Gate: In the Company of Shadows
Side Story
Snake Venom
[REDACTED] VIPER [REDACTED]
ALNUS HILL, FALMART
IMPERIAL CALENDAR 687 - 07:57:23
The princess' personal knight found herself waking earlier than usual. With nothing to do, she decided to, roam around a bit and get some air. With permission of course, she was very limited on how far she could go or how much she was allowed to explore. Not that she'd attempt to explore much anyway. She hadn't seen the JSDF in action, yet she and the other knights of the Rose Order saw the aftermath and what was left of the bandits that attacked Italica. She feared the possible repercussions of breaking any rules, and that fear was enough to keep her in line. Getting punished sucked for anyone.
Though how she found herself here was another matter entirely...
"Remember, finger off the trigger and keep the rifle pointed away from things you don't wanna hurt. You don't wave something that dangerous around all willy-nilly like, regardless if you think it's been cleared and safe. Treat it as you would a sword."
"As if I could… this 'gun' of yours is heavy!" Bozes huffed, shifting her hold on the firearm as she looked up at the target down range. She was unused to carrying weapons this… intricate.
"Well I'm usually mounted up with the bipod deployed at a shooting bench." He frowned as he inspected the rest of the range. "Unfortunately these guys seem to be lacking a few here, and unless you wanna get dirt on your fancy dress, prone shooting is out of the question…"
She sighed, looking annoyed at having to endure the weight of his rifle.
"feet offset and shoulders length apart with a slight bend at the knees. Hunch forward slightly, you're not a mannequin. Imagine an invisible line going through your body, tilted towards where you're shooting." Viper tapped his boot against her legs, causing her to put distance between them, which solidified her stance while he leaned her forward slightly. "Good, now dig the rifle into your shoulder and rest your cheek against the stock's cheek weld."
"Forgive me for asking, but how exactly does my stance affect my weapons effectiveness? Shouldn't it be as simple as pointing and pulling the trigger?"
"A long gun is much more different than your standard crossbow. 7.62 by 51 with gunpowder kicks a helluva lot more than a sharpened stick. Your stance helps to absorb and mitigate recoil while also being one of the main basic fundamentals to shooting effectively. You wanna shoot effectively? Listen to the instructor, yeah?"
"This is a rather far reaching telescope…" She said, trying to adjust the dials before he lightly slapped her hand away. "Ow! What was that for?!"
"It's already zeroed in, don't mess with it or you'll kill us all…" She paused, eyes widening at the weapon in her hand like it was going to blow up at any moment. "Relax, I'm just messing with you."
She eyed him nervously, unsure of how much he said was really true. "A-Anyway… What do you do if the enemy gets too close?"
"Well, I'm more of a long-range shooter, relying on my team to handle everything else closer in the action. Plus, I've got a less magnified sight on top of that one, a second gun in my belt holster, and should I ever need it…"
He reached for the knife holster attached to his cummerbund molle before unsheathing his karambit.
"I've got this beaut…"
The woman gulped as he spun it around his finger and made a quick swipe with it before palming the blade for her to see. It was a weirdly curved dagger, with a stippled grip handle and a ring shaped hole at the bottom of it. She tilted her head, gazing at the blade as the sharp edge glimmered from the sun that peeked through the morning mist. "Why is it shaped like that?"
"Have you ever seen birds of prey snatch up a meal before?"
"I recall seeing an eagle swipe up a mouse once."
"Eagles… What an excellent example. You see, the curved shape is meant to resemble a bird's talons. The same talons that are sharp enough to quickly dig into prey and swoop away. Kind of like me in a sense."
"But I've heard your allies call you Viper?"
He cringed slightly at the use of his callsign. "I-I guess fangs would be a little more fitting, but it was a metaphor, the best I could come up with at the moment. I never said it had to make any sense."
She shook her head with a slight laugh, returning her focus to the knife in his hand. "Wouldn't it be sound to have that blade attached to the end of this weapon as well?"
"It's meant for slashing, not stabbing, hence the curved design. Bayonets exist if you actually want to go down that route, but they're mostly impractical. If I'm letting the enemy get that close to me in any other situation that isn't CQB room clearing or… wetworks, something was clearly done wrong. Now come on focus up!"
She returned her focus to the target down the range before squeezing the trigger, the bullet flying out and past the target's head, kicking up dirt behind it. Viper turned back to the shooter, her eyes wide in surprise as she rubbed her shoulder with her offhand, pointing the barrel of the gun towards the ground.
"Maybe I shoulda' started you off with a pistol… Ah whatever. Don't aim for the head, I don't ever unless I know I'm guaranteed a kill. Aim center mass, you've got a larger target area to work with and are more likely to hit something just as vital."
"And if I don't hit anything vital?"
"Depends on where exactly you hit, whether or not their armor is rated high enough, or the penetrating power of your rounds. If they survive the initial shot, then the blood loss will get to them later. An added bonus is if they're screaming for their teammates to help retrieve them… but they're usually smart enough not to expose their heads the moment a marksman drops one of their guys out in the open."
"Usually?"
"Usually… now try again. Aim center mass, preferably near where the heart would be located."
She attempted another shot, this time, very clearly bracing herself too much for the recoil. The bullet marked near the edge of the target, over the shoulder, and ricocheted into the dirt mound behind it once more.
"You're preparing for the shot now and overcompensating for the recoil in advance. You don't need to do that, your stance and grip were just fine. Hold the weapon tight to your body. Obviously don't limp wrist it, but also don't white knuckle death grip the thing. Remember, you are in control of the gun, not the other way around."
She glanced at him over the stock before sighing. She shifted from a less tense posture and eased into a more relaxed form. As she lined the scope up with her eye, she exhaled before slowly squeezing the trigger. The bullet reached its intended destination, and the target down the range now had a newly formed mark smack dab in the center of its chest.
Viper found himself mildly satisfied and grinning as he offered a slow clap of congratulations to her. "Great! Now you've successfully scored a hit on a stationary steel target, but there's still more lessons to learn in shooting. Shooting on the move, wind and elevation heights at certain distances, penetration and ricochet, dominant and non-dominant hand shooting, and a whole heaping plethora of other variables to account for."
She frowned at the amount of information he was throwing her way, slightly intimidated by how much there really was to a 'gun' rather than just pointing and shooting. "That sounds like a lot…"
"Knowledge is power, you want more power? Never stop learning."
"You make it sound daunting for her… I think she's a natural." Another voice spoke up, this one with a familiar British accent. Viper turned around, finding Bristol stood nearby. "Soon she'll be winning medals in competition shooting and rolling with us on our next contract!"
Viper rolled his eyes at the obvious sarcasm, before approaching his teammate. "You know timed drills add pressure to the shooter right?" He asked rhetorically as he jabbed a thumb back to the confused blonde behind him. "I don't think she's quite ready for that yet, let alone rolling with us on an op."
"Eh, you're right. It's a shite range anyways. They don't even have the nine hole VTAC walls. So what are you doing out here anyways?"
"Couldn't sleep inside that stuffy building, so I cleaned my gun to hit some steel and get some fresh air. She came by and was intrigued, figured I'd help satiate her curiosity." He looked around at the empty range, aside from her. "Kind of disappointing that no one else is shooting at the moment. By now, my guys would've been up and running drills without me even having to wake their asses up."
"Well can ya' blame 'em? Less than half a year ago, Japan was a peacetime army. Marching cadences, menial labor, boring paperwork, and administrative politics. You understand what it's like."
"Yeah, unfortunately I do…" He gazed up at a flag pole off in the distance as it proudly waved a red circle with rays against a white backdrop. Japan's glorious red rising sun. "I just thought that this Japan would be a little more… proactive."
"You kiddin' me? Our Japan barely did anything when Ivan invaded our shores. These guys came in here with some decent armor, built a FOB, and fought off a fire breathing dragon for fucks sake! I mean, who the hell even does that?"
"I guess you've got a point…" He looked back at the mark on the steel target before turning to face him. "What are you doing out here?"
"Woke up early, wanted something to do or someone to bother before Graves gets us meetin' again." Bristol answered before sticking a cigarette in his mouth.
"And that someone just had to be me?"
He lit the stick before inhaling a small drag and puffing away. "Ronin said I'd find you out here."
He shook his head and looked at the ground. "Of course he did…"
"Speakin' of our mate, you two have got some history now, don't ya?"
Viper looked back up from the ground, giving the Brit a small warning look. "You don't hear me digging into your past now do you, Bristol?"
"Oh come on, the lass is over there messing with your gun anyway, which by the way, I think is a bad idea." He paused as she pulled the trigger again and a distant ping sounded off. "We've 'known' each other for years, and it's only gonna be me and you that hears it."
"That's besides the point, Bristol. We're contractors, we don't need to know about each other's prior life experiences."
"Just humor me right now, mate… at least just to kill the time."
He stared at him incredulously, glancing back between the woman handling his gun and the Brit before reluctantly conceding.
"... Fine…"
Bristol clapped his hands together in apparent joy. "Great! So let's get started… you and Ronin?"
"Ronin is former JSDF and SAT."
"Well, that much is obvious. How else is a Japanese man gonna build up a portfolio strong enough to get into the private military sector?"
"He's also former Yakuza, and I'll just leave it at that."
He leaned forward, a look of surprise on his face. "No shit? Now you have my attention. From transnational organized crime syndicate to transnational private military contractor, what a promotion… How'd you two meet?"
"Like I said, I was an Advisor back in Okinawa. Met Ronin as one of my trainees, and immediately I could tell that he was different. There was a certain drive or determination to him, whatever you'd call it, that separated him from the rest of the boring bloused uniforms. He was willing to learn and improve, to the same level as some SOF guys I personally knew, surpassed some of them even. I guess I took a shine to him…"
"Uh-huh, you mentioned back at Italica that Graves offered you both a contract personally. How'd that happen?"
"One night we were tipping shots back at a Japanese BBQ joint, and out of the blue, Ronin got the bright idea of signing onto a PMC."
"Hmph, was that the saké talking?"
"I drink bourbon, the saké Ronin drinks is too smooth for me."
"Ah, I'm more of a gin guy myself, but I drink it smooth too. I doubt you'd like it."
"I'll take your word for it. Anyway, so then we got to talking. Some things were shared, ideas were thrown around, and next thing we knew, we were ditching our shitty uniforms and providing security aboard a shipping vessel about a month later…"
[REDACTED] VIPER [REDACTED]
400 NAUTICAL MILES OFFSHORE, SOMALIA
UNKNOWN DATE AND TIME
"This is fucking boring…" Viper turned away from the railing, looking at Ronin dressed in a blue T-shirt and jeans. A black baseball cap, sunglasses, and a shemagh helped to conceal his face from the suns' rays above. He leaned on the railing beside him, looking out into the vast sea. "What the hell are we even doing out here?"
Viper blew a bubble with the gum he was chewing. "I should be the one asking you that. Aren't you the one that suggested taking this job?"
"Yeah, after a bottle and a half of saké. I wasn't exactly in my right mind."
"We had a month to prepare for this, sober, and we still chose it."
"I thought it would be a lucrative hustle to make some decent dough."
"We're making plenty of income."
"It's not much more than what our countries paid us… and aren't you paying for that other thing too?"
He shrugged. "Maybe, but that other thing is more important than my needs. Besides, I get paid enough to keep living as well, so I'm satisfied. I wouldn't worry about it too much. You, on the other hand, act like we're going to be blowing it on flashy sports cars and mansions at every weekend outing."
"Then forget about the money, we're not seeing any action. This was meant to put our skills to use and do some actual work. Not sit back and laze around like glorified security guards." His voice had risen as he spoke. He leaned against the railing and turned towards him. "This isn't at all what I wanted." He finished quietly.
"Welcome to a career in maritime security contracting." Viper replied lazily before giving him a look. "This ain't about provin' yourself now, is it? Not too sure I want to find myself getting shot at just to help with that."
"What? No fuck that." Ronin responded in denial. "I don't need to prove myself to anybody, you know this."
He nodded his head slowly as he eyed several ship crew walk across the deck, checklist on their clipboard as they performed inspections. "I do."
"I'm just saying we've got to be more proactive, not reactive."
His point wasn't exactly moot, especially considering the fact that they were currently anchored off the coast of a region well known for its acts of piracy.
"Heh, good luck with that." He turned back towards the water, gesturing a hand dramatically against the horizon like an advertising showman. "Swiftwater Security Services, providing insurance and security against the turning tide!"
"Oh God, please don't repeat that stupid slogan…"
"What's wrong with it? I quite like it."
"They're gonna turn you into a walking advertisement by the time we're done with our contract."
"Think I'll get a bonus for it?"
"As if the company's got the budget for that."
The two laughed before falling into companionable silence. The sea was still and silent under them; the only sound came from the low drone of their engine and the crashing of waves against the hull. It might have been the gentle lulling of the water or the fact that they were conversing with each other so casually; either way, the setting was calming, and so they remained in silence until his radio buzzed to life.
"All stations - report status."
"Erikson, Viper here. Port side's clear - nothing but seagulls on the horizon."
"Vance?"
"Bow's clear."
"Dipaolo?"
"Same stern side, not much to see here right now, over."
"Copy that, be advised - we've got a couple of boats on the starboard side of the vessel here. Could just be some fishermen, but keep an eye out for anything in your sectors. I'll start dealin' with these folk. I'll call if I need you guys. Erikson, out."
Moments later, the sound of Erikson speaking Somali and Arabic could be heard, his voice amplified from the megaphone he had with him as he warned the boats on the other side of the vessel.
Ronin scoffed, leaning back on the railing as he looked up. "Pirates, and here I thought that was just movie shit."
"Hey, those movies hold some truth. Where do you think the jolly roger flag originated from?"
"I don't think a skull and crossbones is exclusive to just pirates."
"They certainly popularized it."
"Scurvy, wooden peg legs, and rusted cutlasses… Remind me again why pirates are popular?"
"Funnily enough, I've actually seen some pirates with all of the above you've mentioned."
"No shit?"
"Yep, bastard couldn't afford an actual prosthetic and he dropped the AK he had into the water by accident. Charged at me with this shitty blade that looked like it was straight from a movie set."
"Uh-huh… and the scurvy?"
"One glance at these guys and you can already tell. Seriously, they're robbing cargo ships to make a living. They're desperate."
"What exactly do they steal anyway? I'm not too well versed in modern day piracy, but I doubt they're actually grabbing anything in these cargo containers, if they can even open them in the first place."
"Well they usually just run the pockets of any poor crewmate, before turning the crew cabins inside out for any loose valuables, maybe shoot a couple holes into the walls for intimidation if they've got the ammo to spare, and then leave on their wooden boats to repeat the cycle another day."
"Doesn't sound too profitable."
"Like I said, they're desperate…"
Their conversation was interrupted once more as distant pops could be heard. Viper's radio springing to life once more.
"Woah! Alright, I knew these guys were bad news. All stations - Be advised - I'm taking small arms and AK fire from those same boats starboard side. Vance, get over here and back me up, help send these idiots back with empty pockets."
"Copy, movin' to you."
Ronin looked to the other side of the vessel. "They sound like they're getting some action."
"Relax, you'll get your pound of flesh soon enough." Viper said, patting him on the shoulder.
His partner shook his head before reaching for his radio. "Erikson, It's Ronin here. Do you need more hands over there?"
"Negative - I need you and Viper to watch portside for any flankers."
"Dipaolo's got his eyes on our stern, if they flank, he'll catch 'em."
"I appreciate the offer, but it's pretty light over here, we'll be fine."
"Just take the hint, Ronin."
"Ugh, fine…"
So how exactly does this lead to you and Ronin meetin' the big boss himself?
Would you be patient? I'm giving the details.
Details? Viper, I don't really need the context-
Well context is important for these sorts of things, alright? You said you wanted to pass the time? A story is a good way to do that. Now shut your trap, don't interrupt me, and enjoy your smoke.
Alright, mate!
Anyway, we waited for the shooting to die down, but the sounds didn't seem to relent. In fact, it seemed to be steadily increasing in volume. That's when things went from normal to absolutely fucked in just a few moments...
"Jeez, how long do engagements with pirates last?" Ronin asked.
"Not this long…" He said, concern lacing his voice as he hit the push to talk on his radio. "Erikson, are you sure you're good over there? We still hear shots popping off."
"Uh, yeah, bastards are just a little more resilient than we thought… guess they think we've got good loot onboard-"
"Erikson, it's Dipaolo," The third man interrupted. "I've got several more boats rapidly approaching from the stern, all looking pretty equipped. Not your average pirate boats. Not tryna' make any assumptions here, but I doubt they're fishers."
"Copy, keep an eye on them. If they show any hostile intent, you're cleared to start sending rounds down range."
"Understood, I'll be… wait a sec… holy shit - RPG!"
The sound of a distant pop sounded off, followed by what was likely the sound of the projectile sailing through the air. Moments later, a large explosion shook the entirety of the vessel. Heavy containers near the back groaned alongside the rest of the ship as gravity sent several of them and their cargo plummeting into the deck and water.
"What the fuck?!" Ronin shouted whilst attempting to stabilize himself from the impact.
"Jesus Christ!" Viper found himself looking towards the back of the ship. Several containers were hanging over the edge and there was a fair bit of smoke from the explosion. "Dipaolo, you alive back there?!"
His voice came back on comms seconds later, the man practically in a coughing fit. "Ah - fuck! Yeah I'm fine, but I lost a few of my guys and some of the crew went overboard."
"God damnit! Hold tight, me and Ronin are making our way to you." He turned back to his partner. "Alright, we're going to back him up. You wanted to see some action? Well now's your chance."
"Let's go stop these fuckin' pirates!"
Wait, hold on a minute, you said the piss poor Somali pirates fired a fuckin' missile at your cargo ship?
I said no interruptions! But yeah, I couldn't believe it either. The fact that these guys had an RPG in the first place too? Utter nonsense.
I thought these guys were just pirates though, why would they be blowing up the one thing that they were trying to rob? It's kind of hard to loot wallets when they've gotta deep dive for them.
I'll get to that, hold on…
The alarms sounded off as a second rocket careened into the ship. "Alert, all stations we're under attack! A fire has broken out on the second level of the bridge and is spreading fast! We need all hands on deck!"
"Another rocket? The fuck are pirates doing with rockets?!"
"Who cares, we need to stop those idiots from sinking the damn ship!"
The two arrived at the stern, finding it in absolute chaos. Bodies of fellow contractors and ship crew were strewn about the deck, some in better states than others, some in more pieces than others… Dipaolo could be seen taking magazines from the chest rig of a fellow contractor, the man unable to protest due to the shrapnel filling his still corpse.
"Dipaolo, what's the situation here?"
"Those RPGs came out of the blue, really scrambled us! At the moment, we don't have fire superiority!"
"Well where the hell is Coleman? Idiot's always talkin' about using that SAW gun of his! I can't help but think that now is the best time for it!"
Dipaolo shook his head at him before turning to the rest of the crew as they did their best to fire back. "Yo, has anyone here seen Coleman?!"
"He was on the second level of the bridge where the rocket hit!" Another contractor yelled out. "He hasn't responded on comms since!"
The three turned to look up at the bridge. The second level had a newly formed doorway on the side, slowly being melted open by scorching flames as smoke poured out into the air.
"Damn it… you heard him! Head up and check on Coleman, me and my boys will cover you two!"
"Affirm, c'mon Ronin, let's see if he's still breathing."
We made our way up the stairs of the bridge, to the second level. Pirates were shooting at us the whole way but they were lousy shots.
How so?
Two swaying boats, several yards out, moving targets… add the fact that they're untrained and you've got bullets missing their marks constantly.
Mhm, but they didn't miss with the rockets?
Guess we got unlucky… but not as unlucky as Dipaolo's people.
The two arrived at the second level of the bridge, finding the crew cabins in complete disarray. Blaring alarms and shouting crewmates filled the interior while burning flames and smoke obscured their vision. The spraying hiss of fire extinguishers told him that they were at least making an effort to quell the flames and prevent their spread. In any other situation, he would jump in to help, but his main concern wasn't on the fires at the moment, but rather on the pirates that caused the mess and were still endangering the ship's safety.
Ronin coughed, doing his best to fan the smoke away and prevent himself from inhaling any of it. "Has anybody here seen Coleman?!"
"Last I saw, he was at the end of the hall where the blast went off!" A crewmate with his face smudged in soot yelled, dragging the body of another to safety. "He never came out!"
Ronin nodded to him, before charging through the smoke.
"Alright, open up some windows and keep your heads down, people! If you can't salvage this level, just get outta' dodge!"
"What about the captain?!"
'We're under attack and you're worried about the damn captain? Who cares? He'll go down with the ship anyway.'
"He'll have sent out an S.O.S by now! Just worry about yourselves!" Viper replied, before using the flashlight on his rifle to illuminate the smoke filled corridor and lead the way. "Coleman! Are you in here?! Answer us man, we need you right about now!"
"Ah jeez," Ronin's voice broke through the smoke. "Viper, I found Coleman!"
I'm assumin' he wasn't in a good way?
Heh, far from it… you've seen what burnt bodies look like before, haven't you?
Oof…
He tried desperately to ignore the acrid taste of burned wood and flesh in the back of his throat. His lungs felt as though they were going to burst when he reached the door of the blast site. It had been blown open, leaving it standing wide open. The interior was filled with ash and debris, and the only thing keeping it from completely caving in was what remained of Coleman's body half hidden behind some twisted metal pieces of what was once probably a desk and a support beam. A charred hand lay limp beside his head. His eyes were wide, glassy with pain and death, and his mouth still stretched into an awful grimace.
"Viper, Ronin!" The shouting of his callsign was enough to regain his attention. "Give me a sitrep!"
"It's Ronin here, Coleman's gone but his weapon is still functional!" He reported over comms as they could still hear the sound of gunfire in the background.
"Alright then, pick it up and start raining lead on these assholes!"
Ronin pried the machine gun from Coleman's hands, a sickening crack sounding out from his ruined body. Viper grabbed the box magazines nearby, thankful that his gloves protected him from the extreme heat, and that the bullets didn't start cooking off in his hands.
The two made their way back up to the next landing above the stairs, before Ronin deployed the bipod down and racked the charging handle back. They could see the boats out in the distance and many of the pirates on board firing their weapons wildly as if they had just picked up a gun for the first time in their lives. An unfortunate fact that probably rang more true than he'd like to believe. Now wasn't the time to question the unfortunate circumstances that put them into this cruel situation though. Now was the time to save his job... by being cruel.
"Light 'em up, Ronin!"
The trigger was held down, and a torrent of 5.56 splashed the water in a trail leading up to the pirates before immediately shredding through the boats and the attackers onboard. After nearly thirty seconds of sustained fire, Dipaolo finally waved them down.
"Cease fire, cease fire!"
By the time the weapon finished firing, the barrel of the machine gun was a bright orange from the heat, and the belt that fed bullets into the weapon was nearly empty.
"Are we clear?" Another contractor yelled from down below.
"Dipaolo, It's Erikson here. Me and Vance have cleared our side of the ship, how's it lookin' over there?"
"We just finished dealing with the worst of it. Situation is normal... well, as close to normal as it can be after such a fiasco. Just gotta commence cleanup."
"Yo Viper!" One of the contractors called out. "Their boats are filled with holes and I'm pretty sure half of them are the same. They've got their hands up in surrender, full compliance. What's the call, dude?"
He stared at the pirates frantically waving their empty hands up, having already tossed their AKs and loot crates into the water in a futile attempt to dispose of evidence. Their compliance would be ultimately worthless though, as he decided that they weren't getting any lifebuoys thrown over or teams sent in to apprehend them. These fools just ruined everyone's day, and he wasn't about to let that slide.
"Let 'em sink!"
"Seriously man?" One of the other contractors asked in a somewhat uncertain tone as he glanced at the water. "Ain't that like… illegal?"
"You've got the wrong mindset to be in this line of work then. We don't got space for those idiots in the brig and we're not gettin' paid to play humanitarian. Just let the sharks have at 'em." He turned back to Ronin, machine gun still mounted on its bipod over the railing as he reloaded. "You know what? While we're at it, let's just send a couple more rounds their way! Ronin, get some target practice in why don't ya?"
He slammed the cover back down over the gun before racking the charging handle back once more. "Gladly..."
"So you capped 'em?"
"Obviously, we weren't gonna let those assholes rob any other vessels. Not after what they did to Coleman and the crew…"
Bristol shrugged. "Understandable. So when does Graves come in?"
"About a week later, the boss calls me and Ronin into the company offices. We think we're getting another contract and a dossier for our next shipping route to protect, when in reality, Graves convinced him to set up a meeting with us."
"And what was he like?"
"Like any other businessman. Cold, ruthless, calm, collected, and intimidating; He had the whole business card and everything, with Shadows that forcefully patted us down before seating us in a dark room for a little discussion. But that's not exactly new information, as I'm sure you already know."
He nodded. "Not an unusual way for the boss to operate."
"Graves read the reports but he wanted to hear the first hand recounting from us. He seemed pretty unassuming at the time, so I figured we'd be honest, see if anything would come of the situation. Long story short, those pirates we dealt with were actually fanatical extremists that wanted foreign ships away from their shores. He said his contract orders were to kill or capture, and that we took care of a really nasty problem."
"Knowing his preferences, they'd have been dead within the week anyway."
"Don't I know it… he liked what he heard and offered me and Ronin a contract on the spot. I had no idea that signing on with him would have me end up here, but the pay is good. Much better than the chump change that Swiftwater was handing us. I guess that's why people like working for him so much. Hell, I heard that Erikson and his boys even signed on as well. Been a while since I've caught up with them though…"
The crunching of gravel brought their attention back to their lone female knight. She looked slightly nervous, holding the weapon down as she pointedly avoided eye contact.
"Alright, what's wrong?"
She stretched the rifle in her hands toward him. "It appears your 'gun' isn't firing anymore…"
A single brow quirked up on his face as he glanced down at his weapon. He gently took it back before pulling the charging handle. A low chuckle escaped his lips as he inspected the chamber and pulled out the mag, showing the empty part to her.
"Gun's empty Miss, doesn't shoot without any bullets."
Her unusually tense form now sagged in relief, thankful that she didn't just ruin someone else's personal weapon by accident.
"All stations, this is Shadow-1, break times over boys, let's get up and at 'em. Get your asses in front of the gate because we're getting ready to move."
"Hear that? Break time is over. Looks like it's time to move." He said with a professional tone as he turned back to her.
"You sure you don't want the lass to put some more rounds down range?" Bristol asked before looking down at the gun. "Unless you're not into chicks with guns."
The man paused for a moment, seemingly unsure of how much he should really divulge. He had been trained well enough to know when to keep his mouth shut but he also did just spill a lot of history to the Brit moments prior. Clam up or speak, Bristol would be getting his answer one way or another.
'Nosy prick…'
"Keep it professional Bristol, I just met the girl and I hardly know her." He argued. "I didn't come to this side of the gate to go skirt chasing at the first pretty lady I see, and there's been quite a few here."
Said pretty lady started sputtering in embarrassment nearby.
"Ah, so you admit that she's caught your eye?" Bristol asked in a slightly teasing tone.
He glared at him, "You're one to talk. I've seen the way you look at that Hamilton girl, you weirdo." He shot back.
"Yeah? She's cute eye candy mate, I'm not lookin' for anything deep."
'That, we can agree on…' He thought to himself. "Look, no messing with the locals. Graves made this explicitly clear in the briefings."
"But that's not gonna stop you, is it? I mean, you've already let her touch your gun."
"First of all, don't say it like that. Second of all, we break rules, Bristol. Just not company ones…"
"It's called living a little, you should try it."
He shook his head, running a hand down his face as he sighed. "I'm not in the mood for this Bristol, just take her to the meeting spot, okay?"
Thankfully, he noticed the change in tone and backed off. "Okay, okay, relax. I'm just busting your balls, mate. And what about you?" Bristol asked as he looked toward the dome.
"Someone's gotta be courteous and clean up the brass around here and you know how much of a stickler Graves is about punctuality. I'll only be a minute. Go on, don't be late on my account."
"Right, right. C'mon lass, let's get going."
The blonde looked between the two men with her lips in a thin line and her cheeks slightly red, no doubt feeling a little awkward about the conversation involving her. She gave him a brief nod as she and Bristol turned around, making their way down the path to meet the others.
Viper turned his attention back to the range, quickly making his way to the spot where she fired from. He picked up the empty casings, stuffing them in his dump pouch. He would replace the bullets in his mags with the ones the Japanese had, but he had a feeling that their armorers would be more than a little annoyed if he just up and grabbed ammo from their stock, same caliber or not. Speaking of the Japanese, he appeared to be getting a couple of looks from the ones he passed. He was no stranger to getting dirty looks from other service members and never really had any issue with it, having experienced them so much throughout his questionable career in other foreign countries. It was such a norm that he was practically immune to them by now.
'They're not on the same level as me, their looks don't matter...' He'd say to himself every time.
His thoughts, though biased, still certainly rang true. He wasn't some two-bit gangster, a beat city cop, or even a member of some third-world militia. He was a professional contractor who had somehow managed to get himself mixed up in a larger-than-life discovery. One that not only affected his world, but another's as well. One which he was about to set foot in. There was no doubt in his mind that the presence of Shadow Company on an alternate earth was bound to weave all sorts of political strings. Strings that he would get tangled in with potentially long lasting global repercussions... and he didn't like the idea of it one bit. The thought of that possibility alone was enough to make him shiver.
He already had too many problems on his own plate to be dealing with more... but problem solving was a prerequisite skill for a career in this profession.
"Just another day at the office..."
Author's Notes
Back again!
Sorry for the wait, I was working on and off for this. My sleep schedule has been absolutely screwed as of late, and it's what's been messing with my effectiveness in getting things done.
Aside from that, let's talk about the story. As I'm sure you've noticed, this is a side story rather than a full length chapter. This was originally going to be fitted into the next chapter, until I realized that it didn't really contribute much to the actual story except for just padding the read time with more words. Stepping back and taking a look at it, I realized that this would be much better fit as a short side story, giving some prior background experience to our private contractors which we know very little about. (This won't be a shipping focused story by the way, if you were concerned about the little ribbing at the end.)
MW2 and its effects on future chapters (some spoilers):
There were future chapters planned where Shadow Company would have an AC-130. Now that the campaign is out and that actually happened… I'm not so sure. I don't want it to seem like I'm just copying similar story beats from the campaign (and there were many) just because I think that they're cool, you get what I mean?
I guess it could still happen, considering that Shadow Company had TV gunners, navigation, fire officers, and pilots under Graves' pay and in Shadow Company uniforms with the signature patches. They wouldn't be in that bird unless they were specifically trained and experienced enough to know how to operate it in the first place. This means it's entirely plausible for Shadow Company to be in possession of heavy air support. That, combined with the fact that Graves even knows how to operate a tank, makes me more confident in having Shadow Company's arsenal being as heavy as it was in the earlier chapters.
What a great campaign by the way. Diverse gameplay scenarios, encaptivating story, rich cast of characters. Alejandro and Graves are both tied as my new favorite characters in the story, both being excellent well written introductions into the universe of Modern Warfare. Hell, even after the betrayal and the comically evil war crime spree, I found myself liking Graves even more. It just reaffirms that the company is a superpower for hire and no one will stand in their way, by any means necessary.
My only gripes were with the stealth being tedious at some points and the extremely obvious betrayal that could be seen from a mile out, and even then, that wasn't enough to ruin my enjoyment. My playthrough on realism difficulty was another matter entirely though…
Spec ops needs more and multiplayer is okay too I guess, aside from the myriad of launch problems and bugs like the horrible interface and constant crashing and kicking. Attempting four man cross platform parties on an Xbox Series X was absolute hell. Hopefully with the release of season 1, it'll be improved by then.
Until then, I'll be working full force on the next chapter. Hopefully it'll come out before nearly an entire month passes (sorry about that by the way), but I also don't want to half ass it and actually move the story along. Sometimes it feels like I'm moving the story along too quick as well though...
Lastly, I have a new DeviantArt account under the same profile name where I make mediocre art, come check it out!
www . deviantart . com (slash) krueger-x