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 Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 7:10 pm
Lower Dregs
The lower dregs are filled with the scum, crooks, and any wishing to hide out from the government or iron grip and hawk like eyes of A.S.E.A.
Taverns dot most of the lower dreg, a nice escape from the dark streets lit only by the occasional light peeping in from the gratings and bridge openings above in the mid hive. In fact most that live in the lower dregs ARE NOT allowed out of them, the upper hives fearing the scum that lives below.
The lower dregs itself is built on about 8 levels (there are more than 8 however no one dares travel beneath that point do to the dangerous creatures that have said to made the lowest levels their homes), the lower in which you go the more abandoned and run down the buildings get, society having mostly abandoned such places long ago, though as such some of the best places to hide.
When you think Lower Dregs, think dark, grimy, dirty, frightening, and most of remember that Illegal activities dot every corner.
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Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 8:17 pm
Taverns and bars were common in the Dregs. They were scummy, rotten, and disgusting in just about every meaning of the words. When you walked into these sort of places, you left in desperate need of a shower. Perhaps it was the rancid smell of smoke, drugs, and alcohol that stuck to you. Maybe it was the scent of crime, deceit, and unwholesomeness. On Level 8, the topmost layer that nearly intersected with the Mid-Hive, there was a drink called Mind Bleach. The crimson cocktail was said to knock out even the heartiest drinkers. It's best feature was its guarantee to make you forget whatever terrible things you'd seen in the down in the Dregs. What about Yellow Jacket? Jacket didn't need that sort of drink. It was his job to remember every detail of every rumor, every conversation, and every interrogation.
"Dude, lay off. I told you that I don't know nothin'." Four-Fingered Reno was pretty confident in his bluff. His confidence didn't last long, though. A man tends to lose some confidence in his lies when he's tossed through front window of "The Straggler". Reno rolled across the empty Dregs street three or four times across street dust, sewer scum, and jagged shards of dirty glass.
"So, Reno. You gonna sing yet?" A booted foot appeared from the dark interior of The Straggler and set itself on the jagged window sill, "I'm beginning to lose my patience with you, Four Finger."
Yellow Jacket stepped through the shattered window and onto the street. He wore a leather jumpsuit, a black and yellow jacket, and a custom insect-themed motorcycle helmet. He held a bottle of rum in his hand, flipped it once, then smashed it against the side of the building.
He screamed gruffly, "You've got one last chance, Reno. Talk!"
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Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 11:42 am
The bar was prone to fights and outbursts like this. It was something Alex had come to expect. Though he might not look it he was indeed prepared for a fight. His black zip up hoodie and ragged blue jeans hid the young mercenary's athletic body. "Barkeep another whiskey on the rocks, and make it snappy." The man said as he looked over the scene with his fiery eyes. The bartender knew better than to keep Reaper waiting and quickly placed the drink in his hand.
The young ex-soldier sauntered out into street just in time to see the bottle of rum smash on the side of the building. "Oi oi oi! That's good rum you just wasted. If you want the scum to talk pay me to coax it out of him. I have a way with people." Alex said as he calmly pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and fumbled through his pockets. Sighing wearily he turned to the man in the leather jumpsuit. "Hey you got a light?" He asked as if nothing odd was going on.
Waiting for an answer he turned his gaze onto the pitiful punk sprawled out on the ground. "You know you really should listen to the man. You won't like what I can do to you...I promise you that." The young man chuckled with a sick smile on his face. The look on Alexander's face was one of excitement, a sick and twisted excitement, the kind one might see on the face of a particularly violent interrogator who enjoyed his work far too much.
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Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 12:23 pm
Jacket turned to the man that followed him and Reno out of the bar. He looked thuggish, what with his hoodie and jeans. He was oddly calm in the current situation. Most bar goers would keep to themselves in a time like this. Most of them were cowards. It was obvious this guy was different.
"The bar will live without it."
The yellow-striped interrogator turned away and descended upon Four-Finger. With his open hand, he reached toward the flinching criminal, only to pull a cheap dime-store lighter from the man's breast pocket. Reno fell back, hissing a sigh of relief.
Jacket stood up and clicked the lighter a few times until a lick of flame appeared at the top. He looked to the punk with the wicked grin, then back to the lighter in his hand. He waved away the flame on the device, then gave the lighter a toss to the punk.
"Lighter's yours now. Should be payment enough. How would you suggest to make this bleeder talk?"
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Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 12:35 pm
Alexander caught the lighter with deft precision, and flicked it on. Taking a long drag he lit the cigarette.
"Mmmm...Gotta love that tobacco taste." He chuckled as he sauntered up the the punk on the ground.
"Now lets see...where to begin..." Alexander said to himself as he stepped on four finger's hand.
There was a sickening crunch and blood began to well up out of Reno's wrists. "I think this will be a good start..." The man would feel his heart start to beat faster and faster, contracting beyond where it normally would. "Scream for me you little b***h." He laughed as he forced the man's own blood to give him a heart attack. His heart would continue to spasm wildly, but his blood flow would not be restricted, causing him pain beyond imagining without killing him.
"Scared yet shitface?" He said with a smirk as his gaze seemed to burn into Reno. As suddenly as the man's pain had started it stopped, and Alex stepped off the man's hand. "Now are you going to tell the man what he want's to know or am I going to have to think of a new way to hurt you?" He asked smugly.
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Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 12:57 pm
"Hope the flavor is worth the eleven minutes of your life."
Jacket watched as the newcomer performed his art, unflinching at the crunches and spurts of blood. He mumbled, "Super." Apathetically, he tossed the broken bottle over his shoulder.
The tinkling of glass was followed by a blood curdling screech. Reno grabbed at his chest, which felt like it was splitting in two. He was gasping for breath; he felt as though he couldn't get enough. Sweat began to well up on his brow. It felt like his entire body was on fire. The pain was unlike anything he'd ever felt before- he'd been shot, stabbed, and even lost a finger on both hands. Never had he felt so close to death's door.
If he didn't speak up, he'd die to the creeps standing over him. If he didn't, he'd be the target of the mob. He made his decision; he might live longer if the mob was after him, "STOP! STOP! The Banker's Shell! They took the cash to the Banker's Shell! That's what you wanted to know right?!"
Jacket nodded, cracking his knuckles, "And who's behind it?"
"The Sciacallo Brother's! They were behind it! Dude! Please! Stop whatever you're doing! You're going to kill me!"
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Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 1:09 pm
Alex simply smiled and let the man's heart resume beating normally. "I don't really have to worry about my lifespan." He said with smirk. "Like I said I have a way with people. You know I never caught your name fella. Man's gotta know his employer, don't cha think?" The mercenary said nonchalantly as he wondered what to do with the blubbering sack of filth he was looking down on. He took a very long drag on his ciggarette and began to laugh loudly. The smoke slowly dissipated into the air, leaving the smell of fresh blood thick and almost overwhelming.
"You know I got other talent's too. If you've got a mind to pay for them. I'm pretty handy in a fight, and by the sounds of things, you have a big one comin up." The thugish looking man said with a slight hint of interest. "But ya know there's one thing I don't get...what's with the gettup? You supposed to scare 'em or somethin?" Reaper asked with genuine curiosity.
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Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 1:50 pm
"Your charisma is astonishing," Jacket said, completely deadpan. He considered his introduction, "The serpent, the king, the tiger, the stinging wasp, the small child, the dog owned by other people, and the fool: these seven ought not to be awakened from sleep," he paused for a brief moment,"Chanakya... I am the stinging wasp, and I've been awoken. You can call me Yellow Jacket."
Jacket took a deep breath; the metallic smell of blood invaded his helmet and flooded his sense of smell. He stared at the thug as he cackled away. He was sadistic, but he was also a powerful mutant. The Sciacallo Brothers were trouble, more trouble than the masked crusader might be able to handle.
"You may be right... I won't be able to pay you now; and only after. And only if we are successful in taking down the Sciacallos. If you're game, there's a inter-level freight elevator a few blocks North."
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Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 2:06 pm
Reaper looked over the mewling thug one last time before giving him a swift kick in the ribs. "Go on, get out of here, I've got bigger fish to fry." He said suddenly serious. The man turned back to Yellow Jacket with a slow deliberate pace, and spoke up. "I enjoy a good fight. In fact the tougher the better." He said with a slight grin. "By the way, I charge extra for clean up. I can get...messy..." The thuggish man tacked on as he heard Reno scrambling away from the scene. Taking one last long puff Alex finished his cancer stick, and tossed the butt down on the ground.
The streets had gone rather silent in the wake of all the commotion, and the patrons of the bar seemed terrified. Just for fun the mercenary made a sudden lunge at the door to the pub. The patrons jumped as well, their fear almost palpable. Alexander let out a quick laugh and turned back to the man in the leather jumpsuit. "You can call me Reaper. They call me that because if you see me you might as well be dead, and it just kind of stuck. I like it. Anyway we better get a move on." The man said with a crooked smile.
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Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 3:04 pm
Jacket chuckled, "Looks like we won't be cleaning up then." When Reaper introduced himself, the jump-suited man slipped his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket as he walked off with Reaper. He lead the thuggish mutant down a few dark streets and alleyways until they reached the elevator.
The elevator door was easily two stories tall, and split across the middle, with a circular magnetic lock dead center. It was dimly lit by many flickering fluorescent lights. Trash was littered against the doorway, and there was a wreck of an old hover-freighter smashed into the ground just in front of it.
"The Banker's Shell is at rock bottom. Back when these floors weren't so decrepit, these elevators were the fastest way to the bottom. Y'know, without jumping. Nowadays, they're a bit slower, but they don't break down easily."
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Posted: Wed Aug 07, 2013 6:41 am
(I found his theme song by the way. It's what he's humming. Here is a link Reaper theme ) The mercenary smiled and began to hum a cheery tune as he walked beside yellow jacket. It seemed oddly out of place, especially after what he had just done to four fingers. Then the thuggish man broke out into a quiet song. His voice was oddly melodic, and seemed unfitting for someone of his appearance. "Oh no you didnt, after i deliver ,your blood will be a river of red, oh no you didnt, better be aware when, no ones there to defend you, oh no you didnt, so many ways to kill, its gonna be a thrill to end you. The man stopped singing as suddenly as he had started and proceeded silently the rest of the way. When they reached the elevator he searched around for the switch and after a few moments he found it. "Do you think this thing will even open?" He asked as he flicked the switch. Nothing happened at first, and he went to jiggle the switch, but before he could there was a loud clang and then a grinding sound as the doors opened. "Well this thing has seen better days for sure..." Alex said with what could almost be mistaken for hesitation. Of course that would be quickly dismissed as he stepped almost joyfully into the elevator. "You coming or what?" He asked yellow jacket with a crooked smirk.
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Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2013 5:49 pm
(Sorry for the wait. Finals week razz )
"Of course it works. I've only ever seen one of these break down. Rocketfire will do that to an elevator."
Jacket entered the elevator at a brisk walking pace, approaching the close right corner. He tapped at the wall, and it lit up with an orange glow. Paths of lights formed squares, letters, and numbers; together, they were a menu display. Jacket hit the lowest button, alite with the letter "G". The elevator shuddered and groaned. The gigantic door whirred and shut, and the massive magnetic lock sealed. The lift then began to slowly accelerate downward.
Once the lift got moving, Jacket waltzed over to the center of the elevator next to the Reaper, "While we're going, I'd like you to memorize three rules of working with me."
A loud buzzer went off, signalling that they were passing the seventh floor, "Rule Number One: We steal only from thieves."
Another buzz, sixth floor.
"Rule Two: We return most of what we steal back to the original owners. We only keep enough to sustain our work."
Bzzzt. Fifth floor.
"Rule Three," Jacket paused and looked up and down the thug, "I have a bad feeling that you may enjoy this one... Rule Number Three: If and only if lethal force is used on us, we use lethal force on them. We are not comic book heroes, we are realists. I refuse to give killers a second chance to kill me."
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Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 8:22 pm
Alex was off in his own little world imagining all of the carnage and havoc he would wreak in the lower levels when the first buzzer snapped him back to reality.
"What's this about rules?" He asked as he turned to yellow jacket. As the man in the leather jumpsuit continued to talk his words seemed to blur together and the sadistic thug almost zoned out. That is until the mention of material goods came into the conversation.
"What do you mean we return what we steal? I need money to look this good you know!" The thug said half serious and half joking. As the last few buzzers went off Reaper was silent. Again he half zoned out when listening to Yellow Jacket. It was almost as if he was unable to take anything serious.
"As long as you aren't squeamish we should be just fine when I use lethal force." He chuckled. The thought of painting the walls with blood excited him. He always enjoyed a good messy fight, and getting paid was just a bonus really. Perhaps there was some sense of justice deep down inside the thug, but if it was there it most certainly was not obvious.
When the doors finally opened Alexander walked out into the street brazenly as if he had no sense of fear. He radiated this unsettling almost aggressive presence as he walked through the abandoned and dilapidated streets. He seemed to leave himself exposed as if he would know when someone drew near to him. It was certainly an odd sight to see someone so confident on a level as dangerous as this one.
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 5:18 am
The helmeted man shook his head. He reassured Reaper, "You will get your money. Surely enough to fund your..." Jacket trailed off. He looked up and down the thug, noting his low-class choice of clothes, "...looks?"
When they elevator finally got to its destination, the big doors opened before them. Reaper walked out nonchalantly, and Jacket followed suit. Level eight was the slums, no doubt. However, level one made eight look like a nice neighborhood. Every building this far down was decrepit and condemned. There were no working hover vehicles and no businesses. Most of all there was no sign of the law. Morality and lawfulness was left behind far above the duo's heads.
People didn't live down here, people lived on level eight, the Mid-Hive, and above. Down here, there were no people; there were only monsters. Murderers were around every street corner and mutants made natural humans look like a minority.
Jacket looked around and tugged on the collar of his leather jacket. He could see some faintly glowing eyes in the windows of a building across the way. He wished there was a scenic, safer route to take. He knew all too well that safety was an illusion on this level of the Dregs.
"Our destination isn't far away. The Banker's Shell is a few blocks north of this elevator."
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 2:53 pm
Alex didn't seem to notice any of the danger around them, or at least if he did he honestly didn't care. "A few blocks huh? That's a cake walk." The thuggish man said as he continued down the street. The streets seemed eerily empty, almost as if everything was giving the two vigilante's a wide and clear berth. Reaper was used to this, but he wasn't sure about yellow jacket.
"Reaper!" The scream echoed through the rundown streets. Alex recognized that voice in a heart beat. "GET DOWN!" He shouted as he dove for cover. The sound of machine gun fire, and ricocheting bullets filled the air, and the voice shouted again. "You're either brave or stupid to show your face down here after what you did to my boys! Either way, now you're going to die!"
Reaper growled angrily and jumped out from cover. Once he found the source of the gunfire he gave the fat grubby man a glare that would scare even the most hardened criminals. "You're interfering with my work...now you die!" Alex roared as he walked quickly toward the fat man. The gun brandishing thug seemed frozen in place, either out of terror, or something else. The man began to cough up blood, and soon he was spraying blood from his mouth, and it came together to form a single word on the side of a building. "Reaper" Was all it said.
Alex laughed as the last of the man's blood drained from his now cold and pale body. "Just claiming my territory. You know how it is." He said to yellow jacket with a smirk.
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