11-13-2017, 10:29 PM
Luci looks down on her own unconscious body, floating twenty feet above it.
She watches the flashlights in the junkyard flick on, watches as a pair of orcs in overalls shamble over to her. She watches as one of them lifts her up by her arm easily, watches her own limp body sway. Her stolen green backpack is still secured tightly. She watches the other orc point her flashlight at Luci’s face; in the growing light, Luci can identify the orc as female. Luci thinks they are a couple.
She watches them argue between each other, but their voices are garbled. They recognize her. They know how much money she is worth, they know the Orc Mafia is looking for her. They are poor, they are starving, the wife will be saying. The Orc Mafia is dangerous and would kill them for harbouring her, the husband will be saying. So then why are they still talking?
As Luci drifts closer to consciousness, her Astral Form drifts closer to her body.
The orcs cover her in a blanket and toss several tires on her sprawled frame. A pair of headlights washes over them, the chainlink fence casting a long geometric shadow over the scene.
An orc with a rifle gets out of the car. He is pointing the gun at the orcs in the junkyard through the chain link fence, who have their hand raised above their heads. The orc with the gun is screaming and growling at them, and the orcs are screaming back. The orc with the gun fires off a shot, and the orcs behind the fence fall to their knees, their hands still in the air. After a few more tense moments, and a few more gunshots, the orc with the rifle hops back in his car and speeds off.
After a moment, the orc couple gets to their feet. The female orc lets out a low wail. The orcs then drag the debris off of Luci’s unconscious body, wrap her tightly in the blanket, and carry her over to a beaten Volvo and throw her in the trunk.
Luci watches the male orc get in the the driver’s seat. His wife leans down through the window as he start the car, and she sees her gnaw at one of his tusk affectionately.
***
Luci’s astral form drifts behind the orc, her body wrapped in a blanket in the trunk. As she gets closer to consciousness, her astral form creeps closer to her body. She is about ten feet away now, trailing the car.
She watches the orc as he drives through the streets without headlights, able to see in the dark and not wanting to give away his position.
She watches him creep through Tier-6 as silently as he can, heading westbound. Heading, Luci realizes with a stab through her heart, for Tier-5.
She watches him turn a corner and end up face to face with a black suv. She watches him realize his mistake, try to veer out of the way, and watches him clip the side of the suv and go spiraling off into a building. Luci watches the orc lie slumped and bleeding against his horn.
She watches six armed orcs jump out of the black suv, watches one of them walk up behind the driver and put a bullet in his head.
She watches them rip open the doors to the volvo, watches them tear open the trunk by hand.
She watches them drag her limp form out of the trunk by her ankle, watches them hold her up by the foot in the light. She watches the orcs howl in triumph, and watches them dies.
She watches the head of the orc that is holding her explode in a crackle of lightning.
She watches the orcs return fire, watches Poliwhirl go down in a hail of gunfire.
She watches Jacket unleash his submachine gun as he strafes the orcs, forcing them to duck for cover.
She watches a shadowy demon rip chunks out of the massive orcs, breathing heavily as he realizes there is nothing left moving to kill.
Luci’s astral form is so close to her body now.
She watches Jacket rush over desperately, check her pulse, and pull off his mask in relief. She watches him carry to the hovercar tenderly.
She watches the demon and Chirpa load Polywhirl’s bleeding form into the orcs battered suv, and watches them speed away.
She is in the car now, slumped over in the passenger seat while Jacket drives. She is so close to her body she can feel her own breath.
She watches bullets fly through the windshield of the car, watches Jacket swerve and curse.
She watches as the men, or the monsters, exit the car for battle once more.
She watches Jacket use his fireaxe to hack the head off of a mountain troll with an anti-aicraft machine gun.
She watches Dr Doom electrocute an armored schoolbus filled with orcs.
She watches the demon, silent as a shadow, defeat the mighty orc warrior Golgroll Gutspiller in single combat.
She watches them return to the car, ragged, and start heading again for the entrance to Tier-5.
***
Twenty minutes later, Luci is starting to stir.
Jacket has parked the car in the middle of the street, staring at the entrance to Tier-5.
It’s blocked off completely by Empire forces. Armored personnel carriers are packed in front of the entrance, and behind them the concrete barricades have been raised. Swooping around above them is an imperial gunship, it’s spotlights canvassing everything.
Luci’s astral form kisses her sleeping body, and her strange psychedelic eyes flutter open.
Jacket gasps and hugs her.
“You’re alive,” he says simply.
Luci squeezes back. “Let’s not jinx anything, we’re not home yet.”
Jacket nods. Luci turn to the back seat and grins at Dr Doom and her new ally.
The new ally grins back genially.
“Hey,” he says.
“Hey,” replies Luci solemnly. She turns to Dr Doom, who is gazing dismissively at her from behind his mask.
“What an amusing stunt that was,” he finally says. Luci only grins.
“Babe,” says Jacket horsely, his eyes on the road. Luci swivels around in her seat, and eyes the barricade to Tier-5.
Behind the rows of soldiers is a long tunnel that spirals up into Tier-5. Past that barrier, they were home free.
“Go,” Luci whispers. Without hesitation, Jacket presses on the accelerator.
Luci’s eyes begin to glow, bathing the interior of the car in flickering psychedelic light. The light starts to cover every inch of the car, and then the passengers.
The hovercar accelerates, hitting sixty miles per hour. The guards start to take notice, and hoist their guns.
The hovercar becomes a transparent projectile of rainbow light.
The gunship opens fire. The guards open fire.
The hover car rockets through the barrier, phasing through the guards and the cars and the concrete.
Jackets pulls the emergency brake and drifts the hovercar up the spiraling highway to Tier-5.
Luci slumps over, and the car stops glowing.
“It’s been a long day,” Luci confesses as she loses consciousness again, this time falling deep into the Astral Realm.
***
She watches the flashlights in the junkyard flick on, watches as a pair of orcs in overalls shamble over to her. She watches as one of them lifts her up by her arm easily, watches her own limp body sway. Her stolen green backpack is still secured tightly. She watches the other orc point her flashlight at Luci’s face; in the growing light, Luci can identify the orc as female. Luci thinks they are a couple.
She watches them argue between each other, but their voices are garbled. They recognize her. They know how much money she is worth, they know the Orc Mafia is looking for her. They are poor, they are starving, the wife will be saying. The Orc Mafia is dangerous and would kill them for harbouring her, the husband will be saying. So then why are they still talking?
As Luci drifts closer to consciousness, her Astral Form drifts closer to her body.
The orcs cover her in a blanket and toss several tires on her sprawled frame. A pair of headlights washes over them, the chainlink fence casting a long geometric shadow over the scene.
An orc with a rifle gets out of the car. He is pointing the gun at the orcs in the junkyard through the chain link fence, who have their hand raised above their heads. The orc with the gun is screaming and growling at them, and the orcs are screaming back. The orc with the gun fires off a shot, and the orcs behind the fence fall to their knees, their hands still in the air. After a few more tense moments, and a few more gunshots, the orc with the rifle hops back in his car and speeds off.
After a moment, the orc couple gets to their feet. The female orc lets out a low wail. The orcs then drag the debris off of Luci’s unconscious body, wrap her tightly in the blanket, and carry her over to a beaten Volvo and throw her in the trunk.
Luci watches the male orc get in the the driver’s seat. His wife leans down through the window as he start the car, and she sees her gnaw at one of his tusk affectionately.
***
Luci’s astral form drifts behind the orc, her body wrapped in a blanket in the trunk. As she gets closer to consciousness, her astral form creeps closer to her body. She is about ten feet away now, trailing the car.
She watches the orc as he drives through the streets without headlights, able to see in the dark and not wanting to give away his position.
She watches him creep through Tier-6 as silently as he can, heading westbound. Heading, Luci realizes with a stab through her heart, for Tier-5.
She watches him turn a corner and end up face to face with a black suv. She watches him realize his mistake, try to veer out of the way, and watches him clip the side of the suv and go spiraling off into a building. Luci watches the orc lie slumped and bleeding against his horn.
She watches six armed orcs jump out of the black suv, watches one of them walk up behind the driver and put a bullet in his head.
She watches them rip open the doors to the volvo, watches them tear open the trunk by hand.
She watches them drag her limp form out of the trunk by her ankle, watches them hold her up by the foot in the light. She watches the orcs howl in triumph, and watches them dies.
She watches the head of the orc that is holding her explode in a crackle of lightning.
She watches the orcs return fire, watches Poliwhirl go down in a hail of gunfire.
She watches Jacket unleash his submachine gun as he strafes the orcs, forcing them to duck for cover.
She watches a shadowy demon rip chunks out of the massive orcs, breathing heavily as he realizes there is nothing left moving to kill.
Luci’s astral form is so close to her body now.
She watches Jacket rush over desperately, check her pulse, and pull off his mask in relief. She watches him carry to the hovercar tenderly.
She watches the demon and Chirpa load Polywhirl’s bleeding form into the orcs battered suv, and watches them speed away.
She is in the car now, slumped over in the passenger seat while Jacket drives. She is so close to her body she can feel her own breath.
She watches bullets fly through the windshield of the car, watches Jacket swerve and curse.
She watches as the men, or the monsters, exit the car for battle once more.
She watches Jacket use his fireaxe to hack the head off of a mountain troll with an anti-aicraft machine gun.
She watches Dr Doom electrocute an armored schoolbus filled with orcs.
She watches the demon, silent as a shadow, defeat the mighty orc warrior Golgroll Gutspiller in single combat.
She watches them return to the car, ragged, and start heading again for the entrance to Tier-5.
***
Twenty minutes later, Luci is starting to stir.
Jacket has parked the car in the middle of the street, staring at the entrance to Tier-5.
It’s blocked off completely by Empire forces. Armored personnel carriers are packed in front of the entrance, and behind them the concrete barricades have been raised. Swooping around above them is an imperial gunship, it’s spotlights canvassing everything.
Luci’s astral form kisses her sleeping body, and her strange psychedelic eyes flutter open.
Jacket gasps and hugs her.
“You’re alive,” he says simply.
Luci squeezes back. “Let’s not jinx anything, we’re not home yet.”
Jacket nods. Luci turn to the back seat and grins at Dr Doom and her new ally.
The new ally grins back genially.
“Hey,” he says.
“Hey,” replies Luci solemnly. She turns to Dr Doom, who is gazing dismissively at her from behind his mask.
“What an amusing stunt that was,” he finally says. Luci only grins.
“Babe,” says Jacket horsely, his eyes on the road. Luci swivels around in her seat, and eyes the barricade to Tier-5.
Behind the rows of soldiers is a long tunnel that spirals up into Tier-5. Past that barrier, they were home free.
“Go,” Luci whispers. Without hesitation, Jacket presses on the accelerator.
Luci’s eyes begin to glow, bathing the interior of the car in flickering psychedelic light. The light starts to cover every inch of the car, and then the passengers.
The hovercar accelerates, hitting sixty miles per hour. The guards start to take notice, and hoist their guns.
The hovercar becomes a transparent projectile of rainbow light.
The gunship opens fire. The guards open fire.
The hover car rockets through the barrier, phasing through the guards and the cars and the concrete.
Jackets pulls the emergency brake and drifts the hovercar up the spiraling highway to Tier-5.
Luci slumps over, and the car stops glowing.
“It’s been a long day,” Luci confesses as she loses consciousness again, this time falling deep into the Astral Realm.
***
![[Image: V4Dvvfy.gif]](https://i.imgur.com/V4Dvvfy.gif)