Side Story RAD!

Buddy didn't need any of his special powers to see that the coupon, for some reason or another, was distressing Sophie a lot. As a parent, he could just tell when a kid was worried, even if they were trying to hide it. Without a word, he suddenly snatched the coupon right out of Sophie's hand, reading over it with a furrowed brow to see what was so long. Even when he didn't see anything of note on it -- not recognizing any place called Bon's Burgers -- he raised a brow toward Sophie.

"S'wrong with you? Bad memories at this place or something?" He lightly quipped half-facetiously, reading it over again to see if he was missing anything, but no dice. "Alright, c'mon. Just take deep breaths. You look like you've seen a ghost, kid."

It was just at that moment that Buddy could inexplicably feel a chill run up his spine. Just as animals had an innate ability to sense danger from predators watching them, a trait that one could say had been phased out from humans over time, Buddy's gaze suddenly turned deathly serious as he felt that strange urge. That unshakable feeling that someone was watching him.

And inexplicably, watching everyone else at the same time.

His body visibly tensed up as he raised a finger toward Sophie, as if pre-emptively telling her to keep silent for a moment, before looking out the window, searching around to see if there was indeed someone outside watching him... not that he was sure what he'd even do if he did.

@Jeremi @Capri @Hideout
 
"Of course I can!" He huffed. "But it would be rude to contact someone with work related things if they're on vacation! No, I will just have to wait until he comes back."

@Takumi @Minerva

"I told you already, I think that's the other way," Steelheart remarked for a second time. "But you're right, I think it would be wise to head back towards the cabin. Before something else happens. Let's just hope Link and Ireena have better luck foraging for food."

@Lucky

"T-that's right!" Sam quickly remarked. "Jerrica's on a summer trip on her cool bike and I found her by the side of the road and she looked like she was in trouble so I stopped and helped her because isn't that what you always told me and Sarah that if we can help someone we should?"

Sam's mom looked over to Sam and then towards Jerrica and back to Sam before doing a calming sigh. "...Yes that's exactly what I tell you." Her more serious tone became friendlier as she handed out her hand towards Jerrica. "I'm Pam Yoshida, Jerrica, was it? I know I've thought my son the basics but I'd feel better if I'd give you a look over too."

@Space_Candy

Buddy's eyes locked unto the dimming forest on the other side of the window. He could see Grimlock out there but otherwise he couldn't spot anything else. Then he realized the gaze he was feeling wasn't coming from outside. It was coming from the hole they'd found the box in.

@Ver @Capri @Gummi Bunnies @Crow @Sark @Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @Jackythejack
 
"... Ugh."

Ah, good, what a relief. Nothing weird out there except the big robot, or so Buddy thought dryly to himself as the only thing he could see outside was Grimlock's fat metal hood. What will the neighbors think?

True to his moniker, like an animal sniffing out a potential predator, or perhaps a deer awaiting a car that was on its way to hit it, Buddy only continued to scramble around to find the source of that strange, uneasy feeling he was plagued by, damned if he looked like an ass in front of the normal people like Sophie while he did so.

With that said, he returned to the box to examine the hole. Reasonably, there was no true reason for him to do so, even at the beck and call of that strange feeling he had, but it was as though... something or someone else compelled him to. That existential horror that wouldn't even let him remember the true nature of his existence.

But who cares about that?

@Jeremi @Capri @Hideout
 
SOPHIE WALTEN
@Jeremi @Ver

Sophie, at first, didn’t even notice the coupon being taken from her. That was how deep she was in her trance.

But she heard Buddy’s voice cut through the fog. She nodded at the bad memories, albeit what those memories even were she doesn’t know.

She followed Animal Man’s advice, taking a deep breath in and out. It was notably shaky.

Color slowly returned to her face. She watched as Buddy investigated every aspect of the cabin in a strange… animalistic way.

“W-What are you doing?” Sophie quietly whispered, not sensing too much danger, yet having a pit in her stomach that something was off.​
 
Pam looked her over again. "Might be a concussion. Come on, I'll check you over." Pam lead her inside of the house. It seemed as a typical suburban home as Jerrica was lead through the house to the living room where Pam put her down on the nearby sofa. "I'll be right with you," She remarked before leaving to the kitchen.

"Was that a new voice I heard?" Came a man's voice from the kitchen. Suddenly into view came an Asian man with a mustache and thick glasses holding unto what seemed to be a robot of some sort. Sam who had come in behind them had his mouth agape.

"No way! It finally came!" He ran up to the man who victoriously held up the figure. "But I thought we were going to build it together?"

The man chuckled nervously to himself. "Sorry Sam...I just saw the box in the mail and I couldn't help myself. Oh?" He looked over to Jerrica. "I thought I heard a mystery voice! Who might you be?"

"That's Jerrica," Sam replied. "She had an accident so I helped her out."

"I see, I see..." Realizing his hands were full the man put the almost finished figure on the table nearby. "I'm Hideo Yoshida. Sam's father. It's a pleasure to meet you, Jerrica."

@Space_Candy

As Buddy peaked back into the hole there was something else he had missed when they originally lifted the box out. The ground bellow the dirt was made out of wood like there had been a second floor under it. Now that he noticed it that feeling of someone watching him came over him even more intently. But was it really coming from the hole or were the prying eyes from...

Out there?


@Ver @Capri @Gummi Bunnies @Crow @Sark @Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @Jackythejack
 
Scrappy Doo

Scrappy would look at her for a second. " Oh, I didn't realize that was you meant when it said it was the other way. I probably should have asked you to clarify, but I'm only a puppy, you can't blame me for being forgetful and confused. Me too, hope that they went better in finding food."

@Jeremi
 
"Of course I can!" He huffed. "But it would be rude to contact someone with work related things if they're on vacation! No, I will just have to wait until he comes back."



@Takumi @Minerva



"I told you already, I think that's the other way," Steelheart remarked for a second time. "But you're right, I think it would be wise to head back towards the cabin. Before something else happens. Let's just hope Link and Ireena have better luck foraging for food."



@Lucky



"T-that's right!" Sam quickly remarked. "Jerrica's on a summer trip on her cool bike and I found her by the side of the road and she looked like she was in trouble so I stopped and helped her because isn't that what you always told me and Sarah that if we can help someone we should?"



Sam's mom looked over to Sam and then towards Jerrica and back to Sam before doing a calming sigh. "...Yes that's exactly what I tell you." Her more serious tone became friendlier as she handed out her hand towards Jerrica. "I'm Pam Yoshida, Jerrica, was it? I know I've thought my son the basics but I'd feel better if I'd give you a look over too."



@Space_Candy



Buddy's eyes locked unto the dimming forest on the other side of the window. He could see Grimlock out there but otherwise he couldn't spot anything else. Then he realized the gaze he was feeling wasn't coming from outside. It was coming from the hole they'd found the box in.



@Ver @Capri @Gummi Bunnies @Crow @Sark @Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @Jackythejack



"I thought it was a business trip he was on?" Link questioned with a tilt of his head. Crossing his arms, he considered asking if Rufus needed any assistance from them, but decided to keep that to himself for now. Instead he checked to see how close the sun was setting.


"Did he tell you when he'd be back to town? I guess since you're out here trying to find out why the wildlife is gone we may be seeing you around a lot in and out of town, yeah?" Link replied. He didn't want to be out so far from the rest of the group while the it was getting dark, but he didn't want any locals out so late either. Something just didn't seem right.


@Jeremi @Minerva
 
"Oh, you know. Just making sure no one's wisened up to us or anything. Can't be too careful with all those weirdos around, you know," he said to Sophie, his limbs sprawled out on the floor like he was a spider. Who could say if he was even remotely self-aware?

As he peered through the box more intently, and the uneasy feeling of invisible eyes being on him grew just as intense, Buddy let out an annoyed click of the tongue as he looked at Sophie sharply. "You don't feel that? I promise, I'm not crazy. That may be hard to believe, but it's the truth. Be a sport and could you double check to see no one's watching us from the window?"

Regardless of the younger woman's response, Buddy went back to examine the hole. Trying his best to shrug off the uneasy feeling, like a prey being stalked by a predator, Buddy gulped and elected to reach down and lift up the hidden floor upon realizing it, hoping to put a nail in whatever was watching him either way.

@Jeremi @Capri @Anybody
 
SOPHIE WALTEN
@Jeremi @Ver
"Oh, you know. Just making sure no one's wisened up to us or anything. Can't be too careful with all those weirdos around, you know," he said to Sophie, his limbs sprawled out on the floor like he was a spider. Who could say if he was even remotely self-aware?

As he peered through the box more intently, and the uneasy feeling of invisible eyes being on him grew just as intense, Buddy let out an annoyed click of the tongue as he looked at Sophie sharply. "You don't feel that? I promise, I'm not crazy. That may be hard to believe, but it's the truth. Be a sport and could you double check to see no one's watching us from the window?"

Regardless of the younger woman's response, Buddy went back to examine the hole. Trying his best to shrug off the uneasy feeling, like a prey being stalked by a predator, Buddy gulped and elected to reach down and lift up the hidden floor upon realizing it, hoping to put a nail in whatever was watching him either way.

@Jeremi @Capri @Anybody

“U-uh… okay…?”

Sophie reluctantly obliged, peeking out the window. She could sense something was wrong, like a gut feeling, but she honestly just thought it was something about being here.​
 
"We can only hope," Steelheart remarked to Scrappy. As they started to make their way back towards the stream they again spotted something peculiar. The water seemed to now be going in the...opposite direction.

@Lucky

"That's what I said! Business trip," Rufus nodded knowingly. "He's in the middle of a conference and it will be a chore and a half to try and get my hands on him so no...I will leave him out of this until he returns."

@Minerva @Takumi

Darkness was the only thing that met Buddy as he managed to pry open the floorboard. There was definitely a hollow of some sort, but the darkness was too thick to get through with regular eyes.

Sophie meanwhile couldn't see anything else other than Grimlock, but even so...did it suddenly feel more darker outside the window than it was further into the woods?



@Ver @Capri @Gummi Bunnies @Crow @Sark @Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @Jackythejack
 
SOPHIE WALTEN
@Jeremi @Ver

"I-it’s too dark… I can’t see a thing,” Sophie stammers to Buddy, trying to make out anything in the distance.

But… suddenly, it hit her. She had seen further out into the woods before, but it got darker.

“It’s… it’s too dark,” she says to herself. She runs up to Buddy with a face full of concern.

"It’s too dark. There’s… there’s something w-wrong with the darkness,”
 
"We can only hope," Steelheart remarked to Scrappy. As they started to make their way back towards the stream they again spotted something peculiar. The water seemed to now be going in the...opposite direction.

@Lucky

"That's what I said! Business trip," Rufus nodded knowingly. "He's in the middle of a conference and it will be a chore and a half to try and get my hands on him so no...I will leave him out of this until he returns."

@Minerva @Takumi

Darkness was the only thing that met Buddy as he managed to pry open the floorboard. There was definitely a hollow of some sort, but the darkness was too thick to get through with regular eyes.

Sophie meanwhile couldn't see anything else other than Grimlock, but even so...did it suddenly feel more darker outside the window than it was further into the woods?



@Ver @Capri @Gummi Bunnies @Crow @Sark @Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @Jackythejack

"You said business trip at first...then vacation. I suppose it was a simple mistake..." Link frowned, not really believing it was that simple. Maybe it was, though?

Either way, his following questions hadn't exactly been answered.

"I see, well maybe it'd be best not to stay out too late looking into it, right?" He asked, currently unsure on what other information he could get from Rufus.

@Jeremi @Minerva
 
View attachment 10581

"Alright, alright, calm down. I know you're nervous, but..." Buddy started to respond to Sophie's concerns about the dark, until stopping once he got a good look at the sheer darkness of the floorboard... or rather, a bad look. He paused his movements for a second, looking back up at Sophie, and then glancing over the window she had just been looking at as well. Something was definitely off here, but unlike what Buddy was used to facing, this wasn't exactly something he could just punch out.

At least, not yet.

"... Okay, maybe something is messed up. Stay close to me, kid. Or... at least try to," he breathed. He wasn't going to get anywhere uselessly bumbling around in half-denial of his own situation.

With all that said, Buddy channeled his power, and behind his goggles, the shape of his eyes changed shape until they had become the eyes of a cat. An animal that had far better eyesight than a human being, especially in the dark. With that, hoping that that would help him at least a little, Buddy tried once again to look in the darkness behind the floorboard, even beginning to entertain the thought of dropping down into the darkness if he still couldn't see hardly anything.

@Jeremi @Capri @Hideout
 
Rufus nodded hastily. "Yes, quite right, quite right." He looked around seeing that darkness was falling. "Best to be going I suppose. Are you two going to be alright? My car is just past those trees over there. If you need a lift into town, that is."

@Takumi @Minerva

With cat's eyes Buddy managed to look through the darkness. Underneath them was a small padded room falling to decay. No doors. No windows. Just a tiny room in the middle of the ground.

@Ver @Capri @Gummi Bunnies @Crow @Sark @Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @Jackythejack
 
"Well, well, what do we have here..." The blonde hero murmured under his breath as he took notice of the secret room underneath. He didn't exactly want to take a deep dive down, but this did fit his job description to a tee, and he wasn't gonna get anything else done with his thumb up his ass, after all.

Looking back to Sophie and the others remaining in the hideout, the man -- taking initiative -- spoke again. "Stay here, I'm gonna go check this out. Or follow me if you want. I can't guarantee it'll be entirely safe though," he breathed, and with that, dropped down into the darkness, his cat eyes still illuminating the dark for him as he dove into unknown territory.

@Jeremi @Capri @Hideout
 
Rufus nodded hastily. "Yes, quite right, quite right." He looked around seeing that darkness was falling. "Best to be going I suppose. Are you two going to be alright? My car is just past those trees over there. If you need a lift into town, that is."

@Takumi @Minerva

With cat's eyes Buddy managed to look through the darkness. Underneath them was a small padded room falling to decay. No doors. No windows. Just a tiny room in the middle of the ground.

@Ver @Capri @Gummi Bunnies @Crow @Sark @Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @Jackythejack

"I think we'll be alright, but thank you, Rufus." Link replied, giving the man a nod and a small smile in reassurance. It was probably best that they headed back before it got too dark, besides they'd have to let the others know about the animals in the forest before Sam came back in the morning.

"Do be safe on your way back." He added, hoping that both he and Ireena could make it back before it got too dark, and maybe bringing some of those berries back with them too.

@Jeremi @Minerva
 
24fYBEd.png


❝ O-okay... um, be careful. ❞ Satoko chimed in and stayed behind after Buddy leapt into the room below. She lingered near the hole in the floorboards leading to this room shrouded in darkness. Even if she couldn't see all too well to make out anything with her eyes, she could try and listen for anything weird.

@Jeremi @Ver @Capri
 
As Buddy dropped down to the room bellow he felt his feet touching the padded and decaying floor. He found a door but opening it only revealed dirt on the other side. For every sense of the word this entire room felt displaced, shunted down into the dirt for no reason. There wasn't much else left to investigate when Buddy suddenly found something.

Newspaper clippings, and in surprisingly good shape considering the room itself. The clippings was an article about a town whose inhabitants had mysteriously vanished in 1925.

Eagleville

Before Buddy could read the article further when the date changed to 1933. Then to 1957 and then finally to 1987 before it burst into flames. As that happened the entire room started to shake violently. The walls went out of sync for a moment allowing some of the dirt to fall through. If Buddy didn't get out fast he'd be buried by the dirt. Then as the room vanished around him, the blond hero felt something grab him by the collar and pull him to safety as dirt fell around him.

As he got his barrings he'd find Steelheart standing over him. His knight in shining armor, as well as the others who had gone on their little fact finding mission. "What did I just save you from?" That was a conversation that went long into the night before everyone that needed it decided to get some sleep.

Day 2

Jerrica's evening meanwhile had been spent with the lovely Yoshida family as Hideo tried to sell her on how Gundam wasn't just another anime, but how it housed a lot of political intrigue, as well as cool big mechanical suits. Sam's sister not being home meant that Jerrica got to sleep in her room after a quick change of sheets.

In the early morning she was woken up by Sam who was in a hurry to get back to his secret lair out in the woods. A quick breakfast, and white lie about helping Jerrica, they were off on the bike.

It was around 9AM when they arrived at the shack where it was still rather quiet. "Hey" Sam shouted. "Anyone still here or were you really just some form of stress manifestation or whatever?" Seeing Grimlock stir behind the shack showed that he in fact had not.

@Ver @Capri @Gummi Bunnies @Crow @Sark @Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @Jackythejack @Space_Candy @Lucky @Takumi @Minerva
 
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