Bork

All Together Now (Superhero Team RP)

@TheWizardLizard

Questions.

1) Tenses. Are we supposed to assume that we're using third-person for this RP like people normally do in this forum?

2) If the players aren't allowed to play multiple roles, I'm assuming that you, the GM, will be playing multiple chracters in order to ensure that there is a catalyst for the plot to keep moving?

All Together Now (Superhero Team RP)

So far, we have a were-dragon, a stand user, two relatively normal guys with relatively normal powers, a thicc woman and a literal abomination against nature.

Great.

@TheWizardLizard

Thanks for the note by the way but were you just okay with me just world-building an organisation right out of the bat with my CS? I was unsure when I was typing that CS whether that would ruin collaboration or not.

All Together Now (Superhero Team RP)

hemes: Bio-Punk, Science Fiction, Isolation, To What Measure is a Human Being?

CLASSIFIED

E.R.A FILE DOSSIER – A – DELTA - 311002 – 65

IDENTITY/ALIASES OF SUBJECT
Arnold Rodrigo Newell/Barney Sanchez/Tardigrade

AGE
21

DATE OF BIRTH
May 10th 1999

SEX
Male

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF NOTE
Subject is a healthy average-sized male of his age of a light-build. Subject’s height has been measured to be around 5 feet 9 inches. Weight of around 200 pounds. Race is Latino-American. Complexion of subject’s skin is tanned, although current location of subject and subject’s aberrance may have caused this information to be unreliable. Subject’s most visible traits include a set of slitted gills on either side of neck along with secondary eye-lid, unusual discolouration of pupils and unusually large mouth. Subject takes great care in hiding visible adaptations caused by secondary ability with thick clothing, usually consisting of balaclavas, jackets or scarfs on hand along with an emphasis on reduction of skin contact with other individuals to reduce the risk of contaminating civilians with blood or sweat.

PSYCH PROFILE
Aberrant 311012 has been noted to have a remarkably calm and moderate temperament in contrast to most individuals with similar aberrances along with having an self-depreciative nature regarding his own abilities, often to the point of derogatory humour that might indicate signs of chronic depression. In E.R.A captivity, Aberrant 311012/A/Delta has been noted to be extremely cooperative with both analysts and researchers. However, after Incident 311012 – C – 2 which resulted in Aberrant 311012/A/Delta escaping from E.R.A Site 14-Delta, there has been additional consideration towards the subject’s extreme profound dislike of E.R.A’s policies regarding human experimentation, viewing it in their own words as “Mengelian eugenistic crap that should have been outlawed in the 50s”. In fact, Aberrant 311012/A/Delta has noticeable psychological discomfort regarding the violation of individual’s human rights and is an extreme advocate of individualism. Aberrant 310112/A/Delta have also developed pacifistic ideals after Incident 311012 – C – 2 due to murdering Doctor [REDACTED] and multiple other researchers during his escape. E.R.A Analysts believe this to be the core catalyst for the development of Aberrant’s 311012/A/Delta altruistic tendencies since the occurance of Incident 311012 – C – 5.

Signs indicate that Abberant 311012 abilities are having a profound effect on his own behaviour, causing him to grow more aggressive and push him towards conflict, hypothesized to be an attempt by his own abilities to evolve himself further. Abberant 311012 has so far proven resistant towards these attempts.

CURRENT KNOWN HISTORY
The following information is considered to be the most accurate information that E.R.A has on Aberrant 311012/A/Delta’s past and current history.
Aberrant 311012/A/Delta former civilian identity is Arnold Rodrigo Newell, a male human of Latin-American descent who was born into a poor socio-economic background in a suburban neighbourhood located in Mesquite, Nevada. Interviews with civilians indicate that Aberrant 311012/A/Delta was originally part of a local group of juvenile delinquents in his neighbourhood at around pre-pubescent age before breaking apart of the group out of supposed shame for his actions. Aberrant 311012/A/Delta attended Penbrook Public School under a 50% scholarship in recognition of his above-average academic achievements beyond his usual peers and as part of the school’s financial assistance package.

During the subject’s term holiday, Aberrant 311012/A/Delta went on a road-trip along with two of his classmates in a Toyota Mitsubishi under the influence of alcohol towards an undisclosed location 50 miles off the perimeter of Edwards Air Force Base. At approximately 23:46 PM, Pacific Time Zone, Aberrant 311012/A/Delta group began following a UAC-40, still under the influence of alcohol, using their own vehicle. UAC-40 had breached the upper troposphere at 23:45 PM and was flying at a speed of over 100 km/h before suddenly approaching lower altitude towards Aberrant 311012 vicinity, accelerating towards him. Before USAF forces could intercept UAC-40, Aberrant 311012/A/Delta then disappeared off the grid for a full 36 hours and 30 minutes along with UAC-40, disappearing from radio transmissions completely.

Aberrant 311012/A/Delta was then discovered in the exact same location unconscious along with 1 other organic mass that was presumed to be the remnants of his former classmates. Aberrant 311012/A/Delta was then escorted to E.R.A Site 13 where he remained silent for a period of one week before fully submitting to interrogation. Full log of interrogation requires Level 3 Access but summary of interrogation reveals that Aberrant 311012/A/Delta underwent invasive biological augmentation and surgery along with his classmates by an unknown race of extra-terrestials dubbed by Aberrant 311012/A/Delta as “The Manifold”. Other than this, Aberrant 311012/A/Delta is unaware of the species intent, history or any information surrounding their capabilities. Aberrant 311012/A/Delta was uncomfortable during a large section of the interrogation about the specifics of his augmentation procedure, only stating that “it was like being scrunched up like a ball of paper and being rolled out again”. Aberrant 311012/A/Delta has revealed that several portions of his memory were missing, particularly regarding personal knowledge. It is hypothesized by analysts that the memory-wipe of the procedure was intentional rather than accidental.

After interrogation, Aberrant 311012/A/Delta fully submitted to E.R.A testing and analysis for over a period of a single month, staying in containment as an asset and undergoing rigorous aberrance training. Incident 311012 – C – 2 resulted in loss of Aberrant 311012/A/Delta from containment as Aberrant 311012/A/Delta went on a rampage in the facility due to accidental disclosure of the usage of his genetic material for human testing in Project ADVENT by Level 2 Assistant Researcher Leah Bertrand. Researcher Leah Bertrand has since been decommissioned from service in E.R.A for this breach of confidentiality. Aberrant 311012/A/Delta was pursued for reclamation by Aberrant Strike Team Hertz-Delta but managed to escape, injuring 3 members of Aberrant Strike Team Hertz-Delta in the process. However, a significant sample of Aberrant 311012/A/Delta’s genetic material was isolated from the prime specimen in the form of a limb by Strike Team Leader Hugh Cortez.Psychological analysts indicated at this point that the psychological condition of Hugh Cortez was extremely mentally fractured, purely focused on revenge derived most likely trauma from engaging with Aberrant 311012/A/Delta.

E.R.A analysts indicate that Aberrant 311012/A/Delta migrated across the entire continental U.S.A, evading E.R.A strike teams through both urban and rural territories over the course of several month to New York City. The purpose of this journey is unknown but details extrapolated before and after the incident reveal that Aberrant 311012/A/Delta had contacted Aldrich Simmons, a biochemistry professor at CNYU who specialised in genetic engineering about his condition. During his odyssey across the entire U.S.A, there have been multiple accounts and folktales by civilians of how Aberrant 311012/A/Delta has unknowingly engaged in acts of altruism for them, rescuing people lost in the wild, stopping civilian assaults and muggings along with performing small minor beneficial acts for strangers before disappearing the next day. Somehow, during this journey, Abberant 311012/A/Delta began using the moniker “Tardigrade” as a reference to the extremophile micro-organism, the origin of the psuedonym untraceble but presumably dubbed by a civilian that the subject saved.

When Aberrant 311012/A/Delta was officially spotted at Manhattan, New York City on September 5th, 2018 in CUNY, Incident 311012 – C – 3 occurred. Strike Team Hertz-Delta engaged without permission of E.R.A superiors in an unofficial attempt to reclaim Aberrant 311012/A/Delta into E.R.A custody. It was discovered Strike Team Leader Hugh Cortez had underwent and survived the preliminary augmentation procedures of Project ADVENT without any knowledge or permission from the E.R.A, incorporating Aberrant 311012/A/Delta’s genetic material with his own biology. Head Researcher Edgar Rosen is under suspicion for assisting Strike Team Leader Hugh Cortez in this regard, although no evidence has been discovered thus far.

It is at this point that Aberrant 311012/A/Delta and Strike Team Leader Hugh Cortez engage each other for an extended period of time, Strike Team Leader Hugh Cortez consistently gaining the upper-hand on Aberrant 311012/A/Delta and pushing him towards the point of death. Details revealed in genetic material from aftermath of battle between Aberrant 311012/A/Delta and Strike Team Leader Hugh Cortez showed that the genetic material of Aberrant 311012/A/Delta had been crippled in a matter in an attempt to kill him through extreme exposure to methylation-agents in an attempt to reduce protein synthesis. However, this attempt to cure him was unsuccessful as biological samples gathered over the coruse of the fight showed a trend in Aberrant 3111012/A/Delta's genetic molecular structure changing in bond strength and structure to overcome chemical changes.

3 hours into the fight, Strike Team Leader Hugh Cortez’s physiology became extremely mutated and began to undergo rapid biological decomposition due to instability of genetic splicing between Aberrant 311012/A/Delta’s genetic material and his own, leading to a onset of insanity that led to massive unfortunate collateral damage. Aberrant 311012/A/Delta soon managed to adapt and overcome Strike Team Leader Hugh Cortez, rapidly undergoing metamorphic change until Strike Team Leader Hugh Cortez was incapacitated from exposure to Aberrant 311012/A/Delta mutagenic saliva. Strike teams assembled at the location of conflict, only to discover that Hugh Cortez was unconscious and that Aberrant 311012/A/Delta had disappeared without a trace.

Aberrant 311012/A/Delta once again reappeared at the Upper Bronx of New York a month later after Incident 311012 – C – 5 in a rooftop apartment. A pair of E.R.A agents approached Aberrant 311012/A/Delta to inform him that all personnel involved in Incident 311012 – C – 5 had been punished for their breach of E.R.A conduct. Aberrant 311012/A/Delta was adamant that he never wanted to hear from E.R.A again.

Current analysis suggests that Aberrant 311012/A/Delta is currently trying to reincorporate himself back into society with the help of CUNY professor along with continually trying to seek a cure for his condition.

ABBERANCE ASSESSMENT
Aberrant 311012/A/Delta possesses an enhanced physiology that is radically different from baseline human physiology in both genotype and phenotype. Aberrant 311012/A/Delta genome only bears resemblance to human DNA at the superficial level with evident signs of super-condensation of genetic material. Aberrant 311012/A/Delta genome is incomprehensibly larger in length than any other earth-base organism, estimated to be around 18 million base pairs in length, with the purpose of only 1% of genes in subject’s genome having been decoded. Chemical structure and components of genetic material contains both organic and non-organic compounds which are unable to be identified to any pre-existing compound. Genetic material possesses extreme resistance to both chemical degradation and is extremely stable compared to human DNA. Due to lack of telomeres along with resistant nature of genetic material and extremely large size of genome, Aberrant 311012/A/Delta is hypothesized to possess functional biological immortality.

Due to enhanced genome, subject’s abberance can be divided into two abilities that can be summarised as enhanced regenerative capabilities and hyper-adaptive metamorphic evolution. Abberance has undergone exponential growth in rate of regeneration and efficiency of adaptation over time. Analysts theorize that subject’s abberance is continually ‘learning’ and evolving in its abilities through the observation and processing of all natural and mechanical phenomena observed by the subject.

Subject’s regenerative capabilities are far beyond any known abberant thus far as of this moment and has been able to regenerate damaged tissue or organ systems within a matter of minutes. Subject’s physiology has been noticed to regenerate far more quickly and efficiently in response to stimuli that it has experienced before. Direct incapacitation of subject’s CNS has proven unsuccessful so far in halting regenerative abilities or subject’s secondary ability.

Subject’s secondary ability causes subject to evolve adaptive traits in response to any harsh stimuli experienced. Subject’s secondary ability has been calculated to have an exponential relationship between the rate of traits evolved and the effectiveness of those traits evolved over time and the severity of the trauma experienced. Subject is unable, by his own word, to control the timing of his evolution nor the type of trait which he will evolve. Manifestation of secondary ability usually requires multiple exposure to hostile stimuli in order to provide incentive for evolution. Evolved traits range from being within the realms of all known biology to being extremely anomalous in nature. Traits have been observed to be also mechanical in composition. Traits evolved have a common theme of being based on current contemporary animal organisms along with all natural phenomena. Aberrant 311012/A/Delta has been observed to have evolved the following abilities so far.

(NOTE: List may be subject to change at any given moment and could be potentially inaccurate.)
- Enhanced metabolic system that allows subject to digest and completely process all edible and inedible organic substances.
- Enhanced endocrinal system that allows subject to undergo adrenaline rushes that can last for hours, conferring onto subject massive amounts of physical strength beyond human parameters.
- Enhanced jaw systems that allow subject to bite with force of up to 13,000 pounds along with having mono-molecular inorganic structures that resemble teeth inside mouth. Subject is able to regrow new sets of teeth indefinitely.
- Adaptive thermo-regulatory system that allows subject to survive in both extremely hot and cold environments.
- Extremely durable and elastic bone structure that warps and bends under high pressure and force instead of fracturing. Bones are several times denser and thicker than normal human bone structure, the most evident of which is the subject’s skull structure which is 2 inches in thickness. Bone structure of subject is capable of resetting itself back to original state given time.
- Eyes capable of seeing in multiple wavelengths and frequencies including infra-red and ultra-violet.
- Olfactory cells in nose and tongue capable of detecting scents up to a mile away.
- Skin of subject has displayed numerous anomalous qualities such as being photosynthetic, a semi-conductor of electricity and extremely resistant to blunt-force trauma.
- Blood substitute that is far more efficient in transportation of oxygen and nutrients across body along with having properties of being a venomous substance.
- Caustic mucous secretion from salivary glands that has been determined to be an enzyme suspension contained inside an unidentified acidic substance. Caustic secretion is capable of self-replicating at extremely fast rate in contact with organic substances over time along with being able to dissolve most man-made substances in a matter of seconds.
- Gills connected to both circulatory system and respiratory system that allow subject to breathe in both salt and fresh-water environments.
- Redundant circulatory system that minimises blood-loss to the furthest extent possible and allows secretion of blood from excretory glands located in mouth, eyes and skin at will.
- Redundant CNS network spread in a series of cords throughout body similar to circulatory system. Multiple nodes in CNS act as secondary brains that allow subject to mentally function at full capacity even with removal of primary brain located in skull. Redundant CNS network has also removed subject’s capacity to feel pain.
REMARKS
Prior to captivity in E.R.A site 14, Aberrant 311012 was noted to have been studying in Penbrook Public Highschool in Nevada, particularly specialising in AP Biology. Aberrant 311012 was also an avid track runner in his own school’s athletic team, although he has since given up on the sport.
In captivity, Aberrant 311012 has displayed interest in horticulture and cultivation of numerous species of plants, requesting gardening tools and plants during his captivity which were denied. Since Incident 311012 – C – 3, Aberrant 311012 has been observed cultivating and growing numerous fruits and vegetable species in his own habitation, particularly specialising in the area of bonsai cultivation. Observation of Aberrant 311012’s activities by Whitetail Agent Gorbovich reveals that on weekends, Aberrant 311012 has taken up diving in public rivers as a side-hobby.

THREAT ASSESSMENT
Aberrant 311012/A/Delta should be considered low priority in terms of reclamation as any attempts to reclaim him may result in triggering of ability along with the fact that Aberrant 311012/A/Delta has not engaged in any major aberrant conflicts since Incident 311012 – C - 3. Aberrant 311012/A/Delta has not interfered in any major E.R.A operations since this incident. For now, overall response is to observe and record down Aberrant 311012/A/Delta activities.
ADDENDDUM 311012 – 1: I suggest reclamation of Abberrant 311012/A/Delta as E.R.A top priority. Aberrant 311012 abilities make the notion of classifying target as non-essential as extremely risky. Reduction of contact with external phenomena and other aberrants must be reduced in order to minimise scale and lethality of adaptations to general populace. – Head Researcher Edgar Rosen.
ADDENDDUM 311012 – 2: This is not in order. If we order a strike team to reclaim him, it would more likely result in Aberrant 311012/A/Delta adapting to whatever measures we are using against him. For now, the development of counter-measures that can overpower his ability to adapt is considered your top priority, Head Researcher. Don’t enquire about this matter again. – BM-8

Made this up in one day. Probably going to work on it later.

Word association Game!

Company

Naruto: Black Sun

Anachronism makes the world go round.

<Snipped quote by The Bork Lazer>
Sure, of course, naturally.

But there is a difference between a Ninja and a Godlike Entity that throws multiple supernovas as their standard attack.

At the beginning of the story, the background threat of the tailed beasts is the actual Godzilla threshold I was referring to, the sort of cataclysmic force that signifies the ultimate eventual threat of the story. The core appeal of the story though is young ninjas in training going on adventures, getting into ninja battles, and showing off flashy/mystical abilities. That core appeal basically remained the same, at least to begin with, shortly after the time-skip.

At some point, that core appeal was traded away in an escalating series of power-plays until the story is no longer about Ninjas doing Ninja stuff and becomes more about people screaming at each other while they charge up massive energy rays (hence the comparison to Dragon Ball Z). In the later parts of the story, even the mountain-destroying demon fox becomes comparatively trivialized.

Which was what my question was getting at. Some people may prefer the direction the later parts of the story took, I personally prefer the parts of the story back when it was still about tricksy Ninja with more subdued mystic arts getting into fights and out-scheming one another, and I was asking which direction this particular story would take.

@Terminal

I do agree with that but one major thing about Kishimoto is that despite all of the gratuitous power levels in the story, most of the major victories in the manga are due to using those biggatons intelligently like a ninja rather than going into DBZ-esque beam struggles.

Say for example, the fight between Naruto and Pain. The fight is ultimately won, not by Naruto going into Nine-Tails Mode, but by using his intelligence, massive usage of shadow clones, abusing Pain's 5 second timer for Shinra Tensei to activate and just pure effort instead of pure power.

Sasuke vs Deidara. One of the most tactical fights in the series that ends in Deidara failing to kill Sasuke after doing a extremely accurate cosplay of Little-Boy.

There are many more examples of fights in the manga, especially post-timeskip, where intelligence comes into play more often rather than power. Kakashi v Pain. Kakashi v Obito. Minato v Obito. Kakazu v Naruto. And many more that I don't remember.

Naruto veers into this nonsensical power-level territory from time to time but it never relies on it completely, even with the ridiculous power creep in the Shipudden era of the manga. Though I do agree with you on the point that the power creep takes away from the overall core premise of the franchise, I disagree with the fact that Naruto went brawn over brains throughout the manga.

Anyway, on the topic of the RP, @Odin, I'll be stating my interest for now but depending on how RL stuff goes, it will affect whether or not I can join this RP.

Naruto: Black Sun

Somewhat interested, though I do have a question.

While I like the setting and premise of Naruto, I am of the opinion that the show sort of swallowed itself by crossing over the Godzilla Threshold and abruptly turned into Dragon Ball Z crossed with Evangelion, what with the giant laser beams and piloted spirit mecha and the Mind Control Moon Superweapon.

(Whoops, spoilers everyone, oh no.)

Would this RP have any of that, or would we be focusing more on the actual roots of the setting?

@Terminal

Well, Kishimoto did directly state that there was a giant mountain-busting fox in Chapter 1 of the manga.....

Road Warriors - A survival adventure set in the world of Mad Max

The sound of the dust-storm blowing over the heaping wreck of vehicles was absolutely ghastly. It felt as they were in the gullet of some gigantic monstrosity, slowly swallowing them whole downwards into oblivion. The sandy wind leaked through the rusty metallic frames as Sawbones remained utterly silent, tightening his grip on his trusty scalpel and the pages of the Panacea. The blistering currents of shaving sand shifted and blew through the junkyard of scrap, each grain of sand ringing off the metal with a shrilling collision, as if it were taunting him at the second. Sawbones continued to mutter prayer after prayer in assent as he lied, flat on his belly, in waiting for the right moment.

“ Oh hippo preserve me, hippo preserve me, hippo preserve me, hippo preserve me, hippo preserve me…..”

A vehicle rolled up next to his hidey hole. The sound of burning guzzoline was muffled by the screaming storm but there was no doubt about it. He stayed silent as a burning flare was dropped next to the wreck of a nearby buggy as he stayed underneath the broken-down truck. He could notice that there were several other flares following behind the main vehicle. It eluded him to how the small vehicle could stay grounded in this blithering dust-devil until he noticed the large sections of metal bars strapped down to it like an anchor. It slowly steered through the entire wreckage while dropping flares. The war-party rolled behind it, lights flashing through the grimy storm. Flares to mark out loot. Treasure. Good scavenging.

They would be discovered soon unless the Road-Warrior would intervene. There was no escaping from the raiders out in this storm, unless they wanted to be ripped to shreds. It was doubtful. Against an enemy this large and organised, they would be scrapped sooner than you could say Vahalla.

So, what to do?

Wait and lie flat on their bellies for the storm to turn over?

Or try and change their eventual fate?

There was only one thing to do now. He needed to distract them, to keep them from discovering his and the Road Warrior’s location.

“Oh, Great Hippo, may you bestow upon me your wisdom like you did with the Great Fleming…”

Sawbones shuffled out of his hiding moment, extending his upper body out into the storm for a moment. With one of his shivs in his hands, he tossed it limpidly towards the right of the trike as it collided with the hood of a desolated car with a loud clang. He scurried back underneath his makeshift shelter, coughing and hagging out sand from under his mask.

Vivid Recollections: Into the World Unknown (Season 1 COMPLETE)

Ugh, finding your sister's pack of tarot cards and looking at the lore for this RP doesn't really help with your role-playing urges to join this RP.....

Road Warriors - A survival adventure set in the world of Mad Max

The dust storm was going to bear upon them at any second now. It was only a matter of time and whether the Great Hippo was feeling merciful today or not. Sawbones eyes looked around in a mad manner, eyeing each corpse of a vehicle and figuring out which one would be best to weather the storm out. Especially with the presence of the convoy. Raiders. Pilgrims. War-Parties. It didn’t matter to him. If they would stand in the way of his precious quest for the completion of the Panacea, then, they were all flesh and bone in his eyes. His to carve and his to mould.

Sawbones heard a wet and terrible ripping noise as Kalahan messily disembowelled and removed the young female full-lives person of her organs. He narrowed his eyes at the grievous act of shame that the Road Warrior was displaying so wantonly. Wasting all of that fertile blood and flesh just as a gambit to disguise himself. It was simply despicable. Good blood. Good blood to spread and breed blood in others. Then again, the Great Hippo had not let him survived the storm for nothing. From the looks of it, despite its simplicity, the disguise looked convincing. Maybe, he had a good idea after all.

He wouldn’t waste a good corpse like that, however. They would need a distraction if they were going to survive the storm.

Sawbones searched through the wrecks for an appropriate corpse hurriedly before spotting an half-life war-boy with sliver in his smiling teeth, his eyes closed in peace. The War-Boy was growing soft even before he died in the convoy. His skin was pallid and pale as chalk. There was a horrid tumorous growth on his chest, constricting his rib-cage and his eyes were sunken so far back into his skull that they looked almost gaunt. He looked almost recognizable to him as Sawbones popped open a scalpel and flipped him over, doing a hasty incision at his back. Wasn’t his name Slag? It didn’t matter anyway. He took a lengthy jagged piece of ripped bumper from an old buggy and rammed it in the bottom of the corpse, a foul smell emanating from the open cut. He eventually raised him upwards and propped him on the hood of a car to make it look as if he was standing in the storm. There was only the need for a little bit of clothing to complete the illusion before Sawbones examined his work.
Hopefully, the Great Hippo would bless him this time again.

The storm quickly approaching at a field’s distance now, Sawbones quickly ducked under the uprooted vessel of a burst-open buggy, digging himself firmly in the sand, underneath the rusty belly. His chin was buried in the golden sand as he closed his mouth, careful not to breath in the blistering sand. There was a small gap of light where he could see what was outside, his breathing quickening as the light was dying by the fraction…….

Road Warriors - A survival adventure set in the world of Mad Max

Sawbones was intrigued by Ransom’s request but Kalahan obviously wasn’t. The Road Warrior had whipped out a crossbow in an instant and had deemed the wanderer’s life forfeit after he had requested of the blood of the Angel Combustion. While he couldn’t give a fangin’ kidney about the life of some nobody half-life, there was a use to him. His presence, his voice….it would require more observation. Besides, having him alive was more beneficial than dead. He couldn’t risk Kalahan damaging his corpse beyond repair……

Sawbones rushed towards Kalahan, right in front of his crossbow, acting as a barrier between him and Ransom. He made sure to position himself so that the crossbow wouldn’t hit his squishy bits. But, which one to choose? Liver wasn’t really that essential….He could live with one kidney……It would be painful with one lung…..

Right in front of the kidney it was. Sawbones spoke in an even tone, raising his hands upwards towards Kalahan to placate him.

“ Road Warrior, please stay your blade! This full-life may be of more use to us alive than dead. Besides, we can just kill and dissect him afterwards if he betrays us. “

Sawbones then slowly crawled over towards Ransom, his googles hiding his lecherous gaze, as he inspected each and every part of Ransom as if he was a juicy animal, muttering under his breath. He then pointed at the side of Ransom’s neck with his scapel, poking the bulging vein playfully with the rusty sharp edge.

“ If you do want to kill him, make sure to aim for the neck. At the side. It’s where his carotid arteries are…..Organs are just so fragile after all…..”

The wind then whipped and then, began to jiggle the sand up and down as it lightly pushed down Sawbones back. Sawbones head twitched to the front, at the encroaching storm. His first reaction was to bolt down and huddle around his treasured Panacea but he stopped as he saw distinct lights irradiating out of the dense fog. Headlights. Headlights that belonged to cars. Several cars. Cars with people in it.
If it was the same raiders who nearly ended his quest of fulfilling the sacred commandments of the Great Hippo…..Sawbones pulled out his scapel and toyed with it in his hands, his bandaged mask hiding his grin.

“Would you look at that…. More practise….”

The wind began to kick up, the broken vehicles tilting to the side now, metallic yawning filling his ears. Sawbones screamed over the roar of the encroaching storm, his mask and goggles protecting his face from the particles of sand that collided with his face. It wasn’t that far now.

“ Convoy coming in with the storm! Everyone, hide behind something! Fast!”