RP- The Day After

After what seems like hours Femke groans and tries to shift herself into a better position. As her surroundings come into focus, she nearly lets out a scream when she is met by a pair of bright blue eyes only inches from her face. A small hand shot up and covered her mouth preventing her from making noise. It took but a moment and then Femke realized that it was the girl from the crowd. The girl slowly removed her hand and Femke let out a breath of relief
"I noticed you in the crowd." Femke whispered. "Your not like the others are you?"
The girl shook her head and then quickly got to work untying the ropes binding Femke. With much relief Femke stretched her arms and legs and quickly crawled from the cage and stood up. The girl exited behind her and handed her her stuff.
"Where are the others?" Femke asked. "Where are their things?"
The petite girl gestured for Femke to follow her and then skittered off towards the others. Femke followed hastily, taking care not to make noise as she went. The girl handed her a set of keys and a bundle of things which revealed to be rations and survival equipment including a small shovel. The girl went to disappear back to the rest of the clan when Femke stopped her.
"Wait, why are you doing this?" Femke asked. "Why are you helping us?"
The small girl held up a sign, They're wrong. Cure.
"There's a cure?" Femke exclaimed. "Where is it?"
The girl shrugged her shoulders and held up another sign New York
"So the cure's somewhere in the city.." she muttered to herself more then anyone else. The girl began to walk away when Femke motioned to stop her again. "Wait, you should come with us. Escape this hellhole."
The girl shook her head and rolled up a sleeve. Femke looked and a sadness swept over her. There was a puncture wound in her arm and the surrounding skin had turned black. She's sick.... The girl disappeared and Femke whispered a thanks after her. Hope that the disease takes her before they do...

Darkness.

He heard the cry.

His sons cry of pain.

His own out of grief.

Past the crowed of surgeons, nurses, doctors, and the dieing he could spot his son reaching out to him, weeping blood, a look of panic and sheer torture upon the seven year old boys face. His hair messy and clotted with gore gave no sentiment to how innocent he truly was.
Not five days ago the boy was given a clean bill of health after battling cancer for over two years and had almost immediately been kept in due to a fast acting and sudden deadly disease.

Darkness.

“Take what they have then slaughter them” said the leader of the Raider squad as he turned away from the group of the kneeling, helpless refugees of women and men.

He had the leader in his sights. Staring down the barrel of his TOZ-34 and readied to squeeze the trigger. Demitri inhaled and exhaled with control and when he felt comfortable with his shot he went for it. An explosion of sound erupted from the gun and the slug flew. The recoil of the high powered rifle did nothing to hide the sight of the explosion of blood and brain where his head used to be. The raiders scrambled about yelling and screaming in surprise and anger. They could not see Demitri in the shadows of a tall building across the way. Another went down as a good sized hole was made through his abdomen. Two down three more to go. As Demitri moved to a better position he reloaded the two shot rifle with two fresh slugs.

BLAM, BLAM. Another two down this time both with no neck.

The remaining raider panicked and began firing sporadic shots with his pistol out into empty air.

BLAM. Demitri witnessed the raider’s left shoulder disappear in a shower of blood.

The group of refugees only glanced in startled surprise as Demitri walked into the open revealing his smoking rifle cradled in his arms. He waved them to follow him.

That was three days ago. He had led them to a bar by the name of The Rusty Nail Pub which its owner was generous enough to shelter them. Demitri owed the man much for he himself had been in need of provisions, and the owner had given him exactly what he needed. "CLEAR A SPACE NOW! SOMEBODY GET THE FIRST AID KIT!” the booming voice caused his head to rise and look in the direction of the man who had uttered the words.

A moment passed as he and another man who was a surgeon exchanged words. Demitri saw the owner move towards the exit and before he could give any thought to the action he rose and began to follow him out the reinforced doors.

Daylight rose and the brown haired female yawned as she sat up in her make shift bed. She rubbed the sleep from her bright green eyes and looked around. Where was she again? Oh right, one of those abandoned buildings here in New york. She pushed her self out of the dirty tub that was serving as her bed. A yawn left her lips and she picked up her black duster. She slipped her arms into the sleeves and put it back on. It was always a pain in the butt to sleep with it on. She cracked her knuckles and then her neck. Sleeping in a tub always left her feeling a bit stiff so she took a few moments to loosen up. She was oddly calm considering that the world was in shambles and all around her people were killing each other, dying of the disease or robbing each other. She pulled her brown hair back into a pony tail and kicked some chunks of drywall out of her walk path. Her combat boots lightly scraping against the floor. She left the bathroom of the home and moved through the hallway. Her head turning this way and that as she listened for sounds of danger.

Was she scared? Hardly. After everything she had been through it wasn't a big deal. This was all routine and it got a bit boring. Finally she made it to the front door of the empty home and pulled it open. One arm slipped out of the sleeve of her duster and opened the inside pockets in case she would need them. The world had always been dangerous but it seemed as of late it had become worse. With a sigh, Silk stepped out into the sun. She put her orange shades on and looked around the area. Buildings were crumbling, the road was covered in debris and cars were crashed into each other and what ever else stood in the way. People lay dead on the street and Silk stepped over one of the bodies. So, Silky-chicky what should we get for breakfast? Silk thought to her self. She noticed movement down the street. A group of men were running with some crates. Her lips curled into a smirk and she looked at her shirt. It was a nice dark blue t-shirt, round collar and tight fitting. She got an idea. She took out one of her knives and cut the top in a few places. It now looked like she had been beaten up and her shirt had been torn. She put a bit of dirt on her face to make it look like she had been in some sort of a scuffle. After she was finished she slowly made her way towards the crate carrying men. Her face softened to that of a fearful woman as she hobbled towards them as if she were fleeing from someone.

"Help! Oh god help me! He's after me!"

She cried out to the men. They stopped, a few pulled out weapons but lowered them noticing it was just a fearful woman. She clung tightly to one gasping for breath and shaking uncontrollably. He looked in disgust down at her but eventually his hand found its way to her shoulder and gave her a gentle pat. "There there, what is the problem miss? Who is after you?" The other men lowered the crates and she glanced fearfully from one face to the other. She drew in a shaky breath. Was she being a bit dramatic? Totally but they were buying it.

"M-my husband. H-he is sick and I... I was taking care of him but then h-he... "

They stared at her and then looked around as she began to cry softly into the lead male's shoulder. The tears were fake of course but they were trusting this weak looking female. "Miss, if you would like... you can come with us." Silk lifted her head to look at them. She sniffled and looked back as if she expected this fake husband she had invented to come from around the corner. She nodded softly to the men and once again they were all on the move. She had plans. Big ones. These males were armed, they had crates full of supplies and most likely a place where she could clean up and find a new shirt and pants. So, she'd use them till she got everything she wanted. It was a ways walk to their shelter and from what she saw they were raiders. Shortly after she arrived another group of males busted in to the shelter. They were loud and brutish. A little girl was with them crying for her mother and shaking. She was thrown to the ground by one of the males and Silk's eyes narrowed in anger. The girl sobbed and scrambled out of the way of a swing that one of the males took at her. "Ah shuddup! You stupid li-" "Enough!" The man who had taken pity on Silk spoke up. Silk, moved her self towards the young girl as it seemed the other women in the shelter were treating the child as if she had the disease. Silk gently held the sobbing child. Her eyes remained on the men who had brought the child in. After some shouting and arguing between the leader and the man who almost struck the child, the shelter grew quiet. Silk could hear the rain as she was told to help herself and the child get cleaned up. The young girl was scared but seemed to be less so with Silk looking after her. It was only a couple hours since they had met but the young girl told Silk everything.

She told her about how her mother had been raped and then shot by the barbarians who had taken her. Silk felt a large amount of rage well up inside her. Yea, she was cleaning these jerks out and going to make them pay. She'd look after the child her self. She couldn't leave her alone in this crazy world. Silk smiled at the girl and finished cleaning her up only to find one more reason to kill the men who had taken the girl captive. They had left several bruises and raped her as well. Her eye twitched as she bit down on her tongue. She was literally biting back her rage this moment.

"Don't worry sweety, You and I are going to get out of here."

Silk said softly to the child. Who didn't really believe in this strange woman but nodded anyway. After she made sure the girl and her were fed, she slipped some things away in the pockets of her large black duster. One of the males who had taken the girl noticed the duster and decided he wanted it. He walked over smugly and snatched it from her. Now... Silk was content on letting them live till night fall but this was too much. No one touched her duster. She asked politely to have it returned but the man just laughed at her. The young girl whined with fear behind her and Silk let out an annoyed sigh.

"Fine, we will do it your way."

She spoke as her green eyes lit up with anger. Her fist pulled back and slammed into the man's face. She caught him off guard and he let go of the duster. Silk grabbed it and quickly slipped it on. If the male wanted the duster he'd have to kill her for it and she wasn't in the mood to die yet. The man let loose a stream of swears and people turned their attention to the commotion. The man lunged at her and people began shouting about the fight. Silk dodged easily and bent over unstrapping the wrench from her calf in a quick motion. When she stood up straight once again the man charged and his face was met with the face of the wrench. A sickening crack was heard as the man crumpled to the floor clutching his now broken jaw. He screamed in pain and the little girl looked wide eyed up at Silk. A slender hand reached up and pushed the hair from her face.

"Who is next."

She smirked wickedly as a few males charged her way. Could she take them on? Who knows. Silk certainly believed she could.

As the Preacher turned away, Markus saw the chain from his Grandfathers pocket watch on his belt. you've just made it more personal then you can even imagine he thought.
Markus did not resist his captors and the marched him down the hall way. Instead, he set him mind to work, memorizing the route they took him and the path the Preacher took. he formalized his plans in his mind. Then, grinning so maliciously that it unnerved anyone that past them in the halls, he visualized what he would do to the man.

They throw him into a large metal cage, and bolted it shut, then locked it with a padlock.
I could pick that, child's play He started laughing. it started quietly, as a chuckle, then it grew into a malevolent crescendo. The two men stared at him in horror, all fears confirmed, that these people were the Spawn of the Devil. The turn and ran as fast as the could fighting each other at the door in their hurry to get out of ear shot of the laughing lunatic.

after they had gone he slowly stopped, then pulled his legs up so he could get his hands in front of him. he quickly to stock of his supplies at hand, his gun, ammo, combat knife, and, most importantly, his pocket watch were gone. how even they had missed his garroting wire that was concealed in the cuff of his coat, and the very tiny knife in his boot. eagerly he slipped it out and started cutting the ropes the bound him.

so what ya gunna do? Kiadi lifts his arms pops out his shoulders and pops them back in infront of him "im not sure" he looks around "Ive got nothing" oh what a great merc you are dont you remeber the scouts motto "ya ya be prepared....hmm" sudden Kiadis stomach growls rawr to you too "HEY CAN I ATLEAST GET A LAST MEAL OR SOMETHING HEY IM HUNGRY WHERES SOME HOSPITALITY HERE COME ON" oh ya thats gunna work

Femke rushed over to Kiadi's cage and opened it with a small creak. She was quickly in there and cutting away his bonds. She looked in his eyes with concern and then gave him a swift smack up side the head.
"Shut up you dumbass." she whispered harshly. "Before you get us all killed."
She removed her stuff from the gear pile and handed him his and Markus's gear. Femke then clambered out of his cage and over to Markus's. Unlocking it quickly she then tucked the set of keys into her pocket. Footsteps were heard down the hall and Femke stepped into the shadows, disappearing without a trace into the darkness. When the footsteps faded again she stepped back into the light and turned to the two men.
"Come on let's blow this popsicle stand before those nutters come back."

No, get away from me. No more tests. No more needles! Please we were friends...
"Shut up." Jak mumbles in his sleep.
Stop it! What do you want from me? It hurts!
"Shut. Up." Jak says a little louder.
It burns! Holy shit it burns! Stop it please! IthurtsitburnsITHURTSITBURNS!
Jak throws himself forward from the bed screaming. "SHUT UP!!!" He grabs part of the headboard and throws it through a window bellowing. "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!"[i] and then stands silently, looking around him. Listening for his companions. Naught but silence. He goes to the lobby. Jak looks around in the echoing silence, and feels a twinge of emptiness in his chest. "I'm... alone?" When he suddenly hears a click. Two figures coming out of a hidden door in the next hall freeze, clearly not expecting to have been seen. They make a yell and make a move toward Jak, met with instant, ferocious opposition. Jak's right fist comes up and connects with the shorter one's chin, knocking him back, directly followed by his left hand grabbing the man's lower jaw. Grabbing his head with his right hand, Jak pulls hard, resulting in a sickening snap, as tendon strains and breaks from bone. The man screams, choking, his tongue hanging oddly from the hole where his mouth was. The jaw raises up, and connects with his temple, felling the man, cutting his gargling scream short. The jaw comes up again, and strikes again. The taller one bellows out loud. "Jacob!" The blows reach a disturbing rhythm, making a crack, crack, crack noise. The man turns, heading down his secret passageway, panic making him forget to close it behind him, screaming between sobs. "DEMON! By the lord above, A demon sent by the devil hisself has kil't my brother!" At this, Jak stands up from the shattered mess that was the short man's head, and walks calmly into the passage, Jaw still clutched tightly into his left hand, the teeth cutting through bandage and drawing blood. Jak calmly, evenly walks down the path in slow pursuit.

werrery you really gotta stop gettin hit in the head thats really buggin me "your tellin me" Kiadi grabs his stuff from Femke "thanks" he looks through the kit putting everything where it belongs "DAMN they didnt grab my jacket ill have to get a knew one" Kiadi grabs his pistol and follows Femke "ok lets go"

"Go on ahead if you want. I have a watch to get back. And sweet revenge to taste." He took the rest of his stuff from Kiadi and walks back the way he came from. Attaching the Silencer to the glock as he went.

Femke watched the man for a moment and then stepped forward and caught his arm.
"Hey." She said. "We'll meet you in the lobby. Don't take too long."
After this Femke grabbed for Kiadi's hand and ran back the way they came. She stopped short when a man ran by screaming about a demon and then kept going, blonde tresses flowing behind her.

Femke grabs Kiadis hand and starts running oooh soft suddenly a man runs by, Kiadi points his deagle at him till he hears him scream about a demon "must be runcible I hope thats runcible" he continues to follow Femke "do you know where to go?"

Femke ran down the path, trying to remember the way back. Her mind was hazy on the way down the tunnel as she had fought to keep conscious. She stopped for a moment at a fork and was about to say she got them lost when she felt a slight breeze and the refreshing scent of fresh air was wafted down the corridor. She followed this path and soon found that she was ascending a flight of stairs, light filling the doorway back to surface above. She burst out into the hall and ran into Runcible in doing so. She fell backwards, her balance not quite what it used to be.

Stumbling back from the person who had run into him from the darkness, Jak glares down, only to have his face soften, and then a wide smile breaks out. "Femke! Kiadi!" He hugs Kiadi, rubbing gore from the jaw still gripped in his hand down his back without noticing. "I thought you were gone!" He begins to sob. The screaming down the hallway goes silent, and Jak turns to Femke, tears streaming down his dusty, blood speckled face, offering his good hand. "Help up?"

Kiadi looks up at what she hit "RUNCIBLE YOUR A SIGHT FOR SORE EYES" he runs up and picks up Runcible in a hug only to let him go after realising hes covered in gore "you are the deamon arnt ya?" he looks back at Femke "mabey I should go back and help red he might need it"

Femke grabbed the hand offered to her and pulled herself up. Her head spun a little and she held onto the hand for a moment longer til the dizzy spell went away. Shaking her head after it had disappeared, she let go of Runcible's hand and tried to put on a smile that turned more into a grimace.
"Ya, sorry bout that Jak." she said brushing hair from her face. "Ran into some unexpected friends... What are you holding there?"
Femke pointed to the object in Runcible's other hand. She looked behind her at the house of horrors and let out a small gulp. They will know that they were gone fairly soon. Markus better sure as hell hurry up....
"Can we move away from the doorway into the pit of doom?" Femke asked weakly. "Ya know before they come gather up their torches and pitchforks?"
Femke began to walk back towards the lobby her hands a little shaky. Her thoughts wandered to the girl that helped them. My prays go with ya little one...Let's hope we find the cure before they find you.

Looking at his hand, Jak, puzzled, responds. "It appears to be someone's jaw." He looks out the doorway, seeing the body. "Possibly his jaw." Then, letting it go, he realizes it's stuck. He shakes his hand, and then grips the jaw with his other and pries it loose, blood trickling from his wounds. "What happened in there?" He asks with an innocent tone as he follows Femke out the door.

Howl Simply Nodded to the stranger who offered to set out with him. he was dressed similarly to Howl and had virtualy the same stoney piercing stare he had. The eyes much like to a bird of prey. Without saying a word, he simply Jerked his head in a 'follow me' Motion and headed out the door.

Howl didn't know much about the guy, only the universal knowledge that the man had gone through hell and back same as everyone else. He was pretty damn decent with that rifle of his, so Howl wasen't too worried about getting shot in the back, accidental or otherwise. Quietly, Howl Slipped out into the cloudy afternoon, the sun just begining to dip behind the horizon he then began the rapid crawl though the cities exposed guts as he vaulted, climbed and swung through the ruins of New York City.

Twice Howl had to Raise his fisted hand in the air and wave it before pulling his hood over his head and dropping into a crouch as Motorized Junkyard Scrape owned by the various gangs in the city rolled by close enough for Howl to smell the filthy exhaust fumes and the stink of the gangs own body odor as they rumbled off into the distance. With His Poncho, Howl could instantly blend into the concrete ruins around him. It had saved his life on more than one occasion.

Finaly they Reached the spot where Howl had found the Young woman. Crouchng down low, Howl looked like some overgrown wolf sniffing for clues as he investigated the area. Picking up what looked like a pendant and silver chain, Howl Motioned the stranger, of who he had always refered to as 'Scar' in the confines of his own head.

"They went that way"
He pointed down the road and through the skeletons of a few apartment buildings
"Carrying heavy things by the looks of it. Mabey Supplies."
He then wondered why he didn't see any Vehicle tracks, but then thanked his luck that such a thing would mak them easier to catch up to.

"Lets go."

Kiadi hesitates looking back at the way they came then over to where the others are going red will be fine youve seen him kill atleast 30 men on his own "ya guess your right" he runs to catch up and follows them "nut cases the lot of them. Theres a religous cult in the hotel" keeping a close eye on Femke "you alright how ya feeling?" im doin alright I hurt a lil bit but thatll subside in a moment "oh and Runcible what did ya do while we were gone?"

Jak stops for a moment, and thinks. His left hand rubs upon his chin, leaving a smear of blood. He raises an eyebrow, tilts his paper towel hat forward, and points to the dead man. "I'm pretty sure I did that." He says.

Kiadi also looks back at the body "I wouldnt be suprised" he looks back at Femke keeping a close eye on her

Markus Followed the passage back to the room he woke up in. Then followed the exit he had scene the Preacher lead the rest of his followers. Walking more slowly now, he followed the sounds of chanting to a dilapidated Conference hall. A large gathering of followers stood in a circle chanting and holding hands. in the center of that was the preacher.
Hrmm, I didn't want to have to kill them all to get to him. he mused
Just then a door at the far side of the hall opened and a man ran through it and pushed his was to the preacher. "Father!" He cried "Another demon is here! He murdered our Brother, crushed his head." He fell to his knees. The Preacher looked up from the man at his feet, raised his arms above his head, and proclaimed. "The Devil has sent this Demon to reclaim his servants we plan to send back to him!" He looked at the silent assembly. "His Demon will steal our souls one by one and take them to his master! Unless! Unless we stand together against this fouls beast and Send it back to Hell! Go my Brothers! Stand against this beast and rid the world of its evil presences!" There was a yell from the crowd. the men ran to get weapons and the women shepherded the children further into the hotel for safety.

Markus ducked into a shadowy alcove and watched as all but to men left the room. one of the men who had survived when Markus had been taken, and the preacher. The preacher whispered something to the man and then turned and walked into a small room at the back of the hall. the man started patrolling the hall. He walked with in a few feet of Markus, not noticing the shadow stir and creep up behind him he never heard the sound of the garroting wire being puled out of Markus' cuff, and was unable to stop the wire from cutting into his throat. Markus pulled with all his strength, Forcing his mind to ignore the pain in his ribs as he fought to keep the man from getting free. Slowly the man's struggles slowed, then stopped altogether. Markus lowered the body to the floor, and replaced the wire in this cuff. then walked to the back room, where the Preacher sat.

Femke sat down and lowered her head to between her knees. It throbbed with an intensity so outrageous, she wanted to scream. She sat like this for a good several minutes and soon realized that the rhythmic thumping she was hearing wasn't that of her mind against her skull but coming from below them. Looks like morning came a little bit early... She lifted her head slightly so she could look back at the direction they came and sliently urged Markus to hurry his ass up.
"Godverdomme, where is he?" Femke muttered. "We can't wait for much longer. These psychos are ready to send us 'back to our maker' now."

Kiadi looks back at where they came from "ya give him a bit he'll make it hopefully "dont talk like that!" he kneels infront of femke "hows the head dear you feelin alright?" what a way to suck up

Markus Looked around the room. it was on old janitorial closet. still full of cleaners and mops. No wonder this ones a fruit cake. A few additions had been made. The floors were covered with pillows and comforters, a desk had been squeezed into the room and a large punch bowl of hotel chocolates sat on it. The Preacher looked up from his desk when he heard the door open. Fear gripped him as he saw Markus. Slowly walk in and shut the door behind him. "H-How did you get out?" He stammered.
"Apparently I'm the spawn of the Devil remember." Markus grinned. He pushed the preacher back into his chair and leaned over him. "And I'll be wanting my watch back." he growled.
His hands shaking the preacher quickly took off the watch and handed it to Markus. "That's better. But I'm still going to have to kill you." Markus purposefully turned so the preacher could see the wound on his face. Markus tied the him to the chair and looked at the cleaners for a few select ones. He had done this kind of thing before. though torture wasn't in mind anymore, he was going to make it a painful lesson. "Your lucky. If I didn't need to be somewhere I'd make this last a few hours or even a day." He poured floor cleaner and furniture polish on the preacher and around the room.
"I'll be taking these as well. you wont be needing them" He picked up the bowl of chocolates then walked to the door. He fished in his pocket for a lighter. pulling out his Zippo and flipped around a bit before lighting it. then he lit a trail of cleaner. The flames leap hungrily towards the preacher as if they where alive and wanted to please its creator. fire licked around the preachers legs climbing quickly. soon he was completely on fire. and screaming. Screams of pure agony filled the air and mixed with the smoke the spilled out into the hall. Markus turned and walked away, no smile on his face, no glee or pleasure. this was the first time he had killed in cold blood. Necessity or business yes. but never before had he killed a man just because he was mad. Markus ran back to the lobby. knowing all too well that anyone still in here in 30 minutes wouldn't be alive much longer.