Cafe Solace
The pleasant, cloudless skies were usual in VC City, a small part of the TFS Faction, but one of the most sought after as being the most peaceful other than General City-2. Most of the population in the city was the elderly, but it was also a great area for teenagers/young adults who were ready to set up small settlements, and this was what Henki, two years ago was up to. Whistling away as usual, with a brown apron of sorts wrapped around him, his arms that had been riddled with scars from earlier battles of being a TFS member were now an object of curiosity and comedic stories to tell others at his workplace. That place being, Serpent Cafe. Despite how malicious the name sounded, it was anything but the sort, with its slow but faithful flow of customers, all adding to a beautifully chilled and laid back environment. Jazzy lofi music played somberly in the background, whilst a couple of people ordered food, with the waiters serving it to them, one of them being the ex-agent. Around were more waiters, all around his age, smiles across their faces as they all immersed into this relaxing environment. Henki walked up to one of his next customer's a younger, more aspirational Ringo Roadagain. Beardless, with a wacky suit, with a bombastic top hat on his head in addition to how much skinnier he was back then , he stood out in the restaurant. However, to Henki this was another passing customer, and for Ringo it was a random waiter. Despite this though, Henki was curious about his occupation. "What would you like to order sir? And if you wouldn't mind me asking, what do you work as?" He asked, glancing at Ringo's attire. Unlike the Ringo of the present, a gleaming smile grew across his face at all times, instead of one of cunning with the sense of sorrow. "uhm, a latte would be great, thanks. Oh sure! I'm the Ringmaster for a wonderful circus here! We try to visit every reachable city in the faction! Come down if you need some entertainment tonight!" He replied, ever so passionate about his job. Ringo lived and breathed the virus life, collecting rare aliens and animals to take care of and show to the wide stage, also with a great collection of staff who adored their jobs and living for the thrill of it. Never really having anything else to do in life probably reinforced his love for it. An orphan struggling to find himself, until he saw his first circus event, it bewildered him how fun and beautiful it all was, how it brought a smile to everyone's face. He wanted to do that too. "Even the singer Book Lover will be performing tonight! Trust me, you don't want to miss this!" Henki chuckled along with the rest of his co-workers as he went back and forth to give Ringo his latte. All the staff forlonged Ringo with questions about his life on the big stage, which he answered with pride and joy. Eventually he left, although definitely bring one of the more entertaining customers the Serpent Cafe had seen.
Night was getting closer so Ringo took the nearest PST (Public Ship Transport) and made sure he'd get a few hours early to the circus. As the Ringmaster you want to be there even before the last rehearsal. Upon the time for the show to start, it was around 10pm, the circus was bustling with people coming in, looking for places to sit, as regular police guards carefully guarded the area, them being a younger Admiral, Roshi, Katsu, Jonas, Ham and Will, all still striving to move up in the force. Ringo took a peak outside of the curtain covering all the cast, including the singer Book Lover, who was ecstatic to see her parents and her younger brother Rum Lover at the front of the audience. However, soon they weren't the highest profiled people at this event. As everyone bowed down to the monarch of the faction, making a surprise entrance, surrounded by a crowd of gender ambiguous blonde people with chains, with the addition of Royal Guards Angelite and FM alongside him. To be fair, it had been known King Shark was venturing around the faction as a tour of sorts, but nobody could've expected him to turn up here. For Ringo at least, this was a huge shock. Everyone around him muttered loudly, all in panicked tones, Ringo himself didn't know how to take his arrival. Funnily enough, roars if laughter burst out in the huge tent as King Shark walked up to a younger Tony, in charge of a popcorn stand, who also moved his stand all over the place, not just exclusively circuses, ordering popcorn, causing Tony to frantically stumble around as he never really interacted with people of such a importance. Or well, the person of most importance on this faction. Ringo couldn't let that distraction slip now though. That should be a giant motivator to give it his all, everyone should give it their all. "Ladies and gentlemen, don't fret! We can show the King- Everyone, that we are great performers! Put a smile on every single person in that building, you hear me?" He whispered, though in an encouraging tone. Everyone nodded back, including a ready Book Lover, an excited Kaboss dressed up in his infamous clown costume for this event, and the flexible acrobat salt. Ringo took one long breath, swiftly placed his signature black top hat on his head, then opened up the curtains slightly, practically tap dancing in rhythm as the crowd cheered for him, as he played around with his cane also, showing all sorts of tricks with it.
Ringo: Welcome one and welcome all! This is about to be the event of your lives! Strap yourselves in because this is going to be one hell of an event that you don't want to miss! But for right now, enjoy the incredible, the ever so talented, Book Lover!
The crowd erupted in joy as Book Lover in a dress walked up on stage, fireworks and background dancing all in sync behind her, it was quite the sight to behold. Nevertheless, there was someone looking to spoil all the fun. And that was Felicia. Far away on a skyscraper, Felicia had an x-ray sniper rifle aimed right at Book Lover's head, with a silencer on, waiting for the right time to fire. She'd been hired by Hub Dweller who seemingly to have some sort of vendetta against her, to take her out smoothly, although due to her audio tapping the area beforehand, she knew that the King was there, she could easily be found out if she shot now, she may have to do it after all the event has brushed over. Unfortunately though, even Felicia couldn't predict what chaos would ensue in the coming moments. Behind all the bleachers in the circus as Book Lover was wrapping up her performance, robotic spiders crawled out from behind the platform, latching themselves onto her, giving her bites of electric shock, causing her to fall to the ground passed out. Following that, absolute choas ensued as stated earlier, civilians running out of their seats as a ship came crashing into the tent, followed along with mecha's all spray painted with the words "SiiM Killua" on them. The police guards at the door came sprinting in, with Jonas yelling worryingly "WHY THE FUCK WOULD THEY LET RANDOM OFFICERS GUARD WHERE THE KING IS!" With Admiral, Roshi, Ham and Katsu all replying in a unison yell of "I DONT KNOOOOW!"
Whilst they ran for their lives, Felicia took this as the perfect opportunity to take our Book Lover, taking her ship and heading for where all the action was at. King Shark had been took out of there as quickly as possible by Angelite and FM, but for everyone else, trying to escape was going to difficult. Mini missiles from the mecha's shot in from everywhere, with the extra threat of the robotic spiders. Luckily, another ship arrived at the place, containing task forces members. Ershy kept firing with his ship, as usual having some popcorn to go along with it, bellowing from the bottom of him, "DIE YOU MEASLY CUNTS!" As Protegy, Adiffs, WaterGuy and Iron all came leaping out of the ship. Protegy quickly uses his mudae card to transform into Tanya, using her jetpack and near perfect hand to hand combat to destroy all sorts of SiiM Killua's robots. Adiffs took out his hammer, sending mecha's flying as if they were baseball balls to his baseball bat. "This son of a butch SiiM didn't turn up again. I swear to Chad and Obama I'll catch you..." WaterGuy said angrily, using his minigun to eradicate all the robotic spiders around the place. Iron used a nifty sword and shield to protect all the civilians and lead them out of the now tent breaking down. Ringo however, had seen some of his circus friends be shot and killed by the mecha's, others ditching him and making a run for it, like a Kaboss or a Salt running off to save themselves, Ringo was all alone, as the thing he created crumbled around him.
Book Lover had been grabbed by her parents and brother, trying to get the hell out of where the circus was. Tons of police ships whisked past them, but were having trouble being able to shake off one of SiiM's mecha's, which was able to easily take down police ships, even if they ganged up on it. Behind even the mecha though, was Felicia. The mecha was able to catch up to the running family with ease now they were in it's clear sight. Swooping up Book Lover as it tried to run off in an easterly direction in the usually, but not anymore, peaceful city, it transformed back into a ship and zoomed off, although Felicia shot it down, causing it to crash at the power plant. As she landed at the place however, the pilot, although the injured was able to hold a gun to a screaming and terrified Book Lover's head, saying to Felicia "I can tell by the way you're dressed you ain't no task force member. Mercenary right? Well I'll the person you want to kidnap then..." Felicia smiled back, whilst she lit a blunt, letting out a puff of smoke. "I need her dead anyway. So I'll just kill you too." Both of them turned their guns to each other at that moment, however, there seemed to be someone to the rescue for Felicia.
A sharp bolt of electricity riddled through the pilot's body causing him to fall to the ground, the one causing that was a frightened Tony, using all the electrical cords left around and connect them to her taser, and let out a shot of electricity. Felicia was stunned, but as the police ships started to close in on them, she ignored the desperate Book Lover making a run for it, and instead yelled at Tony to "GET IN THE SHIP!" Which she did instantly as they drove off. Although, the continuation of that is a story for another time.
Meanwhile, Ringo finally got himself out of the rubble that used to be the circus in the pouring rain. His everything was gone. From a child all he wanted to do is to have a circus, a cast of one that he could call family forever and ever. Tears flowed out of his eyes, as he shouted and roared in pain and sorrow, clutching hard onto his top hat, which gave him such flair before, but now acted like a knife wedged into his soul. Footsteps came towards him, as a man in a doctor's attire, Dr Septic- sat next to the weeping Ringo. "Look behind you, ringmaster, a driver from one of the mecha's that killed your cast. People you called family. There's a shovel right next to you. Think about what you should do next, sir." Ringo trembled in sadness but also fear as he picked up the shovel, glancing and this stranger. He looked at the driver, limping and trying to tell him to back off. His entire body shaking, Ringo was unsure if he could commit an atrocity such as murder. Septic soon shot two blasts of energy from his gun at the pilot's legs, causing him to be right at Ringo's feet. And in a fit of absolute fury, Ringo bashed the shovel into the pilot's head, blood splattering everywhere as he yelled at him in rage, but eventually as the pilot's head was turning into practically mush, Ringo's roars of spite turned into shrieks of laughter, maniacal laughter. This was the Ringo of the present.
Back in the present though, an announcer said "Now we introduce to the Hell Ring, 'Neko Lover' CHAAARLIE!" Many hands pushing him into the ring, Charlie feared for his life as he faced the opponent he was going to fight. You see, in TFS Prison, every week they host "Hell Ring" where prisoners fight for a certain amount of time, with practically no rules but to stop after two minutes. Many deaths concur doing this but it's a form of entertainment to the guards and the prisoners. Rewards are even given out to the people who stay in the ring for really long times. Magnification was the king of his own faction, but as a really strange hobby he loved to be in charge of the parole officers for the prison, and particular loved this part of it. He made the two fighters shake hands before fighting, and then giving them a 10 second countdown. Charlie took this to anxiously look at the stretchers for the severely injured Kraio and Slant, all that was done in two minutes...he was done for.
"Begin!" Lucas shouted. As Charlie was faced by a charge from a extremely muscular, scar covered and even having an robotic eye, this was BilboBloodAxe.