The 99th Platoon – The FlatFeet Saga
Act One: Total War


(A/N Ah…it's been a nice lazy day today and since I've got about eight weeks till I have to start stressing out over exams I'm using some of my free time now to knock back a few chapters off of this Saga. Just a little note to the Platoon members involved: I've rehashed some of the events and rearranged the order they're in to make them move in a more linear fashion. If you really have any discrepancies over any of the events described, feel free to notify me of my error… Well the story's starting to warm up at this stage, as it usually does at about chapter 3, so without further delay, read it (and if you appreciate it) review it too…)

Chapter 3: Ill-fated consequence

Dark placed his radio back on his hip. He could do nothing to help Cartman. That was someone else's task. He had to get down into the basement. Now that security had been alerted, it would be a bit more difficult. He slid his combat knife from his boot and crept up behind a passing sentry. The panther placed his left hand over the victim's mouth, and slid the blade across its neck in a half-circle, opening up the glands and arteries. Green blood spilt out onto the floor, as Dark heard footsteps approaching.

Dark's lower lip curled. Quickly, he stashed the body in a shadowy corner and tore the swastika off of its arm. He took off his trench coat, folding it neatly and held it over his arms as he tied the swastika around his bicep, disguising himself as a member the Tediz/Panther Coalition. He arose from the shadows, saluting another sentry as it passed. He sighed with relief as the Tediz turned the corner.
"Now this could be interesting…"

He walked towards the elevator leading into the lower laboratory compound. Tediz grunts quickly got out of his way. They had heard that these Panthers were weird ones…
Dark called the elevator and walked in as the doors slid open. Four Tediz in lab coats were inside. As soon as they saw Dark one of them spoke up in protest. Dark, unlike the real Panthers in the coalition had no knowledge of Tediz. He sighed.
"I really wasn't planning on this."
The lift doors closed as Dark drew his sword…

FlatFeet and Squeaky had headed straight for the base when the alarm was sounded, while Blaze dashed to the back of the base to find an alternate path to the lab compound or Cartman…whichever came first.
He spied a metal pipeline leading towards the base that was slowly trickling water into the ocean. Blaze switched on the Infrared on his binoculars. The pipe was relatively hot…it must've had something to do with the heating/cooling system. He moved closer. He gingerly touched the edge of the pipe. The temperature was bearable…for now at least. Taking a deep breath he began his long crawl through the pipe…

Eric Cartman was shackled to a wall and in bad shape. The manacles around his wrists were far too tight. Cartman's grey fur was died crimson around his wrists where they had cut into his skin. His lower lip had burst and he had a black eye. He could tell that he was most probably bleeding internally. It pained him to breathe and a soft wheeze could be heard every time he breathed out.
His cell door swung open as a Tediz walked in. It grabbed a stool and sat confidently across from Cartman, staring at him intently.
"I would like to complain about the room service here…" Cartman rasped.
"Always funny aren't you? You bloody stupid 'nintey-niner'…who thinks of these bloody names anyway?"
Cartman raised an eyebrow.
"You speak English?"
"One of the few… Now that that's out of the way, let me ask you a question…"
"Shoot."
"Don't tempt me. How many are there?"
"Can't your security systems tell you that?"
The Tediz looked sour.
"That bird and red Squirrel got there first… But that was taken care of…" it smirked. Cartman's brow furrowed.
"You're bluffing."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night I suppose…"
Cartman refused to believe it. Ricy and RedStorm were good soldiers… The Tediz was just playing with his head… This was the easy stage. He'd keep on refusing to give answers and they'd use increasingly 'persuasive' methods…until he would finally crack, spill the beans and then be executed on the spot…
"Guys…" he thought, "If you can hear me…I'm going to need your help."

CoolGuy and Stealth pulled the lift doors open as fast as they could and quickly slid down the cables to land on the lift itself. They hopped into the elevator. CoolGuy covered his nose.
"Damn…that reeks."
"We're on the right track," Stealth mumbled. CoolGuy looked at him with a look that said it all… They opened the doors. Sure enough Dark was at the end of the corridor, sword in hand, staring at the lab door ahead. He turned to face the other two.
"A retinal scanner protects it. None of the guys in the lift had clearance…."
CoolGuy made a face at the sight of numerous eyeballs on the floor. Dark broadcasted the message over the radio.
*Damn it!* yelled Oreos *Another hiccup… Who's good with that technical stuff?*
The sound of heavy breathing came over the radio.
*This…Blaze…using heat system…hot…trying to reach the lab…be there A.S.A.P. Out.*

Ricy ran through the foliage surrounding the base. He was running for his life. They had stormed the room immediately…he barely had time to disable the security system…And RedStorm…
"Hurry up!"
"I'm going as fast as I can!"
Ricy's three fingered hands weren't adapted for the standard type of keyboard. A giant X appeared on the screen as Ricy was once again denied access to the emergency override…
RedStorm's staff sung a soft baritone tune as he whirled it through the air, mercilessly slashing away at the Tediz that had stormed the control room. He was holding them back as best as he could…but he was outnumbered…and outgunned.
A bullet bit his thigh. He screamed in pain thrusting his staff through the next two Tediz. Weakly he got to his feet.
Ricy continued working at the terminal, casting fleeting glances at RedStorm. RedStorm was no longer moving. He merely stood in one place, barring the doorway…
"RICY!?"
"Almost done!"
Sweat dripped onto the keyboard as yet another red X flashed across the screen…
*!BLAM!*
"RED!"
RedStorm spun round from the force of the bullet. He hit the floor.
Ricy screamed drawing his MP5. He fired into the console. The Tediz trampled over RedStorm quickly surrounding Ricy.
"Please Red…tell me you wore a Kevlar…" Ricy thought before he leapt into the air and flew out of the security room with bullets nipping at his heels…

Squeaky tossed FlatFeet his radio.
"Quick! Try and translate that! I caught their frequency!"
"Uhh…it's been a while…"
Panicked Tediz voices were heard over the radio along with the sound of many, many bullets…
"All available units…" FlatFeet began, "Back up… HOLY! HE JUST STOLE A TANK!!" A more authoritative Tediz voice replied. "How many soldiers are attacking?" FlatFeet stopped.
"Well? What was the answer?"
FlatFeet frowned.
"One."

"HOW COME NO ONE WANTS TO PLAY WITH ME!?!?! COME ON YA LITTLE BASTARDS!!! EAT LEAD DEATH!!!"
Pyst had commandeered a tank he had found in the hangar and was using it against the numerous Tediz forces.
The Tediz broadcasting over the radio to his C.O. ducked as bullets tore the space above his head to bits.
"We need backup! Sir! This guy's a ****ing psycho! He's killing everyone and then shooting the corpses for fun! HOLY-"
Pyst ran over the distracted Tediz with the tank, laughing manically all the time.

Dark, CoolGuy and Stealth were taking care of the grunts sent to check out why the elevator wasn't working.
Stealth passed his blade under his shoulder, ramming it through one Tediz, before bringing it up front and slashing another in front of him.
"Well," he stated, "At least Pyst is doing O.K. for himself."
CoolGuy rabbit-punched an opponent. He looked at Dark.
Dark flicked his combat knife into an opponent's skull.
"Goddamn psycho… Next time let's leave him back at base."

Chael came to a fork in the base's winding hallways.
"Which way to the hangar?"
Explosions were heard from the left tunnel.
"Pyst! I knew that ass would blow our entrance…" He quickly switched to his explosives. "Let's blow **** up…"

"Talk about following the yellow bricked road…"
Well, not exactly bricked but the long labyrinth-like hallways were painted with yellow Tediz ooze. Mon stopped when he had first seen the dead bodies. They were horribly maimed and brutally killed. No one was left alive. Whoever the killer was, was a very thorough and very quick cold-blooded murderer.
"Dark...." he sighed. The best way to find one of his comrades was to follow the seemingly never-ending trail of bodies…
DEATH! HATRED! BLOOD! WAR! DESPAIR! SUFFERING! AGONY!
But enough about Mon's 'private itch' and his sudden thought of hatred for that one cashier at the pharmacy who had ripped him off…

"How're you holding up Oreos?" Deja asked. She carefully made her way round the outside perimeter, keeping an eye on things from the outside of the base…making sure no one got on…or out…
*I don't know Deja* came Oreos' reply. He had squeezed his way into the ventilation system, following Blaze's direction. After a pause to check team status he had entered.
*It's bad. Eric's a P.O.W. and our stealthy entrance is gone… The team's scattered…*
"It'll hold Oreos. It always does." Out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of white making its way through the jungle. She began to trek after Ricy.
*I hope you're right Deja…I hope you're right*