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The_Master_Wielder Captain
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 Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2010 11:01 am
 Wielder
Fiery Badass Wielder stepped out of the Briefing Room, his red cape flowing behind him. He was used to waking up early- he had to, for most of the big missions. Granted, waking up at four in the morning is never fun. Still, with cape flowing and boots stepping, he made his way down to the Hangar.
The Hangar was an amazing complex. Instead of having a runway above ground, it was built like a highway above the hangar floors, right in the center, leading out from under the complex. The hangar floors were comprised of multiple levels, with elevators larger than football fields moving the various land-, air-, and sea-crafts to and from each level, from the runway, to the ground ramps, to the sea access underneath. All manner of craft were to be seen, here, with a constant sound of metal clanking, welding, fueling, and engines powering up and down.
Wielder walked to hangar 12, to inspect the craft they'd be using. In appearance, it was akin to a space shuttle, minus the massive rockets. It's primary flight zone was at about 40,000 feet, at the edge of the atmosphere. It would drop multiple pods, carrying 4 Mercs each, into Jackpalm City. The pods would hold all their supplies- food, ammo, medical -and could convert into hovering platforms, allowing for both transportation (Although relatively slow- 30 MPH max) and mobile resupply bases.
They'd take off at 0700, and have boots on the ground by 1100. They would need to be out of the city by 2300 the next day. 36 hours.
Wielder leaned against the craft. He wondered how many people were still alive, still fighting, running, hiding. He pulled his eyepiece out of his pocket. "Computer, Bring up a Satellite Image of Jackpalm City, target of mission 35.10.08.02. Bioscan view, distinguish those with and without substance..." He pulled out a piece of paper. It had "Serum Code: Z213PJP" written on it. "Zulu Twenty-One Three Papa Juliet Papa."
"Those with Aforementioned Substance will be marked in blue. Those without, in red." The computer voice said into his ear.
Wielder watched the map load onto his eyepiece. When it was finished, his wondering ceased. There weren't many red dots.
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Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2010 11:18 pm
Xeg stepped into the Hangar area, boots clacking on the floor repetitively as he made his way towards Hanger 12, where the Mercenaries were supposed to be meeting before heading out on the mission to Jackpalm city. Xeg's cape, a dark-blue thing that obscured his upper body when wrapped around him, covered his sword's sheaths, which were strapped criss-cross to his belt behind his back. His pistol also was holstered on his belt, a little medium-caliber thing. He didn't know exactly what type or model it was, technology wasn't his thing.
Apart from his clothing, the thirty-year-old man only wore one piece of armor, plate shoulder pads, which protected both of his arms. His theory was this; 'I can keep on fighting if I take a wound in the leg, or heal myself if I take a wound in the chest. But if someone cuts off my arm, then I'm in trouble, cause then I can't swing my sword anymore.'
Xeg could not pay much attention to where he was going, he was too busy watching information slowly go by on his Eyepiece. A marvelous little gadget handed to him by the League when he joined; he could access information, scan the surrounding area, and even communicate with his fellow mercenaries with it. Right now, he was accessing the dimensions of the city, viewing building information and layouts. He knew they would be in there for at least 24 hours, and that most likely meant hunkering down somewhere for a couple hours rest, and he would like to find a position that they could fortify as a base camp within the city.
Right now, the best location that appeared to him was an apartment building located 1/4 mile away from their projected landing site. The building stood 4 stories taller that those around it, the elevator could be easily shut off, the stairs could be barricaded and all the doors were fortified. The roof was also clear enough that they could use it as an evacuation point for civilians.
Flipping the eyepiece up, he appeared satisfied with the information he gleaned about the cities layout. Besides, he had reached Hanger 12 and did not want to miss any debriefing. Looking ahead of him, he saw Wielder standing next to their craft, looking into his eyepiece. He grinned, for he had not had the chance to go on missions with Wielder for a while now, since he was promoted to the Crew. As a rule of thumb, multiple crew members generally did not go on missions together. Anyone with a grudge against the League would be presented with not one, but two high ranking targets to attempt to kill. It would feel good to fight with Wielder again, though. Their fighting styles were completely alien to each other, but complimented each other fluidly when working together on the battlefield. On top of that, they were a Pyromancer and a Spellwarrior, and two rather potent ones at that.
Approaching his Commander, Xeg gave a simple wave of hello. "Morning, Wielder. Looked over the layout of the city. Found us an apartment building south-southwest of the drop site that we could barricade up and make a base camp out of. It's roof is big enough that we could evacuate civilians by air from their too."
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Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 12:10 am
He was silent throughout the entire brief, and silent at dismissal. There was nothing to discuss. The mission was clear. Fight their way through Hell, and return alive in under 36 hours. Alexei had been to Hell before, but never with a time limit. It consisted of nearly every moment of his childhood, and his tenure in the wastelands. He lived where humans were animals, ate where their flesh was in stock, and hunted them for sport. It had always been a simple life, doing what no one else could and reaping the benefits is unquestionably advantageous. Controversy comes from 'doing what no one else could.' How could one truly draw a line between good and evil, as a mercenary?
There are many ways, but Alexei chose none. He crossed all lines, and thus he has become the creature that presently stands in Hangar 0400, rolling a thick cigarette in silence, his glacial eyes piercing through walls to find something unseen. What had to be done. He took his mind back, to the one time he had endured such a trial. Then, it had ended badly for him. Now, he walked the world cursed. His blood promised him an abominable second life, and it was one Alexei was loathe to take.
Death was not usually a matter of concern to The Russian. He had caused so much of it, it seemed only just that, eventually, death would descend on him. At least if he fell in Jackpalm City, he would become ash like all the rest of its citizens.
Alexei lifted the cigarette to his eyes, studying it quietly. It was perfectly shaped, and seamlessly rolled. The cigarette flipped in his fingers, found his lips, and burned as he lit it. The Russian withdrew his hand from his mouth to study its contours. Each fingers curled and uncurled in flawless order, their pale bluish white 'flesh' glistening in proximity to the glow of his cigarette. Another reminder of the last time...
He corrected himself. This time would be the last time he would have to encounter such putrid creatures... or so he had prayed. It was the first genuine prayer to have ever graced his lips, and he knew it fell on deaf ears. Gods do not heed the cries of monsters.
The Russian's eyes glanced over to another member of the task force, who was approaching their undisputed leader, Wielder. The title undisputed leader was well earned, and not one Alexei would contest, so long as he ran an efficient and swift operation. The other man, named Xeg, told Wielder that he had looked over the layout of Jackpalm City, and designated an area that would be ideal for their mission headquarters.
Alexei did not comment. He had not bothered to look into the details of their mission. He was a skilled tactician, and excelled at on the fly planning and execution, but he would not waste time with work that was already being done. It gave him the opportunity to think about what mattered most, completing the mission, and surviving.
He was more than prepared to do both, and he inventoried his equipment and munitions to insure that was true. It was. His pistol was properly cleaned; his MDX rifle in optimal condition, and Matsuhiro was perfect, as it always was. That sword was one of few constants in his life, as he took time each day to polish and clean its blade, oil its hilt and buff its sheath. Another constant was his arm, which a brief diagnostics test insured was also in superior working order. Alexei was a man of very few Earthly pleasures, and so much of his income became dedicated to the conditioning of his weapons and armor. A wise choice, when you live as a wanted man.
He turned to Xeg and Wielder after allowing himself a minute to wallow in the scent of burning tobacco. Then, he spoke.
"I do not need my serum. Stockpile it, so it can be used on another."
Wielder would understand perfectly. It was stated all too clearly in his background file. Alexei Demyanovich Kalmykov was already a carrier of whatever infection plagued Jackpalm City. He was not contagious except through the ingestion of his blood, an act that only the undead would have the courage to attempt. As such, he was of little threat to his comrades... until he died. Wielder had also received a clear ultimatum in that regard. Should Alexei die, or be wounded beyond repair, he was to be killed. It was a request Alexei had made personally.
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Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 8:41 am
Wielder
Master Swordsman Wielder pulled up the building Xeg had mentioned. He looked it over thoroughly. "Aye. It's a good spot, but check out the north side-" He commented to Xeg. "This is a live feed, so this massive crack is really there. If that goes, it could screw the entire building over, potentially including the roof." He spent a little while looking for a good replacement, talking them over with Xeg, before Pvt Alexei walked over.
Wielder greeted him with a nod, and noted he wasn't wearing his Eyepiece. After Alexei told him not to bother with the antiserum for him, Wielder replied, "hang on to it. You might encounter a civilian who hasn't been infected yet, and we want to keep infections down to a minimum, obviously." He silently sent a message over to Xeg. "Check out his profile. Turns out he's a carrier. If he goes down, he wants to stay down. Unless we know there's a cure, we end him there, as per his requests."
Wielder wondered how many others would show up. Just because they were at the briefing doesn't mean they accepted the mission. At the same time, Wielder was looking forward to fighting with Xeg again. There were few swordsmen of his caliber, and his style and Wielder's always flowed together flawlessly, like an incredibly complex, very lethal, clock.
Wielder checked the time - 0500. "I'm gonna head back to my quarters, and grab my armor. Be back in a bit." He drew a circle in the air, and a trail of fire followed his finger. When the circle was completed, he "hit" the air inside it with his palm. A burst of fire spread from his palm to the edges, and when it disappeared, one could see Wielder's living room. He hopped through the fire portal, and it closed behind him.
He walked over to a chest next to his bed, and grabbed his armor, which consisted of two solid metal arm-guards, and two similar shin-guards. He spent the next few minutes putting them all on.
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The_Master_Wielder Captain
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Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 10:35 am
Mugan walked soundlessly as he made his way to the meeting area. Dressed in his mission attire, the standard military issue pants and vest, his black linen undershirt, his swordsman bracers and gloves, his leather equipment bag, utility belt, shinobi sandals and his face mask. With his Ninjato on his back and his other weapons secured on his person he was ready to go at once. Adjusting the eyepiece slightly he frowned seeing there was little time left for any follow up information until after departure.
With a shrug he stepped into Hanger 12 and spotted Xeg and Alexei next to the transport shuttle. He gave a brief nod to Alexie and then turned to Xeg. "I take it Wielder went for his equipment?" Receiving a nod in reply Mugan leaned against the side of the shuttle.
After a moment Mugan reached into utility belt and pulled out a note book. With a quick flourish of his hand a pencil seemingly appeared out of nowhere and he started to scribble while mumbling to himself. "... Have to add the fire element to some of those explosive notes... The Tora sigal should work... "
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Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 2:00 pm
Alexei nodded to Wielder, exhaling a thin cloud of smoke before flicking the spent cigarette butt into the hangar floor. It burst open in a fine shower of embers, then went dead. The Russian nodded idly to Wielder when he departed. He was busy looking over Xeg.
"Which is stronger, your spells or your sword?"
The man seemed capable in both fields, but it was a question of where his true strengths lied. He would not go on a mission before getting to know how his comrades operated. He had read over Xeg's professional profile, but what was important to him was hearing Xeg's opinion of himself. That was a far greater insight into his character.
Another individual entered shortly after his question, dressed in the gear of what appeared to be a modern ninja, perhaps with a number of tricks up his sleeves. He'd better, if he was going to be joining this mission. While his conscience was not weighted by the deaths of past companions, he would rather not leave a man to die. It was a waste of a resources.
Alexei briefly locked eyes with the man, then turned his gaze back to Xeg.
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Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 2:23 pm
Xeg switched his eyepiece back on again, and fed the digital blueprint of the city with an overlay of current satellite information. Now he indeed did notice the current state of the building, which left it with very little use to them. Conversing with Wielder, he continued to scan the city, looking for another relatively safe location for a base camp.
Xeg tapped his ear once to show that he understood Wielder's Message. Wielder had to go get his equipment, which left Xeg to oversee the arrivals. Then the Private next to him, Alexei, asked Xeg on where his strengths lied in combat. Admittedly, the question caught him off guard, but he didn't let the private see it. Quick as his wit, he replied with an answer, "A true warrior should not be so specialized in how he fights. My blades and magic are equal, but when I fight I am so fluid that you are never quite sure which one I'm using."
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Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 3:04 pm
"Hmmm... Balance between mana and steel..." Mugan muttered softly as his eyes widened. His gaze then trailed up to the handle of his Ninjato and then back to the notebook at his hand. Flipping over a page and scribbling again Mugan face broke into a grin.
"Yeah... maybe that can be my next project..." Mugan after a moment finished his scribing and set the notebook in his utility belt. With a crack of his neck Mugan pushed off the side of the shuttle.
"I don't know about you guys," He said as he began to walk around Xeg and Alexei. "but I think I'm heading inside this baby. Maybe if were lucky we might get a few tips on how to kill these thing on the in flight movie."
Mugan chuckled as he hit the hatch release button and climb in through the opening.
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Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 7:43 pm
K' had just received the message. A new mission had been posted and this one seemed big. An entire city in peril? This wasn't going to be a walk in the park. For a moment, he considered staying in, maybe even chill for a while at HQ. He sure enjoyed the solitude of his room and the tranquility that came with it. On the other hand, there would always be time to relax. Missions such as this one only come around every once in a while.
With a simple motion, K' closed his phone and put it in the back pocket of his black pants. He had been sitting down by the edge of his bed, simply pondering about this message. Despite his diverse thoughts, it only took him seconds to make the decision. He figured others would already be at the hangar by now.
"Alright, alright. I should hurry up, eh?" K' said. Yeah, he was alone but he had this habit of talking to himself out loud. Perhaps a habit developed after spending so many years in solitude.
Without another word, K' opened a box at the foot of his bed and pulled out a set of silver and gold pauldrons; the only armor he needed. He put on his white buttoned shirt, a black and red protective vest, brown leather gloves and boots and headed towards the door. But before heading out, he removed his crimson cape from a hanger next to the door and strapped it on. Now he was set.
The walk was short: it only took him a couple of minutes to reach the hangar. In the distance, he spotted a couple of figures. He only recognized one man. But not being one for social gatherings, he simply walked next to the aircraft and folded his arms. Wielder wasn't around but he knew he was bound to show up soon. Then the fun would begin.
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Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 8:48 pm
Xeg responded with expected confidence, and security in both aspects of his direct combat style. Good. Or bad. A viral outbreak is unlike anything a person has experienced before. It was an incredible blessing that the GML had access to an anti-serum. Without it, the mission would be nothing less than a play by play suicide.
Whatever Alexei's thoughts on Xeg were, he didn't voice them. He grunted some sort of acknowledgment and turned away from the spell sword to watch the 'ninja' speculate on pursuing Xeg's art himself. Perhaps the man was incredibly elastic in his learning capacity, and could come to mimic and replicate the methods of others. Perhaps he was young, foolish and overly ambitious.... but Alexei doubted that any such individual would have been allowed on this task force. If they were, The Russian would make no attempt to save them. Such was the harsh reality of The Red Terror.
Tips... the 'ninja' wanted tips on how to kill "these things." Alexei set his teeth, and turned only to briefly regard yet another face that emerged in the hangar before he entered the shuttle. The Russian spoke to Mugan before he could find a seat, and what he had to say might leave him stunned.
"You are hoping for tips on how to kill the infected? There is only one. Destroy their brain, or freeze them until they shatter. Fire is useless. Poison is useless. Dismemberment is useless. Fancy tricks will do no good. The enemy is already dead, and cannot be routed, tricked or deterred. The are driven by a singular desire - hunger, and will satisfy it in any way."
Alexei took a seat after slinging his duffel bag of ammunition into a compartment above. His eyes returned to Mugan, and he continued.
"Here is the best tip you can hear. Kill without question, no matter what. That way, you will survive. Compassion will not kill you there... it will make you weak, allow them to infect you, and then you will become one of them."
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Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 9:43 pm
 Gear
Technopath, Inventor, & Tactician
Gear appeared in the hangar via teleportation. He was tinkering with a tablet computer in his hand, one so thin, it almost looked like paper. But it was solid, and with each tap, a new holographic display was arbitrarily formed in front of his face. Molecules rotated in each display, and attempts to bind them together seemed to fail at every turn. Seemed that Gear was trying to create something but wasn't having much luck.
He almost walked straight into the jet. He would have, but his computer system in his helmet warned him of an oncoming solid object. He stopped short and turned slightly, heading for the stairs of the jet. He felt awkward coming on this mission. It had been his first since he left the office of Commander, and he really wasn't sure where he fit in the grand scheme of things anymore, or if he was even welcome amongst the ranks of the other Mercs. That's why he absorbed himself in his computer. Maybe if he found a cure to the serum's effects, he could earn a place with the League once more.
Or ostracize himself further. But risks must be taken. Besides, there's all those people...or former people...to think about.
He looked up briefly and saw a few familiar and a few unfamiliar faces about. No Wielder. No chance to talk to him about the oncoming mission. So, contrary to usual personality standards, he remained quiet in the shadow of the jet. No invisibility tricks, no cloaking devices. He acted like a high school ghost of a wallflower, staying out of everyone's way and doing his own thing until Commander Wielder showed up.
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Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 9:45 pm
Mugan smiled as he sat in a chair. "You know you got to lighten up a little," he muttered as he reached into his hip pouch and pulled out a box of pocky. Sticking a stick in his mouth he smiled at the taste.
"By all accounts... we're going to die..." Mugan said his happy demeanor vanishing in an instant.
"...Well most of us... If you can't enjoy even a brief moment of happiness before it all comes crashing down... what does that tell you about your self..."
His glazed distant look vanished as another smiles split his face. Mugan held out his box of pocky and waved it playfully. "Its not made by the Chinese."
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The_Master_Wielder Captain
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Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 11:04 pm
((This WAS a post. However, it has been moved to be After K's post, so we don't have to go through the trouble of editing posts to be totally different.))
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Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 11:10 pm
"Well, that's the spirit!" K' said with a sarcastic tone in his voice. "March into battle with that attitude and it might just come true!" K' continued, this time his voice was carrying a false sense of excitement. He and his loud mouth. He had silently agreed to stay quiet until Wielder arrives, mostly because he didn't know half of the people there. However, he couldn't help himself. The thought of dying in battle kept him alive and running for a lot of years in the past. But now, he frankly afraid of death. No, not death. Dying for the wrong reasons. One of those wrong reasons was dying away from one of the few things he cared about in this world. Maybe giving his life away for someone else...
K' tried to shrug the thought away as he noticed he was slowly drifting away from reality as he often did. No, he had to stay focused. He would have time to ponder on this later on. So he moved next to the aircraft's entrance. Unsure of what to do, he simply leaned his back against the vehicle and allowed himself to slide down and down until he was sitting lazily on the ground, his legs bent in front of him, his left palm against the ground providing him better support and his arm resting on top of his kneecap. K' didn't like to wait and still, he was pretty good at it.
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The_Master_Wielder Captain
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Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 11:23 pm
...This is why we reserve...
what I'm gonna do, is copy my post, delete it, and repost it, after yours.
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