“That’s why I’m here.” he hissed, grabbing her arm as soon as she was within reach. “I can tell you are a take-action type of person and I respect that. But I’m not going to let them get to you. Can you trust me that much?” Marcus asked determinedly. He wasn't scared of many people and whoever was coming wasn’t likely to scare him either. He knew what he was capable of and that included putting up a good fight.
Ariella looked down at the arm that held her and back up at him. She gripped his arm with an iron fist. "You don't understand," she said quietly. "You can't protect me from this. Just let me go. It's me they want. Let me go and they won't hurt anyone else." She didn't even know who was after her. She didn't know if it was the ones from earlier or something entirely different. But the sooner she jumped to a new realm, the safer everyone would be.
Marc raised a brow at her almost angry reply but didn't let go of her. “I don't need to understand. Protecting people is my job. I can handle it.” he insisted. “Whoever they are, they won't get to you or anyone else. I promise.”
Ariella tugged at her arm, trying to get out of his grasp. "No you don't," she insited. "This isn't anything you have seen before. You. Can't. Fight. This. You will lose. Let me go, please. I can stop this." The light above them popped and glass rained down on the floor. She slapped her hand over he rmoyth as she let out a shriek, jumping out of the way. It reminded her she didn't have shoes on either. She only hoped where the portal took her would be somewhere familiar to her. "Please, the linger you wait the worse it's going to be." She knew they were near, she could hear it, their thundering footsteps.
Marc’s eyes narrowed at her claim but still hesitated to let go. The way she was talking… He raised his arm to block the small shards of glass that exploded down on them. This was starting to feel like a horror film or something. “You have a plan? I can cover you at least. Give you a real chance to get away.” he explained. “I’m not scared and I’m not going to let them get you.” he repeated before carefully opening the door slightly and checking the hallway.
Ariella had let out a breath of relief as he had let go of her relaxed. But it had only been for a moment because then the light had exploded. And just like that she was on edge again. She didn't quite like his response. She would have rather he stayed in this room and let her go. That was the safest thing for him. "Uh…yes?" She did not have a plan. She was going to wing it. It normally worked pretty well for her, minus the car crash. She just needed to get to the other side of the hospital where she coukd feel the tugging of the portal. Once she was there, and hopefully wearing pants and shoes, she woukd escape through it and everything would be fine. She'd be on her own again. Which would be lonely, but she could do it.
Marc sighed, trying to calm his racing heart as he looked up and down the hall before nodding back at Ariella. “I don't see anyone yet.” he whispered with a slight grin. “Come on. I think now’s the best chance. Before they get too close.” he urged, stepping quietly out the door.
Ariella still wasn't sure who was there for her. If it was the Dalid from earlier, she they were playing with her. It was like a game to them, tempting their prey out before sneaking up behind them and going for the kill. But if it was someone else, rather something else, she might not be able to stand a chance. That's why it was better for her to leave. They would try to follow her, leaving the hospital alone and it would give her time to regroup and come up with a plan. She only hoped the portal would lead her somewhere familiar.
She nodded her head at him and followed right behind him. She stayed low and gripped the scissors tight in her hands. She wasn't afraid to use then if necessary.
Marc keeps his guard up and looks around again before nudging Ariella. “Go, go. I’m right behind you.” he assures, hinting that he’ll be following her to where ever she feels safe but hoping that she doesn't feel like she has to leave the hospital.
Ariella glanced at him, pursing her lips, before taking off. There were nurses and doctors in the hall, hurrying around to take care of their patients suffering from the loss of power. No one was paying attention to her as she moved through the halls. She slipped through an open door that led to the nurse's lounge, grabbing an extra pair of scrubs she found and pulling them off. They didn't fit the best but it was better than walking around without pants on. She slipped her feet into some slip on shoes and was out the door. She didn't feel any guilt about taking them. She needed it more than whoever it belonged to. Then she continued down the hall where the thrum of the portal was getting louder.
Marc quickly followed after her, glad that the doctors and nurses are busy with the rest of their patients and barely paying attention to either him or Ariella. But he stays outside the door of the lounge since he doesn't know if she’s planning on hiding in there or if she's just snooping… Until she darts back out and continues down the hall and resumes following.
Ariella looked back at Marcus, sighing. "You don't have to follow me," she said in a soft voice. She turned another corner, looking first time make sure it was clear before starting to walk. She really hoped she would be able to lose him before she got to the portal. That was going to be awkward to explain.
“Maybe not but I'm going to.” Marc pointed out just as softly as he kept his eyes on the hall behind them since she most likely had a good view of the path in front of them.
This was going to prove difficult if he wasn't going to leave Ariella alone. The portal was near, she could practically feel the vibrations of it. Only when she went to turn another corner, she whipped back around and flattened herself against the wall. Those were not the ones from earlier. She had no idea how they had gotten here so fast. The Grethegian. They stood at almost eight feet tall. Their bodies were different shades of green. They had tusks coming out if their mouths, almost like a mythologic orc. Only these were nothing like the monster romances she had picked up one year. Grethegian were most known for ripping their prey in half. And they were right where she needed to be.
She had no idea what they would look like to humans. She didn't know if they would see them at all. But she saw them and she did not feel like dying today. She had to figure out a way to get them away from the portal so she could leave.
Marc raised a brow at both her speed and her action before carefully peeking around the corner. It wasn't much of an assumption to figure out who it might be in order for her to get so scared. “Is that them?” he whispered, trying to size the two figures up. But it was proving harder than it should have been. He knew they were there, he could see that much, but trying to pick out any features to identify them was like looking at a glitching computer screen playing back something on the lowest possible setting from the 1900s. “Damn it.” he grumbled before pulling back to Ariella’s side.
Well, Marcus didn't freak out which meant he couldn't see their true form. A blessing and a curse. It meant she didn't have to try to explain things to him but also that he didn't realize their full capabilities. Ariella looked up at him. "Okay, this is the part where we go our separate ways," she whispered. She couldn't do what she needed to while he was here.
Marcus narrowed his eyes at her words but didn't say anything. Maybe it would be better to let her think he was following her plan… Or it could come back and bite him in the arse one way or another. “Fine. Go.” he growled, letting his displeasure at both ideas show.
Ariella didn't quite beleve that he was going to leave her alone. But she had other things to worry about. Like the two Grethegian guarding her portal. She needed to make a distraction that pulled them away. Only thing was how? She only had some many things to she coukd worry about and Marcus couldn't be one. She gave him one last look before going back the way they came. Starting a fire might not be the best idea but it was the only one she had. And she was a bit of a pyromaniac. It might work.
Marc let out a short huff and looked back at the two mysterious figures before hiding again. Why couldn't he see them? They were so close! And yet it was like looking at an old picture of a UFO through a broken telescope. He wouldn't deny that he was getting frustrated about this situation. But he managed to let out a slow breath and pulled out his gun.
Don't ask where Ariella managed to make a small cocktail bomb on such short notice but she managed to scrounge uo the materials. It shouldn't be anything more than a small pop and a small fire to distract them from where they were. She walked around the other side of the hall where the Grethegian were and threw it a little further down the hall. A couple seconds later and there was a loud bang and a small explosion. It was a little bugger than she expected but it should be manageable. And it got their attention to investigate it.
Marc was understandably surprised at the explosion but didn't pull away. Instead, he whirled around the corner with his gun leveled in front of him. It only took a second for him to pull the trigger and hit one of the sprinklers in the ceiling. He figured that would cause another distraction as well as help keep the fire under control and alert the fire brigade. If he failed to catch these two, hopefully, someone else would then he could focus on Ariella again.
Ariella waited until the Grethegian were down the hall and out of sight. Then she was dashing into the hall with the scissors in her hand. She should have grabbed a piece if glass. It would likely cut better. She woukd make do with that she had. She ripped off the bandage around her wrist, opened the scissors, and cut down the fresh scab on her arm. She winced as blood began to pool. Over the years she had slowly gotten used to the pain. It didn't bother her as much but these were dull scissors and it hurt to draw blood. She dipped her fingers in it then began to draw on the wall.
Marc’s eyes widened when he caught sight of Ariella running and quickly followed after her. He lost her for a moment when she ducked into a room but it didn't take him too long to find her again. “What the bloody hell are you doing?” he asked in shock when he saw the strange writings in blood on the wall.
Ariella jumped and let out a startled scream as Maruc appeared behind her. "What the fu- Don't sneak up on me like that. I could have stabbed you!" She didn't have the scissors in her hand anymore but she still could have done it. She looked between the wall and him. She needed to finish before the blood fried or it would be useless and she'd have to do it again. "Ummm, I plead the fifth?"
“I don’t know what that means.” Marc said flatly, walking over to her. “Is that supposed to be an American thing? That’s not important.” He shook his head as he refocused on the strange drawings. “What are these? And why are you doing this instead of trying to hide or get out of the building?”