Voodoo - Bala
Nov. 11th, 2014 09:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
From Valley Forge to the region where Philadelphia's outskirts might be expected to begin was a decent journey. Nothing too long or too arduous, except for a few detours around this or that environmental hazard. There's a cluster of junk in the distance that might be city ruins, or might be deliberately reared walls- hard to say.
There is also a sign. It is yellow. The figure painted is a low-slung, four-legged, blunt-nosed creature of considerable girth. Its lone head is easily half as long as the thing's body, its jaws gaping ridiculously wide. The image only shows four thick fangs as far as teeth go, two to each jaw. Under its stubby-toed feet is lettered a single word: BEWARE.
Voodoo probably has a better chance of recognizing the damn thing than anyone else here.
There is also a sign. It is yellow. The figure painted is a low-slung, four-legged, blunt-nosed creature of considerable girth. Its lone head is easily half as long as the thing's body, its jaws gaping ridiculously wide. The image only shows four thick fangs as far as teeth go, two to each jaw. Under its stubby-toed feet is lettered a single word: BEWARE.
Voodoo probably has a better chance of recognizing the damn thing than anyone else here.
no subject
Date: 2014-11-14 01:56 am (UTC)That he does - recognize it, that is.
He traces a finger over the sign as the rain drizzles over them, and grunts. They've made good time - it's midmorning, a cool one, though that shouldn't be a surprise considering the time of year.
"Word to the wise: you see anything on four legs that looks like a fat kid had a go at a cupcake and bratwurst festival, don't fuck with it."
He pulls back the charging handle on his carbine halfway, releasing it as he sees brass in the chamber.
"Gettin' close to the river. Keep a lookout for guards and bridges."
no subject
Date: 2014-11-14 04:03 am (UTC)Kate, who's eyeing the sign, shakes her head. "Civilized might be pushing it, Hector."
"Compared to the road?"
no subject
Date: 2014-11-14 04:25 am (UTC)He glances up - the Philadelphia skyline has been shot to hell, but basic elements of it are still recognizable. Many skyscrapers have been stripped for their steel to make barricades - their elevators are unlikely to be operational, but all it takes is one maniac determined enough to ruin someone's day to make that irrelevant.
"C'mon." He starts walking on down the road. "We're almost there."
no subject
Date: 2014-11-14 04:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-11-14 04:35 am (UTC)He glances over his shoulder at Al.
"Look - city this big, it can work out one of two ways. We find survivors and work something out, or we find nobody and get the entire city to ourselves. Either way, we'll get our supplies."
no subject
Date: 2014-11-14 04:44 am (UTC)"Hold up," says Josepha, lifting one fist. "What's that sound?"
It is not a good noise. It is a low, honking grunt, like something on the farm got way too big and tried to laugh and really didn't have the throat for it.
(It's coming from the direction of the river.)
no subject
Date: 2014-11-14 04:53 am (UTC)Voodoo stops and takes a knee. One hand reaches around for his binos, pointing them in the direction of the river.
"That - is a river hippo."
He's not seeing anything yet, but the sound's carrying quite well. He tucks the binos back into his pack.
"Here's how we play this. We go slow and we keep our lines of sight clear. One of these things decides to make a meal of you, it'll take more ammo than we can spare to stop it."
no subject
Date: 2014-11-14 04:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-11-14 05:01 am (UTC)Voodoo stills, listening to the snorts and chuffs of the hippos.
Then, with a grunt, he pushes himself off, legs pumping, carbine swinging across his chest as he dashes across a clearing, sliding feetfirst against what must have been a very nice sedan, once.
no subject
Date: 2014-11-14 05:15 am (UTC)The hippo noises fall quiet, which may or may not be a good thing.
no subject
Date: 2014-11-14 05:18 am (UTC)"Anyone see it?"
no subject
Date: 2014-11-14 05:21 am (UTC)"Nope."
"Nope."
"Holy fuck."
"Al, what- Jesus!"
That last was Hector, who's looking down the highway in the same direction as the horrified Al. Why is Al horrified? Because up ahead, right in front of a battered roadside sign reading WELCOME TO
FILLYPHILLY, DAMMIT LENNY YOU HAD ONE JOB in crudely scrawled paint, there's a huge, warty sausage of a beast with more head and jaw than anything living ought to have, lumbering up onto the road like it's the king of the world.no subject
Date: 2014-11-14 05:36 am (UTC)"Listen. Worst comes to worse, we can outrun the damn thing, but don't shoot 'til you gotta. Plan's the same."
With a deep breath:
"Cover me."
And then, he dashes across the road into the ditch on the other side.
no subject
Date: 2014-11-14 05:39 am (UTC)When the smaller one lets out a hideous belching noise and opens its mouth so wide one could easily be forgiven thinking that its head had split, Al comes back to himself and makes a mad, frantic scramble for Voodoo's ditch.
no subject
Date: 2014-11-15 02:24 am (UTC)"Get your fuckin' head in the game."
With that, he waves the next one across, carbine leveled at the hippos.
no subject
Date: 2014-11-15 02:56 am (UTC)Hector, it has been said, is surprisingly spry and quick for a man his age. He still is. He gives Al a faintly pitying look as he slides into cover and gestures to Josepha to come their way.
no subject
Date: 2014-11-15 03:02 am (UTC)The bigger of the hippos chuffs and looks their way, and Voodoo holds out a fist.
"Drop 'n crawl, now."
Another chuff, and the creature starts to plod over towards them.
no subject
Date: 2014-11-15 03:06 am (UTC)Not that it makes her any faster than the hippo, but hey, she's trying.
no subject
Date: 2014-11-15 03:18 am (UTC)"Don't do it. Don't do it. Don't you fucking do it-"
With a long, low bellow, the hippo puts its head down and charges.
"Open fire!"
no subject
Date: 2014-11-15 03:25 am (UTC)A sensible beast would flee that kind of sound. hippos are not sensible. The other one's coming to see what's going on.
no subject
Date: 2014-11-15 08:46 am (UTC)"Fall back! Back down the road, I'll cover!"
no subject
Date: 2014-11-16 01:35 am (UTC)The thunderous charge is abruptly cut short by an even more thunderous sound of gunfire, this time coming from down the road in the direction of the city. The smaller of the hippos turns and runs off as the bigger one crashes to a spattering, bloody halt and collapses to the ground.
It will be silent for a few moments before one of the figures in orange-daubed combat armor lifts a hand and whistles.
no subject
Date: 2014-11-16 03:10 am (UTC)And Voodoo climbs out of the ditch, holding his carbine aloft in one hand, the other waving the group back to him as he walks down the road.
"Thanks for the assist. Standin' post?"
no subject
Date: 2014-11-16 03:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-11-16 03:18 am (UTC)He sticks a thumb to his chest. "Voodoo. That's Kate, Josepha, Al, and Hector. We're heading for D.C., looking to resupply here if we can."
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From: