Cornucopia: The Sequel

[x5452]

WHO| Everyone going back to the Cornucopia
WHAT| Picking on the leftovers. Who lives? Who dies? Who looks exceptionally smashing in their Tribute unforms?
WHEN| Two days in
WHERE| The Cornucopia.
WARNING/NOTES| Violence! Possible salty language!


Max made slow headway toward the Cornucopia. Even while her genetic enhancements were being suppressed, she still had sharp eyes and could move with great stealth. Pausing, she half turns while keeping her eyes on the area to murmur to the others with her.

"Lottie, you and Tony think you can manage to collect some things? Don and I will keep an eye on you both."

She sees a spot that looks like it might be clear for a snatch and grab and gestures that she intends to move forward unless her team tries to stop her.

Comments

[buildingreality]

She had still been hastily digging at the mines all the while, glancing up every now and then to make sure no one was going to die on her watch. Not that she really could have done much about it. Either way, her pack is full of dirt-covered explosives, her nails chipping and broken from the effort of scraping the pads out of the ground. She glances up when Eliot approaches, panting softly from exertion, eyes imploring for answers silently.

[jadaryl]

"Let's go," Eliot says more sharply than he intends as he reaches where Ariadne's still kneeling. "Too many people showing up."

He looks around them. Something inside him freezes as he realizes someone's missing. "Where's Momoko?"

[buildingreality]

She rises, pursing her lips to keep from saying something, slinging her bag over her shoulder with a quick glance around to make sure no one followed them.

And then another glance around, her frown fading: "She was right behind me-"

[jadaryl]

Eliot groans and looks to the edge of the clearing where Kaiden still lingers. He gestures for Ariadne to come with him as he walks over to the other man. "Did you see which way Momoko went?" he asks quietly, trying to stay calm despite his gut screaming at him that she was in danger.

[buildingreality]

In the end, it was hard for Ariadne to feel terribly guilty about it - it was supposed to be every person for themselves, but Momoko had wanted to run. In the heat of the moment, Ariadne had been focused, and now they might have lost the other girl.

They'd find her.

She's trailing behind Eliot, eyes still scanning the immediate area for the blonde girl, knowing full well that she wouldn't blend in that well.

[retrieverchef]

Eliot scans the ground, searching for any sign of which direction the blond, Asian girl had gone. Finally, he finds faint footprints in the scant layer of dust leading away from the Cornucopia. They look about the right size for the petite girl. He sighs with relief. She'd left the battle. Hopefully, he'd find her before anyone else.

"This way," he calls to Ariadne and Kaiden as he takes off running in the direction the tracks lead.

[buildingreality]

She missed the footprints completely, but after Eliot had pointed them out, it was easier to avoid brushing them away as they ran. Ariadne's pretty good at running, though she prefers slower paces; it's not like they have the luxury of walking around here. "Behind you," she tells him, making sure he knows she's following and not disappearing like Momoko.

[retrieverchef]

Eliot looks behind him and sees Ariadne following him. He licks his lips, his tongue dry and rough. They need to find Momoko and get out of the sun as soon as possible or they'd all be in trouble. It's hard to see the ground clearly through the shimmer of heat that covered everything.

He moves the fingers on his right hand. The pain makes him hide a wince. "Dammit," he whispers. If he gets in another fight before he has a chance to treat his wrist, he's screwed. And he can't do that until he knows Momoko's safe.

[buildingreality]

She hears that, notices his wince, and immediately wonders if leaving the alliance wouldn't be the best thing at this point. He's injured, Momoko is probably injured as well; she'll have to pick up the slack, she knows.

"Are you all right?" She asks after a moment, hurrying to fall into step with Eliot. For now, she'll stay. Until he tells her again to go.

[retrieverchef]

Eliot nods curtly. "Yeah, I'm fine," he replies through gritted teeth. "Superchick just wrenched my wrist. I'll wrap it when we find Momoko."

[buildingreality]

"We'll only be slowed down if you're in pain now. If you move wrong, and injure it worse, you won't be any good to her," Ariadne replies sharply. "Momoko knows how to take care of herself. She knows how to hide."

She did so before either of them came along, after all.

[retrieverchef]

Eliot sighs and slows down. He unbuttoned his shirt and shrugs it off. Gripping a shoulder with his teeth, he tears a sleeve off and tears it into strips. He winced slightly again as he slides the shirt back on. He drapes one strip of fabric over his hand. "Would you hold that in place while I wrap this?"

[buildingreality]

She does, saying nothing this time around. Her skill with wrapping injuries is fairly limited, but holds it all the same, eyes on his wrist at first; after a few moments, she glances up to him, studying him. It's probably the closest in proximity they've been this entire time.

[retrieverchef]

Eliot focuses on wrapping his wrist, trying to ignore the feeling of the girl's eyes on him. It had been a while since he'd been this close to a woman. Contrary to what Hardison thought, he didn't pick up a new one night stand every other night and they'd spent nearly the last month preparing to take Latimer and Dubenich down. He never slept around on the job. And for all that Ariadne is a lot younger than him, he can't help but notice her femininity.

He shakes his head. No, this really is not the time to indulge in that kind of thoughts. They need to find Momoko. Besides, the Arena is no place for lust.

[buildingreality]

All in all, she just wants to make sure that he's not too injured; after the rock slide of the last Arena, she isn't taking chances with those she's with. Ariadne has never been terribly good at taking certain social cues, particularly when it comes to romance or sex: she can't even remember how long it took her to realise Arthur had any sort of designs on her.

So when he shakes his head, she blinks, wondering what exactly he was thinking. Not that she states as much.

"We should get moving again."

[retrieverchef]

He nods. "Yeah."

He glances at the ground and starts following Momoko's footsteps again.

[buildingreality]

She's right behind him then, hands tightly holding the straps of her bag. Just in case anyone tries to come up behind them in an ambush of some form. Not that she's terribly concerned. The goal right now is to find Momoko.