For the burdens you bear.

The lights of the hall flickered once to the sound of a loud thump and the clatter of pottery and glass. An audible but muffled grunt followed by a second louder thump and smash as the light flickered again. A groan, a retching sound and a defiant yell, punctuated with sudden silence as a quieter bump was heard. Then... a pause.

A door in the hall opened slowly as a panting breath was made apparent, and out from the door a woman appeared. Breathless and shaking as she turned to close the door and lean upon it heavily as her eyes glanced up at the light on the ceiling. Her face spattered with several drops of blood as more crimson dripped from the kitchen knife in her hand, pattering gently against the floor. She ran her left hand through her blonde hair, gripping at the roots for a moment as she gave another loud shuddering sigh.

There was a creak as the door across from her was pushed slightly ajar, a peering aged face staring towards her. The exhausted blonde looked down at the door and in a tired voice she spoke, "It's fine now, Mrs Smith." She assured the woman, offering as much of a friendly smile as she could muster. "I'll tape the door, please don't go in and keep your own door locked. I'm going to check the next few floors..."

The old lady spoke in a hushed tone, "Thank you Fey, and please be safe. These hooligans are all over the street...!"

Fey gave a sigh and a nod, "Yes, they are... Keep your curtains closed if you can, there's nothing out there you want to see right now. And don't worry about food, I'm going to figure that out for everyone once I know it's safe." she added as she leaned off from the door, reaching into her pocket to pull out a roll of yellow police tape as she began the task of quarantining the room she had just left.

"God bless you, Fey." Spoke the old woman as she closed her door, the sound of locks being put into place afterwards.

"I get the feeling he's not blessing much right now..." Muttered Fey quietly to herself as she finished taping up the door. She stepped back from it and looked to her left where a door led to the stairwell. She had secured the three floors above her, she lived on the highest one thankfully, but she had to make sure the entire building was safe from those things. Those husks of the people she used to know. She looked to the bloodied knife in her grasp as her hand clenched around it firmly before she made for the stairwell, pushing open the door and glancing down over the railing. She could see the bottom floor from here... But who knows what she'd find down there.

She'd never been one for Sci-Fi. The idea of aliens and the great unknown out there had failed to interest Diana, both as a child and as a young adult experiencing the world for the first time in all its mysterious glory. She just felt that the idea of little green men running around with laser guns or giant slippery-looking monsters ripping people's throats out was a little ridiculous, and lacking taste.

Still, even she couldn't deny that she'd wished she'd paid a smidge more attention to the films she'd so readily dismissed now that she was faced with the real thing. Perhaps they would have held even the slightest bit of information or advice on how to deal with the giant writhing ever-present Being hovering over the city. At first, Diana had been nothing but curious as the skies turned red as freshly spilled blood. She'd watched through her television from the safety of her apartment as the huge beast appeared from thin air, its presence dominating the screen. She remembered hearing screams in the streets, the blare of car horns and the resultant crunch of metal upon metal as vehicles rammed each other in an attempt to escape.

Then it began to attack. It did things - awful, terrible things - to anyone touched by its snaking tendrils. The screams of surprise from before now became howls of fear, and Diana could do nothing but watch on in horror as the streets below erupted into chaos. Families turned upon one another, those who sank to their knees now controlled by the Being above rising to their feet only to rip their loved ones apart. If Hell had a true face, perhaps that was it.

She lived like that for a week, barricaded into her apartment, watching out of her windows. The television had stopped picking up channels - no doubt the stations too busy with other things for any filming to take place. For a week, Diana had watched as the world had ended, silent and detached much like her mythological namesake would have done from her seat in Olympus. And then -

Sunday. The blessed day. Never had she seen such a bright, blinding light as the ray of pure energy that struck the beast. For a fleeting moment, Diana believed that they had done it - that they had beaten the creature that lurked high above the clouds. But no - they had only angered it further. There was a terrible 'boom', and suddenly she felt very afraid. She ran for the door to her apartment, she kept on running as she got out into the corridor. Diana just knew she had to escape, run away from that awful noise. Something in her gut twisted painfully, practically screaming at her to GET OUT. GET OUT NOW.

She made it to the fifth floor down when everything went black. Diana took one last breath and vanished beneath the waves, the suffocating darkness pressing in at her from all sides. She had no idea how long she lay there for. She didn't even know if she was still alive. Was this what it was like to be dead? To be surrounded by darkness, tortured by twisted images of unimaginable horror and ignorance.

Eventually, Diana awoke. Had a day passed? Two days? The sky was a different colour outside, and she could hear shuffling footsteps nearby. Staggering to her feet, the woman grabbed a vase and tipped out the dying flowers, armed and ready to attack should needs be. What floor was she on again? The fifth? She'd have to go and grab her things from upstairs before making any move out of the apartment complex, though she could tell she was no longer safe here. Something felt off about the air. No doubt the same feeling one had after returning to a home that had been burgled. A sanctuary left defiled by strangers.

Shaking out her cramped limbs, Diana made for the staircase, pushing aside the door and taking a moment to lean on the railing beside her. Casting a brief glance upwards, she was more than a little startled to see a face staring right back down at her. A woman's face, to be precise. More than a little flushed at the cheeks, her golden hair and pale eyes at odds with Diana's own features. Ducking backwards under the safety of cover, Diana raised the vase over her head, fingers shaking only a little bit.

"I don't know who you are, or why you have blood on you - But I swear if you're one of those things I saw in the streets I will smash this vase over your damned head. Are we clear?"

Fey paused as she found a pair of hazel eyes staring right back up at her. At first just as shocked as the woman seemed to be at seeing someone else before she watched as she darted beneath to a place she could not see. "Ah-! Ma'am, my name is Officer Heller, I'm sorry for my alarming appearance but I need to ask you, as ridiculous as it sounds right now, to remain calm and put the... Pottery down." She replied, her iips thinning afterwards at the thought of such a vase being used as a weapon. She leaned further over the railing to try and spot the other. "Ma'am, I'm going to make my way around to you, okay? Please don't make any sudden movements, I'm a little on edge right now with people lunging at me." She paused. "Well... Perhaps not exactly... People anymore but..." Her voice trailed away.

She had begun making her way down the steps cautiously, grey eyes every watchful of where she last saw the woman, and should she come into view she would halt opposite of her, slightly elevated as she had not made her way down to her floor entirely yet. "I've a badge and everything, if it concerns you." She spoke with a rather authoritative tone; showing her left hand to the woman before reaching into her pocket slowly to pull out her badge. "It's not safe down here, so if you are... Sane, and not a danger to yourself and those around you, I would ask that you please head upstairs. I'm in the process of clearing and marking this complex... As... Much of a daunting task as that has become..." She sighed with her exhaustion once more. "Upstairs is safe, to the very top, but I'd ask that you don't enter any of the rooms under quarantine."

Fey took this moment to wipe what blood was upon her blunting kitchen knife against the sleeve of her grey hoodie. "You've nothing to fear from me." she tried to assure her, taking as much of a non-threatening pose as she could manage.

There was a pregnant pause, then - Diana poked her head back out, looking up at the woman above her. She knew how to read people. She could tell just by the tone of someone's voice when they were lying; nearly all of her clients lied through their teeth. At first anyways. This stranger seemed sincere, her voice steady and calm despite their surroundings. A person who had dealt with awful situations before, then. Just the kind of person Diana should be befriending, given the situation at hand. She slowly lowered the vase in her hands and waited patiently as the woman descended the stairs, watching in cautious silence until she came to a stop. Keeping the vase held in one hand by her side, Diana approached the stranger, reaching out with her remaining hand, palm facing upwards expectantly.

"Let me see that." Diana demanded, her tone stern. She gestured for the badge, lifting the vase up in her other hand just in case. "As for sane, how sane can one be when the world is literally ending around them? I'm not one of -them-, if that's what you mean. My mind is still my own." She paused, watching whilst the blonde cleaned her knife on her hoodie. Diana tried her best not to wince. "As for your 'task'...do you need a hand? I'm no expert but I can wield knives well enough, and I have a bow upstairs in my rooms. Top floor, third apartment on the right overlooking the river. I live alone, I can go and fetch it if you'd like?"

Fey was indeed sincere in her words as she regarded the other woman calmly. She remained still as she was approached by her, and maintained a neutral expression as she was asked to see the badge. She obliged, "Of course. You can never be too careful, especially right now." She added as she slowly handed the badge over towards Diana. It was most certainly a genuine badge of the NYPD. At the top it simply said police officer, in the middle was the symbol of the NYPD, and at the bottom it read S.W.A.T, signifying Fey's position in the force. "As for sane... Yeah, sane enough to not be one of those psychos running around. Last I heard from the station a call was going out authorizing lethal force in self-defense of ourselves and civilians. It went dark after that."

She allowed Diana all the time she needed to examine the authenticity of the badge as she listened to her words. "Mm? You want to help?" She asked, seemingly the first time she had been propositioned such since she started clearing out the complex. "I... I appreciate it but I wouldn't dream of putting a civilian in harms way..." She replied. Though it appeared, to such a woman that excelled at reading people, that she was definitely thinking about it. "And I suppose that'd be why nobody answered the door of that apartment when I was clearing the top floor..." She added as the lights flickered once more. She squinted her eyes and glanced up the stairwell, and then down towards the ground floor once more. Nothing but silence for now as the lights flickered again. "I really hope someone is trying to keep the electricity on at least..." She spoke, turning back to Diana. She studied her for a moment before biting her lip in thought. With a quiet sigh she closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'll admit I'm worn pretty thin trying to do this all by myself..." She opened her gaze towards Diana once more. "Do you think that if you were charged by someone, arms flailing, that you would be able to incapacitate them? To defend yourself?" she asked plainly.

Diana examined the badge thoroughly, rubbing her thumb over the raised text again and again as if for luck. Satisfied, she hands the badge back over and nods, looking up to the flickering lights above their heads. "Of course. Well, Officer Heller, I'm certainly glad of your company if nothing else." She waits the precious few seconds it takes the woman opposite her to decide whether or not putting Diana's life at risk was worth the reward of a helping hand in her purge of the creatures lying in wait below. Of course she already knew the answer, Officer Heller had a pleasantly open face. It was a refreshing change from her dishonest clients, and only made Diana warm to her more. Briefly she wondered whether or not it was simply a ploy to gain Diana's trust - still, she was on her own and this woman was clearly experienced in the extermination of the beasts that threatened their safety. That was good enough for her any day of the week.

"I doubt it. The population will be more concerned with firepower, base survival. We'll lose the lights soon. We should move - and yes. During my training, I often volunteered on psychiatric wards. I've yet to meet anything stronger than a schizophrenic convinced you're the devil incarnate." Diana smiles at that, the gesture cool and brief. More to soften the blow of her words than for any real humour at what she'd said. "Come on. We should grab a couple of my bags, pack some food. We can't stay in the apartments once we lose the electricity."

Without another word, Diana brushes past the Officer and makes her way back up the stairs, taking them two in a time in her rush to reach the top floor. She glances back over her shoulder once to check that the blonde is still with her before carrying on, vase still clutched protectively to her side. The two reach the top floor in no time at all, Diana gently easing the door open and making her way into the hallway.

"You cleared this floor then. The elderly gentleman in number 2 - is he dead?" As she speaks, Diana pads quietly down to her door, pushing it open. She hadn't locked it when she left. Propping the door open for Officer Heller to enter, Diana waits until the woman is safely secured within the apartment before letting the door slip closed behind them, moving with purpose around the space. She places the vase down on a small mahogany coffee table and retrieves her bow from its place by the fire, grabbing her quiver of arrows. Diana disappears into another room, returning with two backpacks. She tosses one to Heller then moves onto the kitchen, an open plan affair with slick black tops polished to a shiny perfection. Her mother's gift - a set of professional kitchen knives - is tossed quickly into her bag, one knife removed and slipped instead into one of her belt's side-loops for easy access. She places the open backpack on the side and starts to empty her cupboards of its lightest tins. Pre-cooked condiments - beans, hotdogs, spinach, even a jar of peach slices in syrup. She gestures to the blonde - giving her permission to do the same should she wish to.

Fey took her badge back, pocketing it swiftly. She seemed overly cautious of their surroundings as Diana spoke back to her. She was glancing aside before she heard that Diana had worked at psychiatric wards, looking back to her with a raised brow. "Oh, you're a shrink or something then?" she asked. How fortunate in a time where everyone seemed to be going insane she had thought to herself. She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand as she glanced back up the stairwell, seeing as it was going to be their next destination. Though something that Diana said suddenly caught her attention once more as her grey eyes darted back down at her.

"Oh, I've got no intention on leaving. The people here, they're helpless by themselves, they need me here." Her words were filled with conviction, she truly believed that if she left, she'd doom the residents remaining. She allowed Diana past as she followed up the stairs after her, speaking as she kept pace. "I'm all for helping you prepare to leave if that's what you want, but I'd really urge you to reconsider. If I can clear this building it'll be the safest place within who knows how far. The roads are jammed up with cars and people are running all over the place. Going outside right now... It'd be bad. You don't know who is who in all this confusion." she panted once more as they continued to ascend the stairwell to the top floor. Upon reaching it she followed Diana in. Several of the doors in the hall had yellow tape over them, cautioning anyone that would go near. Though thankfully the door labelled number 2 did not have such tape.

"Gerald? He's alright. Most of the rooms were empty, people trying to get outta town I guess. Those that are left are either insane or the ones who can't leave. That being the sick and elderly. It's why I can't just leave them here, what chance would they have?" she spoke as they reached Diana's room. Fey gave her a courteous nod as she entered her apartment, squeezing by her through the door. Once inside she took a moment to glance around, knife at the ready as if anyone would just suddenly jump out at her. She was becoming more on edge as time went on, watching as Diana ran about the room collecting what she needed to. But she herself stood still, simply waiting. She caught the bag that was thrown her way, briefly examining it. Having something to carry supplies around was never a bad idea.

"By the way, I don't believe I got your name miss...?" she asked, watching Diana as she packed her things while she strapped the bag to her back. "I've my own set of plans I need to run through to make sure this place is safe, and if you're capable I could use the extra pair of hands. At some point I need to get my equipment from the station, and then I can start trying to find food for this place, as well as anyone outside who might need my help. I've a duty to protect the people of this city and I don't mean to abandon them."

"Doctor," Diana swiftly corrected the woman, pausing to turn and address Officer Heller. "Dr. Montalti. And yes, I am a shrink. Of sorts. I'm a psychotherapist, my job is to read people. To understand what makes them tick, so to speak. I knew the moment we first exchanged pleasantries that you'd want to stay with the remaining residents. Of course, I thought I might be able to convince you, but other than explaining the obvious - that this spot is impossible to defend between the two of us, and that if we are forced to flee for safety the frail and elderly you so care for will do nothing but slow us down and eventually get us all killed - I cannot fathom anything that would urge you to abandon your post and come with me. Therefore - I will remain with you. You're trained with weapons, you're an Officer. My best chance of survival currently is staying at your side to fully utilise your expertise. I would be foolish to leave this place by myself. I'd be dead within an hour or so."

Diana shuts the cupboard beside her with a soft 'click!', moving closer to the blonde. She passes her the jar of peaches in syrup, inclining her head towards the door and the hallway beyond. "Gerald likes peaches. We can take him these as you tell me all about this 'plan' of yours. I trust it involves gathering all of the residents onto a higher floor that we can defend between the two of us? The tape I saw outside - does it indicate infested areas? We can clear out the corpses over the balconies and move your charges upstairs where we can keep a better eye on them all. Not ideal, I know a lot of people will wish to stay in their rooms, but this is a big complex - far too many entrances and exits to cover by ourselves. As for your equipment...the minute we get everyone comfortable, I'll head out with you if you'd like. If we stay together, we should be able to get there and back relatively unscathed. How far away is your station to the complex?"

"Doctor," Fey confirmed as Diana corrected her. "Oh? I'm glad to hear you're that good with reading people. If we run into any undesirables we should be fine with your smarts paired with my skills." She offered a smile to her briefly. "And you're right, there's nothing short of an inferno that'll make me abandon this place while these people are still here. Moving them to the top floor is certainly a plan, it'd make managing everyone easier but at the costs of their comforts. You're right about the tape too, they're the rooms I encountered those husks in, they're clear though, I dealt with them. Though the bodies are still there." She nodded her blonde head as she reached for the jar, accepting it as she held it under one arm.

"I admire your survival instincts though, but if you're going to be moving around with me I'd appreciate it if those instincts extend to me too. I'll be doing all I can to keep you safe after all, so it'd be nice if it went both ways you know? I'm used to working with a second watching my six." she continued, turning to leave the room with Diana as she made her way down the hall towards Gerald's room. As she walked she went a few paces ahead of Diana, who might be able to see over her bobbing blonde head, Fey was quite short after all. "So..." She began as she discussed her plans with her newfound companion. "Firstly I want to ensure the safety of the people here. Eventually move them to the top floor but that can wait a day or two. Once this place is locked down and we know none of those things are here I need to check the lockup next door for any empty garages we can use. If we have one, we'll have an extra objective to accomplish." She paused outside Gerald's door as she turned on her heel, side-glancing at Diana before her knuckles rapped against the wood. Her gaze shifted back to the door, her voice a little quieter. "Next we'll be heading for the station, it's a few blocks down but we should manage. I was originally going to take my bicycle but now that I've an extra we should probably just walk it. Depending-" she paused abruptly as the door opened.

An elderly gentleman appeared, spotting Fey and offering a smile, he also saw Diana and afforded her the same courtesy. "Ah, an Officer and a Doctor at my door...!" he chuckled, seemingly managing to stay in high spirits despite the literal hell outside. Or maybe his poor sight, bad hearing and old age made him oblivious to it.

"Morning, Gerald. Here, the good Doctor thought you might like these." She offered out the jar of peaches towards the man who took a moment to look at them with a studying gaze.

"Ooh, peaches...!" smiled Gerald as he accepted the jar with shaking hands, but they were mostly due to his age than any fear as he looked over to Diana once more, "What a sweetheart you are, thank you very much...!" his aged voice croaked as he looked back to Fey. "Are you on the clock today Fey?" he asked, seeming to know Fey by name.

She smiled and shook her head in response, "Not tonight Gerald... well, I am but I won't be getting paid for it I guess."

"Voluntary shifts now?" Gerald asked before looking over towards Dr. Montalti, shaking his head with a smirk "She's a good egg this one." He chuckled once more.

Fey couldn't help but smile, "But well, we'll let you get back to it Gerald, stay safe and make sure to lock your door okay?"

"Ahh of course of course, you never know who might come knocking these days...!" he laughed again before waving the two goodbye and closing his door, the sound of locks coming soon after.

With a soft sigh and a pause Fey glanced over to Diana before gesturing for her to follow as she made her way back to the stairwell. "As I was saying... I've no idea what state the station is in, so we'll have to improvise once we're there. I'll think of something, I'm sure of it. I debated going there first but I can't bear to leave with the thought that someone here might be next door to one of those husks. The citizens are my priority right now, as easier as this would be with the right gear." She answered, opening the door to the stairwell. The light flickered as it so often did today before her footsteps started to echo down the steps, heading towards the floor the two women met upon. "Now, if we find an empty garage, I'm gonna try to bring a vehicle back here. We've got some squad cars at the station, and a SWAT truck too, though... Though I doubt that'll be there, as useful as it would be."

Her feet planted firmly before the door that led to an as of yet unchecked floor... "I'll tell you the rest some other time, these things freak out when they hear sound... You're sure you're up for this?" Fey asked, glancing back with searching grey eyes towards the doctor, studying her for her reaction.

“You need not worry, Officer Heller. You’re no good to me dead. I’ll cover your back as long as our goals align - I hope that’s good enough for now.” Diana follows the blonde as she moves into the hallway beyond, watching absently as the shorter woman’s hair sways from side to side. She listens in thoughtful silence as Fey rattles off their battleplan, taking a moment to observe their surroundings, noting the yellow tape on several of the doors. Diana doesn’t miss the glance from Officer Heller, though she dutifully ignores it, choosing to instead stare at Gerald’s door as she replies.

“My garage isn’t empty, but I have a porsche if that’s any good. She’s a little on the loud side but she’ll get us to your station in no time at all. If you want to risk it I’m more than happy to oblige by giving you a lift. If not, walking suits me just fine as well.” The door opens and Diana falls silent, dipping her head in reply to Gerald’s appearance and subsequent greeting. “Mr. Chatterley.” She murmurs in response, allowing the Officer and the gentleman to talk amongst themselves. Diana watches them both as they speak, hazel eyes piercing and unreadable.

Diana smiles blandly in response to Gerald’s thanks, dipping her head once more. Once the Officer garners his attentions once more, Diana takes leave to look inside his apartment, noting the curtains pulled shut, an old armchair worn with age and neglect. Opposite the armchair sits another, smaller chair, a single pink cushion still clean and fluffy - completely at odds with the rest of the room. Satisfied with what she’s seen, Diana averts her gaze, returning her attention to the two conversing before her. The conversation ends and Gerald retreats back into his apartment, leaving the two women alone. Diana narrows her eyes, listening intently to Fey’s instructions as she reels off what they need to do, the two moving quickly down the hallway and back into the stairwell, their footsteps echoing eerily off the walls. She follows Fey without a word, bobbing her head whenever the woman looks back at her, though her attention seems caught by the new floor and the door lying just ahead, undisturbed like a predator waiting to pounce on them both.

She looks back to Fey, meeting her gaze square on. “Of course. And truthfully? No, but I’ll do what needs to be done to survive. My self-preservation overrules any fear towards what lies ahead.” Diana slides the knife at her belt free, holding it in a steady grip down by her side. She tilts her chin once, indicating the door. “Now then - After you?”

Fey seemed thoughtful at the mention of Diana having a car nearby. "I suppose what it'll really come down to is the state of the streets that lead to it right?" She replied. "If they're clear enough we'll take it, but if not, yeah, we'll just have to walk."

She looked over to Diana as she stated here readiness for what was to come next, "Just try to stick behind me. We'll go to each door and give it a knock. If someone answers, that's great, if there's nothing we'll take a look inside, and if something suddenly starts banging against the door... Well, we'll have to deal with it." She spoke as she looked forward once more to the door before them. She reached a hand forward to grip at the cold handle as she pulled it open to reveal an empty hall. Not a sound ahead of them nor anything seeming to be out of place. She breathed in a deep sigh before moving into the hall and towards the first door on her left. She checked briefly to make sure Diana was prepared before offering a nod as she reached her fist forward and knocked it against the door loudly. She then paused... Nothing.

She gave a second knock and waited for another couple of seconds, still nothing. Her hand reached down to the handle as she tried to open it. There was an audible click. Locked. Fey skewed her expression as she gestured for Diana to follow as she turned around and made for the door opposite the first, moving her hand forward to knock against it loudly. This time there was a sudden slam against the other end of the door that somewhat startled the woman as she blinked in surprise. Whatever was on the other side sounded like it was wailing against the door as it rattled against it's hinges. She readied her knife and looked back at Diana, her voice a whisper. "Get on the side of the door and open it for me. Do it when you're ready, I'll try bring it down quick." She said as her gaze locked back onto the door, taking a ready stance as she moved her feet apart and held her knife and spare hand at the ready to take the threat behind the door.

Diana nods, meeting Fey’s gaze with a grim determination. She follows the Officer closely as the woman moves towards the door leading to the hallway, turning back only once to gently pull the door shut behind them. The less noise they made the better. The two crept silently down the corridor towards the nearest door - Diana vaguely recalled the family that lived there, a husband and wife with an overly-friendly dog named Patrick. She hoped they’d gotten out of the city before all hell had been let loose. She watches in thoughtful silence as Fey reaches out and knocks on the door, holding her breath in anticipation. Nothing. Fey knocks again and is rewarded with resounding silence. Diana exhales on a short gasp of relief - at least they weren’t dead. Whilst she knew killing the creatures that now inhabited her neighbours’ bodies was the only way to ensure her survival, she still wasn’t completely convinced that when faced with a familiar face she wouldn’t freeze up.

But…it had to be done. Steeling herself, Diana readjusts her grip on the kitchen knife in her hand, her clammy hands making the handle slip and slide between her fingers. Surreptitiously, she takes a moment to wipe her hand on her trousers before passing her blade back from left to right, following Fey across the hallway to the next door. A little foolishly, Diana had presumed that this door too would respond with nothing but eerie silence, so when the banging started she flinched visibly, eyes darting to the door where it stood shaking in its frame. Officer Heller looked back at Diana, though it took her a moment to realise the woman was speaking to her at all. Snapping to attention, and trying to ignore the way she could hear her own heartbeat crashing in her ears, Diana nodded and did as she was told, moving to the other side of the door with her knife in hand. Gingerly, she reaches out for the door handle, eyes fixed on Fey from across the way.

“On the count of three.” Diana whispers, nausea rising in the back of her throat. The familiar rush of adrenaline flooded through her limbs, tightening her muscles until they screamed out with impatience, eager to flee far, far away from the creature on the other side of the door. Diana takes a steadying breath, lips moving silently as she counts down.

Three. Two.

“One.”

Diana wrenches the door open, exposing Fey to whatever danger lurks within. Images flashed through Diana’s mind of humans that were no longer - gaunt faces filled with shadow, wisps and strange tendrils whipping about their heads like the Medusa of ancient myth. Readying her blade she ducks around the door, ready to cover Officer Heller should she need it.

Fey counted down with Diana in her head. Usually she'd just open it and face whatever was inside, but having someone else around seemed to clear her head, help her formulate a plan of attack as the numbers were spoken. She was prepared for the creature beyond the door as her eyes locked firmly ahead, knife gripped tightly in one hand with her spare ready to grapple. Her knuckles were white around the grip of her weapon as the door was flung open!

Behind the door came lunging forward a shell of a man, a husk of whoever they once were with eyes that mirrored the abyss and skin riddled with black veins. It groaned loudly as it reached forward with both arms, it's speed not hampered by its condition as Fey clenched her jaw and reached forward. She grabbed at the arm of the lunging figure as she stepped aside and used it's momentum to drag it forward and promptly slam it down against the ground face-first in a trained take down maneuver. Her knee was planted firmly against it's back with no caution for if she would harm the creature. She seemed to pause however, as if desperate for the husk to call out in a voice with words she could understand, a last hope for them to be sane. But it didn't.

She held up her knife as she drove it down into the base of the skull of the Husk, severing the spinal cord in a swift thrust. The creature died instantly, but before the Officer had a chance to recuperate there was a hurried sound of thumping footsteps coming from the open door behind her. A second husk was present, diving towards her back as it tried to claw at her with its hand, practically falling down upon her as she let out a startled sound, trying to use her elbow to show the creature from her back as it screeched and flailed, scratching at her skin.

Everything seems to slow down as Diana pulls open the door and darts to cover Officer Heller’s back, her gaze moving unbidden to rest on the horrific creature that charges towards them. She watches in horror as the man- no, whatever it was that lunged across the threshold was no longer a man, just a monster in a suit of human skin - reaches with blindly grasping hands for Fey’s neck. Diana darts backwards a couple of steps to give the Officer necessary room for any manoeuvres she may make, moving just in the nick of time as the husk falls past her, Officer Heller following soon after. She watches silently, knife at the ready to strike as Fey pauses a precious few seconds before she drives her own blade home, killing the creature. Just as Diana opens her mouth to speak she hears those dreaded footsteps, looking over Heller’s shoulder to see the second husk throw itself at her companion, knocking the Officer to the floor.

The crashing in Diana’s ears reaches breaking point, her vision turning a little red around the edges. With her heart pounding hard enough it feels as though it’ll rip itself free from her body, Diana throws herself ontop of the creature pinning Heller, seizing her knife in both hands and bringing it high above her head before driving it down again and again into the husk’s back. Thick black blood coats her hands and shirt with every stab, flicking across the walls and into Officer Heller’s hair. Diana loses count of how many times she strikes before the creature eventually falls still, its whole weight sinking down atop Fey, knocking the three of them to the floor in a pile of limbs and gore. Hurriedly, Diana scrabbles off of the corpse and her new friend, pushing the husk aside and reaching for Fey, pulling her up to her feet and giving her a quick once over.

“Are you alright?” She asks, her voice tinny and far away over the roaring of her own blood in her ears, her hands shaking as the adrenaline starts to wear off. “Did it get you? There might be more - can you continue?” She was going into shock. She could feel her fingertips going numb, the coldness seeping into her hands and feet. She couldn’t give up now, they had to keep going. Shaking herself, Diana wipes her bloodied knife on the husk’s fairly clean trouser leg, tucking it back in its little sheath by her side.

Fey struggled to push the Husk off of herself as it scratched at her face and tried to bite at her shoulder. But the sudden cries of pain from the husk alerted her as Diana pounced it and started to thrust her knife into it several times. She felt the creature atop her growing weaker with each puncture, the blood falling down onto her as she was covered in the black coagulating liquid. She felt the limp dead weight of the husk fall upon her as Diana delivered the final blow. "Guh- Shit... I didn't..." She cursed to herself as Diana removed the body from atop her and offered her hand. She shuddered and took it, pulling herself to her feet. Her adrenaline was high and she was panting from the physical excursion. The blood had ruined what clothes she was wearing as Diana checked her over.

Upon Fey's left cheek were two bleeding lines now where she had been clawed in the face. "I'm... I'm alright just... Fuck... Caught me by surprise..." She sighed and shook her head, glancing back into the room. "I should've expected some rooms might have more than just one... Are you okay?" She asked, looking back to Diana. She took note of her condition, the shift in voice, the shaking hands. She reached both her own hands forward to firmly plant upon the woman's shoulders, repeating herself. "Montalti, are you alright? You just went berserk on that thing..." She spoke, trying to ensure the mental state of Diana. Her hand gave a pat to her shoulder in some reassurance. "We've... Still got more to do but... Shit... I don't know... This is really taking it out of me... Maybe I bit off more than I can chew..."