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I apologize for the delay on this chapter, I will do my best to upload the next one till the end of month. I really hope you will like this chapter, since I did have a lot of fun writing it.
Have fun.
Disclaimer: Dredd 3D belongs to Lionsgate, 2000 AD belongs to Rebellion Development
Storm
„Sector 253, not densely habitated location, mostly warehouses and buildings marked unhabitable, it's a former nuclear shelter. Seven storeys above ground, 12 under, no windows. Every door is panzered and equipped with a fail-secure mag-lock, power is supplied by a self-sustaining nuclear reactor in the underground levels, weaponization possible. Then there are 4 vulcan sentry guns on every floor, caliber 20mm, fire-rate 8600 rounds per minute, armour piercing bullets. I presume it is like that all the way up, but he wasn't higher than 5th floor, so there could be something even bigger waiting up there. And they have installed Hawk surface-to-air missile launcher on the roof." she reported.
„What is the active impact, should the power core be weaponized."
„I don't know, my guess would be 15-20 kilometers."
Chief nodded and marked the weapon systems position into a makeshift blueprint of the Renegade Judges HQ. „Anything else?"
„First underground level is a garage, seven fully functional Lawmasters, another five are operable. Then two ASV's, primary weapon is standard .50 BMG machine gun, auxiliary is tear gas cannon on one and grenade launcher on the other."
Another nod from the Chief. „The man you extracted this information from, you said he was a mutant."
„Yes."
„Why was he given such a detailed information of the HQ fortification?"
Anderson shrugged. „Well, technically he wasn't, but he was allowed free movement and he was a curious fellow."
„Why was he even allowed to join them?"
„The same reason I was allowed to be a Judge. He was useful."
„Are there more of them?" Dred stepped in.
„I wouldn't know, he never met another that was working for the Renegades, but it is possible."
Chief leaned back in her chair, a stern expression on her face. „Good job. I will have the force ready in an hour. I'll need you two there aswell. Get home, change into your uniforms and rejoin us at the coordinates I send to your GPS."
When they left the office Anderson coughed to capture Dredd's attention. "Sir, there's something regarding our case."
„What?"
„The mutant did have contact with the Unbound, apparently they scout the City for mutants without obvious deformities. He declined to join, since he was already working for the Renegades, but he did meet some lower members of the gang and I should be able to identify them."
„Do you have location at which we could start to look?" he asked, a tense expression on his face.
Anderson shook her head. „No, sorry, I'm pretty sure the encounters were at random and even if they weren't, I wasn't exactly concentrating on anything besides getting the info on the Renegades. But I might be able to recall the sectors at least, if you just give..." she started, pressing her fingertips to the bridge of her nose.
Dredd interrupted her curtly. „We'll handle this later. Right now concentrate on the task at hand."
„Yes."
They parted in the garage. She sped to her apartment, gunning the engine to its limits. The usually more than an hour long ride took her less than 45 minutes now. She practically sprinted into her apartment and in record time slipped into her gear. With her gun and spare magazines reequipped and the badge shining in her chest, she slung the shield over her back.
When she returned to her Lawmaster, Chief's message was already on display. Anderson skimmed through it and headed for the meeting point set only 3 kilometers from the Renegades HQ.
She registered a dark pillar of smoke rising from the target building. As she was nearing it, she started to pick up the roaring of rapid fire, occasionally interrupted by blows from several autocannons. She adjusted her shield so that it properly covered her back and ordered her bike's A.I. to prepare for combat, the vehicle shaking lightly as the twin canons slid into place. With over 200 km/h she passed the meeting point, and reached the Renegades HQ, now turned battlefield.
She was forced to brake rapidly as a Warrior IFV, Holocaust Squad markings painted in its side, crossed her tracks. She noticed 4 other Warriors, their CT40 autocannons tearing one of the enemy ASV's to shreds.
A bullet ricocheted from her helmet. A Lawmaster, flew by, its owner clearly not willing to die with the rest of his gang. As fast as she could, Anderson whipped out her Lawgiver and sent half of her magazine after him. The bullets hit him across his lower back, not penetrating the Judge's uniform, seeing as she didn't have armour piercing by default, but they caused him to lose control over his bike. It toppled to the right, trapping the Judge's leg underneath it as it slid on the asphalt, the momentum carrying it several dozens of meters. She pulled of her helmet, checking his mind. There was no response.
The second ASV was cornered by the Warriors, smoke rising from under its hood, the machine gun barrel twisted and torn of. Suddenly it lunged forward, ramming into the side of nearest Warrior. The force of impact slammed both vehicles into nearest wall, the Warrior ending up pinned between the wall and the ASV. The ASV's grenade launcher barked four times. Secondary explosions from two engines echoed, ripping the vehicles apart, a shrapnel grazed Anderson's left arm.
Quiet filled the air for a moment. Then the remaining Warriors moved and stopped in front of the HQ, where Dredd's Lawmaster stood, or rather lay. Its front wheel was torn off, the armouring twisted and strewn with holes. Dredd was standing beside it, blood trickling down his jaw, the right side of his helmet scraped.
„What happened?" she asked.
„Grenade."
„Are you alright?"
„Yes." he paused for a moment. „You're late."
„It is not for the lack of trying believe me. But as you know, I live a tiny little..." she felt a hostile presence in her mind, a very familiar hostile presence. „...oh, god damn it." she exhaled and turned around.
„Dredd." the armoured behemoth uttered, its voice through the speaker sounding almost inhuman.
„Wilson." Dredd nodded.
The full-face helmet turned to Anderson. „Snitch." growled the Squad's commanding officer.
„Sir." she didn't acknowledge his insult.
Dredd did. „Whats the reason for this?" he asked, his voice cold and stern.
„She cost me my best men."
„They broke the law." Anderson added.
The Holocaust 12 and 7, accompanied by a Med-Judge and three Tech-Judge assembled around Wilson. Most of the Judges carried a stub gun additional to their Lawgivers. Compared the Holocaust Judges in their heavy armour-suits, Dredd, Anderson and the Med- and Tech-Judges looked vulnerable and frail.
„Fine." Wilson started. „The H12 and techies will go through the garage and disable the nuclear reactor, we'll take the medic too. We expect heavy resistance and an attempt to blow that shit up, once they're cornered. Primary objective is to disable the reactor, then clear out the underground. Dredd wanna join us?" he asked and received a nod in response.
„The 7 will take the front door and storm the upper levels, making sure we don't get fucked from behind. When you're done, join us down there if we don't beat you to it. We lost second medic," he motioned to the still charring remains of one Warrior, „so you will get the mutant, her mind-reading should be useful. The Warriors will stay fully manned. All clear?"
„Yes, sir." the Holocaust Squad echoed.
„Then move out!" he bellowed and took of, his unit and additional help following him.
She was left behind with the H7, ironically consisting of only seven men. Their leader, the badge on his chest read Harris, lifted his stub gun and fired at the door. Thick laser beam hit the door and in few seconds reduced it to a puddle of molten steel. Almost immediately a sentry gun roared into action, filling the air around them with bullets. Anderson ripped the shield from her back and took cover behind it. The Judges of the H7 didn't even flinch as the shots rained in their thick armouring. Judge Harris fired his stub gun once again and the fire stopped, the vulcan's muzzle dripping on the floor. Anderson used the time ti properly strap her shield to her left arm.
All clear, he signed. Follow me, he waved and dove into the narrow corridors.
Storming the building was turning out to be surprisingly easy. They were on the sixth floor and so far hardly encountered resistance. The sentry guns proved to be no challenge, their bullets practically useless against the H7 and human defenders were fairly scarce. Anderson stood back, her shield deflecting the occasional bullet that ricocheted from the other Judges, her mind scanning the building, ready to alert them of an ambush.
They came to a metal door leading to the seventh floor. A Judge, Wade, stepped forward and fired his stub-gun. Anderson stepped sideways and pressed herself to the wall, shield covering her side. But instead of the low rumble of a vulcan, they heard a high pitched whine and suddenly Wade collapsed with a scream, arcs of blue energy piercing his body. The whining continued and another three Judges fell to the ground, their tortured screams drowning all the sound out, agony cutting into Anderson's mind.
Something hit her shield, the impact slamming her against the wall. A cartridge bounced to the floor, the energized core cracking with electricity. She staggered backwards, ignoring a trickle of blood running from her nose. She felt Wade's mind go dark and then blank. Another Judge went down.
Harris jumped before his men, ready to fire his stub-gun at the source of the whining, a wall-mounted low caliber autocannon. But before ho could, a shell hit him in the leg. Instantly blue energy engulfed his body and he fell, his body convulsing in pain.
Without second thought, Anderson closed the distance between her and Harris. She dropped on one knee and pressed the shield against her, at least partially covering Harris and the other Judges. A shot hit her, almost knocking her off her feet, but she managed to regain her balance. She pressed her entire body weight into her shield, forcing it to stay in place, she even holstered her Lawgiver to use her right arm to steady herself. She endured hit after hit, the shield slamming time and time again against her side, bruising her ribs, hip and mainly her arm. After a while she felt it go numb.
The one unharmed Judge was pressed against the wall, firing his Lawgiver and sporadically the stub-gun at the autocannon, so far not being able to disable it.
She heard Harris cough. „F-Fucking hell." he cursed and pulled off his helmet, still shaking from the electrocution.
„Sir, stay down." said the other Judge, Hoult.
He wheezed out something vaguely resembling of laughter. „Fuck my leg." he cursed again, drawing Anderson's attention to it. It lay in a sickening angle, the femur and knee shattered, blood pooling around it. „How many are alive?" he coughed out.
„Five, when I count me." Anderson said. „But two will not last without medic."
He spat out a lump of blood. „Anderson, can you hold it like this?"
„For a while, yes."
„Which ones are alive?"
„Nowitzki and Johnson." Hoult said. Another three shots reflected off her shield. She drew few sharp breaths, feeling her bruised ribs.
„Hoult."
„Sir?"
„Get Nowitzki and Johnson and get behind the nearest corner ." Harris commanded.
Judge Hoult nodded reluctantly and crouched. He slid to the side, taking cover behind Anderson. He grabbed the two living Judges and as swiftly as possible dragged them away, still remaining crouched.
Harris nodded and retrieved something from his belt, closer inspection revealed several grenades.
„Anderson, when I tell you, run."
She frowned. „You plan to sacrifice yourself."
„That's what we do."
„Not this time, I'm not going."
He shot her a lopsided grin. „We could use a madman like you." He handed her two grenades, one frag, one incendiary. „Timer on five, throw on three."
She nodded.
„One."
She shifted closer to Harris.
„Two."
She held her breath and opened her mouth.
„THREE!"
She tossed the grenades and threw herself over the other Judge
The cumulative blast wave hurled them across the corridor. She landed face down on the concrete floor, many small lacerations spilling blood onto her cheeks and into her hair. Her head was spinning and she could taste bile in the back of her throat.
„Sir, are you alright?" she could hear Hoult ask. At least her hearing was okay.
Harris answered with a grunt. „Anderson are you alive?"
„Uh-huh."
„Are there people ahead?"
She scanned the seventh floor, still a little dizzy. „There are two people in room on the right side down the corridor. Both Judges, but one of them is wounded, not fatal." she spoke slowly, every breath hurting in her ribs. With great strain she rolled on her back and opened her eyes. The halogen light burned itself into her retina.
The world went dark. Her first thought was that perhaps she went blind. But then Harris let out a victorious laugh. „Ha! They made it."
„So what now?" she asked, her eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness.
„Can you stand?" Harris asked.
She rolled back onto her belly and slowly, painfully rose to her feet. Her shield was pulling her down, its weight suddenly unbearable. She contemplated leaving it behind, but found that her arm was swollen and stiff and she couldn't unstrap it. So she just left it on.
„Good girl." Harris commented. „Now go, take out the two remaining assholes, secure the rest of the floor and we wait for the others."
And they did. The two Renegades were no match for a Holocaust Judge and a psychic and fortunately the remaining weapon systems were just good old vulcans.
„Well wasn't that a colossal fuck-up." Harris greeted them when they returned.
Anderson couldn't help but let out a chuckle. She leaned against a wall and slowly let herself drop to the floor. She brought her knees to chest and rested her head on them, one hand curling around her waist, the other awkwardly extended, her shield preventing her from holding it comfortably.
Hoult hurried to the side of two wounded Judges, administering field aid. „Johnson's dead." he stated.
Harris nodded, a grim expression settling on his face. „And Nowitzki?"
„His collar bone is broken and shoulder dislocated, but hell pull though."
„Good." a gruff voice sounded.
Startled, she looked up and saw Dredd, Wilson and the rest of H12 following him. Anderson let her head sink again.
„Harris, you're alive. Good. What happened?" Wilson sounded.
„Autocannon. Shock-shells. Armour piercing variant. We weren't prepared. But the seventh floor is clear now."
„Fuck." Wilson muttered. „We found one down there too, but it malfunctioned." he paused for a moment, then continued, his voice louder. „Shin, inform the Hall we secured the building, they can send the regular staff here. Men, take the injured, we're leaving."
She could hear steps and silent groans. She lifted her head and watched the Holocaust Judges leave. When Harris limped by her, supported by Wilson, he shot her a glance and nodded curtly. She nodded back, a tiny smile on her face.
Dredd stood beside her. „Need help?"
She shook her head. „No, I'm fine." Supporting herself with the wall, she rose to her feet and slowly made her way down, her shoulders slouched, the bottom side of her shield scraping against the floor. It produced an annoying, grating sound but she couldn't bring herself to care, the shield was just too heavy.
She felt the weight lift from her side and the sudden shift of balance made her stagger. She turned to look and saw Dredd holding the edge of the shield in a position comfortable to her.
„Thanks." she uttered.
He nodded in response.
They stepped out on the street, setting sun shining in their eyes. Dredd led her to her Lawmaster and then slowly lowered the shield.
„Need help unstrapping it?" he asked.
„Who's the mind-reader now." she smiled.
He didn't comment but, holding the shield steady, stepped closer and unfastened the straps around her forearm and shoulder. When her arm fell to her side, she couldn't help but moan closed her eyes and revelled in the feeling.
„Anderson." he spoke, his tone completely neutral. „Your arm."
She opened her eyes. „What's with it?" she asked and looked. „Well fuck."
Her arm was covered in crusted, dried up blood. When she looked she could see that the inner side of her shield was stained as well.
„Take off your uniform."
She cocked an eyebrow at him. „First you have to take me to dinner." a grin formed on her lips.
He took a deep breath, a wave of annoyance extending from his mind.
„Okay, this time we do it out of order." she laughed and unzipped the uniform, the left sleeve stuck a little but at last she yanked it off.
Dredd grasped her elbow. „When did this happen?" he asked.
She looked and saw a long cut across her upper arm, surrounded by deep purple bruises. „Uh, I'm not sure, could be when I... oh wait, when the Warrior blew up a shrapnel grazed me. I didn't think it actually cut through the uniform."
„It's not deep, but go see a medic."
„Eh." she shrugged. „Nothing a good night's sleep couldn't solve. Well sleep and a shitload of painkillers." She put her uniform back on and mounted her bike.
„Can you drive?" Dredd asked.
„Sure." she said ans leaned forward to grasp the handlebars. Sharp sting burned down her left arm, the pain clouding her vision for a moment. „I mean who needs brakes anyways?" she shot him a lopsided grin and pulled her left arm back to her chest.
Corner of his mouth twitched. „If you don't crash, we meet 6a.m. in the Hall."