Arthur jones Arthur limped through the town swearing profusely and clutching his wounded shoulder, He caught his foot on a lose stone and fell to the ground next to a wall. Arthur cried out and then stilled almost instantly as he saw a small symbol carved into a stone on the wall "No Way". He jumped up pain forgotten and dug his fingers into the symbol, The wall hissed and a concealed door swung out. He almost dived in looking around. The small supply closet was pristine but uncompleted, racks on the wall were around half stocked with guns. Arthur nipped to the wall and stroked a long barreled rifle love in his eyes "Ruthara if i ever curse you again i do not deserve to live." Arthur pulled the rifle off the wall and slung it over his back wincing as it hit his shoulder he drew out the drawer beneath the rack and frowned slightly "Only thirty rounds shame". Arthur pocketed the rounds and a couple of knives from the opposite wall and nipped out of the closet sealing it behind him. Arthur returned to the camp and found the Cornall "I had trouble getting out theres a group of meta humans in the city, black eyes, sharp teeth, a taste for flesh and they run like devils. I know a supply closet my old employers set up, half a dozen high powered assault rifles with 3 clips for each, maybe 8 handguns with the same ammo, there may be other weapons or supplies there i didn't stay long enough to check. It would be dangerous but we could grab them before we leave." Arthur looked down to his shoulder "Also i don't suppose you know anyone good with a needle my shoulder needs stitching and its an awkward place for me to reach" Arthur rolled his shoulder trying to settle it comfortably.
Colonel Matt Garter The old man, Arthur, came bumbiling out of the dark and up to Garter as he waited for the prisioner to speak. He spoke of the black-eyes and that he had found a stash of weapons. A refill on weapons was the best news Garter had heard in the past month. Then Arthur showed him a painful looking gash on his shoulder. "Dr. Fox should be done with one of our other paitents. You should be able to find him by that tent over there. Garter pointed to the tent closest to the bonfire. As the old man began walking away he said, "Thankyou for finding the weapons. They will be invaluable in the days to come. If you are up to it, you can lead us to them in the morning."
Samantha Hazel "What did the tree do to you to received such cruel and unusual punishment?" Kyra asked. Samantha glanced in her direction out of the corner of her eye but then continued her forms. She didn't know what to say to a full-grown woman who cared only about her self. Knee/ankle kick, 90 degree angle hand swipe, upper cut, round-house; the tree didn't stand a chance. Kyra leaned against another tree, watching her in the ignored silence. With a sigh, she changed her voice to a softer tone. "Samantha. Are you okay?" "What do you care!?" Samantha asked harshly. She stopped for half a moment, bouncing on her toes. "All you care about is boys, makeup and hair. You didn't even gather anything of worth in the city!" All Samantha's pent up anger and sorrow about the past 6 months had finally reached a boiling point. Unfortunetly Kyra was in the line of fire. "At least one person dies almost every week from something as simple as an infection. I've stopped trying to make friends. And the one time I do..." She turned away and began practiceing on the tree again, tears threatening to spring forth. Kyra stood still, surprised by Samantha's sudden anger. Yet, she was more surprised at the fact that she could relate to her. She had dealt with those feelings for years. "I'm sorry," Kyra said softly. "But you know, hitting a tree won't help Sophie. It will only make you feel worse." Samantha stopped and turned towards Kyra,"Training is the only thing that makes me feel better. Except for this necklance its the only thing I have left from my parents." She held out a silver necklace from her neck, with a charm in the shape of a tree. "Crying doesn't solve problems, it only shows weakness. Training helps vent one's anger and sorrow and turns it into something productive." "Well, if it helps you then go for it," Kyra sighed, plopping down on the ground. She rested her back on a tree trunk. To her, trees were made for relaxing, not hitting. "Oh, and you should treasure that necklace. I'd give up all my stuff to have just one thing from my real parents." Kyra gave a weak, yet genuine smile, "I hate to admit it, but we're alike in more ways than one." Samantha put her back the tree and slid down its trunk till she was sitting on the ground. She wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve and asked, "Oh, Yeah. How's that?" Kyra plucked a piece of grass out of the ground, twirling it between her fingers. "Well...first, we both survived the bombings. You gotta give me credit for that at least," Kyra winked, "Second, I don't have parents either. I've never met them, and probably never will. I lived in a girl's home until I was 11. Then, I was adopted by a couple that could never have children or grandchildren. They were in their 60s, but were very rich." Kyra gulped, forcing the words out, "When I was 18, they died in a car accident." Samantha's faced softened and the anger in her dissappated. She was wary of the Kyra's story, as it was likely another ploy to get people to feel sorry for her but Samantha decided to take it as truth anyway. For the time being. "I'm sorry. At least I have memories. You don't even have that." A snuffiling sound came from a nearby tent. Samantha and Kyra looked at eachother. "Rats?" Kyra whispered worridely. "Only one way to find out." Samantha stood, walked over to the tent and slowly opened the flap. She gasped softly at what she saw. Kyra peered over her shoulder and make a sort of choking sound. A young girl, it least it sort of looked like a girl. She had a tail and elongated nails, almost like claws. Perhaps the poor thing had been mutated by the radiation. Amazing she hadn't died. The girl looked up, a terrified look on her face. Samantha held up a hand in surrender. "It's ok, we're friends."
Arthur Jones "Aye Colonel, i will lead you. You will find me on the hill behind the camp tonight and tomorrow morn." Arthur stroked the rifle butt protruding over his shoulder. "A good rifle is like a lady she needs to be courted, three black eyes will taste her sting tonight. Find me there in the morn" Arthur walked over to the doctors tent and motioned to his shoulder. as soon as the doctor was done he walked over to the hill. Arthur laid down on the hill and took his rifle off his back setting her up quickly and efficiently. He checked the parts over then loaded a single bullet in the chamber admiring the smooth action and the soft click as the stock set. He looked down the scope smiling as he saw groups of the black eyes crawling over the ruins. He flicked a button on the side going through the scope settings 12X,18X,24X zoom infra red and thermal, Arthur clicked the button one more time and soft purple waves seemed to fill the scope dancing to the tunes of the wind. Arthur chuckled softly "my lady you are too good for me" Wind tracking scopes were worth more than a tank in his day. Arthur sat long hours watching the meta humans till he saw one towering over the rest issuing orders "well hello fella" Arthur whispered gently. He quickly sighted the man and pulled the trigger, The bullet left the chamber with a sound less then a whisper Arthur counted to under his breath "one....tw" the man suddenly got blasted back into the street from the force of the bullet. He hit the stones obviously dead, the black eyes went mental scurrying about like ants. "Accurate to two miles though three would be possible at a pinch" Arthur smiled "one down two more to go" He sat through the night waiting as still as the trees behind him. Twice more he fired the rifle chuckling slightly as he did so. As the morning sun crested he dismantled the support and slung the rifle on his back and sat cross legged watching the sunrise.
Roy Towns Roy and Ulysses wandered the camp after his brief discussion with the Colonel. Roy greeted anyone who he saw. Most responded but seemed leery of him. He could understand. Life was different now. At the edge of the side closest to the forest, he saw Kyra and the girl with the stew. They looked like they were in deep conversation though, so he let them be. After walking the perimeter of the camp, he found a quiet spot at on edge, in among a few trees, and laid his sleeping bag out and bunked down for the night. He still couldn't believe everything that had happened so far today, he had found people again. He dozed off with the satisfaction that he wasn't alone. But behind his joy was still the sadness. And a feeling that things here were not what they seemed. He would just have to wait and see. Maybe the light of day would bring different perspective. Finally he fell fast asleep, Ulysses next to him. Three times in the night, he was awoken by the sound of a single gunshot.
Bee Bee darted backwards as two not-bears entered the clothe house. Instinctively her claws elongated. Bee could feel Teddy growling, but she wondered if she'd actually need him. The not bears moved into the tent. The closer one almost reminded Bee of the Bee she had seen in the water but...different. Her hair was a light colour, like a yellow. Another girl was behind her. Her hair was the same colour but it had pale red coloured bits in it. The nearer one raised her hands in the same way Bee had seen bears do when they stood on their back legs. Mabye they were bears? Bee moved back taking her attack stance, Teddy readying. "It's ok, we're friends She said. Bee paused, they could make noise like her. But what was a friend? Bee knew enough about bears to know what the claws up meant. Bee leapt forward to pin the nearer not-bear. "What are you? If you try to hurt me Teddy will get you!"
The Insanity Shows "Eat. Then I want you to tell me why you kidnapped an innocent woman, and cut off her finger." I twitch. I can not help it. I am being put on trial, it is natural instinct. "How about I ask you the questions? You traitorous scum. I know what you are, I know your cause. Why do you think I captured one of you? I just need a few fill in the blanks... Who leads this rebellion against Russia? Why are you conspiring against us? What are your ranks? And, who in the Hell do you think you are, capturing me like this?" Maybe I could reason with them, then stab them in the back. I just need to get a clue of my surroundings. Looking left, flowers dancing in the wind. Armed guards. Looking right, dead grass. Spies. Looking forward. The faces of my known enemies. These disguises are poor. That does not change their readiness to shoot on movement. "By the way, I can see your guards easily. Your disguises do not fool me. Now do you want to fill me in on why you deserted me in this wasteland?"
Colonel Garter "By the way, I can see your guards easily. Your disguises do not fool me. Now do you want to fill me in on why you deserted me in this wasteland?" Garter stopped in mid bite and raised an eyebrow at the man. Conspiricy against the russians? This guy was off his rocker. "Sir, the war has been over for the past 6 months. The world, as we know it, isn't much more than a waste land now. There is no concpiracy, there are no ranks, no disguises and there is only one guard behind you. That is the truth...and you are going to have to accept it sooner or later." Makari snapped his head towards the guard. This guy is not Russian... He sounds honest. He thought. "If this is not the war, I want you to tell me exactly what it is!" Garter sighed and set down his half-eaten bowl on the ground. As he tried to think of the best explaination he filled the prisoner's bowl with a decent amount of stew. "The negotians of cease-fire didn't go well. Each nation was determined to prove it was the best one to take control of the United Nations. The bombings got more and more intense and finally turned into nuclear war as each nation tried to out-do the other." ~~~ "Colonel! The planes are coming and the trucks are almost full! We don't have time to evacuate more people!" Sergant Rusk yelled at Colonel Garter. He pushed the refugees forward, trying to get them to speed up. Colonel Garter set a woman, who had stumbled and fallen, back on her feet. She rushed off back into the crowd that was piling into transport vehicles. There were still several hundred people out there...rushing towards them away from the bomb-dropping planes. He hated it...but his Sergant was right. They had to save the ones they could. "Start the vehicles. Get as far into the country as you can!" Colonel yelled into his radio. He too turned closed the doors on the transport truck. People were beginning to mob him...they wanted fast transportation away from death. He somehow managed to get into the driver's seat and drive off before the truck was swarmed. His heart ached as he heard the bomb's fall, and the people's screams fade in the distance. He could hear the people in the back of the truck, crying in anguish over watching their city burn in flames. Planes flew over head, and bombs whistled closer and closer. ~~~ Garter touched the scar over his left eye. His truck had miracously survived the bombings that day. He had managed to save 10 people in his own truck and 6 more from other trucks that hadn't been so lucky. It had been the worst day of life. His fiance had died in another city, and he had been totally helpless to do anything. Garter broke himself out of his revere and turned his attention back to Makari. "After several months of bombings and a week of nuclear missles...the world went errily quiet. Our government was lost under the bombings...I can only assume the other nations suffered the same. Includeing your Russian government. So far none of us have heard any rescue planes flying over so here we are; trying to get to a mythical peice of land that is supposedly untouched by the war. It's supposed to be as big as Florida and between the states of New York and Maine." It sounds true, he shows no signs of lying. The evidence though, all of those agents. Makari thought. "So I don't suppose that everything I witnessed was false? Those KGB agents, not conspiring against me? Sophie not working directly with them? I saw her talking to my former leader. She knelt down to the flower, she listened to it, conspired with it." Garter leaned forward gestured harshly with his hands, "Listen to yourself! Sophie talking to a flower!? Are flowers animate!? Can they give commands!? Your brain must have been altered by the radiation. There ARE NO KGB anymore." He stood abruptly and pointed to tent behind Makari. "You can sleep there tonight. There is going to be a guard posted at all hours of the night, should you try something. In the morning...you have a desicion to make. Continue being convinced we are conspiring against you...and be left behind OR relieze that enemies and allies alike are dead; and journey with us as we try to restart our lives with what little we have." Colonel Garter spoke into the guard's ear about choosing a set of people to watch him and then removed the energy cuffs from Makari. "I hope you make the right choice." With that he turned and faded into the night.
Samantha Hazel The strange looking girl growled then jumped on her chest, knocking Samantha on her back. "What are you? If you try to hurt me Teddy will get you!" "I'm human. Like you." Samantha replied as calmly as she could. The desire to knock the girl off was almost unbearable but the child seemed frightened enough and such a move could possible make her violent. "My name is Samantha." She pronounced her name slowly. "Is your's Teddy?" The girl leaned back slightly, but Samantha was still warry of the the claws. "Whats a human? and whats a name?" The girl asked confused. Samantha had never been asked such a question before. What had this child been before the bombings. Maybe the radiation had effected more than her appearances. "Well" She said lifting her head slightly off the ground. "A human is what you are. Though you look different...probably because of the radia...i mean bombings. And a name is what someone calls you. So other humans call me Samantha." "S a m a n t h a." Bee said slowly. She climbed off Samantha's chest as her claws retracted. "I haven't met any humans before, but Teddy calls me Bee." "Bee is a good name." Samantha was beginning to think that Teddy was an imaginary friend. "Where do you sleep?" "I live by the lake in my house." "Are you alone? All by yourself?" "Ugh huh." Bee yawned and lay on the floor. He eyelids seemed to be to heavy for her as they bounced about as Bee tried to keep her eyes open. With a small pur she had fallen asleep. Samantha chuckled quietly. She lay a blanket over bBee then grabbed an extra one for herself before scooting herself to the far side of the tent. Good thing Sophie had passed out in the sick tent. There would have been no room in here for her tonight.
The Carnival The morning air was crisp and cold. It held the begginnings of fall in it's clutches. People began to stir from their bed earlier than normal because of the cold that bit their noses. The sun had just risen over the city. It was likely around 7 in the morning. The night before, the carnvial had light up bringing a sense of curiosity into many of the people. This morning, a group of people planned to go see the carnival. Perhaps they could get it going and they could have a day or two of fun before advancing towards the hardships to come. Colonel Matt Garter was greeted by many smiling faces asking permission to go to the carnival. Jaxo himself offered to lead the group, while Garter followed Arthur to wepons cache. Garter raised his eyebrow at Jaxo. "You would rather lead the group to the carnival than come to the weapons cache with us?" "Yes. Don't worry...I'll have two of my men with you to make sure you don't try something but I've been eyeing that carnival since we got here. I bet you a full day's rations, we can get it to work." Jaxo replied, for the first time in his life...being completly honest. The sight of something fun after a barren wasteland for the past 6 months was encouraging beyond measure. "Very well. You will lead the carnival group and I'll see about these weapons. Hopefully it's real and not the myth of some crazy man's mind. Jaxo turned towards the caravan with a smile, a rare thing. He yelled to the carvan. "Alright you lazy bums.!..I leave for the carni val in half-an-hour! So move your butts...or get left behined senior-sitting." He glanced over at a man who was likely in his 70's picking his toes and muttering to himself. Yeah...that would be fun. Sarcasim spiced his thoughts.
Roy Towns "Alright you lazy bums.!..I leave for the carni val in half-an-hour! So move your butts...or get left behind senior-sitting." Roy was just rolling up his sleeping bag when he heard the shout. He didn't particularly like the idea of going to the carnival, but he didn't like the idea of not going either. Another thing he didn't like was the man who was saying all this. He had a sneer to his voice that caused a deep desire in Roy to see how big his fist was in comparison to the man's mouth. Ulysses didn't like the man either his hair had stood up as soon as he started speaking. Roy wasn't sure, but he guessed that this irritating man was Jaxo, the other caravan leader. He was glad that he'd decided to talk to Colonel Garter. But still, he had morbid curiosity about this carnival. He finished packing his things, and took his gun out of his pack. He hadn't had much use for it, and it was a good thing, he was running out of shells. But still, something made him feel the need to check it over. He opened the barrel, checked the trigger and anvil, everything looked good. He put a few shells in his pocket and fit the gun in the loops on the outside of his pack, just in case. He walked up to Jaxo. "I'll go."
Colonel Garter Garter had his group prepped and ready to head out. Arthur looked excited and energetic for an old man. Garter wondered what he did in his life before the bombings. But Arthur didn't seem to like to talk about it so Garter had let the subject drop...for now. Gruff and Stuff, (his name was Stuph but know one ever thought if it that way), Jaxo's goons, were whispering to eachother and kept sending glances in his direction. He knew they were planning something...they'd probably try to kill him and the others when they reached the stash but at the moment there was nothing he could do about that. He turned to look at the tent where the prisoner was being held in. He wondered what Makari had decided to do. Stay or leave. He hoped the man would would see that his parinoia was unfounded. "Alright Colonel. We're ready to head out." Terrance, a former Navy Seal said. "Very well. Arthur...lead the way to this stash. Gruff, Stuph, you're in front of me." "What!? You don't trust us Colonel?" Gruff mocked, but they took their places in front of him anyways. As they marched off towards the city Garter looked back to see Jaxo's group also leaving the camp site and heading towards the carnival. He hoped they had fun. The caravans needed a moral boost. Jaxo Jaxo happily lead his group down to the city. Everyone was in grand spirits. As they got closer to the carnival, Jaxo noticed something was odd. The carnival was on. The rides were blinking, cheerful circus music blared through the speakers and the carvan walked inside overwhelmed by this odd phenominon. For a moment everything seemed like it was going to be ok, then a voice, raspy and a little high pitched spoke through the speakers. “More people than I’ve ever had before. “ “More people to walk through my door. Enjoy the sites, enjoy the sounds. Cause in a moment death might resound!” Before the caravan could understand what was happening the Cleanser cackled and he pulled a lever. Over half the group fell through a trap in the cement, landing on a thick pad 9 feet below. Those left above ran towards the trap door but it closed before they could reach it. There was barely a crack in the cement to show for the hole that had swallowed their comrades. Down below the people who had fallen, helped eachother off the mat and explored their surroundings. Samantha was one of them. The room was dark; lit only by the smallest lights. A door opened in the corner, light shining brightly through it. Immediately everyone moved towards the light. As soon as the last person was through, the door closed and they found themselves trapped in another dim room. Circus music suddenly blared through the speakers and a spotlight shone brightly on a platform with a podium. On the podium appeared to be silver clamps. Though what they were for, Samantha couldn’t tell. “Welcome to the Test of Life! Do you deserve to live or deserve to die? Pass the test and enjoy the new earth, Or fail the test and get what you deserve.” Samantha looked at her companions’ faces. Their expressions matched her thoughts. This guy was crazy, and they were gonna die.
Kyra Shade Kyra's blood pounded in her ears, her breath growing uneasy. She hadn't felt such adrenaline in her veins since having a cat-fight with a woman in another caravan months before. The outcome had turned out better than she had expected...but this? This was insane! “Welcome to the Test of Life! Do you deserve to live or deserve to die? Pass the test and enjoy the new earth, Or fail the test and get what you deserve.” The voice sounded like some messed-up maniac, high pitched and filled with deceit. And, Kyra knew all about deceit. There was always a twist in a lying tongue. Always something waiting around the bend to jump out and surprise a naive victim. Kyra noticed Samantha close by, and without thinking twice, she slowly stepped a few feet back to place herself in front of her. Ever since last night when she had shared a bit of her heart with the girl, she felt differently about her. "Just don't move," she whispered out of the side of her mouth, "Don't move, don't talk until we find out what this is all about."
Roy Towns Roy fell. And as he fell, the only thing he thought of was how Ulysses had jumped out of the way as the concrete opened up and barked as they fell through. He stood up and brushed himself off. A door in the corner opened up, and just like sheep everyone started for the point of light. "Wait!" He shouted. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" When no one listened, he went in after them, his shotgun drawn. He stood next to Samantha, he had finally learned her name on the way here, and Kyra, looking on in awe as circus music blared and a spotlight lit up a stage. He saw the fear on everyone's faces. They all thought they were going to die. "No one panic!" He shouted. "Everyone, just stay calm." He knew it was probably futile, but he had to do something. He had a really bag feeling about this, he clutched onto his gun, ready for a fight. He'd come to far to let himself get killed in a flipping carnival.
Bee Bee spun in the air as she fell. She thought herself lucky, she always seemed to land on her feet. The rooms darkness didn't bother her, she could she just as well in darkness as in light. A door opened in the wall and Bee was momentarily blinded as her eyes tried to adjust. Bee hung back as people moved towards the door, sticking close to the human Samantha. She jumped slightly as the door closed, wondering if her claws could get through it. Music blared through speakers defeaning her as a voice spoke. “Welcome to the Test of Life! Do you deserve to live or deserve to die? Pass the test and enjoy the new earth, Or fail the test and get what you deserve.” Bee shuffled towards Samantha. "What's that mean?"
Samantha Hazel Bee shuffled towards Samantha. "What's that mean?" "I'm not sure. Just stay close to me. We'll get out of this. The Cleanser “The first test is easy, You will see. I will simply test your knowledge of common things. Each one of you will have your chance, To prove you are worthy of this new land.” No one moved. Several people said stuff about not playing his stupid game but their minds were quickly changed by the Cleanser’s next poem. “Step up, step up. Time is short. You have 15 minutes, Before your lives I abort.” Sure enough, 4 bombs lowered themselves out of the ceiling each of them with a timer counting down their precious minutes. Who would go first? “Here’s the rules Here’s the game Here’s how you’ll survive Or die in pain. If you answer wrong, Poison will kill you. But Answer right…” The Cleanser hesitated and tapped his chin. After a few seconds he held up a finger in triumph, even though no one could see him, and continued his lyrics. “And don’t you fright, You’ll survive till the next test.” The Cleanser chuckled at his cleverness and then laughed harder at the terrified faces of the people on the monitor. “That wasn’t even a rhyme!” Someone yelled at the security camera. The Cleanser furrowed his eyebrows angrily, and pressed a blue button on his console. A small flying droid dropped out of the ceiling, shocked the person who had spoken out of turn and then flew back up into the ceiling. "Now, now, Who wants to go first? To test to see if you are worthy, Of this New Earth?"
Roy Towns "Now, now, Who wants to go first? To test to see if you are worthy, Of this New Earth?" Roy was seriously wondering at the wisdom of joining the caravan. But, still, he had to obey his nature, and his nature dictated that he be the first to go, hopefully it would help the others. "I'll go first." He stepped forward. He turned back to the Samantha and Kyra. "Watch what happens. If I make it, do what I do, if i don't, well, you get the idea." He said. "So what do I do first?" He shouted.
Free of my chains! Where are the others though? They can't have left me here, that would not be a way to treat a prisoner... Scraps of fur are on the ground, bear fur. Could they have been mauled? No sign of blood... The tracks lead towards an abandoned carnival, I know this much. I've studied this land. Why would a bear go to a carnival? Stranger yet, human footprints show in the nearby dirt patch. What's going on? I must have been passed out when they made these crazy arrangements... Nothing to do but follow, then wait for my time to watch whether they are friend or foe.
The Cleanser His first person to evaluate stepped up to the platform. "Put your hands in between the clamps." Cleanser said. The man did so and the clamps firmly held his hands in place over the holes the poisionous needles would come through if the man failed to answer correctly. "Tell me. Why is nuclear war a stupid idea?"
Roy Towns "Because everyone dies." He thought of his family. It hadn't been nuclear war, but everyone had still died. "Is that good enough for you?" A strange peace came over Roy. This might be the end, but he wasn't afraid, there were worse things than death. Like living in a desolate barren wasteland populated by maniacal clowns. He tried to avoid that line of thought and waited for an answer.
