Side Story Champions of the Arena II: The Hunt

Status
Not open for further replies.

ELEVATOR
"It's been 'the time' for a while now, Yash!" Arcade snapped. "If any of you are holding back, I swear to--"

[BONK]

"Fuck!"
Arcade groaned. He pulled his head back out of the hole in the elevator consume. He removed a small, metallic box a moment later. It was no larger than a watch, but it somehow managed to hold a small, holographic display. In many ways, it resembled the middle segment of the Hunted's collars. "It's asking me for a fucking password!" The Madman cried, rubbing the back of his head. "Won't let me start the override without it! Can't hack it in time!" He whacked his forehead with the ball of his palm. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Think! Think! Think! It's 8 letters long! Fuck! Think! Think! Think!"

@Yun Lee @Takumi @Jeremi @Atomic Knight

Shhhhhhrnnnkkkkk!!

Ouka placed his hand on the floor, concentrating on the floor of the hall outside the elevator and causing water to gather from the air before it hardened and rose into spikes that almost touched the ceiling to block the zombies from getting any closer, further spikes pushed out with a thought to force the zombies back and skewer them.

Whooosh!!

From there, he tried to help deal with any remaining Zombies still inside the elevator that Yash might have missed, by creating another crystalized sword and aiming right for their heads. If succesful, he'd let his weapon dissolve for the moment, but make sure to keep his guard up.

A password? Hell, they were really doomed now. Yashamaru continued to fight, as he would until his last breath. That was the only way he could go down, swinging. But his mind raced. Eight letters...it could be anything. Anything had eight. Sorc Tormo had nine. Champion? Massacre? What was it?

But one word, one strange word snuck into his mind. He'd seen it everywhere, heard it more times than he could count. Even if he had been focused on this wicked game, he was no stranger to that subliminal marketing. Without thinking, that little word slipped out of his mouth.

"...Oblivion?"

@Sark @Jeremi @Takumi @Atomic Knight

When asked about a 8 letter password, Ouka opened his mouth but Yash had already beaten him to his guess, so the young apprentice simply nodded his head in agreement.

"Try that one." He said, eyes remaining forward and on the lookout for any other threats to the group.

@Sark @ Yun Lee @ Atomic Knight @Jeremi @ Hotel
 
"Uh..."

Sean had never heard of Frank West, though that was hardly surprising. Sean didn't quite understand everything the man was saying, but a truce was a truce.

"Look, I don't want to hurt anybody," Sean said. "I'll help you out, sure. Just, at some point I need to go and find my brother. I ended up separated from him out there. Even better if we can end all this, you know?"

@Sark @Lucky @Town Hall



Daniel glared daggers at Arcade as they entered the elevator. He had only barely been able to control himself thanks to Ouka. Flashes of Samus' body being skewered thanks to his powers ran through his head, but Daniel tried not to think about that. "As if," he mumbled under his breath, pressing himself against the back of the elevator in the process.

When the zombies began to pour in, Daniel cried out and caused a heavy telekinetic burst from his hands to throw a large group of them back.

@Yun Lee @Sark @Takumi @Elevator
 
Shhhhhhrnnnkkkkk!!

Ouka placed his hand on the floor, concentrating on the floor of the hall outside the elevator and causing water to gather from the air before it hardened and rose into spikes that almost touched the ceiling to block the zombies from getting any closer, further spikes pushed out with a thought to force the zombies back and skewer them.

Whooosh!!

From there, he tried to help deal with any remaining Zombies still inside the elevator that Yash might have missed, by creating another crystalized sword and aiming right for their heads. If succesful, he'd let his weapon dissolve for the moment, but make sure to keep his guard up.
ELEVATOR
Ouka's first attack successfully cleared out the elevator and repelled the next wave of the undead. But they kept coming. And coming. And coming. They didn't care for their own safety. They didn't care about the pain. They simply forced themselves through the spikes, they skin red and raw from the chill. The crashed against the spikes like waves crash against rocks. They didn't relent. Not even for a moment. Slowly, even Ouka's spikes were being worn down.

Daniel glared daggers at Arcade as they entered the elevator. He had only barely been able to control himself thanks to Ouka. Flashes of Samus' body being skewered thanks to his powers ran through his head, but Daniel tried not to think about that. "As if," he mumbled under his breath, pressing himself against the back of the elevator in the process.

When the zombies began to pour in, Daniel cried out and caused a heavy telekinetic burst from his hands to throw a large group of them back.
Daniel's telekinetic blast shattered zombies and ice-spikes alike. Shards of frozen water were tossed like shuriken, piercing and slicing the next legion of the undead. The force of the blast was enough to shake the elevator, throwing Arcade into a panic. A cloud of plaster fluttered down from the ceiling. The lobby's walls cracked and quaked.

But there was no end to the horde. More kept coming.
More.
And more.
And more.

A password? Hell, they were really doomed now. Yashamaru continued to fight, as he would until his last breath. That was the only way he could go down, swinging. But his mind raced. Eight letters...it could be anything. Anything had eight. Sorc Tormo had nine. Champion? Massacre? What was it?

But one word, one strange word snuck into his mind. He'd seen it everywhere, heard it more times than he could count. Even if he had been focused on this wicked game, he was no stranger to that subliminal marketing. Without thinking, that little word slipped out of his mouth.

"...Oblivion?"
When asked about a 8 letter password, Ouka opened his mouth but Yash had already beaten him to his guess, so the young apprentice simply nodded his head in agreement.

"Try that one." He said, eyes remaining forward and on the lookout for any other threats to the group.
"Oblivion?" Arcade muttered to himself. "Oh-Buh-Li-Vee-Eye-Oh-En--"

BEEP BEEP

[Override accepted!]


"Ladies and gentlemen! We have lift-off--"

CLANG

The safety clips that held the elevator in place disengaged. The magnetic mechanism that prevented the doors from closing hummed offline. The doors slapped shut at an alarming speed, crushing a zombie or two in process.

"You might want to hol--"

The Elevator fell. It fell faster than anyone might have anticipated. The force of Ouka and Daniel's final attacks rocked the elevator like a pendulum. The gears design to slowly the elevator's descent were spinning faster and faster with each passing second. Sparks flew from the descent wires. The Hunted could feel their feet slowly lifting up off of the ground. They left their stomach up on the sixth floor.

The ground was getting closer and closer. Arcade pummeled the control panel. It didn't slow. It didn't steady.
SNAP
One of the supporting wires snapped in two the elevator entered freefall.

"Maybe this wasn't my wisest plan after all!!!"

A falling zombie struck the side of the elevator. Another one one struck the lift's rear. It started spinning even faster. Prudence became a blur. The Earth became the sky and the sky became the Earth.

"HOLD ON!!!!"

The Hunted couldn't help but look down.

[SPLAT]
CHAPTER 5//FINAL DAY//OBLIVION
Current Time: 00:01 //Time Remaining: 22 hours, 30 Minutes
A hole in the ground.
An endless fall.
This was the fate that awaited the Champion of the Arena.
Yashamaru. Namae Ouka. Daniel Diaz. Bad Girl.
A black blanket consumed them.
They heard the elevator shatter. But they felt no pain.
They simply felt cold.
So very, very cold.
...
A bright light sent their eye lids fluttering. It wasn't some heavenly light. There were no choirs to accompany it.
It was the cool light of one of Prudence's many moons. It was almost impossible to see up there in the city above.
But down here? It was all so clear. So clean.
"Come on... Wakey Wakey..."
They felt the earth move beneath them. They felt a hand coil itself around their ankles. 3 hours melted by.
"Are you going to tell me where we are?"
"Not now. They're not ready. They've had quite the fall..."
"No. We've wasted enough time already."

A cold hand slapped their cheeks.
"Get up."
Groggy and bruised, the Hunted slowly slipped back into consciousness.
"You're probably wondering who you're still alive... Don't worry. I've been asking myself the same question for the past 3 fucking hours." Sam broke the silence with a bitter sign. "Your friend here likes his secrets."
View attachment 8718
"He's been waiting for you to wake up. He's barely said a word since."
A red-headed man sitting upon a large, bloody corpse gave them a wave.
View attachment 8720
"Save your applause." Arcade taunted. "A Murderer just saved you mushy little lives. Even the kid's. Yes, Yes, I'm a saint, I know."
"And your answers, old man? Like you promised?" Sam squinted. "These poor little children of yours are starting to look more and more like the fat little bounties they are. This information better be forth the 8 Million Creds I'm passing up on..."
"Don't worry, Mr.Jetstream. This little detour of yours will be worth your while." Arcade chuckled. "Believe me. We just stumbled upon a honeypot."
"We've got 22 hours until we're being blasted into oblivion. Now would be the time to start talking quickly."
"Fine, Fine. I'll cut the theatrics. Dear friends, foes, hunters and hunted and... Daniel, allow me to cordially welcome you all to the treasure you've been walking upon this whole time. Welcome to...."
View attachment 8721
"DISTRICT Z!"
Arcade threw his arms wide. With a chuckle, a grin and a spin, the MadMan addressed the city that surrounded them. Buildings. Rows upon rows of dusty skyscrapers. They were less advanced compared to those in the 'overcity'. They were simpler. Smoother. Some marked the earth like forgotten, ancient monuments. Others hung down from the sky like stalactites. There wasn't a single advertisement in sight.
"Sense." Sam groaned. "Start making it."

"Theory:" Arcade clarified. "You know how they say that all cities are built on bones? I believe that Prudence takes that saying a little too literally. My guess is that this city- let's call it Prudence 1- was once the 'main' Prudence. Populated. Popular. Pricey, in its time. But whoever ran this dump? They probably ran outta space... and more, importantly, cash. They started selling out chunks o' their sky. And now?"

Arcade ran to the edge of the building the Hunted had landed upon. He screamed out into the empty, endless city.

"This dump has been forgotten! Out with the old! In with the new! Goodbye, District Z! Say hello to Corporate Prudence!"
His voice echoed across the void.

"When we took our little tumble off of the Hotel, we smash a hole straight through the street and straight through the sewer. Or, more specifically..." Arcade returned to the flesh creature he had been sitting upon. He slapped Nemesis' bloody forehead. "This guy smashed a hole straight through the street and sewer. He broke our fall. Saved our asses. After slipping into District Z, our the elevator got caught up in a bunch of sky-wires. They slowed our fall a little more."

"That Final Hunter guy... He wasn't just in the right place at the right time. I needed something heavy to slow him down. Pushing him into the path of your lift? It just made sense." Sam shrugged. "The bastard killed my fucking dog. He got what was coming for him."
"Couldn't agree more!" Arcade slapped Nemesis' head a few more times. "Still. He makes a good chair. Anyway. You guys are running out of time. I'm running out of patience. How would you guys like to pull the plug on this thing? It's like I said: Tormo's Underground. It's time we brought the party to him. You in?"

@Yun Lee @Jeremi @Takumi @Atomic Knight @Capri @Lucky
 
“Tormo’s a menace that needs to be stopped,” Eight Hearts nodded. It didn’t feel right to abandon the others but he didn’t know any of them. Perhaps saving the ones here was enough. “I’m in,” He finally replied. “What is the plan?”




Before

Son of a bitch! Fuck! Shit! Bad Girl pulled her bat back. This was turning into a fucking mess. Looking around she grabbed the ice spear from its spot and slashed wildly around as she quickly retreated into the elevator with the others. When the elevator wasn’t working she started to slash, kick and stab at any zombie trying to make their way into the elevator. “MOVE YOUR FUCKING ASSES OR I SWEAR TO FUCKING GOD I’LL EAT YOU FUCKS MYSELF!”


ELEVATOR
Ouka's first attack successfully cleared out the elevator and repelled the next wave of the undead. But they kept coming. And coming. And coming. They didn't care for their own safety. They didn't care about the pain. They simply forced themselves through the spikes, they skin red and raw from the chill. The crashed against the spikes like waves crash against rocks. They didn't relent. Not even for a moment. Slowly, even Ouka's spikes were being worn down.


Daniel's telekinetic blast shattered zombies and ice-spikes alike. Shards of frozen water were tossed like shuriken, piercing and slicing the next legion of the undead. The force of the blast was enough to shake the elevator, throwing Arcade into a panic. A cloud of plaster fluttered down from the ceiling. The lobby's walls cracked and quaked.

But there was no end to the horde. More kept coming.
More.
And more.
And more.



"Oblivion?" Arcade muttered to himself. "Oh-Buh-Li-Vee-Eye-Oh-En--"

BEEP BEEP

[Override accepted!]


"Ladies and gentlemen! We have lift-off--"

CLANG

The safety clips that held the elevator in place disengaged. The magnetic mechanism that prevented the doors from closing hummed offline. The doors slapped shut at an alarming speed, crushing a zombie or two in process.

"You might want to hol--"

The Elevator fell. It fell faster than anyone might have anticipated. The force of Ouka and Daniel's final attacks rocked the elevator like a pendulum. The gears design to slowly the elevator's descent were spinning faster and faster with each passing second. Sparks flew from the descent wires. The Hunted could feel their feet slowly lifting up off of the ground. They left their stomach up on the sixth floor.

The ground was getting closer and closer. Arcade pummeled the control panel. It didn't slow. It didn't steady.
SNAP
One of the supporting wires snapped in two the elevator entered freefall.

"Maybe this wasn't my wisest plan after all!!!"

A falling zombie struck the side of the elevator. Another one one struck the lift's rear. It started spinning even faster. Prudence became a blur. The Earth became the sky and the sky became the Earth.

"HOLD ON!!!!"

The Hunted couldn't help but look down.

[SPLAT]
CHAPTER 5//FINAL DAY//OBLIVION
Current Time: 00:01 //Time Remaining: 22 hours, 30 Minutes
A hole in the ground.
An endless fall.
This was the fate that awaited the Champion of the Arena.
Yashamaru. Namae Ouka. Daniel Diaz. Bad Girl.
A black blanket consumed them.
They heard the elevator shatter. But they felt no pain.
They simply felt cold.
So very, very cold.
...
A bright light sent their eye lids fluttering. It wasn't some heavenly light. There were no choirs to accompany it.
It was the cool light of one of Prudence's many moons. It was almost impossible to see up there in the city above.
But down here? It was all so clear. So clean.
"Come on... Wakey Wakey..."
They felt the earth move beneath them. They felt a hand coil itself around their ankles. 3 hours melted by.
"Are you going to tell me where we are?"
"Not now. They're not ready. They've had quite the fall..."
"No. We've wasted enough time already."

A cold hand slapped their cheeks.
"Get up."
Groggy and bruised, the Hunted slowly slipped back into consciousness.
"You're probably wondering who you're still alive... Don't worry. I've been asking myself the same question for the past 3 fucking hours." Sam broke the silence with a bitter sign. "Your friend here likes his secrets."
View attachment 8718
"He's been waiting for you to wake up. He's barely said a word since."
A red-headed man sitting upon a large, bloody corpse gave them a wave.
View attachment 8720
"Save your applause." Arcade taunted. "A Murderer just saved you mushy little lives. Even the kid's. Yes, Yes, I'm a saint, I know."
"And your answers, old man? Like you promised?" Sam squinted. "These poor little children of yours are starting to look more and more like the fat little bounties they are. This information better be forth the 8 Million Creds I'm passing up on..."
"Don't worry, Mr.Jetstream. This little detour of yours will be worth your while." Arcade chuckled. "Believe me. We just stumbled upon a honeypot."
"We've got 22 hours until we're being blasted into oblivion. Now would be the time to start talking quickly."
"Fine, Fine. I'll cut the theatrics. Dear friends, foes, hunters and hunted and... Daniel, allow me to cordially welcome you all to the treasure you've been walking upon this whole time. Welcome to...."
View attachment 8721
"DISTRICT Z!"
Arcade threw his arms wide. With a chuckle, a grin and a spin, the MadMan addressed the city that surrounded them. Buildings. Rows upon rows of dusty skyscrapers. They were less advanced compared to those in the 'overcity'. They were simpler. Smoother. Some marked the earth like forgotten, ancient monuments. Others hung down from the sky like stalactites. There wasn't a single advertisement in sight.
"Sense." Sam groaned. "Start making it."

"Theory:" Arcade clarified. "You know how they say that all cities are built on bones? I believe that Prudence takes that saying a little too literally. My guess is that this city- let's call it Prudence 1- was once the 'main' Prudence. Populated. Popular. Pricey, in its time. But whoever ran this dump? They probably ran outta space... and more, importantly, cash. They started selling out chunks o' their sky. And now?"

Arcade ran to the edge of the building the Hunted had landed upon. He screamed out into the empty, endless city.

"This dump has been forgotten! Out with the old! In with the new! Goodbye, District Z! Say hello to Corporate Prudence!"
His voice echoed across the void.

"When we took our little tumble off of the Hotel, we smash a hole straight through the street and straight through the sewer. Or, more specifically..." Arcade returned to the flesh creature he had been sitting upon. He slapped Nemesis' bloody forehead. "This guy smashed a hole straight through the street and sewer. He broke our fall. Saved our asses. After slipping into District Z, our the elevator got caught up in a bunch of sky-wires. They slowed our fall a little more."

"That Final Hunter guy... He wasn't just in the right place at the right time. I needed something heavy to slow him down. Pushing him into the path of your lift? It just made sense." Sam shrugged. "The bastard killed my fucking dog. He got what was coming for him."
"Couldn't agree more!" Arcade slapped Nemesis' head a few more times. "Still. He makes a good chair. Anyway. You guys are running out of time. I'm running out of patience. How would you guys like to pull the plug on this thing? It's like I said: Tormo's Underground. It's time we brought the party to him. You in?"

@Yun Lee @Jeremi @Takumi @Atomic Knight @Capri @Lucky

"That's the first reasonable thing that's come out of your ginger ass," Bad Girl straddled up from where she had laid and looked at Arcade and the others. "Where do we fucking start?"

@Yun Lee @Jeremi @Takumi @Atomic Knight @Capri @Lucky
 
As he came to, Yashamaru felt as though he were still asleep, dreaming this underground marvel before him. There was no way this was real...and yet, it was. This entire adventure had been far too real since his arrival in Prudence. And now it had finally come to a head.

The samurai stood, finding steady footing as Sam and Arcade spoke. So...this man was Prototype's original master? Perhaps it would be best to keep the story of the canine's revival a secret for now. "What you're saying is...Tormo is down here?" Looking up at the moonlight, Yashamaru took a deep breath, feeling his resolve awaken along with him. "If so..."

View attachment 8728

"Lead the way. I'm ready to end this bloodbath of his once and for all."

@Sark @Jeremi @Takumi @Atomic Knight
 

ELEVATOR
Ouka's first attack successfully cleared out the elevator and repelled the next wave of the undead. But they kept coming. And coming. And coming. They didn't care for their own safety. They didn't care about the pain. They simply forced themselves through the spikes, they skin red and raw from the chill. The crashed against the spikes like waves crash against rocks. They didn't relent. Not even for a moment. Slowly, even Ouka's spikes were being worn down.


Daniel's telekinetic blast shattered zombies and ice-spikes alike. Shards of frozen water were tossed like shuriken, piercing and slicing the next legion of the undead. The force of the blast was enough to shake the elevator, throwing Arcade into a panic. A cloud of plaster fluttered down from the ceiling. The lobby's walls cracked and quaked.

But there was no end to the horde. More kept coming.
More.
And more.
And more.



"Oblivion?" Arcade muttered to himself. "Oh-Buh-Li-Vee-Eye-Oh-En--"

BEEP BEEP

[Override accepted!]


"Ladies and gentlemen! We have lift-off--"

CLANG

The safety clips that held the elevator in place disengaged. The magnetic mechanism that prevented the doors from closing hummed offline. The doors slapped shut at an alarming speed, crushing a zombie or two in process.

"You might want to hol--"

The Elevator fell. It fell faster than anyone might have anticipated. The force of Ouka and Daniel's final attacks rocked the elevator like a pendulum. The gears design to slowly the elevator's descent were spinning faster and faster with each passing second. Sparks flew from the descent wires. The Hunted could feel their feet slowly lifting up off of the ground. They left their stomach up on the sixth floor.

The ground was getting closer and closer. Arcade pummeled the control panel. It didn't slow. It didn't steady.
SNAP
One of the supporting wires snapped in two the elevator entered freefall.

"Maybe this wasn't my wisest plan after all!!!"

A falling zombie struck the side of the elevator. Another one one struck the lift's rear. It started spinning even faster. Prudence became a blur. The Earth became the sky and the sky became the Earth.

"HOLD ON!!!!"

The Hunted couldn't help but look down.

[SPLAT]
CHAPTER 5//FINAL DAY//OBLIVION
Current Time: 00:01 //Time Remaining: 22 hours, 30 Minutes
A hole in the ground.
An endless fall.
This was the fate that awaited the Champion of the Arena.
Yashamaru. Namae Ouka. Daniel Diaz. Bad Girl.
A black blanket consumed them.
They heard the elevator shatter. But they felt no pain.
They simply felt cold.
So very, very cold.
...
A bright light sent their eye lids fluttering. It wasn't some heavenly light. There were no choirs to accompany it.
It was the cool light of one of Prudence's many moons. It was almost impossible to see up there in the city above.
But down here? It was all so clear. So clean.
"Come on... Wakey Wakey..."
They felt the earth move beneath them. They felt a hand coil itself around their ankles. 3 hours melted by.
"Are you going to tell me where we are?"
"Not now. They're not ready. They've had quite the fall..."
"No. We've wasted enough time already."

A cold hand slapped their cheeks.
"Get up."
Groggy and bruised, the Hunted slowly slipped back into consciousness.
"You're probably wondering who you're still alive... Don't worry. I've been asking myself the same question for the past 3 fucking hours." Sam broke the silence with a bitter sign. "Your friend here likes his secrets."
View attachment 8718
"He's been waiting for you to wake up. He's barely said a word since."
A red-headed man sitting upon a large, bloody corpse gave them a wave.
View attachment 8720
"Save your applause." Arcade taunted. "A Murderer just saved you mushy little lives. Even the kid's. Yes, Yes, I'm a saint, I know."
"And your answers, old man? Like you promised?" Sam squinted. "These poor little children of yours are starting to look more and more like the fat little bounties they are. This information better be forth the 8 Million Creds I'm passing up on..."
"Don't worry, Mr.Jetstream. This little detour of yours will be worth your while." Arcade chuckled. "Believe me. We just stumbled upon a honeypot."
"We've got 22 hours until we're being blasted into oblivion. Now would be the time to start talking quickly."
"Fine, Fine. I'll cut the theatrics. Dear friends, foes, hunters and hunted and... Daniel, allow me to cordially welcome you all to the treasure you've been walking upon this whole time. Welcome to...."
View attachment 8721
"DISTRICT Z!"
Arcade threw his arms wide. With a chuckle, a grin and a spin, the MadMan addressed the city that surrounded them. Buildings. Rows upon rows of dusty skyscrapers. They were less advanced compared to those in the 'overcity'. They were simpler. Smoother. Some marked the earth like forgotten, ancient monuments. Others hung down from the sky like stalactites. There wasn't a single advertisement in sight.
"Sense." Sam groaned. "Start making it."

"Theory:" Arcade clarified. "You know how they say that all cities are built on bones? I believe that Prudence takes that saying a little too literally. My guess is that this city- let's call it Prudence 1- was once the 'main' Prudence. Populated. Popular. Pricey, in its time. But whoever ran this dump? They probably ran outta space... and more, importantly, cash. They started selling out chunks o' their sky. And now?"

Arcade ran to the edge of the building the Hunted had landed upon. He screamed out into the empty, endless city.

"This dump has been forgotten! Out with the old! In with the new! Goodbye, District Z! Say hello to Corporate Prudence!"
His voice echoed across the void.

"When we took our little tumble off of the Hotel, we smash a hole straight through the street and straight through the sewer. Or, more specifically..." Arcade returned to the flesh creature he had been sitting upon. He slapped Nemesis' bloody forehead. "This guy smashed a hole straight through the street and sewer. He broke our fall. Saved our asses. After slipping into District Z, our the elevator got caught up in a bunch of sky-wires. They slowed our fall a little more."

"That Final Hunter guy... He wasn't just in the right place at the right time. I needed something heavy to slow him down. Pushing him into the path of your lift? It just made sense." Sam shrugged. "The bastard killed my fucking dog. He got what was coming for him."
"Couldn't agree more!" Arcade slapped Nemesis' head a few more times. "Still. He makes a good chair. Anyway. You guys are running out of time. I'm running out of patience. How would you guys like to pull the plug on this thing? It's like I said: Tormo's Underground. It's time we brought the party to him. You in?"

@Yun Lee @Jeremi @Takumi @Atomic Knight @Capri @Lucky

Once they began to fall, Ouka's first instinct was to create a barrier around them to protect them from the impact of hitting the ground.

He grit his teeth as he concentrated and--

CRACK!!

The barrier held, but cracked upon impact, and eventually broke like shards of glass and faded away into bubbles of water that dissolved in the air. Everything after was a blur then darkness.

---​

Fwoosh!

4fe0e19c92f1c254c9958aa0fd8f9b9bdc7d2498.jpg


Being slapped caused his blank amber eyes to snap open and his first reaction was to form a crystalized sword to swing. Luckily it stopped inches from his assailants neck.

"..."

He stared at Sam a moment, before letting his weapon dissolve as he sat up and eventually pushed himself to his feet with a grunt, his hand touching his bruised shoulder and prodding at it a moment.

cda5d21361f00c40f569bbafca58f58da37479d2.jpg


'Nothing's broken, shoulders just bruised as far as I can tell. Shouldn't hamper my fighting too much. Good. Or as good as it can be in this situation.' he thought as he let his remaining arm fall to his side.

"How do you intend to find him in this place?" He asked.

@Sark @Yun Lee @Jeremi @Atomic Knight @District Z

12dc6c532032ddcdb38fc627f4f7ae6bd0243862.jpg


"I'm in too." Chise spoke up. She didn't like it, but she didn't like their situation anymore than she did when she woke up in District C's slums.

@Sark @Capri @Ottonomous Ghost @Lucky @Jeremi @District B/Tower
 
Being slapped caused his blank amber eyes to snap open and his first reaction was to form a crystalized sword to swing. Luckily it stopped inches from his assailants neck.

"..."

He stared at Sam a moment, before letting his weapon dissolve as he sat up and eventually pushed himself to his feet with a grunt, his hand touching his bruised shoulder and prodding at it a moment.

'Nothing's broken, shoulders just bruised as far as I can tell. Shouldn't hamper my fighting too much. Good. Or as good as it can be in this situation.' he thought as he let his remaining arm fall to his side.

"How do you intend to find him in this place?" He asked.
As he came to, Yashamaru felt as though he were still asleep, dreaming this underground marvel before him. There was no way this was real...and yet, it was. This entire adventure had been far too real since his arrival in Prudence. And now it had finally come to a head.

The samurai stood, finding steady footing as Sam and Arcade spoke. So...this man was Prototype's original master? Perhaps it would be best to keep the story of the canine's revival a secret for now. "What you're saying is...Tormo is down here?" Looking up at the moonlight, Yashamaru took a deep breath, feeling his resolve awaken along with him. "If so..."

"Lead the way. I'm ready to end this bloodbath of his once and for all."
Son of a bitch! Fuck! Shit! Bad Girl pulled her bat back. This was turning into a fucking mess. Looking around she grabbed the ice spear from its spot and slashed wildly around as she quickly retreated into the elevator with the others. When the elevator wasn’t working she started to slash, kick and stab at any zombie trying to make their way into the elevator. “MOVE YOUR FUCKING ASSES OR I SWEAR TO FUCKING GOD I’LL EAT YOU FUCKS MYSELF!”

"That's the first reasonable thing that's come out of your ginger ass," Bad Girl straddled up from where she had laid and looked at Arcade and the others. "Where do we fucking start?"
DISTRICT Z
[Let me steal the words from your lips, dandy!] A voice shook the district. Lights burned in the husks of the District's abandoned buildings. Blue lights. They sparked and rolled across the wires that joined each building to its partner. They pooled in the air above the Hunted. The holographic visage of Sorc Tormo stared down upon them. An uncharacteristically stern look was plastered upon his face. [You don't start. You turn around. You head back to District A.]
View attachment 8730
[LEAVE. BEFORE I MAKE YOU LEAVE.]

"Eh, I don't think we can," Sam smirked, striding up to the rooftop's ledge. "You see, we all just reaffirmed our desire to kill people. We don't plan on taking those fighting-words back."
[This is your final warning. No more games. No more tricks or shows. Stay here and you will die. It won't be theatric. It won't be fun. You will die, quickly and pointlessly. We wouldn't want that, now wouldn't we?]
"You stole my show, Tormo." Arcade squinted. "You stole it and twisted it into something hideous... something commercial. I'm taking it back, one way or another. Even if I have to sacrifice every living hunter to do it."
"Well... that's hardly inspiring..."
Tormo fell silent. He sighed deeply. He adjusted his lapels and closed his eyes.
[So be it. You've made your call... And now it's time for me to make mine...]
Noise consumed District Z. It was shrill. Chaotic. Every door and window opened and slammed at an alarming pace. Abandoned car alarms blared. Discarded radios screamed. The city came alive to perform an unbearable symphony for the Hunters.
Those above...
And those bellow...
***

"Uh..."

Sean had never heard of Frank West, though that was hardly surprising. Sean didn't quite understand everything the man was saying, but a truce was a truce.

"Look, I don't want to hurt anybody," Sean said. "I'll help you out, sure. Just, at some point I need to go and find my brother. I ended up separated from him out there. Even better if we can end all this, you know?"
SAFEHOUSE
"Great!" Frank clapped. "Don't worry. We won't be hurting any 'people'. I won't pretend for a second that zombies 'count'. As for your brother... finding people in dumbs like this is hard enough without the Zoms, but we'll do what we can. The city has an emergency broadcast system. It's a miracle they haven't tried using it already. Once we've met up with my source, we can head---"

[SSCCCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE]

"Fucking Mother of---"
Frank threw his hands over his as the Town Hall's fire alarm wailed and wailed. "Shit! Someone shut it down! Someone--"

[BANG] [BANG]

Chuck fired two shots into the alarm above the door. The hall went silent.

"You think they heard that?"

Chuck gave Frank a bitter stare.

"Do you want to go out there and ask th--"

[SSCCCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE]
[SSCCCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE]
[SSCCCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE]

"More alarms! On different floors!"
Frank groaned, clutching his head. "If they didn't hear us then, they're sure as hell hearing us n--"

[FFFFFSSSSHHHH]

"Sprinklers? Holy Mother of... The Fuck is going on!"

"This place is going ape-shit..." Chuck cursed, picking up his paddle saw. "We need to hold it do--"
"--Run for our lives. You know, it sounded like you were going to say 'we need to hold it down'. But that would be fucking stupid. That would be insane. So you must have meant to say--"
"The whole city's going to Hell, Frank!" Chuck yelled over the pitter-patter of zombie hands pounding upon the Safehouse's boarded-up windows. "The streets are full o' zombies! You can't get your story if you're dead! The Kid can't find his brother if he's dead! Keeping this place secure if our best shot of surviving the next few hours!"
"You wan to put it to a vote, huh?"
Frank cried, squaring up his old friend. "Because anyone with half a brain is gonna agree with me! We can't hold this place against those things!"
"If we destroy the alarms, then we have a chance!"

@Atomic Knight @Lucky

What did she expect? Of course she made this worse. "I'm sorry..." Marianne offered quietly, hanging her head. This was all her fault. Just like the opera house, they were all going to die because of her. Just like Haytham, Jyuto was realizing what a disappointment she was.

But as he handed her the microphone, Marianne took hold of it, taking a deep breath. She didn't know how this magic worked. It seemed as though he spoke on the spot, a bit like singing or poetry with how lyrical it was. The girl gripped the microphone, wondering if she could transfer some of her own magic as she tried to speak. But this was her last chance. One final attempt to save the people here. Swallowing a lump in her throat, Marianne looked up and decided to try.

"I know you don't trust me, but please just listen,
Fairy stories come to life, the undead have Risen.
If you desire to survive this night...
Then we need to trust each other, band together, and fight!"


She could only hope she did it right. Only hope that it could help.
CASINO
Fists were un-baller. Brows grew less tense. The shouting and gossiping ceased. Silence fell across the casino. Soon, the only voice the could be heard was Marianne’s. Her verse was followed by a round of applause form Jyuto.
“Couldn’t have done it better myself,” He smiled, placing his hand upon her shoulder. “You’ve got a captive audience, Mari. They’re ready to listen. Now all we need to do is form a plan and —“

[Cha-Cha-Cha-Ching!]
[Bing-Bing-Bing!]

Someone had hit the jackpot. Credits erupted from the barricade and rolled out onto the floor.
“Oh come on!” A blue haired boy in the back of the room exclaimed. He slapped the of his machine and slumped back into his chair. “I was gonna play that one! I was gonna! Man... Fate is a cruel mistress...” He slipped some more credits into his slot machine- the last standing machine in the casino.

It was the last machine that was supposed to be working.

[Cha-Cha-Cha-Ching!]
[Bing-Bing-Bing!]


Another machine on the barricade rolled three 7. Then another. And another. Victorious chimes sounded across the the casino.

“Yo...” Jyuto muttered to himself. “The fuck is...”

[BANG]

“Get down!” Jyuto jelled.

A credit shot out of the barricade like a little green bullet. It lodged itself in the ceiling.

“Whatever game that is...” The blue haired boy muttered to himself. “I want in. Life and death. Name higher stakes than that...”

[BANG]

Jyuto threw his hands over his head as a credit-bullet wizzed last his ear. More and more slot machines were ‘winning’ with each passing ‘ping’.

[BANG] [BANG] [BANG] [BANG]

The slot machine guns didn’t relent and they didn’t reload.

The Gamblers were taking heavy fire. Some fell before they could cry. Others were fast enough to duck behind the bar before their fates were sealed. Jyuto pulled Mari out of the line of fire.

He pulled broken table top over the pair to act as some make-shift cover He shot his finger towards the VIP suite at the back of the Casino.
“There! It’ll provide us with some cover! We might be able to find a way out that way, but we’ll be vulnerable on our way over!” He shifted his finger over towards the Vault. “The vault will be better cover, but we’ll be sitting ducks inside. We’ll kiss out chance at solving this mystery goodbye! The people are listening to you, Mari! It’s your call! If you are a witch, now would be a good time for to send some magic our way!”

@Yun Lee
DISTRICT Z
[Haven’t you realised it yet, babies?] Tormo hummed grimly. He snapped his fingers. The holograms showing the Hunted facing a city turned against them vanished. [I own this city. I am this city. You’ve been mistreating my streets. Destroying my elevators. Smashing my windows. No more. The streets are fighting back. Subtly, for now. But for every second you spend down here, another sector of this Prudence will turn against its people.]

[Whatever you’re looking for down here, you won’t find it. You’ll only find more questions. Questions on questions on questions. Turn back. Stay blind. Trust me. It’s easier this way. It’ll be easier on everybody.]


“There’s a power planet is the distance.” Sam muttered so that only the Hunted might hear him. His advanced eyes scanned the skyline. “It’s the only building not going nuts. Tormo’s gotta be hiding down there. He’s gotta be. Forget about the surface. This is our shot at ending things. This is our shot at vengeance. Don’t lose your nerve now."

@Yun Lee @Atomic Knight @Takumi @Jeremi
 
Last edited:



DISTRICT Z
[Let me steal the words from your lips, dandy!] A voice shook the district. Lights burned in the husks of the District's abandoned buildings. Blue lights. They sparked and rolled across the wires that joined each building to its partner. They pooled in the air above the Hunted. The holographic visage of Sorc Tormo stared down upon them. An uncharacteristically stern look was plastered upon his face. [You don't start. You turn around. You head back to District A.]
View attachment 8730
[LEAVE. BEFORE I MAKE YOU LEAVE.]

"Eh, I don't think we can," Sam smirked, striding up to the rooftop's ledge. "You see, we all just reaffirmed our desire to kill people. We don't plan on taking those fighting-words back."
[This is your final warning. No more games. No more tricks or shows. Stay here and you will die. It won't be theatric. It won't be fun. You will die, quickly and pointlessly. We wouldn't want that, now wouldn't we?]
"You stole my show, Tormo." Arcade squinted. "You stole it and twisted it into something hideous... something commercial. I'm taking it back, one way or another. Even if I have to sacrifice every living hunter to do it."
"Well... that's hardly inspiring..."
Tormo fell silent. He sighed deeply. He adjusted his lapels and closed his eyes.
[So be it. You've made your call... And now it's time for me to make mine...]
Noise consumed District Z. It was shrill. Chaotic. Every door and window opened and slammed at an alarming pace. Abandoned car alarms blared. Discarded radios screamed. The city came alive to perform an unbearable symphony for the Hunters.
Those above...
And those bellow...
***


SAFEHOUSE
"Great!" Frank clapped. "Don't worry. We won't be hurting any 'people'. I won't pretend for a second that zombies 'count'. As for your brother... finding people in dumbs like this is hard enough without the Zoms, but we'll do what we can. The city has an emergency broadcast system. It's a miracle they haven't tried using it already. Once we've met up with my source, we can head---"

[SSCCCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE]

"Fucking Mother of---"
Frank threw his hands over his as the Town Hall's fire alarm wailed and wailed. "Shit! Someone shut it down! Someone--"

[BANG] [BANG]

Chuck fired two shots into the alarm above the door. The hall went silent.

"You think they heard that?"

Chuck gave Frank a bitter stare.

"Do you want to go out there and ask th--"

[SSCCCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE]
[SSCCCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE]
[SSCCCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE]

"More alarms! On different floors!"
Frank groaned, clutching his head. "If they didn't hear us then, they're sure as hell hearing us n--"

[FFFFFSSSSHHHH]

"Sprinklers? Holy Mother of... The Fuck is going on!"

"This place is going ape-shit..." Chuck cursed, picking up his paddle saw. "We need to hold it do--"
"--Run for our lives. You know, it sounded like you were going to say 'we need to hold it down'. But that would be fucking stupid. That would be insane. So you must have meant to say--"
"The whole city's going to Hell, Frank!" Chuck yelled over the pitter-patter of zombie hands pounding upon the Safehouse's boarded-up windows. "The streets are full o' zombies! You can't get your story if you're dead! The Kid can't find his brother if he's dead! Keeping this place secure if our best shot of surviving the next few hours!"
"You wan to put it to a vote, huh?"
Frank cried, squaring up his old friend. "Because anyone with half a brain is gonna agree with me! We can't hold this place against those things!"
"If we destroy the alarms, then we have a chance!"

@Atomic Knight @Lucky


CASINO
Fists were un-baller. Brows grew less tense. The shouting and gossiping ceased. Silence fell across the casino. Soon, the only voice the could be heard was Marianne’s. Her verse was followed by a round of applause form Jyuto.
“Couldn’t have done it better myself,” He smiled, placing his hand upon her shoulder. “You’ve got a captive audience, Mari. They’re ready to listen. Now all we need to do is form a plan and —“

[Cha-Cha-Cha-Ching!]
[Bing-Bing-Bing!]


Someone had hit the jackpot. Credits erupted from the barricade and rolled out onto the floor.
“Oh come on!” A blue haired boy in the back of the room exclaimed. He slapped the of his machine and slumped back into his chair. “I was gonna play that one! I was gonna! Man... Fate is a cruel mistress...” He slipped some more credits into his slot machine- the last standing machine in the casino.

It was the last machine that was supposed to be working.

[Cha-Cha-Cha-Ching!]
[Bing-Bing-Bing!]


Another machine on the barricade rolled three 7. Then another. And another. Victorious chimes sounded across the the casino.

“Yo...” Jyuto muttered to himself. “The fuck is...”

[BANG]

“Get down!” Jyuto jelled.

A credit shot out of the barricade like a little green bullet. It lodged itself in the ceiling.

“Whatever game that is...” The blue haired boy muttered to himself. “I want in. Life and death. Name higher stakes than that...”

[BANG]

Jyuto threw his hands over his head as a credit-bullet wizzed last his ear. More and more slot machines were ‘winning’ with each passing ‘ping’.

[BANG] [BANG] [BANG] [BANG]

The slot machine guns didn’t relent and they didn’t reload.

The Gamblers were taking heavy fire. Some fell before they could cry. Others were fast enough to duck behind the bar before their fates were sealed. Jyuto pulled Mari out of the line of fire.

He pulled broken table top over the pair to act as some make-shift cover He shot his finger towards the VIP suite at the back of the Casino.
“There! It’ll provide us with some cover! We might be able to find a way out that way, but we’ll be vulnerable on our way over!” He shifted his finger over towards the Vault. “The vault will be better cover, but we’ll be sitting ducks inside. We’ll kiss out chance at solving this mystery goodbye! The people are listening to you, Mari! It’s your call! If you are a witch, now would be a good time for to send some magic our way!”

@Yun Lee
DISTRICT Z
[Haven’t you realised it yet, babies?] Tormo hummed grimly. He snapped his fingers. The holograms showing the Hunted facing a city turned against them vanished. [I own this city. I am this city. You’ve been mistreating my streets. Destroying my elevators. Smashing my windows. No more. The streets are fighting back. Subtly, for now. But for every second you spend down here, another sector of this Prudence will turn against its people.]

[Whatever you’re looking for down here, you won’t find it. You’ll only find more questions. Questions on questions on questions. Turn back. Stay blind. Trust me. It’s easier this way. It’ll be easier on everybody.]


“There’s a power planet is the distance.” Sam muttered so that only the Hunted might hear him. His advanced eyes scanned the skyline. “It’s the only building not going nuts. Tormo’s gotta be hiding down there. He’s gotta be. Forget about the surface. This is our shot at ending things. This is our shot at vengeance. Don’t lose your nerve now."

@Yun Lee @Atomic Knight @Takumi @Jeremi

The Apprentice frowned where he stood, eyeing Tormo's hologram coldly as he did so. As Sam spoke to them, he didn't say anything for a moment. If that's where Tormo was then that's where they'd go.

"Then let's go." Ouka muttered back just as quietly.

@Sark @Jeremi @Yun Lee @Atomic Knight @District Z
 



DISTRICT Z
[Let me steal the words from your lips, dandy!] A voice shook the district. Lights burned in the husks of the District's abandoned buildings. Blue lights. They sparked and rolled across the wires that joined each building to its partner. They pooled in the air above the Hunted. The holographic visage of Sorc Tormo stared down upon them. An uncharacteristically stern look was plastered upon his face. [You don't start. You turn around. You head back to District A.]
View attachment 8730
[LEAVE. BEFORE I MAKE YOU LEAVE.]

"Eh, I don't think we can," Sam smirked, striding up to the rooftop's ledge. "You see, we all just reaffirmed our desire to kill people. We don't plan on taking those fighting-words back."
[This is your final warning. No more games. No more tricks or shows. Stay here and you will die. It won't be theatric. It won't be fun. You will die, quickly and pointlessly. We wouldn't want that, now wouldn't we?]
"You stole my show, Tormo." Arcade squinted. "You stole it and twisted it into something hideous... something commercial. I'm taking it back, one way or another. Even if I have to sacrifice every living hunter to do it."
"Well... that's hardly inspiring..."
Tormo fell silent. He sighed deeply. He adjusted his lapels and closed his eyes.
[So be it. You've made your call... And now it's time for me to make mine...]
Noise consumed District Z. It was shrill. Chaotic. Every door and window opened and slammed at an alarming pace. Abandoned car alarms blared. Discarded radios screamed. The city came alive to perform an unbearable symphony for the Hunters.
Those above...
And those bellow...
***


SAFEHOUSE
"Great!" Frank clapped. "Don't worry. We won't be hurting any 'people'. I won't pretend for a second that zombies 'count'. As for your brother... finding people in dumbs like this is hard enough without the Zoms, but we'll do what we can. The city has an emergency broadcast system. It's a miracle they haven't tried using it already. Once we've met up with my source, we can head---"

[SSCCCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE]

"Fucking Mother of---"
Frank threw his hands over his as the Town Hall's fire alarm wailed and wailed. "Shit! Someone shut it down! Someone--"

[BANG] [BANG]

Chuck fired two shots into the alarm above the door. The hall went silent.

"You think they heard that?"

Chuck gave Frank a bitter stare.

"Do you want to go out there and ask th--"

[SSCCCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE]
[SSCCCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE]
[SSCCCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE]

"More alarms! On different floors!"
Frank groaned, clutching his head. "If they didn't hear us then, they're sure as hell hearing us n--"

[FFFFFSSSSHHHH]

"Sprinklers? Holy Mother of... The Fuck is going on!"

"This place is going ape-shit..." Chuck cursed, picking up his paddle saw. "We need to hold it do--"
"--Run for our lives. You know, it sounded like you were going to say 'we need to hold it down'. But that would be fucking stupid. That would be insane. So you must have meant to say--"
"The whole city's going to Hell, Frank!" Chuck yelled over the pitter-patter of zombie hands pounding upon the Safehouse's boarded-up windows. "The streets are full o' zombies! You can't get your story if you're dead! The Kid can't find his brother if he's dead! Keeping this place secure if our best shot of surviving the next few hours!"
"You wan to put it to a vote, huh?"
Frank cried, squaring up his old friend. "Because anyone with half a brain is gonna agree with me! We can't hold this place against those things!"
"If we destroy the alarms, then we have a chance!"

@Atomic Knight @Lucky


CASINO
Fists were un-baller. Brows grew less tense. The shouting and gossiping ceased. Silence fell across the casino. Soon, the only voice the could be heard was Marianne’s. Her verse was followed by a round of applause form Jyuto.
“Couldn’t have done it better myself,” He smiled, placing his hand upon her shoulder. “You’ve got a captive audience, Mari. They’re ready to listen. Now all we need to do is form a plan and —“

[Cha-Cha-Cha-Ching!]
[Bing-Bing-Bing!]


Someone had hit the jackpot. Credits erupted from the barricade and rolled out onto the floor.
“Oh come on!” A blue haired boy in the back of the room exclaimed. He slapped the of his machine and slumped back into his chair. “I was gonna play that one! I was gonna! Man... Fate is a cruel mistress...” He slipped some more credits into his slot machine- the last standing machine in the casino.

It was the last machine that was supposed to be working.

[Cha-Cha-Cha-Ching!]
[Bing-Bing-Bing!]


Another machine on the barricade rolled three 7. Then another. And another. Victorious chimes sounded across the the casino.

“Yo...” Jyuto muttered to himself. “The fuck is...”

[BANG]

“Get down!” Jyuto jelled.

A credit shot out of the barricade like a little green bullet. It lodged itself in the ceiling.

“Whatever game that is...” The blue haired boy muttered to himself. “I want in. Life and death. Name higher stakes than that...”

[BANG]

Jyuto threw his hands over his head as a credit-bullet wizzed last his ear. More and more slot machines were ‘winning’ with each passing ‘ping’.

[BANG] [BANG] [BANG] [BANG]

The slot machine guns didn’t relent and they didn’t reload.

The Gamblers were taking heavy fire. Some fell before they could cry. Others were fast enough to duck behind the bar before their fates were sealed. Jyuto pulled Mari out of the line of fire.

He pulled broken table top over the pair to act as some make-shift cover He shot his finger towards the VIP suite at the back of the Casino.
“There! It’ll provide us with some cover! We might be able to find a way out that way, but we’ll be vulnerable on our way over!” He shifted his finger over towards the Vault. “The vault will be better cover, but we’ll be sitting ducks inside. We’ll kiss out chance at solving this mystery goodbye! The people are listening to you, Mari! It’s your call! If you are a witch, now would be a good time for to send some magic our way!”

@Yun Lee
DISTRICT Z
[Haven’t you realised it yet, babies?] Tormo hummed grimly. He snapped his fingers. The holograms showing the Hunted facing a city turned against them vanished. [I own this city. I am this city. You’ve been mistreating my streets. Destroying my elevators. Smashing my windows. No more. The streets are fighting back. Subtly, for now. But for every second you spend down here, another sector of this Prudence will turn against its people.]

[Whatever you’re looking for down here, you won’t find it. You’ll only find more questions. Questions on questions on questions. Turn back. Stay blind. Trust me. It’s easier this way. It’ll be easier on everybody.]


“There’s a power planet is the distance.” Sam muttered so that only the Hunted might hear him. His advanced eyes scanned the skyline. “It’s the only building not going nuts. Tormo’s gotta be hiding down there. He’s gotta be. Forget about the surface. This is our shot at ending things. This is our shot at vengeance. Don’t lose your nerve now."

@Yun Lee @Atomic Knight @Takumi @Jeremi

Tormo’s little display garnered a surprising reaction from Bad Girl. Hysterical laughter. “Did you fucking look at that little bitch?! Scared outta of his fucking mind that we found his little hidin spot! Oh my God! I’m fucking dyin’!”

She slowly started to tap her bat on the pavement. “How many taps of my bat do you think I’ll have to do until his head pops like a ripe melon?” She started to make her way towards the powerplant. One way or another she was going to end this.

@Sark @Yun Lee @Atomic Knight @Takumi @Jeremi
 
"If you think this will stop us, you're wrong." Yashamaru said. "Tyrants like you are all the same. Punish the innocent to keep everyone else in line. If we don't cut you down now, no one will, and you'll bring countless others to their doom. But enough talk for now." The samurai started for the power plant. The time for conversation was long past. It was time to end this.

@Sark @Jeremi @Takumi @Atomic Knight

---

For the first time since coming to Prudence, and possibly even before that, Marianne felt a bit of hope deep within her soul. Could it be...was she able to actually do something right here? Her final day before meeting her Goddess...perhaps she could leave this world a bit better than she'd left it.

But as everything started crashing down, she gulped. A decision had to be made, fast, and she would take the option that fulfilled the purpose Jyuto had given her. Placing her hand on his arm, she would cast Warp, sending the two of them right to the entrance of the VIP Lounge. Before they'd go in, though, Marianne decided to give those still here a sendoff. Once more she brought the mic up, attempting to try and fuse a bit more of her magic into her words.

"Fear and chaos go hand in hand,
But please everyone, you must take a stand.
Stay strong, stay safe, most of all stay brave,
Don't let this game send you to your grave!"


@Sark
 
"If you think this will stop us, you're wrong." Yashamaru said. "Tyrants like you are all the same. Punish the innocent to keep everyone else in line. If we don't cut you down now, no one will, and you'll bring countless others to their doom. But enough talk for now." The samurai started for the power plant. The time for conversation was long past. It was time to end this.
Tormo’s little display garnered a surprising reaction from Bad Girl. Hysterical laughter. “Did you fucking look at that little bitch?! Scared outta of his fucking mind that we found his little hidin spot! Oh my God! I’m fucking dyin’!”

She slowly started to tap her bat on the pavement. “How many taps of my bat do you think I’ll have to do until his head pops like a ripe melon?” She started to make her way towards the powerplant. One way or another she was going to end this.
The Apprentice frowned where he stood, eyeing Tormo's hologram coldly as he did so. As Sam spoke to them, he didn't say anything for a moment. If that's where Tormo was then that's where they'd go.

"Then let's go." Ouka muttered back just as quietly.
DISTRICT Z
"Tyrant? Coward?" Tormo scoffed. "Your minds are far too small to comprehend my nature. Threaten me if you must. Scream and hate and wail. It will do you no good. I'll be waiting for our next meeting, 'Champions'. I'll save you a drink..."

Tormo had played his final card. Bluffs. Extortion. Blackmail. They had all failed him. District Z was a ghost town. The slamming doors and crashing doors gave one an impression that the region was haunted my a poltergeist, perhaps, but there was nothing living- nor unliving, for that matter- to oppose the Champions. No matter how frantically they ran, the streets seemed to stretch on forever. Even Sam and Yashamaru immense speed, the journey was neither short nor soothing. A thick cloud of dust settled in the air like fallout. It settled upon the streets like snow. The gray haze consumed the dead streets.
View attachment 8755
It was hard to see. Hard to breathe. Your sense played tricks on you. You could have sworn that you heard something stirring. Stalking. A beastly cry gurgled in the distance. It was too far away to pose a threat. The haze was already hiding your tracks and disguising your scent. It was no greater threat than the District's sensory siege. But the thought of another being wandering the same ghostly streets as you? It was as unpleasant as the fallen Nemesis' stench.

The creator had to have died, right? It had been crushed under a falling elevator. It had been pounded through a street and a sewer. It had fallen an unknowable distance. It couldn't have survived... It couldn't have...

Time Remaining: 20 hours remaining// Current Time: 2:00am
View attachment 8756
The Power Plant was coated in a thick layer of dust and soot. It was still. Unusually so. The only sound that could be heard in its proximity was the gentle hum of an underground generator. The earth trembled a little underfoot. The building itself had clearly seen better days. It's signs were faded and plain. Its paint was peeling. Its walls were cracks and crumbling. But it kept producing power. It hadn't stopped fulfilling its purpose, not even in the lifetimes since it had been 'decommissioned'.

The doors were open. The locks had long since rusted away. The trickster had no more tricks. The lobby contained a single chair. A figure with a domed skull sat upon it, oblivious to his guests. His legs were crossed. A rusted OBLIVION energy can sat in his hand. A flickering television set sat in front of him. The previous day's CotA highlights played on loop in front of him.
View attachment 8757
All that was left to do was step inside.
All the Champions had to do was step inside and finish the job.

@Atomic Knight @Jeremi @Yun Lee @Takumi
For the first time since coming to Prudence, and possibly even before that, Marianne felt a bit of hope deep within her soul. Could it be...was she able to actually do something right here? Her final day before meeting her Goddess...perhaps she could leave this world a bit better than she'd left it.

But as everything started crashing down, she gulped. A decision had to be made, fast, and she would take the option that fulfilled the purpose Jyuto had given her. Placing her hand on his arm, she would cast Warp, sending the two of them right to the entrance of the VIP Lounge. Before they'd go in, though, Marianne decided to give those still here a sendoff. Once more she brought the mic up, attempting to try and fuse a bit more of her magic into her words.

"Fear and chaos go hand in hand,
But please everyone, you must take a stand.
Stay strong, stay safe, most of all stay brave,
Don't let this game send you to your grave!"
CASINO
A second wind filled the gamblers. With valiant shouts and raised fits, the mob became a militia.

An out manned, out gunned militia.

Marianne imbedded a fraction of the hope she had found within the gamblers. With it, they became brave, proud men and women.

Right up until the bitter end.

Rabbit scrambled to his feet, dragging Marianne forward in the process.

"Come on!" He yelled over the broken cries in the next room over. "Come on, we need to--"

[BEEP]

His foot clipped the edge of a holographic table. An image hummed to life.
View attachment 8758
"Hello? Hello?" Jyuto cried. "Can you hear us? Can you--?" He whipped his head back around to face Marianne's. "It's a long-distance communicator, Mari! We can call for help! Maybe Prudence's PMCs can't help us, but if we can get a massage off world--" He started waving his arms before the hologram. "S-O-S! S-O-S! My name is Jyuto Iruma! I'm here with Marriane von Edmund! We're trapped in the Silver Ball Casino on Planet Prudence! We're requesting immediate evacuation! We're under attack! The dead are walking! The city's turning against us! I know this sounds like a hoax but you have to---"

Jyuto stopped mid-sentence. He ran his fingers through the image of the Hutt. He remained still. Stoic. Unflinching. It was all so... UnHuttlike.
"I don't understand... Hello? Hello? Can you... Can you hear us? See us?" He slapped the central console. Jabba's face started to quiver and shake. But his expression didn't change. He didn't even blink. "I don't understand..." He ran his fingers through his hair. "It's a fake... It's just an image-projector dressed up to look like comminutor. With something like this, you could... you could create a digital puppet... I don't understand..."

Jyuto hammered a few keys on projector's base, imputing secret command.

[BEEP] [BEEP] [BEEP]
[CREATING EMERGENCY LOG]
[TIME REMAINING: 2 MINUTES]

"Shit!" Jyuto spat. "We need that log! This could blow this whole thing open! If the Hutts are involved, this could change everything... and if someone is pretending to be a Hutt--"

[CRASH]

The barricade came tumbling down. The 'Risen' flooded into the casino en masse. The Slot Machines stopped shooting. They had served their purpose. They demonic creatures feasted upon the fallen gamblers. Their bodies were desecrated and discarded. The flesh of the dead was sated their hunger, sure... but the flesh of the living? The Undead existed to hunt...

They sniffed the air. They staggered around the Casino searching for the last of the survivors. All that stood between Jyuto and Marianne and certain death was a thin, crimson curtain. The zombies were hardly the brightest creatures on Prudence, but even they would find the pair before long. Jyuto refused to move. His eyes remained fixed on the projector's progress bar.

"C'monC'monC'monC'monC'mon..."

Marianne could make out the sight of a small trap door behind the VIP Bar. Perhaps it was a route to the casino's basement. Then again, the VIP area was designed to house the biggest and baddest gamblers in town. Jyuto had promised Marianne a way out... this had to be it, right?

45 Rabbit had abandoned all thought of escape. The projector has stolen his attention. He gripped the console tightly, praying that the Log would generate sooner.

A panicked cry ratted out of the wider casino.
"Oh Lady Luck! Please!" The blue haired boy cowered. "Don't fail me now! Fuck! Luck! Come on! Your champion's in a tight... Fuck! Goddess? If you're out there, please!" The final survivor scurried away from the horde. He soon found himself in a corner with his back to the wall. "Fuck! Goddess!"

@Yun Lee

"I'm in too." Chise spoke up. She didn't like it, but she didn't like their situation anymore than she did when she woke up in District C's slums.
“Alright then, when do we start?” Narancia said, easily wanting to overthrow Tormo and this stupid game.
“Tormo’s a menace that needs to be stopped,” Eight Hearts nodded. It didn’t feel right to abandon the others but he didn’t know any of them. Perhaps saving the ones here was enough. “I’m in,” He finally replied. “What is the plan?”
MAYOR'S SUITE
Nemu turned her head away from the Champions for a moment. Her ears twitched as if some distant sound had stolen her attention away from her 'honored' guests.
"Yes. Wonderful. I agree." She muttered dismissively. "There is something I must attend to. Doppo. Show them to the staging area."
"But Madame Mayor!" Doppo stammered, stepping away from his slumping spot on the wall. "Isn't that the job o---"
In a flash of blue, the hologram vanished. Doppo was left reaching out towards nothing. He waited for a moment or two, praying that the Mayor's other assistant would appear just as quickly as she had disappeared. She never arrived. Doppo silently unbuttoned his color to allow a little bit more air to reach his wet chest.
"If..." He swallowed hard. "If you would be so kind as to... ah... please, follow me..."
STAGING AREA
Doppo didn't lead the Champions to a large, dramatic clearing. He didn't lead them into some militarized zone or deeply trenched district. The Mayor's assistant simply guided from alley to alley until they came upon a humble sewer grate in an all-too ordinary alley.
View attachment 8759
A ground of Private Soldiers and poorly-armed volunteers had already gathered around the grate. Some were watching it eagerly. Others hung a little further back. These men- who, on the surface, might have appeared cowardly, as they leaded upon their rifles and avoided the eyes of their superiors- instead Ventress' pity. They were old. Desperate. They lacked the eager ignorance shared by their younger contemporaries. Some of them might have been old enough to remember the old B-C conflict that had devastated the slums long ago. They were being dragged into another war in the name of erased debts and all-too-good-to-be-true insurance payouts.

The soldiers either had no idea what they were getting into, or they tragically knew better, but had no choice but to accept their fates anyway.

"We can blame Tormo all we like,"
Ventress hummed to herself. She pulled her hood back over her head. She told herself that she did so to shelter herself from the rain. Deep down, she just wanted to hide her face. Deep down, she just wanted to hide her shame. "But the choices we made... they were our own. Siding with Cluth. Betraying him for the Beggars. Attacking the Outpost. Destroying the Bridge. And now this... signing up for Nemu's debtor's army. We were offered deal after deal... and we kept saying yes, without a second thought. We just had to intervene. We just had to interfere. The promise of money and 'morality' brought us here." Ventress chuckled weakly. "We thought that we could cheat. That we could free ourselves from Tormo's game. Instead... Instead we've brought the city to the brink of destruction by our own free will. Look upon our works, ye mighty, and despair... nothing remains 'round the decay---"

"Listen up, Rats!"
A mercenary general howled over the rumble of the rain. "I'm sure you've already felt the tremors down bellow! Hate to break it to you, Pansies, but these ain't ye usual earthquakes! Cluth's been using the power cores from his old war-bots the blast a straight path through our sewers! With half the city under martial law and the other half quarantined to mitigate the damage caused by Cluth's bioweapon, we reason to believe that this here grate will be the staging area of District C's attack. Remember: You're not just fighting for your lives! You're fighting for your way of life! Unless you want your kids eating garbage for their school lunches and praying to some whatever crap-guzzling Rat Gods those filth-bals worship, you better shoot to kill, you hear me? Don't show those tin-heads any mercy! We'll be drinking out of LW Droids heads tonight, boys! Let's give them hell! Any last questions? Any last prayers? Get 'em out now! Because I don't want to hear any whimpering once the shooting starts!

@Jeremi @Takumi @Capri @Ottonomous Ghost
 
Yashamaru, eager as he was to move forward and drive his blade through Tormo's heart, hesitated. No...this seemed almost too perfect. Too picturesque. To walk in here blindly would be to ask for death. And Yashamaru wasn't about to make any more stupid decisions tonight. Raising his arm, he swung it out quickly before him, sending a small flurry of crow's feathers into the room to detect anything...and to see if the figure in the room would even react.

@Sark @Takumi @Jeremi @Atomic Knight

---

Marianne peeked out from behind the curtain, watching the boy cower. Oh no...once more, everyone had perished. And yet...she still wanted to save someone. Prolong his life just a bit longer. Give him a better end than being torn to shreds by Risen. And he spoke of Her. The Goddess. Could it be? No. No, she had to save him.

The last of her magic for now would be used to use Warp again, but from a long-distance. It would bring the boy behind her into the lounge, but as a result she would be unable to cast any more magic until she could recharge. Gulping, the girl took hold of the hilt of her blade. If she had to fight the horde of Risen off, then so be it. Cowardice is what led to the nightmare at the opera house. Whether she liked it or not, the time for bravery had come.

@Sark
 
Yashamaru, eager as he was to move forward and drive his blade through Tormo's heart, hesitated. No...this seemed almost too perfect. Too picturesque. To walk in here blindly would be to ask for death. And Yashamaru wasn't about to make any more stupid decisions tonight. Raising his arm, he swung it out quickly before him, sending a small flurry of crow's feathers into the room to detect anything...and to see if the figure in the room would even react.
DISTRICT Z
Yashamaru's search would reveal...
Nothing.
Save for the chair, the television set and the pool table, the room was empty. There were no pressure plates beneath the floorboards. There were not hidden laser traps. It was just an ordinary room filled with ordinary, albeit neglected, things.
"What were you expecting? Killer bees?" Tormo tutted. A ghostly figure strutted through the room's back wall. It approached the man on the chair and took the drink from his hand. Or, at least, he tried to. Its holographic hand passed straight through it. A flickering afterimage of the drink appeared in his hand instead. "Maybe a chess-themed minefield? Oh! Maybe a giant pin-ball machine! Heat to break it to you, lovelies, but I'm not A-A-A-A-Arcade." The hologram slapped its the side of its head like a dog might scratch its ear. The glitching stopped. "Forgive me, babies. The signal's not as strong down here. Interfacing with all this outdated tech... it's harder than it looks. What's wrong? Isn't this the ending that you were hoping for?"

View attachment 8774
"The Hell are you supposed to be?" Sam chirped as he slowly drew his blade. "Where the Hell is Tormo..."

"Oh, you'll have to forgive me!" The Hologram laughed. "Trust me to forget to put on my face..."
View attachment 8775
"Is this one better?" The Hologram hummed, its voice growing higher. "Or would you rather..."
View attachment 8776
"This one?" It gurgled in a guttural accent. "Or maybe..."
View attachment 8777
"Maybe a band of men like you would prefer a face like this?" The hologram giggled. "You savages! Please! Be a dear and tell me which face you'd prefer! I'd hate for you all to be left feeling uncomfortable!"

"Who... what..."
Sam thinned his eyes into razors. "What are you?"

"It's like he said before." Arcade added with a surprisingly unsurprised tone. "It owns Prudence. It is Prudence... isn't that right?"

"Bingo!" Prudence chirped. "I am the Protector Regent Under Direct Employment of National Compendium Enterprises, a subsidiary of OBLIVION Insurance. To most, I am P.R.U.D.E.N.C.E., and I have the honor of welcoming you all to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! Congratulations!" Its tone shifted. The joy faded from its flickering face. "The game is over. Here's you prize: the knowledge that you were the ones being played."

@Yun Lee @Atomic Knight @Takumi @Jeremi

Marianne peeked out from behind the curtain, watching the boy cower. Oh no...once more, everyone had perished. And yet...she still wanted to save someone. Prolong his life just a bit longer. Give him a better end than being torn to shreds by Risen. And he spoke of Her. The Goddess. Could it be? No. No, she had to save him.

The last of her magic for now would be used to use Warp again, but from a long-distance. It would bring the boy behind her into the lounge, but as a result she would be unable to cast any more magic until she could recharge. Gulping, the girl took hold of the hilt of her blade. If she had to fight the horde of Risen off, then so be it. Cowardice is what led to the nightmare at the opera house. Whether she liked it or not, the time for bravery had come.

@Sark
CASINO
The light of Warp faded. Dice Arisugawa was lying in a ball at Marianne's feet. He slowly picked himself up, gasping and panting all the while.
"So... uh... thanks, I guess..." He panted. "Guess I owe you guys..."
View attachment 8779
"Hhhhh..." He sighed deeply. "Guess I do..."
"You 'guess'?" Rabbit protested. "Dice, you were about to die, you stupid shit. You were screaming like a damn kid. It was worse than that, actually. You were screaming like Ramuda."
"It wasn't that bad..."
"You're acting like you didn't want to be saved!"
"I mean... there's no fun in gambling if someone's just gonna pay your tab and save you from your losses. Sorta takes the fun outta things..."
"For fuck's..." Jyuto bit his tongue and hissed through his teeth. "Tell me you've at least got you mic, yeah?"
"Yeah..." Dice slowly removed his weapon- a thin, golden microphone with a golden, featureless snake coiling around its handle- and rolled it around in his wrist. "I don't think it'll help against--"
"Look, they may be zombies, but they've still got brains. If they have brains, then they have empathy centers. My shitty mic might have failed, but yours? Yours is the real deal." Rabbit brushed his chin with his glove. "It just might work... So give it to Mari."
"What? No!" Dice spat. "She hasn't even won it offa me y--"
"Just give her the option to use it, okay?" Rabbit snapped. "She's a natural. She knows what we're dealing with. And you? You just shat yourself at the sight of those things."
"Fair..."
"We've just need to hold them off for another minute and a half. Think you two can hold out until them?"
[FWOOF]
A pair of zombies staggered through the VIP curtain. Two more followed in their footsteps. Then two more. And two more.
"One minute, twenty three seconds and counting!!"

@Yun Lee
 



DISTRICT Z
"Tyrant? Coward?" Tormo scoffed. "Your minds are far too small to comprehend my nature. Threaten me if you must. Scream and hate and wail. It will do you no good. I'll be waiting for our next meeting, 'Champions'. I'll save you a drink..."

Tormo had played his final card. Bluffs. Extortion. Blackmail. They had all failed him. District Z was a ghost town. The slamming doors and crashing doors gave one an impression that the region was haunted my a poltergeist, perhaps, but there was nothing living- nor unliving, for that matter- to oppose the Champions. No matter how frantically they ran, the streets seemed to stretch on forever. Even Sam and Yashamaru immense speed, the journey was neither short nor soothing. A thick cloud of dust settled in the air like fallout. It settled upon the streets like snow. The gray haze consumed the dead streets.
View attachment 8755
It was hard to see. Hard to breathe. Your sense played tricks on you. You could have sworn that you heard something stirring. Stalking. A beastly cry gurgled in the distance. It was too far away to pose a threat. The haze was already hiding your tracks and disguising your scent. It was no greater threat than the District's sensory siege. But the thought of another being wandering the same ghostly streets as you? It was as unpleasant as the fallen Nemesis' stench.

The creator had to have died, right? It had been crushed under a falling elevator. It had been pounded through a street and a sewer. It had fallen an unknowable distance. It couldn't have survived... It couldn't have...

Time Remaining: 20 hours remaining// Current Time: 2:00am
View attachment 8756
The Power Plant was coated in a thick layer of dust and soot. It was still. Unusually so. The only sound that could be heard in its proximity was the gentle hum of an underground generator. The earth trembled a little underfoot. The building itself had clearly seen better days. It's signs were faded and plain. Its paint was peeling. Its walls were cracks and crumbling. But it kept producing power. It hadn't stopped fulfilling its purpose, not even in the lifetimes since it had been 'decommissioned'.

The doors were open. The locks had long since rusted away. The trickster had no more tricks. The lobby contained a single chair. A figure with a domed skull sat upon it, oblivious to his guests. His legs were crossed. A rusted OBLIVION energy can sat in his hand. A flickering television set sat in front of him. The previous day's CotA highlights played on loop in front of him.
View attachment 8757
All that was left to do was step inside.
All the Champions had to do was step inside and finish the job.

@Atomic Knight @Jeremi @Yun Lee @Takumi

CASINO
A second wind filled the gamblers. With valiant shouts and raised fits, the mob became a militia.

An out manned, out gunned militia.

Marianne imbedded a fraction of the hope she had found within the gamblers. With it, they became brave, proud men and women.

Right up until the bitter end.

Rabbit scrambled to his feet, dragging Marianne forward in the process.

"Come on!" He yelled over the broken cries in the next room over. "Come on, we need to--"

[BEEP]

His foot clipped the edge of a holographic table. An image hummed to life.
View attachment 8758
"Hello? Hello?" Jyuto cried. "Can you hear us? Can you--?" He whipped his head back around to face Marianne's. "It's a long-distance communicator, Mari! We can call for help! Maybe Prudence's PMCs can't help us, but if we can get a massage off world--" He started waving his arms before the hologram. "S-O-S! S-O-S! My name is Jyuto Iruma! I'm here with Marriane von Edmund! We're trapped in the Silver Ball Casino on Planet Prudence! We're requesting immediate evacuation! We're under attack! The dead are walking! The city's turning against us! I know this sounds like a hoax but you have to---"

Jyuto stopped mid-sentence. He ran his fingers through the image of the Hutt. He remained still. Stoic. Unflinching. It was all so... UnHuttlike.
"I don't understand... Hello? Hello? Can you... Can you hear us? See us?" He slapped the central console. Jabba's face started to quiver and shake. But his expression didn't change. He didn't even blink. "I don't understand..." He ran his fingers through his hair. "It's a fake... It's just an image-projector dressed up to look like comminutor. With something like this, you could... you could create a digital puppet... I don't understand..."

Jyuto hammered a few keys on projector's base, imputing secret command.

[BEEP] [BEEP] [BEEP]
[CREATING EMERGENCY LOG]
[TIME REMAINING: 2 MINUTES]

"Shit!" Jyuto spat. "We need that log! This could blow this whole thing open! If the Hutts are involved, this could change everything... and if someone is pretending to be a Hutt--"

[CRASH]

The barricade came tumbling down. The 'Risen' flooded into the casino en masse. The Slot Machines stopped shooting. They had served their purpose. They demonic creatures feasted upon the fallen gamblers. Their bodies were desecrated and discarded. The flesh of the dead was sated their hunger, sure... but the flesh of the living? The Undead existed to hunt...

They sniffed the air. They staggered around the Casino searching for the last of the survivors. All that stood between Jyuto and Marianne and certain death was a thin, crimson curtain. The zombies were hardly the brightest creatures on Prudence, but even they would find the pair before long. Jyuto refused to move. His eyes remained fixed on the projector's progress bar.

"C'monC'monC'monC'monC'mon..."

Marianne could make out the sight of a small trap door behind the VIP Bar. Perhaps it was a route to the casino's basement. Then again, the VIP area was designed to house the biggest and baddest gamblers in town. Jyuto had promised Marianne a way out... this had to be it, right?

45 Rabbit had abandoned all thought of escape. The projector has stolen his attention. He gripped the console tightly, praying that the Log would generate sooner.

A panicked cry ratted out of the wider casino.
"Oh Lady Luck! Please!" The blue haired boy cowered. "Don't fail me now! Fuck! Luck! Come on! Your champion's in a tight... Fuck! Goddess? If you're out there, please!" The final survivor scurried away from the horde. He soon found himself in a corner with his back to the wall. "Fuck! Goddess!"

@Yun Lee




MAYOR'S SUITE
Nemu turned her head away from the Champions for a moment. Her ears twitched as if some distant sound had stolen her attention away from her 'honored' guests.
"Yes. Wonderful. I agree." She muttered dismissively. "There is something I must attend to. Doppo. Show them to the staging area."
"But Madame Mayor!" Doppo stammered, stepping away from his slumping spot on the wall. "Isn't that the job o---"
In a flash of blue, the hologram vanished. Doppo was left reaching out towards nothing. He waited for a moment or two, praying that the Mayor's other assistant would appear just as quickly as she had disappeared. She never arrived. Doppo silently unbuttoned his color to allow a little bit more air to reach his wet chest.
"If..." He swallowed hard. "If you would be so kind as to... ah... please, follow me..."
STAGING AREA
Doppo didn't lead the Champions to a large, dramatic clearing. He didn't lead them into some militarized zone or deeply trenched district. The Mayor's assistant simply guided from alley to alley until they came upon a humble sewer grate in an all-too ordinary alley.
View attachment 8759
A ground of Private Soldiers and poorly-armed volunteers had already gathered around the grate. Some were watching it eagerly. Others hung a little further back. These men- who, on the surface, might have appeared cowardly, as they leaded upon their rifles and avoided the eyes of their superiors- instead Ventress' pity. They were old. Desperate. They lacked the eager ignorance shared by their younger contemporaries. Some of them might have been old enough to remember the old B-C conflict that had devastated the slums long ago. They were being dragged into another war in the name of erased debts and all-too-good-to-be-true insurance payouts.

The soldiers either had no idea what they were getting into, or they tragically knew better, but had no choice but to accept their fates anyway.

"We can blame Tormo all we like," Ventress hummed to herself. She pulled her hood back over her head. She told herself that she did so to shelter herself from the rain. Deep down, she just wanted to hide her face. Deep down, she just wanted to hide her shame. "But the choices we made... they were our own. Siding with Cluth. Betraying him for the Beggars. Attacking the Outpost. Destroying the Bridge. And now this... signing up for Nemu's debtor's army. We were offered deal after deal... and we kept saying yes, without a second thought. We just had to intervene. We just had to interfere. The promise of money and 'morality' brought us here." Ventress chuckled weakly. "We thought that we could cheat. That we could free ourselves from Tormo's game. Instead... Instead we've brought the city to the brink of destruction by our own free will. Look upon our works, ye mighty, and despair... nothing remains 'round the decay---"

"Listen up, Rats!"
A mercenary general howled over the rumble of the rain. "I'm sure you've already felt the tremors down bellow! Hate to break it to you, Pansies, but these ain't ye usual earthquakes! Cluth's been using the power cores from his old war-bots the blast a straight path through our sewers! With half the city under martial law and the other half quarantined to mitigate the damage caused by Cluth's bioweapon, we reason to believe that this here grate will be the staging area of District C's attack. Remember: You're not just fighting for your lives! You're fighting for your way of life! Unless you want your kids eating garbage for their school lunches and praying to some whatever crap-guzzling Rat Gods those filth-bals worship, you better shoot to kill, you hear me? Don't show those tin-heads any mercy! We'll be drinking out of LW Droids heads tonight, boys! Let's give them hell! Any last questions? Any last prayers? Get 'em out now! Because I don't want to hear any whimpering once the shooting starts!

@Jeremi @Takumi @Capri @Ottonomous Ghost

"Was that why you sided with everyone?" Eight of Hearts asked confused. "To be perfectly honest I joined with Cluth so that I had an easier way to kill him later. He seemed to be quite a menace after all. That's why I joined with the Beggars who...seemed to be religious fundamentalist so that was not something I wasn't keen on backing either. Everywhere I tried to look for angels and all that I found were nasty devils. You say this is on us? Quite the opposite. It's on the situation itself. I suppose we should've just laid down on the street and waited for death. Any bad game is won if you don't play at all and all of that."

Then another guy began shouting. "Yes, I have a question. What drama school did you go to? Because you went a bit overboard with that little speech of yours. I'd give it maybe a D, D-. You're supposed to emote but it's supposed to look natural."

@Jeremi @Takumi @Capri @Ottonomous Ghost


DISTRICT Z
Yashamaru's search would reveal...
Nothing.
Save for the chair, the television set and the pool table, the room was empty. There were no pressure plates beneath the floorboards. There were not hidden laser traps. It was just an ordinary room filled with ordinary, albeit neglected, things.
"What were you expecting? Killer bees?" Tormo tutted. A ghostly figure strutted through the room's back wall. It approached the man on the chair and took the drink from his hand. Or, at least, he tried to. Its holographic hand passed straight through it. A flickering afterimage of the drink appeared in his hand instead. "Maybe a chess-themed minefield? Oh! Maybe a giant pin-ball machine! Heat to break it to you, lovelies, but I'm not A-A-A-A-Arcade." The hologram slapped its the side of its head like a dog might scratch its ear. The glitching stopped. "Forgive me, babies. The signal's not as strong down here. Interfacing with all this outdated tech... it's harder than it looks. What's wrong? Isn't this the ending that you were hoping for?"

View attachment 8774
"The Hell are you supposed to be?" Sam chirped as he slowly drew his blade. "Where the Hell is Tormo..."

"Oh, you'll have to forgive me!" The Hologram laughed. "Trust me to forget to put on my face..."
View attachment 8775
"Is this one better?" The Hologram hummed, its voice growing higher. "Or would you rather..."
View attachment 8776
"This one?" It gurgled in a guttural accent. "Or maybe..."
View attachment 8777
"Maybe a band of men like you would prefer a face like this?" The hologram giggled. "You savages! Please! Be a dear and tell me which face you'd prefer! I'd hate for you all to be left feeling uncomfortable!"

"Who... what..."
Sam thinned his eyes into razors. "What are you?"

"It's like he said before." Arcade added with a surprisingly unsurprised tone. "It owns Prudence. It is Prudence... isn't that right?"

"Bingo!" Prudence chirped. "I am the Protector Regent Under Direct Employment of National Compendium Enterprises, a subsidiary of OBLIVION Insurance. To most, I am P.R.U.D.E.N.C.E., and I have the honor of welcoming you all to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! Congratulations!" Its tone shifted. The joy faded from its flickering face. "The game is over. Here's you prize: the knowledge that you were the ones being played."

@Yun Lee @Atomic Knight @Takumi @Jeremi


CASINO
The light of Warp faded. Dice Arisugawa was lying in a ball at Marianne's feet. He slowly picked himself up, gasping and panting all the while.
"So... uh... thanks, I guess..." He panted. "Guess I owe you guys..."
View attachment 8779
"Hhhhh..." He sighed deeply. "Guess I do..."
"You 'guess'?" Rabbit protested. "Dice, you were about to die, you stupid shit. You were screaming like a damn kid. It was worse than that, actually. You were screaming like Ramuda."
"It wasn't that bad..."
"You're acting like you didn't want to be saved!"
"I mean... there's no fun in gambling if someone's just gonna pay your tab and save you from your losses. Sorta takes the fun outta things..."
"For fuck's..." Jyuto bit his tongue and hissed through his teeth. "Tell me you've at least got you mic, yeah?"
"Yeah..." Dice slowly removed his weapon- a thin, golden microphone with a golden, featureless snake coiling around its handle- and rolled it around in his wrist. "I don't think it'll help against--"
"Look, they may be zombies, but they've still got brains. If they have brains, then they have empathy centers. My shitty mic might have failed, but yours? Yours is the real deal." Rabbit brushed his chin with his glove. "It just might work... So give it to Mari."
"What? No!" Dice spat. "She hasn't even won it offa me y--"
"Just give her the option to use it, okay?" Rabbit snapped. "She's a natural. She knows what we're dealing with. And you? You just shat yourself at the sight of those things."
"Fair..."
"We've just need to hold them off for another minute and a half. Think you two can hold out until them?"
[FWOOF]
A pair of zombies staggered through the VIP curtain. Two more followed in their footsteps. Then two more. And two more.
"One minute, twenty three seconds and counting!!"

@Yun Lee

"Anyone who didn't think they were being played is a fucking idiot," Came Bad Girl's remark to the true mastermind of this ordeal. "Oh please, Ms. Prude. I fucking get it. Hahaha, I'm an evil fucking mastermind I'm so cool and smart and cute! Blow it out of your ass and toss me a fucking whiskey bottle. If I'm going to have to hear your villain monologue I'm going to have to be fucking drunk enough to not be able to stand. You know what? Make that a case of whiskey bottles."

@Sark @Yun Lee @Atomic Knight @Takumi @Jeremi
 



DISTRICT Z
"Tyrant? Coward?" Tormo scoffed. "Your minds are far too small to comprehend my nature. Threaten me if you must. Scream and hate and wail. It will do you no good. I'll be waiting for our next meeting, 'Champions'. I'll save you a drink..."

Tormo had played his final card. Bluffs. Extortion. Blackmail. They had all failed him. District Z was a ghost town. The slamming doors and crashing doors gave one an impression that the region was haunted my a poltergeist, perhaps, but there was nothing living- nor unliving, for that matter- to oppose the Champions. No matter how frantically they ran, the streets seemed to stretch on forever. Even Sam and Yashamaru immense speed, the journey was neither short nor soothing. A thick cloud of dust settled in the air like fallout. It settled upon the streets like snow. The gray haze consumed the dead streets.
View attachment 8755
It was hard to see. Hard to breathe. Your sense played tricks on you. You could have sworn that you heard something stirring. Stalking. A beastly cry gurgled in the distance. It was too far away to pose a threat. The haze was already hiding your tracks and disguising your scent. It was no greater threat than the District's sensory siege. But the thought of another being wandering the same ghostly streets as you? It was as unpleasant as the fallen Nemesis' stench.

The creator had to have died, right? It had been crushed under a falling elevator. It had been pounded through a street and a sewer. It had fallen an unknowable distance. It couldn't have survived... It couldn't have...

Time Remaining: 20 hours remaining// Current Time: 2:00am
View attachment 8756
The Power Plant was coated in a thick layer of dust and soot. It was still. Unusually so. The only sound that could be heard in its proximity was the gentle hum of an underground generator. The earth trembled a little underfoot. The building itself had clearly seen better days. It's signs were faded and plain. Its paint was peeling. Its walls were cracks and crumbling. But it kept producing power. It hadn't stopped fulfilling its purpose, not even in the lifetimes since it had been 'decommissioned'.

The doors were open. The locks had long since rusted away. The trickster had no more tricks. The lobby contained a single chair. A figure with a domed skull sat upon it, oblivious to his guests. His legs were crossed. A rusted OBLIVION energy can sat in his hand. A flickering television set sat in front of him. The previous day's CotA highlights played on loop in front of him.
View attachment 8757
All that was left to do was step inside.
All the Champions had to do was step inside and finish the job.

@Atomic Knight @Jeremi @Yun Lee @Takumi

CASINO
A second wind filled the gamblers. With valiant shouts and raised fits, the mob became a militia.

An out manned, out gunned militia.

Marianne imbedded a fraction of the hope she had found within the gamblers. With it, they became brave, proud men and women.

Right up until the bitter end.

Rabbit scrambled to his feet, dragging Marianne forward in the process.

"Come on!" He yelled over the broken cries in the next room over. "Come on, we need to--"

[BEEP]

His foot clipped the edge of a holographic table. An image hummed to life.
View attachment 8758
"Hello? Hello?" Jyuto cried. "Can you hear us? Can you--?" He whipped his head back around to face Marianne's. "It's a long-distance communicator, Mari! We can call for help! Maybe Prudence's PMCs can't help us, but if we can get a massage off world--" He started waving his arms before the hologram. "S-O-S! S-O-S! My name is Jyuto Iruma! I'm here with Marriane von Edmund! We're trapped in the Silver Ball Casino on Planet Prudence! We're requesting immediate evacuation! We're under attack! The dead are walking! The city's turning against us! I know this sounds like a hoax but you have to---"

Jyuto stopped mid-sentence. He ran his fingers through the image of the Hutt. He remained still. Stoic. Unflinching. It was all so... UnHuttlike.
"I don't understand... Hello? Hello? Can you... Can you hear us? See us?" He slapped the central console. Jabba's face started to quiver and shake. But his expression didn't change. He didn't even blink. "I don't understand..." He ran his fingers through his hair. "It's a fake... It's just an image-projector dressed up to look like comminutor. With something like this, you could... you could create a digital puppet... I don't understand..."

Jyuto hammered a few keys on projector's base, imputing secret command.

[BEEP] [BEEP] [BEEP]
[CREATING EMERGENCY LOG]
[TIME REMAINING: 2 MINUTES]

"Shit!" Jyuto spat. "We need that log! This could blow this whole thing open! If the Hutts are involved, this could change everything... and if someone is pretending to be a Hutt--"

[CRASH]

The barricade came tumbling down. The 'Risen' flooded into the casino en masse. The Slot Machines stopped shooting. They had served their purpose. They demonic creatures feasted upon the fallen gamblers. Their bodies were desecrated and discarded. The flesh of the dead was sated their hunger, sure... but the flesh of the living? The Undead existed to hunt...

They sniffed the air. They staggered around the Casino searching for the last of the survivors. All that stood between Jyuto and Marianne and certain death was a thin, crimson curtain. The zombies were hardly the brightest creatures on Prudence, but even they would find the pair before long. Jyuto refused to move. His eyes remained fixed on the projector's progress bar.

"C'monC'monC'monC'monC'mon..."

Marianne could make out the sight of a small trap door behind the VIP Bar. Perhaps it was a route to the casino's basement. Then again, the VIP area was designed to house the biggest and baddest gamblers in town. Jyuto had promised Marianne a way out... this had to be it, right?

45 Rabbit had abandoned all thought of escape. The projector has stolen his attention. He gripped the console tightly, praying that the Log would generate sooner.

A panicked cry ratted out of the wider casino.
"Oh Lady Luck! Please!" The blue haired boy cowered. "Don't fail me now! Fuck! Luck! Come on! Your champion's in a tight... Fuck! Goddess? If you're out there, please!" The final survivor scurried away from the horde. He soon found himself in a corner with his back to the wall. "Fuck! Goddess!"

@Yun Lee




MAYOR'S SUITE
Nemu turned her head away from the Champions for a moment. Her ears twitched as if some distant sound had stolen her attention away from her 'honored' guests.
"Yes. Wonderful. I agree." She muttered dismissively. "There is something I must attend to. Doppo. Show them to the staging area."
"But Madame Mayor!" Doppo stammered, stepping away from his slumping spot on the wall. "Isn't that the job o---"
In a flash of blue, the hologram vanished. Doppo was left reaching out towards nothing. He waited for a moment or two, praying that the Mayor's other assistant would appear just as quickly as she had disappeared. She never arrived. Doppo silently unbuttoned his color to allow a little bit more air to reach his wet chest.
"If..." He swallowed hard. "If you would be so kind as to... ah... please, follow me..."
STAGING AREA
Doppo didn't lead the Champions to a large, dramatic clearing. He didn't lead them into some militarized zone or deeply trenched district. The Mayor's assistant simply guided from alley to alley until they came upon a humble sewer grate in an all-too ordinary alley.
View attachment 8759
A ground of Private Soldiers and poorly-armed volunteers had already gathered around the grate. Some were watching it eagerly. Others hung a little further back. These men- who, on the surface, might have appeared cowardly, as they leaded upon their rifles and avoided the eyes of their superiors- instead Ventress' pity. They were old. Desperate. They lacked the eager ignorance shared by their younger contemporaries. Some of them might have been old enough to remember the old B-C conflict that had devastated the slums long ago. They were being dragged into another war in the name of erased debts and all-too-good-to-be-true insurance payouts.

The soldiers either had no idea what they were getting into, or they tragically knew better, but had no choice but to accept their fates anyway.

"We can blame Tormo all we like," Ventress hummed to herself. She pulled her hood back over her head. She told herself that she did so to shelter herself from the rain. Deep down, she just wanted to hide her face. Deep down, she just wanted to hide her shame. "But the choices we made... they were our own. Siding with Cluth. Betraying him for the Beggars. Attacking the Outpost. Destroying the Bridge. And now this... signing up for Nemu's debtor's army. We were offered deal after deal... and we kept saying yes, without a second thought. We just had to intervene. We just had to interfere. The promise of money and 'morality' brought us here." Ventress chuckled weakly. "We thought that we could cheat. That we could free ourselves from Tormo's game. Instead... Instead we've brought the city to the brink of destruction by our own free will. Look upon our works, ye mighty, and despair... nothing remains 'round the decay---"

"Listen up, Rats!"
A mercenary general howled over the rumble of the rain. "I'm sure you've already felt the tremors down bellow! Hate to break it to you, Pansies, but these ain't ye usual earthquakes! Cluth's been using the power cores from his old war-bots the blast a straight path through our sewers! With half the city under martial law and the other half quarantined to mitigate the damage caused by Cluth's bioweapon, we reason to believe that this here grate will be the staging area of District C's attack. Remember: You're not just fighting for your lives! You're fighting for your way of life! Unless you want your kids eating garbage for their school lunches and praying to some whatever crap-guzzling Rat Gods those filth-bals worship, you better shoot to kill, you hear me? Don't show those tin-heads any mercy! We'll be drinking out of LW Droids heads tonight, boys! Let's give them hell! Any last questions? Any last prayers? Get 'em out now! Because I don't want to hear any whimpering once the shooting starts!

@Jeremi @Takumi @Capri @Ottonomous Ghost

Yashamaru, eager as he was to move forward and drive his blade through Tormo's heart, hesitated. No...this seemed almost too perfect. Too picturesque. To walk in here blindly would be to ask for death. And Yashamaru wasn't about to make any more stupid decisions tonight. Raising his arm, he swung it out quickly before him, sending a small flurry of crow's feathers into the room to detect anything...and to see if the figure in the room would even react.

@Sark @Takumi @Jeremi @Atomic Knight

---

Marianne peeked out from behind the curtain, watching the boy cower. Oh no...once more, everyone had perished. And yet...she still wanted to save someone. Prolong his life just a bit longer. Give him a better end than being torn to shreds by Risen. And he spoke of Her. The Goddess. Could it be? No. No, she had to save him.

The last of her magic for now would be used to use Warp again, but from a long-distance. It would bring the boy behind her into the lounge, but as a result she would be unable to cast any more magic until she could recharge. Gulping, the girl took hold of the hilt of her blade. If she had to fight the horde of Risen off, then so be it. Cowardice is what led to the nightmare at the opera house. Whether she liked it or not, the time for bravery had come.

@Sark

"Was that why you sided with everyone?" Eight of Hearts asked confused. "To be perfectly honest I joined with Cluth so that I had an easier way to kill him later. He seemed to be quite a menace after all. That's why I joined with the Beggars who...seemed to be religious fundamentalist so that was not something I wasn't keen on backing either. Everywhere I tried to look for angels and all that I found were nasty devils. You say this is on us? Quite the opposite. It's on the situation itself. I suppose we should've just laid down on the street and waited for death. Any bad game is won if you don't play at all and all of that."

Then another guy began shouting. "Yes, I have a question. What drama school did you go to? Because you went a bit overboard with that little speech of yours. I'd give it maybe a D, D-. You're supposed to emote but it's supposed to look natural."

@Jeremi @Takumi @Capri @Ottonomous Ghost



"Anyone who didn't think they were being played is a fucking idiot," Came Bad Girl's remark to the true mastermind of this ordeal. "Oh please, Ms. Prude. I fucking get it. Hahaha, I'm an evil fucking mastermind I'm so cool and smart and cute! Blow it out of your ass and toss me a fucking whiskey bottle. If I'm going to have to hear your villain monologue I'm going to have to be fucking drunk enough to not be able to stand. You know what? Make that a case of whiskey bottles."

@Sark @Yun Lee @Atomic Knight @Takumi @Jeremi

Chise let the rain hit her a moment, head tilted back and eyes closed as she listened to both Eight hearts and Ventress speak.

"He's right, it's not all on us. Sure, we have our hand in it, but the blame can't be on us completely. It's like...hm, we were between a rock and a hard place, and we tried to find a different way through but got caught up in a mess." She tried to voice her thoughts, a tiredness set in her shoulders.

"And I probably wouldn't have gone so far as to kill Cluth, but he definitely didn't need to stay in power." She added under her breath with a soft huff. Shaking her head a bit, she pulled her own hood up. Then again, there wasn't much point in doing so now, she already got her hair wet.

She bit her lip and winced slightly as Eight Hearts insulted the man's 'performance', hoping that the guy didn't turn violent in response.

@Sark @Jeremi @Ottonomous Ghost @Capri @Lucky @District B

The one armed young man simply stood there, silent and blank faced as the information processed, before he tilted his head slightly to the right as Charlotte spoke.

5d7ded0326bf69cccae677937a5fa662954e4106.jpg


"You're going to pickle your liver and die faster." Ouka idly commented, as if the reveal of Prudence itself wasn't the most important thing to point out first as he stood with an ice sword in hand. He had made it before they entered the power plant, and didn't dissolve it in case he needed to impale something.

Stabbing Tormo had been his goal, but with this new development he'd have to adapt and change some things. Shame.

@Sark @Yun Lee @Jeremi @Atomic Knight @District Z
 
Chise let the rain hit her a moment, head tilted back and eyes closed as she listened to both Eight hearts and Ventress speak.

"He's right, it's not all on us. Sure, we have our hand in it, but the blame can't be on us completely. It's like...hm, we were between a rock and a hard place, and we tried to find a different way through but got caught up in a mess." She tried to voice her thoughts, a tiredness set in her shoulders.

"And I probably wouldn't have gone so far as to kill Cluth, but he definitely didn't need to stay in power." She added under her breath with a soft huff. Shaking her head a bit, she pulled her own hood up. Then again, there wasn't much point in doing so now, she already got her hair wet.

She bit her lip and winced slightly as Eight Hearts insulted the man's 'performance', hoping that the guy didn't turn violent in response.

@Sark @Jeremi @Ottonomous Ghost @Capri @Lucky @District B

The one armed young man simply stood there, silent and blank faced as the information processed, before he tilted his head slightly to the right as Charlotte spoke.

5d7ded0326bf69cccae677937a5fa662954e4106.jpg


"You're going to pickle your liver and die faster." Ouka idly commented, as if the reveal of Prudence itself wasn't the most important thing to point out first as he stood with an ice sword in hand. He had made it before they entered the power plant, and didn't dissolve it in case he needed to impale something.

Stabbing Tormo had been his goal, but with this new development he'd have to adapt and change some things. Shame.

@Sark @Yun Lee @Jeremi @Atomic Knight @District Z

“Blow it out of your ass you snarky bitch!” Bad Girl shot back at Ouka. “Don’t fucking tell me what I can and can’t do! You fucking shit stain! Who do you think you are talking like that! If I wasn’t so fucking done I’d beat your fucking head in!”

@Sark @Yun Lee @Atomic Knight @Takumi @Jeremi
 
"Anyone who didn't think they were being played is a fucking idiot," Came Bad Girl's remark to the true mastermind of this ordeal. "Oh please, Ms. Prude. I fucking get it. Hahaha, I'm an evil fucking mastermind I'm so cool and smart and cute! Blow it out of your ass and toss me a fucking whiskey bottle. If I'm going to have to hear your villain monologue I'm going to have to be fucking drunk enough to not be able to stand. You know what? Make that a case of whiskey bottles."
“Blow it out of your ass you snarky bitch!” Bad Girl shot back at Ouka. “Don’t fucking tell me what I can and can’t do! You fucking shit stain! Who do you think you are talking like that! If I wasn’t so fucking done I’d beat your fucking head in!”
The one armed young man simply stood there, silent and blank faced as the information processed, before he tilted his head slightly to the right as Charlotte spoke.

"You're going to pickle your liver and die faster." Ouka idly commented, as if the reveal of Prudence itself wasn't the most important thing to point out first as he stood with an ice sword in hand. He had made it before they entered the power plant, and didn't dissolve it in case he needed to impale something.

Stabbing Tormo had been his goal, but with this new development he'd have to adapt and change some things. Shame.
DISTRICT Z
"Oh, if I had a tub of popcorn," Prudence scoffed, stepping in between the warring pair. "Man... this is rich! I mean, Bad Girl, you just took the words outta my mouth! I mean, who the fuck do you think you are talking to me like that?" Prudence went to slap Bad Girl around the back of her head. Her hand simply passed through one side of her skull and harmlessly sparked out the other. "Evil? Me? Try to wrap your tiny, tiny head around the scope of this situation. A demonic invasion. A rogue goddess. The whole 'Revan' thing? The world is hurting, Charlotte! It needs people like me! I'm on of the Good Guys!"

Prudence snapped her fingers. The Lobby started descending like an elevator. Soon, the doors and windows were covered by the long, metal panels of a lift shaft.

"Try to avoiding killing each other so that I can explain myself, yeah? Do you think that you two kids can handle that? Just for a fucking minute?"


@Jeremi @Yun Lee @Takumi @Atomic Knight
Chise let the rain hit her a moment, head tilted back and eyes closed as she listened to both Eight hearts and Ventress speak.

"He's right, it's not all on us. Sure, we have our hand in it, but the blame can't be on us completely. It's like...hm, we were between a rock and a hard place, and we tried to find a different way through but got caught up in a mess." She tried to voice her thoughts, a tiredness set in her shoulders.

"And I probably wouldn't have gone so far as to kill Cluth, but he definitely didn't need to stay in power." She added under her breath with a soft huff. Shaking her head a bit, she pulled her own hood up. Then again, there wasn't much point in doing so now, she already got her hair wet.

She bit her lip and winced slightly as Eight Hearts insulted the man's 'performance', hoping that the guy didn't turn violent in response.
"Was that why you sided with everyone?" Eight of Hearts asked confused. "To be perfectly honest I joined with Cluth so that I had an easier way to kill him later. He seemed to be quite a menace after all. That's why I joined with the Beggars who...seemed to be religious fundamentalist so that was not something I wasn't keen on backing either. Everywhere I tried to look for angels and all that I found were nasty devils. You say this is on us? Quite the opposite. It's on the situation itself. I suppose we should've just laid down on the street and waited for death. Any bad game is won if you don't play at all and all of that."

Then another guy began shouting. "Yes, I have a question. What drama school did you go to? Because you went a bit overboard with that little speech of yours. I'd give it maybe a D, D-. You're supposed to emote but it's supposed to look natural."
DISTRICT B-C
"Lying down and waiting for death? That's exactly what you did, Hearts!" Ventress growled, her templer slipping free of its shackles. "That's exactly what we all did! Siding with the Beggars didn't get us any closer getting off-world! You suggested that we interfere so under the premise of our final days meaning something! That was the act of 'charity' you promised the King! If we had literally laid down and died, the bridge would still be standing! This war wouldn't have begun! We should have played the game. There were 50 hunters on Prudence on Day One. None of them have caused as much of a mess as we have. Our intentions are irrelevant. Admit it. We've made life on Prudence worse."

Her teeth bared like an animals, Asajj turned to face Chise.

"It's not all our fault, but we can't keep passing the blame onto Tormo. Do you think blowing up the Bridge was part of his plan? Do you think us LARPing at reformists was part of his plan? If we had just killed each other like he suggested, the world be much brighter place. Maybe we sh---"


"DEEMINUS!" The Mercenary screamed over the Champions. "I'LL SHOW YE DEEMINUS YOU SHOT NOTES SHIT DRINKIN--"

[BOOOOOOOOOM]

Fire. Smoke. Rubble. The Captain's remains.

They all rained down upon the Staging Area. The Mercenary Captain was blown sky high. His forces were scattered and stunned. The world was spinning. The street was rocking like the deck of a sea-bound ship. The Champions' ears stopped ringing just in time for the sound of energy-rifle fire to rattle their ears. Ventress dragged Chise to her feet. She offered a hand to Hearts. She screamed something they could quite make out. A crimson energy bolt seared her shoulder before she could repeat herself. She fell backwards into the smoking crater that sat in the center of the street.

The King of Beggars lowed his weapon. He placed his boot upon Ventress' wound. She howled in agony.
"We meet again, Champions!" He cheered, his face twisted with hate and fury. The kind soul that had offered them shelter and medicine was gone. A soldier-king stood in his place. "I can't say its a pleasure!"

A dozen more rifles sounded. The machines the mercenaries had anticipated were nowhere to be seen. An army of very hungry, very human soldiers stood in their place. Their gaunt faces and tired eyes bought them a moment a moment of hesitation. A moment of pity. The seized their advantage with a few straight shots into a mercenary's chest.

"This is the world you were promised, Beggars! This is the city fate has denied you for too long! Reclaiming District C shall was only ever an interim solution! With Cluth's guns and your raw will, even Mayor Nemu herself shall not slow us down! For liberty!"


The soldiers responded with a furious chorus.

"For Co-Mayor Cluth! For Co-Mayor Cluth! For the Unified Kings of District C!"

@Takumi @Jeremi @Capri @Lucky
 



DISTRICT Z
"Oh, if I had a tub of popcorn," Prudence scoffed, stepping in between the warring pair. "Man... this is rich! I mean, Bad Girl, you just took the words outta my mouth! I mean, who the fuck do you think you are talking to me like that?" Prudence went to slap Bad Girl around the back of her head. Her hand simply passed through one side of her skull and harmlessly sparked out the other. "Evil? Me? Try to wrap your tiny, tiny head around the scope of this situation. A demonic invasion. A rogue goddess. The whole 'Revan' thing? The world is hurting, Charlotte! It needs people like me! I'm on of the Good Guys!"

Prudence snapped her fingers. The Lobby started descending like an elevator. Soon, the doors and windows were covered by the long, metal panels of a lift shaft.

"Try to avoiding killing each other so that I can explain myself, yeah? Do you think that you two kids can handle that? Just for a fucking minute?"

@Jeremi @Yun Lee @Takumi @Atomic Knight


DISTRICT B-C
"Lying down and waiting for death? That's exactly what you did, Hearts!" Ventress growled, her templer slipping free of its shackles. "That's exactly what we all did! Siding with the Beggars didn't get us any closer getting off-world! You suggested that we interfere so under the premise of our final days meaning something! That was the act of 'charity' you promised the King! If we had literally laid down and died, the bridge would still be standing! This war wouldn't have begun! We should have played the game. There were 50 hunters on Prudence on Day One. None of them have caused as much of a mess as we have. Our intentions are irrelevant. Admit it. We've made life on Prudence worse."

Her teeth bared like an animals, Asajj turned to face Chise.

"It's not all our fault, but we can't keep passing the blame onto Tormo. Do you think blowing up the Bridge was part of his plan? Do you think us LARPing at reformists was part of his plan? If we had just killed each other like he suggested, the world be much brighter place. Maybe we sh---"

"DEEMINUS!" The Mercenary screamed over the Champions. "I'LL SHOW YE DEEMINUS YOU SHOT NOTES SHIT DRINKIN--"

[BOOOOOOOOOM]

Fire. Smoke. Rubble. The Captain's remains.

They all rained down upon the Staging Area. The Mercenary Captain was blown sky high. His forces were scattered and stunned. The world was spinning. The street was rocking like the deck of a sea-bound ship. The Champions' ears stopped ringing just in time for the sound of energy-rifle fire to rattle their ears. Ventress dragged Chise to her feet. She offered a hand to Hearts. She screamed something they could quite make out. A crimson energy bolt seared her shoulder before she could repeat herself. She fell backwards into the smoking crater that sat in the center of the street.

The King of Beggars lowed his weapon. He placed his boot upon Ventress' wound. She howled in agony.
"We meet again, Champions!" He cheered, his face twisted with hate and fury. The kind soul that had offered them shelter and medicine was gone. A soldier-king stood in his place. "I can't say its a pleasure!"

A dozen more rifles sounded. The machines the mercenaries had anticipated were nowhere to be seen. An army of very hungry, very human soldiers stood in their place. Their gaunt faces and tired eyes bought them a moment a moment of hesitation. A moment of pity. The seized their advantage with a few straight shots into a mercenary's chest.

"This is the world you were promised, Beggars! This is the city fate has denied you for too long! Reclaiming District C shall was only ever an interim solution! With Cluth's guns and your raw will, even Mayor Nemu herself shall not slow us down! For liberty!"

The soldiers responded with a furious chorus.

"For Co-Mayor Cluth! For Co-Mayor Cluth! For the Unified Kings of District C!"

@Takumi @Jeremi @Capri @Lucky

"Fuck this." Bad Girl turned around so she could find a quiet corner. "I honestly don't give a shit about any of your bullshit. Nothing to drink or getting paid. Wake me up when this bitch is done whining I'm going to fucking sleep."




"We were plucked here against our will," Eight Hearts remarked. "You can blame yourself all you want. The real cause was the one who brought us here. So I am very sorry miss. Right now I don't care to argue semantics."

Then the arrival of the opposition. "You know when we originally met...I thought you as one of the few people of compassion in this Hell of a city. Egg on my face when you were as bad as your brother. He dabbles in wealth and power, while you dabble in faith and power. King of beggars indeed. Not equal. Superior" Eight Hearts looked over the shoulder of their former employer to the men and women he were leading. "It is because of your supposed kings that your lives are as they are! Playing the common man against each other as they fatten themselves true your hope and dreams. So that you would never get wise and realize your situation. Get rid of them and secure District B for yourselves! Share the wealth they have rightfully stolen from you!"

First time the other mercenaries saw utter contempt in Eight Hearts eyes as they met the King. "King of Beggars? You're just a King of Lies."
 
"Fuck this." Bad Girl turned around so she could find a quiet corner. "I honestly don't give a shit about any of your bullshit. Nothing to drink or getting paid. Wake me up when this bitch is done whining I'm going to fucking sleep."
DISTRICT Z
"Fall asleep, Charlotte," Prudence's face twisted back into Tormo's. It leaned in close to Bad Girl's spot in the corer. "And I promise you that you shall never wake up. You're forgetting that you have a bomb inside your neck. You're forgetting that you still owe me, and, by extension, OBLIVION, millions of credits. Even if you were to endure my 'bullshit', the Parent Company's Debt Collectors will hunt you to the end of the multiverse. Offend me, and you shall never rest again. If you so much as drop a scrap of little on my streets on your way out, I'll come for you. Have I made myself clear?"

[CLANG]

The elevator came to a stop.
Prudence gestured towards the Lobby's forth wall. It broke into two halves and parted like a pair of automatic doors. A larger chamber revealed itself. Servers stood erect like Tombstones, each bathed in a calm, magenta light. The air was warm and stale. A large generator hummed in the room's center.
View attachment 8782
"It's all about the money, Charlotte. It's always been amount the money. Every man wants it. No one can live without it. It's my job to safeguard it." Tormo stepped into the chamber and basked in the Tombstones' lights. "I am all that you see! Every A.I. in this city lives within me! I am the Banker and the Advertiser! The LW-Soldier and the Sewer Cleaner! The Alpha and the... well... you get the idea..."

"There's not a credit in this city that doesn't pass through my hands... I've even monitored the transference of your bounties. You can thank me later. My subsystems are running trillions of calculations at any given time. Impressive, no? But I didn't bring you here to brag...

"I'm here to show you how futile resistance truly is..."
Tormo snapped his fingers. The screens shifted. A shot of District A's flying motorway flickered before the Champions. "You came here to kill 'Sorc Tormo'. I want to show you how important he is---

"These cars transport thousand
s of travelers every single hours. It's my job to make sure that they get to where they need to be. Navigation. Fuel conservation. Altitude regulation. It's all on me. How many crashes do you think we've had in the past 15 years? That's right. It's a big fat zero. All thanks to me. But... well..."

Prudence clicked its fingers. The lights flickered out in the windows of a dozen flying cars. Their engines spluttered and slowed. With a wheeze and a groan, the cars slipped from the sky and into the path of the cars in the 'land' bellow.

"Whoops." Prudence shrugged. "Don't cry too hard. They're only cooperate workers. Wage slaves. Lemmings. I've already wired an insurance payout to their families. The world keeps on turning. If I weren't here to regulate the others, District A would look like... Well... District C..."

"And don't get me started on the gas mains and the power regulators... if I were to stop monitoring them... well... who would? Call me a narcist, but I love this city... despite its faults..."

"You and I must have a very different definition of 'love', Prude," Sam growled. "From where I'm standing, looks like you're destroying it."

"That's the point, Samuel..." Prudence hissed through gritted teeth. "Love and destruction often come hand in hand. It's my job to serve the needs of the City and the company. To that end, lives must be lost and buildings must crumble. Can you imagine way? I've got a crisp, 1 million credits to anyone where who can guess why?"

@Jeremi @Atomic Knight @Takumi @Yun Lee
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top