HousepetZ: Survivor Tails

Amazee Dayzee · Post by **Amazee Dayzee** » Sat Mar 16, 2019 4:28 pm

Wonderful job with writing this chapter! I think it came out nice!

Nathan Kerbonaut · Post by **Nathan Kerbonaut** » Sat Mar 16, 2019 5:07 pm

Great chapter! Sasha is quite creative

Post by **SeanWolf** » Sun Mar 17, 2019 12:11 pm

HousepetZ: Tails From A Wastelander's Journal
Part 6: What Happens In Vegas...

Sin City. What was once a place to gamble ones life away is now a place to lose ones life if they aren't careful as, after Z-Day, one Duke Milton and his late-brother Simon Milton took over the city and turned it into their base of operations and a home for the wealthy survivors. Why only the rich and wealthy? Well, in Duke's eyes, they were more deserving of sanctuary then those less fortunate out in the wasteland. Of course, this hasn't stopped the non-rich survivors from trying in vain to sneak in and live there and while some do manage to sneak their way in and have been living below the radar, so to speak, most of the time the ones who sneak in were less lucky and were either tossed back out into the wasteland or, in most cases, shot and killed outright. To Duke and Simon, Wastelanders were the dirt of society and the wealthy were the ones who would live to see society rebuilt anew. With a mindset like that, one wouldn't be surprised to hear that many a wastelander has tried to protest the idea and has tried to stage revolutions, but each attempt unsurprisingly failed and ended up in either bloodshed or stronger security. The later was more likely now as due to the death of Simon Milton, Duke had triple security and armed them with better weapons (in this case, M249 Light Machine Guns with a USAS-12 Auto Shotgun as a backup), which made it even tougher for wastelanders to try to sneak in. Even Sasha, who was able to get into the Mulchers compound, was impressed with security there started to wonder how she would get in as she darn well couldn't pose as someone rich (as it seemed the rich never drove motorcycles) so she thought about driving back to where Simon's truck and returning with it but that was way to far away and who knows if Duke would still be in Vegas by the time she came back. She then thought about posing as a delivery person and act like she's dropping some supplies off for the one shop and, while it was a risk, she wasn't really presented with a ton of options so with a shrug, she began to put her plan in action. Driving up to the main gate leading into Vegas, she was first stopped by a group of guards outside and, in typical fashion, asked her to state her business and she told them "Supply Drop Off: Medical" and the one guard told her to wait as he went into the booth nearby to call it in. A few minutes pass and the guard still didn't exit the booth, which gave Sasha a bit of concern as she was starting to think that maybe she should've went in guns blazing. This wasn't helped by the fact that, every so often, said guard kept turning around to look at her and nodded as well. After a while, however, the guard finally returned and told them to open the gate to let her through, though she did spot a smile on the guard which gave her a bit of concern but she passed it off as nothing important. As the gates opened and she drove in, she wasn't too surprised to see that Vegas still looked like Vegas what with it's bright lights, big buildings, devil may care attitudes, and drunkenness. As she pulled into a nearby lot, she started to figure out a plan to get close to Duke but before she could even form any more thoughts, her world suddenly goes dark.
"Pick her up and take her to the prison"
"What about her bike?"
"Put it in the garage for now, once Duke figures out what he wants done with her, we'll figure something out with the bike..."

Sasha's world of darkness soon became embraced by white as a bright light blinded her, followed by a rush of water to her face, which in term made her sputter and spit as a voice suddenly appears from in front...
"Hello, sunshine" the husky guard went, placing the empty bucket down on the floor. Sasha, seeing said guard, attempted to attack but was confused as to why she couldn't move her arms before noticing that she was tied tight to a chair, which was bolted to the floor. The guard chuckled while walking over to a nearby table, "We were told you were a feisty one and your tenacity is commendable, as well as your attempt to get into Vegas. But I'm afraid your luck has ran out...You're not in Vegas anymore but a prison outside of Vegas..." he quips as he picks up one of the items off the table, a set of leather straps, before walking back over to Sasha and leaning in close, which is when Sasha attempted to bit his face off but only ended up getting some saliva on him. Wiping it off, the guard once again chuckles before smacking her with a heavy backhanded slap on the face. Grunting, Sasha is dazed from the slap while the guard tells her that try as she might, this is the end of the road for her, followed by saying "When Duke gets here, I for one can not wait to see what he has in store for the canine who not only robbed him of his supplies, but outright murdered his brother." Sasha just smirked and spat a bit of blood out of her mouth before eyeing him and tells him "You're gonna have to remind me of his name as I killed so many already" The guard growled before a slight chuckle came out, followed by him taking the straps and bringing them down hard on her leg, making Sasha, through gritted teeth, yell in pain...but this did nothing to deter the guard as he did it again and again and each time Sasha yelped in pain from the hits.
"I should just skin you alive where you sit, beast" The husky snorted after the last hit on Sasha, who turned to him and told him to hit her again but this time harder then ever on her stomach. The guard, curious as to why she wanted that, proceeds to do just that which garnered a non-gritted teeth yelp from Sasha followed by, surprisingly, laughter emerging from her.

"You...You know why I asked you to hit me there?" Sasha, in between laughs, asked the guard, who just shrugged at the question, so she told him "My owner used to beat me badly when I disobeyed him. Oh there were so many sleepless nights had as I was in so much pain from those beatings...but you want to know something about your feeble smacks? They are constant reminders of when I finally had it and slit his throat...and these smacks reminded me of how amazing that feeling was...so keep hitting, dog!" At that point, the guard was getting furious and was about to do a hit so hard it would probably tear skin, but was stopped when a knock at the door was heard.
"Come in!" The guard answers as another one walks in and informs him that Duke has arrived and is on his way to meet her and wants him to meet him outside the cell, which the guard acquiesces though he still wanted to finish up with the prisoner. Just then, Sasha spoke and both guards turned to face her as she went to say "That is one thing I like about idiot guards: They never really think about all the ways someone can break out of a cell or, in my case, being tied to a chair. See, you may have my gear stashed over by the door over there but you forgot one little teensy thing..." which was followed by the husky guard asking what she was referring to and her response? "I'm a dog, which means: Dogs have claws" The whole time she was being tortured, she was secretly and discretely using her claw to saw through the ropes and she just finished. As the one guard ran over in an attempt to stop her, Sasha dove from the chair and grabbed one of the many tools they were going to use to torture her, in this case a hammer, and swung it at the guard's head, knocking him to the ground, while the other guard raised his USAS-12 and took aim at Sasha, but she was able to act faster and, using the downed guard's knife, chucked it and nailed the gun-toting one in the head, killing him instantly. As for the one on the ground, Sasha took one look at the hammer in her hand then at the guard, who was slowly coming to, before leaning in and telling him "Tell Simon I said Hi" before bringing the hammer down multiple times on his face, leaving nothing but a pulp of meat. Panting from the kill, Sasha proceeds to struggle to stand up as her legs were still a bit sore of the beating but, fighting the pain off, she walks over to her gear (Poncho, riding outfit, knives) and reacquires it before grabbing the one guards Auto Shotgun and walking out of the room, blasting the other guards walking down the hall, the sound of the blast reverberating throughout the prison. Duke, hearing the noise, quickly realizes what happened and looks to the guards with him "She's escaped! Tell the men to shoot to kill and not let her leave this prison alive! The rest of you, with me, we're heading back to Vegas." and turns around and runs back to his limo while the rest of the guards rushes to eliminate Sasha, who was already carving a bloody path through the prison to get to Duke. One by one, the guards fell as the Auto-Shotgun wielding Sasha unleashed her inner fury on the now helpless guards. She was the conductor of the murder train and the next stop for all the guards was a painful and bloody death. It didn't even phase her in the slightest when her shotgun ran out as she used it as a bayonet and rammed it through one of the guards body before bringing out her knives and became like Darth Vader to the hapless Rebels in 'Rouge One'. Finally arriving at the garage, covered in blood, she watches as Duke's limo races out of said garage and began to head back to the safety of Vegas.
"Bad move, tube snake" Sasha states through gritted teeth as she hops on her bike to begin the final chase: Duke was gonna die and she was gonna have fun making sure he does.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Changed the ending a bit)

Amazee Dayzee · Post by **Amazee Dayzee** » Sun Mar 17, 2019 2:07 pm

Really like what you did here! I am curious about how you changed the ending though.

Post by **SeanWolf** » Sun Mar 17, 2019 2:12 pm

Amazee Dayzee wrote:Really like what you did here! I am curious about how you changed the ending though.

It wasn't really much but a line change as the original last sentence didn't flow well to me.

Amazee Dayzee · Post by **Amazee Dayzee** » Sun Mar 17, 2019 2:24 pm

Hm. Well I didn't notice it but if you changed it because you didn't like it, then that is down to what you think is best.

NHWestoN · Post by **NHWestoN** » Sun Mar 17, 2019 2:52 pm

RAMPAGE!

Post by **SeanWolf** » Sun Mar 17, 2019 3:26 pm

HousepetZ: Tails From A Wastelander's Journal
Part 7: End Of The Road For You

"STEP ON THE GAS!" Duke shouted at his driver as they left the garage in a rush while Sasha, on her bike, roared out of there and gave chase with the intent of ending his life. Like a cheetah chasing it's prey, Sasha laid down on the accelerator hard as she chased the limo down, looking for the best way to either run it off the road or destroy it completely. Though she didn't have long to think as, out of the sun-roof, one of Duke's guards popped up and open fired on her, though as it was an LMG, a lot of the rounds ended up hitting the environment around her instead of their intended target. As Sasha kept her eye on the target, she quickly pulled out her handgun and fired off a couple rounds towards the gunner and manages to hit him on the third shot, collapsing him back into the limo. Though, as if on cue, the second guard pops up and continued the onslaught while Sasha fired a few more rounds but missed with those shots and winds up running out of ammo. With a grunt, she holsters the pistol and continued to dodge the oncoming bullets while figuring out how to off-road the limo, all the while both of them continued down the road to Vegas and, in Duke's mind, Sasha's eventual death.
"Stop wasting ammo and just hit her!" Duke suddenly shouts at the remaining guard, who shouts down "You armed us with these LMG's knowing darn well they're more suited for crowd control!" which got Duke to retort "I DON'T GIVE A RATS BEHIND IF THEY ARE USED FOR FISHING! JUST KILL THAT BEAST!" which the guard, with a grunt, did just that (after a quick reload), all the while Sasha kept looking for a weak point which is when an idea smacked her in the head. Picking up a little speed and getting along side the driver's side and using the handle of her knife, she breaks the window and slices the driver's neck and pulls back quick-like. The limo suddenly begins to lurch side to side, driving below a ruined directional sign which decapitates the last guard, as inside the limo Duke scrambled like mad to get up front to regain control of the vehicle but forgot the window inside only opened from the drivers side. Just then, the limo suddenly made a hard turn to the right and began to flip multiple times, sending the headless guard's body flying and splattering on the pavement, before coming to a stop upside-down on the road. Then, as if on cue, the door flies open as a battered and in pain Duke comes crawling out, gasping for air and coughing up blood, while Sasha comes riding up close to the wreckage.

"Feel...better now?" Duke painfully asks as Sasha, after pulling a small bottle of orange soda out, walks towards him, still covered in the blood of his guards, "You killed Simon, you ruined my life...you wrecked my limo and ruined my suit...who sent you, beast? Who paid you to kill me?" Sitting down in front of him, Sasha takes a swig of the bottle before offering it to Duke who, while wary, accepts it and drinks a bit of it while they both sat in silence for a bit. "No one" Sasha then states as she takes the bottle back from Duke along with taking a swig, "I just wanted you dead cause I always hated you Miltons. You guys claimed you were 'fighting for pet rights' and 'we want human/pet equality' when, if you really think about it, you never did. You always were finding ways to exploit your rich-boys status be it that carnival or whatever else you guys did, I don't really give a toss anymore. Fact of the matter is: You never cared about us so...why should I care what happens to you?" Coughing a bit more blood up, Duke manages to give out a chuckle, "heh...that is true. Yet, you had the chance to kill Keene all those years ago but *cough* was dismissed as brainwashing..." All the while they were speaking, the faint sounds of the undead began to emerge from the distant and started to get closer to them, something that Sasha had hopped would happen as she turned back to Duke and reveals to him "Since you won't be alive much longer, guess there is no harm in telling you: I wasn't brainwashed by anyone. That guy they arrested? I put the blame on him myself. I was going to kill Keene that day but something stopped me so I acted like I was under mind-control. Gotta say, I pulled it off well!" Duke just starred at Sasha before laughing along with her before wincing from the pain. Handing Duke the drink back, Sasha walks over to one of her bikes pouches and begins to dig through it as the zombies crept closer and closer while Duke just sat there against the wreck and watched.
"What...*cough*...what are you do..what's that?" Duke then asks as he watches her pull out some duct tape along with a object wrapped up in canvas and begins to unwrap said object while walking back to him. "Oh this?" Sasha replies while continuing to unwrap it, "I figured you'd be lonely as you are dying so...I brought you a friend or rather half of one" before revealing what was wrapped up: The head of Simon Milton.
"YOU....YOU...." Duke sputtered as Sasha placed the head in his paws and duct tapes the head to his paws as Duke began in vain to pull them off but to no avail as he was in too much pain from the wreck. Sasha, meanwhile, just smiled her old, innocent, happy-go-lucky smile as she leaned in close, places a kiss on Duke's head, and said the last thing he would ever hear: "Have a nice afterlife." With that, she walks back over to her bike as the zombies finally arrive and began their feast, with the last words out of Duke's mouth being his blood-curling scream. As for Sasha? She just smiled and drove off into the distant and headed to where ever the road would take her, leaving Vegas and the Miltons behind as only a distant memory. While the Wasteland was now free of the tyranical rule of the two Milton Brothers, she knew that it wasn't safe yet as there still were other gangs out there along with the undead. And she wasn't going to sleep until they ALL were dead...for she was Sasha Hartford: The Deathstalker Of The Wasteland.

END OF YEAR 4...and END OF PART 1

Epilogue:

EMAIL TO CERBERUS FROM SASHA:
Hey, Cerberus! Just a quick message today! Sorry for no diaries from me for a while, I got busy. Not much to say but...I did it. I killed both Simon and Duke Milton! The Wasteland is free from them at least...but we still got the other gangs out there and the undead which means I'm not done yet. Really don't have much to say this message other then I hope you're well!

-Sasha

P.S You know what? If you see Peanut...could you tell him Hi from me?

Post by **SeanWolf** » Sun Mar 17, 2019 4:50 pm

(Little Early Gift: The Start Of Arc 5...the BIGGEST arc of HousepetZ)

HousepetZ: Bat Out Of Pandemonium
Chapter I: I'll Be Gone When The Morning Comes

"When the strength of thou's heart is hundred-fold, then the mightiest of barriers shall never stop thou..." - Mana Codex Chapter 30, Verse 23

"Duchess...is in the Netherworld?" Bino's mind just couldn't register that. He wanted to be mad at Keene for what he did but he couldn't bring himself to any form of anger as the only feeling he had at that moment was that of confusion. He was so focused on it that he never heard Keene's mentions of Seker or anything else he was bringing up, he was that out of it. As for the survivors, Peanut asked Anubis "Couldn't I just go there and get Duchess out? I mean, I am your Avatar and I have the power" which Anubis looks at him and, with a heavy heart, tells him and everyone that "There is no way out of The Netherworld...once you are in, you are there forever. I known so many who ventured there to rescue someone but never returned..." which Keene added he got out along with Breel, which surprises Anubis but Tarot adds that the only reason he was able to get out was because Res was holding the portal open. Under normal circumstances, the portal would've immediately shut but, some reason, it stayed open the whole time. Which is when another voice chimed in, one that most of them recognized, "The reason it stayed open was to let Seker out."
"Cerberus!" Sabrina shouts as, indeed, it was her as she walked into the room.
"Hey everyone. Wanted to come and check in on Keene here and also to see how you guys are doing." Cerberus replies as the right head looks down at Joey, who never saw anything like her before. The right-head then offers a smile and strikes up a friendly conversation with him as the other two heads talk with the rest of the crew, sans Bino who was still sitting on the nearby chair lost in thoughts as while he was still in disbelief over what happened to Duchess, when Peanut brought up going to The Netherworld to rescue her, one other thought passed through his mind that he was focusing on at that moment. Meanwhile Dragon, who was silent during the whole ordeal, speaks up and asks Keene if he recalled if Seker said why she wanted the world to be only for pets and no humans around and Keene replied "From what I remember, she was tired of how humans treated us and felt that the world should belong to the animal kingdom..."
"PETA would just love her" Max quips which got a chuckle out of the gang, along with Bino who was still a bit lost in thought but did listen in to the conversations going on. As it subsided, Keene turned to Anubis and asked him something that was on his mind since the day he got sent here: What was up with the bike Peanut drove, meaning the look and everything. Turning to said bike then back to Keene, he tells him the bike was a Harley Davidson that he outfitted with raised handle bars and the skull of a goat on the front and, as for the reasoning, he's a fan of metal music and wanted to showcase it in a big way, which Keene agreed with which led him to asking about Peanut's Avatar or rather his clothing, to which Anubis tells him he's a bit of a anime fan and comic book reader hence his outfit being a mix of Johnny Blaze's Ghost Rider and Alucard from the Castlevania series. Unbeknownst to everyone, Bino, after hearing of the bike, was making his way to said motorcycle as an idea was running through his head and was thinking that the bike might be the thing he needed.

"Going back to the Netherworld situation," Sabrina then interjects, "Couldn't you just form a portal, Anubis, then let Peanut go in there to grab Duchess then, somehow, he gets your attention and you re-open the portal to let him out?" A noble idea, for sure, and one that could work but there was one huge issue with the plan. One big one: Peanut could not use his Avatar form in the Netherworld. For whatever reason, as Anubis told her, the Celestials Avatars just don't work there at all and both he and Dragon attempted everything to combat that but nothing worked. The whole time, though, Bino had got onto the bike to get a feel for it and wasn't really paying attention to the talks at hand, but the mention of Anubis opening a portal to the Netherworld (which is a power all Celestials have but they don't ever use unless they really have to) got his attention immediately, which got him thinking more about his idea he was having. But he had decided to stay quiet and keep the plan to himself as he wasn't sure he wanted to go through with it at first until Anubis states that, either way they look at it, Duchess will be in the Netherworld for an eternity. It was then that something just snapped in Bino's soul and, turning to the crew and the Celestials there, he bluntly and loudly states "Open the portal." Everyone turned to Bino's direction with a look of confusion and Anubis asks him what he meant by that which Bino states that he'll go to the Netherworld himself to rescue Duchess, "She's my girlfriend and, while it wasn't my fault she ended up there, I still feel bad for what happened that led up to her being there...so open one up." Anubis just sat there for a minute in silence before stating "No. I can not risk someone going there and never being able to get out...I'm sorry" But Bino wasn't taking no for an answer and told him that he didn't care as, even if he was to be stuck there, he'd be with Duchess and that's all that matters to him at the moment. His will was strong to the point where not even the survivors themselves NOR Cerberus could deter him from his plan and Anubis was about ready to try to talk sense to him, when Dragon suddenly speaks up and asks Anubis as to where the Reaper's Weapons Room is. Confused, Anubis told her and she excused herself and, a few seconds later, returns holding something from the room. Approaching Bino, she looks him right in the eye and asks him if this is what he really wants to do, which Bino nods and tells her that he would do anything to get Duchess out of there. Nodding, Dragon hands him the object in question, "Then you'll need this to defend yourself there. This sword was made by the finest weapons craftsman in Heaven and is the only weapon that can kill the creatures that lurk there" she tells him as Bino takes the object and unsheathes it, which was a sword the likes of which no one had ever seen, as Dragon tells him the name of it: Black Rebellion. Sheathing the sword and placing it on himself, Bino looks to Dragon and thanks her for the aid, which Dragon nodded and also handed him a lever-action shotgun.
"What's this?" he asks which Dragon responds "A Celestial Lever Action Shotgun. Figured you could use some extra protection if you don't want to use the sword. Don't worry about reloading as Celestial Firearms are infinite in ammo". Bino chuckles and accepts the shotgun from Dragon who then asks him "This whole crusade isn't just for your ego, right?" and Bino's response surprised everyone as he told her and everyone there "This isn't about my ego or me wanting to prove myself. This is about Duchess and how no one deserves to spend an eternity in The Netherworld. I'm going there not as an ego-filled dog, but as a soldier going to war...a war I intend to win." Dragon just sighed as Bino looks over to Anubis and, once again, tells him to open the portal. Alas, Anubis declined, apologizing again and saying it's just too risky for him, which is when Dragon said she'll open it. So, looking towards a blank spot on the wall, Dragon focuses in on it and begins a chant, her eyes turning blood red as the room begins to dim and quiver as a portal opens up like a beast's mouth. Taking one more look at the survivors and Celestials, Bino shouts "I'll be back with Duchess..trust me!" before awaking the motorcycle, revving it, and riding into the firery portal. The second the bike entered, Dragon quickly shuts the portal and everything became silence, with the only words being uttered was from Dragon, who under her breath states "Good luck, Bino."

On the other side, Bino sat there on the bike and observed his surroundings carefully as all around him, he saw lava lakes, destroyed architecture, flying creatures, tortured souls, and the living dead. The skies were a fiery orange as their sun was not yellow but a crimson shade of red. Various skulls littered the landscape along with other bones. To his right, the only worth-wild landmark, a sign that simply read WELCOME TO THE NETHERWORLD...Next Stop: PANDEMONIUM, which Bino smirked and, with a rev of the bike, rode towards the far off city. In his heart, he had a feeling that would be where he would find Duchess and that nothing would get in his way of rescuing her, "I'm coming, Duchess."

Amazee Dayzee · Post by **Amazee Dayzee** » Sun Mar 17, 2019 9:31 pm

I really like how Bino isn't unaffected by the fact that he is going into the Underworld. Nice chapter!

Post by **SeanWolf** » Sun Mar 17, 2019 9:36 pm

Amazee Dayzee wrote:I really like how Bino isn't unaffected by the fact that he is going into the Underworld. Nice chapter!

Well he has been dealing with zombies for a couple years now in the story so...I'm pretty sure going to The Underworld is a vacation for him

Amazee Dayzee · Post by **Amazee Dayzee** » Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:02 am

Either that or make him appreciate the zombies even more.

NHWestoN · Post by **NHWestoN** » Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:20 am

Hmmmm, assuming they can bring it off, what sort of personality would a "resurrected" Duchess possess? Might as well fetch up Boris, too. And The Forgotten … eeeeeeeeegh!

Post by **SeanWolf** » Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:45 am

NHWestoN wrote:Hmmmm, assuming they can bring it off, what sort of personality would a "resurrected" Duchess possess? Might as well fetch up Boris, too. And The Forgotten … eeeeeeeeegh!

Actually, Boris is NOT in The Netherworld, I can confirm that here.

Post by **SeanWolf** » Mon Mar 18, 2019 11:45 am

HousepetZ: Bat Out Of Pandemonium
Chapter II: There Was Fog Crawling Over The Sand...

"The emptiest of roads can often yeild the largest rewards" - Mana Codex Chapter 10, Verse 3

The roar of bike echoed throughout the land as Bino made his way through The Netherworld on his personal quest to rescue Duchess from her now eternal torment. What sat upon the bike wasn't the same dog who once tried to impress her by joining the wolves nor was this the same one who "attempted" to steal something from a baby. No, what sat upon the bike was Bino, a canine who fought the undead along side his friends, who saved Zach from a chainsaw maniac, and who stood up to a creature so powerful and managed to kill it. He was no longer a young, brash puppy but a mature dog who was now driving through the underworld in order to save a loved one. It has been said that life-threatening events can change someone in many ways and in the case of Bino, this was no exception. For if there wasn't a zombie apocalypse, he probably wouldn't have made the journey here in the first place and someone else would've went in his place. As the hot winds of the underworld blasting his face as he rode, his mind was dead-set on his goal of Duchess and walking her out of there and even if he could never leave, he wouldn't care as he'd be with Duchess for an eternity and, right now, that is all that mattered to him.

The moon had now risen and Bino decided to rest for the night as he felt like he'd been riding for upwards of about ten hours non-stop and he needed a rest. As he did, however, his eyes soon directed their attention to the nightmarish landscape and he began to take in the surroundings, being somewhat intrigued by the look of everything. The ground he stood upon was red as the fallen leaves of a tree. The sky was now blacker then the midnight sky with the only illuminations being the golden glows of the lava and flames that permeated the landscape. He thinks to himself "How can place like this be so incredible to look at?" as he looks about and takes in the atmosphere and the eerie ambiance of the land. Looking to the sky, he can only watch as a winged creature flies by, not knowing it is being viewed by Bino who, from what he was able to tell, had a wingspan the length of a Boeing 747 and the body of a dragon. As the creature flew farther and farther away until it was out of eyesight, Bino returned to the bike but not to ride it but instead to look upon and over the weapons given to him by Dragon. First, he unsheathed the sword called Black Rebellion. The handle was a dark shade of grey with an orb in the middle. The blade was strong enough that it could slice the strongest of mountains with ease and still hold it's sharpness. What surprised Bino the most, however, was that for being pretty long and big, he was able to hold it with not just a two handed grip, but a one handed one as well, something he thought was either because he's been working out more or Celestial Weaponry were made with that in mind. Wanting to give it a few tests, Bino began to swing it and was, again, surprised to see how easy it was to operate and maneuver with the sword, to the point where he was able to rotate it around his arms multiple times before sharply swinging it towards a nearby rock and slicing it in two. As he watched the rock split, a smile formed on Bino's face as he sheathed the sword and pulled out the other weapon he was given: The Celesital Lever-Action Shotgun. The gun was ordained with chrome and silver linings surrounding a wooden chassis, an enlarged lever for flipping, and the barrel was embedded with the words 'Forged By The Celestials'. Returning his gaze to the now sliced rock, Bino takes a one-armed aim with the shotgun and, after again being surprised at how easy it is to hold it one handedly, pulls the trigger and watches as a fire erupts from the barrel and decimates the rock into nothing more the rubble and dust. Flipping the shotgun, all Bino could do is look his gear and tell himself "Bad day to be a creature of the Underworld now" Surprisingly, his statement was followed by something answering him..."Don't get too relaxed, Young One."

The voice made Bino jump and aim the shotgun, demanding to know who spoke just now as that wasn't his voice.
"It is I who spoke" the voice replied and, to his surprise, was coming from behind him. Spinning to the back, he takes aim but is confused as there was nothing there but the land and his bike. Bino speaks again, demanding that whoever just spoke to show themselves to him so he can look upon them, which the voice replied once more "I am already here in front of you this entirety." A look of confusion suddenly comes over Bino's face as a realization enters his head: Was the voice coming from the bike itself? "It couldn't be" he thought as bikes can't talk so, looking at the bike but still keeping the gun trained on it, he asks it "If you are...the bike and not a creature of this place, prove it to me: Rev yourself" All was silence for a matter of seconds until the bike did just that as it revved it's engine and roared "NOW do you believe your eyes and ears, Young Bino!" as Bino is knocked on his rear from the power and shock of the bike coming to life. All he could do is stare in both wonder and horror before asking "Who or what are you?"
"I am the Celestial known as Deus Mechanicus but you may call me DM. I was put in this machine by the one known as Anubis and was told to reveal myself when one who is pure of heart rides upon the machine and...Dude, did you just wet yourself?" DM suddenly asks, going from a mystical voice to that of a regular person, which came as a shock to Bino who admitted he sorta did but told it that if he was in his position, wouldn't he wet himself, which DM agreed with a chuckle. Standing up from the ground, Bino (who was still holding the shotgun but no longer pointing it at the bike or DM) asks that if it was to reveal itself to one who is 'pure of heart' then why didn't it reveal itself to Peanut when he drove him, to which DM simply ask "Do you really think Peanut would listen to me? He'd think I'm KITT or something..." Which wasn't too far from the truth, Bino thought, as even though Peanut had grown a bit and didn't seem to be in his own little world as much, there was still that innocent puppy side of Peanut that was still there and, to him, he was happy that Peanut hadn't lost that.
"Alright, you made your point" Bino answers after a while before inquiring "Well, since you revealed yourself to me, what's your purpose now?" DM went on to answer "I am here as your guide and be someone you can chat with as, lets face it other then Duchess whenever you find her, no one here will want to talk with a mortal packing heat like you are." A statement which garnered a chuckle of Bino who then responded "True. Well, right now we better get some rest. We got a long ride ahead of us tomorrow...and I get the feeling we aren't alone right now." And with that, Bino laid his head against a nearby rock and went to sleep as Deus Mechanicus kept watch throughout the rest of the night. In Bino's mind, while he rather have been doing this journey alone, he honestly didn't mind the company and figured that a friend like Deus Mechanicus would be great to have where he was at that moment.

A couple hours into the night, five shadowy figures emerged from the darkness and made their way towards the makeshift campsite. Dressed in black robes, the figures crept closer and closer before surrounding the target they sought. Then, revealing their blades hidden with their robes, a small chant is heard emitting from their hoods before the blades are brought down with a thunderous might, piercing the target with ease...
"Didn't even check to see if I was even there" the hooded figures quickly turn around and are shocked to see Bino crouched on top of his bike and still very much alive, leading to the one figure looking down and realizing that they stabbed a series of rocks that Bino placed there. But before the figures could even react, Bino leaps towards them with his drawn sword and began his attack, slicing four out of the five figures to ribbons and each one falling to the ground in flames. The last one tried to run and was able to out run a sword but Bino pulled out the CLAS or Celestial Lever-Action Shotgun and fired at it, engulfing the robed figure in fire and decimating it to nothingness.
"Followers Of The Ecliptic" DM spoke as Bino flipped the shotgun before holstering it back into the bike's saddle bag and sheathing his sword, "It must now realize your are here."
"It?" Bino asks as he sits back on the bike, "What's IT?" and DM explains that 'it' was The Forgotten, the Netherworld's strongest creature and the manifestation of all things evil there. Once the explanation is heard, Bino nods and tells DM "That case, we better get a move on to Pandemonium and get Duchess out of here" which DM agreed with and they both rode off into the night as the red sun began to rise on another nightmare in The Netherworld.

NHWestoN · Post by **NHWestoN** » Mon Mar 18, 2019 12:23 pm

Delays, delays, delays … yah just can't get on with a quest `cause there's always something else big and obnoxious and absolutely insists on gettin' killed that gets in yer way!!!

Post by **SeanWolf** » Mon Mar 18, 2019 2:17 pm

NHWestoN wrote:Delays, delays, delays … yah just can't get on with a quest `cause there's always something else big and obnoxious and absolutely insists on gettin' killed that gets in yer way!!!

Well, we wouldn't have much of a story if it was a straight shot to the ending, right?

Post by **SeanWolf** » Tue Mar 19, 2019 12:42 pm

HousepetZ: Bat Out Of Pandemonium
Chapter 3: And I'll turn the night into the skylight of day

"...the light in one's soul can easily be overcome by the darkness of the outside..." - Mana Codex Chapter 10, Verse 20, Line 2

The crimson sun rose from its slumber to ignite another day in The Netherworld while the creatures of the night returned to their slumber for they knew, even in the Netherworld, that the dawn was their enemy. For Bino, the rising sun meant he had survive a night and can continue on his way towards his goal of rescuing Duchess and bringing her back to the land of the living. The night before, a group of cultists, whom his bike, Deus Mechanicus, labeled as The Followers Of The Ecliptic, attempted to end him right then and there but he was able to dispatch them with ease. As he rode past deformed trees that appeared to be screaming and various geysers of blood, Bino thought back to the days of peace and serenity, when the only thing he had to worry about was what collar he was gonna wear and what he was gonna do that day he awoke from his bed. He thought about the days where he was a young Bino, playing outside in the sun, watching cartoons on a Saturday morning, sleeping in on a Monday as he stayed up too late that Sunday watching the end of 'The Great Race'. Those thoughts brought him both happiness and peace as, to him, as long as he kept the memories of the good times in the past alive in his head, then the horrors of the present wouldn't get to him so much. Quite suddenly, however, his mind soon snapped back to reality as the day soon started to became dark and the only illumination arose from the fires of the land. As he watched, he had a feeling that time worked differently there but it turning to night this soon was a bit of a odd thing to occur. It then dawned on him why the land grew dark so quickly as he looked to the sky and observed a wondrous sight of the moon embracing their sun: An Eclipse. Stopping in his tracks, he watched the moon and sun dance in the dimly lit skies above, impressed by such beauty in the land he was in but was soon jolted back into reality as the land around him shook violently, followed by a roar that could put fear in the hearts of even the Celestials themselves.
"The Song Of Rebirth" Deus Mechanicus spoke as the roar continued, "When someone makes a deal with it and the eclipse occurs here, the Forgotten roars a song only the person who made the deal can understand and is reborn." As he observed the eclipse and listened to the song, a thought occurred to Bino which, in term, made him turn to Deus and ask simply "Who'd be stupid enough to make a deal with...er...whatever The Forgotten is?" while getting back onto the bike and revving the engine, which DM replies "Anyone really. Humans, Pets, Exotics, Celestials...anyone who wants to make a deal with it mainly." Bino just nodded then asked if there is anyway DM was able to understand it and he was able to and explained that whoever receives this song would be, well, reborn but not as they once was as they would have malicious purpose then, either of their own accord or of The Forgotten. As he explained the song, Bino started to think who would be stupid enough to make such a deal but no one was coming to mind, other then Keene but Anubis cured him and he's technically not dead (Osiris is but not Keene) so he, at that point, chose to ignore the song and whoever it was dedicated to as, for all he knew, it was of no concern to him. Even Deus Mechanicus didn't know who the song was for as the lyrics were always the same but sung in a language unknown to mortal ears. The song, meanwhile, continued it's luster before ending as the moon and sun finished their dance and the moon laid itself down for its day slumber.

As Bino continued his ride, little did he know he was being watched from afar. For beneath the city of Pandemonium and gazing into a palantír was one of the Netherworld's many inhabitants who went by the name of Eudoant. Its emerald eyes pierced into the orb, watching as Bino poisoned its home with his mortal life force. A small audible growl seeped out of its mouth as it places a clawed hand on the orb for it sensed the good in his heart but was followed by a raised eyebrow and then a smile as it sensed something else within Bino, something that even the mightiest of Celestials couldn't see. Eudoant spoke to itself in a language long forgotten by all except the dwellers of its home as another image formed within the palantír, one that showed a feminine dog, a Saluki to be more specific, in chains and working as a servant in its home. It knew Bino was there for her but also knew that, even if he was to rescue her, they would be trapped there and would be its slaves forever, and that was an event it was looking forward to. If it couldn't keep Keene and Breel, then it would make sure Bino and Duchess would stay instead. Just then, another image showed itself on the orb and this one was a bit of a surprise to Eudoant as it wasn't one of the past or future nor was it of Bino or the current events in his land, but of the mortal plane. The image showed a huge pile of ash in the shape of a body that soon started to quiver and shake as a creature of red feathers emerged from the ashes and spread its wings. Eudoant soon realized what it was as the being took flight to the skies, leaving behind a fiery message that read 'I'M BACK - PETE'. Speaking again to itself in the language of the underworld, Eudoant knew that Pete made a deal with The Forgotten and was now after the one who slayed him in the beginning. As the image on the palantír then vanished and the orb returned to its blackened state, Eudoant made its way back to its personal chambers for more reading of its copy of the Mana Codex, while its servants tended to its personal needs. It wasn't worried if Bino should arrive as it knew it wouldn't have to over-power him as it sensed something festering in him that it knew it could use to its advantage. As written in the twelfth chapter of the Mana Codex: 'To light the fire within, one must ignite the spark that shall fuel the hatred or give life to victory.' and to Eudoant, it wanted to fuel Bino's hatred thousand-fold.

trekkie · Post by **trekkie** » Tue Mar 19, 2019 12:56 pm

This story is very well written, and I like how you’ve developed Bino. Looking foreword to reading more of your work.

Post by **SeanWolf** » Tue Mar 19, 2019 12:58 pm

trekkie wrote:This story is very well written, and I like how you’ve developed Bino. Looking foreword to reading more of your work.

Well thank you!

Amazee Dayzee · Post by **Amazee Dayzee** » Tue Mar 19, 2019 3:12 pm

Liking each chapter more and more! I hope you can keep up the momentum!

Nathan Kerbonaut · Post by **Nathan Kerbonaut** » Tue Mar 19, 2019 4:29 pm

You've been busy with this story, it seems! So much has happened in these last few chapters. It's always a pleasure to read

NHWestoN · Post by **NHWestoN** » Tue Mar 19, 2019 9:03 pm

An "operatic" The Forgotten? Okay, that's an intriguing twist....!

Post by **SeanWolf** » Wed Mar 20, 2019 3:13 pm

HousepetZ: Bat Out Of Pandemonium
Chapter 4: I'm A Hunter In The Dark Of The Forest

"That which is lost is never truly lost but is merely waiting to be discovered once more" - Mana Codex Chapter 3, Verse 2

For many hours did Bino drove as he ventured on through the land in search of a unwelcome soul. The city of Pandemonium glistened on the horizon like the Emerald City but, to him at least, it felt like it was still hours away. To him, it felt like the closer he got, the farther away it became which one would usually chock up to mirages but, if it was, then the mirage would've faded eons ago, leaving Bino all revved up with no place to go at all. except the vast desolate landscape. A landscape filled with the roars and war-cries of the creatures who called it their home and the wails of the unfortunate souls who were sent to live there. Bino's heart wept for those trapped here but knew that, even if he could, saving them all would be impossible as for every one saved, five more would've took their place and, truth be told, he was there for one in particular and nothing was going to stop him, not even the strongest of the Underworld's minions.

"You seriously going to eat that?" Deus asks Bino as they were parked along side the road so Bino could stretch his legs for a bit but ended up killing a animal-like creature there and started to cook it. Bino, as he takes a cooked leg off the creature, looked at Deus and tells him "When you're in the wilderness like this, you got to learn to live off the land" before taking a huge bite out of the leg and cheekily saying "Mm, tastes like chicken." Deus could only groan in disgust as it watched Bino chow down as, even though he was just a machine, he still was feeling sick to his engine from watching Bino devour the leg. As he ate, Bino looked back at Deus and asked him a question that's been on his mind since he first met him, which was "Are you really just a machine or are you really a Celestial in disguise?" Deus, in turn, replies "Oh I'm a real Celestial. I'm just inhabiting this bike until the whole zombie thing back on Earth is over. Once that's done, I get to leave and go back to Heaven." Bino, with a piece of meat hanging from his lips, looked at Deus in confusion then asks cheekily "So if you are a real being...I take it you don't dream of electric sheep?" To which Deus replies "MAN! I dream normal dreams, thank you very much! And to answer your next upcoming question: Anubis asked if I would like to be in a bike to help his Avatar and I said 'Sure!' so I did but I saw that Peanut just would not work for me so I went with you instead. There, satisfied?" Finishing the leg and moving onto the other, Bino smirked and replied "I guess, Arcee" Deus, when hearing that, gives a confused rev and asks who Arcee was, to which Bino tells him she was a motorcycle Autobot...
"Hey, compared to me? Autobots and Decepticons are just little flies trying to attack the Starkiller base. Plus, I ain't no woman...do I even sound female?!" Which Bino just laughed and continued to eat while Deus just revved in a huff, while thinking to himself that "Maybe I should've went with Peanut...at least he wouldn't be snarky."

The next morning, Bino was back on the road with the heat of the wind on his face when he caught a glimpse of an sign up ahead. Slowing down to see what it said, a smile soon crossed his face, for the sign read 'PANDEMONIUM --- STRAIGHT AHEAD --- 2 MILES'. The road was long and arduous but it was well worth it as he had finally arrived to his destination. With the flame reignited in his heart, Bino spins the tires, pulls a wheelie, and rockets towards the city, ready to rescue Duchess. But as he arrived, he quickly slides his bike to a stop and gazed in awe at what he saw, for in front of him was the city, but surrounding the city were various bridges over a lake of lava and up above? Various flying creatures, similar to those he first saw when he arrived in The Netherworld, along with winged, almost humanoid creatures flying about. 'This is going to be harder then I thought' Bino thinks to himself while watching the beings above before facing the bike forwards and continuing into the city for he was not going to let anything stop him as he had came too far to give up now.

The Netherworld city of Pandemonium isn't your typical city, for it is the home of the underworlds inhabitants and any unlucky mortal sent there for whatever reason, be it their past lives or they were brought there by The Forgotten as a gift for Eudoant, the ruler of the city. As for the city itself, if one could use a city from Earth to describe it, the best choices would be if one would take Chicago and mix it with New York but add in factories and mines and remove any resemblance of happiness and you still wouldn't have a 100% description of Pandemonium. One thing that can be agreed on is that it is home to the wails and cries of the poor, unfortunate souls who were sent there along with the laughter and roars of the creatures who call it home. Those who were there and wished for death would find their wishes ignored as even the Reaper himself chose to forgo the city. With no way of leaving the underworld and no hope in sight for them, all those who lived there could do was just try to live each day and hope for a miracle. While for many, this miracle may never come, for one in particular, her miracle was arriving on a steel horse and was ready to walk her out of both there and the Netherworld entirely. But there was one big problem that her dog in shining armor realized the second they entered the city: Where should they start looking?

Nathan Kerbonaut · Post by **Nathan Kerbonaut** » Wed Mar 20, 2019 6:04 pm

It can't be long until trouble finds Bino... or until he finds it

NHWestoN · Post by **NHWestoN** » Wed Mar 20, 2019 8:03 pm

"Where should I begin, your Majesty?" asked the White Rabbit.
"Start at the beginning", the King of Hearts instructed. "And when you come to the end … stop."
Alice in Wonderland.

Amazee Dayzee · Post by **Amazee Dayzee** » Wed Mar 20, 2019 8:05 pm

I do hope Bino knows what he is getting himself into.

Post by **SeanWolf** » Thu Mar 21, 2019 11:07 am

HousepetZ: Bat Out Of Pandemonium
Chapter 5: You'll Never Find Your Gold On A Sandy Beach

"It is never wise to shake the cage, for you never know what will shake back" - Mana Codex Chapter 1, Verse 40

"Pandemonium...those two 'coons would love this place." Bino thinks to himself while taking in his surroundings from a alleyway he ducked into, "Still, better play it safe as, in all honesty, I shouldn't even be here as I'm still alive." Bino needed a way he could roam about the city without gaining the attention of its inhabitants that didn't revolve grabbing a cloak and plopping some dirt over his face. No, he didn't want to appear as a lost soul but one of the underworld creatures instead. As he thought about how to go about such an idea, Deus chimed in and ask "Why not wear The Chrome Mask, along with a cloak sans hood?" Looking at the bike, Bino raised an eyebrow and asked what he meant by the Chrome Mask, which Deus explains that those who wear The Chrome Mask are Eudoant's personal soldiers and are allowed to drive machines like him. "Thankfully, we can just steal one as, honestly, the masks are just for show" Bino nodded then asked how they would go about making one as he never seen one let alone heard of one 'till now, which Deus simply to just kill a Chrome Night..."Beg your pardon?" Bino interrupts with a look of concern. "Yeah...in fact here comes one now!" Deus exclaims which Bino quickly hides behind a nearby dumpster, shotgun in hand, as a Chrome Night walks down the alley towards the bike (as it had caught its sense earlier). As it looked it over, its back was turned towards the dumpster where Bino was standing so, appearing from behind, Bino placed the barrel of the gun on the CN's back and fired, dropping it instantly to the ground. Grabbing the Chrome Mask and placing it on his face, along with a cloak, he drives out of the alleyway and back onto the streets, leaving the dead Chrome Night to burn away into nothingness, leaving no sign that it even existed. As Bino rode through the city, he begins to take in the look of the city once again but, unlike the land it stood upon, the city actually disgusted him as, to him, it was nothing more then a rotting mud hole of filth and depravity. The more he looked, the more he just wanted to find Duchess and get her out of that place and leave this as nothing more then a memory of the past. If it wasn't the look of the buildings that disgusted him as they had this H.R Geiger feel to them, the creatures roaming about got the job done as they looked like something that both Clive Barker and Geiger would make if they were locked in a room together. The most normal looking ones, if one could even say that, were the souls of those sent there but even then, they had scars on their bodies and looked liked they were tortured for hours on end. A small tear went down Bino's face as he knew some of the people he knew would either end up there or were already there, and that was something he rather not think about for it would only depress him to no end, so he switched his mind back to thinking where he should look for Duchess but, since he had no idea where to look and he didn't want to ask a creature for it would give his disguise away, he figured he'd ask a lost soul there. But which one would he ask? It didn't take him long to spot the perfect one to ask for sitting in an alleyway was a fox scrounging for dinner.

"Hey" Bino asks as drives up along side the fox, who in terms jumps from the surprise and proceeds to look upon Bino in horror as he thought something was going to happen to him, what with Bino wearing the Chrome Mask. Realizing he still had the mask on, he lifts it up and assures the fox he means no harm and is there not as a enemy nor Chrome Night, but as a mortal trying to rescue a sacrificed lover.
"You...you mortal?" The fox, who looked like he's been through war, asks Bino which he nods with a small smile, "...You came...on this...to rescue a lover?"
"Yes," Bino replies, "Please, can you tell me where I would find a female dog named Duchess?"
"Duch..ess?" the fox asks before going silent for a bit. Bino was about to ask again when the fox leaned in close to his ear and whispered "Duchess belongs to me, mortal" before morphing back into it's real form and attempting to kill Bino with a make-shift shiv in order to steal the bike. It was then something odd happened to Bino as he felt something over-take him and control his every move, which in turn led to him ramming his hand through the being's body and reliving him of his life and throwing the being to the ground. As he looked upon the now dead creature, Deus quickly asks Bino where did that strength come from, which even Bino didn't know as he never had that raw strength before, though he recalled his hand was glowing before he landed the shot.
"Well, whatever the case, it helped....but you better put the mask on as it looks like you attracted the attention of someone." Deus said and indeed he did for running down the road was another Chrome Night. Reaching Bino (who already placed his mask back on), the Night asks him what happened, which Bino responded that it tried to attack him as it wanted to take the one known as Duchess back to its home for reasons. The CN just shook its head and congratulated him for defending himself and was about to leave when Bino/CN asks him where the one known as Duchess is being held, which the CN tells him she's being locked below Eudoant's Home: Salaier Tower. After the CN leaves, Bino looks ahead and smirks before riding out of the alley and towards Salaier Tower and, if all goes according to plan, Duchess. But as he rode towards the tower, Bino couldn't stop thinking about what just happened back there as, again, he never had that strength before. Sure, he wielded a heavy revolver to kill Pete The Chimera and he was able to fight off someone using a chainsaw, but he never literately punched someone through their body and destroyed their heart, killing them instantly. Did the mask actually give him that strength or was there something else going on inside him that he had no idea about? As he thought about that, he was oblivious to the fact he was being, once again, watched but this time not by Eudoant but someone else he just rode past. The creature watched him ride on by and returns his attention to a book it was reading and focuses in on a certain verse that went 'Heed the warning of the immortal one, for death shall call to your flesh and blood, for it is the embodiment of eternal wrath and the bringer of your death. A coin for the ferryman shall be kept on your body for your time will soon be at its end. But it shall make allegiance one anyone worthy of its time.' which brought a smile to its face as it thinks to itself "Finally."

Eudoant stood on the balcony of Salaier Tower, watching his servants work away endlessly, especially a female Saluki who was cleaning the nearby windows. This Saluki was, indeed, Duchess and to say she wasn't happy with her predicament would be the understatement of the millennium for, in her mind, she was saying every word and then some from the foul language book. But not because of where she was but rather because she had to actually work, something she hated to do as she always had Boris do her work for her. Indeed, up until now, she had never worked a day in her life so the fact she had to work now gave her nothing but grief and anger and making her say words that would make a drill Sargent blush. But for Eudoant? Seeing someone that angry brought nothing but happiness to him and, unbeknownst to Duchess, he had big plans for her and he was waiting for the right moment to commence with it. One of its guards then entered onto the balcony and informed it that they spotted a motorcycle matching the description from the palantír coming closer to the tower and Eudoant knew it was Bino arriving. Looking to the guard in question, it tells it to make sure it doesn't enter the premises and, if it does, make sure he doesn't leave with Duchess. The guard then asks what should they do if they do leave which Eudoant simply replies to recapture Duchess...but bury Bino alive and leave him to die.

Amazee Dayzee · Post by **Amazee Dayzee** » Thu Mar 21, 2019 11:47 am

Oooooh! Eudoant certainly does not joke around. Burying somebody alive is a horrifying way to die. Bino better watch out.

NHWestoN · Post by **NHWestoN** » Thu Mar 21, 2019 12:36 pm

"Salaier Tower"? Is that a reference to a game or movie? I'm not conversant in a lot of these things...

Post by **SeanWolf** » Thu Mar 21, 2019 12:38 pm

NHWestoN wrote:"Salaier Tower"? Is that a reference to a game or movie? I'm not conversant in a lot of these things...

It's pronounced 'Slayer Tower' but I wanted to be creative so I spelled it oddly. No references

EDIT: Apparently, there IS a Slayer Tower in the game Runescape...did not know that...

Post by **SeanWolf** » Fri Mar 22, 2019 9:34 am

HousepetZ: Bat Out Of Pandemonium
Chapter 6: I Can See Paradise By The Dashboard Light

"Sometimes a fool can be the hero one needs" - Mana Codex Chapter 29, Verse 5

Out of all the buildings in Pandemonium, none was as impressive as Salaier Tower. Located in the heart of the city, this was known as the home of creature known as Eudoant: The tyrannical ruler of Pandemonium. When he was chosen to rule the city, he had this tower specially made as both a beacon to his legion and as a way to prove his dominance over the souls who were sent to his domain. As such, the tower stood high and menacing as Sauron's tower of Ba'rad doorr and was decorated with the blood and bones of those dared to fight back. Surrounding the towers base were pillars crafted by the finest of Underworld craftsmen and were adorned with obsidian and blessed by panels of steel. At the very top of the tower stood two large spikes with a red beacon in the middle, representing the head and the very heart of The Forgotten, a beast that lurks in the darkest layers of the Underworld and is said to be unkillable. Only one being has been able to come close to killing it and this feline's victory has been past down by the souls living there as 'The Song Of The Destroyer' and has be said to be the only sense of peace they have there as they sing it every night, which while some of the creatures of Eudoant despise the song, Eudoant surprisingly finds it charming and allows them to sing it as he knew a happy worker meant better work done. Speaking of the workers, while those who live in the tower did so in luxury, the souls themselves lived on the outside of the tower in small shacks while only a select few live in the tower, but even then those select few have no access to any of the towers accommodations as they are force to live in the lower sections. To those who managed to live there, it wasn't much but at least they had a nicer room then the shacks, which were mainly a small one room building with one bed, three windows, a toilet with working plumbing (What? Even the Underworld understands the importance of good plumbing), and no doors. For Duchess, she was one of the "lucky" ones who lived in the tower but, even with the better housing then the shacks, she hated every second of it, but not for the reasons one would expect. No, she was missing her accommodations from her own home, the services by Boris and Bino, her comfy chair...basically she missed living in the mortal plane and would give anything to just bat out of there. Every night when she laid her head against the wall (as she did not want to lay on the floor), she dreamed of a white knight on a valiant steed, sweeping her off her feet, and carrying her out of that place, followed by her and the knight living their lives togther on a beautiful tropical beach for the rest of their lives. This dream was her only means of escape from this world and the only ounce of peace she could have so every night she made sure that, somehow, that was her dream she had. Even when she was up slaving away the hours, she kept that dream in her head as it was, again, her only means of comfort. Little did she know but her dream was going to come true, except a white knight was not the one to rescue her, rather a small canine on a living motorcycle.

"So, how are you going to approach this?" Deus asks Bino as they arrive at the gate leading to Salaier Tower, "Knowing Eudoant, it probably already knows you're here." Bino, while looking over the tower and its surrounding defenses, replies simply "In that case, we better go in loud and proud. It'll show that Eudoant I'm not one to be trifled with." Drawing the Black Rebellion sword and gripping it tightly, Bino revs the bike and, with a triumphant roar, charges in and blasts through the closed gate, all the while swiping at two nearby guards and reliving them of their heads. The alarm then went off and the guards inside stormed his position, but this did not deter Bino as he continued his assault, hacking and slashing his way through the guards like a famous demon slayer while Deus provided a distraction via riding about on its own and taking out guards as well. As the bodies continued to pile up, Bino made his way towards the main tower entrance and kicks it open with all the strength of a elephant and shouted "DUCHESS! YOU IN HERE?" Duchess, hearing her name and believing her knight had finally come, shouts "I'M UP HERE! FIFTH FLOOR!" and Bino, hearing that, rushed towards said floor, slicing and dicing anyone in his way, all the while wishing he brought his shotgun as this would've made for one awesome John Woo moment in his mind. On said floor, two guards quickly grab Duchess and drag her back to her room in order to prevent her from leaving, but they didn't get far as the door to the area flies open and Bino, like a cheetah leaping towards it prey, jumps in and eliminates both of them without breaking a sweat.
"Duchess!" Bino shouts as he runs over to help her up, "You're OK!" Duchess, meanwhile, just stared not in awe but in disappointment and confusion as she was expecting a dashing hero to rescue her not a dog she had nothing for. To put it lightly, she wanted Chris Evans but got Paul Rudd instead. What didn't help matters was her response to Bino, "Oh...you rescuing me? Whatever..." Bino looked at her confused as he thought she would be happy she was being rescued but shook that feeling from his head and told her they need to get moving before Eudoant sees them...
"Leaving so soon?" but it was too late as behind them, coming out of Duchess' room, was Eudoant, "But you were having so much fun here, mortal!" Both Duchess and Bino stood at the door Bino broke open as they watched Eudoant, who was armed with a barbed-wire whip, walk towards them with the intent of getting Duchess back and killing Bino, "I'll applaud you for your efforts but they..."
"Alright, I'm bored" Bino suddenly interrupts as he swings he sword, not at Eudoant, but at a nearby rope which sends a chandiler crashing down and landing square on Eudoant's head, knocking it out cold, "Come on, Duchy-Poo. My bikes outside."
"Your...bike." Duchess asks with a look of distain on her face as they rushed outside, but quickly became impress when she saw the bike itself, which asks Bino "That Duchess?"
"Yep!" Bino shouts while taking out two more guards as Duchess get on the back, followed by Bino, "Duchess meet Deus Mechanicus: My bike and Celestial."
"Hello, Duchess" Deus said as Duchess greets it back before Bino swings the bike around, shouts "HOLD ON!", and flies out of the area like a bat out of the netherworld. As the drive down the street, the guards throughout the city try in vain to stop them but are either cut down or ran over by Bino. One of the guards then shouts to shut the entrance quickly and the doors to Pandemonium comes crashing down, seemingly locking them in. But this didn't stop Bino as, aiming the Celestial Shotgun, he pulls the trigger and a huge hole is blasted through the door, big enough for them to drive through and back into the Netherworld's landscape. As they all watched Bino drive off with Duchess, Eudoant suddenly appears (holding its head as it was suffering a bad headache due to the chandelier dropped on it) and growls at the guards to signal the bats and "Tell them to hunt those two down. Once they have their location, come back and tell me. That dog is gonna die for stealing my bride." Outside the city, Bino, Duchess, and Deus continued to drive off into the distance with Bino smiling as he had succeeded in rescuing his girlfriend.

"Well, Duchy-poo!" He then quips, "Once we find a way out of here, you'll be back in the land of the living with us!" which Duchess just rolled her eyes and replied "Firstly, I told you to not call me that. Secondly, if I wanted to be rescued by someone, I would've wanted Boris or that handsome Mungo to rescue me, not some dog who got me the wrong phone case for my phone." While Bino just chuckled that off, inside he was actually feeling upset, something he never felt before while with Duchess. He loved and all, but this was the first time her insults actually pierced him and affected him on any sort of level. "We'll have to stop for the night" Bino suddenly remarks as he looks over at the setting sun, "You're probably tired after that whole ordeal back there." Duchess only nodded as Bino pulls off the road and towards an outcropping. As they did, Deus mumbles to Bino "I get the feeling this is going to be a long ride" and Bino didn't say anything but just offered a small shrug as they parked for the night. After a few minutes of tossing and turning and getting situated, Duchess was finally asleep while Bino stayed up for a few more minutes but not on guard duty. Instead, he was still thinking about what Duchess said to him and began to wonder something that been gnawing at him for years now. Something he never wanted to admit but now he thinks may be true after what Duchess said to him triggered that feeling in him.
"You know, it's funny, Deus" Bino said as he looked out from the outcropping, "Everyone I knew thought Peanut and Tarot would be the perfect couple but they ended up in a messy break-up two months before the events of Z-Day. When I heard that, I made a promise never to have anything happen between me and Duchess that would cause us to break up the same way but everyone kept telling me that we weren't a good couple."
"What are you getting at?" Deus asks which Bino responded "Well...I'm starting to think that maybe they were right. I mean, you heard what she said to me a while ago. Saying she 'rather have been rescued by someone like Boris or Mungo instead of me' which, I dunno, some reason affected me then what it would've done in the past if she said that." Looking down at Deus, he then asks simply "You think we were meant to be?" Deus just does a minor light dimming and tells him "I don't know. Love is a weird thing, to be perfectly honest, and I still don't understand it myself so I'm not the best person to be asking. All I can say is just go with your heart and let that be the deciding factor." Bino chuckled at the response then tells Deus to wake him up in case anything happens as he's going to bed, which Deus said he will and, for the rest of the night, he kept watch over the land as both Bino and Duchess slept, with Duchess still dreaming of a white knight rescuing her...but with the added scene of Bino being her and the knight's new servant on the beach.

NHWestoN · Post by **NHWestoN** » Fri Mar 22, 2019 12:00 pm

"Bride of Eudoant!" You wanna hang on to the movie rights to that one, Sean.

Interesting turn in the plot as we move from dramatic rescue to uncertain romance........

Amazee Dayzee · Post by **Amazee Dayzee** » Fri Mar 22, 2019 5:02 pm

Oh that's just lovely. Duchess STILL doesn't appreciate Bino. I'm hoping that Bino realizes this and just dumps her leaving her on her own as it is what she deserves.

Post by **SeanWolf** » Fri Mar 22, 2019 5:21 pm

Amazee Dayzee wrote:Oh that's just lovely. Duchess STILL doesn't appreciate Bino. I'm hoping that Bino realizes this and just dumps her leaving her on her own as it is what she deserves.

I can neither confirm or deny what happens next in this arc in regards to those two.

Amazee Dayzee · Post by **Amazee Dayzee** » Fri Mar 22, 2019 10:19 pm

Maybe a giant zombie hippo sits on Bino and squashes him into the ground?

With its butt?

:3

Post by **SeanWolf** » Fri Mar 22, 2019 10:22 pm

Amazee Dayzee wrote:Maybe a giant zombie hippo sits on Bino and squashes him into the ground?

With its butt?

:3

I...I'm not sure how to respond to that one

Amazee Dayzee · Post by **Amazee Dayzee** » Fri Mar 22, 2019 10:23 pm

Sorry. I just took some medication for my nose. I might be a bit out of it.

Nathan Kerbonaut · Post by **Nathan Kerbonaut** » Sat Mar 23, 2019 7:30 am

Go, Bino, go! He's saved his lover, but can he save the relationship?

Amazee Dayzee · Post by **Amazee Dayzee** » Sat Mar 23, 2019 9:21 am

If not I'm sure that there are a lot of other women who would appreciate Bino now that he grew up out of his selfish phase.