Re: Neo-Nowhere: Book Two - The Sisters

[FourStringFingerSting]

"Thanks Chris, I'm glad we could see eye t-" In an instant, Drake felt the impact of a swift tentacle slap him hard across the face, sending him spiraling onto the unforgiving concrete once more. I'm getting really sick of this shit.

Drake looked up through his tossed hair to see Jennifer's burning eyes moving right towards him at an alarming rate. Jennifer wasn't used to the idea of playing the fool, and she wasn't about to let Drake live to tell the tale. A whirling vendetta pushed her forward closer and closer, knowing well in her mind Sable was watching and wouldn't allow her to crush Drake into a pulp as she so desperately desired. Drake noticed a slight retreat in her movement forward, and decided not to waste the opening. Before Jen could attempt to step back on her tender foot to dodge, Drake gripped the iron-clad Ivan by the neck and swung right at Jennifer's pretty little face. The resulting impact knocked her flat onto the pavement, blood starting to pool from the newly formed crack in her nose.

With a fury filled grunt, Jennifer wrestled herself up off the ground and started to advance towards Drake again when the light sound of feet landing on the flat-top froze her completely. Her expression went from angry to collected in an instant. Peering over her shoulder, Drake saw the one he was looking for...Sable.

"That's enough Jennifer! It's clear you're in no condition to fight these power-humans, especially two of them." She meandered over to Drake, her gaze striking and imposing as ever.

"Alright Sable, I'm done fending off your groupies, I want answers. Now." Drake raised Ivan to his side again, trying to maintain a strong posture after the tenderizing Jennifer had given him. Sable merely laughed at him.

"You're pathetic, Drake. Look at yourself, you've been getting tossed around like a rag-doll all morning. I know, I've been watching. How do you expect to redeem yourself when you're obviously not up to the task?" Drake peered down at himself, and started to wonder just how true these accusations were. He shook off her defeating words, and jeered right back:

"You're the reason I'm in this whole mess, Sable. If it weren't for you, my life wouldn't be as fucked up as it is. You know what you did to me, and I intend to make you take it all back. You know what you did to me was wrong, despite our history..." Drake drifted off on that last thought. Sable's gaze grew more personal, as she assumed a more offensive posture.

"It's not about what's right and wrong, Drake. It's about what's fair. You've got your agenda to end your so-called 'curse,' and I've got mine to see fit that it never ends. If you want this madness to stop, then you're just gonna have to kill me..." Those last two words faded off slightly, like there was a sort of weakness in what she was saying. Drake didn't know what to do. He felt like a rock meeting a wall. How many times could he continue this pursuit for answers before he eventually cracked? He mulled over this question for a moment, and let out a deep sigh.

"What do you want from me, Sable?" Drake spoke in desperation, as he struggled for words. She looked up at him intently, and replied.

"I want to go on a date with you. Alone." Drake almost laughed in complete confusion. What the hell? Is she serious?

"That's right, a date. I've got something I want your 'friends' to do as well," Sable held up a scrap of paper, "On this piece of paper are directions to a warehouse in a separate section of town. You'll meet some particulars there that should occupy your time while Drake and I...discuss. Don't attempt to follow us either, I'll know." Nodding to Jennifer, Sable quickly ran to the edge of the rooftop, and leaped to the neighboring building.

"Coffee shop, tomorrow morning Drake. You know the one." Before Drake could respond, she was gone. He looked down at Jennifer. Gone as well. Drake didn't know how to feel after this absurd turn of events. A date? She's fucking insane...And this warehouse business? What plans could she have for everyone else? Nothing good I'm sure... Looking up at Chris through his still overly tossed mop, Drake spoke the words he had not the energy to speak through his eyes.

Well, what now?

[DDWRINKLE]

Staring blankly at the spot in which Jennifer was last seen, Chris's spent rage seeped out of him like sweat. Soon he began to think about what Sable had said and an answer to Drake's innocent question.

"Fuck if I know Drake. I can't stand Jennifer she miss-used my trust and toyed with me like I was an ant in her hellish game. She was with Levian in that warehouse she brought me to, and I'm guessing either they both work for him or with him. "

Suddenly another thought raced through his mind.

Pointing an accusing finger in his direction he asked," I trust you Drake I can sense you're a good guy, but you need to be straight with me. How do you know Sable? Whats the history with you two."

Chris tapped his toe waiting for Drake's response.

[FourStringFingerSting]

Drake wasn't quite sure how to respond to Chris' request. Sure, he seemed a good enough guy, but was it really his business? He didn't feel he deserved to be dragged into whatever crazy chain of ends might unfold through Sable's ulterior motives either.

"She's just some crazy girl who used to obsess over me. That's all." Drake tightened his lips. That's all he felt was necessary for Chris to know. At least for now...

Drake peered over the edge to see everyone huddled together on the street. It seemed calming enough other than the headless guy lying dead on the pavement next to Max. Half confused but half content, Drake waved down to them and gave a thumbs up, as if to let them know everything was alright. Turning back to Chris, he slumped against the pavement, cradled Ivan in his lap, and let out a deep sigh.

"...I just realized how unbelievably hungry I am."

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Meanwhile, in a section of the city known only by the few who have tread there, the master speaks to his fledgelings. Sable and Jennifer enter the chambers of the All Father, the mighty seeker of the Philosopher's Heart.

"We have a report for you, master." Bowing, she glances up to see him, his posture both slackened yet menacing. This is the first time she's ever been in his presence. She merely glanced at him before returning her gaze to the floor, both out of fear and respect. It offered her a glimpse of his brooding visage. This colossal man stretched his knees out wide and far as he perched himself on a makeshift throne of scrap metal bent and pressed together, towering high over the heads of all who knelt before him. A scraggly, medium length beard spilled over his massive chest, the silver strands resting over the blood red cloak that draped over the rest of his gargantuan figure. The rest of his face was concealed by a hood, but his eyes...How eerily they glowed. A hot yellow glow, as if they had been struck over anvil by hammer and forge. He remained silent for a few moments, then turned his awful gaze to Jennifer.


"The boy was too much for you..."

His voice echoed throughout the chamber, only adding to the powerful rumble that erupted from his throat as he spoke. Jennifer stepped forward, calm in the face but utterly terrified. She trembled as words started spilling from her mouth.

"He was more powerful than we were originally informed of...Both of them were." Her foot still twinged under her nervous weight. A low rumble of discontent ruptured from the All Father. Snapping his huge fingers, a smaller figure came clambering out from a corner of the room towards him, a cigarette puffing from his mouth. He coughed and wheezed as he approached the All Father, the man extremely disfigured in shape, smoke rising from open holes in his back.

"You called, boss?" Anger flickered in the All Father's eyes as smoke started to drift towards him.

"I believe I've stated in the past that I have no tolerance for your vices in my chamber, worm."

With a flash of light in his eyes, the cigarette flicked itself from the grotesque's mouth across the room. The creature grunted, but shrugged it off. He knew better than to defy the All Father.

"Tell me...Were you not the one who said the power human with the guitar wasn't a threat to us?"

The smoke man started coughing and choking incomprehensibly. It was almost painful to listen to. The All Father impatiently rose from his chair, and gripped the grotesque man by the throat.

"SPEAK, YOU USELESS SLUG!" His grip tightened around the old smoker's throat, as he desperately struggled to catch a breath.

"He didn't...seem like *hack* a threat sir...He was *cough cough* just...some punk ass...kid...Please let go, I can't breath..."

The room went silent for a moment, the All Father still gripping the man's throat as he pleaded for mercy. Releasing him from his grasp, the smoke man continued to hack and wheeze as he writhed on the cold floor. Looking down, the All Father towered over the grotesque, displeased with the disgusting sight that lay before him.

"We'll make an example of this one..."

[DDWRINKLE]

Chris really, really didn't want that kind of answer from Drake. Let alone in the mental state he was in. It was only exhaustion that really stopped him from prying.

"Ugh yeah man I know what you mean. Although I had a sub recently I feel like I haven't eaten in days. Well actually I haven't", Chris said with a sly smile. "But I'm going to head on down and let the others know what just happened and see what they say". He turned around and opened the door to the roof, and down he went.

Down on the street he met up with Max and Vlad.

"Hey guys so Drake found this bitch Jennifer, and this other bitch Sable up on the roof. They both were spewing all this bull about how Drake and Sable need to "talk" and that we shouldn't disrupt. I for one think I want to barge into that fists a blazin'. But I don't think that will really help our cause. She said that we should go down to this warehouse where we "might" find something to occupy our time. I think it's probably a trap. . . . but then why would she tell us about it? . . . Well I don't really know what to do. We could either go to the docks and try and figure out what's going on. Or we can jump into their meeting taking Sable totally by surprise. I'm gonna leave this to a team vote. I vote we go to the warehouse." With that Chris raised his hand, waiting a response from his other two companions.

[SKAutomatic-Machinegun]

Vlad ran everything through his head as he decided his answer. He was aware that Allison wants Drake killed but was anaware why, he knew she was serious enough to formulate a scheme pulling the priest into trying to take Drake's life, and even willing to kill Vlad off as well. As Vlad thought all of this over his initial idea was to stay with Drake, to help him fight off whatever threats lie waiting at this meeting. Then it dawned on Vlad. None of the others had mentioned anything about Allison or plots resembling hers, maybe she wasn't tracking Drake down, but infact tracking Vlad. Realizing this Vlad spoke, "I'm going to the warehouse. This business seems to be Drake's and Drake's alone and I will not interfer. Besides, " Vlad said with a half hearted smile, "Drake's a big boy, if he runs into something he can't handle, he knows where we'll be." Vlad felt this way hopefully Drake would be out of Allison's reach... he just hoped he wouldn't end up in someone elses.

[MakeOneUp]

Drake, Chris, Vlad, Jennifer, and Sable. What a cast of characters.

This warehouse thing that Chris suggested was most obviously a trap. How could it not be? The sound of the phrase occupy our time made Maximillion more uncomfortable than the phrase Occupy Wall St. However, Maximillion wasn't an idiot. Again, he knew there would be greater odds of his survival if he stuck with these two than there would be if he ventured off on his own. He knew Vlad must be pretty powerful, assuming he killed that man, and Chris must have powers of his own. Plus, they seemed to have more of an idea of what the fuck was actually going on.

"Alright," Maximillion said, looking at Chris and Vlad, "I will accompany you to this warehouse. Who knows? Maybe there will be a dry cleaner nearby? I got that kid's blood all over my suit, and I'd rather it not leave a stain."

[FourStringFingerSting]

Noticing Chris' departure from the roof, Drake took a moment to rest. Slumped against the concrete siding of the roof, he stared openly at the sky, taking in the brisk air that passed over his face with one great breath. He calmly embraced the peaceful aura that surrounded him, enjoying the simplicity of the-

In the distance, Drake saw a startling sight: a tall building encompassed in smoke about a mile west off. Chimneys of thick black clouds billowed from broken windows near the upper levels, blackening the air around it.

Hmmm...I bet I know who's hanging out over there...

Standing upright, and leaning over the edge of the building, Drake yelled down to his companions.

"Hey guys, who wants to take a field trip downtown?"

[SKAutomatic-Machinegun]

Vlad felt that was an odd way to ask something considering everything that just happened but he figured to just blow it off. "Yeah sure, I suppose I'm game to take a stroll. What do you have in mind?"

[FourStringFingerSting]

Still feeling a little bruised from his encounter with Jennifer, Drake wobbled some as he tread back down the staircase into the music shop, and made his way back out onto the street. The group was there waiting for him.

"Sorry for my vagueness. I noticed a building in the distance that was smoking like a chimney about a mile west of here. I have a feeling there's a guy there who might be able to give us some answers. He gave me some trouble back at this hotel and mentioned he was working for some 'big wigs' that were interested in me and what I can do. I think we ought to pay him a visit and see what he knows."

Drake smirked, catching a second wind and feeling a sudden burst of excitement. He felt alive. Ever since the outbreak started, he felt he had a justified sense of purpose he never knew before. It was like the world was now his stage and he had the performance of a life time to unleash. The world just had to go to shit for everything to fall right into pla-

ggggrrrrrruuuuuuuummmbbbllleeeeeeee

Drake looked down at his stomach, in utter disbelief at the monstrous roar it had conjured. "First things first..." Drake casually crossed the street and over to the Sub-Atomic sandwich eatery, to follow Vlad's lead and satisfy his own unbelievably abrupt hunger.

Returning after a few minutes of intense sandwich science, Drake gleefully asked his companions with a ranch and deli meat filled grin:

"So who's with me?"

[SKAutomatic-Machinegun]

"Gave you some trouble?"  Vlad repeated Drake's words in a tone filled with conviction, "I don't think he'll stand a chance of causing trouble with us watching your back."  Vlad strided down the road heading west then turned back to his comrades,  "Plus a chance to get some answers sounds too valuable to pass up!"  With that Vlad started walking the road west again waving a signal of 'Come on' to the others.

[DDWRINKLE]

After receiving a well placed smile from Drake and new sense of purpose from Vlad, Chris actually looked up and returned a smile. Feeling alive and well, surprising since he hadn't had much sleep, he followed Vlad as he strolled westward. "And hey we might find a dry cleaner for fancy pants Maximillion!", He said with a chuckle looking back at the man in the suit.

[horridpixel]

Joel watched through his makeshift binoculars as the one character signaled the other's to follow.

"They look like they can handle themselves for the moment," he spoke to himself.

Joel crouched on the rooftop of what used to be an old hotel. He swept his backpack off from the rubble and cracked his neck.

"What the hell are they doing now.."

Joel scratched his chin and raised his hand to cover his eyes.
Joel listened in on the Bass Kid's conversation.

"Hmm..." Joel looked around. He noticed the smoke, signaling the building the kid must be talking about.

"Why there I wonder.." Joel shook his head. He didn't like where this was going. Who knew what was there, another infected posse, mutated-beyond-repair monsters, who the hell knew? All Joel didn't want to see was anothee survivor group die in front of his sights. Joel looked at his wrist, wrapped with bandages from the cuts of the close encounters from all the others he tried to save. Was it even worth it?

"God damn it." He told himself, and clenched his fist. He took a deep breath and clentched his fist. The stress killed him inside. "Time to play guardian angel." Joel flipped his right hand to show his lucky charm; a catalyst of his power.

Joel took another step towards the edge of the roof to watch the survior group one last time.

"Do it for Cole." Joel told himself. That was his answer to all the messed up actions he was part of in his past.

Joel took a couple steps back before sprinting off the roof of the building. Joel began to descend for a moment, then watched his arm combust into air, until his whole body was transformed into his ghostly state. Joel began to head towards the signaled building, hoping to meet the survivors ahead...

[MakeOneUp]

Maximillion smirked back at Chris.

"Don't fuck with me Chris," he said half-jokingly. "I'll pull a Mickey Rourke and go all Whiplash on your ass."

Maximillion started to follow the rest of the gang as they headed toward this mysterious building. After all, a chance to find some answers sounded pretty damn good to him.

[FourStringFingerSting]

Drake led the parade as he and his companions started making the trek west towards the smoking tower, the sun peaking high over the city's concrete treetops. The infected were still somewhat sparse from the goliath attack earlier, but very small numbers of them started shambling out from nearby stores and back alleyways. Drake wasted no time batting them off with a well placed bass blast, bodies flipping backwards from the force, and skulls cracking against the pavement.

This activity continued for the next half hour as they made their way further downtown, the numbers of infected starting to grow as the group made their way deeper and deeper into city's dirtier district. Signs of raiders and break-ins were prevalent all around, as the less justified survivors of Neo-Nowhere found solace in this harsh new reality of the undead. Law was no longer the crippling gaze it used to be, and the city had turned into it's own modernized version of the wild, wild west. In the event of the apocalypse, anything goes.

Finding themselves nearing the smoking tower, Drake noticed something odd. The infected seemed to have vanished from the nearby area completely. The entire block was empty.

"I don't like this one bit guys..." Drake murmured, gripping Ivan defensively. "Keep your guard up." In the distance, Drake started to hear rumbling, almost like an earthquake, and then, nothing. The tremor vanished immediately. A moment later, the same tremor, but a bit closer this time. "We'd better get inside, I'm not liking the sounds of this." Ushering everyone towards the door, Drake peered back. The sound had silenced itself completely now. He had a really bad feeling about this.

Entering the tower, Drake noticed that the smoke seemed to have stayed only in the upper levels. That surely meant his smog spreading friend was waiting for them upstairs. Looking to his left, he noticed the elevator door was open, but the cable had been cut. He looked down to see the broken elevator smashed and mangled a few floors below towards the basement levels. "Looks like we're taking the stairs, gents." Opening the staircase door, Drake was disturbed to find a long and thick streak of blood going from the bottom of the steps upwards. There looked to be signs of a struggle as the blood continued upwards, like somebody was dragged and bleeding out up the steps. Drake swallowed nervously. "This looks way too vicious to be the work of that smoking guy...He was built like an old man, there's no way he'd even have the strength to do something this brutal." His eyes followed the coat of blood that trailed up the steps, noticing scratch marks on the walls.

"Well..." Drake spoke up, feeling a little more than intimidated, "I suppose I'll go first. Who's following?"

[SKAutomatic-Machinegun]

Vlad followed with the group into the smoke billowing building. On the trip he was imprssed with Drake's leading skills and handling any rag tag infected that lumbered out. Though the lack of any infected around or in the building left him with an uneasy feeling, sort of like the group was entering a forbidden area. Drake stopping at a staircase covered in blood to check who was still willing to go forth. "I'm still with you." Vlad said confidently. "but..." He extended his hand palm facing forward, "That's alot of blood. I don't want to be caught off gaurd by whatever possibly made it." Creating a forcefield infront of the group he motioned, "Let's Move!"

[FourStringFingerSting]

Drake steeled himself as they all cautiously made their way up the steps, the blood continuing up the staircase, the sign of struggle becoming less and less prevalent with every level that was reached. The smell of urine started to fill Drake's nostrils, making it apparent that whoever was being dragged was scared beyond bodily control.

Jesus...I'm afraid to see what's at the end of this bloody trail...

Suddenly, after rounding the steps towards the 13th floor, the group was stopped in their tracks by the lack of steps. Someone had completely destroyed the stairwell heading upwards from this point.

You've gotta be kidding me...Who could have done this?

Drake turned to the group. "Well, it doesn't look like we'll be heading up any higher this way. There has to be another stairwell or working elevator in this building. I suggest we split up so we can cover more ground. This place is huge, so we're going to need everyone on this. I'm all for splitting up individually, but if anyone's uncomfortable with that, we could go into groups of 2." Drake stared back up the stairwell, an unnerving chill crawling up his spine.

"Well...how about it gents?"

[DDWRINKLE]

The trek seemed a lot shorter of a travel than it should've been. For some reason Chris felt as though he was in a trance. He stepped curiously block after block following only bits and pieces of the conversations the group was having. He was searching inwardly at the puzzle of Drake. Chris didn't trust that he was keeping things from them. Probably things he himself didn't understand, things he probably needed help with just like the rest of them. He watched as Drake pushed zombies back with ease and whispered quietly, "why?"

  Soon Chris felt the tower overhead cast out the sun as Drake ushered everyone inside.

  He moved to the stair and froze in the doorway. The massive amount blood caked to the floors and walls was the powerful event he needed that slammed him back to earth. What could've caused this? Couldn't have been zombies cause there were no remains. With a sickening pit forming in his stomach, Chris followed Drake up the numerous floors to the end of the line.

  Staring at the destroyed stairwell, Chris was a little relieved that they might not have to pursue the blood trail any longer. To no avail though. Drake requested that they needed to split up to maybe cover more ground and find an alternate route.

  "Shit. . . ", He muttered under his breath. The blood and bodily fluids swam before his vision. Recalling his blood lust rage, Chris was almost scared to find who did this, and in the back of his mind another thought brooded.

  "I know I can handle myself, but if any one wanted to split with me though I'm not gonna stop you", Chris said as he turned and walked away from the group. He still felt  like this was the worst idea they've had thus far.

[MakeOneUp]

Maximillion followed the group into this mysterious building. As he walked towards the bloody staircase, he couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding. He didn't know what that could be: maybe the big fucking trail of blood leading up the stairs? Or was it the obvious signs of a struggle? Either way, it made him uncomfortable.

"Good God, it reminds me of a shareholder meeting," he muttered under his breath. As the group walked slowly up the stairs, Maximillion couldn't help but feel a sense of relief as the staircase ended at the 13th floor, with the rest of it being destroyed. "Wow. That's cliche as fuck."

As he stood there, listening to the rest of the group talk, he thought about Drake's proposal to split into groups. Even though Chris said he could handle himself, he was uneasy with the thought of him going off alone. "I'll accompany you, Chris," he said. "Someone needs to watch your back."

[SKAutomatic-Machinegun]

Just as Vlad was about to answer Drake and suggest the two of them stick together, he heard a *snap* of the fingers followedby Allison's voice chiming in. " If I were you I'd leave finding a way up to for the others to worry about... you have no idea what else is heading that way.... hehehe." Vlad didn't even bother to respond to her. He just turned back to the stairs, "Guys, don't ask but I've got a bad feeling about the lobby exit. I'm going to head back and make sure you guys have a way out if something happens." With that he started his decent to the lobby, hoping the others would be fine... and dreading what Allison knows.

[FourStringFingerSting]

Content with the grouping arrangements, Drake took a moment to look back at his companions. He stared questionably at the three of them.

Vlad...Mysterious to no end, yet he actively trusts me. I guess I should be happy to have him along. I'd hate to be on the business end of that sword...

...Max is a little too pompous for my tastes, but he seems to be reliable enough. He's just trying to find his place in this new world, like the rest of us...

...Chris, however, worries me a bit. He goes on these mean streaks and starts thinking with his fists. I really thought I was going to have to hold him off back on the rooftop with Jennifer. I'm not sure if I would have won that fight either. I just hope I can keep him at bay if he ends up losing his head...

Regardless of these facts, Drake was glad to at least have a few good men on his side. "Alright guys, good luck, and be careful. We don't have the first clue what's waiting for us here in this building. Vlad, let me know if you see anything on the ground level. Chris, Max - err, Maximillion, I'm gonna start from this level and work my way up if I can, I trust you'll do the same. I'm gonna head to the western wing if you guys wanna stick here in the east wing. If we find anything, we'll meet back here by the stairwell door." With that, Drake pushed open the stairwell door and forged his way down the corridor.

Several undead peered out from adjacent rooms, and rushed at Drake. Sliding his foot forward like a baseball batter, Drake swung Ivan to the left, and crushed the zombie's skull against the wall, the resulting noise sending out a bass blast at the other two to Drake's right side. This continued for a spare few minutes as Drake continued down the corridor, starting to lose his breath as the undead continued to come out of the woodwork. At the end of the corridor, Drake saw an elevator door with the shutters open, waiting to go up. He couldn't believe it. He ran for it desperately as a surprisingly large number of the undead started to work their way out into the corridor after him. "Please work, please work." Drake ran inside, and closed the doors. Taking a deep breath, he leaned up against the elevator walls, and punched the button for the top floor. Drake could hardly believe it. "What the hell were all those infected doing here? Those weren't just employees, those were ghouls plucked off the streets. Somebody wanted them here to attack us. Still, it looks like this might have been easier than we tho-" *thump*

Confused, but losing consciousness, Drake fell to the floor after being whacked over the head with some sort of blunt object. Struggling to see his assailant, he saw a dark looming figure standing over him just as his eyes started to roll back. A disturbing voice crawled from his throat.

"Welcome to my domain."

[DDWRINKLE]

God damn it, Chris whispered in his own head. He had hoped to go alone. He wanted whatever was happening to him, to stay that way. He didn't want to end up hurting his friends. "Alright dude, if that's what you want". With that Chris strode ahead into the building looking for a stairwell that wasn't crushed to shit. The halls seemed eerily empty, trying to be as quiet as possible he skirted debris and noisome clutter. Soon he realized he wasn't as alone as he thought though. He peered into the rooms he passed, and even though he had to squint to see, he saw the inside was the blurred disfigured undead that crowded the streets. Except they now crowded the halls of this floor? What the fuck was going on here? Thankfully Chris had been quiet and the lights were shut off or else he and Max would've been in-

*Bzzzzzzz-Click*

Suddenly the lights flicked on.

In a wash of bright incandescence light Chris stood stunned. Looking directly into a room of about six or so ghouls. They both scanned each other. Like the calm before the storm, it all passed quickly.

The shuffle of feet

The gasp of their dead lungs

And the low glow of their glazed eyes, became apparent.

Almost immediately the world he was thrust into crashed down on him like the stares of these hungry souls.

"MOVE!", Chris yelled at Max. Before he even looked at his companion he was sprinting through the halls of the structure, scanning for his escape.

[MakeOneUp]

"Yes, Chris, that's exactly what I want." Maximillion replied. Chris shrugged his shoulders and turned down a hallway. Maximillion followed him, keeping close. The pair walked slowly down the hallway. There were no lights on, and Maximillion didn't want to alert any horrifying thing that may be lurking nearby. As he walked, it dawned on him exactly how exhausted he was. He had appeared in a strange new world where zombies were a thing; he met a bunch of interesting new people; he had gained some weird lightning super-powers; he fucking decapitated a kid who tried to shiv him. It had been an interesting morning for sure. As he pondered recent events, he heard a faint buzzing sound. Lights flicked on. Maximillion and Chris stopped in their tracks as they saw six zombies shuffling in front of them, looking like they hadn't eaten in weeks.

"Shhhhhhit."

The zombies quickened their pace, and Chris turned around, bolting down the hallway. Maximillion followed suit. Looking back, he fired a lightning bolt at one of the zombies, but missed, putting a nice hole in the wall beside them. Maximillion immediately regretted his decision, as he felt his energy drain significantly. Maximillion faltered slightly as tiredness started to grip at him. He managed to regain himself and caught up with Chris, hoping that they could figure a way out of their predicament.

"So, these things. Any ideas?"

[SKAutomatic-Machinegun]

Reaching the lobby Vlad started to wonder if Allison was bluffing.  Wonder why she would even warn Vlad at all.  Wonder if she had something planned for the upper levels this whole time.  The amount of possibilites seemed endless, Allison just seemed  to be one thing Vlad couldn't figure out with his common sense alone.  Sitting in the quiet lobby, as on edge as he's been since arriving to this city, Vlad heard a faint, flute esq, nosie.  "Where is the coming from?"  Vlad paced the lobby trying to get a beat on the noise.  "Is it just in my head?  Maybe it's just Allison toying with me."  At that moment Vlad was passing the main entrance doors and the flute seemed clearer.  "Hmmm, could this be linked to what Allison was talking about."  Vlad threw open the double doors expecting a fight, but he was greeted by an empty street with a still faint tune in the air.  "This just seems too weird..."  Vlad spoke outloud to himself, "It's like something out of a horror film."  The nosie seemed to increase in volume ever so slightly, as if to draw his attention.  Vlad looked around for the souce of noise when he spotted, lumbering up the empty road, 4 or 5 infected walking in almost uniform fashion towards the building.  As they appoarched the flute seemed to slightly increase in volume till Vlad could hear it clearly.  "To my right!"  Vlad gripped his sword and looked.  There, only a few yards away, sat atop a 'gas N git' convenience store, a teenaged girl with light pink and silver hair playing her well practiced melody.  Vlad was about to yell to the girl when *BOOOM*  An explosion ripped out as one of the marching infected bumped into a mailbox on the corner.  "What the hell is this... why did the creature just explode..."  The stopped playing, but only for a second, she began to play a different tune.  As her new song filled the air two new infected came from a near by alley and got in line, shoulder to shoulder with the orginal pack.  One in line the girl held the same note as the all stood still.  "This is too weird, she's obviousl controlling tese things, but why?  Why have them stand?"  As if the world felt Vlad deserved an answer, another young woman with short black hair and a trench coat ran up behind the line of infected.  Placing  a hand on each of the two new additions to the line, Vlad saw both of them pulse with what seemed like a difibulator bolt, as the briefly had a red glow.  The woman removed her hands from the 'charged' corpses and threw up a cocky "Thumbs up" too the girl with the flute. She stood up on her roof ready to play again when she spotted Vladimir.  She pointed her flute towards him and began to play a frantic melody.  "Oh shit.  I think I know where this is going."  The infected began to charge up the road, not breaking formation.  One ran into a street light and, like the mailbox, erupted in a  fair sized explosion.  "Shit shit shit.  I can't let those things hit this building.  The whole place will come down."  Pulling his sword Vlad ran towards the pack.  He readied to leap in for a strike when he realized he would be decimated by an explosion.  Leaping into the pack he incased himself in a dense barrier.  *CCRRRRAAAACCCKKK-BOOOOM*  The pack erupted, blowing out the windows of every building on the block.  "Whew! *cough cough*  That would have definitely killed me... Note to self, do not try to cut down exploding zombies."   *Pa-ting*  The sound of a bullet richocheting off the street sign behind Vlad rang.  "What!  Bomb zombies weren't enough,"  Throwing his barrier back up, "Now I'm getting shot at!"

  "It'll do you no good."  The trench wearing woman said as she lit a ciggarette and appoarched Vlad.  "Her shots will rip right through your field, trust me, she didn't earn the nickname, 'Killer Krisit King' by taking down 'easy' targets."
"Even if she can shoot through my barrier,"  Vlad let his field down, drew his blade and grabbed the woman.  "Who's to say I don't take you out first!"  
"ME!!!"  The building behind them both shattered apart as a golem like creature lifted Vlad into the air and slammed him back to the cement.  "You'll have to excuse Mindy, she's always been protective of her older sister."  Vlad starred puzzled at the 9-foot stone clad Golem.  "Older sister?" he smirked.
"YES OLDER!"  The woman in the trench snapped, "My name is Mandy, and I just want to talk... or I can have Mindy break every bone you have, then let Kristi see what it's like to shoot a human-jellyfish!"
"Ok Ok!  Let's talk, I know when I'm beat."  Something Vlad never enjoyed openly admitting.  "So what do we have the pleasure of talking about?"  Vlad said with a smart assed tone.
"Hold on." Mandy said pulling out a walkie talkie.  "Move to position two, if he tries anything, take out BOTH of his legs" The walkie cracked back, "Got it"  "Kari, you can come down now!"  Mandy yelled and within seconds the younger girl with the flute stood silently close to Mindy.  "Now,"  Mandy turning her attention back to Vlad, "We can talk."

 "Well You should start...I mean it seems you hold all the cards."  Vlad laughed standing up and dusting himself off.
"We're the B. I. T. C. H. unit, I'm sure it's obvious what we are but I'll explain.  We're a 5 woman squad of mercs who take any job and never fail, provided we take intrest in the job or the employer.  I'm Mandy, Leader and as I'm sure you also figured out, Demolitions.  Mindy, my younger sister, is the muscle, deals with the would-be tough guys.  Kari, she's our quiet little mouse, but don't let her fool you, she's a genius, figured out the exact frequencies to control the dead-heads.  Kristi, sniper, recon, assassinations, spec ops, you name it."  
 "Riiiight, so that's 4 of you, who's lucky lady number five?"
"Oh, Sammy.  Not many people are... lucky enough to meet Sammy."  Mindy and Kari looked at eachother behind Mandy with faces of terror.  "Anyway!"  Mandy getting back on track,  "Hear's the deal, our employers sent us to 'thin out' your little group.  One of them told us to make sure you stay alive, now that part's important, alive, as in breathing, we can still turn you into a jellyfish.  Another one told us that she has special plans for some lame-O Drake guy, says he'll have a bass guitar and we couldn't miss him.  I mean how lame, no one likes bassists, their like... lower than the drummer."  Kari let out a small giggle.  "SOMETHING FUNNY!"  Mandy snapped at her.  "So anyway, yada yada yada, we're going to crush you, kill your pals, and take some lame-O musician.  Any questions? hehe"
 "No... seems like you've explained everything.  Oh!  One thing?"  
"Yes?"
"How'd you get that thing in your eye?"
Puzzled, Mandy asked, "What thing... in my eye?"
 Vlad threw his coat in the air, which quickly got  shot several times by Kristi.  "THIIIISS!"  Vlad pointed his sword towards Mandy's face and lunged, Mindy lumbered at Vlad, and Mandy could only shreek.  The point of Vlad's sword was an inch away from piercing Mandy's eye when, A Flute!  Kari swung her flute at the blade causing it to miss it's mark and cut across Mandy's cheek instead of penetrating her skull.  "RRRRRAAAAAARRRRGGGHHH!!!"  Mandy's roared a scream of pure, beastile, rage, pain, and iritation.  Mindy tackled Vlad sending his sword flying to where his shredded coat now lay.  Mindy pounded her boulder like fist on to Vlad's thinly barriered body until the barrier shattered.  As her fist was coming down to end him, Mandy yelled with a rage, "NO!  He lives, he gets to go meet Sammy... Grab him, we're going back to the warehouse!"  With that, Mindy picked  up Vlad's body, Kari walked over to him, grinned like a child on christmas, and cracked him in the skull with her flute.  It went dark for Vlad... the street became empty again... empty, except for a coat filled with holes and a blade that for the first real time, had missed it's mark.

[DDWRINKLE]

"Damn it!" Chris said through his panting rage. "Why can't this place have more stairs like a normal building?!" With Max right on his heels he made a right, into one of the office rooms. Closing the door behind them, Chris heard some moans from under the desk. Bringing his fist down onto the desk crushing anything and everything under it, Chris felt a pang of relief. Before he could really think the zombies outside, were already banging on the door. Everything near the door, bookcase, filing cabinet, and the couple chairs in the room, Chris pushed up against it to keep them from breaking through.

Finally able to take a breather, Chris sagged to the floor. "Dude I don't know how we're gonna get out of here. Any ideas?"

[FourStringFingerSting]

Drake awoke in a room filled with strangely colored lights, all shining in absurd positions, creating impossible forms along the surfaces of this awkward environment. Blinding pressure was embedded in his skull; a headache he wouldn't soon forget. Peering around the room, Drake saw mirrors cracked and crooked adorning the walls of the room, light bouncing off of them and reflecting towards him. Drake picked himself off the floor, not able to find Ivan anywhere. A playful, yet sinister laugh echoed through the confines of the room, a sensation Drake found quite strange, considering it's small size. There didn't appear to be an exit of any kind, and Drake saw no one around.

"Show yourself!" Drake yelled, unsure of where to expect his assailant to appear from.

"Hehehe...I don't think so, kid. You only get to see me if I feel like revealing myself, and frankly, I have no desire to show myself to a brat like you. You see, I prefer much more interesting forms..."

  Suddenly, the lights all flickered out at once, swallowing Drake into an endless black abyss. He stumbled backwards, before feeling the edge of a table and flipping over it. More laughs erupted from this mystery man as Drake struggled to even see the objects he was so clumsily running into. Fumbling as he stood back on his feet, Drake spit annoyingly at his adversary.

"Alright you bastard, you've already caught me on a bad day, so why don't you get to explaining why you're effing with me before I rip both of your lungs out?" Suddenly, a flashing strobe-like light burst from behind Drake, as an army of undead appeared, their hands coming right for him. "Shit!" Drake ran in the opposite direction quickly, having no idea where the hell those zombies came from, or how he didn't hear any o- *THUNK*

  Drake smashed straight into a cement wall, and fell hard onto the floor.

"Hahahaha...What were you running from kid? Or do you just like ferociously sprinting into concrete walls?

  Drake looked back up to see that the zombies were no longer there. What the hell is this?!

"To answer your question, I was told to keep you here while some business was attended to upstairs. Wouldn't want you walking in at the wrong time now...I was ordered to keep you alive, but maybe I'll just slit your throat while you desperately navigate through my confusing little world! Unless you ultimately just decide to kill yourself, that is...Just keep ramming into that wall a few thousand more times, that should do the trick! Hahahahahaha!!"

  Drake was ready to kill this fucker. He stood up, trying to gain some sort of semblance of where he was. The black room blew away like a sheet in the wind, as an arctic tundra-like landscape filled his view. The glare of the sun bouncing off the mercilessly white snow blinded Drake for a moment, as he fell backwards, hitting his ass against the concrete floor. How the hell am I gonna find this guy if I can't even- Wait...concrete floor? Drake drug his hand across the snow surrounding him, seeing it separate between his fingers, but only feeling the smooth sensation of cement against his fingertips. Funny...Now that I think about it, the tundra is abnormally warm right about now. I'd imagine the tundra's pretty windy too, and I can't hear or feel a single thing. I can just...see it. Drake stood up, and reached out behind him. That wall was still there, he could feel it. He just couldn't see it.

"What's the matter kid? Losing your will to live so quickly? Perhaps I can make you reconsider?"

  The tundra mountains melted around him, to reveal a dimly lit bar. A very familiar bar. There she was, again. Standing right in front of him, as if she was real. Claire... He knew she was a lie, but the sight of her face still brought such overwhelming comfort to him. Everything that has happened since he saw her last...He'd do it over a hundred times just to be able to feel her touch again; that sensational feeling of being in her true presence...

It could never be.

"Awww, Drake...If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you were enjoying this little reunion...We can't have that, CAN WE?!"

  Claire's face grew vicious and bloodthirsty, as she drew a knife from her back pocket, and slit her wrists, a cold and maniacal expression staring right at Drake in the place of pain.

"YOU DID THIS TO ME DRAKE! YOU DID THIS TO ME!!! She sprinted like an animal towards Drake, who himself stared angrily at the monster his enemy had made of the girl he once loved. The shuffling of her feet drew ever nearer. Mere moments away from bringing the blade down upon him, a thunderous wave of sound burst forth from Drake's hands in one resounding clap. The image of Claire disintegrated before him, as the shriek of the maniac who had imprisoned Drake flew backwards, crashing into the wall behind him. The image of the bar also crumbled around him, his true surroundings now in plain sight. His assailant screeched from the other end of the room out of both pain and confusion. Drake saw Ivan in the corner of the room, laying against the cold cement floor. After retrieving him, Drake walked towards his foe, bringing his foot down on his chest. More cries of pain.

"What was that?! I thought you had no power of your own? I took away your weapon! Damn you!"

  Drake chuckled at the sad display in front of him. He really expected more out of this guy. "Listen here, buddy. I may be a kid, but at least I'm not a moron like you. It looks like you were able to go poking around inside my head, and start fabricating illusions based on what you learned. Hence the bar scene. Am I right so far?" The jester-like man nodded squeamishly as Drake continued to bring more pressure down on him. "Sadly for you, your power wasn't convincing enough. You can only project visual illusions, but you've got no substance like sound or touch to really make things believable. I knew it was you when you came charging at me with that knife, because your footsteps made a bunch of noise, unlike everything else in your half-assed menagerie. You weren't even intelligent enough to go poking through my head long enough to realize I was still a threat without my bass. You're a textbook cronie, man. Can I call you Professor Dumbass?" Drake drew back for a moment, then returned with a hard kick straight to Dumbass' ribs. He choked in pain. "And that was for leaving my guitar on the floor, you prick!"

  Finished with his newly found friend, Drake ascended the basement stairs, nonchalantly locked the door behind him, and whistled as Dumbass begged to not leave him down there. Drake only laughed to himself, wondering where these so-called big-wigs kept finding losers like him. Walking out into the lobby, Drake noticed Vlad was gone. "He must have found something. Better head back up the stairwell."

  A few flights later, Drake almost passed the doorway where he split off from the group after noticing the stairs were no longer broken. "Must have been another one of Dumbass' illusions. That's annoying." Drake peered through the door and saw a number of zombies heading down the direction Chris and Max had taken. "Crap, I better go find them. I hope Vlad's with them, or we might have a bigger problem on our hands than a few ghouls..."

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