WEEK ZERO: ARRIVAL - OVERFLOW

[gatonina]

ARRIVAL

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PASSENGERS: 41 You know how the story goes by now. One minute you’re somewhere familiar, and the next you’re suddenly somewhere else. Unlike previous times before, the source of your rude awakening isn’t a mystery. A harsh jostle causes your body to lunge forward as a tire jumps over a pot hole in the road. Try as you might, it’s hard to ignore the steady thrumming of an engine and the gentle sway beneath you. The faint scent of gasoline seems to waft from the outside, but as you look around you’ll notice that the windows are locked, tinted, and impossible to see through. Likewise, the door ahead of you appears to be locked as well. Perhaps the scent is your imagination…? Regardless, though the lighting is a tad dim, it becomes apparent that you’re inside a large bus dotted with the occasional seat and amid a jumble of other bodies. The people you were last with may be among your fellow passengers. Perhaps they are not. But worry not; there’s plenty of time to look around and get to know one another on this long, strange trip. It may even be wise to examine the staircase at the other end of the bus. Who knows what awaits you on the other floors? Ah, but before you move too far it may be best to assess the situation. On the bright side, any injuries you incurred have been healed! Isn't it nice to have your limbs in place again? Miracles happen. But...what happened to your clothes? You’re fairly certain you weren't wearing this t-shirt before...and what's with the denim shorts? Maybe you were fortunate enough to get the knee-length version, but for those of you waking up in bootyshorts...well, we're sure you look great! And what better way to tie the whole look together than white socks and tan sandals? At least you'll be comfortable for the ride. Lucky for you, your new threads aren't the only gift you'll receive upon waking up. Attached to your waist is a high-quality bag filled with some fun goodies for every passenger! For those of you who unzip your bag to check its contents, you will find: -Dry shampoo -Wet wipes -Deodorant -Travel pack of toilet paper -Travel toothbrush + toothpaste -Poncho -A stylish travel guide No other items are on your person at this time, even if you were holding onto it as you began your previous departure. That's a bit troublesome, isn't it? Not really; it's still a bus. Be grateful for the extra elbow room, alright? Oh, and one last thing...on the wrist of every passenger is a small, equally fashionable white scrunchie. Not your style? Perhaps it's a good idea to give the travel guide another read. Searching the bus from top to bottom will net zero results in the way of an escape. All of the windows are similarly tinted and locked, and the only exit door appears to be the one on the first level that can't be opened at this time. But hey. You're all old pros at this, right? You know what to do next! Get to know the people around you, trade stories with your fellow passengers, and...well. Buckle up for the bumpy ride ahead.

Comments

[vigilantics]

I still want to hit something?

But I think I got the worst of it out of my system. I don't need a black eye via fanny pack.

[hydrogenetic]

That'd be on the list of top ten embarrassing injuries so I don't blame you. [There's a glance toward the window then.] We're really stuck so far?

[vigilantics]

[ she frowns ]

It seems like it... which isn't that shocking. It's probably magic or something.

[hydrogenetic]

Probably. [It's always magic.] Is magic something you're used to?

[vigilantics]

In the castle it was pretty common with the whole fairy tale theme.

... but also back home, I guess.

[hydrogenetic]

Same here. Not the castle, ours was a town in the wild west or whatever, but magic is pretty common.

What was the castle like?

[vigilantics]

It was fairy tale themed? Like, all of us had titles based on one, and a power that was themed off the title. We were also separated into factions based on what title we had. We couldn't go below a certain number in each faction or else it would...

[ she makes a slashing motion across her neck ]

[hydrogenetic]

Wait you guys also got powers? How is that fair? [Focus, Percy.] We didn't have factions and all of our powers got taken away. Only a few of us had titles depending on if we had a job or not, so...pretty much anyone was free game for death.

[vigilantics]

Oh, there were special jobs too on top of the powers and titles.

[ ha ha ]

I wonder what this might end up being like...

[hydrogenetic]

...why did you guys get everything?

[vigilantics]

Oh, don't worry. We also got trauma. There was tons of that.

[hydrogenetic]

Oh great, I was worried about that. [Dryly.] Do I want to ask how bad it was for you guys...?

[vigilantics]

... well, everything turned out okay in the end, so I'm not sure if I should complain too much?

[hydrogenetic]

I think we've all got a little bit of a right to complain even if things worked out.

[vigilantics]

... yeah.

Maybe one complaint here or there, occasionally.

[hydrogenetic]

What would be your biggest one? You know, murder aside.

[vigilantics]

[ ... ]

Just... what it did to everyone, I guess.

[hydrogenetic]

That's probably my biggest complaint, too. We had a few kids in ours and yeah, fine, they handled it but they shouldn't have had to. [Which is maybe rich coming from the 16 year old, but whatever.]

[vigilantics]

[ she raises an eyebrow, but she also doesn't comment on the age thing. she can't? steph started vigilante work when she was like, 15? ]

I think some things are bad no matter how old you are, but... yeah. Especially them.

[hydrogenetic]

But...guess there's a bright side. It'll be harder to hide a body. [Nobody will die, he means.]

[vigilantics]

[ she snorts ]

I guess that's right.

[hydrogenetic]

At this point? I'll take just about anything. [But all of that aside...] Is this the part where we exchange names and pretend this whole thing doesn't totally suck?

[vigilantics]

Yuuuup.

Stephanie Brown. You can call me Steph.

[hydrogenetic]

Percy Jackson. Nice to meet you, Steph. Ever been on a road trip like this before?

[vigilantics]

Nope! This bus actually smells nicer than the ones I've been on?