Stella didn't seem to mind when the hooded woman she was trying to protect approached her and zipped up her jacket, telling the living weapon that wearing her outfit like that isn't really allowed by human standards. In response, Stella nodded, although raising a brow.
Stella felt like Vitan was kinda enjoying the view for a second there...Or maybe it was just her? Still, with her body generating heat whenever she moves dynamically, she might have to unzip it when the need arises.
Soon, a strange human greeted them, walking out the conspicuous metal gates. His skin was quite pale, so pale that it's grey. He towered over most people, stitches seemed to line his forehead. His name was Frank, as introduced by Paimon. The towering man then led the group inside a luxurious looking hotel in which there seems to be creatures of unknown origins everywhere. Aliens? Stella felt tense being around them, almost as if raising her guard in case one of them made a move against the human party.
It's her mission to protect mankind, after all.
Though if Paimon trusts them, then it's no surprise if everyone else does, too. Stella still had her guard up as she was taken to her room. There, she started to inspect her cannon, trying to find out why it's not working the way it's supposed to. It's supposed to fire flaming rocks--generated from her abnormal body heat. As she was doing this, though, a gunshot rang in the distance. She glanced at the door, laying her cannon near the bed as she took out her blade.
Opening the door, Stella finds herself outside, in a land covered in pure white snow. Just outside what seemed to be a wooden cottage. Old and abandoned. This is...Moscow? Is she back on her Earth?
Suddenly, an explosion rings in the distance, shaking the floor.
"That's...!" Stella turned to the source, remembering what that explosion as for--an airship, filled with the last living members of mankind. "The Draco...!" She mutters the name of the vessel, soon rushing towards the source of the explosion.
"PSS Call, do you copy?" Stella tapped her ear, trying to contact the soldiers she has worked with. Nothing. Just static. "Is everyone alright?!" She sounded worried, gritting her teeth as she ran along the cracked ice and snow. She passed by parts of the aircraft, most of which are lit aflame, drawing smoke.
Somehow, she feels as if this scene is familiar. How is this familiar...?
Arriving at the scene of the crash, debris of the crashed ship are more than noticeable, crashing through what seemed to be an old human construction site. Bodies of the soldiers she had worked with littered on the side.
Suddenly, she hears something barreling towards her, in a blur of black and yellow. It was huge, towering over her easily. Covered from neck to toe with thick body armor, increasing his already abnormal size. Its massive arms about to swing at the remaining soldier when a woman's voice suddenly demanded the beast to still it's hand.
{[SZZU & CKRY]}
Beauty and Beast Family
"CKRY, stay!" The woman's voice commanded, and just before the beast's fist reached Stella's face, he stopped, backing away with the sounds of loud, clanking metal. Looking over at the source of the voice as a blonde woman, wearing a black tiara and glasses. Clad in yellow armor and a black dress, she sits on a metal beam quite regally. The woman then speaks to her. "Have you told your friends goodbye?" She asked Stella, as she loosened her stance. "It's okay. I'll wait."
"Wait...?" Stella mumbled aloud, "What for?"
"You stocks don't follow the custom of Neblading, right?" The woman asked, looking at the bodies of the remaining soldiers of humanity, on the brink of death itself. "When something dies, all that's left are memories. And the more memories there are, the more you want to talk about it, no?"
"Guhrrr...." CKRY, the armored beast of a man growled to the woman.
"Yes. A good Neblading depends on how much memories it has...I think."
"Rothcall, you idiot..." Groaned Stella's commanding officer, Phobos.
"Now you understand? I hope so. Now go. Death draws near him." The woman tells Stella, who glances at Phobos then back at the alien woman, soon complying and rushing over to Phobos.
"Where's Rothcall...?" Phobos' immediate question when Stella approached him. Stella shook her head in response.
"He's not here." Stella answered, "Can't you see...?" She asked, noting that he hasn't took note of one of the Alien Commanders nearby.
"Yeah, 'vrything's pitch black...So, did he get away?"
"I don't know."
"...We still need the guy for the woman." Phobos groaned, "He should be fine." He sighed, as if resigning to his fate. "Unlike me, he still believes in the future...Damn, he's amazing."
"You mean...Not the sharpest knife in the drawer?" Stella asks, still unsure of the meaning of that figure of speech. "That's what you meant by amazing...Right?"
{[Phobos]}
Captain Rambo
"What...?" He fell silent for a moment, soon trying to look up to Stella. "Hey...Take care of him for me, won't you?" Phobos uttered his dying words, his body soon turning limp. Signs of life disappearing from his body.
"Phobos...?!" Stella called out to the now dead man, trying to make sure he's still alive, yet...He's gone.
"Over there, too." The woman who gave her time then called out to Stella, pointing at the General, who was still lying on the snow. Briefly, Stella took a good look at the Commanding Officer, before walking towards the Commander himself.
Unlike Phobos, the Commander could see, spotting Stella standing beside him.
"The last person I'll ever get to talk to...Is you?" The Commander pondered painfully, as if it was an unexpected turn of events. "What can I even talk to a Cloned Girl about?" He asked, in which Stella sat besides his dying body, hugging her knees.
{[Commander Marion]}
Remorseful Leader of Man
"Polar Bears." Stella said, knowing that she wanted to hear more about the creatures when the General first spoke about them.
"Oh yeah..." The Commander chuckled a bit, "How far did I get last time?" He asked, as if asking a child where he last left off in the previous story time.
"The Polar Bear woke up." She answered, recalling where they left off perfectly.
"That's right...The last one." The Commander nodded, continuing his story from before. "The King of the Ice Palace." He says, soon drifting off into a story.
The Commander spoke a story about how he had driven the Polar Bears to extinction, killing off the last of its kind in order to preserve its DNA--it's data, it's memories, and a real life sample. All for the Noah Project to reconstruct when the war against the Aliens are over. He spoke about how most of the animals' extinctions were caused by man, and in by doing so, he had fulfilled his duty.
"The Data accumulated for the Noah Project was larger than anything....It's literally priceless." The Commander stated, "But now, the aliens will devour that information, and assimilate it for themselves. They'll feast on it, since it's what keeps them alive." With the last of his strength, he issued one last order to Stella. "They've taken away the Noah archive...I want you to take it back and guard it with your life. The records of everything this planet once had. Everything that had once lived...In the sky, the lands, and the seas. The record of those beautiful souls...Please, guard them forever."
"How do I get it back?" Stella asked, glancing at the Commander, only to see him with his eyes closed, seemingly lifeless. "Oh." She could mumble, as she suddenly felt something soft in her hand. A plush, white bear. A red ribbon tied around its neck.
"That's..." The Commander groaned, prompting the Stella to glance at the General once more. "The Noah Project's mascot...Where did you get it?"
"It was in the trailer with me." Stella answers, recalling the moment she woke up for the first time after 12 years.
"I see...So Dr. Gibson left it." The Commander mumbled, as if recalling something about the plush bears. "He was a member of the Noah Project after all...Each one had a built in voice recorder. Maybe he left a message. You can listen to it if you have the Pass Code."
"Pass Code?"
"...Did you forget it?" The General breathed his last query as he closed his eyes once more, tired of talking.
"Commander Marion?!" Stella called out, wanting to wake up the leader of the UEF once more. This time, responding much quicker than before.
"The reason I quit the army and joined D'dario Next as a freelance officer..." The Commander spoke once more, this time, with a tinge of nostalgia on his voice. "Was because I saw a poster of Sing Love. I thought that if I worked for them, I'll get to meet her."
Sing Love. There's that name again. Ever since she woke up, she's been hearing that name from the soldiers of UEF a lot. From the minute she woke up to their eventual deaths. Who was she?
The Commander then glanced over at Stella, and as if mistaking her for someone else, he spoke to her.
"Sing Love...We finally get to meet." The Commander spoke with a faint voice and immense, fading joy. "Having you to be the last thing I see before I die...Isn't bad after all." With a smile on his face, his voice faded. The Commander's life finally fading to nothingness.
"But...I'm a clone..." Stella says, looking down at the snow as she dropped the plush bear. "I'm not her..."
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang through their comms.
"Boss, where are you?! Phobos?!" The remaining man, Rothcall, called out to his superior officers. "Someone, anyone, please answer me! Where is everyone?!" He called out in desperation, wanting to search for his comrades.
"Rothcall..." Stella answered, hoping to quell Rothcall's fears.
"Oh, it's you." He sighs, relieved to hear someone on the other side of the line.
"Everyone's...Dead." Stella says, soon standing up, searching for Rothcall himself.
"I see...Then, I'm about to die, too..." Rothcall says instinctively, feeling great remorse on being the only survivor.
Stella passes by the great black and yellow beast and its yellow maiden, who asked if she's finally finished. She didn't bother answering, soon rushing off in search of Rothcall and the Brunhild--her personal jet.
{[Rothcall]}
The Last Man Alive.
"Rothcall!" Stella called out to her comrade, finding the blonde man lying on the snow, unmoving. The man glanced over at Stella's figure before looking at the sky. In response, Stella crawled ontop of him, as if assessing if he's still alive. "Are you okay?"
"I don't know." He answered honestly. "I feel a kind of...Rush."
"A Rush?"
"Yeah...I feel good, but all my friends are dead." Rothcall answered, soon breathing out a sigh. "What's wrong with me...?" In realization, Rothcall soon got up, his eyes wide open and awake. "D...Does that mean I'm the last human man alive?!"
"Looks like it." Stella nodded, prompting Rothcall to turn to Stella.
"What about that girl? Did you find her?"
"She's...Not there."
"Dammit...This sucks." Rothcall then sighs, slumping as he shook his head. "We really need to find her." He declares as he slowly stood up, still in pain. He soon glanced to the side, suddenly spotting a horde of orange robots, reminiscent of that of small crane machines. "Vultures." He spat, soon standing up straight as he took out an unopened can of red cherries. He glanced at Stella. "Let's eat. Just...Relax a bit and have a bite." He handed the can to Stella. "I mean, I'll feel a bit more focused once I've eaten. Maybe I'll even come up with a plan for us by then." He explained, probably hungry.
"Eat, then."
"Yeah...It's a bit messed up, but I feel like I shouldn't lose, you know?" He chuckled as the orange robots start to clang its crane like maws, moving around the metal filled debris. "It's not cause I'm with you either. I feel a new strength coming from within." He turned to Stella, smiling. "I think us Humans are designed to overcome hardships like this." He explained, soon, the pair of Clone and Man would spot something peculiar.
A floating triangle, pink machine of some sort, with bunny ears. From its center, a pink colored laser beam charged up, soon firing up at Rothcall!
With no time at all to react, her comrade was reduced to ashes in front of Stella's own eyes. The red can of cherries dropping ontop of the snow as the wind howled away Rothcall's ashes. She stared at disbelief as she pondered how could she let this happen. She was supposed to protect them all.
She was supposed to protect Rothcall...
As if to taunt her, the pair of Beast and Beauty came a minute too late, the woman riding ontop of the beast-like man as if he was a horse.
"Listen to me!" The woman spoke, as if ordering Stella to obey her.
"You...Killed Rothcall...!" Stella spoke in a dejected tone, still in grief.
"It wasn't us." The woman denied these allegations as Stella stood up, drawing her Cannon and blade.
"The enemy of my ally is my enemy!" Stella declared, pointing her cannon at the alien pair.
"I told you, it wasn't us!" The woman denied these claims once more, her man-like stead roaring in response.
"...Now all that's left are enemies." Stella grimaced softly, preparing to fight the blonde alien that stands before her. She would then move to combat this woman, aiming her cannon and shooting at her, at times, lunging in and swinging her blade as well!
If anyone were to see Stella, she would probably look pissed. Her motions, as if combatting an invisible foe.
The shot rang through Val's ears like a freight train colliding with a dump truck, nearly knocking her from her feet as she stepped from the bathtub of her hotel room to the tile floor. .357 magnum... please tell me this is an overenthusiastic guest doing target practice, I just want to lie in bed and drink from the honor bar until Justise gets back. A robe flew onto her body as she tugged a towel through her hair, and though she looked somewhat like a partially drowned rat as she exited the room, weapon holsters in tow, at least she had ceased to be leaving pools of water with every step. Noticing Frank standing outside an open door in the direction she'd heard the discharge, she quickly darted over, struggling to get her gear situated over the fluffy white garment. "Frank, do I want to know what-" She quickly stopped speaking as her line of sight cleared the threshold of the door, and she was presented with the full gore of the scene within; even she, a veteran of no small amount of violence at this point of her life, felt her stomach do a slight roll at the sheer amount of blood covering the walls and ceiling. Creator help me, she silently prayed, the angle and the pattern: Reiner, he... Her thoughts trailed off as she was unwilling to admit what the evidence was clearly showing.
Before she realized it, the air grew cold around her, and a sudden creeping sense of dread that she hadn't felt in some time began to work its way slowly in her bones. The very walls of the hotel seemed to fade into shadow- no, the very walls WERE cast into stark monochrome right before her eyes as just like the temperature, the color was sucked away from the area as if itself retreating in fear. At the point when the ghastly apparitions finally revealed themselves and began slowly floating down the hallway, it would have almost been more of a surprise if something had not appeared, such were the ill omens around Val'sharra. Ohhhh shit, this is bad. The chill ripped quickly through her terrycloth covering and caused her to shiver slightly. We need to get out of here, NOW.
Her eyes swept up and down the hallway, spotting her stealthy compatriot from earlier and the shotgun toting girl who at the moment seemed to be porting a thousand yard-stare of her own as one of the reaper-like creatures had already made its way near to torment her. Out of the corner of her eye, Val witnessed another wraith phase straight through through a door, a scream erupting not but a few moments later; the hoodie girl was apparently in similar straits if such a blood-curdling yell was to be believed. Gathering up what small reserves of her nerve she had left, she shouted to the man in military garb. "Shadow! You need to get girlie out of there, she's locked up and isn't gonna move until you make some distance from these things! I'm going to check on hoodie!"
With a quick glance behind her at the approaching horde, Val quickly dashed down the hallway, her pale-white feet skidding to a stop on the plush carpet just outside of Vitan's room as she began banging furiously on the door. "Hoodie! HOODIE! Can you hear me? You need to get out of there, now!" The continued screaming was as good an indication as any that her words were not getting through, and that she was going to have to ramp up things. She briefly considered shoving her knife in the door jamb and using it as a makeshift prybar, when sudden realization struck her. The bellhop who'd opened Reiner's room was literally just down the hall; chances were he had a key to this room as well.
"Frank! I need your bellhop key! Hoodie's in trouble and I need to get her out of there!"
Link had opened his mouth to reply to Lucas first, to say that he was fine with giving up the room, considering that it was the other man's room first after all since it seemed like he had been the one with the group the longest, however, things happened to fast before Link could get a reply out, suddenly lost in a flood of memories after part of him realized that a gun had just been fired, unaware of what was happening to Morgan.
Outside, Link's face seemed to go slack and slightly white while his eyes darken, giving the impression that the lights were on but no one was suddenly home, while inside, he could remember all of a sudden the smell of smoke as the buildings around him burned, Castle Town turning into a sudden death trap when the Calamity suddenly struck, catching them unaware. The screams of the people being burned alive, or cut down by Guardians as they tried to flee.
Feeling the pain of his own injuries obtained by protecting the princess as they ran...fleeing hoping to make it somewhere, anywhere that was safe as he felt his strength and life slip away from massive blood loss...however as he was lost in the dark memories of his death, his sword was all but vibrating in its sheath, as it and the hilt seemed to glow off and on as if trying to get his attention.
The dementors floating around the hotel having managed to grab many of the inhabitants and even a few members of the party, poor Stella and Kobayashi in particular.
But in the darkest times one must remember not to lose hope, the hero of the wilds, Link wielder of the triforce knew this very well within his soul. As the hylian reached for his sword the memories of the people he saved, loved who put their faith in him would come to his mind.
His sword would begin to glow, the creatures seeking to feed off his bad emotions would make an unnatural screech at the sight, fleeing at the sight.
He probably figured something out.
"Master Key? We don't do those here, just push harder." Frank would state lightly, before kicking the door to the room down with seemingly no effort before heading off to rescue other hotel residents.
Alpha would feel a chill wash over herself. As if her reminiscing about her past wasn't enough, it was almost like those memories were in front of her. They were calling to her, some voices from people she knew, some from those she didn't.
Then, the gunshot. Alpha would jump up, and open the door to the hallway. She'd look towards the gunshot, and note the crowd....and what they were talking about. That couldn't....no. It was Reiner's room. Alpha was appalled, feeling the knot in her gut tighten and twist as people gathered and talked.
Then the chill intensified. The memories calling to her coalesced into almost physical form in her minds eye, tormenting her and lamenting her inability to save them. By pure instinct and training, the silvery form of her weapon appeared in her hand, and she cried out, putting her hands to her temples. She'd fall to a knee, and even as Link banished some specters away, Alpha would still act. She'd start firing wildly at the creatures, any that were present near Alpha.
Morgan's schematics were still going haywire, yet she felt nothing. Not even shock at her predicament, nothing at all. It was as if something shut her emotions down.
Her mission parameters were still nonexistent at the moment. And she couldn't even scan.
The terminator in denial watched the rest of the dementors and watched as they screeched in horror at the sight of Link's blade.
"Your blade is the key of getting out of this," she found herself saying as if preprogramed to say this, "those phantoms may not be suspectable to normal damage."
She still felt nothing except the chill of the dementors forming on her skin.
Shadow 1-8/Sgt. Lucas Kellan/Shadow Marshall
Condition: Alright
Wearing: Military armor, Stealth suit
Carrying: VC-15 (Concealed) Mk32 Dagger (Concealed), bloody, Picked up Revolver and extra ammo, (Concealed)
Location: Hotel Transylvania- Getting some of the members away from Dementors while avoiding them himself
==========================================
The cold air nearby the Shadow Marshall could be felt on certain parts of his face.
He looked over at Val, the other agent of the group as Lucas was in a situation. That is until Val gave some wise words to get some distance from the dementors.
Lucas was born in a world of advanced tech of the future but at least what the strange woman who called herself Morgan, stared off into a blank haze. She didn’t seem like she wasn’t human to be honest. But if she wasn’t human, what the hell WAS she?”
Lucas had his suspicions but wasn’t going to say anything at the moment. The dementors seemed distracted by the strange man named Link’s sword. The agent gazed for a second. “Was that sword GLOWING?!” It seemed unnatural.
Lucas turned toward Link “How LONG can you hold off these things?!”
This man seemed dazed as well for some reasons..
The woman’s advice was sound.
“No normal means can hold off these things then we need to get the hell out of here while we still can. Link, come on! Shadow snapped back to jumping on a order
“Come on, we need to get out of here.”
In Lucas’s mind, in order to survive another day, he had to get out of this place.
The chills were beginning to really distract the Shadow Marshall as he nodded at Morgan and pulled at the hero, Link for the time being.
How to get out of the place in time…
The hallways were long and this place would no doubt turn into a horror show even more than it already is.
Echoes of Director Sinclair drilled into his head..
Echo, his fellow agent in arms yelled his name..
Screams of Vektans…
His father..dead..
darkred
PolikShadowbliss
June Verles
Mentioned: Sleek
For a moment it seemed like nothing had gotten through to Link until he all of a sudden seemed to snap out of it, be either the shouts of concern or because his sword burning against his back.
It was then he seemed to changed, unshealthing his sword and yelling something in his native tongue to others seemed like utter giblish.
Now unsealthed, the broadsword was glowing much more as he swung it some, giving his compaions and Alpha a little breathing room.
His ear twitched hearing Shadow asking how long he could hold those things off and how the sword was glowing.
"As long as I need to and magic." He said, making his retreat now, hoping it would be enough.
Jacob Seed Location: Hallway |Interactions: Alpha |Status: Cut and Bruised |Equipment: Pistol, Knife
Jacob arrived outside the door numbered the same as his key, slowly turning the key and unlocking the door. He took a few steps into the room and relocked the door behind him, turning back around to admire the room's oddly fancy-like aesthetics for a apparent "cheap hotel", especially compared to any cheap motel or the streets. The key and rifle was placed besides the bed on the side cabinet once he started walking around the decently sized space, his first instinct when placing down the key and walking towards the bed was to take the mattress off and push the bed somewhere random in the direction of the window, placing the blanket and covers semi-neatly onto the mattress while leaving the pillows on the abandoned bed frame. The side cabinet would remain in the same location however the the candle resting on it would have been moved down on the floor next to the bed; Jacob now felt comfortable.
Once he finished redecorating "his" room to his liking, the rifle laying against the cabinet was picked up and taken with him to the chair next to the desk somewhere in the room. He pulls out the chair with one hand while the rifle rested in his other, sitting down with his legs apart as he started to inspect the weapon for it's actual problem, his eyes still filled with anger from the last encounter with Reiner where he was almost killed. He wasn't angry because he attacked him, no, he was angry because he didn't finish him off when he had the chance, he didn't want his pity. Jacob tried to convince himself he has a purpose here but in reality he was no different to when he was on the streets before he was saved by Joseph Seed, he was a weapon without a purpose. His boiled up feelings didn't go towards nothing however and instead dedicated his time towards fixing his rifle, with no specialised equipment or even a screwdriver his attempts would be worthless as he mumbled things softly under his breathe "No, that's not it" and "nope" were common as he fiddled with the external parts of the weapon which were accessible and didn't need going through the trouble of taking it apart completely.
While inspecting the trigger for any faults, he would face the gun away from him and slowly press down on the trigger however conveniently a gunshot was heard throughout the hotel which made Jacob jump thinking it was his hunting rifle discharging. After a few seconds of realising the gunshot was from a room over or the hallway itself, he went to stand and head towards the door while he rested the rifle on the chair he once sat on however he forgot the key. He began walking towards the side cabinet however it didn't take long for things to begin to get weirder and weirder as the room's atmosphere went from standard to 'dead' and the once warm room turned chilly, he felt something was wrong as the freezing temperature passed his neck. Jacob took no time in grabbing the key and investigating what was going on, opening the door and sticking his body outside to find ghosts wondering the halls, he closed and locked the door behind him out of fear and began to gain speed in the opposite direction of where they were coming from. Then, a second gunshot, Jacob darted towards the source and found some bipedal animal-thing holding it's gun towards the ghosts, he slowed his pace and approached the furry, grapping and pushing its pistol into the air while looking sternly into its eyes "What do you think you're doing? Shooting a ghost isn’t going to change anything nor is it going to kill it, do you even read stories Sonny?" he says trying to convince himself that he had the slightly idea what was going on.
The revenant hood hovered glumly at their door. Justîse hardly paid it any mind. Hunched at the foot of their bed, hand planted firmly to the floor, they were caught in deep meditation. The wraps had unwound at their feet, the marble stars combing each room with fine teeth. Through those imitation eyes, the world had unfurled afore them - and all the walls had taken shape, seized bodies lining their halls like sculptures on exhibit, contorted in looks of horror and half-cocked in pleading. But then the source of the gunshot was made clear, and a grimace furrowed the Executor's brow.
And here, they were hoping to have a word with the Captain. Justîse's gaze took to their wrist and caught on their watch; only three minutes. Could be better, could be worse, but they weren't one to complain.
With what time they had to spare, they addressed the interloper in their quarters calmly. "Their sorrow. That's what you're after, right?" came in a low tone as a sigh escaped their lips. The question went unanswered, met with only a soft, ambient hiss.
"Ah, suppose you can't see me. Shame," they murmured. "Well, I suppose there's no point chatting up a wraith. But you're disgusting, you know that? You feed on the happiness of others to sustain yourself, then you move onto the next person as if you haven't had enough already. Aren't you a glutton? Really, it's-"
Then, a twitch.
"-Oh, forget it."
It was instinctual. With a swing, a scalpel found its way into the door, hurled clean through the reaver's spectral form. It didn't even flicker, but they didn't seem to care - heaving long, ragged breaths, voice hoarse with biting malice, Justîse spoke again: "Go to hell, the lot of you. What, 'bringers of despair'? Don't make me laugh. You're hardly more than filthy parasites who can't hurt a simple, lifeless doll."
They weren't the ramblings of a vacant husk set to walk. Their eyes lit up with hate and passion, aflame with resent and denial, unbecoming of someone, something, that was once so soft-spoken mere seconds ago. As they walked, their strut was heavy, and as they reached and gripped the lancet through the creature's ghastly ribs they yanked it free. so harshly that they briefly thought they'd snapped it in two. What came upon 'Justîse' in that moment wasn't a farce or a compelling display, but their first taste of rage itself.
"I'm taking back what you stole from them, and his life along with it. I will save this world from the curse of suffering, and if I have to purge you all like the scum you are to do it, I will."
--
No time for formalities. Their glare swept along the doors as they rushed down the labyrinthian corridors, scanning each plate with scrutiny. When they came to his room, they had to look a little lower, finding the entrance smashed in unceremoniously and there, only feet ahead, the body of Reiner Braun soaking the carpet in his blood.
They scowled. "I hope you don't mind the intrusion, Captain, but unfortunately I'm not done with you yet." Kneeling by his side, the Executor unwrapped their surgical kit along the Eldian's chest and took two small prongs to his nape, pressed firmly against his cervical vertebrae.
It was an impossibility. No matter how precise a surgeon, how heretical a witch, how perfect a man, to bring back the dead was a miracle held always ever-slightly out of reach by the gods themselves. "The thing is," muttered Justîse as the air around them came alive with a hot-wired crackle, "I've had enough of playing 'human'. Death, despair? You know as well as I do that it doesn't belong in this world, Captain. It brought you to your lowest, stripped you of your honor, defiled your very being - and you, wistful you, succumbed to it. To that, I say 'enough'. Heed my command, Seras; henceforth, the soul that faintly lingers within this man's body belongs to me, and only me. And as its rightful proprietor, I demand this of it -"
Again, that crackle, the heat in their breath suffusing into an icy chill.
"Arise. Return here, and rise."
The first spark flew. Nothing - failure. The prongs lit and shuddered against his skin, to no avail.
Then reality itself seemed to undo, time rewound by seconds, history itself rewritten in an instant. Justîse's eyes widened, questioning whatever form of fate-manipulation had just occurred, the fabric of the world spun again around their hands, but let it stagger them little. Again, they thrust, striking the rods against Reiner's spine, and when the light snapped into his flesh they could only grin at the sight, whispering beneath their breath: "I'm glad we could come to an agreement."
Miracles don't tend to happen, but at the same time it's not like Millennium City itself was an ordinary place. So, somehow Justice would manage to artificially flow life back into Reiner's body, closing the wound and resuscitating him from the land of the dead. There were complications however, the cerebral damage resulted in Reiner waking up without any memories of millennium city or the people he's met here. A brand new fresh start, hell he could probably imagine that everything that was happening around him was just a bad dream.
Quite a horrible one at that.
Luckily the other party members were working on keeping them at bay. Link's glowing sword and Sleek's magical bullet working to drive the beasts away, but it seemed they were incapable of removing them unfortunately. But it was okay, because from what they could observe the phantasms were simple in design, once met with resistance they began to slowly float away.
With all the potential sources to feed upon protected all that remained were the undead valets, returning the atmosphere back to normality. Frank would approach the group again to be greeted by a revived Reiner somehow, however he didn't seem quite happy at the moment.
"Explain yourselves, why are you summoning happiness sucking beasts in the hotel when I'm on the shift? At least wait for Drac to come back."
With the threat removed, REV's programming returned to "Morgan.Exe."
Her terminator mode deactivated and the symentics finally returning to normal.
Morgan would blink, realizing that she had somehow switched locations, the last things she "remembers" is being bomarded by impossible chilling memories of herself being a killer.
Snapping awake, Reiner shoots upright gasping for air. He looks himself up and down, staring into his palms before pushing himself to his feet. "Bertholdt?!" He calls out, slowly backing away from Justise. He was completely clueless of where he was or what was going on once again, to him just seconds prior he was fighting the Survey Corps in Shiganshina. "Where am I?! What the hell is that thing?!" Reiner shouts, demanding answers.
Braun's fists were clenched and he was ready to fight if the situation required so. Once again, the Warrior was lost and alone. Maybe this time, they could start from square one and things might turn out differently.
.44 Magnum: Remington .44 Magnum Revolver, enough rounds to last.
Various Syringes: Reiner has looted multiple bodies of Powder Gangers for their syringes, assuming it is Titan Serum.
Current Abilities:
Regeneration: Reiner, like all other Titan Shifters, has the ability to automatically regenerate any wounds sustained and even entire limbs. The process is not instantaneous and it can take several hours to regenerate limbs. This ability is also dependent on Reiner's will to live, heavy doubts and lack of confidence can stop this ability from functioning.
Regeneration Withdrawal: Reiner possesses the ability to consciously control his regenerative ability, keeping it "off" to prevent injuries from blowing his cover as a Titan Shifter.
Brain Function Transfer: Reiner is able to prevent his certain death on multiple occasions after transferring the functions of his brain into the rest of his body. With this profound ability, he was able to survive a direct strike to his spinal cord in the neck by a blade. If the injury to the head is not healed fast enough or if there is no back-up brain (A Titan brain to transfer consciousness to) Reiner can die or suffer severe memory loss. It must be done well in advance and cannot be done upon reaction to avoid instantaneous death.
Alpha would feel a moment of clarity of relief as her weapon drove off the phantom, almost enough so to calm down when Jacob blind-sided her, grabbing her arm. Jacob already made her nervous and cautious, and now with little in the way of inhibitions, her mind gave way fully to training and instinct.
With a sudden burst of movement, Alpha would start punching, kicking, clawing, and even attempting to bite Jacob. With her shoes still in her room, her paw-like feet had claws that were exposed, making for a good last-ditch weapon if they connected. She was putting everything she had into making the threat she felt go away, even if it meant seriously wounding Jacob.
VITAN ARMERSTRANNIE
I was in the corner being tormented by my own fucking memories. I tried putting myself above these fucking tragic PTSD plebs, but I cannot for I am more human than them. Or because an external force forced me to relive it. So, I am still indeed higher than thou. Then, the door opened. I was scared by the sudden noise of the door getting kicked down. Then I could be seen laughing and crying hysterically as I crawled away from the room and hid behind Val's legs, shivering immensely. Dude, universe, just use physical trauma than this fucking permanently mind damaging bullshit. I'd rather get maimed than this.
"Don't-- Don't get near the ghosts. Let me tell you that right now."
He was quick on the uptake, and so was his trauma. But miracles had costs - in exchange for his life, Reiner had lost a fragment of his memory, leaving him more dazed and confused than he already was.
"Hey, hey, it's alright, I'm not going to hurt you. My name is Justîse, I'm a medic." she scrambled back, attempting to placate the confused Eldian. Modulate the voice - soft intonation is key. Soothing, not meek. Curt, but concerned. Shrink the frame, lower the posture, and keep both hands directly within sight. Smile, but not too widely; be someone he can trust. "I managed to resuscitate you from what would've been an otherwise fatal gunshot wound to your cerebellum. While your innate abilities restored the majority of your brain functionality, some of the damage appears to have inflicted long-lasting effects on your memory. Do you remember anything before coming to?" the Executor asked, positioning her foot as to disclose the handgun, in view but slightly behind her - close enough to see yet far out of both their reaches.
Jacob Seed Location: Hallway |Interactions: Alpha |Status: Cut and Bruised |Equipment: Pistol, Knife
Jacob attempted to remain calm and stern while facing against the bipedal animal monster however Alpha’s attempts to fight back and assault him worked to annoy him further, his already boiled up anger and emotions with her pathetic attempt at struggling caused Jacob to explode on the poor animal as he shouted like a madman and landed a painful hook towards her face with his free hand. The force of the punch forced Alpha onto the ground, likely stunning her for a few seconds, her hand loosing grip of the weapon which was soon kicked elsewhere. He begins to speak in a aggressive tone of voice while looking down on her “An animal is born with inherit traits. Some of them good, some of them bad, and inside that mind is a clustered, polluted mess.” while kneeling down over her and punching her again in the face with his right hand and with equal force to the first fit. “Too many options, too many weaknesses” punching her once again with his left hand, using majority of his remaining strength. He then stands up straight as the anger in his eyes disappears and his tone of voice becomes more arrogant and calm “Learn to no longer share the unfiltered crippling traits of good brethren. Your design should become distilled”.
Dazed and confused his instincts stopped him from initially trusting the so-called medic. He looked down at the gun on the floor, as far as he knew nobody had shot him. The Corps didn't even use guns aside from the Garrison and to him losing to someone from the Garrison sounded highly unlikely. This couldn't of been an Eldian hospital, he knew from experience that they never would leave a Shifter unchained with all limbs intact. It would've been impossible for him to of not regenerated all the way until he reached Marley, that'd be days maybe even a week. If his head was blown off, why would there even be a fired gun in the room anyways?
The Warrior needed to know where he was before he got to answering any of the girl's questions, "Yeah, I remember what I was doing... Where am I?" He asked hesitantly, still ready to put up a fight if needed. He had no clue if Bertholdt had won the battle or if somehow they'd managed to lose, surely he wasn't defeated; Bertholdt was the strongest Colossal Titan Shifter Marley had ever possessed.
He knew there wouldn't be much harm in asked another question, they didn't look like they would be much of a challenge to him, "And... Who shot me...?" Reiner asks out of sheer curiosity.
.44 Magnum: Remington .44 Magnum Revolver, enough rounds to last.
Various Syringes: Reiner has looted multiple bodies of Powder Gangers for their syringes, assuming it is Titan Serum.
Current Abilities:
Regeneration: Reiner, like all other Titan Shifters, has the ability to automatically regenerate any wounds sustained and even entire limbs. The process is not instantaneous and it can take several hours to regenerate limbs. This ability is also dependent on Reiner's will to live, heavy doubts and lack of confidence can stop this ability from functioning.
Regeneration Withdrawal: Reiner possesses the ability to consciously control his regenerative ability, keeping it "off" to prevent injuries from blowing his cover as a Titan Shifter.
Brain Function Transfer: Reiner is able to prevent his certain death on multiple occasions after transferring the functions of his brain into the rest of his body. With this profound ability, he was able to survive a direct strike to his spinal cord in the neck by a blade. If the injury to the head is not healed fast enough or if there is no back-up brain (A Titan brain to transfer consciousness to) Reiner can die or suffer severe memory loss. It must be done well in advance and cannot be done upon reaction to avoid instantaneous death.
The frankenstein monster's frown would only grow wider as he saw the situation unfold before his eyes, mainly Alpha and Jacob fighting and completely ignoring him. With a gruff and rather annoyed tone the previously friendly manager of the hotel would speak to the party again in a more demanding voice.
"I didn't want to doubt Mr. Paimon's account of you fellas but I see you're nothing but trouble, I'll have to ask you all to leave my hotel before you cause any other distress to the rest of the inhabitants."
Alpha
Hotel Transylvania, Currently Unconscious.
Yelps and distressed cries would leave Alpha as Jacob quickly beat her down after resisting her attempts to get free. She could only hear snippets of him talking, of animals having too little unity of purpose, before his last blow knocked her out cold. The few moments she had before he hit were filled with fear and terror, and now the goat's face was now matted down with blood, Jacob having broken her nose.
Kobayashi was dismissed by Reiner, who proceeded to then walk inside the lobby. At first, it was a bit strange that such words could come from a , if rather a little brash soldier.
'Not everyone here wants to live... And he make sure that nobody points anything at his throat again..? Wait a minute... That sounded like--'
Reiner the warrior, tasked with nabbing Eren in his and his comrades' war on humanity.
Reiner the Armored Titan, who had busted the inner gate in Wall Maria before infiltrating the place's military. Reiner the monster.
She was about to snap right at him, going as far as opening her mouth...then she remembered.
Marcel's sacrifice.
The terrors he went through in the van, and just now.
Yet, she was at a loss of words. It was her first time she had to deal with someone going through mental instability, and in person too. She knew what kind of experiences in his past and immediate life would lead him to blurting Krista's real name, but to address it?
Basically, kind of a big deal.
It was because of it that she could not come up with the right words. What had happened to her? She was caring for others at one point, and now she was coming off rather...cold. Tohru's departure had certainly taken a toll; with her came Kobayashi's openness and smiles, and when she was taken by her dad, so was those new aspects to her.
'Reiner. I may not like you as a person, but--'
Kobayashi paused.
'...I wouldn't even wish anything worse than death on you.'
...
When Kobayashi finally entered the haunted motel, it looked rather...archaic to say the least, with medieval-like interior design, candles, and lanterns. Yet, it was a rather pleasing sight in its own way. Ancient Japanese architecture held a similarly unique charm that set it apart from most of its modern replacement.
The biggest problem now were the zombies.
Although the zombies do not appear to notice the group, let alone target them, Kobayashi still found the way they were unnerving. They were humans, yes, and obviously, they were not all the way there. Unnatural, twitchy movement that seems to falter towards one side or another. Colorless, grey-out skin. Et cetera. At least they just existed.
She sighed, shaking her head, then got in line to receive her key.
...
After going through the motions, Kobayashi finally had her key, but had neglected to ask. Apparently, Frank had ignored her question, and accordingly, she chose not to ask again. Maybe later.
However, as she was about to enter her room, she heard a gunshot from a few rooms across. She gasped sharply, turning towards where the sound had come from and then walking towards it. It's not even the next day, and now someone died? She wasn't even gonna question it; she wasn't gonna try to investigate either, especially when a zombie is already on the case.
And before she could fully make out the situation, here came the chills. Even as Justice came to the rescue, it wasn't long before she realized what else was going on: The dementors were coming. And they already got Vitan, Morgan, Stella, and then her.
"Where...am I now..."
Kobayashi found herself standing at the doorstep of home. She had bought carry-out food from the shopping district after a particularly long day at work. She opened the door and was treated to the sight of a slightly messy entryway. The bags of trash on the left and right, alongside boxes and neatly-stacked papers awaited her. Just then, she noticed the bag of carryout food in her hand, alongside the sudden change of clothes.
"I'm...home?"
The office worker stepped inside and removed her shoes at the step, on which she boarded. Upon doing so, however, she stopped to observe the area. The layout was exactly as she remembered, but there was something about the stuff.
'Oh, I remember. I had yet to pick up the bags around me by then. And Kanna was...with...'
Her eyes widened in shock as she shuddered.
'Riko. If that was the way it was in January, then that means--'
Kobayashi made a quick dash towards the door to the living room and opened it.
"Tohru!"
As she entered, heavily breathing, she found that the living room was not much better; unwashed clothes laid on the couch and on a chair at the dining table, alongside more bags of trash around the room. The dishes still hadn't been done yet. A shepherd's purse was likewise in the right place, resting in a small glass of water.
'Right. I had gone back to how I was before. Lonely, sad...frustrated at the world. I did not want to do that...'
Immediately, she could recognize what was going on: Arael had done something similar to Asuka in Neon Genesis Evangelion, and now she happened to be an unfortunate recipient of such a mental attack.
Yet, she could not resist the effects, no matter the extent of her awareness.
Kobayashi dropped her carryout food, her mouth agape. She slowly collapsed to her knees. Tears started to build up in her eyes.
'...Not again..!'
...
The dementors fucked off and now Kobayashi isn't being haunted. Hooray. On the other hand, Alpha and Jacob are now fighting. Booooooo.
"Stop!"
Unforunately, her words fell on deaf ears, and there was little else she could do either. If she tried to drag Jacob away, she would've received some hefty abuse from him as well. Just then, Frank's declaration settled it; the group will have to relocate.
Kobayashi rushed to Alpha and kneeled at her, picking her beaten body up in the process.
The effortless shattering of the hotel room door made Val jot down a mental note to never get on the wrong side if she could help it; those shoes clearly weren't just made for walking. As he sauntered off to help with the other denizens of the hotel, she peered into Vitan's room, calling out for her again as she entered. "Hoodie girl! Where are you?" The response she received was not so much verbal as physical as a blur of grey dashed up and behind her, the girl shivering as she clung to Val's legs and driving them both back into the hall. "Whoah! All... All right, right, yes, I wasn't gonna get any nearer than I had to, trust me." She knelt down and carefully wrapped her arms around the other girl in an embrace in an effort to help her recover from her waking nightmare. "It's all right, we're going to get out of here or so Creator help us we'll-eh?" Her voice cut off mid sentence as suddenly the deathly chill seemed to evaporate into the air, the colors of the nearby walls returning to normal.
Still holding Vitan closely as the girl continued to shake, Val took a look over her shoulder, making sure not to whack her with her horns as she suspected that would do little to get her to calm down. "... or these things could just up and piss off making us look like complete idiots." What the hell? Her face screwed up in a visible expression of confusion, but still, it was a better situation than they'd just been in, so she'd take it. "Um... well, see? Looks like the Big Guy pulled out a big W for us after all." She continued to hold the girl until she eventually calmed down, then would give her a final squeeze before allowing her some room to breath, backing a little ways away into as dignified a kneeling position as she could muster with just a bathrobe. "All right, how're you feeling now?" Down the hall, she could hear the sounds of a commotion, and she gave a visible wince at what was inevitably going to reveal itself as another intra-party conflict, but for the moment, the frightened girl's condition was her main priority.
Frank replied, stating that everyone including Slade can bring weapons into Hotel Transylvania as long as violence is not involved. This makes him feel pleased. With everyone but him going to their supposedly assigned rooms, Slade has no idea what room to choose since he is not good with sleeping with someone he doesn't know yet, which makes him feel a little uncomfortable. However, he doesn't mind staying with strangers as long as they are not causing trouble for him and others around him.
He looks at the key's numbers with it saying "Room 170". That is his assigned room. The only problem is that there are a lot of doors with different numbers on them, which makes it more difficult for him to find his assigned room. Being on the ground level in the hotel is where he is standing right now and yet, he may have to go upstairs for further examination.
He pays close attention by looking down at the key's number, only to accidentally bump into someone because of it. He bumped into what appears to be a dolphin/human hybrid woman. He took a moment to stop and apologize to her.
"Oh, sorry about that. Are you okay? I was busy looking at the numbers on the key to the room that I wasn't paying attention to this whole time. Again, I'm very sorry." He apologized.