Chronicles of The Omniverse Archived Westeria City: Police Department HQ

as written by Script

A barrage of arcane fire washed over Aeryn's shielding as he brought his arms up to protect himself. The silvis scowled, locking his gaze on the blue-haired sorceress in WCPD uniform that had moved forwards into the fray. She shifted stance swiftly, and sent a bolt of lightning coursing through the air towards him.

In a flash of movement, he brought one hand into its path, the bracers on his arms lighting up brightly as he caught the strike in his palm, seemingly absorbing it in its entirety. An instant later, he thrust his arm forwards, sending the bolt right back at her. It struck her in the chest, visibly crackling over her veil of protective magic and launching her backwards across the room.

Zahira's words caught his ears then, and he turned to her with a sigh. "So soon?" he murmured, more to himself than her - for she had already vanished from view. He hadn't time to debate the matter, however, before more officers had turned their focus on him. He fell back under a hail of magic, gunfire and other assaults, making use of his superhuman speed to avoid the majority of them as opposed to wasting power on deflecting them all.

They didn't go unanswered. Jets of flame, bolts of lightning and rays of frost all blasted into the ranks of the officers. Whilst some claimed fatalities, many more were successfully avoided or deflected. As he neared the door, Aeryn spread his palms and directed the bracers at the area of the lobby immediately inside. Flames burst forth, hitting the floor and gathering as he focused on controlling and nurturing the blaze. In seconds, they had spread out to form a thick barrier of fire that blocked off the main exit. Gouts of thick black smoke rose up to obscure the area entirely.

Whilst the building itself was designed not to be flammable, Aeryn maintained the flames with the bracers' magic as fuel. They would last until he, Zahira and Raven could clear out.
 
as written by Lobos

Raven screeched an unholy chorus as portions of itself were devoured under the abilities of the stranger, six bodies crumbling away as the liquid mechanisms of their forms became effected, solidifying, breaking down to dust. The swarm burst like a bomb, withdrawing and rocketing outside, lighting on the ground and rushing together, pooling and conjoining.

"That one. Bad. Would kill."

"Cannot. Run. We do."

The voices emanated from beaks that still merged into the unionized forms taking shape, two crows far larger than the individuals had been. Dipping to offer their backs, heads turned as one, yet inverse to the other, the solid, black eye of the face looking to Zahira and Aeryn.
 
as written by Tiko

As the raven's shielding Zahira withdrew, her gaze followed their forms until they had reformed nearby. She even took swift steps towards the pair of ravens, seemingly understanding his intent. Firm fingers closed around her arm though, drawing her eyes to Kazura's own as the pair simply vanished from where they stood only to re-appear elsewhere within the city.
 
as written by Script

Aeryn continued to back away from the burning doorway till he reached the steps, at which point he turned just in time to see Zahira vanish along with the crimson-haired man. He blinked in surprise and confusion. "The hell? Where'd she-"

He was interrupted as a stray bullet whizzed past his head from the doorway, and he swore under his breath. Propelling himself from the steps with a small burst of force, he landed on the back of one of the ravens. "Hoping you've got a way to figure out where she's gone, feathers. Cause I certainly don't want to have to explain losing her."
 
as written by Lobos

Bellowing with induced rage, Kraggen was left the lone threat within the room. As eyes turned to him, the man hurtled forward, his fist connecting with another officer's chest, detonating with a burst of mana to erupt a concussive wave, sending the unfortunate woman flying. The next to fall victim to the berserking Chief was nearby, frantically trying to rationalize with the man. As a desk came towards him, he slammed it aside with contempt.

"Sir stop! Chief that wa-" Silenced, as Thad's fist crashed down on his head, his head splattering between the thundering mace of his hand and the floor that cracked under the blow.

"Stop him! Stop the Chief!"

The rest of the force that could will themselves drew beads on the Chief, though many didn't have the nerve to point a weapon towards him. This wasn't some outsider, or a crooked cop. This was the Chief, who's efforts to purge the department of those who dared think them over the line of duty were well known, who's actions to clean the streets were near legendary. He was both a hardass and a respected man of the force, and now...

He gave a ferocious showing, punches and kicks hammering forward as fast as the rounds fired at him, hits or even near hits detonating to make them either fatal or maiming. A half-hearted field took a handful of rounds and collapsed, as bullets began to graze the rampage of Thaddeus, as round slammed home in the thick body of his, rocking him. And still he fought, the false wrath that animated him an inferno that lent a demon's strength to his ferocity. One. Three. Eight. Bullets kept finding their mark in him, and still he moved.

A third, then a fourth, then a fifth. Eight became fifteen. Kraggen's movements began to slow, as he claimed victim's six, seven, eight, nine. Four more rounds found his body, blood painted the floor around him, trickling like a slow fountain. A tenth, who delivered another three to his chest.

Staggering, encircled, Thad's fists clenched, teeth bared at them all as he stumbled in a circle, before raising a fight that blossomed with crimson light. A cacophony of shots, and then finally his knees found the floor. The mighty Chief, finally surrendering his feet as he slumped, the raw damage he had taken unable to be denied any longer. So many wounds, so many wounds to finally stop him.

Kraggen's mind found him anew, in those final moments. As darkness descended on his sight, his sanity regained its hold, and within his mind, he wept.

So passed Thaddeus Kraggen, by the hands of his men and women of the force.
 
as written by Sokka

As the officers open fired more officer were still continuing to pour into the lobby in response they had heard reports on the radio but now more were seeing the chief.

Richard Leon and Will Jackson threw down a few cases and drew their side arms but they didn't open fire. To shoot now would just be shooting a corpse. "SOMEONE GET A FUCKING MEDICAL KIT!" Will shouted as Richard ran forward. But as he knelt down he could already tell the Chief was dead from the shots. He looked to the other officers around the room and shook his head. The man that had done so much for them fell to his own.

There was an eerie silence across the room, Chen moved to the cases and began putting his armor on silently, Will grabbed a rifle and moved to help cover the door. Everyone was quiet about the air waiting for the moment knowing silently that they had to move on.
 
as written by Script

It was a scarce few minutes after Thaddeus fell that Elante arrived on the scene of the WCPD headquarters. As predicted, he'd had to abandon his car back on the approach to Main Street, where something further down the highway had brought traffic to a total halt. He'd run the rest of the way, and was out of breath by the time he reached the steps of the building.

He immediately noticed the blood splattered near the entrance from Kazura's confrontation with the two officers outside, followed by the charring of the fire in the entry-way. Officers were running into and out of the building, speaking hurriedly into their radios as they began to respond to the calls that had been coming in for the duration of the battle.

Few of them had any time for Elante short of glancing his way to make sure he wasn't a threat. One man tried to direct him away from the station - it was off-limits to civilians - but a quick explanation of his being with the Vanguard was enough to get him by.

He walked in on a horrifying scene. Bodies were being carefully moved from the lobby to another area of the station to be kept until loved ones could be notified. Burn-marks and bloodstains marred the floors and walls, and furnishings and wall-panels alike were smashed and broken. A quick scan of the room was enough to determine Aeryn wasn't there.

When Aeryn was in a room, he tended to stand out.

His presence in the doorway drew the attention of a dark-haired woman, the same Officer that had been speaking to Aeryn earlier. She quickly rose to her feet from where she had been crouched next to a weeping trainee, giving the girl a quick reassurance before making her way over.

"Mr Vadrillion!"

Elante turned to face her as she moved over, flashing a faint smile of recognition. "Officer Kalter, wasn't it? Please, just call me Elante. We don't have the time to waste on all the syllables of my surname. Is Aeryn-"

"We should speak in private, Elante," Kalter stated solemnly, "If you'll-"

"No, whatever it is, just tell me. I'm guessing he's not here, so I don't want to waste time on formality," Elante interjected with a shake of his head.

Kalter's mouth tightened with frustration, but after a moment she sighed in acceptance. "I don't know how much you know of the attack. We barely have any idea what's going on in the rest of the city. When things first started to rumble, a woman walked into the station - filled with implants and with a vacant look in her eye. She set some kind of metal hell-hound on us. Aeryn stepped into the fight, as did the chief..."

She trailed off, her eyes moving to where Kraggen's blood stained the floor in the middle of the room briefly before she went on. "But then just when we were gaining the upper hand, he turned on us. I've been cleaning up his mess on a regular basis for the last few years, and I have never seen him so ... ruthless. He was enjoying murdering them."

"What?" Elante's heart dropped to his stomach. "That's impossible, though, he'd never-"

"But he did, sir. But that's what happened. I can't tell you why he did, all I can tell you is what happened. He was working with them." Kalter sighed, "I don't know where he went. He ran out the door using a smokescreen, with the woman and some cloaked maniac that joined the fight partway through."

A hundred different possibilities were running through Elante's head. Domination? Possession? Some sort of corruption? There were all manner of things that could get into someone's head and make them lash out against their allies. Something must have done so to Aeryn. But things like that could be fixed. That meant that all he had to do was find him. "I'm going after him," he stated, "I can track him. Please don't hold him accountable for all this, if he had even a modicum of control, he would never have done anything like it."

Kalter shook her head, "It's out of my hands. But I knew him. I can bear witness to his character, if it comes to it."

Elante nodded briskly, before turning to leave.

"I'll put out word to the officers in the city!" She called after him, "If any of them lay eyes on him, I'll make sure you hear of it!"

"Thank you!" he called back over his shoulder as he ran out of the building. He was already beginning to chant the words of a summoning spell, focusing his concentration on an area of empty space in the road. A glowing magical circle began to form there, golden light searing runic symbols into the concrete and sweeping in complex and elegant patterns.

When the circle was complete, it pulsed once, and then exploded with bright golden light as a serpentine shape shot upwards from the ground. Brilliantly coloured feathered wings carried it upwards as it nimbly curled around to hover in the air within the circle.

'Greetings, Elante. What do you require?' The creature's voice echoed in his mind.

"Aeryn. I need you to find Aeryn. You can divine locations, can't you?"

'With sufficient connection. I do not know that I can find this 'Aeryn'.'

"Use this," Elante hastily proffered his amulet, "Aeryn has its twin. Lock onto their shared signature, that should make it easier."

For a moment, the creature's eyes lit up with brilliant light, and it gazed off into the city. 'It is done.'

"Take me to him!" Elante demanded, running over and launching himself onto the couatl's back as it lowered itself down for him. "Er, please, that is."

'I sense your urgency. Your manner is forgiven. We go.'

And with that, the couatl beat its wings and shot into the sky, Elante clinging to its neck.

I'm coming. Just please, don't do anything else you'll regret.
 
as written by Saarai

Charlie slowly stepped into the lobby of the police headquarters, she didn't understand what she was seeing. It could have been the nail in the coffin for Westeria City. It's defenders were dismantled by malevolent forces that simply overpowered them.

The rookie detective approached Kraggen's corpse, kneeling down beside him to get a better look. She never really knew him, she just knew he was a good man.

"This is getting ridiculous. The city is on it's last breath." Charlie said aloud, "We need to do something about this..."
 
as written by Tiko

"What we need to do is arm up and go after those son's of bitches," an officer growled.

"Our duty is to the law, not to a half-cocked vengeance crusade," Leon snarled back from where he knelt, his hand upon the chest of a fallen officer. "Have we received reports from the other precincts?"

"They're still acting at full capacity," someone said from where he was on the phone at the remnants of the reception desk. "Seems we're the only department that got hit."

"Was the Chief all they were after?" another asked.

"I have word that there was an attack on the government center, and the NPA HQ as well," someone else interjected. "This was no personal vendetta, this was an act of terrorism. It happened so fast that they were in and out before the SRU arrived on the scene."

"Where's Stanson," Leon asked.

"Dead."

"McKellar?"

"Dead as well."

"Well find out who the fuck is left in charge who isn't dead," Leon growled.

They might have repelled the attack if not for Aeryn's betrayal, or the Chief's loss of mind. As it stood, many of their own lay dead and people were looking for someone to blame. Or at the very least, someone to lash out at.
 
as written by Saarai

Charlie stood up, taking a look around the room at those still with the living. She found room to agree on both sides of the possible solution.

"We don't need vengeance, but we don't need to forsake it entirely. We can do our job and we can do it tougher. For some of us it's a slippery slope, but shit is going to hell all around us." She said.

"It's damn near Biblical out there and in the sky. Have you seen what's flying around?"
 
as written by Script

Time had passed in the WCPD headquarters, with a number of officers rushing out to respond to new alerts, and still more arriving at the station with injuries or reports. The chaos was slowly starting to take shape into something resembling an organised response.

"Anyone else seeing this?" Someone yelled from the window, "There's a fucking Reverence out there!"

"Really? For fuck's sake, what are they doing now?"

"Shit went down on Hagan Avenue, maybe they're-"

"They're opening fire!" A panicked yell sounded as the windows were lit up by a green flash of energy, as one of the turbodisrupter bolts lanced down elsewhere in the city. The resulting explosion created an almighty boom that easily audible even from this far away.

Danielle ran to the window, swearing as she saw a second bolt lance down. "Where are they targeting? What are they targeting? Do have have any-"

"They're hitting the precincts! Fuck that means we're-"

"EVERYBODY GET DOW-"

Danielle shifted instinctually to her metallic form as the lance of light descended on the HQ, for all the good it would do her, diving away from the window.

In the next instant, everything was white.
 
as written by Tiko

Nearly a week had come and gone since the evacuation of Westeria City had begun, and the Westeria City Police department stood as a symbol of what was transpiring. It was in shambles, papers strewn everywhere, and it was largely devoid of personnel. The holding cells all stood empty as those within them had already been sent on their way. Those being held for minor offenses were largely just cut loose, while those being held on more serious matters were already en route to being transported to facilities beyond the Midlands.

Only a handful of police still remained within the building, tasked largely with the securing of records. It was an image shared across many of the precincts within the city as most of the police were being funneled into helping with evacuations, or where themselves being evacuated from the city.
 
as written by Script

The doors of the WCPD headquarters swung open, scattering paper wildly with the rush of air that followed. As the few remaining personnel in the lobby looked up with surprise from where they had been overseeing the collection of boxes of files, booted feet sounded on the tiles.

Sophia Harte strode into the building flanked by a small group of men and women toting military grade weapons. Most of the dozen or so people wore the body armour of an NPA special response team, but some wore civilian clothes, and one wore a WCPD uniform.

Sophia herself was a tall woman with a slender but well defined build, her blonde hair tied back in a halfway house between a bun and a ponytail. Her features elegantly attractive, she held an authority to her gaze and posture that belied her relative youth - appearing to be no older than thirty.

"Good afternoon," she spoke loudly and clearly as a few more faces appeared in the lobby, drawn by the noise from further back in the building. "I apologise for interrupting your clean-up, but as of this moment, I declare this building to be under the control of the Westerian Volunteer Guard. I don't imagine you're going to be needing it any longer."

A few murmurs of discontent rippled through those present.

"Feel free to carry on. We won't interfere with your departure. But if there's any of you that aren't satisfied with abandoning your city to anarchy and destruction, then know that I'll welcome you with open arms to help me carry on our duty."

She gestured behind her at the NPA gear, "A number of us are former NPA or WCPD officers, myself included. My name is Sophia Harte, and I've served Terra and Westeria for almost a decade. I don't intend to bail out on our citizens now, when they need us more than ever. We'll carry on, with or without politicians. Westeria has survived worse than this, and with our guidance, it'll survive this too."

There were some murmurs of agreement amongst the police personnel, though equally many appeared to be eyeing Sophia as though she were either insane, or an idiot. None of them, however, moved to try and eject her and her men from the building.

The man heading the operation to retrieve vital files stepped up to take her aside, and the two began to converse more quietly. As they did, Sophia's men began to deposit duffel bags and rucksacks full of supplies on tables, whilst others split off to search the building for anything useful.

The WVG had made its first claim. It would be one of many factions - with positive aims or nay - to spring up in the days to come.
 
as written by Saarai

Down in the armory sat Faith on the cold ground, her legs crossed and her eyes closed. The heat had been turned off leaving the room and the remaining weapons chilled. Faith didn't mind, she enjoyed the cold as much as she enjoyed heat.

She could hear someone approaching, unfortunately for them the area had been booby-trapped. Only those that knew where the traps were would make it.

There was no gunfire, no sounds of fighting. This was a friend, maybe coming to tell her something important.

The sound of metal slamming closed could be heard. A trap was activated. It wasn't a friend.

"What the fuck?!" The trapped man yelled, dangling out in the hallway from his ankle. Primitive, but effective. He wasn't going anywhere.

"Somebody get me down! Help!"
 
as written by Script and Saarai

"Calm yourself."

It was a bit less than half a minute before Sophia responded to the man's shouting, having picked up on his distress psychically before hearing his shouts.

"You're fine." She stopped beside him, "Ankle might be sprained or broken, but we've got the supplies to deal with that."

A moment passed, before the trap was snapped open by an invisible force. Rather than falling to the floor, the man was slowly rotated to the right way up and lowered gently to the ground. "Liam, help him back to the lobby. Harrison has our medical supplies."

Sophia herself directed her eyes down the hallway, towards the armory, probing with her mind. "Who's in there? Was that trap yours?"

____

Faith's eyes snapped open at the probing, she was sure she should have been used to it since working and living in Westeria. Telepathy and the like weren't things you easily got used to.

She stood slowly, walking cautiously towards the door out of the armory and into the hallway. She grabbed a gun as she moved, just to be sure she could protect herself if these friends decided to stop being friendly.

With her gun hidden just behind her thigh, she pushed the door open. Faith barely poked her head out, just enough to get something of a visual.

"Detective Faith Park. WCPD. And yes, that was my trap."

____

"I'm Sophia Harte, former NPA. I'm assuming you're aware that the WCPD technically doesn't exist anymore," Sophia replied. "But by that introduction, I'm also assuming you're not interested in packing up and abandoning your home, either."

She folded her arms behind her back, "Some of your colleagues are in the lobby sorting through documents. If you want to move on and join the evacuation, I'm sure that the TNG could use you in the Eastlands. I hear that some former WCPD officers are being given positions helping police the refugee camps there. But if you're interested in helping the people who choose to stay behind, if you're still loyal to the city that's long been the heart of our great nation, then I have another offer for you."

____

"Did you keep your credentials?" Faith asked, still keeping herself hidden behind the door. It seemed she wasn't exactly ready to trust Sophia, at least not before she knew things were safe. The lack of police made things much more dangerous in Westeria City, even with the holdouts scattered around.

"Show me that and then make your offer." She said, "Or go away."

____

Sophia nodded, reaching into her pocket and pulling out her ID card. It identified her as a fairly high ranking NPA agent, though would likely not be valid for long, since her unofficial resignation wouldn't take long to become official.

She tossed the ID card down the corridor to give Faith a chance to inspect it more closely.

"I'm gathering anyone who wants to prevent Westeria becoming lawless, forming a new defense force. The Westeria Volunteer Guard. We're setting up shop in this building to use as a base from which we can distribute aid, patrol the streets and put an end to the worst of the looting and violence."

____

"Why? Why not leave?" Faith asked, stepping out from behind the door to grab the ID card for herself. She looked it over, the woman was telling the truth about who she was.

Faith brought her gun out from behind her, tucking it into her waistband before stepping down the hallway towards Sophia. Still she moved cautiously, the trust wasn't completely there. Not yet.

"I'll think about it."

____

"This is our home," Sophia stated simply. "A lot of people don't want to trade the lives they worked so hard for, for a tent in a refugee camp. This city's been through calamities before, and it'll make it through this one too. Government or no government."

She folded her arms. "You can join us or not, but I'd appreciate it if you dealt with any other traps you've set up along this hall, at the very least."

____

"Just the one." Faith told Sophia, "Like I said, I'll think about it. There are still weapons in the armory if you need them." She said, "Are you working with anyone else?" Faith asked, coming to a stop within ten feet of Sophia.

"You can't save the city on your own."

____

"Thus far we're just under two dozen strong. Not much, I know. But everything starts somewhere." Sophia smiled optimistically. "We're going to keep building until we can call this city safe again."

____

"I'll help." Faith told Sophia, "But, don't take any assistance I offer as a commitment to your group. I'm not sure I want to fully join you, or anyone, until I get to really know you." The former detective said.

She couldn't be sure just yet that the WVG wouldn't turn Westeria into a dictatorship or something worse.
 
as written by Saarai

"You really can't keep doing this, Vito." Charlotte told Viktor as she pressed a finger to his bruised side. Viktor winced, swatting the woman's hand as he sat atop a desk. "I got excited." Viktor joked, "But, you have some prisoners in a cell as a result." He told his friend, "The WVG has some prisoners in a cell. I'm not one of them." Charlie told the man.

Viktor raised an eyebrow and then took a look around what used to be the WCPD headquarters, "You've been for hoe long working with them?" He asked, "You're in denial about where you are, Charlotte." The Italian man continued.

The woman shrugged, digging into a pocket and slipping out a pill bottle. She extended it to Viktor, the man taking the bottle halfheartedly and dumping a few pills in his hand.

"I get trying to kick the habit, but the pain is going to kill you before an addiction does." Charlotte said, reaching to take the pill bottle back. "I'll hold onto them for you."

"Come to Van Leugen with me. Let's do our own thing. No allegiances, no paperwork, no wars. Just detective work for the people who need it." Viktor asked of Charlie, "I don't know. Barely here for a year as a cop and the city becomes goddamned," Charlie paused, drawing an invisible cross with her hand, "A goddamned warzone." She finished.

"Think about it, Charlotte. I'm heading out with the next convoy. You should too."
 
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