Board Thread:Art, Stories and Songs/@comment-21447002-20151206082927

Zack and Tess make it to the city, being careful as they maneuver their way through the rubble and ruins. Along with another explosion, they hear gunfire and yelling.

Zack: Be ready, Tess...

Turning the corner, the two see a large group of Psychos and Marauders firing at a building, with one Marauder holding an RPG. From the building, a grenade is lobbed and makes contact with a psycho, and it blows up, killing the psycho along with a few other psychos. However, the marauders fire back at the building, and the RPG-wielding marauder fires at the building, blowing a large hole into the building. A few bodies of what seemed to be military soldiers fell out of the building, landing on the ground with a sickening crush as they hit the pavement. The Psychos and Marauders laugh maniacally as they begin entering the building. Zack and Tess debate on what to do.

Zack: To go inside that building right now would be suicide.

Tess: But what if there are innocent people inside?

Suddenly, they hear a cry for help coming from the building. The voices were distinctly a man and woman. Muffled gunfire then continues raging. Tess has had enough.

Tess: It's a risk we'll have to take!

Tess, after checking for any threats outside the building, sprints to the building, daggers ready. Zack follows after her. The two enter the building, and immediately spot a psycho and marauder. Tess throws her Light Dagger at the psycho, killing him instantly, while Zack pounces on the marauder, killing him with a quick stab to the head. Tess pulls out her Light Dagger out of the psycho's head, and the two run up the stairs. Their metal clanking alerts the climbing marauders and psychos, and they see Zack and Tess.

Psycho: Look out, boys! Metal heads!

Tess silences the psycho with a slash across the neck, pushing the gurgling psycho down the stairs, and Zack and Tess slash their way through the psychos and marauders, leaving behind slashed up bodies. They reach the fourth floor where they once again hear the screams of the two people they heard earlier, and search through the floor together, killing any opposing psychos and marauders. They finally make it to the room with the two people, surrounded by marauders, including the one wielding the RPG. One marauder turns around, and sees Zack and Tess.

Marauder: You ain't stopping us, grease buckets!

The marauder fires off his shotgun at Zack, and Zack raises his claws. His claws manage to deflect the bullets, but is knocked back in the process. Tess leaps forward and stabs the marauder in the chest with both her daggers. The other marauders aim their weapons at Tess's head, to which she ducks, slicing the shotgun-wielding marauder into three, and the two marauders end up shooting each other in head. Tess makes a smirk, but then wipes it off her face when she hears the chuckles of the RPG marauder, aiming his RPG at her.

Marauder: IT'S BOOM BOOM TIME!

Then in the nick of time, Zack kicks the marauder in the side and slashes him away, sending the marauder into the wall in a bloody state. Tess smiles at Zack.

Tess: That was a close one!

Zack: Tell me about it!

Zack and Tess look over at the woman and man. The man is severely bleeding from the side as the woman holds her hand to his head. Zack then scans the room and realizes that there were dead bodies of numerous citizens and military personnel.

Zack: Damn...

Tess: How bad is he?

Woman: He's not good. Honey, please talk to me...

The man was unresponsive, and Tess makes a sad expression, while Zack has an expression of guilt. Unbeknown to them, the marauder was still alive, slowly aiming his RPG at the group.

Marauder: Time to go out with a bang...

Zack looks at the marauder and goes wide-eyed. He only has a split second to grab ahold of Tess and jump to the side before the RPG goes off and strikes the wall, sending the room ablaze. Zack and Tess fall out of the building and land on a broken down truck before landing on the ground, rolling for a while before coming to a halt. Zack suffers from a smoked backside and exposed wires on his left arm, left leg, and on the left side of his body. Tess suffers a few bumps and exposed wires as well, but not in the severe state as Zack. Tess opens her eyes and sees the burning room they were knocked out of in horror. Zack tries to look, but can't.

Tess: We couldn't save them...we couldn't save her...

Zack: Damn it...

Tess looks at Zack and realizes the state he is in.

Tess: Zack, your body!

Zack: I'll be fine...

In their weakened state, Tess helps Zack up, but they freeze upon hearing the cocking of guns.

Nomad: Don't even move a servo, greasies!

Several psychos, marauders, and nomads surround the two, aiming their guns at them. Zack and Tess are clearly outnumbered.

Zack and Tess: ...

The nomad describes Zack and Tess on a small hand radio. After a while, the nomad gives orders.

Nomad: Secure their weapons and lock 'em up!

Without a struggle, two marauders take away Tess's daggers and Zack's claw gauntlets. Two other marauders chain Zack and Tess together with chains, strapping them onto their legs, arms, and neck. the two are herded onto a Bandit Technical and secured in place, surrounded by psychos. The nomad snickers and gloats.

Nomad: It seems Madam Exia will have two new pets! Now DRIVE!

The Bandit Technical begins to drive out of the city, accompanied by several Runners that rode behind and at the sides, acting as guards. Zack and Tess huddle together, now unsure as to what will be happening to them... 