D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad

--- Kat ---

Once Craunch was… suitably appeased the next pod was opened with much less fanfare. Someone Kat would flag as middle aged stumbled out, showing the same sort of faded wear as Stensil though having none of the seizures. He did immediately throw up though. He was angled slightly towards Meg when he started gagging and the greed demon wasted no time in summoning a bucket and shoving it into his arms.

Kat wondered if Meg would've bothered had she not been in the splash zone.

"There there, it'll be alright," said Craunch as he patted the man heavily on the back. It would later be revealed that the man was called Amalak, though for the moment he wasn't much for conversation. Especially with Craunch's heavy 'patting' that was if anything making things worse. The fact Craunch had a big goofy grin on his face made the action seem all the more intentional.

With Craunch watching Amalak, Corela and Meg moved forward with to the next pod. It had a man named Trumbor inside and he simply collapsed as well. Corela was horrified for a few moments and then saddened… only to notice Meg was slowly nudging him off to the side. "What are you doing?" asked Corela.

"What are you doing?" asked Meg right back.

"I was… going to return him to the pod?" said Corela unsure.

Meg jabbed the Trumbor in the chest with her foot, causing the man to wheeze slightly but not actually wake up. "He's alive," said Meg with her best deadpan.

"Then why didn't you catch him!" hissed Corela.

"Why didn't you?" returned Meg with a shrug.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Because I was surprised someone else had DIED Meg. I thought this was meant to be the safe lot, so I was concerned about your abilities effectiveness… but it seems whoever this is happens to be a lazy ass. Hundreds of years of sleep and he can't even be bothered to wake up," grumbled Corela.

Meg shrugged, "It's another common side effect, increased need for sleep. Not as common as the seizures but much less of an issue. You could shake him awake if you really want?"

"Just… just get him out of the way," grumbled Corela.

"Here, Kat, catch!" said Meg as she lifted the man up with her foot and essentially kicked him over. Kat wasn't exactly ready, though she wasn't totally surprised either. It was easy to catch the man and place him on another summoned beanbag. Kat considered saying something… but decided not to.

Corela looked like she was ready to chew out Meg as it stood, so Kat could just… let the older woman deal with that.

Of course, this might have been the wrong decision as when they went to open the next pod the same thing happened. This time it was a woman named Mebor. Corela was ready for Meg's lack of care and managed to catch the woman without issue. "That one however IS dead," said Meg with a shrug.

Corela flinched at the statement, even as rage lit up her face. Gently, and with as much care as she could manage Corela placed the woman back into the pod and locked it. Her face never quite loosing that glare. Once the pod was safely closed she turned to Meg and slapped her in the face. Meg let it happen… and then slapped Corela in response, much harder.

Corela spat out a glob of blood onto her hand and sighed. "Fair,"

*Um… not sure that it IS fair Corela! Why is that your response Corela!*

"What's this I'm hearing about a dead girl?" asked Craunch. Amalak wasn't throwing up anymore, and was looking over curiously as well, though his eyes were unfocsed and his body slightly wobbly.

"You explain," hissed Corela, still in a good deal of pain from the slap and her still bleeding cheek and summoning up a spell circle, the first Kat had ever seen from her.

Meg shrugged, "Girl is dead, cryo pods are risky business after a while. Corela is surprised,"

Corela growled out, "I do believe you said these people were the most likely to survive?"

"Yeah, they are. I completely stand by that statement. I'd have given everyone here at least 90% survival rates, probably higher. The fact that she did die is weird but not something I particularly care about. Do you want to open the rest?" asked Meg.

Kat bit back a bit of laughter. It was horrific. Someone had just died and yet… Kat could feel her laughter threatening to spill out. It was just… so absurd. Kat didn't know what to think. Didn't know how guilty she was meant to feel.

Then all of a sudden she switched to angry. *Actually? Fuck this mission. I'm here debating how guilty I'm meant to feel for someone who just died in front of me when there was nothing I could do. We're here to help people but because we're helping someone died. Wait…

Did Meg plan this? No she can't lie… and she didn't answer strangely. Corela asked plenty of times if Meg was sure and this was after the fifty percent survival rate. I… I guess if we assume 95% at the low end that's still one in twenty people. I just… how am I meant to feel about this?*

That was the thing though. Kat felt nothing really. She felt worse for Stensil and Amalak, at least they were alive and their suffering could be helped somewhat. This though? Kat just… didn't know what to do.

"So, we continuing?" asked Meg once again after silence from Corela.

Corela glanced around at the room but Craunch stepped forward and asked, "How many likely candidates for staying alive are left?"

"Two," answered Meg easily.

"Open them," said Craunch.

"What?" growled Corela. "How can you suggest that?"

Craunch shrugged, "The numbers haven't changed. You decided it was worth opening the pods for those of us likely to survive? Well now it's time to finish that. Getting unlucky once doesn't mean it's time to stop. Just means that I can shoulder some of the blame. Do it,"

Meg shrugged in response and moved to the next pod, flicking it open. Normally Corela would do that part, but Meg had seen the release sequence enough at this point she was confident in at least repeating the motions.

Another woman, this one named Slate tumbled from the pod. She was unsteady on her feet and Craunch allowed himself to be used as a support, letting Slate wrap her arm over his shoulders. Craunch gently guided the woman away from the group though she had yet to say anything.

The final pod. A man named Grepnar. Corela moved forward to open this one herself and Meg stepped back, bowing in an overly serious manner as she did so. Corela growled but didn't actually say anything. Just standing in front of the pod for a few moments. The man inside looked somewhat unfit, but had strong arms and a scar running across his face.

When Corela eventually opened the pod the man leapt out and slammed a fist straight towards Corela's stomach. Corela, not expecting this reacted on instinct and slammed a palm into Grepnar's temple sending him spinning towards Meg who simply took a step back and allowed him to crash onto the floor.

The moment it caught up to Corela what she'd just done she let out a long hiss and bent down to check the man. He was still breathing despite the heavy hit. Though around the impact sight his scales were cracked and bleeding slightly. "Hahahaha, you got that one good. Got a bit of an arm on you, you old hag," said Craunch.

"Dammit Craunch! It's his own fool fault. Now can you tell me how deadly that blow was? My field medic training was a long, long time ago even before everything that happened and I hesitate to use the healing spells I do know on someone else. Never really trained for that…" said Corela.

"Eh, considering he came out swinging he's an idiot so I'd say he's probably still alive," said Craunch without much concern. Find exclusive stories on empire

"Why did I expect you to answer any differently?" grumbled Corela as she felt around the impact sight for broken bones. "Look, can you be serious for one second?"

Craunch nodded, "Of course," gaining the air of a refinement gentleman and pulling a pipe out from somewhere in his clothes… then started to blow on it showing that created bubbles instead of smoke and that goofy grin returned.

Kat sighed and looked back down at her two sleeping charges. They seemed fine. A glance over at Amalak revealed that he was fine… enough. Still holding onto that bucket and not really sure what to do with it either… then again neither was Kat.

*Well the plan was to get help deciding what to do… but I'm not sure if that's still the plan. Three people are unconscious, ones a goofball and someone's just recently died despite the fact that Meg was fairly sure everyone they'd just revived would live. So… now what?*