SKULLGIRLS QUEST

SKULLGIRLS QUEST
02 - MERIDIAN AREA RAPID TRANSIT

[X] Meridian Area Rapid Transit
"Rail services need to be functional when the attack happens. This train can make the difference between evacuation and a catastrophe."

🎶

One of the many modern amenities New Meridian boasted of in the travel brochures was the speed and efficiency of their urban metro. It was one of the fastest heavy rails of its kind in the Canopy Kingdom, which saw frequent use by civilian commuters and commercial freight operators alike. Cinnamon mused that, if she wasn't here on business, she would have wanted to take the subway and get a view of the city for herself. If only to check if the trains ran on time.

(Contrary to popular belief, King Renoir did not make the trains run on time. He helped push for metros and increased public transport in major cities, but they ran more or less the same during his reign as after: Seemingly whenever they felt like, posted schedules be damned.)

Today, Cinnamon did not have the luxury of taking a ride on the subway. Instead, she was riding atop a freight car and taking stock of the route it made through the city. She didn't take in the view, so much as take in all of the points of failure.

In Cinnamon's eyes, one of the most dangerous qualities about the Skullgirls is that they could think. No natural disaster, no matter how fierce or devastating, was capable of strategy. Picking targets to sow chaos and spread death. If this latest Skullgirl had the mind to cripple New Meridian, critical infrastructure and emergency services were the first to go. Choke the roads with corpses. Smash bridges and hospitals to rubble. Lock down the docks and railways so that none can escape her extermination campaign against life itself.

Cinnamon ran the numbers in her head. The casualty count would spill over into the millions. Far beyond that if the army couldn't pin the Skullgirl down before she moved on to the capitol. It was for this reason that Cinnamon took her job with the utmost seriousness, and why there was always a critical shortage of people who could handle the stress of Skullgirl prep.

"You alright?" Nyx asked with a surprising degree of sincerity.

Cinnamon set down the broken lock she was inspecting in the steel boxcar. She couldn't help but investigate the scene when she noticed something not to code. These wagons were empty containers awaiting shipments of coal at their next destination, but among the remains of the lock were the odd blanket, wrapper, and other trinket that littered the floor. This boxcar looked, against all Canopy Kingdom protocols, lived in. Infrequently used, but lived in all the same.

When did the conductor stop checking for freighthoppers? Months? Years? Countless hobos, tramps, and vagrants got themselves killed each year because they tried to hitch a ride and got their clothes hitched on their final trip. Wasn't it their job to give a damn?

"I'm fine," she replied as she bit her cigarette. "Why are you asking?"

"Your high blood pressure's making me queasy. Woman, you are getting yourself stressed out over a train. A TRAIN! When the hell did you become the train inspector, again?"

Cinnamon frowned and took a deep swig of her flask.

"Better?"

"Oh yeah, that's the good stuff."

"If you're done? The Meridian Transit Authority refused to stop any trains for a more thorough security check or provide detailed records of any possible vulnerabilities. I don't have all day for them to verify my credentials, so I'm performing a surprise inspection without their interference."

"So you're breaking and entering. Spicy, Cinnamon. Real spicy."

"Surprise inspection," Cinnamon repeated with emphasis. "It's the city being obstinate here. Not me. If they've got a problem with my methods, they can take it up with the Princess."

"Whatever. Let's just check the last car and be done with it. Then we can get a real drink."

"Too good for antifreeze, princess?"

"Pick up some bleach and furniture polish from the store and we'll have a real party tonight."

Cinnamon climbed down the ladder and stepped onto a vacant flatbed, which was left exposed to the open air and morning sunlight. It allowed her to enjoy the shining vista of New Meridian and how it sparkled in the sun for only a moment. Across from the freight train, she could make out a passenger engine full of apathetic people. She dismissed them, her eyes darting to the black-haired girl who was sitting in the corner of the flatbed stock.


"Found 'em," Cinnamon said dryly.

Dressed in only a brown coat, an uptown school uniform, and a white hairband, there was nothing to hold her there if the train was to experience a sudden stop. The girl dropped the hamburger she was nibbling on and stood ramrod straight!

"Wha? Who are you?" the girl asked in shock.

Cinnamon slowly walked towards her.

"Relax, kid. I'm just gonna make sure this free ride is your last."

Cinnamon felt a tug on her shoulder and ignored it. For whatever reason, Nyx has been acting up ever since they got to New Meridian and Cinnamon was too busy to care. With how fast this train was going, she had to get the girl to sit down again before one of them lost their balance.

"What do you mean?" the girl said fearfully.

"Get on the ground! Do you have any idea how close you are to getting your limbs torn off?"

🎶

The girl eyed the pair of axes at her belt and took a step closer to the edge of the train!

"Stay away! I'm warning you!" she shouted. Her incredibly long hair flapped and her headband bristled in the intense flow of rushing wind!

Cinnamon reached out to grab her!

"Are you nuts!? Get back here!"

For the second time, Cinnamon felt a tug on her shoulder! Furious, she turned around!

"Dammit, now is not the time--"

Before she could finish her sentence, a black whip knocked Cinnamon backwards! She tumbled and landed clear to the other side of the flatbed!

"Ugh! What was that?"

"I don't think that's normal hair," Nyx whispered.

Looking back at the girl, the two of them saw her hair break out into bristling tentacles! The white hairband exploded into a maw as two yellow eyes popped open!

"A parasite!?"

"Nobody touches my host!" the brusque, masculine parasite on the girl's head howled! "Last chance to walk away with all your pieces attached!"

Cinnamon drew her axes and let out a long stream of smoke from her nostrils.

"I said I'm getting this girl off this train, and I mean it! Even if I have to chop you down to regulation length to do it! Nyx, it's showtime!"

The smoke surrounding Cinnamon took on a roughly cohesive shape: A long pair of arms formed by Nyx entering a protective stance around her.

"Now we're talking!" Nyx rasped with glee.

"Who said that?" the girl asked. She was more determined to defend herself now, even if her heart wasn't into the confrontation escalating to violence.

The hair parasite turned its tentacles into long blades and daggers.

"Who cares, Filia? They had their chance!"

The girl nodded and ran right towards Cinnamon, her lethal hair trimmers bared!

"Okay Samson, let's go!"



Select your action! Remember: Attacks beat Throws beat Blocks! Yomi beats all!

[ ] Attack

[ ] Throw

[ ] Block

[ ] Yomi (3 REMAINING)


⏰ VOTING OPENS 12 HOURS FROM THE TIME OF POSTING.