[h2][color=gray]Caana[/color][/h2]

Once more, her aim was impeccable despite the nerves causing small tremors in her body. Her hand reached for another arrow as she witnessed the explosive result of her decision. She shielded her eyes, the second compact arrow still in her palm as the ground platform they were on shook beneath her. Not at the impact, but at the shrieking of the being, who definitely [i]was[/i] affected by Nova's hit. She just hoped it wouldn't piss it off. Sucking in a breath, Nova ran once more, toward Cosette and the dropped Jay. If the being was to retaliate, Nova wouldn't damn allow it. 

She shot a glance over her shoulder toward the group she had departed from, noticing Nick's form still on the ground. He hadn't gotten up after her shout for him to go for Cosette, and Nova [i]knew[/i] that she meant a lot to him. Was he...? The man from the slab was beside him, curiously looking at the scene. The scientist shook her head, she'd have to check on him after she got to Cosette first, her speed already closing the distance between her and the curly-haired girl on the cold stone.  The being shrieked, and Nova's heart thumped loudly as if she didn't watch him. It felt like running up the stairs after you'd just turned off the lights. She slid to a stop in between the two girls, almost losing her balance as her momentum wanted her body to keep going. She regained her footing and tried to shield the unconscious Cosette from the crumbling being, her eyes shooting to Jay to check if she was even still alive. 

How had this gone so wrong, so fast?

Her laboured breathing rattled softly as she lowered hovered over Cosette, her hand moving aside the hair covering her face. It seemed she was alright, at least from what Nova could see and what the metrics in her eye were telling her. The awful sound of the large being died down, and Nova looked up as he disintegrated in front of them. A relieved sigh pulled from her chest but something in her told her that it wasn't over. God, if Kai knew what she and Annalise had gotten themselves into? She knew he was already worried. Biting her lip, she shook the thought of her husband from her mind, trying to figure out what to do next. Her eyes went back to Annalise to check if she was alright, relieved to see that she was. Before any of them could act, it was the crackle of a speaker that demanded their attention but evaded the deaf woman's attention.

She frowned, sitting with her knees on the ground in between Cosette and Jay, her neck craning as a sudden voice vibrated in her very sternum, the words being spoken visibly in her retina, but the man's tone and grating arrogance was something even Nova could hear. Von Galloes. That was fucking it. That was the damn breaking point for Nova's composure. Her hands moved under Cosette, and she lifted her up into her arms, groaning a little at the strength it took.

A gasp and a surprised flap of wings beside her alerted Nova to the awakening of Jay. Good, at the very least, that was a good start. Now they needed to get out of here. As Von kept going, Nova walked Cosete back toward Nick, Annalise and the man from the slab. Just as she arrived, the raging asshole addressed her directly. She carefully put Cosette down next to Nick before she rose, her head snapping upward to try and look into the coward's face. [color=peachpuff]"You [i]fucking[/i] cunt. Didn't you cause enough misery yet?"[/color] the researcher complained, her voice laced with annoyance and anger before she flickered her eyes back to Annalise, her features softening a little. She didn't want to be this way around the girl she was supposed to be some type of example and guardian for. Jay called at the chaos-causer, too, and Nova heard the astute Annalise confirm their situation. 

Nova hated how Von Galloes pressed her points. She, an expert on CDE, was completely baffled about this site and he damn knew it, and enjoyed it, too. It didn't help Nova [i]not[/i] feeling like a failure, which was becoming an increasingly more permanent fixture in her life. She couldn't find Stella. She couldn't fully figure out the heart of hearts and she couldn't figure out the instability in this facility. And God did she hate that man. Paris a year ago was still too fresh, too raw, and now he just fueled the rage she felt bubbling under her surface. She reconnected the bow to her back before reaching for the holster on her thigh, lifting out her gun as Annalise spoke quickly and without filter, making the guarding blink. She gave her an encouraging smile. [color=peachpuff]"Yeah. If there's anything we know, it's that we can't trust this bastard."[/color] But Nova wanted to give him a piece of her damn mind. And being familiar with his antics meant that the door was the only way. But she didn't want to leave Cosette and Nick.

She clicked off the safety from her gun, her eyes steeling as she looked at the odd mix of companions. To Annalise, she spoke first. [color=peachpuff]"I know I say it often but, stay close."[/color] Her eyes went to Jay, then to the man on the slab. She didn't know these two, but she had to trust them like Cosette had trusted her in the submarine. And the girl and her stepfather were able to weigh in. [color=peachpuff]"Jay, you good? And what about you?"[/color] She asked the woman and the man from the slab, her finger curling around her gun, aimed to the ground and ready for anything Von would throw their way should they head up those stairs.