ghostsintheai - Tumblr blog

[ghostsintheai]

Think of it this way: you’re not waiting, you’re lying in wait, like tigers ready to pounce.

"Now I can take that. Even if I'm still vibrating out of my skin."

[ghostsintheai]

… now what

"We wait."

"Black Mesa may have heard the gun shots... if not, they'll come back later... we can't do anything to them until they return."

"I'm going to go beat the shit out of the machine in the backyard. Anyone whose got too much energy and no place to put it is welcome to come with me." With that, Forzen slips through the glass door out to the backyard.

[ghostsintheai]

Gordon’s out. He’s alive and he’s getting the hell out of town. Mission accomplished, you lot, congratulations.

"this is a bitter fucking victory."

"there isn't much we can do about that. I know you hate waiting, love."

[ghostsintheai]

Oh god, Gordon, your shoulder…

Unfortunately, you are a part of the group who are stuck behind. Gordon is now out of your reach.

Tommy does something similar to the other guard, knocking him out with the butt of his own gun, and the ghosts leave them there, in a heap in the front lawn. The shimmering forms disappear back inside, the door shutting, lock clicking shut behind them.

Whatever mercy there may have been in any of them is gone now.

[ghostsintheai]

Drive, man, drive!! - 🎶

But it doesn't stop. It keeps driving, far off, turning the corner at the same speed. Briefly, those stuck in the house, catch a glimpse of Gordon, his hand on the wheel and his stump coming up to rest on his shoulder, blood streaking down it. But he does not stop. He does not look back. He just keeps driving, and those who are stuck lose him from view.

Benrey manages, just a second to late, to snatch the gun from the man's hands, and, in a fit of rage, bashes the butt of it against the man's face with a sickeningly wet crack. The man goes limp, nose a mangled mess.

[ghostsintheai]

SHIT

Tommy manages to get the gun from the man, who cowers, suddenly without his power in the situation. He doesn't seem quite sure what to do with it, but he has it away from the man who would use it against Gordon, and that's all that matters.

Benrey, on the other hand, is still struggling with his, even with Coomer coming around to try and wrap his arms tight around the man, pull the two of them apart.

Gordon's tires screech as he pulls out of the driveway, sending one last look towards his friends, then pulling away as quick as he can-

BANG

The car swerves

[ghostsintheai]

Uh, uh, Ghostly Crew, any ideas for a distraction??

Benrey flashes into existence next to him body phsyical just enough to have grabbed the gun in the man's hands and pointed it up into the air, so the bullet flies up, though neither keep track of where it went. In the rising sun, Benrey is barely visible, a shimmer silloute of what he usually is.

Behind him, Tommy is in a similar position with the other man, wrestling the gun between them, trying to get it out of the man's grasp.

The car starts.

[ghostsintheai]

GORDON SPRINT

You have no need to tell him twice. He gathers himself, takes a breath, then stands, flinging open his door and booking it down the drive. The door slams into the wall, and he rounds the corner around his house, heading towards his car, just as he hears someone shout form inside. He slides into his car, locks it as he gets in, fumbles, just a bit, almost drops his keys. He ducks a bit to catch them and-

BANG

[ghostsintheai]

Keys Get! Step one complete! - 🎶

Eventually, the two of them stop arguing, and Gordon stares towards the kitchen in fear of one of them coming around, but-

The footsteps retreat back into the room. The man on the couch huffs, settles again.

It's once again silent.

[ghostsintheai]

Oh no

He's stuck here until the two of them finish their argument. They'll see the door open, they'll hear it, his door is not quiet, he learned that in the first few days. He can't do anything but sit here and listen to the two of them arguing over the popsicles he bought for his son. Gordon wonders, briefly, how his life turned out like this. Hiding from a government sanctioned military guard on his house, listening to them talk about stealing his food.

[ghostsintheai]

You’re about to run for your life and these assholes are raiding your goddamn fridge. Unbelievable.

Gordon shakes his head, though it does seem he's having to stifle another nervous laugh. He reaches up, grabs the key chain by the keys to stop them from clacking together, then carefully lifts them up from the hook, holding them tight enough his knuckles are pale. He brings it down closer to his level, behind the wall again, when he hears footsteps from the hallway.

"Dude are you sleeping again? Motherfucker, I just want a popsicle."

There's a dull thud, and a second voice groans "Fuck you... get your own damn popsicle... if there's any left."

"Oh you ass, did you finish them? You know the doodle ones are my favorite."

[ghostsintheai]

Okay this is getting dire real fuckin quick

Gordon does give himself a small sigh as he gets around the couch, closer to the front door. There's a half wall that seperates him and the back of the couch, that he stays crouched behind. Hidden, almost completely by it from the living room. However, he has a direct view into the kitchen, and thus out the back door. If anyone comes around and goes into the kitchen or comes back through the backyard, he's fucked. He lets himself sit there for a second, calm his beating heart.

[ghostsintheai]

Shit shit shit shit shit

Gordon freezes, staring towards the man on the couch, who makes no move to get up. He stays there, frozen, for a moment, before a voice from behind him calls.

"If you're getting up can you steal a popsicle from the guy's fridge? Motherfucker got the doodle ones, love those ones."

Gordon, despite himself, has to desperately stifle a laugh. He stuffs his fist against his mouth and starts making quicker progress across the floor. The man on the couch doesn't answer his friend, and giving no answer means that other is likely to come out and see what in the world is actually happening. Gordon would like to not be in the living room when that happens.

[ghostsintheai]

With any luck, that one’s dozing… Keep calm, no need to panic yet…

He keeps going, undettered by his lack of keys, or his lack of companionship through this perilous journey. The man on the couch sniffs, Gordon freezes for a moment, but the man makes no movement, nothing towards his gun or hat, just sniffs, shifts a bit deeper into the couch and continues on as he was. Gordon doesn't let himself breathe, just keeps taking careful slow steps across-

Under his foot, glass cracks.

[ghostsintheai]

You have your car keys, right, Gordon? Don’t show them or anything in case they jingle, but you’ve got ‘em? - 🎶

Gordon gives a rather unfortunate shake of his head, before jerking it towards the door.

Still hanging next to it, rather stupidly, is his car keys, with the cowboy hat key chain that Joshua had conned him into buying nearly a year prior. No keys are missing. It's what Gordon focuses on as he steps carefully through the carnage of his own home.

[ghostsintheai]

oh god oh god oh god

With a careful, steadying, silent breath, Gordon begins to sneak his way across his own living room. He had gotten rid of the boxes just days before this all went down, but now his living room is a mess once again. Any books or knick knacks he has are scattered across the floor, though he keeps an eye out for anything broken. So far nothing, as he takes a few steps across the wood, eyes darting back and forth to the man on the couch.

He doesn't know if he's sleeping or not. Gordon's not sure he wants to.

[ghostsintheai]

Shift your weight carefully, houses this old often have creaky floorboards. - 🎶

Gordon gives one quick nod. He knows where some of these floorboards are, having lived here just long enough to pinpoint a few, but he knows there is more, he knows there has to be more.

However, he has years of sneaking out of his old house as a teen under his belt. Perhaps nothing as high stakes as this, but the principle remains the same. He can do this.