Red City

[Littlemankitten]

Pandora nodded to herself as her sister spoke, then frowned. She couldn't really explain it, but she felt as if something bad was going to happen soon. While she would usually dismiss it as random anxiety or just the paranoia of this place. But she's had this exact kind of feeling before, back when she was looking for a terrorist who planned the poison Tokyo main water supply with a big ol' lump of Uranium, god knows where he got it from. Of course, she had this same feeling, dismissed it. And it turned out this guy had about 20 heavily armed and armored goons in his lap that almost wiped her squad out. They were expecting resistance but that was way beyond what they were expecting. In the end her squad couldn't hope to stop the guy, so in order to stop the guy from killing half of Tokyo they had to call in a military gunship and that made the entire city wake up. She has no idea how the higher up's managed to cover that one up but within a few days people stopped talking about a gunship mowing down a group of heavily armed thugs in a restricted area close by to the city.

She felt exactly what she felt back then, and she trusted it this time. "I think it would be best if we get out of here as soon as possible actually. Something tells me trouble is coming our way." Pandora entered the building and wasted no time heading to the elevator. "At the elevator now.... which floor were you on again?" And she forgot again... she blamed the fog.

[mrblah]

Giovanni Hector de Luca

Shiho gave Giovanni a questioning look (as did Taro), but nonetheless answered; "Up near Hanayashiki. I had been been following a trail that led there, when him and his men surrounded me. Including him, there were five of them, but he may have more. I really advise against going over there, it'd be rather dangerous..." She trailed off, silently referring to what had happened to her, before continuing. "As for weapons, there's a police station nearby that might have something you can use, but it's also near Hanayashiki. There's a chance that man had his men clean it out already, or that they're already there."

Pandora Othina

"Okay, but if you're already at the elevator then it'd be quicker if I came down to you. I'll meet you there in a minute." Camilla responded. The line went quiet on her end, but Pandora could still pick up what sounded like the shuffling of paper. After a few minutes, the elevator door opened up before her, and out stepped her sister. Her eyes lit up the moment she saw Pandora, relief easily noticeable on her face as she quickly moved to her sister, wrapping her in a hug, surprisingly enough. It didn't last long as she then pulled back. "Sorry, it's just..." she took a breath in an attempt to better compose herself, "I was just worried, and everything's so strange... we're the only normal ones in this building right now, and..." Her voice wavered. The stress of being surrounded by her zombie-like co-workers for so long must have been getting to her.

[Littlemankitten]

"Oh... Right." Pandora responded at the elevator statement, why didn't she think of that? Pandora frowns a bit as she waits for the elevator, now having a little bit of time to think. She felt as if her mind wasn't as sharp as it normally was, her memory was obviously off and she felt as if there was this tiny little consistent pressure in the back of her head. She felt weird to, not just in that regard but like something else had changed about her, she couldn't pinpoint it though, but she felt as if her body was very slowly being changed... She forced herself to not focus on that though, paranoia was not what she needed right now. She was probably just really anxious from how weird this place is.

Pandora smiled as her sister appeared, hugging her back. "It's alright, given the circumstances we need any form of hope and reassurance." Pandora looked around a bit then frowned again. The feeling of dread slowly creeping up on her, the shadows seemingly dancing at the edges of her vision. "Lets get out of here, no time to waste." She immediately turned around and marched off towards the exit. "Our first step should be equipping ourselves as much as possible. I know we can both fight fairly well unarmed but we don't know what we're dealing with" Pandora repeated. "After that, try and find out exactly what is happening." If they knew what was happening perhaps they could put a stop to it, even if they couldn't the more they knew the better.

[Lord Butts]

Giovanni nods. "Thank you. We will give the police station a look, and thinks for the heads up, it's best to know where danger is in order to avoid it." she gives another charming smile. "Now where can we help you get to? I'd feel ashamed leaving a lady defenseless out here." Giovanni would try her best to make friends with everyone she came across, friends are useful in this sort of situation.

[mrblah]

Giovanni Hector de Luca

Shiho gave a wry smile, "You've already saved me, you know. My debt's so monumental as is, now you want to escort me and put me further in it? I'll never be able to pay you back at this rate." she joked, though Giovanni got the feeling that she hadn't entirely meant that in a joking manner. She glanced to the side, "I suppose I should first get to my apartment. Put on some clothes, get my personal phone. Thank God I forget to take it with me to work, or... well, those pigs would have it right now." She took a second to gather her thoughts, forming a plan silently. "Then, I'll continue my investigation, and see if there's a way out of here. None of my colleagues have gotten wrapped up in this mess, so I'm on my own with that... though, I may have a few government officials on speed dial..." She trailed off, seemingly contemplating something.

Taro, on the sidelines, kept quiet.

Pandora Othina

Camilla seemed to relax in her sister's hold, the stress from the situation forgotten, knowing that she had her only family member there with her. The moment the hug broke, she had composed herself. She nodded in agreement to her sister's plan and followed her to the door. "Sorry about that, too. I couldn't find the right key card... but I think the security guards should be somewhere outside. They're armed, though they won't have much ammo on them."

The two left the building, seeing that the situation seemed relatively the same. 'People' milling about, red sky, everything seemed to be as out of order as it shouldn't be. Pandora's senses were still tingling with the feeling of unknown dangers in the area, but now that they were outside and no threats were nearby, it seemed like a straightforward escape. Though, there was also the option of staying for a moment and searching around. Camilla HAD said there should be armed guards around, and though she hadn't found anything herself, it's unlikely there wasn't at least a single useful weapon in the building...

[Littlemankitten]

Pandora pondered her options for a moment. Should they stay just a bit longer or not? They had no way of telling how these 'people' would react to trying to forcibly take something from them, such as a gun. Camilla did have a point as well, they would only carry enough ammo to neutralize a few unarmored threats, and once again, who knows what they'll be dealing with. Suddenly, she remembered something.

"Ah, the police station should be close enough no? Back were we used to work in those good old days?" Pandora said sarcastically, she didn't really have fond moments of the police station, there were a few people there she liked, and only every got remotely to one person named Ito. They kept in contact but she hadn't talked to him in a week or so. Regardless, she knew that place had both guns and melee weapons, probably only pistols and batons, but that's still pretty damn good. She just hoped the number locks hadn't changed. "It's.... Just a few blocks east of here... on the Ome highway, we can get there real quick." Pandora nodded to herself, already walking in that direction.

[mrblah]

Pandora Othina
It was clear that Camilla had indeed remembered, as she made a face while thinking back on the memories. She wasn't particularly fond of doing what she had seen as grunt work, but she'd followed her sister for as far and long as she could. "Sounds like a good plan." She said, nodding in agreement. "My car's right over there," she said, conveniently pointing ahead at a black Mazda SUV, "it's a little low on gas, but it has enough to get there and to the nearest gas station."

[Littlemankitten]

The SUV was pretty much in the way of Pandora's path anyway, so she just continued on and got in the passenger seat. Pandora was not very fond, or good, at driving. She did all right on country roads but busy streets like these were not her forte. "For some reason I feel like gas wont be a problem." Pandora said cryptically. Given how weird this place was, she was fully expecting cars to have some weird new quirk about them.

[MiscChaos]

Vivi has spend the last 10 or so years knowing that she's... not all put together upstairs. But the whole " the moon's gone red and taken the sky with it" thing really brings the point home. Because what can this be besides Vivi finally hitting a full fledged mental breakdown? Or so she thinks when she wakes up from her nap after another long day of chasing rumors and leads on her target to find the world is dyed in her favorite color. It's even got the hue right! She could spend HOURS starting at that moon! Still, she's got a job to do and her professional pride couldn't take it if she failed just because everything got so much prettier to look at. Not to mention when she's on the job is really the only time she gets to kill someone and get away with it if she's smart. She really couldn't give that up if she tried.

She has two conflicting urges bouncing through the funhouse she calls a mind right now. The first advises her to keep her mask and try to go around town finding clues as to where he mark is and what the hell is going on. This voice sounds a lot like her at 14 years old, still sane and whole and unmarred. The other voice, the same one that drove her to murder her parents all those years ago, screams that if the world is fucked anyway, might as well have fun with it. She wants to tear someone's throat out just to see it fountain. She wants to steal someone's innocence because they're too weak to protect it from her. She wants to carve a bloody path between her and wherever her target may lie! But the first voice sounds less likely to end her behind a jail cell or shot so she'll go with that. For now.

Strapping the carving knife she took from the hotel's kitchen and sharpened to the underside of her arm first, she dresses herself in a light long-sleeved shirt and some simple jeans and prepares to move out. It's much too beautiful a night to spend indoors after all! Before she leaves she makes sure her phone, her mini sewing kit, and a copy of the name of the person she's killing and where the contractor wants the body found. Coded of course. No one needs to know what she's doing in Japan after all. She supposes a bar or something would be the best place to gather info on her mark. Japan's communal enough that someone should know something. It's just a matter of finding the right someone.

[mrblah]

Pandora Othina

Camilla took the driver seat, making sure to lock the doors and put her seat belt on. The inside of her car was kept clean — almost looking brand new. It smelled vaguely of Japanese Camellias, the culprit of this being a simple air freshner. It was evident that the car was valued highly, judging from these facts.

Camilla pulled out of the parking space, quickly turning to the road and driving away. She kept her eyes on the road, but now that she could see the dire situation a little better, it wasn't hard for Pandora to notice that she was bothered by it. She would glance over to the zombie-like people they passed by, her breathing had quickened to short, shaky breaths of air, even her hold on the wheel tightened. But she didn't say a word, focusing on driving to their destination, thus keeping the car quiet on the way there.

The police station was in sight, and the rest of the drive to it passed by in the blink of an eye. It seemed... unaffected by current events, with no signs that anyone had even came or left the place. Camilla parked her car in an unclaimed spot, old habits kicking in despite the lost necessity of her actions, and got out of the car. She surveyed the area, pleasantly surprised that nothing seemed amiss. "It looks like we're the first ones here. We must have luck on our side, for once."

Olivia Oakerson

Now outside of the hotel, Olivia had a better view of the situation. Everything was quiet. No one was in sight, and the only thing keeping silence from blanketing over the area was the distant sound of cars driving on a highway nearby. Didn't seem like it was of any more importance than just 'strange', but it became more noteworthy as Olivia made her way to the nearest bar, which was only a 6 or so minute walk away.

When Olivia got to the bar, she finally managed to spot someone. The man in question was just leaving the bar, with a blank and expressionless face. His eyes gleamed forward, seeming to stare into space as if his mind wasn't there. He turned left, heading down to Olivia, not even recognizing her presence. It was decidedly odd behavior. Being a foreigner, Olivia usually attracts more attention than your average Japanese citizen. To the point that someone passing her by on the sidewalk usually reacts in SOME way to her presence. Younger people usually would sneak glances at her, with the older ones being more curious, and more apathetic. It's rare that someone wouldn't even so much as recognize her as an outsider, especially when she's seemingly alone with that someone. Though, the man DID smell vaguely of booze. He wasn't wobbling (in fact, his movements were stiff), but maybe he was drunk or on some kind of drug?

The door he had opened remained open, and Jazz seemed to be playing inside the bar. It was loud but relaxed, with a piano leading the song, seemingly playing over it, entirely.

[MiscChaos]

Vivi is still interested in the bar... but the fact that this man didn't even appear to register her presence is almost too much temptation to bear. She REALLY wants to know how far she can take this. She wants to know if he'd shrug off a stab wound to the kidney. But just because this guy's clearly drugged out on the good shit doesn't mean she can just blow her cover. IF she finds some more however... But maybe just this once... But it's NOT a good idea...

Moving into the bar before she loses to her desires, she walks right up to the barkeep. "Got anything strong yet tasteful?" she asks, a serene smile on her face that she doesn't really feel. A little bit of drink always helped her keep her cool. Except for the times it's made her more murderous. But that only happens about 2/5 of the time she drinks. It's a risk she's willing to inflict on everyone around her.

[Littlemankitten]

Pandora paid no mind to the clean interior. The police force taught one to keep their possessions clean to minimize the risk of breakdown or sudden failure, plus it made things look good when the press or boss comes around. As Camilla drove she would note her lack of cool, but wouldn't say anything about it. Camilla was strong, no doubt about it, even Pandora felt shaken up, but her training forced her to remain calm and steady in the situation. In a way, this was still easier to handle then getting shot at by bank robbers or trying to negotiate in a hostage situation at gunpoint or trying to track down a group of terrorists attempted to set off a dirty bomb in downtown Tokyo. Then again, all of this situations had motives and clear variables, as long as you knew the situation, you could easily get out of it. At the same time, this was something much more sinister, a sense of evergrowing dread that followed in each passing minute. Her skills were going to be tested, is all her training enough to make it through this?

Pandora shook her head clear of these pessimistic thoughts. They had arrived at the station and now had a task at hand. "I wouldn't start saying that, after all, it's only just started." Pandora said as she walked into the police station, looking around the lobby. Yup, she remembered this place all right. Resting area in front, reception just to the right. Offices past reception along with the armory and garage. Pandora wasted no time heading towards reception, and assuming the receptionist was like the rest, towards the offices and armory.

[mrblah]

Pandora Othina

There was no receptionist. A fact that hadn't escaped anyone, but was ultimately deemed to not require further investigation. Chances were, said receptionist must have wandered off. The police station truly hadn't changed at all, every room where it was, every desk and computer where it was last. It was quiet, too. And empty. No zombie-like officers roaming around, doing what they're duty as if nothing were wrong.

The two sisters walked right to the armory's door, and from what Pandora could see through the window; every weapon was present. Before either her or her sister could open the door, Pandora sensed the familiar feeling of a threat lurking behind her. She turned around, already in motion to defend against whatever attack was coming and respond with her own, when she was met with the sound of a pump action shotgun being racked, followed by a familiar voice. "Hands up! Move and you're dead!"

Right behind her and her sister with a loaded gun in his hand, was Shinya Ito, an old cop buddy of hers. His eyes were sharp and glaring, promising to make good on his threat if either of the two made any moves. Pandora quickly noted that he wasn't aiming at her vitals, but her thigh. He kept Camilla in his sights, but mostly focused on her, clearly understanding who the bigger threat was. She could tell he hadn't recognized her, since he wouldn't point a weapon at her otherwise. "I said hands up! What, are you both deaf?!"

Olivia Oakerson

The bar was mostly quiet, with the silence parted by only the sound of jazz and a piano. The song being played was becoming more energetic and lively. Now that Olivia was inside, she could see that the jazz indeed WAS a recording, as a record was next to a piano, though she couldn't see who was playing from her angle.

Once more, no eyes were on her as she moved to the bar, and just as everyone else; the bartender himself hadn't seemed to be... alive. He stared forward, his eyes as blank as the guy she almost stabbed, not at all registering her request. Suddenly, directly next to her sat another dull-eyed man, and the bartender moved to serve him a drink without his asking. He grabbed the glass recently filled with liquor, and attempted to drink it. Keyword being 'attempted', since he merely poured the drink all over his closed mouth, getting it on his clothes. Still, with his eyes staring blankly forward. The scene was as amusing as it was unnerving, and it was a good sign that something REALLY weird was happening.

[MiscChaos]

A slightly demented grin started to spread across Vivi's face. Well, if there was no one here to object, she might as well try out that experiment she was thinking about with the guy outside. Clearly it's not drugs like she originally thought, so something else must be going on. So she might as well see how far she can push it. First she tries poking the now beer-battered man sitting next to her. If he fails to respond, she takes it to the next level by straight up slapping him. If that fails, she rises from her seat and slugs him as hard as she can. If he still doesn't flinch... well, she grabs the glass he was trying to drink from and throws it at his head. The glass shattering across his face should get a reaction if ANYTHING is going to get one.

[Littlemankitten]

It took a second for Pandora to register exactly what was happening, but as soon as she saw his face she gave a meager grin, letting out a chuckle and putting her hands up. "Long time no see Shinya! I must say I'm surprised you have the audacity to raise a gun against me and Camilla." If Shinya had any other weapon than a shotgun, she was sure her and Camilla could of been much more bold about their plays, perhaps even trying to disarm him. Unfortunately a shotgun blast at point blank range is something that even she cant have a hope to avoid. Not that she would of tried anything anyway.

[mrblah]

Pandora Othina

It took Ito a moment to comprehend what she was saying, but when he did, he hurried to move his gun down, his expression conveying a sheepish apology with wide eyes. "Oh, it's you two!" He proclaimed with an awkward chuckle following it. Now in a lax position with his shotgun's barrel pointed down, he cleared his throat and walked closer to Pandora and Camilla. "Sorry about that."

Now that he was closer, Pandora can see that he was a bit banged up. Bandages were wrapped around his head and left bicep, and they appeared to be tainted red. His usual pristine uniform was a little dirty, and his shirt, though still tucked in his pants, had been wrinkled as it was pulled out a bit. Shinya Ito wasn't a clean freak by any mile, but he valued his appearance and took careful steps to keep himself as orderly as possible. The only reason he'd leave his shirt so much as imperfectly tucked suggested that he had been in a small struggle recently, or that he was still alarmed and hadn't had the time to adjust himself. Maybe both.

Camilla, on Pandora's right, gave him a light and annoyed glare, clearly not forgiving him. "How couldn't you tell it was us? Did you really think the two blonde women walking into a police station could have been anyone else?" Fair points she raised, which he couldn't quite defend against. He scratched the back of his head again, "Sorry, I was on alert and didn't register that in my head. Y'know, with what's been going on..."

Olivia Oakerson

He hadn't responded to the poke. Nor the slap, though his head did move as expected from the force of it. The punch, too, gave no reaction other than him tumbling off his chair onto the cold ground. By now, he had been clearly injured and was bleeding, but he still had no visible reaction. Before Olivia could go any further and throw the glass, a voice cut through the now silent air, alerting her that there WAS someone with their head on behind her. "You might as well cut that out. They won't respond to anything, so you're just making a racket and disturbing my playing."

Behind her, a fairly tall man standing at a surprising 6'0, with a dirty black beard and messy hair. He was wearing a suit, though the jacket was left open to expose his wrinkled white shirt underneath. He had a grin on his face that spoke of sleazy intent, and his gray eyes supported any notion that he was a suspicious fellow with the leer in them. He gave a lazy half bow to Olivia, though he kept his stance guarded, as if he were at least a bit aware of how dangerous she was... "But it's nice to see another person free from whatever the fuck's going on. Especially one of the... female variety." He chuckled to himself.

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

WITS CHECK; HIGHER THAN 6. ROLLED A 2. PLUS 3. FAILED.

[MiscChaos]

Vivi freezes when she hears the voice, now slightly worried that she's allowed someone to see, however briefly, beneath her mask. Well that just won't do. It looks like this man won't be making it through whatever this thing is. He's fine while the sky is red, but he needs to die before everything returns to normal. Looking him over, he doesn't appear to be a man of good reputation. Furthermore, most people on the lighter side of the world would've refused to speak with her without good reason given the multitude of scars on her. But she didn't make it this far without being caught by the police by being sloppy.

Still, he doesn't need to know his doomed fate until the last moment. So she slips her mask back on before she turns around and gives him a smile. "Oh? And I suppose you've tested this out yourself?" Giving one look at him, she supposes she can figure out how. The way he's eyeing her up like she's a walking dick sheathe is enough of a clue for her. She makes no move to get closer to him and is visibly on guard for any attempt for him to move towards her. "I'm afraid I haven't caught your name, good sir. I go by Vivi myself" It's not her full name nor is it enough clue to guess it since multiple names have that as a nickname. Vivi makes for a good alias if she doesn't trust whoever she's talking to. And she doesn't trust anyone she talks to.

[Littlemankitten]

Pandora eyed Shinya's wounds and messy attire as Camilla scolded him. Looks like he got into a knife fight of some sort, or at least something that could cut. "Relax Camilla he did the right thing, given the situation one can never be to cautious. Besides it looks like he had a bit of a scuffle no?" Pandora gestured to Shinya's bandaged head. As far as she was concerned the fact that someone here was indeed fighting someone else was reason enough to turn around, punch in the key code for the armory, and then start rummaging around trying to find stuff she would need. Even just a knife would be very helpful at this juncture, or a vest. At the very least it would make her feel more secure about her situation other than street clothes and bare fists.

"So who decided to pick a fight with a police officer? Either someone really desperate for a gun or someone not quite right in the head anymore." Or perhaps something even worse that she didn't really want to think about.

[mrblah]

Pandora Othina

At her sister's defense, Camilla visibly simmered down a bit, which Ito seemed grateful for, thanking Pandora with a subtle nod. "Worse, I'm afraid." He sighed, suddenly seeming to be quite tired. "Two men walked in here earlier, searching for supplies. I tried talking with them, but they didn't listen. We got into a brief scuffle, but I managed to get to my gun and..." He trailed off, looking a bit regretful for his previous actions. Ito was of the gentle sort, the kind of man who'd avoid violence at all costs. No doubt what he had been forced to do weighed heavily on his mind.

He continued regardless, "I managed to subdue the other man and extract some intel. Apparently, he's apart of some gang that formed recently, and they've been terrorizing the few people with their wits about, raping whoever they want, taking whatever they want... the usual gang stuff. He didn't tell me where they were operating in, but he did give me a name. Said there leader goes by 'Yamakazi'." He made a disgusted face at this, which wasn't surprising in the slightest. Anyone who knew him was aware that Shinya Ito hated crime, especially of the variety that directly endangers and harms people. "You'd think we'd all be banding together with what's going on, but I guess there's always someone who has to be a greedy bastard..."

The name didn't ring any bells, but Pandora could tell from experience that whoever this 'Yamakazi' is, he's probably someone quite adept at dealing with people if he's already formed a gang. Time has been passing (though it doesn't seem it), but it couldn't have been more than a few hours, tops. It's unlikely that anyone without some experience in that sort of thing to manage it so quickly.

Olivia Oakerson

He chuckled again, "Vivi, huh... a beautiful name for a beautiful woman." Was his smooth response, before he walked over to the bar counter, still maintaining a certain amount of distance from Vivi and keeping her in his peripheral vision. He placed his hand on the the counter, before hoping right over it. "I apologize for forgetting to properly introduce myself."

He grabbed a drink, popping it open effortlessly and taking a quick swig straight from the bottle, still not moving his eyes away from Vivi. After he finished, he grabbed a glass, filling it with the alcoholic beverage, and slid it over to rest close to Vivi. "It's on me." He said simply, grin still in place. "And you, my dear, can call me Goro." He leaned against the counter, placing the bottle down on the edge of it. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Vivi... but I've gotta ask, what's a pretty young thing like you doing out here all alone? The world's especially dangerous tonight, you know."

[MiscChaos]

"Oh, I don't know. The moon seemed beautiful to me. It's a color I've never seen before after all. Seemed a shame to stay indoors and watch it through the window." Vivi replies, sounding whimsical. At this point, she's still trying to downplay what this... Goro fellow just saw. Convince him that it was just a person going slightly crazy after being exposed to a lot of weirdness. He doesn't need to know that she's already crazy.

"Didn't seem all that dangerous to me. Sure, everyone seems to be on some really good drugs- like really good since that guy didn't do anything- but nothing to really worry about. Unless you know something I don't?" Vivi pointedly doesn't even move for the drink Goro slid her way. If it had come from the bartender she could have trusted it. Coming from a man like this though... Well, it's all she can do to keep from moving towards her knife. Might as well see what information she can get from him before deciding if he has to die right now.