Post Tenebras Veritas (Planes/Cars RP)

[ShadowWolfCelica]

Shadow: Dusty, Doc

Seconds were lasting hours in Shadow's mind, watching as he was now clearly deciding. Her heart quickened, seeing that there was still the risk... no... he could still leave! She felt her tank drop, though a new mind set took over, not wanting him to go, not wanting to.... be without him. She had come to love being around him.... She didn't want him to go. She raced forward now, her mind whizzing 1000 mph. No... I've lost too many.... too many of those I love....
"Dusty Please dont go!" She started, her engine reaching a deafening tone as she pushed along. "Dusty you ARE needed, this whole mission needs you, you ARE the key... please Dusty you can't leave. Propwash needs you. You can't abandon those you love cause you think you just get in the way. You can't. It was not your fault they targeted you!! Dusty please...." She called out here, the desperation making her voice shake and quiver. She didn't try to hide it. She was too busy thinking about him and how to get him down.

"Please Dusty everyone needs you.... You are vital.... please....I.... I need you" She called out, slowing down now, tiredness taking over her body as her engine wound down. She bit her lip here, trying not to really show how she was feeling to those around her, though she now couldn't bear to look at Dusty, lowering her gaze to the floor as she came to a halt.

"Dusty please... I dont.... want to do this without you...." She murmured into her radio here, away from everyone.


Calypso: Miles

The instant she had mucked up, she knew that he had caught it. She tried to think up of a reason last minute, though her mind was now failing, not allowing her to focus on coming up with a feasible excuse. She opened her mouth to protest once more, though found even her body betrayed her, as she stalled out here, her mind panicking. He couldn't know.... He couldn't know..... She shut her eyes tightly. "N-No! I'm not.... Hiding anything!" She nearly shouted, squeezing her eyes shut. "I didn't....I didn't do ANYTHING! Not wrong at least! I... I'm not hiding! I don't need to hide! it was... an accident! That doesn't make me a bad car!!" She said here, tears rolling down her hood. "I.....I..... I can't hurt you...." SHe nearly sobbed here, backing away until she hit the wall gently. Her engine rumbled as she bit back more tears. "I'm sorry....."

[ZAFTPrime]

Doc - Tag: Shadow, Dusty

Doc couldn't help but agree. "She's right kid! If anything, there is always something that you can do! Miles didn't have anything to contribute, but he still did by being our eyes while we were in the vents! If he can do something, then you can too! It just needs to present itself! You may get that chance yet! You led us to Carew through your vision! I didn't even know who he was until today! But now I do, and I know he was involved at the attack I was caught up in five years ago!" He exclaimed, hoping Dusty wouldn't leave either.

"Please, kid! Reconsider! We need you here! What if Carew attacks your hometown while you are there?! He may do so to get you away from it! You need to do this for those you care about! Skipper, Chug, Dottie, they're all counting on you to get this thing resolved! Skipper may even get mad at you for giving up! Wasn't it he who taught you to keep going?! You owe it to him to keep going and push through!" Doc added. If they didn't have Dusty around, the mission would never get done!

[Dusty Crophopper]

Dusty - Tags: Shadow, Doc

Dusty closed his eyes and winced as Shadow said she needed him... she couldn't do this mission without him... and that... really hit home for the plane. She needed him around... and try as he might to suppress it... he had to admit he really couldn't leave her as well. When Doc came in to remind him of how he'd figured out who the car in the vision was, and that he might endanger his town by returning there... it lanced him deeply, because he knew they were valid points. But the thing that hurt the most was Skipper... and how he HAD taught him to keep going. He did owe it to Skipper if nothing else... but he owed it to his hometown as well to see this through to its conclusion... for their sake... and for those who had been killed there.

"You're right..." he said now softly, banking so he could come in for a landing near them. "You're right... I can't let my town down and..." he didn't finish that sentence, because he wanted to tell her to her face. It was only right after all. He extended his landing gear and touched down on the flat strip Carew had for such purposes outside his complex. He killed his engine and let the propeller's revolutions fall as he turned to head towards Shadow and Doc now. He stopped right in front of Shadow, tears misting his eyes as he gazed at her.

"I can't let you down either." he said, feeling something he'd never felt for a car before in his entire life... it was practically bursting out of him, though Shadow couldn't see it as it wasn't corporeal. He gave her a lopsided smile here, as he was wont to do, and gave her a nod. "We're in this together now... all of us." He said, looking over to Doc. "I accept your apology... I was really on edge and I snapped at you because well... I always believe in kindness over anger first. When others don't show it to me... I put up with it for so long before I just can't take anymore... and stress CAN get to me." He confessed here.

"You brought up good points too... all of them true." he informed the former race car. "I can't really... deny any of it sadly. I DID identify Carew I just... don't know what I can do from here on out." he said, blue eyes drifting back over to Shadow here.

Miles - Tags: Calypso

"Wait, wait!" he tried to reassure her here, driving up to her now. "I just... want to understand what happened!" he insisted softly. "I mean come on... do you think I'M one to judge you?" he pointed out, smiling slightly. "ME? One of the world's worst criminals?" he gave off a laugh here, then became serious again. "I mean I'd judge you? Really? I'm not one to do that!" he pointed out to her, almost chidingly. "But... what do you mean hurt me? I don't... understand. Calypso... it's going to be OK... all right?" he asked, looking right at her here, and smiling softly at her. "Come on... I can't judge you after what I did!"

[ZAFTPrime]

Doc - Tag: Shadow, Dusty

Doc grunted once. "Glad to see you realized it, kid." He said before he faced Dusty here. "You're just as stubborn as Lightning at times, but that's good. Still, don't worry about it, kid. We will find something for you to do yet. Just give it time, okay?" Doc then looked to Shadow.

"We still have to do that full exam of you. I haven't forgotten about it, so don't think you're out of it. Do you know of a place where there are full medical facilities?" He asked her here. If he had access to full medical equipment, then he could help here much easier. Doc still couldn't believe anyone would harvest the parts to this poor girl. He winced a bit at the mental images running through his mind, but shoved it aside.

Looking at Dusty, Doc then spoke. "If you want, you can come with to see if she's okay." He added here.

[ShadowWolfCelica]

Shadow: Dusty, Doc

The Celica had no idea she was holding her breath as she watched Dusty, only releasing it once Dusty started to bank now. She felt slightly shaky on her tires due to it, and she approached him as he came toward her. As he spoke, she gave a gentle smile to him, feeling glad that he'd chosen to stay. "You won't let me down.... You won't...." She soothed here, approaching him more here, just out of touching distance. "I'm... just glad you didn't leave..." She added, looking to the floor, relief having taken over her body now. "Dusty, you're important to this... you can't leave. Promise.... Promise me you won't do that again, ok?" She asked him gently here, hoping for it to mean something a little deeper than just the mission they were on.... Shadow in turn looked back to Doc, nodding somewhat carefully.
"I.... don't think i know of a place round here, this country is new to me. But.... you know, I suppose it's time I had it all looked at. I didn't let CHROME see all that much I will admit, I just.... didn't want to be told I was broken in anyway. I thought if I went untreated, I would actually have pulled through by myself, no help.... I'm away that it was kinda dumb to do that but.... I wanted... no, needed to prove that I could do it alone. I couldn't really rely on anyone else" She confessed here, her gaze somewhat submissive. She glanced to Dusty nervously, biting her lip. "You dont have to if you dont want to... I'm not great with medical places. I tend to.... want to be in there for the least amount of time" She said gently to him.


Calypso: Miles

The Mclaren stared at Miles for a moment, his words sinking in. He was.... right. He couldn't judge her.... not after that stunt he pulled. She straightened up a little here, her eyes flicking constantly between his two pupils, almost as if she were trying to read them. Of course, not being good with other cars, she wasn't a hugely aware of body language, and was more used to offending others. She gave out a tired sigh, her form sagging once again, running over the incident over and over and over..... She had spent so long trying to.... run away from it all. Keeping it hidden... How DID she eventually admit to it? Was there even a way?? She took a deep breath to try and calm herself for a moment, before setting her mind back to that chilly and icy day.....
"Me and De'Rourke had friendly races. It was nothing big, just something to pass the time really. Well, before his accident, I challenged him, daring that he couldn't deal with the roads, as they were... covered in ice and snow. We had no grip but it didn't really.... stop us. Anyway... he'd won the last few races and I wanted my own back, wanted to win one again. So..... I waited until he did his similar trick of pulling ahead at the last moment.... And I...." She paused here, her heart crashing as she relived it.

"I nudged his bumper to the side in an effort to cheat. Just to spin him off course! That was it! But.... He..... He crashed. And... I couldn't save him... I tried! I tried to help him but he... just.... exploded" She whispered out her last words, tears stinging her eyes. "I killed one of my only friends. So... I left. Ran away. Let everyone believe I had crashed too. I couldn't.... Couldn't live with myself."

[ZAFTPrime]

Doc - Tag: Shadow, Dusty

"Well, do you know where the nearest CHROME office is at least? Maybe I could use their medical facilities." Doc suggested. "And you're right that was a dumb thing to do. I never met a car who goes around with potentially all of this severe damage and doesn't get it looked at. I don't know if that's admirable or downright stupid." He then sighed. "Either way, we should head to the nearest CHROME building and get you looked at."

In truth, Doc was dreading what he would find. It was possible Shadow had only a few injuries that never healed properly, or she could be a doctor's worst nightmare in terms of injuries that went untreated. He was seriously praying it wasn't the latter. But even if it was, he wouldn't refuse to treat her. The poor girl didn't deserve that fate.

[Dusty Crophopper]

Dusty - Tags: Shadow, Doc

Dusty was about to respond, thinking over whether or not he could promise her if he'd never leave her again, but Doc HAD technically spoken up first, and it was what was said last that concerned him the most. First off though... "Yeah... guess I can be pretty stubborn." Dusty responded, looking up. "I don't believe in quitting... ever." Doc tried to tell him they'd find something for him to do... but he wasn't so sure on that, as he still had no idea what he COULD do. But then... Doc suggested they get Shadow checked out, and Dusty could come along too. Shadow then launched into an explanation of how she... had never told much anyone this due to fear of being called broken, and Dusty's heart leaped into his mouth over this. "Wait, WHAT?" he asked, looking at her with concern, eyes looking over her frantically. "Wait... you're... you're WHAT? Damaged inside? What... how?" he asked.

"I don't... understand." he said softly, looking from her to Doc and back to her again. "Shadow... what... are you talking about? Of course I'd go with you!" he quickly added. "I wouldn't leave you in some medical facility without emotional support! No way!" he insisted. "So... what... what exactly... are we looking for?" he asked, having never suspected Shadow had deep lying... medical issues. "And... uh... I... I promise... I won't leave..." he said, looking off to the side before back at her shyly here, though the concern had never left his features once.

Miles - Tags: Calypso

Miles studied her, listening to her tale of high-octane racing, shenanigans and... pranks that led to the fiery death of her friend. He soon was staring at her with wide eyes, in disbelief at what he was hearing. She... she murdered De'Rourke... killed him... but... but it was just a simple accident right? But surely she should've known the dangers of such antics on icy roads! There was a look of pure shock and perhaps even horror in his eyes and on his face as he realized she'd lied to him... she'd lied to him this entire time! She hadn't been traveling! She'd been hiding from her past... and any potential repercussions!

"I... I see..." he said here, trailing off and trying to digest it all. "Well uh... I... I don't really know what to... say..." he said here, thinking to the time he had ordered the deaths of cars as well... he hadn't really... killed... on his own... by himself... it was mostly Zundapp who had killed agents who had gotten too close... telling Axlerod he'd take care of all problems for him. He'd only ever ordered that Lightning McQueen be killed... and that had failed. This was different though... this was a direct action of hers that had led to a death... all in good fun that had suddenly turned to horror for her.

"I never knew..." he finally told her softly, looking down. "So you've been... hiding ever since?" he asked, looking up at her but not lifting his front. "Don't you... don't you think... you should ever... go back?" he asked softly, almost guiltily. "You know... I mean to face... it... to heal?" he asked, rolling his left front wheel around and around as he spoke. "I... said I wouldn't judge you so I won't." He added, nodding his front, but keeping it lowered. "I'm sorry this... happened... to you. Do you... blame yourself?" he asked softly, beginning to sidle up to her now, trying to move beside her to try and comfort her as best he could, as he could tell she was still rattled by this... and definitely had a conscience regarding it... which was good.

Miles had been accused of having a heart as black as oil, and he hated that moniker... he knew how hard it was to shake a perception like that once it had taken hold. He had a conscience too... and being around this team... this group... it had brought it to the fore... and it was hard to suppress it like he had during the Allinol Scandal. He sighed, and closed his eyes, nuzzling against her here for support.

Blade - Tags: No One

Blade extended his landing gear and came in for a landing back in Rio, having gone on ahead of the others. He felt uncertain about what was going to take place now... off to Thailand probably... and then maybe they'd get some answers. He began rolling down the street, trying to figure out what he'd do from here on out. Maybe he'd just... go to the beach and veg out. There was still a good chunk of the day left after all, and no way Finn would have them move out so soon already. It was best to just try and clear his thoughts and mind... relax and figure out what to do from here. He wanted to contribute in a more active role from now on... he just wasn't sure what he could beyond aerial support... but still... best to think of that now that he had the time.

[ZAFTPrime]

Doc - Tag: Shadow, Dusty

Doc faced Dusty squarely. "This is the reason I snapped at you. I was trying to check her over for any damages resulting from the encounter with Carew, and I found scars on her right side as well as a small dent on her left. The dent is of no real concern, but the scars on her right were. I was trying to get information on how she got them when you called me over. Again, I'm sorry I snapped at you that time, but I was dealing with a very serious issue that needed to be addressed promptly."

The midnight blue racecar managed to suppress a shudder. "From what she told me, her family would harvest her parts as a punishment for not being what they wanted her to be. I have no idea on how she is still awake or even moving if she never had those injuries treated, but I intend to find out. If any of the parts had not been connected right, she could have died. I want to make sure everything is connected the way it should be, but if it's not, I may have to redo the work myself." Doc added, already feeling a bit sick at the idea someone would do that to a car as sweet as Shadow.

"I don't understand why anyone would do that to a car as sweet as her..." He muttered under his breath. Racecars by nature were very aggressive when it came to protecting and caring for their young, but if any car was forced through what Shadow experienced, then a racecar could get attached to the victimized car in a paternal way. Doc was no exception. Already he thought of Lightning as a son, but was it possible that he would think of Shadow as a daughter as well?

[Titanic X 21]

Radar - No one

The big AWACS shot a glance down at the group below and he felt relief surge through him as a smile crossed his face. Dusty had finally changed his mind it seemed. And that was the best thing so far. They needed him, and he needed them. It was as simple as that. His mind then drifted back to Blade and he looked over in the direction of the helicopter, only to notice that he was gone. Radar's eyes narrowed and he expanded his awareness with his radar, picking up the helo's signature and he sighed in relief. It looked like he was heading for the beach.

A smirk crossed his face.

He knew that Horah had headed down to the beach earlier to try and get some relaxation time in. He wondered if Blade would come across the large jet someplace down there.

Spray - No one

Spray closed his eyes as he finally slumped against one of the buildings in Rio. He felt a lot better being away from Carew's factory. He didn't know why. Plus at least his head wasn't hurting anymore. He felt the tension leave his body and he sighed in relief.

"Man... I'm sure glad to be out of Carew's sight..." he murmured. He didn't even notice the Komet coming up behind him.

[ShadowWolfCelica]

Shadow: Doc, Dusty

Shadow hadn't been able to meet Dusty's eyes as he asked what was going on. She didn't want him to worry.... She must have been fine, she still worked right? She was going to answer, though found that she could only open her mouth, the words simply failing to come out. Doc seemed to take over, and repeated what she'd earlier told him. The memories of those dark container rooms seeped back into her mind... causing her to feel a strong bout of sickness. Her tank heaved and she grit her teeth as she tried to remain still. She gave a shudder as an image of her mother descending upon her with all sorts of tools flashed in her mind, causing to breath quickly now, unable to control herself. Memories that had been suppressed for so long now came at her like it happened yesterday. As if on cue, her headlights started flashing as anger and fear controlled her mind now. She had done nothing wrong! She had been good!

They were the ones who were in the wrong! They wanted her to murder, to kill! She couldn't! She refused! Why had they wanted her to kill so much? Shadow closed her eyes as Doc's words brought more terror, causing her to shake all over for a moment, more hunched up over her aching tank. The mention that she didn't deserve it made her snap her eyes open, her eyes unfocused as she stared ahead. "I didn't! No! Why did they hate me? They wanted me to murder the innocent! They wanted me to kill everyone that opposed them. Take them apart bit by bit! But I didn't want to! I said no! Why was I punished for not murdering anybody?" She cried almost hysterically, her eyes now focusing on Dusty, almost looking to him for answers.

"I...... I didn't.... Do anything"

Calypso: Miles

The horror. It was clear on his face. She could see it. She knew... She knew it had been a bad idea to tell him. She couldn't keep any friend with this over her head.... She just simply couldn't. She shook all over now, praying he wouldn't turn and run. She was surprised when in fact that he came closer.... She instinctively reversed, not wanting to feel as if she could hurt him too.... Though she allowed him to get nearer still. Se breathed in as he mentioned going back, shaking her hood a little here now. "I can't Miles.... I can't. i wouldn't be able to stomach it.... i'm a murderer. And.... I just want to stay on the run. I dont deserve a home or a family.... De'Rourke never got one, so why should I?" She mumbled more here, looking away. She breathed out more as Miles nuzzled her, finding she was pushing back into him, closing her eyes.

"I hurt people miles..... You should leave before i hurt you too darling... i'm not a good car...." She said here, though didn't move from his side. "I saw the horror in your eyes. you despise me. Maybe even fear me"