A Bizarre New World, Chapter One: Cat’s In The Cradle

[Jcogginsa]

She gave him an appreciative smile, then glanced around the over crowded waiting room, "Is it possible that Toby caused all this? I know it was a wild ride, still..." Jinny then looked down the hallway again briefly before turning back to John, "I'm tempted to slip out of this room and go explore the hospital proper. Maybe find some answers that way."

"Research is a natural part of the scientific progress. If that's what you want to do, I'll help"

[The Dog]

Jamie would find a small general store that would most likely suit her needs. Like a lot of other stores in the area, the power was out so the owners were requesting cash only.

Jamie looked at the small, homey general store that seemed like it would carry everything that she needed. As she stood before the store, she set her backpack down and pulled her money purse out of it, checking how much money she had.

'I've got enough for this, but I'll need to find an bank to withdraw more soon.' Jamie thought after counting how much money she had. With that decided, Jamie entered the store to do the necessary shopping, though she kept one eye out for anyone who might try to attack her like Toby Keith and his two friends did.

[Tami]

"Research is a natural part of the scientific progress. If that's what you want to do, I'll help"

"Better than waiting around here. If someone stops us, we cann just say we got lost looking for the rest room or something." With that, Jinny exited the Waiting room and headed down the hallway.

She remembered the father and child who where here earlier

Shortly after the arrival of a group, another family entered this time a father and his toddler son who quickly approached the window, "Pardon me, I'm here is to see Isabella Weathermaker."

"Daddy, what about Clutch?" The child asked, prompting as painful sigh from the father, "Clutch is gone, Buddy." "But, Daddy, I sa--"

"Mr. Weathermaker?" The receptionist interjected, "Your wife is in room 214, you can go down the hallway to the left and use the elevator."

"Thanks, come on, Buddy."

"John, let's look for Room 214. I'm hoping to ask someone there a few questions if possible."

Following the directions she remembered earlier, she lead her brother to the elevator, where she pushed the Up button.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

He shrugged, "Word is that some VIPs got involved, aside from that, I dunno why they'd bother with a cover-up."

The VIPs were clearly the Speedwagon guys. She wanted to ask more, but she didn't want to make herself look suspicious, so she left it at that.

"Weird." She shrugged and started to take her leave. "Well, glad that **** is over. Later, old timer."

[Yun Lao]

Turning his attention to the barman, Miguel rested his chin on his hand and nodded. "Uh, alright yeah. Grill me up a burger then, compa."

"That's more like it. One burger, coming up."

Jamie looked at the small, homey general store that seemed like it would carry everything that she needed. As she stood before the store, she set her backpack down and pulled her money purse out of it, checking how much money she had.

'I've got enough for this, but I'll need to find an bank to withdraw more soon.' Jamie thought after counting how much money she had. With that decided, Jamie entered the store to do the necessary shopping, though she kept one eye out for anyone who might try to attack her like Toby Keith and his two friends did.

Jamie's shopping trip would be uneventful for the most part. Although cheaper quality than most name-brand stores, she would find most of what she needed to restock a first aid kit.

The VIPs were clearly the Speedwagon guys. She wanted to ask more, but she didn't want to make herself look suspicious, so she left it at that.

"Weird." She shrugged and started to take her leave. "Well, glad that **** is over. Later, old timer."

"Take it easy, Youngblood. Don't get caught snoopin' too hard now." The man said with a laugh.

[Yun Lao]

"John, let's look for Room 214. I'm hoping to ask someone there a few questions if possible."

Following the directions she remembered earlier, she lead her brother to the elevator, where she pushed the Up button.

As soon as the elevator door closed, a staff member stepped into the waiting room.

"Wen?" She said, looking around, then took a glimpse at the clipboard before attempting to say the full name, "Wen Jinghu?"

Nothing. After a few moments, the staff member went on to the next patient.

Glancing up, Debra looked around, only to shrug when she saw no one familiar left in the waiting room, "Guess they're all in the back. We should be coming up soon," She mentioned to Domo.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Take it easy, Youngblood. Don't get caught snoopin' too hard now." The man said with a laugh.

She chuckled and gave him a salute before walking out and into the street. As soon as she was outside, she opened up one of the packs and pulled out a cigarette. It wasn't her preferred brand - those were still in Germany - but Miburo™ was top tier. She lit it up and inhaled. "Ah, yeah." She could feel her nerves unwinding already.

She walked down the street and thought about what she learned from that old man. Tony Keith's path of destruction wasn't missed by the locals; neither by attention nor literally could they get out of the way. Odd he didn't make any mention of the bus driving up the side of the apartment building, or sailing over the top to the street on the other side. She... thought that would be something he would be more unnerved about.

Weird. Maybe he missed it. She decided to keep mum about it. She didn't want to just go around asking about **** that no one else noticed. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to think she was involved somehow.

****, I'm starving. One thing off her list, she headed toward the Cattail Grill for food and booze to finish off her to-do list.

[Yun Lao]

It hurts...

What happened...

Where are they...

So tired...

Hot...

It hurts...

It is said that in destruction, there is creation. That life blooms from where is there death.

He hadn't heard of such philosophical points, but then again, there had been much he had never known up until this point. What he did know was that his family had been in danger and then darkness. The world had become a thing of shrieking steel and screams and then silence. Not even the beating of his heart could be heard anymore, but such things didn't matter. His family needed him. The pain was excruciating, his body refused to move, yet he desperately fought on, inching his way through twisted metal and jagged asphalt. It had been impossible at first, but like sleep vanishing from the mind of a waking being, it grew easier up until the point he wondered why he had always had trouble before. Something had awakened in him, something that would stand beside him as he searched for his family.

From the wreckage of an old pickup truck, one of its doors, distorted and warped from damage, swung open and broke off its hinges.

"Holy ****!" The old liquor store man said, startled by the sound, only to pause and cackle at the sight of a rottweiler emerging from the wreck, "Well, I'll be damned. You're one lucky little bastard, ain'tcha?" Before he could make a move to try and identify if the dog had any tags, the animal raced off, heading towards the center of town.

[Jcogginsa]

"Better than waiting around here. If someone stops us, we cann just say we got lost looking for the rest room or something." With that, Jinny exited the Waiting room and headed down the hallway.

She remembered the father and child who where here earlier



"John, let's look for Room 214. I'm hoping to ask someone there a few questions if possible."

Following the directions she remembered earlier, she lead her brother to the elevator, where she pushed the Up button.

John followed, while keeping an eye out for anyone who might be watching them as best he could.

"Who's in room 214?" he asked once they were in the elevator

[Tami]

John followed, while keeping an eye out for anyone who might be watching them as best he could.

"Who's in room 214?" he asked once they were in the elevator

"Not sure, but I overheard them say something very curious. We'll check it out then get back, hopefully in time for my turn."

[grampagen]

From what Lucy can hear and observe, there was a lot of confusion about what happened. Most seemed to know about the bus, but stories varied from there. Surprisingly, there was little to no recollection of the bus driving up the apartment building.



Jamie would find a small general store that would most likely suit her needs. Like a lot of other stores in the area, the power was out so the owners were requesting cash only.



It didn't take long for others to notice Suzie, although no one would approach her outright. Keeping their distance, the locals whispered, making their own judgments about the girl snapping photos.

Old smoke and dust climbed in twisting columns as the sun beat down, the dry air giving way to the sharp electric crackle from the broken livewires as they discharged their sparking issue. Here, the foundation of some post or another was uprooted, tossed away like any caution or tact before the path of that mad driver. Suzie's small lens clicked, following the trail spent on the long road, through the leering faces of the locals.

Scanning up the side of the building, she traced the path of the vehicle from ground level. Two rubber tread-paths raked through the stucco-and-concrete of the residential building. She tilt the camera to the side, and took the sight in.

As she stood there, silently snapping away, she commit the fearful frame to memory. To whatever end, Toby Keith threw himself into it. She'd only had a vague suspicion at first, yet although he had the bearing of a maniac, perhaps he had been affable enough once, maneuvering himself closer into the Joestars' transportation detail. I wonder if Johannes knew him as well?

Suzie zoomed in the row of windows. She could see the shadowy shapes of residents behind the cracked glass.

Toby Keith drove up the wall, and there was nothing anybody could do about it.
Toby Keith knew he had a unique way to get around, and yet he decided to do this.
Toby Keith had a strange power to call upon, and he used it to drive through--

A long, fitful sigh fell from Suzie. She was so tired. In the shade of the building with her living Shadow beside her, she sat upon the curb next to her luggage, and let her boot-heels drag lethargically forward, kneading her left shoulder around the newly pronounced birthmark that still ached.

Who are you, Johannes Joestar? What kind of world have you dragged us into...

[The Dog]

Jamie's shopping trip would be uneventful for the most part. Although cheaper quality than most name-brand stores, she would find most of what she needed to restock a first aid kit.

Jamie smiled at her small basket of items, which included bandages (both boxes and rolls), gauze, antiseptic, and other such items one would typically find in a first-aid kit, a bag to hold them together in, a couple of cheap but cute t-shirts they sold, and a length of rope.

'Nope, still not going to think about the reason for the insistence I carry rope on me.' Jamie thought.

With those items picked out, she went off in search of the last thing on her current shopping list: a weapon to defend the others and herself if... when something else like with Toby Keith happened.

'A knife?... No, I'm not comfortable with that. Maybe a something to hit them with? I guess I'll just see what they carry and decide then.' Jamie thought as she went in search of anything that could be used to protect the others and herself with.

[Jcogginsa]

"Not sure, but I overheard them say something very curious. We'll check it out then get back, hopefully in time for my turn."

"Anything I should prepare myself for?" John asked, as the door to the elevator opened with a ding.

[Tami]

"Anything I should prepare myself for?" John asked, as the door to the elevator opened with a ding.

"I doubt it. How much trouble would a family with a small kid be?"

Arriving on the second floor, Jinny looked around to orientate herself. As there was nursing station, but it appeared empty. She noted the number on the first two doors, then headed in the direction of Room 214.

"This way."

[Jcogginsa]

"I doubt it. How much trouble would a family with a small kid be?"

Arriving on the second floor, Jinny looked around to orientate herself. As there was nursing station, but it appeared empty. She noted the number on the first two doors, then headed in the direction of Room 214.

"This way."

John followed her, continuing to keep an eye out for anything strange