Return To Sender

[Rachel Mahoney]

*she hears a truck starting and began to climb the wall to aim at the truck tires*

[Alexander Ludovico]

Yes, he's my supervisor. And no, I was here for the Viper bit. Different unit, though, not directly involved in the fighting. Or rather, they were, but it was very short-lived... literally. Bunch of idiots. And what, perchance, did you do to get on Wilson's black list? It's fairly hard to do. He has a very equalist bent in terms of who he hates. *I watch Violet more than the streets around us. The streets I've seen before - the killjoy is far more interesting.*

[Volume Virus]

If you were him, would you want your unit outshined by a few Killjoys in the middle of a crisis? *I shrug and keep walking. No sign of my quarry yet....* Are you thoroughly caught up on the plot, shall we say, of the Viper invasion? Major offenses and kills?

[Alexander Ludovico]

I wouldn't care, so long as the killjoys were being productive for once and not stealing anything. *I point at her playfully* /You/ are why we can't have nice things! And I'm as caught up as I care to be. Why?

[Volume Virus]

Have you lived in this city at all? This is a fortress of nice things. Have you lived out in the desert? We're lucky if we have running water and food. And you guys here in the city who don't respect our choice to live out there, drug-free, artistic and not in here, are the ones who won't let us have nice things. But if you aren't as advanced as you could be because of us somehow, then maybe you should tell your people that many of us will stop attacking you if you stop attacking us. Then we could each get on with our lives. *We walk in silence for a while. I think I see something vaguely human-shaped in the road ahead.* Anyway, given the fact that I've been rambling about outshining and Vipers, I'll give you two guesses as to who I am. I'll give you a hint: the answer is definitely not Violet Ross.

[Alexander Ludovico]

*I dismiss her speech with a wave of my hand* Details. Besides, the only reason patrols are sent out to find safehouses is because that's where you killjoys go hide after you attack a delivery truck and kill the escort, or break into a civilian's house and steal their things. And who you are? Hm...

*I think through the noteworthy names I remember from the incident reports filed after the battle - mountains and mountains of incident reports, most of which I didn't read* Let me think... You do have a penchant for V's. Violet, Vipers - *I nod to the V on her shirt* One guess should suffice. Callsign Volume Virus? Yes, I read about you.

[Volume Virus]

Nicely done. *I almost smile before remembering that I'm being followed around by a Tower employee.* And that's why I'm sure the Tower will want my corpse. A statement: "We killed her, the girl who got rid of that maniac Basilisk. What chance do the rest of you pests stand?" A bit of maniacal laughter for the effect, and you scare the weaker-hearted rats away. Oh, there will be those that attack because they want to. We don't really like you out there in the Zones. But the way I see it...it's a circle. Killjoys attack delivery trucks because they don't have any food. They don't have any food because you want us to die. You want us to die because we attack delivery trucks. It's circular logic, and we may never find the start of it. *I pause for a while and walk in silence.* We don't really have to be all that different, BLI members and Killjoys. But we make each other that way, and so continue our little civil war. I've never been anywhere but here since your company rose, but I'd be willing to bet it's like this all over the world. Schoolmates, old friends, siblings, all pitted against each other, and I don't think I'll ever understand why that is. Does it really just come down to your pills and our art? *I sigh and shrug.* Ah, well. The two of us aren't about to stop it, so why complain? I didn't get your name.

[Alexander Ludovico]

It's only circular until one side wins. And you can call me Vico. *I smile, then nod towards the figure lying in the street* Another body, it looks like. Amazing how many seem to go unnoticed.

*I jog forward, glancing back once to make sure Volume is following. It's a drac on the ground, and I crouch down next to him.* No pulse, no heat. Been here for a while, poor fellow. *I pull the man's mask up and close his eyes, then pocket his ID card so I can report his death.* I bet your friend is nearby. You /are/ here to find a killjoy, right?

(I'm going to copy this onto Icon's thread, so there's room for Sona, Doctor, and the BLI employees to post here. That's 'Siren Song of the Counter Culture', pg 1.)

[doctorwhen]

*i look down through the scope of my gun* what do we do? *i radio in a whispering voice*

[Stained Sonata]

*rb* Well Vol's been gone a while now, and someone on the wall has a gun aimed at me. We could try and continue with this rescue mission, or head back. We've been founded, though, so... *I trailed off. I wasn't sure where to go from here.* Any ideas?

[doctorwhen]

*i whisper* try to get Vol, we're calling it off, lets go *i put the rifle on my back and start running to Sona*

[Rachel Mahoney]

*looking through my scope, I can see someone heading towards the truck and I shift my gun to aim at him*

[Stained Sonata]

*When I saw her shift her aim to the Doctor, I climbed half way out the window and flung one of my knives at her. Not necessarily to kill, but least scratch her. A scratch and the poison should paralyze her. That ought to buy us time.*

[doctorwhen]

*i see the knife and jump down to the van* thanks Sona... you okay? you don't look too good, where's Vol?

[Rachel Mahoney]

*i try to duck out of the way but feel the knife graze my shoulder. I raise my gun and fire a few shots at the tires and killjoys before I feel the numbness spreading through my body and I quickly start to climb down the wall*