Retribution

[Clown_of_God]

So, pretty much this is MINA's self-discovery story shortly after the events in Infected. Before her disappearance, Phantom reimplanted her original core and tweaked some of her functions. Now, she has traveled to Europe and is essentially following in her brother's footsteps, wandering from place to place, aiding those who need help and fending from infected attacks. However, unlike in the America's where the Omega controlled the Infected, something far more sinister is behind the ravenous monsters roaming around this part of the world. Also, MINA no longer goes by her given name, but instead prefers to be called Renata, Rena or Phoenix (each of them have a relation to rebirth or being reborn; Rena being short for Renata).

 

A new world, new monsters to fight, new people and a whole new set of adventures.

 

A quick note, since this story technically takes place before the events of Rebellion, no one has any idea about MINA's name change. Also, I guess I should work on getting a pic to represent my confused little girl.

[Clown_of_God]

Name: Renata "Rena" Night, Phoenix; formerly MINA

Age: Unknown

Gender: Female

Type: Doll

Series: V

Description: Rena (Forgive the... err... image, but that's the closest to what I imagine MINA looking like.)

Other:

Edited February 12, 2014 by zakku_uchiha

[Thaelasan]

(( So wait, this is happening during the events of Rebellion? Oh . I don't have any characters in America right now.

OH. WAIT. THIS IS THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY. GIMME A SEC. ))

[Clown_of_God]

((No characters in America? Isn't that where Alan, Randall and FIONA are? This takes place in Europe.))

[Thaelasan]

(( (facepalms) I got my locations mixed up. I kinda wanted to play that doctor that everyone thought was dead but I think we should save him for MUCH later on.

If only Alan, Randall, and Fiona took a trip to Europe after the events of Infected and before the events of Rebellion. Even if it was just Alan and Fiona. :I

I can't think of any characters that make sense over there. Inspiration, please? ))

[Clown_of_God]

((Well, he could be Italian, or another she if you wish. Remember, MINA is undergoing a renewal of herself, once a hunter of mankind now trying to help them instead. So, she'll still have her moments of unrestrained attacks against humans. Maybe somebody who can help her, someone who kinda knows her situation through their own experience. *shrugs* I have various ideas, but someone who would be able to balance her emotionally and mentally would suffice and it doesn't have to be just one person. I'm thinking a small group, maybe another doll or a hybrid sort similar to Fiona.))

[Thaelasan]

Username: Thaelasan

Character name: Winston Vance

Age: 30

Gender: Male

Appearance: As the leader of a small group of survivors, Winston looks about the part. He's given most of the good clothes to his fellow men and women, keeping only the barest minimum to himself. He has, however, fashioned a nice set of passable clothes from what he has found and still manages to carry himself with an aura of command and pride.

He has heterochromia. One of his eyes is green and the other is blue. His hair is chestnut brown.

He's five foot eleven. He's quite lean.

Personality: Winston is a kindly sort of man, having created a group from the survivors of an abandoned city in Britain. He was a natural nomad as it was, being a traveling merchant from London.

Due to his optimism even in depression, many look to him for leadership. As it is, he's seeking something of his own.

His missing daughter, Annabeth.

History: Winston was always nomadic, considering his trade in London. He was a traveling merchant and vendor, along with his wife, Martha, and his daughter, Annabeth. After the events of the outbreak, his wife was severely injured, and his daughter went missing.

Still keeping a high heart despite this, he managed to group together survivors from the area he came from and is currently traveling along the road to find his daughter's last known location, in Gloucester.

Other: I may sketch his appearance later.

 

Username: Thaelasan

Character name: Martha Vance

Age: 29

Gender: Female

Appearance: A woman who was once beautiful but is now shrouded by a slight depression, even though she wears a smile. Her husband's care for her has allowed her to wear a bit of finery in this dark era. Her left arm has been replaced by a metal prosthesis and she doesn't like to talk about it. Her hair is long and tied in a sort of ponytail near the base. Her hair is silver, yet not by age. Her eyes are light-blue.

Personality: She speaks very little, and seems melancholy. Even attempts by her husband to lighten the mood have done nothing but make her smile only the smallest bit.

History: During the outbreak of the infection, Martha attempted to bait a few of the monstrosities while her husband tried to get their eleven year old daughter to safety. She was attacked by one of them, however, and in order to prevent her from changing, her husband was forced to remove her arm.

Annabeth, their daughter, was taken by a relative to the nearby city of Gloucester, past Oxford, where the infection appeared to be lessened. They could not accompany her there, however, because Winston desired to help the people of the city over his own desires.

[Clown_of_God]

((Alright. Let's get this started.))

 

Unlike in America, where everything had been razed and the land had turned into a giant wasteland, Europe had undergone a different transformation. Building had been swallowed by ravenous plants and an eerie mist that never faded, lingered across the land. It was like a giant marsh, a forest with monsters lurking just around the corner. Renata sighed and teleported to the highest point she could see, trying to scout out the area ahead of her before proceeding. Of course, it was difficult, even with her thermal imaging, to get an appropriate layout of the land.

 

Type X had evolved in this region and humans weren't the only thing affected. Not just in size, but some plants had formed a carnivorous capability. Animals underwent a horrific mutation, creating new species of Infected that Rena had never seen before. They were faster, smarter and deadlier than one could've imagined. Master... no... Damien would've been thrilled to witness this evolutionary track, but his fate had been sealed due to the choices he had made and the future he sought.

 

Who would've guessed something like this could happen. Big Bro or Doctor Alan might have been able to figure out how. Maybe I'll send them a gift? Of course, they might be too busy to research the origin of these changes.

 

Just as she was about to hop down, a rocket whizzed by and struck the corner of the building she had just been on. An infected? No, they weren't intelligent enough to operate weaponry. Were they? Landing with a thud and cracking the asphalt beneath her, Rena peered into the mist trying to locate a clue to her attacker's whereabouts. Heat signatures began to pop up everywhere, a majority of them were armed and not lightly either.

 

"Who are you?!"

 

"She speaks. Are you human?!"

 

"Not exactly, but I'm not your enemy either."

 

There was a pause in their communication and Rena could pick up their murmuring. They weren't speaking English at this point, something else. French perhaps? No, it sounded more like German. That'd explain why they weren't hesitant in shooting at her. Famous military lingo, 'shoot first, ask questions later.'

 

"Are you one of those machines that scientist makes in America?"

 

"That'd be a more appropriate assumption than just shooting at me with a rocket."

 

"Dat is gut. Very gut. We could use your help. We have sick men and it won't be long until they are lost. You help us with young men, make their lives more bearable before execution. What you say?"

 

"Explain to me what you mean by 'make their lives more bearable,' then I'll decide."

 

"You a doll, yes? You provide services for my men, dat is what you do, yes? What you were built for."

 

At this point, Rena was fuming. These men believed she was made only to provide pleasurable services. That she was to be just a toy for them to use before they kill off their sick. Well, now she wanted to play and in this game, the winner gets to walk away.

Edited July 23, 2015 by zakku_uchiha

[Thaelasan]

(( People need to learn to stop trying to have sex with anything that moves. Jesus. Makes me sick. ))

 

It was probably around noon. Winston sat upon a cliff edge, dangling his legs over it like a pleased child. The midday sun was shining over what he could see below, and it was beautiful.

Even though the plants had become monsters by this point, they were still magnificent in their own way. He could see all of them, tied together, looping around each other with their flowers unfurled.

Of course, the flowers had mouths in them of a large enough size in order to eat the average human but, hey, they were still pretty cool to look at regardless.

"We're passing the first quarter of the way there, sir." the familiar voice said from behind him. He turned, curious.

It was a doll, though definitely not as sophisticated as Renata. His name, affectionately, was Rusty, and he didn't mind. He HAD been a series III doll, so the legend went, but he was such an amalgamation of parts from Series II and Series I dolls by this point that it was a wonder his mind had survived.

Rusty, originally RU57, was a doll that had just begun to show signs of artificial intelligence before the outbreak. Winston had scavenged him from a destroyed building and had taken the time to attempt to fix him.

Winston may not have been a doctor or scientist but Rusty was more than happy to help this kind Samaritan fix him as best as could be accomplished. Soon, when he had been mended to the appropriate level, the robot had finally been able to fix himself by using the regenerative engine from a broken Series IV, which had mysteriously washed up on a beach close to Winston's home.

Even with all the different parts, the only part of Rusty that showed that he wasn't "all there" was his special arm. The left limb was from a Series I farmworking unit, coming fully attached to a pitchfork-like appendage with a mulcher as well.

"Is that so?" Winston said finally.

"Yes. According to the map. Even though we're having to take a detour around Oxford, as you instructed." Rusty nodded as though he was pleased to follow directions. "At this pace if it continues, with rest hours in between of up to eight for each person, we should reach Gloucester in roughly a week - specifically 6 days, 4 hours."

"Sounds fine. Thank you Rusty." Winston said, smiling pleasantly. "You're dismissed, though I don't know why you need my permission."

"Habit, sir. Apologies." Rusty shrugged. "It's the Series II in me."

"I see. Hopefully once we get to Gloucester we can get you some real parts, eh? That'd be somethin'."

"Yes sir!" the robot said happily. He headed back to the rest of the group, walking amongst them just as if he was human.

It had been a difficult adjustment, at first, especially with his appearance. Everyone assumed his voice was just recordings - there was no way he could be alive. Yet, somehow, when he had been built, he had managed to claim some bit of artificial life. Winston had also especially been surprised to learn that the doll had working genitalia, as if he had his own genes. Working on him had been frightening. Under that life-like skin were tubes filled with a liquid like blood, metal frames like bones, wires like nervous tissues. Both human and not, organic and inorganic.

Whoever built him most likely didn't matter but Winston felt a pang of sadness whenever Rusty saw him speaking with his wife. Rusty seemed... depressed. Lonely, perhaps? There were no other dolls in the group. Rusty had also informed him that there were more female dolls than male, since the female dolls possessed the necessary organs and functions to have children after the apocalypse was over. Winston had been slightly appalled when Rusty had shown him images stored in his databanks of the female dolls.

Most of them looked young, innocent, filled with life. In fact, some of them reminded Winston strongly of his own missing daughter, and he shuddered to think if SHE would be used like that. It nauseated him even now and he prayed that his brother was keeping her safe and that his brother was safe as well.

She was thirteen and a half. Many people had thought it quite strange when Winston, at seventeen, had had a child with Martha. However, the two had been quite strict in their devotion to each other. Even though their parents had been concerned at first, the birth of Annabeth had been a blessing to them both.

Now... she was missing. The fear gripped Winston's heart each day and haunted his nightmares. When Rusty had shown him those images, it had only increased the frequency of the horrible fears and thoughts.

Yet, he continued to smile. She would be fine. She had to be fine.

For his sake. For Martha's sake. God, let her be fine.

 

----

 

The caravan began to lurch again. It looked sort of medieval, if it weren't for the car it was tied to. Because they could only find one working car, the group had had to improvise. A caravan loaded with supplies and two passengers followed along the other six passengers in the van. The last two passengers sat at the back of the caravan, making ten survivors all together.

"Day one begins, honey!" Winston said to his wife. They sat at the back of the caravan, staring out into the horizon. "Six days, and we'll see Annabeth again. I promise you."

"I hope you're right..." Martha laid her head upon his shoulder, closing her eyes. "Please.. let her be okay.."

[Clown_of_God]

Rena sighed as steam boiled into the air from extinguished rounds and rockets flying about. It hadn't been difficult, but the mist impaired Rena's abilities to appropriately track a target, making the fight irritating and rather dull. Still, had it been enjoyable, Rena might have returned to her old ways. As MINA, the doll who obediently served under the Omega, killing innocent human beings all because she was either told to or it was fun.

 

Wiping the blood off her fists, Rena pulled the bodies into a group and paid her respects. They were still human. Suddenly, her sensors picked up a group in the distance. Six, no, ten people traveling together. Another military group, perhaps? Scavenging what rounds she could, Rena figured they'd be worth something and stuffed them into her pack. If they were military, more members of the previous groups unit, she would refrain from informing them of her actions. If not, why even bother?

 

Slinging the pack over her shoulder, Rena began to make her way towards the other group. Perhaps they needed food, water, ammunition, weapons. Most she had or could easily obtain, but they all came with a price. Seeing as how there were more cultured safe zones in Europe, there was still a need of currency to purchase items. If you had currency from before the outbreak, you were treated as a king. Simply, a penny in America would be a dollar and a dollar meant you were rich.

 

Rena came to a halt when she landed on a building just outside of the groups visible parameters. This wasn't a military group, she knew that the moment she saw them. It was a caravan. A small group trying to reach a safe zone before they met their fate. Amongst them, a doll that had been so meshed together with other parts, Rena couldn't help but feel a bit of disgust. At the same time, she considered what he might have been though and the base knowledge of the person who had attempted to repair him.

 

Feeling it was safe, Rena casually made her way up to the group, announcing her presence before suddenly appearing in the center.

 

"Excuse me. My name is Renata Night, I noticed you were passing through and wondered if you might need some supplies. I ain't got much, but I ain't terribly expensive either. Also, if there's anything you might need assistance with, I can see what I can do to help."

[Thaelasan]

Four of the survivors, some of those most known for their "traditionalist" values, immediately gasped and grouped together, afraid. Winston, however, noticed the caravan slowing to a halt and immediately turned to try and find out what was wrong.

He slid from his seat, leaving Martha to sleep. He felt terrible knowing she was in such distress and apprehension. Her anxiety was killing him.

He needed to find Annabeth, not just for himself, but just to make Martha smile again. They needed to be a family again.

As he stepped towards the middle of the caravan, his mouth opened slowly in a gasp. He saw her... it had to be Annabeth. Her mother's silver hair... her father's stature and posture...

But it couldn't be. This girl looked a little older than Annabeth.. but still...

"Er... excuse me." he coughed, hoping she hadn't seen his pause. He had been in the back of the group after all.

"My name is Winston Vance. I'm in charge of this caravan, as it stands. I hope you know that it's dangerous for people to walk around alone out here. Don'tcha have a group of your own, lass?" he said, his native Celtic making him seem friendly and trustworthy.

As he spoke, he appraised the woman's offer. Well, he could always use another hand helping protect the people in the caravan, depending on the price, and the woman looked capable.

"Ah, don't mind me. If you're alone, you're alone. There's always gonna be mercenaries in any situation." he shrugged.

Suddenly, he noticed Rusty was standing beside him. He hadn't heard the doll even walk up. Rusty was staring intently at Renata, with a stare that Winston couldn't place.

"Rusty?" Winston said, grinning. "Isn't it rude to stare at a lady like that? She might think you're undressing her with your eyes."

"Something so lewd could never cross my mind." Rusty grimaced, which surprised Winston. "This is not a woman. This is a doll. I have confirmed this with three separate tests."

"She looks even more alive than you do!" Winston gasped, shocked. "Are you sure?!"

"The chances of her being a doll are 97.8%. I would estimate that she is a series beyond mine. Pardon my hyperbole, but her energy units and overall power usage are 'through the roof'."

"Hyperbole pardoned." Winston chuckled. "So we got another doll here?"

In the back of his mind, Winston remembered what Rusty had said about female dolls. He looked at the other members of his group with a quick glance - especially the males. They didn't look interested in this girl in the way Winston feared but they could be putting on a front. If someone from his caravan assaulted this girl, she could, according to Rusty, blow the entire caravan into the ground.

Winston suddenly felt very small and insignificant compared to this newcomer and actually straightened his jacket in order to collect his thoughts.

"Ah... er... that is..." Winston said after a time, coughing into his fist. It was almost in the style of a certain Dr. that was currently in another country, fighting a war of his own. It was even the same hand.

"Anyway..." Winston finally said, smiling again. "Regardless of species and reason, I have no qualms against acceptin' you into the fold, as long as you mind your manners amongst the others, you understand. After all, it's a broken world, but that doesn't mean we gotta be broken people, right?"

He reached into his coat pocket, retrieving a wad of bills of various shapes and sizes. The sheer amount was ridiculous.

"Well, I was a successful shopkeeper before this big disaster, and with the help of the rest of the group, we managed to salvage and collect a good amount of currency. It's in bits and pieces, and it's not all from the same country, but I'm guessing we can work something out?" he asked politely, taking on his negotiator face.

Beneath his face was a series of gears and winding thought processes. A merchant had many cards to play when it came to making a sale. In this case, Winston was being front about the amount of money he had because he actually felt he could trust this woman for some reason. Perhaps it was because she resembled his daughter? Maybe it was just because she was a doll, and subconsciously he felt some sort of... dominance? He immediately discarded that theory. In fact, he pissed on it, if someone could mentally do that. He may not have been a perfect man but his parents had taught him to respect women. Even if these women - these dolls - were made for reproduction and combat, that didn't mean they HAD to engage in it.

Humans were made for so many different things, and you get humans who don't do anything at all and still live life. In Winston's mind, dolls could be the same. They looked human, after all.

"I'll tell you up front - we're heading to Gloucester." Winston said, putting the bills back in his jacket after showing them to her. "We're moderately equipped, we've got a good amount of food and fuel, and we're traveling at a decent pace. We could, however, always use another hand or two. With the world the way it is, gotta be ready for anythin'. So, long as you're willin' to put up with us, we'd be more than happy to have you in the family Mrs... Mrs.. uh..." he gestured politely.

 

(( BTW, I didn't even THINK about MINA's silver hair when I made Martha, nor did I even think about MINA when I made Rusty, just to clarify. I actually just had characters pop in my mind. It's a special gift I have. I just gotta find a way to loop them together. ))

Edited February 13, 2014 by Thaelasan

[Clown_of_God]

"MI... Renata, Renata Night, but y'all can just call me Rena."

 

Rena mentally sighed, relieved she didn't give away her old identity. Not everyone knew who she was, but some fanatic groups, upon her first arrival in Europe, were aware of the deeds MINA had done in America and held no restraint against her. Conflict, despite its appeal, was something Rena was trying to avoid with the humans.

 

"Some of my wares include: weapons, ammunition, canned foods of various types, water, some parts that might be useful for your Frankenstein over there, some maps from various countries showing Safe Zones, and other little odd-and-end trinkets. As for my services, if you're in need of an escort I'd be happy to accompany you to... Gloucester, was it? They might have some supplies I could restock on, trade opportunities, and a few... other things I need."

 

Pausing a moment, Rena looked at the ground with a blank stare. Gloucester. She could easily just teleport to its location with the grid coordinates on her internal mapping system. Still, something was anchoring her here, to this little group that she had found. Looking around, she studied the faces of each member, adding them to her memory banks and studying their reactions. Turning back to Winston, she leaned over and looked him in the eye with a smirk on her face.

 

"Tell me, Mr. Vance, is there another reason you're being so approving of my joining the group? I'm a complete stranger who has unknown capabilities and since my arrival, your fellow companions have been on edge, like they e just seen a ghost or something. Yet, you, you seem like a miracle has just occurred. Like your prayers to God have finally been answered. Do I, perhaps, resemble someone dearest to you? A friend? A relative?"

 

Rena never lost her perceptive abilities and it made a mockery of a 'woman's intuition' as some called it. Standing straight, Rena took one last look around before observing herself and realized, maybe they did have a good reason to think she was a ghost. Signs of her recent encounter with the German soldiers had left bullet holes and sear marks in her clothing. Of course, they had been rags beforehand, but the shape they were in now was rather insulting. Looking back at Winston, she glanced back at the vehicle for a moment and let out a sigh.

 

"Ya got anything I can change into? In exchange, I'll give you parts for Frankenstein so he don't seem so glum. Also, a stop at the springs a click Northeast of here would be nice. A bath sounds good right about now."

[Thaelasan]

Rusty frowned at Renata with a slight amount of irritation. Winston was intrigued, as, again, he'd never seen Rusty with these kinds of expressions.

Winston turned back to Renata, grinning.

"Er, yes, you could say you remind me of someone important to me. It's my daughter, Annabeth, one of the reasons we're even GOING to Gloucester in the first place, you understand." he scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "It may seem a bit selfish but she is my daughter. I won't be able to do anythin' really to support anyone until I'm sure she's fine. I mean... I can't just ignore the fact that she's missin'."

He then smiled again, as if he'd never said anything.

"But that's not important. What is important is getting you properly taken care of. My wife, Martha, will be more than happy to meet another woman in the group and..." he leaned closer, "-between you and me, seeing someone that looks like Annabeth might just ease her nerves."

He then patted her shoulder in a friendly matter, almost like a certain doctor did many months before.

"Anyway, looks like with you here we have a decent number of supplies to get by on." he said, pleased. "As soon as you're dressed, it's only natural you meet all the members of the group so we can get you acquainted and truly welcome you into the family, you understand. I mean, this isn't just a caravan, it's a family of survivors. People who don't have anyone. People searching for someone. People who don't have anything at all. That's us. Are you like that? Well, don't worry. We won't pry into yer personal life."

Rusty piped up suddenly.

"It's humorous you mention that, sir." he had his arms behind his back, smirking. "This doll has a very unusual past. She had her own Dr. Frankenstein of sorts. Do you wish to hear about it?"

"Not really, no." Winston admitted. "Like I told her, we won't pry. If you know something about her, bad or good, best to just forget it entirely and start over. After all, she IS offerin' you some parts. We'll get you fixed up later nice and sharp!"

He patted Rusty as he walked back towards the main conglomerate, in order to tell them what had happened and calm them down. Rusty stayed behind, turning back to look at Renata. When he was sure everyone else was out of earshot, he paused and then spoke.

"We both know who you are and what you did, Mrs. MINA. Your practices, though done out of a human's instruction, were unethical and, by human standards, immoral. However, as Master Winston has commanded, I shall remove the data I have collected upon you recently from my databanks and proceed to treat you as though I know nothing of you. I hope this pleases you, but I also hope you're not planning on committing any of these horrible acts that to the other members of the caravan."

Without another word, his eyes went blank as he erased the data relating to MINA and rewrote the memories he had just created.

"Ah... your name is Renata Night." he stated, blinking. "Currently I know nothing of you, though I hope that can change soon. Please, come meet Martha, the mother of the family. She can get you some suitable clothing."

He held out his hand, then hesitated.

"Oh, if that is too forward, I apologize." he admitted, frowning.

 

(( I'm planning on having MINA have to help each of the ten members of the caravan cope with some sort of trauma or problem they had in the past, and once each member has become cleansed of their regret or dilemma, Winston and Martha will find Annabeth. ))

[Clown_of_God]

Before she could postpone Rusty's memory wipe, he had already proceeded and was looking at her like she was a new book waiting to be read. It irked her. How did he know who she was? Did anyone else know of her original identity? What if this entire group knew exactly who she was and what she had done? Maybe staying here wasn't the best option, but she had already made the offer and going back on her word might make her suspicious.

 

"Please, lead the way."

 

Rena mentally sighed as she took Rusty's hand, a strange feeling indeed. This concoction of parts, this Frankenstein of dolls, was rather splendid in its ability to perform properly. Like running a brand new computer on old software. Some wouldn't even accept the program, but the ones that did usually ran slowly and inefficiently. Was it Winston who made these repairs?

 

Intrigued, she couldn't help but smile that this man, Winston Vance, was so similar in action to Dr. Alan. Sure, he probably didn't know half of what he was doing at times and his intellect might not have been on the same level, but the way he moved and some of his actions were practically spitting copies of the Doctor's.

 

"I'm broken and I'm trying to fix myself. There are things I've done that I'm not proud of, but at the same time I can't say I was displeased. My family, my Big Bro, I don't think he'll ever forgive me. All I can do now, is to try hard at attaining retribution for my past mistakes. Maybe one day, I'll tell Mr. Vance this stuff, but for now... For now, I just wanna bathe and change."

 

Rena was kind of glad they had moved within earshot of the man. His wife, Martha if she remembered correctly, was probably the person sitting in the back of the vehicle. Would her seeing Rena really lift her spirits? She'd find out soon enough.

[Thaelasan]

Rusty smiled.

"I know not of what information you speak of, Mrs. Night." he said slyly, as though he knew something more than he was saying. "But I will not delve into your past. In any case, Madame Martha will be more than happy to meet with such a kind woman."

Rusty led her kindly by the hand around the camp, gesturing to each thing as he saw it.

"First, when we make camp, we begin by arranging for the meals. Food is very important to the survival of everyone, including us." he patted his chest knowingly. "We must ensure that everyone will receive the proper rations before we begin setting out anything else.

Normally we'd set out tubs in order to bathe but we're, luckily for you, near a hospitable location where people may allow us to cleanse ourselves for minimal cost.

Over here we have the area for the three children. Two of our best survivors take care of them and protect them each day. After all, even in the apocalypse, Master Winston says that we should foster the imagination of the children."

He then led her towards the back of the caravan, bowing.

"You should go meet with her alone. I am sure that I would just be a bother." he said, bowing. "By the way, I hope very sincerely that you can help me with my repairs."

He then turned on his heel and walked back towards Winston, who he considered his leader and therefore his master.

A voice from the back of the caravan suddenly, but meekly, whispered from around the corner.

"I... I heard from my husband that someone was coming to see me..." the female voice uttered weakly. "Please, come in."

[Clown_of_God]

Rena felt a bit uneasy about Rusty, his coy smile seemed misleading, like he was hiding information. Did he really wipe his memories? Not that it mattered. If he spoke a word without her consent, this group would be plant food and Rusty's head would be the beacon welcoming the infected to their feast.

 

At the realization of her thought processes, Rena shook her head and mentally berated herself for even considering such a thing. Still, if she wanted everyone to know who she really was and what she had done, she would tell them herself and probably would after she believed she could trust them.

 

Looking at the vehicle, Rena crouched through the doorway and took a seat. Inside, the woman who had invited her in looked frail and weak. Despite her age, she had silver hair already and Rena wondered if it was a result of being partially infected or the stress of not knowing if their daughter was safe. Rena's silver hair was actually an error during her construction process. She had been a brunette, or at least Mina Night had been a brunette. Dark hair, like her big brother, that ran just past her shoulder blades. Instead, she had cropped silver hair that shined in the sunlight.

 

"Umm, hello, ma'am. Before there is any confusion, my name is Renata Night, a lone traveller with a bit of merchandise to sell and trade. Your husband, Winston, informed me of your current... separation, but if it means anything, I will do my best to help find your daughter."

[Thaelasan]

Martha folded her hands together knowingly. Her eyes were not sad but nor were they pleased about the situation, it seemed. Yet, something in her eyes also suggested that she was changing for the better... just a feeling, of course.

"I.. I know that you're not Annabeth but you look so much like her that it's almost like.. like she's back at my side again. I hope you don't find that rude.." she said quickly, waving her hands slightly. Her metal arm gleamed in the sunlight that made it through the canvas of the caravan roof.

She noticed it, and placed her hand upon it, smiling.

"I'm not like you." she admitted, sighing. "I have no room to say anything about it. You're... if my husband is right.. not.. really alive.. I think, but you're also not... not dead." she struggled to find the right words. "This arm makes me feel like... like I'm closer to having the inner strength you people are said to have... My husband said that Rusty told him that.. that... dolls? are capable of things that I can't even imagine... What does it feel like? To have all of that power and having the control not to use it?"

She stared at Renata with curiosity but then backed up slightly, afraid.

"Oh I hope I didn't anger you. I'm sorry. I just want to know more about you. Poor Rusty has no one who properly understands just what he can do. Winston and I try our best to comprehend just exactly what you dolls really are but when you get right down to it it's almost impossible to believe." she placed her hand upon her face, her eyes upon the ground. "Imagine... us little humans making something so sophisticated. I just hope God isn't sore about it."

She giggled lightly.

"Ah, but.. but I apologize. Look at me going on and on about this... Anyway, we need to get you some proper clothing.. Oh and of course we need to set you up with a bath at the nearby bathhouse. The owners are a lovely family... the Jamesons, I believe, or perhaps the Jeffersons.... No it's the Jamesons, I'm sure of it. In any case, we need to handle these things, immediately!"

Her maternal instincts seemed to kick in and she changed moods entirely. She smiled at Renata, pleased.

"Yes, certainly my husband was right." she admitted, placing a hand on Renata's shoulder. "You and I will get along, just fine, I do think!"

[Clown_of_God]

You'd be surprised to find I was one of the hand built models by the very man who played God.

 

Rena stared at the woman, her face unchanging as she listened to the frail woman until the end of her stammering. Not being used to it, Rena couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed, but at the same time she felt a bit sorry for this woman.

 

"Not to use it, huh? It's more like I can't use it. Not even I know what I'm capable of. My power is locked up, as is my Sis', because it alone is too dangerous to be left unshackled. At least, that's what Big Bro explained to Ma... ah, an old acquaintance of mine."

 

When Martha placed her hand on Rena's shoulder, Rena felt a strange calm in her mind and returned the gesture with a smile. Turning to look out the window, Rena scanned the area ahead for any signs of infected or hostile targets. After her run-in with the German's, Rena had placed a marker on any known active service member that hadn't fallen to the infection. A precaution to ensure she wouldn't encounter them again.

 

"So, the Jamesons, how did you meet them with all this mess or had you known them before the outbreak? Also, how have they remained in this area for so long? I thought the Gaia's had already extended their roots to this area?"

 

((Quick explanation on the Gaia's. Simply, they are Europe's Omega variant, the hive minds. After the events with the Omega, the Infected further developed. Rather than an individual mind controlling the infected, they branched it out to several different control units.))

[Thaelasan]

(( Sounds like evolution at its finest. It's also killing me to wait on your posts but I love to read them! ))

 

Martha cocked her head slightly.

"Gaia? Oh you mean.." she frowned, visibly shaken. She patted Renata's hand as though to comfort herself more than Renata.

"No nonono. Winston wouldn't let us go near those dreadful beasts or their ...hiiives..." she said with hatred, which was surprising for how she had spoken before. "That's why we had to detour around old Oxford. There's a hive there. You can see it from over the cliff edge, if you'd care to take a look. Winston says the infected are constructing some sort of barrier to protect their leader in this area.. something Rusty said about ants and the queen?"

She turned back to the back of the caravan. Then, she turned back to Renata, a smile back on her face without any hesitation.

"Oh but don't worry. Rusty says that the Infected are most likely going to act just like little ants. As long as we are wary to go near them, they won't become dangerous. We're going to go around Oxford and avoid it completely, though of course we've had a few run ins with those disgusting creatures." she shuddered.

"In any case," she stood to her feet, wiping off her dress as best she could, though it wasn't much of a dress to begin with. "The Jamesons have lived around here since before Winston's family. They're always willing to lend a hand, and they're a tough folk. Though the monsters are right on their backyard, they're still keeping up appearances and pushing them back. We're bringing them some supplies. Wait... that's a good idea. Maybe we can help them out while we're here?" she said hopefully, staring at Renata.

"Oh but you don't have to." she assured, waving her hand. "Nobody around here will force you to do anything you don't wish to do. Winston said it himself - we're a family. A family doesn't force family to do things. We go about our business as we see fit, and we help each other when needed if we can."

That last line said, Martha wrapped her scarf around her neck more tightly and took Renata's hand lightly.

"We need to find Winston. He's going to lead the group over to the Jamesons. Oh and we need to get you introduced along the way." she stated, patting Renata's hand. "Don't worry. We're all a good bunch of people. Doesn't matter what you are, my dear. We'll accept you with open arms as long as you return the embrace."

[Clown_of_God]

Rena thought on the subject for a moment before she followed Martha out of the vehicle, in search of her husbands whereabouts. Help the Jameson's, huh? Sure, the moderate sized abominations would be easy to deal with and even some of the larger variants would be doable. Gaia's? No. Not alone and not without heavy firepower. Even though they were weaker than the Omega, a Gaia was still too much for even MINA and TINA cooperating to handle.

 

"I'd like to speak with the Jameson's themselves about the situation, get more details on what needs to be done. Besides, I'm sure they'd prefer a direct answer than a wavering possibility from another source."

 

Looking ahead, into the fog that never seemed to lift, Rena began to think of all the probably outcomes. Scenarios playing through her mind, some with a Gaia involved while others just had several stronger variants. Regardless of the scenarios, the probability of taking more than 30% damage was uncomfortable high. Still, that was under the interpretation she was going alone.

 

Upon hearing Martha's last comment, Rena paused her processing and looked at the ground. This woman, these people, had no idea of what kind of monster she used to be. Actually, they didn't even know what kind of monster was in their ranks at this very instant. Rena felt like the wolf who hid in sheep's fur and had mixed in with the pack.

 

" Mrs. Martha, you give me too much credit."

[Thaelasan]

Martha smiled pleasantly.

"Perhaps. Yet, you know nothing about anyone here or their pasts. Truth be told, that's how it is when you meet a new person regardless of where you meet them. You know nothing about them other than a teensy bit you learned or picked up. Why, there are so many stories of mass murderers walking about every day, married, with children, with friends... Sooner or later, you realize that everyone around you has things that they did that they're not proud of."

She turned away, beginning to walk towards the group that was forming in the middle of the caravan.

"True friendship is about letting things be." she commented, shrugging slightly. "In any case, let us go to the rest of the group, before Winston begins to get impatient."

She sauntered towards Winston's party with an air of feminine grace despite her appearance. It was almost as though she were nobility.

When they finally approached the group, she curtseyed to her husband and he took her hand, placing his lips upon it.

"Milady, shall we be off?" he asked, crossing his right arm with hers.

"Ah. Yes, more than likely. May Renata walk up here with us? She's such a nice, young lady." Martha turned to Renata, smiling warmly.

"Of course. It wouldn't break formation, I don't think. Anything for milady, you know." Winston grinned. He began to walk forward, the rest of the group following in tow.

 

----

 

They walked for a good fifteen minutes before Winston spoke, turning to Renata.

"Well, as you can see, I've placed each person here in a specific area in our formation, you know." he gestured with his free hand to the rest of the group.

"The first behind us is Jeffery Lawrence, a marksman and hunter from before the crisis. He's one of our four soldiers, and he's one of the two 'big brothers' in the group. He's got a good head on his shoulders, don't you Jeffy-boy?" Winston asked.

"Oh, I do like to think so sir, though iffin' I may say, it's been givin' me some headaches recently."

"You'll be fine. You're a strong man, you know. We'll see if they've got some medicine for those when we get there though." Winston assured. "Might as well keep some on us."

"Much thanks, sir." Jeffery responded.

Winston then turned back to Renata.

"Well, behind him are the three children in the group - Summer, Fae, and Michael. Summer is the eldest and she's actually Michael's sister. Fae is sort of a stepsister to the other two. She's the youngest. Oh, and uh.." he leaned over Martha so that only Renata could hear him, speaking low. "Michael's a bit... er... lovesick for Miss Fae. I don't think she knows though. Poor boy is going to have to work hard to get her to understand it. She's a bit ... out there."

He leaned back to his original position.

"In fact, Fae isn't her real name. That's just a name I gave her, after, of course, the old tales. My father was a right old storyteller. She's like a little faerie, always flying through life. So, until she remembers something of her old life, that's what she'll be."

He then gestured to behind the children.

"The woman behind the children is something of a mother to them. Her name is Mother Grace, though her real name is Elizabeth. She's fiercely protective of them, I tell you. Once fought one of those infected-things bare-handed when it tried to attack them. She's a strong old woman, you understand. Two of the men here came from her very belly: Jeffrey and the next one up, Bentley. The Lawrences are notoriously hardy, strong, and protective to begin with but Mother Grace doesn't play games when it comes to keeping them safe. She's also quite strict in her rules but it's necessary to keep the children in line during these trying times, you understand.

The last two are May and June Fields. May and Bentley are beginning a relationship but June doesn't like Bentley. Oh, wait, no, maybe I shouldn't go too much into that. Not my business, you understand. Well, it is important to know that June and Jeffrey like each other, but because June doesn't like Bentley, Jeffrey doesn't really know if he should like her or not, but he does. You can tell, you know. He's got those eyes when he sees her.

May and June are back there with Bentley, as he's carrying most of the supplies. He's a VERY strong man, you understand. I couldn't believe it when I first saw him.

Now, I know we told you there are TEN people, but to be honest it's hard to remember Rusty's a person when you know he isn't. I feel terrible when I say it. He never tries to correct me, you know. Doesn't think it's proper." Winston sighed. "In any case, he's back there in the very back, carrying the bulk of our supplies to the Jamesons as though they weigh nothing at all, you understand."

He turned back to the front, continuing to walk at a brisk pace.

"Ah, you can see their home over the hill now. Quite nice, isn't it?" he asked, pointing.

The home was indeed quite nice, despite the current apocalypse. It was a modern looking home with some rustic decorum, including a large, brick wall surrounding it for acres. The main home looked almost like a citadel.

"The Jamesons were lucky. Their family was wealthy for generations. They still have a bit of it now. Their home is almost like a castle. Minor infected can't even breach the walls, you know." Winston said. "It's a great place to rest for now until we leave on the morrow."

[Clown_of_God]

Rena was uploading the information Winston gave her about each person in the group. Of course, Fae, Rena pondered searching her data up on the network, but decided it'd probably be more interesting to find out who she was when she remembered. After cataloging the group and assorting them into a group, Rena looked up to see the rather large house that had come I to view. This was where the Jameson's lived, huh? Saving the coordinates, Rena figured they'd come in use sometime down the road.

 

"I came from America, New York to be more exact. I was born in, what the human's considered, the safest place from the infected, the Dome. An old, underground railhead that was reinforced by a foot thick wall of titanium. Well... the main entry point was anyway. A couple of old men, Dr. Alan and his colleague, set up defensive measures to further protect those within, but..."

 

Rena paused and looked at the ground, her face scrunching into a look of dismay. Even though she hadn't been complete, Rena was more than aware of what was going on. Witnessing everything from within her tube.

 

"It was actually quite scary, even for me, at the time. Gaia's, yeah, they're a powerful form and difficult to defeat, but their sentience is part of the virus' evolution. I don't know if you've ever heard of it, but there was one being that ruled the minds of thousands upon thousands of infected. Who knows, it might even had some control of the ones here. Anyway, we called it the Omega, a breed of infected unlike any other. You see, it was still human..."

 

Again, Rena whiplashed into the past, remembering the first time she saw the beast shrink down into a human and not just any human at that. Damien Night, her older brother and 'Master' that trained her to become an impulsive human killing machine. Even now, she felt the tingle to cleave through whoever stepped close enough.

 

"Ah! A-anyway, let's hurry up. My systems could use a nice cool down and quite frankly, I've become a bit famished. Of course, proper introductions come first, no need to be rude, right?"

[Thaelasan]

Winston nodded in approval.

"Of course, my dear." he said, "Also, don't feel like you HAVE to tell us about your past, you know. You're not obligated to tell anythin' you don't feel comfortable talking about. No one is gonna pester you about it, I assure you."

He turned back as the group approached the oaken door. He stepped forward with Martha and rapped the door a few times, then stepped back to wait.

A small peephole opened on the door, a new modification on an old piece of history.

"Oy! Waitaminute here." a voice said from within, "Are you the Vance group? You're a wee bit early, aintcha?"

"I always try to be more than prompt, Gilligan." Winston bowed, Martha following in suit with another curtsey. "As you know, a merchant should always be on time for his sales!"

"Brilliant!" Gilligan closed the peephole. The sound of locks - plenty of them - could be heard as the door was unlocked.

Then, the great oaken mass began to tremble as two men slid it open, one of them identifiable as the owner of the eyes from the door. He clapped his hands together and turned to the group, grinning.

"Ah! Miss Martha! Didn't see you as well through the doorsight, I'm afraid. Ye look just as good as ever, I tell you what!" Gilligan said pleasantly. "The rest of your group looks right proper. So, what all do you need, Winston old friend? Your letter didn't say much, it didn't."

"Actually, it's more what YOU need. We managed to scavenge a good bit of stuff, you know. We're passin' it around to those who need it. I heard the Gaia is sleeping, or something?"

"We actually don't rightly know..." Gilligan scratched the back of his head. "Actually, let's not talk about that right now, okay? Not good things to speak of in such good company. First, let's get you all nice and cleaned up, and then get you a nice bit of food, right right?"

"That'd be fantastic!" Winston gestured towards the door. The rest of the group headed in, Rusty bowing to Gilligan before he followed suit.

"That robot you got is right proper. Where'd he learn such manners, do you know?" Gilligan said, turning back to Winston.

"He didn't learn them, perse. Most things like that he just... I guess... was built knowing, you understand." Winston said. "He came like that. But he does them on his own. He's more human than he looks, I promise you."

"Well, if he walks on two feet and talks like a man, I'll treat him as a friend, I do say." He turned to Renata, frowning.

"Annabeth?" he said, curious. "You've really.. er... grown."

Winston patted him.

"It's not Annabeth, I'm afraid. She's still missing." Winston whispered. "She just looks like her, I assure you."

"Looks just like her..." Gilligan rubbed his bearded chin thoughtfully. "Ah well, now you have a good idea of how beautiful she'll grow to become!"

"We don't know that. Renata is a different person entirely." Winston waved him away. "Annabeth will probably be taller than her, and.. admittedly more well-endowed, due to Martha's genes, you know."

"Oh. Wait, Martha...?" Gilligan said, confused. "You mean she's.."

Martha blushed heavily.

"I DON'T THINK THAT'S PROPER TO SPEAK ABOUT IN SUCH COMPANY, MR. GILLIGAN JAMESON!" she said quite sternly, with as much force as her little body could muster. "The size of my chest OR anything else for that matter is a concern only for my husband! And WINSTON! How could you speak about me like that!? That's just appalling behavior!"

"But it was a compliment..." Winston soothed.

"Whatever it was, don't do it again! And in front of the newcomer as well! I swear, talking about Annabeth's chest as though it's something she should worry about! Even if it's going to be attractive to the men, I think they should be more concerned with other things about her than THAT!"

She stepped inside, fuming.

"I swear!" she repeated.

As she walked off, Winston turned to Renata, sheepish.

"I apologize for saying that, you know." he said.

[Clown_of_God]

Rena tilted her head to the side, curious about their conversation and looked down at her chest. Bouncing them up and down a couple of times, Rena began to giggle and then eventually began to laugh. Out of all the things to talk about, breasts was the topic of choice and his own daughters' at that.

 

"Ah, forgive me. Seriously, what is with men and these things? Frankly, I'm glad they're small, let's me move around without... pft! Bahahah! Slapping... heheh... myself in... heh... the face. Heheh. Oh Master, the idea of such a thing occurring is more than amusing. Haaah. Ahem, anyway, Mr. Gilligan, my name is Renata Night. I'll be in your care for the evening. Also, it'd be more than pleasing if you could allow me to use your bath. It's been... a while... since I last felt the soothing touch of water's embrace."

 

Smiling, Rena wrapped her hands behind her back and interlaced her fingers, giving the image of a modest yet young girl. Winston hadn't disclosed the information that she was actually a doll and she wasn't going to say anything unless it was necessary. Suddenly, she remembered her bag and dropped it off her shoulder. Carrying it towards the entrance, she placed it next to the wall and made sure the lock was secure on it. If anybody who wasn't a doll tried moving it, they would find it to be rather difficult. After all, she did have several weapons, ammunition, canned foods, a various other assortments within the bag.

 

"If you wouldn't mind, I'll just leave that there. Now, about this bath..."

[Thaelasan]

Gilligan and Winston stared at MINA in shocked silence.

"Er, my dear." Winston began, flustered. "Is that something American women usually do?... Ah it's not important."

He turned back to Gilligan, bowing.

"Where are the baths, sir?" he asked.

"In the back. The women are bathing on the left. Please, help yourself. In the meantime, I must talk to the chefs about preparing tonight's courses." Gilligan bowed. "And I shall see you soon."

He walked off, leaving them to their own devices.