A World Beyond (IC)

[Norvenia]

Gabriel's jaw dropped. His whole conscious mind just froze up at the vast incomprehensibility of the sight before him. He just could not make sense of what he was seeing. This can't be happening.

Gabriel's unconscious mind, fortunately, was plagued by no such indecision. With a rapid, even, accurate firing rhythm, he emptied Carry's revolver into the approaching crowd. As he saw the effect of his attack, his conscious mind snapped out of its incredulous stupor and he took command. "Vernon, get Damien out of here right now! Hailey, get us a car, I don't care how!" The priest stuck the empty gun in his pocket and pulled his Colt .45 from his shoulder holster. It's not magic, but it is famous for it's stopping power. Worth a try. The priest began walking steadily backwards, still firing into the crowd of animated corpses with steady accuracy.

[New East Ireland]

Noticing the owl's army of reanimated bodies, Damien immediately punched Vernon in the face as hard as he could, and struggled up onto his feet. "Hoot, hoot, bi-otch," he said, before spitting on Vernon's face. Irony. Anyways, he started backing up. "Alright, well, it's been fun, guys and girls, but I'm going to, uh, leave for now. Have fun," he told the group.

He stood on his tip-toes and waved at the horde. "Thanks, owl! And, uh, happy eating," he shouted, before he turned around and ran down the street. He turned at the next street, and ran until he noticed a thrift store; he entered, and decided to stay there until the mess cleared. As he looked at the sunglasses noticed his eyes in the reflection of a pair.

Well, no sense in letting people see that, he thought, as he took the sunglasses. He paid for them, and left, making himself comfortable at a bus stop.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Fortunately, the army of corpses did not seem as resistant as when the creature was inhabiting one body. If Gabriel fired at the zombies and hit, they usually went down.

The police then came out, screaming in Chinese and English. The sentences were among the lines of "What the hell is going on?"

Some followed Gabriel's lead and helped fire. Some just stood, uncomprehending. Some ran.

A police officer was punched in the chest, and he went down. Then black smoke came out of the zombie who punched him, and the officer's body slowly stood up and marched as well.

[Nationstatelandsville]

Fortunately, the army of corpses did not seem as resistant as when the creature was inhabiting one body. If Gabriel fired at the zombies and hit, they usually went down.

The police then came out, screaming in Chinese and English. The sentences were among the lines of "What the hell is going on?"

Some followed Gabriel's lead and helped fire. Some just stood, uncomprehending. Some ran.

A police officer was punched in the chest, and he went down. Then black smoke came out of the zombie who punched him, and the officer's body slowly stood up and marched as well.

"Well," Vernon said, getting back up, pain ringing out in his hand, "shit."

He rubbed his nose much too calmly with his right hand, wiping Damien's spit off as well. He pocketed the Bible and did as Gabriel had told him: Ran. He ran right into the thrift store Damien was in, ignoring him though. He looked around and then realized, shit!, he had left his briefcase back with the zombies. Hopefully he'd be able to get it back, but at least he still had all of the holy books on him.

"Damien, you pussy!" he yelled, "Go out there and help Gabriel!"

[Norvenia]

Gabriel rapidly changed clips and continued firing, trying to avoid the possessed police officer. "Car!" he shouted. "Vernon, Hailey, we need transportation now!" Emptying another nine-round magazine into the animated corpses - Gabriel was a trained soldier, and he shot with a rapid but precise firing rhythm that afforded him excellent accuracy - the priest glanced quickly around as he reloaded. "Where's Damien?" he cried, before snapping back to the task at hand and dropping another magazine's worth of the creatures. "And Vernon?"

Neither was anywhere to be seen, and Gabriel felt a raw fury well up inside him. Traitors and cowards, all of them. I ought to blow off their kneecaps and let them bleed to death! Shaking the image out of his head, the priest rapidly backpedalled, still firing, until he got to Hailey. Then he grabbed the girl by the arm, still dropping the creatures with the pistol in his other hand, and raced away down the street.

[New East Ireland]

"Ugh," Damien groaned. "Fine I'll- Wait! I know that the owl has the Coiled Viper! You guys hold off the zombies, and I'll get it for you guys!" he shouted. Then, he ran outside, and back up the street. "There's no way past them on foot. Maybe if I-"

Then, he turned into an owl. "Hoot, hoot," he said. Then, he flew up into the air, and fluttered over to the building.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

The corpses all looked up, and laughed simultaneously. "Fool!" one chortled, flesh falling off her jaw as she spoke, "The Viper is somewhere else! Would I keep such a device where anyone could get it?" she giggled insanely. "No, I'm afraid your princess is in another castle."

Another corpse, that of a five year old boy, laughed as well, his eyeball falling out, revealing the flesh inside. "Now, for the rest..." it spoke in a childish voice, and the corpses charged at the group.

[New East Ireland]

Damien landed on a nearby roof, and turned back into a human. "Well, alright-y then," he said. "Um, so, I take it you aren't going to tell me where the Viper is?" he asked the owl. Yeah, it's short, but who are you, the police?

[Norvenia]

Gabriel was bolting down the street, one hand locked around Hailey's arm, the other firing his .45 as rapidly and accurately he could at the pursuing horde of...zombies. Only appropriate word. He skidded to a halt in front of a narrow alley that opened on to a parallel road at its end. "Down that alley! Everybody go! They'll only be able to fit in a few at a time - numbers mean nothing in confined spaces! And somebody get us a car on the other side!" Gabriel flung himself into the mouth of the alley, reloading at top speed, and began firing from a two-handed stance into the onrushing horde with every ounce of speed and accuracy he could muster.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Damien landed on a nearby roof, and turned back into a human. "Well, alright-y then," he said. "Um, so, I take it you aren't going to tell me where the Viper is?" he asked the owl. Yeah, it's short, but who are you, the police?

The head of a dead grandmother turned 360 degrees to face Damien, grinning. "Of course not."

"I wouldn't want to end this plot thread so early." Mr. G said, appearing next to Damien. He grinned, and then disappeared again.

The Strix horde continued after the PCs relentlessly.

[Metanih]

"I got the car." Hailey called. It was remarkably easy, with so many passer-bys, to simply walk up to one, get under the shadow, and bare fangs. They ran. Fast. Especially when combined with the Command, "Run." Hailey was not going to fight them at melee, and this seemed the best alternative. "Hey guys! Got us a car!"

[New East Ireland]

Damien would've said something to Mr. G, but the son-of-a-bitch disappeared so quickly. "Well, alright then," Damien replied to the owl. He remembered that Nicholas had mentioned other creatures that were in the city, and looked around. He could see a good portion of the city from this building. "Well," he muttered, "This will be... Interesting."

Concentrating, Damien turned back into an owl, and flapped his wings until he was airborne, and off into the sky.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Speaking of passer-bys, they were in a panic, running everywhere. There was a massive traffic jam as many other people tried getting their cars and getting out.

Then someone got out the shotguns.

The civilians had no real idea what was happening, but they pulled out their guns, and started firing at the corpses, holding them off for the PCs.

[Hardened Pyrokinetics]

Then bullets raked the horde from an alleyway. They stopped after a few seconds, then started up again.

After the third time, the shooter finally revealed himself. Mark hobbled out, face twisted in pain, a thick bandage wrapped around his waist that was already beginning to be stained with blood. His hands gripped the MP7. "Don't. Ask." He huffed out angrily to the others before they could ask how he was there. He turned and poured another magazine into the zombies, then reloaded. "Down to three." He said, before emptying that one. "Make that two." He reloaded again.

[Nationstatelandsville]

Speaking of passer-bys, they were in a panic, running everywhere. There was a massive traffic jam as many other people tried getting their cars and getting out.

Then someone got out the shotguns.

The civilians had no real idea what was happening, but they pulled out their guns, and started firing at the corpses, holding them off for the PCs.

"Thanks civilians," Vernon yelled as he ran out of the thrift shop. He ran threw the civilians, grabbed his briefcase, and ran up to the car Hailey was driving. He jumped in the back, putting his suitcase in front of him and wiping away tears. His hand was really getting to him, he needed to get to the hospital fast. Or, better yet, he needed a healer. Too bad they didn't have a healer, huh?

"Thank you Hailey," he said from behind gritted teeth, "not much more I could do, I'm afraid."

[Metanih]

"Well, Gabriel, and Vernon, that should be everyone we need right?" (I am assuming Gabriel is climbing in. He posted that he would pester us about it, so surely he would get in. Sue me if im wrong.) "Oh. MARK!!! GET IN THIS CAR! Before i have to force you in. We are leaving." Hailey pulled up to him, denting the car a bit on the way. "Climb in now please, and don't shoot at me." Hailey was almost sure that with all the extra stuff she wore, she would be able to take some bullets. Funny thought...

[Nightkill the Emperor]

The horde was being mowed down by the civilians and police, as the car speeded away. Black smoke leaked out of the remaining zombies, and chased after the car and the PCs.

[Hardened Pyrokinetics]

"Well, Gabriel, and Vernon, that should be everyone we need right?" (I am assuming Gabriel is climbing in. He posted that he would pester us about it, so surely he would get in. Sue me if im wrong.) "Oh. MARK!!! GET IN THIS CAR! Before i have to force you in. We are leaving." Hailey pulled up to him, denting the car a bit on the way. "Climb in now please, and don't shoot at me." Hailey was almost sure that with all the extra stuff she wore, she would be able to take some bullets. Funny thought...

Mark climbed in, wincing a bit. "So here I am just recovering from NEARLY DYING, according to doctors, when all of a sudden time freezes and the disembodied voice of a certain someone tells me the rest of you are under attack from fucking zombies. I'm, of course, skeptical, like any right-thinking person. So this certain someone literally picks me up, wraps me in this thing," he indicated the massive bandage, "and plops me down in an alley facing said zombies." The lawyer sighed angrily. "I'm fucking lucky he gave me my guns..."

[Metanih]

The thing about most traffic jams, is that most people care about the state of their vehicle post-traffic jam. Hailey, didn't. She had a stolen car, and was going to ditch it later. Simple as that. So, with the disposable car, Hailey drove straight as someone who had never actually driven a car outside of a class could. Straight through the other cars, doing her best to stay ahead of the smoke. "Everyone okay back there?" Hailey asked, as the air-bags went off. Hailey just kept driving.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

The thing about most traffic jams, is that most people care about the state of their vehicle post-traffic jam. Hailey, didn't. She had a stolen car, and was going to ditch it later. Simple as that. So, with the disposable car, Hailey drove straight as someone who had never actually driven a car outside of a class could. Straight through the other cars, doing her best to stay ahead of the smoke. "Everyone okay back there?" Hailey asked, as the air-bags went off. Hailey just kept driving.

The smoke was close on their tail, and an owl-like head could be seen at the front of the cloud. "Vampire!" it exclaimed gleefully. "You cannot escape from me!" It said, entering through the window, which had been open just a crack.

[Metanih]

"Screw you." Hailey said, closing the window as the creature went through, and drawing her knife. She ignored the steering wheel, and attempted to swing at the smoke, hoping it would injure it. She also hoped the window would injure it. "Crap, eyes on the road. Screw that, smoke is more important." Hailey said, making sure she was buckled into the car, and taking another swing. "Anyone have a good idea of where to go? I have no idea in the world, honestly."

[New East Ireland]

Flying over San Francisco was somewhat peaceful. What stood out to Damien was Alcatraz, which sat in the bay, minding its own business; whatever the fuck that could be. Honestly, the place just looked dangerous, let alone was dangerous. He wasn't going in there without help. Anyways, where would other owls be? They probably knew stuff about the city; they were all over the place for Christ's sake.

Flying, Damien swooped down near a newspaper stand, and turned into a human as he passed behind a telephone pole. Already, he could see news of the shit going on in Chinatown. He guessed that he could walk. He tripped, though, and fell down. As he got up, he noticed a postcard on his forehead, and removed it.

"What's this?" he asked. "Bernal Heights, San Francisco? We have many animals, including Hawks and... Great Horned Owls... OWLS!"

Damien called a taxi, and sat down. "Take me to Bernal Heights," he told the driver.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

The creature started becoming more solid, and winced when stabbed. "Oh, that did hurt." it grunted. "No matter." it said, ripping off some of the clothing she was wearing, exposing her left arm. Sunlight touched her bare skin, burning it.

Soon, a giant owl was in the car, which was going insanely.
--------------
Damien was taken to Bernal Heights as the driver listened worriedly to reports of what was happening in Chinatown. He was so worried that he didn't ask Damien for money when he dropped the man off at Bernal Heights.

[Metanih]

"Ow! Bastard!" Hailey slammed the brakes, unbuckling and turning, throwing a conveinent rag over the exposed arm. Her other arm darted again with the dagger, aiming for the head of the creature. "Die this time." She said, anger in her voice, as she tried to move to a shadier part of the car. "Anyone gonna help?" She said to the others, as she again tried to shove her knife into the monster.

[Hardened Pyrokinetics]

Meanwhile, due to stupid retcons, Mark is doing absolutely nothing while everyone else is in danger of dying.

Yay...