A young woman by the name of
Roxie, is seemingly running around within the wilted park. Her hair is blonde and in pigtails. She wields a large mace that is connected by a chain to her wrist. One can hear her yelling at herself.
Are you don't yet?! This is ridiculous!
"Shut the fuck up! I'm not done yet!!" The woman shouted and batted away at from dead, yet standing, trees. "I want blood!!" she hit the tree again, splitting it almost in two.
Not now...
"Damn it!"
The ripping sound of tires traveling over the broken pavement mounted into a dull roar near the center of the park. The large wheels could be heard chomping away at the fallen debris though the actual vehicle could not be seen. Gunshots followed closely; the rapid gunfire left echoes ringing through the still air.
The sudden screech of the brakes and then the revving of an engine left reason to believe the vehicle had changed directions.
A man dressed in the well-known jump suit of the chemical plants erupted from the rotting foliage, his face strained and sweat beading on his brow. The car burst through his path seconds later, the thunder of the engine belying the sleek definition of the Plant's guard cars. "Valentine!" He bellowed, his thick French accent lost on the savageness of his voice. The man jumped over a fallen tree, hunkering down for the protection of the rotting hulk with seconds to spare as the vehicle turned sharply to avoid collision with the fallen tree. The woman atop the roof of the car lurched to one side, swearing fiercely.
"Yeah, yeah!" She shouted back, apricot dreads hiding her face as she reached for the massive shotgun holstered on her back. She pumped the gun and loaded the slug in the mere seconds it took for the driver to begin shooting through the roof of the vehicle, aiming in all the wrong places. With a feral smirk and deadly accuracy, the woman aimed for the driver and shot; the force of the gun kicking back and propelling her off the car and some feet away. Blood splattered the windows on the inside, leaving the vehicle to die down to a dull shudder and finally shut off completely. The woman appeared to be laughing.
"You are going to get me fucking KILLED, Val!"
Alphonse remarked sourly, making his way to her side. He crossed his arms and looked down his nose at her.
"Did you see that! The fucking man shot his roof clear up and missed! Missed! Even on the freeway he missed!"
Valentine laughed harder though she shouldered her gun and got to her feet with ease when her brother lent her his hand. What bruises she took going down would wait until later to be noticed.
It was when
Alphonse suddenly sobered and unsheathed his machete that
Valentine took notice and turned, removing and readying her deadly Glock 22 and aimed.
"
Qu'est-ce que c'est?"
Alphonse ventured, taking a step forward.
Valentine made no answer, her face expressionless behind her black half-mask.
Alphonse took a step closer to Roxie.
"
Comment t'appelles-tu?" He asked, pitching his voice to her. When he realized he had spoken in French he added sharply - "What is your name?"
Roxie smiled widely at the two, practically drooling, "Depends on the meat that's asking..."
She flinched a bit from Rose's calling,
Relax, we don't even know who they are yet!
Roxie's eye's shifted to the sky, "Would you just shut up already!"
Remember what happened last time?
Suddenly, the pig-tailed girl burst out into a hysterical laughter. "It tasted delicious."
Alphonse looked back to Valentine before quirking a quizical brow at Roxie.
"She's fucking crazy, Al."
Valentine observed, clicking the safety off of her gun when the girl's eyes turned wild and she began to laugh hysterically.
"Agreed." His eyes caught sight of the mace secured fast to her wrist. "But I wouldn't mind having that...." He took another step foreward,
Valentine's twin smirk echoing behind him.
Roxie's head twitched and flinched violently. SHe then whipped her drool away and stood straight up and held out a hand to shake. "Hello, sorry about that. I am Rose. You've already met Roxie."
Valentine burst into a peel of laughter, loud and obnoxious, at the girl's words.
Alphonse, for the most part, ignored his sister and gave Rose a sly grin. He wasn't really sure what to expect so he took the only approach that was the most natural to him; charm.
"
Bonjour," He said, still keeping his machete at hand. "My name is
Alphonse Lefeuvre. And this is my sister-"
"Valentine."
Valentine said in a voice that wasn't altogether cruel but certainly not as friendly as her brother’s. It was thick and heady with her accent, a bit on the hoarse side but with a melodious allure to it. She unceremoniousl
y spit in Rose's direction, still keeping her gun level with Rose's head. Her scarred lip curled into a smirk, wolfish and predatory. Alphonse hadn't moved an inch, seeing now that the wildness had receded from the girl's eyes.
"May I venture to ask as to why you are here, in the middle of the park, alone and un-chaperoned...?" Alphonse Asked with a fiendish smile; his voice, like his sister's, was melodious but where hers was throaty and languid, his was clear and crisp. Yet it nigh rolled out of his charming mouth, faintly accented in French and as rich as honey.
He is kinda cute...I wonder how he tastes...
Ignoring Roxie's voice, Rose smirked and rested the mace on her shoulder like a bat. The chains made tinging noises as she moved it. "Chaperone? Does it look like I need one?" She eyed up Valentine a bit before returning to Alphonse, "And why the hell are you here? You two do realize that there is a toxic vapor all around us....don't you?"
Breathe deep...
"Ah." That one syllable was all Alphonse voiced, his brows raised. "Well we are actually just passing through and ran into a bit of trouble. You see..." His golden eyes flickered ever so slightly over Rose. "We are in need of a place to stay for a while and transportation was a must. So..." He motioned to the squad car behind them; the sleek sportster was used often at the Chemical Plants. The word TOTAL was written plainly on the door facing, indicating one of the major chemical plants around. The twin's bright jump suits bore the same name.
"Que veut-elle ?" Valentine said impatiently. "I am tired of your games, Alphonse." She clicked the trigger on the gun and a bright red laser appeared hovering over Rose's heart. Valentine didn't let Rose's once-over go unnoticed.
"Soyez patient." Alphonse replied, still keeping his eye on Rose. When she hoisted her mace on her shouler, he grinned all the more. "You still haven't answered my first question." He said with a lazy smile, sheathing his machete. As soon as the blade was sheathed, Valentine checked her gun and moved swiftly to the car, yanking the door open and dragging out the driver. The man, his color ashen and blanched, was hefted out and drug aside, his cracked skull lolling as dead weight; his tender brains hung from the opened cranium.
Rose wasn't swayed by the red dot on her chest. "You know, if you two want my help with a place to stay, Valentine here isn't very persuasive."
I think she has a crush on us
Her eyes went back to Alphonse, "Anyways...what question was that? Why am I here?" She paused before answering herself, "Boredom really. Can't blame a girl for trying to find amusement in this hell hole." Rose took a double-take at the bloodied man that was pulled out of the car. Her head jerked back and then forwards. A twisted, evil-looking grin appeared on her face.
"Lunch." Roxie growled before darting at the dead man. She held her mace far behind her before slamming it into the man's skull. She ripped it out and splattered flesh and blood all over the area.
Wow...beating up an already dead man, are you?
"Fucking hell!" Valentine exclaimed as the dead man was ripped asuander by the girl and her deadly-looking mace. She absently wiped her arm over her face, clearing her skin from the fresh smatter of blood. The redness only smeared. "What the fuck are you doing, eh!?"
"Poisonous vapors around here you say? I wouldn't have guessed..." Alphonse remarked dryly, yanking open the other car door. He nodded to Valentine who quickly seated herself in the driver's seat. "Well...Roxie I presume? Is that it? Unless you have further information to share we'll bid you au revoir."
Valentine shot Alphonse a glare from her seat, wires knotted in her grasp from under the steering console. She shook her head, motioning for a blade. Alphonse flipped one of his throwing daggers from its sheath and tossed it to her unthinking. Valentine quickly cut a few wires and struck their metal cores together until the car shuttered to life, engine revving loudly.
Damnit...we need more members! Don't blow it!!
"Will you shut up already.." Roxie shouted at herself. Suddenly he body almost collapsed and twitched.
Rose was once more in control. She wiped some blood off of her face. "My apologies. We are currently looking for more members of the rebellion if you are interested. A sense of security you might say..."
TNT wobbled dangerously into view, a couple of traffic cones on his head. Coming across the booby trapped playground he placed the cones around it in a pattern to stop anyone from going in. He switched on the metal detector and began sweeping over the sandy ground.
Alphonse shook his head, noting the girl twitch and that wildness recede from her eyes. He laughed, looking skyward. "What do you say, my love? Shall we go?" He asked his twin. Valentine only snorted where she sat, flipping a few switches on the center consol of the vehicle.
Alphonse leaned down, peering at her. "S'il vous plait, Valentine!" She only glared at him, dismissing his words that seemed to ripple like honey. "Ah! Vous me rendez triste!" He exclaimed passionately. No one ever said the French lacked passion. It was in Alphonse's tone, his golden-flecked eyes, in his very nature and contour of his body.
Valentine, being just as passionate but a bit more rash than her twin, jumped out of the car, hands striking the battered roof as she yelled back in a fluent stream of French. Her fists pounded the meaning of her argument, her angry mouth not able to twist her heated words into anything but beauty. She gestured frequently in Rose's direction as the tirade spilled out, her own golden eyes shrewd and uncompassionate. Alphonse argued back just as viciously, pounding the car with his own fist, yelling louder so his voice would topple his twin's. The veins in both of their necks pounded with the strain.
Finally the argument dwindled off. Valentine rolled her eyes behind her mask. "Comme vous souhaitez!" She tossed at him, dismissing the argument and seated herself once more in the driver's seat. Alphonse grinned, blowing a kiss in her direction with both hands simultaneously. He regarded Rose with a flourishing bow and pulled back the seat, allowing her entrance into the car.
"If you would be kind enough to show us the way, we will be more than happy to join your Rebels!" He said in a melodious voice, his spirits high.
TNT hummed gently as he swept away some dirt with a small brush, exposing the mine's outer shell. Tapping out a small rythem on the sandy ground with a screwdriver he began opening the case, making sure it wasn't booby trapped first. He began to clip wires like a mad man, making sure he left the explosive in tact but lost the trigger.
Aww..she likes us. Let's show her how much we like her...
"Not now Roxie..." Rose headed back towards the car, she stopped and pointed West. "Head straight this way. Sooner then you know it, you will come to the city's ruins. Our 'base' is hidden there. Cheyenne is the one you will be looking for. She has maroon hair, an eye patch and metal legs...you can't miss her. Just tell her that I sent you as new recruits." She looked towards where she heard some noise before, "I have some things to do." Her eyes turned and went to Alphonse, "Bye cutey." Right after saying this, Rose ran off across the park. She jumped down where they couldn't see.
Ah...flesh
Rose ran up from behind on the blonde man in the bloody white coat. Without a warning, she tackled him from behind. They landed in the sand of the mine infested playground. Holding her mace up, she asked, "Who are you!?"
TNT yelped, landing face down in the sand. He shook his head gently and looked up. Gulping he saw there was a mine centemeters in front of him. He picked up his brush which had been knocked out his hand and started to sweep the sand over the mine away. "Im TNT, dont move there's mines all over this place." he said as he started to dissapsemble the mine slowly.
Alphonse nodded, taking in Rose's words. He didn't wait for anything more but jumped into the car and closed the door quickly. Valentine gave him a curious glance.
"Your friend?" She ventured, glancing behind.
"Not coming." Alphonse laughed at his sister's wicked grin. "But We do have a heading and a name. Let's go see what the bastards are all about, eh?" Valentine nodded, shifting the gears. The engine revved once, twice, then exploded from its stand-still. Lights flickered across the speedometer and the other gages as the wheels skidded on the loose turf.
"Let's see what this mother can do." Valentine remarked with a feral grin, pushing her steel-toed boot to the floor on the gas pedal.
"No shit! I put them there. Why the hell are you disarming them?" Rose asked, still on top of his back on the sand. She rested her mace but was still alert.
TNT couldn't help wriggling his backside and saying "Cause Im a bad little boy, gonna punish me?" Of course, he had no idea of Rose's homicidal tendancies and would probably barely live to regret those words. Still however he kept snipping away at the insides of the mine infront of him, making sure that the trigger could go off if he wanted.
He is asking for it...let's give it to him!
"Shut up!" Rose said to Roxie. She wasn't amused and wrapped her chain around his throat. "I would like these to stay active. Trust me...you don't want to disagree."
Bondage baby..
TNT laughed and let the top of the mine flip off, showing him holding a switch wire an inch above the ignitor. "Dead man switch, you kill me the hand drops and we go boom" he said happily "And why do you want to blow up kids anyway?"
"Fine." Rose sighed, getting off of him. "I'm not aiming for kids. But even if I was...serves them right for playing in this toxic wasteland of a park." Rose argued back. She held her mace firm in her hands. Just then, her body spasmed and twitched. When she lifted her head up, she was drooling a bit.
Roxie had taken over. With a maniacal giggle, she threw her mace into the sandpit. It landed on an active mine about five feet away from both of them. The instant it hit, the ground seemingly exploded. The mace flew up and around but she caught it.
Just make sure we don't get killed alright? Rose told her.
TNT yelped and buried his face in the ground before getting up suddenly, knocking Roxie backwards. "No blowing us up" TNT said, waving a hand that still held the mine "That's my job."
Roxie bounced on her butt for a second before getting right back up. She laughed some more and got in a fighting stance, "Where you from cutey?"
TNT raised an eyebrow at her "I'm a peacekeeper, if you mean before that I was in the army." He fished in his pocket as he spoke, searching for some unknown thing.
Ok Roxie...kill him
Roxie smiled seductively for a moment before shouting, "DIE PEACE KEEPING SCUM!" She ran expectingly at him, waving her mace wildly at him.
TNT blinked, shifting sideways and hooking his foot under hers and sending her sprawling on the ground. "You have some serious issues, you know that?" he mumbled, putting his foot on her back and pulling a two pound rubber mallet from his pocket. He held it at arms length, above a small mound he knew was a mine. He knew if he was quick he could drop it and run off, leaving her to get blown up.
Roxie turned her head as she layed front down on the sand. Her beautiful purple eyes were watering and she spoke in a sad voice, "Y-you...would kill m-me?" A tear ran down her cheek and she trembled slightly.
"Yes" TNT answered, raising an eyebrow "Wouldn't you?" She couldn't fool him like this, innocent indeed.
Roxie's mood shifted suddenly to how it was before. Rose was back now. With a scowl, she scuffed, "Well aren't you the charmer?...TNT was it?" She casually placed her hands on the ground and started to push herself up as if she hadn't even attacked him before.
Make him bleed
"Just hold on...!"
Now!
Rose's head shook, "Shut up!"
TNT watched with amazment as she argued with herself "Uh... yeah Im TNT, who are you? Or... you two?"
"I would...but I would rather meet you face to face then greet the dirt." Rose said, almost face down in the sand.
Why the hell are you so smug?! He said he was a keeper!!
"Just hold it."
TNT stared at her, shrugged and moved a little to the side. He started working on another mine in the sand.
"You've already met Roxie." she went behind him as he crouched down to the mine. She leaned up against TNT's back, pressing her chest against him. "I'm Rose" she whispered into his ear.
Sexy..
TNT straightened slowly "Nice to meet you Rose, and you too Roxie I guess." His hand shook gently as he clipped at the mine, almost turning them both into a bloody mess.
Go to hell, dead man...
Rose pushed her chest tighter against his back as he worked on the mines. She brought her hands forwards so that they were in front of him. Taking a hold of the mace handle with the hand that is wasn't attached to, she held it against his throat. It wasn't tight, but noticeably there, "We are enemies..you and I. You know that right?" she whispered seductively.
TNT gulped tightly, trying to pull his throat away from the mace spikes. "Yeah, I figured that" he said "But geese we're sitting in a minefield with a EXPLOSIVE EXPERT with his hand on one right now. I mean, if this ignited and catches me the blast will probably take the entire park out."
"How romantic...." Rose whispered, "Do I? Make you nervous?" She nibbled on his ear.
TNT couldn't help but rub his head against hers gently, catching himself in time "Yeah, so? You have a mace to my throat."
"You realize that I have to kill you." Rose whispered.
TNT considered saying "No" but he thought a second before he did "yeah..." he admitted "Yeah you pretty much have to kill me."
"I'm feeling generous...so I will ask: How do you want to die? Fast? Or slow...?" Rose whispered before licking the back of his neck. She tightened her grip on the chain at his throat.
Please say slow... Roxie told Rose.
"Hmmmm... slow, that'll give me enough time to set some stuff off" TNT said, concentrating and digging one hand into his pocket.
Rose leaned back and yanked on the chain that held tightly to his throat. "Hey!! Stop squirming!" She kicked his backside firmly and pressed on his back, forcing him to lay on the sand. A mine just inches away from his nose.
TNT gave a little sigh of releif as there was a massive crack from his spine. "Had that in knots for ages" he said happily "Too much bending down in my job." As he was talking his legs had slowly crept up Rose's back, grabbing her round the neck and hauling backwards. As she went backwards so did he since the chain was round his neck. He kept on flipping though, coming loose of the chain.
Rose lost her balance and fell onto her butt. Something inside her clicked again.
"Mine!!" Roxie screamed, running at him as fast as she could with her mace in the air.
TNT watched, looking slightly bored. He dashed forward, grabbed the mace's handle and pulled. He met Roxcie in the middle, holding her close with his face close to hers.
Roxie grit her teeth and struggled to break free, "Let go! You bastard!"
"Why?" TNT said, forcing them to do a deadly waltz threw the mines.
"You..." Roxie tried to break free, "must die!!"
TNT spun her away, holding onto her mace chain so she pulled taught before he realeased it. It shot right at Roxcie as she hit the floor hard.
"Ack!" Roxie grunted when she it the ground hard. She sat up, "God damnit!!" Rose said, grabbing at her head.
"Well, comeon then" TNT said, dancing about happily on the spot.
"Your mad!" Rose shouted at him.
He's kinda cute...
Rose hit herself in the head, "Now your mad! We're fucked up enough as it is! I won't let you say wreckless things like that about our enemy!"
"Ohhhhh, you're other half having dirty thoughts?" TNT laughed.
"Bastard!!!!" Rose shouted. She started to twirl her mace in the air like a helicopter.
Make him bleed...
Rose darted to him.
TNT sighed and the rubber mallet he'd used connected with Rose's stomach "Seriously, you leave your middle and lower body TOTALLY exposed."
"Ugh!" Rose grunted when she was completely stopped in her tracks. Her arms went lose but the mace still carried momentum. It wrapped around TNT but the mace spike hit the chain when he was wrapped. Rose fell to the ground with the wind completely knocked out of her. She pulled TNT down with her since he was tangled.
TNT let out a little surprised noise and toppled over, landing on his side heavily. He gasped for air for a second but smiled "That was a fluke" he said in a hoarse voice.
Rose was keeled over and struggled heavily for air. She couldn't respond or anything. She was running at full speed and completely stopped on her gut.
TNT got up first, thought shakily "Hmmm..." he flipped Rose over and wrapped both hand wround her chin. He could either throttle or try to pull Rose's head off "Should I kill you?"
Rose managed to catch her breath finally, "A real man would."
Get your sorry ass up, Rose!!
TNT started hauling backwards, her face was level with the sky now. She was staring right upwards before TNT swooped down and planted and kiss in her lips. It was very sudden and very quick so she barely had time to register it before TNT released her head and it slammed back into the ground.
"Guh!" Rose grunted when she hit the ground. She sat up, grabbing her head, "Talk about an instant headache." Quickly, she stood up.
I want to taste him...
"You will get your chance soon enough." Rose slapped him clean on the cheek, leaving slight scratch marks from her nails.
TNT smiled and felt his cheek "Awwwww, retreating down to a simple SLAP? Jeese, maybe that blow scrabled you head." He looked slightly worried for a second.
Roxie was back suddenly, "Just wanted to break the ice." She threw her mace at him swiftly.
TNT yelped and hit the deck as fast as he could "Awwwww, the other one's back!"
"Ring around the Rosie..." Roxie brought it back down with another swing. "A pocket full of posies..."
"Aint got no posies, but I've got these" TNT said, throwing a few tacks directly into Roxie's face.
Rose took over when they hit her face. "Fucking shit! You did that on purpose!"
Maybeh...
"What you fight for is hope, keeper....There is none! We are all doomed! The human race is at it's end!!" She pulled the tacks out in one swoop.
"The place was perfectly fine right up until people started killing each other to end it!" TNT said.
"Fool!" Rose shouted, "Living a normal life is impossible. The government has crashed and chaos is all around us!" She instantly threw her mace once more at him. Her eyes were enraged and twisted looking.
TNT knew he couldn't dodge that but he smacked it out the air with a hand, puncturing the skin on his arm and hand. He cursed gently "The government broke cause of the stress!"
"Keh..." Rose approached him quickly, "Not like it matters anymore." She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him into a kiss that he couldn't back out of.
TNT let out a little surprised "Mff" noise, holding his arm out so Rose's mace stayed at arms length.
Rose broke the kiss, "Now that's how you kiss a person." She was inferring that his kiss to her earlier was pathetic. With an evil grin, she grabbed his hand tightly where it had been cut. Once pulling up to her face, she placed her lips on it and sucked out some of the blood.
Finally..
TNT let out a little laugh "Awwww, so she was thinking dirty thoughts" he said, wrapping the arm that was holding the mace around Rose's back so she was in danger of breaking her arm and being spitted at the same time yet could also keep licking his wound.
The girl dropped his hand and glared at TNT. "I thought you were going to kill me?" she asked, wondering why he didn't. Rose was the more intelligent one and a person could hold a conversation with. Roxie on the other hand is ruthless and mad with the thirst for blood.
"Too interesting" TNT said, kissing her on the lips gently. He held her there, a slight trickle of blood running down her back as the mace spikes dug into her slightly.
Rose grabbed onto the chain and yanked it hard, feeling like she was threatened. It ripped more at her back, but she got ahold of it. She only liked to give pain, not receive it.
TNT pouted and walked backwards slowly, letting Rose go "Awwwww, that's no fun."
Her head twitched dramatically. "Die.." Roxie whispered before running at Him once more.
Careful..this is my body too
TNT sighed, rolling forward and aiming his elbow at Roxie's stomach. She gotta stop rushing forward he thought.
Lean back and kick up!! Rose advised her
Roxie, usually to be one to not listen, did as Rose commanded. She moved her mace behind her and kicked up. The momentum of the mace balnced her in the air. She kicked TNT on his upper chest.
TNT rolled backwards, coughing as the air rushed out of him. "Bout time you got a decent hit in" he groaned, on one knee as he tried to get his breath back.
"Eat shit!" Roxie shouted as she swiped her large mace at him from a sideways angle as he knelt.
TNT rolled forward and stood up at the same time, meaning his head made contact with Rose's jaw hard. This didn't make him completely dodge the mace though and the handle slammed into his side, winding him.
Roxie was pushed back and almost fell. Blood trickled out of her mouth. She turned and spit out a large gob of it onto the dirt. "Keh..."
TNT rubbed his head and cursed "Great, now I have a headache" he said. He got up, smiling gently "Give up yet?"
"I would rather die." Roxie grunted before her body shifted.
"The keepers are ignorant! You play police while the world is going to completely crash upon itself!"
Are we hungry?
"A little...but I can't let him follow me."
Hold the fight then, for a few hours?
"I thought you wanted something to drink?
No one can kill on an emtpy stomach.
"You don't sound like yourself."
Oh shut up..
TNT stared at her for a little while before kneeling down and starting work on another mine, it was so nice for her to distract herself. "Sounds like you two are disagreeing..." he said as he clipped a couple of wires "sorry about that, I dont want to split up such a close couple."
Rose rolled her eyes, "Shut it. It's not like I like her or anything."
Your not exactly the best yourself, pip squeak
"You idiot...we are the same body."
You should go make this new friend of ours bleed some more...I'm still longing for his taste
"That little bit is all you get. Besides...we don't even know the guy." Rose growled as she remembered that he was a keeper, "HE IS OUR ENEMY YOU STUPID BITCH!"
So?
Rose sighed, "We would be dead if I wasn't here." He eyes locked back onto TNT. "Fine...deactivate the mines. It's not like I can't planet them again in different places."
TNT just waved over his shoulder at her as if saying that she was dismissed "I'll be there to disarm them again... then again." He had just leaned over another mine that he had just opened and without so much as snipping a wire he picked up his dropped rubber mallet and smashed the mine repeatedly "I might not need to, this one was out already. Who ever it was sold you a couple of duds."
"Really?" Rose asked him, walking over. "How do you know so damn much?" She looked at him oddly from behind.
TNT laughed gently "I'm an explosive expert, this is all I really know." He hummed gently as he began shoving some of the explosives into his coat pockets.
Rose turned her head around to look at the long cut on her back. It had stopped bleeding now. After watching TNT for a few seconds, she turned away, "Well I'm bored again."
TNT got up, tossed a grey cannister into her hands "Here, this'll keep you entertained. Disarm it before you explode." TNT walked away, knowing that she couldn't loose it because it had a sticky end and that also it wasn't actually a bomb but a smoke grenade.
Rose jumped, "What the hell?" She leaned in and bit into the bomb and pulled on it to try and get rid of it. "Damnit! That's not nice!" she shouted at him before biting it again.
Don't you dare kill us...
"You think I want to?!" Rose shouted before running at TNT and grabbing onto the waist of his pant line. "My hands go and so does your manhood...."
TNT's eyebrows raised as she grabbed his groin "Serious for one last fumble eh?" he laughed "And it wont just ake out your hand, it'll take out atleast five meters in evey direction. All I have to do is" he turned and dashed away quickly, heading further into the playground.
Who needs hands anyways?
"This thing really doesn't look like a bomb though..." Rose trailed off.
How funny will it be?
"When what?"
When that thing explodes and you are armless
"You really are an idiot aren't you? It's your arms as well." Rose said before sitting down. She placed her feet onto the bomb that was stuck to her hands. Rose used all her might and pulled hard on the bomb as it slowly lost it's stick.
TNT laughed from behind the jungle jim as Rose started to peel it off her hands, some skin coming with it as it gripped with all it's might.
"Ahh!!" Rose shouted and thrust her body straight. When the bomb finally popped off, it ripped off pieces of her skin too. Holding her hands into fists, she ran and kicked the bomb into TNT's direction. "Ungreatful bastard!"
TNT laughed as the smoke bomb exploded harmlessly in mid-air. "Awwwwww, scared you did I?"
"You ass..." Rose scuffed and turned around. "Why don't you go home and play with your tree hugging hippies over at the keeper's base?" Looking at her hands for a moment and seeing that they were bleeding slightly.
Food now?
"Food now..."
"Practically no trees left" TNT said, wrinkling his nose "But if you want, I'll leave." He considered throwing another sticky bomb at her but she wouldn't do anything. He turned around and started to walk away, in truth he would have gone for the kill before but his coat was soaked with his blood and he needed to get away.
Rose looked back for a moment, "Pussy..." she whispered. After whispering she suddenly burst into a hysterical laughter like a light switch.
"SHUT UP YA PANSY!" TNT was heard to yell before he trundled back into downtown.
Pansy?
"Heh...I'm not the one running away." Rose shrugged, "Oh well...I'll kill him some other time I guess. I don't really feel like planting more mines anyhow. I've only gotten what..?"
Seven people.
"Seven people? Yea...it really doesn't pay for how pricey those things were." Rose shrugged and went back her way to the ruins.
Mercy was surprised to see Wynn at the park. She'd thought she was the only one bored with the downtown area and out looking for trouble. To be certain there were no misunderstandings, she made no secret of her approach, calling out "Wynn! What are you doing out here?"
Looking over his shoulder, Wynn saw Mercy approaching. "Probably the same thing you are," he commented. "It's been a while since I've actually visited this place." He had turned profile to her and looked around and up at the still standing bare, dead limbs of hopelessly growing trees. He was sure all were dead from lack of nutrients in the soil at its base.
The pale bare feet of a woman with the right leg of her jeans cut off around her thigh, making half shorts and the other half long pants with a few cuts in them along with a tan shirt. Her long black hair a bit blown back from her speed. Maria had taken a few steps into some mud, but obviously hadn't noticed. She'd stepped out of it and heard a male voice, so she hid. She literally forced herself face first into the mud opposite the side Wynn and Mercy stood. She crawled as flat as she could towards the once-been river, having rolled to one side to cover her clothing and such in mud. The twin pistols a bit more protected by her arms. She pulled out her left pistol from her right side and kept her finger on the trigger, releasing the safety as she listened to the conversation of the two. What am I doing? she thought, finding a better vantage point by leaning against a fallen tree log, half rotted. I'm covered entirely with mud. She held back a laugh by bitting the inside of her cheek, a little twinge telling her she bit too hard and drew blood.
Standing at the edge of a rather mud-like river that managed a bit of flow from somewhere nearby, probably a spring, but Wynn wasn't too interested in the river, but rather the sludge that gathered so much at the bottom, it was no longer a river. He listened to the wind blowing past the tops of the bare tree branches, amazingly still standing eighteen to twenty feet tall.
Mercy nodded to Wynn, after all, there weren't many reasons for coming to a place like this - either you were looking for trouble, or looking to make some. As this thought crossed her mind, she noticed a squelching sound. "Did you hear something?" she asked Wynn, her head turning to look at the blighted landscape.
Looking to Mercy for a moment before following her gaze, Wynn looked back to her and nodded, but verbally said "No." He hoped she'd take the hint that he wanted to move and see if the squelching sound was made by an unfriendly being. He looked around and noticed a wide, rotting, fallen log, right in the middle of what would've been the river. With a few steps he stood, perfectly balanced on the seven inch wide log. He waved Mercy over and took a few steps to Mercy's left.
Maria only heard Wynn's no in response, but was sure that the few moments of silence were filled with communication. She slowly slid her free hand to her face and basically covered everything. She wiped off her mouth, nostrils, and eyes to make it easier for her to see and breath. She looked around, not seeing anything past the log. She didn't dare move, and instead looked over her shoulder to see if her feet were covered. They weren't numb but she couldn't feel if anything was covering them or not. To Maria's surprised, her entire backside was covered. She laid back down as slowly as possible, making as little noise as she could.
Mercy nodded, understanding Wynn perfectly. "I guess I'm just jumpy," she said, then quietly pulled her Derringer from its thigh holster. "This park is creepy, no?" she asked nonchalantly, then began walking forward, angling toward Wynn's right side, gun pointed down, safety off.
Wynn reached the end of the log he walked on, and looked to Mercy, drawing his sword. He shook his head towards the large log Maria was behind. "You could say that," he said, throwing his voice a bit so as not to give away his position.
Forcing to keep her breathing slow and sliding her arm above her head, Maria pushed the gun into the rotten log, a few pieces falling off to cover the only part which showed. She didn't know if her hair had mud on it, but laid flat against the ground, hoping that after a look and seeing mud the two would leave and she could get up and find a place with running water. Two spots came up in her mind, but she didn't think much as she closed her eyes and used her hand to cover her nose and mouth, giving her room to breath without being noticed much. She was laying in the river bed so a trickle of rather dirty water and blood mixture had to find its way around her, moving over her shoulder and down her back then between her legs.
Noticing the small trickle leading up to the log, Wynn, in a swift jump, landed on the log, crouching down. With a twist of the hilt, Wynn now held two perfectly symetrical, mirrored swords, one in each hand. He looked back to Mercy, waving her over.
Mercy smiled, her mouth twisted in a predatory grin. She hadn't noticed the blood, water and mud until Wynn moved, but now she could see it clearly. She moved up, but left Wynn closer in. With his swords, he would be more effective in close combat. Mercy motioned with her other hand toward the surroundings and then at the log to let Wynn know she would cover him. The Derringer she held loosely in her right hand, still pointed mainly toward the ground. It was easier to aim from a relaxed position than to change focus points - now if the target would just surface! Waiting was always the hard part.
Beginning to prod the earth, easily swirling areas with the tip of his right blade, Wynn walked carefully along the log. He knelt down when his sword needed more pressure to move through a larger clump of mud, but instead of a person, it was a large log. He looked to Mercy, shook his head once, then looked back, continueing the length of the log. He brought up his blade and saw the mix of mud and blood beginning to cake on the dulled sides. He looked back down at the mud and saw what appeared to be footprints, leading up to a rather lumpy log, one step away. He couldn't see a clear foot path so, wiping his blade on his pant leg, he replaced both blades, the hilt turned a quarter turn to hold both in the sheath. He looked above his head and saw half a tree leaning against another still standing one, the diameter of the half looked to be about five inches or so. He moved back on the log a bit then, with a small four step running start, leapt off the edge which broke a piece off as his underarms landed against the flat edge. He clasped onto the tree with his spiney arms as he began to slowly slide down towards the base. He swung his leg over it and then the other, so he was now hanging over the branch, facing Mercy and the log he'd once stood on. Looking to his surroundings, he simply released his grip, falling the few feet to the large log, his footing slipping so one leg slid down the side and the other braced along with both hands. He brought his foot up, which didn't hit the mud.
Hearing mixed sounds, both that of a man and of a groaning tree, Maria kept quiet, willing them to either leave or talk about the Peace Keepers. She barely moved her chest, letting in as little air as she could to keep herself from being seen. She prayed to whatever power she could that her footprints in the mud simply looked like natural indents.
Standing upright, Wynn unsheathed his blades, and seperated them again, using his left blade to scrap along the mud again. He managed to regain the breath he lost when he hit the tree as he took tenative steps across the creaking log. He moved slowly to prevent much noise, despite the age of his foothold. He pulled the blade across the top of the mud, across a trickle of water which seemed to have an odd path, but one that went unnoticed as he pulled it up to inspect and saw exactly what he'd seen the first time: mud and blood.
Hearing the movements so close to her head, Maria knew that someone was standing on the log she hid behind. She could hear the person walking from one end to the other, but made no movement. When she felt a blade hit her back, she drew in her lip and clenched her teeth, not breaking skin, but keeping herself from calling out. The blade had sliced a clean line along her back. She was sure the one standing would notice, but made no move, just in case.
"Nothing's here," Wynn said, looking back to Mercy. His voice seemed disappointed, despite his calm exterior. He moved along the log, however. He dislike cleaning off mud and moved until he found a cleaner bank, stepping off the path. "That was a waste of time." He looked back to the log one last time before returning attention to Mercy.
A man, roughly the age of forty wanders into the park. He is wearing a tethered old biker jacket and rugged pants, torn at the knees. His head was kept down, almost hidden under a black bandanna that he wore on his head.
Mercy turned at the sound, gun pointed toward the source of the noise. She'd seen Wynn probe into the mud at the other side of the log and if he said it was clear, it probably was, so she focused her attention narrowly on the newcomer. "Another nothing just left of that tree, Wynn," Mercy said, a trace of mirth lacing her voice.
The man stopped and glared at the two. His hands were hidden deeply into his leather jacket. With a large grin, he headed towards them. His head was still low, aimed at the ground.
"Enjoy this one, Mercy," Wynn said after crouching on the ground, his blades hidden beneath his overused trench coat. "We may not find such a stragler again." He waited for Mercy, this time. She waited for him, why not give her a chance to take the lead for a change? or so was his reasoning for watching her from the corner of his eye as well as watching the oncoming stranger.
Thankful to be a bit farther away from the blade which cut her back, Maria laid, unmoving under the mud. She'd heard a female voice say something then heard the male's clearer saying something about enjoying this one and not finding a stragler, giving her the impression their group was now four, even if the two didn't know of the fourth laying under three inches of dirty, probably germ infested mud. She kept her eyes closed and breathed slowly as she felt a little of the thin stream of water find a short path into the fresh, barely skin-deep cut just below her shoulders.
The man peered into his left pocket briefly. A grin could be seen on his face before he put the piece of paper away. He knew that this was dangerous territory, luckily he had something worth fighting for.
"Stop where you are and put your hands where I can see them," Mercy said, a touch of excitement causing her voice to tremble. She always believed in giving a rebel the chance to come along peacefully, but she was really hoping this one wouldn't. Her hand held the gun lightly, finger just brushing the trigger. Maybe she should wing him . . . the thought skittered across her mind without disturbing her focus on the target.
The man didn't seem trustworthy, yet he placed his hands above his head. He took a few steps and jumped onto the log of a fallen over tree, giving himself some higher ground.
Mercy nearly pulled the trigger when he jumped onto the log, but managed to minimize the twitch. "Down on your knees! If you move again, I'll kill you where you stand," she said firmly. She motioned Wynn to cover her. He was good with those blades, and it always helped to have your back up alert and nearby.
"I kneel to no one." the man said blankly. He figured this person was a keeper, seeing as though she acted like a police officer.
"Wynn, you wanna search him or should I," Mercy asked tersely, motioning to the still standing man. She was highly tempted to blow out a kneecap; afterall, he disobeyed an order by a . . .uniformed . . . sort of uniformed . . . peace keeper. Well, if he made a move other than kneeling, she would peg him.
"If you're willing," Wynn replied to her question. "I've never enjoyed that part unless the bodies were dead. Even then it's not the best thing to do in my time." He'd shifted to what appreared to be a stance which meant he'd dart at the target if the move was not one Mercy hadn't told him. His voice didn't carry far, just to Mercy.
Maria, thankful for the distraction but guilty for thinking that, stayed where she was for a few moments, then chanced removing her hand from her mouth and nose, to reach for her firearm. About when she heard the female officer say "On your knees!" she'd already removed her weapon, wiped the mud from her eyes, and had moved a few inches without making a loud enough sound to distract either people who looked for her.
"Why have you stopped me, pigs?" the man cursed, "I did nothing wrong! I guess it's true what they say, the world has gone to shit and the police are ruthless thugs."
Narrowing his dull brown eyes, Wynn began to take steady steps towards the man, constantly keeping his stance ready as a precaution. "Pigs are rare in this ruined city," he began. "Pigs are picky eaters who cover themselves in mud because they can't sweat. Pigs could rip you to shreds after the right motivation. Yeah, I'd say she and I are pigs in that regard. Our bodies are constantly covered in nice wet mud as we eat only the choiciest of roots we dig up from the contaminated ground and bear tusks which could rip through you like a stick to a dead leaf." He'd advanced so close, to the man, he stopped only five feet from the log, but had unsheathed his sword, but didn't seperate the duel blade.
Maria had shifted enough to see through a hole in the rotting log. A man in a trench coat held a silver sword and stood closer to a man she'd seen around the ruins. From her memory, she recalled he'd attempted to become a rebel but Cheyenne turned him down for his lack of skills and gun control. She smirked to herself, now leaning on her knees and elbows in the curved and indented riverbed of mud and blood she laid in, having completely forgotten about the long, light bleeding line on her back. She couldn't see the female but knew she was there.
"Back away." He demanded, reaching into his pocket slowly.
Mercy was willing to overlook the insults, afterall, not everyone could appreciate the roll the Keepers played in making the world a better - if less populated - place. But the moment his hand moved toward his pocket, she fired at his torso. Had he taken a step, it would have been a shot to the leg, but reaching for his pocket could be a deadly threat. With that in mind, Mercy went for a gut shot; it should drop him but leave him alive enough to answer a few questions before they slit his throat.
The man keeled over onto the dried dirt. He grabbed a hold of his gut with his free hand while the other remained in his pocket. The man winced and grit his teeth together in agony.
Mercy shot at the prone figure, this time aiming for his arm at about the elbow joint. It was a difficult shot to make, she knew, but hitting it would end the threat. So dense, she thought, he had to know what was coming.
The man screamed in pain as is elbow got shot. It fell limp in his pocket, bleeding severely. He starred up at the sky with glossy eyes. "I'm sorry..." he said to someone that wasn't there.
Using the dull side of his blade, Wynn had moved close enough to move the arm inside the man's pocket. He placed the point of the blade to the man's throat and looked to Mercy. "No more bullets, please," he said. "The man's already going to die no matter what he does." Wynn looked back to the man. "And you're going to tell us everything we want to know."
The man coughed up blood and it trickled out of his mouth. He struggled to breath and clasped the dirt with his only working hand. His eyes watered and were still fixated on the sky. "W-why?" he managed to ask, "I did nothing...I'm innocent." Tears streamed down his cheeks.
It seemed heartless as his eyes didn't repeat compasion or seemingly mercy. Wynn merely tilted his head. "But you didn't follow our requests," he said, narrowing his eyes. The urge to decapitate the snivling man flickered eagerly across his mind, but he waited until Mercy interrigated him.
TNT strolled into the park, he had nothing else to do so a little walk would be nice even in this strange bombed out park.
The man's eyes went to his pocket as the life drained from him. Tears streamed down his cheek as his body writhed in pain.
Mercy walked up to where Wynn knelt by the body - whether he was dead yet or not, he was just a body now. "Damn. I didn't intend for him to die before we could question him. Oh well. What was he reaching for, anyway?" Mercy asked, nonchalantly, prodding the man's leg with her foot.
The man took one last breath and exhaled with a gargling down. His eyes were now fixated on the sky as blood seeped out of his mouth and added to the pool of blood beneath him. The corner of a piece of paper stuck out of his pocket.
Knowing the man died, Wynn knelt beside the dead man, raiding the guy's pockets, removing the paper last. It seemed to be in good condition as far as paper went, but instead of dwelling on it, he handed it over to Mercy, overlooking the other inventory on this man. A few stray keys, one broken, a coin or two, pennies from the color of the greenish moss around it, and several wires that appeared to be ripped from some security system as far as he could tell. He removed the man's jacket and, with his dueled sword, cut gently along the lining. If he had learned anything from being in the Peace Keepers, hiding things in the lining was one way of keeping things to yourself assuming you were a rebel or civilian.
Maria had finally moved far enough away from the two she could stand straight, stretching her arms and attempting to remove the mud from her body to no avail. The line on her back, now more apparent than ever as she raised both arms above her head. Unfortunately for her, she had moved easily forwards, missing TNT entering the park. When she finally noticed, she simply blinked, freezing her pose. Taking the initiative, Maria replaced her arms to her side, hoping to keep her weapons concealed, despite her small frame. "Hello, there," she said in what she hoped was a friendly manner.
The piece of paper was merely a photograph of a woman and a young girl holding hands. It was presumably his wife and daughter. The man was merely scavenging the woods for some source of food for his family. Before his death, the apology that he directed to the sky was aimed at his wife. He was sorry that she would have to be alone now in the world with her young daughter.
TNT wandered over to Maria and Wynn, staring down at the bloodied mess of a man as he arrived. "Aren't we meant to be stopping these things? You know, free will and peace and love and all that stuff?"
Mercy looked over the piece of relatively worthless paraphenalia and wondered why anyone would die for a picture. She put the old photo into her pocket, afterall, it wouldn't do to litter - but the nearest fire or trash bin would be the picture's final resting place. She watched quietly as Wynn rummaged in the man's pockets and slit open his jacket. So far nothing worthwhile had turned up, but you never know.
Something caught TNT's eye as the photo flashed into Mercy's pocket. "What's that?" he said, turning slightly and staring at Mercy. He didn't like when the "Good guys" killed for no apparent reason "And what was this guy doing anyway? Why'd you kill him?"
Mercy turned to her head to look at TNT, shrugging slightly. "I ordered him to stop and kneel. He refused the order then reached for his pocket. I could only assume he was going for a weapon. Besides, he was obviously just a rebel," she said, ending with a slight grin. She turned back to watch Wynn. TNT made her nervous; in some ways, she thought, he isn't really any different from the rebels.
TNT was thinking the same about Mercy at that time as well "right... you kill him because he put his hand in his pocket and he wouldn't kneel. I'd never expect a person to kneel to me, Im just a guy. What are you then?"
Ignoring TNT, Wynn straightened up, tossing the man's jacket over him, almost similarly to how a paramedic would've used a white sheet to cover the body in a crime scene. This was worse times, so the jacket would do. "I figure we should at least move his body out of the park, or bury him," he said, sheathing the blade after cleaning it off with the lining from their victim's jacket. He took to watching the body rather than his surroundings, already surveying most of the area several months ago. He'd always had a good memory.
Having been completely ignored, Maria rolled her eyes and moved quickly out of the park, back into a familiar territory.
Mercy held back a laugh as TNT spoke. Before turning to answer him, she nodded to Wynn. "Of course. It'd be easier to burn him than bury him, but either is fine with me," she murmurred, looking down at the body then turning to face TNT again. "Afterall, we are civilized, are we not," she gave him a twisted grin. "I am a Peace Keeper, TNT. As are you, whether you act like one or not. When a stranger approaches me in an unsettled territory, I want to make sure he's not dangerous. It's not a question of submission - it's safety. A man kneeling does not run; a man kneeling generally doesn't attack either," she shrugged, "more importantly, a stranger with his hands on his head isn't reaching for a gun, or worse, explosives." Mercy shook her head, disgusted by the need to give a fellow Peace Keeper this speech. "What's your problem, anyway," she asked, seeking his eyes with hers.
"I'll bury him, you lot go do something important" TNT mumbled, looking down at the man. He wasn't better than the man, atleast he didn't think he was. A kneeling man is a cowering man. A kneeling man is at their mercy. He didn't trust them as much as they trusted him. Nice crack about about explosives though, REAL subtle. TNT sighed and knelt down on one knee, starting to pull hand fulls of loose dirt out of the earth. He hated burying innocents but he was going to do it, they were after peace and this wasn't it. If he wasn't wrong the man had a family as well. He sighed again as he thought and dug, they called HIM the mad one.
Mercy shrugged uncomfortably. She hated it when people avoided looking her in the eyes, especially someone she already didn't trust. "Whatever makes you happy; just bury him deep or the scavengers 'll just dig him up again," she said, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "I'm going to patrol a little further in - I think this area might be reclaimable, with a little work. What about you, Wynn?" Mercy turned to face him again as she spoke, her attention off TNT once more.
TNT sighed and reached in his pocket, pulling out a sheets of metal that's collapsed in on itself a few times and a pole that could fold as well. Flicking out the pole and unfolding the metal sheet which turned out to be a shovel head. He screwed the head in and began to dig with his foldable shovel.
Watching the progress of TNT, Wynn looked back to Mercy. "I suppose I should head back to headquarters," he told them, standing unmoved. He glanced to TNT before moving closer. "I think there was someone hiding, they simply had the strength to stay hidden." He said this quietly, as a matter between Mercy and him, not that he wouldn't include TNT, but the man was already busy with digging the grave of the nameless innocent life that he helped take. This made him slightly uneasy, despite his lack of showing it.
Strange ducked through the city park, keeping a wide berth around the Keepers. He knew too well their itchy trigger fingers and didn't want to intercede. Subtly, without turning his head, he glanced at the pit that TNT was digging. One of them spoke to another quietly, that TNT wouldn't hear. He kept walking, as if he wasn't aware of their existance at all.
TNT kept digging the pit solemly. He panted gently and wiped sweat off his brow, at that moment he spotted Strange. Their eyes met and TNT knew that Strange didn't want to be seen. He thought maybe he should call out but they were standing next to a body, there is a good reason not to be seen in those circumstances. He kept eye contact as he jerked his head sideways the way Strange had been going, telling him to go faster. Strange owed him one now.
"Sunuvabitch," Strange muttered quietly, and hightailed the fuck out of there. TNT had seen him, had communicated to him, worse, did a favor for him. He hated owing people favors, so he got across town.
Mercy shrugged. "Either way . . ." she muttered, and turned to walk further into the park. She stepped carefully over the debris littering the ground, thinking about what it would take to make this place decent again. Civilized. Proper. Such things could be easily accomplished, she thought, if the damn rebels would just do as they were told. The world could be restored to its former glory, and if they wouldn't help, then she would remove them from humanity's path forward, one dirty little life at a time.
"FREEZE!" TNT yelled, still with his shovel in the ground. He calmly walked towards Mercy and knelt down just where her foot was about to land. He reached down and picked up a small packet that had once contained crisps. He opened it carefully and tipped out what looked like a mini drill with a tip at both ends, one smaller than the other. "Dont walk across crowded and ruined places, people like the hide traps in them." he grumbled as he picked it up "Damn thing, I knew I lost a shipment of them somewhere. They must have found them and scattered them around." He walked back over to the grave and placed the large tip into the ground. Pulling the shovel out he poked the thin end with the wood. There was a crunch as it whirred into life, burrying the small drill deep into the wood handel before pinning it to the floor as the large drill sank into the earth. TNT took three steps backwards before it went off, blowing a localised pit in the floor and snapping the handel of his shovel like a twig.
"Well isn't that lovely," Mercy muttered, watching TNT's display with interest. "Thanks, TNT," she said in a louder voice, looking at him directly, "I don't suppose you remember about how many of those you . . . misplaced?" She didn't honestly expect an answer, but it didn't hurt to try.
"Thirty five" TNT said, nodding "I've found twelve, maybe sixteen but I cant be sure if those deaths were them or not."
Mercy looked taken aback for a moment, then regained control, icy disinterest returning to her features. "So at least 13 still out there," she motioned toward the park, "or in the city? I will be sure to watch my step VERY carefully." She continued looking at him for a moment, wondering what really happened with those awful drills. She thought it all too possible that he could have sold them to a sympathizer or somesuch.
Unfortunatley for Mercy TNT was not in the trade of weopans and arms, he kept it all for himself. He really had lost a load somewhere in trasit however, someplace between burrying and explosion. "Could be anywhere. All I know is that they're pretty obvious so you have to hide them and that the dirt needs to be quite soft for them to bury into cause the motors aren't strong."
While the display went on between TNT and Mercy, Wynn faded easily into the background. He had found his way through the dried dirt and continued on to the city itself, where the Keepers' base was located.
"Anyway" TNT said, lowering the dead body into the pit that had just been exploded out for him "Shouldn't you lot be going somewhere? You seemed in a hurry to leave earlier."
Mercy nodded, "Be careful, TNT. See ya," she said quietly, and walked into the park. She was careful to watch her step, aware that little surprises like the one TNT had shown her were all too common these days. A distant part of her wanted to reminisce, but she kept her mind to task, noting possible positions for ambush, keeping mental track of debris laden areas that could be cleared. A few hours of this, and she headed back for base.
TNT sighed, sitting cross legged on the fresh grave. He didn't want to go back into the Peace Keeper territory just yet, too little trust and too much preaching. He looked around, this place was probably the safest right now.
Rose entered the park from the north ruins and cautiously voyaged through the debris of fallen trees of the park.
TNT looked around as he heard someone crashing threw the park. No body from the peacekeepers or the rebels would make that much noise he thought, it wasn't like them. He got up, this was a dangerous place for normal people and he wasn't going to bury another. He got up and looked around, trying to find the source.
Rose's ears perked up as well.
What the hell is that?
"I have no idea..."
Let's find out
Rose headed to the noise.
TNT grinned as he saw Jackdore dragging a car to pieces, going over to her side and poking her firmly. She jumped quickly and began to yell at him, leaving TNT just standing there staring at the ground like a naughty boy.
Rose peeked through from behind a fallen tree. "See? Nothing interesting." she whispered.
Let's murder them...it'll be fun
"Maybe...but Cheyenne won't like it."
Think of all the blood
TNT finally ignored Jackdore and moved around infront of the car, starting to dig inside the bonnet. Jackdore growled softly and started to pull the back of the car to pieces again.
Hey, isn't that the guy I fought before?
"You know what...I think so." Rose replied to herself.
Let's finish the job
"I don't know..."
There was a small "BOOM!" and TNT pulled away from the engine, smoke wafting from the engine he'd just been tinkering in.
Rose jumped a little from the sound of the explosion, "Woah!"
After checking he wasn't on fire and that his glasses were on straight, TNT just grinned stupidly at Jackdore as she started yelling again.
"What a cutie." Rose chuckled softly to herself as she spied.
TNT pulled Jackdore back as six massive cylanders were shot into the sky, fire erupting from the bonnet of the car.
"Wanna go kill some squirrels?" Rose asked.
Sure...but I doubt there are anymore around yet.
There was a deep whisteling threw the air before one of the cylinders smashed into the floor behind Rose, TNT clapping happily as he watched them rain down. Right before he was smacked over the head by Jackdore.
Rose jumped when the cylinder hit the ground. She wedged herself under the log and dirt to hide. She never was one to hide, but the logic in her head told her that fighting would only anger Cheyenne.
She could here TNT's mad cackeling in the background, unknown to her he was dancing around happily.
"Screw hiding." Rose said, getting up and sitting on the fallen log, in plain sight.
TNT was facing away from her, dancing gleefuly as he saw a few craters in the ground, the car still smoking. Jackdore saw her though, tugging at TNT's sleeve hard.
Rose noticed Jackadore see her. She merely leaned back comfortably and twiddled her fingers at her, waving.
Jackdore was even more confused, tugging on TNT harder. Finally he turned around and saw Rose. Blinking a few times he waved back.
"Idiot..." Rose muttered, stopping her wave.
TNT waved faster and pointed upwards, another loud whisteling coming from above her.
Rose looked up, "Woah!" She swung her mace and hit the metal away, like a baseball. It broke in two and shattered to the ground. She looked at him, Why did that bastard save us?
Jackdore was gone now, using the time she was looking away to make off with an axle for TNT's boss. TNT just waved sweetly at Rose, staring at the craters that were beside her.
Rose skipped over like a little girl, humming a beat in her head. She circled him before she stopped right infront of him, "What was that for?"
TNT watched her as she slowly circled him, humming along with her when he got the tune "I just thought it wasn't a very nice way to die... standing there and waving at me as a cylander drove it's way threw your skull."
"Uh huh....so....you going to try and kill me now? Again?" Rose asked with a smile.
"Maybe, depends. You going to try and kill me?" TNT said, grinning like a loon.
"It's my job." Rose said in a flirty tone.
"My job too, but I saved you" TNT purred softly, gazing at her "I doubt you'd ever think to repay the favor."
"Course not, I'm not a puss." Rose grinned smugly.
"Good" TNT said, a maniacle glint in his eye "I'd hate for this to be boring." With the last word he dug his hands straight into his pockets, grabbing the next thing that came to him.
Rose approached him with her mace behind her back. She stopped but leaned her upper body towards him yet until her face was dangerously close to his, "I prefer interesting things, as well..."
"Good" TNT said childishly before headbutting Rose sqare in the face. He took a few quick steps back and pull a phial from his pocket.
Rose unfortunately was thrown back and knocked out cold right away.
TNT blinked, and still with phial in hand, walked over to her side "Oh dont tell me she's out already" he whimpered "I was looking forward to a fight."
Rose was still out cold. Her foot twitched a little.
"Hmmmm... I could plant motion dection traps all around her and do horrible things to her when she wakes up... or I could pick her up, carry her somewhere more comfy and wait until she's ok.." TNT muttered to himself "THE SOLUTION IS OBVIOUS!" Several seconds later Rose was dumped into the back of the car TNT had almost made explode, onto the seat there and made to be as comfy as she could using a silk scarf found in TNT's pocket.
After a while, Rose awoke and sat up, "Damnit..." She held her head, "Anyone catch the number on that train. Wait..what the-" She noticed that she was in a car.
TNT tossed the car's liscence plate at her feet "Here, I beat the train up and stole it's number in case I forgot it" he laughed.
Rose whipped away the dried blood from her forehead. Realizing what had happened, she looked at TNT who was in the front seat, "Why do you do this? Kill me dammit! Why do you insist on toying with me?"
"Toying is fun. Anyway, I wouldn't get to see you pretty little face if I killed you." TNT smiled at her "Well, I would. But then it would start getting less pretty... and smellier."
"W-where's my mace?!" Rose shouted, panicking.
"Still around your wrist" TNT sighed "But I taped it to the side of the seat so if you do try and attack me I get a second or two extra."
TNT's previous comment hit her, "You-...think I'm pretty?"
"Pretty" TNT sang "Oh so pretty, so pretty and witty and gay..."
"And I pity, any girl who isn't me today!" Rose added before she hit herself.
He's the enemy, you idiot!
She almost had TNT on the floor laughing with that one, doubled over and wheezing as he stopped his chuckling.
Rose leaned up and looked down at him as he writhed in the front seat, "Hey! Don't laugh!"
Suddenly TNT was kissing her cheek, still laughing his head off "YOU ARE TOO CUTE!"
Rose blushed bright red with wide eyes. She started to hit herself in the head again.
Stop it, stop it!
TNT saw her face and smiled "Ohhh...better than torture" he said happily "It's all true though. You're cute and pretty and make me laugh."
Don't...you DARE admit it
"I...I think-" Rose started.
I will make your life more hell then it already is, I swear it!"
"Your kinda...."
ROSE!
"..c-cute too."
Awe fuck...
This stopped him quicker than if he'd been forced threw a wood chipper. TNT gazed at her for a long time, his face growing from white, to red, to purple and back down to red again "You..."
DUMBASS! You weren't supposed to actually let him know!
"Well I did and it's done." Rose told herself.
How are you going to battle your crush?
"He's yours too..."
But I didn't admit it to the bastard!
"Uhhhh... you're talking to yourself again" TNT muttered, rolling his eyes slightly "Is that Roxie?"
"Roxie likes you too." Rose said evilly.
FUUUCK YOU!!!
TNT went white this time and gulped "Jeese..." he mumbled, before smiling widely "What an honour! I mean you're beautiful and cute but she's a raving looney! If she likes me I must be good."
Rose sighed and threw herself down on the seat, "Moron."
She noticed the scarf and felt it's fabric.
"You can keep that if you want" TNT said, watching as she ran her hands threw the silk scarf "I wont use it for anything."
"Thanks." Rose said, wrapping it around her neck. She admitted that it smelt of both TNT and napalm and took another big sniff of it.
TNT smiled softly at her "So, I guess you liking me will mean that you'll beat me to a bloody pulp instead of killing me?"
Rose sat back up and leaned over to the front seat. Without warning she kissed him on the lips suddenly.
TNT was surprised, but after a second he almost melted under her kiss. He kissed her back eagerly, willingly increasing the passion of their embrace.
Rose broke the kiss, "Yup...but don't test me."
"Blurble furble nurple" TNT managed to mutter before his head collapsed onto Rose's shoulder, a large happy smile on his face.
Rose moved as his head dropped. She crawled out of the broken window in the back seat and yanked her mace with her.
TNT looked at her sadly as she crawled out, sitting back in his seat "Are you going to go?"
"What the hell do you expect me to do-" Rose asked, "Anyone sees me with you, I'm screwed. Plus I can't sit here and make out with ya."
"You could..." TNT mumbled, his eyes wide and staring at watery as he stared at Rose "And Im pretty sure anyone who saw us would die fast..."
"Uh huh.....well you're gonna have to try harder then that, blondie." Rose stuck her tongue out and jumped off the car.
"I could tackle you to the floor and rape you..." TNT murmered "But I dont think we're at that stage of our relasionship..."
"Ok, for one...you couldn't rape me." Rose told him flat out, "And two- what relationship? We don't have one! And we never will, thank you."
TNT whimpered softly "But... we like each other..." he said sadly, taking off his glasses and giving Rose a puppy look with his yellow and red eyes.
"Hmph." Rose shrugged before asked, "Your eyes....why are they different?"
"Born that way" TNT said, still gazing at her with his strange eyes "Pwease? Just a wittle welasionship?"
"Right. I don't think it would be in eihter of our best interests. I may have a double personality....but I'm no stupid." Rose explained.
Yeeaaa.....
TNT crawled over to her on his knees, still gazing up at her "I swear if they ever catch us you can kill me. I'll die nice and hard, you could even keep my jacket and all it's stuff."
Rose backed up, "Wow, desperate are we?"
TNT grinned widely at her, falling back onto his backside "You really think anyone would think of having a relationship with you who isn't a total wierdo submissive?"
".....Excuse me? What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Rose shouted with closed fists.
TNT blinked and smiled innocently "Why, nothing of course. It's not like you have a large violent weopan on you at all times and you will happily beat someone you find cute to a pulp with it."
Rose was getting quickly flustered with this guy. "I just don't think that I need a man, or anyone else but myself to care for. Pass." She started to walk away with her head up.
"Ok" TNT called after her, smiling gently "But I'll be waiting for you..." He watched her and purred "And your really cute behind."
Rose jumped up and stopped. "That's IT!!" She turned around and darted at him, flailing her mace.
TNT had been expecting it though, and as she started moving back to where he had been she was bowled over by TNT. While she was surprised he drove her maced hand away, pinning her beneath him "I knew that would make you go mad."
"Offhand me!" Rose shouted up at him, writhing against his strength.
TNT smiled, kissed her on the lips roughly because she kept struggling, and rolled back off her "And that's how rape would start."
Rose hawked back and spit on his face quickly.
Grumbling TNT wiped his face "Awwww, comeon. I really do think your behind is cute..."
Using this chance, Rose planted her feet and jerked her torso up, kicking him off forwards.
growling gently, TNT managed to roll with the blow so it didn't break anything "Hey! Have you got something against me calling you cute?"
Rose jumped onto her feet. "We stand alone." she said quickly. "Just cause I called you somewhat cute, doesn't mean that we are suddenly married."
TNT sighed gently and rubbed his chest "I know... I'd just hoped..." He leant forward onto his knuckles and got up quickly, his head coliding into Rose's gut as he did.
"Aff!" Rose winced and grabbed her stomach. She scowled and lent down slowly, grabbing her mace.
Bt this time TNT was already walking away though, sighing gently to himself and shaking his head.
Rose saw he was leaving and found a near rock by a dried up stream to sit on. She laid on the large stone and closed her eyes, trying to subside the stomach pain.
TNT looked back, she still had his scarf wrapped around her neck. Shaking his head slowly he went towards a large group of fallen down trees.
Rose figured that TNT was long gone by now. She finally noticed the scarf and held it above her as she laid on her back on the rock. She watched as the sunlight glistened through the fabric and onto her face.
TNT lay between a pile of fallen over trees, closing his eyes and thinking hard. He liked Rose, but she didn't really seem to like him.
Rose sighed as she thought. "Quite the predicament, isn't it?"
I'de rather fight the bastard then date him
"You would rather fight anyone."
This is also true...
Rolling a tube of red liquid round and round in his hands, TNT stared at the sky Did she even like me at all?
This is the first time you listened to me
"It's not that....I just don't want to be attached to anyone. Especially a cutie like him. I mean-remember Butter?" Rose asked.
That little puppy?
"Yea...I broke down when it died."
You mean when I slaughtered the little rat
"SHUT UP!"
TNT sighed and closed his eyes, his hands fumbling as they shook sightly. The tube landed and smashed on the tree, igniting at once and setting fire to the tree. Staring at the buring log he just lay there, wondering if he should move.
Rose sat up when she saw the smoke from above the dead trees. he wrapped the scarf around her neck.
Speak of the devil. Go to him, Rose....go to him so I can murder his sweet ass
Sighing gently TNT decided just to lie there, the log burning inches away from him. Wonder if she's even here... he thought.
"I should at least return this scarf." Rose admitted, walking to the smoke. She walked openly towards the little fire.
At the sound of someone approaching TNT looked up slightly, peering over the burning log as it started to spread even more.
I dare you
"Fine." Rose ran at the log and jumped over it. Her body slightly singed my the flames licking at her. "Yo." she said to TNT.
"Yo" TNT muttered, laying back down and staring up at her "Is there a special reason you came over here or are you just going to try and kill me again."
I won't TRY, bub
"I wanted to return this." Rose said, taking off the scarf and handing it towards him, "It's not right that I have it, you know?"
TNT shook his head and smiled softly at her "No, it's ok. You keep it. Not like I'm going to use it for anything."
Just then a faint BOOM can be heard. It was silent for a moment before the shock wave hit. The ground shook as trees were ripped apart. Debris and smoke flew everywhere as a mushroom cloud can be seen in the distance.
Rose's head perked up at the noise and she gazed off to see the cloud. Before she knew it, the shock wave hit and she was swept off her feet into a tree.
TNT grabbed her and pulled her to the floor, ducking as the burning logs flew over their heads "I SWEAR I DIDN'T DO IT!" he yelled I think..
Rose covered her face as debris and dust flew around. "WHAT THE HELL?!
TNT pulled the scarf from her grip and wrapped it round her head quickly, using it to protect her from the dust and let her breath properly. His eyes were protected by his glasses but he still had trouble breathing.
Rose curled up in his chest and wrapped herself in his jacket that he was wearing.
TNT clutched her tight against him, protecting the rest of her body from the debris as it scratched his face and neck.
Finally, the debris landed. Rose removed herself from TNT's jacket and body.
Wincing, TNT began to remove bits of debris that had lodged themselves into him "What was that?"
"Well...judging by that...." Rose pointed up to the dissipating mushroom cloud in the distance, "..a bomb."
"I didn't do it" TNT said at once, pulling at a large piece of wood that had gouged itself into his cheek "Atleast I think I didn't."
"You said that already." Rose told him. "Must have been from a jet or something. Gah...this world has gone to shit."
"You're making it worse.." TNT grumbled, getting up and starting to walk towards the blast area.
"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Rose stepped towards him.
"Well, the whole 'Every thing's gone, lets see how much destruction we can cause on the way' attitude" TNT grumbled, walking towards the blast.
"Excuuuuse me?" Rose said "what's your problem all of a sudden? I like how I am."
"I like how you are too, I just think that we shouldn't give up" TNT grunted, climbing over a large fallen wall.
"It's a waste of time." Rose grunted to herself, steamed.
"It's better to try and not kill everything rather than go kamekaze" TNT muttered, before adding "Yeah yeah, I know. Ironic."
"You realize that the bomb went off at least more then 10 miles away, right?" Rose asked, following him.
"Im seeing if I can find a car that mostly works or something..." TNT muttered, still walking on.
"Want...me..." Rose stuttered, "I'll go now..."
TNT blinked and turned back to her "What are you talking about?"
"I should leave you alone, right? To...do your thing...right?" Rose hesitatingly asked.
TNT shook his head "Na, it's ok." He smiled softly at her "I promise not to blow this one up."
"That in invite?" Rose asked.
TNT laughed "Yeah, that's an invite." He pointed to a carin the distance, luckily it had wheels "Shall we look at that one?"
Strange bolted through the park, leaping over obstacles and running like a scared rabbit to the ruins.
Not long after Strange ran through, did a trench-coat covered man with a sword run, following the path the man took. Wynn kept a head on his shoulders as he stayed on the man's trail, careful to check the general area for eyes of watching people who would tip off anyone if he made a 'wrong move'.
Stumble!