Beauty & The Beast

[Carthrat]

While N'Dovu was acting contemptuous, Kyle had pulled out a potentially more dangerous weapon than the gun or the knives.

It was a radio.

"Echo Base, we have a hostile in Charlie Dig," he speaks, quickly. "Requesting reinforcements.."

[Brian]

N'dovu sighs, and shakes his head at Kyle.  "Too bad," he says.  "You know what regret is?"

Then he swings his staff around as hard as possible at Kyle's throat.

[Carthrat]

Kyle's head turns at an angle that it was never supposed to be at, and he crumples to the ground. The doctor gasps.

N'Dovu notices that the dig site is now completely vacant. Apart from the doctor and the wounded woman, not a soul is in sight.

He can hear the sound of Rick's car, not far away..

[Brian]

"Oh well," N'dovu says sadly.  "Take care of the woman -- when Rick comes.  This must be taken care of."  N'dovu then picks up Kyle's body, and begins moving as quickly as he can while wounded down to the altar below.

[Carthrat]

As N'Dovu hauls Kyle away, he can hear the radio blurting back..

"Charlie Dig, please respond... Charlie Dig, please respond..."

The doctor doesn't really respond to N'Dovu, simply gawking at what's going on.

When N'Dovu arrives back at the altar, it's just as he left it.

[Brian]

N'dovu laughs darkly.  "I leave you this, Fire, another spirit and a body to do with as you see fit.  One hopes that it has use ... or fills the space the woman above left empty."  With a shrug, he leaves, then, climbing back above ground -- hopefully in time to catch Rick.  If not ... there may be a few more bodies joining Kyle once his reinforcements arrive.

[Carthrat]

N'Dovu reaches the exit into the surface dig site to discover an alarming problems.

There are a group of men outside, talking amongst themselves. While not dressed as soldiers, they carry handguns and wicked-looking knives. They are anxious and worried. Among them is the doctor, who is pointing towards the entrance N'Dovu now stands near...

[Brian]

N'dovu blinks.

And looks around.

No cars.  No helicopters.

Then again, where did the kids all go?

Sighing, N'dovu limps his way over towards the doctor.  The woman has to be protected, and if these men are Kyle's friends, Fire may have a lot more bodies to play with shortly.

[Carthrat]

"...killed Kyle? Amanda will be-"

The men, seeing N'Dovu, abruptly exchange glances of shock.

That's pretty normal, after all.

"What the-" the say, flabbergasted.

[Brian]

"Kyle's downstairs," N'dovu says tiredly.  "In the ruins."

[Carthrat]

"Why'd you put him down there?" blurts out the doctor, who sounds quite scared, now.

The men about clutch their weapons all the more tightly, apparently not made of the same stuff that Kyle was. There's about six of them, and they're all fairly close together.

[Brian]

N'dovu shrugged.  "I don't know why he wanted to go below the earth," he says.

[Carthrat]

"He didn't have much of a choice in the matter," replies the doctor, backing away.

The gunmen level their guns at N'Dovu, uncertainty still flickering in their eyes..

[Brian]

N'dovu looks at the gunmen in annoyance.  "He had all the choice in the world, Doctor.  He had choice to not attack me.  But he did, and he wouldn't stop.  Even when I gave him three chances, and tried to capture him without hurtiing him.  You fault the warrior who defends himself from death?"  He shrugs.  "I don't like killing people.  It's bad.  I have too many ghosts chasing me."  N'dovu glances at the gunmen again, somewhat disdainfully.  "None of you are true warriors, so you wouldn't know.  But duty is heavier than a mountain, and death is lighter than a feather.  I remain, and bear my burden.  Kyle sought for and reached his freedom."

[Carthrat]

The gunmen look at N'Dovu like he's crazy.

The doctor snorts.

"He's crazy," notes one of the gunmen, flatly. "Yeah, ok, buddy. Tell that to the judge."

He gestures with his wrist, indicating N'Dovu should move in front and to the west, where a van is waiting.