Expansion Pack 3.0[[GM/Open]]

[Date Masamune™]

[[OoC: Paladin territory now belongs to Dragons and Shugo will be claiming territory for the Dragons in this thread. All strongholds remain the same. Establishing new stronghold. Pushing into West Whittier-Los Nietos and South Whittier.]]

"So what's your next command, Leader."

His name is Norman. He's a Dragon Warrior. He also doesn't exactly like me because I was just inducted in and now I'm already leading him and his squad. I felt for the guy, but we were branching out of my territory. Mathew suggested I lead because I know the terrain better.

"Fan out. Groups of three. Make sure any civilians in the area are safe. We're not here to conquer. We're here to help these people and put them under our protection. Neutralize any Barker soldiers. Talk with rebel forces. Do not engage any rebel forces. Contact, retreat, and regroup immediately if you're under attack. Biggs, Walker you're with me."

Jason Biggs was a Barker soldier I had paralyzed previously. I gave him a medicine that could cure any disease, whether you believe it or not I had actually tracked down this medicine to cure my heart. Now he's fully recovered and fighting for the good guys. Us.

The 20 soldiers I had with me fanned out splitting up into groups of 3 with Jason and another kid Alan Walker, coming with me. Al was young, but he was good in a fight. I wanted to make sure all of these men made it back safely.

[Marcus Prasad]

The surrounding area is primarily suburban sprawl with winding roads and cul-de-sacs bordered by highways. To the east of the area lies a park and stadium, or at least what was once a stadium. Decrepit ampitheater would be more apt these days as the morning sunlight revealed collapsed housing and streets blocked with debris.

It would be rough going navigating this enviroment effectively where any dark window could hide a barker scout or worse.

And where were the people? Silence and stillness greeted Shugo and his team, as the last vestiges of humanity clung to their surroundings like a torn dress on a young street urchin.

Kind of like the one Allen might have spotted before bolting out of sight.

[Date Masamune™]

"Oh hey! Wait!"

Alan started running after something that I didn't see. Damn that kid. He was fast. I turned to motion for Jason to follow, but...

"Already on it big guy! Since when are you this slow?"

Jason ran right past me following after Alan as well. I smirked a bit. I couldn't have asked for better men. Alan was sharp, if he was running towards something that he thought was there, it was there.

"I saw a kid guys. Let's check it out!"

Alan turned a corner with me and Jason right on his tail, following him to who he saw.

[Marcus Prasad]

Your team loses sight of the girl for just a moment as she disappears amongst the wreckage of suburbia. Fortunately for you, the air was still and the surroundings quiet, so you all easily hear the unmistakable sound of glass shattering and a piercing shriek.

If you chose to investigate, traversing the treacherous terrain, you're team shall come across a Cu-du-Sac looking as much, if not in worse condition that what you have seen before. The ground beneath your feet is cracked and torn, the front yards facing you covered in trash with yellowing grass. Many of the houses have broken windows.

And it feels like you're being watched from multiple angles.

There are 7 Houses in this cul du sac. Any one of them could have been the source of the noise you heard.

[Date Masamune™]

"Guys someone needs help! I'll check these two houses you guys get the others!"

Alan ran into one of the buildings without looking back. I stopped running once we reached the cul-de-sac and shouted out to him.

"Hang on! I said don't split up!"

Jason, who I had caught up to ran past me and went into another house.

"I got these two! Last three's all you Shugo!"

"Dammit... if my own two hand picked Dragonlings won't listen to me, then who will?"

I sighed. It didn' matter they were right. Someone was in danger. I ran into the building directly in the middle of all of them. When I grabbed the door knob, the entire door fell right off of it's hinges. I sighed and set it to the side.

"Hey! Is anyone in here! My name's Shugo Yuy and I'm here to help!"

[Marcus Prasad]

It was quiet.

Almost TOO quiet.

Shugo would find himself within a domicile coated in debris with many of the walls half torn down with holes punched through them.

The smell of Blood would be overwhelming, and with it would be bodies.
Bodies in the Kitchen, in the Living room. In the beds upstairs. A Family of Five with a mother, father, two sons and a Daughter. At a glance it would look as if the Father was put down in the living room With multiple Stab wounds, his two sons before him with Broken necks. The Mother was in the Kitchen, Clothes as torn up as the broken body.

And the less said about the Daughter in the Crib, the better.

The others would also find evidence of a struggle ending in blood, bodies and tears.

For Shugo, it would seem his particular Princess was in another castle......

[Date Masamune™]

"DAMMIT!"

I could feel my blood boil as I saw the family destroyed around me. I ran through the building checking all of the rooms and finding each last family member that was killed. This was the wrong building. Looking at the window, I took a few steps back and ran forward through the glass and flew into the next building over. I didn't have enough to run down stairs and check each house slowly.

"IS ANYONE THERE! I'M HERE TO HELP!"

[Marcus Prasad]

Shaking it off, you find yourself in a room which was surprisingly empty saved for large boxes piled along the walls and the filthy rags that lined the floor.
By the door to the hallway overlooking the front door foyer below sat a small burnt doll sitting on a small wooden stool.

The doll is staring in your direction with glassy black eyes.

Down below you hear the sound of a door slamming close as well as the shuffle scrape of bare feet.

If you choose to investigate, you will find the foyer below connects to a bedroom to the left and the living room to the right with a hallway between them with doors on either side, eventualy leading to the Kitchen where you were certain the sound of the noise originated from.

[Date Masamune™]

Ugh this place smelled horrible. But I couldn't focus on that. I passed by all of the boxes quickly and tried not to slip on the rags, harder than it looks really. Stepping into the hallway, I found a broken and burnt doll. She looked a bit sad. It looked a little bit creepy, but I assumed it belonged to whoever lived here. I picked it up.

Hearing the sound of someone down below, I jumped over the railing and down to the first floor. I ran through the living room and into the kitchen. That was definitely where the sound came from. Grabbing the door, I pulled it open.

"Hey! I'm just here to help!"

[Marcus Prasad]

The Kitchen is a mess, A Trail of blood leads from a broken window along the ground towards the sink where a young girl lies slumped, feebly trying to hold a soak and wet towel to a vicious gash on her ankle.

Upon seeing you, she tries to squirm away, muttering for you to leave her alone as she tries to shield her dirty face with her free arm.
The Towel is stained red with blood.

[Date Masamune™]

"Hey hang on. I'm just here to help."

I tried to speak in a softer voice as I stopped in front of her. Kneeling down, I ripped the sleeve off of my right arm and would remove the dirty towel from the girl's ankle. Ripping part of my sleeve up, I dabbed the spot to clean it off if she would let me. After that if she would let me, I would wrap the remainder of my sleeve around her ankle tightly to cover up the wound. While tending to the girl, my awareness of my surroundings would drop slightly. I always let my guard down around kids instinctively, a weakness of mine.

"How did this happen?"

[Marcus Prasad]

For a few moments she tries to fight you off before realizing you mean no immediate harm, calming down enough to allow you to tend her wound despite looking as if she would bolt at any second if given the chance.

She bites her lower lip after you ask her the question. As if the memory of it causes her physical pain. After you're done bandaging her ankle, he pulls herself up and sits with her back to the sink cabinet, her knees pulled up to her chest.

"They came....."
She started with a sniffle, trying to wipe her nose with the back of her wrist with jerky furtive motions.
"Killed everyone. Freaks."

She looks back up at you with terror in her eyes. With a closer look you can tell she is in her young teens and incredibly filthy. She speaks a word drenched in dread.

"Monsters."

[Date Masamune™]

Before I could even ask who came the girl answered my own question. Believe it or not, I believe in monsters. Not in the traditional sense. But I believe that we make our own monsters. Sometimes from small events, and sometimes we just can't stop the monster from being born. Hell... sometimes I think I'm a bit of a monster, but I'll keep that part to myself since I can see how scared she is.

"Well. Pretty lucky for you, I'm pretty good at fighting monsters. In fact it's what I'm the best at."

I kneeled down beside the girl and smiled at her. I would put my hand out in front of her if she wanted to take it.

"But why don't we get you out of here and somewhere safe instead."

There were a couple people in the area I knew that had the power and the resources to do something like this, but only one group that would. Barker. He was probably using his experiments to clear out areas for him. Wiping out the weak so he can make his world of strong. I didn't know if they were still here but any further fighting would traumatize this girl even more.

[Marcus Prasad]

Unfortunatly your words fail to reassure her. Wrapping her arms around her knees she lowers her head until its buried in her arms.

"No! you don't understand!"
She cries, her words muffled and bordering on hysteric.
"They said this was just.....just a test! that we weren't going to be the last! They brought the monsters and they killed everyone and they Laughed and laughed!"
Her final words were a shriek as she began to sob uncontrollably.

[Date Masamune™]

My blood boiled. I felt my muscles tense up for a moment as the girl cried over the lives lost here. They were definitely monsters... And as a knight, it's my sworn duty to take them down. And that's just what I'll do. But avenging even a thousand lives came second to protecting one. I removed my right gauntlet and reached out to put my hand on the girl's head.

"I'm sorry. For your loss and for everything you had to go through. And I swear, I will stop all of those monsters. On my own if I have to. Because they're nothing but bullies. They'll push you around and try to break you, but if you hold your head high and look towards the future, they have no power over you. I'll avenge every single life taken here, but first, I want to get you some place safe because your life is more important right now than anything else that has happened here."