Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to The Wastes. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Fighting for freedom; It's time for MORTAL COMBAT
Topic Started: Aug 4 2016, 08:13 AM (149 Views)
Mixtli
Member Avatar
Resident Canadian
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Thomas lay on the mattress that was on the floor of his cell. His heart had been racing for hours, and he’d been almost completely sleepless all night waiting for the rising sun that would herald the beginning of his forced involvement in the fighting pits. His stomach churned and his mouth was dry, and he kept thinking back to when he had been given a bomb collar and made to fight other slaves for his master’s amusement and profit. The worst thing though was that above all else he was overwhelmed with the twin feelings of shame and self-loathing. He thought that he had left these feelings behind him when he became a free man, but now he was reminded of how low of a human being he really was. He alone knew what was at the core of these feelings, and he was loath to admit it to anyone else, but beneath the self-loathing and shame was a small spark of excitement.

When he had been forced to fight other slaves, to the death or otherwise, the first time he had been terrified. However, once he stood over the broken body of an opponent for the first time he had been horrified to discover that he felt the exultation of a victory in a struggle for life. Before this victory a small and ugly part of him had been dormant within him, but the first time he took a life he had completely forgotten about the other person that had been forced to fight against their will and had been lost in the rush of victory. Since then, this ugly piece of him was always present somewhere in the recesses of his mind. He couldn’t tell if it had always been there or if it had developed to protect him from the horrors of combat, but either way he had been trying to come to terms with it since then.

That was the worst part of the waiting before the first fight would start. He wasn’t sick to his stomach because he was scared; he was sick because of the excitement that was keeping him from sleeping. Sure he would rather just avoid the fighting altogether, but even though he dreaded getting killed he couldn’t slow his heart rate or steady his hands. He stood up for what felt like the hundredth time that night and paced around his cell again, but this time when he stood with his face to the barred window he saw light on the horizon. He’d been locked in the room talking to the owner of the fighting pits for a long time, but today was one of the last days he’d be forced to stay against his will.
Thomas Grey, level 5, Ranger Rep +10, BT Rep +118, Brick Rep +15
SPECIAL: 6, 7, 7, 4, 7, 6, 3
Equipment
Weaponry: Colt Army revolver, pocket revolver, 1x smoke/stun/baseball grenades.
Armor: Pack rat clothing, leather greaves, reinforced chaps.
Appearance: Caucasian. Tall, strong build, short thick curly brown hair. Dark eyes, a frown, and a cleanshaven face. Grey shirt with 3/4 sleeves and leather bracers. Jeans with reinforced leather chaps, and a tool belt.
Companion: Elizabeth Sharpe - 4, 8, 4, 3, 5, 10, 6 - Small stature, but makes up for it with knives, a crossbow, and attitude. Level 5. +5 BT Rep.
John Slater: SPECIAL 8(+1).4.10.5.5.4.5.
One bad hombre
Offline Mini Profile Goto Top
 
Mixtli
Member Avatar
Resident Canadian
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
A few minutes later Caleb walked into the building and sat down outside Thomas’ cell door. He took a swig from a thermos of what smelled like strong coffee made from burnt beans. The swarthy man scratched his beard and grinned at Thomas. “So are you ready to win? I have to admit I painted you as a bit of a bitch when I told your stories to the betters that are getting ready to wager on the fights. I didn’t lie about what happened to you, but I MAY have tweaked a few details here or there so people would be less interested in betting on you. All you have to do is win, and we both walk away with a chunk of change. Well, I make a mint and you get something to spend and MAYBE a bit of gear if I’m feeling generous.” He saw the angry look Thomas made at that and waved it away with one hand as he drank more of his foul coffee with the other. “Now don’t look at me like that. I haven’t done anything to make you think that I’m so generous that I’d give you a big cut of the goods that I’m going to make out of this. I’m moving my operation to a more promising area after this fight and I have to pay my men, so I won’t jeopardize anything by giving away currency that I’ve… my fighters have earned me.”

Thomas cleared his throat. “If you’re done telling me about all the money you won’t be giving me, I’m hoping that you can finally give me some details of what’s coming up. I’ve been patiently waiting for some proper details but so far all I know is that I’m going to be fighting three people.”

Caleb chuckled nervously and shrugged. “I don’t remember saying that you’d fight three people. If I did say that I meant to say that you’d be in three fights. The first one is to submission or knockout. Killing is penalized because I’m of the opinion that people that aren’t properly prepared to fight will lose, and maybe they’ll come back later to pay me the entrance fee again and try their hand again. The second fight is until your opponent is unable to continue fighting. Killing is ok, and let me tell you that the people you’re fighting against won’t hesitate to kill you even if they win with a knockout or they hurt you bad enough to keep fighting. And the third one is being held in an office building that you’ll all be locked in. Everyone had one number of the password to get out, and you need to get the numbers from the other 5 people if you want to get out of the locked door. The first person to make it out that door wins the prize. You’ll probably have to kill the others in the building, because an opponent left alive is an opponent that can sneak up on you and stab you in the back.” He stood up to leave. “You do the first two rounds today, and if you make it through round two you take the pill that comes with your dinner. It’ll make you sleep for about 10 hours, and when you’re knocked out we’ll lock you in a room in the building. When all of the fighters are awake the next morning there will be a 5 minute countdown and then their rooms will unlock and they have to hunt each other down. Now get ready, and put on the gear we’re giving you.” He called back to Thomas as he walked out the door. “If you make me lots of money you’ll come out of this alright!”
Thomas Grey, level 5, Ranger Rep +10, BT Rep +118, Brick Rep +15
SPECIAL: 6, 7, 7, 4, 7, 6, 3
Equipment
Weaponry: Colt Army revolver, pocket revolver, 1x smoke/stun/baseball grenades.
Armor: Pack rat clothing, leather greaves, reinforced chaps.
Appearance: Caucasian. Tall, strong build, short thick curly brown hair. Dark eyes, a frown, and a cleanshaven face. Grey shirt with 3/4 sleeves and leather bracers. Jeans with reinforced leather chaps, and a tool belt.
Companion: Elizabeth Sharpe - 4, 8, 4, 3, 5, 10, 6 - Small stature, but makes up for it with knives, a crossbow, and attitude. Level 5. +5 BT Rep.
John Slater: SPECIAL 8(+1).4.10.5.5.4.5.
One bad hombre
Offline Mini Profile Goto Top
 
Mixtli
Member Avatar
Resident Canadian
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Thomas blinked in the bright light of the morning sun. He was standing in one corner of a fenced-in area that was about twenty feet by twenty feet waiting for his opponent to come into the ring. He rolled his shoulders and tried to get comfortable in his new armour. It was some hastily cobbled together tribal gear, although he’d also put on his jeans and boots to protect his legs a little bit. He looked around the ring for something to pick up and use as a weapon, but it was freshly turned earth. I bet they’ll bury the ones that die here before they leave. It’s more work than leaving the bodies out in the sun, but burying them would make it harder to find evidence of what’s been going on here. Not only did he have to fight someone standing on soft soil, they weren’t allowed to use weapons for the first round of fighting. He was snapped out of his thoughts as the roar of the crowd that had gathered outside the ring grew louder and hit a fevered pitch as some people on the side opposite to Thomas moved aside to allow someone else to enter the ring. Thomas looked at his opponent for the morning and grinned So this is who I have to fight first? The figure looked slim, and as he stumbled over the fence surrounding the ring Thomas saw that he was a thin young man with pale skin and a shock of dark hair. He wore a long-sleeved shirt and shorts, and had some black gloves covering his hands.

The young man caught Thomas’ eye and tried to smile at him, but he seemed to be overcome by his nerves. Caleb appeared in the crown and stood up at a raised podium. He held his hands up and waited for silence to begin the introductions. “In one corner,” he said as he gestured towards Thomas, “we have Thomas Grey. You’ve all heard of him, and today we get to see him in action!” From within the crowd an unseen observer shouted “Yeah we’ve all heard how much of a cowardly punk he is!” Caleb cleared his throat and continued his introductions. “And in the other corner we have Jeremy Schwartz. Tech genius and apparently a member of the raider group the Blood Drinkers.” There was some actual applause at this, and Thomas was frustrated at the reaction of the crowd. Really? He looks like he might be a hundred pounds soaking wet but they think that he’s the likely winner of the fight? And I’ve never heard anyone talk about any Blood Drinkers before. He shook his head to clear his mind, and listened to Caleb as he continued. “As you can see we’re starting off the festivities with a simple classic. The fighters will have to win a bare-handed fight to advance to the next round. As such, no armouring on the hands or knuckles, or any metal at all in gloves worn is permitted. The killing of an opponent will result in losing out on an unfortunately large part of the winning prize if you win all three rounds, so leave your opponent alive! Also, no weapons are allowed either. You can only use what you have with you in the ring, which as you can see is pretty much just your own bodies. Alright at the sound of my gun you’re free to begin.” He unslung a long-barrelled over-under shotgun, aimed towards the horizon, and pulled the trigger.

As the echoes of the gunshot resonated in the distance, the crowd began to roar and Thomas felt his heartbeat in his ears. Jason advanced with his hands balled up in front of him. Why is he sticking his thumbs out like that? He won’t hit hard at all with bad fists like that. Just a few feet away from Thomas, Jason cocked back a fist and let fly with all of the strength in his 5’10 frame. Thomas stepped to the side, and threw back a half-hearted punch of his own. I could break him over my knee without breaking a sweat. Without a gun or knife he doesn’t stand a chance. As he was lost in thought he did a poor job of fending off a number of blows, but something changed when Jeremy punched him in the stomach.

It was like he had been struck in the stomach by a bolt of lightning. The muscles in his abdomen seized up, and he fell to the ground as Jeremy started to rain kicks down on him. What the hell was that? [PERCEPTION] Wait his thumbs were flat against his fist that last time. Is there something hidden inside his gloves? His abdominal muscles started to unclench, and as he felt the kicks connect with his shoulders and back he lashed out with one hand and grabbed the foot that Jeremy wasn’t using to kick the hell out of him. He jerked Jeremy’s foot out from under him so now they were both on the ground. Before Thomas could grab his wrists Jeremy punched him in the left shoulder and his arm seized up again. Before Jeremy could start another rain of what could be generously called pathetically mediocre blows Thomas flopped on top of him and they butted heads.
Thomas Grey, level 5, Ranger Rep +10, BT Rep +118, Brick Rep +15
SPECIAL: 6, 7, 7, 4, 7, 6, 3
Equipment
Weaponry: Colt Army revolver, pocket revolver, 1x smoke/stun/baseball grenades.
Armor: Pack rat clothing, leather greaves, reinforced chaps.
Appearance: Caucasian. Tall, strong build, short thick curly brown hair. Dark eyes, a frown, and a cleanshaven face. Grey shirt with 3/4 sleeves and leather bracers. Jeans with reinforced leather chaps, and a tool belt.
Companion: Elizabeth Sharpe - 4, 8, 4, 3, 5, 10, 6 - Small stature, but makes up for it with knives, a crossbow, and attitude. Level 5. +5 BT Rep.
John Slater: SPECIAL 8(+1).4.10.5.5.4.5.
One bad hombre
Offline Mini Profile Goto Top
 
Mixtli
Member Avatar
Resident Canadian
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
While the thin man was stunned, Thomas pulled off his gloves, revealing that Jeremy had a tangle of wires running up his sleeves with a number of exposed electrodes on his fists. A small button was concealed at the base of both index fingers. With his one good hand he rubbed a fistful of dirt into the wiring. Here’s hoping this will stop this crap from working any more. He stood up and took a step back to get his breath and rub feeling back into his left arm. Jeremy staggered back to his feet and cried out when he saw that his trick with the gloves had been exposed. The crowd grew silent, and all eyes turned to Caleb as he sat on his raised seat next to the ring. The man looked Thomas in the eyes and waved one hand with a disgusted look on his face. “Finish this fight so my men can talk to Jeremy about what they think of cheating.”

Thomas rolled his shoulders and faced his sweating and scared opponent. The thin man had his hands up, but before he could say anything about giving up Thomas lost his temper and cold-cocked the cheating fighter right in the mouth. Jeremy staggered and took a few stumbling steps backwards towards the middle of the ring. Thomas stepped forward as Jeremy struggled to bring his hands up again, and shoved him to the ground. He kicked the thin man in the stomach twice and stepped back to lean against the fence. From his dais, Caleb pointed to two beefy looking guards and then jabbed a finger towards the fallen Jeremy, who had stopped trying to stand and instead was just trying to catch his breath. They each picked up an end and made their way out of the ring. Caleb stood up again and raised his hands for silence. “Thomas Grey wins the first fight of the day! Thomas follow me back to your room for a meal and a drink and wait there for your next fight this afternoon.” And with that he stepped down from his raised seating, waited for Thomas to join him, and they made their way back to Thomas’ cell.

As Thomas sat in the cell and tore into a full plate of food Caleb explained what he should expect in the next round. “I said that you’d be allowed to kill your opponent, but I forgot to mention that you’ll both be armed. I’m not giving you a loaded gun while you’re fighting in the ring, so you’re going to head out there with your hatchet. I didn’t know that skinny punk would try and cheat like that and I want to make it up to you. The next guy you’re fighting is a big fella that likes to use an aluminum baseball bat that’s been filled with lead. He’s strong as hell but slow, so just stay out of his way and take your time. People think that the only reason you won is because of a cheap shot, so the betting on you is still low. If you win then I stand to make a decent chunk of change. Now rest up, and you’ll get your hatchet back at the ring.”

Thomas lay back on the mattress before Caleb had even stopped talking and shut his eyes. “Hey Caleb, send someone to wake me up when it’s my turn.” And with that he closed his eyes and became lose in his thoughts. It was funny that before his first fight he was so excited he was nearly sick, but now that he had warmed up he was relaxed. Deep down he was ashamed that he was even eager for the next fight. He didn’t care nearly as much about the potential prizes as he did about going face-to-face with someone and coming out on top, and the fact that he wasn’t dreading a fight to the death made a small part of him sick. He rolled over on his side and did his best to ignore that little voice of disgust and have a quick nap before the next fight.
Thomas Grey, level 5, Ranger Rep +10, BT Rep +118, Brick Rep +15
SPECIAL: 6, 7, 7, 4, 7, 6, 3
Equipment
Weaponry: Colt Army revolver, pocket revolver, 1x smoke/stun/baseball grenades.
Armor: Pack rat clothing, leather greaves, reinforced chaps.
Appearance: Caucasian. Tall, strong build, short thick curly brown hair. Dark eyes, a frown, and a cleanshaven face. Grey shirt with 3/4 sleeves and leather bracers. Jeans with reinforced leather chaps, and a tool belt.
Companion: Elizabeth Sharpe - 4, 8, 4, 3, 5, 10, 6 - Small stature, but makes up for it with knives, a crossbow, and attitude. Level 5. +5 BT Rep.
John Slater: SPECIAL 8(+1).4.10.5.5.4.5.
One bad hombre
Offline Mini Profile Goto Top
 
Mixtli
Member Avatar
Resident Canadian
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
An hour or two after noon Thomas was woken up by one of the men that acted as Caleb’s hired muscle. He kicked the door of Thomas’ cell to rouse him from his sleep. “Alright Timmy, Tommy, ah whatever, it’s time for your next fight. Come with me or you’re disqualified from the rest of the event.” He meaningfully patted the butt of the gun that was sticking out of the front of his pants, and even though Thomas was no detective he could figure out exactly what sort of disqualification penalties he might have to pay for not complying with the wishes of his “generous host”.

A minute or two later he was back in the ring again. However this time he was the second combatant to make it there, and Caleb had apparently been swept up in the excitement of the crowd and had already started introducing the other fighter. “You’ve all seen him knock out the Menace of the South with a single punch, but I’m loath to neglect a proper introduction for this bear of a man! He’s big, he’s mean, he’s none other than Marco “Dark” D’Arc!” And he looked at Thomas and winked at him. “And over there is the lucky fighter Thomas. You should all remember him too, not that there’s any reason to.” Thomas was dismayed to hear some boos from the crowd. Really? I beat the guy that was cheating and I’M the one to get booed? Ah whatever, I’ve got to focus on this big bastard now. He looked at Marco and was intrigued to see that there was a grin on the big man’s face.

Marco pointed at Thomas with the heavy bat. “I’m going to crack your head open and make a gumbo with your brains, mon cheri.” He took a few experimental swings with his bat to warm up, and seeming satisfied with the result he leaned back and after making sure that that his football pad armour was snug on his massive frame, he lounged against the fence waiting for Caleb to signal the beginning of the fight.
Thomas Grey, level 5, Ranger Rep +10, BT Rep +118, Brick Rep +15
SPECIAL: 6, 7, 7, 4, 7, 6, 3
Equipment
Weaponry: Colt Army revolver, pocket revolver, 1x smoke/stun/baseball grenades.
Armor: Pack rat clothing, leather greaves, reinforced chaps.
Appearance: Caucasian. Tall, strong build, short thick curly brown hair. Dark eyes, a frown, and a cleanshaven face. Grey shirt with 3/4 sleeves and leather bracers. Jeans with reinforced leather chaps, and a tool belt.
Companion: Elizabeth Sharpe - 4, 8, 4, 3, 5, 10, 6 - Small stature, but makes up for it with knives, a crossbow, and attitude. Level 5. +5 BT Rep.
John Slater: SPECIAL 8(+1).4.10.5.5.4.5.
One bad hombre
Offline Mini Profile Goto Top
 
Mixtli
Member Avatar
Resident Canadian
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Thomas felt that there was a good chance he wouldn’t be able to beat Marco. I’ve got to use my speed to my advantage. He’s stronger than me, but someone that beefy can’t move quickly. Should I keep a safe distance and try to tire him out, or keep close so he can’t build up speed when he swings at m- the boom of Caleb’s shotgun interrupted his thoughts, and the second round of fighting began.

Marco walked slowly towards Thomas, the bat resting on one shoulder. Thomas decided that he would have to make a few risky moves if he wanted to win. When Marco was a few feet away he wound up for a swing, and took a horizontal swing that looked like he wanted to take Thomas’ head right off of his shoulders. Thomas ducked and he would later swear that he could feel the bat brush the top of his head as it passed over him. Without pausing for a moment Thomas chopped quickly at one of Marco’s unprotected legs above the knee. He didn’t manage to cut him too deeply, but after he dashed backwards to watch his opponent he noticed that the wound was bleeding freely and that Marco was a little slower on his feet. Maybe I can weaken him with a bunch of smaller wounds and then finish him off?

They continued to shuffle around each other in the soft earth, looking for openings to strike. Thomas managed to inflict two more small wounds, one on Marco’s arm and one along his ribs. In return, Marco managed to land a punch on Thomas’ chin that made him see stars. However, after Marco managed to punch him in the face things starting to go wrong for Thomas. He felt woozy, and one of Marco’s swings clipped his left shoulder and numbed the entire arm. Thomas knew that he had to act fast, so he swung the hatchet wildly hoping to win back the advantage. Marco retaliated by trying to bring his bat directly down onto Thomas in an attempt to shatter his collarbone or skull. Thomas mentally prepared himself, Oh man this is going to fucking hurt, and he deflected the bat with his left forearm. The manoeuvre redirected the bat into the earth, and when Marco was thrown off-balance Thomas cut deeply into where his neck joined his shoulder. As Thomas swung his hatchet a seating pain shot through his left arm, and he knew without a doubt that he’d broken something.
Thomas Grey, level 5, Ranger Rep +10, BT Rep +118, Brick Rep +15
SPECIAL: 6, 7, 7, 4, 7, 6, 3
Equipment
Weaponry: Colt Army revolver, pocket revolver, 1x smoke/stun/baseball grenades.
Armor: Pack rat clothing, leather greaves, reinforced chaps.
Appearance: Caucasian. Tall, strong build, short thick curly brown hair. Dark eyes, a frown, and a cleanshaven face. Grey shirt with 3/4 sleeves and leather bracers. Jeans with reinforced leather chaps, and a tool belt.
Companion: Elizabeth Sharpe - 4, 8, 4, 3, 5, 10, 6 - Small stature, but makes up for it with knives, a crossbow, and attitude. Level 5. +5 BT Rep.
John Slater: SPECIAL 8(+1).4.10.5.5.4.5.
One bad hombre
Offline Mini Profile Goto Top
 
Mixtli
Member Avatar
Resident Canadian
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
His left arm hanging uselessly by his side, he lurched away from Marco. The massive man struggled to approach him, but the tell-tale signs of blood loss were finally showing. Before Marco managed to get close enough to try and swing his bat again, he slumped forward and landed face first in the dirt. Thomas kicked the bat out of reach and in his exhaustion he slumped against the fence. The crown grew silent, and one of Caleb’s men jumped the fence and checked the fallen fighter’s pulse. He looked at Caleb and shook his head, and Caleb stood up and raised his arms to quiet the crowd and announce the results of the fight. “And Thomas barely manages to squeeze out a victory! Marco is dead in the dirt and he stands victorious, so what’s left of him can move on to the final round tomorrow!” Again the crowd applauded and cheered, but to Thomas it sounded like they weren’t cheering for him as much as they were just cheering for the bloodshed they had witnessed. I guess Caleb is getting what he wants. And I bet nobody will bet cash or gear on my now that my arm is busted. As he was walking over to Caleb to head to his cell he noticed a slim young woman in a grey hoodie with the hood up. She was standing further back in the crowd, and she was staring intently at him through the tangle of her hair. When she saw that he had noticed her, she turned and walked quickly out of sight. Hey maybe I’ve got a fan after all

Back in the cell with his dinner, Caleb was personally attending to Thomas’ broken arm. “Well Thomas I’ve saved a fortune by fixing up my men myself, and I know for a fact that your arm is busted. I think it’s a clean break, and I’ll splint it for you before you take that sleeping pill so when you wake up it’ll already be healing.” And a few minutes of clenched teeth and scowling Thomas had his arm splinted and tied against his chest. Caleb grinned at Thomas with a crafty look on his face. “I’ll make sure that you start the fight in the building a little further from the other fighters. After you broke your arm you became an even worse prospect so if you win tomorrow I’m going to make a mint.” Caleb cackled at his good fortune, and as he left Thomas started eating as much food as he could to regain his strength for the battle royale that was coming up.

After he took the sleeping pill, he heard a knock at his window. He saw that it was the girl from before, and when she saw that he was paying attention she started talking to him. “Hey you should just give up tomorrow. You’re fat and slow and if you get in my way I’ll cut your throat before you know what’s happening.” And with that she walked away from the window before Thomas could respond. He sat up and tried to stand and get a look at her as she walked away, but before he could get to the bars the world started to fade and he felt his body slump to the ground as he lost consciousness.
Thomas Grey, level 5, Ranger Rep +10, BT Rep +118, Brick Rep +15
SPECIAL: 6, 7, 7, 4, 7, 6, 3
Equipment
Weaponry: Colt Army revolver, pocket revolver, 1x smoke/stun/baseball grenades.
Armor: Pack rat clothing, leather greaves, reinforced chaps.
Appearance: Caucasian. Tall, strong build, short thick curly brown hair. Dark eyes, a frown, and a cleanshaven face. Grey shirt with 3/4 sleeves and leather bracers. Jeans with reinforced leather chaps, and a tool belt.
Companion: Elizabeth Sharpe - 4, 8, 4, 3, 5, 10, 6 - Small stature, but makes up for it with knives, a crossbow, and attitude. Level 5. +5 BT Rep.
John Slater: SPECIAL 8(+1).4.10.5.5.4.5.
One bad hombre
Offline Mini Profile Goto Top
 
Mixtli
Member Avatar
Resident Canadian
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
He dreamt strange dreams, with flickering lights and loud voices shouting from every side as ne navigated a tormented hell-scape trying to find his way to some unknown salvation. Gradually, he started to rise up out of his unconscious state, and as he finally woke up he sat bolt upright and realized that he wasn’t in his cell anymore. Wait a second, this is the last round of his little tournament! I didn’t think that the drugs would be strong enough to disorient me like that. He stood up while gritting his teeth to take his mind off of the pain in his broken arm, and walked around the room. It looked like he was locked in what had been a small waiting room before the war had started. Sitting on the floor a few feet from where he had been sleeping was his gun and a fistful of rounds. He patted himself down and realized that the bullets on the floor weren’t his. I guess Caleb wants me to have whatever advantage I can without outright cheating. He holstered his gun and made sure his hatchet was easily accessible. Wow they even cleaned the blood off of it. This must be the VIP treatment. He felt an unfamiliar chain around his neck, and pulled a dog tag from the inside of his shirt. It was labeled “4-4”. This must be part of the password to get out. He tested the door, found it was locked, and sat against it to wait for the fighting to begin.

An hour or two of repeatedly checking his equipment later, the PA system crackled to life, and Caleb’s rusty voice filled the room. “FIVE MINUTES TO THE BEGINNING OF THE FIGHT. PREPARE YOURSELVES, AND PUT ON A GOOD SHOW.” The five minutes seemed to take another hour to pass, but finally the electronic lock in the door clicked once, and the door gently swung out. Thomas stood stock still for a minute or two, just listening, and wen he heard nothing he crept into the hallway as quietly as his heavy boots would allow (so not really silently at all). He chose a hallway to walk down, and at the end of it he came to a broken window. After sticking his head outside he could see that he was on the third and highest floor of the building. He looked in the distance, and could see a crowd of people pressed around a bank of computer screens and watching what was happening inside the building. He could faintly hear “She’s right behind you, you idiot!” when he could hear a gurgled scream and a number of gunshots from downstairs.

He took this as a sign that he should be paying better attention to what was happening inside the building. He drew and cocked his revolver, and started down the hallway towards the other rooms on the top floor. Clear the floor and then head down a level. Make sure nobody gets the drop on you or- The barrel of a gun pressed against the back of his head. Thomas decided that his sleeves covered the splint, made a gamble, and raised his broken arm with the gun in hand and turned slowly until the barrel of the stranger’s gun was gently pressing on the tip of his nose. The man was grinning through a mouthful of rotten teeth, and his greasy blond hair was under an old bandana. He squinted at Thomas for a second, and a glint of recognition sparked in his eyes. “Hey you’re that Thomas Grey guy! I lost my second gun when I bet against you in that fight with the guy that had the bat.” He pulled the revolver out of Thomas’ face by a few inches. If you can reach your busted arm up and grab the gun from your other hand to give to me, I’ll call us even and I won’t shoot you. How’s that deal sound?” He grinned a cruel smile again and looked at Thomas for a response.
Thomas Grey, level 5, Ranger Rep +10, BT Rep +118, Brick Rep +15
SPECIAL: 6, 7, 7, 4, 7, 6, 3
Equipment
Weaponry: Colt Army revolver, pocket revolver, 1x smoke/stun/baseball grenades.
Armor: Pack rat clothing, leather greaves, reinforced chaps.
Appearance: Caucasian. Tall, strong build, short thick curly brown hair. Dark eyes, a frown, and a cleanshaven face. Grey shirt with 3/4 sleeves and leather bracers. Jeans with reinforced leather chaps, and a tool belt.
Companion: Elizabeth Sharpe - 4, 8, 4, 3, 5, 10, 6 - Small stature, but makes up for it with knives, a crossbow, and attitude. Level 5. +5 BT Rep.
John Slater: SPECIAL 8(+1).4.10.5.5.4.5.
One bad hombre
Offline Mini Profile Goto Top
 
Mixtli
Member Avatar
Resident Canadian
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Thomas knew that he had one chance to go for the gun, and his arm was starting to scream in agony so he had to make it quick. “I’ll do it, but fuck you anyway buddy.” He put on a grimace and made a struggle of raising his right arm to the height of his head. He knew he couldn’t glance at the gun or the he would probably be shot before he had a chance to move. Thomas sniffed and inhaled like he was about to sneeze, and as fast as he could he shot his arm out to grab the gun with his finger behind the trigger. He lowered his gun while the foul-smelling man struggled to pull the trigger, and fired it with his left hand. The man took the bullet in the chest and dropped like a bag of hammers, and Thomas gasped at the pain in his arm. Ok I don’t think that I’ll be able to do that again. Christ I need a drink, a meal, and a long nap! He started to walk away, but remembered to get another piece of the password. He pulled the dog tag off of the corpse’s neck. It was labeled “2-5”.

After reloading his gun he checked the rest of the floor. There were a few empty meeting rooms, but he didn’t run into any more fighters. He found a stairwell with a busted open door, and with his senses on high alert he made his way down to the second floor. He turned right at the hallway and started walking with his head low and his arm throbbing in slow and agonizing pulses. He reached what seemed to be an old kitchen area. There was a body on the floor. It was the corpse of a man wearing an old leather jacket with a t-shirt underneath that had the words “DON’T TALK TO ME UNTIL I’VE HAD MY MORNING COFFEE” with a little smiling coffee cup picture underneath the text, and he had a hockey mask on his face. He was on his back, and he was obviously dead from a slit throat. Thomas looked around to see if the killer was still there, and when he was convinced he was alone he took his holotape player out of a pocket and placed it inside a pocket of the corpse’s jacket. He pressed play, and moved behind the long stainless steel counter to see if someone would come and investigate the noise. The song was loud enough that anyone still on the second floor should be able to hear it.

Sure enough, after a few minutes someone came in and squatted down with their back to Thomas. They were dressed in a poncho with a crude metal helmet protecting their head. Thomas could hear the stranger talk to the body. “Some idiot shoots you and doesn’t even loot your body? A couple months as a raider and maybe they’d learn to pay better attention.” The man pulled out the holotape player and spat on the corpse. “And fuck you for dying so easily. I’d have taken my time with you if I were the one that cut you open, and made you bleed out slow.” Wow you’re making the decision to shoot you a lot easier. And without any real hesitation Thomas shot the unknown raider in the back. He approached the corpse that was sprawled over the first body, and as he bent over to take the password number he heard the slightest hint of fabric scuffing on metal, and as he turned around he was surprised by a hooded girl vaulting over the counter of the kitchen with a knife in her hands.
Thomas Grey, level 5, Ranger Rep +10, BT Rep +118, Brick Rep +15
SPECIAL: 6, 7, 7, 4, 7, 6, 3
Equipment
Weaponry: Colt Army revolver, pocket revolver, 1x smoke/stun/baseball grenades.
Armor: Pack rat clothing, leather greaves, reinforced chaps.
Appearance: Caucasian. Tall, strong build, short thick curly brown hair. Dark eyes, a frown, and a cleanshaven face. Grey shirt with 3/4 sleeves and leather bracers. Jeans with reinforced leather chaps, and a tool belt.
Companion: Elizabeth Sharpe - 4, 8, 4, 3, 5, 10, 6 - Small stature, but makes up for it with knives, a crossbow, and attitude. Level 5. +5 BT Rep.
John Slater: SPECIAL 8(+1).4.10.5.5.4.5.
One bad hombre
Offline Mini Profile Goto Top
 
Mixtli
Member Avatar
Resident Canadian
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
She wore a grey hoodie with the sleeves ripped off, a pair of cargo shorts, and an old pair of sneakers, but Thomas was focused on the knife that she was currently swinging towards him. When she saw that she had lost the element of surprise she shrieked like a banshee and leapt towards him swinging the knife wildly. He intercepted the blade of the knife with his gun, and the impact knocked the weapons out of each of their hands. The gun flew into the corner of the kitchen and the knife landed near Thomas’ feet. He kicked it away from them and drew his hatchet. As he hefted it she turned around and vaulted back over the counter and disappeared out of sight. Damn she moves like her ass is on fire! He took one step towards the counter when a fistful of cutlery hit him in the chest. She had ripped open whatever drawers and cupboards were in reach to use their contents as weapons. Butter knives flew at Thomas, and he had to protect his eyes with his one good arm.

After the barrage of cutlery ended he opened his eyes and lowered his arm just in time to take a fistful of what felt like ancient ground pepper in the face. He dropped his hatchet and tried to rub it out of his eyes. He had to get his sight back before she got her hands on her knife. He heard her scream again and spun around to see where the noise came from. He blinked the pepper out of his eyes and was just able to make out the shape of a fist before it slammed into his face and everything went dark. He came to a few seconds what must have been a minute or two later, and saw a tall and muscular man holding on to her by one of her wrists. He slapped her in the face and while she was stunned he tried to secure something around her neck. The man growled, “QUIT STRUGGLING GIRLIE, AND LET RICKY PUT THIS DAMN BOMB COLLAR AROUND THAT PRETTY LITTLE NECK. YOU’LL BE WORTH A PRETTY PENNY TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE!”

Thomas felt a dull throbbing behind his eyes, and he knew that it had nothing to do with the blow that had knocked him out. The man in front of him was a slaver, and he was trying to steal a life, just like how Thomas’ life had been nothing more than a possession until he had gotten his freedom and left that damned farm behind him. He heard an animal growling somewhere in the room, and realized that he was in fact the one making the noise. Heedless of the pain in his broken arm he staggered to his feet, snatched up his hatchet, and then all he could see was red.
Thomas Grey, level 5, Ranger Rep +10, BT Rep +118, Brick Rep +15
SPECIAL: 6, 7, 7, 4, 7, 6, 3
Equipment
Weaponry: Colt Army revolver, pocket revolver, 1x smoke/stun/baseball grenades.
Armor: Pack rat clothing, leather greaves, reinforced chaps.
Appearance: Caucasian. Tall, strong build, short thick curly brown hair. Dark eyes, a frown, and a cleanshaven face. Grey shirt with 3/4 sleeves and leather bracers. Jeans with reinforced leather chaps, and a tool belt.
Companion: Elizabeth Sharpe - 4, 8, 4, 3, 5, 10, 6 - Small stature, but makes up for it with knives, a crossbow, and attitude. Level 5. +5 BT Rep.
John Slater: SPECIAL 8(+1).4.10.5.5.4.5.
One bad hombre
Offline Mini Profile Goto Top
 
Mixtli
Member Avatar
Resident Canadian
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
**
Elizabeth choked as she fought to get free from the grip of the shitbird that kept calling himself Ricky. I just need my knife and then I’ll cut his eyes out and get the key to take this fucking collar off.A few slaps later and she felt her vision fading, but before she could black out she saw the person she’d been beating into the ground before they’d been interrupted get up off the floor with his hatchet in his hand and murder in his eyes. He snarled something about a farm and leapt on Ricky’s back. He swung the hatchet deep into the bicep of the arm holding her in the air by her wrist, and with a bellow Ricky dropped her on the ground and struggled to throw off his attacker. The crazy hatchet guy’s teeth were snapping and blood was flying everywhere. Elizabeth had thought that he was a tool, which was why she’d warned him to give up when he was locked in his little bitch-box before the fight, but now she could see that he was at least a little interesting. She skittered around behind the counter and watched the fight progress.

Ricky threw Thomas off of his back and advanced towards him with a hammer in the arm that hadn’t been mauled by the hatchet. “OOH BROTHER, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WHEN RICKY GETS HIS HANDS ON YOU? WELL LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING BROTHER, I’M GOING TO BREAK EVERY BONE IN YOUR BODY AND-” but before he could finish his windbag threats the angry guy stood back up and clawed at Ricky’s face with his nails. Ricky dropped his hammer and yelled as the angry guy tried to remove his eyes from his skull. Elizabeth clapped excitedly and watched the violence unfold in front of her. Wow I hope the angry guy wins. I hope he gets hurt enough that he gives up the fight because I kinda don’t want to kill him now. The two men grappled and spun towards the stairs that lead down to the first floor, and the growling guy I’m going to call him Mr. Angry bit into Ricky’s nose before the larger man threw him off again.

Ricky screamed from the pain as Mr. Angry spat out the blood in his mouth, and as Ricky tried to wipe blood from his eyes Angry ran at him and when they collided they both went down the stairs. Once they hit the ground at the bottom of the stairs both of the fighters went still. Elizabeth felt a strange feeling inside her, and she picked up her knife and ran downstairs. I can make sure that both of them are dead and then I’m the winner! When she found herself standing over the prone forms of the two men, she noticed that Ricky wasn’t breathing. He’d probably broken his neck in the fall. She frantically searched his pockets for the key to the bomb collar, and once she had unlocked it she flung it down the hallway. As she studied the face of the other man, he emerged from his unconsciousness. He coughed, and then he spoke three words. “Good, you’re alright,” before he closed his eyes again to rest a moment. Kill him before he can get up! But she found herself unable to do it. Instead, helped him to his feet.
**
Thomas Grey, level 5, Ranger Rep +10, BT Rep +118, Brick Rep +15
SPECIAL: 6, 7, 7, 4, 7, 6, 3
Equipment
Weaponry: Colt Army revolver, pocket revolver, 1x smoke/stun/baseball grenades.
Armor: Pack rat clothing, leather greaves, reinforced chaps.
Appearance: Caucasian. Tall, strong build, short thick curly brown hair. Dark eyes, a frown, and a cleanshaven face. Grey shirt with 3/4 sleeves and leather bracers. Jeans with reinforced leather chaps, and a tool belt.
Companion: Elizabeth Sharpe - 4, 8, 4, 3, 5, 10, 6 - Small stature, but makes up for it with knives, a crossbow, and attitude. Level 5. +5 BT Rep.
John Slater: SPECIAL 8(+1).4.10.5.5.4.5.
One bad hombre
Offline Mini Profile Goto Top
 
Mixtli
Member Avatar
Resident Canadian
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
With the help of the little girl Thomas managed to struggle to his feet. No wait she’s older than she looks. I bet she’s at least 15 or 16, but she looks younger because of how skinny she is. He looked at her as she stood a few steps away. “So are you going to try and kill me now? I’m pretty beat up so it’s not like I could stop you.” To his surprise the girl flushed and looked conflicted. He stuck out his hand, “And my name’s Thomas by the way.”

She angrily slapped his hand out of the way, and then looked like she regretted it. “Why did you try to stop him from collaring me? With the collar on you could have made me give up and do whatever you wanted. And why the hell were you happy that I was alright? Are you some kind of pervert?”

Thomas laughed. “A pervert? For saving someone’s life? Man that’s a new one. I hate slavers more than anything. I would rather die than let someone as young as you be stolen for a farm or brothel.” He put his hand out again. “How about you give me the numbers for the password so we can find the front door and get out of here.”

She scowled again and dug in the pouch of her hoodie with one hand. “Call me Elizabeth. And the only reason I’m giving these to you is because you saved my life from that creep. Don’t act like I’m doing you a favour or anything!” She handed Thomas the tags that she’d managed to collect, and patted down Ricky for the last one. “Man this was my one chance to get enough to settle down somewhere in a settlement. How am I supposed to make it now?”

Thomas felt bad that he hadn’t thought about that before. Anyone that young that was desperate to enter a fight to the death must be trying to stay alive. “How about you stick with me for a while? I can help keep you safe and we can back each other up.” He smiled at her, and without waiting for a response he started limping towards what he hoped was the lobby of the office.
Thomas Grey, level 5, Ranger Rep +10, BT Rep +118, Brick Rep +15
SPECIAL: 6, 7, 7, 4, 7, 6, 3
Equipment
Weaponry: Colt Army revolver, pocket revolver, 1x smoke/stun/baseball grenades.
Armor: Pack rat clothing, leather greaves, reinforced chaps.
Appearance: Caucasian. Tall, strong build, short thick curly brown hair. Dark eyes, a frown, and a cleanshaven face. Grey shirt with 3/4 sleeves and leather bracers. Jeans with reinforced leather chaps, and a tool belt.
Companion: Elizabeth Sharpe - 4, 8, 4, 3, 5, 10, 6 - Small stature, but makes up for it with knives, a crossbow, and attitude. Level 5. +5 BT Rep.
John Slater: SPECIAL 8(+1).4.10.5.5.4.5.
One bad hombre
Offline Mini Profile Goto Top
 
Mixtli
Member Avatar
Resident Canadian
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Elizabeth watched him walk away, and for the first time in her life she was trying to process the thought of someone being generous to her for no reason other that to help her out. She felt the beginning of a tear welling up in an eye, and she furiously wiped it away before Thomas or those chucklefucks with the cameras could see. “Hey wait up! If you’re serious about us working together then so am I!” She caught up to him as he reached the front door and started punching the password into a number pad next to the door. The electronic lock clicked, and they stepped outside into the blinding light.

There was a full crowd of people standing there, and most of them didn’t look too happy to see them. Caleb was standing in front of them all, with three of his goons at his side, and unlike the majority of the crowd he was grinning from ear to ear while he was facing away from them. He wiped the grin off of his face, and turned to the crowd. “Since the last of his competition forfeits, Thomas Grey wins!” There was an angry grumbling, and one man stepped forward out of the crowd. “He’s a cheat! I demand that we settle this here and now!” And without waiting for a response he grabbed the butt of the gun that sticking out of his belt and hauled iron on Thomas and Elizabeth. Thomas snarled and after stepping in front of Elizabeth he grabbed at his holster, realizing too late that in his exhaustion he had left his gun on the floor inside. Caleb proved to be deceptively fast, and before the angry man could level his gun for a shot at Thomas he had clubbed him on the side of the head with the stock of his over-under shotgun.
Thomas Grey, level 5, Ranger Rep +10, BT Rep +118, Brick Rep +15
SPECIAL: 6, 7, 7, 4, 7, 6, 3
Equipment
Weaponry: Colt Army revolver, pocket revolver, 1x smoke/stun/baseball grenades.
Armor: Pack rat clothing, leather greaves, reinforced chaps.
Appearance: Caucasian. Tall, strong build, short thick curly brown hair. Dark eyes, a frown, and a cleanshaven face. Grey shirt with 3/4 sleeves and leather bracers. Jeans with reinforced leather chaps, and a tool belt.
Companion: Elizabeth Sharpe - 4, 8, 4, 3, 5, 10, 6 - Small stature, but makes up for it with knives, a crossbow, and attitude. Level 5. +5 BT Rep.
John Slater: SPECIAL 8(+1).4.10.5.5.4.5.
One bad hombre
Offline Mini Profile Goto Top
 
Mixtli
Member Avatar
Resident Canadian
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
The stunned man fell to his knees. Caleb turned to the crowd. “Does anyone else have an issue with the fact that someone they didn’t think would win managed to win? I didn’t think that would be the case, so how about we-” but Elizabeth screamed in anger and tackled the unsuccessful assailant back to the ground just as he struggled to his feet. She was incredibly fast, and managed to not only stab him in the throat, but also about seven or eight times in the chest before Thomas could pull her, kicking and screaming, off of the now dead unsuccessful assailant. Caleb cleared his throat and continued. “I don’t think I can blame her, and he was always a bit of a prick, so how about we just ignore that?” The crowd grumbled an agreement, and Caleb turned back to Thomas and Elizabeth. Alright so here’s how this is going to work. We knock you out, you wake up a few hours later when we’re all gone, and when you open the chest in your room you’ll see if I’ve decided to give you anything for wining.” He grinned as Thomas and Elizabeth realized what he had just said.

Thomas felt Elizabeth tense to charge Caleb with her knife, and before he could stop her one of the thugs shot her with an energy gun of some sort. She jerked once or twice and fell to the ground. “Don’t worry Thomas that’s just a Phazer. I promise you that you two won’t leave with less than you came with. And if you can find my next location I’d love to give you some work. The thug raised the laser pistol again, and the next thing Thomas knew he was waking up in his cell again.

“Fucking asshole! Let me out of here!” That would be Elizabeth. He staggered to his feet, and as soon as he left the cell he saw a chest had been placed outside his door. It had a key on it, and the gun and hatchet he’d left behind in the office, and there was a crude smiley face painted on top with a “-C” in the bottom right corner. The table had a number of dishes that were full of food, and as soon as he unlocked Elizabeth’s cell door he sat down and started grabbing chunks of meat and vegetables an piling them onto his plate. Elizabeth sat down opposite him at the table and started to do the same. They were both starving, and when they saw each other shovelling as much food into their own mouths as possible they both choked on their food and laughed. It was the first time Elizabeth had been comfortable around another person to laugh like that, and at that moment she decided that unlike how she’d treated many others that had let their guard down around her, she wouldn’t betray Thomas and stab him in the back.

After they finished eating as much of the food as they could, they stood in front of the chest. Thomas was just staring at it, so after a minute Elizabeth snapped at him. “Are you going to stand there like an idiot or are you going to open it up and see what you won? Don’t be a prick!”

Thomas shrugged at her. “Winners can do whatever they want, but I guess you don’t know that do you?” He saw the apoplectic look on her face, and when she realized that he was teasing her he laughed at the confused look on her face and grabbed the lid of the chest. “Well Elizabeth, here’s to the start of a new journey,” and he hauled the lid open and together they looked inside.

FIN
Thomas Grey, level 5, Ranger Rep +10, BT Rep +118, Brick Rep +15
SPECIAL: 6, 7, 7, 4, 7, 6, 3
Equipment
Weaponry: Colt Army revolver, pocket revolver, 1x smoke/stun/baseball grenades.
Armor: Pack rat clothing, leather greaves, reinforced chaps.
Appearance: Caucasian. Tall, strong build, short thick curly brown hair. Dark eyes, a frown, and a cleanshaven face. Grey shirt with 3/4 sleeves and leather bracers. Jeans with reinforced leather chaps, and a tool belt.
Companion: Elizabeth Sharpe - 4, 8, 4, 3, 5, 10, 6 - Small stature, but makes up for it with knives, a crossbow, and attitude. Level 5. +5 BT Rep.
John Slater: SPECIAL 8(+1).4.10.5.5.4.5.
One bad hombre
Offline Mini Profile Goto Top
 
identicalcurve
Member Avatar
Mad King of the Salmon
[ *  *  *  * ]
GRADED

While I found this RP to be very entertaining and interesting it was not perfect. 9/14

Quality: 3/4
Reality: 2/4
Usage: 2/2
Quantity: 1/2
Enjoyability: 1/2


[align=center]REWARDS:
2 Regular Hides.
Marco's Aluminum Baseball Bat: A lead filled aluminum bat that once belonged to Marco D'Arc. It now belongs to his killer. .
Dash Lid:A commemorative Lid from a popular child's television cartoon, where Dash and his pet rat try to destroy the evil Team Red and become the greatest baseball player in the world. Despite being the main character he was not a very good Baseball Player. This particular Lid shows Dash throwing large rocks at a communist and his pet bear. Lids catch the disease.©
[/align]
Jamison "Jay" Reynolds
Special: S-5 P-5 E-5 C-5 I-7 A-* L-5
Inventory: Rudimentary Revolver, Pipe Rifle, Duster Coat, and Cowboy Hat.
Traits: Good Natured, Sex Appeal (Straight), Revolving Killer. White Oak Baseball Bat Stake (Teir 2 poor.) (Ownership of a mostly destroyed 57 Bellaire {Roof and frame intact)}
Posted Image
I Hope You're Satisfied.
Offline Mini Profile Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
« Previous Topic · In the Wastes · Next Topic »