Chapter 11: Recovery

The game shows Mason still stuck in the chair. "Back in the hell hole," Ruby muttered.

"I have a feeling that these interrogations would be unnecessary because all they have to do is show the events as they go on and show the mission brief on where the hell we're going," Blake said.

Interrogator: You confirmed that Dragovich's second in command, Kravchenko, was operating in Laos.

Mason: Yeah. Reznov said they killed more people than I could count.

"That's a bit fucked up to allow a foreign military power test their chemical weapons on your own people," Ruby said.

"Fuckers deserve to die," Blake said harshly, but Ruby couldn't help to agree.

Interrogator: Listen to me carefully, Mason. Reznov cannot be trusted.

"Why is because he's a Russian?!" Weiss exclaimed.

Interrogator: No matter what he tells you, no matter what he says-

Mason: But he gave us the dossier on Clarke! HE led us to Nova 6!

Interrogator: Reznov's not who you think he is.

"He better not be a traitor…" Yang said.

"Or maybe a doppleganger clone…" Ruby added.

Mason: No - he's my friend! He helped me escape! Betrayed, forgotten, abandoned, all brothers, huh?

"I don't want to say it, but Reznov might have a chance of being a traitor…" Blake muttered. Everyone looked at Blake with denial in their eyes. "It could be possible that he could be brainwashed by the Russians and not because he voluntarily to betray us."

Interrogator: FORGET REZNOV! FOCUS, MASON! WE ARE OUT OF FUCKING TIME! THE WORLD IS ON THE FUCKING BRINK OF WAR!

Mason: WHOSE WAR?! WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU, ANYWAY?!

"Yeah, we're not going to care unless we know what's on stake. World's are already on the brink of war 24/7 because of some disagree with others," Weiss said.

Mason: AGGGH. I - keep—hearing—the—fucking—numbers -

"I think Mason is breaking his sanity point," Ruby said, worried for the soldier.

Interrogator: It's a broadcast, Mason. The numbers are a broadcast.

"What's being fucking broadcasted? You guys aren't being exact with it!" Yang exclaimed.

Interrogator: You've been brainwashed.

"Well, that would explain why we saw a vision of us killing the president," Blake chimmed in.

Crash Site

Interrogator: You were in the Mekong, headed north to Kravchenko's compound. You were headed for Laos.

Mason: Laos... Kravchenko... The fucking psycho was spraying nerve gas all over Vietnam. I had to kill him. Do you understand?!

"I think it's understandable because of the inhumane things he does, but we still might need him to stop them from using it all over the world," Weiss said.

Mason: I have to kill them all!

Interrogator: Laos! Mason! You were headed up the Mekong River into Laos. You received word from Jason Hudson. What did he tell you?

Mason: My handler, Hudson. The CIA downed a Soviet cargo plane carrying Nova 6. It...It went down in Laos. Our SOG team went in.

Interrogator: What happened?

Mason: I...keep...hearing...the fucking...numbers...

Interrogator: It's a broadcast, Mason. The broadcast.

"What's the broadcast? A radio talk show or something?" Ruby asked, not knowing what it actually is going on in the real world of Black Ops. The game flashed white, covering the screen.

Transmission #2-15-4-25 Designate: INDIA

Soviet commercial cargo plane shot down over Laos.

Mason and SOG team sent to retrieve Nova 6 from the wreckage.

1300 hours, February 11, 1968

Woods: We need to get to the Nova 6, before the Soviets clean it out.

Mason: Alright, let's move.

Blake found herself in the middle of a US camp. She walked around, seeing local enemies being tied up and a few soldiers in the distance tending the wounded.

Woods: That's our ride, let's go!

Blake approached the boat in the docks, where Woods was waiting for him. Numbers started flashing in Blake's eyes.

Numbers Station (in Mason's mind): …twenty…five…

"I guess the Russians just put a bunch of numbers in our heads," Yang said.

"For what though?" Ruby said.

"It could be for launch codes, or maybe Mason is a sleeper agent who managed to break out of order and not be affected by it," Blake said, "So I'm guessing that Russia is planning to bomb the US with the gas and have sleeper agents throughout the country who'll bomb the gas everywhere once they hear the broadcast."

"That makes a lot more sense now," Weiss said.

"But I'm also guessing that Reznov is around just to make sure the order carries out when the day comes…" Blake muttered.

"That too… makes sense," Weiss said.

Mason, Blake, Bowman and Reznov enter the boat. A Marine meets up with them.

Marine: S.O.G, right? Right?

Woods: They couldn't make it.

"But isn't Woods in charge of S.O.G? In fact, isn't he the leader?" Ruby asked.

"Either he's being funny or being a sarcastic asshole," Yang said.

Woods: (Points at the main guns) Man the gun, don't get killed.

Marine: Sir.

"I'm not trying to sound like a douchebag, but he might get killed," Yang said.

Woods: Alright... M202's, Bowman, starboard side, arm it up, Mason, you're driving. Let's see what they think of this.

Everyone get's to their positions, Reznov stands beside Blake to give support with his assault rifle, and Woods turns the knob on a radio.

DJ: ...goes out to Sergeant Blundell, and all our boys at the RPO. Go get 'em.

Woods: Let's rock it.

Woods and Bowman arm themselves with rocket launchers as the marine gets on the main gun. Blake started driving the boat around.

Woods: Heads up, enemy camp, on the left. RPG's!

Blake fired the main gun on the boat and used the rockets to shred apart the camp. She moved down the river as soon as the camp was wiped out. Bowman spotted convoy in the cliff from the distance and Blake chased them down and destroyed them.

Woods: Nice one Mason! Now head for that barricade blocking the river, our boys will take care of it!

Helicopters flew by a barricade and blew it apart and the boats continued along the river. Blake encountered an enemy camp and destroyed the tower before they could fire back. Blake and the rest destroyed enemy structures and vehicles along the river. Yang admired the destruction, wishing she could be at 'Nam, but then realized that there's a lot fucked up on Earth, so she rather stay in Remnant.

Mason: That's gotta be the last of them.

Woods: What the hell is that?

Blake spotted a building on near the cliff and immediately opened fire on it with guns and rocket flying right at it.

Woods: That was their stronghold, we got 'em on the run!

The team moves forward to a small camp.

Woods: Something big is on its way. This is it, boys.

A boat sails right through the lake and Blake opens fire on it.

Woods: PT boat! Aim for the back, the engine's in the rear!

"Wow, convenience," Weiss scoffed. Blake tried to stay behind the boat as she fired multiple rockets and 3000+ bullets at the vehicle. Once the boat blew up, Blake gently place the controller on the table to stretch out her fingers.

Bowman: We got 'em! We got 'em!

Mason: That all they got?

Bowman: Medic!

Woods and Bowman left their position and Woods checked up on the body and. He pulled the body out of the gunner seat and Woods looked very disappointed.

"Like I said, not to be a douche or anything, he was going to die once Woods said not to die," Yang said. Bowman did an unknown gesture and the screen flashes white and back toe interrogation room

Mason: That young kid didn't make it.

"It actually kinda sadbecause now I realize a lot of young people join for war in the early days of the four kingdoms," Weiss said.

Mason I swear to god that Woods was crying, but he never let us see no tears.

The game flashes back to Vietnam.

Woods: Nothing so far... Wait, something in the trees.

Bowman: Whatever happened, we just missed it.

Blake drove along the river and spotted a down bird in flames.

Woods: We got a downed bird here... Talk to me.

Wolf 10: There's nothing out here.

Woods: Bullshit!

Mason: Bowman, what happened?

Bowman: There's nothing here.

Woods: Right...

In the background, Mason hears the numbers.

Numbers Station: 19, 8, 24, 17, 24, 5, 13, 11, 20, 18 (Static)

Reznov: The plane must be closer, Mason. Kravchenko is near.

Blake still assumes Reznov might be a traitor because of the way Reznov mentioned Kravchenko, like he knows he there and that he knew for a long time that he was. Ruby and Blake are stuck in between in the "Reznov is a traitor thing" while Weiss was in denial that there's no possible way Reznov would betray them.

Centurion 3: I see you Wolf 10, welcome to paradise.

"I expected more flames, explosion, debris and bodies," Yang commented.

Reznov: I feel it... Kravchenko is near.

Bowman: Say again?

"First time someone recognized Reznov is here," Weiss noticed.

Mason: Kravchenko, he must be near.

Woods: I fucking hope so.

Centurion 3: They found it, just ahead. Patching you through.

Wolf 10: I have visual confirmation, ground zero. Bodies and cargo all over the place, I say again, I have visual confirmation…

In the distance, there's a massive plane crash site.

Woods: Mason, head for the shore, we don't have much time.

"Let's just blow it up," Yang said.

"Yeah, let's blow up a plane carrying a deadly toxin. I'm sure the locals enjoy it like it was fresh air," Blake said sarcastically.

Centurion 3: Wolf 10 this is Centurion 3. Follow me, you can land over here.

Reznov: Finally Mason. Our key to Kravchenko, Steiner, Dragovich.

Wolf 10: I have limited ground support, dropping now.

The team arrives at a dock, and leave the boat. Blake armed herself with a commando and switched it out for secondary, which was a KS-23.

Marine: We're all yours, sir. Where do you want us?

Woods: Have one of your guys guard the boat. The rest of your men, follow my lead. NOW!

Blake and her team are ambushed by several Vietnamese soldiers and she took cover. Blake used the shotgun close range, blasting apart any Vietnamese soldiers close to her. She switched to gun down enemies from the distance. Blake and her team fought through the forest. She reached an area where it was all clear and not too far were friendly helis flying over.

Centurion 3: Activity, they're headed right for you! Movement! Centurions 4 and 5, air support, now!

Centurion 5: Enemy helicopters, incoming! Russian Hinds, three of...

Centurion 4: Centurion 4 to base. Come in, base. we're getting...

Centurion 5: They were just waiting for us...

Centurions 4 and 5 are shot down by Russian Hinds.

"I guess it's too late to call for backup," Yang said.

"Where the Hell is everyone else? I saw an entire army moving alongside the river and now they just disappeared," Weiss said.

Woods: Check high, snipers!

A single shot came from the top of a tree and Blake took cover. She took out the sniper and pressed on. A helicopter flying over the jungle started dropping off enemy soldiers.

Woods: Spetsnaz

Blake threw a flashbang into the structures the Russians were hiding in. Blake rushed into the fight, taking out a few Spetsnaz soldiers before going into cover. She threw one grenade over the chest-high wall and let it finish off any enemy in the area. Blake's team continued their trek through the forest and moved uphill. A flashing light shined through the tree revealing the sniper's position on top of the tree. Blake took down the sniper as he fired one miss fire.

"You could've easily spotted us without the flashlight," Weiss said.

"He's a terrible aim," Ruby said, noticing the distance from the shot and the target.

Woods: Don't quit now! The hinds are gone - we still got a chance!

"Feels like anything that has to with a helicopter, it always crashes. The one in the city, the jungle one, and now this one," Weiss said. More enemy soldiers started moving in towards Blake's position as she threw a flash to blind them and a grenade to kill them.

Woods: That's the last of 'em. That's why the hinds went away. They can't leave any evidence.

"It's going to be pretty hard covering a crash landing," Yang said.

Mason: The cargo must have been Nova 6. Kravchenko wouldn't go to all this trouble for nothing.

Woods: We'll have to climb that wing to reach the fuselage.

Mason: I'll go first.

Blake walked along the wing of the plane.

Bowman: Take it easy Mason.

Woods: I'll stabilize at this end.

The wing moves slightly.

Woods: Easy, easy.

The wing explodes.

Woods: Mason!

"Huh, nothing," Blake said as she pressed on.

"I feel that was completely unnecessary," Weiss said. The team enters the plane and makes their way through the wreckage. Wood breaks open a crate, revealing weapons.

Numbers Station (in Mason's mind): [static] ...seven…two…eleven…thirty-three…

Bowman: What happened?

Woods: The chemical weapon.

Mason: Nova 6. Must have dispersed after the crash.

Woods: Grenade Launchers, China Lakes. What the hell are Russians doing with American weapons?

"Maybe because they kinda find it way more effective than their own weapons?" Ruby guessed, "It could be possible that the Russians ordered weapons from the same manufacturer."

Bowman: Must be some kind of setup. Nova 6 is all gone, but see here. Map of the area. That's gotta be Kravchenko's compound, deep inside Laos.

Mason/Reznov: Kravchenko. He must die.

Both Woods and Bowman stare at Mason like he was insane.

"Why are you looking at Mason like that? Kravchenko is probably labeled as a terrorist at this point for using illegal chemical weapons," Yang said.

Bowman: Okay, Mason. Let's go.

. Blake grabbed the China Lake inside the crate, thinking something big is coming. Bowman pulls down an orange covering wrap down, allowing the player to enter a small sniping perch, where there are Spetsnaz and Viet Cong soldiers patrolling.

Woods: Down there, look! Bowman, sniper rifle. Mason, use the China Lake. Blow these fuckers to kingdom come.

Mason: You got it.

"I know it's the badass way of doing things, but do we really have to fight all of them with just the three of us?" Blake asked.

"Trust me, you have the high grounds in this fight, literally," Yang said.

"But we're still deep into enemy territory where they're expecting us to put up a fight," Blake said.

"But it looks like they don't have a sniper or a grenade launcher, so just fuck 'em over," Yang said. Blake shot out a grenade with the China Lake and the three began to battle. Blake and her team seemed to fight off the Russians very effectively. The hinds fly by in front of Blake and her team.

Woods: Fuck, the Hinds are back! Look out!

"We should probably run awa-" Ruby was cut off from the noise of the helicopters shooting down the plane.

Reznov: Brace yourself, Mason!

"Reznov? Where were you this entire time?" Weiss asked, noticing how Reznov is not just appearing. Mason flies into the plane's cockpit, away from his team. The cockpit falls from the ledge to the ground. Mason hears a person saying numbers.

Numbers Station: [static] …Nine…Nineteen…Eighteen…Four…Six…Twenty-one…Seventeen…Fourteen…

Blake crawls out and sees two Russian soldiers carrying Bowman away.

Numbers Station: …Nineteen…Eight…Twenty-four…Seventeen…Twenty-four…Nine…Thirteen…Five…Thirteen…Eleven…Twenty…

Mason pulls out a pistol and tries to shoot them down, but a soldier kicked the gun out of his hand as Dragovich and Kravchenko walk out of a bush.

Mason: Dragovich... Kravchenko...

Numbers Station: Fifteen…Twenty-one…Ten…Sixteen…Twenty-three…Twenty-four…Twenty-two…

Dragovich: It's been too long, Mason. We must make up for lost time.

Kravchenko throws the apple he was eating at an unconscious Woods, and stomps on Mason, knocking him out. The game flashes white.

"Goddammit, hopefully Reznov has a long convoluted plan of breaking out," Yang muttered.

Author's Note:

It's back, and it's black, technically, in the future it's going to be black, according to Treyarch. Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter I coughed up.