xodus — Roleplayer Guild

"We are all a little insane"

While the other live stock entertained Geko or were left awed in the wake of the Chrono's tantrum, Ben wasted no time fleeing. Strategic withdrawal he told himself with a mischievous grin as the kid dashed towards north innocence, an area very few had taken the liberty to explore but for Ben it was haven. A life such as this was never an option but a mandate enforced upon those unfortunately deemed worthy, as such there were always those that welcomed it when compared to the alternative of being victims forever hounded by A.M.R.O. Then there were those that denied this boon, for in their minds it was the theft of their destiny and as such could one blame them for running and hiding. The forsaken hills of innocence was a kindred land for Ben, here he could pretend this life away even if for but a moment. Tucked away from prying eyes, embraced by the green lush of nature this was the fleeting peace that kept the child sane through the years of brutality and in time when his heart heaved it was the only place that ever felt like home. 

"Just one more year and I get to return to the real world,"  the armor cladded boy thought to himself with a sigh of relief. How long had it been since he had seen the neon lit nights of his city, the sound of cars buzzing past him, the agitation of standing in a cashier's line. Such simplistic experiences were the one's he longed for, something to make him feel human again. "Why did I have to be born an Alchemist!" The boy screamed in his mind, his tearful eyes staring at the cloudy sky. The world of humans shunned them; the world of monsters exploited them. "There really is no haven is there," Ben finally screamed, his desperation echoing through the desolate sea that lay before him. Deep down this reality was a fact, you can wear the skin of an ignorance but the brutal agonizing truth would always whisper the facts. There is no place for Alchemists for they are an anomaly, an abomination. The only exit from this life is death, how many times did this kid mull over these very words. How many times did he stand at the very edge of this very cliff contemplating an extra step and yet each and every time some delusional thought of a purpose would still his clamoring spirit. Would today be the same? He thought as he stared below into the abyss that called out to him, what was the alternative after all? A life of slavery, inching closer to madness with every breath? Would any true sane person wish to live knowing this, or in reality are we all just a little insane? 

"Fuck it"

The stories never really did it justice; you often hear tales of how your life flashes before your eyes when you are about to die or that there is a bright light awaiting you, or a tunnel that carves a path for you. Ben couldn't help but snicker as the only thing he heard was the wailing wind as he plummeted down and then darkness. It would be a lie to say if Ben hadn't wondered what came after death much like everyone, it was a fascinating topic and as much as the thought of paradise appealed to him nothingness was what he desired. When the very thought of living brings your dread, a dread that seeps into the very fiber of your existence, to disappear is about as paradisical as it may get.

....

......

..........

"Well fuck, I guess there is an afterlife," the boy groaned in a disappointing tone. He had lived under the tyrannical rule of an absolute dictate for his entire life, the sound of doing the same for an omnipotent entity for eternity didn't sound too promising. "Why does the afterlife have a broken exhaust vent?" The boy thought to himself as his vision cleared and he found himself staring at a blank roof with a single broken ventilation tube. If there was an award for failed attempts at suicide, this would defiantly take the oscar. Not only did he survive the fall possibly due to the prototype armor he was still wearing but he managed to hit an exhaust vent and fall right through it.

"Wait", with that the realization finally crept in. "Where exactly am I, why would there be an exhaust in such a remote area. This is fucked up, I really hope this isn't some sort of body disposal morgue," Ben mused over the possibilities, he often heard rumors that A.M.R.O never really buried those that died at innocence instead they merely disposed of the refuse in an undisclosed location. 

"Not exactly boy."

There is a stark difference between terror and horror. Horror is the feeling of sheer shock after experiencing revulsion, it is what all Alchemists come to experience time after time. From the moment they discover what they are to the moment they discover what awaits them, it is a feeling that is accustomed to Alchemists. Terror on the other hand is unique; it is a feeling of dread that lies in anticipation of something that has yet to pass. What Ben felt was epitome of terror, a feeling unlike any other. This wasn't just a shiver but raw fear, a fear akin to that foresight when you know there are something’s worse than death. 

His blood shot eyes slowly widened as they traced the source, his fingers trembling uncontrollably, his lips spouting incoherent repetitive nonsense.

"I'm human, I'm not, I'm human, I'm not, I'm me, I'm not, I'm Ben, a lie, a lie, a lie, a lie, a lie, a lie, a lie....." 

Soon enough violent spasms plagued his body and agonizing screams, weeping and laughter followed suit. Throughout however his eyes remained fixated on whatever was in front of him, a pitiful stare that begged for death. If only one could hear his thoughts, they could feel the agony of his mind being sundered. To have one's very identity warped, to have one's humanity soiled, to forget one's reason of being is the very definition of insanity. 

"THAT'S RIGHT, WE ARE ALL INSANE, INSANE, INSANE, INSANE, INSANE. YOU AND ME, ME AND YOU, THEM AND US, WE ARE MAD, MAD, THERE IS NO ME, THERE IS NO YOU, THIS WORLD IS A LIE, LET ME SHATTER THE CHAINS THAT YOU CALL SANITY!!!!!" Ben's screams resonated through the hills, echoing the pain of losing his humanity, a pain like shards of glass falling on the residents of Innocence. 

------------------Xx-------------------xX--------------------------

"Come now children, give the lad a break," Geko had finally entered the cafe, his fingers massaging his weary temples and the mess which Joux had made. It rarely came as a surprise though; Joux had the same eccentric tendencies as his mentor a fact which Geko was often reminded by his wife and colleagues, albeit the Lost Number always took pride in it. 

"I would say, you did fairly well boy though there is room to improve regarding your confidence," The Lost Number remarked as he observed the others that had come to the boys defense as well. It was a heartwarming sight for his veteran eyes, kindness was often considered a unnecessary luxury. 

"You know you kinda remind me of Joux, when he was a little kiddo himself," the Veteran spoke, pride in his tone and a smile on his face as nostalgic memories came flooding back. "Strength is not hiding your weakness, but understanding it. Joux was the weakest in his class, the boy simply couldn't face off against his peers and so he ran, he always ran. What others perceived as his weakness became his strength, the boy was uncanny when it came to evasive alchemy and soon enough developed the alchemy which you just saw. It's called oracle perception, he understands and sees everything in numbers and angles and computes probability to an almost eerie accuracy. If he hadn't lost his leg he would still...." 

In mere seconds that sense of pride and joy subsided and an expression of grief branded his face, however this was no time for sorrow for the impending threat immediately snapped the Lost Number to his senses. 

"Oh dear God," Geko instantly fell to his knees, almost as if weights had shackled onto his back. "This...this Alchemic drive, it makes no sense...." he thought to himself as he clenched his chest in his hands, his eyes staring at his students trying his best to hide the sheer panic that he felt.  

"Everyone get to the bunkers, NOW!" A resonating voice took command, the Chrono had entered the cafeteria but every aspect about her seemed different. The warmth and clutter headed kindness that defined her was gone; this person was focused and driven by an almost terrifying resolve. The strange alchemic drive that brought her partner to his knees may as well have been a breeze to her; this was the true face of a Chrono, one of the twelve strongest Alchemists in the world. 

Via a telepathic link, she managed to connect every single individual on Innocence and made a simultaneous broadcast. 

"This message is not a drill; all students are to make their way to the underground bunkers immediately. All Asylums and instructors are to break into two divisions, one will be responsible for overseeing the evacuation of the students and the other must pinpoint the location of the drive and form a radius of defense. We have a code 11, I repeat we have a code 11 this situation cannot be allowed to escalate. Move out!" 

As soon as her message finished, multiple alarms began to echo through out innocence and in mere minutes several Asylums had teleported inside the cafeteria ushering some of the students to safety. 

"Damn it, hasn't anyone managed to located the drive!" The chrono screamed, her subordinated merely lowering their heads from fear of saying no. It was wishful thinking the woman already knew that, when an Alchemic drive gets warped it is near impossible to pinpoint it. When an alchemic drive gets corrupted there is no focus there is no channeling, instead it acts like a massive out flux of energy being expended everywhere, chaos in its truest essence. 

"How did something like this happen, weren't we monitori-" 

Before the Chrono could finish a gargantuan beam of energy enveloped the building, disintegrating everything and leaving only rubble. The mutilated bodies of several Asylums as well as students lay buried amidst the debris and once the dust settled but a select few had survived. While unable to save everyone, the Chrono managed to create a force field protecting only those in her immediate vicinity while sacrificing more than three fourth of the one's present. 

"You bloody monster! They were my friends, they were my students!" The chrono shrieked, her composure finally lost at the gruesome sigh of having her children slaughtered in front of her. "Do you have any idea who I am? I'm my left hand I wield annihilation and in my right hand I wield reckoning, I am destruction incarnate." As the woman chanted, both her arms became enveloped in large metal gauntlets, each baring multiple complex sigils.  

"LIE, LIE, LIE, LIE, LIE, LIE!" Shrieks once more began to echo, the horrific tone no longer distinguishable and with each word the ground began to cave, being sundered open burying the crippled and mutilated corpses. As soon as the visage of the perpetrator came into the Chrono's line of sight, the woman instantly punched 'annihilation' towards his direction and a trail of near incomprehensible explosions followed, converging on his location resulting in a massive bombardment. Even among Chrono's Julie's prowess with destructive alchemy was well respected, she didn't merely create explosions instead she destabilized molecules; to put it simply she had the ability to create controlled atomic explosions. 

From witnessing such destruction one would think nothing could survive that, such naivety is the result when one forgets these are two monsters. One was the creation of unimaginable alchemic prowess, the other the manifestation of Alchemy's consequence. 

The beast had not only survived that onslaught but appeared to have devolved even more; his mind was no longer his. All that was left of Ben was a burnt and bleeding body that merely served as a husk to a carnal and base rage that sought the destruction of life itself. 

"This is bad, the process has completed. That stupid student has become a 'Vile', I have to end this before Innocence falls but how.....my alchemy is not suited to be used with bystanders. Even if they seek shelter in bunkers, I may have to go all out......if I am not careful I maybe the one to bring down innocence." Julie thought to herself as her eyes remained fixated on the shrieking abomination that stood in front of her, though amusingly this sight didn't terrify her but the thought that she may have to follow protocol and doing so would most likely destroy half the Island. 

"You students need to run damn it!" Geko ordered, the old man finally regaining his composure and standing beside his wife. "There is no haven here......"

--------------------Xx-------------------xX-----------------------

Police Head Quarters
Santa Barbara
--------------------XX--------------------xX----------------------

"You need to listen to me, we are just puppets!" The front door was suddenly sprung open, the force startling some of the officers who were calmly enjoying their coffee. Almost every officer's attention was now solely focused on some short, wildly dressed individual who had suddenly barged in. 

"Excuse me sir, you can't just wa.-"

"Shut up boy!" The short man snapped at the officer, his tone clearly agitated at being interrupted by someone the man considered to be intellectually daft. "You bunch of stupid shits need to broaden your view. Are all of you content in being fucking pawns in a game that you can't even comprehend!" The man shouted once more, his tone already begging to put some of the armed soldiers at unease, several of them getting their tasers ready. 

However even this short fellow couldn't blame them, it was human nature to shun a claim that sought to destroy the stagnant believes of the masses. Humans are fragile and their minds can't bear to accept a truth that bears a consequence that is too great to handle. We may all clamor for freedom but chains is what we are accustomed to and chains is what keeps us safe, what we truly desire is the illusion of freedom. Knowing all this, this short man sought to shed light and eradicate false illusions. 

"Listen to me please! There are things that have been set in motion before all of us; there are things we can't even comprehend. Thousands of unexplained events happen every day and the media covers it up. We are fed retarded lies and yet we believe them because we are too scared to face the truth. There is a shadow organization that is literally playing chess with the world; we aren't even the damn pawns. We humans are the fucking board!" The man continued to shout, his hand holding a file brimming with unexplained events and conspiracy theories. 

"Alright I think we have heard enough of this nut, I think a night in a cell should help calm you down sir." One of the officers scoffed at the fool, slowly stepping forward and arming himself with his taser. 

"Look I have reason to believe that these people abduct young children and train them to be soldiers, I have worked on this my entire life and I may have a loca- oh god!" Before the man could disclose the location he found a curved 'frisbee' like metal object being hurled towards him by two finely dressed gentlemen, before any action could be taken a bright flash erupted out of the object knocking every single police officer as well as the target. 

Without a word the two gentleman calmly appeared to kneel beside the target, spreading a sheet of foil and precisely slitting the target's jugular after which wrapping the body in multiple layers of foil. The entire process had a certain finesse to it, almost as if these people had done it multiple times. 

"Well our job is done, to think this person actually had some valid intell. We sure cut it close huh?" 

"Yes we did, the other teams have silenced his family and close friends, the threat has been neutralized. To the media it will appear as if the family and close friend's died at a dinner party in a fire. I do love how easy our job is."

"I have to agree with you on that, I do feel sorry for those Asylums. Them poor slobs are always in a tussle with some psychotic alchemist freak. Just yesterday I heard there is an alchemist serial killer prowling the streets of this very city. A.M.R.O even deduced the next victim will most likely be abducted from this block. This Alchemist loves a thrill I hear, that's why he usually kills victims near police departments. It is a messed up world my friend." 

With that the two gentleman casually placed the wrapped body in a "bio-hazard" contained and dragged it out the front door as if it was just another day.
xodus Member

Logic Breaker

Status

Recent Statuses

Bio

Most Recent Posts
