THE SWARM: STAY
PRELUDE.
Five days have passed since you, The First, woke on the strange and barren planet of Kharas. Four days since the pods housing you exploded when tampered with, and Three since the strange Trilobite-like sand crabs began hesitantly crawling their way into and around the boneyard. At first there was only a few brave specimens to be found, keeping mostly to the shadows and scuttling this way and that. Now, however, at least a hundred of them can be found in and around the boneyard in various placed, commonly grouped together in batches of two or three, sometimes even four.
Notably they do not interact much with one another despite their groups and are much more interested in scouting out their surroundings for fibrous materials. On the odd chance that they manage to obtain any scraps they will begin to wander back towards the tracks your
counterparts began following earlier. Odd, isn't it?
As the softer morning sun overhead slowly begins to heat up with the encroaching afternoon more of the Trilobites begin to fill the area. Only unlike their predecessors these ones do not wander around aimlessly, and instead beeline their way to any Coral stalks that remain in the area. They bury into the sand beneath them to avoid their harsh shells and attack the roots until they topple and collapse under their own weight. Once this happens they practically swarm, working to segment it into pieces with their mandibles. When the Coral's shell cracks the Trilobites pry all vegetable matter from within and begin dragging it into the desert.
And that's not all: these new Trilobites seem
much braver and more interested in you than their predecessors. They will openly wander up to characters and gnaw uselessly at their ankles or feet, chittering and chattering. If enough of them happen to get together around an individual they will form a tiny ankle-gnawing mob intent on clambering all over you.
As the daily eclipse nears their numbers will begin to grow even further. Odd tremors can be felt beneath the ground, even in spite of all the sand, but characters won't get much of a chance to look into the matter before their wrist communicators begin to emit that same strange static from the mist.
...Only there's none to be seen in
any direction whatsoever.
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no subject
The doctor doesn't have a tactical mind, he isn't thinking what the best option in. Bucky will find he's just pressing back against a looming bone, not stopping to think of whether the trilobites will just crawl down that to get to him. Yeah, there's nervous sweating. But he does at least manage to kick at critters to try keeping them from getting too close.]
Where's a damn phaser when you need one?
no subject
Bucky hasn’t a clue what the hell a phaser is, but he hazards a guess as he moves in to help.]
That a weapon of some kind? [He has to call out a bit since the trilobites are making quite the racket. Bucky finds his place to McCoy’s right, also against the bone, and starts knocking back and killing the ones he can manage.] ’Cause I think a knife would be plenty useful right about now.
no subject
Dumb luck may have a lot to do with McCoy's kicking at the trilobites keeping him clear; he probably looks particularly ridiculous put next to a superhero.]
It's an energy weapon! Nothing so barbaric as a knife.
[He huffs.]
Though I suppose at this point a caveman with a spear would be better equipped.