Employers

Management (episode 1)

Negative Energy (episode 2) (featuring the employers and Auditor)

Exemplifies (episode 3) (featuring Phobos as main antagonist)

Madness (episode 4) (auditor as a main antagonist and The Employers as secondary antagonists)

(I have returned)

(here have a story I need to update along with the other stories I need to update)

Deimos and I caught up while in the heat of battle, as bandits screamed when we shot them, stabbed them, and slashed at them. Just a nice family reunion overall. However, when we got back to the base, I saw something out of the corner of my eye...magenta specks around a shadowy body. I did a double take, but the apparition had vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

"What-?" I asked myself as I looked at the shadows. I ran to them and looked at them expectantly, as if staring at the shadows would force them to answer.

"Elaine?" Deimos asked as he followed my gaze. "What did you see?"

I glanced at Deimos and then walked next to them, putting on a facade. "Nothing out of the ordinary. Don't worry about it!" I said, in a tone that probably guaranteed that Deimos would worry about it.

He frowned and assessed me, then shrugged and walked away. "Yeah, whatever. So as I was saying..."

He went on an anecdote about a raid on a building he had done with this Sanford guy, causing us to laugh at jokes he made and at very inappropriate parts. (If you guessed that the inappropriate parts involved blood, murder, guts, and gore, you earn a cookie.) Just par for the course in Nevada, really. It was a never ending saga of slaughter.

"How have you been?" Deimos asked as he ended his story.

"Good, really. I was in Somewhere, raiding agency buildings, getting stuff for Bobathan and Storyteller, you know. The usual," I said, intentionally being vague.

Deimos nodded in understanding as he began smoking a cigarette again. Ah, that explained the smell of tobacco. I wondered why I hadn't noticed it before, or if I had noticed but ignored it, or if I wouldn't have noticed until Deimos lit his cigarette, or why he smoked, or-

Whoa. Gotta stop thinking. That hurt my brain.

Deimos and I went into 2BDamned's office to discuss what had happened on the mission. "Did you see him?" 2BDamned asked as he looked at Deimos.

"Nah. He wasn't there," Deimos responded as he put out his cigarette and dropped it in an ashtray that said "Smoking kills" with a skull in it.

"Who wasn't there?" I asked as I looked at the two of them.

"Callisto. The leader of the bandits in this section of-"

I didn't catch the rest. Fuzzy images appeared in my mind's eye - a man with long, shaggy orange hair wearing a cape of animal pelts standing in front of me, him laughing, and then him leaving me with some...advice...?

"The others are like animals, but I am painfully aware."

Evidently it had bothered Deimos as well, because he was holding his temples as if he had a migraine. I kept having those images going into my head. Callisto kneeling in front of someone...was that me...? Anyway, he was kneeling in front of someone much smaller than he was. "I'll teach you all that I know. Stick it to those agency stuck-up bastards."

I didn't like Callisto for some reason. When I got those visions, I felt disgust, anger, and a kind of resentment that comes when bonds are broken, bridges are burned, and friendship dies. It comes when fires burn people to ashes and they become collateral damage in a never-ending war.

Was this...betrayal?

"...are you two feeling okay? You look...green," 2BDamned noted as we tried to gather our thoughts.

"We're okay," I lied as Deimos nodded.

"Dismissed," 2BDamned said simply.

I rushed out of the room, but Deimos stayed to talk with Doc. I heard a voice next to me. "Aw, Elaine, don't tell me you forgot about me!"

I turned to see Stygian, the only Employer that treated me like a person and who I actually liked. "No. I haven't," I said as I smiled at the shadowy figure.

I guess you could say that I've got some friends on the other side.

(cliffhanger so spooky ooooooooooooooh)

"The Maker has interfered with our plans." Stygian said quietly as the apparition glided off the ground somewhat, floating to the others.

The Conductor sighed. "He always does, the damned meddler. When will he learn to keep his nose out of our business...?"

The Deliberator shrugged and began using sign language: 'He will not. Will continue causing trouble. Must put stop to this.'

The Auditor sighed from where he was, and then glanced at the monitor. The Madness had now completely spread. Excellent. Now...their power will grow further. "So what? We will crush the three he has taken interest in like the bugs they are. And we will be victorious."

'Unwise.'

"You underestimate our power, Deliberator. We will rule triumphantly, and the Maker will rue the day he went against us..."

---

Joseph peeked out of his house cautiously. It had been one week of this hell, and now over half of the neighborhood was dead. That could not be good. Azure and Mary were both hiding under the table. "Joseph, is it...safe to look?" Mary asked.

Joseph nodded quietly and closed the blinds, hoping the zombies wouldn't notice him. They had enough food for another day...but someone would have to go out sooner or later before they all died of thirst. The coast wasn't clear most of the time: either maniacs that went on killing sprees right outside their door, or the sudden influx of zombies and the like stampeding one another to get to other, living Madness-dwellers.

Joseph walked over to his sisters. "It's fucking Ragnarok out there or some shit..." he remarked as he walked over.

"Yeah. One of us needs to go out," Azure said as she emerged from her hiding place and started walking to the door.

"No. I'll go. I'll be okay," Joseph said as he put on his bomber jacket.

"Good luck," Mary said as she shuffled her tarot cards. She was superstitious, somewhat, and insisted on keeping them with her.

Joseph nodded and left to go get more supplies.

---

Mary and Azure sat at opposite ends of the table, three tarot cards in front of them facedown. "Left is past, middle is present, right is future," Mary said.

"I don't think this is how you do readings," Azure commented.

"It's not. But it's fun to do this anyway. Let's see...past is reversed four of cups."

Sudden awareness, choosing happiness, acceptance. the book read.

"That's good..." Azure murmured.

"Present is...nine of swords."

Anxiety, hopelessness, trauma.

"Not so good. But accurate." Azure moved to be on Mary's side of the table as she flipped over the last card.

"Future is...the Star."

"Hope, faith...rejuvenation," a familiar voice said from behind them.

Azure turned around to see the Maker peering over her shoulder to see the cards. She wasn't particularly surprised by his arrival. However, Mary was so taken aback she accidentally punched him in the face. The Maker barely flinched. "Nice punch," he commented casually as he wiped the blood from his face.

"Why are you here?" Mary asked as Azure offered the Maker a cup of wine, which he took gratefully.

The Maker took his time drinking his wine before he responded. "Your brother is in danger," he said.

"How so?" Azure asked as Mary put away her tarot cards and instead took out dual pistols from under the table.

"He has been abducted."

"And why didn't you help, Mr. Omnipotent Deity?" Mary spat, somewhat resentful.

"I cannot. I have been chained for many years. This is only a fragment of my power," the Maker replied cautiously as he sipped more of his wine.

Azure nodded. "We have to help him, Mary."

Mary nodded quietly as she stood, ready to leave.

"I will remain here. And...act as an informant of sorts. Until you can reunite the fragments," the Maker said.

"Oh no you don't," Mary said, forcing the Maker to his feet. "I'm going to save Joseph. And you're helping me!"

"Mary!" Azure said, shocked. This man was an omnipotent cosmic force. If Mary got on his bad side...

"Very well. I will lead the way," the Maker said. Mary and the Maker both left, leaving Azure staring at one of the cards Mary had forgotten to put back.

The Star. The symbol of hope.

---

The Maker and Mary walked around the abandoned supermarket. "Where have they taken him...? They can't've gone far." Mary scanned the abandoned aisles.

The Maker stepped forward, not noticing the thin fishing line that made a tripwire until too late. It dug into his skin and caused him to stumble briefly before he fell down. Mary rushed over to help him up, but before she could, someone grabbed her by the wrists, disarming and restraining her.

"Not her..." the Maker said unhappily as he reached for his pistol.

Before he could lift it or even shoot, the person restraining Mary began to speak. "Well, well, well, we meet again! And you're as stupid as before," she said.

The Maker groaned, he recognized that voice, unfortunately. "Who are you?" Mary asked.

"I'm Elaine Asteria, and right now...I'm your only choice! So just come quietly and we'll show you where Joseph is."

(pacing was kinda wack but hopefully the part is still good)

The third god - the God of Eternity became the King of Eternal Ice. He brought massive snowstorms and caused a large tundra south of Nevada. Their snowstorms are so powerful, they can push you away. And the frigid cold of the south has left grunts going there frozen, never to meet their loved ones again. Once his godly might was finally freed from the curse the four employers sealed them to, he built a large castle made of ice that could never shatter. He ruled a tyrannical one as the south raged with cold. Man, if only I could get ahold of his staff...

"Hello Mr. Wimbleton..."

"You may be wondering why I'm calling you here right now..."

"I- no, us, all four of us, have a quest for you and your group.."

"Although one of us despises you and your allies, we need your help right now."

"Nevada, this world we live in, is slowly going to collapse because of this problem."

"It's related to Nevada's history. I hope your history teacher taught you well, Mr. Wimbleton..."

"The ancient gods have broken out of their cages, and we need you to destroy all three of them once and for all..."

"Oh, and for some help for your quest, I called upon a decoder for the ancient script the old ones used to communicate. Barely anyone knows this language nowadays, so better keep em alive. I don't wanna spend an entire week searching for another one."

"Good luck on your mission, and please update frequently."

There was a time when Nevada was normal. There was no bloodshed, the sky was clear blue, and the grass was green. All the grunts rejoiced and worshipped four gods who brought this peaceful era. The God of Harmony, the God of Creation, the God of Order, and the God of Eternity. The God of Creation decided to take a long rest and leave its job to the Employers – its personal servants. The Employers rose to power, and all the ancient grunts liked their plans to rule over Nevada. The other three gods did not like that idea, and so a fierce battle occured. The blue sky and the green grass faded to monochrome, and the Employers won. The other three gods were sealed. The God of Harmony was sealed to the depths of hell, never to be seen again. The God of Eternity was sealed far far away, there was no other way to change time as it could only move one way – forward. And finally, the God of Order was sealed to a rather large, but dead tree. Everything descended into chaos, and most grunts could not remember the time when there was peace. Soon enough, one by one, the three other gods broke out of their cages, a shell of their former selves, holding a grudge on their almighty souls. The first was the God of Harmony, turned Goddess of Destruction, Pandora. The God of Order, slowly built an army from captured and brainwashed grunts. They now became known as The Puppeteer. No one knows what happened to the third god, or the Creator, but who knows?

Nevada wasn't like the wasteland you once knew, no it was like any other place. It had clear blue skies, green grass and trees, heck the sun was still alive! All thanks to a goddess who's name we don't know. The grunts worshipped her and gave thanks to the life and blessings she gave. That stopped when the Employers appeared. Nevada slowly lost its color, and the goddess' peaceful reign over Nevada slowly declined. The goddess wanted to take back Nevada, and so a fierce battle occured within the Employers and the goddess. In the end, the goddess was sealed at the deep depths of the other place, never to be seen, nor worshipped again. However, small cults in Nevada still worshipped her, but alas, the goddess was a shell of her former self. She was now filled with anger and hatred, she now seeked to destroy Nevada itself. She was sealed for thousands of years, untill a cult summoned a little girl named Pandora. Pandora over here, had magical powers, she can break the seal when a mere mortal cannot. When the girl was transported there, she broke the seal and the goddess swallowed her whole, stealing her name and causing discord to hell itself. They now call the goddess Pandora, from the little girl that broke the seal.

Other than The Employers, there was an immortal goddess. She just appeared here like any other, with no purpose, but destruction. The four Employers saw this problem and sealed her at the deepest depths of hell. The seal was unbreakable, a mere grunt nor mortal can never break it. Their job was successful for a few thousand years, untill a little girl somehow arrived at the goddess' cage and broke her seal by accident. They now call the goddess Pandora, from the girl who accidentally broke her seal was gifted with powers never seen. As Pandora was free from her 4000-year cage, hell itself would soon go into disorder and chaos.

(so this is based on a theory of mine)

(what's happening right now in the series is referred to the hellfire if I remember correctly)

(so what if it continued to spread beyond Nevada?)

(this features a few of my other OCs)

Joseph looked behind him to see an expanse of gray where the grass used to be in the park. He looked up at the sky, and to his shock, it was blood red. The sun seemed to fizzle out and turn into a fractured red light, and everyone was panicking. He ran over to Azure and Mary, who were staring at the sky. "What's happening?" Mary asked.

"I don't know and I don't like it," Joseph said.

They looked at the colorless expanse and ran for it as fast as they could. Luckily, all three of them were on the track team at one point, so they could run really fast. Not fast enough.

The gray eventually caught up to them, and confusion and rage washed over them. In the distance, the same thing was happening. Except people were taking a more...violent approach to let out their rage. People were fighting in the streets, and Mary saw some of the popular kids begin fighting. "This is for you not giving back my lip gloss!"

Crack. "Well then, this is for kissing my boyfriend!"

Crack. Thud. The first girl collapsed on the floor, bleeding out from a head injury. The second girl screamed and tried to clean the blood but failed. "What-what have I done?!" she screamed.

Joseph, Azure and Mary decided to run for it and go back home.

---

The 40 minute walk seemed like nothing as they reached their (somehow) pristine home in a quiet New Jersey side street. Now it was quiet, but a cautious sort of quiet. It was like they were trapped in a cage, and were being observed for some higher being's amusement.

"Something's not right. We're being watched," Joseph muttered.

Azure nodded and looked at Mary, who shrugged. "Well, you are," an unfamiliar voice said from the dining room.

The trio ran in to find a man, pale and emaciated. He had dark hair and purple eyes, as well as purple scars that resembled a facial cross. He also wore a hood and suit, but his elegant appearance was somewhat marred by the look of hunger in his eyes.

"You want something to eat?" Joseph asked.

The man shook his head, although his eyes glinted with amusement at Joseph's question. "I've already eaten. However, we have a problem. Somehow, the Madness reached the Outside. And unfortunately...the Employers are trying to kill you three."

"Why?" Azure asked.

"I don't know. But I am out of time, and you are as well if you do not prepare," the man said.

"For what?" Mary asked.

"You will know. For now, stay hidden. You don't want them to find you," the man stated.

In a flash, he was gone, leaving Joseph, Mary, and Azure to observe the carnage outside their house. They looked around and sighed.

Why did this have to happen?

(gonna make this a series lmao)

(haha more lore i love lore)

The man walked around Nevada, limping due to the wound in his leg. He had very impressively gotten away from a fight involving several Soldats that are most likely dead. Good riddance.

He pushed his hair out of his eyes, the strands stained with crimson blood, his own blood, yet his clothes were splattered with specks of yellow and pools of red.

The pain that he felt was like no other. His turquoise eyes were dulled and now were a shade of murky blue. He stepped forward two steps, looking for the rift that brought him to this place. "Ximena...Ximena..." he said listlessly.

Suddenly a shadowy figure resembling a man appeared in front of him, with piercing magenta eyes and a cruel smile. Pluto took the sword and held it with both hands, waiting for the man to make a move. "So, you survived," he said.

Pluto could detect the disappointment in the man's voice, and he squinted to try to get a better look at him, but the man appeared in front of him as tendrils of darkness came from the shadows of pebbles and his own Drakeslayer, coiling around his legs and arms, forcing him in a kneeling position.

Pluto struggled to try to break free from the bonds, but failed miserably. He looked up and glared at the shadow but said nothing. "What are you trying to tell me? Say it with words, not with your eyes," he said as he took Pluto's Drakeslayer and examined the scaled blade.

"That's mine," Pluto said in response.

To his shock and disappointment, the shadow could hold his sword easily and tapped the blade against Pluto's neck, his eyes glittering with amusement as he flinched. "Give it back," Pluto said.

"If you die here, you stay here. I enjoyed watching the way you mutilated the Auditor's forces. Quite amazing for a mortal of such limited skill," the shadow said lazily as he stabbed Pluto through his chest.

Pluto screamed in pain as he looked down to see his own blood, tainting his own weapon. He looked up at the shadow, his gaze unfocused and clouded. "I would enjoy seeing you tear down these pathetic Nevadeans. In order for my wish to become reality, you must stay here. You understand, right?" he asked as the shadows twisted and broke Pluto's arms.

Pluto screamed in pain as the shadows released him, and he fell down, unable to lift himself back up. "G-give it back," he repeated as he looked up.

"Alright. Here," the shadow said as he threw the sword at Pluto, which landed on his legs and broke them as well.

Before Pluto could say something, curious bandits walked up to him, and after realizing he couldn't fight back...the details are a bit messy, but he was mutilated pretty badly.

The next thing he saw was a man across from him, smiling cruelly as Pluto looked around. "Where am I?" he asked.

"In my casino, kid. Now-"

"I'm over 200 years old-"

"And I've been around since before the Auditor could even say his first words. Now, let's play. Your debt will be your soul or your service," the man replied as his red eyes examined Pluto.

The game started. The man easily won. Pluto could only watch as chains wrapped around him, tying him to his chair and rendering him unable to move. "Soul or service?" the man asked.

"What kind of dumbass would choose soul? Service, of course," Pluto said.

The man smiled as the chains became tighter and then released Pluto. He was now wearing a vest and blouse with dress pants and dress shoes. His Drakeslayer was sheathed and strapped on his back, and the man laughed as Pluto tried to figure out what happened.

"What did you do?" Pluto asked.

"Well...you're now bound in servitude to me forever, and if you refuse, you die! How cheerful! Now...you'll do an amazing job here," the man said, his crimson eyes reflecting only amusement as handcuffs clamped themselves on his wrists and ankles, vanishing soon after.

"You are bound to me and your contract, and breaking said contract will result in permanent death. I, Luke, now bind Pluto to the In-Between," he said in a monotone voice.

Pluto tried to say something, but the words couldn't come out. "Of course, you can still leave, and you have free will, and you aren't a slave, I detest that practice," Luke said with a frown as if he could tell what Pluto was thinking.

But Pluto could only think of one thing afterward. A powerful being's plaything and another's servant...

What had he gotten himself into?

Anyways why did I imagine just-

Employers: Come live with us in the palace there's a room waiting for yoooou

Audi: Come onnn

The pink one: Come onnn

The white one: Come onnn

Employers: Just let us adore youu <3

Namii/Abstractor: - standing there kinda crying and thinking about their offer -

I imagine Stygian holding more of a grudge against Phobos compared to the other Employers.

Since Stygian's job is to transport S3LFs to and from Nevada and the Other Place, I can see them being more angry than the others figuring out Phobos used Gestalt as a way to get of that process, along with the fact he used S3LF energy to place him beside/above Stygian and the other Employers power-wise.

Overall angry fireball.

(First person POV- backstory of my OC Maria Quartz-Wind! Enjoy!)

"'Maria! Run!'" I heard my brother yell from inside our burning home."

"I cried. I really did. I wept and I sobbed and I tried to run back. But it was too late. With one final cry of pure and utter agony, I could feel my brother, Lucas Quartz-Wind's life force leave this earth."

"My knees gave out then. I was too weak to stand. He was only 13 when he died. I was nine. That was 10 years ago. I want to believe I am stronger, but...ay, dios mio... I'm really not. I feel weaker. The trauma left me with pyrophobia. It was so intense that I wouldn't go outside for fear the sun would burn me alive, like those accursed black flames burned my brother."

"I was only nine when I wandered the Amazon Rain Forest, looking for Mexico. I was thirsting, half-dead with hunger and malnutrition. But I kept going. I lived in encampments with others in my position, their lives ruined by the Auditor, or in my case, Stygian. However, wherever I went, black flames followed."

"'I cannot allow you to stay here! You are a devil child! Stay away from us and our family!'"

"'Kill yourself. That's the only way to end this curse.'"

"'Why do you still live, daring to be happy for once, when you have killed tens of hundreds?'"

"I was only fourteen when I went to Mexico. No one even talked to me, for they knew my curse. I had the Curse of Death's Grasp. Wherever I went, death or unhappiness seemed to follow."

"I was only fifteen when I reached Arizona. I lived on only cactus parts and the scarce water in my backpack. I didn't smile. I had no joy. I was dying, on the outside and inside. I was depressed. I saw no point in living. I was trying to waste away to nothing. Fade until my remains couldn't be buried."

"I was sixteen when I reached Nevada. Everything changed. My curse finally dissipated. I could feel vengeful spirits change their target from the sheep made to look like a wolf to the wolf in sheep's clothing. Stygian."

"I was furious at him. I wanted to rip him apart, tear his limbs off, and then send whatever was left of him to his fellow Employers. But...hehe. I figured, instead of enacting my revenge, I should rebel."

"2BDamned picked me off of the streets of Nexus City along with Casey, and I joined S.Q. in late August of that year. I dyed my hair magenta, Stygian's color, to spite him. I got a tattoo of a skull on my right bicep, and a tattoo of a laurel crown on my left. Victory is on my left, the aftermath on my right."

"I got Skinner to change my eye color to black. My skin didn't fade, because I was now so determined to stay alive, my skin stayed the same. I was so tan that I could compare myself to chocolate- apologies if that was racist- and realized: I am the opposite of Stygian. I had determination to stay alive, while Stygian guided the dead."

"I was nineteen when that girl...Aria...she told me that my home must have been amazing. I so desperately wanted to tell her..."

"Of course it's amazing. My home is here."

But before I could, I heard a deep voice, saying:

"I see you have met my niece. I am The Maker. It's a pleasure to meet you."

(YES ANOTHER PLOT TWIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

"The Maker? As in the maker of Nevada?" Aria said skeptically.

The man laughed. It was a hoarse sound. Despite the room being made out of what seemed to be concrete, there was no echo. Now that Aria was more than half-conscious, she could see what the Maker looked like. An open facial cross in a wonderful shade of violet that made her heart pang for the lilies she kept at home. He wore a dark gray suit with a matching hat and gloves. "Ah, I knew you would be skeptical. But yes. I am indeed the maker of Nevada."

"Then why...?" Aria said. She waved listlessly around the room. Why was Nevada like this? Why couldn't it have been all casinos and fancy tourist traps? How?

The Maker considered his next move. Then he cleared his throat. "When I helped create Nevada, it was truly a paradise like Outsiders like yourself seem to think. We became famous for our silver exports. Life was good."

"Until..." The Maker paused at this part. His hands shook with rage, and eyes were now visible on his face, scarlet and glistening with anger-filled tears. "The Auditor and his...allies came. As soon as they came, wherever they stepped, everything was silver."

Aria looked down at herself, her clothes, and her skin. She could see a faint luster. She felt tears coming to her eyes. They weren't of sorrow, or even anger. They were grieving, horribly solemn tears. The tears she had only felt when her mother died, and her father just couldn't smile with actual happiness anymore.

WHEN THE A.A.H.W AND EMPLOYERS TOOK AWAY HER LIFE AND LIVELIHOOD.

The Maker sadly stared at Aria despite their obvious difference in height. "I tried to fight back, reclaim what I had as my own...yet...they were too strong. They damned my soul...what was left of it when they were finished with me, anyway...to this place. The Nowhere."

Aria looked around. "Where are we?"

"Nowhere and everywhere," The Maker said.

"Have I died? Did I leave them all? Brazilian Flower? British Neon? Gender-queer Pride?" Aria's voice cracked when she said the word flower. It reminded her of what her life could have been if she hadn't signed the permission slip.

"No, you are not dead. Your body yearns for death, but your D3t3rminati0n is keeping it alive. Your body wants to die, but you do not want to die," The Maker replied.

"D3t3rminati0n? What's that?" Aria asked.

"It is better shown than told."

"So you don't know?"

The Maker sighed. "There may be things humans attempt to understand. What happens when we die? Why is the sky blue, the sun yellow, or clouds white? How do we know the difference between fiction and reality? It is because we do not understand it fully. We create answers to compensate for not knowing," he said.

So you don't know. Aria thought to herself.

The Maker stared at his right wrist and sighed. "Our time is up. I do hope we meet again. Perhaps fate doesn't want you to intermix with people like me."

He sounded so genuinely sad at that, Aria wanted to hug him. Instead, she awkwardly waved at him. The Maker waved back.

Only when she woke up did she realize he was using the word we.

.

.

.

2BDamned worriedly checked, double-checked, triple-checked, Aria's vitals. He had grown attached to her like a distant father growing fond of a child. "Those damned Bandits made her use the adamantine spear too soon. She should have named it," Maria said in her Brazilian accent.

"Maybe she shouldn't have used it at all. Then she wouldn't be critical," Felix bitterly muttered.

"Don't say that. To-Doc will feel worse than he already does," Quinn said, effectively diffusing the blame put on Doc.

2BDamned sighed and buried his face in his hands. Aria was stable, but not awakening. "Felix is right. I was careless. Maybe I should have run evaluations first," 2BDamned groaned.

Felix looked guilty, so of course, Maria was the one to comfort 2BDamned. "Hey, look at me. Aria will be alright. Then you can tell her what you need to tell her," Maria reassuringly said.

2BDamned nodded and sighed, tears threatening to escape his eyes. "Tell me what?" Aria groggily said from next to the duo.

"ARIA!" the three exclaimed.

Aria smiled. "Brazilian Flower. British Neon. Gender-queer Pride."

Maria smiled. "Actually, my name is Maria Quartz-Wind. British Neon is Felix Ice-Ocean. And Gender-queer Pride is Quinn Infinity-Mana. We're so glad you're alive," she said, relieved.

"And Doc has something to tell you," Felix said.

2BDamned knelt to hold Aria's hand. "Fuck...I don't know how to say this, but..."

"Then say it," Aria said with her usual curt tone.

2BDamned sighed.

"Aria, I was Rio."

(PLOT TWIST!)

Profanity Warning. Hank warning.

.

.

.

"Wait! I-I can explain! Ow..." Aria frantically yelled as she was dragged along by the (deceptively strong) man. She realized something.

"Dude. What's your name?" she asked in a casual tone. Lower their guard, then strike at the weakest point. The voice of the now-dead Engineer instructor rang through her head.

"Seriously? Thought I told you...eh. My name's Deimos. Pleasure to meet you, now I'm taking you to Doc," he said nonchalantly.

"Why?!" Aria complained as she tried to twist her arm out of his grip.

"Because we need to know if you were contacting the Agency, or maybe crying for help."

Aria laughed humorlessly. "An AAHW 1337 agent is more useful to them dead than alive. Especially ones that have contacted dissenters. Do you know what they'll do to me?"

Deimos reconsidered, then he released Aria, his expression turning sympathetic. "Hey, kid, I understand. Do you know what they did to me for being defective?"

Aria shook her head. She never heard of a defective agent...unless... "So you're a clone."

Deimos grimly nodded his head. "Yeah...the clone of someone we're trying to defeat. Have you heard of Phobos?"

"Director PHOBOS? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?! THAT'S DOPE AS HELL!" Aria exclaimed.

Deimos nodded again. "Yeah. I was supposed to be his brother, like someone he could respect as an equal. But I came out...like this after years of the 'good' clones dying off. Phobos didn't really care at first, but someone convinced him to throw me to the streets...and I winded up at the AAHW, that hellhole of an agency."

He tilted his head to the left to reveal a scar that traced its way up to the left side of his chin. It looked like a canyon of scar tissue, some horizontal lines here and there, making it look like barbed wire. "This one goes all the way to my collarbone. I have other gruesome scars, but I'd rather not show them," Deimos commented as he turned and walked away, gesturing for Aria to follow.

Aria followed Deimos. Wow...Deimos must have had the willpower of a god to stay alive. But wait...

"Isn't Phobos already dead?"

Deimos sighed. "That's what we thought. But that bastard cloned himself and his most trusted scientist, Dr. Crackpot, maybe 12 years ago. Now Nexus Core and the Fanatics are allies, which sucks for us. Doc should be this way."

Aria walked behind Deimos, then she heard a voice. She knew that voice.

YOU HAVE AN OPENING. KILL THE DISSENTER. MAYBE WE'LL FORGIVE YOU FOR HOW BADLY YOU FUCKED UP.

Deliberator. He was Aria's least favorite out of all of the Employers. He deliberately (see what I did there? *rim shot* -Author) started fights and conflict among the Nevadians, even commanding them to do certain things. But he never directly interfered (thank God) in conflict. He just watched it from far away.

Aria knew what to say.

No. He's been through enough. Being instantly betrayed...that's not cool. Now leave me ALONE.

Silence. Maybe the asshole had gotten bored. Aria sighed in relief and looked up.

"Oh, hey Hank!" Deimos said with false cheeriness. He quickly ran to see 2BDamned, barely realizing that Aria was cornered.

"What did you do?" Hank asked. No asking what Deimos was doing there. No asking how she was doing. Just what she did.

"Maybe I was looking...in a monitor...in the medbay...because I wanted to know something," Aria feebly muttered.

Hank's eyes narrowed from underneath his red goggles. "What?" he asked, slightly passive-aggressively.

Aria gulped. "Well, I-I saw a file about myself, and I couldn't resist opening it and it's all a big what-the-fuck for me, so...yeah, I need to go now."

Aria hurried away, but Hank forcibly grabbed her by the hair before she could alarm anyone, and put his hand over her mouth. "Are you sure that's all that you did?" he asked menacingly.

Aria let out a muffled scream, and Hank turned and thrust her head into the nearby wall. "Are you sure?" he asked again.

Aria began to cry. She meekly nodded her head. "Hey Doc, the kid's over here and...HANK WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!"

Aria heard Deimos's voice, and 2BDamned's cry of alarm, but Hank ignored both as he released Aria, only to kick her forcibly and viciously in the stomach. Aria could feel the bruise forming, pain shooting up and down her body, but she couldn't resist, she only could feel it. Maybe Hank kicked her in the head once, because her blood stained his boots.

"Hank. Stop immediately."

Hank stopped beating Aria to look at Doc. "What?" he asked, venom in his voice.

"You will not cause any harm to this defenseless child," 2BDamned ordered.

"Or what?" Hank taunted.

Hank was tall. Maybe seven feet tall? A little taller? 2BDamned was also tall, maybe 6'11, just barely shorter than Hank, which made Aria gain a lot of sympathy for Deimos.

2BDamned grabbed Hank by his jacket and pulled him down so that he could make eye contact while Deimos dragged Aria safely out of Hank's way. "Listen here, you glorified flesh pile. I put you together, I can take you apart. Just a couple of snips here and there and...death. So if you hurt this child again, so help me, I will make sure no Higher Power or Employer can revive you. Do you understand?" 2BDamned said.

Hank nodded. He turned and pointed to his goggles, then to Aria. I'm watching you.

Aria shuddered and stumbled to her feet with Deimos helping to support her, then looked at 2BDamned. "So...thank you for saving me. But...were you kidding when you said that you can take Hank apart?"

"No. Anyway, tomorrow you will be working with Sanford and Deimos to go on a rescue mission of sorts. Some Bandits have captured Casey, one of our best fighters, on par with Hank. Retrieve him. Kill all Bandits attacking you. Is that clear?" 2BDamned said.

"C-crystal...sir..." Aria said, her head tilting to her left.

"Alright. Deimos, get this kid to a room. I will indulge you with the specifics later. Good night," 2BDamned said as he left.

Deimos helped escort Aria to her room. They didn't talk at all. However, when Aria said "Good night" to Deimos, he turned and said, "I'll keep you safe from Hank, kid."

Aria chuckled at that. Deimos smiled and waved at Aria, turning off the light and exiting the room, the door closing as he left.

You know...I'm gonna like it here.

(Hank warning lol)

(Profanity warning)

.

.

.

It was dark. She felt like she was drowning, drowning so slowly, so agonizingly slowly it felt like she was dying once again.

Is this how this ends? How it all ends? Aria wondered.

The wondering was her question, her final words.

The answer? "No."

Aria woke up in a cold sweat and examined her surroundings. She seemed to be in some sort of infirmary. Definitely not in the AAHW complex. Somewhere else. On the wall opposite to her, something that looked like a gun, splattered with blood and what appeared to be shit. Aria quickly looked at her underwear and groaned loudly.

"GOD FUCKING DAMN IT! I DIE AND I'M ALSO ON MY FUCKIN' PERIOD?!" she yelled, outraged.

Someone who was apparently sleeping on the bed opposite to her woke up, then, flailing his arms, fell face-first on the floor.

"Why in the name of all of my shitty decisions were you screaming that loud?!" the man yelled.

Aria giggled. He had a raspy, kind of deep voice that didn't match his height at all. He wore a tinted visor, black jacket, white shirt, and black pants. "I have girl stuff to worry about. Also, you look like you lost some testosterone as you went into puberty. I've seen middle schoolers taller than you," Aria said.

The man began blushing, turning his cheeks pink. Now that he was upright, Aria saw that he had unruly dark gray hair and baby pink eyes. His eyes only made Aria laugh harder. The man blushed more and looked away. "How-how old are you man? You look like some of the freshmen back at my school," Aria said jokingly.

"I'm 21," he responded.

"Bro, you serious?!" Aria said, genuinely astonished.

"Doc? The new recruit's a Wendy's worker!" the man yelled.

Afterwards, the man left, leaving Aria with her thoughts. She thought quickly, rapidly, and chaotically.

Do the dissenters live here?

Wait, how am I alive?

Are they gonna kill me?

OH GOD, I MIGHT DIE AGAIN!!!

Her last thought was spelled out in the air, in bold blue letters. Aria gasped. "What the fuck."

The word fuck was then spelled out in the air, making her giggle again. Then she remembered that she was on her period, and simply looked around, ducked under the hospital bed, and put on a maxi-pad. "Good as new!" Aria said.

As she was getting up, she hit her head on the hospital bed and simultaneously stubbed her toe on one of the hospital bed supporter things.

"FUCK! WHY THE FUCK WAS THAT THERE?! WHY IN THE NAME OF ALL HOLY SHITS-"

"I see you are agitated," a deep voice said from the door.

Aria spun around and saw one of the dissenters-2BDamned, if she remembered correctly.

He was tall, with red goggles with square lens. He wore a doctor's headlamp thing, a black jacket, dark gray dress pants, and a gray mask. He also had black hair with white streaks in it. His eyes were cold and calculating, not much unlike the Soldats, or Nexus Core workers.

"Um-uh, yes s-sir! I-I just stubbed my toe and hit my head so...yeah," Aria said.

2BDamned raised an eyebrow but remained silent.

THIS IS THE KID.

WHO EVERYONE THINKS IS HANK.

BUT ISN'T.

HANK IS THE KID WHO WILL MURDER YOU, NO HESITATION, BUT DROP DEAD AT THE SIGHT OF A SPIDER.

"I-I can explain sir!" Aria said. If he was like the Soldats, she would probably get beaten for this. Or maybe-

HOPEFULLY I WON'T DIE AGAIN.

"Goddamn it..." Aria muttered.

"Why would I kill you if I was the one who went through the trouble to heal you?"

"W-What?" Aria was surprised. She was always told that the dissenters were worse than Zeds. But why was this one being so...nice?

"I see you have also been acquainted with Deimos, my...associate. Coworker, perhaps," 2BDamned said.

"Why did you heal me?" Aria asked.

"Two reasons. One, we need someone who is with the Employers who is not Hank, because he is pissed at us right now. And two, you were just a child. I wouldn't leave a child like that. I am not cruel," 2BDamned responded. He sounded like he was reading off of a teleprompter- monotone and sounding like he had recited these lines many times in the mirror.

"Oh, thank you," Aria stated.

"Now, I have some questions for you," 2BDamned began.

"Hit me with your best shot!" Aria exclaimed. "But not literally."

"Why were you in the AAHW at such a young age?"

"I don't want to answer that, sir."

BECAUSE MY CLASSMATES NEEDED A PROTECTOR.

2BDamned seemed interested. "Why did you betray your faction of the AAHW?"

"I just wanted to! They treated me like cannon fodder there! NO individuality whatsoever."

THE EMPLOYERS SAID I COULD SEE THE PEOPLE THAT DIED. THIS ISN'T THE WHOLE REASON.

2BDamned sat on the hospital bed, and motioned for Aria to follow suit.

"Finally... what are you?"

"I am a human from upstate New York. I am a survivor, and a dissenter as well, I guess."

I AM ALSO A LIBERATOR. I WILL FREE NEVADA AND ITS INHABITANTS FROM THE OPPRESSION OF THE VARIOUS AGENCIES HERE.

"That settles it."

"Settles what?" Aria said warily.

"How would you like to meet my other allies?"

(This one is kinda cliche, but I like it. :D)

(Also, in my AU, the Nevadians slightly resemble humans, which is why I described their eyes and hair despite the Madness Combat characters having neither.)

(Alright, writing a fanfiction about my OC :D)

(Profanity warning)

Aria looked around her sector's base. The other 1337 agents were messing around about 10 feet away, the Engineers were engineering, and two Soldats were supervising. Why were there only two? She found that dumb.

When she came here from a boarding school in Nowhere-in-Particular, rural New York, she expected Nevada to be like Las Vegas, or at least like Manhattan, where the residents never slept. No. The world was gray and pitiful. There could be all four seasons in one day and literally no one gave two fucks. Not too different from Ireland, where her parents were from.

Her formerly red hair, tanned skin, and bright blue eyes were forgotten. Her freckles faded. In fact, as soon as her classmates and she stepped off the plane, they slowly turned gray, nigh-featureless, with a facial cross. Aria was so ashamed of her face that she covered her eyes with black goggles with X-shaped lens. She tattooed a teardrop on her eye, to remember.

"Goddamn it, Aria. Jordan's death wasn't your fault. However, that AAHW section...that was all you." She remembered her older brother, Aaron saying those words.

After he had uttered those words, however, one of the locals brutally murdered him with a screwdriver. They tried to get to her too, but her figure was lithe and her legs were strong. She ran to the higher-ups, one of the Soldats, and tried to get him to help. He just looked at her, pitying her.

"There is nothing we can do. The Bandits...they'll do anything to survive. Even become cannibals."

If they would do anything to survive, she would, too. And she did. She became an AAHW member, didn't she? And she accepted that deal with the Employers, didn't she? Yeah, she was somewhat of a survivor herself.

Then she saw Benjamin: a cowardly, nervous boy who had become a leader almost seamlessly after most of their classmates had died. He motioned for her to follow him.

Aria pointed to the Soldats. Benjamin nodded in understanding and crept into the shadows, out of sight.

"Excuse me?" Aria quietly murmured, approaching the Soldat nearest to her.

He turned, and looked at her with the Soldats' signature glare. However, his gaze softened after he realized who was there. "What do you need, kid?" he asked.

"May I go somewhere with my friend? I think it's urgent business!" Aria said, emphasizing the word urgent.

The Soldat nodded and shooed her away. Aria almost pumped her fist into the air, then remembered that showing emotion was frowned upon. She walked in silence.

She met Benjamin at the gates, and clambered over the barbed wire effortlessly. "What is it?" she asked nonchalantly.

"Someone wants to talk to you. Obviously, I suggested a later time, but he said we had to do it now..." Benjamin muttered shyly.

Benjamin pointed to a part of the shadows. Aria couldn't make out who it was until she turned. She gasped.

Stygian was standing there, hands at his side. "Hello, Aria. The others wanted me to give you a message. I'm not their fucking messenger..." he stage-whispered.

Aria nodded, and gestured for him to keep going.

"The Auditor said that you have to betray them tonight at the latest."

"WHAT?!" Aria screamed.

One of the Engineers looked over warily. Stygian disappeared. Benjamin hid. Aria waved to him, accidentally unsheathing her hunting knife as she did so.

"Those damned kids..." he muttered as he returned to his work.

Aria moved about 20 feet forward, so that she was in sight but out of earshot. Stygian reappeared, and Benjamin rejoined the duo. "As I was saying, he said tonight at the latest. However, you can spare one person. Who would you like it to be?"

"Rio," Aria almost instantaneously responded.

Rio was an Engineer who was with the AAHW and Nexus Core but opposed their beliefs. He was doing it so that the portion of his family that didn't get their faces chomped off by Zeds could still survive. Stygian raised an eyebrow. (At least, that's what Aria thought he did. Hard to tell.) "Alright. Have a nice day."

And with that, Stygian disappeared.

Aria made her was back to camp and went over to Rio. She told him her plan.

"Hmm...okay. I'll be out of here by about 7:30. Do it...7:45?" Rio asked.

"Sounds good..." Aria muttered slyly.

7:45 finally came. Aria clutched her hunting knife. Her hands gripped her AK-47 nervously. She had just been dismissed from the infirmary for a convenient bout of menstrual cramps. "I only have one shot..." she muttered.

Finally, the first wave of agents came from the barracks. They were dressed in casual clothes as opposed to the chafing suits they normally wore. Aria raised her AK-47 and shot at them.

Bang! Thud. Bang! Thud. With each accurate headshot, one 1337 agent died. Then the second wave came and fell. Third? Came and fell. Engineers? Sliced them to pieces with her hunting knife.

Aria armed herself with a discarded pistol and a revolver. The Soldats rushed out of the main base of operations to find some of the best recruits dead, and a high school age girl standing in the carnage, covered in red and yellow blood.

"Freeze!" the first one said as he brandished his shotgun.

Bang! The Soldat fell, groaning in pain from the shot in the heart before going completely limp.

The second one was nowhere to be seen. Aria sauntered confidently to the exit before being sniped by the Soldat. She turned and fell on her knees, crawling slowly to the sniper post.

The Soldat was goddamn terrified. A half-dead 16-year-old crawling over to him would do that. Aria grabbed a machete and climbed up the ladder.

"Why-" Bang. "-won't-" Bang. "-you-" Bang. "DIE?!"

"Spite fuels my rage. Adrenaline is what's keeping me alive and preserved. My willpower will kill you," Aria croaked.

She finally reached the top, and lunged at the Soldat. She easily slit his throat and decapitated him, throwing the corpse over the edge before losing balance and falling herself.

Thud. Aria was dead.

Meanwhile, 2BDamned was meandering around the barren plains of Nevada before seeing the carnage.

Then he saw the little girl. "Poor thing..." he muttered as he scaled the fence.

"I will heal you."

END OF CHAPTER ONE.

(For some reason Fandom won't let me put the drawing. So I'll describe it instead :D)

The person depicted in this drawing is a female-looking grunt named Aria. She appears to be decently tall, with uneven, choppy gray hair. On the right side of her head, she wears a crown-like accessory. She also has a scar on her left cheek, goggles in the shape of an X over both eyes, and a teardrop tattoo below the right one. She wears a black choker and seems to be wearing a blouse of some kind under a jacket patterned with triangles and with clouds on the sleeves. There is a visible stab wound in her stomach.

Description:

Name: Aria

Age: 16 (time of death)

17 (currently)

Affiliation: S.Q.

2BDamned (adoptive father)

AAHW (formerly)

Employers (formerly)

Species: Nevadian

Biography: A schoolgirl who was in Nevada when the madness started. A man saw her lifeless body among the carnage of slaughtered AAHW agents. He took pity on her, and took her in. Now she is a hired mercenary, but everyone wonders why someone so young died so soon...

Stats:

Melee: 8

Ranged: 12

Acrobatics: 9

Unarmed: 10