Fandom Gladius: A Multi-Fandom RP (Open and Accepting)

[Freshet]

Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi: Diamond City, Badlands (Gladius IV)​

Prrring!

Not even a few moments after parts of the scenery were destroyed by Jesus; the tent scraps scrambled together, as if it were like bugs, gave a brief vibration before springing back up like a bouncy castle. It even came with a jaunty tune! One of the gypsies that emerged, this one a livier looking one, just took a moment to stare at Jesus.

She knew what he did. It was not happy. This feeling of anguish at the scene was followed by the gypsy proceeding to give Jesus a crude symbol by placing her left arm in the middle of her elbow while raising out her right hand at him. This was followed by a slightly swifter lunge at him trying to flail at his torso. All the while, more horrific gypsies, these ones more ghastly shades were slowly emerging from the ground and swiping at Jesus' legs to let loose their ghostly barrage assault to instill a horrific dread - much like their kindred sisters did to Aggro earlier.

"Wha-hu? No?" Verdi announced as she blinked at the scene going on with Operator 6O and, was that the guy who gave out the caps? She couldn't quite tell. Using her free hand she waved towards 6O, with a smile on her face. "I get your concerns dear, but it’s okay! GERMANS AREN’T PEOPLE! Oh and Sibyl, hun, do stay away from the gypsies. They can be quite nasty, especially if you look like you are shirking any duties!" And as if on cue, a livier gypsies flailed a palm at 6O. As for Harry, well the more ghostly figures emerged shrieking and throbbing their heads around before attempting to swing their arm as a make-shift lariat to go through and cause intense suffering and panic. This was par for the course for a ghost of course.

Verdi continued to wave her baton to conduct the Musik infused scene as she let loose a war-cry towards her own, spying the Germanic Savage who had recently torn apart many of the shades, and any townsfolk caught in that particular struggle.

“BRING IT ON SAVAGE! ITALIANS HAVE NO NEED FOR YOUR KIND!” declared the Classicaloid of some age which possessed the spirit of that legendary composer of Italy, who was made by the Japanese Company Arkhe.

But that tidbit, was a story for another time.

This story however was focused around the Musik being utilized at Diamond City; to which one must remark on the solid duties of Yugo. As the crippled horde of shades, brought to even further suffering and dis-figuration by the acid, slowly approached Solution in an attempt to cause harm, his energy bolts and slaps quickly disposed of them and reduced them back into a vaporous form. Of course the gypsies, also ever-faithful servants to their mistress, continued to writhe out of the tents and ground flailing haphazardly in an attempt to get towards Solution. And so the horde continued to encroach towards her, flailing in an attempt to do a certain duty by bringing him down so they could get towards that foul shaper who disfigured their peers earlier.

Simon too, was a good girl, following the simple protective nature instilled in her. The gypsies were simply following their nature as well; bring pain and suffering to those not the conductor. And so the shambling horde continued to approach Simon, trying to get in well placed strikes.

Not to mention of course the town as a whole was target for other gypsies flailing about, to spread the suffering.

Of course while many gypsies had perished, in the end the sacrifices were well worth it as after all, the song was still going. Gypsies continued to emerge – but there was that hole, that distinctive hole in the line which was ripe for abuse.

A woman is brought forth!​

Verdi glanced down at the child with her eyes glimmering with an array of emotions. There was arrogance, as a mere Germanic child was tasked to stopping the show, confusion as how could such a child get through the lines, and of course disdain as after all this was the Germanic child who violated the Non-Aggression Policy by firing when they declared that they were not going to fire! Without much time to react, Verdi began swinging her baton around as she called upon more gypsies!

Evil shines upon horrible faces​

“Voi teutonici sono pigrones! Io Odio germani, soprattutto quelli che pensano, essi sono migliori degli italiani!” declared Verdi, veins throbbing from her head with teeth clenched, as from beneath the ground emerged a swarm of flaming gypsies. They only had moments to react before the blast went off, at least according to the child, so they began to make the most of it.

Two of the gypsies flung their arms out in an attempt to grab Messier, and instill horrific pain and suffering to her mind. Perhaps this was an attempt to make her reconsider or perhaps it was just a particular nationalism that only a strange creature such as the Classicaloid could possess for these Germans. From behind another gypsy attempted to flail their hand down upon Messier’s skull for a brutal slap.

And of course, Verdi herself was now in a situation where she must act. Raising up her left leg, she held it up as she attempted to perform a move that was beloved in all of cinematic history – the front kick. It would be simple, perhaps effective, and more important probably symbolic of Italians kicking the Austrians to the curb.

Beside the gloomy flame​

that rises to the sky!​

“Hellfire, dark fire! Now German, it's your turn!” boasted out Verdi, with malicious intent, as she continued to deliver kicking gestures towards the Messier, ready to bring them down once and for all. After all, the Italians needed their due.

Ennuis The Mad Queen DrBones GrieveWriter

 

[Zerohex]

King: Higgins’ Hell , The Badlands (Gladius-IV)

King did not, in fact, remember if he had ever done a job in Higgins' Hell, because if you stay active long enough then every podunk town on the road and their little troubles all start feeling the same. If he'd been there before then probably nothing of note had happened. Show up, punch someone out, get this or that then get back to wherever and move on. Time and time again. Were he a man given to melancholy he might have at some point reflected upon this, but he wasn't so he didn't. He very much enjoyed living in the moment and very much enjoyed the moments themselves, his life was anything but dull and he truly loved what he did. Which, going back to the original point, really did nothing to endear this ass end of nowhere to him.

"I should know better than to ask questions and just go with the flow, but why are in wherever this is again?" were the first words the Turk uttered, stretching his considerable frame to be rid of any lingering stiffness after the car ride. He looked around the town, fiddling with his lighter out of habit, making it a point to stare down anyone staring at the new arrivals so that they would just carry on with their lives. Always with a smile on his face. But really, nothing about this place really called to him. "Alright so you won a mine and that's why the guy wants you dead, and we both want information, but how do we get it here? How do we make waves in the criminal underworld here? I'm fine with setting up a base of operations but if you don't know that stuff we should go find out".

"If me beating the everloving shit out of every wannabe tough guy dad and daddy issues son in the area helps us, I'll do it, I love me a good ole fight club. But we should keep our eyes on the prize, think of the new guy n all", he pointed back at the very oddly quiet and unresponsive HUNK with his thumb. Fighting was always fun, but he was there for business after a sort, there'd be time for leisure later. Preferrably when anyone that was someone in that little corner of the world knew that their continued good health depended on the good humor of a trio of asshole mercenaries.

Freshet Sleek The Mad Queen

 

[zontar]

• BSD streets
• Johnson and Smith
• Evolt

• 
  
  As the greek wandered the streets, a few screens amid the billboards and neon shop signs gave out their calls. A brief newscast from a humanoid alien with a ridged forehead was the first, showing a ramshackle series of structures.
  
  Good evening, I’m Laser Richards for the late news. Today at 1900 hours, a shantytown between the Vegsal residential block and the Bering Arms hotel in the lower wards of New Valky was found with its residents dead. The bodies were seemingly boiled alive, found dumped in their beds. Foul play is all but certain, though contract disputes between city hall and the security corporations have prevented in depth investigation. Witnesses report the sighting of a cryptid in the vicinity shortly after the victims were found. Badurong reminds you to lock your doors and windows and report any sightings of cryptids to your local law enforcement. We now take a break for a word from our sponsor.
  
  The screen changed to display a workshop. Lathes and metalworking equipment were hard at work, extremely primitive compared to the neon and chrome landscape of the black star district. A bearded man sat carving the stock of a rifle by hand, before taking a look at a completed product and nodding in satisfaction.
  
  Sometimes, it just ain't about how fancy your gun is. It just ain't about having a fancy light show. Sometimes, you just need something reliable, with stopping power. At Ares Macrotechnologies, reliable is what we do. And for nearly 100 years, it's all we've done. To commemorate that history of excellence, we're proud to present the latest in our Throwback line: the M-1 Garand. Own a piece of the history of warfare, available wherever Ares weapons are sold.
  
• 
  Zangyack Offices, Offices of Police Chief Warz Gil
  
  In the smartly appointed offices of the prince-turned-policeman, a stark white alien sat in an office chair, hands steepled. He drummed his fingers together as Mr. Smith and Mr. Johnson sat awkwardly across the table from him. After a few moments, he slammed his hand on the desk.
  
  "Gentlemen! I believe you were told to rendezvous with Mr. Black at the Bowzock clubhouse."
  
  The two alien grunts looked at each other, obviously confused. They'd spent the better part of a half hour talking to the man, briefing him, and eating with him. The white alien stood up, hands behind his back as he turned away from Smith and Johnson to look over the cityscape.
  
  "We did, Prince Gil."
  
  The prince turned on his heel, slamming a fist onto the desk and jamming a finger into Mr. Smith's face.
  
  "That's an unusual claim, Mr. Smith, because a man claiming to be Mr. Black came here after he failed to find you, your signal, OR the highly confidential information you were supposed to give him via commlink!"
  
  Confusion turned to panic for a moment as Mr. Smith leaned back. He was good at adapting given time, but not so much at handling pressure. He looked to the side. Mr. Johnson, however, was a former boardroom type before the company was bought out by Zangyack. He was used to cutthroat office politics, and this papa's boy wasn't any different from any other company brat. The Zettonian adjusted his tie and spoke up calmly.
  
  "The man downstairs is not Mr. Black, your highness."
  
  "...Come again?"
  
  "...Obviously. Mr. Black is an accomplished Runner. But this man? I don't think so. He doesn't have the eccentricity about him."
  
  "No enigmatic privacy, no pink mohawk, no pizazz."
  
  "...I suppose he is rather bland."
  
  "That's right! This can't be Mr. Black. We did our research before the meet. Mr. Black is a Hermetic Mage of the Olympic tradition, while the man down there has chrome. He's obviously a spy!"
  
  "We were on our way to warn you about him when we were called to your office, and believed you were already aware of the situation."
  
  "...But then... who could have sent them?"
  
  Thankfully for Mr. Smith and Mr. Johnson, it seemed the young prince's imagination had already filled in the blanks for them. He started walking over to the intercom on his desk, pacing for a few moments. Could it be true? Could there be a leak or mole within the Zangyack police force? Could one of their rivals be attempting to sabotage their contract negotiations in New Valky?
  
  "Probably Tatewaki! Or maybe even Smart Brain! ...how much do they know..."
  
  The prince buzzed downstairs, and waited for the reply before barking into the intercom.
  
  "Yes, boss?"
  
  "Barizorg! There is an impostor in the lobby claiming to be a Shadowrunner by the name of Mr. Black. Arrest him immediately and hold him for questioning! We WILL find out who sent this spy!"
  
  As the two office drones caught their breath, Warz turned to them looking... quite happy.
  
  "Gentlemen, I want you two to start cleaning out your desks. From here on, you are Zangyack's official liasons for all Shadowrunners. Of course, your new positions come with appropriate pay raises and a private office. We'll talk about numbers then."
  
  "Thank you sir. We hope we'll do you proud."
  
  The two drones shook their boss's hand before making their way out of the office and into the hall. A few minutes of walking to their office block, and they stopped at the water cooler. The two poured themselves a drink with shaky hands, and it was Mr. Smith that spoke up first, shaking his head.
  
  "...We are so fucking dead, man."
  
  "Shit. Stay calm man. We just need to make sure our 'Mr. Black' can handle this. We'll do some digging and update him when we can."
  
• 
  
  Black Star District, Gladius III​
  In the kitchen of a now-bustling ramen shop, Evolt leaned up against the refrigerator as the young man who he had given the bottle of gunk from his body paced about in a panic. The Noodle Smash was currently steeping its noodles in its broth to stay limber, and the man's gaze occasionally darted back to the stockpot.
  
  "...I want to get rid of that thing. It... I didn't want it to kill people! This isn't what I wanted."
  
  Evolt shrugged and plucked a chunk of beef out of the a bowl of ramen with some chopsticks. He looked it over and shrugged, dropping it into his left hand.
  
  "I don't know what you're on about, kid. The more you let our monster do its thing, the better for the both of us. You've got customers again, and I got a monster with a Hazard Level of two and a half. Heck, maybe it'll even hit three if you learn to brown your meat right."
  
  "What do you mean our monster?! This thing... this thing is all your fault! Get rid of it, or... or I'll call the cops!"
  
  Evolt stopped his inspection of the ingredients to turn to the cook and tap his forehead.
  
  "Huh, that's funny! Because I sure as hell don't remember being the one to pour a mystery substance that an ominous alien at the bus stop gave me into a pot of nasty ramen. Besides... what do you think the cops will do if they find out you're the reason that monster killed all those people?"
  
  The alien headed for the rear exit, grabbing a sizable bundle propped up next to the door in the alleyway and waving over his shoulder as he shifted to human form. From the front of the store, orders for service were coming in one after the other.
  
  "For now, I've got to go check on something, and I finally got that teleporting permit. You just worry about keeping your customers happy. I'll be back to check on you and your new friend in a bit. Ciao!"
  ---
  
  Machine City, Gladius IV​
  As Ryuga walked through the base, dogs began snarling and barking in panic at a point in the middle of the room. As soldiers scurried about, bringing their guns to bear on the point, a reddish spark gave way to a swirling black mass before a familiar-looking face stepped out from it, holding out his arms for a hug. The dogs continued barking at him.
  
  "Banjo, m'boy! Come say hi to your old man."
  
  As the soldiers moved to keep their sights on him, Evolt looked around curiously, seeming to ignore the soldiers- as if they were entirely beneath his notice. He took out a card table and unfolded it, setting it down in the middle of the room.
  
  "So, Sento dumped you, huh? I guess it was only a matter of time. He was nothing bu-."
  
  "BARKBARKBARKBARKBARK!"
  
  "Sorry about your de-"
  
  "BARKBARKBARKBARKBARK!"
  
  Evolt rolled his eyes, throwing something toward one of the dogs as he used his free one to pour up a cup of coffee. The dog took a few sniffs before eating what seemed to be a pretty mundane chunk of beef. The dog calmed down fairly quickly after sniffing the meat and taking a few bites out of it.
  
  "...Like I was saying, it looks like that deadbeat Sento dumped you. Want to talk about it?"
  

BSD: Freshet
Evolt: Thepotatogod darkred

 

[The Mad Queen]

Jolie Baptiste: New Metropolis, The Badlands (Gladius-IV)​

Kogan smiled, stroking the side of Marcus' face "Oh, you poor, poor thing."
The room started to burn around them, revealing a battlefield Marcus would recognise as the ruin of Los Angeles. At their feet lay the bodies of John, Blair and Kyle and Star.
"Look at yourself Marcus." Kogan pointed towards a small puddle in the ground "See what you really are."

If Marcus looked he would see his face, his skin stripped away, revealing the metal creature underneath.

"A machine. Little more. Like Pinocchio, you think you want to think you're a real boy."

"But you're not. You're a copy."
She approached him from behind
"The real Marcus was a hero to the Resistance. He gave his heart for it. You are not that man."


Jolie's sword missed Heinrich's face by mere inches, with the officer drawing back and going for another blow that the Vampire dodged. Jumping back, he reached for his belt and tossed a knife towards Jolie that cut across her right cheek and sliced off a few strands of hair before embedding itself in one of the asylum walls.
He tutted "We're both immortal my dear, how long are we doing to do this for?"

Her reply was a shot from her revolver that blew a hole in the officer's right hand as he moved it to defend his face.
"You said you were going to kill me. I don't intend to go down without a fight." The wound on her cheek closed up, vanishing without a trace
Heinrich chuckled "When is the last time you ate?"
"When did you?"
"Less than a minute ago. Your friend gave me a ravishing meal and quite frankly I'm feeling a bit full." He glared at the back of his hand as the wound sealed itself shut

A shot pierced the Vampire in the throat, going through the other side of his neck.
"How many shots does that gun hold?" He chocked
"Not enough to shut you up it seems."
"Hmm. Making jokes now. Did the Mage rub off on you?"

He lunged for Jolie, grabbing her revolver before she could fire off another shot and twisting it, making the Vampire shot herself in the gut with the remaining bullets.

darkred
-OPEN TO INTERACTION-

Karla: Mos Eisley, Cortova's ship, The Badlands (Gladius-IV)​

"I never really cared for bureaucracy. If we try to set up a meeting we'll just be on hold with his secretary for like, five years."
"Karla..."
"I say we tell him we've got something important and then we just walk on in."
"Karla, no."
"Show him what's on this and we milk it from there."
"I have to agree. The longer we leave this, the higher the chance of these Skaven growing in size." Richard butted in "Think of the lives that could be lost if we are enveloped by red tape monsters."
He shook his head "Horrible vine-line beings from what I hear but rarely deadly. Just slow you down."
@Emmadagood GearBlade654
-OPEN TO INTERACTION-

The Sole Survivor: The Commonwealth, The Badlands (Gladius-IV) ​

While Operator tried to tell him to stop, the musician outworlder yelled something that got under Harry's skin even more. They weren't people, apparently. Was she talking about Ghouls or just the residents of the city and of the surrounding wasteland in general? Why was she calling them all Germans? He had no idea what state Germany was in following the bombs falling, but he could only assume it was the same as the rest of the world. It took a kicking and then was destroyed altogether when the great hunger showed up.

Even the Institute acknowledged that those lived above ground were human beings, and the Brotherhood of Steel held the same views too except for Synths and Ghouls. She was on a whole other level, her arrogance astounding.
He didn't have much time to reflect though, for Messier was surrounded by Gypsies and under attack from the outworlder.

"We're not Germans you moron! I'm American! What are your problems with Germans anyway!?" He yelled, trying to get her attention "Oh, screw it. Not like you'd listen to me anyway!"
He drew Deliverer, now wielding Lucille in one hand and a silenced pistol in the other to dispatch the ghostly and burning gypsies that surrounded him.
"You've got a great big stick up your arse." Cait called over to Verdi "I'm gonna rip it out and beat ya wit' it." She placed the Deathclaw gauntlet over her left hand, going to town on nearby Gypsies


He unclipped the silencer from Deliverer and took a direct shot at Verdi. Even if it missed he hoped it would at least draw more attention towards himself and away from the others.

DrBones GrieveWriter Ennuis Freshet Thepotatogod Sleek
-OPEN TO INTERACTION-

Venkman: The Western Graveyard, The Badlands (Gladius-IV)​

"I hope so too."
He'd keep the details to himself, but he was glad that the half Vampire wasn't nosy. "It'll be a day or two travel before we reach the south, even if we use the Twilight. That does mean we'll have to be on our toes."
He nodded, pointing onwards "Thing is, we'll be going over open ocean if we don't stay in this place and I'd rather take my chances with the ghosts than dip a toe in there. Pirates, sea monsters. It's not nice."

@Emmadagood
-OPEN FOR INTERACTION-

 

[GrieveWriter]

Operator 6O and Jesus Christ: The Commonwealth, The Badlands (Gladius-IV)
DrBones The Mad Queen Ennuis Freshet Thepotatogod Sleek
​

"Not gonna break unless it's in the song, eh?" Jesus just shook his head before glancing over to see one of Solution's pets cutting down a number of his clientele in its bid to wipe out the gypsies "Seriously?"

He should've expected the stubborn mage wouldn't be able to keep her mutated rabble in check. Perhaps if the gypsies weren't once more trying to congregate around him he would've taken the time to give a well-earned face-palm. Speaking of which, he pointed his sword towards one gypsy just as it lunged at him, allowing the burning creature to impale itself on his sword before flinging it into another. He took that moment of reprieve to holster his revolver once more, if they just kept spawning then he was fully intending to save his more powerful rounds for things that would actually stay dead. Besides, the Scorpion's rampage had left plenty of other weapons lying around for him to use. And he wasn't just talking about the guns.

So after leaping over another gypsy, Jesus diverted his attention away from the re-spawning tents and towards the Scorpion. Despite its ability to tank the burning gypsies and their attacks, it's simplistic attack patterns were what was leading it to attack Jesus's potential customers. Cleaving through several more gypsies, he circled far around Simon and the gypsies around attacking her before leaping right over the scorpion just as it was slaying another Diamond City resident. Why did he need to do this? For the same reason he took a moment slap at the creature's tail before he passed over. And for the same reason he immediately reached out and telekinetically pulled one of the fallen pipe guns to his grasp before firing on her.

He needed its attention.

"Over here you stupid bug!" He shouted, hoping the beast was just as reactionary as he anticipated "You're cutting down the wrong idiots!"

If he could just get the damned thing away from the citizens, then he could work on getting it to focus more exclusively on the actual problem. Sure it would put him in it's immediate line of fire, but from what he'd seen of its rampage so far, it was nowhere close to the fastest things he'd had to outpace before. He gave a disgusted little snarl at the realization that he was basically doing Solution's job for her. And where was she? A quick glance through the crowd of flailing gypsies revealed her having a hissy fit and making Messier fight for her.... so about par for the course.

Given how well the Residents did against Simon he had no expectation for this weird pistol which looked as if it had been scrabbled together out of junk and tape. But when some of the gypsies fighting once more made for him he found it was just as effective at popping their heads.

On the other side of the battle, Operator 6O was for some reason still convinced that if she could just talk Verdi down this entire situation could be defused. Of course, that would also bank on Solution and Messier being capable of halting, but compared to Verdi's horde of burning gypsies they were clearly the lesser of two evils in the equation.

However, Verdi's response dampened that hope a bit, and her apparent willingness to just sic burning corpses on the innocent was even less inspiring. Then there was the manic gypsy that was specifically coming after her, but damn it if Operator 6O wasn't still convinced that there were no other alternate end to this where everyone else ganged up on Verdi, which was very much what was happening right this very second.

"B-But-!"Operator 6O's plea was interrupted as the gypsy charged her, forcing her to dive to the side out of it's flailing grasp "You're killing the very refugees you were trying to perform for!"

Once more she had to dip out of the way of the gypsy as it came for another pass, ducking and slipping back when she could, trying her hardest to keep Verdi within earshot.

Of course, Messier and Harry's interruption just made everything even more hectic. And as Operator 6O once more circled around the wildly attacking Gypsy who was very much still hot on her heels, she shifted to trying to stop both of them at once, stumbling a bit over her words as she stumbled to get away from her pursuer.

Nope... almost immediately they were attacking each other.

Operator 6O placed her hands to the sides of her head before shaking it furiously. The others wouldn't stop unless Verdi stopped, and Verdi wouldn't stop because she seemed convinced they needed to be purged! There was no other way for 6O to approach it, but surely there was a way to end this peacefully, right!?!

As if the universe specifically sought to prove her wrong, the flailing gypsy capitalized on her indecisiveness and latched a wildly swinging hand onto her shoulder. And though said shoulder immediately began burning at its touch, Operator 6O's panicked response stemmed less from the pain it brought and more from the immediate realization that it was reaching out towards her with its other hand. YoRHa-standard heels were issued mostly to support androids because their design were mostly inconvenient for the high-speed maneuvers that combat models made regularly, however, Operator 6O found at that moment they were just as good at forcing back opponents as leg-wear of its style should be.

With a squeak of terror 6O kicked the burning gypsy away, only to find it still managing to rise again. She reached for the burn on her shoulder as she backed away, only to give a small whine at the jolt of pain which ran through her on contact. On first glance one may mistake it for a normal wound as it even seemed to have a bit of blood around the edges. But Operator 6O covered it before she could have the threat of someone seeing the more synthetic muscle underneath.

Even then, she would still heed Harry's warning about others discovering her nature.

Too bad she couldn't heed his warning about staying out of danger when human lives were at stake right in front of her. Glancing between the gypsies and the fight between Messier and Verdi, she backed up closer to Harry and Cait just as the former fired at Verdi.

"You won't be able to hit her, the gypsies keep taking ranged attacks for her." she noted as she backed out of the grasp of the specific gypsy flinging itself after her "She keeps drawing them around her specifically so they can keep absorbing attacks for her. Their numbers need to be thinned before any ranged attacks have a chance of reaching her, though..."

She took note of Verdi's movements as she kicked at Messier, an eyebrow going up before the gypsy once more garnered her attention. Yet again it leaped at her, only for her to sidestep the attack and bury her heel in the back of its head. Of course, she struggled a bit to pull her foot free as it began dissipating.

 

[darkred]

Kogan smiled, stroking the side of Marcus' face "Oh, you poor, poor thing."
The room started to burn around them, revealing a battlefield Marcus would recognise as the ruin of Los Angeles. At their feet lay the bodies of John, Blair and Kyle and Star.
"Look at yourself Marcus." Kogan pointed towards a small puddle in the ground "See what you really are."

If Marcus looked he would see his face, his skin stripped away, revealing the metal creature underneath.

"A machine. Little more. Like Pinocchio, you think you want to think you're a real boy."

"But you're not. You're a copy."
She approached him from behind
"The real Marcus was a hero to the Resistance. He gave his heart for it. You are not that man."

Things disappeared right in front of Marcus's view and changed to that of ruined Los Angeles. He was staring himself up and down and up and down. Rage bubbled in his heart. It was all he could feel at that very moment as he looked at the dead bodies of everyone he gave a shit about. He screamed "GONE! ALLL FUCKING GONE!"

He bent down to feel their pulses and each were cold, dead like the victims he killed years ago.

No, he couldn't be weak in front of them... Skynet, Kogan. THEY FUCKING DID THAT! NOT HIM!

He couldn't stand it. His rage was so great. He held Blair in his hands and cuddled her against his body, saying his last goodbye.

His agonized screaming was horrifying, screeching all over Los Angles or at least what was left.

Marcus felt like grabbing and ripping the closest person apart.

"YOU... FUCKING.."

His fists pounded the fake Kogan.

The Mad Queen ​

 

[DrBones]

Shoe-Snatchin' Willy, Citadel Untertubes, Gladius-I
Willy patiently waited for the rest of the party to climb down into the tunnels, just in case there was something waiting for them down there. It didn't have to be anything specific, just dangerous: a whirling fanblade, a mobile laser fence, angry robots with gently-scrubbing nanoflayers, an infestation of street sharks, and so on.

Willy very carefully tried to fit his clown shoes in the ladder's wrungs, only managing to fit up to the toes. He tested his first step. His grip held! He raised his other foot.

Willy came crashing down to the tunnels below, his shoes making comical slapping noises against each rung as they completely failed to fit between them. Fifteen rungs and ten feet later, Willy was crumpled up in a heap at the bottom of the ladder. Surprisingly, he wasn't dead! He wasn't even horribly crippled! Willy's bike horn made a mournful honk as he got to his feet.

"Oof," Willy grunted, cracking his neck. "Good to be back home, at least."
Willy watched as two of the goons he was saddled up with argued over... buying the cyborg? Weren't those things station property? He watched as they tried to split the cost using their cards. Willy had rarely ever seen anyone reach a point where they're low enough in their life to need to split a credit card payment. "Jesus," he opined at them, "you guys need a loan or something? I got a few hundred in my space wallet."
Still, the cyborg was in good repair, and thus far it was (probably) not on a lawset encouraging it to kill all humans. Maybe it would be a good idea to buy one. Willy tapped Torgo on the shoulder.
"Hey borg, you got a map of the station, don't you? Where do these tunnels lead?"

Specialist The Mad Queen Shining Wizard Sleek

 

[The Mad Queen]

Jolie Baptiste: New Metropolis, The Badlands (Gladius-IV)​

As Marcus' fists struck Kogan, they tore through her easily and a metal skeleton was revealed underneath. She smiled as she reached for her face, tearing away at the flesh with her bear hands and revealing the skull of a Terminator.
"You don't belong with the machines and you don't belong with humans. You're no one. You're not even the real Marcus."
She reached for his throat with her cold, metal hands.

Heinrich sighed as the gun clicked, pulling one of his hands away and using it to cut across Jolie's face with another knife. The French Vampire drew back, activating Celerity and firing off two crossbow bolts at him, one striking in the shoulder and another in the arm as he blocked his heart. Three more bolts were fired before he got close again, hitting the rapid-fire crossbow out of Jolie's hands and grabbing her by the throat. She was lifted into the air, her head hitting against the asylum wall and leaving a dent in the concrete.

"How much blood did you use with that stunt, Miss Dubois? And what about healing yourself? You are bound to run out eventually..."
He was cut off as Jolie brought both of her legs up to strike him in the face, breaking his nose with a firm kick and dislocating his jaw with another. He yelled and she delivered another to his chest, knocking him back and causing him to lose grip.
"My name is Baptiste." She spat

Using one hand he pushed his jaw back into place, filling the corridors with a crack.

darkred
-OPEN TO INTERACTION-

 

[darkred]

Marcus Wright
New Metropolis, The Badlands (Gladius-IV)
Near a certain unknown part of Arklym Asylum
-OPEN TO INTERACTION



It's when Marcus's rage started to subside only a bit when he saw what was underneath Dr. Kogan's own skeleton.

"Turns out me and you are almost alike, just in different ways."

"You are a terminator because Skynet promised you something you couldn't get and I did the same hoping Skynet promised me I couldn't get

"That's the difference between us and Skynet, Kogan. You CHOSE to work for Skynet under your own free will, I did as well.

"Now the choice is yours, would you rather be as horrible as Skynet or would you join me as a free woman of your own will."

"The truth hurts, Dr. Crane! THE TRUTH HURTS!"

Those illusions are fake, those bodies "I" murdered aren't real and if you don't release me or Jolie, you'll wish you never met me."

Marcus screamed, refusing to kill Dr. Kogan hallucination as it would make him no better than Skynet.

He refused to end up as Dr. Crane's new insane patient.

The Mad Queen


​

 

[The Mad Queen]

Jolie Baptiste: New Metropolis, The Badlands (Gladius-IV)​

As Marcus stood up for himself and called out Crane, the fake Kogan crumbled into dust, while the ruins of the city vanished around the half-Terminator with the mind and heart of a human. The bodies of those Kogan had claimed he had murdered under Skynet's control faded away as well, turning to dust as they were swept away along with the illusion.
"Well done. You're the first person to resist my new formula like this." Crane's voice was contorted, twisted like the minds of those that once lived in the asylum
"But you'll break eventually, give in to fear."

"Everyone does, in the end."

Standing tall, at around 7 and a half feet was Crane.
"Marcus Fenix. What an interesting specimen you are. I wonder what it will take to break you."

Jolie kept Heinrich at arm's length with her sword, slicing away at the officer. Some blows struck, cutting into his suit and his flesh but the skin would quickly heal. Her eyes were black, her fangs lowered as she hissed and went for his neck. He ducked under the sword and grabbed Jolie by the arm.
"That's not going to work this time." He smiled, bearing fangs of his own. He tightened his grip around her arm and there was a crack as his Vamperic strength shattered the bone.

Jolie dropped the sword and tried to strike him across the face with her free arm, but her own bastard sword pierced her through the gut. The French woman gasped before Heinrich drew the sword back and plunged it into her gut once more. There was a crack as she used some of her remaining blood to heal the broken bones and went for a punch, but was kicked against a wall and had the sword driven into her again. Another slice went across her face, blinding her in one eye. With both hands gripped around the blade, he prepared to stab her once more, aiming for her heart.

But Jolie was ready. Using blood she grabbed the sword with her two hands and hissed as she wrestled it from Heinrich's grip. She'd be running on empty now, but if she could find Marcus that wouldn't be a problem. Her hissing turned into a yell as she plunged the sword into the officer's gut.
"Do you feel that?!" She spat, venom and fury oozing from her words. She plunged the sword in once again "C'est pour mon pays (That is for my county)."

Slicing off his arm with another strike, she plunged the sword in once again.
"C'est pour mes parents (That is for my parents)."

Driving it into his chest she looked into his eyes, still blackened while his were a cold blue "Pour mon mari (For my husband)." She went for his legs this time, slicing them off at the knee.
She took a deep breath, tears building in her eyes.
"Et ça...C'est pour mon fils (And this...This for my son.)"

She sliced off the Vampire's head. As his body started to quickly decay she dropped the sword, it's clattering echoing through the halls and fell to her knees. Resting her bloodied and broken body against the asylum's walls, she spat at the ashes.
"He was never real, was he? Doctor Crane. I know what Mind Mages can do."
"Oh, he was real." Came a familiar voice. Through her remaining eye, Jolie looked down the hall to see an old friend approaching: Venkman "Mages and Fea combined can work wonders. Well, horrifying wonders. I wouldn't call them wonders."
"Are you..."
"Yeah, I faked my own death. Sorry."

He ran towards her "Why aren't you healing? Do you not have enough blood left?"
Jolie looked up at him, giving a weak smile
"Here, I'll..." He rolled up one of his sleeves
"No...No, I've lost too much. I could kill you."
"I've been dead before, I'll get better." He chuckled
"Really? You're making references now!"
"I never change. Ain't I a stinker?" He smiled "Now, take my blood. Worst comes to it I'll Twilight shift away, yeah?"

She nodded, bared her fangs once more and dug in.

darkred
-OPEN TO INTERACTION-

 

[darkred]

Marcus Wright
New Metropolis, The Badlands (Gladius-IV)
Near a certain unknown part of Arklym Asylum
-OPEN TO INTERACTION

The fading of everything fake but there was something still wrong. Marcus was still hearing Crane's twisted voice in his head.

Marcus growled, The Scarecrow growing to 7ft towering over the terminator.

"You can't break me, I'm not one of your asylum patients."

"Now give me Jolie back. She did nothing."

Marcus cracked his fist and loaded his gun.

The Mad Queen​

 

[GearBlade654]

Corneilles

The bounty hunter was silent the entire trip.
He had remained in the back of everything, never doing anything, merely observing. But now, for the first time, the bounty hunter spoke.
"Skaven."
The bounty hunter calmly swung his grappling hook, looking it over. He would need it for any potential snipers.
"I'll admit I was out of the loop for quite some time. But tell me-you mean they can grow in size, and how big can they get?"
"And how organized are they? Do they have snipers, gunners, all that?"
(sorry for short post rp engine is warming up)

 

[The Mad Queen]

Jolie Baptiste: New Metropolis, The Badlands (Gladius-IV)​

"Jolie did plenty." Crane smiled "You may not be innocent, but the blood on her hands is far greater than your own. Do you really want to trust someone like that? She'll use you for her blood, an endless resource for her to feast upon. Is that what you want to be, Marcus? A blood sac?"
He took one more step, looking down into Marcus' eyes. "She'll be broken soon enough. As for you..."
Crane drew a hook with a chain on the end of it "We're just getting started."

Venkman drew back, yelling in pain while Jolie drew back
"I-I..."
"You, bitch!" He snapped "You killed me."
"I only took a little. There's no way..."

Venkman fell to the ground, clutching his arm as he started to bleed out. Marks in his throat, legs and even chest started to show as if bites had been taken out of each by a wild animal.
"I...I loved you. Why?"

Jolie started to breathe deeply, looking at her hands to find them stained with blood.
"Wait. This isn't real." She looked up "None of this is real." Jolie pushed herself to her feet "My friend died and even if he did fake it, he would've found a way to reach out."
She laughed "This is fake. I know it is. Mind Magic and little more. You hid your aura from me, after all. Well, my friend was able to resist it and so can I."
She punched one of the walls "You made a mockery of his memory. For that, I'm going to make you pay. I won't kill you, because I am not a killer but I will not let this go."

She delivered another punch against the wall, seeing something on the other side.
"Marcus! Is that you!?"

He would hear Jolie's voice.

darkred
-OPEN TO INTERACTION-

Karla: Mos Eisley, Cortova's ship, The Badlands (Gladius-IV)​

"Oh yeah, all of that. It's all on this." Karla reached into her bag again with her tail, holding out the disc "You know, I thought you were mute."
"You were wrong about something? What a surprise."
Karla grinned "You want to see? Promise you won't break this thing and I'll let you take a peak."

She waved the disc in front of Corneilles' face.
"This is our lifeline. We're going to use it to make a lot of money."

@Emmadagood GearBlade654
-OPEN TO INTERACTION-

 

[darkred]

Marcus Wright
New Metropolis, The Badlands (Gladius-IV)
Near a certain unknown part of Arklym Asylum
-OPEN TO INTERACTION

Marcus turned toward the Scarecrow who now had a hook with a chain on it "She wouldn't use me like that! She needed only a little blood."

It's when Marcus's attention got diverted to Jolie's voice "JOLIE?! IS THAT YOU?!"

If Jolie could hear Marcus's voice on the other side, he'd try to fight his way out.

The Mad Queen​

 

[Freshet]

Apostate of the Black Demon Sect: Sewer Dungeon, Sword Coast, Gladius III​

Well, it looked like at last that the others would be safely removed from the showdown in the sewer complex. The Nameless Mook gave a brief sigh of relief as they did not wish to challenge the matter further, knowing that the real heroism for them was to secure the sanctity of the innocents. The Monk of the Order, whether it was truly sacred or not was beyond the breadth of knowledge Fat Shang had, E-M-T had great pools of Qi to conjure forth powerful spring waters to safely wall off the pair and the loyalist from the rest.

As the Nameless Mook managed to block crimson lash after crimson lash, slashing them apart into infused blood which was no longer directed by the order of the blade, he knew what he must do. If he knew of the mystical enchantments done by the friendly, as far as one can apply that particular quality, necromancer perhaps he would thank her later.

But now was a matter of the present; not the future inquiries such as how much horror will this grievous wound give me considering the fact the showdown is in a sewer.

The Fake Shang’s mind rolled with thoughts of how he had to settle this. This was not a matter he could truly settle with the blade. Rocking back and forth, feeling his legs tremble, the Nameless Mook dramatically raised his blade upwards.

Before sheathing it.

“This might be crazy enough to work. At the very least it should be a measured approach in resolving the situation.” mused the warrior before knowing what he must do.

Taking his sheathed blade, the Ex-Black Demon Sect Mook charged towards his loyalist peer and began swinging the covered blade and currently blunted item at him.

FistOfTheBorkStar zontar Donder172 The Mad Queen

 

[The Mad Queen]

Jolie Baptiste: New Metropolis, The Badlands (Gladius-IV)​

"She lied to the Germans for years. She's good at it when she wants to be. She sees humans as a resource, like all Vampires."
He swung the hook towards Marcus' head "Then again, you're not human. Are you?"

"Marcus!? I can hear you! Hold on!" She punched the wall again, tearing a hole in it. Just large enough to stick her head through.
"Merde (shit)." She muttered "What is that?"
"So, you managed to resist as well. Perhaps I was not firm enough. I wonder what other secrets a mind as old and as broken as yours holds."

darkred
-OPEN TO INTERACTION-

 

[Freshet]

• Askelpiades
• Dark Enforcer

• 
  
  
  
  Askelpiades of Hierekion, Streets of Black Star District: Gladius III​
  
  
  And so, despite the foot-traffic which was simply passing by the Greek while giving vicious stink-eyes towards him, Askelpiades eagerly watched the ever changing bill-boards. Taking out the high confidential comm-link, out in the open nature of the metropolitan sidewalks, Askelpiades began examining it.
  
  Some of the aliens present on the other side of the street began to gawk at the country bumpkin, with some even choosing to snap a picture.
  
  “Perhaps the brazier, which hath been entrusted to mine personage is similar in structure to those that speakith of crimes done to those in the almshouse.” mused Askelpiades the Black as he returned the small pieces of highly confidential information back into his pockets. “Verily if the criminality of which the Crier speaks of remains after the brigands are dealt with, I shall provideth my services to aid the lawmen!”
  
  Askelpiades eagerly declared as he clapped his hands together and pointed towards the sign. “Fair Prince I shalt not bodge thi-” That’s when the Greek stopped entirely as his eyes focused intently on the disciple of Ares. Odd that this craftsman was under him. As as far as Askelpiades could imagine it was clear that the favored God of worship here was the Forgemaster, which on some level made sense considering the great and vast structures. As a Priest of Poseidon he would need to work hard in order to encourage further worship of the God of the Seas!
  
  But he just couldn’t help staring at the noble display of a fellow servant of the Gods. Askelpiades mouth grew wide as he quickly turned to clasp both hands of a rather disappointed looking creature stuffed into one of the priestly garbs he had seen on High Priest Johnson earlier.
  
  “Prithee Noble Sir!” declared Askelpiades to the widening eyes of the creature. Askelpiades removed a single hand from the man’s shoulder and pointed towards a billboard which was still displaying the advertisement, “The Priest of Ares hath constructed a mysterious boon, and to valiantly dispatch brigands, even as a humble servant of Poseidon, I seek to find the device constructed by the Grand Strategist!”
  
  Baffled at this, the alien just pointed down the street hoping that this man would go away. Askelpiades let go of the other shoulder, took a few steps back and gave a bow. “I am most gracious for thy notation; may Poseidon assure that the ground underneath thy feet preserver!” And so with that Askelpiades of Hierekion went along his merry way running off to the shrine, the 'storefront', that would allow him to at least witness the miracles the Priests of Ares were up to here!
• 
  
  The Dark Enforcer gave a simple nod to King, before flexing his metallic thumb upwards in approval. “Relentless punching and beating up people always leads to answers. With that in mind, I’ll take you to the spot.” Walking into the town, the newcomers were not bothered by any lingering stares due to King’s particular ways.
  
  Tromping through the mud, the cyborg continued his statement. “We aren’t going for big waves of conquest yet; if we were gonna do that I would’ve stuck around in Eisley, we’re here for answers. I expect Yosemite or some of his goons to be in the area, considering my mine isn’t far off from here. So we can intimidate on that end. As for Artemis, well this little craphole does attract visitors of the shadier sort as it is harder to find. Bash enough heads in I’m sure we’ll find someone whose seen it. Plus this place tends to get a lot of simple bounty jobs, we can get some quick cash here to finance grander plans. I’ll go set up shop and catch you later.”
  
  Pointing down the street, past the executioner’s square where a few bodies were still being hung and pecked at by some carrion birds, The Dark Enforcer went on. “Turn left at the gallows and just keep going straight and on your right you’ll see the Post Office. Ask them about the Pony Express while mentioning Rider Ricardo. They’ll know what it means and let you in. Or you could just bash your way in but, that’d be bit annoying to explain to the Sheriff’s Office.”

Askelpiades - zontar
Dark Enforcer - Zerohex Sleek

 

[GearBlade654]

Corneilles
"Don't break it and all that. Trust me, I take the molars of my targets all the time. Lose one and your bounty goes away."
Corneilles folded his arms, not quite familiar with all the new technology going around. Upon Karla saying the disc was their lifeline, Corneilles let out a short chuckle.
"Ohohoho, now we're talking business."
The bounty hunter nodded, and took a seat.
"How much money are we talking here?"

(Davies post is coming soon)

 

[Ennuis]

Messier: Diamond City, The Badlands (Gladius-IV) ​

Messier couldn't understand the strange words spoken by the Netherworlder, but she assumed it wasn't nice. But it wasn't as bad as the spirits swarming around her and slapping her. The slaps on their own weren't that bad, but the strange chilling sensation made Messier's skin crawl. Struggling to keep her Solar Bomb from falling early, she tried to move away from the gypsies only to move into Verdi's kicks. Now those hurt, but they weren't as bad as she would have thought. Netherworlders typically hit with literal explosive force, but she explained it away as a side effect of relying on her summoning power.

"Just what the hell is a German?! Never mind, I'm sick of this! Hurry up and go back to the Netherworld!" With a sudden, dramatic motion Messier swung her flower down towards Verdi, and with it, the Solar Bomb. A blinding flash of light consumed the area as the orb of solar energy erupted. The gypsies were obliterated, likely to return elsewhere if Verdi was still left standing, and the ramshackle buildings closest to the explosion warped from the heat.

"You ready to quit now? Even your people should be smart enough to quit fighting after that!" She was putting on a tough front, but had her doubts about that move being strong enough, after all, Netherworlders were incredibly violent and incredibly stupid. "If not, well, you better know that I have way stronger moves. Moves that are more than enough to stop a stupid singing demon like you for good." She then pointed her sunflower in the direction of where Verdi was last standing, waiting for the dust to settle and reveal the fate of her opponent.

Freshet DrBones The Mad Queen GrieveWriter

 

[Freshet]

Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi: Diamond City, Badlands (Gladius IV)​

Would the wanton slaughter by the Outlanders be worth it!? Was the solar bomb enough to end the maddening chorus?! This confrontation, this battle, depended on the result of the Solar Bomb! Which would be found out, right now!

As the dust settled, there was a very solid interpretation to be had by Messier and the other Germans.

Verdi was in fact, not standing. No sir, she was not standing at all. Nor was she really cognizant of what exactly was going on at this point. In fact it was safe to say she was crumbled on the ground on her side clutching at her stuff.

It was plainly clear this was the case due to a few things, such as the lack of the song in the background. Or perhaps it was due to brighter scene due to both the impact of the solar bomb or because the smoldering tents were gone. A few things were clear like Verdi was no longer in the more modest spandex attire but rather in the skimpier garb of the rock-star. And that was BEFORE the solar bomb not only burned at the rickety construction but also did some clothing damage. The guitar had a few new dents to it but appeared fine.

And so there she laid in a rather unconscious state, beaten by a German child. Truly that was the fate of the Italian was it not?

Ennuis DrBones GrieveWriter The Mad Queen

 

[Topless]

Kanna Kamui
Gladius-1: Cynthia

Kanna is confused by what the tou guide have said just before everyone is down onto their knees. Their ruler, VIctor Von Doom, also known commonly as Dr. Doom, is approaching. Kanna? She just stands there having no idea what she is getting in to.

Thepotatogod The Mad Queen ​

 

[Shining Wizard]

TORGO - CITADEL, MAINTENANCE TUNNELS

The, for lack of a better word, ceiling of the corridor trembled with the tromping footsteps of Zeke Mobile Suits above, though it was difficult to get a read on their exact position- The Zaku Trainer's sudden dismemberment had destabilized it's Minovsky reactor and scattered the radiation-blocking particles throughout Little Zeon- that and, you know, the falling rubble. From the imploding space station. There was also that odd noise from the rear end of the corridor- kind of a smooth halfway point between a rumble and a skitter, the sound of something large and smooth and solid working exactly as it was intended to work. It was all terribly disorienting.

"Hush, (pending) Master, hush.", Torgo said as she stood on the tips of her toes and and pressed a single finger into the (pending) Master's lips, "It is fine, Torgo already knows. The (pending) Master is in dire financial straits, the likes of which many similar counterculture scenesters find themselves in. The (pending) Master yearns for Torgo, but fears she cannot afford such a luxury. Worry not. Torgo is an affordable mistress who stands perpetual at the fourth step of Maslow's Heirarchy, and this gynoid can be yours for as little as a dollar per day*. Purchase now to receive a free-"

Torgo's head swiveled to face the interrupting passerby, finding herself face-to-chest with Shoe-Stealin' Willie. She craned her head back to make eye contact with the robust-looking performer.

"-Ah, yes, the clown. You are the newest member of the (pending) Master's entourage, it appears. These maintenance tunnels form a network across the outer ring of the Citadel, and double as a primary ventilation shaft which freely distributes a nitrogen-oxygen-carbon dioxide mix throughout the Wards. By Torgo's calculations, these tunnels are the third-safest place on the station. More importantly, the ventilation shafts providing easy access to a spaceport's airlocks. On this note, Torgo does suggest the (pending) Master and her entourage do not linger here for too long, else the refugees steal all the nice spacecraft and/or shrubberies for themselves. Is this enough information to deter further interruption: y/n."

*(SECONDARY FEES NOT INCLUDED; ALL PURCHASES FINAL)

The Mad Queen Specialist Sleek DrBones

 

[darkred]

"She lied to the Germans for years. She's good at it when she wants to be. She sees humans as a resource, like all Vampires."
He swung the hook towards Marcus' head "Then again, you're not human. Are you?"

"Marcus!? I can hear you! Hold on!" She punched the wall again, tearing a hole in it. Just large enough to stick her head through.
"Merde (shit)." She muttered "What is that?"
"So, you managed to resist as well. Perhaps I was not firm enough. I wonder what other secrets a mind as old and as broken as yours holds."

Marcus Wright
New Metropolis, The Badlands (Gladius-IV)
Near a certain unknown part of Arklym Asylum
-OPEN TO INTERACTION

Marcus frowned "Yeah, and your point is Scarecrow?" At this point, he was annoyed.

Marcus frowned "How much blood were you planning on taking? I know a little but this guy says you plan to suck me dry."

Marcus gritted his teeth "You can play with my emotions scarecrow, but you aren't turning me against my ally."​

 

[The Mad Queen]

Karla: Mos Eisley, Cortova's ship, The Badlands (Gladius-IV)​

"The guy we're going to talk to has deep pockets. We give him this disc, he takes a look and from there he either pays us for the information or he hires us to deal with the Skaven."
"I would dispatch them for free, but Karla insists I try to make a living."
"You gotta eat and I need to fulfil my destiny. A destiny I can't carry out without a ton of money."

She tossed Corneilles the disc "Take a look. See what we're up against."

A holographic video was displayed of drone footage:
The drone was in the north, surrounded by mountains and frost. Although grainy with moments of static covering the screen, shapes could be seen moving in the distance, right before the drone was hit and fell to the ground.

The footage got more blurry, and barely-visible shapes moved towards the drone, dragging it away. They appeared to be humanoid at least, standing on two legs but due to quality of the footage it was hard to tell. It was dragged through a cave by two of the beings, and the footage cut out. When it resumed, the drone had turned on what was left of it's night vision and thousands of sets of eyes stared directly into the camera as it was dragged further and further away. There was the sound of something smashing, and then the footage turned to pure static.

More details would follow, images of giant, bipedal rats. One was armed with a flamethrower like device, spewing out green flames while another was armed with a hand-cranked gattling gun. A team of rats operated a large musket rifle with a scope. Images of the north itself were displayed, with footage of over one hundred rats tearing apart a camp while the fighters, armed with firearms barely made a dent in their numbers. In total one or two rats were dropped in the conflict as the swarm consumed the camp.

Another image would display itself. What appeared to be a human being had been flayed and decapitated, their headless body displayed against a post. Whatever was recording panned out, revealing dozens upon dozens of these posts with each body in the same state.

"It's just more of the same." Karla shrugged
"Apparently there's thousands of them. Maybe more. If we sit idly by they could kill millions. A true knight would throw himself on his own sword before he allowed that to happen."

@Emmadagood GearBlade654
-OPEN TO INTERACTION-

The Sole Survivor: The Commonwealth, The Badlands (Gladius-IV) ​

The flash reminded him of a nuke, which sent the man into a state of mild panic as his breathing became heavy and his hands started to shake. Had a mini-nuke gone off inside of Diamond City? Not only would the area be filled with radiation for years to come but dozens of people could be dead. Thankfully, Cait and Dogmeat were close by but he had other friends in the city and others he had sworn to protect.
When the dust settled, he breathed a heavy sigh of relief. No nuke, just a blast from Messier. She really wasn't kidding when she said the sunflower was a weapon. The thing packed a punch, that was for sure.

So many questioned burned through his mind as the dust settled. How had the outworlder generated and controlled the swarm of people that seemed to just replicate itself? Just how powerful was Messier's sunflower? He'd been too focused on fighting off the creations of the musician to really ask these questions and with the musician now unconscious he got a feeling he'd need to wait a little bit longer before any answers were given.

Looking around the city, thankfully nobody had been killed in the fighting but all of the gypsies and their structures had seemingly vanished.
"Can you tell me what the feck is goin' on?"
"I wish I knew Cait. I'm putting it down to strange outworlder tech for now."

He marched over to Messier, looking down at the unconscious body of the musician. The fact that her outfit had changed was yet another question, but one lower on his list.
"Alright. We'll tie her up and question her about this. A few of these people might want to kill her, but I say we at least find out how she did this first. In case this happens again, we need to be ready."

He shook his head "Especially if we're heading north and the city doesn't have as many defences."
He smiled at Messier, reaching out to pat her on the shoulder "Nice work."

A few Minutemen approached, picking up the musician and attempting to bind her wrists with rope while Harry looked at the guitar. It seemed ordinary, but he couldn't be sure. Did the guitar induce hallucinations? The gypsies had appeared to be on fire and yet there was little damage done to the city. If they were mere hallucinations though then why were they able to strike him? Why did he feel a weight when he fought them back using Lucille?
Perhaps they were just very intense? It would explain why nobody had been killed by them despite their numbers and the fact that there was no end to them. Like the hydra it seemed like for each one destroyed another two would take it's place. Nobody could conjure an army from thin air. Even the Institute had to build one, the Super mutants had a formula and the mutant rats reproduced.

He wanted to dismantle it, to see how it worked more than anything but he held back. It could still be dangerous and the last thing he wanted was to cause more carnage in a city now filled with shaken people.

DrBones GrieveWriter Ennuis Freshet Thepotatogod Sleek
-OPEN TO INTERACTION-

Jolie Baptiste: New Metropolis, The Badlands (Gladius-IV)​

"Don't listen to him! I would never..."
"Never what? Kill?" Scarecrow cut her off "Tell that to the skeleton of a child lying at he bottom of a river. Tell that to the woman you tore to pieces in your own home. A woman who trusted you, even loved you. Tell that to the boy soldiers in black uniforms, fighting in a war none of them wanted. How many lives have you taken? Have you kept count?"

"And you." He turned back to face Marcus "What about the lives you've taken? Those lost because of your actions. Your own brother. Two innocent police officers just doing their jobs."
"Marcus!" Jolie shouted "He's trying to mess with your head. Don't let him in." She punched the wall once again "Whatever he's showing you, it's not real!"

darkred
-OPEN TO INTERACTION-

 

[darkred]

"Don't listen to him! I would never..."
"Never what? Kill?" Scarecrow cut her off "Tell that to the skeleton of a child lying at he bottom of a river. Tell that to the woman you tore to pieces in your own home. A woman who trusted you, even loved you. Tell that to the boy soldiers in black uniforms, fighting in a war none of them wanted. How many lives have you taken? Have you kept count?"

"And you." He turned back to face Marcus "What about the lives you've taken? Those lost because of your actions. Your own brother. Two innocent police officers just doing their jobs."
"Marcus!" Jolie shouted "He's trying to mess with your head. Don't let him in." She punched the wall once again "Whatever he's showing you, it's not real!"

Marcus Wright
New Metropolis, The Badlands (Gladius-IV)
Near a certain unknown part of Arklym Asylum
-OPEN TO INTERACTION

Marcus growled at Scarecrow "GET OUT OF MY HEAD! I'm not that kind of person! Jolie would never hurt me, and I may be far from innocent, but I paid the price for it. LET ME GO!"

"This isn't real, it never was, Scarecrow. You may use my past against me but you are far worse."

"JOLIE!"

The terminator pulled out all his stops to get the twisted voices out of his head.

The Mad Queen

​