{ SAHARA MISSION } Salvaging the Remains THE END P.27

[Bittiface]

HP: 40/50
DMG: 1
Julie HP: 38

Maybe if Otto took off his shades, he'd see why everyone was attacking. So he did, and what he saw may very well haunt his dreams for months.

s**t...

Otto winced and summoned Tenya again. "DUCK!" Otto reeled his weapon back and threw the giant boomerang with all his might toward Julie's form.

It barely nicked her.  

[lizbot]

ILU 5 EVR

Cell:

No Signal.
Your message has not been sent.

 

[demon_pachabel]

She had to move again. She was tired, but she needed to move and help put a stop to what was happening to Julie sooner, rather than later. It needed to end.

Cass took a deep breath as she picked up Nicodemus from his post as lean-against-and-rest weapon and walked forward to stab him into the husk of the moon hunter, her face serious. Undoubting.

This was what needed to happen.

This was how it all progressed.

Julie deserved to die as a hunter, not live as a monster.

HP: 17/50
Damage: 3
Julie's HP: 35  

[Kaiyumi]

Deryk's words had made sense--Julie weapon was still summoned--but even if she was alive, what could they do? If the bugs had buried into her and turned her into a human hive, they couldn't simply leave her like that. It was just as Harrison had said--even if they could somehow get rid of all the bugs, what good would it be she didn't have any organs to support her? If anything, it might have been the bugs that were still keeping her alive.

There was a lot of hesitation from the trainees. Some were sending texts out to their superiors, while others hung back and staring at their "opponent" uncertainly. A few--but only a small fraction--steeled themselves enough to move forward and land a hit on Julie.

Eva would have followed their lead had she not spotted a familiar face close by. Gale. And he wasn't looking too good, either. The panic that rose in her chest overpowered any sense of awkwardness that she may have felt, and she turned her attention away from Julie in favour of heading over towards the blond boy. Damnit! If she had managed to charge Chara sooner, then--

Dropping to her knees beside him, she noted with relief that someone had bandaged him earlier. That was good, at least. "Gale? Gale, are you okay?" You're not allowed to die on me, remember?

HP: 50/50
Damage: --
Julie's HP: 40
Charge: 1/3

Kuromeez

 

[Eight]

The whistle immediately had Candace packing up and ready to go, following Allan in silence until they were at the tent. It was quiet. Aside from the entering trainees it was silent, which was unnerving after how bustling it had been with hunters treating the injured like an old school M*A*S*H unit.

Except, you know, with more magic technology and s**t.

Right! Supplies. They had them. They would be handy for helping treat the injured who were simply sleeping and not dead, but a look to any nearby 'sleeping' hunters had Candace wondering if..there even were any hunters not dead in this tent. Though when Allan asked where Julie was Candace blinked and looked around, seeing no sign of the dangerously cheerful Moon Assistant anywhere. Not even any baked good remains. The last time she'd seen her had been when they were heading off to salvage supplies with Allan. She'd come back, right? "Maybe they're taking a break. Everything looks to have been handled in here so..." Candace shrugged, not seeing a reason to be too terribly concerned.

It was too quiet. Not even pained groans or coughs or snoring or...breathing.

The tent flap opened, and Julie was standing there.

...Wait.

No.

What?

Everything went wrong all at once. Swarms of insects from all directions, Julie herself seemed to be a hollowed out shell that they had made themselves at home in, and several trainees were losing their cool. Justin especially. What the hell? "Justin..?" She called out, making her way through the tent to where the boy was curled up on the ground. She shook his shoulder. No response. He was alive but...he wasn't responding. What the hell? "...Justin? Justin. Now is not the time for this. Justin, come on. Justin, we need you. You're a mighty Paladin, aren't you? Come on. We need you." Now was not the time to keel over and cry. What the hell was even his problem? While trying to get him back to his senses she had smacked away any insects that had tried to come closer, gasping when she saw Harrison collapsed. No! Harrison! Jerry and Rep had him but...damnit!

"Justin! Wake up!" She shook him harder now, making an attempt to force the boy to sit up. They needed everyone they could get. Now was not the ******** time. Of all the times they needed Justin to keep up with his MMO obsession! ******** buzzing stopped, or at least quieted. The fighting also stopped. Mostly. Candace looked up to find they were stuck with...Julie's corpse. They had a point. Her weapon was still summoned, but look at his it kept flickering in and out of existence.

There..there was no saving Julie. There really was no bringing her back. Jerry was right, he had died, but he had simply been burned. He wasn't hollowed out and filled with bugs.

You didn't like her anyway, didn't you? Atropos piped up in an effort to comfort Candace, but it didn't work. Candace let go of Justin with a dark frown, summoning her weapon to her feet. I liked her fine. She was just friggin' psycho. But she made a damn good cake, and every now and then she did have the trainees' best interest at heart....even if it didn't exactly go in that direction when she was involved in something.

"Guys, there's no way you can save a person who's been hollowed out. Let her die a hunter and not just some monster's puppet...think of it as a mercy.." Her voice wavered a moment as she said this, biting down on her lip. "I'm sorry, Julie.." Candace went at her then, spinning on her heel when she was close enough and striking across her middle with Atropos' bladed edge. She's so sorry, Julie. She's so sorry.

HP: 50/50
Damage done: 9
Julie's HP: 31

Zoobey

I FIGURE SINCE SHE'S TALKING TO JUSTIN WHY NOT IDK

 

[Ice Queen]

With shaking hands Syd lifted her crossbow, the tears drying on her cheeks. "That isn't Julie," she whispered. "Julie is--is--is with Jesus. Right?" The doubt was heartbreaking, but she continued, steadying her aim, her expression serious as she aimed for the... the NOT JULIE.

The arrow hit her in the neck. It was a very good shot for someone with tears in their eyes.

Syd's HP: 12/40
DMG: 3
Julie's HP: 27  

[LP]

((Correct HP for Julie at this point: 27. ((sorry despite seeing the issue I still failed))))

Aleister watched the others fight, he looked around hearing Syd he nodded, "Yeah." He answered watching to make sure nothing else showed up in the tent. "We need to end this fast... I-i don't want to stick a-around without a barrier.... and we need to f-find Allan and Simon....."

He hoped they were okay....  

[[ X_Bleeding Roses_X ]]

Michael was shaking.

He didn’t know what to do. Everyone was shouting, attack Julie – don’t attack Julie! It’s her- it’s not her! Let her rest – we can save her! What about her weapon!?!

Oh God this wasn’t right. It was so not not right. He’d joined to kill the monsters not- not-

Julie was Moon, Julie was human, Julie was nice and made happy cookies.

He…he couldn’t do it. He was a ******** coward for it but Michael could never raise his weapon against a fellow Hunter with true intent to kill them because he was Moon.

He let out a stuttering breath and raised Nuucha in his simplest defensive pose. That’s all he’d do. He’d defend if she attacked, if those things made her attack. But anything more?

No.  

[danse-hexe]

Don't let him die, the other girl said. Death was already far too close to all of them, every disgusting little insect was a threat that she squished vehemently. Wherever the sick, sick creatures were that did this, she would get to them eventually. Horsemen- just thinking about the word left a sour taste in her mouth, and a flare of rage; Reine clenched her fist until her knuckles were white, remembering the last mission.

There was no way she was going to let history repeat itself. Pursing her lips, Reine turned back to Justin, about to reach out to him again, to make sure he was really okay- that there wasn't a chance he'd been attacked by the bugs- when someone barged past Saya, knocking both of the girls out of the way. The only thing that stopped Reine attacking was the hunter jacket, as well as the vaguely familiar face- Candace, the girl who'd embarrassed herself during the hollow mission.

And here she was, shaking someone who was injured or sick, as if it helped. Reine almost growled, like a mother bear protective of its cub; only sheer strength of will stopped her from batting Candace away. The didn't need more injuries, as things were. Reine drew herself up, scowling, as if by standing over Candace she could intimidate the other girl into getting the ******** away, when she caught a glimpse of Julie again, out of the corner of her eye.

Don't let him die.

The Julie that stood there was not Julie any longer, a mere puppet, a fake. The real Julie she remembered having a brilliant smile, no matter what. They'd baked cookies together, and then decorated them. Each memory felt like a sharp stab to her heart, and she felt herself almost swaying, her knees weak, trying to connect her mental image of Julie with this thing in front of them.

Moreso than the sadness was the rage, almost past boiling point, at the insects that had desecrated Julie's body, that had eaten her from the inside out, that were making a mockery out of her. If there was some way she could just destroy them, all of them, and leave the rest of Julie intact, she would do that.

Never before this would she have thought of raising her weapon against the moon assistant, but this wasn't Julie; it merely looked like her. Wordlessly she reached down to ruffle Justin's hair again, then patted Saya softly on the head, before making her way closer to the front, where the other trainees were.

She summoned Alynthe, her hand trembling, as she fought to keep back the bile that rose at the back of her throat. The insects, the goddamned insects, it was all their fault. Reine raised the swordbreaker, still hesitating.

It was with her eyes shut that she brought the blade down in a half-hearted slash.

HP: 47/50
Damage: 1
Charge: 1/3 l Swift Strikes (11d4): 0/2
Julie HP: 26/50

zoobey

random artist

eight

 

[prolixity]

A mercy. Would Julie have understood what was happening to her? She might have; or she might simply have been confused and in pain. In either case, they couldn't leave her to be a shell, a puppet for the insects.

Jordan got his stomach and his nerves back under control and stood. He waited quietly until Reine had moved away, then stepped in and brought Ferros around at full force. He couldn't do anything to save Julie, but he could, at least, help her die.

HP: 17/50
Dmg: 10
Julie's HP: 16  

[Nio Love]

Robert watched the struggle in his fellow hunter's faces. They were torn between the morality of hitting another hunter, and the mercy of putting her out of her misery. Some of them looked downright distraught about the mere idea of hitting Julie.

Robert wasn't.

Jezebel was held up against him, as he moved in and struck, right around the middle. This wasn't a hunter anymore. Sure, she still had her weapon, but if that meant she was just barely alive, then it was their job to help her. He would have hoped they'd do the same for him, when the time came.

So the mirth was gone from his face, and a dark, cold echo of the man Robert usually was took his place as he sunk his weapon into the body of the little woman who'd brought a whole lot of happiness into this world.

HP: 40
Damage: 3

Julie's HP: 13  

[naggeela]

Tori just didn't know what to do once the swarm was gone and just Julie left just standing there. All she wanted to do now was just to lose herself in any and all books.



No I wouldn't, but....



I will try then. Tori replied while she focused on what must be done and charged at Julie, but just as she swiped Tori pulled back enough to have her swipe miss. She just couldn't do it. Tori was sorry Julie that she couldn't do it. Aklin just sighed at his Hunter and they were going to have a talk later much later on.

HP: 35/40
Damage: 0
Julie's HP: 13  

[revenant aria]

Owowowow, Saya had to somehow keep her balance, stop from dropping her weapon and smash the bugs all at once. Her wrist supported her fall, although the twinge of pain afterwards .. Who was this hunter this time? She glanced at Candace, jumping to Justin's aid.

"F-force may not be the best way," she tried to say as the girl shook Justin, her hand held out in an attempt to stop the girl's frustrated shaking. A gentle pressure, but firm, grip on Candance's wrist for a brief moment, as Saya stood in between Reine and Candace. They could cover Justin, as long as he needed them to, right?

She was moon. Of course she could. However much that was worth, with the insects invading the very symbol of Moon at the moment. Miss Julie -- nobody deserved this kind of desecration. Especially not Julie and all the moon hunters in the tent.

danse-hexe

eight

zoobey

 

[Lucyal]

She managed to detach herself from the events going on around her because it was how she coped with horrific things. Seeing Julie was like seeing a zombie movie, and watching all of the bugs crawl out of the Hunters on the cots was like a scene out of the Mummy. The smell was horrible, and Molly ended up pulling her scarf over her nose as chaos erupted around her. Anger, sadness, guilt, horror…that’s what she was feeling from her fellow trainees, and all she could do was watch this play out in a horrified daze.

The swarm was gone for now, and Molly could only watch these new events unfold still. She’d only heard of the notorious Julie through word and through Twitter, but that didn’t change that she was one of them. Molly never did like laying a weapon on another Hunter that wasn’t for practice, and this was most certainly not practice.

<It’s mercy killing. She’s a tool now. Help end it. If yeh don’t, she’ll just be a host for more.>

She had her weapon summoned but her feet wouldn’t move, and she ended up leaning against it. She didn’t want to, and she couldn’t help but think back to a thought she had earlier, of bad guys turning good, and good guys turning bad.

HP: 40/40
DMG: 0
Julie's HP: 13 (stalked the chat C : Messed up some numbers along the way earlier)  

[prolixity]

When Robert stepped back, Jordan moved to stand next to him, not speaking, just there.

Nio Love