( OPEN ) GAME START.

[monstermasher]

▶ WHO: Everyone.
▶ DATE: July 9th, 2015 (Day 1)
▶ WARNINGS: Blood, violence, general zombie horror.
▶ SUMMARY: You've met with a bad... however that line goes. Welcome to Earth.

GOOD MORNING!

---

Please try and ignore whatever it is that you just heard. It should only last for up to a minute... maybe.

It... it is morning, right?

There are no windows.

There's a light, but it's barely considered one. The compound runs on a solar generator, but that doesn't mean it has a lot of power. The light seems to be hanging from the ceiling, swinging precariously. That's when you might actually start to wake up, sit up, find the things that are familiar to you... and then some of the things that aren't. It'd be wise to explore the small room you're in before leaving through the steel door, but there's nobody around to tell you that.

Outside is a tightly knit compound, just as dark and metallic as the room. The hallway you're in houses dozens more doors identical to yours, and if you're unlucky there may be more people poking their heads out through them, just like you. There's a dull glowing sign that reads MEDICAL BAY but not all of you remember being hurt. Some of you may be just fine, apart from the memory of the sound you heard when waking up.

The Medical Bay is stocked with enough medicine to last a couple of months. There's almost everything that can be found in a hospital. Somebody was thinking ahead.

Outside of the Medical Bay are more doors, some are even locked—many aren't. There are living quarters, a food storage, a kitchen, some laboratories; even a room full of computers and nothing else, all with a screen asking for a password. There's only two doors out of the compound, a vehicle bay with what appear to be a few military jeeps and trucks, and the front doors. It's on the inside of the front doors that something is painted in bright red, flecked with what smell like blood:

DO NOT GO OUTSIDE WITHOUT A GUN AND WATER.
GUNSHOTS ATTRACT THEM.
HOLLOWS IS 1.3 MILES NORTH OF HERE.
GOOD LUCK.

And on the outside of the doors, if you choose to open them:

THE WORLD ENDED JULY 3RD, 2015.

Now... how long ago was that? And where is this place? Luckily for you, Hollows is a small town that can be raided. It hasn't been too long since the apocalypse—surely you'll be able to find something there. Batteries, food, weapons, maybe some people—and what you're guaranteed to find. Them, whatever that means.

Outside of the compound there's a fence with a single gate. Nothing can get past this unless you let them in for tea, so be careful. There's a shooting range and a large shed full of weapons and ammo, enough to last two months if you're careful. Guns, knives, anything that would be used by the military and police is hidden away in the shed. There are even a few hunting bows with arrows.

If you climb up the ladder to the top of the wall, there's enough room to walk along the top. There's definitely something moving in the distance, something you should definitely be worrying about. Maybe it's time to get a good look with a sniper rifle...?

Oh.

It's gone.

Maybe it was just a trick of the light. Regardless, it's impossible for everyone to stay in the compound forever. There are nefarious things at work! The choices are to go to Hollows, stick around, or go somewhere else. Really, the world is almost a blank slate. Maybe more of a used slate, but still yours to explore.

When the night comes, you should be hiding. The screamers, the ragers, whatever the hell they are, are running full tilt through the streets and across the landscape, running through anything in their way, ripping apart anything alive. If you don't make any noise, they won't notice you. Especially since they're stuck listening to each other. But if you get noticed by one, it won't be long until a horde forms... you might be able to outrun one for awhile, but they don't seem to let up on their breakneck pace. Maybe someone should have told you how to kill them.

OOC NOTES.

---

There will be zombies in Hollows. Whether you meet them on the way there is up to you. Apart from the undead and the animals (maybe somebody should let those poor creatures out of their houses) the town is completely deserted. In fact, the closest thing you can find to a human are the bodies of those who died without being bitten, and there's even few of those. You can find anything you'd find in a normal town here, and are free to loot and raid the houses and stores—the cops won't be coming, after all. The power is OFF apart from what you can find that is solar powered or still has a charge. If you're lucky and find another town while exploring the first few weeks, you might find an area that still has power—thank hydroelectricity.

Just keep in mind travel time... and travel expenses.

You have creative freedom over everything else. The world is open. The only stationary places are landmarks and cities—if you want to go to Texas and talk to the poor astronauts stranded up in space, it's there. (Might be a long trip, though...)

If your character can figure it out by geography before getting to Hollows, the compound is located a few hours from the west coast, in California.

The way to kill a zombie is blunt force to the head. The head doesn't need to be removed, but significant damage needs to be done to it. This does not include the throat—it needs to be a headshot.

There's also a glaring hint. The computers in the compound, asking for a password. It is impossible to hack at this time. There will be more on this later!

Finally, if your character is exploring outside of the compound (or extensively inside of it) there's a comment here for linking me the thread. You can also PM me! I'll be ducking in with what your character may or may not have found, via a response to the actual RP thread.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS please direct them here!

Comments

jason todd / dc comics / ota / i'll match you!

[antagonize]

[Well. The initial assumption that he's in a burning building aside, exploring his room turns out to be nothing short of a monumental waste of time. He finds nothing of value, because there is no way a bloodied slurpee cup could prove to be helpful in whatever situation this is. The watch could have its uses, but not when he can't even tell what time it currently is.

Which is, you know. Just great.

After exiting the room he initially finds himself in, Jason will take it upon himself to thoroughly explore the area. Characters doing the same thing will find him, with his red helmet on, doing the following things:

A: In the Medical Bay, checking out the supplies, the facilities, and more or less gauging how well equipped this place is for any number of emergencies. He's pleasantly surprised by what he finds, so, uh. Don't mind him. He's just going to take the opportunity to stuff his pockets with some essentials. Nothing that would significantly diminish the supplies, but enough for one or two persons. Not that it makes him look like any less of a hoarder, anyway.

B: In the hallways, checking out whatever doors he can open and making a valiant attempt to open those he can't. The food storage and laboratory also get an extensive look over from him, but it's not like he's going to carry snacks around at the moment, so he leaves most things where he finds them. There's a nice stock of supplies in the laboratory, though, and he's totally making a mental list of what they have and what he can make with that. Thank you, Talia's wallet, for helping him learn how to poison the heck out of people.

C: The messages on the front door go... more or less ignored. Ignored, but not forgotten, because he can't make much sense of them right now with what little information there is. For now, he'll occupy himself with checking the outside of the compound. That means he'll be taking his sweet time checking out the shed and the shooting range. This also extends to the architecture of the compound itself, which he will be sizing up like a weirdo.

D: Lastly, he can also be found standing on top of the wall, studying the geography and trying to figure out what the hell happened here and who, exactly, is going to be attracted by gunshots. Don't worry if you yell or sneak up on him. He probably won't fall.]

the wall

[untodawn]

[ John is pacing and calling it patrolling the wall. Nervousness wasn't something that came on strongly enough to cloud his judgement, but he was familiar enough with irritation at dropping in on an unfamiliar place with vague intel and nothing but what he carried in. The MA5D assault rifle held at a shoulder ready carry and the sidearm was all he had on him, and has he quickly learned once he exhausted the ammunition on both of them he was SOL until he familiarized himself with the antiquated weapons floating around the compound; unguarded, he remembered with a hint of disapproval.

He was the biggest thing patrolling that wall, looking out over the low ledge at movement he couldn't track from this distance. When he first crossed Jason's path, he didn't even acknowledge him right away. To fixated on what was beyond the borders of the fence. ]

[antagonize]

[Well. He's sort of regretting not grabbing a sniper riffle right now, since binoculars are kind of nonexistent at the moment and there's only so much he can see at a glance. Maybe he'll go back down and grab one later, but for now? He'll stay up here and take in the sights. It might be better this way, if he thinks about it, because the landscape could give him an idea of where they are.

That, and he'd miss out his chance to size up this guy. Boy, that is some sweet gear, and he'll be whistling in appreciation under the helmet.]

See anything interesting? [He means beyond the wall, but he'll also take anything about the compound.]

[untodawn]

[ John turned sharp on his heel ready to walk the wall back in the other direction when Jason spoke to him, dragging him out on what he had zeroed in on outside the compound's borders. Burning orange visor dim in the low light bobbed as he sized the other guy up. ]

Nice mask.

[ Even through that flat delivery, there was some genuine appreciation if not curiosity behind the comment. That mask was an odd thing to behold; how it was seamless and perfectly oblong standing out stark against the otherwise nondescript outfit. ]

Movement.

[ John then pointed out to the treeline that for anyone else would just be a shapeless inky black and dark green mass. ]

Two maybe three unknowns spotted less than a klik southeast until ten minutes ago I've tracked them coming in as close as the perimeter at twelve o'clock.

[ Show off. ]

[antagonize]

Thanks.

[Inflection aside, he's proud of his mask and also kind of cheeky. So, yes. Compliment it. It's a sweet mask that prevents head injuries and also sometimes goes boom.

That said... he's glancing along to wherever this guy points, and feeling pretty impressed by the fact he's able to make out even that much. Also, kind of jealous because there must be something in that helmet that lets him see that far. Definitely regretting not bringing a sniper with him, considering something like that is definitely of note. Moving unknowns, who come close to the perimeter? Could be them — whoever they are.]

Huh. That's interesting. [He genuinely means it.] Any ideas on who our unknowns are? Or were they feeling too shy to let you get a good look?

[untodawn]

[ John tilts his head. Almost tempted to ask what sort of material it was made out but assumed those sorts of questions were off the table. Same as it was where his MJOLNIR was concerned; strictly on the need-to-know. ]

They're human.

[ Raiding the butt of his MA5D he counts the ammo left in the clip; the dull blue of the munitions count on the bolt reflecting off his visor. There was enough for a firefight, but he still had no idea exactly what was out there. ]

But they're moving...erratically.

[antagonize]

Humans moving erratically — that can't be good. [Is there ever a time something like that is good? He can't think of a single one, unless you count boogeying down on the dance floor as erratic movement. But he doesn't, so.

There's a pause here, as he thinks of something... and then he's taking one of his handguns from its holster, taking the safety off. Don't worry, well armed stranger, the only direction he's aiming is the one that was pointed out earlier.]

You're clearly not blind, but did you read what was written on the door?

[monstermasher]

[ One of the doors is locked, but the lock must be broken because it gives easily after a rough jarring. Inside is a tiny closet without light, and in the corner is a backpack. Inside are some old provisions and a bottle of water, but underneath that is an ID card. It reads:

NAME: MONTGOMERY RIK
DOB: 11/11/1988
EYES: ???
HAIR: ???
PLACE OF BIRTH: CAZEMORIA

There's a picture, but it seems to have been burned off. The only part you can see is a shoulder covered in a black top. ]

[antagonize]

[Aw, yes. Success.

He's a little disappointed to see there's not much of interest in the room, but, hey. There's a backpack with provisions and water, so it's not all moot. He'll be swiping the backpack, of course, and then pausing when he notices the ID card.

... Okay. Weird ID card that doesn't even include basic info, such as eye and hair color. Also — either his geography knowledge is seriously failing him right now, or there's no place called Cazemoria on Earth. Cool. Like the mostly burned picture isn't creepy enough, by itself.

The mystery thickens.]

MEDICAL BAY.

[idiosyncrasies]

[ It's really, really hard to move around as Batman when you're stuck in a cramped space with dozens of other people. So instead, Dick's waited it out, then makes his move, sliding into the Bay silently. He's not sneaking, doesn't even bother, when he sees Jason—why is he here?—but he is quiet for a moment.

He also can't keep his mouth shut. ]

How did you get here?

[ Why him. ]

[antagonize]

[Wow. If Dick had kept his mouth shut, it probably would have taken Jason a little bit longer to notice it. As it is, he immediately stops in the middle of picking up a vial of medicine, quietly slides his hand over to where he's keeping his sidearm, and then turns around.

He's totally not expecting to see a shorter Batman. Uh.]

How do you think? I came in through the door.

[Without missing a beat. He knows that's not what he meant, but he literally doesn't care. Kind of busy asking the important questions, aka what the fuck, what the hell, what in the world, etcetc.]

How did you get into that costume?

[... Well, at least this resolves the mystery of whether the original boy wonder got blown up sky high.]

[idiosyncrasies]

[ Jason. He's almost relieved to hear the sharp response, even if he should be. He should be... somewhere else. He tried to help him—he even still wants to.

But he can't really do that when he can't even help himself. ]

You don't remember? [ He's being genuine, wondering how he doesn't know. They certainly didn't fight over it in some weirdass arc or anything. Unfortunately for Dick, Jason's always seen right through it, so there's no point in being coy. He'll, yet again, have to risk him talking about it. ] It was something Gotham needed.

[antagonize]

No. Needed? [Why in the world would Gotham need double the Batman? That's just two times the ineffectiveness, unless...] What happened to — the other guy? Sprained his ankle? Hurt his back? He's certainly not getting any younger, that's for sure. That is, unless he finally realized how useless his crusade was.

[That is... a joke. He's well aware that none of the above would really stop Bruce from going out into the streets of Gotham. Not unless something incredibly serious happened.]

But, of course... I guess you're not much of an improvement, are you?

[He talks a lot. Talking a lot is good. It's a distraction.]

[idiosyncrasies]

He went on a trip.

[ They all thought he was dead. Except Tim. That was... another story. And at 'improvement' well.

He doesn't disagree. In fact, he agrees completely, and leaves it at that; he won't say he's wrong. Instead, he moves into the next subject. ]

What do you remember?

[antagonize]

Right. A trip. [He's... obviously not buying this, and is just going to make it painfully apparent.] I can picture it now: Batman on a vacay in the Bahamas while his "favorite" plays dress up back in Gotham.

[Was that rude? Yes. Does he care if it was rude? Nope.]

Hmm... Let's see, the last thing I remember is — ah. Wait. I suddenly don't feel like forking up anything that could be remotely useful. Must be contagious, being cryptic and unhelpful.

[SUPER MATURE.]

outside;

[borntochoose]

[Kal wasn't planning to spend a lot of time outside. Mostly because while he's pretty sure there isn't much that could harm him, he's also pretty sure people aren't supposed to just wake up someplace strange full of strange people with no memories of how he got here, so for now he's going to him he's in as much danger as everyone else.

But the thing is, he's never been good at keeping himself out of danger- especially when there's other people around who are also ignoring all the messages on the front door.]

It's safe. [He tells the other man after a while, assuming he's trying to check the wall for weak spots or something like that.] Or at least I think it is- been checking for a while.

Whatever they are protecting us from, it can't get inside.

[antagonize]

[Weak spots aren't the only thing he's searching for, but it's good to get a second opinion on that. It's one thing to look structurally sound, and another thing entirely to be structurally sound. He would know.

He, however, totally does a double-take when he realizes it's freakin' Superman that's talking to him. It's a good thing the helmet is one-way, because his eyes are widening for a second there. Like, uh. Okay. If he doesn't recognize Jason right away, that's good. Now isn't the time to pick a fight with a "friend of the family", and even less so with one who could literally put him through the wall.]

Not what I was looking for, exactly, but thanks.

[S...hrugs... Is he walking on thin ice here? He's trying to gauge that.]

[borntochoose]

[He can't see Jason's face indeed- unless he peeked, and right now he doesn't feel like it. Truth be told the Red Hood isn't the weirdest costume he's seen today, so he'll just run with it. For all he knows he's talking to a complete stranger.]

What were you looking for, exactly? Maybe I can help.

[It's very easy to tell he's eager to help. He's good at strategies, and even the general pointed out how easily he got used to giving orders to the military. But none of that helps when there's clearly no plan in motion, no higher ups, no real purpose beyond figure out what the hell is going on.]

[antagonize]

[Somewhere out there, there is a 15-year-old who would be salivating over the opportunity to talk to Superman. But that's not him, so, mostly? He's kind of weirded out. Freaked out would also be appropriate, but consciously admitting that feels dumb as hell.]

The person who designed this ugly piece of architecture.

[A beat.]

I'm kidding. [The compound is pretty ugly, though.] I'm looking at size, vantage points, escape routes... We woke up in this building. That means it's worth examining as closely as possible.

[borntochoose]

[Kal snorts at the joke, but otherwise he simply nods. ] I guess. But anyone able to kidnap all of us in here without a single clue on how they did it would know better than to give us clues with the compound itself. I can take a look from above, and so far it looks safe.

It’s very clear to me that they wanted to keep whatever it’s outside… out. [Which makes him want to check outside, to be honest.]

d!

[blackagar]

[ The wall had been Black Bolt's idea, as well. He doesn't fear going past it, but he'd at least like to know what he'll be facing out there, first. He approaches with a confident, broad-shouldered walk, the kind that makes him look like he belongs her and knows exactly what's going on. Of course it's all an illusion, that's just his bearing.

His steps turn toward Jason as soon as the man comes into sight; he can save a little time if he connects with someone else apparently having the same idea. Hopefully this guy is good with charades. If his approach isn't heard (and for such a built guy, his footsteps are pretty light), he'll do a short, quiet whistle to snag attention when he arrives at the base of the wall. ]

[antagonize]

[Jason's good at hearing other's approach, but it does take him a second or so before he notices he's got company. Thankfully, it only takes him a second or so before he tilts his head towards this guy, and just... raises an eyebrow behind his helmet. He's been bumping into more capes than he expected, and the fact he doesn't recognize this one makes him all sorts of antsy. Not that it shows in his body language, but, you know.

Raised by the one and only Batman. Keeping an ear to the ground and knowing who's in the business is something he prides himself in. Not knowing who the heck this guy is just feels weird.]

Nice view, huh?

[That's a joke. The view is all kinds of ugly.]

[blackagar]

[ Is it a nice view? It'd probably know if he weren't down here at the base. The metal ornament (tuning fork, it's totally a tuning fork) at his forehead sparks briefly blue, and he springs up easily to stand not far from Jason. He spends a few seconds scanning their immediate surroundings, then directs a curious, questioning look over at his new company. A request to know if he's seen anything, hopefully made clear. ]

[antagonize]

[Ooookay, silent type. He can work with a silent type. Maybe. He'll probably talk enough to fill up both sides of the conversation, but that's just how it is. Making note of that spark for later, he looks at the oh-so-fascinating landscape again.

And, you know. Points at some point that looks completely random, but actually isn't.]

Saw something moving. Couldn't get a good look since, y'know — no binoculars, but if I had to describe it... It looked humanoid. [Which could really be used to describe so, so many things.]

[blackagar]

[ Oh, good. Black Bolt can always appreciate it when someone answers his unasked question rather than wanting to know why it hadn't been asked in the first place. He turns his eyes back toward the outside, studying it for a few long (silent) seconds. Humanoid. He has a decent idea of what that might have been. He shoots a quick glance toward Jason, judging — the mask, the clothing, the stance, he seems like a man used to combat — and then he hops down from the wall again. It's to the other side this time, and the look he tilts up at Jason comes with an invitational nod of his head.

There's only one way to know for sure, isn't there? ]