Welcome to Gaia! ::

Camp-----------------------

Drake's attack came just in time, hitting the monstrosity just as it was beginning phase two of its attack. It would change, mix new biles, and then explode much more violently than the last bit.

A few men just stared after Brody committed his mercy killings. Most understood that that had to be done, most on a sympathetic level and a few cold bastards on the purely practical reason of fewer zombies. Course there was a one hysterical fellow that knew one of the men just shot, and was about two steps away from ripping Brody's face off. Two burly dudes grabbed him by the arms and prevented said face ripping.

"We can't be turning on one 'nother." Unfortunately the large man's words weren't enough to calm the fellow, and they would have to drag him off.

"Form up and fire!" It was McCraig, the bulk of the attacking force had crested the hill.

Mainly cocoons, but there were a few strange things. For one the hulking armoured figure with some sort of giant open sore on its back. Most could guess that this was the thing launching those grey flesh sacs. More immediately worrying was the advanced cocoons running towards the front-line on all four. They were far ahead of the main unit by now, darting back and forth to avoid gunfire. Blades erupted from all of their limbs, and if bullet of bayonet didn't stop them they would tear the front-line to shreds.

Sewers-------------------------

Then there was the sickly sound of misshapen flesh moving itself about. The cocoon zombies did not groan, but there shuffling and squishing would overshadow the ambient noises. They would shuffle out not far ahead of David, bloated and inhuman, but also completely unaware. They were crossing in front of David, not charging him, just a few infected humans doomed to wander the sewers until they were ripe for harvesting.

They also served as a distraction.

Not long after the shambling masses began to cross there would be the splashing bounds of one of the dog creatures. Tendrils flowing behind it, legs tensed and it made a jump at the armoured man. Unfortunately for it, if it managed to successfully pounce, that's what it would hit first, battle armour. If it latched on for too long though, god knows what damage it could do.

Skies--------------------------

And with that the remaining wasp wizzed past and aimed right for the tail of the helicopter. If evasive action wasn't taken the wasp would collide, and a series of chemical reactions would begin to take place. A forceful explosion, enough to blow the tail off or at least knock the chopper off course.

Wait, if that one exploded?

Well the one Stryphe slashed exploded as well, not with as much force since the full reactions could not take place. Conveniently enough for the demon, he was about to be blown through plate glass and into the building.

Ok. Kind of convent.

Drake's attack blossoms into icy crystals on contact with the thing just as it explodes, sending frozen cold racing through it and ending in a rather impressive ice sculpture that Drake shatters with a swift blow on his way to the front.

Drake: "Oops."

On his way, he leisurely grabs one of the dead men's rifles and examines it in a cursory fashion, then watches as the other soldiers use theirs.

Drake: "What an odd weapon."

Regardless, he sights it on an approaching cocoon and fires a three-round burst...which tears up the ground a few yards from his target. With a muttered oath, he moves closer to the front...

Slinging her medical bag over one shoulder and a rifle over the other (the guy who'd died in bed #3 wasn't about to use it again), Owle went dashing out from the medical tents toward the front lines, despite the warnings of the other medics there. Someone needed to drag the wounded back, and maybe she could be of some use.

She prayed she would never have to fire the gun. It made her feel unclean just to carry it, and the thought of pulling the trigger made memories that could leave her curled up in a fetal ball explode through her head. Memories...of the man who had taught her how to use a rifle. The man who had told her she was worthless, an evil sack of crap that was better off dead. The man she'd loved...

But she couldn't very well defend herself against these things with a couple of knives, and that bile looked as though it could eat through her scales. Maybe...maybe to save the lives of a few people in this camp, she could pull that trigger. Maybe.

If she had to.

Sewers-----------------------------

The mandibles gnashed and stretched as the creature tried to literally eat David's face. Nothing would go into the pulsing maw though, as the dog creature had become far too used to hunting down stray humans with no means of defence. The weapon would catch it completely unaware and soon the blades would roar through the creature. rather than flesh being consumed, a great wail erupted from the viral's throat... Followed directly by a spray of bile and still undigested human flesh.

Claws tensed one last time, and after one final scratch on the armour the creature fell dead to the side. Safe.

For now.

The pack dogs were intimately connected to one another, when one fell the rest were aware. Even worse, thanks to their exceptional hearing they would know exactly where to find David as the deathscream echoed through the sewers.

In the distance there was the sound of many feet rapidly splashing through the stagnant waters.

Camp----------------------

Fire seemed to be concentrated on the lumbering cocoons, with only the most skilled ADF members taking shots at the swift bladed ones. Even the skilled mercenaries they had taken on were only taking pot shots at the mass rising over the horizon. Because of this the mob was slowing down as they stepped over fallen allies.

Thus the bladed ones pounced on the front lines. Some of the faster cocoons tackled solders to the grounds, others were met with a chest full of bayonet.
There was a tactical problem though. With the front lines concerned with saving their own hides from getting stabbed there would be no focused fire on the oncoming mob.

"Melee support up front!" McCraig shouted as he stepped backwards so he could keep his distance and therefore keep firing, "Heavy weaponry keep on the main mob."

It was about this time the massive creature in the centre of the mob dropped to all fours to stabilise itself. The whole creature spasmed before a slimy sac of grey flesh erupted from the hole on its back. Convulsions and unseen pressure allowed the bile bomb to sail through the air, aimed directly at the support tower Gabe was positioned in.

Skies-----------------------

The heli was now violently thrown off course, no more evasive action. Once again the Omnipraga would be successful in taking down another flying intruder. None could stand against the multitude alone.

Taking advantage of the erratic movement of the chopper, the spine worms lined up another volley and let loose. With the demon in the building there would be nothing preventing them from piercing the metal bird.

If Jake was lucky he would die quickly in an explosion or be impaled after the crash. If he was unlucky... Well, he would be alone in the centre of the city battered and bruised, essentially waiting to be torn apart.

A~E Building: Top Floor--------------------

Stryphe lay in a room that was in contrast to most of the city. Despite being dead centre of the infection the viral tendrils were few and far between, though the decomposing sac near the centre of the room was unsettling. More importantly the power in the room was still active, hell there was even an oversized screen blaring right in front of Stryphe... If he looked certain key phrases would jump out at him.



Perhaps he could read all that in his dazed state, perhaps he couldn't. What would be clear was the sound of his metal weapon being kicked to the other side of the room. Then footsteps... For all Stryphe knew there was a hulking creature ready to consume him into the collective. But no, that couldn't be, the removal of the weapon was too smart for a mindless creature, and the footsteps were too light for anything bigger than a human.

Then a face would be hovering over him, blurry though. Clearly a man, his hair was colourless and cut haphazardly, as if he had done it with a blade rather than scissors. Maybe he was a scientist, as he was wearing a white coat... and what appeared to be some sort of black full body suit underneath. His hands were abnormal... His long fingers looked like... When Stryphe's vision would clear he would recognise the face.

"Hello Demon." The words slipped out of Twelve casually, conversationally even. Not at all like a ghost of a past enemy. Especially not one that had somehow stolen your eyes.

He didn't even see the bombardment coming. He had just emptied another clip, dropped it out of the gun, and was reaching for a fresh one when he was shoved to the side by his partner in the tower. Gabe stumbled, nearly fell out of it completely.

When he turned, he was witness to a disgusting gray sac of fluid throbbing at his feet. Now, while he wasn't witness to what had caused the earlier acid burning incident, Gabriel wasn't a dumb man. Anything that these creatures launched at them couldn't be good.

"Get outta here!"

His friend with the sniper rifle shouted, the cigarrette dropping from his lips as he turned to wave the mercenary off the tower. As if he needed any more motivation.

Gabriel nodded his head, then slung his rifle over his shoulder. His right hand rested on the edge of the tower's wall, and he swung his legs over top, and launched himself over the tower's edge. He dropped quickly, heading towards the safety of the ground. It was quick work, and hopefully it would free up the ladder for...

"AHHHHH!"

Nevermind.

Gabe dropped to the ground, falling forward and resting on all fours before quickly popping up to assess the situation.

"s**t."

He was on the other side of the wall.

Saved by the zombie hoard ******** lame," he caught on a moment too late.

The soldier who had been harrassing him had to jet the moment the alarms went up. Unfortuately he had to make an exit too. Before he could even manage to snatch up all the prize pot, two soldiers were carting him off bodily. That was of course how they dealt with people who ignored the warning calls of, "All civilians please report to the designated safety areas-"

Tweak could have done well to pay way more attention to what they were saying. Instead he was busy fighting the hold on him, writhing, and yelling obscenities about how nowhere was safe and they were all going to die, so let him go back for what he left behind.

His luck remained sour when another grunt ran up.

"Report to the front gate to help McCraig!"
"But we have to take this civilian to-"
"Bring him along, we'll keep him safe. Orders take priority."

This worked well to explain why the indigo haired teen was peeking over a wall in the back of the defense force. One hand was covering his left ear while he tried to press his right ear against his shoulder. Using both hands would have worked best were it not for the pistol someone shoved into his right hand for 'self defense should he need to'.

He was back on the front lines.

One look at the situation, and Owle knew everything had gone to hell.

There was a MOB advancing on them, and the hail of gunfire wasn't much of a downpour anymore. More like a trickle; it wasn't dropping them fast enough.

I could help... she thought, her hand brushing along the rifle at her side. I could...

Oh, come on! There must be someone I could heal instead!

Desperately her eyes glanced around the front lines. But no...everyone injured seemed to be locked in mortal combat, too close to the beasts for her to get them away safely.

Oh...s**t...

Owle, somewhere on the wall, aimed the gun just as Morgan Flare had taught her - no, beat into her - oh so long ago.

I can't believe I'm doing this....

Her finger wrapped around the trigger. The woman squeezed her eyes shut tight, applying pressure, every so slightly, just a little more...

BOOM!

It was an explosion in Owle's head, ringing in her ears, and throughout her mind...

Evil, worthless, mutie!

I'll destroy all of your evil race!

You'd better come back here, before you destroy anyone else with your evil!

You're a killer, I can see it in your eyes.

The gun's kick sent her sprawling backwards, but Owle didn't catch herself. She wasn't seeing Agrippina, wasn't seeing the zombies advancing steadily towards the camp...all she could see were a pair of hard, red eyes. Hating her.

((Note that she aimed and then closed her eyes. Not the other way around.))

Sewers------------

There wouldn't be much rest for David. The splashing would become more and more intense, whatever was coming was either big or...

They just came into view, a pack of the same monster that just jumped him. Ten, twelve, maybe more. Their tendrils were all raised in the air, flailing about like a snakes tongue and for the very same purpose. They gurgled and twitched, looking for the downed member of their pack.

David would be faced with a decision that thousands of organisms had encountered beforehand:

Fight or flight?

Camp--------------

The camp did not have that choice.

As Drake slashed trough one of the bladed creatures, more would descend on the front lines. The solders took the swordsman's words to heart, stabbing for heads or heats when they could. Unfortunately those creatures were much faster than the volunteer force. Viral blades peirced armour and flesh alike, turns out they knew to hit heads and hearts too.

The difference being, the soldiers didn't rend whatever else they could get a hold of in the process. A more important difference was the support fire the ADF was getting, Owle's bullet tore into a bladed cocoons head just before it tore into a poor fellow. Some good came out of the shot, despite all the memories it involved.

As for Gabriel, there was a slow advance on him. With the bladed fellows occupied he only had to deal with three slow moving cocoons advancing on him. "Only" is relative though, they were still dangerous and there was still a lot more of them where they came from.

A~E Tower----------------

Twelve didn't flinch. There was no need to, everything in this city could warn him of incoming danger... And then move to protect their overlord.

Before the demon's mighty backhand could connect a pillar of tendrils erupted from the floor below him. Their aim wasn't to impale, rather to slam the demon against the ceiling before dropping him once more against the hard ground.

To ensure protection Twelve took a step backwards.

"You see demon," He watched with emerald eyes as Stryphe went up and then down, "This isn't like before where you fought an inferior me in the basement of some human town. I have improved demon, far more than you could if you had ten thousand years to practice."

The viral core's sneer was filled with the joy one would expect from trashing your near murderer.

"Frankly Dem... No, that's too formal. May I call you Stryphe?" By this time the crime boss should once again be on the floor, "Stryphe, I have you surrounded."