HousepetZ: Survivor Tails

[SeanWolf]

Just finished reading the previous chapters and I'm not disappointed (Keep up the good work!)

Well thank you!

[Amazee Dayzee]

I really do like what you did with this chapter! Continue to write please!

[SeanWolf]

I really do like what you did with this chapter! Continue to write please!

Thanks! Trust me, I have no plans of stopping

[NHWestoN]

Hmmmm ... Nice set of character twists between Anubis, Satau, and Peanut.! Wonder if Keene/Osiris is trying to con Eudoant into a sponsorship earth return? Think Ol'four-Ears is too sharp for that!

[SeanWolf]

HousepetZ: Ragnarock & Roll Machine
Chapter 5: Don't Waste Your Time Searching For Those Wasted Years


It was early in the afternoon at the K9's Safe House and in one of the beds, an arctic fox was awakening from a nap with a healthy yawn. "Whew," the fox states as they made their way to a nearby drink machine for a drink, "I needed that nap, though the dream I had was a bit on the odd side" As they arrived, they spotted both Fox and Ralph chatting up a storm so they gave a quick friendly HI and Fox turned his head and replied back "Hey, Gery! How was your nap?"
"It was well worth it!" Gery exclaims as they grabbed a soda, "Though I swear the dream I had was one of the weirdest ones out there."
"What was it, if you don't mind me asking." Ralph then asks while leaning against the wall, to which Gery explains that, in the dream, he was some multi-tailed version of himself and he was going up against some other mythical being and before he could unleash his own attack, the being just snapped his finger and, somehow, he woke up. "What's funny is that the whole dream felt real...like I had actually been that being for eons...ever get those dreams?" Ralph shrugged and Fox quips that "Dreams aren't meant to be taken seriously. I have read that some people were spoken to via their dreams but otherwise, I wouldn't pay any attention to it." A statement that Gery Kestuna nodded and agreed with before excusing himself as he wanted to head to the roof for some sun. Saying their goodbyes, Gery starts to head to the roof entrance while Fox and Ralph continued their discussion about the outbreak and their plans on how to get everyone and their belongings onto the buses when they do have to evac to Florida.


Outside the room, Tarot is walking about, texting Sabrina about life, the universe, and everything in-between when Gery walks out and bumps into her by accident.
"Whoops!" Gery chirps "Sorry about that!" Tarot, shaking off the bumpiness, accepts the apology and admitted that she wasn't paying attention herself. Which is then she got a good look at Gery and, after he leaves, realizes something about Gery. When she first saw him, she felt a huge presence of mana on him and, cause of that, she knew immediately that it was indeed The Great Kitsune but now? She couldn't sense even one iota of mana on him. Did she imagine the whole thing? Were her powers finally diminished? Did Kitsune catch on to the fact she was watching him? Was David Tennent a better doctor then Matt Smith (Narrator's Note: I only seen a few episodes of each but I like both Doctors)? Turning her attention back to her phone, she quickly sends a text to Sabrina telling her that she can't sense anything in Gery at all, then a few minutes later, Sabrina replies back with the following:
'Yeah about that...Anubis, another Celestial, was here and Kitsune was mad at him over something and he was going to send him to The Netherworld but it turns out Anubis is more powerful then him so he sent him back to where he came from, sans his Celestial form/powers/tails, along with altering the minds of everyone. Guess he didn't know about you'
After reading the text, along with the addendum at the bottom regarding her, Tarot went from being worried to confusement to then anger as she realized that if there is a Celestial more powerful then Kitsune, could they be the reason for the outbreak? One other thought did enter her mind then and this was one she never gave much thought to until now, which was that since she can see into the future, how come she can't see how the epidemic will end? Sure, she did have a vision where the epidemic happened and she did try to warn Peanut, but she felt that he ignored it as he usually does. Her first thought was that Kitsune was blocking her clairvoyance but even now she couldn't look towards to the future to see an ending. In her mind, something was up and it probably had something to do with this Anubis fellow and why she wasn't able to sense him at all. She didn't have long to think on that as the sound of approaching footsteps emerged from behind her and, when she turned to see who it was, she saw a K9 Member jogging to her. "Tarot?" the K9 asks her, "Could you come with me? Someone is asking for you at the entrance..." Clearing her thoughts, she nodded and followed the K9 to the entrance and sees said fox standing there, who looked to familiar but she couldn't place them at first, though before she could even ask anything, the person asked the K9 if there was a place that they and Tarot could speak in private, which the K9 showed them to one of the empty classrooms and told them once they are done to knock on the door and he'll let them out. With the door shut and locked, Tarot turned to face the person and is about ready to ask them who they are and why do they know her, but instead of being face to face with the kit, she is instead faced with a surprise...


"Dragon!?" She exclaims, "I thought....I thought!"
"I was dead?" Dragon, who was wearing the exact same outfit she had on when the game ended, replies, "I was and I was back up there for a good bit. Bahumat was rejuvenating me and..well to be honest I had time to think about my actions and...I want to apologize for everything I done to you, firstly. It was wrong of me to make you do what you did, it was wrong of me to try to steal Peanut...and it was wrong of me to make you and Sabrina fight against my brother." Of course, Tarot was hesitant to accept her apology but, some reason, something inside of her told her that Dragon was being truthful so she accepted it before asking if that was the only reason she wanted to speak with her and Dragon nodded and thanked her for accepting her apology. Which is when Tarot asked her if she knew someone named Anubis and was surprised to see Dragon's eyes light up!
"ANUBIS?!" She exclaims in joy, "I haven't see him since GK banned him! Man I missed hanging out with him and Cerberus! Trust me when I say Anubis is...mmh! Tarot, if you ever seen him up close, you'd know why Cerberus fell in love with him!" before clearing her throat as she did embarrassed herself with her flaunting over Anubis, "Sorry...Yeah Anubis is cool! One of the first Celestials and first players of U&U until GK and Pete decided to conspire against him and banned him from there and the games....by the way, where is ole' GK?" Tarot, who was still in shock after Dragon's description of Anubis, explained that Kitsune was here at first, under the name Gery Kestuna, but now was a simple mortal being with no mana and nothing that made him resemble GK, other then his fur color. After showing her the text from Sabrina, Dragon let out some air as she knew exactly what had happened and told Tarot that what Sabrina said was true but added that, knowing Anubis, Kitsune won't go back to being Kitsune until AFTER the Zombie Apocalypse is over. Meaning he'd probably be Gery for a LONG time..."Unless he gets killed then his powers return to him...don't get any ideas, Tarot" Dragon added which Tarot, who didn't have a violent bone in her body, said she had no intention of doing that. Before Dragon could say anything else, however, an alarm suddenly goes off followed by a voice over the PA system: "ATTENTION: ZOMBIES HAVE BROKEN THROUGH THE MAIN DEFENSE! ALL K9 PERSONNEL REPORT TO THE MAIN ENTRANCE ASAP! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! ALL SURVIVORS PLEASE HEAD TO YOUR AREA AND START GRABBING YOUR BELONGINGS!" The door then flies open as the K9 guarding it shouts to the two to get their things as they'll be evacuating them to safety, which both Tarot and Dragon nodded and ran like mad to the Survivor's Area, all the while passing by the main entrance and seeing the approaching horde and the K9's doing their best to fight them off. As the survivors gathered their belongings and made their way to the buses, the gunfire that was outside suddenly started to come from inside the building...followed by a scream "THERE'S TOO MANY, BARRICADE THE DOOR!" Rushing over, D-Rock watches in horror as the zombies made their way closer and closer, while a few of the unlucky K9's are feasted upon outside, their screams the last sound they would ever make.
"We need to double time it" D-Rock shouts to Ralph, who was helping with the evacuations, "If we don't get these folks out of here soon, I fear we won't be leaving at all!"
"Right!" Ralph answers and told some of the K9's to help the survivors still packing and get them onto the buses quickly and safely.


"How many are left?" Fox shouts as he helps a couple onto a bus, to which K9 Member Ricardo shouts "Four families left! After that, it's just us K9's!" Nodding, Fox rushes back in, past the four families in question, and towards both D-Rock and Ralph and informs them that evacuations are almost done, to which they nodded and told him to get on one of the buses and to begin to make their way to the following area.
"Sir, this is Daisy's Mansion" Fox replies while looking at the location and D-Rock answers "We're making a stop there to inform Terrance of what's going on and to ask him if he would like to join us." Again, nodding, Fox preps to run back to the bus before Ralph shouts "Don't worry about us! Once the last bus is out, shoot a flare up and we'll join you!" Grabbing the flare gun, Fox rockets to the buses and hands the lead bus driver the location and tells him to meet them there as he and the rest of the K9's will be right behind them. Then, with a roar of their engines, the convoy of buses began to exit the lot and leave the place they called home in this time of peril behind. Once the next to last bus, which the last bus was going to house the K9's, left the lot, Fox fired the flare and watched as it lit up the sky. Inside, D-Rock spots the flare and gave one last order: "ALL K9'S, ABANDON POSTS! GRAB YOUR GEAR AND GET TO THE BUS, NOW!" It soon turned into a madhouse as the surviving K9's rushed to grab their own personal effects and made their way to the bus where Fox was waiting. With the last of the K9's on board, both D-Rock and Ralph came running out and hopped onto the bus, shouting "DRIVE!" and the last remaining bus left the lot as the undead breached the final defenses and stormed the building. It was a hollow victory, but the K9's knew they had made it, but knew they wouldn't be safe until everyone was in Florida. But they had one stop to do first and, after catching up with the rest of the convoy, they all made their way to the location in question: Daisy's Mansion.


At said mansion, Res was out on the terrace watching for any activity when he spots the approaching bus convoy. "Hey guys!" he shouts, "We got incoming buses!" The crew heads outside to meet them as the buses pull into the mansion grounds and, once they parked, both D-Rock, Ralph, Fox, and Fido got out of the one bus and approached them.
"Guys leaving, huh?" Terrance ask Ralph which he nodded and told him that their last safe house was over-run and they are leaving for Florida. "You are welcome to join us, if you want" he asks which Terrance smiled and replied that while he would, his place his here with the others and they won't leave until this outbreak is done and over with. D-Rock, though a bit sad, understood then asked if they'll be OK surviving without their help if the need arises, which is when Bino added that "We made it this far without calling for help...I think we'll manage." Which is then when Fido suddenly speaks up, "Ralph...with your permission, I along with my friend Tarot, would like to stay here with Terrance and company." While at first hesistant, Ralph nodded and told him permission granted while adding that they will miss him while down in Florida, which Fido added he'll stay in touch. With that, Fido shouted for Tarot to join him and she walked out, along with Dragon...and is immediately pounced on by Peanut, which gave everyone there a huge laugh before they all said their goodbyes and the convoy left for Florida and left the confines of Babylon Gardens behind. After both Bino and Fido were done recollecting with each other, Daisy went ahead and introduced the trio if Fido, Tarot, and Dragon to everyone there including the Celestial Anubis, who was inside watching Digimon Tamers with Joey. The moment Anubis saw Dragon, however, they both rushed to each other and embraced as Anubis was fearing that Dragon was indeed dead but she assured him that she was still alive and kicking before introducing him to Tarot (who was still being glomped by Peanut), whom Anubis shook her paw and told her that Dragon told him alot about her, to which she said the same and she added that she hopped he's there for good intentions and not for bad intent, which Anubis assured her that is not why he's there and gave her a cliff notes version of the events leading up to where they are now, including that Peanut is his Avatar which made Tarot a bit uneasy but was quickly relaxed when he told her that once this ordeal is over, he would no longer be his Avatar and the powers would return to him though he does have the option of keeping them if he wants to for fun. While that did relax her, she did tell Anubis that she'll be keeping an eye on him and will act if he does anything to harm anyone, and he assured her, again, that was not his intention and then invited her and Peanut to join him, Joey, and Dragon to watch some episodes of Digimon Tamers with them, to which she agreed with and they all spent the rest of the day watching TV, with Peanut and Tarot cuddling each other on the chair and the other three (Anubis, Joey, and Dragon) on the couch enjoying the show and Joey asking Dragon some questions as he never saw a Dragon up close before. Elsewhere in the house, both Bino and Fido were making up for lost time and telling each other tales of how they were surviving, with Bino recounting the tales of him saving Sabrina from a Zombie Horde and rescuing Zach from a chainsaw maniac, each story surprising Fido more and more as this wasn't the same Bino that had an ego the size of Venus. Somehow, in his eyes, Bino became an adult...he was just surprised that it took a zombie apocalypse to change him.

[Amazee Dayzee]

So if we want Bino to grow up, we just need to stick him into "The Walking Dead". Awesome!

[Nathan Kerbonaut]

All's well that ends well... except for those dudes that got eaten by the zombies. RIP.

I'm glad to see the gang's gained some great new characters. Great job

[SeanWolf]

HousepetZ: Ragnarock & Roll Machine
Chapter 6: LET'S GET READY TO SLAUGHTER!

Bino: "A chapter dedicated to another character?"
Narrator: Yeah, I decided to take a break from the main cast and show what the others been up to.
Bino: "Cool! I take it the rest of this arc will be like that too?"
Narrator: One or two more chapters will but the rest will be dedicated to the main cast.
Bino: "Alright."
Joey: "Don't forget we're doing D&D tonight!"
Narrator: I won't!


As the sun laid itself down to sleep for the night, the moon began to peak through the trees on another beautiful post-apocalyptic Friday night for the land. While the world was bathed in a combination of darkness and fiery wrecks, there was one location in particular that was lighted up brighter then Las Vegas. It was a huge arena located outside of Pavillion and, before Z-Day, it was home to many a sporting and special events, ranging from conventions to concerts to even special movie showings. Nowadays, it is home to one event and one event only: PIT'S SLAUGHTER DOME and is THE place for survivors to come and both relieve the stress of living through the apocalypse, earn some cash, and most importantly...MURDERIZE THE UNDEAD HORDES! Many a survivor come here to rest their skills in an attempt to not only get money but to become The SlaughterKing/SlaughterQueen. Think of The Slaughter Dome as WWE but instead of going there to see The Ultimate Warrior fight Hulk Hogan, you're going there to watch Lord Humungus take on Immortan Joe in the battle to see who can kill the most zombies using only a weed-wacker that's been fitted with a very sharp saw-blade. Thankfully, to make sure none of the contestants are killed by the undead, the zombies teeth, lower jaw, and fingernails are removed and each one are outfitted with an explosive collar (just in case any of them manage to get out of the arena). Overseeing this whole madhouse was none other then the magician of mayhem, the warrior of the wasteland, the ayatollah of rock and rolla, the one and only Pit Milton. While he already had a bit of an interesting life to him as he was the overseer of most of the Milton's fundraising projects, he mysteriously vanished from the Milton Residence before showing up a week after Z-Day when the sports dome in Pavillion was transformed into a huge zombie killing arena called Pit's Slaughter Dome, which quickly rose in popularity among survivors as it was not only a place for them to kill the undead, but it was also a place for survivors to stay to either relax or live as the dome had enough room to hold survivors and the surrounding area was VERY heavily barricaded to the point where even a horde of the undead couldn't break through.


It was early into the night and the arena was being prepped for that night's Slaughter Dome. In Pit's personal suite, Pit himself was getting himself all prepped and ready for another night of insanity and fun when one of his crew members knocked on the door to his room, to which in his own over the top way answered "Door is open, my man!" and in walks said crew member who states that there is five minutes until show time.
"All I need is one, baby! What's on the show listing today, buddy?" Pit asks while grabbing his outfit. Looking down at the tablet, the member begins to speak:
"Well first up, we got the rematch between The Amazon Witch and Freight Train, followed by a match between Dr. Stein and The Sandman, which will be interrupted by Kryo who will challenge Sandman to a one-v-one match at the upcoming Slaughterpocaplyse. We then have a One Man Arena Rumble with The Constrictor..."
"Make the weapon for that match The Grinder" Pit interjects from the closet, which the member added to the list. Continuing, the member adds "We then have the segment where Jack-O-Lantern will announce his plans for the night, which will be interupted by you announcing that he'll be participating in the Wheels Of Death Match and he'll be going against The Cyber Gladiator and Slaughterpocaplyse, which we will be monitoring the vehicles. That is followed by a Female Two-Way War between The Valkyries and The Gorgeous Glammer Girls then another promo by The Dawgs Of Minsk"
"Good good good" Pit exclaims as he hops out of the closet with his chosen outfit for the night, "And the main event for the night?" The crew member smiles and states "The main event? TORCH VS TERROR-RIDER" And that brought one heck of a smile to Pit's face as he takes a shot of orange soda.
"Alright! Well, time to meet the watchers! Are the cameras all prepped and ready to go?" Pit asked while grabbing his microphone, to which the crew nodded and told Pit that they even improved the servers so people watching online can have a smoother experience, which made Pit VERY happy. "Showtime!" Pit exclaims as he made his way to his personal booth that overlooked the arena. Though as he made his way there, he overheard a group of contestants talking about a champion from another arena who is rumored to be making his way to their arena sometime in the future.
"...heard the wolf is considered to be the most dangerous of the combatants..." one combatant said.
"...Man, I heard he actually used to live in Babylon Gardens but left years ago and only turned up after Z-Day" the other one replied, with that reply getting Pit's attention. A wolf who used to live in Babylon Gardens and is considered a Dangerous Combatant AND could be coming to his arena? This COULD be the ratings rocket he always dreamed of, he thought as he grabbed his phone and texted to one of his crew to keep an eye out for 'a wolf that has the look of a killer and the face of someone serious about their work' and to direct them to his office when they arrive as they would love to meet him.


It was now two minutes to showtime and Pit had arrived at his special booth. Looking out over the audience, he smiles as it is, once again, a packed house full of survivors ready to witness another night of insanity. Grabbing a radio, he contacts select members of the crew to make sure everything is ready to go, meaning the cameras are ready to roll, music is ready to rock, the combatants are ready to kill, and the zombies are ready to die. When they inform him that everything is indeed ready, the countdown starts....5.....4....3...2...1...just then, Andrew W.K's 'Ready To Die' comes blasting over the speakers while footage of past events play on the jumbotron as the cameras roll on another night of PIT'S SLAUGHTER DOME. The entire night, the crowd went wild for the every match and every zombie kill they witnessed, from The Amazon Witch's DANCE OF DEATH to the insanity of the One Man Arena Rumble. They booed at the right moments, cheered at the correct ones, and went wild when they needed to be. Overall, it was turning into another successful night of PSD. And as for Pit? Well, to him, as long as the people and combatants are happy, that is all that matters to him in this day and age. During the match between The Valkyries and The Gorgeous Glammer Girls, his phone goes off suddenly. Picking it up, he sees it's a text from Lana and, after opening it, a HUGE smile crosses his face as he reads the following:
"Hey Pit! Just wanted to let you know that Keene's dead. While they didn't find a cure, none of us will stop looking until we find one. At least we won't have to worry about Keene any more! Jata said HI!" which was followed by a pic of both her and Jata on a porch swing.
Texting back, Pit tells them he is happy for everything that happened but is truly happy that she and her husband are still alive as "I would've went ballistic and killed Keene myself if anything happened to my sister." Turning his attention back to the Slaughter, Pit relaxes in his chair for a bit, before getting an idea for a special match for the night. Grabbing his radio, he contacts a crew member and tells them to setup the arena for a "Defend Your Tail Match with Quantra and Ripper...and bring in the Excalibur!" For those not in the know, a Defend Your Tail Match is where two contestants enter an arena and have to work together to kill the undead before they reach the target spot. Sound simple, right? Well, there is a catch: The combatants are actually tied together at the legs and have to move as a unit as well. This style of match always get the biggest cheers from the viewers and tonight was going to be no exception.

[Amazee Dayzee]

I like how the introduction of the this new character was done! Keep it up!

[Nathan Kerbonaut]

This is awesome!! I can feel the excitement of this event. You portray Pit perfectly

[SeanWolf]

This is awesome!! I can feel the excitement of this event. You portray Pit perfectly

Well thank you! Trust me on this, while this may be his sole appearance in this arc...I'm not done with Pit

[NHWestoN]

Not a fan of the sport muhself, but you've really captured the carnival energy, the tumult, the testosterone-drenched swagger, and cartoonish self-mockery of it all. Nice to get a return glimpse of Pit - another third banana character whose over-the-top situations are beginning to be missed.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Maybe Rick will take some ideas from this to use for Pit when he shows up in a future strip.

[SeanWolf]

Maybe Rick will take some ideas from this to use for Pit when he shows up in a future strip.

Man if that actually happens, I'll be ecstatic !

[Amazee Dayzee]

I'm sure you will but I'm pretty sure that Rick already has a ton of ideas he needs to use.

[SeanWolf]

HousepetZ: Ragnarock & Roll Machine
Chapter 7: Back From The Dead, Tonight!



In a tube straight out of Star Wars, Keene or Osiris (Depending on what you feel like calling him) was floating in suspended animation (Narrator's Note: Basically frozen in time) as a steady stream of mana is being pulled out of him, the same mana that corrupted him in the first place and made him call himself Osiris. Outside the tube, Deadeye stood there looking over it as Anubis sits nearby on a couch reading a manga about a world where mythical creatures co-exsist with humans.
"How long will it take?" Deadeye asks, not removing his sight from the frozen Keenesicle as he observes the mana being removed from his body, to which the only thing Anubis could do is just shrug and reply "Hard telling. Dude had a lot of negative mana in him and who knows how long it's been festering in him. Same time, I have to convert said mana to normal mana and store it in the pool so which is honestly pretty easy but...by all accounts, it could still be a couple days or so." Deadeye nodded as he continued to observe Keene as Anubis went back to reading his manga. It has already been a few days since the Attack On Milton Manor which, while it didn't lead to the discovery of any cures, it did take Osiris out of the picture and only left the zombies along with giving the survivors, specifically Anubis, Osiris so he could cure him (by cure, Anubis means just remove the negative mana from him) and hopefully return him back to being Keene.
"No way to speed it up?" Deadeye then asks as he heads to leave the room, which Anubis surprisingly answers "I could...but I don't like doing it as the speeding up could do lasting damage to his soul or, worst, outright kill him." But just before Deadeye leaves, Anubis adds "By the way, I saw your wife up there." Stopping in his track, Deadeye turned to him and, softly smiling, asks how she's doing to which he responds "She is doing wonderful up there. She watches you constantly and always enjoy seeing you take care of the folks here, especially Joey and Lana. When it's your time to go, we have a special table at a lovely restaurant set up for you and your wife." Again, Deadeye smiled as a tear came rolled down his cheek. His wife passed away years before he began working for The Miltons so hearing that she's up there waiting for him and still watching him brought a smile to his face and a joyous feeling in his heart. "Thank you" he replies as he leaves the room via the portal (that lead back to Daisy's Mansion) while Anubis walks over to the floating Keene to check his negative mana level. waving his hand over Keene, he is happy to see that the negative mana level is slowly lowering but the negative mana in question? Something about it just felt off to him as he thinks to himself "This is not Eudoant's doing. This is something else....but who gave you this style of mana?" His train of thought is soon interrupted, however, by the arrival of Tarot.


"Anubis, right?" Tarot asks while she observes her surroundings, "The one who's avatar is the canine Peanut?" Jumping a bit as Tarot did surprise him, he turns to face her, nods, and replies "That's me and Peanut is my Avatar, but only until the Zombie thing is over so your boyfriend is..."
"Why did you go with that air head?!" Tarot suddenly snaps which causes Anubis to lurch backwards from her sudden yelling as she adds "Why couldn't you choose someone more worthy of that?! Deadeye, Sabrina, Daisy, heck even I would be more suited for that role then...then...that dog!!! But NO! You had to go with the dog whos head is in the clouds 24/7, doesn't care about what happens in the world, and spends more time drawing his stupid comics then being normal!" Anubis just stands there and watches as this little Pomeranian rage about his choice with no end in sight..."I swear, you Celestials are some of the most mind boggling folks I had ever met! What with your choices and all this jazz!"
"Tarot...are you...OK?" Anubis asks worriedly as Tarot flops down on the nearby couch with a huff, "I never seen you like this before..."
"No, I'm NOT OK!" She retorts, her face turning red and her eyes showcasing a combination of anger and sadness as she adds "You...You...Celesitals have done nothing but ruin our lives! You force us to be your Avatars! You never let us be normal! You never let me have my happiness!..." At that moment, something clicked in Anubis' head. Sitting down next to Tarot, he asks a simple question and one that he hoped she would answer truthfully, "Tarot," he began, "This is my first time truly meeting you so I have to ask: Is the reason you are like the way you are is because...you never had a family yourself?" At that moment, all the anger that was festering in Tarot suddenly melted away as a long-gestating sadness suddenly emerges from her body and she broke out in tears like never before as Anubis places a paw on her back to comfort her. As he did, Tarot told him that she never knew her family as they all perished in a fire when she was very young and the only life she ever knew was that on the streets, which is why she is so protective of everyone she knows in Babylon Gardens as, to her, they are her only family. Same time, while she was little, Dragon took her in and took care of her and taught her how to be a clairvoyant so she can see into the future and, seemingly, be able to stop certain events from happening to her or her soon to be friends. Of course, she added that she never knew the real reason why Dragon took her in was so she can be her Avatar but, back then, she didn't care as she was young and needed someone to watch over her. All the while, Anubis just sat there and listened while Tarot told him why she's the way she is while, outside the portal, Dragon stood there listening in. She knew Tarot had a rough life but she didn't realize how badly she herself messed it up for her, what with her making her clairvoyant and turning her into her Avatar. If she knew ahead of time that Tarot would be like this later on down the road, she would've never had made her that but still raised her as a daughter while being the mother that she needed at the time. After Tarot was done revealing her life story, Anubis picks her up and just hold her close and comforts her while Tarot continued to cry her heart out, which is when Peanut enters but, before he said anything, he sees Anubis holding Tarot in his arms along with hearing her cry, he asks if she's OK, to which Anubis walks over and hands her to him while telling him what she told him along with adding "When she's done, please show her the contract I had you sign to reassure her that you will be safe...and I want you to be the boyfriend she needs at this time, please? I think that's what she needs truly right now. Could you do that?" Peanut looks at the still weeping Tarot, then turns to Anubis, nods, and walks Tarot to his room while Anubis walks back to Keene to watch him. Outside, Dragon just sits outside the portal softly weeping when Peanut walks out with Tarot in his arms, to which Dragon states she wants to come with him as she owes an apology to Tarot for what she done, which Peanut said she can come with him to his room.



Later that day, everyone was minding their own buisness including Tarot, who was doing much better and was hanging out with Dragon playing some Othello, when Anubis suddenly shouts out "Hey! Keene's waking up!" Dropping what they were doing, everyone rushed to the portal to Anubis' room and headed in to see Keene, now out of suspended animation and laying on the couch, begin to stir and awaken.
"Take it easy, now" Anubis said while helping him sit-up, "You've had a rough couple of years...uh Daisy, could you go and make him a cup of tea? You can use my kitchen over there" to which Daisy nodded and headed to make some while Keene, still drowsy and out of it, woozedly asks "Ugh...what...where am I?" which Lana replies that he's in Anubis' house.
"An...Anubis? Where...where's the manor?" he asks her which, sighing, she tells him "It's...destroyed. You as Osiris...well you turned it into a nightmare and Peanut here, as Anubis' Avatar, destroyed the entire mansion and lab." When he heard that, Keene managed to licit a chuckle and tells her he actually remembers that a huge canine came to him and effectively chucked him into a portal, which Anubis adds that the portal was just for show and just to make him wet himself, which Keene said they succeeded while accepting the tea from a returning Daisy. After taking a sip, Keene looks to everyone and, in a surprising move, asks for everyone's forgiveness for what he did this past few years, "I know what I did was wrong and is still on-going and I know you guys probably won't ever forgive me...but if I could go back in time and prevent myself from doing this, I would. I know I can't bring back those you lost so my apology may seem not-worthy but...it's all I can offer now..." The room grew silent as everyone wondered if they should accept his apology. Sure, he was someone else and, from what Anubis said, had a bunch of negative mana in him, but it was still Keene doing all of this, so they had a good reason to be hesistant of his apology. But even if they accepted, there was still the issue of Lana and him kicking her out of the house and cutting her off from the family, which is something she brought up to him and Keene just nods, acknowledging that it was wrong for him to do that. Just then, Deadeye speaks:
"We can't change the past but we can work towards a better tomorrow. I don't speak for everyone here but I speak for myself when I say...I accept your apology." Everyone else, even Lana, then followed suit with acceptance which brought an actual smile to Keene's face, one he hadn't had since he was a young ferret.
"I do have a question though," Bino then asks "This virus...if it only affects humans, why was Duchess and Boris affected?" This caught Keene off guard..."What?" he asks so Bino told him that, when Z-Day was begining, he went to visit Duchess for a date and, long story short, she turned into a zombie. Keene's face suddenly went from a small smile to that of being scared and horrified as he went to say "They told me there was supposed to be a cost but I thought they meant a human sacrifice...not a pet..."
"You mean Euodant?" Anubis chimes in, to which Keene looks to him and, with fear in his eyes, tells him that it wasn't Euodant who did it nor was it him to gave him the 'gift' to do what he did..."Keene...what are you talking about?" Dragon asks which is when Keene looks at everyone, takes a deep breath and reveals who actually gave him everything...
"A week or so after our second incursion in the temple, I was visited by someone who called themselves a Celestial but I didn't recognize them at all. They asked me what I truly wanted and I told them a world fit for us pets to live in harmony, so they said they can give me a gift to achieve this dream and...well you know the rest. But they added that this requires a sacrifice of one to make this a reality so...I agreed as I thought it was going to be no one none of us knew..." He then turns to Bino and tells him outright "I'm sorry but...Duchess was the sacrifice and is living in The Netherworld now..." Once he heard that, all Bino could do was just walk away and collapse onto a chair in silence after hearing that, while Anubis asks Keene who was the Celestial. When he spoke the name, however, Anubis just stood there in fear as he and the others had run-ins with this particular being before and they knew of their hatred for humans but they never knew that they would go this far. This being's name...was Seker...


END OF YEAR 3

[SeanWolf]

HousepetZ: Ragnarock & Roll Machine
Epilouge

That night, about twenty miles outside of Babylon Gardens, a low rumbling sound emerges as a motorcycle roars through the night sky before resting for a spell. Sitting on top of the beast was its tamer who pulls out a pair of binoculars and focuses them to the location to the north...a place they once called home but was now a city under siege. But this didn't deter them as they said to himself with a smirk "Prep yourself, baby: Rockstar Hawk is coming home" before letting the beast roar in the moonlight and riding towards Babylon Gardens and his destination: Pit's Slaughter Dome.

[Temno the wolf]

Another good chapter followed by a great epilogue! Can't wait to see what happens at the slaughter dome*

[Nathan Kerbonaut]

Aww, Tarot. I like the backstory you made for her. Don't mess this up, Peanut!

[SeanWolf]

Aww, Tarot. I like the backstory you made for her. Don't mess this up, Peanut!

Thanks I'd figured since we never got an offical one for her, I try my hands at one just based on what we do know and how she is in the comic.

[SeanWolf]

One extra epilogue/tease for a future arc

HousepetZ: Ragnarock & Roll Machine
Epilogue 2

In the middle of Babylon Gardens, a series of dark clouds begin to form over head, followed by a roar of thunder and a few strikes of lightning to the pavement below. Suddenly, the ground begins to shake violently as a claw pierces through the ground, followed by a creature pulling itself out, which then laid there panting before standing and observing itself. It was surprised to see it's feathers was changed from a calming blue to a more menacing and fiery red and their wings were now that of a dragon. It then looked around the surrounding area and a painful memory return to them...the day they were killed by a young pup. "Bino..." the creature snarls before a sinister smile forms as it thinks "You'd be the perfect one for me...better then the weaklings known as King and Bailey...you will be my prodigy...my personal Avatar." Just then, fire erupts from its feet as the creature takes flight to the sky to search for a place they can call home for the time being...but where it once stood, a warning now appeared and blood red that stated to all who would read it 'I'm BACK...signed, Pete The Phoenix'...Pete had returned....


Bino: "But we won't see him until a much later arc?"
Narrator: Yep. The next two arcs are focused on a single character
Kevin: "Probably easier to write for one character, eh?"
Narrator: Yep.
Bino: "So once those two are done, what's next?"
Narrator: A return to the survivors and zombies but that's all I'll say
Bino: "Eh I'll find out via your notes again"
Narrator: Well that's true
Kevin: "Speaking of zombies, want to watch World War Z?"
Narrator: Sure!

[Amazee Dayzee]

Always knew that he would come back. Phoenix's due tend to rise from the ashes as that is part of their lore.

[SeanWolf]

Always knew that he would come back. Phoenix's due tend to rise from the ashes as that is part of their lore.

Well, remember Pete was a Gryphon, then a Chimera, but now he's back as a Phoenix...so is something going on with him or is there more to him then meets the eye?

[SeanWolf]

My treat: An EARLY start to the fourth arc Enjoy!


HousepetZ: Tails From A Wastelander's Journal
Part I: Survival In A World Gone Mad


VIDEO DIARY #1
*record*
Are we live...Well I guess I better get this over with *ahem* My name is Sasha. I was born in a town called Babylon Gardens and raised by an owner who rather spend his life drinking then being productive and insisted that I call him Daddy. My only means of escape was my own mind and a boyfriend I had, a K9 beast named Kevin. I enjoyed living there and being with him but that all changed when I was accused of the attempted murder of one Keene Milton. Sure, they learned I was quote "brainwashed" by an obedience school I went to that was ran by that idiot who wanted to kill him, but they cleared me of all charges. The next day, I figured since I was cleared, me and Kevin could go on a date, which a few days later, we did! But there was something odd with him and he never really looked like he was there as we went on the date. So, I asked him if anything is wrong and, oddly, he was quiet so I asked again and, at that time, he answered and said "Sasha...I love you, I really do. But the problem is that because of the love we share, I am having problems focusing on my job and I love being a K9 unit! Every day, when I try to do my work, I can only think of you and that affects my work output. If I was able to control my emotions and my love for you BETTER, I wouldn't have to have this conversation with you! But I can't...Sasha, I really hate to say this but I hope you understand: I need to rethink my life and work on controlling my emotions...so until I can, I'm breaking up with you. I'm sorry." I just sat there and smiled, like I always do, but inside? I wasn't sad or anything, but I was rabid. Breaking up with me cause I was affecting how he was thinking? That was NOT my fault! If he couldn't control his thoughts about me and remember to keep his love and work separate, then maybe we still would've been together! Long story short, he stood up from the table (we were at some diner, I don't recall the name anymore), said goodbye, and left while I just sat there, finishing my meal as a small tear ran down my face. Didn't help when I returned home and my owner, sorry 'Daddy', had locked the doors as punishment for what I did. See, after the whole Keene event, my "owner" was fuming and, after a few days of abuse from him which involved choking and hitting me, he went and locked me out of the house, which for a few days I was fine. But that night...I had enough. So, I found a way into the kitchen and found myself some duct tape, along with a nice sharp knife for my idea. 'Daddy' was sleeping on the chair, passed out again...it was the perfect opportunity. Slowly entering the room, I took the tape and tied him to the chair so he couldn't get up and then? Well, I'll just say the sound the knife made as it slit his throat, the gurgle from his voice as he tried to scream...all of that should've did something to me. And yet, I felt nothing but joy. Joy that I was now free from this jerk. As I watched him die there on his chair, I leaned over and whispered in his ear the very last thing he would ever hear: "Goodnight...Daddy". I then watched as his wretched life faded away and the rest of the blood trickled down his neck onto his stupid body. Then, an odd emotion over came me...the emotion of happiness. I was free...free from his abuse...free from living in terror...free to be me! I could FINALLY do whatever I wanted! But, deep down, I knew I would be hunted by the K9's and my...my...by Kevin, so I packed up all my belongings and loaded them into the bags on 'daddy's' motorcycle. Though, just to be 'nice', I left a note on the body that read "I had to do it. Don't bother looking for me as I'll be gone when the morning comes". But before I left, I went into his private stash and grabbed a pistol he bought for himself as, hey, knives are good but nothing beats the quick death that a gun can bring, plus I needed something to defend myself. Outside, I took one final look at the house and just drove off, past all of my so-called friends houses and out of Babylon Gardens and just kept riding, feeling the wind in my fur and the embrace of mother nature: I was free of my chains and was, from then on, a wild child...but I DID make a few more stops in Babylon Gardens before I left: Bikers R Us at the mall for a vest, some boots, chaps, and a hat, followed by a stop at a gun store for a holster and a poncho (like what that Clint Eastwood guy wore in those westerns) and some reason ending with a stop at a Electronics Shop for a video camera, a GoPro, and a laptop...though with the laptop I realized I may get bored on the road so I needed something to do (For the record, the laptop is a high-end gaming one). The reason for the clothing, in case you are interested, is I wanted to shed my 'good girl' image and just embrace my wild child side.


I believe it was no less then a week later when I stopped at a gas station for some fuel and a few snacks for myself. When I arrived, I did notice that the station was very empty but I chalked it up to the time I was there and continued to fill up. Afterwards, I entered the station and I noticed the place was a bit of a mess: Food on the floor, lights flickering...and some odd sound. Walking towards the sound, I saw what looked to be a pair of legs twitching and someone hunched over it so, I figured I try to be nice and I asked "Are you OK?"...boy was that a mistake as the thing hunched over? Well, it turned around and *whistles* talk about ugly! Now I knew there were rumors over the radio that zombies were walking the Earth, especially in Babylon Gardens, but I didn't expect to actually see one! So, I did what anyone would do in that situation: I took my gun out and shot it in the head, point blank, followed by a second to be on the safe side. Once the deadhead was dead, I just walked over and grabbed a few drinks (along with one of those bags that stay cold all the time), some snacks...and I took the money out of the register as, come on, guy was dead and I'm pretty sure a dead guy doesn't need cash (For the record, I grabbed a little over $5k). Any-who, as I made my way out to my bike and started loading up, I heard a voice from behind me and, thinking it was someone wanting to rob me, I drew my gun and took aim...at something I never seen before. I'm serious here, I had never seen a three-headed dog with muscles that could put the Hulk to shame! She, rather you, called yourself Cerberus and your buddy...er boyfriend was a jackal name Anubis and they were there....you know, honestly? I really didn't care why you two were here on Earth as whatever you were doing was of no concern of mine, but the Jackal said he was looking for a dog named Peanut and I told him he's back in Babylon Gardens. You, on the other hand? The one head, I think the left, suddenly said they knew what I did and that the other reason they were there was that they wanted to see if I can change my mind and return home...but I told you flat out and I will admit my choice of words weren't really the best and I rather not repeat what I said but it was very heh "unladylike". Anyway, to make a long story short as I know you already knew this, you said to at least give her a email she can use to contact me...so I did and you then said you wanted me to do these video diaries so she can see what's going on outside of Babylon Gardens. I said "alright" and then I left. I will say that being in the presence of you two? I dunno, I felt peace...then again it could've been that they scared the zombies away as, holy cow, you were built and Anubis? Dude was also built but he was packing one mean shotgun! Eh, I think I'm gonna cut this diary/video update off here for the night...still think this is pretty dumb, what making these diaries and sending a copy to you, but if you want to see what's going on...then guess I'll entertain you. Whatever...This is Sasha signing off for the night...
*end recording*


Kevin: "I can already tell this will be a dark arc"
Narrator: Well not entirely dark, so to speak, but still kind of.
Kevin: "Still...actually, you mind if I write this arc for you?"
Narrator: I guess if you want as it'll give me a chance to catch up on my backlog.
Kevin: "Thanks. I figured since Tarot and Bino wrote for you, I give myself a shot at writing"
Narrator: Have fun!

[Nathan Kerbonaut]

Y'know I always wanted more time spent developing Sasha's character in the comic. I like how you've been exploring little known parts of the HP world in these stories. You always put in a surprising twist, which makes reading these a pleasure

[SeanWolf]

Y'know I always wanted more time spent developing Sasha's character in the comic. I like how you've been exploring little known parts of the HP world in these stories. You always put in a surprising twist, which makes reading these a pleasure

Heh, thanks

[NHWestoN]

Nothing adds color like a good throat slashing!

[Amazee Dayzee]

Though blood can be so hard to get out of stuff.

[NHWestoN]

Nothing says dramatic recoloration like spurting jugular wounds, eh?

[SeanWolf]

HousepetZ: Tails From A Wastelander's Journal
Part 2: BarRoom Blitz!


With the wind in hair and the feeling of speed in her blood, the wild child known as Sasha rode her motorcycle through a now wasteland of the west. Ruined buildings, wrecked automobiles, dead bodies, the living dead, all perfect ingredients for a post-apocalypse world. For many, this would be a living nightmare to go through, but for Sasha, this was paradise for her as she was able to live her life the way she finally wanted to being free from the confines for her prison of a home. But her freedom was short lived as, during one stop, she learned that two of the Miltons namly Duke & Simon had taken over most of the wasteland and are now it's rulers. Now, normally, she wouldn't have any quarel with the Miltons but that was before the attempted murder on Keene occurred and she was blamed for it, so now? She was ready to send them to the Netherworld in a small plastic baggy as she was tired of everyone bending over backwards for the Miltons. But instead of doing a full assault on them, she figured it'd be best to hit them where it hits via going after any of their caravans and camps then stealing from them and distributing the goods to those who are trying to survive out here, hence her title 'The Robin Hood Of The Wasteland', a title she hated but never really argued it as she thought "Well, if it gives a glimmer of hope to people out here, I guess it's OK." There was one other title she had and this one she was very proud to have and that was 'Deathstalker' for she was known for being very ruthless in her ways and had a body-count that could rival Schwarzenegger and Stallone. Those who saw her in action said that while she was a crack shot with her handgun, her skills with knives were legendary. No one could match her in combat as those that attempted to best her ended up as little pieces and nothing more. It was even said that her skills with a blade was so incredible and precise, she could take a single strand of hair off of a fly and leave the fly unharmed. There was even a rumor put forth that even the undead feared her, which if a rumor like that starts, then one knows they are not to be trifled with. Put it simply: She was dangerous and, as it turned out, she was about to showcase her skills again.


Even though she's been avoiding towns/encampments, she was starting to get a bit thirsty and she heard about a small town that had a bar so, biting the bullet, she decided to drive to the town and stop in for a drink and, if she felt like it, a bite to eat. Said bar was in a small town called Acancy (which was named after a short-circuited No Vacancy sign) and, while it was a quiet town, it was known to be a town that was frequented by bikers and other wasteland gangs, such as the Monster Dogs (who were a group who rode around in souped-up trucks and were known for their love of heavy weapons). As she rode into town and pulled into the bar's parking lot, she notices a group of bikes parked out front and each one were adorned with ram skulls and other bones.
"Looks like The Skulldiers are in town today..." she mumbles as she headed towards the entrance, "This should be a interesting day." Opening the doors, she spots a few members of The Skulldiers sitting at one of the tables with one playing with a knife and another trying to get a woman to join his gang. Choosing to ignore them all, along with the other patreons, she makes her way to the front and sits down on one of the empty bar stools and waited for the barkeep to tend to her.
"Anything in particular?" the barkeep asks, to which Sasha, after looking at the menu, orders a Mercury's Soul (Which was Orange Soda mixed with a Cherry soda and flavored with a slice of lime) and, after receiving and paying for the drink, proceeds to drink it while listening to the patreons chat away and The Skulldiers be themselves. While some of the conversations did peak her interests, her focus was her drink and nothing else, though she was curious about what the Skulldiers members were doing, especially the one with the knife, and it turns out they were interested in her as well or rather just the one as she would soon find out.
"Well, hello beautiful." a Skulldier said while placing a paw on her shoulder, "Would you like to see why they call me 'Ruff RyYEOUCH!" though before he could finish the attempted hit, Sasha had already grabbed his paw that was on her shoulder, jerked it back, and broke it. Watching him hold his paw, she quips "Guess I was too 'ruff' for you?" before turning back to her drink. Which is when two other members rush over to help Ruff Ryder and the one with the knife, who went by Blade, told the remaining one to bring her over to him.
"Blade wants to speak with you, dog" The Skulldier states coldly to Sasha who, after finishing her drink, smirks and follows him to the table and sits across from Blade, still holding her smirk.
"You know...I don't like it when someone hurts one of my boys...especially a chick like you. Now I could just kill you right here but I'm feeling generous so instead we'll do this" Blade states as he tosses the knife he was using onto the table in front of Sasha, "Using the knife, I want you to hit the wood between your fingers without stabbing yourself for as long as you can. My record is five minutes and if you can beat that...we'll...let you leave. If you can't, well, you'll learn why my boy over there is called Ruff Ryder. What'd you say?" Gripping the knife and looking at it for a bit, Sasha chuckles and, after placing her paw spread out onto the table, began to move the knife slowly between her fingers before slowly picking up the pace. Her quick movements and smooth stabs impressed Blade and other The Skulldiers along with some of the other patreons who decided to watch the events unfold. As she picked up the pace, Blade realized she was close to the two minute mark which brought a small chuckle as he was actually impressed that someone had the skills he had and was beginning to think that maybe Sasha would like to join his gang, though he wouldn't get the chance to ask as, if on cue, Sasha spun the knife around her paw that was gripping it and, holding it by the blade itself, chucked it with precision at Blade's head and it pierced him right between the eyes, dropping and killing him in an instant and the only words out of Sasha's mouth were "Was that not you're supposed to play the game?" The other Skulldiers were furious and pulled their guns out and pointed them in her direction, with the one holding their gun, a sawed off pump-action, right at her head, which didn't deter her in the slightest...in fact the whole time, she was observing the other Skulldiers to see where they were located and figuring out which one would hit the ground first. After a few seconds and feeling the barrel of the shotgun rubbed against her head, she said the last thing any of the Skulldiers there would hear, "Guess not!" before using her foot to flip the table over and, in the midst of the flip, grabbing one of her knives and slashing the shotgun-perp while snatching said gun out of his now dead hands, then spinning around and nailing the other three members, which included Ruff Ryder, with two dropping from the shotgun and Ruff with a knife to the head. In a matter of seconds, the ordeal was done and all of the Skulldiers there were lying on the cold hard floor dead while Sasha stood there panting, holding a new toy and, after pulling it from Ruff's head, a now bloodied blade. Looking at the shotgun, she quips "Nice gun...I'll take it" and proceeds to do just that, along with the ammo the Skulldier holding it had and making her way out to her parked bike. As she was putting the gun and ammo into the one bag, the bartender rushes out and shouts "Hey! Whose gonna pay for that?!" and Sasha's response? Sasha turns to him and tells him bluntly "You can take the money from those dead Skulldiers in there, they won't be needing it" before starting the engine and leaving the bar and town behind.
"She...she does know she just killed the Skulldiers leader, right?" One of the bar patreons ask the tender, to which he states "I honestly don't think she cares at all." And indeed she didn't as, to her, they were just another weed in the garden.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Great chapter that you posted! I'm always so very excited when I see a new chapter up!

[Nathan Kerbonaut]

Sasha, wow This is a great chapter!

[SeanWolf]

(Editor's Note: Bit of a shorter chapter this time. Any chapter in this arc that is a Video Diary one will probably be short)

HousepetZ: Tails From A Wastelander's Journal
Part 3: We Can Burn This Bridge Together!


VIDEO DIARY #2
Hey, Cerberus. Well, another day, another diary for you! I have to say, you missed one heck of a good bar fight! Man, those Skulldiers went down fast ha ha ha! *sighs* Hey, I got your email and...thanks for the update. I'm happy that there are survivors and such, but...to tell the truth: I really don't care. I told you, I'm done with Babylon Gardens and everyone there. Look, if I was never accused of attempted murder, my owner was nicer, and Kevin kept his emotions IN CHECK, then maybe I would have more feelings to the place and it's inhabitants but it did and, frankly, the place can just burn and die for all I care. Honestly, all the memories I have of happiness there? Don't mean anything to me any more. I'm at the point where even seeing children playing brings no emotion to me. Like nothing at all. To tell the truth, you know what does bring me joy? Just riding my motorcycle through the land, feeling the wind in my fur, having the sense of pure freedom, and just taking in the scenery. That's what been bringing me any sense of joy latey and, you know something? I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world, not even a chance at redemption there. I'm not trying to paint myself as an uncaring dog or anything, it's just that Babylon Gardens is just too much of a bad memory for me anymore and I just don't want anything to do with it *sighs*

You know want to know something in regards to the whole Keene thing? If given the chance: I could've killed him for real. But I wouldn't drown the little tube snake of a money grubber, oh no. I would've just went up to him in a crowd and broke his little neck. Why? This is something I never told anyone but The Miltons? They never did anything for us nor did they ever try to follow through with their ideals. The most they ever did? That stupid carnival that ended in disaster for everyone. What I hate the most, more then anything, are rich pets who said they'll help but instead care more about themselves then anyone else. So, yeah, given the chance I would've killed Keene. But I never did and you want to know why? I was supposed to be the "Good Puppy" and I HATED that label. Sure, I was ditsy and a bit goofy at times, but you know why? It was all done to please my owner, whom I am PROUD is dead!...Alright, I'm starting to get worked up so I'm cutting this diary short. Same time...*distant groans*...sounds like a couple of zeds are roaming about and my blades hunger so I'm gonna go and kill 'em. I dunno when the next diary from me will be...so, 'till next time, Cerberus.
*END RECORDING*

Sighing, Cerberus closes the video on her computer and leans back in the chair while thinking "Sasha...you have to learn to let the past go and move on..."

[Nathan Kerbonaut]

There's no denying she's tough as steel. It's a lawless wasteland out there, so she'll need her cold demeanor to avoid trouble. But if it does find her, then she's got other tricks up her sleeve

[SeanWolf]

HousepetZ: Tails From A Wasterlander's Journal
Part 4: Come And Get Your Blood...



On a lone desert highway with the sun to her back, Sasha sat in a nearby ditch waiting for her target. Earlier that day, she stopped at a gas station for a refuel and overheard that one of the Milton's Convoys would be driving through that location later in day and she had the need to get some blood pumping. While she camped out in the ditch, she was beginning to grow bored so she decided to do some quick weapons maintenance on a few of her weapons, namely the shotgun she acquired that week and her personal pistol. Starting with the shotgun, she empited it of it's shells then proceeded to take it apart for a deep cleaning, though she was surprised at how clean and well-maintained the weapon was, seeing as it came from The Skulldiers who's weapons usually ranged from a bit dirty to downright disgusting. As she proceeded to clean the barrel out, the sun was slowly beginning it's decent to make way for the moon to bless the world, which while for many would signal it's bed time, for Sasha it meant peace and serenity as night was the only time, back in Babylon Gardens, that she was able to have any sort of freedom from her home life. With the barrel cleaned and the rest of the shotgun looking good as well, Sasha went and reassembled the weapon and reloaded it with the ejected shells then (after putting the safety on) placed the shotgun back in her bike's pouch then went and disassembled the pistol and began cleaning that one. The pistol was a simple Colt M1911 A1 that her owner bought for himself for reasons he never disclosed to her (she had a theory he was going to use it to eventually kill either her, himself, or both) that she took for herself after killing him. As she cleaned it, her mind went back to the day she did the dirty deed and, instead of worry or horror entering her mind, the feeling of happiness once again took over as she would be forever happy that she was free of him. There was one hint of sadness when she realized the cops could be hunting for her, but she then remembered it's a zombie apocalypse every where and the cops are probably dealing with the undead and any survivors so they wouldn't have any time to hunt her down. Same time, it's been a LONG time since she did the deed so, for all she knows, they could've called off the hunt. A smile formed across her face as she finished the cleaning and it stayed there as, the moment she placed the pistol's magazine back into it, the tell-tale sounds of an approaching convoy sound filled the evening air, "Show time" she told herself as she got into position for another heist.


The Convoys that Sasha loved to attack were always a truck lead by a Jeep and guarded by another one in back and the trucks usually carried food, water, and other assortment of goodies. Sadly, they never went to any survivor encampments, but designated Milton Rescue Camps which were home to not just any survivors, but the ones who could afford it. In the words of Sasha, they were "Camps To Keep Real Survivors Out" and she, along with everyone living in the wasteland, sans some, hated this. While some tried to save up to get in, others tried to sneak in but those who tried to pay were turned away for various reasons and those who snuck in, while some actually found a way to stay hidden, most end up either being kicked out or executed on the spot. For Sasha, robbing these convoys and taking the supplies to those who needed it was her way of sticking it to the Miltons and today's robbing would be of no exception. Like a vulture waiting for its meal to die, she watched and waited for the perfect moment to begin her raid. When the lead Jeep passed by the ditch she was hiding in, she revved her bike and roar towards the convoy, with her focus being on the rear Jeep first, then the front, then finally the truck itself. Driving in close behind the rear, she pulled out one of the two pipe bombs she fashioned the night before, lit the fuse (Narrator's Note: Before you ask how, she held the bomb between her teeth and lit it with a lighter she had), but before she could toss it, one of the guards in the Jeep she was trailing spots her. Instead of panicking, like others would do, she just smiles, blows a kiss, then chucks the bomb into the jeep and quickly drives to the front to repeat the process, all the while the rear jeep explodes into a shower of fire and metal. One of the guards in the lead Jeep, seeing what happened, quickly opened the window they were closest to and began taking shots at Sasha, who quickly evaded all the shots while keeping the lead Jeep in sight.
"Dang," She thought to herself, "Looks like these jerks want to play rough." So, putting the pipe bomb away, she pulls out her pistol that she just cleaned and with three pulls of the trigger, took out the gunman, the driver, and the left front tire, which caused the Jeep to careen off the road and wreck, killing the other two guards inside instantly. With both jeeps out of the picture, she began her assault on the truck, but oddly it was parked two miles behind. Finding it a bit odd, she pulls up to it, hops off her bike and peers into the cab and was surprised to see no one in there. Even looking around outside, she didn't see anyone as there was no place for anyone to hide on that stretch of road in particular, other then the ditch but that was a good few miles back and, in the time it took her to take out the two jeeps and for the truck to park, there would've been no way the driver could make it that fast. Keeping her pistol in hand as she had a feeling that the driver would be hiding in the back of the truck (Narrator's Note: Said truck is your standard military truck), she reaches for the flap and just as she pulls it open an inch, she is suddenly greeted and knocked on her back by foot. Said foot belonging to Simon Milton, who was driving the truck as he had a feeling that she'd be going to rob it so he decided to tag along and, basically, kill her himself.



"Well well well," Simon quips as he hops off the bed of truck and walks towards Sasha, "If it isn't the rat that's been eating our cheese." As he got closer, Sasha quickly kicks and knocks him back a few inches before standing up, drawing her knives, and readying herself for combat.
"Well this rat is feeling mighty hungry and you are the only one here" Sasha retorts as she lunges in for a strike which Simon, using his own knife, deflects with a chuckle, "Well then, rat, let's play a little game of Simon Said, with the prize being the truck here." Although she was not one for games, she decided to humor him and play his little game just to see what he has planned.
"Game's simple," Simon begins, "I give a command using Simon Said and you have to follow it...if not, game's over and I keep the truck."
"Not much room for me to win, is there." She quips as Simon chuckles and answers that in order for her to win, she has to kill him but only if he said Simon Said. To Sasha, this was looking like he was stacking the deck in his favor, but she still felt like toying with him so, she agreed.
"Alright...let's begin simple: Simon Said you can not use your knives to fight" Sasha smirked when the first one went out. She kind of figured he was going to do something to disarm her so she shrugged and tossed her knives aside, which is when Simon went in and slashed her left arm, "ARGH!" She screamed as she dropped to the pavement holding her arm, "You cheating lil'..."
"Ah ah ah," Simon mocks, "I said 'Simon Said you can not use your knives to fight'...I never said 'Simon Said WE can not use our knives to fight'." Sadly, this was true as Sasha recalled, which is when Simon went in for another slash, this time across her left cheek on her face, eliciting another scream. She did manage to pull some strength together through her pain and went in for a punch, but Simon counter-acted with a dodge and a swift kick to her back.
"Simon didn't say what you can use to fight me," he said as he watches Sasha hit the truck and fall to the pavement, writhing in pain from the impact, "But, seeing as you are one tough rat, I'll give you another chance." He then thinks for a bit then, with a smirk, gives the next instructions, "Alright, Simon Said you can attack me...but only using your feet." Again, thinking she had the advantage again, Sasha tries for a kick, only for Simon to attempt to stab her foot through her boot, though thankfully she wore steel toes, which broke the one knife he was using.
"Well!" Simon quips, "I'll give you credit, you protected yourself, even though you didn't follow the rule as you could only use your feet, not the boot..still you thought ahead. Smart...alright you can get up" But Sasha didn't, in fact she wasn't moving at all, "You're learning! OK, Simon Said you can stand up..." Again, Sasha didn't move an inch and just stayed laying there on the ground motionless. A look of concern then crossed Simon's face as he thought he either killed her or the impact on the truck gave her internal bleeding that killed her. "Huh, didn't think you die that easily. Guess your 'daddy' really did make you into a sissy" he quips as he, after holstering the other knife, leans in to see if there was any breathing emanating from her mouth. Which is when Sasha made her move as she grip him by the head and bit into him like a dog biting into a piece of meat, which made Simon scream in pain and leap off of Sasha, who proceeded to stand up and, with death in her eyes and blood on her body, utters coldly "My turn....Simon Said I can pick up my knife and slice you," which she does..."Simon Said I can then stab you in the leg" which she does..."Simon said I can throw you against the truck" which, again, she does. Hitting the pavement, Simon went to stand up but the pain was too much and he found himself leaning against the truck and spat some blood up. He looks Sasha dead in the eyes and, with whatever breath he had left, groans at her "Simon said you are a cheating, filthy rat and Babylon Gardens *cough* should be ashamed of you..."
"I am NOT a rat and I DO NOT CARE ABOUT THAT JUNK-HOLE OF A TOWN!" Sasha suddenly and loudly interrupts as she readies her knife (Narrator's note: Sasha uses Bowie knives) and exclaims to Simon Milton with a voice that could make dragons tremble in fear, "My name is Sasha Hartford! AND SIMON SAID YOU CAN DIE!!!" Sasha then swung her knife towards Simon with a roar then...it was quiet save for the wind as the lifeless body of Simon Milton dropped to the ground, followed by his head. Sasha stood there panting and wincing from the pain of the knife wounds she sustained as a small smile crossed her mouth: She had won. She then heard something coming from the body of Simon...something that sounded like a radio...
"Simon" the voice went, "You there? We lost contact with you for a bit and I'm getting worried..." Looking over at the body, she spotted the origin of the voice, which was a radio, so grabbing it, she decides to answer the only way she knew how..."Duke."
"Who is this?" the voice, which was Duke Milton, replies with a noticeable hint of fear, which Sasha answers "Deathstalker. Your brother is dead...and I'm coming to get you..." before breaking the radio in her paw and inspecting the truck for any supplies, which there were none. As she figured out, the only reason the convoy was out here was so that Simon could theoretically kill her, which made her chuckle but she did spot a first-aid kit and she was in need of some. So, grabbing it, she opened it and pulled out a needle and thread along with cleaning solution and bandages and went to clean up her wounds, which took a few extra minutes as she wasn't the best at sewing yet. Once that was done, she was ready to leave but decided to have one more look at Simon's headless corpse...then got an idea. Grabbing the head of Simon, she tears some cloth off of the truck's cab and wraps the head up in it and places it in one of her bikes pouches and thinks "This will make a great gift" before driving off to where ever the road would take her...in this case, the road in question was taking her to the location of one of the wasteland's many gangs on the Milton's Payroll. A gang known for its ruthless and cannibalistic ways of living. A gang only known as: The Mulchers.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Ooooh. The Mulchers. They sound completely horrifying.

[Nathan Kerbonaut]

RIP Simon. You always were the least known Milton ferret. What a way to go...

[SeanWolf]

RIP Simon. You always were the least known Milton ferret. What a way to go...

Fun Fact: That whole sequence was inspired by the villain's game from Die Hard With A Vengeance.

[NHWestoN]

How many Miltons left? Sounds like a Sesame Street counting game........

[SeanWolf]

(Narrator's Note: This will be another short arc, but there is a reason for it's shortness)

HousepetZ: Tails From A Wastelander's Journal
Part 5: In The Home Of The Mulchers, Sasha Is Queen


All through the night and into the early hours of the next day did Sasha ride as her destination was set in stone. For she was heading to the place that was home to The Mulchers, a cannibalistic group of survivors who were notorious for their ways of living and, most important to her, being on the Milton's payroll. If she could "talk" to the leader and figure out where Duke Milton resided, then she could just march up to his house and treat him the way he treated the wastelanders (though her definition of talk was much different then the standard one as this one involved the flash of a blade and a touch of blood). As she rode through the wastelands, passing by once livable buildings and homes, she realized that even though she heard and knew of the Mulchers, she never actually saw one in person. Many others did and they all warned everyone they met of them but she always ignored the warnings whenever one did cross her path as, again, she never even seen one. The most she ever saw of the Mulchers was an aftermath of one of their victims in a house she was exploring, which didn't give her nightmares but did make her lose her lunch she had earlier that day as the Mulchers weren't entirely the cleanest of eaters. She did think to herself that if she wanted to, she could rid the wasteland of the gang and no one would have to worry about becoming the main course for them, though the only drawback being what were the chances of another cannibal tribe forming? Choosing to ignore that and continue on with her previous plan, Sasha continued to ride the rest of the day to the Mulchers' compound with fire in her soul and war in her blood.


Arriving a mile outside of the Mulches' Compound, she decides to scout the place out first so, climbing up a nearby small hill overlooking the place, she pulls a pair of binoculars out of her bike's pouch and begin to scan the place and was surprised at what she saw. Inside the compound, there were green grass, trees bearing healthy leaves, houses that look new, and fresh water running in a small lake. The whole location looked like it came out of a fairy-tale and belonged to such as it's look was a far cry from the rest of the area. But that wasn't what surprised her the most. No, what brought the biggest surprise to her was when she finally saw what the infamous Mulchers looked like, which also brought a bit of laughter as well for this gang that were hailed as the most viscous, ruthless, and most cannibalistic gang of all the Wasteland? "They're...Samoyeds?" Sasha, in between giggles, said to herself, "The Mulchers...are...Samoyeds?" It was then that Sasha couldn't contain it any more and, for the first time in eons, broke out in laughter as, again, she couldn't believe that the cannibal gang were a bunch of cute Samoyeds. Once her laughter subsided, she went back to surveying the compound and found the area she would check out first which was the diner.
"Well, guess it's time to bite the bullet and visit the *giggles* Mulchers" she quips to herself while getting back on her bike and riding to the gates compound, where the two guards out front, also Samoyeds, stopped her and asked her what her business there was, to which she responded "One night stay. Been on the road for a close to 10 hours now and I need some relaxation" and the guard asking her smiled and let her in while welcoming her to Pair-Of-Dice City. Thanking them, she drove in, but took note of the weapons they were carrying (M4A1's) and their very light armor, and parked in a nearby lot outside the Good Boy Diner, which was her first stop.


Entering the diner, she was once again surprised at the surprisingly peaceful atmosphere the diner gave off, even though she felt something was off. Observing the food the people there were eating, while it did look like your typical diner food, she could tell there was something off-putting about the food. Figuring she needed a closer look, she first acted like she was going to the bathroom but then, once she knew no-one was looking, headed into the kitchen and started sneaking towards the back, all while being surprised that there was only one person working the kitchen as she was used to see at the most three people working it. Arriving in the back room, she is shocked to see not only how huge the room is, compared to the rest of the diner, but the fact that there was a huge meat grinder in the middle, which was connected to conveyor belt at the bottom and one with chains at the top. "Wonder what goes in there..." she mumbles before hearing movement coming from behind. Quickly making a dive for a hiding place, she watches as the cook from the kitchen walks in and makes his way towards grinder in question and picks up the remote that controls it. Pressing the one button, the top conveyor turns on and the usual assortment of dead cows start making their way down the line, but after only two cows came the most horrifying sight as, hooked to the chains, was a body of a dead survivor, but not just any survivor as she recognized this one as the bartender from Acancy. A horrifying realization soon comes to Sasha, "The diners are...feasting on survivors?!" All she could do is watch as the lifeless body falls into the grinder and is turned into nothing more then meat for the patreons. She had seen enough so, standing up from her spot, she slowly walks over to the cook, while picking up a nearby crowbar, and taps him on the shoulder, "That you...Huh?!" before the cook could even react, darkness soon takes over his sight. After a few minutes, he awakens with a bit of a headache but notices he can't move at all. Looking about, he spots the familiar chains he uses to hook up meat then starts to panic when he realizes where he is, "HEY! LET ME DOWN! LET ME DOWN!"
"No one can hear you scream, Hannibal Lecter!" a voice suddenly calls out, "This whole room been soundproofed to prevent any scream from leaving! Don't you remember!" Looking about, the cook spots the owner of the voice and growls "You filthy wastelander! When I get down from her, you'll make a tasty piece of meat!"
"No way to talk to lady now, isn't it?" Sasha retorts while holding onto the remote and playing with it, "Say...what does this button do?" Pressing it, the chains begin to move towards the grinder, which causes the cook to struggle even more and cussing up a storm before it stops over the opening of the grinder, to which Sasha shouts up "Now I am willing to cut you a deal and let you go! All you gotta do is answer me two questions and you are free."
"Kiss my tail!" A poor choice of words from the cook emerges so Sasha shrugs and presses down on the button marked 'DOWN' and the chain that was hooked to the cook begins to lower said cook into the grinder, "WAIT WAIT! I'LL TALK! I'LL TALK!" he then shouts, which Sasha smirks and presses 'STOP' and asks him the first question which was "Who's the leader of The Mulchers?" The cook grunts and replies "I don't know his real name but we call him BloodMaw. He's the one who leads us!" Sasha nods and takes a mental note of the name before moving on to the second question which was "Where can I find BloodMaw?" Again, the cook could just sigh and replies "He frequents the nightclub here entitled Wild Wasteland Quad-X", which elicited an audible groan from Sasha as memories of one of her jobs her 'owner' had her do was being an 'exotic dancer'. Though it was thanks to that job she learned how to defend herself in certain situations so if she had to, she could easily dispatch everyone in the club if the need arises. Looking to the hanging cook, she thanks him for being helpful, which the cook then asks if she'll keep her end up. "Yeah, I guess I have to" she responds, before hitting the 'DOWN' button on the remote, turning the grinder back on, and walking over to the door leading back out to the compound.
"YOU...YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING TO LET ME GO!" The cook shouts as he is lowered into the grinder's rotating teeth, which Sasha shouts "I am...I never said I was going to let you off the chains...just that I was going to let you go! Enjoy being food for your gang, fluffy!" With that, the last sound she heard was the screams of the cook followed by his high pitched screams as the grinder's teeth messily devours him and turns him into that nights meal. Outside, Sasha looks around a bit and spots the nightclub in question and, with another sigh, figures she should just bite the bullet and go in....but not through the front door as an idea entered her head.


The Wild Wasteland Quad-X was known to many as one of the best nightclubs in the wasteland for the club had something for everyone of any kink and that night, Sasha was going to give the perpriators of another kink something to enjoy themselves to. It was now 10pm and the club was in full swing with various club-goers and dancers on stage, along with BloodMaw himself up front enjoying the show. Peaking out of the curtains, Sasha spots him and smiles as she thinks "Alright, even though I look stupid in this bikini, it's show time...though i think I'll need some more appropriate music" Looking over to the DJ/Announcer, one DJ HeavyNoyze, she leans in to his ear and whispers "For my set, I want you to play this song" and hands him the note with said song on it. Looking it over, HeavyNoyze nodded and tells her to get ready as she was up next, which Sasha nodded and heads back behind the curtains and waited for her cue.
"Alright, folks!" DJ HeavyNozye began, "I hope you got your paws and claws and money ready! For here comes the queen of the wasteland, the beauty of the beast, the ever so glamorous: Sasha!" And with that Sasha, as she began to remember her old moves from her old job at Babylon Gardens, came out from behind the curtains to the tune of Volbeat's 'Lola Montez' and began to captivate both the crowd and BloodMaw. While she always hated doing this, she did realized she was a natural at dancing and was a pro at keeping the crowds eyes on her at all times, which was good as hidden in her outfit? A small five-round snub-nose revolver she secretly took off of DJ HeavyNoyze that she planned on using on BloodMaw once she got her info. But for now, it was just her, the music, and the crowd. As the song reached the climax, Sasha leaned over to where BloodMaw was sitting and, after doing a certain move, watched as he reached in to tip her, all the while she reached for her gun to strike...*bam*...BloodMaw quickly dropped to the ground holding his shoulder as Sasha stood there holding the gun while everyone else began to either panic, run out of the club, or in some cases, pass out. Picking up a nearby bottle of Whiskey, Sasha went and stood over BloodMaw before taking a sip and pouring some of the whiskey onto his wound, which made him scream out louder then ever.
"Don't be a pansy" she quips as she stops pouring while keeping the revolver aimed at his head, "Tell me where I can find Duke Milton, the little tube-snake who's funding you and your...interesting way of living" Not wanting any more pain then what he was already in, BloodMaw groans "Excalibur Casino in the Vegas Ruins."
"Thank you" she answers before pouring the rest of the whiskey on him and began to walk back to where she stashed her clothing. But, as she was walking back, she then pulls out a small lighter she had been using up until then, flicks it on and looks back to BloodMaw and shouts "Hope your crew loves their meat well done." then flicks the lighter onto BloodMaw and ignites him in a fiery blaze. As the screams of the burning BloodMaw filled the club and echoed outside, Sasha quickly changed back into her old riding outfit and hopped onto her bike and raced out there, quickly dispatching the two guards outside using the remainder of the rounds in the revolver she had, all the while thinking to herself "The bright lights in the city won't save your soul this time, Duke Milton" With the memory of The Mulchers behind her, along with the stupid outfit she wore, she began to ride off into the night-filled land and towards the Vegas Ruins.