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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[ I'm so, so sorry Clark. I'm sorry for everything. ]
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I wouldn't dare. My mother would wash my mouth with soup if I ever considered it.
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[ He probably tried it once and confessed it to her, feeling bad. ]
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[ he doesn't actually say this to be mean or with any disdain though; he's just making an observation. ]
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[ Clark certainly acted out. ]
I was more of a kid who didn't want to disappoint his parents. They were the only ones who knew . . . and understood.
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[ Sorry that's literally the first place his mind jumps when he goes "the only ones who understood." Plus...I mean, Clark is kinda nerdy and good looking. He's got points in his favour. ]
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That I was an alien. They would worry, you know. What would happen if the government found out. If the world found out. That someone might come and take me away. We had no answers.
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I wasn't a perfect son or person by any means. But I did whatever I could to ease their fears.
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[ He doesn't get it. ]
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[ It means he likes your chin Clark ]
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That's enough.
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So. Clara said she didn't wanna carry me...wherever it is we're going. You feel up to the task or should I try dragging myself over?
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I can do it.
[ Weight is negligible after all. He waits for a cue from Inui to signal that he's ready. Clark is not a grabby person. ]
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Thanks. I owe ya one.
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Think you're up for flying?
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[ He won't wrap his arms around his neck, but he will loop an arm over his shoulder to brace himself. ]
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[ Though he misses flying. It was his favourite power to use and it was so easy to lose himself to it. No one could catch him, much less see him. He starts floating before picking up speed, heading towards the ruined hull. ]
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[ Which he's used to doing, but in a different way. He's always had to restrain himself. Now it's a whole new balancing act. ]
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But seriously, I totally owe you. For the...bugs. And this. Thanks Clark. [ It comes out in a brief display of genuine sincerity as he grins a little, sinking against Clark. He feels about ready to drop out for the rest of the day after everything that's happened. He's not sure what he would have done without Clark and Lance there to save his ass. ]
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[ It's polite but genuine. He doesn't get thanked very often. Finally, they arrive at the hull and Clark carefully props Inui against the metal. ]
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If you don't mind I think I'm just gonna sorta pass out for a while... [ He doesn't mean it like he wants Clark gone or anything. He is just really...not sure how he survived that. It was his first life-or-death scenario and encounter with hostiles, and someone numb legs is all he got out of it. How he hasn't fainted before now is a small miracle. ]
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