Down in the Gutter: IC, Surviving to See Tomorrow is Goal #1 Options

[yoippari]

00:03:30 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – lying facing south on NE 124th St between Ne 137th Pl & NE 138th Pl Kingsgate, Seattle, UCAS
Trojan

Trojan scrambles to his feet and heads for cover between parked cars preferably or simply behind anything large enough to hide his dwarf frame to use for cover while wrestling his mp5 into a useful position.

[rob]

00:21:01 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – At the intersection of 126th Ave NE and NE 142nd Ln
Bockscar

You know what, this hunkering-under-cover-and-getting-shot-at shit is so fucking yesterday. Nuts to these assholes.

I see them coming a second before they see me. Couple figures pouring out of the alley and spreading out, quick. I got a bad feeling about the whole thing, and the reticle of my smartlink is already darting to the center of the mass of one of them.

My entire vision seems to focus on the red dot-and-circle reticle that covers the dude's torso. Between the hyper alertness and the needles of rage the 'kazi is spiking in me I barely notice the muzzle flashes and the shit talking. I hear one of them call me a bastard.

At that point, my brain articulates that nice little intent that tells my smartlink to kill, and the rifle pushes into my shoulder.

[Unarmed]

00:19:06 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – Plastic Sushi and the intersection of NE 141st Way and NE 124th Place
Doc

Doc strode towards the troll in front of him with measured strides, raising his axe high and aiming a swing at his opposition's head. Doc had chosen to attack the troll because he thought the massive ganger be the biggest handful of the bunch, and apperently he was right. Even as he yelled something of a memorial for now fallen comrades, the opposing behemoth deftly knocked the crescent-moon blade of the axe out of the way, slamming the bat into his midsection. Fortunately for Doc, the nails only penetrated his armored vest, and not his thickly armored skin, but there would probably be some severe bruising. Didn't stop it from hurting like a bitch, either.

Doc's brain registered the sounds of the firearm as it barked twice, but engrossed in combat as he was, he did not realise the shots were aimed at him until he felt the bullets pelt his side and heard two hollow thuds against his armor. He felt himself losing balance, arms pinwheeling at his sides for a second, and then threw one leg backwards haphazardly, barely catching his balance. His hands tightened on the axe hilt as he moved into position for another swing...

[WinterRat1]

00:35:46 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – 132rd Ave. in the former Splintered Crash turf
Shade, Aziz, Felix

Shade grins. "I'll do my best chummer. But no promises."

With that, he takes off, leaving the Arabian samurai to slump back against the wall and sink slowly to the ground. Laying Kalila across his lap, Aziz tries to remain alert while conserving his strength. Glancing over at Felix, he sees the kid is practically catatonic, clutching Halo's hand tightly while mumbling to himself.

The kid is barely paying attention to anything, so it's obvious he can't be counted on to keep a lookout. But Aziz is cool, he just needs to rest for a moment and he'll be fine.

Gotta rest...gotta conserve my strength...yeah...that's it...just gonna close my eyes for a sec...not sleep...just close...my...eyes...

00:50:29 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – 132rd Ave. in the former Splintered Crash turf

The screeching sound of brakes causes Aziz to snap his head up, half-drawing Kalila before he looks over and realizes it's Shade, driving a beat up Ford Americar that looks like it had enough miles on it to have driven across the UCAS. Five times. And gotten into an accident or two each time.

Didn't sleep...how the hell did he sneak up on me like that? Especially in that thing? There's no way I fell asleep, I was just closing my eyes to rest. Yeah, just resting. That's it. Ah whatever.

"Shade, what the hell is that? Thought I told you I liked to travel in style?" Aziz croaks, his throat parched with thirst.

"It'll get us from Point A to Point B Aziz. And it came free. Besides, if I actually got a stylin' car, you think I'd let you in it, you all messed up like that? I wouldn't want you bleeding all over my new car's leather seats anyway."

Instead of wasting his already limited breath with continued bantering, Aziz opts instead to stagger over to the Americar, clutching his side. "Shotgun."

As he heads towards the car, Shade gets out and walks over to Halo. Gently cradling the biker girl in his arms, he carefully lifts her and holds her as still as possible while walking towards the car. Motioning Felix to get in the car first, he waits until his friend settles himself in the back seat before laying Halo across the back seat, her head resting in Felix's lap.

The young mage is still in shock, so Shade rests a hand on his shoulder and says, "Hold her carefully, ok? We probably won't have a smooth ride, and I want to jostle her as little as possible." Felix nods and wraps his arms around Halo, securing her as best he can.

As Shade climbs back in the driver's side, Aziz asks, "Which way you goin'?"

After thinking for a moment, Shade answers, "South on 132nd Ave then west on 124th St. The Heartbreakers turf has been pretty calm so far, and except for hitting us, the 162s haven't done much either. So it should be pretty safe. I don't want to risk going west on 132nd St right now. With the Corsairs, LoCoS, and 8 Balls gone, and the Black Plague and Steel Demons running wild through the area, it's too dangerous right now."

Aziz nods. "Good call." Closing his eyes, the Arabian samurai says, "Gonna rest my eyes now...let me know when we're there."

"Right."

They drive in silence the rest of the way.

[WinterRat1]

01:10:37 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – 1035 116th Avenue NE - Overlake Medical Research Center
Shade, Felix, Aziz

Fortunately, the drive to Overlake Hospital was smooth and quiet, as they had predicted. Which was a very good thing, because in the group's current shape, a couple Heartbreakers probably would have been enough to take them out.

As he turned onto 116th Ave NE, Shade dialed his friend to meet them out front, to help them make it through with as few questions as possible. "Kianna? It's me, Stephen." Opening his eyes, Aziz shot him an odd look. It was only then Shade realized that was probably the first time the Arabian samurai had ever heard his real name.

"We're turning onto 116th now. Where do you want us to go?"

"Head to the ER entrance on the south side of the hospital. I'll meet you there with a gurney and crew."

"Like I mentioned, I have another guy who really needs medical attention. He's not in critical, but he definitely needs to get looked at."

"I remember. Don't worry Stephen, I've got it covered. I'm the professional here, remember?"

Smiling, Stephen answered, "Right. Thanks a million Kianna. We'll see you soon." As he disconnected the phone, Aziz looked at him curiously but thankfully refrained from commenting. At least for the moment.

Pulling up to the ER entrance, Shade saw that as promised, Kianna was already waiting outside with a crew. As he slowed to a stop, the petite Asian girl was already moving, directing the two guys with her to bring the gurney around. "Let's go, get her out of there, be careful moving her!"

Turning to Felix, she said, "Sir, please stay there until we get your friend out of there."

Watching the ER guys' progress getting Halo out of the car, she cautioned them, "Easy...easy, watch her head...ok, there we go. Great. Strap her in and get her into the ER right away. I've already got a start on the paperwork, so let's stabilize her and get to work right away."

As they hustled Halo into the hospital, Kianna turned to Stephen and said in a dangerously low tone of voice, "You've got some explaining to do Stephen. You were really vague about the specifics on the phone, but that must have been one hell of a bad 'accident'. Why didn't you just wait for the ambulance to show up instead of taking her here yourself?"

Before Shade could answer, a youngish sounding voice yelled, "Uh...Kianna! This guy's got a freaking sword! And uh...I don't think he wants to give it up."

Looking over, Kianna and Shade saw Aziz clutching Kalila tightly, the blade half drawn and glaring at a scared looking doctor who was holding his hands up placatingly, trying to look as non-threatening as he could. "Come on buddy, I just need you to put that thing down before I can take you into the hospital! You'll get it back, honest!"

Turning back to Shade, Kianna threw up her hands incredulously. "What the hell does that guy have a sword for Stephen! What exactly have you not been telling me? You know what, never mind! We don't have time to talk about this now, I have to get in there and start working on your friend, but you better believe we are going to have a long talk about this later."

Striding swiftly into the hospital, she called over her shoulder, "And tell your buddy that if he wants treatment, he can't bring that damn thing into the hospital! Have him leave it with you while we look at him, ok?" Before Shade could answer, she'd disappeared into the hospital after Halo.

Suddenly totally drained, Shade said wearily, "Aziz, just let me watch Kalila, ok? Believe me, these people of all people would not take her. Just go inside and let them patch you up, all right? Please?"

[Fresno Bob]

01:13:02 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – 1035 116th Avenue NE - Overlake Medical Research Center
Aziz

Aziz was in an unfamiliar place. It was an old graveyard, with moss covered headstones dotting the grass in even, measured rows. He looked left and right, and they seemed to stretch on forever.

He heard a scratching noise behind him, and quickly whirled around, pulling Kalila free, ready to face down-

JJ

Aziz's blood ran cold as he looked at his late friend, drenched in blood and bites, head hanging off to the side, held on only by a thin bit of skin. JJ grinned at him, and opened his mouth.

"Kianna? It's me, Stephen."

Aziz's eyes snapped open, and he looked over at Shade.

Stephen? I can see why he doesn't go by it...

They pulled up to the parking ER entrance, and removed Halo from the car. And then an unfamiliar face shot into Aziz's view, with hands grabbing at him. Kalila slid partway out, and the hands backed off. The face yelled over at the female doctor, and finally Shade piped up.

"Aziz, just let me watch Kalila, ok? Believe me, these people of all people would not take her. Just go inside and let them patch you up, all right? Please?"

He didn't tell them anything... they don't know we're gangers, they don't know he's fucking Shade, not Stephen... what kind of double-life is he leading?

Aziz inhaled deeply, and let out a long breath, looking at each of the assembled faces in turn. He slammed Kalila down into the scabbard, the handguard ringing loudly against its metal facings.

"Whatever you say Sha-... Stephen.", he says tersely, and hands her over to Shade. "We'll talk when I get out of there.", he adds, and steps out of the car.

"I don't need your help walking, back off.", he cautions the doctors as he limps towards the ER. "And don't think I'm helpless without that sword."

[WinterRat1]

00:19:09 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – Plastic Sushi and the intersection of NE 141st Way and NE 124th Place

Despite the recent reversal of fortune they'd suffered in the past 24 hours, there was a reason the Hammerpack had been able to fight both Raider Nation and the Ultraviolet Nights to a standstill for the past month. Now that they had a chance to get warmed up, they started to show why.

Although the dwarf frantically backpedaled in a desperate attempt to gain space from Grack and his wicked axe, our hero easily kept pace with him. Raising the axe high over his head, he swung it straight down with all his might, cleaving the evil Black Plaguer's skull almost in two. As the dwarf's body sank to the ground, his brains plopped free of Young Grack's axe to the pavement below.

Meanwhile, Legion methodically closed the distance on the elf ganger who scrambled wildly in an attempt to get to his feet, but to no avail. Easily penetrating the unskilled gutter trash's pathetic attempts at a defense, Legion slashed at the elf's arms, opening minor cuts on both. As the elf's defense became more desperate, an opening presented itself and Legion seized it, swiftly driving his katana straight through his foe's heart.

On the other side of the fight, Thumper had completely cowed his foe, screaming at him to stay down, or else. The ork immediately remained on the ground, throwing his tire iron away and trying to staunch the bleeding from his wounds with his hands. Freed from having to worry about the ork, Thumper chucked the brick in his hands at the troll, who was too busy worrying about Doc to try to get out of the way. The brick smashed into the troll's arm, and he grunted in pain, but it was hard to know how much it had really hurt him.

As the sole bright spot for the Black Plague, the troll roared his defiance, screaming, "Black Plague forever!" as he managed to land a glancing blow on Doc's helmet, rattling the ex-8 Baller's skull and momentarily dazing him. Shaking his head to clear the ringing in his ears, Doc's counter-attack was lacking its usual zip, and the troll easily managed to deflect it with his spiked bat that Doc was really starting to get sick of.

Calmly shifting his focus away from the dead elf, Legion strode headlong into the fight between Doc and the enemy troll, coming in low and hard, succeeding in stabbing the troll in his side, opening a deep wound and causing his foe to stumble momentarily. Unleashing a stream of profanity, Thumper charged into the fight from the other side, hoping to take advantage of his foe's suddenly exposed defenses. He may have been a bit too eager, as despite the burning pain in his side, the enemy troll managed to raise his bat enough to fend off Thumper's attack.

This brief moment of success notwithstanding, with Legion and Thumper joining Doc on the attack, it was no longer a question of would the troll fall, it was simply a matter of when, and to whom.

[adamu]

00:19:09 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – Plastic Sushi and the intersection of NE 141st Way and NE 124th Place


Normally imbued with a serene, unearthly beauty that captured the hearts of women and forced men to recognize their better, our Grack's visage could indeed be a terrible mask of dread fury once roused to righteous battle. So it was that the mewling little hairball he now faced, already reeling from Our Hero's first mighty blow, could do little but vainly scamper backward at the sight of Vengeance Awakened. Naturally it availed him nothing as the axe blade freed him from the chains of his ignominious mortal existence.

Whirling at the sound of battle raging behind him, Grack set his sights on the trolls, struggling with the choice of which to attack...

[pragma]

00:19:09 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – Plastic Sushi and the intersection of NE 141st Way and NE 124th Place
Thumper

He held the table leg high over his enemy's head and remembered Legion's instructions.

Take one of them alive.

This was a situation that required volume and not force. Fortunately , he liked being loud as much as he liked hitting things.

"You stay the fuck down or I'll fucking kill you." The other ork stayed the fuck down.

He cast about briefly trying to determine where to direct his attention. Seeing a troll still standing he sprinted towards the monster throwing his brickand a stream of profanity ahead of him. The behemoth grunted as the brick hit him, but managed to twist out of the way of Thumper's wild swing even with Legion's sword embedded in his other side.

Thumper wheeled around for another shot.

[Unarmed]

00:19:09 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – Plastic Sushi and the intersection of NE 141st Way and NE 124th Place
Doc

Doc's frustration was palpable. Despite regrouping after nearly being knocked down, and managing a good swing at the troll in front of him, he saw the now-despised spiked bat come up and knock the axe away. Seconds before, that same instrument of destruction had rattled his braincase a bit, intensifying the headache already caused by his earlier Kamikaze binge.

The Troll managed to yell a battle cry, but it was clear that his side was not going to be victorious. Legion's thrust into the giant's midsection underlined that point quite clearly. Doc saw Thumper moving in from his left, the three of them effectively surrounding the Troll. The tenacity Doc's opponent had shown had only served to anger the scarred drug cooker. He was going to take it out of this bastard's hide, and whether or not Thumper or Legion managed to end the bastard's life before Doc could act made little difference. He was going to make sure that the troll in front of him died without anything resembling a face.

[grendel]

00:19:09 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – Plastic Sushi and the intersection of NE 141st Way and NE 124th Place
Legion

The world existed in razor-edged clarity, the sensory distortions of adrenaline-fueled combat giving Legion the illusion that he perceived everything clearer. Here, now, amidst the dead and dying, blood thundering through his veins, the grunt and cry of bodies torquing in hand to hand combat, he felt alive. Here was reality, the very fabric of existence vibrated only to the drumbeat of relentless, vicious combat. The elf's chain flexed as he snapped his wrist, the weighted end flying towards Legion. Had the elf been a little smarter, he would have tried to use the chain like a manriki-gusari and entangle Legion's sword arm. As it was, Legion swayed to the side, rocking back on his feet even as his weight shifted towards the elf. The blade of his sword described a swift V, laying cuts open on the elf's right bicep and left forearm. Legion watched the pain and fear grow in his opponent's eyes, that sudden, certain knowledge that death had arrived. Following his weight shift, his left foot described an arcing step inside the elf's defenses, and the finely honed steel of his katana slid effortlessly between the fifth and sixth ribs on the elf's left side. Legion stepped forward with his right foot, following his opponent as the elf instinctively stepped backwards away from the impaling weapon. He rotated his wrists slightly, turning the edge of the blade down, before drawing down and out with the sword. Blood surged from the fifteen centimeter cut opened in response to his attack, a bright red arterial flood from the ventricles of a ruined heart. It was a killing blow, and Legion smiled as his opponent staggered, reaching out for the ground with his hand.

A cry of frustration and rage drew his attention, though, and he turned in time to see the trolls locked in combat, neither able to land a solid blow it seemed. At another time, he might have waited and watched to see how this new soldier performed in combat. But the bloodlust boiled through his veins, death swirling around him, dripping from the blade of his katana. He surged forward, a quick four steps, sliding in beneath the Black Plague troll's guard with a stab that, though it cut, was turned aside by the ganger's armored hide. The combat instincts which ruled his mind now, though, highlighted the troll's leg, braced stiff as the ganger traded blows with Legion's troops. Legion brought his sword up in jodan no kamae, preparing a strike that would shear the troll's leg off above his knee.

[WinterRat1]

01:15:02 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – 1035 116th Avenue NE - Overlake Medical Research Center
Aziz

Speaking of swords, it was probably a good thing they took Aziz's away from him. As soon as the doctor got him into the ER, they immediately got him to a spare bed and started sticking all sorts of needles and pumping all sorts of crap into him. They also kept talking about him as if he wasn't even there, which really annoyed him.

He didn't really mind the needles, and he knew the stuff they were pumping into him was ultimately designed to heal him. It was more the fact that he wasn't really a person in this sterile and brisk environment, and more of a case for them to work on.

Frag it, if it gets me back on my feet sooner, I'll live. Ugh...why am I getting...so...sleepy...must be...more...tired...than I thought... Although he fought it, gradually the drugs they were flowing into him began doing their thing, and he eventually closed his eyes, drifting off to an anesthesia-induced slumber.

[WinterRat1]

00:21:04 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – At the intersection of 126th Ave NE and NE 142nd Ln
Bockscar, Nevada, Badmarsh

Taking careful aim with his assault rifle, Bockscar's eyes narrowed as he selected a target and held steady for a moment, steadying himself before unleashing a long stream of bullets. He was sure he hit the guy, and was already planning his next move, until he saw his target just barely manage to move to cover in time, apparently unharmed.

He ducked back behind the corner, cursing furiously, and just in time, as a literal hailstorm of bullets filled the alleyway. These guys were definitely not the junior varsity. Numerous bullets smashed into the corner where he'd been a moment ago, excellent accuracy for a ganger that surely would have hit him had he not already moved completely behind the corner. Unfortunately, his ability to see what was happening or where the enemy was moving was further obscured by the wall of suppression fire that filled the alley, preventing him from even sticking his head out for a quick peek.

His new companions showed similar sense, as it appeared they'd been planning on taking a look at the situation for themselves, but quickly changed their minds when the bullets made that a suicidal proposition, at best. Huddled around the corner, bullets keeping them pinned down on their side of the alley, and with no knowledge of where the enemy was or what they were up to, their situation, while not exactly dire, was certainly growing more uncertain by the second.

[Vegas]

00:21:03 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – At the intersection of 126th Ave NE and NE 142nd Ln
Nevada

Just as she was about to stick her neck out for the group and try to get a good look around the corner, Bockscar’s bleeding form shirked around the corner and bumped into her just a split second before the hail of bullets followed. She let out the breath she was holding in a sharp hiss as she flattened herself against the wall in the now very crowded space around the corner from the approaching Raiders.

“Hey Cabron! Your puta of a mother should have swallowed you!�

Instinctively as she felt Bockscar tense up near her feet her hand started to sweep down the front of her jacket, insuring that the front was securely closed before she did anything else. He shuffled something around in his hands as he barked at the group.

“Sprint across the street! Cover me from the other side! GO!"

[WinterRat1]

00:19:12 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – Plastic Sushi and the intersection of NE 141st Way and NE 124th Place
Legion, Grack, Thumper, Doc

With surprising speed for someone so big, Thumper immediately reset himself and swung the table leg at his foe again. This time, he was more successful, feeling the vibrations of his solid swing to the troll's side running through the table leg and coursing through his hands with a pleasurable sense of destruction.

The troll winced in pain, panic running through his eyes as he realized that his remaining lifespan could probably be measured in a unit of time smaller than seconds. Taking advantage of the troll's sudden distraction, Legion made his move, swinging his sword in a deadly arc at his foe's leg. Although his combat discipline to date had been admirable, the Plaguer couldn't stop himself from screaming in pain as Legion's jodan no kamae had its planned effect, shearing the troll's leg off at the knee.

The troll collapsed to the ground, clutching at the stump where his kneecap had once connected his right leg to the rest of his body. All he could do was writhe helplessly on the ground and look up just in time to see Grack's brutal axe descend mercilessly right into his face, practically splitting his skull right down the middle. He didn't even have time to scream.

Frustrated beyond all reason at his poor showing and the fact that his foe was dead before he could contribute, as soon as Grack had kicked the corpse off his weapon, Doc savagely continued to mutilate it with his axe, spraying blood everywhere as he chopped the body to pieces.

The Hammerpackers looked on casually, nonplussed by the maniacal aggression the troll displayed as blood splattered all around them, even on them. Someone, however, was more than a bit perturbed by the display. A quiet whimpering drew their attention to their prisoner, who wore a look of sheer terror on his face and was desperately scooting back on his hands and butt, psuedo-crab walking away from the shower of blood that was falling onto the street and the now completely unrecognizable body of his former fellow ganger.

[grendel]

00:20:16 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – Plastic Sushi and the intersection of NE 141st Way and NE 124th Place
Legion

With casual disregard to what the 8-Baller was doing to the troll's corpse, Legion knelt stiffly, picking up a piece of the elf's shirt and wiping his sword clean on it. Resting the blade on his shoulder, he sauntered after the ork. His expression was one of calmness, with a lilting, half-smile on his lips. The spattering of blood on his pale skin turned him into a Lovecraftian demon.

"You are correct in one statement you made: the Hammerpack is dead. But you forget that I am not. Nor is the cadre of my soldiers. You bear witness to what we are still capable of doing. We may be few now, but soon we will return ten-fold. Go back and tell Crowbar he's got a choice. We can either remember him as kicking us while we were down. Or we can remember that he left us in peace to tend our wounds."

Legion pointed down the street with his sword, towering over the ork. His voice cracked like a whip, his face an animal snarl.

"Go! Tell Crowbar that our day will come again! The choice is his! GO!"

[Unarmed]

00:19:16 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – Plastic Sushi and the intersection of NE 141st Way and NE 124th Place
Doc

Doc seethed with white-hot rage. As soon as the troll was down in a heap, he was swinging his axe above his head in a wide arc, letting it crash down into the area where the troll's brain had once been. Every time it fell it made a fleshy thud sound, like a wet towel hitting the floor hard.

Thud.

Fucking asshole troll thinks he can stand up to me I'll skullfuck him so fragging hard...

Thud.

...and these arrogant as fuck hammerpackers thinking they can lord it over me because they're in place to be my new fragging meal ticket...

Thud.

...I know shit too though and they don't even fucking realise it or care and all this making nice shit is really fucking getting to me...

Thud.

...and all my fucking friends are dead...

Thud.

...

Doc stood, panting, above the unrecognizable mess before him. He heard Legion say something. He didn't care what the fuck was said. If he were to look back, years from now, Doc would note that more than any other day, November 1st was actually the day that he hit rock bottom. Because it was the day that he realised that he was well and truly alone. This is all assuming he lived long enough to look back, of course. But, it was also a day to forget his erstwhile companions and the rage of the past. Time for a fresh start. Doc wiped the blood off his face, walking over to the three Hammerpackers. He turned to face Legion.

"Actually, maybe I will have that cigarette."

[adamu]

00:20:20 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – Plastic Sushi and the intersection of NE 141st Way and NE 124th Place

Grack

Once he'd dislodged his new toy from the Plague Troll's skull, young Grack squatted back on his haunches and licked his blade clean while watching The Obstacle pathetically assail their very dead opponent. It was rather annoying, because the beast's blows were out of sync with Broken Tusk's deafening rhythms, which as usual blocked out all other sound.

As he watched, Our Hero pondered whether The Obstacle was raging against its own impotence after failing to appreciably diminish the enemy's forces, or whether it was in despair at the inevitability of its own long, slow torture now that it had proven itself useless to his captors.

Then the youthful stalwart watched Master Legion show noble mercy to the pewling ork whom Thumper had so thoroughly humbled, and he smiled in satisfaction. For surely if the ork was not to be flayed and disemboweled for the victory celebration, The Obstacle must be at the top of the evening's agenda of entertainments.

His axe clean, Grack stood and considered his recent exertions. He supposed he was happy that the rest of his friends had been late to the party, for it had meant more kills for himself, and none the worse for wear for it. Soon, however, they would all converge on this place, and the Dance of Victory would begin. For who could challenge the Hammerpack now, their foes annihilated. He, Grack had indeed risen, through hard work and assiduous effort, from the most humble of beginnings to the rarefied ranks of the new and undisputed nobility of Kingsgate.

Such thoughts made him hungry, and he headed back toward the entrance to the sushi shop.

[pragma]

00:20:30 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – Plastic Sushi and the intersection of NE 141st Way and NE 124th Place
Thumper

DIssembling the troll was balletic. He had recovered from his poorly balanced swing and smoothly clipped the giant's shoulder as Legion had gone low. Thumper was pleased.

The aftermath was not as pleasant. Doc's rage fueled swings caught Thumper in spray after spray of blood. He threw up an arm to shield his face, but was still painted red by the display.

Once the troll had stopped swinging and was left panting in the street, Thumper said, "Hey, big guy. Slow down for a second. Just want to grab this," He picked up the trolls barbed wire bat, "before you coat me in any more internal organs."

He stepped away from the scene discarding the table leg, and headed towards Legion.

[Mister Juan]

00:50:29 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – 132rd Ave. in the former Splintered Crash turf
Felix

As Shade gently laid Halo down, Felix could hear nothing but his hearth beat inside his head. His entire skin felt like it was on fire, and he could already feel sweat soaking through his hair and sweater. His mouth felt terribly dry behind his breathing mask, and he could barely see a thing through the veil of tears that kept filling his eyes. With all the care in the world, the young mage put Halo's head on his lap, brushing off the few hairs that were sticking to her face. He ran his tiny frail hand through her blond hair, not even noticing the blood that covered him. Pulling his breathing mask off, which dangled around his neck, Felix didn't even lift his gaze from the girl when Shade spoke to him. All he could do was simply to nod and wrap his tiny arms around the girl he loved so much.

He held her like he never wanted to let her go. Truth was... that was how Felix felt. He had lost many people in his short life... too many. Now, with almost all of the Crashers gone, he didn't have much left. Almost his entire family had been brutally slain. Slain for nothing at all. Slain for pleasure. Slain for hunger. Slain for the meat on their bones.

Felix would have rather die himself than let anything happen to Halo. Especially after today.

With love and care, he brushed his hand once more on her face, gently speaking to her as if no one else could hear.

“You're going to be ok.... We're going to take care of you... You're going to be ok....� he kept saying in a trembling voice, over and over, looking at her closed eyes with a forced smile on his lips.

Leaning over, he gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Felix looked up, seeing Shade's eyes in the rear view mirror. Both friends looked at each other for a moment... before the young mage went back to stroking Halo's hair. Her beautiful and soft hair. Felix's green eyes had never been so filled with fear. They had never been filled with so much apprehension. But they also had never been filled with so much love. As he held the young biker against him, he could only think of two things: how scared he was of loosing her... and how much he loved her.

He ran his fingers in her hair once more, trying to clean her up a bit. A salty tear ran down his pale cheek. Something got stuck in his throat.

“Halo.... please......�

He leaned over, gently kissing her on the lips.

“I love you Heather.... please..... don't go....�

01:10:37 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – 1035 116th Avenue NE - Overlake Medical Research Center

When the ER technicians try to take Halo, they literally had to pry Felix's fingers off her jacket.

When he jumped out of the car to follow after them, they had to push him back and stop him for getting in their way.

It was finally up to Shade to restrain the young mage. By the short time he had him sitting back in the car, the young mage had changed color and was hyper ventilating himself to the brink of unconsciousness.

Sitting in the parked car, his breath going in and out of him faster than his body could process it, Felix started to shake all over as he watched his blood covered hands. Tears started to run down his cheeks again.

[Fresno Bob]

01:15:32 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – 1035 116th Avenue NE - Overlake Medical Research Center
Aziz

The drugs pumped into his system, a feeling Aziz was not a stranger too. But these were the opposite of his favored drugs, they were shutting him down. He struggled mentally to keep going, but his eyelids felt so heavy, and his neck muscles felt too weak to keep his head raised. He sighed softly, and heard the doctor say "Finally..." before falling backwards into a deep slumber.

Outside of time - In his head

He wasn't back in the cemetary. That place was awful. He was back in Arabia, back in Muscat, his hometown. Muscat is pretty awful too, but at least it wasn't out of a lame horror movie.

Aziz found himself in a bustling marketplace, standing in the middle of a throng of people going about their business.

"Hey! Aziz!", a voice called out cheerfully. He turned to look, and there was the old handler of the street kids he ran with, looking exactly as he looked the last time Aziz had seen him. Complete with the army surplus metal spork that Aziz had killed him with, still sticking out of his throat.

"Fuck you old man, I killed you six years ago.", Aziz replied, crossing his arms and glaring at the man.

"Izzat right? How many have you killed since, kid?"

He thought a moment.

"I don't know, I didn't keep count." he said, shrugging.

The old man laughed, blood spraying out from around the spork handle lodged in his esophagus. "Figured as much. You always were a lazy little bastard, made all the other kids do your work for you. Look at you now, last survivor of your gang. Too lazy to keep them from getting eaten, weren't you?"

Aziz roared and charged the man, drawing Kalila and slashing at-

Air. He was gone, and so was Muscat. He was back in the 410's doss. Their first doss, the old YMCA. The place was trashed, with smashed furniture and debris everywhere.

"Hey Aziz.", Cammy winked at him, a neat little hole drilled in her head. "Theres some trolls outside that want to talk to you."

Slam came up behind him and clapped a hand on Aziz's back. He looked at the former leader, and saw an axe wound that stretched from his shoulder to his stomach, making everything inside perfectly visible.

"Ah, don't worry about them. You've got their number, right? Up on the roof with that AK. You'll take care of us." Slam smiled, and blood started pouring out his mouth, down his chin.

Aziz shut his eyes hard, and opened them again to see that he was back in that cemetary. Sitting on a bench nearby was a young gang member cradling his own head in his arms. The head smiled and spoke up.

"Hey man, remember me? You invaded our turf and killed me out of boredom."

"You killed me because you wanted my jacket. You don't even wear it anymore!" a voice called out from behind Aziz

"You tortured me for six hours with a car battery and a blowtorch, because you wanted to know where my gang's lieutenants were hiding. You killed them, too." another voice called out.

Aziz threw his hands up to his ears.

"STOP IT! STOP IT, YOU'RE ALL DEAD, YOU WERE ALL WEAK!", he shouted. "I DON'T HAVE TO LISTEN TO ANY OF THIS!" He shut his eyes, and was sitting on a couch next to JJ when he opened them.

He smiled at Aziz, and took a swig from a bottle, beer poured out his wound and mixed with the blood.

"Beer?", he asked, holding up an unopened bottle. Aziz put his face in his hands.

[WinterRat1]

00:20:22 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – Plastic Sushi and the intersection of NE 141st Way and NE 124th Place
Legion

The ork nods frantically in acquiescence and scrambles down the street, back to the safety of Black Plague territory. Alternately crawling, stumbling, and running, he somehow manages to retain enough balance to clear out of Legion's sight in record time.

[adamu]

00:20:30 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – Plastic Sushi at the intersection of NE 141st Way and NE 124th Place

Grack

Famished after his recent exertions, the protagonist of our tale strode back into the sushi shoppe and fed more cash into the machine, synthguitars and raw Or'zet vocals chorusing in his pointed ears. He hated actually paying for that which was his by right of rank, but he had tried breaking these machines open on many an occasion, only to find that they had been devised by some master artificer.

Under normal circumstances, he'd have taken the time to relieve his fallen foes of any ill-gotten lucre they might have been carrying, but tonight his mind was aswirl with an array of questions that might have dizzied a lesser mortal. Where were the other members of the Pack? When would be the victory festivities? How best to torture The Obstacle (and was the object of his affections even still alive...)? And most important, why had his new gift failed to detect the approach of their foes?

Taking a polystyrene tray of soyshi from the dispenser, he vowed to redouble his concentration.

[grendel]

00:22:48 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – Plastic Sushi and the intersection of NE 141st Way and NE 124th Place
Legion

Just for a moment, Legion's grip tightens on his sword, adrenaline and blood lust still singing through his veins. Then the unmistakable vision of what he has promised to create burns through from the front of his brain, and he relaxes. Immediately the pain from the wound in his side reasserts itself, alternating sheets of hot and cold needles raking across his skin. He sucks air into his lungs, breathing deeply to keep his heart rate up. With his left hand, he offers the blood-encrusted pack of cigarettes to the 8-Baller, crumpling it and dropping it to the gutter when the troll takes the last one. With a sigh, he kneels next to the remains of the first ork, fishing through his pockets for anything. Especially more cigarettes.

"Thumper, grab that halfer's gun and whatever else he's got on 'im, then go get Grack when you're done. We should keep heading south."

[Unarmed]

00:22:57 Saturday, November 1, 2070 – Plastic Sushi and the intersection of NE 141st Way and NE 124th Place
Doc

Doc's eyes were locked in a glassy-eyed stare as Legion offered the last cigarette out of his pack. He reached an arm up, mechanically, and took the smoke from the pack. Then he realised that he didn't have a lighter, and he sighed deeply. His head pounded inside his helmet, a combination of his kamikaze binge, the troll's heavy blow to his braincase, and the dramatic expulsion of pent-up rage. He had some things in his duffel bag that could relieve that headache instantly, but now was not the time. Doc wanted to feel the weight of the world right now. Seeing Legion and Thumper rifling through the clothing of their former opponents, Doc moved over to the elf and began to search through his jacket pockets, mainly for a lighter, but if he found anything else of value he'd snap it up quickly. He noticed that Grack had entered the Sushi Shack again, and counted it among the few things that had been going right recently. The way that Grack looked at the ex-8 Baller was decidedly different than the other two ex-Hammerpackers, and so Doc vowed to keep a close eye on him in the future...