Post by Veta on May 1, 2009 19:27:36 GMT -6
This here is for deleted posts that doesn't fit with the RPG anymore but really, are interestin g to read. Like deleted scenes from DVDs.
Acts are in days.
Scenes are just random.
---
Basil and the Death of Mike, Act 3 Scene 7.
----
Mike Rhodes, In the hotel, Act 5 Scene 2.
-
The 51th Diversion, Act 5 Scene 11
-
Alternative Johnny Death Scene / Ninja fight, Scene 4 Act 16
------------------
Act 5 Scene 22, Joseph and Jacob's Assault on the Hotel
__________
Mike's destruction of the Church
Acts are in days.
Scenes are just random.
---
Basil and the Death of Mike, Act 3 Scene 7.
Mike and Arianne quietly left the security room. They were leaving the mall, as Arianne had said earlier on.
As they went down Entrance Plaza, Mike felt suddenly watched.
He turned round, scanning the area for possible enemies, and seeing none, started walking down the Plaza again.
He had failed to notice the barrel of a Vintorez poking out of a shop's doorway on the second floor.
The first shot, perfectly silent, hit him in the leg.
Before he had time to react, his other leg was pierced by a second bullet.
He saw Arianne take a bullet in the shoulder and fall to the ground.
As he struggled to pull out his pistol, two more bullets smashed through each of his elbow joints.
He lay on the floor of the mall, bleeding heavily and unable to move.
Suddenly, he saw a tall man wielding some Russian sniper rifle approach them.
As he approached them, he saw Arianne and slammed her down to the floor with the butt of his rifle.
"-Well, look what we have here...", he said, drawing out his combat knife and smiling disgustingly, "mind if I have some fun with her first?"
Arianne screamed as the psychotic bastard cut her up, laughing as he did so.
Finally, Arianne stopped screaming and the psycho walked over to where Mike lay, drawing his pistol.
"-Now it's your turn to go..."
-------------------------------------------------------
Further away, towards Paradise Plaza, Basil, Shark, Terry and the unconscious Derek were making their way back to the security room when they heard a woman scream somewhere near the entrance of the mall.
"-What the fuck was that?", said Shark, whirling around at the noise.
"-It sounded like that girl Arianne, who follows Mike everywhere", said Basil.
The screams had an agonised quality to them, making Basil fear the worse.
He dashed off towards the screams, followed by the others. He desperately hoped he wouldn't be too late...
Unfortunately, he was too late.
As he arrived at the scene, he was met with a vision of death and horror.
Arianne had been...butchered. Someone had cut her face up and had eviscerated her.
Nearby lay Mike, his expression of horror, pain and hate frozen in death.
He had been shot in both legs and both arms, literally immobilising him.
A bullet hole in his forehead clearly indicated the cause of death...
Shark, and Terry, still dragging Derek along, arrived at the scene.
Basil felt sick, pained and angry. Who could do such a disgusting and cowardly act of cruelty?
"-This...this is too much...I feel faint...", he said.
He felt overwhelmed and powerless. He sat down on the floor, his head whirling.
First Josh, then Johnny and now Mike and Arianne...
Shark looked at Arianne's mutilated body.
"-Whoever did this was one sick son of a bitch. He must have shot Mike down but jept him alive long enough to torture Arianne...disgusting."
"-We could have saved them...", said Basil.
"We could have saved them if we had just arrived a few minutes earlier...it's all my fault..."
"-Don't blame yourself Basil. We couldn't have done anything", said Terry.
"-No...you're wrong...it's my fault. Mike was right when he called me a coward, I could have saved him and Arianne!"
Shark looked at both bodies with a mixture of sadness and anger.
"-Well...", he said, "we might as well bury them or something...not leave them out for those fleash-eating corpses to take..."
He took hold of Mike's lifeless body and set off towards Leisure Park.
Basil picked up Arianne and followed.
As they went down Entrance Plaza, Mike felt suddenly watched.
He turned round, scanning the area for possible enemies, and seeing none, started walking down the Plaza again.
He had failed to notice the barrel of a Vintorez poking out of a shop's doorway on the second floor.
The first shot, perfectly silent, hit him in the leg.
Before he had time to react, his other leg was pierced by a second bullet.
He saw Arianne take a bullet in the shoulder and fall to the ground.
As he struggled to pull out his pistol, two more bullets smashed through each of his elbow joints.
He lay on the floor of the mall, bleeding heavily and unable to move.
Suddenly, he saw a tall man wielding some Russian sniper rifle approach them.
As he approached them, he saw Arianne and slammed her down to the floor with the butt of his rifle.
"-Well, look what we have here...", he said, drawing out his combat knife and smiling disgustingly, "mind if I have some fun with her first?"
Arianne screamed as the psychotic bastard cut her up, laughing as he did so.
Finally, Arianne stopped screaming and the psycho walked over to where Mike lay, drawing his pistol.
"-Now it's your turn to go..."
-------------------------------------------------------
Further away, towards Paradise Plaza, Basil, Shark, Terry and the unconscious Derek were making their way back to the security room when they heard a woman scream somewhere near the entrance of the mall.
"-What the fuck was that?", said Shark, whirling around at the noise.
"-It sounded like that girl Arianne, who follows Mike everywhere", said Basil.
The screams had an agonised quality to them, making Basil fear the worse.
He dashed off towards the screams, followed by the others. He desperately hoped he wouldn't be too late...
Unfortunately, he was too late.
As he arrived at the scene, he was met with a vision of death and horror.
Arianne had been...butchered. Someone had cut her face up and had eviscerated her.
Nearby lay Mike, his expression of horror, pain and hate frozen in death.
He had been shot in both legs and both arms, literally immobilising him.
A bullet hole in his forehead clearly indicated the cause of death...
Shark, and Terry, still dragging Derek along, arrived at the scene.
Basil felt sick, pained and angry. Who could do such a disgusting and cowardly act of cruelty?
"-This...this is too much...I feel faint...", he said.
He felt overwhelmed and powerless. He sat down on the floor, his head whirling.
First Josh, then Johnny and now Mike and Arianne...
Shark looked at Arianne's mutilated body.
"-Whoever did this was one sick son of a bitch. He must have shot Mike down but jept him alive long enough to torture Arianne...disgusting."
"-We could have saved them...", said Basil.
"We could have saved them if we had just arrived a few minutes earlier...it's all my fault..."
"-Don't blame yourself Basil. We couldn't have done anything", said Terry.
"-No...you're wrong...it's my fault. Mike was right when he called me a coward, I could have saved him and Arianne!"
Shark looked at both bodies with a mixture of sadness and anger.
"-Well...", he said, "we might as well bury them or something...not leave them out for those fleash-eating corpses to take..."
He took hold of Mike's lifeless body and set off towards Leisure Park.
Basil picked up Arianne and followed.
----
Mike Rhodes, In the hotel, Act 5 Scene 2.
After Mike said that he wasn't going, the group began to gather around him again. He heard someone say, "Why the fuck not?" and someone else call him a coward.
Mike was unmoved. His "give a fuck" was broken for the moment.
Everyone was looking at him. That would have made him feel nervous just the day before. Now, he felt nothing. Their comments were bouncing off of him with ease. Their opinions of him had, in his mind, been reduced to insignificance. His regard for them had fallen to equal levels.
His regard for himself was likewise bottomed out.
Mike got up off the couch and starting walking away, Arianne holding his hand. He wasn't certain where he was going. He had only seen the entrance and the area around it so far. This looked like a pretty big hotel, and now he had the run of it. Mike was taking the day off. Whatever came after that would be decided later.
It seemed to him that no one was sorry to see him walk away, and he got a feeling that it would make the group jump and shout in euphoria if he walked out of the hotel and out of their lives.
Which, of course, made him feel nothing.
Cindy stopped him. He humored her as best he could as she said, “You’re not coming with? Mike, we need you…”
He still felt nothing, but froze. He didn't give a ten penny fuck what they needed. Not one of them gave a righteous shit what he needed, or that's what his burned out mind was telling him.
Of course they needed him. But he knew the real reason.
Mike slowly turned around, his eyes locking on the crowd that was hanging on his every move.
"You need me, huh? Is that right?" He began addressing everyone.
"So, you need me? Why? For what? You haven't figured out who to blame for everything if I'm not there? You don't know who to bitch at for every little thing if I'm not there to take your shit? You whiny little school girls...who the fuck are you to expect my help? I've almost died several times trying to help you all, and what the fuck happens? You..." Mike just stifled himself. Nothing he said would make them understand what they had done to him.
They had taken his sanity, or close to it. They had taken his time and energy with no appreciation. Now, if they could get his life, they would, and forget about him one minute later.
"What's the point? Blame someone else. Find another whipping boy." Mike walked past Cindy right to Veta. Mike didn't care if Veta shot him that very second. He got close enough to spit on, but that was about all.
Mike's eyes bored a hole right into Veta's forehead.
"We all know who you really need."
With that, he turned around and starting walking again.
Cindy spoke again.
"“Then don’t come. I suggested you rested over 3 days ago, but you just kept going. You get your rest, we’ll do this on our own. You deserve a break, Mike. If I’m not mistaken, you’ve been apart of every ‘mission’ we’ve had so far. You’re a good team player, and you deserve a bit more respect than what we give you.”
With that, the others began to form their little posses and started with their half-assed plans and strategies. Mike turned and walked past them, Arianne at his side. They walked right out and to Mike's car, opened the trunk and grabbed their bags. They headed back in without looking at anyone or saying a word.
Mike was taking the day off.
They grabbed a card key from the wall behind the front desk. It was in a slot reading "Master Suite."
"This will do."
They headed to the elevators and rode to the top floor. A brass sign with black etched letters read, "Master Suite" with an arrow indicating the direction.
"Mike, what are we doing?"
"Taking the day off Arianne. Hell, we might even take the whole week off for all we know. Let's not plan too far ahead."
They opened the door to the master suite. It was clean. No bodies, no living dead, no nothing to show that anything outside had gotten totally fucked up. They laid their bags on the bed in the main room and looked around. Two large rooms and one bath, bigger than some peoples' houses.
"Yes, this will do nicely. Let's make ourselves at home."
----------
Mike and Arianne stripped off their tactical gear and everything underneath. It was only now that they both realized that they smelled like a trout's asshole. Four or five days of not showering and wearing most of the same clothes would do that.
They hopped in the shower, and scrubbed each other down (which both enjoyed) and plopped down on the bed (one of the beds, that is). Though they had only woken up an hour or so before, they could have fallen asleep right then and there.
But they didn't.
Mike rolled over and saw something interesting. A set of luggage was sitting by the wall, unopened. They grabbed it and began rifling through it.
It seemed that a couple had using this room when the infestation hit, and left in such a hurry that they didn't bother to take their luggage. There wasn't much of note. A few sets of clothes, but the sizes meant that they might fit Mike and Arianne, though not perfectly. Mike found a man's swimsuit, all navy blue with red stripes going down the side.
He tried them on. The suit's previous owner was chunkier around the middle, but they would stay on.
"Nice look, Mike. Classy. I totally want to sex you up."
"And what is that you're holding, Arianne?"
She had her hands on a black two-piece, which she tried on.
"Fuck that. Too tight. Whoever had this before me had pretty small boobs."
Mike still kept staring. "I don't know. That's quite a look."
She got it on finally, looking like she was about to bust right out of her top. "Nice, Mike, but any chance we might find something useful in here rather than putting on this little JC Penny's Summer Fashion Show?"
That could wait. Mike went to the bathroom and grabbed two towels.
"When I said we were taking the day off, I meant it. Fuck the others. Let's do our own thing. We've earned it, probably more than anyone else."
"Are you serious? Mike, have you gone off your rocker?"
"You know something? Maybe I have. But that's fine. I might get my sanity back in full if they're going to be gone for a while. I need some damned peace and quiet. I need a rest. Don't you? Let's go splash around and let the others do what they're going to do."
Arianne thought about that. The idea grew on her by the second.
They left the room, wearing nothing but their new beach attire and gun belts over their shoulders, towels in hand. They must have made quite a sight, but no one was there to watch them. That was just fine and dandy. An entire hotel, fancier than any that Mike had ever stayed in, to themselves. This was grand. It would have been better if he hadn't been fighting for his life and sanity for five straight days, taking shit from everyone and their mother.
This was Mike time. It was Arianne time. It was "no Veta" time.
The found the pool on the ground floor. It was in a well-lit atrium with sky windows and plenty of flora. The sliding back windows of various rooms emptied out onto the patio and the balconies above. Of course, no one was in those rooms. This was as private as private could get. They laid their gun belts on a chair near the edge of the pool and dove in. They splashed around for, well, they didn't know how long, but they enjoyed every second of it. Apparently, even in a zombie apocalypse, the pool heater could still function. Let's hear it for small victories.
After playing around (including diving and running, even though the sign said 'no'...there was no lifeguard on duty after all), they hit the hot tub. It soothed their aching joints which really needed soothing and lots of it. It was easy to forget where they had been, what they had been doing, and who they had done it with the last five days. Although it would have been a minor deal otherwise, the current circumstances meant that this little "time to themselves" was heaven on earth.
Though, of course there was cold, hard reality out there still. And the worst of it (in Mike's mind) had just left on potentially suicidal missions to a school and a grocery store (as best as Mike could remember). There were still a few things to discuss, without the others fucking it up.
Mike's mind was on the other survivors, not the cult, not the living dead, and not the mutated freaks, who Mike hoped had been buried under that hospital.
Arianne sensed Mike's thoughts and began talking about the unpleasant things.
"Mike, what was the real reason that we didn't go with the others?"
"Oh, that...it's no secret. We're here because we no longer owe them anything, not even our presence or our gun hands. You said it yourself back at the mall. They don't really give a shit about us unless they need us, and when they don't, they see us as people who can take all the blame, get very little credit, and play second fiddle to the Cindys and Vetas of the world. But when someone is about to die, or someone needs a plan, or hope, or anything that tells them that they might live through this, that's when they start telling us how valuable we are."
Arianne nodded quite a bit at Mike's spoken thoughts. "I can't argue with any of that. Shit, remember when Veta made his triumphant return to us at the hospital? When he finally graced us with his presence? He blamed us for leaving the kid. Actually blamed us! He didn't blame Cindy, who was with us...oh no...not her...he reserved that blame for us...or actually, for you. He even tried to kill you! What did Cindy do then? Said nothing, did nothing...you're important when they need you to babysit them, but you aren't even important enough to keep Veta from killing you. And of course, Cindy is slathering all over him again...she doesn't mind that he tried to kill you. He winks and she goes jelly in the knees."
"What can I say about that? You don't think they're out there right now, cursing my name and going on and on about what a coward I am, or how I'm betraying the group, or how I'll let others take the risks while I sit on my ass? Anything I did for them before this is already forgotten. If they come back here with a thousand zombies hot on their heels, they'll scream at me to save them. It's happened before."
"Mike, what do you want to do about this? You can't keep this up. I thought it was because you kept taking every responsibility on yourself. I was wrong. The others throw it at you and demand you do everything, and with Veta and that kid, he's even blaming you for his fuck ups. He left the kid too, but bitches at you for it...even after you saw..." Arianne stopped herself. No need to talk about that now.
Mike thought for a few seconds. "The only thing I can really do it what I'm doing right now. Leaving them to whatever the hell they want to do, and being alone with you."
"Mike, we talked about leaving them here, and heading out of town ourselves."
"You know they'd resent us forever for that, and without us, they're unlikely to even get out of town. They'll be taken into custody by the National Guard, and you know that. Biotech's agents would have little trouble finding them after that."
"True though that might be, Mike, you can't keep risking your life for them. They don't appreciate it. They don't care. If they get taken by the Guard, they'll wish you were there, saving them again, getting them out of that mess and taking them to the promised land or some such shit. Otherwise, we get them out of this town, and the moment we're in the clear, they won't want to know you or even speak your name."
"I know...I know that you're right. But leaving them all to die just doesn't sound right at all. It's not why I wear the badge."
"Leaving who to die? The same people who didn't give a fuck if Veta blew your head clean off? Those people?"
"Okay, Arianne, you have a point there. But what can we do? Leave them all here?"
"Why not? They don't think they need you. Okay, Cindy might. I do have to admit, I resented the hell out of her before, but she's grown on me. She's actually leading from the front for a change, but I think her lust for Veta is clouding her judgment. I think she does genuinely mean what she said, about how you don't get the credit you deserve, and I think she's doing right by telling you that in front of everyone, but still..."
"Cindy, huh? Falling all over the same guy who tried to kill me...you know what's coming. It's going to break between Veta and me. He's going to push things that far, I promise you, and then we'll see where Cindy is. She'll most likely back Veta against me."
"Keep in mind that she's a young widow, or something like that."
"I know, because I killed her fiance, and she even told me she understood why."
"Mike, the answer to all of this will reveal itself when the time is right. That time isn't now, I don't think."
"Then what is it time for?"
"Relaxing, Mike...and enjoying what we can while we can, until all this shit comes back in its own time, which you know it will, probably in only a few hours."
"I get that, Arianne, but until then?"
Arianne got out of the hot tub and headed back to the pool. Mike caught himself staring at the tattoo on the small of her back of a snarling tiger's head, and the one on her left shoulder, the letters "USAF." He liked that one. He had an anchor on his own left arm.
Arianne jumped into the five-foot deep section and Mike went in after her. Their suits were tossed onto the edge of the pool, and for a while, they did enjoy what they could, but the details of that need not concern anyone but them.
An hour and a half later, they were back in the room, both smiling at each other but not saying much. Their actions had already spoken louder than words.
They put their tactical gear back on and slung their weapons. They headed down to the ground floor wondering when the others would come back, or if they would come back at all.
They went into the restaurant and fed themselves on what was around (meaning whatever was still frozen...thank God for the microwave) and sat on a couch near the entrance.
"So Arianne, let's see what the others say to us when they get back. If they're understanding that we needed a day to ourselves..."
"I understand."
"But if they give us a ration of shit for not going out there to babysit their ungrateful asses for the thousandth time..."
"I understand that too."
Mike was unmoved. His "give a fuck" was broken for the moment.
Everyone was looking at him. That would have made him feel nervous just the day before. Now, he felt nothing. Their comments were bouncing off of him with ease. Their opinions of him had, in his mind, been reduced to insignificance. His regard for them had fallen to equal levels.
His regard for himself was likewise bottomed out.
Mike got up off the couch and starting walking away, Arianne holding his hand. He wasn't certain where he was going. He had only seen the entrance and the area around it so far. This looked like a pretty big hotel, and now he had the run of it. Mike was taking the day off. Whatever came after that would be decided later.
It seemed to him that no one was sorry to see him walk away, and he got a feeling that it would make the group jump and shout in euphoria if he walked out of the hotel and out of their lives.
Which, of course, made him feel nothing.
Cindy stopped him. He humored her as best he could as she said, “You’re not coming with? Mike, we need you…”
He still felt nothing, but froze. He didn't give a ten penny fuck what they needed. Not one of them gave a righteous shit what he needed, or that's what his burned out mind was telling him.
Of course they needed him. But he knew the real reason.
Mike slowly turned around, his eyes locking on the crowd that was hanging on his every move.
"You need me, huh? Is that right?" He began addressing everyone.
"So, you need me? Why? For what? You haven't figured out who to blame for everything if I'm not there? You don't know who to bitch at for every little thing if I'm not there to take your shit? You whiny little school girls...who the fuck are you to expect my help? I've almost died several times trying to help you all, and what the fuck happens? You..." Mike just stifled himself. Nothing he said would make them understand what they had done to him.
They had taken his sanity, or close to it. They had taken his time and energy with no appreciation. Now, if they could get his life, they would, and forget about him one minute later.
"What's the point? Blame someone else. Find another whipping boy." Mike walked past Cindy right to Veta. Mike didn't care if Veta shot him that very second. He got close enough to spit on, but that was about all.
Mike's eyes bored a hole right into Veta's forehead.
"We all know who you really need."
With that, he turned around and starting walking again.
Cindy spoke again.
"“Then don’t come. I suggested you rested over 3 days ago, but you just kept going. You get your rest, we’ll do this on our own. You deserve a break, Mike. If I’m not mistaken, you’ve been apart of every ‘mission’ we’ve had so far. You’re a good team player, and you deserve a bit more respect than what we give you.”
With that, the others began to form their little posses and started with their half-assed plans and strategies. Mike turned and walked past them, Arianne at his side. They walked right out and to Mike's car, opened the trunk and grabbed their bags. They headed back in without looking at anyone or saying a word.
Mike was taking the day off.
They grabbed a card key from the wall behind the front desk. It was in a slot reading "Master Suite."
"This will do."
They headed to the elevators and rode to the top floor. A brass sign with black etched letters read, "Master Suite" with an arrow indicating the direction.
"Mike, what are we doing?"
"Taking the day off Arianne. Hell, we might even take the whole week off for all we know. Let's not plan too far ahead."
They opened the door to the master suite. It was clean. No bodies, no living dead, no nothing to show that anything outside had gotten totally fucked up. They laid their bags on the bed in the main room and looked around. Two large rooms and one bath, bigger than some peoples' houses.
"Yes, this will do nicely. Let's make ourselves at home."
----------
Mike and Arianne stripped off their tactical gear and everything underneath. It was only now that they both realized that they smelled like a trout's asshole. Four or five days of not showering and wearing most of the same clothes would do that.
They hopped in the shower, and scrubbed each other down (which both enjoyed) and plopped down on the bed (one of the beds, that is). Though they had only woken up an hour or so before, they could have fallen asleep right then and there.
But they didn't.
Mike rolled over and saw something interesting. A set of luggage was sitting by the wall, unopened. They grabbed it and began rifling through it.
It seemed that a couple had using this room when the infestation hit, and left in such a hurry that they didn't bother to take their luggage. There wasn't much of note. A few sets of clothes, but the sizes meant that they might fit Mike and Arianne, though not perfectly. Mike found a man's swimsuit, all navy blue with red stripes going down the side.
He tried them on. The suit's previous owner was chunkier around the middle, but they would stay on.
"Nice look, Mike. Classy. I totally want to sex you up."
"And what is that you're holding, Arianne?"
She had her hands on a black two-piece, which she tried on.
"Fuck that. Too tight. Whoever had this before me had pretty small boobs."
Mike still kept staring. "I don't know. That's quite a look."
She got it on finally, looking like she was about to bust right out of her top. "Nice, Mike, but any chance we might find something useful in here rather than putting on this little JC Penny's Summer Fashion Show?"
That could wait. Mike went to the bathroom and grabbed two towels.
"When I said we were taking the day off, I meant it. Fuck the others. Let's do our own thing. We've earned it, probably more than anyone else."
"Are you serious? Mike, have you gone off your rocker?"
"You know something? Maybe I have. But that's fine. I might get my sanity back in full if they're going to be gone for a while. I need some damned peace and quiet. I need a rest. Don't you? Let's go splash around and let the others do what they're going to do."
Arianne thought about that. The idea grew on her by the second.
They left the room, wearing nothing but their new beach attire and gun belts over their shoulders, towels in hand. They must have made quite a sight, but no one was there to watch them. That was just fine and dandy. An entire hotel, fancier than any that Mike had ever stayed in, to themselves. This was grand. It would have been better if he hadn't been fighting for his life and sanity for five straight days, taking shit from everyone and their mother.
This was Mike time. It was Arianne time. It was "no Veta" time.
The found the pool on the ground floor. It was in a well-lit atrium with sky windows and plenty of flora. The sliding back windows of various rooms emptied out onto the patio and the balconies above. Of course, no one was in those rooms. This was as private as private could get. They laid their gun belts on a chair near the edge of the pool and dove in. They splashed around for, well, they didn't know how long, but they enjoyed every second of it. Apparently, even in a zombie apocalypse, the pool heater could still function. Let's hear it for small victories.
After playing around (including diving and running, even though the sign said 'no'...there was no lifeguard on duty after all), they hit the hot tub. It soothed their aching joints which really needed soothing and lots of it. It was easy to forget where they had been, what they had been doing, and who they had done it with the last five days. Although it would have been a minor deal otherwise, the current circumstances meant that this little "time to themselves" was heaven on earth.
Though, of course there was cold, hard reality out there still. And the worst of it (in Mike's mind) had just left on potentially suicidal missions to a school and a grocery store (as best as Mike could remember). There were still a few things to discuss, without the others fucking it up.
Mike's mind was on the other survivors, not the cult, not the living dead, and not the mutated freaks, who Mike hoped had been buried under that hospital.
Arianne sensed Mike's thoughts and began talking about the unpleasant things.
"Mike, what was the real reason that we didn't go with the others?"
"Oh, that...it's no secret. We're here because we no longer owe them anything, not even our presence or our gun hands. You said it yourself back at the mall. They don't really give a shit about us unless they need us, and when they don't, they see us as people who can take all the blame, get very little credit, and play second fiddle to the Cindys and Vetas of the world. But when someone is about to die, or someone needs a plan, or hope, or anything that tells them that they might live through this, that's when they start telling us how valuable we are."
Arianne nodded quite a bit at Mike's spoken thoughts. "I can't argue with any of that. Shit, remember when Veta made his triumphant return to us at the hospital? When he finally graced us with his presence? He blamed us for leaving the kid. Actually blamed us! He didn't blame Cindy, who was with us...oh no...not her...he reserved that blame for us...or actually, for you. He even tried to kill you! What did Cindy do then? Said nothing, did nothing...you're important when they need you to babysit them, but you aren't even important enough to keep Veta from killing you. And of course, Cindy is slathering all over him again...she doesn't mind that he tried to kill you. He winks and she goes jelly in the knees."
"What can I say about that? You don't think they're out there right now, cursing my name and going on and on about what a coward I am, or how I'm betraying the group, or how I'll let others take the risks while I sit on my ass? Anything I did for them before this is already forgotten. If they come back here with a thousand zombies hot on their heels, they'll scream at me to save them. It's happened before."
"Mike, what do you want to do about this? You can't keep this up. I thought it was because you kept taking every responsibility on yourself. I was wrong. The others throw it at you and demand you do everything, and with Veta and that kid, he's even blaming you for his fuck ups. He left the kid too, but bitches at you for it...even after you saw..." Arianne stopped herself. No need to talk about that now.
Mike thought for a few seconds. "The only thing I can really do it what I'm doing right now. Leaving them to whatever the hell they want to do, and being alone with you."
"Mike, we talked about leaving them here, and heading out of town ourselves."
"You know they'd resent us forever for that, and without us, they're unlikely to even get out of town. They'll be taken into custody by the National Guard, and you know that. Biotech's agents would have little trouble finding them after that."
"True though that might be, Mike, you can't keep risking your life for them. They don't appreciate it. They don't care. If they get taken by the Guard, they'll wish you were there, saving them again, getting them out of that mess and taking them to the promised land or some such shit. Otherwise, we get them out of this town, and the moment we're in the clear, they won't want to know you or even speak your name."
"I know...I know that you're right. But leaving them all to die just doesn't sound right at all. It's not why I wear the badge."
"Leaving who to die? The same people who didn't give a fuck if Veta blew your head clean off? Those people?"
"Okay, Arianne, you have a point there. But what can we do? Leave them all here?"
"Why not? They don't think they need you. Okay, Cindy might. I do have to admit, I resented the hell out of her before, but she's grown on me. She's actually leading from the front for a change, but I think her lust for Veta is clouding her judgment. I think she does genuinely mean what she said, about how you don't get the credit you deserve, and I think she's doing right by telling you that in front of everyone, but still..."
"Cindy, huh? Falling all over the same guy who tried to kill me...you know what's coming. It's going to break between Veta and me. He's going to push things that far, I promise you, and then we'll see where Cindy is. She'll most likely back Veta against me."
"Keep in mind that she's a young widow, or something like that."
"I know, because I killed her fiance, and she even told me she understood why."
"Mike, the answer to all of this will reveal itself when the time is right. That time isn't now, I don't think."
"Then what is it time for?"
"Relaxing, Mike...and enjoying what we can while we can, until all this shit comes back in its own time, which you know it will, probably in only a few hours."
"I get that, Arianne, but until then?"
Arianne got out of the hot tub and headed back to the pool. Mike caught himself staring at the tattoo on the small of her back of a snarling tiger's head, and the one on her left shoulder, the letters "USAF." He liked that one. He had an anchor on his own left arm.
Arianne jumped into the five-foot deep section and Mike went in after her. Their suits were tossed onto the edge of the pool, and for a while, they did enjoy what they could, but the details of that need not concern anyone but them.
An hour and a half later, they were back in the room, both smiling at each other but not saying much. Their actions had already spoken louder than words.
They put their tactical gear back on and slung their weapons. They headed down to the ground floor wondering when the others would come back, or if they would come back at all.
They went into the restaurant and fed themselves on what was around (meaning whatever was still frozen...thank God for the microwave) and sat on a couch near the entrance.
"So Arianne, let's see what the others say to us when they get back. If they're understanding that we needed a day to ourselves..."
"I understand."
"But if they give us a ration of shit for not going out there to babysit their ungrateful asses for the thousandth time..."
"I understand that too."
-
The 51th Diversion, Act 5 Scene 11
Pvt. Minoza stared at the radio, willing it to crackle into life so he could talk to someone.....anyone. After 5 minutes of silence Minoza heard a voice on the radio.
"Pvt minoza? Pvt. Minoza are you there?"
The voice startled him and he quickly grabbed the handpiece and quickly said "Yes! Yes i'm here, who is this?"
"This is command private, I thought you would have recognized it by now" the voice replied sarcasticly.
Minoza scowled "I'm requesting an evac out of here, we've had 4 casualties and Sgt. Walsh is lying next to me unconcious"
There was silence for a few moment, then the voice came back.
"I'm sorry private but your request has been denied, your mission still stands, and it is too dangerous to send in another helicopter for you."
Minoza slowly put the handpiece back into the radio with shaking hands. There was no way he could clean up the town by himself! Minoza thought about his options, he could go on a suicide run through the town and leave Walsh here or he could.......
Minoza looked down at his gun, then looked at Walsh. Quick and painless, one bullet : pow.
Minoza picked up his weapon and walked over to where Walsh lay.
"I'm sorry man.... i'm so, so sorry" he said before putting a bullet into his head and ending his life.
Then Minoza turned the gun on himself and put the barrel into his mouth, pointing upwards.
A lone tear rolled down his cheek before a deafening BANG echoed through the night.....
54th U.S Military Division :
K.I.A
"Pvt minoza? Pvt. Minoza are you there?"
The voice startled him and he quickly grabbed the handpiece and quickly said "Yes! Yes i'm here, who is this?"
"This is command private, I thought you would have recognized it by now" the voice replied sarcasticly.
Minoza scowled "I'm requesting an evac out of here, we've had 4 casualties and Sgt. Walsh is lying next to me unconcious"
There was silence for a few moment, then the voice came back.
"I'm sorry private but your request has been denied, your mission still stands, and it is too dangerous to send in another helicopter for you."
Minoza slowly put the handpiece back into the radio with shaking hands. There was no way he could clean up the town by himself! Minoza thought about his options, he could go on a suicide run through the town and leave Walsh here or he could.......
Minoza looked down at his gun, then looked at Walsh. Quick and painless, one bullet : pow.
Minoza picked up his weapon and walked over to where Walsh lay.
"I'm sorry man.... i'm so, so sorry" he said before putting a bullet into his head and ending his life.
Then Minoza turned the gun on himself and put the barrel into his mouth, pointing upwards.
A lone tear rolled down his cheek before a deafening BANG echoed through the night.....
54th U.S Military Division :
K.I.A
-
Alternative Johnny Death Scene / Ninja fight, Scene 4 Act 16
The three people walked up to the ninja. "Now, bow." He whipped out his katana. "You people have brought the zombie curse upon this establishment, now I will take vengeance." He was about to kill Basil! "NOW!" Shark yelled. Terry whipped out his pistol and shot Sharks cuffs. Immediately Shark turned around and Terry threw him his spear. Shark then cut Basil and Johnny's cuffs as-well.
"A SETUP! THE MAN DIES!" The ninja backed up and put a knife to Derek's throat. "NO!" Basil tackled them both. The ninja rolled away, while Terry went to grab Derek. The ninja threw stars at them. Shark dodged it, while Basil rolled under them. The ninja ran up the stairs to the food court. "Get him!" Johnny yelled.
The ninja jumped out with two katanas. He yelled something in Japanese. Shark jumped up to fight him. They traded blows until Shark was stabbed in the arm. "GAH!!!" He yelled. "SHARK!" Johnny yelled. Shark threw his spear to Johnny as Basil got a good vantage point in the rafters.
"Bring it!" Johnny tried as best he could to fight off the ninja, but the ninja was too fast.
Shark got a gun from Terry as Terry picked up Derek and ran away to hide. Johnny tried to roll around the ninja, but he turned around and swiped at his feet. "GAH!!"Johnny had a huge gash on his leg. "Johnny! Get outta there!" Basil yelled from the rafters.
Johnny dragged himself to the taco shop as Shark fought off the ninja. Basil still hadn't got his shot yet. The ninja was getting tired. So was Shark. The ninja kicked Shark onto the ground. "Time to die, worm." He was about to bring down the sword when Johnny yelled, "NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Johnny ran over to the ninja. Right as Basil took his shot. The bullet hit the sword out of his hand as Johnny tackled him. The sword landed with a thud on the ground right next to Shark. "No." Shark limped over to where they fell off the food court ledge. Basil climbed down from the rafters. On the ground was Johnny, bloody and with his throat cut by a knife, and next to him lay the ninja, with his hands at his throat, apparently where Johnny strangled him.
"A SETUP! THE MAN DIES!" The ninja backed up and put a knife to Derek's throat. "NO!" Basil tackled them both. The ninja rolled away, while Terry went to grab Derek. The ninja threw stars at them. Shark dodged it, while Basil rolled under them. The ninja ran up the stairs to the food court. "Get him!" Johnny yelled.
The ninja jumped out with two katanas. He yelled something in Japanese. Shark jumped up to fight him. They traded blows until Shark was stabbed in the arm. "GAH!!!" He yelled. "SHARK!" Johnny yelled. Shark threw his spear to Johnny as Basil got a good vantage point in the rafters.
"Bring it!" Johnny tried as best he could to fight off the ninja, but the ninja was too fast.
Shark got a gun from Terry as Terry picked up Derek and ran away to hide. Johnny tried to roll around the ninja, but he turned around and swiped at his feet. "GAH!!"Johnny had a huge gash on his leg. "Johnny! Get outta there!" Basil yelled from the rafters.
Johnny dragged himself to the taco shop as Shark fought off the ninja. Basil still hadn't got his shot yet. The ninja was getting tired. So was Shark. The ninja kicked Shark onto the ground. "Time to die, worm." He was about to bring down the sword when Johnny yelled, "NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Johnny ran over to the ninja. Right as Basil took his shot. The bullet hit the sword out of his hand as Johnny tackled him. The sword landed with a thud on the ground right next to Shark. "No." Shark limped over to where they fell off the food court ledge. Basil climbed down from the rafters. On the ground was Johnny, bloody and with his throat cut by a knife, and next to him lay the ninja, with his hands at his throat, apparently where Johnny strangled him.
------------------
Act 5 Scene 22, Joseph and Jacob's Assault on the Hotel
Performing reconnaissance as he was trained, Joseph soon scouts the entirety of the hotel's exterior. "The only form of protection they have are barricades around the front and rear. We could easily force our way in with either a hot wired car or some explosives." Joseph suggests, motioning for the rocket on his back. "We should enter with a bang, solidify our images into their minds so they know to fear us." Jacob says, preparing to revel in the blood that is going to be spilled.
"As you wish Jacob, crazy Russian bastard." Joseph chuckles, enjoying the ability to do whatever they please, whenever they please it. "Should we attack from this range to allow them time to prepare or do you want to ambush them while they are still trapped like rats?" Joseph leaves the decision up to Jacob, he cares not which way they assault.
"Wait until we get closer. I want to smell their charred corpses as we swoop down upon them." Jacob growls, licking his knife with his tongue, enjoying the taste of the cold steel. "We'll gut them won't we Skinner?" Jacob asks his knife, awaiting a response from the inanimate object. "Of course, I've been dying to taste the blood of a few children." A sultry female's voice replies in Jacob's mind.
"Talking to that damn knife again? Something's wrong with you." Joseph mutters under his breath, not realizing that Jacob heard him. "What'd I tell you about Skinner?! Don't talk about her like that!" Jacob grabs Joseph by his collar and lifts him into the air with one hand, holding Skinner inches from his throat the other hand. "I'll talk about that knife however I damn well please. You know you don't scare me Vladimir." Thrash replies coldly, matching Jacob's intense gaze with one of his own.
"And this is why we partner up. You are not intimidated by me like most men." Jacob drops Jacob, allowing him to dust off his shirt. "Your ruthlessness is also why I let you watch my back." He replies smugly, both laughing and forgetting that they were just at each others throats.
Joseph aims down the sight of the rpg, prepping it for launch. "Fire! Ha ha ha!" Jacob cackles manically, his unstable mind becoming unhinged for a moment. "Gladly." Joseph complies with the temporarily insane Russian's demand.
The rocket soars through the air, spiraling as it nears its target. It arches over the barricade set about the back of the hotel, blowing a hole in both the wall and makeshift materials that form the barricade. The building rocks from the impact of the explosion, quaking as though fearful of Joseph and Jacob's arrival. They stride into the back entrance of the lobby, guns aimed and loaded. "Hello!" Jacob shouts, opening fire on anybody unlucky enough to be near him.
"As you wish Jacob, crazy Russian bastard." Joseph chuckles, enjoying the ability to do whatever they please, whenever they please it. "Should we attack from this range to allow them time to prepare or do you want to ambush them while they are still trapped like rats?" Joseph leaves the decision up to Jacob, he cares not which way they assault.
"Wait until we get closer. I want to smell their charred corpses as we swoop down upon them." Jacob growls, licking his knife with his tongue, enjoying the taste of the cold steel. "We'll gut them won't we Skinner?" Jacob asks his knife, awaiting a response from the inanimate object. "Of course, I've been dying to taste the blood of a few children." A sultry female's voice replies in Jacob's mind.
"Talking to that damn knife again? Something's wrong with you." Joseph mutters under his breath, not realizing that Jacob heard him. "What'd I tell you about Skinner?! Don't talk about her like that!" Jacob grabs Joseph by his collar and lifts him into the air with one hand, holding Skinner inches from his throat the other hand. "I'll talk about that knife however I damn well please. You know you don't scare me Vladimir." Thrash replies coldly, matching Jacob's intense gaze with one of his own.
"And this is why we partner up. You are not intimidated by me like most men." Jacob drops Jacob, allowing him to dust off his shirt. "Your ruthlessness is also why I let you watch my back." He replies smugly, both laughing and forgetting that they were just at each others throats.
Joseph aims down the sight of the rpg, prepping it for launch. "Fire! Ha ha ha!" Jacob cackles manically, his unstable mind becoming unhinged for a moment. "Gladly." Joseph complies with the temporarily insane Russian's demand.
The rocket soars through the air, spiraling as it nears its target. It arches over the barricade set about the back of the hotel, blowing a hole in both the wall and makeshift materials that form the barricade. The building rocks from the impact of the explosion, quaking as though fearful of Joseph and Jacob's arrival. They stride into the back entrance of the lobby, guns aimed and loaded. "Hello!" Jacob shouts, opening fire on anybody unlucky enough to be near him.
__________
Mike's destruction of the Church
Veta came out of the church as the battle raged, even though Mike didn't see him go in.
Veta immediately noticed Mike tending to Tenoch and came over, almost making Mike go for his sidearm. Veta, however, showed no hostile intent, and instead bade Mike to move and let Veta finish what Mike had started. After tending to Tenoch's wound, he helped Tenoch back to the RV, as a blood-covered (but Mike didn't suspect that it was his blood) Shark came out and began to assist Veta with moving Tenoch. Mike, on the other hand, didn't think this whole thing was over yet.
Three cultists poured from the church, one with a bomb strapped to his chest, the other two wielding hunting rifles.
"They they are! Consume them with our holy fire!"
Oh, fuck me in the beard...
The suicide bomber rushed them, forcing Mike to pick up his double-barreled shotgun and fire. He hit the man in the face, blowing it almost clean off. But he had used both barrels to do it. He dropped his empty shotgun and went for his revolver. One of the cultists raised his rifle. He seemed as though he was about to say something, but was cut off as Mike's .357 tore a hole in his chest.
"Why can't you motherfuckers just die? Why not just be a fucking suicide cult like all normal cults? I got your kool-aid right here fuckers!"
Mike dragged the cultist with the bomb on his chest and no head back into the church as more cultists came out, brandishing all manner of weapons, from machetes and khukri knives to high-powered rifles and bird-hunting shotguns. Those Templars, or whoever they really were, were not to be seen.
"There he is! The one our brothers spoke of! If all others escape, this one must die! Take him, alive or dead!"
Mike probably would have uttered some kind of Chuck Norris or Bruce Willis line, just to make sure this fight ended with some style and drama, but neither the thought nor the words came to him. Instead, all he wanted to do was watch these fuckers die. Cindy said it herself. This ended...here and now. All he could say was...
"Fuck you all..."
Mike casually walked outside, to where Arianne was waiting. Without a word, he took a fragmentation grenade off her tactical rig and walked back inside.
Mike looked over his shoulder and said, "Sweetie? Get Cindy and the others back to the vehicles."
"Mike, come back with us..."
"I will. This is no suicide mission. I am damn well walking out of this place. But first, this shit needs to end. Finally."
Arianne grabbed Cindy and led her back to the RV. Mike walked inside like a man on a mission. The cult advanced on him. Mike unslung his carbine and began dropping them until his magazine was empty. He dropped his carbine and drew his .45, shooting down three more. The others began to put less of their trust in the eye and more in cover, as they dove for whatever could hide them.
Mike took Arianne's grenade and stuffed it into the shoulder harness of the headless would-be suicide bomber. He then pulled the pin, paused to pick up his carbine, and walked out the front door, just in enough time to see Arianne and Cindy reach the RV.
The bomb went off, deafening Mike for a couple of seconds and almost knocking him off his feet, but he kept walking, not even looking back. He heard some screams and curses from inside the church. The bomb wasn't nearly big enough to bring the whole church down, but Mike wasn't done.
Covered in black ash and the smell of smoke, Mike grabbed one of the three gas cans from the back of the Humvee and strapped a flare to it. It was obvious what he was doing, but Jesse, who had gotten out of the church and the fight without a scratch (that Mike could see), still asked, "Mike, what are you doing? We won...we should get out of here!"
"Not yet." was all he would say.
He walked back to the now-burning church and could see through the destroyed front doors as the cultists tried to save their holy shithole from burning to the ground.
Mike still had no words as he lit the flare and hurled the gas can inside.
"What is that? Someone..." were the last decipherable words Mike heard. The gas can exploded, showering everything inside in a licking fireball. The gas spread and burned quickly, and any words were now lost in a chorus of agonized screams.
The whole church was now burning, the flames and smoke spiraling into the night sky, casting the whole scene in a nightmarish orange and red glow that looked for all the world to see like the lowest level of hell...the level reserved for child rapists, murderers, people who talk in movies, and Texans.
Within minutes, the upper beams began to burn through and fall, as the screams continued but began to die off. The roof finally collapsed, crushing any unfortunate survivors in a rain of fiery wood.
Mike lit a smoke as the church burned to the ground, taking the cult with it to hell.
"Now it's over."
Veta immediately noticed Mike tending to Tenoch and came over, almost making Mike go for his sidearm. Veta, however, showed no hostile intent, and instead bade Mike to move and let Veta finish what Mike had started. After tending to Tenoch's wound, he helped Tenoch back to the RV, as a blood-covered (but Mike didn't suspect that it was his blood) Shark came out and began to assist Veta with moving Tenoch. Mike, on the other hand, didn't think this whole thing was over yet.
Three cultists poured from the church, one with a bomb strapped to his chest, the other two wielding hunting rifles.
"They they are! Consume them with our holy fire!"
Oh, fuck me in the beard...
The suicide bomber rushed them, forcing Mike to pick up his double-barreled shotgun and fire. He hit the man in the face, blowing it almost clean off. But he had used both barrels to do it. He dropped his empty shotgun and went for his revolver. One of the cultists raised his rifle. He seemed as though he was about to say something, but was cut off as Mike's .357 tore a hole in his chest.
"Why can't you motherfuckers just die? Why not just be a fucking suicide cult like all normal cults? I got your kool-aid right here fuckers!"
Mike dragged the cultist with the bomb on his chest and no head back into the church as more cultists came out, brandishing all manner of weapons, from machetes and khukri knives to high-powered rifles and bird-hunting shotguns. Those Templars, or whoever they really were, were not to be seen.
"There he is! The one our brothers spoke of! If all others escape, this one must die! Take him, alive or dead!"
Mike probably would have uttered some kind of Chuck Norris or Bruce Willis line, just to make sure this fight ended with some style and drama, but neither the thought nor the words came to him. Instead, all he wanted to do was watch these fuckers die. Cindy said it herself. This ended...here and now. All he could say was...
"Fuck you all..."
Mike casually walked outside, to where Arianne was waiting. Without a word, he took a fragmentation grenade off her tactical rig and walked back inside.
Mike looked over his shoulder and said, "Sweetie? Get Cindy and the others back to the vehicles."
"Mike, come back with us..."
"I will. This is no suicide mission. I am damn well walking out of this place. But first, this shit needs to end. Finally."
Arianne grabbed Cindy and led her back to the RV. Mike walked inside like a man on a mission. The cult advanced on him. Mike unslung his carbine and began dropping them until his magazine was empty. He dropped his carbine and drew his .45, shooting down three more. The others began to put less of their trust in the eye and more in cover, as they dove for whatever could hide them.
Mike took Arianne's grenade and stuffed it into the shoulder harness of the headless would-be suicide bomber. He then pulled the pin, paused to pick up his carbine, and walked out the front door, just in enough time to see Arianne and Cindy reach the RV.
The bomb went off, deafening Mike for a couple of seconds and almost knocking him off his feet, but he kept walking, not even looking back. He heard some screams and curses from inside the church. The bomb wasn't nearly big enough to bring the whole church down, but Mike wasn't done.
Covered in black ash and the smell of smoke, Mike grabbed one of the three gas cans from the back of the Humvee and strapped a flare to it. It was obvious what he was doing, but Jesse, who had gotten out of the church and the fight without a scratch (that Mike could see), still asked, "Mike, what are you doing? We won...we should get out of here!"
"Not yet." was all he would say.
He walked back to the now-burning church and could see through the destroyed front doors as the cultists tried to save their holy shithole from burning to the ground.
Mike still had no words as he lit the flare and hurled the gas can inside.
"What is that? Someone..." were the last decipherable words Mike heard. The gas can exploded, showering everything inside in a licking fireball. The gas spread and burned quickly, and any words were now lost in a chorus of agonized screams.
The whole church was now burning, the flames and smoke spiraling into the night sky, casting the whole scene in a nightmarish orange and red glow that looked for all the world to see like the lowest level of hell...the level reserved for child rapists, murderers, people who talk in movies, and Texans.
Within minutes, the upper beams began to burn through and fall, as the screams continued but began to die off. The roof finally collapsed, crushing any unfortunate survivors in a rain of fiery wood.
Mike lit a smoke as the church burned to the ground, taking the cult with it to hell.
"Now it's over."