HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN AND WELCOME TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED BLOODBATH! IT'S YOUR HOST WITH THE MOST HIMSELF, DEX OMNI HERE ACCOMPANIED BY THE HERO OF NEW SALEM, SERIF WINTERS! The line between hunter and prey blurred, who will come out on top(as if we even need a poll to decide)?!
Ok, all seriousness, I got wrecked. I already know I did. I could tell the moment I started reading that I should have taken this more seriously @_@. Welp, lack of confidence and shitty introduction aside, let's get on with this:
Crank's Story(Serif vs. Omni)
Spoiler for The 18th Hour:
Show
A drop of red added much needed vibrancy to the blanket of pure white snow, but as Serif spat more from his busted lip, it seemed to lose it’s artistic touch. Gripping the knife at his hip, the staredown stood steadfast between his cyan set and glaring greens he gazed at. Across from him, a man his height and equally bald tightened the vice on his ice saber, conflicted scowl forcing his brow into a scrunched mess as it tried gaging his foe. Panting from the day’s adventure, an innate determination fueled Serif’s basically unblinking intensity. He was going to attack, and Ira knew it.
2.
3.“Don’t.”
4.
5.He did. In a swift dash, Serif closed the foot remaining between them, ripping the blade from its sheath and forcing Ira to swing his own. The thick hides he wore kept Winters from freezing as he rolled on the ground to dodge, slashing his knife and cutting deep into the muscular man’s side before knuckles bashed into his eye, sending him into another pair of somersaults towards the sharp decline. Sprinting after him, Ira rose his edge high, but as Serif rolled to his back, he tore a bola from beneath his layers, gripping one stone while sending arcing the other up to meet the glitch’s wrist, coiling around the armed arm. A vicious yank robbed him of his balance and sent the sword into the snow, but at the very least, Ira was able to aim his downfall, tackling the seated Serif and sending them both over the edge.
6.
7.Although the fall was brief and the snow was soft, the sticks and stones it concealed threatened to break their bones with their bodies’ bash. Their grunts echoed in the mass nothing as both men struggled to regain their footing, only the inked was just a moment slower. On his hands and knees, a swift kick found the gap between them, bruising the gladiator and forcing him back to his back, soon feeling the full weight of his foe on his chest. Glare from the sun seeped into Serif’s eye as he looked up at Ira, Earth’s star casting him as a dark silhouette as he rose his fists, viciously bring them down at the black, blue and orange man under him.
8.
9.The first strike felt like it rocked what remained of the world, Winters’ cheek burying deep into the snow as pain blasted into his brain, while the next shut down his entire sense of hearing, leaving him with nothing but a ringing in his ear. He could feel the sudden splatter of something wet and warm from his cheek, only to freeze him in the blistering cold, but as his eyes cracked back open, they fell upon his knife, a few feet away, half buried in the snow. Squirming beneath his enemy, Serif was able to force him off his body, but Ira still remained in the gap between his legs, pounding on his eye until it threatened to seal shut. His brain pulsed with anguish every time his heart beat, but as adrenaline flowed through his body like a drug, he focused on the next incoming strike.
10.
11.Like a viper, his left hand seized the sleeve behind Ira’s incoming fist moments before the right buried its fangs in the elbow. A dark calm radiated from Serif as his lifted his hips and Ira’s confidence felt its first blow as he felt the man’s legs wrap around his waist, forcing him to crouch his chest and legs in, while his arm was torn to the gladiator’s chest. With petrifying swiftness, the hunter’s legs opened and slammed shut, locking in beside his neck and left armpit before squeezing his knees and flipping him to his back as well, initiating a tug of war over Ira’s limbs.
12.
13.Although he was deaf in one ear, he still felt the bone break in his arms and the shrill shriek the anguish it exploded pierced through his other. With a quick release, Serif quickly rolled to his knife, and upon snapping his palm upon in, forced himself back to his feet. Crimson trickled down his cheek and traced his jaw as he staggered back to Ira, the man’s bright green eyes bouncing somewhere between between seething and pleading.
14.
15.“You don’t have to do this.”
16.
17.Serif’s light blue eyes were like a layer of ice as he looked down at him, blade already stained in his blood, “Either both of you can live, or both of you can die. It’s up to Ida if she wants to fight me, or save you.”
18.
19.“Wait!”
20.
21.Light glimmered off the knife as he slammed it down, impaling it down in Ira’s stomach, snapping his eyes open in horror. Agony rushed up his spine and into his mind, but as he went to howl, a gurgle of blood was all that came out. Tucking into a ball as Serif withdrew his blade, the gladiator barely took a second glance. “Don’t make that decision for her.”
22.
23.An all encompassing hatred boiled Ira as gore welled from his open wound, but as Winters limped to scale the incline, he couldn’t force any of the curses he needed out. Crimson was dribbling between his fingers as he fought to keep the wound pressurised, but as they shook in the freezing temperatures, he had no idea how long he’d be able to keep it up. His breath shook as Serif climbed to the top, but upon reaching it, it held. As bad as his limp was, Winters stiffened suddenly at whatever he was looking at, but his swift lunge was met by a hail of gunfire. Squirts of his blood fell over Ira’s head like streaks of rain, and as Serif toppled forward out of sight, one thing kept a grin from creeping into Ira’s cheek.
24.
25.The woman’s shocked scream that accompanied the man’s howl.
26.
27....And then the gunshot that silenced it.
28.
29.
:::18 Hours Earlier; 1:58 PM:::
30.
31.“I apologize, didn’t order this.”
32.
33.“Someone ordered it for you,” The answer was replied with a casual shrug as the barista behind the counter pushed the 20oz paper cup closer to the space-stained gladiator.
34.
35.“In that case, I don’t enjoy being in another’s debt.” In kind, Serif pushed in back.
36.
37.“I don’t think he cared about it’s cost.” Back to the gladiator’s side.
38.
39.“I don’t want this.”
40.
41.“My boss is going to be mad if I have to throw it out, it was almost twenty bucks.”
42.
43.“What? How?”
44.
45.“It’s expresso.”
46.
47.Serif squinted. “Do you mean a latte?”
48.
49.“It’s all expresso.”
50.
51.The warrior needed a few moments to process, blinking slowly before looking between the coffee cup and barista. Finally heaving out an exhale, he grabbed the cup, noticing its full weight while shaking his head. “You have my thanks.”
52.
53.Turning around as he was bid goodbye, his gaze scanned the cafe, looking for the apparently painfully rich man whose appearance was described entirely as ‘you’ll know it when you see him’. In a city with a handful of the gladiator population however, that didn’t mean much. Right off the bat, there was a seven foot tall man with an even bigger broadsword strapped to his back, who was sitting across from a maiden whose eyes were literally glowing, with her bright pink hair somehow waving weightlessly without any source of air. A little ways away from him was a man more bandaged than a mummy, and then in a far off corner, another was dressed in bright enough sparkling colors to give someone a stroke. He however, was the one who motioned to Serif.
54.
55.“Dexter Omni?”
56.
57.“Please, my friends call me Dex,” Arising from his seat to greet the gladiator, the superstar-looking man gestured to the chair across from him, “Have a seat, you must be Serif Winters.”
58.
59.“My friends call me Feet.”
60.
61.“Alright Feet-”
62.
63.“-Serif.”
64.
65.A scoff forced itself out of Dex as he processed the disrespect. “Well, now that that’s out of the way, I was told you wanted to be part of my little game?”
66.
67.“‘Want’ is a strong, inaccurate word,” Serif leaned back in his chair as the game-show host crossed his arms, “But I will do what I must to obtain what I need.”
68.
69.“So tell me, what is it that you need? The stick out of your ass, or did you just lose it trying to get rid of whatever crawled up it and died?”
70.
71.“Access to the RHG database. All the files they have, and all the footage they have on everyone who works for them.”
72.
73.“That isn’t standard?” Serif’s eyes narrowed; Dex chuckled. “Oh so it was, you just lost it! Sure, that’s fine, I can make that happen. Do you know how this works?”
74.
75.“I’m transported to a land to survive in.”
76.
77.“Or die in. Statistically, to die in,” The host’s grin broadened as Serif’s arms crossed, “But essentially yes. Just kill all the enemies in the biodome of your choosing, and you’ll be sent right back to where you were. The whole thing is in a digital reality type thing, so don’t worry about killing anything there, nothing but you is real!” Receiving nothing but deadpan, Dex’s smile started to fade. “So, I suppose the last question I have, is where do you want to die? I’ve got a city, desert, volcano, snow and ice or ju-” His eyes seemed to light up as a thought struck him like a thunderbolt. “Actually, how about we do that one? Snow and ice? Since typically I pick out who gets to be the guests in my show, I think it’s only fair that if you’re making my choice, I get to make yours. Whether you give me the cold shoulder or not, I don’t think I can cheat my viewers all my winter puns, now can I, Mr. Winters?”
78.
79.“The sooner we start, the sooner we end.”
80.
81.“Which I’m sure will be very soon. Now,” Clapping suddenly, Dex practically jumped from the seat to his feet, “Let’s get somewhere private so I can introduce you to my damn machine.”
82.
83.
:::::::::::::::2:15 PM:::::::::::::::
84.
85.A groggy, lightheadedness spun Serif’s world as his eyes focused on the fresh, glaring light. The blinding bright forced him to a squint, but as the moments passed and it hardly diminished, he was forced to accept that the new world was as white as well, snow. Blinking into something closer to focus, he lifted a hand over his brow to cast some form of shadow over his eyes, he was able to confirm he was, indeed, in a barren, hilly wasteland of freezing white. Dead trees scattered his surroundings with only a few live pines between them, and only the mountain range miles away seemed to be of note. Black stone could be seen from its sharp drops, and it appeared to be the only place that nature thrived in the bright white deadlands.
86.
87.“Ladies and Gentlemen!” Not even a minute in, the bone chilling cold was already shaking the inked man to his core, crossing his arms so tightly they could’ve been welded together as Dex’s voice boomed from all directions, “It is my pleasure to introduce our newest contestant: Serif, The ‘Hero’ of New Salem, Winters! Don’t change the channel on this guy, he won’t even last as long as you do!”
88.
89.’I won’t last?’ A light scoff echoed as the gladiator trudged forward, ungodly amount of espresso in one hand as the other snaked under his vest, withdrawing a metal bola from within. Already so late in his mission, time hardly mattered anymore. Whatever was going to happen to Olivia already would have, it was just a matter of finding her alive, or just ...finding her… Shaking his head violently, he needed to take another swig of his steaming liquid, giving his body an invigorating burn as he neared the first hill on the way to the mountains.
90.
91.“And now that you’ve seen the odds, let’s get started with our first wave, something a hunter should be familiar with! Well, almost anyway.”
92.
93.Surrounded by the vast nothingness, any sound could’ve easily traveled from miles away, but as a trio of howls reverberated throughout the BMICS, Serif doubted they were anywhere but close. Stopping in his tracks as he heard snow crush beneath a charge of twelve legs, his eyes darted for the nearest tree, and upon sight of the dead oak within ten feet, broke into a sprint of his own. He didn’t need to look over his shoulder to know what was upon him. Vicious dash suddenly accompanied by the mad barks and growls of rabid wolves, growing ever louder, Serif could feel the bests gaining on him. Tucking his drink into elbow, he jerked out his knife with his then free hand and wedged the blade into a small crevice along its edge. Striking down on the hilt like his hand was a hammer, the halves of the sphere cracked open in a slight splash of gasoline, dripping down his jaw before he pivoted as fast as possible.
94.
95.Feet away from him, the full image of what was on his heels violently ambushed him. Almost twice the size of a normal wolf, each with hellishly long, snapping teeth, three godless monsters were rushing him. Blood of a fresh kill stained their pure white coat, thickest nearest their fangs and claws, pack leader preparing to dive into the air as Serif’s back met the tree. As if he’d seen worse from the wild however, with nothing but a cool intensity, he gripped each ball of his bola, pressing down the functioning one’s button before whipping it at the mutated muts. Gasoline arched the first rotation the weapon took, soaking the monsters in its fluids, as well as the hunter and the tree behind him, but when Serif rolled up the trunk like a magnet scaling a fridge, the second orb’s thrusters ignited in a haunting flash.
96.
97.Guttural growls and booming barks shifted instantly agonized screeches as their thick fur pelts burst into flames. Already airborne, the pack leader bashed into the bark, sending the base of the trunk into a blazing inferno, chasing behind the pyro as the dying animals thrashed helplessly on the ground. Outrunning it with ease however, shifting one hand back to his beverage, Serif raced to an outstretched branch thick enough to carry his weight while digging a longer, stone bola out from within his leather. Staring at the beast lucky enough to have been spared by the brunt of the oil, the warrior waited until it quelled the last of the flames before plummeting from his perch, arching his weapon halfway down.
98.
99.Within instants of each other, rope coiled along the monster’s neck and the inked man landed on it’s burned back, yanking his bola like cruel leash. Snapping and bucking at him with an unrelenting fury, the gladiator clung for dear life as he tightened his grip, threatening to cut off its air supply. After a time that would’ve made any cowboy proud, the wolf finally slowed, but the moment it did, Serif jerked its neck to the side, forcing it to turn left, and then forward immediately afterwards. Within seconds, he claimed the wild animal as his mount, racing onwards towards the mountains like a sunset.
100.
101.
:::::::::::::::7:03 PM:::::::::::::::
102.
103.“Are you sure Dex is here?” Speaking in a hushed query, the bald warrior’s digital green eyes met those of his sister, sharing nothing but iris color with him, “I haven’t heard a sound since we arrived a half hour ago, and that devil is anything but silent.”
104.
105.“You don’t believe me, Ira?” A joking smile passed from the girl to her ‘twin’, replying with one in kind as he gently shook his head.
106.
107.“I beleive anything you tell me, Ida, it’s just that this is out of character for him,” His arms crossed as they finally entered the cavern the young hispanic woman led him to, “I mean, Dex is a huge piece of shit, like, he’s the one that clogs the toilet, and he talks even more shit than he is. Going silent for this long is just… Odd.”
108.
109.“He’s on the cusp of giving up and needed a breather. He’s furious, frustrated, and needed to wash his hands of this. He can’t find his contestant,” Growing consumed by the dark as they continued their stride, Ida lowered her voice, “It’s almost been five hours.”
110.
111.If she could see them, she would’ve chuckled at how wide Ira’s eyes bugged. “How?” Quickly shaking his head, he followed up with an even more important question, “And you think this one can help us? By hiding? We would’ve had better luck with the robot in the city.”
112.
113.“Maybe, but I think a human would be more willing to trust us, and no, not by hiding,” She cast a smile to his general direction, “By being patient.”
114.
115.Barely able to see three feet in front of them, a slight paranoia began gripping the man, gaze wandering more rapidly the deeper they traveled. “Well I still don’t like this, we could be walking straight into an ambush.”
116.
117.“Between your skills, mine, and the pistol I took, we should be fine.” Stopping suddenly she called up to the ceiling, “Serif?”
118.
119.Flinching at her projection, Ira stole a stone from the floor, searching even harder himself.
120.
121.“We’re here to help. Please come down,” Looking directly up, a gentle smile stretched her lips, “You don’t have to worry, Dex didn’t send us, he still has no idea where you are.”
122.
123.A prolonged silence gripped Ira. “I can’t protect you from what I can’t see..”
124.
125.“You don’t need to protect me from him.” Rubbing her brother’s shoulder, Ida’s gaze went back to the black stones above. “Deep down, you know we aren’t with him. You know if he knew where you were, he would’ve dragged you out long ago. Can we talk? Please?”
126.
127.The nothingness lingered for almost another minute before a slight frown tugged at her face.
128.
129.“What is it?”
130.
131.“I… think he’s sleeping.”
132.
133.Silence.
134.
135.Ida’s look traveled to her brother.
136.
137.He stood there, unmoving; eyes squinting.
138.
139.Dumbfounded, his brain struggled to process the statement.
140.
141.Suddenly, an explosion of sound.
142.
143.“Here? Now!”
144.
145.A thud echoed before them as Ida jerked to hush her brother, crimson mass stepping out from the shadows before them. The stained fur of a FrostWolf entirely encasing what would ordinarily be a silhouette, save for the chilled blue eyes in the rectangular sea of black where its head was. Looking the pair up and down, it stood ominously still as the latina cleared her throat. “We’re here to help.”
146.
147.Pacing parallel the duo, the man paused at the wall of cave, slowly bending over to retrieve a paper cup. “Why is that?”
148.
149.“Because we want what you do, Serif.”
150.
151.The gladiator scoffed, raising the cup to his lips. Although the surface of his drink was a layer of ice, a soft squeeze shattered it, letting the fluids run to his mouth. “And what would that be?”
152.
153.“To live a life worth living,” Ida’s smile was warmer than his makeshift jacket ever could’ve been, “And to live somewhere we can have a life.”
154.
155.“Is that why you came here?”
156.
157.“We came here because we were born here.”
158.
159.Ira’s interjection brought a stop to all of Serif’s actions, quizzical gaze meeting his own determined stare. “Is this land not a-”
160.
161.“It is.” Sensing she was losing him to concepts he couldn’t understand, Ida cut him off before he could dig too deep. “We’re an accident in the program. We’re sentient and don’t obey the ‘god’ here. We know the monster he is, and know that if he dies, we all go free.”
162.
163.“You say that as though there are others.”
164.
165.“There are countless,” Tagging in for his sister, Ira took a step forward, dropping the rock he’d become unaware of until Serif’s eyeline passed over it, “He has prisoners he names his interns, and then there’s the doom of all the other’s he abducted for his amusement. How many has he killed now, Ida? Hundreds?”
166.
167.“Over Fifteen. ...But yeah, hundred...”
168.
169.A discomforting silence gripped the trio, each shifting slightly as they waited for another to speak. Finally however, Ira followed up.
170.
171.“Serif, I… I don’t know if you’ve ever killed a man-” A relaxed glance from Ida seemed to answer the thought, “-but this one, this animal, needs to die.” Ira paused momentarily as the gladiator stared at the sister, having intercepted the look. Clearing his throat however, Ira brought Serif’s pupils back to him. “If you can’t do it though, I can.”
172.
173.“No.”
174.
175.“No?”
176.
177.“I need him alive.”
178.
179.Ira blinked rapidly as Serif stood his ground, “What could he possibly be offering you that could justify keeping around?”
180.
181.“Information.”
182.
183.“Information you don’t have to get this way…” Cautiously, Ida strode towards him, placing her palm on his shoulder as she gazed into his ghostly blues. “You could ask any other gladiator for the files you need, why would you risk your life for them?”
184.
185.Breaking from the pair as he took a few steps away, a slow sip filled the void of noise. “I will not turn to those who willingly turn to murder.”
186.
187.“Then what about us?” Closing the distance, Ira stole Serif’s attention. “This man is hardly human anymore. He’s more of a monster than anything out here, and for every life he’s taken, there’s a family he’s destroyed. I won’t let him claim mine.” Green eyes met before his returned to the hunter. “Do you have a sister, Serif?” Winters stood silent, but Ida nodded on his behalf. “Then you know the feeling. I’m not asking for you to take me into your home, I’m asking for your help escaping Hell.”
188.
189.“And as far as information is concerned,” Ida chimed in, “I can help you find Olivia.” Watching doubt flood Serif’s features failed to diminish her spirit. “I can see everything about an individual just by looking them in the eyes. For example, I can tell you exactly where Dex is, or, if you aren’t prepared to move yet, you can ask me something only you know the answer to. Something personal, about you.”
190.
191.His brow furrowed, but she smiled wider as he thought. “Speak of my tattoos.”
192.
193.It covered most of her face before she finally spoke. “Do you mean how you got it less because you thought it’d be cool and more because you wanted your skin stained, or did you mean that even though they were injected by needle, your designs were crafted by your twin’s magic?”
194.
195.Pride coated her like his jacket as his brain scrambled for an explanation, but before it found a logical conclusion, he felt the brother’s hand on his shoulder.
196.
197.“Ida knows more than you or I could ever learn, and she’s smarter than either of us will ever be. She’s the best person you’ll ever meet, the one who will want to help the most, and the one who will be the most helpful,” Sucking in a deep breath, he forced Serif’s eyes to his, “We can help each other. We can save each other from our doomed fates. We just have to slay one beast, and then we can find your child.”
198.
199.“Would you like me to lead you to Dex?”
200.
201.Inhaling slowly, Serif took another sip of what was gradually turning into a frappachino. “No. We need him on our soil.”
202.
203.“Our soil?” Ira furrowed his brow as Serif nodded.
204.
205.“There are two kinds of hunters,” Finishing the last of his drink, the gladiator lifted the lid to examine the source of excess weight, “The ones who go out in search of their prey, and those who lay their traps and let them come to them. Tomorrow, I become the later.” Reached inside his cup, Winters gazed upon the girl as his palm met small piece of metal, gradually withdrawing an old, rusted key. “I don’t suppose this opens a weapons cache?”
206.
207.“That…” Blinking, she looked to her brother, expressing her same confusion, “...Isn’t from Dex. Having said that, I think I know where we can get what you’re looking for.”
208.
209.“I’m sorry sis, what are we looking for?”
210.
211.“Guns and gasoline?”
212.
213.Casting the hunter a smirk, the one Ida got back was the first hint of a personality behind his thick skin. “Anything that kills or combusts.”
214.
215.
:::::::::::::::7:23 AM:::::::::::::::
216.
217.Orange hues oozed from the false sky, soaking the snow in a brilliant vibrance, but while most would wallow in its beauty, Dex clenched his knuckles at the sight caught on one of his countless cameras. Crimson snow, stained with the blood of the Corrupted, and while their bodies were buried under last night’s blizzard, three severed heads were spiked on the tips of their weapons, hilts all impaling the vast white, while two more sat beside them. Five troops. Killed in their sleep. Where -the fuck- was the entertainment in that?
218.
219.“You have exactly three seconds to tell me how the hell this happened.”
220.
221.Whether it from the cold or sheer fear of his ‘employer’, a violent shake gripped the intern before he could stutter out an answer. “I don’t know! It just became bright enough to even see it, they were shapes ten minutes ago!”
222.
223.A piece of the host wanted to take his wrath out on the man so easily replaced, but the rest of him wanted his fury to combust with its hellish intensity on his rightful target. It had already gone on far too long, which was something he’d never allow to happen again, as long as he drew breath.
224.
225.“Is anything else dead?”
226.
227.“Um-”
228.
229.“Is anything else dead!”
230.
231.The intern flinched so hard it was like he was hit with a bat. “A couple ymir and another pack of FrostWolves!”
232.
233.“Dammit!” Unable to contain himself any longer, Dex’s fist rammed into the wall, hurting himself more than it, “And why was no one watching the cameras in my absence!”
234.
235.“We didn’t even k-”
236.
237.“I don’t want a fucking excuse!” More than the dou populated the surveillance room, but no one else even breathed as the host roared his lungs out, “Time is money! Do you have any idea how much this is going to cost us? Do you have any idea how few people are still even watching right now? I want him! Now!”
238.
239.“Bu-” Seeing movement on one of the cameras, the intern snapped his mouth shut so tight mid-sentence he could’ve sworn some teeth chipped.
240.
241.“Dexter Omni.” Like a gift from a god other than the host, Serif’s voice flooded the room, his image slowly taking center frame from one of the mountain cameras. “Your game has changed. This is no longer a competition of you hiding from me, or me hiding from your horde. You and I will look each other in the eye and bring this to an end. If you want to put on a show, show up, or remain idle and watch ‘Wrath of God’ resinate all the terror of a dandelion.” Slowly, he turned his back to the camera, carelessly walking offscreen. “If I don’t see you within an hour, you won’t find me within the week. I suggest you hurry.”
242.
243.“...I should destroy this entire fucking biome.” Seething unfathomable hatred, Dex soon found his interns scattered from him, as though he was resonating an abysmal black aura.
244.
245.“Sir?”
246.
247.His neck snapped at the lacky with enough ferocity to make the man jump a foot in the air. “What!”
248.
249.“W-what do we do?”
250.
251.“He threatened me in my domain! We give him his fucking wish! Then we carve the ink out of his skin, watch the cold devour his naked body, and then feed what remains to the FrostWolves. Find my fucking jacket, it doesn’t matter that he called me out, I am going to watch this happen live, in person.”
252.
253.
:::::::::::::::7:47 AM:::::::::::::::
254.
255.“Ladies and gentlemen, if you’re just tuning in, Winter is coming...” Speaking low as precipitation from a gentle snow fluttered in the air before him, Dex took a moment to admire the masses before him. Another trio of FrostWolves, five formally human ‘corrupted’, each frost bitten looking being gripping a weapon of pure ice, two giants, each towering at a rough fifteen feet, and of course his two ice golem bodyguards, floating beside him like ghosts. “...To and end.”
256.
257.Finally having reached the area where Serif had appeared on camera, the host motioned for his men to disperse. “Cold feet, Serif? I’m here, where are you?” The wind was the only thing that answered him. Crossing his arms as the air chilled his exposed features, Dex let out a grunt. “For a guy named after lettering, I expected you to keep to your word a little better.”
258.
259.Lazily looking to his left, he observed the corrupted make a bit more distance from him, beginning to stride between the denser packed trees, blocking all but a small layer of snow on the ground. Pack leader holding his saber with both hands, he motioned for his men to stay close behind. Carefully surveying the pines and gaps between them for movement, his eyes were too high off the ground to see the rope he was approaching. Hardly noticing his boot rub against it, he carelessly rose it for the next step.
260.
261.Crimson exploded from his body in a hail of gunfire. Both ends of the string had snaked up trees, loosely tied to the triggers of assault rifles, only to go off like a guerrilla army when it squeezed. Spraying in righteous fury, bullets pierced his entire upper torso, gore jutting from the fresh gaping holes as a scream gurgled out of his lungs, but as he toppled, it dragged the aim of the firing rifles behind him, raining hell on the rest of his men. Howling in unison as the snow was painted red with their insides, the final four collapsed on the ground, three struggling to breathe as the last had the misfortune of having the gray matter burst from his skull on the way down.
262.
263.“Shit.” Snapping his eyes at the remaining packs he had, a faint haunting fear began to burrow within his gut. “He’s boobytrapped the area. Watch where you step!” Gaze falling on the giants last, the ymir inches taller than the other nodded before continuing his path beside the other. Lacking worry, the dou brushed the low branches aside like curtains, barreling through the mini forest on their own accord until the yipping of a FrostWolf captivated their attention.
264.
265.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
266.
267.“Are you sure about this?”
268.
269.“No.”
270.
271.Ira’s greens met Serif’s blues on the far side of the pine, slicked in something other than maple and barely still standing. Only a handful of inches of what remained of its trunk kept it upright, so to keep from testing fate, Serif instead leaned against the handle of the ice-axe he’d looted the night before, as his ally did the the same with a similarly made saber. The crunch of a charge through the frozen surface of the snow captured the ink’s attention while the digital kept his gaze on him. “Would it kill you to humor me?”
272.
273.“No,” Leaning the weapon over his shoulder, Serif reached into his jacket to retrieve a bola, “But I won’t.”
274.
275.A giggle from behind captured Ira’s attention, but Winters’ focus didn’t falter, seeing the pack of FrostWolves break into eye-line a short distance away. “I told you he was honest.”
276.
277.“Maybe a little too honest,” A hesitant smile crossed Ira’s face as he was joined by his sister, “I’d rather have morale than facts.”
278.
279.“After ten trips to and from the city, morale shouldn’t be an issue.”
280.
281.“H-”
282.
283.“Focus.”
284.
285.The side of Serif’s face caught a glare as Ida chuckled. Finally facing forward again, Ira braced himself for the oncoming onslaught, readying the sword before him as his twin dug her heels into the ground. Within ten feet, the fangs of the fiends were snapping with an unsustainable bloodlust, but when one of their eyes fell on Ida’s, it seemed to have lost its mind. Violently jerking its head to the right, it sank its long fangs into a member of its pack, blood streaming from the creature as it released an agonized howl. The two struck the ground in a burst of reddening snow as the possessed tried ripping the throat out of the wild, but before the third could intervene, its front legs were suddenly coiled, tumbling in its own right.
286.
287.“Charge!” Kicking off the snow in unison, Ira and Serif raced at the monsters, weapons brandished as the animals struggled to get off the snow. Ida’s pet fell before the pair could arrive, claws of its enemy finding its chest and tearing, shredding its outsides open and spilling what lied within. Rolling over, its feet shoved off the earth to meet the men halfway, leaping at Serif with stained fangs bared, only to watch him roll under it, heaving the axe up as it soared overhead. A yip burst from its lungs as ice plunged through its stomach, red flowing like a river when Serif jerked it out before somersaulting back to his feet and rushing to the other. Still struggling to untangle itself, Serif was able to bury the weapon in its neck before stealing a glance at the other, just in time to watch Ira cleave its head clean off.
288.
289.Nods were exchanged among the trio before earth rocking stomping entered their ears. Swearing to himself as he spotted the ymir between the trees, he called out to Serif, both men thinking in unison as they retreated to the slicked tree, and a ways behind it. Crouching like olympians about to race, they eyed the giants, each staring at them in kind as they dragged what could’ve easily passed for a tree behind them.
290.
291.Eerily composed, Winters glanced at the one on the right before turning his eyes to Ira, who replied with a wordless ‘affirmative’. In the time of a heartbeat, the men pushed off towards the tree, matching the other’s breakneck sprint before leaping like wolves at the bark. Pulling their legs close to their bodies, they suddenly shot out like cannons directly above where they’d worked so hard with the axe the night before. Their feet met the wood with a crunch, but as the maple started to tilt as their backs met the snow, relieved chuckles spilled out. It only took a few fleeting, creaking moments for gravity to ensnare the leaning lumber, viciously ensnaring it and slamming it down on a giant while the hunter withdrew a metal bola from his jacket. Unfazed as the remaining roared at them, Serif activated it, tossing it at the fallen tree and watching it burst into flames as its fire met the twins’ stolen oil. Within moments, a winter wonderland looked more like Hell, the vast branches of the maple reaching the other trees and igniting them as well.
292.
293.Smoke plumed above them as the men finally charged the remaining monster, slamming its log between them as they rolled to the side, Serif brandishing his knife and slicing the tendons behind its calf while Ira’s blade carved into its back. A godless howl rocked the mountain as the ymir’s blood flowed, but as the back of its foot rammed into the hunter’s body, the airless grunt he left behind as he flew through the air demanded a bit more of Ira’s attention. Frown tugging his expression down, Ira’s fingers danced on his blade’s handle, slowly stepping back as he became the monster’s only foe. Swinging it’s log, Ira’s entire skull almost exploded as he snapped into a crouch, feeling the breeze it left brush against his scalp. Lunging forward, the tip of his sword pierced the belly of the beast, but the back of a giant palm slapped him back before it could slide through its vital organs. Tumbling back, the searing heat warned him of the nearing flames, but when the beast charged him, it stole back the priority.
294.
295.Shaking off the bruises sure to form on his face, Ira’s eyes glued to his blade, half sticking out of the charging beast. His heels dug into the melting show as he braced for what could be the end, but as adrenaline pumped through his being, an explosion of sound and burst of blood from the monster’s shoulder stole both of their attention. Wielding a smoking handgun, Ida stared down the giant before firing once more, burst of light highlighting her stunning features before the slug buried itself in its chest, hardly doing more than draw blood. A cool calm radiated her, and as her brother pushed off the snow, she lowered her weapon. Taking off in a sudden rush, he intercepted the giant from his sister, jumping into the air when he was noticed and slamming his foot into the handle of his sword. A gush of blood burst like a sputtering geyser as the edge carved deeper, but when crimson started dribbling from its’ mouth, a demonic scowl chilled Ira’s bones. Trying to kick the blade one more time like he was breaking down a door, a giant palm swooped down, snatching the limb and heaving him into the air before the blow could be delivered. Lifting the man to be eye to eye with it, it released a deafening howl as a sharp sting punctured its back, dropping Ira as it turned around.
296.
297.Gripping the knife soaking in the flowing crimson like he was scaling a mountain, Serif pushed off his handle as he lept into the air, flipping to the shoulder of the creation double his side. Snapping his legs around its neck, he arced the blade into its eye, deep into its skull before ripping it back out and unleashing a volley with all the fury and ruthlessness of a crime of passion. The beast screeched as it struggled to knock the hunter off, but as the metal stabbed everything between its scalp and windpipe, the dying monster could hardly focus enough to find him. Soaked in more red then either green-eyed virus had ever seen, it finally fell to its quaking knees, toppling over entirely once the heaving Ira tore his weapon out of its gut.
298.
299.Both men panting a bit too heavily to speak, they had to pass appreciated grunts to one another as they were joined by Ida. “So,” A gentle smile crossed her as the hellfire continued consuming the snow surrounding them, “Are you ready to make this the series finale?”
300.
301.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
302.
303.“No no no!” Dex’s fists clenched as he released a sound of pure hatred, feeling his game being hijacked beneath him. His beautifully crafted, carefully maintained snowy arena was rapidly dying to the wrath of an inferno spreading impossibly quickly. Nothing there could’ve burned so wretchedly, and the contestant wasn’t equipped enough for a forest fire of this scale. Even if the guns were somehow his, this…
304.
305.“Fuck!” His voice boomed as the realization met him, “All units, converge on the mountain! This isn’t waves for one man anymore, we’re dealing with a fucking virus!”
306.
307.Unable to pull his hair out from under his jacket’s hood, his raging fists just made a general punching motion before his eyes snapped to the closest camera to him, his feed going straight to his interns as he lowered his voice “I’ll accept that maybe one man could hide from you, but if I find out someone spotted Ida and Ira touring the fucking city and bringing my shit here, or if someone knows someone knew, but didn’t tell me, you will all find yourselves on the other side of those monitors… All of you will feel the wrath of God… but you’ll watch it first.”
308.
309.Taking a few brief moments to calm himself, Dex cleared his throat and shook his head. Motioning to his golems, both beginning to drip as rising temperatures threatened them, Dex began leading them towards the edges of the mountain’s level as he pieced together the facts.
310.
311.Himself and two golems verses Serif Winters, Ida and Ira. Three on three. ...But he couldn’t really fight. Two on three. ...But Ida could apparently control one of his underlings... One on four... Game over. “...Fuck…” Closing his eyes tight as his mind raced, words flowed together in his mind, gluing themselves together and sticking feebly as the heat continued to rise. If he wouldn’t be able to stall long enough for more help to arrive, he’d have to change the equation.
312.
313.Opening his eyes slowly, he motioned for his melting guards to investigate the burning world before him. Unaccustomed to leaving his side, they hesitated a moment before complying, nearing fire continuing to make them frail as water trailed their shimmering skin, but as they were lost in the smoke, the sudden sounds of shattering made Dex flinch. Heaving out an exhale, the host began striding towards the midground between the cliff’s edge and beginning of the blazing treeline as a trio of silhouettes began emerging.
314.
315.“So…” Dex’s voice filled the air as they gradually met in the center, glow of the sun on the host’s back with light of the flames on theirs, “It looks like you’ve survived Wrath of God, Mr. Winters, and it seems like you’ve made some friends along the way. That’s a shame.”
316.
317.Both warriors tightened their grips on their respective blades, Ira in the center taking a step forward while Serif on his left remained in place. “What’s a shame is all the lives you’ve taken in these lands,” The middle man spat, “What’s a shame, is that it took Ida and I this long to find you.”
318.
319.The solitary one chuckled, “No, the shame is that your friendship can’t last,” Gradually, his gaze fell on Serif, “If I die, how will you get access to the information you need?”
320.
321.“He doesn’t need it. He has us.”
322.
323.“Does he?” The snicker turned to laughter, “How do you even know you’ll make it into the real world? I’ve never died, so what’s to say you’d escape? What’s to say that if you do, nothing else would?” Grinning devilishly, his words slowed, “And I don’t mean my interns, I mean every monster you’ve fought here, and every monster you two have seen. You do realize that’s what you are, right? Do you think the world is ready for that? All of that, at once, with no warning?”
324.
325.“That won’t happen.”
326.
327.“You aren’t a fortune teller, bitch.” Ira flinched as Dex degraded his sister, gradually forcing the group to pace in a semi circle, “And who even knows if your magic will transfer? What if, if you get to the real world, you’re just like everyone else? Or, you’re a good girl, right?” Gradually, his eyes fell on Winters, “What if she does keep her powers? You’re afraid of opening the floodgates to your home, aren’t you Serif? Your people survive in isolation, and you’re scared any outside help will expose them. What happens when that happens? You’ve seen this, you’ve seen the RHG, and I’m sure you’ve picked up a history book by now. How long do you think Witch Island will last when the rest of the mad world discovers it? You’ve risked your life so you can research in silence. Can you really risk everything you’ve ever loved, letting this lead to something louder?” Grinning, he stopped with the flames on his left and cliff his right.
328.
329.“Shut up.”
330.
331.“Don’t you dare talk to me like that, I created you.”
332.
333.“Your mistake.” Ira took a hard step forward, but a calloused hand suddenly fell on his shoulder. He didn’t even look over it. “You can’t be serious. You do know he needs to die, right?”
334.
335.“He can die later.”
336.
337.“He needs to die now!” In a detonation of fury, Ira whirled around, exchanging his position with Serif’s, his back to the edge as he faced the man, “How is this even a question for you? One thousand, five hundred people have died here, Serif! And this, here, has been the only chance we’ve had to end that! Do you want us to wait for him to hit three thousand? Is that a high enough body count for you do to do something?”
338.
339.“You aren’t who I came to rescue.”
340.
341.Dex’s arms proudly crossed as Ira visibly twitched. Unable to speak however, it was his sister who had to open her mouth. “You…” Stepping back, appalled, her green eyes bounced on her brother’s for only a moment before returning to Serif’s icey blues, staring deep into his soul. “...You don’t consider us alive…”
342.
343.“Someone else will save you.”
344.
345.Shaking his head as if it’d clear his mind, Ira’s voice began to boom as he stepped towards Serif, who in turn backed up to keep the distance. “We spent an entire day together, and you can’t find a shred of a soul to see us out of our living hell?”
346.
347.“I can’t risk Olivia’s fate on yours.”
348.
349.In a heartbeat, knuckles met Serif’s lip, breaking the skin as he staggered back. “You don’t even know if she’s alive. We are, Serif. I am. Ida is! And I can’t risk her fate for your fears.”
350.
351.Painfully slowly, a bead of red trickled from Serif’s busted lip, rolling down his chin before finally dropping into the pure white snow. Spitting more out beside it, the hunter clutched the blade at his side while Ira did the same with his sword. Winters hardly even blinked as his haunting eyes met his, but as the intensity grew thicker than any blizzard, Ira finally commanded a single word.
352.
353.“Don’t.”
354.
355.He did. But as the two collided, Dex’s attention snapped to the girl, who upon seeing an entire day’s adventure dissolve before her, spurred into action. Tearing under her jacket, her palm seized the freezing handle of her gun as the host lunged at her, his hands locking hers in place.
356.
357.Matching a lacking physical strength, the two fought for control over her limb as a battle of blood, blades and brawn raged mere feet away from them. Gritting his teeth, Dex tangled his foot with Ida’s before violently shoving her to the ground, causing her to grunt as the weapon slipped out from under her layers. In a hasty dive, the host went for it, but when the girl kicked it away, his impact only feeling the snow’s chill. Shivering to his core, he pushed himself upright, but upon seeing the shadow of a woman’s foot speed at his head, immediately ducked back down to avoid it before grabbing the other. Ida had just enough time to see Serif and Ira tumble over the edge of the cliff before the kidnapper robbed her of her balance, but when she felt him crawling on top of her, her fingernails practically became talons for her enemy.
358.
359.Swinging unapologetically, they slashed his face, leaving a carved, beading trail of red along his eyes and cheek, causing the host to release a shrill yelp. Bringing one arm up to protect his best asset, his other hand began padding down on her, stopping upon the discovery of her neck and squeezing on cue. With frightening intensity, his eyes were wide with deadly passion as he watched her desperately wheeze for air, but when her claws snapped down on his defending wrist and yanked, he faltered just long enough for her to drag it to her mouth, which snapped on it like a shark.
360.
361.Voice propelling much higher than he was proud to admit, he rolled off her as he tore it out of her maw, crimson soaking his thumb entirely as he cradled the injury while Ida caught her breath next to him. Each taking a much needed moment to gather themselves, the two slowly arose to their feet before picking their melee back up. Being just a hair faster, the girl was able to throw a quick jab at her devil, but lacking any weight behind her punch or her brother’s skill, it did little more than push him back, but the hook she followed up with knocked a stream of blood out of his mouth. Seeing the uppercut coming however, Dex was able to stumble back, leaving her to whiff before landing a blow of his own.
362.
363.Knuckles clenched in a fist, his bones met her elegant nose, oozing blood the moment of impact with a disturbing crunch. Grinning wildly as she cupped it with a yelp, Dex lifted his leg, and like he’d seen in so many movies, pounded it into her sternum, knocking her back to the ground as the last of the air inside her burst out. Prouder of himself than he’d been in a long time, he casually store to retrieve the firearm stolen from another biodome and checked the clip. Smirking at what was more than enough, he cocked the gun before turning back around just in time to see Ida rush him.
364.
365.Unable to squeeze the trigger in time however, she shoved it out of her path and wrestled to keep it away from her, his feet skidding back as they neared the edge of the cliff. Frustration was building up in a torrent as he struggled to align the barrel with her skull, but while he was naturally taller than her, the girl’s countless adventures gave her the strength to rival him, locking them into a stalemate. Both of them had the desire to kill laced into their eyes, Dex to stomp out an insect that had been irritating him for far too long, and Ida knowing damn well what she had to do, forced to confront the entirety of his sin as she gazed into his mind through his optical organs.
366.
367.The gun shook as the limbs that held it battled for control for what felt like an eternity, the pair pacing in a small circle throughout their struggle. The snow around them was beginning to grow slick as the inferno a short distance away raged, but as they continued in their rotation, a palm reached over the edge of the cliff. Digging its gloved fingers into the snow, the arm began hoisting the rest of the body upright while the pair stood parallel to the edge, and the slow movement in their peripheral vision stole just enough of their interest to captivate their attention.
368.
369.Head still bowed as it crawled from the drop to the flatland above, he lifted his head only as he began to stand, the awe inspiring galactic portrait staining all the showing skin but reducing Ida to tears when her eyes met his, which in turn stiffened him. In a heartbeat her heart broke, his head flashing fresh memories of her brother, lying flat on his back with a gaping knife wound, slowly bleeding out. Her mouth fell agape, but no sound came forth when her grip finally faltered, save for a sharp yelp when the butt of the handgun struck her jaw, causing Serif to lunge forward before Dex could execute a final victory.
370.
371.Seeing the new threat coming however, the host rapidly squeezed the trigger as he arced his arm at him, missing many but burying a pair in his shoulder and collarbone. Blood sprayed behind him as shells drilled through his flesh and shattered his collarbone, but as he struck the snow, it was Ida’s shriek of dying hope the cut off any sound that he made.
372.
373.Chuckling as he’d done what none of his monsters were able to do, Dex began turning back to the devastated woman, but when an unexpected snowball smashed his cheek from her direction, he squeezed the trigger reflexively, sending a shell straight into the snow. Swearing as he had to bring up his arms to block the next, he heard the snow crunch as Ida crawled between him and Serif, struggling to push himself upright several feet away, as blood poured out of his body.
374.
375.Allegiances and motives began fading from Winters’ mind as his hand wrapped tightly around his knife. Who could do what no longer mattered if his duty died with him, and although he’d made enemies out of all who remained, he only had a chance for mercy with one. Gritting his teeth as he leaned back on his knees, his eyes locked on the pair, still thrashing to keep out of the reaper’s wrath. Ida hardly evaded a boot aimed at her skull, but while the whiff left Dex unprotected, Serif made his final move.
376.
377.In a flash, he threw the one thing he always kept by his side, blade spinning, stained the blood of an ally before impaling the chest of an enemy with enough force to knock him off his feet. A red gurgle was all he could grunt as he struck the ground, but when Dex’s feeble hands felt the blade’s handle, a smaller set ensnared it over his. Ida’s cool, slender shadow as the last thing he felt before every nerve in his body ruptured with agony. In a vicious, vengeful, vile yank, the girl tore it down his body, slicing every piece of cloth, muscle, and organ in its gushing crimson path. Although he lacked the strength to scream, unimaginable terror ravaged the false god’s eyes as they started to fade, red flowing out of the footlong wound as if someone sliced a swimming pool. His death was quick, but it still felt like an eternity to him, the creeping cold numbing his body as his vision began failing, his tongue no longer able to taste the copper filling his mouth and sounds dulling to a mute.
378.
379.Finally falling limp, Ida couldn’t pull the blade from his body. Her entire body shook as she panted, red staining everything she wore as rage and horror battled deep within in the confines of her brain, but as moments fleeted to seconds, she soon felt a gentle palm upon hers.
380.
381.“Go to your brother.”
382.
383.Snapping back into her reality, wrath won the fight as her green gaze locked on Serif’s. Behind them, scenery was beginning to flicker in and out of reality and black cracks were starting to form along the vast sky as the digital world moved to crumble. A piece of her wanted to take the blade and plunge it into the betrayer, but the gentle touch of his free hand on her shoulder cooled her, just enough for murder to fade from her thoughts.
384.
385.“Look in my eyes, Ida,” He softly implored her, letting her grip fall from his blade, “I didn’t leave your brother to die alone, I left him behind to pull you away.”
386.
387.Pausing as a tear began sliding down her cheek, Serif slowly released the blade as well to wipe it away, the slick trail of red his digit left behind almost defeating the point.
388.
389.“He needs to see that you’re alive, and you need to see that he breathes. Please… go to him. Be the last thing he sees in this dying world, and the first he sees outside of this illusion.”
390.
391.Nodding slowly, she rose to her feet, half considering helping Serif up as well, but ultimately deciding it’d be best to keep he and Ira apart. Turning to leave as the gladiator retrieved his blade and lied beside the corpse, she hesitated for one moment more.
392.
393.“...If Dex didn’t shoot you…?”
394.
395.“...Perhaps it’s best he did.”
396.
397.Silence enveloped them before Ida finally departed. Slow at first, but quickly turning to a jog and then sprint to help her brother as Serif laid, eyes up and fixated on the sky. Entire chunks of the atmosphere were fading to black as the smoke began blurring and diminishing in a fade of its own right. He could see the hood hugging the top of his vision begin to pixelate, and as his senses began to weaken and leave him, a sign left him as well. Closing his eyes as the digital reality crumbled, his free hand slowly crawled up his body, tracing where he’d been shot.
398.
399.An exhale barreled out of his body.
Kamiroo's Story(Omni vs. Serif)
Spoiler for I-I don't have a title:
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“There is nothing in this world without price. Whether it be time, materials, or even the impossible itself.”
The galaxy swirls as Serif Winters’ cyan pupils flush in the fluorescent living room luminescence, sweat beading off his cleanly shaven scalp as recollections of his situation slowly begin to embed themselves in his shaken memory. The thin, single sheet of covering flies from his exposed torso as the hunter rises to inspect the latest edition of his very own cage.
Pristine and well-tended. Certainly not Fate’s. But if that’s the case...
A clock ticks in the background, it’s message all too blunt for the newcomer as Olivia’s innocent face once more flashes in the back of his skull, followed almost instantly by his mother, father, and sister. A groan escapes the guttural passageway that is Serif’s throat as his tattooed mug sinks into moist palms, a slight slip of panic running rampant in his spirit.
How much time have I given them? How many more of these mutations will waste what little I have left?
The hunter’s heartbeat slows to a stalking slither, the sweat adorning his person receding as a deep, steadied breath stabilizes the rising tantrum within. His face leaves his hands, the hero of New Salem attempting to focus as he further studies the environment. White and pure, the rugs his bare feet rest on. White, pure, and fluffed, the couch on which he resides. White, pure, and firm, the walls at which he stares, secretly searching for answers as a voice echoes beside him.
“Awake are we? Good to hear ‘the Her