Redward

NEMESIS HEARTS: You Are Worthy Of...

@RyuShura Yeah, there are still a couple of people. I'll prod them tomorrow, if no word is given.

My plan is to start within the next two days. We'll be picking up during the first day of school, rather than having to trudge through the Archprincipal's introduction.

Also, no worries! I hope everyone is super hyped!

NEMESIS HEARTS: You Are Worthy Of...

@RoflsMazoy I think I went pretty simple with Ellie, too. We'll just be the Average Crew! Two's a crew, right?

Worlds Apart

Tabitha, too, had requested food somewhere along the way. Ellard seemed intent on lingering near her, though he walked a bit ahead, and she was intent on lingering near Tristan. She was tired. Her feet had started aching, somewhere along the Long Walk; but they were heading in the right direction. About time, too. Silverbrook had fallen behind them and a large tower had come into view. When she first saw it, dread had pressed into her navel and spread sharp fingers through her guts. Tension was high, at least for her. Everyone seems kinda fucked up, right now, anyway. One person in particular. Koda, I talked to him on the tracks. Ignored him when he asked me to help Michael.

"Ellard," that earned a turn of the boy's head and all of his attention, "s'about time ya start tellin' us what we need to know." Tabitha had her arms folded over her stomach, cradling herself in hopes of dispelling the ill feelings that seemed to be lingering in and ahead of her. "Pretty sure that big fuckin' thing is where he stays, right? Ya ever been inside?" Ellard shook his head, and she gave a slight nod of understanding. "Ok, so what do ya know about that place?" She pointed at it, for emphasis.

Against the waning sunlight, the tower was an adumbral spike; an oddly uneven silhouette that seemed to waver and give little wiggles in the distance. From where they stood, they could see that the spire rose from a squat complex. Tabitha tried to take it all in, but the details were hazy. We gotta get closer. She wasn't sure what banter had taken place, during their walk. The harlequin had hardly spoken a word, unless it was to Tristan or Ellard. Even then it was short and uncharacteristically reserved. Though, from time to time, she found herself quietly giggling. While she wouldn't say it, Tabitha Calvicante was scared. She had done her best to remain distracted, in her own head, thinking of pleasant things; even if those, too, reminded her of home and Rani and Lane and her mother. Will crossed her mind, several times.

"I know that he isn't like an angel or monster, I've seen those before," Ellard spoke loudly enough for the entire group to hear, though his voice sounded uneven; like it might crack, "He's something else. When he came to town, it was on a festival night." How many fuckin' festivals did those guys have? "Me, my mother and my sister were here with a caravan. The people in Silverbrook weren't like...like they are now, when we arrived." Tabitha watched his shoulders drop. She cast a glance at Tristan, then slowly away; letting her gaze flitter over the others. "It started happening the night we got there. A few people said they heard whispers. Others said they heard laughter." The boy's eyes drifted skyward, his head tilting back. "We stayed the night. Everyone had the same dream. I...I don't know if I'd call it a nightmare, but it was certainly strange."

Tabitha didn't interject, but she was curious. She already knew that Magician was influencing minds; that much was obvious. Seems like there's more to it, though. Wonder just what the fuck that thing is up to. Taking her hands from her stomach, she let one linger at her side while the other toyed with the hat-tendrils coiled around her throat. Her eyes roamed, again, to Tristan. Her mouth half opened, then slowly closed; a smile in place of words unspoken. Now ain't the time to be runnin' my mouth. I should be listenin'. Again, they drifted away. To Anni, to Ascot, to Zino, to Stormy, to Mike, to Oedipus, then back to Ellard.

"Some of the townfolk decided..." He tensed, slightly shaking his head and looking at the group, "that a lady who had traveled with us, some kind of mystic, was responsible. They...in the morning they..." Tabitha lifted an eyebrow, letting her fingers fall away from soft fabric, "They drowned her. That's when he appeared." A visible shiver ran through the boy. "He looks like something out of a fever dream. He was taller than any man, at least any I had ever seen. He wore a mask of white and gold, without holes for eyes, and an open robe of red. He was...like a corpse. Rotten wrappings covered almost everything. His voice was like...like parchment being torn." She tried to envision it, but wasn't sure the thing that came to mind was anywhere close.

A mask, though, huh? Sounds like this shit's kind of a big deal. We all got Masks, he got a mask. Fuck.

She sighed, quietly. Ellard was fighting down his terror, again. Tabitha admired that about the kid. He was brave enough to face his fears. It made her feel a little inadequate, though. Now her eyes were locked on the Magician's abode. It had been steadily growing larger, as they walked. She could pick out little details; like the spikes that jutted outward from the top of the spire. Looks like some kinda evil flower. Or, at least, that was the best way she could think to comprehend it. Her pace was slowing, aching tracing along her arches and up her calves. Despite how used she was to walking, running and climbing, this trek was turning out to be murder. As she mulled that over, another small giggle escaped her. Tabitha put a hand to her mouth, her eyes dropping. What the fuck is wrong with me...

"He told us that we would be punished for that woman's death," Anger crept into his words, "all of us. That's when it started. He threw his arms out, wide, and we were changed. I remember it well, now. I could hear his voice in my head, hundreds of his words, all at once wrapping around my thoughts and...and as it stopped, I stopped being...being me." Tabitha felt a chill, at that. The thought of it added to her own growing fear. "We all stopped being us. Festivals started happening every other day. People would celebrate and someone would be chosen to walk this path to his keep. My mother, my sister...he seemed to be choosing the outsiders. I think..." Tabitha's stomach knotted up, she had a feeling she knew what was coming.

Poor kid. M'glad we gotcha outta there. But now, aren't we just takin' ya right to him? That's kind of fucked up.

"I think I was going to be next." Ellard spoke with dread, but he seemed to be steeling himself. "If that's the truth, I want to know why! It's why I wanted to come along with you! I want to know what happened to my mother and sister!" He exhaled deeply, his hands curling into tight fists. "H-He has powers, I've seen him do strange things. Aside from what happened to the people in the village. I've seen him create things from the dirt, that looked like people; that could move and even talk like people. Fire that circled around him like snakes. I don't know what else he can do, but I'm sure it's a lot...and I'm sure it's all terrible."

Ellard fell quiet, after that; turning to give a brief look to Tabitha. Neither of them were smiling, but their eyes met. He seemed more comfortable around the group. Tabitha was a little thankful for that; it meant that she wasn't his sole caretaker. He had become something of a shared responsibility, in her mind. Though, what Zino said earlier was probably true. Bringing Ellard along was a bad idea.

We probably shoulda just sent him the other way. Would be safer, for sure. Then again, he coulda died on the path. The Long Walk? I can see why they'd fuckin' call it that. What's death even mean, anymore, anyway? I mean, fuck, we all died. Look how bad that turned out!

Tabitha giggled, then lightly slapped herself; quiet so she didn't interrupt or draw attention beyond what might already be on her. Really, her heart was sinking. Others in the group had exhibited their gifted abilities. Some used them constantly. I've got nothin'. I can't do nothin' except run my mouth. She still felt the strange something in and around her. It was dull, rght now. Much less than it had been when she had walked alongside Stormy. "Like static, or a dream ya can't remember..." It was a whisper, Tabitha holding her hand out; her purple and green sleeve falling a little over her extended fingers. That, too, was funny; for some reason. Tabitha focused on it, imagining that she was drawing the part of it she felt outside inward.

There ain't nothin' there. She was fuckin' with me. I just want to be able to do somethin'! This shit ain't right! Throw me in a fuckin' clown suit and leave me to die in some other fucked up world?! I'll fuckin' show you! I'll fuckin' show you, Magician, all of them! Everyone! Don't fuck with me! Don't fuck with me! Don't you dare try to fuckin' pull this shit on me! I trusted you! I believed what you said about this place! I stepped on those fuckin' tracks so I could kill you! I stepped on those tracks so my-

Her heart skipped a beat and her thoughts faltered; a realization of the truth too much to articulate, even in her head. She lowered her hand, frowning. Tabitha couldn't look at any of them. I ain't worthless. I ain't. So, instead, her eyes became glued to her feet. Wrapped in the same stocking that covered most of her legs. One step followed another, as they inched ever closer to Magician's ominous abode. She felt her stomach and throat tense. The sun was close to setting and they still had a way to go.

NEMESIS HEARTS: You Are Worthy Of...

@Viatos A very interesting concept. I like him. Approved! You can move him over.

As a note: There's no Image of him. I'd like to see what 'Zeke' looks like!

Shadow Smiles

Glad we're rolling!

As a note, I went back and edited my Maya post. Nothing was changed, save for some errors and a glaring continuity flaw. I'll be working on my Eddie post sometime later today. First, I have to tend to one of my other RPs.

NEMESIS HEARTS: You Are Worthy Of...

@RyuShura At the time of year we're picking up, I'm thinking more "breezy and beachy" though it'll start getting colder as we progress.

@snake153 That's fine.

NEMESIS HEARTS: You Are Worthy Of...

@Ghost Queen More like Florida.

Shadow Smiles

What the fuck is this thing doing? While the task assigned to her wasn't ideal, it gave Maya Wyrick and her usual crew an excuse to cut loose. On the way they'd talked. Casual shit, like nothing was up. I told them about the quarantine. Might've been a bad idea. Part of her ached when she thought of losing them. Waldvogel, Lane, Mataraci, Paul and Val. Val was still young. Just in her eighteenth year, but one hell of a soldier. The S.C.A.R.E present had practically raised her. She's a rare case, though, and my fucking responsibility. The higher ups had made that clear. Since that order came through, she had started viewing the boyish anomaly as a little sister.

Got time for sentiment later. Right now there's a fucking freak to bag.

Maya shook her head, dispelling the whims of her heart, rising from her crouch. She had taken up a position on a parking garage's rooftop; a rifle strong enough to rip a hole in a tank slung over her shoulder. She unholstered it, giving the area a moment of consideration. This part of New Steel City was beyond antiquated. A ghetto ignored by everyone but anyone who lived there. Patrols had passed through, recently, but it was a small number of reports that had brought them here.

A man, she recalled easily, of Latin descent, about five-nine, presumably in his late twenties. He jumped from the rooftop. Then got back up to go try again.

Maya scanned the skyline. Her helmet handled most of the adjustments. Focus, distance monitoring, light dampening functionality to consume that sickly sunset's glare; an active refractive cloak ensuring that she went unnoticed. She sighed, lowering herself and propping the rifle up. The call with Luca had been quick, but an unnecessary distraction. There've been a lot of those, today.

Her attention was now locked, again, on the figure climbing a run-down building's brick siding. Crazy bastard, is he going to do it again? She spoke into a private channel. "Report in Alpha Squad. Sun's about to go down. We ain't got all day." Maya stared through the scope, training her sight on the man's chest. She knew, however, that even if the shot were to connect that the creature would regenerate in a matter of minutes. A grunt escaped her.

Thankfully, the Alpha Squad leader chimed in quickly.

"Commander, target has been identified as Eddie Garcia," the voice was Waldvogel's, deep and tinged with a German accent, "Requesting permission to engage and capture." Wald, as Maya sometimes like to call him, was a giant of a man; the giant she had placed in charge of some of her other subordinates. Right now, there's two squads locked in on that fucking thing. He's about to give us the perfect chance. Waldvogel, Mataraci, Paul and Lane were closer, ascending to their foe, and equipped with weapons specifically designed for those types of Infected. Maya and Val were monitoring the area, armed to deal with the abominations at a distance.

"Permission granted, let's get this shitshow on the road." Maya remained trained on the target. "Be careful, we don't know what he can do. Current info suggests that he can at least regenerate. That's nothing new. Stay sharp, eyes up." A chuckle met those last words, from another private channel. "Val, stay in position. I want you to handle the capture."

"Ok! I've got this." Maya nodded in response, knowing that Valkyrie could easily see her from where she was. For a moment she was tempted to take her eyes off of Eddie, but decided it wasn't worth the risk. "Should I start getting the cage ready?" The 'cage' was more like a coffin, something Blackthorne had come up with to seal in wounded Infected for transport.

"Yeah, make sure everything's green. No fuck ups, Val. Wald, open a channel. I want to know what's going down when you engage."

"Yes ma'am, engagement imminent."

The door at Eddie's back came open quietly. Lane came through, first, practically slithering to cover. Mataraci was next, his rifle raised, taking slow steps forward. Paul, another giant, walked straight toward Eddie's back; the gun he held pulsing green along the sides. Waldvogel was last, completing the lopsided diamond. The Infected seemed to notice, after a second.

"Hit 'em hard, boys."

Maya took the shot, as the words were spoken. The angle of her shot tore through his shoulder, rending him with its force. Viscera splayed open; muscle, bone and bits of lung splattering against the small crater her shot had produced.

Shadow Smiles

"Testing will begin immediately. Maya, I want you to come along with me." Luca spoke through a private channel, unheard by his escorts. There were several more S.C.A.R.E than there had been in the room with the Right Hand, but an order had been passed down with heavy implications. Luca salivated at the thought, striding through the oppressively sterile guts of the Evadne Complex's lower levels. Footfalls behind him were mixed, he noted; some the heavy march of professional killers and some belonging to his fellow men of science. The device in his ear was silent, for a moment.

"Can't, Luca, I'm busy. I'm taking a detachment to investigate another incident over near the Bliss Haven apartment complex. Got reports of a potential Infected." She sounded irritated, as per usual, but that was hardly a deterrent. He listened closely, beyond her words. Even through the S.C.A.R.E commander's helmet, the sound of the Central Elevator was obvious. She was, indeed heading topside. A disappointment. He had wanted her nearby for the observation of their most recently acquired subject. "Good luck with whatever the fuck it is you're going to be doing down there. Wyrick out."

The channel was silent, further communication impossible; unless he were to acquire one of the S.C.A.R.E comms. Luca considered it, his languid stride slowing for but a moment; the idea cast aside. He had more pressing matters to attend to. "Gentlemen," he began with a flourishing turn to face the group; six S.C.A.R.E and two other scientists. One he didn't remember, a woman; a new addition to their research team. Then there was the V.A.P head, Doctor Isaac Camphor, a serious and dedicated man that Luca almost had some measure of respect for; even if the two had grated over certain issues in the past. "Tell me what your expectations are." He turned away, at that, resuming his flamboyant stride; toying with one of his neatly woven locks.

The hallway they currently tread was close to the cell their new 'friend' had been confined to. It was lined with personnel, busy with analysis and routine inspections. A group of Blackthorne M&M Quarantine Specialists were moving to one of the cells at their left, implements charged and ready. "Seems like there's been a problem." Luca chuckled, knowing full well that it was but one of many to come. He had heard about the lock-down of New Steel City, perhaps thirty minutes before. It was becoming common knowledge rather quickly. Worrisome, in its own way; exciting in another. Exciting enough to make Luca lick his lips in distant anticipation. Still, those who stood in their way stepped aside at their passage; resuming their business in the wake of the S.C.A.R.E.

Miasma Containment Cell 42 was about halfway down that dreary hallway, those beyond it unoccupied for the time being. As procedure dictated, Luca pressed his face close to the panel beside the door. A quick scan verified his identity and Clearance Level within the span of a breath. Then, as the door hissed open the S.C.A.R.E moved into the room; weapons free, as always. He followed close behind, hearing a thud and seeing Specimen 42 pressing his hands against the obfuscating Observation Shield. The soldiers took up positions around the room, away from the sensitive equipment, their weapons ahead; just in case there were to be a breach.

Luca ignored their ever-present tension, stepping through the room. He stood on one foot, for a moment; using the tip of his shoe and the extension of his leg to slowly drag a chair to the foremost console. For a brief moment, he looked into the Subject's eyes. "So remarkably human isn't it? The way its eyes hold confusion and desperation." After he had softly whispered his approval, the Subject spoke.

"Hey. Hey! I'm in here! What the fuck is happening to me?!"

Luca shivered. Though most might have interpreted the action as one of fear or discomfort, the truth was apparent to those who had come to know the 'scientist'. He was excited. He placed his hands on the console, face bathed in blue and orange; the alternating hues of sensitive equipment and the ever cycling hazard light. "The line is open, I believe, Martin. Can you hear me? If you can, please give me a moment to speak. I know that's difficult in your situation, but I believe it would be beneficial to both of us." Luca's voice was casual, light, as though he were speaking to an old friend. "Back away, just a little, from the shield." A hand lifted, a point to the S.C.A.R.E; in turn. "They're the kind of guys and gals who just can't relax. And in a situation where cooperation isn't given, they technically have command." He gave the charlatan a soft smile.

"My name is Luca D. Beake, and I'm a scientist. I believe you recall the incident that brought you here." He had always thought it best to be straightforward about the situation and had faith that it would be at least somewhat effective against their newest Subject. "I apologize on behalf of the Special Combat And Requisition Enforcers. They were merely performing the requisition portion of their job. I intend to begin with mine, now."

His eyes drifted to the containment cell's paltry accommodations. The quarantine cell he had spent thirty-six hours in had been much more comfortable. Also far less dangerous. What might not have been noticed by the new Subject were the several hidden ports and vents. Usually, they were used for testing weapons or subduing an unruly Subject. The floor itself could be electrified, with the push of a button. Luca's fingers lingered over a particular set of those buttons; a lupine smile spreading his lips wide. "My job is to ascertain just how far your sickness has progressed. You've been directly exposed to a Miasma carrying organ, given to you by a creature we refer to as 'Smile'."

A button was pressed. Hissing, much like that of the airlock opening could be heard from the Subject's cell. "You see, Martin Warrick-" Luca brought a hand to his chin and considered the Subject, leaning back in his chair, sighing after a moment. Then he leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees. "Or is it Martin Margrave? Magnificent Marovio, even!" He chuckled, a little, at the last line. Then, it was back to his lackadaisical attitude. "Regardless, Martin, you're now host to a very interesting and dangerous sickness. I told you, before, that I intend to do my job. How painful it is to you depends entirely on your capacity for cooperation."

He sat back up, straightening his vest.

"Now, you're free to speak. So let's start small," Luca's eyes bored into the Subject, his fingers moving over a different set of buttons, "how are you feeling today?"

Shadow Smiles

Started on my post, but I kind of hit a wall halfway through. I'll be reworking it from scratch. Sorry about that! Should have it up sometime soon!