Futuristic The Corrupted

[Panda_Roleplays]

Aylix looked to the window and she once again mentally cursed herself out for being so careless.
"No worries about the food, I have a whole deer worth and it might go bad if I don't use it quick enough so I might as well share." She said kindly. When Teru asked about grabbing her things she got a little nervous but responded, nodding a little first. "Yeah of course just make it quick. But are you sure you wanna go out at night? Could be a little dangerous.." She said, scratching her arm in anticipation thinking of the corrupted that could be lurking. She indeed was always terrified of encounters.

feverdream

 

[feverdream]

Panda_Roleplays​

"Okay, if you're sure." Teru flexed her shoulders and did a few little stretches to warm her muscles. She would need to move quickly. "I mean it's always a risk," she said, shrugging slightly. "But I should be fine. I'd suggest you turned the lights off in the meantime though, and to keep an eye on the window," she added, with a quick glance. "Your next guest might not be as harmless as me." With that, she gave a swift grin, and slipped out into the dark. The air was a crisp chill. An unnerving silence lay like a cloak. All light had gone, and lacking the typical light pollution you would get in a functional city the sky was alive with stars. She stared for a moment at the display of constellations she wished she could read, before moving on. Stars were pretty, but not worth being stabbed for. ​

 

[Ravenpaw]

Blaze saw a dirty, foul smelling corrupted heading right towards him. He cursed at his stupidity. Just as he was about to decide that things couldn't get worse, he noticed that more were coming, in some kind of pack. He whipped around and closed his eyes, then ran for his life. He could barely hear their approaching footsteps over his beating heart, and looked ahead of him instead of behind him. His eyes rapidly darted around, looking for a building to take shelter, and could make out a few far up ahead. Night was falling quickly, and it was getting harder and harder to see in front of him. After what felt like infinity to him of being chased by the horrible people, he finally reached some shops. He scrambled into the first one he saw. He closed the door and scooted a shovel that was hanging nearby across the floor and latched it on the door. He turned around, flooded with relief just to feel a jolt of surprise. He saw two people in the room, one he didn't recognize and one he did. He smiled and him. Carlos Nakimura. The one he didn't recognize was a woman, with blood freely flowing from her shoulder.

 

[Satanic Nightjar]

As the night wore on, Carlos became increasingly restless. Every small disruption in the perfect silence would send him into a panic, even with years of experience urging him to just sleep. With the barricaded doors, the Corrupted most likely wouldn't waste their time on this particular building, especially if they didn't give them a reason to. This is what he told himself as the infinitely long minutes stretched into torturous hours, watching the girl beside him fall into a deep slumber, crimson blood slowly drying on her injured shoulder.

Thump! Carlos jolted upright, mind screaming with a million irrelevant thoughts, withdrawing a pistol from his bag. The door. Oh, hell, the door.

Someone was breaking through. With great force, someone was pounding against the door, and it didn't seem to stand much of a chance. Heart hammering against his chest, he quickly moved himself and Tyra behind a massive stack of crates, placing his fingers over her lips as her eyes fluttered open. They're here, he mouthed, gesturing to the doorway. Carlos handed her a gun and managed a grim smile, then turned to face the door just as it burst open to reveal the last person he ever expected to see on the other side.

Blaze Watson. Alive. At least, for now.

--

Carlos recovered from the shock quickly, and assisted him in blocking the door, more securely than he had before. From behind the metal doors, they could hear the sounds of The Corrupted rapidly approaching. He attempted to get his breathing under control, then laughed humorlessly. "Hey," he said simply, ridiculously.

 

[Ravenpaw]

Blaze smiled back and said,
"It's been a long time, Carlos," Blaze surprised himself by hugging Carlos tight. He thought he would never see him again when he left his shelter. Then his gaze went back to the unknown woman sitting in the corner of the room. He gestured to her.
"Who's that?" he asked, wondering how long he had known her. He noticed that Carlos had bandaged her and tended her wounds better than he would have done. He wondered if he had had practice with that before the disease had started spreading...

 

[Satanic Nightjar]

Yatasal Ravenpaw

Carlos found unexpected tears forming in his eyes, as he returned Blaze's embrace. "Far too long," he whispered, squeezing his friend's shoulder while gently pulling away from the hug. Examining Blaze's face, he found that little had changed in the years it had been since they parted ways. Next to nothing except for his eyes, filled with a deep, incomprehensible sadness only those who were left here in Jaydens could begin to understand.

After a moment, Blaze glanced over at the woman in the corner, asked who she was. Carlos shrugged. "Her name's Tyra. I found her nearby, she'd been attacked by a Corrupted man. Seems hurt pretty bad, but didn't look like it damaged anything vital."

 

[Yatasal]

Tyra was going in and out of consciousness for what seemed like hours, maybe even days. But when she fully came to, she saw Carlos standing over her, mouthing something. She narrowed her eyes, but noticed that it was still night, or perhaps the next night. She frowned, watching him suddenly glance towards the entrance.

Thump!

Tyra bolted up, her shoulder aching and protesting against the sudden movement, but though Tyra felt weak she also was fully mentally alert. She knew what it sounded like to have Corrupted trying to break down the door. She glanced at Carlos, her mind scrambling to find some sort of plan. Luckily, she didn't have to. Carlos helped her stand and moved both of them behind a wall of crates. He handed her a gun, which Tyra took but wasn't sure she'd be able to fire.

He turned back towards the door, then headed towards it. She heard him talking with someone else, and she glanced over the edge of the crates. Standing next to Carlos was another young man... Probably the same age as Carlos.

"Who's that?" the unknown man asked. Carlos glanced back at her, and shrugged.

"Her name's Tyra," he explained. "I found her nearby, she'd been attacked by a Corrupted man. Seems hurt pretty bad, but didn't look like it damaged anything vital."

Tyra used the boxes to stand, careful not to use her hurt shoulder. She wasn't sure what to say, but she managed a smile. "Hey."

She could hear some shouts, the screams of the Corrupted. She narrowed her eyes at the newcomer, and dropped her voice to a whisper. "Were you followed?" The question almost didn't need answering, judging on the sounds from outside. She shook her head, and moved from behind the boxes. Her head swam, but she did get to the back doors. Behind them were a few old and looted cars, but no exits or windows besides the large garage doors which had long since rusted over. Even if they hadn't, they were far too heavy to lift. She held the door open with her good arm. "Come on--we can hide in here."

 

[Satanic Nightjar]

Carlos quickly recovered from the shock of being reunited with his old friend. He quickly assessed the situation, glancing around the room for anything that could be an advantage in the fight they were threatened with. The situation wasn't hopeless--there were boxes and crates scattered around the room they could use for cover, and various supplies that could be used as weapons. The circumstances weren't great, but they had a chance if they played this out right. He was pulled from his thoughts by Tyra's only slightly shaky voice.

"Hey," she said softly, and Carlos turned to face her. "Were you followed?" He glanced briefly back at Blaze. It was a valid concern, but it seemed like a desperate hope for something that was becoming more and more improbable with each passing second. Before he was given a chance to respond, she shook her head and turned to move in the opposite direction, gesturing for them to follow. She lead the two boys to the back door that neither had known had existed previously, and heaved it open. Carlos rushed to assist her, forcing himself to trust her judgement.

"Come on--we can't hide in here," she said with absolute certainty. Carlos hesitated, then nodded, realizing it was their only real option. Drawing his gun (a heavy M16 rifle), he silently stepped outside of the building, quickly examining his surroundings before signaling that they were good to go. Seeing that Blaze lacked any powerful weapons, he withdrew a pistol from it's holster and offered it to him. He felt exposed after giving away all of his remaining guns, but didn't see any other choices.

"Let's go," he whispered, cautiously starting forward.

 

[Ravenpaw]

Blaze nodded his head and took the gun from Carlos.

"Thanks," he said simply. He couldn't think of anything else good to say, especially because the situation was so urgent. This was no time for a nice long conversation, the kind in which he craved to have with his old friend. He pointed his gun towards the door, awaiting the inevitable. The banging on the door was getting louder, and Blaze shivered, both because of the freezing cold and because of the horrible fear that was creeping through him.

"How are we going to get out of here?" Blaze asked, panic seeping into his voice.

 

[Panda_Roleplays]

Aylix nodded to the girl and shut off the lights as soon as she left, grabbing her bow and aiming it at the window with her back to the wall. She would be ready for any intruders other than the girl she had just met. She was in more of a “shoot first, ask questions later” kind of mood

 

[Satanic Nightjar]

Carlos shook his head, unsure. Finger on trigger, he turned and examined the area once more for Corrupted people, signaling for the others to continue without him. As he expected, they had caught onto their deception, and were in pursuit. They only had a few seconds before the insane people behind them caught up.

They had no chance. Carlos looked around him desperately, and noticed with relief that Blaze and Tyra were nearly to the cover of the forest nearby. He'd have to buy them some time. Squeezing his eyes shut for a moment, he realized his only choice.

He lifted his gun and fired into the crowd of monsters who were once men, women, and children.

 

[Ravenpaw]

Blaze looked behind him, seeing Carlos raise his gun to the pack of Corrupted.
"What?! We can't stay here and fight them, there's to many of them!" he yelled. There was no way they could survive it.
"Let's go back to my shelter. It's our best option," he pointed to the left of them. "It's over that way,"

 

[Satanic Nightjar]

Carlos turned to face his friend with a pained expression, shaking his head solemnly. Gun still aimed at the sea of Corrupted, he stepped back. "You're right, Blaze. We can't stay here. I will. I can buy you some time, you can get out of here." When he saw that Blaze was unconvinced, he quickly added, "it's our only chance. I'll be right behind you if I can. Take Tyra to your shelter, keep her safe, do the best you can for her injuries."

Carlos turned, but could still feel his eyes on the back of his head. "Please!" He yelled, desperation filling his voice. Then, quieter, "I need you to do this."

 

[Ravenpaw]

Blaze looked at Carlos like he was insane.
"No! I'm not leaving you behind. And if any of the Corrupted come, I won't be able to fend them off and help Tyra get back at the same time," Blaze said, trying to give an excuse to get Carlos to come with them. "I'd rather stay with you than go without you,"

 

[Yatasal]

Tyra watched this interchange and eventually stood in front of Carlos and Blaze, leaning against the shop doors and keeping them closed. "Guys, go. I'm already injured--I won't make it past this anyways. Appreciate you being the hero, but come on man. Be smart about this. If I make it, I'll hopefully see you again. If I don't, well, life's not worth much these days anyway."

The Corrupted shoved against the door, one of them roaring in annoyance that he couldn't get through. Tyra bit her lip as the shove reverberated into her hurt shoulder. She glanced at Carlos and Blaze, and then nodded to the back of the shop, where the windows had long since been broken. "Get through those windows, you'll drop to an alley. Stay quiet. Glad to have met you guys..."

Neither of them moved, and the Corrupted banged the door again. She looked at them sharply, a fierce expression lighting up her eyes. "GO!"

 

[feverdream]

Panda_Roleplays​

Teru was moving as quickly as she could as slipped over rubble and refuse. Being as quiet as possible the main priority in her mind. Luckily she knew this part of the city fairly well. Once she got to her house she wormed her way through the gap in the wood boarding the windows; someone's last ditch effort to keep themselves safe many years past. The house was almost completely black, but after years of finding her way in dark spaces she was fairly used to using senses other than her eyes. Touching the walls to guide her way, she stalked up the stairs. She had secured the room that held her stuff with a small portable lock, and retrieving the key that hung from her neck she fidgeted with said lock until it opened, finally grabbing her pack. ​

​

Once outside she was thankful for the light given to her by the moon and stars, pausing momentarily before making her way back. Everything had gone smoothly so far, and Teru was relieved, but she swiftly learnt that relief had come too soon. Heavy breathing made her stop. She sunk into the shadows of a nearby building, following her ears and squinting into a small alley opposite her and running beside Aylix's house. The air seemed to chill as she made out a figure ominously lurching in the dark. ​

​

With gathered breath Teru made towards the window once again, hoping she could get inside before the figure noticed. But suddenly the echo of footsteps sounded to her left and she crouched down as she saw yet another Corrupted. But not one, three, a damn group of them. Their eyes seemed to glow in the dark with a familiar malice. Their footsteps shuffled on the the overgrown pavement.​

​

"Shit," Teru breathed. The group completely blocked her path to the window, and as she looked towards the alley she noticed the person there beginning to emerge, and follow the contours of the house, walking towards the window. Four corrupted. Teru sloughed the bag from her back and quietly unzipped it, bringing out her small portable crossbow. She slid a bolt into place, taking aim as her breath fluttered with fear.​

 

[Ravenpaw]

Blaze shook his head.
"No. We're not leaving anyone behind, not you, not me, not Carlos," he said. Blaze had no intention of letting anyone die, and if someone did have to die, it would be him. And he was going to try his best to make sure that none of that happened, making sure that nothing happened to Carlos or Tyra.
"We're going to make it back to the shelter," he said quietly, but tried his best to sound reassuring.

 

[Yatasal]

"No. We're not leaving anyone behind, not you, not me, not Carlos. We're going to make it back to the shelter."

Tyra put her full body weight on the door, and looked at Blaze like he had suggested they sing a song to make their problems go away. "Start running. Someone needs to hold them off, and I've lost plenty of blood. What's the use of all of us getting killed? None. So get going already!"

 

[Satanic Nightjar]

Carlos glared at Tyra like she'd just killed his family. In a way, she had - after the initial outbreak of the virus, all of the survivors became brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, daughters and sons. They were forced to come together to fight the invisible enemies; one a mysterious virus that killed most, the other an always-present voice in their heads that killed all. Fear. The same voice that right now, in this moment, urged him to just turn and run like hell, never to look back. Let this stranger die, at least he'd survive and he'd take Blaze, the closest thing he had to a brother, with him to safety.

And then there was him. Carlos from Before, the boy who never in a million years would abandon this girl to die at the hands of these vicious creatures. The kid who'd been through hell and endured suffering greater than you can imagine, who slowly faded into nothing after these long years of pain. But at the end of the day, as this eternal hell finally came to a close, what was he left with? Memories of how he was and the mental scars that forced him to change. It came down to a question of who he wanted to be. Become his fear or struggle against it, battle it until his last breath, because we're all going to die. It's just a matter of how we choose to go - peacefully, dying in our sleep with tears flowing down our cheeks, or still fighting, still searching for the light that's certain to remain in existence for as long as we're willing to seek it.

Hope. There's still hope.

"No," he said firmly, shaking his head. "We're all going or we're all staying. I'll carry you if I have to, I'm not leaving anyone here to die, not even myself. We're all worth something, injured or no, and I'm not losing another person to this goddamn virus." The sounds of the Corrupted forcing their way in were still present and it seemed they were making progress. "We can escape through that door," he urged, louder. "Come on!"

 

[Yatasal]

Tyra heard a scream on the other side, and dared to hope that the Corrupted had began to fight each other. Pressure on the door lighted, and it was then Tyra noticed a steel beam that had fallen. Probably a rafter. It was thin though, and likely strong. And hopefully, it would fit inside the handles of the door. With the Corrupted distracted, Tyra pointed at the rafter, careful not to let up on her weight against the door just in case the Corrupted decided to focus back on the live targets. She mimed jamming it inside the handles, and hoped they got her message. She didn't see what door Carlos was talking about, but she knew they'd probably be able to use the windows she spotted at the back of the shop. She gestured for them to hurry, and hoped that whatever divine entity might exist that they'd get out of this alive, if not in one piece.

Satanic Nightjar Ravenpaw