Post by RandallBoggs on Aug 7, 2005 13:01:35 GMT -5
Alright next chapter.
There's some action and a little insight onto how what's going on is affecting Randall.
For your entertainment and so no one gets lost, I will post pictures of what the Heartless look like for your consideration ^_^
Shadow
Soldier
Large Body (called Big Body in here)
Chapter 3 The Heartless Express
A thunderbolt shocked him back into reality. He looked to the door, seeing Sean, drenched, standing there. He looked as if he had been the for the entire time. Randall just stared with his emerald eyes, trying to think of something to say. More or less, Sean started.
“...Randall...are you...alright?” he asked. The monster didn’t reply quickly at first, just tried to hide his gittering teeth behind his mouth. “...I’m...I’m fine...” he said, trying not to sound stunned. Sean eyed him. Unlike many, or perhaps anyone, Sean knew Randall like he was family, which Sean considered was true.
“Randall...you haven’t come out since we got on this train...what’s wrong?” he asked again, this time more sternly. Randall mumbled, trying to think of something to say other than the truth. Then again, he couldn’t lie to a friend.
He heaved a sigh, letting his hands fall to his sides. “...I’m...afraid of lightning ok...”. “Ha! Lightning?!”. The two looked outside, seeing Vee on the ladder, looking in. “Oh!...Sorry...” Vee quickly replied. “It’s not funny Vee...” Sean said, looking to Randall.
“...Randall...come on...the door’s locked and if we try to open it, we may break the car lock...so we have to go over the roof...ok...”. “But...” Randall started, but Sean interrupted.
“Listen...we’ll take it a step at a time...each car has an emergency hatch...we’ll just go on the room, get to the next one...open the hatch and get in...we’ll wait till your ready again ok?” he asked. Randall was first objective at first, but then smiled. Sean was always good at thinking ahead for his friends. That’s probably one of the many reasons Randall liked him. Randall knew that he was scared, but he also knew that they had a task to do. And that they are probably in a risky situation already.
Randall nodded. “Ok...nut umm...can I go in the middle?” he asked. Sean smiled. “Yeah...sure...”. “What about the Heartless?” Vee asked. Sean smirked again. “Ha...we can have some fun...”.
*
Train 9 ¾
Sean climbed the ladder fast, jumping onto the top. He dug the head of one of his Keyblades into the metal hull, making it some-what of a walking stick to keep his balance. Randall came next, grabbing the metal with his cupped hands as best as he could, trying to stay calm and trying not to fall. He followed Sean as Vee came up next. Taking a bit of Randall’s way, he got his hands on the metal, the clawed tips making great holders.
Sean reached the end of the car, jumping the hollow section between the cars. He almost slid when he hit the car, but he gouged in both Keyblades to make himself immobile. He turned around, holding a Keyblade with his hand as the other stayed in place. He held a hand out for Randall, who got on his feet and jumped. Sean caught him by the chest, pulling him up so he could get a grip on Sean’s other Keyblade. Vee was next. He was fast enough to jump on his own, landing in front of Sean.
Sean made sure they were on before taking his Keyblades and heading over to the hatch in the middle left side of the car. He pulled his hand down and unlocked the latch that held it in place. Pulling it open, Randall slithered in when he had enough space. Vee headed in next, then Sean jumped in, closing the hatch as he did.
*
The train car.
Randall was already on the carpet-like ground of the hallway outside the other rooms. His emerald eyes darted left and right looking for any signs of humans or Heartless. Safe to say, there weren’t any. He quickly moved out of the way as Sean jumped down, Vee next.
The car was a sight to behold. It was like the station. Green and blue carpet-like material covered the hallway floor, almost golden walls, large windows fixed in them. The rooms were the same with slid-able doors.
Randall got back onto four, looking back at Sean and Vee. “Ok…what now?” he asked, slightly worried about the absence of life. Sean shook his head. “Just like everywhere the Heartless are taking hearts….”. “And taking the body with them…” Vee added, crossing his arms. “You mind if we stop this train….it’s….going faster”. “What?”.
Randall pointed out the window to their side. Watching out, all three noticed the sudden increase of locomotion the train had gained. Something was making the train go faster and faster.
“….Alright….we gotta get to the controls…” Sean said profoundly. “Right!” his companions replied. Sean took off forward, heading the direction they had when on the roof. Randall followed closely, Vee as well.
They came to the door and burst through it as immediately as it was felt. Then they were in the next car. Although, unlike most of the others, this one was wider. The hallway had grown and had left it’s right side, which presumably had rooms for passengers, for more room. In short, the passenger rooms were gone.
Sean stopped, holding out his left arm to stop Randall from going in. Vee held onto his right leg, looking in. There were bright over head lights that shook nearly violently at the mercy of the train’s speed. The door seemed farther for a reason, but it was there.
Sean took slow steps, holding his Keyblades at a diagonal angle as Randall and Vee followed him. Randall took careful note not to look out the window at the pounding rain or force his hearing to abide by the cracks of thunder and lightning.
After a few seconds, they reached the door. Sean grasped the knob fully and turned. “Huh?”. It didn’t move. Looking back at Randall and Vee, he only got shrugs. Sean pulled back and rammed his left shoulder into the door. It wouldn’t budge.
He moved back. “Alright then…”. Judging his Keyblades forward, he readied to fire the spell. “F…”. “Duck!!!”.
In a split instant, the door’s center became black with dark versions of the darkest colors ever known. And then a Shadow sprang from it.
Sean quickly ducked as Randall and Vee quickly side stepped, while the Shadow landed in the middle of the car, turning back to face each of them with it’s yellow eyes. Sean whipped around holding out his Keyblades, Randall and Vee joining at his side. “I think we can take it!” Vee said.
Almost too soon, four more portals opened up. Two from the ceiling and two from the floor. Dropping and rising through were four Soldier Heartless. As they came, a fifth portal came from the back. Emerging was a Big Body Heartless.
The three took a step back. “That’s six….” Vee said. “That’s for the number lesson” Randall remarked. “Ok…I’ll take the middle…Ran my right….Vee my left….got it?” Sean readied. “Got it!”.
*
Sean ran forward, jumping over the Shadow Heartless and cutting it with a backward slash, instantly flinging it to the back of the car. Randall took for the two soldiers on the right, ducking on all eights under one of the Soldiers that jumped forward for a kick. He got up to the second, whipping the Heartless with his tail twice before kicking it back with his bottom left leg. Vee took for the left ones, bashing his head into the chest of the Soldier, following up with and uppercut to the next one.
Sean jumped backward as the Big Body’s massive fists swung at him, a left and right motion. He dodge rolled under it’s arm as it swung, getting behind it’s vulnerable backside. A few lightning quick slashes lowered it’s strength, but it turned around, making the Keyblade bounce off it’s large exterior front. It slapped it’s front with a hand, and Sean knew what it was going to do. It charged for him. Jumping over, he smacked the Heartless in the head with the Keyblades, obliterating it before he hit the ground, landing only a few feet away.
Vee took on a rapid punch, slamming the first Soldier with five consecutive punches, beating into it’s almost hollow body before obliterating it. The second one came behind him, slashing Vee’s back with it’s four sharp steel claws. Vee gringed as he jumped forward and turned back to face it.
“Vee!”. “Huh!?”. Sean ran forward, throwing a glass bottle to him. Vee jumped and caught it as he saw him head over to Randall. Gulping it down in one swig, the wound on Vee’s back slowly disappeared.
“Lets get this over with”. Vee ran over to the Heartless just as it did it’s charge kick, ducking over it, Vee ran over where it landed, pulling back his fist. “Veeno Slash!”. In an instant light, a sharp, spear-like light emerged from Vee’s fist, cutting a whole in the Heartless, blasting it to pieces. “Yeah!!!”.
While Vee had done in with his two, Randall was having tougher luck. After kicking the first Soldier, the second one came up behind him with a charged kick, smashing Randall in his back and sending him on the ground. The one he had hit came back as he got up, taking quick jabs with claws. Randall backed away at each swipe, but not before getting one across his chest scales. He took it in, gritting his teeth.
“(What’s wrong with me!?)” Randall asked himself. He felt something lash out and snatch his tail. The second Soldier had Randall’s tail in it’s hands. Knowing he couldn’t get away, the other Heartless readied for a sonic kick. It pulled backward, ready to launch. It did, rocketing forward in a blast of white and blue light. It was inches away before….
(Ching!)
Sean dived in between, impeding the launch with the Keyblade. The Heartless fell backward to the ground as the one who stopped it’s attack rolled to the side, stabbing the Heartless holding Randall in the leg with both Keyblades. At the same time, both of the Heartless burst into thick black smoke, which dispersed as quickly as it had appeared.
*
The fight had ended. Sean stayed where he was, kneeled behind Randall, who was in a state of blank expression, while Vee stayed opposite of them, looking around the train. A moment passed before Sean rose to his feet, lowering his Keyblades to his sides. Vee and him both noticed that Randall had had trouble taking on the Heartless. Then again, Sean recalled about what Randall had told him.
Biting his lip, Sean went over between them. “Ok...lets continue...we still have a bit more to go...”. He looked at Vee first, who had a slight confused but understanding expression. When he looked at Randall, he saw the monster seemed like he was in another world, not literally of course. But his blank expression...
“Randall?”. Hearing his name, Randall instantly took attention, looking at the two. “What?...Oh...uh right...”. He managed a grin, which made Vee do the same, but Sean kept his worried expression, hiding it behind a smile. The three turned to the door to the next car. Sean first, Randall second, Vee brining up the rear. Sean stood in front of the door, gripping the handle. With a turn of the knob, it opened.
There's some action and a little insight onto how what's going on is affecting Randall.
For your entertainment and so no one gets lost, I will post pictures of what the Heartless look like for your consideration ^_^
Shadow
Soldier
Large Body (called Big Body in here)
Chapter 3 The Heartless Express
A thunderbolt shocked him back into reality. He looked to the door, seeing Sean, drenched, standing there. He looked as if he had been the for the entire time. Randall just stared with his emerald eyes, trying to think of something to say. More or less, Sean started.
“...Randall...are you...alright?” he asked. The monster didn’t reply quickly at first, just tried to hide his gittering teeth behind his mouth. “...I’m...I’m fine...” he said, trying not to sound stunned. Sean eyed him. Unlike many, or perhaps anyone, Sean knew Randall like he was family, which Sean considered was true.
“Randall...you haven’t come out since we got on this train...what’s wrong?” he asked again, this time more sternly. Randall mumbled, trying to think of something to say other than the truth. Then again, he couldn’t lie to a friend.
He heaved a sigh, letting his hands fall to his sides. “...I’m...afraid of lightning ok...”. “Ha! Lightning?!”. The two looked outside, seeing Vee on the ladder, looking in. “Oh!...Sorry...” Vee quickly replied. “It’s not funny Vee...” Sean said, looking to Randall.
“...Randall...come on...the door’s locked and if we try to open it, we may break the car lock...so we have to go over the roof...ok...”. “But...” Randall started, but Sean interrupted.
“Listen...we’ll take it a step at a time...each car has an emergency hatch...we’ll just go on the room, get to the next one...open the hatch and get in...we’ll wait till your ready again ok?” he asked. Randall was first objective at first, but then smiled. Sean was always good at thinking ahead for his friends. That’s probably one of the many reasons Randall liked him. Randall knew that he was scared, but he also knew that they had a task to do. And that they are probably in a risky situation already.
Randall nodded. “Ok...nut umm...can I go in the middle?” he asked. Sean smiled. “Yeah...sure...”. “What about the Heartless?” Vee asked. Sean smirked again. “Ha...we can have some fun...”.
*
Train 9 ¾
Sean climbed the ladder fast, jumping onto the top. He dug the head of one of his Keyblades into the metal hull, making it some-what of a walking stick to keep his balance. Randall came next, grabbing the metal with his cupped hands as best as he could, trying to stay calm and trying not to fall. He followed Sean as Vee came up next. Taking a bit of Randall’s way, he got his hands on the metal, the clawed tips making great holders.
Sean reached the end of the car, jumping the hollow section between the cars. He almost slid when he hit the car, but he gouged in both Keyblades to make himself immobile. He turned around, holding a Keyblade with his hand as the other stayed in place. He held a hand out for Randall, who got on his feet and jumped. Sean caught him by the chest, pulling him up so he could get a grip on Sean’s other Keyblade. Vee was next. He was fast enough to jump on his own, landing in front of Sean.
Sean made sure they were on before taking his Keyblades and heading over to the hatch in the middle left side of the car. He pulled his hand down and unlocked the latch that held it in place. Pulling it open, Randall slithered in when he had enough space. Vee headed in next, then Sean jumped in, closing the hatch as he did.
*
The train car.
Randall was already on the carpet-like ground of the hallway outside the other rooms. His emerald eyes darted left and right looking for any signs of humans or Heartless. Safe to say, there weren’t any. He quickly moved out of the way as Sean jumped down, Vee next.
The car was a sight to behold. It was like the station. Green and blue carpet-like material covered the hallway floor, almost golden walls, large windows fixed in them. The rooms were the same with slid-able doors.
Randall got back onto four, looking back at Sean and Vee. “Ok…what now?” he asked, slightly worried about the absence of life. Sean shook his head. “Just like everywhere the Heartless are taking hearts….”. “And taking the body with them…” Vee added, crossing his arms. “You mind if we stop this train….it’s….going faster”. “What?”.
Randall pointed out the window to their side. Watching out, all three noticed the sudden increase of locomotion the train had gained. Something was making the train go faster and faster.
“….Alright….we gotta get to the controls…” Sean said profoundly. “Right!” his companions replied. Sean took off forward, heading the direction they had when on the roof. Randall followed closely, Vee as well.
They came to the door and burst through it as immediately as it was felt. Then they were in the next car. Although, unlike most of the others, this one was wider. The hallway had grown and had left it’s right side, which presumably had rooms for passengers, for more room. In short, the passenger rooms were gone.
Sean stopped, holding out his left arm to stop Randall from going in. Vee held onto his right leg, looking in. There were bright over head lights that shook nearly violently at the mercy of the train’s speed. The door seemed farther for a reason, but it was there.
Sean took slow steps, holding his Keyblades at a diagonal angle as Randall and Vee followed him. Randall took careful note not to look out the window at the pounding rain or force his hearing to abide by the cracks of thunder and lightning.
After a few seconds, they reached the door. Sean grasped the knob fully and turned. “Huh?”. It didn’t move. Looking back at Randall and Vee, he only got shrugs. Sean pulled back and rammed his left shoulder into the door. It wouldn’t budge.
He moved back. “Alright then…”. Judging his Keyblades forward, he readied to fire the spell. “F…”. “Duck!!!”.
In a split instant, the door’s center became black with dark versions of the darkest colors ever known. And then a Shadow sprang from it.
Sean quickly ducked as Randall and Vee quickly side stepped, while the Shadow landed in the middle of the car, turning back to face each of them with it’s yellow eyes. Sean whipped around holding out his Keyblades, Randall and Vee joining at his side. “I think we can take it!” Vee said.
Almost too soon, four more portals opened up. Two from the ceiling and two from the floor. Dropping and rising through were four Soldier Heartless. As they came, a fifth portal came from the back. Emerging was a Big Body Heartless.
The three took a step back. “That’s six….” Vee said. “That’s for the number lesson” Randall remarked. “Ok…I’ll take the middle…Ran my right….Vee my left….got it?” Sean readied. “Got it!”.
*
Sean ran forward, jumping over the Shadow Heartless and cutting it with a backward slash, instantly flinging it to the back of the car. Randall took for the two soldiers on the right, ducking on all eights under one of the Soldiers that jumped forward for a kick. He got up to the second, whipping the Heartless with his tail twice before kicking it back with his bottom left leg. Vee took for the left ones, bashing his head into the chest of the Soldier, following up with and uppercut to the next one.
Sean jumped backward as the Big Body’s massive fists swung at him, a left and right motion. He dodge rolled under it’s arm as it swung, getting behind it’s vulnerable backside. A few lightning quick slashes lowered it’s strength, but it turned around, making the Keyblade bounce off it’s large exterior front. It slapped it’s front with a hand, and Sean knew what it was going to do. It charged for him. Jumping over, he smacked the Heartless in the head with the Keyblades, obliterating it before he hit the ground, landing only a few feet away.
Vee took on a rapid punch, slamming the first Soldier with five consecutive punches, beating into it’s almost hollow body before obliterating it. The second one came behind him, slashing Vee’s back with it’s four sharp steel claws. Vee gringed as he jumped forward and turned back to face it.
“Vee!”. “Huh!?”. Sean ran forward, throwing a glass bottle to him. Vee jumped and caught it as he saw him head over to Randall. Gulping it down in one swig, the wound on Vee’s back slowly disappeared.
“Lets get this over with”. Vee ran over to the Heartless just as it did it’s charge kick, ducking over it, Vee ran over where it landed, pulling back his fist. “Veeno Slash!”. In an instant light, a sharp, spear-like light emerged from Vee’s fist, cutting a whole in the Heartless, blasting it to pieces. “Yeah!!!”.
While Vee had done in with his two, Randall was having tougher luck. After kicking the first Soldier, the second one came up behind him with a charged kick, smashing Randall in his back and sending him on the ground. The one he had hit came back as he got up, taking quick jabs with claws. Randall backed away at each swipe, but not before getting one across his chest scales. He took it in, gritting his teeth.
“(What’s wrong with me!?)” Randall asked himself. He felt something lash out and snatch his tail. The second Soldier had Randall’s tail in it’s hands. Knowing he couldn’t get away, the other Heartless readied for a sonic kick. It pulled backward, ready to launch. It did, rocketing forward in a blast of white and blue light. It was inches away before….
(Ching!)
Sean dived in between, impeding the launch with the Keyblade. The Heartless fell backward to the ground as the one who stopped it’s attack rolled to the side, stabbing the Heartless holding Randall in the leg with both Keyblades. At the same time, both of the Heartless burst into thick black smoke, which dispersed as quickly as it had appeared.
*
The fight had ended. Sean stayed where he was, kneeled behind Randall, who was in a state of blank expression, while Vee stayed opposite of them, looking around the train. A moment passed before Sean rose to his feet, lowering his Keyblades to his sides. Vee and him both noticed that Randall had had trouble taking on the Heartless. Then again, Sean recalled about what Randall had told him.
Biting his lip, Sean went over between them. “Ok...lets continue...we still have a bit more to go...”. He looked at Vee first, who had a slight confused but understanding expression. When he looked at Randall, he saw the monster seemed like he was in another world, not literally of course. But his blank expression...
“Randall?”. Hearing his name, Randall instantly took attention, looking at the two. “What?...Oh...uh right...”. He managed a grin, which made Vee do the same, but Sean kept his worried expression, hiding it behind a smile. The three turned to the door to the next car. Sean first, Randall second, Vee brining up the rear. Sean stood in front of the door, gripping the handle. With a turn of the knob, it opened.