[IC] Rotten Masks

[Tuxedo Fox]

@Amelian Draco@The Kraken@Mr Rage@Kidd

Like some lost and abused dog Tod fell in beside Lillah rather quickly; the suddenness at which he seemed to not only trust the newcomer do exactly as she said was almost somewhat alarming. When looked in the eyes he still had a rather glossy, almost fog like, stare-as if even though he spoke to Lillah he truly wasn't "there at the moment." He seemed to be following her more for something to do; as if the promise of supplies and shelter had been completely meaningless.

"Don't worry about our little meet and greet-I was most likely shambling around like one of those things anyways." He said the word with complete disgust and hate "Hell, I probably would have shot me too if I were you." Tod went on to explain while absent mindidly rubbing the freshly formed bruise on his shoulder.

Just as Lillah was guiding them out of the abandoned but well stocked hospital Tod, or as Lillah knew him "MinuteMan", stopped in his tracks-his eyes drawn to the broken lock that lead to the room that kept only part of the hospitals vast stock of narcotics and drugs. Momentarily he stared at the door as he briefly opened his mouth to say something-but then seemed to fight the urge, instead continuing to follow Lillah. After all he had enough pills inside his leather jacket to last his newfound secrete addiction at least a month or two.

For a good ten minutes the pair made their way uneventfully towards the casino; Tod along the way explaining just why he had been at the hospital, the only reasoning he gave for being there that he thought "The kids simply needed a hero"-he didn't mention at all how he had, atleast in his mind, completely and utterly failed them. Any attempt Lillah made to even question the events at the hospital were only met with an extremely eerie, almost scary, stone faced silence from Tod. He either couldn't or wouldn't talk about it.

As they navigated the winding and cluttered streets it wasn't long before the pair was able to just make out the large daunting buildings that made up the casino and hotel-only they hadn't even been able to see the grand structure for more then a minute or two when the sounds of frantic close quarters fighting echoed off of the long abandoned buildings that made up the nearby city streets. At the random sounds of struggle that echoed off the rather empty landscape Tod couldn't help but go into "fight over flight" as he momentarily closed both eyes, the immediate act of focusing switching some unseen mental switch in his head. He could feel the immediate effects as his unknown power literally sent some foreign energy shooting through his veins; immediately he felt both the rush of becoming not only stronger but "safe" within this new sick and dangerous world.

---

Lillah flinched--she had been trying to pin down the sounds when MinuteMan was a step ahead of her: he was ready to act. And he wanted her opinion. "Oh, uh--let's check it out?" she suggested. She had never been the leader-type. "If it's zombies, do you thing." As she spoke, she reloaded the shot gun.

---

Tod let out a brief but clean and toothy grin at Lillahs response. The few features that his mask did happen to expose contorted into an expression that resembled an extremely quick, yet almost unnoticeable, display of genuine happiness. "Sure thing, Boss."

Before Lillah had a chance to respond Tod assumed an awkward "squatting" position, as if he was some wierdo trying to work out his calves in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. Honestly the odd and bizarre sight only made the following display more impressive, Tod (or Minuteman, as Lillah knew him.) literally shooting up into the sky, his body resembling a mere man hopping up from a squat with all his energy-only unlike a real man who might have been lucky to jump two feet into the air Tod's tall leather jacket clad body shot a good hundred feat upwards in a diagonal arc, quickly disappearing over and behind the buildings that made up the city street.

---
KABOOM

The sudden meteor like impact that took place threw both The Maker and Vivian off of their feat along with the encroaching crowd of shamblers that the ex villain had been keeping at bay-the large undead group almost comically falling into a large pile of struggling limbs and annoying groans. That was except for the one runner Vivian had moments before cut in half-only now the rotten decaying corpse was literally running headlong on his hands towards Minuteman (which for the half sized corpse only came up to Tods knee.)

Without a moments hesitation Tod met the charging corpse; (the rotten zombie using his arms for legs, as if some undead acrobat) greeting the decaying man with what many could only compare to a football styled punters kick; the vicious one legged atack that was amplified by Tods powers sending what was left of the zombified man soaring well out of sight and over the adjacent buildings.

Quickly he looked from Vivian to The Maker and then to the pile of thralling zombies. “Sounded like you all could have used a hand. Wait-your not criminals, right?”

[Kidd]

Lillah

"Hey! Wait!" Lillah called after the superhero, but he was already gone. Silence filled the air, and then she heard a muffled BOOM behind the buildings blocking her sight. She wasn't frantic, Lillah didn't get "frantic." But she was a little miffed that she was suddenly left alone. The young woman only sighed and looked back and forth, waiting and listening. When she was satisfied that she was truly alone again, she started the long, normie trek toward the highway exit, where the chaos seemed to be coming from.

---

Vivian

Welding mask actually had it under control. She was impressed, and she had just turned her attention back on the new wave of shamblers as they started pouring out of the window. "Okay, fuckers, I can't do this forever," she threatened, adjusting her hold on her ASHINGT sign. Suddenly--

KABOOM!

She gasped and felt her legs rise up from under her and then she was on her back. Dust flew up, but she squinted through it to confirm that, yes, the zombies had also fallen on their asses. She was safe. Coughing and flustered, she stood on her scrawny legs, feeling angry heat rise to her face and cheeks. "What the bloody hell?!" she exclaimed, her eyes finding the cause of the chaos: another weirdo in the leather mask and he had just punted a zombie into the sky. Oh bloody hell, she repeated to herself, her rage being replaced with quiet caution. Heroes. Heroes everywhere. Maybe this wasn't the safest place for her to be.

"I'm not a criminal," she answered--maybe a little too quickly--but she knew that when Welding Mask answered, attention wouldn't be on her. "Did you see the fireworks, too? That's where we're heading."

[Mr Rage]

The Maker, only moments before attempting to move on and work his way towards the location of the light display, found himself quite squarely on his ass. The sudden impact of MinuteMan's descent back to earth had thrown him completely. Not only did it take him off of his balance, but the old man's impact with the earth had winded him too.

The maker was a relatively low level hero, his powers did not lend themselves to the heroic. William still wasn't entirely sure that he truly had powers, but all the same, he was counted amongst the heroes for his ability to build things, take things apart, or salvage things. As such, he was a little known amongst the hero circles by heroes high and low because he provided a service few could offer. Given the resources he could make things out of the normal realm of possibility for someone working with their hands, and in record timeframes. So he was a little surprised that he didn't recognize the leather masked man that just plummeted to their aid from who knows where. William looked him over carefully as he considered his answer. He wasn't a criminal, that was true, but was the MinuteMan? His asking the question eluded to him being not a criminal. The maker did notice, as he regained his breath and struggled to his feet, that Vivian had offered an answer faster than was normal... He made a note to keep an eye on her.

"I'm no criminal either," The Maker said through coughs. He worked his way towards the pile of fallen corpses and started putting a few more of them down, those that he could easily reach without risking getting pulled into the mass. A heavy hammer swing here, a heavy hammer swing there, the pitter patter of brain matter splatting on the road. "William Shoemaker, though most people call me The Maker for short. Kind of a biblical joke."

[The Kraken]

@Tuxedo Fox

Kennedy had done as Bushwhacker had instructed her to do, and that was wait and watch The Maker and his new companion in their bout with the horde of undead surrounding them. Still perched on the rooftop of the hotel, the unsettling yellow that her eyes had shifted to moved with small but focused motions. It was quite impressive, really. Not only The Maker's performance, but this new arrival's ability to level a field of shamblers with... was that a street sign?

Kennedy grabbed the radio again and readied it near her mouth as she watched the fight unfold. The first scab went down with a little too much effort, and at the advance of the second, the shapeshifter began to get nervous. A twitching sensation began at each of her shoulder blades, the feeling of genetic material being broken down and built back up into something else as the growths began to pry at the shirt on her back.

"Looks like they might need a little help down there, boss." Kennedy spoke into the radio to Bushwhacker. However, before she could set it down and take off to provide assistance, the old man had managed to pry the damn thing's mouth off. "False alarm." She said, the feathered wings that were fit to burst from her back at here mind's command suddenly recessed as she resumed in awe at the feat of the two.

What the hell?

The eagle sharp vision she had stolen caught the sight of the man before her ears heard the sound of him hitting the ground. An impressive feat, she knew that they had drawn the attention of another super. After the dust settled, Kennedy scanned to see if he was friendly or foe. The Maker and the other woman were left on the ground, but after the man stood still for a moment she got a good glimpse of him. Bushwhacker was going to want to see this.

"Looks like your fireworks caught MinuteMan's attention."

---

@Amelian Draco

Liam nodded at David, now slightly more trusting of the man. "Ah, so that's where that wall of fire came from." So, he's a superhero, eh? Or super villain. Either way, he saved Liam's skin. Untrusting or not, that meant something in this ravaged world. His brow lowered when David removed his mask and seemed to crack a joke. He had seen and been through so much in the last couple weeks that he couldn't remember the last time he experienced sarcasm or jest, so it took him a minute to catch on. When he did, he managed to show half a smile through a scruff face. "Your secrets safe with me."

His eyes traveled to the arrows on the ground, something he must have overlooked before. Well, getting mugged and fighting zombies might leave room for slight oversights as such. He had seen the fireworks, that was enough, right? The notion of traveling with this man was something he would prefer to have more time to think about. Unfortunately, time was something he did not have. Especially not while standing in the middle of a zombie-infested highway. Liam balled his fist and cracked his knuckles as he looked from the ground back to David and then towards the casino, finally nodding slowly.

"Sure, seems to be the safest bet to me. Looks like we've got about a block and a half to go. Hopefully we don't run into anymore trouble between here and there." Liam holstered his pistol and instead took out the K-BAR knife to make quick work of any shamblers that should come their way, but before heading off he walked back over towards the now charred van and picked up the few shells he had dropped and scavenged from the bastard who had held him up in the first place, earning him a new .357 and some more ammunition.

"Alright, let's get to that safezone before anyone, or anything else gets to us."

[Tuxedo Fox]

@The Kraken(Kennedy)
Bushwhacker listened to Kennedy describe the events she was watching unfold-he bit his tongue far harder then he would have liked to admit at the word they needed help; he wasn't sure if he could handle the guilt of practically leading The Maker to his death. A wave of relief washed over his stoic figure as Kennedy chimed in quickly again that the approaching hero and his companion were in fact ok. And then she said something even more surprising.

Minuteman

It took Bushwhacker a moment to remember the lesser known hero-fortunately the ex crime fighters odd name made narrowing down just who Kennedy was talking about somewhat easier. Quickly connecting the dots Bushwhacker was somewhat surprised the man was actually still alive. If he remembered the mans powerset correctly he would no doubt be an asset to the group-that was if he wasn't raving mad or anything. He attempted to view the now approaching group by maxing out the visuals on his scoped rifle; a pointless task as they all turned out to just resemble indistinguishable blobs at this distance. What I wouldn't give for some powers like hers... He quickly thought to himself while thinking of Kennedys impressive abilities before speaking back up over the radio "Well I wont say I saw that comeing, but it could be a fortunate turn of events. Perhaps." If not you have three minutes to kill him a darker voice hissed in the back of his mind-quickly he pushed the thought aside. "Why don't you fly on down to the ground floor? You radio everything is on the up and up when they arrive and I'll lower down the lift. If not well..." He looked down at the large metal bucket next to his feat, the old pale bulging with a fair amount of what one could only assume were deadly explosives. The contraptions filling the bucket just had that "bomb look" to them. "...well, just get outta there and I'll start raining hell. And keep an eye out, might be a surprise or two waiting down there for ya. I honestly can't tell what, if anything, is directly below my lift."

---

@Mr Rage@Kidd(Vivian & Lillah)
"I'm not a criminal," Vivian answered rather quickly, as if almost expecting the odd question. Luckily for her Tod was to pilled out of his head to notice what time of day it was, let alone a questionable lapse in speech. His mind didn't even linger on suspicion as she went on to ask "Did you see the fireworks, too? That's where we're heading."

"I'm no criminal either," The man with the heavy looking hammer chimed in through a bout of sick sounding coughs-Tod couldn't help but be reminded of Darth Vader. Hell, the guy even had a big creepy mask. He immediately felt somewhat bad for thinking this as the newcommer went on to more properly introduce himself in a way that came off as genuinely kind to Tod.

"William Shoemaker, though most people call me The Maker for short. Kind of a biblical joke." Tod had never been a biblical man so he didn't really get the reference-or maybe he was just too high-iether way the man known as William (The Maker?) was rather efficiently working his way through the pile of writhing zombies Tod had created moments before. Without thinking Tod rushed to the old mans side in an effort to get the most out of his remaining moments of powers-quickly ripping apart and caving in any skull within punching distance. Each blow he dealt was usually followed by the sound of sickeningly wet bones snapping and cracking. After Vivian joined in it only took the group a few moments to turn the undead mob into a pile of rotting meat.

After the group was done performing what would have been called an atrocity pre outbreak Tod turned his full attention back to the previous conversation. "Nice to meet ya Shoe. You allright with that cough?" He asked with real concern while extending his hand towards William in an offer of a handshake. The man who called himself The Maker cautiously took hold of Tods hand-needless to say Tod was shocked by the iron like death grip this stranger possessed. But then again maybe lugging a giant hammer around like that was quite the workout? After trying not to get every bone broken in his hand he gave William a silent nod as the handshake ended-quickly he turned his attention back to the unnamed woman who had asked him a question.

I'm actually just following my new friend." Tod pointed over his recently injured shoulder with his thumb in the direction of thin air-it made him look like he was seeing fictional people which no doubt was rather worrisome to William and Vivian.

-

Luckily for MinuteMan, Lillah cautiously turned the corner leading to group. She was scowling and her brown eyes studied the strangers: a man in a welder's mask, probably a hero. Some emo girl, but she had in her hand a makeshift and bloodied weapon. Creepy, she thought of the group as she approached, shrugging her shotgun over her back. "Hey," she greeted before taking a moment to assess the rest of the scene: zombie bits here and there, blood everywhere. It looks like MinuteMan took care of business. "I'm Lillah," she said. "You all coming to the casino then?"

-

"There she is!" Tod said with a grin at the timely arrival of Lillah; the few moments she hadn't been there seemed to drag on in what felt like an eternal awkward silence. His beaming smile of a face broke to a stone just as quickly however, the shift in mood followed by a rather manic display as he sulked his way over to Lillahs side--hands in his coat pocket and eyes transfixed on the ground--until he literally stood behind the poor girl like a shadow. Something had just happened in his head that the rest of the group obviously couldn't see.

-

Lillah visibly tensed as MinuteMan approached and literally stepped in line behind her. She turned to frown at him, eyebrows furrowing together; she had never in her twenty years had to deal with...anything like this. She had a pet snake at one point, but Kelloggs had been about as friendly as a feral cat. So to have this man--a superhero, no less--follow her around like an actual puppy left her at a loss for words.

"Awh, he doesn't even need a leash," the emo girl teased, leaning on her street sign. Tod seemed completely oblivious to the comment; to focused on scanning the surroundings behind Lillah like some mad watchdog.

"Ah-- he--" Lillah stammered. He obviously wasn't a bad guy, but this could be a problem. "Don't worry about it," she finally said. This would be something she'd have to deal with once they were all safe. And maybe once everyone was safe, he'd go back to being himself--whatever that was. "Anyway," she continued, glancing back at MinuteMan again.

-

After a brief round of twenty questions it became rather apparent that Lillah was in fact from the very casino the whole group was headed towards. Not only did she ensure them they were not a bunch of looters and murderers but likewise the casino was safe for now-atleast safer then anywhere else she knew of in the city. She also affirmed Williams question that Bushwhacker was indeed there and before long the newly formed group set off towards the building looming in the distance. Making rather good time they easily dispatched all the undead along the way as a unified front before eventually arriving in the parking lot of The Star Casino and Hotel-all the giant red arrows spray painted on the black asphalt leading up to a lone woman Lillah recognized immediately as Kennedy.

@The Kraken(Liam)@Amelian Draco
Agreeing to help each other out both David and Liam made their way along the wreck covered city street in a rather impressive display of teamwork. Most zombies were cut down before they even noticed the duo following the large spray painted arrows. They had arrived in the parking lot just in time to witness an unbelievable sight as a woman literally flew-wings and all-down from the top of the building before gracefully landing on the ground. They were so caught up in the sight that they hadn't noticed the group that had likewise entered the parkinglot from behind them on their left.

[Mr Rage]

"The Cough?" William asked MinuteMan, "Yeah, just fine. Doctors say I'm sick, I'll probably die from it sometime, but I'm pretty sure I outlived my Doctors... infact, I put one down myself post-outbreak on my way to the Amusement Park. Other than drawing attention when I want to be quiet, it is no real bother."

"I figured if anyone had a chance to clean that place out it would be Bushwacker," The Maker said after his thoughts were confirmed, "I assume he came up with a way to prevent what happened last time from happening again?" He purposely didn't say what, didn't want to alarm the newcomers about the possibility that this could be a complete death trap. The last batch of survivors he decided to host mostly got eaten alive when someone propped a door open to smoke and a blur got in. Before we knew it half of the compound was turned. Maker hardly had a chance to get out himself, he wasn't sure who else had made it out before now, but apparently Lillah and Kennedy had made it and stuck around to help with the clean up. When he got a simple yes to his question it was all that he needed to know to keep traveling forward. If the answer had been no, he would have turned around and left unless Lillah had a compelling reason to stay otherwise.

Once the group had made it to their destination, with little of consequence to mention along the way, The Maker gave a deep sigh and said softly to the group, "I haven't had to hoof it like that since my days in Nam... " Seeing Kennedy waiting for the group below the lift, "Long time, no see. How do we get in this place?"

[The Kraken]

Kennedy nodded, mostly to herself since there was no one else around to see, as Bushwhacker's instructions cracked over the radio. "You got it." She placed the walkie-talkie at her hip, clipping it safely to her waistband and out of the way of harm from the feathered appendages that she was about to manifest at her back. A few too many good shirts had been ruined by similar acts. In fact, there was that time that she assisted a group of heroes against some villains where shifting into a puma effectively ruined her favorite Royals t-shirt. Not only did it ruin the shirt, but finding a creative way to shapeshift with a set of "skin clothes" and have no one touch you to know the difference was another story.

This time, she removed the jacket from her back, and before sprouting the large wings, she first ejected bony spikes from her shoulder blades to make sure she arrived on the ground fully clothed. Then, the projections grew in size and grandeur as webs of ligaments and skin stitched across them and brown feathers grew as grass did on a spring day to cover them. The whole process took only seconds, and soon she leapt off the side of the hotel, the wings expanding behind her to catch air and guide her down on a skilled glide. The first time she had done this, it had not looked so graceful. Oh, no. Freeform the shapeshifter was not always so comfortable in her ever changing skin. A fear of heights, for one thing, quickly had to vanish in a city filled with skyscrapers and bad guys willing to climb to the top.

As she neared the ground below, a few shamblers could be seen mindlessly wandering and pawing at the barricaded entrance to the casino - no doubt attracted by all the hubbub of the fireworks and gunfire. Kennedy extended her left arm and the light tan flesh extended and morphed into a black substance, taking on the shape of a large disc that she extended beneath her body as she hurled toward the ground. The shamblers stood no chance as her transformed appendage came to rest before her winged body did so afterwards. A sickening squash affirmed that the immediate threat was gone, and she carefully shifted her arm back, flinging the gore off as she did so.

It was then that she had a moment to notice that a small crowd had formed. Few faces were familiar, that of The Maker, Lillah, and MinuteMan. The rest she assumed were all newcomers drawn by Bushwhacker's display.

"Long time, indeed." Kennedy smiled at William, glad to see the old man had made it in one piece. She gave a nod of recognition to Lillah before taking in the rest of the crowd and answering William's question. "Welcome to The Star Casino and Hotel, everyone. KC's finest in luxury zombie-proof accommodations." She reached for the radio at her hip and brought it to her mouth. "All clear down here, send it down." She said, while pointing up with a finger towards the lift above them all.

---

Liam had been relieved to make it to the casino. What he had not been prepared for was to see a woman jump off the roof of a building in an apparent suicide attempt that sent his heart leaping into his throat. That is, before a large pair of wings spread out from behind her as if she were some kind of real life angel or something. Now his heart sank and he was left feeling like he had a five pound weight in his stomach at the sight of the shapeshifter. Was this some sort of hot spot for supers or something? He was beginning to feel a little out of place.

Liam jumped at the realization that there was now another group of people behind them. He must've been so caught up that he didn't hear their footsteps. Or maybe they were just really quiet. Yeah, that must've been it. Otherwise, that would mean he let his guard down and could've been ambused. Nope, can't let that happen. Not again.

He shifted his gaze and narrowed it as a few people began to talk, seeming to know each other. Others, like himself and David, seemed to be new. He looked up when the young woman pointed, seeing an operating lift that looked dismal at best. Yeah. That seems safe. Still, he thought getting inside was better than being left out here on the street. Plus, it seemed he and David had come to a silent agreement to have each other's backs if this little get together turned out to be a shit fest of its own. Liam remained quiet and kept a hand casually on his hip, close to the pistol in his waistband should he need it.

[Amelian Draco]

"Wings...interesting," adjusting his mask, David mumbled with a slight tone of envy, sure that only Liam could hear him. He had loved to fly before he found his powers, thinking back he did hate dealing with airports. He then realized that the figure was a shapeshifter, a power he hadn't seen in some time. The woman unnerved him, but he ignored the feeling. He also noticed he felt a little bit tense, and it didn't help that others seemed to appear behind him.

David turned back expecting to see weapons pointed at him and Liam, but didn't find any. Sighing and shifting his body wait, he put his hands in the pockets of his trenchcoat. This many people was making him nervous. A handful of strategies popped into his head about how to get out of this situation, most them seemed to oddly include ether of them taking a hit. The sound of the lift lowering to them broke his from his train of thought. He noticed that Liam shifting too, an unneeded fight might brake out if they looked like they where ready for one. Pulling his right hand out of it's pocket to gesture, "I'm Blackflag, and this is Liam. Nice to meet everyone." He kept his tone steady, trying to seem calm behind his mask.

[Tuxedo Fox]

@Amelian Draco@The Kraken@Mr Rage@Kidd
"All clear down here, send it down." The familiar voice of Kennedy crackled to life within Bushwhackers ear.

"Vir-iiiiiiiiiiiip" The distinct noise of the catwalk Bushwhacker stood upon could be heard as he made his decent down to the ground floor. More then once he had to keep himself from stopping the lift.

Eventually the large window cleaning unit came to rest mere inches above the blackened asphalt the entire group of newcomers stood upon. Before hopping off his detective like mind couldn't help but take a few key notes, most importantly of which were:

1-Minuteman, arguably one of the physically most threatening members of the group, followed behind Lillah like some kind of animal she had been kicking each day for the better part of a month-that is to say his eyes spoke of some unfathomable loyalty. At least that's what Bushwhacker though in his quick nanosecond like assessment of the man. He made a mental note to bring it up with Lillah later.
2-His old friend(?) The Maker was in fact not only unscathed from the previous battle moments ago but had also survived the previous massacre at The Star Hotel-something Bushwhacker had been agonizing over for the better part of two weeks; wholeheartedly blaming himself for The Makers apparent death that had takein place in the ensuing chaos weeks ago.
3-Sign post girl struck a cord in him-quickly he knew he would be spending the remainder of the night poring over his vast database on criminals in the attempt to satisfy this sixth sense that said she was indeed trouble.
4-Liam (Although he didn't know that was his name yet) looked like some kid doing his best to play soldier-but then again he was still alive when over three fourths of the city was out shambling on the streets eating people. He hated to admit it but he had to give the nervous looking kid credit. He was also 90 percent sure this kid had no powers-there was just a certain way non powered individuals carried themselves and he had long ago mastered the art of spotting the differences. And then there was his partner-
5-David. Bushwhacker recognized the man immediately-he had a particular disdain for rogue heroes afterall. But this was a different world and he could use all the fire power (no pun intended) to help the community he envisioned. So if he was willing to follow rules Bushwhacker decided he was more then willing to allow him to stay.

All these thoughts seem to simultaneously barrel through his head like a bullet train in the blink of an eye.

In a somewhat impressive display he hopped over the railing on the lift with one arm while his other hand clutched his deadly rifle. Quickly straightening himself up as his boots hit the ground he leveled the rifle up without pointing it at anyone directly; the message was clear though, he was ready to shoot.
-
(Vivian)
Vivian was ignorant to Kansas City and its local heroes. Otherwise, the merciless and deadly hero would send a chill up the woman's spine. Blissfully unaware of his reputation, however, she watched Bushwhacker descend with a bored gaze. What did make her uncomfortable, though, was the fact that the hero count grew with everyone she met. Be cool, she thought to herself, leaning lazily on her street sign. No one even knew her name yet, and she was confident there was little to no suspicion toward her.
-
(Bushwhacker)
His eyes focused solely on The Maker. “That...That really you?” He reached out as if to touch William, but then seemed to change his mind and instead pointed his rifle Williams way-his eyes looking at his old friend in a way that could only be described as accusing.

–
(Tod)
Tod had been staying behind Lillah during the whole encounter with Bushwhacker-when the man finished his sentence by raising his rifle towards the man he now knew as William every part of him wanted to stand in the path of the possible bullet. Instead he stood glued in place, his eyes just visible over Lillahs shoulder. The way he stared at Bushwhacker looked like a madman fully coming to the realization of true danger in front of him.

He clenched his fists while gritting his teeth. “You just say the word...” He whispered for only Lillah to hear.

–
(Lillah)
Lillah put her hand up to respond with a silent "relax" as her light eyes flickered between Bushwhacker and William. However, she was tense with the same instinct: protect this guy from Bushwhacker. She didn't dare reach for her gun, but she tried speaking despite MinuteMan breathing down her neck. "Bushwhacker, he's fine. At least let him speak before threatening to shoot him," she said carefully. Despite the heavy atmosphere, she spoke with confidence; and despite her loyalty, she knew she and Bushwhacker rarely saw eye to eye and both saw psychotic tendencies in the other.
–
(Bushwhacker)
Bushwhacker blinked a few times at Lillah through his thick leather mask before finally lowering the rifle. “Right then.” He spoke like he hadn't just been pointing a gun at the man, his attention still fully fixed on William. “How the hell are you still alive? Last I saw there were four Runners chasing you across the fucking parking lot?” He didn't come out and say it but part of him was worried William wasn't really there. But then everyone else saw him, right?
--

[Mr Rage]

"Yes Bushwacker, it's me. Glad to see you made it through the mess. You want to point that gun somewhere else?" The bushwacker that he knew before would have certainly pointed that gun, but he probably wouldn't have pulled the trigger. Not unless he was hard pressed for other options... but now? William just wasn't sure. He didn't tense up, he didn't prepare for a fight. He knew that before he had a chance to defend or counter attack there would be a neat little hole through the front of the welding mask he wore. William knew that look, despite his face being covered, he knew what that look meant.

When the gun was finally lowered and he was asked what had happened he gave a deep sigh and recanted his story. He started with, "You remember Yates?"

Flash Back

Flashback:
The Maker was tinkering again, he had a workstation in a basement maintenance room below the hotel wing of the building. So far the cities water supply was still pressurized in this part of town, but it was hard to say how long that would last before something else went wrong. Maker was working on a purification system that ran on solar power or on a dynamo so it could be manually powered. Not only would it be able to clean the water from the swimming pool, but it would also be able to pump water from wells and reserves. Anything that was in the waterline could be drawn up with it, so even if the pressure dropped they should still be able to retrieve water. He just wasn't getting the power draw that he wanted from the solar cells and the batteries were largely to blame. Time to go scrounge for better components.

The maker slid on his gear, only in his locked, windowless work room did he feel secure enough to take off his protective coverings. He had plans to make more body armor at some point, but it was too hard to move in metal, so Kevlar was the best option. The kind of suit that Bushwacker wore was kind of ideal. Next swat truck they found and brought in though was going to be at least one suit for William. Slamming the welding mask over his face he unlocked the room and made his way out into the hallway. He closed the door behind him and made his way to the steps, and eventually into the rooms where the hotels-goers had abandoned their stuff. This part of the complex hadn't been blocked off yet, but the rooms hadn't all been cleared either. Maker knew the risk of coming here alone, but nobody else would know what he was looking for and a group of people made too much noise. Armed with the master key card that opened all the hotel rooms, as long as they weren't bolted, the maker got to working his way into the first room, hammer drawn and ready.

Immediately he was greeted with a snarl, just as quickly the hammer came down and pinned the remains to the ground. Where there was one, there was almost always a second, at least. There wasn't this time, at least not yet. Shoemaker worked his way around the room and found it all to be quiet. The window on this second floor unit had been broken, but by the lack of glass it was on its way out. The second Zombie, or perhaps the last human in the room attempting to escape. Sweeping the room of the possessions he came back with a tablet, two chargers, and little else to show for it. Money had no value anymore, besides there was plenty of it down in the casino. But other commodities still had value, leather was still useful. The Maker searched the corpse and took her wedding ring, he didn't even have time to realize that it was once a woman when he ended her unlife. Maybe it was an engagement ring, it was hard to tell through the early onset rot, but she seemed like she was awfully young for a wife. Fortunately, she was a trendy girl in life and had a leather satchel for a purse, a leather wallet there within, and around her slender waist was a wide black leather belt. It could all be used for something, so it was all collected up, packed in the satchel, and he was ready to move on to the next room. Before he got to the door he heard the screams.

Undeniable screams, the screams that everybody knows and understands by this point.

Even worse, they were coming from inside. The maker made his way way towards the sound. It was a foolish thing to do, in retrospect he knew that, but even when he was fighting in 'Nam he never knew when to run from the fight, unless of course that was part of the tactic.

Once he found the source of the mayhem. A runner had gotten in somehow, he was quick, and quickly making his way towards having friends. Down the hall further was the nursery. It was a nursery for employees and casino goers, but it still served as a nursery now and a birthing room for those expecting. A plan formulated in his head in order to get this runner and his four new speedy friends out of the building and away from the nursery. Unfortunately, it required bait, which could only be the Maker.

"Hey, Slow-pokes!" The maker yelled as he slapped his hammer and tongs together. The high pitched ring could wake the dead, there was no way that they wouldn't hear him and target him. Quick as a whip they turned their heads, and as if orchestrated by a single mind, they all started into a charge. Fast as he could the Maker ran. He had maybe a 100 foot lead on them. He had to use the terrain and agility that he still possessed as a human to his advantage. As he ran he knocked things over in a hope that it might trip them up slightly, give him another second to get out the door. Somehow, despite his age, he made it outside of the building, the door stuck when he first hit it, but the Zombies helped him when they also slammed into it chasing after him. Rolling to his feet he got up and kept running. 'Shit,' he thought as he glanced back, the door remained open behind them and anyone could get inside. The Zombies stayed on him though, his breathing apparently drawing them more then the screams, maybe there was something about powered people that drew them.

They were closing on him. There was little chance that he could take down all five runners, but he might get one or two if he was lucky. He dropped to the ground and rolled before jumping back at the closest runner with a swing. He missed, too low for a head shot, but when a runner at thirty miles an hour hits a 30lbs hammer, it still does some damage. The mangled form stumbled to the ground, with the ribs and spin crushed there was little else it could do. Spinning he had a chance to catch another one before they could turn back around and get another charge at him. This time too high, a complete miss, he kept traveling, but the third running slammed bodily into the Maker laying him out on the ground. His hammer was knocked free from his hand and was outside of reach, the tongs were no use, the Zombie was on him. 'This is the end,' he thought. It might take a few minutes, but eventually the Zombie would figure out a way get past his leather apron, gloves, and welding mask, but this was his end. The Maker was about to meet his Maker, a chuckle at the thought of it, but it turned into a cough he couldn't suppress.

Suddenly a loud bang, the runner slipped off of him and laid on the ground next to him. No more motion, the other Zombies ignored him and went for the gun man. Finally take the chance to turn his head he saw the runners as they overtook Yates. He was always a crack-shot with that 30-6, but the bolt action meant he needed to be somewhere the zombies couldn't reach. That was not the case, and there was no way for him to know that these were runners when he took the shot. "I was supposed to be the bate!" He yelled through his mask. He picked up his hammer and tried to ring his tongs again. But it was too late, just as the runners had fixated on him, the runners were now fixated on Yates, and it was far too late to save him now.

The Maker counted, two dead, two running... where was the fifth Zombie?

The Maker never knew for sure where the fifth runner had gone. But with at least two ways for Zombies to get into the casino, there was little hope of recovering it. No choice now but to move on and try to make it on his own. The next few days were spent upgrading and retrofitting the Ferris-wheel to serve as his own home.

"Started working my way here after I saw your fireworks display. Figured it had to be you, you were about one of the only people smart enough to be able to clear this place out and stay alive, yet crazy enough to pull a stunt like light off homebrewed fireworks to draw survivors together. Truly, I'm glad to see you well, friend."

[The Kraken]

The miniature community gathering had quickly turned from slightly awkward and silent to tense and threatening all with the descent of the lift and the arrival of good ol' Bushwhacker. Kennedy couldn't deny that she had somewhat anticipated this type of reaction, but it still made her nervous nonetheless. Had all these people gathered here just to be tried and executed on his bipolar judgement?

What was impressive was the Maker's ability to not even bat an eye at Bushwhacker's hostile demeanor, instead countering with simplicity and nonthreatening words. Kennedy remained silent as the conversation played out, taking in the newcomers and assessing what would become their new unit of survival. At least four supers total now. Not a bad number, lest one of them turn and their undead body brew up some new foul concoction of zombie blood to deal with.

"I hate to break up this little reunion, but I think we should take it inside before we get blindsided out here in the open." She finally spoke up. Strength in numbers might be a proven philosophy, but there was no doubt that there were risks to standing out here waving guns at each other instead of packing it inside. The last thing they needed was a runner advancing on them before they could even turn their heads.

---

Liam remained quiet, letting David introduce him. He flinched when he heard the loud screeching from the industrial lift, but forced himself to ease up. That didn't last long, however. Whoever this masked guy was, he was all too quick to go waving his gun around and pointing it at people. It was the most basic rule of marksmanship: do not aim a gun at anything you don't intend to shoot. Liam knew it was too good to be true. This guy must be fuckin' nuts.

He clenched his jaw tightly. If he drew his pistol now, he could get the shot off and save this guy. Then again, there's at least one super on his side. He'd be done for before he could get the second shot off. It took all he had in him, muscles twitching and burning with anticipation, not to grab for his gun. Liam played off of the reactions of the other people around him, hoping someone else who knew this guy could get him to drop the damn rifle.

Luckily, a woman who spoke up had managed to do just that. Liam let out a tensed breath and took his mind off of his weapon. He cared little for the introductions, but looked up from where he'd been staring at the ground at the mention of getting inside. Riding that sketchy looking lift? By his judgement, the only way in was several stories up through a window. Guess he'd just have to hope for the best.

[Mr Rage]

Just a moment after Kennedy recommended that they get moving topside Bushwacker raised his gun back to his shoulder and took a snap shot. It was hardly any time at all from hip mounted, pointing at the ground and a deafening round going off among the center of the group. Everyone turned, after their initial shock, expecting to find Maker laying dead on the ground and those standing next to him splattered in his blood. William was just as surprised as everybody else that he was still standing, but it didn't take long for everyone else in the group to figure out what had happened. Turning just a little further they could see that off in the distance was a group of shamblers shuffling towards the group. Maybe 16 in total, not a terrible number for the amount of people present, but perhaps the most concerning was the periodic flash of blue spark.

Bushwacker took one Zombie down with his shot, but the noise of gunfire only focused their wandering attentions onto the group. "Everybody get topside. Can't take everybody all at once, the supports wont take it. Kennedy, you hangout down here with The Maker and Minuteman until the second trip on the lift. Fly out of there if you need to. Everybody else, get up here. Nobody is going into the building until I say so, got it?" Bushwacker commanded. He didn't wait for a response, he jumped back over the railing of the lift, not even bothering to wait long enough for everyone to start moving he fired up the motors which groaned against the effort of lifting the cart.

In the meantime, the cart would draw attention to the group on the ground, decreasing their odds of still being there when the cart tried to return.

The Maker, for his part, did his best to get ready. It would still be a few minutes before the group of Zombies made it to the survivors left on the ground, but it would be quite a bit longer then that before the lift made its way back down to the ground. William was a contractor before it all went to shit, he had ridden in one of those lifts a hundred times, for a building the height of the casino to make it all the way to the top, unload everybody and make it back down again would probably take ten minutes. Three supers, sixteen zombies, one of which was a Shocker, and ten minutes on the ground with no coverage or ground support? Not only the ten minutes to stay alive, but if the ground wasn't clear when Bushwacker sends the lift back down, there was noway that he was going to risk it.

Not only ten minutes to survive, but also ten minutes to put them all down- without being shocked, and without a gun to take it down by range.

"Keep your backs to the walls, stops you from getting surrounded, but it also prevents your escape. Keep close, and watch out for the pretty blue lights," The Maker said, his two companions on the ground, he knew Kennedy was a seasoned pro, but he wasn't familiar with Minuteman, but Bushwacker left him down on the ground for a reason. "Minute Man, how do you feel about facing the shocker? You got something that might deal with that?"

Meanwhile the lift groaned and shuttered with the effort to lift the rest of the group off the ground. The wind was also starting to make it difficult to line up a good shot at the approaching Zombies. Nothing to it but to wait until they made it to the top and take up positions there.