Striker/Spriggan: Unknown Object

By: Ominae

Rating: T

NOTE:

All characters of Striker/Spriggan are under the copyright of Hiroshi Takashige, Ryoji Minagawa and FROM Software. All other characters are under my jurisdiction

Summary:

A trip down to memory lane. In another part of Asia, other members of the Strikers Elite are conducting covert operations to secure the release of ARCAM archaeologist Eva McMahon and her team from custody of Delta Force, which raided their research camp a day ago. Back in the West, Larry Markson continues to plot against ARCAM's Strikers. Can Yu and the others secure the captive's release? What is Trident exactly planning on the prototype armors? Stay tune to this chapter to find out.

Note to rx79guntank - Let me know when the latest chapter's about to be posted. Love to give some suggestions to make it a bit better. And yeah, I'll have to see where I can put ARCAM's Hong Kong HQ in the next chapter.

Chapter 3: Job Done

Rear of Northern Entrance, Excavated Temple, Nueva Vizcaya, Cagayan Valley, Philippines

Now in the rear entrance of the excavated temple, the Sy brothers began to make their way towards the northern entrance, which was currently being covered by a single technical. The two crouched nearby, watching the technical keep guard.

"Bro." whispered Michaal, pointing to him the 2000 Toyota Hi-Lux pick-up modified with a US Ordnance M60E4 GPMG mounted at the rear of the vehicle."Pick-up's still there. They didn't know about us yet."

"Good." Mark whipped out his Fabrique Nationale Five-Seven pistol from his Safariland Model 6004 SLS Tactical Holster, attached to the belt of his Marom Dolphin IDF Recon Vest. "We can take them down from the rear."

"But how?" hissed Michael. "Do you have a silencer back there?"

Mark whipped out a custom-made silencer from one of front pouches of his vest, while keeping his back on the wall near the rear of the pick-up. "Yeah. ARCAM R&D made this silencer for my Five-Seven. Doesn't need a threaded barrel for that."

"Nice thing that you remembered." quipped Michael, slowly drawing out his Sheffield Israeli Commando knife. Mark installed the silencer on the muzzle of his FN Five-Seven.

"Okay." Mark whispered; Michael raised his knife and held it on the blade's sharp tip before tossing it on the neck of the technical's machine gunner. His brother silently ran towards the technical before the Sheffield's blade made contact with the Delta Force operator's neck, killing him instantly.

"Ack!" yelled the man, who landed on the pick-up's empty rear compartment with a semi-loud thud sound, alarming the vehicle's driver.

"Huh?" The vehicle's driver was about to get out when Mark suddenly appeared near him. "What the?" yelled the driver, about to grab his Beretta M9 from his holster.

Mark teleported to the driver's side of the truck, thanks to his ninja training from Sho of the Commandos team years ago. He quickly aimed the silenced barrel of the FN Five-Seven at the lone Delta Force driver.

"Oh crud!" He was about to raise his sidearm when two silenced gunshots penetrated his left shoulder and chest, seriously wounding the Delta Force operator.

"Right, that's clear." Mark waved to Yu and the others hiding in the forest, telling them that it's okay to come out of the bushes since the coast is clear.

Yu was the first to arrive. "Finally! I thought I'd wait back there. I was about to get the itch." Tea frowned at him. "Come on, Tea. Didn't you see me back there?"

"What's important," emphasized Edward. "is that we're able to neutralize Delta Force presence from the north."

"Yea, he's right." supported Ronald. "We better head inside the temple before more reinforcements show up."

Mark nodded. "I see." With swift movement, he raised his FN Five-Seven and applied a silenced shot on the wounded Delta Force operator, penetrating his head. The soldier didn't have enough time to react and see what hit him.

"Oh shit!" Yu saw the former wounded soldier slump on the steering wheel, eyeing blood that dripped from the steering wheel to the dead man's boots.

"Was about to reach his radio." Mark removed the silencer on his FN Five-Seven. Tea pointed to them the radio that he was about to use, dropped from the soldier's right hand on the technical truck's passenger seat.

Yu, seeing what Mark and Tea meant, whistled. "He didn't know what was coming for him."

The Filipino Striker grinned, "Being a psychic pays off."

"Instead of standing around here," said Ronald, wanting to get everyone's attention. "we better infiltrate the courtyard."


Courtyard, Excavated Temple, Nueva Vizcaya, Cagayan Valley, Philippines

Yu, Tea, Ronald, Edward and Michael had huddled themselves near the the former temple's courtyard, busy eyeing the opposition holding ARCAM personnel hostage.

"This is the most despicable ever." hissed Yu, eyeing the bodies of the dead ARCAM Special Private Army (ASPA) agents. To the Japanese Striker, it gave him horrible nightmares of his comrades killed by British SAS operators back in the forests of Britain. "It's like the Berserker operation all over again."

"You said it." agreed Michael. He and Mark were dispatched with Yu back in Britain to eliminate SAS threats to the Berserker. "I'd do anything to avoid a scenario like this again."

"Say..." Edward turned his head left and right. "Where's Mark? Haven't seen him since Delta Force presence by the northern entrance has been taken care of?"

"Sorry peeps." came a whisper from the rear. All the Strikers turned around to see Mark with some M67 fragmentation grenades clipped on his vest. In fact, two of them were on his hands.

"Where'd you get those grenades?" Ronald raised a questioning eyebrow at his comrade.

Mark did a hitchhiker's thumb pointing to his back. "From them." He was referring to the dead corpses of the Delta Force soldiers after he and his brother had killed them without raising the alarm.

"You'll get us in trouble." gritted Ronald. "You know they make loud noises."

"True." Mark tossed a M67 fragmentation grenade to Michael. "We need a diversion to get Eva and the other scientists free from the DFs."

Not that again. Michael sighed when he heard his twin refer to Delta Force as damn faggots. Better grab it. He then caught the tossed grenades on the gloves of his ARCAM Armored Muscle Suit.

"So what's the plan?" asked Tea, wondering if her male Striker companions have an idea to free their ARCAM companions from Delta Force squads.

Mark grinned under his balaclava. "Simple." He pulled the safety pin of the M67. "We just make some noise."

With that, he tossed his M67 to the 2000 Toyota Hi-Lux that they left alone back at the northern entrance, thanks to the activated artificial muscles on his Armored Muscle Suit. Michael did the same and instead, tossed it into a nearby 2000 Ford Ranger with its rear facing them. It traveled so fast that no Delta Force soldier noticed it until it smashed itself inside the vehicle.

Seconds later, two deafning explosions shook the grounds around the excavated temples.

Moments later, it will erupt into sounds of automatic rifles and machine guns being fired.


Outskirts of Southern Entrance, Excavated Temple, Nueva Vizcaya, Cagayan Valley, Philippines

"Shit!"

One of the Delta Force soldiers stationed at the temple's southern entrance, shouted after hearing two blasts coming from the northern side of the temple, perpertrated by the Sy brothers.

"We're under attack!" The 2000 Mitsubishi L200 and Ford Ranger technical trucks roared out from the southern entrance, already exposing them as potential targets from the unseen Strikers.

"Go!" yelled John from the trees up above Robert and Wesley. He fired a shot from his silenced Technical Equipment International (TEI) M89SR sniper rifle, sending a 7.62 NATO bullet deep inside the skull of the Ford Ranger's driver. Similarly, Harald had used the bushes on the left side of the temple's southern entrance to snipe at the Mitsubishi L200's driver with his Springfield M21, sending another 7.62 NATO bullet into the windshield of the other vehicle, killing its driver.

With them out of the way, Robert stood up from lying prone and fired his SIG MG 710-3 GPMG at the disabled pick-ups, killing its two machine gunners and riddling bullets on the trucks before both exploded after the GPMG's 7.62 NATO bullets lodged into the truck's fuel caps, creating two explosions. Wesley knelt next to him, flipped the foregrip of his ADI F88 rifle and used its 1.5x optical sight to help him accurately take aim at some Delta Force soldiers on the ground, killing some of them.

"Fire!" Ronald laid suppressive fire with his Daewoo K3, prone on the grass. 5.56 NATO bullets were launched from the South Korean LMG's barrel to the bodies of the Delta Force soldiers caught by suprise of the initial assault. Working with him was Miguel, who fired his Ruger AC-556 rifle at any Delta Force soldier who tried to fire back at Ronald.


ARCAM Excavation Camp, Excavated Temple, Nueva Vizcaya, Cagayan Valley, Philippines

"We're under attack!"

All the Delta Force troopers in the ARCAM camp began to ready their rifles and their pick-up trucks after hearing a certain amount of deafening explosions.

"Take your positions!" yelled one of the Delta Force soldiers. At his words, almost all of them began to take aim with their Colt M4A1 rifles at all directions, mostly at the temple's southern entrance.

Eva and the other ARCAM research scientist could only watch in horror as the American soldiers waited for their adversaries to come to them.

Suddenly, a rifle shot rang out in the air and a bullet struck one of the surprised Delta Force soldiers in the head.

The shot apparently came from the temple's northern entrance.


"All right, let's get them!"

Yu took the opportunity to launch a surprise attack after firing a single shot from his HK G3A3 rifle. Ronald was with him when the two fired their rifle at the Delta Force operators from the rear, effectively trapping them between two forces. Harald and the others were outside the southern entrance as they began to converge towards the camp while firing their weapons.

"Let's go! Let's go!" Michael rallied the other operators as he took aim with his Bushmaster M17S rifle at a Delta Force soldier standing near the previously killed Delta Force soldier, 5.56 NATO bullets striking his chest before he fell on the ground. Edward helped him by firing his FN FNC rifle at the opposition, being careful to avoid hitting the hostages.

Mark and Tea, working together, made their way towards the held ARCAM archaeologists while most of Delta Force were busy attending to the two waves of ARCAM Strikers. A shot boomed in the air as a bullet nearly struck one of team.

"Sis." muttered the masked Striker. "I'll have to take the sniper out." It's at one of those tree near the ARCAM prisoners.

Okay. Tea nodded, using telepathy to communicate with one another since speaking may allow the sniper to escape or to let reinforcements arrive.

She watched Mark teleport to the nearby tree that had the Delta Force sniper. The British Striker noted that the sniper was tossed off the branch after Mark had thrown him off, with his Remington M24 sniper rifle on the ground broken into pieces.

Probably done after the sniper tried to strike him with the rifle's shoulder butt.

KACHAK!

Tea turned around slowly to see some Delta Force operators pointing the barrels of their Colt M4A1 carbines at her.

"Okay guys, we've got ourselves a defenseless Striker from those ARCAM chumps." The leader raised the rifle to aim at her forehead. "So missy, we've got you surrounded."

"And so?" She raised an eyebrow, clearly irritating the leader.

"If you don't want to die, then I'd suggest that you'd surrender to you immediately."

Tea smirked at him, grabbing her pentragram cloth from her coat pocket before tossing it to him.

"Maybe you boys should run."

The nervous Delta Force operators watched as the cloth turned into a group of winged lions about to lunge at them. Panicking at the strange sight, the American soldiers began to unload their automatic rifles at the strange apparations to no avail.


"Okay, come on! Let's move it!"

Harald led the advance towards the ARCAM hostages, having to stop the advance so as to engage another Ford Ranger pick-up after sniping the machine gunner before Ronald gunned down the vehicle's driver, crashing into a nearby tree. Another Toyota Hi-Lux roared out to engage the advancing Strikers, but Miguel tossed an M67 towards the truck thanks to his suit's aritificial muscles to see it crash into the driver's area. The technical's driver had no time to halt and get the grenade as it exploded, killing him and the machine gunner.

"There!" John sniped a Delta Force operator who tried to gun down Harald after seeing him engage the Ford pick-up, killing him with a headshot from his TEI M89SR.

"The hostages!" Miguel picked out his targets carefully after visualizing them with his eyes, switching his Ruger AC-556's rate of fire to single shot in order to minimize civilian casualties. The others did the same after encountering the ARCAM archaeologists being held in the temple's courtyard, converted into an ARCAM research camp.


"Urgh!"

A Delta Force was gunned down by Yu and Ronald's 7.62 NATO bullets after the two made their respective rifles fire single shots. The Sy brothers, with Edward, too made their rifles fire single shots as the two Striker groups were busy clearing the area near the held ARCAM archaeologists in a military manner. All the Strikers, except Ronald and Robert, were inside the perimeter of the temple. Ronald and Robert were a bit behind in order to give fire support.

"Enemy at your left, Ominae!" yelled Roland, stopping in his tracks to fire his IMBEL M964 rifle to gun down a Delta Force who was using a US Army M1025 for cover. Michael fired his Bushmaster M17S at a Delta Force soldier climbing up the M1025 in order to main the vehicle's machine gun. His shots went to his chest and neck, effectively neutralizing him.

"Okay! Yu saw another sniper taking aim with his Remington M24 from the trees nearby. He kept firing his HK G3A3 until he saw the sniper drop down from the tree before his rifle went empty.

"Magazine!" Yu went on his knees to reload when Mark came nearby, firing his Howa Type 89 at two Delta Force operators rushing in to attack the Japanese Striker. Edward, on the other hand, shot a couple of Delta Force soldiers who were near the ARCAM hostages.

"Thanks." grinned Yu, thanking his comrade and pal for watching his rear.

"No problem." He eyed the area to make sure their area was clear. "Didn't want them to kill you anyway."

Tea tossed two more pentagram cloths towards Delta Force soldiers near the ARCAM prisoners, making them scramble away while firing their Colt M4A1 rifles.

"Bro, let's do it!" For some reason, Mark dropped his Howa Type 89 and Michael dropped his Bushmaster M17S to rush at the retreating Delta Force soldiers, attacking them with hand-to-hand combat.

"Hah!" Michael rushed in with a Houzanto, dashing underneath a Delta Force operator's swinging SOG RFB81 X-42 to elbow him before grabbing his arm and tossing him over his shoulder. Mark dashed towards two Delta Force operators, who dropped their Colt M4A1s to draw out their SOG knives when he drew out his Black Ninja sword sheathed on his back and executed his Reppuzan, slicing them on their waists before thrusting his weapon's cold steel blade into them. His blade was coated with red blood after withdrawing his ninjato from their bodies.

"Get them!" A group of Delta Force operators rushed in with SOG RFB81 X-42 knives at the ready. Michael cooly drew out his Black Ronin sword.

"Okay. Let's go." said Mark, pointing his blade to the ground with his fingertips touching it. Michael raised his eyebrow, swearing his brother was acting like Saito Hajime from Rurouni Kenshin.

Never mind. The two charged at their enemies, momentarily stopping to try and slash at their enemies before the duo executed their X slash technique, killing one of the charging soldiers before the two went to hack and slash the rest of the surviving soldiers.

"Help!" One of them was crawling on the ground, about to grab his dropped Beretta M9 when he felt a cold, steel and sharp blade protrude on his back.

The only thing he saw was red blood that he coughed from his mouth.

"Job done!" Mark twisted his ninjato's blade still on his back a bit to make sure his final adversary was dead for good when he saw him twitch a bit before becoming lifeless.


ARCAM Excavation Camp, Excavated Temple, Nueva Vizcaya, Cagayan Valley, Philippines

With the camp cleared of Delta Force opposition, one of the ARCAM scientists radioed ARCAM Philippines for help after Eva McMachon and the other scientists were freed from their plasticuffs by Yu and the others. ARCAM Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk choppers came down and landed in and around the temple area, unloading several armed ARCAM Special Private Army (ASPA) operators on the ground from various nationalities. They were decked in SAS SWAT Tactical Vests in dark blue BDUs with various headgears including ballcaps and toques and they were armed with various assault rifles and submachine guns.

"Thanks, guys." Eva checked her wrists before running her left hand on her blonde hair. "The Americans were planning to get us out of the country after the first waves of American Marines were scheduled to arrive from their base in Okinawa."

"I don't know." Yu slightly kicked the corpse of a Delta Force soldier to check if he was dead, holding his HK G3A3. "After the Project YAMA incident, I wouldn't be so sure if the Americans would want to bombard the codes on their enemies."

"I know how you feel." Michael slinged his Bushmaster M17S on his left shoulder. "Being zapped by a laser-like projectile on your arms and legs isn't a part of a good day."

"Me too." Mark unloaded his Howa Type 89's 30-round magazine to check if bullets were still inside. Seeing 10 rounds have already been consumed, he slapped it back on his rifle. "The honchos had better keep a safeguard against the American military in case they'll retaliate."

"It's okay." Harald, John, Roland, Ronald, Edward and Miguel and Robert came to the group, checking the Delta Force bodies to see if they were all alive.

"Harald." Yu nodded. "How did things go?"

"Okay." said John. The Kenyan Striker went to explain some things to him. "All Delta Force soldiers are dead." He pointed to his rear with his thumb.

"He's right." nodded Roland. "We'll need to move fast."

"But what do we do with the Browning M2s on the M1025?" came Miguel, questioning his comrade. "We may not be able to leave these vehicles around?"

"Are we going to salvage them anyway?" questioned Edward. "I mean, ARCAM may need them later on." Robert only chuckled at his friend.

"Good idea, pal." Ronald slapped Edward's shoulder. "I'll relay it to some ASPA chump to take the M2s down from the M1025s later on."

Tea came to the assembled Strikers, coming back from speaking to some ARCAM scientists after liberating them. "It's all right, Black Hawks areready to take us back to Manila."

"With stopovers?" asked Harald. Tea nodded to him.

"What are we waiting for?" said Yu, breaking the atmosphere. "Let's go."

"Finally." Robert stretched his leg on the ground. "Some R&R!"

All the assembled Strikers went to the parked UH-60s, now readied to take them back to ARCAM Philippine HQ.

"See you later guys." said Eva, waving to them before she wentback to clean up their research camp of debris and other stuff from the initial attack by Delta Force and the subsequent raid by the Strikers.

The assembled group, Tea included, waved goodbye before boarding the UH-60 Black Hawks. After Yu entered the Black Hawk, the chopper roared to life as it took off and made their way towards ARCAM Philippines.


Gate 14, Xavier School, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Philippines

"School's out!"

Michael let out a triumphant shout, earning strange looks from some of the bystanders and giggles from the girls of the Immaculate Conception Academy or ICA, Xavier High School's sister school. Although, some chuckles from some of the high school students.

"Nice one, bro!" Mark slapped his brother on his back while fixing his messenger bag. It was a good thing that Michael had a backpack on.

"Hey!" scolded the twin. "That almost hurt, you know."

"Besides," Mark brought a hand to his hair. "we've got the rest of the day off. We can stay in HQ for a temporary break 'till tomorrow since mom and dad are still working in San Francisco."

Michael nodded; he did remember the first few days when their parents had to leave in order to work abroad. They lived with some of their relatives before meeting with Chairman Rodriguez, who was dad's friend from his high school days in Xavier. Though their parents had allowed them to stay at their house back in Corinthian Gardens, they were also staying at ARCAM HQ in Makati after being indoctrinated in ARCAM's Strikers.

A 2000 Ford Expedition drove by and stopped in front of the two students. The passenger door window was lowered down, revealing a man in his '30s.

The man inside the SUV uttered a few words to the Strikers/students

"Pasok na kayo." (Get in.)

Without any resistance, the two students went inside and got their bags placed on the baggage compartment before the Ford Expedition drove off, heading to the direction of Makati towards the ARCAM Philippine building in the heart of the country's financial district.


ARCAM Ford Expedition, en route to Makati

"Ano ba gagawin natin?" (What are we going to do?) asked Mark, who spoke to the driver of the Expedition. The driver turned his head and replied.

"Pupunta kayong dalawa sa Hong Kong." (You two are heading to Hong Kong).

Hong Kong. Michael remembered about an operation conducted in Hong Kong a few weeks ago. But even so, it let him confused as to what are he and his brother going to do in the former crown colony.

Chapter 3 END

Notes/Terms:

ASPA - ARCAM Special Private Army. Main strike force of the ARCAM Corporation.

Corinthian Gardens - A posh subdivision in the Philippines. That's where yours truly came from.

Job Done - A phrase said by Jamie Dow in Ultimate Force back in Episode 1 when he shot former police officer Detective Inspector Brian Duggan in the mouth twice when asked on how he killed him in a bank robbery siege. He said the phrase after saying that he shot him in the mouth twice.

Houzanto - Dashing move used by Guy in the Street Fighter Alpha/Zero series by running toward the enemy, ducking underneath arm's length to execute an elbow attack.

Ninjato - A sword that is suppose to resemble a katana. It had been under several myths, including its existence. Though it was supposedly made during the days of WWI when Japan participated on the side of the Allies.

Project YAMA - An ancient virus found in a temple by ARCAM research scientists. The virus was known when it flashed "YAMA ALL OVER THE WORLD" on various computers in the 1990s. It had the sentinent though of being threatened by ARCAM Spriggans and Special Private Army operators, which is why it used ARCAM scientists trapped in one of the corporation's facilities in the US as its human soldiers before erasing itself from the facility's mainframe.

Reppuzan - A sword move that lets someone spin around while slashing his weapon at nearby enemies on the ground.

SOG RFB81 X-42 - A combat knife adopted by American special forces. There's no reason to believe that Delta Force has these knives in service.

X Slash - A Chrono Trigger move that involves Crono and Frog as they do a diagonal slash on an enemy, forming an X shape.