Fantasy The Underground

[Nobody Special]

JOB BOARD

EXTERMINATORS ARC ONE | JOB ONE
JOB NAME: LET’S SPLIT UP
JOB DATE: AUGUST 15, XXXX
JOB LOCATION: ABANDONED ANT NEST [BLACK ZONE]

"Marwa here. We’ve received a work order to assist with a recovery for a traveling merchant. She lost an important piece of cargo that was meant to be transported to The Capital when she was attacked by an Ant Gigapod. Normally, it wouldn’t be such a big deal, but the cargo that was taken wasn’t some jewels or an artifact. A child with some… "abnormal variation of Alchemy" was taken away by the Gigapod.

We don’t know if The Capital’s actually paying merchants for people, or if this special alchemy is even real, but a life's at risk and it's something worth looking into. The merchant said she was camped outside of the Ant Nest, so meet up with her and get more details before heading in.

You all know how crazy Ant Nests can be. They split up into a bunch of different tunnels and it isn’t hard to get lost. So, I’m sending a large handful of our combatants on this job so that the nest can be efficiently searched.

Exterminate whatever you may find down there, but most importantly, find the kid. I’m guessing they have a means of defending themselves with their alchemy if the merchant even bothered calling us in. We’ll be the ones to determine if The Capital gets them or not.

...Oh, I forgot to mention. The Merchant's friends with a pretty important person in Haven, so you'll be accompanied by a few Shocktroops from their Sawyer Group. Be nice and treat them well, please.

Be safe."

ARC ONE

Spoiler: Post Code

Hey! Welcome! Happy to have you! How was your fall? Did it hurt? See any bugs yet?

...Anyway, feel free to use this code, or use a different code if you don't like this one!

Spoiler: Code

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[CENTER]

 

[Nobody Special]

MARS BARNETT

♫♪♫♪

Leading the makeshift convoy of Exterminator-themed Humvees was what had the potential to be the loudest vehicle in The Underground. With blaring speakers and an ear-shattering exhaust as he slammed his foot on the accelerator, Mars raced through the wide tunnel leading out of Skybound towards the job's destination. He screamed the lyrics of the song that was playing through the vehicle's rattling speakers rather obnoxiously as he merged into a separate tunnel, leading his fellow exterminators in the cars behind him in the right direction as he did so.

"When I first met you girl, you ain't have no shoes!
Now 'yer walkin' 'round like 'yer front page news!
You been awful careful 'bout the friends you choose!
But you won't find my name in 'yer book of who's who!!"

He'd always considered speeding justified, as long as he was doing it on the clock. He had to get there as fast as possible to make sure nobody died, right? Yeah... speeding was totally cool. Besides, it wasn't like there were any giant highways like the ones he would read about in old history books during his schoolboy days— anywhere you could drive was always either a straight road or a curve with zero traffic. In fact, he was always proud to reveal that his accident rate was a perfect zero percent, the same as... well, just about everyone else who lived in The Underground.

"I'm! Not your steppin' stOOOOooooOOOOoooone!!"

Completely taking his eyes off of the road, he shot a finger clad in his red gear glove at his co-pilot for the drive. With a wide grin, he took turns pointing as he traded lyrics with them.

"Hey!"
"Hey!"
"Hey!"
"Hey!"
"Hey!"

"Not your steppin' stone!"

After slamming his palm into Vesper's in an explosive high-five, his hidden eyes shifted back to the road in front of him. "Woo! I told you guys this new mix was fuckin' good!" He reached in the car's backseat to get the attention of one of his team members, his hand grabbing onto Lautrec's knee before obnoxiously poking it. "You guys like it back there? Hmm? Hmmmm??"

Mars would be lying if he said he wasn't so eager to get to the nest quick solely to kill some ants. The group's secretary sounded just as confused when mentioning a kid with special alchemy. It was vague as hell, so he was hoping to learn more from the Merchant as extra pay once they got the little brat back. As unique as the technique that of Alchemy already was, calling someone else's abnormal must mean it was something seriously out of the ordinary.

And, right on cue, his eyes landed on the tent and extinguished campfire that sat directly outside the gaping hole in the wall to the right.

There you are...

He swiftly pulled to the side and parked, snatching the keys out of the ignition and hopping out of the car with a faint ringing reverberating in his ears. Maybe somebody else could be on music-duty on the way back to give his ears a breather.

He leaned on the side of his car as he watched the other teams file out of their cars and group up around the large entrance to the nest. He waited until he saw his fellow Team Leaders and cracked a prideful smirk as he looked at their equipment.

"Lanterns and flashlights, huh? So old-school. Gunnar doesn't need those..." He shot a finger-gun at Ananda, a bright flame quickly sheathing his index finger like a lighter. "'Cause they got me."

Once everyone was together, Mars' gaze shifted over to the setup the merchant had outside of the nest. Did they not hear all of these cars and people coming up to them? Maybe they were some sort of crazy heavy sleeper. He pushed himself off of the car and walked closer to the tent, making a failed attempt to knock on the canvas wall of the cheap tent.

"Exterminators! Hellooooo? Anybody there?" He called, to no avail. It didn't take long for him to impulsively push one of the tent's flaps to the side to peer into it.

It was empty. Ransacked of everything but the sleeping bag that lay on the ground beneath it.

"Maaan, what?" He sighed, stepping further into the tent. Where the hell was the merchant? He reached down to grab the pillow on top of the sleeping bag, only to notice a pale white corner underneath it. When he lifted the pillow, a note sat under it. He grabbed it and poked his head out of the tent to face the others, pushing it through the tent's doors to show his fellow exterminators what he found. Then, he cleared his throat and read it out loud for everybody to hear.

"You Exterminators take too long.
I'm going in there to see if I can find her.
If she's dead, at least The Capital won't be able to kill me. The ants will get me first! :-)

...- Unnati"

Annoyed, the champion crumpled the paper up with a grimace plastered onto his face. Idiot... why would she go in there alone?

He hopped out of the tent, landing on his feet directly in front of the nest's giant entrance. There weren't any of those Shocktroopers Marwa mentioned, either...

He realized there was no more time to waste messing around as he pointed his thumb back at the mouth of the cave.

"...Guess we're goin' in there, huh guys?"
________

angel doe simj26 Defender of Stories gxxberkit xulosxv Roda the Red miki BriiAngelic The One Eyed Bandit BluEndings coolgamer96 Flatwoods Elenion Aura Lucem The Regal Rper FabulousTrash AriAriAbabwa Doctor Llamabean Beann WhiskeyMarten .sol. M Meowijuana

Let's Split Up

 

[angel doe]

Vesper D'Angelo

Vesper was completely into the music, singing with Mars without a care. "You weren't kiddin', Mars, this shit rocks." She kicked her feet excitedly, giggling. She slid up the seat and arched herself over the top, making upside-down eye contact with whoever was behind her, "What's not to like about this, yeah?" Vesper grinned, sliding back into her seat with a thud just as Mars pulled up to the site and parked. Slinking out the vehicle's window, Ves landed silently on her feet and spun around gracefully, long braids swinging behind her.

Walking up alongside Mars, they looked at everything he did, tapping their chin thoughtfully in an attempt to appear interested. The flame that engulfed Mars' finger, however, immediately distracted them and they stared with wide eyes, leaning toward it until their nose almost touched the tip of the flame. It was only when Mars moved seconds later that Vesper went back to normal, scampering around and looking at everything they could.

"I wonder what happened..." She hummed softly, though her musing was answered shortly after by Mars reading the note left behind, "She went in alone? That's kind of stupid." Vesper rolled her eyes as she approached the entrance of the nest and peered in, hands on her hips.

"...Guess we're goin' in there, huh guys?"

"Fuckin' duh, dude," Vesper gave Mars a look like he'd asked the dumbest question in the world, "Obviously we're goin' in there."

Let's Split Up

 

[Elenion Aura]

ENOCH - SHEPHERD OF THE CHOSEN PATH

What a pity. This was what desperation hath wrought—rashness, chaos, grasping senselessly for any illusion of control. The merchant choosing to face death on her own terms, rather than submit to The Capital’s leash. It was foolish. But was it not also brave?

It was likely she saw no good options—either die at the hands of ants or face punishment from The Capital for her failure. To him, this desperation rang all too familiar, reminding of the countless humans he had witnessed lose hope and succumb to fear and fragility.

As the Exterminators flocked, a flurry of preparations, arguments, and bravado, he found himself drifting towards the mouth of the cave, Solace clutched in both hands. So much impatience. So much dissonant noise... While force may win them this day, he feared their lack of perspective would always blind them to the broader picture.

“Desperation makes fools of us all. May she find strength in her fear, as we all must.”

He did not fault the merchant for her choice. Human error was inevitable, particularly in a place such as this. The very depths themselves sunder the human mind and bend the spirit unto breaking.

Not so for the ants... Their unity, their efficiency... He admired them. They, and others, formed part of the archetype he sought to fashion for the future of all humanity. From their hive, to his Chosen Path.

Beyond all of this, there was one final curiosity... The Child. Enoch could not lie to himself, this child's "abnormal alchemy" had stoked in his heart a keen interest in this mission. What nature of thing was this?

At last, before they departed, he spared a word to the boisterous Mars.

“It is not light alone that guides us, but wisdom in how we wield it. You burn brightly. But even the brightest flames are swallowed by the dark, if they stray too far.”

LET'S SPLIT UP

​

 

[The Regal Rper]

Matt | Arc 1: Abandoned Ant Nest

Let me please introduce myself (whoo-hoo, whoo-hoo)
I'm a man of wealth and taste (whoo-hoo, whoo-hoo)
​

The car lurched on an unpaved, uneven, bumpy dirt road, chasing after the sounds of Mars hollering. There was a moment, seconds of air time before their designated driver hit the gas again after the car landed, bounced, and the shock absorbers slowed the rocking. Peeling off in a slight screech of rubber.

Matt had, after all, apologized to Rav and Sav ahead of time before commanding they both get in the back seat and buckle up tight when they had been mobilized to move out. Warning ahead this would be a bumpy and rough ride.

His foresight was living up to the call.

And I laid traps for troubadours (whoo-hoo, whoo-hoo)
Who get killed before they reach Bombay (whoo-hoo, whoo-hoo)​

With all the noise they were making Matt wouldn't have been surprised if the ants knew what was coming long before they got there as he drove, chasing after Mars and the other leads. Truth be told he hadn't intended on playing a thing but when nudged by the others had allowed them to play something, the old music of the Rolling Stones had been an interesting choice. Not quite what he honestly had expected.

Then again he had hardly been listening to half the music, even if he knew this song from the way his dad geeked out about music on a whole. He probably would have loved this song. Though in all honesty it was an ironic choice given their duty right now, picking a song about humanity's oldest friend being some spirit of malicious intent.

‘what's my name, I'll tell ya one last time’ echoed as Matt took a separate tunnel to Mars, Anada, and whoever Nyk had designated as her team's driver. The lights on the Humvees made them an illuminated crawling firefly in this tunnel of darkness where voices of a long dead band sang a funky song. Voices humming in a way that not even the engine could drown.

whoo-hoo-hoo, whoo-hoo-hoo​

The echo followed his team's vehicle out their tunnel path as Matt cut it sharp spotting Mars vehicle up ahead, hitting the breaks, tires closing in a curve, perhaps jostling a few.

Emily riding shotgun, Sav, Esther, and Rav in the back, all felt the Humvee stop with a smooth hiss and rise of dust behind them. Music cutting off as the engine was switched off.

Seatbelt was off, armored boots tapped to the ground, and without haste he was jogging up to where Mars and Vesper were headed, decided to leave it to them when they got first.

He listened as Mars moved towards the tent where the Merchant's post had been while he skimmed the surrounding area before the entrance. No sign of the Sawyers. He wondered who specifically from that group would be there. Spending time in Haven when he was 23 had him familiar with those Shock troopers.

Mars return and the subsequent message left for them was, if anything, just plain irritating. It was hard to see his expression given his helmet but the head shake and exasperated sigh was sign enough he wasn't even remotely pleased.

“If she went in there then it must mean the Sawyers went with her.” Faint hint of an accent, some vowels slightly stressed, the deepness in his voice adding a heavy timbre. Matt, again, sighed. Spoke in some foreign tongue or maybe his curse was just lowly said.

Spat on the ground in annoyance. Kicked the dirt over it.

“Guess it's better she left us something at all than nothing.” Sarcastic. He'd been in jobs where the ones they'd sent to help just made things more difficult and already, the job seemed like it was turning that way.

Bad enough his last job had started similar, leaving him without a team, without an escape in a trap, and bitter. As much as his interest might have been piqued in the ‘weird’ alchemy of this kid the capital had it's eye on, he hardly cares about that enough to ignore the likely safety hazards being raised here if they had to rescue a kid, the Merchant, and her help along with eradicating Gigapods.

In a way he was also stating his opinion on the subject of how idiotic it was to dive in alone in this situation, and how he doubted that was the truth to what everyone else was speculating. Weirdly enough his hand rose and scratched at his helmet to alleviate an itch he couldn't reach, stopping with a shake of his head from side to side.

“If Marwa said there's Shock troopers and they ain't round here, assume they went with her. I've worked with plenni groups like em, Sawyers included. It's rare you find dat kindah braindead that make it this long on the job. If anyone I know from dat group is with her, then, she's fine.” Leaving the ‘for now’ out of it. Not bothering to add anything to Vesper’s remarks to Mars, save a click from his helmet as it shifted and something covered his lower mouth and the shades slid into place, completely hiding his face.

Said nothing to what Enoch said to Mars too. Nuffin there worth saying, even if the advice was sage. Instead he turned his attention to his unit.

“My team, get yourselves ready before we move out, we wastin time now dat we know whats-what.” Steps making hardly a sound as heavy as he looked, metal man stalking back to his unit with barely a clunk or clank. Hollering out: “Aye Em! Keep the heavy stuff out until we really need it. I want to see what kind of Ants we fightin. Lest y'all know what type of Ants we fightin?” his last line directed to the other leads

Mentions: Nobody Special

Interactions: angel doe simj26 Defender of Stories gxxberkit xulosxv Roda the Red miki BriiAngelic The One Eyed Bandit BluEndings coolgamer96 Flatwoods Elenion Aura Lucem FabulousTrash AriAriAbabwa Doctor Llamabean Beann WhiskeyMarten .sol. M Meowijuana

 

[FabulousTrash]

Esther Forger

Esther couldn't say she was surprised by the wrench thrown into the job.

She glanced over towards the mouth of the cave as Mars finished reading the note that was left behind. On top of the kid, now they needed to find where the merchant went, and the guys from Sawyer. Assuming they were still alive, that is.

With a roll of her shoulders, Esther reached into her gear bag, retrieving a flashlight and slotted into a spot on her left shoulder, where metal met with skin. A row of shotgun shells and bullets lined the outside of her belt. She grabbed a few of the shells, then slid them into an opening positioned on the inside of her elbow, loading the shotgun that was built into her left forearm. Her hand reached into her bag once more, pulling out a screwdriver. She stuck it into a section of her upper arm, adjusting a screw as she spoke,

"A bug is a bug. It'll be dead by the time we're done here."

Tossing the tool back with the rest of her gear, Esther glanced back towards the other Exterminators. She had known many of them for a couple years now. As much as they were essentially a rag-tag group of randoms, they managed to get the job done with some degree of professionalism. Today shouldn't be any different, bar any surprises. The merchant going in on their own, presumably, was already enough trouble.

Esther called back to her team lead, waiting by the entrance to the cave system.

"Ready when you are boss."

Let's Split Up

 

[Lucem]

COLE GRAHAM

The deep black tint of his visor muted the glare from the leading vehicle's rear lights, reducing it to a dull gray that guided him through the dark tunnels. With firm, practiced hands gripping the steering wheel, he kept pace with the rest of the convoy, putting just enough pressure on the accelerator to keep an appropriate distance without falling too far behind. He could feel the engine's heavy hum penetrate the thick layers of his armor, vibrating his bones as the tires burned over uneven ground. However, that sensation and the loud mechanical growls accompanying it soon faded into the background of his mind as he dwelled on the details of the mission.

It would be a lie to say that ants being involved had no effect on him. They'd been deeply entwined with his life, their influence burned right into his DNA. His decades-old vendetta was owed entirely to them, the mere sight of them once able to stir up a volatile mix of anger and regret without fail. But that was the past, and he now viewed them with only slightly more wariness than he would any other Gigapod. Their presence was an afterthought compared to what really held a monopoly on his thoughts.

Ever since the initial briefing, he kept thinking about the target they were meant to rescue. A child with an unusual type of alchemy had been abducted during transport to the Capital and brought back to a Gigapod nest. It was an odd situation from all angles. Considering he was once in a similar position, Cole didn't find it too unusual for the young Alchemist to be taken to the Capital, assuming it was due to RAID taking an interest in their abilities. However, he did find it strange that they would have it carried out by a merchant. Even if the intent was to be covert, there were far better methods that held less risk.

Out of all the abnormalities surrounding the case, the child being abducted was by far the most concerning. Unless you were considerably lucky, to be caught by a Gigapod meant death. They attacked humans to satisfy their hunger, acting purely on instinct. It was well beyond the normal pattern of behavior for them to capture prey in this exact manner. For them to deviate so heavily, there had to be some sort of outside factor. Apart from it being a result of the child's alchemy, his only theory was that Plague was involved.

Eventually, Cole resurfaced from the depths of his mind when the Humvee in front swerved to the side and came to a stop. Doing the same, he parked near the small campsite and killed the engine with a quick turn of the key. As it let out its final rumble, he gave a quick nod to Nykia before exiting.

The moment his boots hit the ground, he immediately began to canvas the area. While Mars investigated the apparently empty tent, Cole focused on the only visible entrance into the nest. He checked for any trace of pheromones, trying to gather as much information as possible.

As expected, warning bells went off in his brain, alerting him to the presence of the many ants dwelling within. Even though he was this close to the nest, it was hard to pick up on more detailed information. Either the residents hadn't come near the entrance in quite a while, or the tunnels went extremely deep. He would need to go further to pick up on their exact positions.

Right before he was about to regroup with the rest of his squad, he was stopped by the rise of a presence that didn't belong. It was faint, something he wouldn't be able to get a perfect read on from outside. However, he was still able to make one important observation. It was no ant.

Eyes narrowing in response to the lone pheromone, he pulled away from the entrance, his brain already buzzing with suspicion. Even though he couldn't be certain of anything just yet, he was thinking back to his earlier concerns about the circumstances behind the abduction. If nothing else, it was a piece of evidence toward there being outside interference.

Rather than speak with his leader, he chose to approach Mars first. Stopping in front of the boisterous captain, he reached into one of the several pouches on his vest and produced three small metallic spheres, each topped with a silver pin. It wasn't the first time they'd been assigned to the same mission, so he had the luxury of being able to skip most of the usual explanation.

"One of these should last you about an hour." The words came out slightly muffled, passing through fabric and metal. "While they're active, the ants should think you're one of them and leave you alone. I only had time to make three of them, though."

After pushing them into one of Mars's gloved hands, he did the same with a set of three familiar syringes. "I'll leave you in charge of handing those out to the other leaders. One of each." He was well-aware that plenty of people weren't fond of Entomen, so he figured the flame Alchemist would have a much easier time getting others to accept the instruments. Anything that helped raise the odds of success and survival was vital, so he preferred to avoid the hurdles that came along with his nasty bug bite.

"Although, I'm not sure how useful they'll be this time." Raising his voice a bit louder so the rest of the Exterminators could hear, he stressed his next words. "We're not just dealing with ants."

Leaving Mars to handle distribution, he made a beeline for Nykia and the rest of his squad. "I'll take point. There's something else in there aside from ants and the kid."

Him taking the lead in their formation was nothing new, but now it was more important for him to do so than usual. Not only were they walking deep into the home of a large number of Gigapods, but there was also the unknown factor that had suddenly entered the mix. It was of extreme importance that they avoid being caught by surprise. If worse came to worst, he could at least take the brunt of whatever was thrown at them.

Retrieving the pair of knuckledusters clipped to his belt, Cole slipped his fingers through the cold, metal openings. He then gave the rest of the squad a once-over, making sure they'd finished their own preparations. Once Nykia gave the word, there'd be no turning back for them.

LET'S SPLIT UP

 

[gxxberkit]

NYKIA MASAMA

Pit-pitapat, pit-pitapat, pit-pitapat, pit-pitapat

Two fingers drummed against the dash of the humvee to the sound of the children’s song that had broken out within it. Please road song, Nykia had asked, and the road songs had pleased. The arrhythmic rumble of the tires beneath them complimented the beat of The Ants Go Marching, even with the slight syncopation from the two Exterminators singing behind her.

And yet, even with the somehow off-key chanting, they were still one of the quietest vehicles on the path. Nykia could just barely make out the jams coming from the surrounding vehicles, especially Gunnar’s. Par for the course for the folks in the red team.

But all of them soon came to a stop, the engines quieting one after another as they all parked in Mars’ lead. Doors clicked open and slammed shut, the quiet shuffling of gear filling the air around the Lumen-branded HMMWV. Two thin, spiky little antennae peeked out from underneath Nykia’s hood as she equipped her own gear. Her eyes narrowed with interest at the taste that lingered in the air; Tastes… spicy. She could already imagine what one would taste like seared after all that icky venom was rightfully disposed of. It gave her a little something to be excited for. Besides, well, the mission itself, which she was already plenty thrilled for. Her ruck and shotgun were quickly slung over her shoulders, shifted and finagled so as to not disturb her wings. With a little buzz-test, she turned, antennae twitching in the direction of the large tunnel ahead of them.

Coal brown eyes locked onto the largest man of her team, watching him walk up to Mars before her attention was drawn by Matt’s question. She paused for a moment. Her antennae flicked about to savor the taste of the air around. Then two gloveless fingers pinched in her mouth, a little fweep! dedicated to the other leader ringing softly enough to garner his attention—and anyone else who cared—without echoing into the tunnel nearby. Her hand lowered out of the way of her face to sign, roughly, “Jumper ant.”

She lowered her hands just in time for Cole to return to their team, an eyebrow raising at his bold request-slash-statement upon his arrival. Still, she gave him a curt nod. That was the plan, regardless. His little pheromone thing would be perfect to lead for something like this.

Nykia turned to the rest of her crew, raising a palm to halt the girl that had begun to open her mouth. Nykia’s two stomps into a rigid posture had Maylee fall in line and, with an approving nod, Nykia addressed the team as a whole. One hand rose with the sign for light. “Center: Light." Her other hand rose respectively from the first one. “Front: me, Ant; Right: Water; Left: Spider; Rear: Scorpion.”

She watched them sort themselves out, gaze boring into each of them as they did whatever before figuring out their formation. Nykia softened just a bit once they did, facing the tunnel and patting Cole’s shoulder to cue him into moving. Forward… march. Boots hit the ground and her wings buzzed in the rhythm that the song in the humvee had lacked. Another whistle trilled for the attention of the other Exterminators as they walked past them all, a half-gloved hand waving goodbye before they dipped into the tunnel as led by Cole.

LET'S SPLIT UP

​

 

[BriiAngelic]

Ananda Das

♫♪♫♪

Trusting Astraea with the wheel meant he had time to prepare his gear for the fight ahead. Yet even in all the time he spent leading his team he forever forgot how fun it was getting to kick back in the passenger seat. He let Astra worry about the road ahead as he raised the music even louder. No doubt the others were used to the antics of their leader. He cracked a smile as Astraea belted out the song with him.

“The clock goes tick tock, tick tock tick tock, BLINK GONE”

Until they got to the site he could maintain his lighthearted air. All that matter was the road ahead and not crashing.

When Mars got out and gave his own friendly tease it just made him that much more ready to step up and show how awesome his team had become themselves. It wasn’t until it became apparent that the woman they were meant to find had taken it upon herself to go alone that his smile cracked.

“Desperation may make us fools but if we’re lucky it’ll also keep her alive long enough for someone to find her.”

He turned to his group and address them sounding no less joking than usual but with a glint in his eyes that meant business.

“Gear up guys! Wouldn’t want to see one of ya’ll passing out ‘cause things got a little smelly.”

He put the gas mask part of his uniform to his face nodding to the others to suit up as they needed before heading to Mars to cover some bases. He took a glance around the area seeing little sign of the shocktroopers, even with Matt’s theory of them leaving with the woman. Concern he wouldn’t let reach his expression could be seen in his eyes.

“Keep yourselves alive out there okay. Matt’s sounding a bit optimistic here, I doubt the sawyer group would let her move out on her volition knowing we were coming to meet up. Loos like they’ll be picking up our rear support. Anyways my teams going to move on out.”

He wasted no time jogging back to his team directing them to follow as he started down the rightmost tunnel. He shouted back to the other leaders.

“Hey Mars, Matt, Nicky whoever gets back last is gonna be paying for the first round of drinks!”
________

Roda the Red miki The One Eyed Bandit BluEndings Elenion Aura Nobody Special The Regal Rper gxxberkit

Let's Split Up

 

[Defender of Stories]

i don't like

pain

but i bring it to life
i don't like

scars

but i'm good with a knife
i don't like

tears

but i'm starting to cry

*

MAYLEE SONG.

scroll

LOCATION

outside the tunnels

WITH

team lumen

MOOD

on edge

OUTFIT

uniform

Maylee hated being a passenger.

No, no—that wasn't it. She was trying to wean herself off of using the word hate, even for seemingly insignificant things, even to herself. Even a seedling of hate over something small could sprout into an unwieldy beast. She knew that better than most.

She preferred not to be a passenger. It wasn't as if the alternative was an option—she didn't know how to operate the Humvees the Exterminators used, or any vehicles, for that matter—but all the same, her skin crawled. She trusted the driver. She trusted her team. But a year of cooperation and cohabitation hadn't been enough to scrub away the foul memories that flooded her mind whenever she felt the humming of mechanical wheels beneath her.

If it disturbed her, though, she wouldn't let it show. Maylee kept her steely gaze straight ahead, fighting off the memories buzzing around her like flies by homing in sharply on the words her teammates sang over the belch of the engine.

The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah

(They had been packed in like cargo, but wooden crates didn't need room to breathe. The stench of sweat and urine filled her nostrils every time she tried to steal a breath. Some of the children pressed up against the cold metal walls of the trailer were young, after all, barely past the toddler stage. That first ride wasn't the worst, despite the dread and the encroaching unknown, because she still had her brother's hand to squeeze.)

(Time was dilated and meaningless in that moving cage. There was no pattern to it that she could discern, but periodically, they made stops at checkpoints, and the roll-up door at the back of the trailer screeched open, flooding them with light that was somehow more opaque than the darkness. Some of the children were ushered out at each stop, replacements ushered in. Maylee gripped her brother's hand until her fingernails drew his blood, but they still ripped him away from her, and she watched that awful light swallow up his thrashing limbs.)

("Let me go! Let me GO! I'll fucking kill you! You hear me?! Every last one of you!")

(They took him away from her, anyway. What was he supposed to do? He was just a child. They all were.)

The ants go marching one by one,
The little one stops to suck his thumb

(That slow-moving truck was fear and uncertainty and dread, but it was also, in a way, reassurance: as long as that truck was moving, she wouldn't have to face whatever waited at the end of the road. But the engine eventually cut, and the door rolled up for the final time, and they were led like cattle to line up against a concrete wall.)

(The men wore shiny helmets, and buried beneath layers of thick bulletproof armor, they resembled insects encased in exoskeletons more than people. As they poked and prodded with the butts of their rifles, they muttered things Maylee didn't understand. Just when she was beginning to wonder whether the guns were just for show, an older girl shoved the soldier in front of her away and ran, her bare feet slapping hard on the concrete below.)

(Calmly, one of the soldiers raised his rifle.)

And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

(The girl's limbs were twisted when she fell. Maylee was still staring numbly at the dark pool blossoming around her body when one of the soldiers grabbed her by a braid and yanked. She yelped in pain. She was still just a girl, after all. That reflex would be trained out of her within the next couple of years.)

("Are you stupid?" one of the men hissed. "They said they want Entomen only. En-to-men. And you let a human sneak on board?")

(Maylee couldn't see the other man's face beneath his helmet—only her own wide-eyed visage reflected within—but somehow, she could hear a wolfish grin in his voice.)

("You say that now, but just wait. Wait until you see what she can do.")

Maylee jolted to attention when the Humvee lurched to a stop. Cole quickly cut the engine, and Maylee followed the rest of the team out of the vehicle, leather boots meeting the hard-packed dirt below instead of the frail, bare feet that had uncertainly touched down all those years ago. She began tucking her gear properly into place, and as Cole swerved to distribute some of his pheromone-augmented tools to the other team leaders, Maylee paused to stare down the gaping mouth of one of the many tunnels facing them down, as impenetrable as the darkness in that cramped, reeking trailer from her memory.

Somewhere in one of those tunnels was a child. Maylee normally approached their missions with steely readiness—working as an Exterminator was how she was going to atone, after all. But knowing there was a child's life at stake made her drive burn just a little hotter. How many children had she seen fall over the years?

(In her memory, that dark pool around the fallen girl was still spreading outwards, even all these years later.)

Although she was usually cautious, seldom one to rush headlong into danger, she had to admit she was itching to get into those tunnels. The longer they waited, the greater the chance the child would perish alone. She couldn't allow that.

After handing out his gadgets, Cole regrouped with the team, and Maylee frowned at his announcement that he would be taking point. She understood why, of course. He would be able to sense the ants they were dealing with better than anyone else in the Exterminators, let alone their team. But he had said himself that they were dealing with something more, hadn't he? It was dangerous. If something happened to him—

"

I'll go with you,

" she began, her tone closer to protest than suggestion than she would have liked. Nykia shut her down quickly with a stomp and an efficiently-signed set of instructions, and Maylee's jaw swiftly snapped shut, her cheeks burning in embarrassment at her moment of weakness.

"

Understood,

" she said dutifully. Eyes downcast, she took her place in the formation: left of Callahan, with Thalia on her far right. Oskar took their six, while Cole served as vanguard, Nykia just slightly behind him. They began to move, marching just like the ants in the song that had syncopated the Humvee's quivering engine. Even in position, Maylee kept her eyes on the back of Cole's head, worry gnawing at her. He was putting himself at risk, and it wasn't lost on her. But she was fast. The fastest on the team. If something were to burst out of the darkness at one of her teammates—

She was counting on the spider in her to give her what she needed to protect them.

gxxberkit

Flatwoods

Lucem

WhiskeyMarten

.sol.

NO TIME TO DIE - BILLIE EILISH

ART BY

OKKIIIII

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

OSKAR EIDE

"The ants go marching one by one, hurrah. Hurrah."

Oskar mustered up a decent performance at Nykia's request, though he was disappointed that some of his verbal teammates weren't singing along too. He wriggled in his seat, trying to get comfortable without getting in his fellow passengers' way. The arm took up enough space on its own without the tail being a further complication. He glanced to the driver's seat, lamenting that he would likely be stuck at the back permanently. It wasn't easy on his old team, but they had a system. Since everyone loved getting behind the wheel, they took turns. Obviously he wouldn't be getting a turn again.

He continued to sing until the vehicle came to a stop with the others, where he immediately got out, eager for an opportunity to stretch his legs. A tunnel of gigapods should be plenty spacious enough in theory, but he couldn't rule out the chance of it getting tight down there. Oskar double-checked that all his equipment was accounted for, while Mars read the note aloud.

"Wait, what?" Oskar held his hand up to his forehead in concern and annoyance. "Are you serious?" He turned to his team, nodding at Nykia's directions. "Yes ma'am." He stood in place at the tunnel's entrance until his teammates had gone ahead, following them a few metres behind. The components of the mission were all routine. He's done more rescue missions than he could count. But still, looking ahead, he had little hope that there was anything living apart from the bugs.

"Alright. No time to waste."

LET'S SPLIT UP

​

 

[BluEndings]

ECHO

The destination was a Black Zone, wasn’t it?

But rather than speak, Echo kept the groaning to her mechanical joints. At this junction, shooting off a protest or two wasn’t going to make a difference. It was a big operation. So the other vehicles were blasting their own hubris too. The numbers meant a certain amount of safety of course, but it still seemed a bit careless. Even if it was a bit par for the course for jobs like this.

Afterall, this kind of manpower was the luxury of human capital. Under normal circumstances there was just no shot that this many exterminators would assemble for the common unlucky nobody. Whoever this “special alchemist” was didn’t realize how lucky they were. At least assuming they were still alive. That was the little detail that soured things, because it would come at no surprise to Echo if these merchants were content with a corpse.

⬩ ⬥ ❖ ⬥ ⬩

Setting foot on stationary ground was always a relief, but the calm ended the moment both feet touched down. Echo had prepped her instruments during the drive, so the stuffy formalities that followed was mostly protocol. The leaders would convene as they needed until the operation could finally begin.

However, this “Sawyer Group,” or rather the lack thereof, was a complication.

“To not dying then.”

LET'S SPLIT UP

 

[miki]

ASTRAEA

Foot to pedal, metal to mettle.

“—THE CLOCK GOES TICK TOCK, TICK TOCK, TICK TOCK—BLINK GONE!!”

She screamed out the song louder than him. Astra swerved the car through the dirt paved streets, narrowly missing crashes without a second thought. Team Soda was punctual for a reason: the reason being high risk, mediocre reward.

The second she made it to a straight path, she jammed her heel into the gas pedal and checked her canon. There were two charges in it, stable, and ready. That’d be plenty to blast a pests’ head off.

“I’M TELLIN’ YOU BLINK GONE—!”

⬩ ⬥ ❖ ⬥ ⬩​

She skidded the car sideways to park. Astraea jumped out of the car on stable feet. The image before her was an ever infuriating sight. How did working with them make any sense!?

But it was not her choice to make. Perhaps this was a blessing in disguise.

With a hardened smile, she promptly ignored the Entomen and waltzed up to Mars with a prompt pat on the shoulder.

“We’re here! Perfectly on time, as always.”

Astra cocked her canon, the insides glowing with a blinding, radiating light. She followed her leader into the fray, adding, “I’m gonna enjoy those free drinks!”

Let's Split Up

​

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

Emily Forger

"Esther~!" The voice came from the team vehicle—the last person to come out. A fretful-looking girl, only now eating her breakfast: a slice of jammed bread in her mouth as she pulled her belongings from the trunk. "Mmph mm hm!" she called out.

A wagon droid the size of a dog crawled out of the vehicle, then, the name "BILLY" scratched on its side. It scurried over to Emily Forger just as she yanked out a bag of ammunition. The inertia sent her backward, barely balancing on one foot as she tilted side to side. But just as it looked like she'd fall, the bag fell into Billy, and she let out a breath of relief. Also falling into its storage was her Instrument, sandwiched between the bag and the droid.

Looking back at the Bloodworks team, Emily lit up a jovial pink. She bounced on her toes, waving wildly at them. Probably would have hollered too if not for the bread slice.

Emily started running after them. She made it three steps before her foot caught on Billy's leg. She yelped, and a cloud of dust rose around her as she landed flat on her stomach. The bread flew from her mouth, landing jelly-side down. "My toast! No..." Unfortunately, there wasn't much time to mourn the loss of the breakfast. Sniffling her tears back in, Emily forced herself to stand and dusted herself off, continuing her light sprint.

She stopped just inches short of Esther, beaming up at her as if nothing had happened a few a meters away. "I'm here! Ready and waiting!"

FabulousTrash @Bloodworks

Let's Split Up

 

[.sol.]

THALIA STERLING

As Thalia looks out the window, she hums a quiet tune to distract herself from their impending arrival. She fumbles with the band-aids around her fingertips, and a sigh escapes her lips.

Energy buzzes through the air, the range in her teammates' emotions palpable. Her concerned gaze briefly lingers on each of them before Nykia’s request for a road song is able to re-center her attention. In the moment it takes for her to process, Oskar chooses "The Ants Go Marching" for an enthusiastic rendition. When there's an improvised high note, Thalia's amused smile betrays her attempt to stay uninvolved. She gives in and joins after the first verse, playfully nudging Callahan with her elbow as she starts out.

Not long after their song comes to an end, they arrive at the designated meeting point. Cole silences the rumbling engine by turning the key and removing it from the ignition. Upon forcing herself out of the backseat, she clasps her hands in front of her and pauses to become acquainted with their new surroundings. A crease forms between her eyebrows as Mars reveals what's scribbled on the note. Of course, something's already gone awry—that honestly might be a new record.

"Well, this'll be interesting." Thalia leans against the back of Lumen's Humvee while busying herself with some final preparations. Once her pistol is fully loaded with ammunition, it finds its home on the left side of her belt. She also adjusts the instruments Cole gifted her and Callahan to confirm that she properly secured their clasps. A little extra peace of mind never hurt.

Violet eyes peer upward at the sound of Nykia’s orders sharply cutting through Maylee’s suggestion. She dips her head while passing their team leader then assumes her position at her back.

"See ya later~" Thalia calls out to the remaining Exterminators with a small wave goodbye. Though, as she follows in stride and enters the tunnel, her lightheartedness dissipates. She doesn't utter a sound, but the warm glow of Callahan's alchemy exposes the unease etched on her face.

LET'S SPLIT UP

​

 

[Flatwoods]

CALLAHAN LUCERO

This mission would be full of firsts for Callahan. For starters, it would actually be their first one yet, their first encounter with actually fighting gigapods. Their first time working with Team Lumen and all the other exterminators too. And apparently, their first time in a humvee.

The light alchemist had been warned the ride wouldn't be easy. And Callahan hadn't expected it to be so either, after all, it wasn't like they were in the Capital. And yet, the alchemist was left wide eyed and clutching desperately to their morning star as the vehicle continued on, surrounded by noises battling for their attention. Even behind the thick, dark veil of their hat, Callahan's unease was stark on their face. She grunted at every bump, held her weapon tighter with each turn. And the singing was not helping. The entire ride, Callahan could only stare straight ahead, practically unresponsive as their composure slipped further and further from their grasp. Even Thalia's little elbow nudge, though playful, was met with merely a quick glance from Callahan. How they'd make the trip back, they had no idea. But there were more pressing matters right now.

At last, the ride did end. And with her teammates, Callahan scrambled out onto stable ground, her knees a little shaky till she was able to stable herself with her morning star. "Good heavens..." The blonde groaned, relieved for only a second. They were quick to collect themselves, much more alert as all the exterminators began to gather.

It almost didn't feel real, being an exterminator. An actual one, now. Every step Calla took was met with more and more adrenaline pumping through their blood. Danger dancing on their tongue, leaving behind an odd metal taste. Would they ever get used to this palpitating excitement? A part of Callahan hoped not. This mission seemed highly important as it was, between this 'abnormal' child alchemist and the nest of ants they'd have to battle. It'd only get more and more dangerous from here.

Callahan snapped to attention as it quickly became apparent their merchant wasn't anywhere here, frowning at the deviation in plans. It seemed they'd have to go into those ant tunnels sooner than she expected. Well, it wasn't like they weren't ready. Callahan doubly checked the instrument Cole had given Thalia and her was fastened tightly to the top of her morning star, yanking at it a little before turning her attention back to her teammates. Concern tainting her expression.

It took Callahan maybe a second too late to realize that Nykia was giving orders. But once it hit, the blonde's eyes widened. "O-oh!" She scrambled into place, wiping her clammy hands into her robes before standing at attention again, giving subtle nods to her teammates as they stood in their respective positions. This was it. They were ready to embark on their first mission.

With her hands gripping her morning star tighter than before, Callahan subtly twisted the metal staff, the gear on her glove synchronized with the clinking within the morning star itself. Till at last, a sliver of a crack amongst the metal openings revealed a beaming light; bright enough to illuminate a living room. Callahan was very glad to have triple-checked the sensitivity of their instrument —anymore than this and it would run the risk of blinding her teammates.

But Callahan's attention was soon snapped towards her leader, her brows furrowing deep in seriousness as the marching began. Again, she looked forward, somehow even stiffer than before, as they held their morning star high. The beating of their heart was so loud it rattled in their chest, almost bursting out. Callahan was set on being the beacon for their team, to be the best exterminator they could be.

They wouldn't let anyone down. They didn't have a choice.

LET'S SPLIT UP

​

 

[Roda the Red]

XENOS

A man stood atop an uneven ground, his dark sheen of his body reflected by the artificial lights allocated throughout the environment, a gentle smile formed under his stocky mustache as he moved his hand forward. It was met by the slimmer hand of a young lady, her body also coated by a layer of jet luster, they moved closer to each other, hands on waist and shoulder, together they began to share a lovely waltz.

The music inside of the vehicle was loud and vibrating, but Xenos particular brain was able to block it off almost entirely, replaced by a marvelous orchestra playing inside his head, he stared at the pair of ferrous figurines dancing on his palm, his other hand moving its fingers in a coordinated manner, moving the dancing pair to his will, a calm smile never leaving his visage. Then, he slammed his upper hand down, squishing the dancers under his clasp, upon rising his hand once more, all that was left was just a circular shape, its thickness lying in this middle area between a puck and a disc, it floated in the gap between his hands, spinning rapidly until it shattered, the pieces quickly vanishing on thin air.

⬩ ⬥ ❖ ⬥ ⬩

"Tch Tch Tch. That's not the right attitude, Astraea!" He responded, grinning as he waved his ironclad index from side to side. "I have told you before, haven't I? The rewards are not important...it's the RESULTS that matter! We are here to save people!" He walked forward, past the young girl, his arms wisely held behind his back. "Besides...that child is a special kind of alchemist, correct?" His grin turned wider, light reflecting on his glasses as he readjusted them with his leather-covered palm. "A live specimen is so much more valuable than a corpse."

With the fleeting glimpse of the mad scientist now gone, he smiled at his team. "Very well, captain! Ready when you are." The plates on his gloves clacked together as his fingers furled and unfurled in excitement.



BriiAngelic miki BluEndings Elenion Aura The One Eyed Bandit

LET'S SPLIT UP

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Shengyu Meinhart, Team Soda​

Earplugs. With the final few scraps of her previous paycheck, Shengyu had decided to invest in earplugs. It wasn't like she was particularly sensitive to sound. She'd spent antlion's share of her childhood in a bunkhouse shared with eleven other girls, after all, not to mention the dozen boys who had been just down the hall. The noise wasn't why she'd invested in the things. They were a solution to a different problem, or at least she hoped they would be.

Ever since returning to the field, something had felt amiss to her. Deployments which would have once felt mundane and routine now stirred her stomach with butterflies, and even when she was off duty she found herself spending more time fretting about her upcoming jobs than she cared to admit. She was nervous. Nervous in ways that she'd never been, even during her days as a bright eyed, clueless rookie. She wondered if she was just afraid. If she'd lost her nerve. If whatever bravado had carried her through her earlier career just so happened to be contained within her lost arm. She wondered a lot of things, which was bad, seeing as she was currently trying to clear her mind.

That was what the earplugs were for. To block out her senses, so that she might blot out her thoughts too. She'd read about it in a book on meditation which she'd dug out of the closet of the old man's former bedroom, which she still didn't quite feel right calling her own. Closing her eyes had been a simple enough way to get halfway there, but cutting off her sense of hearing was a matter that had required tools. Soft, squishy tools which retailed for a price of nine ninety-nine.

And thusly, she rendered the world blank. Or at least a blank at it could be with Astra at the wheel. She was alone in the world, her thoughts her only company, and even then that was only because she was cocking this up. Her breathing was slow and deliberate, and on each breath another of her thoughts was expelled. Or at least, that was the idea. She still hadn't gotten the hang on it.

If nothing else, whether her mind was cleared or not, Shengyu was pretty sure that certain members of her party preferred when she kept to herself like this anyway.

"Ah." Shengyu's eyes snapped open as the convoy came to a halt, and she slipped the earplugs from her ears. Her sword was slung loose over her shoulder, swinging lightly beside her hip as she approached the gathered Exterminators.

"How's it goin', champ? Is this all of us?" She gave the crowd a quick once over. There were some faces here that she recognized other than the Champion. It set the butterflies in her stomach at ease, if only a little. Familiar was something which she still was not with her team, let alone their eerie plus one. Or... That was a bit of a fib. He was familiar, too, just not in a way that helped. "How long until we head in? Never known search and rescue to be a time-friendly operation, exactly... What're we all millin' around like this for?"

Her question wasn't exactly pointed, but she was still trying to make a point. She forgot what the statistic was exactly, but she was pretty sure that the first few hours of someone going missing were the ones in which most most of them were found.

"I can hop to and scout if the higher ups are worried about anything..." Her attention drifted over to Ananda. "...So long as that's alright with you, boss."

BriiAngelic miki BluEndings Elenion Aura Roda the Red