Riley 'Scythe' Cross's Story

Riley had nothing to do, and it was quite boring. He had been working at the institute for five years and nothing exciting had happened, that is, until one of the guards that kept the experiments in line burst through the door.

“Scythe, a few of the experiments have escaped. I need you to get them.” The larger man said gruffly.

“You sure you’re not imagining it again, Silas?” Riley asked, raising an eyebrow at the older man. Silas growled, clenching his fists.

“Just get them!” He yelled, on edge.

Riley smirked, standing up, “Alright, but you know I like doing things on my terms.” He said, grabbing his Scythe and a few other things, slipping them into his pockets. The man just nodded, and Riley sneered.

Well, this should be fun. He thought, slipping past the man and outside. Riley walked around, looking for clues of what general direction they seemed to go. Looking to his left, Riley saw a batch of dandelions, the small yellow flower bringing back a memory.

Riley is running around a small field, he’s probably only eight.
The young boy sees a bundle of dandelions, and he picks a few and gives them to his mother.
The woman smiles and takes them, calling Riley a ‘Sweet Boy’.
The memory takes a sharp turn as he sees his house engulfed in flames.
Him screaming for his parents to get out as he is dragged away by the fireman….

Riley shook the memory away, stepping onto the batch of weeds. No, forget them. Riley had a job to do and thinking about his dead parents wasn’t part of it. A snarl slipped onto his lips, the anger apparent in his amber eyes.
Looking down, Riley saw the impression of a foot print that seemed to run towards the woods. A fleeing experiment.

“Can’t wait to see them in Hell.” He said, starting off towards them.


[[Sorry for the short story-like post. Didn't know what to write.]]

Riley silently trekked through the forest, continuously coming on broken branches and tracks of those escaped. It was apparent they were trying to get as far away as possible, not cover their tracks. Riley snickered as he walked through the woods, careful not to step onto any branches or many any loud noises. To do that would cause the escapees to flee, and that would mean more work or his head. But to Riley, this was just a game.

“Well, let’s hope-” Riley’s words were cut off as he heard a loud crashing ahead of him. A grin slid onto his face as he made his way towards them, scythe in his hands. As he trudged on towards the noise, he noticed a group? Yes, a group of experiments, freaks. He watched from a distance, far enough to where they could not see him instantly.

After watching their uninteresting little confrontation, he cleared his throat and tossed them a smile filled with white, sparkling teeth, “Well, this was a little easier than I thought,” He laughed, revealing the large weapon, the sunlight glinting off the metal blade.
“Actually, I like challenges.” He said, walking a little closer, his eyes on the massive man standing there, “Not too fun when you just stand there like idiots.” He said, a cruel smile sliding on his face, his amber eyes filled with a sadistic mischief.

The Institute was in chaos. Quite a few people had escaped recently. Now it was Raizel's turn. He took advantage of the chaos to escape himself. The Institute was like a maze, but he just used the talent he had been give to get out. All those pitch black mazes were finally good for something. He closed his eyes and listened for a sound he had heard since he was seven, but had never gotten close enough to feel. The wind. He ran through the maze following the sound of the wind. Hiding whenever somebody got close. Then he was free. He opened his eyes, looking in awe at his surroundings while he ran. Then it hit him all at once, the sounds. He stopped dead in his tracks and covered his ears, trying in vain to block out even a fraction of the noise. Animals going about their daily business, the wind rustling the trees and the bushes and leaves that lay on the ground, the voices of people nearby, it all hurt. People? Raizel tried to focus on their voices, but the other noises were too much. He couldn't hear what they were saying. Some good his enhanced hearing was. Should I try and get closer? See who they are? But what if they're normal. Unlike me. Raizel's fur-like hair, slit pupils, and nails that are more like claws on his left hand are proof the horrible experiments that were done to him. Raizel decided to take the risk. With one hand still pressed against an ear he moved forward.

All the sounds meant he couldn't quite tell how far away he was to one specific sound. So before he knew it, Raizel could see people. He slipped behind a tree. He had just escaped 18 years of torture, he wasn't going to risk going back.

"Hahaha!! Outrunning those four-eyed fools is so much easier than i thought it'd be!" Hmm.. So this is what 'Outside' is. How dull.." Virgilsaid to himself. "Barely 10 minutes away from that droll institute and i'm already bored." Virgil ran through the trees listening for anything of interest. When all the sudden, a loud THUD almost made him trip and wipe out. "What in the... I should go check that out. Beats sitting here talking to myself." And with that, he changed his course towards the noise.

Running at a full sprint, he came upon the scene very quickly. Virgil ran in, jumped atop a fallen tree, and scanned what he could see. "Uh... A monster, a tree lady, a buff dwarf, an adolescent and Mr.Scythe... So apparently this is happening. Hello people with similar clothing to my own. Fellow ex-inmates i'm assuming." He then pointed at the large hairy man. "Hmm... You, are a rather large fellow.." Then he looked over at the armed hunter and grimaced. "Greeeeaaat. Fresh out of the cage and the cat has already pounced."

Just as she finished talking the women picked her up, it was comforting to know she wouldn't have to run and try to keep up with the older women. Esme sighed, a very tiny, rare smile was on her lips as the women told her she was going to take care of her. Shes never had anyone that said that to her, she couldn't help but hold onto the women tighter. The tap to the nose made her scrunch her nose a little, leaning her head against the women's shoulder.

The windflowed against her face as the women jogged back towards where she came from, it made her shake knowing the were going towards the Institute and not away. The women slowed down and Esme could hear the sound of something cracking, her eyes looked around but she couldn't see anything. She was then set down, the women telling her to stay before going off.

Esme crouched, stepping slowly to peak around the bush just in time to see a tree falling and the women pushing someone out of the way. Her eyes went wide, terrified that something happened to the women. The big guy stood up and now she could see two other alters, the ones that she saw earlier were there too. As words were spoken she could see that there was something going on and it didn't sound good at all.

Another voice was heard, a little bit a ways was another guy but not any guy, a hunter. Esme whimpered lightly, moving herself more behind the bosh. They found them, now they would be taken back to the institute. Her body started shaking in fear, her instincts told her to run but she didn't want to leave the women.

A sound near her made her look around, not moving, just using her eyes. She could see the body of someone else hiding behind a tree, she couldn't make them out. She maneuvered herself more behind the bush, no longer able to see the group of others. Her eyes looked towards the open forest, her mind telling her to just flee but instead she just stayed crouched in a ball, waiting for the women to get her, and listening for any sounds of immediate danger.

Henry tried his best to run away after he pushed down that tree, but he had been going for too long today. It didn't help that he hadn't eaten that much today. The scientists kept his food intake down to a minimum to make sure he wouldn't do anything outrageous in the facility. But now he could already feel cripplingly weak. His stomach growled and fell to his knees. And if that wasn't bad enough, he saw someone come out of the shadows and actually saved the monster soldier. Henry gawked at her for a moment, not completely sure what exactly she was. But it was for sure that she was definitely an alter.

"Wh...what am I thinking...?!" Henry breathed out, his body felt a little weak. "You're the one...who's saving a damned hunter!"

The monster then started taunting him, asking if he wanted to throw any other trees his way. Henry spat at the ground in anger. "Cocky bastard..."

As if that wasn't enough, more and more people started gathering towards the sound of the crashed tree. First was the hunter, then two others, one of which looked like a little girl. Just like the one that the woman he met had mentioned. "Dammit all..." Henry could feel his body recuperating enough for him to stand back up. He felt so hungry, but it wasn't the time for that. Everyone here was in danger and things were spinning out of control way too quickly. Henry needed a plan, something. But in his current state, there wasn't much that he could pull off immediately.

Kanima looked at the trees around her. Free, she was free. For once she allowed her self a little giggle. Oh it felt good. She broke of into a sprint. She could go about half an hour like this without breaking sweat. She loved it, the wing running through her hair, the way twigs crunched beneath her feet, the way the air smelt. Fresh she thought. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath.
"Right" she muttered her eyes still closed, "now what?"
Ok I'm out, running through the forest with my eyes closed and there could be a...
She ran head first into tree. Groaning she stood. Rubbing her head.
I really had to do that...
She could a distant high pitched noise. Radio frequency. What would that mean. She was sometimes tortured by it but...
She listened closer trying to pin point where it was coming from. But instead heard voices. People? Out here?
She followed the voices but the high pitched noise grew fainter and fainter. That's when she saw them. A few people, one dressed as... Something strange. Did people dress like that now? Then she saw someone hiding also making a lot of noise. He was dressed the same as her. Maybe he didn't know he was making that much noise or maybe he was doing it deliberately. Looking about her, Kanima silently walked over to a tree near the one where the other person was standing.
"Uhh, person,"she whispered so quiet that if he was standing about another meter away he wouldn't have heard it." Could you try to be a bit quieter, I can hear you from there."
She looked back at the other people to see if they heard. They didn't seem to. Maybe she should go see. Or she could wait to see if they were going to try and get her back. She went for the safer option. And waited.

MASON

Mason checked the time. Then wished he hadn't he still had ages to work. No activity all day. He then began swinging in his chair. Bored bored bored. He ran through all the cameras in the woods. Then he saw alters. No, no, no no! He looked around. They weren't destroying, they were normal. Maybe he could... No he had to report... But then again. He quickly checked no one was watching. Made that certain security camera malfunction and disposed of the tape. No one would hopefully find them now. They weren't doing anything wrong. Ok you must act casual when anyone comes in. He took a deep breath. And sipped his coffee. Relaxing in his chair.

Jade panicked at the brute's threat and froze in the tree. She had barely snapped out of it and jumped out of the tree before the boy ran into the tree. She must have hit a branch when she fell out of the tree because she blacked out for a few moments.
When she came to there were so many people in the clearing that a wave of panic came over her. One was a hunter! They needed out of there now. By chance, she happened to see the little girl from earlier. No. Why is she here? Of all the places she could have run why here?

She touched the boy's arm to get his attention as well as to smooth the panic that looked as bad as she felt from his face. "We need to get out of here. Now."

Raizel jumped when he heard a voice talking to him. He franticly looked around for the owner of the voice. He spotted a girl wearing the same clothes that he was. It seems that she isn't working for the Institute, she's a victim of it. He kept his voice quiet, calm, and friendly as he spoke. "I was unaware that I was making noise, thank you stranger." Keeping half an eye on the girl, Raizel turned his attention back to the group of people. That's when he noticed that one of the people wasn't wearing the same white gown as the rest. It was a hunter. Raizel's desire to help people started getting the better of him. He looked back at the girl. "We must help them. I'll tackle the hunter, you get his scythe away from him." Without waiting for an answer Raizel ran at the hunter and tackled him into the ground. He really hoped the girl was willing to help, or he was as good as dead.

"Who the hell is farmerboy here?" Brick asked annoyed and nodded towards the hunter. This was pissing him of, really really pissing him of, first he was almost struck by a tree, then he was tackled by a tree.... Girl..... Whatever.. And Then a hunter showed up to foolishly try to drag Brick back to the hell-hole he had just escaped. "I feel nice today" Brick said with a voice and expression that made it clear that he wasn't feeling very nice. "I'll give you exactly three seconds to Get The fuck out of here before I come over there and remove your guts with my th---" Brick was cut of by some dude coming up from The hunters side and tackled him. That made Brick laugh, a loud, harsh, and dark laughter. "Good... Strike" he said to the guy between his laughs

Henry nodded to the girl. "I get that...but how do we..." Suddenly his thought process was cut off when a random person appeared out of nowhere and tackled the hunter to the ground. Apparently the monster found this to be amusing and started laughing hysterically. That actually was perfect for Henry. Now there was a distraction to keep the others busy while he and the girl escaped with the little one. He ran up to the little girl and, as non-threateningly as he could, gently grabbed her hand. "Listen, I'm not a bad guy. I swear. But right now, we need to get out of here, like now." He turned back to the yellow eyed girl and waved at her to start running as he attempted to also start running with the little girl.

Pomona did not stay on the ground for long. Their location was to compromising. This proved to be true when a hunter burst through the trees. Panic caused her heart the slam against her chest as if it wanted to escape as badly as she did. Her eyes flicked to where Esme stood hidden behind a bush and silently willed the child not to make a sound. She was safe as long as she was quiet.

"It looks like you're a bit out numbered. Are you sue you want to..." Pomona planted her feet in the ground and put her hands on her hips as she addressed the hunter, but before she could finish her sentence an alter came out of nowhere and tackled the hunter. At the same moment she saw two of the alters move toward the child whom she was trying to keep safe. Her body moved from motionless to a blur of motion.

Once the hunter was on the ground Pomona bounded forward and tugged the scythe from the hunter's hand. The adrenaline in her system caused Pomona to bring the handle of the scythe down on the head of the hunter with more force than she intended, hoping to knock him out long enough for them to get away. With all her strength she chucked the scythe far into the forest where the hunter wouldn't see it when he got up. As soon as the scythe was out of her hand her attention was back on the little girl. She ran over to where the male alter was trying to coax the little girl to go with him.

"All of you need to come with me," she told him as she stepped between him and the little girl. She scooped the child up off the floor and held her close to her body with a firm grip. "If you stay here you'll get caught. I can take you somewhere safe, but you have to come with me. All of you." She made eye contact with every alter in the area then turned and began picking her way through the trees toward a stream they could not yet hear or see from where they are.

She rolled her eyes as the boy tackled the hunter. If he was watching he would know that the hunter wouldnt be a threat. She waited for a while until there was silence and walked out. She looked at all of them then smiled at the boy who had tackled the hunter.
"Umm, I doubt that tackling the hunter was needed" she whispered to him then smiled at the others "Now most of you look strange so I'm guessing that your all from The Institute"
She smelt the scents of humans mixed with animals, a bear of some sort, two cats of some sort one confused her it smelt like a lion but a horse at the same time. There was also a wolf like her. Then there were another two a hunter and something else. She kept smiling at them.

As Esme kept crouched low she tried to stay hidden but it really did her no good, two alters, the boy and girl from before, came over to her. Even though they were other alters she still wasn't sure about them, she backed into the bush as much as she could but the boy kept coming closer towards her until he actually grabbed her hand. He tried to get her to move, she didn't want to go with him, she tried to pull away but it was no use, the guy was much stronger then her. A small screech escaped her lips then she lurched forward and bit down on the boys hand until he let go. A small snarl escaped her lips as she took a few steps back.

Just then the women that she trusted stepped between her and the boy, she was thankful when she was picked up and held tight. Her tiny arms wrapped around the women's neck, her head leaning against the women's shoulder. There was a lot of other people here, she was shaking and just wanted to be out of the forest. She was scared, already one hunter found them, who knows how many more will sneak up on them.

After the women addressed the group she started walking away with Esme holding onto her. Esme looked at the other alters, suprised some of them were just standing there. They should be running away, don't they know that they are being hunted. Shaking her head slightly Esme just closed her eyes and hoped wherever they were going that they would get there soon.

Riley growled in annoyance a boy tackled him to the ground. Facing the boy, his teeth bared in an angry snarl, he grabbed at him. Riley felt someone yank his Scythe away, and he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head, white dots blurring his vision. Riley looked to see a girl escapee chuck his scythe into the brush before he blacked in and out of consciousness. For all he could hear was muffled voices, although most seemed rather happy that they had KOed the hunter. The last thing Riley remembered was the disappointed feeling he had been outsmarted before blacking out completely.





[[Its hard to type a post for an unconscious character.]]

"Bwahahahahaha" Brick laughted loudly. "Not needed?" He laughed for another minute before he was able to continue speaking "damn, haven't laughed that hard since, well, forever" It wasn't just The fact that The hunter had Been tackled, but more The face he made on his way to The ground, you know, that face we all make when something hit us. Brick smiled a little more friendly before he Looked at The girl who told them to leave. "I still need to pay you back for takling me, so count me in" he said as his face returned to its normal, hard and nonchelant expression. He Looked down at The hunter again "good hit by The way" he said nonchelant. Then what The new girl had said finally made sence to his not-so-complex mind, and his eyes turned angry "what did you just call me?" He asked and took a step closer to her, he could stand allot... Okay, almost nothing, and being called strange fitted well into The list over tings he didn't like

Raizel got to his feet and brushed himself off. A plantish woman had grabbed the scythe and knocked out the hunter. Then she told everyone that they needed to come with her. The girl from before came out of the bushes and said that tackling the hunter wasn't needed. Raizel rubbed the back of his neck, "You're probably right, but it was kind of fun." He thought very carefully about going with the plantish woman. He didn't trust her, he didn't trust any of them. But if he didn't go there was a higher chance of the people from the Institute catching him. And he definitely didn't want to go back there. He decided that it was best to go with her, if he didn't like how things were going he always leave. Without saying anything to the others, Raizel went after the plantish woman. He caught up to her and the little girl she was carrying. "My name is Raizel, I gave it to myself. What are your names?" he asked them. Raizel could hear a sound that he never had before, even with his enhanced hearing. He tried to describe it to himself. It was calm, and flowy, it almost sounded like rain but not coming from the sky. It sounded like it was on the ground. Was it moving? Raizel couldn't tell.

She was at the boy's heels the whole way to the little girl. Her sole purpose to get the girl and get the three of them out of there. She was barely paying attention to the mayhem until the plant girl scooped up the little girl and offered them a safe haven. Of course there were doubts, but since the little girl clearly trusted the woman and wanted to go with her, there really seemed to be no other option. "I'm in. Get us away from here." And then the monster dude decided to get pissed off a harmless and not at all malicious comment. "Seriously dude chill out so we can get the heck out of here, or do you want them to find us all, take us back to The Institute, and torture us some more until we die? Just be quiet and calm down so we can leave."

Mason

He ran through the forest. He had to find them had to make them leave. The others were coming but what if they attacked him? He hadn't thought this through very well. Ok, he had to calm. He slipped his hand into his pocket and brought out a device that sent out high frequency radio signals. Only animals with good hearing could hear it. Hopefully some of them could. It was like a dog whistle only worse. So if it distracted some of them he would have to deal with the others and keep them from killing him long enough to get them away. He checked his map. Ok, turn right then go through the clearing then. He had done that so he should nearly be there. Hearing voices he stopped. Pressed the devices button and sent out the signals. They would start of low but then get louder. He waited a while dropped the device behind the tree and walked out with his hands up. He wondered how many had their DNA mixed with some sort of dog. Hopefully more than three.

Kanima

Kanima smiled. It felt good to meet other people. She then looked down at the unconscious hunter and nudged him with her foot.
"Well, what do we do with him,"she asked more to herself then anyone else,"oh and I'm Kanima by the way."
She looked at the others. Raziel was the one that was hiding.
"Oh, and I'm..."
She trailed off as she heard a high pitched noise. It got louder and louder.
She covered her ears and whimpered,"What is that noise?"
At this point it was unbearable. Her head felt like it was burning.
"Make it stop," she said slightly louder.

Suddenly Raizel heard one of the most horrible noises ever. It was even worse than a dog whistle. Raizel put his hands over his ears and dropped to his knees. He had only been hearing it for a short period of time but it was already making him light headed. And it was getting louder. The worst part was that it was blocking out every other sound. The other thing he could hear was that high pitched awful sound. He couldn't tell if he cried out in pain or not. He probably had, it was agony. He resisted the temptation to close his eyes, shutting out his vision would just make his hearing better. So he just stared at the ground and hoped it would end soon.