1st Cut -- [Audio | Cellphone] -- [Forward-dated to around 3:00am on the 4th]

[twopercent]

[Somewhere in a suburban neighborhood, there's two loud gunshots, one right after the other.]

[Less than five minutes after that (for those that might have heard it), there's a comment on the network -- and for those receiving voice, Jack sounds on edge. What the hell. If he's lost it, then maybe he should just give in and join the rest of the crazy crew.]

Some of you were talking about strange animals? If anyone's awake out there, you might want to check your doors and windows. All of them.

Comments

audio

[struckout]

[ Yeah, she's not sure what to think, even after-- or maybe especially after that broadcast showing the toothed crow. After a few moments, and in a quiet, low tone: ]

I saw them talking about weird animals on the news earlier. [ A pause and rustle as she shifts. ] They think it's an urban legend or something.

audio

[twopercent]

[Jack had his doubts before, too, but now... ] ... It's not.

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[struckout]

....

Not surprised to hear it isn't.

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[twopercent]

I take it you haven't seen any of them yourself, huh?

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[struckout]

There were some birds, earlier, but... could have just been my imagination.

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[twopercent]

Hmm. Keep an eye out, huh?

Name's Jack, by the way. [Might as well introduce himself... it looks like with the whole network situation, they're all in this together. Whatever 'this' is.]

[struckout]

Hm.

[ She doesn't have to be told at all, really- before this all started happening she would have never guessed herself to be capable of such deep-seated paranoia...

The introduction throws her off slightly. So far she's been so set on avoiding giving her own name that... the idea of reciprocating seems discordant the moment it comes to her. ]

Jack... got it.

[twopercent]

[Things have gotten so weird that Jack isn't too surprised she doesn't return the introduction. Still, he's encourages:]

And what do I call you? [He pauses to consider, and adds] You don't have to tell me your real name if you don't want to. Just something to identify you.

[struckout]

[ Naturally, she pauses. She remembers talking to Elle, and the way she suggested as well that she didn't have to give her real name. It was there that she went ahead and offered what appears on her driver's license and all, but here on this network... ]

... Lightning.

[ In that vision she'd had, that memory that wasn't hers, that was what the man had called her in his anger. She doesn't know him, doesn't know why he'd used it... but it seems appropriate all the same regardless of the obvious kind of 'code name' quality.

If she has to go by something else here, it may as well fit the ability that accompanied the number allowing her access... right? ]

[twopercent]

[If it was Lightning BOLT, Jack might have had another strange memory dropped onto him... but for now, Lightning it is, then.]

Lightning.... Good to meet you. And... sorry if I woke you up. [That happened an awful lot here.]

[struckout]

Hard to sleep anyway... don't worry about it.

[ There's a shrug built into her tone, but it's practically impossible to tell exactly what emotion might be behind the answer. It's true though, whatever else it might be... ]