AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello folks. I didn't want to mar the first chapter with an author's note. I'm still fairly new to fan-fic writing. I hope you all enjoy reading this story as much as I do writing it. Questions, comments and critiques are welcome. I can't improve unless I'm told what I'm doing wrong or poorly. If you like my story, please feel free to share it with other like minded individuals.
Location: [Undisclosed Germany Site]
The KRISS Vector, a closed-bolt delayed-blowback .45 caliber sub-machine gun. A newer design than most of what Cobra used, but it was definitely becoming a favorite of his very quickly, and word among the grunts was that Destro had already incorporated its design into their next generation of weapons.
Carnage liked the weapon. It was accurate without sacrificing stopping power. In one fluid motion, he turned, brought up the SMG and squeezed the trigger. He loosed a burst and tore a nicely grouped, ragged hole in his target. With a second to adjust his aim, he fired again, and again, until finally his gun click on an empty mag.
"Changing!" he shouted, as he pulled the magazine free and slammed a new one home in a few clipped movements. He dropped to a crouch and shouldered his weapon, and let loose a staccato of gun fire. Thirty-five rounds belched from the business end of his weapon and tore down range with a purpose. The patchwork of holes he'd put in the chest of the target, exploded into one large cavity that would've spilled a living person's innards in all directions.
Click.
Empty.
"Clear." He shouted again, more out of habit than anything else as he ejected the spent magazine and set the weapon down. Kyle Sigmund pulled his hearing protection off and set it next to his weapon before wandering down range to his target. He rubbed his hand over his shaved skull as he approached and surveyed his damage. The target, a wooden cutout of a Joe whose name he didn't know, was shredded. Ragged holes were torn in target's chest and in the middle of its face, rendering its visage into so many splinters. Kyle smiled as he pulled the target down.
"Soon..." he muttered, as he turned and carried the target back. The doors to the range hissed open and a Tele-Viper entered and snapped to attention.
"Sir, priority message for you from the Baroness." He said and handed him a printed sheet and stood at ease. Kyle briefly looked it over before shoving the mangled target into the man's arms.
"Dispose of this." He ordered as he stepped around the Tele-Viper. "Return my weapon to the armory. And get a VTOL fueled and ready to go."
"Sir!"
Kyle stepped around the Tele-Viper and exited the range. He had to pack quickly. One does not keep the Baroness waiting, especially if they enjoy not being part of the Leaky Suit Brigade. Kyle marched quickly through the compound to the communications room. Units of Tele-Vipers were busy communicating back and forth with one another and with Cobra Command. As he entered a uniformed flunky hurried over and saluted.
"Sir, how can I assist you?"
"I need you to open a line to the Baroness."
"Right away, sir. This way." The Tele-Viper skittered towards a free console and sat down in front of it. His hands danced over the buttons and shortly thereafter the Baroness appeared on a small monitor.
"Ma'am. I received your message. I'm currently in the Bern Facility. It will take me several hours before I can reach you."
"Understood Carnage. See me as soon as you arrive. I've no interest in dealing with these… problems… for longer than is absolutely necessary."
"Yes ma'am. Carnage out." He said and reached forward to kill the link.
[Several Hours Later]
"We're in CTD airspace, sir. If you haven't seen it, now's the time before its cloaking field reactivates." The pilot's voice crackled over the Kyle's headset. He smirked and peered out the window as his curiosity got the better of him. His eyebrows rose ever so slightly.
The Chilean Terror Drome was everything that everyone had been whispering about. Massive on a scale that Kyle was more than a little impressed with. Bristling with weapons pods and Cobra sigils, and built right, smack in the middle of a mountain range. The VTOL whined as it descended over the top of the Terror Drome, a landing pad rising into view as automated weapons systems tracked it. The whole vehicle jerked as the wheels touched the deck.
"Going down." The pilot called. Before Kyle could ask what he had meant the VTOL jerked as the landing pad beneath it retracted into the facility.
"Down and secure sir, you can disembark." The Air-Viper said casually as he went through his post flight checklist. Kyle peeled off his headset, unfastened his belt and clambered toward the door. He opened it and dropped down onto the deck, arching his back until it popped in a satisfying manner, grunting as his stiff muscles ached.
"Carnage, sir?"
Kyle turned, and eyed a thin blue-shirt trooper that quickly snapped off a crisp salute.
"What is it trooper?" he asked as he turned back to retrieve his duffel.
"Sir, I've been tasked with escorting you around the facility. It is still under construction and very easy to get lost." The trooper answered quickly.
"Take Lift C to the bottom level. At the end of the corridor is the Baroness's chamber. Don't hassle the bodyguards." Kyle said without looking back as he finished collecting his gear. The blue-shirt faltered.
"I… yes sir, that is correct, how did-" A beaten duffle bag was tossed at him. He caught it in both arms with a grunt and looked up at Carnage.
"Carry that." He said as he pushed past and started down the closest corridor. To his credit, the confused blue-shirt complied rather than questioned, and quickly hurried after the gruff, older man. The lift ride was in silence as it slowly descended multiple levels, and the blue-shirt's eyes were deliberately not looking in Carnage's direction. He smirked and patted his combat vest.
"You smoke?" he asked. The blue-shirt jumped.
"Yes sir." Carnage turned slightly and saw the man back up a step.
"Let me bum one. I'm all out." The trooper carefully set his duffle down and fished a hand into his pocket. He retrieved a rumpled pack and handed it to Carnage.
"Here you are, sir. Last one."
Carnage took the pack with a nod and tucked it into a vest pocket as the lift doors opened. He stepped out and turned to face the blue-shirt. He took his duffel and waved the trooper off.
"I'll take it from here. Thank you for the smoke." He said as he turned his back.
"Y-you're welcome, sir." He called as the lift doors shut.
Carnage shook the cigarette loose of its pack and placed it between his lips.
"You had better not plan on lighting that in my quarters, Carnage." The Baroness hissed as she leaned back in her seat. Carnage smiled and placed the offending item behind his ear instead.
"Wouldn't dream of it, Baroness." He said politely. "Now, what can I do for you? If you want me to transfer down here and whip the entire Terror Drome into shape, I'm going to need a raise."
The Baroness smirked and slipped the first file from the stack and tossed it to him. He caught it and flipped it open. Inside was a photo of a young woman. Her red hair was only just beginning to grow back after having it all shaved off for basic training.
"Kane, Dahlia." She said as a holographic display flickered into life between her and Carnage. "Recently promoted to Viper, Kane is one of the best snipers ever to join Cobra." The display lit up with the young woman laying prone, an anti-materiel rifle in her hands as she sighted down range on a battered HISS tank.
"But?" Carnage asked. The Baroness sighed and punched a few keys on her desk. The image changed to a security video feed of Kane, still in her blue-shirt uniform, surrounded by three other troopers. She was battered and bloody, but still standing and the troopers around her appeared nervous.
"I said attack! That is an order!" barked the drill sergeant. Two of the blue-shirts exchanged a glance.
"But sir… she's… still standing." The sergeant entered the frame and grabbed the recruit by the front of his uniform.
"And she'll keep standing until one of your losers can knock her down! Now get in there! All of you!" he shouted and shoved the soldier at the woman. The confused soldier turned the shove into a wobbly punch. The woman caught his arm and spun, yanking the recruits arm down hard over her shoulder. There was a distinctly audible crack and the soldier started screaming. The audio muted just as another soldier moved in for his attack.
"That's the problem." The Baroness said.
"What problem? She seems like a fine recruit." Carnage said. The Baroness laughed.
"That wasn't an exercise. That was the rest of her platoon attempting to restrain her. Apparently, one of her squad mates grabbed her inappropriately. She smashed his hand with her combat helmet. She most likely would have killed him if the squad had not intervened. It took the butt of a rifle from the Viper that snuck up on her to finally take her down." Carnage smirked and looked back down at her file.
"So we promoted her to Viper?" he asked. The Baroness nodded.
"Yes, four months ago. After all, Cobra does not let such destructive talent go to waste. The hope was that her newfound responsibility would curb her temper. Or at least focus it. Such was not the case. Three weeks ago she fractured her hand punching through her commander's faceplate. She's been locked in the brig since."
Carnage smiled, closed the folder and set it aside to pick up the next. With it opened he moved it aside to open the next along with it.
"You seem to have given me a little taste of everything here. A tele-viper who rewired her communications gear to receive her home town's radio stations, a medi-viper that no one wants to let near them, and…" he paused to open the next folder. "Oh, this one's a gem; a blue-shirt who keeps finding himself in various high security areas without clearance." The Baroness nodded sagely at the last one.
"Simon Kutter. We thought he may have been a security risk, like one of the Joes' little infiltrators. But it seems he has a natural curiosity and lack of concern with the results of his actions. He simply broke in to a high security server farm because he likes a challenge and thought it would be fun. When security teams arrived on scene, he was very compliant. He turned himself over immediately only to escape from his cell an hour later. He was found in the mess hall, smiling."
Carnage smiled.
"Well, I can see why you called me in on this little job." He said as he neatly stacked the files. "I think I can work them into some proper soldiers. Given time, that is." The Baroness fixed him with a passive stare.
"The Commander will give you six months. After that he will not waste any more time on them." The Baroness said. Carnage allowed his brow to furrow in thought. That's half the time he'd usually need for such problematic soldiers. Either the Commander was growing impatient, or he was testing Carnage's mettle. Either way, he wouldn't back down and show weakness.
"It will be done." He said as he stood. "I'll need the Tubac facility for my training. And, of course, free reign to act as I see fit." The Baroness smiled and nodded, happy to have these problems out of her sight and thusly out of mind.
"Thank you, Kyle. I will have them transferred to the facility by week's end. Do try not to kill too many." She purred as Kyle picked up the stack of files. He paused and looked up at the Baroness once more.
"Of course, there is one other thing I'd like." He said, tucking the files under one arm.
"Which is?"
"I'd like a B.A.T. of my own. Not one of the mindless killing machines, but one that can think and act as my adjutant. I'll waive my normal fee for it."
The Baroness looked up at him and a smile slowly creased her features.
"I think that is fair. I will see what I can do, but you know how Destro gets with his little toys."