A group of 5 people sit hunched together in the hospital Lobby's Break room.
There's Red a ginger with a neurotic disposition, and a naturally sleep deprived expression. He's 25 about 5'8" but only 130lbs and is still waring his scrubs, having not left the hospital since before the first Surge.
Rise a pale brown hair and eyed beauty of 18 years standing 7'0" but rail thin weighing only 140lbs. She's wearing shorts and a blouse but both are a poorly fit. Which shouldn't be a surprise given her height. she was expecting to die in the hospital of an enlarged heart before the Surge hit, and simply stole some clothes they found in this very room happily abandoning her hospital gown.
Sluger a short poor tempered but classicly good looking guy of 20 years. Blond, blue, eyes, taned skin, noticeable muscle, sanding 4'4" and about 180lbs, he hasn't quite been the same since the Surge, his old problems just seem so small now. He's been trying to find his place in this new world nonetheless.
Heavy is big. Sure he only stands 6'0" but he's almost 5' wide and is pushing 350lbs! He used to be a security guard before the Surge, and before that an officer. As fare as looks, he's 48, got curly back hair, dark green eyes and a face that looks naturally intimidating, although he's quite protective of the younger survivors he couldn't care less about most of the adults.
Finally there's Gramps an exMarine pushing 98. Standing he's only 5'9" and is likely only 150 pounds. Gray hair, gray eyes, gray teeth and skin. He's been mistaken for a corpse on many occasions. Gramps was the security chief of the hospital before the Surge and still takes this job very seriously, even if most of his staff ran away before the world fell apart.
These are the leaders and main protectors of the survivors within the hospital. Not because they all want the job, or because of their confidence or charisma. But because they each started with an Abuiliy, Trait, or general presence that let them stand out from the crowd.
" first order of businesses men. Red has that vision of yours helped you find anything useful, oh and have you found any other survivors?." Gramps asks finally ending the uncomfortable silence they we're sitting in.
"I saw a few near the lake, there taking refuge in a bus… but it doesn't matter. Unless we can hide from the Crows we won't make it in time to save them from the Gator that will attack them tomorrow. As far as food goes. I saw that a food truck is stranded at the edge to the parking lot in the opposite direction, there crew are very likely to confront the Crows in few hours." Red says tiredly.
"Those Damed Birds! I told you that they were a problem the first time they stole from us, and know their gonna prevent us from rescuing people!" Slugger rants, having never really liked birds since accidently hitting one on what should have been a home run.
" I'll handle getting the food truck." Heavy inturupting Sluggers rant.
"Good, how's the reclamation of the Hospital going." Gramps looks pointedly at Rise.
"Not great. We've had to barricade the main stairs and elevator shaft to slow those skeleton things as they're coming down. There all kinds of creepy. So far we've barely made a foot hold in the second floor… but some people got injured." Rise looks back dejected.
"How many got hurt." Gramps asks with a grim expression.
"3 three are out of commission, everyone else including me are only lightly scratched. Those Things just don't move right, and unless you crush there hearts they just adapt to move without whatever's missing." She grimaces at the memory of when the last of her team got injured. A guy had knocked of the head of one of the skeletons. Thinking it dead he left it to lay on the ground. But after the fight finished the girl who was supposed to relocate the remains got jumped by the headless monster. If Amazon wasn't so close the poor girl would have lost more than just a few fingers.
"We can't sustain getting hurt this much. Sure our national healing can now patch up cuts and bruises in at most a few day. But we don't have a few spare days. In just three we've lost 10 people and now 15 are out of commission. Meanwhile the Crows and Skeletons keep changing, growing really into more dangerous forms. We don't even know what's happening with the Gators."
"Enough Red. We'll do what we have to to protect the kids." Heavy glares at Red.
Gramps takes command again before a fight can break out"Heavy's right. We do what we can and we'll improve while we're doing it. We'll keep fighting to survive even after we break in order carve out a place in this new world." He watches his fellow leaders for any comments."Good, now Red keep using that Ability of yours to look for stuff we might need. Heavy talk with Moxi about getting you some padding for your stroll. I don't care if you can heal yourself, less damage taken means more abuse you can take and I want you mobile when you return with the supplies and the people… Rise your improving, you really are. People will get hurt, take today as a lesson and improve for tomorrow. Sluger… go take a nap and relax, that's an order."
"What are you gonna doing Gramps!" Sluger angrily replies.
"Ain't it Obvious Brat! Im going bird hunting!" Gramps swaggers to the door leaving the other 4 leaders of the survivors to perform there tasks.
-
Sluger grumpily walks over to the part of the lobby they've set up for sleeping. Out of the corner of his eye Heavy can be seen getting frisked by Moxi an older woman with a talent for sowing.
After sitting on a a mattress Slugers gaze drifts over to ware Rise is checking on what's left of her team.
"Stupid end of the world. I don't need sleep I need action, I'm so close the level 5 I can practically taste it." But even as he says this Sluger looks around the room more intently. Some kids are playing with toys Rise found here, there's a widow making soup for breakfast later, almost a dozen people getting treated by the only doctor they have, and many more sleeping around him right now."but maybe… maybe a little nap won't hurt, mom always said to get plenty of rest before a big game."
-
Heavy grunts occasionally as Moxi takes measurements and with remarkable speed while simultaneously sowing a makeshift padded vest, and pants.
"Thay aint pretty but they'll protect you for a bit" Moxi smirks while appreciateing the uncomfortable look on Heavy's face.
Heavy"Thanks Moxi"…
"No thanks necessary handsome…just come back alive that's all i ask, or else you'll disappoint those kids. Your there hero you know that right?" Moxi takes his hand proudly. "I won't let them down. I'll return don't worry." Heavy leaves for the door figureing he might as well set out now before anyone in the food truck does something stupid.
-
Rise sits down tiredly on the second floor silently cursing her Trait and how it slowlys down her recovery." I have to protect them we have to clean this place out."
"Rise! We got another!" Shouts a solder maning the barricade.
She watched as another crystallized skeleton, this one looking more like a human centipede. Begins advancing towards them." Shields up! Clubs at the ready!" Rise her self hefts up a hefty chunk of metal taken from a bench down stairs. Quickly the creature slams into the lose barricade it's sharp boney body swiftly eating into the facade before getting sandwiched by makeshift shields and mercilessly bludgeoned. Just as it's body begins rearranging to adapt to the crushing tactics Rise appears and delivers a mighty blow to the creatures spin shattering its spine cleaving it two. The lower half swiftly falls apart.
Over the next 10 minutes the skeleton is smashed crushed and broken down every time it over extends itself it loses a limb. Every time it lashes out it ether finds a shield or Rise her self easily eating the below. Before long Rise forces her hand through the damaged rib cage and rips out the partially crystallized heart, crushing it in her grip before casting it aside.
[Kill Recoded-(G) Grade creature]
Rise looks over her crew and sighs in relief. There all fine and considered how big this skeleton was it had probably eaten a few of its kin, meaning they can breathe was on this floor for a moment."Good job guys!"
-
Red sits with two fellow nurses who were in the hospital before the Surge. They haven't decided on there new names yet and no one has called them something specific, enough times for the System to asighn them one.
Of course Red and his friends aren't really in the mood to talk. His buddies have been sticking the wounded back together with Doc, and Red himself has been abusing his [Diagnos] Ability in order to locate food, survivors and potential immediate threats. One might think Red had an easy job but that's just not the case. The core problem with Reds Ability is it's intended scale.
[Diagnos- Devine potential arising problems and solutions to minor ailments.(Consumes Vigor)]
Red quickly dicoverd that the definition of ailment and minor was rather leanyent, but by focusing on a large problem such as an impending food shortage he'd quickly lose all his Vigor before even seeing what was wrong. While also being stuck with a monster headache from the failed attempt and being rendered almost paralyzed from lack of Vigor. Luckily Reds friends had the idea to crowd sorce a partial solution, a list of ideas, topics and hopes on what he should driven.
Red sighs after immediately seeing that most items on the list could hardly be called small. This earns him a look of understanding from his equally tired friends, even the end of the world couldn't stop them from being over worked.
-
Gramps stares down a murder of Crows a dozen paces away from the hospital."well have yay made up your minds yet on if you'll attack me again?"
The murder of Crows visibly looks at three of there number that got over zelus and tried attacking the old man…"Ma-de Min-ds!" They squawk in there oddly childish voices and eagerly fly away.
Gramps spits in the direction of the retreating birds." I might not have any Abilities or nifty Traits like the kids, but I still know a thing or two. Stay Gone Or Next Time I'll Show You Birds What A Really Masaker Looks Like!"
In the distants a childish echo calls back " St-ay-ing Go-ne G-one!"