The Meteor [Open/Accepting]

[Dark Xaero]

[Jack : Steel Town : Generator tunnels]

Sparsely lit corridors of concrete greeted Jack as he followed behind the Sheriff and his deputies, absently examining the scenery while every so often taking a moment to inspect the firearm he currently held in the loose grip of his right hand. The corridors, didn't have much, besides the odd turn off in another direction along with bits of chipped debris that lined the areas where the floor met a wall, the only thing of value that contained any sort of interest to the eye rested in the ceiling. Pipes and wires of varying sizes sat securely clamped above Jack's head, while small caged light bulbs sat embedded nearest the ceiling to the wall. The entire visage reminded him of some sort of underground bunker.

Taking a moment to pull back his makeshift hood, Jack ran a hand through his vibrant green hair before letting out a small yawn. According to the information scattered around his optic peripherals he needed rest, but contained enough charge to last at least three more hours, more then enough time to finish up business for the sheriff. Ava would likely not mind having to wait just a little longer.

Detecting an abrupt nudge against his shoulder, Jack looked to his left and was greet with the gaze of the only woman in the group, Jamie.

“So, your quite the looker, is Sera your girlfriend or something?” She asked nonchalantly as they walked.

Jack almost tripped over his feet, not only causing him to briefly fumble with his gun but also shed a light blush and get a glance from Ryan who was ahead. “What? Were friends, nothing more, and for what its worth I'd appreciate it if you'd not ask such questions.”

Jamie smiled wide. “Well, if that's the case, do you want me to be?”

Looking to her with wide eyes Jack attempted to give a reply but before he could respond a hand pressed firmly against his chest, the action pushing his back to the wall while Jamie, who now held a more sultry look about her, took a moment to block off some possible means of escape, stationing a hand on either side of him.

“Jamie, stop.” Jack whispered briskly as his blush deepened, desperately looking to the others a little further down the way who were all seemingly ignorant of the situation.

Jamie, leaned in close, her breath now evident against his skin. “You say stop, but your body betrays you.”

Jack's mechanized core increased its beating rhythm in response to the woman's proximity as Jamie's lips inched closer, and closer, and closer. Slowly, Jack noticed his eye lids fall until they shut completely a small sigh leaving him as he resigned to this encounter.

But it never came.

Bursting into a fit of uncontrollable laughter Jack shot open his eyes as Jamie, who now rested against the wall opposite of him, lost herself in tears of joy, chuckling so hard she was cradling herself.

“You... you should have seen the look on your face! So gullible! Typical man!” Jamie cried as she continued her fit of giggles.

Jack, just stared at the frizzy haired woman, a look of utter confusion plastered over his face. It was a prank? Gathering his bearings quickly he steeled himself and turned to catch up with the rest of the team, leaving the woman to regain her own composure.

Ryan stopped and looked over his shoulder. “Don't let it get to you kid, Jamie may pull things like that but that's just the way she is, the better person is the one who doesn't hold it against her.”

“Don't sprinkle it to the new guy Ryan,”

Looking past the noose wearing man Jack spotted Bryan who had also stopped to see what was happening.

The young man stared at the woman with a fierce gaze. “Jamie is just a freak through and through, no more no less.”  

[Dark Xaero]

[Zurai : Splinterburg]

A small breeze rippled the edges of Zurai's sleeveless coat, the long extended bits of its high collar swaying like two antennae probing for possible threats. Giving a more haunting appearance to his image. Glancing to his left the young woman, who was anything but, jogged leisurely up to his side, a look of question apparent on her features. Judging by Zurai's own account, they had been travelling for about half an hour and were only halfway to his intended destination on the map. Ignoring her possible concern Zurai used his peripheral sensors to sweep the area for any signs life, briefly highlighting bits and pieces of organic material peeking out throughout the debris levelled structures ahead. None were functioning, but most were heavily mutated and judging by the plasma burns and odd colored blood that also littered the place, it was likely the work of his team.

Turning to his current companion he pointed to the scene. “That's the work of an MK-40, a deadly piece of equipment, looks like the mutants are getting more dense here. Stay close and keep an eye out.”

Taking point once more Zurai moved forward with a bit more caution to his step, lightly pushing aside a wing of his coat to place a hand on one of his holstered weapons, making it faster for him to draw should he need it. The sun, was now more higher in the horizon, allowing for a brighter greyish haze to blanket the world and for him to deactivate his on board night optics. With each stride the rubble beneath his foot gave way to a light crunch, the noise barely audible to those next to him. Unfortunately, with each step the mimic took behind, Zurai's audio receptors made it seem like she had fired a round into the air. He wanted to wince but refused to show it.

Coming up to a shattered street, the large husk of an old world vehicle with an attached trailer graced his view. According to the records he had inspected within the Citadel about recovered old world technology, this was a Semi, a type of vehicle regarded for its ability to haul various cargo. This model however was of more advanced make, with the trailer having a permanent connection to the engine and the wheels being replaced with smashed gravity lifters, making this thing suitable somewhat for the air.

A thought then occurred to him, beckoning for his companion to follow, Zurai, inched closer to the trailer moving along it to the back where, upon inspection, the cargo doors still sat securely shut. Which was much to his favor. Reaching up he checked the metal doors. They were locked. It was a minor set back but none the less he continued. Pulling out one of his guns he flicked a small dial on the side before holding it close to where the large security bolts connected to the other door. Then with a pull of the trigger a small continuous laser began cutting through the metal. Though he may have not used this functioning upon his weapons much, it still proved invaluable from time to time. Within a few seconds the two large doors creaked open, revealing treasure undiscovered for over a hundred years.

Zurai looked to the mimic as he climbed in, who stared with large eyes full of sparkling curiosity and wonder. “Well, I could tell you needed a weapon and this is pretty much the only thing left around here that can be scavenged so, take your pick. There’s nothing radical like guns or blades here, but you can still find something to use.”  

[Kallori]

It was like they had hit a jackpot of random things. No guns or blades? That was a little bullshit, especially since they had some more oomph when going against a mutant. Well, she couldn't say he didn't warn her.

Jumping into the trailer, she couldn't help but notice that some of the cargo it was carrying lay sprawled out like a child's room full of toys. It was a complete mess, but she liked messes; they gave a good way of identifying things more easily than rifling through a box or other container. What she could see were more odds and ends than anything, a bunch of equipment one might use to support some kind of technological device, like a monitor screen, though a recently ancient one. Nothing suited for combat so far.

Stepping into the mess, she made her way further back, where a couple of very large boxes could be seen. Perhaps they hid something else. She thrust a fist into one box, completely puncturing the side and from there ripped it the rest of the way so she could possibly grab whatever it contained. Instead, the objects it was holding attempted to bury her for her rash actions on the box, and if it wasn't for her speed, they would have. She scanned the newly spilled mess, and came upon a metal chain. It looked a little worn, but after digging it out and swinging it a bit, she saw some possibility out of it. She tossed the chain back in the direction of Zurai, making it the start of her small collection she would find in here.

It seemed that's all she was going to get out of this box, she might as well inspect the other. Punching another hole into it and tearing it open like last yielded yet another mess eager to greet her. It was a little dark, given it was slightly longer than the other box, but she would manage. Rifling past things she deemed as unfit to use in combat, she came across a curious item. Reaching down to dig it out, it looked like nothing more than a box with some kind of grooved metal that looked triangular in fashion and sharp enough to hurt wrapped around the edge of a long metal plate that rounded near the end. She had no idea what it was, though there was a button on the top, a handle tethered to it after testing it, and a cap she screwed off, though why she immediately thought to do that was beyond her. A faint stench greeted her nostrils, and she reeled back slightly, caught off guard.

She really had no clue what it did, and with all that was provided by her, a button and tethered handle, she quickly extrapolated the various combinations that might trigger how this thing worked. Eventually she was able to start it, and it roared to life, the metal teeth moving vociferously, though everything stopped shortly after. Was it low on power? She tried again, and got the same result. There had to be a way to fix this.

She wondered if that stench played into it, and why there had to be the significance of a cap to conceal it. Screwing it off again, she rotated the contraption so that the hole was facing the bottom. Steadily, a few drops of some kind of fluid came out, and splattered the bottom of the trailer near her feet. She knelt down to try and identify it. Taking a swipe with her finger, the stuff felt slick and oily. Analyzing it with her cybernetics, she came up with nothing. She looked to Zurai to see if he knew. She wasn't counting on him actually knowing, but didn't doubt him either.  

[Dark Xaero]

[Swiftnife : Old York : Broken Avenue]

This was just stupid, Swift knew it, but apparently his “friends” lacked that insight. Fighting for well over fifteen minutes, neither side seemed pressed to throw in the towel. But, that was not to say Swiftnife himself didn't managed to permanently execute a few of the five man posse. The only thing he actually regretted however as he inspected his most recent piece of handy work, was not hitting the big cheese himself, his attempts hampered by the short boy's friend with the bad breath.

But now it was different, as only the two in question remained.

“You wanna run short stuff?” Swift asked.

Neither of his opponents cared to reply, instead, the leader motioned for his friend to step into the ring. An area Swift himself refereed to as “the chopping block.”

The Senti greeted him with yet another of his trademark “smiles” before taking a moment to loosen up, audible sounds of bones popping evident as he rolled his neck.

Swift returned the gesture, popping a few knuckles before raising a hand absently and revealing his ability. In a matter of seconds the flesh of his forearm flared a burning red, then, the skin peeled away like charcoal in a fire, exposing the silhouette of an arm composed entirely of energy as though it were hot metal in a forge. The transformation made the short man flinch, his friend however seemed mildly impressed.

Swiftnife knew his ability well, he had spent many long years learning to control it and because of that he was consider among those who mattered to be one of the most dangerous individuals to date. The nickname “Red Devil” came from the way his skin looked before peeling. Observing his opponent he splayed the fingers of his burning hand, turning it into a clawed appendage before drawing back, ready. He didn't need to show them this much, in fact, he never even needed to use it, but he wanted to. Use it, or you lose it, was his philosophy after all.

“So, what do they call you buddy?” Swift asked, flexing the fingers of his burning hand.

“Deca-”

Swift made for the man's throat. He missed. The Senti inhaled. With a hard stop Swift forced his momentum back, avoiding the acid cloud in a leap. A close call.

The man lunged. Swift rolled. Acidic air devouring a nearby post.

Bad move. Swift closed the gap. The senti turned. A cry of surprise leaving him as he stumbled out of reach.

The man exhaled. Swift leapt with a curse. Using his momentum to clear the distance.

Exposed, the senti scrambled to his feet. Swift swung. A scream echoed in the empty street.

It was over. Looking to his opponent Swiftnife watched with little care as his newest victim clawed at his detached lower half, a panic over taking the man's cocky demeanor. Casually, Swift looked to his hand, displaying a mock interest upon his features while it's vibrant glow dimmed. Then, In a matter of seconds the limb was once again flesh.

Directing his attention to now the only foe still standing, Swift let out a yawn. “Got any other big bad bastards to send my way?”

The man took a step back shaking his head wildly until finally, he retreated, screaming down the street.  

[Kallori]

The wind whipped through Zach's hair as he sped towards Hanover on his hoverbike. Every kilometer felt like a mile, mostly because he was worried about Theo in particular, and he quickly shook his head. The lives of many come first, he always told himself. It was a mindset that tried to help him be more of a governing body.

Bounding over a pile of rubble, he caught some great air, as well as a good view of Hanover, though it was still distant. He saw the carcass of one Goliath, he could only assume the others were hiding behind large buildings they hadn't leveled yet.

Suddenly though, as if from nowhere, parts of the road he was traversing started to blow themselves up! Was it rigged with mines? No time to think though! In a swift maneuver, he evaded the explosions until one blew up right beneath him, sending him off his bike. He flew through the air at speeds high enough they'd cause some serious road rashes upon impact with the ground. When he did land, he bounced a bit, tumbling over and over before skidding to a stop. What the hell just happened? There wasn't supposed to be any mines in the area. Seeing it now, it would be a good strategy against mutant invasions, but there was always the danger that someone would forget they were there and blow themselves up.

"Nngh..." he grunted as he slowly came to a standing position. "Well, at least I'm not dead."

"Not yet, you aren't!" a voice sounded from...somewhere. But Zach saw no one as he glanced around.

"Show yourself." Zach spoke the order very calmly. He didn't want to antagonize this person.

Suddenly the person showed themselves, by popping into existence for all of about 3 seconds before disappearing and reappearing elsewhere. "I was wondering when I would run into the Silver Sword. But try as you might, you're nothing against the Black Hammer!" One look at this person's attire instantly showed a black, hooded robe, though one sleeve was torn off partway below the shoulder to reveal a heavily-tattooed arm.

"The Sil-what?" What did this person mean, the Silver Sword? Zach had never heard that term before in his life, especially when it was referring to a person. "Who are you?"

"I told you, I'm the Black Hammer. Get it through your thick skull!"

That didn't answer Zach's question. "Alright, what's the meaning of this? Did you set those mines?"

"Setting mines? Ha! I wouldn't do something like that. The Black Hammer paused, and Zach got a good look of his face underneath his hood. His face was, for the most part, white, so he was American or Canadian, or some other similar culture. His eyes were dark, perhaps brown or grey, but it was hard to tell with the shade from his hood. His hair was raven black, and looked mildly short. How about creating artificial explosions through the power of a Senti? Yes, that sounds more my speed."

Zach took a moment to digest the information. So this Black Hammer deliberately ran him off the road while he was trying to get to Hanover? But why, the two obviously never met before, though this person does seem to want to prevent Zach from reaching his destination while it was currently under attack from mutants. "What do you want? Why me?"

"I WANT EVERYTHING WITH YOU!" The Black Hammer rushed Zach, coming within inches from his face before disappearing again. "You are the one responsible for ruining my life, and I want you dead so I can reclaim what is rightfully mine!" His voice seemed to come from everywhere before he popped back into view again. He reached into a pocket on his robe and withdrew a curious instrument. "Like it? This here is the beginning of your end." he put it to his mouth and blew on it, the sound greatly resembling that of a Goliath's call. Zach had to cover his ears from the deafening noise. "Ta-ta!"

Zach looked up and saw one of the Goliath brutes from Hanover look up and over to where the noise had come from as it started to lumber over. Turning around, Zach spotted another come from seemingly nowhere, giving a bellow in response to the call from the Black Hammer's instrument. Another blow on the strange instrument, which only verified Zach's immediate disposition before he heard a few choice words from the Black Hammer.

"Now I'll leave you to these guys, and let's see if you can survive as well as I did." and with that, the Black Hammer disappeared, leaving Zach and the two mutants closing in to tango with each other.  

[Kallori]

Zach had somehow found himself caught up in a feud with someone whom he had never met before, and apparently had some influence over these Goliaths that now stood over him with a strange instrument. But the more pressing matter would be how Zach was going to get out of it. He dealt with situations like these all the time, but that was mostly deliberation over a counter to his peers, (if he could call them that) not he himself. But as it seemed, he was the one in trouble. He just had to figure out how to get out.

Muscling whatever brain power he had, he tried to formulate a strategy, only to immediately be picked up by one of the Goliaths in a huge, sweaty, muscular palm. It sniffed him, probably to see how good he'd taste, when the other Goliath tried to take him away from the one currently holding him. "Great, a tug of war with me as the rope. he gave out a long sigh, but knew this was a good advantage. With the two Goliaths trying to fight each other in a rather primitive fashion, Zach took the opportunity to try and invade the mind of the one holding him. No difficult feat really; the mutation had weakened any sort of brain power they would have had as humans to their most basic instincts and functions, and within seconds, he had achieved his goal of establishing a link with the Goliath. It set him on its shoulders, a motion he mentally commanded from it, before acting against the other mutant in a heated battle.

Eyes glowing white, Zach made several gestures with his arms, controlling his new puppet the way he wanted to, which was trying to beat the other to a pulp. It took a lot of power, from punching and strangling, to biting and breaking bone. The scene was both glorious and gory at the same time, the image of two mutants literally at each others throats was certainly a new one on anybody who was watching the scene unfold.

But hang on a second; didn't Madelaine give him a file that outlined this situation? Did he remember her saying that? No, he must've overlooked it with his "aid" from Nicole. Stupid, stupid... And looking at it now, this is probably what she was wanting to get across to him, with someone controlling the mutants. And he was certainly fulfilling that role at the moment.

He quickly disabled his connection with the Goliath, and hopped off, sliding down its large, torn-up leg from the fight prior. He had done something he had never suspected he would do in his life.

He fell in a trap.

His problem was coordinated mutants, possibly led by someone, who he now knew to be this Black Hammer character, and ultimately made him out to be the villain. Seeing that the Goliaths were both weakened, he quickly connected to each of their minds in turn, overloading each with brain pain until they died. But as he turned to get back on his bike, found the Black Hammer standing by it.

"Weellll, this turned out better than I imagined." he leaned against Zach's bike, a snarky grin on his face.

"What the hell do you want from me?" Zach yelled, driven to a state of fury for this person.

"I said before, I want everything from you. Your pain, your sorrow, your sanity, your job, those kinds of things. He seemed to be fiddling with something, and upon closer inspection, Zach saw he was rolling a Credit in his hand. "I already have your anger, as you can see." he gestured to the scene Zach had partaken in.

Zach closed his eyes, a deep rage welling inside. The Black Hammer merely laughed at this. "If you're trying to infiltrate my mind, it won't work. I've got a chip that prevents your protocol from overriding mine. He stopped resting on the bike, flipping the Credit in the air before catching it in an open palm. "Have fun trying to tell this situation to your boss." and with a maniacal laugh, he vanished, leaving only his echo behind.

Sighing, Zach got on his bike and made for Hanover.  

[Dark Xaero]

[Jack : Steel Town : Generator tunnels]

The groups journey through the tunnels eventually brought them to another door. A gate. The difference in this entrance however was easily distinguishable thanks to its size and the way it operated. From what Jack could see, the door, took up most of if not the entire space of the tunnel they were in and opened thanks to a sliding mechanism evident by the visible gears connected to the wall on each adjacent side. One thing it did have in common with the first door they used to enter the tunnels though, was the fact it was metal and likely more dense.

Looking up, Sheriff Springs took a moment to wave a hand at what Jack could just make out to be a security camera, his view of the object highly obscured thanks to the shadows that shrouded it.

“Its us, open up.”

A few minutes of silence passed before the large gate opened, the gears receding the thick metal doors into slots embedded into the wall, allowing two new individuals to greet them. Both, were men clad in a pair of dirty grey jumpsuits and raised welder masks each armed with a patch worked weapon that, According to Jack's peripheral sensors, were designated the SPAS-12, a semi automatic shotgun which put Ryan's own, a sawed-off, to shame.

One of the two, an aged man with a white beard and panicked eyes, beckoned them in as he headed back. “About damn time you got your lazy a** here! Ted and Jim are running on fumes out there!”

The area beyond the gate led to a short hall which connected to a decently sized room. The place itself partially filled with stacks of boxes. Jack, noticing one of said boxes open, took a moment to snoop. Pulling back a flap of the cardboard container he found it full, to his surprise, of scrap metal. Confused, Jack carefully opened the next box, only to find it also filled with the same material.

“It's called scrap metal if that's what you wanna know.”

Jack flinched, glancing slightly to the right of him. It was Jamie. What kind of humiliating trick did she want to pull now? Feeling less then enticed to answer the woman's obvious curiosity, he stepped back from the boxes and swiftly strolled past her, giving barely a notice as she turned to looked at him with surprise.

Catching up with the others, Jack followed them through a steel door opposite of their entry which was abruptly titled “maintenance” pausing briefly to examine the space beyond that held some workbenches and an assortment of odd tools hanging about in a mess before a conversation up ahead caught his attention.

A cough escaped the panicked old man as he looked over to Springs while they travelled. “Sheriff, I know I'm right about those things growing in number every time they come here-”

“And I'm right in saying you've gotta lay off the hooch Bill.” Replied Springs with a sigh. “Its bad enough your the only engineer in town but the fact your also a drinker kinda makes it hard to believe you've kept the power running for so long. Hell, sometimes I wonder how your grandson ever put up with you.”

“You leave Blaze outta this, he's was a good boy, better then his damn parents anyway.” Snapped Bill.

The Sheriff nodded. “That he was, at any rate what I'm saying is this, the booze is getting to your head you old coot why don't you just give it a rest. Focus on teaching your ways to Nathan here so you can retire?”

Bill looked to the left of him at his “twin” before giving a sigh. “Nathan is more than ready Sam. But I won't quit. I can't.”  

[Kallori]

Sera was finishing up her steak, reaching to take another long sip of her shake as Ash had finished fiddling with her chowder and was now actually eating it when the waiter came back. He set the bill on the table, and with a hesitant sigh, asked, "Will that be all, ladies?"

Sera let out a small belch, satisfied with her meal before directing her attention to the boy. "Well I don't know about Ash, but I'm good!"

Ash gave a nod, her blush coming back as she struggled to maintain eye contact with the waiter. "Uh, yeah, that-that'll, I'm good." her fumbling to form words had made her blush even more, and her face was starting to adopt the hue of a beet. Though she wasn't alone, because when she actually did glance up at the waiter, saw he was blushing about as much as her. The moment was awkward, and not wanting to keep it going, she broke away, getting out of her seat. "Come on Smoke."

Sera, meanwhile, kept switching her gaze between both of them. One side of her wanted to prod Ash into actually engaging with the waiter, while another side wanted to let the situation stew. Ash could always come back and talk to him, she lived here, after all. "Right behind ya!" though she grabbed the bill and started to read. Her face started to twist with disgust. Fifteen bucks for her steak? It wasn't bad, but Ash's chowder was almost as much, and it had less in it. Sera's drink was about eight bucks. It was crazy! What kind of monopoly was this? "Uh, Ash, how much you got?" though when she looked up, Ash wasn't in the restaurant anymore. You owe me for this one, Ash. She dug into her pocket, withdrawing a thick leather wallet, then turned up to the waiter. "You take debit?"


Ash was sitting on a bench when Sera found her a while later. "What was that?

"It wouldn't work with us." Ash seemed caught up in her own world, seeming to ignore Sera.

Sera wanted to bring up the bill, but now wasn't the best time, it seemed. With a sigh, she joined Ash, almost flopping onto the bench. "From what I saw, it looked like you two were meant for each other. I couldn't imagine a happier couple!"

Ash shrugged her shoulders before letting her arms rest on her knees. "You've been away too long to understand."

"Understand what?"

Ash took a moment before responding. "He's...he's already got a girlfriend!" at this, she buried her face in her hands, though didn't cry. She was too strong for that.

"Ooohhh..." Sera had no idea what to say to that. She tried to think of something, but nothing came, and she let out a breath. "What's she like? "

"She's a b***h, is what she is." Ash's reply came so fast it startled Sera. "She's a complete control freak, and I have no idea why she took an interest in him, of all people, when she could've gotten any other guy in the whole world!"

This suggested to Sera that this girlfriend wasn't only smart enough to wrap the waiter around her finger, but had enough of a figure to make any boy lose their minds and act like lost puppies at the mere sight of her. But, this was all speculation, and perhaps a slight dose of an active imagination. "Still, he seemed interested in you. That's gotta count for something."

Ash seemed to calm down a bit, looking over to Sera, who had on her regular smile when it came to talk about boys. Ash gave a smile of her own. "How can I stay mad with you around?" she then got up, looking down the street in the direction she came from. "I think I'll do it. I'll ask him out. Wish me luck!"

"Wish granted!" Sera yelled after Ash as the girl with the brown curls ran back to the restaurant. But something Sera never noticed was that she was holding onto the bill, albeit crumpled into a ball. Though it wasn't the bill that got her attention, it was something written on it. As she unfolded the piece of paper, the writing became clearer, until it formed some kind of note.

You are Smoke and Ash? I couldn't help overhearing those names.
Anyway, I'd like to tell you that I know how you can find your other
members. Oh, it's the waiter, from the diner, here. I should probably
mention that. If you're interested, please come back to the diner.
I hope to see you again.

Underneath all that, though, was written 'HEXPLODE" in big, bold letters, along with "#1 Fan!" in a very small print next to the larger word. Sera was dumbfounded, to say the least. Their group had fans? Fans who apparently knew their group name, even better than Sera, apparently. "THAT'S IT! THAT'S THE NAME!" she shouted to the four winds, her words echoing off of the buildings. "Hey, wait up Ash!" though the sentence was meaningless, as Ash was no doubt already there.  

[Dark Xaero]

[Bludd : Oregon redoubt : Main gate]

A lone tumble weed casually made its journey across a decrepit road. A journey cut short by the boot of a man caked in dried blood. Pulling out a small canteen, Casdin Gallows, swatted away some flies before popping the cap and proceeding without thought in pressing the open container to his lips. Unfortunately to his surprise, only a drop of water fell free. Muttering a curse he inspected the tin container finding a large bullet hole.

“huh, guess pretty boy got the last laugh after all.”

Tossing the canteen to the road he took a moment to scan his current direction. a concrete wall could be seen a distance away, along with the peaks of a few structures over top, but the truly awe inspiring piece that loomed supreme as though it were reaching for the heavens itself was the one building which Casdin recognized with a reluctant smile. Standing tall in all its glory, the structure alone seemed out of place to the rest of the scene. For one, it looked to have been erected only yesterday. For another, it didn't contain that sense of hopelessness he had come to accept as part of the wasteland. No, much like the Citadel, which stood far higher then this one could ever hope to achieve, the building was a symbol of defiance, of safety.

Safety, known as the Oregon redoubt the only redoubt in the U.S.

Steeling himself Casdin began his trek to the front gates. Now, normally he would never set foot in such a place. Especially one with such a high C.E.C. Presence do to a shared history. But, he needed a drink, new clothes and new weapons. Plus, he had friends here, the only real problem which made him nervous however was he also had enemies here, he was the kinda guy who couldn't make one with out the other after all.

Nearing the main entrance Casdin could already hear the many vendors that had set up shop just beyond the gate. A redoubt like this one was usually chalk full of them as business was always booming and protection was always provided. Traders and travellers often browsed goods like fresh meat in these marketplaces, but the stuff of combat value, like guns and blades, needed a signed permit to display. Casdin never usually cared for stuff in a marketplace beyond food, since guns sold here mostly came at high prices and were almost always barely held together.

Passing through the marketplace casually Casdin could already feel the number of eyes that had abruptly focused their gaze on him and his attire, along with a number of hushed conversations. He took them all in stride however since being covered in blood was kinda a normal occurrence and he had a reputation to keep.

Reaching the gate, two large automated cannons abruptly activated and directed their target lasers to his chest while two uniformed men casually emerged from a door alongside the gate and approached.

“Name and reason for passage?” Asked one of them in a dull tone, a man with black feathered hair who was busy scanning a clipboard, pen at ready.

Casdin opened his mouth to reply but promptly shut it and raised his hands in surprise the moment the second guy gasped and pointed a shaky laser rifle in his direction.

“Its him Chad! The guy lieutenant Locke was telling us to keep an eye out for. It's Bludd!”
Before he could understand what was happening a small alarm raised and a number Foot mobiles rushed out to surround him. Casdin's thoughts directed to one culprit whom he might know with the last name locke, then it turned to the guy he had watch get snatched last by a few watchers.

“Laugh it up pretty boy, laugh it up.”
 

[Kallori]

Blue sparks ignited, thunderbolts erupting from their hands at their current target, who dodged every last one of them. A fireball was launched back, followed by several others, which all missed as the lightning attacker dodged. It seemed they were both evenly matched, despite their abilities. Flags blew in the stale breeze, torn and massacred from natural causes and the current battle, their maroon and mustard colorings blending into each other as the cloths took more wear and tear.

Another lightning bolt struck the ground seconds after Rory dodged, and if she hadn't she would've been fried and most likely dead. The attacker, who was Asian like the first guy she found, was in a similar getup as well. She still had no idea what their godawful logo was supposed to be, mainly because she couldn't get a good enough look without risking getting hit by a bolt. She let loose more fireballs, though her opponent dodged them. This was getting on her nerves. She needed to stop messing around and do something about this ******** style="color: steelblue">Come on Rory, think. He keeps dodging the flames... she took refuge behind one of the buildings in order to formulate a strategy. That's when her hand brushed up against her pistol. "Ah, leave it to Browning to finish a job!" Digging the firearm out, she rushed across the plaza (if it could be called that) and fired off several rounds, not particularly caring for ammo by now. One struck home, and the Asian collapsed.

"Oh yeah, that's what I'm ********' talkin' about!" she proclaimed, jumping in the air. though her little celebratory moment was over as she rushed for her wounded foe, hoping to get some answers out of them. She bounded up the ledge where he had stood, looking to his unconscious body. Perhaps he needed stimulating. Rory ignited one of her hands and held it near the man's foot. Sure enough, he sprung to life.

"Please! Have mercy!" he cried, shielding his face with his arms.

Rory noticed her bullet had struck the side of his abdomen, as it was a deep shade of red, not to mention his clothes were soaked of the seeping liquid. "Go to hell. But before I send you there, I want answers. And you better ******** tell me."

Alright, alright, anything you say!" Well, he was easier to understand than her past victims.

"First off, who do you work for?"

"What?" Did this guy think she was joking?

"Who do you ******** work for?!" her question was more forceful this time, as her patience had run out. She was running on fumes by this point. "Who's your boss?"

The Black-Black-" he swallowed, perhaps some bile, maybe his pride. Rory didn't know.

"The Black what?" she held her flaming hand close to the guys face.

"The-the Black Hammer!" the guy paused, waiting for the flame to burn him alive. But it didn't, at least not yet. But if that's all he gave, he knew by the look this crazy woman gave him that she'd burn him soon. "We don't know much about him, just that he had wads of money and was looking for a few men to aid his campaign. Myself and the others you murdered had recently come to this continent looking for jobs, so as soon as we heard, we took the opportunity. We had no idea what we were in for, and still don't!"

Rory had moved her hand away slightly, perhaps to give this guy some air. "This guy never mentioned why he needed you?

The Asian shook his head. "Nope."

Rory sat back for a second, pondering the new details. Who was this Black Hammer? What did he need a group of people for? If they had gone to such lengths as to decorate a flag to represent their allegiance to this man, who was apparently very wealthy, was he plotting to overthrow someone? Maybe someone he really hated? It wasn't enough, and she doubted this bleeding man would give her anything else. But for the sake of it, she figured to prod him further. "Do you know anything else, what he looks like, his voice, ethnicity, age? Any sort of detail that might help me?"

"Well, he wears a robe with a hood...he's around your age and height, but that's all I know, I swear!"

Rory stood up, giving a sigh. "If that's all you know, then I have no other use for you." She raised her hand, still burning blue, and aimed it at the man.

"Wait, wait! He did mention something about a person named 'The Shroud'!"

Rory cut off her flame at that remark. "Say what?"

I don't know what he meant, that's all I heard! Just a mention of the name!"

Rory looked at the man for a long time, who was panicking in his seat on the cold ground, sweat dripping from his face. He was a spineless coward once he was forced into a corner. Rory scoffed at him. "Grow a pair." she then pulled out her gun and listening to the man's last cries, shot him in the head. All threats eliminated, it was time to report in and collect her money for the job. She dug out the same device as before, and put it to her ear. "Rory. Yeah, I killed them all. I'm gonna come back, and my dough better be waiting for me with a bow on top. Of course I trust you, you're my boss. I've just had a hard day and I'd like my payment." she paused for a moment, listening to the person on the other end as she made her way to her bike. "Speaking of which, what do you know about a 'Black Hammer'?"

[Dark Xaero]

[Zurai : Splinterburg]

A chainsaw? Well it certainly wasn't something Zurai had expected the mimic to find while scavenging through the assorted junk, but, besides not having any left over fuel except the small amount she had accidentally tossed, it was an excellent pull. He himself had only hoped she would retrieve a decent blunt instrument like a baseball bat or a two by four, something good enough to take on young at least, but a chainsaw went beyond his expectations. Looking to the large chain he now held in his hands a small idea quickly took shape.

“Here, let me examine that device for a minute.”

Taking the item and setting it to the metal floor Zurai retrieved one of his pistols before getting to a knee. Then, turning the dial on the side. Brought a link at the end of the chain to the muzzle. Slowly, he focused the beam cutting the link in two, catching the part still connected to the rest of the chain as the separated half fell free. Now came the tricky part.

Looking to the mimic he made a quick assessment of her strength before motioning for her to come closer. “What you have here on the floor is a chainsaw, a device that usually performs large cuts upon objects mainly made of wood. Right now though I need you to hold it so the handle on the back instead of the one on the top is directed to me alright?”

Dropping to her knees near him the girl cocked her head to one side briefly before giving a smile and nodding in the affirmative, she then carefully picked up the object and turned it as he instructed. Giving a simple thumbs up Zurai went back to work. Using the beam of his gun he reheated the broken chain link before carefully pulling the chain around the handle then securing it to another link.

He then looked to the mimic. “Okay, now slowly set the chainsaw down.”

Following her lead Zurai maintained the connection, setting the hot metal to cool on the ground, then backing away. “Now we just have to wait for the metal to cool.”

He didn't really understand why he did it, since his mission was the current priority. But, she did need a weapon and his entourage, according to their beacons, were already assisting the men and women of the 22nd defence regiment. Speaking of which, why didn't they as of yet report? Hopping out of the trailer he activated his comlink.

“Unit 61, do you read?”

After a moment of static a deep monotoned voice patched through. “Unit 61 reporting. I apologize for not patching in sooner commander, but we have successfully reached our objective and are currently engaged with the enemy.”

“Good work. Casualty rate?” Zurai asked.

“High, of the five hundred in the regiment only a quarter remain. The 10th and 15th are also in the red.”

The tenth and fifteenth also in the red. That was bad, according to the reports he had perused before arriving they were holding better then the 22nd what happened? Glancing to the mimic who was keeping herself busy by watching the metal cool Zurai took a moment to look back at the destruction around them. Besides the bits of dead mutant from earlier there was no movement, nothing except... a hairless dog with weird colored patches of skin gnawing on the remains of a hand.

Zurai tensed. “A rothound.”

“Commander I do not copy, can you repeat?”

Zurai brought his voice down to a whisper. “61, maintain mission perimeters, over and out.”

Shutting off his communicator Zurai carefully produced both his pistols, backing against the open cargo compartment while two more of the hounds scurried into view, sniffing the meal one of their pack had found.

Carefully setting the dial on each gun back to its original place Zurai set one of his weapons on the floor of the trailer before glancing briefly to the girl to she if she had noticed anything. She didn't and the metal was still cooling. So, having given her a weapon he slowly moved to one of the open cargo doors watching as seventeen more rothounds trotted into view bringing the grand total up to twenty but he knew there was likely more.

He had to be fast with this as it was only a matter of one noticing him before the pack would rain hell and though the mimic was quick Zurai knew he would be the liability. Counting to three he steeled himself then, pushing into a sprint he pulled the first door closed using the light momentum he gained from the start to travel far enough to pull shut the second spotting a brief confused glimpse of the mimic as the howls of the pack echoed off behind.

“Stay inside until the snarling stops!”

Having made his peace and with both doors now shut but not locked, Zurai bolted off down the road the old semi was likely at one time travelling, disappearing around a corner as dozens upon dozens of snarling dogs trailed on after, the odd one catching a bolt of energy from his magnum.  

[Kallori]

She was a little shocked when Zurai had suddenly closed the doors on her. Was there danger ahead? Her question was only confirmed when she heard a blast, most likely from the Andro's gun followed by several barks. Dogs? She didn't know many canines that roamed the wastes, aside from the Rothounds. That had to be it.

She looked down and noticed he had left one of his guns behind. Did he think she would need it? Perhaps, but seeing as how he got more use out of them than she did, she simply slipped the pistol into her pocket. Looking to the chainsaw, with the chain now welded around the handle, it still had some time to cool. Plus she also needed some fuel for it, so she figured she might as well look for that in the meantime.

Diving back into the large mess she created, she picked up various objects, some she tossed to the other end of the trailer just to get them out of her way. Her search for any kind of container that would likely hold fuel seemed farfetched, though since she found an item that requires fuel, it would make some kind of sense for said fuel to be in with it. Rifling through the larger crate of the two, she saw many items, but nothing so far. Stepping inside, she switched peripherals so that she'd be able to locate the container easier. Found ya! she reached for a large red jug, rectangular in shape, with a similar screw-cap to the one on the chainsaw. Opening it up, she took a whiff before reeling back. Yup, definitely fuel!

Scurrying back to the chainsaw, she started filling the weapon, though occasionally glanced to the chain to see if it had cooled yet. It had lost it's slight red hue where it was cut from Zurai's gun, though was still a bit warm to the touch. That would cool off in a moment. She noticed the chainsaw was overflowing now, so she withdrew the large jug. Standing up, she scratched her chin. Would it keep going if she fired it up, then let her finger off the button? Or did the button need to be held the entire time it was in use? Benching on the latter, she looked for something to keep it held down, and her eyes came across a roll of grey tape. Perfect!


She burst out of the trailer, chainsaw resting on her back with the chain wrapped over her shoulder. It was quite long, and she was thankful for that. It meant more distance in chewing up her enemies. The grey tape was fastened over the button, keeping it locked in a position where the machine would run, thus freeing up one of her hands. The roll of tape was now acting as a bracelet, so she could easily kill the motor and save fuel until the next time she needed her now deadly weapon.

Trying to pinpoint the last of the snarls from the beasts, they came from down the road. That was most likely where Zurai had led them. She just needed to catch up.

Her legs, though moving at speeds that would likely crush a human's from sheer force against it, pumped harder than ever as she raced to catch up with Zurai. The barking got louder, so that was good. She'd be on them in seconds, so she retrieved the chainsaw from her back and, pulling the tethered handle, fired it up. Her hands then moved to the chain as it started to loosely fall off her body. Her first target came into view. This Rothound looked like it had suffered some kind of blow to the leg, as it was limping. But she showed no mercy to the canine, swinging the chainsaw around fast enough and at such an angle that the dog's body was soon split in half, starting from the tail, blood flying everywhere. Huh. It worked better than she expected!

She caught up with the rest of the pack and spotted Zurai at the forefront. It didn't look like he had the situation under control as he fired off blasts that didn't even seem to slow down his foes. She smirked. Easy pickings. Opening her mouth, she let out a very shrill sound, like that of a whistle, and all the dogs seemed to stop dead in their tracks from the deafening noise. They had no time to react as she came barreling in, tearing up Rothounds left and right, throwing them around with the sheer force her flailing chainsaw held.

It was almost like a dance to her, as she switched up her movements every so often, the chainsaw tearing through the dogs like a warm knife through butter. She'd spin around, jump high in the air, or turn into a buzzsaw. It was a beautiful sight, with such speed and grace from the Mimic, dancing around like it was second nature to her, all the while blood and guts from the canines erupted in a brilliant display, almost like fireworks as they rushed in to try and bring her down, only to meet a grisly death. Taking a moment to pause, she spotted Zurai, standing some distance away. She wasn't even sure he had fired anything, but regardless, she reached for the pistol he left her and flung it back at him in a high arc. She wouldn't be needing it anytime soon.  

[Dark Xaero]

[Bludd : Oregon redoubt : interrogation]

Interrogation, not the most foreboding of places to be put, but at least he had a change of clothes. Awaiting for someone to pay him a visit to the small and evidently clean room where he currently sat at a table which was also spotless. Casdin, idly busied himself with examining the cuffs he wore. They were simple in design likely based off of old world tech and after a few moments of tinkering with a small pin he had managed to smuggle, he triumphantly stared at both his free wrists.

A victory which was short lived as a person entered the room.

A woman, with dyed dark red hair, fair skin and hazel eyes took a moment to give a flat stare at Casdin's latest achievement. “Never one to be tied down huh Gallows?”

Casdin smiled meekly while he assessed his company. Besides being fairly attractive in the U.S. Officer uniform of the C.E.C. which only consisted of a currently unzipped waist length blue and white coat with a trim of red, paired amongst her casual ensemble of a sleeveless black shirt and combat trousers. The woman, whom he immediately recognized as Tanya Locke, seemed rather pleased with seeing him. Too pleased.

Letting out a small sigh Casdin looked to her with a more serious expression. “So, you got me.”

Taking a seat upon the only other vacant chair in the room, the woman set down a file next to her on the table before smiling sweetly. “That I did Caz.”

Casdin scratched his head. “Well, since I'm obviously not staring down a firing line, you have me here for another reason. Don't you Tee?”

Tee, it was a simple nickname he had given her. One that, to his understanding, she use to enjoy. Now, at the mere utterance, he quickly observed her smile fade and her expression become one of barely controlled anger, and Hurt. But, even though Casdin wanted to ask the reason, he already knew.

Opening the folder, Tanya pulled out a page full of information before tossing it his way. “Tell me if you've heard of a guy going by the alias of “The Sickness.”

Skimming the page Casdin ran a hand through his messy brown locks, if he had been warned that he was gonna be present before a woman he knew, he wished he had been allowed to shower first, as a faint smell of iron was still evident on the digits of his fingers.

Giving a sigh he looked up from the piece of paper. “Nope, can't say that I have Tee.”

The woman glared at him briefly. “Don't try to play this off Casdin, you know your still wanted for the murder of six Canadian Citadel Officers.”

That he was, but even good old Zach wasn't stupid enough to waste men on finding him, even if two of those officers were a part of the council member's own entourage. Leaning in Casdin gave a slightly pleading look. “It was two years ago Tanya, okay. Back then I was still stupid and money was easy for someone of my skills.”

Tanya formed her hands into tight fists. “One of them was my brother... Casdin.”  

[Dark Xaero]

[Bludd : Oregon reboubt : Interrogation]

There it was, the entire reason why she was now so hostile towards him. The reason, why their friendship could never be mended. This was just another piece to the pile that gave sense as to why he never entered C.E.C. Redoubts often. Looking to his clothing as a way to distract himself from further digging his own grave Casdin admired the simple fabric of the baggy long sleeved shirt and pants that had been provided in replacement of his blood caked clothing. Knowing well that all he owned had likely been incinerated.

Slamming her fists on the table Tanya rose to her feet and leaned forward, her eye's ablaze with fury. “So your not gonna say anything still. Not even try to apologize?!”

Casdin looked to her with a narrowed gazed. “There's no forgiveness for what I did Locke. I made the choice, I carry the burden. Or have you forgotten that fact about me?”

Tanya was shaking, Casdin could tell she wanted to hit him. It hurt, to see her like this, to see the small glisten of tears that were threatening to over flow. He was an idiot. She had loved him, probably still did, but he never acted on the little “hints” she left, and a woman could only wait for so long.

Calming himself, he looked over the page in front of him again. “So, is 'the sickness' in town?”

Tanya looked to him with a blank stare then she quickly regained herself, clearing her eyes and her throat before sitting back down. “Ya, at least according to rumors...”

Rumors huh? Well that was more then enough incentive to believe. If the sickness was in town that likely meant he was gathering information for himself or possibly for someone else. Passing the page to the woman Casdin leaned back on his chair crossing his arms deep in thought.

Two years ago he had been hired to kill six men, at the time, Casdin was currently employed in the Canadian branch of the C.E.C. Serving under its newest governor and council member. Zachary Hawkins. The two, during that time had never really met, since Casdin was always working on busted Footmobiles and Zachary was a council member still trying to get a firm hold on the ropes. Fortunately, on the day they did meet, Casdin had left quite an impression.

Zachary, was a Senti who specialized in mental based abilities. He was a mind sculptor of sorts and could tangle with the best of them. But Casdin was a Senti Shadow who had quite a number of heads already under his belt, plenty of them with similar abilities. They had fought just after Casdin had eliminated his targets and though it seemed that Zach had the upper hand, the man didn't account for one device Casdin had managed to deposit in his coat pocket. A Senti Blocker. It was a prototype at the time but it still got the job done. The small little hand held gadget let out a signal that all but shattered the Senti's mind with its proximity and in the after math, though Casdin could have killed him. He showed mercy vanishing without a trace.

“So, you want me to find him?” Casdin asked.

Tanya deposited the a page she was scanning and tidied up the folder. “Either find him or learn more about him, too many people know our faces here to successfully pull off an undercover op, but your an outsider.”

“Which means, I'm expendable.” Casdin replied, his words dripping with sarcasm.

A ghost of a smile graced Tanya's lips. “Its either this or the firing line.”

Casdin leaned forward, a large smile on his face. “Well when do I start?”  

[Dark Xaero]

[ Jack : Steel Town : Generator tunnels]

Jack followed in stride with the deputies and engineers as they finally reached a second gate. It was similar in make to the first, only with faint sounds of what appeared to be gunfire emanating on the other side. Looking to the pistol in his hands yet again he absently rubbed a thumb over a bit of the handle which was tightly wrapped in black tape. Noting, that the pistol was rather worn with bits of rust evident on its trigger guard.

The Sheriff was quiet along with everyone present, obviously thanks to the sounds of battle just beyond the door. Jamie, was different now too, with her attention strictly focused on the gate ahead instead of constantly trying to steal a peek at Jack when she thought he wasn't paying attention. He knew when she stared, but just preferred to ignore it.

The Sheriff looked to Bill. “The moment were through close the gate. You got it?”

Bill nodded while walking over to a command console on the right side of the exit, his apprentice joining him. “Just worry about yourself Sam. Those beasts don't care much for wires and metal. But they love fresh meat.”

The Sheriff barked a laugh with no amusement present. “It'll take more then a few critters to pull down this Ox.”

Tapping a few keys on the console the large metal doors quickly followed their tracks, receding into the wall on either side allowing the sounds of gunfire to amplify and revealing the ones shooting. Peeking past everyone ahead Jack spotted a pair of automated turrets stationed behind two piles of sandbags, diligently holding their post against a number of creatures whose bodies now littered the wide corridor. With a few more laser shots a final creature who desperately scurried away on its spiked legs collapsed with a gargle in the distance.

“Move out!” Barked the Sheriff.

At his command everyone filed briskly out into the corridor weapons at the ready. Jack, griping his borrowed pistol tightly, took a moment to pull up his hood. A habit he often did when realizing it was down though he never understood the need for it here. Once he passed through the threshold, the gate, immediately sprang back to life, sealing abruptly behind without a further thought. This was it, game on. Adjusting the belt that wrapped over his left shoulder and around either side of his torso, Jack absently touched the pouch hanging from the backside of his waist belt remembering the two grenades. He really needed to get rid of them.