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Post by Basil on Mar 12, 2011 5:47:00 GMT -5
Shivering, Wasp rubbed her glove hands together in an attempt to warm them up. A freezing cold wind had been blowing over Freedom's territory for several days now, heralding the grim start of winter. The sky was obscured by what some claimed to be snow clouds. This was mixed news, since snow would make movement very difficult, but would also make Freedom's territory almost impossible to attack effectively. Maginot had put an end to all expeditions and major artefact-hunting trips and had opted for a defensive stance, something Wasp agreed with. However, some members of Freedom were making it rather hard for that policy.
Wasp had been put in charge of organising and leading nocturnal patrols by Adder. Adder had refused to leave the safety of the warehouses since she had returned from the expedition North. Wasp's new job had quickly turned out to be a gruelling and unpleasant one, since her authority was constantly being contested by some members of Penumbra, the most prominent being Ferret. Ferret drove her wild with his reckless disregard for Freedom's defensive stance, his tendency to ignore her orders as well as his aggressive behaviour. Wasp felt tempted to punch him in the face, but never did. Penumbra was already restless enough.
And tonight she was going on a patrol along Freedom's southern borders. A delicate task since Duty was the faction that lay South, and a task that Ferret would hopefully not be taking part in. The last thing Freedom needed was a war with Duty, something Ferret would probably trigger if he came along.
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Post by Karcentric on Mar 12, 2011 14:24:44 GMT -5
"So remind me, why do I have to go with you to hang out with Freedom?" Four asked plodding along side El.
"We're listening for anything of interest to our goal. Don't you ever listen?" El shot back irritably shivering in the cold, "Let's visit the old farm and warm up, I really can't be arsed walking any further until my feet warm up a little."
"Fine by me." Four replied, partially jealous that Karc had remained at the bar and sent them off to the warehouses.
After warming themselves they pressed on avoiding the maze of anomalies that covered the road and hillside into the Freedom base, as they neared the entrance, a largish Freedomer wielding a MG3 and an exoskeleton suit halted them.
"What are you chaps doing here?" He asked moving from side to side slightly to keep the suits pneumatic system from freezing.
"Just happen to be in the area, maybe going further." El replied, "We want to see how the weather is first."
Giving the two mercs a long stare the man jerked his head, "Go on, but be honest as long as you don't fuck around you're more than welcome to hang about, even with Freedom going through a tough spot."
They gave the guards a courteous nod before making their way to a fire where a group of Freedom members where sitting sharing stories, the two sat down and listened as the members of the group took turns trying to one up one another with stories of increasingly impossible odds and unlikely outcomes.
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Post by blackpapermoon on Mar 13, 2011 11:50:39 GMT -5
Winter was coming soon; a cold stiff breeze blew around the Warehouses. It made Ferret shiver and pull up his hood up over his head he was not looking forward to the winter. Sure Freedom's enemies would have a hard time trying to launch any assaults on their territory but it also meant he would be cooped up at the HQ until the snow melted. He could not bear the thought of just waiting around; Freedom was going through some very rocky times and the only way he saw them getting back on their feet was to be active in the zone, and not keep with in the tight borders of Freedom's territory. Ferret was loyal to Maginot and respected him deeply but however the Penumbra felt that his leader was wrong.
Although he generally followed orders most of the time, he had disobeyed them enough to earn a reputation as a rule breaker and a hothead. He would often go on one-man raids, hunt down and kill off any Duty or Monolith patrols that where hanging around near the Freedom controlled parts of the Red Forest. It was because of one of those raids he was now sporting a pair of new winter boots. People like Wasp might have criticized him but all he had done was eliminate threats before they had become a problem. The risk involved with the raids was greatly diminished by his mutation as he was only near his targets when he whet in for the kill and he made sure that none of the targets survived to report back to their base. The deaths would end up being blamed on mutants and not on Freedom so the risk of Duty declaring war on them was very low to none.
Ferret was now waiting for his latest target to move into position. It seemed that some Dutyers had gotten too curious for their own good and had ventured near the southern part of the Warehouses. For now he was just watching, but if they crossed into the Warehouses they would be dead. He once again let his mind leave his body and began to track the Dutyers. However he was not aware that he was soon to be joined by Wasp and a few other Penumbras.
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Post by Basil on Mar 14, 2011 13:58:56 GMT -5
Now what was Ferret up to? Wasp had the distinct feeling Ferret was disobeying orders yet again, even though she knew he hadn't left the base. From where she stood behind the HQ building, she looked around the Southern part of the base. She saw a few Freedomers sitting outside one of the barracks and smoking something that definitely wasn't a cigarette. The snipers were still up in their towers, keeping an eye on the surrounding area.
Wasp then finally caught sight of someone who looked like Ferret. He was standing in the grassy area in the Southern part of the base that Freedomers used as a shooting range. What on earth was he up to? He looked like he'd been chewing on Gizmo's 'shrooms again. Wasp marched down to where Ferret was, a dangerous look on her face. She was not surprised when the Penumbran did not notice her arrival. Judging from his blank expression and weird posture, he was probably high as a kite.
"FEEEEERRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!", she yelled, her voice piercing the quiet air like a sonic spear. "WAKE UP! STOP MUNCHING MUSHROOMS!"
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Post by blackpapermoon on Mar 14, 2011 16:05:32 GMT -5
Ferret watched the Dutyers, there where four of them armed with basic weapons. They where either scouts or rookies trying to show themselves that they could play with the big boys. Either way it was now clear that they where going to enter the Warehouses. However just then he was pulled back into his body and greeted with unpleasant screeching. Only one person in the zone could blow out his eardrums like that, it was none other than everyone's favorite Mini Commandant, Wasp. He called her that or Little Boss to get on her nerves and the names kind of stuck. Yet he was the only one on base that had the guts to say them to her face.
"Nice to see you Little Boss," he said in his sweetest most sarcastic tone, if he had been snacking on mushrooms he doubted that he could be pulled out of the high so fast. His fast turn around would probably drive her to her wit's end; it seemed that the two only existed to make each other insane. He was sure that there was some talk amongst the other Freedomers, but it was kept well out of their earshot.
"Sorry I don't have time to play," he said as he walked passed her and ruffled her hair; then pulled his arm back before she could do anything. "But there is trouble in the south, some Dutyers think it's a good time to take a hike in our neck of the woods. You can come see for yourself if you want Little Boss."
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Post by Basil on Mar 14, 2011 19:19:58 GMT -5
"Call me Little Boss one more time...", said Wasp, becoming livid. "And I...I..."
Wasp slapped her hand against her brow and screwed her forehead up with her fingers before removing her hand again, having calmed down somewhat.
"You know your relentless killing of Dutiers will be detrimental for us all in the end. With the sheer number of patrols disappearing around Freedom's territory, it's only a matter of time before they fill in the gaps. And in case you didn't fucking notice..."
Wasp paused, smiling. However, her smile was the kind that came before the storm, or in other words, a violent outburst.
"...WE WERE FUCKING DECIMATED BY THE PLAGUE AND DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FUCKING MEMBERS TO WAGE A FUCKING WAR ON DUTY, SO YOU FUCKING STOP YOUR MURDER FEST OR ELSE I'LL PUT A BULLET THROUGH YOUR FUCKING SKULL, COMPRENDES???", she yelled. "Our boss Maginot did his fucking best to build a semblance of peace in our territory, and you, bozo, are destroying everything he's done. By your-fucking-self."
Wasp unholstered her revolver and tapped Ferret on the forehead with its barrel. Ferret's actions could upset the balance of power between Duty and Freedom and lead to another faction war.
"We keep the balance, we live. You upset the balance, and we all die."
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Post by blackpapermoon on Mar 14, 2011 20:04:18 GMT -5
"You better hope that first round is chambered," Ferret said coldly, "I worked a lone and only took out the ones that had crossed into our territory. There is no way I could have taken out all those patrols on my own. I did to them what they would have done to one of our patrols if they were in their territory."
He then took off his riffle and tossed it to Wasp's feet. His one act of submission to her, he cared little for his well being but would give life and limb to protect Freedom.
"You're barking up the wrong tree Little Boss," he said turning away from her, "When those scouts do turn up dead, come find me I'll be waiting at the HQ."
And with that he left, headed towards the decaying brick building that was Freedom's headquarters.
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Post by Karcentric on Mar 15, 2011 3:19:21 GMT -5
El looked around when he heard a loud voice shouting at someone once as Ferret and gave a little chuckle.
"Sounds like someone's in trouble." He said to the Freedomer sitting beside him who was concentrating on rolling a cigarette.
"Must of fell asleep on watch." He said shrugging his shoulders without looking up from the task of rolling and lighting his cigarette.
Another outburst which was much longer made El stand, Four however was happy to dully cleaning his rifle while sitting on a pile of crates.
"Sounds like they're getting along famously." Four muttered looking to El had picked up his pack and was slinging it over his shoulder. "I suppose we're going to check it out right?" The nod from El made him sigh, piecing the SIG back together he followed El as they casually walked in the direction of the argument just in time to see someone stomping off towards the HQ, looking in the direction he'd come there was a woman glaring up towards Ferret until he disappeared.
El cautiously made his way over to where the woman was still standing. While Four stayed where he was, he had no interest in other people's business, he preferred the adventurous side of being a mercenary rather than the waiting and information gathering aspect.
"Excuse my ignorance but was it you who was shouting just before?" El asked, noticing the SIG laying on the ground, obviously discarded by the fellow who had gone into the HQ.
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Post by Basil on Mar 16, 2011 10:19:31 GMT -5
There was a tinkle of glass in the semi-darkness. Adder grabbed an old mortar and pestle and put some yellow and red flowers into it before pounding those into mush. There was a sharp, stinging smell in the air, and a blood-stained piece of cloth was on the table. Adder had found a new plant growing around Bloodsucker Village, and had brought a handful of them back to base. The plant, as it turned out, was very poisonous. Its sap had made her hands swollen and red for two days, and, when she'd started grinding the stuff up, it had released an odorous substance into the air that had made her nose bleed and her eyes almost blind.
Now she only handled the plants with thick gloves and a respirator. So far, she had only used the venom of a mutated snake found only in Limansk and the Red Forest. Getting one of those animals was a tiring job, since they were very reclusive and hard to find. Her left arm still bore bite marks from the many times she'd been bitten by one of the hateful little creatures. Thankfully, she was immune to their venom, otherwise she'd have died an agonising death. This plant, if it proved to be as toxic as she thought it was, would be quite a breakthrough for her, especially if she managed to grow some for harvesting. The fact that the plant was also dangerous for one's respiratory system also meant that she could potentially use the stuff to make poison gas.
After repeated grinding, Adder obtained a pale green mush. She put some of the mush onto a piece of tinned meat.
"All right, you little bastard", she said, her voice muffled by her respirator. "Time for you to die..."
There was an old, rusty bird cage on the floor next to the table she used for her experiments. It contained an emaciated tushkano that hissed and growled at her through the rusty bars of its prison. Adder shoved the meat through the bars and waited for the nasty little brute to eat it. The tushkano did not wait, and wolfed down the food. However, barely a second after finishing it, it began to convulse. The convulsions were then followed by the vomiting of blood. The tushkano died slowly, its body racked by convulsions, and Adder smiled beneath her gas mask.
"We'll see how you like a dose of that stuff, Balalaika", she said.
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"Bloody hell", muttered Wasp. She really hated Ferret for his insolence. Even the fact that he'd handed his gun over to her made her angry. She wanted to kick him in the balls and beat his face in with her boot. Wasp turned to face the newcomer, obviously some kind of mercenary, with a point of irritation.
"Nothing that might concern you, nayomnik", she said. "And what is your business here?"
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Post by blackpapermoon on Mar 16, 2011 11:38:15 GMT -5
Ferret entered the building and slowly climbed the staircase a storm brewing in his mind. He left the situation before he did something he regretted. He wanted so badly to put his hands around Ludmila’s neck and choke the life out of her.
He stopped at that moment, what was he thinking, he might have disliked maybe even hated her but still she apart of both Freedom and Penumbra. He could never lay a hand on one of his comrades in malice.
Taking a hand to his forehead he calmed himself, he needed to rest and clear his mind, before he really hurt someone. However when he came to the top of the stairs a strong smelling odor washed over his senses. What ever it was it was coming form the room where Adder stayed.Not thinking he went to up to the door and found it unlocked.
“Adder..,” said as he opened the door but was soon over come by the fumes, he fell to his keens choking, and coughing trying to get air into his lungs.
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Post by Karcentric on Mar 16, 2011 13:37:29 GMT -5
"Nothing that might concern you, nayomnik", Wasp said. "And what is your business here?"
El smiled even though she had a look in her eye that would of made people flee he felt compelled retort.
"Nothing? Half the camp heard you anarhist, I was simply curious." He said turning and walking back to where Four was still standing, "However should you need some sort of assistance..." He added walking off not waiting for Four who had looked back seeing the angry expression Wasp still had painted on her face.
"Don't mind him, he's got a penchant for the dramatics, he thinks it makes him edgy and attractive. We're just hanging about waiting for orders." Four said, giving a small salute and followed El back to the small group they'd been sitting with before, but took a detour towards the main building to check the local merchandise. Deciding to grab an under barrel grenade launcher for his SIG along with a few grenades and a x4 SUSAT scope along with reducing the recoil.
As he was getting the work done to his gun he heard the sound of someone choking up stairs, bounding up the stairs a sharp odour that stung his senses bringing tears to his eyes, pulling the gas mask quickly on he saw someone weakly clawing away from the room with the offensive fumes.
He grabbed the man by the scruff of his neck and dragged him down the stairs and propped him by the entrance, lifting his mask he saw it was the man who had stormed off just before.
"Not having a very good day are we sailor?" He asked flashing a vicious looking smile, "Come on, let's get you to your feet." He said helping Ferret to his feet.
Four purchases. M203 Grenade Launcher - 3,500 ru M406 Hi-X Round - 1,500 ru SUSAT Scope - 1,200 ru Modernized Inertial Compensators - 2,000 Total= 8,200ru
CHECK
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Post by Basil on Mar 16, 2011 16:36:55 GMT -5
"For fuck's sake..."
Adder got up from her desk and went after Ferret and the other mysterious man who'd dragged him out of the room. She went down the stairs and stopped in front of Ferret, who was coughing and hacking his lungs out, and his impromptu saviour.
"Knock, Ferret, knock. Always knock. Anyway...nothing to worry about. You'll be blind for an hour or two, and your nose will bleed profusely for several minutes. That'll teach you to knock before entering."
Adder eyed the stranger suspiciously. The scar she'd acquired back North marred her face and made her look like a grizzled war veteran. With her reptilian eyes, this made for a rather chilling effect.
"Who're you? A mercenary?", she asked. "And bloody fuck. Opening that door made all the fumes invade the upper floors."
Adder grabbed her PDA and sent a quick message to Freedom's members. "Upper floors of HQ are no go zone due to toxic fumes."
After sending out the message, Maginot stormed into the HQ building with a look of great displeasure on his face.
"-For fuck's sake, Adder", he said. "I told you not to go fucking around with your poisons in the HQ building! Use the northern barracks instead, nobody stays there!"
"-It's freezing in there, Mag", said Adder, "would you want to see me die of hypothermia?"
"-No, but I don't want to have the HQ building turned into a depot for toxic substances. It's where we sleep after all."
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Post by blackpapermoon on Mar 16, 2011 17:41:40 GMT -5
"Not been one of my better days," he mumbled out to the mercenary as he was pulled to his feet, "thanks for pulling me out of there."
It was not long after he said that, Adder came down the stairs and promptly started to lecture him about knocking.
"How the hell was I suppose to know what you where doing up there," he wheezed already starting to experience the symptoms Adder had described, " You stay locked up in one fucking place for days on end then strange smells start coming out of there!"
He was on the boundary point of steeping out of line and he was sure that both Adder and Maginot had heard ears full about his disobedience from Wasp. There was no point in pushing matter any farther so he left it at that.
"Any of the others would have done the same," he said in a more normal voice, "We’re worried about you… Freedom needs it’s commandant back.”
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Post by Basil on Mar 16, 2011 18:23:34 GMT -5
"Freedom needs its commandant back...right. Every time your cherished commandant steps out of these fucking walls, someone or something tries to kill her!"
Adder laughed unpleasantly, earning her a concerned glance from Maginot. Adder waved her hand in irritation and impatience.
"Yup, always. Always! I'm the Zone's favourite fucking target! They're all out to fucking get me, it's just fucking ridiculous! Why? Why? Fuck it all, I'm not leaving this base again! Let Wasp handle all that! Oh, and let's not forget our most beloved friend, Balalaika!"
Adder laughed again before looking back to Ferret.
"And don't forget to stop killing those Dutiers, Ferret. Wasp's been buggering my ears with tails of your little vigilante crap, and I do not sanction that."
And with that, Adder stormed out of the HQ building. Maginot sighed heavily and rubbed his forehead with a weary hand.
"-She still hasn't got over everything that happened to her", he said. "And, well, a lot happened to her. In any case, she's right, Ferret. Your little raids must stop."
Maginot was tired and irritable. He was doing his best to drag Freedom through this difficult period, and Ferret seemed to be doing his best to screw everything up. Adder's behaviour had also been a heavy burden for him, as she'd lock herself up for days on end fiddling with dangerous substances and trying to make the "perfect poison for that evil little bitch Balalaika". He'd also taken the brunt of all her paranoid outbursts and rants, and had always done his best to comfort her when she had nightmares. Adder would also embark on hour long rants about Balalaika, and how she "would make the evil little fucker squirm and squeal in agony" when she killed her.
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Post by blackpapermoon on Mar 16, 2011 20:06:48 GMT -5
He should have listen to Wasp; he really messed things up. He wanted so badly to help but in truth he was only damaging and bit by bit killing Freedom. He needed to make amends with Wasp to start fixing the mess he made. While his vision was still good he left the HQ and headed to the northern barracks. It seemed Adder had been right about the barracks being cold, but for now that did not matter he needed a quite place for what he was about to do.
"Ludmila we need to talk, I'm at the old barracks. Come as soon as you can," he said before sending the message. He thought to use her name instead of Wasp or any of the other nicknames he called in hopes it would show the importance of the message.
"You made it," he said as he slowly sat up trying to get a feel for the area in which she stood. By the time he heard the light foot steeps outside the barracks the fumes side effects had taken full effect.
"I walked in on one of Adder's little chemistry experiments," he explained, "now I can't see too well…look you where right; I'm screwing up things for everyone here…I want to fix this now before I cause any more damage to Freedom."
"I know sorry is not going to cut it, and I'm sure your more then pissed at me," Ferret continued, "so just take it out on me, here and now…I know you been wanting to."
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