Unbelievable

[Kaoru]

A couple days after he had heard the announcement on the radio at the Paradise Hotel, Kaoru finally arrived in Gradia. He walked through the town, not seeing any Syn's yet but seeing an obvious amount of damage and death.

He came upon a hospital, windows on the lower level were broken and blood was drenched over the broken glass. He suddenly heard a scream from the third floor up in a room not far from him. He spotted the window, seeing a frail young woman backing up slowly then a beast of a human jump onto her and devour her. His eyes widened as he wondered how in the hell he was going to kill these things.

Still looking at the window, he noticed that he was spotted by that creature. However, the cry of a young boy on the floor just below it caught its attention. He saw it begin to punch into the floor to get to the boy. Seeing this, Kaoru could not just stand by this time to watch another person be killed. He took off running towards the second floor window and jumped up onto the ledge, forcing a gust of wind below him to allow him to get up so high.

He broke through the window and entered the room, running over to the small boy. "You're safe now." He said as he took the boy's arm and pulled him out of the room as the creature finally got through the ceiling and crashed on the floor behind them.

It followed them quickly, gaining rather easily. Kaoru pushed the boy aside and turned to face the Syn. He gathered his hands together and pressed them forward quickly, releasing a gust of wind that cut into the creature like shards of glass and pushed him far back.

Kaoru picked up the boy and continue to run until he reached a hall that was filled with a mass of what looked like patients. However, they're eyes and physicality told a different story. "Oh hell no..." Kaoru uttered as he turned around only to see another mob of modified patients at the other end of the hall. He ran into the nearest room with the boy and shut the door tight. He walked toward the window with the boy's hand in his, stopping when he noticed a small blob on a bed.

"Hello?" He asked, not receiving a response. He turned to the boy and instructed him to remain there while Kaoru walked over to the bed and carefully removed the sheet to find a terrified little girl. "I'm not going to hurt you." He said quietly to the girl who slowly looked at him with teary green eyes. He reached out his arms and gently picked her up, carrying her to where the boy was and picked him up in his other arm.

"Here we go..." He muttered, holding the two small children close to him. "Hide your face." He instructed as he ran to the window and jumped through it, shards of glass flying everywhere as the three of them now fell towards the ground. As soon as he landed, Kaoru took off in a sprint away from the hospital. 'I have to get them somewhere safe. He thought, but was unable to think of anywhere in Gradia that was actually safe. In realizing this, he decided he would just make constant trips between Gradia and the land beneath it with as many survivors as he could find to save them.

He quickly made his way to the contraption he borrowed that got him up here and jumped in with the children. "Hold on tight." He ordered as he took off, taking the children safely to Evnae and dropped them off at a small inn. He patted there heads and gave a nod of approval for their compliance then he left and headed back to Gradia for the next few survivors he could find and save. However, one thing he had failed to notice when bringing the children off the floating metropolis was an almost healed bite mark on the little girl's leg.

Kaoru made it back to Gradia and was approaching the hospital again, ready to kill some Syn and save some more survivors, not knowing that he had just unleashed the very virus he was trying to fight against into Evnae. He stood in front of the building and waited there. Some of the Syn finally noticed him and charged out towards him. Now this was where his battle was to begin. He got into his stance and held his arms out. As they got closer, he spun swiftly for a moment then released a cyclone that moved towards the Syn, lifting them up and tearing them apart. This move required mass amounts of energy but with a mob that big coming towards him he didn't want to take chances with a bunch of little stuff.

[NPC: Male]

Note: The character represented by this font color is reserved to the utilization of Chief Admin Tyr. This character is Tyr's creation and is created solely for the purpose of being the head doctor of Jowston Hospital.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A doctor hurried down the halls of the severely damaged Jowston Hospital. His white lab coat billowed behind him as he made his way through the fluorescent lit hallways to make sure that the remaining wings that can function remain secure and uninfected by the threats that now run free across the metropolis. Stopping at a vault gate that separates the west wing from the now destroyed lobby, the doctor double checked the locking mechanism. The mechanism seemed to be working fine. It was designed to lock shut if for some reason an infectious disease spreads in the hospital or a dangerous bacterial culture was accidentally spilled. Against airborne pathogens, the vaults provide security but against creatures that have supernatural strength, the doctor wasn't sure if it would hold up.

"Doctor Montague!" A physician's assistant called as he jogged towards the young doctor. Alfred, the assistant, have never been the bravest of men but he called upon courage he didn't usually display when in times of need. And this was one such time. "The cameras are spying something, or rather, someone walking through the corridors of the lobby. He spotted in the East Wing as well before disappearing for almost half an hour. Now he's back, fighting some Syn's out front."

Doctor Priom Montague, a genius physician who looked no older than twenty-five years, pressed his lips into a narrow line. The man Alfred had mentioned can be an uninfected person but he could also be a Syn. Pushing his compact glasses up the bridge of his nose, Priom asked his assistant, "Does he look infected...?"

"No, but he does have dog or cat like ears on the top of his head." Alfred answered, a bit puzzled since he had not seen such a person before.

Coolly slipping one of his hands in this labcoat's pocket, Priom nodded an acknowledgement. Now he was certain that the person was not a Syn and if he was fighting them then he must be one of the foreign warriors who responded to the Chancellor's call.

"I see..." He murmured. Before he could say another word though, a familiar ball of fur came hopping towards the men. It was a rodent that many would call a chinchilla only this chinchilla sported a mini doctor's costume, complete with his very own lab coat.

Alfred looked on baffled at the doctor's pet and only blinked when he saw it coming. He wouldn't dare ask Priom why he had such a pet though. The doctor's aura was foreboding at times.

"Return to the others, Alfred. I'll look into it." Priom ordered the PA. It was his responsibility to care for everyone who was in the hospital and anyone that came in looking for shelter. It was unfortunate that he couldn't spare the whole facility the destruction that the Syn's have caused but he was determined to take in any uninfected survivors and possible protectors of the innocent people who were taking shelter in the hospital.

Seeing that Alfred was going to open his mouth once again, Priom started unlocking the vault that he just checked because he was the quickest way to the lobby. When the peculiar hydraulic hiss sounded, Priom clucked his tongue and said while ignoring Alfred, "Come, Hamlet." Hamlet, the chinchilla, squeaked before hopping after his master who was already walking through the once locked door.

Alfred dumbly stood there blinking as the dark-skinned doctor disappeared behind the opaque automatic door. He'd take a chinchilla but not another person to confront this guy...?

[Kaoru]

With the next mob rapidly approaching, Kaoru readied his move again and set another cyclone out, tearing up more of them. His breathing grew heavy as he realized he could only use this move one or two more times and if he exhausted all of his energy and they were still coming he would surely die. "Okay... New stradegy." He muttered to himself as he readied a different position with the next group that was coming after him.

He pulled out a couple short swords and held them out, ready to channel his wind out to elongate them. Doing so, he ran towards the mob, twisting and turning, ducking and jumping and kicking and slashing as he tried to cut off their limbs, mainly their heads, to make sure that they wont be able to come back. He managed to kill a number of them but they kept coming.

A deep growl set in his throat as he charged more wind through his short swords, turning the length into that of an even longer sword and continued cutting at them as they ran towards him. He wasn't sure if he could make it out of this alive, but he sure as hell wasn't going to give up until he exhausted his entire energy reserve.

[NPC: Male]

As Priom walked farther out in the lobby floor, the noise of the battle outside became louder and louder. One principal sound that caught his attention aside from the roaring and growling of Syn attacking was the sound of strong winds. The doctor arched his brow. Is the man Alfred spotted a wind manipulator? Priom rarely see people with such powers in Gradia. In this city, people used their brains and their brains churned out technology that allow them to have superhuman powers. Of course, there were people here that could be considered a demi-human, part-demon or animal people who enjoy the presence of technology. Come to think of it, the founder of Jowston was a dog-man.

As he walked, Priom could tell from the eerie atmosphere of the darkening skies that even he was being stalked. He paused for a moment, listening in and filtering out the fight that was occurring outside the hospital doors. Hamlet, the chinchilla, hopping by his side stopped and perked his ears as well before jumping on Priom's foot, a sign that he wanted to be picked up. Priom bent down and took the chinchilla into his hands then slid him into one of his lab coat's larger pockets. The rodent let out a grateful chirp and his owner, obviously fond of him, gave him a small pat on the head.

After straightening up, Priom pressed his glasses onto the bridge of his nose after it had somewhat slipped while he picked his pet off the ground. In that moment, he spied something from the corner of his eye and, before he could turn to see what it truly was, a Syn threw itself into the air to tackled him.

The doctor watched as the Syn was closing on it, falling from its jump, without flinching. In the last second, Priom pressed something that was hidden under his sleeve. In a split second, a barrier erected itself around the doctor and repelled the attacking Syn. Just as the Syn regained it composure, Priom took a pen securely pinned onto his chest pocket, infused it with some energy in his hand, and, with a precision only a surgeon can enact, threw the pen between the Syn's eyes.

The experimental mishap fell dead on the lobby floor.

Priom scowled. He just created more mess that must be picked up after this infestation was over, not to mention that he just wasted his pen. Letting out a sigh, he returned his hand in his lab coat pocket only to remember that his partner was inside. Hamlet made a small rodent-like grunt to express his dislike of being semi-squished inside. As an apology, the doctor gave the chinchilla a gentle rub on his white underbelly as he checked his watch. It was only then that he remembered that there was someone outside the doors still fighting for his life.

The doctor continued his way outside the doors and, after the doors automatically opened despite having broken glass, he saw the man with animal-like ears on top of his head manipulating wind and using it as elongated blades. Priom rearranged his glasses as he watched on. There were only three...maybe four Syns left, the man could easily overpower them with that magical blade of his. Priom can't help him. It was truly against his nature to jump into battle.

He didn't have any more pens after all...

[Kaoru]

With a few more spins and turns, Kaoru took out the remaining Syn that was currently there. He stood straight and did a careful circle around, trying to spot any others that were still there. He then noticed a person at the entrance and glared. He picked up his feet and started running towards the man, ready to attack if he was a Syn.

As he approached closer, he realized that this person was still normal. However, the sight of something coming up behind him kept him running with a blade to the side ready to attack. He stopped about a foot away from the man and threw one of his short swords over his shoulder, taking the Syn's head off.

Kaoru's eyes stopped on the Syn for a moment before turning to look at this man. He put his other blade away and fully turned to this person. "Are there more survivors in there?" He asked, not bothering with introductions or anything, merely caring about getting the people who were still normal out of there.

[NPC: Male]

Dr. Montague merely pushed his glasses up when the other man threw one his swords just over his shoulder. Warriors like this one seemed to have a knack on showing off their skills to the peanut gallery. And of course, quite unfortunately, he was the only one in the gallery.

"Perhaps I should ask if there are any more survivors out here." Was Priom's response. "I take it you are one of the mercenaries or fighters that answered the Chancellor's plea..." The doctor continued, sizing up the animal-eared man with cool hazel eyes. What he saw was not entirely bad in terms of the stranger being an accomplished fighter. The man had the build and skill. Too bad it was not warriors that Priom hoped to show up.

He wanted intellectuals who can come up with a counter-agent for the Syn's virus.

Hamlet poked his gray head out of his master's pocket, eager to watch the conversation. The chinchilla perked his ears when he saw the other man having similar ears, only differing in size, shape, and color. He peeped at Priom, wriggling his nose, then looked at the stranger.

[Kaoru]

Kaoru watched the man as he spoke and nodded once in response with his usual straight face. "I came to help keep those not infected safe." Kaoru noticed the little critter in the man's coat pocket but didn't bother asking about it.

Kaoru then walked around the man over to the Syn he threw his short sword at and pulled it out. He gave it a quick shake with a small gust of wind from the handle to the tip to clean it off then put it away.

He turned back to the man again after looking glancing around to be sure it was clear. "Now you could send me to another area that's infested or take me to the others and have me be a guard. Or, if I'm no longer needed here I can just walk around the outskirts of the building or roam elsewhere to find another group."

[NPC: Male]

This man was hell bent on killing himself, Priom mused. Just by looking at him, Priom could tell that the warrior didn't have enough energy to fight another mob as big as the one he just fought. Opting to somehow trick the warrior to rest until he set out again, Priom answered, "There are people inside the West Wing and the vault gates are giving. If you're willing, I'd ask you to help guard these people."

Hamlet peeped but his master only turned to return inside the building.

Priom led the warrior inside the half-destroyed hospital. The lobby was a complete mess; the waiting chairs were toppled all over the place the reception counter was covered in old blood. The stench was nauseating as well, and it weren't for Priom's experience with blood in the operating table and the morgue, he would have succumbed to the smell just like most of the other people who did when they evacuated.

Bodies of both men and Syns could be seen around even though they did not litter the general space. Being obsessive with cleanliness, Priom could barely stand such a mess but he knew he must focus his attention to more important matters at the moment, caring for still living and healthy people.

"So what name may I call you?" Priom asked out of good manners. He couldn't possibly continue interacting with this young man without knowing his name.

[Kaoru]

Kaoru nodded in response and followed the man inside the building. Just inside he noticed the messy lobby and the stench. That stench rather stung his nose. He tried to ignore it but he couldn't help hold a hand under his nose to block some of it. He looked around the place, imagining briefly the struggle that would had gone on earlier and he let out a quiet breath of air.

He looked at the man who asked for his name. "Kaoru" He said plainly. "Yours?" He asked back, not caring too much but figured it'd be better to know his name anyway.

[NPC: Male]

Priom glanced back to the Kaoru and said, "I am Dr. Montague, Head Physician of Jowston Hospital. My colleagues and I tried our best to keep the hospital safe but in the end it was the ones who turned that decimated the place." While the doctor felt that the warrior didn't care much about what happened, he felt that it was important he knows if he was going to defend the people inside the building.

Dr. Montague continued leading the young man towards the west wing. Upon reaching the vault door, Priom fished his keycard from his pant pocket and swiped it into the receiver and started entering the code set to completely unlock the door.

Hamlet rode his in his master's pocket with his head just sort of peeking out and watched his master's feet as they took one step at a time. While Priom's feet weren't interesting to the Chinchilla, the doctor's shoes do have something that Hamlet loved.....shoelaces. His master's feet gave him so much entertainment that the rodent flicked his ears happily as if watching candy pinned onto a toy carousel.

When Priom stopped, Hamlet looked up and watched his master fiddle with that weird contraption device. Bored now that his master's shoelaces weren't moving, the curious rodent started looking around, wriggling his nose. What he saw greatly disturbed him.

There was a lone shoelace just under a chair not too far from where Priom stood.

Letting out a loud peep, the chinchilla jumped out of Priom's coat pocket in order to save the SID (shoelace-in-distress), much to Priom's dismay.

"Hamlet!" Priom called at the scurrying chinchilla to return to his pocket to no avail. Hamlet never did anything that like that that's why Priom was confident when he took the chinchilla to work. The doctor went after chinchilla but Hamlet had already disappeared under the rubble. Worried, Priom called again and heard a small peep. Before he could go and rescue his pet though, Priom saw the chinchilla hopping towards him with a shoelace wrapped around its fluffy body.

Hamlet nuzzled and groomed the green shoelace he had rescued as if it was a damsel saved from the dragon's jaw. He nosed the string and rubbed it against his face using his small hand-like paws. He didn't even noticed when Priom had picked him up, looked him over, and placed him back into his pocket. All he cared for was the lace, his sweet Ophelia.

Priom huffed and wondered if there was something he could with his pet's obsession with shoelaces. He could have been hurt or worse, eaten. Rubbing his forehead, Priom returned to the vault door that was now finally opened and said to Kaoru, "I'm truly sorry about that. Let's move on."

[Kaoru]

"I see..." Kaoru uttered in response as he looked around the place while they walked. It must have been a nightmare, he thought, wondering for a moment how many were still okay.

When they had to stop so the doctor could open the door, Kaoru took the time to look around a bit more from where he stood. Suddenly hearing the doctor call out a name, Kaoru turned quickly to see what had happened.

He watched the doctor run after some small... rodent thing that disappeared in the walls for a second. When it came back and the doctor returned to the door and apologized, Kaoru just nodded quietly and followed him through the door.

[NPC: Male]

"Doctor!" Alfred, who had been waiting on the other side of vault door, greeted his superior. He seriously thought that Priom wouldn't come back and feared what would happened if he didn't. Priom was a brilliant doctor and some of the patients that remain human would be in serious danger if he was lost.

"Thank God, you're back! I seriously thought you're done for back there." Alfred let out a sigh then noticed the man that he spied earlier. "Whoa! It's him!"

"It is him." Priom said, slightly distracted by his pet at the moment. "Have him screen, he volunteered to protect everyone."

"Protect everyone?" Alfred blinked and studied the strange man's features. He wasn't too sure if this lean young man can protect anyone but if Priom said so...well, there was little he could do about it. Clearing his throat, Alfred introduced himself, "I am Alfred Rosa, pleased to meet you, sir."

"Make it quick, Alfred. I'll be in my office." Priom said in finality and went on without another word. He would have enough words to exchange with Kaoru later on.

"Okay..." Sometimes he truly wondered if his superior was inept at talking to people but remembering all the things that Priom taught him, Alfred immediately dismissed the thought. He turned to the man, "Follow me please. As the doctor said, I'll have to screen you for pathogens that could be dangerous. We strive to keep this place sterile and clean for obvious reason. Please don't take it personally." If there was one thing that worked for Alfred, it was his welcoming aura. The way he spoke, though professional sounding, was albeit friendly as well.

[Kaoru]

Kaoru looked immediately at the person who called out first. Another doctor. He took a quick look around the room to see how many were around that area at the moment, wondering how many other rooms in this wing were still holding safe people. He looked back at the two doctors as they began speaking about him.

Kaoru looked directly at the other doctor as he seemed to study him with his eyes for a moment then introduced him. He gave a small nod and simply said his name in respond. "Kaoru."

When the head doctor left him with this Alfred, Kaoru watched him leave for a moment before turning to the other. He followed him as instructed, not really caring what they had to do though not really understanding his talk too much either. "Not at all." He said simply after Alfred finished his last sentence.

Kaoru usually seemed stiff and a little cold anyway, so even though this person seemed friendlier than the other it didn't really make much of a difference to him. However, even though he seemed mostly cold all the time he did actually care about the well-being of others who are living.

[NPC: Male]

"Alright, Mr. Kaoru, this way." Alfred led the young warrior through the winding halls of the west wing and in front a large automatic double-doors that slid open the moment the PA walked within its sensor range. Inside was a contraption that resembled a vertical CT scanner, a tubular machine that allows a person to pass through.

"This is our sterilization machine..." Alfred said as he made his way to the control panel, "...well the only remaining one, that is. Most of these guys are in the east wing but that part of the hospital is destroyed."

"Just stand on the blue pad and I will scan and thoroughly sterilize you using lasers." The Physician's Assistant watched and waiting until Kaoru stepped under the circular scanner that levitation a few inches above the blue panel on the floor.

[Kaoru]

Kaoru stared at the equipment as they entered the room. He had never seen such things in his life and had no clue what it would do to him. However, he's here to protect these people, so there was no doubt in his mind that it would be safe anyway.

He looked at the blue pad he was told to stand on, thinking for a moment about this being the last one and wondered briefly how many were in this place before. Leaving that thought behind quickly, he stepped forward onto the blue pad and waited for this process to be done.