EVENT: HERE THERE BE MONSTERS

[initiatesnpc]

Date & Time: October 24 - October 31
Location: Throughout Exsilium
Characters: ALL; tag yourselves in
Summary: The Transports return from their mission to find the island crawling with monsters.
Warnings: Violence, possibly injuries (notify a mod if there's cause to add a particular warning!)

The Transports return from their mission to Medieval Russia, but the Initiative Hold is eerily deserted. Normally, their would be a number of Initiative personnel prepared to meet the Transports at the end of their mission for debriefing.

Instead, there is only silence.

That is, until a distant thumping sound can be heard. It is growing closer, and suddenly the beast is bursting into the room. It lets out a roar and charges. Within minutes, it is easily defeated, but damage has already been done -- it collided with the Transporter machine, which is now making a low fizzling sound and lets off a couple sparks. The commotion is enough to draw the attention of the few remaining Initiative personnel who still inhabit the Hold, who arrive immediately afterwards. They are able to tell the Transports two things: that the machine is broken and currently unable to sent anyone back in time, and that the island has been overrun with aggressive, mutated beasts sent by the United Earth. They have been under siege for months, with the island's population reduced to a mere fraction of what it had once been.

Comments

[hornedomen]

He tried to tell Tenjou to run away, but his voice was overwhelmed by the beast. Before he could react, it was too late. The creature’s efforts to shake them off intensified. He could feel the fur sloughing off its skin. He slipped further down the side of its head until he grasped onto it again. The skin that was exposed bled slowly, halted by viscous pus.

Ico could see a silhouette of himself reflected in the eye of the creature. It looked hazy and unfocused. This opportunity would scarcely present itself again.

“Get on its back!” he shouted at Tenjou. He should be safer there.

He held onto the beast with one hand and he drew out his sword. He stabbed it in the eye and did not stop until the sword could go no further. Clear fluid mixed with blood doused his arm. It continued to flow until his entire side was soaked. The beast thrashed about but he had a firm grip on it. He stabbed it again. It lowered its head to scratch its eye. Ico climbed as fast as he could to get back to Tenjou. He did not want to leave until he was sure the beast was dead, but now Ico was trying to keep him safe.

[failtsuninari]

For Tenjou, dealing and exterminating such large beasts was fairly common in his world. He immediately climbed up onto the beast. While the injury to the eye evened the odds somewhat, more could be done.

"Hang on and don't move back," Tenjou warned Ico. He shifted back a bit so there would be space. His hands glowed green again as his powers activated. While he had more strength and an average human, he would need that extra force to do what he planned. The arrow followed his raised tonfa to the creature's back. He struck down with his weapon aimed at its spine.

Blood and puss splatter and the beast roars in pain. Its back legs buckle and Tenjou tightens his grip on its dirty matted fur.

[hornedomen]

The beast collapsed, unable to support itself. Ico remained on its head and he held on as tight as he could. The fall pulled him up until his back was curled like a scared cat. His vision went black but he was not certain if it was from the impact or because he pressed his face against its fur.

The monster was still breathing. It dug its front legs into the ground and for a moment, Ico thought it looked feeble. Suddenly, the beast moved with strength and it flung its head about. Its horn gouged a deep mark into a building. Metal screeched and debris fell on the street. Ico was thrown forward; he only managed to stay on by the handfuls of fur he held onto. He gasped for air and got to his knees. He raised his sword and plunged it deep into the skull of the beast.

[failtsuninari]

"Move your hand away from the sword," Tenjou coughed as dust and dirt flung up into the air. Once again he activated his powers, focusing on the sword in the skull to drive it deeper into the creature. It struggled with the last of its strength before finally it fell still.

Tenjou didn't let his guard down yet but once he confirmed there was no breathing or a pulse, he sighed in relief. "You alright, kid?"

[hornedomen]

Ico hesitated for a second but he let go of the sword. Although the monster was no longer breathing, he was still alert. His chest and arms ached but he could still move.

“I’ll be okay,” he said. He looked at the gouge in the building. “Come on.”

He took the sword and ran up the horn of the monster. There would be more soon and they were exposed out here. He leapt from the horn and climbed into the building. It was a long leap into a narrow opening. He stayed near the opening, ready to help Tenjou.

[failtsuninari]

Tenjou followed Ico up the horn. Fortunately, with his strength and experience in parkour/free-running, he didn't have any trouble finding his way up.

"I have to hand it to you. That was one gutsy move to take out a beast like that. What's your name? Unless you prefer me to call you 'kid' every time."

[hornedomen]

“My name is Ico,” he breathed heavily. “Thank you, for helping me. You…”

He felt a rumble in the ground. His eyes went wide and he leaned out of the side of the building. From here, he could barely make out the shape of something much larger than the ox-beast. It was far away, further than the Outlands, but it was coming toward the city.

“I thought this was the one making all that noise but it’s not. It’s that one.” He pointed at the ominous shape. “Can you see it? Over there.”

[failtsuninari]

"I'm Tenjou and any time, Ico." He had a grim look on his face when the earth rumbled once again. Tenjou went over to where the boy was and looked over at the horizon. "I see it too. If that gets any closer, we're gonna be in big trouble. We'll need to slow it down somehow."

[hornedomen]

From this distance, the monster looked like a moving mountain. If it were not for its slow and lurching gait it would have been difficult to distinguish it from the rest of the land.

“It will take days to reach it,” he said. He heard a growling sound coming from below.

A pack of mutant beasts were approaching the ox-beast. Ico sheathed his sword so its light would not give away their position. He went further inside the building and he dropped his voice to a whisper.

“Do you have any ideas?”

[failtsuninari]

Tenjou peaked over to see the mutant beasts eat at the carcass but turns away. He focused on the bigger target. While slow, the size of the new beast worried him. It could easily topple down any physical barrier from it.

"The only best option would be to slow it down some more and gradually weaken it. I could use my powers to send something at it." He scanned their surroundings for what he could use for a projectile. It had something that wouldn't crush on impact. A creature that size would have thick bones but if he could hit a vital point and get it to bleed heavily, then maybe he wouldn't have to worry.

[hornedomen]

The sword would surely stay strong. Ico touched the baldric over his mark. However, he would not part with it. He looked around the building for anything useful. There were beams jutting out from the recent bomb and monster attacks. He looked for a loose beam.

“What about these?”

[failtsuninari]

"These will do," he gave a nod and walked over to the beams. He got a grip on one of them and began to pull it slowly out of the rubble. As a diety, he did posses more strength than a normal man his age. He dragged the heavy beam up on the wall facing the incoming beast.

He repositioned it to aim it better. His right hand glowed again and an arrow glowed beneath the beam. "Alright, here it goes," he took a deep breath and sent it flying. His eyes were focused in case he needed to readjust its path.

The beam shot off, aiming for the front, hoping to hit right for the skull. Sure enough, there was a loud clang in the distance as it pierced the beast.

[hornedomen]

There was no time to admire Tenjou’s strength, however Ico did notice it. While he pulled out the beam, Ico watched carefully for further structural damage. The building was in bad shape but it showed no signs of collapsing. He watched tensely as the beam soared through the air. Eventually, he lost sight of it but the sound confirmed the strike.

“How did you do that?”

Ico did not wait for an answer. He heard a commotion below. The mutant beasts saw them and now they were coming inside. Their snarls and scratching claws grew louder as they approached. Ico drew out his sword and it illuminated the room.

“They’re coming.”

[failtsuninari]

Tenjou dusted his hands off and gave him a small grin. Well that nuisance was gone but now another appeared. He would've answered if it weren't for sound of the mutants at the front. While the enemies were smaller, it was their numbers that concerned him. He gave a sigh and got into a fighting stance.

"No need to tell me twice. You ready?" He took out his tonfa again.

[hornedomen]

The monsters separated yet they attacked as a group. They struck with teeth and claws that were still bloody from their last meal. They were as quick as they were cunning and they purposefully moved to separate Ico and Tenjou from each other. When one or two went for the arms, the others snapped at the legs.

A smaller pack of four kept Ico away while five went after Tenjou. He retreated further into the building and he began using the surroundings to his advantage. Old desks and chairs became obstacles to push in the way of the monsters while Ico slashed at the rest.

[failtsuninari]

Tenjou followed Ico's lead and while the pack tried to separate the two, he wasn't going to fall for that. Plus, even though Ico proved he could take care of himself, he wanted to stick close by anyway. Whenever one of the beasts got to close, he smacked them away with his tonfa or repelled them with a vector arrow going the opposite way.

When he got to the other side of the building, he faced them and stood his ground. "Ico, get ready. Either jump or hold onto something. I'm gonna take this whole building out." His hands glowed as he got ready to use his power.

[hornedomen]

Ico had managed to kill one. When it lunged, he lopped off half of its head in one blow. Its body was still moving moments after its death and it twitched when Ico threw it in the way of the other monsters.

“I’m ready.” He grasped onto a pillar. This left him open to an attack but he trusted Tenjou to help him in time.

[failtsuninari]

He slammed his foot down to dislodge a large slab of cement. With his powers, he sent it flying at the remaining beasts and supporting columns. The ceiling above them shook and pieces of it began to fall off. The beasts yelped and tried to find a way out but they were disorientated from everything that was going on. Some yelped in surprise while the other got struck by the failing debris.

Tenjou grabbed onto nearest column as the building began to cave in. Clouds of dust were kicked up. He was still worried for Ico and used his powers to shield him from any stray planks that looked like they were going to hit the kid.

[hornedomen]

Ico kept his head down to protect himself against the falling debris, yet none came. The building was shaking now. Soon, the entire floor would collapse. He did not know the full extent of Tenjou’s powers and so he did not want to risk staying in here.

“This way!” Ico tried to grab his hand and lead him out. The windows were out of the question, the fall would kill the average person. He went to the side of the building that had the gouge from the ox-beast.