The Summoning (Experiment Sympathizers)

[The Experiments]

Moderator Notes: This will be treated as a central thread. If more than one person (Orion), joins this thread, I'll divy this thread up into more, so as to accommodate. Also... this will be done a... little... bit differently then most Quests. Stay true to your character(s). This first post isn't particularly strong... on purpose.

THE FOLLOWING POST ONLY APPLIES IF YOU OR YOUR CHARACTER MEETS ONE OF THE FOLLOWING PREREQUISITES (And Only If You're Interested):

• Are Interested In Joining The Experiments.
  
• Are A Deeply Sympathetic Character.
  
• Are A Particularly Strong Psychic.
  
• Are Tuned Into Radio Station Frequency 43.19

Headaches

Your character(s) begin the day as per usual. Where are they? What are they dressed up as?

It does not matter where. But... for the past few hours, your character has has a very slight headache. Nothing to really bother over. Maybe your character takes a pill, maybe he/she just shrugs it off and continues with it.

...But whenever you stand up to walk somewhere... you seem to recall this particular street corner, of an intersection. The colors are drab and gray, like some old, discarded memory, the walls colors shaded over with flecks of white and black. And if you're not careful, you may or may have found your feet walking towards this location.

What do you do?

[Orion]

Orion grumbled to himself as he shut the door to his apartment behind him, making sure to dead-bolt it. With some people he knew, it wouldn't deter them much, but for your common mooks who disliked him, it was a decent deterrent. All around his apartment were scattered notes and reports based around the people of the city and the status of said cities. Pinned against a wall was a map, with multiple circles around smaller areas and bigger circles with names across them. A simple map that Orion used to keep track of things was all.

He had been having a headache recently, and it was messng with his concentration. He almost had lost a round of Texas Hold 'Em with a couple of gang members, the pain getting to him. He was planning on taking an ibuprofen, but he stopped as his gaze fell on the map. More specifically, an area circled and labeled "Freaks", as it was called by the populace. After events at the ruins of 259, however, Orion knew them to be experiments. For the most part, he merely avoided the area, not wishing a confrontation with someone... but now something was sounding out to him...

An area came to his mind. A street corner, of an intersection. The colors are drab and gray, like some old, discarded memory, the walls colors shaded over with flecks of white and black. An area he really hadn't visited. Orion found himself leaving his apartment and heading to that area, or at least that's what his body was doing. Orion was going to play along, because someone was going to pay.

No one messes with his head.

----------

"Interesting place... quite depressing. Now why am I here?"

Here he was, at the place in his mind. He simply let his body go and it came to here. Now to figure out who did this, and why.

[Rina Vade]

Rina

If I could take away your pain

Things were different now that the world was utterly destroyed, but that would never stop Rina. The beach house was gone and she'd not seen hide nor hair of her old roomate and his cousin, so she did things on her own. All was well, so far.

It was when she was taking the stairs - three at a time, mind you - up to her solitary apartment that a nagging headache began behind her eyes. "Great," she thought, reaching the last three steps and making her way down the hall. "Just what I need." well, not really. She was being sarcastic. A headache was the very last thing she wanted to have.

Maybe things could stay the same

An image flashed in her mind. She froze mid-step, hand resting on the door handle to her front door. What was that? She shut her eyes and frowned, trying to see what her mind had decided to conjure up. A street, intersected by two more streets. Vivid colors rang out in her head as the images flashed by. It was like she was there, walking in that area.

Was she supposed to be there?

Turning from her front door and the tempting offer of a warm bed within, Rina went back down the stairs, now taking what most would consider a dangerous amount of steps at once. She didn't care. Rina ignored the old lady that hollered every time a window clicked too loud and strode out the glass doors at the end of the staircase. Whatever this was, she felt as if it were urgent. That if she didn't act on it now, it would fade and she'd be missing something important.

It took about fifteen minuets to reach the street that played so brightly behind her ocean-colored orbs. Rina walked up to the sign that marked the corner and reached out, placing a hand on the cold metal as she gazed around. "This place is...sad." she muttered, raising a brow. Why the heck was she here, though?

I think I'd rest just fine then

A few feet away, there was someone else. She instantly recognized the person. "Hey, Orion," she said, lifting her voice just enough to be heard. "Was your head messed with, too?" she asked, half-joking, but she did anything but laugh. The other half of her was dead serious and only just a tiny bit puzzled. So they were both here. What now?

And would anyone else show up, too?

When you feel better in the end

[Jayr Byrne]

Stumbling in the Dark

It was past dark when the headache started, who would imagine that a pain could be as intense. But there was a perfect reason for why she'd been drawn to this pain, to feel something other than the sudden pain in her chest after seeing those bodies. Jayr and her parents had been evacuated to the military safe zone, she'd seen her fair share of battle but nothing quite like this. So much senseless disregard to life. Tears rolled down her face and she'd excuse herself from the tent in which her family had been placed in and her feet carried her away from the guards stationed at each openings. Jayr was known to be able to hold her own particular against equal matches but this new world she'd walked into was something that disturbed her.

An hour on her feet, the pain soaking into her toes and the arch of her heels, the pain in the corner of her skull. It was all becoming too much. Jayr would simply sigh, the weight of the world feeling as though she might implode from the stress. She'd fall to the floor, dropping to her knees, hands helplessly flung to her thighs. She'd sob, quickly sucking it up with the incling that she was not alone, her hand pressing to her forehead to pressure away the pain and wiping her wet hair around her earlobe.

*Sniffle*

"Anyone there?"

Her hand weighted against a familiar wall left singed in her skull. Body still canvased against the floor.

[The Experiments]

Moderator Note: I apologize for the delay. And, if you read the following... yes, everyone is situated in locations that look nearly identical, but no one is in the same vicinity as everyone else. Not completely.

If your character chooses to abscond from the thread at any point, have him try to go through the fog. You will be ejected out of the thread safely.

Happy hunting!

Orion, Rina, Jayr
"Can You Hear My Voice?"

"You can?"

"Good. Wonderful!"

The simple, melodic voice was obviously feminine... but speaking directly into your mind. Only those that felt sympathetic to the plight of the Experiments would be able to hear this voice.

...Or one of an unnatural psychic frequency... Or of those that dialed into the radio frequency, 43.17 would be able to hear this (though the unfortunate listeners of this would get a muddle over overlapping voices and sentences).

You find yourself standing in the middle of the intersection... and there is fog all around you, obscuring your vision, except for the four buildings around you. If you look just ahead of you, to the one in the north-west, you can see that it is three stories high, composed primarily of brick, with two openings at its sides.

An image flashes in your head.

Orion

"Will you help us?"

Moderator OOC: If yes, read on.

The building to your front-left. Inside you "see" an image...

: "Ahhh---! One's crawling down my pants...!"

---"This boy is an escaped Experiment. He only just discovered his Qi in a very latent manner and he has no control of it! Please, his Qi is very important... He needs your help!"

If Orion chooses to enter the apartment, from the doorway, he'll see:
-A hallway with an opening to another room. The room at the end of the hall is obscured in black.
-Directly right from the entrance, a closed door.
-Directly left from the entrance, a closed door.
-Down the hall and to right, a close door.
-Down the hall and to the left, a closed door.

Or Orion can choose to do something completely different. What do you do?

Rina

"Will you help us?"

Moderator OOC: If yes, read on.

"...I'm sorry," states the voice in your head as Orion suddenly disappears... like a mirage.

"It appears as though the conciousness of this other fellow seeped into your psyche."

"Yes, he has apparently heard the call as well, but... I need your help with someone different. The Barker forces will be here soon to capture these poor souls, and there is an escaped Experiment in your general vicinity!"

"Will you help me find him? We intend to rescue them from being returned to Barker's clutches."

From here, Rina can...:
-Head down the north street.
-Head down the south street.
-Head down the west street.
-Head down the east street.
-Enter the north-east building.
-Enter the north-west building.
-Enter the south-east building.
-Enter the south-west building.

Jayr

Images of people in ominous uniform can be seen in your head.

Barker soldiers.

"Will you help us?"

Moderator OOC: If yes, read on.

However, as the images fade instantly from your head, you get the feeling that they're still a ways off, lost in this gigantic, enigmatic fog. You see shadows of people OOC: Orion & Rina moving around in your peripherals for a moment before they fade from sight.

The buildings are exactly the same... but you see ladders up top all of them. The voice speaks again...

"I am sending someone to rendevous with you. She can help you search for an escaped Experiment in your area."

"I can't tell you much about us... but please believe me when I say you can trust us. We are against Barker."

From here, Rina can...:
-Head down the north street.
-Head down the south street.
-Head down the west street.
-Head down the east street.
-Enter the north-east building.
-Enter the north-west building.
-Enter the south-east building.
-Enter the south-west building.
-Climb up the north-west building's ladder.
-Climb up the north-east building's ladder.
-Climb up the south-west building's ladder.
-Climb up the south-east building's ladder.
-Escape down the sewers.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Orion, Rina, Jayr
ER KOMMT

Suddenly, images flash of a helicopter in the sky. The figures inside are shrouded in darkness, the emblem of the helicopter flickering---

"...OH NO!"

"Please, hurry, everyone!... Something terrible is approaching!

Moderator Note: The unknown will arrive in 10 rounds!

[Jayr Byrne]

Help

"Will you help us?"

She would nod feeling silly anticipating that any measure of speech or conversation could get through to an invisible source trying to contact her. Images in her head of course noticing Orion and smiling but another face she'd not recognize.

"I am sending someone to rendevous with you. She can help you search for an escaped Experiment in your area."

"I will help with what I can."

She didn't know what else she could do it wasn't as though she was opposed to in a situation like this.

"I can't tell you much about us... but please believe me when I say you can trust us. We are against Barker."

As for Barker, she'd never met him but he'd done all of this terrible pain so she only assumed the best scenario was to asisst as she saw fit. Jayr would from here head down the North street figuring staying in the open would be best to contact this person but then feeling silly. If someone with telepathy could find her there a building would be just as suited as she turned back slowly walking up to the door of the North East building.


"...OH NO!"

"Please, hurry, everyone!... Something terrible is approaching!"

"Please tell me what I need to do."

[Rina Vade]

Rina

If I could take away your pain

Whoa. Rina had always known that she was strong in the psychic field, but this was strange. She blinked as the form of Orion vanished before her eyes. The voice in her head asked if she would help them. 'Will you help us'...help who? Who was us? Rina didn't speak, just listened to the voice explain their...her situation (the voice was clearly a girls) and ask pleadingly for her help.

But how was she to help them?

Maybe things could stay the same

The image of a helicopter was sudden. The girls voice was urgent now. Full of panic. It tugged at Rina's heart, but the raven-haired girl paused, hesitant. Was this something she really wanted to get into? "Well I was called her for a reason." she thought, taking a step forward as she tried to see through the fog. Ugh, how annoying it was.

For whatever reason...good or bad, Rina decided she would try to help whomever had summoned her here with that odd headache.

Moving down the North street, she walked slowly, but with deliberate strides. She resisted the urge to reach out to the mist. It was as if it were...solid. Like it had a form that she could touch. "Oh, stop that." she told herself, inwardly rolling her eyes. Whatever in the world was she thinking?

I think I'd rest just fine then

Down the street she went, quiet as a shadow. Her azure orbs darted, scanning the area around her and looking up at the buildings or sides of buildings that she was able to see. She didn't know if the voice could hear her thoughts or what, so she spoke out loud, "Tell me more." and continued walking. That was pretty much the closest anyone would get to hearing 'I will help you' from Rina.

When you feel better in the end

["Alter Mann"]

Over A More Secure Frequency...

From a far away location, the low hum of working machinery, a shadowed figure leans close to a mic. He shakes his head, chuckling silently at the man on the other end of the radio...

*"Es ist nicht notwendig, dass Sie gehen ..."*

[Der Oberst]

From Within The Helicopter

There was only the sound of the helicopter blades slicing through the air for a while. From within the chopper, though, stood a figure, who reached to his side. With his thumb, he pressed a button on it, bringing the receiver close to his lips...

...Smiling...

*"Sie sind sicher nicht aus Angst um mich, Herr General? Ich bin berührt."*

*"Es ist einfach eine delievery und Pick up-Mission. Ich werde in den Chopper aufhalten ..."*

Cackling quite calmly as he looked at his two charges that sat on the cushioned seats of the chopper. Their masks were that of foxes... but their black eyes glowed red with their thralled life...

...Soon...

[Orion]

"You can?"

"Good. Wonderful!"

"Will you help us?"

Orion was about to say no. He really really was. But then he felt that it wouldn't help him any. He got the feeling that perhaps he should investigate this... oddity.

"I think "no" is a wrong answer... so yes, I will help."

Orion then "saw" an image. A boy, upside down, with snakes across him. He heard the boy's voice, and then the feminine one spoke to him once again.

"This boy is an escaped Experiment. He only just discovered his Qi in a very latent manner and he has no control of it! Please, his Qi is very important... He needs your help!"
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me... why the hell am I fighting snakes the one freaking time I left all my weapons at home? This is your fault for distracting me with that damnable headache"

Orion entered the building quietly, leaving the door open behind him in case he needed to run. If someone was evil enough to tie some boy up and put snakes across his body, it's a good thing to have a run-away plan. He saw 4 doors, and could barely make out a fifth at the end of the hallway, considering the darkness. He mentally flipped a coin twice, and decided on the first door to the right. He went over and opened it quietly, though not slowly.

No need to alert the neighbors.

[The New Student Dean]

Delusional Escapades

Orion checks the first right room. Upon checking the door, he finds that it is unlocked and manages to open it quietly, but quickly.

Behind it, he finds a simple bathroom. He doesn't... think... there's anything there. Just a porcelain tub with a showerhead, and a sink with two large cabinets underneath it...

The mirror appears to be strange...

---

Orion goes to search under the sink for anything that might possibly be useful

---

...Upon opening the cabinets, Orion discovers a nest of snakes, uncoiled, wrapping themselves around the sink plumbings. They appear startled.

---

Orion quickly slams the door shut and puts distance between him and the cabinet, bumping into the mirror

---

...He hears hissing noises from beneath the cabinet---

---The mirror swirls and distorts Orion's image in its reflection... Before the reflection of him turns dark and fades...

Moderator Note: (Unknown effect)

---

Orion frowns at the mirror, thinking back to Shadow. Then he shrugs, and leaves the room, closing the door behind him.

---

As Orion leave that room, closing the door, he hears four slams against the opposite side of the door door as the cabinet doors unfurls, Orion barely being missed by the snake attack.

The hallway of rooms remains unchanged.

---

Orion heads to the door directly across, opening it up and being prepared to jump to the side if necessary

---

Moderator Note: (Prepared Action Noted.)

Orion finds that it is a bedroom... without windows. But that doesn't make any sense, as he was very sure he saw windows from the outside. All he sees are brick walls all around... and a big, queen-sized bed with a flowing, pink comforter covering over all of it, sealing over what may be underneath.

Moderator Note: (Nothing jumps out at Orion. Prepared action retains while prerequisite remains.)

---

"you got snakes, but no people to take care of the snakes? What kind of hellhole am I in..."

Orion walks over to the comforter and rips it off the bed, jumping backward as he does so to put distance between him and the bed.

---

A delightful dozen snacks are heard hissing, three of them jumping at Orion from underneath the bed, all three of them sinking their fangs into the comforter. The comforter begins to disintegrate in his hands as the nine other snakes begin to coil themselves. The three jumping snakes fall to the ground, uncoiled... hissing.

---

Orion jumps backwards once more, catching the door handle and closing it in front him, hoping that he stopped the snakes.

---

Five snakes jump at him as he jump... two of them about to land.

However, having prepared to jump to the side again anyway, he does so, avoiding all of the snakes. He opens the door in a hurry and close the snakes, hearing only mad hissing from both doors you've come from.

"...I'm... thankful you haven't run away. The poor boy can't seem to control himself," says the voice in his head.

---

"Yeah yeah, it would be nice if you mentioned.... wait. Does this QI of his happen to involve snake conjuring?"

---

"..."

"...Yes."

---Orion seems to perceive something flickering behind him.

---

"you and I are going to have a long talk about warning about any dangers you know of."

Orion heads towards the flickering

---

...The flickering was on the door, the door he came from. It appears to have been nothing more than the shadows playing.

"...I'm learning about this too, as you're going along. Typically only seconds before you do."

---

"Still, those seconds mean a lot. Can you sense the presence of the snakes before I run into them?"

---

"I can attempt to."

Moderator Note: (Moderator Foresight Perception DC: 15 from a d20)

---

"If you can at least try... That will help. No point in having a power and not using it"

---

Moderator Note: (Moderator Foresight Perception DC: 5 or Less = Inaccurate Reading)

---

Orion goes down the hall and stops at the door on the left from the entrance.

"Anything?"

---

"...Yes. I think so."

"...The dimension of the room beyond that door appears to go beyond what is normal. It may be the equivalent to a small tool shop."

---

"Great.... Welp, I'm going to be supposing that humans are not my worry here..."

"Alright. This'll be a bit noisy..."

Orion opens the door a tiny fraction, then kicks it to open it the rest of the way.

---

TEN SNAKES SUDDENLY JUMP AT ORION.

Moderator Commentary: (ROLLING
...Wow.
...First roll was a 20.
Thankfully, that was the only roll that hit you as none of them have any bonuses.)
(12:04:45 AM) Orion: (Thank the lord for insane AC)
(12:05:00 AM) Tuvlan: (There is no AC. Only reflex, fortitude and will.
(12:05:12 AM) Orion: (... thank the lord for damn good reflexes)

Orion deftly moves out of the way of nine of the ten snakes that jump out at him from the door.

...The first one latches onto Orion's left nipple through the shirt and sinks his venom into him.

(Moderator Note: -4 HP.
Poison: -5 HP at the start of every round. Fortitude save roll of 10 at the end of your turn will end this.)

---

Orion cannot feel the pain, so he grabs the snake by the head as close as possible and throws him at his fellows (other snakes), in the hopes that they will stupidly attack said snake before it disappears. Also prays to God that messing with the kid's QI snakes won't hurt him.

---

Moderator Notes: Religion Roll: DC 25
Rolled: 16 + 7 = 23

God did not hear his prayer as Orion didn't pray hard enough.
As the door wasn't closed, the ten snakes coil up (Minor Action) and attack you again (Standard Action).

Unsurprisingly, the snakes do not hit Orion due to his superior reflexes... and successfully endured through the poison from last round.

(Orion's HP: 94/103)

The snakes are back in the room they had jumped from... and with his eyes he notices (Passive Perception) that the entire room is slithering with snakes... with a boy hanging from the ceiling, his wrists bound with cloth, snakes coiling in and out of his pants... and one even escaping out of his mouth, glancing at Orion.

Looking "up" (or in this case, down) at Orion, the boy sees him...

His mouth stuffed with snake, he tries to open his jaw a bit further, trying to mewl for help... But only succeeds in expelling the snake out of his throat into a slump on the ground.

---

*Ask your local friendly telepath if the snakes will cease if the kid is unconscious!*

---

The telepath, unfortunately, harms Orion as she tries to assess the situation (-5 HP), her telepathic analysis disrupting his brainwaves for a moment.

"No... the snakes are relatively harmless and slower than you by comparison but they will not begin to disintegrate until the boy is about twenty-five feet away from them. Your best bet would be to cut him down and run him out of here as quickly as you can!"

(12:22:55 AM) Tuvlan: (The telepathic usage is a free action, so you may still make your moves for this round.)
(12:23:34 AM) Orion: (Huh... would I be considered strong to snap the rope and run like hell? Or is that a check?)
(12:23:59 AM) Tuvlan: (You're strong BECAUSE of how high your check is.)
(12:24:45 AM) Orion: (... K, new question. Is it humanly possible to snap that rope bare-handed?)
(12:26:45 AM) Tuvlan: (Yep. We can even make a roll to see if we can break it with your teeth, if you like.)
(12:27:21 AM) Orion: (Is there a window in the room?)
(12:28:06 AM) Tuvlan: (There is, but Orion's passive insight tells him that it is strangely stronger than it appears to be.)
(12:28:19 AM) Tuvlan: (...As in, there's nothing but blinding light out there, as if it were a wall.)
(12:28:40 AM) Orion: (Stupid RPG physics... *chuckle*)

---

Orion goes for the rope holding the boy to the ceiling with his teeth!

---

Watching the boy run right on past him, Orion provokes an attack of oppurtunity from seventeen snakes! +2 to rolls against Reflex!

...All of them jump at him and miss...!

...Except for the one that strikes itself at Orion's ass, sinking its fangs in, bleedings it venom into Orion.

Moderator Note: (Orion is now poisoned [again]!)

...As he reaches the rope.

The seventeen snakes now move towards Orion and coil up, as their speed is not as good as Orion's... They position themselves, daring him to run past him.

---

Orion attempts to cut the rope with his teeth!

---

Orion cuts through it... with his teeth!

---

*Success chime. Pick one, there's like a million.*

Orion picks up the boy and turns toward the door and the snake gauntlet

---

...As Orion has not taken the snake out from his ass, he suffers a further 4 damage. The poison proceeds to knock away at his health.

All sixteen of the snakes jump at Orion and miss him as he runs past the gauntlet!

Meanwhile, the boy in Orion's arms continues to... "expel" snakes from his body, their slimey bodies sliding out from his pants...

---

"Oh yeah. Kid, I apologize in advance"

ORION RUNS THE KID HEADFIRST INTO A WALL! (going for non-lethal here, despite this action)

---

Orion barely doesn't fail at making his attack non-lethal... as he walks adjacent into the ten former snakes attack zone.

The kid, however, successfully gets knocked out!

Only take 2 damage.

+14

The boy's face appears to be swelling blood.

Also, the boy's nose is broken!

---

Orion hoists the boy over his right shoulder in a fireman's carry, pulling the snake out of his ass with his left hand!

---

Pulling the snake off from his ass, the boy uses up another standard action...

...The sixteen other snakes from behind him proceed to crawl after him... as well as the ten in the other room...

---

ORION BREAKS INTO A DEAD SPRINT TO THE EXIT! Praying to the devil to send these his demons to destroy these mockeries crafted by a confused mind!

---

Orion suffers from a fierce, sudden headache as he breaks his covenant with God to try to pray to the Devil... but not even the Devil hears his pleas! (DC: 20, Rolled 3 + 7)

The headache threatens to stun him... but he endures it and presses on... as twenty-seven snakes jump at him! (Running + Leaving Adjacent Spot = Attack of Oppurtunity)

Only one snake latches onto his left shoulder blade!

(12:58:14 AM) Orion: (Where am I?)
(12:58:44 AM) Tuvlan: (You're running down the hallway... to the main door.)
(12:59:26 AM) Orion: (Remaining health?)
(12:59:35 AM) Tuvlan: (67)
(1:00:02 AM) Tuvlan: (...If you were using a normal D&D character, he'd probably be dead by now.)
(1:00:30 AM) Tuvlan: (But when you successfully ditch the snakes, you can use your healing surges.)
(1:01:46 AM) Orion: (A. Orion is a bad-ass. B. if this was normal D&D we'd all be dead. How many snakes are on me?)
(1:02:41 AM) Tuvlan: (Orion has 1 snake on him, as he pulled out the other one. He also took the damage and endured through the poison on the first two accounts on the first try.)
(1:04:44 AM) Orion: (He is immune to most narcotics. Wouldn't that extend, at least slightly, to poison? Just a reason to justify it ICly)
(1:05:52 AM) Tuvlan: (Think about it for a second. Are these normal snakes? Where do they come from?)
(1:09:13 AM) Tuvlan: (I'll continue.)
(1:09:35 AM) Orion: (Point. But to be fair? This wouldn't be possible if Ki did exist. IF it was, I highly doubt an unconscious KID could do it. But that's the lack of sleep talking. Ignore all this. So... my action needs to be changed?)
(1:09:56 AM) Tuvlan: (Don't matter. We're rolling through this.)
(1:11:00 AM) Orion: (Aight)

---

Orion rips out the snake and heads for the main door!

---

The snakes give chase after Orion... but Orion speeds on ahead of them and reaches the door.

---

ORION CRASHES THROUGH THE DOOR WITH A VICTORIOUS YELL!

---

Moderator Note: (Successful Strength Roll!)

---The fog about Orion dissipitates... and the snakes behind Orion begin to shrivel and disappear as well as Orion makes for the center of the streets with his glorious charge...

...But in his head, he feels the telepath, nervous, frightened...

...As the thundering of the chopper can now be heard, several hundred feet away...

---

"... hey. Please tell me that's OUR calvary"

---

"..."

"...RUN."

---The snake wounds on you disappear, as people running from the buildings and onto the street in a panic, the fog completely disappearing. Any pain that Orion would have felt dissipitates completely... but the the sensation still remains. The boy does not stir from his sleep.

Stranger still, the people evacuating from the neighboring buildings seem to be aware of what's going on, racing instead towards the thundering chopper.

(1:16:56 AM) Tuvlan: (You may now use your healing surges.)
(1:20:00 AM) Tuvlan: (Moment.)
(1:20:20 AM) Orion: (K)

---

(1:17:33 AM) Orion: "... which way do I run?"

---

A woman in a maroon fedora jumps from one of the rooftops and lands neatly in a crouching position before springing back up. Her hands are covered in hand-claws. blue jeans, black steel-toed combat boots and a horizontally striped purple sweater are what adorn her.

A very serious look on her face as she stares at Orion, and then at the boy over his shoulder.

"Come. We head north."

"...This woman is Cheshyre. She will lead you safely to one of our convoys. Worry not of the people racing behind you---they should be able to escape from his clutches."

"Cheshyre is one of our faction leaders. You are in good hands."

---

"Alright. Just... do me a favor?" *start to follow Cheshyre*

---

The girl begins to speed on ahead... evidentally very fleet-footed, stepping with only her toes, in spite of her footwear."

"...Yeah? Whatup?" she says flatly without even looking back.

---

".. make sure you have some anti-venom." *speeds up to keep pace as well as he can*

---

Orion can hear her grumble as she continues on, without breaking her gait. Probably a sign that she had been informed...

...As you're running, several other varying individuals begin to run with you, surrounding you. Their arms chase after them and they make no note to even see Orion... instead, keeping an eye out for Cheshyre.

"...Diversion successful. And looks like the morale in the area went up... Apparently some of the hidden ones in this area decided to join us, as with your success..."

"Cheshyre, by the way."

---

"I suppose our friend in the head told you, but I'm Orion. Now what happens?"

---

Orion can audibly hear more grumbling emenate from Cheshyre."

"...I'd rather introduce myself without the head games. Nice to meet you, Orion."

"We get the fuck out of here. The convoy's just up ahead," she states, pointing with her bottom lip at a truck already partially filled with people. They look like a ragtag sort, but none of them carry themselves in such a way, their eyes filled with duty.

"They don't bother with us much, but the man we're running from is one of the old Enforcer Corporations that Barker used to run with, prior to the missile attack. They seem to be acting solo now."

"No stopping, we're almost there, she says, still in good breath.

---

"Enforcers... last I dealt with them, there were explosions and mad-men." Orion shook his head at the images. "I suppose I may as well mention that I'm not a product of Barker's whims. He wasn't the one to change me."

---

Cheshyre looked over to him, smiling, although sarcastically.

"Experiment's an experiment. People fucked with us. S'why we were able to find you---you're on a similar wave length with us." The truck was just ahead of them... But the chopper could be heard getting closer. Quickly, the accompanying host of experiments began to scramble aboard, Cheshyre gesturing for Orion to jump on in...

"...C'mon. The louse is almost here...---"

---

Orion jumped in. "Figured I may as well mention it, is all"

---

"S'appreciated. I'm not going to be asking through telepathy, after all," she smirked, jumping in after you as the truck immediatly began racing forward. The back doors of the truck flapped violently, as the girl stood, as though with her own form of gravity as she began to pull leather teathers from the side to "cage" the group inside.

"Lay the boy down... we'll tend to him. Orion, stand with me... we can't afford to turn a blind backside to this guy."

...Menacingly... the chopper began to fall behind. But only for a moment. The truck continued on the rough, destroyed road as it beelined ahead. It was obvious that without diversion they weren't going to be losing their pursuers.

"...It's important, as an Experiment and as a 259er to the rest of us. There's been a lot of turmoil on the stance with 259ers."

...A lighthearted tone... but there was seriousness in her eyes, as her head was directed skyward.

---

Orion sat down and stared calmly at the chopper. "Do I count if I transferred from somewhere else?"

---

"..."

Without looking at him, the young woman smiled...

"That'd be pretty petty of us. Hehe."

"A lot of us still would like to consider ourselves human, you know..."

...Suddenly, she turned her head to the seated boy and nodded, as though to see if he would understand. Carefully, she would grab onto the top tether and slowly make her way to the roof of the truck. No one else looked up at her. There was a general understanding of what was going on.

---

"Heh. I suppose you do. Me? I just live life as I see fit."

---

"...Good. Good." she'd call to him nonchalantly, slowly sharpening her claws on the roof of the truck. Though Orion wasn't in a good angle to see it... Cheshyre was clearly smiling, thinking of something.

"...Be back later."---

---With that, she would jump up into the air, her form flying high, almost touching the clouds---

The truck would continue on... as a fiery explosion of the equivalent of a single missle blew up behind them, rocking the truck. Everyone remained silent, nonchalant.

"I seem to have fallen in with interesting people." Orion smiled.

"Good. I was getting bored anyway."

---

Someone with oval glasses would look up at him and chuckle...

...Hugging his chainsaw close to his heart.

"You should get some rest. There will be time to talk when you arrive. Face to face."

...There seemed to be hesitation... as though mentally, her thoughts loomed in concern over a certain someone. But she would not "communicate" anything in that regard.

---

"Fair enough. I entrust you all with my safety. Do avoid letting me down." And with that, Orion fell back and went to sleep.

[The New Student Dean]

An Arrival

By the time that Orion and the truck arrives back at the Experiment's base, it is past nighttime, well into the dusk. In ones and twos, the people get off the truck. Whether or not Orion awoke, he would be left alone by the passengers in the truck, who would do nothing more than give him a reverent nod or a silent "thank you" as they passed by him. Not everyone would depart, though.

In the midst of the leaving passengers, one person in a dark, cerulean cloak would remain, though this person did not appear to be one of the original passengers. The cloak emanated a strange, glowing illumination to it, that stretched out barely beyond its original source, but was not so bright so as to immediately give away the wearer's position, almost seeming to have faded into existence.

A pale chin peaked its way out from beneath the hood, with dark red lips framed onto it. Through the cloak, the figure would stare at Orion...

...And then it would smile.

"In the flesh at last."

---

Rewards Up To So Far:
+5 EXP (Please Link This Thread/Post To Source This)

Item Selection Choice Will Be Coming In Following Post