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[i]As he approached the pedestrian crossing, he looked over.  The lights were red so he didn't slow his gait.  He glanced down at his phone as he crossed, eager to finish the message he was sending to Clara.  The loud honking of a horn drew his attention.  He turned his head quickly to bright lights.  Bus lights.  Crash.

The lights were red.

Pain.  So much pain.  He couldn't feel his legs.  Couldn't feel his arms.  Couldn't move his head.  The evening sky was his view.  An indigo sheet dotted with the occasional twinkle.  Pain.  Slow blinks.  Eyelids heavy.  He could hear voices.

"Oh my god!"

"Call an ambulance!"

A face.  Unknown.  Horrified.  Am I going to die?  Fuck, please no.  I'm too young to die.  This pain though.  The lights were red.  Eyelids so heavy.  Need to rest my eyes.

"Sir, are you with us?  Stay with us."

More faces.  Paramedics.  Please save me.  Please fucking save me.  Can't keep my eyes open.  Save me.

"We're losing him."

Shit.  Pain subsiding.  Blackness.  Faces in the dark.  My mother.  Father.  Sister.  More family.  Friends.  Teachers.  Randoms.[/i]

"He doesn't appear to have any serious injuries." 

[i]Oh thank god.[/i]

"Just a nasty bump on the back of his head."  

[i]Wait.  Is that all.  That bus though.[/i]

"Wake up, adventurer. The battle isn't yet done."

Zell opened his eyes after feeling the sharp pain on his cheek for the second time.  He was traumatized.  Shocked to see the townguard rise up to his feet and turn his attention to other things.  The swordsman sat up to see skeletons fleeing out of the gate, hearing the ogres roar in their last stand.  He got up quickly, reached for his sword to find it was gone.  When he saw James he did his best to give him the bravest face he could manage, puffing his chest out.  "Good to see you're not dead," was all he could think to say, and he gave the staff wielder a salute.  "Now where the fuck is my sword?"

Fortunately, in spite of what the guardsmen told him, the battle was indeed over.  The ogres were being finished off as he carefully approached, remembering that his sword was stuck in the shoulder of the Armoured Ogre.  His mind was in shambles as he watched the townguards and others enjoying their victory.  "Good job," he told one who he passed.  Then shouted over to Arthur. "Hey Arthur! Nice going!"

Growling with effort as he pushed over the vine-wrapped Armoured Ogre, he went around and found the sword sticking out of the dead beast. He couldn't get the bus lights out of his head.  He was dead!  This was... hell or... something.  Dead, god damnit! "Get it together, man," he told himself quietly as he yanked the sword free, then realized frustratedly, "Oh jeez, it's not even [i]mine[/i]."

He found his sword near the eastern gate, and the time taken meant he missed most of the conversation, but also gave him enough space to prepare himself to be the usual macho dumbass he presented himself to be.

"Saving the world?  Alriiiight," he interjected, inserting himself between the farm man and the European woman whose accent he still couldn't place.  He put an arm around each of them to rest on their shoulders and gave them both a grin.  "Road trip. Let's do it. Anything to take our minds off being kidnapped by another dimension or whatever... I'm down."