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

[Solemn Jester]

James Mac niadh Lane
It was way too much for James to handle. Hell, he could barely comprehend it all. With the monsters, host, and all the chaos, it was like something from Revelations. Which James was very familiar with. Lexi was off somewhere hiding. Nikky was chatting with her old friend the crime boss. Then the threat of the enemy was still present. James pushed past Nikky, making his way to the restroom. Which was probably the safest, and most private place in this hell hole."I-I need a moment to myself. My head is killing me. Although not quite fast enough if those monsters have anything to say about it." He jested. Trying to cover up all his rage, and confusion. Completely baffled by what he was about to do. Upon making it safely to the still intact bathroom. Main difference being it was much nicer than the one downstairs. At least he assumed so. The place was spotless aside from the cocaine coated mirrors which laid on the sink. James had to winder if this wasn't the furries doing. He was clearly a junkie. Just not sure what of.


With a single motion, James was hit in the face by a handful of water. His mind still racing as he tried to think of anything he could do. He could call the Dominion. But they probably had monsters an over the city they had to deal with. James was desperate, he had to protect them. He was so weak! Even these host seemed to have trouble against these creatures. Then an idea hit him. He took out his phone, dialing the number for the Dominion. But unlike most who were probably dialing emergency. James was dialing the line you called when you spotted a dangerous criminal on a certain list. He had no regrets as he waited for them to answer. He owed this man very little. He was just protecting his establishment. Besides, he was a host. His kind was responsible for this current hell they were living. Besides if it meant saving the rest of them he'd gladly turn in a criminal. Once the line was answered, and James was stirred from his thought by a sudden "hello" he put the phone to his ear. Whispering just incase anyone was close enough to hear."Hello. My name is James Mac niadh Lane, and I'm currently at the Night Owl club with some associates. We're being attacked by some monsters. Two of them, and they've killed most everyone in the club. I know you're probably busy but-but...you see. The leader of the Crimson Hand Dominic Ferrari is also here. I saw him with my own eyes. He came in the form of smoke. Wearing a mask. But he called this establishment his, and I recognized certain things from his wanted posters. He's wearing a mask, but I'm sure it's him. He's up in the VIP area. We're still under attack though. Please hurry." Once the call was done James hung up. Taking a moment to slink against the bathroom wall. Feeling absolutely helpless in the face of impending danger. He just hoped the Dominion would make it in time. Before anyone else got hurt. After he had settled down some. He splashed more water on himself. Then left the bathroom, carefully making his way back to the others. A nervous smile on his face."So, how are things going?" He asked. Half expecting Dominic to suddenly run him through with his katana, and call him a rat.

Kiosk Jackaboi Boss Azukai SidTheSkid hwayi

 

[Boss]

| Diana Young |​

Evening
Brookfield | Red Light District
Diana's Base => Streets
​

The remainders of Diana's defensive force could only watch in awe as their boss moved and fought with otherworldly speed and agility. They were completely unaware that Axel too, was in the fray. With both Diana and her Zodiac actively cleaning up the lobby, not one more life was taken, and the once prestigious gambling floor was littered with a mix of corpses and multi-colored blood. Eventually the swarm had stopped coming, and they had killed every single hollow that dared to invade that small space. For a moment, those defending had a fleeting moment of calm. That was, until another unholy roar rippled through their bodies. Nobody had to see it's source to know that whatever let out that sound must have been incredibly large.
Every movement the creature made could topple furniture and shake shelves empty.

While she was spiritually bound to Diana, Axel had every intention of finding the source of that noise, even if it meant creating a large distance between them. With one leap, Axel cleared half of the lobby and soared through the broken window to land on bloody concrete on the outside. It wasn't expected, what with all Diana's complaining, but Axel had silently hoped her host would follow. As she bolted out onto the main road, Axel could feel herself grow weaker physically with the farther she got from Diana. At the least, the maiden was just able to spot one of the many heads flailing from above a medium-sized building. The creature was deeper into town, and reminded Axel of the titans her kind dedicated themselves to slay. She wanted to bolt off and kill the abomination, but her body commanded her to wait. "Tch, don't tell me we're not going to do anything about this-.."

 

[SidTheSkid]

.

Spoiler: Devan Eldridge "

[IMG='width:514px;']https://i.postimg.cc/RFhHQKsw/oi.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG='width:503px;']https://i.postimg.cc/jdXvgF0S/cooltext306989087362014.png[/IMG]
. ​

(Location: Brookfield-Combine, Night Owl Dancefloor)
(Mood: Determined )
(Interactions: Janaiya, Yue, Herald, El Chompo (Monster) )
(Mentions: )

Felt like a total rush of adrenaline and pain had been vigorously forced through his veins once she retracted her clenched fist from his fastening wound, a blinding flash of luminescence graced his vision and sensation was brought to his fingertips as he felt the familiar environment around him, now accompanied by a soothing image of Herald crouching beside him, it felt comforting knowing that she was there beside him it practically made him question those unorthodox feelings that were beginning to energetically flutter about inside his stomach, comparable to that of a swarm of butterflies drifting their wings against his skin. It couldn't of been, was he really getting himself attached to this girl? Someone that he didn't even personally know, let alone her being a criminal that's actively involved in deplorable acts against the society they live in but still that undeniable allure she had despite being rough around the edges was intoxicating, to say the least, no pun intended. Even with everything around him going straight to Hell he still worked out a way to muster up a ridiculous smile as he looked at the woman who had just saved his life. "There must be something wrong with my eyes, I can't take them off you." Half expecting to get an opened hand sent flying his way for coming up with such a cheesy phrase, Devan playfully flinched until he raised a brow at the lack of response causing him to look back at a frown which had been plastered across her face, almost as if there was something seriously wrong and it wasn't his asinine joke. Observing the heinous creature still situated on his chest was surprising, additionally hair-raising once it menacingly rose its hand up towards the scorching ceiling and materializing a frightful weapon, a meat cleaver of substantial size had formed.

"H-hey we can talk this out!" Sweat formed around his forehead while he was shaking his head from left to right, both of his hands copying the motion as he surveyed the immense developing shadow of the weapon forming itself over his body. Now instead of passing out plus potentially dying from excruciating pain and blood loss, he had to presently be concerned about this horned freak wanting to turn him into some sort of chopped sushi roll. Inherently his first decision was wiggling out somehow but immediately failed to realize it wasn't going to work as that Demon had held him in a fixed position, there was nowhere to run, this was it...He was going to die! That's what he thought in expectation of seeing that sharpened cleaver's point being sent down to his torso, mere inches away from slicing into his heart till it was interrupted by a phenomenal tension that had exploded out from Herald, astounding aura had burst throughout the room, it appeared to be an explosion of energy that was enough to make this Demon of his scamper out of sight. "Just who are you?" If this extravagant 'demon' was enough to kill a freaky hollow without so much as an effort, he could barely imagine what kind of level of power Herald held that incited so much fear out of it. Bluish flames discharged from her, the outpouring of aura was in a swirling torrent around the bar, growing even wilder and making Devan still at awe at her abilities but only snapping out of it after Herald had essentially told him to stop being a pansy ass and take care of that hollow which had torn him open earlier, all while managing to down the last portion of alcohol this bar had to offer! She certainly was determined to her hobby.

"Right!" Luck had given him a second chance to make things right again however instead of rushing out their ill-advisedly without a plan, he was going to have to follow Herald's word and stick to the strategy she had. The only things that are specifically known about this Hollow with the help of Herald so far were that it relied on its own weaponry, an ornamental umbrella that had supernatural properties of making timber spikes erupt from the floor, this was a seriously dangerous weapon. Another important trait was that it relied on auditory cues to detect the location of its potential victims, easy distractions will be able to be safely constructed with a proper strategy, one that Devan expeditiously formulated in his head at a moment's notice after trailing his eyes towards the humongous cleaver that had been departed from the demon. "Ladies, Ladies.. I've got an idea, we'll stick to the plan but it'll just be a tiny bit different! I think i'll be doing the distracting since I should've been killed from that." Lingering smoke began casting a penumbra over one of his opened hands, his suit fortunately still able to extract its own abilities properly even with the large tear in his stomach region. It was just enough to smother the butcher's knife in a blanket of darkness once he lifted it from the ground, at first it was unclear as to what he was holding until the smoke had created an outline around the object. "Huh? That's interesting, expected this thing to be pretty damn heavy." Rather than thinking he needed all of his strength to lift up the broad weapon, all he really needed was one hand which leisurely brought the cleaver up off the ground. "So, what i'm gonna do is throw this thing like a fuckin' boomerang and hope that it's gonna make a loud enough noise for that creepy p.o.s to hear it and once it turns its stupid-looking marble head around, that's when you shoot that umbrella out of its hand and i'll leap over to grab it, don't worry by the way... If it chases after me just slow it down with a couple of bullets!" Raising the weapon over his head, he prepared himself by arching back his frame, giving him enough momentum to put his weight into hurling the demon's blade towards the end of the room and causing its keen edge to loudly embed itself into the wall right behind the Hollow. He was expecting that the noise would be able to distract the Hollow long enough for Yue to get a shot off on its boney-hand.

Kiosk , Azukai , hwayi . (Devan is back-in, for now.)

.

 

[Boss]

| The Clown |​

Late Afternoon
Brookfield | Combine
Shanty Town | Alleyway
​

Flashes of blue light illuminated the darkening alleyway as the taser rapidly ticked with what was SUPPOSED to be a lethal amperage. The beast-like hollow was a tower of muscle, and electricity did its job in locking up those muscles. The minotaur froze in place, ever so slightly curving inwards to fight its muscle contractions. The problem resided in the fact that hollows were literally heartless. While the taser could have easily brought a being even of THAT size down, there was no heart to interrupt. As a result, the Clown was left in an awkward exchange of glares with the minotaur when the taser's charge had fully depleted. Its meaty leg pulled back, ready to punt him away like a Superbowl-winning field goal. That was when Hinako suddenly broke one of her self-rules; acting on impulse.

On top of being able to teleport onto any surface her eyes laid on, Hinako also honed a secondary ability: The ability to swap positions with the last object she touches. Before Clown was hit, Hinako shouted at the top of her lungs. "NO!"

The next thing Clown knew, he was where Hinako once stood, taser in hand. The assassin, on the other hand, flew by him like a missile. Her artificial arms dug into the pavement, forcing two long tears into the ground to shave off her speed. Unfortunately, it wasn't slowing her down enough. Her eyes flickered open as blood spewed from her mouth. A jagged rebar recently unearthed from the previous destruction had caught Hinako squarely in her back - specifically in her spine, which was now separated in two with a rebar in between the gap. Reluctant to look, Hinako exhaled in defeat as she witnessed the construction metal sticking out of her stomach. To make matters worse, she couldn't move or feel anything below the hip, only the burning sensation that grew along her back as blood began to coat her Japanese uniform.

 

[Azukai]

Boss SidTheSkid hwayi Kiosk Solemn Jester Jackaboi

In the time the herald spent healing Devan, the umbrella wielding hollow had been given ample opportunity to mend its burnt body. Thus, by the time Devan was ready to act, the hollow was back on its feet and roaring out of an enraged frenzy. "Dieee, dieeee, diiieeee!" It began to scream, stabbing its umbrella into the ground without any care for the accuracy of its spikes. Thankfully, the club was mostly cleared of any of its patrons, and subsequently, its attacks were mostly futile--all except for the ones that sprouted dangerously close to Yue's readied position. It didn't take long for Devan to formulate a plan, and within seconds, he was charging forward, having chucked the cleaver which originated from the Demon. The oversized weapon spun through the air with an impressive amount of momentum; enough to send it flying past the hollow and crashing into the wall at the front of the club. The result of the move was somewhat impressive; a loud crash, soon followed by the fact that the wall literally crumbled around the area of impact--a testament to Devan's newfound strength that seemed impossible for a human to maintain. Nonetheless, it served its purpose in the moment, as the hollow turned its body to face the wall and sent a flurry of exploding spikes at the point of wreckage. "Diiiiieee alreeeeady!"

Outside the VIP lounge, the battle between the other hollow and Kenshi raged on. At first, it was a seemingly one sided battle, with Kenshi have the clear advantage in both strength and size; however, for every ounce of damage the hollow sustained, its body continued to grow; to the point that it towered far above the wolf, who was grabbed by its claws and flung into the nearest building. Despite its size, the hollow moved at a surprisingly quick pace, as it cleared the distance between its enemy and itself and prepared for the finale of the battle between titans--or so it thought. Before its claws could dig themselves into the body of the wolf, the hollow began to rapidly shrink, up until its entire body vanished from the street. Standing next the blackened rope that now rest on the ground, was a katana bearing man who wore a fur-clad overcoat that covered his samurai-esque attire underneath. "Nothing but a construct, you need to sniff out the source." Kaivant explained to Kenshi, while pointing at the rope that led off into the nearest alleyway. All together, he figured the oversized wolf would be more than enough to finish to job; as such, he gave his body a quick stretch, before jumping onto the second floor lounge in a single leap from the street. "The Americans are slacking," He began with a chuckle, all while slapping the Dominion emblem that garnished the chest of his coat. "We'd have finished the job already, in fact..." He was suddenly interrupted by the crackle of a voice in his earpiece--Ryu announcing the eradication of the nearby hollows that had once littered the street. "...we're already done." He concluded with a smile that was directed Dominic's way.

As if they had been there the entire time, a handful of agents from the Chinese Dominion emerged from the shadows and turned their attention to the injured in the room. By this point in time, the invisibility on Lexi had long worn off, and it was to her, whom they gave the most attention. Although their English was relatively poor, they were capable enough to reassuring her safety; in addition to tending to the cuts and bruises she had sustained from the attack. "Now you are safe, okay?"

 

[Depresso Espresso]

Diana Young
( Boss )
Diana took a second to breathe as she looked at her Gang, the people she had to look after and pay. God if only she didn't have to pay the bastards. Letting her arms fall slack at her sides the blade that was in her hand returned to nothing except the strange plastic appendage as it was before. Looking at the hollows which had been killed she felt a bit of pride wash over her at the fact she had killed so many, well, Axel was there too but they didn't see her. So she could take all the credit if she wanted to and no-one would complain, except Axel.

"Ok! Get the barrica--" Getting cut off from the loud shock wave noise that seemed to sound like a volcano, meteorite and earthquake all went off at once. Seeing Axel run out made Diana confused for a moment before she tsk'd at the girl for running off without warning, "Everyone barricade the windows again! Get the 50 calibers out for all I care! Just make this place a fucking fortress top to bottom!" Yelling that out got them all moving once again, but this time instead of standing around Diana ran outside after Axel, going almost as fast to the location where she now. But what she saw
was the head of something gigantic in her book. Given a look at Alex's expression gave it away almost instantly, she hated looking at the thing in front of her. Almost like a bad memory.

"Tell me if I'm wrong, but is that thing a Titan? Cause from your expression you look pissed if anything." Saying that she made a confused face before she shrugged lightly, an evil glint in her eye at the thought of killing something like this, oh the stories she could exaggerate, use in conversation, the joys that came to mind. That could wait though as she took a step forward, "So hey, strange idea, how about we go kill the son of a bitch instead of gawking at it? I'd rather prefer it didn't crush my favorite drinking spots." Saying that she shot a smile towards Axel before looking back at the hotel. Letting out a sigh she began running towards her next trophy. Hoping Axel was close behind.​

 

[Boss]

Camilla Ferrari | Lucy Black | Samantha | Tom B. Stone​

Late Afternoon
Brookfield | Downtown..?
Streets
​

It was hard for Camilla to fully digest the reality of Lily. Seeing a little girl carry this much darkness was a feat credited only to the work of Limbo and its denizens. It was the only logical conclusion to make in regards to how someone who was once so excited to see Camilla, now harbored an immeasurable amount of hate. Naturally, it inclined Camilla to assume Lily wasn't just an average, orphaned girl who so happened to be a host or something similar to one. There, she had hoped to find even grounds and stop the invasion without actually attacking a little girl.

This was going to be Camilla's plan, but things change.

The one element that could bring Camilla into action had made their move. A bundle of pink hair had somehow made her way into the watery barrier, causing Camilla's heart to nearly jump out of her chest. What was Lucy thinking?! At the very least, she knew what Lily was thinking, and was not about to allow anyone to die on her behalf. A tendril shot out towards Lucy, who was suddenly shielded by the girl who would fight for anyone except herself.

But something was different about the way Camilla carried herself at that moment.

It felt like an unfamiliar darkness growing eager to be released with every inch the tendril got closer.

There was something seriously uncanny about Camilla protecting Lucy, anyone could feel it.

Every window for several blocks had shattered under the intense waves of the new creature's roar - even going as far as to stop the tendril, thus ceasing whatever was starting to emerge from within Camilla. Her usual self returned, she traced Lily's terrified gaze down range until she discovered the source of the roar: A multi-story, multi-headed horror. "Oh god.." was Camilla's immediate response. Whatever that was, must have been at least twice as strong as Lily for it to snap her out of her rage like that. Sure, she had witnessed monstrosities before, but none shared its sheer size - and to exist outside of Limbo?

 

[Jackaboi]

Lexi Caiheart
The bigger they are! The harder they... Shrink?
​

Whatever the invisible creature was doing it certainly seemed more interested in the other monster than the people in the lounge. So for the moment it appeared they were safe. Lexi's initial panic attack had started to fade away and now she was just terrified of what could possibly come next. Especially when it comes to the guy in the mask with smoke powers. Sure he saved them but Lexi gets the feeling that was just a coincidence. By the way the man carried himself he was clearly the owner of this place, only acting to protect his private property. Lexi heard James calling for her and came really close to just shouting 'Hey I'm here! Just invisible!' But decided against it. Lexi had no clue what smokey was like, especially his dangerous aura AND the fact he was clearly a host. Honestly the latter fact was enough to leave her quaking in fear. But Lexi didn't get that same feeling from Nikki. A name she finally learned after Smokey so kindly pointed it out. Nikki tried to protect her and fight off the giant demon. Lexi was going to have to find the courage to thank her eventually, but right now didn't seem like a good time. After all despite the monster getting completely ragdolled around it showed no sign of letting up, and it was getting bigger? She noticed it too when James and Nikki did a bit of damage to it but played it off as just 'seeing things'. Now it was obvious, this thing seemed to get more powerful as it takes damage. What if it gets too big for the other creature to handle?

However despite all of this James had decided to have a moment to himself. "Wai-" Lexi covered her mouth, trying to avoid giving away her presence. Content with talking to herself very quietly. "Please don't be long....." James was the only solace Lexi had in this chaos, being left alone with Nikki and a host that looked like he would slaughter everyone in the room out of pure boredom didn't sit very well with her. Not in the slightest. "Why am I so helpless..." As if to torture Lexi further the invisibility had started to fade away. As she started to become visible again, so did the panicked expression on her face. Lexi tried to stand up straight, emphasis on tried as her legs shook so much that they looked like they'd just give in at any moment. "H-h-hi.... There........ T-thanks for s-s-saving us from that monster Smokey.... AH YOU DON'T MIND IF I CALL YOU SMOKEY RIGHT!? I-I MEAN I DON'T KNOW YOUR NAME AND YOUR POWERS ARE LIKE HELLA COOL AND ALL AND uh... and... please don't kill me......." Lexi was convinced she just signed her own death sentance by calling the guy 'Smokey'. Lexi held her arms up blocking her face as if to brace for the impending doom that would be brought her way, assuming he was going to that is. At this moment James had came back, she had no clue whether this was a good thing or not because now probably both of them were in danger. Then again everyone in the room was probably going to die anyway. Lexi looked upwards and was shocked by the sight. The monster had grown so big now it'd might as well be a skyscraper! Never mind the lounge now! The whole building would be crushed underneath that thing! At this point she didn't care that an extremely dangerous host was in the room with them. She just stared upwards, the fear painted on her face as she awaited her imminent demise.

The fortunately, fate took yet another unpredictable turn as the monster started to shrink. It shrank and it shrank until it was too small to even see from the lounge anymore. "Heh... Heheheh.... Fate sure is a cruel mistress huh......." Lexi spoke with relief as her legs finally buckled and fell to her knees, unable to stand anymore. Lexi's vision blurred as the adrenaline pumping through her veins dissipated, leaving her weak and exhausted. Finally another man had entered the building. Lexi wasn't about to pass out yet, she rubbed her eyes to try to clear her vision and the first thing she noticed was the symbol that adorned the man's coat. "Ah... I saw that symbol on the news... The good guys are here..." Just like any other average civilian, Lexi was convinced that the Dominion were practically heroes, intercepting and dealing with dangerous hosts that hid among the population. Finally she was safe, despite being so sure she was dead. As the Dominion soldiers came to console Lexi with their fairly poor yet effective attempt at English, she just remained still, staring into space as if no one else existed. "I was so useless..." "I couldn't do anything to help..." "I was so scared..."

Kiosk Boss Azukai Solemn Jester

 

[Boss]

| Tom B. Stone |​

???
Limbo
Maiden Manor | Cellar
​

"..my body.. ..my weapon... ...bow... to my will.."

Tom was but one of many poorly dressed, battered souls that were chained along the walls of the dark cellar. From each of their bodies, a steady flow of ethereal energy pooled into a similarly aligned set of vials, each body having their own vial to fill. Walking down the assembly line of barely conscious individuals was a robed maiden humming a catchy tone as her robe slid across the sterile floor. Every now and then, the figure would stop and inspect the flow of an individual to make sure everything was proceeding as it should be. Eventually, the maiden halted at Tom's body. Unlike the other bodies that groaned and unconsciously tugged at their iron restraints, Tom's body was hosting a parasitic hollow - an unfortunate development that was the result of poor housekeeping, but it wasn't like it affected the already hollowed maidens.

The sounds of heavy latches releasing on a wooden door echoed, catching the robed maiden's attention as the red eyes underneath silently watched the second figure close in. "Any changes in his condition?" inquired the Librarian, who referred to Tom despite eyeing the others. The eyes within the hood shifted back to Tom, who was visually more agitated than the others. "I suppose he still breathes." The maiden's words carried ghastly whispers behind them as she spoke. "Remind me again why this one receives a special treatment?" "It is the young Master Diana's doxy. His health at this stage would most displease her." The two continued to observe Tom in silence while his skin crawled with a foreign entity.

"What do you think of her?" asked the robed one, eyes locked onto Tom. The Librarian held his tongue as if to recall Diana's mentionable traits. "Brash, like the blacksmith's daughter herself - but she is no Alice by a long shot. Quite the opposite, in fact."

The cloaked maiden scoffed. "She has yet to prove herself. The Count is a naive child who sees reality as a game."

"Be that as it may-"

"-At this rate, that woman will never have the strength to even lay eyes on our head maiden."

The Librarian slumped his head ever so slowly. Talking to a riled up maiden was akin to talking to a tornado. Nothing could stop a maiden from boasting. Another spell of silence fell before she broke it once more. "Fine, I shall help the boy.." Gliding around the vial pedestals, the maiden approached the fidgeting Tom, her pale, black-nailed fingers lightly touching his forehead. In response, the surface of his skin contorted as a worm-like parasite slithered past the point of contact, causing her hand to jolt back quickly. When the parasite wormed away, the maiden laid her fingers on his head for a second attempt - this time, she sent a blast of her own corrupted energy directly into Tom's soul.

Camilla Ferrari | Lucy Black | Samantha | Tom B. Stone​

Evening
Brookfield | Downtown
Streets
​

Within the chaotic, yet contained whirlpool, Spike continued to lock his jaws around Tom's armored head in a fit of rage.

"Bow to my will, and we can rip this queen a new one!! Refuse, and I'll take control by force!!"

With the determination to overpower Spike, a wave of darker, purer energy exploded from within Tom, freezing Spike and trading his rage for primal fear. Slowly, the tendrils pulled back in response to Tom's domination of power. It felt like he could-.. feel each of the tendrils recline back in a way that he couldn't before. If he wanted to simply examine one, he'd notice it would make itself apparent in conjunction with his intentions. Was he finally able to directly control the tendrils? Touching them was like feeling a new-found limb. He could feel the cool water around each tendril, as well as the air that flowed over it.

Spike was silent, but it was clear that there was a newfound level of respect coming from the thing. With the sheer weight of the armor and total compliance of his tendrils, Tom could anchor himself to the ground and march out of the whirlpool.

 

[Boss]

[IMG='width:155px;']https://i.postimg.cc/jdXvgF0S/cooltext306989087362014.png[/IMG] | NIKKY VIOLE | James Mac niadh Lane | Yue Chen | JANAIYA WILKINSON| Lexi Caiheart
​

Evening
Brookfield | Combine
Night Owl | VIP Lounge
​

"H-h-hi.... There........ T-thanks for s-s-saving us from that monster Smokey...."

Silence was the only response Lexi got from the mysterious man, dubbed 'Smokey', but it was as clear as day that he was staring directly at her underneath that mask.

"AH YOU DON'T MIND IF I CALL YOU SMOKEY RIGHT!? I-I MEAN I DON'T KNOW YOUR NAME AND YOUR POWERS ARE LIKE HELLA COOL AND ALL AND uh... and... please don't kill me......."

An awkward exchange was the grand result of Lexi's attempt at thanks. His masked stare could have been seen as an acknowledgment, or that his silence conveyed his confusion as to why there was an underage girl surrounded by liquor bottles in his club in the first place. He noticed the larger man disappear into the bathroom briefly after Dominic's arrival, but never saw it as a concern.

At this point, Kaivant would have hopped into the open hole just after Dominic stepped down into the lounge. With the help of Kaivant and his drones, Combine was slowly getting rid of its unholy residents. He may as well get a status report on that. "How is Combine?" He asked the Chinese officer.

"We'd have finished the job already, in fact..."

Dominic observed as Kaivant was fed the latest development through his earpiece.

"...we're already done."

There went that Dominion magic. When it came to blitzing the enemy with incessant behavior and high tech weaponry, they did it best. The safekeeping of Brookfield was the only goal shared by both Dominic AND the Dominion, but it didn't always necessarily mean they would help one another. The Chinese Dominion was almost like a different faction entirely when it came to the supernatural. Dominic watched in silence as Kaivant's men tended to the wounded with care. It reminded him of the Dominion roughly two to three decades ago, when they operated in secrecy.

The club shook with an earth-rumbling roar. It seems their job wasn't over. Under his mask, Dominic exchanged glances with Kaivant. "We should keep moving."

Dominic's form poof'd into a cloud of smoke that whisked through the hole in the roof and into the sky, toward the city. Kenshi- the wolf, had lowered himself just enough to allow Kaivant to mount him. From there, Kenshi took off in a sprint that easily covered ground and bounded over the smaller buildings.

 

[Solemn Jester]

Tom B. Stone

Tom wasn't sure his efforts were going to pay off. It seemed Spike had little to no desire to comply. He cared more about his own primal hunger than Toms desires. It was his entire life story really. He was always looked down at, belittled. Seen as nothing but a doormat to those who had more power. But even if it meant ripping Spike from his body he'd have his control, his respect. Everything he has desired since Yvain's death. Suddenly something from inside Tom erupted like a nuclear plant having a meltdown. Although less destructive, unfortunately. Dark energy pulsed from Tom's being. He had no idea what this was, but he didn't care at that moment. He felt strong, he felt powerful, he felt about a dozen extra limbs. Tom observed Spikes sudden compliance to his desires. He could feel Spike, control his movements. Tom grinned beneath his demonic armors visor, then sent his tentacles burrowing into the ground. He could feel the concrete giving way as Spike dug further into the ground. Soon thanks to Spike, and the weight of his new armor he found himself back on the ground, walking through the whirlpool and back into the air. Tom inhaled deeply, looking towards everyone cheerfully."Alright, everyone! Spike and I made up, and were' are ready to rumble! Where's the enem-eeeeeeeeh! Holy ghost what is that monstrosity!? Phew, and I thought you were ugly Spike." He said turning to stare at Spike for a few seconds before nodding."Yup, still ugly. Ok, guys, I have things under control. What's the plan?" Tom said rather seriously, more so than he usually was. This wasn't exactly a good time to be messing around. Even he knew he couldn't just blast his way out of everything. He'd have to do-ughhh teamwork.

Boss TerraBooma Randomfella Azukai


James Mac niadh Lane
James was suddenly overwhelmed by the sudden change in environment. The giant monster had. Only grown in size. Easily tossing back its invisible foe. Only for it to begin shrinking before his eyes. Eventually becoming nothing. Then the Dominion arrived! At the same moment, Lexi appeared from thin air. James was so dazed by all this he could have sworn birds were circling his head. James was about to freak out."How the hell did they get here so quickly!?" He found himself thinking. He was worried they'd mistake Lexi for a Host due to her sudden appearance from thin air. But was even more confused by the apparent leader of the group going to report to Dominic. The supposed enemy! It took a second. But after hearing them talk in a broken English. He assumed them to be some foreign branch of the Dominion. Apparently on friendlier terms with Host. It made James uncomfortable somewhat. Like the could all turn on him at any moment. Did they also know about his call? James' nerves were getting to him. He didn't know what to expect anymore. What kind of bloodbath would ensue once the American Dominion arrived? Would they get caught up in it? All his thoughts were so swept away as Dominic turned into a wisp of smoke and flew away. The leader of the foreign Dominion group following on his invisible steed. James was so baffled he just decided to give up. Taking a seat next to Lexi, and putting a massive arm around her tiny shoulders to comfort her."So. Been a long day. At least we're alive. Aye kiddo...hehe..so now what?" He asked the last bit to the nearest Dominion troops. Still wondering what he'd say once the American Dominion arrived. If they even did. With the monstrous, blood-chilling roars coming from not far away. It seemed like they might have more important things to deal with.

Jackaboi Kiosk hwayi SidTheSkid

 

[Randomfella]

Lucy Black
Streets of Brookfield​

"Umbra!?" Lucy shouted in her mind as the tendril shot toward her, her eyes closed, hands outstretched in-front of her, pathetically attempting to protect herself with whatever powers the being may have granted, if they existed at all. A second passed, Lucy's eyes shut tightly, though it felt like minutes. What she could feel as she slowly pried them upon, staring upon the imposing figure of the girl before her... It almost made her want to shut them tight once more. At that moment, she felt like a stranger once more. Just seconds ago she had been standing there, taking more than a beating, so why now had she sprung into action!? Did she truly look down on Lucy to such an extent? Did she truly pity her so? Still, the overwhelming aura she gave off did more than enough to distract Lucy's train of thought.

"Ca- Camilla, are you o-." Lucy began to sputter out in a mix of concern, and fear, though it was hard to tell if it was for, or of the girl before her. Due to her positioning, Camilla's body almost brushed against the smaller girl's hands, which trembled in anticipation, with a strange desire to push sightly further forward, to let go of the feeling that had pent up within her.

The girl stopped as Camilla spoke up, Lucy's eyes quickly glancing toward hers, before looking at the now trembling Lily, following her gaze to witness... In what felt completely overwhelming, the sounds of the outside world suddenly flushed into her mind, having been pushed aside due to her worry over Camilla's battle. What she could hear only added to the terror of what she now saw.

Screams, destruction, panic. It could be heard everywhere around them. Lucy's eyes felt locked in place, unable to move from the monstrosity that towered before them, even with its distance. Tom's words flowed through her, but she could hardly react to the stranger with what she stared toward. Instead, in response to his words, her spaghetti noodle arm fraily hovered upward, as if it weighed half a tonne, finally pointing toward the creature.

Lucy's legs failed her, slipping her body onto her knees, a pathetic sight of defeat just witnessing the creature. "The people... We need to help th-" Lucy's voice was quiet to begin with, her words vibrating with short breaths, which only got worse as she spoke, while the volume of her words gradually grew quieter, drowned out in her own terror, into silence before she could finish what her mind attempted to relay.

Boss Azukai Solemn Jester TerraBooma

 

[Sinny The Fool]

Clown​

Evening
Brookfield | Combine
Shanty Town | Alleyway
Mentions - Boss )​

*Ticktickticktick* Blue flashing light reflected from Elijah’s mask, after gathering most of the courage he had to stick the hollow with the end of his taser and feeling the muscles of the hollow contract, the thrill had put Eli under a false sense of confidence that this victory was his "HAHAHA! T-t-take that!!!"

While the taser could have easily brought a being even of THAT size down, there was no heart to interrupt. As a result, the Clown was left in an awkward exchange of glares with the minotaur when the taser's charge had fully depleted. Its meaty leg pulled back, ready to punt him away like a Superbowl-winning field goal. That was when Hinako suddenly broke one of her self-rules; acting on impulse.

As the last bit of ‘juice’ left in Eli’s taser went out, so did the last bit of confidence Eli had left in himself. Meeting eye to eye with the hollow in an awkward exchange of stares "O-oh shit.." the pure fury and spite feeling as though it was piercing right into his soul. Eli took a hasted step back, his eyes widening with fear as he realized ‘T-this is it?? I’m going to die..’ Eli felt his life flashing before his eyes, or at least that is what he thought was happening as he felt everything around him warp right before he was hit.

Hinako shouted at the top of her lungs. "NO!"

The next thing Clown knew, he was where Hinako once stood, taser in hand. The assassin, on the other hand, flew by him like a missile. Her artificial arms dug into the pavement, forcing two long tears into the ground to shave off her speed. Unfortunately, it wasn't slowing her down enough.

Eli stood motionless, as his position was swapped with Hinako’s in the blink of an eye - for a moment he wondered to himself ‘Am I dead? Did I turn into a ghost??’ but the taser firmly gripped in his hand confirmed otherwise and at the corner of his eye he could see Hinako shooting down the alleyway at scarily high speeds, watching that despite trying to slow herself down by digging her cybernetic arms into the floor pavements it became obvious that it wouldn’t be enough for her to stop the tremendous force sending her back “H-Hinako??” he muttered under his hurried, panicked breaths and wondering ‘Why??’

Her eyes flickered open as blood spewed from her mouth. A jagged rebar recently unearthed from the previous destruction had caught Hinako squarely in her back - specifically in her spine, which was now separated in two with a rebar in between the gap. Reluctant to look, Hinako exhaled in defeat as she witnessed the construction metal sticking out of her stomach.

Watching Hinako being shot back and impaled by a rebar instilled Eli with panic, running in a full sprint down the alleyway - his panicked breaths, mixed with the dust & sweat accumulated in his mask he found it hard to breath, almost suffocating under his mask that once he rushed down to Hinako’s side he had to take it off to take full desperate gasps of air. Shaking all over as he looked over Hinako’s blood-soaked body, wondering to himself again ‘Why??’ As he removed his mask Eli’s vision distorted for a moment, and when he looked up at Hinako’s face - he instead saw the face of his deceased friend.

The shadows engulfed all surroundings, the only thing in clear view - the only light illuminating within the darkness was her face, embraced in his arms she spoke but no sound could be heard. The feeling of warm liquid seeping into his skin, and soaking his clothes. Tears pouring down Elijah’s face as he tried his hardest to say the word 'Sorry', yet no matter how desperately he tried, nothing came out…

“W-what should I do..??” He had no one to turn to, and no ideas to get either Hinako - or himself out of this situation, the only thing he was left with was the feeling of complete despair and all he could think or do was shout and scream “SOMEONE!! HEEEEEELLPPPP USSSS!!!!!”
​

 

[Kiosk]

JANAIYA WILKINSON​

No, she heard the herald clearly but her body was lead, she heard the plan but she choked. Fuck. Not right now.

...

"I'm Janaiya Wilkinson." she looked up at Yue, building her confidence. "I'm 17 years old, and I really don't plan on dying today." the girl's eyes seemed to sparkle with... madness?
She had never made a will, and no one her age should honestly be thinking of one, but she was mentally signing the paper.

Here lies, Janaiya Wilkinson a bastard kid and a piece of shit. Honestly like, fuck everyone in this bar, stupid asses coming to a shitty club like this? No surprise fucked up shit like this happened... but Yue was here, so was James and her Aunt-
Oh shit where were they? If these things managed to hurt anyone she gave a shit about- The situation was all coming back to her and she became lucid enough to hear this man tell them he was going to take on her job.

She watched as Devan threw the weapon successfully distracting the Hollow, and... holy shit that man was powerful. The weapon was embedded in the wall, could she even call him human though? She hopped up on the bar, crouching low. Maybe the distraction was what set her in motion, or an honest to god feeling of being fucking immortal, either way, "Plan's back on, Shoot this fucker when I'm close! I'm trusting you, bitch!"

She was an opportunist anyways, if stepping in the ring taught her anything if you saw a good opening, you fucking take it and be fast about it. As the monster turned distracted, she launched herself over the spikes and sloppily landed but somehow managed to stay on her feet and keep running. The giantess was able to close the distance pretty quickly after a few. The thing was shrimpy, if caught off guard maybe she could even get it down.

No, she didn't plan on being a hero, this thing was just annoying her now. It really ruined her chances of getting her phone back! Yue won't get her medals back either and that pissed her off too, for some reason. Janaiya locked in on the hollow's umbrella.

"Aim for that. Gun won't do shit against the hollow itself. Blow his weapon out of his hands, while the other one of you be ready to grab it and run like hell."

"I'll cover you. Either we die this way or get eaten by a hollow,"

I can run, I can run, I can catch it and fucking run.
For fuck's sake Yue, Take the shot on time!
As she closed in, visions of a closed casket flashed in her mind.





Fuck.





she raised her arms, "YUE!"

hwayi Azukai SidTheSkid Boss

 

[Boss]

Camilla Ferrari | Lucy Black | Samantha | Tom B. Stone​

Evening
Brookfield | Downtown
Streets
​

It had been a bloody 15 minutes for Brookfield. From every nook and cranny, horrors befitting of nightmares had made themselves manifest to prey on the essence of the living like they did over 20 years ago. With the combined effort of the police department and Dominion patrols, most large groups of hollows had been eradicated, but not without its cost. Bodies of innocents littered the streets - often not whole. Those that didn't die at the hands of a hollow, died at the hands of their own panicked nature. Vehicular accidents were common on every block, as there was always going to be someone who tried to drive away from the chaos. Although the destruction was devastating, Brookfield and its population were survivors, and survivors had backup plans.

One by one, most living complexes began to glow a sky-blue. Installed in these buildings were countermeasures originally designed to repel a host attack - a technology called 'deadlocking'. Akin to the retraining collar but bigger, four devices placed on each corner of the establishment would link up to encase the building in a dome of the Dominion's very own anti-supernatural jammer. It worked wonders, repelling overly clingy hollows that stuck to the sides of buildings and killing any that may have hidden within the building. With this, the population of Brookfield was safe - but the streets grew barren.


"Confirmed... All deadlock zones are active." scratched a voice through Len's audible radio. That was a relief. With the innocents out of the line of fire, the Dominion could officially take action. "This is Templar Len, authorization code 1985. rollout the heavy ordinance. The target is a single hostile on 49th, you can't miss him."

Len's request was met with input static before a different tone had replied. "...Copy that, code 1985. Releasing the hounds."

Evening
Brookfield | ???
Multiple Dominion facilities
​

It was time for the gloves to come off. Pilots of VTOLs and commanders of tracked vehicles were already leaning over the starting line before Len had issued the order, but now that it was given, every functional base exploded with activity. The engines of large tanks whirred to life. VTOL engines spooling up. Dozens upon dozens of crew members raced along the garages while trained infantry loaded up in the armories.

Evening
Brookfield | Downtown
Streets​

"Clip these on." Len shouted, tossing each of the nearby hosts a small device, no larger than a quarter. "It's an IR strobe. You'll be seen as a hostile if you don't put it on." The device came with a convenient, durable clip that could attach anywhere on a piece of clothing. Obviously not wanting to be shot at, Camilla snipped hers to her neck collar.

"...-n? Templar Len, this is dispatch, do you copy?" a voice called out on the radio. Len responded. "Templar Len here, go for dispatch."

"We have a positive I.D on Dominic Ferrari. I repeat, Dominic Ferrari has been located in Brookfield, how copy?"

There was a brief pause from Len. Anyone could have heard the report.

"Ma'am, what are your orders? Should we dispatch a team?"

Taking a deep breath, she answered. "... Our priority is the safety of Brookfield. Ferrari will come after."

"Copy that."

Ben had just finished cleaning off his glasses for the fifth time. Standing in the wake of a complete building collapse did wonders for visibility. Though, he didn't need glasses to see Len's blood beginning to boil. He knew how tempting it must have been for her to send out a team of templars to intercept him. They had only been searching for Dominic for years, and the one time he makes himself apparent, her hands are tied. "I wonder what'll take to bring that beast down." He commented, one reason to change the topic, and another because they actually needed an effective game plan against whatever that was. Pressing a hidden button on his glasses, the frames lit up briefly as a heads up display filled his field of vision. The software within had locked onto the large creature but was unable to label it as a host or a hollow, thus failing to recommend countermeasures. It was able to pick up their reinforcements in the dozens, however. The small radar lit up with friendly blips closing in from every direction.

Camilla nearly leaped out of her skin as a tank nearly hit both her and Lucy on it's the way to the Cerberus. She ushered Lucy off to the side while a literal convoy of armored tanks began to clear a path down the street. Not only that, but a couple of tanks had the ability to traverse along the side of the buildings with some sort of hovering, magnetic effect. Camilla scanned around for Lily, running over to her and guiding her to Lucy and the others. Len hadn't tossed Lily an IR strobe, which meant that she could be picked up as a target on their detectors. She looked over Lily's form like a parent checking their child for any concerning injuries. Nothing. "Stay close to me, okay?"

 

[hwayi]

Yue Chen​

She had to lower her gun as the trash spoke. Yue thought that nothing could surprise her anymore but once again, she was wrong. A) He was somehow still alive. B) The Goddamn smoke! She took a step back out of surprise but shrugged it off later on. There was something she was much more worried about than the smoke. There was a literal Hollow inside the same room as she was. That was not very desirable to say at least. Yue did the mistake to look around herself for a brief second. The image of the bodies drew on her retina and was sent in her brain just so she could think about this moment for years to come!

"Ladies, Ladies.. I've got an idea, we'll stick to the plan but it'll just be a tiny bit different! I think I'll be doing the distracting since I should've been killed from that."

'Yeah, exactly. Wait, what? YOU distract it?'

The puzzled look on her face revealed what she was thinking about. Yue was having a stressed, full-blown conversation with herself in her head. She was too nervous to speak up. Her mouth was dry and she could really use some water right now. This situation made her even think about alcohol and the comfort it brought. As the trash man attacked the Hollow with his new-found butcher knife, she subtly frowned. Sure, whatever floats his boat. Yue took a hasty look at Janaiya who looked just as shocked as the rest of them.

. "I'm Janaiya Wilkinson. I'm 17 years old, and I really don't plan on dying today."

Seventeen. Right. Yue should have never dragged her into this club. She should have just threatened her with the gun and retrieve her phone herself. It was kind of comical, how she would risk her life for a phone. Well, not directly, but this was how the things rolled back in here. She cursed whoever had taken the phone and her medals. She had a pretty grim thought, but she hoped that whoever the thief was, he would be dead now. Yue's look didn't soften when Janaiya introduced herself. She already knew Yue's name. The small woman lifted her gun again.

"Don't jinx it," she ground her teeth and snarled under her breath like some kind of an animal. No matter how much distraction they had, this would still be incredibly dangerous. What had Yue just signed up for? What did any of them do to deserve that? She revised a bit what she had done in her life. Alright, maybe she had spontaneously beaten up a few too many people. Maybe she had gravely insulted almost half the people she came across. Yeah, maybe this was just a big blow of karma. No, screw karma. She wouldn't die in here. Yue Chen wasn't going to lose in shooting, no matter what the gun she was holding was. Air pistol, lever-action, whatever you wanted, she'd ace it. That's how she just was.

"Plan's back on, Shoot this fucker when I'm close! I'm trusting you, bitch!"

Again, she barely reacted. Popping the gun in her shoulder socket again, she made it her mission to calm down. Yue had the ability to close everything from around her and just focus on one thing. This wasn't an exception. Closing her non-dominant eye, she aimed. The moment Janaiya Wilkinson jumped and clumsily avoided the spikes and closed the distance, she could almost hear the commentary in her head. Imagining herself in a competition, she felt less stressed.


'For the first competition shot, Chen, attention. 3...2...1...start'

She pulled the trigger and immediately slapped the lever afterward. The recoil wasn't as harsh as she thought it would have been. Actually, it was pretty soft and tame, thank God. The first shot she missed due to the distracting scream of her name that Giantess decided to make. Yue would repeat this action and this time she actually hit the target. Lever-actions were built for speed in their time, right? Maybe 'Tess would even survive. Pulling the trigger and slapping the lever, pulling the trigger and slapping the lever. The action became automatic as Yue continued to rapidly fire her target. That was until she ran out of anything to shoot. Opening one of her eyes, she checked the situation, hoping that Janaiya wasn't dead just yet.


Kiosk SidTheSkid Azukai

 

[Azukai]

Boss Solemn Jester hwayi Kiosk SidTheSkid Jackaboi

Everything concerning the execution of the plan was perfect--all expect for a single, tiny mistake that was made in the end. Janaiya was fast, there was no denying that fact; nor was there any denying the exceptional timing of her heroic charge. Assuming Yue was capable of following through with her shot, there was nothing for Janaiya to be concerned about...at least until she chose to scream the girl's name. In an instant, Devan's efforts were wasted. The once-distracted hollow returned its attention to its immediate surroundings, and with quick intuition, tapped the point of its umbrella into the ground. As expected, a wooden spike erupted from the floor and began its immediate assault through Janaiya's left thigh.

BANG...BANG...BANG.
At the same time, Yue found the confidence to finally pull the trigger and sent a flurry of bullets hurtling in the direction of the hollow's hand. The first shot was a total failure; however, the same could not be said for the subsequent few. The results were immediate. The hand of the hollow was instantly blown to pieces, and the umbrella in his hand was left hovering in the air. The growth of the spike came to an sudden stop, leaving Janaiya with only a less-than-serious wound in her leg. The existing momentum of her sprint severed the spike at its base and continued to carry her body forward. With her hands in the direct path of the umbrella, she effectively snatched it away from the hollow; though the injury in her leg left her entirely off balance as she plummeted to the ground with a solid thud.

A roar of pain exploded from the hollow, who responded with a sudden expansion of his razor-sharp jaws. Janaiya had fallen directly under the monster's feet. There was no time for Devan to retrieve his smoke-tethered cleaver, just as there was no more shots left in Yue's barrel. From the perspective of her companions, it was a helpless scenario when it came to the fate of Jainaiya's life; though, at the end of the day, it wasn't a scenario that would be ending in sorrow. "My spikes are bigger." A voice muttered from the wreckage of the club's entrance, where a towering individual stood over seven feet tall and wore a fitted, combat suit that bore the emblem of the Dominion. Height was not his only notable trait, however, as the muscles of his arms, alone, were wide enough to rival the body of a human. He punched his fists together in an act that sent a booming echo throughout the club, just before a literal tree shot from the ground and practically exploded the body of the hollow. Nonetheless, Janaiya remained safe from his attack. Having bloomed out of the side of the trunk, a series of branches had intertwined, to form a cradle that lifted her body into the air. Not a single scratch was on her, at least apart from her pre-existing wound.

The fight was over...at least in regards to the hollow. Several Dominion agents emerged from the shadows; each of them armed with an old-fashioned blow gun that was immediately shot in the direction of Devan and the Herald. The darts of the gun had been lined with a fast acting toxin; one that rendered the pair asleep before their bodies even hit the ground. Two agents were already by each of their sides, as they collected the bodies of the unconscious and pulled them towards the center of the room. In the case of Yue and Janaiya, there were no hostile actions from either of their agents; instead, they were given words of comforting reassurance, albeit in rather broken English. "You, safe. We take care and help you." They said with a warm smile, before attending to any immediate injuries the girls' had.

Upstairs, things were slightly different. Dominic and Kaivant had departed almost as quickly as they had arrived--the large hollow in the downtown district being their obvious, immediate concern. Thus, it left everyone in the lounge, alone, with the Chinese agents who remained. True to their word, however, they were solely concerned with the condition of the injured; none of them even batting a hostile eye towards the one remaining host in the room. Uncertainty was in the air, as next steps had never been discussed, and although James proposed the question, he was immediately shut down by a simple answer of 'we wait for our leader.' Nonetheless, he didn't have to wait long, as the commotion from downstairs soon made its way up. The tree that had been used to kill the hollow downstairs, had grew as far as the second floor--in particular, its numerous branches which burst through the wall that divided the club from the lounge. As if they were sentient, the branches encroached upon each of the non-agents; many of them intertwining to form small pedestals that gently scooped up each individual and brought them downstairs. In the case of Nikky, however, it wasn't a pedestal, but rather a rapid coil of branches that wrapped themselves around her body and immobilized her for the duration of the trip.

Back downstairs, the obvious leader of the group was standing next to his own creation, while waiting for the arrival of the remaining survivors. There was an overarching smile plastered across his face, as he began speaking in a booming tone that was surprisingly less intimidating his size suggested. "Host and non-hosts, you are now safe under our care." Unlike his companions, the man's English was near perfect, apart from a slight Chinese accent that trailed from his words. He immediately snapped his fingers, which sent the remaining Chinese officers into action. Most of them were concerned with assisting the survivors off of their pedestals; however, one sprung into action, attaching an anti-Zodiac device around the neck of Nikky. "All of you will be taken to the nearest Dominion facility, where all injuries, physical and mental, will be attended too. This is not an option, rather an order. All survivors will be required to follow through, for the safety of yourself and the others around you. Now without further ado..." He reached into one of the many pouches on his vest and retrieved a small device that spawned a transporter in the room. One by one, each individual was ushered through the transporter, where an emergency medical crew was waiting on the other side. First went the random survivors who had remained in the club; soon followed by James, alongside of his companion, Lexi; then went Nikky, under the escort of an agent--finally, leaving only four who remained in the room."And now it is your turn." The leader said with a beckon in the direction of the portal. Unable to move themselves, Devan and the Herald were tossed into the transporter through the assistance of some agents; right before Janaiya and Yue were given their chance to follow.

The overall trip was quick, albeit slightly nauseating to those not accustomed to such means of travel. Nonetheless, any discomfort to their stomach was a minor concern in light of the crew who awaited their arrival. In a matter of seconds, the body of each survivor was strapped to a gurney and rushed to the emergency, medical center that was but a ward away...all except for a particular four. For them, it wasn't the orders of clamoring crew members that rushed to their ears, or even the distinct smell of hospital medicine that rushed to their noses. Instead, it was a calm, soothing atmosphere that greeted their senses--the gentle caress of a wayward breeze, brushing up against their skin; a light, yet distinctive scent of star anise, sandalwood, and cloves; and finally, a low, elderly voice which gave them the only greeting they would receive, before their conscious would fade, and darkness would be all that remained.

Huānyíng, èmó (Welcome, demons).

ARC 1: The Night Owl : FINIS​

 

[Azukai]

Boss TerraBooma Randomfella Solemn Jester Depresso Espresso Sinny The Fool (maybe?)

It didn't take long for the sounds of war to hit the streets of Brookfield. In the widest formation the tanks could manage, they assumed their positions throughout the street and began artillery fire against the monster. Each shell that exploded from the barrel of the cannons was an anti-hollow device, equipped with an acid-based chemical that proved lethal against their designated target. Explosion after explosion erupted against the surface of the monster and sent roars of pain that bellowed across Brookfield. In addition, the sheer amount of firepower triggered mild tremors that rocked the nearby buildings; all of which were soon shrouded behind heavy clouds of smoke. "Heavy Ordinance team, reporting direct hit on target. Preparing second barr...ARGHHH" The commander of the unit was never given a chance to finish his status update, as blistering torrents of blue flame erupted from the mouths of each hound and consumed the street in a literal blanket of hellfire. It wasn't zodiac energy that fueled the flames, but rather, something unique in of itself--a bane that proved lethal against the machines of the Dominion that were entirely ill-equipped for the battle at hand. Even their weapons proved lackluster at best, as any damage that had marred the body of the creature was regenerated long before the smoke had even cleared. Angered by the assault, the creature began a sudden advance forward; a slow, but powerful stride that formed craters under the weight of each paw that crashed into the streets.

The hellfire from before continued to burn, all while spreading to the nearby buildings at an overly alarming rate. It didn't take long until lingering bystanders were soon caught in the flames, which proved instantly fatal against their lives. It didn't matter if their bodies managed to escape the source. It didn't matter how much they might have tried to roll across the ground, or to even have submerged themselves under the greatest torrents of water. The flames never let up, their screams filling the air, until nothing was left...not even a speck of ash to represent who they once were. The surrounding buildings fared no differently. Structure after structure began to collapse, one after another, and what was once a bustling district in the downtown area of Brookfield, was quickly becoming a ravished wasteland at the hands of a seemingly, impossible creature.

At a fair distance away from the edge of the hellfire, a small, glistening shimmer became noticeable in the air. It was subtle at first, and easy to miss; however, it quickly grew more prominent as the expanding fires grew closer to its position. The light of the fire reflected across the surface of the shimmer and produced a myriad of sparkling lights--a dazzling display that lasted for mere seconds before it vanished alongside of a sudden pop. Standing in its place, was a young, feminine figure, who based on appearances, looked to be no older than ten. Their gender was unknown; left ambiguous by their choice of neutral attire, and the long, brown hair that flowed in the breeze that swept across the street. In their right hand was a small bubble blower that looked to be something straight out of a dollar store toy section. Nonetheless, there was an aura of confidence that surrounded their body, as they spoke in a faint, Chinese-accented whisper, "Reality magic..."

With a breath of air, a flurry of bubbles exploded out of the end of the blower and expanded throughout the immediate air. Each bubble was a different color ranging across the spectrum of the rainbow, and all together resembling an unfortunate collection of escaped balloons. Higher and higher, the bubbles continued to rise, up until they reached the perfect height as dictated by the youth. "Storm of the Northern Winds." They snapped their fingers, and immediately, the air was filled with the sound of a hundred bubbles popping at once. At first, it seemed to be an inconsequential action; however, soon, dark clouds began to form overhead, and with them came the torrential rains that poured onto the cursed land. Unlike ordinary water, the present rain was more than capable of quelling the raging inferno--as well as causing noticeable distress to the creature that began to roar out in pain.

There was little hesitation between the first snap of their fingers, and their second breath of air, which sent another flurry of bubbles encroaching upon each combatant in the area. The bubbles were harmless in of themselves; though somewhat intimidating as they expanded to an enormous size and began consuming their targets, one by one. Upon doing so, the bubbles immediately lost their color and began to contract, to the point that their lining was melded against skin of each new host. "It may not survive more than one instance of fire, so be careful as you fight." The youth explained in a solemn tone, that shed light on the reasoning behind the translucent barrier that shimmered above each individual's skin.

Overhead, the rain was beginning to fade, leaving a field of extinguished fire that simmered a smoke-born haze into the air. Here and there, pockets of puddles remained on the surface of the ground, and from them, bubbles began to rise once more. "Reality magic..." The youth said for the final time; this time opting to snap their fingers immediately following the manifestation of their power. "Xianwu." An eerie bellow filled the air, from a large shadow that formed directly above the creature. In an instant, the smoke began to clear, revealing a manifestation straight from the Chinese mythos, itself. It began plummeting towards the ground; its massive form colliding against the body of the demon, and exploding in a subsequent burst of scathing, highly pressurized water. Unable to sustain the damage, the creature's left-most side faltered, and its body began crashing towards the ground--this time with notable damage that it struggled to regenerate. "Let us fell this foul beast." The youth said in a heavily, exhausted breath--a short, but sweet signal signal that officially commenced the Battle for Brookfield.

 

[Jackaboi]

Lexi Caiheart & James Mac naidh Lane
Collab with Solemn Jester ​

Lexi had been through a lot in one night, especially for an innocent girl who just wanted to make sure James didn’t screw up his date. As it turns out though it wasn’t… Then before she knows it people start screaming and monsters start killing, bouncers pulled through walls, waiters being crushed by a giant hand, it was just too much. She’d never seen so much blood since… That time with her eye… But this was worse. Sure Lexi was lucky to make it out with nary a couple scratches. No, the most damage was done on the inside. The image of all those helpless people screaming in agony was burned into her mind for good. Even worse, she was powerless to do anything. James at this point had come over and put his arm over her shoulders. In that one moment of brief comfort, she finally broke. Tears streamed down her face as she wrapped her own arms around him in return. “(sniff) Y-yeah… A long day. I… I just wanna get out of here…” Out of the whole time, James had known Lexi, she had always been the sunny and cheerful girl who’d always brighten people’s days, so this was probably the first time he’d see her in such a bad state.

James wasn't surprised to see Lexi burst into tears. She had always been so happy, and cheerful. But no one was always happy. James figured she was just putting up a front. But even if she was normally a ball of happy sunshine. Nobody could handle all of this and still smile. It was spirit breaking stuff. If James wasn't already cynical and didn't believe in something he would probably be in worse shape than Lexi. He hugged his weeping friend lightly. His muscles wrapping around her like a snake around its prey. Although without the intent to squeeze the life out of her. ”It's ok. It'll all be over soon. We'll get out of here. Then I can take you home if you want. Unless you'd rather bunk at my place for the night.” He suggested, ignoring the broken English that responded to him with an unhelpful answer to his question.

In the moment of comfort that James had kindly provided, Lexi was given time to think. Think about just what the hell is wrong with Brookfield? Was she just THAT clueless? Sure she heard about dangerous hosts on the news but monstrosities like that? That was something she’d never even dreamed existed! Were hosts just an excuse? No, there was no point trying to make sense of any of this. Lexi was too tired, afraid and hurt to do anything. When James offered to take Lexi home she remembered the text she received from her dad. There is no way she could go back now. At least not tonight. “If… You don’t mind, I guess I can stay over at your place… I’m sure dad will be fine with it...” The last part was a blatant lie. She knew that if he found out that she was staying at another guys place for the night, there’s no telling what he’d do. Lexi had wiped the tears from her face and prepared to finally get out of this nightmare. Of course, that was until a bunch of branches had started growing in the room, getting bigger and bigger. “W-wait! Don’t tell me it isn’t over?!” She was sick of it, desperate she looked all around the room for something to fight back with and spotted James’ collection of molotovs on the table. Lexi bolted for the table and grabbed a single bottle then lobbed it at the tree like creature chasing her. “Take this!!!” However, it did nothing, all it did was make the branch wet and smell like alcohol. “W-wait… I thought it was supposed to explode with fire…” Lexi had absolutely no clue that she was supposed to light the cloth on fire before tossing it… In her confusion the branch had already gotten too close, Lexi braced for an attack, but instead was gently lifted off the ground and carried away. With James not far behind and Nikki in a much less comfortable position. “J-James… Where is this thing taking us?”

James was just as confused as Lexi. The sudden branches grabbing him like a catcher grabbing a baseball. ”I have no idea what this is Lexi. But dammit this day couldn't get any worse!” He yelled thinking about why God suddenly felt he owed James this lovely time. He thought he had done well by him. Maybe he wasn't fond of James smoking or drinking, or any of the other things he did despite being a priest. Of course, he was still a believer. But maybe he should have tried a bit harder to follow the Lord's guidelines. As he contemplated how to better do this he was met with a rather unpleasant sight. The host responsible for capturing them seemed to be working for the Dominion. James didn't know what to think. Why were they dragging even the nonhost away? Now poor little Lexi was being dragged off to god knows where. James would have said something to Ryu. But he was so large and imposing that James couldn't seem to find the words. Even in his years as a boxer he never meet anyone so massive. His arm was like a tree trunk. Which...considering their current state made sense. But as James was transported with the others, and began to pass out his thoughts raced. Maybe he could join the Dominion. Maybe he could become strong enough to strike down the demons, and those who would use their powers for evil. Maybe, just maybe...he could do god's will.

Lexi was visibly scared to see where the branches were taking them, but upon reaching the downstairs area they were met by a humongous Dominion soldier. Perhaps this was the leader they were talking about. Lexi was a little relieved that it wasn’t another monster, but this guy was almost on that level of terrifying due to his size almost dwarfing James. “This guy is seriously ripped…” It was a slight distraction from the horrible events that had transpired, but it didn’t last long when he pulled out a weird device and set up his own portable real life star-gate. SO now teleporters are a thing. As if the existence of colossal shadow monsters weren’t enough, we had teleporters. The Dominion seemed to be at least hundreds of years ahead of the rest of the world when it came to technology. Lexi was helped down from the pedestal of branches by the dominion soldiers and directed to enter the device. “R-right… I’m going…” Lexi reluctantly stepped into the teleporter and was instantly met with the bright lights of the Dominion facility. The sudden transition had sent Lexi into a daze, stumbling a little as she took a few more steps forward. Unfortunately she wasn’t even given the chance to recover herself as she was immediately hoisted up onto a gurney as if she was in a critical state. “W-wait! What’s going on!? I’ve only got a few scratches!” Lexi was strapped securely in the gurney, she struggled but to no avail. It was clear that she was not going back home for a while...

Kiosk Boss SidTheSkid hwayi Azukai

 

[Boss]

| The Clown |​

Evening
Brookfield | Combine
Shanty Town | Alleyway
​

There was no hope for survival. With the complete loss of her senses in her lower body, Hinako felt a cold, numbing sensation begin to envelop her hands. Blood quickly coated the pavement in its grim crimson color. There he was. Elijah dashed as fast he could to Hinako's side, praying for a simple fix to resolve the mess he had caused. Hinako's once icy glare was a lot tamer this time around. She almost looked amused witnessing the Clown's true face.

The ground shook with every step the minotaur made. With each pace, the light on their situation dimmed.

“SOMEONE!! HEEEEEELLPPPP USSSS!!!!!”

And as if God himself had heard,

"Fret not, for the main character has arrived!"

The smooth voice of a stereotypical hero crashed the scene. Between the minotaur and his two targets, a red-bladed, pointy-hilted zweihander sunk into the concrete like it was butter and intimidated the hollow enough for it to cease its advancement Arriving similarly to his blade, a crimson-caped individual dropped in from above, landing in the creature's path to pose against it like a comic book hero to the rescue. Irritated, the minotaur raised both of its fists above its horned head in an attempt to pound the man into the ground like whack-a-mole. In response, the savior's metal hand clasped around the textured grip of his sword - the blade itself glowing to life with archaic wordings itched along its dull side. "Disgusting creature!" he shouted, pulling the zweihander out of the ground single-handedly and swiping the heavy blade across its leg, severing it with ease. The beast lost its balance, falling onto its side in a pathetic attempt to regenerate the lost limb. However, the same arcane symbols were now wrapped around the stub like a cap, blocking the creature's ability to regenerate. A second, horizontal swing rendered the head from the minotaur's body, as not even a drip of hollowed blood was spilled.

"Hold, dear citizens of Brookfield! Templar Jakob is here!" In a brave showcase of theatrics, the figure flipped over the deceased corpse of the hollow and landed into view. Jakob's body was entirely made of a type of metal, lined with black muscles that contracted and extended in clear view. His once red gaze flickered orange as he crouched down next to Clown and Hinako. His eyes slowly traced Hinako's form, but as creepy as it looked, Jakob was actually scanning along the entire length of her body. Through a cut-away vision of cloth and flesh, he could clearly see the rebar penetrate through her spine and pass just under her ribs. Exiting the view, he shot Elijah and Hinako a worried look before speaking. "Mi'lady, I need to remove this from your chest. This will hurt."

Sticking his index finger out, the tip folded outward, exposing a compact welding torch underneath. With it, he cut the previously lengthy stick of rebar down to a manageable size, then did the same behind her - asking Elijah for help to hold her upward. Hinako never spoke. Her ever-changing expression of pain, loss of consciousness, confusion, and fear had conveyed enough about how she felt.

Without delay, Jakob raced to save the dying girl. The remainders of the rebar were pulled out with precision and speed, while the bleeding was stopped by runic symbols that covered the wound. "I'm afraid this won't hold for long," His glowing eyes focusing on Clown. "get her to a hospital, now. Most of these beasts have been slain, so move with haste."

...

Hinako's consciousness faded in and out. The loss of blood had made it difficult to perceive her surroundings beyond being carried by Elijah. "My.. legs... I can't move-.."

 

[SidTheSkid]

.

Spoiler: Devan Eldridge "

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. ​

(Location: ???)
(Mood: What duh heck.)
(Interactions: Chinese Dominion.)
(Mentions: Herald.)

Heaps of brickwork were heavily fragmenting, bits and pieces crumbling to the floor after Devan had subsequently slung that Demon's tremendous blade in the general direction of the wall, clouds of detritus containing demolished clay and concrete had dispersed throughout the bottom-level of the Night's Owl. An opaque sheet of pulverized materials was beginning to leisurely caress the inhabitant's ankles as it gradually swelled, masking the visibility of the flooring additionally creating a diversion that had, at last, provoked the Hollow's ravenous animosity and leading up to it indiscriminately dispatching a whole field of lance-sized skewers near the location of the collapsing divider. "Remarkable." A 'supple' whisper tickled his gullet, a childish simper had ensued his urgent bewilderment as he surveyed the minor ruination with a sense of triumph at the undeniable power he had just presented. Unfortunately, his interpretation of fun promptly transitioned into self-questioning as he briefly focused on the still shivering demon who was accomplishing nothing but being a spectator to the conflict that was still ongoing, did this mean he'd effectively zapped the powers of this creature into himself? Clearly, an evil spirit of this magnitude could simply 'poof' himself out of harm's way, so why didn't he do so? "Uhm Herald, what just happened?" He didn't know who else to ask, she must've had some kind of idea or reasonable explanation that would effectively conclude his increasing worries, although all of this didn't seem like it would have a 'sane' explanation behind it. This 'thing', not even a Zodiac user could see it! Was it really an actual demon? "To think, this world couldn't get any crazier than it already is." But sadly it did, largely in part of Janaiya's hasty actions that involved eagerly springing herself out from the concealment of the back-bar all the while unknowingly announcing herself to the Hollow by vaulting overtop of the counter's ruined slab. He didn't know whether if it was impressive or foolish, that courage of hers was admirable but it only reminded him of his recent near-death experience after she had received the undivided attention of the heartless beast who didn't hesitate to unleash a full-out assault by tapping the jagged heel of his antique cane into the ground once more, delivering a series of wooden spikes, one of which had effortlessly ripped through the muscles of her thigh right before she snatched away the cane.

"Can't believe this is happening! I have no choice." In contempt of successfully removing that damned Hollow's weapon she, by some means put herself into an even more dangerous situation with the monstrosity, instead of reaching for its cane it was now actively venturing to consume her alive. It appeared that everyone's efforts were in vain, Devan tried his hardest to leap back over the bar and save the woman but by the time he was able to do so it looked as if poor Jainaiya was going to succumb to a tragic fate or that's what it 'appeared' until a thunderous 'boom' quaked the surroundings. "Was that a freaking tree?!" His thoughts were continuing to race, his vision of the girl and the creature became obscured after a humongous tree-trunk had vigorously erupted its way through the center of the floor and into the Hollow, completely shredding through the abomination and spewing its blackened bits through the air. "Gross." Guess this meant they were saved? Just as he was about to check if Janaiya was blown apart by a Redwood Tree or not, a starling ting of pain in the nape of his neck made him yelp out in profane annoyance. "Fuck!" It almost felt like a sewing needle had just pricked his skin, yet strangely enough, this didn't have any metallic sensation as it wiggled its way into his neck, honestly, it made his perception of the things around him kinda wonky as he wobbled around, still unaware of the toxin that was injected into him until he watched The Herald face-plant onto the floor. "HeeRRaaaLD?" A mere minute had past and he sounded completely intoxicated, Devan smacked his dry-lips unwillingly as the numbness spread throughout his body and causing him to teeter-totter from side to side. "WhAatt DiD yoU BassTards dO?" His primary focus became locked onto the mysterious men that had sedated him as he spun around towards them, each were beginning to look like strange Rorschach paintings from his perspective as the toxin furthered throughout his body. Using his last remaining chunk of consciousness soon fading away he swiftly parted with the remaining Dominion agents by giving them a less than friendly gesture with his middle finger before collapsing to the liquor-covered ground and drifting himself away into a deep slumber.

Spoiler: Devan's Nightmare (All because of James)

Twisted voices, jumbled words, and inexplicable imagery corkscrewed around him, confusing his senses. Every minute that flickered past him a vivid scene of an outlandish sparkling forest made up of flourishing trees graced his mind including an outlying pair of goofy-voices that resembled something from stereotypical cartoons, each time he was presented with the unfamiliar verdant setting it begun visually growing in detail. Now there had been a far-stretching rainbow that cleaved the skies with dazzling colors, a flock of shrilly singing doves climbing into the sunset, and imposing mountainous regions that pierced the skies. It was hard to believe a place like this actually 'existed', this whole environment gave the impression of a fantastical story-book. "What is all this?!" Finally, Devan had woke up but instead of waking up in a Dominion lab he was instead laying atop of a steep hill in a makeshift fantasy world with different colored butterflies fluttering around his sprawled out body. "Strange." Shoo-ing away the insects with his hand, he was greeted with a horrific sight. All five of his fingers had now been covered in green fur, his nails were completely elongated and shaped like an animal's claws! His own two hands were now paws, covered in fur nonetheless. It was only a matter of time before he had felt a mysterious force attached to him, one that had been caressing the blades of tall-grass beside his body. Immediately sitting himself up in surprise at the odd sensation, Devan eventually investigated what this unorthodox presence was yet was absolutely horrified after finding a wiggling fluffy tail adhered to his rear-end.

"You have got to be kidding me." Only would his darkest suspicions be confirmed after haphazardly meandering away from his previous spot where he once laid, soon enough Devan was blankly staring at a bizarre mirror image of himself but alternatively instead of portraying his actual human reflection, it now depicted a lime green anthropomorphic wolf-being that was standing on its hind-legs. "So, this is what the Ninth Circle of Hell is like." If being transformed into an actual 'furry' wasn't bad enough he was approached by two towering figures, those voices from earlier had actually belonged to these two. "Well hey there fella!" One of them jovially announced with a kooky country-sounding accent underlining its voice. Both of them tried introducing themselves to Devan, whom at the time was absolutely terrified to turn around but somehow found the courage in himself to do so but instantly regretted it, those two 'voices' came from actual living furries, the ridiculous pair now cracking a smile as they made themselves acquainted with their newfound friend. "Greetings Mister! Meerrrow, I'm Clarence the Cat, I think you'll love it here... It's just purrrfect!" Out of all the drugs he's been experienced with, this one was probably the worst. "Hyuck! And i'm Billy The Bear! It's Beary nice to mee-" Before that strange ursine furry could complete his pun he was abruptly interrupted by Devan's clenched fist that had rocked the bear's jaw, sending him tumbling into the downward slope of the hill with ludicrous squeaking sounds blurting out from the bear's throat before taking a spill into the vast lake that had met the base of the hillside. "Oh no Billy!" That's not very nice mister! Merow!" Honestly he could care less about the feelings of this atrocious cat-thing or if he punched Billy Bumblefuck Bear or whatever its name was down to its immediate demise, escaping out of this contorted nightmarish misery was the main priority and nothing was going to stop him. "Listen here you animal-fetish loving prick, you're going to get me out of this place and you're going to do it now!" A literal growl rumbled out from his own throat as he mercilessly lifted the cat-creature by the end of its tail and carelessly dangled him over the slope of the hill where he would join his friend if he made any attempt to escape or to say something ridiculous, last thing that Devan wanted was to spend another second of his precious time in this screwed-up place.

"Please don't hurt me, merrow! I'll take you to our great King so he can help, meerrrooow!" A king? He couldn't be serious, there was a king of furries? A leader of fetishizers, a part of him was lucky that this was a dream or at least he hoped it was. "Ugh." Rolling his eyes, he only let out a grunt after releasing his grip and dropping him back onto the ground where the cat-man landed on his butt with a quick 'thud'. Almost every fiber of his being wanted to strangle this damn fursuit wearing jester but as much as he hated to admit it, that thing was the only guide he had through 'Furry World'. "A-ha merow! I knew you couldn't resist meeting our King, he's the greatest ruler in all the land." Hopping from the ground and clacking it feet together in a synchronized motion, the cat-creature happily grabbed ahold of Devan's paw and drug him along a gravel-path, that led past a small cottage and towards a medieval-style kingdom, presumably where this king of theirs lived. "How long is this going to take...Hello?" Taking longer than expected to get a response back, he approached the furry but without warning the cat's eyes became void of life, not a soul was present as it looked at Devan and gravely uttered a phrase.

"Huānyíng, èmó"

A scream spiraled out from the former detective as an unknown force hurled him from off the landscape and into the atmosphere, n incredible force that temporarily woke him up from his awful nightmare.
(No offense to furries, just thought this would be a funny dream.)

Spoiler: Dreamstate Devan

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Spoiler: "Furry World."

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Spoiler: "Furry World Song"

Rousing back into reality, an 'electrified' gasp tugged its way from his lungs as they filled with air. Everything was still a tad blurry from the traces of 'toxin' still left inside of his veins but he was able to recognize that he was being escorted on a gurney he had been secured to along with another, possibly Herald? He would've gotten a better look at the unidentified person if it weren't for the fact he quickly dozed off into his dream-world once again where his nightmares would resume to haunt him.

(Sorry if this was bad. Just wanted to make a sheit post.)
.

 

[Boss]

Camilla Ferrari | Lucy Black | Samantha | Tom B. Stone​

Evening
Brookfield | Downtown
Streets​

Meanwhile, Samantha had been trying to provide comfort for Lucy in some way when everything went to hell. She had been working out what to say in her mind. A powerful speech about sinking or swimming. Fighting was her element after all...she’d been doing it for so long at this point, that she was eager the strange not-hollow had shown up. Something tangible to deal with: A large monster on the scene, allies to rely on, and innocents to protect. The identity that the Spirit Samantha had known for so many years could still remain intact..even if the now very physical Samantha had other problems to deal with like hunger and...sharing a soul with a hollow. She pushed the thought from her mind. They’d be able to do this. She continued to pull water from various storm drains and manhole covers. She didn’t care where it came from...more ammo just meant more people protected. “Lucy, get up! It’s sink or swim girl, we gotta start fighting back!”


Once fluffy decided to spew hellfire however...her hopes coming to a crushing reality. She like the others had been ushered away into the side alley and given an IR bracelet like the others. She clipped it onto her shoulder without much worry. Technology had a bad habit of only following those in the Cetus family for as long as they wanted to be tracked. Should the dominion try and use it to recapture them later...Samantha suspected it would be little trouble. But then the hellflames came.


She had reacted calmly at first. Fire based attacks weren’t something that concerned her. It had a grievous weakness to her most reliable powers. She had shot her hands out, The tendrils of water reacting in kind, plunging over the heated areas and to the stricken innocent civilians. But...much to her shock. It didn’t work. Her face fell as her watery tendrils did nothing to save dozens of burning people from succumbing to a slow and painful death as they burned to ash. Her face turned to fear and she kept trying to feed it. Doing something...anything to will them to live. But her powers simply failed, and the anguish started to sink in. Her water...wouldn’t work. Her power was helpless her against that thing. The normally confident Samantha stared in horror mixed with confusion and despair. She barely noticed the soft rainfall that eventually put out the flames. Though it found itself pooling by her feet. Powers waiting to apply it with her will.



She held a hand to her head as torment ravaged her. The taunts from before in the cave. That she was useless, that she couldn’t protect her. They all came flashing back in a moment. She let out a wail of emotion that she didn’t understand. Her negative emotions had always been...muted, as a spirit. Anger shown brightest, but her detachment from the world meant even that too was faded. Her new body, now very present and real brought with it feelings she hadn’t deal with in a very long time. Anguish, Despair, Sorrow, all these things swirled around inside of her head as she clutched it. She felt like she was going to explode.


From atop the remained ashes of the bodies, small soul gems appeared. Floating there in space. She could feel it. The pain and the suffering of those who had burned as she was helpless. It swirled around in her own mind like a basin that threatened to overflow. She stumbled, leaning against the wall and screamed for it all to just go away. “Make...make it stop! Please...someone…” She begged. This wasn’t right. Something was wrong. With a cry outwards to the heaven, Samantha let loose a wail, Lucy’s eyes gazing over to watch with concern.


And with that, tentacles apparated into this existence. Samantha didn’t realize it at first, but for every soul gem, every perished person, a tentacle shot up into the sky. They lashed out at whatever was closest first, normally just walls or the ground, but as Samantha realized what was happening, her eyes gazed to fluffy. It would pay for what it had done.


Her head still banging, Samantha’s hands remained pressed against it as a torrent of tentacle slams rained down onto the beast. Whenever it would go...if there was a tentacle there, it would strike at it...but that wasn’t all.


Staring back at her hands in confusion for a moment, Samantha’s words coursed through Lucy’s mind. Her eyes watched, moths to a flame, at the tentacles above striking toward the beast. She was right. They hadn’t come this far to give up now… She, hadn’t come this far to die here.

Collaboration Post
1 / 6​

 

[Boss]

Camilla Ferrari | Lucy Black | Samantha | Tom B. Stone​

Evening
Brookfield | Downtown
Streets​

Tom wasn't sure what he was going to do next. He could try to grab his target and scram. But she seemed like she had other ideas, and was pretty fast. So catching her wouldn't be easy. He could stay and risk getting eviscerated by the doomsday creature attacking the city. Unless the army that was the Dominion managed to win. Then he would have to attempt to escape their grasp. Either way, he'd be fucked. So he figured he would stick around just long enough to figure out his next move…Well, that was the plan until the monster that Tom had decided to call fluffy spewed out blazing blue flames of install death.”Hmm…..I'm really questioning what we could do against ole Fluffy over there. Any suggestions?” He asked turning to the group trying to maintain his balance as the world was rocked by the sheer force of the battle. He wasn't confident his armor was the best for his current situation. But the appearance of an odd new androgynous ally seemed to help them out ever so slightly. At least putting out the instadeath flames, and granting them one free block from a blast of the fire. Tom stared at Len, and the new ally. Suspicious as to why they were helping them. Then he decided mutually assured destruction was probably a damn good motivator for team work, and quickly put on the little gadget he had been given. Snapping it right onto one of his tentacles. Although he doubted his armor would do all to much good against the flames of the beast once this bubble barrier burst. It was heavy, so he couldn't move as well in it. He needed to be capable of fast, fluid movements. He tried to recall when the armor first appeared, then thought to himself, ”alright armor. Fast mode! Uhhm, speedster form?!...please turn into something that I can use to dodge this stupid fire?” He asked starting to grow disheartened by the armors apparent lack of response.


“That shouldn’t be necessary,” Ben interjected. Since the arrival of the unidentified creature, he had silently studied their opponent, accounting for the possibility that at any given moment, the beast could completely change the dynamic of their attacks. It didn’t take being a host to realize that the inferno spewed from the creature was no ordinary fire. Even with the armor designed to combat the supernatural, the flames proved to be a lot more than just a minor inconvenience.


With that being said, Ben took a mental note of every observed ability showcased by their supernatural allies. The armored figure known as Tom was once a purely offensive-type with the use of his tentacles. Additionally, as a perk of merging with a hollow, he had extraordinary regenerative capabilities. Now, he stood before the others as living armor, giving him a defensive role at the same time.


Next, there was Lucy Black. A girl probably afraid of her own shadow that accidentally tapped into her supernatural ability. Judging by how she launched the IR strobe with only a simple touch, Ben assumed she could manipulate energy to some extent. How she gathered said energy remained a mystery to him, however.


And then there was Samantha. From Ben’s perspective, she was yet another denizen from Dominic’s hideout. In reality, she was a spirit given a physical form. Her abilities were as clear as day and quite useful at that. Samantha could masterfully bend water to her will, shaping it to harm an enemy, or create a barrier to protect her allies. Against the inferno of the beast, however, her water was useless.


Next in line was Camilla, daughter of the elusive terrorist, Dominic Ferrari. There were no shortages of opportunities to observe her power. From her escape of the detention camp to her recent, rapid relocation of 5 individuals, it was obvious to see that Camilla utilized superspeed, but that wasn’t it. Under some circumstances, Ben witnessed Camilla’s affinity for electricity, just like the Chinese agent Byakko. During her fight with the agent, even natural lightning was drawn to her.


Finally, there was Lilith, who spent a considerable amount of time restrained to examination tables. No amount of unethical experimentation gave scientists a hint as to what she was, which in turn, only enabled further testing and tampering. Like Camilla, the limit to her abilities was unknown.


Together, with the recent arrival of Xianwu, one of Byakko’s partners, Ben was confident in their inevitable victory. The real test was getting everyone to work as one unit. “I may have devised a plan. If we can keep this creature restrained, we may be able to damage it faster than it can regenerate itself. For this to happen, a trap is necessary.” As large and intimidating as the beast was, its size was also a disadvantage in an urban environment. “Camilla?” he called out.


The speedster was largely tuned out. Sure, the fire was a concern in her mind as much as it was in everyone else’s, but she was mostly worried about Lily. Hearing her name was enough to buy her attention, though. Looking over in Ben’s direction, he continued. “Do you think you can distract that?”He asked, pointing to the creature, which was still on its side at this point. Glancing at the larger enemy for a brief second, she nodded. “Good, we’ll need enough time to set up a trap. Xianwu?”


Xianwu was still breathless as he turned his attention towards Ben. It took a moment of several deep breaths before he was even capable of an answer--albeit, a less than fortunate one. “I’ll need time...a lot of it.” Much like Xianwu’s appearance suggested, he was very young; if not one of the youngest officers to ever be employed by the Dominion. Like his direct companions, he was a successor to one of the four guardian beasts of China. As such, he held an enormous amount of power within his grasp; though, his lack of experience left him unable to maintain it for extended periods of time. The scope of his prior attack had pushed himself to his utter limits--leaving the immediate future with next to nothing left. “We don’t have time to be standing around.” He added with a sense of urgency and annoyance towards the idle hosts surrounding him.. “Like the water spirit, you’ve all power, no? Stop standing around, before this has all been for naught.”


Camilla clicked her tongue in annoyance. Who was this again? Visually, the boy looked no older than Lily, yet sported the same symbol that haunted the dreams of his kind for years. Giving Lily a smile, Camilla rose to her feet and approached Ben and the others. “How long am I supposed to distract it for?” she asked. “Preferably for as long as you’re able.”


On top of needing to set the actual trap, half of their supernatural force had no idea how to actually utilize their abilities. “Xianwu, I need you to work with that woman on creating a trap big enough to the creature to stand in.” Ben pointed to Samantha, who he hadn’t learned the name of, yet. “Len, may I see your weapon?” Hesitant at first, Len ultimately upholstered her specialized pistol and handed it to Ben. “What for?” She asked as Ben set the weapon to concussion mode. “... Training.”


With the weapon in hand, Ben turned to the pink-haired girl, who had been glancing at each of them in confusion, though her attention was still mainly focused on the monstrosity. “Ms. Black, can you come over here, please?” Lucy’s body slightly jolted as she was called into action, her legs slowly, and awkwardly, moving over toward him.


Without warning, Ben aimed and fired a non-lethal round towards Lucy, which was more of a blast of energy than it was an actual bullet. Her eyes opened wide as she stared down the barrel of the weapon, her body freezing in shock, body recoiling backward, and yet... Normally, the force of the concussive blast was enough to knock the average person on their ass. In Lucy’s case, it was as if she wasn’t affected at all. Her body absorbed the blast. Like before, that feeling of tension returned. “..As I thought.” Ben readjusted his glasses, which shook in the wake of the energy, Lucy’s eyes slowly opening to look back up at him with shock and fear. “You can store and redistribute kinetic energy.”


The expression on Lucy’s face turned to confusion. She understood what he meant, what she couldn’t understand is how she could do it. “Umbra…” Lucy thought to herself, her mind melding back to when she left her and Byakko, as their hands touched. Finally, she looked back toward Ben, worry setting in once more. “Wh-. What can I do to help?” She questioned, glancing back toward the others as they began to trap the beast.


“Once the beast is in place, we’ll use that energy to shoot this man,” Ben pointed to Tom, taking the girl aback. “..into its chest. It may have the ability to heal itself, but it must have a core we can destroy. Any objections?” Tom immediately rose his arm in objection, and the girl’s expression gave equal concern to the plan. He was willing to help, within reason. Like sending Tom to rip into the beast. Hell, even just standing around drawing the beast attention would have been alright. The armor was durable enough for it. But he didn't consider being blasted by a little girl into a giant blood thirsty pooch reasonable. He considered it insane. ”As much as I'd looove to be the world's largest bullet. I'm going to have to pass. It's not exactly on my bucket list. Although I've always wanted to turn a man inside out. If you’d like to help me mark that off my bucket list I'd be up for it.” He told the Bossy nerd in a cheerful voice. His scowl hidden underneath his visor. As for the girl, Lucy didn’t want to get anywhere near whatever Tom was, let alone touch him. Still, the situation didn’t exactly leave time to dwell on such things. “Are… You sure?” She simply asked, turning back to Ben after Tom objected, a weary tonality to her words.

Collaboration Post
2 / 6​

 

[Boss]

Camilla Ferrari | Lucy Black | Samantha | Tom B. Stone​

Evening
Brookfield | Downtown
Streets​

In the case of Ben’s request to Xianwu, it wasn’t entirely out of the question, utilizing the water spirit as a means to trap the beast. Not only was she already involved on the offensive front, but her power was already proving to be somewhat useful. The sheer amount of misery spread across the injured and dying had spawned a seemingly infinite field of corrupted tentacles--all of which were capable of inflicting noticeable chip damage against the creature’s body. Of course none of this mattered, so long as she remained in a state of frenzied panic. Fighting against the fatigue of his own body, Xianwu burst to his feet and sprinted over to wall where Samantha was positioned. Her desperate pleas, in addition to her screams of anguish, were obvious signs that her mind was overwhelmed; as well as providing a clear reason to the lack of control she maintained over her power. Being young and inexperienced when it came to the emotions of others, Xianwu was helpless in light of Samantha’s current attack; thus, he resorted to more primitive means--a quick flick of his wrist that sent a cracking blow against the side of her face. A slight gasp escaped Lucy as she glanced over. “If you desire for this to all end, then wake yourself up and make it so…” he began in a stern tone against her. “...else, remove yourself from this place. You are a hindrance to all of us. But if you can do something, then lock down that beast, and do so with haste.”


Samantha had been swirling in a mire of negative emotions. But among them all, the sharp pain of a slap brought her back to reality. It was a...surreal feeling, pain. She shook her head in anger and looked to the youth. Unbeknownst to her, a few tentacles had started to twitch towards him, but she was able to gain control soon enough. Samantha took a few breaths and stood up to watch countless tentacles resume their fight against the monster. She was...doing that? She looked down at the kid, his tone didn’t sit well with her, and she found herself snarling a response. But the venom died before it could leave her mouth. Now wasn't the time to argue. Like she told Lucy: things were going to be sink or swim.


Focusing outward, the tentacles at her command stopped their striking attacks and began to restrict instead--wrapping around the beast, trying to halt its movements. With her other hand extended, a stream of water shot out and formed a ring around the center of the beast. A secondary form of control that began to tighten and expand, to make a dome as she had tried to contain Lilith and Camilla before. Upon seeing eruption of tentacles, and everyone doing their own little thing. The armoured figure of Tom stood rather annoyed by his role as ammo. Which he hated, but didn't feel like now was the time to argue. Although he also felt a strange kinship with Samantha. The stranger with both water manipulation as well as tentacles. Tom was glad he wasn't the only freak. So much so that he felt it necessary to wave tentacle at her cheerfully calling, ”HEY TWINSIES! GIVE EM HELL!” Before going back to his prior conversation.


As a whole, everyone involved in the battle had been given a break, a moment to breath, as the creature was left recovering from Xianwu's last attack. Nonetheless, such good fortune did not last forever, and once again, it was beginning to stir. As tentacles began to wrap around its body and limbs, the creature roared in protest--many of its heads extending from the body, after which they began chewing against the restraints. It was an effective tactic at removing the tentacles; however, for each one that it destroyed, another took its place. As such, the creature was effectively harnessed, just as Ben had requested; though for every second that passed by, the hold was grower weaker--not to mention the unoccupied heads began their former tactic of spewing a fresh burst of hellfire down onto the street. Blue fire slammed against the surface of Samantha’s unfinished shield and rebounded inward--somewhat contained by the efforts of the girl. Nonetheless, patches of the water were rapidly evaporating under the intensity of the flames, and all together, it was not going to hold.


“What is anyone doing?” Xianyu screeched; his expression defined by utter disbelief towards the ragtag group at hand. It wasn’t much, but a small portion of his Zodiac energy had returned, just enough to summon an additional layer of water that began to support Samantha’s own. “Ben, I don’t know where you found such useless warriors, but they need to strike now.” The young Dominion officer was seething with anger. He had given everyone an opportunity to strike; though it was now obvious that his efforts had been entirely wasted. “One more layer, and I might be able to contain the flames.” He muttered to himself, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he attempted to utilize everyone ounce of remaining power his body contained


...but then it happened. The layers of the shield evaporated into nothingness, leaving nothing to contain the fires of the beast. Blue flame rushed back onto the street, right as another deafening roar exploded from the non-occupied maws. All across its body, the wounds from before were practically regenerated, as well as its overall vitality returned. With little effort, the creature lifted itself up and out of the street and returned its body to its full, menacing height. At this point, Samantha’s tentacles were practically flies; thei9r holds meaningless against the creature that began to charge forward at an alarming rate. While doing so, fire continued to spew from several maws, while the others prepared for direct contact with its enemies.


That was when a trail of lightning blasted through the middle of the group, carrying with it an explosive mixture of winds and dust particles. With the beast well on its way, there wasn’t much distance between it and the ragtag group of hosts. The remaining tanks continued their valley of fire, but with the second wave of it’s odd flame, the ground team had no choice but to retreat back to the group and give up ground for the creature. Lightning zipped past them going the opposite direction until its source, Camilla, stopped in its direct path. The creature was a lot more intimidating up close, and it was only getting closer as it broke into a sprint.


Camilla was unarmed. She had to come up with a way to distract something that big. “I saw this in a comic once. I hope this works!” Her immediate solution was to run back and forth along the street’s crosswalk, creating a vibrant yellow wall of lightning in her path.


Getting hit by a bolt a lightning and seeing the wall was enough to bring the creature to a sudden halt. The fire erupting from its upper maws also came to a stop as they began an attempt at tracking the erratic movements of Camilla. Several heads erupted from its body and stretched themselves in an attempt to bite at the annoyance; however, the creature’s heads were too large and bulky to ever land a hit on Camilla, who simply dodged to the left or right to avoid its toothy clutches.


Tom was quietly minding his own business refusing to be used as ammunition. Luckily the girl who was supposed to send him hurtling at Fluffy was no fonder of the idea than he was. He didn't understand why. It wasn't as if she was being shot towards death incarnate. But he didn't question it. Lucy stared back at the distracted monstrosity, and while it didn’t seem to be landing any blows on Camilla, in her mind it was only a matter of time… There was no time to think, they had to take the opportunity to strike now before they lost it. The small girl’s footfalls barely made a noise as she moved around the armored man in the midsts of the commotion that the hound’s reemergence had caused, putting him between it and herself. Tom was contemplating what he ‘WAS’ going to do as he felt someone move behind him thanks to Spike being as his backside. Although he barely had time to react before Lucy spoke up. “I’m… Sorry.” A small voice announced wearily from slightly below Tom, her hand outstretched toward his chest, as the tips of her fingers lightly grazed the strange material that covered it. She only hoped this would work.

*BANG*


“Wait what? Sorry for whaaaaaaaaaaaaa-.” Tom yelled as he was sent flying off in the direction of fluffy. His tentacles flailing in all directions along with his arms as he yelled bloody murder. His only thoughts being if he survived he would feed that brat to Spike.

Collaboration Post
3 / 6​

 

[Boss]

Camilla Ferrari | Lucy Black | Samantha | Tom B. Stone | Diana Young​

Evening
Brookfield | Downtown
Streets
​

Samantha, her bindings shattered moved back into a defensive role. What little water she had left in her reservoir shot out to encase Tom, a final layer of protection as he plunged towards the monster….and right into one of its many maws. To the creature, Tom was nothing more than a minor snack, and one that slid down its esophagus without any concern. The interior of the creature’s throat was lined with a thick, oily substance that immediately covered the surface of Tom’s armor. In doing so, it left him unable to maintain any form of proper grip and sent him plummeting through an abyss that was void of any illumination--at least until he reached the end. The conclusion to Tom’s journey was a violent splash that submerged his body under a literal lake of corrupted acid. Its effects were instantaneous. The surface of his armor and shield began to gradually corrode, though, at worst case, the rate of its regeneration was far beyond what was required to maintain its integrity. If anything was a concern for him, it was the fact that the weight of his armor was dragging him down; all the closer towards a single source of light that gave illumination to the pool.


It was nearly twenty feet below Tom’s current position, shining with a blinding purple light that pulsated at a seemingly consistent interval. Heavy waves of demonic energy seemed to emanate from each pulse, and the closer he approached only heightened its effect. To make matters worse, a collection of red dots began to glow from the bottom of the pool; seconds before they suddenly burst upward at a rapid speed. The closer they approached, they became increasingly more obvious--a peculiar alien-like creature that resembled a smaller, aquatic version of the demon outside.”Well fucking great!” Tom complained now sinking into the literal belly of the beast. ”Hey Tom! How about we shoot you and the thirty headed giant Cerberus!? No? Oh well, we’re going to do it anyway! Fucking bastards! Now I'm forced to fight fluffies unborn spawn lake of acid!” He said as he began to sink deeper into the acid. Amazingly, if the only good thing he had going for him in his current situation. He was still able to breathe. Although he wasn't pleased by the odor he was inhaling. It was almost enough to make him vomit. Of course, he felt that was redundant considering his current situation. He just wanted to get out of this hell hole. But if he wanted to survive he’d have to take down aqua Fluffy. He knew the enemy had the field advantage. He could probably move better than Tom. So he'd have to overwhelm him. Tom sent as many of his tentacles as he could muster at the creature. All barring their razor-sharp teeth in anticipation as they attempted to dig into the flesh of the scaly creature. If he could manage to sink his tentacles into the monster he'd use it as an opportunity to drag himself closer to it aiming an armoured fist at its face. Hoping to bash it's brains in.


The critter continued its upward charge, unconcerned about the tentacles approaching its way. At first, it seemed reckless to demonstrate such behavior; however, the reason became perfectly clear the moment the tentacles began to bite into its body. Corrosive blood mixed with a pore-expunged mucus erupted from its wounds and skin, both spilling onto the surface of the appendages. The effects were immediate. The upper half of the tentacles were rapidly consumed by the acidity of its defenses and although, it wasn't much effort for the tentacles to regenerate, their sudden absence left Tom vulnerable to the speed of the creature's follow up attack. Like a whip, its tail swung upward and slashed against Tom's body. Were it an ordinary appendage, the attack would have been meaningless against his armor; though imbued with acid, it effortlessly sliced right through. Again, latent regeneration meant the injury was temporary at best, yet a sudden rush of acid pouring into the momentary wound, left Tom with a sudden surge of searing pain.


Satisfied with a successful blow, the creatures zipped out of the tentacles range, and began circling from afar--close enough that remained a sizeable threat, but just out of reach given Tom's lack of active mobility. Tom let out a forced gasp for air as he was struck full force by the creature. Causing his cut to be sliced open and the acid to seep into his stomach. It hurt like hell but at least he was still alive and kicking. Man this regen was handy. His attack failing him. Now he had to figure out a new move. Clearly his armour wasn't doing much but exhausting him at this point. If it couldn't properly defend him it was useless. With a thought he absorbed the armour back to wherever it had originally come from. Now back to his normal attire...well at least what was left of it before it was burnt off by the acid. Now naked Tom was completely unrestrained, and ready to battle. He summoned ten tentacles, all ready to do his bidding. Then he used them to propel himself through the acid. Now lightened from removing his armor he easily blasted through the acid. Then he sent his tentacles at his foe once in range. Focusing on the creature he sent four to its left, and four to it's right. Leaving two for defense. He aimed his attack this time at the beast eyes. Hoping to blind the bastard. Although as dark as this place was he wasn't sure it even needed sight to maneuver. But it was his best shot.


For a few moments, Diana had stood still and watched the events unfold, confused, annoyed, she didn’t really know by this point. Only the fact a giant cerberus looking thing was fighting multiple people and seemingly, having the upper hand, “Axel. The hell am I looking at for starters.” Saying that she held up her normal hand with one finger as she turned her other arm into the same laser cannon that she had used multiple times before, “Secondly, how the hell do we beat this thing.” Saying that she held up two of her fingers before raising her cannon. Normally, a titan couldn’t regenerate. They were made of the same flesh and blood as everything else, only at a colossal scale. Axel wanted to study the creature more, but before they knew it, someone was being thrown into one of the mouths of the thing before them as Diana shook her head, “The hell are they doing…” With that she decided to find a better position, with Axel on her heels.


Their better position consisted of a rooftop just overlooking the back of the creature. Someone - or something, was keeping the creature occupied with a spectacle of lightning, but even an amatuer could see it wouldn’t last forever. “Just watch and learn, Diana.” The Zodiac responded, having realized Diana was going to shoot the thing at any moment.


With a maiden’s freakish strength, Axel lobbed her dagger skyward, past the clouds.


Lucy continued to watch the onslaught brought onto the monstrosity. The creepy man, Tom, hadn’t emerged for some time now, the restraints that Samantha held had long shattered, only the flashes of Camilla could be seen, and the dominion’s barrage continued. While they were safe for the moment at their distance, it wouldn’t… Couldn’t stay that way. The thing before them reeked of hollow power.


At that moment she felt like simply turning around, to run from this horrible nightmare, could the dominion even force her to stay? She just wanted to get back to the safety of her home. Home… It hadn’t felt like home in so long, just a place she stayed, ever since her family... Well, that was until a few days ago.


“Ben.” Her voice silently rose up, she could feel the relief that even the relief of a small blast of energy gave, her face soon following to look up toward the agent. Their ordinance had been landing direct blows against the hound, yet it seemed to shrug them off for the most part, yet it made the girl wonder. “What if…” Her voice seemed to drown out with her own fear, as she clearly forced the words out of her mouth. “They fired a- at me? Like a battery?” The girl’s gaze moved over toward the units firing upon the creature, at least those that remained, before glancing back toward Ben for confirmation, a worried frown dragging her face down.


The chief engineer was simply surprised that Lucy hadn’t fled after firing Tom into the belly of the beast. “I admire your drive, Ms.Black, but everything hinges on our current plan.” With that said, he had hoped it was the first and last plan, the girl slightly sinking, waiting to see exactly what that was as she glanced back at the scene. Given what the creature could do, Brookfield was lucky its defenders were able to mostly restrain the beast. “We can’t keep wasting our ordinance..” grumbled Len, who eventually gave the order to cease fire over her radio. The sounds of battle then quieted down. VTOLs circled overhead, ready to drop even heavier munitions on the beast. Now, everything hinged on Tom finding the core, and Camilla keeping the creature far enough away that it didn’t charge the main group.


That was when an impossibly sized dagger dropped from the skies, impaling the creature’s body and pinning it to the ground. To the non-hosts, the creature looked to collapse under its own weight, but for hosts, they could see the tank-wide, train-long dagger dig itself into the creature’s back.

Collaboration Post
4 / 6​