Killer Combo [open]

[Rosenna]

It had been a long time since Rosenna quit smoking.But somehow, she had found herself craving one in the middle of the night. This led her to the market. She didn't realize how much they would be. This led to a tough situation involving a very large woman with a baseball bat, and one last pack of cigaretts.

Rosenna won, but she was left with a pretty big shiner and a huge scrape on her shoulder from being thrown to the ground.

So she went to the food tent. Not the infirmary, no. She could help herself. She found some ice and some left over mashed potatoes and went to work. She put the ice on her back and propped herself up against the wall, laying the other bag on her face. With a sigh, she lit up a cigarette and inhaled deeply. She felt her body relax as the nicotine worked its way through her body. She took a bite of the potatoes.

"Cigaretts and potatoes, a deadly combo." she said to herself as she stretched and sighed.

[Demetrio]

Oh, how he loved the food tents. Here was where he had spent much of his time during the past several weeks since being cured of the disease to help regain his strength. Whatever was in the food here had worked wonders and Demetrio was feeling almost as good as new. He was sitting now with a large plate of spaghetti and meatballs in front of him with two slices of garlic bread, one of his favorite meals as a child. The spaghetti was made right from what was grown here in Freakopolis and he didn't want to know where they'd gotten the meat from.

The meal was more than half gone when the aroma of cigarette smoke floated past. His nostrils flared at the heavenly aroma. He hadn't had a cigarette since having been captured. A craving for the sweet nicotine made itself known as he looked around for the source. His gaze locked on to a woman that was just finishing a drag. She looked slightly beat up, but it wasn't his business. All he wanted right now was a smoke and perhaps some small talk to pass the time, if she was willing. After taking one last bite from his plate, Demetrio walked over to the young woman.

"I don't suppose you have one of those cigarettes to spare?"

[Lucian Verdus]

A skull probe scout had alerted patrols to an altercation occurring near the food tents. Lucian decided that he would go, himself. It may well pose an opportunity of sorts, especially at this time of night, and he wanted to see a few things for himself. So, he exited his cell and moved toward the source of the altercation. Not without protection, of course, as he of all people knew the value of using protection. This protection came in the form of one close combat and one ranged servitor, as usual. Their pace was slow, due to the ranged servitor's somewhat sluggish gait, but they arrived, evidently after the altercation had occurred.

A skull probe reported that the perpetrator was in one of the tents, evidently using a cigarette or confusing incense with nicotine. Either way, it was not difficult to follow the trail to said individual, who appeared to have company. Based on initial analysis, this person did not appear to have been injured in any recent altercation, but that only meant so much. With lenses then trained coldly on the most evident perpetrator, it was the deep, unsettling reverberations of the close combat servitor that initiated the 'trial' about to occur.

"Subject, you have been seen participating in an altercation with another mutant, and having injured them to a degree greater than you were. This is a violation of protection guidelines. Please state your justification now. As the Progenitor is present, he will personally judge your testimony and how it stands, based on visual evidence. Please note that the first time you are seen committing such a crime as this, you will not be detained or injured unless you resist. You will be warned, and placed on probation, so that the next time you are witnessed committing such an act, there will be punishments."

There was only one skull probe, and a total of eight combat servitors. It was easy to avoid being caught, or even seen, but every now and again there would be a slip-up such as this. Rarely was anyone caught a second time, and Lucian was aware of this. Were it not for the flooding of the barracks, he would have enough technology to at least make one or two more. But, it was not possible. Only a bit of salvage was able to be found by the sub-aquatic servitor, thus ending any harvesting of technology for the next while.

One or two labor servitors could be converted with modification, however. This, he had already placed under later consideration.

[Rosenna]

As Rosenna lounged, she realized that she wasn't alone.

"I don't suppose you have one of those cigarettes to spare?"

It was a man. She looked down at the half empty pack and sighed. But even though she had fought for them, she couldn't turn him down.

"Sure," she said, holding out the pack. "I'm Rosenna. What's your name?"

But before anything else could be said, a new figure appeared. It was the same robot from the playground. Rosenna sighed and put a hand to her forehead. She took off the bag and stared at it with an exasperated expression.

"Subject, you have been seen participating in an altercation with another mutant, and having injured them to a degree greater than you were. This is a violation of protection guidelines. Please state your justification now. As the Progenitor is present, he will personally judge your testimony and how it stands, based on visual evidence. Please note that the first time you are seen committing such a crime as this, you will not be detained or injured unless you resist. You will be warned, and placed on probation, so that the next time you are witnessed committing such an act, there will be punishments."

Rosenna nodded at her newfound compainion.

"Excuse me for just a second. Alright listen. I needed cigarettes so I went to buy some. The chick tried to rip me off so I went and got 'em. She'll be alright. No big deal. " she said to the robot, just hopignhe would go away.

[Demetrio]

"Sure. I'm Rosenna. What's your name?"

Demetrio's excitement was barely contained as he plucked one of the addictive sticks from the pack. The chance to relay his name to Rosenna and light the cigarette didn't come. Both instances were interrupted by a mechanized voice that threatened to put her on trial. What the hell?

He sighed at the realization of who stood next to the machine that was talking. Lucian, the one that was trying to convince others to become "perfect." Demetrio remembered him from the infirmary all those weeks ago. From the looks of things Lucian had been successful in at least some ventures over all that time, with the contraptions that flanked him. He wanted to say something in Rosenna's defense, but that would have been foolish when he didn't know all of the facts. All he knew was that he wanted that blasted cigarette. And he wouldn't give himself that luxury until this situation had been settled, one way or another.

The one machine had called Lucian "the Progenitor." That in itself confirmed that he was the creator of the others. He wondered where all of the materials to construct such things would have been obtained in Freakopolis, but couldn't think of anywhere that seemed likely. Doubtful that Lucian would reveal such things if directly asked. Demetrio also wondered how these little underlings were controlled. If Lucian's mutant power was the key, then Demetrio's own would affect that to a degree. A part of him thought it amusing if communications between creator and creations became utterly useless if they got within twenty feet of him.

"Excuse me for just a second. Alright listen. I needed cigarettes so I went to buy some. The chick tried to rip me off so I went and got 'em. She'll be alright. No big deal. "

Demetrio listened as Rosenna told her side of the story and remained silent. Rosenna seemed like a woman that could take care of herself and he would only intervene if she gave some sort of signal that she required assistance.

[Lucian Verdus]

Before the testimony could even be encoded into the judging program, Lucian had already passed judgment. "It does not take a judgment protocol to understand that what you have just told us is nothing short of damning. From what you have told us, we do not even need to apprehend the other party involved in this transgression, as you are the individual to be held entirely responsible for this act. That you can pass off an unmitigated act of violence as 'no big deal' helps your case little. It is like a meatbag to incriminate themselves with their own testimony." The words were clear, though the mechanical reverberations held no emotion. Lucian's eyes glowed brighter than before.

"Violence to feed your addictions. And you call your state superior to our own," Lucian commented. One of the ranged combat servitors, the gun-hands of whom were spinning as though prepared to fire, spoke, "Progenitor, do you have a sentence, or are we going to retain probation protocols?" The guns stopped spinning as the servitor awaited a response. "She will be placed on probation, unless she can somehow produce genuine reason to the contrary. If she is found deciding to destabilize the community by assaulting others for their addictions, she will be apprehended."

"As you wish, Progenitor. Now logging into collective memory; subject: Rosenna" one of the close combat servitors stated. Lucian nodded before returning his attention to the pair, "Treat this as a learning experience, in a number of ways. The protection guidelines are not unfair, they ask only that you do not bring harm or inconvenience to others, and that you keep the facility in a fashion that will preserve as much life as possible," Lucian said, "There is little argument against the reprehensible nature of inter-mutant violence, theft, and hatred. If we are going to function as a society, we will need laws. Remember that before you start acting like an animal, next time."

[Rosenna]

When she heard the Robot's judgement, she was disgusted. She hated it when people thought they were better than her.

"You don't know what the heck you're talking about. That chick stole my money. We had a set price and she changed it at the last minute. It was go for the cigarettes or the money she took. You're just a robot, why am I even explaining myself to you."

Although Rosenna noticed the guns on the robohenchman, she couldn't keep it in. But just in case, she nodded in the direction of the other guy, hoping he would get the message that if something did happen, that he was no part of it.

[Demetrio]

While Demetrio was no lover of watching a woman face off against a pack of deranged robots on her own, he got the message that his assistance was not wanted just from the look Rosenna gave him. Alright, then. He took this opportunity to swipe up a lighter and apply it to the cigarette still nestled between his fingers. It lit up as gloriously as the New Years' Eve ball that illuminated Times Square at the end of every year at midnight. At least that was how it seemed to him. Such simple luxuries were lost to many in Freakopolis. He wondered how many had gone mad from it all.

He sat down and made himself comfortable. A long draw was taken from the cigarette as the 'conversation' continued. What would the outcome be?

[Lucian Verdus]

"If only you had the facilities to understand how absurd your words were," Lucian said, "It takes a particularly simplistic meatbag to come up with 'just a robot,' utterly ignoring the complexities of a fusion of humanity and machine." The other machines were completely silent as Lucian began his diatribe, instead opting to keep their eyes intently fixed on the two subjects to ensure immediate action if one of them should attempt anything. "To translate it in a manner that even you could understand: I am not just a robot. There was no separate hand in building me, nor any purpose thereof. I perfected my own body with the machine."

Lucian's claws contracted suddenly, gradually relaxing to hang loosely off of his hand. "Furthermore, we are the protectors, and our job is to make sure that meatbags such as you, who lack even a vestige of rationality, do not destroy what little society we have. If you need this, again, translated into the simplest of sentences, perhaps a cliche may be a little more your speed; two wrongs don't make a right." There was a loud whirring from the canister on his back as he received a fairly large amount of information from his skull probe, creating a bit of a pause in his words.

"In conclusion: I know what I am talking about, meatbag, and it is evidently more so than you do. You are lucky that you do not exhibit any further outward signs of insanity, or I would have to take you in. For the good of the rest of society, of course," Lucian said. "The judgment is final. If you have no other evidence to put forth, then you would be wise to keep your violence out of the eyes of my servitors, or else they may be forced to detain you again."

[Rosenna]

After hearing Lucian's speech, a striking thought came to the girl. He was once human. And all he was, was a mutant just like her. Nothing he could say to her could touch her. Call her a meatbag. So what? He was one too, just dressed up to look like something better.

"You don't run this prison. The guards do. No one put you in charge. Do what you want, but I'm staying here to smoke my cigarettes." and with that, she nodded at that guy. He had already lit his.

"Sorry, I didn't catch your name."

[Demetrio]

Demetrio savored the taste of the nicotine as Rosenna acknowledged him. He blew out a long cloud of smoke and watched it dissipate into the air.

"Demetrio." He directed a curt nod toward Lucian. "And that mechanical being attempting to reprimand you is the Protectors' second in command. He likes to show off his toys." Of course, he meant the two servitors flanking their creator. "And isn't 'meatbag' a little too simplistic an insult? Your humanity is showing, Lucian."

One last draw was taken from the cigarette before the filter was reached. Demetrio tossed it to the ground and extinguished the remnants with the heel of his boot. He left the it on the ground. Lucian seemed uptight enough that he might charge him with littering. What an amusing thought.

[Lucian Verdus]

"There was a time wherein I was caught up in an obsession with separating myself from humanity, and such a statement as that would have lit my behavior core up with rage. You are approximately four years, eight months, one week, and ten hours late to achieve the goal of your claim. You are fortunate to be among the deluded and the useless, instead of the protectors, or you might have been faced with charges of insubordination," Lucian's servitors primed their weapons again, though it was unclear exactly why. One's green lenses were trained entirely on Rosenna, whereas the other was keeping tabs on Demetrio. Lucian did not expect a battle, but he also did not expect rationality from criminal meatbags. It was best to hedge his bets.

"It would be a matter of simple logic to continue refuting your statements, this is the approximate conversational moment at which point the antagonist leaves and the others are left to continue speaking about them. Do not get caught again," Lucian rose upward on his four spider-legs, which came suddenly through the metallic apertures always protruding through the back of his robe. Faithfully followed by his two servitors, Lucian exited. He calculated that they were not about to heed his advice. Even a dreamer, it seemed, could not resist the image of a rebel.

[Rosenna]

Rosenna actually laughed as she heard Demitrio's description of Lucian. She was tired and decided to stop trying to argue with him. So she shook her head and kept her mouth shut as she watched him leave.

She looked towards Demitrio.

"Well, it's been interesting. But it looks like I'm in trouble so I better go. Come find me if you need a smoke." she said. She appreciated the lightening of the situation that he required. But there was no point in hanging around. She hoped that she would see him around though. He was kind of cute.

[Demetrio]

Demetrio took his cue from Rosenna and stayed quiet as Lucien retreated to wherever it was he was based. He didn't always know when to shut up and close his mouth, so it was times like this when he just followed the lead of others.

"Well, it's been interesting. But it looks like I'm in trouble so I better go. Come find me if you need a smoke."

Well, how about that? An open invitation to visit whenever he wanted another nicotine fix. Sounded great to him. He was a bit disappointed when she turned to leave. She had been good company. But, Demetrio let her go with just a wave of goodbye and went to grab another plate of food.