Left 4 Dead - The Last Escape

[Krieg]

Chapter One
"Roadtrip through the Apocalypse"

For two days, the exiles of Salt Lake City had been quarreled and set westward by the local religious and heavily zealous militia that arose in the desertion of the military. Few individuals lasted long in this more harsh environment of Salt Lake City, banished far away from the fertile river valley that the mountainous paradise was renowned for. For these wretched souls, accused of being infected by military records left behind, the gardens of Eden had been locked away forever from them, some of them having grown in Salt Lake City all of their life.

Now, the winding road of cracked pavement westward lay- Highway 80. To a person's left staring westward, mountains of tremendous size and fortitude stood alongside each other, a pinnacle of human nature. To a person's right, the coast of the actual Salt Lake could be seen on the horizon, early morning rays of sunlight beaming against the natural sea. Ahead, nothing but an arid and mountainous grassland was present, outside of a small, lowly gas station sitting alongside the road, long abandoned before Patient Zero.

From the inside of the station, a balding, aging man in 40s stumbled out carrying a duffle bag filled to the brim with supplies. With no forms of transportation since the tires of his bicycle popped, the black-clad man had choose moving westward due to frightening rumors of the marching Infected from the east. The frontlines of Texas and Oklahoma's borders have fallen, with the military making an unannounced retreat the western states. Many of the exiles ignored this abrupt departure, however, preferring to head south or east where the climate was still relatively moderate and not so horridly dry.

Smacking his dry lips, the black-haired Scandinavian slung the bag over his shoulders, the regally-dressed man beginning to walk over onto the street. Raising his left gloved hand over his eyes, the "Swede", Thor Gundersen, stared back at the tiny speck that humbly sat Salt Lake City. Tightening his fists, the doctor adjusted himself, biting his lower lip, shaking his head as he began to turn away slowly.

Thump, Thump, Thump

The man paused, feeling the earth shudder underneath him, an echoing, booming thumping stemming from where Salt Lake City humbly sat. As he arose his head to block the arising sun, specks of fire and light danced alongside skyscrapers. The gunfire above all else sounded like the faintest of crackles against the echoing mountains, stretching seemingly as long as it audibly could, attracting Infected from miles upon miles. The man grow worried, beginning to shuffle uncomfortably, reaching into his pocket to cock the hammer of his single-action Colt revolver.

As Salt Lake City began to raze itself, another horrendously traumatic sight danced before Thor. In the skies, ten, twenty, fifty, hundreds of helicopters and planes soared in the skies, flags of the Yankee imprinted on the sides of the vehicles. From deductions, the doctor assumed these were the last remaining aerial fleets from the frontlines, everything from Apaches to B-17 bombers making their way to Sacramento. Unfortunately for the inhabitants of Salt Lake City, their noisy retreat had fostered a mini horde of their own, driving them more and more westward unintentionally.

With the skies were ruled by metal angels, the Swede ran out underneath the shade of the station, feeling the sand against his boots. Soon, he saw a sight that for once, gave him slight hope in the misfortune of others. Within the heavens of these angels, one of them began to emit smoke, flailing erratically high in the air, beginning to make an abrupt and sudden descent towards the scorched earth. Thor, watching the metallic beast, felt his eyes widen, watching the aerial craft dip abruptly down towards the vicinity of the gas station.

"Shite!!"

He yelled, dropping his duffle bag, tools, weapons, and foods of all sorts dropping onto the concrete right outside of the store. Grabbing the side of his head, blocking his ears, Thor pushed his back against one of the pumps, wincing as twisted steel crashed into the sand and mud directly off the road and a few good feet west of the station. Huffing and panting, the aging man began to slide down the pump, wheezing and heaving, running a hand against his forehead. Feeling an uncomfortable shiver down his spine, the man sat in the shade, staring up at the iron and steel skies, hearing the last rotations of the support helicopter's dying rovers. Whilst not being able to see it, smoke rose high in the sky, causing some of the aerial craft to readjust, serving as a tragic beacon of supplies for lost souls.

For the Swede, he could only breath, keeping his eyes closed, hearing the symphony of the apocalypse around him.

For others, the crash did not go unnoticed, nor did the thumping of Salt Lake City's distant defenses, nor did the iron skies of a crippling and fracturing military. The dreadful sight loomed ominously around you, rays of sunlight arising on the horizon, the beauty of the landscape being contrasted by the terribleness of this blight-ridden scenario. No matter where you were, hiding within the mountains, trekking off the road, or explore ruins centuries old, the smoke of the crashed helicopter arose as a beacon.

The roadtrip of the apocalypse had begun.

-Arrive at the station and crash site to search for supplies-

@TheSpringwoodSlasher Dead Rising - Frank West
@C.T. Marvel - Laura Kinney
@OrlandoBloomers RWBY - Yang Xiao Long
@Schnee Corp Lawyer RWBY - Ruby Rose
@Saint Guillotine Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Oroko Saki "The Shredder"
@Jeremi Tekken - Armor King
@Kaykay Hikounin Sentai Akibarangers - Nobuo Akagi
@CCC Kouhai Telltale's The Walking Dead - Clementine
@Atomyk Glee - David Karofsky
@Verite Sleeping Dogs - Wei Shen
@Josh M Dead or Alive - Tina Armstrong
@Ivazel Supernatural - Dean Winchester
@-I-n-d-o-l-e-n-t- Marvel - James "Logan" Howleet​

 

[Josh M]

It was a long day yesterday. One hundred miles traveled from the city, Tina drove west away from the valley. The hills crest the view as Salt lake got farther away from her view, a distance away on the horizon. Now, After sleeping for a few hours at a safe spot, Tina's journey started again. As she was driving to a gas station for, well, gas,, she saw the chopper go down. It wasn't the thing she saw falling from the sky.


As she pulled in, She saw the Swede. Maybe this man could help her. Her tire was jacked up, maybe he could help her put on the spare. parking her car, she calmly waved at the man. Time for the ol' Tina charm.

"Hi, hun".


Calmly walking to the man. She'd moving her way to the gas pump.


"Now, you wouldn't know if the dang pumps worked, would ya? Or help a gal put on a spare, right? Say, you by yourself? You need a ride? I'd be more than willin' to help you if ya help me."


@Krieg

 

[Chewy Rabbits]

Back when I was just a measly war journalist on the fields of Kuwait when our boys and allies were kicking the crud out of Saddam, I got told by a commanding U.S. general who's words stuck with me for the longest time.

"You're one hell of a journalist aren't you? A hotheaded, underhanded, hotshot paparazzi with nothing better to do than to invade people's privacy."

Back then, I just told the old geezer where he could stuff his opinion. But after everything that's happened? I'm starting to think that I should have stuck my nose even further where it didn't belong. Maybe then I would have found the answers to all of this. Government experiment that spiraled out of control? Attack by foreign insurgents who snuck into the country? After hearing of the military's retreat, things didn't seem too promising for good ol Uncle Sam. Needless to say patriotic fervor wasn't exactly running at an all time high.

But where did I get off talking about the end of society as we know it? I was safe inside my car driven by a guy who was just as eager to get out of this mess in one piece than I was.

His name was Ed Deluca and his opinion of me wasn't very high to say the least.

"You're one crazy son of a bitch you know that?! The whole US of A's going to shit and you're worried about getting to the bottom of it all."

As the Oldsmobile 422 swerved past people who were driving to what they could consider sanctuary, I was doing what I did best. Taking photos and some of the sights I saw? I think I could have gone my entire life without seeing any of that ever again.

Looked like one of those guys you'd see leaping rooftops just for the thrill of it. Only in this case, it seemed like they were out for more than just thrills. Same went for the gang of ghouls that followed behind him. Didn't want to stick around here for too long and hope the people that were driving/running past us shared the same mentality. Taking the pictures that I wanted to, I turned towards Ed and glanced down at the tool of my trade, my trusty professional camera.

"If I don't, who will? The military's running with their tails between their legs, the government doesn't seem to have a clue of what to do, it's up to the people and who do the people have to rely on?"

"Frank West, yeah I gotcha. But, I'm telling you man. Before you called me up, I saw this big motherfucker! Knocked aside military trucks like they were Hot Wheels or something. Imagine seeing more of those at once? This used to be where I wanted to live out the rest of my days, Frank. Now? I want to get as far away as possible."

I could sympathize with Ed, really I could. The guy had a lot going for him. He got a lot of dough from his job, had a nice personality, and seemed like if he had a couple more years? He would have probably met a nice woman and settled down and had a good family. This was the real world however and the real world wasn't keen on seeing people happy and so someone had to dive into the eye of the storm and see what was going on. That someone just had to be me.

"Well Ed? I promise that I'll get to the bottom of this. It won't be today, it won't be tomorrow. But, their's something more to all of this and I intend to find out what it is."

From there the car continued to speed up with both of us having said our piece. As silence reigned over the car, it wouldn't last for long as Ed came to a stop after driving for what must have been hours with only the minimalist of breaks like Ed or myself needing to take a restroom break.

"Ah, shit. Frank? I don't think we're gonna be getting any further."

"Why-"

I stopped myself as I leaned forward and could see that our gas appeared to be running low. Slamming my fist into the backseat, didn't do much but hurt my wrist. But it helped to work off some of the frustration that was boiling inside of me now. Ed had insisted that we'd be able to make the cross country trek without this being an issue, hence we avoided the necessity of bringing gas cans with us. Seeing how that had royally bit us in the ass, I glanced around and saw a nearby motel. Didn't look like it was too populated and still had a couple of cars still parked there. Depending on how recently they may have been there, they could have had a gas can that I could 'borrow' for the foreseeable future. Hopefully, they already passed on before that future became a reality, otherwise I'd feel like a grade a-ass right about now.

"Ed? I'm gonna go snoop out those cars. See if any of them have a gas can we can use. You still got that pistol right?"

I wasn't too big on guns myself, knew how to handle them but never fired at another person. Or an infected one either. But I'd covered enough wars to know the damage they could do. If worse came to worst I'd have to man up and do what I could with one. Ed was less reluctant and brought a small .22 pistol with him, leaving it in the glovebox. Pulling it out, Ed nodded.



"Locked and loaded, but you sure you want to do that? I got sentimental value for this Oldie but I think saving our skins is more important than that."

"Implying I know how to hotwire a car. It'll just be a second. I'll take a peek and if I don't see anything? I'll haul it back here. Besides.."

Reaching under the seat, I'd pull out a solid oak baseball bat and slung it over my shoulder.

"I'm a lot more comfortable with a slugger than a pistol."

As Ed gave a nod of approval, I'd return the gesture and slowly opened up the door. Sticking my head out, I gave a brief look around to see if any sickos were gonna come running. Seemed all clear for the moment. Cupping one hand to keep my camera steady, I'd step out of the car and shut the door behind me as I started to make my way towards one of the cars. With baseball bat firmly in hand, I'd peek inside the driver-side window. Some of the seats appeared to have blood splatters on them which was really unfortunate but-

"ARGH!"

"AH!"

In hindsight, it was probably really dumb of me to react like I did. After the wars I've seen, seeing some infected guy stuck in his car due to the seatbelt was what surprised me? Though, that probably wasn't the worst part. Oh no, that was yet to come. The sound of the guy in the car screeching seemed to attract some of his buddies as they started crawling out of the woodwork. They looked about as ugly and mean as the rest of the ones I took snapshots of. This time their target was of course the photographer standing in front of them who only wanted a gas can. Taking another quick peek in the window, I noticed that their was a gas can nestled in the back seat of this guy's car.

Poor bastard probably stopped here to catch his breath, didn't think he was sick until it was too late and now he was just like those guys I mentioned who were running at me. Keeping my camera clutched tightly so it wouldn't go flopping around, I swung the bat as hard as I could at the first creature that got too close for comfort. Blood splattered onto the side of the bat as the creature crumpled to the ground. Just where one had been however were two more ready to pick up the slack. I clipped one of them in the side with the bat. Like to think I cracked a rib or two. Might have been my mind just playing tricks on me right before I kicked the bucket. One of them pressed me up against the car and were about to tear me a new one.

Just as I closed my eyes and hope they struck a major artery so I wouldn't be around for whatever they did to the rest of me, the sound of a gun going off caught my attention. It also made me notice that both of the monsters that'd been holding me up were now on the ground, minus a couple chunks of brain and skull. Who did I have to thank for my rescue? The same guy I dragged into this mess.

"Don't just stand there! Grab the can!"

Realizing that Ed hadn't just saved me out of the kindness of his heart, I turned towards the back window and swung that bad boy as hard as I could. The window shattered without much effort, the alarm even less so and I had a feeling we'd be seeing a lot more company if I didn't hurry things up. Knocking aside whatever shards I could with the bat, I'd reach inside and grabbing the can, I quickly pulled it out and started to rush towards Ed's car only to pause as he turned his head and saw what looked to be some kind of hillbilly looking infected with an arm far too big and an arm too small. The ground seemed to thunder with every fast paced step he took towards me with his arm held out towards me.

Holding my camera up, I took a quick snapshot of the beast and flung the gas in through the open door. As soon as my finger hit the button, I quickly jumped inside the car and the beast swerved right past me before coming to a sudden halt.

Well, the photo turned out pretty well. But I was currently draped across Ed's lap and could only look over my shoulder as the big guy turned to look at us.

"Ed! Shut the door, shut the door!"

"I'm on it!"

Quickly pulling the door shut, the big guy smashed his massive fist right into the car door. Denting it inwards and causing Ed to turn his pistol towards the beast as it backed up and prepared for what looked like another charge. Given what one blow had done to the door, I wasn't eager to see what a prepared blow would do.

"Shoot him in the head! Shoot him in the head, Ed! IN THE HEAD!"

"STOP PRESSURING ME!"

"He's gonna kill us!"

As the beast made it's way forward, I could only close my eyes once again and hoped Ed pulled through in the end. Though, I guess if Ed had messed up I would have been flung through the air and ended up in some kind of fiery car wreck. The gun went off and slowly looking over my shoulder, I'd see that the hillbilly guy was slumped up against the car door and Ed's face was splattered in blood. Pushing myself up from his lap, I settled myself into the passenger seat and looked in the rear view mirror as I could see a whole bunch of those other guys running towards us.

"Uh, Ed? If you could put the meddle to the petal, otherwise we're gonna be up in our necks.."

Ed shuddered and it was from there that I should have realized something was wrong. But, just wasn't the time or the place. Ed turned the key in the ignition and we sped off and the monsters slowly faded into the background. Slumping against the seat, I let the baseball bat lean up against the door and I held onto my camera like a lifeline.

"Ed? Are you feeling okay? I saw you got some of that thing's blood on your face. I can't assume that's healthy.."

Ed simply kept his eyes on the road, silent. Normally, I wouldn't have minded that kind of attitude. But wasn't what I expected from someone who'd been as talkative as Ed. Had actually shooting something messed with him more than I imagined it would have? Guess I should have been more considerate..

We continued on until our gas drew down low enough where we didn't have any choice but to stop. Pulling over to the side of the road, I'd step out of the car with gas can in hand. Opening up, I'd begin pouring the gas in and I almost dropped the can at what I heard next.

"Frank? Would you kill me?"

The can nearly slipped from my grasp and clattered to the ground. I kept a tighter grip on it though because this was pretty much our lifefuel. If this poured out all over the ground then we might as well have called it quits and waited for the monsters to catch up with us or die out here in the middle of nowhere. Setting the can down, I'd make my way back to the driver's side of the car and much to my horror, Ed wasn't looking so hot.

"Ed?! What happened?!"

"It was that thing I shot, Frank. Some of it's blood got in my mouth. I've been sick ever since and it's only been getting worse and worse by the hour. The only thing I can think of that's happening is..Is I'm becoming one of those things-"

"Don't say that! Once, I'm finished putting the gas in, we'll find a doctor and get you patched up."

A small part of me knew that I was just in denial over Ed's eventual fate and so did he. Reaching out through the open window, he'd grip me by the collar of my shirt and pulled me down to face level as he spit out a wad of blood on his forearm.

"Frank! Don't you think if their was a cure to this, they would have told us about it?! *cough* I'm not going to make it. Please, just put me out of my misery before I turn! I don't want to become like that thing in the hoodie or that big monster thing with the arm!" I could only watch helplessly as my friend and the guy who had gotten me through this mess was literally keeling over in slow motion before my eyes. Reaching for the pistol, Ed shakily held it out to me and let it drop into the palm of my hand.

"You know..When you called me up and offered the cash for me to drive you out of here? I almost thought about telling you that I had myself to worry about. I didn't like having someone's life in my hands, least of all the life of a reporter like you, Frank. Heh. You'd do anything to get your story, even move Heaven and Hell if it meant getting the scoop you're looking for. Which is why I'm asking..Do you think you could take a picture of me? Before you..do what you gotta do? It'd be a *cough* nice send-off."

Biting my lip, I'd sigh and placed the can to the ground and then held the camera in position.

As the shutter went down, the picture was saved in my camera and I'd done the last deed Ed had asked of me. Now, it was time to relieve him of this mess that I helped drag him into. Getting some distance between us to avoid any potential for blood splattering on me, I'd pull the trigger and as soon as it was done, I threw the gun as far as I could. Seeing it land in the distance, I'd open the door and throwing Ed's body over my shoulder, I glanced around to see if any of the infected were going to pay me a visit when I didn't have the time for it.

Also wished I had a shovel to bury him. Because he didn't deserve to lay on the side of the road like common trash here. Still, probably wouldn't be smart of me to linger around one area for too long. So, I'd just have to depart a few words and be on my way.

"Well, Ed? Uh, I've never been too good at these kind of things. So I'll just say what I need to say and not waste your time. I heard about you from one of my sources when this entire situation was developing. You could drive anyone anywhere and I was fortune enough to have met you when I did. Hopefully, you'll find peace wherever you are now. Don't worry, I won't let this disaster blow over without getting my scoop."

Having said what I felt I needed to say, I filled up the rest of the car and continued on the way.

As my travels continued, the old gal finally came to a full stop near what seemed to be some kind of gas station. I figured one can wouldn't have been enough to get me to where I was going but maybe I could stop for supplies here.

*cue helicopter crash*

Zooming in with my camera, I napped a quick shot and ran a hand through my hair in slight disbelief. Had this really just happened? The military fleeing was one thing but now they were crashing helicopters that could have been used to mow down those suckers from above? Great, just great. Lowering the camera, I froze up briefly as I heard the sound of another car nearby and noticed two people standing near the gas station. Well, these were two strangers and after what happened with Ed? I wasn't particularly in the mood to be all that trust-worthy. But any company was better than none, I suppose.

"Hey!"

I called out to the two. Better introductions could wait once I got close enough and figured out if these two were hostile or something. I was crossing my fingers that they weren't. I already clubbed some infected with my bat, didn't need to do it on actual living people.

@Josh M @Krieg​

 

[Ivazel]

Dean Winchester had just exited the urban portions of the city, escorted with dozens of others to the outlying suburbs and desert beyond. The Impala was a ways out, broken down in the middle of the highway. He hadn't relished in leaving it unattended, but he'd had virtually no choice. During his foray into the city he'd only been able to salvage minimal supplies: a flashlight. A useful tool, but it was a pity he couldn't recover more.

So his journey back to the Impala had begun. If he recalled correctly, once he got past a derelict gas station, he'd find the Impala only a marginal distance beyond.

"Who knew Salt Lake City was full of Mormon dicks?" Dean asked himself, thinking back on his ordeal with the local militia to pass the time being spent walking. As soon as supplies started getting scarce and the military started gunning it west, they'd turned on any outsiders and ejected them from the city. Not that Dean had had much intention to stay, honestly.

Squinting out into the glaring sunlight, over the desert toward the mountains on his left, then the eponymous lake to his right, Dean continued on his way back to Baby.

After a long while of walking, he could see the gas station. Now he was soon to be reunited with his Baby. He quickened his pace, only to hear the roar of over a hundred aircraft taking to the skies behind him. They all seemed to be military that he could see. After a short time they were overhead, and he noticed that one was plummeting to the earth.

This must be the last of the shattered US Armed Forces. He'd never been too concerned with their efficiency in the past, but now it seemed they were woefully unprepared for the Green Flu, and the US was in pieces because of it. Thinking now of the effects, even from minimal experience with the Infected of the Green Flu, he knew that that much noise would undoubtedly attract stragglers of the afflicted from the city to follow.

He looked back on the city, where fireworks seemed to be erupting from the buildings inside and the sound of the city's defense by firefight reached his ears.

Regarding the road before him now, he saw how near the gas station the helicopter had crashed. He broke into a jog as concern for possible survivors dawned on him.

As he drew near to the crash, he glanced at the gas station to find two figures whose features couldn't be discerned from this distance. A car--an Oldsmobile--zoomed past Dean and stopped at the gas station.

"Damn," he said with a scowl.

Now that he was closer, he could see two men and a girl.

"Hey!"

He drew closer, his hand still on the pistol in his pocket but not pointing it at them; Dean had every intention of diplomacy. The crash for the moment forgotten, he approached the gas station to talk.

"Damn near made grass out of my ass," he remarked to the one he'd seen get out of the car.

@Krieg @TheSpringwoodSlasher @Josh M​

 

[Josh M]

As Frank and Dean came in, Tina stretched. as she pumped her gas. Dean would call to her, surprising the wrestler.

"Oh, You talkin' to me? shoot, did I pass you? Sorry 'bout that. If I saw ya, I would have stopped. I guess I was distracted by that Chopper fallin'. You okay? Both of you two, I mean. Also, either one of ya two know how to change a tire? Mine's 'bout to pop."


@TheSpringwoodSlasher @Ivazel @Krieg

 

[OrlandoBloomers]

Yang was tired.

Not tired as in depressed or tired as in out of breath, tired as in she wanted to sleep. Two days of road, desert and the hot Utah sun beating down on her back kinda did that to a gal. Her present sleeping arrangements came with their own toll, too, though she didn't mind that so much-- With the way things were going down right now, she was pretty insistent on sleeping in shifts rather than risking some sicko coming across them with their guard down for the sake of getting their full seven hours. Missing out on some shuteye was a small price to pay for keeping her baby sister safe, in her book, and as long as they were together and okay then Yang was considering herself lucky. There was no telling how many families had been torn apart since the pandemic started; how many older siblings would never see their younger brother or sister again... It wasn't worth thinking those kinds of thoughts. Not when she was hellbent on making sure that never ever ever happened to their family. Not again.

That was why she was also insistent on Ruby getting more sleep than her. With all due respect to Rube's own brand of feisty moxy, if it ever came down to a fight they couldn't avoid she was... Not exactly front-line material. The toy sword looked cool and all but she was pretty sure they made twizzlers tougher than that thing, and more to the point; Ruby was just too nice to ever really hurt someone. Even if that someone was... not themselves. Yang's gaze lingered on the ribbon wrapped around her wrist for a moment before she bit her lip, sniffed, and exhaled deeply, fighting the rising lump in her throat by tightening her jaw. 'C'mon, Yang, get it together,' She thought to herself, continuing her measured breathing in an effort to sooth herself and leaning her head back to look at the sky.

'Safety first. Then you can lose it. '

It was early morning, early enough that the sun hadn't fully come up over the mountains just yet and she could still find relief in the cooling nighttime breeze. Yang had always liked it hot, but if this kept up that was bound to change; Being forced out into the plains by a buncha jackasses with guns meant circumstances were a little different now. Where did those Salt Lake jerks get off, anyways? She knew half those people, for crying out loud! She'd lived in the area all her life. The fact that their first act after the military ran for the hills was to start exiling people made her sick to her stomach. Although... maybe it was for the best. The idea of sitting on her hands while the sickness spread from the east didn't sit well with her to begin with, even if everyone thought the city was defensible. There was a reason the military bailed, after all, right? This wasn't something that was just gonna blow over. This was a full-scale zombie apocalypse like in the movies and TV shows, and it was looking less and less likely by the day that the army were gonna regain any sort of control over the situation. Their survival was in their own hands now.

She sighed and glanced down at her lap, where Ruby was resting her head and (hopefully) getting all the sleep she could before they had to move again. Their first night they'd lucked out and found an old roadshack to crash in, but tonight they were forced to make do pulling over to the side of the road and sitting with their backs against the motorcycle. The plus side was that they were covering good ground on the thing (Yang was insanely glad she'd started preparing to leave a couple days before they were kicked out and quietly put aside some gas for the trip), and Salt Lake City was already a blip on the horizon, but as sleeping arrangements went it wasn't exactly ideal. She just hoped Ruby was warm enough.

It was some time after that that Yang was snapped from her thoughts by the extremely distant-- but unmistakable-- sound of gunfire, dull cracks that echoed far away. She turned her gaze back to the east, and what she saw made her chest tighten; the city was burning, pillars of flame and smoke rising from between the taller buildings against the horizon.

Looked like they really were the lucky ones.

She put her hand on Ruby's shoulder and gently moved to shake her awake, leaning over once that was done to hastily shove some of her stuff into her supply bag and swing it over her shoulder, scrambling to her feet and stretching out with a grunt. "Rise and shine, sis. We gotta move." She didn't want to draw her attention to the city, but she had a sinking feeling she'd notice it for herself. It wasn't high on her priority list to talk about, though, the elder sister instead hopping on the motorcycle and slotting its yellow-and-black helmet on over her golden-blonde hair. "Sleep well? I know I didn't! Guess we should pick a posture that doesn't make my butt go numb after two hours next time, huh?"

The chipper note in her tone was, as always, at odds with the general state of affairs, but she wasn't about to start changing how she carried herself now. She crossed her forearms and leaned forward on the bike's handlebars while she waited for Ruby to get ready, pointedly ignoring the sight of Salt Lake behind them and instead focusing her attention on the road ahead. It was a little more difficult, however, to ignore the fleet of jets and helicopters that appeared presently on the horizon, Yang adjusting her gaze skyward to watch as they soared overhead and clucking her tongue sarcastically. "There go the boys in green. Good to know all those taxepayers' dollars didn't go to waste-"

She'd never admit it later, but the abrupt sound of twisting metal and exploding engines somewhere in the distance behind them made her jump about a foot in the air, hands automatically shooting to her chest as she yelped and turned around in her seat to look back at the plumes of smoke wafting up a few miles back.

"... Uhhhh. Well, that... happened. You think they're okay?"

@Schnee Corp Lawyer​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Yang was tired.

Not tired as in depressed or tired as in out of breath, tired as in she wanted to sleep. Two days of road, desert and the hot Utah sun beating down on her back kinda did that to a gal. Her present sleeping arrangements came with their own toll, too, though she didn't mind that so much-- With the way things were going down right now, she was pretty insistent on sleeping in shifts rather than risking some sicko coming across them with their guard down for the sake of getting their full seven hours. Missing out on some shuteye was a small price to pay for keeping her baby sister safe, in her book, and as long as they were together and okay then Yang was considering herself lucky. There was no telling how many families had been torn apart since the pandemic started; how many older siblings would never see their younger brother or sister again... It wasn't worth thinking those kinds of thoughts. Not when she was hellbent on making sure that never ever ever happened to their family. Not again.

That was why she was also insistent on Ruby getting more sleep than her. With all due respect to Rube's own brand of feisty moxy, if it ever came down to a fight they couldn't avoid she was... Not exactly front-line material. The toy sword looked cool and all but she was pretty sure they made twizzlers tougher than that thing, and more to the point; Ruby was just too nice to ever really hurt someone. Even if that someone was... not themselves. Yang's gaze lingered on the ribbon wrapped around her wrist for a moment before she bit her lip, sniffed, and exhaled deeply, fighting the rising lump in her throat by tightening her jaw. 'C'mon, Yang, get it together,' She thought to herself, continuing her measured breathing in an effort to sooth herself and leaning her head back to look at the sky.

'Safety first. Then you can lose it. '

It was early morning, early enough that the sun hadn't fully come up over the mountains just yet and she could still find relief in the cooling nighttime breeze. Yang had always liked it hot, but if this kept up that was bound to change; Being forced out into the plains by a buncha jackasses with guns meant circumstances were a little different now. Where did those Salt Lake jerks get off, anyways? She knew half those people, for crying out loud! She'd lived in the area all her life. The fact that their first act after the military ran for the hills was to start exiling people made her sick to her stomach. Although... maybe it was for the best. The idea of sitting on her hands while the sickness spread from the east didn't sit well with her to begin with, even if everyone thought the city was defensible. There was a reason the military bailed, after all, right? This wasn't something that was just gonna blow over. This was a full-scale zombie apocalypse like in the movies and TV shows, and it was looking less and less likely by the day that the army were gonna regain any sort of control over the situation. Their survival was in their own hands now.

She sighed and glanced down at her lap, where Ruby was resting her head and (hopefully) getting all the sleep she could before they had to move again. Their first night they'd lucked out and found an old roadshack to crash in, but tonight they were forced to make do pulling over to the side of the road and sitting with their backs against the motorcycle. The plus side was that they were covering good ground on the thing (Yang was insanely glad she'd started preparing to leave a couple days before they were kicked out and quietly put aside some gas for the trip), and Salt Lake City was already a blip on the horizon, but as sleeping arrangements went it wasn't exactly ideal. She just hoped Ruby was warm enough.

It was some time after that that Yang was snapped from her thoughts by the extremely distant-- but unmistakable-- sound of gunfire, dull cracks that echoed far away. She turned her gaze back to the east, and what she saw made her chest tighten; the city was burning, pillars of flame and smoke rising from between the taller buildings against the horizon.

Looked like they really were the lucky ones.

She put her hand on Ruby's shoulder and gently moved to shake her awake, leaning over once that was done to hastily shove some of her stuff into her supply bag and swing it over her shoulder, scrambling to her feet and stretching out with a grunt. "Rise and shine, sis. We gotta move." She didn't want to draw her attention to the city, but she had a sinking feeling she'd notice it for herself. It wasn't high on her priority list to talk about, though, the elder sister instead hopping on the motorcycle and slotting its yellow-and-black helmet on over her golden-blonde hair. "Sleep well? I know I didn't! Guess we should pick a posture that doesn't make my butt go numb after two hours next time, huh?"

The chipper note in her tone was, as always, at odds with the general state of affairs, but she wasn't about to start changing how she carried herself now. She crossed her forearms and leaned forward on the bike's handlebars while she waited for Ruby to get ready, pointedly ignoring the sight of Salt Lake behind them and instead focusing her attention on the road ahead. It was a little more difficult, however, to ignore the fleet of jets and helicopters that appeared presently on the horizon, Yang adjusting her gaze skyward to watch as they soared overhead and clucking her tongue sarcastically. "There go the boys in green. Good to know all those taxepayers' dollars didn't go to waste-"

She'd never admit it later, but the abrupt sound of twisting metal and exploding engines somewhere in the distance behind them made her jump about a foot in the air, hands automatically shooting to her chest as she yelped and turned around in her seat to look back at the plumes of smoke wafting up a few miles back.

"... Uhhhh. Well, that... happened. You think they're okay?"

@Schnee Corp Lawyer​

Ruby had been fast asleep when the shoulder shake came. Sure, Yang wasn't exactly a feather bed, but she was safe and warm, Ruby for all her outdoors avoiding tendencies had a surprising rugged streak (Dad always liked to say that in another life she totally would have been some knight. Ok no he said she'd be a princess but knights were cooler), and the last few days had been just... exhausting.

Heck, the last few weeks even.

It had almost felt, for a month or two there, that things were finally put back together again. That the Rose-Xiao Longs had finally recovered from their personal tragedy. Dad had a new job that paid great and let him travel, which was something he'd always loved but stopped doing after Summer. Yang had stopped hovering over Ruby like some bizarre combination of mother hen and guard dog and moved out with a friend, making her own way in life instead of making Ruby feel like she was chaining her older sister in place. And Ruby herself had gotten into a top college with breezy ease, set up for an engineering scholarship and ready to head out into the world by herself for the first time. At the time, the idea had been the most excited and terrified she'd ever been. Too bad that didn't stay true.

The news stories hit first, the vaguest and most unhelpful freaking things Ruby had ever seen on T.V.. The internet picked it up on it quick though, and Ruby spent the first few days after the first outbreak back east scrolling through newsites and forums with a morbid curiosity and a growing sense of dread. She thought it had to be some prank. Some ridiculous movie or video game publicity stunt, like a modern War of the Worlds radio prank. Except the stories just got worse, the pictures more disturbing and realistic. Friends vanished from the net, and soon whole servers and chunks of the net went dark, the endless web of wires and routers no longer the interconnected whole it had been for decades now as whole sections of the country seemed to just vanish. By the time the military rolled into their hometown, Ruby was already positive what had happened.

You always here people talking about how they'd live in an apocalypse, zombie or otherwise. How they're all so sure that they've got the perfect plan, that they'd enjoy it all, and that they were too cool and prepared to dieand of all the stuff they'd do for fun once society collapsed. Heck, Ruby herself had joked and jokingly dreamed about it, a night or two in the past where her dreams took her to Raccoon city or Everett, Wisconson (Usually with a lightsaber because lightsabers were cool), but seeing it all play out in front of her was so much different. How could she be glad to put her (honestly non-existent) survival skills to the test when so many people were already dead? When people she cared about were already gone? When her dad was out who knows where, travelling back home from his trip when service vanished and travel anywhere was halted in its tracks by the military. She'd sat in timid fright when the military suddenly barged into the home she now had to herself for 'testing', and practically burst into tears when Yang showed back up at their place without her best friend. She hadn't thought it could get worse.

So of course they'd got exiled in the wee hours of the night

Ruby hadn't even gotten to change out of her pajamas ;-;. Oh sure they gave her the option, but with the stipulation that one of the militia members kept watch while she did so to make sure she wasn't doing anything suspicious. Which was basically the same as telling Ruby 'no you can't.' and while Ruby didn't really like encouraging Yang's temper that was one black eye from her sister that she took some serious internal pleasure from being dished out. Seriously, what suspicious activity did they even expect? They'd got tossed out because they were apparently 'infected', but its not like Ruby was flying off the walls and foaming at the mouth like she'd seen in the videos.

Well... not yet anyways.

Questions about whether there was any truth to those records or not aside (or at least pushed back into the corner of her mind that seemed content to sit quietly till dream time), Ruby barely had time to grab anything vaguely resembling a belonging before her and Yang were outside the gates.

Alone.

In the desert.

They were totally gonna die

But Ruby wasn't gonna let that get to her! Not while Yang was still here and already had it worse than Ruby had. If her sister could keep it together then so could Ruby, so she'd snapped her helmet on, took a deep breath, and clung on for dear life because Yang could be a scary driver sometimes :s

Back to now, she slowly stumbled to her feet with a yawn as Yang pushed her off, stretching from her toes to her fingers tips as the yawn grew to become the alpha yawn, eater of lesser yawns and destroyer of worlds-"AAAHHH WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?!"

Ruby had taken up strategetic positioning after her warning call. And by that I mean her head was peeking out from behind the bike opposite the direction the helicopter had gone down, eyes wide with a mixture of concern and fear as they flicked back and forth between the city and the crash site. Salt Lake might have turned into something.... bad, but not every person there agreed with it, and she'd grown up her whole life there. Yang said something, the tone implying a joke, but it just kinda washed over Ruby as the first glimpses of violence finally passed in front of the girl's eyes that weren't from a computer screen.

"...I hope everyone back there is ok." She took a deep breath to try to calm herself, and did her best to appear focused as she shifted her gaze back to the crash. "...Should we go see if anyone's ok?"

@Krieg @OrlandoBloomers​

 

[Jeremi]

He had mostly traveled alone since the "incident" happened, having realized that some people had gotten more ravenous than those beasts after his flesh. That was how he had lost his motorcycle, damn perros...he would have shared his supplies had they asked.

Now he only had a destroyed motorcycle and broken bones on his consciousness. They shouldn't have tried to swindle him, it seemed the mask did little to deter the desperate Armor King mused to himself as he walked.

The glistening sun would be shining down on the man in the jaguar mask as he walked along taking a bottle of water in his hand to take a swig. He didn't have much supplies left to survive save for this one bottle of water and a packet of beef jerky. He needed to restock and soon, he could survive with out food for a bit, but with out water it wouldn't be long before he'd succumb to the heat.

Then overhead a pack of helicopters flying over head followed by an explosion. Had one of the helicopters crashed? While he might not find any food there might be other equipment he could use? Looking down he'd glance at the metal baseball bat at his side. While it had been helpful these past few weeks some sort of side arm would give him that extra edge.

His pace would speed up and soon a gas station came into view and it seemed he wasn't the only one to notice the crash.

He'd come in closer and while weary he'd speak to the people gathered there.

"I seek no quarrel with none of you, I saw the helicopter crash and came to investigate."​

The mask would make his voice sound deeper than it actually was, but they could still hear a faint Latin accent as he spoke. He'd look over the others and towards the gas station. "...Is there food inside?"

@TheSpringwoodSlasher @Ivazel @Krieg @Josh M

 

[Kaykay]

What was Nobuo Akagi running and screaming about? He'd been moved to America, a place with no Aoi-tan or Sentai merchandise, forced to work at McDonalds, and lost most of his Sentai collection while moving away from the Green Flu. The only good things in his life were his Aoi-tan body pillow and action figure and the delusions of being a Sentai Ranger he had in his mind. He had no family, no friends, and all of his co-workers thought of him as a freak. Suffice it to say, Akagi was not considered successful or normal by any means. But then it only got worse. He was exiled from Salt Lake City.

He didn't have time to gather all of his belongings. The poor man only managed to grab his action figure and pistol before being forced out of the city, running his bicycle beside him. Though in his head, he was riding a futuristic motorcycle, mocked by those he protected.

All in all? Those normal people with satisfying lives could go die in a fire.

Unfortunately, his words soon rang true. Gun fire from the city, steel legions in the sky, and a lone aircraft crashing down to the ground. This...this was the hero-is-mistakenly-sent-away pattern, wasn't it? Soon after he'd been kicked out, terror seized the city and misfortune befell one of the aircrafts. He'd seen it in a few of his favorite Sentai series, and that was clearly what was happening, no question about it.

"Shit! I didn't mean it! I just..."

Akagi slammed his fist on his bike, upset over his temporary lapse in judgment. What kind of hero wished that upon other people? There was only one way to make up for this. He hopped upon his bike and began peddling towards the fallen helicopter. There'd surely be people there that needed his help.

"DekaCycle!" he cried, rushing as fast as he could to the wreckage.

Though it seemed he wasn't really all that fast. One...two...three...four...five people were already there. Oh well, the hero was always late, right?

He parked his bike against the gas station before taking out his action figure. Grasping it with both hands, he dramatically thrust it forward before bringing it back, holding it like one might hold a sword.

"Transform!"

...And nothing changed. But in his head, Akagi was now inside a Red Ranger suit. He ran out to the three near the the gas station, spinning around before striking a pose with both arms thrust straight into the air, feet shoulder-width apart.

"Red!"

Afterwards was a pause. In his mind, a red explosion appeared behind him. In reality, he just kind of stood there awkwardly for a few seconds. Taking a more normal pose, he cleared his throat before continuing.

"H-how're things going? Any survivors there?" he asked, pointing at the wreckage. "I don't know how to change a tire, though."

@Krieg @Josh M @TheSpringwoodSlasher @Ivazel @Jeremi
​

 

[Chewy Rabbits]

"Damn near made grass out of my ass," he remarked to the one he'd seen get out of the car.

I saw the guy was packing heat so I probably shouldn't have pressed my luck. Who knows what kind of people were running around now that infected were on the prowl? But, the guy was still in one piece so he probably should have been grateful for that. In any case, I guess I did owe him some semblance of an apology. Wasn't his fault he was walking out here. Or so I assumed anyway.

"I did, huh? Didn't even notice ya. But, if it means anything I'm glad I didn't hit you. Name's Frank, by the way. Frank West, freelancer reporter."
​

"Oh, You talkin' to me? shoot, did I pass you? Sorry 'bout that. If I saw ya, I would have stopped. I guess I was distracted by that Chopper fallin'. You okay? Both of you two, I mean. Also, either one of ya two know how to change a tire? Mine's 'bout to pop."


@TheSpringwoodSlasher @Ivazel @Krieg

Oh. Well, this was a sight I hadn't expected to see for a while. An attractive young lady in need of some assistance. She also seemed to be having car troubles herself. But now really wasn't the time for me to put on the ol 'West charm. Maybe make some acquaintances, get a new ride and keep moving forward.

"I was in my own car. Until that busted down and so I figured I'd hike the rest of it. Thankfully, I met other actual people in you guys so maybe I won't have to do too much walking after all. Health? I'm fine, or as fine with all that's gone down. What's your name?"

At the mention of changing a tire, I would have gladly offered a hand to help. But then a few more newcomers made their way to the station, some of them seeming a bit strange in attire. ​

I wasn't quite sure what to make of this new guy just yet. He didn't seem like he had any intentions of getting into a scuffle with us. Which was fine by me, given the bat he was lugging around, I didn't want to see who swung their bat with the most skill. Specially not against a guy walking around with a jaguar mask on his head.

I half expected him to roar given the mask, but that would have been stupid. As the guy actually spoke up, he brought up a pretty good question.

"I was just going to help the lady here with her tire, but grabbing some snacks for the road might not be such a bad idea. Unless somebody's already picked it clean on their way out here. What's your name, Jaguar guy and what's with the mask?" I asked, didn't mean to come off as judgmental or anything. Figured anybody who walked up looking like that might earn a few curious looks and questions, right?
​

What was Nobuo Akagi running and screaming about? He'd been moved to America, a place with no Aoi-tan or Sentai merchandise, forced to work at McDonalds, and lost most of his Sentai collection while moving away from the Green Flu. The only good things in his life were his Aoi-tan body pillow and action figure and the delusions of being a Sentai Ranger he had in his mind. He had no family, no friends, and all of his co-workers thought of him as a freak. Suffice it to say, Akagi was not considered successful or normal by any means. But then it only got worse. He was exiled from Salt Lake City.

He didn't have time to gather all of his belongings. The poor man only managed to grab his action figure and pistol before being forced out of the city, running his bicycle beside him. Though in his head, he was riding a futuristic motorcycle, mocked by those he protected.

All in all? Those normal people with satisfying lives could go die in a fire.

Unfortunately, his words soon rang true. Gun fire from the city, steel legions in the sky, and a lone aircraft crashing down to the ground. This...this was the hero-is-mistakenly-sent-away pattern, wasn't it? Soon after he'd been kicked out, terror seized the city and misfortune befell one of the aircrafts. He'd seen it in a few of his favorite Sentai series, and that was clearly what was happening, no question about it.

"Shit! I didn't mean it! I just..."

Akagi slammed his fist on his bike, upset over his temporary lapse in judgment. What kind of hero wished that upon other people? There was only one way to make up for this. He hopped upon his bike and began peddling towards the fallen helicopter. There'd surely be people there that needed his help.

"DekaCycle!" he cried, rushing as fast as he could to the wreckage.

Though it seemed he wasn't really all that fast. One...two...three...four...five people were already there. Oh well, the hero was always late, right?

He parked his bike against the gas station before taking out his action figure. Grasping it with both hands, he dramatically thrust it forward before bringing it back, holding it like one might hold a sword.

"Transform!"

...And nothing changed. But in his head, Akagi was now inside a Red Ranger suit. He ran out to the three near the the gas station, spinning around before striking a pose with both arms thrust straight into the air, feet shoulder-width apart.

"Red!"

Afterwards was a pause. In his mind, a red explosion appeared behind him. In reality, he just kind of stood there awkwardly for a few seconds. Taking a more normal pose, he cleared his throat before continuing.

"H-how're things going? Any survivors there?" he asked, pointing at the wreckage. "I don't know how to change a tire, though."

@Krieg @Josh M @TheSpringwoodSlasher @Ivazel @Jeremi
​

*flash*

I dunno what kind of shows this guy's been watching but either too much of that or this mess's really done a number on his sanity. One of those must have been the explanation behind that whole bike scene. Which I thankfully managed to capture on my trusty camera.

Perfect! 9000 pp

Lowering the camera once the deed had been done, I shrugged my shoulders lightly at the guy's question. Seeing the picture of the wreck that I managed to capture? I highly doubted anything survived that fall. But, this guy seemed like he could muster up the enthusiasm for just about anything if that display with the bike and that awkward standing still thing he did were any indications.

"You should probably be careful but other than that? Be my guest." I'd say to the other new-guy in regards to investigating the helicopter wreck. Maybe he would find something substantial in the mess of all that debris.

@Kaykay @Ivazel @Krieg @Josh M @Jeremi​

 

[Ringmaster]

Humanity were survivors. Warriors. If there was ever a race in the cosmos to ever exemplify this, it would be them. They lived and thrived in the most desolate places. Entire portions of their culture were dedicated to death and challenges from the Vikings to the Mongols, braving the elements as well as their fellow men. Others, like the samurai of old spent a lifetime on martial skills. There was simply no other way of life for some people, save in blood.

People such as Oroku Saki.

Before the outbreak, he had been a model member of the infamous Yakuza. He was a man feared by all, with a reputation of repaying failure harshly. Where an elder superior would admonish or take a finger, Oroku Saki would take the whole hand. His assignment to establish a branch in New York City of all places, where they traditionally did not tread was as much exile as it was pragmatic for the heads of the clan families. He was dangerous, as a rabid dog was dangerous. He had been so for a while, after the event that gave him his nickname.

Saki didn't care at all. Dead, alive... What did it matter? He had lost the only family he had ever had, by his own hands no less. The woman he loved, Tang Shen rejected him wholly, something his honor forced him to admit she had every right. All he could do was obey and try not to crack.

Until the day he was sent a single message. A text comprising of a picture that had him of all people, in shock and awe as the message that followed said simply.

[T]Her Name is Karai.[/t]

The best of his lost brother and old love, Saki felt alive at the possibility that beckoned. He would protect her- from afar, till her mother saw fit to forgive him. And then he would train her, to become powerful and great! His gift to her... Would be the Foot Clan, as the papers referred to his followers.

When the outbreak happened, he didn't hesitate to leave everything and fly. A personal jet, using the Yakuza funds he had skimmed off the top. Not like they would notice if the news was correct.

Being shot down was just a minor setback.

It had left him within twenty miles of Salt Lake City, which he walked mostly. He stole transportation when he could and in the city, searched for them both.

But there was nothing but an empty house.

-------------

That was then.

This was now. He still dressed impeccably, clad in a silk suit, tie included as most of his group did. The only strange addition to his attire were two things. One was the red cloak he wore over it, once a poncho and now ragged from travel, resembling a cape.

The other were his personal weapons, worn openly. Armored gauntlets with blades in shark fin style and two protruding from the knuckles like the savage claws of some predator. As far as weapons went, these were his most reliable. He knew he could trust them.

Add a motorcycle helmet as he drove the bike, won from a biker who believed a lone traveler an easy target and he had a solid chance of success in finding Tang Shen and Karai. Overhead, he ignored the flight of aircraft and even the crash at first. He was more interested in the other biker, out this far. Exiles from Salt Lake? Too bad for-

He put on the brakes, his motorcycle coming to a stop around Ruby and Yang as slowly, he turned his masked features to look at them, his closed helmet reflecting their features with its mirrored sheen.

....Children.

More or less. It... Galled him and he slowly kicked the bike stand as he got off, approaching the two and pausing about six feet away as he peered over their current state.

He reached for his flask, holding it out to both in silence. Perhaps it was stupid to assume they'd trust him, or that he wasted time in his search to help them, when the smart choice was to go on.

But since knowing of Karai, there was something about innocence that struck a chord in the man once known as Oroku Saki, rather then the savage Shredder he had become. And for the sake of his sanity, it was not something he could ignore.
​

@OrlandoBloomers @Schnee Corp Lawyer

 

[OrlandoBloomers]

Back to now, she slowly stumbled to her feet with a yawn as Yang pushed her off, stretching from her toes to her fingers tips as the yawn grew to become the alpha yawn, eater of lesser yawns and destroyer of worlds-"AAAHHH WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?!"

Ruby had taken up strategetic positioning after her warning call. And by that I mean her head was peeking out from behind the bike opposite the direction the helicopter had gone down, eyes wide with a mixture of concern and fear as they flicked back and forth between the city and the crash site. Salt Lake might have turned into something.... bad, but not every person there agreed with it, and she'd grown up her whole life there. Yang said something, the tone implying a joke, but it just kinda washed over Ruby as the first glimpses of violence finally passed in front of the girl's eyes that weren't from a computer screen.

"...I hope everyone back there is ok." She took a deep breath to try to calm herself, and did her best to appear focused as she shifted her gaze back to the crash. "...Should we go see if anyone's ok?"

@Krieg @OrlandoBloomers

Her first reaction was to lean forward on the handlebars again and put her hand on the back of Ruby's head, both her fingers and gloved palm soft to the touch and simply stroking her sister's scarlet hair consolingly. It was something she remembered their mom doing to calm her down when she was little, and it worked wonders; it also earned Summer the distinction of being the only person allowed to touch her golden locks without getting hit. Yang knew there was nothing she could say to make watching the city you grew up in burn any easier and she wasn't gonna pretend there was, but they were here and they were together. At least there was that.

Yang was quiet for a while thereafter, whatever expression she might've worn inscrutable behind the visor of her helmet as she sat on the bike with her gaze lingering on the crash site. Her first impulse was obviously to go check it out, but it was clear she was thinking it over very thoroughly in her head. She was all for lending people a helping hand when they needed it (duh, she wasn't a piece of human garbage like everyone in Salt Lake City apparently), but this couldn't have been more different from pulling over to jumpstart a dead engine or helping some old lady cross the street. There was a whole lot more at stake now than just time and effort. She unfortunately had firsthand experience with the infected - as in, the close-enough-to-touch kind; She was pretty sure it was why her and Ruby were kicked out, and beyond that it was bar none the most awful experience of her life so she wasn't exactly thrilled by the prospect of potentially repeating it. She was never the type to run away from something, but what else could they do? She hated it, but there was no fighting this... thing. Not from where they were standing. She hoped like crazy there was some secret underground research facility buried in Nevada somewhere where the world's smartest and most ingenious scientists were synthesizing a cure right this second, but two sisters couldn't save the world. Not with a bike and a plastic samurai sword.

But even forgetting all that for a second, at the end of the day Yang would still risk her own life if it meant a chance to save someone else's. She wasn't heartless. There was just one thing that honestly made her stop and think about whether it was really worth it, and it was currently cowering behind the front wheel of her motorcycle dressed in snuggle pajamas.

"... I don't know. Should we?"

That was all she said in the end, a quiet plea for Ruby to make the call instead of her. She didn't know what to do. It was up to her little sis.
​

Humanity were survivors. Warriors. If there was ever a race in the cosmos to ever exemplify this, it would be them. They lived and thrived in the most desolate places. Entire portions of their culture were dedicated to death and challenges from the Vikings to the Mongols, braving the elements as well as their fellow men. Others, like the samurai of old spent a lifetime on martial skills. There was simply no other way of life for some people, save in blood.

People such as Oroku Saki.

Before the outbreak, he had been a model member of the infamous Yakuza. He was a man feared by all, with a reputation of repaying failure harshly. Where an elder superior would admonish or take a finger, Oroku Saki would take the whole hand. His assignment to establish a branch in New York City of all places, where they traditionally did not tread was as much exile as it was pragmatic for the heads of the clan families. He was dangerous, as a rabid dog was dangerous. He had been so for a while, after the event that gave him his nickname.

Saki didn't care at all. Dead, alive... What did it matter? He had lost the only family he had ever had, by his own hands no less. The woman he loved, Tang Shen rejected him wholly, something his honor forced him to admit she had every right. All he could do was obey and try not to crack.

Until the day he was sent a single message. A text comprising of a picture that had him of all people, in shock and awe as the message that followed said simply.

[T]Her Name is Karai.[/t]

The best of his lost brother and old love, Saki felt alive at the possibility that beckoned. He would protect her- from afar, till her mother saw fit to forgive him. And then he would train her, to become powerful and great! His gift to her... Would be the Foot Clan, as the papers referred to his followers.

When the outbreak happened, he didn't hesitate to leave everything and fly. A personal jet, using the Yakuza funds he had skimmed off the top. Not like they would notice if the news was correct.

Being shot down was just a minor setback.

It had left him within twenty miles of Salt Lake City, which he walked mostly. He stole transportation when he could and in the city, searched for them both.

But there was nothing but an empty house.

-------------

That was then.

This was now. He still dressed impeccably, clad in a silk suit, tie included as most of his group did. The only strange addition to his attire were two things. One was the red cloak he wore over it, once a poncho and now ragged from travel, resembling a cape.

The other were his personal weapons, worn openly. Armored gauntlets with blades in shark fin style and two protruding from the knuckles like the savage claws of some predator. As far as weapons went, these were his most reliable. He knew he could trust them.

Add a motorcycle helmet as he drove the bike, won from a biker who believed a lone traveler an easy target and he had a solid chance of success in finding Tang Shen and Karai. Overhead, he ignored the flight of aircraft and even the crash at first. He was more interested in the other biker, out this far. Exiles from Salt Lake? Too bad for-

He put on the brakes, his motorcycle coming to a stop around Ruby and Yang as slowly, he turned his masked features to look at them, his closed helmet reflecting their features with its mirrored sheen.

....Children.

More or less. It... Galled him and he slowly kicked the bike stand as he got off, approaching the two and pausing about six feet away as he peered over their current state.

He reached for his flask, holding it out to both in silence. Perhaps it was stupid to assume they'd trust him, or that he wasted time in his search to help them, when the smart choice was to go on.

But since knowing of Karai, there was something about innocence that struck a chord in the man once known as Oroku Saki, rather then the savage Shredder he had become. And for the sake of his sanity, it was not something he could ignore.
​

@OrlandoBloomers @Schnee Corp Lawyer

"No thanks we're good bye!"

Well, forget that noise. They were outta here.

While the creepy quiet guy with a cape and claws that looked like they were lifted off the set of Mad Max was busy pulling over, Yang cut off whatever Ruby's response was by straight up grabbing and jerk lifting her up over the handlebars and onto the bike in an athlete's display of strength, revving the powerful engine to life post-haste and gunning off in a cloud of dust, her decision made for her. They were heading for the crash zone to see if there was anyone who could help.

Or anything she could defend them with. Yang was confident in her ability to handle herself in a fight, but the Predator gauntlets were a little much for her if this guy was as psycho as he looked. She needed something to even the playing field.

@Schnee Corp Lawyer @Saint Guillotine @Krieg​

 

[Ringmaster]

Well, he tried. His conscience was clear and he returned to his bike, about to hit the road when he saw the smoke rising and blinked. Huh. He must have missed the crash and he rued his own inattention. It was things like that which killed people and he revved his bike into gear, turning it to drive for the site. Supplies would be great, but right now he had what he needed. There was no need for anything that might rob the scared children.

The radio on the other hand was all his. Or any communication tool left salvageable. His phone service was dead.

Could the military still be active?

Only one way to find out.
​

@Schnee Corp Lawyer @OrlandoBloomers @Krieg g

 

[C.T.]

Laura stared up in the general direction of the sun for the umpteenth time, shaking her head. "A car, that would have been the smarter choice." She muttered, mentally smacking herself. For all the things a life in snowy Anchorage had taught her, it sure hadn't prepared her for the heat. A car with functional air conditioning would have rendered that moot but she had gone for that biker guy's Harley Davidson 2002 Softail Heritage Classic the moment she saw it was free for the taking. What could she say, it spoke to her. Just seemed natural. Slowing to a halt, she pushed the stand for it down and hopped off, resting her helmet on the seat.

In the far distance, she could see it. Salt Lake City. It was burning. And even from this distance, she could feel the rumbling, the ground itself shuddering in response to it all. The skies were thick with vehicles, airplanes and helicopters just swarming out in droves. The roads were likely to be similar.

"So. The front lines have gotten further than I thought." The only outward sign of her frustration was the slight narrowing of her eyes. The very act of fleeing in the planes and helicopters when she could hear them even from this distance...the sounds will attract the things they're fleeing from even more westward. They could only do that for so long until they ran out of land. Perhaps naval vessels out at sea...or far up north. Home. She had left it casually but still she hoped that none of this madness had affected it personally.

Laura was drawn away from her thoughts, gaze snapping up at the sounds of a fierce crash, rotors grinding into the sand and the tumbling of the copter itself. Getting back on her motorcycle with swift ease, she floored it. There could be people to help in that wreck still. That was what she came out here for in the first place. If not...there could still be intact supplies. It might not be a total loss.

She hoped so anyway. Slowing down the closer she got, she raised an eyebrow unseen under her helmet as she noticed others heading that way to presumably help or at least check it out. However, it was the method they were using to get there that drew her eye...motorcycles too. Hrm. Choice tools of the apocalypse?

@OrlandoBloomers @Saint Guillotine @Schnee Corp Lawyer @Krieg



​

 

[Josh M]

He had mostly traveled alone since the "incident" happened, having realized that some people had gotten more ravenous than those beasts after his flesh. That was how he had lost his motorcycle, damn perros...he would have shared his supplies had they asked.

Now he only had a destroyed motorcycle and broken bones on his consciousness. They shouldn't have tried to swindle him, it seemed the mask did little to deter the desperate Armor King mused to himself as he walked.

The glistening sun would be shining down on the man in the jaguar mask as he walked along taking a bottle of water in his hand to take a swig. He didn't have much supplies left to survive save for this one bottle of water and a packet of beef jerky. He needed to restock and soon, he could survive with out food for a bit, but with out water it wouldn't be long before he'd succumb to the heat.

Then overhead a pack of helicopters flying over head followed by an explosion. Had one of the helicopters crashed? While he might not find any food there might be other equipment he could use? Looking down he'd glance at the metal baseball bat at his side. While it had been helpful these past few weeks some sort of side arm would give him that extra edge.

His pace would speed up and soon a gas station came into view and it seemed he wasn't the only one to notice the crash.

He'd come in closer and while weary he'd speak to the people gathered there.

"I seek no quarrel with none of you, I saw the helicopter crash and came to investigate."​

The mask would make his voice sound deeper than it actually was, but they could still hear a faint Latin accent as he spoke. He'd look over the others and towards the gas station. "...Is there food inside?"

@TheSpringwoodSlasher @Ivazel @Krieg @Josh M

It seemed like a crowed was growing. That was a mixed bag. It's good to work with people, but if they saw the crash, the infected sure wouldn't be that close behind. The man in front of her, the man in the mask, she knew him, well, of him.



"You're Armored King, aren'tcha? You're a luchador, from the indies. I've watched some of you matches, you're good. "

Turning to Frank, she'd smile, nodding, then, back to king

"Name's Tina Armstrong."


At that last part, she was name dropping herself. She didn't wanna say "I loved it when my daddy whipped your ass.


@TheSpringwoodSlasher @Jeremi

What was Nobuo Akagi running and screaming about? He'd been moved to America, a place with no Aoi-tan or Sentai merchandise, forced to work at McDonalds, and lost most of his Sentai collection while moving away from the Green Flu. The only good things in his life were his Aoi-tan body pillow and action figure and the delusions of being a Sentai Ranger he had in his mind. He had no family, no friends, and all of his co-workers thought of him as a freak. Suffice it to say, Akagi was not considered successful or normal by any means. But then it only got worse. He was exiled from Salt Lake City.

He didn't have time to gather all of his belongings. The poor man only managed to grab his action figure and pistol before being forced out of the city, running his bicycle beside him. Though in his head, he was riding a futuristic motorcycle, mocked by those he protected.

All in all? Those normal people with satisfying lives could go die in a fire.

Unfortunately, his words soon rang true. Gun fire from the city, steel legions in the sky, and a lone aircraft crashing down to the ground. This...this was the hero-is-mistakenly-sent-away pattern, wasn't it? Soon after he'd been kicked out, terror seized the city and misfortune befell one of the aircrafts. He'd seen it in a few of his favorite Sentai series, and that was clearly what was happening, no question about it.

"Shit! I didn't mean it! I just..."

Akagi slammed his fist on his bike, upset over his temporary lapse in judgment. What kind of hero wished that upon other people? There was only one way to make up for this. He hopped upon his bike and began peddling towards the fallen helicopter. There'd surely be people there that needed his help.

"DekaCycle!" he cried, rushing as fast as he could to the wreckage.

Though it seemed he wasn't really all that fast. One...two...three...four...five people were already there. Oh well, the hero was always late, right?

He parked his bike against the gas station before taking out his action figure. Grasping it with both hands, he dramatically thrust it forward before bringing it back, holding it like one might hold a sword.

"Transform!"

...And nothing changed. But in his head, Akagi was now inside a Red Ranger suit. He ran out to the three near the the gas station, spinning around before striking a pose with both arms thrust straight into the air, feet shoulder-width apart.

"Red!"

Afterwards was a pause. In his mind, a red explosion appeared behind him. In reality, he just kind of stood there awkwardly for a few seconds. Taking a more normal pose, he cleared his throat before continuing.

"H-how're things going? Any survivors there?" he asked, pointing at the wreckage. "I don't know how to change a tire, though."

@Krieg @Josh M @TheSpringwoodSlasher @Ivazel @Jeremi
​

"Huh, you okay, hun?"


This guy seemed like a fish flopping out of water.


@Kaykay

 

[Krieg]

How quaint

From the golden locks of a charming young woman, the Swede slowly arose from his inclined position upon the hot concrete of this nearly abandoned gas station. Underneath the shade and protection of the station, the immoral mathematician walked gentle outwards, his gaze distant and the words but sounds to his ear. Behind the black-clad doctor, the smoke from the helicopter had fractured, a fragment of the puffous gas acting as a somewhat fog of sorts. With a good half of the gas station masked entirely in smoky fog,, the middle-aged man profusely rose his head, speaking in a strange yet distant accent that could be easily mistaken for Swedish.

"I am doctor, flower, not a mechanic." he addressed firstly, his voice coy and sly, bearing a masked lie. In truth, he was no doctor, his medical skills were in the mathematics of chemicals, treatments and all sorts of vile liquids designed to kill or keep people alive. Moving his lower jaw lightly, the strange man hissed lightly, spotting the newcomers seeking the crash site like some sort of sanctuary. Looking amused, the Swede grabbed his duffle bag, tossing the heavy bag out in the open.

"In there, ah, you will find, mmm, three or so pistols of sorts...a double-barreled shotgun beauty...and a old lever-action hunting rifle. There is, ahh, o course, more supplies inside that I could not carry." Along with some other commodities like food and such." the Swede offered, his face beaming with joy and companionship. "My friends, take what you must, what you please. We are all brothers and sisters now, aren't we?" the Swede remarked, his voice both reassuring and uncomfortable. He was hard to tell with his posture and smile if the man was sincere or seeking people to do the fighting for him.

Behind the doctor, a shadowy figure began to stumbled through the smoke, soft groans muffled underneath a tightly-woven aviator helmet. Aware of the intruder, Thor Gundersen continued, his arms still extended, the intellectual breaking out in a speech. "Look at us, rogues and misfits, this was the hands of Fate! Let us remember this day, above all days, as the beginning of something new, my siblings." he spoke almost religiously, despite the Swede himself having a distaste for religion.

Swiftly turning around, he unsheathed his single-action, Colt revolver, shooting directly at the stumbling pilot through the smoke. Infected or not, the figure flailed briefly, the powerful bullet piercing the fallen angel's skull. With extreme violence and lack of mercy, the Swede smirked, cocking the hammer of his revolver and putting it back into it's sheath.

Turning around him, he adjusted his black jacket and tightened his gloves.

"Now, ahh, we have a crash to investigate."

And with that, the Swede ventured into the fog, not paying mind to the Infected, or more frighteningly, man that he just shot.

@TheSpringwoodSlasher @Kaykay @Ivazel @Josh M @Jeremi @Others

---

To those on the motorcycles heading towards the station, a horrid sight was beginning to loom on the horizon from Salt Lake City. Stemming from the mountains, they stood, their bodies descending downwards, some of them falling to their deaths, yet moving with a shocking swiftness and speed. Due to the rugged terrain of the desert, these wandering Infected, far away from their pack, would take awhile to arrive at the gas station.

Still, they are coming, the Infected are coming.

@Schnee Corp Lawyer @Saint Guillotine @OrlandoBloomers @C.T.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

and a plastic samurai sword.​

Hey it wasn't plastic it was a real metal samurai sword that dad had made her promise not to swing around! Which had obviously gotten her grounded shortly afterwards when he came home to a giant hole accidentally left in one of the couches because what the heck was the point of having Mugen's sword if she couldn't pretend to be the fem version of the terror from the Ryukyu islands :T
​

But even forgetting all that for a second, at the end of the day Yang would still risk her own life if it meant a chance to save someone else's. She wasn't heartless. There was just one thing that honestly made her stop and think about whether it was really worth it, and it was currently cowering behind the front wheel of her motorcycle dressed in snuggle pajamas.

"... I don't know. Should we?"

That was all she said in the end, a quiet plea for Ruby to make the call instead of her. She didn't know what to do. It was up to her little sis.​

Ruby let out a mix of a disgruntled and worried whine as the decision was passed right back to her, drumming both sets of fingers on the wheel well of the bike as the wheels in her own mind churned. Should they? If this was anything like her games, this could totally be an awesome upgrade to their armaments! But if this was also like any of her games, they wouldn't be able to get to it without a fight, either with the infected nearby or other, meaner, and stupider survivors. Unless it was a new party member hook! ....Or it might be the introduction of a villain, which would make it a mid boss, and no friggin way were they levelled up enough to handle that yet-

ok this track of thought was starting to get a little too silly, even for Ruby >_>

She huffed and took another moment to just breath, relaxing her shoulders and taking at least some small comfort from Yang's hand on the back of her head as she tried to make herself think.

"...Mom or dad definitely wouldn't just leave someone alone after a crash like that. So we shouldn't either-"
​

He put on the brakes, his motorcycle coming to a stop around Ruby and Yang as slowly, he turned his masked features to look at them, his closed helmet reflecting their features with its mirrored sheen.

....Children.

More or less. It... Galled him and he slowly kicked the bike stand as he got off, approaching the two and pausing about six feet away as he peered over their current state.

He reached for his flask, holding it out to both in silence. Perhaps it was stupid to assume they'd trust him, or that he wasted time in his search to help them, when the smart choice was to go on.

But since knowing of Karai, there was something about innocence that struck a chord in the man once known as Oroku Saki, rather then the savage Shredder he had become. And for the sake of his sanity, it was not something he could ignore.​

O_O

Ruby wasn't really sure what to expect out here in the very obviously becoming a zombie apocalypse world. Mutants, the best and worst humanity had to offer, cool guns, maybe some creepy magic that had created all this instead of science topped the list of 'weird things she thought they might find'

Anime biker with a cape though. That hadn't been very high on the list.

"...Are you a ninja-"
​

"No thanks we're good bye!"

Well, forget that noise. They were outta here.

While the creepy quiet guy with a cape and claws that looked like they were lifted off the set of Mad Max was busy pulling over, Yang cut off whatever Ruby's response was by straight up grabbing and jerk lifting her up over the handlebars and onto the bike in an athlete's display of strength, revving the powerful engine to life post-haste and gunning off in a cloud of dust, her decision made for her. They were heading for the crash zone to see if there was anyone who could help.

Or anything she could defend them with. Yang was confident in her ability to handle herself in a fight, but the Predator gauntlets were a little much for her if this guy was as psycho as he looked. She needed something to even the playing field.​

"-gah Yang WHY DO YOU ALWAYS DO THIS?!" she squeaked as she was literally manhandled tossed onto the back of the bike. Someday she'd take some sort of grappling or judo or something lessons so Yang couldn't just literally pick her up and put her wherever Yang wanted her to be whenever she wanted, but that day hadn't come yet :')

She huffed as she latched on just before Yang took off, slightly grumpy about missing her chance to meet a real life anime ninja assassin. Ok sure in a few seconds of retrospect that didn't exactly scream 'sane' or 'safe to talk to', but still...
​

Well, he tried. His conscience was clear and he returned to his bike, about to hit the road when he saw the smoke rising and blinked. Huh. He must have missed the crash and he rued his own inattention. It was things like that which killed people and he revved his bike into gear, turning it to drive for the site. Supplies would be great, but right now he had what he needed. There was no need for anything that might rob the scared children.

The radio on the other hand was all his. Or any communication tool left salvageable. His phone service was dead.

Could the military still be active?

Only one way to find out.​

....

She frowned as she heard a noise behind them, and turned her head back to where they'd just been and uh oh. "Yaaaaaang, the cool but kinda freaky biker guy is following us!" she yelled over the engine in slowly growing concern
​

---

To those on the motorcycles heading towards the station, a horrid sight was beginning to loom on the horizon from Salt Lake City. Stemming from the mountains, they stood, their bodies descending downwards, some of them falling to their deaths, yet moving with a shocking swiftness and speed. Due to the rugged terrain of the desert, these wandering Infected, far away from their pack, would take awhile to arrive at the gas station.

Still, they are coming, the Infected are coming.

@Schnee Corp Lawyer @Saint Guillotine @OrlandoBloomers @C.T.​

Ooooooh crap.

"And more importantly- well, actually I'm not sure it depends how crazy that guy is- no focus THERE'S ZOMBIES HEADING THIS WAY TOO!" she yelled, eyes swiveling back and forth between the infected running towards them and the ninja driving behind them.

@Saint Guillotine @OrlandoBloomers @C.T. @Krieg​

 

[Chewy Rabbits]

How quaint

From the golden locks of a charming young woman, the Swede slowly arose from his inclined position upon the hot concrete of this nearly abandoned gas station. Underneath the shade and protection of the station, the immoral mathematician walked gentle outwards, his gaze distant and the words but sounds to his ear. Behind the black-clad doctor, the smoke from the helicopter had fractured, a fragment of the puffous gas acting as a somewhat fog of sorts. With a good half of the gas station masked entirely in smoky fog,, the middle-aged man profusely rose his head, speaking in a strange yet distant accent that could be easily mistaken for Swedish.

"I am doctor, flower, not a mechanic." he addressed firstly, his voice coy and sly, bearing a masked lie. In truth, he was no doctor, his medical skills were in the mathematics of chemicals, treatments and all sorts of vile liquids designed to kill or keep people alive. Moving his lower jaw lightly, the strange man hissed lightly, spotting the newcomers seeking the crash site like some sort of sanctuary. Looking amused, the Swede grabbed his duffle bag, tossing the heavy bag out in the open.

"In there, ah, you will find, mmm, three or so pistols of sorts...a double-barreled shotgun beauty...and a old lever-action hunting rifle. There is, ahh, o course, more supplies inside that I could not carry." Along with some other commodities like food and such." the Swede offered, his face beaming with joy and companionship. "My friends, take what you must, what you please. We are all brothers and sisters now, aren't we?" the Swede remarked, his voice both reassuring and uncomfortable. He was hard to tell with his posture and smile if the man was sincere or seeking people to do the fighting for him.

Behind the doctor, a shadowy figure began to stumbled through the smoke, soft groans muffled underneath a tightly-woven aviator helmet. Aware of the intruder, Thor Gundersen continued, his arms still extended, the intellectual breaking out in a speech. "Look at us, rogues and misfits, this was the hands of Fate! Let us remember this day, above all days, as the beginning of something new, my siblings." he spoke almost religiously, despite the Swede himself having a distaste for religion.

Swiftly turning around, he unsheathed his single-action, Colt revolver, shooting directly at the stumbling pilot through the smoke. Infected or not, the figure flailed briefly, the powerful bullet piercing the fallen angel's skull. With extreme violence and lack of mercy, the Swede smirked, cocking the hammer of his revolver and putting it back into it's sheath.

Turning around him, he adjusted his black jacket and tightened his gloves.

"Now, ahh, we have a crash to investigate."

And with that, the Swede ventured into the fog, not paying mind to the Infected, or more frighteningly, man that he just shot.

@TheSpringwoodSlasher @Kaykay @Ivazel @Josh M @Jeremi @Others

I have to admit, this guy gave me the creeps. Just the way he carried himself and seemed so unfettered by having to shoot what used to be the pilot of that helicopter. I also didn't appreciate the label of being a rogue or misfit. I did what I had to do to get my story but I wasn't any misfit, that's for damn sure. The way he called us siblings was another thing I checked off my 'weird guy' list.

But then again with creatures running around that could tear you limb from limb? Maybe you could afford to be a little off.

As the Swede tossed his duffel bag to the ground and explained what resided inside, I mulled over my options. Wasn't too keen on handling the rifle or shotgun when it could go to someone who might have been a bit more savvy with their firearms. The pistol sounded like a decent idea. Even if it dug up bad memories. Would have been handy if I needed to do some long range fighting and the baseball bat couldn't help me there. So, I'd make my way over and unzipped the bag as I ran my hand around inside to try and find one of the pistols.

"..Yeah, be there in just a second."

@Kaykay @Krieg @Ivazel @Josh M @Jeremi​

 

[Ringmaster]

To those on the motorcycles heading towards the station, a horrid sight was beginning to loom on the horizon from Salt Lake City. Stemming from the mountains, they stood, their bodies descending downwards, some of them falling to their deaths, yet moving with a shocking swiftness and speed. Due to the rugged terrain of the desert, these wandering Infected, far away from their pack, would take awhile to arrive at the gas station.

Still, they are coming, the Infected are coming.

Let them come. He for one, would be ready. Regardless, this did put things in a new light. It made seeking proper communication all the more imperative. Finding out which places were yet flourishing and which were not, would help him avoid battles that would otherwise waste his time.

Still a ways away though.

Which meant time to prepare. And as he headed for the crash, he kept an eye out for a defensible position to best suit him.

@Krieg

 

[Verite]

Wei was just on the floor. Just... lying on his face in the sand or something nearby. Who knows for what reason?

R.I.P.

@everyone <3​