( 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

[queenoftherock]

[Oliver does not remember how he got here.

That is to say, if he got drugged, he's not happy about it and he's had enough of that bullshit to let it continue. He would've claimed it was ARGUS or maybe even something left over from the Mirakuru experiment, but even those would be familiar.

None of this is familiar.

He's back in his own green leather gear, for some reason. He'd left that life behind. So he thought.

DO NOT GO OUTSIDE WITHOUT A GUN OR WATER. GUNSHOTS ATTRACT THEM.

Guns go ignored completely, but the water does not. He has his own bow and a quiver full of arrows to make it through whatever this could be.

Oliver spies a shadow, and he draws an arrow, ready to let it fly.

Want to be at the end of an arrow? Well...]

You should be more careful when you move. Stay close to someone.

[Otherwise, he's going through the compound, trying to find an exit, or at least some point where he can see the entirety of the area. Feel free to run into him while he's on the ground, stare up at him as he's climbing, or tail him for a bit and find out what happens when you stalk Oliver Queen.

He'll also be diverting to medical to stock up on supplies. Feel free to run into a hooded figure methodically looking through every single possible nook and cranny in there.]

[alonetogether]

[ He'll probably recognize the sound of an arrow being drawn from a quiver and rested against a string, the slide of a bow bending. ]

I really need to like, burn "I don't need help" into my forehead or something.

[ A fourteen-year-old steps out of the shadows, her face cut, bruised, and gouged in places, her lip split. There's a smear of blood under her nose.]

Yeah, I got one too.

[queenoftherock]

[He blinks, but makes no other motions of real surprise. He's seen just as young, if not younger, in Ra's al Ghul's service. When Oliver speaks, his voice is low and clearly distorted.]

Then you don't need help.

[He lowers his bow, still ready to attack just in case.]

I'm not going to hurt you.

[alonetogether]

[ The point of her arrow dips. Surprise flickers across her face. Then she's got the weapon up again and focused on his central mass. Just because he says what she's been wishing someone around here would realize is no reason to let her guard down. She did that too recently, and look what happened.

Look what happened before all of this stuff, anyway. ]

Yeah, okay. [ She jerks her chin toward the doors. ] There's not much out there. On this side of the wall, anyway. Haven't had a chance to go farther than that.

[knightbynight]

[Bruce makes one hell of a good shadow, even when he's not dressed in Batman's uniform. When he is, well, he's an even better one. Black that soaks up light instead of reflects it, the cape that breaks up his outline - he's good at blending into shadows. At least he likes to think so.

The arrow pointed at him doesn't really make him happy, though. He's run into more archers in this place than he has in the entire rest of his life. He's not sure why, but any weapon in a storm for some people, he supposes.

And they're better than the number of people walking around with guns. ]

You should be careful what you aim at.

[queenoftherock]

You should be careful where you stand.

[Another cape? That's not someone he's ever seen. Oliver can tell the stranger's gear is custom, most notably because of the symbol on his chest.

Still, despite this entire situation, Oliver remains level. He can't afford to let himself be affected by everything going on. There's too many lives at stake to roll over and agree with whatever is happening.]

[knightbynight]

[Yes. This conversation is going fantastically. Fantastically around in circles, and Bruce is not in the mood for it. ...Bruce is never in the mood for it. He's less in the mood for it now than usual. Something about the apocalypse seems to have set him on edge.

Hard to imagine, right?

A couple of moment of absolute silence, while he reaches for something more reasonable than kicking people in the head and he mostly finds it. Mostly.]

This compound is filled with people, many of them children. Be more careful. [The last is growlier than the rest, and honestly more than should be coming from a man who has an arrow pointed at him. By a guy dressed up like Robin Hood with a BDSM fetish? ]

[debts]

[ There's a medical bag slung over her shoulder that, clearly, isn't actually full of medical supplies judging by its shape. There's a rifle slung over her back, too, and holsters at her thighs; Natasha looks amused despite everything. She doesn't cut a very imposing figure as half pack-mule and half woman in obvious tacsuit, but she knows how to be quiet.

The green is a little obvious.

It isn't the first time she's had to look down the sight of nocked arrow. Natasha doesn't raise her hands in surrender, just lets her expression shutter and land on something akin to amusement. ]

I'm close to you. [ It's not flirtation. She's not trying to be disarming, for once. ]

[queenoftherock]

[A smirk plays on his face. Fair enough, she's not wrong, and that's a hell of a deflection.

She's a professional, though. Not only in the way she answers, or she holds herself, but the fact that she doesn't flinch. Never mind the weaponry or the clothes.

It's her attitude.]

Consider yourself lucky, then. What do you know about this place?

[debts]

Nothing. They're not forgiving about answers in this place.

[ Which is, actually, true. Natasha knows there's talent in the draw of his shoulders — she's familiar enough with what an archer looks like when he knows what he's doing — but she's not entirely sure how she feels about the green robin hood motif.

Which is rich, considering Steve.

She shrugs, then arches a brow. ]

Are you going to keep pointing this at me?

[controlledvariable]

[That sure is an arrow.

Batgirl goes dead still, aside from the tilt of her head towards Oliver, a wry smile on her lips.]

What makes you think I need someone else?

[She considers snatching at the arrow, but she doesn't need to start a fight.]

[queenoftherock]

[Starting a fight with him would probably not end well for either of them.

A cocky one, hm?]

I've learned the value of having a strong team.

[controlledvariable]

I don't play well with others.

[Steph is more used to working alongside one person, or alone. She's only just started the whole team thing.]

You gonna lower that?

hey gurl :B also, roof?

[shuckit]

[ when oliver goes to do his roof walking thing, he'll find that someone's already beat him to it. there's a kid, about 16, sitting at the edge of one of the highest rooftops, sitting with legs loosely pulled up near his chest, a hand latched to a forearm in front of his shins, as he watches the land to the north of the compound.

and the shadowed, distant figures that occasionally flicker on the path between the base and Hollows.

he'd gone out there earlier, with master chief. was sure of what he'd see, and, nearly, was right. but they aren't cranks. maybe it's better that they aren't - that there aren't those brief, agonizing moments of clarity that they have, when you realize there's still a person in there, decaying. whatever these things are, the person in them left a long time ago. the point is - this isn't where he's from. whatever the flat trans did to him - it didn't bring the other here, and it didn't send him to that new life the chancellor wanted him to take the other to. a bitter, broken part of him that survived so much for so long, and watch so many die, if furious, that it isn't over. not for him. maybe not ever. maybe it isn't WICKED here, but it's still his life being toyed with. and he's going to watch more die.

whether or not he hears oliver making his way up to the roof, or being anywhere nearby, he doesn't move at all or show any indication. ]

hay gurl

[queenoftherock]

[He makes a point to not draw on the boy, not yet at least. He's already gotten his lesson in drawing his bow on people he doesn't recognize, and, honestly? Oliver isn't keen on making his list of enemies even longer.

Quietly, the archer comes up to the edge. People, yet not people. Only shells. It reminded him of the Mirakuru, in a distant way, all instinct and aggression and no thought. Still, these are new to him. Those things outnumber the living.

Oliver doesn't speak, not immediately. The situation before him is more important than polite conversation. The Arrow doesn't even do polite conversation. That's only for Oliver Queen, when it's necessary.]

Try not to fall.

[intelligently]

( Lydia couldn't help but follow him after she'd seen him move. With his bow in hand, the dark suit and hood, and the way he walked? To Lydia it looked like he knew something. He was moving with a purpose - confident and determined. What else did that scream but information?

She wasn't a good spy, and really it wasn't actually as if Lydia was trying to keep herself hidden. She just wanted to see where he was going, to see if it would provide any answers. Where he went, anyone he met with- was this what it felt like to be Stiles? But they needed to know something - anything, and with the cryptic messages left for them Lydia didn't think that just asking would get her anywhere )

[queenoftherock]

[He knew he was being followed almost instantly, but he pressed on. Whoever is behind him really had either no intention of being subtle, or simply didn't know how to be subtle.

No, Oliver didn't know what he would find, but he knew he would need to find something. If this place is a compound, logically, there would be a base of operations. Somewhere in this bunker there would be paperwork or at least files on who or whatever was kept here.

He stops abruptly. He cocks his head over his shoulder and when he speaks, his voice is distorted.]

If you're trying to follow, you should keep some distance between yourself and the target.

[bloggings]

[All she did was turn a corner and then there's an arrow in her face. First kidnapped, then threatened and this is definitely going on the list of no good very bad days.]

Don't shoot--

[Hold the phone. She actually recognizes that gravelly voice and those biceps. Not necessarily in that order.]

Oliver Queen?

[queenoftherock]

[His eyes go ever so slightly wide. Well, crap.]

Iris.

[Oliver lowers his bow. There's not much to say once you've been called out at point blank now is there?

But if Iris is here... is Barry here too? Laurel? Roy?

Felicity?

He didn't want to think on it.]

r u ready for dis

[metaspeed]

[ There's a reddish blur that zips down the halls, pauses for a bit, then moves on, flitting from one unordinary room to another, a little like an impossibly difficult to spot hummingbird.

There's very little Barry knows about this place so far, but one thing's for certain: he's got a very bad feeling about it.

He figures he's alone in this place, having seen no other signs of life until he passes the medical bay for the third or fourth time, head turning while his legs keep him propelled, and then he's so distracted - because is that Oliver Queen? - that like the clumsy dork he can often be, he goes crashing into the nearest metal cabinet, limbs akimbo, unable to slow down in such a short period of time.

The sound is - well, sorry Oliver, if you were going for stealth, that dream is over. ]

never

[queenoftherock]

[The crashing of the fastest man alive against heavy metal actually makes him flinch. That did not sound pretty.

He hurries to Barry now, and well, he shouldn't be smirking, but he is. Really, Barry always knew how to make a hell of an entrance, even now. That sound must've echoed halfway down the hall at least.

Oliver offers an arm.]

You need to work on your braking.

looking for supplies? not on his watch.

[eyescope]

[ he knows it's too good to be true — a time in his life free of familiar faces? no such luck. see, it's the hood that does it. initially, he expected to run face-first into the other one, good ol' johnny boy, but instead, he gets this guy.

since his affiliation with ARGUS, his time with the arrow had become limited. it didn't bother him any; here, however, things were going to be different. contrary to popular belief, they had to be. survive or get cut down — there's no time to play hero when you're all fighting to stay alive.

congratulations, now you're all a part of one mass suicide mission. the irony's not lost. in fact, he almost wants to put an arm around the guy and laugh hours at a time. joke's on you, buddy. joke's on everybody here.

he leans again, elbow resting on the rifle he's keeping close and around his shoulder. ] Easy there, Robin Hood. Save some for the rest of the Merry Men.

deadshot u dick

[queenoftherock]

[He grits his teeth, bow still steady and in place. Of all the people ever to meet in this compound, it's Lawton. Oliver supposes it could be far worse, though. It could've been Merlyn, Slade... even Ra's himself.

In the grander scheme of things, callsign Deadshot is far more tolerable than the rest of the enemies he's made as of late.]

Should I save one for you too once I'm done?

[Oliver is in no mood to play nice with him. He will cooperate.

Not the same as being friendly.]

Anyone else from ARGUS here?

med bay

[bronzini]

[ up until today she was only really familiar with the one vigilante, and he'd also been her boyfriend. ex. ex-boyfriend. so the number of people running around in costume here has gwen pretty intrigued. even if she hasn't had the best of experiences with this phenomenon, anything's got to be better than confronting the possible reality of whatever's outside right now.

she watches him for a second, then tentatively takes a step forward, fishing for something in her purse. ]

I think I got the last of the amoxicillin. If that's what you're...

[ she holds it out. ]

Unless you're some kind of desperate morphine addict looking for a fix in which case I'll leave you to it.

[queenoftherock]

[Oliver glances at her, then at the amoxcillin.]

Keep it. It's yours.

[He's not going to take something useful from her, not at all. What kind of man would he be? He could find his own, or likely make some concoction out of medicinal herbs, if those exist.

Oliver, though, smirks at her comment.]

I don't do morphine.