Alone on a train, aimless in wonder.
[ Reference: Ep. 1.09 - War Stories]
Gunfire.
That was clear enough. Simon's voice, barely audible over the sounds of shooting. A name? A thing? She can't make it out. "We, uh--" But he's not talking to her, she can tell. His voice is pointing elsewhere.
More gunfire. Rapid, fast. A group moving towards wherever she was hiding, listening. Watching? Her eyes were open, she could feel herself blink and move and listen, but sight was utterly absent. The bullets ricochet off of metal. There is a lot of metal, she realizes. The walls and ground are soaked in it, she can feel the cold against her toes.
She moves. Walks towards the gunfire but not directly. There's someone there. Too close to have been Simon - also this person is scared. Their breath is all shaky. Their hands shake too, and metal clatters softly. A gun? An unused gun. While they're being fired upon. In her mind, Qĭ holds her breath; in her memory, she continued forward, unafraid.
Whomever she's walking towards notices her - a small gasp and little else before Qĭ reaches and the gun is in her hands. She's not afraid. The other person still is. Shocked, perhaps, but the gunfire hasn't let up.
"Can't look. Can't look."
She moves. Ducks. Around a corner? Cover, because the bullets bounce off the metal close to her ears but she doesn't flinch. She can't think of why she would, but she notices everything while blind.
Then she feels her eyes close.
Spin, pivot. Pulls the trigger three times and her lids are still closed - POP, POP, POP. Spin back and stand straight. The person she's with is very scared now. Scared and shocked at her. They sound like the way Simon breathes when he has a nightmare of the fire, when the images bleed from one to another. But it's not Simon - Qĭ is certain of that. Still, she wishes she could see who it is. Her eyes open but there's no sight to be had.
When she speaks her voice is almost singsong, like a game. "No power in the 'verse can stop me."
She's still holding the gun.
Gunfire.
That was clear enough. Simon's voice, barely audible over the sounds of shooting. A name? A thing? She can't make it out. "We, uh--" But he's not talking to her, she can tell. His voice is pointing elsewhere.
More gunfire. Rapid, fast. A group moving towards wherever she was hiding, listening. Watching? Her eyes were open, she could feel herself blink and move and listen, but sight was utterly absent. The bullets ricochet off of metal. There is a lot of metal, she realizes. The walls and ground are soaked in it, she can feel the cold against her toes.
She moves. Walks towards the gunfire but not directly. There's someone there. Too close to have been Simon - also this person is scared. Their breath is all shaky. Their hands shake too, and metal clatters softly. A gun? An unused gun. While they're being fired upon. In her mind, Qĭ holds her breath; in her memory, she continued forward, unafraid.
Whomever she's walking towards notices her - a small gasp and little else before Qĭ reaches and the gun is in her hands. She's not afraid. The other person still is. Shocked, perhaps, but the gunfire hasn't let up.
"Can't look. Can't look."
She moves. Ducks. Around a corner? Cover, because the bullets bounce off the metal close to her ears but she doesn't flinch. She can't think of why she would, but she notices everything while blind.
Then she feels her eyes close.
Spin, pivot. Pulls the trigger three times and her lids are still closed - POP, POP, POP. Spin back and stand straight. The person she's with is very scared now. Scared and shocked at her. They sound like the way Simon breathes when he has a nightmare of the fire, when the images bleed from one to another. But it's not Simon - Qĭ is certain of that. Still, she wishes she could see who it is. Her eyes open but there's no sight to be had.
When she speaks her voice is almost singsong, like a game. "No power in the 'verse can stop me."
She's still holding the gun.