FissionMailed

[Darkness had always been what surrounded Null and it was in that darkness that he would recall and forget the faces of every man he had slaughtered. That darkness was a blessing and it was a curse, a source of security and a source of absolute trepidation - it was in the darkness that all feelings, every emotion would find itself pulling together only to have each and every thought cancel itself out.

In the darkness, he was nothing - and when the light came, he was still nothing.]

. . . . . .

[But something was wrong. When Null would open his eyes, his world would come into focus - bright lights, the blurred faces of doctors and men in uniforms busily preparing to move him. There would be needles and drugs, things to sedate him while he was dressed and restrained - and as his mind would begin finding itself in that alert state, the voice of that man would pound through his skull and resound in his mind. His duty and purpose would be clear, he was to go forth and leave no man alive.

But as his eyes begin to focus, that voice does not come. There are no faces above him, no walls of his tank surrounding him. The bright lights are overhead but all is quiet - no sound of doctors, no comrades in arms. He slowly attempts to move, shifting his body upwards into a sitting position with great uncertainty.

He is on a foreign floor. He can feel the cool tile even through the material of his uniform, fingers moving against the surface, uncertain of how he should react in this situation. Where are his doctors? Where are his fellow soldiers?

Where is Gene?]

[deleting thread once I get all players permission, sorry guys. Threads are all currently screened.]

[Null has been growing increasingly frustrated the past several days, what with Elisa being a bit preoccupied with other things. Not having the medic around to answer his inquiries, the boy is own his own when it comes to studying for his upcoming exam. Once he's completed his study of the English alphabet, Big Boss told him he would be administering a mental exam based on Null's knowledge of spelling and vocabulary. It's a bit daunting to have something so important looming over his head, especially as he comes to realize he's still struggling a great deal with grasping the concepts behind each letter and how they form words.]

[He sits on the floor in the lobby, the grammar book Big Boss gave him in his lap. It's currently flipped open to a dictionary section of sorts, filled with words written in large letters, accompanied by a picture to describe the word. He has a few sheets of paper nearby, attempting to copy the word "KNIFE" onto one.]

[Passersby may hear him muttering to himself:]

How does "knife" begin with a "K"...? There must be an error.

[The snow-covered Nexus park is often a place of tranquility; an area of solitude and mental respite for the wayward soldiers of the Nexus. The quiet pathways and the earthy scent of nature can provide many with a restful environment, an area to clear their mind and embrace their senses. Null often finds himself returning to this park but rest is the furthest thing from the boy's mind.]

[He stands before a large evergreen tree. Many of the lower branches have been cleared away; hacked off by a combination of his blade and the tree slowly decaying. Dead branches scatter the ground but the mighty tree finds itself providing adequate cover for whomever finds themselves beneath its boughs. Null's hand rests poised against the handle of his machete as he breathes in the scent of the blue spruce needles around him. It's peaceful here.]

[Without another moment of hesitation, he lunges forward; slashing his blade against the trunk of the tree. He cuts the wood deep, dead bark and debris splintering out. Not giving himself a chance to rest, he assaults the tree again, slamming his machete against the surface, causing more of the decaying bark to break away. His teeth grit in steady concentration, muscles beginning to feel the strain from the force he exudes. His assault continues, his body operating on pure instinct; a whirlwind of furious slashing, cutting apart the surface. The splinted fly at him, quickly deflected by a flick of the wrist and repositioning of his blade.]

[He finally pulls back, allowing himself to pant as beads of perspiration form against his skin. The tree is a mess; barely recognizable with all of the deep gouges and scratches that now litter the trunk. He lowers his blade, his eyes falling closed as he collects himself, allowing the adrenaline to subside.]

(Anyone in the park? Null's honing his skills by tearing up trees; not entirely the quietest method of training. Feel free to bother.)

[There was something off when he woke up this morning; something the young soldier couldn't quite identify. A foggy feeling in his head, his body not wanting to fully cooperate. He pressed on and bathed, heading out to begin his training. Several hours in one of the snow-covered rooms of the Nexus would build his stamina, increase his tolerance towards the elements -- he'd been left cold and wet after training before with no negative consequences. He knew where his limits were. Today, his limitations seemed greater than usual; forcing him to stop and return to the warmth of the Nexus.]

[Null's in a kitchen now, everything is beginning to take it's toll on him. He doesn't understand it and he doesn't like it. His head feels so heavy and it's difficult to think. His body is cold, shivering to try and stay warm but perspiration is dripping down his forehead. A firm pressure builds in his sinuses, his nose dripping as he lays his head on the table, finding it hard to keep his eyes open.]

[Null seems to be busying himself in the kitchen. With Elisa being "asleep" and Ursula about, he knows it would be infinitely easier to just get lost out in the jungle room again and survive on rodents and frogs but... As self-sufficient as the boy is, he feels compelled to learn more than wilderness cuisine.]

[He's seen EVA do this. He's seen Elisa do this. He'd even seen Big Boss do it once, but the man seemed to have an affinity for not even waiting for this step to be completed before he was shoveling it into his mouth... He is confident he can perform this task as well.]

[Resting on the counter beside him, a package of instant noodles. In front of him? A pot of water on the stove. He's watching the pot, waiting for the water to start boiling. From what he knows, water tends to boil quickly on a stove. What he's neglected to do is realize the burner should be on a setting higher than "1" to achieve this.]

[...Regardless, he seems pretty transfixed on this pot of (not boiling) water.]

(Warning, post contains allusions to gore, decapitation, disembowelment. Scroll past/ignore if you're squeamish :'|)


[Null sits against the wall, staring over to the corpse of a_lost_number. The other version of himself lays in a heap on the floor; fresh blood oozing out of the large cut through his stomach. The other boy's entrails spill out of the laceration, intestines and bodily residue litter the ground beside him -- along with his head.]

[The boy draws his knees up to his chest, his machete laying next to him -- coated in the blood of his duplicate. He can't stop staring at that beheaded corpse -- his own beheaded corpse, laying in front of him like this. No man can meet the Perfect Soldier in battle and survive -- not even the Perfect Soldier.]

[Clutching his head tightly, he squeezes his eyes shut and clenches his teeth. The pounding just won't stop -- his head feels like it's trying to split apart. He finds his body trembling, unable to regain control over his senses.]

[...This is where he gets back into his coffin, right? Everything can just go away again? He'll get back into the tank if it will make his head stop hurting -- anything to make this pounding stop.]

(A little backdated but, this is the aftermath of this thread Warning: gore, decapitation, disembowelment. Open to everyone, especially anyone involved with that other thread.)