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Post by Atticus Batman on Feb 9, 2017 12:11:03 GMT
It has been a little over three weeks since Lady's assumed death in Australia. Upon returning to Fortress K'shaa my sister, Erika Widowmaker, had helped me back to my home bunker. However since I was currently wheelchair bound from what the doctors had decided was phantom pain caused by the extreme mental trauma of losing my soul-mate, Erika had gotten some crew members to rearrange the first floor of my bunker home to make it easier for me to get my wheelchair around and moved all the twin's important stuff to the first floor so that I had them close and could still care for them while I slept on the couch or in my chair, even if I couldn't walk. She also had them set up a small monkey habitat for the Ratmonkey, Bonzo, that Lady had insisted on adopting shortly before her disappearance, as I insisted the monkey still live with us because he was Lady's and she had made it clear that I was to make sure he stay alive and unhurt. So that is just what I intended to do.
For the first week back, I and therefor the twins had stayed lockedup in our home bunker. So the only contact we got was Erika who had temporarily moved into the guest bedroom upstairs, and any visitors that may stop by. However I didn't really want many around me at the moment, and am not known for being calm and social when I am in a good mood; so most of course chose not to visit unless they were invited. The main exceptions being Doctor Wolfram Von Eschen who made it a point to stop by and just see how the twins and I were doing every day, and the daking Liberata Count Cassinuendo who chose to stick around the Fortress for a little while and spend time with Erika when she allowed it.
The second week, I was still in a wheelchair, but Erika and Wolfram had managed to convince me that the twins needed some interaction with other people. So I had agreed that the twins and I would meet Erika and Wolfram for breakfast and supper in Fortress K'shaa's Mess Hall everyday. However I insisted that we would have a private family lunch in our home.
Here on week three I have been out of the wheelchair and walking with a cane for several days. However since I had started walking with a cane, although I was still plagued by the nightmares of Lady's death, I was now waking up early every morning with the knowledge of very vivid dreams of me going out and slaying countless raiders and Dark Matter assassins. The dreams were so vivid they felt real, but how could they be when I have to use a cane to walk and haven't left my home bunker much and most definitely haven't left the Fortress compound? For various reasons I chose to keep the new dreams to myself and NOT let on to Wolfram or Erika that new dreams have manifested to haunt me.
However after this morning's vivid dream and me once again waking up early, I grabbed my cane and slowly walked towards my kitchen area, when something on the floor near my main armor closet in the living room caught my attention. So I slowly hobbled over ther and leant down to examine the substance I saw. I didn't need my EGO to tell me what it was. I could tell just from sight and smell that it was blood. But how did it get there? Did I stub a toe or something earlier and not feel it, or did somebody else hurt themselves? Then for some reason I decided to unlock my armor closet and check on it. When I opened the closet there was the armor I had worn in Australia, still caked in blood, as was my Amukane that was resting on a shelf in the locked closet.
I thought, "Odd. I could have sworn Erika cleaned all of that before securing it in the closet. Maybe I remember wrong because of how out of it I was. Oh well. I guess it gives me something to do until Erika comes in and insists it is time to meet Wolfram and some of the others for breakfast."
So I moved a chair over to the closet then got my cleaning equipment. Next I sat down and proceeded to clean my armor and sword, which I then sharpened before putting everything away. Eventually the twins had woken up and I hobbled over to change their diapers and spend a little time with them, until Erika came in and put them in their double stroller so we could all go to breakfast with her pushing the stroller. The rest of the day had gone as every other day had recently and I never bothered mentioning the bloody armor to Erika as I really did assume that it had to have still been from the Australia trip. Even though anybody else, including myself a month ago, would have realized the blood was still sticky to the touch and the smell still strong, so there was no way it could have been that old. Heck my EGO even tried pointing that out to me, but I ignored her like I had been doing a lot since I lost Lady.
So after the usual breakfast, the twins and I had returned to the bunker where we stayed to privately spend our day together, until it was time to get them ready for supper because I promised Erika that tonight I would try to get the twins ready and push the stroller to the Fortress proper myself, where Erika would be waiting. Then she would push the stroller the rest of the way to the Mess Hall with me hobbling along next to her. So when it was time to get ready to meet her, I considered trimming my shaggy goattee and even putting on my trademark armor and gear but still just didn't see the point in caring that much. So instead I would just go to dinner in my blue jumpsuit and mask like I have done since I had started leaving the bunker. So I bathed and changed the twins after their afternoon naps, and redressed them. Then I put them in the double stroller, and hung my cane from it's handle. From there I pushed them to the bunker door and, on a sudden whim, I unlocked and opened my weapon box and retreived my Extralife pistol and it's holster. Then for the first time since losing Lady, I actually put it my pistol on.
After that, I opened the bunker door and pushed the stroller out, re-sealing the bunker behind us. Then I slowly pushed the stroller to the door into Fortress K'shaa where Erika had said she would wait for us. As we got close, the door opened and there my sister was waiting ond holding it for us. After pushing the stroller through, I stopped and reclaimed my cane and Erika started to push the stroller towards the Mess Hall with me hobbling along nearby and relying on the cane a lot to keep me up and steady. However this walk down the halls to the Mess would soon turn out to be different than all the others we have had since returning to the fortress. For tonight as we walked down the hall heading to have supper, A tall and very slender man dressed in a modest black hooded robe and carrying an intricately designed scythe stepped between me and Erika and started walking with us. Although Erika didn't seem to notice him at all. As I looked to see who it was that insisted on walking be tween me and my sister who was pushing the stroller containing my children, I realized that it was none other than Death himself.
So I growled, "How dare you show up at the moment! What the dak do you want now?!"
I vaguely heard Erika ask who I was talking to, but ignored her as Death replied to me in his usal tone, "Relax, I just wanted to see how MY Harbinger is doing. It is good to see you back in action again."
I replied with, "What the dak do you mean back in action?!...Oh you mean out of the daking chair and now using a cane? Yes, I have been up and around for a few days now. However I do NOT know why you think I would want to talk to you after Hubert killed Lady and you reaped her soul then tried your mind games on me!"
Death rubbed his boney chin then responded with, "Hmmm, I see. Alright for now let us say I do mean out of your wheel chair. As for Lady, it is your fault for not realizing that I could not actually help the Harbinger of Life. Now you may want to calm down and lower your tone or your sister may decide you have gone completely insane and lock you away. Besides you are scaring the children. It seems that your grief has made you forget that only those with a strong tie to...well Me, can see or hear me. In most cases it is mostly those that are close to their own deaths, or in some cases fairly new to life. In your case it is because you are MY Harbinger and will continue to be so, until you finally die, IF I ever let you die and then reap your soul that is."
Erika once again asked who I am talking to and I responded to her slightly annoyed, "I am talking to daking Death! Apparently even in my time of grief AND during family time, the daking bone man will not leave me alone! Which means that I need a daking minute to finish my conversation! So just take the twins to the Mess without me! You know what they will eat and I will join you when I am done with him! Then you and I can go back to our conversation at that time, Sister Dear!"
Then I once again adressed Death with, "Why the dak do you keep calling her the Harbinger of Life and why didn't you bring her back when I first offered to trade my life for hers and her body was still intact with a feint heartbeat?!"
Death chuckled and remarked, "I see you still do not get it. I call her that because it is who and what she is now. Just as The Harbinger of Death is who and what you are. I did not accept the trade for it was not my trade to make."
I growled, "And just who's was it then?!"
He responded with, "That I can not say." to which I replied, "Can not or will not?!"
He thought for a second, then said cryptically, "Perhaps a little of both. Another felt that the Harbinger of Death has been so active all across the world and even in space a few times, that it now warranted a Harbinger of Life to help keep the cosmic balance that you were starting to upset. Although I must admit I rather enjoyed witnessing your unchecked carnage as did a few others, despite the extra caseload it put on me and the others in my line of work. However which Being chose to do so, I truly can not say. There are so many that have that ability and it is not my business. Death, soul reaping, Purgatory, Limbo, and such things are all that I handle, as you well know."
I snapped, "Just what the dak are you telling me Death? How can she be the Harbinger of Life if she is dead? Or are you saying that means she is coming back?!"
Death responded with, "I am not saying anything. However her being dead does not make it impossible for her to do what is required as a Harbinger of Life, though it may make it very difficult. However again that is way out of my hands. So it is NOT for me to either decide or discuss. You on the other hand ARE my business. So I will remind you of this, Lady Christianna fell in love with THE HARBINGER OF DEATH, NOT the sad and pathetic OLD man in front of me!" So how do you think she would feel about THIS you?"
Then to make sure he got the last word, he disappeared before I could respond any further. After standing there for a few seconds, I realized Erika and the twins where still in the hall with me and Erika was staring at me with obvious concern. So I snapped angrily, "What is it, Sister Dear?! I told you that I was busy talking to Death and that you and the twins should continue to the Mess without me! However, I guess it doesn't daking matter now as he left. So let's go to dinner! Now what were we talking about anyway?"
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Post by Erika Widowmaker on Feb 10, 2017 4:12:14 GMT
As she opened the door to the mess hall of Fortress Kshaa, Erika Widowmaker thought that she would have to talk to Dr. Von Eschlen about her brother's hallucination of talking to Death just now, but what she really wanted at the moment was dinner. The diminutive Liberata Count Cassinuendo waved them over to the table he was sitting at and Erika smiled slightly with the corners of her mouth as she waved back while she pushed the twins' stroller in that direction.
Erika, saying a silent thank you with a nod and a smile to the Count as he pulled out a chair for her and she sat down, replied to Atticus, "As I was saying, we may have a sparsity of dinner guests tonight. Belle still refuses to leave her special jail cell in the basement, and Wolfram has finally convinced Sandy to take a therapy session in the Holo-room, so I imagine Volodja went with her. You are not the good doctor's only patient and poor girl hasn't left her bedroom in three weeks. I don't know where Taffer and Vo are, but I rather think they are together somewhere."
Erika winced when she realized that she may have hit an open wound with Atticus by mentioning Sandy Bell, since he was the involuntary reason that Sandy and Volodja Uljanov lost their child, but Erika was so tired from dealing with all the stress her teammates in the protectors had accumulated in doing too many missions in too short a time. Erika was one of the few uninjured either physically or mentally or both from the last mission they completed three weeks ago, and had done her best to take up the slack in the command staff, but that was now wearing her down.
"I did happen to invite a special guest, and she agreed to come here for dinner," Erika looked around with big jade colored eyes hoping to change the subject then smiled when she saw her guest enter the room with her usual aplomb.
"Erika! Attie-Baby! Count Casanova!" Yelled a scantily clad Lena Marr, waving her chalk white arms and jumping up and down vigorously to the entertainment of those around ogling her over the fact that she wasn't wearing a bra.
Atticus glared at his sister with a look that could wilt vegetation, grumbling, "Why her?"
"Because Lena has been asking to visit for weeks, and you have refused to have guests until lately," Answered Erika, then said in a low whisper, "You forget you are not the only one grieving. Lena was Lady's friend, and the godmother of your children. You can survive one dinner with her."
With a wicked grin, Lena plopped in a seat next to the stroller, immediately loudly speaking baby talk to the twins, much to their delight, before asking Atticus, "How ya hanging Big Guy?"
"Why do you care Lena?" Growled Atticus.
"Don't really," Answered Lena nonchalantly, "I'm really here to see my god-kids! Aren't you two just the cutest things? Cootchy-cootchy-coo!"
"Lena, how is Marcel?" Asked Erika, not being much better at small talk than her brother.
The pretty Castihan woman gestured wildly as she answered, "Oh, you know, growing our business enterprise, making hay while the do-gooders are recuperating from their good deeds, stuff like that," Lena focused her unblinking sky blue eyes on Atticus as she leaned forward and said in a low conspiratorial tone, "Are you up to your old vigilante high jinks again? The Raider gang I hire to watch me and Marcel's love shack have been telling me that someone with a Amukane sword is decimating the other Raider gangs, leaving no survivors when he strikes! How then do I know it was an Amukane sword you might ask? I visited some of the massacre sites, call it professional curiosity, and I know my weapons and the wounds they leave! It was an Amicune, without a doubt. And I saw the footprints there, just about your size, and deep depressions as if made by a large man in full armor. Coincey-dinky, right?"
Erika frowned and Atticus pointed to his cane, so Lena merely shrugged her alabaster shoulders, remarking with a wicked grin, "Must be some other masked vigilante using your modus operandi I guess! I don't mind the competition being narrowed down, as long as my Raiders aren't hit, as good help is SOOOOO hard to find. Glad to hear it wasn't you, for we have a peace agreement, and I'd hate if there was any chance it could be broken because of mistaken identity - you know, all those Raiders look alike!"
"My brother could NOT have been the one you speak of! He is just now barely walking, needing that cane to even keep his balance and I've been staying in his bunker home so surely I would have noticed if he was sneaking out for adventure," Erika said adamantly, her tone relaying that her statement was the end of the matter.
Lena shrugged again, turning her attention to the babies and playing with them as she asked Atticus, "BTW Big Guy, who was the tall hooded dude you were talking to in the hallway before you came in here? Don't recall seeing him here before, but really stands out in a crowd - and yes, I was lurking! It's a specialty of mine!"
As Atticus thought about what to answer, the question was soon lost as Ralph the cook came over to take their dinner orders.
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Post by Atticus Batman on Feb 10, 2017 12:47:37 GMT
Lena shrugged again, turning her attention to the babies and playing with them as she asked Atticus, "BTW Big Guy, who was the tall hooded dude you were talking to in the hallway before you came in here? Don't recall seeing him here before, but really stands out in a crowd - and yes, I was lurking! It's a specialty of mine!"
As I thought about what to answer, the question was soon lost as Ralph the cook came over to take their dinner orders. After we gave our orders, and Ralph went back to the kitchen, I said to Erika, "I am glad that Sandy has finally agreed to therapy. I just hope that they can one day forgive me for what I did, although I doubt they ever will, and who could blame them? I know I don't. I have realized I miss having Volodja's company, but I can not blame him for avoiding me ever since what I did back on that Sensoth hunting float. I never deserved his friendship...or Lady's undying love and devotion for that matter. I took Volodja's friendship for granted and after my betrayal of him and Sandy, I have nothing to show for it. At least with Lady, I have the twins. Although I do miss her and still hold hope that we will one day be reunited somehow."
Just then Atika and Attila, (who had just gotten a clean bill of health from the doctors earlier that day), walked into the Mess hall and stopped by the table to say hi. As they talked for a minute or two, Atika also took the time to hug the babies. Then they went to their own table to relax after Atika's long day of running and updating Comm.s in the War Room as she thought it needed done and had gotten Erika's permission to do so as long as it was finished BEFORE she left for supper.
After Atika put the babies back down and her and her brother went on their way, I winced in pain because the way I was sitting was starting to cause my left leg to hurt even more than usual. So I adjusted my position and stretched my leg out a little as I looked at Lena and said very gruffly, "The hooded 'dude' was an extremely old acquaintance of mine that just stopped by to see how I was recovering after everything that happened, although I wish he would have stayed away longer. However he does NOT matter at the moment."
Then I said more calmly to her, "Now Lena...I know I have refused guests until recently but I did receive the package that you sent for the twins and AFTER getting the items thoroughly examined and ALL bugs and cameras removed, I did give them to the twins. I am sure you understand that I am just trying to make sure they stay safe. Anyway, Cosmin loves snuggling in the blanket and Caprice loves the stuffed Hulker and won't sleep without it, even though it is almost as big as her. So that has given us several quiet nights as they are now once again sleeping all night. So thank you for that."
A couple minutes later Kaj, who was walking by the table, stopped and said, "Sorry can not stay. Just here to pick up my order but thought I would stop by and say hello real quick. So Hello, and Lena it is good to see you again. I do hope you and Mister Lestrange are doing well."
Then when he saw that his food was ready, he said, "It looks like my food is ready. Be sides I am expecting a video call from Kara soon and I have been looking forward to it all day. Erika is there any thing that you would like me to tell Kara for you?"
After everyone had talked with Kaj and he said his goodnights, he went and picked up his food order. Then he left to go have his video call with Kara.
A little while later the food arrived just in time, for the twins were starting to get fussy. So as I removed their food from the serving platters and got it ready for them, I said quietly, as I was unsure of why I was even considering what I was about to suggest, "Lena since you are here and Lady did...DOES consider you a friend and the twins like you, for some reason, would you like to feed one while I feed the other?" Then, as I was still feeling extremely uneasy and extra paranoid about EVERYTHING since my loss of Lady, I added sternly, "But do NOT try anything bad...OR IT WILL BE THE LAST THING YOU EVER DO!"
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Post by Lena Marr on Feb 10, 2017 16:35:16 GMT
Lena Marr quickly but carefully picked up little Cosmin from the stroller before Atticus could change his mind, then remarked with a huge grin, "No take-backs! I'd be insulted that you think I would ever do anything to hurt these little darlings if it wasn't me we were talking about. Just know, if you get tired of them, I'll be GLAD to take them off your hands!" The grin disappeared from the Castithan's pretty chalk white face as her mood took a serious turn, saying to Atticus with all sincerity, "Rest assured that I'll always be there to keep my God-Kids safe whenever you need me to do so, without any reservations. I owe Lady THAT at the very least," Then grinning once again turned to little Cosmin stroking him under his chin and saying in baby-talk, "Isn't that right my little ankle biter, Auntie Lena would NEVER do anything to hurt you or little Caprice!" Cosmin took that moment to chomp down on Lena's right tit through the flimsy material of her blouse, causing Lena to wince more in surprise than pain, before rolling her long lashed sky blue eyes and saying, "Isn't that just like a man - going for the boobs even before a gal's had her dinner!" Lena laughed at her own joke, then gently nudged Cosmin away from her breast and to the baby bottle's nipple to begin feeding him, then spoke in a conversational tone, "You know Marcel and I thought about having a baby of our own - Lu Kshaa even offered to carry one for us. That was awfully swell of her, considering I can't have one of my own because of plumbing issues, but I thought about it, and it just wouldn't be fair to the kid. Pooh Bear would make a great Daddy, but can you imagine having me for a Mom? The poor kid would be neurotic mess from the start with my mood shifts! Besides, with Marcel and me's criminal lifestyle, the kid would always be in danger, and how can a kid be a kid living that way - oops, no reflection on you Atty-Baby, you have these lovelies protected by the big bad Harbinger of Death and a bazillion security guards in a bunker in a Fortress surrounded by a wasteland! Nothing safer than that!" Lena finished feeding Cosmin just as Ralph the Cook brought their meals, so she put Cosmin back into his stroller, quietly tucking his blanket around him as she was deep in thought. Lena was still thinking as she ate in silence, wondering what life would be for Marcel and herself in some alternative universe where they had a small house with a white picket fence and nine to five jobs in a peaceful world with not a hint of danger, and finally concluding, "Boring as Hell!" The pretty Castithan finished eating, and not waiting for the others to do so as well, stood up and said cheerfully, "Well it's been loads of fun but Marcel is probably worrying about me because that's what he does - worry about me! Anywho, I'll be keeping an eye out for that Harbinger-want-to-be and terminate him with extreme prejudice if I see him. Nobody is going to steal my God-babies' daddy's MO with me around!" After last good byes were made, Lena made her way to Fortress Kshaa's garage, heading to her black Charger when she spotted something from the corner of her eye. Lena's wicked smile appeared as if by magic as she spotted Lady Christianna's red ATV, partially covered by a tarp. She sashayed over to it, tossing the tarp off as she slowly caressed the brightly polished surface of the vehicle. "Lady always said red made you go faster," Lena said nostalgically to no-one in particular, then impulsively hopped on the ATV, hot wiring it in seconds and revving the engine. A startled mechanic ran up, whereupon Lena threw the keys of her Charger to him yelling, "Fair trade!" Before spurring the red ATV forwards toward the open doors of the garage, The door might have been open, but the simple gate beyond it was closed. She spotted a large wood plank leaning against an even larger crated, and raced up the plank propelling her ATV into the air and over the gate, much to the chagrin of the Protectors' guards stationed there.  "YAHOO!" Yelled Lena as she sailed over their heads to a bumpy landing then continued on her way until she was out of their sight. When Lena could not longer see Fortress Kshaa, she slowed the ATV to a stop, opening her encrypted Hailer and making a call to her lover, "Marcel, its your Honey Pot!... I talked to Atticus and he says it ain't him... Well, he IS walking with a cane, so he could be lying, but he's NEVER had much of a poker face... Okay, okay, I know a masked vigilante is NOT good for business, especially OUR business, but if it is him, just let me take care of it! Please Pooh Bear?... Thanks, love you much, see you soon! Toodles!" Lena started the red ATV again, hoping that Atticus was not the vigilante decimating the Raiders in the San Francisco area because if he was, sooner or later that would put him into conflict with Marcel and her's criminal organization and Marcel would not stand for anyone interfering with their business, not even a Protector whom they had uneasy alliances with in the past. If Atticus was that vigilante then Lena knew she would be dispatched to stop him - permanently! Lena hoped that wouldn't happen, not that she doubted her abilities as an assassin to do the job but because Atticus' deceased wife, Lady Christianna, had been Lena's BFG and Lena still treasured that relationship. However, Lena also knew that when push came to shove, Marcel was the brains of the diabolical duo and she was the brawn so if and when Pooh Bear gave the order to kill Atticus, she would do so without qualms and without reservations. |
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Post by Volodja Uljanov on Feb 10, 2017 19:36:45 GMT
Volodja Uljanov was in bed. Working. Trying to handle the sadness he felt after loosing their unborn. Unlike in earlier time periods, he was not alone there. For good few weeks that bed has been a warm and cosy nest for Sandy Bell and him. Their surroundings changed whenever they felt like it, because holo emitters they installed ages ago, were in neat working condition and allowed them redesign their quarters over and over again. But the bed remained in same place all the time and acted as their safe place where they could retreat and hug each other. Sometimes they sneaked out and made their way into Ralph's greenhouse to water his plants and pick weeds. Volodja knew that horticultural therapy was already used in Ancient Egypt where physicians prescribed walks around a garden for patients. In Middle Ages, monks in monastery hospitals also used plants in purpose to cheer up melancholy patients. The visual aesthetics of plants are known to elicit feelings of inner peace, thus creating positive emotions toward a meaningful appreciation of life. Direct contact with plants guides the individual's focus away from stress enhancing their overall quality of life. Since horticultural therapy passed the most difficult test - it lasted through time because it was used in modern and post modern world as well, he decided to give it a try. But they always returned into the bed they shared after that. There Volodja told her stories, played board games with her (sometimes with their EGO psyches joined them too) and...worked when Sandy was asleep because he didn't wanted to disturb her. And at the same time he didn't want to leave her, so he preferred to handle his reading, writing and messaging tasks by Sandy's side, ready to react when she became restless in her sleep and calm her with hugs, kisses and whispered words.  Among other things he sent another chess move to Stahma Tarr....Along with a dose of antidote for her husband, Datak, who fell into comatose despite the first class medical treatment he had, after he got the same brain fever as Lena Marr. Volodja didn't like lose ends and tried to tie them up when possible. He wasn't quite sure if world would have been better or worse place without Tarr Family, but he was pretty convinced that without them, the world have been less safer place. Most brutal crimes against innocents are usually committed by unorganised criminals, and Tarr Family tried to keep such contingent off from their front- and backyard. Stahma's response still had to arrive. At least her chess move had to. Short message from her told that Datak was already recovering after receiving cure, but the situation on their virtual chess game demanded some serious mind work. Wolfram von Eschen and Count Casannuendo visited them from time to time, because Count decided to stay and enjoy the hospitality of Fortress K'Shaa. Especially when certain Erika Widowmaker was there as well, taking care of his brother, Atticus Batman. Atticus...Volodja didn't blamed him for anything because he knew that he was out of his mind when he stabbed Sandy, but that didn't made facing him emotionally easy. First Sandy and him had to regain their emotional strength through the group therapy. Two is already a group... |
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Post by Marcel Lestrange on Feb 11, 2017 8:31:31 GMT
Marcel Lestrange had his own way to handle anxiety issues. Declaring that they needed to know each other better and do some bonding, he arranged...not exactly a company picnic. Their activity near the shack was not even like a little bit creepy Teddy bear picnic, because Marcel could be a Pooh Bear or a Care Bear, but only when Lena Marr was involved. For the rest of the world he was more like a I Do Not Fucking Care Bear, and thus the company bonding activity became more like a company survival camp than anything else.  But Marcel was also a diplomat and a company executive, so he knew how to motivate his crew. For every member who was able to finish the surviving course (which was for their own good anyway, considering the situation where lot of Raiders were killed by an unknown force already), was a guaranteed salary rise, so they worked hard for that flow of extra scrip. When Lena hollered, Marcel was in the middle of the fight. He preferred to participate in action and be an example for his men. He even encouraged them to fight him in sort of honest way. By honesty Marcel meant that all dishonest tricks were allowed as long his challengers did not lose to him on purpose but try to beat him for real. Element of real danger usually adds more quality to training results, was his belief. Everyone who lasted at least couple of rounds could be sure that his future in the Company was secured, because fighting Marcel Lestrange was like fighting a predator. Even when he spoke with Lena, he was able to keep his attacker off... After throwing another contestant into the pile of unconscious Raiders, Marcel stepped aside, saying to his men that they could have a break if they want. His worries returned after hearing the news, and now he had to think about that Raider killing vigilante...If it was not Atticus Batman, then who? |
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Post by Atticus Batman on Feb 11, 2017 14:18:13 GMT
Lena laughed at her own joke, then gently nudged Cosmin away from her breast and to the baby bottle's nipple to begin feeding him, then spoke in a conversational tone, "You know Marcel and I thought about having a baby of our own - Lu Kshaa even offered to carry one for us. That was awfully swell of her, considering I can't have one of my own because of plumbing issues, but I thought about it, and it just wouldn't be fair to the kid. Pooh Bear would make a great Daddy, but can you imagine having me for a Mom? The poor kid would be neurotic mess from the start with my mood shifts! Besides, with Marcel and me's criminal lifestyle, the kid would always be in danger, and how can a kid be a kid living that way - oops, no reflection on you Atty-Baby, you have these lovelies protected by the big bad Harbinger of Death and a bazillion security guards in a bunker in a Fortress surrounded by a wasteland! Nothing safer than that!"
I muttered vehemently, "I hope you are right as I already lost Lady. I will NOT lose them too."
Lena finished feeding Cosmin just as Ralph the Cook brought their meals, so she put Cosmin back into his stroller, quietly tucking his blanket around him as she was deep in thought. Lena was still thinking as she ate in silence, wondering what life would be for Marcel and herself in some alternative universe where they had a small house with a white picket fence and nine to five jobs in a peaceful world with not a hint of danger, and finally concluding, "Boring as Hell!"
When Caprice had finished her bottle, I stuck her in the stroller near her brother, and as soon as she was out of my arms she immediately grabbed her stuff Hulker, gifted to her by Lena. Once she was clutching it protectively to herself I was able to cover her with her own blanket. Then I just kind of picked at my food as I thought about what Lena had said about Raiders slaughtered with an Amakune, and my bloody armor and sword.
So I mentally thought, "Sounds a LOT like my new dreams, and Dinara insists the blood was only hours old, but I can barely walk. So it can't be me can it? No it can't! IF I COULD walk then there is NO way I would be using that daking old man cane that Wolfram got me! But am I really now just a sad and pathetic OLD man like Death said? And Lena saw him...well of course she saw him. She is always offering up dead to him, like a puppy giving it's master a freshly killed bird! Besides why bother hiding from crazy, when nobody would believe crazy! DAK! That is why Erika refuses to believe me after all!"
Then the pretty Castithan finished eating, and not waiting for the others to do so as well, stood up and said cheerfully, "Well it's been loads of fun but Marcel is probably worrying about me because that's what he does - worry about me! Anywho, I'll be keeping an eye out for that Harbinger-want-to-be and terminate him with extreme prejudice if I see him. Nobody is going to steal my God-babies' daddy's MO with me around!"
I muttered sarcastically, "And if that gets you killed then I guess they will need a new God-mother. So good call."
After last good byes were made, Lena made her way to Fortress K'shaa's garage, heading to her black Charger when she spotted something from the corner of her eye. Lena's wicked smile appeared as if by magic as she spotted Lady Christianna's red ATV, partially covered by a tarp. She sashayed over to it, tossing the tarp off as she slowly caressed the brightly polished surface of the vehicle.
"Lady always said red made you go faster," Lena said nostalgically to no-one in particular, then impulsively hopped on the ATV, hot wiring it in seconds and revving the engine.
A startled mechanic ran up, whereupon Lena threw the keys of her Charger to him yelling, "Fair trade!" Before spurring the red ATV forwards toward the open doors of the garage, The door might have been open, but the simple gate beyond it was closed. She spotted a large wood plank leaning against an even larger crated, and raced up the plank propelling her ATV into the air and over the gate, much to the chagrin of the Protectors' guards stationed there.
"YAHOO!" Yelled Lena as she sailed over their heads to a bumpy landing then continued on her way until she was out of their sight.
When Lena could not longer see Fortress Kshaa, she slowed the ATV to a stop, opening her encrypted Hailer and making a call to her lover, "Marcel, its your Honey Pot!... I talked to Atticus and he says it ain't him... Well, he IS walking with a cane, so he could be lying, but he's NEVER had much of a poker face... Okay, okay, I know a masked vigilante is NOT good for business, especially OUR business, but if it is him, just let me take care of it! Please Pooh Bear?... Thanks, love you much, see you soon! Toodles!"
Finally I decided I was done BARELY eating, so I grabbed my cane from the stroller's handle, and very slowly and PAINFULLY stood up leaning heavily on the cane as I did so. Erika started to stand and help me but I waved my free hand dismissively. Then I said, "Thanks Sister Dear, but I NEED to try harder than I have been to get better. Death is right. I have become nothing but a sad and pathetic OLD man and that is NOT who Lady fell in love with. She would NOT love the walking CORPSE you currently call Brother! So I MUST find the BEAST of a MAN that SHE fell COMPLETELY IN LOVE WITH, and SOON! For she would HATE who I am right now! I HATE WHO I AM RIGHT NOW!...So Sister Dear, please stay and enjoy your supper. I will see you in a couple hours when you come home to check the twins and make sure that I am still alive on the couch and make sure I drink some of my Rum before you go up to bed, like you have done every night since we came back."
Erika seemed to reluctantly agree before she sat back down. Then I leaned on the stroller as I hooked my cane back onto it's handle. Then I slowly pushed the stroller out of the Mess Hall and out into the compound heading to our bunker home. However as we were crossing through the compound the Mechanic that had been tuning up Lady's red ATV came running up to me saying, "Commander! I was just about to contact you!"
I growled, "Quietly the twins are trying to nap. Now just what is the daking problem?"
He said, "Well Ms. Marr took Lady Christianna's ATV but did toss me the keys to her Charger and yell, 'Fair Trade!', as she rode off."
I glared at him, then after taking a breathe I said somewhat calmly, "Her old one, or the new one?"
He said, "The Old one Sir. I had just given it a tune-up and tarped it when it happened. However the new one just arrived this morning and is in your private garage as you requested and I finished the tune-up on your tank as well. So did you decide what you were going to name it yet?"
I said, "Yes I decided to call the tank the, 'Chaos Demon'....So, the new ATV is fine and safely in MY garage? Good, then do not worry. However as Lena insists it was a fair trade, scan the charger for bugs, scanners, trackers, IEDs, or some other such thing. Then secure it as it is NOW Lady's WHEN she returns!"
The mechanic looked at me for a second like he was going to correct me on my last statement, but thought better of it and stated, "Yes Sir. I will do so now."
After he left to do as ordered, I continued on to my home bunker. Once entering, I tucked the twins into their downstairs cribs for their nap, then sat back in my chair to think again about my gear and what Lena had said about Raiders. Sometime later, Erika walked in the door. Seeing me sitting there lost in thought, she went to the kitchen to retrieve one of my bottles of rum. When I FINALLY heard noise in the kitchen, I asked my EGO who it was and she verified that it was only Erika. However I looked that way to see if I could see what Erika was doing. Just then I heard my loving companion lizard, Caraid stalking into the room, as well as the daking monkey Bonzo making some noise from the same direction.
moments later Caraid came walking past me, with that darn monkey riding her back. After watching the odd sight as Caraid just walked to her bed cushion and laid down as if it was nothing out of the ordinary, I glanced towards the kitchen door again, seeing Erika walking toward me with a bottle of rum in her hand and a smile on her face. As she walked across the room, I asked, slightly unsure of whether I would actually want to hear her answer, "Did you see that?! Please tell me you saw that!"
As Erika reached my chair, she nodded and simply said, "I did."
Then she poured some rum into the glass on the end table by my chair and handed it to me. Next she set the bottle on the table as I realized she was still smiling. So I said without thinking, "That smile isn't because of Bonzo and Caraid is it? It's because of Casannuendo?!...On second thought I am not sure I am ready for that answer yet. However I am glad to see a smile on your face, so I suppose that if it is because of him, then I have nothing to object to as he has more than proven himself and you deserve some happiness. We know your little brother sure ISN'T making life easy for you at the moment! Now Sister Dear, please just sit down and keep me company before we call it a night."
For the next few hours Erika kept me company while we tried to finally get more acquainted with our sibling. However eventually she insisted I call it a night. So I slowly moved from the couch to the chair, as she got me a new bottle of Rum as I had emptied the first. Then after she was sure I would be fine for the night, she headed up to her bed.
Sometime later, in the dead of the night, I got up off the couch and walked very easily to my armor closet, as if I was still in great shape and not being plagued my unbearable pain, and put my armor on like I had done countless times before. Then I sheathed my Amakune as well. Next I headed towards my small war room and activated the holo-nanny as I left the room. Once in my small war-room, I walked through it and into my garage and climbed fluidly into my tank, newly dubbed 'The Chaos Demon'. Then with a simple button push the garage door opened and I drove out with it auto-closing behind as I drove to the gate with it automatically opening for me and closing as soon as I was through. However if I were asked about any of this later, I would swear I had never left the couch and a lie detector would determine that is truly what I believed to be the truth.
The tank was heading in the direction of the Overpass. However it soon came to a sudden stop, when it's sensors detected raiders nearby with hostages. I leapt out of the tank and ran up the hill drawing my Amakune as I did. Then I vaulted over a boulder, like a predatory cat leaping at it's prey. As I landed I brought my blade down into the head of a raider. Then over the next few minutes I brutally slaughtered them, moving just as fluidly as I had ever done in the past. When all the Raiders were inevitably dead, I walked up to the one life-sign I still detected, but did not truly see who it was as I lifted my blade above my head.
Just then I heard a distant feminine voice, as if across a deep chasm, crying and screaming, "Please don't kill me! Please! PLEASE!! PLEASE!!!"
Finally I heard Dinara, My EGO's psyche screaming in my head, "Stop Atty! She's an innocent young woman! STOP!"
Upon hearing the panicked pleading from in front of me, as well as my EGO's screaming in my head, I looked down at the young woman in front of me as if seeing her for the first time. Then as I lowered my blade, I growled, "Where are we?"
The poor girl in badly torn clothes tied up on her knees before me just cried harder as she said, "Please! I just want to go home! PLEASE!"
Finally I shook off the foggy feeling in my head as I mentally talked to my EGO, "Dinara where the dak are we and why?!"
She said, "We are in San Francisco somewhere between Fortress Kshaa and the Overpass because YOU apparently drove us here!"
To which I responded, "Fine we will discuss it LATER! I need to get this girl to safety first! Any other life-signs?!"
Dinara responded with, "Afraid not Atty...However before you ask and I HOPE you WERE going to ask...you only killed raiders. According to my scans the other hostages were all dead long before you arrived."
I responded with, "GOOD."
Then I walked behind the crying girl and cut her bonds and simply said, "Come with me if you want to live."
She was understandably more scared upon hearing my gruff voice growl that, but she did so without question. As I walked I asked Dinara how I got here and she replied with, "In your "Chaos Demon' as I detect it nearby. Follow my marker Atty."
So I followed her directions and got the girl and myself back to the tank. Then after we got in, I started toward the Overpass. However on the way there the adrenaline rush had worn off and I was starting to feel a lot of pain again but an innocent was counting on ME to get her to safety so I ignored it as best as I could. Once we got to the Overpass, I parked near some E-rep soldiers and said, "Raiders took hostages down the road. She was the only one left alive when I found them. Make sure she gets home."
She kissed my cheek and said quietly, "Thank you Mister."
Then she climbed out of the tank. Once she was next to the soldiers I heard one saying to her, "Damn girl your lucky! Don't you know who or what just saved you?!"
As I heard the other one tell her who just saved her I re-closed the tank as I heard her respond to them with, "I don't care what people think about him! He saved me before those...those monsters could do to me what they did to the others! He is a hero no matter what you think! So just shut up! Now will you please take me home?!"
Then I heard the other soldier reply to her with, "Of course Miss. We will get you something to wear and notify Sherriff Cooper right away."
Upon hearing that, I took it as my cue to leave, so I quickly accelerated out of there, and glanced into my rear camera to see the girl waving to me as I sped away. As I headed home, I finally talked to my EGO, "Alright Dinara talk! This isn't the first night I went out is it?! So fill me in and tell me why Erika doesn't seem to know that I have been leaving the base at night. Hell how come I didn't know?!"
Dinara said panicked, "I don't know! I really don't! I didn't even know we left the Fortress until I heard the screaming of all those raiders! Although I know it isn't the first time and I DID try telling you that this morning when you saw your bloody armor but you IGNORED me like you have been doing since what happened in Australia! You big dummy!"
I muttered, "Dak! Run a diagnostic on yourself while I get us home!"
Of course by the time I was pulling through the side gate into Fortress Kshaa I was in so much pain that I was sure I wouldn't be able to get out of the tank without help, so I reluctantly used the tank's hailer to contact Erika. As she answered in a groggy voice, I said the pain VERY obvious in my tone, "Sister Dear! I....I need help! Meet me in my garage and bring the daking wheelchair! And you can yell at me LATER, but I am in TOO much pain to even hear most of it right now!"
Then I hung up before she could yell at me. Not long after, I was parked back in my garage and had the tank open but couldn't get out, as Erika walked into the garage pushing the chair, with the worry and anger both obvious on her face. However I said, "Later Sister Dear. Please just get me to the couch and let me get some sleep! I promise I will answer your questions as well as I can over breakfast in the Mess. However...I think you better contact Wolfram and make sure that he knows that I need him to be at breakfast this morning."
When Erika looked at me with an eyebrow raised, I said, "You heard right! Please leave it at that until I am ready to discuss it at breakfast!"
Erika kept quiet as she helped me out of the tank and into the wheelchair. However I knew that as she wheeled me back to the living room she really wanted to let me have it for leaving without telling her and then worrying her with my call. When she got me into the living room, she helped me get my armor off and got me back onto the couch after giving me some more rum.
Then she finally said sternly, "Fine get some rest Brother Dear. However I WILL expect you to tell me what this is all about at breakfast as you just promised, and don't worry. I WILL contact Doctor Von Eschen and inform him of YOUR request. Now this time STAY put and rest until it is time to get ready for breakfast! Understood?!"
I say the look she was giving me and knew I better NOT argue, not to mention the pain was too strong for me to want to get up anyways. So I finally muttered, "I promise Sister Dear and...I am sorry."
With that she covered me back up and gave me a kiss on the forehead, before turning off the light and leaving the room.
Hours later, I was still asleep on the couch, and this time truly asleep when Erika came in. So she got the twins ready for me. Then she gently woke me and told me to get ready for breakfast. Then she insisted I try the cane to see how much I screwed up my recovery, before I sat in the wheelchair again. I merely nodded in understanding as she handed me the cane. Then I slowly got onto my feet, and surprisingly I was walking a little better than the day before. Although I still needed the cane for balance. Erika got the twins into the stroller as I put on my gun and for the first time since Australia, I also consciously put on some light armor. NOT the heavy armor I had on the night before when I was apparently sleep walking or something.
Once ready, We started out the door with Erika pushing the stroller. However as we reached the door to Fortress Kshaa, I stopped and turned to her. Then I hugged her and said quietly, "I am sorry for EVERYTHING. I still do not know all the details of last night but when we are at the table with Wolfram I will fill you both in as well as I can. I promise. And sister Dear....I am sorry for how I have treated Count Casannuendo. He seems to be good for you so....I promise I will try harder to give him a chance and get to know him, for you. After all I don't think I could have survived these last three weeks without you. I just miss Lady sooooooooooo very much!"
After Erika had hugged me back and responded, I hooked my cane onto the stroller and insisted on pushing it the rest of the way. When we were at our table, I had Ralph bring the baby bottles. As they arrived Wolfram showed up and sat down as well. Once he was situated, I picked up Caprice and fed her, as I filled Erika and Wolfram in as best as I could with my late night activities. I informed them of the dreams I had been having for the last few days of slaughtering Raiders, Dark Matter and whatever other bad creatures crossed my path. Then of my discovery of my bloody armor and blade yesterday. And finally I informed them of what happened last night. Telling them that everything seemed like a vivid dream. However the moment I heard that innocent girl pleading for her life it was like a fog had lifted and I was suddenly awake. Then I informed them of how as I got her to safety my pain started to return and by the time I got near the fortress, I knew I would need help so I had to call the one person that I knew would still help me and love me no matter what I may have been unknowingly doing, My sister Erika.
Then as they sat there looking in silence I set Caprice down and picked up Cosmin to feed him, as I looked at Erika and said, "I am so sorry Sister Dear. I didn't mean to worry you!"
Then I said to Wolfram, "Wolfram you are the psycho babbler. So how is it possible for me to move so freely when I am... what would it even be called? Sleep walking?...Anyway how is it possible for me to move so freely when I am in that state?! Yet when I am fully conscious and do not have an adrenaline rush or lots of drugs in my system, I need a cane for stability? HOW?! And please do NOT say I am crazy! I am TIRED of doctors always saying that about me when I ALREADY know that! We ALL know that! However think about THIS before you answer!
Crazy people don't know they're crazy. I know I'm crazy, therefore I'm not crazy, isn't that crazy?”
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Post by Belle Starr on Feb 11, 2017 15:01:18 GMT
The Black blind Jazz musician sat in the control room strumming his old scratched up guitar as Medic Jocelyn "Joy" Jameson nervously watched the monitors as well as the machines measuring the heartbeat, blood pressure and other body functions that would indicate a severe change in the sole prisoner in the large cell in the basement of Fortress Kshaa. Even though all the monitors showed normal readings for a human woman in her early twenties, Joy was nervous for she knew that the individual in the cell was Belle Starr, and although blind now herself, could turn into a Were-Volge within minutes. If that happened, Joy wasn't sure that the two guards just outside the foot thick titanium steel door could get the preteen mulatto girl in the cell with Belle Starr out before the transformation was complete."Don't you fear for your daughter's safety?" Asked Joy of the blind man.Blind Pete Jackson stopped strumming for a moment to answer, remarking nonchalantly, "I knew Little Belle and her adopted Daddy back when I was a young musician still with my eyesight playing on the streets of the French Quarter in N'Awlins for a hat-full of dollars. She was always a good kid, dancing to the jazz music herself for pocket change, but I didn't mind no how the competition because she was such a polite and joyful child. She might not be very joyful anymore, but she still is that good kid I knew way back when. She's just lost her way, and who among us hasn't lost their way at one time or another. I know I had when my wife died and I suddenly found myself with a baby girl not knowing what to do or where to go next. If Papa Naruto hadn't brought me to Elysium, I don't know what would have happened to Misty and me. Then when Elysium was in danger to be destroyed by that there virus, you good people came to our aid. It's what good people do, so when y'all asked me to help Miss Belle cope with her new blindness, I was happy to do so."
"But your daughter is so young to be in there with Ms. Starr alone," Joy pushed, concern obvious in her voice. Blind Pete started to strum his old guitar as he answered with no sign of doubt in his words, "Misty may be fourteen, but she has an old soul and is a good judge of people. She's a good kid too and wants to help. I trust her and she trusts Miss Belle and that's good enough for me. She's also smart as a whip, and if she senses danger, she'll be out of there in a New York minute, so don't y'all worry none." Joy wondered what New York minute was, and considering that New York City itself was terra-formed and destroyed within minutes recently, whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. Joy watched through her monitors into the big jail cell about the size of an efficiency apartment, with the comfort accouterments of one as well. She watched as Belle although blind moved deftly through the room, using the staff she had returned from Australia with and the EGO device in the back of her neck to avoid obstacle after obstacle put in her way by a smiling and encouraging Misty. "Hope Ms. Starr doesn't stub her toe and get mad," Thought Joy to herself, watching the monitors closely for any such event. 
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Post by Erika Widowmaker on Feb 11, 2017 16:20:46 GMT
After Atticus Batman's confession about the night before Erika Widowmaker had hugged him and responded, "Don't worry Brother Dear, we will work this out - together!." Atticus hooked his cane onto the stroller and insisted on pushing it the rest of the way. When they were at our table, Atticus had Ralph bring the baby bottles. As they arrived Wolfram showed up and sat down as well. Once he was situated, Atticus picked up Caprice and fed her, as he filled Erika and Wolfram in as best as he could with his late night activities. He informed them of the dreams he had been having for the last few days of slaughtering Raiders, Dark Matter and whatever other bad creatures crossed my path. Then of his discovery of his bloody armor and blade yesterday. And finally he informed them of what happened last night. Telling them that everything seemed like a vivid dream. However the moment he heard that innocent girl pleading for her life it was like a fog had lifted and he was suddenly awake. Then Atticus informed them of how as he got her to safety my pain started to return and by the time he got near the fortress, he knew he would need help so he had to call the one person that he knew would still help him and love him no matter what he may have been unknowingly doing, his sister Erika. Then as they sat there looking in silence Atticus set Caprice down and picked up Cosmin to feed him, as he looked at Erika and said, "I am so sorry Sister Dear. I didn't mean to worry you!" Erika tented her long red clay colored fingers, staring at them for a moment with big jade eyes, before looking up and remarking calmly, "I am happy you were able to save the girl, but you have to cease and desist your nocturnal activities. The Paradise authorities give the Protectors a lot of leeway, despite the fact that sometimes we have flaunted the rule of law. If Law Keeper Cooper gets wind the you're back to being a vigilante, he won't hesitate to arrest you and despite Aru Shondu's good feelings towards us, she will have to revoke your amnesty. Think of how your children will fare without either a mother or a father. I know your activities have been involuntary and at the subconscious level, but we have to put into effect some safeguards so it doesn't happen again." Then Atticus said to Wolfram, "Wolfram you are the psycho babbler. So how is it possible for me to move so freely when I am... what would it even be called? Sleep walking?...Anyway how is it possible for me to move so freely when I am in that state?! Yet when I am fully conscious and do not have an adrenaline rush or lots of drugs in my system, I need a cane for stability? HOW?! And please do NOT say I am crazy! I am TIRED of doctors always saying that about me when I ALREADY know that! We ALL know that! However think about THIS before you answer! Crazy people don't know they're crazy. I know I'm crazy, therefore I'm not crazy, isn't that crazy?” Erika frowned, stating adamantly, "You are NOT crazy Atticus - but your are troubled, as would anyone be at the death of their loved one! So I will not hear any more talk of you being crazy, but only how we can help you through your troubles!" Mean while, Ralph the Cook left the Mess to go to his rooftop garden to gather some vegetables for the noonday meal. He had a green thumb for growing vegetables, and prided himself on his ability to do so all by himself, although of late he had help with pruning and weeding his garden from Sandy Bell and Volodja Uljanov. It helped him and the activity seemed to help them deal with the loss of their unborn child, so he didn't mind even though he usually liked his "alone" time in his garden. He always had liked the young couple, for they were lively conversationalists, although understandably now they were less lively and said very little, with Sandy saying nothing at all. Ralph hoped they would get through their sadness soon, but knew realistically from his own experiences that such losses took a long time to get over. Ralph gathered the vegetables he needed, and all of the garden seemed to be thriving - except his tomato plants. Despite the best fertilizer he could obtain and the careful use of pure water to nourish them, the plants were stunted and the fruit they produced small and few. He looked at them, not sure what to do next, so merely sighed deciding to give it some more thought before trying anything new. As he headed downstairs with his harvest to the kitchens down below, he didn't see a small white cloud slowly appear into sight above his failing tomato crop. Suddenly the cloud lit up with a bright inner light, and the tomato plants below it grew and thrived, with big red tomatoes sprouting from the now lush plants. The light dimmed until it disappeared, and the white cloud itself soon followed, but if anyone had been present, they would have heard a girlish giggle before the cloud was completely gone.  |
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Post by Wolfram von Eschen on Feb 12, 2017 8:00:30 GMT
"Crazy?" asked Wolfram von Eschen during the dinner table conversation. "Who said anything about being crazy? Traumatized - yes! Depressed - possibly! But crazy! More like out of mind condition it is! I could use the term Das Unbewusste which mean unconsciousness in English, to describe your actions in every sentence I say from now on, but that would also mean that I must mention certain Austrian psychiatrist. And that would also mean that I must wash my mouth with a soap after saying that name out loud and ruin the wonderful taste experience I have right now." There was a brief peculiar pain expression on Wolfram's face when he said that.
It changed for a decisive one when he declared: "I am not a psychoanalyst!"
His tone softened again when he continued. "But that...term offers an explanation for your recent behaviour, Herr Batman. Everyone handles the emotional pain differently. Most of measures are quite calm, peaceful and relatively safe, but in some cases people tend to take drastic measures and apply some kind of form of a risk behaviour - a lifestyle activity which places a person at increased risk of suffering a particular condition or injury. A dangerous and destructive activity, like climbing walls, hurting oneself by cutting wrists or trying to burn your own eyes...you know what I mean...or getting constantly drunk...or wandering around and hurting someone else. Conscious being can use different pain to replace the original pain with it, but it is useless in longer perspective anyway.
Consciously you know it and avoid it, but when you are asleep, then your suppressed emotions take over the steering wheel and lead you to...That unconscious risk behaviour can also explain that lack of a cane during your activities - your unconscious mind does not care about your temporary physical limitations, because it does not give a damn about further consequences and complications on your physical health.
Frau Widowmaker was correct when she mentioned the reason of your pain, thus answering the question - "What causes your behaviour?" It arises lot of other questions, like - "What we should do about it?" or "What can we do about it?" or even ""Why we should do something about it?" Let us begin with the question - "Why we should do something about your pain and behaviour it causes?" Well, Herr Batman! What is your answer to that question?"
Giving Atticus some time to think about his words, Wolfram begun to quietly hum, because unlike the rest of good people around the table, he didn't had an EGO device in his possession, so he had to do everything by himself, including remembering tunes from his youth and hum them. At the same time Wolfram pondered about the pattern of the risk behaviour he developed not very long ago when he begun to talk about the risky topic of Atticus Batman's emotional health...But it was a justified risk. It was!
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Post by Atticus Batman on Feb 12, 2017 13:03:26 GMT
I said quietly, "I don't know. I just don't. I know that in my...dreams, which we now know is my subconscious taking over, I feel a lot more like my old and confident self, and the man that Lady loved and that I miss; albeit a bit more out of control than I have been in years.___Consciously I am in constant pain but caring for the twins and seeing how much they NEED me to be HERE for them has helped enough that I am out of that chair and with each day I am walking better, I was even able to get on the floor and play with them for a little while before lunch yesterday despite needing to use the couch to pull myself back up when I was done. Not to mention that despite how bad the pain was when I returned home last night, this morning when Erika got me up from my nap, we were both happily surprised to see that instead of my activities having any adverse effects on my walking, I am able to walk more confidently today than yesterday despite still needing a cane to walk. You can ask Erika, if you don't believe me.
Yesterday was the first time since Australia that I was not only able to bear being near my gear, but I even cleaned my armor and sword when I discovered it was bloody and thought it was still the blood from my slaughter on Boris's sub, which would include....Lady's as I was right in front of her when Hubert...when that spineless piece of shtako sealed his fate! ______ Then for the first time since the incident, I even put on my pistol and kept it on all day yesterday. Today I once again have it on and even have on some light armor. After waking up last night during my Subconscious activities and discovering an innocent young woman...about Lady's age, in need of help and then managing to help her, I do feel somewhat like my old self again and the pain has lessened some but not much.
That said, Erika is right and we need to figure out how to keep me from going on another late-night killing spree because the twins already lost their mother because of ME and my reckless behavior...so they can NOT lose their father because of his own recklessness too! So if it means something like removing all my access codes from my home bunker, vehicles, armor closets and weapons lockers; so that I can only enter or leave my bunker or get my gear or drive my vehicles if Erika opens the door for me; then I am willing. If it means something more drastic like...locking me up in the basement with Belle, then so be it. I deserve to be down there a LOT more than she ever will after all, and EVERYONE knows it! However I will leave the solution to keeping me in at night up to you and Erika, as I trust her more than I trust myself at the moment. However while I am sure caring for the twins is helping me get better, this activity has been happening the whole time I have been on a cane, so couldn't it also be part of the reason I am getting better?
More importantly.....I think I am ready to discuss what you said when we first returned from Australia. I mean I agreed with you when you suggested that my pain may be because I blame myself for Lady's death. After all it IS MY fault that she may be dead! It IS my fault she was on that sub! It IS my fault that the mutiny happened! It IS my fault for not killing Hubert before I surrendered and was taken to the Bridge! It IS my fault for not reacting as soon as Hubert stabbed her because then I...I may have been able to save her!....
...However when you suggested that it may NOT actually be my fault and that I needed to accept that there was nothing I could have done to save her in that situation....I...well I acted badly.........So I am VERY sorry for using my Grid abilities to tase you and watch you twitch like I did. I should have NEVER done that, and am thankful that Erika managed to get me to reel my anger back in before I did something worse and am also glad that it didn't stop your ticker. I DO remember right before I tased you that you said something profound like, 'It is possible to commit no errors and still lose. That is not a weakness.....That is life.'
So let's say, I am ready to consider that you may be correct, and that I couldn't have stopped it no matter what I did differently. How's that help me any?! Lady is still gone, I am still stuck using a cane when awake, and I still may subconsciously continue to go out at night while I am asleep, even if I don't want to.
I REFUSE to ever consider that Lady may be gone to me forever. So do NOT even consider that I let her go because I will NEVER DO THAT! NEVER! AND YOU WILL ONCE AGAIN DO THE HARLEM SHAKE IF YOU DO SAY IT!!!....However, I can NOT lose the twins because part of me refuses to get up and back to work and the other part of me subconsciously insists I need to make all bandits and other such groups suffer for what Boris's men did to Lady while I was powerless to save her! So how do we keep that from happening?! I mean...HOW?! How do we go about putting my two broken halves back together so that I can at least start to once again resemble the beastly man that Lady fell in love with and that Erika calls brother...instead of this sad and pathetic shell of a man before you?!"
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Post by Lena Marr on Feb 12, 2017 17:47:46 GMT
In the morning, Lena Marr arrived back on her ATV at the shack by the water that served as a get away for her and her lover, Marcel Lestrange. Lena was tired so slowly dismounted the vehicle before nodding to one of her Raider gang guards to park it back and put a camouflage tarp over it, leaving the ramshackle shack to look abandoned from the front, although it was not only occupied but highly protected by both armed Raider guards as well as electronic safeguards. Lena headed to the front door not sure she wanted to report to the man inside but knowing the time when she wouldn't tell her lover everything was long passed. The shack had been extensively renovated inside, two more luxurious stories being built underneath that first floor that still look like a clutter of second hand furniture that a poor thief might have gathered as needed which had been the case before Lena had met Marcel. Now she walked into the small closet that acted as an elevator to the floors below, pressing the button to the next floor that was their lavish living room, dining room, kitchen and office to their criminal organization. The bottom floor was reserved for their huge bedroom, dressing area and armory with a secret tunnel that led to the top of the hill above the house. Lena walked into the exorbitant living room to where Marcel was working over a data-pad at their expensive black walnut dining table kissing him from behind on the cheek while massaging his shoulders. She scrunched up her pretty face in distaste as she read over his shoulder seeing he was going over their criminal organization's accounts. She was glad he was a genius at business for she never had a head for numbers for her skills were in other areas such as murder and mayhem. As such, that combination made them quite the diabolical duo in taking over criminal business in the Bay Area so that even the Varus Solepter and Tarr family organizations were second to them. Lena sashayed back over the the overstuffed sofa and plopped down, taking off her thigh high black boots before sitting back and curling her shapely chalk white legs under her then getting Marcel's attention with a loud sigh before reporting in a matter-of-fact tone, "Like I suspected, Atticus is our Raider killing vigilante. I staked out Fortress Kshaa from a high ground and out of EGO range like we discussed on Lady's old ATV so it's signature would be read as one of their own if spotted by the base security. Sure enough, Atticus not long after midnight came barreling out of one of the Fortress' side entrances in a tank no less - subtle he ain't! I followed at a discrete distance so his EGO wouldn't spot me, then when he stopped, I watched with a spyglass I found in the saddle bags of Lady's ATV. I didn't get close enough for Hope to recognize his signature, plus he so damn good at disguising it, and if I was close enough to identify him, he would be close enough too identify me but with the spyglass I saw him cut through a bunch of Raiders - not our Raiders, but some Raiders - with his Amicune sword to save some girl stupid enough to get herself captured by them and it was clearly his armor!" Lena sighed again less loudly this time, taking Lady's spyglass from her jacket pocket and fondling it fondly, while saying a bit sadly, "I was kind of hoping I was wrong and that it wouldn't be Atticus for his kids' sake and began to think it wasn't him after the dinner at the Fortress but I guess he's a better actor than I gave him credit for. Problem is, he's come out of the closet so to speak: After he rescued the girl, he turned her over to some E-Rep soldiers. Unfortunately, before I could get down there to eliminate the witnesses after he left, they had all ready reported the rescue and the fact the it was Atticus Batman who did the rescuing. I went and questioned them as a concerned bystander slash ark hunter just to confirm it. Law Keeper Cooper has been informed so that means Aru Shondu knows too, so probably all of Paradise knows by now. I'm betting if we go to The Crater, it's the top gossip being talked about right this very second!" Lena raised a single white eyebrow above her unblinking sky blue eyes as she leaned forward and asked Marcel, "Sooooooo... Pooh Bear, since we know that Atticus is up to his old Harbinger of Death high-jinks, and we know that sooner or later that will put him at odds with our criminal enterprise, the question remains: You want me to take him out of the picture permanently now or later?"  |
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Post by Wolfram von Eschen on Feb 13, 2017 7:40:09 GMT
"I rather avoid doing the Harlem shake again," said Wolfram von Eschen. "Considering my age and position it would be too...wannabe youthful. I don't want to be eighteen again anyway, but I do prefer to see my eightieth birthday. Which is quite far ahead, by the way! That means avoiding shocks of any kind. As long as I understand, this particular Herr Batman needs to make a compromise between his different sides and find some sort of inner peace so he can drop the cane, he leans on right now, when it's not needed any more. I have a cane and I don't need it to support myself yet, but it gives me certain amount of advantages because I am used with my cane. But in Herr Batman's case it is still a disadvantage. Right?" He looked right and saw Count Casannuendo in a statuesque like state, staring Erika Widowmaker with round puppy like eyes. Wolfram nudged small Count with his elbow, breaking his meditation, reassure concentration and focus his thoughts to the present situation.  "Ehem. Yes! Correct!" confirmed Casannuendo. "I agree with Wolfram von Eschen completely..." And added a whisper: "Just tell me with what I have to agree here. I was busy thinking about..." "I have noticed that people tend to lose their state of mind when they are overwhelmed by certain feelings. When Herr Batman is involved, we have sadness, guilt and suppressed fury, caused by the fact that Herr Batman feels that he was not able to protect his wife, to accompany him. Plus the cane he uses to walk around. And we want to free him from those unwanted companions. That is why he must find his inner peace and accept himself as he is. The question is - How we are going to do it?" explained Wolfram with loud voice and whispered to Casannuendo: "In your case, dear Count...I am afraid that medicine science is incapable to help you with your issues." |
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Post by Marcel Lestrange on Feb 13, 2017 8:29:14 GMT
"Not necessarily, Honey Pot," replied Marcel Lestrange. "So it WAS Atticus Batman after all. Hunting Raisers. And the word has already reached into ears of Shondu and Cooper. They are probably eager to question him, so eliminating Batman when he has become a subject of so called "public interest" would be a bit...premature. Too many eyes are focused on him right now and wiping him off from the picture would attract unnecessary attention to our little corporation. Especially when he is doing heroics right now. Get rid of the hero and they come after you with torches and pitchforks. Get rid of a criminal and they present you a citizenship award. At moment Atticus Batman is somewhere in between. I prefer to keep the crown off from our well mowed lawn. Especially when I can not be sure about their intentions." Marcel turned around with his his leather chair and putting his palms to his thighs as a support leaned towards Lena. Devilish grin appeared to his face and he continued: "We could try to rearrange cards on the game table a bit, Honey Pot. Just to add some excitement. Nothing serious. I wonder what would happen if we eliminate...not Monsieur Batman, but some of his links with reality. Not the children of course. I know how attached you are to them and Marcel Lestrange has never hurt an innocent child and never will! How about getting rid of his therapist? I know that Volodja Uljanov could be that man, but he has his own problems after Monsieur Batman stabbed Mademoiselle Bell, causing miscarriage. Since Volodja Uljanov is already a beaten card, I would say that this nauseatingly arrogant Boche Doctor acts as an active therapist. Maybe we should disable him just for the sake of seeing what will happen then? It teaches him a lesson and causes certain amount of chaos if we remove him temporarily. It might have some side effects though - good doers might unite their forces to help the Boche. But even that might be useful because glances will turn away from our people. That is why I suggest that we find a path which is not violent, mean or cruel. At least in the eyes of good doers to avoid disturbing our neighbourhood and our cosy home with their accusations. Just a practical joke. A little prank."  |
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Post by Atticus Batman on Feb 13, 2017 12:14:29 GMT
"I have noticed that people tend to lose their state of mind when they are overwhelmed by certain feelings. When Herr Batman is involved, we have sadness, guilt and suppressed fury, caused by the fact that Herr Batman feels that he was not able to protect his wife, to accompany him. Plus the cane he uses to walk around. And we want to free him from those unwanted companions. That is why he must find his inner peace and accept himself as he is. The question is - How we are going to do it?" explained Wolfram with loud voice.
I gently placed Cosmin in his stroller, then responded with, "Yes Wolfram. You may have provided me with a nice cane but I am tired of relying on it..."
I lift the cane slightly as I mention it, and notice a slight indentation in it, as well as an unexplained heft. So I twist it a little out of curiosity. Then I give a little yank and feel it coming apart. So I pull a little harder and it slides apart revealing a blade hooked to the handle.
Then after my little discovery, I say in slight shock and admiration of Wolfram's cleverness and apparently more well-thought out gift than I had previously realized, "A hidden sword Wolfram?! You clever old man! Yes, very nice indeed! With my...let's say occupational fascination with weapons both obvious and disguised or hidden, I must have been VERY lost in myself to not have noticed this before, and am tired of being lost. I am no good to anybody in this state, so we definitely need to fix it. However I definitely must thank you for gifting this wonderful cane to me.
Anyway back on topic. Even though this is a nice cane, I do NOT want to rely on using it to keep myself up and stable any longer than needed, and I NEED to stop going out on the killing sprees, for as Erika said, it could lead to me losing my kids, if I keep doing it on such a large scale! I can NOT do that to them! I would never be able to forgive myself for letting them and Lady down like that! They need a much better father than me! However that all leads to another problem that my recklessness has caused. Lena pretty much said last night that she knew it was me doing it at dinner, which is of course before any of us knew about my involvement in it. Then there is the fact that I openly handed the scared girl over to the authorities, which means it won't be long before others piece together what Lena already has and figure out that I have been responsible for the slaughters. So that will also need to be spun into a positive light. Although I suppose PR is out of your wheelhouse just as much as it is out of mine. Normally this is where Belle would try to find good in my stupidity, but I guess she can't help either. There is also the fact that as the acting commander, Taffer will need to be filled in. Dak, I blew it big this time! Just give me a second...."
I then sent Taffer an EGO message saying, "Taffer I daking blew it extremely big this time! I...I..I discovered last night that I was the Raider Devastator that has been massacring them this week. Apparently I have been doing so in my sleep. I know because last night I woke up while it was happening because I heard a young woman pleading me for her life! So I freed her and took her to the Overpass where I handed her over to the authorities. So I wouldn't be surprised if word of what I did last night has already spread. So it is a matter of time before Pooper puts it all together, and given my conversation with Lena at supper last night, she figured it out before any of us did. If you need more details please talk to Wolfram or Erika, and....I was hoping you could somehow put a positive spin on it to Ara and Pooper, but if you don't think you can do so or that it would be better if I just let them take me away...then say so and I will turn myself in. However Wolfram, Erika and I are discussing how to stop me from any more late night slaughter, as we speak. So hopefully it won't happen again."
Then I turned back to Erika and Wolfram and said, "Alright I just sent Taffer an EGO message to fill him in on what I have apparently been up to at night and gave him permission to ask the two of you for more details if he needs them. Dak I really hate all of this!....So something definitely needs done, BUT WHAT?!...........Wolfram, I think that first, we need to find a way to keep me from anymore late-night adventures and subconscious bloodlettings. Then we can work on everything else. However your suggestion that I get over my guilt and find some non-existent inner-peace isn't going to happen if I keep fucking up like this!!! So perhaps we should just skip my first suggestion on how to keep me in at night and jump right to sealing me away in the basement where I can't possibly do any harm to others, even subconsciously! However if all of that fails then what?! Everyone and especially the twins would have been better off if I had been the one to die!"
Just then Caprice started to cry. So I instinctively picked her up and cradled her to my shoulder to try to calm her. As I held her to me and started to hum, the same Irathient lullaby that Erika had sang to me just weeks ago on the Vigilant right after Lady's apparent death to calm me down, Caprice soon calmed down and then after a little while started happily playing with a caribiner hanging from my light armor instead.
 
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