Its good, but the Silt Strider is wider.
Other wize fine.
Waste
Moderator: Moderators
If you can spot the explosions, raise your hand.
The Silt strider dropped its impromptu weapon and smashed the mech, right where its legs met its cockpit. The mech tilted crazily, its legs splaying out as it tried to keep its balance. It's upper machine gun arm was now free of the strider's grasp, so it brought it about and fired at the strider, ripping apart its chest cavity even more. The Strider was bleeding sluggishly, Silt flowing slowly out of its many wounds.
The Mech was in no great shape, either. Coolent, for its fusion reactor, spilled out of many breaches in its reactor area. The center, were its fusion reactor was located, was dangerously damaged, and could REALLY breach at any time, spraying enough radiation to irradiate half of Utah in a few seconds. The Strider smashed its fist into the mech's cockpit again. The window was already cracked and broken, and the pilot was bruised and battered. Then the fifty gigawatt lasers fired again and the Silt strider collapsed to its knee's, one of its legs almost cut in half.
But the strider grabbed the mech about the shoulders and as it fell, took the robot with it. The gigawatt lasers fired again and the Silt strider fell apart, Soulless streaming everywhere as their cohesion fell apart. The mech slowly tottered to its feet. April desperately touched her symbol, the one on her stomach. She squeezed her eyes and thought as hard as she could on one word, one name. After a moment she thought nothing was coming, thought she was going to die as the mech got to its feet, ready to fight.
Then she felt something slide into her hand, through her symbol. April stood. Jess grabbed at her shoulder ├óÔé¼┼ôStay down!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know what I'm doing├óÔé¼┬Ø April snapped, cocking her pistol. Jess ducked back down as April stood, in plain sight. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere did she├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess asked. Then a voice cut in over his own. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou think you can hit him?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôJust watch me├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil said, his voice dropping down to a low whisper ├óÔé¼┼ôI know kung-fu├óÔé¼┬Ø. April aimed it at the center of the Mech's cockpit. The pilot looked at the solitary woman, aiming at her puny gun at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the fuck?├óÔé¼┬Ø He whispered to himself.
├óÔé¼┼ôNOW!├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil shouted. April pulled the trigger and Phil leaped in her hand, roaring loudly. The bullet shot out of his barrel, then the back exploded violently, sending it shooting forward like a missile. It punched through the cockpit glass in the mech and hit the pilot squarely in the forehead. Then it exploded and the cockpit's glass shattered from the strain, finally spraying outwards. Along with brains and bone matter. The mech tottered back, its remaining arms twitching spasmodically.
Its lower right laser fired one last time, turning a swath of Silt into blackened glass. Then the entire mech tittered over and collapsed. ├óÔé¼┼ôNice shot├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôMeet Phil. Mark 2├óÔé¼┬Ø. Phil did look much better. He was larger, smother and had a much bigger barrel. He also had two clips, one where the bullets were red tipped, and the other where the bullets were green tipped. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø April saids ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats the different bullets for?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe red ones are explosive, as you already saw. Green are acid├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAcid?├óÔé¼┬Ø April asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI like it├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Arnold walked up the top of the silt dune, brushing off his shirt. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo I lived├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd got a great side view of the battle├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, great├óÔé¼┬Ø April said. Then she looked over his shoulder. ├óÔé¼┼ôRUN!├óÔé¼┬Ø she shouted, holstering Phil and taking off. Jess ran too, eyes bugging. Winchester was ran after April. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh shit├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold said, looking over his shoulder. Three new mechs had portaled in, weapons ready. Arnold started to run, almost falling as he went down the siltdune. A laser shot through the dune, to his left, leaving a black tunnel of blackened glass.
13 chewed his pencil. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan we get another strider there?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNot without putting enough power to blow the damn mechs up from here├óÔé¼┬Ø the buxom tech said. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't worry├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 said, walking into the room, 01 following behind him. ├óÔé¼┼ôOur plan is working├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 started. ├óÔé¼┼ôPerfectly├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 finished ├óÔé¼┼ôWe should be seeing the second├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôPart├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 said. He looked at his partner and they paused for a moment. The buxom tech was goggling, recognizing the two men for the fabled leaders of the IRS. ├óÔé¼┼ôReady?├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôReady├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 replyed.
00 closed his eyes. Then his forehead creased and an odd symbol appeared on his forehead. 01 did likewise, the symbol reversed on his forehead. ├óÔé¼┼ôReleasing Power Restrictions├óÔé¼┬Ø they both intoned at the same time ├óÔé¼┼ôTo level five├óÔé¼┬Ø. 13 looked at the tech, who looked at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat does that mean?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI have no idea├óÔé¼┬Ø 13 responded ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd get a luckworker on our operatives├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø The buxom tech said, snapping her fingers. She, like most logistic workers, was a teleshifter. And as such was in communication with several other people to arrange a luckworker to start working.
Luckworkers, also called Fates, could actually increase the statistical weight of a certain thing happen. That is good or bad luck, honed to a fine point. A luckworker, given a picture of April, Jess, Winchester and Arther, started to concentrate, intoning words under his breath. Space time wrapped slightly, but unlike when a timebender started to work, it did not buckle or bend. The luckworker knew he was on a time limit. If he worked too long his brain would explode. So he set a watch and settled into his rythem of work.
├óÔé¼┼ôPower limit released├óÔé¼┬Ø The Watcher heard the voice whispering in its ear, both its creators talking in unison. ├óÔé¼┼ôLevel five├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Watcher nodded its head slowly and slowly let itself be seen. One mech looked to the right, spotting a 'blank' spot on its infrared scanner, vaguely man shaped. The Watcher slid its sword out of the ground, controlling the Silt and forming it into something deadly sharp. Then the Watcher jumped, the Silt hardening beaneith its feet. The jump was a small one, for the Watcher, but it did the job.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell is that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold shouted, looking back. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø April turned around, knowing how deadly her precarious position was. A form was jumping up, madly, onto the side of one of the mech. Then it brought a sword, a jagged, uneven sword, up and down. Then it slid along the side of the cockpit until its feet Then, to April's shock, the cockpit fell in half. Then the sword swished through the air again and the mech's pilot's head fell into the Silt, blood splattering. The other mech's noticed, and turned to the figure, who was jumping down off the twitching mech.
The machine guns lit up, tearing the downed mech's body apart, igniting ammo and fuel. The entire thing exploded violently. Out of the fire and smoke leaped the Watcher, now a second sword in its hand. The two swords cut through one of the arms on the mech, a machine gun, and it fell to the ground, still firing. The third mech turned about to shoot the Watcher, but its machine guns couldn't aim at the Watcher. The Watcher's swords cut a hole in the cockpit, then in through the hole. Blood sprayed and the mech dropped. ├óÔé¼┼ôHoly shit├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess murmured. ├óÔé¼┼ôA fine swordsman├óÔé¼┬Ø Winchester said softly.
The two remaining mechs let everything loose. Their lasers swept back and forth, machine guns raking everything that was not hit by the lasers. And in this maelstrom of firepower, the Watcher was jumping around like a hatter, avoiding weapons that could take out a tank as if it was getting away from a Soulless. Then the mech's brought out their big guns, large missile launchers sliding out from their backs and firing into the sky. The missiles arced up and impacted in the ground, sending plumes of sickly green smoke.
The smoke wafted over the battlefield, and April brought her Silt suit to her face, eye's stinging. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit!├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered, kicking Jess and Arnold down before shoving her own head in the Silt, to block out the fumes. The cloud covered the Watcher and the mech's stood, looking for its form, hopefully collapsed and dead on its feet. Then the Watcher leaped from the cloud, swords flashing in the light. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell is this thing!├óÔé¼┬Ø one of the pilots was reported shouting. Before his cockpit was cut open and his brains splattered.
The last mech fell to the ground, legs and arms twitching, guns firing spasmodically. The Watcher dropped its swords, letting them revert to Silt. ├óÔé¼┼ôPower restrictions reverted to level six├óÔé¼┬Ø It said softly. Then it melted away into mists and shadows. But April didn't see it. Because April and company were over two miles away by that point.
April ran, not daring to look back. First the regrowth of Angle Point, then the mech. Then the...the whatever the hell that was. Her lungs were on fire, but she kept running, feeling the Silt pound under her feet. Jess was somewhere behind her, but Winchester was way ahead, not even breaking a sweat. As usual. After she ran till she could run no more, April staggered to a halt, hands on her knees. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit├óÔé¼┬Ø she grunted ├óÔé¼┼ôStop guys├óÔé¼┬Ø. Arnold stopped next, looking back at her.
├óÔé¼┼ôApril├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said ├óÔé¼┼ôI think we've gone├óÔé¼┬Ø he gasped, letting in air and whipping off his sweaty brow ├óÔé¼┼ôAbout...three miles├óÔé¼┬Ø. They looked around. Angle Point's regrowing pustule, now a more similar to its original form, was still visable. But the...whatever the hell it was, was not. Neither were any new mechs or daemons or whatever else the world would throw at them. April sat down, letting the Silt suit turn the Silt from a slippery, slidy mess, into something that felt more like feather down. She smiled. Her bed had been a feather bed, back when she was young.
April frowned. What had brought that up. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't worry├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold said, sitting down next to her and mistaking the frown for worry ├óÔé¼┼ôNothing can get to us for a while├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then something exploded about two miles back, sending a massive plume of black, brackish smoke into the air below Angle Point. ├óÔé¼┼ôGod damn it!├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôNever say anything!├óÔé¼┬Ø She snapped at Arnold ├óÔé¼┼ôNever!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Arnold nodded meekly as they stood up to look at the explosion. A second explosion was set off, sending more Silt flying into the air.
April turned about, readying to run away. But then Winchester stopped her, placing his hand on her shoulder ├óÔé¼┼ôWait├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe explosions are...there not going towards us├óÔé¼┬Ø. Another explosion blasted the area, this time a sickly green one. Then a burst of something that looked like plasma shot up and away from the ground, shooting up into the sky. Eventually, as its magnetic casket decayed and melted from the heat, some trace elements would fall back to earth. April nodded at Winchester ├óÔé¼┼ôright├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, sitting down again ├óÔé¼┼ôLets watch the show├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The Silt strider dropped its impromptu weapon and smashed the mech, right where its legs met its cockpit. The mech tilted crazily, its legs splaying out as it tried to keep its balance. It's upper machine gun arm was now free of the strider's grasp, so it brought it about and fired at the strider, ripping apart its chest cavity even more. The Strider was bleeding sluggishly, Silt flowing slowly out of its many wounds.
The Mech was in no great shape, either. Coolent, for its fusion reactor, spilled out of many breaches in its reactor area. The center, were its fusion reactor was located, was dangerously damaged, and could REALLY breach at any time, spraying enough radiation to irradiate half of Utah in a few seconds. The Strider smashed its fist into the mech's cockpit again. The window was already cracked and broken, and the pilot was bruised and battered. Then the fifty gigawatt lasers fired again and the Silt strider collapsed to its knee's, one of its legs almost cut in half.
But the strider grabbed the mech about the shoulders and as it fell, took the robot with it. The gigawatt lasers fired again and the Silt strider fell apart, Soulless streaming everywhere as their cohesion fell apart. The mech slowly tottered to its feet. April desperately touched her symbol, the one on her stomach. She squeezed her eyes and thought as hard as she could on one word, one name. After a moment she thought nothing was coming, thought she was going to die as the mech got to its feet, ready to fight.
Then she felt something slide into her hand, through her symbol. April stood. Jess grabbed at her shoulder ├óÔé¼┼ôStay down!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know what I'm doing├óÔé¼┬Ø April snapped, cocking her pistol. Jess ducked back down as April stood, in plain sight. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere did she├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess asked. Then a voice cut in over his own. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou think you can hit him?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôJust watch me├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil said, his voice dropping down to a low whisper ├óÔé¼┼ôI know kung-fu├óÔé¼┬Ø. April aimed it at the center of the Mech's cockpit. The pilot looked at the solitary woman, aiming at her puny gun at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the fuck?├óÔé¼┬Ø He whispered to himself.
├óÔé¼┼ôNOW!├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil shouted. April pulled the trigger and Phil leaped in her hand, roaring loudly. The bullet shot out of his barrel, then the back exploded violently, sending it shooting forward like a missile. It punched through the cockpit glass in the mech and hit the pilot squarely in the forehead. Then it exploded and the cockpit's glass shattered from the strain, finally spraying outwards. Along with brains and bone matter. The mech tottered back, its remaining arms twitching spasmodically.
Its lower right laser fired one last time, turning a swath of Silt into blackened glass. Then the entire mech tittered over and collapsed. ├óÔé¼┼ôNice shot├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôMeet Phil. Mark 2├óÔé¼┬Ø. Phil did look much better. He was larger, smother and had a much bigger barrel. He also had two clips, one where the bullets were red tipped, and the other where the bullets were green tipped. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø April saids ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats the different bullets for?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe red ones are explosive, as you already saw. Green are acid├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAcid?├óÔé¼┬Ø April asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI like it├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Arnold walked up the top of the silt dune, brushing off his shirt. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo I lived├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd got a great side view of the battle├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, great├óÔé¼┬Ø April said. Then she looked over his shoulder. ├óÔé¼┼ôRUN!├óÔé¼┬Ø she shouted, holstering Phil and taking off. Jess ran too, eyes bugging. Winchester was ran after April. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh shit├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold said, looking over his shoulder. Three new mechs had portaled in, weapons ready. Arnold started to run, almost falling as he went down the siltdune. A laser shot through the dune, to his left, leaving a black tunnel of blackened glass.
13 chewed his pencil. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan we get another strider there?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNot without putting enough power to blow the damn mechs up from here├óÔé¼┬Ø the buxom tech said. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't worry├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 said, walking into the room, 01 following behind him. ├óÔé¼┼ôOur plan is working├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 started. ├óÔé¼┼ôPerfectly├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 finished ├óÔé¼┼ôWe should be seeing the second├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôPart├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 said. He looked at his partner and they paused for a moment. The buxom tech was goggling, recognizing the two men for the fabled leaders of the IRS. ├óÔé¼┼ôReady?├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôReady├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 replyed.
00 closed his eyes. Then his forehead creased and an odd symbol appeared on his forehead. 01 did likewise, the symbol reversed on his forehead. ├óÔé¼┼ôReleasing Power Restrictions├óÔé¼┬Ø they both intoned at the same time ├óÔé¼┼ôTo level five├óÔé¼┬Ø. 13 looked at the tech, who looked at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat does that mean?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI have no idea├óÔé¼┬Ø 13 responded ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd get a luckworker on our operatives├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø The buxom tech said, snapping her fingers. She, like most logistic workers, was a teleshifter. And as such was in communication with several other people to arrange a luckworker to start working.
Luckworkers, also called Fates, could actually increase the statistical weight of a certain thing happen. That is good or bad luck, honed to a fine point. A luckworker, given a picture of April, Jess, Winchester and Arther, started to concentrate, intoning words under his breath. Space time wrapped slightly, but unlike when a timebender started to work, it did not buckle or bend. The luckworker knew he was on a time limit. If he worked too long his brain would explode. So he set a watch and settled into his rythem of work.
├óÔé¼┼ôPower limit released├óÔé¼┬Ø The Watcher heard the voice whispering in its ear, both its creators talking in unison. ├óÔé¼┼ôLevel five├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Watcher nodded its head slowly and slowly let itself be seen. One mech looked to the right, spotting a 'blank' spot on its infrared scanner, vaguely man shaped. The Watcher slid its sword out of the ground, controlling the Silt and forming it into something deadly sharp. Then the Watcher jumped, the Silt hardening beaneith its feet. The jump was a small one, for the Watcher, but it did the job.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell is that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold shouted, looking back. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø April turned around, knowing how deadly her precarious position was. A form was jumping up, madly, onto the side of one of the mech. Then it brought a sword, a jagged, uneven sword, up and down. Then it slid along the side of the cockpit until its feet Then, to April's shock, the cockpit fell in half. Then the sword swished through the air again and the mech's pilot's head fell into the Silt, blood splattering. The other mech's noticed, and turned to the figure, who was jumping down off the twitching mech.
The machine guns lit up, tearing the downed mech's body apart, igniting ammo and fuel. The entire thing exploded violently. Out of the fire and smoke leaped the Watcher, now a second sword in its hand. The two swords cut through one of the arms on the mech, a machine gun, and it fell to the ground, still firing. The third mech turned about to shoot the Watcher, but its machine guns couldn't aim at the Watcher. The Watcher's swords cut a hole in the cockpit, then in through the hole. Blood sprayed and the mech dropped. ├óÔé¼┼ôHoly shit├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess murmured. ├óÔé¼┼ôA fine swordsman├óÔé¼┬Ø Winchester said softly.
The two remaining mechs let everything loose. Their lasers swept back and forth, machine guns raking everything that was not hit by the lasers. And in this maelstrom of firepower, the Watcher was jumping around like a hatter, avoiding weapons that could take out a tank as if it was getting away from a Soulless. Then the mech's brought out their big guns, large missile launchers sliding out from their backs and firing into the sky. The missiles arced up and impacted in the ground, sending plumes of sickly green smoke.
The smoke wafted over the battlefield, and April brought her Silt suit to her face, eye's stinging. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit!├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered, kicking Jess and Arnold down before shoving her own head in the Silt, to block out the fumes. The cloud covered the Watcher and the mech's stood, looking for its form, hopefully collapsed and dead on its feet. Then the Watcher leaped from the cloud, swords flashing in the light. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell is this thing!├óÔé¼┬Ø one of the pilots was reported shouting. Before his cockpit was cut open and his brains splattered.
The last mech fell to the ground, legs and arms twitching, guns firing spasmodically. The Watcher dropped its swords, letting them revert to Silt. ├óÔé¼┼ôPower restrictions reverted to level six├óÔé¼┬Ø It said softly. Then it melted away into mists and shadows. But April didn't see it. Because April and company were over two miles away by that point.
April ran, not daring to look back. First the regrowth of Angle Point, then the mech. Then the...the whatever the hell that was. Her lungs were on fire, but she kept running, feeling the Silt pound under her feet. Jess was somewhere behind her, but Winchester was way ahead, not even breaking a sweat. As usual. After she ran till she could run no more, April staggered to a halt, hands on her knees. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit├óÔé¼┬Ø she grunted ├óÔé¼┼ôStop guys├óÔé¼┬Ø. Arnold stopped next, looking back at her.
├óÔé¼┼ôApril├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said ├óÔé¼┼ôI think we've gone├óÔé¼┬Ø he gasped, letting in air and whipping off his sweaty brow ├óÔé¼┼ôAbout...three miles├óÔé¼┬Ø. They looked around. Angle Point's regrowing pustule, now a more similar to its original form, was still visable. But the...whatever the hell it was, was not. Neither were any new mechs or daemons or whatever else the world would throw at them. April sat down, letting the Silt suit turn the Silt from a slippery, slidy mess, into something that felt more like feather down. She smiled. Her bed had been a feather bed, back when she was young.
April frowned. What had brought that up. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't worry├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold said, sitting down next to her and mistaking the frown for worry ├óÔé¼┼ôNothing can get to us for a while├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then something exploded about two miles back, sending a massive plume of black, brackish smoke into the air below Angle Point. ├óÔé¼┼ôGod damn it!├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôNever say anything!├óÔé¼┬Ø She snapped at Arnold ├óÔé¼┼ôNever!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Arnold nodded meekly as they stood up to look at the explosion. A second explosion was set off, sending more Silt flying into the air.
April turned about, readying to run away. But then Winchester stopped her, placing his hand on her shoulder ├óÔé¼┼ôWait├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe explosions are...there not going towards us├óÔé¼┬Ø. Another explosion blasted the area, this time a sickly green one. Then a burst of something that looked like plasma shot up and away from the ground, shooting up into the sky. Eventually, as its magnetic casket decayed and melted from the heat, some trace elements would fall back to earth. April nodded at Winchester ├óÔé¼┼ôright├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, sitting down again ├óÔé¼┼ôLets watch the show├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Wait...what happened to Chapter Four?
That...is...a...very...good question.
Chapter Five: Three Weeks Later?
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┼ôIs there a reason why we shouldn't be?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mathew asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou haven't noticed?├óÔé¼┬Ø April asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNoticed what?├óÔé¼┬Ø Luke said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe've only been in here for two hours├óÔé¼┬Ø. April looked at the celling ├óÔé¼┼ôI've been gone for three weeks├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The fireworks show lasted for a half hour. April, Jess, Arnold and Winchester all watched with mute fascination. There was some deadly pattern to the explosions, the wild shots, the laser lights that every once and a while etched its way over their retinas, leaving bright blue streaks. Then everything stopped. April looked at Jess. Jess looked at April. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat├óÔé¼┬Ø April said. Then she noticed that the Silt was slowly floating upwards. ├óÔé¼┼ôFuck!├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold snapped, leaping to his feet. He went up higher then expected.
The Silt was slowly floating off the ground, clumps of it. April tried to stay on the ground, but was slowly getting away from it despite herself. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell is going on!├óÔé¼┬Ø she shouted. Winchester, having more sense then the others, jammed his sword into the Silt. That worked only marginally well. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think the N.E.T has brought out their big guns├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold said. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow can you tell!├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess snapped, grabbing a handful of Silt, rather then the handhold he was hoping for. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat!├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold said, pointing back to Angle Point.
Everyone spun around, as best they could, to look. An eerie blue light was touching down, looked like a massive search light. It was pretty, surprisingly so. Then it slowly began to contract, thinning down and increasing in intensity until it was a pencil thin spear of light touching down on a point on the ground. Then everything fell back to Earth. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø April said, standing up and dusting herself off ├óÔé¼┼ôThat wasn't too├óÔé¼┬Ø. Jess tackled her before the shock wave blew everything up.
For a moment 13 thought that everything had gone completely crazy. The room started to flash red and blue, alternating quickly between them. Then a tremor went through the building. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell?├óÔé¼┬Ø 13 muttered, looking around. ├óÔé¼┼ôGod├óÔé¼┬Ø The buxom tech muttered. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is it?├óÔé¼┬Ø 13 asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI've detected that the Net, the big one in the sky, has lost all power...in pretty much everywhere our insider has a link up├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere is it focused?├óÔé¼┬Ø 13 asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôAngle Point├óÔé¼┬Ø The buxom tech responded. 13 looked at 01 and 00 ├óÔé¼┼ôI suppose they decided to build it faster├óÔé¼┬Ø he said.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo, sir├óÔé¼┬Ø the Buxom tech said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt looks like Angle Point has stopped getting priority. It...its almost as if they just threw the energy at the place├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then 00 dropped to his knee's and died, blood bubbling out of his eye sockets. He made a sound that nothing alive should make, a wet, snapping sound as if his lungs were being torn in two. His ribs caved in and he vomited blood. Then his body lay there, twitching. 01 collapsed against the wall, clutching his forehead. Blood ran down his nose, nothing like the blood storm that came out of 00's eyes. The buxom techs mouth was open in a silent scream, too disgusted to even move.
01 himself looked completely shell shocked. It was...well how could anyone expect the leader of the IRS to suddenly have what only happens to overeager appurtenances, when they overreached themselves. 13 had the misfortune to have a close friend try to meddle with time, even though he was just a luck worker. Boiling blood had sprayed out his eye sockets as his brain melted, dribbling out his nose like steaming purple goop. But it only happened when someone did something they couldn't, with magic at least.
├óÔé¼┼ô13, your with me├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 said. 13 nodded mutely, walking out of the room with 01. Then he turned around and stuck his head into the room ├óÔé¼┼ôClean this all up├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. The tech nodded slowly, mouth still open. 13 walked out of the wood room and back into the harsh metal hallways. He never noticed how much better being around wood made him feel till he was out of it. 01 was waiting, tapping his foot impatiently.
They both walked into a smallish conference room, one situated far in the back of the building. 01 sat down on one of the swivel chair's that surrounded the table in the middle of the room. He proffered a seat to 13, who took it. The door behind him closed, sliding shut under its own power. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 drummed his fingers on the table ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need a new 00├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. 13 chewed his lip ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat happened?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked ├óÔé¼┼ôIt looked like...├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt looked like what it was├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 said ├óÔé¼┼ôGregor Muller, 00, gave his life willingly, protecting the most valuable information we have gleaned in this...endevour├óÔé¼┬Ø.
13, remembering the secret discussion he had had with 00 and 01 a few hours ago. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo...what have we learned, what did Gregor find out├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôGregor didn't find out. The Watcher did├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Watcher was at ground zero. Its proof├óÔé¼┬Ø he grinned, a vicious, predatory grin. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe proof we've all been looking for├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat happened, though!├óÔé¼┬Ø 13 snapped, getting tired of this overly long discussion. ├óÔé¼┼ôProof that the N.E.T are going to do pretty much anything to cover up their secret├óÔé¼┬Ø. He ran his hand over the table and a map slowly filled in over it, etching into the metal as 01 focused his powers at it. It was a map of Utah.
├óÔé¼┼ôThey care enough to obliterate├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 ran his finger in a large circle, encompassing what looked like a three mile wide circle around Angle Point ├óÔé¼┼ôthis entire area├óÔé¼┬Ø.
April woke up underneath a ton of Silt. It was flowing into her mouth, filling her lungs like very fluid sand. Or very thick water. She had never drowned before, and had always wanted to go that way. Very stylish, she thought. Dying by immersing oneself in the most valuables liquid on the planet. Then her hand broke the surface, groping in the air. April dug out, harder then it sounded. Kicking, struggling and pulling, she managed to get her head up and over the Silt.
Then she threw up, the contents of her stomach looking thick and chalky, with too much Silt in it. Her lungs felt like sandpaper had run over them several times over. April crawled out of the little hillock and expected to be able to lie on the Silt long enough to get her breath back. But she got out, hearing some clanking, clattering, tinkling noise. She then started to roll, rolling down a sudden slope. As her arms slapped the area around her, the Silt shattered, sending black shards everywhere. She came to a halt on a large bit of Hard Silt, formed under the Silt god knows when, shoving out into the open air.
April lay there, gasping. She blinked and started to cry, her eyes starting to tear up from the Silt jammed in them. She lay, curled in a small ball, waiting for it to get better. After a unknown amount of time passed April slowly uncurled and looked at the sky. It looked clear, far clearer and bluer then she had seen it for a while. Then she sat up and saw something that made her want to curl up again.
Angle Point no longer existed. Around it, for an interminable distance, was a massive crater. One huge crater, the edges blackened Silt, hardened into something similar to glass. The extent of devastation was mind boggling. April was speechless for a few moments. Then she turned around and started scrambling up and over the edge of the crater. She had broken the glass up on the way down, and broke it again on the way up. She got up to the top and stood back on the Silt, the real, shifty Silt. Then she noticed her arms and legs were cut up from the broken glass she had clambered up in such a hurry.
Her Silt suit looked more like a bathing suit, that was how little was left. Parts were scotched off, other parts cut off. In the end she looked bedraggled and half naked. And her supplied were completely gone. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey, April├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil said. April jumped, and found that Phil was still strapped to her hip. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat just happened, Phil?├óÔé¼┬Ø April asked ├óÔé¼┼ôDid everyone else die? Cause I am too tired to care at this point├óÔé¼┬Ø. Phil thought about it for a moment ├óÔé¼┼ôMy scanners can't pick any other heat sig's in the area, but it could be masked by the residual heat from what hit us├óÔé¼┬Ø.
April nodded slowly ├óÔé¼┼ôCan you extrapolate where the others might be, from where I was?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm a gun not a...really...really fast computer├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôYour the only one left, huh?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôLooks like├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil said. April collapsed to her knees and started to sob.
Jess looked around. He was not touching much. Just lying on what felt like the interior of a bowl. He felt around and it felt like he was in a Hard Silt room. A sudden feeling of claustrophobia hit him, as he felt around. He was underground, he could tell. Being buried alive had always been a bad idea. But it was all the more horrible when you actually found yourself in that position. Jess knew up was where his head was, because gravity should still be working. He didn't feel unusual. Then he heard a clatter and felt part of his cave cave in, an arm shoving its way into the bubble of air.
Jess yelped. ├óÔé¼┼ôJess!├óÔé¼┬Ø Winchester shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôHelp me!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Jess, recognizing the older man, grabbed the arm and dragged Winchester into the bubble. It was very cramped, and Jess felt the claustrophobia strike again, harder this time. It was all he could do to not panic. ├óÔé¼┼ôI have an idea├óÔé¼┬Ø Winchester said. His sword slowly slid out of its scabbard, and Jess nervously backed away from the sound, hitting the wall. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Winchester said ├óÔé¼┼ôThis way is up, so├óÔé¼┬Ø.
April knelt back, whipping snot and tears off her already dirty face. She was still working the grief and anger out of her system, but felt like it would never pass. She hadn't even know the others that well. Then the ground in front of her puffed up. The Silt slowly slid away, revealing a sword. Winchester's sword. April looked at it dumbly. Then the floor gave way and she was waist deep in Silt. A hand grabbed at the air and inadvertently grabbed her breast. ├óÔé¼┼ôBastard!├óÔé¼┬Ø April smacked out and connected solidly. ├óÔé¼┼ôOw├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess groaned, sitting up, clutching his head.
├óÔé¼┼ôJess?├óÔé¼┬Ø April asked ├óÔé¼┼ôOh god your alive├óÔé¼┬Ø She hugged him tight, not caring that both of them were covered in Silt, blood and tears. Winchester clambered out of the pit, whipping his sword off and sliding it back into his scabbard. He looked around and saw the devastation. ├óÔé¼┼ôJess!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, turning around. Jess and April were busy kissing each other, wallowing in the Silt like it was the best bed in all of Utah.
Winchester turned away, smiling slightly. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere is Arnold├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered, walking off to find the missing man. April untangled herself from Jess. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat did I do to deserve this?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess murmured dazedly. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou survived, you bastard├óÔé¼┬Ø April grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôNever do that again├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess asked. April hugged him close and then stood up slowly, Silt falling off her in a thick cloud. She helped pull Jess out of the ground, and he gaped at the destruction.
├óÔé¼┼ôI've seen that before!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI've seen it!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat!├óÔé¼┬Ø April spun Jess around, grabbing his shoulders and staring right into his eyes. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt was different that time. Different, different├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe buildings were still there, gravity acted normal. It was just the blue light, then├óÔé¼┬Ø. April kissed him. Jess shut up ├óÔé¼┼ôNow...├óÔé¼┬Ø April said slowly ├óÔé¼┼ôNow think hard and tell me...exactly what happened├óÔé¼┬Ø. Jess shook his head slightly ├óÔé¼┼ôAt Apple Berry├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThats how everyone died├óÔé¼┬Ø.
April sighed, putting her fingers to her temples. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut...it looked like├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI was there├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said ├óÔé¼┼ôThose bullets were put into those people after the fact├óÔé¼┬Ø. April sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôSo they wanted to make it look like a firefight, without actually having a fire fight?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell think├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said ├óÔé¼┼ôA fire fight and there is always the chance that someone gets away. They wanted to sterilize the place. So...this must have been a plasma or laser strike..├óÔé¼┬Ø he looked at the glass ├óÔé¼┼ôHeat and kinetic force, rather then anything else├óÔé¼┬Ø.
April nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôBut Apple Berry was different├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt must have been something else, something that doesn't leave physical marks├óÔé¼┬Ø. Jess nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd the N.E.T can use it anywhere, on anything├óÔé¼┬Ø. Jess closed his eyes ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd they killed Apple Berry because of something├óÔé¼┬Ø. April grabbed him and kissed him again ├óÔé¼┼ôGod I love you├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered. They both fell back into the Silt.
That...is...a...very...good question.
Chapter Five: Three Weeks Later?
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┼ôIs there a reason why we shouldn't be?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mathew asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou haven't noticed?├óÔé¼┬Ø April asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNoticed what?├óÔé¼┬Ø Luke said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe've only been in here for two hours├óÔé¼┬Ø. April looked at the celling ├óÔé¼┼ôI've been gone for three weeks├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The fireworks show lasted for a half hour. April, Jess, Arnold and Winchester all watched with mute fascination. There was some deadly pattern to the explosions, the wild shots, the laser lights that every once and a while etched its way over their retinas, leaving bright blue streaks. Then everything stopped. April looked at Jess. Jess looked at April. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat├óÔé¼┬Ø April said. Then she noticed that the Silt was slowly floating upwards. ├óÔé¼┼ôFuck!├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold snapped, leaping to his feet. He went up higher then expected.
The Silt was slowly floating off the ground, clumps of it. April tried to stay on the ground, but was slowly getting away from it despite herself. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell is going on!├óÔé¼┬Ø she shouted. Winchester, having more sense then the others, jammed his sword into the Silt. That worked only marginally well. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think the N.E.T has brought out their big guns├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold said. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow can you tell!├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess snapped, grabbing a handful of Silt, rather then the handhold he was hoping for. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat!├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold said, pointing back to Angle Point.
Everyone spun around, as best they could, to look. An eerie blue light was touching down, looked like a massive search light. It was pretty, surprisingly so. Then it slowly began to contract, thinning down and increasing in intensity until it was a pencil thin spear of light touching down on a point on the ground. Then everything fell back to Earth. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø April said, standing up and dusting herself off ├óÔé¼┼ôThat wasn't too├óÔé¼┬Ø. Jess tackled her before the shock wave blew everything up.
For a moment 13 thought that everything had gone completely crazy. The room started to flash red and blue, alternating quickly between them. Then a tremor went through the building. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell?├óÔé¼┬Ø 13 muttered, looking around. ├óÔé¼┼ôGod├óÔé¼┬Ø The buxom tech muttered. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is it?├óÔé¼┬Ø 13 asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI've detected that the Net, the big one in the sky, has lost all power...in pretty much everywhere our insider has a link up├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere is it focused?├óÔé¼┬Ø 13 asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôAngle Point├óÔé¼┬Ø The buxom tech responded. 13 looked at 01 and 00 ├óÔé¼┼ôI suppose they decided to build it faster├óÔé¼┬Ø he said.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo, sir├óÔé¼┬Ø the Buxom tech said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt looks like Angle Point has stopped getting priority. It...its almost as if they just threw the energy at the place├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then 00 dropped to his knee's and died, blood bubbling out of his eye sockets. He made a sound that nothing alive should make, a wet, snapping sound as if his lungs were being torn in two. His ribs caved in and he vomited blood. Then his body lay there, twitching. 01 collapsed against the wall, clutching his forehead. Blood ran down his nose, nothing like the blood storm that came out of 00's eyes. The buxom techs mouth was open in a silent scream, too disgusted to even move.
01 himself looked completely shell shocked. It was...well how could anyone expect the leader of the IRS to suddenly have what only happens to overeager appurtenances, when they overreached themselves. 13 had the misfortune to have a close friend try to meddle with time, even though he was just a luck worker. Boiling blood had sprayed out his eye sockets as his brain melted, dribbling out his nose like steaming purple goop. But it only happened when someone did something they couldn't, with magic at least.
├óÔé¼┼ô13, your with me├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 said. 13 nodded mutely, walking out of the room with 01. Then he turned around and stuck his head into the room ├óÔé¼┼ôClean this all up├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. The tech nodded slowly, mouth still open. 13 walked out of the wood room and back into the harsh metal hallways. He never noticed how much better being around wood made him feel till he was out of it. 01 was waiting, tapping his foot impatiently.
They both walked into a smallish conference room, one situated far in the back of the building. 01 sat down on one of the swivel chair's that surrounded the table in the middle of the room. He proffered a seat to 13, who took it. The door behind him closed, sliding shut under its own power. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 drummed his fingers on the table ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need a new 00├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. 13 chewed his lip ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat happened?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked ├óÔé¼┼ôIt looked like...├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt looked like what it was├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 said ├óÔé¼┼ôGregor Muller, 00, gave his life willingly, protecting the most valuable information we have gleaned in this...endevour├óÔé¼┬Ø.
13, remembering the secret discussion he had had with 00 and 01 a few hours ago. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo...what have we learned, what did Gregor find out├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôGregor didn't find out. The Watcher did├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Watcher was at ground zero. Its proof├óÔé¼┬Ø he grinned, a vicious, predatory grin. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe proof we've all been looking for├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat happened, though!├óÔé¼┬Ø 13 snapped, getting tired of this overly long discussion. ├óÔé¼┼ôProof that the N.E.T are going to do pretty much anything to cover up their secret├óÔé¼┬Ø. He ran his hand over the table and a map slowly filled in over it, etching into the metal as 01 focused his powers at it. It was a map of Utah.
├óÔé¼┼ôThey care enough to obliterate├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 ran his finger in a large circle, encompassing what looked like a three mile wide circle around Angle Point ├óÔé¼┼ôthis entire area├óÔé¼┬Ø.
April woke up underneath a ton of Silt. It was flowing into her mouth, filling her lungs like very fluid sand. Or very thick water. She had never drowned before, and had always wanted to go that way. Very stylish, she thought. Dying by immersing oneself in the most valuables liquid on the planet. Then her hand broke the surface, groping in the air. April dug out, harder then it sounded. Kicking, struggling and pulling, she managed to get her head up and over the Silt.
Then she threw up, the contents of her stomach looking thick and chalky, with too much Silt in it. Her lungs felt like sandpaper had run over them several times over. April crawled out of the little hillock and expected to be able to lie on the Silt long enough to get her breath back. But she got out, hearing some clanking, clattering, tinkling noise. She then started to roll, rolling down a sudden slope. As her arms slapped the area around her, the Silt shattered, sending black shards everywhere. She came to a halt on a large bit of Hard Silt, formed under the Silt god knows when, shoving out into the open air.
April lay there, gasping. She blinked and started to cry, her eyes starting to tear up from the Silt jammed in them. She lay, curled in a small ball, waiting for it to get better. After a unknown amount of time passed April slowly uncurled and looked at the sky. It looked clear, far clearer and bluer then she had seen it for a while. Then she sat up and saw something that made her want to curl up again.
Angle Point no longer existed. Around it, for an interminable distance, was a massive crater. One huge crater, the edges blackened Silt, hardened into something similar to glass. The extent of devastation was mind boggling. April was speechless for a few moments. Then she turned around and started scrambling up and over the edge of the crater. She had broken the glass up on the way down, and broke it again on the way up. She got up to the top and stood back on the Silt, the real, shifty Silt. Then she noticed her arms and legs were cut up from the broken glass she had clambered up in such a hurry.
Her Silt suit looked more like a bathing suit, that was how little was left. Parts were scotched off, other parts cut off. In the end she looked bedraggled and half naked. And her supplied were completely gone. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey, April├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil said. April jumped, and found that Phil was still strapped to her hip. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat just happened, Phil?├óÔé¼┬Ø April asked ├óÔé¼┼ôDid everyone else die? Cause I am too tired to care at this point├óÔé¼┬Ø. Phil thought about it for a moment ├óÔé¼┼ôMy scanners can't pick any other heat sig's in the area, but it could be masked by the residual heat from what hit us├óÔé¼┬Ø.
April nodded slowly ├óÔé¼┼ôCan you extrapolate where the others might be, from where I was?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm a gun not a...really...really fast computer├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry├óÔé¼┬Ø April said ├óÔé¼┼ôYour the only one left, huh?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôLooks like├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil said. April collapsed to her knees and started to sob.
Jess looked around. He was not touching much. Just lying on what felt like the interior of a bowl. He felt around and it felt like he was in a Hard Silt room. A sudden feeling of claustrophobia hit him, as he felt around. He was underground, he could tell. Being buried alive had always been a bad idea. But it was all the more horrible when you actually found yourself in that position. Jess knew up was where his head was, because gravity should still be working. He didn't feel unusual. Then he heard a clatter and felt part of his cave cave in, an arm shoving its way into the bubble of air.
Jess yelped. ├óÔé¼┼ôJess!├óÔé¼┬Ø Winchester shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôHelp me!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Jess, recognizing the older man, grabbed the arm and dragged Winchester into the bubble. It was very cramped, and Jess felt the claustrophobia strike again, harder this time. It was all he could do to not panic. ├óÔé¼┼ôI have an idea├óÔé¼┬Ø Winchester said. His sword slowly slid out of its scabbard, and Jess nervously backed away from the sound, hitting the wall. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Winchester said ├óÔé¼┼ôThis way is up, so├óÔé¼┬Ø.
April knelt back, whipping snot and tears off her already dirty face. She was still working the grief and anger out of her system, but felt like it would never pass. She hadn't even know the others that well. Then the ground in front of her puffed up. The Silt slowly slid away, revealing a sword. Winchester's sword. April looked at it dumbly. Then the floor gave way and she was waist deep in Silt. A hand grabbed at the air and inadvertently grabbed her breast. ├óÔé¼┼ôBastard!├óÔé¼┬Ø April smacked out and connected solidly. ├óÔé¼┼ôOw├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess groaned, sitting up, clutching his head.
├óÔé¼┼ôJess?├óÔé¼┬Ø April asked ├óÔé¼┼ôOh god your alive├óÔé¼┬Ø She hugged him tight, not caring that both of them were covered in Silt, blood and tears. Winchester clambered out of the pit, whipping his sword off and sliding it back into his scabbard. He looked around and saw the devastation. ├óÔé¼┼ôJess!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, turning around. Jess and April were busy kissing each other, wallowing in the Silt like it was the best bed in all of Utah.
Winchester turned away, smiling slightly. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere is Arnold├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered, walking off to find the missing man. April untangled herself from Jess. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat did I do to deserve this?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess murmured dazedly. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou survived, you bastard├óÔé¼┬Ø April grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôNever do that again├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess asked. April hugged him close and then stood up slowly, Silt falling off her in a thick cloud. She helped pull Jess out of the ground, and he gaped at the destruction.
├óÔé¼┼ôI've seen that before!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI've seen it!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat!├óÔé¼┬Ø April spun Jess around, grabbing his shoulders and staring right into his eyes. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt was different that time. Different, different├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe buildings were still there, gravity acted normal. It was just the blue light, then├óÔé¼┬Ø. April kissed him. Jess shut up ├óÔé¼┼ôNow...├óÔé¼┬Ø April said slowly ├óÔé¼┼ôNow think hard and tell me...exactly what happened├óÔé¼┬Ø. Jess shook his head slightly ├óÔé¼┼ôAt Apple Berry├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThats how everyone died├óÔé¼┬Ø.
April sighed, putting her fingers to her temples. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut...it looked like├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI was there├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said ├óÔé¼┼ôThose bullets were put into those people after the fact├óÔé¼┬Ø. April sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôSo they wanted to make it look like a firefight, without actually having a fire fight?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell think├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess said ├óÔé¼┼ôA fire fight and there is always the chance that someone gets away. They wanted to sterilize the place. So...this must have been a plasma or laser strike..├óÔé¼┬Ø he looked at the glass ├óÔé¼┼ôHeat and kinetic force, rather then anything else├óÔé¼┬Ø.
April nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôBut Apple Berry was different├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt must have been something else, something that doesn't leave physical marks├óÔé¼┬Ø. Jess nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd the N.E.T can use it anywhere, on anything├óÔé¼┬Ø. Jess closed his eyes ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd they killed Apple Berry because of something├óÔé¼┬Ø. April grabbed him and kissed him again ├óÔé¼┼ôGod I love you├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered. They both fell back into the Silt.
Sex, sticking your tong up someone's ear, martial law and big huge lasers. Its all in a days work.
├óÔé¼┼ôCut with the mushy stuff!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mathew snapped. April jumped slightly, uncrossing her eyes. She had been daydreaming about Jess again. She'd really have to curb that. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow get to the good part!├óÔé¼┬Ø Luke chimed in. April frowned at them ├óÔé¼┼ôSome day├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe mushy stuff will be the best parts of your story's├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mathew pffted. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø April said, leaning back on her hands ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere was I├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow is not the best time├óÔé¼┬Ø April said. Not that she was doing anything about it as Jess started to inch what was left of her Silt suit up and over her shoulders. Jess nodded, grinning, ├óÔé¼┼ôI know├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is completely stupid├óÔé¼┬Ø April agreed. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess agreed, throwing the upper part of her Silt Suit away.
├óÔé¼┼ôCut with the mushy stuff!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mathew snapped, looking even more annoyed. April growled and kicked at the boy. So much for curbing her new habit.
Winchester tapped his sword on the ground. Arnold had been to the left of him, so based off the ways they had been standing, and the size of the blast, combined with the gravity going screwy, it meant that Arnold was right, about. Winchester slammed his left, gloved hand into the Silt, grabbed and arm and yanked Arnold out of the ground. Arnold coughed and spluttered, but he had been saved by pure chance. Unlike the others, Arnold had been underground far longer then they. But his Silt suit had flapped up in front of his face, covering it. This saved his life, allowing him to at least breath slightly, rather then having Silt pour down his throat.
├óÔé¼┼ôIs it Christmas?├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold asked blearily. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Winchester said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut, from what April and Jess are doing, it is Valentines Day├óÔé¼┬Ø. Arnold groaned ├óÔé¼┼ôIdiots, both of them!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know├óÔé¼┬Ø Winchester agreed. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo what do we do?├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold asked ├óÔé¼┼ôSit here and wait for something even worse to happen?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Winchester thought about it ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is far more serious then I had thought├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI may need to leave your company for a few days├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat! Why?├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold asked, suddenly feeling very very worried. Winchester was the only person in the damn group who could actually, well, do anything in a fight.
Winchester stroked his graying goatee, witch was becoming very straggly. After thinking for a moment he opened his mouth to talk a pair of pants plopped down on the Silt behind him. Winchester closed his eyes for a moment. Then he opened them and started again ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to deal with some...personal problems back home. I want to divert all of my attention to...to this├óÔé¼┬Ø he pointed at the massive crater beside them. Arnold, noticing the roughly three mile wide crater, fell over in shock. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't believe it├óÔé¼┬Ø He said ├óÔé¼┼ôThey used it├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The glass, or whatever the material that was created when Silt was melted down under temperatures that almost boggled human imagination, that coated the crater broke very easily. Already, as the substance slowly cooled, cracks began to form as the material slowly contracted. In the center of the crater, the midpoint from witch all the destruction spread forth in a perfect circle, was a area that was untouched by detestation.
It was green, surprisingly enough. Tendrils of grass stuck up, glowing softly in the aftershock of magic. The Watcher slowly uncurled, standing up, muscles stretching and cracking as he got to his full eight foot hight. He knew it. He knew what had happened. The Mech's were no problem. Neither were the smaller Combat Suits, or the automated drones. Or the machine turrets, plasma bombs and gas grenades. But the beam from the N.E.T was finally the proof that the Watcher, and those he was protecting, were looking for. Whether they knew it or not.
00, formally 13, formerly Michal Hogan, sat at a conference table and rubbed his temples slowly. It was painful to think about what was going on. The N.E.T had reacted, just as Gregor and 01 had wanted. The only problem is how they reacted. Mech's were patrolling the streets of Roosevelt City, SLC and the other smaller towns that were scattered through out Utah. Martial law had been declared, and people were practically celebrating in the streets. No more rapes, murders, swindles or any other of the multitude of crimes that plagued the Wastes.
And now they were firing on the IRS Buildings. A shell hit close to the conference room and everything dimmed slightly, magic being drained away from the lights to reinforce the shields. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat options do we have?├óÔé¼┬Ø. The others at the table, 02, 05 and 01, were a bit at a loss. Then 05 slammed his hand on the table, sudden frustration playing over his normally impassive and dull features ├óÔé¼┼ôLets call the Watcher back, drop the power restrictions and have at it├óÔé¼┬Ø. 01 stepped in ├óÔé¼┼ôYou have no comprehension at what that would do├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou have no idea├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The...power? Commitment? Fear, 00 decided, the fear behind 01's voice shut 05 up quite nicely. 03 chimed in unhelpfully ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat about our field ops?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDead, all but the...the new guys├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe N.E.T were fast, damn it and now we are in a hole├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôA fucking big hole├óÔé¼┬Ø 02 muttered, twirling her red hair in her fingers. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know what, 02├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 snapped ├óÔé¼┼ôYou have a good idea, you put it on the fucking table├óÔé¼┬Ø. Everyone was silent. Gregor had never sworn. Gregor had always know what to do as well.
But 00 was frustrated. He had been 13 for the longest time, and now 02, 05 and 03 were all angry at him. The only one at the table who did understand that 13 wasn't hired to spite the elder members of the IRS was 04. 04 had been a jolt, when 00 walked into the room. It had been the buxom tech. She was no less...buxom in a small business suit. In fact 00 found it even harder to concentrate. That thought made him run his hand through his hair. Was he that easily distracted?
00 frowned as the lights dimmed again and they all heard a shell explode somewhere. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe are bringing The Watcher back. We are dropping his power restrictions to level four├óÔé¼┬Ø. 01 looked a little irritated. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats final├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 said ├óÔé¼┼ôFour is high enough. Meeting adjourned├óÔé¼┬Ø. The others stood up to leave, 05 glaring openly at 00. ├óÔé¼┼ô04, stay├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 added as an after thought. The buxom...04 turned away from the door and sauntered over to sit in her chair.
├óÔé¼┼ôright├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 said ├óÔé¼┼ô01, I know you thought that I was a good choice, but├óÔé¼┬Ø he spread his hands slightly ├óÔé¼┼ôYou really shouldn't have pissed off everyone else├óÔé¼┬Ø. 01 snarled ├óÔé¼┼ôThose stick in the mud bastards needed to be irritated├óÔé¼┬Ø. Another shell detonated on the shield. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd why the hell were YOU working as a tech!├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 snapped, turning on 04. ├óÔé¼┼ôI got promoted├óÔé¼┬Ø 04 said ├óÔé¼┼ôI was surprised. I used to be 22. 04 was out on a field unit, got splashed by N.E.T bombers├óÔé¼┬Ø. 00 softened ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered. ├óÔé¼┼ôI was put here because I was good at my job. I hope you are too├óÔé¼┬Ø 04 walked out of the room, fists balled.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 said ├óÔé¼┼ôNow that you've managed to piss everyone off even more, lets get a drink├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 said ├óÔé¼┼ôA drink, at a time like this├óÔé¼┬Ø. 01 rubbed his temples ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm tired 00├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôGregor's death was...is a strain on my brain. I'm trying to cope, but its hard not having someone...to finish what I start├óÔé¼┬Ø he trailed off ├óÔé¼┼ôI talk less├óÔé¼┬Ø he finished. 00 smiled wanly ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Watcher is only a temporary measure, at best. We need soldiers├óÔé¼┬Ø.
01 sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Breeders. Thats going to kill a lot of our already shaky good will. Those...things are vicious├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow many people did...├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 dredged through his memory ├óÔé¼┼ôYalonda kill when she got out of the restraints?├óÔé¼┬Ø. 01 frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôSixty Three├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôIn...five point three minuets├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôJesus├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's just a kid├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats the point├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 smiled. His smile was dead.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh Jess├óÔé¼┬Ø April whispered into Jess's ear, her breath hot and moist. Her tong followed and Jess wiggled. ├óÔé¼┼ôStop it├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôTry and stop me├óÔé¼┬Ø April grinned viciously, kissing the side of Jess's head. Winchester coughed. April looked over her shoulder ├óÔé¼┼ôWinchester├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôCould you please lend us some privacy├óÔé¼┬Ø. Winchester frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôYou need to go soon. But I am leaving much sooner then that├óÔé¼┬Ø. April grabbed her shirt and plastered over the front of her body, standing. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat!├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôI am the last of the Knights of the Nine. And While this adventure will shake the foundations of the world, I need to see to my order before we take the next big step├óÔé¼┬Ø. April felt cold, like she was a little girl who suddenly realized that hero's could make mistakes, be irritable and were human. She felt lost. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôbut├óÔé¼┬Ø. Winchester smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôI will return to you at Roosevelt City├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôWait for me for a week, and I will find you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then the old Knight fixed Jess with a stair that could curdle milk ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd you protect her├óÔé¼┬Ø Winchester said ├óÔé¼┼ôWith my life├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess responded without hesitation. Winchester allowed Jess a brief smile, before grabbing April's hand and bringing it to his lips.
Then he turned and set off. Jess stood behind April. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet your pants on├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, bitterly, ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd lets go├óÔé¼┬Ø. She picked up Phil ├óÔé¼┼ôHave fun?├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil asked sarcastically ├óÔé¼┼ôShut up├óÔé¼┬Ø April snapped, grabbing her pants. She pulled on her shirt, not that it did much. The jerking it up and over her shoulders, throwing it and generally rolling around kissing had ripped a few holes in it, including one right underneath her left breast. It left nothing to the imagination, but would have to do.
├óÔé¼┼ôLets go├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Jess fell over, trying to pull on his pants.
Winchester ran, ran like he never had before. He did not stop, and he did not slow down. He pounded across the Wastes, feeling the Castle in his mind. He knew it was technology, stimulating complex strains of his brain tissue to tell him where the haven and home of all wandering Knights of the Nine lay. It was a sure sign to those that stalked the Nine that Winchester was readying for battle. He had been laying low for ten years. Now he was going home.
├óÔé¼┼ôCut with the mushy stuff!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mathew snapped. April jumped slightly, uncrossing her eyes. She had been daydreaming about Jess again. She'd really have to curb that. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow get to the good part!├óÔé¼┬Ø Luke chimed in. April frowned at them ├óÔé¼┼ôSome day├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe mushy stuff will be the best parts of your story's├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mathew pffted. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø April said, leaning back on her hands ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere was I├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow is not the best time├óÔé¼┬Ø April said. Not that she was doing anything about it as Jess started to inch what was left of her Silt suit up and over her shoulders. Jess nodded, grinning, ├óÔé¼┼ôI know├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is completely stupid├óÔé¼┬Ø April agreed. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess agreed, throwing the upper part of her Silt Suit away.
├óÔé¼┼ôCut with the mushy stuff!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mathew snapped, looking even more annoyed. April growled and kicked at the boy. So much for curbing her new habit.
Winchester tapped his sword on the ground. Arnold had been to the left of him, so based off the ways they had been standing, and the size of the blast, combined with the gravity going screwy, it meant that Arnold was right, about. Winchester slammed his left, gloved hand into the Silt, grabbed and arm and yanked Arnold out of the ground. Arnold coughed and spluttered, but he had been saved by pure chance. Unlike the others, Arnold had been underground far longer then they. But his Silt suit had flapped up in front of his face, covering it. This saved his life, allowing him to at least breath slightly, rather then having Silt pour down his throat.
├óÔé¼┼ôIs it Christmas?├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold asked blearily. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Winchester said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut, from what April and Jess are doing, it is Valentines Day├óÔé¼┬Ø. Arnold groaned ├óÔé¼┼ôIdiots, both of them!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know├óÔé¼┬Ø Winchester agreed. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo what do we do?├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold asked ├óÔé¼┼ôSit here and wait for something even worse to happen?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Winchester thought about it ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is far more serious then I had thought├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI may need to leave your company for a few days├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat! Why?├óÔé¼┬Ø Arnold asked, suddenly feeling very very worried. Winchester was the only person in the damn group who could actually, well, do anything in a fight.
Winchester stroked his graying goatee, witch was becoming very straggly. After thinking for a moment he opened his mouth to talk a pair of pants plopped down on the Silt behind him. Winchester closed his eyes for a moment. Then he opened them and started again ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to deal with some...personal problems back home. I want to divert all of my attention to...to this├óÔé¼┬Ø he pointed at the massive crater beside them. Arnold, noticing the roughly three mile wide crater, fell over in shock. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't believe it├óÔé¼┬Ø He said ├óÔé¼┼ôThey used it├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The glass, or whatever the material that was created when Silt was melted down under temperatures that almost boggled human imagination, that coated the crater broke very easily. Already, as the substance slowly cooled, cracks began to form as the material slowly contracted. In the center of the crater, the midpoint from witch all the destruction spread forth in a perfect circle, was a area that was untouched by detestation.
It was green, surprisingly enough. Tendrils of grass stuck up, glowing softly in the aftershock of magic. The Watcher slowly uncurled, standing up, muscles stretching and cracking as he got to his full eight foot hight. He knew it. He knew what had happened. The Mech's were no problem. Neither were the smaller Combat Suits, or the automated drones. Or the machine turrets, plasma bombs and gas grenades. But the beam from the N.E.T was finally the proof that the Watcher, and those he was protecting, were looking for. Whether they knew it or not.
00, formally 13, formerly Michal Hogan, sat at a conference table and rubbed his temples slowly. It was painful to think about what was going on. The N.E.T had reacted, just as Gregor and 01 had wanted. The only problem is how they reacted. Mech's were patrolling the streets of Roosevelt City, SLC and the other smaller towns that were scattered through out Utah. Martial law had been declared, and people were practically celebrating in the streets. No more rapes, murders, swindles or any other of the multitude of crimes that plagued the Wastes.
And now they were firing on the IRS Buildings. A shell hit close to the conference room and everything dimmed slightly, magic being drained away from the lights to reinforce the shields. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat options do we have?├óÔé¼┬Ø. The others at the table, 02, 05 and 01, were a bit at a loss. Then 05 slammed his hand on the table, sudden frustration playing over his normally impassive and dull features ├óÔé¼┼ôLets call the Watcher back, drop the power restrictions and have at it├óÔé¼┬Ø. 01 stepped in ├óÔé¼┼ôYou have no comprehension at what that would do├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou have no idea├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The...power? Commitment? Fear, 00 decided, the fear behind 01's voice shut 05 up quite nicely. 03 chimed in unhelpfully ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat about our field ops?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDead, all but the...the new guys├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe N.E.T were fast, damn it and now we are in a hole├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôA fucking big hole├óÔé¼┬Ø 02 muttered, twirling her red hair in her fingers. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know what, 02├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 snapped ├óÔé¼┼ôYou have a good idea, you put it on the fucking table├óÔé¼┬Ø. Everyone was silent. Gregor had never sworn. Gregor had always know what to do as well.
But 00 was frustrated. He had been 13 for the longest time, and now 02, 05 and 03 were all angry at him. The only one at the table who did understand that 13 wasn't hired to spite the elder members of the IRS was 04. 04 had been a jolt, when 00 walked into the room. It had been the buxom tech. She was no less...buxom in a small business suit. In fact 00 found it even harder to concentrate. That thought made him run his hand through his hair. Was he that easily distracted?
00 frowned as the lights dimmed again and they all heard a shell explode somewhere. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe are bringing The Watcher back. We are dropping his power restrictions to level four├óÔé¼┬Ø. 01 looked a little irritated. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats final├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 said ├óÔé¼┼ôFour is high enough. Meeting adjourned├óÔé¼┬Ø. The others stood up to leave, 05 glaring openly at 00. ├óÔé¼┼ô04, stay├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 added as an after thought. The buxom...04 turned away from the door and sauntered over to sit in her chair.
├óÔé¼┼ôright├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 said ├óÔé¼┼ô01, I know you thought that I was a good choice, but├óÔé¼┬Ø he spread his hands slightly ├óÔé¼┼ôYou really shouldn't have pissed off everyone else├óÔé¼┬Ø. 01 snarled ├óÔé¼┼ôThose stick in the mud bastards needed to be irritated├óÔé¼┬Ø. Another shell detonated on the shield. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd why the hell were YOU working as a tech!├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 snapped, turning on 04. ├óÔé¼┼ôI got promoted├óÔé¼┬Ø 04 said ├óÔé¼┼ôI was surprised. I used to be 22. 04 was out on a field unit, got splashed by N.E.T bombers├óÔé¼┬Ø. 00 softened ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered. ├óÔé¼┼ôI was put here because I was good at my job. I hope you are too├óÔé¼┬Ø 04 walked out of the room, fists balled.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 said ├óÔé¼┼ôNow that you've managed to piss everyone off even more, lets get a drink├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 said ├óÔé¼┼ôA drink, at a time like this├óÔé¼┬Ø. 01 rubbed his temples ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm tired 00├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôGregor's death was...is a strain on my brain. I'm trying to cope, but its hard not having someone...to finish what I start├óÔé¼┬Ø he trailed off ├óÔé¼┼ôI talk less├óÔé¼┬Ø he finished. 00 smiled wanly ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Watcher is only a temporary measure, at best. We need soldiers├óÔé¼┬Ø.
01 sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Breeders. Thats going to kill a lot of our already shaky good will. Those...things are vicious├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow many people did...├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 dredged through his memory ├óÔé¼┼ôYalonda kill when she got out of the restraints?├óÔé¼┬Ø. 01 frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôSixty Three├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôIn...five point three minuets├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôJesus├óÔé¼┬Ø 00 sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's just a kid├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats the point├óÔé¼┬Ø 01 smiled. His smile was dead.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh Jess├óÔé¼┬Ø April whispered into Jess's ear, her breath hot and moist. Her tong followed and Jess wiggled. ├óÔé¼┼ôStop it├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôTry and stop me├óÔé¼┬Ø April grinned viciously, kissing the side of Jess's head. Winchester coughed. April looked over her shoulder ├óÔé¼┼ôWinchester├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôCould you please lend us some privacy├óÔé¼┬Ø. Winchester frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôYou need to go soon. But I am leaving much sooner then that├óÔé¼┬Ø. April grabbed her shirt and plastered over the front of her body, standing. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat!├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôI am the last of the Knights of the Nine. And While this adventure will shake the foundations of the world, I need to see to my order before we take the next big step├óÔé¼┬Ø. April felt cold, like she was a little girl who suddenly realized that hero's could make mistakes, be irritable and were human. She felt lost. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôbut├óÔé¼┬Ø. Winchester smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôI will return to you at Roosevelt City├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôWait for me for a week, and I will find you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then the old Knight fixed Jess with a stair that could curdle milk ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd you protect her├óÔé¼┬Ø Winchester said ├óÔé¼┼ôWith my life├óÔé¼┬Ø Jess responded without hesitation. Winchester allowed Jess a brief smile, before grabbing April's hand and bringing it to his lips.
Then he turned and set off. Jess stood behind April. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet your pants on├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, bitterly, ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd lets go├óÔé¼┬Ø. She picked up Phil ├óÔé¼┼ôHave fun?├óÔé¼┬Ø Phil asked sarcastically ├óÔé¼┼ôShut up├óÔé¼┬Ø April snapped, grabbing her pants. She pulled on her shirt, not that it did much. The jerking it up and over her shoulders, throwing it and generally rolling around kissing had ripped a few holes in it, including one right underneath her left breast. It left nothing to the imagination, but would have to do.
├óÔé¼┼ôLets go├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Jess fell over, trying to pull on his pants.
Winchester ran, ran like he never had before. He did not stop, and he did not slow down. He pounded across the Wastes, feeling the Castle in his mind. He knew it was technology, stimulating complex strains of his brain tissue to tell him where the haven and home of all wandering Knights of the Nine lay. It was a sure sign to those that stalked the Nine that Winchester was readying for battle. He had been laying low for ten years. Now he was going home.
