Abandoned Facility, Five Hours South of Ehlm
@SporkoBug
“This Wild… I've never seen anything like it.” One soldier muttered to the other, as the trio of masked men stared on at the feathered dinosaur-like Wild with the chip in its mouth, looking mighty pleased with itself.
“One of us has to get that chip.” The other muttered, not taking their eyes off the Wild. They elbowed one of their companions, pushing them forward.
“Hey, don't push me-” The solider complained, trying to step back.
“Just got and get it-”
“It's gonna bite my hand off, I swear-”
“Just go!”Reluctantly, the chosen solder took a hesitant step forward, than another. They raised their hand up, removing it from the trigger of their pointed down gun. Gently, they clicked their mouth, like coaxing a deer, or a horse.
“Hey, buddy I'm not gonna hurt you. But I really, really need that chip you got there. Whacha say you hand you hand it over, huh? …Come on, we really need it.”Before the soldier had the bright idea of unbuttoning a flap in their vest, and took out a small protein bar. Unwrapping it awkwardly while still holding their gun, they offered it to the Wild to take.
“Here, this would suit you much better, lil fella’.”Meanwhile, Cercyes had a little talented hand pressed up against the lower half of one of the glass tubes, staring up at the specimen within.
“These humans… I can't call them human anymore. The Wilds claim their own.”Cwrcyes glanced back at the Feathered Beast and the Ghost Corp crew.
“Those Umbra changed them. Forcefully. Whatever they did, it didn't work. They didn't survive. But their hearts…”With a wave of his staff, blue flame erupted in the air. In unison, the chests of each specimen began to glow, pulsing with unnatural light. A pull of his hand, and glowing blue lights escaped the chests, circling around the Shepherd of the Dead. Their souls.
“These are the hearts, the souls, of a Wild.”
Northern Outskirts of the City of Ehlm
@rabidbacon,
@Qia,
@Herald,
@Abstract Proxy
"Vinny, always a pleasure. Your boys look a bit nervous today... need a hand with that Wild? I'll take an even share this time since I'm already here... you know that's a damn good deal.”
“Keep your hands right where I can see ‘em, you slimey son of a gun, Val.” Vinny said gruffly, standing. One of his men took the bazooka off Vin's shoulder, while some of the others kept their pistols trained at Val's head.
Vin pulled A closer to him, wrapping an arm around her neck. She'd be able to smell the sweat and mild alcohol. He growled in her ear.
“No funny games, eh? Don't care you're Umbra's lackeys, ain't no one going easy on you, sister.”Then he passed her over to one of his men, who held her arm tight while pressing a pistol into her back.
Meanwhile, Vin set his sights on Val, and curled his hands a little tighter around the rifle in his possession.
“Already demanding a share… You really have no idea what position you're in, do ya? I still have half a mind to blow that look right off your face, right here and now.” Vin responded, annoyance wrinkling his face.
"Then again, maybe your tastes are running a little less moral than the last time I saw you."
“That ain't none o’ your business, Val-boy.” Vin responded curtly, rolling his eyes.
"Welcome to the Dust, Ma'am.”
VV stiffened from where she stood on the lip of the escape pod, hands still raised. Immediately, her red eyes glared.
“Quite the welcome…” She said sarcastically. At least her would-be captors were polite about it.
Zat is limina unity rema speak emen? abandon se humans, demant phe-remlit sotan split se feud (What is this unity you speak of? Abandon the humans, and we can split the food together.)
“You know I can hear you?” Vin spat, face contorting in the direction of the massive Wild.
He jerked a harsh finger towards VV,
“Pin her down, so she doesn't get any funny ideas.”Immediately, men moved towards VV, tearing her down from the escape pod and throwing her to the dusty ground, jamming a knee in and a gun in her back. VV grunted, but otherwise remained silent.
With the entrance cleared, one of the men scanned the inner part of the escape pod, and pulled out the last straggler within: D. D didn't resist as he was dragged out a ways, pistol pressed in his side.
Vin surveyed the terrified, angry and watchful faces surrounding him with impunity, patting his rifle as he savoured the grip of control he held.
“Now, here's how things are gonna work. One of my men are gonna shove a bullet between your eyes, Val. And we're gonna walk off to the markets with three whole hearts all to ourselves-”Alas, it was not meant to be.
The massive behemoth of a Wild charged forward, striking the crumbling building. It was enough to knock out a weighted pillar, causing the building to collapse in on itself. Immediately, a heavy dust cloud erupted, coating everything in a near-unbreathable smog.
VV raised her head from the ground as Vin's men shouted. Her rebreather filtered the air, allowing her a moment to think. A moment to act.
The massive beast was… helping them, wasn't it? Then there was no time to waste. In VV's next breath, a surge of darkness exploded from her, blowing back the man holding her. She scrambled to her feet, calling out for A and D in the dust. Eventually, she reached the edge, and saw the city ahead. With only a moment's hesitation, she took a few steps ahead, looking back to see if A and D had managed to free themselves. D was the first to break out of the dust cloud, moving to stand beside VV. Now it was just A…
A's attack had been successful. The man holding her cried out in pain, letting go of her to instead grip his head. With the heavy dust cloud encompassing him, it would be an easy enough effort to avoid the rest of Vin's men, and make it out.
Vin himself was scrambling with his men.
“Don't shoot! Ya wanna hit each other?! Get out of the dust cloud, we're killing that Wild and finding those Umbra brats!”Vin coughed, before he shouted again, his voice raw from the dust, hoping his voice could be heard by Val.
“We ain't gonna kill ya, Val, we just playin’! Help us recapture them and you'll get your share!”The few men that had managed to make it out of the dust cloud immediately found Mercy, and began shooting with their AE pistols.
Andre Valias,
op2024,
Kronshi,
Herald,
Silent Showers,
Hope Lover,
Nani,
flux,
ChronicleMan,
HereComesTheSnow
