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Post by Basil on Jan 4, 2011 11:32:44 GMT -5
As the little group dissolved, going off to attend whatever business they needed to attend, a lone stalker was sitting in the snow in the area known as the Wild Territory. He was hiding behind the base of an observation tower, hoping that whoever had shot his two companions was not watching him. His leg was badly injured and bleeding, and he would die if he didn't reach help soon.
It had happened nightmarishly fast. There had been the thunderous KRA-KOW of an SVD somewhere to their left, and Fork's head had literally exploded in a red mist of blood and pulverised bone. With terrible speed, Spoony had suffered the same fate, the top of his blown off like a rotten watermelon, and then had come the searing pain in his leg as a bullet had smashed into his ankle and tibia, maiming him. The stalker had managed to crawl to the relative safety of the tower, but now felt too weak and cold to move. Who had attacked them? Mercenaries? Bandits? He did not know if these two factions had any shooters as good as the one who had attacked them.
"Hello there", said a female voice. The stalker's insides turned to ice, and he looked up at the person who had spoken...well, up being a relative term since said person was a small woman, who would be very pretty if not for the burn scars on her face. She was smiling at him in a jolly, friendly manner, but despite this there still seemed to be something wrong about her.
"-Get down! There's a sniper out there!", said the stalker to the woman. The woman squatted down next to him, not even showing a hint of worry about the invisible rogue sniper.
And then the stalker noticed the SVD on her back, and an awful realisation hit him.
"No..."
"-YES!", said the woman happily. She drew an ugly, cruel-looking blade that seemed to have been sharpened recently. "I'd use the Fear Factor on you, but Mr Stabby is bored and...my God, you have such a beautiful face..."
The stalker froze as the woman gently caressed his cheek.
"And those eyes...beautiful, beautiful...green, with hints of blue...I wonder...I wonder what..."
She raised the blade. The stalker, terrified as he was, could clearly see it was shaking.
"I wonder if you'll let me pop them."
The stalker yelled incoherently and tried to draw his pistol, but the woman was faster, grabbing his neck with one hand and meticulously pushing the tip of her bayonet under the stalker's right eyeball. It was a bestial, violent moment as the stalker screamed and struggled, and the woman grunted slightly as she drove the knife home. Finally, she withdrew her knife, with a grisly prize now sitting in the palm of her hand: a bloody eyeball.
"POP!", she said gleefully. "Hmmm...I just got an idea..."
She took the stalker's pistol, tossing it away, before cutting his suit open. She carved a bloody message onto his chest:
"HELLO VORONIN, HOW GOES IT? GREETINGS FROM B."
"And don't forget to smile!", said Balalaika, carving her victim's cheeks up accordingly. "Because when you're smilin', oh, when you're smilin', the whole world smiles with yooouuuu..."
She dragged him upright and lead him towards the old archway that divided the dangerous part of the Wild Territory from the 'safe' part, where she knew there was a Duty barricade some distance away. Once she was there, she released the stalker and pushed him forth, letting him half limp half crawl his way to Duty's Rostok base.
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Post by Karcentric on Jan 4, 2011 14:01:24 GMT -5
"Sir, you may want to come and see this." A sergeant said saluting Rurik, the expression on his face made it obvious that something unusual had occurred.
Standing with a heavy sigh he grabbed his groza, "Lead the way sergeant." He said.
Following the man out of the base to the barricade bordering the Wild Territory, the guards were standing around something which had them on edge. "Stand aside gentlemen." Rurik said, the body of a recently dead man with his chest exposed with message cut into it.
HELLO VORONIN, HOW GOES IT? GREETINGS FROM B
"Notify Voronin now, tell him not to leave the base unless he is escorted. No questions." Rurik snapped.
Crouching down he looked at the mutilated man's face than back at his chest and than at his ankle, the round which had passed through his ankle had made a terrible mess completely destroying it. Checking the man's pulse and finding none, Rurik grabbed the man's ripped armor lifting him with one hand and walking out to a nearby anomaly field and threw the corpse in. Seconds later the anomaly sent tiny pieces of gore covering the nearby area in a red layer which slowly froze over and was covered by the light snow.
Walking back to the barricade he followed the trail that the man had crawled from the Wild Territory, passing through the half broken barricade dividing it from Rostok he looked about the area, it was white from snow, apart from where the man had been dragged. Crouching down, he noticed a rather small foot print obviously made by whoever had attacked the man and dumped him at the gate. Standing up again he walked back to the Duty HQ shaking his head, wondering who this B was.
Upon entering the base he was confronted by the general himself, "Rurik! What is the meaning of this, who do you think you are telling me where I can and can't go?" Voronin said in a demanding voice.
"Well sir, it would seem someone want's to send you a message, unfortunately that message was craved into a loner's chest, after he'd been shot and mutilated. He was dumped at the gate between Rostok and the territories." Rurik said looking down at Voronin, "I disposed of the body to stop the men from talking about it, doesn't do having everyone think a lunatic is looking to take down their leader. Any idea who this B is?"
Glaring up at Rurik for a moment before turning and thinking, "Good thinking Lieutenant, I'd say that this B is the same individual I sent to deal with Freedom's commandant, her name is Balalaika, I'm surprised she survived, it seems she now want's revenge. The question is, what should we do about it. There is another pressing issue in the Garbage area, sighting of an armored mutant of some sort, a bear or a giant wolf according to the reports, we've had no sightings at the entrance to Rostok yet thank fully but more men have been stationed there, should the situation take a turn for the worse I'll need you to head down there."
Renegade walked in a daze to Rostok, looking at the decaying corpses hanging from nooses. He shuddered at the sight, hoping he'd never be unlucky as them.
It felt like a long time since he'd gotten a proper night's sleep, even though it had only been the day before. But he continued walking barely noting his surrounding or what the accompanying mercenary was saying. Looking around the snow covered area of Rostok he felt an overwhelming sense of safety, this area was guarded heavily enough that even that monster wouldn't stand a chance.
Following Peregrine to the bar he sat down in a dark corner looking around the bar taking note of some of the more interesting stalkers that frequented the bar, his eyes stopped at the heavily armored mercenary leaning on a table, he was looking looking at a series of notes but stopped when Peregrine approached the bar, looking at the young stalker and back at one of his papers before looking back again.
The merc than looked at Renegade until Renegade had to look away, looking back up he noticed that Peregrine had left the bar. Seconds later a El entered walking straight to the other merc.
Karc had been waiting for El when Peregrine entered talking to barkeep, looking at the photo that had accompanied other documents, before looking again. Surpressing the urge to smile. Pushing all the papers together he placed them in a folder. When are strange feeling came over him that he was being watched, looking at where he felt the stare was coming from, he could just make out a man sitting looking at him, dressed entirely in dark clothing including a gas mask. The man turned his head away, looking back to the bar he saw that Peregrine had left.
Rolling his eyes he was about to leave when El walked in stopping at the table, "Did you see him?" El asked quietly.
"Of course I saw him, he was talking with Barkeep, but someone was watching me, I'm more interested in knowing what Barkeep asked of him at this moment, anything that endangers him puts the commanders plans at risk, and I don't want to be the person to tell him that the target was killed performing some mindless task for that fat bastard." Karc hissed, before adding, "Did you see where he went when you entered?"
"Yeah, he's just up the stairs." El replied.
Nodding, and looking back to El, "What about the rest of his group? Anything worth noting?"
"Well, there was five others but now there's four, a meek bloke who barely says a thing, a brother and sister, and the other bloke looks like he can handle himself in fist fight. Interesting group."
Karc nodded but wasn't really paying attention, "Stay here, I think I'll have a little talk with young mister Malygin, if people find out who his brother was, well who knows what they might do, anyway, we have to let him know that the mercenary faction is will his back." He murmured, grabbing his bag and helmet walking out of the bar looking for Peregrine.
Karc saw Peregrine leaning against a wall looking down at the ground. He looked up as Karc approached.
"A minute of your time Peregrine, if you would be so kind." Karc said rather formerly, "I'm simply passing a message from my commander to you, we know who you are, and we now who your brother was, be aware of using your last name some people may not be very pleased to learn that Kirill Malygin had a younger sibling. You may or may not know, but your brother was one of the most ruthless stalkers to roam the zone. Should you require assistance, I will be here. Good luck." Karc said with a nod of the head.
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Post by Διμι on Jan 4, 2011 23:18:38 GMT -5
"Was?" Peregrine's face contorted itself into an expression that was simultaneously quizzical and downcast "I figured he'd be dead. Do you know where he is buried? And how have you obtained my name? Unless you were in league with the Freedom scumbags when they ambushed me by the perimeter, in which case... I'd rather leave the possibility out."
"I've been tasked to kill a man that apparently split off from those of your own." he continued "I have a feeling it's a job I'm rather... underqualified for, and if you really want to help, I'll gladly accept your offer."
He sat down on a concrete ledge, staring blankly into the wall of the building dubbed the "Arena". So his brother was dead after all. The thought sent a slight pang of apathy through Peregrine's head. The task ahead of him seemed almost meaningless - the information he would receive would change little now that he knew. But he had made an agreement with the keeper of the 100 Rads, and now he had no choice but to honor it.
"You said my brother's reputation preceded mine." he asked the heavily armed mercenary that was still standing beside him "Is there anything I need to know? You said that my existence was of some concern to people - who are these men? Who is responsible for his death? And more importantly, you're offering me your assistance without giving any other terms to it. As nice as you seem, I've yet to meet a true 'good samaritan' in my life that gives gifts without strings attached. What is it you want from my end?"
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Post by Karcentric on Jan 5, 2011 6:05:04 GMT -5
"They tasked you with killing Midas and breaking his operation?" Karc said with a slight smile, "Underqualified is a nice way of saying it. You'll need all the help you can get. Do you know anyone who can assist you, maybe the people you traveled with?"
"To answer your other questions, I don't know the exact location of your brother's resting place, the last I saw him was sometime ago, in Limansk, at the mercenaries base. As for how I identified you, you're wearing evidence of it, he knew you'd come looking for him one day, he left some notes and a photo of you with the mercenaries years ago." Karc said, digging into his bag handing the folder to Peregrine. "It might have some sentimental value?"
"Freedom ambushed you? It sounds unlikely, Freedom is run by a decent guy these days, but I guess not all of them liked the discipline Maginot enforced. Did anything unlikely happen during the ambush?"
"Duty will be suspicious of you as will older Freedom members, and then there's the Bandits. Some months ago your brother did something, crossed the Bandits or something I dunno the details. They responded by putting a bounty on his head 150,000 ru. The job went out to an interesting group lead by a merc named Leon, last I saw of them was around the same time I saw your brother last. It isn't much, but if any of them are alive they will know where your brother is. One of my team was looking into the whole thing, he found at least two of the members dead, both in Red Forest. A lot of shit happened in that time." Karc said watching as the young took in the information, glaring on several occasions.
"Now down to the brass tacks of it all. I was tasked to watch and assist you, but eventually I will need to bring you to Limansk, alive and unharmed. Total Psi immunity is a rare trait, if you inherited that trait, we will need your assistance one day, more than that, you'd have to talk to the commander himself." Karc said, "I'm sure a suitable reward will found, especially if your task is successfully executed."
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Post by Basil on Jan 5, 2011 15:15:40 GMT -5
Well, they'd reached Rostok alive. They had been attacked by a terrible creature, and had barely escaped getting all their belongings stolen by some psychotic Zone drifter. Spinner felt happy, happy he had reached Rostok alive and in one piece, which was no small feat considering what they had been through in the Garbage. He went to the 100 Rads Bar, intent on getting a small drink of vodka to celebrate.
After entering the bar, he leaned against the counter, drinking vodka from the bottle, a bottle that the Barkeep had generously handed over in exchange of a few rubles. As he drank, a slightly odorous stalker, who introduced himself as "Patchouli", engaged him in conversation, and soon, their talk switched to one of Spinner's favourite topics: hearsay.
"Y'know, bro", said Patchouli, slurring slightly, "there's a story about this crazy woman..."
"-Yeah, the Queen of Fear", said Spinner with a knowing nod.
"-That's right, bro. Well...", Patchouli leaned in closer, his voice lowered to a drunken, conspiratorial whisper. "She's close."
"-You what?", said Spinner.
"-The Witch. She's close. Duty found the body of a stalker at the Western entrance, all carved up and mutilated. I heard the Witch had done it, and that she's after the big boss, Voronin...if you go into the Wild Territory, watch out for anything strange. It could be her..."
"-Man, that's creepy", said Spinner, shuddering slightly.
"-I heard the Witch managed to shoot down two helicopters in Yantar, but I ain't sure if I should believe that or not. Seems rather exaggerated if you ask me...anyway, Patch had better go get some rest now..."
And with that, Patchouli left the bar, heading to wherever he went when he needed sleep. Spinner gazed thoughtfully at the wall for a moment, pondering what Patchouli had told him. So far, all the tales he had heard about monsters and madmen of the Zone had taken place in far away, semi-mystical places, but this time it had apparently taken place in the Wild Territory, which was just West of Rostok.
He was torn away from his uncomfortable thoughts when he noticed Peregrine talking to the Barkeep, and subsequently get accosted by an extravagantly dressed stalker. Unable to repress his curiosity, Spinner approached them.
"Hello again", he said to Peregrine, raising his bottle briefly. "Good thing we made it out of the Garbage...so, what's happening here?"
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Post by Διμι on Jan 5, 2011 17:26:28 GMT -5
Peregrine examined the notes the mercenary had given him. Aside from the small, blurred picture, the folder contained numerous pages of undecipherable gibberish and several images of what looked like brain scans. Despite his momentary efforts, the text seemed completely unintelligible to the loner, and was evidently an encoded printout.
"So there is still a chance he might be alive after all." he said finally "either way, I think we can work out a deal. I'm bound for the area 'round Limansk as it is, so I'll have no problem sparing your commander a visit. As for the Freedomers, they let me go for whatever reason. I've got better things to do than rat them out to this 'Maginot' person. As for the people problem, I reckon you've got more contacts than me. I do propose that we move out soon, however. From what I've heard, someone's trying to infiltrate or even attack this place."
He turned just in time to see none other than Spinner approach him.
"Hello again", said the loner, raising a bottle of vodka in greeting "Good thing we made it out of the Garbage...so, what's happening here?"
Peregrine laughed "Looks like it'll be out of the frying pan and into the fire for me," he looked at the tall mercenary beside, who nodded, before continuing "I'm leaving this place for the mercenary base at Limansk, and there's a few throats that I'll need to cut along the way. Hopefully I'll make it out in one piece, if this gentleman's friends" he nodded towards the merc "decide to help out. Speaking of whom, you still haven't introduced yourself, unlike your cohorts." he raised an eyebrow at Karc before turning back to Spinner.
"You can come along if you want to, unless there's business you need done here. Where we're going, there's bound to be gear that we've never even dreamed of before that you can always make a pretty penny off of. I guarantee it'll be dangerous though, but there will be a few scumbags less in the world once we're through."
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Post by blackpapermoon on Jan 5, 2011 19:10:55 GMT -5
Morak knew that Duty only took the most capable and finest men, he also knew that they wanted you to prove your self to them before they even let you join up. Not like their base was free and open to the public anyway. He would either have to make a name for himself, or hope that one of the Dutyers recognized him as one of the soldiers the military sent to help them clean out a bloodsucker nest a little over a year ago. However he doubted that the later would happen so he would have to take any volunteer work that Duty put out. He did not fancy going out in search of he heavily armored mutant but that's what Duty had available for loners at this time. If he wanted to join up he would have to go on this hunt and make it back in one piece.
However he knew he could not bring his sister along, Yeva was unskilled with a gun and would be nothing but a liability for the rest of the team. He would have to leave her here, and hope that nothing bad would happen to her while he was gone.
"Vorona, why don't you go to the 100 Rads," said Morak, "I'll meet you there after I take care of some things."
The older sibling looked at her brother and uttered out a soft sure before making her way to the bar. She knew what he was up and she knew she could not stop him from partaking in the hunt. She could only sit idly by and hope for his safe return. Walking into the bar she saw Peregrine and a few of the others talking around one of the back tables. Preferring not to be on her own in this strange place she joined them.
"Mind if I join you guys?," she asked, " I don't know any one else here."
Meanwhile,Morak had asked one of the guards at the entrance to Rostok about becoming one of the volunteer hunters. At first they thought he was joking and told him to go see barkeep but the ex soldier soon made it clear that he was not. They told him to wait out in front of the Duty base having no other options he made his way to the Duty base unsure what he for who or what he was waiting for.
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Post by Basil on Jan 5, 2011 20:05:50 GMT -5
"Hmm, sounds quite promising, tavaritch", said Spinner, considering Peregrine's offer. "However, I'll probably need to get a better shooter than the one I have. I heard that the stuff lurking beyond Rostok is nasty."
Spinner glanced at the sawn-off shotgun he had carried since the Cordon. Sure it was effective against the occasional blind dog, and even against muggers and bandits, but he was pretty sure it would be useless against a hostile military patrol or a large mutant like the armoured monstrosity they had seen back in the Garbage. Not to mention some of the more semi-legendary things he'd heard of, like the Zone Witch or Freedom's snake-eyed commandant. As Vorona came over and asked if she could join them, Spinner shrugged.
"Sure, come and have a drink."
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The young Dutier's corpse now lay slumped on the floor in a pool of blood, killed by his own hand. Balalaika's face twisted into a ghoulish grin as she kicked his corpse over to look at his wide, terrified eyes. The Fear Factor, as she called it, was proving to be quite a useful little gift...even though she was not sure how she had come to receive it in the first place. The emission that had happened while she was chasing the Freedom bitch probably had something to do with it.
Rostok being an island of abandoned industrial buildings, there were many doors leading into the Duty portion, although most of them had been blocked up to prevent unwanted visitors from getting in. Some however were still open, a 'just in case' escape path, or simply forgotten by Duty's commanding officers. This door was one of them, leading into a small alley next to one of Rostok's hangars. It was only guarded by one Dutier, and said Dutier was now dead. Quickly, Balalaika grabbed his corpse and dragged him into a bush, avoiding getting any of his blood on herself. Once she had disposed of him, she pulled her gas mask on to conceal her face and strode casually out into Rostok. A few stalkers glanced at her, and two patrolling Dutiers looked at her suspiciously before moving on. None of them had been informed of the grisly murder in the Wild Territory, and most were focused on the unknown beast prowling the Garbage and its surrounding area.
Like a virus in an unsuspecting body, Balalaika strolled around Rostok, bathing in the fact she had managed to return there despite being barred from it by that pig Voronin. Grinning beneath her mask, she walked up to the 100 Rads Bar and went in, the guard not even bothering to look at her. She was ushered in by a shotgun-wielding stalker, and was finally greeted by the bar's warm, stuffy atmosphere. Even her deranged mind felt comforted by being in the bar, but she mentally forced herself not to let her guard down. She went up to the counter, and was approached by Barkeep.
"Hey there, small stuff", he said in his relaxed voice. Balalaika's hand clenched into a fist at the 'small stuff' part. "How may I help you?"
"-A bottle of your best vodka", she said. "Not the crap you give to rookies."
"-That'll cost extra."
"-I have enough", said Balalaika, pulling a goodly number of ruble notes out of her pocket. Murder money, dosh she had taken from the still twitching corpses of her victims. Not that anyone here would even notice. Barkeep handed the bottle over and took the notes. "Thanks", said Balalaika, her voice muffled by her gas mask.
As she turned to leave the bar, she started slightly. She had recognised the mercenary she had double-crossed back in Yantar. He seemed busy talking to a small group of stalkers, and had not noticed her. With a cruel grin, she sidled out of the bar. What a tool that merc was. Pity he had survived the mishap in Yantar. She left the bar and walked idly around out front. As usual, that coward Voronin was hiding away in his bolt hole, unattainable. But all great people had their weakness, and she'd find it eventually...unless she failed, like she had failed to kill Adder.
She would kill her eventually. She would revel in the woman's agonised screams and dance on her corpse. Yes she would.
Balalaika discreetly went over to a rusted old ladder that went up onto the roof of one of Rostok's buildings. She climbed up there and grinned. The roof seemed connected to others, forming a nice little escape path into the Wild Territory that she could use.
"-Yo bro...what the hell? Why'd you come stir Patchouli up in his home?"
Balalaika turned and scowled as she saw the pitiful waste of space that was Patchouli, lying curled up under a propped up piece of corrugated iron. As the drunk stalker got up, she went right for him, and without giving him a chance to react, Mr Stabby plunged up to the hilt into the man's throat. With a quick yank, she pulled the bayonet out of Patchouli, the saw-toothed ripping the flesh and causing more blood to flow out. Patchouli dropped limply onto the roof, and Balalaika wiped Mr Stabby on his suit. Nobody would notice his death. With another ghoulish grin, Balalaika got an idea. She cut Patchouli's head off, and, grasping it by the man's greasy hair, tossed it off the roof and at the nearest group of Dutiers.
"-Tell Voronin that he has Balalaika's most distinguished salutations, and that I await him in Hell! Farewell, my friends!"
And with that, she ran off, laughing insanely as the Dutiers she had lobbed the head at fired at her. Before they could properly give chase, the small, insane woman had already vanished in the Wild Territory.
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Post by Karcentric on Jan 6, 2011 11:33:52 GMT -5
"Sir." The same sergeant from before came into see Rurik again, "There has been another attack, from within Rostok." The sergeant said looking around slightly.
Slamming his fist down on to the table and sighing Rurik stood from the reports he was reading. "Same as before? Grisly messages craved on stalkers?" Rurik asked "And what about the team in the Territories? Anything from them?"
"Not quite sir a loner was beheaded in one of the old warehouses, as for the squad investigating the Wild Territories they haven't responded to anything." The sergeant said with a worried tone.
"That's just great, we have an angry midget running around killing stalkers and our own and we can't find her, not even a trail to go on? Do you know how she got into Rostok and how she escaped?" Rurik inquired as they walked to the small hanger where the late Patchouli had resided. The ground was stained red from the vast quantity of blood.
"Uhh, sorry sir, I guess she found one of the many passages leading into Rostok, as for her escape she ran across the roof tops in the Wild Territory direction before anyone could get to the roof."
Rurik looked at the headless corpse, there wasn't anything to be gained looking at now headless Patchouli, "Dispose of the body in the anomaly field, put men on the roof, Keep the guards posted anyone matching her description, stop them. By any means necessary."
Walking to the bar to warn Barkeep, he casually glanced at a large group of stalkers talking at a table before looking to Barkeep and speaking quietly, "Barkeep there was been several gruesome murders in Rostok by a particular stalker named Balalaika, she is about this tall." Rurik held his hand up at about what he had been told by Voronin and what he remembered from the one time he'd seen her. "Just warn stalkers to travel in groups. Her last victim was a stalker Patchouli, was he here earlier?"
Barkeep nodded and said in a slight drawl, "Rurik a stalker came in earlier, but was wearing a gas mask, ordered a bottle of vodka and left right away. And old Patch was here."
Rurik looked around the bar again and left, as he got back to the Duty base he saw Morak standing looking around.
"Can I help you stalker, the Duty base off limits to stalkers, unless you have serious business, or are you perhaps looking to join the ranks of Duty?"
"Hopefully I'll make it out in one piece, if this gentleman's friends" he nodded towards the merc "decide to help out. Speaking of whom, you still haven't introduced yourself, unlike your cohorts." he raised an eyebrow at Karc before turning back to Spinner.
"My name is Karc, El will be traveling with us as will two other mercs, Four and Schwarz. As well as any one of your companions here." As Karc said that he looked around at the new arrival and saw it was Rurik entering and talk to Barkeep.
"That, Peregrine is Lieutenant Rurik, probably the most dangerous stalker in the zone, it's best you don't let him know your last name. Your brother and him have mixed history. Not all good. There's no telling how he would react if he found out who you are."
Renegade watched as the small stalker came and went, something about her made him uneasy, much in the same way he had his doubts about Skomorokh. As he watched her leave he stood from the shadow he'd been sitting in to join the table which several of his companions he'd traveled with were standing at.
"There have been several murders in the area just recently, that tall man was warning Barkeep, a guy named Patchouli was beheaded in the last hour or so." He said quietly, looking around the table.
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Post by Διμι on Jan 6, 2011 15:28:03 GMT -5
Peregrine stared pensively at the mountain of a man the mercenary had identified simply as 'Rurik'. Taking in the huge form of the Duty figurehead, Peregrine had little doubt that he was indeed the sort of man it would be unfortunate to get on the wrong side of.
"It's strange," he said quietly "for the so-called leader of the 'great protectors' of stalkers, to be touted as the most dangerous among them." his eyes followed the Dutier as he left the bar. "I don't find it very surprising that my brother had chosen to breach his trust."
"There have been several murders in the area just recently, that tall man was warning Barkeep, a guy named Patchouli was beheaded in the last hour or so." interrupted Renegade suddenly, having come over to the group along with Vorona. It seemed that the feeling of imminent danger had brought the stalker group together again, and although safety lay in numbers, the idea did little to alleviate the chill that suddenly rand down Peregrine's spine. The voice he had heard earlier, clear as day and still oddly familiar, once again seemed to sift into his head.
Murder out of little other but complete insanity and counterfeit bravado, as well as some desperate attempt to turn the odd sin done in this world onto her twisted idea of right and wrong. She somehow believes that killing the ones she entangled herself with will somehow rectify the madness she has wrought upon herself. How cute. It's a shame all of the killing she can do in the world won't save her from her own pitiful condition and lack of purpose.
For a second, Peregrine's throat and mind seemed to be caught in a vice. The loner's face went pale for a split second before the presence within him seemed to abate.
Don't fight me, the voice said, fading slowly, you'll do yourself more harm than good, especially considering who you're about to meet.
It took several seconds for the loner to recover from the shock. Even in his mind, he could not resist the subjugative power of the thing that had just spoken inside of him. He could only listen and stare ahead glassily for a moment. The loners and mercenaries around him were saying something, but he could not even try to make out exactly what. Finally, the feeling of uncontrollable dread subsided, and the loner regained his faculties.
"There's no use in staying here any longer." he said "sure Duty's around to protect their assets, but I'd rather be murdered in the open than while sleeping in a warm bed. Besides, the killer seems to have more issues with Duty than us personally. I doubt he or she would follow us if we stick together and clear a path through the Wild Territories. Who's in?"
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Post by blackpapermoon on Jan 7, 2011 0:04:38 GMT -5
"Can I help you stalker, the Duty base off limits to stalkers, unless you have serious business, or are you perhaps looking to join the ranks of Duty?” said an extremely tall man clad in a black Duty exoskeleton.
Morak looked turned around to face him, the man was much taller than him and the soldier considered himself to be quite tall. It was also clear that the man held a high rank with in Duty, and had also been in the Zone along time.
“That’s why I’m here sir,” said Morak falling back in to his military training “I want to join Duty, I know I must prove myself first. One of the guards sent me here so I can sign up for the Hunt in the Garbage but I’m not sure I’d be of much help with it.”
“Sir,” he continued, “I have seen this beast with my own eyes, It’s a bear like creature, much bigger then a man and it looks like someone had covered it in a metal suit of armor. Assault riffles can’t penetrate the metal platting, an RPG might but I’m not sure.”
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Post by Basil on Jan 7, 2011 6:55:45 GMT -5
"Fucking Hell...", muttered Spinner, visibly shaken. Wasn't Patchouli the guy he'd talked to only a few minutes before? And had he not mentioned the Zone Witch being close by? Spinner, despite his communist past, was still rather superstitious, and the events that had transpired in Rostok were enough to put a good amount of fear into him.
"I talked to Patchouli just a few minutes ago", he said in a frightened murmur. "And now he's dead...man..."
He took a stiff swig of vodka. Peregrine proposed that they leave now, a proposition that did not really appeal to Spinner but which he still accepted. "Yeah, I guess she wouldn't be able to take on several people at once. Especially if she's working alone."
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Her little escapade into Rostok had been rather entertaining, and she giggled to herself as she remembered lobbing that worthless cunt's head into a squad of Dutiers. Now she was back in the cold realm of the Wild Territories, whose buildings were mostly bedecked with stalactites of ice. Most mutants had sought shelter from the snow, so the area was remarkably quiet.
"Snow, snow, snow...", she said as a few isolated snowflakes gently fell from the sky. "I love you, snow, even if you're cold."
She trudged through the thick snow that covered the ground, Stechkin in hand in case a mutant decided to have her for lunch. Balalaika had never tested the Fear Factor on mutants, and didn't know if it would have any effect.
"Muties had better not come and annoy me", she muttered to herself. After a while she came across a small shed that contained the remains of a well used camp fire. There was some wood and other burnable materials stacked in one corner, and she used these to make a fire. As the flames burned away, Balalaika sat down on an overturned crate and warmed herself. It would get even colder when night fell.
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Post by Karcentric on Jan 7, 2011 13:06:12 GMT -5
Karc shook his head and looked at the table at the mention of the news, "Sounds like Balalaika, charming woman really, not a very good sense of humor though,, especially when it comes to jokes about her height." He chuckled.
"Right, I suppose we should move out, let Duty worry about their problems, just let me grab something from Barkeep."
Walking to the bar and leaning casually on it, he pointed at a large caliber revolver, "I'd quite like that Magnum there thanks." He said.
"That'll be 4,300ru merc." Barkeep replied.
He handed the amount over and took his new side arm, walking back to the group, "So which of you will be joining us?" He asked looking around the table at the group. "The sooner we leave the better."
Renegade nodded, "I'll join you, no sense hanging around with a murderer dispatching stalkers right under Duty's nose." He said looking down at the table before standing and waiting for the group to leave.
Karc buys: Magnum Research BFR - 4,300 RU CHECK
Rurik looked at the man, he had an air of military about him, "Very well, we can also always use new recruits. First you'll be need to swear upon the oath before General Voronin, follow me."
The two stalkers walked into the base stopping in front of Voronin who looked to Morak and than up at Rurik, "This man wishes to join Duty sir, he has even volunteered to help hunt for the creature in the Garbage, and has seen it in person." Rurik said to Voronin who nodded, looking into Morak.
"Stalker you will be required to take the Duty oath, are you ready?" Voronin asked.
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Post by Zeno, Lord Camelith on Jan 8, 2011 4:27:20 GMT -5
Skomorokh carefully picked his way through anomalies and ruined buildings as he moved around the outside of Rostok. He shivered slightly, despite how effectively his coat and jacket usually fought off the cold, the sun was setting quickly and the snowfall showed no signs of letting up.
The slight crackling of a fire caught Skomorokh's attention. The snow made it difficult to find which direction the noise was coming from, but he eventually determined it to be just northeast of him.
Skomorokh peeked his head out from between two buildings. Just a ways in front of him, sitting inside the ruins of an old shack, was a small figure clad in a Merc suit. Skomorokh pulled his Balalaika off of his back and played out a tune with a somewhat cautious tremolo as he approached the lone figure.
Once he had reached the threshold of the building Skomorokh said, "Hey, Comrade. Mind if I join you?"
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Post by Basil on Jan 8, 2011 8:49:00 GMT -5
Warmth and relative safety. Good for the night. Balalaika doubted many stalkers would pass through the Wild Territory with the cold and the thick snow, so she allowed herself to relax and fully enjoy the warmth of the fire. She took a tin of Tourist's Delight and a hunk of bread from her pack (both items having been stolen from the Dutier she had killed back in Rostok), and proceeded to cook the food, toasting the bread with Mr Stabby.
Once her little meal was ready, she relished the warmth of the toasted bread and the tinned food. She had not eaten anything like this in weeks. As she chewed and relished the food, she suddenly caught an odd sound over the howling of the wind outside the shack. A musical instrument. Who the hell would be playing such a thing out here and in this weather? Her suspicion returned, and she grabbed her SVD, dropping to one knee and aiming the gun straight at the figure coming out of the snowy tempest. He looked somewhat scruffy, and had a balalaika in his hands.
"Odd weather to be playing your fancy guitar in, stalker", she said, keeping her gun aimed at him.
"-Hey comrade, mind if I join you?", said the stranger. Balalaika glared at him for a while, but saw nothing too suspicious about him. Still, she remained on her guard.
"-Okay, but no funny business or I'll gut you like a fish", she said, before returning to sit by the fire.
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