Yea, unless he suddenly in the middle of the story decides to place all charaters on a distant location, kill more then half of them or make em obsolete, then create new charaters and try to use the remaining chapters to add some charater detph to them. If instead sticks to a cohernet plot and keeps "killing cool and important charaters" to a minimum, then okay.
Addendum: I admit I went a little crazier then normal with Darksides ending. Maybe. A little. Not to much, not by far.
So Darkside: Extermination (Working title) will be a little more grounded in one place, one planet to be sure. It will have slightly less characters, but more cool ones (I hope) and will seem to have absolutely nothing to do with Darkside. Until it does!
Oh boy! Plot synopsis would be fun. Or shall I wait till I release Darkside: Extermination? Yeah...unless two or more people say ├óÔé¼┼ôRELEASE A PLOT SYNOPSIS NOW!├óÔé¼┬Ø then I think I will leave you all in suspense!
The doors opened with a slow, clattering clang. The metal doors were rusted and brown with Silt pounding against it for years uncountable. The entire Castle lay at the center of the largest excavation attempt in all of Utah, maybe the world. The first order of the Nine had called hundreds of workers, and some assistance from the then subservient N.E.T, had gotten this old relic of a fortress out of the ground and put it on the top of the Silt that had buried it.
At the time it had been made for storing the deadly biogenetic plagues that could have eliminated Mankind several times over, created by extremists of one kind or another. The plagues containers that were found in the bunker had been filled with Soulless and Silt. The containers had been taken to the Wastes and opened. Now the rest of the Bunker had been remade into the Castle. And now it was empty. At one time the Knights of the Nine had hundreds of people following them. Now they had one man left. Winchester stepped into the castle.
He immediately went into his chambers, ignoring the ruines of what had been his only happy place. He walked into his chambers, closed the door and sighed. He slid the glove off his left hand, the glove he never removed anywhere else. Then he put his hand down on his desk, clinking metal on metal. Winchester pulled his tool kit over and unscrewed the back of his left hand and flipped it open. After fiddling with some wire's in the hand, Winchester closed it again and sighed. He had work to do.
├óÔé¼┼ôI can take care of myself├óÔé¼┬Ø April snapped. Jess nodded meekly. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't care what that...crazy guy├óÔé¼┬Ø April continued ├óÔé¼┼ôSaid, but I don't NEED anyone's protection├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe are not disagreeing with you, damn it├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold groaned. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø April said, looking over her shoulder ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd no one look at my butt├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere did that come from?├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou never know├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou never know when your in front of two guys wearing a half destroyed skin suit├óÔé¼┬Ø. Arnold groaned.
The three of them were making good time. Not nearly as good time as, say, Winchester, but they would arrive at Roosevelt City in about a day. For the night they all sat down and April looked at her feet. Arnold opened his mouth. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe know├óÔé¼┬Ø April and Jess said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe still have no food and no water├óÔé¼┬Ø. Arnold sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm thirsty├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôNot whiny. Its just I'm going to go to the bathroom├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø April said. Arnold looked at the two of them, then got up and walked over a nearby Silt Dune.
Jess and April sat still for a moment. Then they had a long, dull philosophical dissuasion.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Luke asked ├óÔé¼┼ôThat doesn't sound right!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYour right├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts just you two seem to have a natural aversion to├óÔé¼┬Ø she rolled her eyes ├óÔé¼┼ô'mushy stuff'├óÔé¼┬Ø. Luke sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't care what Mathew thinks, but I don't mind the mushy stuff├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou peeping tom├óÔé¼┬Ø April grinned. ├óÔé¼┼ôUhhh├óÔé¼┬Ø Mathew said ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't care what Luke says, but I do care what I think├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell I don't care what you think, so its two against one. You lose├óÔé¼┬Ø she said.
Jess and April sat still for a moment. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou think he's gone far enough?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho cares?├óÔé¼┬Ø April grinned and crawled over to Jess. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe should really conserve our strength├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said, laying back. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe are completely mad├óÔé¼┬Ø April agreed. Arnold sat on the other side of the Silt Dune, kicking the ground softly. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan't those two keep their hands off each other for more then five seconds?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked the open air. But still he sat, giving the two their privacy.
Jess and April untangled, never getting past the cuddle phase. As April had learned at a rather young age, like everyone, the Silt is a pain to get out of you ass. So instead Jess and April just lay together in a comfortable, warm pile. ├óÔé¼┼ôI suppose you could call this resting├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess muttered. April grunted something that could be considered a yes or a no. Then Jess snored. April looked at him. He had fallen asleep, faster then April would have. Then she heard a slight rustle.
April sat up with a jerk. The Silt was bubbling up. Then Soulless started to file out of it. ├óÔé¼┼ôJess!├óÔé¼┬Ø April hissed ├óÔé¼┼ôWake up!├óÔé¼┬Ø. She shook him. The Soulless formed into a human figure. And with a jolt April knew what it was going to be almost instantly. A nude woman, just the same as the last time, stood in the Silt. Or more accurately, slightly above the Silt. The Silt rose up to meet her feet. ├óÔé¼┼ôApril!├óÔé¼┬Ø the woman said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts below!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôJESS!├óÔé¼┬Ø April pinched his earlobe. Jess snapped away. The Soulless snapped under the ground faster then April could see them go.
Jess felt his lobe tenderly ├óÔé¼┼ôJeese├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôI doze off for a second and├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôJess├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need to keep moving├óÔé¼┬Ø. She stood quickly ├óÔé¼┼ôArnold, zip it up! We need to get out of here├óÔé¼┬Ø. Arnold crested the Silt dune ├óÔé¼┼ôI thought I would have to Say that!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need to get to Roosevelt City as soon as possible├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôI have a bad feeling around here├óÔé¼┬Ø. The two men looked at each other. ├óÔé¼┼ôNOW!├óÔé¼┬Ø April shouted and they upped to it.
Roosevelt city was visible miles away. Witch was not normal. After the Impact, Raiders were a big problem, so cites and villages were hard to find. Newer villages were not hidden, as Raiders were kept at bay by the Fiefdoms. April was immediately worried when she spotted the massive black plumes of smoke rising from where she knew Roosevelt City stands. Or stood. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets keep it up├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, throat dry and scratchy. The lack of food and water, though it was only a short time, was still making itself felt on all of them.
It was with relief that April saw Roosevelt City. It was still standing. That was enough for her. Then she saw the ruined buildings, the raging fires and the sporadic fighting. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell is going on?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI have no idea├óÔé¼┬Ø April said. Then they saw a huge battlemech striding between the buildings of the City, its guns scanning left and right. People ran from it, some walking quickly, and most everyone was indoors. Bits and pice's of the propaganda being pumped out by its speakers reached April. ├óÔé¼┼ôAny and all supporters of Magicals will be found. Give in the N.E.T├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The Watcher felt free. Freer then it had in decades, century's even. it had never been below level five. The restrictions on its force had been in place when it had first been created, a time it could not remember. At level four it knew the...lapses would stop. No one would see it, but all would fear its actions. It strode through the streets, melting through the thinned crowds like the wind. It was striding purposefully towards the mech. It had to disable it, but keep them from sending a distress call. It didn't want reinforcements arriving every few minutes.
Then. ├óÔé¼┼ôStop right there!├óÔé¼┬Ø the mech said, its pilots voice booming loudly through its loudspeaker. The Watcher stopped. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes, you!├óÔé¼┬Ø the mech snapped. The Watcher looked up, its face bared to the mech. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell!├óÔé¼┬Ø one of the two pilots of the mech muttered, his voice mistakenly carrying. The Watcher touched the ground and leaped up. The Silt he had touched formed up and around its hand, creating a perfectly balanced throwing dagger. The dagger flew from its hand.
The mech was a bigger, better one then the old ones It had fought in the past. For one thing a laser, mounted on the back of the mech's head, blew the dagger apart. The mech had four legs, compared to the old one's two. It had two gas launchers, for subduing citizens, and three high powered lasers. And one rubber bullet machine gun. The Watcher was perched on top of a building and tossed another dagger at the mech. This one was destroyed as easly as the last, an invisible laser vaporising it in a flash.
The Watcher quirked its mouth in a slight grin. Then it raised its hands to the hevens. Then the building it stood on exploded, Silt flying outwards with enough force to demolish everything around it. But the massive slabs of Hard Silt went upwards. Then came down, one after another after another at the mech. The mech brought its machine gun up, switching to lethal fire. The bullets ripped the hard Silt chunks to shreads, but the shreads kept coming. The laser tried its best, but was floundering. Too many variables, too many different possibility's. And too many damn shards.
The mech fell back, arms raised. Shards of silt were jammed all over it. It backed into a hotel and the entire building collapsed. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit!├óÔé¼┬Ø 04 muttered, looking at the projection from a twined Soulless she had sent up and over the city ├óÔé¼┼ôThe damn mech is doing more damage unintentionally then if it put its mind to it├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Watcher will win, eventually├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 tried to quiet her. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow many people will die first? And of those people who do survive, how many will thank us for 'freeing' them?├óÔé¼┬Ø. 00 rubbed his temples ├óÔé¼┼ôIf there was a way to minimize human casualties, I would do it. But theres not├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd how long did you try and find those different ways?├óÔé¼┬Ø 04 asked, eyes still flashing. ├óÔé¼┼ôLong enough├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 said ├óÔé¼┼ôSend a squad of battlemages, lend support to The Watcher├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe'll need to lower our shield for a bit├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôPut the inner chambers under stasis├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 said ├óÔé¼┼ôIf just for a bit├óÔé¼┬Ø. 04 nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôI think we can manage stasis, if only for a bit├óÔé¼┬Ø. She pressed a wooden rune to tell the Timeshifters and the battlemages what to do. Then four things happened at once.
The shield flickered out of existence. Battlemages ran out onto the battlefield. The timeshifters immediately slammed a protective stasis field around the heads and body's of everyone in the inner part of the building. Mathew's card froze halfway between his hand and the floor. Then the N.E.T dropped several hundred gigawatt's of focused energy onto the building. Then the stasis snapped away, not by the timeshifters desires, but rather in a random fashion. The stasis bubble fractured. And the card never hit the ground.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou can take my fucking shop over my fucking dead body!├óÔé¼┬Ø. The thug fired his wimpy 9mm pistol and blasted part of Cortez's shop apart. ├óÔé¼┼ôDIE MUTHERFUCKER!├óÔé¼┬Ø Cortez shouted and leaned on the trigger to his machine gun. The machine gun roared and sketched a pattern of bullets across the buildings and shops opposite his own, as well as the thugs body. Blood sprayed and the thug fell in several piece's. Two more thugs, part of the same gang, ran at him, guns firing wildly. ├óÔé¼┼ôDIE BASTARDS!├óÔé¼┬Ø Cortez screamed, his stick of stimulants falling out of his mouth. He fired the last few shots of his machine gun and pulled two machine gun pistols out from under his little window perch.
He traced two lines of death across the thugs, blowing them apart. Then he fired his clips into anything that looked remotely threatening, including two people who were near, and easy to shoot at. Then Cortez chucked his guns out of the window and pulled out a SMG. Then the N.E.T showed up. ├óÔé¼┼ôStand down!├óÔé¼┬Ø One of them shouted, looking very intimidating. ├óÔé¼┼ôFuck you!├óÔé¼┬Ø Cortez shouted. The N.E.T flunky's opened fire, their machines guns turning the wall of Cortez's shop into swiss cheese. Cortez stood up, drugs making him not care that bullets whizzed past him. He opened up with his SMG and aimed for one of the N.E.T soldiers. That soldier fell, his breast plate torn off by the sheer numbers of bullets Cortez's SMG put out. Cortez had gone for his illigal chace as soon as martial law had been declared.
The idiots who had celebrated the martial law declaration were dead, crushed when the real crack down started. Because Cortez and at least a hundred other people in the city had lots of guns and nothing but contempt for the N.E.T. Cortez ducked, not bothering to relode the SMG. It was fucking useless anyway. ├óÔé¼┼ôAll right, you N.E.T bastards!├óÔé¼┬Ø Cortez shouted over a hail of bullets that started to break through his cover. He jammed three stim shots into his arm.
├óÔé¼┼ôSAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND!├óÔé¼┬Ø he screamed, his attempt at bravado making his voice crack. Then he hefted the ARPG and fired. A hail of ant-tank rockets poured out of the repeating barrels of the ARPG and the N.E.T flunks were obliterated, explosions ripping the entire place to shreds. The smoke cleared and the shops around Cortez's were in ruins. ├óÔé¼┼ôHa├óÔé¼┬Ø he laughed, feeling faint ├óÔé¼┼ôThose bastards shot me├óÔé¼┬Ø. He looked down at the fifty or so bullets that had punched through his armor and into his stomach and chest. ├óÔé¼┼ôhuh├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered then fell over, dead.
April looked at the devastation. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight, its safe now├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Jess, Arnold and her all walked over the broken Hard Silt, shattered plastic and metal that covered the ground in and around Cortez's shop. April looked at the corpse of the shopkeep with disdain. She also looked at the hidden cache of drugs with disdain. ├óÔé¼┼ôMan, he was sleazier then I thought├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered. Jess looked around ├óÔé¼┼ôI've never seen so many guns├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôTake em├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôI think we are going to need them├óÔé¼┬Ø.
April went to Cortez's underground cache of guns and started loading up in ammo for Phil. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhowza├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôLook at the iron sights for that mamma├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø April asked, looking around. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat rifle├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYour not so bad looking yourself├óÔé¼┬Ø The rifle said, its voice feminine, sounding vaguely eastern European. :Hey, April├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil said ├óÔé¼┼ôI think I have a shot at this one├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo who are you?├óÔé¼┬Ø April asked, holstering Phil and picking up the rifle.
├óÔé¼┼ôThat greasy man never gave me a name├óÔé¼┬Ø the rifle said. ├óÔé¼┼ôHows Charleen├óÔé¼┬Ø April asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø the rifle said. ├óÔé¼┼ôAmber?├óÔé¼┬Ø April suggested. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø the rifle said. ├óÔé¼┼ôJudy?├óÔé¼┬Ø April suggested. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø the rifle said. ├óÔé¼┼ôScrew it├óÔé¼┬Ø April muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôYour...Rifle├óÔé¼┬Ø. Rifle thought about it for a bit. ├óÔé¼┼ôSure├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôNow what ammo do you use?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Jess looked over the submachine gun and whistled ├óÔé¼┼ôI like this one├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts broken├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold said, tossing Jess a different one. Jess felt it over and tried reloading and unloading it a few times, to get the hand of it. He grabbed a gun harness and slipped it on, checking out the ten different holsters that it added to his person. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou want some grenades?├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess grabbed the grenades. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats the difference between the red one's and the green one's?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôFlame and Frag├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold said ├óÔé¼┼ôrespectively├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Jess weighted them in his hands. ├óÔé¼┼ôHuh├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh boy├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold picked up a rifle. It had four barrels. ├óÔé¼┼ôI've heard of these├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôDuke Nukem used one├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou never watched the old movies?├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold asked. Then he nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôRight, how could you├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is it though├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess asked, looking at the rifle. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts a ripper├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold said ├óÔé¼┼ôCan put out hundreds of rounds in a few seconds├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôLet me guess├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said ├óÔé¼┼ôhundreds of rounds in a second and three weeks to reload?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo?├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold asked.
April walked into the room, looking at her still torn clothes. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe really need new clothes├óÔé¼┬Ø April said. A muffled explosion ripped across the city, causing the room to shake and clatter. They all moved out, much heavier then when they had walked into the store. The entire city was in uproar, from what April could see. Everyone was either in their beds or being shoot at. Roving gangs were running out and about, attacking any and all they saw.
Two tried it. April, or more accurately, Phil dispatched all of them in a few seconds. All April had to do was draw and pull the trigger. Phil did the rest. ├óÔé¼┼ôWow├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess muttered, looking at the two now headless men laying on the ground. ├óÔé¼┼ôBig bullets├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold said. They all started walking through the city again. Then they came around the corner to the IRS building.
The place was in ruins. Not the IRS building itself, but everything around it. Buildings had been smashed, and thrown around like toys being used by a spoiled child. A massive, purple, shield surrounded the IRS building. It riled and moved slowly, pulsating slowly, and seemed to cause everything around it to move oddly. A mech's burning corpse lay half in, half out of the shield, causing a rippling disturbance in the shield.
A single form stood in the middle of the carnage. It stood, surrounded by N.E.T soldiers, wearing power armor and equipped with what looked like very deadly machine guns. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat's going on?├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNuts if I know├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said. April saw the figure's lips move, and barely heard the thing's throaty voice say ├óÔé¼┼ôPower restrictions dropped to level three├óÔé¼┬Ø ├óÔé¼┼ôOpen fire!├óÔé¼┬Ø one of the N.E.T soldiers said. All the guns started up and Jess closed his eyes, not wanting to see someone getting ripped to shreds.
Then he heard April gasp. He opened his eyes. The Watcher stood, but where the bullets that would have torn it limb from limb stood a wall of Silt. The Watcher's mouth quirked. It was having fun. How it would go back to assassinations and surveillance was beyond its mind. He banished the Silt walls and they sank back down into the ground, taking the bullets with them. Then he leaped into action, two swords flying into his hands.
├óÔé¼┼ôAre you sure this is wise?├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 asked ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Watcher's having fun├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHuh?├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe last time the Watcher was having fun, it took all our power to reign him in├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI thought the Watcher was loyal├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 said. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight, your new├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 tapped himself on the forehead ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Watcher is loyal, but only when he doesn't remember himself├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you mean by that?├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Watcher is complex├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd now is not the time├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôBecause three people are walking through the shield, right now├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 pointed at the monitor. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat!├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 asked ├óÔé¼┼ôThey can do that!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôApparently├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 said ├óÔé¼┼ôScramble our battlemages├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe did scramble our battle mages├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 said. They both looked at each other. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere are our battle mages?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you mean by that?├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Watcher is complex├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd now is not the time├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause three people are walking through the shield, right now├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 pointed at the monitor. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat!├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 asked ├óÔé¼┼ôThey can do that!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôApparently├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 said ├óÔé¼┼ôScramble our battlemages├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe did scramble our battle mages├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 said. They both looked at each other. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere are our battle mages?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you mean by that?├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Watcher is complex├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd now is not the time├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 asked. Then they stopped. ├óÔé¼┼ôSomething feels wrong here├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 said. 00 looked around ├óÔé¼┼ôI belive we've said the same things twice├óÔé¼┬Ø.
April looked around the innards of the IRS building. It was rather a mess. Parts of the building seemed to be falling apart. That is there walls were collapsing, but had stopped half way through. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell happened here?├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered. Jess prodded one of the piece's of rubble. The rubble slowly sifted out of where it floated then, gaining momentum, it slid out and slammed into the ground at full tilt. ├óÔé¼┼ôHmm├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said. Some tech's walked past, chattering animatedly, carrying clipboards. ├óÔé¼┼ôUh├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôCan we have some├óÔé¼┬Ø. The tech's went around the bend, ignoring her completely.
April and company showing up was just a minor annoyance in a pile of disaster. 00 sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôWe don't need you anymore├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø April asked ├óÔé¼┼ôBut we need to keep...working against the N.E.T...you know the big bad empire!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo sorry├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe are having enough trouble living the next few minutes, let alone worrying about sending you anywhere. Have a nice day├óÔé¼┬Ø. He looked back down at his desk and started writing something on his piece of paper. April looked at Jess. Arnold was beat red.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø April downed another cup of brandy ├óÔé¼┼ôThat's how it is├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere's Arnold?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's sulking somewhere├óÔé¼┬Ø April said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI've been on four adventure's so far├óÔé¼┬Ø April said, pouring some more brandy into her cup. Then she grabbed the bottle and drank that, rather then the full cup on the table. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat where those adventures?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess asked, looking at his half full cup. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe first was when I ran away from home├óÔé¼┬Ø April said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're a run away?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôMy father was a right bastard├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI never knew my father├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell I wish I never knew mine├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôSo we are even. The second was when I managed to escape from Cliff├óÔé¼┬Ø. April looked glum ├óÔé¼┼ôSeems like most of these are escapes├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou are pretty good at running away├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess giggled, drinking some more out of his cup. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou've been nursing that drink for an hour and a half├óÔé¼┬Ø April threw her bottle of brandy on the pile. ├óÔé¼┼ôMore brandy!├óÔé¼┬Ø she shouted.
Half the bar's wall was caved in. The barkeep was dead, a massive shard of something or other lodged in his neck. ├óÔé¼┼ôhuh, guess not├óÔé¼┬Ø April said, bending over the bar top. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôVodka!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo what was your third adventure?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis one!├óÔé¼┬Ø April said, pouring some of the Vodka over her head. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think you drink that├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut If I drink anymore I'm going to get knocked out├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôReally?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said. He felt like he had already been knocked out several times this evening. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I don't want to be unconscious for the fourth adventure├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe fourth one?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess asked. April placed her hand on his shoulder. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis one├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, kissing him. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is not the best place, or time├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said once she drew away. A mech thundered past, legs pounding. Its guns fired at something or other. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt never is├óÔé¼┬Ø April said, her eyes full of something that was not quite sadness, and not quite melancholy.
She grabbed Jess's shirt and pulled him onto her. The stool she was on collapsed, its the bullet hole's finally giving way. April blinked. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you all right?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø April said, enjoying the feeling of his hands on her shoulders. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou still need new clothes├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou can help me with that├óÔé¼┬Ø April said, feeling a odd glow in her chest. Jess ran his hands over the small of April's back. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts nice being unemployed├óÔé¼┬Ø April said as Jess found the zipper on the back of her shirt. It was already half torn, so he just needed to jerk it down a bit.
Then the zipper stuck. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh fuck├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess muttered. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, get to that part├óÔé¼┬Ø April said, sounding impatient. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn zipper├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said, jerking it again. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh Jesus├óÔé¼┬Ø April muttered, pushing him up and off her. She sat up, reaching around behind her back and jiggling the zipper. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt is stuck├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôTurn around├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said. April spun around and Jess grabbed her zipper and jerked it down. ├óÔé¼┼ôOw├óÔé¼┬Ø April said as her cloth's pulled painfully.
├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said, standing up and bending over the bar top. He grabbed Phil. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said ├óÔé¼┼ôThis will work├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat you need me to do?├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôShoot the zipper off├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhoa!├óÔé¼┬Ø April said, turning around ├óÔé¼┼ôAs much as I respect Phil's marksmanship, but I don't think thats the right approach├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm with April on this one├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil said. Jess frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôWell then├óÔé¼┬Ø he dropped Phil over the table. There was a muffled shout of surprise from Rifle. ├óÔé¼┼ôHi baby├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil said ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry about landing on you, and everything├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Jess looked at April. April looked at Jess. Then they both started to laugh. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is horrible├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said ├óÔé¼┼ôPeople are dying and we are trying to get each other's clothes off ├óÔé¼┼ô . The mech walked past again, lasers blasting apart a building. April nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôLets find somewhere more private├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess asked ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere that wont be destroyed?├óÔé¼┬Ø. April stood up and walked around to the other side of the bar. She kicked the barkeep's body out of the way and opened the cellar door.
├óÔé¼┼ôA wine cellar?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell its more of a...hydroponicaly grown, artificially stimulated fruit alcohol, then yes├óÔé¼┬Ø April said, sniffing ├óÔé¼┼ôIt smells like crap now that the power is down, but what the hell?├óÔé¼┬Ø. They both walked down into the cellar and closed the door above them. ├óÔé¼┼ôMy zipper is still stuck├óÔé¼┬Ø April said, voice muffled by the thick metal door. ├óÔé¼┼ôAw screw it├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said. Then April yelped and there was a sound of tearing fabric. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo tickling├óÔé¼┬Ø April said, laughing wildly. ├óÔé¼┼ôI said no tickling├óÔé¼┬Ø she said.
Phil sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôHumans├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know├óÔé¼┬Ø Rifle said ├óÔé¼┼ôthey are so undignified├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôtouching each other├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil muttered. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know├óÔé¼┬Ø Rifle. April's giggles turned into softy moan's, muffled by something. Most likely Jess's mouth. Arnold walked into the bar. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere is April?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôIn the hydroponicaly grown, artificially stimulated fruit alcohol cellar├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil said. Arnold walked around the bar and looked at the cellar. ├óÔé¼┼ôHere?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Rifle said.
April shoved Jess away from her chest. ├óÔé¼┼ôStop├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôStop!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Jess grinned and April wrapped her legs around his torso. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey April, are you busy?├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold asked, jerking the cellar door open. Jess and April stood still, staring at Arnold. Arnold forced a smile onto his face. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll be going now├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold said. He walked backwards and closed the cellar door. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere were we?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat part goes here├óÔé¼┬Ø April offered helpfully.
01 sighed. He did that a lot now a days. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo what's the situation?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. 00's eye's were closed ├óÔé¼┼ôIn about three seconds...the shield is going to fail├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôReally?├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 said, not surprised. He felt so tired, having to finish all he started. The close nit partnership of the first two digits was something that made both of the partners stronger. 01 was unused to not having someone he could trust enough to finish his sentence's. ├óÔé¼┼ôThen the N.E.T will have open access to us, and the city├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The lights flickered and went out. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe are probably going to die soon├óÔé¼┬Ø. A minute ticked by. Then another. Then another. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're still alive├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 said. ├óÔé¼┼ôHooray├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 grinned, not getting out of his chair. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe N.E.T aren't just going to drop us, are they? They should at least have to common decency to deliver the last coup de gras├óÔé¼┬Ø.
April sighed, her sweaty back scratching roughly against the Hard Silt walls of the cellar. She almost felt good enough to not notice the smell. Jess blinked ├óÔé¼┼ôThis place still smells like shit├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. April nodded, her head cocked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI think I hear something...or more accurately I don't hear something├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe guns have stopped firing, Jess├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôThey stopped!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then the cellar door exploded open, light filling the dimly lit cellar.
Then N.E.T soldiers poured into the cellar, guns ready. April yelped, clutching Jess to her. One of the soldiers pulled out a small, spider like widget. He kicked April lightly in the stomach, causing her to roll up in pain. Then the soldier slapped the widget onto April's neck and suddenly she couldn't feel anything below her neck. Jess fell into her field of vision. He had a bloody nose. ├óÔé¼┼ôApril├óÔé¼┬Ø he groaned. Then a spider went onto his neck.
And then the spider came off. April sat up, gasping. She was in a cold room, that stretched outwards. It looked like it could contain and entire castle inside without touching the sides. April stood up, feeling very alone. She also had no cloth's. She looked around, trying to find where she was. The room sloped downwards, slightly, and she felt that everything was slightly different. ├óÔé¼┼ôHello?├óÔé¼┬Ø April asked. Her voice echoed oddly in the huge room.
Then everything shifted slightly and she was wearing a simple white robe. April looked at herself. She hadn't felt it appear. And now she couldn't feel it on her. She plucked at the robe and it moved realistically, but it was like clutching a cloud. Cold and slightly wet, but there. ├óÔé¼┼ôEugen Whittaker├óÔé¼┬Ø a voice said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe would like to thank you├óÔé¼┬Ø. She turned around and saw a door standing in the middle of the room. A big, glowing, green singe saying ├óÔé¼┼ôExit├óÔé¼┬Ø stood there. ├óÔé¼┼ôCome on in, Mis. Whitaker├óÔé¼┬Ø the voice said.
April walked up to the door and opened it. She stepped into a office, with cool blue walls and a single huge window that stood behind a huge desk. And a man stood behind that desk, looking out over the window. He turned around and April gasped. He looked like a gorilla jammed into a suit. His chest was overly broad, but his forearms were huge, looking like they could rip a car in half. He wore a single monocal, that looked completely out of place on his broad, brutish face. ├óÔé¼┼ôHello, Mis Whittaker├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, a perfectly accented and cultured voice, a touch of a British accent.
├óÔé¼┼ôWho are you?├óÔé¼┬Ø April asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôSit, please├óÔé¼┬Ø the gorilla in the suit said, gesturing to a chair in front of his desk. April nodded, sitting down. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø the gorilla said ├óÔé¼┼ôCan I get you anything?├óÔé¼┬Ø he smiled. ├óÔé¼┼ôJess├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd a ride home├óÔé¼┬Ø. The gorilla sucked its lower lip in, chewing it thoughtfully. ├óÔé¼┼ôor an explanation why I'm talking with a big gorilla wearing a suit, wearing a robe that I can't feel after being abducted by the N.E.T?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôThat is a good question├óÔé¼┬Ø the gorilla said ├óÔé¼┼ôI will start with the first, as it is the easiest to answer├óÔé¼┬Ø. He took his monocal of and polished it slowly. ├óÔé¼┼ôI am Jacob Williams, CEO of the New Entertainment Technology's Corporation. The second is harder. The robe you are wearing is a combination of holographic projection and quantum computer calculations of chaos theory to guess how the cloth should move as you move, and yet still retain a sense of reality├óÔé¼┬Ø. April looked at the robe ├óÔé¼┼ôSo it's an illusion?├óÔé¼┬Ø she prodded it.
├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø the gorilla said ├óÔé¼┼ôNow you said you wanted Jess├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø April said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI hear you had Jess a half hour ago├óÔé¼┬Ø Jacob smiled. April bridled, face reddening. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry├óÔé¼┬Ø Jacob said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I need to thank you, Mis Whittaker├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø April asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôFor finding my property├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, gesturing behind April. April turned and gasped. Jess floated, nude, in a tube. ├óÔé¼┼ôI have been working very hard to get it back├óÔé¼┬Ø Jacob said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd you drop it straight into my lap├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Yall probebly wondering "WHY THE HELL DID IT TAKE SO DAMN LONG TO GET THIS F@@#$*$@(*@#&^%*#&^*(#&*(^#&*(#&!^*# POST OUT!".
And here is why. I had built up to the big reveal. Then I tried to write the big reveal and it came out bad each time. I tried it at least five times, reworking the idea each time till it was something compleatly different. Then I realized that I was really overthinking this, and I went back to the first idea. And it worked, perfectly actually. So sit back and enjoy your somewhat delayed Waste episode.
April stopped talking. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat happened next?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mathew asked. April stood up and slowly opened the door. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't just stop there!├óÔé¼┬Ø Luke joined in with his brothers complaints. April looked out of the door and pulled Phil out of her holster. Then she grabbed something outside of the door and pulled in a squirming Jess. ├óÔé¼┼ôJess, sit down├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd listen to the story├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh no├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess moaned ├óÔé¼┼ôI hate this part├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôShut up├óÔé¼┬Ø April elbowed him. Then she looked at the two kids ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere was I?├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôSo...Jess was in a tube├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't remember it quite like that├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd the gorilla in a suit was threatening us├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI thought it was more along the lines about how I saved the day├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said, waving his hand regally through the air. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø April said, shoving him away ├óÔé¼┼ôIt was more like├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat...the...fuck...is...going...on?├óÔé¼┬Ø. The gorilla in a suit smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôSee├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe impact has change the world irrevocably. And now humanity's only hope rests in Magic. Technology is too unstable and hard to keep up in the new world. So while we, the N.E.T├óÔé¼┬Ø as if April had forgotten who he was ├óÔé¼┼ôhave decided to HARNES the unpredictable trait of magic with genetic engineering├óÔé¼┬Ø. April blinked and looked around at the room ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, leaning over the desk ├óÔé¼┼ôYou hope to make the unpredictability of magic with the equally unpredictable art of genetic engineering. Do I have everything straight?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôYes. No├óÔé¼┬Ø The gorilla frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôThe product is perfectly functional. That is why we released our Control Subject into a small village, to see if his psychological programming and magical enchantments worked├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm still fuzzy on the entire controlling magic├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø the gorilla in the suit said, tightening his neck tie ├óÔé¼┼ôpineal gland, witch for the longest time in human evolution was considered a dead end. A vestigial mistake, if you will. The Impact stimulated the gland on select few survivors, and those people immediately began to manifest new powers, ranging from invisible arms, to the ability to summon fire on command. In this rather charged area of human evolution the conjures stepped up and enacted a few genetic cleanings, kept mostly secret from the rest of humanity. Most magical incidents at this early stage were forgotten in the chaos suddenly swamping the World that Was...├óÔé¼┬Ø
April let the gorilla in the suit prattle endlessly on, speaking of the many strifes that occurred in as little as five or so years after the impact. Then she placed her hand on the symbol that was completely covered by her holorobe. Then she immediately began to concentrate on one word. The gorilla finished his story ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ônow that we have a suitable replacement for the human race, your probably wondering what we indent to do├óÔé¼┬Ø. April shoved the object that had been sent through the magical sine under her chair ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, trying to keep the gorilla talking.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe had released the control subject into a small village├óÔé¼┬Ø The gorilla said ├óÔé¼┼ôbut he escaped and ran straight into your hands├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôBy small village you mean...Apple Berry├óÔé¼┬Ø April said. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø The gorilla's said ├óÔé¼┼ôHe escaped TO Apple Berry, and there you found him├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo you killed everyone in Apple Berry├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause the control subject had bread with a woman in the town. We couldn't let our pure strain get polluted like that├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo you killed everyone!├óÔé¼┬Ø April stood up, almost losing control over her face and showing just how angry and afraid she was at that moment. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt was a necessary loss├óÔé¼┬Ø the gorilla's said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut we are rather disappointed that you bread with the control subject. Now we have to├óÔé¼┬Ø.
April rolled backwards, Phil in her hands. She was just glad the talkative pistol had decided to keep quiet. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sure you have more 'changing the world for the better' story's, but I really don't have time├óÔé¼┬Ø April brought Phil around and shot the side of the tube holding Jess. The tube exploded and the liquid shot out in a high pressure stream. Jess slid out, cutting himself a bit on the shattered glass.
N.E.T soldiers ran into the room, but April ran across the room and grabbed the gorilla around the neck. Phil was shoved into his neck, more then ready to splatter the gorilla's oddly shaped head over the ground. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôIf anyone fucks with me, the C.E.O gets it!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Jess groaned, slowly getting to his hands and knee's. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd him too├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnyone fucks with him and me, then the C.E.O gets it!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The soldiers looked at the gorilla. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou foolish girl├óÔé¼┬Ø the gorilla said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou think I would be stupid enough to have my mind in this...host body?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou wont mind if i did this├óÔé¼┬Ø. She moved the gun into his ear. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo, wait├óÔé¼┬Ø The gorilla's started to say, but then April pulled the trigger and his brains splattered over the wall. The N.E.T soldiers all ran forward, but April brought her gun around ├óÔé¼┼ôno one move!├óÔé¼┬Ø she shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôOr the same happens to you!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then the entire room shook. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôPhil, go for the head├óÔé¼┬Ø. She pulled the trigger five times and the soldiers fell, holes smashed in their helmets and blood dribbling down the back of the helmets.
├óÔé¼┼ôRun!├óÔé¼┬Ø April shouted, grabbing Jess of his feet and running out of the room. She pulled the door open, and ran straight into a brick wall. ├óÔé¼┼ôFuck├óÔé¼┬Ø April kicked the bricks ├óÔé¼┼ôFuck!├óÔé¼┬Ø. She looked around at the corpses in the room. Then at Jess. Then at the wall again. ├óÔé¼┼ôIs this some kind of sick joke?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôApril├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said ├óÔé¼┼ôI can do it├óÔé¼┬Ø. April looked at him. He looked more then a little worse off. His skin seemed more fallow, with long wrinkles were their had been none before.
April was less then sure of his ability's, but she moved away. Jess placed his hand on the brick wall. Then, with his other hand, he snapped his fingers. The brick wall exploded outwards, sending bricks flying into the corridor outside of the room. ├óÔé¼┼ôNeat├óÔé¼┬Ø April said. Then Jess almost collapsed to his knee's, suddenly looking very very tired. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you all right?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked, looking worried. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll live├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said.
They ran down the corridor, Jess mostly leaning on April. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere are we? My altitude sensor is going crazy. It says we are at least ten miles up├óÔé¼┬Ø. April got to an intersection in the completely silver corridor and chose to go right, as it seemed more lucky. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think we are├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôIn the Net├óÔé¼┬Ø. She came to another intersection and took another right. Then a left. Then a right. ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you know where we are going?├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil asked. Jess didn't say anything, his face red and sweating from the run.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I see a door├óÔé¼┬Ø. She got to the door and kicked it. It opened, surprisingly enough. Opened into a large locker like area. On the left was a window. April knew she should hurry, but it was hard to run when you suddenly saw your entire world slowly rotating below you. April walked slowly up to the window and saw the vast expanse of brownish yellow Silt that covered the globe. She could spot skyscraper husks, even from up here, glinting in the daylight. A few wispy clouds covered the Earth, not like the cloud cover that had existed in the World that Was.
├óÔé¼┼ôApril├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said ├óÔé¼┼ôA map├óÔé¼┬Ø he pointed at something in the jumble. To April, the entire room was a jumble of unfathomable bits and piece's. She could see some weapons mixed in there, but nothing looked recognizable. The map looked like a watch. ├óÔé¼┼ôPut it on├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said, rooting through the pile. He found a bottle of water and drank it down greedily. ├óÔé¼┼ôDoes this pile have everything?├óÔé¼┬Ø April asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôLooks like├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess grinned. April slid the watch on and it blinked to life ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere would you like to go?├óÔé¼┬Ø A prerecorded voice asked, piping out of the watch. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe exit├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôShuttle bay, would be more accurate├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said.
├óÔé¼┼ôShuttle bay├óÔé¼┬Ø April said. The watch bleeped ├óÔé¼┼ôLeft├óÔé¼┬Ø it said. April grabbed Jess and ran out of the room, heading left. Right. Left. Left. Right. Left. Forward. Left. Right. Right. Left. Left. Then they were there. April looked around ├óÔé¼┼ôthis was too easy├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Then she opened the door to the shuttle bay. Then she slammed it before a wave of plasma shots turned her into swiss cheese.
├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø April turned to Jess ├óÔé¼┼ôI found out where the enemy are!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can handle this├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said. April looked her boyfriend over. He looked like he could barely hold Phil. But he had looked the same when he had destroyed the wall. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut don't put your self in undue├óÔé¼┬Ø. Jess jerked the door open. ├óÔé¼┼ôDanger├óÔé¼┬Ø April finished.
Jess snapped his fingers. Then there was a bang and the N.E.T soldiers were sent sprawling. April ran in after Jess, Phil at the ready. She looked at the shuttles and frowned. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôit looks like an egg├óÔé¼┬Ø. The shuttle indeed look like a egg, with silvery lining and two nozzles on both long ends. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou get in my pressing your hand into it, like this├óÔé¼┬Ø he jammed his hand into metal. Then he sank in. April threw herself in face first, not wanting to be left out as the N.E.T soldiers slowly got to their feet, obviously not killed by Jess's finger snap.
April's experiences of the ride down was predominantly of Jess's elbow jammed into her left breast. Normally she would have enjoyed Jess touching her, but not while being tossed around willynilly in a small, stuffy cocoon of a shuttle. The shuttle jammed forward, mashing her and Jess together even more. Then there was a period of blissful zero gravity. Then another slam, a hard jerk to the right and the shuttle was falling again. Then it slammed back, decelerating hard. Then the engines chose that time to fail. There was a sickening lurch and a peaceful fall. Then the shuttle smashed into something and everything went soft, the shuttle trying to keep its passengers alive.
Then April slowly slid out of the shuttle, the quick metal pushing her out. She stood up and shook herself, sweat running down her. She was wearing her old cloth's again, before she had been abducted by the N.E.T. That is absolutely nothing. April covered her self up and looked around, scoping out where they had fallen. The shuttle, on its way down, had torn a bloody path through the IRS building, leaving the building standing. But in two halves. IRS members stared at the shuttle in dazed shock, mouth's ajar. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôI really can't fly that thing├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Guys I'm taking my time. I've rewritten the last few bits of waste...five times now. Maybe I'm just a perfectionist. Maybe I want to give you the most Bossingest, blowyupyist, down right cool Waste episode ever. To sate your lust, read Darkside: Extermination, witch is practically writing itself for some odd reasons.
Well it took some work, but I finnaly got an ending that was the right level of crazy, funny and explody to make a good ending. And here it go's.
The last episode of Wastes
Or...is it?
It is
Chapter Eight: Final Battle
The IRS lackeys looked completely stunned. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø April said to Jess ├óÔé¼┼ôI suppose that was easy enough. Then one of the IRS people shouted, pointing at the sky. April turned around and saw four flash's of light. The streaks of fire slammed into the buildings around the area, sending rubble flying everywhere. The secondary shock waves blasted everything around them to rubble.
The city, or at least what was left of it, stood silent. Then there was the sound of footsteps running and a horde of N.E.T soldiers poured into the rubble strewn main street. The N.E.T were all power armored, plasma gun touting commando's. One of the soldiers stepped forward and pulled her helmet off. ├óÔé¼┼ôI am General Kitten├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. April suppressed a slight snicker, hearing the name. Then, hearing the cold edge in the woman's voice, she stopped laughing. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe N.E.T has come...to offer peace with the IRS├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh thank god├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 muttered. His condition was breaking down. The death of his partner had eaten into his reserves of energy. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll go talk with them├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou just rest├óÔé¼┬Ø. The partnership of the leaders of the IRS was something that took years to develop. Losing one member of the partnership was often devastating. So 00 walked across the broken and destroyed plaza, around the rubble and freshly dead corpses. Through April and Jess, who were looking from left to right, trying to decide what to do.
├óÔé¼┼ôHello├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 said ├óÔé¼┼ôI am...the representative of the IRS├óÔé¼┬Ø. General...Kitten looked him over. 00 started to realize why she had been named that. Her eyes were slitted, like a cats, and her ears looked more like cat ears then anything else. ├óÔé¼┼ôHello├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, tilting her head slightly. 00 took the compliment. Then Kitten cocked her head slightly, as if listening something. ├óÔé¼┼ôHello├óÔé¼┬Ø she said again├óÔé¼┬Ø Sean├óÔé¼┬Ø. 00 gulped, eyes dilating slightly. She had called him by his real name. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow...how did you know?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sean asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôear implants are not just for tapping into my I-pod from a hundred miles away. I downloaded your information, after I saw you. We have everyone's records├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Sean gulped ├óÔé¼┼ôSo I suppose the code numbers were somewhat pointless├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôCode numbers?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kitten asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNever mind├óÔé¼┬Ø Sean said ├óÔé¼┼ôSo shall we talk about peace inside?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'd rather talk out here├óÔé¼┬Ø Kitten said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut, first, let me get this damn thing off├óÔé¼┬Ø. She unlatched two latches on her shoulder links and slid the chest piece off her body. ├óÔé¼┼ôGeneral├óÔé¼┬Ø One of her soldiers said ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you sure this is...safe?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou worry to much├óÔé¼┬Ø Kitten said her tail uncurling in the open and swishing back and forth slowly ├óÔé¼┼ôEven if the IRS wanted to do something, what would they do it with?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Sean cleared his throat ├óÔé¼┼ôExcuse me├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut├óÔé¼┬Ø. Kitten turned back around. She was wearing a skin tight under suit, and without her upper armor on she was actually rather small and short. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut can we talk inside. Parts of this city aren't safe after the battles├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôTrue├óÔé¼┬Ø Kitten said, turning to one of her subordinates ├óÔé¼┼ôorganize this army, set up defense's around this plaza and get everything in order├óÔé¼┬Ø. The subordinate saluted swiftly and turned around. Sean couldn't hear what the Subordinate shouted, as he still wore his helmet. ├óÔé¼┼ôShall we go in?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kitten asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôAfter me├óÔé¼┬Ø Sean said, gesturing to the half destroyed IRS building.
Kitten smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôI suppose this was a good idea. After our C.E.O died I was the last surviving share holder. Seventy Seven percent. Not that you...care├óÔé¼┬Ø she trailed off. Sean smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôWell I'm just glad that this ended without more bloodshed├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, well├óÔé¼┬Ø Kitten said ├óÔé¼┼ôOur C.E.O was a psychotic son of a bitch. His entire mission statement was absolutely insane├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sean was about to say he had thought that many times his bosses were insane when a gunshot rang out. April, who had been helping Jess along, looked at her stomach. Blood started to pour out of the bullet wound. ├óÔé¼┼ôApril├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said, looking at the wound ├óÔé¼┼ôAPRIL!├óÔé¼┬Ø. She fell over, falling onto her back.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell Ms. Whittaker├óÔé¼┬Ø a man, holding a smoking pistol said, stepping out from behind a building ├óÔé¼┼ôI told you I would never leave my brain in a host body├óÔé¼┬Ø. Jess, suddenly angrier then he been ever, ran straight at Jacob. Jacob fired his gun again and Jess fell, his thigh bone shattering as the bullet rammed into it. Jess collapsed head first into the ground, pain making him unable to think. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Jacob aimed his gun at Kitten and Sean ├óÔé¼┼ôdid you really think I was dead?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou'd been in that gorilla for a century├óÔé¼┬Ø Kitten shouted at him, stepping forward ├óÔé¼┼ôI didn't know you had another body├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôKitten├óÔé¼┬Ø Sean said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI really am. But he is the C.E.O and...no matter how much I want to I can't just kill my boss├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Jacob's gun was aimed at Sean ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy don't you get all your little IRS friends out and we can have some old fashioned firing squads├óÔé¼┬Ø. He got to April, who was weakly scrabbling at Phil, who was still in her holster. ├óÔé¼┼ôI believe that is company property├óÔé¼┬Ø Jacob said, pulling Phil out of April's grasp.
April pushed herself back, up against a rock so she could be at least sitting up. She was feeling very weak, blood pumping out of her stomach. Jacob looked at Phil ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you still functioning?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes...sir├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil said. ├óÔé¼┼ôPhil├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't...don't├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry April. As the General said, he is my boss too├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil said. Jacob aimed Phil at April's head ├óÔé¼┼ôAim for the head├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôAny last words Ms. Whitaker?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jacob asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôMy name...is...April├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôIts been done├óÔé¼┬Ø Jacob said. Then he pulled the trigger. April, for her credit, didn't blink. The Jacob stood, half a puzzled expression on his face. The upper part of his head was missing. Phil smoked slightly, his barrel spun almost all the way around on his swivel mount. Jacob slowly fell over and Phil clattered out his hands. ├óÔé¼┼ôWh-...what?├óÔé¼┬Ø April gasped. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe did say to aim for the head├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil said, speaker facing the sky ├óÔé¼┼ôhe just forgot to specify which one├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Kitten shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôMedics! Medics! Get those two to the shuttles. And throw that S.O.B to the jackals├óÔé¼┬Ø. The army leaped into motion, and April could only guess at their emotions. Their silent, but efficient movements were somewhat disturbing. But so was the fact that everything was going grey. April's head lolled back even as the medics ran up and around her. Then they were picking her up, power armor resplendent with bright red crosses. ├óÔé¼┼ôI wonder├óÔé¼┬Ø April muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat those are for├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then she blacked out.
├óÔé¼┼ôYour a brave little pistol├óÔé¼┬Ø Kitten said, picking Phil up. ├óÔé¼┼ôHell├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil said ├óÔé¼┼ôAll I did was live out the American dream├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat? Killing your boss?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kitten asked, tail twitching. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd a life of adventure waiting for me. Do you think April's going to be satisfied with saving the world once, do you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Kitten laughed at that. ├óÔé¼┼ôI would like to thank you as well├óÔé¼┬Ø Sean said, walking up to Kitten and Phil ├óÔé¼┼ôYou and April├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThank her by healing her├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd give me to her as soon as possible├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSure├óÔé¼┬Ø Kitten said.
Then they were distracted by shouting. Kitten and Sean looked up. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo, don't give me that bull shit!├óÔé¼┬Ø someone shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôI know April and Jess! Let me through├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho is that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kitten asked, mostly talking to herself. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh thats just Arnold├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil said ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's harmless├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôLet him through!├óÔé¼┬Ø Kitten shouted. Then she looked at Phil, something crossing over her eyes. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou don't mean...Arnold T?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Phil laughed ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, I recognized him right off the bat. But he just said he used worked for the N.E.T├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Arnold walked onto the plaza ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere are they?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere are my friend├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then he saw Kitten, who's face was split by a rather large smile. Arnold turned around suddenly and immediately started to walk out of the plaza. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo you don't├óÔé¼┬Ø Kitten ran after him ├óÔé¼┼ôYou ran out last time├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôKitten├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold said ├óÔé¼┼ôI told you I need to think about├óÔé¼┬Ø Kitten grabbed his shoulders and spun Arnold around and kissed him. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I told you its either now or never. You marry me, or I shoot you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Arnold almost laughed, then remembering what had happened last time he had met with Kitten. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôJust agree to help me bring democracy and freedom to the Wastes├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Sean looked at the man and woman, who were now bickering madly about democracy vrs autocracy. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey know each other?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked Phil, who had been handed to him by Kitten as she walked away from him. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can't say about that├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I do know that Arnold Tiberius was once one of the top Generals of the N.E.T army division. And he was engaged with one Julia ├óÔé¼┼ôKitten├óÔé¼┬Ø and he quit the N.E.T about a day after the engagement. And Kitten was close to quitting too, but...she loved her job too much├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Sean sighed. Kitten and Arnold has stopped bickering. Kitten was engaging in what people called 'necking'. The soldiers seemed to be carefully avoiding a six or so foot circle around the two lovers. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine, fine!├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold said, almost shoving Kitten off him ├óÔé¼┼ôWe'll get married in a week├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôToo long├óÔé¼┬Ø Kitten said ├óÔé¼┼ôI've been waiting for three years├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôTwo days├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold suggested. ├óÔé¼┼ôOne day├óÔé¼┬Ø Kitten amended. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold said. Then Kitten's tail brushed a part of his body and Arnold almost jumped ├óÔé¼┼ôYour better with that├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can pick up a beer can, now├óÔé¼┬Ø Kitten said.
April was wheeled into the hospital and then the doctors left. They had bandaged her up, taken the bullet out, linked up a few life support and blood transfusion devices and left her. Then a nurse walked in with Phil and dropped him on the bedside table. ├óÔé¼┼ôHi Phil├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôI see your all better├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI was never not better├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil said. April grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm really tired├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôSo wake me up if anyone comes in to kill us├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then there was a knock on the door. ├óÔé¼┼ôApril├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil said. A louder knock. ├óÔé¼┼ôApril!├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil said louder. She was still sleeping.
Then the door burst inwards and Winchester strode in. He was mad, from the redness of his face. ├óÔé¼┼ôApril!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted. April jerked up ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm awake! I'm awake!├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Winchester grabbed April and hugged her tight. ├óÔé¼┼ôWinchester├óÔé¼┬Ø April said. Winchester squeezed her tighter ├óÔé¼┼ôYou saved the world├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats a bit of a exaggeration├óÔé¼┬Ø April wheezed ├óÔé¼┼ôBut Winchester├óÔé¼┬Ø. He squeezed her tighter ├óÔé¼┼ôYou did it, before I came back├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWinchester├óÔé¼┬Ø April wheezed ├óÔé¼┼ôI can't breath├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat? Oh├óÔé¼┬Ø he let her go. April fell back and breathed slowly.
├óÔé¼┼ôWinchester?├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold said, walking into the room, Kitten practically shoving him in, her tail whisking quickly back and forth. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôA cat, how nice├óÔé¼┬Ø she was still feeling very foggy. ├óÔé¼┼ôArnold├óÔé¼┬Ø Winchester said, crossing his arms over his chest ├óÔé¼┼ôI see you haven't been protecting April├óÔé¼┬Ø. Arnold blinked ├óÔé¼┼ôI didn't have much of a choice. She was...like several miles away for part of this day├óÔé¼┬Ø. Winchester frowned, still looking angry. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm getting married!├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold said, suddenly dragging Kitten forward as a way of changing the conversation.
├óÔé¼┼ôThat was fast├óÔé¼┬Ø April muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôWhen did you meet her? A few minutes ago├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôActually, April├óÔé¼┬Ø Kitten said ├óÔé¼┼ôI've known Arnold for years. He just skipped out. Got cold feet├óÔé¼┬Ø. She grabbed him as if he was about to run away at any moment. ├óÔé¼┼ôIs that why I found him on a crucifix?├óÔé¼┬Ø April asked. Arnold frowned, but Kitten just laughed ├óÔé¼┼ôThat sounds like Arnold├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. She grabbed him and kissed him again. It dragged on a bit longer then would be considered polite. Then it dragged on a bit longer and Winchester coughed softly.
Arnold started gently pushing Kitten away, but her tail wrapped around his torso and pulled him closer. ├óÔé¼┼ôReally├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold murmured around Kitten's mouth. Then, finally, Kitten broke the kiss ├óÔé¼┼ôThats what you've missed the last three years├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold practically gasped ├óÔé¼┼ôIs there an open room?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou could kick Jess out├óÔé¼┬Ø April suggested. ├óÔé¼┼ôI am out├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said behind Kitten. Kitten looked over her shoulder and smiled. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan I have your room?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kitten asked. Jess coughed ├óÔé¼┼ôAll right├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, somewhat dazedly.
Kitten dragged Arnold with her. Arnold looked back and waved to April, Jess and Winchester. Then Kitten grabbed his shirt and jerked him back, out of April's view. Then there was a sound of a slamming door. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre they going to have fun?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said ├óÔé¼┼ôThat woman looks dangerous. Whoever she is├óÔé¼┬Ø. April laughed at that. Then she fell asleep. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo what did I miss├óÔé¼┬Ø Winchester asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm rather ashamed that I went to the ancient home of the Knights of the Nine to get my best armor and sword, to recalibrate my hand. Then when I come back, everything was wrapped up├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jess, who was still limping, patted the older man on the back ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't worry├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI have a feeling that this was over too quick├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then there were some muffled gunshots from outside. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis city├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said ├óÔé¼┼ôHad been practically demolished. But, fortunately...I think, many inhabitance had hidden. This city was built to survive Raider attacks├óÔé¼┬Ø the gunshots were becoming more frequent ├óÔé¼┼ôSo most everyone is alive, and there is no law├óÔé¼┬Ø. Winchester suddenly brightened ├óÔé¼┼ôI can help keep the law in the city├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThey do need a...a lawman, of sorts, and the Knights of the Nine are a sort of law men├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess left Winchester walking out into the city, musing about what he could do with his life.
Jess walked back into April's room. The gunshots were joined by an explosion. The blast shook the room slightly, causing the hanging light to sway slightly left and right. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats going on outside?├óÔé¼┬Ø April asked ├óÔé¼┼ôSounds like the idiots are fighting again├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then the room next to them opened and Kitten ran out, pulling her shirt on as she did so. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't care what colors they are wearing, just shoot the fuckers!├óÔé¼┬Ø she shouted to the open air. Arnold ran past the room, then stopped, turning around and looking inside. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe have a slight problem├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou two stay in here and rest up├óÔé¼┬Ø.
April looked at Jess. Jess looked at April. ├óÔé¼┼ôLet them do the fighting├óÔé¼┬Ø April muttered, still feeling very groggy ├óÔé¼┼ôI think we earned a break├óÔé¼┬Ø. Jess nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôThats for sure. I do have some neat tricks to show you, ever sense I woke up in the tube├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø April asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell, theres this├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said, snapping his fingers and suddenly a bouquet of flowers appeared in his hand. April sat up slowly, eyes bugging. ├óÔé¼┼ôI've seen those before├óÔé¼┬Ø she said softly ├óÔé¼┼ôMy mother used to grow those├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said ├óÔé¼┼ôThey are flowers, apparently├óÔé¼┬Ø.
He set them down on the night stand, almost knocking a glass of water over. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't remember that glass being there├óÔé¼┬Ø April muttered. She still grabbed the cup and drank it. The battle outside, for now it sounded like a full blown battle, was reaching a crescendo of violence. Gunshots, now a machine gun staccato, were going full stilt. Explosions were getting set off every other second or so. The entire building was shaking. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is going on out there?├óÔé¼┬Ø April asked.
What was going on was a mild argument over stocks. ├óÔé¼┼ôMove Squads A through C around left, we need to flank them!├óÔé¼┬Ø Kitten shouted. Her words were picked up by her helmet and broadcasted to her troops. Arnold, who had been given a head set and some mild protective armor, was holding a rifle that had been dropped by one of Kitten's soldiers. The enemy had appeared, literally, out of no where. First there was nothing. Then suddenly about a hundred flash's of light occurred and about a hundred N.E.T soldiers were pouring into the plaza, guns blazing.
They were being lead by one General Striden. He owned sixty seven percent of the stalks in the N.E.T cooperation. And because nothing can be more then one hundred percent, and General Kitten owned seventy seven percent of the cooperation. So they had a mild disagreement. A rocket arched over head and buried itself about twenty feet behind Arnold, coating him with dust as it exploded. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think we might have some problems├óÔé¼┬Ø Kitten said, switching her helmet to point to point communication. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think I can help on that├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 said. He had walked in so quietly and so secretly, it seemed that he had just appeared there.
Behind him was Sean. Kitten looked at 01 and, for once in her life, couldn't get information on him based off retinal prints, hair type, long range genetic sampling or a simple bone/face comparison test. She had no idea who he was. Another rocket slammed into a building. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe have a new recruit├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 said ├óÔé¼┼ôThis man is Winchester, the Last of the Nine├óÔé¼┬Ø. Kitten looked at the man. She couldn't tell if he really was Winchester, the Last of the Nine, because he was wearing about five inch thick power armor, with a rather large and formidable looking sword.
The symbol of the Nine was emblazoned on his chest. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo your really Winchester?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kitten asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI suppose thats good news. Move out with Squad F. They are right over there├óÔé¼┬Ø She pointed. Then, on second thought, she tossed a head set at Winchester, who caught it and ducked down, to put his helmet down and slip on the head set. Then he put the helmet back on and ran to Squad F. They moved out, even as he shouted orders. Squad F was a cretin brand of N.E.T Soldiers. They were called, only half jokingly, Berserker's.
The tide of battle was turning from a duck shoot to a slightly more one sided fight. The N.E.T and the... other N.E.T were evenly matched. But Kitten's side had the advantage of Winchester and the straggling remnants of the IRS. Winchester himself, from what April heard later, was a force to behold. He charged out and about the battle, sword swinging. And every time it sung an enemy soldier fell, their armor doing next to nothing against Winchester's deadly monomolecular edge. The remains of the IRS put out about half as much firepower as the N.E.T soldiers, despite their smaller numbers.
So the final battle in the very short, and mostly pointless war, ended. The N.E.T soldiers were mostly captured and slapped in irons by Winchester, who had been ecstatic that he could actually put his armor to good use. Arnold, just as he had agreed to his new wife, got married the next day, about five miles above the city they had just fought in. At his behest, no one else came to the ceremony. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know├óÔé¼┬Ø April said to Jess, who had moved his bed into her room so that he could put his leg up ├óÔé¼┼ôI think we are never going to find out how Kitten got her tail├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Jess looked at her ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you mean by that?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe are all to polite to say 'where the fuck did you get that tail, Kitten?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Jess thought about that for a moment. Then there was a flash and Arnold walked in, breathing heavily. ├óÔé¼┼ôHi├óÔé¼┬Ø April said, not sure she would ever get used to people teleporting in and out ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you doing down here?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Arnold whipped his face down ├óÔé¼┼ôI wanted to get away for a bit├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôArnold├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't get you├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou try marrying a human taken cat form who is absolutely crazy to boot├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôCrazy to boot?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kitten said, her tail moving at an increased speed. ├óÔé¼┼ôCrazy good├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold said, turning around. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll show you crazy good├óÔé¼┬Ø Kitten said, grabbing him. Then they both vanished in a flash of light. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis gives me a headache├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôIf I were a man├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIf you were a man├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said ├óÔé¼┼ôI would be scared. But your a woman, and a very nice one at that├óÔé¼┬Ø. April looked at him ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you saying I'm pretty?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI've said that at least twenty times├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said ├óÔé¼┼ôJust you've never heard me├óÔé¼┬Ø. April smiled at him.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo when are we getting to this part?├óÔé¼┬Ø Luke asked. April cracked the door open again, looking outside. ├óÔé¼┼ôAbout that├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôThat would be a story for another day├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mathew shouted, suddenly angry ├óÔé¼┼ôThats a gyp!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then the door caved in slightly. ├óÔé¼┼ôActually├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôI think that this place is not quite as safe as I thought├óÔé¼┬Ø. Jess nodded, pulling up his hands as if ready to strike. The door caved in a bit more. ├óÔé¼┼ôPlease stay down├óÔé¼┬Ø April said, gesturing to Mathew and Luke. The two of them ducked down. Then the door burst open.
├óÔé¼┼ôFair Lady├óÔé¼┬Ø Winchester said ├óÔé¼┼ôThis building is coming down├óÔé¼┬Ø. The hallway outside was slowly filling with rubble. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is going on?├óÔé¼┬Ø Luke asked. April grinned at him ├óÔé¼┼ôOnce we get outside I'll explain├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ônow lets RUN!├óÔé¼┬Ø. They all ran, dust and rubble falling on them. It seemed they were running forever, constantly stumbling and tripping and falling. But then they got to the door and escaped into open air.
Luke stamped his foot ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôBefore anything crazy, insane or wired happens next could SOMEONE please tell me what's been going on!├óÔé¼┬Ø. The building, the IRS building, collapsed in on itself, a great resounding crash sounding out in the air. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôAfter I recovered from being injured├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mathew sat down on the ground and looked at April as she continued the story.
├óÔé¼┼ôI want to know what this is!├óÔé¼┬Ø April shouted, pointing at the plate that was floating half way between the floor and the celling. It was completely still, frozen. April prodded the air. It was completely hard. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis├óÔé¼┬Ø Sean said ├óÔé¼┼ôIs a piece of time that has been frozen├óÔé¼┬Ø. April rubbed her temples ├óÔé¼┼ôThis past week had been too crazy├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôFirst the N.E.T is our friends, then our enemy's, then our friends again. And now time has broken or something├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOr something is right├óÔé¼┬Ø Sean said.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo why has time broken?├óÔé¼┬Ø April asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell we had a shield, that was protecting us from the N.E.T. But we needed to let some people in and out so we shut down the shield and slapped a stasis field around us to protect us. Unfortunately we were hit by a several hundred gigawatt orbital pulse laser, witch broke our stasis field. Witch broke time├óÔé¼┬Ø. April nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôI suppose that makes sense. If magic makes sense, witch it never does├óÔé¼┬Ø she pointed at the plate that was frozen ├óÔé¼┼ôWhen does this go away?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI really don't know├óÔé¼┬Ø Sean said.
Suddenly April gasped ├óÔé¼┼ôI forgot├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe kids├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sean asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe kids! The two little kids I left in your care├óÔé¼┬Ø April said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey...oh god├óÔé¼┬Ø Sean said ├óÔé¼┼ôThey never did come back from the room!├óÔé¼┬Ø. April ran away. Sean, about to follow, was distracted. A mage ran at him, arms waving. ├óÔé¼┼ô00!├óÔé¼┬Ø He said ├óÔé¼┼ô00! The time field!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes, what about it?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sean asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts...reverting├óÔé¼┬Ø the mage said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhen it bounces back...├óÔé¼┬Ø he gulped ├óÔé¼┼ôThis entire building might...might├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôMight what!├óÔé¼┬Ø Sean snapped.
They had played their fifteenth variation of building a card house, then blowing it up by removing piece by piece till it fell over, when a very dirty, wet, and blood smeared April walked into the room, breathing heavily. She held Phil in her right hand and was looking back at the edge of the door, which was still slightly open, as if worried something might fly through it at any moment. Mathew and Luke stood still for a moment, mouth's gaping. April's eyes slowly tracked through the room till she spotted the two kids. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôYour alive├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd so├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôI suppose thats The End├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut what happens now?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mathew asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats a good question├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôArnold and Kitten are on honeymoon. Winchester is trying to bring law and peace back to the city. Jess seems to be getting better at magic├óÔé¼┬Ø April trailed off ├óÔé¼┼ôEverything seems to be bright and happy├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mathew raised his eyebrows ├óÔé¼┼ôWell what are we going to do now├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell first I'd like to invite you to the wedding├óÔé¼┬Ø April said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou...and Jess?├óÔé¼┬Ø Luke said, almost incredulously. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell it seemed to be all the rage├óÔé¼┬Ø April said, grinning.
