Mental Damages

[Windstormugly]

The old matron looked up at the group of determined looking people, listening to Bill with a slight frown on her face. She glanced at an old man sitting at one of the walls.

"He called me, yes. Youll go with that wings warden. And dont scare any of the normal patients." There was a hint of disapproval in her voice as she nodded towards the old man. Who stood up and waved for them to follow, walking hunchbacked into the right corridor. Not stopping to wait for them.

 

[PigIron]

Bill cleared his throat and spoke loud enough for the old man to hear; "could you get me the file for the patient we're extracting? I don't want to send my people in blind"

 

[Windstormugly]

The warden turned around slightly, stopping in his tracks. A strange expression came over him, it was surprise, how could he have forgotten that they were affect-able? Digging around in his coat he answered Bill.

"I apologize, its been so long since anyone but me went up there. I forget that they are hazardous. Im sure I had a file on him... Isabell, can you get them the file on Jack Reacher?" He said turning towards the matron in the reception. She sighed at the old mans absentmindedness, checking through a few drawers before turning up an old file. She gave it over to the mechanic, casting another reproachful look at the warden, who averted his gaze slightly.

"And he is still a person, while he can be a bit dangerous when close its none of his fault. I hope you have someone who could help him, inability to control ones power is a sad fate." The warden seemed lost in thought when he shared his concern for the young man, they after all had a likeness.

 

[PigIron]

Bill thumbed carefully through the old tattered file, muttering to himself. "Clinically insane... Mentally projected illusions... Mention of clowns? There's a surprise... Hoo, that's cert'nly a kill count." Bill held the file in one hand, continuing to read as he turned to his comrades; "Right then, boys-" Bill paused, but didn't correct himself. Harley was one of the boys now, according to Bill; "Looks like we've got a fairly powerful mental here. Jack Dealer, close-to-medium range Abstract, internal and external. Seems to be able to..." Bill faltered, narrowing his eyes as he found another, older entry into the file; "Aah, christ. The experimentation was on his brain. Someone took a slice out of it, poor fella. Had his amygdala removed, whatever that means." Bill grimaced, coming to the end of the file before flipping back to reread it, speaking as he read, "And according to these reports, it boosted his power somehow. Made it more aggressive." Bill closed the file and offered it around the group, before taking it once everyone was done and handing it back to the receptionist, smiling goodnaturedly at the woman with a "Thanks, hun."

Bill rubbed his beard for a moment, before coming to a decision. Taking his pistol from his belt, Bill slid it across the table. "Everyone, I want you to all leave any projectile weapons or explosives here. Two reasons why; First, This guy's a victim of a war crime. He's a patient here, not a prisoner, and we're here to help him, not kill him." Bill cleared his throat before continuing. "Second, I've lost count of the number of good men I've seen shoot their friends 'cause they think they're some monster from the depths of hell thanks to an Abstract mental. That ain't happening on my watch, y'all understand?"
Bill watched as the others relented their various weapons, before saying "Would you mind keeping an eye on these until we get back, ma'am?" to the receptionist, and making sure the others followed his advice, saying things like "Alex, that sword has to weigh a ton, and ye' can't use it in close quarters, perhaps you should leave it here?" and "Harley, try not to use yer powers for this one. Pressure changes and small spaces don't gen'rally mix. Not that I need ta tell you that, I suppose." before watching Sasha with slowly growing surprise: "How the hell have ya been carrying around a railgun, a GSD an' five pounds a' C5 all this time!? Cuuh-rist, girl, yer like a walking armory!" Bill huffed, before turning to Derany;
"Yknow, Derany, that thing strapped to yer belt," Bill gestured to the prototype weapon belonging to Derany, "I've been meaning to ask what it is."

After the projectile weapons were all safely in the hands of the elderly receptionist, Bill turned back to his 'boys' and cleared his throat; "Alright, before we go; Just like dreams feel like reality when you're asleep, an illusion from a powerful mental will make you forget you're being affected by anything out of the ordinary. Your mind is lulled into a false sense of security and your sanity preyed upon. To put it simply: You will forget that what you are seeing is an illusion. Anything you can do to keep some kind of link to the real is an advantage. Now Alex, I see you're wearing your anti-reader helmet. To be honest I'm not sure how it'll fare against our friend Jack, but hopefully it'll give you some kind of help. Derany, Sasha, you two are going to be coming up the back. Sasha, I want you to stay outside the door and act as a rearguard. Only open it up if you hear four knocks in a row with no pauses. Derany, I want you to stay at the door on the inside, keep the door clear and knock when we've got Jack locked down. Alex, Harley, you two are going to get cuffs on Jack's hands as soon as possible. I'll try and hold him still and get the helmet on him." At this Bill took a deep breath, coughed, and sighed, turning once again to the receptionist and warden; "Could we borrow a set o' yer cuffs?" Bill received an answer before turning back; "Ok, everyone ready to go?"

 

[York]

When Bill asked him about the weapon Derany had he replies simply "It fires concentrated sources of energy." He preferred not to go into the details of this weapon as the small bits of accompanying memories aren't exactly pleasant...
Later on, after Bill asked if everyone was ready to go Derany remembered something about the amygdala being removed. It was involved in the process of feeling emotions, his creators had done so with past subjects to try and gain more control over them. Though they soon found out it made them much harder to control, they had sacrificed the subjects sanity for a boost in power. Those subjects tended to act based on instinct rather than thought having multiple outbursts of hostile behavior... It was as if in those not so sane moments the subjects had become animals... An image flashed before his eyes again, it appeared to be a lab, one that seemed to have been trashed, the bodies scientists, and even guards lay strewn around, he seemed to be standing in the room ready to fight something, the image was gone before he could figure out what it was though... He shook his head once more, he needed to focus, his past wouldn't help him now... Or would it?

 

[Tone 6th]

Alex listened as Bill read through the file "This is going to be one hell of an ordeal..... best not slip up now soldier." it was one of the few times he referred himself as a soldier. "Alex, that sword has to weigh a ton, and ye' can't use it in close quarters, perhaps you should leave it here?" He heard Bill suggest. "Not quite a ton but I reckon it is pretty heavy." The reception desk created underneath the weight of the sword as Alex handed it over. "It's been awhile sense the last time I was in hand to hand brawl..... I hope it doesn't come to that I don't want to knock the fella's head off." Alex said throwing a jab. Alex was not a huge stranger to abstract mentals the military academy taught him about every type of mental problem was they didn't teach him to counter act every type of mental. "John be ready with track 666." Alex instructed "Of course sir." John replied. Alex took off his helmet, untied his bandanna, and put the helmet back on. He grabbed Harley's shoulder and turned her toward him "Here at least take my bandanna it's lead laced so it might give you some protection think of it as an accessory." Alex patted her on the shoulder and walked past her "I can't lose you too Harley." he mumbled to himself. "Alright Bill I'm ready when you are!" Alex said enthusiastically.

 

[Silvir]

Sasha put the stuff on the counter. Smiling at Bill's comment.
-"Most of my stuff is easily made compact for comfortable transport"
she stated and mantled the gun taking out the bullet before putting it with the rest of her things. She was the last person to look into this crazy guys file. Shaking her head as Bill took it back. It was lucky she took the guarding post outside.
"Damn i hate handling the crazy ones." Her mood was going for the bitter ruined by this visit the final part being that file and what was written in it.
I needed she would fry his brain. This sort of mentals made her a bit edgy.

 

[Ritual Lobotomy]

Harley Rogue

The guy probably had to have it a rough time till now, Harley assumed. Jack's records were anything but convenient even in a slightest detail. interested in details, Harley didn't even mind Bill calling her one of the boys. Even when she thought about it, it was pretty much true and it was meant to be a compliment of blending in rather than a sexist comment. Besides, even often considered a stiff feminist, Harley only wanted full credits for her work. Bill's credits were just fine. "Aah, christ." Harley looked up at Bill. "The experimentation was on his brain. Someone took a slice out of it, poor fella. Had his amygdala removed, whatever that means." She smirked sarcastically. Knowing what it means was one of rare positive things of having a parent involved in resolving a shady business. She waited for him to finish. "And according to these reports, it boosted his power somehow. Made it more aggressive." She nodded being positive about it this time.

"Consider his 'brakes' being removed." She replied calmly to him. "More or less, we have a job considering completely unpredictable and aggressive mental, that probably has no idea where the hell is he and what the hell is he doing." Even so, she obeyed Bill's command till the end, getting rid of any weapon she had. The old man wanted them to help and she shall go with the flow, no matter how hard her guts screamed the other way around. "Harley, try not to use yer powers for this one. Pressure changes and small spaces don't gen'rally mix. Not that I need ta tell you that, I suppose." Bill referred to her and she nodded, crossing her arms. "Of course not. I am aware of it." She hesitated a bit before proceeding. "But if the situation is out of control at any moment, my powers combined with the closed up space will be the least of his problems. You have my word on that." Between the unknown experiment victim and a bunch of weird people that were the part of group that saved her sorry ass, she most certainly chose the second party.

Listening to Bill's orders she had wondered what else besides her persistence could possibly keep her connected to reality in that god forsaken place. One way or another she just had to work it out. "Alex, Harley, you two are going to get cuffs on Jack's hands as soon as possible. I'll try and hold him still and get the helmet on him." Bill finally said, and Harley gave Alex a short glance. Even though he knew how to drive her crazy, he was a skilled soldier and they might just make it work. She nodded briefly, approving the plan. It was the best they could do but it was still better than nothing. "Ready." She said.

Before she could protest about the hand on her shoulder, Alex turned her around to face him. It seemed like an easy deal for him. She was indeed light weighted and it was simply funny to see how easy it was to manipulate her body like that. "Here at least take my bandanna it's lead laced so it might give you some protection think of it as an accessory." Harley glared at the bandanna, then back at Alex. It still felt awkward thinking how she might mean a lot more to him than she previously thought. On the other hand, he just worried and she couldn't blame him for that at all. "Thanks, cowboy." She smirked, taking the bandanna. "Whatever makes ya happy." She could always take it off if it was a trouble. No harm done. While she was setting on the bandanna that didn't look that bad on her, Harley thought Alex referred to her. "Huh?" She turned to him, but he was already walking away and calling out to Bill. Only thing they needed now is Bill's order to go and get things done.​

 

[Windstormugly]

The warden looked at the group leaving their weapons and discussing how they would get Jack to come with them. It was a sound plan, regarding them having yet to experience the illusion around the poor boy. There was no telling what they might do when they were loosing their grip on reality, some got their bearings after only a moment, and some had been reduced to terrified apathy. Add to that the fact that Jack unknowingly tried to attack people that could be a threat. He would probably have to help them.

When they seemed ready to go a thought struck him, some of them were mentals. And cornered mentals acted rashly. He couldnt fathom the way they would behave around Jack, and his own reaction was no help as a reference.

"I have to check the other patients in that wing, and move those closest. I will join you when Im done, Jack is in room 3236, the third floor." The old man said, handing the key over to Bill before walking off towards the right wing. Thinging of how many patients he would have to move, and how to deal with the mentally impaired mentals suffering everything from night terrors to random hallucinations.

 

[PigIron]

Bill gave one last look over his team and let out a small huffing breath "Alright then. Lets go get Jack." Bill announced warily, as he handed a set of cuffs to Harley, before turning and walking down the corridor, drawing his oily grey coat closer to him.
The grey corridors melted into each other as the group weaved towards their destination, the last dregs of sunlight pouring through the windows and the distant yells of disturbed minds lending a surreal feeling to the place. They climbed a set of stairs to the third floor and, Eventually, as the group turned a corner, a stencilled paint sign on the wall came in to view, announcing to the group they had reached their destination.
MENTAL WING: 3000-3499
Bill sighed, wishing he could smoke, and pressed on. "Where's room 3236..." he muttered to himself, before turning to his group and quietly announcing "When we get there, I don't want any talking. Sasha, I want you to open the door for us on my count of three 3, and after we're all in I want you to lock the door after us." Bill handed her the keys with a nod "After that, everyone, good luck. It'll be a fight for your minds." Bill raised the helmet "Until we can get this on him and see if it doesn't get him a bit more stable."

3198...3212...
...
3236.
Bill raised a hand, one finger...
Two fingers...
Three Fingers.

Bill stormed in...
And then all hell broke loose.

 

[Silvir]

This place was really gloomy and the atmosphere made her want to take a shower. The faster they got out the better.
The woman silently accepted the key and as they reached the door placed her self on one side from the rest. That door would close fast that she would made sure.

Then Bill counted down. He reached three and Sasha ripped the door open. Watched them rush in and then slammed it shut. Locking it quickly and backing away from it. Leaning towards the wall. For a moment tense and silent. But quickly regained composure and crossed her arms.
If it wasn't Any of the folks that went in that knocked correctly to get out. She would have to go fetch some stun crackers. No way in hell would she take any risks with this thing.....

 

[Ai]

Jack Dealer

Lightning bellowed in the depths of the black void. Chattering into the darkness, it crept down the walls laughing at him. Emerging from sides to side large chains, sept out toward him, coiling around him like a snake. 'Schhhhh....' there's no way out. A hand reached out but it would not move past the constraint. Jack felt it pull down on him, letting out a groan, he struggled. "Jack....Jack....What have you done Jack." Unable to clutch his head he screamed, releasing pent up fury "AHHHHHHH" hues full of rage, he gazed down toward the chains that held him. I will not! Laughter echoed "Good boy!" it faded into back into the black hell.
​

Tap....Tap...Tap
​

Silence
​

Jack untangled himself from the chains that remained hanging, constricting around the space as if his body were still there. Scattered images of broken mirrors encased the walls; red liquid seeped from their seams as he looked up "My reflection." A figure smiled back at him, half rotten with an eye bulging from its head. Its cindered skin stuck against its' bones as, maggots crawled from the holes in its jaw. The other half innocent, but grinning wickedly as it starred back at him, Scary.
​

Tap....Tap...Tap
​

Jack turned.
​

Wide-eyed he starred at the approaching figures, drooling like a rabid animal at the smell of their flesh. The reaches of his lips widened, animalistic rage encompassing his face "The joke is on you!" the tone was soft, under his breath, he laughed, cocking his head back as he felt himself become empowered.​

______________________________________________________________________

​

Bill
​

A door slammed shut behind him...
​

For a split second the boy, Jack sat in front of him... reaching out with sad eyes.
​

Reality began to shift…
​

The Lights went out...
​

Silence....
​

Blood rose up through the floor as it encased Bill's body thick like sinking sand. A sweet, repulsive scent filled the air. Flesh idly floated about the space, ripped skin and bone bobbing around the thick liquid, leeching onto him. Piercing cries accompanied sounds of pain resounding through the space. Chains clinked from above, dangling the fresh bodies of old comrades, some, still alive.
​

From somewhere in the depths of the void, the tortured screams of a little girl reverberated off the tainted walls. A figure slowly began to fade into Bill's vision, walking toward him closer and closer; it was his mother. Eyes gazed lovingly toward him with the soft gentle loving smile that was so familiar "Help me, son" she pleaded, her voice hoarse, desperate. On an elevated platform sat a vicious presence, solemn and silent, watching, smiling, starring into Bills soul "Save me!" it mocked, booming a nefarious laugh. It cocked its head as it sneered down at him, hungry for human flesh. ​

________________________________________________________________________

Alex
A door slammed shut behind him...

For a split second the boy, Jack sat in front of him... reaching out with sad eyes.

Reality began to shift…

The Lights went out...

Silence....

Living membrane surrounded Alex as he stepped into the room, boots ankles deep into a thick floor of mucus; pungent aromas of bodily waste filling the air. Extending outward from the walls, corpses of his friends half alive and half decomposed pulled themselves forward, their milky eyes gazing down toward smiling with rancid lips. "Alex!" his fallen comrades all repeated his name "Save us! Be our saviour!" they cheered toward him. Leaning forward, ripping themselves from the wall; their decayed bodies tore themselves away, their flesh sundered as they fell to their deaths on by one, pirouetting and spinning into the abyss like actors in some horrible stage ballet. Putrid and vile, as the sickly sweet smell of puss and rotting flesh filled the air like a thick fog as it oozed out onto the floor.
From the dark of a long corridor of living tissue voice came... Harley

"Alex..." she called out to him in the distance "Where the fuck are you?" she sounded worried, almost angry. "Get away from me fucking clown!"
The sound of a clock...

Tick... Tick... Tick...

Toward the end of the corridor, it lie in wait for him... hooks carved into Harley's body tearing at her skin, peeling it from her flesh as the clown ripped her apart from every angle; whimpers of high pitched agony escaped her lips, entrails falling from her body in a hail of muted splats as the clown carved a knife into her skin.

Across the room his mother hung, disturbed mumbling falling from her dry, cracked lips "Alex?" her eyes glaze over reaching out from the pull of a bloody hook. "Having... fun , yet?" a malicious grin widened to the corner of its face, driving the dagger through the woman; groans of pain could be heard as he drove his dagger into the guts, spleen, heart, her eyeballs...all pouring sweet red liquid.



___________________________________________________________________________

Harley
A door slammed shut behind her...

For a split second the boy, Jack sat in front of her... reaching out with sad eyes.

Reality began to shift…

The Lights went out...

Silence....

For just a moment, an eerie silence filled the black space, faint cries coming closer and closer. Distant roars of explosions and cracks of shells could be heard on the wind. The voice of an old comrade from Harley's time with the Wolves crackled out of a nearby radio, "Harley!. come i-!" but was promptly cut off by the crack of an explosion and a burst of static. The radio lay there, calling to her but would not work. From within the darkness of the sneering black void a circle of mirrors encased her. A clown smiled over at her from the reflection of the mirror, its face half rotten, bulging with maggots that ate what was left of its coarse skin; starring wickedly into her eyes wide eyed and murderous before it evaporated into shadow.

"Harley!" a child's voice called. "Come play with me Harley!" replacing the clown and image of a sickly looking young boy in a white robe appeared behind her. Unspeaking, the boy reached out its hand, his eyes hollow like a bottomless pit as it pointed toward flashing images that spread across the mirrors; Images of Alex as one of her people. Helping to fight the war on her side valiantly fighting, about to kill the enemy general; But he didn't… he helped the man. The general patted Alex on the shoulder "You've done a good job Sergeant – make them believe I am dead. Make them believe that they have won." The man smiled up at him. "I'll promote you for this, PULL BACK!" the general screamed grinning up toward Alex.
"I see him" the boy spoke innocently. "I see his mind." Pointing back toward the mirror an image of Harley appeared, left behind to die by Alex; who smiled over at her with his 'cowboy charm' watching as she fell to her death. "Is this the fate you desire?" the young boy spoke softly "Is that the weakness you choose?"

Another image flickered across the mirror as before her, old comrades of hers were dying; her best friend signalling over toward her with a cheeky grin. "They will die…" the young boy looked up at her, head cocking toward her. "You can save them." The black hollowed eyes peered into her soul "Look…"the child pointed toward her friend "he trusts you."
The scene played out, a group of rookies not for from her friends, walking toward what was obviously a trap "You better hurry, they're going to die soon" the figure spoke calmly, like a ghost. "Just step through."

From the inner reaches of the mirror a wasteland of rotten corpses awaited Harely. Faces of her comrades looked down upon her, eyes red and gouged from knives, expression struck mouths drooling agape as sharp spear like objects lunged through throats, plunging them against the walls. Her best pal reaching toward her, hopeful as he ran out toward her "Harley!" he called from the distance, caught within the grips of the clown that cocked it's head as it looked over toward her with crazed eyes, a dagger pressed up against her friend's neck. "Why so… human " it laughed, voice shriveled and high pitch.
_______________________________________________________________________________________



Derany

A door slammed shut behind him...

For a split second the boy, Jack sat in front of him... reaching out with sad eyes.

Reality began to shift…

The Lights went out...

Silence....

Eyes watched down upon him, filling the black spaces they starred toward Derany; white and squelching as they drooped onto floor. Bloody liquid pouring from saggy white membrane covering the floor around him as hands of shadows reached up grabbing his legs, reaching up for him one after another trying to pull him down. Large silhouettes looked down upon him, evil and sinister; shuffling around the blackened walls, murmurs slipping under his skin like a vicious dagger "What a loser!", "Retard!" vindictive whispers danced across the cavern "Ignore him, he's a freak"
It placed a small toy pram in front of Derany and carefully slid a dagger into the decomposing corpse of a baby. The clown's crazed eyes continuing to follow the childlike object as it bobbed along, slowly drifting toward Derany. As it reached him, the clown slunk back, a frenzied cackle escaping its fetid lips as it melded into the shadows.

The sound of drums filled the air, like a hear beat Ba-boom, Ba-boom, Ba-boom.

Suddenly, the room lit up as; four towering braziers set aflame illuminating the enclosed space. Walls of thick rock surrounding them, the blood that should have cast a reflection left nothing but a shining red surface.

Before him, a young boy in white robe appeared; green eyes shining up at him in earnest. "I see you…" the voice was soft; but almost disconnected. Its eyes began to drip black blood as it starred toward him
"There are two monsters now" the child tilted is head, as the black blood dripped further down toward the floor.
Emerging from behind the child in dense colours of red and black an image began to form into a figure. Shaping elegantly into what appeared to be an exact copy of him. A vindictive laugh echoed throughout the cavern as the figure that stood behind the child spoke. It's features sharp, grinning toward Derany with a knife in its hand. "A rodent is what we were born as. As a rodent in a sewer of blood, a part of us will die."

The child stepped to the side, the other Derany circled him before lunging at him with dagger, preparing to slice the skin off his neck.
_______________________________________________________________________________________​

Reality​

Sitting from the back of a large white cell, Jack's head turned toward the door as it slowly began to drift open, he watched. Rising from his seated position against the wall as the party of people entered the room. Seeping from his mind, his power stretched out into the deepest corners of their subconscious bringing forward their utmost nightmares.
​

A blood crazed smile across Jack's face as he walked forward revealing two knives. One of which he put into Derany's. As the nightmare would lunge at him, the power would make his hand reach toward his neck; to carve into his own skin.
​

Caught within the depths of their nightmare, what was once a happy friendship would be transformed into a brutal fight as before Alex and Harley's eyes; Jack twisted their thoughts melding them into a wicked clown in the others eyes.
​

Walking toward Bill, Jack let the others be as he stood in front of him, hand extending toward the old man's throat, ready to tear at the flesh of his neck.​

 

[York]

The world Derany had once knew was gone in an instant, at first he saw Jack. Then the world just, changed... It couldn't be real, right? The room wasn't particularly hospitable to him, not to mention those voices, they sparked anger within him, but he recognized their tone to some degree... Why? He shook his head trying to clear it of all unnecessary thoughts once more, he needed to focus. However this time, the thoughts lingered, haunting him, the room was beginning to irritate him, that stupid clown too. The way it mocked him with every move it made, shoving a dagger inside that decomposing infants body and then moving the toy pram it lay in towards him like it was mocking him with it! His fists clenched from a mixture of anger, anger at himself, anger at the world, and frustration because he had landed himself in this stupid situation in the first place. As his "doppelganger" grew behind the boy in the white robe, it felt familiar to him... Why? It spoke before he was able to even guess; "A rodent is what we were born as. As a rodent in a sewer of blood, a part of us will die." Then it lunged at him with a surprising amount of speed, Derany attempted to duck out of the way, but he felt encumbered for some reason... Again the question popped up, why? He dodged the knife, sort-of, receiving a slash across his right cheek. He ignored the pain and tried to regain his composure. His mind still felt fuzzy but he realized that dagger in that rotting infant would come in handy just about as now... As much as it disturbed him, he'd have to retrieve it if he wanted at least a chance of surviving this. Trying to disconnect the feeling of the rancid flesh, organs, and bones he managed to grasp the dagger's handle and pulled it out with more effort than it should normally have required. His doppelganger was strong, probably as strong or even stronger than he was, but despite the fact Derany might be fighting a losing battle, he would rather die fighting this monster than let it kill him just like this... Shakily, he gripped the dagger, still dripping with blood as tightly as he could and directed all his anger into the attack, he lunged at his doppelganger with his bloody dagger with all his might hoping it would make a difference...

 

[Tone 6th]

"There he is--!" Alex shouted as he caught a quick glimpse of Jack, then everything went black. Alex came to when the smell of blood and rotting flesh stung his nose. "Where the fuck am I?" Alex's voice shook. Then the horrifying scene came into view. The mucus that covered the floor seeped into Alex's boots, the flesh toned walls pulsated, and demonic whispers could be heard. "Oh God." was the only thing Alex could whisper, then he looked higher on the walls and a sharp chill went up his spine. "Ahhhhhhh!" he screamed, horrified, as the corpses of his fallen brothers in arms screamed at him to save them. They began to peel from the walls and landing in the pool of puss Alex was standing in "THIS ISN'T FUCKING REAL!" he shouted in terror. One corp landed on top of Alex and hissed, its weight heavy and very real. This realization prompted Alex to frantically grab and throw the dead solider off of him "Get the fuck off of me!" He stumbled backwards and ran out of the area "This isn't real!" he repeated over and over. After running for what seemed like eternity Alex found himself in a long dark hallway. He heard a familiar voice "Alex..." is was Harley's voice. Alex looked around panicking and caught in the grip of confusion "Harley is that you? Where are you!" Harley's voice quickly became worried "Where the fuck are you?" "I'm right here! God Harley where are you!" he panicked realizing that she could be hurt. Confusion and panic turned to shock and horror as he made out a figure at the end of the hallway. Alex gasped and fell to his knees as he saw Harley's mangled body "HARLEY!" he cried. Alex began to sob as he reached out for her "Oh god Harley w.... what did they do to you?" Then Alex watched in terror as she was cut open her cries rang in his ears. A clown appeared in front of her with a sick grin on his face. Sadness turned to pain and pain into anger "You mother fucker!" Alex screamed behind gritted teeth. He got up and began to charge at the clown only to be stopped dead in his tracks by another voice. "Alex?" her voice was horse but he knew who it was and the thought of her in the twisted place almost made him vomit "M... mom?" There his mother hung from a hook half decaying. Then the clown spoke up "Having... fun, yet?" he said with a twisted grin on his face. The clown tore through what was left of his mother her groans burnt into his brain. Alex's anger turned to white hot blind rage "AHHHHHHH!" he roared charging at the clown. "AHHHHHH!" Alex went from an upper cut straight to the gut aiming to punch right threw the bastard who killed the two people he loved.

 

[Ritual Lobotomy]

Harley Rogue

Alex shouted like a madman, and Harley rolled her eyes giving him the "No shit Sherlock" face, just the moment before it all went downhill. The doors shut violently. Louder than they should and it was none of them. Instantly her mind alerted her and her body turned around to face the doors. She frowned and growled. "Casual talk my ass! I told you shit is going to happen Bill!" Silence. "Bill?" Harley turned around facing the darkness. "What the..." She looked around realising that suddenly no one was there. She supposed to be a reasonable one and yet there was something in all that, that made her want to scream. "If you do believe this is funny then you are all bigger idiots than I thought!" No answer. Why she ever thought they played such silly tricks on her was beyond her. "Oh you gotta be shitting me!" She growled frustrated. There is no way something like a poor made illusion could happen to her. Or so she thought. As she proceeded further into the unknown, incoming sounds made her freeze for a moment, listening carefully. "Hitting close to home, are we?" She said smiling insecurely to no one in particular. If she was about to loose her mind, she hopped the bastard would do one hell of a job.

She forced herself to move again, walking straight towards the sound source. A mental image came to her mind. Blood, death and deafening sounds. Just like before. With a heavy hearted sigh, Harley approached the radio and glared at it while it desperately called with painfully familiar voice of the ghost. "You're dead." She mumbled smiling lightly but for no reason at all. Gulping, she repeated. "You're dead, Jason. You're dead buddy. You're all d..." Heavy, long forgotten burden smothered her again after all that time. Taking a moment to soak it in, she referred to the darkness around her, mumbling. "It was my fault and I live with that every day. Do better!" Growling, she stepped on the radio with all of her strength as the image changed into the circle of mirrors. Whether it was real or not, her entire, already bruised leg, hurt like hell. Clowns smile irritated her more. "You're a coward..."

"Harley!" The innocence in the voice made her jerk. "Come play with me Harley!" The clown disappeared and now she was glaring at the boy, genuinely shocked and kicked out of her mental pace that kept her more or less aware of the truth. Only think she could think about was simple. "I...I can't... I can't hurt a kid..." What if they all lied? What if he was only a scared boy, wanting to go home for so long. He was the real victim, all was forgiven. He was none to blame. Occupied with the thought, Harley never felt the pain of slipping into the madness until she was already there. Her smile didn't disappear even when the boy's dead black eyes glared at her. It was ok, she could fix it. She fixed anything. Anything but herself. She was a mess and there was no help for it. Before she could reply, the boy pointed towards the scene in the mirror. The anger was back, stronger than before.

She didn't know what she was more ashamed of; the fact that she once more put her trust into a complete stranger, or that she memorised his face so good that she would recognise him anywhere. Acting like a crushed schoolgirl wasn't something she though she would ever allow herself. Not like that. "Pathetic... I am worse than him... I'm...such an idiot..." She spoke, clenching her fists, as her body stiffened. "You've done a good job Sergeant – make them believe I am dead. Make them believe that they have won." The feeling of betrayal and unexplainable sadness reminded her once more why she became the way she was. Cold hearted, always aside, never feeling anything after what happened to Wolves because of her blindness. "I'll promote you for this, PULL BACK!" The sound echoed through her head. "Why? Why would he do such thing. He...he's not like that..." But what did she know. Someone gaining her trust for such a short period of time was painfully low for her. "He..."

"I see him" the boy spoke innocently. "I see his mind." But it was pointless for the boy to force her to look further. She never looked away at all. There it was, his perfectly even and irresistible smile, the one that she would never admit she liked so much. Maybe it was a good thing. She would have felt like even a bigger fool. If it was even possible at all. Shamefully, she thought that the cowboy's smile was all she needed even when he smiled to her dying face. Somehow she was at ease. "Is this the fate you desire?" the young boy spoke softly "Is that the weakness you choose?" Instead of replying, Harley took of the bandana, and thrown it at the mirror. It did nothing, but she felt better. If there was ever such a thing. "I hate you..." She growled under breath towards the mirrored picture of Alex. "I hate you so much..." And she would give anything at that point to actually believe it. More images, more memories hitting close to home as she felt her lungs shrinking and suffocating her. Death and long lost friends. All that she ever regretted. "They will die…" the young boy looked up at her, head cocking toward her. "You can save them." Harley returned the gaze that was now dim and tired. "How?" The boy's dead eyes hypnotized her and she couldn't look away, feeling the sickness in her stomach, until he pointed out to the mirror. "Look…"the child pointed toward her friend "he trusts you." Harley shook her head insecurely. "N-no. He's gone! They're all gone!"

"You better hurry, they're going to die soon" She shook her head aggressively. "Not again...no..." She approached the mirror. "Just step through." Harley hesitated. Unexpectedly, she yelped lightly as the clown grabbed the young man, glaring at her. Her head felt like it was about to explode and all the pulsing was unbearable. A few tears streamed down her face as the pressure in her body was rising. "Why so… human " The freak asked, and his words were followed by a distant yelling of the familiar voice that didn't belong to anyone around there and it seemed like simply another illusion. Harley grabbed her head and squatted as her nose started to bleed. "Shut up, shut up, shut up... L-let him go. I'll...I'll do anything." Indeed, she would make all better. Her powers snapped out and some kind of metal broke in the distance, foggy and unclear sound. Sighing, she panted lightly as the pain grew in intensity. She missed the clown and growled before barely getting up and wiping the blood from her nose. "I'll make you wish you were never born." The clown charged madly at her, aiming at her gut. "Crap." As she managed to focus in the last moment, she pulled aside and turned, slamming her hand against the back side of clown's rotten neck mad and frustrated. She refused to give up and to die that way. Whatever it takes. The numbness of her arm after the hit felt completely real as the firmness of freaks neck was way stronger than she expected. After everything, the pain made her smile daringly even though tears were still there. "Not bad for a maggot buffet."
​

 

[Tone 6th]

The clown narrowly dodged Alex's punch and managed to strike his neck causing Alex to go down to one knee. His vision blurred Alex took a moment to collect himself "I will end you for what you have done!" he whispered. Alex stood back up and took a deep breath, the smell of flesh made him cough a little, then got into a battle stance. With a quick movement Alex grabbed the clown by the hair with his augmented arm and slammed his crooked smiling face into his knee. Alex caught a glimpse of the now lifeless Harley and the anger spurned inside of him "YOU FUCKING TOOK HER FROM ME!... you fucking took her." Alex had a mixture of anger and sadness in voice. The clown just smiled back with a stream of blood going pouring down his face. Alex pointed "You're going to die, real or not you're going to die." he brought his leg back to kick the dead clown in the ribs.

 

[PigIron]

Bill's gaze narrowed, and the old man took a gasping breath before the rising gore got above his mouth. bits of bones and guts bobbed away as Bill thrashed around for a moment, but quickly grew still. There was a... weight, on his mind. He remembered his father, all those years ago, telling him something about this weight...

Bill's thoughts were cut off as men and women he had fought with were lowered down from the ceiling, hooked like dead meat onto swaying chains. In the real world, Bill toppled over into a sitting position.
They were all so strong when Bill knew them. There was his old CO, who saved Bill from a hulk-like super-strength mental by dropping a city block on them. Behind him swung an ex-squadmate, her hair hanging in clumps of gore, covered in blood squirting from the hook embedded in her neck. And here, crying and clawing at the hook holding her, hung Bill's mother.
"Help me, son." she keened.
"Save me!" mocked the boy on his pedestal. It was odd, but the boy didn't seem to just be mocking him. There was a tone of almost-hidden sincerity, as if the boy really did need saving.

Bill closed his eyes as tears streamed down his face. This was horrifying, this was unnatural, but more important, there was something pressing down on his mind, a weight, that somehow bothered him even more. There was something his father had told him, all those years ago...

A thirteen year old boy, Bill huffed as he walked beside his father, a pail of water hanging in each hand "But how many, -huff- mentals are there, -huff-, dad?" He said, His father, faring better with his substantially fuller buckets, smiled; "as many as there are normal people at this point, I'm willing to bet. But they're not all the same, you know. They're just like normals: all of them unique." Bill's little brow furrowed, "So they aren't all super smart and strong like you? what other powers could anyone want..." Bill said, his arms aching with the weight of the water; his father had a little chuckle; "Mentals don't choose their powers, William, they are born with them." Bill's eyes widened "R-really? How many different powers are there?" Bill's father looked over the wasteland to the mobile home his family was shacked up in; "All mentals are different, William, so I suppose you could say there are as many powers as there are mentals." Bill's father smiled at his son as they reached the vehicle and put the buckets down, dusting off his hands "Alright, kiddo, I'll fill up the purifier. Go tell your mother we're back. She might have a birthday present for you if you're lucky." Bill let out a happy little noise and ran to the RV door, yanking it open.

A year later, and Bill was a little older, a little more rebellious, but still looked up to his mother and father. They were driving away from a small battle-torn settlement. Bill's mother and father were chatting as Bill sat at a small table in the back and fiddled with the circuit board of an old games console he had got for his birthday a year before. "I think we could have got more gasoline out of them, John." Bill's mother said, eyes sweeping across the rolling hills of the wilderness of what use to be Chicago. Bill's father nodded "We could have if we had bartered, but that fella was an abstract. Saw it in his eyes." Bill looked up from his ministrations and cocked an eyebrow "Abstract? Is that another mental classification?" Bill's father looked back at his son, doing a double take at the games console that now looked like and exploded diagram on the camper-van's table. Bill's mother shrugged "We know their tricks. We could have him chasing his tail if we wanted to." Bill's father paused, "Yes, but we didn't. And that's why we're better people than half the population of this wasteland, hun." Bill's father stood, kissing his wife on the top of the head and giving her shoulder a squeeze as he climbed into the back and sat down across from Bill "That man was what we call an External Abstract mental" Bill's father explained, enunciating the classification clearly as he began to help Bill put his game console back together, "Do you remember what external means?" Bill thought for a moment as he fiddled with a screw on the board "Uuh, it's a mental that can effect someone else, right?" Bill's father shrugged "Close. It's a mental that can manifest their ability outside their body. A mental that can move things with their mind, for example." Bill nodded. "Alright, so. Abstracts." Bill's father said with a tone of finality "Abstracts are mentals that can affect the minds of themselves or others. Some excel at reading minds, while others can make you think you can see something that you actually can't." Bill's father raised his eyebrows as he watched Bill put the last plastic cover of the games console together and it stood up and started to walk about; on legs from a robot toy Bill had got at the settlement they had just left. "Mentals that can make you see what they want you to see are called illusionists, and William, it is incredibly important that you have complete control of yourself around them. I think it's time I taught you how to recognise illusions and take fine control of your own mind."


Bill opened his eyes, tears streaming down his face, his beard a sodden mess. He looked up at his mother, hanging limply in front of him, and sighed. "She was a lot of things, my mam." Bill said, smiling as he remembered her, "But powerless wasn't one of 'em."
Bill began to walk through the blood and gore as it receded. In the real world, Bill's gaze fixed on Jack.
In the padded cell of reality, Bill stood shakily to his feet, swaying a little.

Bill was lucid now. He was aware of the illusion, which took a little power away from it. Bill climbed the Dais and stood in front of the boy, his friends and family hanging still, but ignored as best as Bill could.

"Ever wondered if everything you've ever seen is an illusion? Ever wished that all you could see was a lie?" Bill said, inside the illusion.
On closer inspection the child on the throne was not simply sat. He was locked in place by almost-invisible chains.
"You poor lad..." Bill said, even as in the real world Jack reached for his neck.
"You've got people here that can help you, Jack. We're here t'give you a chance."
Bill raised his left hand in the illusion and placed it on the bound boy's shoulder.
In real life, Bill raised a shaky hand, and it wrapped around the wrist of the arm reaching for his throat.
Then simultaneously in that gore filled illusion and in the padded cell of reality Bill said, shakily; "Fight it, Jack. For the first time, the game isn't stacked against you. We're here to help and all you need to do is trust us. Trust us, and..."
Bill paused, and, slowly, ever so slowly, Bill raised the power-limiting helmet in both reality and illusion, so jack could see it. In the illusion it was clean despite being through a river of gore, it was strong despite being in the illusion of another person, it was a static point in this world that bled and shifted like an oil painting. a Medieval helm, covered in studs and plates;
"Put this on."

 

[Ritual Lobotomy]

Harley Rogue

A bit shocked, Harley watched as the clown straightened up slowly. His obviously bad condition made it more disturbing. It wasn't the fact that he managed to cope with the strong blow she treated him with, but his ridiculously high endurance that made her freeze. Was it even possible for a corpse not to fall apart by even moving a muscle? Occupied with surviving, her brain was just aware enough to realise the absurdity of the situation. "What the hell are you?" She growled as she turned to strike again. Her body violently jerked back and she felt the painful tension when the clown grabbed her long dark hair. All the things she did to respect mother's wish. Keeping her hair on the length it was on, was equal to suicide. It was at that point that it might cost her dearly.

The grip was too strong and once more it made no sense. No matter how hard she tried, there was no way for her to avoid the collision with clown's knee. As she jerked her head back, the hit ended up between her eyes, it's force almost completely knocking her down. Harley's brain went into the confused state as the dozen of colours flew around and her sense of smell numbed temporarily. Still, she could sense and feel streams of blood flowing down to her lips and into her throat. Disoriented, she smirked as she tried to focus. "J-Jinx had worse, asshole." She was more than convinced he was mocking her once he started to chuckle as he held her by the hair and squeezed it, making it almost impossible to concentrate. "Come on!" Harley shouted frustrated when her nitrokinetic ability refused to listen. "Come ON!"

In the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of approaching leg that aimed to shatter her for good. If his low kicks were as strong as his fists, it won't be too long before her lungs would bath in blood and she would suffocate. Neither nice nor a heroic way to go. Harley wouldn't wait to find out. Piece of her power managed to break through the pain and affect her attacker just as his leg almost touched her side. Going easy wasn't exactly what she planned, but then again the situation was far from ideal. She took what she was given, holding strongly to any chance she had. "Not like this you won't!"

The pressure increased and forced clown's muscles into a severe spasm as their function was blocked, sending the bastard to the ground. When he was down, Harley zig-zagged around like a drunk and kicked the clown in his torso few times before she fell feeling dizzy. Even then, she managed to sit on top of the freak and treat him with series of fists. "Leave me alone!" She shouted angrily as she aimed for the neck, attempting to break it with her blows. Her fists hurt, but she was persistent, running away from the shameful death as she once promised to herself. "Not today!"​

 

[Tone 6th]

Alex felt his muscles explode just before his kick connected and was sent tumbling to the ground. "So of a!" he rolled around on the ground holding his leg. Alex's let quickly became the least of his problems as the clown closed the distance and gave him a series of strong kicks to his mid section, smiling the whole time. Alex vomited a little bit of blood before the crazed clown go on top of him and started beating his face in. How could a half decomposed corps have this much power! Alex raised his hands to defend but he could keep it up forever.... was this the end? He turned his head and his eyes fell upon his mutilated mothers corps and his flames of rage reignited. Alex's breathing became heavier and heavier the site of his mother was burned into his memory. He wiggled underneath the clown to try and get free, he was.... surprisingly light weight. He managed to get a leg free and planted it in the chest of the clown. "Get off of me!" he roared and swiftly threw the lunatic off of him, sending him backwards. The clown landed on his back with a loud thud. Alex, dazed and bloodied, rose to his feet and staggered over to the writhing body on the floor in front of him. "Here..... l let me return... the favor." Alex sat on the clowns pelvis, firmly planted his augmented arm on the clowns chest (so he couldn't get up), and with his other hand back handed the clown across the face. Alex got leaned over to the rotting clowns ear and, in a menacing voice, whispered "How much pain can you take before something breaks?" The clown only stared back laughing to himself. Alex spat a mixture of blood and mucus in his face, then slapped him across the face again. He reared his fist back as much as he could and let it come down in full force hitting the clown square in the face, but the clown just kept laughing to himself. This jointed Alex into a frenzy of full force punches, 1 more to the face and 2 to the chest. He watched the clown spit up blood, but after one more punch to the chest something didn't feel right about this. Alex couldn't help but shake the feeling that something was wrong about this picture, but his anger made that feeling insignificant.

John couldn't help but watch on as his master destroyed the woman he fell in love with. "Alex stop this you'll kill her!" John yelled as loud as his volume control would let him. There was nothing he could do..... navigation AI's were not meant for combat. "Alex stop!" the robot pleaded an odd sense of sadness could be heard coming from him. Before another blow could be struck John jumped in front of Alex's fist and took the blow saving Harley. "Alex!" John's voice was warped and a huge dent left where the fist was. John focused on Bill "Bill you have to hurry!" John sounded genuinely afraid.

 

[Ai]

Jack
Grumbles of cracking thunder echoed throughout the illusions as the floor beneath the mentals began to crack into a black abyss that pulled at them, sucking them in like a black hole as they all fell deeper and deeper into darkness. Deeper in the depths of Jack's bottomless hell, it eventually led to a hard, cold gave floor. Not far away from the opening, an iron cage.
​

From the inside of an iron barred cell, soft whimpering of a child could be heard as Jack rocked back and forward "there's no way out, there will never be a way out!" he spoke in a hoarse voice "No, This man will help us!" a younger voice this time
​

"Who would want to help you? You're a thief....murderer!"
​

"Not listening"
​

Echoes of menacing laughter echoed from the halls of the room, followed by soft crying. "Jack, don't cry jack." The movement of chains could be heard from the cell as Jack backed away.
​

"Go Away!" he screamed.
​

"What did you say? we're alive because of me Jack, you don't have to do anything because of me!" it screamed at him with a growl.

"I don't need you..." the boy sobbed.

"What!" the hoarse voice growled.
​

Suddenly another voice came from outside of the cell as bill faded into his view, Jack looking out upon him from within iron bars. A look joy passing over his face, as he took in the features of the old man. For the first time since before he could remember, somebody else was here… somebody who wasn't the clown. Reaching from the iron bars, he cocked his head at the gift that the stranger gave him, unsure of whether to trust it.
​

Eyes flashing a sudden gold, a growl escaped his lips as the boy sunk back into the darkness.
​

"What is it?" the hoarse voice sneered.
​

"It looks like a hockey cap! I always wanted one of these."
​

Putting it on, the cap tightened onto his head a cry of the clown shrieked from Jack's lips "NOOOOOO! What have you done?"
​

The Dream world began to crack…
​

Reality revealing itself once again…
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reality​

Jacks hand pulled away as he starred at bill wide eyed as he let go of the old man's neck. Backing away slowly, the boy shook his head. The words of his nightmares escaping his mouth as he shook his head at him as the old man presented him with a gift.
​

Cocking his head, jack starred toward him; eyes glazed as he let out a hand toward the helmet. Grabbing it quickly into his own, he looked down at it, cautiously inspecting it. Upon reaching Jack's head, everything suddenly started to become clearer. Right before bill's eyes, the boy's shoulders relaxed a little, alongside his thoughts; he stood, baffled about how to react to the new phenomenon.​