Chapter 1
2130hrs
xx-xx-xxxx
Blacksite Facility within Yokohama shores
(BGM: FFXIII OST - Prelude) **Just hit up youtube, you know how it goes**
Hidden from the lights of the city by the dense treeline, a military facility kept on watch by numerous guards. Searchlights sweep the area along with patrols of security guards. In the dim moonlight, the waves brush against the beach in a soft rhythm. Walls of chain link fences topped with barbed wire enclosed the area. Heavy machine guns protect the perimeter while spotlights cut through the shadows and foliage. A heavily guarded chain link double gate opens, as a cargo truck drives through and into a concrete hangar equipped with a raised steel door. Parked trucks can also be seen next to the exterior of the concrete hangar. A nearby lighthouse scans the coastline to the sea. Cladded in combat kevlar armor, helmets, tactical vests, and equipped with SCAR** assault rifles, a group of four men stand guard on an overlooking cliff face. One is handling a searchlight while another sits on a machine gun nest.
*Yawn* "Can't wait till break to get another beer." A guard mutters sluggishly.
"I swear all you think about alcohol, alcohol, and alcohol. You already had three beers before coming onto duty did you not?" Another asks.
"Yeah but that was an hour ago."
"I'm more surprised that he isn't fucking hammered yet." A third guard joins in.
"Ah, piss off, three is nothing. Y'all a buncha pussies if ya can't even handle three."
"Just go back to attention you two, watch the sarge come over and rip our asses a new one again."
Beads of sweat run down a girl's face alongside a brown payot, falling and dissolving into the ocean. The fourth guard merely sighs as his other three compatriots are arguing amongst themselves. Two black objects bob up and under the tides while stalking the girl. Despite her efforts to increase her speed, the black objects continues to close in her position. A faint sound of tumbling rocks spreads over the cliffside and reaches the ears of one of the four guards.
"Did you hear that?" The quiet guard of the four asks.
"What are you talking about?"
"The sound of something crashing along the cliffside."
"Uhhh...no?"
"How would you expect him to hear anything when his ears and head are filled with booze?" The guard beside him retorts.
"Oh damn son." The last guard joins in.
"I'm going to check it out."
"Kay, let me know if you find ."
"Hey lazy bum go with him." One of the guards hollers to the alcoholic guard.
"It's fine. It doesn't seem to be far."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
"Heh, the rookie gots more balls than you two combined..."
The foliage and dirt slowly dissolve into twinkling sands of the beach, mimicking the starry sky reflecting off the moonlight. Cragged walls lay on either side of the ramp connecting the facility grounds to the beach. The guard walks down the ramp of dirt and onto the beach with his flashlight raised. His footsteps muffled by the soft, moist sand. A trail of footsteps leads away from the sea and runs along the beach, however, the footsteps appeared to be deeper than his own. As he approaches the end of the trail, the sound of laborious breathing could be heard.
"Now what do we have here?" Raising his flashlight as he examines his reward.
A pair of marble grey rectangular metal ankle boots adhered could be seen to the legs of a teenage fair skinned girl along with dark blue socks that reach below the knees. A white anchor and horizontal stripe could be seen on the socks. Marble grey contraptions armed with four deep blue tipped cylinders were attached to each thigh. A slightly torn pleated blue skirt matched to a white shirt with blue sleeves patterned with a single white stripe. The white sailor shirt was topped off by a turquoise neckerchief held together by a double knotted ribbon. A smokestack along with two exhaust ports as well as an antenna was attached to her back with a brown strap, however, one of the exhaust ports were dented and broken. A box-shaped object with two small cylinders protruded from it's front. A brown chestnut payot adorns her face while the rest of her hair is secured with a short ponytail. The guard approaches slowly and kneels down behind the girl who laid on her stomach with her upper body being held up by her left arm pushing off of the rock face.
"Is...someone...there?" The breathless girl asks in Japanese.
"Ummm...can you...speak...English? My Japanese is not...very good." The guard replies slowly.
"Uuuuu...I can tery." The girl responds back in poor English.
"Mind telling me who you are?" The guard asks in fluent English.
"Special type destroyer...Fubuki...first ship of the Fubuki class."
A blank expression fills the guard's face. "Uhhh...what?"
"Special type-"
"Ok, I heard you the first time. But what do you mean?" The guard hangs his head.
"Be carreful...they are...coming." The girl replies as she looks off the to the side of the guard.
A pair of black objects weaves above and below the waves quickly approaches the beach.
"That...can't be good."
"Oi! Send back up, I've got trouble here." The guard hollers into his radio.
-"What sort of trouble are you talking about here boy-o?" A somewhat drunk voice replies back.
"I would tell you if I knew. Just get your asses over here!"
-"Alright! Alright! We're coming."
The guard stands up, readies his rifle, and aims in the direction of the black objects approaching the beach. As they emerge from the water, a black sheen could be seen as a result of the moonlight. Jagged teeth resembling a shark, bright red eyes that pierces the waves, four legs with curved talons with a surface akin to glass. As the black objects wade out of the water, the guard opens fire with his rifle, however, the bullets bounce and ricochet off their bodies.
"The fack?" The guard exclaims as his bullets continue to create sparks off the bodies of the black creatures. Approaching the guard menacingly, soft snarls could be heard from the two. Concluding his weapon was ineffective, he pauses firing and lowers his rifle. The next instant one of the black creatures sprinted towards him and pounced with its jaws wide open. "Tch." Predicting a beeline move from his opponent the guard sidestepped, however, the black creature was able to bite onto his leg, cutting through the leg armor and slicing into his thigh.
"Ahhhrghhhh!"
As the guard screamed the second black creature used this opportunity to attack as well. Suddenly a nearby burst of bullets deflects incoming jaws of the black creature from barely reaching the bitten guard. Taking advantage of the interruption, the guard unsheathes his bayonet from his waist holster and stabs it into the eye of the black creature holding his leg hostage. In response, the black creature shakes its head, squints it's eye holes and adds further pressure to its jaws.
"Urqqqhhh...!"
Pulling out his knife with his left hand, he draws his Glock 22** pistol from his upper chest holster and sends bullets into the damaged eyehole of the creature. The black creature releases it's hostage and staggers backward from the immense pain.
"Ah, facking hell!" The guard exclaims as tries to put weight on his right leg.
"What kinda hellhole you fallen into boy-o?" The alcoholic guard holding his rifle asks with a gruff expression.
"Like hell I would know."
"And what's with the girl over there? You banging chicks over here?"
"Very funny."
The two black creatures regain their composure and ready up to attack again.
"So? What now? It doesn't seem like our rifles will work on their bodies." The injured guard asks.
"You go bring that girl back to the headquarters building while I and Liam hold these things off."
"You sure? It doesn't seem to be a fair fight with those things."
"Don't worry, unlike your sorry ass we actually have a plan." The third guard brags.
"Uh-huh." The injured guard replies with a roll of his eyes.
The injured guard limps over to the girl's side and attempts to lift her off the ground, however, he finds great difficulty in lifting her limbs where a marble grey part is attached.
"Tch, for something so small they sure weigh a shit-ton." He mutters to himself.
He quickly slings his unnecessary gear such as his rifle and bayonet and unstraps the metal parts attached to the girl. With some success, he lifts the chest of the girl onto his neck and tries to limp away as quickly as he can. The eyelids of the girl he was carrying gave off an expression filled with fatigue.
"So...What's this plan ya got Samuel?"
"Keep them busy for a bit and try to retreat away to where Curtis can mow them down with the machinegun."
"Sounds good to me." The alcoholic guard agrees with a determined grin.
"So. What's your name again?" The guard asks the girl on his back.
"Fubuki, the first ship of the Fubuki class. Are those people going to be alright?"
"Not sure, but more importantly what were those black 'things'?"
"I...don't know either…" Fubuki muttered disappointingly.
"And you said you're a...ship?!"
"A ship...girl actually."
As soon as Fubuki finished her reply, gunshots could be heard from their back.
"And what is a ship...girl?"
"Erhmmm, I'm not too sure myself...to be honest… I remember fighting...in the second world war before...I was sunk. And then I...remember waking up a...two days ago in a white...room."
"Ohhhh boy, so many questions, so little answers, wonderful." The guard replied as he entered a large building made up of grey concrete and steel doors. Sirens and alarms began to ring out throughout the facility.
'There goes the element of surprise' The guard thought.
Entering one of the brightly lit one-story buildings, a man asked loudly as he stood up from his desk filled with various papers. "State your name, rank, and squad number soldier."
Taking off his helmet, the guard was young compared to one questioning him. His face gave off a face of Asian descent and his height sat at five feet and ten inches "Jackson, acting corporal, squad 4." The guard replied in the same volume to in order for his voice to be heard over the blaring sirens.
"So you're one of the murkies the base hired. What's happening out there son? And who's that gal on your back?"
Taking note of the three chevrons on the man's uniform Jackson replied. "Some black creatures crawled out of the sea and began to attack the base. I believe they were after this girl Sargent, however, I am unsure of the reason being."
"Sounds fishy as all hell." Noticing the deep red stains on Jackson's leg.
"For now just get yourself to the MIR before you bleed all over the place and bring that girl also, she looks mighty banged up. On the double, chop chop."
"Yes, Sargent!"
Until now he had not noticed the charred and torn areas of her body and uniform, however, unlike red stains that usually accompany an injury, the stains on the girl were dark grey.
On the west of the blacksite facility, a group of four shadows moved under the cover of trees. Moving quickly but silently, the group approaches a ledge of a rock overlooking the facility. A shadow picks up a pair of binoculars and scans the facility.
"...mmmm." The shadow hums as they take note of the seaside battle occurring in the eastward of the facility.
"Ey, stop humming and tell me the fug is going on!? Are we still doing this shiet or not!?" A large shadow utters loudly from behind.
"Calm down. Well Marshall, what's it going to be." A shadow beside him asks.
"Contact Jackal, ask, then go." The shadowy figure responds while holding the binoculars.
"You sure? You might blow his cover."
"Just do it."
Keep note of it to himself a voice sounded from a small earpiece in his left ear. "Boss you there? What's going on?"
"Seems like another team decided to crash this party. Also, they got my right leg crippled for the time being, so my mobility will be somewhat impaired for the night."
"Are they after the secret weapon as well?"
"Unsure but a good chance that they are planning to though has military supplies it is unlikely that they would come all this way just for that."
"Should we go to Boss?"
"No, not yet at least. Those things that came after I appear to be the vanguard of trouble, most likely scouts. Since they were most likely destroyed, we'll bide our time and wait for the right moment when the whole enemy force shows up, then we will let those two fight it out while we go in with a smash and grab while they are occupied. If they don't show up, the base will relax their guard so it will be easier for us regardless."
"All right Boss."
"Alright ETA in five. Jackal out."
"Boss says to bide our time and wait until a better opportunity arrives since there was an enemy attack on the base just moments ago. He said he will be at the medical facility in the base for the time being."
"Abnormal," Marshall adds.
"How so?"
"Unlikely, that plan B needed."
"Is that not why you have backup plans? So that if the first plan fails, you have something to fall back on?"
"Misunderstanding, unlikely another knows this facility," Marshall explains as he un-slings his sniper rifle, looking through the scope to observe potential targets.
Taking a second to process his reply, the shadow behind him begins to lead the remaining two figures down the hillside.
"That's a strange wound, even for guys like you." A man in combat fatigues says, though his arm contains a white banner decorated with a red cross.
Jagged holes and cuts were imprinted on Jackal's mid-thigh with streams of blood running down. The wounds however quite shallow compared to the teeth seen on the black creatures he had fought earlier.
-"Reminds me of the time I got bitten by a dog," Jackal replies.
A brightly lit lengthy room filled with numerous turquoise hospital beds and white curtains. Blinders blocked any sight from the facility grounds. The medical officer reached over to a steel cart filled with various drugs, disinfectants, cleaning tools, and obtained a roll of gauze.
-"But here's the problem dog bites don't rip holes in your muscles." The medic asks as he searches his cabinet for medical kits.
"And? What about that missy over there?" The medical officer asks as he turns his face towards Fubuki, who is currently dressed in a light blue medical gown.
-"She...was being chased by the same creatures who gave me this wound, which come to think of it, they resemble those mechanical dogs the rich girls like to stuff in their purses, except much bigger. You hear or seen anything like that doc?"
-"No idea. First I've ever seen those wounds, to be honest. But that girl you brought in, second degree burns, broken metal fragments punctures, cuts, bruises, and maybe even a concussion. She looks like she took a field trip to an army base while it was being under attack." The medic confesses as he ties up Jackal's leg with gauze.
"I'm not even sure how she's still up and walking. Plus where did she get her clothes? The navy cadet store?" The officer concludes with a laugh.
"Well, you can stay here for a bit until she wakes up, but I have to take care of other gimps** right now." The medic says he leaves the room.
'Now then what shall I do with you?' Jackal wonders as his eyes wander to Fubuki's body lies quietly.
Collecting his current knowledge of tonight's events, he imagines the moment where he was carrying her as she explained her situation as well as recollecting the appearance of his black bodied foes from earlier.
'Hmm, I got her name; says she's a destroyer ship; no concrete info on those black things besides that they could chew through kevlar and only weak to bullets in their eyes; and...they came from the water or the sea for that matter. Doesn't know anything about herself, or perhaps I haven't cracked her yet. Maybe I'll try get some indirect info with some more questions.'
After a half hour, Fubuki's eyelids slowly rise and her eyes slowly adjust to the brightness of the infirmary.
"Where am I?"
"Medical inspection room." A familiar voice answers her question in the direction of her right side.
The man who carried her is now sitting in a chair reading a magazine with an eccentric western man wielding two rifles in each hand on the cover.
"Did you carry me here?"
"Well, I don't think people here really care much about carrying strange girls in sailor uniforms here without going through administrative BS(Bullshit) first. Though I did not count in the pervs." Jackal answers but mutter his second sentence.
"And! Where did my clothes go!?" Fubuki blushes lightly after noticing her current clothing consists of a medical gown and her underwear.
Jackal looks off to his right while Fubuki follows his gaze. Her clothes although cut and burnt in certain areas were folded up in a neat pile on a chair beside her.
"...I see." Reeling, somewhat embarrassed by her sudden outburst.
-"You ready to play?"
"Play?"
-"We're going to play twenty-one questions where I ask you something and you answer for the grand prize of nothing!" Jackal exclaims in a monotone voice.
"...sure?" Fubuki replies with an unsure expression towards Jackal's sarcasm.
-"Question one, where did you come from?"
"...Kanagawa"
-"Where in Kanagawa? This place also falls under the jurisdiction of that area if you didn't know." Jackal responds assertively.
"Err….I'm not sure exactly but it was a place fifty kilometers south-west from here," Fubuki replies nervously.
"But! I need help to save the other ship girls. Onegai (Please), I beg of you, please help me save them!" Fubuki pleads.
"You have to give me more than that. First of all, I don't even have an approximate location. Secondly, I have no idea what I am up against if tonight is any indication of what I will have to deal with. Third, you're asking a random stranger or strangers to risk their lives for what exactly? You can't just go all willy nilly with problems like this girl."
Looking down on her bed covers "I...I know I'm in no position to ask for help for something like this, but...but I don't know where else to...go, or...or even who to ask."
-"All right then, explain to me the situation in thirty seconds with less than five sentences."
-"What? But, but, how."
-"Ah ah ah. Just...do it."
-"I woke up...in some sort of white colored room...inside a large black box with people in goggles and...and lab coats...and there were other ship girls with me as I woke up...and-"
A sudden explosion rocks the facility as it breaks off Fubuki's sentence.
-"Too bad sounds like we're out of time. Get dressed, we're leaving."
"Ehhh?! But, but what about the people here? Won't they be killed?"
"They will buy us time while we escape with what they are after. Once they know their goal is gone, they will leave."
-"Eh? You know what they are after?" Fubuki asks as the sounds of explosions draw closer and become more frequent.
-"I have a good idea of what their objectives are yes. But we must make haste. Come on now! Get dressed." Jackal orders as he pulls the curtain over Fubuki and proceeds to put on his own gear.
-"...uuuuuuu," Fubuki whines as she put on her clothes.
"Hmmm...five magazines of blackout and four mags of five sevens** huh."Emptying his pistol and rifle to count his available ammunition. After which he switches off the safety on each of his weapons as he put on his rifle sling, however, he cocks his pistol before putting it on his chest pistol holster.
"Eh? Where? Where is my rigging?"
-"Rigging?"
-*Yes, it has my weapons, boilers, engines, fuel tanks, and other equipment."
Recalling earlier events Jackal recalls the metal contraptions he found attached to Fubuki's body when she was collapsed on the beach.
"It's on the beach, but there is no time, the enemy is probably swarming the beach by this point. Just follow me."
As Jackal scans the hallway outside the patient rooms the lights flickers on and off in the hallway. Nurses and medical officers alike were running back and forth.
"Come! Quickly!"
Fubuki and Jackal quickly jog down the hallway and exits the building through an emergency exit. As they take in their surroundings, explosions, gunfire, and shouts fill the air. The night sky was not splattered with bursts of red and yellow. Lifting up his SCAR** rifle, Jackal cocks the first round into the firing chamber of the rifle.
"Jackal where the hell are ya!?**" An exclaimed voice echoes through his earpiece.
"Three minutes. Is Marshall in position on the hills?"
"Ready." A monotone voice joins in.
"All right we got a guest joining us tonight and I have not disclosed the true nature of our mission, thus be mindful of what you say."
-"Roger that."
-"Understood."
"You! What are you doing here!? Intruders are attacking the base, go to the front gate and assist them!" A commanding voice calls out to Jackal. Dressed in the same gear as Jackal, however, a thin stripe above a thick stripe could be seen on his chest piece. The sound of a SCAR rifle responds to the source of the voice, splitting open throat and neck.
"You! What are you doing!?" A man beside the one who commanded shouted as he raised his rifle towards Jackal, however, a similar fate fell upon him as a .338 Lapua Magnum bullet bursts through his mid-chest spilling blood and pieces of his organs onto the ground. Stumbling backward at the scene, her hand reflexively covers her mouth as drops of blood splatters onto her uniform.
"Thanks, Marshall."
"Affirmative." A low voice responds through his earpiece.
"...Why? Why did you...kill them?" A somewhat distraught Fubuki asks.
"They were impeding our progress, there is no time to waste, let's go," Jackal responds as he returns back into running.
-"I...I don't want to kill more people. Watching them die was already..urk!...Too much." Fubuki quivers as she squats down while holding her hands beside her temples. Tears begin to well on her widened eyes.
"Look, we don't have time for this, those black 'things' are coming in and shooting up the base and we need to get out of here."
-"BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULD HAVE KILLED THEM!" A shaken shout cries out from her mouth while her breathing destabilizes.
Kneeling down to match Fubuki's squatting position, placing both his index and middle finger to the side of his temples, Jackal closes his eyes and inhales deeply. Then he opens his palms and creates a loud clap in front of Fubuki's face causing her to fall back onto her butt.
"AH! Wha-?" Fubuki yelps as her hyperventilating cease.
Placing his hands on her shoulders. "Listen to me, this place here? We're on a battlefield and we are outmatched, SO we need to focus taking away what the enemy came here for an escape. Those guys that I just shot, they're going to keep us in here until we are all dead along with the rest of the grunts while their officers escape. Unlike the grunts here I would like to think I have at least half a brain to not end up like them and I presume you would be the same as well unless I misjudged you. If you WANT to get out of here alive and find help for your little quest, I suggest you calm down and focus on what you need to do. Pride and honor should be saved for the press, while trust and sacrifice should be given to those you truly believe that deserves it. You may have that throwing your life away is the best way to go, HOWEVER, do not forsake yourself when you have something important to get done. YOU GOT THAT!?"
"Yes...sir." A taken back Fubuki replies.
"All right now pick up the pace, we wasted enough time already." Jackal remarks as he stands back up. Soon they reach a truck next to a concrete warehouse and approached it on the right side of the truck. From the other side of the truck, three people walk into their sight. A burly man covered up from head to toe with black ceramic armor plates. Knee pads and shin guards protect the legs while custom fit wrist guards and finger guards shield the arms. A double-layered upper chest piece combined with shoulder pauldrons and a neck gaiter gives off an impression of a human tank. Yet the face of the wearer was hidden away in a rigid and scratched yet polished biker helmet sporting a reflective visor. A bandolier of shotgun shells hangs over his chest while pouches and magazine holders hang off his lower abdomen lined with an arrays MOLLE attachment systems**. On his back sports a sawed-off Remington R870 tactical shotgun** while an Origin 12 automatic shotgun** hangs on the other side of his back. On his right hip, a pistol holster could be seen with a wooden grip attached to a chrome surface.
On his left was a man wearing a white lab coat along with a white dress shirt and tie. Brown rectangular pouches were attached to his black belt which held up his black dress pants. In his hands was an MPSD76** personal defense weapon outfitted with an angled foregrip, flip up polymer iron sights, and a side mounted compact laser module. On his lower left abdomen, a black matte pistol grip could be seen from the holster.
While his right side stood a man with a hidden light ballistic vest underneath his blazer jacket. A black-tie held his white collared dress shirt together. A pair of black sunglasses blocked any line of sight to his eyes. A SCARAB carbine was slung over his body. Black business slacks and dress shoes completed the appearance of an FBI agent.
Together a bipolar trio of men lined up with their weapons at the ready before Jackal and Fubuki.
-"Legion," Jackal speaks to the heavily armored man.
-"Jackal." A speaker sounds from his helmet.
-"Thanks for joining us today gents," Jackal notes to the two men standing beside the heavily armored man. Stretching out his right hand in the process.
"A pleasure sir." The black-suited man walks forward to shake his hand.
-"Is my gear in the back?"
-"Yessir."
-"And everyone knows the game plan?" and the three men nod in response.
-"Didn't tell you to bring just the Remington**? You can't just hold off enemies in cover with just buckshot and darts."
-"Don't worry it's not that heavy anyways plus you really looking down on me now? This weight is nothing for me." Legion remarks with a wide smile.
-"I'm not looking down at anyone, I need some breathing room in case we need to hustle the objective."
-"Fine, fine, you lousy donkey."
"So who's she?" Legion asks as he directs and narrows his eyes down to Fubuki causing her to take a step back from his gaze.
-"A little mermaid all beached up on the shore," Jackal replies with a sneer.
-"The fugs that supposed to mean? Whatever just take your damn nasty habits somewhere else. And here." Legion tosses a chestnut brown backpack towards Jackal.
-"Thanks and bring static shells and C4s along. You know what just ditch the extra leg and wrist armor and just blitz this popsicle stand home."
-"And here I was thinking I get to have some fun today."
-"You'll get your fun, don't you worry pretty little head about that...alright head towards the hangar, I'll catch up with you guys in a second."
The trio walks away with Legion stripping himself of his extra armor and stomping away towards the concrete hangar. Opening the backpack, several magazines of .300 blackout ammunition inside an ammo vest, two suppressors, a white rail mounted LED, a microlaser gadget, a reflex sight, an under-barrel grenade launcher, several 40mm grenades with white and yellow tips held on a waist-length bandolier, a pair of holographic glasses, and an arm mounted touchscreen computer.
Ejecting his magazine and his chambered bullet, he loads a magazine from the new ammo vest into his rifle and cocks the rifle. He then screws on a suppressor onto his SCAR** and onto his Five-Seven** pistol. Unscrewing the Aimpoint 1x magnification sight off the top rail of his rifle and replaces it with the reflex sight. Sliding the LED onto one of the Picatinny rails on his rifle, he then mounts the laser sight to his pistol trigger guard and tightens the straps of the arm-mounted computer onto his left arm. Jackal finishes by putting on the holographic glasses and the grenade bandolier, the words 'initializing heads-up display' in the center of his view. Soon afterward a compass rose to the top of his view, a minimap appears on the bottom left of his field of view, and three green diamonds focused on the center of his field of view fifty meters away could be seen he looks at each one. As he puts on each piece of equipment, Fubuki looks with intrigue as to what purpose each object served.
"Fubuki there is a warm seat on the truck there, so why don't you take a seat for a bit while I finish some business first?" Jackal asks with a smile.
"Eh? Uh...sure." Fubuki replies as she climbs into the rear seat of the cabin of the truck.
"Sate, Doshi yo kana? (Now then, how shall I do this?)" Jackal mutters to himself as he races off to joins his compatriots.
(BGM Nier - The Sound of the End)
Approaching a side door to the concrete hangar, the man with the white lab coat swipes a keycard on the security terminal as he notes Jackal's approach, with that the door swings open allowing the group inside. The lights inside flicker from the pounding of explosions, while the hallway is littered with concrete fragments, metal debris, and hanging electrical wiring.
"For a concrete hangar, this sure got banged the fug up!" Legion exclaims with a laugh.
Walking over debris fallen from the walls and ceiling, an arm sullen with blood could be seen from a pile of concrete bricks as they walked down the hallway.
"Feels like this could collapse on us any second now." The man in the black suit notes.
"Then we best hurry along." Responds Jackal as the group begins to pick up speed to a jog. As they peek around the corners, similar destruction and bodies could be seen. Brushing past countless doors the group eventually reached a large industrial elevator capable of fitting a smart car. The man in the white lab coat pressed the button to call the elevator, however, only silence responded.
"God fugging damn it seriously? Now what?" Legion exclaimed with a bang of his fist.
Surveying his environment, Jackal spots a bent yet thin metal rod next to him.
"Here. Pry it open." Tossing the rod to Legion.
Taking swings at elevator doors, the metal rod eventually dented a small indentation into the metal doors allowing him to insert the rod deeper into the gap between the doors.
"Herghhhhhh..ahhhHHHAH!"
Although the doors put resistance towards being opened, the metal bar pried open into the shaft of the elevator with the bent nature of the rod holding open the doors though sounds of bending came from the rod. Darkness greeted Legion as he peered into the elevator shaft.
"Lights on gents, one by one head down the shaft using the elevator cables and Legion hand one of the C4s."
"Ok? Catch."
Receiving the C4 packet from Legion, Jackal places it on the wall closest to the exterior. As the group slides down the elevator cable, static sparks flickered in the darkness. Landing on the elevator, the group opened the top cover of the elevator. Dropping down into the elevator, it's white LEDs** gave off a dim buzz in the air.
"Seems like the elevator still works yet the call buttons up top do not seem to work," Jackal notes.
The man dressed in white pressed the opens doors button. As the doors slid open with a groan. Red emergency lights could be seen flashing in a large concrete room that the elevator has opened to. Metal and cardboard boxes alike were laid over the cracked concrete floor, broken. Exposed wiring and damaged consoles also littered the room.
"Spread out, eyes peeled for any particularities."
As the group surveyed the surroundings with their flashlights, Legion stepped onto a puddle of fluid. A bright crimson reflected off the white light. Following the trail of red, a corpse with mangled jagged punctures in a curved pattern in various spots could be seen leaning against the wall. His blood streaked off the grey rough walls.
"Ey, boss man. You might want to check this out." Legion calls monotonously to Jackal. On his holographic glasses a target cursor locked on towards a heat signature. Stepping over the mounds of debris of concrete and metal Jackal examines the wounds of the corpse. The corpse worn a white now dyed crimson torn dress shirt along with a black necktie and dress pants. A broken headset laid next to him on his left.
"That doesn't seem like something any crumbling debris would make. Hmmm…still warm must have been killed a few hours ago max. Too...abnormal yet reeks of...an ambush." Jackal notes.
Reaching towards the wounds in the corpse, he inserts his finger into the wound yet he could not feel the end of the wound. 'Deep.' Mentally noted by Jackal.
-"You guys get anything else over there?" Jackal calls out.
-"Just more dead, boss."
Moving over to observe the other carcasses, similar patterns of blood could be seen. 'Hmmm'
-"Jackal, take a look," Legion calls out.
Approaching Legion, a low yet long black box with a gloss like texture reflected with a white shine due to the flashlights. It's angled edges and corners gave off the impression of a burial capsule.
-" Looks like that's what we came for," Jackal notes.
As Jackal walks over to the object a bent metal beam collides with his right thigh.
"Oww…!" Yelps Jackal as he staggers over his pain.
Looking down on his leg, blood began to pour into his gauze in a curved manner. A shocked expression strikes his face as his pain began to simmer down.
"EYES Sharp, we may have hostiles in the area." Whispers Jackal.
(Atmosphere music: Nier - The Sound of the End/Dynamic)
Surveying their surroundings once again, silence and darkness answer their actions. Suddenly a pair of crimson beams shimmers in his direction out of the blend of red emergency lighting. Holographic visor and glasses of Jackal and Legion began to detect light orange heat signatures from the darkness. Another pair of bright crimson sheen joins in from the right of Jackal. The concrete rubble began to slide away revealing a reminiscent black sheen. Curved yet smooth textures undamaged from the rough concrete. Neon red eyes that beam as if it were a laser. White jagged jaws pouring with translucent white smoke. Slowly approaching the four men, a loud crash could be heard from the tall ceiling of the large room. Soon after another crash broke open the concrete ceiling near the direction of the elevator. Emerging from the smoke, long black hair with two side buns in the corner of her head. Hazing wide ultramarine eyes, black armored elbow gloves, black and grey sailor one-piece dress held together by a black necktie adorned with a hazing blue eyed skull ornament. Yet all these features pale in comparison to her absence of any legs which instead have been replaced with one white straight tank tread with two dual gun turrets mounted next to her tread.
"Hou**...? It seems the cockroaches was not all eradicated from here." The humanoid figure spoke with a sneer as the turrets next to her tread slowly raised itself upwards in the direction of the group of four.
**End**
**Estimated Time of Arrival
**SCAR Rifle: Projected from the experimental H&K XM8 rifle. SCAR comes from the (Superior Combat Assault Rifle) abbreviation, it consists of a variety of parts made of metal, polymer, and rubber. Being highly modular and accepting of aftermarket accessories. Its popularity is associated with its versatility to be modded into any roles it is assigned to, whether it be close quarters battles as a rapid-fire carbine, long range duels as a designated marksman rifle, or suppressing opponents through sheer volume of fire as a light machine gun. It's modular rail systems also allows for various attachments to be mounted onto the weapon itself. Chambered in .300 blackout, .30 Remington ,or .308 Winchester. The XM SCAR family also includes the popular bullpup variant utilizing predecessor 5.56x45mm rounds to maintain lower felt recoil despite it's blazing rate of fire.
**Origin 12 shotgun. Created by Fostech industries located in the United States. This polymer, magazine fed, semi-automatic shotgun was based on the Russian Saiga 12 semi-auto shotgun. It's main difference is the overall external polymer appearance and extra mounting rails and tactical accessories added into the shotgun. Also like the saiga 12 it can be fitted with a twenty shell drum magazine, increasing it's overall ammo capacity.
**The MPSD76, also known as the machine pistol silenced 76 was a weapon from an old era brought into a new body. As one of the key defining characteristics of a firearm was the size of the bullet it fired, the MPSD76 draws it's roots from the second world war as the American light rifle project. The cartridge fired by the M1 Carbine was lower in performance compared to later intermediate rounds such as the standard 5.56mm NATO or the 7.62x39mm found in the AK rifles. However as it was redesigned for a more modern, subsonic role for a compact PDW(personal defense weapon). Featuring an integrated suppressor, angled foregrip, next-gen light up iron night sights, and a three round burst to prevent the user from wasting ammunition from its meager 24 round magazine. Despite it's initial criticism, new generations of firearms users have slowly accepted it into the fold.
**Five-Seven Pistol. Created by FN Herstal, it possesses unique high-velocity bullets designed for greatest armor penetration compared to traditional 9mm Parabellum bullets. It also boasts the greatest handgun capacity of existing pistols with a whopping 20 rounds. Exceptionally light at 1.6lbs unloaded, yet composes of surprisingly light yet powerful 5.7mm cartridges, it has become a must-have sidearm for any law enforcer, military personnel, and underworld hitman.
**Blackout ammunition refers to the .300 Blackout ammunition for the AR-15 weapons platform. It's defining characteristic is the ability to be used in AR-15 platforms without heavy modifications to the weapon whether the rounds were made for silent subsonic or whiplash supersonic purposes.
**AR-15 platforms refers to the weapons platform associated with the M16, M4A1, M416 rifles. Designed by Eugene Stoner.
**MOLLE load bearing equipment refers to the equipment connecting system that allows attachment various equipment carriers to one's load-bearing vest or carrier. It's main purpose was to allow one to easily attach, swap, or remove bags, pouches, holsters from one's ammo carrier or vest.
**Remington. A popular small arms company that features tried and true rifles and more importantly shotguns that stood the test of time for centuries. Their most popular model was their Remington R870 Tactical shotgun commonly carried by law enforcers, military combatants, and security personnel. Rugged and black, simple yet reliable, this power pump action shotgun is the symbol of Remington itself. However more and more of their competitors are incorporating bullpup shotguns of the future as their superior capacity, compact sizes, and lightweight construction is proving to be straight upgrades from shotguns of the past.
**LEDs. Light emitting diodes. Bright and efficient light sources.
**Foreign languages are written in italics.