MegaCity 2

[Manni]

Welcome to MegaCity 2, the Best MegaCity in all of Altech! Here, people can find Freedom from the Tyranny and Lies of the Authority. For too long has the Authority hidden the Truth of What's Going On! We, the Dissidents, Intend to Free All from the Gross Injustices of the Authority And Reveal the True Rot that it represents!

This Dissident-run MegaCity is one of the two remaining MegaCities on Altech that are enclosed in the Wall, an impenetrable barrier that was deployed upon the two MegaCities to both protect the cities from the larger World War and to cut them off from the Outside World. However, this had the effect of obviously cutting off the MegaCity 1 and 2 from the Outside World and from help. No supplies or assistance from the outside is available...largely. However, due to the immense technological abilities of Altech and the numerous amount of resources available in the lands within the Wall, it doesn't appear that natural resources will run out any time soon. In fact, most people do not think about the outside world anymore! Most people go about their normal lives in the city, not thinking about the outside world. In the middle of the City lies one of the tallest building in the City, Dissident HQ. Here, the Dissidents oversees the security and protection of the City from major threats including those from the Monsters (likely those Outsider remnants, Virals or worse) and from Authority activity. Given that Dissident HQ is in the middle of the City, it is of equal distance from most major places within the City as city planners have made it as to allow easy access for those with the Dissidents to get around easy. Nearby the Dissidents HQ, in an equally tall and imposing building, is the Consortium's MegaCity 1 Division Building which is pretty much the HQ of the Consortium in MegaCity 1. The Consortium is partnered with the Dissidents in making the defensive and offensive systems that protect MegaCity 2 from Outsider attacks. The Consortium is also responsible for the research and development into Game Images, both new and old. Though no communications from the outside world have been received from quite some time...not even from other Altech cities...not many seem to mind or care...

 

Main Places in MegaCity 2: 

 

Dissidents HQ: Located in the middle of MegaCity 2...like in MegaCity 1 with the Authority HQ strangely enough. It's one of the tallest buildings in the MegaCity and is a sight to behold. Obviously, being a HQ, it is heavily defended and not very easy to gain access to given that the Dissidents operate here. Obviously, there are quick dispatch points, armouries and supply points throughout the city for those on patrol to use but this building is the central hub of government as well as defence. 

Consortium Building, MegaCity Two Branch: The MegaCity Two Branch of the mysterious Consortium, the supplier and developer of the GIs( Game Images) and the GAs (Game Armaments) that the GIs come with. They are the ones that develop the GIs and GA and keep the supporting apparatus up and running and to their credit, they do that especially well. Not many people actually go to the Consortium Building unless they are needed or work there. It is a bit odd but people get an rather eerie feeling getting close to the building, hence why not many people go there. Those that work there sign rather restrictive NDAs (Non Disclosure Agreements)  upon employment which do prevent them from talking much about what goes on there. Though not like the rank and file employees know much...

Rebels' Atrium: Kind of like a botanical garden and a large open public space for the masses to enjoy nature without going outside the MegaCity. It's a beautiful sight for sore eyes but really, does it match the outside? It's quite a nice place to chill and relax, though. It's got a nice vibe and hey, the monuments to some of the great heroes of the past are here!

Great Market District: Where all the big shops and fancy restaurants are, where people spend their hard earned money on things they want to buy.

Convenience Place: Where all the good convenience or chain stores are!

Residential Districts: Where all the people live.

Military Checkpoint (No Checkouts, Please): Set at the major Exit Points in the MegaCity, which control the flow of things in and out of the MegaCity. Obviously, since the Wall was up, not much comes INTO the City...except for the Outsiders. So, what's the use of the Checkpoints then?

 

 

Edited April 8, 2018 by Manni
Adding info

[Neptune]

“Oh shut up.” Ruby said, lightly smacking a hairless chest as the man that she was snuggled up against chuckled in amusement. He was a handsome looking man, with short black hair and dark eyes. He was also quite muscular, with his muscles bulging underneath his skin. The only thing that marred his appearance were purple bruises that blossomed across his chest, and the dried blood that clung to his chin from his split lip. Still, that didn’t bother Ruby in the slightest. He had been fighting after all, and they had just finished celebrating with each other. 

“Hey, it’s true. I could.” The man protested, his dark eyes glinting with amusement and determination. She shifted, moving so that she straddled his hips with a playful smirk on her lips. She tilted her head to look at him, looking like a playful kitten as her hair spilled down her shoulder. She leaned down so that she was closer to him, “I think you’ll need some more time to train before you can beat his ass.” She told him. His hands trailed up her naked thighs to settle on her hips.

“I can do it.” He said with conviction. Ruby’s smirk widened even further, finding such talk hot. A part of her doubted that he could beat the current Cage Champion, but she had to admire his balls. Maybe he was doing it to impress her, or maybe he really thought he could. Either way, it was attractive. She leaned down further and kissed him slowly and sensually. She then pulled away from him, licking her lips, “Then maybe you should try.” She told him in a whisper. His eyes flashed with lust, and he moved to kiss her again but her arm computer beeped at her and she looked at it. She straightened with a curse, “Fuck. I need to go.”

“What? Now?” He said, sounding disappointed. He remained lying on the bed as Ruby slipped off of him and began to gather her clothes, getting dressed, “Yes. Now. I promised my dad I would help him tonight. Jack is waiting to take me. At least I hope so.” She said, shrugging on her fur coat. She then came over to him, kissing him deeply one more time before she smiled, “I’ll see you later, okay?” She said. The man pressed his lips together before nodding, “Yeah. Sure.” He said.

Ruby turned and quickly left, her high highs clicking on the concrete floor of the abandoned warehouse that she was currently in. The current base for the cage fights, away from the public eyes and only for those that were invited. She ran a hand through her blonde hair, trying her best to make it look presentable. She emerged on a small balcony to see the empty cage down below in the main part of the warehouse. There were still some people here, talking, drinking and taking recreational drugs. Her eyes scanned them before falling on a tall, brown haired man. She grinned slightly before quickly descending the stairs and heading over to him, “Hey Jack~” She sung out, causing the man to turn to look at her.

“Ah, finally done congratulating the winner I see.” He said with a grin.

“Of course. It gives some encouragement to the winners to win this fine prize.” Ruby said, indicating herself causing Jack to snort in amusement. He shook his head before saying, “Come on then.” He gave a lazy salute to the man he had been talking to before he lead Ruby out of the warehouse to his rather scrappy looking car. The two got inside and Ruby leaned back in her seat as her friend started driving off through the city. She didn’t bother putting on her seatbelt. She never did. While she knew it was dangerous, she didn’t really care. The thrill of the danger excited her. She turned her head to look at her friend before asking, “So how much did you make tonight?”

Jack glanced at her before shaking her head, “Wouldn’t you like to know?” He asked with a chuckle. She smacked his arm, but knew that he wouldn’t say anything else. He was always quite secretive about the amount of money that he made. She often thought that he made himself look poorer than he actually was, just to throw people off. He was quite selfish when it came to his money, and he tended to cling to it. Out of all the time she had known him, she didn’t think he had even bought her a lousy dollar burger. Tightass.

The car came to a shuddering stop and she looked out of the window as Jack said, “Here you go.” 

“Thanks, Jack. I owe ya.” Ruby said, pulling on the inner handle of the car door. “Mm. Like you always do.” Jack said as she got out. She laughed at that before closing the door and waving as he drove off. She turned around and headed into the apartment complex and to the lift. She pressed for the tenth floor and waited as it ascended to the tenth floor. She got out and quickly walked to her father’s flat, pulling out her key and pressing it into the lock. She got inside, closing the door behind her as she pushed the key into her jean pocket. She then went into the living room where she found her father wrapping up bags of drugs. He glanced at her, “Hey sweetie. How was the fights?” He asked.

“Pretty good. Frank won, again. He seems to think he’s good enough to take on The Man.” Ruby said, sitting down next to her father and reaching forwards to help him. Her father snorted, dropping the bag he was holding into a small pile of them. He picked up a box of cigarettes from the table and pulled two of them out. He placed them between his lips and lit them before handing one of them to Ruby, who accepted it and started smoking it as they continued their work.

“I don’t think he will win. He just doesn’t have the staying power.” James said, to which Ruby couldn’t help but nod in agreement. She had spent a lot of time with these fighters, and could determine who was the better candidate to win. Sometimes, one or two of them would surprise her, but ultimately she was quite accurate. It’s why she often betted on the fights, which gave her a good enough income to pay for the expensive clothes she wanted. That and her father paid her for her help, so she was reasonably well off. She knew that gambling and helping process drugs was not the best way to make money but she didn’t care as long as it got cash in her hands.

After she had helped her father bag everything up, they shared an evening meal of ordered pizza before James left to make his delivery. This left Ruby to her own devices in her bedroom, lounging on the bed as she counted the money that she had made that night. There was a soft beep that she ignored at first, but when it happened again, she threw an annoyed glance at her arm computer. She then paused when she saw that there was an update. The Hero OS update. She blinked, unsure as to what was going on. She then shrugged and accepted it, not really caring for what it did. She returned to counting her money as the update installed and the computer restarted. She rolled up the cash and put it in the top draw of her bedside table before she looked at her arm computer again to see that it had booted up. It didn’t look any different from usual, although there were some new files that caught her attention, including a video file and a text file, “Just what the fuck?” She asked.

[Chiyako]

"Oh the shark, babe. Has such teeth, dear. And it shows them, pearly white!"

Day was nearing its end, casting an orange hue across the sky. A nearly deserted parking lot, minutes prior left in complete silence, now rang with the energetic voice of a young playful girl. While she crossed through the empty black expanse Katsumi did a twirl, hands up as if she were dancing with an equally enthusiastic partner. A pair of headphones blocked out all other sounds.

"Just a jackknife, has old MacHeath, babe. And he keeps it, ooout of sight!"

Another spin brought her close to one of five cars parked near the entrance of a new concrete brick building. Hands dipped into her open overcoat. She hunched over, tip-toeing behind the vehicles. As she passed each of them a small bundle was removed and stuck underneath the back bumper. Red lights blinked silently, indicating that they were powered.

"Ya know when that shark bites. With his teeth, babe. Scarlet billows, start to spread. Fancy gloves, oooh, wears old MacHeath, babe. So there's never, never a trace of red!"

Passing around the final car lead her straight towards the front entrance. Once more her arms raised and once more she began to spin and dance, crossing the ground with her invisible partner. As she neared it she turned around, moving backwards while hands fished in her pockets for a few improvements to her attire. Headphones were pushed down around her neck. A medical mask was slid over her face, followed by a pair of black sunglasses. Finally a baseball cap was removed and slipped onto her head, the tag still hanging off the back.

"Well on the sidewalk, huh huh, whooo Sunday morning, uh huh. Lies a body. Just ooozin' life. Eeeek!"

Her rump bumped backwards, pushing open the door. She turned and hurriedly shuffled her way to the front counter of the bank. Hands disappeared into her pockets, holding the brand new grey overcoat closed. It too still had its tag. There were very few people here at this time of day. The guards, ready to leave their shift, were also more tired. Of course she looked suspicious, but she ignored it. While she remained silent her headphones did not, continuing to blare her music out for those within the room.

"And someone's sneakiin', round the cooorner. Could that someoooooone, be Mack the Knife? There's a tugboat, huh, huh, down by the river don'tcha know. Wheeeere a cement bag's just a droopin' on down. Ooh that cement is just, it's there for the weight, dear. Five'll get ya ten, ooold Macky's back in town!"

The counter clerk finally took notice of the short woman. Her initial reaction was one of confusion. Katsumi wasn't very tall and her outfit was, to say the least, strange, especially considering the sunglasses she wore despite it being nearly night and, more confusing still, the eyepatch she wore over one eye. None of it made sense. Of course her facial expression dropped instantly to one of panic and fear, and in fact was accompanied by a scream, when the little weirdo opened her coat.

"I'm here to make a withdrawal! All the money in the drawers. No dye packs. No tracers. No dumb stuff like that. Anyone move weird and I blow us all to smithereens!" Katsumi screamed, grinning from ear to ear, although her mask mostly covered it up. Her chest was covered with metallic tubes, wires, and blinking lights. She even held a little detonator in her right hand, thumb pressed against a button. A few plastic trash bags were tossed from within her coat and towards the nearest teller. Hopefully the security guards watched enough movies or simply knew enough to know that what she held was a dead man's switch.

"Now did'ja hear 'bout Louie Miller? He disappeared, babe! After draaawin' out! All his hard earned cash! Now MacHeath speeeeends like a saaaailor! Could it beeeee our boy's done somethin rash!? Now Jenny Diver, oh oh! Yeeaaah Sukey Tawdry! Oooh Miss Lotte Lenya! Aaand old Lucy Brown! Oh the line foooorms, on the right babe! Now that Maaacky's back in town."

One foot repeatedly tapped against the ground while she sang, holding on as best it could to the rhythm of the music. The tellers were working as quickly as they could to load up the money into bags. Only two security guards were present and both kept their hands raised off their weapons. They weren't paid much to be here. Why should they risk their lives for the bank's money? Not that Katsumi cared. If they shot at her then, well, she had a plan for that too! It was one exciting game to her.

Finally the bags were presented. The plastic handles were looped twice around her left hand. It was somewhat heavy, but Katsumi was stronger than she appeared. After slinging the money over a shoulder she started to back out, keeping her one visible weapon held up for all to see.

"I said Jenny Diver! Woah Sukey Tawdry! Look out to Miss Lotte Lenya! Aaand old Lucy Brown! Yes that liiine foooorms on the right, babe!"

Another hard bump by her butt opened the opposite door she'd used to enter. One swung in and one swung out. It was important to know which was which for this sort of thing. As soon as she'd exited Katsumi turned, prancing and spinning off into the center of the parking lot! Once more she took to dancing with her invisible partner, although it was starting to heat up! She held them close, shot them away, spun with them, and neared the end of her song.

"Now that Maaaaaaaaaaaaaacky's! Back in toooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooown! Look out old Macky's back!"

The detonator was released. Five balls of fire erupted upwards in front of the bank. Windows were blown inwards, even across the street. Heat washed over the girl while she dipped her companion. She felt the concussive wave reverberate throughout her body, even felt a piece of shrapnel graze lightly across her left cheek while burning husks, once cars, flipped onto the sidewalk, showering the nearby area in fiery debris. She straightened herself out, stopping for a minute to look upon her art. Flames lifted upwards, licking at the air above while smoke spread across the parking lot. Fire alarms had been set off. In the distance she could already hear sirens.

She took off, sprinting across the street and down an alley. Her motorcycle was parked behind a trash bin and underneath a couple torn up cardboard boxes. The bags of money were slipped into carrying pouches on each side. Of course she'd stolen the coat and hat. And the sunglasses. Also the surgical mask. She liked to steal things. It was exciting. Another game to her actually. In any case, these were all tossed into different trash bins. A helmet was slid onto her head, mostly to conceal who she was. Then she took off for home!

"That was fun!" she exclaimed to no one, entering her humble bunker home. Money was tossed aside to an empty chair while clothes were stripped away. She needed a shower. Explosions were glorious, but the heat made things sweaty. They also tended to excite her just a little more than any normal person, perhaps even in a way people might find unusual. As she ventured to the kitchen for a glass of water Katsumi noticed a beeping. She glanced around quickly, wondering if she'd forgotten an explosive.

"Oh. It's just you" she mumbled, finally homing in on the source. Her arm computer had just finished downloading something called 'HERO OS'. A grin spread across her face. It sounded like some sort of game! She loved games! Even uninvited ones! This one had some sort of message too. Perhaps a tutorial?

"Neat!"

[Manni]

*Unfortunately for Katsumi, the HERO OS update she had received earlier, was different from what some others who received the HERO OS update would see. As she was actually a criminal living off the grid (so she thought) and off other people's money, she might have assumed that she were 'safe'. Unfortunately, the target of her latest robbery was a bank with which an executive of the Consortium used and who owned one of the cars she happened to explode. Seeing that it was THEIR money that she stole and their precious car they blew up, they had now got their attention. Unbeknowst to her and the population at large, the Consortium could track just about anyone that possessed a operating Arm Computer that used the facilities of the MegaCities to do their business. Given Katsumi's...prospensity to make things explode and steal funds from people, she had been on the watchlist of the Consortium for some time. They knew where she lived and could track her wherever she went, as long as she had a normal Arm Computer. Though she could be tracked with her Arm Computer, getting rid of it was no option. Doing that would essentially make it impossible for the Consortium to track her BUT since they contain all ID documents and proof of identity and citizenship, which is very important to have. If people are found without those kinds of documents like those handily stored on the Arm Computer...how could they prove they were from whatever City they were...or prove they weren't an 'Outsider'? Having no Arm Computer without some sort of ID was suicide as since...no one can prove who you are and if you exist, those with power could do anything with you. For Katsumi, she was about to learnt that lesson the hard way. The instant she picked up her Arm Computer, the communicator facility self launched and a new window opened. Much like Live Chat apps with webcams, one could normally see who was on the other side through their Arm Computer webcam...but in this case, Katsumi would see nothing. She would just hear a digitized voice.*

"Hello Katsumi, I see you've been quite busy and quite naughty~ and unfortunately for you, time is running short. I advise you not to 'hang up' from this call."

*The usual communicator facility functions, much like FaceTime and such apps, was much like using a phone and one could hang up and block callers from unknown numbers...usually. In this case, the Hang Up option was still there but if she tried it, Katsumi would get quite a nasty shock.*

"We've been monitoring your...activities for quite some time and though, in the past, we have appreciated your acts for increasing demand for our construction services...we do not appreciate you stealing from our pockets. So...here's what's going to happen if you do nothing. In 5 minutes, MegaCity 2 Security Forces will reach your bunker and have been authorized to take you out with lethal and overwhelming force, a KOS (KILL ON SIGHT) Order in other words has been invoked against you. Now, we might be able to come to a...more pleasant resolution, particularly one that does not involve us cleaning your remains off our property. We have the ability to...rescind this Order but only if you decide to cooperate. You have 6 minutes to respond."

[Chiyako]

Well this was certainly the most unusual tutorial she'd ever seen! Suddenly the LiveChat app popped up! "Eeeek!" she shrieked, covering her chest with an arm. She was about to disconnect the app when a voice started to speak. Of course the other end of the call had their own camera shut off so she couldn't see who this naughty little pervert was.

"Uh. Bwuh? You're the one peeping buddy."

The little explosion maniac ventured into the living room, flopping down upon her couch. She didn't bother with shutting off the computer. Her chest was good and covered by her arm and the camera wouldn't see anything lower unless she moved the computer itself! Also she was curious. Very much curious!

"Katsumi has a stalker?! Neat!"

Someone had been watching her! Obviously she was doing good. After all they didn't have her arrested before! Heck, they even said so themselves: she'd helped with construction or something of that sort! It made sense really: she blew things up and people needed things fixed. Perhaps she'd be a little miffed that they went and rebuilt all the things she'd destroyed but it did at least mean that she had even more things to explode! All in all it worked out for everyone. Well, except for the people who had to pay to have things rebuilt.

"Oooh. Scary" she mumbled, mostly so that she didn't interrupt the creepy stalker person. Of course she had explosives set and of course she had an escape plan. How could she not? Without one she wouldn'tve survived this long. Although now they knew where she was regardless. Even if the order was rescinded she'd still be exposed. Then again the computer could track her movements. That was obvious. She didn't really have any place to escape to.

"You don't gotta wait six minutes Mister Stalker. But if they know where I live then aren't they gonna arrest me anyways? Katsumi can't blow things up in jail! Well maybe I can? It'd be kinda hard though. Why did you wait till now to call me anyways?"

She gasped! That had to be it! "Is Mister Stalker trying to see Katsumi naked?! Oolala! We haven't even dated!"

A giggle left her lips. What a naughty stalker she had! This could turn out to be pretty fun regardless of whether or not she lost her home!

"I'm guessing Mister Stalker wants something from Katsumi. What can Katsumi do for Mister Stalker?"

[Manni]

On 13/02/2019 at 02:25, Chiyako said:

Well this was certainly the most unusual tutorial she'd ever seen! Suddenly the LiveChat app popped up! "Eeeek!" she shrieked, covering her chest with an arm. She was about to disconnect the app when a voice started to speak. Of course the other end of the call had their own camera shut off so she couldn't see who this naughty little pervert was.

"Uh. Bwuh? You're the one peeping buddy."

The little explosion maniac ventured into the living room, flopping down upon her couch. She didn't bother with shutting off the computer. Her chest was good and covered by her arm and the camera wouldn't see anything lower unless she moved the computer itself! Also she was curious. Very much curious!

"Katsumi has a stalker?! Neat!"

Someone had been watching her! Obviously she was doing good. After all they didn't have her arrested before! Heck, they even said so themselves: she'd helped with construction or something of that sort! It made sense really: she blew things up and people needed things fixed. Perhaps she'd be a little miffed that they went and rebuilt all the things she'd destroyed but it did at least mean that she had even more things to explode! All in all it worked out for everyone. Well, except for the people who had to pay to have things rebuilt.

"Oooh. Scary" she mumbled, mostly so that she didn't interrupt the creepy stalker person. Of course she had explosives set and of course she had an escape plan. How could she not? Without one she wouldn'tve survived this long. Although now they knew where she was regardless. Even if the order was rescinded she'd still be exposed. Then again the computer could track her movements. That was obvious. She didn't really have any place to escape to.

"You don't gotta wait six minutes Mister Stalker. But if they know where I live then aren't they gonna arrest me anyways? Katsumi can't blow things up in jail! Well maybe I can? It'd be kinda hard though. Why did you wait till now to call me anyways?"

She gasped! That had to be it! "Is Mister Stalker trying to see Katsumi naked?! Oolala! We haven't even dated!"

A giggle left her lips. What a naughty stalker she had! This could turn out to be pretty fun regardless of whether or not she lost her home!

"I'm guessing Mister Stalker wants something from Katsumi. What can Katsumi do for Mister Stalker?"

*Well, this wasn't exactly what the person what the other end was expecting. This person was certainly NOT acting like an ordinary person. If it was any of their business, which it wasn't, they would have asked if this person had some sort of brain damage. Hell, they wasn't even the person whose money was in the bank she had robbed and poor car she had exploded. They were just some employee in the Consortium's Communication Division, with the appropriate clearances who was making this call. Not that they cared whom this person on the other end was or what happened to them, they were just doing what they were told and were being appropriately compensated for their act. Anyway, this call had to continue and at the very least, give her the information she needed.*

"Well, no. You do have many people interested to see you, but unfortunately, most of those people want you in jail or dead. Mostly because they're the people you've either robbed or whose property you've destroyed. Anyway, the purpose of this call is to inform you that we have an interesting proposal for you, if you accept it. We have this very interesting piece of technology ready and waiting for use but we would like to do some final testing. We would invite you to be the test subject for this technology, I think you would like it very much. After all, it involves blowing things up. Yes, a fun game where you get to blow things up. Now, if you would kindly accept this offer, we can 'politely' ask the authorities to leave you alone while we come to escort you to your new home."

It would be obvious to Katsumi that these guys had some clout and would be able to force the authorities to lay off Katsumi for an indefinite amount of time, probably for as long as they found her useful. Though what was this game they were asking her to test?

[Chiyako]

Slim pale legs dangled over one arm of the couch, gently kicking back and forth. Who was this stalker person? What did they look like? Were they cute?! Was it a boy or a girl? She'd probably swing either way. Heck, she'd swing both ways! Maybe even at once! But this was probably just one person.

Regardless she was already checking over the computer while she listened to the person on the other end. Katsumi was good with electronics. She had to be for her bombs. One wrong wire and boom! Could she back-hack the system? Maybe given enough time. But the authorities would arrive long before that ever happened. Not that she actually wished to defy these people. After all this was simply one elaborate business proposition!

Of course her looking over the computer did occasionally cause the camera to drift further down, exposing the arm squeezed against her tiny breasts, even offering glimpses of her flat glistening belly! Oolala~! But she was careful enough not to expose anything further. Eventually she grew bored of the inspection, snapping the camera right back up towards her face!

"Lots of people don't like Katsumi. Their loss. I don't really care who I'm stealing from though. Not like I choose anyone specific! Money is money. The banks insure it anyways. They don't really lose anything at all, ya know?"

A game with explosions? That was all they wanted from her? To test some new technology? It was obviously a trap of some sort, but then traps were also very exciting! They were offering a new home too.

"Katsumi accepts! Wait. Does Katsumi get to ride in a limo?! Does Katsumi get to meet Mister Stalker?! Kinda hungry too. Can we get food? Do I gotta pack up my things? Is this a date?! Does Katsumi need to dress up?! I think I got something nice around here. Somewhere."

She raised her free hand up, fanning off her face. "Moving in on the first date. Mister Stalker sure is forward! Or Miss Stalker? Oooh Katsumi is excited!"

[Manni]

On 17/01/2019 at 11:48, Neptune said:

“Oh shut up.” Ruby said, lightly smacking a hairless chest as the man that she was snuggled up against chuckled in amusement. He was a handsome looking man, with short black hair and dark eyes. He was also quite muscular, with his muscles bulging underneath his skin. The only thing that marred his appearance were purple bruises that blossomed across his chest, and the dried blood that clung to his chin from his split lip. Still, that didn’t bother Ruby in the slightest. He had been fighting after all, and they had just finished celebrating with each other. 

“Hey, it’s true. I could.” The man protested, his dark eyes glinting with amusement and determination. She shifted, moving so that she straddled his hips with a playful smirk on her lips. She tilted her head to look at him, looking like a playful kitten as her hair spilled down her shoulder. She leaned down so that she was closer to him, “I think you’ll need some more time to train before you can beat his ass.” She told him. His hands trailed up her naked thighs to settle on her hips.

“I can do it.” He said with conviction. Ruby’s smirk widened even further, finding such talk hot. A part of her doubted that he could beat the current Cage Champion, but she had to admire his balls. Maybe he was doing it to impress her, or maybe he really thought he could. Either way, it was attractive. She leaned down further and kissed him slowly and sensually. She then pulled away from him, licking her lips, “Then maybe you should try.” She told him in a whisper. His eyes flashed with lust, and he moved to kiss her again but her arm computer beeped at her and she looked at it. She straightened with a curse, “Fuck. I need to go.”

“What? Now?” He said, sounding disappointed. He remained lying on the bed as Ruby slipped off of him and began to gather her clothes, getting dressed, “Yes. Now. I promised my dad I would help him tonight. Jack is waiting to take me. At least I hope so.” She said, shrugging on her fur coat. She then came over to him, kissing him deeply one more time before she smiled, “I’ll see you later, okay?” She said. The man pressed his lips together before nodding, “Yeah. Sure.” He said.

Ruby turned and quickly left, her high highs clicking on the concrete floor of the abandoned warehouse that she was currently in. The current base for the cage fights, away from the public eyes and only for those that were invited. She ran a hand through her blonde hair, trying her best to make it look presentable. She emerged on a small balcony to see the empty cage down below in the main part of the warehouse. There were still some people here, talking, drinking and taking recreational drugs. Her eyes scanned them before falling on a tall, brown haired man. She grinned slightly before quickly descending the stairs and heading over to him, “Hey Jack~” She sung out, causing the man to turn to look at her.

“Ah, finally done congratulating the winner I see.” He said with a grin.

“Of course. It gives some encouragement to the winners to win this fine prize.” Ruby said, indicating herself causing Jack to snort in amusement. He shook his head before saying, “Come on then.” He gave a lazy salute to the man he had been talking to before he lead Ruby out of the warehouse to his rather scrappy looking car. The two got inside and Ruby leaned back in her seat as her friend started driving off through the city. She didn’t bother putting on her seatbelt. She never did. While she knew it was dangerous, she didn’t really care. The thrill of the danger excited her. She turned her head to look at her friend before asking, “So how much did you make tonight?”

Jack glanced at her before shaking her head, “Wouldn’t you like to know?” He asked with a chuckle. She smacked his arm, but knew that he wouldn’t say anything else. He was always quite secretive about the amount of money that he made. She often thought that he made himself look poorer than he actually was, just to throw people off. He was quite selfish when it came to his money, and he tended to cling to it. Out of all the time she had known him, she didn’t think he had even bought her a lousy dollar burger. Tightass.

The car came to a shuddering stop and she looked out of the window as Jack said, “Here you go.” 

“Thanks, Jack. I owe ya.” Ruby said, pulling on the inner handle of the car door. “Mm. Like you always do.” Jack said as she got out. She laughed at that before closing the door and waving as he drove off. She turned around and headed into the apartment complex and to the lift. She pressed for the tenth floor and waited as it ascended to the tenth floor. She got out and quickly walked to her father’s flat, pulling out her key and pressing it into the lock. She got inside, closing the door behind her as she pushed the key into her jean pocket. She then went into the living room where she found her father wrapping up bags of drugs. He glanced at her, “Hey sweetie. How was the fights?” He asked.

“Pretty good. Frank won, again. He seems to think he’s good enough to take on The Man.” Ruby said, sitting down next to her father and reaching forwards to help him. Her father snorted, dropping the bag he was holding into a small pile of them. He picked up a box of cigarettes from the table and pulled two of them out. He placed them between his lips and lit them before handing one of them to Ruby, who accepted it and started smoking it as they continued their work.

“I don’t think he will win. He just doesn’t have the staying power.” James said, to which Ruby couldn’t help but nod in agreement. She had spent a lot of time with these fighters, and could determine who was the better candidate to win. Sometimes, one or two of them would surprise her, but ultimately she was quite accurate. It’s why she often betted on the fights, which gave her a good enough income to pay for the expensive clothes she wanted. That and her father paid her for her help, so she was reasonably well off. She knew that gambling and helping process drugs was not the best way to make money but she didn’t care as long as it got cash in her hands.

After she had helped her father bag everything up, they shared an evening meal of ordered pizza before James left to make his delivery. This left Ruby to her own devices in her bedroom, lounging on the bed as she counted the money that she had made that night. There was a soft beep that she ignored at first, but when it happened again, she threw an annoyed glance at her arm computer. She then paused when she saw that there was an update. The Hero OS update. She blinked, unsure as to what was going on. She then shrugged and accepted it, not really caring for what it did. She returned to counting her money as the update installed and the computer restarted. She rolled up the cash and put it in the top draw of her bedside table before she looked at her arm computer again to see that it had booted up. It didn’t look any different from usual, although there were some new files that caught her attention, including a video file and a text file, “Just what the fuck?” She asked.

*In the video file that Ruby noticed seemed to be some sort of video presentation for the Security Forces of MegaCity 2, run by the Dissidents who had splintered from MegaCity 1. In this presentation which was known as the 'Induction Video' by most and was made the the Consortium, much like most Arm Computer related technology. In the Induction Video, there was a representative from the Consortium with one of the high ranking officials of the Dissident Security Forces of MegaCity 2. It was quite a high production value video, it must be said with all the bells and whistles. Ruby could pick and choose what sections of the video he wanted to watch, much like a Blueray movie. In the video, the representative of the Consortium was talking about the HERO OS product and the related product, the Game Images (GIs for short). Now, if Ruby was up-to-date with his news, he would know that the Consortium had won a large government contract to help develop a new 'defense program' a year ago and it seemed from the video that this was the result. It appeared that this "Hero OS' update was in limited release for security and police personnel. From the sounds of it, this was not so much a live 'beta-test' where there were still bugs but a full release prodcut specifically made for the Security Forces, including police personnel. As the video continued, the various functions of the Hero OS were described and demonstrated. As it turns out, the Hero OS does a few things more than the ordinary OS that Arm Computers have. For example, the Geo-Location and 'Map' capabilities have been changed and modified to allow for real-time information on sighting of threats to be uploaded and tracked. In other words, if anything bad in MegaCity 2 happened, those with the HERO OS would get a notification on the threat, its location and its nature and be able to track it in real-time. Another example of the functionality of the Hero OS was access to a special 'App' Store, linked to the Game Images. It turned out that one could purchase special functionality and quality upgrades for the Arm Computer and the Game Images from this Store, which was unusual as most Arm Computers were not easily upgradable. Also, the video would speak of the Game Images or GIs for short. It seemed that the GIs were essentially kind of like a specialised 'loadout' or configuration that people could use to defend themselves with. It seemed to be some sort of advanced technological development that allowed for rapid deployment of armed units to react and respond to threats. There were limited  live demostrations of the technology in the video, showing how the GIs functioned and what exactly they did. The operation of using the GI was quite easy, almost idiot-proof despite how mindbogglingly compelx the actual technology was. From the video, Ruby would learn the basics of how to use a Game Image and that there were more advanced tutorial features in the Hero OS product, under the How To Guide section in the OS GUI itself. It appeared to offer advanced simulations and helpful advice on how to use the OS and the GIs.*

*In the text file however was something rather strange. Written in the text file were the following words...*

 

And so...The God that Created the World was parted into pieces.

By the Beings They Created, For the God They Wanted.

Each of the Mighty Kingdoms took a piece,

And made with it their own God in Their Own Image.

But The Mighty Kingdoms would Find that

Deicide is Rewarded With Death.

Being Cast Away like Rubbish,

The God that Created the World

Cried.

Their Cry, heard by the Universe,

Ushered in the Final Judgement

 

 

[Neptune]

Ruby wiggled her fingers slightly before she pressed the button to open up the video. She sunk further down into her bed as she watched the induction video. Hero OS? She had never heard of such a thing. She rarely kept an eye on the news, as there was little of interest in it. So she had no idea that this was part of a new ‘defence program’. Still, she found the contents of the video to be absolutely fascinating. Not to mention fun. It almost sounded like she could run around and be a hero. Not that it mattered much to her. As long as it was thrilling, and gave her something exciting to do, she didn’t care. Although why she would get something that was intended for the security forces, she didn’t know. Perhaps it was a mistake. If it was, she wasn’t about to tell anyone. Screw that. Not if it meant that she could have some fun. She straightened again on her seat, pressing her back against the headboard as it went through the features of the shop, including upgrades for the arm computer and to Game Images. She watched her way through the rest of the video before closing it down and opening up the store which she took a nose through. At the moment, she couldn’t afford any of the upgrades but that didn’t matter too much. A lot of them looked interesting, and she couldn’t wait to see if she can try them out. 

She then opened up the map feature, but saw that there were currently no alerts which made her pout a little. She was hoping that it would have some fun for her. If there were no alerts right now, then what was the point? With a sigh, she closed it down and instead opened up the text file. Her eyebrows crinkled a little in confusion, as she had no idea what the hell this meant. It looked like some kind of poem. A poem of which held no meaning to her. Why the hell was this included? She was expecting many things, but this was not one of them. She then shrugged, decided to not bother with it. She wasn’t a scholar, after all. She wasn’t interested in sitting there and trying to delve into the meanings of poems. It was boring. She would much rather be out and doing something exciting. 

She closed down the text file, her lips pursing into a slight pout before she sighed. She slipped out of her bed and headed into the kitchen where she opened the fridge and saw the leftover pizza. She snagged a slice before picking out the orange juice that was in it. She munched on her pizza as she poured herself a glass. She put the carton of juice back into the fridge before she finished off the slice and drank the juice. She put the glass on the side before she went into the bathroom and got herself ready for bed. Once she had finished, she went into her bedroom and stripped herself before slipping into her bed. She sighed contently as she rolled herself in her duvet and settled herself to get comfortable. Her eyes opened for a moment when she heard the front door open and close, indicating that her father had returned from his run. She closed her eyes again and settled down to get some sleep.

[Manni]

On 23/02/2019 at 04:08, Chiyako said:

Slim pale legs dangled over one arm of the couch, gently kicking back and forth. Who was this stalker person? What did they look like? Were they cute?! Was it a boy or a girl? She'd probably swing either way. Heck, she'd swing both ways! Maybe even at once! But this was probably just one person.

Regardless she was already checking over the computer while she listened to the person on the other end. Katsumi was good with electronics. She had to be for her bombs. One wrong wire and boom! Could she back-hack the system? Maybe given enough time. But the authorities would arrive long before that ever happened. Not that she actually wished to defy these people. After all this was simply one elaborate business proposition!

Of course her looking over the computer did occasionally cause the camera to drift further down, exposing the arm squeezed against her tiny breasts, even offering glimpses of her flat glistening belly! Oolala~! But she was careful enough not to expose anything further. Eventually she grew bored of the inspection, snapping the camera right back up towards her face! 

"Lots of people don't like Katsumi. Their loss. I don't really care who I'm stealing from though. Not like I choose anyone specific! Money is money. The banks insure it anyways. They don't really lose anything at all, ya know?"

A game with explosions? That was all they wanted from her? To test some new technology? It was obviously a trap of some sort, but then traps were also very exciting! They were offering a new home too.

"Katsumi accepts! Wait. Does Katsumi get to ride in a limo?! Does Katsumi get to meet Mister Stalker?! Kinda hungry too. Can we get food? Do I gotta pack up my things? Is this a date?! Does Katsumi need to dress up?! I think I got something nice around here. Somewhere." 

She raised her free hand up, fanning off her face. "Moving in on the first date. Mister Stalker sure is forward! Or Miss Stalker? Oooh Katsumi is excited!" 

*The person that was performing this servive for the Consortium was not amused. This Katsumi seemed to be someone with the mentality of a child, not that they particularly cared. It's not like they will meet them anyway, that was someone else's job. This person thanked their lucky stars as they were finding this person exasperating to deal with. Their parents always told them that they were most likely never going to marry but that didn't bother them one bit. They were not a child-friendly person anyway. If this Katsumi was what children were like, then this person would definitely never have any. The person on the other end did not particularly care for the 'fanservice' they were getting, even if it wasn't on purpose. They weren't interested and Katsumi did not seem legal anyway so any attraction was moot.*

"Funnily enough, you will be riding a kind of limo. Think of it was a fancy all terrain variety of limo, still luxurious but practical." the person on the other end of the line said. This girl was not getting a company car at least, rather this person would be a bit pissed. She was just being esorted to one of the Consortium's Research and Testing facilities to so they could 'safely' see if this girl was capable of handling their new product. While the actual testing of a good amount of the GIs was done, there were still a few left needing a bit more tweaking. Especially since they were launching the 'Field Test' soon. "They'll be there in a minute or two. And don't worry about food, that will be provided at your new home. You can take personal belongings but no explosives. You will have plenty of those where you're going."

[Chiyako]

"Some kinda limo is better than none!"

Wait. A minute or two?! And no explosives?!?!? Well what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them, right? But if they did search her it might be even more exciting. This person was promising more explosives wherever it was that she was going. Could she trust them? Probably not. But then she could make an explosive out of many, many things!

"Okay! Well Katsumi is going to get ready then! Seeya later stalker!"

With that she'd hop up from her seat and move to her closet, whipping out a scarf! It was wrapped around the computer in order to block out any cameras. She didn't need to give away all the goods on her first date! Not that it was actually a date but it almost felt that way in a way. Sort of. It was at least all a part of her grand game.

A suitcase was opened up and settled onto her couch. Clothes were packed away inside, as were some of her larger bomb-making tools. A pair of cotton pink heart undies were slid onto her body, along with a matching pink bra. But what else to wear? She ultimately went with a pair of black silken stockings, a knee-length blue skirt, a button-up white dress t-shirt, and finally a black wool overcoat. It had plenty of pockets, each of which were stuffed with minor items: grenades, switchblades, a meat cleaver, some standard issue handcuff keys, a lighter, those sorts of things.

Next to be filled were a leather satchel bag and her bright pink backpack. The satchel contained toiletries and a few more tools. Her backpack would contain electronics and, as one might expect, even more tools! Tools were very important. Only when she finished all this did she remove the scarf from her arm computer, slinging it loosely around her neck! She even slung the bag of money she'd stolen over a shoulder, figuring it'd make for a good peace offering.

After walking outside of the bunker she'd lock it up and, using a small remote, set her home's defense mechanisms back on. Any poor soul who tried to break in would receive an explosive surprise!

[Neptune]

Ruby slowly felt herself come to consciousness slowly, finding herself quite content to take her time as she slowly woke up. Her bed was far too comfortable for her to feel the desire to leave it anytime soon. She had no urgent needs, and thus was content to remain exactly where she was. Her eyes opened for a moment, scanning over the curtains that were alight from the morning sun, before she closed them again with a long, soft sigh. She turned her head a little, curving her spine as she languidly stretched out her arms as she felt the muscles tense against the stretch for a moment, before relaxing. She let up on the pressure and allowed her arms to fall to the bed as she remained still for several long minutes. 

She repeated the stretching process with her legs, feeling immensely better the moment when every muscle in her body relaxed. Only now did she feel ready to get out of bed. She pushed the duvet to one side before pulling herself up, twisting so that she sat on the edge of the bed with her feet pressing against the carpet of her bedroom. She opened her eyes again, tilting her head and looking at her bedside table before she let out a small sigh of irritation. She had forgot to put her money away. She picked up the pile of rumbled notes from the table and stood up in one graceful movement before she went over to her dresser. She pulled out her underwear draw and pushed a few items aside, revealing a locked box. She slid her fingers underneath a teddy bear that was sitting on top of the chest of drawers before pulling it back to reveal a key. She used it to unlock the box, which was filled with more notes. Hopefully, she should have enough saved up for her own car, or bike. While a car would be infinitely more practical, her more adventurous spirit would much prefer a motorbike. 

Once the money was away, she locked the box and pushed it deeper into the drawer before hiding it with her underwear once again. She put the key back where it belonged before she closed the drawer. She then turned and snatched up her towel from where it was slung over her radiating unit. She wrapped it around her naked form before she opened the bedroom door and stepped outside. The sound of snores indicated that her father was still asleep. Most likely working off a hangover from the night before. 

She slipped into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind her. She hung her towel up on the towel rack before she stepped into the shower and turned it on. While she waited for the water to warm up, she quickly brushed her teeth to get rid of the horrible morning taste in her mouth. She then slipped into the shower, allowing the warm water to wash over her. It was even more relaxing than the stretches she had done when waking up. She allowed herself a few minutes of luxury under the warm spray before she washed her hair, and body. As usual, she took as long as she wanted. While her father could wake up at any moment, needing the toilet, she didn’t particularly care. She had warned her father that if he was not awake before her morning shower, that was his problem, not hers.

When she was finished, she stepped out of the shower and used her towel to dab herself down so that she didn’t drip all over the place. Once she was sure that she was semi-dry, she wrapped the towel around herself and left the bathroom, slipping back into her room. She had barely stepped away from the door when she heard the other bedroom door open up. She smiled slightly to herself as she picked up a smaller towel from the radiator unity and used it to rub her hair. She did this for several moments, causing it to become messy. She pushed the damp strands from her face before she put the towel back where it belonged before she sat herself at her dresser. Ruby raised her eyes and looked into the mirror before she picked up a comb which she used to straighten out the strands of her blonde hair. She then picked up a brush, and a hairdryer to make sure that her hair was properly dried. When she was sure of it, she did her morning routine of applying makeup. She used black eyeliner around the edges of her eyes, making sure that it was neat and uniform, so that the blue of her eyes would stand out. She then applies eye shadow, this time a dark purple. Since she felt that she had a good complexion, she didn’t bother with any kind of foundation. She applied red lipstick to her lips, double checking in the mirror that it applied properly. Once she was satisfied, she dressed herself in her ripped blue jeans and tank top that showed off her toned stomach.

Ruby left the bedroom, hearing the sound of the shower going, and moved into the kitchen where she prepared herself a breakfast of toast with a generous slathering of jam. While she kept an eye on her weight, she knew she could treat herself to such things as she worked out often, helping to keep herself in shape. As for today, she had nothing particular planned. She might need to do some food shopping for her father, but unless one of her friends called to hang out, she had nothing. 

[Manni]

On 01/03/2019 at 04:34, Chiyako said:

"Some kinda limo is better than none!"

Wait. A minute or two?! And no explosives?!?!? Well what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them, right? But if they did search her it might be even more exciting. This person was promising more explosives wherever it was that she was going. Could she trust them? Probably not. But then she could make an explosive out of many, many things!

"Okay! Well Katsumi is going to get ready then! Seeya later stalker!"

With that she'd hop up from her seat and move to her closet, whipping out a scarf! It was wrapped around the computer in order to block out any cameras. She didn't need to give away all the goods on her first date! Not that it was actually a date but it almost felt that way in a way. Sort of. It was at least all a part of her grand game.

A suitcase was opened up and settled onto her couch. Clothes were packed away inside, as were some of her larger bomb-making tools. A pair of cotton pink heart undies were slid onto her body, along with a matching pink bra. But what else to wear? She ultimately went with a pair of black silken stockings, a knee-length blue skirt, a button-up white dress t-shirt, and finally a black wool overcoat. It had plenty of pockets, each of which were stuffed with minor items: grenades, switchblades, a meat cleaver, some standard issue handcuff keys, a lighter, those sorts of things.

Next to be filled were a leather satchel bag and her bright pink backpack. The satchel contained toiletries and a few more tools. Her backpack would contain electronics and, as one might expect, even more tools! Tools were very important. Only when she finished all this did she remove the scarf from her arm computer, slinging it loosely around her neck! She even slung the bag of money she'd stolen over a shoulder, figuring it'd make for a good peace offering.

After walking outside of the bunker she'd lock it up and, using a small remote, set her home's defense mechanisms back on. Any poor soul who tried to break in would receive an explosive surprise!

*As the person  on the other side of the line had stated, the vechicle had arrived within a minute or two of the call ending. The vechicle looked rather impressive, pretty much like a rather fancy armoured humvee though better looking (though you would think so given who this was owned by). While there didn't seem to be any visible weapons on it, that was expected as it was still meant to be a CIVILIAN vechicle...well...repurposed military grade vechicle for civilian use. Anyway, the humvee-like vechicle was parked a few metres from the entrance of Katsumi's bunker home. As soon as Kastumi emerged from the bunker, one of the back doors of the humee opened and out a person emerged out of the humvee. They looked quite ordinary enough but something about them seemed off. They seemed awfully unarmed considering whom they were dealing with. Though, if they knew who they were dealing with, then this could a form of misdirection. They were holding something of interest in their hands. It looked like some sort of scanning device. Looks like they wanted to make sure Katsumi kept her end of the bargain and came with no explosives. The person whom emerged from the humvee took one look at Katsumi and told her rather casually, "Come on now, we needn't take all day. Please come over here and consent to a security scan. We need  to make sure our trip is uneventful as possible. I don't particularly want to have any unexpected surprises on your trip."

Perhaps Katsumi would wonder whom this person was that was talking to her so casually. Was she someone of importance? Was she tough?

[Chiyako]

"Ooooh. Are you my date~?!"

The mad bomber slowed her gait, drawing a curious red eye over the woman's form. It was very clear that she was checking the person out. She didn't really pay any heed towards the scanning device either, after all Katsumi knew what it was. She had to for her 'work'. When she finally reached the woman Katsumi held her arms out straight out to the sides. "I've got a few grenades on me. No biggie."

Hips slowly swayed from side to side while she awaited the inspection. It was all she could do to contain her excitement! After all she was going to get to ride in such a big, armored, neat looking vehicle! And she was getting a new job and a new home! Also possibly a date! Maybe! Probably not! But maybe!

"You aren't gonna punish me for a few lil grenades, right? Right? Do we still get to hold hands?!"

[Neptune]

The moment Ruby had finished with her breakfast and put her place aside so that she could relax on the sofa, her father came flying in. He gave her a brief greeting before he went into the kitchen and quickly cooked himself a slide of toast before he was gone again. A moment later, she heard the front door open and then close, meaning that she was all alone. She sighed a little before she picked up her plate again and got up. She went into the kitchen, cleaning up after herself and her father. Lazy she might be, and a little too inclined to take drugs and party, she always cleaned up after herself. It was a habit ingrained into her by her mother. Sure, it would be easy to just let it go, but she had no desire to. She liked living in a relatively clean home. Ruby opened the fridge and pulled out the carton of orange juice, before snagging a glass down from the shelf. She poured herself a glass before putting the carton back. 

Just as she was about to lift the glass to her lips to take a sip, there was a knocking on the door. With a slight frown, she put the glass back down on the side. As far as she was aware, they weren’t expecting a delivery today. If they were, her father would have informed her. She left the kitchen and went into the main hall, where she could see the dark shape of a figure in the glass of the door. After a moment of hesitation, she opened the door to see a tall man with a friendly smile. He was quite cute, with blonde hair and blue eyes. 

“Delivery for Ruby Hunt.” The man said, holding up a package with her name and address on it. Ruby looked down at it before looking up at him, “That’s me.” She said, holding out a hand. He handed it over before giving her another smile and then walking off. Ruby remained where she stood for a few moments, blinking. She then drew back from the door and closed it behind her. If her father had nothing coming, she certainly didn’t have anything. Perhaps this was a present from one of her friends, or admirers? She had, had them before.

With a little shrug of one shoulder, she went back into the kitchen to pick up her glass. She sipped on it before she wandered back into the living room. She put the glass down on the coffee table before she sat down and opened up the package. When she finally got into it, she found what appeared to be a USB that was purple in colour. She picked it up and looked at it for a few moments before she noticed a note. She picked it up and looked at it, as it gave instructions to plug it into the arm computer and follow the directions of the tutorial. She then remembered the tutorial she had watched the night before. She slipped the USB into the arm computer, making sure it was in secure. She then watched as it downloaded the information before indicating that it was ready. Feeling a little silly, she then said out loud, “Tutorial Start.” She then looked up as her living room disappeared around her.

[Manni]

On 17/03/2019 at 11:58, Neptune said:

The moment Ruby had finished with her breakfast and put her place aside so that she could relax on the sofa, her father came flying in. He gave her a brief greeting before he went into the kitchen and quickly cooked himself a slide of toast before he was gone again. A moment later, she heard the front door open and then close, meaning that she was all alone. She sighed a little before she picked up her plate again and got up. She went into the kitchen, cleaning up after herself and her father. Lazy she might be, and a little too inclined to take drugs and party, she always cleaned up after herself. It was a habit ingrained into her by her mother. Sure, it would be easy to just let it go, but she had no desire to. She liked living in a relatively clean home. Ruby opened the fridge and pulled out the carton of orange juice, before snagging a glass down from the shelf. She poured herself a glass before putting the carton back. 

Just as she was about to lift the glass to her lips to take a sip, there was a knocking on the door. With a slight frown, she put the glass back down on the side. As far as she was aware, they weren’t expecting a delivery today. If they were, her father would have informed her. She left the kitchen and went into the main hall, where she could see the dark shape of a figure in the glass of the door. After a moment of hesitation, she opened the door to see a tall man with a friendly smile. He was quite cute, with blonde hair and blue eyes. 

“Delivery for Ruby Hunt.” The man said, holding up a package with her name and address on it. Ruby looked down at it before looking up at him, “That’s me.” She said, holding out a hand. He handed it over before giving her another smile and then walking off. Ruby remained where she stood for a few moments, blinking. She then drew back from the door and closed it behind her. If her father had nothing coming, she certainly didn’t have anything. Perhaps this was a present from one of her friends, or admirers? She had, had them before.

With a little shrug of one shoulder, she went back into the kitchen to pick up her glass. She sipped on it before she wandered back into the living room. She put the glass down on the coffee table before she sat down and opened up the package. When she finally got into it, she found what appeared to be a USB that was purple in colour. She picked it up and looked at it for a few moments before she noticed a note. She picked it up and looked at it, as it gave instructions to plug it into the arm computer and follow the directions of the tutorial. She then remembered the tutorial she had watched the night before. She slipped the USB into the arm computer, making sure it was in secure. She then watched as it downloaded the information before indicating that it was ready. Feeling a little silly, she then said out loud, “Tutorial Start.” She then looked up as her living room disappeared around her.

OOC Note: Yes, this copy and paste job is on purpose! Especially with the structures of the cities! Keep note of this!

 

*As the world around Ruby disappeared, a new one formed around him. No longer was she at home but it looked like he was somewhere near the centre of Rebel's Atrium, where the Amplitheatre was and where the statues of the heroes that died during the Outsider War were. It looked like an excellent reconstruction of Rebel's Atrium by the look of it, apart from the fact there was no people here. Everything like all the seats, water fountains, rubbish bins, paths, lights and utilties were all where they were in the 'real world'. Whoever made this had done a really good job in modelling it. This was very odd, as Rebel's Atrium was always full of people and life. Here, she could not hear any signs of life. There didn't seem to be anyone here but herself. For a few moments, silence would reign in this strange place. Suddenly, Ruby's Arm Computer let out a beeping noise as it projected a screen out in front of them. It stated that the 'Game Field Stage' had been automatically selected for them for the sake of convenience but if they wished to change the 'Stage', she could do so by saying 'Stage Select' and using motion controls (via swiping and pressing the projection in front of him) to select a new stage for himself. Of course, the screen made obvious that they could skip this step by making an appropriate voice command. After selecting an appropriate stage, if she chose one or stuck with the one he had, the projected screen in front of Ruby changed to a new one telling him that she would notice that he had now 'transformed' and that their clothing was now changed. The computer gave Ruby a few moments to register this as the screen on her Arm Computer changed to something like a status screen like those found in shooters. It was then that the Arm Computer projected a new screen explaining that they was about to meet an AI character that would help them learn about how to use the functions of their Arm Computer.A few seconds after Ruby read the screen completely, the projection ended and the screen disappeared. It was then that something really odd took place. Appearing in front of Ruby, a metre or two in front of them was what seemed to be a strange airlock type door. It seemed like something out of a sci-fi movie, those space opera ones with the fancy technology.

"Must I do this?" a gruff male voice uttered from the other side of the door, seemingly rather annoyed that they were having to do grunt work today.

*A moment later, the door opened and someone walked out of the door, which strangely phased out of existence the same way it appeared. The figure did not look too perturbed by this turn of events, seemingly resigned to have to teach this 'newbie' the ropes. Ruby would have a few moments to take in the appearance of this strange figure, who was around half his height and overly stocky. In fact, it looked like...yes. this person was a small adult human...dwarf size human maybe. They were wearing a ridicuolous looking suit/armour thing that looked like army fatigues one would wear to protect oneself from injuries while skating or blading.  It looked really il-fiting but something told Donovan that this was not ordinary stuff. Especially the fact that the figure was wearing his own status screen on his chest!*

 

[Neptune]

Ruby recognised the area that she appeared in, causing her to frown a little, “What the hell am I doing here?” She asked herself before she noticed that things weren’t quite what they were supposed to be. For a start, it was quiet. She had never known this place to be quiet. She looked around and saw that there was no one moving around. It was completely devoid of life, other than the well cared for plants. It was as if the entire amphitheatre had been cleaned out of people so that she could have it to herself. Her initial thoughts were that she was somehow transported here, but she quickly dismissed that idea. That was ridiculous. She remembered from the tutorial that this HeroOS created a ‘Game Field’ that represented real places but that was all that they were. Representations. Like some kind of holodeck. Her arm computer began to beep and she lifted her arm up and looked up at the projected screen. Just as she had thought, this was the Game Field Stage that she was in. She decided to stick with what she had, as she was too curious about what was going on to bother looking through them all. So she selected the one she current had before the screen told her that she had ‘transformed’ into different clothes. With a startled blink, she looked down at herself only to find that she was wearing her favourite outfit. 

She was wearing light blue jeans that were artfully ripped and torn down her legs, even on the back of the leg pieces. She had a white mini-tank top on, just covering her breasts and only a tiny bit of her torso. Wrapped around her was a furry coat, light beige in colour. She also had golden jewelry wrapped around the arm of the coat, as well as golden bracelets. She then looked up a little, reading that she was about to meet an AI character that would show her the ropes. She lowered her arm, frowning a little as she looked forwards at the strange door that appeared. She looked it up and down before she tilted her head to the side slightly, her eyebrows raising a little as she heard a grumbling from behind it. 

When the doors opened, a little of startled surprise crossed her face as she saw the figure that stepped through. She had never seen anything so strange in her life. She looked him up and down before she put her hands on her lips and stared down at him with a faintly amused look, “Well. You’re certainly not what I expected.” She said. She had expected a person, not this… strange individual. What could this person teach her? It seemed so silly.

[Manni]

On 23/03/2019 at 22:20, Neptune said:

Ruby recognised the area that she appeared in, causing her to frown a little, “What the hell am I doing here?” She asked herself before she noticed that things weren’t quite what they were supposed to be. For a start, it was quiet. She had never known this place to be quiet. She looked around and saw that there was no one moving around. It was completely devoid of life, other than the well cared for plants. It was as if the entire amphitheatre had been cleaned out of people so that she could have it to herself. Her initial thoughts were that she was somehow transported here, but she quickly dismissed that idea. That was ridiculous. She remembered from the tutorial that this HeroOS created a ‘Game Field’ that represented real places but that was all that they were. Representations. Like some kind of holodeck. Her arm computer began to beep and she lifted her arm up and looked up at the projected screen. Just as she had thought, this was the Game Field Stage that she was in. She decided to stick with what she had, as she was too curious about what was going on to bother looking through them all. So she selected the one she current had before the screen told her that she had ‘transformed’ into different clothes. With a startled blink, she looked down at herself only to find that she was wearing her favourite outfit. 

She was wearing light blue jeans that were artfully ripped and torn down her legs, even on the back of the leg pieces. She had a white mini-tank top on, just covering her breasts and only a tiny bit of her torso. Wrapped around her was a furry coat, light beige in colour. She also had golden jewelry wrapped around the arm of the coat, as well as golden bracelets. She then looked up a little, reading that she was about to meet an AI character that would show her the ropes. She lowered her arm, frowning a little as she looked forwards at the strange door that appeared. She looked it up and down before she tilted her head to the side slightly, her eyebrows raising a little as she heard a grumbling from behind it.  

When the doors opened, a little of startled surprise crossed her face as she saw the figure that stepped through. She had never seen anything so strange in her life. She looked him up and down before she put her hands on her lips and stared down at him with a faintly amused look, “Well. You’re certainly not what I expected.” She said. She had expected a person, not this… strange individual. What could this person teach her? It seemed so silly. 

"Well, I didn't expect a CIVILIAN to be the recipient of one of the New Generation Game Images but I guess beggers can't be choosers." the figure snarkly replied back, the man's voice being clear despite there not being an obvious opening for his voice to escape from the insides of his suit. "Especially since I didn't choose. Anyway, let's get this over with."

*The diminutive figure somehow managed to snap his fingers, despite how clunky his hands looked, and almost immediately objects like crates, barrels and various other 'decorations' littered the immediate area. The setup looked like a shooting gallery kind of scenario, but where do they start from...and most importantly where were the targets. The figure looked back at Ruby and said simply, "Now the best way I can teach you how this all works is by practical experience. Before that, let's get you geared up with your primary Game Armanent (GA) out and have a bit of a test-play with it. Consider yourself lucky that you get a choice with this generation, I certainly didn't get that."

*It was at that point that an update came up on her screen, saying that the Game Armanent(s) had been unlocked and to pick a primary weapon. A new 'touch screen' projection came out of the Arm Computer, showing her the options she had to select. From the looks of it, she had quite a selection of small arms to choose from. She could also choose to go single handed or dual wielding as well. Once she chose her weapon, the comptuer would tell her she could customize the 'skin' or appearance of her weapon at any time at no cost. The figure in front of her then told her, "Try not to take too long with that, will you? I can't say I have a lot of time here. Oh yes, should mention that the skins are cosmetic only. Anything that alters and changes functions like mods and such cost and can be bought from the Shop."

*It was then that the projection did mention what the figure just said and indicated that the Shop option had been unlocked. It looked like the Shop option used a different currency than what Ruby was used to, so that the money she had at the moment in the 'real world' had no bearing on what currency she had at her disposal in the Shop. It could be advantageous or disadvantageous. The computer also mentioned that the currency for the Shop was a special currency for itself and the Hero OS.*

[Neptune]

Ruby scoffed slightly at the strangers snarky response. She crossed her arms across her chest as she gave him a rather distant, unimpressed look. That look disappeared however, when the stranger snapped their fingers and objects appeared around her. Her arms unwound themselves, falling back at her side as she looked around at the piles of objects. It took her a moment to realise that it looked like some kind of shooting scenario. Her eyes moved back towards the figure when he began to speak again as he said to get her geared up with her primary game armaments. Her arm computer beeped, drawing her attention and causing her to bring up her arm as the new touch screen projection appeared out of the computer, allowing her to see a screen full of weapon options. All of them being small weapons like pistols. The kinds of weapons she preferred, as it allowed her to be quick while allowing her to remain distant from an opponent. Her eyes lit up when it said that she could duel wield as well. Now that was certainly her style. She began to flip through the options that she had, almost ignoring what the figure had told her.

Most of the weapons had little interest for her, such as the knives and other such bladed weapons. Instead, she kept continuing to the pistols, of which she selected one that had a good firing rate. Its damage was a little lower than the other pistols per shot, but its DPS was higher due to the firing rate. It had a sleek design that looked as if it would go well in her hands. Once she had selected the weapon to dual wield, she went to the customisation window and began to look at some of the skins. There were some that were rather boring and drap, like camo, black, green and brows. But then she came across the more interesting ones that had a mix of colours, like a vivid pink one with black stripes. Or a blue one with yellow dots. But the skins she was drawn to was one that was gold in colour, and another that was silver. As a materialistic person, the skins greatly appealed to her. She used the gold on the gun intended for her right hand, and the silver for the left. She was annoyed to note that she had no ‘money’, and wondered how the hell she got her hands on some.

She finished her selection before she looked at the small figure, “Hey, shorty. What’s this money business about, and how do I get my hands on some?” She asked, not caring of the figure became offended by her language. She always made up nicknames for everyone, usually something insulting. Their reaction to the first time using such a nickname usually told her if they would be worth being a friend or not. Those that were insulted, pouted or whined were not worth her time. Someone who laughed, or stood up to her were more worthy of her attention. 

[Manni]

On 16/03/2019 at 02:08, Chiyako said:

"Ooooh. Are you my date~?!"

The mad bomber slowed her gait, drawing a curious red eye over the woman's form. It was very clear that she was checking the person out. She didn't really pay any heed towards the scanning device either, after all Katsumi knew what it was. She had to for her 'work'. When she finally reached the woman Katsumi held her arms out straight out to the sides. "I've got a few grenades on me. No biggie."

Hips slowly swayed from side to side while she awaited the inspection. It was all she could do to contain her excitement! After all she was going to get to ride in such a big, armored, neat looking vehicle! And she was getting a new job and a new home! Also possibly a date! Maybe! Probably not! But maybe!

"You aren't gonna punish me for a few lil grenades, right? Right? Do we still get to hold hands?!"

*The woman scanned Katsumi with the device, the output from the scanning device would be displayed on the person's Arm Computer. The device obviously picked up the grenades that Katsumi had but also the switchblade, meat cleaver and handcuffs. The woman took a cursory glance at the output on her Arm Computer, seeing that Katsumi had those items on her. The woman sighed a bit before speaking to Katsumi. "You know, bringing handcuffs on a 'first date' is a bit much don't you think? Especially since I'm not exactly enarmored for snuff and BDSM. If you would kindly hand those over, along with your melee weapons, we can get on with our trip."

It appeared that the woman had expected Katsumi to carry explosives of some sort and goodness knows what else. Maybe she read some sort of dossier on her or something, which would indicate that they had been watching her for some time. "As for 'our' date, we'll get to that when we're at our destination. Meeting over lunch would be preferable."

[Chiyako]

"Hey! You never can anticipate when you might need a good old pair of handcuffs! They're multipurpose ya know."

She wasn't really that into snuff. BDSM wasn't exactly on her menu either. Well, maybe some light stuff with the cuffs but that was about it. Even so she really wanted to get going onto their date! And so with a hesitant shrug Katsumi reached into her coat, pulling out the many weapons and grenades and even the handcuffs. One by one they were piled into the woman's arms.

"Lunch date? Sounds lovely!"

Without a moment's hesitation Katsumi tossed her things into the open door of the large vehicle before leaping right on in herself! She made certain to pile her things on one end and had planned on sitting nice and close to the fancy lady who'd come to meet with her. "Whats for lunch anyways?"

[Manni]

*As Katsumi got herself and the rest of her stuff into the vehicle, the woman put Katsumi's 'contraband goods' into the back, in a large secure box where there was no chance of getting things lost, stolen or...inconveniently exploding. Since that was done and the box secure, the woman entered the car through the same door that Katsumi got in through. She wasn't too surprised that Katsumi chose to sit nice and close to her, seeing that Katsumi was treating this as a date. Though the woman had to admit that Katsumi was not her type, being too young and all, there was something endearing about the way she was acting. Well, apart from the weapons and the explosives and the extensive criminal record the girl had...*

"What's for lunch?" the woman repeated to Katsumi. "Well, what did you feel like? You should know you will be getting VIP treatment at least for today so we can get whatever we want."

*The woman was actually being rather honest with this. The Consortium treated its employees relatively well and especially those doing rather dangerous work like these two. The woman, who was also a Game Image Tester like Katsumi was going to be, knew that this was like fringe benefits for their job which could be quite dangerous at times. While she had been doing this for some time, she still got nervous doing assignments. This was probably, for her, one of the more easy assignments she had been given. She thanked her 'lucky stars' for that.*

"Anyway, my name's Angela and I'll be your handler and mentor...I guess you could call it?" the woman said politely.

[Chiyako]

As soon as the poor woman had settled into her seat Katsumi scooted just a bit closer, enough so that their hips were touching. The first romantic bit of contact! At least within her head. She even slung her closest arm up over the woman's shoulder! It was a bit awkward given how small she was but then one couldn't fault her for trying.

"Really? Does that mean you're an option?"

Sharpened white teeth were flashed into a wide grin. "I totally mean that in a sexual way. Not a 'I'm a weird cannibal' sorta way." Given the teeth she felt the need to further elaborate. It also meant she could be even more blunt about her advances while not completely being direct with it! Not that she was at all flustered by the idea of being direct. After all the very thing she'd elaborated upon in the first place was pretty direct.

"Steak sounds nice. Heck if they're making me a VIP then I'm up for doing almost anything. Especially if it involves explosives! Certainly doesn't hurt either to have someone like you around."

With her date's name finally revealed Katsumi leaned in even closer still! "Angela? Pretty name. You can handle me any day."

Mentoring was probably good too.

[Manni]

On 01/04/2019 at 00:17, Neptune said:

Ruby scoffed slightly at the strangers snarky response. She crossed her arms across her chest as she gave him a rather distant, unimpressed look. That look disappeared however, when the stranger snapped their fingers and objects appeared around her. Her arms unwound themselves, falling back at her side as she looked around at the piles of objects. It took her a moment to realise that it looked like some kind of shooting scenario. Her eyes moved back towards the figure when he began to speak again as he said to get her geared up with her primary game armaments. Her arm computer beeped, drawing her attention and causing her to bring up her arm as the new touch screen projection appeared out of the computer, allowing her to see a screen full of weapon options. All of them being small weapons like pistols. The kinds of weapons she preferred, as it allowed her to be quick while allowing her to remain distant from an opponent. Her eyes lit up when it said that she could duel wield as well. Now that was certainly her style. She began to flip through the options that she had, almost ignoring what the figure had told her.

Most of the weapons had little interest for her, such as the knives and other such bladed weapons. Instead, she kept continuing to the pistols, of which she selected one that had a good firing rate. Its damage was a little lower than the other pistols per shot, but its DPS was higher due to the firing rate. It had a sleek design that looked as if it would go well in her hands. Once she had selected the weapon to dual wield, she went to the customisation window and began to look at some of the skins. There were some that were rather boring and drap, like camo, black, green and brows. But then she came across the more interesting ones that had a mix of colours, like a vivid pink one with black stripes. Or a blue one with yellow dots. But the skins she was drawn to was one that was gold in colour, and another that was silver. As a materialistic person, the skins greatly appealed to her. She used the gold on the gun intended for her right hand, and the silver for the left. She was annoyed to note that she had no ‘money’, and wondered how the hell she got her hands on some.

She finished her selection before she looked at the small figure, “Hey, shorty. What’s this money business about, and how do I get my hands on some?” She asked, not caring of the figure became offended by her language. She always made up nicknames for everyone, usually something insulting. Their reaction to the first time using such a nickname usually told her if they would be worth being a friend or not. Those that were insulted, pouted or whined were not worth her time. Someone who laughed, or stood up to her were more worthy of her attention.  

*The AI really did not care for the look that this girl was giving her, though it didn't really bother them all that much. Most people often gave him that look when they started out...and he had to admit not many had the fortune of getting much further than that. Now, he could easily count the number of 'candidates' that survived the 'initial campaign' with the fingers on his hands and not many beyond that made 'it' to the 'next stage'. Though he was not going to say anything about it as he was bound by his word to not reveal it, he almost felt sorry for this person. So young and naive...but he knew that the supposed 'innocence' of this entire place came at a cost that they would never know...unless they fought and if they did make it...would they regret it with their lives? Who knew at this point in the game? The AI kept an eye on this person as they looked through the catalogue of weapons they had to select from. While they picked their weapon relatively quickly and the AI thought that they picked well for their type, the AI wondered why they were taking a bit longer with the customization options. Were skins that important of a choice for this person? As they selected their skins for their weapons, the AI was about to say something when the woman spoke first. The AI didn't really care much about the nickname, it wasn't anything more than a small jab. However, they were more interested in the fact that they wanted to know about the 'money' system of the Hero OS. The AI instantly figured that this person was of a mercenary attitude or at least one addicted to the 'finer things in life'.

"Well Miss Gold-Digger, the currency of the Hero OS Shop is Induls and you get those by defeating enemies that the Hero OS tracks for you." The AI began saying, "And doing all the usual things like completing missions given to you via numerous sources and basically doing jobs around the place."

The AI clicked his fingers again and a comically oversized and almost 'toy-like' handgun appeared in his right hand. The AI cocked his handgun and then said, "Well then, let's get started with the training. I should mention that this...is a live fire exercise so you best be prepared."

On 18/04/2019 at 02:02, Chiyako said:

As soon as the poor woman had settled into her seat Katsumi scooted just a bit closer, enough so that their hips were touching. The first romantic bit of contact! At least within her head. She even slung her closest arm up over the woman's shoulder! It was a bit awkward given how small she was but then one couldn't fault her for trying.

"Really? Does that mean you're an option?"

Sharpened white teeth were flashed into a wide grin. "I totally mean that in a sexual way. Not a 'I'm a weird cannibal' sorta way." Given the teeth she felt the need to further elaborate. It also meant she could be even more blunt about her advances while not completely being direct with it! Not that she was at all flustered by the idea of being direct. After all the very thing she'd elaborated upon in the first place was pretty direct.

"Steak sounds nice. Heck if they're making me a VIP then I'm up for doing almost anything. Especially if it involves explosives! Certainly doesn't hurt either to have someone like you around."

With her date's name finally revealed Katsumi leaned in even closer still! "Angela? Pretty name. You can handle me any day."

*Whether Angela would be any worse for wear for having to handle Katsumi would have to be seen to be believed. At the moment, Katsumi did not seem anywhere near as bad as the stuff Angela had to deal with on the 'frontlines'. Yes, that includes the rumoured 'Outsiders' who are rumoured to be still in existence in this place. While Angela was doubtful that the 'Outsider' threat still existed, given what she knew, she knew that there were a lot more dangerous beings on this planet...like other humans. While she wasn't privy to super top-secret details, she figured she knew enough to know that the perceived 'Outsider' threat was nothing more than hearsay and the stuff of folklore. Though, whether she actually knew enough was unfortunately out of her league though she would have no way of knowing. She saw the short-statured Katsumi scoot closer to her on the leather seats of the vehicle and sling her closest arm up over her shoulder, probably as some sign of affection. When she heard the question that came out of Katsumi's mouth, it took a fair bit of self control to stop herself from bursting out laughing. That question was so out of the ordinary to almost be funny...if only the girl meant it as a joke and Angela had a feeling the girl was actually serious which made it ironically more funny.*

"Hold your horses, girl!" Angela said with a smirk. "You just stepped up to the plate and you already want to go steal second base? A bit early, isn't it?"

*Then again, given what Angela read in the girl's file, perhaps this shouldn't have been unexpected. No well, no matter.*

[Chiyako]

"Early? Why it's never too early for a good romp! Probably! I wouldn't know! Oh, you're totally going to make me blush!"

The shark-toothed grin remained, flashing sharp pearly whites. To be completely honest Katsumi had never managed to actually get very far with anyone. She always ended up scaring away the few people who'd tried! Usually it was the teeth. She couldn't help it. It was something she was born with. It could also be the eye patch too. Or the scar that it in turn covered. Heck, it could be her personality for all she knew! But then who couldn't find it in their heart to love the little mad bomber?

"You're even cuter still when you smile though. You should try and do that more, ya know? Smiling's great! Ya gotta find something you enjoy and throw yourself into, onto, or against it! I mean look at me! I'm all smiles!"

She was honestly having a great time, even if she'd ended up losing some of her explosives. Also her privacy. And, in a way, her bunker home. But hey she had to look on the bright side here: she was getting a newer home, potentially more funding, a lovely date, and possibly more explosions! How could she say no to that? Although if she did say no then she'd end up getting arrested or worse. But that hadn't really even bothered her much. It was quite difficult to actually scare Katsumi. She had nerves of steel! But then one needed that in a profession where one tiny mistake might end up blowing said person up!

"So hows steak sound to you? Or would you prefer something else? A date ain't just one person, ya know?"