The War Wall thrummed with life. The aegis that protected, defended or quarantined Boomtown (depending on your point of view) was also bright. In addition to its radiant visage, it was huge: several meters tall and thick at the base that supported the columns which emitted extremely dense laser beams. The laser is what gave the War Walls their distinctive color and purpose. The Scarlet Scorpion was using the height and luminosity to hide her intentions. She was flying at the zenith of the Wall, only a few meters away. At that distance, the treacherous warmth from the laser would be more uncomfortable. At her elevation, the bright shimmer would down out her silhouette.
The irony was not lost on Scarlet that Boomtown was a dark and ruined landscape while just on the other side of the south Wall was Steel Canyon, alive and perky by comparison. Both cityscapes were home to various villain groups to equally varying degrees, but Boomtown was more often ignored by both Heroes and Longbow lately. This has allowed certain groups to proliferate. One group was the Vahzilok and they were purpose of her visit.
She was approaching the northeast corner of the zone at a comfortable pace. Her contact would be waiting in the corner-most building to be sure, but she wanted to be as unnoticeable as possible … even to the undead. Scarlet was grateful for the ability to fly now. The dank stench of death wafted to her elevation. She would dread the smell on the surface. But duty calls.
As she reached the corner, she slowed and found shadow along the support column. Gloam had settled on Paragon and especially here. She willed herself to fall controllably until she landed on the support base. Looking down she did not perceive any threats at the top of the building below where her contact was resting. Again, she floated down until she landed softly on the rooftop. Finding the entrance door she entered and covered her mouth to keep from gagging out loud.
Scarlet recovered and blinked trying to remove the stench from her eye. Somehow it worked. Gulping a few times she started to reluctantly get used to the smell. Her heavy boots made echoes down the dark hallway and Scarlet absorbed the sound and projected them away from her to create a silent sonic shielding. Any sudden attack would be deflected away, or at least softened. But with the Vahzilok, she would hear them before her shielding was needed. This was just a precaution.
She heard some dirt shuffle and paused. “It’s ok, the building is clear”, whispered a woman unseen. The female voice was strained, as if she were hiding the fact she had cried recently. Scarlet frowned in recognition. “Just be careful of the blood on the floor to your left.” She looked left and noticed an eviscerated cadaver still trickling blood and formaldehyde from its many cuts and severed limbs. Scarlet shook her head and kept walking to the source of the whisper.
Turning a corner into a room overlooking the road in front, Scarlet noticed her contact crouched at a window, its pane shattered long ago. She was dressed in mostly black combat fatigues and boots with camo-green armored pads. A large vibrosword was resting at her feet while combat goggles were resting at her neck. Her long blonde hair pulled back into a pony-tail. The crossbow attached to her arm was armed with extra bolts in pockets on her leg.
Scarlet crouched at the window and looked out. Not seeing anything of value she spoke to the woman without looking at her. “You know, I’m not really fond of being here for several reasons.”
The woman spoke without looking away from the window either. “I know, but the sentiment is appreciated.” She sniffled, but the air was not cold.
“Does Sister Hecate know you are seeing me?”
“Does Indigo know you are seeing me?”
Scarlet nodded. “Fair enough. I see you are a Hand now. Congratulations.”
“I see you are a Field Commander. Congratulations as well.”
“Thank you. Sheryl sends her regards and wishes you’d come home.”
Silence. Scarlet nodded again. “Now that I’m here to help her, why am I here to help you?”
The blonde nodded toward a cargo trailer near the building. Scarlet looked. Through the darkness she noticed what was not there before: a wandering conglomeration of Vahzilok cadavers herded by a few Reapers. On the backs of the cadavers were other bodies. More fresh in death, or maybe even alive but unmoving. Either way, Scarlet counted twenty wobbling cadavers before estimating at least that many more again in the whole group. They were shuffling toward the cargo container.
“What’s in the box,” Scarlet darkly wondered.
“Nothing … yet.”
Now Scarlet was confused. “I think you could handle this pack, so what’s the deal?”
The Hand of Artemis looked to Scarlet. “You owe Sheryl a favor and this is it: my husband is on the back of a cadaver and we’re going to rescue him. Dead or alive. After that, I’ll turn myself in to you.”
The irony was not lost on Scarlet that Boomtown was a dark and ruined landscape while just on the other side of the south Wall was Steel Canyon, alive and perky by comparison. Both cityscapes were home to various villain groups to equally varying degrees, but Boomtown was more often ignored by both Heroes and Longbow lately. This has allowed certain groups to proliferate. One group was the Vahzilok and they were purpose of her visit.
She was approaching the northeast corner of the zone at a comfortable pace. Her contact would be waiting in the corner-most building to be sure, but she wanted to be as unnoticeable as possible … even to the undead. Scarlet was grateful for the ability to fly now. The dank stench of death wafted to her elevation. She would dread the smell on the surface. But duty calls.
As she reached the corner, she slowed and found shadow along the support column. Gloam had settled on Paragon and especially here. She willed herself to fall controllably until she landed on the support base. Looking down she did not perceive any threats at the top of the building below where her contact was resting. Again, she floated down until she landed softly on the rooftop. Finding the entrance door she entered and covered her mouth to keep from gagging out loud.
Scarlet recovered and blinked trying to remove the stench from her eye. Somehow it worked. Gulping a few times she started to reluctantly get used to the smell. Her heavy boots made echoes down the dark hallway and Scarlet absorbed the sound and projected them away from her to create a silent sonic shielding. Any sudden attack would be deflected away, or at least softened. But with the Vahzilok, she would hear them before her shielding was needed. This was just a precaution.
She heard some dirt shuffle and paused. “It’s ok, the building is clear”, whispered a woman unseen. The female voice was strained, as if she were hiding the fact she had cried recently. Scarlet frowned in recognition. “Just be careful of the blood on the floor to your left.” She looked left and noticed an eviscerated cadaver still trickling blood and formaldehyde from its many cuts and severed limbs. Scarlet shook her head and kept walking to the source of the whisper.
Turning a corner into a room overlooking the road in front, Scarlet noticed her contact crouched at a window, its pane shattered long ago. She was dressed in mostly black combat fatigues and boots with camo-green armored pads. A large vibrosword was resting at her feet while combat goggles were resting at her neck. Her long blonde hair pulled back into a pony-tail. The crossbow attached to her arm was armed with extra bolts in pockets on her leg.
Scarlet crouched at the window and looked out. Not seeing anything of value she spoke to the woman without looking at her. “You know, I’m not really fond of being here for several reasons.”
The woman spoke without looking away from the window either. “I know, but the sentiment is appreciated.” She sniffled, but the air was not cold.
“Does Sister Hecate know you are seeing me?”
“Does Indigo know you are seeing me?”
Scarlet nodded. “Fair enough. I see you are a Hand now. Congratulations.”
“I see you are a Field Commander. Congratulations as well.”
“Thank you. Sheryl sends her regards and wishes you’d come home.”
Silence. Scarlet nodded again. “Now that I’m here to help her, why am I here to help you?”
The blonde nodded toward a cargo trailer near the building. Scarlet looked. Through the darkness she noticed what was not there before: a wandering conglomeration of Vahzilok cadavers herded by a few Reapers. On the backs of the cadavers were other bodies. More fresh in death, or maybe even alive but unmoving. Either way, Scarlet counted twenty wobbling cadavers before estimating at least that many more again in the whole group. They were shuffling toward the cargo container.
“What’s in the box,” Scarlet darkly wondered.
“Nothing … yet.”
Now Scarlet was confused. “I think you could handle this pack, so what’s the deal?”
The Hand of Artemis looked to Scarlet. “You owe Sheryl a favor and this is it: my husband is on the back of a cadaver and we’re going to rescue him. Dead or alive. After that, I’ll turn myself in to you.”
