The X-men run missions and work together with the NYPD, striving to maintain a peaceful balance between humans and mutants. When it comes to a fight, they won't back down from protecting those who need their help.
Haven presents itself as a humanitarian organization for activists, leaders, and high society, yet mutants are the secret leaders working to protect and serve their kind. Behind the scenes they bring their goals into reality.
From the time when mutants became known to the world, SUPER was founded as a black-ops division of the CIA in an attempt to classify, observe, and learn more about this new and rising threat.
The Syndicate works to help bring mutantkind to the forefront of the world. They work from the shadows, a beacon of hope for mutants, but a bane to mankind. With their guiding hand, humanity will finally find extinction.
Since the existence of mutants was first revealed in the nineties, the world has become a changed place. Whether they're genetic misfits or the next stage in humanity's evolution, there's no denying their growing numbers, especially in hubs like New York City. The NYPD has a division devoted to mutant related crimes. Super-powered vigilantes help to maintain the peace. Those who style themselves as Homo Superior work to tear society apart for rebuilding in their own image.
MRO is an intermediate to advanced writing level original character, original plot X-Men RPG. We've been open and active since October of 2005. You can play as a mutant, human, or Adapted— one of the rare humans who nullify mutant powers by their very existence. Goodies, baddies, and neutrals are all welcome.
Short Term Plots:Are They Coming for You?
There have been whispers on the streets lately of a boogeyman... mutant and humans, young and old, all have been targets of trafficking.
The Fountain of Youth
A chemical serum has been released that's shaving a few years off of the population. In some cases, found to be temporary, and in others...?
MRO MOVES WITH CURRENT TIME: What month and year it is now in real life, it's the same for MRO, too.
Fuegogrande: "Fuegogrande" player of The Ranger, Ion, Rhia, and Null
Neopolitan: "Aly" player of Rebecca Grey, Stephanie Graves, Marisol Cervantes, Vanessa Bookman, Chrysanthemum Van Hart, Sabine Sang, Eupraxia
Ongoing Plots
Magic and Mystics
After the events of the 2020 Harvest Moon and the following Winter Solstice, magic has started manifesting in the MROvere! With the efforts of the Welldrinker Cult, people are being converted into Mystics, a species of people genetically disposed to be great conduits for magical energy.
The Pharoah Dynasty
An ancient sorceress is on a quest to bring her long-lost warrior-king to the modern era in a bid for global domination. Can the heroes of the modern world stop her before all is lost?
Are They Coming for You?
There have been whispers on the streets lately of a boogeyman... mutant and humans, young and old, all have been targets of trafficking.
Adapteds
What if the human race began to adapt to the mutant threat? What if the human race changed ever so subtly... without the x-gene.
Atlanteans
The lost city of Atlantis has been found! Refugees from this undersea mutant dystopia have started to filter in to New York as citizens and businessfolk. You may make one as a player character of run into one on the street.
Got a plot in mind?
MRO plots are player-created the Mods facilitate and organize the big ones, but we get the ideas from you. Do you have a plot in mind, and want to know whether it needs Mod approval? Check out our plot guidelines.
The sun was out, the sky was clear and blue. One distracted Greek was thrilled to feel warmth on her cheeks, fresh air in her lungs, and a soft breeze rolling gently past. She'd spent too long cooped up on her own. Even being out amongst strangers was satisfying. Breathing out a soft sigh, she glanced down at the little watch on her wrist. She was still getting used to her new job... it was drastically different from what she had been doing at the flower shop. She had paperwork to organize, calls to handle, and she needed to greet people in a friendly, direct manner.
...It was a little off setting, in all honesty. Andrea had never been in charge of anything her entire life. Sure, with Alisa she had been left the task of arranging flowers for specific orders, but that had been nothing like having to take down details about meetings and other equally important things. She had been completely overwhelmed the first few days, even if her shift had been short and she hadn't had a lot to do. But... she had vowed to do her best. Lori had given her a chance and she would rather get carted off by the law and deported, than let such a lovely woman down.
Thankfully though, she was off work and headed home. The heels she had been tossed into in order to fit the image of a prim and proper receptionist were a pain to walk in, and the skirt she had squeezed herself into made it rather difficult to get anywhere fast.. but she was getting there. The 'uniform' had grown on her really, in a strange and silly way. Everything save for the low cut tops that plunged just a little too deeply for her taste, she was growing used to day by day. She had learned a trick for such a shirt, however, from Alisa herself. A soft, sheer scarf tied around the neck loosely, in an adorable little bow, completely covered any area's she wished to keep away from leering eyes while remaining tasteful and job friendly. She had also found comfort in weaving her hair back in a lengthy braid down her back. The snakes, usually woven within, had wiggled their way out only an hour past, and were busy flicking tongues this way and that while they eyed scenery around them.
Smoothing the ruffles of her white blouse down, and then tugging at her pin skirt for the billionth time, the Greek clip clopped her way toward a small, decorative brick square between a few little family owned shops and a rather large hotel. It was a regular shortcut for her when she decided to walk to a bus stop further away from her work, that was tucked away from the busy main roads. It as relaxing, and a hot spot for people who liked to sit and sip coffee while reading papers in the lazy afternoon. Aside from the laid back attitude, the Greek enjoyed walking back the cherry blossom trees that wound their way in scattered beds around the expanse of brick walkway and benches.
A few months had passed... Luck had smiled upon them, as they had been stumbled upon by a rather large group of people. They had been mistrustful at first, because of her mutation, but after she had shared her story with them they had welcomed her into their merry band of survivors. Andrea had been worried, no... terrified at first. She expected any of them to turn on her at any moment, or demand something from her that she could not give. But... slowly, she saw them for what they really were. They were good people. They stuck up for one another, watched each others backs, and never asked something from someone that was more than they could handle. There were even other kids with the group. Family's either whole, or torn apart... but Charlie had kids his own age to play with for the first time in nearly a near.
Andrea settled in with them. She offered up what she could, and used no more than she absolutely needed. She was rewarded with kindness and friendship. Every night she went to bed next to Charlie with a full stomach, and was blessed with dreamless sleep.
But... not everything had been so perfect. There were people in the group, a small number of them, who didn't like the way things were run. They felt that only those who contributed should share the rations. That point of view left the sick, elderly, and young to starve. One individual, source of the discourse, had even voiced her thoughts on the groups handful of mutants. She was of the mind that they were monsters, freaks of nature who had caused the devastation in the first place. She wanted to cast off any with mutations, and any who associated themselves with such abominations.
Andrea had kept her head down and mostly ignored the woman's depraved ravings. There weren't enough people on her side to start worrying about an uprising anyway. But, when Charlie admitted to her one night that some of the other boys had been pulled aside by the woman and a few of her goons and that those same boys had refused to play with him after because of his “Mutant caretaker”, Andrea's fraying nerves finally snapped. She had never wished so much harm upon one person before in all her life. An anger filled her as she hugged Charlie to her, like a blossom of pure rage blooming inside her chest. The desire to hunt that woman down and end her hateful existence in the most painful, savage way possible sprang to life like an invisible parasite, and was attached to her for weeks.
Every time she spotted the woman, her blood boiled. She saw red like a mama bear on a rampage, and often had to remove herself from the area before she lost control of herself. No one messed with Charlie like that. No one messed with her Son.
A month after the incident and things had finally calmed down a little. The leader of the group, Joseph- an ex-solider who had years of experience leading large groups of people through dangerous situations, had threatened to exile the trouble makers from the party. That day, when everyone had gathered together in their small square under a highway bridge, Andrea had watched the whole proceeding. Edna, as she was called, had been beet red in the face with anger. The Greek hadn't been able to keep a sick, satisfied little smile from her lips while watching the woman being verbally put in her place.
...The peace didn't last, however. Not a week later, and a small uprising from Edna's warriors sprang to life. Three people were injured in the scuffle, until Joseph had been forced to fire a warning shot into the air. Edna and her lackeys were exiled right then and there, cast out of the group like the trash they were. A warning was issued as they departed that if they ever came back, he wouldn't be aiming for the sky when he unloaded the clip of his gun.
A tense calm settled over them in the following weeks. The group moved twice, once to make sure the cast offs wouldn't be able to find them again, and another time to relocate somewhere not quite so close to neighboring settlement. It was bad enough having to deal with the odd scavenger's who would wander in and beg for food, often resorting to violence when they were turned down. Andrea wasn't even aware that the usual pang of sympathy from her bleeding heart was absent in such cases. She had tuned the rest of the world out, and focused her attention and energy on the one person who needed her still. The one person who still got her to giggle and laugh, or shed a few tears when he fell asleep in her lap.
Charlie. He was her world now. Everything she did revolved around him. She didn't sleep, eat, or breathe unless it somehow benefited that child. Even now, as she was elbow deep in grime and dirty water, she was thinking of him. Of how the dishes and supplies she was busy cleaning would ensure that he had a full meal, and warm place to sleep. She found comfort in that. He needed her just as much as she needed him, and as long as he lived and breathed she would have a purpose. A reason to continue on, and hope for a better future.
Such a manner of living, though, had consequences of it's own. She had ceased to care about herself. She could skip a few meals here and there, giving the boy an extra big dinner as a present on random days. She worked her fingers to the bone, cleaning, repairing clothing, scouring with the rest of the search party for supplies. She had gained bulk, muscles that hadn't been touched in all her life were suddenly on their way to being toned. She was able to out run many of the others. She could lift just as much as most of the men, and she could swing an axe to chop wood like the best of them. She'd even taken to hunting, lurking in the dead of night for stray animals who ventured too close to the camp. Many of the group's members were a little put off by her. She had heard whispers behind her back about 'losing her mind' or 'fallen off the deep end'. She'd responded with a sharp tongue and such an anger in her words that the men and women had backed off at once. Gradually, as time crawled by she distanced herself from the others. She wasn't here to chat and gossip. She wasn't present to boast about who slept with who, or how so-n-so had gotten the rot between his toes for not taking his boots off at night. She had one purpose, one goal... and none of the others mattered in her eyes. They were more tools to be used, people to guard the walls and supply the food.
Soon, the whispered has turned into fearful glances. Some of the other mothers had even restricted their children from playing with her's. That set in motion an argument that had spiraled into a fist fight. Joseph had been forced to step in and pry Andrea off of one of the other women before permanent damage was done. It ended with her losing her rations for three days, but she had walked away with a satisfied fire in her belly, and the woman's blood decorating her fists.
The flesh of her palm connected solidly with his chest. She was merciful still, as she had aimed for the heart. Specialized glands buried under the skin of her hands were already working to pump out deadly venom. The moment she touched him, even through his tattered clothes, it set to work. She could feel the fabric change under the pads of her fingers. From dirty and soft, to rough and scratchy. In seconds it was sinking into his flesh, carving a vicious path through skin. Nothing was spared.
But then, a voice. Something deep inside twisted, and she jerked herself away as a scarred hand touched her cheek gently. She hadn't even noticed it, so intent had she been on putting an end to his misery. The rage vanished, dissipating in an instant. Her skin tingled and buzzed like electricity were coursing through it and from somewhere within the darkness that consumed her mind, she heard that voice again. It spoke of love... Love for her. Images suddenly accosted her, things she hadn't bothered to think of in nearly a year.
No.. no! The ghosts of the past were long dead and buried. No one had survived.. no one had come looking for her. He was dead! ...And yet, as she fought to control suddenly rapid breathing and looked down at the man before her, a terrible truth reared it's ugly head. Who was this man? Pieces of the puzzle snapped into place. The voice... She had heard it for months in her dreams. Rumbles of laughter that shook her to the core and left her sobbing when she awoke to find it was only a lie.... A memory come to jab a sour finger into her wounds.
The touch.... A ghostly feeling. No, not a feeling at all. The absence of the sense. She could recall so suddenly and clearly all of the times she had held that hand of his. It had felt like nothing at all..
"...S-saph...?" It was near painful how her voice wavered and jumped.
Her eyes darted to the wound she had planted on him. She had missed the heart slightly... her perfect hand print had wandered too far to the right, but...
But he wasn't moving. Oh, god... He wasn't moving! The Gorgon dropped to her knees, trembling violently, and hunched over him. Her hands reached out, intent on feeling for a pulse or breath... anything that signaled he might still live. But she paused.. and withdrew them. She could not touch him... not without gloves. The blood drained from her face as she sat there, unable to move, or breath, or even think.... if he wasn't already dead, he was surely dying before her.
Then, a scream tore its way out of her throat that was so shrill and forceful it didn't even sound human. There were no tears... she hadn't cried in months, but god did she wail. Saphirus... Saphirus... Saphirus... She had killed him. She had killed him with her bare hands! The only person she had ever loved... the man she had dreamed of, prayed for, and begged to come find her... she had struck him down the moment he had appeared. The words he had spoken danced around her head, mocking her mercilessly as she fixed her eyes on his face.
...What was left of his face.
”It's okay...” With his dying breath he had tried to reassure her. Everything would be okay.
But you killed him.
That scarred face suddenly shifted, changing right before her eyes. The body shrank, and before her lay Charlie. The tears came then, blurring her vision and distorting the picture. Was she seeing things?... Had she finally lost her mind? ..No... no. She was being punished. She had failed... Failed with her life, failed in her faith, failed to save a child from being slaughtered. And now... now she had failed Saph. Panic gripped her chest. It was suddenly hard to breath... her eyes darted left and right, no longer seeing Saphirus at all, and she crawled back to her feet.
He was dead.. She had killed him. There was nothing left now... no hope, no future. She was truly alone.
The sounds of voices reached her ears. Somewhere, someone was approaching. She blinked, her self induced stupor lifting, and stared down at her hands. Somewhere in between dropping to her knees and them crawling to her feet again she had lost her weapon. When she dropped her eyes to look for it, they landed on the body. Saph's body...
No. Not Saph anymore. Saph was dead.. long gone. The body was just another slab of meat to feed scavengers. Her features relaxed, slipping back into a placid mask. She was gone before the small group of foragers stumbled upon Saph's unconscious form.
Someone was coming at her. Large. Male... She was unable to spot any facial features. That didn't matter, though. She didn't care what he looked like. A flare of fire erupted within her chest. A burning, flickering rage that licked at her heart. She was still mourning. Still grieving for the child she had lost.. She would take it out on him, as she had done to many before him.
Lips pulled back in a feral snarl, teeth bared and yellowed in the glaring sun. Unkempt raven hair hung all around her. Serpents wriggled within, beady orange eyes locked on the approaching figure. They hungered.
The Greek stood still, a statue within the dust that billowed past. The swathes of mismatched fabric that she had bathed herself in did nothing to disguise her from the shoulders up. Dark, unknown stains littered the clothing. Each had it's own grim story. She watched the male approach, orange eyes half lidded and shaded by dusty lashes. The grime and dirt smeared over her cheeks did nothing to hide the wild look in her eyes. The fury.
She waited. She watched.
Hidden behind her, held flush against her side, she clutched a lengthy kitchen knife. Though the blade had not seen as much blood as one would surely think, it had scared off more than a few fools. This man, however, would receive no such mercy. The grief had won over her today. Flooded through every vein, muscle, and bone until she was filled to the brim with rage.
And underneath, buried deep within her core, the cold emptiness of devastation brewed away. It was people like him, this wild man charging head long toward her, that had stolen away the life of someone precious. Animals. Monsters. Beasts such as he, were the reason she could not sleep at night. They were vermin and she had taken it upon herself to exterminate as many as she could.
Someone needed to avenge his death.
When the man was in range, she lifted her arm and shot forward. Every muscle in her body had been tense and waiting like a snake coiled and ready for the strike. All she needed him to do was step into her range so she could raise her eyes-- no, she did not even need those-- and lash out at him with one un-gloved hand.
"Ashton.." She played with the name for a moment, while giggling at the boys antics. The Greek accepted the candy back, sucking on it while she contemplated her new friend, among other things. She was still frightened by her current situation... the unfamiliar territory, the strange new people. But, as she looked around the inside of the building she now occupied, she realized that she felt... Ok. There was a feeling of safety that accompanied being inside once more, protected by walls on all sides. Even if she was surrounded by strangers, she at least felt a little more grounded.
Being out in the openness of the city had left her feeling dwarfed, like she could float off into the big old sky at any moment... and terrified by the many cars, buses, and people that packed the streets. Andrea turned to glanced questioningly at her new companion and lollipop plunderer. He was the second person she had met here who had been kind and friendly toward her. Everyone else had been so... so busy.
A flush of brown crept onto her cheeks, and the Greek wiggled in uncertainty. Vicente had vanished before she had a chance to even think of asking him the question that had suddenly come to life in her mind, one that had plagued her most of her childhood. "..Um.. Ashton?" Her voice came out as a squeak, until she corrected it forcefully and tried again. "Ashton..? Are we.. friends now?"
She tried not to spear him with a desperate stare, but couldn't manage to hide all of it behind a ruse of being suddenly very interested in her sucker. Which, after a moment, she help back out for him to take.
She had to admit, his words surely did calm her flare of nerves. If someone such as he was sure that they would be welcomed, then she was not going to trample on his good grace any further. The Greek simply nodded and smiled, allowing herself to be led along. The place was nice... nicer than any she had been it as of yet, and the table they were sat at didn't fail to meet her expectations. She did kind of wonder why the man who had seated them winked at her new friend, but decided not to question. The last time she had asked about that sort of thing around Alli, she had ended up hearing more than she intended.
Instead, she pinned a delighted smile on her lips and glanced at the menu that had been handed to her. Many of the items were things she had never bothered to try. She eyeballed the prices silently while trying to remember how much money she had brought with her on this venture. Never the less, she ordered from it all the same. Some kind of chicken entree, Glazed in wine or some other such nonsense. While eating at fancy places was nice every now and then, she didn't much care for how her meal had been cooked, so much as how it ended up tasting in the end.
"I should really show you a place I have been to before as well. It's very nice, but pretty far from here... They have a wall you see, where they take pictures of all their mutant customers. I am on there twice." She grinned, exposing her lengthy teeth without meaning too, and help up two fingers in a child like manner. "It is not nearly as fancy as this place though..." Blinking, her cheeks heated again. Perhaps she was talking too much... Especially about other places she had been too, when he had been kind enough to show her around. "Um... do you come here often, Venus?"
With her order in, and his as well, they were back to waiting. It surprised her though when the soda she had requested appeared before her with two straws in it. She chose not at ask again, seeing as some women liked to sip coffee through lots of itty-bitty straws. Perhaps she had mistaken as one of them. The dimmed lights above forced her to squint slightly through her glasses, but the flickering candle set in the middle of the table helped her to even out the issue.
"This... is a very romantic setting, isn't it? I wonder if many couples come here." She more mused the thought to herself, while tucking her napkin over her lap.
Okay... so... thought I should prolly throw one'a these up. I'm taking care of my brothers kid all week.. and probably the week after that, and so on and so on. I'm not leaving, as I still have some time every now and then, but between trying to keep him from eating random things in the house and lobbing toys through windows, it's getting hard to sit down and concentrate long enough to get a decent post out.
So! I shall still be around, but I will be posting at a much, much, much slower rate. Hopefully this won't hinder anyone too much!
“Andrea, why don't you put your glasses back on and come out of the rain?”
The Greek froze, knees curled into her chest, and stopped breathing. Fear spiked, digging in icy claws. It was like the moment before a car crash, when you see it heading for you. There is nothing you can do save wait, and hold your breath. To Andrea at this moment in time, there might as well have been a monster lurking around out in the darkness, calling her name as sweetly as it could.
... but, no... no. She couldn't think like that. This was Martin, not some monster. This was the gardener, the friend who had found her and dragged to his home. He was kind... thoughtful... He could never, ever, do something so horrible. It had to be a misunderstanding on her end.
... it just had too.
Maybe... Maybe all she needed to do was sit down and chat with him. Yes... Surely he would explain, and in a different environment everything would be clearer. The red on his clothes... the strange white shape in the water. It was obviously not what she though it to be. Martin would tell her that. The Gorgon sniffled, dropping a gloved hand from her eyes, and glanced out to where the light from distant street lamps barely illuminated the scenery. She could see his shape... just barely, without her glasses on. Andrea pushed herself up slowly, shaking despite herself, and unable to stop the steady flow of tears.
Things lurking at the back of her mind were still screaming at her. Telling her to ignore her manners, to ignore the want for answers, and just run. The element of danger, the taste of it on the air, was driving sloth into a near fit. She settled her free hand on the great snakes body, her other still gripping her sunglasses, and took a tentative step out toward him
...Even if she wanted to trust him, if she truly wanted everything to be one giant misunderstanding, past experiences drove her to keep the glasses off. She had learned a lesson the hard way, the very same lesson that had taken the rest of her snakes from her, about ignoring her power...
"...M-martin..? I...I.. am sorry. I do not know what came over me..." Her voice stretched out, softer than she wanted and wavering. "..I have not been myself lately..." A sniffle ended her explaination, as a new wave of tears began to flow. She kept her eyes pinned on the ground, staring wide eyed at the hint of his shadow, and waited for him to answer her as she continued out of her hiding spot step by cautious step.
They were awakened rudely. Things went from calm, to terrifying in an instant.
BAM BAM BAMBAM
"Charlie, now!"
People were trying to break into the apartment. Her back pack was quickly slung over her shoulder. It held only a bottle of water, and a handful of food that she had packed in.
....it would have to do.
BAMBAM BAM!
One of the windows in the living room was already open when she stepped out of the kitchen. Charlie was waiting, tears in his eyes. He was just as frightened she was, if not more so. She glanced toward the front door, which was starting to break around the edges of the lock. Whoever was on the other side, they were determined to get in.
... and succeeding.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
They needed to flee. It was a sad decision... the small apartment had become home for them over a number of weeks. They were leaving behind every small thing they had managed to scavenge.
The door shuddered, wood splintered as the lock broke free from the frame, and a gap opened up. Andrea watched as an arm reached in and struggled with the chain still holding the thing shut. The only thing keeping whoever it was out of the apartment was a heavy bookcase and a thin lifeline of metal. They didn't have much time! Forcing herself to move, she bolted across the room. By the time the door broke in and the bookcase was shoved forcefully out of the way, she had Charlie out the window and onto what was left of the fire escape outside. It was broken in quite a few places, twisted in others from the parts of the building that hadn't held... but it would at least get them out of the line of danger.
"There! That's her, like I told you!"
The male voice that popped up behind her as she slung a leg out after the boy was nearly lost on her. The Greek was more concerned with getting to safety, than she was with finding out who the intruders were. Charlie was already clomping downward one metal step at a time. Andrea was halfway out the window, heart pounding away against her rib cage... when someone latched onto her arm. Suddenly she was in a tug of war with one of the males, who was attempting to drag her back into the apartment.
"Don't let her escape!"
"Andwea!" Charlie spotted her, at the bottom of the first set of stairs. His shrill, terrified voice set her nerves alight. She was having a hard time remaining outside, as they slowly started to pull her in...
Another set of hands latched onto her backpack, and she clung to the outside of the window. "Keep going!" She shouted down at the boy. He was most important, even if she didn't make it. Two against one was hardly fair, but she wasn't willing to give up just yet. As the brief struggle went on, she caught a glance over her shoulder at the strangers. Ira took that moment to lash out at the male holding her arm. Half inch long teeth sank into tender flesh, and with a yelp she was released.
The wound left behind hardened instantly. There was no blood, no mess. Just a new stone patch under the skin.The other set of hands refused to let go of the backpack, and in a wiggle of desperation, she chose to let go of it. The moment the pack left her shoulders, she was out the window and taking the steps two at a time down to meet Charlie.
The both of them continued on down the rickety escape, metal creaking in a threatening manner under the added body weight. She picked Charlie up on her way past, letting him latch on and bury his face in her shoulder, before she hurried onward. The men in the apartment didn't follow... there was too much to scavenge, abandoning it to go after a scared mutant and a child would be crazy.
As she came to the last remaining strip of stairs attached to the side of the building, she noticed that the bottom portion was missing. A six foot drop awaited her... but she had to take it. The Greek tightened her grip on Charlie, lowered herself down, and slid off the lip of the stairs as carefully as she could. When she landed and fell over, she made sure to angle her body to keep the boy on top.
As quick as she could, she was back up on her feet. The little pains were hard to ignore, but she managed as she took off down an alley.
The faces she had spotted while fleeing the apartment stuck with her as she ran. She knew them well. The father and three sons... somehow, they had tracked her down.
She had made a mistake in heading straight home after her encounter with them. They had realized that someone with supplies was hunkered down somewhere in the area, and they had searched until they found her. It was a hard lesson to learn, considering that the consequences were so great.
...but she would never make that mistake ever again.
She gasped. Her lungs were starting to hurt... she didn't know how much longer she could keep on running. "STOP! PLEASE!"
The woman up ahead of her had gotten quite a good distance on her, and it seemed like every time she turned a corner the lady was farther away. Really, she wanted to ask the woman for help. She didn't want to have to chase the woman down like some kind of...of... animal... but she really had no choice. That woman had food. She had food, and god only knew if she had water too.
She couldn't afford to stop... She just couldn't. Charlie was waiting for her. He needed her. She needed him...
She had to bring food home for him, no matter what!
A renewed determination to out run the woman and force her to stop and listen over took her, and the Greek sped up her pace. Even though her thighs were burning, her feet were sore and bloody from haphazardly tromping through sharp broken concrete, and her lungs felt like they were on fire... she kept going. The woman needed to listen! She needed to stop, and help her! It was selfish of one person to hoard that much food to themselves, and damnit, if she didn't choose to share, Andrea was going to take away the option.
Anger bubbled to the surface under desperation. She could hear Charlie in her head, asking her why she wasn't eating with him anymore. Her lips flattened against her teeth, sweat dripped down her cheeks, soggy hair clung to her forehead. She could not lose this... This chance was life and death for herslef and a child. She could not lose this! The anger doubled. This woman wasn't even giving her a chance... it was clear that she was intent on keeping her greedy paws on the entire back, come hell or high water.
Well... Andrea would be bringing her hell soon enough. Squinting against the pain, she pushed herself with what was left of her energy. The heavier woman didn't have the same trump card, and as swiftly as she could, the Gorgon caught up with her. The twenty four year old slammed into the woman from behind. With a startled cry and a grunt, the both of them toppled over. The fall was cushioned for the Greek, since she landed on top of the struggling form of the lady, who in turn took the full force of two people slamming into pavement all on her own.
"Just... stop and...listen to.. ME!" Just because the woman was older however, did not maker her physically weaker. The bag full of goodies landed and flopped off to the side, while a pudgy fist was kindly planted into the side of the Gorgon's head. It hurt, but didn't stop her from climbing atop the woman in an attempt to hold her down. Another flail of fists, and Andrea felt one connect rather solidly with the bridge of her nose. Her eyes squeezed shut instinctively, and her glasses were swatted from her face. She struggled to end the rain of loosely thrown shots at her head, before something inside her snapped and she started tossing her own punches and slaps back. The two of them exchanged rather pitifully placed blows, before Andrea managed to capture one of the woman's wrists. It was then, while she felt like she had the upper hand, that she opened her eyes again and glares furiously down at the human woman.
...The last thing she saw before the lady conked out was a set of fiery orange eyes locked on hers, masked within a black curtain of hair, with a large angry white snake hissing directly in her face. It was something she was sure to never forget... but that was also not important at the moment.
The woman would be out for at least a few minutes...maybe even longer. Andrea couldn't pass up the chance to drag home all of the food in her bag to Charlie.
She panted, pushing the woman's arms away from her, and let herself flop off to the side. She was exhausted... the sprinting and then the wrestling match... it had taken all of the wind out of her. Without a word, she reached to re-claim her glasses, and then crawled on all fours toward her reward. The pain from the various injuries she had received all washed away when she got to the bag and pried it open. It was full of food. FULL! Enough to at least last them another month with proper rationing. She even found a few water bottles tucked away at the very bottom.
Happy tears pricked her eyes, and she sniffled, quietly securing the bag closed again. It... it was a blessing. A godsend... But, a glance over her shoulder brought the woman back into view. It was a gift alright, but it wasn't without its consequences... Andrea pushed herself to her feel, knees wobbling momentarily, and slung the bag over her shoulder. She now owned to backpacks... one significantly larger than the other, and filled to the brim with life sustaining food. The price to pay for this gift was the suffering of another.
The woman...
She would surely have a hard time finding food again, harder than Andrea had. But the need was too great. Charlie came first in her mind. Far above the rank of one old woman. She would suffer with the guilt of her actions later, after both her, and Charlies bellies were full.
The Greek started the long path home, for once not able to care that she was leaving a woman alone and unable to defend herself for an undetermined amount of time.
Food was becoming harder to find. Only a week has passed, but it seemed that every conceivable place to find a meal had already been scavenged. Every day, her search bubble was getting wider. She needed to travel farther and farther away from Charlie... and she wasn't liking it. Traveling an hour out of the way to try and locate supplies meant Charlie was left alone for longer and longer periods of time.
Something was going to have to change soon, or they would surely starve to death...
Another thing that had changed recently, was the presence of other survivors. She wasn't sure what had happened, whether people had died or simply moved on because of the lack of resources, she did not know. All she knew was that the normal groups of stragglers she usually saw were absent. It was slightly... concerning, in a way.
Whatever the case though, she had a mission at hand that she very much needed to complete. The rations of bread and meat at the house were beginning to run low, and spoil for that matter. She needed to re-stock, as well as find fresh water. She currently found herself picking through the rubble of what had once been a grocery store. Most of what was left on the shelves were chemical products. Laundry detergents and house hold cleaners. Things that people hardly needed after the end of the world.
...and... she was beginning to wonder if it was really the end. She hadn't heard nor seen a peep from police officers, firemen, or soldiers. It was as if everyone had vanished besides the other unfortunate (dangerous) souls stuck with her. Sometimes, she found herself believing that it really had been the rapture.The boom, the wide spread death toll. There were so many signs... Charlie, bless his heart, had even asked her about it. In a meek, timid way, he had questioned her on what the apocalypse was.
She honestly hand't known what to tell him. Someone his age? Just a child who could barely even sound out his r's, and he was supposed to understand something as complicated as the Rapture? She'd dodged the question as gracefully as she could, telling him that one day, when he was a little older, she'd let him know. ...it hadn't hurt that she'd still had a piece of candy to bribe him with, either. Unfortunately, there was no such tactic available to keep the thoughts from her mind.
If it was the end... why had she been left behind...?
Was... was she really that sinful? Was it because she had lost touch with her faith, and if so... would she be able to correct the mistake? What about Charlie if that was the case... he was just a child. Innocent as they day he was born, and yet he prayed every night. Why had he been left behind as well...?
Shaking the thoughts from her mind, she pressed onward. There was still a good amount of store left to cover. Much of the roof had caved in, and though nearly everything was covered in dust and grime, it held promise. She wandered down half of an aisle, most of which had been ruined by the elements and water damage from long since dried leaky pipes. She found a few packages of rubber dish washing gloves, which... honestly were needed. Her own latex gloves were wearing through on the joints and fingertips. She had become fearful of holding Charlies hand more than she liked, because of the damned old things.
Slipping new ones on, however silly the were with pink and blue daisies, would make her feel a lot better.
As she was stuffing a handful of packages into her backpack, she heard a noise.
Rustling.... The sounds of something, or someone, moving around quickly. With an empty stomach, the jolt of fear that accompanied such a sound nearly landed her on her rump. A sudden dizziness hit her full force, and it took her a few seconds to full collect herself. When she was able to move again, she hunched over and quietly slipped along the side of the aisle. The sounds were coming from deeper within the store. She paused at the opening of her aisle to consider whether it was worth investigating, before she remembered exactly how much food she had left at home with Charlie. It was enough to get at least him through two more days...
She was desperate, she needed to find out who or what it was. Silently, on dirty bare feet, the Greek made her way toward the sounds. From across the dark inside of the store, she could see the opening at the other side. It wasn't the one she had entered herself, but it sure explained how someone else had gotten in around her. When she finally reached the sounds, being as careful as she could not to make a sound, what she found shocked her.
A woman, bent over an open army bag, was reaching into a hole in the floor and withdrawing handful after handful of prepackaged goods. It had been weeks since she had seen twinkies, and poptarts... The backpack she had was nearly filled to the brim with unhealthy junkfood, but it honestly didn't matter to Andrea. Food was food. She was rooted to the spot as the woman continued digging, until finally her stomach growled softly, and she woke from her stupor. This lady had a lot, and she was hoping that she would be convinced to share it. Perhaps if she explained that there was a child she was taking care of, she would understand...?
One green foot stepped into view, long toes pushing rocked out of her path as it landed. The woman noticed her shape step from the shadows from the corner of her eye, her head whipped up and wild green eyes landed on her. Messy hair that was graying in streaks bounded around her oval face. She looked like at one point in her life, she would have been nice to know. Kindly, even. Now however, she looked like a startled rabbit. Andrea froze on the spot, three or four arms lengths away from her, and the woman stopped shoveling things into her bag. "...Um--"
The word was barely out of her mouth, but the sound of it was all the woman needed apparently. She bolted to her feet faster than a woman her size should have been able to, snatched up her bag of goodies, and took off toward the exit. Andrea started, then bolted toward the hole she had been digging through. It was nearly empty. Still, she stooped to snatch up the few small packages of things left and stuffed them into her back pack, before looking up toward where the woman had run off too...
It had been two weeks. Two weeks with Charlie at her side.... He had become her rock. The thing that grounded her to the world, and kept her going. The child filled an empty part of her... the part that had once occupied her friends, and Saphirus.
...She still had not given up hope, though.
Presently, she had more important things to think about than that. Like... food. Food was needed, as was water, and some other crucial supplies. She had taken to leaving Charlie locked in the apartment while she went out to look for things. Most of the time, she didn't have to go that far, anyway. The building she was in had a few mostly intact floors, and there was a shop across the street that at one point had been a bakery.
The majority of the problems she encountered centered around other people. Small and large groups, or simple stragglers running around. She had nearly need caught three times, and had taken to darting around in shadows in a rather paranoid fashion. At the current moment in time, she was hunkered down behind an abandoned car. She had already pulled as much out of it as she could manage.. from seat belts to use as needed, or from the meager first air supplies she had found buried in a trunk full of trash. Across the wide street from her, was a small group of people.
All of them were male. Varying in age as she could see, from a young teen to early fifties... maybe. She wondered if it was a family unit, one that had possibly managed to stay together. One father figure, and three younger sons? Whatever the case, they were busy carefully pulling out the last few glasses of a busted in store window. The four of them looked... haggard, she could say. Worn down, tired. She wondered if they had been through anything similar to what she had, or maybe even worse...
She felt guilt wash over her, at all of the things she had stashed in her backpack. At least a loaf and a half of bread, as well as a damn near perfectly packages salami. She knew that she and Charlie needed the food as badly as others might... but couldn't stop herself from wanting to share her findings with other needy people. Who was she to withhold help from others?
It would be inhuman...and in such a desperate world, she needed to cling to her humanity the most. Without it, she'd be nothing more than an animal.
Gulping, the Greek started to rise from her hiding spot. She was still nervous about approaching people after the last incident... but, she needed to have faith in her fellow humans. She had barely gotten out from around the car, when the crunching of gravel underfoot alerted one of the boys to her presence.
"Dad!"
So, she had been right about that, at least. "It's a mutant!"
She flinched, one hand resting on the hood of the car, and froze on the spot. The eldest male turned, one hand diving deep into the pocket of his dirty coat. A small handgun was withdrawn, and pointed her way.
"Don't you come a step closer..."
She didn't. She didn't move an inch. Fright bloomed in her chest, digging in icy claws, and Sloth whipped his head around faster than he ever had before. The other snakes followed suit, forked tongues flicking out to taste the danger on the air. The man evaluated her for a tense second. "What's in that backpack...?" He sounded desperate... his kids looked equally desperate.
"Dad, just shoot it. They are what caused this whole mess!"
"Be quiet, Billy!"
"Maybe she can help us...?" One of the older kids hauled the younger one behind his father. What she assumed was an angry lecture followed close behind.
"Just... Just toss over the backpack and I won't hurt you. I promise."
Andrea stared, fear running tingle up her spine.. but she slowly started to shake her head. She had been willing to share some of it. A little bit of it... but she could not hand over the whole thing and let Charlie starve.
"...I- I can give you my half... if you would like, just.. please, put down the weap--"
"The whole thing! All of it! Toss it over, or.. or I'll.." His thumb flicked up and pulled the hammer back with a swift, sharp click. Andrea jumped at the sound, but still shook her head.
"I cannot..."
"Dad! Just Shoot her! If you won't I will!" The one who looked to be the oldest son stepped forward, the same one who had demanded she be shot in the first place. His father shot him a look that she was sure would have normally put the boy in his place... but, desperate times called for desperate measures... right?
"Get. Back." Before her very eyes, a small fight for dominance broke out. The son lurched for the gun, the father tried to jerk it away. Andrea saw her chance to flee and took it. She darted back behind the cart, sprinting along the ruined sidewalk until it was sidewalk no more, then hooked a harsh left and scrambled up over a pile of collapsed wall. It didn't take father and son to agree that what was important was robbing her, and abandon the fight. She could heard them steadily catching up, and faulted halfway down the other side of the pile.
An ankle twisted, she stumbled, and rolled the rest of the way down.
At the bottom, it took her longer than she wanted to get back to her feet. With a new set of scrapes and bruises, she hauled herself away as quickly as she could. In a way, her fall had bought her some time. It took the two men more time to climb the rubble him and then get back down in once piece. And by the time they did, she was long gone...
Twenty minutes later, she arrived back home. The door was still locked, and when she tried to open it, she found that it was also still blockaded from the inside. Good boy, Charlie.. she mused to herself, rapping on the door four times, no less and no more. A moment later, she was greeted by the sounds of a bookcase being pushed across hardwood floor, and then the lock clicked.
"Andwea!" Charlies smiling, gap toothed face greeted her when the door opened. He all but hurled himself out into the hall, wrapping small arms around her waist. She ruffled his hair affectionately, stole a swift hug, and then ushered him back into the apartment.
"I was so wowwied!" The Greek grinned, allowing him to lead her in by the hand, before she turned and helped him set up the barricade again. "I'm sorry, I did not mean to be out so long."
"Did something happen?" She glanced at the boy. The innocent wide eyes locked on her, and smiled warmly. "No, nothing happened... but, I do have a surprise for you!"
The fear in his face was instantly replaced by wonder, and then joy. She evaded his attempts to latch onto her backpack, and coaxed him into the kitchen. Over the weeks she had managed to find and drag a small table back with her, as well as to makeshift chairs. She found that it did wonders for both her and Charlie in the sense that it made things seem more normal. They had a pretty nice set up now, blankets galore for huddling under at night, and a fridge (non-working of course) to put their scraps of food in. It was... home.
Plopping her backpack down on the table, she glanced over at the boy and grinned. "You must close your eyes, and turn around. I will tell you when you can look... okay?" The boy's eyes widened, but he nodded and spun around on a sock clad heel. Quickly, before the curiosity became to much for him to handle, she set everything up. A few moments later... everything was ready.
"Alright... go ahead and turn around!"
Charlie turned, and what greeted him wiped his face clean of expression. Their small junkie table was covered in a clean white table cloth. On top was two small dinner places of mismatching colors, and two small plastic cups. The brick of Salami sat in the middle of the table, as well as the mound of bread, and his plate had been piled with a hand full of wrapped taffy candy. She tried to stifle a giggle when the boys eyes widened like saucers, but couldn't hold one back when he squealed and rushed the table.
"Do you like it?" She question, scooping him up to set him in his seat. "OhmyGOSH Andwea! It's AMAZING! Where did you find aww of this stuff?" She grinned, and shook her head gently. "It is a secret.. are you ready for dinner?" He nodded, understanding, then nodded again. "Did you wash you hands?" His nose wrinkled for a moment, before he realized she was poking fun at him. The apartment hadn't had running water for a full week. What water they did have she had gotten from bottles, jugs, and pipes in the basement of the building.
He poked his tongue at her, still smiling, and clasped his hands before him on the table. She sat herself, and copied him. Though she had stopped praying before the disaster, she had taken it up again with him around. He prayed every night, sometimes in the morning, and always before dinner.
"Thank you fow the food we are about to eat, and fow Andwea... and pwotect all of the people left behind." She cracked an eye open to peek at him as he spoke, noting the look of concentration that adorned his face. Sadness was there also... it was almost always present.
"Please tell my momma and daddy that I love them, and that I miss them... but not to wowwy, because Andwea is taking weally good cawe of me...." While he continued on, rambling about other things, she closed her eyes and let her thoughts go to her own concerns.
Please... God, let my friends be okay..
Or... at least at peace. "Andwea?" She glanced up, saving any further thoughts for later once he was asleep. "...Can... can I eat it now?" She giggled. The little trouble maker already had a piece of taffy unwrapped and hovering before his mouth.
"You know the rule, Charlie! No candy until after dinner!" The disappointment that flashed across his face was soon replaced with a determined look. She lifted her pocket knife, sliced him a few pieces of salami to go with his bread and sat back to fix her own as he set about devouring each and every last bite.
She loved the little tyke... that much was certain. The flavor of her own food was lost to her, so enraptured was she in the boys show. He seemed utterly determined to finish his meal as fast as possible.
Her face grew hot, and she resisted the urge to kick weakly at him. It wasn't funny, darnit! Not funny at all!
With a huff, the Greek sent him a very cross look... but accepted the hand up. Though she was unappreciative of the laughter, she knew he didn't mean her any ill with it. Her eyes fell on the bag she had tossed from the bathroom, and she felt a wave of sheepish embarrassment wash over her. It didn't help at all with the blushing.
"...Yeah.. I guess we really should." Leaving him temporarily, she gathered the abandoned things, taking care to place everything back in the bag as it had been. "...I am sorry I...um.. freaked out. I have never...well... um..."
She had never been assaulted with such improper, vile things in all of her life... was what she was trying to say... but, looking at him, she just couldn't manage the words. He always made everything better... even things as horrible as what had just happened.
The sheepish feeling was replaced with a sudden, overwhelming fluttery feeling in her stomach, and she was on cloud nine again. (whatever that meant) "Oh, you know what I mean."
She rejoined him, still brown faced, and walked along side him as they headed for the store he had pointed out. It was thankfully one she had been in before, so she knew that there were no surprises laying in wait.
While they walked, she made sure to reach for his hand again.
Water... she needed water to cool down with. Standing, she stumbled her way over to the sinks, and turned the faucet on. Before she could get her gloves off, she glanced up into the mirror.
Behind her just off to the left, stood a horrified looking male with his back to her, glancing back over his shoulder.
Tinkle
Tinkle Tinkle
Andrea stared. The man stared back...
Driiiip.
She screamed bloody murder. Didn't even bother turning off the water, as she did it, too! The guy joined in, hollering despite himself, and the two of them shared a nice little awkward duet. Until she rudely exited, of course.
The bathroom door flew open, slamming against the tile wall, and out shot a green blur. A green blur that slammed right into the chest of her date, as he had been standing right outside of the bathroom. The Gorgon went crashing to the ground, and from behind her exited the other man. Red in the face, and actively avoiding looking at her as best he could, he squeezed past Saph and vanished into the mall.
Andrea's face flushed deep brown, and as she pushed herself up into a sitting position and adjusted her glasses, she couldn't help but stare at Saph in a horrified manner.
"....T-that... was the men's restroom.." A little wibble of the bottom lip, a sniffle, and she was the perfect picture of a kicked puppy.
