“Damn Silva and his damn levy! Mistles are drying up every damn day, and the Lost just keep growing bigger and bigger. Alright you thralls, you know what you’re here to do. Find Blood Beads and get back here. And don’t even think of trying to run off: those bombs on your chest will make sure you’ll turn to ash faster than you can pull the trigger. If you think you’ll be clever and take it off, go ahead and try: we don’t need stupid thralls who’ll sooner suicide than get work done. Alright, send the first group in!”

This was your life so far. For some of you, you just came to before you were suddenly forced to become thralls, slaves for Revenants, functionally immortal soldiers who only need feed off blood to survive. You’ve been given basic weapons and armor to help fend for yourself against the Lost, monsterous beings who won’t hesitate to kill you for no reason at all. In your short time as a captive you know your chances of escape are bleak. Your captors are no cowards and can easily defeat multiple revenants or Lost on their own, and they’re simply sending thralls in out of cruel convenience.

And if that alone wasn’t enough, your captors have managed to manufacture and strap explosives to your chest. Carefully shaped charges that will destroy your heart with a simple trigger pull, or if you try and take it off without the key. You’ve all seen first hand people who’ve tried, either by force or finesse. Even if you die and disperse, the bomb will still be on your chest. It was a bleak situation. But that was life in the vein.

A few minutes after the first group was sent into the ruins, guns would be aimed at you as your captors commanded your group to go. You’ll be exploring a vast underground subway station. A fresh location, scouts have reported that it has only recently opened up with a notably small miasma presence. That means that there is either Mistle or not a lot of Lost here, and either way that means opportunity for Thralls to go looking for Blood Beads.

Eventually your group is pushed through a gate into almost total darkness. The gate shuts behind you with a final warning that anyone who comes out that gate without blood beads will turn to ash. Additionally, you have about three hours. Anyone who doesn’t show up with Blood Beads after three hours will have their bombs remotely detonated. Truly cruel keepers. You don’t see any signs of the first group who went in before you, so they might’ve went through a different entrance. Either way the first thing you may want to address is the immediate lack of a light source.

She'd been taunting and snarking at them ever since they beat her in a fight, and she had yet to see even a single one of her captors react... spoilsports. Like seriously, what else was she supposed to do in her captive free time? It wasn't like she was going anywhere, what, with the world a mess and a bomb strapped over her heart. She didn't even have any memories of who she was to pass the time with by reflection.

So when her captors brought them to someplace for exploration, Diamond couldn't help but be grateful for something to do, even if it was stupid Blood Bead collection. She'd only been awake for a few days, so her spirit was as feisty as ever compared to most thralls. Grumbling about the guns pointed at her being overkill, it wasn't until the gate closed behind her group that she realised the kind of place they were asking her to explore.

"Yadda yadda, lack of blood beads and fresh ash. You seriously don't have much to say do you? Could of at least given us a torch for this."
Kicking a rock as she looked around for anything useful, she started talking to the others of her group without looking at them.
"So, chums. How should we go about this? We gonna be working together, or is one of us gonna be an ass?"

---

Among the thralls, was a rather standoffish revenant dressed in what seemed to be some sort of long, fur lined cloak. For the most part, they had kept to themselves. Even when not out in the field she had never once taken off her mask and had generally avoided talking with others. She hadn't made it easy, either - had someone even tried to, she'd have either told them to get lost or simply glared at them until they got the message.

She hefted her rusty, miasma corroded great sword over her shoulders as she silently waited for her captors to finish. Fools, every last one of them. She wanted to sink her own fangs into them but sometimes, one needed patience. As long as this makeshift bomb was strapped to her, it'd be stupid to try it. She cast a rather cool glare over to a particularly dark skinned one wearing something she'd expect a woman with no standards to even consider it. That one in particular could use a lesson in waiting for an opportunity. When it was finally time for them to be sent, Bridget said nothing. A small grunt and a cold glare to the one holding the gun was all the satisfaction they'd get out of her. So she set off with her group into the subway system.

Stepping past the gate, she was met with a near oppressive darkness. Keh, morons. If they wanted to find Blood Beads at least take care of your playthings.

How to navigate without light...Bridget cast a glance over to Diamond. Oh. She was going to be one of those talkative types, eh? Maybe she could get some entertainment, then. "...Keh, if by working together you mean me using you as a meat shield, then yeah. I'd say sure, lets work together." Diamond couldn't tell, but the other Revenant was grinning under her mask as her slightly muffled, rough voice filled the room. "Though maybe since that fat one over there has a death wish, she'd be better at it, Keh-heh!" Roughly walking past her with a rough laugh, Bridget set her sights on the problem at hand. "...don't do anything stupid and we'll get along juuuust fine, for however long you live."

There was the vague memory of a door just before the gate was closed, but other than that, nothing. She didn't have any sort of gift or object on her that could generate light, either. Walking forward into the subway, Bridget moved deeper in, using what little light there was to navigate and see if she could find anything that could be used as a source of light.

"...Keh, if by working together you mean me using you as a meat shield, then yeah. I'd say sure, lets work together." ... "Though maybe since that fat one over there has a death wish, she'd be better at it, Keh-heh!" Roughly walking past her with a rough laugh, Bridget set her sights on the problem at hand. "...don't do anything stupid and we'll get along juuuust fine, for however long you live."

Grinning to herself, Diamond couldn't help but almost laugh. Finally, someone to play the taunting game with! Looking over her shoulder at Bridget, she looked the fur cloaked Revenant over in the dim lighting, noting the massive weapon she carried.
"I don't think either of us would make great meat shields, but to whoever lands the opportunity I suppose, ha ha hah..." Looking over at the other two Revenants in their little group, Diamond could only internally laugh when she realized what the other ment by 'fat' from the context of that sentence. Perfect teasing material for later then.
"For however long each of us lives I would say. I hope you're looking for a light source."

---

Delmina silently stood up from where she was resting and started to follow the others, now with a new piece of gear strapped to her chest. It was.... admittedly uncomfortable, but She supposed she could make it by with it, as it wasn't really cumbersome. It was tight and didn't rest well given her physique, and she could have sworn the revenant that put it on her was a bit too happy to be the one to do so. Though she wasn't sure, she seemed to blame herself that these things were even on them. They weren't there when she had last escaped. She had gotten a fair distance before being recaptured, and she had learned later that someone that she had confided in, one of the only ones she really talked to, had turned his back on her after hearing her plans to escape. In exchange for some more blood, he sold her out to the revnants, telling them her plans and what direction she had headed. He had also been one of the first to try to carefully tamper with the bombs when they brought them out. He was turned to ash before Delmina ever became conscious.

"I will do my best to keep you alive should you become injured..." Delmina responded to the first girl. After that, she was half listening to the catty bickering back and forth between the other two revenants. The second girl seemed to answer the first girl's last question as if being a volunteer to take the position as the 'ass' of the group. To what end would someone act so bitter? She could only guess that that was some odd way that they found their own joy. But... that one comment that she could have sworn to be directed at her, and only confirmed when the other looked to her as well. Her face flushed a bit, mostly but not all hidden under the mask, though it may have been too dark to see it. S-she wasn't fat, she believed herself to be quite fit, what did she mean by-.... oh.... B-but, that wasn't her fault!

She closed her eyes as she let out a soft sigh and turned towards where she remembered a door. Maybe there would be something to use inside it. As the others seem to slowly wake away, she quickly made her way to the door, her shield at the ready, her other weapon not yet drawn. With her free hand, she opened the door. When opened and from behind her shield, she readied her veil in case she needed an immediate counter attack, and to use as a makeshift light to see inside the door if there were any useful things inside.

As the girls talked and walked, Delmina would open the door to the service closet. It was small; barely anything in here that she could see in the dim glow of her blood veil’s glow. She would, however, see an unopened closet. For a human the door was firmly shut but for a revenant all it’ll take is a firm pull to open the rusted lock doors. Not much else of use was inside however; there was a first aid kit who’s medicine have long expired, leaving only some gauze and bandages that may be of some minor use. There were a few well-worn tools as well, rusted from time and corrosion. However that was one box that would prove useful.

Though wet from condensation it was still taped close. Whatever text was printed on it’s surface was faded but inside were roughly twenty chemical lights, glow sticks. Some may vaguely remember seeing some of the other revenants use them in night operations: they only provided a scant glow, but they were long lasting and better than nothing. About five of them together and they’d make for a decent lantern. There were five green, five red, five white, and five yellow.

---

Delmina decided that what she found was well worth keeping for later. She picked up the bandages and gauze, as well as the worn tools, and placed them in a pouch. As for the box of chem lights, she picked it up and withdrew a bundle of five yellow sticks and took the rest to the group, deactivating her veil in the process. She cracked one of the yellow chem lights, which may have gotten their attention. "I found something that might help. It's not the strongest light, but it should last us while we are here," she said as she held out the box to the others. She would hold on to any not taken. "Breaking five should be enough to light for each person, which luckily seems just enough."

---

"Doesn't seem like I need too." Bridget harrumphed, casting a glance over to Delmina. "Looks like your brains didn't go all to your cow tits." The Revenant grabbed the red ones, cracking one for herself to illuminate her surroundings. Not wasting any time, she managed to fasten it to the belt she was wearing. The next four red ones soon followed suit, creating at least a decently visible area in front of her. Still, this darkness made her slightly uneasy. Lost were probably hiding in here somewhere - they always were in places like this. Like annoying little insects scurrying about the dark.

Ahhhh, she wanted to sink her fangs into something already...

"Either of you get in my way," She began trekking into the subway system, keeping her ears open and ready for a Lost ambush. "I might forget you aren't a lost."

"Thanks. If we find some first aid supplies I'll try to do the same." Turning back to her own search after the amusement of seeing a slight blush creep up from the 'fat' revenant's mask, Diamond couldn't help but feel annoyed at how little her search turned up. A rock there, a bent pole here, and more useless junk that wouldn't solve the current problem. Thinking to herself that it should have been obvious that anything useful would already have been taken, the sound of a door opening caught her attention.

Looking in the direction she heard it in, Diamond could faintly make out the weak glow of someone's bloodveil. As she wandered over, the sound of another door being opened a bit more forcefully clued her in to the idea that someone might have actually found something. After some rustling sounds, the person deactivated their bloodveil, leaving Diamond about as blind as a bat to their current position. As a yellow glowstick cracked to life a dozen feet in front of her though, Diamond jumped a little before recognizing the 'fat' revenant and more confidently walking over.

"Nice! Even with this little light we'll be able to do something. You find anything else?" Reaching in, Diamond unwittingly snached the five white glowsticks and put most of them in her pockets, keeping an unbroken one out for later. "I'd rather use mine one at a time for now." Looking over at the cranky revenant, Diamond rolled her eyes and followed after at a distance. With that kind of attatude, no one would want to get within three feet of her.

---

Delmina seemed happy at least one of them wasn't so stand-offish. She nodded to Diamond, trying to ignore what the other had to say about her and focusing on the more productive conversation. "I also found some gauze and bandages, if you want them. There were some worn out tools as well, but those won't be any use until we can fix them. I'm Delmina by the way," she said as she retrieved the bandages and gauze, offering them to her. Delmina then heard Bridget go on about staying out of her way. Which did she want? A meat shield or for people to stay away? She was certainly doing well if she wished for the later. "Oh, I don't believe we will have any trouble with that...," she responded.

Delmina went ahead and broke two more, making three for her light, with two left for emergency light. They only had three hours, so she wasn't afraid of them fading too soon, but it would be nice to have a couple for later, maybe even another day, just in case. As they continued, Delmina would lash the lights to the right side of her belt, as putting them on the left would be mostly covered by her shield as she kept it at the ready, just in case. She didn't draw her firearm though. With darkness like this, it would most likely be close quarters if they had to fight. She only hoped it wouldn't be dark the whole time.

With some form of illumination the group would be able to more easily navigate the subway tunnels. Good thing too: this place was a mess. Broken rubble littered the floor, as well as relics of an older time. Boxes and machines long turned into useless crap blocked the path, but nothing that simple brute force or a bit of maneuvering couldn’t bypass. Before long, the group would come across the corpse of a lost.

A broken blade from a queen slayer sword impaled this lost through the chest, and someone made sure to decapitated it for good measure. How long this one rested here is unknown, but it likely wasn’t going to be much of a threat for a long while. That being said it also showed proof that there were lost in here despite how weak the miasma was. And indicator for what’s to come.

As the party would continue onwards the narrow tunnels opened up to a larger train station of sorts. It was still pitch black with no visible form of light or even an exit. A single thorn of judgement tore through the center of the station towards the only staircase leading upwards, effectively sealing this exit. More Lost corpses were scattered around the area, in various states of dead and mutilated. However there was one small speck of light in the darkness. Something small and glowing red, just outside the illumination from the chemical lights. It appears to be near some sort of wall though.

---

Bridget said nothing to the other two after her previous snarl. Focusing on the task at hand was more important that idle chatter. They could get all friendly with each other back in their little cells, if they wanted too. She didn't. They passed boxes and machines, all old and corroded by time and miasma however light it was, not even the corpse of the lost was of any consequence to Bridget. All it did was confirm that they infested this place like any other rodent.

When the tunnel finally opened up, the Revenant narrowed her eyes at the thorn of judgement, slowly scanning the area for anything useful. A single point of interest, a small spec of red light cutting through the darkness. A blood bead? She didn't think they gave off light, but if it was one she was taking it and running. Just one, small problem...

"Hrmph...they're probably not dead." She slowly walked over to the corpse of one of the Lost. "We should make sure of that. I don't want any surprise ambushes from behind." Bridget would meticulously begin to make sure each lost in the area was definitely dead, and not just waiting for a chance to surprise them.

To see anthing close to functional first aid supplies made some part of Diamond deeply happy, though she couldn't remember why. Grabbing them when offered, she responded as she tucked them into a side pocket. "I'll definitely be taking them. Can't remember my previous name or life, but I'm fairly sure that first aid is something I'm good at. Call me Diamond."

As they traveled, Diamond picked up any pieces or odd ends that looked interesting to her, eventually finding some relatively loose wires to use for later. When they came upon the decapitated corpse of something though, Diamond could only stop and assume it might be what others called a 'lost,' because it really didn't look human anymore. The idea that these things were around prompted her to take her pipe out and get her bloodveil ready, just in case they encountered one soon.

Looking around as they entered what looked to be a much larger train station, Diamond couldn't help but take notice of the giant spike that sealed off a potential exit. She'd seen a bunch of these in the world above, and apparently people were calling them thorns of judgement. Weird, would have called them thorns of destruction herself, but the lingo had already been established it seemed. And then there was that other point of interest, a red speck of glowing light next to what might have been a wall. If it weren't for all the dead bodies and- oh, sounds like the grumpy revenant had an insight that was probably right. Taking out a rock- well closer to a large pebble, really -Diamond tossed it in the general direction of the red glow, hoping the darkness would help to trick any potential ambushers into revealing themselves.

Delmina nodded to Diamond's response, a smile under her mask only noticeable due to the rise in her cheeks. She watched as the other two checked the bodies for any that may still be living. Lost had a knack for playing dead after all. She would watch, hanging back slightly just to keep an eye for any that may surprise them, even looking above for any that were hanging in wait for them to be so unlucky as to pass under.

Delmina's attention was then brought to the shining red light as well, though she was unsure about it. She heard of a thing called a vestige, and to never touch them, however, being this far away from it she could not quite make out what it was yet. Diamond tossed a rock towards it to see if whatever the object was had been used as a point for an ambush. Delmina tensed up, preparing for something to come at them, should that be the case.

As the group fanned out, they'd make quick discoveries around the room. Bridget's hunch was correct; some of these lost were indeed lying in wait. Most Lost simply get chopped or smashed up if they're truly corpses, slowly regenerating from their wounds. Living ones, however damaged they might appear, were often cleverly only pretending to be corpses. However Bridget would easily hear their death gurgles as her blade chopped through their bodies. Diamond's caution was also rewarded, and Delmina's guess was correct: the item laying on the ground was indeed a Vestige, and it was indeed trapped. Falling from the ceiling at the sound of the noise came a large purple ooze, bigger than the girls themselves. Grime masses, a common type of foe for the Revenants, but this particular specimen was far larger than the typical ones encountered by revenants. Perhaps a greater lost variant?

Questions and observation would have to hold. Though Bridget managed to make short work of the few who were attempting an ambush, upon the arrival of the Grime Slime, hissing could be heard as the other lost began to awaken. Thrall class, hardly a threat alone, which unfortunately meant that a large group was amassing. Bridget could see at least five begin to rise and those were just the ones she could see. The Grime Slime consumed a lost that was nearby, however realizing that it's true prey was not caught, it let out a strange but loud gurgle as it prepared to shoot it's toxic goop at Delmina.

"Niiiiiiice!"
Happy to finally have a proper fight on her hands, Diamond dashed in and took a solid swing at the giant purple ooze with her pipe, unconsciously activating her 'Slugger' gift at the same time. After getting another two satisfying hits in, she dashed back to Delmina and pulled out her light automatic to pepper the other approaching thrall class lost.

---

Too simple. The lost playing dead were easily chopped beneath her blade, their death throes music to her ears. She was even mildly disappointed they made it so easy. Lost Thralls were nothing, if not predictable. Once you learned of their tricks, spotting the truly dead ones were easy. Things however, were not so easy for long. Bridget audibly growled as Diamond tossed a rock towards the vestige.

"What the hell are you-!"

She didn't have time to be angry at her current partner. As soon as the Grime Slime dropped from the ceiling, a loud hissing could be heard filling the darkness. Lost Thralls began rousing from their deceitful slumber, eager to find new revenants to contend with. Five that she could see, but there would undoubtedly be more coming. They needed to end this swiftly and quickly. Thralls weren't a threat individually, but if you got swarmed, then you weren't making it out alive.

"Grrraaah!" Stomping her foot on the ground, Bridget activated 'Rallying Howl' and locked eyes with one of the lost rising. She wasn't going to let these fools get the best of her. As soon as she was within range, she'd slam the edge of her corroded sword into the creature, following it up with a second strike immediately after before moving to the next nearest thrall, seemingly caring little for any sort of defense.

---

Two lost approaching from behind, one giant grime creature. If they take out the lost first, they can focus their efforts on the larger creature, thus, the lost were her current primary target. When Delmina saw the creature preparing to spit out its ghastly fluids, she prepared her own ability. She used Fleet of Foot, upping her evasion so that she could leap backwards more effectively when it finally spewed. Now, however, she was in range of the two lost. One of the lost raised it's blade seeing her approach with her backstep, however, already planning for this, she has ended her leap by pivoting on her back leg and putting her bodyweight into a backhand with the shield, knocking him to the side making him roll a good way. He wasn't dead, yet. However the other one wouldn't fare to much better either, with Delmina drawing her light automatic and unloading on the other lost till it collapsed full of holes. At this short distance, it didn't stand a chance. Then, before the first one could get back up, she dashed towards it and landing a crushing blow to its head with her shield. When she moved back from the creature, she felt herself com back to back with Diamond as she had unloaded her own light automatic into another lost.

"These two are down," Delmina calmly said as she adjusted her attention to the giant grime as she prepared to attack it as well, bringing her shield up, placing herself between the grime and Diamond to give Diamond one less side to worry about for a moment. She had started to fire off at the monster this time when she noticed Bridget in the fray as well. Using a heavy weapon, she may do well with an evasion boost as well, and would use a bit more ichor to give her the boost as well. She could feel her ichor was about a third to a half full, she would need to drain this monster some when she thinks there is an opening, but for now, she wanted to study it's patterns a bit before making a foolish move. Using one's veil could leave them wide open if not timed correctly.

The thralls went down easily enough. Though it takes a few beatings by the lighter weapons, Bridgets large battered blade was able to cleave or crush the thralls that came at her. Most of the thralls were focused on her, and between her strokes one or two would manage to strike her with their damaged weapons. However even as they struck her body, her Rallying Howl enabled her to easily withstand the weak attacks, cleaving through the thralls as they recklessly continued to charge at her despite the futility of such an offense.

Meanwhile the Grime Slime lobbed it’s venomous glob at Diamond and Delmina. The slime didn’t seem particularly harmed by the beating from the pipe, and it didn’t seem to be particularly any more sluggish than it already was. The poisonous blob would fly over to the girls with moderate speed; they’d see it coming and if they didn’t avoid it, it’s sheer mass would surely knock them down and infect them with a deadly venom. Regardless of whatever they may choose to do, the Grime Slime was building up its bile to spit out another massive toxin loogie to finish off the girls if they survived the first hit. At least they didn’t have to deal with any thralls ag the moment, as Bridget was doing a fine job agroing the ones awakened by the Grime Slime.

Didn't seem like she'd done much damage to the slime, but now wasn't the time for her to get annoyed over such things. Though she still didn't have a good handle on the concept of Ichor, she could still tell that she was running at half full and dropping fast on whatever the stuff was as she used her light automatic. Switching back to her pipe, she evaded the blob spat out by the ooze and took some swings at any thralls that had survived getting shot as she moved. Unaware of her gift wearing off or even being active in the first place, she kept ducking away anytime something took a swing at her while trying to remain aware of her surroundings. She wasn't going to let herself get cornered by something.