forum Steelheart-esque roleplay.

Started March 12, 2018 by @Mr.Misfit

tune

Jeez, so hostile!

Zack smirked, "I just wanted to say…"

He thumbed his mic once.

"…Nighty-night, Darlin'."

Hatch's sniper rifle rang out, a tranq round aimed for her leg.

Hazel felt the round bounce off her shields, and shouted.

"YOU ASHHOLE WHAT THHE HALL WASTH AT".

She looked down at what had been fired, it was a dart.

She looked at her leg, her shield had protected her, but the very tip had hit her.

Damn.

Zack laughed as the girl began to waver in her stride already. He started a slow trot toward her in no particular hurry, "Well, well, look what we got. An Epic posing as an Epic killer. Mitch?" Zack waved him towards her, "bag her up. Hatch, stay where you are till we get out of sight, than fall back."

The girl wore a very pissed face. It was a pretty face, but it still gave Zack a small shiver. Epics were dangerous prisoners to keep, but he figured that if she really wanted him dead, he'd be dead already. She was something else.

She lifted her gun and fired, but it was useless, her aim was off thanks to the tranq, making her have to settle for a scowl at him. She had only been pricked though, so she could already feel her tongue." If you're going to drug a girl and take her home, at least tell her your name." She said sarcastically.

"Otherwise what would your mother say?" She said slowly reaching for her knife.

Zack gave her a warmhearted smile, "My mother? She'd probably congratulate me on getting a date." He said, matching her sarcasm, "but if ya really need to know, Zack's the name. How about you, darlin'?"

"Hazel." She found herself saying. Then she pulled out her knife." And I'm doing fine, except for the part where I got shot by the guy that I saved, or at least on his order."

He stopped walking and motioned for Mitch to do the same.
"Remember what happened the last time you pulled a weapon on me? Let's put that down. You'll conk soon, I hope, and then we can sort this problem out on my terms. Which has a much higher chance of you leaving my sight alive and above ground."

He prayed the Epic would see reason. It was obvious that she was a very special case, seeing how she had both saved his life and made semi-casual conversation, minus her tendency to threaten people.

"As I recall, after I pointed a weapon at you, you turned tail and ran. While your sniper did all the work for you." But even as she said it, she was slowly losing control over the rest of her body, and her legs were going numb.

He waved Mitch on when he saw her getting even more unstable, "Yeah, he's good at his job. And I'm good at mine. Now quit your belly achin' and just fall over already!" Zack said, growing minorly impatient.

"NO." And with that her legs betrayed her, and she fell. She tried picking herself up but failed. Sighing she accepted her fate, and was left immobile.

(Timeskip to arrival, catacomb levels.)

Zack tossed his rifle onto the cot, and kicked off his boots. He was lax for a Reckoner, Misty had said, but it didn't make him any less good at his job. He just had a tendency for overdoing it. Mitch came in with the girl slung over his shoulder, and Zack motioned him to the other room. Mitch took rope from his bag, but Zack waved it off.

"We need to let her trust us at least a little," Zack whispered. Misty was out like a light in the other room, and she needed rest. As did Mitch, it seems; he had bags under his eyes, and had to shake himself awake. Zack snapped his fingers, "I'll chat with her, you best get some rest."

Mitch didn't complain.

Hazel grunted as Mitch set her down. She couldn't believe her bad luck. She was in the process of planning her escape, but she was actually tired, mucking her thoughts with exhaustion. She looked up as Zack entered the room.

Zack sat down, realizing his own tiredness. He sighed, and looked up to see Hazel's eyes staring at him, heavy but open. Smiling, he started, "I suppose I oughta thank you for saving my life."

She smiled back." Well… you could just let me go."

"Heh. You wish, sister. You're too curious, for me to let you go right away. So long as you don't give me trouble in the next few minutes, I won't have too hold you long."

Hazel gave him a distrusting look." Really, well then sure, I'd love to be poked and prodded at by you to see what makes me tick. But," She sighed going against her nature." what do you want?" She had to get out before she was found by anyone.

Zack gave her a crooked glance. Did she think that being snarky was going to do her any good? He tryed keeping his usual tone as he continued, but the edge he felt was there in his voice ss he spoke, "Hey, can you relax? We've both had a long day, I get it, darlin', but that don't mean you gotta be all huff about it!"

He took a long breath, then went on, "Why did you save me? An Epic, save a Reckoner, from another Epic. You know how stupid that sounds?"

" What can I say, I literally have no answers for you." She said

Zack narrowed his eyes, quickly growing annoyed by her lack of cooperation. He stood up, no longer trying to play friendly, "Oh, you have answers. And I have no intention of letting you run off until I get my answers. You decided to save me by killing Scorcher. Why?"

"I had no choice, you were about to become fried Zack, and contrary to popular belief, not all epics are bad."

At this Zack raised an eyebrow, "Not all Epics. There are others like you?"

His mind raced. The Faithful, those annoying chatterboxes, might've been more right than Zack was willing to admit. He stifled that thought.

Hazel froze for a moment," No, just me as far as I know, but it's enough."

Zack turned away from her as she said that. He told himself that was exactly what he had expected, but in reality his hope had blossomed very quickly. And it was shot down just as fast.

He glanced over his shoulder, not facing her directly, "Feel free to stay the night. Rest up. I want you gone by noon. We move after that, and Enforcement will not be happy if an Epic vanishes with the Reckoners."