Ch. 22 – Day of The Dead
Hey y'all, I know it's been a while since we last posted, shit's been hectic lately since I started working in Private Security. Anyways, let's get on with the show. You already know what to do with the whole follow and favorite stuff. leggo.
Carnel, Alicia, and Crys sprinted across the courtyard as they made their way toward the airships "That fucking idiot is going to get himself killed!" Carnel yelled as his feet slammed into the concrete. Carnel looked up into the night sky and watched as black smoke filled the air before multiple VTOLs flew overhead, one broke off and flew down toward the ground, the Bullhead hovered in front of Carnel, Alicia, and Crys.
The side door opened and revealed a White Fang militant behind a mounted M134 minigun, "Shit! Move!" Carnel yelled before he shoved the girls out of the way as the barrel started to spin up. Carnel opened a Rift and reached into the portal with both hands before he pulled a large mech from the Rift as it was on a transporter cart powered by gravity dust.
Carnel climbed up the side of the mech and hopped into the cockpit before he flipped multiple switches that brought it to life. The name 'Maximus' ran along the side of the leg as the mech's hydraulics powered up and two large barrels spun around and locked in place on the arms as two spent 75mm shells ejected from the barrel slide.
The minigun spat out 7.62mm rounds that bounced off the mech before the main armament of Maximus fired and caused the VTOL to explode in a bright flash of light and fire. The rest of Maximus's armaments locked in place including two 8-round rocket pods on its shoulders, two flare counter-measure launchers on the legs, and two .50 caliber M2 Heavy Machine Guns on the abdomen of Maximus.
"And where the fuck did you… you stole it, didn't you?" Crys asked in a deadpan tone of voice, the large mech turned around before it shrugged and ejected another spent shell. "Come on! Let's go!" Carnel yelled through Maximus's intercom system before the mech thundered across the school's courtyard toward the air docks.
Maximus leapt over a steel barricade and landed on the concrete pathway that led to the air docks, Carnel looked around at the area slowly as he felt uneasy; suddenly, the Mech's proximity alarm blared and its trophy system activated.
A projectile exploded 5 feet from Maximus which caused the mafioso to flinch and turn to face his assailant. A man in yellow colors ducked behind cover as he reloaded his RPG while two others opened fire with AKs, their rounds bounced off the mech as it started to close the distance; the man with the RPG rose up and placed the launcher on his shoulder but found Maximus standing over them.
Carnel put Maximus's main guns away and used its hands to grab the grenadier who squirmed in the mech's metallic grasp. Carnel drew the Mech's arm back before he yeeted the Vajo thug into the horizon, the two other members dropped their weapons and attempted to run but stopped when a wall of fire cut them off.
They turned around and found Alicia standing on a concrete barrier as she used her semblance to generate the fire wall, the HMGs on Maximus came to life before they unloaded on the two Vajo gangsters and reduced them to red chunks and cloth.
The 75mm cannons swung around and replaced its hands before they continued toward the airships; as they reached the docks, Maximus's alarm started to flash before Carnel flipped a switch and climbed out of the cockpit.
"What happened? Ride over?" Crys asked, Carnel nodded "Yep, out of fuel. It runs on a mixture of fire and lightning dust." Carnel said before he pulled out the gravity transporter cart and loaded Maximus onto it, Carnel pushed the mech into a Rift and closed it afterward.
As the three members of BAWM stood there looking around, the sounds of screaming echoed nearby which grabbed their attention "Someone's in trouble, let's go!" Carnel said before he pulled his AK from his Rift and ran toward the sounds of screaming.
Carnel pulled ahead and leapt onto a bench which he used to vault over a wall, the Undead leader landed and rolled to a stop before he raised his rifle and swept the area; he stood up and stared at the sight that sat in front of him. Carnel looked to his right and found they were on the other air dock; the Bullheads were burning and the pilots were on the ground in front of a wall with blood splatters on it.
"Alright, who the fuck did this?! Who the FUCK WANTS TO DANCE WITH THE DEVIL!?" Carnel yelled as he walked closer to the burned-out Bullheads. "Oh! Oh! Me! Pick me!" A familiar voice called out from behind Carnel, the mobster spun around and found Slater standing in front of him with a cane that had a large diamond as the pommel.
"SLATER! You son of a bitch!" Carnel yelled before he raised his rifle and unloaded at the Vajo leader and his sworn enemy. A wall of fire erupted in front of the Vajo leader that melted the bullets but one slipped through and hit Slater in the shoulder.
Slater winced as he examined the wound but was caught off guard when Carnel sprinted through the fire and slammed Slater into the wall, Carnel drove his knee into Slater's gut before he slammed his head into the concrete wall. He grabbed the man's wounded arm and pressed his thumb into the wound which caused Slater to scream in agony.
Carnel grabbed Slater by the shirt and threw him across the landing dock before he cracked his knuckles, Slater pushed himself off the ground before he looked at the pissed off mafioso "Eh eh eh! Any closer and they die." Slater said before he gestured behind Carnel, Carnel looked behind him and found Beacon students who had zip-ties around their wrists while Vajo thugs held guns to their heads.
"We already had one wannabe hero. I blew his brains out when charged at me, I guess that was his girlfriend that I sampled. I forgot how tight huntresses are." Slater said in a disgusting tone, Carnel gritted his teeth before he pulled Honey Badger from a rift. Carnel was about to move when his earpiece beeped "Carnel, it's Diam. We're on our way, Redeye already told us about Slater. Just stall him." Diam said through Carnel's earpiece.
"Now, what to do with you. Oh, I know. Your little girlfriend is around here somewhere, let's recreate Maple's last moments." Slater said before he took a step, Carnel raised his bat and pressed it against the Vajo leader's chest "You touch her and I will break your knees before I feed you to Leviathan." Carnel said with venom on his tongue.
"Oh Carnel, why do we have to fight? Is it because of the whole Maple thing? I was young and dumb." Slater said with smirk before he started to cackle wildly. "Oh man, I don't even believe my own bullshit. Ah, anyway. I brought you a little present. Oh Traveler!" Slater said before he called out in a sing-song tone.
The sound of heavy boots on concrete echoed as a large man in a silver fire-retardant suit that had a large twin tank on his back that led to a tri-spout flamethrower, he reached down and turned a knob before the tank gave off a hiss.
"Carnel, I want you to meet The Traveler of Perdition. He's going to be your Judge, Jury, and Executioner." Slater said with a smirk. The Traveler of Perdition stepped in front of Carnel and stared at the mafioso "100,000 Lien for you to turn around and torch Slater." Carnel said, the Traveler was silent before he shoved the barrel of the flamethrower into his gut and ignited a short burst flame that exploded and blew Carnel across the dock.
Carnel slammed into the burning hull of a Bullhead and hit the ground, he groaned as he stood up slowly while the Traveler moved toward him. "Carnel!" Alicia called out before she attempted to run over to Carnel.
"No! Stay back! Crys, keep her safe!" Carnel yelled, Crys nodded before she moved in front of the elemental. "Yes Alicia, stay back. I get to play with you now." Slater said as he moved closer to Alicia but a rifle round hit the ground in front of him and caused him to stop in his tracks.
"I see my sister is here too." Slater said before he raised his hand and flipped off the ether. Plumes of fire erupted from the Traveler's flamethrower as Carnel ran to avoid them, "Come on, we can talk this out." Carnel yelled before he leapt behind a concrete wall as flames erupted over him and singed his hair.
Carnel pulled out his scroll and called his locker, he withdrew his pistol and clutched it close to his chest before he watched his locker scream overhead and slam into the ground. Carnel sprinted toward the locker and took cover behind it before he quickly pulled on his gear, Carnel clipped on his molle vest and pulled on his black horned mask that covered his face.
"NOW WE'RE TALKING! Finally! The Devil of Atlas vs. The Traveler of Perdition." Slater said in a cheerful tone as he watched Carnel walk toward the man in silver. "I need to know one thing, why are you doing this? Why work for this lowlife son of a bitch who rapes women and kills kids." Carnel asked, the Traveler of Perdition was silent for a moment before he stepped closer to Carnel.
"He has my little sister, he told me that if I do this then he'll let her go." The Traveler said, Carnel sighed "He probably killed her, you know that, right?" Carnel asked, the Traveler sighed. "I know it's a possibility and if it's true, then I have nothing left to live for so I might as well atone for my crimes but I always vowed to not go down without a fight." The Traveler said before he backed up and readied himself for combat.
Carnel pulled out a Spas-12 and his scroll before he tapped into the school's P.A. System and pressed play on his scroll.
Day of the Dead – Hollywood Undead
Hold on, Holy Ghost
Go on, hold me close
Better run, here we come
It's the Day of the Dead
Carnel sprinted forward as the unholy electric screaming filled the air, he juked to the left as a plume of fire erupted from the Traveler's flamethrower, Carnel closed the distance and drove the barrel of the shotgun into the Traveler's side and pulled the trigger.
The shotgun let out a loud bark as the buckshot tore through the silver suit and ate away at his aura, Carnel's second shadow disappeared before Ghost materialized and slashed the Traveler in the back multiple times. Ghost dematerialized and rejoined Carnel's shadow as the Traveler spun around to look for the unknown assailant.
We come from a world of oblivion, bad dreams
I got all I need strapped right to my hamstring
I'm not really bad, I'm just made up of bad things
I'm really not a madman, the voices keep asking
Born with this soul that don't wanna be saved
Every time I look around, I see what a fiend made
Every time I die, I hope they're digging up my grave
An Undead one like the flag that I wave
Carnel cracked the stock of his shotgun into the back of the Travelers head and followed it up by shooting him multiple times with his 1911.
I'm not afraid to cry from this cocaine sickness
I'm not afraid to die, let the Good Book witness
I ask and give none, nope, no forgiveness
This is Day of the Dead, and you're on our hit list
So come, all you misfits
Bitch, you're on our hit list
The Traveler raised his Flamethrower and leveled it before he squeezed the trigger and sprayed a large plume of fire toward the mafioso, the Traveler started toward Carnel who turned and ran for cover but found none. He grabbed a door from one of the Bullheads and held it up like a shield as the fire engulfed him.
Hold on, Holy Ghost
Go on, hold me close
Better run, here we come
It's the Day of the Dead
Hold on, holy ghost
So long to the ones you know
Better run, here we come
It's the Day of the Dead
Carnel sprinted forward and slammed the makeshift shield into the flamer which knocked him off balance. Crys looked down at her scroll and saw that Carnel's aura was flashing yellow while Falcon's was in the red.
Slater took another step forward but was distracted when gunfire erupted behind him, Slater turned around and found the Vajo had been killed by the Undead who were swarming in, Crys used the distraction to get Alicia to safety. Slater looked at the situation before he ran off into the night while the Undead unloaded in his general direction, a few rounds hit their mark and left a trail of blood behind him.
This is exactly what has to be done, it happened so gradually
It's like I magically happened to be this phantom that candidly
Lets this dagger cut jaggedly while you're gasping so rapidly
While you gag on this rag, I feed you while laughing so happily
It's okay to get startled and be afraid of the dark
I'll just wait here to swallow your soul and tear you apart
And I've already started, there ain't no saving your heart
This is the Day of the Dead, this ain't no day in the park
Carnel cocked the shotgun and rested it on the shield before he squeezed the trigger, the shotgun shell erupted and sent buckshot pellets down range that hit the traveler in the chest.
Here I come, here I come, grab your guns and crossbows
And run, better run from the skull and crossbones
The fun has begun, yeah, it's hard to swallow
And when I'm done, I ain't done 'cause it's hell that follows
Now get ready for sorrow
'Cause it's hell that follows
The Traveler flinched and stopped the stream of flames, Carnel threw the shield aside before he raised his 1911 and took aim at the tank on the Traveler's back. "I wish things were different." Carnel said before he fired the pistol, the .45 bullet erupted from the barrel and screamed through the air before it pierced the flamethrower's tank and caused it to explode in a brilliant explosion.
Carnel lowered his pistol as smoke covered the air docks, Carnel took a step but dropped to one knee "Carnel!" Alicia exclaimed before she jumped over the cover and ran toward her boyfriend. "I'm alright, I just need to rest." Carnel said weakly, Alicia smiled while a few tears ran down her cheeks as she removed his mask.
Carnel looked over toward the Traveler and watched in horror as the man slowly sat up on his knees. "No, you should be dead." Carnel said before he winced in pain, the Traveler pulled his helmet off and tossed it aside before he ripped open his tattered suit to reveal a vest of Semtex charges.
"I guess you could call it Slater's insurance policy. It's on a timer, you have to run." The Traveler said as he pulled out the scroll that had a timer that counted down rapidly. "Shit, thirty seconds! Run!" Carnel yelled, Diam and the other Undead ran for cover while Crys grabbed Alicia and moved her to safety despite her resistance.
"Carnel, let's go!" Alicia yelled, Carnel shook his head as the timer dropped from twenty-nine seconds to fifteen seconds. "Nobody can escape that much Semtex, but I can at least give you some time." Carnel said before laid his 1911 on the ground and stood up, he dug into the concrete and sprinted toward the Traveler before he tackled the man off the dock.
"CARNEL!" Alicia yelled before a large explosion shook the platform violently, the burned-out Bullheads scrapped the concrete as they slid off and fell into the water below. The platform groaned before one of the struts collapsed, Alicia broke free of Crys's hold and ran toward the platform. She slid down and grabbed Carnel's mask and pistol before she landed against a concrete barricade; she tossed the items onto the grass above before she attempted to jump and grab a ledge.
She jumped up and grabbed for the edge but missed as the platform collapsed and fell into the water below, Alicia started to fall but Crys grabbed her arm and held her up "I swear, am I the only sane one of the team." Crys said as she struggled to hold Alicia; Bones and Harlequin ran over to help Crys pull Alicia up.
"Leviathan! Hades! We got a straggler!" An Undead foot-soldier called out as another Undead dragged a wounded Vajo to Diam and Harlequin. Diam gestured his head before the Undead dragged the Vajo off to interrogate him.
Alicia sat on the grass and stared at the area where the air docks had been while she clutched Carnel's mask to her chest. "Alicia, we need to leave. There are Grimm everywhere." Crys said but Alicia didn't budge, she just stared off into the void.
Crys slowly stood Alicia up and moved her away from the ledge, she looked down and noticed Carnel's 1911 was in her waistline. As the moonlight hit the courtyard, it illuminated Alicia and cast her shadow behind her.
Crys looked down again but stopped when she saw Alicia's shadow. "Alicia, don't get alarmed but… you have two shadows." Crys said, Alicia looked down but said nothing as she continued toward the airships.
Alicia and Crys boarded the last airship out of Beacon, Alicia was silent as Crys sat across from her trying to think of what to say. 'Sorry' wasn't gonna cut it, nor was 'it'll get easier'. "Alicia… I… I'm so sorry, there was nothing we could have done. You know how stubborn he is, he did it to save all of us, I mean, you saw how big that explosion was. It took the entire platform with it, albeit that it was the struts that gave way but still." Crys explained, but Alicia said nothing.
Alicia sat on the bench and stared at the black horned mask, its black pits for eyes gazed back at her before she pressed it to her forehead "You're such a reckless idiot." Alicia said with a chuckle that slowly turned to sobbing.
The airship touched down in Vale before Alicia and Crys stepped off the Bullhead, they walked out onto the sidewalk and found a black SUV waiting for them "Courtesy of The Undead, they also wanted me to tell you that should you need anything, just look for the shadows." The hired driver said before Alicia and Crys climbed in.
Alicia gave the man her address and sat back as they were driven back to Alicia and Falcon's home, the SUV pulled up outside a two-story house that sat on the outskirts of Vale. The girls exited the SUV before it drove off into the night, Crys looked back at Beacon and watched as fires continued to rage and gunfire clapped in the distance.
Alicia walked into her house and sat down on the couch before she broke down in tears, her mom ran and wrapped her arms around her daughter. Crys remained outside the house with the door closed; suddenly, an arrow slammed into the wall next to Crys which scared the shit out of her.
She looked at the arrow and noticed it had a piece of paper attached to it, she used her semblance to illuminate the area as she unrolled the paper and read it to herself.
'Stay out of Vale for a while and don't be alarmed when you hear explosions, The Undead and Third Street are pissed. – Redeye'
Crys walked into the house and tucked the letter into her pocket before she sat down next to Alicia "Hi, Ms. Bliss. I'm Crys Winters, I'm your son and daughter's teammate." Crys said as she awkwardly introduced herself.
"I sure hope Falcon is alright, and where is the fourth teammate?" Alicia's mom asked, Crys pursed her lips in as she looked down "He… he sacrificed himself in order to save us. That's his mask, he was also your daughter's boyfriend." Crys explained.
"Is that also his gun?" Ms. Bliss asked, Crys nodded. "You might want to go get some bandages, Falcon ran off after his girlfriend and I'm afraid he might be banged up." Crys explained, Ms. Bliss nodded before she left to grab the first aid kit.
Crys wrapped her arm around Alicia but was interrupted by a knock at the door, Crys answered the door and was met with a bleeding Falcon. She wrapped her arms around the team leader and held him closely "Thank the gods you're ok." Crys said as she hugged Falcon.
"Eh, more or less." Falcon said as he gestured to his bleeding leg. Ms. Bliss returned with a first aid kit. Falcon looked at Crys who had tears in her eyes and Alicia who was sobbing "What happened?" Falcon asked as he walked and looked around but didn't see Carnel, only his mask.
"Where's Carnel hiding at?" Falcon asked with a smirk as he turned around but it disappeared when he saw Crys's somber facial expression.
"Crys?" Falcon asked, but he was met with silence.
"CRYS!?" Falcon yelled, but Crys remained silent.
"No. No, fuck no. He can't be…" Falcon trailed off while he shook his head, Crys nodded "Carnel's… gone." Crys said as she sat on the couch next to Alicia, Falcon collapsed in a chair and stared at the roof "But… how? When?" Falcon asked.
"It happened after we started heading towards the airships." Crys said before she explained everything that happened.
*An Hour and a Half later*
"If I see Slater, I'm killing him on sight. Fuck!" Falcon exclaimed as he slammed his fist into the sofa's armrest, suddenly an explosion shook the ground and caused the house to shake. "What was that?" Falcon asked before the sound of multiple helicopters flew overhead followed by the sound of tank tracks.
Falcon was about to go toward the door but Crys stopped him "That sound is the sound of a pissed off Mafia, it's open season on Vajo and they're here to collect." Crys explained as she handed Redeye's letter to Falcon. The house shook again as explosions peppered the industrial district of Vale.
Amidst the chaos, there was a calm knock at the door; Falcon approached the door with a limp and opened it slowly to find a tall man with long black hair tied in a ponytail and broad shoulders standing in front of them. "Hello, my name is Barney Lion. I was a friend of Carnel's, mind if I come in?" Barney asked, Falcon nodded before he moved aside and let Barney in.
"I won't be long, I just wanted to let you know that we'll be having a service for Carnel next weekend separate than the one the school will have. I also want you to know that what you hear outside is retribution… er, you know about Carnel's endeavors, right?" Barney asked.
"Yeah, we know about mafioso playboy extraordinaire." Falcon said with a chuckle. "That's exactly how he'd describe himself." Barney said with a chuckle. "The Vajo are being hunted down with extreme prejudice and we will find Slater even if we have to burn Remnant to the ground… the last part was just hyperbole but you get what I'm saying." Barney explained before he turned to leave but stopped at the door.
"Oh, and should you need anything, do not hesitate to call. We are many and we are widespread, you have allies everywhere." Barney said before he handed a business card to Falcon. Barney nodded to the room before he exited the house and went back to hunting for Vajo.
Alicia got up off the couch and ran up the stairs to her room, she slammed the door behind her. "I'll go check on her, you rest up, songbird." Crys said before she sprinted up the stairs behind Alicia, Falcon sighed as he stared at his bandaged leg and then up at the coffee table where Carnel's 1911 sat.
"You made a promise…" Falcon said to himself before he laid his head back and closed his eyes as he tried to rest. Crys approached Alicia's door slowly and knocked on it softly "Alicia, come on. Open up." Crys pleaded with her teammate but was met with silence, she rested her head against the door and let out a sigh, she suddenly felt the door vibrate as it was unlocked.
Crys entered Alicia's room and closed the door behind her, Alicia sat on her bed and held her head in her hands while Carnel's mask laid on her nightstand. "It's funny… when I first met him… I thought he was just this thug who got into Beacon but… but he was a gentle giant. He cared for his friends and would always protect them." Alicia said softly as she thought back to the first days of meeting Carnel.
"But he was so much more than just a thug… he had hopes, dreams… emotions. He let himself be vulnerable around me." Alicia continued as teardrops fell onto the rug and soaked into the cloth. "Alicia… there's nothing I can really say, but I'm here for you." Crys said as she sat down next to her teammate.
Alicia picked up Carnel's mask and held it in her hands, she stroked the sides of the mask and pressed it to her forehead again. "I wish I could see you again." Alicia stated as she lightly touched the side of the mask. Alicia raised her head as she looked at one of the posters on her wall that had 'Undead Paradox' on it along with its members including one with a horned mask. "Carnel, you selfless idiot." Alicia said as a tear rolled down her cheek and dropped onto the black mask. "He really cared about you and Yang, he loved you." Crys said before she laid her head on Alicia's shoulder; as Alicia and Crys sat in silence, an explosion rocked the house and caused the windows to vibrate.
"Wow, they are really going all out." Crys said before she turned on Alicia's TV to see a live news feed of Vale, Crys peaked out the window and saw the news VTOL flying overhead as it broadcasted the chaos "If you're just tuning in, we urge all citizens of Vale to stay inside and away from windows. There seems to be some kind of war breaking out in the streets. Military vehicles have rolled down streets but it seems they are only targeting specific people, moments ago a helicopter was blown out of the sky as it attempted to leave the port. Atlas forces have attempted to intervene but are keeping their distance for now as the unknown forces also have helicopters. Back to you, Lisa." The reporter said before the VTOL peeled off and flew away.
Crys looked out the window and watched as multiple armored vehicles drove by, the armored vehicles stopped before they turned 90 degrees to the right and drove into the tree line, tall trees were knocked down as the armored vehicles plowed through them with ease "I wonder what those are, I'm sure Carnel would know." Crys said as she looked out the window, suddenly an ethereal voice echoed around her "It's a BMPT or BMP Terminator, it's some of our heavy vehicles in the Undead Arsenal but judging by the insignia on the side, that not ours; that belong to the Golden Lions. Silver means business." Ghost explained.
"Ghost, is it possible that Carnel survived? He's survived a lot more, maybe he survived this." Alicia asked as she held onto hope. It was silent before Ghost's ethereal voice came through the ether "It's unlikely, that was a big explosion. Oh Crys, Diam grabbed your strange Rabbit when he went for Spinel." Ghost explained. Alicia stood up as tears flowed down her cheeks "No, I know he's alive. He can't just die, the person who gave us a ride here told us to 'Watch for the shadows'." Alicia stated as she walked to the window to see the explosions off in the distance. "He's not allowed to die, Team BAWM sticks together, no matter what." Crys said as she feigned a smirk and wrapped her arm around Alicia.
*Meanwhile in Atlas*
A hospital gurney rushed down the hall with multiple doctors and nurses in tow "He's stating at 75/40 and dropping. We need to get him stabilized!" One of the Doctors yelled as they rushed the gurney into a Trauma room, multiple armed Undead Street Soldiers followed behind them with Diam in tow while Spinel was by his side on a leash. "You two, secure the Ambo bay, you two out front of the hospital." Diam said before the street soldiers nodded and moved to get into position. Spinel whined as she watched the ER Staff work on her owner "I know girl, he'll be alright." Diam reassured the K-9. "Hey, this is the Mafia member, Cerberus." One of the Techs said as they looked at the man, Harlequin took Spinel's leash before Diam walked into the Trauma room and put a P226 to the Tech's head "Yeah, and you're gonna make sure he lives." Diam said, the man raised his hands and nodded slowly before Diam backed out of the room.
As Diam leaned against a desk, an older gentlemen in a crisp white suit strolled up with an cane that had a golden lion's head on the handle "Hey Silver, wish this meeting was under better circumstances." Diam said as he crossed his arms, Silver nodded "You know, when Angel brought him in as the newest member of the Undead, I was skeptical but look at what he's accomplished. Hell, he might take over the Golden Lion's one day." Silver said with chuckle before he started coughing. "Get him to the OR, stat!" The lead charge nurse yelled before they pushed the gurney out of the room and moved it down the hall quickly. "I guess time will tell." Diam said before he holstered his pistol.
*144 Hours (6 Days) Later*
Carnel woke up in a bed in a dimly lit room, the sound of a heart monitor beeping filled the room; Carnel grabbed the tube that came out of his mouth and slowly pulled, the agonizing pain almost caused him to stop but he pulled it out in one swift movement before he coughed up some blood. Carnel looked around frantically before he pulled the diodes off his chest. Carnel went to stand up but found that his legs were gone "Wha- where?" Carnel stuttered out loud as multiple nurses rushed into the room "Mr. Melone, we need you to relax, you have to rest." One of the Nurses said before Diam walked in behind them. "Ladies, clear out. I got this." Diam stated, the nurses nodded before the women in blue scrubs left the room and closed door behind them. "You're a reckless idiot, you know that?" Diam said with a chuckle, Carnel sat up and moved the sheet to the side so he could see his legs.
Carnel sat in silence as he legs were gone beneath the knee and metal couplings were attached to his legs, Diam pulled up a chair and pointed to the metal parts his body "We got some of Atlas's best working on different types of legs for you, Barry is even making a set special for you." Diam stated with a chuckle, Carnel remained silent as he stared off into the distance "Is Alicia alright?" Carnel asked, Diam nodded "You gave them ample time to escape, it was a noble sacrifice." Diam stated. The room was quiet before Diam cleared his throat "So we need to stay under the radar for a while, until we get your new legs. In the meantime, I snagged these from Ironwood's prosthetics corporation." Diam said with a smirk before he pulled a case out and revealed a pair of robotic legs that seemed to have been spray painted matte black.
"Where are we exactly?" Carnel asked, Diam nodded slowly before he spoke "Atlas Medical. It's Silver's private wing." Diam explained as Carnel reached down and felt his genital region "Oh thank god." Carnel sighed as he was still intact but quickly got quiet again "... and Slater?" Carnel asked, Diam was silent for a moment before he exhaled "He got away. We opened fire and hit him but he slipped away like the snake he is." Diam explained, Carnel looked at his legs and examined the couplings before he reached over to the box containing the prosthetic legs; Carnel pulled the prosthetics out and put the metal legs onto the couplings before he twisted them and locked them into place.
Carnel slowly moved and placed his prosthetic feet onto the floor, the feet seemed to slip slightly before Diam pulled out another box containing a pair of Men's DC Shoes, the shoes were black with purple accent and a purple DC on the outer side of the shoe with the words 'Black Sabbath' underneath the DC. "Dude, are these the limited release Black Sabbath Court Graffik's?! How did you get these?" Carnel asked confused, Diam chuckled "A little Diam magic." Diam said before he took Carnel's new prosthetic legs off and slipped the new shoes onto them, he handed them back to Carnel who re-attached the prosthetics "I guess the plus side is I won't have to worry about leg day anymore." Carnel said with a chuckle. Cerberus took his first step and stumbled slightly, Diam moved and caught the mafioso to steady him; Carnel nodded slowly as he steadied himself and balanced his stance.
Carnel took a few steps as he held his hands out to catch himself "Holy shit, it's like I never lost my legs to begin with." Carnel said before Diam tossed him a pair of black jeans, Carnel slipped the pants legs over his prosthetic legs and pulled them up to his waist before he buttoned the jeans and zipped up the fly. As Carnel was getting dressed, a nurse walked in and gasped at the sight "Mr. Melone, you need to get back in bed." The nurse protested but Carnel chuckled "I'm fine, honestly. I've had my throat slit before and turned out fine... for the most part." Carnel said with a shrug. Carnel and Diam walked out of the hospital room "You got my mask?" Carnel asked but Diam shook his head "No, after the explosion everyone ran for it." Diam explained; Carnel nodded before he stopped, snapped his fingers, and opened a Rift. He reached inside and pulled out a black bandana, a black hat, and a pair of sunglasses.
"The classic look?" Diam asked, Carnel nodded before he put the sunglasses on along with the hat before he covered his mouth and nose with the bandana, he made sure that it covered his face "So, what's our first move?" Diam asked as they ascended a staircase to the public hospital and exited out of a side door that led to the Emergency Room. People looked at the duo confused as they walked out of the front entrance where a twilight purple Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost was waiting "Silver send this?" Carnel asked but Diam looked at him shocked "This is from my personal collection." Diam said as he got into the driver's seat while Carnel got into the passenger seat.
Diam cranked the car up before he shifted it into gear and drove away from the hospital "Alright, first move is I want to get back into the studio. Undead Paradox is done with their hiatus." Carnel said as he cracked his knuckles, Diam chuckled "That's the shit I like to hear, I'll call up the crew." Diam said before he pulled his scroll out and handed it to Carnel, Carnel found the group text and sent a message out 'Hiatus is over, we're back to the studio and we're gonna drop some heat.', there was a moment of silence before the scroll vibrated repeatedly as messages flooded in.
"Alright, looks like everyone is going to try and meet up with us." Carnel said as he handed the scroll back to Diam who cleared his throat "Vale's comms system went down during the attack, so I'll have to get some of them and bring them back to Atlas." Diam explained as they pulled up to an office building "You round up the others while I get the studio ready." Carnel explained as he stepped out of the car. "Works for me, boss." Diam said before he sunk into a pool of black liquid, Carnel walked into the office building where a secretary sat behind a desk made of cherry wood that had a black cherry varnish, a secretary with a dirty blonde hair sat behind a terminal and typed away "Oh hello, Mr. Sable. I'm glad to see you made a recovery." The secretary stated in a cheerful tone.
Carnel nodded to the secretary as he looked at the records mounted on the wall, recording artists and bands like Undead Paradox "Hey Misty, good to see you again. We're getting the studio back open, can you do me a favor and get Hyro the Hero into the studio to feature on a track. It's very important." Carnel explained, Misty nodded as she picked up her datapad to look up Hyro's information. Carnel walked into the studio and looked at the board of switches, dials, and sliders; Carnel sat down behind the board and started to mess with the switches and dials. Carnel took his hand off the board before he placed his hand on his leg, he took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly as he felt the steel couplings.
Moments later, multiple people walked into the studio, some being technicians and others being part of an entourage, the entourage sat on a couch while the techs took their place at the switch board. Carnel stood up and walked into the studio that was lined with soundproof padding, a series of wires ran along the wall into a set of studio equipment pieces. Carnel ran his hand along the neck of the mic stand as memories of the other band members flooded into his mind, Carnel looked back and stared at a black Schecter Tempest that had the name 'Cerberus' etched into the guitar's body. Carnel picked up the guitar and pulled the pick out of the strings on the neck before he put the strap around his body.
Carnel flipped a switch on the amp before he adjusted a few knobs and plugged the amp cord into the guitar, Carnel ran his fingers along the neck and adjusted the knobs on the head of the guitar. Carnel pressed the chords down on the neck before he strummed out a few riffs; as Carnel played on his guitar, the rhythm came back to him as if it was muscle memory. Carnel played samples from multiple different songs from bands like Metallica and Dethklok, Carnel ran his hand up the guitar's neck as he silenced the chord's reverb before he exhaled slowly. The intercom clicked on before one of the studio techs spoke "Mr. Melone, we're ready when you are. The others have arrived along with Hyro." The tech said before the intercom cut off.
"Yo Jas, cue up audio track 6. Diam, let's get it." Carnel said as he rolled his neck, the tech nodded before the sound of ritualistic drums came through the speakers, Diam grabbed a pair of headphones and put them over his ears as he walked up to a mic before the lyrics written by Red popped up on the screen. Carnel nodded his head along with the beat before the tech gave him a signal. Diam's pre-recorded 'Woahs' came over the speakers as the beat started to play in full.
Take Me Home - Hollywood Undead
Carnel: I don't believe in all your demons anymore, It's hard to see with any reason from before
I lie awake and face these shadows in the night, I see the truth through crimson eyes
Take Me Home
Diam: Take me home where the restless go, Reckless to the day I rest my bones
There's no use tryna save my soul There's no use tryna save my soul
Take me home where the restless go, Reckless to the day I rest my bones
There's no use tryna save my soul There's no use tryna save my soul
There's no use tryna save my soul
Diam: These angels burn with an eternal sympathy, Don't say a word until you've heard their symphony
I lie awake creating shadows in the night, I see the truth through crimson eyes
Carnel: Take Me Home
Diam: Take me home where the restless go, Reckless to the day I rest my bones
There's no use tryna save my soul There's no use tryna save my soul
Take me home where the restless go, Reckless to the day I rest my bones
There's no use tryna save my soul There's no use tryna save my soul
There's no use tryna save my soul
Carnel took a deep breath as he seemed to manifest all the rage that burned within him, he exhaled slowly before he opened his eyes
Carnel: Got my cards lined up in a row, Up in flames and away we go
Lost my name, but it's etched in stone Take me home where the cold wind blows
Ain't no grave gonna hold me down Wide awake, so don't make a sound
Ain't no way you can break me down No one's safe, no escaping now
Carnel sang his verse with the essence of anger that radiated off his vocals chords.
Carnel & Diam: Take me home where the restless go, Reckless to the day I rest my bones
There's no use tryna save my soul There's no use tryna save my soul
Take me home where the restless go, Reckless to the day I rest my bones
There's no use tryna save my soul There's no use tryna save my soul
There's no use tryna save my soul There's no use tryna save my soul
There's no use tryna save my soul There's no use tryna save my soul
Carnel exhaled as he shook off the vocal cobwebs after the recording light turned off. "Feels good being back in the studio. Come on, Hyro, we got a special one. Not so much a song, but a warning." Carnel said with a smirk as he pulled his bandana off. "Y'all are some crazy mother fuckers, but I fucks with you, Jas drop it!" Hyro said before the beat came over the speakers. "It's the one we practiced before the hiatus." Carnel said, Hyro nodded with a 'hell yeah' grin.
Comin' Thru The Stereo - Hollywood Undead (Ft. Hyro the Hero) [C= Carnel, D= Diam]
The three rappers nodded their heads along with the beat before Carnel and Diam stepped up to the mics
C&D: Woah! Woah!
Hyro: I am in my own lane, you and me are not the same
You a pain in the ass, I'm a major pain to the brain
In my old age, I'll be pimping with my cane
Big gold rope chain, flossing in the hall of fame
Yeah, I wanna be the G.O.A.T., better be cautious, don't approach
Something like a magic show, all this fire in my throat, ha
No Barnum & Bailey but I am crazy, I got two sides like Slim Shady
If you fuck around then it's rock-a-bye baby, I'm amazing
Prepared for any occasion, ready for any situation
I comes out with guns blazing
I'm chilling, I ain't chasing, complex, never basic
That sound in the background is me in my spaceship
C: I'm going to the top and nobody's gonna stop me now
D: Another nightmare and it's coming through the stеreo
C: Keep going till I drop, till the hands on the clock run out
D: Anothеr nightmare and it's coming through the stereo
C: Straight out the gate, got them bodies dropping
Ain't no grave that can hold my coffin
C: I'm going to the top and nobody's gonna stop me now
D: Another nightmare and it's coming through the stereo
Diam: Turn off the television, turn up the stereo
We've got some dead motherfuckers, Hyro on the radio
And I ain't here to cash a check, ain't no ice on my neck
I'm here collecting bodies, everybody hit the fucking deck
I'll crack a head and crack a smile, what the fuck? It's been a while
Dead man walking, what's another fucking mile?
Talk that shit but cop that style, check me out, check the file
Perfect ten on that dial and all you bitches in denial
I'll keep digging graves 'cause that's just what I do
Got some Jack, feeling brave, yeah, that's a hundred proof
You're dropping bombs, I'm dropping nukes, and I'm probably dropping two
And if you're fucking breathing dirt, this song's about you
C: I'm going to the top and nobody's gonna stop me now
D: Another nightmare and it's coming through the stеreo
C: Keep going till I drop, till the hands on the clock run out
D: Anothеr nightmare and it's coming through the stereo
C: Straight out the gate, got them bodies dropping
Ain't no grave that can hold my coffin
C: I'm going to the top and nobody's gonna stop me now
D: Another nightmare and it's coming through the stereo
Carnel: Someone here is gonna have to let you know
This is my time and it's etched in stone
If you bow down then I'll bless your soul
I'm the ghost inside of your stereo
Someone here is gonna have to let you know
This is my time and it's etched in stone
If you bow down then I'll bless your soul
I'm the ghost inside of your stereo
C: I'm going to the top and nobody's gonna stop me now
D: Another nightmare and it's coming through the stеreo
C: Keep going till I drop, till the hands on the clock run out
D: Anothеr nightmare and it's coming through the stereo
C: Straight out the gate, got them bodies dropping
Ain't no grave that can hold my coffin
C: I'm going to the top and nobody's gonna stop me now
D: Another nightmare and it's coming through the stereo
The recording light turned off again as the beat faded, Diam was smiling while Carnel had an inferno burning in his eyes "Damn, I forgot you got bars, C." Hyro said as he bumped fists with Carnel. "Mother fucker, Imma take that as a compliment." Carnel said with a chuckle. "Ight, it was good catching up with ya but I gotta run to get to a show going on in Mantle later." Hyro stated before he left the studio.
"Alright, let's call it there, we'll release those two tracks as EPs. But for now, we gotta regroup and strategize about our next move." Carnel said as he walked out of the studio where Red and Harlequin were waiting "Glad your back on your feet... so to speak." Harlequin said before he jabbed Carnel in the arm lightly "What's the plan?" Diam asked as they walked out of the studio toward the Rolls-Royce that was parked out front. "First we need to assess what our resources are, what assets we have." Carnel said as he climbed into the passenger seat while Red and Harlequin climbed into the backseat as Diam started the car up.
The Rolls-Royce pulled out onto the street before it merged with traffic "Let's head to the house, we got to plan our next move." Carnel said as he reached down and felt the prosthetic legs, Carnel patted his waistline and stopped before he started patting more frequently "Shit, I lost Angel's 1911." Carnel said with a sigh. Diam shook his head "With that explosion and the landing pad, I'm surprised nothing else got lost. Just the 1911 and your mask, we'll drop your scroll in some rice to dry it out." Diam stated as they drove down the road and eventually pulled into a white brick driveway that had two large black metal gates that had skulls in the middle of the gate. The gate opened before Diam pulled in and drove up the driveway until they were stopped in front of a large mansion that had white marble columns and lions that had their paws on a skull.
Carnel walked into the mansion and made a beeline toward a library-like office, Diam followed in behind him as Carnel unrolled a map of remnant and placed it on a table that had multiple chairs around it and a nice Mahogany chair that had an ivory skull on the top of the chair. He pulled up a whiteboard from the corner "Carnel, it's Barney, he said they secured the warehouse district and all our weapons/product is safe. Third Street is standing by for your call." Diam stated as he held his scroll in his hand. Carnel scanned the map as he started setting up chess pieces around the map starting with Atlas and moving South before he moved to the East to Mistral before he marked four names along with cardinal directions: North - Crimson Dust, South - Charfall, West - Withered Mafia, East - Iron Demons.
"Have Barney send an envoy to west Mistral to meet and propose an alliance with the Withered Mafia while we'll talk with Crimson Dust, hopefully that will secure us a meeting with Blackdeath, gather the Undead so we can go over this plan." Carnel stated as he placed four Pawns on the map around Mistral before he placed a King in the middle. He placed a Rook on Vale and another King piece on Atlas. "Alright Slater, we're coming for you." Carnel said as he looked up at Diam who nodded before he put the scroll to his ear.
*1 Week Later in Vale*
Falcon, Crys, and Alicia stood in a cemetery, Falcons leg was in an air-cast while dressed in black along with Alicia and Crys. Cedric, Bones, and Red stood along with them among a few other folks who knew Carnel, the onlookers stared at a black casket that had an assortment of flowers atop of it. Alicia was sobbing while Lacey comforted her, Cedric and Red had their heads lowered as they feigned sadness to keep up the ruse while a priest read from a bible "We are gathered here today to honor the memory of Carnel Melone, friend to all those gathered here. A Ms. Isabella has a song she would like to sing in honor of Carnel." The priest said before he stepped aside and let Isabella walk up to the podium where she pulled out a folded piece of paper.
"So this is a song that was written by Carnel's late girlfriend, Maple, and he had asked me if I could sing it for him. I feel as these lyrics resonate Carnel's feelings perfectly." Isabella said before she cleared her throat as Diam walked up to a piano that had been brought up to the vigil, Diam closed his eyes as he started to play the notes that were written on the sheet music, Isabella cleared her throat before she too closed her eyes and exhaled slowly.
Nightglow - Tanya Chua
The way I go through with
Red roses burn my eyes
Cold rain starts pouring hard
I'm being called upon
Never let you go
It's why I did them all
For a chance at least
To live in your way
Love of you
Is my most cherished thing
So stay alive, bravely
As Diam played on, Alicia broke down as she heard the words that flowed from Isabella's lips, words that were written by Maple that also conveyed her feelings for Carnel. Crys held her tight as she clutched her chest and dropped to her knees. "You reckless idiot." Alicia said as she wiped the tears with a tissue that Falcon gave her.
I wish I could wake from
The dream each time I dream
There's a long night coming soon
I'd shine as the last shine
Isabella took a deep breath in as she opened her eyes and looked at Alicia, Crys, and Falcon.
Never let you go
It's why I did them all
For a chance at least
To live in your way
Love of you
Is my most cherished thing
So stay alive, bravely
Isabella spread her arms out wide as she took another breath in before she belted out the final verse.
Never let you go
It's why I did them all
For a chance at least
To live in your way
Love of you
Is my most cherished thing
So stay alive, bravely
Isabella wiped a few tears from her cheek as she stepped away from the podium, Diam closed the piano lid and stood up to rejoin the audience, Falcon walked up to the podium "Carnel was a lot of things: A thug, a fighter, an outcast, but he was my friend and most importantly, my sister's boyfriend. He cared for her unlike anyone ever did before, I haven't seen her as happy as she was with him, but unfortunately he's gone but I know he's looking down on us as our protector." Falcon said before Alicia stood up and stepped forward to take the podium as Falcon sat down. "Carnel was an amazing man, he was caring and sweet. He came from nothing and gave everything to protect his friends. Going so far as to put his life on the line to save us and he was, no, is a man of strength so I know he isn't dead. I know he'll come back and I'll be able to hold him in my arms once again. I know Carnel wouldn't go down that easily and he's out there... somewhere." Alicia stated before she left the podium and sat down next to Crys who rubbed her back.
Crys walked up to the podium and cleared her throat as she looked at the crowd of people that looked at her "When I first met Carnel, I thought, this guy is the most self-centered asshole I've ever met. But then I got to know him and I still think he's one of the biggest assholes I've ever met. Not only that, but he lied to me and promised that he wouldn't do anything brash. In that same time however, he also became like an older brother to me. Especially compared to the previous family I had. I'm... I'm gonna miss the bastard." Crys said as a few tear trailed down her cheek as she went and sat with Alicia and Falcon. Alicia rubbed her shoulder and pulled her into a side hug.
The shattered team watched in silence as Carnel's coffin was lowered into the ground before being covered with dirt, Diam and Red scooped the dirt out of a pile and poured it onto the a cherry wood coffin. Alicia clenched her eyes shut before she raised a hand and caused the dirt to flow from the into the whole like a waterfall, Diam and Red stepped back before they patted the dirt down and compacted it. Diam, Red, and Cedric walked up to the three students with their hands clasped together in front of them "If you need anything, do not hesitate to reach out." Diam said before he handed them his card. "If you find out anything, please let me know... and if you find him, give this to him." Alicia stated before she tried to hand Carnel's horned mask to Diam but the teleporter refused "I know for a fact he would want you to have it, hold on to it." Diam said before Alicia clutched it tightly to her chest.
As the precession dispersed, the fractured team walked toward a private SUV that was going to escort them back home when a hooded figure brushed up against them and muttered some words to Crys "Meet me in the woods near the house." The hooded figure said before they disappeared into a crowd, Crys looked around confused before she was ushered into the SUV. The SUVs drove off down the road as they left the cemetery, Crys replayed the sentence over and over in her head as they arrived to the Bliss residence; Alicia dabbed her eyes with a tissue as she stepped out of the SUV and went into the house before she walked up the stairs to her room. Falcon followed behind and stood in the living room before he sat down on the couch, Crys walked in and closed the door behind her before she let out a deep sigh.
"Damn it, I thought I wouldn't be affected by Carnel's death but... shit." Crys said before she walked to an open chair and sat down with a light thud. Crys couldn't shake the feeling of something eating at her. "Imma take a walk." Crys said before she stood up and left the Bliss household, she looked around before she walked into the darkened woods across from the house. She disappeared into the tree line and withdrew her pistol as she looked around slowly, the sound of a twig snapping caused her to raise her pistol at an unknown sound.
"Thank the gods I stay in the trees." A female voice said from above, Crys illuminated a small orb and revealed a woman sitting on a tree branch above Crys "What? Who are you?" Crys asked while she kept a steady grip on her pistol. The woman chuckled "We've never been formally introduced, but I know about you Crys Winters, your connection with Mercury and Emerald. I know that you no longer associate with them and I can respect that, I got skeletons in my closet as well. The name is Onyxia Lavi, sister of Ross Lavi, better known as Slater; you know me as Redeye." Redeye said before she leapt down from the tree.
"So, you're Slater's sister? He did all those reprehensible things." Crys stated, Redeye nodded her head slowly "Yes, but I have disowned him... the things he's done, he's lost whatever humanity he had left. That's not the brother I know from growing up and I promised Carnel that I would help him put Slater six feet under." Redeye stated, Crys nodded slowly as she understood Onyxia's internal strife "So, what's up with this social call?" Crys asked with a slight chuckle.
"Carnel is alive, he's keeping a low profile." Onyxia stated, Crys chuckled but stopped when she saw that Onyxia was serious. "Holy shit, you're serious. But I saw that explosion..." Crys said in disbelief, Redeye nodded "You can't say a word to Alicia or she'll attempt to go find him, just know that he's alive and some things will be happening, he said to tell you to quote 'Watch the news.' I can't say anymore than that." Redeye stated before she turned to leave "Wait, how do we find you... if we need answers or..." Crys asked, Redeye chuckled "You don't, I'll find you." Redeye said before she leapt up and grabbed a tree branch, seconds later she disappeared into the trees.
"Damn it, when I see you again I am kicking your ass." Crys said as she rested her head against a tree, Crys pulled herself together and headed back to the Bliss household. 'Alright, Alicia can't find out Carnel is alive, alright I can do that.' Crys thought to herself as she reached the front door of the Bliss household; Crys stepped through the threshold of the house and back into the living room. "How was that walk?" Falcon asked as he leaned back in a recliner, Crys nodded "Yeah, just had to clear my head." Crys said before she sat back on the couch "Alicia's still in her room, she hasn't left since we got back from the funeral." Falcon said as he sipped on a dark colored drink, Crys looked over at Falcon who seemed to have glassy eyes "Have you been drinking?" Crys asked slightly concerned, Falcon chuckled as he took another sip "Just a bit." Falcon said before he poured another drink from a crystal decanter.
Crys sighed before she stood up and made her way toward the stairs "I'm gonna go check on Alicia." Crys said before she ascended the staircase and walked up to a closed door. Crys knocked on the door lightly "Alicia... sweetie, you alright?" Crys asked softly as she leaned on the wall next to the door, the knob jiggled lightly before the door opened slowly. Crys walked in the door as Alicia laid down in her bed and looked at a poster pined to the roof of Undead Paradox "It's kinda funny that I didn't realize Carnel was Cerberus from Undead Paradox, the signs were right in front of me." Alicia said as she looked at the poster.
As Alicia laid on her bed, her scroll chimed with a notification 'New EP from Undead Paradox', Alicia's eye lit up as she sat up in bed "Holy shit, he's alive!" Alicia said as she stared at her scroll, Crys looked at the screen and tried to think of an excuse "It might be a previously unreleased track that they just released now, record labels do it all the time." Crys explained. "Undead Paradox is on hiatus, they must have done a song with Hyro da Hero before the hiatus." Alicia said as she pressed play on the song, Crys watched as Alicia slowly developed a smile before she silently left the room.
*Meanwhile, Back in Atlas*
Multiple members of The Undead entered the office inside Silver's mansion and took a seat at the meeting table, Silver walked in through a side door and took his seat at the head of the table "So Carnel, what's the plan?" Silver asked with a smirk. Carnel cleared his throat and activated the projection that included the chess pieces "Right, about a week ago I asked Barney to reach out to The Withered Mafia to propose an alliance and we learned from one of our informants that The Withered Mafia's loyalty is being questioned by Blackdeath so they'll be our new allies in Mistral, Charlie Anza, head of The Withered Mafia said Crimson Dust might be a bit tougher to flip." Carnel explained as the western section of Mistral turned Green to signify their allegiance to The Golden Lions.
"Our goal is to get a sit down with Liam Ame, head of Blackdeath, if we can forge an alliance then we'll have Mistral in the palms of our hands, The Undead and I will head to Northern Mistral to speak with Crimson Dust and if we can't come to an agreement, we'll install a new leader." Carnel explained. Silver nodded as he looked at a detailed notebook of the plans and the feedback from Barney and Third Street "Alright, it seems you've done rigorous planning and research so I'll allow this endeavor, but how do you plan to sway them to our side?" Silver asked, Carnel chuckled "Easy, money talks. I offer them a cut in the income and protection in case of Blackdeath retaliation and if Skyler Mahog refuses, well .45 ACP will change his mind. Silver, I need one of your Lieutenants to come with us in case we have to install a new leader." Carnel stated.
Silver nodded before he picked up his scroll and called someone "Simon, it's Silver. I need you to go with The Undead to Mistral, they'll fill you in on the way there. Thank you." Silver said before he ended the call. "Simon will be here shortly and you have full access to the armory, take whatever you need." Silver stated before he stood up and buttoned his blazer. Silver was about to leave but stopped "Oh Carnel, I'm glad to see you back in action." Silver said before he left the room.
Diam walked up and patted James on the shoulder "Well, let's get shopping but first, your new legs are here. Barry, bring them in!" Diam yelled, the office double doors opened before Barry walked in carrying a case that he sat on the table "Oh Carnel, I'm glad you're okay. I got your need legs here." Barry said as he patted the case. Carnel opened the case and looked at a pair of black prosthetic legs that had a Gold skull wearing a crown on the front of the prosthetic legs, Carnel sat down and disconnected the temp legs, tossed them to the side, and attached the new ones.
"So, I took the liberty of modifying these to give you and edge in battle Barry places a touchscreen wrist band on the table, there is gravity, combustion, and air dust. They can be activated/deactivated with this wristband and are primed by bending the ankle. You recharge them by inserting these cartridges in the back like loading shells into a shotgun, the cartridges can be refilled so don't toss them when they're empty; now, the boots are custom made to be compatible with the exhaust port in the ball of the foot Carnel examines the jet port since other shoes would be destroyed by the combustion dust." Barry explained.
"Shit Barry, you've outdone yourself with these bad boys." Carnel said as he attached the wristband to wrist before he swiped through the features and examined the dust levels. "You go take care of business, sir." Barry said with a smile as Carnel and The Undead walked out of the office as they made their way toward the armory. One of the armed guards turned a large tumbler wheel before he opened a large safe door, the Undead walked into the armory and took stock of all the weapons "It's so beautiful, time to shop." Carnel stated as the Undead members armed themselves, he walked among the weapons until he saw a beast of an LMG sitting on a display case.
"Holy shit, it's an MG338. I've only heard about these but never seen one." Carnel said as he picked up the hefty LMG, he placed the LMG on its side before he started add and remove attachments. He swapped the bipod for a vertical grip, added a padded stock, muzzle brake, and a 1-4x scope, he picked the LMG up and pulled back the charging bolt before he placed it into his Rift before he tossed various other firearms inside "Yo C, don't forget to grab a new problem solver." Diam said as he gestured to the case of pistols, Carnel gazed at the cases of pistols before he walked over and picked up a Desert Eagle chambered in .50 AE.
"Whaddya think?" Carnel asked as he held the behemoth of a pistol, Diam gritted his teeth as the other members of the Undead shook their head "Looks like your compensating for something." Bones said as he loaded a Benelli M4 shotgun. "That may be but it also says 'Don't fuck with the Undead'." Carnel said as he picked up two Desert Eagles that had nine round magazines, extended slides, and muzzle brakes on the barrels. Carnel put the pistols into concealed waistline holsters before he put one on either hip. Carnel grabbed a CZ 805 Bren and four spare mags as he made his way to the exit with Undead following behind him as he put on his bandana and hat followed by the black shades.
The Undead exited the mansion and found a transport vehicle waiting for them with a man wearing a Lion ring that stood next to the vehicle "You must be Simon." Carnel said as he walked up and extended his hand. "Simon Rockwell, it'll be an honor to aid you in your conquest." Simon said with a slight bow. The group loaded into the transport that took off and drove toward an airfield nearby "Alright, we're gonna be in hostile territory when we reach Mistral but if everything goes right, we won't have an issue." Carnel explained before the transport came to a stop, the group hopped out of the vehicle and quickly boarded a Bullhead that had its engines idling.
The back of the Bullhead closed before it took off into the sky and took an immediate nose dive, the VTOL flattened out as it buzzed the rooftop of an apartment building before it cruised over the ocean "Everyone strap in, afterburners engaging in thirty seconds." The pilot said, the Undead scrambled to strap themselves in while a GM ISV was strapped down to the floor of the VTOL. Suddenly, the VTOL bucked as the afterburners kicked in and caused to Bullhead to rocket above the ocean surface as their flight time was cut down from an hour to mere minutes. "Alright ladies and gentlemen, thank you for flying Air Lion. We will be touching down in about a minute, please board the ISV provided and prepare for hot drop." The pilot said as the sound of 'Lock Alert' blared in the background.
Carnel unfastened himself before he hopped into the driver's seat as the other Undead boarded the ISV, Carnel turned the key and started the vehicle as the VTOL pulled a fast 180 as the ramp lowered. The locks holding ISV disengaged before Carnel slammed his foot down on the pedal and drove out of the back of the VTOL seconds before it rocketed off into the sky. The ISV touched down onto a Mistral beach before Carnel slammed on the brakes and slid to a stop as they watched the VTOL fly away as two jet streams chased it into the clouds. Seconds later, two explosions echoed in the distance as the rockets seemed to have hit their mark but the VTOL completed a barrel roll as it did a victory fly by while it popped its counter-measures.
"Hell yeah, now let's get a move on." Carnel said before they pulled onto cleared trail and drove through a dense forest "Luckily we've been planning this for a while so those pilots ought to have dropped us off near their compound." Carnel stated, Diam looked around before he saw a concrete wall through the tree line "Stop, right there." Diam said as he pointed to their right, Carnel nodded before he pulled off the road and turned the vehicle off as the Undead disembarked with Simon in tow.
The Undead moved through the brush as they circled around the compound, Red looked around until he found an opening in the wall "Psst, here." Red in a hushed tone, Carnel moved over and peaked through a hole in the wall to assess the number of guards "Alright, looks like the entrance is to the left, let's move." Carnel said before they circled around the other direction until they came up to the compound entrance, the Undead stepped out and were greeted with AK barrels pointed at them. "Oh hey, this isn't the mall." Carnel said jokingly. "I've come to request an alliance with your boss, Skyler Mahog." Carnel said in a more serious tone.
"Let 'em through, The Withered Mafia mentioned something about visitors from Atlas." A stocky man said as he lit a cigar. The Crimson Dust thugs lowered their weapons as they let the Undead pass, "Carnel Melone, head of The Undead in association to The Lion Crime Family or The Golden Lions... how is Silver doing?" Skyler asked as he took a puff of his cigar as they walked into a large garage attached to a fairly larger house. Carnel, Diam, Red, and Simon followed Skyler into his office before the door closed and the rest of the Undead were stuck in the foyer.
Skyler took a seat behind his desk he took another puff of his cigar and tapped some ash into an ashtray "So, how may I fucking help you?" Skyler asked as he took another drag and exhaled slowly, Carnel sat down in a chair in front of Skyler's desk while Diam took the chair next him and Red stood to his left. "Right, let's get down to brass tacks: We're here to propose an alliance, you join the Lion Crime Family as one of our syndicates and help us overthrow Blackdeath. There's a war coming and it's going to be bloody, the Vajo have aligned themselves The White Fang and some mysterious group that seem to have control over the creatures of Grimm." Carnel stated as he laid the information out for Skyler to analyze.
"Riiiggghhhtttt... and if I don't agree to join?" Skyler asked, Carnel shrugged before he pulled out one of the Desert Eagles and rested it on his lap "I would hate for it to go that way, our main goal is to get Liam Ame's attention to get a sit down to negotiate an alliance between the two families, hopefully coming down on the side of having a common enemy and profit for both sides." Carnel explained, Skyler took a large drag off his cigar before he ashed it out and exhaled the smoke slowly.
"So, join or die are my two options? Man Cerberus, you've changed. By now I'd be dead on the floor." Skyler stated but Carnel shook his head "The situation has changed, it's no longer just warring gangs and crime families; a new enemy has reared its fucking head... they took my fucking legs." Carnel stated as he pulled up his pants leg to show metal prosthetic.
"Do you remember that one fuck head with the red sword, he ripped through some of your best men and you came to us and Third Street for help? He's involved and was part of the attack at Beacon." Diam stated, Skyler gripped the arms of his chair as his knuckles turned white "He killed my littler brother, Nixxy begged for mercy but he cut through him like he was nothing... Justice for Nixxy?" Skyler asked as he looked at a framed picture on his desk of him and his kid brother. "When the time comes, I'll let you pick a weapon from my personal stash." Carnel stated, Skyler exhaled slowly before he stood up and extended his arm.
Carnel holstered his pistol, stood up, and gripped Skyler's hand with the grip of camaraderie "Welcome to the Family." Carnel said with a smirk. "Glad we could resolve this peacefully, I'll disable the air defense if you want your pilot to come get you... that was some pretty tight flying." Skyler said before he accessed the SAM (Surface-to-Air Missile), Skyler stepped back as he watched the screen flashed a warning 'Enemy Incoming'. "Sir! We're surrounded!" A voice yelled over the radio, Carnel shook his head "This isn't us." Carnel explained.
"It's the Iron Demons! Run for cover!" A voice yelled before an explosion rocked the complex; Carnel withdrew an Mp5 from his Rift and slapped the charging handle down "Let's move!" Carnel stated as the other Undead readied their weapons, Skyler pulled a sawed off double barrel shotgun from his desk and checked the chambers before he closed it back. The newest member to the Lion Crime Family threw on a molle vest that had shotgun shells along the front along with two M67 dust grenades.
The sporadic claps of gunfire filled the air as the Undead left the office only to find the front doors blown in and several Iron Demons dead in the doorway. A heavily armored man with minigun and a large backpack stood in the middle of the foyer with his barrel pointed toward the breached door "Good job, Bubba!" A Crimson Dust thug yelled out from behind cover next to an Undead who just looked at him confused and mouthed 'What the fuck?'.
"Alright Crimsons! From now going forward, the Undead are your brothers and sisters! Apparently the Iron Demons have been coerced by an opposing force and I guess we need to remind them of whose fucking house they're in!" Skyler yelled as he rallied his soldiers. Bubba spun up the barrel of his minigun before he walked outside and let loose a stream of lead toward some Iron Demons that sprinted across the compound, the stream of bullets cut them in half with ease. The rest of the Syndicate busted out windows to fortify the complex, but suddenly a loud horn caught their attention.
An MRAP broke through the barricade as six BTR-60s followed behind, the APC broke off before the back door opened and Iron Demons flooded the courtyard "Crimsons! Undead! Retreat!" Carnel and Skyler yelled as the Iron Demons seemed to be taking up firing positions. Crimsons and Undead sprinted into the complex while Bubba slowly walked backward to ensure everyone got in safely as he kept the barrel leveled to keep the Iron Demons from advancing. Bubba slowly backed into the complex before he hit a button that dropped a metal roll door down to block the entrance.
"Crimsons! Get those sentries online and delete the Iron Demons from the friendlies database, replace it with The Undead." Skyler said, two Crimsons nodded before they ran off to get the defense system up and running; Carnel signaled for two Undead to join them. "Fuck, what's going on?" Skyler asked confused.
Carnel peeked through the broken window to assess the situation when he suddenly saw a familiar face "Machanza, why am I not surprised? You get kicked from Third Street and we do you a kindness by not putting two in the back of your head. Why here?" Carnel asked, Machanza sucked in air through his teeth as he assessed the situation. (Machanza - Mach(Magenta) Anza(Nyanaza)
"Well Carnel, you mind if I call you Carnel? Eh, doesn't matter, you'll be dead eventually. You see, Atlas was my home and when Angel, Barney, and Silver ousted me from the group cause of a few false allegations, they told me to leave and never return, that if I did I would be killed on sight but not before I'm beaten to an inch of my life in front of my family, who would then be fed to Grimm. Well, Angel is dead so I might as well go after the current leader and I find that it's our resident orphan and not one of Silver's Lieutenants." Machanza explained.
"As for why I'm here? A little birdie told me that the Undead were looking to unite the two families and well, my bosses wouldn't be too happy about that so I figured I come kill two birds with one hand grenade." Machanza continued as he tossed a grenade in his hand. "What will Vance think of this move? You think he'd be alright with this?!" Skyler yelled, there was a momentary silence before Machanza started to laugh.
"Who do you think ordered this, instructions came down from the top." Machanza stated, Skyler gritted his teeth together before he clapped his hands together before slowly moving them apart, two razor-thin wires wrapped around his arms as he pushed himself off the ground. "Aura Wire: Razor sharp wire made of pure aura." Skyler explained while Carnel loaded air dust shells into his legs, Carnel stood up and grabbed his MP5 that was propped against the wall. He snapped open a rift before he pulled out a solid black mask that had only two eye holes and a white skull painted on the front of it, he pulled the mask on and covered his head with his hood "Did the Devil of Atlas lose his horns along with his legs?" Skyler asked with a chuckle, Carnel chuckled as he tightened the strap on the mask.
"I can thank Slater for this." Carnel said as he walked over to Bubba "The moment that door opens, open fire and cover us so we can try to flank them." Carnel instructed, Bubba nodded as he adjusted his armor. "Alright Undead, apparently either the White Fang or the Vajo have reached out to the Iron Demons and have gotten them on their side so we snuff them out here and move on to making an alliance with Blackdeath and if its too late for them, we burn them to ground and start over." Carnel stated before he looked down "And I'm gonna do something that might backfire; I'm gonna open the Vortex." Carnel continued.
"The Vortex? That's extremely dangerous, we don't know what's in there and can you control it?" Diam asked, Carnel lowered his head as he put the MP5 sling around his body "I don't know, that's why I'm going out there alone." Carnel explained before he walked up to the door and pressed the button that raised the shutter.
"Look alive Demons, we got a live one." Machanza said as he leaned against the MRAP, Carnel took a deep breath before he stepped out into the light and continued down the steps with his arms raised "Don't shoot, I've come to parlay." Carnel stated as he walked into the middle of the courtyard, one of the Demons walked up and took the MP5 off his body before they retreated back to their defense position. "Alright, speak your piece before we put you down like the dog you are." Machanza stated as he held a pistol at the ready.
Carnel slowly pressed his thumbs into his middle fingers as he readied himself "Well, you all have called me The Devil of Atlas but you got it all wrong. I'm Cerberus and I guard the gates of Hell." Carnel said before he snapped both fingers simultaneously, the air seemed to go stagnant momentarily before a large vortex rift formed behind Carnel "Get them!" Carnel yelled before several large tendrils shot out of the vortex and smashed the BTR into a tree while another wrapped around a Demon and snapped their spinal cord with ease. "Fuck you, Carnel!" Machanza yelled as he raised his pistol but the pistol dropped from his hand as a sharp tendril pierced Machanza's chest and slammed him into the ground multiple times while other tendrils dragged The Iron Demons into the Vortex.
"What the fuck is that?" Skyler asked in a shaky tone, the Undead and Crimsons watched in horror before Diam spoke up "That what happens when a Rift and a Lock-Up fuse together... a Vortex, something not of this world and something nasty in there, but... it listened to Carnel." Diam explained as the tendrils continued to reek havoc on the attacking forces. Three Iron Demons attempted to run but were crushed underneath a large tendril that proceeded to drag them into the Vortex before it closed behind Carnel.
"God damn... remind me not to piss Carnel off." Skyler said with a chuckle.
(A/N: Hey there, long time right? Life's been hella hectic and I'm barely able to write, I finally got this one finished. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, I felt like I had to cut it off at 14K words so I can give the spotlight over to the others. Anyway, Remember to Favorite, Follow, and Review; check out some of my other works [Nightmare 6-4] and as always, this is Nightmare 6-4, signing off.)