Painting Red [IC]

[Icaelus]

Aries sat back in her seat, not bothering to say more. Not much point, anyway. Gralmich didn't look like the talkative type.. The Huey soon ascended into the skies as the pilot got the green light to lift off the bird. She had a bird's eye view of Gold Throne from this height, watching Triple Sword mercenaries go about their business.
A rustle of cloth notified Gralmich had put his phone away in favor of a wireless black headset that he wore, the mic of the headset extending around his left cheek to his mouth. He gave her a brief look, as if to dare her to say anything.
Aries suppressed a small smile.
Maybe he realizes how stupid he looks with that thing on with his balaclava..
Thinking about how stupid superiors look wasn't going to help her mission along, so she wisely decided not to inform the good major on his..sense of fashion with headsets.

They soon passed over a minute TSS outpost, Aries easily catching view of three soldiers that had shot an Infect's knees clean off to disable it's movement while one of them raised a flamethrower. Aries shook her head with a short sigh, pulling back into the Huey as the roar of the flamethrower told her what had happened.

Gralmich spoke for the first time. His voice was clear even through the mask, imposing even.
"Silk didn't tell you where you were going."
Aries nodded once, acknowledging this statement.
"We're going to the circuit for the 12th Street subway. There's supposed to be a target of interest somewhere along the western tracks, underground. I don't know what it is, but Selwick asked specifically for you. Take from that what you will."
Aries remained silent, raising an eyebrow inquiringly. Silk hadn't told them what was the point of their mission, then..
"12th Street subway? That's supposed to be crawling with infected..no matter. I'll be doing sample collection..Silk thinks it's time we know more about what we're up against..mentioned something about bio-weapons, maybe."
The lie was a pretty good one, if Aries thought so herself. Silk would probably have to explain a bit on this, but her mission to collect that bio-data seemed pretty confidential.. Aries snapped out of her own thoughts as Gralmich spoke again, asking if that USP.45 was all that she had.
"No, still have this."
Aries said, slinging the UMP.45 down from her back that she usually carried it on. A bit unorthodox, but it worked well for her.

[jayjaycaps]

Jason took a sharp gasp when he saw the car bomb, but relaxed, noticing it wasn't armed. Now for the tricky part...

Jason carefully tried to peel back the glue straps holding it in place, being mindful of the buttons to set the bomb.

[Zender_Solarheart]

Well well...wouldn't fancy this girl a tech-geek by just looking at her... Alex thinks to himself, eyeing the various gizmos and doo-dads she has lying around. Hell, there's even a few he'd never laid eyes on before...even though he worked on some quite sensitive missions in the ENJC, which dealt with quite tech-savvy opposition. It would certainly explain how she keeps up with the latest dirt on SI and TSS, though.

After listening intently to her little "briefing" for infiltrating the 12th Street circuit, Alex replies with: "You're even sharper on the wits than I thought, young miss...and between that and my own skills, I think we're gonna make quite a formidable duo." He's curious as to what device she can break the gate locks with, but decides not to inquire just yet; chances are that she'll get to that on her own, anyway. Then again, there is another question on his mind that he'd like answered...

"Come to think of it, I never got your name. Might as well have something to call my new business partner, eh?" He's already given his name, so it's only fair the young lass provide hers.

[napsii]

Alex -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

The girl turns her head away from you, seeming bemused but also embarrassed (and maybe even frustrated) by your weird manner of speech. No vernacular or anything...you sound like a friggin' English knight to her and it makes her cheeks turn red. But the blush is gone before you can notice it.

Trying to ignore your words, she spends her time rifling through a stack of small crates until she procures a small cardboard box that has been sealed with duct tape. Something rustles inside when she hefts it and turns to you, shoving it into your arms. It sounds like crumpled paper...padding?

"Use this to get inside, but DON'T open it until you get there!" she says first and foremost.

She takes a deep breath and then says:

"My name's Michelle, but you'll call me Mission." she says. You distantly recall the pseudonym from an online newspaper article you read about a year ago. It mentioned a mysterious "terrorist" named "whitemission" who claimed credit for the destruction of over 11 million dollars in physical wealth when the security systems of a major bank in the country's capital went haywire and destroyed the vault's contents.

"The nearest entrance to the 12th Street Subway is on Tear Stone Avenue. There's a payphone next to a bus stop I'll call you on. Now go the fuck away!" she says her voice developing into a shout. Before you can even speak she uses a surprising strength to shove you out the door like you're a drunk, slamming it shut behind you.

Well, that's over and done with. As you call, Tear Stone Ave. is one of Siribalt's major streets in the western city, towards the edge of the commercial areas near the apartments.

It's directly west of you. Perhaps a 20 minute run at your speed.

Also, you feel a weight in your pocket that wasn't there before...opening it reveals a sleek black touchscreen cellphone. Uh, wait, how'd that get there? It does not respond to your commands, but you decide to keep it anyway. How strange...?

Alex got: Mission's Sealed Box, Mysterious Cellphone

Aries -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

For the sake of composure, Gralmich ignores the look you give him when he puts on his headset. This guy is a touch more perceptive than you thought...

He doesn't give much of a response to what you said about Silk, instead just nodding his head and giving an quiet and thoughtful "hmm...", his eyes trained on you the entire time.

When you procure your UMP, he nods his head in approval.

"Good choice. Just tell me if you need another mag, I've got plenty." he says.

The Major pulls back a sleeve, revealing a tiny bead bracelet with a piece of metal shaped like a four leaf clover on it.

"Infinite ammo." he says cryptically, tapping the bracelet before covering it back up. You're left confused at what he means.

A bit later, the helicopter finds itself swinging into a large, empty parking lot in the northwestern part of the city. It's the parking lot for Siribalt's biggest and baddest supermarket, but the lot is barren. Only a few abandoned cars are still present here, along with plastic bags rolling across the tarmac. The front of the store itself looks fairly normal, except the security fences on the doors have been pulled down and boarded up with wood. The chopper touches down and Gralmich steps out, indicating hastily for you to come with.

As soon as you leave, the chopper rises up into the air and departs like it's in a hurry, flying back to Selwick Tower and leaving you two in the middle of the concrete plains, literally.

This area of Siribalt is quite expansive, being mostly parking lots for the gigantic supermarkets, hardware stores, movie theatres and the rec center (all visible across the wide roads) which were some of the most populated areas before the city died.

The parking lot is massive, and square shaped. To the west, a large vertical road that leads to an intersection on the northwestern corner of the parking lot. To the north, a road from that intersection stretches east back towards the city, while the two other roads on the northwestern intersection lead north and west towards the movie theatre and rec center respectively. The southwestern corner of the parking lot is also next an intersection, with roads leading east, west and south as well.

Gralmich takes a step forward. You look totally alone and the thick gray-black overcast only makes it more downtrodden looking. It's creepy.

"I can't believe my daughter liked this place." Gralmich comments of the general area, looking around.

Dax -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

The duo of soldiers are long gone before you can speak, so you decide to keep your mouth shut instead...

The SUV looks like an old green Range Rover. Not too shabby. Or at least it didn't used to be, before it took what looked like a baseball bat to the windshield, shattering it.

You search the front seats and find nothing. The backseat, however, reveals a small find: a blueberry-flavored Electromag-brand energy drink, still cool and sealed. Just a few sips will have you wired, apparently, and it tastes really good. This bottle is big enough for 3 servings.

The trunk is an odd story. It seems like it's inaccessible from the backseat, and it's locked tight. The windows are too tough to break, as well, but there may be something in there. Perhaps you can try the trunk release button near the driver's seat?

Dax got: E-Mag Energy Drink (3 uses).

E-Mag Energy Drink: Besides their great taste, E-Mag drinks are known for their strange effects on the body. Drinking one will restore a small amount of health, revitalize your energy and supposedly can suppress the infection a bit. However, you can only use them (and other beverages/food) a few times before they're gone.

Claire -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

You're quick enough to react before the soldier can fire his gun. Using your blade and hand, you pull him closer and deliver twin strikes to his vulnerable throat, just above his vest where his neck is only protected by his balaclava. Your slice cuts through his neck like butter (extreme damage) and your stab is the moneymaker (deathblow!). Gurgling, the soldier collapses to the ground before he can fire off a shot. However, the noise alerts the other soldier a distance away, who calls over "You alright?" his voice is audible through the small radio on the dead soldier's chest.

You hear the second soldier's footsteps clamping across the ground as he heads over quickly, pressing up against the end of the containers you're near and sidling along with his back to it. You're on the other end of the container still facing the soldier you killed. The 2nd soldier, when he turns the corner, will see your backside on the other end and probably shoot it off.

You have just barely a second before he rounds the corner of the container and starts shooting you in the back with his M16. What do you do?

TSS Soldier 2 - Healthy (searching frantically for the other soldier)
TSS Soldier 3 - Healthy (now alert, scanning around from the turret)
TSS Humvee 1 - Undamaged (now running and ready to move)

TSS Status: Evasion

Raz -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

The soldier doesn't get much of a chance to make a choice. The driver you are restraining, unable to control the vehicle, loses control and the hummer suddenly jolts towards the corner of a nearby building, plowing full speed ahead. Before anyone can react, the beast explodes into the brick and metal, sending you and the other two flying. The first soldier takes a scrap of metal to the neck and is killed instantly, and the third is impaled by a large metal pole from a street sign, also killing him.

You are thrust into the front seat in an awkward position, with oil spilling down the dash onto your lap, ruining your pants. Thankfully, you aren't injured due to your toughness, but a gout of flame erupts from the vehicle's engine, licking at the oil. Oh, shit. The doors are crumpled shut and the roof provides no way out as it is blocked as well.

The second humvee pulls up on the intersection a good twenty feet behind your wrecked car, which is plowed into the wall. The two soldiers inside cautiously step out, aiming their M16's, while the one in the 7.62mm turret remains trained on the rear of the vehicle.

That fire is going to incinerate you to ashes if it hits you. What do you do? A spurt of blood erupts from your chest (small damage). You're still bleeding, it seems.

Raz Condition - Wounded (bleeding for small damage each turn)
TSS Soldier 4 Condition - Healthy (standing by the driver's side door of the 2nd humvee)
TSS Soldier 5 Condition - Healthy (standing by the passenger door of the 2nd humvee)
TSS Soldier 6 Condition - Healthy (sitting in the turret of the 2nd humvee)
TSS Humvee 2 Condition - Mild Damage (roof cut up heavily)

TSS Status: Cautious

Mana -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Dawdling about so close to that creature probably isn't the wisest decision you could have made. You withdraw your tripwire and move towards the door, but you're suddenly bowled to the ground, your head smacking against the thin carpet (small damage) and causing a pain in the back of your skull. You flip over, and all of a sudden the monstrous bug creature is on top of you, growling. It lets out a weird screech and vanishes again, only to reappear on the ceiling directly above you, able to walk on it to it with the sticky claws on its feet. Acid leaks from its mouth, dripping onto your vest and burning a small hole partway through it. Better not get that on your skin.

You're still on your back on the landing floor...you should do something.

Mana Condition - Decent (knocked to the floor)
[Unknown] Condition - ??? (eying you from the ceiling, about to make a move)

Jason -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Fortunately for you, the bomb is military-grade and so doesn't go off too easily, especially when it's unarmed.

Carefully, you remove the adhesive strips securing it to the bottom of the car, and nearly panic when the bomb's meager weight falls down on your chest as it's released. Conveniently, several plastic strips are provided to cover the adhesives and stop them from sticking to everything, but they can be peeled off later.

Feeling uncomfortable here you scoot out from under the car and stand up, getting a better look at the bomb. The timer on the front can be set all the way to 99 hours, 99 mins and will blow up when it reaches zero. However, once it is armed it cannot be disarmed. It's strong enough to wreck an armored vehicle, blow up a tiny building or tons of other crap. Nice find.

There's still plenty of cars around here you haven't pilfered. No infected in sight, still.

Jason got: Timed C4 Charge (x1)

[TheDaughterOfHades14]

Claire grabs the gun from the dead soldier. She runs out from behind the container and shoots at the soldier on the turret. She takes an action dive and rolls to the next container and starts to blind fire.

[jayjaycaps]

Stashing the bomb, Jason starts thinking of all the damage and destruction he could cause. Maybe rob some stores, pretending to be a suicide bomber? Or just blow them up for the hell of it? He giggled a little, thinking of all the havoc he could wreak with this little bit of C4

Eyeing the other cars, Jason takes out his knife, as you can never be too careful when searching vehicles. He had learnt that the hard way, and wasn't going to make the same mistake again... Shaking his head, he pushes the memory out of his head and searches the other cars, knife ready.

[Zender_Solarheart]

While he doesn't notice the blush, the rest of the girl's reaction is mildly amusing to Alex. Bit of a funny occurrence, that was; he has been told of a strange tendency to start randomly speaking like the stereotypical English knight, time to time. He never understood it himself, but his old squad-mates nicknamed it "chronic gentleman syndrome" (CGS) out of humor. The box she hands him is rather interesting, as well, but he has a few guesses at its contents based on her firm "do NOT open it early" warning. Perhaps an explosive, or a fragile hacking device? Whatever the case, he'll heed her advice, and not open it until instructed to.

The nickname "Mission," coupled with the news story it reminds him of, is even more intriguing, but he's not bringing that up. The news can be fickle at times, especially when it's found on the web. For all he knows, those accusations could be 100% false. Either way, he clears his throat, and decides to bid her adieu before setting out for Tear Stone Ave...or rather, he would have, if it weren't for that astoundingly-strong push she gave him out the door. Well well, I guess she wants some time alone...whatever. Time to get to work.

With that in mind, Alex heads out for his destination, making sure not to reveal his super-human agility as an Infected until he's clear of the shop's field of view. He stays on open ground for now, but sticks to the edges of said open area, ready to duck for cover if any TSS bastards show up to take pot-shots.

[Reaver]

Coughing a little blood Razajin looks around. Having consumed some people has calmed him down enough to actually consider what is going on. "Fuck this. There is no way i can take all these people on and more are going to be on the way soon. Besides I already consumed enough to keep me going for a while" He grunts as he starts kicking the windshield glass so he can escape the fire in time so he can jump to the rooftops and escape.

[daxtinator396]

Dax pockets the drink with a broad grin,"Sweet! This will come in handy... Now to get that trunk open anything locked tight like that HAS to have something good in it!" He begins talking out loud to himself as he looks around the car fro a spare key checking the sun visor until finally pulling the trunk release with a click. He gets out of the car and walks around back to the trunk, his eyes darting back and forth nervously until he gets there,"Now lets see how this turned out shall we..."

[Icaelus]

Aries kept a straight face, though she was of course thankful that Gralmich bought the lie..
"Thanks, I think.
She rummaged through her pockets, eventually coming up with a silencer that she screwed onto the UMP. No point in alerting the rest of the Infected horde when they ran into trouble..stealth was a lot more important than firepower. Unless you were on the top of some giant steel wall with nothing but mindless zombies below..then you would've liked a 50.cal mounted gun right there and then.
Aries just blinked as Gralmich revealed some four leaf clover bead and mentioned that he had infinite ammo. What? Was this Gralmich guy kidding? This wasn't a video game where you could hack your way to winning, you know?
"Okay.."
Aries was left puzzled, shaking her head in confusion and some annoyance.

The Huey soon swung into an empty parking lot, the one for Sirinbalt's biggest supermarket..there was a light jolt as the helicopter touched down, Gralmich disembarking and gesturing to her to move quickly. Made sense. A helicopter wasn't exactly stealthy to anything looking up in the sky..no doubt the Infected would come to say hello, if any had noticed the bird.
Aries glanced nervously around, looking for any signs of the undead. This place was a literal concrete plain..
She glanced back to Gralmich as he spoke, mentioning that his daughter liked this place.
"You have a daughter?"
Aries raised an eyebrow. Gralmich didn't look like a guy that would have kids. Or even a wife, actually..
She paced nervously on the concrete..this was her first time out in the field. One extremely dangerous to her weak immune system. Of course she was scared. Terrified, actually. But she couldn't let that show. Not to Gralmich, who would most likely abort the mission if he felt that she wasn't up to it. She still had to find Leo..

[Rooiehaan #2]

Staring at the bug-like creature with big eyes and caught off guard, Mana could only stare for a few seconds at the horrible thing as it dripped its acid on her. She noticed it and gasped as it seemingly burned a hole through her vest with ease. she cursed and rolled to the side, hoping to be able to get her gun out and shoot it once she'd make a complete roll and get on her back again.
Meanwhile she went through the creature's anatomy in her mind. It was hideous, without question, but where would she place her bullet for maximum damage? The side? the back? the underbelly? Or the good old fashioned headshot?

[napsii]

Alex -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Siribalt is unusually quiet today. You round the alleyway and step out into the empty street in front of the store. Behind you, R's Novelty is still boarded up but you are keenly aware of some familiar blue eyes watching you through the slats.

Being able to cross buildings and danger with ease, you start to make good headway towards the nearest entrance to the subway. A lonely little covered staircase descending down beneath the sidewalk, to the subway station beneath. You remember the heavy, reinforced steel security gates pulled down over the entrance like a metal eyelid. Even with your power, they were always extremely difficult to even scratch. You imagine TSS could break through, but you've never seen them try.

Bounding from rooftop to rooftop, street to street you find more narrow, concrete streets lined with small shops of all kinds. They stretch out in every direction.

Around 10 minutes later as you land on the roof of a small deli on the corner to an intersection, you feel a vibration in your pocket. It's that cellphone.

You withdraw it and the screen illuminates, displaying some text against the white background:

"Alex -

Mind what Alghieri once wrote:

'These have no hope of death... mercy and justice disdain them. Let us not speak of them, but do thou look and pass on.'

- AG"

The message is...enigmatic. After you so much as press a button, though, the phone appears to shut down again leaving you unable to use it -- it appears that it is only activated when a call or text is received. The initials "AG" don't bring anyone to mind, either.

Aries -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Gralmich was thoughtful enough not to give you an incredulous look at your question, as if he sympathizes with how others might view him.

He begins walking slowly towards the northwest, treading across the parking lot and motioning for you to follow. It's hard to tell where he's going, exactly, except crossing the intersection in a diagonal fashion to head to the rec center's parking lot off in the distance. His MP5 is slung over his shoulder. No infected are in sight. Though, in this open area you wish you had a rifle or something, not an SMG. Gralmich, at least seems confident.

"Mhm. My Casey's studying to be a doctor in Gelwind, but..." says the major, raising a finger in warning, "If anyone from this company comes within a kilometre of her, I'll kill them."

Gralmich's warning sounds like something you've heard before...you can distantly recall a story of the death of one contractor about a month ago during a mission. Cause of death: "unknown compelling force." Happened to be the same guy who had a picture of some "really nice looking girl" according to rumor.

You cross the wrecked intersection and spy an eerie looking crow atop a smashed motorcycle. Its feathers are dishelved and the skin beneath is coarse, bloody and cut. Its beak is cracked and its eyes are bloodshot. It squawks at you two, fanning its wings and hopping away nervously.

Dax -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Searching around the SUV doesn't provide much in the way of a key. Thankfully, the trunk release near the driver's door releases the lock and you hear a pop behind you as the trunk opens slightly.

You walk back around to the SUV and flip open the trunk.

The sole object occupying the backseat is a large, rectangle shaped green military container with various official lettering on it. They use these to carry military weapons...oh, wow, this might be good! You flip open its locks and win the jackpot:

A large, dark green colored Stinger missile launcher lays in dark foam padding inside, loaded and prepared to fire. Next to it is a small recess for a spare missile. The Stinger looks in perfect condition; you guess it was owned by TSS. While it's only effective against aircraft, its heatseeking missiles are a trump card versus anything in the air. As well, it's quite bulky. It may make a good melee weapon in an emergency. Nice find, Dax. You place it over your back since it won't fit in your pack.

Note: Locking onto a flying target with the Stinger and reloading it both take an entire post. It's also very heavy and will slow you down a bit.

Dax got: FIM-92 Stinger, Stinger Missile (x2)

Claire -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

You pry the M16 from the dead soldier's hands and roll out from behind the container towards the next one an aisle over.

You go to pull the trigger to the gun, but it doesn't fire. A thought hits you: biometric locks. 90% of Triple Sword's guns are equipped with advanced locks which prevent anyone but authorized personnel from operating them. Having stuck your arms out to do this, you're immediately met by a hail of rifle ammo from the soldier's gun as he peeks around the corner, having an unobstructed shot at you. One of them skirts your forearm (minor damage) but the other cuts through your left arm near the wrist (medium damage), embedding itself in there (bleeding for minor damage). Your left hand immediately seizes up and you feel a massive surge of pain. The remaining rounds just barely miss you. The turret soldier, as well, sees what's going on and swivels in the gun turret to face the container you're hiding behind, not firing but waiting for you to pop out.

The second soldier could put one in your head right now. You'd better take him out or find some better cover.

Claire Condition - Heavily Bloodied (left arm heavily injured, bleeding for minor damage)
TSS Soldier 2 Condition - Healthy (about to fire again)
TSS Soldier 3 Condition - Healthy (waiting for you to expose yourself)
TSS Humvee 1 Condition - Undamaged

TSS Status: Alert

Raz -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

You're probably correct. Your regeneration will take care of the rest of the wounds with time, but it's not very wise to tangle with anymore fights until then.

You twist in the seat and smash open the door with several kicks. Fortunately, you are not fired upon as the engine explodes in a fireball just then, camoflauging your escape. You spring out the door and dash across the street, running up the nearest building and crouching down on the roof.

The bleeding stops as your regeneration kicks in. Below at the intersection, the humvee explodes again and the three soldiers relax a bit.

"Yeah, he's dead." the one in the turret declares as the other two step back into their damaged humvee. Without another word, the TSS vehicle makes a U-turn and goes back towards the convoy.

You're at the intersection at the southeast corner of the warehouse's yard now. The roads below you lead west towards the suburbs, east towards the harbor and south towards the airport. The north also leads back to the inner city, but TSS will probably be prowling this area now.

A thought hits you: those soldiers will likely report you as dead. As long as you give them reason to believe that, TSS won't be expecting you and probably lower security for their bases around this area. But it'll take some time before the report goes through,

Raz Condition - Wounded (healing very slowly as long as he doesn't move too much)

TSS Status: Evasion

Mana -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

You roll towards the wall, withdrawing your M9 handgun (with blindlight attachment). The creature leaks more acid from its mouth, but your roll manages to avoid it. The puddle of acid burns into the carpet where you were once just lying.

Your gun is firmly in your hands and raised to fire by the time you've completed your roll, but you're still in an inopportune position. The creature is fortunately uncloaked now and you can see its entire ugly carapace.

It doesn't appear to have many strong points save for the dome of its skull, which is thicker and tougher than normal. Its legs and narrow and spindly and might be kinda hard to hit, but severing one would impair its wall crawling ability. Its underbelly probably contains vital organs, but without any knowledge of its anatomy it'd be a toss-up if you scored a vital hit or not. Its neck holds a pulsing, glowing green sac that appears to be filled with acid. Hitting that would also be a toss-up; it might kill it, but it could also burn you to shreds if it exploded that stuff all over you.

The creature scratches its claws against the ceiling, preparing to pounce.

Mana Condition - Decent (head still hurts a little, on the floor)
[Unknown] Condition - ??? (about to unleash a powerful attack)

Jason -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

You withdraw your knife in preparation to ward off any surprise attackers. Off to the north, that Blackhawk from before is scanning the ground. You hear cracks and pops as its machine guns sound off, obliterating some unfortunate bloke on the ground presumably.

You search two cars. The first, a Pinto, doesn't reveal anything except for some garbage. The second car is a slightly different story: you find another small but half empty box of .308 ammunition lying underneath it, compatible with your rifle.

The manhole cover near the intersection to the south seems to rattle and make noise, moving slightly. That doesn't look good...at least you're quite far away from it.

Jason got: .308 ammunition (x10). He now has 18 rounds.

[TheDaughterOfHades14]

"Fuck, that sure back-fired on me..." Claire says to her self. She realizes that she left two of her knives left at the other container. 3 left. She throws two more knives. One at the soldier at the turret and one at the man that is about to shoot her. She then runs to better cover.

[Reaver]

Razajin slightly grins at the thought of himself being dead and getting a break from TSS for a while. He looks at the roads leading in different dicrections before deciding on going to the Harbor. Probably less patrols there and maybe I'll bump into a couple of survivors. It's been so long since I've actually talked to someone it would be a nice change for once." He smiles as he considers talking to people. He jumps to the next roof scaning the ground for a while before jumping again. "Besides I'm not in a mood to fight anymore and I need some human allies if im going to take over this city."

[daxtinator396]

Dax opens his eyes wide in amazement,"Holy Fuck... Who keeps this in their trunk! I guess I shouldn`t complain really." Dax closes the trunk with a pnuematic hiss of the trunk assist and a thunk as it clicks back into place. He swings the bulky weapon over his shoulder and puts the two missiles in his bag,"Damn they are never gonna believe the shit I just found..." Dax thinks to himself as he begins to look about for the TSS` missing man.

[Icaelus]

Gralmich walked off slowly, not bothering to answer. Of course. Stupid question. Stop judging people, Aries.
Aries mentally reprimanded herself as she stepped after Gralmich carefully. It wasn't like she had to watch where she stepped..the entire place was just concrete. But still, being careful paid off..
Her UMP.45 was slung loosely over her shoulder, easy to raise and fire if anything came for them..nothing in sight, though. Aries glanced up at Gralmich as he spoke, then threatened to..kill anything that got close to her.
"Right. Nothing to worry about from me..a doctor, hm? Makes me wonder if there's any of them out there..trying to do something about the Virus."
Aries said quickly, reassuring Gralmich on that count. They crossed the intersection cautiously, Aries' blue eyes catching a glimpse of movement. She spun, her UMP already raised and ready to fire...at some dumb bird.
"A bird. I..should probably stop being so jumpy. Can birds get infected?"
She raised an eyebrow, lowering her leveled weapon in opposition. The crow squawked once and began hopping away from the two..

[Rooiehaan #2]

Mana wanted to throw up at the hideous sight of this creature, this thíng, but barely held herself back. instead, she mustered her voice to say calmlypast the barrel of her pistol; "Freeze! Or i wíll shoot! I mean you no harm!". Inside though, she trembling, and noticed how it was about to pounce her. That acidic sack was a serious threat, but so were its arms and no doubt his jaws as well. She was more then ready to panick-trigger the thing if it díd decide to jump but, seeing she wasn't all that trigger happy, she figured she could at least give the poor ugly thing a change. a small one.
Besides, if she shot him it would probably lead to a whole lot of slime and other bodily fluids on her clothes!

[Zender_Solarheart]

Well, so far, so good. Alex thinks to himself, thankful that his trek has been this smooth for the time being...though, a TSS straggler to consume wouldn't be so bad, either. He doesn't like having to do that, truth be told...but if he must devour flesh to survive, then so be it. Anything to help him exact revenge on the "Triple Sword Shitheads" and SI...and if he's lucky, find a cure already made. His Infected powers are both blessing and curse, as he's technically using the same weapons that took Jill's life...he grimaces at the memory, disgusted that it's come to this.

And then he feels the cell buzzing, and reads the quote by Alighieri in the text message. Oi...why so cryptic, Mr. AG? I may have that "chronic gentleman syndrome" thing going, but this is just ridiculous. he muses, smirking slightly at the memory of his squad-mates' old joke. Though, there's a chance that whoever sent that text may be nearby, so he does his own form of "looking and passing on." Specifically, he takes regular scans of his surroundings, while moving at a moderate pace in order to reach the destination he was originally assigned.

[napsii]

Alex -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

You reach Tear Stone Avenue after a solid ten minutes of running and bounding, and you set foot on a long and wide vertical street with a row of small, wilted trees cutting straight down the middle in between the quartet of lanes. Far to your north and south, big intersections branch off into other parts of the city, but your main concern is the wide sidewalk on either side of the road. The buildings here are quite tall, being mostly cramped apartments and a few stores. The streets are sparse with wrecked cars and garbage.

On the opposite side of the road, a large staircase leading underground is visible, with a large white and blue sign reading "subway" sticking out of the sidewalk next to the blue handrails which lead down.

Heading over to it and peering down the steps reveals what's always been there: a thick steel gate has been pulled over the underground entrance, sealing it off, and no lock is visible. The gate is slick with blood and scratches, but undamaged. Beyond it is the dim champagne-colored glow of lights illuminating the small, beige-tiled lobby where one buys and uses tickets.

You hear a buzzing behind you. A cracked payphone rings noisily on the lip of the sidewalk about fifteen feet away, inside a booth.

You can practically hear Mission's impatience through the ringing.

Also, you can hear high-powered rifle fire in the distance, to the north. It's probably about two blocks away but doesn't sound very focused. Probably just one guy. At the least, it doesn't seem to be getting closer. Maybe a survivor killing walkers or something.

Aries -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Gralmich doesn't give a reply to your comment about the doctors, but you can sense he had a response in mind. He avoids the subject by looking to the crow you had pointed out, however, giving it an indifferent stare. He didn't have to squint his eyes to pick up on the telltale signs of corruption from the virus. The crow, however, seemed quite sane. Perhaps not all animals went rabid when they were infected, just as humans might? Then again, that'd only make 'em more dangerous.

"I've heard that some of the large birds at the zoo were infected, but I don't like rumors," Gralmich remarks, "Anything too small -- like this bird, or a rat or a cat -- usually dies." he adds.

He procures a suppressed SOCOM pistol from a holster on his right hip and raises it with one hand, firing a quick precision shot which guts the crow and knocks it motionless to the ground.

"It retained a shred of its intelligence. Not news to Sirin, I think." he commented, holstering the pistol and walking on past the intersection until he began treading across the parking lot to the giant, rectangle-shaped rec center with its vivid red walls. "Sirinbalt Sports Centre" was emblazoned in a gigantic, once glowing sign over the large assortment of glass doors leading inside, all of which were smashed. The rec center was massive. It had hockey rinks, ice skating rinks, pools, hot tubs, exercise tracks...it hosted numerous sporting events and had just finished renovations before it was damaged during the outbreak.

Gralmich gave a brief look at a TSS-marked motorcycle which he walked past. Field scouts used these...but this one was wrecked, one of its saddlebags open.

Actually, Gralmich probably didn't see it, but there's a small folder with papers inside marked "Classified" hanging out one of the bags. Aries could probably grab them before he noticed.

Dax -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

You walk off towards the west and begin scanning the streets. The weight of the Stinger and the spare missile on your back slows you down somewhat, but it's bearable. At the very least you won't be able to sprint for as long before its weight tires you out.

You reach another intersection at the end of the western road and decide to head south, towards the western city. The roads begin to widen and become generally more pleasant. You see numerous wide streets with pleasant avenues and even some of Siribalt's tiny parks off in the distance, through the big department stores and old apartment complexes.

Walking south down one street, you hear a loud chorus of what sounds like rifle shots coming down one alley off to your left. The street's littered with numerous cars, as usual, but you can see some of them have fresh bullet holes in them. As well, 7.62mm rifle casings and blood drizzles the ground in a trail leading towards that nearby alleyway. A few dead, mutated walkers are visible.

Another loud gunshot rings off.

Claire -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

You hurl a knife haphazardly at the soldier with the M16, just barely winging him. He counters with another bursts of shots as you run towards the water, taking cover behind another row of containers just adjacent to the edge of the docks. You're protected from the turret fire, but the soldier could sneak up from you on your right if he rounds the corner to it.

Your second knife aimed at the turret soldier is stopped by the chain link fence separating you two. However, the .50 caliber bullets he fires back with are not and they wham against the container you're using as cover. Thankfully, neither of them hit you.

You hear a buzzing radio as the soldier with the M16 crouches down to check on his fallen teammate, finding him dead.

"White Crown, this is Spear 1-2. Spear 1-1 is confirmed KIA. Request backup at the docks. One hostile, armed." he says before dashing back into cover where Claire can't see him, taking a grenade that had been on the dead soldier's vest with him.

"Designating myself Spear 1-1. Spear 1-3 is now Spear 1-2, over." he adds faintly.

"Spear 1-1, this is White Crown. Roger. Sending reinforcements, over. ETA 3 minutes." a monotone female voice replies.

The turret soldier waits for you to pop out of cover. The M16 soldier...you have no idea.

Blood spurts out as you bleed from your wounds (minor damage).

Claire Condition - Heavily Bloodied (left arm heavily injured, bleeding for minor damage)
TSS Soldier 1 Condition - Decent (cannot see him)
TSS Soldier 2 Condition - Healthy (waiting for you to show yourself)

TSS Status: Alert

Raz -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

You decide to head for the harbor and travel in its direction, leaping from high rooftop to rooftop to travel undetected and quickly. No TSS choppers are around right now, fortunately, and they tend to not look up very much so you manage to leap right over several tiny patrols on the street without them spotting you. You near the docks from the western side and hear gunfire from TSS weaponry. Well, shit.

The docks look like a half-rectangle of high, chain link fences topped with barbed wire and several gates isolating the large, rectangle shaped tarmac yard of containers from the parking lots on the other side of the fence. To the north inside the fences a big yellow freight crane as visible, and large dry docks and wharves stretch out into the water, though all empty. A few misc buildings are visible inside and the containers are all stacked pretty high.

Outside the fences midway down the long end of the half-rectangle of fences you can spy a black TSS humvee opening fire with its .50 cal on an unseen target a distance away. M16 fire lit up the air as well.

You're currently outside the fence gate at the south end of the half-rectangle of fences. You could leap right over, but that'd put you within firing distance of the TSS soldiers there. Thankfully they wouldn't be able to see you so long as you stuck out of sight and hid behind the containers.

Raz Condition - Heavily Bloodied (healing...slowly)

Mana -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

I don't think it understands you, Mana. It's a friggin' monster after all. As such your attempts at intimidation are useless and being on the floor you were quite open for an attack.

The creature leaps from the ceiling and lands on top of you (minor damage) but the real issue comes when it slashes its claws twice across your chest. Your armored vest blocks most of it (medium damage) but it follows up with a vicious headbutt (medium damage) that dazes you. As well, acid begins to leak onto your vest, starting to burn it. It's got you pinned, better do something.

Mana Condition - Pretty Bloodied (semi-dazed, pinned to floor)
[Unknown] Condition - ???

Terrance -

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

As usual, you find yourself alone and without a squad. Whether it is because your superiors consider you best used in solo operations or they're looking for a clever way to "get rid of you", it's hard tocount how many times you've been sent, on their initiative, on missions like these.

The far edge of northwestern Siribalt is famous for one thing only, besides its massage parlors: the large, cutting edge nuclear power plant that supplied power to the entire city before its operation was hampered during the outbreak. It was infamous as a battleground, at first. It was located in a small field of grass, the premises surrounded by a high fence with a security gate and two guards. Of course, the guards are gone now and the gates are wide open. The parking lot and the area surrounding the main buildings -- the giant reactor, cooling station and other complexes squished into what is basically one giant, hexagon shaped building with two giant cooling towers jutting up to the sky from the center -- are paved with bodies and smashed cars.

Intrepid survivors had tried to raid the then TSS-controlled station to restore the power when the station went offline, but finding out they had no idea how to operate the plant were quickly killed in a counterattack. In the weeks since, though, it was decided that it wasn't worth holding as A TSS installation as it was of little strategic value and to use it to provide power was too costly for the company's resources versus using generators. And thus now, it's abandoned. There's only a few birds hanging around on the chunky buildings.

You step through the smashed front chain link gates on the southern end of the square-shaped fence perimeter, peering around. You're stocked on ammo for your weaponry and in perfect health. Though, the walking was a bit of a chore. Dominating a rectangular area to the lower lip of the premises is the large paved parking lot, which contains a small administrative building in the southwestern corner with the small door unlocked and dozens of parking spots all around. You spy around eleven or so cars, most of them shot full of holes, parked around there, along with some garbage.

To your direct north, across a grassy median is the main entrance to the building. Metal double doors that can be magnetically sealed to ward off radiation; the entire building is heavily fortified to resist bombing and radiation leaks.

As for why you're here...well, shit, even you barely know that. The order to move out came as a sudden command over the radio when you were stationed at a small outpost about a kilometre away from here. No transportation, they said. You had to walk. You encountered no infected between there and here, but now you're left awaiting further orders. Your radio should buzz anytime now, but it wouldn't hurt to explore.

No movement is visible. You look all alone.

[Zender_Solarheart]

After scanning the perimeter just long enough to understand his immediate surroundings, Alex spots what he's been looking for: a subway with a big steel barrier locking everybody out. Having gotten a little closer for a better look, he can see that it's exactly as formidable as he'd heard...

...and there goes the buzzing pay-phone, calling out to him with the same stern impatience that he'd expect of Mission. He can also hear that rifle blazing off in the distance, though whether it's a survivor or a TSS trooper remains to be seen. Either way, that's not what he's here for, and with his priorities kept straight, Alex heads over to the pay-phone, picks it up (depositing any change he might need to beforehand), and answers with: "Yo. It's Alex."