hadriel_logs | Event Log: End of Arc 2

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Event Log: End of Arc 2

Who: All characters
What: The event log for the End of Arc 2
Where: All over the city
When: November 25th-December 12th
Warnings: A full-scale battle, including character death, NPC death, and various other ways to suffer

It was bound to happen. The Null warned you, after all, and this has been building for awhile - and now it's here. First comes the initial attack, the agents of the Null attacking Hope's temple. Then, an SOS, warning the city of what's happened: a betrayal, and Hope being injured. Luckily for everyone, thanks to the actions of his guards Hope survives the attack. Unluckily, his attacker, the goddess Delight, escapes and lets the Null in.

Flooding into the cave, the Null will attack anyone who they believe is resisting them. They'll destroy buildings and deploy dangerous crowd control weapons, in addition to their sheer strength and speed. Confusion empties the monsters in the tunnels into the city, to help distract the Null. Some gods fight, others provide safe havens, but everyone is in danger.

After about a week and a half of the attack, Fear summons enough power to teleport the city. This stops any new Null from arriving through the tunnels, but the remaining Null must be hunted down and destroyed, or else they'll signal their location to the rest of their species. The danger will lessen as Null are taken out, but things won't really be safe until Fear moves the city again, so don't get too comfortable.

What will you do? Run and hide? Fight? Help the fighters? Turn on the gods yourself? Whatever you do, it's time to make a decision.

► This log covers November 25th-December 12th.
► Feel free to make your own logs, as well
► Please tag headers of threads with content warnings where they apply
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!
► If you get taken out by the Null, please let us know here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[OOC: Top level for my separate starter things! Hit up my plotting comment or feel free to drop me a line personally if you have anything special you wanna do.]

The best way to kill your enemy is to know them. This is something Rey has always believed. Despite all this time, there are still so many things they don't yet know about these enemies. Ignorance puts them at a disadvantage when the Null more about how to kill them than the other way around.

Granted, she was made to kill pieces of shit like these. Much like the synthetics of her world, the Null have been very quick to adapt to their situation and attackers. Guess that's to be expected, given the source of their intel was someone who has been around long enough to figure out how most of the people here work.

How ironic, to have been right and wrong at the same time. Rey had a strong feeling that it was one of the gods who conspired against their own. It made the most sense. She just had her instincts shifted in the wrong direction.

Delight.

The entrance to the restaurant, rigged with various explosives, erupts the second Rey enticed a mechanical humanoid her way. It would be pretty pissed, being shot at by the masergun of her world. Unlike the Null, hers were designed to pierce through more than just energy matter.

Dust plumes, covering the restaurant in a mist. Rey's third eyelids shut, shielding her vision from the debris and turning her eyes white. She sees the Null emerging from the dust seconds before it aims its own laser weapon at her.

Before the dust can clear, she takes a shot. Then five, all in the most likely vitals for a machine. Because she knows synthetics. Knows that their skulls are the least likely anatomy to house any important functions, save for maybe the memory core. In that way, Rey is similar. And yet she isn't.

The maser-shots sear through the steel surface like butter, cutting through the Null's stomach-shaped core; renders it plummeting to the ground. The walls of the restaurant shakes as it crumbles.

Sheathing her masergun into her hip holster, Rey sets up an open space for her to tear through the metal surface of the Null's chassis. She must have hit something vital. They can use that information to their advantage. Her hands heat up, turning from a pale shade with red glowing veins to black as her fingertips sharpen. The surface material covering her skin is enough to rip through metal, as the Salamander was made to.

What she pulls out is a cylindrical piece of equipment, still smoking from the searing hot charges shooting clean through the machine and its clockwork insides.

"Ninety-eight point two percent synthetic," Rey notes at the Null's corpse below her. "You bastards weren't kidding, weren't you?"

Today, Oscar has been fortunate enough not to cross the wayward path of one of the numerous creatures that have plagued the city since the invasion began, though he still bears the exterior markings and loose bolts from his terrifying encounter with the two-legged reptilian creature yesterday. He thinks its initial intention might have been to... well, eat him. It only needed to tear at his jacket with its claws and scrape the chassis underneath to see that wasn't advisable. Much like the other beasts he ran across in the preceding days, this one lost interest in him fairly quickly also. The Null always stole their attention from him.

There is less and less food to go around as the battle rages on. A route that days ago saw him returning to the emergency shelters with half a bag's worth of canned provisions and a miscellany of items has not yielded the same results in the last twenty-four hours. He attributes it to Mr. Hope's current predicament and his doubtlessly compromised ability to provide the living creatures among them with the sustenance they require. He has asked those who have come through the Firehouse about the man's condition each day. It seems that everything is being done to ensure he is protected.

Just as Oscar finds himself edging past a fence on his way to the dilapidated ruins of a restaurant not far from here, there is a thunderous noise followed by a short-lived wave of vibrations which shake the earth he stands on. It isn't until the dust has begun to clear from the area that he flattens himself against a wall and peers around the corner, surveying what's left of the street.

Once he is reasonably certain that it is safe to move for now, he approaches the site of the blast with caution, hurrying from one hiding place to another until he is standing before it. He is surprised to find that the entrance he often used as a means to gain access to the building has been completely demolished; had he forgone any stops on his route, he might have been caught in the thick of it. Thankfully, there is no blood or other evidence to suggest anyone has been wounded in the explosion. But he mustn't leave until it has been confirmed that no one is trapped behind the ruins.

Making his way around the side of the building, he tries to locate another entry point. He climbs through the remains of a window that has fallen out from the wall, broken glass on the other side crunching beneath his boots, before going still at the sound of movement nearby. He remains vigilant as he moves further inside, arriving at what he believes was once the dining area to find someone leaning over a distinctly mechanical body, closely inspecting its parts. It isn't relief he experiences when he recognizes the person in question, but it is the closest he has come to feeling it all day.

Oscar steps into the room.

"Are you injured, Ms. Rey?"

Rey stops what she's doing for a moment, not removing her attention from the Null's remains in her hands.

Judging from Oscar's tone, they're in no immediate danger. He would probably have something much different to say if there was another wave of attacks coming their way.

She cants her head, digging into the mess of wires that makes up the synthetic's body. Whatever it is that makes them able to shapeshift, she wants to be able to figure out how. This technology is something more advanced than anything she had seen from her world, or even Nick's.

After several seconds, she finally answers.

"Nothing that can't be tolerated."

This is more important.

He moves toward her, eyeing what she is doing with some uneasiness along with a small helping of morbid interest while letting the renewed silence of the building settle around them. He stands at the other side of what remains of the mechanical body so that he can face her.

"I cannot tell whether your bio-mechanical makeup requires nutritional sustenance. If so, you may help yourself to this bag's contents when you are done." He silently holds up a small bag for her to see, then lowers it back to his side. Sadly, there is little to be found in it, his only recent findings of the edible variety being three cans of vegetables. It is still better than nothing at all.

Knowing in what ways makes a Null tick has paid off. Over the course of days, Rey has put that to good use. Not just the knowledge she has over them, but the experience as well. Sometimes it just takes a great deal of effort before the steel crushes under her fist.

Of course, she doesn't look like Rey. Not to anyone who simply sees her at first glance. However, the important thing is that she doesn't look like one of the Null, either. Rather, a female figure, coated from head to toe in black, can be seen throughout the city, tearing apart synthetics and ripping into their core to reach their central processors. The heat radiating from her body keeps them from getting away, and prevents the others from coming to her quarry's aid when she yanks out what can only be perceived as their heart.

The layers of samandrine over her body shifts to her will, whether she needs it for improved mobility or sharpening her fingers into claw-like razors. The heavy mass of her body alone is enough to bowl over the most unsuspecting synthetic, until they start to seem to expect it after a while.

Not surprising, really. They're machines. Chances are they had means of instantaneously relaying communication with one another, far better than mere organics could with their phones. The synthes she had contended with for all her life were similar in that way.

It's fine. She can work with this; she can adapt, too.

While Rey makes an effort to avoid populated parts of the city, finding the occasional straggler or combatant is inevitable. If they appear to be having trouble with the machines, she will step in to help, only as a mouthless dark creature bearing white eyes. Hopefully dealing with that won't be any worse than dying a gruesome death by homicidal machines, right?

Duck has until now been pretty good at fighting while he’s surrounded by others. He’s not that stupid. Not stupid enough to fight alone against monsters like this. Not until now, anyway.

Not that it’s on purpose. He’d ran – he’d had to run because those guns the things used were pointing right at him, and there were like, four of them. Luckily, he’s pretty fast. Not so luckily, the street he’d ended up on is mostly free of people fighting, but not free of the Null. By now he’s hurt. A healing gash on his arm, bloody scrapes over his dirtied face. But worse than that, he’s gotten tired. Not that he hasn’t been resting, because he has. But it’s very hard to sleep with battles raging on just outside the window, while he sat, terrified that the Null would find his hiding place. So, after four days of fighting and trying to help, Duck’s exhausted.

That’s one of the reasons he doesn’t spot one of the Null down a side street until a split second before the arm of the machine is aimed at him. He’s too slow, and the projectile that fires hits him right in the thigh, sending him back onto the pavement, gun skidding out of his hand.

There’s a sudden harsh stinging, aching pain in his foot and he cries out. Lifting his head a little, Duck realises he must have blacked out for at least a few seconds, because suddenly the Null is much closer and now standing right on his foot, its laser cutter right above him, so close he can see the dirt on its armour.

He screams loudly, from the pain and panic. He can’t move. His foot is on fire. He’s gonna die here.

Even for those who are adept at combat, this is a terrible place to be. It is especially terrible if you happen to be one of those that the Null have on their 'to kill' list.

Rey hasn't exactly been playing nice, either. Ever since she dissected one of their own in order to learn how they tick, she's taken every opportunity to exploit the Null's weaknesses. The machines were quick to adapt, however. Once they seemed to understand what she was doing, they started making their weak points more difficult to reach. Oftentimes they would hit, pummel, shoot, and stab at her before she could reach them.

Right now, her tactic is surprise. If she can catch them unawares, she has a better chance at making a swift, clean kill so their evasive maneuvers don't have the same effect. Rey has gone from being out in the open to setting up points in the city to more stealthy tricks. This hasn't made for playing well with others; for the most part she has gone about this solo.

When she hears a boy crying out, she doesn't hesitate to abandon her current lone wolf stategy. Bounding from one rooftop to another, she rushes towards the sound in a black blur. Her body covered in an inky layer from head to toe, leaving only the vaguest hint of a human face to percieve her surroundings. This has made her difficult for the Null to identify. With Rey not being part of their little hit list, it has mostly worked to her advantage.

Rather than waiting to think of a best approach to this situation right here and now, everything in her screams to just go.

She jumps. Hurling herself four stories from the building.

The Null might be strong, but when a woman with a three hundred-pound cybernetic skeleton crashes atop them when they least expect it, it's easy to fall.

The sudden extra weight on top of the creature makes Duck shout out again, his foot stinging sharply, and not thinking very clearly he for a moment believes they're going to torture him before he dies.

But then he sees the figure on top of the Null and his eyes widen. The laser cutter is lowered and the weight is shifted off of Duck's foot as the giant robot falls sideways. With the Null thoroughly distracted by the sudden silhouette, Duck manages to grab his gun in a shaking hand and drag himself backward away from the machine until there's a wall behind him.

With his foot an aching, bleeding mess, he can't do much else but stare at the Null and his saviour, ready to shoot if this person needs it but also knowing from experience it won't be that much help.

The drop itself nearly disorients her, but the machine shifts it's focus from the boy to her now. Clearly she is the more immediate threat. The kid might have a gun, but Rey is the one crazy enough to body slam a synthetic from fifty-five feet in the air.

In one swift, red blur, the Null swings it's laser cutter towards Rey now. She leans back, the hot edge barely grazing her neck before she slams her own skull against its chest. Sends it running backwards against the outer wall adjascent to Duck. This doesn't stop or harm it, but it does keep it on her.

Through the layer of black coating her face, she can't speak to warn him. But her distraction does give the boy a chance to flee.

really sorry this is late :c

quacked - 2017-12-12 20:45 (UTC) - Expand

it's okay, i kinda suck too, sob.

circumitus - 2018-01-05 03:12 (UTC) - Expand

So, one side effect of electrocution to add to the slowly growing list is that it's very difficult to aim correctly. Just properly holding and lifting his gun is easier said than done, let alone aiming while his hand shakes, and so although he'd been handling the Null well enough so far Lance has found that's no longer the case; fortunately, there are only two of the things advancing, and he still has a good shot--no pun intended--at hitting their processors before they get to him, even if it takes more tries than normal.

Or so he hopes, anyway; it takes three shots to down one of the Null, and the other is not only still coming but is now close enough to fire its range weapon, which Lance wants absolutely nothing to do with again. So instead of continuing to shoot he ducks around the corner of a building, closing his eyes tightly for a moment to try to ignore the pain in his muscles that gets worse with activity, and then tries to refocus on being ready to deal with the Null as it gets closer.

He may or may not appreciate any help, but he could definitely use it.

While mostly working solo, when help is needed Rey doesn't hesitate to step forward. Her abilities tend to be more effective when she isn't working in groups, being a destructive force of nature on her own. She lunges, leaps, and throws the Null off kilter before plunging whatever she has on hand through their core. As time goes by, they start to catch on to her tactics, and as such she has to start getting a little creative.

Making use of Alphys' engineering capabilities, she starts utilizing the laser cutter, once property to the Null. Now it's an effective weapon against their hardened surface, as the laser slices through the steel surface of their chassis.

She doesn't see Lance right away. Just does what she's always done best -- tearing apart synthetics. Killing. Always been good at killing.

Without even realizing that she's lending aid to someone, Rey throws her weight against the Null. The sheer heft of her mass is enough to send it bowling forward, before Rey slams her heel over its body. In a couple solid stabs, the laser cutter pierces the core of the machine that was mere inches from it's target a few seconds prior. Now, the light of what could be considered life in a synthetic dims without even acknowledging its own attacker.

All Lance will see is a mouthless, white-eyed blackened humanoid, yanking the weapon from the Null's corpse, no one familiar.

Okay, he has no idea who or what that is, but at least they're fighting the Null and that means they're probably on the same side of things as Lance. He hopes, anyway.

But he'd still prefer to avoid being noticed, both in case he's wrong and because the people here can be dangerous even if they are on the same side; if they do decide to be a threat, he's at a serious disadvantage right now due to his injuries and he doesn't want to take the risk.

So he shifts a little to try to stay out of view around the corner, but lack of coordination and shaky muscles mean he's not as stealthy as he normally is and she can probably hear his attempt to stay out of her line of sight.

Rey.

Nov 30th; Abandoned Restaurant (OPEN)

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Nov 30th-Dec 4th; Streets (OPEN)

30th, evening

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2nd-ish

sorry this is so late!

no worries~

Dec 5th; (CLOSED to Maketh Tua and Carlisle Longinmouth) [CW: blood and suicidal ideations]

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Dec 7th-10th; Wrecked Shop (CLOSEDish to close CR)

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Dec 11th; (CLOSED to Kyrii)

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