The Meteor [Open/Accepting]

[Dark Xaero]

[Zurai : Splinterburg]

Things worked out better then even Zurai could have predicted. Catching his second magnum while more hounds emerged from the many nooks and crannies that surrounded them, he quickly set to work. Twirling each gun on a finger with expert precision he sidestepped, danced and dodged his way through the crowd stopping dead every few feet to meet muzzle for lunging muzzle as though the entire fight was choreographed. One head, two heads, three heads, more. He was untouchable.

Stealing quick glances of the Mimic whom had saved his hide technically, Zurai quickly took records on her combat proficiency while she moved in her own sequence of rhythmic steps, matching him. She was elegant, utilizing the weapon he had help develop for her with a skill that made it appear as though she had known no other. As the chain slithered around her lithe body, the chainsaw ripped apart her foes in such a way one might mistakenly think of it as being alive.

Proximity alarm blaring, Zurai fell low to a knee, meeting a hound above whom thought to get the drop on him from behind with a round to its exposed gut. The blast, tore through and severed it's spine causing the creature to yelp before tumbling along the ground, dead. Wasting not a second he rolled to his feet once more resuming his kata. Rothounds, were at one point dogs, but constant exposure to the elements had evolved them into vicious pack animals that cared little for mercy and more for survival. They were also cannibalistic, often devouring the weak and sick or the alpha of their group who had lost to a new leader. Normally, a pack consisted of three to seven hounds but this was never set in stone as Alpha's constantly looked to expand their influence, fighting to the death with other packs and bolstering their own ranks with the losers.

This group was one of the biggest Zurai had ever encountered. With a bolstering force of up to forty hounds visible, he wondered when the big bad Alpha himself would show its ugly mug. Judging by the size of the pack he expected it to be a Prime which was way larger by a normal hound standards and way older.

Severing another assailant in half with his bayonets, he quickly bounded off a jutting wall nearby, catching his foot on a tall bit of concrete then diving into the shattered window of a floor above the girl, narrowly avoiding the flailing chainsaw. It wasn't that Zurai was running once again, no, in fact it was the opposite, he was acting as a lure to divide current forces. This way, cleaning up would be easier and less time consuming. Peeking out the window he could see the number of current foes the mimic had to deal with dropped significantly which meant they were already sniffing out a way to him. He needed to move.

Spotting a staircase amongst a large pile of debris Zurai quickly put another floor between him and his pursuers looking for an idle space to face them as he did so. However, he could already make out a number of snarls and barks closing the distance. He had to hand it to these animals, they were punctual. Reaching a door hanging ajar he glanced inside to see it lead to a hall lined with doors and a decaying carpet which travelled the floor and abruptly cut off amongst yet another pile of rubble. Seeing the numbers that lined the doors, this place likely use to be a hotel.

Climbing the two more set of stairs Zurai met his stop at the fourth floor, thanks to the set after, having crumbled into non existence. “Its like every ruin is a maze and I'm just the mouse.”

Entering into the only door here, he staggered to a halt before snatching an odd looking chair close by, closing the door behind and bracing the seat against its handle. It would hold, for a few minutes at least. cleaning his hands of dust Zurai casually jogged down the hall he had entered, following the carpet here around a bend before face palming at his luck. Past the corner sat another collapsed area but his hopes were not entirely bashed. Spotting a clean threshold just off to the left of the wreckage he rushed up to it. The room beyond was piled in the debris of the collapsed floor above it, Fortunately, this mound was just high enough that he could just use it like a ramp to reach the next area.

His plan, was to reach the rooftop. There, he could have a good way of escape if he was close to being overwhelmed. Scrambling up to the next floor a loud haunting howl sounded, shaking the entire room. Zurai, reluctantly looked back to the open threshold as the noise of his barricade being torn asunder graced his audio receptors. The Alpha had arrived, now he had to double time it.  

[Dark Xaero]

[Zurai : Splinterburg]

Reaching the top he quickly weaved through the next threshold, down a hall and around another bend until finally he spotted a sign at one end marked 'Roof Access.' with an arrow pointing to its right. Refusing to lose momentum Zurai dashed to it but the sound of a person in tears brought his advance to a hard stop near a door half way.

Checking the entrance he realized it was locked but that wouldn't stop the hounds especially the Alpha who's howls were now getting closer. Needing to reach the roof but hesitant, Zurai took action, punching a fist through the wood of the entrance he ripped the door completely free of its already worn hinges receiving a cry of surprise from the individual inside. Pulling his arm out of its confinement he stepped into the room. The place was in shambles, with a young Man sitting on the floor at one end. His dirty face was streaked with fresh tears and as he looked to Zurai with frightened bloodshot eyes he slowly put a pistol to the side of his head.

In a blink Zurai put a round into the weapon with his volt magnum his coat briefly fluttering as the searing energy deteriorated the gun into scrap. Stunned, the man let his now free hand fall limp to the floor. Assessing some files Zurai realized this individual was a soldier belonging to the 22nd regiment due to his uniform. Why he was here trying to commit suicide though was likely due to either the loss of a friend or just the loss of his team. Still, questions would have to wait those hounds were not getting any friendlier.

Approaching the man who just stared in what Zurai could only assume was some sort of awe he carefully hauled him over his shoulder, hastily stepping out into the hall. What greeted him there however was not in anyway welcome. Now visible from down the way he came, a door-sized, heavily muscled rothound, flanked by a number of his regular sized troop, hurtled forward with a vengeance. Baring the jaw strength of two alligators and a hide thick enough to withstand small arms fire, the Prime Alpha was here. Swiftly moving to the roof access Zurai heard the beast let out a bark, prompting him to jumped up the stairwell, feeling the force of the resulting sound wave tear a large hole to the outside where the sign once was. It was a prime alright.

Hearing the faint utterance of some words come from the man he currently carried Zurai quickly lent an ear so to speak while he continued his trek up the last two set of stairs. “Can you repeat that?”

The man reluctantly raised his voice. “I said... m-my name is Kole, Kole Dashwood. My friends call me Kindle.”  

[Kallori]

The Rothounds had dwindled, for some reason, she noticed in between attacks from her swinging chainsaw. Were they almost beat? No, that wasn't right, as she noticed some more coming out of their hiding places. She had retracted her weapon to assess the situation better, and the Rothounds had stopped attacking, perhaps assessing the situation and trying to think up a strategy. But wait a second; where was Zurai? She was tempted to scan her surroundings, but doing so might leave her vulnerable to a sudden attack. She needed to think this through as well. The chainsaw was still roaring away as she held it. There were about twenty in front of her, spread in a circle around her, so she could just assume there were roughly as many behind her or out of her range of vision.

Deciding to continue, she tossed the chainsaw upwards, letting the chain fly with it. This in turn prompted the mutts to advance, all of them coming at once, barking their heads off. She grabbed onto the chain and yanked hard, the chainsaw slamming hard on the head of one of the dogs as she spun, taking out about a dozen more, spraying blood and leaving gashes from their heads, legs, or even digging into their sides. At one point in the battle, the chainsaw had impaled into a Rothound, which became part of her makeshift flail, and knocked down quite a bit of its pack members before it was eventually thrown off as she made a different move, now swinging it around like a nunchuk, though amazingly didn't scratch herself with it. They were dying, though not as fast as she'd like.

There were now about twenty-five left, though it was a rough estimate. She leapt out of the circle, then raced away some distance, pulling in her chainsaw so she could hold it in her hands. The dogs were slowly forming a line as they came at her, which is exactly what she wanted. Brandishing the chainsaw like a warrior, she held it out to the side before blasting off at high velocity. The resulting drive-by was a speedy severing of several Rothounds, from dismembering their legs from their body or cutting their body in half. As the remaining canines turned around, and she noticed some of the cut corpses were still at it, though the dogs with no legs had a harder time, she repeated the process.

Now that she had some kind of advantage, she would rush again, though this time, her hands slipped to the chain, and meters before impact with the mob, the chainsaw sliced its way through all of the remaining dogs, sometimes more than once, until they were all truly dead. Braking and looking back, the dogs were definitely dead, as the last of the standing corpses toppled, deprived of its remaining life energy. With a smirk she could finally look around for Zurai. Switching her optics to the grid-based peripheral, she looked around, though he wasn't seen on ground level. A higher elevation? Looking up to a nearby building, she saw a cluster of heat signatures chasing another heat signature and a polygonal figure. No doubt the polygon was Zurai. But the heat signature next to him was human. Had he found a survivor? That was nice. At least they managed to save someone. Or, they technically still needed saving, since the larger heat mass was inching closer. "I'm coming to help!"

She dove at the building, using a small pile of rubble as a ramp, letting her dash up the wall for a couple floors, though that wouldn't be enough to reach them. Tossing the chainsaw up like a grappling hook, it moved inward as it buried itself in a mound of rubble, creating a somewhat stable, though temporary, method of ascending. She wasted no time in climbing up the chain. At the top, she spotted Zurai, and gave a big smile to see him, though remembering what he said, kept her metaphorical mouth shut, since this human was apparently scared to death by presumably what was going on around them, and didn't want to frighten him further.

She patted Zurai's shoulder, letting him know he could flee with the human to safety while she took care of this particularly large Rothound accompanied by three smaller ones, presumably its pack members. She dove right into the action, twirling and gouging her new foes, the chainsaw digging hard into their bodies, particularly the larger one, so she figured it needed a bit more treatment than the others. Bring it on, I've got enough energy to kill all o' y'all!  

[Dark Xaero]

[Bludd : Oregon redoubt]

Putting his foot on a bench Casdin proceeded to securely tie the remaining boot of the ensemble he had been provided courtesy of his newest employer. Tanya locke. As much as Casdin found it more than a little ironic about how his subsequent capture had managed to turn out, it wasn't so bad. In exchange for a little snooping around he would be free of a death sentence by firing line which was a hell of a lot better then receiving it.

With his last boot now tied snug he set his foot back to the floor turning to the mirror the room had provided and standing at attention in a mock pose. He almost froze in place at the sight. The tactical pants, the utility belt, the long sleeve shirt. This, was a uniform, but something was missing...

The sound of fabric hitting the floor next to him drew his eye and the shock of what caused the sound almost made him stagger back. It was the last thing that completed the image. On the floor next to the bench in a messy pile sat a reddish leather jacket. Casdin was speechless, carefully, he retrieved the coat and further inspected it. Besides being obviously worn with age he still recognized the three white rings on either bicep of each sleeve. This jacket use to be his.

To him it was like taking a step back through time to see a younger more simpler version of himself. How had he not realized till now, the clothing Tanya had shoved into his arms was an exact copy of the battle dress he had worn during the Purist war, back when he had just earned his mastery as an engineer in the C.E.C. A war, where he had experienced his first taste of real combat. But how did she find this jacket? When the bloodshed had ended and both sides were left to lick their wounds and mourn their dead, Casdin had lost faith in both the world and in the cause he had fought for. This Jacket was the last memento that reminded him of those times. It had been there when he had lost many a friend, it had been there when he carved apart many a foe. It cradled him when he had shed too many tears.

Casdin felt his body weaken slightly while he stood there and stared into the red of the leather. He felt sick, old memories, terrible memories were coming back, clawing their way out of the void he had tossed them in. Just like this Jacket.

“How did it feel to end my life Gallows? To cut down a friend who had covered your a** on more then one occasion out there in the meat grinder.”

Casdin swallowed back some of his fear, preparing himself for what was coming. Slowly, he looked to his right. In an empty spot of the room near the only door, stood a man dressed in a similar uniform to his, yet, he was from the United states and his clothing was a tattered mess.

“You were out of control Lance, you broke, for ******** sakes you killed Shell the moment she tried to snap you out of it!”

Lance, looked to his hands briefly before tightening them into fists. “I was scared Caz, you of all people should have realized that!”

Casdin looked back to the coat, he did, as much as he didn't want to continue this endless cycle of a conversation, he couldn't deny that he was scared, always scared. He was only human. Even when facing that pretty boy and his hired goons he felt fear, the same kind of fear that a kid would feel when told about the true to life horrors that awaited him beyond the walls of a redoubt should he step foot. But Lance, he chose to fall apart. To let it win. Casdin didn't, nor would he ever.

Slipping the coat on he turned to the mirror, staring deep into bright amber eyes that now shined like burnished gold thanks to the reflecting light source in the room. His younger self. Slowly, that image changed, as a more menacing person now greeted him. Hard hollow eyes staring into Hard hollow eyes.

Casdin let out a heavy breath. “No Lance, I didn't.”

Then, his friend was gone.  

[Kallori]

They were nearing the belly of the beast. It had taken several man hours (and men) to get to where they were now going to stand. The bodies of many beasts and ravenous monsters littered the streets behind the remaining eleven members, from Rothounds to Goliaths. It was a bloody mess, but it was life, pitiful as it was right now.

A step further. Then another. It was torture, knowing it could come from any direction. God, what were they doing here in the first place?

"Alright men, on my mark, we advance." The captain said in a quiet tone, perhaps not to alert the beast to their location.

The eleven remaining members of their war-ridden forces had taken up shelter in an old rust-bucket of a factory that had presumably gone out when the global fires came. It was certainly not modern. The downside to this makeshift fort was that it was like everywhere else; unsafe from the beast they were so afraid of. But it was this fear that drove them further instead of pushing them away. They had seen battles worse than what this beast could cause, felt more pain than it could inflict.

Men strode across catwalks positioned high above, suspended by chains. It was miraculous they had not given way yet and broken, leaving the men without a good vantage point and also causing a lot of noise that might attract the beast. Others were on the ground floor, acting as the front-line defense as they waited. It would show it's ugly mug. Sooner or later, the beast would sense their presence and hone in for the kill.

Spotting what looked like an ordinary earthworm on one of the rails, one of the men leaned in closer to get a better look. It certainly didn't have any sort of face. But it was hard to tell that on a worm. It slunk along the rail, arching its body upwards to push itself forward. It would certainly be a bother to him now that he found it. Picking it up, he would toss it away, perhaps down to the lower levels where it would easily get trampled?
But suddenly, the worm reared up in his hand, bearing a large number of teeth in a gaping mouth not possible out of a simple worm and bit his hand. "Ouch!" he cried out silently, waving his hand in a feeble attempt to get the worm off his finger, but it stayed put. He pulled it off with his other hand, tossed it to the catwalk and promptly trampled it himself, grinding his boot to make sure it was dead. But as soon as he pulled his boot away, i gave a small cry before writhing around somewhat. He stomped it again, and this time, the worm stopped moving.

"Jackson, what the hell's going on up there?" the captain spoke, keeping his voice low enough so as not to attract the attention of their foe.

Before Jackson could get out a response, The whole factory shook, as if by an earthquake. The ground near the door cracked, revealing a protruding and broken mound of concrete. It came again, meters from the last crack. And then a third. And then...nothing. The captain raised his hand, motioning everybody to freeze. They waited for a few moments. It would come, sooner or later. Everybody took up their weapon. Men on the catwalks positioned their armaments over the railings, waiting for the creature to pop up and reveal itself.

It busted up behind the men serving as the front-line, hundreds of long, sharp blades extending out to rip up anything that came near, as it drove through the roof, sending large chunks of cement crashing down and raining over all the troops on the ground. With a ghastly roar, the serpentine beast came back through the roof, directly over the men on the ground, and with a gaping maw, swallowed them whole.

Including the captain.

From eleven to six, the remaining men tried vigilantly to destroy the colossal snake. But its protective shell and sharp blades shrugged off many of their attacks. Their ammo was running low, and soon they'd be out. And then eaten.

It came in from the side, atop the northern catwalk. The men their did their best to try and dispose of the creature, but they were gobbled up as well.

It would come for the south end soon. Jackson felt it. What have I done? I've doomed us. He began praying, his religious beliefs taking the reins. But no god would spare him. If there was a god, it wouldn't let them die this way. His final lamentations rung off of the dilapidated machinery as the creature eventually did come across his catwalk, saving him for last.  

[Dark Xaero]

[Jack : Steel Town : Generator tunnels]

It was dark now. After several minutes of working their way through this labyrinth of corridors, which Jack could only assume was not even entirely under Steel town anymore. The team's current source of visibility, the many lights that littered the walls, Abruptly halted. Now, with the help of some small thrown together contraptions, the Sheriff alongside Jamie illuminated the darkness of both their flank and their front with a flashlight of sorts that appeared more akin to a weird lantern held aloft by a handle on the side as though it were a cup.

Step by cautious step Jack reluctantly followed beside Jamie at the back of the troop over a few fresh bullet-riddled Spine walkers that had been hell bent on facing them alone. The infestation here was more pronounced then it had been back where Bill had let them in, with a small group of about three taking a lunge at them every few corners.

“They say that there are more places like this located all around the world,” Jamie murmured. “That small underground cities were made during the old times, as a way to compensate for the growing population.”

An entire city underground? While that was new, Jack had never even heard of such places but if it was true, that would explain the survival of the human population during the day the world set fire. Glancing to Jamie briefly Jack realized maybe he was over thinking his view of her, sure she had pulled a bad prank at his expense but right now they technically needed to depend on each other, maybe, he should let what she did to him go.

“Movement..”

Immediately Jack knelt and aimed his weapon in an unsure grip down the corridor that flanked the group, while Jamie focused her torch to illuminate the area. Everything was silent and tense as they listened. The noise, at first, was faint, but with every second it increased in decibel. It was the sound of metal rapidly striking concrete, scuttling steps. Jack, wished with every part of his being that he wouldn't be forced to fight. Till now he had scraped by with Jamie taking the kill shots while he just fired a random round off to make it appear as though he were helping, but that was before she held the torch. Now, out of pistol ammo, thanks to the number of walkers being a little more then they expected, Jack was forced to handle Jamie's assault rifle. Its sleek design and the fact that it's magazine was located behind the trigger and handle gave Jack enough information to deducted that the weapon was a bullpup though of what make he couldn't find reference in his data banks.

Gunfire erupted from behind as a few small animistic cries gave signal for Jack to lower his guard, he could relax, once again they had assaulted the front. With a small sigh of relief he got to his feet and turned to see the latest kill, only to freeze at the sound of more scuttling coming from behind him.

“Red Eyes!” Jamie cried.

In an instant Jack whirled his gun to greet the rushing foe but already it was lunging, mouth poised to bite and spines ready to impale, in a desperate move he leaped back slamming the trigger down, the muzzle spitting fire. The creature's head went to pieces in seconds, but there was more.

“Contact!” Jack cried hitting the ground hard, his finger never leaving the trigger.