"Pausing, searching, receiving, contemplating..." (Part 4: The Best-Laid Plans)

[cityship]

At some time during the night, while some were still sleeping, and some were awake and wandering around the hotel common rooms--a massive explosion rocked the hotel the group was staying in.

Simultaneously, perhaps by lucky chance, or perhaps on purpose, a number of the group was mysteriously teleported away. Specifically, the ones missing were: Fate, Jr., Kang, Superboy, Zouichi, Howard, The Doctor, Lash, Nightwing, Zetta, Dr. Henderson, Rory, Ruffnut, and Sakura.

The problem was that the group likely wouldn't be able to tell from the vaporized common rooms and bedrooms that those particular individuals hadn't been in them when the explosion hit.

[ooc: All subthreads are open.]

Comments

[starlightace]

"I..." her voice faltered. "I don't... I don't know, but I can't just-- I can't stand here and not..."

"She's gone."

Gah, I'm sorry. I thought I'd tagged.

[futureisclear.livejournal.com]

"And destroying even more of this city will not bring her back. Find out the facts, find out the true culprit. Then take your vengeance."

Ildraniath slowly lowered her hand. "For now, assist the crew."

[starlightace]

"I can't," she said in a broken, hushed tone. "I can't do..." Nanoha wavered where she stood - and then her knees gave way, and she fell to the ground.

[futureisclear.livejournal.com]

Ildraniath dropped her hand, the power dying away as she stared at the human girl in front of her. She couldn't? Because of one person? She tried not to let her irritation and disdain creep onto her features. It did show up in her voice.

"Then what use are you to us? If this is all that is required to turn you into nothing more than a useless body, what are you doing coming along on missions in the first place? The death of one person, no matter how important, should not send you into fits and cause you to become a burden on the rest of us! Should I inform whomever is in charge now that you'll be spending the rest of the mission in your room?"

[starlightace]

What could she do? Nanoha had thought herself fairly strong emotionally, but she could never have imagined the sheer gaping void in her chest, a void that grew and grew and that threatened to devour her whole. Just days ago she'd been happily planning their wedding, and now Fate was gone? All she had now was her grief and her rage, and she couldn't even channel the latter into anything productive.

"We were going to be..." Nanoha managed, before dropping Raising Heart onto the ground, burying her face in her hands and weeping.

[futureisclear.livejournal.com]

Again, Ildraniath had to carefully keep the disgust from her face. This was the young woman who headed up a portion of the crew? And she couldn't even maintain her composure in the face of a personal tragedy? Her jaw clenched and she reached down to grab Nanoha's barrier jacket. She tried to drag the young woman to her feet.

"Get up. Sitting here and crying isn't going to do anyone any good."