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[img]https://i.imgur.com/H5d0OWR.jpg[/img]
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[h1][color=AD0000][b][u]Survival[/u][/b][/color][/h1]
[u]January 2, 9:30 AM
The Shattered Scar, Near the Hub City Border[/u]
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Hidden in the abandoned husk of what was once a gas station along the road leading into Hub City, the young hero looked back at the collection of survivors from all those years ago. Where their numbers had once been about twelve, now only six sat in various locations around the old building. Dirt was caked deeply into their skin, scars covered their bodies, and their clothes were torn from years of attempted survival in the Scar. Their frames were gaunt, each of them almost looking like some zombie out of an old Halloween movie from their malnourishment. Of the six, three were clearly in their later years. All of them above the age of 60, yet still holding on with the hope of one day seeing the civilization they had lost all those years ago. Two more were in their mid-30s, survivors they had found wandering in Central City after the destruction. Sitting between them, a little boy who looked about the same age that the young hero had been when she was still bright-eyed and full of innocence. Despite their varied experiences and ages, all their gazes lay upon the nanite-infused girl sitting just beside the front door to the gas station. 

The girl looked at the scared faces of the group before her, the wear and tear of the years in the Scar clear upon all of their bodies. Yet their eyes were hardened and filled with determination. One that showed their will to survive the hell they had been living within for the past ten years. [color=AD0000]"Okay. Hub City is less than a day's travel from here, just behind that big fence. We've nearly made it, just one final hurdle before we are finally there."[/color] She said to the group, looking at each and every one of them for a long few moments. [color=AD0000]"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm thinking about McDonalds tonight."[/color] She said, with a diffusing smile to try to keep the situation in a positive manner. [color=AD0000]"Now, I'm gonna take a look outside before we all head out. Get your things packed, we're about to make it."[/color] She said quickly before getting to her feet and heading out the main door, a small sigh escaping her lips as she wondered just what the world was going to through at her today.

Once outside, the girl's gaze was on a careful swivel as she looked around the area to see if their pursuers of the last few days happened to be nearby. For the most part, it was a rather empty patch of land. Not much was moving, to either side of the road or along it. In the distance, she could see the fence standing like a beacon of hope for her little group. Marking the end of a decade's long battle, and finally, something that might resemble peace. However, the peacefulness of the girl's gazing towards their destination would soon be interrupted. She spun around suddenly as she heard the clear sounds of movement from nearby the gas station. She could see the shapes of three silhouettes moving together in a slight formation moving towards the rear of their gas station. It was evident from their movements that the group hadn't noticed her or her allies inside. Quickly, yet quietly the girl rushed over to the gas station and held a finger to her lips to signal for them all to be quiet as she arrived. 

[color=AD0000]"Here is the plan, our friends are outside. So I'm gonna go out there and handle them. When you hear the fighting start, I want all of you to run. I'll their attention on me."[/color] She said in a voice that was barely above a whisper. Without even waiting for any sort of response from the group, she was then moving in a crouch across the gas station towards the back door to the building. Careful to keep her steps light so to keep the sounds from her metal feet hitting the concrete floor to an absolute minimum. Slowly, the door did creak open as she was able to sneak out and move to hide behind a pile of boxes that were left unstocked whenever this gas station was abandoned. Peeking around the side of the cardboard boxes that provided her with a (flimsy) form of cover, she took stock of party that was stalking her group. Three individuals, two who she guessed were non-magi cultists, judging by how one bore a shotgun while the other was a very large man bearing a fire ax. One seemed dressed in robes and muttering small things under his breath. A mage, she assumed.

Lunging forward with all the might in her legs, the girl lunged out with her tail and managed to catch the group off-guard. As they were turning towards the source of the sudden sound behind them, her tail lunged out and grabbed the cultist with the gun by his head. Immediately flinging him directly into his ally bearing the ax. The two men shouted in pain and surprise as they were knocked to the ground, and the girl followed it up by forming a tri-barrelled machine gun at her right wrist, firing in a wide arc towards the opponents in a move meant to push the enemy on the defensive. Now that they were fully aware of her presence, the mage quickly caused the ground to rupture upwards to block the bullets for himself. The man who had been holding gun lay bleeding as the bullets from her spray tore a path up his back. Yet she was forced to retreat as the other man came in swinging with his ax, a mighty war cry leaving his lips as he swung wildly down towards her. Thankfully she was able to push back and dance out of the way of the incoming ax, just barely, as it slammed into the ground hard enough to break the pavement. 

The man never got raise his ax again, as the girl lunged forward in an explosion as retaliation to throw him off his feet. The man grunted and stumbled as she slammed her shoulder into him, as the wall of pavement behind them fell and the mage appeared behind the two engaged in vicious melee combat. The cultist swinging vicious blows as she deftly tried to dodge, or stab her tail into the fray to deflect from impacting her smaller frame. She knew these cultists were enhanced with their chaos magic, and that they could easily do permanent damage from even just a single blow. The girl's tail suddenly snapped up and yanked the man's right leg out from under him, sending him crashing down to the ground. Then immediately followed up with a single shot from her weapon to his forehead. [color=AD0000]"Two do-"[/color] She started to say as she turned back on the mage, only for her eye to shoot wide as she saw a blast wave from the mage tearing towards her. She shouted in pain and coughed up blood as the wall she was slammed into exploded against her back, and she was sent rolling through the gas station. Her body came to a rest with a hefty impact against the opposite wall, and she was just barely able to look out and seek the distant figures of her group running towards the fence in the distance. Good. 

She was locked in a vicious battle, with various magics being thrown around the small area and the gas station quickly being reduced to rubble. Her ranged attacks seemed simply unable to connect with the mage, as he was always ready with some spell to defend himself. Then he was able to easily keep her at range, due to his many spells that covered a wide area. She was once again shot back into the rubble of the gas station, laying in pain as she found herself unable to react and get up as well as she had beforehand. The mage having seemed to stun her, and slowly moving over to complete his kill. A small smile was worn on her face as she knew she was at least able to get everybody else to safety and away from these mad bastards. 

Then she heard a scream from the direction her group had gone. The child in her group had seemingly broken away from the rest and was shouting at the mage towering over the girl. To her horror, the mage turned away from the girl as he seemed to decide to take down the child shouting at him, and the group that seemed to be running away. [color=AD0000]"No!"[/color] The girl shouted, roaring back to life as adrenaline flooded her system and kicked her into overdrive. The prongs on her tail sunk deep into the man's back, as the girl stood up behind the mage groaning in pain and looking back towards her. Her face clearly displaying rage clear as day, before she flung the mage to the ground and a single shot rang out from her weapon. Then rushing forward, she scooped up the child who had been paralyzed in fear and made her way back to link up with the group once more. 

Within a couple of hours, they had finally arrived at the great fence that separated the Shattered Scar from Hub City. The girl moving forward despite her various wounds to attempt to flag down anybody working at the barrier, hoping that they would be able to get through and escape this hellish nightmare. That alone was a production that eventually was ended whenever she channeled her nanites to make her arms become a very reflective surface and flashed her makeshift mirror towards the buildings on the other side. A single guard made his way towards the second fence on the opposite of a bit of no man's land, inspecting them before speaking into his radio. Not long after, they were allowed through the gate but stopped on the other side by a group of guards who seemed well equipped enough to handle a full-on assault if one were to come. Despite the armed guard all around them, the girl was able to breathe a sigh of relief and felt a smile grow on her features as they were each asked to identify themselves. As each member stated their name, she felt the pressure leave her shoulders. They had finally made it, after ten years. Then came her turn to state who she was, and after a few moments of thinking, she looked the guard in charge in the eye and gave a confident response. 

[center][color=AD0000]"The name's Nano, from Central City."[/color][/center]

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[hider=Writer's Note]
Yes, I had her name be Nano for now, she is gonna add the Impulse once she gets the speedforce stuff as stated she will in the CS.[/hider]