PJ knew that he shouldn't be too trusting right now. But it seemed like the guy had gone through some crap more than any of them had. Sure, Julia had ran for her life away from the chimera. But it seemed like this new guy had been through a rough journey. Man, a rescue would have been the best thing for everyone, but hope was really something that was hopeless in this hellhole. PJ knew that he had to grow up and be more realistic about this situation.
PJ frowned slightly while the man was trying to speak his words in simple, short sentences.
Bugs.... Another creature? That Ver... something one, maybe?
The bear was obviously the chimera. PJ could understand that one.
PJ then realized that it sounded like the guy had lose a lot of people and PJ could understand. Sure, he had lost one of his girlfriends in a different manner, but it still hurt. It would continue to hurt if he ending up living through this or if he died at some point.
He perked up a little at the mention of him killing of those assholes' men.
"Even." PJ murmured softly and he glanced down at his gun before looking back at the man again. "I guess it is too late to say that was a terrible idea as you have done it already. Now I feel like it is likely you have a target on your back."
He paused for a few seconds.
"If they have decided to go after you, I can try to help you out." He shifted a little on his feet. "But.... I don't know how to use this weapon. I would like to practice and get good with it tho."
Tequila Skies, Gray Goodbyes
night, day 3, open
Moderator: SOTF U Staff
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Primrosette
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Spindarene
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Julia rolled her eyes as Catarina rushed over with some spare clothes and immediately started swaddling the man. So apparently we’re just going to trust anyone who walks in the door now, huh? However, seeing him there, shivering from cold and wrapped in clothes, Julia couldn’t help but feel at least a little bit of sympathy towards the man. She looked away and determinedly kept her eyes on the floor.
A few minutes later, his shivering had calmed down enough for him to talk. Julia’s eyes widened when he said that he’d attacked some of the Janus-Hayes guys and killed at least one of them.
“You did what?” she asked. Her tone was one of amazement, bordering on incredulity. PJ also seemed impressed, and offered to help the man out in the event that Janus-Hayes wanted revenge on him. Julia was still processing everything that he was saying.
Over the next few hours, they got the rest of Carl’s story. He told them about making the flyers in the hopes of an initial rescue or revolution, he told them about the monsters and Reinette and Chevy’s deaths, and how he’d decided to attack Janus-Hayes directly and what had happened when he did. It was almost too much for Julia to take in, but she listened.
She’d had no idea what Vermiculus was and was horrified to find out what it did. She didn’t know what the word “subsumed” had meant, but her guess up until this point had been that Vermiculus were worms that ate your brain or something. The truth was so much worse. It sounded like something out of a science fiction or horror movie, but she didn’t doubt the veracity of Carl’s story.
When he told them about his attack on Janus-Hayes, she listened in amazement. Fighting back hadn’t even occurred to her, let alone fighting them.
Carl was a veteran who had been in the Marines. He had been a gunner, apparently, so he was a good shot and he knew his way around weapons. Also, from the way he talked about what he'd done to the Janus-Hayes guys, she got the feeling that they weren't the first people that he had ever killed. Under any other circumstance this would have made her feel intensely uncomfortable, and she still squirmed a little at the thought.
She had no love for the military. She’d been a child when 9/11 happened, so she didn’t really understand what it was or what had happened. All she'd understood at the time was that a bunch of people had died and that was sad. Then, later, she learned that her country was sending a bunch of people to go kill people in another country, and that was also sad and it had always felt wrong and bad to her, and she couldn’t understand why so many people were happy about it. That had been her introduction to the American military. As she’d gotten older, she learned about war and prejudice and in-groups and out-groups, and that had explained some, but she'd never liked war or the military or the toxic “America first!” attitude that surrounded the military.
However, listening to Carl’s story, she was struck by the complexity of what he’d done, as well as her (still very limited) read of him as a person. He’d wanted to get as many people out of here as possible. He’d wanted to save people. He hated Janus-Hayes, and he wanted to take them down. What he’d done was reckless and was basically a suicide mission, but he was still here, talking to them. She couldn’t help but feel some admiration for him, especially considering that all she’d done from the moment she’d been dumped on this frozen wasteland was to hide and basically hope that she could keep her head down as long as possible until one of the monsters ate her or someone shot her.
She also understood that maybe the only reason why Carl was still alive right now was because of his military training and experience. She’d never have tried to pull something like that off, because she knew she would have died doing it. She doubted whether PJ or Desperate Housewives over here could have done it either.
As the four of them talked, Julia felt something inside her shift. Until now, she felt like she’d just been biding her time until her inevitable death, and she hadn’t really felt like she could fight it. However, talking to Carl about plans and ideas of how to fight back against Janus-Hayes, she felt hopeful for the first time since she’d woken up here. Despite only knowing him for a few hours, she trusted him, at least enough to be willing to work with him.
At some point while the other three were talking, Julia thought she heard something. She paused, listening, trying to tune out the other three voices in the room. She heard it again, and her stomach dropped. A scream. An agonized scream.
“Hey guys…” she spoke softly, then louder when they continued talking. “Guys! I think I heard someone screaming out there.”
She paused, listening.
A few minutes later, his shivering had calmed down enough for him to talk. Julia’s eyes widened when he said that he’d attacked some of the Janus-Hayes guys and killed at least one of them.
“You did what?” she asked. Her tone was one of amazement, bordering on incredulity. PJ also seemed impressed, and offered to help the man out in the event that Janus-Hayes wanted revenge on him. Julia was still processing everything that he was saying.
Over the next few hours, they got the rest of Carl’s story. He told them about making the flyers in the hopes of an initial rescue or revolution, he told them about the monsters and Reinette and Chevy’s deaths, and how he’d decided to attack Janus-Hayes directly and what had happened when he did. It was almost too much for Julia to take in, but she listened.
She’d had no idea what Vermiculus was and was horrified to find out what it did. She didn’t know what the word “subsumed” had meant, but her guess up until this point had been that Vermiculus were worms that ate your brain or something. The truth was so much worse. It sounded like something out of a science fiction or horror movie, but she didn’t doubt the veracity of Carl’s story.
When he told them about his attack on Janus-Hayes, she listened in amazement. Fighting back hadn’t even occurred to her, let alone fighting them.
Carl was a veteran who had been in the Marines. He had been a gunner, apparently, so he was a good shot and he knew his way around weapons. Also, from the way he talked about what he'd done to the Janus-Hayes guys, she got the feeling that they weren't the first people that he had ever killed. Under any other circumstance this would have made her feel intensely uncomfortable, and she still squirmed a little at the thought.
She had no love for the military. She’d been a child when 9/11 happened, so she didn’t really understand what it was or what had happened. All she'd understood at the time was that a bunch of people had died and that was sad. Then, later, she learned that her country was sending a bunch of people to go kill people in another country, and that was also sad and it had always felt wrong and bad to her, and she couldn’t understand why so many people were happy about it. That had been her introduction to the American military. As she’d gotten older, she learned about war and prejudice and in-groups and out-groups, and that had explained some, but she'd never liked war or the military or the toxic “America first!” attitude that surrounded the military.
However, listening to Carl’s story, she was struck by the complexity of what he’d done, as well as her (still very limited) read of him as a person. He’d wanted to get as many people out of here as possible. He’d wanted to save people. He hated Janus-Hayes, and he wanted to take them down. What he’d done was reckless and was basically a suicide mission, but he was still here, talking to them. She couldn’t help but feel some admiration for him, especially considering that all she’d done from the moment she’d been dumped on this frozen wasteland was to hide and basically hope that she could keep her head down as long as possible until one of the monsters ate her or someone shot her.
She also understood that maybe the only reason why Carl was still alive right now was because of his military training and experience. She’d never have tried to pull something like that off, because she knew she would have died doing it. She doubted whether PJ or Desperate Housewives over here could have done it either.
As the four of them talked, Julia felt something inside her shift. Until now, she felt like she’d just been biding her time until her inevitable death, and she hadn’t really felt like she could fight it. However, talking to Carl about plans and ideas of how to fight back against Janus-Hayes, she felt hopeful for the first time since she’d woken up here. Despite only knowing him for a few hours, she trusted him, at least enough to be willing to work with him.
At some point while the other three were talking, Julia thought she heard something. She paused, listening, trying to tune out the other three voices in the room. She heard it again, and her stomach dropped. A scream. An agonized scream.
“Hey guys…” she spoke softly, then louder when they continued talking. “Guys! I think I heard someone screaming out there.”
She paused, listening.
There was a period of time during Carl's explanation of everything that Catarina was asking questions, being inquisitive, trying to get as much information as possible out, sometimes even relating something from her life to understand what was being said. That period of time lasted until she found out what happened in this room several days ago, with the long detailed explanation as to what exactly the Vermiculus actually was and what it did to the woman who caused those scratch marks on the floor.
She went quiet after that.
When it came back again in Carl's story, she'd sat down against the wall.
With every new detail about the monsters, and every new detail about Carl, her newfound confidence whithered from unshakable bamboo, to diseased barley. It had been so easy to be confident, to exude leadership, when there was no actual leadership in the room. Julia had information, sure, but all she'd wanted to do was hide, and it was easy to feel superior to that. PJ, well, no comment there. But all Carl did, as he explained everything he knew, was hammer down how hopeless the situation was. Every time Carl had faced these things, someone had died. It wasn't Carl, but it was someone he was with.
Catarina didn't want to be that person. Her children still needed their mother. Her actual children. Her sons.
But it wasn't like she had a choice. Somewhere underneath the padding, the rich housewife from Seattle was still the young woman from San Diego. Mrs Markovitz may have been useless in a fight, unless it was against whoever it was that tried to rob her, but maybe Ms Simão had something that could help them against the things that defied God. But she still needed to figure out what that was.
It was going to have to wait until after the scream, though.
There was a smidgen of familiarity to the scream, although she wasn't able to place it. It was that brief moment of recognition, the way it could have been one of three people, that compelled Catarina to get up from the ground, arms having long left their wrapping posture from around Catarina's knees, and start heading towards the door.
It couldn't happen again.
She went quiet after that.
When it came back again in Carl's story, she'd sat down against the wall.
With every new detail about the monsters, and every new detail about Carl, her newfound confidence whithered from unshakable bamboo, to diseased barley. It had been so easy to be confident, to exude leadership, when there was no actual leadership in the room. Julia had information, sure, but all she'd wanted to do was hide, and it was easy to feel superior to that. PJ, well, no comment there. But all Carl did, as he explained everything he knew, was hammer down how hopeless the situation was. Every time Carl had faced these things, someone had died. It wasn't Carl, but it was someone he was with.
Catarina didn't want to be that person. Her children still needed their mother. Her actual children. Her sons.
But it wasn't like she had a choice. Somewhere underneath the padding, the rich housewife from Seattle was still the young woman from San Diego. Mrs Markovitz may have been useless in a fight, unless it was against whoever it was that tried to rob her, but maybe Ms Simão had something that could help them against the things that defied God. But she still needed to figure out what that was.
It was going to have to wait until after the scream, though.
There was a smidgen of familiarity to the scream, although she wasn't able to place it. It was that brief moment of recognition, the way it could have been one of three people, that compelled Catarina to get up from the ground, arms having long left their wrapping posture from around Catarina's knees, and start heading towards the door.
It couldn't happen again.
“Wait-“
Carl said as Catarina closed in towards the door. He stood up. He wasn’t nearly ready to go back outside yet, the stinging pain in his fingertips reminding him he hadn’t fully thawed out; but it was better for him to check.
Best case scenario, he could help someone. Worst case scenario he can buy the group here more time. Most likely scenario was it was too late to help anyways.
“I’ll go.”
He was running on fumes, but he was used to it; got used to it a long time ago. The more things changed the more they stayed the same.
His body felt numb, he moved almost mechanically as he went to the door, as is body ram on autopilot with his mind taking a back seat for the ride. He looked at his new squadmates; they’d rescued him from freezing to death, the least he could do was be of use.
“You guys stay away from the windows. If you see individual black worms, you stomp them. Anything bigger than that; shoot it if it isn’t human or barely human.”
He gripped the door.
“I’ll be right back.”
Breach;
Right corner clear; pan across your viewpoints. He glanced to the left of the building behind him; to make sure it wasn’t an ambush, then moved out into the night, following the noises.
He saw shapes. Silhouettes in the dark he couldn’t make out.
Carl said as Catarina closed in towards the door. He stood up. He wasn’t nearly ready to go back outside yet, the stinging pain in his fingertips reminding him he hadn’t fully thawed out; but it was better for him to check.
Best case scenario, he could help someone. Worst case scenario he can buy the group here more time. Most likely scenario was it was too late to help anyways.
“I’ll go.”
He was running on fumes, but he was used to it; got used to it a long time ago. The more things changed the more they stayed the same.
His body felt numb, he moved almost mechanically as he went to the door, as is body ram on autopilot with his mind taking a back seat for the ride. He looked at his new squadmates; they’d rescued him from freezing to death, the least he could do was be of use.
“You guys stay away from the windows. If you see individual black worms, you stomp them. Anything bigger than that; shoot it if it isn’t human or barely human.”
He gripped the door.
“I’ll be right back.”
Breach;
Right corner clear; pan across your viewpoints. He glanced to the left of the building behind him; to make sure it wasn’t an ambush, then moved out into the night, following the noises.
He saw shapes. Silhouettes in the dark he couldn’t make out.
Catche thinks my squirrel is Fisk so here's my daily reminder that he is not.
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Primrosette
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- Location: In Her Dark Abyss
The scream that had been heard, had made PJ pale a little. He didn't recognize the voice of the person that was screaming and he actually felt a sense of guilt when he was glad that it was not Elizabeth. He hated himself for thinking that way. Why did he still care about her? Was he really that naïve and dumb? He still would never forgive her for what she did. So why...?
He noticed that Catarina was about to make her way out there and he was about to speak up, but Carl beat him to it. Carl wanted to be the one to check on his own and PJ didn't really like that at all. As he knew that Carl was not fully recovered from almost freezing to death. It didn't feel right. But it looked like the man was too stubborn and was already making his choice of being some kind of hero.
Hero....
PJ wondered if he could do anything heroic. But he doubted that he could. He wasn't brave, he wasn't a leader, he wasn't strong, he wasn't anyone really. Just a guy who hid away when things got too tough for him and he would work on his robotics as a distraction. He was a people-pleaser, a pushover, a wimp, a coward.
But maybe he could try to change. Even a little bit.
As soon as Carl said the horror rule break of "I'll be right back" and made his way outside, he turned to the two girls and he was trying his best to seem brave. "Hey, I definitely think that I should go after him. I don't like the idea of him being alone out there. So.... so I want to be useful somehow." He admitted in a quieter tone of voice and he headed over to the door, opening it carefully. "Julia, Catarina. Keep each other safe for now."
He then headed outside, feeling the cold air overwhelm him a bit and he closed the door behind him. He was pretty sure that he could see Carl a bit ahead of him. He took a few determined steps forward.
He noticed that Catarina was about to make her way out there and he was about to speak up, but Carl beat him to it. Carl wanted to be the one to check on his own and PJ didn't really like that at all. As he knew that Carl was not fully recovered from almost freezing to death. It didn't feel right. But it looked like the man was too stubborn and was already making his choice of being some kind of hero.
Hero....
PJ wondered if he could do anything heroic. But he doubted that he could. He wasn't brave, he wasn't a leader, he wasn't strong, he wasn't anyone really. Just a guy who hid away when things got too tough for him and he would work on his robotics as a distraction. He was a people-pleaser, a pushover, a wimp, a coward.
But maybe he could try to change. Even a little bit.
As soon as Carl said the horror rule break of "I'll be right back" and made his way outside, he turned to the two girls and he was trying his best to seem brave. "Hey, I definitely think that I should go after him. I don't like the idea of him being alone out there. So.... so I want to be useful somehow." He admitted in a quieter tone of voice and he headed over to the door, opening it carefully. "Julia, Catarina. Keep each other safe for now."
He then headed outside, feeling the cold air overwhelm him a bit and he closed the door behind him. He was pretty sure that he could see Carl a bit ahead of him. He took a few determined steps forward.
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Spindarene
- Posts: 252
- Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2018 11:34 pm
“Wait, what are you doing?” Julia called after Carl as he brushed past her, but it was too late. He was already outside by the time she’d finished. She felt guilty, since she was the one who had alerted everyone to the scream. She didn’t know that he was going to just run out there and investigate, still half-frozen by the look of it. She wouldn’t have said anything if she had.
Then PJ decided to follow him, saying something about how he wanted to be useful. Julia couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“Wait, no, PJ–-what the fuck are you doing?” she hissed after him, but it was once again too late.
She stared after him incredulously. What the fuck? The men just automatically go out there to investigate the danger and leave the women to sit by uselessly and wait? Carl she could understand, even if it was a horrible idea, he at least had training and experience dealing with dangerous situations. But PJ? He was just as shy and scared as she was. That was part of why she’d thought they made a good team. They didn’t have much of a chance against the monsters, but at least they’d be facing them together instead of alone. And now all of a sudden, once G.I. Joe shows up, now PJ decides to play the hero?
“Asshole,” Julia muttered under her breath as she angrily snatched the Chimera spine off the desk where she’d set it, then marched out the door after them.
Then PJ decided to follow him, saying something about how he wanted to be useful. Julia couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“Wait, no, PJ–-what the fuck are you doing?” she hissed after him, but it was once again too late.
She stared after him incredulously. What the fuck? The men just automatically go out there to investigate the danger and leave the women to sit by uselessly and wait? Carl she could understand, even if it was a horrible idea, he at least had training and experience dealing with dangerous situations. But PJ? He was just as shy and scared as she was. That was part of why she’d thought they made a good team. They didn’t have much of a chance against the monsters, but at least they’d be facing them together instead of alone. And now all of a sudden, once G.I. Joe shows up, now PJ decides to play the hero?
“Asshole,” Julia muttered under her breath as she angrily snatched the Chimera spine off the desk where she’d set it, then marched out the door after them.
((continued from elsewhere))
They were compelled.
Orders, barked through the speakers. A location, given under duress. Hatfield sounded upset. The Revenants found this alarming.
Yet, there was nothing else left to do. So now they stood in the cold dark, blood dripping from the Cleaver and the Axe.
They were promised a reward, for a difficult kill. Found this one easily enough.
Alone. Long enough for it to matter.
P014 Jarrett Bergman: DECEASED
But he wasn't the one.
They didn't eat much off of him. Only the face, bits of an arm. What was exposed, or could be exposed easily.
No anger, anymore. It was disappointing, maybe. They both were colder now, for certain.
It felt like nothing, and they recognized that in one another. It was an ugly thing to see.
Sometimes their old selves returned in flashes. Then faded. Comfort and terror in equal measure.
The last few hours, they hadn't even had that.
At least the body was still kind of warm.
Nearer to the building, they saw another shape. It moved like a predator, but human enough. He might've had issues seeing in the dim, but they did not. It was one of the ways they were better, according to Hatfield and Leander.
They still felt cold, but less so with the predator in sight.
Cleaver and Axe signed to one another.
"That's him."
"Can we fight?"
"Only up close."
They paused. Noting that the body was partly covered in snow, in the dark, Cleaver proceeded to lower his weapon, slowly.
"We pretend. Until he is close."
Axe nodded in agreement, and let the ice axe fall at her side, against her profile.
They waved.
They were compelled.
Orders, barked through the speakers. A location, given under duress. Hatfield sounded upset. The Revenants found this alarming.
Yet, there was nothing else left to do. So now they stood in the cold dark, blood dripping from the Cleaver and the Axe.
They were promised a reward, for a difficult kill. Found this one easily enough.
Alone. Long enough for it to matter.
P014 Jarrett Bergman: DECEASED
But he wasn't the one.
They didn't eat much off of him. Only the face, bits of an arm. What was exposed, or could be exposed easily.
No anger, anymore. It was disappointing, maybe. They both were colder now, for certain.
It felt like nothing, and they recognized that in one another. It was an ugly thing to see.
Sometimes their old selves returned in flashes. Then faded. Comfort and terror in equal measure.
The last few hours, they hadn't even had that.
At least the body was still kind of warm.
Nearer to the building, they saw another shape. It moved like a predator, but human enough. He might've had issues seeing in the dim, but they did not. It was one of the ways they were better, according to Hatfield and Leander.
They still felt cold, but less so with the predator in sight.
Cleaver and Axe signed to one another.
"That's him."
"Can we fight?"
"Only up close."
They paused. Noting that the body was partly covered in snow, in the dark, Cleaver proceeded to lower his weapon, slowly.
"We pretend. Until he is close."
Axe nodded in agreement, and let the ice axe fall at her side, against her profile.
They waved.
Well behaved women rarely made history, which is why Catarina had ignored what PJ had asked of her and went outside anyway. There were many things to laugh at here, some even without being insane, and one of those things was that PJ thought that he was more of an asset than either of them. Even with some very generous score rounding, Catarina was still third on the ladder of usefulness here, yet now a 4 thought he was a 2, which was almost as embarrassing as when someone back home would brag about the sex, which itself was like buying a house for the shoe buffer.
But Catarina was well on their heels, and that was when she saw what everyone else was seeing, and that was when a shimmer of pins sprinkled throughout her face. A scream, and two people waving. Something lurched inside of her, a feeling she had felt before, but this time the paralysis didn't come.
But everything else she'd felt erupted up through her arms. They shook, as the two hands joined over the saw handle, and slowly raised themselves in front of her.
Catarina's hands were too tight to move to the trigger.
But Catarina was well on their heels, and that was when she saw what everyone else was seeing, and that was when a shimmer of pins sprinkled throughout her face. A scream, and two people waving. Something lurched inside of her, a feeling she had felt before, but this time the paralysis didn't come.
But everything else she'd felt erupted up through her arms. They shook, as the two hands joined over the saw handle, and slowly raised themselves in front of her.
Catarina's hands were too tight to move to the trigger.
Carl cocked his head. He'd heard the others filing in behind him, after he told them to stay put. 'Fuck it, one of us goes we all go;' he'd mumbled to himself as he stared down the two figures in the distance.
This was a fucking trap.
Screams; two people casually waving as if they hadn't heard anything. Either they got caught with their hand in the cookie jar, or they were dumb or deaf. They were just too 'calm' to be caught though. That was the weird part, and that made Carl hesitate. Know your target, and what lies beyond. After everything that's happened, he couldn't live with himself if he was responsible for a blue on blue, so he had to confirm. He had to know.
Another thought hit him. Hostages. He couldn't see if there was anything behind the two that was hiding, maybe holding them at gunpoint, maybe something worse.
"Who are you?" He called out. It was short and to the point.
"If you need help; identify yourselves!"
This was a fucking trap.
Screams; two people casually waving as if they hadn't heard anything. Either they got caught with their hand in the cookie jar, or they were dumb or deaf. They were just too 'calm' to be caught though. That was the weird part, and that made Carl hesitate. Know your target, and what lies beyond. After everything that's happened, he couldn't live with himself if he was responsible for a blue on blue, so he had to confirm. He had to know.
Another thought hit him. Hostages. He couldn't see if there was anything behind the two that was hiding, maybe holding them at gunpoint, maybe something worse.
"Who are you?" He called out. It was short and to the point.
"If you need help; identify yourselves!"
Catche thinks my squirrel is Fisk so here's my daily reminder that he is not.
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Primrosette
- Posts: 902
- Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2018 1:59 pm
- Location: In Her Dark Abyss
PJ didn't think that the girls would follow after him, but it actually made him feel relieved as he did prefer them all being in a group anyway. Being out in the coldness again was something that he hadn't thought he would have to go through after many hours. But, well, they couldn't keep themselves hidden forever. He wanted to do something. Even if it was just one thing. Even if he ended up dead. He didn't want to be a nobody who had been pretty cowardly. He wanted to get over his trauma. Even.... Even for a little while.
His hands were trembling and he was trying to hold the gun tightly. He needed to keep himself together.
He felt himself frowning when Carl suddenly called out to the two figures that were off in the distance and he felt uncomfortable about it. Like there was a bad feeling in his gut. This felt like an obvious trap, even he could see that.
"What are you doing?" He whispered to Carl, feeling a bit frustrated and he raised the gun a little in front of him. Just in case.... "This is obviously a trap. Isn't it?"
His hands were trembling and he was trying to hold the gun tightly. He needed to keep himself together.
He felt himself frowning when Carl suddenly called out to the two figures that were off in the distance and he felt uncomfortable about it. Like there was a bad feeling in his gut. This felt like an obvious trap, even he could see that.
"What are you doing?" He whispered to Carl, feeling a bit frustrated and he raised the gun a little in front of him. Just in case.... "This is obviously a trap. Isn't it?"
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Spindarene
- Posts: 252
- Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2018 11:34 pm
She heard Catarina following her, and looked over briefly to see that Catarina was holding the large saw in her hands. Credit where credit was due, Julia thought, she hadn’t actually expected Catarina to follow them. Catarina was a rich housewife, who seemed like the most traumatic part of her day would be finding out that her Vuitton had been switched out with her Chanel or something. Of all the women who Julia would have thought would be content to stay at home and let men do all the work for her, Catarina would have been one of them. However, Catarina was out there with the rest of them, holding her saw at the ready. The sight of that made Julia feel better, more confident. They were all in this together.
As she turned her attention to what was happening in front of the group, she saw the silhouettes of two people in front of them, waving at them. Julia was puzzled. What was going on? Had she imagined the screaming? She didn’t think so, and it seemed like the others had heard it too. So why were these people waving at them as if nothing had happened? Was this their way of showing that they were friendly? Julia dismissed the idea almost immediately; she couldn’t think of anyone who would just casually wave at a new group of people coming towards them after they’d heard someone screaming in agony. Julia looked around briefly, trying to see if she could see the person who had screamed, but she couldn’t see anyone besides the two people in front of them. She heard Carl call out to them, asking them if they needed help. She could see PJ whisper something to Carl, but she couldn’t hear what was said. She really hoped that Carl knew what he was doing, because something about this felt very wrong to her. She squinted her eyes, trying to make out the figures in front of them more clearly as her grip on the Chimera spine unconsciously tightened.
As she turned her attention to what was happening in front of the group, she saw the silhouettes of two people in front of them, waving at them. Julia was puzzled. What was going on? Had she imagined the screaming? She didn’t think so, and it seemed like the others had heard it too. So why were these people waving at them as if nothing had happened? Was this their way of showing that they were friendly? Julia dismissed the idea almost immediately; she couldn’t think of anyone who would just casually wave at a new group of people coming towards them after they’d heard someone screaming in agony. Julia looked around briefly, trying to see if she could see the person who had screamed, but she couldn’t see anyone besides the two people in front of them. She heard Carl call out to them, asking them if they needed help. She could see PJ whisper something to Carl, but she couldn’t hear what was said. She really hoped that Carl knew what he was doing, because something about this felt very wrong to her. She squinted her eyes, trying to make out the figures in front of them more clearly as her grip on the Chimera spine unconsciously tightened.
Cleaver swallowed in anticipation, forcing down saliva and blood. He remained silent.
It wasn’t that they could not make the sounds, or hold the intent. The words could simply never be found, not the right ones. It had been… as long as Cleaver could remember, since he’d tried to speak. It might not even be possible.
Does anyone else speak like us? Outside? He signed to Axe.
I don’t know, she replied. Let me try.
Cleaver tucked his weapon under his arm, and made a show of opening his palms, facing forward. The gesture felt familiar. Once, he’d been trained to demand it.
Axe coughed, and attempted a sound.
“P-p-p…” She sputtered. Another cough. Their throats had only been for breathing and swallowing, until now.
Please, help us. Axe thought of saying.
“Pray!” She managed to call out, in a hoarse tone. “We real, need! Hold, crystals in the… in the…”
Cleaver shot her a glare. Like before, none of it made sense.
“H-h-help?” Axe managed, after great difficulty.
As the Revenant struggled to speak, it was interrupted by a bright flash from the island’s port. A colossal fireball erupted from the Powerhouse, bright enough to cast shadows in the early evening. In the silhouette of the inferno, one could see the Powerhouse’s chimney collapse into the building, at which point another gout of fire erupted and completely consumed the structure.
The orange gleam illuminated the two figures, as well as the maimed and mutilated body of Jarrett Bergman lying half-buried in the bloody snow beside them. The shockwave from the explosion raced towards the Mines, its path marked by snow and ice knocked off of the rooftops of Serensk.
The two Revenants turned to face the rising ball of fire that had erupted from the Powerhouse. They looked at one another, both completely at a loss to account for the explosion. The bright light forced them to wince, their enhanced vision even more susceptible to changes in lighting.
At their feet, the remains of their most recent kill. Axe glanced down at the body, and then towards the group by the Union Office, and finally back towards her companion.
Taking their queue from the shockwave as it passed, they rushed towards the group.
Moments before the explosion, a strange tension coiled itself around Catarina's head, trying to comprehend the words from the figures that she couldn't understand. She couldn't smell toast, so it just had to not make sense. The only thing that she could grasp was that there was something wrong, even before the other one started speaking normally.
And then, light blew into their eyes, and she understood now.
A polar bear with spines like a manticore. A writing mass of worms which consumed and erased people. And now, Carl's enemies. It all made sense now.
Catarina had died.
Somehow, at some point on the trip, she'd tripped and hit her head on a metal railing, or bar, and this was everything rushing into place. Her classmates were there because she'd seen them on the ship, the professors weren't there because she'd known she was better than them, and the monsters...well, they had to have been something. She saw a polar bear somewhere, or found a worm in her food, or saw someone get too cold and stop looking human, it was something. some
thing.
someth
ing
SOMETHING
She'd always been a religious woman, despite how modern woke culture told her she wasn't allowed to be, and she'd read a few books in her time, so this must have been the truth of it all. Dante was right, after all. She'd betrayed somebody, at some point, and this was the ninth circle. This was her destiny. She thought she could escape it, but no matter how theoretical the monsters were, always lurking just out of sight, this was her time. This was her punishment, to be tormented by the disgusting things that her unconscious mind had created while she lay dying on the ground, and that was it for her. Forever.
Forev-
She almost didn't move when the shockwave hit and they began running. But in the moments before the second feet fell, before they started running towards the four of them, the coil engulfing her brain squeezed out one last thought before she could react.
What if you're alive?
Isn't that worse?
And that was all she needed. That one moment of doubt, creating a world back home.
Catarina pushed herself back on her feet, away from the body of Jarrett who she still needed to process, and towards the cabin. She reached the doorway before any of them, and for a moment, she relished the idea of slamming the door. But they were still real. Whatever needed to happen next, she couldn't do it alone.
And then, light blew into their eyes, and she understood now.
A polar bear with spines like a manticore. A writing mass of worms which consumed and erased people. And now, Carl's enemies. It all made sense now.
Catarina had died.
Somehow, at some point on the trip, she'd tripped and hit her head on a metal railing, or bar, and this was everything rushing into place. Her classmates were there because she'd seen them on the ship, the professors weren't there because she'd known she was better than them, and the monsters...well, they had to have been something. She saw a polar bear somewhere, or found a worm in her food, or saw someone get too cold and stop looking human, it was something. some
thing.
someth
ing
SOMETHING
She'd always been a religious woman, despite how modern woke culture told her she wasn't allowed to be, and she'd read a few books in her time, so this must have been the truth of it all. Dante was right, after all. She'd betrayed somebody, at some point, and this was the ninth circle. This was her destiny. She thought she could escape it, but no matter how theoretical the monsters were, always lurking just out of sight, this was her time. This was her punishment, to be tormented by the disgusting things that her unconscious mind had created while she lay dying on the ground, and that was it for her. Forever.
Forev-
She almost didn't move when the shockwave hit and they began running. But in the moments before the second feet fell, before they started running towards the four of them, the coil engulfing her brain squeezed out one last thought before she could react.
What if you're alive?
Isn't that worse?
And that was all she needed. That one moment of doubt, creating a world back home.
Catarina pushed herself back on her feet, away from the body of Jarrett who she still needed to process, and towards the cabin. She reached the doorway before any of them, and for a moment, she relished the idea of slamming the door. But they were still real. Whatever needed to happen next, she couldn't do it alone.
Carl cocked his head. What were they saying?
“What?-“
This wasn’t the worms. They were better at pretending. He didn’t know who the two were, but this was beyond something wrong. This wasn’t two people half-delirious from exposure.
He leveled his gun towards the one on the left when there was a bright flash of light in the distance, followed by the rumbles and screams of collapsing concrete and twisted metal. Son of a bitch, they were fighting hard on the other side of the island.
Carl had let himself get distracted. He watched the fireball, and saw night become dawn for a short moment. He’d just glanced the body, and the two ‘survivors’ in the distance.
He’d glanced at their eyes and they moved-
“CONTACT!”
He raised his arms on instinct and let a round rip down range.
“Fall back to the house!” He barked, as he expelled another shot.
“What?-“
This wasn’t the worms. They were better at pretending. He didn’t know who the two were, but this was beyond something wrong. This wasn’t two people half-delirious from exposure.
He leveled his gun towards the one on the left when there was a bright flash of light in the distance, followed by the rumbles and screams of collapsing concrete and twisted metal. Son of a bitch, they were fighting hard on the other side of the island.
Carl had let himself get distracted. He watched the fireball, and saw night become dawn for a short moment. He’d just glanced the body, and the two ‘survivors’ in the distance.
He’d glanced at their eyes and they moved-
“CONTACT!”
He raised his arms on instinct and let a round rip down range.
“Fall back to the house!” He barked, as he expelled another shot.
Catche thinks my squirrel is Fisk so here's my daily reminder that he is not.
-
Primrosette
- Posts: 902
- Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2018 1:59 pm
- Location: In Her Dark Abyss
PJ felt confusion taking over when he heard the one of the strangers saying some odd words that weren't making much sense and his paranoia was taking over his mind more. He felt so tempted to pull the trigger, but he knew that he couldn't just start firing shots off like a lunatic. He needed to be more rational about the situation and then he cou-
The sudden explosion had made him suddenly flinch in complete shock. He felt his mouth gaping open at the suddenness of it all.
"W-What-"
That's when he suddenly saw the body in front of the two strangers and he knew that he had been right all along. It was a fricking trap. His gut feeling had been trying to warn him all along.
"Oh, god!" He yelped when the two enemies started to rush towards them and he stumbled backwards a bit.
Carl was yelling at them to fall back and PJ was not going to refuse that order. He couldn't waste any bullets while he was running as he knew that there was a possibility that he would miss and he wanted to make some good distance away from the strange creatures' attack.
He was following after Catarina, panting softly. He looked behind him to make sure that Julia was following him and he didn't want her to get hurt at all. She was his closest ally and friend right now.
The sudden explosion had made him suddenly flinch in complete shock. He felt his mouth gaping open at the suddenness of it all.
"W-What-"
That's when he suddenly saw the body in front of the two strangers and he knew that he had been right all along. It was a fricking trap. His gut feeling had been trying to warn him all along.
"Oh, god!" He yelped when the two enemies started to rush towards them and he stumbled backwards a bit.
Carl was yelling at them to fall back and PJ was not going to refuse that order. He couldn't waste any bullets while he was running as he knew that there was a possibility that he would miss and he wanted to make some good distance away from the strange creatures' attack.
He was following after Catarina, panting softly. He looked behind him to make sure that Julia was following him and he didn't want her to get hurt at all. She was his closest ally and friend right now.