The Ether..

[Bean Bandit]

Bean sweatdropped as she stared at the only likely looking shelter. "I...I've seen this ride." she remembered. Listening carefully to the gunshots to determine how much time she had, she quickly looked around for the controls so she could put them out of commission before hiding in the ride.

[Carthrat]

The ticket booth, presumably with controls in it, is nearby the ride. There is a control panel in it, with several clearly labelled buttons.

<Off> <1x> <2x> <3x> <4x> <Emergency Brake>

[Bean Bandit]

Bean murmured a soft apology to whoever owns the abandoned park, and unwraps her sword...and with one, swift arc, stabs hard at the control panel...

[Carthrat]

The control panel is broken, with a satisfying *crunch* as the weight of the blade more than the edge smashes into it.

The lights on the Hypertron die out..

The gunshots are getting closer, and now Kaoru can discern that one weapon is some kind of heavy pistol or the like, and the other weapon is a sub-machine gun..

OOC: That's a novel way of dealing with it.

[Bean Bandit]

Bean nervously hurries into the ride, staying out of sight, and crouching low beside the door, the jeans and T-shirt discarded behind her for the moment as she listens intently to the gunshots, not daring to look outside any longer...

[Carthrat]

The rapid-fire gunshots continued on for a few moments, and Kaoru could tell they were right outside.

She could even hear laboured breathing through the wall, along with what sounded like a frantic effort to reload..

[Bean Bandit]

Bean did nothing, save for get as still as she could, and readying the sword. She slowed her breathing to the point where she herself could barely hear it, and listened intently, silently urging the gun-toting people to go away...

[Carthrat]

Kaoru heard the gun outside get reloaded, and start firing again-

and was promptly cut off by the other gunslingers weapon. Kaoru heard the submachine gun clatter to the ground, and a wet splat, along with a feminine cry, followed by shallow breathing.

And a disturbing laugh from further away, like a child in a grown mans body giggling at a joke..

[Bean Bandit]

Bean's eyes widened. My god...a woman? she fidgeted for a second longer, then cautiously peeked around the doorframe, careful to keep herself as hidden as she could manage.

It should be okay...the one closest to me is wounded...still...

[Carthrat]

As Kaoru looks outside, she sees... herself.

Oh, there were differences. The hair was tied in a looser ponytail, she was wearing lots of denim, there was a bullet wound in her arm, and she was facing off what looked like an insane fat man in a top hat.

This fat man was hovering a few feet off the ground, laughing hysterically. In one hand, he held a cane like one would hold a rapier, his other hand behind his back. The cane had a hole in the front, like a gun, and was smoking. He was pointing it at the Kaoru-lookalike and about to execute her, by the look of things..

[Bean Bandit]

Bean felt all the blood drain from her face as she watched the faceoff. Oh god...I know him

Quickly glancing around, she looked for something, ANYthing feline. A real cat would be best, but seeing as how her life was now in danger, she would experiment if she had to.

[Carthrat]

Kaoru could see that directly across from the Hypertron was a small stall selling various stuffed animals, cats among them. However, rushing across would make her presence obvious..

[Bean Bandit]

Bean shook her head, watching intently. I'm sorry...I wish I could do something. she thought at the woman. But that's suicide. Argh...I wish this sword was a gun...Laser, preferably. She thought inanely as she settled down, hiding.

[Carthrat]

As Kaoru sat, hiding, the boom of the mans cane echoed into the night sky.. and there was no more breathing.

[Bean Bandit]

Bean put her face in her hands, trying to stifle the irrational tears and fear welling up within her. It was one thing to see a death, but quite another when it was your own...Wait...when did I accept this as 'my' face? she wondered deleriously, peeking out around the corner.