[Nexus] ISF HQ

[UncleWolf]

(Sorry, but yes, by this point, I really do think it's gone too far for a retcon. We've put a lot of time and effort into this, and I did warn you that it wouldn't be easy in OOC. And yes, as BR points out, it's happened a bit too much lately.

And no, Vasquez isn't permakilled. She'll be resurrected later.)

[ThePhantom]

( Its because of that time and effort being wasted for me that I asked for that. As for being common, I only know of one recon recently, and that one started this whole mess. Give me some examples, please.)

[UncleWolf]

(The stuff that happened in GLoG a few days ago was a huge retcon that caused a lot of confusion. I was a part of it, and I honestly don't want to experience another big retcon so soon.

The amount of time and effort is my reason to keep it. I did this encounter, because you asked for a chance to attack and infiltrate the ISF HQ, to try to do something to Vasquez. I (and others I believe) had warned you of the risks. Not only this, but there were several details that I would not have given out if this hadn't happen.

So, I'm sorry, but no, I don't want a retcon. I know it looks like Gordon is going to die, but AMEN has those cloning vats, just like Mortal Coil has the resurrections.)

[ThePhantom]

(Gordon can't use the cloning vaults, but I can see your point now. However, now I have to attack the city, cause how the character of Gordon is, and I don't want to do that. You have any ideas on how to get around that, other than just not doing it?)

[UncleWolf]

Security Point- Cutscene

As Vasquez's body falls, and Hel's presence recedes, Gordon is shot by several Imperial weapons before he ducks behind the armored glass next to the security door. Dizzy fires and misses, barely right before he can drop a few stink grenades. A dense fog quickly jets out, causing all those who are without full helmets to gag and fall into coughing fits. As Dizzy coughs, Gordon seizes his chance and runs past her, bleeding heavily as a couple of the Mortal Coil units make their way through the coughing crowd, still firing. The pair are wearing full helmets, and their filtration systems keep the smell out. Dizzy's stumbling slows them just enough so Gordon can get to the staircase and into the basement.

By the time they make it to the bottom, he's already crawling through the tunnel. They fire a couple more times, possibly hitting him again, before he makes good his escape.

Back upstairs, Vasquez's armor ignites, burning itself and her body to ashes. The flames are fueled by the air cyclers being turned on, causing a breeze to flow through the area to try and get rid of the smell.

A repair team is ordered to plug the hole, and Mortal Coil begins to mobilize...

(Results of the cutscene:
Gordon is badly wounded, but escapes.
Vasquez is dead for the time being.
The building needs to be aired out for a bit.
Mortal Coil is preparing.)

[The Bushranger]

Later...?

Eileen uses healing spells liberally, then, after passing out for a time, goes to look for somebody. She has...Questions. That need answers!

[UncleWolf]

Barracks

Eileen will find Fred healing in the barracks eventually, a comm unit on his head as he listens to what is happening to AMEN.

[The Bushranger]

[Barracks]

When Eileen finds Fred, she raps at the door to announce her presence, then enters, waiting for him to remove the headset paitently.

Well, maybe not so paitently. But she does wait.

[UncleWolf]

Barracks

Fred, the drow, nods and removes the headset. "Yes?" He asks even though he figures that she's going to ask about Hel.

[The Bushranger]

Barracks

"First, how are you feeling, and second, what in blazes happened to the Commander?" Eileen asks, getting straight to the point. She's like that.

[UncleWolf]

Barracks

"I'm fine, and if I explain, this means I'm going to have to swear you to secrecy." He says with a sigh. "Under pain of death."

[The Bushranger]

Barracks

"You've got it. It's not like I'm going to be living very long anyway," Eileen says, sighing as she settles into a seat, looking very tired.

[UncleWolf]

Barracks

Fred raises an eyebrow. "Mind if I ask why? You seem to be doing a better job than I am with it."

[The Bushranger]

"It's my fate." Eileen sighs. "But enough about me. What's this super secret thing that'll possibly kill me sooner?"

[UncleWolf]

Barracks

"That was Hel. Norse Goddess of the Dead. Don't worry, she's on our side. The drow tells her.

[The Bushranger]

And that makes both of Eileen's eyebrows shoot up.
"I see. From what, admittedly little, I know of her, I probably don't want to know how that particular deal was struck, do I?"

[UncleWolf]

Barracks

He sighs. "Get your facts straight. Hel isn't evil, far from it. Yes, she's half dead, but she's neutral at her worst."

[The Bushranger]

"Never said she was," Eileen says defensively. "It's just that where I came from, Hel was a rather...shady character in the history books."

Associated with Merant, in fact, but she doesn't add that, figuring Fred has never heard of that particular diety.

[UncleWolf]

Barracks

"The only thing you need to know, is that the deal lets her safeguard our souls, as well as Horus."

[The Bushranger]

[Barracks]

"Wise precaution around these parts. What's the catch, though? Or," Eileen adds, "Is that something else that I don't want to know?"

[UncleWolf]

Barracks

Fred shakes his head. "You don't want to know." He says, wondering how the dead were coping with things...

Hel
(( Both parts have been Spoilered for Graphic nature))

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It had been a week since she died. At least, that's how long she's been here. She had to take Hel's word for it, because there was no natural light here. Just to tease her, the half-dead ***** had told her that only a single night had passed back home. And that seven more of her team mates had died, taken here or in Horus' domain. She didn't want to think of which was worse. When she dies, she'd either be taken here, into this oven of a room, filled with soot and the stench of burning flesh and red-hot iron, or...she shudders, deciding not to think about what was happening to the others.

The hard woman stands above her work, letting go of it for just a moment to look in the mirror. Some would say a mirror was a luxury, but here, in the realm of the unworthy, it couldn't be further than the truth. In this place, their souls were exposed, giving them the bodies of their true selves, showing what they always truly were.

Vasqez was...drastically different.

Oh, sure, she still looked herself, but could now only be described to most people as horrifying. As the heat burned all the clothing off your back after a while, she was naked, exposing the white-hot chunk of metal where her heart would be. The flesh on her left side, except for most of her face and back of her leg, were charred, blistered, and nearly flaking off. Even her hair was gone. She always knew she was heartless, but here, in this place, she truly was.

And Hel punished her for it.

The pain was never ending, and there was no water to quench it, or her great thirst. She could move, but every movement cracked open her flesh once more, bringing even more pain. Any mortal would normally never feel a thing in this state, but here, there was no mortality, only the soul.

The Commander takes a deep fiery breath as her hands quickly regenerate from their work, and twists a bit to look at her back, at the line of flexible steel in place of her spine. It was her one gift here. Hel had called her "Carrier of Burdens". She smirks a bit to herself at the thought. She'd always been the one to make hard decisions, and carried the weight of them on her back, and for that, her back would always remain strong here.

She sighs and looks down at her hands, almost regenerated. She decides to go back to work before they can heal the rest of the way, otherwise touching the red-hot steel would hurt more. She grits her teeth as she grips the glowing bar, grabs the slightly cooler hammer with her other hand, and resumes pounding on the soon-to-be weapon.

Horus' Domain

Spoiler

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The sun beats down on hot desert sand, and the heat causes the man's skin to be perpetually red and blister. The burns were never as bad as Hel, but the light was always blinding. As he awoke on arrival, the giant of a man found himself strung up between two golden pillars, in front of a pool of crystal water. Only his arms were bound to the pillars, in a way that could only be taken as a joke.

Sue growls a bit and strains against the chains, knowing they were made less than a centimeter thick, wrought of find gold, and that even a child would easily be able to snap out of them, but here, they showed no mercy. After a couple minutes, he stops the futile effort and hangs his head, looking into the calm pool. He could see his reflection in it, showing something he had hoped never to see again, even though he knew it to be inevitable.

His body was as muscled as it ever was. Strong, fit, able. But his face...his face was near godly in it's beauty, showing a handsome man. Simply by making expressions, he knew the water wasn't deceiving him, feeling the changes. The Giant-kin had heard the stories of a few others of his team, of their own incarceration here, and each was different, yet always horrible in it's own way. Many said that finding themselves horribly deformed somehow was terrifying, but to him, to know that he was truly so noble, was the worst thing that could happen.

Sue, while never exactly the brightest of people, at least knew he was ugly as sin, but seeing this...seeing himself, and knowing he'd never be like this in his mortal life, nearly broke him each time he saw it. He closes his eyes, trying to blink back tears and shield them from the everlasting sun, when he hears the yowls.

He gives a resigned sigh and begins stretching his leg muscles a bit, preparing for his duty/punishment here. Periodically, the Jackals would come, trying to steal the souls of those who passed on. He, and the others that came here, would be offered as sacrifice instead. They were always out of sight of each other, but every so often he'd hear a distant scream of agony and pain. They would come, he would kick back, trying to kill them, but they couldn't be hurt, not like this, and would simply attack him until his legs grew tired and weak.

Then they'd tear his lower half apart and feast.

Once they left, he'd slowly regenerate. The process was agony as bones snapped back into place and exposed nerves cried out in pain. Then the Jackals would come once more...

He opens his eyes as he hears the sound of a dozen paws on sand, coming closer.

[The Bushranger]

[ISF HQ]

"I'll take your word for it, then." Eileen sighs, not knowing just how much better off she really is for not knowing. "Is there anything I can get for you?"

[UncleWolf]

Barracks

Fred gives her a slight smile. "Oh, I don't know, a massage would be nice. As well as a cappuccino or two."

[The Bushranger]

[Barracks]

"A massage?" Eileen chuckles. "Do I look like that kind of girl? But I reckon I could handle that. I've learned from the best," she says proudly. "Cappuchino first, or after?"

[UncleWolf]

Barracks

Fred raises an eyebrow. "If you're genuinely offering, the cappuccino can go steam itself."

[The Bushranger]

[Barracks]

"Eh, why not? It's not like I have anywhere else to be or anything else to do at the moment," Eileen admits. "Drives me crazy sometimes."

[UncleWolf]

Barracks

Fred shrugs and pulls off his shirt before laying face down. "I know the feeling. But it could be worse. We could have too much to do instead."

[The Bushranger]

"I suppose you do have a point there. But still..."
Eileen shrugs, shaking her head, and sets to work at the massage.
She's...really pretty good with her hands.

[UncleWolf]

Barracks

He gives a nod. "It's the waiting that really kills us." He says, sighing happily at the touch.

Temporary Housing-Carl's Place

Carl gives a weary sigh as he gets off work. It was always disheartening whenever so many of his comrades died. Besides, double-shifts are terrible.

He enters his on-site housing and pulls off his uniform, tossing it to the side and using his phone to send Sunny a text.

Where are you?

Once done, he grabs a fresh change of clothing and hops into his shower, cell phone on the sink in case she sends him a text back.

[The Bushranger]

[Barracks]

"Exactly. They say it's hours or days of boredom interspersed with moments of sheer terror, but sometimes those moments are preferable to sitting around and doing nothing."

And Eileen continues the massage, her hands quite skillful, for as long as is wanted.