Author Topic: Choose your own Adventure with Zahnnie! (Read 9534 times)

Zahnnie · « **on:** August 19, 2008, 07:44:13 AM »

Here's how it works: I post a couple paragraphs of the story. At the end, I post two options. Whoever posts next picks what option the story goes on.

Naturally, if you die horribly, you can just flip back to the last page and choose the other option.

I will do this until I get bored!
----------------------------

It's a dark and wet night, and as the cab screeches off the tires thoughtfully plaster the disgusting puddles of rainwater, oil, and gods-know-what-else all over your legs. Well, at least you're wearing black, you tell yourself, trying to keep in good spirits.

This is a great opportunity, you remind yourself. Working with the Group? A Group so secret that by almost all standards they don't actually exist? It's beyond an honor; it's hard to even conceive of. And what's more, they've actually gathered a group here, in this neutral location, to meet you and discuss what you can do for them.

The location itself isn't very impressive; a rather rickety looking old tenement building that's only really notable for being six stories taller than any of the buildings on the rest of this cramped and dingy block. Neighborhood building codes be damned, huh? Over half of the streetlights aren't even working; and the one just over your head is flickering, making you just a little queasy. You swallow hard, close your eyes, and try to focus on the goal: joining the Group. Or at least working beside them, for this one mission?

You shiver in anticipation and bend over to pick up your heavy suitcase. You didn't know how in-depth this interview was going to be, so you'd brought a whole load of toys, but man, is your arm tired. As you're reaching down to take hold of the handle, you see a blur of movement from beneath the road's grate; something or someone running quickly by in the tunnel below.

There's an access manhole just a few feet away; you're pretty sure you could jimmy it up and pop down there to see what's going on. But you're barely going to make your meeting time as it is, and you're not sure how particular the Group is about punctuality...

* Head down the manhole, who was that figure?
* Keep your appointment, head for the front door.

Vel · « **Reply #1 on:** August 19, 2008, 08:51:55 AM »

Head down the rabbit hole!

Zahnnie · « **Reply #2 on:** August 19, 2008, 09:08:19 AM »

(I LOVE YOU VEL!)

They asked you here because you're a damn fine agent and investigator- time to investigate! Besides, what if this is a test to see what you'd do in this situation? Might as well be prepared.

Unzipping a side compartment of your bag, you whip out a short length of pole and in a matter of seconds the manhole cover is up. Slinging your heavy bag over one shoulder, you're down that slippery ladder like a monkey, slowed only slightly by the slimy, gritty material that's coating the bars. You decide not to contemplate just what that might be, and concentrate on getting to the bottom of this ladder without incident and without making too much noise.

You reach the bottom and take off running. It's a low passage, and you have to run all hunched over, your bag weighing uncomfortably on your back. As your eyes adjust to the lack of light, you begin to notice details of the scene around you: footprints in the sludge at the bottom of the tunnel, what looks like a smear of blood right where you were about to put your hand.

An unsettling feeling is beginning to work its way through your body; did you make the right choice? Too late to turn back.

Ahead of you is what looks like a wider opening, as though this access tunnel is meeting a wider one. Cautious, you first peek out, checking around the corners with your mirror-tube, then gripping your lucky knife in a reversed grip and slowly stepping out.

A very faint creaking sound is your only warning; startled, you look deeper into the shadows of the tunnel across the way from you, and you see a well-obscured figure lifting what is definitely a crossbow, and pointing it right at you.

You've got maybe one second; if you close the distance, you could eliminate the usefulness of the crossbow. But what if they have another weapon? You must choose- do you leap across and attack with your knife, or dive to one side, out of the person's range?

* Full frontal assault! I'mah stab some bitches!
* That bolt could still end up in me! Run for cover, man!

Majestrix · « **Reply #3 on:** August 19, 2008, 09:27:45 AM »

Full frontal assault and stab some bitches! Stab them right in their ear!

machiavelli33 · « **Reply #4 on:** August 19, 2008, 09:45:22 AM »

STAB! DIVE AND STAB! TAKE THE PUNCHES! Or bolts, as it were.

Zahnnie · « **Reply #5 on:** August 19, 2008, 09:47:37 AM »

Your training is kicking in; without even blinking, you launch yourself through the air, bringing up your arm to deliver a powerful stab as you land...

"Fuck! No!" the figure- a woman?- cries, throwing herself backwards as she fires the crossbow- directly under your feet.

A squeal of pain sounds from behind you, and you suddenly realize that she wasn't firing at you- you were about to be jumped by... something? You check your swing, twisting yourself around to keep from stabbing her, and end up landing heavily on top of her.

"Ow, FUCK!" she yelps as you scramble to get off of her. You realize that this is the infamous archer-assassin of the Group- TGU. And what's more, she's already badly injured- the top shoulder of her sleek-fitting bodysuit has been torn apart, and the bruised and bloody flesh beneath makes you wince. Her infamous longbow is slung, unstrung, over one shoulder- obviously she can't fire it one-handed, that explains the crossbow...

You realize you're staring and quickly look away, back into the alley. Whatever it was is gone, and TGU is looking pretty ticked off about it. "I didn't get a kill shot," she says grumpily, "not even a really bad wound. Ugh. You the new recruit?"

You nod, feeling pretty foolish. "Should we go after that... whatever it was?" You offer your hand to help her out of the tunnel.

"No time," she shakes her head, ignoring your hand and hopping out. "You'll have plenty of opportunity to get them later. Look, they'll explain everything at the briefing. You go ahead, I'll cover your tracks while I wait for the last agent to make contact." She points down the tunnel you two had just come out of. "Two hundred meters down, hatch straight above you. Get out of here."

She's pretty badly wounded, unable to even draw her main weapon. But she still has the crossbow, and you see a number of knives strapped to her legs. You're torn; it feels wrong to leave her behind like this, but if she really can take care of yourself, you're not going to score any points by trying to look macho in front of her.

"Go!" she says angrily, seeing your conflict. "The helo isn't going to wait for you much longer!"

* Stay with the wounded, yet still sexy TGU in the tunnels
* Do what she says, and get to the briefing before they leave without you

Sock · « **Reply #6 on:** August 19, 2008, 11:25:18 AM »

Angry lady is angry! Go to the briefing.

Bunner · « **Reply #7 on:** August 19, 2008, 11:34:00 AM »

Dammit, Z, what happens in my manhole is none of your damn business!

Yeah, I have nothing of value to contribute.... Proceed.

Zahnnie · « **Reply #8 on:** August 19, 2008, 11:39:24 AM »

Yeesh, TGU is scary when she's been mauled by something on one arm, then knocked over by an overly enthusiastic recruit and nearly stabbed to death in a foul sewer. You're getting out of there.

You snap a salute to the Lady Archer, sling your back back over your shoulder, and zip down the alleyway. Behind you, you hear a few muttered profanities before the sound of trickling water obscures all other noises.

Above you is the access tunnel and ladder. With a mighty leap, you reach the bottom rung and pull yourself up, clinging stubbornly to the slimy bars. Man, your hands are nasty at this point. Maybe you shouldn't have brought everything you did, also... your shoulder is about to fall right off.

You climb, your bag scraping against the narrow tunnel, and before you know it you're peering out of a hatch into a... living room? A number of tattered sofas are shoved against three of the four walls. There's a light on in an adjacent room, but a quick peek with your mirrored tube shows no one in the vicinity.

You crawl out of the tube and set the hatch back down silently. Somewhere a few rooms off, you can hear low voices.

Suddenly, you hear a snarl from behind you. You whip around, gun in hand, and see none other than an enormous hyena poised in the doorway!

* Shoot the hyena! Those things are vicious!
* Make a run out the other door, get to where those voices are!

The Revolution · « **Reply #9 on:** August 19, 2008, 12:52:17 PM »

Always follow the voices. That's how I got to where I am now as a person

Vel · « **Reply #10 on:** August 19, 2008, 01:15:56 PM »

Wub.

Zahnnie · « **Reply #11 on:** August 19, 2008, 01:17:12 PM »

You turn tail and run like hell, heading for the room. Behind you, the snarl turns into a laughing scream, and the creature gives chase. You're already vaulting one couch when something tears right next to your ear, and your bag goes tumbling to the ground.

Carrying only your pistol makes you feel nearly naked, but you're not going to stick around and face that thing on your own! You scramble out into a hallway that smells like mildew, hearing the hyena crash into something that lets out a ringing peal as it falls to the ground, and then you're charging through a set of half-open French doors into a dilapidated library.

Molding tomes and dust-covered bookends fill the shelves, some of which have collapsed under the weight. A large dusty steel desk dominates one end of the room, and behind it sits a muscular black man in a white sport coat, talking on a cell phone. A blond woman sits on the desk beside him, her back to you, looking at the laptop she holds. Both of them leap to their feet as you enter.

"VEL!" the woman shouts, whipping her head around and trying to balance her laptop. "CALL OFF YOUR BEAST! It's gonna eat the recruit!" You can't help but notice she has extremely cute glasses. This must be Stargazer, the Group's dispatcher and researcher.

The man, who you realize can only be the infamous Revolution, shakes his head and frowns. The expression makes him a lot more intimidating than you were expecting. "Honestly, we don't have time for this. You're the recruit?"

Behind you, a slim, short blond woman in a black bodysuit slinks into the room, grinning apologetically. "Er, sorry recruit, we weren't expecting you from the tunnels." The hyena pads in behind Vel and sits at her heel, looking up at you with a wild-eyed grin.

"Doesn't matter," the Revolution shakes his head. "Where're the other two? The archer and... you came from the tunnels, right? Where are they?" He snaps his cell phone loudly and shakes his head. "No time. Look kid, we wanted to fill you in on this now, but the schedule's moved up unexpectedly and we've got to get out of here."

"The Lady Archer was in the tunnels, she was wounded," you say nervously, the words all rushing out. "She said she was waiting on the last, and to get moving, it wouldn't wait forever..."

"She's right," Stargazer replies seriously, closing her laptop and sliding it into a slim case. "Grab your stuff and follow me to the roof. We'll fill you in once we're in the air. Do you have any heavy weapons?"

"Just a basic SMG," you say nervously. "I'll go grab my..."

A loud boom from out front freezes you mid-sentence. The Revolution and Stargazer exchange a long look, and both nod. "Move," he says simply, and vaults the desk.

Stargazer is already pelting up the stairs in the hallway. You wonder if you shouldn't just follow her and leave the bag, those explosions sounded awfully close. But she did ask if you had heavy weapons...

* Go get the guns! More firepower is better!
* Screw this, you're gonna be asploded! Trust your knife and pistol and RUN!

007bistromath · « **Reply #12 on:** August 19, 2008, 01:29:24 PM »

Man, I ain't even gotta read that. I've played videogames long enough to know that when the last level is falling apart all over your head, there is still always time to visit the armory.

Zahnnie · « **Reply #13 on:** August 19, 2008, 01:33:14 PM »

(stay tuned kids. I have to run home from work, but will attempt to post from home.)

Vel · « **Reply #14 on:** August 19, 2008, 01:51:11 PM »

(I THINK THIS ALL SOUNDS LIKE Z SHOULD START A NEW RPG)

Majestrix · « **Reply #15 on:** August 19, 2008, 02:06:46 PM »

I say go get the guns, cos I like guns. Especially if they're purple and have Hello Kitty on them.

The Revolution · « **Reply #16 on:** August 19, 2008, 02:16:30 PM »

LIES! YOU LIKE CROSSBOW!! AND CROSSBOWS DO NOT EQUAL GUNS!!!

Majestrix · « **Reply #17 on:** August 19, 2008, 02:38:23 PM »

Well, I love crossbows. But they weren't mentioned as an option so I went with the guns.

DON'T YOU JUDGE ME!

The Revolution · « **Reply #18 on:** August 19, 2008, 02:54:34 PM »

YOU SHOT DAVE ... or Sean... WITH A CROSSBOW!!! TH..

Ok, caps are annoying me.

There was Wiimotes in the house. They are basically like guns. And you didn't shoot... one of them with that! You like Crossbows better!

Majestrix · « **Reply #19 on:** August 19, 2008, 03:47:13 PM »

Yeah, but they're not even remotely like real guns as far as I'm concerned. But that crossbow was realistic enough, it even had purple bolts!

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Author Topic: Choose your own Adventure with Zahnnie! (Read 9534 times)

Bunner