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Post by NotAvailable on Mar 25, 2012 10:48:04 GMT -5
Anna stifled a chuckle at the voice before they'd finally revealed itself to be Mike. She'd holstered her weapon and switched her own flashlight on, pointing it at Mike's back. She'd felt some relief wash over her and before long she'd gently tapped at his shoulder from her position.
"Sorry Mike, met some real loonies not too long ago and with the military being homicidal a*sholes you coulda been anyone." she explained.
She wanted to ask what the hell he was doing there, she was certain the CIA washed their hands of her this morning when she'd called for help. Before she could even bring it up, there'd been footsteps from upstairs and her son holding her cellphone in his hand.
"Grandpa's just down the road, Ma...Hey! Uncle Mike!" The boy exclaimed, trotting down the stairs as fast as he could before reaching out to hug the old man. He was the last person he expected to see.
Well her father and Mike were here now, their survival had just increased tenfold...that was a relief but at the same time it was still a little worry.
"I can't believe the CIA sent you to get us. I thought they screwed me over," she finally said.
((Building up to going out to meet Arc, Rev.))
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Post by Mikey on Mar 26, 2012 3:06:35 GMT -5
“It’s ok, I know how people can get when things go to s***.” Mike said. People would revert to animals, under the right circumstances. He was about to say something else when he heard the creak of the floor upstairs. He looked and saw Jimmy, and watched the blur of the child as he ran downstairs and thumped into Mike with a huge hug.
“Whoa, easy Jimbo. Trying to break my hip?” He said as he ruffled Jimmy’s hair and reached into his pocket.
“I got something for ya.” He said, pulling out a bag of jelly beans for Jimmy. Mike always brought the kid something. He was like a son he’d never had. Anna was kind of like an older daughter. Sometimes a younger sister.
“Go take your candy and… Go do whatever you want for a minute, I gotta talk to your mom.” He said, when she said her next piece. When Jimmy was out of the room, he looked back to Anna.
“They did.” He said simply, reaching into his jacket for a cigarette out of habit.
“Just this morning, they fired me for working a case. I’m pretty sure it was because someone didn’t want me looking into it. I slung some s*** to get past the barricade and brought my personal stash, but I’m all you get.” He finished, looking at her for a reaction.
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Post by Winters on Mar 26, 2012 6:29:11 GMT -5
The blood from his arms and torso washed away in a matter of minutes, then flowed over his face, cleaning him of what remained from the last kill. As he done this, Arc thought about going back, whether or not it was a good idea. Maybe he had been living this life too long, and needed to remain remain alone so nobody else would get hurt trying to help him. There was a reason he trusted Anna, and it wasnt just because of her prior experience in Raccoon City. Many people survived the incident, hes seen it with his own eyes. Toward the end of it, even helped them escape, lead them to safety, even though his mission was to eliminate everything. The original plan was to wipe the slate clean, leave no survivors, burn the evidence against Umbrella. But in the end, even after what happened in Raccoon City, he choose neither good nor evil. His choice was made for him.
Trecking through the mud, Arc made his way back to the dry ground, staring at the bloody mess in front of a tree. To any passerby, it would look like danger, nobody would be able to tell the difference between a kill from a BOW and a kill made by him, both were equally grousome. The wind brushed through the tree branches, and the scene filled his nose. With his own heard stalling for a moment, Arc held his breath, and turned around to see one of the larger creatures walking along the other side of the mudder creek bed. It didnt even aknowledge him as a threat, more like a friend, and either bothered thinking anything of it. The two of them werent much different, both just trying to survive, both monsters. The big difference being Arc was trying to become human again, or rather remain as human as possible before the monster did find itself exposed.
Facing the house, three heartbeats could be sensed from inside. Was confusing, because one of them was Anna, and her son Jimmy. But the third was neither Dani or Rabbit, this was somebody new. His former friends had been out of his radius, which meant they were long gone. This newcomer wasnt hostile, and the heartbeat remained calm. Whoever it was knew Anna and had no intentions of harming her nor her son, which was good. But it did pose a new obstical, as now Arc had no reason to hide, albeit still keep to himself about being infected. His skin was a little more paler than usual, but one he started moving more, the tone would change back to normal. His hoodie was worn out, and it would be much easier to just wear his bandages, despite the cold weather.
Within minutes, he was back at the house, but stayed outside and out of sight. The vehicle parked in the driveway was in good shape, didnt look like anything a survivor would drive, that was for sure. But sitting in the tall grass of the field, Arc listened to the voices inside, waiting for Anna to make her decision. If she did come for him, he could catch her alone, and wouldnt even have to go to the woods. So long as she didnt have anybody with her, things would still go just as he planned. The less people who know about him the better, but if it came to it, he wouldnt have much choice. He could just run if all else failed.
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Post by NotAvailable on Mar 27, 2012 9:03:50 GMT -5
Anna shook her head whilst she watched her son run off back upstairs. The Director had cut Mike loose, probably because he was bent on tracking down that bioweapons dealer or "The Ghost" leads that most of the office had referred to it as. She believed him, however, she'd gone up against some pretty unbelievable stuff in her time, both in Raccoon and after.
"Tch, guess this means I'll be turning my badge in, huh?" she told Mike, shrugging a bit. She'd pulled her phone back out and looked at the time before sauntering over to the door. "Mike, keep an ear out for Jimmy will ya? I'm gonna get some air on the porch. My dad decided to show up too, he should be here soon...guess I wanna wait for him, see if he's alright," she explained, opening the screen door.
"Uncle Mike! You shoulda seen the stuff that happened today, it was crazy!" Jimmy said appearing at the staircase again, with his jellybeans. "My mom and these two people killed like 500 zombies!" he exaggerated, grinning.
Anna chuckled and walked out the door, looking around the yard. It was deathly quiet and she hadn't seen any headlights appearing down the road, it was well past twenty minutes and her dad wasn't anywhere in sight. Folding her arms, she'd wandered further out into the yard, looking down the road.
'C'mon dad....where are you...?'
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Post by Winters on Apr 12, 2012 22:05:02 GMT -5
A loud crack stuttered through the trees, and a lone infected had left his sight. Arc knew the direction it went, and when he focused on its location, there was another human scent. At first, he wanted to stay still, avoid anymore human contact, but just didnt click with him. The human definitely wouldve heard the sound, it was easier this way. Stepping out onto the road, he grabbed onto the infected by the neck, and squeezed until another loud pop emitted. As the corpse fell to the ground, Arc looked up to see Anna, hand on her gun, aimed at him. His eyes were completely red, and glowed through the darkness.
"When I left Raccoon City, I took a piece of it with me. Thought I left it all behind, but there are just some things in this world you cant escape from. What doesnt kill you makes you stronger. Ive seen the grave, and crawled out back into this world. The virus doesnt kill me, it fuels me, makes me stronger..." Arc wasnt really sure if Anna was going to trust him or not, really wouldnt have any reason to, and more then one reason not to by this point. But he needed to convince her, he couldnt keep running away from people. "...You can only stay in the shadows for so long. The last group I was with had a different goal, aimed for something bigger. I had my own agenda, things to deal with. Ive been searching for somebody with connections, and whos been to hell and back in Raccoon City."
Judging by what hes gathered, Anna is a start. Shes the kind of person that hes looking for. Arc needs answers, and to supply them to people who might be able to do good with them. "If I had known the CIA was still active, I wouldve been looking a long time. Presenting myself to you like this could be my biggest mistake, giving away who I really am. But im not going to kill you, wouldnt have anything to gain by it. I just need your help. You help me, ill help you get to your family, and make sure nobody gets in your way."
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Post by NotAvailable on Apr 12, 2012 22:26:15 GMT -5
When Anna realized it was Arc that'd emerged from the trees onto the road before her, she'd lowered her gun slightly and then brought it back up again, her finger on the trigger but without a squeeze. He'd began to talk about things that she didn't quite understand. The only bits and parts of it she got were that he apparently needed information about her. What worried her more was that he knew she was CIA.
"How the hell did you know I was with the CIA? I never mentioned it to you once," she asked, voiced filled with venom.
"I don't know what you're expecting from me or what the f*ck you are but I don't think I can help you, buddy," she said, untrustingly.
She'd just seen him snap a zombie's neck like it was nothing and his eyes, they were inhuman..almost glowing red. What the hell was he?
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Post by Winters on Apr 12, 2012 23:52:45 GMT -5
"Youve seen so much already, know more then of the world does, not just the basics. Why Raccoon City? Have you ever thought that maybe it wasnt just an accident? Why does the virus pop up around the world, years after the incident? Umbrella is dead and gone, but theyre work continues. The BSAA doesnt believe me, and if I proved to them, they would be against me because of what I am. I am a Bio-Organic Weapon. The only difference between me and those other creatures are my genes. That Umbrella failed, they tested. With those walking corpses came the more agile monsters. Not evolution, mutation, recessive genes. I was an experiment of Umbrella, too, but one that wasnt a failure." Arc knew Anna still wasnt going to trust him, and was just giving her more reasons to pull the trigger. But the truth needed to come first, because that was always the first step to trust.
"I need you to help me, but telling your agency that I exist, that there is a cure for this virus somewhere out there. The information I have about Umbrella and its post-downfall groups would give them the leading edge. Isnt that what you guys do? Gather information? Well I have more then enough, and willing to give it to them so maybe this global crisis can be stopped. Im not looking for for fame, or fortune, just a piece of mind that im not some sort of weapon, but a tool that can be put to good use." For all she knew, all of it couldve been made up, but Arc didnt think that Anna would have any doubt. Nobody would make up such a story, simple as that.
"Its been eight years since the outbreak surfaced, and its only going to get worse unless something is done. I seen good in the last group I was with, they werent just surviving. They wanted to make a change, and help people. But they could only help those in front of them, and lacked the power to do things that impacted the world. Your different, Anna. Maybe you dont want my help, maybe you dont care about any of this, and just want to protect your own family. But I need your help, and I know you can help me. Ill answer whatever you wanna know in time, thats a promise. I wouldnt be standing here talking to you if it wasnt important." Arc needed to find purpose, because survival wasnt enough for him anymore. Plus, Anna was the closest person to a friend he had, and she wont ever know it.
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Post by NotAvailable on Apr 13, 2012 0:12:23 GMT -5
Anna had listened to Arc's story and through it all she felt a mixture of confusion, the urge to walk away and then a little empathy. Arc was a BOW, an experiment of Umbrella's, made sense...he was UBCS at one point, afterall. Still, it was tough trying to wrap her head around his story but the pleading in his features and the desperation in his voice had weakened her rational thinking.
She'd lowered her weapon to her side and rubbed at the side of her head. "So what do you need to know? I can't guarantee you I know everything....I don't even know how the hell to help you in this BS," she told him.
She suddenly looked back at the house, checking to see whether or not Mike or Jimmy were hanging around within earshot. "Look, as long as my family doesn't get hurt...I'll help you. You saved our lives, it's the least I can do."
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Post by Winters on Apr 15, 2012 19:40:42 GMT -5
The moment the woman lowered her gun, Arc felt a little more relieved. If she did pull the trigger, it wouldve just made things a lot more complicated, but none that she dropped her sights, his deep impulses could be at ease. After she spoke, the super soldier focused on the house not far away, and instinctively replied. "Family always comes first, im glad you havent changed as much as other people over the years. Others, they lose themselves, and their family follows. Your lucky you still have them. No harm will come to them because of me, I assure you..." It wouldve been a little odd, and Anna would probably still be confused about how he knew what he did, but more could and would be explained in time.
...And as for what you can do to help, lets start by going back to the house, just you. Your son, Jimmy, you can explain to him that im fine. Dont want him getting antsy seeing me this soon after what happened earlier with my infection. Ill be around outside, and if I hear or see anything, ill handle it swiftly and quietly." There wasnt a whole lot Anna could do, but it wasnt like Arc was asking for much, just the opportunity to get a little more aquainted with her. Which would lead to something greater in time, but for now, it was just the start of something simple, and if they could stay at "simple" for as long as possible, everything would be easier.
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Post by NotAvailable on Apr 15, 2012 20:49:16 GMT -5
((Mikey's not comin' back sooo we'll just pretend that it's Anna's dad there in his place.))
Anna nodded a little and ran a hand through her hair. All of this was coming at her so fast that she'd began to feel a little sick. It was either that, or random morning sickness sneaking up on her. Either way, she'd gestured for the house and started walking back in, careful to keep her eyes on their silhouettes incase he tried anything.
"Alright but don't expect my son or father to be very welcoming, they're pretty defensive and suspiscious of anyone that should be dead...you know how it is in these times," she told him, half jokingly, half serious. It was true, her dad had just gotten there a little over an hour ago and he was against her going out on her own to kill some guy she barely knew. Not that she was gonna, he still was against it, regardless. Jimmy, possibly didn't remember him and she was pretty sure he was just trying to replace someone he cared about.
Anna wasn't sure of what to make of this entire situation but if he could help get them to that chopper in the next four days, then she was gonna need all the help she could get.
Moving into the living room, the screen door creaked shut. The entire living room was dark, saved for the blur tint creeping through from the shutters. There was a warm glow coming from upstairs, probably were Jimmy and her dad were, setting up candles.
"To begin with..." Anna began, laying her sidearm down on the coffee table. "I don't want to help you and wake up the next day with a gun and some Tricell Agent in my face," she told him.
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Post by Winters on Apr 16, 2012 20:11:24 GMT -5
"Easy enough..." He spoke back in a agreeable tone. It was in her best interest to make herself clear, and it was only fair to leave her out of his own problems. Anna, nor her family, would be in harms way. If Tricell was after him, he would find them first, and take care of it before anybody else was even aware. The truth was, they had sent people to kill him and the group he was with, but it was a long time ago, and Arc long since left any sort of trail for them to follow. With his back against the house, he listened for the voices, to what Anna was saying to her father tonight, if anything.
The outside of the house was very quite, only a light breeze cooling the air around him. Moonlight covered the ground, and the darkest of shadows loomed in every corner of the house. This is where Arc stayed, he felt most comfortable, it was his safety blanket. With a whip of the shotgun, he ejected a single shell into the air, and caught it with one hand, putting it into his pocket. Arc did this four times until the shells were tucked away, and he left the empty gun laying against the house. He didnt need the shotgun, but the shells would come in handy for personal use. Not tonight, of course. His blade was his primary weapon, the pistol still in his pocket in case he needed to take down something at a distance.
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Post by NotAvailable on Apr 16, 2012 23:53:49 GMT -5
"Anna? Who were you talkin' to...?" Jack's voice asked as he descended the staircase. Anna looked up at him and smiled, although she doubted he could see it, considering it was so dark. "Oh, there's another survivor outside, just got back from the lake, he was clearing out the B.O.W.s I had told you about earlier," she lied.
Jack cocked his head a little. "Now, I doubt that. I reckon the survivor out there is the infected man you tol' me about too. You're not considerin' followin' him out to the woods are you, kid? I know I din't raise a fool," he told her, folding his arms.
Anna snorted and waved her hand a little. "No, nothing like that. Also, turns out he's not even infected. I think he's immune," she lied again. Jack turned to walk around his daughter and reached for the screen door, his rifle in his other hand when Anna immediately stood inbetween him and the door.
"Dad, it's fine. Just calm down, this guy might be the only way we're getting the hell out of here. I need all the help I can get, we can't do it alone...you know that," the agent said. Jack sighed and shook his head. "Alright, fine...but I'm keepin' my eye on 'im. I don't want 'im sleepin' in my house," Jack said, firmly.
" 'course, dad. Where's Jimmy anyway? Is he asleep?" she asked, genuinely concerned.
"Yeah, he seems to be taking this pretty well...better than I expected anyway."
"That's good...I'm glad..." Anna said, lowly. She'd glanced out the screen door and grabbed at the handle, pushing it open and moving back through it. When the door creaked shut, she'd moved across the porch to where Arc had been and leaned against the old railing.
"Now that that's settled...where do we start?"
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Post by Winters on Apr 19, 2012 20:18:49 GMT -5
"Well, we could sit out here and talk for the rest of the night, and then into the morning, but its all a little much to take in. There are things in this world that we dont know about. When the dead started walking, it was already a little too much to believe. The monsters, genetic experimentation, BOWs, all of that was just the tip of the iceberg. Theres a fine line between what real and whats supernatural, but if theres anything ive learned over the best portion of this decade, its that the borders are constantly being pushed. Raising the dead was nothing but witchcraft hundreds of years ago, and monsters didnt exist in this year world. We were proven wrong by science, so what you know, or rather what you can explain, is that border."
At first, it didnt seem like Arc had a point to all of this, and maybe Anna wasnt really interested. But the fact of the matter was, there were things in this world that even he wasnt sure of. Himself, for one thing. He knows whats going on, but he still doesnt know the why of it. People out there do know, because he didnt wake up like this. "Im not human. I call myself a BOW because its how I was designed to be. Years before all of this, I worked for Umbrella. I knew about all of this before it happened, I just didnt know things were going to get this out of control. I was used in an experiment for years, thats all I know. The role of the UBCS was to "test" the little creations of Umbrella. The USS was there to document it. I served a greater purpose. But I escaped it."
The rest, Arc was blank to. His memory had been erased of it, lack of a certain chemical balance and his brain was friend. His past was clear, and the last several years were more than clear, but the in between parts were dark to him. "I can overpower any human in strength, agility, speed, stamina. I can hear things across long distances, sense things even miles away. Seems every day I get stronger, but it comes with a price. Theres something inside me, I can feel it. A virus, my blood is infected. When more of those T cells got in my blood, it created a large imbalance. I need regular human cells to counter it, otherwise the virus would just take over, and I would lose function."
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Post by NotAvailable on Apr 19, 2012 21:01:03 GMT -5
Anna listened to Arc's story and slowly began to unfold her arms, until they'd inevitably dropped to her sides. It was alot to take in, Arc wasn't human anymore. He was subjected to being Umbrella's little guinea pig, she wasn't sure if he consented to it or not, but he was still just their play-thing. She'd clenched her fists a little and rolled her head around a little, trying to ease the tenseness in her neck and shoulders.
"So even when you were in the UBCS, you were already infected? Or was this after you saved my son and me?" she asked. It would be a little unsettling to find out years after the events in Raccoon City, that she and Jimmy were running around with a BOW at some point.
She'd shaken her head a little.
"You're not a BOW, you're a person with a name, thoughts, a backstory and a life. So, yeah, just putting that out there."
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Post by Winters on Apr 24, 2012 12:35:08 GMT -5
This outcome was a lot better than her expected, and Arc knew for sure that clearing the air with all of the truth was the only thing that could set things right for both him and where he stood. Part of him wanted to keep it inside, to protect the people around him, but he knew that putting himself next to others meant that he needed to be completely open. "Glad you think so..." The last comment from her reassured him that things werent as bad as he thought, and just that made him stronger, and the virus easier to control. But now a bigger truth needed to come out, one that he wasnt entirely sure about, no matter how unsettling it would be for anybody involved with any of the UBCS members at the time.
"A large percentage of the UBCS had been just tests. Umbrella planned for us to help protect, but even im not entirely sure where the turning point was. I had been in USS, my loyalty to the company was top priority. Viral testing happened on the majority of us, but it was only short term effects, for battle testing purposes. When I was released into UBCS during the Raccoon City Incident, I was working with a partner. We knew Umbrella was going to let us go, but he tried to hold on as long as possible before we realized we were expendable from the start. During a rescue operation, I was taken out by a large BOW, and I guess come to think of it, is the last thing I remember. When I woke up, I was somewhere in the East, and then back West, the entire thing was a blur. I find it difficult to remember anything anymore. The memories trigger whenever I see people, and I know that I met them before, or places of been seem even more familliar then they should."
He didnt want to dwell on the virus anymore, and constant tried to remember. It was another goal of his that if he could find people with certain information that maybe they would know something he would remember. Arc was thankful to come across Anna, because he believed that she was the key to his memory. There was something about her, and it wasnt just the short time the spent in Raccoon City. There was something more that kept him desperately trying to earn her trust, but he just couldnt remember. He didnt want to keep anything from her, but this needed to stay hidden, until he figured out everything. Dragging Anna into something worse wouldnt make things better for either of them, and he just wanted it to be simple for the time being.
Looking at the sky, Arc could tell it was already running early into the morning, and knew that Anna, and her father, needed to get at least a little sleep before tomorrow. He wasnt sure if they needed any supplies, but if a run into town was needed, he could get anything for her overnight, and be back well before the sun came up. "You should get back to the house. Im gonna make things as easy as I can. If you need anything from town, dont hesitate to ask. I dont mind being errand boy, gives me something to do..." That was one hundred percent true, but on top of that, he needed something for himself. So either way, a run into town was going to happen.
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