[10-15] The Docks

[Karl Jak]

Gin
Remilia
Amber

The noises of the city receded in the background as the two cut through the small patch of forest that separated the population center from the docks.  Without stopping to catch their breaths, they burst from the other side of the copse and stumbling out onto a small road.
 
As Gin caught his breath from their frenetic flight, Remilia scanned the landscape ahead of them.  They were on a nicely maintained road that looped around the trees behind them and fed back to into the city somewhere near their former sanctuary.  In front of them, the street led up to what certainly had to be ‘the docks.’  There was twenty feet of road because the area opened up into a massive, macadam lot adjacent to the mist-shrouded waterfront.  If there were any ships out there, they were concealed by the fog and the forest of intermodal containers that filled the dock.  While the nearest crate stacks were only thee or four units tall, the ones closest to the water had to be nearly ten tall.
 
With her friends’ breathing normalized, the pair walked down the street and came to a stop at the first massive, truck-sized steel containers.  Like its peers, the huge box bore the logo for one of Syntech’s various subsidiaries.  Although they knew to keep moving, Gin couldn’t resist the nagging question, and the redhead pulled open the end of the unlocked container.  Remilia, who had already been a few steps ahead, heard the screech of metal and spun sharply to scold her companion.  Instead, the words never made it from her mouth as her eyes caught the strange glow from the box as it washed over Gin.
 
Although he had momentarily looked a bit stunned, the young man shook his head and slammed the container shut.
 
“What?”  Remilia asked.  “…what’s in the box?”
 
“Omnilium,” Gin muttered.  “I think the whole stupid crate is like the piece I found in the hotel.”
 
The vampire frowned, but before the pair had time to relax, they both heard the distinct sound of claws scraping against steel coming from above them.  They turned their heads up and saw the small shadows swirling around about three crates above them.  Had they been followed already?
 
Before they could find the answer, the ground a few feet away started to erupt upward as it was torn apart by a rapidly-approaching stream of energy blasts.  Eyes wide, the pair dove aside as the blasts ripped apart the pavement and peppered them both with shards of cement.  When the quick barrage faded, Gin and Remilia turned their eyes to the shambling creature stalking down the row of crates toward them.  The creature, with its grayed flesh and lurching gait, was clearly like the other monsters—something that had been human long before the omnilium twisted its form into something more sinister.
 
Yet, there was a familiarity in the creature.  Its remaining ear was pointed like an animal of some kind, and the gunblade that functioned as one of its hands looked too distinct for it to have been just a mindless creature.
 
And then there were its eyes… They were clear and blue at the center despite the sclera being almost completely bloodshot.  There was an intelligence in that gaze—a vile, sinister intellect that provided no solace to the pair of winded primes that found themselves backing up down the row of crates as they tried to formulate a plan.
 

This is a PvP event (http://omniverse-rpg.com/showthread.php?tid=5679) that pits Remilia and Gin against Ghoul Amber and a handful of lesser/normal ghouls.  Unless Amber decides to spend SP to empower them, the ghouls are normal secondaries and can be treated as such. 
 
Each of you receives one post each, unless you all agree you want to do two posts each.  You three have 4 days to get up your posts (August 1st at 10 AM CST).  If you cannot decide on an order, the order will default to Gin->Amber->Remilia (because Gin needs to post for Round 10).
 
While you have four days from the time of this post to do so, I will provide an update/conclusion once you’ve all posted.
 
Let me know if you have any further questions.

[Gin Yatreg]

"I'm guessing this is who we were trying to avoid," Gin asked Remilia, the duo keeping their eyes on the new arrival.

"Yup, looks like we couldn't avoid it after all," Remilia answered. 

Gin made a quick glance to his left, and saw more of the creatures arriving from the city. With the way the monster in front of them acted, Gin figured it was a leader of sorts for the horde. It would explain why it had a unique weapon ad the other didn't. But Gin couldn't help but feel like he'd seen this one before, in fact he felt like it had been a recent encounter. Had his short exposure to the infected omnillium affected him more than he had thought? Other explanations came and went in his mind, however the truth soon came to light. "I remember now, she was on the plane," Gin said in a worried tone of voice. 

"Doesn't matter, we have more pressing issues to deal with," Remilia reminded him.

"Right, any more escape plans?" Gin asked.

Remilia surveyed the area, and settled her eyes on a near by loading dock that stretched out into the ocean. "This way!" She yelled.

Just as the duo began their sprint for the docks, the leader ghoul leapt from its perch and gave chase. Its allies followed suit and weaved through the maze of crates towards their new prey. The leader soon caught up with the duo, and prepared to swing with its sword. The ghoul then felt its body crash full force into a hard green surface, which caused it to stumble and trip over itself as the object shattered. 


"Ha, I knew those platforms were a good idea." Gin mumbled joyfully. That had bought them some time from facing the leader, but the others were still hot on their heels. Once they reached the middle of the dock, the duo turned to face the enemy. There was less than Gin was expecting, but still enough to pose a threat if they were left unchecked. He looked back over to the leader, they had finally righted themselves and resumed the chase. They wouldn't have very long before she joined the fray. He looked over at Remilia and saw her move a level on a nearby console. Before he could ask what she was doing, the horde was upon them. Remilia's claws and wings easily tore through the flesh of the oncoming ghouls, leaving Gin free to finish them off with his shield powers. Limbs flew in every direction as the duo slayed more and more members of the mindless horde. As the two were pushed back to the nearby crane, an ear-piercing screech filled the air, and the horde paused its attack. The remaining ghouls stood aside as the leader shambled forward, intent on taking the two on herself. 

Seeing the girl this close, Gin was sure she had been on the plane. The girl was no doubt somehow corrupted by the island's omnillium in the same way the towns people were. The way Gin surely would have earlier if he absorbed that ingot and followed the voices. But if she was from the plane, then the transformation had to be recent. Gin had to try and appeal to whatever humanity was left to fight back against the presence. "Hey, you were on the plane too right? I know you're not in control, whatever's in the omnillium here has changed you somehow. But it's not too late! Fight it! You can still get control back!" He yelled at the ghoul. 

The ghoul hesitated for a moment, the hand that held its sword trembled for a second before it calmed down. The ghoul then charged at Gin, and swung its sword. 

"Gin, it's no use! Get back!" Remilia yelled.

Gin barley managed to side-step in time to escape with just a shallow gash on his left side. "Alright, if that's how it's gotta be," he mumbled. As the ghoul readjusted for another swing, Gin charged her with a shield fist followed by a shield kick. "THEN WAKE THE FUCK UP" He yelled.

[Karl Jak]

End of Round 10

Amber Veritz has been eliminated from final prize contention

[Amber Veritz]

The man she had chased down had gotten a few good hits in, but she did give a nice cut back to him. The child seemed to just want to get away but it looks like her companion was too stubborn to stop fighting. Perhaps he realized that this was something they weren’t going to get away from. Either way though, the new Amber cared not. It made it easier now that they had stopped running. Dinner will be served in the moments to come.

He was just charging her recklessly. There was only one simple solution to prevent disaster: Charge harder and break his face. The pale woman grabbed hold of Gin’s foot as he came in for a kick. A bit surprised and with a rush of adrenaline, he quickly lowered the shield that covered his leg. The quick-reflexed faunus was just a bit too quick for him though. Clenching on to his whole lower leg, she lifted and swung him against the wall.

“Gah!” He screamed out as his back hit the concrete. With another wide swing, she threw him over her head and forward towards one of the crates. Those platforms were indeed useful. He spawned one under his legs between him the crate before he made contact with it and jumped back down on the ground.

The crazy ghoul wasn’t going to let him get off the hook so easily though. She started towards him on all fours before a red spear grazed her back. Remilia had finally joined the fight, now that Gin was out of the way giving her more room to aim with her ranged attacks. Another started to form in her palm and the leader of the small brigade of undead commanded them to move. They ran towards the vampire, while the commander chased for Gin. She tossed her spear into the crowd of ten or so then took off before she got over run, being led around the crates and away from Gin and Amber.

The fiendish zombie approached the red-headed teenager. With a howl she approached, at an even faster speed than before. Her eyes glew blood red like whatever that howl was, it was some kind of power-up. He panicked. There wasn’t much place to run, and even then, he couldn’t outrun that. As she reached in for an attack with her sword-arm, his shield sprung up. Saving him from the monstrous strike that he felt shock through the shield. He wasn’t fast enough to get away though. She grabbed him by throat before he could do anything, slamming him against the crate.

”You...die now...human.” She growled in a demonic, gnarled voice. Her free hand, the sword-arm, rotated. Turning into the gun form of Razorback, she pointed it at the helpless man, charging a shot. White light illuminated from the muzzle of the gun. Gin could feel the heat from it even when it was a whole foot away from him. Naturally, he squirmed trying to get away, but she was too strong to outpower. Electricity discharged from the gun, in a diameter equal to that of a basketball. Thinking on his toes, Gin quickly pulled his shield up, only to cushion the meteor of energy that was shot at him from point blank range.

Amber used her secondaries to attack Remilia, giving her time to attack Gin without interruption.

SP spent 2/???(Keeping my total a secret hehe)

Amber used Tier One Super Move - Razorback Burst(which Gin shielded against) and Tier One Power Up - Super Ghoul Strength to boost her stats to 6/3/5/2

Wasn’t sure if their was a word limit, so I assumed no since I couldn’t find it anywhere. It’s just below 600 words if that helps.

[Remilia Scarlet]

The ghoul once known as Amber loomed over her weaken prey, haggard breaths from the red head as he clutched uselessly at his wounds. A shiver went down the infected’s spine, as her insatiable hunger yearned for its vice. Was it her own desire, or was it how the omnilium enforced its will to spread? The ex-faunus could not care, her could not even comprehend such a question anymore. Only survival, and the taste of meat. She raised its once proud possession above its head as one would an executioner’s axe and swung.

But in a sudden burst of speed, Gin bolted to the side. The sword cleaved through the face of the steel container her prey had been leaned against, and again as she she brought the sword back up in an attempt to side swipe him. Bars of omnilium tumbled out of the grash the crate now had, but the ghoul was more interested in the teen. But he rolled back to his feet with a renewed energy as he unleashed a power he had held back before. He too took an inhuman change, his skin turned to chitinous plates and spines grew across his hands. He stared down his attacker, his friendly personality turned dark as he let himself loose.

“Alright, bitch. Lets finish this”

Gin used Mutation, 0/3 SP

The two threw themselves at each other, one filled with mindless fury while the other fought for his life. Wild swings from the once huntress kept the pressure on, but the fighter saw his move and deflected the massive sword with the shield around his hand. And as the ghoul tried to recover, but snaked his arm under hers until his hand gripped the back of the head and slammed it it into the terrain repeatedly. The beast finally pushed itself out and swung around with a haymaker that sent Gin flying into another crate with a force that dented it inwards. He rose again and both of them charged.

As the two wrapped warriors waged war with wanton abandon, Remilia darted across the concrete wharf while the small army of abominations Amber had brought with her licked at Remi’s heels. It had pained her, although easily pushed aside out of necessity, to leave Gin to fight alone. But if she has stood her ground to fight the wight, their only reward for such bravado was to a painful death, assuming it did not infect them with the same madness which afflicted it. The best chance they had was to outsmart the relentless beast. But first she had to deal with the zombies behind her.

A swift spin around her was accompanied with two kicks to the nearest monster and send it reeling to get smashed by it “companions” to get to the brat. But the next found itself impaled through the chest with the spiked of Remilia’s wing and then promptly thrown of the pier into the dredged depths of the harbor. Like before Remilia could keep herself out of hand’s reach, but without the limited choking point she had they swarmed. As she punched another into the waters, a pale and twisted arm swung as she repositioned and wicked nails scraped across her torso. She let out a grunt of pain as pain flared at her front. Just barely enough time to notice the rake marks across her new short before the attacks continued. Only for both arms of the ghoul to be stopped dead as the scarlet devil grabbed them, claws dug deep into its flesh, and its arms twisted outwards until a sickening pop revealed its arms popped out its socket. It could see the red eyes of the true undead narrow at it and teeth bared in unbridled fury that even it noticed.

“I. JUST. GOT THIS!” She shouted out and with a jump up she landed on it’s shoulder she drove her heel into it's face and shattered the bone and brain underneath, then followed with a kick to the one next to it that snapped the neck. The last one rushed forward as Remilia surfed back down to ground floor, unaware of its predicament, and with a side step she tripped the monster to fall over and crack its head open on the supports to the crane she was moving toward. Now with some peace she could get to work.

The furious assault between the undead faunus and the redhead went on, neither quite getting over the other. While this powerful form Gin had let him go toe to toe with the ghoul in combat, it seemed to not be phased by the repeated blows he put down upon on. It did not tire nor feel pain. He would eventually lose his strength, and it would destroy him. He could only hope that Remilia’s plan would-

“Hard right!” Remi’s voice shouted from behind him, and he jumped away as a crane hook sailed passed him toward Amber. Who also side stepped it. It went by until it reached snagged on one of the shipping containers that littered the place.

“THAT WAS YOUR PLAN?!” Gin yelled out “YOU BRAT!” Was what he could get out before a heavy blade smashed into his side, bits of his exoskeleton exploded away from the blow before he was punted towards the end of the concrete wharf where Remilia stood.

“Good, you’re here. Now push” Remilia ordered as she dived forwards, claws held at the monstrous ghoul.  This only left Gin confused. The long part of the crane arm was pointed out towards the ocean. Push what where?

The claws of the scarlet devil flews, jabbed at the legs of Amber in some attempt to immobilize the monster. But amber seemed not to care. This would be an easy kill. If only the meat stood still! Each swipe against the meat sack was deftly dodged away, as if the meat could see hers attack before it even started. But it could not dodge forever. It continued is wild swings and shots, metal beams and cables severed with each of the vampire’s feeble attempts to hide behind cover. And yet, something intelligent poked at the back of the hunter’s mind. Why were they not attacking together?

She looked away from her prey and saw the other one attempt to push the crane toward them, as if to crush her. But it raised razorback cross its head and slammed it onto the platform that surrounded the crane. With the supports in the front destroyed, nothing resisted the blow as it was knocked backward, Gin along with it, and toppled into the sea. The beast let out some horrid mix of a laugh and a roar, its voice unrecognizable from the creature it once was.

But it was brought back down as the spine of Remilia’s bat wings drove themselves into the ghoul’s knee caps.

Amber tired of this. It reached down and grabbed the small one by the neck before it had the chance to get away, her own claws dug deep into the flesh, and swung her sword down to decapitate it. A brief moment was enough for Remilia to grab the blade with both arms, but the ghoul’s strength it easily pushed the armed back, the scarlet devil only able to save her neck for a moment while the blade dug into her palms and forearms. It would delay its death and the death of the one under the rubble.

But Remilia smiled, wide and devilishly. Why did it smile, and what was the scrapping noise behind her?

It looked behind to see the crate that had been snagged was now on a one way trip straight towards them. It could easy for the ghoul to jump over it, but is staggered as it made a step. Wounds from the scarlet devil weakened the zombie, and distracted it as Gin forced himself from the rubble. Amber attempted to pull her sword back, but was stopped when Remilia’s hold switching to keeping it way to pulling it back. The ghoul was defenseless as an oranged colored punch cleaned her clock and forced her to drop the vampires, and the two primes ran as several tons came in to steamroll them.

“Ladder!” Remilia pointed at, just off to the side of the pier. The two of them were fatigued and wounded, but the fear of death behind them (either by a truck’s worth of steel or angry zombie) keep them going. With some of his last strength, Gin summoned a green platform over the churning water and they jumped for it. Their combined weight shattered it almost instantly, but it was still enough time to reach out and grab the rung welded into the side of the pier. Their trap zoomed over their head, and it (and hopefully their troubles) was pulled into the briny ocean below.

[Karl Jak]

Face to Face
Ghoul Amber vs Gin Yatred and Remilia Scarlet

The two scrambled to the top of the ladder.  Remilia felt some solace as she made it back to onto the ravaged wharf.

“I can’t believe we di—”

Gin’s words were cut off by a violent scream that spun the little vampire’s head around just in time to see the barbed tentacle that had punched through the redhead’s gut.  While the transformation had long since vanished, enough adrenaline screamed through Gin’s veins to keep him clenched against the metal rungs.  Remilia grabbed at the youth’s arms and pulled him away before the hooked tendril could sink into his flesh.

With Gin leaning heavily onto her, the winged girl rushed from the water’s edge.  She managed to make it five yards before a sharp pain tore through her right leg.  Remilia lost her balance and crashed into a pile of debris, and a few feet away, she heard a faint whimper as her ally struck the side of a partially crumpled container and slid down to the ground, leaving a streak of blood against the metal surface.  Ignoring the open wound that had nearly bisected her leg, the vampire scrambled for a magic card.  

When she lifted the card, it became a trembling mass of red energy in the girl’s hands.  As the ghoul crested above the remains of the wharf, Remilia threw her hand forward, leashing a spear-headed burst of crimson energy that slammed into the prime ghoul.  There was a shriek that sounded faintly human as the corrupted faunus vanished once more into the waters below the docks.

[spoiler]
Gin he has a puncture wound through his lower back and out his stomach, along with other various scrapes and bruises.  He will bleed out in 2 rounds (8 OOC days) without treatment, which will reduce his Damage points to 19.

Remilia suffered a Major Injury (7 damage points).  Aside from your token scuffing up from the fight, she has a gash clean through her leg bones.  It will be hard (but not impossible) for her to walk.

Ghoul Amber suffered a Major Injury (9 damage points).  The infection will mend your broken corpse, but your Damage Points will remain the same. [/spoiler]

[Karl Jak]

End of Round 11

Three of you got some decisions to make about what to do with yourselves.

[Gin Yatreg]

Everything felt cold.

Darkness closed in from all around as it expelled a suffocating presence. 

This was it.

This is what it was like to die.

"Do you wish to live?" a voice echoed in the boy's mind.

"Yes," He answered.

"Do you wish to have more power?" It asked.

"Yes," He answered again.

"Accept the vessel into your body, and you will be graced with the power of the ascended," It said.

"Accept the vessel..." The boy echoed, as his hand moved to the case containing the omnillium ingot. 

"Accept and ascend," It spoke.

"Ascend..." The boy echoed, the case now gripped tightly in his hand. Images quickly flashed through the boy's mind, memories of his loved ones, both from this world and his. A rage grew inside the boy, and a light pierced the darkness that surrounded him. The light blew the darkness away, and revealed the world he almost left behind.

"FUCK THIS!" Gin yelled. He let go of the case and reached into another pocket, from which he pulled the last of his Medi-gel. He opened the container and slammed it onto his open wound. Just like in the carnival before, the bleeding ceased and the wound closed shut. Gin staggered to his feet, covered in his lost blood. The world was a bit blurry to his eyes, but he held firm. He looked over at Remilia, she was knelt down clutching her leg in pain. "Dammit I should've saved it for her," He thought. He hobbled over to her and helped her up, and the two supported each other as they walked to a garage nearby. The battle had cost them a lot, and there was no way they'd be able to escape on foot like this. They needed a plan. 

The garage was filled to the brim with boat parts and other supplies, not mention a forklift, all of it perfect for their prep to escape. Gin helped Remilia sit down in a chair, and then barred the door. The docks were quiet again, but there was no guarantee it was safe again. Gin looked around the garage and found some fabric and metal poles, "Good enough," he thought. Thanks to the first aid training he got before joining the reclamation squad, he was able to bandage and fashion a splint for Remilia's leg. "That should hold until we get off this island.  Just rest for now though, alright?" He said. He looked up and found her already passed out from exhaustion, he smirked and put a blanket on her. Gin looked back at the garage's contents, if they were going to get out of dodge, they needed to get out quick. 

Gin cleared off the workbench and got to work, his first project being a weapon he could use. In the piles of supplies, he found a large supply of flare guns and rocket flare shells. Nearby was a four inch diameter metal tube, duct tape, blocks of wood, and a rubber mallet. An idea sparked in his head, "Yeah, that'll work," He said out loud. He brought his ingredients to the workbench and began to combine them together into his special homemade recipe. With the tube as the barrel, and the mallet head as the pin, a MacGyver'd trigger, and the wood as the stock, he made a flare bazooka. The ammo of course, was the rocket flares now attached together at the base.

Next came the forklift; Gin checked the ignition and found it to be in working order, the wheels also seemed to be fairly aired up. He picked up a gas can that still had some inside and poured it all into the forklift. He lifted the seat and searched around the engine, if it was like the ones on his colony then it would have a governor that limited the speed the forklift could move at.  Finally he found it and tweaked it as much as he could, which raised the speed cap to its maximum.  He then switched the battery for one meant for a speedboat, with another idea on his mind. Taking two small boat motors, he attached them to the lifting forks with the blades facing away from the driver's seat. After that, he attached the wires to the new battery, then set the seat back into place. On the back of the forklift; Gin duct taped a basket to the canopy bars, and placed all his ammo and supplies into the basket. With that, they were ready to head out.

As he buckled the sleeping Remilia into the seat, something caught his eye. In the corner he saw bottles of vodka completely unopened and ready for drinking. However he had a different use in mind for them, as he grabbed the last of the fabric he could find and dipped them in the forklift gas tank. He opened the bottles and shoved the fabric into their bores. He picked up a tool belt and stuck them into the various pockets that adorned it, along with a flip lighter also in the garage. He opened the garage door and sat in the driver's seat, with the flare bazooka in his lap. He turned the ignition and the forklift sprang to life, the sharpened blades on its new motors sped up and quickly reached top speed. "Groovy," He said before slamming on the gas and driving onto the road away from the docks. 

Gin has used his last Medi-Gel (0/2 left).

[Remilia Scarlet]

Inside the looming Scarlet Devil Mansion, a beacon of red in the quiet night of Gensokyo, its master sat upon her throne in fine apparel. Her gaze rolled across the immense room that was the center of her home with her chin rested on her interlaced fingers, meant to hold many so that they could bask her glory but now empty except for Remilia and her staff. Moonlight drifted in through the gothic windows that lit the vaulted ceiling above, the floor tiled in intricate patterns with a red carpet from the door to the dais which the vampire sat on for the moment. The cathedral like design was opulently decorated, although simple in color scheme, and stood out greatly to the eastern lands she now lived in.

It was her fortress as she plotted and schemed for power, her sanctuary as she felt weak and hungry, and her castle when she wished to enjoy her time in games or with the company of others.

And yet something seemed off about it. She examined her surroundings. Noting the fairy maids that exuberantly went about their choirs that they might even complete and the many knickknacks on display. They seemed fine. She glanced behind her to see the massive painting of herself that hung on the wall at the back of the room, the subject set in a regal yet cute pose. The vampire's friend and personal magician Patchouli Knowledge had always said it was a gaudy thing but other than said friend’s poor tastes nothing seem wrong there. Remilia looked to the side where her perfect and elegant maid Sakuya stood at the ready for the whim of her master. She was the image of graceful servitude, like a heavenly machine built for this purpose.

Or a loyal dog, for those who’d want a more derogatory description. Those people tend to not live for long as they found the knives she held were not for cake cutting.  

“Does something seem odd to you about today?” The vampire asked her servant, who in turn looked toward the mistress with her beautiful blue eyes then across the room.

“Nothing that I have noticed, Mistress.” Sakuya answered flatly, although Remi had a hard time reading her face if she was telling the truth. In fact, it seemed impossible to read anyone’s face. Where they always this blurry?  The vampire thought nothing of it, even as the nerve in her mind that doubted this reality sparked “Shall you being eating dinner in the dining room, or will you eat here?”

“I’ll eat here” The undead child answered, and watched as a tray and platter was pushed across the bare concrete floor to the broken stage she stood at. The lid was removed to reveal a dismembered body of a human, each limb laid on top of each other like a crab plate and the head in particular stood up with its eyes rolled back and tongue hung from its lip.

The vampire grimaced at the vulgar display that was her meal. It is true that she drinks blood to sustain her life, but this was just too on the nose for her and was not to her standards.

“What is this!? Do I look as some simple monster who will eat anything put in front of me!?” The vampire chided the others as she stood up, the staff members leaned their heads forwards as they saw the mistress’ wraith “Throw this away!”

“Yes, mistress” Said the voice of Sakuya as the ghoul moved over the red carpet to the plate, ripping the limb away from the corpse on the sidewalk of the ruined city can began to tear at the flesh with her horrible teeth. The others moved towards the corpse as well and began to devour it alive, the red haired boy screaming in pain as the fairies ate at the body. Remilia huffed at this poor display of manners and walked off into the halls of her home.

She ran through the ruins as the monsters chased after her, her leg hobbled as blood leaked from the wound in her legs and across her black Led Zepplin shirt. She looked back to see her chief maid try to follow her, milky and bulging eyes stared down and apologies flew from the primped servant, but Remilia continued to walk away through her decorated home, street lamps guiding the way as the clouds thickly covered the sky. With one last turn she made it to the stairs that led down to her sister’s room. Someone who could save her from her boredom and maybe tell her why everything seemed so strange. She opened the normally locked door to see a figure stand before her.

Large and imposing, a twisted body with a massive sword welded to her arm and crippled wing which a rainbow array of crystals hung from them. A single cat ear and red dress revealed what it once was but more importantly the hunger in its eyes seemed bare to see yet the vampire stood there under aware that this was not reality.

“Flandre, does today seem off to you?” and in an instant, the scarlet devil was cut down on the spot.


Remilia stirred as she was brought back to the land of light, although that wasn’t quite appropriate when it was still night out on this island. She was jostled as the vehicle she suddenly found herself in took a slight bump and a pain rushed through her entire leg. She wanted to scream as a horrible jostling where the wound had connected meant she had a broken bone, but she managed to force it down to just a very audible wince. If she wasn’t wake before, she was now.

“How are you feeling?” Gin offered, but he didn’t need to hear answer as he saw the great rolls of tears that pooled around the vampire’s eyes and ran down her face. It was obviously she was in great pain, but now he got to hear about it.

“What do you think!?” Remilia shouted with a sudden twist to face him, but that only resulted in another pained sob as her sudden movement sent another bolt down her body. Even with the splin in place, every jostle and bump was like a lightning struck over and over and she was the fool strapped to it. She was close to fall into a sobbing fit, but she held it in because of appearance but she knew that Gin had taken a far more grievous injury. How he had managed to remain so chipper when there was a clear hole in his now bloodied outfit where there was a hole in his chest alluded her. But she would grin and bare it if only to not be showed up.

“Did you do this?” The child looked down at the bars that held her leg straight, although her attention was also around the mechanical monstrosity that Gin had slapped together while she had slept. As she thought back to it, she was sure she was dreaming. But what of? She can’t remember, the memory was already fleeting. Regardless, it seems the redhead had let his inner MacGyver out with everything made from parts clearly not designed to go together to create weapons of mass zombie killing.

“I didn’t think you knew how to build a splint”

Remilia scoffed “I’m older than when you were just a twinkle in the eye of your great great ancestors” Gin did not want to think how old that was “I know how to take care of myself. My turning came with more than a few enemies” But she let out a sigh as she remembered the sudden attack from behind as she thought they had made it out mostly unharmed. Although the make-do bandages around her arms reminded her that completely unharmed was impossible “Unfortunately, neither of us shouldn’t HAVE to use those skill”

“Yeah, I thought you could see the future” Gin asked innocently enough, but when he glanced toward the scarlet devil to see her reaction he saw the eyes of a predator drill hated to his skull, eating away to give a singular thought that what he did was A Bad Thing To Do. He stared ahead and kept his focus on the road and hoped that he won’t get slapped again, but thankfully for him the vampire wasn’t up to it.

“Apparently primes and fate don’t work well together. Otherwise I would have seen that side swipe coming.” She grimaced, thought her anger was more directed at herself than at her companion. She took a few stubs of paper that she had kept inside her pockets and held them, focused that anger and energy into them, and in a flame of red magic the spell cards were made a new with magic once again inside them to be used against her enemies “Only thing we can do now is try to find some allies and hopefully we’ll be better prepared to fight that super ghoul”

“Think it’s still alive?”

“Call it a hunch. When you’re around the same company I have, you know what is and isn’t hard to put down” And as the two rode back into town, an eerie silence crept over them as they could not think of anything else, their eyes and ears always sweeping in fear that their stalker might strike again.

[Karl Jak]

End of Round 12

Amber Veritz is dead and will respawn at the Nexus in 7 days

Gin and Remi are free to explore the Docks.

Or leave.  Gotta do what ya gotta do.

[Remilia Scarlet]

The prime duo zoomed across the road away from where their battle for survival had been, neither of them in a mood to turn back and see if their mutated enemy pulled itself out of the deep waters of the dock. They followed the emerald colored signs that pointed toward the exit back into the city, their overclocked forklift scooted along with surprising speed along the abandoned road towards their destination. Pride swelled in Gin as the vehicle made its way across the island without issue, the machine birthed from his knowledge proof that his experience had meaning. An accumulation to everything he’s gone through, giddy joy as he held the gas pedal down. Remilia’s focus was more on the constant agony in her leg and the resulting bodily cringe.

“Could you please drive smoother?” Although by this point Remilia couldn’t believe that she would get anything she wanted, but she still at least hoped for it. If nothing else, Gin might listen to her out of friendliness.

“Not happening, that would involve slowing down” Gin answered, his mind still on the ghoul they had beaten back and escaped from. Although he had taken a good effort to not hit any potholes, Remilia silently grimaced at the floor of the forklift (and her leg by proxy) as she accept this unfortunate situation until she could escape the island and punch Karl repeatedly.

In vain, unfortunately, for when they took a sharp turn into the exit they found that the bridge that connected the docks to the city at large had been collapsed, both of them separated by their plan by a drainage ditch. Their ride would have only gotten stuck if they tried to ford over it, and between Gin’s attachment to his creation and the savage injured between both of them neither were willing to give up the vehicle. With a grunt of annoyance from the redheaded fighter he backed up and zoomed off the other way.

“So much for that” Remilia snarked as the industrial crate mover beeped useless to all the people not there that it was going in reverse, before it turned back and the headed down the other road. Neither were happy that they were closer to danger with their u-turn, but at least the scarlet sister seemed to enjoy herself in a bitter way.

But once they’ve cut across the front of the shipping lot they found that a herd of zombies had migrated towards the docks. Vapid thoughts ran through their heads as they had heard the sound of some struggle but came up empty handed. Now they waited for some new stimuli to jostle their cloudy minds, and it arrived in a a yellow, beat up forklift. Gin and Remilia looked at each other in silent contemplation as the horde advanced towards and a smile went across both their faces. The back wheels of vehicles squealed on the pavement as they moved faster than safety regulations would allow.

The tongs slammed into the front rank of the twisted monstrosity and sparks flew as the attached batteries sent volts through the ghoul’s body and knocked them back in great arcs over the head of their fellow zombies. The two primes whooped in laughter as they watched their past tormentors now laid low under the tires of their vehicles and those that had managed to survive the initial hit take rebar to the head. Soon they were out on the other side with only one of the monsters skewed through.

“Well that was worth it” Remilia said as she threw the piece of rebar back into the bucket of supplies above them. Gin’s own reaction was to rub the dash affectionately before moving on.

But as they passed through the horde they found something much bigger than their own power lifter. What had once been a prized animal had lost its hair with only a few gangly patches over pale skin stretched across unnaturally bulging muscles. It had not merely been corrupted but mutated, greater in size than any dog either of the two had seen and baring teeth that overloaded the mouth like shellfish on a rocky shoreline. The only notion of normalcy was the leash around its neck, wrapped around rather than connected to a collar such that it during its expansion where it’s owner was now stuck to the neck like a macabre rider, either too stupid or maybe even to scared to let go.

And with a howl to the endless night it charged right at them.

The fighter put the petal to the metal as he decided to play chicken with the beast, sure that his creation could take the hit (which saving the launcher for a particular threat). Remilia, however, saw what such a reckless charge would do and grabbed the wheel away and turned it at the last second, the ghoul monster took a prong to its side and electricity raged through it before the two zoomed off. Enough to stun, but not kill it.

“I could have killed it!” Gin yelled at his passenger for her sudden burst.

“And you would have killed yourself in the process!” She didn’t like to be so blunt about what her power told her, but this was too important to be vague and mysterious about. She did not want to be left here alone, something that was clear on her face despite her best to keep that hidden, and Gin’s own anger dropped. “Turn right” She pointed back towards the maze of shipping crates and they burned rubber.

“It’s going to catch us if we go this direction”

“It’s already faster than us” And sure enough, the mutant dog was already up and after them. Remilia unbuckled herself from the seat and stood on her good leg with a hand wrapped around the roll cage. She pulled a spell card from her pocket and with a shout of the command word a red spear erupted from her hand. She waited as her target closed, she did not want to miss this shot, and when it seemed ready to sink it’s teeth into the scarlet devil like chew toy she flung the red projectile into it and it flailed as it passed through. It stumbled in its run slammed face first into the corner of a crate as the duo slipped into the maze.

But the wall was only a temporary obstacle to the monstrous mutt and with shrapnel logged in its face it rammed into the backside of the vehicle and nearly caused it to spin out. Remilia’s grip of the metal bar slipped and the vampire nearly tumbled onto the tarmac were it not for the quick hand of Gin with a grab to her arm. She crawled back in as they weaved through the many boxes, the ghoul dog’s size held it back as the skinnier forklift cut corner and kept itself ahead.

Until they hit the end of the road, the boundless sea ahead of them. And Nothing else. Their luck had run out alongside the solid earth beneath them, the slavering growls sounded their approaching doom. But Remilia pointed out the nook behind them and they backed in as far as they could.

The dog sprinted past the last corner, poor traction and self control nearly sent it over the edge. It pulled inwards, besides a crate that had been left there to be picked up by Karl's goons. And that was when Gin struck, the forklift peeled out of its hiding spot as it rammed the fork into the monster’s exposed flanks and pinned it to the create. It squirmed and shook as it was electrocuted by the power routed through it, before it laid cooked and partly melted. The rider laid there confused and unaware, which it remained even after its head was bashed in tiny little fists.

“Awesome” said as he walked out of the driver’s seat. Normally he would start on his companion’s action, but with a turn of the key he was just happy as it turned over as well as it did before “It’ll take a bit to get this off. Don’t run off to far”

“Oh, I’m sure I’ll stick around” With the wound still sharp Remilia couldn’t get very far even if she wanted to, and that was before she was walking on it. Using her umbrella as a makeshift crutch, she hobbled over to a white washed shack they were near. A sign read “offices” on the front door, but with a swipe of her claws the lock on the garage door on the same wall. She pulled it up and when no zombies came she cautiously walked in, making sure Gin was always in her sight. If there were lucky, perhaps she could find a boat.

If there were really lucky, they’d never gotten on this blasted island in the first place!

[Gin Yatreg]

The forklift had proved to be a real pain in the ass to get free, as Gin soon came to learn. Many attempts to remove its fork from the crate ended in outright failure. From an elaborate mousetrap-like mechanism, to just plain brute force; the forklift remained firm in the monster's corpse and the supply crate behind it. Gin began to worry that he would have to leave his frankenlift here and find a new means of transportation. His newest plan of action was a simple one, put a long steel beam in between the two, and push down on it. "The simplest plans are usually the most effective," he thought.

Once the beam was in place, Gin began to press down on it. The forklift didn't move an inch. Gin began to press down on it harder, jumping up and down on top of the forklift's canopy in hopes that SOMETHING would give. Finally his wish was granted, but not in the way he had hoped; something had broken free, but that something was the beam. As the bottom tore through the flesh of the corpse and flew high into the air, his end of the beam came crashing downwards faster than he could react, and hit him in a place that will never be the same again.

The red haired boy yelped loudly, and fell off the canopy onto the ground curled up in a ball. The pain he experience was worse than anything he had felt up to that point on the island. This, he thought, was true pain. The type of pain one wishes to never feel again, the type of pain even masochists hate. As he lay on the ground in pain, something in the forklift caught his eye. As the pain began to subside, he crawled up into the seat to have a look. To his utter dismay, he realized he had forgotten to put the forklift in neutral before enacting his plans to dislodge it from the beast.

"Fuck today," He said, a little cracking in his voice. 

He slumped to his side, intent on getting a little more rest before he tried anything again. However, his head just so happened to hit the flare bazooka he made earlier, which released the makeshift pin and shot his special flare rocket straight into the sky. He quickly jumped up and gazed into the sky, the shot seemed to be in the same direction as the town. 

"Well, I hope that doesn't hit anyone I know," he said as he watched the homemade rocket fly off into the cloudy night.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

[Karl Jak]

End of Round 13

PM inbound

[Remilia Scarlet]

As she turned towards the inside of the office just out of sight of her redhead companion, Remilia slumped up against the wall and let out a great sigh as all the pent up terror and adrenaline finally plateaued and she let herself relax now that she didn’t have anyone else in front of her to keep her reputation. Her head leaned onto her shoulder as she tried regain that spark of energy she had before since this island had worn her haggard and weary. She thought back to the muse, that night when they had sat under a peaceful moon and enjoyed a warm campfire and meal. She had left the exiled princess to make herself stronger, but in hindsight saw the foolishness of that. This was jumping into an ocean to learn how to swim. She wouldn’t give up, she wouldn’t be able to let that down, but afterward maybe she should ease herself into a easier task.

Like stamp collecting or something.

Once the scarlet devil built enough confidence to move again, she moved further into the office. She heard a great many grunts and sound of effort from where she left as she presumed Gin worked on separating their ride from the undead roadblock it was stuck to. Presumably. There was a sound of something heavy hitting meat followed by something akin to a firework rocket going off into the sky.

“Are you playing out there!?” Remilia shouted from inside the office toward her companion. Honestly, it seems like she’s the only person on this island with any kind of sense!

“I’m okay…” came the wounded voice of the redhaired warrior, which Remilia waited to see if he was going to be honest before he just went back to work “And get back here, I want you in sight”

“Oh don’t worry, I’ll just tell you what I see” She responded and looked back into the room. Although the perpetual cloudy night made it near impossible to see, she could still make out a few things with help from the obnoxiously green display of her boxy cellphone. “There’s a desk, there’s some paper, there a few pens, here’s a hat rack. I found a nice sailor’s cap on the hatrack. There’s a nautical clock from my time in the corner...” with each item there was a grunt of response from the fighter outside, growing quieter as the list grew longer and conversely the sound of a hammer hitting metal grew.

“There’s a nice sea shell on the wall-”

“OKAY, OKAY, I FUCKING GET IT!” Gin finally cracked at the annoyance and goes back to fix the forklift while the diminutive vampire cackled from inside the office.

Her attention came back to the hat she found earlier, the sailor cap that was otherwise undamaged compared to the mess the building had been left in before they got there. Most of the furniture was far too heavy to be knocked over or destroyed by the island pest problem, but there was still plenty of random debris across the floor. She changed up her frilly hat with the cap and glanced over herself in a window that was still intact. It’s nice, but it sort of clash with the “apocalypse princess” look she had going on.

But as she looked through the window she saw it: a tugboat, bobbing in the water like an ugly ducking. Left unpainted and with a thick layer of rust, complete with rubber tires tied to the side, it none the less looked to be undamaged and seaworthy.

“Gin!” Remi shouted out. She would have run to the fighter but her leg still made going anywhere fast so she would have to let her voice get there first “There’s a boat back here!” She briefly wondered if her previous joke would keep him away but he quickly bolted in to see it.

Gin’s jaw dropped at the sight of it. Remilia jumped on her one good leg and pumped her fists in the air. It was there way out, after everything they had to go through.

“I hope it still has the keys” Gin added. And then the mood didn’t so much drop as it did fall off the face of the Earth. The scarlet devil slapped her hand against her forehead, even though she knew that he was right to be skeptical.

“Alright, let’s look over it then…”

[Karl Jak]

The boat was, unlike everything else, a sign of stability in the chaos of the island. Unfortunately for Gin and Remilia, there didn’t seem to be any way to turn on the neat, efficient-looking engine mounted at the end of the old tugboat that bobbed up and down in the water. Inside the cabin, they found modern-looking controls with what was obviously a keyhole surrounded by a red circle.

“You just had to say it,” Remilia muttered as she poked at the keyhole. “…just had to say it.”

[Gin Yatreg]

A massive and frantic search ensued, as the duo looked through every nook and cranny for the key. Unfortunately, it was nowhere on the boat, or the connecting building.

"Jeeze, you really did jinx it," Remilia said.

"Yeah...Sorry about that," Gin apologized. 

Remilia sighed, this entire day had been like an out of control roller coaster with how many ups and downs they've had. Speaking of downs; "That Karl owes me a new dress," Remilia thought. 

"Hey," Gin said, with his head partially obscured by a now open cabin door. 

Remilia snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at him, "What now?" she said.

"Do you hear anything?" Gin asked.

"No, the only thing I hear is our bad lu-" Remilia stopped abruptly as the realization clicked in her head; "I don't hear any zombies," She said. 

"Me neither, and that worries me." Gin said, with intensity in his voice.  He stepped out of the cabin and back onto the dock, he then put his ear to the thin hangar door. All that could be heard on the other side was an eerie silence and the crashing of waves against the sea wall. Gin motioned for Remilia to stay in the cabin, she needed to rest her leg some more after that bumpy ride. He lifted the hangar door up partially and peeked out from under it. 

The docks were as dark as ever, only illuminated by what street lamps still received power. Outside the ones that were already dealt with, there was no sign of the undead whatsoever. "What the hell?" He said.  Gin pulled himself back inside and shut the door once more, better to only have one entrance right now.

Back inside the captain's cabin, Gin found an open hatch in the floor that led to the lower decks. In the deck just below him, he found Remilia in the middle of tea time. Crumpets included. 

"Want some?" Remilia offered. 

"Ehh," Gin glanced at his stab wounds, "As much as I want to, I think I'll hold off until I don't have holes in me," He said before he took the seat across from Remilia.

"Suit yourself," She said before taking another sip of her tea. This would probably be the last time they could eat and relax for a while, as her foresight told her that fate had sent something big on its way here. "Definitely another down on the roller coaster," she thought.

[Karl Jak]

End of Round 14

Remilia drank alone for a few moments before the pair heard the sounds outside.

"Of course," Gin muttered as they got up and made their way onto a little balcony outside the boathouse. They were both immediately assailed by the thick, almost oppressive air of the outside world, they saw that the docks was alive.  Literally hundreds of ghouls were crawling down the pathways and scrambling over the remaining towers of cargo boxes.  Out in the darkness, the redhead could spot taller, more sinister-looking figures stalking toward them as well.  Up in the skies, they saw what seemed to be winged creatures leisurely moving toward their position.  With a scowl on his face, Gin stepped back into the building, pulled Remilia inside, and slammed the door.  "Nope."

Remilia Scarlet has been eliminated from final prize contention.

An army of ghouls descends upon our two hapless heroes.

[Karl Jak]

Deadpool
Hiro
Red
Abner
Okor
Karl

These individuals will enter the docks from the other side of the wall of monstrosities that want to eat Gin and Remi. They will have to fight their way through to reach the boat.

[Remilia Scarlet]

As the wave of rotten and corrupted flesh spilled across the shipping lot and towards their delicate position, the two primes examined their slowly fleeting options. They could shove off the boat into the harbor without power, using the water to separate themselves from the ghouls on the ground. But they would be sitting ducks to the flyers. The plan of light the dock on fire had been given, but it was unlikely to ward them all off and stuck inside the boat house they would have cooked or been trapped inside as the swarm got in. Holding out seemed impossible, their number greater than anything two had faced before and that was without considering the monstrous constructs in the midst of the beasts, any of which could snap them into two. It seemed to hopeless, after everything they had gone through, this truly seemed to been the end. Despair held them, and they thought of the Nexus and hoped Omni might choose to kept them around.

"I think I'll take that tea now" Gin let out a sigh of defeat, and Remilia nodded as she took the kettle and the tin cup she had used before to pour him his last meal.

And in that moment she saw it. Flayed strands of fate, arriving from the town. It was not like what she had seen before, yet it was oh so familiar. Those of great will and strength had come again.

"They're coming" The vampire announced, and Gin sighed.

"I know that, Remilia, I can see them out the window"

"No. Not the zombies. Survivors. Primes from the plane crash" and at that moment, hope sprung eternal.

"Can they make it?"

"That's our choice to make" She stood up from her seat and walked back over to the door to the balcony. She stared out back towards the living carpet that hungered for them. "So why don't we give them a hand” She gave a wide smile to her red-haired companion, and he gave one back as he rounded up the many weapons he had made if they had chosen to fight.

“Remi, in case we never see each again, I just want to say-” Gin wanted to say thank you, although as strange as that was since the brat had caused him so much trouble. But he was stopped when the scarlet devil held up her hand to stop him.


“Only my friends get away with calling me ‘Remi’.” Remilia explained. Gin looked on, wondering if he was about to get slapped again, but the vampire’s smile never stopped with a bit of knowing assurance. Their hearts now soared to the skies above and the strode out towards their destiny.

The plan was simple: She would keep a route clear, he would keep the flyers off her back and keep the rampaging enemy thin. With only a little help Remilia managed to get on the roof and look down at the beasts that drew closer. Fear might have taken anyone else, a manic and wild look in the vampire’s eyes told of the well of power she now tapped, every low she had taken on this miserable rock now to be thrown back out to their enemy.

“Do you really think that I have lived five hundred years just to be killed by some mob!?” Her voice boomed over the docks, even louder than the roll of roars of the damned, as she pointed in challenge towards the ghouls that bounded towards them. Against the zombies, against the island, against Omni and his realm “At least the last one had the courtesy to bring their own torches and pitchforks!” A fell and terrible laugh went out against the the sky, where one of the flying creatures swooped at her.

Gin had been ready with a makeshift air-powered rifle, loaded with fishing spears to shoot creatures down. A shot flew into the cloud of monsters, and took one out as it was impossible to miss. But the one attacking Remilia had jinked away and continued its attack vector towards the childish vampire. Only for it to find surprising resistance as her little fist collided with its face and forced it down into the roof. Its weak neck broke on impact and was kicked off the roof with little effort.

“Don’t upstage me!” she yelled. She had come here for power and fame, and now she would get plenty of both. Although the kick surged pain from her splinted leg, she had beyond care for such mortal wounds. Her sign of weakness would now be proof of her greatness. The survivors needed a signal and she would give as she raised a spell card above her. “Truly you are such prideful creatures if you think I consider you lowly things a challenge!”

“Critical ‘Heartbreak’!”

Those who cut a desperate path towards their salvation saw a crimson beam smite the sky and the one who held it. Although the scarlet devil was dwarfed by most of the remaining survivors at that moment, as she held out in defiance to everything with them battered and wounded, she stood the tallest.

The spear bolted into the front rank of the enemy as it was flung forth, it lanced through many of them and sent them spiraling into the abyss and under the feet of their kin. They continued on, their mindless charge towards the embrace of death, and Remilia would give them that.

-♫-

“Do you know who I am?! I am the Eternal Young Scarlet Moon, Vampire of the Heavy Fog, Descendant of Tepes, Mistress of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, Rebel Queen of Gensokyo!”

“I! AM! REMILIA! SCARLET!” Another spell card flew from her hand as the time limit ran out and she launched another bolt of red magic into the horde. “And I say that your fate ends here!”

[Gin Yatreg]

"Well, someone's having fun," Gin thought, unable to hide a grin. He quickly reloaded and aimed for another of the airborne creatures, pulled the handle, and fired. The spear flew true and struck a creature near its wing joint, which knocked it straight out of the sky. As he reloaded another shot, one of the remaining Flyers swooped down straight at him. Suddenly a blast of red energy struck the the creatures back, which sent it off course straight into the boathouse wall. Gin peered out over the horde, and spotted a group of new arrivals on the other side. One of which was a scruffy man who currently had his sight down the barrel of a rifle. Gin gave the man a thumbs up before he returned his attention back to the deadly monsters before him. Once he was done with the reload, he spotted another Flyer about to start a new attack run. Another quick spear to the gut made short work of it as its limp body fell into the crowds below. 

"Oh no, speaking of the crowd," Gin thought. He looked down and saw the land ghouls swarm around the many cargo containers nearby. "Time to switch guns," He said as he switched the spear rifle out for the flare bazooka. Gin checked the chamber and held the makeshift weapon out in front of him. The ghouls had generously bunched up in packs, which meant he no longer had to aim. The "pin" fell free and struck the rocket, which set the mechanism into motion. The shot zoomed out of the barrel and lodged itself in the head of a ghoul. After a few seconds, the ghoul was encased in an extremely bright light as the flares exploded. Ghouls within an eight foot radius were either blown off their feet or caught on fire from the small shock wave. 

"Nice!" Remilia shouted as he batted away another Flyer.

"Huh..." Gin muttered as he looked down at his remaining ammo for the bazooka.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

Gin turned around and looked Remilia straight in the eyes, "I don't think these things were flares."