Outbreak

[Canis Lycaon]

Outbreak

[Discussion][Profiles]

Report of Commander Malik

To General Kopaka of The Atero Nuian Republic

From Metru Nuva

First and foremost, I apologize for not being able to send in my report on Metru Nuva sooner, like you asked me to. An unnatural storm enveloped the island shortly after I arrived here a week ago, and only let up for a short time so I could send this message.

Upon arrival, the city appeared to be deserted. I ordered my men to set up base in the Ba-Metru sector of the city, and sent them out to investigate. Quickly, they discovered what had happened in the city, and reported back to me. We readied for a fight, as what they reported was grim.

My men had discovered that nearly all of the cities inhabitants had been mutated horribly, being crossed with what appeared to be Rahkshi. In this horrendous form, each of the mutants has access to one Kraata power, of a medium level of strength.

There appears to be but one survivor. My men were patrolling Bo-Metru, when the noticed a large figure. Upon further inspection, they realized that it was a being in a modified Exo-Toa. They approached, and began conversation. However, a large number of mutants attacked, and the being stayed behind to hold them off.

However, a strange radio broadcast has begun to sound out from Ki-Metru. This was before the Survivor was encountered, and he stated he was not the source. I have ordered my men to locate the source of the broadcast, but they have not been successful.

The signal is not strong, and all that can be determined is incoherent mumbling. We do not know what is being said.

Plot Summary:

A battalion of soldiers arrived to an island city to investigate a distress signal sent out. When the arrived, they found out the island was crawling with aggressive, Rahkshi-like beings. They are filled with a desire to spread their virus, and do so via biting.

Past Events:

AMN stands for after Mata Nui. It is currently 10 AMN.

-[0 AMN] Pohatu and Kopaka were taken off the Red Star by a reincarnated Botar, along with a few other dead members of the Order of Mata Nui, who wanted to make sure that their organization was fine, and wanted to support it. Hydraxon is best friends with himself.

-[0 AMN] Velika blew up the fortress. Everyone inside died.

-[0 AMN] However, the Great Being instantly came back to life, as his power gave him unintended immortality, due to the fact he was always in contact with himself. By touching the others in the fortress, he revived them as well.

-[0 AMN] After freeing the Great Being from his curse, the inhabitants of the fortress decided to hunt down their killer. After finding Velika and interrogating him, Miserix killed the Great Being in disguise.

-[0 AMN] Orde, Zaria, Gelu and Chiara allowed themselves to be captured, and then broke free. They found the machine inhibiting their powers, and destroyed it. They then fled from Bota Magna, heading to where they had received their mission.

-[1 AMN] Marendar successfully killed three Toa. A group of Skakdi, however, saw the killings, and decided to take revenge on the murderer. Marendar was only programmed to defeat Toa, and as such did not register the Skakdi as threats. This helped to change the public view of Skakdi, from murderers to somewhat respectable beings.

-[2 AMN] In a further attempt to help their public view, the Skakdi allowed for the five Toa Mahri to be freed. However, the Mahri saw how the Skakdi people were not evil, and opted to stay with them, and help form the nation of Zakaz Nuva.

-[4 AMN] The Toa Nuva formed a new nation, which they called The Atero Nuian Republic. It is the most powerful nation on Spherus Magna, and has the capital of Atero Nui, a new city built meant to honor the past of both the Glatorians and the MU inhabitants.

-[5 AMN] The team that fought the Bota Magna Vorox levied support against the intelligent Vorox in The Atero Nuian Republic. War was waged against them, from which the Republic emerged victorious. The war ended in 8 AMN.

-[7 AMN] Light Teridax and Miserix work together to form the Northern States, a generally neutral nation focused on scientific advancement and experimentation.

-[8 AMN] An island state in the Great Sea is founded by the Atero Nuian Republic, modeled after Metru Nui. It is christened Metru Nuva.

 

Locations

Metru Nuva: The island of Metru Nuva is artificial, and was made as a homage to the city of Metru Nui, in the Aqua Magnan sea. It has the same layout, but the actual elements of the different Metrus are different. In clockwise order, starting with what was Ga-Metru on Metru Nui, the Metrus are Ce-Metru, Ki-Metru, Ba-Metru, Vi-Metru, Bo-Metru and finally Fe-Metru. Each of the Metrus had a dedicated purpose. The Atero Nuian troops arrived to Ba-Metru, in the south.

Ce-Metru: The northernmost Metru on Metru Nuva, Ce-Metru consists of buildings with a large floor space, but only one or two floors on average. It is filled with laboratories and schools. Most of the laboratories are in good condition, but one has been completely ransacked. For unknown reasons, it has a very large mutant concentration.

Ki-Metru: The Crystal district consists of large, grassy parks, and tall skyscrapers made of different shades of lightly colored crystals. Ki-Metru is very beautiful, and as such it was chosen to be the primary residential district. Due to the fact that there were many, many citizens living in this Metru, it has a large amount of Rahkshi in it.

Ba-Metru: The Metru of Gravity was where the soldiers landed when the reached. Before the outbreak of the virus, it was used for the construction of gravity manipulating vehicles, and it’s buildings were large hangars that were spread out. The soldiers have cleared it of a large majority of mutants, and are guarding the borders. They have also converted several hangars in the center of the Metru into barracks for themselves.

Vi-Metru: The Metru of Lightning was used for it’s expected purpose - that of power generation. Vi-Metru consists largely of power generation, and as such is mostly small buildings clustered around larger ones. Several different forms of power generation are used, such as solar, hydroelectric and several others. Vi-Metru scares the mutants, and as such they avoid it.

Bo-Metru: Large, spaced out domes are the landscape in Bo-Metru. Inside these domes are lush forests and farms, which are used for the dual purposes of growing plants and raising animals. Bo-Metru was used for food production in Metru Nuva, as Matoran and other races began the habit of eating with their mouths, as that was how Glatorian ate. The mutants enjoy it here, and it has a high population of them.

Fe-Metru: Large spans of desert, lined with canyons are the landscape in Fe-Metru. Lining the canyon walls are many caves, in which small workshops have been set up. Typically, a single production plant occupies one canyon, but smaller businesses do group together in a shared canyon. Mutants populate the surface of this Metru, but do not enter the canyons.

Factions:

The Atero Nuian Army: The official army of the Atero Nuian Republic, the army is five hundred strong and has arrived to Metru Nuva to investigate what has happened there. Weapon selection varies widely among soldiers, with each soldier being able to decide upon which they will use.

Malik is the Commander of the battalion, and leads it from their base in Bo-Metru. He does not go out into the fight often, but when he does, he the strongest fighter in the battalion, due to the fact he is a Toa, with extreme elemental powers and combat training.

Each member of the Army typically wears a dark black uniform marked with the symbol for the Three Virtues on either shoulder. Out of fear of the virus being air born, the soldiers were gas masks. The general design is a glass panel in front of the face, with a breathing apparatus at mouth level.

Currently, the soldiers only have the few resources they could scavenge in Bo-Metru and what they brought with them. They are scavenging for more in the other Metrus, particularly Ba-Metru, although they are met with great resistance by the mutants.

Goals:

-Scavenge more food from other Metrus.

-Find the Survivor and bring him back to base.

-Locate the Leader and determine why it is different.

-Find the radio broadcast in Ki-Metru.

-Determine what caused the outbreak and where the virus came from.

-Work on a cure for the virus.

The Mutants: The mutants used to be a wide, diverse selection of races, but now they are all one. They currently resemble Rahkshi, but have some differences. The first is that they walk around on all four legs, and lack a spine. While mutated, they lose all intelligence and access to powers they might have had while unaffected. Instead, they gain one Rahkshi power of Level 4. They have a sole-minded devotion to spreading the virus, which is spread through bites. They are not playable. Their primary advantage is numbers.

Important NPCs:

Name: Commander Malik

Species: Male Ko-Toa

Equipment: Malik typically carries four small weapons - two ice picks, and two hatchets. He alternates between his use of the weapons as a pair, or one of each. He prefers to use the hatchets in combat. They confer no special abilities, other than the ability to channel his powers through them.

Personality: Malik is like many other members of his element, being cold and impersonal. He is a rigid authority to the battalion, and rarely shows emotion in front of his troops. When not on a mission, however, he is rather friendly and open, unlike the normal vision of a Ko-Toa.

Powers and Skills: Malik is a master of his element, that of ice. He can create ice and snow, manipulate the temperature, and can control existing ice and snow. He has had several thousand years to master his powers. In addition, as a Toa, he has a Kanohi mask. Malik wears the Pakari.

His Kanohi grants Malik the ability to greatly increase his strength to high levels, allowing him to lift objects he normally would not and make attacks with greater impact. In addition, he has a scope affixed to his mask that allows for telescopic and heat vision.

Appearance: Malik stands tall for even a Toa, and has a slender figure. His armor is colored light grey, with bright blue highlights. His eyes and heartlight are a light green coloration. The Pakari he wears resembles a Sanok, and has a small scope over his right eye.

Background: Malik is one of the oldest beings from the Matoran universe, being one of the first Toa made. He patrolled what was the left leg of Mata Nui for nearly all of his life, leaving for events such as the Toa-Dark Hunter war in Metru Nui, and other large gatherings of Toa.

Malik was responsible for helping inhabitants of the Matoran Universe evacuate it after Makuta had been defeated, and did not participate in any battles. He defused tensions between the Bara Magnans and the former inhabitants of the Matoran Universe.

When the Atero Nuian Republic founded, Malik wanted to be on the front lines of any battle, and to be a leader in the army. After Kopaka was appointed General, he gave Malik the position of Commander. Malik led forces against the Bota Magna Vorox, and led his soldiers to victory.

Weakness: Malik unparalleled in combat.

Name: The Survivor

Species: Male, Unknown

Equipment: The Survivor uses a modified Exo-Toa in combat and for his protection. On the left arm of the Exo-Toa there is a laser-firing minigun. The right arm is unmodified. On the back there is an energy katana. On top of the right shoulder there is a small rocket barrage.

Personality: Desperate, and willing to do anything to survive. The Survivor has not left his Exo-Toa suit for slightly over a week, out of fear of infection by the virus. He is the last uninfected citizen of Metru Nuva. He was very warm and friendly to the squad that encountered him.

Powers and Skills: It is unknown what specific powers the Survivor has, as his Exo-Toa suit inhibits any use of them, if he had any. However, he is very proficient with his Exo-Toa suit, and can use it to decimate swarms of the Rahkshi mutants. In the suit, he can take down many of the mutants.

Appearance: The actual appearance of the Survivor is unknown, as his Exo-Toa suit encloses him completely. The suit looks like a normal suit, but it has been modified slightly by the Survivor, namely the laser minigun instead of the cannon, and the rocket barrage on the soldier.

Background: The Survivor was encountered in Bo-Metru on a regular patrol. The squad that saw him approached him, and found him to be friendly. They began to talk about the status of the island, and about what had happened. The Survivor revealed he was the sender of the distress signal.

However, this meeting was not to last. Within minutes of meeting the Survivor, a massive mob of mutants attacked, at the rear of which was a strange mutant that didn't resemble anything the squad had seen. The Survivor ordered the squad to run, as he could hold off the mass of mutants.

Weakness: The Survivor cannot use any powers in the Exo-Toa suit.

Name: The Leader

Species: Ye-Mutant (Poison), Unknown Gender

Equipment: The Leader carries a Rahkshi Staff of Poison. How it acquired this Staff is unknown, but it wields it as a weapon and to enhance its Rahkshi Powers, which it can use without wielding the staff. The bottom end of the staff has been broken off, making it resemble a spear.

Personality: The Leader is incredibly hostile to all members of the Army, but is not the stupid beast like the rest of the mutants. It is smarter, and appears to be a strategic genius. It is unknown how it is more intelligent, but it appears to be in charge of the mutants.

Powers and Skills: A further distance from the rest of the mutants is the Kraata power that the Leader controls. Its control of Poison is at level 6, being able to make any being severely and dangerously ill with physical contact. In addition, it seems to be incredibly intelligent.

Appearance: The Leader appears different from the rest of its weaker minions by being taller, and walking on two legs instead of on four. Its armor is a black with green highlights, and its eyes are red. It is easy to spot as being different from the rest of the mutants, and is unique in appearance.

Background: The Leader first appeared directing the horde that attacked the Survivor. The few soldiers who had encountered the Leader saw it in the back of the horde, seemingly issuing commands to the rest of the mutants. In the Leader's presence, the mutants focused on the Survivor, not the soldiers.

Weakness: Nobody has actually fought the Leader in close quarters combat.

Rules and Punishments

1. All BZPRPG and BZP rules are in effect here.
2. Do not godmod, autohit, bunny or metagame. This and the rule above it are pretty standard.
3. Respect any and all GMs. I, Canis, am the main GM. Zakaro is the assistant GM.
4. Use IC for in character posts, and OOC for out of character posts. Also, please keep OOC to a minimum in the gameplay topic. No OOC only posts in the gameplay topic at all.
5. Keep romance and comedy down to a minimum. This is war, not a bad sitcom or comedy.
6. Toa, Makuta, and Botar’s species are banned. To put it simply, they are all absurdly powerful. In addition, they are all very rare at this point in the in game story.
7. Please use proper spelling and grammar in your posts. It's not that hard.
8. The mutants are not weak. Do not thrash them about like they are nothing.
9. All profiles must be approved by staff. This is to ensure that you don't have overpowered characters.
10. Have fun!

Punishments:

Punishments will only happen with the more serious rules. Breaking Rule Ten or the less serious rules will not be a Strike.

1st Strike: You get a public warning.

2nd Strike: One of your characters is seriously injured.

3rd Strike: All of your characters are seriously injured. One is killed.

4th Strike: All your characters save one are killed. The last is seriously injured.

5th Strike: Your last character is killed. You are banned from the game.

 

Thank you for playing, and have fun!

-Canis

Edited April 6, 2014 by Canis Lycaon

[Voltex]

IC: Vertak [Outskirts of Ba-Metru]:

As a Ba-Matoran himself, Vertak shuddered to think of what he would have become had he been here when whatever the virus was broke out. Although he wasn't entirely certain that his current situation was much better - being in Metru Nuva, he figured it was only a matter of time until he was bitten.

 

What a way to end.

 

Currently, he was patrolling the outskirts of Ba-Metru, partially because he wanted to and mostly because he had been ordered to. Right now he was on the border with Vi-Metru; with the electrical Metru frightening the mutants, this particular border was usually calm, allowing him some time and space to be alone with his thoughts and reflect.

 

The situation as a whole wasn't promising, he had decided. If this virus could infect every single individual in the city (barring that one survivor, he remembered), how could one small army hope to overcome it?

[Geardirector]

IC: Gallith (Border Patrol)

 

It wasn't often that Gallith was surprised, given all the madness he'd contributed to, quelled and participated in over the course of his life, and today was no exception.

 

He took a deep breath as he threw a glance across the open space of Ba-Metru, dotted with large hangar bays and construction facilities. The largely empty and quiet atmosphere was simultaneously calming and unnerving. Calming because in his older days he was starting to appreciate the quiet moments more, unnerving because he knew danger was right around the corner; the calm before the storm.

 

It was because of this that he willfully sought to grab the attention of the cloaked Ba-Matoran he now saw coming in his direction.

 

"Hello, Soldier, how's the patrol going?"

[Voltex]

IC: Vertak [Outskirts of Ba-Metru]:

He was ripped out of his thoughts by the voice of another army member calling to him from up ahead.

 

"Hello, Soldier, how's the patrol going?"

 

So much for peace and quiet, then. So far Vertak had been successfully avoiding interactions with the rest of the soldiers as much as possible, in an effort to avoid questions that he could not answer. This was obviously not going to be one of those times - being downright rude was not what his objective, so he responded with a little wave, calling back:

 

"As well as it can be, all things considered."

[Geardirector]

IC: Gallith (Border Patrol)

 

Gallith nodded, huffing as he checked his weapons for the nth time. Having grown so used to battle made him itchy for something to hit, even to the point where he ran perhaps a little too fast in the direction of suspicious noises.

 

"I don't suppose you've heard any news from the last batch of scouts?"

[Voltex]

IC: Vertak [Outskirts of Ba-Metru]:

Adjusting the shield on his left arm and resting his hand on the pommel of his sword where it hung in its scabbard from his waist, Vertak shook his head with a shrug..

 

"Nothing out of the ordinary, except that one of them had to be killed. The fool had been bitten by one of the mutants and was transforming or something. I didn't listen too closely - I had to be on patrol, and it wasn't like they encountered that 'leader' beast again or the survivor."

[Geardirector]

One more thing - the island is in the middle of a large storm right now.

 

OOC: Guess we better start acknowledging this

 

IC: Gallith (Border Patrol)

 

Gallith could just barely make out the Ba-Matoran's voice over the howling winds, his one good eye blinking incessantly against the lashing rain, but he didn't complain, he'd endured much worse.

 

"Sometimes this place feels like taken straight out of Karzahni's twisted imagination" Gallith remarked, wondering what the trooper who'd been order to execute his comrade had to have felt as he did it. He spat in blase disgust.

[Voltex]

OOC: Ahahaha, oops. xD

 

IC: Vertak [Outskirts of Ba-Metru]:

 

"I don't think my cloak will every be dry again," Vertak responded. "How does a storm like this cover the whole city? How did they not realize the weather patterns were terrible while building it?"

 

Of course, the possibility that the storm was being caused by an unnatural force had occurred to Vertak, but... although ten years was merely the blink of an eye to him, he could not deny that the peace had been refreshing and was difficult to let go of. No need to become tied up in some sort of supernatural conspiracy.

[Geardirector]

IC: Gallith (Border Patrol)

 

"My guess is they probably didn't know better or just didn't care. You'd be surprised by the places I've found people eking out a living" Gallith replied.

[Samus Aran-Bounty Hunter]

OOC: Highly illogical and improbable meeting of three people at once on the outskirts of Ba-Metru? Why not.

 

IC: Vornisl (Approaching current Group)

Vornisl wasn't the happiest currently. Rain had always gotten on her nerves, just the feeling of wetness dripping down her body-ugh, bad memories. The cold of it she didn't mind, just the other parts, and once the two ideas had gotten connected in her head there they stayed, no matter if the uniform was water-resistant.

Pausing for a moment to wipe her visors, she glanced to either side, and nodded to herself at the duo of guards standing a ways away from the small pole she currently stood at, turning and walking to them.

"Including Zakaz, I presume," the Ce-Skakdi said, nodding to each of them in confirmation as she gave input into the current line of conversation.

"Good to know you're both still alive out here. Command's getting more paranoid by the day, I swear, sending out patrols to check on the patrols. And in this weather, too."

She paused, just listening to the howling winds and rain hitting metallic roofs and the ground, before continuing.

"Not that they don't have any reason not to be."

Zakaro

[Geardirector]

IC: Gallith (Border Patrol)

 

"Bah," Gallith scoffed, "back in my day with the Hand we didn't bother with this kind of illustrious babysitting, you were expected to keep up or get lost. And we faced far worse than this"

 

He looked at Vornisl, gauging her appearance.

 

"Where's Malik currently?"

[(Daedalus)]

IC: Krazek (Ba-Metru Barracks)

 

When I was drawn out of my sleep by a particularly loud thunderclap, the first sensation I became aware of was the cold. It seemed to press in around me, sliding its chilling tendrils through my uniform, my armor, through everything, all the way down into my heartlight. I felt trapped, and for a long, seemingly-eternal moment, I thought I was frozen.

 

Another, quieter thunderclap snapped me from my state of semi-consciousness and I let out a gasp. I sat up in my bunk and swung my legs to the floor, my body wet with sweat, despite the cold. I don't like the cold, and it's not because I am naturally comfortable in the heat. Spending a few decades trapped in ice will do that to you.

 

I did my best to slow my breathing and buried my face in my hands. I didn't know what time it was, but it didn't matter. I wasn't going back to sleep. I remained still for a moment and listened to the heavy rain drum against one of the hangars we had quickly transformed into a barracks. It was far from cozy (or warm), but it gave us a relatively safe place to sleep.

 

I stood up and stretched. I wasn't due out for border patrol just yet and I wasn't sure my creaky limbs would appreciate me taking them out in the rain, but I didn't want to stay still. Couldn't stay still. The cold was bringing back bad memories, and I needed to do something to get my mind off of them. I grabbed my gear and headed for the door, trying not to disturb those soldiers still sleeping. Being out here was brutal, and they needed all the sleep they could get. I opened the door as quietly as possible and stepped out into the rain.

 

That sensation I had felt when I first started to wake up came back, and I could almost hear that strange crunching sound of a massive wall of ice smashing through trees and buildings. I shook my head and the sound faded. Calm down, Krazek, I thought to myself. Hunching my shoulders, I set off toward the border.

[Canis Lycaon]

IC: Malik (Headquarters)

The Toa strode down the tunnel connecting two of the hangars that his forces had turned into a base. He had just left the barracks and was now heading towards the medical labs, where the few scientists and doctors were attempting to find a cure.

He was grateful there was air filtration system in the hangars, or else he would have had to wear his gas mask inside at all times. Nonetheless, he recommended that, for safety, all presonnel wear their mask in the labs. He strapped on the gas mask and entered.

Malik walked up the stairs and looked down on all the few scientists. Most where working, but a few had noticed him and were listening in to what he was about to say. The commander shouted to all,

"I'm going to send a squad out on a supply run. Does anyone here need anything?"

Soon, they all erupted with demands for supplies they all needed. The Toa shook his head - he would have to send out a second supply to get the scientifical equipment alone, along with the regular run.

A list was formed and handed to him. The Toa thanked his subordinates and left, taking a Skakdi doctor with him, heading back to the barracks, ready to form a couple of supply runs. As he looked at the list, he realized that they would have to come from a hospital.

The biggest hopsital - and likely the only one with many of these supplies - was in Ki-Metru. And the other supplies asked for by the scientists would come from Ce-Metru - together, the two most populous Metrus.

He would need an expert team. Vertak was one of his best - propbably him and a few others. He checked up on where Vertak was and headed there, followed by Doctor Keto.

---

"Where's Malik currently?"

"Behind you, actually. Vertak, I need you to take Doctor Keto into Ki and Ce-Metrus to get medical supplies. You're one of our best, with Toa powers and all, and those two Metrus are the worst.

"You two can come along if you wish. The more the better."

[Voltex]

IC: Vertak [Outskirts of Ba-Metru]:

 

So much for peace and quiet, then. The border patrol had been absolutely useless. Sighing through his gas mask and adjusting it slightly, Vertak gave a nod to show that he understood before glancing between Gallith and Vornisl.

 

"Are you two prepared to come?" the Matoran asked. "It might be better for at least one of us to remain behind on border patrol just in case, but... the more the merrier if we run into the mutants."

[Geardirector]

IC: Gallith (Border Patrol)

 

"Vi-Metru's as safe as can be" Gallith replied simply, nodding to his superior.

 

"I'll volunteer for this mission"

[Samus Aran-Bounty Hunter]

IC: Vornisl (Border Patrol Group)

She huffs, smirking slightly as she replies.

"Practically anything but a suicide mission is better than being the patrol to make sure the Border Patrol isn't dead or being attacking on said patrol."

"That, of, course, means I'll go along with this. Might as well make a supply run, we do need it."

Zakaro

[Canis Lycaon]

OOC:

The supply run will be just the four of Doc, Vornisl, Verak and Gallith. Daedalus and Flare, I have another plot for you lined up.

 

IC: Doc

The Skakdi walked forward leaning on her cane, observing Malik heading back to base. "Right then! Let's get going. The first place we need to go to is a hospital in Ki, then a science lab in Ce. Those will be the best for what we need, which I have on this list."

 

GM IC: Mutant

As Daedalus walked through the city, he would see a black shape behind him. Whipping around, he would catch the tail end of what appeared to be a mutant, with a blue and green color scheme. This would be ordinary anywhere else, but Ba-Metru had been cleared of mutants, especially those close to base.

[(Daedalus)]

IC: Krazek (Ba-Metru)

 

I was still walking through the city when I felt them: eyes tracking my every movement. Years on the run from animals of various shapes and sizes will give you a feel for such things, and it never got any easier to deal with. I spun around, expecting to see a Matoran trying to blow off steam by stalking me. Sadly, I was wrong.

 

A short distance away, I saw a flash of blue and green disappear behind a building. It was a brief moment, but in that moment I could swear I had just seen the tail end of a mutant.

 

My body stilled and relaxed. I drew my sword and shield and pushed out everything around me--the rain, the cold, the harsh claps of thunder. I let years of accumulated skills do their work. I slowly approached the building, being sure to keep myself some distance away so the mutant could not leap out and attack me. Past the building, I caught another brief glimpse of movement. I still could not make anything out clearly, but there was something there.

 

Mutants shouldn't have been here. We had done our best to clear the city when we arrived, and the border patrol worked day and night to ensure no more entered. So why was one here? That was, of course, assuming that that thing was a mutant. But what else could it have been? We were soldiers, after all. We knew what was at stake here. None of us were stupid enough to play a game like this.

I shifted on my feet, suddenly unsure what to do. I wanted to see where it was going, but if it did indeed turn out to be a mutant, what was I supposed to do? It would confirm my suspicions, but it might also put me in danger. If it was leading me into a trap, none of the others would be any the wiser, and more soldiers could be killed. No, I couldn't follow it. I needed to tell a superior.

 

I backed away from the building and turned, keeping my weapons drawn. I scanned the area around me for anyone nearby. Not a soul. I turned and ran back toward the base, keeping my eyes open for another sign of a mutant. When I reached the base, I burst through the door into the barracks.

 

"We may have a problem!" I called out. "I'm pretty sure I just spotted a mutant near the base."

[Voltex]

OOC: Apologies for my inactivity! Life is busy.

 

IC: Vertak [ba-Metru; Border of Ki-Metru]

 

"I really wish I could have been patrolling this side of the Metru when you showed up," Vertak said to the Doc, as the group trudged up to the border between Ba-Metru and Ki-Metru. "It would have saved us a lot of walking."

 

Adjusting his gas mask, he waited for the others to catch up before waving them ahead to cross the border. As the leader of the expedition, he should technically be going first, but you never knew when a mutant was waiting... and besides, Vornisl and Gallith were both bigger than him.

[Canis Lycaon]

IC: Doc [Ki-Ba Metru Border]

"Eh. Exercise is good for you. Keeps you in good shape, though I don't think any soldiers really need help with that. Besides, if you had been here, Vornisl and Gallith wouldn't be with us, and we really need all the help we can get for this mission. Ki and Ce are dangerous."

 

GM IC: Vortixx Lieutenant [Headquarters]

"And you didn't kill it on site?"

 

The Vortixx towered over the Matoran in front of him, looking down in disgust.

 

"You just let a mutant wander around in Ba-Metru? It could have infected someone. You two! The Glatorian and the weird tall guy! Get over here! We need to go find a mutant in Ba-Metru!"

[Geardirector]

IC: Gallith (Border of Ki-Metru)

 

Gallith nodded at the Bo-Skakdi's remark, clenching his fists as his one good eye peered into the former residential area of Metru Nuva.

 

"I could take flight and scout ahead before he go in" he suggested.

[Voltex]

IC: Vertak [Entering Ki-Metru]:

 

Vertak shook his head, crossing over the border into the former residential Metru as he did so.

 

"We shouldn't need eyes in the sky unless we run into trouble," he said. "Which actually brings me to a good question - how many of us could you carry at once if you needed to?"

[Geardirector]

IC: Gallith (Ki-Metru Border)

 

"I could probably carry any one of you well enough, but when I fly one of my arms is busy already, so any more than that is out of the question I'm afraid" Gallith replied, his one good, visible eye narrowing as he looked around, still no signs.

 

His battleaxe was still strapped to his back, well within reach, and his emitter was primed and ready to fire.

 

He fired up his Kanohi Arthron, probing the surroundings for signs of enemy movement.

[(Daedalus)]

IC: Krazek (Headquarters)

 

Still dripping from the rain, I shifted my unflinching gaze to the lieutenant standing over me. "It disappeared before I could attack it, and I wasn't about to chase it through the city by myself, sir," I said coolly. "I thought it would be best to let you know, rather than risk getting myself infected and increasing the threat. I apologize if you do not approve, but I did what I thought was best."

 

I then glanced over at the two the lieutenant had addressed. A Glatorian and something I wasn't familiar with. In my eyes, Glatorian were Toa without the excess of power, which was the only thing that made them bearable. That other thing, though... I wasn't sure about that. I'd have to keep an eye on it.

[Samus Aran-Bounty Hunter]

IC: Vornisl (Ki-Metru)

"With luck things won't come to that," the Ce-Skakdi added, sword at the ready along with her shield. Casting her gaze along the darkened skyline and whipping off her visors again, she continued.

"If worst comes to worst telekinetic-plants seem like one of the better barriers we could easily make, and adding that to the closeness of the roof-tops makes getting out of this district relatively simple, once Gallith gets us up there one-by-one. Ce-Metru is where things aren't going to be as easy, but we've got a Metru to discuss that one."

A Matoran, Gallith, another Skakdi, and herself. A small team, but already Vornisl was thinking of how each of their skills could work in tandem in case of emergency. She took the lead, though, her natural personality and skills taking over slightly as the group proceeded through the dark, damp Metru, winds howling around them.

Zakaro

[Makuta of Time]

IC: Lexzor

"Finally... I get to kill something." He said. He walked towards the lieutenant with spear at hand. "We got a mutant on the loose, sir?" He asked the Vortixx. He then looked at the Matoran near him.

[NorikSigma]

IC: Hasjel-[ba-Metru]-[battalion HQ]

Corporal Hasjel of the Atero Nuian Republic Army was a satisfied soldier. After a particularly taxing border skirmish, he had been uninterrupted for a full day. As such, he was enjoying his breakfast in bed in the barracks.

 

 

That was until Krazek burst through into the barracks, shouting about a mutant sighting.

 

A vortixx Lieutenant started shouting and ordered Hasjel to chase he mutant. Of course, Krazek replied coolly and calmly. Hasjel got out and walked over.

 

"You called me, sir?" He asked.

Edited April 16, 2014 by Just Norik

[Canis Lycaon]

IC: Doc Keto [Ki-Metru]

Doc pulled out a map, and looked at it, cross checking it to one of the street signs, taking a minute or so to find the street the group was on, as well as where the hospital they needed to visit was. She traced her finger along the map, trying to find the shortest route.

 

"It seems that if we want to get to the hospital, the fastest is way to go is that away, through the park over there. Then, we round a corner, go for a couple blocks and we'll be there.

 

"Of course, if we do that, it'll leave us exposed and all, which you may not want."

 

GM IC: Vortixx Lieutenant [Headquarters]

The Vortixx grabbed a single shot cordak blaster, and then motioned to the other three, informing the two he had called over on the situation, and how they needed to find the mutant quickly. He looked at them one last time, and shrugged, hoping they would serve him well.

 

"I'm Andin, by the way. Now, where did you spot that mutant?"

[Geardirector]

IC: Gallith (Ki-Metru)

 

Gallith stroked one of his horns thoughtfully, he did that when he needed to think.

 

"We could try travelling across the rooftops, with a little help from me and Vertak here. That'll give us ample view of the surroundings, and let us avoid the mutants at street level until we need to engage them."

Edited April 16, 2014 by Geardirector

[(Daedalus)]

IC: Krazek (Headquarters)

 

I shifted on my feet. I could retrace my steps from here, but I had never been good at gauging distance. Plus, I had been preoccupied when I was heading for the border, so I had no idea how long it had taken me to get to the spot where I saw the mutant. The run back had only taken a few minutes, though...

 

I shrugged and gestured toward the door. "I, uh, I can't be sure exactly, but I'd say it was about a ten, fifteen minute walk north, along one of the bigger roads. I can't be much more precise than that, but I can lead you there."

[Voltex]

IC: Vertak [Ki-Metru]:

 

"Sounds like a plan - we'll go by the rooftops," Vertak said. "Doc, I'll float you up first."

 

Concentrating, he lowered the hold of gravity upon Doc, who began to float up into the air towards the rooftop.

[Makuta of Time]

OOC: Time to boost production.

 

IC: Lexzor

 

"Lead ahead," said the tall being. His height gave an advantage to the Army. He can spot opponents better than those below him. But being the tallest means he easily stands out, in a literal sense, and he can be shot at at first sight.

[(Daedalus)]

IC: Krazek (Ba-Metru)

 

I shifted my gaze to the one who spoke--I still wasn't sure what he was--and then back to the Andin. "All right," I said.

 

I turned and exited the building, back out into the rain. I no longer noticed the wetness. My body had become numb to it. I felt the drops splash against me, but it just felt like tiny fingers softly poking me all over. The cold was still there, but little else. I trudged through the damp streets, not bothering to look to see if the others had followed me. I retraced my steps to the point where I had seen the mutant. Nothing looked different. The narrow alleyway the mutant had run down was dark, but appeared empty.

 

Pointing to it, I said, "It went down there. It was green and blue, if I remember."

[Geardirector]

IC: Gallith (Ki-Metru)

 

Gallith nodded minutely at Vertak's remark.

 

"I'll give Vornisl here a lift" he muttered and offered her his hand.

 

"Once we get topside, I vote we stay close and stay together"

[Canis Lycaon]

IC: Doc

The Skakdi grabbed onto the roof of a third floor building, and pulled herself over the side. She reached out with her staff to let the next person grab on and she could pull them in. They could get close to the hospital on the roofs, but then the skyscrapers would get high enough it would be impractical.

 

GM IC: Andin

"Great. There is a mutant in here somewhere, and we don't know where it is. Wait, did you say green and blue? That's telepor-"

 

The same mutant Krazek had spotted earlier appeared in midair, and then made a slash at Andin, ripping through his armor. It bit him, and he cried out in pain, collapsing to the ground, beginning to spasm. The mutant then reappeared next to Lexzor, and made a bite at him.

 

Almost instantly, two more mutants apppeared - one was silver and the other purple. The silver one charged Krazek, and the purple ran towards Hasjel.

[(Daedalus)]

IC: Krazek (Ba-Metru)

 

Often, in times of danger or stress, my mind will make a weird jump. This time, the jump was no doubt a result of my previous experience as a chronicler, because not only did I record the history of my people, I studied it. I learned the strange ways history can remember individuals, the way a single mistake can forever alter the way others look at an individual. That's what I thought of when the mutant appeared out of thing air and bit Lieutenant Andin--how, even if I ever did something good, few would remember. No, what would be remembered is that I erred on the side of caution and quite possibly brought disaster to our only foothold in Metru Nuva.

 

I was jolted from my thoughts when two more mutants appeared. One, a silver one, charged straight at me. I was glad I hadn't put my weapons away. Moving as quickly as I could, I raised my shield and turned to face the mutant. My age was telling on me, though, as I was a split second too late. Still turning, I could not properly brace against the mutants lunging attack. It smashed into my shield and knocked me down onto my back. Claws dug into my armor, scratching my lower torso underneath. I tried to wrestle my shield arm free, which was pinned between my chest and the mutant's body. As I did that, I swung my sword, grasped in my left hand, at the mutant's head. I didn't care if the attack landed; I just wanted to keep it busy so it wouldn't bite me.

[NorikSigma]

IC: Hasjel [barracks]-[under Attack]

Hasjel was listening closely to what Krazek was telling Andin when the battle erupted.

 

On instinct the Glatorian, unslung his rifle and set it to "Live" in one fluid motion. Too late, Andin was bit. Hasjel looked up and a purple mutant barrelled down at him. And in turned and fired at the mutating Lieutenant and fired twice at the mutant before diving to the side.

[Samus Aran-Bounty Hunter]

IC: Vornisl (Ki-Metru)

The Skakdi takes his hand, which is quite a bit larger than hers, and reaches up to his shoulder and grabs onto his shoulder with her other hand, getting solid grips on both and carefully taking much of the weight off her feet, getting ready for take-off. She takes a glance to either side, listening for any sign while replying.

"Sounds like a plan. Move fast and with stealth. Better to sneak in and out than needlessly fight a horde and risk a loss."

Zakaro

[Geardirector]

IC: Gallith (Ki-Metru)

 

"Agreed" Gallith responded bluntly as he raised his left arm into the air, pointing upwards towards the nearest rooftop.

 

In an instant, he took off, floating upwards on a cushion of force that even kept him ascending with Vornisl's weight hampering him. Soon after, he was on the rooftop, and he wasted no time probing their nearby surroundings with a sweep of his Arthron. Safe, for now.

 

"Let's move"

[Voltex]

IC: Vertak

 

With all four members of the party now up on the rooftop, Vertak glanced around warily before trekking forward.

 

"Keep your eyes and ears open - Vornisl, keep watch on our backs," he ordered. "Gallith, keep close to the Doc. I'll take the front."