her head to the side, ever so slightly, she leaned towards Alex once more, [COLOR=#de184b][b]“Who’s the new Drill Sergeant?”[/b][/COLOR] she asked quietly. [/COLOR][/cell][cell][sup][h3][right][color=2e2c2c].....................................................[/color][/right] [sup][img]https://i.imgur.com/z9GXkuf.png[/img][color=2e2c2c]...[/color][/sup][/h3][/sup][/cell][/row][/table]