The Burned One (Worm) (Quest)

[Nocturnal4599]

(=-=)

Prologue - The Alley

I can feel my arm. It's the first thing that goes through my head as I open my eye get my first look at a world on fire. That seems like a simple thing, I can feel my arm but it really isn't, trash cans are simple things (you throw trash in them) and what I feel in this moment really isn't.

When I say I can feel it, that's not a joke. Its a rea- reali- reality, like the sun rising everyday. And when I say that I can feel it that means I can really feel it. Like not just like normal feeling. Fuck I'm just saying the same shit. This is fucked. 'My head fucking hurts' I think as my tear filled vision finally clears and I get a good look at just how utterly up shit creek I am. My right arm doesn't look much like an arm any more. More like burnt meat and as I choke out a heat filled gasp and taste blood on my tongue I know that its more than just that.

The ground is too hot and littered with smoking trash I try not to think about the pain but every time I groan it spikes. Every time I breathe it feels like I'm being punched in the gut. So I breathe through my nose and choke down the pain and horror of this situ- situ- situ- fuck I know that word I swear. I flex my left hand and see that it's just slightly singed, not burnt to a crisp like the other one. While doing my best not to sob openly I plant my good hand on the ground like a... a plant? And focus on putting everything I've got into pushing myself up from where I am.

*(Brawn AC = 4, Brawn Score = 3, Roll 1 = 1 (Bad Fail - Injury), Roll 2 = 3 (Minor Fail - Pain), Roll 3 = 3 (Minor Fail - Pain))

I huff and I puff and I push. I hear the squelch of my skin tearing off the dead nerves in my arm and fail to hold back a scream. And suddenly the pain is too much. My left arm fails and I land hard back on the trash, ash and dirt of the alley. 'Maybe if I adjust myself this will be easier' I wonder as I start to roll, only to shriek as I don't roll enough. I close my eyes and grit my teeth before attempting that again and this time it doesn't fail completely even if it still hurts like a motherfucker.

I lay on my side gasping for barely a second before I start to hear voices and something in me screams that I need to go. I don't know where the feeling comes from but my gut tells me it's right even if I can't tell why it does. Think it's right I mean. Fuck I'm bad at this. Why can't I remember how I got here? The voices grow closer and I stop that thought dead. The sense of wrongness is abso- abso- certain? Yes, certain now. I really need to get up.

*(Brawn Ac = 4 -1(Desperation) = 3, Brawn Score = 3, Roll 1 = 1(Bad Fail - I'm Bleeding), Roll 2 = 5 (Success))

I take a deep breath and snarl, wincing as I do so. My hand plants on the ground and I push myself up as hard as I can. The squelching sound makes me feel sick and the pain is excruciating enough that I think I missed a chunk of glass now embedded in my left hand. I try not to scream, try not to make a sound as the squelching ends with a dull plop. I slump heavily against the wall as I try not to think about how that charred strip of muck is my own skin. I try so hard to ignore that and fail. A dry heave leaves me and it isn't particularly dry. A spatter of blood hits the dirt but I ignore it and decide to start moving instead.

The wall is cold compared to the fire above and around. I force myself to push myself off the coldness, the sweet relief and use that push off to make unsteady steps before colliding and howling as the insane pain returns. Damnit, so don't land hard on burned stuff, fuck I'm a goddamn idiot. Short drags then, until I can start walking properly. I whine pitifully as I start this gruelling process before snarling as the voices I had been ignoring reveal themselves as far too close.

"Hey boss we got a live one." One of the young men in gang colours shouts in English before repeating himself in... some language. Is that Japanese? Korean? Fuck if I know, don't speak either one. I ignore them as I continue to drag myself forward along the wall. Even with my working ear ringing I can hear the caut- caut- crunch of boots as they approach me slowly. Like I am in any shape to fight them. They talk among themselves but I can't understand a word of it either way its giving me a headache. This is taking too long.

A deeper snarl leaves my lips as I push off the wall and start to take short pain filled steps on my own two feet. I'm missing a boot, with the one I'm wearing being more of a hinde- hinder- hindrance than a help at this point. I ignore the laughs as I stumble and hit the opposite wall heavily with my left hand. There I steady myself before kicking off my odd boot and resuming my short walk in my socks. My stumbles lessen even if my whining and crying doesn't something scrapes the ground behind me and only now do I know that I've been hearing it the whole time.

Why haven't they jumped me yet?

I glance back and see the group of five men flinch as they point their weapons at me. Two have guns and for some reason they seem afraid. One mutters desperately into a radio in Chinese or something as I turn away and continue my limp forward. They don't try to stop me. Barely five yards from then does a spell of dizziness take me and I take a moment to rest my good arm against a nearby trashcan. It takes a weird amount of effort to raise it from my side so that I can clatter it against the top of the tube can.

Wait that's not a fucking hand, that's a goddamn claw. An ugly heavy meaty armoured thing that I didn't have a second ago. Fuck did I get powers. I stare at the claw as the men make a fearful circle around me and then wonder just how this works. Was it just one claw or did I get another? How do I make it do this? I think about it shrinking really hard and continue watching as it does nothing. How does this work? I feel... I feel nothing inside that could make this happen. Like no switch or anything like that.

God this sucks. The thought barely works its way through my brain before the heavy steps of someone else makes itself known. And with those steps comes a heat that makes me shiver. The men surrounding me move away to the opposite side of me, I don't know if its because they want to stop me from running or because they too are scared of the heat. I hazard a glance towards the source of the noise and feel something very wrong settle in my stomach as the man in the silver dragon mask casually makes his way forward like the trail of fire he leaves behind him is normal. It isn't is it? I don't think so but even so I have no idea who that is. There is something strong about the way he walks, something more than strong with the way he holds himself. I don't know the word for it.

I don't understand what he could want until a growling laugh leaves his lips as he smiles at me. It is a smile, one of some. All I know is that it makes me just a little angry as well as dump a whole lot of pants shitting terror in my gullet. I want to rage at him for his smile, for his look, for the way he walks but I can't move. I can't even speak as he looks me up and down for... some reason. And then he speaks.

"It seems you've got spirit girl, though I suppose the ugly ones always do." He laughs in a way that's more of a growl and its like a switch has been flicked. I square my shoulders even though it hurts and glare at the man. The terror is gone and in its place is the will to do... something.

But what the hell could I do against a solid block of muscle like him?

And why the fuck isn't he wearing a shirt?

(=-=)

(The Dragon seems amused, maybe he might let me go?)

Response?

[x][Run from him. Fuck this Shit.]

[x][Limp past him. Slowly.]

[x][Hit the Bastard.]

(=-=)

 

[Nocturnal4599]

(=-=)
Voting. (Taken from all sources)
Run - 0
Limp - 8 (Winner)
Hit - 1
(=-=)

Chapter 1 - The Infirm

Tall asian man, dragon man, dragons are lizards (I think?). Dinosaurs are also lizards. There is something too that. A small flicker of something I saw once makes me almost wince by the sheer pulsing in my head. Maybe a picture that move- a movie thats it. Can't remember much of it to be honest but there was this seen- thats not right. Ceen? Cseene? Scene. There was a scene in the movie with dinosaurs and it had a big one with tiny arms. Something in me is mad that I can't remember what its called.

Damnit I'm getting sidetracked.

I can't figure out why this is coming to me as the dragon man crosses his arms and his men leer at me. I wrack my brain for the barest second as I twist my face enough to cause pain. He looks like he's about to say something when my lips betray me and I resist the urge to scream. "Dn't mve, ee cant c us if wee dn't mve." My broken mouth manages to mutter out in as I feel blood on my lips and in my mouth. Where the fuck did that come from. Either way the dragon man seems to freeze in whats seems to be shock? I don't really know. Maybe its anger. His expression is hard to understand, given the metal mask.

I stare back just as confused before realising that the sage advice I had just re-v-revealed is complete bullshit because this son of a bitch is staring right at me. I swallow hard and try not to spew as I feel the acid like burn of what can only be a partially ruined throat. The dragon man keeps looking and his men for their part just look on with clear? What is that expression? Man these facemasks are really fucking me up tonight. Its only when the dragon mans eyes narrow and his shoulders begin to shake do I recognise the single step back the other gangsters take. Oh fuck he's angry. Maybe just maybe the shit I just said set him off but maybe it also holds some truth.

A slow halfstep to the left, the slowest most in-per- inperc- hard to see step I can manage. His shoulders continue to shake as I take the second and its on the third that I see that his eyes are closed... or are they. I can't tell any of that shit tonight. Another step and another and then... I stumble as the dragon man barks. No that isn't quite right, its like a growl but happy. Shit that motherfuckers laughing at me. Part of me wants to lash out but seeing his own men cower hits something in me hard. Instead backing away seems like the best option. Keep the dragon in sight and move slowly, everything will be fine. Small steps, one at a time. I hold back a whimper as trash rustles at my feet and everyone but the dragon looks at me.

Another step as the laughter calms down and the man straightens. The hair on the back of my neck stands up and I freeze as his gaze lands on me. Don't move, he can't see me if I don't move. I glance out of the corner of my eye at the trash can beside me and towards the crossroad that seems too goddamn far away. Sure I had made progress but small steps could only take me so far. I keep my eyes down, try to make myself as small as possible but find my lips twisting on their own and forming a sneer with added teeth. It hurts to keep it in place and yet I can't even force myself to drop it. Why can't I stop it?

(Trait Revealed - Stubburn*)

Heavy footsteps approach as I watch the trash on the ground with l mild interest before clenching my working hand into a fist hard as a shadow settles over me. The Dragon, Lung (why do I remember this now?) is taller than any man with a frame rippling with muscles and tattoos that only serve to make him seem more imp- imposi- ing - im-pos-ing. Scary. A small slow step back is allowed but another after that is stopped by a calloused hand grabbing the side of my head as the gang leader looks at me closely.

"Ugly, funny and with not a small amount of spirit." A low thoughtful rumble moves from his throat in vibrations down his hand. A hand that holds a cluster of burned skin. I stubbornly hold my sneer in place as a scream leaves the small gap between my teeth with a keening whistle. "Stubborn to." This comment is said like it leaves a bad taste in his mouth. Quicker than I can blink his heavy hand moves from clutching my face to grabbing what's left of my short hair. I howl in rage as he begins to drag me. My hand becomes heavy as the claw returns and I make an attemp- the back of my head hits the dirt before being pulled back up. The pain was bad before but now its getting hard to see. The dragging continues past the cowering gangsters and out of the alley. A crowd of gangsters and thugs have gathered, some gasp for breath and hack... bugs onto the ground. Others moan in the fetal position.

My gaze drifts past them and locks onto the other man in a mask. I lock eyes with him briefly before I see stars as I'm yet again slammed into the ground. "A shame you aren't asian girl." Lung grumbles before raising his hand and saying things... I'm finding it to hard to stay awake as it is. Though I do catch the words 'Bugs', 'Undersiders' and 'Re-ta-li-a-tion'. I cough and sputter on the ground as he does this and gaze upward at the sky as the crowd cheer. The world passes quickly after that. English is traded for foreign tongues and I can only watch helplessly as the dragon man drags over a well dressed woman as my vision darkens and I know no more.

Flickers of things run back and forth in my head. Though nothing solid, mainly emotions I don't understand and sounds that grate in my non existent ears.

"The Dragon says we keep the girl alive, so that is what we do." A vague imp- woman shaped thing grumbles before fading away.

Flickers of a dream, I'm screaming and struggling as the world changes colour and twists under pale lights.

"Impossible, what does he e-" A man grumbles as something harsh wraps around my wrists. "Sh-'l Ne- a ski- gr-f-, i- we -et tha- f-r" More harsh things pull tight before they too fade away.

Flickers of something important, words that I can't make sense of-, Ha look at the doggy, what was that? Something about flickers? (Unidentified substance taken)

"W-'v- be-n at -his -or da-s, shes ba-ely alive." The voices return clearer now but still murky and it irks to hear them. I don't know why.

Flickers of somewhere warm, clean and yet cluttere- huh what was that? Flickers Flicker Fl-i-ck-er-ss. (Unidentified substance taken)

"Jesus christ" A woman gasps as the world stops being a vague mess of lines and webs. Bright pale lights hang high on the ceiling as the smell of dampness, sweat and blood fill my nostrils. I open my one eye and let it roll lazily across the dimly lit room. A single light hangs from the ceiling but if I squint it doubles, in a chair next to me is a woman in gang colours. Asian and yet without the severe looks that the rest had. Hers is... I don't know, I can guess that she's scared. She clutches a damp cloth tightly in one hand with the other settled on a gun at her hip. I ignore her in favour of turning my gaze to me.

I find that I can't see much beneath bandages and what seems to be a makeshift gown of some sort. There is a mattress and from the feeling poking at my lower back it isn't a good one. The bedframe is metal and when I shift slightly I find that I am bound to it. Belts, like the ones you wear with a pair of pants hold me in place. Two on each limb, all of them tight enough to keep me well in place. Did I get found? No that can't be right the asian lady wouldn't be here if I had been. I turn back to her and find myself looking at fear, the type that eats you up from the inside out. It's a fear I know I understand deep down and yet I can't remember how I know that.

"Grr... grah... ulk..." I attempt to talk but find the words slur or twist. My head is pounding, my throat is dry and the world seems wobbly. The sneer makes its way onto my face again, I can't let that shit attempt stop me. I need something to drink and this bitch is the only one here. "Wra- waaahhhh- wata- wa-ter" I manage after several poor attempts.

The woman jumps and mutters to herself in... is that korean? Before switching to a language I understand. Her voice is too soft for a gangbanger and yet has an edge that clearly exists. Or so my gut tells me. Thugs and Survivors are two different thing even if they crossover at some points. This one is the later... latter? The words fizzle in my brain and I miss what the woman said before startling as she shouts in Korean towards the door. Was she getting the other guards, was I going to get a beating for waking up? I struggle as best I can, the skinny matress squeaks and the frame creaks. But the belts are tight and all my struggling does is make me want to scream in pain. I huff as tears build and fall before trying again and howling openly as the pain only increases.

Even so I square my shoulders and prepare myself to make another attempt. Only to freeze as the cool wetness of a damp cloth sits on my forehead and that soft voice hums, more likely to distract herself then soothe me. "My friend is fetching you something to drink, as well as the doctor." She hums again as she dabs gently. "The Dragon has declared that you should live but for what ends I don't know." Something buzzes harshly in the womans pocket, she ignores it. "Confusion is expected, your Morphine tolerance has increased drastically, it takes more and more to soothe your broken body."

"Wh- Wh- Why?" A croak out with a gutterel croak. The question surprises even me, after the first one I didn't think I'd manage another. The woman simply gives me this strange look, examines me with dark eyes before dipping the rag in the water and continuing her slow work.

"The Dragon orders and we obey." She wrings the rag and meets my eyes with a blank expression. One that shifts as her gaze turns back towards the door and then back to me. "You have the Dragons interest and that is not a good thing." I blink and groan, yeah tell me something I don't know lady. Something clinks as her humming turns to whistling and I feel that pressure on my bound arms lessen slightly. A quick glance down shows that one of each belt has been loosened slightly. A confused croak leaves me and I meet her dark eyes one more time before the door handle rattles.

"These men are cruel do not provoke them." She mutters out quickly before standing up and opening the door. She steps out of the room and doesn't look back. The men who walk in after don't look about what one would expect. Creepy lady, saying weird thing.

(=-=)

Trying to awkwardly shuffle away from a Dragon is an impossible task but it shows a level of tenacity that one wouldn't expect by someone so heavily injured. Red has been unconscious for a week and she is just a little bit better. Something about you has gained the Dragons interest, perhaps thats something you can use. Choose your actions carefully.

[x][Infirm] - Submit to Treatment. Who knows what else they'll drug you with?

[x][Infirm] - Resist Treatment. Attempt to slip your Restraints and Run.

[x][Infirm] - Lash Out Violently. Who knows if your power will kick in?

[x][Infirm] - Try and Plead Your Way Out. Your still not all that good at talking, not pretty either.

(=-=)

Introduction Chapters. (Yes this is supposed to be here).

The Alley.

The Infirm.

That Little Room.

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[Nocturnal4599]

I'll be honest the plan is to go for a level of darkness I am poorly practiced in. A gritty Worm experience that has enough light peering through the clouds to hopefully make it worth it. I don't intend for this to be long but I suppose we'll see what happens.

Either way, say Hi to Red
(=-=)

Brawn - 3 (How hard can I punch a bitch?)

Brains - 1 (How smart am I?)

Bullshit - 0 (Do I talk good? (No))

Energy = ???

Empathy - 1 (? ???? ????)

Status Effects and Notable Remarks

Memory - Amnesiac (With Flickers)

Injury Status - Burned (Permanent Debuff)

Literacy - Mostly Illiterate.

Addiction - Unaddicted

Beast Charges - N/A

Perks/Personality Flickers.

Gut Instinct - Red has reasonably good gut instincts, lord knows why. Either way she spots threats easy when untilted.

Stubborn - Red has a habit of planting herself firmly in place and not moving for anything.