The Meteor [Open/Accepting]

[Kallori]

A sickly howl was heard. Thundering footsteps followed. The beast had been following its prey for a while now. Usually the monsters would give up after a certain time has passed, but this one seemed persistent for some reason.
Out of the shadows of a building across the street from the Goliath, a young girl with raven hair spotted the creature and gulped. She had refrained from attracting its attention any further because she didn't have the time to deal with it right now. All she could do was run. Gripping her Smith & Wesson, she quietly but steadily made her way further down the street, although her truck was in the opposite direction. Hopefully the Goliath hadn't spotted it, but since they somehow had an increase in smell - both the sense and odor - she feared her precious cargo might be found. But for now, the beast was on her tail.
Turning down a back alley, she found tons of rubble blocking her path. She may be adept in climbing and all-around speed, but again, she didn't have time for this. Forcibly climbing the debris of what may have been part of the houses on either side, she emerged out the other side, onto a new street - and spotting her truck a couple blocks away! The thundering footsteps only reminded her of the peril that was so ever present. Closing her eyes, she gave a sigh. It was all or nothing, and now or never as the Goliath came closer to her position.
Without thinking, she made a dash for her truck, cutting across what was once a lawn, avoiding any bits and pieces of rubble in her path. She made it to her truck, hastily opening the door and starting it up. The noise quickly attracted the attention of the Goliath, which screamed and started to pick up its pace. The Burmese cat beside her, a dark chocolate brown in color, began to hiss. "I know, Tam, I know..." the girl stroked the cat's fur in an attempt to calm it as she floored the pedal, keeping her eyes on both the road and how far the Goliath now was in her rear view mirror, which was kind of hard, since the truck wasn't exactly in the best shape. Her eyes averted to the side mirrors instead.
Suddenly the Goliath slammed a fist down, missing the truck by a few feet. The girl swerved off the road for a while before realigning, "Well that was close." Another pound, this one closer than the last, which launched the truck in the air slightly. They came down in a sudden landing before the girl floored it again. Come on, you dirty meatsack.
The truck suddenly swerved off to the right, diving between two houses close to each other as the Goliath struck the ruined pavement again, now attempting to locate their position. The cat hissed some more as the girl drifted around a corner on the street she popped out onto.
An incoming transmission on the old radio system sounded, the voice crackling thanks to the static fraps. "Roundup Ten, I repeat, Roundup Ten, what's your twenty?" the voice was male, and it was a wonder it was still discernible.
The girl picked up the transceiver, the large cord attached to the dashboard. "Not a good time right now!"
"Roundup Ten, where are you?"
"I said it's not a good time! I just came from a back-" the girl was cut off as a scream rang through the street, the Goliath coming into view in her side mirror. "Happy?" The person on the other end hung up as the Goliath came closer and closer with each mighty step. The girl gritted her teeth. She didn't spot any place she could duck into to avoid it. She'd have to do something risky. Leaning out of the window, gun in right hand as she tried to maintain control of the truck with her left, she fired off three rounds, the first two striking the neck, though greatly apart, while the third caught the beast on the right side of where its nose used to be. It wailed, cringing from the pain. That should buy her some time. As she rolled down the street in her pickup, she quickly glanced into the side mirror. The Goliath didn't seem to be following anymore, probably figuring she wasn't worth becoming its lunch. Good for her, she got to live another day.
It was about half an hour until she spotted the building, its sturdy steel walls and paw print graffiti unmistakeable. She pulled into the garage located on the southern side, left of the doors. After hopping out, she opened the door for Tam the cat before jumping into the back of the pickup and retrieving her cargo of two animal cages. One was a rather timid bunny rabbit with brown and black markings, although the girl couldn't tell if the ride was the cause of its fright, though was extremely plausible. The other held a Chinchilla, and how she stumbled upon it still baffled the girl. She then made her way to the doors, ready to drop off her recent catch before setting out again.  

[Dark Xaero]

[ Jack : Wasteland ]

Howls and garbled growls echoed hauntingly throughout a small city block as a Lone individual hastily jogged his way down the ruined streets. His current company, a delightful bunch of overly mutated creatures designated as Young, sprinted after him in hot pursuit of a possible next meal.


“Well this is sure fire way to start the day.” The young man murmured to himself as he increased his pace to compensate for them increasing theirs. “Not five minutes out and I already have company. Geez Jack you sure are popular with the muties!”

Having acquired his “Fans.” during some recent unsuccessful escapades within the remains of a two story complex. Jack now had a twenty man mob on his tail. A mob that showed no signs of quitting and even if he used his two recently swiped grenades to try clearing them out, the odds where likely only going to attract more to the party.

Switching to a back pedal, Jack pleaded with the mindless beasts. Perhaps maybe this one time, they could see just a tiny bit amount of reason? “Guys! listen I'm sorry okay! But its not like I had anything to do with bludgeoning your thirty other brothers and sisters to death with a pipe just to end up with only two measly grenades! I swear, it had to be the other guy!... At least I hope.”

The creatures were unamused and seemed only to get more riled with each word. Jack, was running out of options.

CRACK!

The sound of a rifle echoed not far in the distance as a round vaporized the head of a mutie nipping at Jack's Heels. slightly thrown off guard, he stumbled before regaining his composure and charting a course directly towards the possible savior.

His “Hero,” was hold up in the fourth floor window of a small apartment building that seemed to be missing the rest of its floors beyond that number. Seeing no other available options of escape for him. Jack quickly staggered into the entryway bracing himself as an explosion rocked the street he had just been on thanks to a grenade the person lobbed out behind him.

As the dust settled and the muties lay lifeless. A man clad in torn and rugged gear, donning a gas mask that seemed to have seen its share of bad days, cautiously arrived down the flight of stairs where Jack waited patiently. Seeing as he was no visible threat, the individual lowered his weapon. “kid, you look like s**t. Your lucky I found ya.”

A little offended, Jack looked over his clothing which seemed no worse for wear besides the odd rip and tear, however it was very plausible that his face was extremely dirty and his hair probably wasn't so hot either. Taking a moment, he pulled down his cloth hood to inspect some strands and sure enough his once vibrant green locks had turned into a more duller shade. he needed a shower.

“Ya, I'll have to give you that one sir”

The man shook his head while holstering his bolt action rifle and holding out a hand. “Name's John and you?” Jack looked to the man's hand hesitantly before shaking it. “Jack, Thanks for saving my sorry excuse for life by the way.”

John chuckled. “don't mention it, I was just passing through. By the way, what the hell are you doing out here all by yourself while unarmed? You looking for a death wish?”

Jack shrugged. “To be honest, I don't know. I don't even think I have a place to call home, since I can't remember.”

John sighed before crossing his arms, giving Jack a once over. “Well... I guess I could take you to our little establishment. Since we do need fresh hands around the place. Ever since those goddamn slavers snatched some of us a few weeks back. We've been hurting for... Newblood.”

The thought was obvious to Jack what a “newblood” usually meant and on the grounds of general labour he wasn't enjoying the idea. But, this was all he had right now. So the best thing for him would be to go along. “Alright.”

OOC sad (Don't have Sera or anyone find Jack just yet. I want to flesh him out in a few more post please.))  

[Dark Xaero]

[ Jack : Wasteland > > > Freedom's Stand ]

Exploring the wastes by yourself had its own set of perks. For one, you never had to watch anyone's back beside your own and any loot you did find while scavenging was yours and yours alone. However, on the downside, you could easily be outnumbered and assassinated without so much as a sound of warning should you choose to turn your back at the wrong time.

Jack was a capable fighter in most scenario's, thanks to how he was built. But without a weapon of some short to match his finesse, the cybernetic man was easy pickings, even if he did make them work for it.

“So, how long have you been on your own there Jack?”

John, the friendly local who had saved his hide earlier, had been leading him past an odd assortment of twists and turns through the ruined and collapsing remains of the small city they were in, while strolling at what some could suggest was a snails pace. A speed, Jack wasn't finding the least bit comforting when his “Savior” was now constantly asking questions about him.

“I don't even know myself John. Like I said before, I barely have a clue as to who I really am.”

The man grunted, making it more than obvious to his companion that this was not the answer he wanted, but still, John didn't confront it, so they continued forward. However, Jack was noticing the change in atmosphere and he didn't like it. Why, was it that such a man would ask so many questions the moment they were on the road? Regardless of his own secrets and those surrounding other things of his past which seemed irrelevant, why did John decide to be so noisy? Sure it was obvious he hadn't earned the guy's trust completely but that was beside the point. Jack, felt that John was prying for information, because of something else.

A something else that he wanted to confront the man about and be done with, but retained his oblivious composure since it was highly likely that John's questioning had something to do with this “establishment” he had mentioned earlier.  

[Dark Xaero]

[ Jack : Wasteland : Freedom's Stand ]

“Well, here we are Jack.”

Yep here they were alright. Freedom's Stand. What an unusual name for such a ruined and decrepit structure. Jack found himself even questioning how it was still able to stay on its foundation. How in the world was this considered a safe haven for some, when it looked like it wouldn't take much to bring it down?

The place must have once been an office building of some sort. Only now, it was missing the rest of its floors from the top, much like the building he had found John in. Two guards ran Overwatch from the safety of the above floors. Not much must have been happening since one of them was lounging rather lazily on at their post. Which begged the question, did they really recently get attacked by slavers?

Walking up to the secured front chain-linked gate, Jack watched curiously as John directed his attention to the small intercom located on its right side. “Hey, its me John, got some, “newblood” if your interested.” Jack raised a brow. Something was definitely wrong with this situation, very wrong, he could detect it through John's tone of voice.

The door, eventually buzzed open, allowing Jack entry into whatever horrors awaited. “So John, where's the welcoming party?” The gas-masked man chuckled lightheartedly as he went on ahead, before turning around and crossing his arms. Like that of a host about to change the rules of a game to his favor.

“Right, behind you.”

In the split of a second, Jack felt an object strike him in the back of the head, causing his systems to go dark and he, offline.  

[Kallori]

As the sliding doors hissed open to reveal a nice, clean facility, which was in direct contrast to the world outside, Sera didn't wait for a greeting, and instead gave one of her own. "I'm hoooome!" Although technically she didn't live here and had her own house, despite it's crappy condition, she often regarded the facility as her refuge. A large dane came trotting up to her - or lumbering, as it was a little lanky - eager to be petted by the girl. Sera set the two animals she managed to find on the nearby clerk desk before turning her attention to the dog. "Hi Larry, who's a cute puppy? Who's a cute puppy?" she then received several licks from the dog, laughing as Larry continued to slobber on her face with his big tongue.
"And what might this be?" A tall, slender, and slightly curved woman in a cheetah print dress came from a nearby hall, resuming her seat at the desk and observing the two caged animals before averting her gaze to the teenage girl playing with the dog before her. "Only two this time Sera?"
"Hey, you try and do your job when a mutant wants your catch for a snack." Sera wasn't usually so snarky, but from today's trials, she was pretty worn out, and it always affected her mood somehow.
The woman nodded, her toned black and brown hair following with the momentum. "I see. It must be rough out there."
"You have no idea." Sera stood up, and Larry stood up with her, his tail whacking against her thighs as he circled her. "I think it might have been Leigh that came over the radio transmission that attracted the Goliath on that last leg to get here." she shook her head. Leigh Foster, the man in question, was a recent addition to the Roundup crew, and although he may be old enough that Sera could act as his daughter, the man was surprisingly dull-witted, and had only caught eight animals in the last six months standard time. He had lost countless others, and the girl wondered just how much longer the man would last in his job, if the mutants didn't get to him first.
"Don't be too hard on him. After all, he's still learning the ropes."
I wonder if I can take those ropes and strangle some sense into him.
"Although I agree with you, he should refrain from communications."
Sera patted Larry's head. She heaved a sigh. Talking with Mary always seemed to relieve her stress, much like the animals did. "I suppose you're right."

When the animals she had rescued for the day were taken to the decontamination lab, Sera finally had time to relax and play with the pets, including her own two - Tam, the Burmese that rode with her and Luke, a doberman and collie mix. She always did this as a stress reliever, and it was also a good way to make the pets people-friendly. However, Sera had to say goodbye, as the facility neared closing time and she headed for home. Preparing her gun and making sure her whip was easy to bring out - sometimes it got caught on her belt - she began the trek. Jumping into the truck, she fired it up and drove away from the facility, watching it shrink in her side mirror.  

[Dark Xaero]

[ Jack : Wasteland ]

Gunfire, screams, the shredding of organic matter. It happened... again. Why did they do it. Why did they have to be like all the rest. Now, only death was with them. Death by his hands and there was nothing he could have done to stop it. He had kill them all, slaughtered the bunch just like a rabid dog. Skin to bone, bone to dust.

Jack should have expected nothing less in the wastes. They didn't want his company and help. They just wanted to eat him like some animal. They were monsters to their own kind. Yet, he understood the hardships of establishing a good food supply. But regardless of these facts, he still eliminated them like the cold, calculating, machine, he was.

He could see it as clear as the dark ash clouded sky above him now. They attacked first. Blindsiding him with a blow to the back of the head. His systems went dark, then, immediately rebooted. Initiating a protocol he had never noticed before. One, that he guessed he was never suppose to notice. Then the bloodshed began.

There were a number of them, some Senti, some not. But it didn't matter. It never mattered, not to this version of him. Exploding into a graceful fluid motion of swings and sweeps, Jack bared witness to a person he wasn't; mimicking a fighting style he had never seen during his existence.

Moving at a ferocity that quickly frightened his adversaries, Jack snapped bone, tore beating hearts from chests and used entrails to assist in the massacre. Between them and him. It was easy to see who was the real monster.

It was over now though and what was left sat decaying in the concrete tomb that was once its own little place of horrors. Jack dared a glance back at Freedom's stand in the distance once more. The place was a den for monsters just trying to live some semblance of life. Who would have guessed they would try and dine on a bigger monster.

“Whats wrong with me...”

Jack couldn't stand this. He had experienced this loss of control many times before. Like someone was using him for a sick game. A game, he wanted out of. Or, at least understand why it had to be him. With blood caked clothing and a broken pipe in his hand, a cool breeze whispered a hollowed tune through the silent streets of a once busy city, as Jack walked on, alone.

OOC sad (End of Jack's intro arc. you can write him in with you now if you want.))  

[Dark Xaero]

[ ??? ]

“Good Jack, once again you've preformed well. Now run along and play. Your master has other matters to attend to.” A low maniacal laugh could be heard as a lanky individual rose from his seat behind a desk littered with holographic display screens. Snapping his fingers, the panels vanished as if summoned from nothing at all.

“That boy is a very commendable asset. A great addition to my repertoire. Perhaps everything will execute more smoothly then first anticipated.” Smiling with achievement he procured a bottle of his most favored of drinks, pouring a glass while listening to a recorded orchestra, perform a soft melody around him. The man enjoyed this life he had obtained, but knew it would not last. It never did.

Putting the glass to his lips, the individual welcomed the rush of flavor from a vintage, aged to perfection, while musing over his next course of action.  

[Dark Xaero]

[ Nicole : Oregon Junction : Main hub ]

Gasping for air to fill her lungs, Nicole forced herself out of the Horror that was her existing nightmare and back into consciousness. Sweat ravaged the woman's figure and covers as tears streaked down her cheeks and stained her cushions. It had happened again. She had seen him die in front of her. She had witnessed her husband become a victim.

Trying desperately to calm her nerves she slid over to the side of her bed and retrieved a glass of purified water. Taking a sip, she recalled the dream. It was clear, perhaps more so then the night before. But why, was she to suffer this torment for the rest of her days? Every night forced to watch helplessly as the one she loved is gruesomely butchered by a different ability none should deem possible? It disgusted her.

Every night she would see the killer. He would be covered in shadow that was next to impossible to focus on. As if he alone stood in a spot the mind just didn't want to see. The shadows around him moved like ink bleeding in water. It was a nightmare that had become real. A truth that made her choose a side.

She hated them. She despised all of those Senti freaks. Mad with power, that's all it was. They didn't care about being human, they didn't care about helping their fellow man, no. Murder and mayhem that's all they were good at. Yeah, that’s all they were good for. Well, she would show them. They had a place and it was about time they learned it.  

[Kallori]

It had been some time on the road she came to the facility since her dealing with the Goliath. Perhaps it left. I sure as hell hope so. but Sera kept a watchful eye just in case a new one came onto the scene. She looked in the side mirror - the facility was completely gone from view now. Only the black and gray horizon met her eyes.

She turned down a street, surprisingly not littered with rubble, continuing her course home. A large bridge was seen up ahead, although it was destroyed and the further half dipping into the already receding water. Sera turned off course slightly, taking a rough trail along the shoreline. She found this path by accident one day, but never forgot it due to the scenery beside her. She wondered what this river looked like before that stupid meteor came down and destroyed everything - or attempted to.

It was another couple of blocks and a quick winding through more streets until she came to a rundown heap of stone garbage. The exterior of the house was like all the rest, broken and damaged. The roof was partially missing, but at least it never rained. Parking the truck in the driveway, she hopped out and simply kicked the door open - slightly, so as not to break it any more than it already was.

To her shock, a single Young was seen destroying the fridge, trying to find some food. Without fear, the young lass fired off two rounds, the first striking the right knee while the other blew its head off, leaving a blood-spewing neck and some torn flesh where said head sat. The body fell flat over the fridge, limp as a ragdoll. Two things were on Sera's mind as she tried to move the body outside, preferably towards the curb. First of all, how did this mutant freak get in her house, and more importantly, why was it alone? She knew their habits, as she slaughtered them on sort of a monthly to bi-weekly basis. They usually roam in packs, so if this one did, where were its friends?

The girl cautiously proceeded into the house, hands firmly on the trigger of her favorite and most trusted toy. She listened for the familiar grunts and yelps they normally made, but heard none. She quickly peeked out the door, scanning the street. Nothing. Was this one she killed a straggler? And if so, where did the rest go?

It didn't really seem to matter, but she decided to not sleep for the night in case its friends did decide to show up and eat her.  

[Dark Xaero]

[ Jack : Wasteland ]

The sounds of a fire amongst the howling winds of a cold night was all that could be picked up on by Jack's auditory sensors, as the Mimic paused and replayed the scene he had abruptly caused earlier. The combat he had witnessed was unlike anything seen before. The flow of movement, the constant change in stance. It was beyond measure, no. It was beyond that of most Senti. This version of him, hit with absolute precision. Held no hesitation, no designation of who wasn't a target. All this “him” wanted was, pure, grade A carnage.

“You still awake kid?”

The sudden intrusion of a voice besides his reminded him of just where he had recently ended up. Tossing aside his thoughts, Jack turned his attention over to a haggard old man clad in bandoliers and clothing full of pockets. With an automatic rifle over his shoulder and a pack mule that could care less if it was hauling a ton of gear or none behind, Jack's host came into sight.

“Ain't gonna do ya no good staying up all night. You wanna reach the next settlement ya gonna need your sleep, cause I ain't carrying ya and jasper don't like ya.”

Jack Smiled, he had met this old man not long after leaving Freedom's Stand and for someone covered in dried blood like himself you'd think a few looks would be in order. But this old caravan driver cared less about questions and more about making a few credits.

“Sorry Douglas, I just haven't been able to sleep well lately, guess you could thank the wastes for that.” Jack replied wearily.

Douglas grunted, taking a seat next to him, “Story of my life kid, living out in the wasteland tends to do that to ya.”

Listening to the popping static that was the camp fire, Jack watch intently while it danced and swayed without a care in the world, as bits of ash ascended into the sky. The area they had camped in was sheltered partially from the elements thanks to a large roof that had not entirely collapsed. At one point during its existence maybe this building served as a storage house. But whatever it once contained was now lost to Jack as all that remained was empty space.

Giving a light yawn followed quickly by a hacking cough, Douglas crawled over to his resting mule and used him as a makeshift cushion, “Well try to get at least a wink kid, tomorrow we've got a lot of ground to cover.”

All Jack could do was nod in understanding. He wasn't a human so he didn't require sleep. But the old man didn't need to know that. Instead, Jack thought it best to keep a watch over them.  

[Kallori]

As the hours passed, Sera continued to yawn. Like any human, she needed her sleep. But there was still no sign of the others, friends of the Young sitting by the fence, which she had left half-sprawled onto the street. She got up to check on it, though didn't know why. She figured if the smell of blood was in the air, perhaps its cohorts would arrive by it. She dug another energy drink out of the fridge, which took her a good half hour just to stand up again, and chugged the drink down. Letting out a satisfied exhale, she crushed the can and tossed it out the window, letting it bounce across the street before falling flat.
As she went to sit on the dilapidated couch, something caught her ear. It was distant and faint, but unmistakeable. Rushing to the window, she looked out to see where it was coming from. Between some buildings several yards from her location were a few Young. Perhaps they were from this one's group, she thought as her gaze turned to the corpse. They were closing fast, and she had to act fast. Immediately, as if the thought never crossed her mind, she whipped her gun out, ready to snipe them. But then that may attract some other unwanted attention. On the other hand, if she simply waited for them to arrive, the cramped walls provided little room for combat, although she could deal a few good blows by aiming properly and thinning the herd early on should the situation arise.
As she played out each scenario that came into her head, the Young kept gaining, faster and faster, closer and closer. There was little time for indecision. Sera eventually went with her first plan and shot down two of them, though the second only received a leg wound while the first to be shot got it straight in the eye. They didn't even seem to care that an ally was dead. They simply continued course, and within minutes, were right on top of her.
Sera used the building to her advantage, starting off by kicking the door into the lead Young's face, causing it to stumble backwards, and following up with a bullet to the face of the one she shot in the leg. The head exploded from the impact, and the sound of a hiss from the leader signaled her the fight wasn't won yet. She lashed at it with her whip, the noise scaring the Young, but also agitating it. She took the opportunity to deal a few melee blows to it, knowing that they weren't radioactive just from their presence or if she was splattered with blood. The Young fought back, taking large swings with its equally large fists. Sera simply dodged them before getting it in a chokehold and putting a bullet through its head to finish the job.
Looking around, the sight would become suspicious, but it wasn't what she saw that made her next decision; a howl echoed through the streets, signalling a Goliath wasn't far off. "Can't catch a single break." She debated her next move, but knew that the Goliath would overpower her, as she was quite fatigued. She entered her house again and returned sometime later with a black duffel bag, stuffed full of essential equipment she used to survive the wastes. Jumping into her truck, she started it up and headed west, with no particular destination in mind other than to get out of range of the beast.  

[Dark Xaero]

[ Jack : Wasteland ]

The trek onwards towards the next settlement was certainly as long as the old caravan driver had warned. But Jack knew that. To put it in a better perspective, nothing ever came easy for him. He had wandered the wastes for more then a few months on his own and from the people he had encounter up to this point, long roads ahead now only served to remind him of the lives those he had massacred once lived.

Taking in the scenery around him. Jack bore witness to the same dull degrading world that once held life far beyond his own grasp. The cracked and demolished roads, the long dead trees, the torn asunder powerlines, the abandoned, ruined or decrepit buildings. They all held a purpose once and even now they still did oddly enough.

Douglas was also a prime example of this. Having lived most of his life wandering. He too served a purpose. Caravan drivers were the bread and butter of the wastes. They sold whatever they could get their hands on and never asked questions. Which was more then apparently the C.E.C. Could do. At least, according to him.

“We'll be there before you know it kid. Steel Town. The scrapyard of the wastes.”

Jack felt reassured that he had met such a man as Douglas. It had given him hope for whatever future lay ahead. But right now focusing on the present was a more pressing matter, as the route they were taking regardless of its assured safety could be home to any number of dangers. Judging from the caravan driver's own experience, besides the threat of mutants, much of the wild life had also experienced large changes after the Impact.

But the changes varied from both size to threat. Some were large but only became threatening if you can't even throw a punch. Others were small but only required a single bite to end you. Then there were the large and deadly who not only looked menacing but could back it up with both poison's and raw power and though the PAAC were trying to reintroduce the old ways back to the planet, to Douglas, it was a wasted effort.

“So Douglas, what is Steel town?”

Jack felt a little curious, he had never really encountered an actual town let alone one that was thriving before, so questions seemed to be in order.

Douglas chuckled, “I was wondering when you'd send a question my way. Well to put it simply, Steel town is a shanty little place that came together from the steel of mostly old automobiles. If you've seen those before you'll immediately understand how they built everything. Hell you could probably see the entire inside and out of a car just by entering one of their buildings.”

The answer was slightly perplexing to Jack, since what he'd encountered of automobiles where mostly torn apart wrecks barely having anything to them at all. But none the less he quickly assumed this was because of Steel town.

In the distance Jack's auditory sensors picked up a howl of unrecognizable origin, prompting him to tighten his grip on the pipe he had been lugging around with him. However, a calloused hand on his shoulder from Douglas suggested something else.

“We should pick up the pace kid.”  

[Dark Xaero]

[ Darwin : Citadel : Headmaster Chambers ]

How long had it really been since she was lost? Since this son of her's had disappeared. The individual that now stood at the epicenter of the world's new government shuffled through his memories. Memories that belonged to a past he wasn't even sure he could still fully remember. Were these fragments nothing more then things he had conjured up do to his own buried depression? Were these images of a loving wife with a cheerful son just another attempt in forcing his guard to waver?

Darwin grunted in silent frustration as he paced in his chambers within the Citadel. The answer was there, he knew it. But something continued to prevent him from grasping it and he had become more then a little fed up with that. He was tired, tired of mulling over these images in his head. Images that seemed so trivial, yet somehow refused to leave him.

A mother and a son, that’s all he ever saw. Were these really part of his memories? Or was he just becoming more senile with age? He had searched through the data archives, he had done his own investigations on these two. But nothing ever turned up.

“Must be losing my edge. Heh, wonder what you'd think of me now, Mentor...”

A mother and a son. But where, was the father?  

[Kallori]

Gunfire was heard all around, screams of both human, robot, and the dangerous mutants blasted his ears. However, his world was dark at the moment, and it only took a moment for him to open his eyes. The scorched pavement and gray dirt reminded him of something, but he had a hard time remembering. As he looked up, a small squadron of people dressed in heavy military armor passed by, and as he followed them with his gaze, knew he had to do something.

Another person came by, skidding close to his location. He turned, catching a rather large black boot, followed by a ruffled pant leg with a strange camouflage print. "Come on kid, get up! We've got to get rid of these beasts!" Came the voice of a gruff man, presumably in his forties.

"Co-commander...?" the boy's voice was weary, but from what escaped him, much like the rest of this scene sprawled out before him. It took him a moment to stand, and the person he addressed as "Commander" lent a hand. "What happened?"

"You were knocked out from a blow to the face." the man spoke, dusting the boy off. "Be a little more careful next time." he shoved a gun, an MK-38 Plasma Cannon, into the boy's arms before giving him a slap on the back. "Now get back in there and let's get rid of these pests!"

The boy felt his face, and found a small scarred-over patch on his right cheek, and when he examined his fingers, found them tipped with blood, presumably what was left before the wound tried healing itself.
Now everything came back to him. An image of him getting punched by a Goliath came into view, and he remembered what he was doing. Further recollection yielded some shouts from fellow soldiers, and the boy remembered everything.

The sight of a Goliath trying to make it's way into their Junction was the final puzzle piece, and he charged straight for it, no fear in his heart, only a burning desire for vengeance, but he was no fool; if anything, he was the most overcautious member of the team. Three soldiers from the squadron before were seen shooting the beast with a variety of issued weapons, one most notably was an Eroder, capable of shooting blasts of acid that ate through anything. The boy fired some rounds from his Plasma Cannon, striking the face of the beast, though it wouldn't let up. Boy, was it stubborn! But that's just how some of them came, and you had to throw everything at it for it to back off. That or kill the damn thing, and he was glad to go through with the latter.

"So, how long was I out?" he asked one of his comrades, firing another shot at the beast's face.

"Theo! Glad to see you're up!" The man was around his age, if not a little older. He had no outstanding features, just a regular Joe, but his personality was something else. "We've managed to eradicate the last of the Youngs and taken down this guy's buddy, but we're running low on firepower, and even the Eroders don't seem to slow it."

Theo. That was his name, or a simple shortening of it. He nodded, but pushed his comrade out of the way as a giant fist came crashing down. "Thanks buddy." but the man was so stupefied from being shoved he didn't reply. Theo looked around, the bodies of both soldiers and mutants lay everywhere throughout their small district. He'd have time to mourn later as a howl came from the Goliath he had ignored for that brief moment. As it went to squash another squad member, Theo quickly swapped the Plasma Cannon for a Shriek Magnum. He squeezed the trigger, aiming carefully for its eye. When the beast brought its hand down, a loud noise almost deafened everybody as a laser blast immediately began to head for its target. A perfect bullseye! Theo pumped a fist as the Goliath reeled from the blow. f they could blind it, maybe they'll have an easier battle. Here's hopin'!  

[Kallori]

Sera tried her best to stay awake as she drove, heading to a small settlement she knew well. She just couldn't remember the name of it at the moment, possibly due to her lack of sleep or concentration. She reached in the glove box for her respirator, as she was beginning to feel the toxins again. She was quite resistant to them - almost immune, which was better than most other humans - but since she wasn't a Senti, she still needed something to help her live. She took the respirator out and set it on the seat beside her. Then a thought came to mind about her losing it under the seat, so she stuffed it in her duffel bag for now.

It felt like hours had passed, and they probably did, when Sera felt very tired. And so sudden, too. She constantly forced herself to stay awake as she drove. She could rest when she arrived at the settlement. But the more she resisted sleeping, the more it tried to overpower her. It was only natural for it to do so.
Then, when she finally raised the white flag of defeat, she rested her head on the wheel, slowly drifting off. The road was fairly straight, so she needn't worry too much about steering. Swerving was another matter, which showed itself when a fancy hovercraft came barreling down. With headlights on to full, the driver spotted Sera's little beater and gave a loud honk of the horn.
The noise startled Sera as she quickly veered off to the right, around the craft, and into the ditch.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" she heard in the distance from the pissed-off driver. Her face was squished between the airbag and the seat, and she beat it back to get rid of some air and pack it away. She hopped out of the truck afterwards to check the damage. The truck was face first in the ditch, of course, the tail end sticking out of the ditch and therefore making it impossible to drive it out herself. Unless it had some mad horsepower in reverse, she was stuck.
Clueless, she futilely tried to drive it out somehow, but going forward only spun the rear tires, and reverse had no effect. Slamming her fists on the wheel, she sat back, and at the angle, was kind of hard. Grumbling and cursing, she grabbed her duffel bag and stood by the side of the road. Maybe someone might notice and come by to help. However, she'd be easy prey for any mutant, and as if on cue, she heard a howl in the distance. She was one to take risks, but when it came to the beasts of today, there was no room for horsing around.