Side Story Champions of the Arena II: The Hunt

[Takumi]

HOTEL
"Please!" Arcade groaned. "I've snapped my fingers once already. Your boy's magic is already taking effect. You'll be fine. Stop winging." He snapped his fingers again, accelerating her healing further. "As for the Crystal well... it's quite the story. Say, have you been to hell recently?" The Madman chirped. "No, of course you haven't. I have, and let me tell you... it's not the place it used to be. There was a little change in management a while back. My old boss got ousted. The first chick who replaced him thought it would be a good idea to free all the souls in the realm. Sounds nice, doesn't it? Well, that little act of charity lacked foresight. A bunch o' folks came back from the dead, myself included. Seemed swell at first, but it went sour pretty quickly. You see, the dead didn't stop coming back. Some of us got to keep our minds. Most of us didn't. It's a chaotic process."

"You see, mortals aren't supposed to come back from the dead. The stunt Big Mother pulled in the Nether-world fucked up the cosmic balance. The souls that were supposed to go to Mephisto? They're roaming free. Hence..." He returned to the window. He gestured theatrically at the shambling, staggering zombies that were flooding the streets. "Hence them. Thanks to Big Mother, the dead are walking. It only affects worlds that Mephisto used to call his own, but.... well, Mephisto got around. Nobody knows how many worlds he claimed. Nobody knows which worlds are going to be affected..."
His lips twisted into a smile.
"Well... almost nobody..."
"Still. The only way to be sure that the dead won't start rising is to get hold of a Soul Gem. Stick one of those in a city and bang. You're insured. It doesn't matter if you're on Uncle M's hit list. Your dead won't start rising. Here's the issue: Soul Gems are hard to get hold of. The Church of the Goddess hoards them like a dragon hoards gold. Needless to say, Church doesn't like to share its toys. It definitely doesn't want to share them with a planet like Prudence. Look around you! It was Sodom and Gomorrah out there long before the dead started rising. The only way planets like Prudence keep spinning is with a little help from the multiverse's underbelly. The Corporations brought the planet with a Soul Gem a few years back. In exchange, they got a pretty big slice of Prudence's pie. The Government. The Stores. The Charities. They're all Corporate owned now."
"Here's the problem. There are a bunch of people out there who don't want to see Prudence standing tall. Rival corporations would make a buck-load if OBLIVION energy went under. The Crime Lords world make a mint selling that Gem on the black market. It's a complicated issue. I wanted that crystal. The Hutts wanted it. Samatoki wanted it. Cluth probably wanted it too. Pity all our plots got tangled together. It was only a matter of time before one of you broke the Gem. All the energy it had game bursting out and... well. You saw what happened. You blew up A bank. Crashed the stock market. Started a zombie apocalypse. Before you know it, the world's burning. Does that satisfy your curiosity? Or would you like me to try talking those Zombies to death?"


"You know what else would give us one less Zombie to deal with?" Arcade shrugged, pulling a gun from his jacket. He clicked its safety off. "This."
"Please..." Samus begged, reaching out towards Ouka. "Help me to me feet... I don't want to die on my knees."
"Step back so I can put a bitch down..." Arcade sighed, lining his weapon up with Samus' forehead. "Believe me. Zombie blood doesn't wash out..."

@Yun Lee @Jeremi @Takumi @Atomic Knight



PROPAGANDA TOWER
"Maybe?" The guard raised an eyebrow. "Maybe? The hell do I know you from?" He slapped the side of his scanner. "Piece of crap..." He mumbled to himself. "Look. I'm guess this is some sorta test from corporate, right? I'm supposed to run through all the usual procedures, and you're going to be recording the whole thing, right? How about you just promise to give me a good score, and I can let you through to the tower and we both stop wasting our time. I don't do this job for kicks, Miss. I'm here to feed my kids. So long as I can keep my job, I don't give a shit about my Employee Rating." He lowered his scanner and sighed. "Are we cool?"



The guard tipped her head to the side and gave Allison a venomous glare.
"These things don't scan skulls, ma'am." She sassed. "Get back in line, okay? This isn't Open Mic Night. Let me do much fucking job, okay?"
She turned back to face Eight Hearts.
"Look. I haven't heard any reports of a creepy skull man fucking people up in District B. I haven't heard of anyone of that description coming into our ports, either. But I've got I guy in Tech on speed-dial. He's been monitoring transmissions all day. If I give him a call, what do you think he's going to say? Do you think he's going to tell me that you've been up to some criminal shit?" She fell silent for a beat. "Do you want to walk away before I call him? Or do you have something to declare?"

@Lucky @Jeremi @Takumi @Capri

DISTRICT B TOWN HALL
View attachment 8070
Boarded and barred, the Town Hall was closed to the public... or what little 'public' remained alive. Pair of sunglasses stared through a gap in the barricade.
"Hey! You!" He caught the pair's attention. "Yeah! You guys! You guys are alive, right?"
He turned towards an exhausted Chase. His strength had been spent on the flight across the District. Barely conscious, he wouldn't be able to use his powers for some time.
"Well... You're mostly alive, right? Say something only an Alive-Person would say!"
A moment passed.
"Just... get over here, okay? We're having a still-alive party in here. You're both invited. There's a break in the barricade above the door. Climb on in and we'll cook you up something nice."
Some whispering could he heard from behind the door.
"There's a guy in here who says he knows you guys? Says he's saved you a beer? Get in here before it gets cold."

@Lucky @Atomic Knight​

"If you helped her, it could give you one more person to help with your zombie problem, which means one more person to help with your image towards Prudence down the line." Ouka suggested matter-of-factly with a small shrug as he watched Arcade pull out a gun with a tilt of his head. While he himself didn't use guns, nor did most Magicians, he knew of them. This was his third time encountering a gun while here, even if it wasn't even aimed at him this time.

He couldn't help but be curious why Samus was different than the other zombies from before and as she pleaded with him to help her to her feet he was confused. He was sure that her weight would simply knock them both over to the floor if he tried to help her in his current state.

His brows furrowed as Arcade placed the gun at Samus' forehead, his eyes darting to the man then as he remained to the side, out of reach and admittedly ignoring Bad Girl when she spoke to the ginger.

@Sark @Yun Lee @Jeremi @Atomic Knight @Hotel

Chise nodded along here and there as the man spoke; not necessarily paying attention to all of what he said since the situation with Eight Hearts was picked up by her ears and was a bit distracting, but when he asked if they were good she nodded once more.

"We're cool." She tried to assure. With that out of the way it seemed like he'd let her through now, right? That wasn't so bad. If he did indeed let her through, she'd move to get out of his way and let him get back to his job.

@Sark @Capri @Jeremi @Lucky @District B/Tower

 

[Capri]

NARANCIA GHIRGA
@Sark @Takumi @Jeremi @Lucky

Narancia nodded his head in the prospect of just straight-up lying to please this guy.

It was almost too easy, so he stayed sharp, trying to stay on the lookout just in case...​

 

[Atomic Knight]

Sean would have ultimately rather go back for his brother, but he understood they were low on choices. He just had to hope Daniel would be safe by the time Sean could get back.

"Uh, sure man..."

Sean had no idea who was inside the building but he was happy to get off the streets for a moment. "We're coming inside then!" he announced.

@Lucky @Sark @Town Hall

***

"H-Hey! What's going on up there?!"

Daniel was growing impatient and annoyed. He couldn't quite tell what was happening since he moved Samus inside. He was about to call out again when finally someone looked outside and tossed him a rope. Though Daniel was not happy to have to climb a rope, he was eager to be out of the zombie horde. Thanks to some level of adrenaline (and a little bit of power help), Daniel reached the room.

His eyes went wide upon seeing a gun to Samus' head and he yelled.

"No! Stop, please!"

@Sark @Takumi @Jeremi @Yun Lee @Hotel​

 

[Yun Lee]

Yashamaru nodded. "If I could handle Dengar, then zombies that aren't trained killers shouldn't be a problem." But as the younger brother and Samus arrived, he gritted his teeth as Arcade made it very clear he was going to kill the bounty hunter. "Wait. She's willing to join our side. Our fight's not with each other, it's with Tormo and the zombies." He whispered an addendum silently, the wind carrying it to Arcade's ears and Arcade's ears only. "That boy has supernatural gifts. He's invaluable, and killing someone he's trying so hard to save gives us yet another powerful enemy." He hated talking that way about Daniel, but this was the language Arcade spoke. Not of humanity, but of business.

@Sark @Yun Lee @Jeremi @Takumi @Atomic Knight

---

Noticing the safe zone forming behind them, Marianne felt a dying ember of hope within. Maybe...maybe she could save one life tonight. "Sir," she said, leaning over the armored car and looking to Jyuto. "Maybe it's best we retreat to the casino for now...we can get information there, I think..." And you'll be safe and sound while I...she wasn't sure how her story would end now. Everything had gone wrong.

@Sark​

 

[Lucky]

Allison Argent

" I think it might just be faster to make calls about everyone in the line, I'll go next. I got nothing to hide," she added, not sure if the woman was even bluffing or not. She would wait to see what would happen next as she got in line.

@Yun Lee @Jeremi @Takumi @Atomic Knight @Sark

Chase Davenport

Chase knew that he would eventually had run out of ways to do it. " There's someone here who know us.... I haven't met many people, but I'll take your word on it," he replied through breaths, knowing that he only had a few moments before he would collapse of exhaustion. He would make his way in with Sean and would collapse once they were safely in the barrier

@Sark @Atomic Knight

 

[Sark]

Bad Girl stopped listening around the line about hell. The next few minutes she picked her nails and checked over her bat. Damn, she really was feeling better now too. Then the droning finally stopped. "Uh-huh yeah..." Bad Girl twirled her bat around. "You said something about murdering zombies? Well, point me to where the fuck I'm supposed to go."

HOTEL--->HALLWAY
Arcade sighed deeply. He shot a finger in the direction of the barricade by the door.
"There's a little crawl space under that. Go on. Go smash some heads. Eat your heart out... or better yet, go eat theirs..."
***
The Hallway was crawling with the undead. It was just as Arcade said it would be. The hollow remains of security guards and bounty hunters- each having once possessed a life and a family- continued to walk the hotel. Their spirits were gone. Only their flesh remained, mindless and savage.
Bad Girl's scent caught their attention. Half a dozen heads. Crimson, bloody eyes cut into her from behind shattered, glass visors. Swinging, broken jaws. Snapped, twitching fingers. There was no denying it. Bad Girl was staring her own handiwork in the face. She had killed these men once already, back when she and her treacherous allies had stormed the building in search of Tormo.
The first two security guards lunged towards her, their arms outstretched. Two more stumbled into the first pair, nearly barreling them off of their feet. Two more stumbled into second pair. Another pack joined the clumbsy horde. Groaning. Gurgling. Screaming. The Undead swarmed Charlotte like flies swarm honey.

@Jeremi

"If you helped her, it could give you one more person to help with your zombie problem, which means one more person to help with your image towards Prudence down the line." Ouka suggested matter-of-factly with a small shrug as he watched Arcade pull out a gun with a tilt of his head. While he himself didn't use guns, nor did most Magicians, he knew of them. This was his third time encountering a gun while here, even if it wasn't even aimed at him this time.

Yashamaru nodded. "If I could handle Dengar, then zombies that aren't trained killers shouldn't be a problem." But as the younger brother and Samus arrived, he gritted his teeth as Arcade made it very clear he was going to kill the bounty hunter. "Wait. She's willing to join our side. Our fight's not with each other, it's with Tormo and the zombies." He whispered an addendum silently, the wind carrying it to Arcade's ears and Arcade's ears only. "That boy has supernatural gifts. He's invaluable, and killing someone he's trying so hard to save gives us yet another powerful enemy." He hated talking that way about Daniel, but this was the language Arcade spoke. Not of humanity, but of business.

"H-Hey! What's going on up there?!"

Daniel was growing impatient and annoyed. He couldn't quite tell what was happening since he moved Samus inside. He was about to call out again when finally someone looked outside and tossed him a rope. Though Daniel was not happy to have to climb a rope, he was eager to be out of the zombie horde. Thanks to some level of adrenaline (and a little bit of power help), Daniel reached the room.

His eyes went wide upon seeing a gun to Samus' head and he yelled.

"No! Stop, please!"

"Oh, don't tell me that you're attached to this thing!" Arcade cackled. He swung his pistol wildly, as if it didn't contain within it the power to end a life. "She's hardly the life of the party, now is she? Where's the riveting conversation? Where's the banter? Oh..." He gestured towards her bloody helmet with his weapon's barrel. "And she's hardly a looker. Why protector her? Why keep her safe? What is it? A personal debt? A moral one? Here's the thing, junior: if there's one thing bullets are great at, it's clearing slates... and she's been shot once already..."

He straighten up his shooting-arm as Yashamaru approached his side. He waited patiently as his breath brushed his ear. The Samurai said his piece. Ouka said his. But either logic nor Daniel's pleas could soften the Madman's heart.

"Believe me. I know that deadly things can come in small packages," Arcade squinted, making no effort to match Yash's lowered tone. "But I'm not about to throw away my precious second life to win him over. Here's the thing that you're forgetting, 'friends':"

He took a step closer to Samus.

"Here's the painful truth you're choosing to ignore:"

He inserted his pistol into the bullet hole Chuck had already carved into the hunter's helmet.

"Curing poison? That's not too tricky. Fixing a few scratches? A halfling could do it. But zombism? Oh... that's a different story..."

Samus slowly raised her twitching head upwards towards Arcade.

"It's just like Chuckie said... there's only one curse for Zombism... and that's a bullet in the head..."

"Please..." The Hunter begged. "Please... Try..."

"Watch her beg," Arcade scoffed. It was a natural laugh. It was quiet. Subtle. Strangely human, for a man like him. "Watch her plea... She's dancing for us. She's putting on a show. Your friend died hours ago... the bag of blood you've been dragging around? She's stinking wolf in a lambs--"

An orange gauntlet caught Arcade's wrist. Samus squeezed until she heard something important pop. Arcade unleashed a pained roar. His cry was rushed down with a flurry of gunshots.

[BANG] [BANG] [BANG] [BANG] [BANG]

The Hunter didn't stop. Her strength had been restored... or perhaps, it had never vanished to begin with. For a moment, the Hunted might have heard a faint gurgling giggle bubble from behind her bloody mask. She released Arcade's hand. He stumbled back, cradling his wound. His theatrics were at an end. He fell backwards onto his ass. He scurried back, frail and afraid, until his back stuck the wall. He pulled his trigger again. And again. And again.

[BANG] [BANG] [BANG]

The last of his bullets pinged harmlessly off of Samus' armored shell.

[CLICK]

His heart stopped.

"The fuck are you all waiting for?!!?" He wailed, tossing his pee-shooter aside. "Kill it! Kill it!!!"

"Oh... I don't think they will..." Samus giggled. Her stoic facade had long since melted away. She raised her canon arm. With flick of her wrist and a flash of light, Ouka's body was sent hurting through the living room's wall. He didn't stop flying until his shoulder struck the headboard of a bed in the next hotel room over. "I think they lack the guts..."
"Heh..."
"Funny..."
"Guts..."
The door of Ouka's hotel room came crashing open. An Undead Security Guard stumbled into the room. Two of his former coworkers staggered in after him.
"Like Guts. Love 'em... Maybe I'll have some of his... if there are any left... heh... want them..."
Her eyes locked onto Yashamaru's.
"But I'll settle for yours..."
The back of her gauntlet struck the Samurai's jaw. Before even he could aptly react, his back was crashing into Arcade's barricade. As he slumped down at the foot of the structure, he could have sworn that he felt its weight... shift. Another blow and it would no doubt collapse.
"And of course..."
The Hunter slowly turned to face Daniel.
"Some of yours... "
"Dear Daniel... Thank you for bring me here... Thank you." She whimpered, mocking her own once weak voice. "Thank you for you charity... Thank you for lending a hand to a Hunter in need... but most importantly... thank you for bringing me here... I saw the ads on my way up... they say that the Compendium Hotel has a Killer Buffet..."

@Yun Lee @Takumi @Atomic Knight​

 

[Jeremi]

HOTEL--->HALLWAY
Arcade sighed deeply. He shot a finger in the direction of the barricade by the door.
"There's a little crawl space under that. Go on. Go smash some heads. Eat your heart out... or better yet, go eat theirs..."
***
The Hallway was crawling with the undead. It was just as Arcade said it would be. The hollow remains of security guards and bounty hunters- each having once possessed a life and a family- continued to walk the hotel. Their spirits were gone. Only their flesh remained, mindless and savage.
Bad Girl's scent caught their attention. Half a dozen heads. Crimson, bloody eyes cut into her from behind shattered, glass visors. Swinging, broken jaws. Snapped, twitching fingers. There was no denying it. Bad Girl was staring her own handiwork in the face. She had killed these men once already, back when she and her treacherous allies had stormed the building in search of Tormo.
The first two security guards lunged towards her, their arms outstretched. Two more stumbled into the first pair, nearly barreling them off of their feet. Two more stumbled into second pair. Another pack joined the clumbsy horde. Groaning. Gurgling. Screaming. The Undead swarmed Charlotte like flies swarm honey.

@Jeremi




"Oh, don't tell me that you're attached to this thing!" Arcade cackled. He swung his pistol wildly, as if it didn't contain within it the power to end a life. "She's hardly the life of the party, now is she? Where's the riveting conversation? Where's the banter? Oh..." He gestured towards her bloody helmet with his weapon's barrel. "And she's hardly a looker. Why protector her? Why keep her safe? What is it? A personal debt? A moral one? Here's the thing, junior: if there's one thing bullets are great at, it's clearing slates... and she's been shot once already..."

He straighten up his shooting-arm as Yashamaru approached his side. He waited patiently as his breath brushed his ear. The Samurai said his piece. Ouka said his. But either logic nor Daniel's pleas could soften the Madman's heart.

"Believe me. I know that deadly things can come in small packages," Arcade squinted, making no effort to match Yash's lowered tone. "But I'm not about to throw away my precious second life to win him over. Here's the thing that you're forgetting, 'friends':"

He took a step closer to Samus.

"Here's the painful truth you're choosing to ignore:"

He inserted his pistol into the bullet hole Chuck had already carved into the hunter's helmet.

"Curing poison? That's not too tricky. Fixing a few scratches? A halfling could do it. But zombism? Oh... that's a different story..."

Samus slowly raised her twitching head upwards towards Arcade.

"It's just like Chuckie said... there's only one curse for Zombism... and that's a bullet in the head..."

"Please..." The Hunter begged. "Please... Try..."

"Watch her beg," Arcade scoffed. It was a natural laugh. It was quiet. Subtle. Strangely human, for a man like him. "Watch her plea... She's dancing for us. She's putting on a show. Your friend died hours ago... the bag of blood you've been dragging around? She's stinking wolf in a lambs--"

An orange gauntlet caught Arcade's wrist. Samus squeezed until she heard something important pop. Arcade unleashed a pained roar. His cry was rushed down with a flurry of gunshots.

[BANG] [BANG] [BANG] [BANG] [BANG]

The Hunter didn't stop. Her strength had been restored... or perhaps, it had never vanished to begin with. For a moment, the Hunted might have heard a faint gurgling giggle bubble from behind her bloody mask. She released Arcade's hand. He stumbled back, cradling his wound. His theatrics were at an end. He fell backwards onto his ass. He scurried back, frail and afraid, until his back stuck the wall. He pulled his trigger again. And again. And again.

[BANG] [BANG] [BANG]

The last of his bullets pinged harmlessly off of Samus' armored shell.

[CLICK]

His heart stopped.

"The fuck are you all waiting for?!!?" He wailed, tossing his pee-shooter aside. "Kill it! Kill it!!!"

"Oh... I don't think they will..." Samus giggled. Her stoic facade had long since melted away. She raised her canon arm. With flick of her wrist and a flash of light, Ouka's body was sent hurting through the living room's wall. He didn't stop flying until his shoulder struck the headboard of a bed in the next hotel room over. "I think they lack the guts..."
"Heh..."
"Funny..."
"Guts..."
The door of Ouka's hotel room came crashing open. An Undead Security Guard stumbled into the room. Two of his former coworkers staggered in after him.
"Like Guts. Love 'em... Maybe I'll have some of his... if there are any left... heh... want them..."
Her eyes locked onto Yashamaru's.
"But I'll settle for yours..."
The back of her gauntlet struck the Samurai's jaw. Before even he could aptly react, his back was crashing into Arcade's barricade. As he slumped down at the foot of the structure, he could have sworn that he felt its weight... shift. Another blow and it would no doubt collapse.
"And of course..."
The Hunter slowly turned to face Daniel.
"Some of yours... "
"Dear Daniel... Thank you for bring me here... Thank you." She whimpered, mocking her own once weak voice. "Thank you for you charity... Thank you for lending a hand to a Hunter in need... but most importantly... thank you for bringing me here... I saw the ads on my way up... they say that the Compendium Hotel has a Killer Buffet..."

@Yun Lee @Takumi @Atomic Knight​

Bad Girl could only grin as the zombies started to congregate on her position. "Batter up bitches!" Her plan was a simple one. Crack heads and keep moving. They'd swarm her quickly if she'd just stand there with her thumb up her ass. Bat swung at heads as Bad Girl tried to get a neat circle around her and the undead trying to chomp down on her. Was there any other weapons around that she could use? Bad Girl thought to herself as she looked around the area.

@Sark

 

[Atomic Knight]

"No... No!"

Daniel had trusted her! How could she have been pretending that whole time? How could she...? Sean had been right. Trusting her had been wrong. This was all Daniel's fault now. He had been so stupid.

"How could you?!" Daniel bellowed. Telekinetic energy began to build in the room in conjunction with Daniel's growing emotional outburst. Objects and debris floated up into the air, as if they weighed nothing at all. With a wordless cry, Daniel lashed out at the bounty hunter. A telekinetic force slammed into the former bounty hunter and tears started to blur Daniel's vision.

"How could you do that to me?!"

@Sark @Yun Lee @Takumi​

 

[Sark]

Narancia nodded his head in the prospect of just straight-up lying to please this guy.

It was almost too easy, so he stayed sharp, trying to stay on the lookout just in case...

Chise nodded along here and there as the man spoke; not necessarily paying attention to all of what he said since the situation with Eight Hearts was picked up by her ears and was a bit distracting, but when he asked if they were good she nodded once more.

"We're cool." She tried to assure. With that out of the way it seemed like he'd let her through now, right? That wasn't so bad. If he did indeed let her through, she'd move to get out of his way and let him get back to his job.

PROPAGANDA TOWER
"Cool?" The guard glared. "I'll show you 'cool' y--"
"Just let them through..." The empty voice of a broken man sighed. "Just... let them through... please?"
View attachment 8609
"It's... it's been a long, long day for me..." The secretary sighed, his spirits failing him. "And I would really appreciate it if you could just... let them through... sorry..."
"Sorry?" The guard grumbled. "The Hell are you sorry for?"
"I don't know... sorry..."
The guarded opened her mouth to protest, but she. She could see a pattern forming, and she didn't like it.
"Fine. Fine they can come through. I'm guessing the Boss wants them?"
"Yeah... something like that... And she wants the other weird looking ones too..."
"Weird looking?"
"No! I didn't mean it like that! Oh, God, this is going to be a HR disaster..."
"Just... forget I said anything..." The guard sighed, soulless. In the end, her tone was just as crushed and empty as his. "Take them up to the Mayor..."
"Thank you... I'm sor--"
"Don't, Secretary Doppo... Just... Don't..."
Doppo's shoulder slumped. His skin- by some miracle- turned paler. The bags beneath his eyes seemed to grow darker with each passing second.
"Chise, Eight Hearts, Narancia, Samatoki, Ventress, Juri---"
"Missing in action." Samatoki interjected. "Sorry."
"No no... I'm sorry..." The Secretary swallowed hard. "I'd like to thank you for keeping your cool back there... If things had gone sour, Mayor Nemu... she'd give me more paper work to do... even more paperwork... always more paperwork..." He shuddered a little. "Is it hot out here?"
"It's freezing, Dop."
"Yeah... Yeah... Let's get inside, shall we?" Doppo turned towards the Propaganda Tower. He froze on the spot. "Ah! Sorry! Forgive me... you'll have to leave your weapons at the door... please comply..."

@Takumi @Jeremi @Ottonomous Ghost @Capri @Lucky

Allison Argent

" I think it might just be faster to make calls about everyone in the line, I'll go next. I got nothing to hide," she added, not sure if the woman was even bluffing or not. She would wait to see what would happen next as she got in line.

@Yun Lee @Jeremi @Takumi @Atomic Knight @Sark

Chase Davenport

Chase knew that he would eventually had run out of ways to do it. " There's someone here who know us.... I haven't met many people, but I'll take your word on it," he replied through breaths, knowing that he only had a few moments before he would collapse of exhaustion. He would make his way in with Sean and would collapse once they were safely in the barrier

Sean would have ultimately rather go back for his brother, but he understood they were low on choices. He just had to hope Daniel would be safe by the time Sean could get back.

"Uh, sure man..."

Sean had no idea who was inside the building but he was happy to get off the streets for a moment. "We're coming inside then!" he announced.

TOWN HALL
The moment the pair slipped inside the Town Hall, the passage way that had entered through was slapped shut. A metal sheet was rolled over the final hole in the barricade. They were sealed inside, for better or for worse.
View attachment 8610
[FFZ-SNAP!]
A camera's flash burned Sean's eyes.
[FFZ-SNAP!] [FFZ-SNAP!]
"Good stuff..." The Hunter chirped, letting his camera swing back down to his chest. "A Young Boy and a Super-Hero stumble into the Safehouse, lost and afraid..." Frank narrated to himself. "Their hands are stained back with Undead Blood. Their innocence is gone, but their bodies stagger on... just like the monsters they're hiding from! This is good shit... Pulitzer Prize shit..."

"Name's Frank. Frank West. You might've heard of me. Journalist. Photographer. Head of the Safe House. Hunter. Hunted. Some'll say I've more titles than sense," Frank offered the pair a hand. "Welcome to the Town Hall. I'm sure we'll get along, right Chuck?"

"Yeah..." Chuck growled, placing himself between the Hunted and the Barricade. He tossed another chair atop the barricade. "I'm sure we'll all get on like a house on fire..."
View attachment 8611
"Dontcha think?"
Frank turned his back on Chuck. Greene reached for his pistol. His clicked its safety off. He raised his finger to his lips.

One wrong move... One word... and he's dead.

"Now I don't believe in any of that 'destiny' crap, but I gotta say... we could use an extra pair o' hands around here." Frank called out to the Hunted as he buried his head in a box at the back of the room. "Ya see, I just got a lead. We rescued a guy a few hours back who knew-a-guy-who-knew-a-guy. He didn't make it, but I think I can track down his source. If this thing pans out, we might have a shot at finding where Tormo is hiding. We could secure ourselves a private interview, if you get what I mean..." He emerged from the box holding a few cans of OBLIVION energy drinks. He rolled two to the Hunted. He kept one for himself. "The way I see it? We're all running outta time. Stabbing each other in the back is gonna get us nowhere. So how about this. A truce between us Hunted, until we can get to the bottom of things. You guys get to enjoy our hospitality, and we get an extra pair of hands when we decided to move against the noseless creep. You in?"

A smile crept across Chuck's lips. He hushed the boys once again.

@Atomic Knight @Lucky​

 

[Takumi]

HOTEL--->HALLWAY

Arcade sighed deeply. He shot a finger in the direction of the barricade by the door.

"There's a little crawl space under that. Go on. Go smash some heads. Eat your heart out... or better yet, go eat theirs..."

***

The Hallway was crawling with the undead. It was just as Arcade said it would be. The hollow remains of security guards and bounty hunters- each having once possessed a life and a family- continued to walk the hotel. Their spirits were gone. Only their flesh remained, mindless and savage.

Bad Girl's scent caught their attention. Half a dozen heads. Crimson, bloody eyes cut into her from behind shattered, glass visors. Swinging, broken jaws. Snapped, twitching fingers. There was no denying it. Bad Girl was staring her own handiwork in the face. She had killed these men once already, back when she and her treacherous allies had stormed the building in search of Tormo.

The first two security guards lunged towards her, their arms outstretched. Two more stumbled into the first pair, nearly barreling them off of their feet. Two more stumbled into second pair. Another pack joined the clumbsy horde. Groaning. Gurgling. Screaming. The Undead swarmed Charlotte like flies swarm honey.



@Jeremi









"Oh, don't tell me that you're attached to this thing!" Arcade cackled. He swung his pistol wildly, as if it didn't contain within it the power to end a life. "She's hardly the life of the party, now is she? Where's the riveting conversation? Where's the banter? Oh..." He gestured towards her bloody helmet with his weapon's barrel. "And she's hardly a looker. Why protector her? Why keep her safe? What is it? A personal debt? A moral one? Here's the thing, junior: if there's one thing bullets are great at, it's clearing slates... and she's been shot once already..."



He straighten up his shooting-arm as Yashamaru approached his side. He waited patiently as his breath brushed his ear. The Samurai said his piece. Ouka said his. But either logic nor Daniel's pleas could soften the Madman's heart.



"Believe me. I know that deadly things can come in small packages," Arcade squinted, making no effort to match Yash's lowered tone. "But I'm not about to throw away my precious second life to win him over. Here's the thing that you're forgetting, 'friends':"



He took a step closer to Samus.



"Here's the painful truth you're choosing to ignore:"



He inserted his pistol into the bullet hole Chuck had already carved into the hunter's helmet.



"Curing poison? That's not too tricky. Fixing a few scratches? A halfling could do it. But zombism? Oh... that's a different story..."



Samus slowly raised her twitching head upwards towards Arcade.



"It's just like Chuckie said... there's only one curse for Zombism... and that's a bullet in the head..."



"Please..." The Hunter begged. "Please... Try..."



"Watch her beg," Arcade scoffed. It was a natural laugh. It was quiet. Subtle. Strangely human, for a man like him. "Watch her plea... She's dancing for us. She's putting on a show. Your friend died hours ago... the bag of blood you've been dragging around? She's stinking wolf in a lambs--"



An orange gauntlet caught Arcade's wrist. Samus squeezed until she heard something important pop. Arcade unleashed a pained roar. His cry was rushed down with a flurry of gunshots.



[BANG] [BANG] [BANG] [BANG] [BANG]



The Hunter didn't stop. Her strength had been restored... or perhaps, it had never vanished to begin with. For a moment, the Hunted might have heard a faint gurgling giggle bubble from behind her bloody mask. She released Arcade's hand. He stumbled back, cradling his wound. His theatrics were at an end. He fell backwards onto his ass. He scurried back, frail and afraid, until his back stuck the wall. He pulled his trigger again. And again. And again.



[BANG] [BANG] [BANG]



The last of his bullets pinged harmlessly off of Samus' armored shell.



[CLICK]



His heart stopped.



"The fuck are you all waiting for?!!?" He wailed, tossing his pee-shooter aside. "Kill it! Kill it!!!"



"Oh... I don't think they will..." Samus giggled. Her stoic facade had long since melted away. She raised her canon arm. With flick of her wrist and a flash of light, Ouka's body was sent hurting through the living room's wall. He didn't stop flying until his shoulder struck the headboard of a bed in the next hotel room over. "I think they lack the guts..."

"Heh..."

"Funny..."

"Guts..."

The door of Ouka's hotel room came crashing open. An Undead Security Guard stumbled into the room. Two of his former coworkers staggered in after him.

"Like Guts. Love 'em... Maybe I'll have some of his... if there are any left... heh... want them..."

Her eyes locked onto Yashamaru's.

"But I'll settle for yours..."

The back of her gauntlet struck the Samurai's jaw. Before even he could aptly react, his back was crashing into Arcade's barricade. As he slumped down at the foot of the structure, he could have sworn that he felt its weight... shift. Another blow and it would no doubt collapse.

"And of course..."

The Hunter slowly turned to face Daniel.

"Some of yours... "

"Dear Daniel... Thank you for bring me here... Thank you." She whimpered, mocking her own once weak voice. "Thank you for you charity... Thank you for lending a hand to a Hunter in need... but most importantly... thank you for bringing me here... I saw the ads on my way up... they say that the Compendium Hotel has a Killer Buffet..."



@Yun Lee @Takumi @Atomic Knight

"No... No!"



Daniel had trusted her! How could she have been pretending that whole time? How could she...? Sean had been right. Trusting her had been wrong. This was all Daniel's fault now. He had been so stupid.



"How could you?!" Daniel bellowed. Telekinetic energy began to build in the room in conjunction with Daniel's growing emotional outburst. Objects and debris floated up into the air, as if they weighed nothing at all. With a wordless cry, Daniel lashed out at the bounty hunter. A telekinetic force slammed into the former bounty hunter and tears started to blur Daniel's vision.



"How could you do that to me?!"



@Sark @Yun Lee @Takumi

CRACK!

BANG!

"!!" Ouka threw up a crystalized wall at the last second as a form of defense, not having enough energy to try a last second barrier. He flew back, grunting and gritting his teeth as his shoulder smacked into the headboard of a bed one room over. Ignoring the throbbing pain he felt there, he forced himself to roll back onto his feet, and with the three undead before him, quickly conjured his signature crystalized sword.

Fwoosh!

Shhiiirrrrrrrnk!


He went for the armored one first, attempting to stab into its head at a diagonal angle through the mouth and out it's helmet followed by smaller crystal spikes branching out from the end to tear into the brain and it's stem to make sure the zombie is dealt with and, if successful, he'd simply back away and make another crystalized sword and swing, attempting to cut off the tops of the remaining zombies heads before backing back towards the hole in the wall he'd come through.

Huffing, he'd dissolve both weapons if successful in his attempt to quickly dispose of the current threat, he'd attempt to dive back in through the hole, tuck into a roll, and stand back in the original room. Hand on the wall, he'd then attempt to seal it with more of the crystalized magic and quickly make another sword.

Whoosh!

From there, he aimed it at Samus' head as best as he could and threw it like a javelin, in the hopes of tearing through the armor and dealing with the pest just as the telekinetic force would slam into the bounty hunter, before going to Daniel and placing a hand on his shoulder whether he successfully killed what was once the bounty hunter or not.

"Daniel, enough." He grunted. He didn't know what to do about the boy being seconds away from crying, really.

@Sark @Yun Lee @Atomic Knight @Hotel

PROPAGANDA TOWER

"Cool?" The guard glared. "I'll show you 'cool' y--"

"Just let them through..." The empty voice of a broken man sighed. "Just... let them through... please?"

1599926051067.png

"It's... it's been a long, long day for me..." The secretary sighed, his spirits failing him. "And I would really appreciate it if you could just... let them through... sorry..."

"Sorry?" The guard grumbled. "The Hell are you sorry for?"

"I don't know... sorry..."

The guarded opened her mouth to protest, but she. She could see a pattern forming, and she didn't like it.

"Fine. Fine they can come through. I'm guessing the Boss wants them?"

"Yeah... something like that... And she wants the other weird looking ones too..."

"Weird looking?"

"No! I didn't mean it like that! Oh, God, this is going to be a HR disaster..."

"Just... forget I said anything..." The guard sighed, soulless. In the end, her tone was just as crushed and empty as his. "Take them up to the Mayor..."

"Thank you... I'm sor--"

"Don't, Secretary Doppo... Just... Don't..."

Doppo's shoulder slumped. His skin- by some miracle- turned paler. The bags beneath his eyes seemed to grow darker with each passing second.

"Chise, Eight Hearts, Narancia, Samatoki, Ventress, Juri---"

"Missing in action." Samatoki interjected. "Sorry."

"No no... I'm sorry..." The Secretary swallowed hard. "I'd like to thank you for keeping your cool back there... If things had gone sour, Mayor Nemu... she'd give me more paper work to do... even more paperwork... always more paperwork..." He shuddered a little. "Is it hot out here?"

"It's freezing, Dop."

"Yeah... Yeah... Let's get inside, shall we?" Doppo turned towards the Propaganda Tower. He froze on the spot. "Ah! Sorry! Forgive me... you'll have to leave your weapons at the door... please comply..."



@Takumi @Jeremi @Ottonomous Ghost @Capri @Lucky







TOWN HALL

The moment the pair slipped inside the Town Hall, the passage way that had entered through was slapped shut. A metal sheet was rolled over the final hole in the barricade. They were sealed inside, for better or for worse.

1599928137792.png

[FFZ-SNAP!]

A camera's flash burned Sean's eyes.

[FFZ-SNAP!] [FFZ-SNAP!]

"Good stuff..." The Hunter chirped, letting his camera swing back down to his chest. "A Young Boy and a Super-Hero stumble into the Safehouse, lost and afraid..." Frank narrated to himself. "Their hands are stained back with Undead Blood. Their innocence is gone, but their bodies stagger on... just like the monsters they're hiding from! This is good shit... Pulitzer Prize shit..."



"Name's Frank. Frank West. You might've heard of me. Journalist. Photographer. Head of the Safe House. Hunter. Hunted. Some'll say I've more titles than sense," Frank offered the pair a hand. "Welcome to the Town Hall. I'm sure we'll get along, right Chuck?"



"Yeah..." Chuck growled, placing himself between the Hunted and the Barricade. He tossed another chair atop the barricade. "I'm sure we'll all get on like a house on fire..."

1599928676816.png

"Dontcha think?"

Frank turned his back on Chuck. Greene reached for his pistol. His clicked its safety off. He raised his finger to his lips.



One wrong move... One word... and he's dead.



"Now I don't believe in any of that 'destiny' crap, but I gotta say... we could use an extra pair o' hands around here." Frank called out to the Hunted as he buried his head in a box at the back of the room. "Ya see, I just got a lead. We rescued a guy a few hours back who knew-a-guy-who-knew-a-guy. He didn't make it, but I think I can track down his source. If this thing pans out, we might have a shot at finding where Tormo is hiding. We could secure ourselves a private interview, if you get what I mean..." He emerged from the box holding a few cans of OBLIVION energy drinks. He rolled two to the Hunted. He kept one for himself. "The way I see it? We're all running outta time. Stabbing each other in the back is gonna get us nowhere. So how about this. A truce between us Hunted, until we can get to the bottom of things. You guys get to enjoy our hospitality, and we get an extra pair of hands when we decided to move against the noseless creep. You in?"



A smile crept across Chuck's lips. He hushed the boys once again.



@Atomic Knight @Lucky

Chise frowned a moment at the guard's tone, but was glad that someone came to their aid. Though, she tilted her head a bit upon noticing Doppo apologized a lot.

When asked to leave their weapons she set her staff aside wherever it needed to be while they talked to this President Nemu.

@Sark @Lucky @Jeremi @Ottonomous Ghost @Capri @Tower

 

[Jeremi]

PROPAGANDA TOWER
"Cool?" The guard glared. "I'll show you 'cool' y--"
"Just let them through..." The empty voice of a broken man sighed. "Just... let them through... please?"
View attachment 8609
"It's... it's been a long, long day for me..." The secretary sighed, his spirits failing him. "And I would really appreciate it if you could just... let them through... sorry..."
"Sorry?" The guard grumbled. "The Hell are you sorry for?"
"I don't know... sorry..."
The guarded opened her mouth to protest, but she. She could see a pattern forming, and she didn't like it.
"Fine. Fine they can come through. I'm guessing the Boss wants them?"
"Yeah... something like that... And she wants the other weird looking ones too..."
"Weird looking?"
"No! I didn't mean it like that! Oh, God, this is going to be a HR disaster..."
"Just... forget I said anything..." The guard sighed, soulless. In the end, her tone was just as crushed and empty as his. "Take them up to the Mayor..."
"Thank you... I'm sor--"
"Don't, Secretary Doppo... Just... Don't..."
Doppo's shoulder slumped. His skin- by some miracle- turned paler. The bags beneath his eyes seemed to grow darker with each passing second.
"Chise, Eight Hearts, Narancia, Samatoki, Ventress, Juri---"
"Missing in action." Samatoki interjected. "Sorry."
"No no... I'm sorry..." The Secretary swallowed hard. "I'd like to thank you for keeping your cool back there... If things had gone sour, Mayor Nemu... she'd give me more paper work to do... even more paperwork... always more paperwork..." He shuddered a little. "Is it hot out here?"
"It's freezing, Dop."
"Yeah... Yeah... Let's get inside, shall we?" Doppo turned towards the Propaganda Tower. He froze on the spot. "Ah! Sorry! Forgive me... you'll have to leave your weapons at the door... please comply..."

@Takumi @Jeremi @Ottonomous Ghost @Capri @Lucky



TOWN HALL
The moment the pair slipped inside the Town Hall, the passage way that had entered through was slapped shut. A metal sheet was rolled over the final hole in the barricade. They were sealed inside, for better or for worse.
View attachment 8610
[FFZ-SNAP!]
A camera's flash burned Sean's eyes.
[FFZ-SNAP!] [FFZ-SNAP!]
"Good stuff..." The Hunter chirped, letting his camera swing back down to his chest. "A Young Boy and a Super-Hero stumble into the Safehouse, lost and afraid..." Frank narrated to himself. "Their hands are stained back with Undead Blood. Their innocence is gone, but their bodies stagger on... just like the monsters they're hiding from! This is good shit... Pulitzer Prize shit..."

"Name's Frank. Frank West. You might've heard of me. Journalist. Photographer. Head of the Safe House. Hunter. Hunted. Some'll say I've more titles than sense," Frank offered the pair a hand. "Welcome to the Town Hall. I'm sure we'll get along, right Chuck?"

"Yeah..." Chuck growled, placing himself between the Hunted and the Barricade. He tossed another chair atop the barricade. "I'm sure we'll all get on like a house on fire..."
View attachment 8611
"Dontcha think?"
Frank turned his back on Chuck. Greene reached for his pistol. His clicked its safety off. He raised his finger to his lips.

One wrong move... One word... and he's dead.

"Now I don't believe in any of that 'destiny' crap, but I gotta say... we could use an extra pair o' hands around here." Frank called out to the Hunted as he buried his head in a box at the back of the room. "Ya see, I just got a lead. We rescued a guy a few hours back who knew-a-guy-who-knew-a-guy. He didn't make it, but I think I can track down his source. If this thing pans out, we might have a shot at finding where Tormo is hiding. We could secure ourselves a private interview, if you get what I mean..." He emerged from the box holding a few cans of OBLIVION energy drinks. He rolled two to the Hunted. He kept one for himself. "The way I see it? We're all running outta time. Stabbing each other in the back is gonna get us nowhere. So how about this. A truce between us Hunted, until we can get to the bottom of things. You guys get to enjoy our hospitality, and we get an extra pair of hands when we decided to move against the noseless creep. You in?"

A smile crept across Chuck's lips. He hushed the boys once again.

@Atomic Knight @Lucky​

“That might pose a problem,” Eight Hearts casually remarked. “You see I am my weapons.” He pondered for a moment. “What if I pinkie swear on not using any of them? Otherwise, I am willing to stay behind, we are on a mission of diplomacy after all.” He looked around and corrected himself. “I’m at least on a mission of diplomacy at least.”

@Sark @Takumi @Jeremi @Ottonomous Ghost @Capri @Lucky

 

[Capri]

NARANCIA GHIRGA
@Sark @Takumi @Jeremi @Ottonomous Ghost @Lucky

View attachment 8629
"...nngh..."

Narancia, reluctantly, tossed his switchblade next to Chise's staff, finding it hard to argue with a man who needs sleep so badly.

While Eight Hearts was openly admitting that his body is a weapon, Narancia decided to keep Aerosmith under wraps. Who knows, it may be useful in case Nemu makes an attempt on his life, especially after he destroyed the District B-C bridge.​

 

[Sark]

“That might pose a problem,” Eight Hearts casually remarked. “You see I am my weapons.” He pondered for a moment. “What if I pinkie swear on not using any of them? Otherwise, I am willing to stay behind, we are on a mission of diplomacy after all.” He looked around and corrected himself. “I’m at least on a mission of diplomacy at least.”

Narancia, reluctantly, tossed his switchblade next to Chise's staff, finding it hard to argue with a man who needs sleep so badly.

While Eight Hearts was openly admitting that his body is a weapon, Narancia decided to keep Aerosmith under wraps. Who knows, it may be useful in case Nemu makes an attempt on his life, especially after he destroyed the District B-C bridge.

Chise frowned a moment at the guard's tone, but was glad that someone came to their aid. Though, she tilted her head a bit upon noticing Doppo apologized a lot.

When asked to leave their weapons she set her staff aside wherever it needed to be while they talked to this President Nemu.

PROPOGANDA TOWER
View attachment 8668
"Yeah... uh... I guess that's okay..." Doppo sighed weakly in response to Eight Hearts. "I mean... we can't exactly change that, right? I mean, the boss can't blame me for this one... I think... I hope..."

Ventress, following Narancia and Chise's example, tossed her lightsaber hilts onto the growing mound of weapons. A moment later, an under-armored guard approached the untidy armory and scooped up the Hunted's possessions. She muttered some assurance about them getting their toys back after the meeting, but Doppo didn't acknowledge it. His eyes had already slipped shut. It was hard to tell if he was still awake.

The secretary straightened out his spine a moment later. He heel turned and speed-walked towards the tower's lobby.
"We're behind schedule. We've got to put a spring in it. Mayor Nemu will be--"

"I can't go in."

"Hm?" Doppo stammered. "I'm sorry?"

"What do you mean, Sam?" Ventress thinned her eyes. "You're not getting cold feet, are you? You're the one who suggested the we come here!"

Samatoki froze in the doorway. "I thought I could do this, but I can't."

"The Mayor will be disappointed..." Doppo twitched. "Please... please reconsider..."

"Look I just... I can't see her. Not now. Not like this." Samatoki rubbed his temples. "It's nothing to do with the Hunt or the war. It's personal. I you guys need to understand. It's... a family matter..."

"I don't think... I don't think that the Mayor..."

"I'm not asking for you permission, Dop," The Crime Lord replied bluntly. "I'm going to head back to the Safe House. Maybe I'll run into Chuck or his kid along the way. Maybe you'll understand, someday, why I can't be here. But until then... I'll... I'll see you around..."

Without another word, Samatoki left the party behind.

"If... if anyone else wants to leave, please, it's easier if you do so now." Doppo pressed down upon a golden button on a nearby elevator panel. "If the Mayor sees you bounce..." The Secretary shuddered. With a ping, the elevator arrived. "After you..."
***
PROPOGANDA TOWER--> MAYOR'S SUITE
After a long, awkward elevator journey, the lift's steel doors slowly screeched open. The Mayor's Suite revealed itself. The room's décor screamed a single word: class.
View attachment 8669
Antique furniture. Magnificent chandeliers. Luxurious, imported rugs. The suit made Cluth's office look like the King of Beggars'. A single woman awaited Champions in the suit. She looked nothing like the woman from the holograms.
"Nemu?" Ventress muttered cautiously. "Are you...?"

"Gosh! No!" The Assistant chuckled. "I'm her assistant. The Mayor's still in her office--" She gestured towards the grand, pale doors at the back of the waiting room. Ventress took a step towards them. The Assistant's hands stopped her in her tracks. "--and, as you might expect, she if very, very busy. Declaring a war legally requires a lot of paper work. I'm sure you all understand..."

"But.. she paged me. She told me to fetch these guys from the lobb---" Doppo's heart stopped mid-beat. "Did I-- Did I make a mistake?"

"No, no!" The Assistant reassured him. "She'll still be conducting her scheduled interview via hologram. She just can't leave her office right now."

"Right..." Ventress muttered to her self. Her brow was tense and wrinkled. "Because that makes... perfect sense..."

"Please. Make yourselves comfortable." The Assistant gestured towards the elegant sofa that lounged in the middle of the room. "Please. Help yourselves to some refreshments. We've got a wide range OBLIVION sodas on hand. I just have to recommend the Hyper-Cram flavor. It's been my favorite for years. Now, if you'd excuse me--"

The Assistant vanished. She didn't walk away. She didn't run and hide. She was simply there one moment, and gone the next.
"Wonderful." Ventress muttered to herself. "This seems like a perfectly normal pl--"
"I assure you, Assaj..." A soft yet audibly frustrated voice filled the chamber. "Nothing is 'Normal' on Prudence."
A blue spark flickered by the fireplace. A static flash flickered around it. Slowly, the light took the shape a short, young, yet clearly proud and apparently short-tempered young woman
View attachment 8670
"I am a very busy woman, and I don't have much time to waste on men like you," Nemu's cold eyes cut deep into Narancia. "So I'll cut to the chase. You're all clearly capable- and more importantly, dangerous- hunters. I know you're Agents of Cluth. I can still smell the stench of his cigars. It practically radiates off of you."

"Charming..." Ventress tutted. "Unlikely, but charming..."

"Silence." Nemu hissed. "My patience ran thin long ago. And yet, I am still offering you the chance to atone for the grave sin of standing with the enemies of District B."

"You see, Tormo has his game. I have mine. Pretty soon, the Armies of District B will be upon us. They'll take the sewers, no doubt. I've already heard reports of a Mr.Frank West roaming my District. You're no doubt familiar with him. If made it through the sewers, I'm sure Cluth's machines can manage the same feat.

"I want you to be there when the others arrive. I want you to kill your former master's friends. I want you to eradicate his forces. She who drops the most District C heads upon my doorstep come the battle's end will have their debt with Tormo erased. I'll see to it myself. Hesitate and ourdeal is void. Defy the Will of our Great District and our deal will be void. Show mercy to the savages and our deal will be void. Am I clear?"

@Jeremi @Takumi @Capri

Noticing the safe zone forming behind them, Marianne felt a dying ember of hope within. Maybe...maybe she could save one life tonight. "Sir," she said, leaning over the armored car and looking to Jyuto. "Maybe it's best we retreat to the casino for now...we can get information there, I think..." And you'll be safe and sound while I...she wasn't sure how her story would end now. Everything had gone wrong.

@Sark

C A S I N O
"Get inside! Come on! Come on!" A Private Security guard screamed, to the Hunted as terror consumed the streets. Smoke. Screams. A storm of friend and chaos swarmed the pair and the guard pulled them through the Casino's cracked doors. They were the last of make inside. The casino-goers tossed the last of the establishment's chairs and machines onto the barricade behind them. The Undead threw their bodies upon the makeshift wall. With each strike, it grew increasingly unstable.
"It won't hold..."
"What are we gonna do?"
"Oh Goddess... this is it... this is it..."
"Nobody panic! Please nobody panic!"

Jyuto sighed deeply. He cracked his neck and knuckles and placed himself in the center of the room.

'Ay Listen-Up Civs, the Cop's are in the house!'
'Stop your screaming, brats, and listen to the shit I spout!'
'I know you wanna panic and stress and scream and all,'
'But shut the fuck up and listen to the damn professionals!'

The Casino fell silent. Jyuto wasn't met with the response he had hoped for. The gamblers stared back at him in confusion.
"Okay... we've got their attention, at least..." Rabbit rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Anything you'd like to add, Mari?"

@Yun Lee

"!!" Ouka threw up a crystalized wall at the last second as a form of defense, not having enough energy to try a last second barrier. He flew back, grunting and gritting his teeth as his shoulder smacked into the headboard of a bed one room over. Ignoring the throbbing pain he felt there, he forced himself to roll back onto his feet, and with the three undead before him, quickly conjured his signature crystalized sword.

He went for the armored one first, attempting to stab into its head at a diagonal angle through the mouth and out it's helmet followed by smaller crystal spikes branching out from the end to tear into the brain and it's stem to make sure the zombie is dealt with and, if successful, he'd simply back away and make another crystalized sword and swing, attempting to cut off the tops of the remaining zombies heads before backing back towards the hole in the wall he'd come through.

Huffing, he'd dissolve both weapons if successful in his attempt to quickly dispose of the current threat, he'd attempt to dive back in through the hole, tuck into a roll, and stand back in the original room. Hand on the wall, he'd then attempt to seal it with more of the crystalized magic and quickly make another sword.

From there, he aimed it at Samus' head as best as he could and threw it like a javelin, in the hopes of tearing through the armor and dealing with the pest just as the telekinetic force would slam into the bounty hunter, before going to Daniel and placing a hand on his shoulder whether he successfully killed what was once the bounty hunter or not.

"Daniel, enough." He grunted. He didn't know what to do about the boy being seconds away from crying, really.

"No... No!"

Daniel had trusted her! How could she have been pretending that whole time? How could she...? Sean had been right. Trusting her had been wrong. This was all Daniel's fault now. He had been so stupid.

"How could you?!" Daniel bellowed. Telekinetic energy began to build in the room in conjunction with Daniel's growing emotional outburst. Objects and debris floated up into the air, as if they weighed nothing at all. With a wordless cry, Daniel lashed out at the bounty hunter. A telekinetic force slammed into the former bounty hunter and tears started to blur Daniel's vision.

"How could you do that to me?!"

Bad Girl could only grin as the zombies started to congregate on her position. "Batter up bitches!" Her plan was a simple one. Crack heads and keep moving. They'd swarm her quickly if she'd just stand there with her thumb up her ass. Bat swung at heads as Bad Girl tried to get a neat circle around her and the undead trying to chomp down on her. Was there any other weapons around that she could use? Bad Girl thought to herself as she looked around the area.

COMPENDIUM HOTEL
"Awww.... Poor Thing..." Samus taunted as Daniel's power rose. "Did I pluck a nerve? Did I break your heart? Poor Thing, Poor Baby. But don't you worry... You won't be hurting for long!"
Daniel's telekinetic blast struck Samus head-on. She didn't make any attempt to avoid it. She simply welcomed the full-force of Daniel's wrath. Before his might, she was flung like a cannon ball...

...straight through Arcade's barricade.

"Oh... Oh you stupid motherfucker!!" Arcade screamed, scrambling to his feet. "You stupid, stupid motherfucker!"

Ouka's ice-javelin pierced the Bounty Hunter's abdomen and pinned her to the lobby wall, just above Charlotte's head. Samus flicked the spear with her index finger and chucked at the result.
"Look at me! A human-fucking kebab! What a way to go! Hahah! What a way to go! Certainly beats the first time... I want next-time will be like? Will it be another bullet in head? Another spear in the gut? Oh, I hope its something new. I hope its something bloody. I'm hoping for... killer... bees..."
Samus' head slumped down upon her chest.

SAMUS ARAN//ERROR///ELIMINATED?
DOUBLE JEAPORDY
//BOUNTY STOLEN//

NAMAE OUKA:
//CURRENT BALLANCE//
2,011,000

CHUCK GREENE:
//CURRENT BALLANCE//
4,001,000

Somebody just soared up Chuck's shit-list.

The Undead were already flooding into the Hotel Room.
3... 4... 5...
8... 9... 10...
No...
You lost count.
"We need to get out of here!" Arcade exclaimed. "Fuck clearing this place out! Right now, we just need to get out! They've already overran the streets. We can't jump. We need to get to the elevator. Seeming that he ruined everything, I say we send the kid out their first, and rush the lifts while they're distracted. Any objections?"

Bad Girl's bat was successfully slowing down the zombie horde, but one girl and a blunt weapon could only do so much. After a few good swings and a few smashed heads, Bad Girl found her weapon lodged into something soft and squishy. The Horde pushed against the Zombie that had caught her bat. The wave was slowly forced Charlotte back.

As for local, makeshift weapons, Bad Girl would find:

A metal bucket, left behind by one of the cleaners the night before
A drill, left behind by handyman who had do doubt been eaten before he could finish reattaching the door of a nearby room.
A roll of duck tape and a hard hat.
A bent, broken baton, dropped by a Security Zombie.
Ouka's ice-javelin.
A 'wet-floor' sign.

@Yun Lee @Jeremi @Takumi @Atomic Knight​

 

[Yun Lee]

"...ghh!" Damn it...damn it! So when someone became a zombie, they had no humanity left. Is that it? At least now, Yashamaru had no qualms about killing these undead husks anymore. He rubbed his jaw and got up, nothing but black feathers floating where he'd stood as Samus crashed into the barrier. "Leaving others at the mercy of the wolves may be your way of life," he said, glaring at Arcade as he drew his katana. "But it isn't mine!"

Sword at the ready, the thief yelled out as he slashed it in the air, sending a powerful gust of wind intended to knock back the zombies and clear a path for the elevator. "Any stragglers in our way we just cut down! We need to move, now!"

@Sark @Takumi @Atomic Knight @Jeremi @Hotel

---

"Goddess...?" Did Marianne hear right? Was that someone speaking of her Goddess? But she couldn't investigate further as Jyuto made his move. She'd never heard a spell like that before...and with such an unusual weapon, too. What could she possibly add to that after such a strong start?

"U-Um..." She cleared her throat, trying to speak as loudly as possible in spite of her own panic. So many people...the stakes were far too high to falter again. "E-Excuse me! Out there...I...I've never faced them before...b-but those are monsters known as Risen. They're the undead...and bringing them to life after death removes their humanity. All they desire is to kill...and...the only way to stop them is by cutting them down!" And all they had here were Jyuto and herself...unless others... "I-Is anyone here...able to fight?"

@Sark @Casino​

 

[Capri]

NARANCIA GHIRGA
@Sark @Takumi @Lucky @Jeremi

"How much are you gonna pay us?"

Narancia met Nemu's gaze with one of indifference but he still asked upfront questions.

"I mean, I'm accepting either way, but I'm just curious,"​

 

[Takumi]

PROPOGANDA TOWER

1600524176806.png

"Yeah... uh... I guess that's okay..." Doppo sighed weakly in response to Eight Hearts. "I mean... we can't exactly change that, right? I mean, the boss can't blame me for this one... I think... I hope..."



Ventress, following Narancia and Chise's example, tossed her lightsaber hilts onto the growing mound of weapons. A moment later, an under-armored guard approached the untidy armory and scooped up the Hunted's possessions. She muttered some assurance about them getting their toys back after the meeting, but Doppo didn't acknowledge it. His eyes had already slipped shut. It was hard to tell if he was still awake.



The secretary straightened out his spine a moment later. He heel turned and speed-walked towards the tower's lobby.

"We're behind schedule. We've got to put a spring in it. Mayor Nemu will be--"



"I can't go in."



"Hm?" Doppo stammered. "I'm sorry?"



"What do you mean, Sam?" Ventress thinned her eyes. "You're not getting cold feet, are you? You're the one who suggested the we come here!"



Samatoki froze in the doorway. "I thought I could do this, but I can't."



"The Mayor will be disappointed..." Doppo twitched. "Please... please reconsider..."



"Look I just... I can't see her. Not now. Not like this." Samatoki rubbed his temples. "It's nothing to do with the Hunt or the war. It's personal. I you guys need to understand. It's... a family matter..."



"I don't think... I don't think that the Mayor..."



"I'm not asking for you permission, Dop," The Crime Lord replied bluntly. "I'm going to head back to the Safe House. Maybe I'll run into Chuck or his kid along the way. Maybe you'll understand, someday, why I can't be here. But until then... I'll... I'll see you around..."



Without another word, Samatoki left the party behind.



"If... if anyone else wants to leave, please, it's easier if you do so now." Doppo pressed down upon a golden button on a nearby elevator panel. "If the Mayor sees you bounce..." The Secretary shuddered. With a ping, the elevator arrived. "After you..."

***

PROPOGANDA TOWER--> MAYOR'S SUITE

After a long, awkward elevator journey, the lift's steel doors slowly screeched open. The Mayor's Suite revealed itself. The room's décor screamed a single word: class.

1600525123405.png

Antique furniture. Magnificent chandeliers. Luxurious, imported rugs. The suit made Cluth's office look like the King of Beggars'. A single woman awaited Champions in the suit. She looked nothing like the woman from the holograms.

"Nemu?" Ventress muttered cautiously. "Are you...?"



"Gosh! No!" The Assistant chuckled. "I'm her assistant. The Mayor's still in her office--" She gestured towards the grand, pale doors at the back of the waiting room. Ventress took a step towards them. The Assistant's hands stopped her in her tracks. "--and, as you might expect, she if very, very busy. Declaring a war legally requires a lot of paper work. I'm sure you all understand..."



"But.. she paged me. She told me to fetch these guys from the lobb---" Doppo's heart stopped mid-beat. "Did I-- Did I make a mistake?"



"No, no!" The Assistant reassured him. "She'll still be conducting her scheduled interview via hologram. She just can't leave her office right now."



"Right..." Ventress muttered to her self. Her brow was tense and wrinkled. "Because that makes... perfect sense..."



"Please. Make yourselves comfortable." The Assistant gestured towards the elegant sofa that lounged in the middle of the room. "Please. Help yourselves to some refreshments. We've got a wide range OBLIVION sodas on hand. I just have to recommend the Hyper-Cram flavor. It's been my favorite for years. Now, if you'd excuse me--"



The Assistant vanished. She didn't walk away. She didn't run and hide. She was simply there one moment, and gone the next.

"Wonderful." Ventress muttered to herself. "This seems like a perfectly normal pl--"

"I assure you, Assaj..." A soft yet audibly frustrated voice filled the chamber. "Nothing is 'Normal' on Prudence."

A blue spark flickered by the fireplace. A static flash flickered around it. Slowly, the light took the shape a short, young, yet clearly proud and apparently short-tempered young woman

1600526558669.png

"I am a very busy woman, and I don't have much time to waste on men like you," Nemu's cold eyes cut deep into Narancia. "So I'll cut to the chase. You're all clearly capable- and more importantly, dangerous- hunters. I know you're Agents of Cluth. I can still smell the stench of his cigars. It practically radiates off of you."



"Charming..." Ventress tutted. "Unlikely, but charming..."



"Silence." Nemu hissed. "My patience ran thin long ago. And yet, I am still offering you the chance to atone for the grave sin of standing with the enemies of District B."



"You see, Tormo has his game. I have mine. Pretty soon, the Armies of District B will be upon us. They'll take the sewers, no doubt. I've already heard reports of a Mr.Frank West roaming my District. You're no doubt familiar with him. If made it through the sewers, I'm sure Cluth's machines can manage the same feat.



"I want you to be there when the others arrive. I want you to kill your former master's friends. I want you to eradicate his forces. She who drops the most District C heads upon my doorstep come the battle's end will have their debt with Tormo erased. I'll see to it myself. Hesitate and ourdeal is void. Defy the Will of our Great District and our deal will be void. Show mercy to the savages and our deal will be void. Am I clear?"



@Jeremi @Takumi @Capri





C A S I N O

"Get inside! Come on! Come on!" A Private Security guard screamed, to the Hunted as terror consumed the streets. Smoke. Screams. A storm of friend and chaos swarmed the pair and the guard pulled them through the Casino's cracked doors. They were the last of make inside. The casino-goers tossed the last of the establishment's chairs and machines onto the barricade behind them. The Undead threw their bodies upon the makeshift wall. With each strike, it grew increasingly unstable.

"It won't hold..."

"What are we gonna do?"

"Oh Goddess... this is it... this is it..."

"Nobody panic! Please nobody panic!"



Jyuto sighed deeply. He cracked his neck and knuckles and placed himself in the center of the room.



'Ay Listen-Up Civs, the Cop's are in the house!'

'Stop your screaming, brats, and listen to the shit I spout!'

'I know you wanna panic and stress and scream and all,'

'But shut the fuck up and listen to the damn professionals!'



The Casino fell silent. Jyuto wasn't met with the response he had hoped for. The gamblers stared back at him in confusion.

"Okay... we've got their attention, at least..." Rabbit rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Anything you'd like to add, Mari?"



@Yun Lee









COMPENDIUM HOTEL

"Awww.... Poor Thing..." Samus taunted as Daniel's power rose. "Did I pluck a nerve? Did I break your heart? Poor Thing, Poor Baby. But don't you worry... You won't be hurting for long!"

Daniel's telekinetic blast struck Samus head-on. She didn't make any attempt to avoid it. She simply welcomed the full-force of Daniel's wrath. Before his might, she was flung like a cannon ball...



...straight through Arcade's barricade.



"Oh... Oh you stupid motherfucker!!" Arcade screamed, scrambling to his feet. "You stupid, stupid motherfucker!"



Ouka's ice-javelin pierced the Bounty Hunter's abdomen and pinned her to the lobby wall, just above Charlotte's head. Samus flicked the spear with her index finger and chucked at the result.

"Look at me! A human-fucking kebab! What a way to go! Hahah! What a way to go! Certainly beats the first time... I want next-time will be like? Will it be another bullet in head? Another spear in the gut? Oh, I hope its something new. I hope its something bloody. I'm hoping for... killer... bees..."

Samus' head slumped down upon her chest.



SAMUS ARAN//ERROR///ELIMINATED?

DOUBLE JEAPORDY

//BOUNTY STOLEN//



NAMAE OUKA:

//CURRENT BALLANCE//

2,011,000



CHUCK GREENE:

//CURRENT BALLANCE//

4,001,000



Somebody just soared up Chuck's shit-list.



The Undead were already flooding into the Hotel Room.

3... 4... 5...

8... 9... 10...

No...

You lost count.

"We need to get out of here!" Arcade exclaimed. "Fuck clearing this place out! Right now, we just need to get out! They've already overran the streets. We can't jump. We need to get to the elevator. Seeming that he ruined everything, I say we send the kid out their first, and rush the lifts while they're distracted. Any objections?"



Bad Girl's bat was successfully slowing down the zombie horde, but one girl and a blunt weapon could only do so much. After a few good swings and a few smashed heads, Bad Girl found her weapon lodged into something soft and squishy. The Horde pushed against the Zombie that had caught her bat. The wave was slowly forced Charlotte back.



As for local, makeshift weapons, Bad Girl would find:



A metal bucket, left behind by one of the cleaners the night before

A drill, left behind by handyman who had do doubt been eaten before he could finish reattaching the door of a nearby room.

A roll of duck tape and a hard hat.

A bent, broken baton, dropped by a Security Zombie.

Ouka's ice-javelin.

A 'wet-floor' sign.



@Yun Lee @Jeremi @Takumi @Atomic Knight

Ouka whirled in an instant, hand raised and--

SMACK!!

His hand went right for Arcade's cheek without much thought.

"Shut up. For one second. Stop panicking. Besides, we're not leaving Daniel." Ouka spoke coldly in a clipped tone. Before taking a breath. Okay, that rush of emotion was gone.

Kshhhrrrrrk!!

With Yashamaru trying to clear a path, Ouka placed his hand on the floor, ice forming on the edges of the path and thick shards shooting up from the floor and out into the horde to keep them at bay and push them back to give the group more room, while trying to be careful about Charlotte in the process.

Standing, he made another crystalized sword. He turned his head to Arcade.

"You only had the one gun?" He asked, brow raised.

@Sark @Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @Jeremi @Hotel

 

[Sark]

Ouka whirled in an instant, hand raised and--

SMACK!!

His hand went right for Arcade's cheek without much thought.

"Shut up. For one second. Stop panicking. Besides, we're not leaving Daniel." Ouka spoke coldly in a clipped tone. Before taking a breath. Okay, that rush of emotion was gone.

Kshhhrrrrrk!!

With Yashamaru trying to clear a path, Ouka placed his hand on the floor, ice forming on the edges of the path and thick shards shooting up from the floor and out into the horde to keep them at bay and push them back to give the group more room, while trying to be careful about Charlotte in the process.

Standing, he made another crystalized sword. He turned his head to Arcade.

"You only had the one gun?" He asked, brow raised.

COMPENDIUM HOTEL
"Fine! Find!" Arcade exclaimed. "I'll pull myself together. Maybe save he violence for the undead next time, eh? You made me bite my fucking tongue..."
It took Arcade a moment to register Ouka's question
"Technically, I've got two," The Mad Man murdered, cradling his throbbing cheek. He removed a small pistol from his breast pocket with his free hand. Charlotte might have recognized the weapon as being the same make and model as the weapon he had used to execute his hostage a day or two prior. "But this one ain't good for shit right now. Don't ask why. Even if I told you, well..."
View attachment 8700
"You wouldn't get it."

"...ghh!" Damn it...damn it! So when someone became a zombie, they had no humanity left. Is that it? At least now, Yashamaru had no qualms about killing these undead husks anymore. He rubbed his jaw and got up, nothing but black feathers floating where he'd stood as Samus crashed into the barrier. "Leaving others at the mercy of the wolves may be your way of life," he said, glaring at Arcade as he drew his katana. "But it isn't mine!"

Sword at the ready, the thief yelled out as he slashed it in the air, sending a powerful gust of wind intended to knock back the zombies and clear a path for the elevator. "Any stragglers in our way we just cut down! We need to move, now!"

"Fine! Fine! The Kid gets to live!" Arcade huffed. He picked up his bottle, a pillow and a complementary mint from his bed and marched towards the door. "But if he screws up again, I swear to God he's zombie-chow!"

Yashamaru's wind parted the zombie horde, freeing Charlotte's bat in the process. But the Undead were quick to recover. Even Ouka's Ice-Spikes couldn't hold them off forever.

PING

Arcade hammered the panel at the end of the door. The elevator didn't come.

PING PING PING

"Come on... Come on..."

PING PING PIN PING

The Undead were closing in. The Hunted were being loud. Too loud. Zombies from across the tower were being summoned by the roar of battle.

PING PING PING PING

"Stupid thing! Oh Fucking Damn it! It must be coming from the top floor!"

PING PING PING PING

"Come! On! Come! On!"

DING

The elevator doors slipped open.

[Welcome to the Compendium Hotel.] The Elevator sighed sweetly. [I hope you're all enjoying your stay.]

"Get in! Everyone in! In in in in in !"

[As you are well aware, the Compendium is one of the tallest buildings in our great district--]

"Can the lecture! Just shut the doors!"

The ornamented message kept playing. The doors remained open.

[From its top floor, you can see the entire city, from the Silver Ball Casino right down to the--]

"Doors! Close them! Now!"

The Undead were getting closer. Closer. The Elevator was looking less and less like a means of escape and more and more like a large, glass coffin.

[It's a long journey to the top of the top of the world---]

"Top? No! No! Take us to the bottom! To the bottom!"

[It's a long journey to the bottom floor--]

"Oh thank God... Shit. Fuck. Wait. We don't have time for a long journey! We don't have--"

[Whilst we travel, please, enjoy some sweet, sweet tunes. It won't be long now. You'll be in the lobby before you know it!]

"Oh for the love of--"

The doors started to close.
Closing...
Closing...
Closing...

[CLICK!]

[Obstruction detected. Door opening.]

Arcade pushed another Zombie out of the door's path. Another one took its place.
"For fucks sake! Some hold them off!" The Madman squatted down beside the elevator's console. "I'm going to overwrite the safety protocols. Don't worry. I used to do shit like this all the time..." He pulled the metal casing off of the console and started reaching around the untidy nest of wires. "Won't take-- shit!" He withdrew his hand. "Electric shock. Fuck. It's nothing. I'll have this baby speeding down to the basement before you know it... just buy me a minute or two!"

The Undead were already pouring into the elevator. There must have been at least 50 in the hall alone. More and more were joining the fray with each passing moment. The horde were eager to recruit the Hunted. Unless their did something smart- and something fast- they elevator would soon be their tomb...

@Yun Lee @Takumi @Jeremi @Atomic Knight

"How much are you gonna pay us?"

Narancia met Nemu's gaze with one of indifference but he still asked upfront questions.

"I mean, I'm accepting either way, but I'm just curious,"

MAYOR'S SUITE
"You misunderstand me, Narancia." Nemu looked down upon the Hunter. "I'm not some petty Crime Lord. This isn't a Mercenary's Guild. I'm not offering you cash. I'm offering you a way out. Do this for me, and your debt with Tormo will be erased. You use the credits you have left to buy safe passage out of the city. You could start a new life. You could go home. You could scurry off to some place where neither Tormo nor his media toys could find you. You can't put a price on what I'm offering, Hunter. She who wins my little game gets to leave Prudence a free- and very much alive- woman. Does this sate your greed hunter? Or would you rather I tossed a million credits into your bowl and gave you nice scratch behind the ear as thanks?"

@Takumi @Capri @Jeremi @Ottonomous Ghost

"Goddess...?" Did Marianne hear right? Was that someone speaking of her Goddess? But she couldn't investigate further as Jyuto made his move. She'd never heard a spell like that before...and with such an unusual weapon, too. What could she possibly add to that after such a strong start?

"U-Um..." She cleared her throat, trying to speak as loudly as possible in spite of her own panic. So many people...the stakes were far too high to falter again. "E-Excuse me! Out there...I...I've never faced them before...b-but those are monsters known as Risen. They're the undead...and bringing them to life after death removes their humanity. All they desire is to kill...and...the only way to stop them is by cutting them down!" And all they had here were Jyuto and herself...unless others... "I-Is anyone here...able to fight?"

@Sark @Casino

CASINO
Gossip spread across the group. The silence that Jyuto had one was replaced my nervous murmuring and the occasional terrified shout.
"Risen? I've heard of them..."
"It's got to be a... it's got to be some kind of show!"
"Yeah! This is just some kind of tourist trick! I ain't buying it!"
"I saw what those things did to the PMCs outside... there's no way we can fight them!"
"I took a class of judo once!"
"Oh, I believe her alright! These things are some sorta hell-spawn! And who do you think summoned them?"
"Oh! I see where you're going! Yeah! How does that chick know so much about those things, anyway!"
"Look at the way she's dressed! She's a witch! She's gotta be a witch!"
"She's a fucking witch!!!"

"So... that could have gone better..." Jyuto adjusted his glasses. He froze mid-fiddle, as if the pieces of a large puzzle were slowly clicking together behind his eyes. "You never said that you knew what these things were, Mari... And those smoke-marks on your dress..."
Jyuto shook his head, banishing the thought.
"There's gotta be some way to beat these things. If they're as soulless as you say, I don't think this shitty black-market mic is going to help. Maybe if I had my real mic, I could get these people on our side... but that thing's long gone now."

PING
"Awww yeah! Come to Papa! Win win win bay-be! 7s across the board!"

"It was inside the bank when the whole thing was blown sky-high. Even if it wasn't melted into slag, I doubt I'll be getting it back any time soon. Without it, we're gonna have to use our smarts. If these people won't listen to reason, we're gonna have to find some other way to get the to coopera---"

[BANG] [BANG] [BANG]

The few more chairs rattled off of the barricade. It wouldn't hold out much longer.

"Right. We need a plan. We bounce now and find a smarter place to start looking for clues, or we take another shot at getting these guys on our side." Jyuto passed his make-shift mic over to Marianne. "You're the expert. It's your call."

@Yun Lee​

 

[Yun Lee]

"Damn it!" This technology was going to be their undoing if they weren't careful. Yashamaru started slashing at whatever undead came into the elevator, more capable of close-range combat than a wide attack. "Daniel! Ouka! If either of you can use your magic...now's the time!"

@Sark @Takumi @Atomic Knight @Jeremi

---

What did she expect? Of course she made this worse. "I'm sorry..." Marianne offered quietly, hanging her head. This was all her fault. Just like the opera house, they were all going to die because of her. Just like Haytham, Jyuto was realizing what a disappointment she was.

But as he handed her the microphone, Marianne took hold of it, taking a deep breath. She didn't know how this magic worked. It seemed as though he spoke on the spot, a bit like singing or poetry with how lyrical it was. The girl gripped the microphone, wondering if she could transfer some of her own magic as she tried to speak. But this was her last chance. One final attempt to save the people here. Swallowing a lump in her throat, Marianne looked up and decided to try.

"I know you don't trust me, but please just listen,
Fairy stories come to life, the undead have Risen.
If you desire to survive this night...
Then we need to trust each other, band together, and fight!"

She could only hope she did it right. Only hope that it could help.

@Sark​

 

[Sark]

"Damn it!" This technology was going to be their undoing if they weren't careful. Yashamaru started slashing at whatever undead came into the elevator, more capable of close-range combat than a wide attack. "Daniel! Ouka! If either of you can use your magic...now's the time!"

ELEVATOR
"It's been 'the time' for a while now, Yash!" Arcade snapped. "If any of you are holding back, I swear to--"

[BONK]

"Fuck!" Arcade groaned. He pulled his head back out of the hole in the elevator consume. He removed a small, metallic box a moment later. It was no larger than a watch, but it somehow managed to hold a small, holographic display. In many ways, it resembled the middle segment of the Hunted's collars. "It's asking me for a fucking password!" The Madman cried, rubbing the back of his head. "Won't let me start the override without it! Can't hack it in time!" He whacked his forehead with the ball of his palm. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Think! Think! Think! It's 8 letters long! Fuck! Think! Think! Think!"

@Yun Lee @Takumi @Jeremi @Atomic Knight​

 

[Yun Lee]

A password? Hell, they were really doomed now. Yashamaru continued to fight, as he would until his last breath. That was the only way he could go down, swinging. But his mind raced. Eight letters...it could be anything. Anything had eight. Sorc Tormo had nine. Champion? Massacre? What was it?

But one word, one strange word snuck into his mind. He'd seen it everywhere, heard it more times than he could count. Even if he had been focused on this wicked game, he was no stranger to that subliminal marketing. Without thinking, that little word slipped out of his mouth.

"...Oblivion?"

@Sark @Jeremi @Takumi @Atomic Knight​