(Pre-Show) The Lobby

[Kenpachi Zaraki]

As 'stunts' went, Vincent could safely say he had never witnessed one quite like the bloodbath that had just ensued. He and the other surviving occupants of the facility's lobby were sharing looks of surprise and confusion as they cleaned themselves up, attempting to remove the chunks of debris and blood from their hair and clothing. Vincent had luckily been fast enough to avoid the blood along with the homicidal tortoise' bullets, though the same could not be said about the layer of muddy soot that now layered his cloak and mantle. He glanced down at his feet, the leather of his armored boots quickly absorbing the crimson liquid that drenched the area. 'Pig' blood (some still actively pouring from the 'robots'), diluted by the creature's aquatic assault, now soaked the shiny linoleum floors, tinging the Prime's reflection a stark crimson. With a sigh, the gunslinger parted from the rest of his co-defenders, in search of some peace before the 'real' action began.

Though quite familiar with death, watching the life actively fade from a person's eyes had always shaken the pale warrior. When it came to putting down foes for the sake of some greater good, he could put things in perspective, mentally marking himself a 'champion of justice' rather than a murderer. When there was no clear divide, however, the task was much more difficult. This inability to fully, complexly deal with a person ceasing to exist, his mother would always assert, was due to her son's “inate caring and protective nature”, one of his naive attempts at trying to stall Death's inexorable battle to claim Life. He knew that he would need to play the part of Death in the days to come for his own selfish reasons. Still, it had to be done. If she could see me now, he mused.

The cloaked man slipped silently past his fellow entrants, avoiding eye-contact. The 'stunt' had luckily drawn most of the attention toward the dozen or so droids that were now cleansing the area and he was able to exit the area unimpeded. The ex-Turk had been taken by surprise, having not been quite prepared to risk his life on his first step through the gash. As the atmosphere shifted from leisure to bedlam he had attempted quell the violence before lives could be claimed, but he had failed. The brutal chelonian had been deceptively strong, taking a handful of entrants just to subdue him. Vincent mulled this over silently as he crossed through the voluminous lobby, heading toward a wall-mounted directory board. Bloodshed like this was what he had to look forward to in the Abyss, no doubt. The gunslinger wouldn't be surprised if the officials of the contest unleashed the maniac turtle during the event as a bit of added 'drama'. They way that the employees were highlighting the suspense and glory of the event assured him of this possibility.

Presently the gunslinger reached his target, skimming the directory readout in search of his best shot at relaxation before the storm that loomed on the horizon. The electronic display offered both a bulleted list offering descriptions of the various entertainment options as well as a map of the area. If the key on the map was to be believed, the convention center styled facility was enormous. Noting the expansive lobby behind him, Vincent could take that as fact. He skimmed past the entries for arcades, driving ranges and combat simulators, stopping on the entry labeled 'Library'. Hopefully the definition of 'Library' is the same here. The Prime noted the location on the map and took a moment to mentally map his route before turning on his heel and setting his sights on a nearby hallway.