Open - Reality vs Fantasy

[OOC: This thread is better left alone... unless you are a serious daredevil]

The streets of Manhattan. What was she doing out her?. Why did she not have her bubble safely wrapped over her? To prevent her death? Maya... she was Maya again.

Maya Victoria, age 20, height 5 foot 1 inch. White hair and sickly skin. A life of hardship since birth. Parents so caught up in the battle for the top they never gave her a second glance. Her only hope? To escape into fantasy. To become something more. Minerva a knight that was ahead of the game. Only as she could Maya be better than her parents, better than the other players. Be a Queen, a Hero, a Sage... a God? Endless lives certainly gave that feeling at times. Dethroning a flawed King and quite literally tossing the crown to the one who would become a new one. Yes, that was the sort of thing she was destined for.

Ha.

She entered the building from a back door. Taking the key from the guard was easy enough. She simply shot him in the head. along with the delivery man who was talking to him. It was nothing really. She was going to die soon anyway. Dive Centers were gone. The one way she could live the game. Live her life to the fullest. It was gone. Her VR equipment? Gone, taken by her parents servants and destroyed. She was going to be trapped. Going to be trapped in this weak helpless body forever until she died.

Well...

She coughed as her breathing began to worsen. Each step a struggle as she made her way up. Up... up into the sky.

"I.... will climb... I... will ascend..."

This building?

Nexus Corporations HQ. There were several entrances to the massive complex but her servants once told her about this path. It led to the top of the right tower. The view was said to be quite nice. To die at the top of something owned by her family's rivals. One that surpassed even them. Yes... a way to spite them indeed.

 

Dieter

1620

DISPATCH: Dispatch controller Avess PD9101 onduty. Radio check all vehicles within close proximity to Avenue D to commence

DIETER: Car 212 to Dispatch

DISPATCH: Car 212, are you receiving?

DIETER: 212 receiving loud and clear Dispatch, PC Nguyen and PC Addison onduty

DISPATCH: Receiving you 212. I have a call-in approximately 250 seconds ago of multiple gunshots reported at the Nexus Corporation Headquarters

DIETER: Copy that Dispatch. Car 212 enroute

DISPATCH: Roger that 212

1626

DIETER: 212 to Dispatch

DISPATCH: Go ahead 212

DIETER: We are onsite, dealing with panicking civilians

DISPATCH: Roger that 212. Have you identify the location of the gunshots?

DIETER: Negative Dispatch

1628

DIETER: Gunshot victims identified, one Caucasian male, overweight, no pulse, bullet wound on the forehead. We also have one Hispanic male, average weight and height, bleeding from left leg and chest. Requesting backup and medical ASAP

DISPATCH: Request granted, standby 212

DIETER: PC Addison is attempting to stabilize victims. Witnesses are saying the suspect has fled upstairs into the building, requesting permission to pursue suspect?

DISPATCH: Can the witnesses identify the suspect?

DIETER: A young Caucasian female roughly 5 feet tall and sickly looking

DISPATCH: Can the witnesses identify what kind of gun is in the suspect's possession?

DIETER: Negative Dispatch

DISPATCH: Roger 212, permission to pursue the suspect granted

Dieter was incredibly tense as he ascended the long stairs after discovering that the elevator was not working. It has been a while since he has been on the field and working so close to danger. The last time he was on the field a temporary partner was killed. With no desire to experience something like that again, Dieter left his NYPD partner to stabilize the gunshot victims while he ventured into the mouth of the beast himself, confronting a murderer in possession of dangerous firearm.

Despite having a great deal of experience with these types of situations, his palm became clammy as sweat rolled down from his temple. He was nervous, having no knowledge of what type of criminal he was pursuing. If the witness identification is correct, that means he is dealing with a young female, who did not hesitate to blow out someone’s brain. This can only mean one of two things, he was dealing with a triggered psychopath or someone who planned to off themselves after a killing spree. On the off chance that it was the latter case, Dieter needed to track the gunner down as soon as he can before she does any more damage.

The building was far too large… to search each floor would be an impossible task. However, Dieter’s instinct told him that the suspect has led to the rooftop. One of the reasons why he believed this was the fact that all of the doors on the way up did not seem to have been opened recently. For many people, this would be a big leap in logic, but Dieter had to follow his gut feelings.

As he neared the door that led out into the rooftop, Dieter could vaguely make out an outline beyond the opening. As quiet as he could, Dieter slowly reached up to his radio, which was strapped to the left side of his jacket.

Dieter

DIETER: 212 to Dispatch, about to engage the suspect on the rooftop

DISPATCH: The suspect is Maya Victoria, age 20, chronically sick, mentally unstable, extremely high threat, stand down, 212

DIETER: Negative, cannot comply Dispatch, the suspect is with civilians at the top of building 2, requesting for immediate ground and aerial backup, victims are in extreme danger

DISPATCH: Backup enroute, again, stand down 212, suspect is extremely high threat, I repeat, stand down. Permission to pursue has been revoked, stand down

CLICK

Dieter turned his radio off and ignored the Dispatch's order and instead readied his gun as he instinctively assumed an assault position. He then opened the door slowly with his foot. On a count of 3, he stormed through the metal door and stepped into the evening light. He used his loudest voice, shouting at the girl while pointing his gun at her from a 10 meters away.

“STOP! Put your gun down and raise your hands above your head NOW, this is the police!!!”

 

New York wasn't her favorite place to be. Especially not Manhattan. The perpetually crowded streets reminded her of London at its worst, and though Philadelphia wasn't much better, she could at least find some quiet spots. In Manhattan, that seemed like an impossibility.

But, she was here on business. She'd just met up with some software developers that she was interviewing for another article, and they had to run in the middle of the brunch they'd been sharing. Which was fine; at least she got what she came for before they had to leave. And now she could just eat in peace without having to wrangle answers out of evasive developers who seemed awfully paranoid about someone stealing their next big idea.

At least, it was in peace, up until the gunshots started.

They were faint, but unmistakeable. The police sirens that followed quickly banished any lingering doubts as to what that was. She watched the police cars whizz by the cafe window and before she could fully realize what she was doing, she left her seat and began sprinting outside. But, unlike most others, instead of rushing away from the source of the sounds, she began scanning the area, looking for something, anything-

-over there, on that rooftop there, was that...? She squinted, trying to get the vague silhouette to focus. That was from... Nexus Headquarters just a street over, wasn't it? The shiny glass and chrome building was unique in this area. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted an ambulance race in the same direction, right towards Nexus Corp. Injured people, then.

She could see one figure... another just barely in her vision... Damn it, the angle wasn't perfect. It'd have to do. With a grimace, she yanked her phone out of her purse, almost dropping it in her haste. She held it up and flicked to her camera app as she kept a tense eye on the situation.

She was no photojournalist, so the quick snapshot she got would have to do. She couldn't get the police from this angle, just the girl in the dress, but it looked suitably dramatic. Good enough. Running it through a few filters to try and get something that didn't look so hastily put together, she brought up Twitter and began tapping as fast as her fingers would allow.

​

 

​

A crowd had gathered. Of course the arriving police would not allow anyone close, but since when did this prevent curious onlookers? Especially in a city like New York? A few gun shots were not going to chase them away. This was the first time since it's opening here that Nexus HQ ever had trouble with a gunman. Several Academy students had left the building and were taking selfies.

Then drove up a small van. TRUTH NEWS was labelled across the side. Seems like someone let them know. The back door's burst open and out popped Lisa Mars and a camera man taty hurriedly took position. Truth News had been looking for ways to paint Nexus black for years and this was perfect!

The camera man asked if Lisa was really ready considering her condition as of late. She shook her head and gave a thumbs up. Wearing a small t-shirt and shorts in below 30 degree weather yet not at all shivering. It was not like any of her doctors were telling her she was dying so who cared? She didn't feel cold!

This is Lisa Mars of Truth News with a BREAKING news update! We are here outside Nexus Corporation's HQ in Manhattan, where it seems that a mad gunman... or is that gunwoman?! Has been spotted on top of the east tower! Is she a worker for Nexus? A crazed player of that horrific game of the Illuminati Terrasphere?! We may never know because police are already on the scene and are already planning to cover up the truth! We are certain of it!

Several beads of sweat began to pour down her face and she dabbed it with a cloth. She began to simply stare at the camera leaving much undesired dead air. The cameraman began to move his hand goading her to please continue but she didn't respond. Until a few more seconds passed.

Yes.., so like I was saying... Lisa Mars here reporting for Truth News. We will... um... keep you... UPDATED! YES we will keep you VEEEERY updated on everything going... on... yeah.

The camera man cut the feed and Lisa sighed. Only to have to jump forward with a startle as a long black limousine almost ran her over.

Woah! ...Uh... Hey, you should watch where you're.... Oh... that's! QUICK turn the feed back on! DOOO IIIIIT!

The cameraman looked alarmed at the reporters fluctuating levels of enthusiasm but he aimed the camera at the car.

The Limo pulled to a stop and the doors opened. A man stepped out. Large, broad shouldered, a piercing gaze. A younger lady exited as well. Dressed in a black suit and skirt. She immediately hung herself on his arm. One of her eyes covered by raven black hair.

Quite a exciting start to the evening.

Yep. I've only been working here for a week and you already have this kind of stuff happening... what did I tell ya Chrissypoo? Isn't this a dramatic entry for ya? All the viewers are just like. look at this sexy man!

He began to speak, but seemingly not to his companion. He appeared to be using a type of Bluetooth perhaps.

Hitomi. Floor?

87. I'll be there soon.

Good.

....Heh. Police? Me, pointed at by a gun? ...I'm supposed to be the champion... the hero... the king maker.... now what? Are you going to shoot me?

Maya teetered on the edge of the building. Her gun held amazingly still in her weak hands, pointed directly towards the officer. Her face one of desperate madness. None of it mattered anymore. Whether she was shot, died just from breathing this polluted air with her weak lungs, or just falling off the edge. It was all the same ending. A ending to her story, her fantasies, and also her harsh reality.

Nexus' towers were not at all the tallest in the city but they did offer a great view of the sunset. Setting on everything... including her life.

You're a officer right? Then you know about the Dive Clinics? Heh... maybe you even helped shut them down. They were... *gasp* my only hope. My only escape from this.

She gestured at her body with one hand but kept her gun pointed at him.

Sometimes.. people just want to escape. Just want to be something that god never gave them here. I had so much potential... and now *gasp*... I am nothing!

She shivered a little but withstood the freezing temperatures through will alone.

I needed that new world! I needed to be Minerva!

Fantasies are nice. But are still just fantasies. Realities and what they can become are what is important.

Hitomi stepped out of a elevator onto the building. She raised her hands to Dieter showing she did not have a weapon.

Officer please, let me try to talk to her... I might be able to help without anymore people getting killed.

@Astor Balthas @Claire Thalassa

 

“Mickeeeeeeey, I am so boooooored!”

Whump~

Celestine unceremoniously flopped backwards; down onto the bottom of the back of a massive storage truck, which occasionally bumped a bit as if to remind them it was moving. Around them were stacks and stacks of neatly arranged boxes, most of them made of hard cardboard. Beside the lump of foreign girl, sat a casual looking man with brown hair, blue eyes and some simple work clothes, idly checking his phone.

“I thought you said you wanted to come and spend some time together,” he teased, giving her side a playful jab with his boot.

“You would not even let me do a build of my fort with the boxes! It is not fun just doing a sit here for eight hours!”

“Stop being such a child, Ma--” Celestine reanimated in a split-second, whipping back up to glare at her cousin, staring daggers into his eyes. “Erm...” he finally corrected it, begrudgingly, “Stop being such a child, ‘Celestine.’ Honestly, you’re almost an adult now! Would you grow out of… whatever ‘this’ is?”

“Nope.” She flopped back down. Just in time for the giant vehicle to come to a stop, in fact. “This is the last of the ones, right? No more?”

“Should be.”

“Finally! I really should have done a bringing of my VR set...”

The two waited for the back door of the delivery truck to slide open, but instead, the silence was pierced by a series of loud bangs from just outside. Freezing up in shock, Cel was the first to break the silence with a whisper.

“Is that normal…?”

“No! Not at all...”

Against her better judgment, Celestine wormed her way forward and slid the storage door up just far enough to peek. She recoiled almost immediately in surprise. “That is a lot of the bloods,” she explained to Mickey with a grim face, whose eyes widened. “America does me a great frighten sometimes.” She peeked again.

The second go, she’d looked just in time to see a man hastily make for the door. He looked pretty official, with a radio, and even one of those gun… holding… thingies. Holster? Yes, Holster. She felt a tug on her hood and looked back to see Mickey shaking his head furiously.

“Don’t you even think about it. Ma-- ugh: Celestine!”

But it was too late. She’d already slipped out and was halfway to the door by the time he could get out… assuming he even wanted to, which he did not.


@Minerva Alexandria @Astor Balthas (probably not @Claire Thalassa but pinging anyway)

Cel just barely had time to catch the tail-end of the man’s clothes as he raced up the stairs. It was almost perfect, really. She could tag along and feel like a full-on protagonist by seeing the action up close, without any real danger because she was behind that official-looking dude with the gun. Foolproof plan: 100%! What could go wrong? She just had to keep going up and up and up and… up…

“Blech, this is doing me an exhaustion…” Cel panted, FINALLY catching sight of the roof through an open door. Jogging up to the doorway, Celestine peeked out into the scene. She remained there, quiet, watching the show like a movie, except - instead of popcorn - she had a nice steel door to slam for some safety depending on how things went.

...the upstairs run was still exhausting enough to warrant a snack though. She settled with a slightly-melted chocolate bar, slipping it out of her pant pocket, crinkling the wrapper a bit, and taking a bite. It was a tasty little something to help her calm the nerves that came with guns being pointed in your general direction.

 

Dieter was not expecting anyone to come up the stairs, but apparently he was followed by some brat. More importantly, he was about halfway between the armed suspect and the only exit off the roof, when a woman came out from the entrance. He clicked his tongue as all of the neurons in his mind were firing at an accelerated rate. He was quickly losing control of the situation, one false move and there could be bloodshed on the rooftop. Despite the woman showing him that she was unarmed, he gestured to her to stay where she was with a stern expression on his face and a resounding no. If there was one thing he took away from the hostage negotiation class in an encounter with someone who was mentally unstable, any change in the environment could set them off and make them violent.

To take back control of the environment, Dieter kept an eye on both the dark-headed woman as well as the suspect while he slowly approached her. Just then, it occured to him that she referred to a name he knew from the game. Minerva? Shit! THAT Minerva? What the fuck is she doing here? He thought to himself. He had always thought she was a straight lace who started around the same time he did, but to think of the situation they were in now. An armed homicide and he happened to be the first responder to the call. Talk about misfortune.

Although Dieter wanted nothing more than to calm the girl by talking to her about Terrasphere and the fact that they had fought and slain the King of Falderen a few months ago, he would incriminate himself in the presence of all of these hostages, so that plan was out of the window.

After he was a few feet away from her Dieter lowered his gun to the floor and attempted to calm the young woman.

“Okay, I know you're super freaked out right now, but I need you to calm down, okay? I need you to lower your gun to the floor. Let's talk, alright. What you have gone through must have been traumatic, especially being unable to access that new world. Were you perhaps playing as some kind of hero in this game? Perhaps fishing off a tyrant of some kind and passing his crown onto a certain blond man? You are that heroine right? You wanted to hold control over your own dominion one day, right? I heard they even offer VR devices to prisoners too, nowadays...”

Dieter had to keep his reference vague, hoping she alone pick up on it so other people doesn't find out about his... off-duty hobby.

@Minerva Alexandria @Celestine

 

What... was this man saying?

He... was...

Maya remained ready to fire. Her body shivering uncontrollably. Her eyes cloudy. This man was...

"Your... majesty."

Maya could not help but smile at this. A tired, bitter smile of one who had nothing left. This man, he had seen who she really was inside. No, not really. The true Maya Victoria was a mix of the the two realities. Minerva was no pure paragon of righteousness... she was simply... Maya's paragon.

"Heheh... hahahaha!"

A sickly laugh wracked her frail frame as Maya shook her head hard. There was some other woman here and some kid behind that door to the stairs. None of that mattered anyway. Maya was going to die here. Minerva was going to die. How ironic that the one to see her off is the one she flipped a crown to.

Astor Balthas.

"I gave you the future. You did pretty good. Theodore... heh. I don't regret passing you that crown even now..."

His words about going back to VR were ignored. Jail was so beneath her. She wouldn't live long there anyway. This was the end. And...

"....You are strong in both worlds. How I envy you... you....got to play King for awhile. Now that I will not see another day of glory. You will not see.... it either!"

Her eyes widened as her finger pushed against the trigger. The gun fired.

Look out!

Hitomi leaped in front of the officer. If he were to fire on reaction. She would be hit by both shots. The shot from Maya hit her in the chest. Blood red immediately began to seep from her white shirt. Her glasses tilted some off her nose. It was as if all was in slow motion to the young Nexus employee.

Oh...

She blinked and fixed her glasses as her other hand went to her blood stained shirt. Her face one of blank shock and awe.

I have been shot... I hope I'm not fired.

Hitomi then dropped to the ground.

The gun fell from Maya's hands as her energy finally gave out as well....

@Astor Balthas

 

Celestine took another bite. Mm, chocolatey. This whole showdown thing was awfully cool looking, but what was the point of just standing here in the stupid hallway. Weren’t all the interesting characters Cel looked up to supposed to get involved in stuff like this? Like, run up, taking all the bullets head on so they can grab the gun and kiss the girl… or something like that.

But this was real life. No respawns, and - more importantly - guns kinda hurt. Probably. So it begged the question… how could she get involved without being on the other end of all these guns?

Another bite of chocolate as she glanced over the scene with a critical eye. It took a few seconds for the idea to hit her, but once it did, it hit her like a ton of bricks. A stupid, crazy, and scientifically questionable plan! Assuming that girl truly did intend to jump. Hopefully, she would though! This could be cool.

Pocketing her empty candy wrapper, Celestine turned and ran down the hall for the stairs again, leaving the people to argue about… hey, did someone mention King Astor? Neat.

One floor down, Cel bolted down another hallway and burst into a cushy office of some sort. Perhaps if there hadn’t been a clamour to evacuate the building, there might’ve been some important corporate businessperson here, pouring over the many stacks of paperwork on the shiny, mahogany desk, but it was empty as a corpse. From the slight disorder, Cel guessed its former occupant had been in quite the hurry to leave. More importantly, if the building was laid out the way she thought it was…

...this room should be one story directly under the girl who was about to jump.

“How do you do these stupid America windows an open!” Celestine punched the glass a few times in frustration, before noticing the latch. “Oh. It is not so different as home. Whoops.”

Unlocking the window, Celestine flipped it open at a 90-degree angle, creating a tiny little glass platform. Luckily, it locked there pretty securely: a helpful feature to aid the poor window washers that actually had to clean this monolith building. Against her better judgment and the sickening sensation of vertigo, Celestine placed one foot on the window, readying herself to lurch forward and catch the girl should she actually jump.

...was this really any safer than the gun showdown...?

@Minerva Alexandria @Claire Thalassa

 

Fucking shit!!! Dieter thought to himself as everything happened within a fraction of a second. One moment he was trying to help stabilize the crazy armed suspect by hinting at the fact that the knew each other in the virtual world. However, everything went wrong so quickly, by the time she was muttering her words, it appeared to him that her finger was already pressing down on the trigger. Although he did notice it, he was far too slow to react. Closing his eyes for a brief moment, Astor gritted his teeth and got ready for the bullets to rip their way through his chest, when the sound of the gun being fire woke him up.

Suddenly, all he could see was that dark haired woman from earlier falling backward after she received two bullets. Having received training in the police academy, Dieter reacted immediately, firing three shots at Maya even after she dropped her gun and started falling. It didn't matter to him, he had to neutralize her. Whatever relationship they developed in game did not matter to the man who had to prioritize the safety of the citizenry over that of anyone else.

While they might have been party members in the virtual world, here, he was the symbol of law and she was a murderer who had neither remorse nor regard for the sanctity of life, so he relieved her of humanity. Whatever life she had left, he made sure to be the one to take it away. The King had adjudicated the actions of an evildoer, never again will she be able to harm another human being.

After Maya hit the ground, Dieter quickly ran over to where her gun was and grabbed it with a handkerchief before tossing it away. He wasn't certain if the gunner was dead, as such he needed to remove the weapon from within her vicinity. He had seen many movies where the bad guy miraculously comes back and shoot the officer. He wasn't about to become a cold body. The other hostages who were on the roof took the chance to run away in a frenzy, Dieter was too concerned with Hitomi to deal with them, however.

With that handled, he turned his attention back to Hitomi. She was on the ground, blood drenching her white shirt. He panicked, not quite sure what to do. "Hey, no, listen to me. Please, hang on okay? the heli- the helicopter will come for you soon. Hey!

Grabbing Hitomi, he could feel that her temperature was dropping steadily. He needed something, anything to stop the bleeding. With nothing else but his shirt, he grabbed onto one of his long sleeves and ripped it off with the help of his teeth and hands. After he crumbled up the fabric, he held it over one of the wounds. Meanwhile, he used his free hand to switch the radio to on.

Dieter

DIETER: 212 to Dispatch

DISPATCH: 212, go ahead

DIETER: The armed suspect has been neutralized, but I have a girl here who has been shot, please direct the helicopter to the roof, she is losing a lot of blood. Please!

DISPATCH: Roger that 212

DISPATCH: Unit 155, do you read?

155: This is 155, what is the situation?

DISPATCH: 212 is with a victim of gunshot, she needs immediate medical, and you reach the site?

155: Roger that, dispatch. 212, this is aerial unit 155, what is your location?

DIETER: Top of building 2. Hurry!

155: Roger that, we are almost at the site, stand by.

"Shit, no no no, she's getting so cold." Dieter muttered, only remembering that she had a second gunshot. With no other choice, he put his hand on the wound and pressed as hard as he could, ignoring any noise she might make. He hoped it was enough to slow the bleeding.

"You'll be alright. It's okay, you'll be alright, try to breathe okay? 1, 2... deep breath, 1, 2... deep breath. Good again, give me one more..."

@Minerva Alexandria @Celestine @Claire Thalassa

 

​

Maya felt the embrace of death taking her. Everything she ever wanted to have. This man was getting, and now, he was the one to remove her. Her vision blurred as her breathing ceased. The Victoria's, they were so ambitious, so cold, so ruthless. Yet they were never at the top. Nexus, Raythean, and others. All better, all richer, all at a level that they could not reach. Maya was just like her parents racing to reach the unreachable. Ha... the children of those rich bastards were likely the same as her running into some game... and not even needing it. So much for righteousness. Perhaps if heaven existed she would be seen as a devil. How unfortunate. She did not want that. She wanted to be worshipped as a champion.

​

She simply wanted power, authority, strength.

Now she had nothing but the feeling of herself lifting away. Losing more consciousness by the second. Her last conscious thought before the light began to approach her.

I... ascend....

...mmmm?

Hitomi's eyes shifted to Dieter who was telling her to breathe. This man... he really was trying his best wasn't he? Like everyone did when they could. Jumping in front of him like that... Elly would have scolded her. Then again Elly was such a odd person.

...I... think I'm alright....I can't die yet. I have a deal to...

She reached out and grabbed his wrist gently. The blood was still flowing out of her yet she remained conscious. Her face was calm... maybe too calm. Acceptance of death or just no fear of it? What was death anyway? It would be interesting to have a near death experience for research purposes but then again... it was not her field.

And anyway...

I don't think anything vital was hit. I am in pain but... I think I can get up.

She pulled herself off the ground slowly. Standing up straight she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. A beeping came from her collar.

I heard gunshots. The girl is dead?

...Yes Chris. At least from what I can tell from here. I was shot you know...

I see, we'll get you to a hospital. Or would the authorities prefer to? Nexus offers our full support and compliance in this situation. Also, is the girl dead? You know how to check.

Hitomi walked to the body and glared down at it. Kneeling down and outright ignoring the officer. She put a hand on Maya's neck and the other to her chest. She muttered under her breath and closed her eyes as if praying. A last prayer for one gone from this world.

...She's... dead.

Standing back up and turning to the policeman she smiled tiredly.

How sad, but no one likes a sociopath. A imperfect world makes people like that. Maybe she can be what she wants now. So... um... You heard that right. I... really do think I will pass out if I don't get to a hospital hahaha...ha...

She suddenly slumped a little and looked very tired. The very fact she was standing at all was a sight with her bloody clothes.

Chris looked into his hand checking his pocket watch. With a nod he flipped it closed and returned it to his jacket.

A good entertainment tonight. Dead bodies and law enforcers having gunfights on my building. And they were...

Hahahahaa... oh Chrisspoo. Duh! You're smarter than that! Isn't that the point of this forum? If they didn't why did this even matter? Yeah and if what we heard means anything. She was Minerva and he... was ooooh. Sexy man number two... Astor Balthas?

...I have a company to run while I'm here. So let's get on with this shall we?

Meanwhile, Celestine would find themselves promptly escorted from the building by remaining hired hands of Nexus. Very large and very armed. She was kicked out quite literally unto her butt.

It would seemed the meat of the event... was over.

@Astor Balthas @Celestine

​

 

Celestine felt a firm grip tug her back from the open window by the shoulder. Two massive guys that looked straight out some sort of spy movie: suits, headsets, and the one even wore a dark pair of shades… as if that was even necessary indoors. Sheesh.

“Let me go, face of jerks! This is like doing a kidnap! If she does a fall of the deaths, it will be the fault of you bulk peoples!”

Unsurprisingly, they didn’t seem interested in humoring her antics at all and more or less ignored her protests as she was dragged to the elevator against her will. Crossing her arms in the corner with a childish pout, her face suddenly creased with a devious little smirk. In one swift motion, she darted forward and ran her fingers over as many floor buttons as possible, lighting up at least 50 of them before she was violently slammed back against the wall.

Ding~

The elevator opened on floor 84, revealing a mostly empty hallway that Celestine would never be able to escape to due to the vice grip they had on her. Unfortunately, the larger of the two security guards swiftly hit the cancel button and returned the elevator to its normal course. Drat - she’d forgot that button existed...

“Hey, this obnoxious brat’s technically a trespasser, right?” The way he’d leaned into that question with a deep and foreboding tone gave Celestine the shivers.

The one with the shades simply nodded.

“...and she’s also resisting. So...”

Suddenly there was a sharp crackling sound, and Cel felt every last muscle in her body tense up more than she’d ever thought possible. An intense, electrical pain shot through every little nook and cranny that could feel pain. It lasted for the longest few seconds of her life before her limp body unceremoniously collapsed on the floor.

“I’ve always wanted to do that.”

A few minutes later, Celestine found her haphazardly kicked out onto the cold, hard, concrete. She was slowly regaining the ability to move, but for a good minute or so, all she could do was lie there - just as still as the dead victims of this giant mess, and easily mistakable for one.

@Minerva Alexandria @Claire Thalassa

 

Roof of Nexus Academy

A female who had gone on a shooting spree.

A school that was flooding with students to both escape and get a look for themselves.

News reporters.

Police Officers.

A Nexus Employee shot right in front of her eyes.

Well...

Binocular enhanced eyes but still!

Chelsea lowered her highly advanced specially made Binoculars from her face. She adjusted another device on her ear. She needed to hear what they were saying. Just what was happening at her family's company? Her family's gift to the world that would have... should have been passed to her.

The CEO himself had shown up as well. He was so... urgh. Creepy! Just a total creep of a man. He had somehow murdered her parents and stole this company. Chelsea would not give up on that theory. Not until the real killer was at least found.

Everyone had run one direction but Chelsea had went the other. Going against the tide and coming up here to a often used gathering spot for students. It was nowhere near as tall as The HQ's towers but her equipment made up for it. It was good she had that stuff handy!

"Minerva and Astor? Isn't that the King of that stupid player nation? Hmmm... No. This isn't going to lead me anywhere. But..."

The girl next to Chris... that was...

"That crazy goth girl. She's cleaned herself up... but, Yeesh someone like that got hired? What are they doing to Nexus?"

This was probably the biggest clue that something was going on. A woman from Terrasphere going nuts, the same kook from the woods near that witch scientist's house here with the CEO. The cop just so happening to be the new Great King, Astor Balthas.

Too many coincidences. Really this was turning into some kind of anime crime drama... first tsundere romantic comedy and now this. Well at least this was along the lines she needed to get anywhere. How deep did this go though? Chelsea may be rich and had intellect, drive, and gear to help her but really... there was only so much she could do alone. No!

"I have to do this alone... the computer in my father's old office. The CEO's office. That's what I need to see. I need to see if there is anything... anything unsavory going on in there."

Beep beep beep.

"News updates..? Probably just the shooting here."

She sat down and leaned against the fence. Checking her phone she nodded at the obvious reports coming in. As expec-

"....!"

Her mouth hung open at one of the articles and the life drained from her face. It was not about the shooting but it was still important. Maybe even the darkest part of this web she had ever seen so far...

"No way. How could she have..."

Her mind went straight to the female named Alice down below.

That's it. She was going to do something... anything at this point.

[FIN?]

[OOC: Others can post if they want but that's it from me.]