Setting Up the Game

[windandwater]

The War Room in Castle Anthrax was used very rarely, but when it was, it meant that the fecal matter had hit the oscillating air conditioner. At the moment, the War Room was a hub of activity, Muses rushing to and fro, trying to keep Castle commnications up and Muse riots down. Quatre stood in front of the huge holotable, rapidly going over the blueprints to the Castle, cross-referencing them against feeds from the security system cameras, and first-hand reports from Muses. He was in his element, planning what would be a large-scale assault against the enemy.

The crackbunnies.

The problem with the crackbunnies -- besides the fact that they were vicious, homicidal balls of fluff -- were the fact that they were notoriously hard to kill. And they had a breeding rate faster than the normal plotbunnies. This meant that in the scant number of hours they had been free, their numbers had doubled and they had overrun the Castle. Quatre looked up from the holotable, watching as Trowa soothed a basket of regular plotbunnies. One of the tasks the Muses had to accomplish was to wrangle all the plotbunnies, keeping them separate from the crack ones. It wouldn't do if all the fics in the Queue all became cracked out and plinked. The Writer would throw a fit, and probably kill them all in her rage.

The second task was harder: the crackbunnies had to be captured and returned to the psych ward. But that was Duo's affair. Quatre turned to the other side of the room, the Armory doors were thrown wide open and Muses were going over the weaponry just in case they needed spares. Castle Anthrax was BYOBFG -- Bring You Own Big Fucking Gun -- but that didn't mean there wasn't extra around Just In Case. From the way Duo was obsessively checking and rechecking the guns, they'd probably be needed. And the way Max was rubbing the shotguns with an insane gleam in his eyes was mildly disconcerting.

Quatre's gaze drifted again, focusing on the two nearly-identical Muses occupying a bank of computer terminals. In fact, the only thing telling them apart was that Heero was wearing his tank top and jeans while Yuy was sporting a white button-down shirt and khakis. Heero and Yuy both had looks of intense concentration on their faces, their fingers flying as they hacked again and again through Castle Anthrax's systems. The crackbunnies had been maliciously chewing through wires, their actions showing a disturbing amount of sentience and higher-level thought. The *last* thing anyone needed were evolved crackbunnies. So the two Japanese Muses were trying to stay one step ahead, routing and re-routing the security and communications systems, trying to keep the Muses that were non-combatants and holed up in the Wings out of danger.

Just as Quatre was wondering where Wufei was, the War Room doors whispered open and he strode in. Behind him was a group of disgruntled and somewhat shocked Muses, and Wufei was ranting at them.

"Do you know what could have happened if you had wandered out into the hallways alone?! You could have been attacked! I have never before seen such a display of careless--"

"You would dare blame us?! This is *your* home, you should have known that we were arriving and had proper procedures laid out!"

"Are you questioning our security?!"

"I'm just saying that you're a fool!"

What made this amusing was the fact that Wufei was ranting... at himself. Both Chinese boys were in each others faces, angrily yelling at each other. But Wufei was wearing dark jeans and a blue shirt, while the other -- Chang? -- was in his traditional white outfit. Both boys had their hands resting on matching swords.

"What the fuck's going on here?!" Duo bellowed, his hands twitching over the machine gun in his hands. All heads turned to the Primary Muse. Somewhere between the times Quatre had seen him, Duo had Mode!shifted. The braided boy was now clad in leather pants that clung to his legs and ass, and his feet were encased in thick boots. His cross glittered on his bare chest, and Quatre could clearly see the demon wing tattoo that covered nearly his entire back. Thanking Allah that Duo's hair wasn't loose and he hadn't shifted completely to Shinigami!Mode, Quatre quickly crossed the room to put a restraining hand on Duo's shoulder.

"Yes," he said calmly. "Wufei? Why are there more Muses here?"

Wufei sighed, stepping away from his counterpart with a narrowed glare. "Apparently, the Writer has invited other Muses to help us."

Heero stiffened in his seat, spinning around to stare. "You!" he exclaimed.

Hiiro shot a Death Glare at him. "Yes, me." He gave a nasty little smirk. "Your Writer gave me the opportunity to get my revenge."

Heero frowned at him and Dyu, his Prussian eyes taking on a sheen of what would probably be called guilt and shame before the steel door snapped shut and he fell into the Perfect Soldier mindset. "Hn. Looks like the guys in Customs weren't all that gentle."

Hiiro, Dyu, Chang, Inu Yasha, and Nuriko all winced, their hands drifting down to their backsides unconsciously.

"You've got a sick Writer," Dyu said.

"Back at you," Heero replied.

"Look, all of you!" Quatre exclaimed, all eyes now turning on him. "This isn't the time for petty squabling! Every second we waste means it's going to be harder to put down the crackbunnies! Now get your asses over here before I show you what ZERO System can *REALLY* do!"

There was a bit of shock at his words, but Duo just smiled at him and thumped him across the back. "Come on, Q-babe, tell us what we need to know so we can kill us some bunnies."

Quatre nodded, pulling up a map of the Castle on the holotable. All of the gathered Muses (which meant Wing Heads and the combatants) absorbed the schematics. Quatre pressed a button and nearly 60% of the Castle started to glow red.

"Alright... this shows the current crackbunny activity. As you can see, they've managed to multiply and have completely taken over the Main Commons, the Psych Ward, the main Terminals, and most other public areas. They seen to know our weaknesses... there's a large hoarde grouped near the OC Wing, and another hoarde near the GW Wing. The defenses are holding for now," Quatre paused and shot a look to Yuy.

Yuy tapped on of the buttons on his terminal and the green glow of Wards sprang to life on the map. "Defenses holding," he stated. "97%"

Quatre turned back to the screen. "The problem is that crackbunnies cannot be killed permanently. Their deaths are momentary, so if you make a kill, you need to get them immobilized in some fashion. We're looking at rounding all the crackbunnies into the Main Commons or the Psych Ward for the final blitz."

"Why are they so dangerous?" Nuriko asked, trailing one finger through the holographic map. "Aren't they just bunnies? They can be ignored, can't they?"

Duo shook his head, his hands gripping the edge of the table. "Yes and no. They're crackbunnies. They're the most twisted, evil things on the face of the planet. We've managed to secure all the regular plotbunnies so they won't be infected. The problem is... crackbunnies can infect *Muses*."

There was an exclamation from the Muses who didn't know this information.

"What can they do?" Harry asked.

Quatre sighed, running a hand through his blonde bangs. "That's the big question. If crack *bunnies* are this dangerous, can you imagine how a crack *Muse* would act? If you're attacked, you take on the characteristics of the bunny that bites you. There's shouta bunnies, chibi, incest, squick, psycho, homicidal, you name it, there's probably a bunny for it. And there is a possibility that you can become infected more than once."

"Also," Trowa continued. "the D&D Field is in play."

"What does the Death and Dismemberment Field have to do with anything?" Hiiro demanded. "Shouldn't it be a help?"

Trowa shook his head. "In general, yes. You *CAN* die in this Castle, but the Field brings you back. If a bunny bites you when you're already dead, the infection won't take hold. And the crackbunnies don't like dead things, so they'll leave you alone."

"The problem is the D&D Field works on damn near everything in the Castle," Duo added. "The bigger your mass, the longer it takes, but right now we've got a 15 minute--"

"5."

Duo spun around, staring at Heero. "You got the damn Field down to 5 minute recovery?!"

Heero nodded. "That's for complete and total death and dismemberment. Mortal wounds and non-fatal injuries will take significantly shorter."

A silence descended on the Muses. Finally, Dyu's voice broke through. "You mean, if we see ourseleves cornered, it's better for us to kill ourselves than to let the bunnies take us."

"A good conclusion, Dyu."

Everyone jumped at the voice.

"What are you doing out of the Sanctum?!" Duo exclaimed, stabbing one finger at the Writer. Everyone was shocked. The Writer *never* left the Sanctum. Also, she was clad not in her habitual pyjamas and bunny slippers, but a black and silver fuku.

"Are you telling me what I can and cannot do in my own Castle, Duo Maxwell?"

Duo gulmped, shaking his head and taking a step back. Heero was at his side immediately, wrapping a supporting arm around Duo's waist.

Tossing her hair back over her shoulder, the Writer simply *Looked* at the gathered Muses. "This is your only warning. Because of the crackbunny situation, I am putting *all* of Castle Anthrax under DOOM Mode."

"That's overkill!" Eriol exclaimed.

"No," the Writer replied. "I think it's just enough kill. With the threat of crackMuses, I have to take the highest measures possible. The noncombatant Muses are *not* to be targeted unless they are infected or wandering outside of the Wings. Everything else is free game, so long as you use your own discretion. The main objective is the eradication of the crackbunnies, do I make myself clear?"

All the Muses gave each other wary looks. DOOM Mode mean that any deaths were allowable. Like the frequent fights that broke out, it was an opportunity to release aggression.

"Duo Maxwell!" All three Duos jumped at the sound of the Writers voice. "You are *not* allowed to blow up Castle Anthrax. No high-grade explosives." The three Duos pouted, but agreed.

"Heero Yuy! NONE OF YOU are allowed to use nuclear weapons OR Beam rifles."

The three Japanese boys shot glares at each other. "Ninmu ryoukai," the all said in identical tones.

The Writer nodded. "Very well. I'll remind everyone that crackbunnies can only be killed through physical force. Magic and spells will not do permanent damage to them, though it will slow them down." Finished, the Writer turned to leave the War Room.

"Writer?" The Writer turned around, motion with her hand for Heero to continue. "When is the DOOM Mode going to be put into place?"

The Writer snapped her fingers, and all the Muses could feel the tingle of their own mortality. "It's up now. Why?"

Heero just smirked. In a flash, he pulled out his pistol, leveled it, and shot Hiiro through the chest. The visiting Muse went down in a spray of red blood, and Dyu cried out in shock. Everyone was now looking at Heero like he was crazy. He blew the whisp of smoke away from the barrel of his gun.

"I just wanted to know. Now let's get down to work."

Comments

[skyblueandblack.livejournal.com]

Felan: Now *this* looks like fun. Can you imagine the chaos if we added undead crackbunnies into the mix?

Grey: They sound like they already are.

Felan: Hey, I've got an idea...

Grey: It looks like they've already got enough problems on their hands.

Felan: No! I mean to help!

Grey: Are you feeling alright?

Felan: We'll ask Eris or Lyn if they want to go in.

Grey: Didn't you read this? If any bunny bites someone...

Felan: Well, that's just the point! Those two are already practically crackMuses! They're Malkavian!

Grey: ... So is the chibi!Legolas Muse. Well, cracked, anyway.

Felan: Exactly! We have Muses here who would be all but immune!

Grey: ... Have I told you lately that you're extraordinarily twisted?

Felan: Most likely.

[windandwater.livejournal.com]

Heh... if you wanna play, feel free. But I can't write it myself. I don't have a good handle on your OCs and I've got too may Muses to work with already. Plus the ficwriting.

*thudthudthud*

*whispers* But if you wanna be cool, write either Yuy and/or Max taking out either Hiiro and/or Dyu.

*insane cackle*

[kodalai.livejournal.com]

The scene is a metal hallway, with bright fluorescent lights reflecting off of the walls and various shiny buttons. There is a scampering noise, and then a hoard of Crack!Bunnies appeares, hopping and sniffling down the hallway. They come in a vast variety of children’s-snack--food colors, including more than one that has stripes, or polka dots, or striped polka dots. They occasionally gnaw on the walls and floors as they come, some gleefully dangling wires from their large fanged mouths.

Suddenly there is a loud commotion from further down the hallway, and the air blurs with bullets as several machine-guns and miniguns go into fully-automatic mode. The bunnies ricochet between the walls and floor and ceiling for a moment, then fell to the ground in twitching pieces. After the last movement stops, the rain of gunfire ceases, and the group cautiously forays out from around the corner. Hiiro and Dyu lead the way, each carrying a high-powered gun, and they are followed by Chang, Nuriko, and Inu-Yasha.

They advanced down to the scene of the carnage, where Nuriko slung an enormous metal case off her shoulder with no apparent effort; it made a loud CLUNK and a dent in the floor where it landed. Hiiro, Dyu, and Chang spread out, cautiously on guard for the arrival of more bunnies, as the two past!muses get to work collecting the bunny bits.

“Chikusho!” Inu-Yasha grumbled as he shoveled crackbunny!bits into the smaller, heavily sealed metal containers. “Why am I stuck doing clean-up duty?”

“Because you don’t have a gun,” Dyu called over his shoulder.

[kodalai.livejournal.com]

Inu-Yasha growled wordlessly, glaring at the braided boy’s back. The almost-entire bunny in his hand began to twitch and squirm, as the field restored it to life, and he happily ripped into it with his claws.

“They’re respawning!” Nuriko shouted, jumping to her feet and stomping at bunnies. The pilots turned around, Wufei’s katana sliding out of its sheath just in time to quarter a crackbunny that was leaping for his throat. It made a small “11x5!” whimper, then died. Nuriko jumped backwards out of the line of fire as the teenage terrorists liberally sprayed the remaining bunnies with hot lead, then waited ten seconds after they finished to see if they would come back again.

Nuriko sighed. “How many more of these things are there?” she said in exasperation.

“Approximately seventy thousand,” Hiiro said with a completely straight face.

Inu-Yasha spat a curse in Japanese. Dyu glared at him angrily. “Hey, how come *he* gets to use fangirl Japanese and we don’t?”

Inu-Yasha’s eyes went dangerously narrow. “Fangirl Japanese?” he hissed.

Chang sighed. “Because, unlike the rest of us, The Writer has never heard the English dub of Inu-Yasha. He gets to use Japanese because he never used anything else.”

Dyu’s expression went from angry to thoughtful. “If he’s speaking Japanese, how come the rest of us can understand him? For that matter,” he said, turning to Nuriko, “aren’t you speaking in Chinese?”

Nuriko pointed one finger towards the shiny white ceiling. “Universal translator circuits,” she informed them.

They finished packing the crackbunnies into their containers, and Nuriko easily hoisted the whole mess. “Right, where to next?” she said cheerfully. Chang eyed the violet-haired boy uneasily, and a sweatdrop appeared at the back of his head.

Hiiro went over to the wall and punched a few buttons, calling up a castle map. “We’re approaching the Shota Wing,” he began. Inu-Yasha choked, like a man reliving bad memories, but didn’t offer a comment. Hiiro glanced over at him, but went on. “We came through the left wing in half of a pincer movement on the explosion point of th crackbunnies. There will be considerably more of them up ahead. Watch your step, all of you."