BM: Come on….. Urf! Come on…YES! *stands up from couch, raises hands in celebration*
Raymond: No, NO SHIT! *clutching head while staring at the TV in disbelief*
BM: Bitch, hand it over.
Raymond: Hell no, you camping motherfucker! *lunges at BM, both fall off the couch*
BM and Raymond: *loud arguing*
Venus: Can you two just SHUT UP ALREADY!?
BM and Raymond: *look at each other and sit down on the couch*
Venus: *sighs* That's better… Arceus, you're an ass BM.
BM: *grinning* Course I am. Welcome back everyone to a new chapter of Roa- I mean Delta Six.
Venus and Raymond: *looks at BM with a puzzled expression*
BM: *cough* Onwards. So, life's been pretty hard to fathom for me right now. Let's just say that I have things to do and plenty of things that I want to do. I can't do both without compromising the balance too much, ya know?
BM: Right, how did you all enjoy the previous chapter? I told you this story would be darker than Roadtrip. It won't get much lighter in the future, except for certain moments. Enough dillydallying, let's step right on it. *thump*
Raymond: Argh, don't actually step on my foot you dick!
BM: Heh.
Venus: I swear…
Disclaimer: The usge.
Ever since he began his career in the force, everyone Raymond had met told him the same thing. The sight in front of him was inevitable, it was a matter of time for it to manifest. Safe to say, Raymond was anything but ready for it. A sight that shook him to his core.
A Growlithe in an armored vest.
A good bout of laughter and a flurry of insults from the Growlithe later, the two continued on with what they originally set out to do. For Raymond it was shooting and for Venus it was getting accustomed to gunfire. She flinched slightly at the first shot as it was from Raymond's FAL which fired 7.62, a large caliber by modern standards. Thankfully, she got accustomed to the loud booms, bangs and cracks quickly.
"Alright, let's get right at it." Raymond said while tapping on a touchscreen on the side wall. A few button presses later, a collection of targets showed up at various distances and orientations in front of them. Raymond picked up his G36 and removed the magazine for a quick ammo count. He groaned at the sight.
"What's wrong? Empty?" Venus asked while still adorning here proud deep blue vest. It was compulsory that each personnel that entered the range don one as mishaps and misfires were somewhat common occurrences. An affirming nod from Raymond sufficed.
"Wait here." Raymond said with an annoyed sigh. He knew he had a habit of burning through ammos faster than a Jolteon can run but he didn't think he was THAT wasteful. Unlocking his locker, Raymond ruffled through the boxes of ammunition. As he grabbed a box of the required ammunition, he happened to hear the tail end of a conversation.
"No. I've got it." A male voice said. Raymond caught on to the source of the voice which was on the other side of the sliding doors. He thought nothing of it and began filling his magazines with rounds.
After doing so, Raymond returned to the range to continue his shooting practice. Both he and Venus have managed a system for him to train adequately. Venus would assign, with some difficulty, target limitations and boundaries. This basically ensured that Raymond had no preparations.
"….There. All set, I think." Venus said as she set up the targets for the last time that day. Raymond nodded while he pressed his cheek onto the G36C's stock, aiming down the barrel. Promptly, Venus tapped the 'Start' key on the panel.
After a confirming beep, an array of targets of various sizes popped up in front of Raymond. In practically no time at all, he fired a few bursts at two prone targets which struck true with only one miss. He swung his carbine around swiftly and tapped two targets on the head, again with only one miss. In one quick and dexterous move, he flicked the fire selector from Burst to Full Auto. Then, he unleashed a good volume of fire upon three targets clustered pretty closely together, taking them down with only a few missed. Suddenly, his gun jerked over to one side.
At first, Venus thought he lost control of the gun for a split second. On second look, it was plain to see what had actually happened. A target in the far corner of the range got taken down as result. Venus couldn't help but to look impressed.
"Wow, how did you do that?" She asked as Raymond stopped aiming and removed his magazine before pulling on the charging handle to empty the chamber. He looked at her with a slightly confused expression which morphed into an embarassed grin.
"I uh… didn't plan that. Was an accident." He said through his grin. Venus deadpanned with slight eye twitch. Talk about being lucky…
As Raymond was preparing to leave the range, an alarm rang out in the building. It's sequence of sounds and the flashing blue light meant little to most of the personnel there. For the minority that did, this was of utmost importance. Raymond immediately took noticed and began sprinting, beckoning Venus to come with. She looked confused for a moment but promptly ran after Raymond.
Right outside the range and inside the armory, the members of Delta Six trickled in rapidly. In less than a minute, all members apart from the obvious were present along with Fringe. Surprisingly, Logan tagged along but since he was still partly recovering from his injury he couldn't join in. This was no issue as every Delta Six member had been trained to operate even with an incomplete team.
"What's the situation, Harry?" Raymond asked while strapping on his uniform and armored vest from his locker. Venus could only look around at them as she already had her vest on.
"High priority robbery. Unknown number of suspects, all armed. Fringe, good job you came along. We might need an interceptor." Harry explained calmly as he fixed his beret, something the seasoned operative had done plenty of times. Fringe nodded with a small determined smile.
"However, we need at least a Class 3 for support. I have a feeling we especially need it. Where's Ace and Dusty?" Harry hastily asked. Jules sighed and Logan shook his head.
"Ace is on a fucking pursuit. Heard there was an escaped fugitive and he was the only other ITC available." Jules explained. Harry looked over to Logan with an expectant look.
"Dusty doesn't feel like it. Sorry, but he was adamant this time. He's not in a very good mood." Logan said with a sigh. Harry adopted a thinking look for a short moment before Venus spoke up.
"I'll do it." She said with conviction in her voice. Harry looked over to the Growlithe, completely forgetting that she had passed her exam that very day. Raymond looked at her surprised, stopping him from wearing his bandana.
"Are you sure? This is a very dangerous situation for your first mission. I really don't think you should go." Raymond reasoned. Venus shook her head defiantly while Harry watched quietly.
"I have to. What would be the point in me joining if I couldn't go?" Venus retorted haughtily, knowing that she backed Raymond into a metaphorical corner. Raymond raised a finger to respond but eventually lowered it, even though he objected to her joining. She's going to get herself hurt…
Upon seeing that Raymond no longer visibly objected, Harry decided that it was best they hurry up. The group grabbed their weapons and made their way to the vehicle loading bay. Raymond stayed oddly silent and serious as they walked. Not long after, they arrived at the bay which was located on the left wing of the first floor. It was a wide open space with plenty of garages that housed in-station vehicles and spares.
After clambering in the riot van, the team set off on a rapid pace. They barreled down the road while trying their best to avoid colliding with citizens. Thankfully, Harry was quite good at this due to his experience.
The heavily armored van rumbled and sway around each corner, its interior creaking and rattling slightly. Sat in the back, Jules inspected his Kriss Vector for damage. Jackie fixed her hair in before putting headgear. Fringe was being Fringe as she twiddled her finger in anticipation for a chase, something she was very fond of if her back flames were any indication. Venus couldn't help but feel a tiny bit nervous.
On the front passenger seat, a slumped over figure sat. Raymond leaned forwards on his seat as he cleaned his rifle as it had accumulated a fair amount of grime and dirt. A blank, expressionless face was all that could be seen on the black haired young man. A look that Venus didn't like. It wasn't help as Raymond occasionally gave her the stinkeye, of which she'd caught a few glimpses.
A screeching sound emanated from the brakes as the van ground to a halt, crossing over the middle lines at an angle to provide cover. Across the intersection and off to the right side, a fairly large Wells Fargo building was located. The building was of fairly old design as it was erected roughly 70 years ago and had undergone plenty of renovations to keep its facilities up to date. The quaint red brick exterior and marble stairs however were left untouched in their original condition, which weathered through the toughest weather effortlessly. However, they were not up for the flurry of lead that poured into the area from both sides.
A peppering of police cars and police officers along with a few Pokemon were in the parking lot in front of the establishment. A few of them hid behind their cars as their peers and their Pokemon returned fire. A Greninja threw a flurry of Water Shurikens at the entrance. Unfortunately, it seemed like the criminals came prepared. Out of one of the broken windows, numerous Razor Leafs shot out directly towards the shurikens, cancelling them out.
The team exited the riot van hastily and began to stack up with Harry taking the helm. Quickly, they formed a plan.
"Listen up, here's how we're going to do it. Jackie, you'll take the position up there. I think that's good enough to cover the right side and part of the rear exit, yeah?" Harry explained as he pointed to the roof of a nearby building. Jackie nodded in confirmation before he continued.
"Jules, you and Fringe go watch the rear exit. Watch if any of them try to escape. Jules, infiltrate from the left side to flush them out. Got it?" Harry asked with a surefire nod from both of them. In response, Jules lifted his rifle in a ready position and Fringe crouched down in preparation to run. Harry quickly turned to face the remaining pair, a plan already formulated.
"Us three will go from the front. Raymond, take point right and I'll take left. Venus, under all circumstances stick with Raymond alright? MOVE OUT!" Harry yelled, giving Venus barely any time to react. As the words escaped Harry's mouth in full, the team split up and ran their separate ways. Jackie sprinted under the cover of the squad cars and slipped her way onto the fire ladder of her allocated sniping spot. Fringe sprinted while Jules returned fire alongside her, aiming for the second floor windows as that was where most of the gunfire originated.
Harry and Raymond moved between car to car until they were only a few meters in front of the main entrance. Thinking quickly, Raymond tried his best to find a way to stack up to the walls without being shredded to bits. A snap of his fingers indicated the end of his thinking as he chucked a flashbang aimed at the second floor. By sheer luck, it bounced inside and detonated with a distant flash of light.
"C'mon!" Harry yelled as he and Raymond jumped out of their cover. Venus lagged behind slightly as she was still unaccustomed to the high adrenaline situation. Right as they reached the front door, the gunfire that faced the police intensified yet again. Some even striking true as a few bodies began to be dragged away. A grisly sight for some, but it was an all too common one for Raymond and the others. Apart from one.
Venus looked at the scene behind in horror. She spotted a police officer being dragged away by presumably her Pokemon which was the Greninja they saw. Small tears could be seen on the tall blue figure's eyes as it pulled her away. There were also a couple of Pokemon clinging desperately to life, being kept alive by their partners. Pained and distraught expressions made their presence known among the faces. Venus wasn't just nervous now. She was afraid.
A swift successions of pats on her back turned returned her attention back to the situation at hand. Raymond grabbed his rifle again and lifted it up in a ready position. The group had been waiting for Harry to radio back to command and ask for back up to prepare for their assault. Venus took the time to get a good look at the situation in full yet again. This time, she noticed Raymond's peculiar headgear. It was not unusual to assume that operatives would wear bulletproof helmets but a bandana? Strange. Raymond's eyes didn't have their usual friendly and amiable hue. A concentrated, flat and borderline violent sheen could be seen in them.
A relieved expression plastered Harry's face as ended his comms. The seasoned operative turned to the others before speaking into his comms again.
"Team, sit rep. Reinforcements ETA 5 minutes. Let's go at it!" Harry commanded. As he did, Jules leapt through the side entrance with great agility. A click of the bolt on Jackie's rifle could be heard through the comms. Harry and Raymond grabbed a flashbang and a smoke grenade respectively. During the few seconds before the grenades exploded, Raymond quickly reached inside one of his pockets and tapped on his phone, a tune beginning to play in one of his ears….
…..Or that would've been what happened if Raymond had remembered to bring his earbuds. He internally cursed himself for it but decided not to make a fuss. Not in a situation like this.
A bright flash of light and a wall of smoke later, the front entry team made their way inside. Harry and Raymond were equipped with ACSF goggles so they had no issues in making their way through the smoke, returning fire at anything that moved. Under normal circumstances, this would be a very dangerous move. However, Harry had informed them that the area was clear of civilians and no hostages were reported. This was music to Raymond's ears, figuratively. This meant he didn't have to hold back.
The two cleared the main lobby fairly quickly, dispatching two targets as they were caught slightly off guard and under the effects of the smoke and flashbang. However, their attire was odd to say the least. Both of them were wearing low level body armor which was hidden under their jackets. Although their jackets differed in appearance and color, a small black spot could be seen on their right shoulders. Suddenly, the spots crumbled and disappeared in thin air, leaving no trace behind.
"What the fuck? Did you see that?" Raymond asked Harry who could only nod in agreement and confusion. Venus warily approached one of the corpses and sniffed it, a strong metallic smell wafting upon her which sent shivers down her spine. His lifeless eyes seeming stared back into hers, basically petrifying her. Raymond and Harry began to proceed before Raymond turned around and saw the look of shock on Venus' face.
"We gotta go!" Raymond yelled, snapping Venus out of her stupor. She shook her head and run up to the two. The three of them checked around the corner, only to duck back into cover as bullets whizzed by. Money was strewn all about, most likely coming from the ATMs which were mangled to all hell.
Harry signaled Raymond and Venus to avoid the hallways as it was essentially a deathwish. Raymond noticed one of the rooms near the hallway and decided to move there. In one swift motion, Raymond skipped over into the room. Under Harry's covering fire, Venus scrambled forth. The room looked to be an office of some sorts as the desks and a couch indicated. Tapping on the closest wall lightly determined that it was thing enough to shoot through. Though, Raymond was right in thinking that would be risky.
"Sitrep!" Harry could be heard on the comms as Raymond thought of a way to get themselves back into the fray.
"All's good back here. Downed a few!" Jackie could be heard responding. Raymond tapped his chin in thought.
"Fringe and I got a few of them fuckers. I told her to keep watch near the exits for any escapees!" Jules answered. It was then the situation got direr. Out of the walls, bullets tore through. Instinctively, Raymond ducked under the desk and knocked it over for cover. Thankfully, it happened to be made of thick wood and metal so it was adequate in stopping the bullets. Venus slid over hastily, barely missing a lead shower on her position. Raymond took a good look at the Growlithe. She seemed to be hyperventilating which wouldn't be good for the plan he had in mind.
"Shh, calm down. They'll hear us." Raymond whispered to Venus. Venus gulped as her panting began to ramp down. The thudding of footsteps outside did not help her at all. Raymond sensed that they would be spotted at this rate and covered Venus' maw with his hand, silencing her right before a group of the robbers barged in. Venus stared daggers at him but reluctantly complied as she preferred living rather than dying. Raymond began whispering his plan to Venus. She nodded in confirmation even though she was still a bit afraid.
The door suddenly flew open as a group of robbers barged in, along with a somewhat terrified looking Servine with an odd collar around its neck. They scanned the office for any sign of the Delta Six member. Their quick search proved fruitless.
"Where are they!?" One of them grunted as he lifted his Uzi higher.
"Fuck if I know. Must be using a Zoroark." Another one replied, priming his Remington 870 shotgun.
"Now." A soft whisper spoke. A crackling of flame could be heard before a large billow of smoke engulfed the room, obscuring their vision. In the mass panic, the robbers began to fire blindly at the air in attempt to hit the unseen threat. One of them shot another in the back of the head by accident, splattering their remains along the wall as a dull thud sounded. A quick second later, Raymond snuck around and plunged his knife into the neck of one of them, slicing clean through. With his other hand, he gripped his pistol and fired two shots that hit two others square in the head. Wasting little time, he began to run at the remaining few.
"What the fuck? Razor Leaf, GO!" One of them yelled. The Servine hesitated for a split second before launching a barrage of leaves into the smoke. As the barrage of leaves ended, there was a small stillness in the air. A moment for the remaining robbers to catch their breath. Then, two figures leapt out of the smoke. A knife plunged itself deep into the throat of the robber that commanded the Servine, a sickening gurgle filling the room. The other figure rammed full on into the stomach of the other, a series of loud cracks sounded as the man was thrown backwards and landing hard on his back, fully knocked out. The Servine looked at the scene in horror.
The final robber steeled himself and threw himself onto Raymond, getting a good hit on his head and knocking the knife out of the operative's hand. With no time to retrieve it or use his pistol, Raymond resorted to his fists. Catching the robber's arm, he slammed him to the ground. The robber was quicker than Raymond expected however and managed to sweep under his leg, tripping him to the ground, his head striking the padded floor pretty roughly. Venus rushed in and launched an Ember which missed and struck a metal filing cabinet behind the fray, thankfully not setting the whole room on fire.
The robber took advantage of this miss and kicked Venus on the side, knocking her down as well. She groaned as she looked onwards. The robber pulled out a pistol, aimed and…. Bang. Bang. Bang.
He slumped over, three holes that leaked crimson formed on his neck and head. A muted thud and a splatter was the final sound that went through the room. Raymond stood up slightly shakily with the cuts and bruises all over him. He walked over and retrieved his knife.
Raymond flicked his blood soaked knife clean before replacing it back in its sheath, along with his pistol. He took a deep breath before quickly grabbing his rifle from his sling and pointing it at the Servine. The grassy snake trembled in fear as Raymond aimed. Venus' eyes shot open right after she shook her fur clean of soot particles.
It was then Raymond lowered his gun after inspecting the Servine. It was obviously scared and held against its will and thus, not a threat.
"Stay here. Don't go anywhere until we come back." Raymond ordered with the terrified Pokemon nodding rapidly. Raymond shot a look at Venus who caught the message instantly. The two of them ventured out of the room and proceeded down the hallway, noting the bodies that laid strewn. A thought came to Raymond.
"Strike here, how's everyone?" Raymond spoke into his comms after he slid into a safer area. A short moment later, a response could be heard.
"Oh, thank Arceus. Team's full, minor injuries. Tangos are neutralized or captured." A relieved Harry replied. Raymond sighed in relief before sitting down on the tiled floor, exhaling.
"Copy that." He simply replied before ending his communications. Venus walked up and sat beside him, looking over at the bodies. Her lip quivered with the rush of adrenaline, her attempt at speaking failing.
"Fuck, what a rotten first task, huh? Look, I won't sell you short. You did great back there, you really did. But you almost got yourself killed. That was poor." Raymond commented harshly. Venus could only look at him with bewilderment. Anger began to boil up, overtaking her adrenaline rush.
"Me? You almost got YOURSELF killed! Did you really hit your head that hard, you dimwit?" Venus angrily replied. Raymond stayed silent before exhaling yet again, checking for any more wounds.
"Yeah, yeah. C'mon, we better get back and bring that Servine with us." Raymond muttered as he stood up and turned around to face the exit. Venus looked at the operative in front of her for a quick second before following suit, still sick to her stomach about the sights she saw.
That's all for this one. Hope it was just as entertaining for you to read as it was for me to write. I'll see you all in the next one. Bruhmeister, out!
Venus: There, isn't that better?
BM and Raymond: *chained together with handcuffs* No.
BM: How'd you even get this on us anyways?