tvklogs | The real problem in zombie movies is always...

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The real problem in zombie movies is always...

Who: Adachi and Devola
What: Zombie fighting/investigating! This will end well.
Where: The streets of Prospero
When: The Dark Hour of October 11
Rating: Potentially R for violence

For about the fiftieth time tonight, Adachi checks his handgun. Loaded, ready, safety off. Safety on, back in holster. Better leave it unsnapped just in case. The Dark Hour is bad enough when it's just freaky blob-monsters viewed from behind the safety of an upper-floor window and a barred door. Last night, and again tonight, it had become infinitely worse with the addition of horrible movie-monster zombies (and not the classic kind, either, these bastards are faster than the shuffling do-nothings they appear to be in the daylight).

Still, Adachi can't just sit back and hide forever. No matter how much he wants to. This sort of thing can only get worse and worse, and what if a zombie broke into his hotel room while he was sleeping? What then? Informed is in...armed...or something, and Adachi likes being armed.

So, that's why Adachi's gotten ahold of the one person in Prospero who isn't a punk kid who thinks he's better than Adachi and/or a freak. Arguably, the one person in Prospero Adachi trusts, and the only attractive woman to give him the actual time of day since Ya--well, since anyone, really.

Putting those unpleasant memories and thoughts at the back of his mind for now, and checking his weapon one more time, Adachi heads to the front of the hotel, where he agreed to meet Devola.

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Devola, for her part, was easy to find. Sitting casually in the lobby, her staff resting within her reach, and her gaze leveled at the front entrance.

She would admit it was slightly surprising she'd been the one Adachi had asked for assistance. Aside from the "generically powerful" persona-users, there were also legendary heroes among them... assuming those who'd declared such weren't liars, at any rate. In comparison her own combat abilities were, well, gimped.

Still, she'd been the one suggesting that no one dare go out alone - even before the deceased had reanimated. To turn him down would have been hypocritical, rude, and altogether unconscionable. Besides, if there was one thing she was sure of, it was her memory: all of the side-paths in town, what buildings a normal person could hop between, all the escape routes she'd used the past few months to avoid shadows were as clear as reading a map.

She supposed they would find out whether or not said escape routes also worked on revenants.

The sound of another person entering the lobby got her attention, causing her first look over her shoulder then rise to greet Adachi with a wave. "'Evening. Ready for... whatever you wanna call this? Can't say I'm familiar with police lingo."

"I guess it's just walking a beat," Adachi says, somewhat ruefully. "It's not like I have a place to start investigating. We'll just go around and look for something suspicious. Other than zombies or blob-monsters."

Adachi sighs at the lack of direction in this little 'investigation'. He was as willing to admit as ever that he had no idea what he was doing. Shadows? Zombies? Mass deaths with no explanation? This place was insane.

Of course, there is one way to test out the supernatural effects on death, but...

"Regardless, let's get going. I'm gonna count on you for directions, okay? I'm not used to moving around at night yet," Adachi says, his grimace turning into an attempt at a grateful smile.

She raised her hand in a salute, a grin and an "Aye-aye, detective." escaping her mouth, herself seriousing up a slightly after speaking. Levity was a good thing, but too much of it? Currently, the situation was completely different from normal. Added distractions were not ideal.

"Hey, if we're lucky we'll find the source. Dunno what that'd be per se, but we'll never know 'till we go looking."

She paused, adding hesitantly, "You're probably in better shape than me, but you don't mind if whatever route we wind up taking meanders across a few rooftops, do you?"

"Rooftops...?"

Adachi lets his expression do the talking about his fear of heights rather than complaining aloud. For once. If this lady could manage it, when she was one of the less ridiculous people here, he probably can to. And hey, it's a chance to show off.

"Well, it's more efficient than spending all my energy running from zombies on the ground," he admits as well with a resigned sigh.

Unholstering his Prospero-PD-issued handgun, he makes to lead the way out into the night. "You shoot zombies in the head to kill them, right?" he asks, making conversation to distract from his likely upcoming demise.

Devola couldn't quite help it, Adachi's expression was so stricken for a moment that biting back a chuckle was near-impossible. "Well, we can use 'em as a backup plan. You'd be surprised what ordinary people -can- jump, and what shadows can't."

That which was left unsaid being 'we'll find out what zombies can or cannot jump.'

She'd follow Adachi fairly closely, eyeing the gun as it was brought out. "Err, you're asking the wrong person. Can't say I've ever been menaced by living-dead humans, or used a gun... shooting something in the head usually ruins it's day though, right?"

A sidelong glance would fall on her own weapon - certainly, a well placed jab or bash would cause some harm, but she'd be the first to admit that against enemies already dead... well, it'd be a learning experience.

"Y-yeah."

Just as she can tell he's scared, Adachi can see that suppressed laugh. He sees the hell out of it. He's always considered his ability to read (and lead) somebody his best quality as a detective. Especially when he's reading someone thinking poorly of him.

Still, his self-image can be salvaged if this goes anywhere. Other than probable death. Adachi flips the safety off his gun for reassurance and leads the way out into the streets. The area around the Hotel is momentarily clear, so Adachi heads down a street at random, gun leading the way. Say what you will about him, he certainly seems to know how to use that thing.

She let out a low hum, "Then we'll be alright. You're trained and skilled with that thing, and if something gets too close I should be able to hold it off for a bit."

Adachi would find that Devola would follow after him with rather surprising agility, looking back now and then to make certain they weren't being followed in an almost professional manner.

Certainly, she was one of the less-freakshow members of the population here, but living in a dangerous and dying world imprinted certain... things upon a person. Even someone living in the most peaceful, safest areas would have to know how to defend themselves. Furthermore, this particular someone had the added benefit of often working as part of a pair.

A quick thought flashed across Devola's mind, one that caused her to kick herself mentally for not asking sooner. "Urgh. I forgot to ask; do you want to avoid the main streets, just get in sight of them, or go through them?"

"Well..." Of course, Adachi hadn't thought of that either. "Let's...let's stick to the main streets if we can. Better field of fire."

And more room to run.

Adachi heads forward as boldly as he can manage down the street. He can hear things running before he can see them in the stillness of the Dark Hour. It's plain unnatural out, with no buzz of electronics or steady hum of cars and trains. It's even worse than the shithole he came from last, somehow. Oh right, Inaba didn't have zombies.

Adachi jumps at people - ex-people, really - charging from around a corner, firing off two panicked shots. One of them goes wide, but the other is enough to get one of the small knot of zombies to stumble back, groaning.

"Shit!"

It was a wise plan, really. The larger streets had more options as far as preforming a tactical retreat went - the most options, in fact. Certainly, there was a far greater chance of being spotted while traveling them, but...

Well, when it came to intelligent creatures versus mindless beasts, brains gave the advantage. Right?

Either way, the first shot rang out and Devola accessed the metaphorical map in her head. To say she was showing a cool head would be understatement; more of that shitty-world background at work. Quickly, she'd determined the best route would be the alleyway directly to their left, though a glance revealed a few people there, heads shooting up at the sound.

Probably good to write that one off. The next best option was...

"Across the street and up about... a fourth of a block away. We should have the most options if we go in that direction."

Adachi nods as he backs up across the street, firing and imagining the shambling figures of former humans as just more paper targets at the end of the range. It's surprisingly easy, and results in about as many hits as misses as he tries to knock the things back. Once he's crossed the street, though, he turns and bolts in whichever direction Devola's going.

Their sprint to the alley was, thankfully, rapid enough to dart in before even more revenants stirred. Whatever stragglers Adachi had missed currently the only ones in (admittedly hot) pursuit.

"Alright... the ladder on this side." A hand raised, tapping the wall to their north delicately, "Should be an outside stairwell on the left side of the roof - n'like you can see, alley's... kinda closed off in the middle. Ready to climb?"

Adachi nods fervently, pausing to let Devola head up first. Well, actually, it's because he's hesitating at holstering his gun so he can climb the ladder, but he's not going to explain that aloud.

In short order, he'll be heading up to the top of the building after Devola.

The pause was clearly because chivalry is something far from being dead, even in dangerous and potentially life-and-death situations such as these. At least, that was the assumption Devola made as a passing thought.

Once at the top of the roof she'd scuttle over to the ladder on the other side, peering over the rooftop and casting an eye over the new street as she waited for Adachi.

Yeah. Chivalry. Exactly.

Adachi hurries up the ladder quickly (gun still in hand, he eventually decides) as the zombies start spilling into the alley, bringing more goons with them. He's on the roof shortly after Devola, looking down and looking rather horrified.

"Z-zombies aren't supposed to move that damn fast!"

On the other side of the roof, a similar problem unfolds. In either a surprising display of coordination or a lot of luck and hunting instinct, zombies have found the staircase on the other side of the building and are tentatively beginning to head upward toward Devola and Adachi's position.

"They're not? Can't say I'm an expert on being haunted by dead humans." Okay, so the interjection of humor might have been wildly inappropriate, but damned if panicking would help them.

"Right then, two options. Storm down the staircase - and can I say I'd rather not? Or make a break for it across... well, that." Devola jerked her head to the building that had closed off the back of the alley, it was slightly taller than their current location, but not so much that they couldn't reach the top.

"Memory serves, there should be another way down across the way. No way they're smart enough to be at that spot, too."

Adachi doesn't quite seem to hear. Looking at the zombies picking their way up the stairs, he clearly starts to panic.

"What the hell did I do to deserve this?!" he asks. "This place sucks! I shouldn't even be..."

He trails off, just kind of staring at the moment.

"Hey, hey c'mon. Cool heads prevail and all that." Devola gave a calm, soothing tone her best shot, but with the z~~erg~~ombie rush drawing closer it came off as slightly forced.

She turned towards the other building, walking calmly if swiftly with her back to Adachi. "Let's try a tactical retreat. We should have enough time..."

She didn't mean to trail off as she had. In honesty she gave the retreat a 50/50 chance of success, higher odds if the theoretical zombie on the "can't get away" side was easily kicked away. Or distracted.

Still, it was better than facing the charge head-on, right?

Adachi takes a deep breath to calm himself. He focuses. He gets his heart-rate under control.

Then he turns around and looks at the surging mass of irate corpses again, and rational thought goes out the window. He whips back around to face Devola's retreating back, running ahead of him, getting away while he's left for zombie food, and a perfectly reasonable plan snaps into place in his mind.

Oddly quiet on his feet, Adachi charges forward after Devola and with a short leap, brings the butt of his Prospero-issued handgun crashing down across the back of her head. It's a simple technique, taught to anyone the police might think end up using a baton on someone unruly, but usually an effective one.

((I apologize for the delay from the bottom of my heart.))

Not that it was be a thing he'd be liable to brag about, but anyone claiming Adachi as a "good for nothing" would be instantly silenced as a fool. Adachi may have used a simple technique, yes, but it was one preformed flawlessly.

True to the intended effect, the woman crumpled to the ground face-first, a tangled mess of limbs and red hair. Consciousness, being a thing high in demand and now critically low in supply, only allowed Devola enough time for a pair of thoughts.

Thought the First was difficult to put into exact words; that she had miscalculated, the zombies were faster than expected, and a hope that her partner in this endeavor would manage to escape harm.

Second was a far more simple thought, one that barely managed to appear before diving into the inky, metaphorical sea of unconsciousness; "Sorry, sis."

(( Pshaw, don't worry 'bout it. ))

Adachi doesn't look back until he's stumble-vaulted over his "partner"'s collapsing body in a panic, fleeing the zombies swarming onto the rooftop. When he reaches the ladder that had been the objective of the moment, he can't help but turn to see the result of his plan.

As he'd expected, the zombies stop to consider the warm, breathing, but immobile prey and swarm around her rather than pursuing him. He didn't have to outrun the zombies, he just had to outrun her. Just as planned. Right?

A tiny part of Adachi's mind manages to muster the decency to be grateful that the press of zombified flesh prevented him from seeing what they were doing. The gnashing and tearing sounds, on the other hand.

Adachi clambers down the ladder, out of sight of the enemy and into an area fortunately free of the ghouls. Images, feelings of guilt well up in his mind, as does his dinner in his stomach, but he fights both back, gripping onto the wall with one hand and his gun with the other.

"Dammit," he pants. "Dammit. Those...this world. I hate this world. It's the same shit as before. And that...she..."

His gripping hand clenches and he punches the wall, new resolve entering his voice as his knuckles scrape on the brick. "Judgmental bitch had it coming anyway."

"Not like death has a meaning here anyway."

"Hell, I did her a favor doing it painlessly. More than she deserved laughing at me for being a reasonable human being and showing some caution."

"Same damn thing as before..."

Adachi takes a deep breath and turns around, cutting off his own reassuring litany. He half-expects to see himself surrounded by zombies but now feels much better about his moral situation. And at least they can't surround him here.

Instead, he finds himself face with a floating, red and black figure covered in glowing veins. (http://images.wikia.com/megamitensei/images/9/98/P4-MagatsuIzanagi.jpg)

"JESUS CHRI--" Adachi's swear is cut off as he leaps backwards in fright and hits a dumpster.

The figure floats silently, glaring down at Adachi for several seconds, before speaking.

"Thou art I. The contract is acknowledged."

And with that, the image shimmers and disappears. Through the fear of the situation and the pain of smashing himself into a metal wall, Adachi feels his mind open. Izanagi. Persona. The power of this world.

The now rather frazzled-looking detective gets up and unceremoniously dusts himself off. "Persona, huh? What everyone's talking about?"

He turns his head to the sky to address the Dark Hour in general, shouting even though he's sure no one's near enough to hear him.

"You're rewarding me for that?! Are you serious? That's what you want from us?"

At that idea, he breaks out into a sudden back of laughter. "Ha, you've freaking got it, you crazy bitch dimension! If I'd known I just had to deal with the friggin' morons you brought here, I'd have started sooner!"

"Hm...wonder if she'll come back as a zombie...not so scary when I think of them that way...guess that was the right thing to do after all..."

Trailing off into his own thoughts, Adachi wanders off into the night, trying to get back to his nice, safe hotel. He could still die out here if he isn't careful.

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1/I think this log is done regardless of how I finish this

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