Highway 13

[Elf]

Forest

Forest smiled as she alternated holding the cat with one arm and petting it with the other.

"Feel how soft this braw little babe's fur is," Forest said as she cuddled the cat.  "The only animals I generally don't scare off are crows, ravens, and wolves.  Which is sad because I want to pet the soft kitty or bunny but it just wants to get the bloody hell away from me."

[yinsukin]

Custard

Custard ignored the lightning too, its fur becoming fluffier as it stood up from the static.  The purring became louder and its eyes began to soften.  It was about to fall asleep.

[Elf]

Forest

Forest smiled as the cat kept purring with a half-lidded expression.

"Oh, we're supposed to fly somewhere," Forest said aloud.  You mind piloting?  I have a kitty.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Somewhere far, far away. Away from civilized lands, in the crossroads of an abandoned highway.

The Assaillant

"Damn! Damn! Damn! What the hell!? What the- kguh!" Armed men with guns surrounded the black beast, firing on sight with their collective weaponry and might. Grenades were launched, bullets flew all across the burning highway, and vehicles crashed straight into that thing. "No way! This isn't happening! This i- arghrrrrrrrrhggggghhkaaaaaaaaahhh!!" Men hurried to take cover, to fire, to do anything against the monster. But every bullet, it deflected. Every shot, it avoided. And those that hit him... only went through its mud-like flesh as it kept contorting and swiping at them like some kind of monster.

"Fuck! Call HQ, CALL H- AAGHHH!" It jumped and struck them with precision, yet the savagery of a monster remained. The Deva of Yama, Indra, was collecting its toll, challenged by those who sought it out. And tonight, salvation was offered bountifully to those who sought it.  Its fists, its claws, it all whipped across the Warfield and decimated the security squadron in an instant. Corpses and wrecked vehicles piled on all around the burning street. Only then did the creature turn its face to gaze at the fall... and sucked the souls out of the dead.

No way, no way... please don't... don't! Don't look at me... don't...

"Zach...help...me..." A dying man stretched his hand out to a pile of corpses. No, it reached out to a particular corpse, a man whose spirit had already died, hiding among the bodies in desperation. The terror of the weak, the despair of the fallen, it was a poison that paralyzed man and beast alike. And at this moment, that man hid like a beast, playing dead among his dying comrades. "Help... arghhh" The fallen were trampled. The trauma of defeat was something no soul could ignore. Out of the 36, only one survived, praying with all his might that he wouldn't be noticed, that his former comrades wouldn't call attention to him. And as their souls were gnawed one by one, after what seemed like an eternity-

The monster left.


A dark fog had overtaken the street. Or perhaps, it had only seeped in that man's mind.

How long had it been? Hours? Days? He just stood still, surrounded by his former friends, too shocked to even move. The power of that monster was something he could only imagine in his worst nightmares. Why couldn't he fight this? Was he just meant to be food? If so, he'd rather have been eaten already. A world this warped, where the weak are played and toyed with... it shouldn't even exist! Was this the will of the world!?

No! I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I-

"Relax, boy."

A broken man slumped and sat beside it. How long... when did he get here? His eyes were shut, but he could still feel the sickly heat that man was giving off. Yet, a few seconds later, he felt the sound of cracking bone, and a warm thud by his head.

"Well, there goes my arm. We're both in a sorry state, eh?" In comparison to the broken man, the beast sounded almost nonchalant about this. Or perhaps, it had already experienced this trauma. To the dying monster, this was Tuesday.

I can't die here!


Zeke

Tch... Is this it? That angel... looks like her sword sealed the deal. But... I don't want to die.

"It's a shame. We just can't help ourselves." He looked at the blonde man with a sad expression. At least, the half of his face that could emote. The boy was dying, just like him. It was at that moment that the blonde fake corpse opened its eyes - and gasped.

Heh. Looks like he couldn't have guessed it. Broken fools like us... we have no place to be in this world.

"But maybe, we can help eachother."

The dying beast held its hand out - and the dying man reached out for its hand.

Continued in Xibalba

[Kotomine_Rin]

Mael

Continued from the great southern sea.

The skies burned.

The explosion blew them both through the skies, launching them away - each on the opposite side of a packed highway. As the asphalt cracked under their landing, there was only one truth that'd be made absolute.

This was a race. The first one to falter would be the first to fall. As Mael rushed forth the streets, he swerved by the cars and trucks - taking cover and searching for the demon's next strike.

[Panda]

Costin

Had he any eyes, Costin would probably have to stop for a second and blink to register what just happened. Instead, he grinned wolfishly - the beast's teeth gnawed at its chains. "Voah. You've got guts kid, few have the gall to touch me so vithout the terror or losing their hand." The answer came as casually as he looked. Actually, he felt bad for the ladies next to him. Its not like he had too much trouble controlling himself, he just didn't want to live that way. It's why he loved this world after all. Compared to the stuffy place he came from, this land was truly free. Was it so wrong to enjoy it?

Well, that's this and that's that.

"Heh. Look at me, a dead apostle being clung to by a mere voman. For such an avful rat stench, your touch ain't too bad." Crimson prana seeped from his flesh, from his bones. For but a second, a sliver of blood-red flames, crackling with lightning, could be seen shimmering - restrained by naught but Costin's will.

Until he let go.

"Glad you know how to talk to a man!"

The shoulder tackle came without warning, the force that rippled against the air was like a cannon. If anyone could even perceive the impact that blew both of them away from the street...

It was like a kaiju movie. A disastrous impact that shook the earth and sky.

And the two were gone.

(Continued in Highway 13)

Nanako

While she hadn't expected the sudden tackle, the squirrel girl caught the aura seeping from the man, feeling it like cold knives against her skin. It excited her as much as it put her on guard, but even then she hadn't expecting him to hurl them both out of the bar altogether. With sheer instinct and her uncanny peripheral vision, Nanako managed to catch his tackle with a rudimentary guard, the sheer force of his assault bruising her arms as they sailed through the air, drifting apart as they hurtled towards the highway.


Bob

Another day, another dollar, another goddamn hour-long commute. Taking another sip of his coffee and muttering under his breath about the utterly unreasonable rent in the districts neighboring Colombia, Bob only heard a faint doppler-shifted whistle before he realized what was about to happen. Coffee splashed onto asphalt as the office-worker tossed the cup out the window, grabbed the wheel, and jerked it to one side, then the other, popping his brakes as he did to drift past the latest superhuman wrecking ball to grace Highway 13.

"Goddamn- you see one action movie and suddenly everyone's gotta duke it out on the freeway," Bob shouted out his window, "How about doing it after my commute, jackass!" He knew the score, knew that both of them were probably superhumans for whom his panicked few seconds of desperate avoidance was a subjective minute or two of watching some guy nearly crash a soapbox car. Knew that either or both of them could be psychotic enough to try to kill him just for shouting over their pre-fight banter.

However, he was past the point of caring at this point, instead quickly pulling out of the short drift, barely avoiding spinning out into the median, and heading on his way. At least they hadn't come down on top of him instead.


Nanako

Nanako skidded away from Johnny as they landed, boots carving tracks into cracked asphalt as she came to a quick stop a few meters away from the man.

"I know how to do a lot more to a man!" Nanako grinned, tail swishing excitedly behind her as she shed her coat and tossed it to the skies in one smooth motion, "But shouldn't you buy a girl dinner first before asking for that kind of thing?"

[Kotomine_Rin]

Costin

Compared to Nanako's almost deft and graceful skitter, Costin's landing was brutal. Coarse. Almost gleeful in the way it broke the asphalt in its way. The stone that didn't break just made way for a streetlight that upheaved from its position, ripping itself from the earth as Costin dragged it along his momentum - until it flipped and dug itself in the center of the street.

Without that anchor, he'd probably have turned whatever person was in its way to mulch. And with a satisfied gasp, he grinned and stretched. At this moment, Costin's full body was rising up like a mast.

"Haha! My bad, my bad. I'd have bought you a snack, but it's been so long since my fangs have tasted true essence. Its that stench of yours. It feels pleasant. Like an invitation.... to the thrill of battle. It's difficult for me to resist it, sorry about that."

And just as he was about to calmly walk up to the Squirrel woman, hands in his pocket - his swagger was interrupted by a myriad of horns blaring at him. Yet... he seemed lost for a second. A bit confused. IF he stopped, it certainly wasn't for any kind of fear or consideration. It was fascination.

"Hrm? These chariots, they don't carry the scent of cattle, and they make odd noises. Are they a new kind of automobile?"

[Panda]

Costin

Compared to Nanako's almost deft and graceful skitter, Costin's landing was brutal. Coarse. Almost gleeful in the way it broke the asphalt in its way. The stone that didn't break just made way for a streetlight that upheaved from its position, ripping itself from the earth as Costin dragged it along his momentum - until it flipped and dug itself in the center of the street.

Without that anchor, he'd probably have turned whatever person was in its way to mulch. And with a satisfied gasp, he grinned and stretched. At this moment, Costin's full body was rising up like a mast.

"Haha! My bad, my bad. I'd have bought you a snack, but it's been so long since my fangs have tasted true essence. Its that stench of yours. It feels pleasant. Like an invitation.... to the thrill of battle. It's difficult for me to resist it, sorry about that."

And just as he was about to calmly walk up to the Squirrel woman, hands in his pocket - his swagger was interrupted by a myriad of horns blaring at him. Yet... he seemed lost for a second. A bit confused. IF he stopped, it certainly wasn't for any kind of fear or consideration. It was fascination.

"Hrm? These chariots, they don't carry the scent of cattle, and they make odd noises. Are they a new kind of automobile?"

Nanako

Nanako paused, one arm outstretched from throwing her coat, with Costin's question. The squirrel girl stared at the man for a long moment, then frowned as horns blared all around them, traffic frantically scattering around them like spooked minows.

"The scent of...they're cars, so yeah, I guess you could call them that," Nanako frowned, "No cattle or horse needed, and they look a lot different from the old chariots. Sounds like you can't see them though. Or me for that matter."

"Guessing you're a vampire, though, with all the talk about fangs and essence and chariots," the squirrel girl noted, "So am I dinner, or the girl you forgot to take out to one?"

[Kotomine_Rin]

Costin

"Of course I know what a car is, dumbass." He snapped with an annoyed grunt, grimacing. But he didn't look too angry, not with what he asked next... or how genuinely curious he looked about it.

"Why the hell would you assume I can't see them though?" He cocked his head pensively. "Well, whatever. I'm not going to answer a question with a question, only bitches do that. But... tsk, I guess whether you're my lunch or about to be taken out for lunch depends on you babe."

Why the hell did she have to ask something stupid like that anyways? Heh, not that he disliked it. It was different from the usual. It felt fresher than her just running in fear. "Well, if I had my way, I'd ravage you until you were naught but torn meat, but wild abandon is a weakling's prerogative. I'm not some punk who's completely without manners, even if it's hard to restrain myself. If you want..."

The blaring of horns interrupted him. For a second, he glanced at the cars that stopped and tried to move away from him. He found them.... annoying all of a sudden.

"Sigh, whatever. Enough chit chat. Point is, before I start breaking whatever's in sight, I'd wish to learn more of this place. This world. And you."

[Panda]

Costin

"Of course I know what a car is, dumbass." He snapped with an annoyed grunt, grimacing. But he didn't look too angry, not with what he asked next... or how genuinely curious he looked about it.

"Why the hell would you assume I can't see them though?" He cocked his head pensively. "Well, whatever. I'm not going to answer a question with a question, only bitches do that. But... tsk, I guess whether you're my lunch or about to be taken out for lunch depends on you babe."

Why the hell did she have to ask something stupid like that anyways? Heh, not that he disliked it. It was different from the usual. It felt fresher than her just running in fear. "Well, if I had my way, I'd ravage you until you were naught but torn meat, but wild abandon is a weakling's prerogative. I'm not some punk who's completely without manners, even if it's hard to restrain myself. If you want..."

The blaring of horns interrupted him. For a second, he glanced at the cars that stopped and tried to move away from him. He found them.... annoying all of a sudden.

"Sigh, whatever. Enough chit chat. Point is, before I start breaking whatever's in sight, I'd wish to learn more of this place. This world. And you."

Nanako

The squirrel girl's eyebrow twitched as the horns kept blaring, her tail stilling behind her as she started getting ready for the fight to come. All the talk of ravaging only served to build anticipation for what was to come, but Nanako managed to keep still for now. Still, it was strange. If he could see, why all the talk about scents as if he couldn't? Well, she could always ask him later.

"Well, from what I've heard, they call this world the Nexus," Nanako explained, tail swishing slowly, a counterbalance to the squirrel girl's own shifting weight, "It seems like it pulls things in from all over. People, stuff, even whole buildings sometimes. I'm a fairly recent arrival, got here a few months back. Name's Nanako."

[Kotomine_Rin]

Costin

"Yes, yes. I know that already, it's the same shit as back then... ah, it sure takes me back." Costin almost sounded disappointed by her answer, but his smile was candid. It's like if he was remembering something pleasant. And that's when it came out of his lips. An absurd story, as he looked to the skies - an unknown horizon. Or perhaps the sun.

"I certainly died back then, back when I was nothing more than some dead apostle. But the next thing I knew, I woke up in some dark and cold chamber, lined up with hundreds of people hooked to some machine. Talk about creepy, huh?"

His grin took a whole new quality.

"And apparently it wasn't the first time I woke up. A milky white fuck, some bitch with a broad ass, a flea-ridden poser... they were all different from me of course, but they had the gall of acting like they were the original. It pissed me off, so I... heh heh, well, what can I say? Someone ought to dispose of fakes, huh?"

He yawned and stretched his neck a little.

"Anyway, that place was a bore. No one could actually die in there, everyone always falling asleep and waking back up in the same spot as the day before. From what I gathered, its how that place sustained itself. Even if there'd been interesting people, anyone worth killing was already long gone. I happened to wake up just a bit before the dregs. Even then, no matter what I tried, I'd just wake back up as if nothing happened. It was a harrowing experience. And if anyone tried to leave, those winged fucks would get in the way... tch."

He sighed, ignoring the yelling people and vehicles blaring at him. Even this noise was welcome compared to some dull silence. Yes... this place was real.

"So I've gotta wonder, why the fuck do you have that same stench? Did you seriously eat one of them or something?"

[Panda]

Costin

"Yes, yes. I know that already, it's the same shit as back then... ah, it sure takes me back." Costin almost sounded disappointed by her answer, but his smile was candid. It's like if he was remembering something pleasant. And that's when it came out of his lips. An absurd story, as he looked to the skies - an unknown horizon. Or perhaps the sun.

"I certainly died back then, back when I was nothing more than some dead apostle. But the next thing I knew, I woke up in some dark and cold chamber, lined up with hundreds of people hooked to some machine. Talk about creepy, huh?"

His grin took a whole new quality.

"And apparently it wasn't the first time I woke up. A milky white fuck, some bitch with a broad ass, a flea-ridden poser... they were all different from me of course, but they had the gall of acting like they were the original. It pissed me off, so I... heh heh, well, what can I say? Someone ought to dispose of fakes, huh?"

He yawned and stretched his neck a little.

"Anyway, that place was a bore. No one could actually die in there, everyone always falling asleep and waking back up in the same spot as the day before. From what I gathered, its how that place sustained itself. Even if there'd been interesting people, anyone worth killing was already long gone. I happened to wake up just a bit before the dregs. Even then, no matter what I tried, I'd just wake back up as if nothing happened. It was a harrowing experience. And if anyone tried to leave, those winged fucks would get in the way... tch."

He sighed, ignoring the yelling people and vehicles blaring at him. Even this noise was welcome compared to some dull silence. Yes... this place was real.

"So I've gotta wonder, why the fuck do you have that same stench? Did you seriously eat one of them or something?"

Nanako

The squirrel girl's brow furrowed as Johnny spoke, Nanako entirely unsure what to make of what he was saying, but catching some worryingly familiar bits amidst all of it.

"Back then?" Nanako gave him a curious look, "What, is there more than one of these places?"

Wait, I smell the same as the winged...oh

"Oh come on, first Zeke and that seraphim bitch, and now you?" Frustration was building in the squirrel girl's chest, "No, I helped kill one and some of its feathers went into me."

[Kotomine_Rin]

Cossie

"Ha! Relax, I don't actually give a damn. The trash could've went up your ass for all I care. I'm not like those smelly administrators, all pent up over old toys." He cackled and laid back, his spine arched backwards as he took in every smell, even the restless agitation. Until something she said got him surprised for a moment. Got him to drop the tough guy face for a moment too. "Wait... Zeke? You know that creepy bitch?" He tapped his fist on his palm in understanding. If that's how it was, how should he put it... bah, that's this and that's that.

"Actually, I forgot. I don't care."

He leaned forward teasingly.

"Want me to make it up to you? For vexing you like that."

[Panda]

Cossie

"Ha! Relax, I don't actually give a damn. The trash could've went up your ass for all I care. I'm not like those smelly administrators, all pent up over old toys." He cackled and laid back, his spine arched backwards as he took in every smell, even the restless agitation. Until something she said got him surprised for a moment. Got him to drop the tough guy face for a moment too. "Wait... Zeke? You know that creepy bitch?" He tapped his fist on his palm in understanding. If that's how it was, how should he put it... bah, that's this and that's that.

"Actually, I forgot. I don't care."

He leaned forward teasingly.

"Want me to make it up to you? For vexing you like that."

Nanako

The squirrel girl stared right at Johnny with a frown, eye twitching slightly as he spoke. Where once there had been anticipation, there was now annoyance welling up in its place, and suddenly the blaring car horns were like a jackhammer pounding at her skull, only adding on to it all. Even the strange silence of the Grace slipped her notice in the moment, the squirrel girl crossing her arms under her chest and standing back, tail swishing erratically behind her.

"Well, knew him. He told me a bit about this stuff, promised he'd tell me more, then never showed up," Nanako said, one foot tapping harder and harder against steadily cracking asphalt, "Probably bit it fighting Ivanna."

"As for you," the squirrel girl turned her ire on the dark-haired man directly, though it was dulled by the pouty look the frown gave her. After a moment, however, she let out a quiet sigh, running a hand through her hair as she met the man's eyes and held them.

"Wanna make it up to me? Show me a good time, then," she said at last, stretching her arms up and arching her back with a small groan before relaxing into a basic stance. Her weight shifted from one leg to the other, tail acting as a counter-balance as she tried to get back into the mood for a fight. "If you think you can bring the mood back, of course."

[Kotomine_Rin]

Costin

The frigid feel of a blade against your skin scraped against Nanako. Gnawed at her. For a moment, even if Costin was as cool as ice - he wasn't laughing. Even his smile looked like the kind you give to someone before you utterly break them.

"Aren't you getting ahead of yourself, kiddo? That sounded an awful lot like you were telling me what to do." He took a step forward, and the asphalt beneath him caved in like a spiderweb, throwing off whatever footing she and the vehicles around them had. There were screams, even those who had the gall to shout and complain were utterly silent. Its not that the power was different. Strong people could be found all over, and even something like collateral wasn't too out there from time to time. It wasn't just an annoying idiot flexing and making a mess out of public infrastructure.

It really felt like that man would have killed them.

" *quack quack* "

And yet the kill never came. The dead apostle almost looked bored when he nonchalantly pinched her nose. As if it were a clown horn. "Gotcha. Like hell I'd do something that stupid." Thus, he grinned teasingly, getting closer and closer. Knowing full well the way his menacing aura made her feel. With no intention to let go. "So, I trust you can show me around the city a bit? And don't you drag me to a tavern, I've had naught but swill for as far as I remember. I want something fun."