RP:City of Ghosts/Indifference

Indifference
"When I am dead I will not care Forever more, If sky be radiantly fair Or tempest roar. If my life-hoard in sin be spent, My wife re-wed,-- I'll be so damned indifferent When I am dead.''

When I meet up with dusty doom What if I rest In common ditch or marble tomb, If curst or blest? Shall my seed be to wealth or fame, Or gallows led,-- To me it will be all the same When I am dead.''

''So say for me no pious prayer, Be no tear shed; In nothingness I cannot care, I'll be so dead. I shall not reck of war or peace When I go hence: Lord, let me win sublime release, INDIFFERENCE!"

- Robert William

Part One
The shack was burning with a furious rage, flames flicking through windows and out the door. Smoke was pouring through the streets, adding little to the already heavily polluted air. The panic that had been witnessed merely minutes ago was now gone; people just watched as the shack burnt and a quarian desperately tried to cool it down. Nobody was even interested in helping. A few batarians laughed, pointing at the man-sized hole in the side of the small, pathetic shack.

"What the hell is that thing trying to do?" a batarian sneered at the quarian, his eyes burning fear into the quarian, who tried his hardest to ignore the mockery. "Let it be, fool! It's gone, and will go out eventually. It's not going to catch the Duella on fire." He pointed to the bar and strip club, an infamous pile of dirt known as the Duella. Florescent lights flashed: Nudes Nudes Nudes XXX.

The batarians, still laughing, let the quarian be, finally entering the shack to visit the batarian and asari dancers, and a few human sex slaves. Little else interested the male populace of Omega other than random violence. The quarian watched with disgust, he had watched many a human or quarian body left out to rot after a rapist had finished. It was disgusting and unforgivable. And the owner had set his home on fire.

In the dark, a large figure watched as the small flotilla marine had given up on the impossible task of dousing the flames.

For ten more minutes, the place burned. It did no damage to anyone but the quarian. No one cared for Darken; He was just an immune little prick in their minds. Even to the turian he had saved after she had been raped; She had been beaten within an inch of her life, ravaged over and over, and flopped down right in front of the shack's door. She didn't even thank him, and left after waking and a short, non-flattering talk. She had probably went back to the club in search of red sand and desperate batarians, krogan, and from what Darken had learned, maybe even vorcha.

"Bastards," he muttered under his breath and visor.

He hadn't just lost a home, but the passage way for the end of his Pilgrimage. A few very expensive FBA couplings, blueprints of numerous and potentially powerful weapons, and most importantly, a geth AI that Darken had managed to save. They would have been his ticket onto a ship. Now they were ashes.

"Looks like you need a hand." A turian put out a hand to the miserable quarian. "Never really got to thank you properly; the red sand still had me swirling like a vorcha on ryncol."

"Hmph. The prostitute, whore, and victim returns after offering a 'handy' and, if I recall correctly, you insisted your mandibles had a 'lot of practice'." With each word of mockery, he used his fingers to imply quotation marks.

"That's a little harsh, Darken."

"I'm surprised you even know my name."

"You did a lot for me. I'm returning the favor. I have a place with a big krogan. He got me off the stuff; threatened to rip my heart out with biotics. I'm done with whoring around, too."

"I guess I have no choice." He stood and followed the former rape victime and recovering addict. He didn't know what to feel, it was just emptiness. Only in Omega.

Part Two
The krogan stood firm, snarling at the batarian, a biotic array surrounding his entire body, the blue glow almost resembled fire, and maybe even lightening. His eyes her wide open, both pupils dilated and as fierce as ever. He groaned a little, feeling the wound on his side, bleeding an orange liquid and actual blood. It hurt to the touch, but he ignored it; Rik didn't survive the rebellions to bitch about a flesh wound, no matter the severity.

"Come on, Warlord, give it up." The batarian's voice sounded tired and hoarse, but filled with confidence. "Even if you are a krogan, you are no match for us." He focused his aim on the krogan's head, his Carnifex pistols last shot better count. If it didn't, he would have to rely on his dying partner, or the other two idiots who were suppose to be here hours ago.

"You don't stand a chance against me. All but you and that turian have been torn apart by one krogan. I'm not really outnumbered or outgunned. You're pathe-" The batarian fired, the kinetic slug slammed straight into the krogan's head, carving a small bullet hole and cracking the crest slightly. The krogan smiled, his eyes balck yet emitting a blue light.

"Time to die, Charn." And with that, the batarian was consumed in a powerful display of biotics, tearing him apart and spreading his entrails across the dark alley, and all over the bled out turian. Rik slumped to the ground, his left eye bloodied, his right, below the wound, black.

"Fuck." He strained as he stood up. Three days of fighting, and finally, it was over. At least he hoped. He hadn't seen the human, "Harry", or the krogan mercenary, Torag, since the explosion. He could only hope that they had died with the other mercenaries. He also wondered why they were after him. Had they discovered who he was? That he was the former Overlord?

"Not...likely..." He murmured to himself as he fell on one knee, and stood again. Whatever was left from his back up organs were kicking in. Ir he was dying. He held on to the fact that Versich still needed help. Friken turian slut...

Footsteps. Two pairs. One loud and thunderous, the other slightly less in might. Harry and Torag. He groaned again, and stood with new found energy. Muttering "...son of a bitch..." and something else, he finally got to his feat. His organs were working again.

"Come and get me Torag, and bring your pet with you! I need some targeting practice." Blood dripped from his mouth out of a constant stream. He coughed a little, orange fluid now accompanied the blood. His lungs had been hit.

Rik spat again, and grabbed his claymore shotgun. He fired a warning shot at a shadow, likely Harry's. Grinning, he knew he had made them hesitate. Torag was tough, but not that tough, and Harry smart, but not that smart. Rik was sure that he would win. He couldn't wait to finish Torag with a headbutt, or tear Harry's head off.

Then he heard it. The initializing of a firestorm, widow, tech armor, and a combat drone. They had restocked, and that's why the duo hadn't been fighting beside Charn(Or they wanted the terrorist dead, more credits that way). He immediately ducked to cover as flames eliminated the dark and illuminated the walls with light. Torag began to close the distance, wanting to flush his adversary out so harry could get a shot. Likely from that fire escape...

"Rik, fight like a true krogan, face the flame and maybe I won't fee you to Harry!" Rik had forgotten how twisted Harry was, how he viewed anything as an enemy, prey, or nourishment. To him, he was surviving, and Torag was his only asset, everything else a liability.

Feeling the heat scorch the side of his face, Rik had no choice but to leave his cover. He dashed across the alley, firing a single shot towards the flames, he heard a loud thunk and clank, and then an angry "Shit!".

As the firestorm died, Rik saw through the remaining fire that his shot ripped straight through Torag's fuel pack, and caused the pack to burst into flames. The fire escape above him had taken the blunt of the explosion, and seemingly vaporized Harry. Torag lay on his stomach, his back scorched, burnt to a thick, black, crisp.

With a heft, grunt, and triumphant roar, Rik brought his boot down on the dying krogans head. After that, he fell against the wall, and sighed heavily. Harder than he had expected, but easy none the less.

Part Three
"Where do you think Rik went, Marcus?" A young women asked, her blond braid bobbing up and down as she turned to her friend and partner. She had a strong, attractive build, but nothing to drool over. The girl was skinny but muscular, and her face's features were prominent and beautiful. She always seemed to have an innocent look and mischievous smile among her features. Her name was Terren, but Marcus and her partners called her Terra, and compared to the ancient aged krogan or the aging Marcus, she was still very young.

"I'm not sure. Can't be too far. I'm sure he could have handled that batrain and turian by himself." Marcus took a last puff of his cigar and put it out with his fingers, gently sliding it back into an ammo sling alongside thermal clips and grenades.

"Unless his wounds were worse than he said." The smile was gone, "He's always been like that."

"Like what?"

She looked at him, amazed he hadn't got the message. "Like, too brave, too arrogant, full of shit. His pride has gotten him into trouble more than once." Marcus could tell she was actually worried for the big guy.

"Alright, we can try and find him. Lets hope he's back at the compound, if not, we'll trace our steps back to the explosion. I'm sure he's somewhere around there." He loaded a thermal clip into his Avenger and then his Predator pistol. "Might as well be ready."

She did the same, watching her companion move. He was built, and obviously very strong. His eyes her a mystifying blue, his pupil was encircled by a golden border between the blue and black. His hair was a healthy graying black color, cut high and tight. His face was battered, scared, and underneath his eyes were dark, purple, bags.

They slowly moved down the alley. Ever since the Cerberus occupation, the district, Bhutakasahara, had sprung into chaos. Not because squads of soldiers had enforced martial law, but because every single person was clambering around for a grasp at power. Gangs had simply vanished as soon as their rivals gained their previous ground, and crime was abnormally high, even for Omega. Some people claimed to have seen huge black monsters escape with homeless into the sewers.

"I don't like this." Tera said, clutching her Indra to her chest.

"Me neither. It's to quiet." Other than constant moaning of half dead citizens, he was right. There was finally no Cerberus assaults. No warring vorcha. "Don't be fooled, this is just calm before the storm."

"Yea, I bet." Her voice was a little nervous and choked. Her eyes darted at every movement, but she held firm.

"Holy hell, look at that." They stopped at a wide, dark street. Nearly pitch black enveloped the area. Behind them, a destroyed but lively district, still intact. In front, a burning mass. A whole block was burning past the darkness, imprinting a glowing flame into an otherwise dark street. The only sound was a rare gunshot or the crackling of fire. Smoke began to clog the air, and Marcus put on his mask.

"Put your helmet on, Terra."

"No need to tell me."

"So much for calm before the storm. What the hell happened." He peered off passed the blackness.

"Did the factory spread this?" Terra hesitated, "I thought for sure it was out."

"Guess not."

They began walking backwards before turning around. They turned a few corners, trying to see through the dense smoke. It was amazing Omega hadn't been destroyed. The fire was massive, and hundreds were lost.

"Cerberus must be containing the fire. The station would be a flaming fire ball if the weren't." Marcus looked back, they could see a faint glow down a street, hardly noticeable in the fog of smoke. "Some kind of trick. I just hope Rik made it out."

Terra nodded. She was even more worried. What if Charn had snuck up on him? Or distracted him for Torag and Harry. She blocked the thoughts out. He survived. She just knew it. Then she knew she was laying on the bodies of a dead krogan, batarian, and turina.

"Rik!" She quickly moved the batarian off, realizing it was Charn. "No, No. Please no!" She tried to turn the krogan around, but it was two heavy and slippery with blood, and burnt chunks kept breaking off.

"It's not him, girl." Marcus's gruff voice brought her back to reality. "Look at the crest. Not big enough, or damaged. Different armor, too. Nothing to worry about. It's Torag."

"Thank god." She tried to wipe away a tear, pushing ash off her visor instead. Rght, I have a helmet on. Terra got up, and stretched out her arm. "Then we know he's close."

"How?" Marcus looked at her funny.

"Because, the char on our friends back is still brittle." She bent down, tearing a piece of charred flesh off the krogan. Marcus resisted the urge to look at her ass. She may have been a colleague and friend, and a little young for him, but she was attractive.

"Yep." He started walking, "Blood trail on the scanner. Krogan."

"Let's find him."

Part Four
"Darkan, get down!" The turian woman tackled the quarian, slamming him into the ground. After a brief silence, the quarian pushed her off.

"What?" He looked at her, Versich was her name, in anger. "What was that for? Huh?" He started to get up, poking his head over the crate they had landed behind. Versich grabbed him by the arm, and pulled him down.

"Cerberus." She hissed, pulling a weapon from a concealed compartment on her jacket. A Tempest sub-machine gun. A slight smile slipped out as she stared at it, before the worry flushed back in.

"The guys who took over? And Killed Aria?" Darkan peeked around the corner, staring at several armored soldiers, all clad in white uniforms and gold trims, their weapons matched their suit.

"I don't think Aria's dead. But yea, the guys who took over." She put her weapon back, "We have no chance against a squad right now. Not without armor or proper weapons."

They watched as a young boy, a human, approached the Cerberus troopers. He waved, unaware of the danger. He began to walk toward them, with the intent of giving them a piece of candy. Darkan feared for the boy's safety.

"Hey, you!" he whispered, "Over here." He reached out his hand before Versich snapped it back.

"He's a human, they won't hurt him!" Versich was almost standing over her former savior, flaring her mandibles. "Don't worry."

They watched as the boy walked up and gave the largest soldier some candy. The man patted the boy on the head, and told him to go; "Quickly, boy, straight to your house." He waved the boy off, letting out a slight chuckle. As he did, Darkan noticed they were surrounding a large shape, slightly moving. Breathing. A krogan.

"Alright, dispatch, We'll keep the krogan alive. Tough bugger, looks like he already put up with a fight. Nothing we couldn't handle. Tell the general that his scientists well have a new lab rat."

Over a clear radio, the "dispatch" replied, "Copy that, Zeta. See you soon, out."

"Roger."

Versich was staring again, her weapon drawn. "We have to help him. That's Rik." Her facial expression was nothing but rage, her eyes gleaming with pure fury. "How they managed to get him down...These bastards are going to pay."

"I thought we weren't prepared?" The quarian mechanic peered off at the krogan. "I'll admit, he looks like he's in pain, and for a krogan, that's saying something."

"For Rik, that is saying something. He's the strongest man I've ever known."


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