[Before anything, I'd like to make a few notes. Following advises, I'm changing this story's format from script to narrative. I've never written narratives before, therefore I won't do it right away. This chapter will be kind of a hybrid between both, just in order to get me used to. And also, I'd like to say that I write "coldly" like this for you readers to try to guess what they are feeling/up to, with little to no interference from the writer.

OK, I'm done here. Over.]


Transmission #24-20 Designate: LIMA

JSOC Team "Raven" under command of Lt. Col. "Husky" is investigating

an intel in a harbor city in South Korea

2025/05/21


In the city harbor, Husky [Bruno] and Rouge [Aelita] are investigating an intelligence gathered throughout the week. The harbor is littered with heavily armed people, among crates and trucks. Aelita seems unsafe, since the outcome of the mission can make the war happen earlier than wanted. She is looking through the IR scope of a FN SCAR-H [a suppressor, drum mags and bipod are also attached to it], modified to work as a machine gun. Bruno is beside her, looking through binoculars. Both are laying down, in the shadows beside a container, looking from the limits of the yard.

A: You sure that your intel is on? You know, we don't want to get the things even more tense in the region...

Aelita says, still uncertain about the situation. Bruno, on the other hand, wouldn't risk his men if he didn't know what could go wrong.

B: We didn't spend a week offline for nothing. Of course I think my intel is on. Bruno spots some mercenaries in his binoculars. The area is full of mercs. This isn't right.

Something surely was going on. If Aelita wasn't worried enough, now she is.

A: Wasn't this in the intel?

B: That's why I told you to bring suppressed weapons. It was. By the way, did you bring it? She takes a suppressor out of a pocket in her vest, and shows it to Bruno. As if he thought she would let him down. Good. We have to check each one of the crates without calling attention.

A: What's the plan? Aelita asks, curious.

B: Stay in the shadows. Stay low. Come on.

Bruno and Aelita leave their position, moving quickly through the badly lit yard, among the shadows of the crates, and avoiding spotlights. Bruno talks on his radio.

B: Nekomimi 1, do you copy?

]] Ay: Don't call me nekomimi, dammit.

Nekomimi 1 [Ayame] is Raven's artilleryman – better yet, woman. She hates being called "nekomimi", but Bruno still loves it. Of course, it was him who gave her this call-sign. This time, she was working as their eye in the sky, using a stealth chopper.

B: I'll take that as a "yes". Guide us through, please. Bruno said, completely ignoring Ayame's "request".

]] Ay: Yes, sir.

Bruno and Aelita move through the yard, still avoiding lights. They come close to a red container, when Ayame speaks on the radio.

]] Ay: 2 tangos left of this container. Watch out.

Bruno looks through the container, looking at the millimeter scanner attached to his SMR rifle.

B: I got a visual on them on the scanner. Thank you. He makes a signal for Aelita. You take the one right in my front. At my signal. He raises his hand, and starts the countdown. 3, 2, 1.

They shoot the mercenaries at the same time. The mercenaries fall silently.

]] Ay: They're down. Ayame says, conclusively.

Bruno makes another hand sign for Aelita, pointing towards the container.

B: Open this one. Get the corpses inside. We'll check this one.

Aelita takes out of another pocket a kind of laser blowtorch, and cuts one of the bars tht keep the container locked. She spins the handle, and the container opens, revealing small cardboard boxes. Bruno takes the body of one of the mercenaries. He seemed heavy, and was armed with an SMG, what suits the environment. Aelita takes one that seems more light, who was also armed with a SMG. Hiding corpses is essential, when you're trying to sneak up into enemy facilities. They pull the corpses inside, and start searching around the container, which reveals itself to be filled with common merchandise.

B: It's clear.

]] Ay: Roger that. Ayame answers. Seconds later, she spots some mercenaries nearby through the RUH-60's FLIR camera. Stay low. Multiple readings moving to your position. Over.

They stay inside the open container, out of the sight of the patrols. They wait for a few seconds, until Ayame gives them the signal.

]] Ay: You can go.

Bruno and Aelita move further into the harbor, through more crates, starting to get more careful. They can't risk being caught by the enemy. Who knows what could happen if the North Korea finds out that the UN is willing to stop them by force.

They move until a corridor of crates, where Ayame tells them to stop.

]] Ay: Halt. I'm getting many readings, in the 3rd corridor in front of you.

Bruno talks to Aelita, worried. They must be up to something significant, and maybe it's bigger than they thought. Those crates surely had something dangerous in them.

B: Do you think it's something...?

A: It's suspect, at the very least. Aelita answers, later calling Ayame. Nekomimi 1?

]] Ay: I also think you'd better check. And stop calling me nekomimi-

Her complaint is cut short by Bruno's order to Aelita.

B: Move ahead.

They get to the corridor full of mercenaries. Bruno starts thinking of how to check those containers without being caught. He has an idea.

B: Throw a flashbang there. He orders Aelita, pointing to their far right. It'll distract them.

Aelita throws the grenade as far as she can to the right, calling the mercenaries' attention, and making them move toward the place where the grenade went off. Taking the distraction, they move quickly across the corridor, stopping right in front of another red container.

B: Open this door. Bruno orders Aelita.

Aelita cuts the container's door open. They start checking around the container, finding something strange, this time. Expected, but still. The container is full of hydrogen barrels, which are used as rocket fuel, therefore, ICBM's fuel as well.

A: There's enough to go to Mars and come back, let alone bomb targets across the Pacific ocean. She tells Bruno, who is also surprised.

B: Aye. He looks at a box, which seems different of the others. An aqua blue glow is coming from inside the box. Wait, what is in this box? He opens it, finding long, glowing, cylinder-like bars. His HUD contact lenses start flickering. Nekomimi 1, are you seeing this? He asks, stunned. No response. Nekomimi 1?

He hears static coming from the radio, and Ayame almost can't be heard.

]] Ay: -ey are-a jam-I ca-

Bruno and Aelita get worried. Things started coming out of control, and it wasn't good.

B: We lost contact with her. We've been compromised. He points at a wall inside the container. Stick a tracer on that wall.

Aelita takes a transparent sticker from her vest. She sticks it on the wall behind one of the barrels, and looks at Bruno.

B: Now let's get out of here, before they spot us.

Too late. A mercenary stops in front of the door, scanning around the container with a flashlight attached to his SMG, and spots them.

t: What the f-

Aelita shoots his head with her Five-seveN. Bruno is amused. Again, she didn't let him down.

B: Nice shot! He said, quite desperate. Now RUN! As long as it isn't me, shoot first, ask later!

They run away from the container, leaving as fast as they could. There is a building, which seems to be some security building, across a parking lot. After shooting some mercenaries down, they stop behind a crate. It was way too easy to get out of there. Until Bruno hears what sounds to be rotor-crafts above them.

Nothing is too easy in this business.

The UAVs open fire against them, who run for cover inside another crate. Getting out of there would expose them to heavy fire. There was no getting out of there alive.

B: They are deploying UAVs! We are gonna be shot as soon as we put our heads outside!

Bruno sounds strangely hopeless in the situation. But Aelita would prove herself not only a valuable marksman, but his best friend. Even if she got killed in the process. As people say in Bruno's motherland, mission given is mission accomplished.

A: Go ahead! I'll draw their fire towards me!

He can't believe what she just said. It was much likely a one-way trip.

B: Negative! Are you crazy?! You'll be taken down in no time if you leave!

But it isn't like she would hear.

A: I'll be fine, don't worry! It's not today that you'll get rid of me!

Bruno sighed, still unconvinced.

B: I'll hack that sentry turret, and take the UAVs down! Try not to get killed!

Bruno wouldn't give up, as well. Aelita was with him since the UN started gathering young, exceptional soldiers like them to create team Raven, their division. She was his best soldier, and more, friend, ever since. He wouldn't bear losing her. But he let her go. In her place, he would do the same. And again, it wasn't like she would let herself get wounded this easily. And Bruno knows it.

Aelita runs as fast as she can away from the cover, drawing the UAV's 20mm cannons fire towards her. The floor shattered around her feet at every step she gave. Meanwhile, Bruno shoots his way through the space between the harbor's cargo yard and the building, and quickly breaches and clears the room in zero time. Inside, he crouches behind the wall, and taps the wristpad in his left arm, hacking the turret, which starts shooting the UAVs surrounding Aelita. The UAVs start spinning out of control, crashing against the yard far from their position. Bruno shouts at Aelita.

B: Now get over here! I cover you!

Aelita clears the gap between her position and the building quickly, almost jumping through the door of the room.

B: Are you OK? Bruno sighs, relieved at the sight of his best friend untouched. You almost killed me with this plan of yours!

A:, Hey, I told you, it wasn't today that you'd get rid of me! She smiled, dismissing all of his worries. But, seriously now, we almost didn't make it out of there. It sure will be important for them, whatever it is.

B: True. He answers, standing up on his feet, again, and moving towards another door, which seems to lead to inside the building. Let's proceed with caution, now. We still have to find a way out of here. He tries to contact Ayame. Nekomimi 1? No response. Negative. We're in the dark.

A: We can handle it.

They open the door, checking for enemies in the hallway. Clear. Moving forward, they get across a hallway which has a room with a safety door, on it's end. Aelita points to the hallway with the door at the end.

A: There must be the exit. She spots some mercenaries near the door. Well secured, by the way.

B: Take them down. It can't be that difficult, he thought.

A: Negative. Too many tangos.

B: Did you bring Semtex grenades?

A: Negative.

Bruno starts thinking on a plan. And he gets it.

B: A flashbang must do it, then.

Aelita throws a flashbang at the end of the hallway, and then both clear the room in front of the door.

B: Now, I just have to open here... Bruno looks for a way to breach the door, what doesn't seem that simple. OK, it may take some time...

A: I don't think we have some time... Aelita says, hearing steps coming from the other corridors. That called too much attention.

B: Fine, I need you to hold them for me, OK? Bruno asks, still trying to breach the door. For some secs.

A: Roger!

The corridors around them start being filled with mercenaries, which are quickly taken down one by one by Aelita's accurate shots. A minute later, Bruno successfully breaches the door, kicking it open, and running outside.

B: Come on!

Bruno and Aelita run away from the building, among more crates. More mercenaries keep coming around them, making them look for cover in the nearest thing.

B: Run to that crate!

They jump inside a container, taking cover inside it, behind the almost closed door. That mission ended long ago, now they only had to get out of there alive. They stay inside it for some minutes, before Aelita ask:

A: When are we getting out of here...?

B: Wait a little more, until they spread.

The shots suddenly stop.

A: What abo-

B: Shh.

Bruno signals for Aelita to stop talking. He hears steps come close to the container they are in. Then, the steps stop, and they hear the door locking.

B: OK, it will take some more time than I thought, too...

Bruno says, making fun of the situation. For now.