Fam Away From Home

Everything Ends

Astra was extremely high up and she wasn't pleased about it. Her legs felt like jello. Her magic had long since failed her what with her wrapped up in self-doubt and fear. She stood at the end of the crane, calculating how far she would have to jump to catch herself on the other one. With a deep breath, she began her next prayer, desperation leeching into her. She had fought too hard to live just to die now. She walked backwards slowly. "The warrior soul, fighting in spirit, follows a code of honor and wisdom. Strength is found not in the arms, not in the knife, the gun, or the sword, but in the mind."

Steps echoed up the crane, signaling Tim Shaw's freedom. But he was far down and his armor would likely aid in weighing him further.

"I call upon the warriors of the past, those who would stand up and fight, those who would do what is needed, those who would make sacrificed on behalf of others, those who would die that others may live. I call upon them this night to give me strength of heart, soul, and spirit."

Another breath in and Astra was running. She didn't notice the group who'd finally arrived witnessing her run.

"Oh," Grace and Graham started.

"My," Ryan and Yaz continued.

"Goddess," the blonde in Victorian clothing finished, staring up at the brunette in awe.

"Who is she?" Graham asked. Everyone had been taken in by the blonde and her mysterious energy, falling through the train roof. But no one looked at the young woman who was so good at what the older one did.

A grin pulled at new lips and the woman answered to the best of her ability: "The first face this face saw." But not even she knew who Astra was fully.

The young woman jumped just before Tim Shaw reached the top of the crane, forcing him to jump down. But he had armor protecting him and he landed smoothly. While the terrified brunette landed with her arms wrapped around a pole before her strength gave out, letting her fall. She flew down, through the air, before getting an arm reached out far enough to swing her inside the stairwell within the crane.

Astra rolled into the railing along the stairs, her coat wrapping her like a burrito. She listened to the clang of Tim Shaw stomping up another crane. Crawling to the edge of her crane, she saw the height and moved to sit, letting herself fall out. Her coat billowed like Superman's cape and she probably enjoyed it more than she should have. Her feet touched the ground a half a second before her face did, but she was standing soon after, running to the exit.

A pound told her Tim Shaw was behind her again and she turned, waving a hand from the limp tentacle to him. She kept running until she felt her mind wrap him thoroughly in the crane. She paused at the illusion of safety and held her side. She turned, limping back to him. Bending slightly, she examined him closely. "Hi," she greeted tiredly.

Not long after, a familiar presence came to stand beside her, an hand touching her briefly to ensure her safety and health. "Look at that! The big blue cheat lost to a random human girl. Now... leave her alone or I destroy this." She dug about her pockets before groaning, "Really need a new coat. This." She pulled out a glowing triangle Astra recognized as the Stenza's teleport. "The recall from the pod you traveled in. I took it out. Without this, you can't get home."

Blue-green eyes buried beneath beneath blue, teeth-decorated skin hardened.

"Yeah, see? Now you're worried. What do you do with them, your human trophies?" Apparently, she wasn't out of questions and the would-be assassin had nowhere to go so he was forced to answer.

But he said nothing. Astra held out a hand and twisted her wrist. "Answer her."

The tentacles holding the creature tightened and his breath was restricted. "They're held in stasis in our trophy chambers, on the cusp between life and death," he rasped out.