[center][abbr=Ace Cadet][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/190924/544c85ab5c75bc61a4bb5ce40dc0caa6.png[/img][/abbr]
[color=salmon][sub][i]Friday Morning[/i][/sub]
Word Count: 852 (+2 exp)
[u]Level[/u]: [b]9[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 495/90
[b]Location:[/b] The Frozen Highlands[/color][/center]
Tearing through glyphids and terminids eventually brought Ace in line with the rest of his comrades, and with the defensive line established and the nests the ice-adapted monsters scurried out from sealed off, the tide was swiftly turning in the Seekers' direction. When it became less practical to attack with his melee weapons Ace retreated behind said line near the stage coach, switching over to the Breechshot to help shoot down the remaining fliers and dispatch distant bugs that hadn't already been taken out by what allies remained on the fringes of battle. By the time Layton's icicle drop disrupted one of the last remaining groups of glyphids by crushing most and scattering the rest, it looked like the Seekers were now on clean up duty. 

The Cadet stayed on his duty while Mokou flew over with Sandalphon in her arms and Edward's beasts got the stage coach upright. The vehicle's accessories revealed to be strewn about and broken was a pity, but it was the least of their concerns. They got their leader into the coach, and once the number of enemies had been reduced so much that the various minions could deal with them Ace stowed his gun and went to check the situation himself.

He wasn't a healer of any stripe, his contributions to team health limited to field first aid, so he gave the more qualified Seekers space to examine the angel. It wasn't much space though, as he hung from the back of the righted coach and leaned into the interior to get a look at Sandalphon as well. If there was anything he could do to help he wouldn't hesitate to go ahead and do it, but he wasn't familiar with whatever kind of affliction she seemed to be suffering. It seemed much worse than just a bad rash. If it was some sort of infection then maybe they could cut it away and heal over it, but if it was saturating most of her body...?

Though if Edward was right it was maybe even worse than an infection: a full blown contracted disease. The dreadnought wasn't a doctor, but Ace trusted his diagnosis all the same. 

[color=salmon]"Petrification Disease?"[/color] he repeated, his gaze snapping back to Sandalphon. He'd assumed that the growths on her skin had been scaly, but on second look they did seem to be even rougher. Then she was in danger of turning to stone? 

He watched Blazermate attempt healing her, and though he was sure that would work on any injuries she might have sustained from the fall or the stampede of hostile nepoterons he wasn't so confident that it would take care of sickness. In fact, in the worst case scenario the disease could end up being a much bigger problem.

[color=salmon]"...do you think it's contagious?"[/color] Ace asked the group that had gathered around the archangel. [color=salmon]"We were all at the zoo too. I mean, any one of us could be infected, right?"[/color]

Sandalphon being secretive with her own experiments meant that the Cadet hadn't a clue how she might have developed the disease. In his eyes, almost all of them had tangled with those zombie-like beings, and a good handful had entered the humid green house where viruses could happily survive even in the frigid landscape surrounding it. Even if the other Seekers were clean, if there was a chance that Sandalphon could spread it then they couldn't even risk sending her back to the Avenger for treatment from more professional healers. 

Something like this was actually scarier than most monsters, but even if their worst fears turned out to just be nothing, it still was a bad situation for one of their own. On the off chance that maybe some internal healing might help more than the medibeam, Ace passed one of his potions over to Sandalphon's current attendants for when it was possible for her to drink. Then he hopped down from the carriage, rubbing at the back of his neck. 

[color=salmon]"This giggisux,"[/color] he said before attempting to add some levity to the scene. He pointed up to where they'd fallen from, where no doubt the winter wind was still howling. [color=salmon]"At least we're all under the weather together?"[/color]

Actually speaking of the outside, after a moment Ace said, [color=salmon]"we're gonna have to find a way out of here. I'm gonna take a look around, see if I can find anything."[/color]

He hoped that Sandalphon would be alright, but there wasn't much he could do for her at the moment. Plus he noted that a few other Seekers had already departed for probably the same reason. He started down one of the tunnel paths, confident that with the bulk of the neopterons taken care of that he wasn't likely to be swarmed. He swapped back to the dual blades, the spiky claw-shaped weapons holstered at each hip as he followed along one wall. His own swarm of insects, the scoutflies, began to spread out from their cage as he did. They left a thin trail to follow back to the stage coach while partly illuminating the way forward.