Mini-Grand 5111 [Round 3: Menagerie]

Originally posted on MSPA by Pick Yer Poison.

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SpoilerDOUBLE LENGTH POST GOGOGO

[color=#JUSTICE]Batman strode confidently towards the end of the plane, where he suspected the mechanics were controlled. He had no actual evidence to base this idea on; in fact, he'd never been in a plane before, and if he had, he would have more likely been heading for the front, where the cockpit was. The only thing he had to compare the plane to was a simply boat; in his mind, it seemed most logical to head to where the rudder would be.

An out of breath attendant stepped in front of him as he reached the elevator to the luxury decks. "I'm sorry...sir," he panted, "but these decks are off...off limits." He had no idea who this weirdo in the red suit was, and even though he was oddly out of breath and had a very nasty sinking feeling in his stomach, he still remembered one of the first Pan-Asia Airway training lessons - "Any appearance of danger is merely a device designed to enhance your work experience."

In case it wasn't evident, this particular attendant wasn't very bright to start with, and the lack of oxygen wasn't helping matters very much.

Batman calmly and patiently counted to seven before he became bored of counting, and then he punched the attendant in the gut, knocking the wind out of him and knocking him to his knees. Batman looked down at him coldly. "Batman goes where he wants." The attendant was too busy trying to regain his breath to say much in response, so Batman shrugged and walked into the elevator.[/color]

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Rannus resisted the urge to ask if they had reached their destination yet. He did not enjoy being folded up into the tiny police car the way he was, and he was already savoring the idea of being able to leave it. The only reason he was still in it was because it was faster than walking across the massive plane.

"I hate to tell you this, guys," Avus said from the front, "but I think it might be faster for us to just walk. I mean, just look at this! We're never getting the car through here!" He slammed his hand on the horn and gestured in front of the car angrily. A horde of people in various stages of panicking were flocking in front of it, completely unaware of the police mission they were blocking.

Rannus had the door open and was unfolding himself before Avus had even finished speaking, needing no excuse to stretch his cramped legs. He considered for a moment a spell that would cause the civilians to instinctively avoid the car, but dismissed it. While the materials required for it were already in evidence, the words easy to recall, and the setup simple, it could only end with him collapsed in the back of that vehicle like some crystalline folding chair. He forged onwards, pushing people aside when they failed to move of their own accord.

The bird cops and the cameraman followed suit after only a few moment's hesitation, Avus gazing longingly at his beloved car. "I'll be back, baby," he whispered to it before running off. He imagined he could hear the car whispering back, and a single tear dripped down his cheek. Cordave, on the other hand, just tried to imagine that his partner wasn't talking to their car.

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[color=#JUSTICE]The elevator doors whooshed open, and just in time; Batman had been moments away from trying to break the door open on his own. The longer he stayed in that tiny room the more panicked he became, making the twenty second ride seem to take twenty minutes. A set of double doors greeted him. In a fit of temporary nervousness, he delayed for a few moments by shooing some imaginary dust particles off of his spacesuit. It took just long enough for him to regain his composure, and he strode towards the pair of doors.[/color]

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The lower observation deck was crowded with terrified patrons. Miraculously, the group lay silent, untouched by the chaos that had claimed the upper decks. All eyes were on the clouds, which were getting closer and closer. Nobody could explain why their feet were still planted on the floor of the plane, and no one particularly cared to. The serenity was one rarely found in times of peace, much less times of crisis. It was reminiscent of the solace found in a good book and a warm cup of--

[color=#JUSTICE]The doors burst open and Batman jumped through. "HAVE NO FEAR, CITIZENS!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "BATMAN IS HERE TO--"[/color]

The spell was broken. Some began screaming and shouting, others began crying and holding each other, and many began pounding on the glass in a desperate attempt to throw themselves out of the window, as if they might fare better against the water on their own terms. Many fled past Batman towards the elevator, the crowd parting around him like a stream around a rock.

[color=#JUSTICE]"...to save...you..." he finished quietly, no one able to hear him over the fearful din.[/color]