Catalysts: IC (Oh the thread is slowly dying...)

Aran's eyes widened in surprise. To hear him from this distance was no small feat he had to be someone like him. Aran took his hand off of the hilt, and he stepped out into the open so that the man could see him. He put his hands in the air, proving that he would not attack him. He merely put it there in the small case that he would be attacked first, in a small attempt in defense.

"Hello, sir." He said shyly, as he had not talked with another being that could speak the same tongue with him for quite some time. A feeling of nervousness began to spread through his body, though his stomach told different. It growled out loud like a dog.

"Hm... You must've been trapped here eh? We're freeing all the other catalysts; It's our goal to get you types of people spread all about so that there's an equality. Now run along, don't get hurt; head for the abandoned city Metro A. There we'll have all of you gathered up and educated on what you've become.."

He felt severe heat and laughed inwardly. He knew it was probably Pandora with her maniacal attacks, her extreme desire for death and destruction. It almost made him feel melancholy; Too much chaos would be bad for his reputation. But would the ends justify the means in this case?

He nodded, and rushed off into the other direction, the recent blast making his ears ring.

So that's what I am..A catalyst.

He never knew who he was until then. But he did want to know more, and, meet much more people like himself, kind of. He ran silently, making his way towards the abandoned city, and into the Metro Station A.

Hopefully...I won't get on the wrong foot..

Nox giggled a bit. "Yes, I know. I've read my file. And you know what? I'm not going to kill you. I'm not that merciful." He laughed a bit more, then continued. "I'm going to let you burn. And maybe, in the moment before you die, if you repent, I may just not give a fuck." At that he turned around and walked out of the building. He pressed a button on a remote. Over camp Ferrum's loudspeakers played Piotr Illich Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. He set off a second set of charges, these ones smoke. The camp would be enveloped in an infrared smokescreen, and invisible to air for at least a day.

Ragnarok reached Nox and looked at him laughing. He pat his friend on the back then held up two fingers.

"Two things; brilliant preformance, and where's the serum? That's all we came here for... We also need to find a way to release the Catalysts into New Asgard.. Appropriate enough name don'tcha think? They'll call it abandoned but damnit, it'll become OUR city. The city of Catalysts. From the ashes will return a burning city; like a phoenix. Let's find the serum and get the fuck out before Pandora kills us with her napalm."

"The serum is in my coat pocket. Do you have the materials to recreate it? We'll need the paperwork. Speaking of paperwork..." He held a file out to Ragnarok. It was marked "Dymitri Verduhnen, Alias Ragnarok."

"Where did you get this... You.. You didn't read into this did you?"

He had no clue of his former self aside from the fact he had a wife; that was it. But now there was his file.. Possibly containing all he needed to know.

"Yeah.. I just need to replicate it after finding out its chemical make-up. Then I can recreate it no problem. Plus, how to mutate it to make it more worthwhile.."

"No. It would not be tactful to read your folder. I am a man of some measure of class, you know." Nox looked up into the sky, now pouring down a cold rain. "Is it over?" Just then, shots rang out. Flash suppressed, large bullets. Full metal jacket. How the first two shots missed was beyond him. However, the next volley hit their mark, with devstating results. One shot hit Nox in his right shoulderblade, and the other in the small of his back. He fell to the ground, with a loud cry of pain.

"Nox! Fuck they're firing on us already?!"

Ragnarok quickly lifted his friend and pulled him into the safety behind a wall; though a temporary protection it would have to do for him to treat the wounds swiftly through absorbing the enemies energies. He focused and took a few; most of them dropping their weapons in the fear of the very sensation of death that ran over them. With the excess of vital energy, he healed the flesh of Nox's wounds, and his own which had appeared in his hand and right side, near his ribcage.

(NO FAGGOT NO AUTOHEAL)
Nox coughed, bringing up a spray of scarlet blood. Thank god he was going this way, and not by fire. He wasn'rt really feeling much pain anymore. He really just felt... foggy. He lay on the ground, blood dribbling from his mouth and soaking his trenchcoat around the wound. He said something along the lines of "This seems a little serious." It was hard to tell though, being half passed out.

(Not fully; it's only healing the most obvious damages. Internal hemmoraging can still occur, and they're still under fire.)

"D-damnit Nox you CANNOT die here! Oh god.. there's so much blood... you've coughed up what appears to be part of a lung... D-damnit, do NOT die on me! You got me? You're a tough motherfucker, you WILL get through this!"

He was panicking; the only TRUE friend he had made was dying right here in front of him because of what he had started... Because of that damned military. This was another reason to ruin them, and then bring about the Catalyst movement.

"I... I really don't think I have a choice." Nox coughed again, then continued. "Friend, you've been good to me. It's a shame I have to say goodbye like this. But honestly, I'm tired. I'm tired of the bullshit that we've gone through. And I am sure as HELL tired of being shot at." There was little chance to survive, other than going to a hospital, and that would get him turned in as soon as he was well. He opened his eyes. "Fuck you, pleb." And then there were six.

He shook Nox and couldn't believe it; his main force of charisma dead! And his best, and ONLY friend thus far, had died.. He heaved Nox's body up onto his shoulders and looked for any means of escape; at this point, he'd need a hero.

"Fuck... God bless you, Nox, you gracious fucking Patrician..."

He prepared to hop down then remembered; this was the commanders office. Quickly he released the new catalysts; and boy, were they pissed and aching to murder the military.

Pandora heard firing and made her way to the source, soon finding several soldiers firing on two familiar forms ducked behind cover. She circled around, planning to meet up with Nox to help take them down, when she saw the blood and the flesh, and saw the shine of tears unoticed on Ragnarok's face. She screamed. Hurt and fear and rage and joy fought for supremacy. She would never earn her death! But noone would ever kill her! She would never speak to him again! But what rightious suffering his death brought! and she screamed her rage and confusion to the night, and the soldiers turned to her, letting loose a barrage of low caliber fire that barely slowed her manic rush, as she ripped through foe after foe, talents and skills long forgotten leading her to dodge shots more often then take them as she darted back and forth, the only sure thing about her movement being that death followed in her wake. She took up a rifle at her third target, and running faster than ever before she moved allong the side of a wall to kill the last of the soldiers arrayed against her.

"I'm.. sick of this... I am Ragnarok... Fate of the Gods... I promise you, Dave... You'll get your death avenged in the most violent mean possible... Don't worry.."

He closed Nox's eyes and saw Pandora ripping through the soldiers. He shouted out to her "When you're done, meet in the old mall... I'll show you the base; if you'll still fight with me.. Otherwise... Don't bother coming to the mall.." He stood, his friend's corpse slung over his sholder, and made his escape for a nearby APC, planning to drive back to the Abandoned City.

Aran had arrived at the abandoned city, an he looked around, a little bit unfamiliar to the area. E did see a sign, slightly worn out. Panting, he was obviously tired from lack of energy, as well as hunger. And there it went again, his stomach growled loudly, and he looked up
to the sign. It said, "METRO STATION : ---> A"

And Aran took one step, then another, keeping a hand on the rails. His mind became distraught, because of famine.. Hopefully, there were supplies, or food. Maybe a shower.

An idea ran through Ragnaroks head; He hadn't delivered first aid. He tried CPR. That failed. He tried some form of defibrillation from the first-aid he had gotten in the APC; no doubt for the squads medic. He hoped as he shocked the volts and amps into Nox, that by some miracle Nox would return to his living state; that the only person he considered family in this world would live. But.. it failed. Nox was too long gone. He drove the APC to the abandoned city and went down into the Metro, carrying Nox's corpse the whole way.

Winter scaled the wrought-iron fence with practiced ease as the sirens wailed like beasts in pain somewhere behind her; how far, she knew not. They were just too damn loud, filling her mind with thoughts of desperate, animalistic escape.

So preaching on the streets was a BAD idea. Noted.

Not five minutes after she had stood on a milk crate in a minor square and began shouting, attracting crowds and drawing curious glances as well as causing the more intelligent of those gathered to tuck their hands in their coats and quickly move away, the first police car pulled in and Winter dashed away on her pre-planned escape route. However, what she had not anticipated was the number of officers that weren't currently occupied by the riot across town. She'd been forced into a detour through the side alleys, and could hear the marching of feet as men in uniforms tramped through the buildings on either side of her, frightening residents and setting many a dog barking.

If I can just get to the sewers like I'd planned...

Setting his brother-figure's body upon a long crate he felt tears dripping and sighed. Ragnarok did not often show any human emotion aside a surperiority, occasional happiness, and anger. Sadness? No.. He thought he lost the feel. But here it was; the familiar coil deep in his chest, the feeling of his heart pained by the stress this was causing him. He reached into Nox's coat pocket and pulled out the vile containing the serum then sighed. He needed answers; he needed guidance. He needed someone, ANYONE, to talk to him, to give him the words he wanted to hear. That things were going to be okay; that there was a chance that Nox could live. But that was nigh-on impossible. Nox had become cold, and pale.

"And here we let you rest, Dave... I'll bury you eventually... For now.. The streets ain't so safe y'know...? I don't want the military fucking up the ceremony..."

Aran was finally at the bottom of the staircase... He was extremely dizzy at this point of the day from lack of food...Water was no problem. He was panting, his stomach growling, desperate for something warm to fill his empty stomach...

Oh man..I need something..To eat... He weakly thought in his mind, everything a daze.

He looked around for anyone, any person... But he did not see any. Aran rubbed his eyes with his grimy hands. Seeing a little bit clearer, he did see someone...A figure. He slowly walked towards the figure, limping as though he had a broken ankle.

"Oh right... I told you to come.. I'm sorry.. But... If you need food... Search the rooms down the hall to the right... We did a raid recently; lots of fast food, I hope you don't mind..."

He knew that he'd have to burn Nox. He rejected the thought, worried about it entirely. But the government would search for him, and keeping a body buried could have untold effects on the natural environment. Besides, Nox would've wanted this. A viking's funeral; a true WARRIORS funeral. He sighed and wiped his tear-filled eyes.

Pandora's rage slowly diminished, and she looked around herself to see the entire facility was bruning to the ground through both her own efforts and those of the recently freed catalysts. Blood, not all her own, dripped down her outfit, which was torn and shredded almost to the point of indecency. She frowned, and headed out into the city. She would need new clothes... but where to get them from?

He stood outside the entrance and pulled a single cigarette from his menthol pack. He lit it and took a small drag before sighing. Well... Life was looking dull... Nox would've sat there joking with him about how they had utterly wrecked Ferrum; how the government was weak compared to them. They'd probably sing Holiday again like when they'd first met.. Nostalgia had him in a grip that he couldn't get out of.

Winter rounded a bend in the alley to see several menacing-looking men in horribly familiar uniforms sprinting her way. Cursing, she backtracked, but found no plausible escape routes from her situation.

Ground-based escape routes, anyway.

She sized up a rusty ladder and decided that an attempted egression was better than none at all. Quickly scrambling up the aged iron rungs, which threatened to detach themselves from the wall every moment, Winter soon found herself on the low, flat roof of the concrete building.

Turning, she saw the policeman begin to ascend the ladder - Winter ducked as a shot went off.

I hope this works, was her only thought as she squeezed her eyes shut and placed a hand on the top rung of the ladder.

For a moment nothing happened, as Winter found it insanely difficult to concentrate. The sirens... FUCKING sirens, why don't they stop...

Just as the first officer placed a hand on the top rung, right next to Winter's, the ladder began to groan.

He was almost on top of the roof, aiming a taser at Winter's neck, when the ancient iron struggled, heaved, and ripped itself from its ancient concrete confines, sending the policemen plunging out into empty space - and impacting the ground with meaty thunks. The vivified ladder gave an indescribable screech of freedom before it, too, landed, crushing several men and convulsing for the few brief moments it had left alive.

Winter, feeling a strange metallic tang in her mouth, suddenly heaved, coughing up several ounces of iron filings onto the concrete roof. She stumbled to her feet and shuffled forth. Don't give up. Don't give up. The inherited rust was soon gone from her limbs, and she ran.

He sucked in a sharp breath and then thought. He had an idea, but it was stupid; the strange young and no doubt starving lad downstairs wasn't a friend, really, so he needed someone else he considered a friend.

Would they be in earshot...? Which one would I get...? Is the chaos not settled enough...? What if they also died..?

He let go of his worries and figured it was worth a try, rather than sitting practically alone with no one else to lament his loss with. So he did what he had to. He shouted, like Nox had at one point.

"Bloom! Pandora! If either of you can hear this, please, come! I need your help dammit!"