GBG Session 18.5: Loathing and Sacrifice

<Darkling> Throughout the whole school the power just went out after something rocked the foundations of the building. Dust fills the air as the emergency lights flicker on and off unsteadily and a lesser rumble ripples through the concrete.
<Darkling> Bursts of gunfire echo through the halls, followed by a blood curdling scream.
<Darkling> Kurt looks around, obviously shaken by what's going on. He grabs for his mic. "Come in, anyone, what's going on?!"
Corrin had been gripping his cage's mesh, staring through the holes. As Kurt starts talking, he moves as far back as he can, crouching.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Earthquake? The worm, maybe? Lahja reflects on both possibilities as the building shakes, but only for a moment. The scream and the gunfire provide a more immediate concern, and she's doing her best to break open the cage with little care for the noise she makes.
Corrin throws himself forwards shoulder-first into the cage door.
<Darkling> you manage to flip the cage on end Corrin and your face first into the floor.
<Darkling> With no answer, Kurt turns back to the noise from the cages. "Hey, stop that! Just, stop. Something's wrong."
Corrin scrambles up as quickly as he can. He lunges again.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja doesn't stop. She's kicking and pounding at the cage door. "Yes, something's wrong! We're all going to be worm food at this rate!"
<Darkling> Gunfire lights up the room as Kurt falls backwards on his ass from the recoil. Most of the bullets miss but you take one in the leg Corrin.
Corrin collapses with a scream of pain and rage, fingers still scrabbling at the cage.
<Darkling> The cages open, Kurt scrambles out the door and away.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> One surprisingly solid kick and the cage door comes off. Lahja makes her way over to a corner of the room, sifting through a pile of stuff in search of her belongings with little obvious care for Corrin, or the escaping Kurt, for that matter.
Corrin scrambles out, limping with each step towards the door.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja stashes her watergun away, giving it a quick pat. Then she's off after Corrin with her scissors, giving his leg a quick glance, likely to satisfy her morbid curiosity than concern at this point. "Don't chase him. It's futile like this."
Corrin hisses in pain through his teeth as he stumbles to a stop, but nods quickly.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja ducks and peeks her head out the door to look into the hallway. "Getting out should be priority."
<Corrin> "Getting everyone out." Corrin replies.
<Darkling> Muffled cries come from the rest of the cages.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja reflects on that for a moment. Prior to Corrin mentioning it the thought hadn't even crossed her mind. With a sigh she heads back into the office. "Would you like to stay here and break open the cages alone, or do you need my help?"
<Corrin> "We don't have time." Corrin says, face screwed up. "Look for keys."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja nods, heading off to the desk. She looks around through any drawers as well as on the top. "Wouldn't it be lousy if there were explosives in here rigged to blow up when disturbed?"
<Darkling> No explosives, or keys. Kurt or the previous guard must have taken them.
<Darkling> You'll either have to break them open, or leave them behind.
Corrin_ looks around for something heavy but liftable, more to distract from the pain than anything.
<Darkling> There is a small fire extinguisher on the wall.
Corrin_ heads over to get it.
<Darkling> Fire extinguisher acquired.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Nothing here." Lahja says flatly. She eyes Grundi in his cage, then approaches and batters it with kicks and the occasional tugging of the door.
<Darkling> Grundi's cage, already straining against his weight, easily busts open.
Corrin limps over as the cage breaks, looking for a cage whose occupant's awake. Anyone from a sports team locked up in here?
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Without waiting for any acknowledgment or thanks she's off. "Show some initiative, people! Try to get out on your own and you get priority!"
Corrin starts to hammer the fire extinguisher against the nearest cage. "Lahja!"
<Darkling> There's two dozen students in here, all soon free of their cages.
<Darkling> As you dash into the hall Lahja, a mournful cry fills the air and the building rumbles again.
<Darkling> ============Elsewhere============
<Darkling> Jareth booked it out of the room as soon as he could, the two guards standing their ground, guns firing blindly, spraying the room up high with lead.
Rasia busily tries to outsmart bullets, blazing across the ground to disarm the first soldier. It speaks volumes about her mental state that she didn't even cry out 'die!'
<Darkling> Even guns blazing the guard doesn't stand a chance, getting out a small cry before he's done for.
Rasia hurls his corpse towards Wilhelm's chair, probably smashing it, and she's on the other one, introducing the left side of his face to the wall.
<Darkling> A crunch and he goes limp, his goggles, mask, and likely more, shattered from the force.
<Rasia> JARETH. That door used to pull open, but Rasia decided on making a push door with a metallic shriek. Wilhelm's the meat in a corpse-and-smashed-chair sandwich.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He shakes his head to get his orientation, then pulls at his cuffs. Damn, still trapped in this chair. Well, there's a guard. He twists and moves his hand around, looking for a pair of keys on the poor bastard.
<Darkling> After groping and fondling a few bulges in his tactical suit, you find some keys.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Worst day ever. He sets to work freeing himself.
<Darkling> The hallway is deserted Rasia. The lights are flickering on and off, but you can smell things and see things the soldiers and students can't. Prey is north.
<Rasia> "RAGH!" And so north she goes, sprinting so low her hands touch the ground.
<Darkling> It takes a bit, you still feel a bit of the effects of whatever they gave you, not to mention the rune he cut into your chest, but you're free Wilhelm.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He pushes the body off of him and rolls onto his back. Being free felt good. Maybe he would just stay here a while...
<Wilhelm_Faustus> With a grunt of effort he lifts his head to look around. He knew this feeling.
<Darkling> Well, you're alone, with two dead guards and a fair amount of blood everywhere, most of it yours.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Damn. He usually liked keeping that stuff on the inside.
<Rasia> More gunfire, off in the distance. It's damningly brief.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He staggers to his feet, stripping the vest and weapons from the nearest corpse. Well...only the handgun is really light enough for him, so we'll go with that. He takes a moment to look around the room, then heads for the door.
<Darkling> Silence and darkness greet you in the hallway.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> We'll follow the sounds of gunfire, keeping a low profile. He crouches and starts to move along the wall.
<Darkling> The building begins to shake again, a few ceiling tiles collapsing into the hallway.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> It was a reasonable guess as to what was causing the tremors. "So you came back?" He mutters to no one, pressing on.
<Darkling> ============Elsewhere============
<Darkling> Lahja, you now know you're on the second floor of the school, and haven't run across another soul yet. Corrin is back in the office still, all the students now free from his efforts.
Corrin heads after Lahja, fire extinguisher raised.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> It doesn't take much looking around or wandering before she heads back there, walking at a quick pace. "You need to walk less."
<Darkling> The students are following behind Corrin in a quivering mass.
<Corrin> "We need a way to get them out." Corrin replies as Lahja approaches. "Damnit." he hisses under his breath as he keeps walking.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja sighs at the sight of the crowd. Despite that wail earlier she felt a little better out here with no one else around. She approaches Corrin, offering to help him walk. "Respect the bullet a little more. We're on the second floor, so I think that's relatively safe if the worm is around. Then again, the whole building could collapse."
<Darkling> A ceiling tile falls not too far off down the hall as if to justify Lahja's concern.
<Darkling> If you recall correctly, there should be some stairs and an exit around the corner south and about fifty feet down that hallway.
<Corrin> "The worm?" Corrin shakes his head, waving Lahja back. "Damnit. We still need to get them out of here."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "We're not far from the stairs, at least. I'll go on ahead just a little. If you hear me stop, stop. If you hear me scream, run." She's visibly relieved at the refusal and moves along toward the stairs, picking up her pace a bit.
<Darkling> No sign of guards at least, though the occasional gunfire rings outs, usually followed by a scream or two.
Corrin follows Lahja, gesturing for the others to do the same.
<Darkling> Lahja reaches the doors to the stairwell without incident, Corrin not too far behind.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> How very much like home, even if the sounds are real this time rather than the product of recordings and actors. Lahja pauses there, reflecting on that as she waits for the others to catch up. Then she gives the door a pull to open it.
<Darkling> Stairs down, with a six foot gap of them collapsed in the middle and a gaping hole in the ground below them.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "No good, Corrin. Too many of us wouldn't be able to make it down there with that hole in the stairs. We'll either need a bridge or we'll need a rope to get out through a window."
<Darkling> The group of students huddle at the top of the stairs, they don't look like they want to go back the way they are eying the doors out.
<Darkling> Gunfire rings from a close by hallway, one of the students decides to take the leap and makes it across.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Gunfire up here? How strange. Is it not a worm, then? "Maybe there's a fire exit somewhere? I don't think you can make it across like this, Corrin." And then a skeptical look at Grundi.
<Darkling> Another two students jump the gap. Looks like they don't care how or where you are going. They make a break down the stairs and out the door.
<Corrin> "I can't." Corrin admits. He turns to the crowd. "I'm going to find another way out. If you can jump it, do it. Don't stop running once you're out." He looks to Lahja. "Can you make it?"
<Corrin> *If you can't, wait here until I get back." He looks to
<Darkling> A shotgun blast is all the prompting they need after Corrin's instructions to send most of them jumping over the gap. It's not too hard, though one slips and falls down the pit and into blackness.
<Corrin> "Keep running once you're out!" Corrin shouts after them, then starts to limp up the stairs.
<Darkling> Through the glass on the door you can see one of the soldiers firing as he walks backwards before he is propelled back by a shotgun shell to the chest.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja looks down the hole, giving it a quick salute before looking back to Corrin. "I don't think it's a good idea."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Shotgun. A close quarters weapon of choice. But who's armed and not one of those soldiers? Lahja crouches, not liking this development. "Then again..." Her tone drops to a whisper. "Maybe we all need to try."
<Corrin> "Lahja, get back." Corrin moves forwards, grip tightening on the extinguisher.
<Darkling> A large shadow looms over the door.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja does just that, keeping herself low. She settles into a crouch, looking over her shoulder every now and then.
Corrin raises the extinguisher, getting ready to try and lunge. "Come on..."
<Darkling> The door swings open the light in the hallway flickering to life making the form in front of you a black silhouette.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Think of Ivy and show a little self preservation, moron. There will be plenty of dead bodies to look at later. Just as she's about to jump the door opens and she freezes.
Corrin didn't expect the light. He can't see what the figure is. He leaps at it with a yell, swinging the extinguisher as he does so.
<Darkling> An arm bats the fire extinguisher away with ease and it rattles down the stairs into oblivion. "Is that any way to treat a friend?" Says the shadow as a burly bearded face comes into view.
<Darkling> ============Elsewhere============
<Darkling> Wilhelm, you've been following gunshots and corpses , the piles seem to be leading to the center of the school, though a few times they wind off in odd directions. Each scene is as grisly as the next, twisted bodies, blood splattering the walls and floor. Though it looks like Rasia might have taken a few hits, her path marked by occasional droplets of blood. Even if she was there was no...
<Darkling> ...indication it was stopping her.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He didn't have any way to deal with this Rasia if it came down to it. It could be trouble if she doesn't recognize him. Well, she's clearing the path at least. A nod to himself and he picks up the pace.
<Darkling> There's movement up ahead.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He comes to a halt, handgun lifting.
<Darkling> A blue crackle of energy and you know who it is.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Better to make the first strike. He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, pulling the trigger.
<Darkling> Your gun fires as does someone else's. A few sparks off his chest and gunfire. He doesn't even flinch from the bullets and an agent comes into view punching Jareth in shoulder.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He looks at the gun with a frown, then turns his gaze back to Jareth and the agent.
<Darkling> Jareth's hand comes around slamming into the agents neck as he pushes him into the wall with a thud, electricity flowing through his captive. Letting go, the body slumps to the floor, he turns and heads down the hall away from you.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He rolls his eyes and follows after him at a cautious distance, stopping long enough to check the dead agent for anything useful.
<Darkling> A semi-automatic, and footsteps running up behind you. "Psst!"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He nearly jumps out of his skin as he's pulling the semi-automatic free, turning to look.
<Darkling> Hands go up quickly as Lit lumbers into view. He pauses before speaking, obviously asking if you were alright was out of the question from the way you looked. "Where's Rasia?"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Up ahead. I'm not sure how much of it is Rasia, though."
<Darkling> "You're going to have to stick with me." A few shots and screams ring out from not too far. "We'll go that way."
<Darkling> He doesn't wait half a second before heading down the hall towards the sound, the same direction Jareth was going.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He follows, checking over the semi as they go. He might have to keep this gun.
<Darkling> A few twists and turns and a hand shoots out from around a corner hitting let in the chest, sending him back into a wall with a blue burst.
<Darkling> Not nearly as effect as the agent was, Lit's quick to rebound, heavy booted foot planting firmly against Jareth and throwing him to his backside down the hall.
<Darkling> Back to his feet, Jareth closes in fast, knocking Lit's shotgun away and they begin to exchange blows.
<Darkling> Metal flashes and Jareth steps back hesitating, looking at the machete in Lit's hand.
<Darkling> There's no way you can get an easy shot in the fight Wilhelm, but you do notice motion behind them.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> We'll let Lit handle Jareth then. He moves out from behind Lit, bringing the semi up as he tracks the movement behind them.
<Darkling> One of the stray guards that must have escaped Rasia. He's got his gun up waiting for a clear shot from the looks of it.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Aim, exhale, fire. Lets do at least a little damage. Why should Rasia get all the fun?
<Darkling> The guard goes down, you pegged him in the shoulder.
<Darkling> After their standoff, Lit makes a quick lunge forward, Jareth side stepping and landing a few quick blows.
<Rasia> A frustrated howl. But from what direction? Is she getting closer?
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Down isn't good enough. A glance to the two locked in hand-to-hand, then making for the downed guard.
<Darkling> Lit manages a punch to Jareth's helmet, glass shattering . Jareth attempts a blind punch back and the machete comes across in a clean swipe.
<Darkling> "Aaaggh!" clutching his bleeding stump of an arm to his chest, Jareth makes another run for it.
<Darkling> The guard reaches for his gun as you approach Wilhelm.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He walks over to the gun, kicking it out of reach. He turns, looking down as he trains the gun on him.
<Darkling> Kurt sputters on the floor, blood oozing from his shoulder.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Hello Kurt."
<Darkling> "F-f-fuuck."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "A proper reaction. Any other last words, or does that cover it?"
<Darkling> Lit picks up his shotgun, turning to see what you're doing Wilhelm.
<Darkling> He sputters some more. "You don't have to do this."
 <Wilhelm_Faustus> He frowns, and puts two rounds in Kurt's chest.
<Darkling> "Wilhelm.." Lit looks a little disappointed. "Come on."
<Darkling> ============Elsewhere============
<Darkling> There's a group of three soldiers left, huddled back to back in the gymnasium. A half dozen others lay strewn about their feet.
Rasia stalks on all fours, circling the men with blood dripping from nearly every inch of skin. Her dress is long shredded, bullet holes marking at least some of the damage. Hard to be stealthy on this hardwood, even with bare feet, but she manages. --now! With a roar, she snatches another poor bastard from the group, hurling him as far as her arm allows and landing on him. Wet, fleshy tearing resonates easily in the gymnasium's flat, open walls.
<Darkling> The guards, long out of ammo hold knives, waiting for the next attack as the ground rumbles under their feet.
<Darkling> At the far side of the Gym a door bursts open, Jareth stumbling through, his face bloodied behind the broken glass of his helmet and a severe amount of blood dripping from the severed forearm.
<Rasia> IT'S HIM# Ignoring the irrelevant prey, she leaves her most recent target to bleed out. KILL, KILL, KILL, KILL. Do you see her coming, Jareth?
<Darkling> He does and opts for running, his single hand pulling out a pistol and firing as he does so. The doors burst open again, Lit coming into view with Wilhelm behind him.
<Darkling> Another rumble beneath you, much closer this time.
<Rasia> Bullets pepper her skin and the ground around her, but she's long past the point of caring. You'd have to put one square in her brain, Jareth. And even then...
<Darkling> "RASIA!" Lit yells across the gym, his voice booming and echoing.
<Darkling> Jareth throws the emptied gun away, pulling another free. "Stop her you idiots!" He yells to his men, who simply stay put.
<Darkling> Another rumble and a light fixture falls.
Rasia clamps her jaw down on his wrist, muzzle flare close enough to burn her cheek on the lunge, her eyes fixed on him unflinchingly. Punch, kick, claw, scratch. His blood's delicious...
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "RASIA!" The Aryan's own shout follows after Lit's, running after Jareth.
<Darkling> The ground heaves up, wood floor splintering and exploding and showering the room as the worm-like Troll you encountered before erupts and the two remaining guards as well as the corpses of the others around them disappear into it's maw. The force is enough to send everyone tumbling off their feet.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Wil falls, hissing as his head smacks the floor.
<Darkling> Rasia shrieks as she falls, splintered wood joining the other failed attempts to kill her. FIND HIM.
<Darkling> He's scrambling away, eyes no longer fixed on you though Rasia. They stare up at the gaping maw of the worm as it's mouth moves around the room searching. It stops, open and drooling saliva to the floor in Wilhelm and Lit's direction.
<Darkling> It's body quivers and pulses as it draws up out of the hole moving slowly with intent.
<Rasia> For the first time since this began, Rasia hesitates. Her whole body screams with the effort. Dominance. KILL HIM. FIGHT FOR DOMINANCE OR THERE WON'T BE A POINT.
<Darkling> Lit stands, shotgun firing with no effect as he moves in front of Wilhelm.
Wilhelm_Faustus climbs to his feet, unable to look away from the Worm. What are you even doing here?
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He winces, a hand reaching up to hold his head.
<Darkling> Lit reloads, firing again.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "So you understand me."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He sucks air in through his teeth. "I can't understand you..."
<Darkling> Jareth backs up from the whole display, cowering against the bleachers.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Lit, stop firing. I won't hurt us."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He pushed past the burly man, approaching the work-like Troll.
Rasia snaps her teeth on open air, keeping an eye on worm and Jareth both, muscles visibly clenched.
<Darkling> "...what are you doing?!" The worm's mouth is only a few meters away.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Communicating. Or hallucinating." He stretches out an arm toward it.
<Darkling> A moan from the mouth and spittle layers against you and Lit.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> ". . ." That was disgusting. "Come here."
<Darkling> Another groan as it inches forward, the school shaking with the effort.
<Darkling> Lit stares on in dumbfounded amazement.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He manages to smile at it, both arms spread as he approaches. I won't hurt you, I just might hug you big guy.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He stops, arms closing in to his his head as pain shoots through and his vision swims.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He falls to his knees, fighting to understand.
<Darkling> The Trolls mouth hovers over Wilhelm, another massive moan and Lit's knocked backwards by something intangible.
<Rasia> And her neck jerks. Rasia goes for the worm, tearing into its backside with everything she has.
<Darkling> It twitches, jerking away from Wilhelm. and straight up, the force throwing her back into the far wall.
<Darkling> It's body shoots up into the air, crashing through the ceiling and higher up into the air.
<Rasia> OUCH. She falls down, sheetrock snowing on her.
<Darkling> ============Outside============
<Darkling> Corrin is sitting in the back of an ambulance, leg patched up and Lahja nearby as the Troll explodes from the school, sending debris flying.
<Darkling> The Troll descends as the debris starts to fall towards the crowd, screams raising again in panic.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja has been quiet and thoughtful for a while, locked in thought over the day's events. Or she's daydreaming. Either way, she might as well be asleep right now.
<Corrin> "Lahja!" Corrin yells, already moving. He lunges and slams into her, knocking her aside.
<Darkling> A chunk of concrete and re-bar the size of a soccer ball slam across Corrin's face.
<Darkling> ============Inside============
<Darkling> There's a gaping pit in the middle of the gym, the ceiling is torn apart and collapsing in pieces.
<Rasia> Being slammed into a wall seems to have taken a lot of the fight out of Rasia. (Un)fortunately, she had a lot of fight to start with. The immortal killing machine rises, winded and still pissed.
<Darkling> Lit's picking himself up, dusting himself off and rushes over to Wilhelm.
Wilhelm_Faustus tries to get up, the a piece of piping from the roof decided to pierce through him, pinning him to the gym floor. Not good.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He couldn't decide if he should laugh or cry. Mostly he looked scared. Jareth killed all of the clones, killed Freyja. This was it for him. This wasn't right.
<Darkling> "Stay with me Pilot." Lit's over you now, bushy face blurring so slightly in your vision.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "M--maybe I should have been a better son." He smirks, moaning as he shifts positions but still can't escape.
<Darkling> Lit looks up from Wilhelm, searching for Rasia.
<Rasia> "Ngh..." She's stalking the debris, looking for a particular man.
<Darkling> A cackle from the bleachers followed by a violent cough. "This isn't quite how I pictured the end!"
<Darkling> "..nooo.. no no." He's likely delirious, his body looks shattered underneath a metal ceiling girder.
Rasia stands over him, clenching her fists.
<Darkling> He spits up blood. "You.. you stole everything from me, even now!" It's a wonder that he's even still alive.
<Darkling> Lit closes Wilhelm's eyes, resting his forehead on the Aryan's.
<Darkling> "Father always loved his daughter more. Made her more, his tool, his weapon. I never could compare to you.." he coughs, more blood coming up. "..sister."
<Rasia> I...I stole from YOU?” "RRRAAAAAGH!" She snatches his head in both hands, clutching so tightly he can hear his bones groan.
<Darkling> A nondescript sound escapes from his lips for only a moment before his life passes between her hands.
<Rasia> "AAAAAAAAGH!" Rage passes into an anguished howl as she smashes his head into the ground. And again. Again. Over and over. The bones give and splinter, cracking. Soon the back of his skull bursts, and she's left with hands full of indistinct gore.
<Darkling> ============END============