Panic in the Streets of MegaCity:

Violence erupted in the streets of Mega City this week. Faction leaders, allegedly under the instructions of Organizational leaders, brazenly imperiled the truce by openly attacking opposition faction leaders. The body count is high; tensions are at a fever pitch, but the truce remains precariously intact. It is clear that the violence is not over, and there is certainly no immediate sign of concession on any side. The factions have retreated to their respective corners to lick their wounds.  Like a wounded animal, however, ferocity accompanies injury. 

The instigators of these brash attacks across Organizational lines remain unknown, but rumors abound of faction leaders receiving detailed assassination orders from the top brass of their respective organizations. It is uncertain if this is a systemic command or the work of a fringe warmongering few. Either way, it has sent a volatile shock through the entire Matrix. The truce, and with it, peace, precariously hangs in the balance.

When the dust finally settles over this battle torn city, exact numbers of casualties may emerge. Until then, the initial and fragmented reports overwhelmingly suggest that Zionite factions came away from this fray in the best shape. Wild rumors of gangland executions and bold personal attacks are running rampant through Mega City.

H1net and his band of thugs, the Kindred, boldly took credit for having attacked and killed at least three people last week. An anonymous source from the Kindred association claims that "all the people we killed did something to deserve it. These are not elementary school teachers that we're talking about. Our targets were scum, and we dealt with them accordingly." 

An eyewitness claims to have seen one of these brutally orchestrated attacks carried out in broad daylight downtown: "It was horrible, this gentleman walked out of a phone booth when another man in a long black coat and black beret started shooting at him. After emptying his gun into the man, the attacker kicked and punched the man to a bloody pulp. He kept kicking him long after he stopped moving. God, it was terrible, it all just happened so fast." The woman later identified the attacker as Seiker, who police claim is a member of a lunatic fringe Zionite cult group, that calls themselves the Enlightened.

Some faction leaders delegated the dirty work to their more violently inclined faction members. "JJackson is a great leader, but I've one word for you: manicure. Manicures and beating someone's teeth into their head don't really go together. That's why he's got me, brutality is my business," claims a source close to JJackson.   

Brutality is not the only method that organizations have resorted to in order to carry out their executions. Reliable sources claim that Zionite and Merovingian groups have expended considerable resources infiltrating opposition organizations in order to lure leaders out of the protective company of their faction members. 

Never wanting to be upstaged by Zionites, the Merovingian factions had a strong showing in last week's violence as well. Apotheosiss, a self-proclaimed "epicurean," sneered at the Zionites' cowardly attacks. He claims that, unlike the dishonorable Zionite ambushes, his attacks were carried out "in duel challenges, and not any form of sneak attack. I let these victims see their assailant before they died...I have a bit of a penchant for bravado when I know I'm superior." Proving once and for all that Modesty and Merovingian are mutually exclusive terms.

However, not all Merovingian embrace the gentlemanly code of dueling, and with a name like Evil Monkey, how could you? Evil Monkey enlisted the help of fellow Covenant faction members Lucyfer, Spadz, and several others to carry out savage attacks on lone Zionites. 

There are even rumors of suicide attacks. Allegedly, Nebkhat and fellow Immortallis members were in the process of executing a Zionite leader when they were surprised by Zionite soldiers. Amidst the fighting, Nebkhat was struck down. A member of his faction reported hearing his demands for retribution, "Kill them! Leave this place victorious or in a body bag! We must not fail the Merovingian!"

Fanaticism and barbarity characterized the Zionite and Merovingian attacks, while the Machinists claimed the role of what one Merovingian characterized as, "Little Miss Punching Bag." By and large the Machinists took it in the neck this round. However, there have been a couple isolated instances of severe and efficient executions at the hands of Machinist faction leaders.

A local laundromat employee claims to have seen Liquidfire and TorqueT1, of the Machinist faction the Jokerz, assault a lone man in while he was doing his laundry last Thursday. "Two men in green calmly walked into my laundromat last Thursday night. One of them, Liquidfire I think, shouted: "Bone head, prepare for deletion!' The man doing his laundry turned around and he had the fear of God in his eyes. I heard a crunching sound and a scream as I ran out the door. I swear it was just like a movie."

It appears that Liquidfire and TorqueT1 were busy last week as there are also reports of them collaborating with TheArchon of The Guardians of the 7th Gate to chase down and execute an unidentified man in an alleyway Wednesday night.

An eerie calm now blankets Mega City. With a palpable tension lingering in the streets one must wonder what the future holds for this turbulent place. Can peace exist where such fatally disparate ideologies dwell in such close proximity? There is no sign of capitulation on any side. "I've seen the future, and it is murder." (Leonard Cohen)

Posted by MxO Team