Chapter 9 - Birth of the falling

[Jack]

(Fett)
Snow fell across the Earth, a snow of frozen toxins and ashes. A man with a shaggy beard and mane of unwashed brown hair leaned against a frozen tree, ignoring the far, far below freezing temperatures. There was nothing human about this man. Cradled in his heavily worn metallic hands was an enormous weapon, two barrels protruded from one end, the lower one oversized, with a pump action to change rounds. The stock was firmly set at his shoulder, as so long ago the instructors had taught him. The man's deeply lined face was lit by one of the few light sources left to the Earth.

Thirty feet in front of him, swirling and twisting brightly, was the portal to Hell. Littered among the ground between BioDiesel and the vortex were dozens of bodies, frozen piles of blood and flesh that were slowly being buried by the falling snow. Few of the demons had been of any size to worry BioDiesel, in fact he had only spent two of his grenades, chewing apart the rest of the unholy army with burst after burst of micro-flechette needles. Anything that traveled through the portal would have to come over him. Around the man's neck lay a rosary, testament to BioDiesel's Catholic mission here.

High in the inky 'daylight' sky above him, the sun was still faintly visible, a grayish blot among the cold night. BioDiesel flicked his eyes from the portal, which was giving his rangefinder random depths and messing with his targeting systems. He wondered if 'The Lense', the Government which had been in place before the loss of the sun, had known what was about to happen. For that matter, he wondered which had came first, the portal to Hell or the darkening of the Sun. Perhaps one had caused the other?

There was nothing he could do about the Sun. Loss of heat had killed some 95% or so of the population, the others abandoning the planet for space platforms, or the colony on the moon. BioDiesel could have joined them at any moment, about 4 miles directly behind his back was a landing field that had several ships buried beneath the snow. He didn't bother, though. Here before him was a clearly cut goal, a purpose for his existence that he could take pride in. One that was suited to his abilities, even. Kill everything that comes from Hell. If GenTurbine had lived to see such times as these...

He hadn't though. And there was no point dwelling on what happened. The loss of GenTurbine, NerveWire, and CellStation had reapprized BioDiesel's usefullness to the Emptyset corporation, and for a while he had been forced to live a fugitive's life. Until the loss of the sun, when everything changed. Now he was not some reject experiment, hunted for the righteous crimes he commited. He was one of a handful of people on the entire planet, and almost certainly the most powerful.

BioDiesel shook the snow from the shoulders of his trenchcoat, assuming a crouch that took some pressure off of his legs. Absentmindedly the runes of his forearms spun, came to a clicking halt, and spun again. BioDiesel's runes had proven far more useful to him then he had ever imagined, and played a large part in destroying the 'Perfect weapon' GenTurbine. Laughing to himself at the memory, BioDiesel took a rag from one of his oversized trenchcoat pockets and began cleaning the frost off of his weapon.

Before him, the portal continued twisting and swirling, giving out embers and sparks that died in the frigid air of the lonely Earth.

[Jack]

(Fett)
A twisting twitch of fear lanced into BioDiesel's gut, scattering his thoughts and causing him abandon his memories. He wiped his hand across his face, suddenly feeling more alert. What the Hell am I doing here? Weapon 28 'BioDiesel' turned away from the portal and saw the barren wasteland of ice and darkness for what seemed like the first time. There were no innocent to protect here. No ideal to follow. No purpose.

"My sole existence is dealing..and recieving..death."

A sad smile formed on the cyborg's lips, self understanding yet regretful. But what is to be done? The huge man dusted the snow off of him and slung his huge gun over his shoulder. As if lost in a trance, he began to wade through the heavy snow towards the swirling portal to Hell.

"Our father, which art in Heaven.."

The vortex of flame and fear widened at his approach, alive and hungry for those who would pass through. The rosary around BioDiesel's neck began to smoke, burning into his genetically designed flesh. He didn't dare cast it aside.

"Hallowed be thy name.."

BioDiesel turned away from Hell for the last time, his eyes flickering across the black sky where he knew the last of humankind struggled to survive. Behind him he could hear voices calling to him, familiar voices that etched his soul with fear and doubt. At his feet, a frozen face was still embedded with flechette needles, contorted in death and rage that he couldn't begin to comprehend. BioDiesel stepped over the fallen demon's snarling visage.

"Thy Kingdom come.."

He set his jaw and narrowed his eyes. Thy Will be done.. The man leapt into the whirling maw, which spat flame and char across the snow. The portal shrank back to it's usual appearance, a wretched door swirled with sin and weeping fire and blood.

[Jack]

(Fett)
A flame licked across the embrionic slime at BioDiesel's neck. The giant man shuddered violently, wracked with unimaginable pain. Because he had died. Painfully.

Before he opened his eyes he was nearly blinded by his own internal optics, his heads-up display was blinking on and off, something he couldn't recall it having done before. As the green display that shone in the cortex of his eye settled itself, his own internal systems began rebooting themselves.

/:[System Start-Up]

/:diagnostics error [InitScan3]:Line(s) 1-7,643,893

/:Reinitializing in 20 seconds..

BioDiesel spat warm blood onto the snow before him and tried to lean up on his elbow. He caught a glimpse of his body, which was covered with mucus and a copious amount of blood, before falling back on his back. His robotic hands weren't yet responding, although he imagined he could still feel them.

/:[Sytem Start-Up]

/:diagnostics search of all systems..

A cursor in his heads-up display blinked on and off at the end of the sentence, before a sea of text flooded down his display, making him involuntarily blink as if he could rid himself of the glowing green information.

/:Error(s) found in initialization:

/:Internal power flux via PG3004 [45:399:02]

/:Internal power flux via PR2546 [45:400:62]

/:Internal power flux via PR3998 [45:400:92]

/:Optic display failure [45:399:02]

/:Flatline recorded host (Weapon #28) deceased [45:962:42]

/:Electralyisis heart restart failed [45:966:00]

/:Electralyisis heart restart failed [45:976:00]

/:EX29302 cell count has dropped below minimum [45:978:92]

/:Power failure, systems loss [45:984:32]

No amount of blinking would remove this from his vision. The computer agreed with him, he had most definitely died. As his systems rerouted power and brought him up to date, he clenched his cold metal fists. The text dissappeared and was replaced by the six green bars of health he had seen most of his life, followed shortly by his targeting systems and internal clock.

BioDiesel sat up, opening his eyes again. his legs, the folds of his trenchcoat puddled about him, his arms were all covered with blood and slime. Impossible, he thought. With a start he realized there was a flame at the edges of his vision, burning steadily at his neck. He clawed at it with his metal hands, grabbing the burning thing, and was about to throw it away from himself when he froze.

His hand, paused in midaction, was clenched around his burning rosary, the cross dangling from it's beaded string, burning steadily from his fingers. A flash of pain racked BioDiesel's body, as memories of what had happened raped their way back into his memory.

A single flash of light had carried the image of his own black and searing flesh before his eyes had been scorched free of sight. Tumbling, falling through flames that ravaged his body, screaming, screaming...

Whatever fate he'd met in the portal, he was alive again here. No, born again. Born through the unholy womb of sin, which had consumed him and spat him out into Hell. It was the only explanation he could think of for the blood and slime - as BioDiesel carried a very different sort of blood in his veins then this.

He carefully tied the Rosary about his right hand, where it continued to burn brightly, the cross affixed to his palm. For several minutes he did as best he could to clean himself up, scooping handfulls of snow and wiping himself clean of blood and slime. The vortex of the portal sat wide and unblinking, watching him with unguarded malice.

Several feet away, half sunken into the blood-speckled snow, was his gun, which he retrieved and carefully inspected. All in working order. The man turned, his eyes cold and his face blank, already regretting his decision. BioDiesel trudged down from the wide clearing of snow that surrounded the portal, on to see what the rest of Purgatory held for him.

On Earth as it is in Heaven..

[Jack]

(EvelynXandii)
Xandii awoke in a small town at the base of a tall mountain. A mist rolled through the foothills and drifted through the streets of the ghost town she was surrounded. She rolled from her back and then rose to her feet, walking towards what would appear to be a church. She walked in durring a period of reflection and silence. She approached the altair and knelt, not knowing for what, but as she closed her eyes she saw her self. She saw her final moment, her death. Then she felt like she was falling, ending up with her on her back in the town square, execpt this time she was not alone. There was a faceless figure whispering in her ear :

When you wake, you will find things are different. You are in hell. You have been judged, and you will remain her for all eternity...There is no escape, but, there may be a way out; a way to right the wrongs before you. You may even get your humanity back...You were wrongly judged, as I was, and we have much more than that in common. I will lead you to me, and together we can overturn our injustice.

Her eyes snapped open.

She stared at the crucifix, and it seemed to stare back.

She exited the church, leaving the people in their silence. She walked back to where she fell and looked towards the peak of the mountain. She looked to the top of the mountain and stared at the glow for a moment, only to turn away in disgust. Had she really been betrayed? She thought back, remembering her final moments...She had been...she couldn't believe it. She dropped to her knees and screamed. She realized that this mysterious voice was right and it burned inside her, realizing that her existance of upholding the law and being benevolent was for nothing. She saw she was in purgatory, and her only friend was the entity behind the voice. She had no choice but to follow.

[Jack]

(Fett)
BioDiesel stepped forward slowly, carefully, his heavy trenchcoat unswaying and his long mane of thick dark hair pushed back over his shoulders. His gun was ready, unwavering, as he approached.

As snow and ash gently drifted down across Purgatory, a targeting reticle, directly across the back of a young woman, was all BioDiesel could see. The woman was crying to herself, shivering in the snow, in a dark uniform he would have guessed made her some sort of guard or officer. From her attire he would have expected her hair to be drawn back into a ponytail or braid of some sort, but her red hair was free, veiling her face as her body shook with sobs.

He had almost missed her, and in fact would have had she not screamed. His rangefinder ticked down as he edged closer to her, his gun still readily trained across her back. She screamed again, beating depressions in the snow with her fists.

BioDiesel slowed, painfully aware of how loud his footsteps on the shifting snow sounded. His finger was tight on the trigger, alert for any change of situation which would instantly put several bursts of micro-flechette needles into the woman's back.

A slender woman, a full two heads shorter then BioDiesel, her skin was deathly pale and trembling. She'd curled into a fetal position, her elbows buried in the snow. Her red hair still obscured her features as he stepped closer, and BioDiesel imagined her arcing her neck suddenly, revealing not a face but a mess of broken bone and bleeding tissues, some sort of corpse that suffered in this Hell..he shook the thought grimly from his head.

His next step crunched audibly in the snow and she gave a yelp and pushed off the ground to her feet. Her wide, teary eyes took in the hulking sillohoutte of BioDiesel and his oversized weapon, and she threw herself backwards, her hand flashing to her side but finding nothing in her empty leather holster. Blood was visible on the front of her uniform.

Definitely a cop, BioDiesel thought as he shifted his gun against his left shoulder, the barrel harmlessly pointing skyward. He reached out with his right, offering her a hand up. "Hey, it's okay," he said, chilled as his words broke the silence. Her eyes flicked from his weathered face to his open metal hand and back again.

Despite the lines under her eyes from an undoubtedly stressful death, the tears, and the angry set of her face, he could see that she was undeniably beautifull.

As he neared her, however, the shadowy shape of his hand was broken by a cross shaped red light, the cross from the rosary tied around his hand. It glowed angrily at her from his open and welcoming palm. It ceased in that instant to seem a friendly or helping gesture. Her cold eyes turned back to the man's face and Xandii began to scream again in her head. Betrayal.

She'd instinctively fallen backward when she saw his gun, where she'd have normally hoped to fall below his fire and clear her own gun. She ignored the outstretched hand and reached her feet on her own, sending a wild glance about the snow for her fallen handgun. It was laying in the snow several feet away.

Xandii took a step back from BioDiesel and rubbed her eyes with her sleeve. "I'm fine."

[Jack]

(EvelynXandii)
Xandii was not fine though. Her reality had started to sink in, and it wasn't what she wanted. It was also not what she deserved. Injustice, as the voice said, was gnawing at her as she writhed in the snow. The thought consumed her, as in life, she fought for justice. Betryal came to mind just then, and then a wave of hate as the cross flashed again in her head. She looked to the top of the mountain one last time, and screamed. She screamed hoping to destroy the mountain, even though it was impossible for her. Then she stomped through the snow, back towards the small town, retreiving her firearm in the process. She ignored the creature that was standing close to where she was in the snow. The creature then followed, then stepped in her path.

She caught a glimpse of the rosary again, which caused her to stop. Her eyes seemed to glow white hot with fury towards this symbol of God. The bearer of the rosary stood fast.

"If you stand by the cross you bear, you are no friend to me. Are you some hearald from above? Who are you and what could you want from me? Haven't I given enough? Are you here to plunge the dagger deeper?", wailed Xandii.

[Jack]

(Fett)
The lines in BioDiesel's face deepened as the skin around his eyes tightened. "I stand," He said quietly, "By the Lord." He closed the rosary gently back into his fist, then lowered his gun so he could cradle it more easily in both his hands. "'Reckon that does prevent our bein' friends though," he said in a stiff tone.

"I don't have to deal with this!" Xandii's eyes flashed and her slight frame crossed the narrow gap between them. She swung her arm in a solid arc towards the large man, her mind for an instant superimposing the wide eyes of a convict who had met this grim end only hours ago. Her blow met BioDiesel's metal forearm, which flashed up between the young woman and his face.

His sleeve wrinkled suddenly as things underneath her knuckles shifted, solid things. The sudden image of his tarnished metal hands split through her mind a blinding second before the butt of BioDiesel's rifle met her gut with some force, knocking her to the ground.

Her fierce eyes glared up at him as her red hair fell back from her forehead onto the white power. His metal hands were swallowed up at the wrists by the cuffs of his heavy trenchcoat, which in conjunction with his military pants and thick hair, obscured most of his large figure. There was no way for her to discern how much of him was mechanical, save for his face.

"Now," he gruffly said, putting the stock of his rifle firmly to his shoulder and bringing the dual barrels to Xandii's face. "Repent." He had come into Hell to slay demons, but it hadn't occurred to him untill now what guises and forms these demons would manifest as. Seeing an attractive young woman had clouded his agenda, but her defiant words had certainly reaffirmed his mission.

Something dangerous flashed again in her eyes, and, abandoning the theft of his willpower, she drew her gun clear of its holster. BioDiesel gently squeezed the trigger, and the muzzle flare of his gun was accented by the pitched chirp of micro-flechette needles. Xandii dropped and rolled into a crouch, the snow where she had stood erupting in a dozen tiny plumes.

Her spirits sinking, she stumbled downward, towards the town at an awkward pace, turning and firing over her shoulder. BioDiesel had taken a knee and fired another burst of needles at her, and although moments before she would have sworn herself too exhausted, she managed a pseudo-telekinetic nudge which scattered the metal bits across the snow.

As the first of the decrepit old buildings came into her path, she caught one last glimpse of the huge man she had met, high above her, walking down with the light at the top of the mountain at his back.

[Jack]

(EvelynXandii)
Xandii picked herself up once again and kept going. She ran further into the relic town, and entered a building void of any distinguishing features, including furniture, stairs, or even some bit of masterful carpentry. It was a bleak room. She kept going, entering other buildings in search of a place that would give her cover. There were none. All the buildings were as vanilla as the first. Then she saw the forest. On impluse, she ran to the trees, not bothering to notice that she should be too tired, and oblivious to all that may have been happening around her. She kept running, letting her lungs smolder in her chest. She wiped the blood from her nose and ignored the nausea that set in. She was only running.

Then she tripped on some underbrush.

And she fell.

Then the voice :

Xandii, get up....There is no time. You could still be that monster's target, and he means to destroy you. You must get up....Keep going deeper into hell and you will find me....together we can escape....go...NOW!!

Xandii groaned to her feet, twigs and leaves caught in her beautiful scarlet hair. She knew that she may still be chased, and if that were true, she had to get away. She didn't bother to notice that there was no more snow on the ground, and that it seemed as though she ran from winter into fall. And then from fall to summer and summer to spring, all the while, the trees grew denser. Then, the tress grew so tightly that the forest became impossible to venture deeper into. She looked around. No sign of her assailant. Then she noticed a thick column of light standing on a large circle of grassy forest floor.

She walked into the circle of grass. Looking up, the canopy was broken, allowing the light to spill in. Looking about, the forest formed a dense wall around this grotto, save for the gap she entered in and for the stone arch and locked wrought iron gate. She knew this was the way deeper into this hell. It exhaled evil through the bars. She tried to jerk the gate open, only to reveal the obvious. She turned to look for something to open the gate with, and instead found someone.

It was a massive figure of a beast. One hand held an 8' staff, the other, a keyring that dangled a single key. It snarled and stomped it's hooves. A Minotaur, just like mythology. Its voice boomed :

What need have you of me, demon?

Xandii replied :

I am no demon. I am a human. I need to venture deeper into this hell. Can you tell me if this gate is the path I need?

Fool! Do you think that you are merely allowed to go where you wish by asking? You are confined here for a reason. You were fated to remain in purgatory, and here you will stay.

I must get through. There must be a way. Please help me!

SILENCE! You cannot go through unless I allow it. I will only stand down if you can take my staff and key from me by force.

Given the circumstance, Xandii should have walked away, but the voice kept echoing through her head. She drew her baton in her left hand and her pistol in her right. She charged the Minotaur and swung her nightstick. It hit the staff and then the minotaur grabbed the gun and threw it to the other end of the grotto. He held her in mid-air, and she struggled, finally getting her right hand free and punching him in the cheek. The minotaur threw her to the ground and thrust his staff with the intention of impaling Xandii. She flinched and the staff was deflected into the ground by an invisible force. She then noticed the thin, wispy, hair-like strand that flowed from the Minotaur to her. Xandii noticed that she didn't feel exhausted from her run anymore, nor did the fall to the ground hurt as much anymore. It was like she was stealing his adrenaline, or something like that.

Xandii almost sprung up as the Minotaur dislodged his staff from the ground. He swung it and it Xandii blocked it with her nightstick. If she had stood to think about it, she would have realized that there was no way that she could normally block the pure force of the staff, but she didn't. She let herself go to auto-pilot, and she blocked the return of the staff on her other side as well. The gatekeeper became infuriated and swung his staff in a wide and powerful horizontal arc. Xandii would have blocked, but instead, she stopped the attack altogether with a crack of her nightstick to his wrist.

The strand turned to a mist, and Xandii felt odd. She felt like she was impowered, but she didn't know what with. She felt strong, but didn't know how to use it. It didn't matter though, because she was using it already.

The Minotaur dropped his staff and roared his pain. he went to pick it up, but it was wisked away and it lay beside Xandii's pistol. He looked at the girl and he roared, then charged, meaning to tackle her and crush her into a tree. He would have, had not she punched him on the crown of his head and reeled him back to a sitting position on the ground. It was clear to Xandii that this energy was doing this, somehow. Xandii kicked him onto his back and took his key. She turned to pick up her pistol and his staff, but she instead was kicked in the back. Five vertibre popped in all. She fell, and caught herself with her hands. The key was still on her left wrist. She glanced back up and noticed the gatekeeper was standing over her. She tried to stand, but he punched her between her shoulder blades and she was flat to the ground. He lifted the key from her wrist and went to her right to get his staff. He picked it up then realized her hand was on the gun. She fired it and the bullet went through his hoof. The Minotaur fell to the ground and Xandii stood up. She grabbed the staff and the key while he was writhing in pain. She put the key in the lock and turned to the Minotaur. She didn't see him on the ground where she left him, but instead, he was in front of her. His large fist was on it's way to her face. She ducked and he punched the gate, causing the key to fall. Xandii punched him in his gut, and he stepped back. She grasped the staff with both hands and struck his knees, breaking the one on his left. He fell to the ground and Xandii stook over him. Unable to realize her next move in time to even consider controlling it, she punched him in the chest with better than twice the force of a normal human. The invisible mist thickened and surrounded Xandii. Xandii picked up the key, put it in the lock and turned once more to the Minotaur.

I underestimated you, demon. You may pass. I have been defeated.

Xandii would have been frustrated with him calling her a demon again, but it was too late. He died. In a small flash, the rest of his strength passed to Xandii. She turned the key and entered the portal through the gate.

(Continued in Level 1 - Limbo)

[Jack]

(Fett)
Between the empty shells of crumbling homes, mist drifted, gently rolling in from the base of the mountain. A skittering sound, feet padding through light snow. BioDiesel leaned around the next corner, seeing nothing but disturbed snow in the alleyway between the structures. The giant man frowned, tapping the trigger of his rifle lightly. The mist chilled him, wetting his trenchcoat and instigating a shiver that scurried up BioDiesel's back as he stalked down the alleyway and peered around the next corner.

Another vacant alleyway, which simply turned from the one he stood in at a 90 degree angle. Snow crunched as someone took a hurried step in the snow, and BioDiesel took a last uneasy glance behind him as he ducked into the new corridor. It was easier to discern here, bare feet had left dark tracks across the snow, leading to the where the alley met another one of the wide paths that he supposed was a street. Not the girl he had met before. She had been wearing shoes.

When BioDiesel cautiously stepped out of the alleyway into the snowy street, his eyes captured the source of the footprints. A boy, wrapped in a ragged brown tunic, who gave him a wide-eyed look before dashing into an alleyway opposite BioDiesel. "Hey," BioDiesel called out, followed by his own muffled echo. Swearing silently, he threw wary glances down both ends of the street, like a child about to cross the road, before trotting after the boy. The brown-clothed kid had already dissappeared from the alleyway, but his tracks were still fresh and clear in the snow. Beyond the alleyway the tracks curved towards the single lit building of that street. The ancient architecture belied the humble nature of the small church, the roughly shingled roof arching sharply into a steeple, at the top of which a cross glowed, shining like a beacon.

As he neared the church he saw that many other pairs of footprints had found their way here recently, the ground before the door was a mess of trodden snow and uneven powder that had been kicked up by quick footsteps. BioDiesel turned his attention to the doorway as he slowly stepped closer. His brow furrowed for a moment in thought, but he lowered his enormous rifle before stepping inside, where the brisk air of the outside contested with a dry, if musty, warmth.

A room full of heads turned to silently meet him, dirty faces and unwashed hair, clothed like peasants and with bodies wrapped tightly in dull brown shawls. Behind the altar, on a slightly raised portion of rickety floorboards, a squirrelly looking, balding man clutched a heavily worn bible from a makeshift pulpit. How they smuggled a bible into Hell was beyond him. BioDiesel looked around, feeling intensely awkward, what appeared to be the entire town collected into the tiny church. He recognized the boy he had followed leaning against the chipped wood of the last pew, still wide-eyed, his face smudged with several shades of filth. Unsure of what to do, BioDiesel raised his hand as if in witness, and opened his fist, letting the cross of his rosary dangle out upon its beaded chain. Somewhat of a collective rustle replied as people shifted about, several heads bowing in prayer and a general air of relief exuded. It occured to BioDiesel suddenly how menacing he looked, his frame entirely filling the old doorway, an enormous gun clutched in his hand.

The frightened-looking reverend closed his eyes for a moment, perhaps finishing his own little prayer, before he turned his eyes back to the giant man. "Our altar is open to you, my friend, if you would care to pray with us." BioDiesel took a step into the room, letting the frigid air pass through the door at his back. "I've become lost. I've prayed that the Lord find my actions right, coming here, and hope that you can help me find my way, father."

"I'm just a repenting sinner, had I been annointed I wouldn't have fallen this far," The weary-looking preacher said quietly. "This...town..is the last pillar of salvation before the gates of Hell." BioDiesel's brow furrowed again. "This isn't Hell?"

"Purgatory," the preacher said with a tired smile, "Where through steadfast prayer- and love- some of us may yet reach heaven. Those of us that give in to anger..and despair..are taken through the gate below the town."

"There's a portal, in a clearing, near the top of the mountain. It leads back to Earth. You can all escape Hell and live again."

A long haired man with shallow eyes and weathered skin spoke up. "T'would end us. We've not the strength to pass through. No one here does." BioDiesel looked around the room, wondering how many souls here would survive to pass to Heaven. "I came expecting dash in shooting, purge the depths of evil from this realm. If this isn't really a circle of Hell...Well..I would appear to have a ways to go before I can begin to question myself. I'll remember all of you in my prayers." With that BioDiesel turned and walked back down the aisle to the exit. "We too shall pray for you, that you bring evils justice and free souls of the Hell below." The cross dangling from BioDiesel's hand sparked.

As he exhaled, his breath was visible, and the dim light of the outside overwhelmed his vision while he stepped out into the snow. He turned towards the crunching snow beside him and found that the brown clothed boy from before had followed him out. BioDiesel regarded him quizzically as he slung his rifle back up onto his shoulder. "You need somethin'?" The boy stared up unblinkinly. "She went this way too. Down into Hell." BioDiesel walked on, but the boy kept pace. Frowning again, he asked, "Who?" The peasant boy replied, "The woman with the red hair."

BioDiesel paused and turned to face the young sinner. "Very recently?" The boy nodded. "Very recently."

"Thank you for telling me this." He lightly put his metal hand to the boy's head, and turned it back towards the little church, giving him a slight nudge. "God be with you."

The boy stood and stared after BioDiesel as he trudged down the incline away from town. When he was a distance away, BioDiesel couldn't help but mutter "Creepy 'lil git.."

Leaving the ghost town behind him, BioDiesel followed the slope of the land into a scattering of trees, which became a thickly wooded forest. The snow abruptly ended, leaving pale piles of dead leaves and brush the new source of music as his footsteps maintained their steady rhythm, keeping in march. The air was deader here, less fresh. It tasted more stale and flat the deeper down into this forest he went. A worm of uneasiness burrowed its way into his gut. He froze suddenly, noticing a disturbed swath of leaves ahead. There was no one in sight. BioDiesel crouched, running his metal fingers through the dead, dry leaves that had been upset. When he pulled his hand back, he couldn't fail to notice a long strand of brightly red hair caught on his metal index finger. His frown deepening, he stood and took his rifle from his shoulder, opting now to keep it ready for the duration of his stay in Purgatory.

He continued on warily, his eyes darting between the increasing amount of trees, as the canopy above thickened and made the shadows deepen. Soon it became difficult for him to walk, squeezing between trees and occasionally forcing him to hack them down with the hooked blade fixed at the end of his grenade launcher. Pushing through the last of the thicket, he came into a clearing. A dead bull man lay sprawled in the leaves, about the same height as BioDiesel, had the minotaur been standing. The leaves and sticks that littered the ground were in places pushed aside, revealing the scuffed dirt below. A fight had taken place here very recently. The minotaur's flesh looked withered, although whether that was a product of aging or a draining death never occured to BioDiesel. He did note that one of its hooves had been shattered, and powder burns marked the fur just above the broken hoof. Grimly looking up, he saw that an ancient iron gate stood open.

As BioDiesel walked through, his cross sputtered flame that lit the passage. Behind him, the gate whined on its hinges and a sudden gust scattered leaves across the gateway.

[Jack]

Level 1 - Limbo (Kyi\\Finch)
Finch had been informed that some living people had entered the lower levels of Hell. With her paranoia, she seemed to think they were intruders - probably trying to steal Satan's soul or some sort of nonsense.

Even with her silence, the fellow people in Limbo had seemed to sense that a battle would be held sometime soon. Finch had sharpened her kind weapon on the walls of the castle, worked on her flips, and prepared herself otherwise.

The wind seemed harsh, even for an underground place. The grass of the plains and hills fluttered, tickling the air with their tips.

Oddly enough, Finch felt like talking for once. Singing almost. Mostly because of the weather - and the excitement of a possible fight. She hadn't fought in months. With her silence brought loneliness, and with that brought terrible memories; why she didn't talk; what people had done to her - resulting to her being violent.

As the winds whistled across the rolling hills, Finch spun round, checking for everyone to be away from the fight she sensed coming. Only her could get involved, that's what she believed. By speaking with her eyes, she had gotten everyone to stay away from the stairs that came up from the second level, and kept most of them hidden.

Leaning up against a wall of the castle, she held her shining weapon between her middle and index fingers, waiting.

[Jack]

(Kyi\\Finch)
The long silence was soon broken. Tense, Finch almost jumped then whipped around toward where she had heard the noise. She flicked her wrist, sending her weapon up then caught it carefully in her palm and held it. The noise had come from the wall near the stairs; there were a few bushes and trees over there that were good for hiding, but Finch was unsure if it was one of her "subjects" or someone from below. Narrowing her eyes, she threw her weapon right above the bushes. With a zing it planted itself within the wall. Finch was then satisfied by the scurrying that occured then. At least twenty people had been hiding back there and now they all fled to another corner of one of the walls.

Grinning, Finch rose up her hand, spread out her palm and her weapon began to twitch. Slowly, it broke loose and came zipping back to her, catching it again firmly with her middle and index finger. Flicking it, she let it loop around her head and come to her other hand. Again, she caught it, but this time with her palm.

The Limboists closest to her shivered. Though she was only but the age of 13 or 14, she had a terrifying gaze and look to her. Most would think of her as a kind girl at first glance, but once they saw her eyes... her stare..

The few that were against violence, as well as scared of it, shook quickly as they stared at her weapon. Finch looked down upon them, hesitating to spit on them, but decided not to. They hadn't done anything to her as far as she was concerned. Anyone who had done something to her were most likely alive, and would be in a much lower level because of what they had done anyhow.

Exhaling heavily, Finch pocketed her weapon. If anyone was to come, it seemed it would be awhile.

One of the higher Limboists, also known as the former Ruler's assitant, came trecking up to Finch. He mumbled a few words to her, saying that the people below hadn't reached level 3 yet and that she had a few days. He also told her she didn't have to do this on her own, but from the look in her eyes he let it pass.

"When is the real ruler of Limbo coming back, ma'am?" The assitant asked. Finch scowled, she knew nothing. Nodding, the small demonic looking creature waddled off back to one of the walls.

Pondering whether or not she should make anyone here fight, Finch shuffled back to her wall with her head down. Taking her place back, she slid down the wall and slowly let herself doze off.

[Jack]

(EvelynXandii)
She awoke in a forest that was far less dense than the last, sitting on the ground, resting on a boulder. She rose, sheathing her gun, clipping her baton to her side and grasping the staff. She had two full clips of 9mm rounds, and two left in her gun, leaving her with 34 total. Hopefully enough to get to the source of the voice. She had no idea whether or not the large person was still giving her chase, or if it would be able to follow her deeper. She also didn't know what this circle had in store fo her. She only knew that she must press toward the direction that was most ominous : deeper.

[Jack]

(Kyi\\Finch)
Finch could feel the harsh, thundering hard steps of someone raging through the forest that separated Limbo from Purgatory. She shook herself awoke and stood, sliding her hand into her pocket. Narrowing her eyes, she revealed her shining weapon. Those in Limbo now crouched lower to the ground and closer against the bushes and trees, trying not to shiver and be noticed.

Finch sniffed, whoever it was was coming closer. She slid her weapon up her palm and in between her fingers again, pressing her fingers together to hold it gently. Looking towards a small door in one of the walls, Finch thought she saw something dart across the entrance, then back to the other side. She found this odd, the intruders were to be coming from below, not Purgatory. Shaking away the thought, she flicked her weapon up in the air then caught it with her better hand - her right one. She stepped towards the entrance and peered through it. As she was about to turn away, a girl with bright hair pushed through, sending Finch to the ground. Instinctively, Finch rolled to the side, kicking herself back up. She hissed.

"Where are the steps? I must go lower." The intruder panted, but Finch didn't think she looked all that tired. Smirking, Finch brought her weapon across her face, letting it shine into the girl's eyes, making her step back a bit. "I'm sorry for pushing you. It was an accident. Where are the steps?"

Finch kept herself from laughing, then flipped back, using one hand then skidded to a stop. She rose from her hands and knees and flicked her weapon towards the girl's shoulder. The wind kicked it, sending it across the girl's ear, snipping it a little. Finch smiled as she saw the blood trickle down lightly.

The girl growled, "My name is Xandii, is this what you want to know? Now can I go down the steps?" Finch shook her head, catching her weapon in her hand. "Then what is it that you want?"

Finch ignored Xandii's talk and spun round, kicking off the ground with her foot. She landed behind Xandii, and as Xandii began to turn around, she met Finch's foot in her face. She fell back as Finch lowered her leg, smiling again at a small, almost unoticeable bruise on Xandii's cheek.

Finch thought it would've done much more damage, but it was clear to her now that Xandii wasn't as weak as she had presumed. She seemed rather stronger then most, and a demonic-like power lingered around her.

Finch waited, raising her weapon back up to her face, ready for most anything Xandii had to throw at her. It felt good to fight again.

[Jack]

(Fett)
Dry leaves and dead moss clung to the boulder BioDiesel woke on, and he shifted up from his crouch, kicking his legs awake. His vision spun as he stood, and he spat out the bad taste in his mouth. So this was Hell. Unsure of how long he had been sitting prone, the only thing he felt certain of was that the red-haired police woman wasn't nearby. If she had been, he would already be dead. BioDiesel lightly jumped off the worn boulder, pins and needles etching themselves in his legs as they caught up with the rest of his body in circulation.

The forest was the same here as it was in Purgatory, dead, earthy-toned tree rising to a shadowy canopy of dead leaves. The unbroken parrallel sea of tree trunks was only here and there distant enough to deepen with a shade of shadow. Again, as he looked past his weathered boots he saw that the land was sloped, and his direction of transit would still be downhill. BioDiesel followed the stock of his rifle between the dead trees, and on occasion his passing sent small flutters of crisp brown leaves cascading down.

The brush underfoot gave way to cut stone just as the trees dissappeared, the forest meeting a cliff shelf that overlooked the rest of Limbo. The clearing was boxed in on all sides but the open face by oppressing forest, the ground here having been leveled and set with wide tablets of sandstone that denied vegetation any foothold.

Upon this stone pavement two pairs of feet danced, the first small and bare, the other professionally laced shoes. Xandii stepped in, leaning on her right leg and swiping her nightstick out, all in one motion. Her fiery red hair tossed with the force of her movement, but her opponent - a far younger girl with some sort of throwing star gripped in her teeth - leaned outside Xandii's swing, arching her back and facing the ground behind her, planting her hands and throwing her feet up into an impressive backflip, landing with catlike grace several feet back. The policewoman pivoted on the balls of her feet and lunged toward the girl at an angle, bringing the nightstick about, inward this time. Her assault was stopped as the teenage girl violently rolled her head, flinging the throwing star from her clenched teeth. Trained in a more typical kind of combat, Xandii was caught off guard for a moment and nearly took the spinning metal in the face, but the star spun past her left cheek as she awkwardly twisted her upper body back and to the left, stalling the foreward momentum she had gained. She righted herself and advanced again on the girl, snapping the nightstick across her cheek loudly. The girl fell to the ground, but as Xandii stood over her and drew back the nightstick, the throwing star came whizzing back, biting into the back of her scarlet head in its rush to return to its owner.

Xandii cried out, dropping her nightstick and clutching the back of her head, her hand returning with a few wet locks of red hair from her bloodied scalp. The throwing star clattered to the ground beside Finch, who groaned and tried to rise up onto her elbows. Her eyes were dazed and her cheek was beginning to swell from the blow she had taken. The duo were about to continue their battle when the sandstone between them was suddenly preforated by a small hail of micro-flechette needles. Xandii and Finch spun as BioDiesel came charging, rifle firmly to his shoulder and hunched, keeping his aim level on the two women. "Stop, both of you!"

Xandii reacted first, twisting her face in anger, she threw a wall of telekinetic energy she had been stealing from Finch at BioDiesel. Either her concentration was shot, or the pain from the scalp wound at the back of her head was to distracting, because her wall of power was instead like fingers, raking across BioDisiel. He spun, losing his feet and toppling to the ground, his rifle spinning end over end to the edge of the clearing. He controlled his fall, rolling with it and coming to his knees. Finch shook her head and stood, hurling her throwing star at BioDiesel. The metal snowflake whizzed through the air intensely, homing in on the newcomer to the fight, when it was backhanded viciously by his solid metal fist, throwing sparks and returning just as quickly to Finch's hand. A split second later Finch ducked under Xandii's next swing of the dark nightstick, rolling back to leave the older woman between her and BioDiesel.

The man pushed off the ground, tackling Xandii in an enormous lunge and rolling with her, nearly bringing them both off the cliff edge. Xandii kicked up with both her knees, rolling on top of BioDiesel towards the cliff just as the throwing star buried itself in the sandstone where they had been a second previous. The nightstick tipped and then fell off the edge of the cliff, dissappearing from their sight. Xandii screamed in fury and pressed her hands to the only bare skin she could find on him, his face. Bright, raw power flowed in abundance from the giant man to Xandii, filling her and flowing beyond, washing away the exhaustion and making her feel almost whole again. The veins stood under BioDiesel's cheeks and forehead and his skin downshifted several shades to a deathly pale. Grunting, he weakly brought up his hand and slapped at her face.

A shriek of unporportional pain resounded throughout the clearing and Xandii pushed herself from BioDiesel, away from the cliff and into Finch, who had been bending down to retrieve her embedded throwing star. The policewoman curled up into a ball, clutching the side of her face and wailing with eyes clenched shut. Blinking to himself, BioDiesel turned his outstretched hand, revealing the cross from his rosary, which was glowing brightly from its postion, affixed to his metal palm. Far below them, just outside of the Styx, Xandii's scream was magnified several times over by Evelyn, who writhed on the ground, clawing at the cross shaped burn that had suddenly branded itself on her cheek.

[Jack]

(Kyi\\Finch)
Hissing, Finch kicked Xandii harshly off of her, letting the screaming girl fly forward and barely miss BioDiesel. Her face twitching, she stood up swiftly, her weapon dangling out of her mouth. Finch spat, a small bit of blood had began to flow in her mouth from the blow to her cheek. The spiked metal snowflake flew out of her mouth, and, unintentionally, hit Xandii's ankle, who was on the ground now. Grunting, Finch rose her hand, spreading out her palm. Her weapon ripped out of Xandii's bone and skin, spraying blood out around her leg, and came into Finch's hand. Spitting again, Finch carefully licked her weapon clean, then spat the blood out again. She didn't mind the taste, but the salt after awhile annoyed her stomach.

Since the man came, Finch and Xandii had left the small area by the entrance into the small castle and the three of them now stood near the beginning of the forest. Finch vaguely remembered it, and now realized how much she missed home. The leaves at her feet tickled her ankles and the light wind brushed her hair across her wounded cheek. She was getting distracted and sad again. Dazed by the surroundings she recently recognized, Finch stared at the trees and plants around her while Xandii struggled up with her cut ankle - which had had it's bone split.

BioDiesel was still standing, and now walking away from the edge. He took his rifle and whacked Xandii with it, sending her a few feet closer to the cliff. If the cyborg man had hit any harder she was sure to have gone off the edge; she was only what seemed to be five feet away from it now.

Xandii let out a stinging scream and tackled BioDiesel, Finch's sense snapping to attention. Taking into a fighting position, she watched the two roll around again, playing a tug-of-war almost with the cliff. Finch was unsure what to do, she wasn't entirely sure if BioDiesel was on her side either. She waited a moment or two until Xandii let out another scream - BioDiesel held her out across the edge of the cliff, her red hair tangled and dangling out on the edge. Xandii kicked with her one leg - Finch stared at her other leg and the large puddle of blood by her ankle - but BioDiesel resisted, and Xandii quickly took a new approach at this. She kicked him harder, with both legs, letting out a scream of pain from her ankle, then whipped out her staff and whacked BioDiesel harshly at his side. BioDiesel grabbed his side with one hand, standing now, then shot a few micro-flechette needles at Xandii. Ducking, Xandii skidded to the side, then ran forward.

At that moment, Finch grinned and whipped her spiky weapon out at Xandii. Her grin quickly faded as it was blocked with Xandii's staff. It came zipping back at Finch, it's magic tampered with slightly and not realizing who Finch was. She flipped again on one hand quickly, then landed and pushed herself close to the ground. Her weapon whizzed across her back, grazing her shirt gently. Since the wind was calmer, her shirt didn't rise up and the weapon didn't get caught; instead, it continued zooming through the forest. Outraged by this, Finch narrowed her eyes and ran at Xandii who was now making a sharp, curving turn at BioDiesel. Kicking off the ground Finch rose into the air at least seven feet then came crashing down at Xandii. She skidded, pushing her legs out, attempting to trip Xandii. Astonished, Finch came skidding out from under Xandii and saw she simply jumped over her. Anger rising, Finch hissed again.

BioDiesel flipped out his rifle and whacked Xandii with it, who blocked once again with her staff. Their weapons clashed together for moments until Finch's devilish weapon came zipping back. Finch sprung to her feet and darted towards her weapon. The background noise of the her opponent and supposed allie's weapon distracted Finch a bit, but she shook it away quickly and dove for her weapon. She caught it, somewhat. Her hand was now bleeding, but she ignored it and flicked her weapon out from her skin. Blood gushed out, Finch thanking whatever it was who made this happen that it wasn't her good hand. Rushing back, she wiped the blood out on her pants, taking notice that now BioDiesel was flying across the ground, his metal body parts weighing him down and forcing himself to dig into the dirt now. Xandii panted, wiping the back of her head that was still bloody from Finch's earlier strike. The blood was now dry and crusting, so she bent down and tended to her ankle while BioDiesel continued to skid.

Hissing louder, Finch kicked off the ground harsher then before and sent herself about a foot higher then before. She came tumbling down, catching herself in a roll, then kicked out her leg, striking Xandii on the ear. Xandii growled, falling back slightly, then grabbing her staff and whacking Finch back. Laughing, Finch caught the staff between her legs and twisted her legs to the side, unsatisfied until she heard it crack. Thinking as fast as she could, Finch whipped her star out at Xandii, and watched it kick across Xandii's forehead. Pushing off with her hands, Finch flipped back, landing on her knees and caught her weapon as it wheeled back into her palm.

BioDiesel had now finally dug himself out of the ground and ran faster than Finch had suspected. He charged at Xandii, who was now alert from BioDiesel's large, loud steps. Finch's eyes grew wide, but her face expression stayed blank. She jumped up then back, placing her weapon in her mouth and wiping her bloodied hand on her pants again. Her cheek had stopped bleeding on the inside, but was now a deep purple and still pounding with pain, giving Finch a headache.

Xandii's staff wasn't completely broken, but the tip had a small crack in it, though it still served well. She wiped her forehead, ignoring that more blood ran down past her eyes. She threw up her staff again, blocking BioDiesel's punch. The two stood there, locked in a combat, forcing eachother's arms back and forth as the other tried to get at eachother's face.