ZRP-2: Chapter Two, Paradise in Hell

"Oh... Right."
Abel looked at his boots in embarrassment.
"I misunderstood..."

She laughed at the both of them, quiet and embarrassed was Abel, and quiet and nervous was Tyler. "Well Tyler you should probably go get some food and drinks, enjoy life while we're here.."

"This is the first time I've left my room, I have no clue where anything is."

I lean my head against the wall and close my eyes.

Has Jenny even been getting water? Or food in te past two days?

Brook sighs, walks over to Tyler and grabs his hand. "Come on, I'll show you around." She said. "Abel, you coming?" She asked, looking at him.

Abel looked around.
"I ain't got nothing better to do."

She nodded and walked witht he two of them out of the hotel and around the compound, hopefully they'd run into someone to calm Tyler down, but she doubted it.

I look down at my- our hands. My gloves were on, so I wondered what it felt like holding it.

"Ummm..."

=At the top of the hotel in the expansive villa, the small meeting reached an agreement: they would not wait for James to heal. They would speak to a representative and if the news from their men below told them anything, it was that one had already been chosen=

*Mr. Slate*
"Send them up to meet with us. And please, prepare a meal for them."

Hibiki waited...then went to meet the leaders.
The Elites.

Eve giggled a bit as Sammy settled on her head. "I...guess she likes being with us, too..."

(Sam)
"I guess she does."
=It was then that I realized I was still wet in some places, despite my best attempt to dry myself off. My hair was the most obvious, and I decided to let Eve go=

"Just need to dry my hair."


=A group of three guards went down to meet Cooper and Hibiki, relaying the orders to him, and they proceeded to escort her to an express elevator to the villa=

Eve clung to Sam's hand, and followed her.

Hibiki let them escort her. She remained silent.

=While they waited at the long table that served both as their meeting point and their dining table, a fresh meal was brought in and placed at the opposite end of the table: glazed black cod, baby potatoes, Oriental vegetable medley, all fresh and steaming. Well, as fresh as previously frozen can be anyway=

It's the end of the world. Yet. STILL THIS SHITTY ELEVATOR MUSIC?!"
Hibiki scowled.
Fucking elevator music.

*Mr. Slate*
"I do hope they hurry, or the meal will go cold. Charles, if you would please cover the tray."
=One of the bodyguards in the room walked over, a metal lid in hand, and covered the tray, stepping back to the wall=

Finally getting off of the elevator, Hibiki was led to the...
She muttered a few choice words in Japanese. "Trying to compensate for something?" She asked politely.

=The guards were silent, though one of them grimaced a little, as they led her out of the elevator and to the door leading to the villa. They opened it for her, leading her inside so that the first thing she would see was the table, the Elite council before her. And of course, her meal=

*Mr. Slate*
"Ah, at last the representative of James arrives. I believe your name is....Hibiki?"
=He had looked past her to one of the guards, and when they nodded he knew he was right=

"Hai." She said, sitting down. "You probably heard me yelling at that blockhead." She said, crossing her arms.

*Mr. Slate*
=The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled.....the way a shark smiles at a baby seal=
"Sadly no, but I'm sure it made for quite the waking up present for him. Ah, Charles if you would be so kind...."

=Charles once more stepped from the wall, and lifted the lid off the tray, showing the steaming food to Hibiki=
"Please, eat. You must be famished, and it must have been so long since you had a good meal."

"I trust my daughter and the rest of our party has been offered such fare?" She queried, waiting to touch her food.

*Mr. Slate*
"Of course. Please, dig in and we can discuss business."
=He leaned back in his easy chair, the others at the table remaining silent=

Hibiki dug in, not caring about etiquette. She just ate.

Once she was done, she wiped her mouth and leaned back.
"So. Let's talk."

*Mr. Slate*
"My my, no proper dining manners these days, but oh well what does one expect. But yes, to business."
=He took a sip from his clip, the amber liquid almost glowing in the light=

"Why are you and your compatriots here? I've heard rumors that you wanted support in a war, but I rarely trust rumors. Better to here it straight from the source."

"We want to wage war and eradicate the Shepherds." She said bluntly. "We'd like your help."

*Mr. Slate*
=He chuckled a little=
"My, aren't we the ambitious ones. If you could afford it, I think you might fit in around here. But yes, the Shepherds....they have become a recent annoyance as of late. You helped push back the latest attack within three weeks, and with them around supply runs are becoming more costly. But why should we help you wage war on them? We're nice and safe within this palace. The bridges are blocked and lined with explosives should the need arise, and the area around our home is fortified and defended. In here, we will outlast them."

"You will run out of ammo. You will run out of food. You will sit here, starving, begging for scraps from the garbage just to live." Hibiki stood. "Either you help James, commit resources to destroy those bastards, or you hide here snd ultimately die. Because, your food is not inexhaustible. Your ammo, will run out. You cannot hold out forever."
Hibiki glared. "You will outlast nothing. Only delay the inevitable. Either you help us, or doom yourselves to death."

*Mr. Slate*
=The change was instantaneous. One moment, he was calmly, politely smiling at Hibiki, almost as a friend. The next his gaze turned cold, steel filled his voice, and there was an air of cruelty around the man=
"Do not think to threaten us here, Jap. You do not know the first thing about this place, or how we've survived for this long. This is OUR SANCTUARY!!! And I will not see it put at risk for a fools war."

"Call me Jap. One. More. Time." She said. "And the only fool is you. Because a concrete island with no crops can only end in death." She leaned forward. "You can either fight or stay here and die like cowards."

*Mr. Slate*
"I think we're done here, Hibiki. Feel free to gather what supplies you need, and then leave."
=He calmed down then, and he once more adopted a polite look=

"But where are my manners. James certainly can't be moved yet, nor is he in any condition to travel. I'm a generous man, so I'll give you until he is ready to leave."

"This palace will become your mausoleum. And you're no fucking Arbiter."
Hibiki snapped a knife into the air, caught it, and sent it over Slate's ear.
"You are too fattened by luxury to realize salvation is offering it's service. Enjoy damnation."

Hibiki turned her back and left.

*Mr. Slate*
=His eyes went wide at the attempt on his life, and he almost motioned for Charles to riddle her with bullets. But a single glare from one of his compatriots silenced him. The lone figure, a middle aged woman with auburn hair, gray streaks withing, stood from her chair, and moved to follow Hibiki out of the dining room=

Hibiki stepped into the elevator, arms crossed. She sighed.
Fuckers like Slate just pissed her off.

=The woman caught up to Hibiki's elevator, and just managed to get inside, standing out of arms reach of the woman on the other side of the box. She was pale, and dressed in expensive clothes. She nodded once at the guards in the elevator, then sighed=

*Clarissa*
"My apologies. Slate is an ass who's trying desperately to cling to the old world. He shuts his eyes to the new one, and if he ever truly sees it he looses all control."
=Another sigh followed, and she held her hand out to Hibiki=

"My name is Clarissa, Hibiki. Pleasure to meet you."

Hibiki took her hand.
"Your friend should learn to never insult a pregnant SWAT Officer. Especially by insulting their heritage."
She sighed. "Pleasure to meet someone who isn't an idiot."

*Clarissa*
"Please, the man is hardly my friend. But again, I apologize for his behavior."
=She smiled a little when she heard Hibiki say she was pregnant=

"It's nice to see life go on in this world. Who's the father, if I might ask?"

"James." She said. "The blockhead who got himself shot." She smiled, leaning against the wall.
"So. What's the deal? Not to be rude, but why did a god leave her marble hall?"

*Clarissa*
"Because Slate is blind, stupid, and worse with him in charge not only will the Shepherds go unchallenged, but he risks us all dying here."
=I didn't bother worrying about the guards in the elevator hearing me, they were more loyal to me than Slate=

"I assume Marcus sent you?"

"He did." Hibiki relaxed a bit. "We need the help. Enough death. Time for the Shepherds to meet their maker. Not those who wish to live."

*Clarissa*
"Well that will be a problem right now. There are a number of things that prevent me from giving you the support you need, Hibiki. For one, there is Slate. So long as he's in charge, I can't give you any real support. Another is that despite his claims, we are facing internal issues. We've had encroachments of walkers in the city, or at least withing our borders. To make matters worse, there are still Shepherds attacking from the west."
=She took a moment to take a breath=

"But, if the pressure could be taken off those areas, then we will have enough spare man power to devote resources and troops."
=The elevator dinged, and the doors opened at the ground floor=

"Please, consider what I am asking. When you have reached a consensus, find Cooper, and tell him you wish to speak."

"That man reminds me of a Shepherd who wanted to rape me. Tell me, how many girls does he have?"

After she got her answer, Hibiki continued. "I can deal with the walkers. But I need manpower to take out the Shepherds. Their camp isn't exactly something my band can take out."

*Clarissa*
"Oh please, Slate's many things but he's no rapist. He also has no children. As for the Shepherds, it's not a camp, just a raiding party, a sister to the one you encountered at the bridge. We can devout some troops and weapons to help you take them out."

"He certainly has the air of a rapist." She scowled. "I'll lead the troops against the Shepherds. Have some more get with the rest of my group and deal with the walkers."
She pauses. "That will be all I need to cover your problems."

*Clarissa*
"All but one."
=Her voice turned to a hushed whisper=

"While he never expressly stated it, he has a gun on James. He'll be watching you to make sure you toe the line, and if you don't...."
=She let that hang in the air, letting Hibiki fill in the blanks=

"I'll do what I can to keep him from pulling the trigger, but you need to tread carefully."

"If he touches the father of his child, I will kill him. I will cut through your troops. I will then kick him out of his window, Leonidas style. And I will laugh." She stepped forward. "I do jot make petty or empty threats. If he touches the man I love, he will die."

*Clarissa*
=She smiled, not at the thought of violence, but simply at the sight of seeing something rare in this world: love, compassion=
"I'd help, but ladies like me aren't good at kicking things. My point though is that Slate will need to be deposed. He controls more through fear, and that lackey of his Charles. watch out for him, more than anything. He's dangerous, and I've seen him kill."

"I'm a female Jackie Chan."
Hibiki laughed. "Slate is picking a fight with a pregnant bear who's child is threatened. Tell me. Would you Piss me off?"

*Clarissa*
=She didn't smile this time=
"Hibiki, take this seriously. Charles is more dangerous than you know."

=She stepped back into the elevator=
"Talk with your people. I'll wait for an answer."

=The doors closed, and she was gone=

"I am."

Hibiki grabbed two guards. "Find my group. Tell them to meet in James' hospital room. I'll find the child. Consider this Cooper's orders."

After the two ran off, Hibiki went to Sam and Eve's room.
She knocked.

(Sam)
=I had let go of Eve's hand to use both, as I held the towel up to dry my hair. Once I was satisfied it wasn't going to be dripping anytime soon, I heard a knock on the door. Moving to open it, I found Hibiki outside, and she looked....I couldn't place it=
"Hibiki, what's up?"

"Everyone to James' hospital room. We need to discuss our next move." She glanced at Eve, who was clinging to Sam again.
"Has she been good?" She asked, smiling softly.

(Sam)
=I smiled a little=
"She's been great. Guess I'll follow you to James' room then?"