Hello puppers, I have been waiting for this chapter for like, half a year so let's gooooo
GOW
The Mistrali Grimmlands roared into life as flocks of birds sung in shock, soaring to the sky. The trees they sat on, where they were either resting or cozied into their homes, were shaken violently. While other trees were tossed to the ground, torn off their roots, falling to their sides.
The Orion, Colwell's customized transport and mobile outpost, a metal beast of steel, atomic power, and guns tore through the woods, paving a new road on where it tred, with crushed trees, stones, and Grimm decorating their path.
While most missions let Colwell bring out The Great Devourer there were missions that required more room than his Vertibird allowed. On those occasions he was able to use Orion, the all-terrain-train he had personally commissioned during the Canine Brigade days. Built and upgraded again and again over the years in the Walk East.
The Devil Dogs mighty tank was more a train-on-treds than a Armored Personnel Carrier. With two interlocked cabins reinforced with industrial steel latched together with reinforced hooks being pulled by a repurposed Constantine Main Battle Tank, with a fitted Fusion Generator increasing its power ten fold, as well as having its dual barreled 70mm turret switched out for a 130mm Gauss Cannon, the blue glow of the barrel glistening as it spun before magnetically shooting a round of raw metal blowing a giant gorilla grimm in half.
The armaments on the cabins themselves include two roof-side platforms, one on each cabin, currently equipped with .50 cal machine guns, using the same mechanism as their vertibird allowing for quick swaps, along with eight side guns, also .50 cal's, four on each cabin, and two on each side.
Both cabins had a small armory fit to restock the Devil Dog's for a week of heavy combat, and enough room to house the twelve members of the Devil dogs and their canines. Along with Power Armor Rigs for their APA, three in each cabin, for on the field repairs or replacements.
Ghost had plenty of memories of traveling in this on the Walk East, it was more of a home to them than the M.F.B. Anchorage, could ever feel with how long they stayed within it. It was their sanctuary between missions and a place of safety during the harrowing nights in the mutant infested Wasteland of post-apocalyptic America. Ghost glanced at the compartment over his bed, tempted to take out his acoustic guitar stashed away, and with how Luison was pacing, agitated, bringing it out to lighten the mood a bit didn't sound too bad.
"Arrival in ten minutes." Minotaur called from the driver's bay followed by another violent shaking, as the Gauss round destroyed whatever it hit.
Never mind then.
"Alright pups, Rico's coming up behind us with the Roughnecks and some Auxiliaries to help us out and he's going to be pissed that we ran out without telling them. Haha! Serves him right for getting drunk before a mission, ah what a dumbass, but you guys all know we don't need them. It's been awhile since we had some fun together as a full pack so let's make sure to have a blast. Argos and Tempest are going to man the topside guns and their jobs are the same as everyone else's; if it's doesn't look like swiss cheese, assume it should. When we get to the hotel, neutralize the guards, oh we should probably try and keep what we can alive for the gray coats shouldn't we? Just make sure if it's resisting, make it stop." Colwell explained with his arms crossed, his head shifting to and from both sides of the room as he debriefed them, or he was just talking to himself about the mission objective. The two were never exactly mutually exclusive.
"Is that the only plan you have? If it moves, shoot it?" Argos sighed, Ghost knew the man hadn't been in the field for a good while but he clearly had the same reservations about the generals plans as he always did.
"It's a marvelous plan." Cerberus defended, as usual.
"At least he's actually trying to take something for the gray coats, those raiders probably aren't going to be enough." Hellhound pointed out.
Hellhound, Cerberus, and Argos. The three pillars of the Devil Dogs that help Colwell lead. Hellhound and Cerberus are the most common fixtures these days, each leading for Colwell when he was busy with other things. Argos spent all his time in the armories thanks to his promotion as the Enclave's Chief Armorer, with the rank of Colonel along with it, in charge of every Armory in Raven Rock. So he wasn't as big a fixture in the field anymore, but he was still involved in the day-to-day.
Argos always disagreed, heavily, on how to handle the General's eccentricities. Cerberus would follow his lead to the end of time without question. While Hellhound liked to challenge him, make him think more than once about doing things.
It wasn't always harmony, it sure wasn't perfect but it worked.
"How are you splitting us up inside?" Ghost asked, leaning back from his seat.
"I'll figure it out when we see the interior, not sure how many we'll need but Argos and Tempast can handle the perimeter. Argos you'll also be in charge of coordinating with the Roughnecks when they show up. Standard coms channel. Any questions?"
Everyone in the transport knew better than to say anything, the General had a habit of making people regret follow-up questions.
"Good, then Tempest and Argos, get ready." Colwell ordered, the two gave a hasty salute before making their way to the guns, another modification Colwell managed to make happen. Tempest walked to the rear cabin, with the use of an antechamber allowing anyone to walk through without problem. Argos, however, walked to a panel near the front of the cabin. Pulling it open revealed a terminal, this terminal was connected to the .50 cals on top of both cabins, an identical one could be found in the rear cabin. Each terminal had a compatible port for their PA's to jack into which allowed for remote control of the guns, with several fixed cameras on the cabin for accuracy.
Once connected though, it kinda looked like an old video game that they played on their Pipboy's in their off-time.
"Approaching. 2000 yards out." Minotaur called.
Ghost double checked his load out, as everyone else was doing. He had a Gatling laser assigned to him for the mission, all of them did, but his short barreled Tri-beam laser rifle was magnetically clamped to his back so he could grab it in a pinch, his usual 45 semi auto was on his right hip incase it was needed but he wasn't much of a quickdraw and in the event of a true emergency his knife was sheathed on his left thigh under his PA.
The General didn't need to bother with a weapons check since he kept enough weapons in his Pipboy to restock the armory in Orion if needed, not to mention the arm cannon that always stayed fastened to his side.
"1500 yards out. We're nearing the front entrance, want me to knock?" Minotaur held a tinge of humor in his voice.
"Maybe. Let me introduce ourselves, see if they want to be weak or stupid today." Boss ordered before walking to the hand held microphone. It was attached to the massive speakers surrounding the cabins.
"This is Fenrir, Commander of the Devil Dogs, and we are the Enclave. You are in violation of Enclave Law by being outright corrupt assholes and criminal dickheads. Feel free to surrender now and be honored to have been defeated by the greatest Squadron in the entire Enclave Military." Colwell's voice called out through a speaker system that Ghost knew from memory could be heard from miles around.
"We've got guards on the walls. Minimal armors, no helmets, and they're shouldering their weapons." Argos announced.
"And turrets are being powered, brought out from hidden compartments, unsure of type." Mintour added.
"Looks like they chose stupid today. Minotaur!" The General yelled out.
"Yes, boss?"
"Knock."
"Hehe."
Ghost felt the Orion speed up, his body pushed back by the amount of momentum being developed.
"Yeehaw motherfu-"
Minotuar's voice was overshadowed by the loud screeching and bending of metal, the cabin shook violently as they charged through the metal gate.
Soon after, something sounding keenly similar to rain began hitting the cabin filling the silence.
"We've got heavy fire. Fully automatic small arms, with those turrets for support. No heavy weapon or AT in sight. Responding in kind." Argos reported, as the wonderful sound of a 50. Cal releasing hell soon echoed into the cabin.
"On board sensors detect far below minimum damage. Looks like that Dust stuff really are BB pellets. Going to turn the Orion around and take out those turrets, shit bullets can still get lucky." Minotaur added on to Argos report, causing the cabin to rumble as he moved their ride.
Ghost couldn't help but agree with Minotuar's comment about luck. He's seen the shit his boss has pulled off and it has made him a firm believer of Lady Luck, and the SPECIAL Algorithm.
"The moment Minotaur fires his shot open the cabin doors." Colwell ordered, Ghost formed up by the cabin door, on its right side, followed by Kraken and Luison, while the other side was covered by Lakas, Sirius, and Grayhound. While Colwell stood several feet from the door, face facing forward, with Hellhound and Cerberus behind each shoulder.
The general also took this opportunity to materialize his personal gatling laser, primed and rotating, roaring for battle.
And not a moment too late either, as the Orion shook, the main gun released its payload. Without a single word Ghost and Lakia pull the latches that locked the door down, causing the door to fall open. Colwell, as always charged forward, followed by his fireteam, then Lakia's then Ghost's.
The courtyard, Ghost could tell, was a well-kept garden, perhaps even a park, maybe both. Flower beds, trimmed trees, small concrete pathways, along with well made wooden benches. It felt like he walked into an old Pre-War HoloVid.
It would have stayed pretty if Minotaur hadn't driven down right through. Trees push apart, bushes crushed, flower petals everywhere, stone walkways shattered, and a singular, unlucky, bench crushed down to the nub.
Ghost looked up, towards the wall, and saw the giant hole the Orion made when it rammed through, and above it, to the left, was another hole, this one likely caused by the Gauss Cannon.
The other turret, however, was still operational and fired continuously at them. The Dust rounds did nothing to their armor as they retaliated with a unified gatling barrage turning it into a piece of melted scrap metal.
"Where the shit did the guards go?" Kraken swiveled around, searching for them.
"I turned one into a bloody mess with a few rounds of the fifty. The other guy ran off when he saw his friend disintegrate." Argos radioed through, unimpressed with the situation.
"Hah, pussy." Kraken laughed.
"Minatour, get out and search for the guy."
"On it, boss!"
"AHHHHHRRAHZZAAH!" A woman screamed, her yell strangled with struggle.
"Look at what we have here." Cerberus' words carried curiosity with them as she dragged a well-dressed woman, with tears streaming down her face.
"A guest." Hellhound commented.
"Must have been outside when we barged in." Lakas remarked.
"If there's one then there's others." Ghost finished.
"Agreed, Kraken, stay out here with Argos and his group. Round up any of these fine folks you find and herd them near Orion before grouping back up with us. We're going on ahead." Colwell ordered before marching towards the hotel, with others in tow.
Cerberus tossed the crying lady to Kraken, who he caught, before walking back to Orion.
Ghost formed up behind Colwell as his general took point. Nearing the hotel's main entrance a pair exited with weapons drawn.
The first was a man who had graying hair with a half baked excuse of leather armor, with a weirdly added plate pauldrons on his left shoulder. At least the guy's weapons looked decent, standard looking black colored leather armor wielding a set of steel maces in each hand while having another pair of swords sheathed at both sides of his hip.
The second was a woman who had deep green hair, wearing a white blouse, black leggings, and a single silver breastplate that barely covered her cleavage and her left hand held a metal barbed whip.
Ghost was in the Devil Dogs long enough to know who to target first, and opened fire on the man in leather armor, the rest of the squad doing the same.
It was impossible for Ghost to tell how many rounds made contact with the man before he was vaporized but the look of shock on his face as the strange glow, probably that Aura of theirs, did nothing to help him as his flesh burned red before dissolving clear into ash.
The woman's eyes grew wide in surprise and in fear before giving them one more glance before she ran inside with her whip between her legs.
Ghost and the Devil Dogs marched into the building, the front glass doors torn off their hinges and crushed beneath their metal boots. Some Dogs favored smashing holes through the walls, crumbling concrete coating their armor in dust, while their canines zipped through their legs, barking and nipping at anyone nearby, corralling them closer together.
Ghost supposed they looked like the rich sort. Jewelry, nice clothes, make up, and a severe lack of back bone, half of them fainted or were out right balling their eyes out.
Ignoring them for now, Ghost, and the others, focused their guns at that woman again, if he remembered right she'd be called a Huntress.
"Contact! Second floor!" Lakias called out before letting out a few bolts.
Ghost looked up and scanned the area above him. Responding fire came soon after, bouncing off Greyhound's armor harmlessly.
"Marked!" Luison yelled.
Ghost then saw an outline of red to his right, a man with a large rifle in hand. A continuous volley of fire burned that particular corner of the second floor to ash soon after.
Then Ghost felt gunfire on his left pauldrons. Looking up he saw the same man they just turned to dust, on a different corner of the second floor, completely unharmed.
"How the fuck?" Laikas yelled in surprise.
"Semblance!" Colwell reminded them, firing onto the rifle-holding bastard's position.
"Fucking muties," Greyhound growled quietly.
"Greyhound, take care of the sniper and take a few of the hounds with you. Rest of you kill that-the fuck!" Colwell yelled, causing Ghost to look towards his general. His gun hand was wrapped with a barbed whip from the Huntress they saw before.
The green haired Huntress then started runned to the side before jumping and somehow flying through the air, feet first in a drop kick pose.
"Oh, no you don't." Colwell roared as he dropped his gatling laser and pulled the rope towards him. Instead of causing the women to go off course she, somehow, used the momentum to change her direction pivoting towards Luison.
Ghost also noticed that she got faster.
"The hell!?" The General yelled before he unsheathed his combat knife, hidden in between his neck and left pauldron. He began to hack away at the whip with full force tearing away the leather but not cutting through. In the center of the leather was metallic lace of an unknown type strong enough to resist power armor strikes!
"Oh this is bullshit!" His boss yelled in anger.
A stray laser bolt shot past Ghost's head causing him to twitch around seeing Lakias shouldering his rifle.
"Watch your fire!" Ghost growled.
"My bad! This bitch is squirrely, I can't get a beat on her!" Lakias apologized.
"Grab her then!" Colwell yelled from behind Ghost.
"Come here you!" Hellhound dropped her gatling laser and stepped into her way, arms opened wide to catch her. Instead of avoiding her the Huntress soared forward and kicked her in the chest.
"Oof!" Hellhound grunted as the force of the kick knocked the air out of her. The woman then pushed herself off his chest and back into flying.
No one fired at her due to fear of friendly fire. The way she flowed through them was unnatural and freakish but annoyally effective.
Suddenly, just as she dodged another grab for her she dropped to the floor along with the rope.
Ghost followed the rope back to the boss and held the now cut end with one hand and his Ripper in another.
There was a moment of pause before Hellhound and Cerberus pounced on her. Hellhound gave her a nasty stomp to the chest, her Aura flaring but holding, women screamed in pain. Then Cerberus one upped her by doing a falling knee onto the women's pelvis. Shattering her Aura with a resounding cracking glass sound and a following scream of pain as the rest of the force dropped into her.
Boss neared her with a confident gait.
"How-gah-did you-ahh-cut my whip!" The women breathed desperately for air, confused and shocked at being caught off guard.
"Got the right tool at the right time." Boss showed off his new Ripper. He won it at a poker game back at camp with Rico last night.
Lady Luck shines on him once again.
GRAHGRAHGRAHGRAHGRAH
Gatling fire caught their attention.
Ghost about-faced and searched for the source and saw flashes of light above them. Grayhound was firing his weapon, the barks of their hounds interceding themselves, on the second floor. Return fire from the Huntsman was sent as Ghost heard the noticeable pinging off Grayhounds armor.
"Ghost, Luison, support Grayhound!" General Colwell ordered. Ghost and Luison wordlessly sprinted to the stairs.
GOW
"Now, what's your name?" Colwell asked, dropping down one knee, menace in his words enchanted by the synthetic filtration of his helmet.
Tri-Tripe." She replied, catching her breath. Hellhound's foot was removed but Cerberus' knee was still on her pelvis.
"What do you do around here, Tripe?" He asked, the sounds of more gunfire can be heard behind him.
"I-I'm the Huntress in charge of protection here." She explained, then gasping in pain as the weight of Cerberus was getting to her.
"And what a bang up job you're doing at it. How about that guy my soldiers turned into ash?" The General asked.
"He-he was my partner, Rhodes." She answered, fearful.
"Good, and was his aura at all worn out before we arrived?" Colwell asked, if they were able to kill him that quickly with concentrated laser fire then the Aura shielding wasn't much of a threat to them in the grand scheme of things.
That and he wanted to have a bit of fun.
She shook her head, before closing her eyes in pain and gritting her teeth.
"Loud enough for the whole class to hear, would you?" Colwell sweetly demanded, turning his head to the civilians huddling under tables and hugging each other, tear stains and piss stains equally spread among the guests.
"He was at full aura! Y-your soldiers killed him while he was full of aura…sir!" She said, loudly, hesitantly adding the honorific.
Cowell went to speak to the crowd but a man's scream stopped him.
"AHHH!"
A man wearing half-plated armor fell from the second level terrace, two dogs biting and holding on tight to his arm and leg. He landed on the floor with a resounding crack, his Aura shattering, before releasing a groan.
Colwell watched as Ozzy, Ghost's German Shepherd Cyberdog, stood on top of his chest with his snout hovering over the Huntsman face, a deep and guttering growl coming out of the hounds' lugs.
"Ni-"
RAAGGFFG
Ozzy bit into his neck, twisting his jaw as he bit down. The man gurgled blood as he helplessly died. With a finish Ozzy twisted and pulled, tearing his jugular off before slowly stepping away from the body and sitting down, slowly chewing his prize.
"Hey, no eating! Jobs not done yet!" Ghost yelled from above down to Ozzy. The dog whimpered before letting the pieces of skin and meat in his mouth down to the floor. Ozzy and the other Cyberdog sprinted to the stairs to return to their current masters.
"Not what I had in mind but way better than what I wanted." Colwell smiled cruelly, he glanced at the guests around them. Some are now vomiting at what happened.
His radio crackled to life.
"Boss, the second floor is clear. At least in the main hall. Want us to search out for anyone else and drag'em here?" Ghost asked him.
"Sure, clear the other floors while you're at it. I'll send Kraken up when he's done."
"Got it, Boss."
There was barking upstairs for a few moments before they slowly disappeared from earshot.
A door, suddenly, was blown off it hinges to Colwell's left letting Luison exit along with a train of frightened locals, wearing chef's clothes, cleaning uniforms, and more.
"The staff," Colwell thought.
"Hey boss, look at what I found." Luison called, presenting them with a dramatic wave of his hand along an excited pep in his voice.
"Good, put them with the others. You clear the rest of the floor?"
"Done, boss, though I found a door leading to a basement but had a pack of them with me already so I couldn't head deeper." Luison sounded apologetic at this.
"Now that's quitter talk. No more clearing for you." Colwell emphasized this with a pointed finger.
"Wh-wha?! But boss!" Luison moved to argue.
"Ep-ep-ep. No arguing. Your own fault for taking the initiative for clearing the floor without an order and not following through with all of it. Your gettin' babysitting duty as punishment."
Luison's shoulders sagged.
"Yes, boss," Dejected, he turned to the growing group of locals huddled near the concierge desk. Colwell stood beside him, observing the huddled mass of people.
"Which one of you is the owner of this place?" Colwell asked the crowd. They stayed silent, afraid to speak.
"The General asked a question!" Luison announced, his rifle barrel pointed at them causing some to scream.
"N-none of us! Please, don't shoot us" One of the cooks yelled, his head covered by his arms.
"Then where the hell is he?" Colwell demanded.
"I-I don't know! I haven't seen her since this morning!" The same cook answered.
"Hmph. Hey Tripe, where the hell is your boss?" Colwell called put to the still trapped Huntress.
"She's in-in the basement." The huntress grunted out. Colwell ignored the whimper in pain as Cerberus put pressure on her, preferring to turn to Luison, shaking his head. The soldier looked down in shame.
"Now why would she be down there? You wouldn't have happened to tell her about us while we weren't looking, did you?" Colwell walked towards her pinned body, his body looming over her. She gulped in fear.
"No-no, sir. She went down there about an hour ago to check on the new shipments that came in last night."
"A new shipment, you say? That wouldn't happen to be live merchandise would it?" Colwell asked, personally he had no interest in saving whatever slaves they had down there. He just wanted to crack skulls and shoot something, but freeing slaves was something he always did if they were in his way, no matter where they were. The entire concept was an insult to the Freedom of America and freeing them insulted the slavers right back.
"Live? I-No, it was a porcelain shipment along with new glassware. We don't keep live animals here. Sir!" She quickly added the honorific, nearly forgetting it.
Colwell tilted his head, confused. She was captured and at his mercy and she wanted to lie? No, she wasn't lying. She's telling the truth, his gut said so.
"Animals? I'm talking more of a human-like shipment." Colwell pushed, wanting her to clarify.
She gave him a confused look before blinking in realization.
"Slaves? You think we have slaves? Is that why you attacked us?" She asked surprised.
"One of several reasons why, yes." He kneeled down, his knee inches away from her face. She paled at it before looking towards him.
"We don't trade in that here. Whoever told you that is lying!" She yelled, anger and frustration seeping in her voice.
Colwell's eyes narrowed. She was telling the truth, that anger of hers proved it but so was Raven. That woman was too scared and certain of this place being a slave hub to have made the whole thing up. Plus, how would she benefit from it? She wasn't a raider anymore, if she wanted to keep their protection that is.
"Our source was absolutely certain that this was a slave hub for the Black Market. He couldn't have come up with that idea on his own." Colwell stated.
"I-I may have an answer."
Colwell turned and saw a cleaning woman raising her hand, shaking in fear but still brave enough to answer.
"Well, well, a cooperative local, ain't that a first? You give me a good enough answer and I'll give you the VIP treatment." Colwell offered, the women almost looked elated at the prospect.
"I-I have no clue who your source was but I can only assume it was one of the guests, probably one of our one-timers. He-he must have seen Cinder with Madame Bellen. She's the only one that can be considered a slave here, and-and, being honest, she is." The woman gulped as she finished.
"Cinder?" Colwell questioned.
"Yes, Cinder. She's a little girl the Madame brought here. We thought she adopted another daughter, she has two already, they should be in their suite on the top floor, but I noticed Cinder started wearing a shock collar a little while after she arrived. She abuses her, forces her to do as much as possible, and barely feeds her." Some anger laced the cleaning women's words.
"Sounds like a slave." Colwell mused, agreeing with her, but he needed to confirm her story.
"Tripe, is what she saying true?"
"...Yes, but-"
"Good to know. Cerberus hogtie her, she's going to the testing cabin."
"What-No!" The Huntress screamed before her lips were covered by his third in command's hand. Using the remnants of the Huntress' whip to tie a knot trapping the woman's arms and legs behind her back. Cerberus then ripped a piece of the huntress' leggings and stuffed it inside her mouth.
Colwell turned back to the cooperative women.
"Now, if you didn't like what this Madame whatever was doing, why didn't you do anything about it?" He accused, causing the women to freeze, hands clamped together in fear.
"I-I-Someone tried once. One of the other maids. They tried to give her food when the Madame was starving her. She fired her and ignored whatever payment was due for the week, but…but the worst part was that the Madame forced her to walk through the Grimmlands back to Mistral." Colwell grunted, adding the ' and she was never heard from again' in his head. It didn't need to be said, the implications were easy to notice.
"She put the fear of God in you then? I can get that but if she can just kick you out whenever to kill you, why not just leave then? You guys get shipments in, why not hitch a ride back with them. Hell, why come here in the first place if it's so dangerous?" These people were weak, fragile, and cry babies. Why come out here if death can happen at any second.
"...It's the pay. Working out here is three times the pay back in Mistral, even with the shitty contract we have to sign." She began gripping the cloth around her chest.
"You have nothing to spend it on though, I don't see a shopping mall out here." Colwell waved his hand, referring to beyond the walls of the hotel.
"I send it back to my family in Mistral." She explained.
"So, you took a job that could potentially kill you, dragging you far from home, stranding you in the middle of nowhere, and on top of all that you're stuck working for a monster bitch. All so you can give the money for your folks back home."
"Yes," Her admittance was the first time she had an inch of courage in her, maybe even pride in her sacrifice.
"I respect it." Hard work to push for a better future, dangers be damned. She'd be a great American if she wasn't a dirty local.
"Uhm…thanks?" She slowly responded, which Colwell ignored.
"Where's the girl now, Cinder, I mean?"
"She should be in the basement. The Madame always has her reorganize the storage room the whole day and night when a new shipment comes in."
"Perfect, a two for one deal. Cerberus, Hellhound, we're heading downstairs."
"Wait!..Did..did I do good?" She interrupted with fear, before hesitantly asking him.
Colwell turned his head towards her and gave a thumbs up causing the women to shake in relief.
"You did a very good job. You go sit in that chair over there, and look pretty. You've got VIP treatment from here on out." Colwell didn't bother looking if she sat in the chair or not as he and his two officers followed behind him, with Sandy by his heels every time of the way. They walked through the door that Luison broke down entering the staff area.
"Boss, take your first left, then two doors down. It should be on your right." Luison radioed to him.
"Got it," Colwell responded, following his direction and not long after found the basement door, jarred open. He grabbed the door then pulled it off its hinges, tossing to the side.
Wordlessly, he took the stairs down, needing to hold on to the sides to steady himself with how small and brittle the stone steps were. Once they arrived at the bottom it eerily reminded him of a cheaper and unsophisticated nuclear bunker. Wood walls, simple cement floor, and low hanging lights. No visible air filtration or bulkheads for protection.
"Thought this place was supposed to be wealthy. This is a shitty ass basement." Colwell mused, confused about the underground level. Everyone knew their basement was supposed to be their emergency shelter. How the hell were they supposed to survive down here if someone broke through the top side?
"Then again, they're local's. Can't expect savages to understand the importance of home defense. Probably wouldnt understand the concept of the Second Amendment if they tried." He thought with amusement.
BARK!
Sandy barked at the first door, metal with a lever handle to open it, causing Colwell to grin. He nonchalantly opened the door, getting a blast of cold mist onto his helmet.
It was a walk in freezer filled with meat.
"Hah, looks like meat is on the menu for tonight. Mark it for later, and you Sandy is going to get the first piece when we're done." Colwell scratched the dog's head, his tail wagging as he gave his armored hand a kiss.
"You stupid girl! How many times do I need to tell you! Don't touch the merchandise! You destroyed a dozen pieces of glassware because of your stupid semblance and your disgusting obsession over it! No food for tonight or tomorrow and don't even think about sleeping! You're going to be cleaning dishes till the end of next week!"
"Please, Mistress! I didn't men-AGGHH!"
The General snapped his head towards the yelling, hand on his revolver. He gave a low whistle, commanding Sandy to find the source. Hellhound and Cerberus reading their heavy weapons. The good boy briskly jogged down the hall, past several doors, until stopping to the last door down the corridor. Sandy growled lightly.
"Good boy, Sandy," Colwell whispered as he gave him a small scratch. Colwell waved his hand with a sign causing the others to form up by the door's sides while he stood in front of it.
"Get up! GET UP! If your gonna cry use your tears to wash those dishes, you ungrateful smudge!" The woman yelled, her angry footsteps and the sorrowful tears of the girl she enslaved neared closer and closer to the door. Colwell calmly upholstered his revolver and pointed it at the door.
The door then swung open revealing an older woman and a young girl, far younger than he thought.
The older woman froze, her eyes in shock at his appearance. Flawless and well kept white skin, bright green eyes, managed and combed hair with a flowing skirt and a complementary blouse. The lady was honestly pretty, in the same way Sandy was a very handsome boy.
The younger girl, and she really was a girl looking barely out of the single digits had dirty white skin with tears streaking down her face. Sickly amber eyes shocked like her mistress. Messy hair, sticking out in all directions and looking unhealthy, brittle even.
"Surprise!" Colwell declared with a smile.
GOW
"Surprise!" The metal man yelled, his voice messed up, almost robotic. The gun he held pointed at her and Mistress menacingly.
Who is he?!
How did he get here?!
Why is he here!?
And a thousand and more questions ran through Crinder's mind. Mistress' grip on her shoulder loosened and with a quick glance Cinder knew it was because of shock.
"She doesn't know who they are," She noted and the shock Cinder had changed to fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of dying.
She didn't want to die, she couldn't die. No matter how horrible life put her down, crushed her into the dirt, and spat on her; Death was never and will never be an option.
She never had a choice on what to eat. She never had a choice on what to wear. She never had a choice on where to go, what to do, how to do it, why to do it, or when to do it. She never had a choice, ever.
Except on how to die.
She never asked to be brought to life, to live this hell, but she will fight to end it on her terms!
"Who the hell are you!" Her Mistress yelled
grabbing Cinder's shoulder again. She pulled the younger girl in front of her, as a shield.
"Name's Colwell, General Colwell, and we're the new owner of this fancy hotel of yours." He informed them. Cinder could feel the grip on her shoulder get tighter, if that was even possible. She would have stood frozen herself if the Mistress didn't pull her backwards, back into the storage room.
The man stepped forward as they stepped back, his footsteps terrifyingly heavy, and the helmet he wore held glowing eyes, colored a deadly blood red.
"Bullshit! I have six fully fledged Huntsmen guarding this place! No way you got through them all!"
"I wouldn't say I went through them, more like I stepped over their bodies while the rest surrendered." The man told them, as he continued to walk towards them one step at a time. Cinder could feel the mistress's body start to shake, whether it was anger or fear or some mix of both she couldn't tell.
"You're lying. You're lying! You snuck past Rhodes team didn't you? He'll be down here any minute!" the mistress yelled.
The man said nothing, merely walked.
"Wait, wait! I can give you money! All of it!" She bartered, the man scoffed.
"Land?! I have land, more than just the hotel! I'll give you the deeds, everything! Make it all legal for Mistral so the Clans won't bother you." Mistress offered, and the man shook his head in disappointment.
"What-What about her! Here! Have her! She's already broken, trained, and collared! Here's the remote! And my daughter's! You have them too! Just don't kill me!" She begged, tears escaping her eyes.
Cinder's body froze up, horrified and surprised at her Mistress's offer. Offering her as a sacrifice wasn't shocking, in fact it was expected, but offering her own daughters as well? Never in her life did she expect the women to do that.
There was a growl, synthetic and filled with rage.
Cinder looks at the dog-thing near the man's feet. A freak of nature and machine, where half its body was mechanical while the other half was still fleshy dog. Horrifingly, its dog brain was visible beneath a glass dome on its head. She would have vomited if her fear wasn't winning over her disgust.
She also noticed the growl didn't come from the dog.
Heavy footsteps echoed from the doorway before another armored man entered then another. Instead of a large revolver the first one held, they wielded giant cannon-like guns aiming at them, threateningly.
"Run that by us again, you mutant slug." His voice-her voice slowly commanded. Cinder almost mistook her as a man but after a second of thought the difference in pitch, despite the distortion, was too much to not be a woman's.
Her Mistress whimpered before pulling them back, further away from them, and securing Cinder's place in front of her.
CRAAKCRUUNCHCRAANK
Cinder nervously looked down, noticing the broken pieces of glass from the pair of glass heels she made cracking beneath her and Mistress' were thrown to the ground when Mistress discovered her.
Cinder knew using the Mistress' glass again and getting caught using her semblance on top of that would get her punished severely but she couldn't help herself.
She never had spare time nor even enough hours to sleep. The days when shipments arrived were the only times she was left alone long enough to do something she enjoyed.
She didn't own anything. Everything she had was the bare minimum her Mistress was willing to provide her to survive and be presentable to the guests and staff. From the shoes she wore from the bed she slept on, nothing was her own.
Except for what she made.
The glass wasn't hers she knew that but the Mistress paid for glass plates and champagne flutes not pony figurines and marbles. She made that. She owned that. They were hers and hers alone and no one else's.
Today, she had an urge to forget, to forget her sorrows, her circumstance, and her anguish. To forget her life for a moment before dealing with another day of hard labor.
And so she made herself the perfect pair of glass heels.
She didn't know how to wear heels, not very well at least. She had made glass heels once before to both see if she could and how they felt. She fell once, breaking the heel and after repairing it she began wobbly walking around the storage room with a tear on her face and a smile on her lips.
It was one of her happiest memories.
She always saw the lady guests wear high heels, with matching accessories and toe rings. The confident gait they had when they wore their best pair. The tapping echo they make in the halls announcing their presence without fear or consequence. The extra inches of height gained from a taller set. The way the heels had them stand and walk catching the eye of men.
She needed to feel like that for just a moment, using her imagination and dreams to appear in a ballroom with boys eyeing her with interest and women looking at her with envy. She would wear the most beautiful dress in all of the room. It would be bright, of high quality, and perfect. Her heels would be of glass and engraved with designs. Diamonds and emeralds placed on silver and gold laces and chains lining her body, and hanging from her wrists, heads, and neck, decorating her body. Then she would dance, choosing one of the boy's before shooing him away for being unsatisfactory and then pulling another to see if he met her standards. Moving from one end of the ballroom to another, never stopping, never ending, as not one could match her.
Until the doors of the room would slam open and a handsome man would appear, in her dreams he never had a face but it would always be one she liked, very much so. He would be built with muscles but not bulging, just enough to be noticeable through the sophisticated, and expensive, suit he would wear. He would near her, bow, and offer a dance. She would agree and as soon as he took her hands he would lead them into the next dance. Matching her step by step and move by move, never faltering or failing for a single moment.
And then they would stop, the music, never clear nor even audible in her dreams, but she knew there was always music, stopping abruptly along with them. Then laughter would erupt across the entire ballroom, fingers pointed at her.
Cinder looked down to find her beautiful dress turned to rags, her glass heels turned into worn-out leather sandals with a visible hole on one of them, and her jewels turned to slug smudging her skin with black oil.
She would begin to cry hysterically, curling herself into a ball from all the pointed fingers and laughs.
But, just as suddenly, it would stop.
Cinder, confused, would look up, and find the same man, her handmade man, her prince, offering his hand.
She would accept hesitantly then be pulled along with him to his home and his family, who would accept her and love her, just as much as her prince. They would live happily, forever.
But before she could wear her new glass heels her Mistress threw open the door and found her red handed.
Now this.
"...ves's here!" Her Mistress cried out, as Cinder's mind returned to her surroundings leaving her dreams.
"Then who the fuck is she then!? She's got a collar, you got the remote, and you screeched loud enough for us to hear that you're not gonna feed her! Sounds like a slave to me!" The other metal man-err women screamed.
"You're a slaver, lady, and slavery is illegal under Enclave Law and it's something I personally hate. Both lead to capital punishment." The first metal man said, anger in his voice.
They…are they here to save her? To free her! The sheer amount of hope and joy that soared through her chest was indescribable.
"Ba-Back up! Back up! If you want to save her you gotta do what I say cause with one press of the button I'll fry her neck to ash." Her Mistress declared, hiding behind her showing the remote to her collar to them.
The metal people didn't flinch but the man raised his hand motioning something to the others. He then pointed the pistol away from her and towards the far wall.
No…No! This-this bitch! She can't do this! Not being so close to freedom!
Cinder looked at the glass on the floor.
"They'll save me, they have to. They came here for me. They'll keep me alive." She thought to herself, convincing herself of her survival. Fearful that if she fails to stop her Mistress before she presses the button then she would lose her neck.
Cinder focused her Aura before opening her palm and slowly heating the glass, not enough to be noticeable but enough to prepare it for a fast-shaping.
"Good! Good. Now, move to yo-no, my right! Come on, move!" Her Mistress declared.
The metal people did not move. The metal man in particular titled his head to her. No, not to her.
Her hand.
"What are you doing? Do you want her to die?! Move!" Her Mistress screamed, getting more and more agitated.
Cinder continued to heat the glass, focusing, ignoring the screams.
"I swear to Oum I will kill her! Fucking move!"
The glass began to glow hot in yellowish red, steam rising into the air.
"What type of wannabe heroes are you!?" Her Mistress screamed once more, shaking Cinder in her rage, almost canceling Cinder's semblance.
"We're not wannabe heroes, lady, we're the real deal. And to pathetic crone's like you, we're the Devil's ready to drag you down to hell to pay for your sins but it looks like it's your lucky day cause it looks like we don't need to be either for this little slave girl." The metal man announced. Cinder froze for a second, glancing at him. The metal man gave her a nod.
"What are you talking about?!" Her Mistress didn't realize it, so focused on them. That her shield, her servant, her slave, was taking her chance at freedom.
The glass began to sizzle, pop, and shoot towards her hand forming in the shape of a large spike, glowing hot red before cooling instantly to her touch.
Cinder turned, facing her Mistress, the woman's eyes wide in surprise and before she could react Cinder stabbed her in the stomach. The Mistress stiffened in shock giving Cinder a chance to stab her again.
And again.
And again
And again.
Cinder lost count how many times she stabbed her. Nor did she know how she ended up on top of her Mistress. All she knew was that her Mistress deserved it.
Deserved to feel all of Cinder's rage. All of her anguish. All of her sorrows. All of her relief. She deserved to feel it all in the form of her makeshift shiv getting stabbed into her chest.
"You got a lot of spunk for a slave."
Cinder stopped, the voice far closer than before, causing the haze of her mind to clear gradually. She noticed the blood in hands, covered in the crimson Hue. Her sleeves and clothes were drenched in it. The sensation of something dripping off her chin. Her dagger, once a pristine bluish white glass now only red in color.
Her Mistress, the woman in her nightmares and abuser while awake, was unrecognizable. She had stabbed her everywhere, her chest, stomach, shoulders, and her face, all over her face. It looked more like a thumb of meat and bone than a face.
She began breathing quickly. Her mind became numb, and her stomach turned.
She vomited, right on top of Mistress' corpse.
"Well, former slave now." The voice spoke to her again. The metal man's voice.
Cinder moved off of her, disgusted with her state of dress and the bloody vomity mess of the corpse. She weakly crawled away before turning onto her rear, using her shoulders to prop her up.
Cinder looked up and found the giant armored men bent to one knee next to the body examining her work. He glanced at her weapon before opening his palm to her. Cinder, hesitantly, dropping in his metal hand.
He 'hmmed' as he felt it, ignoring the blood scraping onto his hands.
"Not bad, and you were under pressure too. How the fuck could Raven not call this magic cause that was pretty magical to me?" He spoke to her but his rhetorical question was towards the other two.
One shrugged at the question.
"The whore wouldn't be able to tell what magic is even if it blew up her flat ass." The other snarled.
The man chuckled.
"Maybe. So, kid, any other slaves down here?" The man asked.
Cinder starred as her mind remained dull.
"Hey, kid, wake up." The man snapped his metal finger in front of face. Cinder lightly shook her head as she blinked rapidly.
"Eh-yes? Yes, sir!" After a moment of realization Cinder stood quickly and faced him.
"Well, that's more like it. Alright, girly, I'll ask again. Are there any other slaves down here?"
Other slaves?
"No, sir. I'm the only one." Cinder responded.
"In the basement?" The man asked, seeking clarification.
"No sir, in the hotel. I'm the only slave the Mistress bought."
"Wait, seriously? You're the only one?" The man sounded surprised, perhaps disappointed even.
Cinder didn't know how to respond to that.
"Ok, then did the old bitch traffic any slaves through here?"
Cinder blinked before eyes narrowed in confusion.
"No, she never did that."
The man crossed his arms.
"Well, shit. Looks like Raven has earned two smacks to that ass of hers." The man said with a chuckle.
"Just two?" One of the other's asked.
"For now," He responded.
Cinder didn't know who this Raven was but she didn't want to be anywhere near her when those 'smacks' happened.
Suddenly, the three of them raised their right hand to their ear, as if listening to something.
"Well, look who decided to show up. You're late Rico!" He said before slowly walking towards the door, the other two following with him.
Cinder stood there, alone, confused, and hesitant to follow.
One of them turned to her and motionied to follow.
And so she did.
GOW
I'm curious if anyone expected Cinder? This chapter looks a little different than the first drafts of it but I'm happy with how bahl reworked it and with what he kept. Though now the Enclave's first official raid in Remnant has come to a close, smooth sailing. Next up we get to see autumn's mission to make contact with locals. I'm sure nothing bad will happen there.
Also, are you a fan of our enclave? Do you want to fight for America's soul in a world filled with monsters hunting bad feelings? Do you have an idea for a squad that can serve the greatest country on earth? As of two-three months ago you can! Official forms to submit squads and soldiers are live and ready for you to fight for America.
As always if you enjoyed give me a fave/kudos if you want to keep reading a bookmark/follow would be nice, and if you want to comment, we both love reading those, as mentioned I have a discord which I love seeing people in to talk about this story or any of my other ones or just talking in general. /5B4kC2qSG3