Apoc. (Closed for: LMCMS)

[AKFHPhantom]

The year is 2095. The United States is one of many superpowers crippled by what many to claim, an Apocolypse. Famine, Drought, Disease. All of the several things that afflicted the world. Now, all that remains is the scattered civilizations, tribes, clans, all fighting to survive in the Apoc's, the lands between civilizations, untamed, reclaimed, and filled with criminals, theives, raiders, slavers, and animals.

Though it is uncommon for anyone to travell through this land. One clan, Polis. Located in the ruins of southern Minnisota, has an annual test -the GPT, or group placement test- which looks for skilled workers, an average of 2 out of 5 pass the test. Then comes the next test -the SSE, or Survival Skills Evaluation- Which if you pass, you are sent to settle land for the clan. Though, this year, Polis hopes to capture an iconic city. Vegas.
---
Name: Argen.
Age: 19
Occupation: Worker for the Gunsmith.
Height: 5' 11"
Weight: 151 Lbs. Swimmer body (Though stronger.)
Apperance: Usually wearing a khaki teeshirt, with a dark brown hoodie, left and right arms and hands covered in bandages to cover burn marks aquired from an accident. Wears black faded jeans, and has a tattoo of hades on his right shoulder.
Skills: Straight shot with pistols, Hand to hand combat, survival.
Weapons: A combat knife with special echings along the blade. A specially made M1911 with a silencer.
---
Today was the day he left this place. He had read in pre-apoc books about lush land, and adventuring heros, rouges, and other characters. He needed this, thats why he studdied, trained, so entensly to pass the GPT and SSE. He gathered his supplies in his backpack, a simple leather pack, with a fold over the top. Inside he kept a few boxes of ammo, a picture of his mother, and a map from here to Vegas.

He opened the door to the hallway connecting to his room, and with a final glance in the room, he shut the door, and started his new life. "Those whom are travelling into the Apoc's shall immediatly report to the south gate for instruction." the intercoms cranked out. He began to hurry, jogging down hallways, and winding through structures. Once he finally reached the pavilion, everyone was gathered. 36 Pilgrums. The elder stood at the podium, speaking, but Argen couldn't understand him, so he made his way into the crowd, and stood next to a woman. "Hey, I'm Argen." He said, attempting to be polite. If he was depending on these people, might as well be friendly.

 

[lmcms]

Name: Danika
Age:18
Occupation:Scavenger
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 90lbs (built for speed not brawn)
Apperance: Always in black baggy cargo pants a tight black tank and a black hoodie with the hood always up shadowing her face. Shoulder length straight red hair always worn down cover one half of her face to cover a long scar caused by a knife that ran from her temple to her jaw. Sparkeling green eyes full of warning.
Skills: Gathering, emergancy first aide, fencing, and knife throwing
Weapons:A set of light weight finely honed Katana swords strapped to her back. And verious daggers strapped to her body with in easy reach.
--------------------------------------------
"Joy" Danika thought sarcasticly she was picked to be a pilgrim. SHe hadn't even studied for the stupid test she really just wanted to be left alone but noooo she had to take the stupid things. Now they where sending her out into the great unknown blah blah blah. If they where going to make her go they should do less talking and more sending to her way of thinking.

So here she was standing in the middle of a crowd listen to some elder exercise his lungs waiting for him to run out of air so she could be on her way when a voice beside her drew her attention. Great now she had to be around a people person.

"Okay not that care what your name is but is you need to call me something Dani works." She gave Argen a side ways look he could eaisly becalled attractive but she learned a long time ago men and boys a like where no good.

 

[AKFHPhantom]

As the elder spoke, he couldn't help but attempt a look at the girls face. "Sorry to bother you, I just dont know anyone here." He said. Being raised from the Steam district, where all the metal work was done, he was taught to bomb the test, so clearly, no one from where he was was inside the pavillion.

Suddenly, the Elder finished his speach, and struggled to pull the lever that unlocked the large metal gate, that slowly turned. "This should be fun." He quietly said, rubbing the handle of his pistol, and keeping in stride with Dani. "Hey, I know you are probably, not the most social person." He said, shaking his head. "But hey, We need a partner, someone to watch over eachother, incase the shit hits the fan." He said. He wasn't lying. Most survival classes tell you to move in either packs, or in doubles.

As soon as they stepped out the gates, he was shocked, the main walls of Polis where a barrier to nature, fighting against a frenzy of trees, and vines. As soon as all of the pilgrims where out, the gates began to shut. "Alright. Lets move." A voice said -Another Leadership passer in the SSE, whom he wasn't fond of. No one likes a hero. - and the pack began to move.

 

[lmcms]

The guy talked almost as much as the long winded elders she wandered if she had any tape in her pack and if it would help getting silence. Danika may not have wanted to do this but that didn't mean she didn't learn what to expect when they told her she was going. As she stepped out of the gate she tugged her hood lower over her eyes making sure her face stayed hidden.

"But hey, We need a partner, someone to watch over eachother, incase the shit hits the fan."

"It's whatever but I promise if you don't stop chattering I'll be the one you need to worry about." She promised making eye contact with him her eyes telling him just how serious she was.

"Alright. Lets move." A voice said -Another Leadership passer in the SSE.

As they started walking into the wildness Danika kept her eyes and ears scanning her surroundings she was one of the few people often allowed outside the gate as she was a scavenger so she knew what the dangers that surrounded them where even this close to the gate.

"I want you all to pick a partner to stick with that way when we spread out no one is left alone." The imprompt to leader announced.

"Looks like you get your way chum. Keep your hands to yourself and you mouth mostly closed and we'll be good." She said her strides quick for someone as short as she was.

 

[AKFHPhantom]

Though she was faster than most of her stature, he kept up. In the Steam District, its useful to he quick, because if you are slow, mistakes can quickly spring up, and his arms reflected that fact.

As they walked, he drew his pistol. The further from Polis they got, the more likely trouble -bandits, raiders, animals - was likely to happen. He gripped the steel with his hand. He made this weapon himself, so he promised himself he would not lose it.

The ground was soft, throughout the years of human abandonment, factories shut down, cars where a rare sight, the drought was lifted slowly, and the state had regular rain.

He often wondered what Vegas was like, was it like the pre-apoc books said, where people often would spend all they had, and why was the Polis clan intrested in a forgotten treasure, thousands of miles away?

Whatever it was, he was glad he was going, and not seeing the world through the pages of a book, or some second hand story.

 

[lmcms]

As they walked farther on the group slowly began spreading out getting farther some each other. She was please Argen finally seemed to have learned to shut up because she picked up a faint sound something was stalking them. She noticed he had his gun out "Good" she thought "let's hope he knows how to use it". She kept up her pace never faltering. If she had to guess their stalker was an animal about mid-sized. After a few more moment she heard the sound of the stalker change and knew it was about to pounce.

She waited and when she knew the animal was in mid pounce she swirled and crouched and letting a dagger loose all in one moment. The dagger caught the cougar in the neck it had fallen to the ground and was not about to be getting back up. Calmly and with all the grace of a queen of old she rose from her fighting stance and looked up at Argen.

"Now you know why I told you to shut up." With that she went to the cougar retreaving her dagger and wipping it clean on the large cat's fur before replacing it.

 

[AKFHPhantom]

He was shocked as she killed the cougar. "Thanks." he said, staring at the beast. "Looks like everyone thinned out." He said, looking around. Only around five of the original thirty six pilgrims. He knew that this would occur, some people would stray off, not follow what we where told to do.

He kept walking in the south west direction. "Thanks." He said, pausing. "For saving my life." That was the thing, if she wasn't there, he would have made one mistake, and that would be the end of the journey for him.

 

[lmcms]

Danika pulled on her hood making sure it hadn't slipped from her attack earlier she hated anyone seeing her face.

"Nothing to it just keep quiet so I can listen. With that she brushed past him. After a few more minutes of walking she spotted some berries that where safe to consume and knelt down to pluck the ripest ones. Her bounty in hand she rose looking over at her "partner". He was bound to be usefull sooner or late so she decided to share her bounty. If he was going to be watching her back it would be best if he wasn't tempted to stab her while he was there.

Walking up to him she took his hand and placed some berries in it simply saying,"Snack time."

 

[AKFHPhantom]

He looked down at the berries, and studied it, going through his extensive library of food that would kill you or not that he stored in his mind. "Thanks." He said, remembering the type of berries that they where, and that they wern't lethal.

As he ate the berries, causing them to stop, he noticed the remaining five younger ones huddled around them. "It looks as if we have some followers." He said, chuckling, finishing the berries.

He didn't plan on learning their names yet, but he watched as their eyes looked about him, and then Dani. "Are you going to stay with us?" He asked, and the others nodded.

"Alright." He said. He turned then to Dani, and smiled, hoping she would smile back. "We should go. We arent to far from the old highway." He said. That should atleast be open, as tha was traders main routes, and caravans frequently visited the routes.

 

[lmcms]

Dani threw her hands up she tried being nice to the guy and the next thing she knows she has a little ready made family. "Just call me momma Dani." she said heading off again the others could come if the wanted. Deep inside though she was praying hard. With 7 of them moving together it would be harder for them to hide if something went wrong. I would be harder to hear an ambush with 7 sets of feet walking she might get lucky IF no one talked, but she knew with 7 people most of them mere children that it was almost impossible.

All the way to the highway Dani stayed ahead of the group scouting the area to make sure everyone stayed in place a few times she ran to the back of the group and focused to see if they where being followed at all. Dani knew traveling the main roads would be quicker and the animal danger less but the danger that was the worst and actually made her shiver was the human danger.

There where 2 little girls in there group and Dani remeber right sure the human dangers to little girls. SO she would do her best to make sure those little girls had to even if she had to risk herself.

 

[AKFHPhantom]

As soon as they reached the barrier to the interstate, he couls see the road carve through the land, several hundred abandoned cars littered the road "Wow." He said, helping the youth climb over the steel barrier, and waited until everyone gatherwd around. "We are going to follow the road for thirteen miles, then make camp down there." He said, confidently.

And with that, he began the trek down the interstate.

 

[lmcms]

Dani sighed for someone who had never been outside the walls the fool seemed to think he knew everything. Danika started walking dow the road.

"We are not and I repeat NOT camping near any roads. About at an hour and half before dusk we will get off the road and walk until dark then said up camp." She said in a voice that board no argument.

 

[AKFHPhantom]

He was supprised at how much of a charge she took, and quickly decided to follow her without protest. He made sure that the younger ones kept in pace, and that no one was following. Thirty minutes of travelling, one of the younger ones began talking to him, asking about his pistol, and other questions about the Steam District.

A few miles down the road, he spotted a group sitting on some cars, they where armed, he could tell. "Hold on." He said, grabbing Dani's shoulder, and pointing to the group. "I can handle this." He said, uneasily. He hadn't expected raiders so close to Polis. He set his bag down infront of him, and grabbed a few magazines, and began loading them, and slipping them into his bandolier. "If I die, don't go after me, get off the interstate." He said, expecting the worse. "Here." He said, giving his pack to the younger one that spoke to him earlier. "Alright." He saId, ready to walk into the unknown.

 

[lmcms]

Dani had seen the group before Argen pointed them out with the time of day and the spot they where in she was pretty sure they where traders she assosiated with a time or two in the past. She would let Argen go ahead for 2 reasons one she was sure the danger was minimal. 2 she wanted to see how he handled himself and well maybe there was a part of wanting to see him make of fool of his self for make presumptions.

She knew it was cruel but with all the talking the fool did he never asked if she had left the walls before or what her talents where. So yeah she wanted to watch him squirm a little after persuming she didn't know anything and would be happy to take care of brats. Yeah she was still pissed at that.

 

[AKFHPhantom]

Argen slowly walked from out behind the cars, his gun drawn, and ready for use. From the look of it, as he got closer and closer, they appeared to be traders, so he lowered his pistol. "Hello!?" He shouted, as subtly as possible, but while still trying to attract their attention, one of them turned, and waved. Good. They where friendly.

By the time he got half way to them, he noticed another set of people, but it was obvious they where armed. His preperation would come in handy. "Get down!" He said, pointing to the other group, that by now, where begging to open fire apon the traders, who quickly jumped off of the cars, and took shelter. Thats when the adrenaline hit, his focus sharpened, and he raised his pistol, taking a deep breath. Three shots rang out from his pistol, knocking one of the raiders down, another three, all misses. As soon as there was a pause in fire, he ran to two cars away. "Shit." He said, as bullets began to hit the car he was behind, three more shots, and one hit the vest of one more raider. By his count there was three more. He released the magazine after firing the final three shots he had, and worked on replacing it.

 

[lmcms]

"Shit shit shit shit." Danika thought this was so not what they needed. She quickly rushed the kids over a blockade on the side of the road she made them all huddle together and threw grasses branches and debris over them making them look like a soft hill on the ground. "Don't move." she hissed at them and began making her way closer to the action. Argen was gonna need back up and fast cause no way in hell could she tend to five kids on her own he made this family he was sticking with it not getting himself killed.

Instead of running straight to him she made her way behind the raiders. With knifes and blades as her only weapons she had to get up close and personal just the way she liked it. She knew she was taking a big risk and hoped Argen didn't shoot her by mistake. As she silent slit the throat of the first raider she came across she saw another out of the corner of her eye fall from Argen. Letting her kill fall she lowered herself making her a small target if one of Argen's bullets strayed. By the time she got to the last raider and if her count was right Argen needed a new clip so this would have to be neat and fast so she could drop again else the man hit her for standing in his target's spot but to her way of thinking blades where reuseable you could run out of bullets. Rising up and striking as quick as a snake she took the man down and dropped again.

 

[AKFHPhantom]

He quickly, and thankfully noticed Dani killing the other two raiders after he killed one more. "Thanks." He said to Dani, holstering his weapon. He offered a hand to one of the Traders, and lifted him up. "You alright?" He asked quietly, the man nodded, and he looked around. Everyone seemed to be okay. Thats when he turned to the corpses that lay on the ground.

He slowly walked to each of them, picking up their rifles, examining them. They obviously wern't clan quality, so there wasn't a rival clan trying to eliminate them before they got to Vegas. Yet. He continued to pick through the items that the raiders where carrying, and by now, the youngsters had figured that all of the fighting was done, and had scurried over. "Where is my bag?" Argen asked, and one of the younger ones returned with the bag. He stuffed some of the ammunition into a sub-bag, and handed each rifle to one of the younger ones, along with few magazines. "It isn't much, but it will keep you alive." He said to the bunch of them. "Where do you think they came from? Local? I think they where tipped off that this was our Pilgrimage day." He asked Dani, looking around.

 

[lmcms]

Dani shrugged as if the whole thing was of little consiquince to her. Looking up at the traders she nodded, "Hey guys got anything good?"

She was greeted with a coarse of "Hey Ika,Good show Ika, You bet Ika."

She nodded again and grinned hugely "Let's do a lot of business then gentlemen."

She walked over to Argen, "Keep a close eye on the kids there maybe more bad about give me half an hour to tend to business and we will head or if you want start out and I'll catch up I travel fast alone she it wouldn't be anything for me to catch up."

Without waiting to what he decided she went back to huddle with the tradesmen.

 

[AKFHPhantom]

Argen decided to stay, so he started to scavange around the area, he quietly went inbetween the old cars, opening trunks whoms locks broke a long time ago, he didnt find much, a blanket that was useless. He looked around more, to no avail. He sighed, and slowly made his way back to where the traders where.

Along the way, he thought ahead, analyzing what to expect on the trip. See, though he was a chatterbox, he passed the SSE in two areas, Survivial -mostly everyone passed that-, and then in Tactics -Not many passed with that- But it wasn't just that, he was one of the top ten, so behind the inexperienced outer look, his mind was finely tuned.

As soon as he reached the group, the younger ones turned to him, smiling. "Hey guys." He said quietly, lowering himself to sit with them, and began talking with them. He swore to himself, that if he had to, he would sacrifice himself for these younglings.

 

[lmcms]

Dani was proud of her trading skills she managed to purcure some items that would be essetial for surviving that the clan had not in there wisdom provided she also managed to get a few sweet treats for the younger ones. Her trading done Dani headed back to her little ready made family before she approached though she made sure her face was well hidden.

"Okay lug-abouts let's head off since we where delayed will start off the road now I don't want to get caught near here around dark so double time it." She couldn't help but smile. "If we do it quickly there will be prize in it for all of you."

With that she headed off to the other side of the road and back out into the wilderness where she was most comfortable.

 

[AKFHPhantom]

Argen lead the back of the group, and once they reached the interstate barrier, he hoisted the younger ones over it, then quickly climbed up and over it. The wilderness was still foreign, maybe he would never get used to it. He made sure his pack was secured tightly to his back, and his pistol loaded.

After thirty minutes or so of travelling in the wilderness, he finally spoke up. "So, uh, Wifey." He said, teasing Dani, hoping she wouldn't snap back. "When do you plan on stopping?" He asked, he could tell the younger ones where starting to get tired as they navigated through the wild.

 

[lmcms]

Dani paused and looked over her shoulder at her little rag tag group there energy was waning. She raised an eyebrow at Argen for his "wifey" comment and called back. "I ain't got ring on my finger yet stud. About another half hour and we will be at stream. We'll camp there so everyone can bath and get fresh water."

She turned saucialy actually coming to enjoy the company and headed off.

 

[AKFHPhantom]

"I tell you what, If we get to Vegas in one piece, I'll work on that ring situation." He teased further. He smiled as he realized that if they play their cards right, they actually might make it to Vegas.

Thirty minutes later, they made it to the stream and the younger ones were glad. Argen grabbed a tent that one of the younger ones had carried, and ruffled his hair, and began to set it up near some tree's, and once that was done, he covered it with some light branches, blending it with the terrain. After that was done, he set up the tent for him and Dani a few yards away, and repeated to blend it with the terrain. "There." He said, proud of himself for some reason. "Home away from home." He said, smiling at Dani.

 

[lmcms]

As Argen had setup the tent's Dani and the younger ones worked on a small fire. When Argen pronounced his work complete and smiled at her she returned the smile though she knew it would be hard to see with her face covered.

"Okay everybody gather round." Once everyone was gathered around she reached in her pocket and pulled out 5 pieces of candy. "Your prize for being such good troopers." Next she pulled out a box full of fresh bullets. "For our hero of the day my his guns never empty. Now I will start dinner if Argen will watch over you boys as you bath then after I will watch over the girls then it's bed time we move at dawn."

With that she went to making soup she had prepared for the journey there would be just enough to feed everyone.

 

[AKFHPhantom]

Argen made sure that the boys where clean, but made sure they had privacy by sitting a few yards away, so that he could hear them, but kept his back towards them. After they where clean, he shuffled them to the center, and made his was to stream, but further from the camp.

He began to strip down, and slowly unwrapping his bandages that covered his arms, that where extensively burned, the skin had grown mostly back, but the scarring wasn't a pretty sight. As soon as he stepped into the water, he felt much better. By ten minutes later, he was clean, and made his way out of the water, and got himself dryed, and dressed, and a fresh wrap of bandages.

As he made his way back to the camp, he could smell the soup, which by his guess was almost finished, so he took a seat next to the young boys, waiting to be served. "Smells good." He said, complimenting Dani's culinary skills.