Fantasy Z O D I A C | Umbra [Currently CLOSED]

[Boss]

August & Sylvia | Sam Sarith​

Morning
Brookfield | Combine
Abandoned Apartment Complex | Courtyard​

Sam and Colt's search for the gypsy started off slow. As the sun began to peek it's way through the tall buildings of downtown Brookfield, the two took a scenic route through the streets of the city. Their first stop was a coffee shop, where Colt and Sam took the break before the search. Afterwards, they set off for the gypsy. An hour passed when they arrived at the man's self-titled 'fortune shop', where Colt's source told them that he didn't specialize in finding people, but rather reading vague futures. The search was going to run cold, until the gypsy recommended their type of request be handled by 'the twins of fate', as he called them.

An hour of walking later, and Colt finally set eyes on the two kids that fit the gypsy's description.

"August, Sylvia?" Colt called out from a distance. She flipped back the hoodie that shielded herself from the morning chills and put her hands up. "It's okay, we're one of you." she declared, proving her hosthood by allowing a mug from the coffee shop to materialize in her hands with a burst of golden light. "We need your help to find someone."

 

[Boss]

| Diana Young |​

Daylight..?
Limbo | Tundra?
Armored Train​

Seeing the ranged attack coming, Axel slapped each blast of Diana's arm cannon to the side with a single hand. Her gear was designed to deal with humans. Axel was a titan-slayer. "Too slow!" She shouted as she sprinted to close the distance between them. A hand quickly grabbed Diana's metal arm and twisted it out of the way, while the other planted itself right in Diana's gut. "This thing.." Axel growled, referring the artificial arm. "..It's weak!" With a quick yank, Axel ripped the robotic arm from Diana's body and tossed it off of the train and into the snowy ravine below. "If you have the ability to smile, you aren't serious enough!"

Axel grabbed Diana by the throat and lifted her off of her feet, tossing her back down to the engine where the conductor stood with an odd, black orb in his hands. "Kid, try this. Fresh out of the forgery, you see." Rather than actually hand her the strange orb, He crouched down and placed it over the torn pieces of metal that remained from Diana's cybernetic arm. The orb felt like a strange putty that filled the gaps of the metal with ease. When it reconnected with Diana's nub of an arm, she'd feel an explosion of nerves returning to her. It felt like her original arm was back, but it would also feel.. elastic? In reality, it looked like the orb capped off her missing limb, but it felt possible to reach out from that nub and form her old arm again.

When and if she did, the black material would stretch and take on the form of a hand. At this point, Axel glared down at Diana like a wolf sizing up it's prey. "Why don't you try out that fancy little cannon trick of yours again?" The conductor snickered. When attempted, Diana's new arm would completely shift into a large metallic cannon with an even larger barrel. It vibrated the air with charged energy just begging to be released. "I've crafted it in a such a way that can copy a Maiden's weapon if you hold it in this arm."

 

[TerraBooma]

Sam Sarith​

Sam had been mostly quiet as they asked around town. He had a...bad time keeping his emotions in check from time to time, and the last thing they needed to do now was to completely blow their cover. He had let Colt take the lead, trying to figure out where Camilla went, and why he couldn't connect with Samantha. It was something that ate at the back of his mind constantly. If Cetus had been defeated, she'd just have been returned to limbo. But...she hadn't, so what had happened? He should be able to give her orders, give commands. Yet whenever he reached out, all he got was a field of static white noise. For going into town, Sam had prepared all his normal field gear. He still championed the bullet proof vest, though many modern firearms could get past it, and he carried his old Colt pistol. A sidearm that had gone to hell and back with him...literally, in some cases. He wore a jacket over the vest, and hid the gun away from sight.

Sighing, Sam focused on the scene in front of him. These two were supposed to help them find Camilla. As Colt called out, he manifested a harpoon in his right hand. it had two purposes: to prove he was a host, and to prove that he was more than capable of manifesting arms. Yet after a moment it vanished into seafoam and fell through his hands. He figured he didn't need it now. His voice echoed out after colt's, tired and worried.

"Please. We...we need your help." Sam wasn't sure they'd be able to get Camilla without their help. he was a good tracker...but he excelled at hunting wounded people, not finding old friends and...family.

 

[Sinny The Fool]

Clown

"Oh my god.."

Heavily inhaling & exhaling, Clown managed to make it through his ‘state’ of panic & paranoia. However between the thoughts of Tom slitting his throat in his sleep, or having his ‘beautiful’ limbs fed to the dogs he had completely forgotten to mention what the assassin looked like but before he got the chance to ever explain. He became distracted by the alert going off on Angel’s phone, and then subsequently completely sidetracked by what she had to say next...

"Look uhm, 'Clown'. Until Diana Young is back in your possession, her gang and all of her assets are yours. If Tom isn't dead like you claim, then he'll be the one in charge. I expect you to find both of them. Do what you do and get them back."

“REAAALLLLYYYYY!?!?~~”

His mood made a complete switch, and suddenly he was as ‘bright as a bulb’ ‘All her gang and assets huh? Dooon’t mind if I dooo~’ “Awwwhhhh, you’re oh so very kind, yes yes - thank you, thank you. I’ll make sure to find them right away.” he spoke with light tone ‘Or at least after I found out whatever juicy secrets Diana may have been hiding...Or I find a bag of potato chips.’ Clown quickly got too tied up in his own thoughts, he hardly noticed Angel progressing to leave the room and before walking out the door saying

"If I were you, I would look over the security footage and put those hacking skills to use."

Making a half efforted salute, and leaning back in his chair he watched as Angel walked out and waited a few moments, resting both of his hands behind his head as he leaned back in his chair and musing to himself “As always, my reputation precedes me~ I suppose I’m just that amaz-” interrupted by his abrupt phone, alerting him of a text message “WHHOO!!! Who would ruin this grand moment for me!!” taking the phone from his pocket and looking at the message “...Who is this?” ​

Unknown Number

them

I'm coming.

“I-I’m c-c-COMING!?!?!?!”

Clown leaned back just a little too far on his chair, causing it to kick out from under him and crashing into the ground “AAHH!!!” his panicked thoughts being ‘Today hates me..The universe hates me...What could it mean? They have to be pulling my leg right? Oh! No, it must just be the wrong number...Right...Wait, no one texts my phone by accident...CRAAPPP!!!!’ Picking himself up from the floor, he proceeded out of the room with his phone in hand but the moment he stepped foot out of the room and pondered his next move a realization suddenly dawned on him. He thought back to the fiery wreckage of Tom’s car, and he remembered something vital...His hands rising up and gripping both sides of his head as he screamed

“NOOOOOO!!!!! WHYYYYYY!!!!!!! ALLL OF MY STUFF WAS IN HIS CAR!!!! ALLL GONNNEEE!!!”

Dropping to his knees, cradling down into his lap and slamming the floor with both of his flailing arms, sobbingly rambling to himself "Why does this happen to me, what is even the point, this world doesn’t deserve such a talent as I, why do I even do this? Why am I so useless, yet why am I also so talented it’s all just so unfair…” after wallowing in the loss of his heart & soul, his laptop and other equipment he stood back up, taking in a deep breath “No choice but to use Diana’s trash..” and with that testament, Clown started searching throughout the building, using this time to memorize the layout of the building while he also rummaged through anywhere he felt potentially held what he was looking for. During his search, he found himself coming across numerous fridges and his 'curiosity' had gotten the better of him, taking a peek inside the first thing he laid eyes on was a bag of potato chips, turning his words into a whisper for fear it'd ruin the moment "It's...Beautiful.." wiping away a metaphoric tear from his mask, he took the bag of chips & ignored the rest of what was inside to continue his search.

Waddling up and down stairs, and going in & out of various rooms he managed to scrounge up a few things of use. Recalling the older equipment Diana had shown him in the old spare room, and despite never, EVER thinking that in his lifetime he would be degraded to such lows; that he would be forced to use the dusty & broken pieces of equipment, and yet he had little choice.Setting himself up in the old spare room of Diana’s building, bringing the security tapes with him and connecting his equipment to the public announcement speakers throughout the building. After powering everything up, the first thing Clown wanted to do was track down the location of whoever sent him the message. Using his ‘tech-savvy’ to track the general locale of the messenger's phone, he noticed that whoever it was, they were heading right his way causing his paranoia to peek. “OKAY THAT’S IT I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!!” connecting his voice to the public speakers he announced with his best ‘leaderly’ tone possible

*Bzzt* “ATTENTION, ATTENTION, ATTENTION!! From here on out, I’m hereby all of your guys BOSS! And you’ll be taking orders from me until we either find your old boss - or mine. SO LISTEN UP!! I want a security perimeter around the building asap, and I want three of who thinks they are among the toughest of you to come visit me at that old spare room door for other orders. That is all, now, please...Hurry up.” *Bzzt*

With the announcement going off throughout the building, expecting at least the majority of Diana’s gang would have followed his instructions. He awaited the arrival of whatever three goons would knock on his door.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Knock knock*

An unknown and raspy voice, among the murmurings of two others, spoke through the door “We’re here, what is it you need...Uhh Boss?” the raspy-voiced man almost choking on the last word. Clown spinning in his computer chair with an open bag of potato chips placed in his lap “You guys took your time...No matter, I have someone I want you three to intercept for me. Don’t know his or her name..Or face, but I do have locations and interceptions routes you could take.” as he spoke, he wrote down notes on a piece of paper. Tip-toeing off his computer chair and towards the door, sliding the sheets of paper through the bottom gap of the door.

“These are the routes where you have the best chance of intercepting who we are looking for, it is likely once you do intercept them they will reveal themselves at that point. If this isn’t the case use the contact number I wrote down to contact me. Dead or alive, I don’t want whoever this is reaching this building.”

Going back to slouch in the half-broken computer chair, he heard the heavy scattered footsteps of goons hurrying off. Spinning, and spinning his computer chair he was feeling secure and began musing to himself “Oh, this is great - with Diana’s gang to protect & do everything for me, I won’t have to worry about getting shot again anytime soon, and I will be able to spend all my time pursuing my talents and passions..Now, time to find out who the Diana kidnapper is…” he stopped spinning in his computer chair, playing over the security footage from the start of the break-in and crunching away on potato chips.​

(Mentions - Solemn Jester Boss )

 

[Randomfella]

Lucy Black
???????????​

Those faces... Lucy couldn't answer Camilla, staring up toward the creature once more as it morphed horrifically. It completely en-captured her attention as she watched on in shock. "Eeck!" A sharp puff of air escaped the girl as Camilla tackled her, Lucy's head shaking to steady herself. She simply watched from the side of her eye in confusion as Camilla applied her electricity to the harpoon. Samantha was so confident, but if this was their only weapon, why was she entrusted with it? As the torrent of water rushed down upon them, Lucy instinctively stuck her hand in the air as if attempting to shield herself from it, before the realisation of what it was eventually hit her.

Looking back toward Camilla as the monster spoke, witnessing the change in her expression. "They... Aren't real." Lucy mumbled, her fists clenching as she looked down. "They can't be." The girl reassured herself. It had to be some sort of trick, some sort of deception. If this thing had taken them then what did she have now? Lucy took a deep gulp, moving her gaze back toward it, hands still shaking as they tightly held the harpoon.

Her limbs could barely move, yet she stood prepared. Lucy didn't share the spirit's confidence, that was certain, even with the safety the barrier gave, advancing on that thing seemed almost impossible. Whenever she thought of it the same image continued to manifest itself, her mother's face encapsulated by its visage, eating away at her mind. "We're the prey..."

Boss TerraBooma

 

[Boss]

Camilla Ferrari | Lucy Black​

???
Limbo
Dark Cave​

Samantha's onslaught of watery tendrils broke the creature's trick of deception. Thing was, Camilla was fully aware that the hollow played tricks on her. It was the fact that she hadn't heard his voice since the moments before he died. Regardless, she mentally pulled herself back into the fight and reassessed the situation. Lucy was in no real shape to fight a hollow of that caliber, and Samantha could only distract it as she lacked stopping power behind her attacks. While it swung it's meaty claws at the tendrils unsuccessfully, Camilla had to come up with a plan. It seemed like the lesser arachnids held back while it's boss was fighting. Whether or not that was a plus remained to be seen.

Her first idea was to go for the legs, but seeing as how it's crab claws grew from it's black mass, she wasn't sure if it could regenerate. There was only one way to find out. Camilla burst forward towards the enemy while it was distracted, grabbing one of it's eight legs and using it to stop herself. The generated momentum in her speed was enough to separate the bone - if it had those. It only took a few hard yanks for the leg to free itself from it's sticky black mass. With the one leg gone and the pain obviously pulling it's attention, it swung it's claw widely to it's side. Camilla's reaction was fast enough to duck.

She noted how the leg didn't seem to regrow, and focused on the defensive as that same claw charged at her with it's clutches open. One dash back and Camilla was just out of it's grabbing range. This thing was large and terrifying, but it was nowhere as good as a fighter as the last hollow she'd fought. Still, the creature turned it's full attention to Camilla.

The Arachnid

 

[Azukai]

August and Sylvia were already awake by the time their guests had arrived. The morning had been uneventful--the only happening being an unsuccessful attempt at finding a source for breakfast. Good fortune had blessed them with safety and comfort throughout the night; thus, it made sense that misfortune would befall them as the price for their luck. Neither of the twins were perturbed by the sudden arrival of their guests; they had been well aware of their presence since their arrival in the area. Nonetheless, that did not prevent the annoyance which surfaced on Sylvia's expression and tone, "I don't know who sent you to us, but do we look like a charity service to you...?"

August sighed in response to his sister's bratty tone. He felt the same way that she did, though there were certainly better ways to approach strangers. "It is a pleasure to meet you both, though I must apologize for having to agree with my sister. We do not have the opportunity to assist you with your troubles." Contrast to Sylvia, August spoke with respect for the guests, even if he was the bearer of unfortunate news. "We must be on our way now. Perhaps, in the future..." he nodded farewell to Sam and Colt, right before he began walking towards the courtyard's exit--his sister close behind with a mocking sneer on her face. That being said, all they managed were several steps before a latent energy began to swell around Sylvia and her body came to a sudden halt.

"The pendulum of fate has shifted upon this fateful meeting..." Gone was Sylvia's prior attitude, now replaced with an ethereal tone that bore the weight of an unknown authority. That was not the only change, however, as dark, obsidian eyes turned to gaze at Sam and Colt. "..your journey is misguided, for it is not Camilla you must search for. Trust in my children, and they shall be your guide..."

As soon as the entity finished speaking, the energy surrounding Sylvia dissipated and left her unable to sustain herself. Seeing her fall, August rushed forward and caught his sister, who subsequently groaned from the dizziness that had befallen her. There was a moment's silence as August contemplated what had been said, but he eventually turned to smile at the guests. "I take that back, perhaps you are my business. Funny how fate works sometimes, huh?"

 

[Boss]

August & Sylvia | Sam Sarith​

Morning
Brookfield | Combine
Abandoned Apartment Complex | Courtyard
​

Witnessing the brief possession of the bratty Sylvia was unusual, even for the lives of hosts. However, 'unusual' was the overarching theme of their search from the beginning. Colt had to put aside petty feelings for the sake of reuniting the village. "We aren't asking you to work for free." Tipping the coffee mug into her open palm, a mixture of 20s, 10s, and 5s had spilled out into her hand like a magic trick. Now the real reason why they stopped at the coffee shop was apparent. "We just want to find a girl. Her name is Camilla Ferrari. Dark hair, about 5 foot.. 8? She might be in terrible danger, so we must find her quickly."

 

[Depresso Espresso]

Diana Young
( Boss )
Diana bit her tongue as her arm was ripped off only a muffled groan was heard in place of the scream she wanted to let out. Finding herself back at the front of the train she looked at the stub on her arm before the giant put something on it. The strange rubber like feel and shooting of nerves coming back made her face twist from pain to confusion before he explained. Standing up straight she looked at Axel with a blank face, "I'm not becoming some sad bitch like you." Saying that she tried the gun again.

Her face was a mixture of surprise and glee while still somehow maintaining that pissed look as she smirked at Axel, the gun that was maybe 20x bigger than her previous one made her smile, "Dodge this. Bitch." Saying that she fired the gun directly at Axel. If she somehow managed to get away from the thing she'd be surprised to say the least.​

 

[TerraBooma]

Samantha, Rogue Spirit
​

The fight was off with a bang, and as solidfied waves crashed into the arachnid Samantha continued her ghostly laughter. She nodded approvingly at Camilla's attacks, but frowned as she saw Lucy wasn't moving, and seemed especially displeased by her words.

"Girl! What are you doing down there? Get in the fight!" She floated down by Lucy, using a sudden barrage to knock the creature of balance and buy time.

"Prey? Predator? It matters little! Dolphins can take down sharks, dont you know that? So get fighting!" Lucy would feel her watery armor surge with energy as Samantha gave it more energy. "Feel that girl? It's not all me. There's a part of you deep down that knows you need to fight. Look at that part of you, and push on!" The spirit looked up at the arachnid, and started eyeing it for weakpoints. She wanted to get in and fight as well with her shark teeth....but she was worried about the corruption.

"Lucy, that harpoon you hold in your hands? That armor that encompasses you? Feel it! That's my trust in your ability to fight. So raise hell!"

Sam Sarith
​

"5'9 I think. But semantics. She's also a speedster...good at getting around places fast, that's why we're having a hard time tracking her." Sam was...confused by the mysterious voice, and he didn't like it much either. It seemed to have a plan for him that didn't involve saving Camilla...he wasn't excited about it. Sam was deciding not to deal with what just happened for now. "So...you two, how do you plan to track her down?"

 

[Randomfella]

Lucy Black
???????????​

"I... I." Lucy attempted to respond, watching on as Camilla fought with the beast. Her gaze drifted to the spirit, her mind running through the analogy before she snapped it back to their current woes. Her sight snapped back to the creature just in time to watch it swing furiously at Camilla, a small gasp escaping Lucy in worry.

Samantha's words echoed through Lucy's mind. "There's a part of you deep down that knows you need to fight." Was that what that feeling was that she had felt before? She could hardly explain it, and yet it mattered not, she could feel the armor that surrounded her, the watery harpoon tightly gripped in her hands, she was no warrior, but watching as others risked their own lives for her...

An opening!? The creature seemed to be completely fixated, its attention far from Lucy's visage. If only... If only she could move. Just looking at this thing was enough for the girl to wish she was home, to wish it was all back to how it used to be... But it wasn't.

A small scowl began to form on the girl's face. She had no control over her fate, that was clear. Fingers began to twitch on the shaft of the harpoon. Her parents, these nightmares. The weapon began to swing, the girl's arms directing it toward the arachnid horror. These Hosts, Zodiacs, she had no control over any of it. A small patter could barely be heard as her feet stepped forward, the force of the armor seemed to push her into action, a boost which seemed to be all that she needed for... Was she going to have them fight for her? Die for her? And for what? Her own selfish fear?

The patter turned into a sprint as Lucy lunged forward, striking into the back of the side of the creature, her eyes staring up toward it. That feeling... It tingled down her spine once more, even as Samantha's water shield pushed her into battle, Lucy could feel the sensation of control it brought. The creature was not about to strike down those who had risked themselves for her.

Boss TerraBooma

 

[Azukai]

From August's arms, Sylvia began to stir--her conscious returning from its forced slumber with an immediate return to snark. "I-I think they're a bit slow, brother..." Despite having not been herself, she was entirely aware of the conversation that had transpired; thus leading her to the conclusion that neither Colt nor Sam had listened at all. "Hate to break it to ya, but if she says Camilla isn't important, than your missing girl isn't important."
August immediately sighed in response to the bluntness of his sister's words. As per usual, what she said was the truth of the matter; though, there were certain aspects of human interaction that always seemed to slip her mind when she spoke. "Allow me to explain, let's have a seat."

All around their feet, the lush bedding of clover and vine began to whither away; soon reformed into four surprisingly sturdy chairs that faced each other in pairs of two. August beckoned for the guests to sit, right before he did so on the left most chair, whereas his sister took the right in an overly lazy form. Whether or not the guests chose to sit was entirely up to them, and August soon began his explanation regardless of what happened. "My sister and I are what you might call the Harbingers of Fate. Like yourselves we are hosts...in a sense..." His voice trailed, only to be soon replaced by a series of giggles which came from a paired set of figures that formed at his rear. Like their hosts, the spiritual entities were young in age and shorter in stature--mischievous appearing figures who eyed Colt and Sam with particular interest. They were both somewhat feminine in nature, even if they were of opposing genders. Stark, however, was the contrasting differences that were common between the two. In particular were the colors of black and white.

"This is Yin and Yang. You may consider them a Zodiac, much like your own; however, know that they are the embodiment of fate for both worlds. There is a delicate balance that must be maintained to ensure the survival of both humanity and Zodiacs--this is where we come into play. We are drawn to the imbalances that exist in the world...primarily this city as of late. This...Camilla you speak of...I understand that she is of great importance to the pair of you, yet it is not her time to be found...

Tell me...Does the name Fushinsetsu ring any bells..."

 

[Boss]

| Tom B. Stone |​

Morning
Brookfield | Red Light District
Streets
​

Thanks to Tom's unique method of cab-hailing and newfound persuasive skills, the fare to Brookfield's red light district was free of charge. Half an hour had passed, which, considering the distance, was faster than usual. Along their route was a set of narrow streets bordered by low-cost apartment complexes and old mom and pop stores. In front of them, a large garbage truck struggled to pull off a three-point turnaround in an otherwise narrow, two-lane road. A small line of cars was already forming on either side, and a city worker equipped with reflective vests approached each car to mutter inaudible words.

"W-we're blocked, sir." confessed the driver, who half-expected Tom to kill him for picking such an awful shortcut. However, it would be the least of Tom's worries. The truck that struggled to make its thousand-point turn looked oddly familiar. By now, the city worker had approached the cab on the driver-side. He motioned for the driver to roll down the windows. "Hey, this might take a while, so why don't you back up and head down 42nd?" The moment the driver nodded and turned his attention to the shifter knob, a bullet fired from the worker's hidden silenced weapon had splattered the driver's blood and brains across the passenger side of the car.

The assassin in disguise turned his suppressed 9mm towards Tom, but a sudden toothed tendril had shot out from the window and sunk its teeth into the attacker's face, pulling him through the window into the back seat, where it and another tentacle began to rip into the man's flesh right on Tom's lap.

"Turn me loose." The voice inside of Tom's head pleaded. It was obvious that there were more assassins coming, judging by how the garbage truck had stopped moving and a group of armed workers began to surround the cab. Tom could issue the order for the creature to eliminate his enemies. Doing so would satiate his supernatural partner, but could possibly attract the attention of the Dominion with the bloodbath it'd cause. The other option was to run.

 

[Solemn Jester]

Tom B. Stone
Tom sat in the taxi watching the traffic go by. He had literally paid a arm, and a leg for his power. Of course so far they only seemed to make him look like more of a monster than he already did, and we're good for reaching high places. He had really expected more than this. Hell, he saw a teleporter. She sure as hell didn't look like death. Yet here he was, looking like the burn victim he was. Well, at least he got free cab rides. But he wasn't sure what to do with the cab driver afterwards. One disturbed person talking nonesense about a corpse coming back to life, and growing tentacles was dissmissable as him being nuts. But if Tom left a trail he could attract unwanted attention. He watched as a truck blocked their path."Oh, lovely traffic. Just what I needed today."He mumbled rolling his eyes, the only thing besides his voice to remain the same. Of course he had recognized the truck just in time to not save the cab driver. Then one of his tentacles pulled the man in and immediately proceeded to eat the mans face. Tom leaned back contemplating the monsters request. He took a second tapping his fingers in thought. "Fine, but let's lead them somewhere discreet. Then you can kill them...uhhh...sorry didn't catch your name?" om said as he stepped out of the car, looking for a back alley thet could take to avoid to many people spotting them before they ripped the thugs to pieces.

Boss

 

[Boss]

| Diana Young |​

Daylight..?
Limbo | Tundra?
Armored Train​

"Dodge this. Bitch."

Axel found herself staring down the barrel of Diana's arm-cannon. The only thing Axel could register was the heat emitting from the gun as bright yellow energy grew at the deepest point inside the weapon. Suddenly, Axel was enveloped in a straight blast of yellow energy so bright that the light around it had darkened. The beam shot out into the white sky and pierced the clouds like a beacon. Seconds later, the beam fizzled out, leaving a half-circle chunk out of the top of the passenger car with Axel nowhere in sight. The conductor let out a whistle, both impressed by the sheer firepower, and depressed that his train had to suffer a little.


Axel's eyes opened to find herself airborne, high above the mountainous region of Limbo. Diana's development was rapidly improving. It was the only thing Axel thought about as she continued to soar through Limbo's troposphere.

Ahead of her trajectory, Axel's obsidian golemn manifested and caught the Zodiac in mid-flight. The golemn reared its open palm back and threw Axel with incredible power. Like a meteor, Axel soared back towards the train, breaking the sound barrier with her intense speed.


Axel landed in front of Diana with ease. Her hostility and anger completely subsided as she spoke. "You've done well." Axel glanced to Diana's new arm as she complimented her. Her attention shifted to the observing conductor next. "This weapon-... It's designed to kill Maidens, isn't it?" Despite the severity of her words, Axel asked out of genuine curiosity than anger. The conductor exhaled, his steamed breath being carried away by the wind as the train moved. "Aye, it is."

The conductor and Axel exchanged glances. "You think I don't know what it is you're planning to do at the manor? Taking on a host, training her on short notice, striking a deal with me to kill titans? That desperation of yours is easy to read. You want to kill the residents of Maiden Manor." Axel's gaze dropped in affirmation. "Yes." The Zodiac turned and watched as the scenery passed by. "But they are no longer Maidens. Corruption has turned them wicked without purpose. It's an insult to allow them to exist in such a way. Had it not been for Diana, I would have joined them."

 

[Boss]

Camilla Ferrari | Lucy Black​

???
Limbo
Dark Cave​

As the harpoon lodged into what was assumed to be its flesh, the electrical energy stored within it had discharged, sending a powerful, concentrated shock that blew apart a portion of the arachnid's body. Having dealt such a blow, the arachnid shifted its attention to Lucy and caught the girl between one of its claws. The sharp, jagged points of the claw would have stabbed into Lucy's body had it not been for the watery barrier that Samantha bestowed upon the two girls.

Meanwhile, Camilla had ripped a second leg from the creature, then a third. With Lucy in one claw, the hollow struggled to catch the speedster that zipped around it, especially with jets of water slapping it around whenever it got close to catching Camilla. Soon, the creature lost its balance and fell on its side with a pained screech, letting go of Lucy in the process. Camilla took this opportunity to halt next to her and check up on her. "Are you hurt?" she asked but checked anyway by looking for any wounds, to which she found none.

With the creature on its side and wailing in pain, the lesser, much smaller arachnids began to surround the creature and consume it like piranhas.

"Pain... No..." it called out.

Looking outward, Camilla noticed that their escape route was unblocked with the spiders too busy eating it's larger prey. "Look! We can get out of here!" she exclaimed, trying to ignore the hollow's suffering.

"Death... Please..."

The Arachnid

 

[Boss]

James Lane | Janaiya Wilkinson​

Morning
Brookfield | Downtown
Underdog Gym | Boxing Ring​

The Underdog Gym. Known locally as one of Brookfield's busiest gyms, it wasn't very far from Soul Food. The clock ticked closer to noon, yet over half of the gym's equipment was being used. Inside the largest room was a boxing ring used weekly as a stage for low-budget fighting tournaments. During the day, anyone with enough anger and purpose could step in and vent their frustrations. Today, Janaiya had officially surpassed her personal trainer, Kevin, with a counter to his seemingly slow left hook. The end result was Kevin being on his back before he knew it.

"Jesus christ, Janaiya, I-.. I concede."

Kevin sat upright for the fifth time since they started their sparring match. Janaiya was a quick learner. Each session, he could have sworn she lose a second in reaction time. Taking off his gloves and removing his mouthpiece, Kevin scooted over to his corner to take a swig from his water bottle. He didn't know how much time he had left before Janaiya had nothing left to learn from the retired fighter. "Trouble at home, kid? Is that it?" He asked, leaning his back against the turnbuckles.

 

[Azukai]

TerraBooma

It was a sudden, unexpected transition that sent Cetus and her ship tumbling into utter turmoil. One second, her and her crew were enjoying the lush atmosphere of a tropical themed Limbo, only for it all to be replaced by a seeming apocalypse. The entire frame of the rickity ship was shook by the force of thunder, which was soon followed by striking arcs of purple lightning that flashed across the sky. Despite its appearance, the ship's performance was perfect under normal circumstances; however, in the new environment, it struggled to maintain a proper course--affected by a constant gale that battered against its left most side.

"We're losing control!" One of the crewman announced, obvious concern lathering his tone as he gazed frantically into the surrounding abyss. No where was there a substantial source of light; only a consistent haze of darkness that brought with it the overpowering stench of death and decay. "And what in the hell is that smell..."

CRASH

The sound of a collision filled the air as the ship rammed into a piece of debris that was aimlessly wandering the endless abyss. Given the size of the foreign object, there was little risk of damage to the ship, yet the collision brought attention the field of objects that surrounded the area. Uprooted trees, sides of buildings, and other peculiar objects such as whiteboards and desks, littered the air space in which the ship seemingly sailed through--all in all, peculiar given the overall atmosphere of the place.

The further they moved forward, a larger object came into a view. A single floating island that held a mansion in its center and a surrounding forest of decaying trees. Based on their projected speed of travel, the potential destination was still a considerable distance away...a non-issue, however, given more pressing concerns.

Out of the blue, a series of shrill screeches filled the air with lingering echos of the bloodcurdling sound. Gradually, the the sounds grew increasingly louder until the ship was sent flying by a sudden attack. A colossol, hand-like appendage thrust through the side of the ship and tore up through the deck with its razor sharp talons nearly a foot a length. Its source was a serpant like creature with the body of a humanoid demon, all together nearly two dozen feet in length. More pressing, however. Was the fact that two others were circling the abyss with their eyes set on the ship and its crew. Another screech erupted from the closest creature who detached itself from the ship and began circling with its breathren at a semi-close range.

 

[Kiosk]

After the third round she started to get a feeling for his range and a few minutes later it was easier to catch him in his swings. She was disappointed though, he was getting slower and more predictable as it went on so when he threw out that left she easily ducked it hitting him for a gut punch and getting a smooth jab to the face as he bent over, successful knocking him down. Even if it was easy, it was still satisfying to some degree.

"Trouble at home, kid? Is that it?"

The six foot rage machine eyed him up and down with utter disdain, "That's none of your damn business. You should only be worrying about what goes on in the ring." Janaiya huffed through her nose then walked over to the opposite corner and spat out her mouth guard into a container. Was it too much to ask for a challenge? She leaned against the ropes and sighed. Despite it all, her body still wanted to keep fighting. A kind of energy that just wouldn't keep her still until she was ready to collapse or had her ass thoroughly kicked, and with Kevin as her trainer is was less and less likely of the latter. She grabbed her bottle, chugged it, and tossed it to the side then spun around to face him, smiling.

"Ready for another round? I could keep going, how about you, Kev?" There was a slightly cruel intention behind the smile that adorned her face, like a kid who liked plucking the wings off bugs. She wanted to see how far in exhaustion she could push this trainer if she can't get a challenge she might as well have some fun. Everyone back at home sort of steered clear of her because of that mindset, but she never had a personal trainer before so she was relishing having someone to spar with on the regular. Auntie and James still had their own lives outside of the ring, afterall. Janaiya was pretty sure Kevin still had a few more minutes with her before he could quit.

"Trouble at home, kid? Is that it?"

She pounded her gloves together a few times as her mind cycled that question through her brain a few times.

No, yeah, she was ready to tear this man apart.

Boss Solemn Jester

 

[Solemn Jester]

James Mac niadh Lane

Not far from the Underdog gym, a large man in gray workout shorts, and a thin breathable hoodie type shirt. James had woken up, and immediately headed out. He had started his daily routine, which consisted of him jogging three miles to the gym. By the time he had got there he had already mustered up a bit of a sweat. He walked in, scanning the gym to see who was all there. He noticed several familiar faces, specifically Janaiya. Who was sparring with Kevin. James chuckled as she knocked him flat. Kevin was such a pushover, although most people were compared to James. But Janaiya was progressing considerbly. James stretched his arms, getting his muscles ready for a good spar."Oi! Anyone ready to duke it out with the old champ?" He called, his boxing gloves now on. "I could use a good warm up. Hope some or you wussies can give it to me."He joked, turning his attention towards Janaiya. Who he had come to know not all that long ago."Hopefully someone who won't get laid out by a little girl." He said, although he gave a playful wink Janaiyas way. He knew she was talented, but it was tradition to give each other a hard time. Especially the noobies, he couldn't go breaking tradition, it wouldn't feel right.


Boss Kiosk

 

[Kiosk]

Janaiya lowered her guard, looking over to see the old Irish red head causing an unnecessary scene, if it was anyone else she'd glare them down, but instead she rolled her eyes and smirked. The girl waved her hand towards Kevin in dismissal before hopping out of the ring and approaching the champ.
"Who you callin' 'little', Champ? last I checked, you were only 2 - 3 inches taller than me." Janaiya placed her hands on her hips and glanced around, "No one seems to be taking up the offer, and you know we're in very different weight classes, but why not?" She managed a small smile, in a way she hated the fact she'll most likely get her ass handed to her, at the same time, it was fun seeing how long she could last in a ring with a bulldozer like James. In fact, it was exciting.

"Lets go."

 

[Randomfella]

Lucy Black
???????????​

Eyes opening in disbelief at the chunks of arachnid which flew all over, splashing over the girl, Lucy took in a sharp breath of air as the creature grabbed her. "Gah!" The girl struggled within its grasp, hardly noticing Camilla's actions until the beast fell victim to its injuries. "I'm-" Lucy was about to reassure her, and yet, her gaze couldn't leave the creature, even as its flesh began to be ripped apart by the smaller ones surrounding it. "Fine..." She noted after a long pause, a deep frown forming on her brow.

The calm was almost strange, with the monsters far too busy to notice them, Lucy finally picked herself up, continuing to stare down at it with a sorrowful expression. Nothing deserved such pain, even this thing that had tormented her for who knew how long. Taking small steps toward it, standing over the beasts that ate away, the girl lifted the harpoon above her head, before plunging it into the large creature's face. A small smile formed on Lucy's lips, if only for a split second, the feeling once more sending itself through what seemed like her whole being. As she pulled the blood-soaked weapon from the creature, only the image of her parents faces upon it remained in her mind, her head turning away almost depressingly.

"Let's go..." She whispered, looking down at her saviours feet, slowly stepping away toward the opening.

Boss TerraBooma

 

[Boss]

August & Sylvia | Sam Sarith​

Morning
Brookfield | Combine
Abandoned Apartment Complex | Courtyard
​

Hearing the name 'Fushinsetsu' outside of the safety of the village walls sent a chill down Colt's spine. All Colt knew from the man were stories told by Dominic and Sam, the only two people in the village who had seen - and fought - Fushinsetsu on multiple occasions. Being as ominous as their meeting turned out to be, Colt was growing tired of redirections and dead ends. "Who hasn't?" she returned, deciding to stand rather than sit on the floral chair. Thinking about it more, the unearthing of Fushinsetsu business probably wasn't what Sam wanted to hear at the moment, or even for the rest of his life. Sam had witnessed the corrupted Takumi murder a friend right before his eyes, even going as far as playing with a corpse like a morbid joke.

"If you aren't going to help us locate Camilla, then we have no business." Colt declared. She wanted Sam to never have to deal with Fushinsetsu or his aftermath ever again.

 

[Depresso Espresso]

Diana Young
( Boss )
As the gun shrunk back to her elastic arm she let out a sigh of relief and let herself smile looking up, "Well. That worked. Thanks conductor guy." Saying that she gave him a smile before hearing the thud of Axel landing looking back at her she let out a sigh, "Geez, what do I have to do to kill you?" Saying that she gave a look back at the conductor as a question popped into her head, "So, can I assimilate other Zodiac weapons?" Saying that she gave a look down at her new arm, definitely going to be harder to hide in public, which was going to be a problem, but then again pulling a giant cannon out would add some fear factor to things.

Looking back at Axel as the conductor spoke about them hunting the other maidens a short laugh came out before Diana shrugged, "Ah, why did I expect you to tell me what we're actually doing here? Seriously Axel, trust is a two way street." Saying that she sat down against the wall giving a look over her arm, "If I'm going to kill Hosts who have gone Hollow then I'll need something more than just a big gun. Mind if I borrow your dagger Axel? Ooh! Hey conductor guy, you got any special swords I can try copying, I doubt it's that hard." Saying that she gave a small smile to the giant throwing coal into the engines. Giving another look at Axel she held her hand out, still from her sitting position. "What? Come on, it's not like I can just swing a cannon around in a building." Saying that she gave a few tsk's towards Axel.​

 

[Boss]

| Tom B. Stone |​

Morning
Brookfield | Red Light District
Streets​

"I have no name, boy."

Once the realization settled in that a host was on a rampage, nearby cars and pedestrians scrambled to evacuate the street. The mass hysteria was the perfect cover for Tom to slip through the crowd and dip into a nearby alleyway while the aid of several tendrils speeding him along. "He's in the alleyway! Don't lose him!" shouted one of the assassins as they shoved and dodged their way after Tom.

The group of hired killers slowed their pace through the much quieter alleyway. Eyes and guns pointed in all directions as they scanned for their target. "How the fuck does a cripple get away that quickly?" complained one, who was hastily shushed by another. Step after step, they cautiously advanced forward. The tense air suddenly exploded as a tendril descended from above, severing one head clean from its body with one bite. Frantic gunmen fired up at Tom, who was perched well above his pursuers with the aid of his tentacles burrowed into the sides of the buildings. When the second henchmen died, Tom's senses would've gone numb as the memories of the henchmen he had just killed started to flood his mind.

"ATTENTION, ATTENTION, ATTENTION!! From here on out, I’m hereby all of your guys BOSS!"

...

"I have someone I want you three to intercept for me. Don’t know his or her name..Or face, but I do have locations and interceptions routes you could take.”

...

"Dead or alive, I don’t want whoever this is reaching this building.”

By the time Tom's senses returned to him, he stood alone in an alley littered with blood and body parts. What's more interesting was that his missing limbs had returned to him. Looking into the reflection of a puddle, his once charred skin and hair was restored.