C.C. - Mission 2

[Abdel featherfall]

Alerius's Slepnir took off out of its hangar. Flying just till it reached outside the wall before setting down on its feet. " Time to test out the ground speed on this baby.." He set in a sprinters stance before launching in a full tilt sprint without his boosters.  Each step carrying him a little farther, a little faster. He was gaining ground on the others who were flying. Though they were at closer to a cruising speed not going full throttle like he was. He was testing his max ground speed which put him near his speed in flight, though not quite matching it. Once he was no longer able to accelerate without losing his footing he lept up and took flight with the rest. " Damn that's fast." He commented, catching up the short distance between him in the rest of the squad. " Okay past that mountain range we should be free and clear till we reach our target area." He announced over the comms channel.


They had a six hour flight ahead of them. The night growing steadily warmer as they pushed farther and farther south. The mountains would give way to lush tropical forests as far as the eye can see. Trees hundreds of feet tall and a thick canopy making it impossible to make out what was under it all. Scanners would pick up some life forms here and there but for the most part they remained in the medium and occasionally large categories. Likely just wildlife. Each passing hour over the jungle, the early morning mist would gradually get thicker and thicker. Though just following the provided flight plan would get them there safely. 


The drop point was also shrouded in mist on the edge of a cliff and half encircled by the massive trees. However it was a preprogrammed location and they would be guided in smoothly. There was already a small camp set up. Two regular tents and a medium cargo container likely transporting samples. There was nothing to see off of the cliffs edge due to the sheer density of the mist. It was hot and humid. The air felt thick like walking through soup. Toxin readings would be almost Nil and oxygen readings were high enough for collection. However not enough to support human life for long, without the suit filtration system venting out all of the other gasses making regular life impossible at any rate.


@Zer0 @tammynorthland @CkSmalling @Beowulf

 

[tammynorthland]

Shina made her way to the docking bay. By the time she made it there everyone was getting g ready to take off in their appropriate mechs. She already had the baydesign digital woodland camo like the other squad members for the shiryoku. Even if it made it look like absolute garbage she figured it would have to do anyway for the missions sake.


Shina boarded into the shiryoku. She closed the stomach access pod as it sealed shut on her. Shina placing her h.u.d. in appropriate positioning to link into the other mechs signals which displayed green arrows above their heads.


Shina hit 2 buttons in her virtual interface and pulled her access port and linked it into her spinal collumn. 


"Skiryoku, activate!" Shina commanded as she felt her subconscious influence her body into going into its coma like state. Her mind sped through the circus of the machine before she opened her eyes. Seeing the exit of the access port bay. Through her machines eyes.


"activation complete!" The computer spoke to shina. Much like a consious to the shiryoku. 


Shina blasted off out the exit bay of the docking ports. Making her way right behind the convoy.  "Thanks for waiting assholes." 


@Beowulf @Abdel featherfall @Zer0 @CkSmalling

 

[Soviet Panda]

"God it's miserable here." Connor said, already swiping sweat off of his forehead. "Super humid and super hot, fantastic." At least it was better then freezing a finger off. As he was always told in Boy Scouts, you can easily lose layers you have but you can't get layers you don't. Being stuck in the jungle was a good example of the former. "Why the hell would our friendly scientist be out here? If the environment didn't kill him, something else did. Are we going on a corpse hunt?"

 

[Zer0]

    - Maj. Artemis Romanov -
​

" Misty Jungle "
​

Grizzly's Goliath put on the air brakes and hovered in place, waiting for Robert's Dominatrix to line up beside him. He revved up the thrusters. "You're gonna' eat my dust, man." he grinned, flicking on his video feed so that Robert saw his competitive face in his mech's screen. "Major, could you give us a three-two-one-go?"


"Threetwoonego." said Artemis simply.


"Wait ---- that was too fast --- darn it." and Grizzly's Goliath shot off for the mountain. "You're supposed to do it slowly!" he said through the comms. Artemis chuckled.


(OOC: @CkSmalling, I think I'll just roll an online 1d10 dice for this. See spoiler below)

Spoiler

8

Six hours later Artemis' Dynasty Scarab touched down on the cliff camp. "This place is just like the Goliath Forest." she said in awe, looking around the place as the morning sun rose and cast a golden glow over the hazy mist. It was beautiful. The light shone through the giant trees, creating pillars of light among the shadows that illuminated the swirling fog, giving the forest a dreamy mysterious ambience. The camou on her mech and gear were non-reflective, so no bright metal glint reflected off the steel of her mech.


She felt happy and peaceful. This was one of the things she liked about missions in the wild, the outdoors were so refreshing.


"So, where should we start looking for this guy, Aurelius?" she said to their mission leader as she, Grizzly, and Assassin Marmot began smearing mud and collecting some shrubs and other flora to add to their camou and get rid of the smell from the make-over.


@Abdel featherfall

 

[tammynorthland]

Shina trailed close behind the others, she was leading the rear of the pack this time stacking a close formation, her piloting skills in the Shiryoku were very superior due to the fact that she controlled the mech the same way someone would control their own body. With their mind, she tracked some of the beautiful landscape below. Trees 100s of feet tall with massive unrealistic sized canopies surrounded them underneath. Fog rolled in like an avalanche that caused almost a dreamlike feeling to the jungle like terrain they were in. Shiryoku eventually made eye contact with the drop point. A campsite where they all landed, She asked a compound question on top of Artemis question she just asked, "more importantly, why the fuck is it all the way out here, there is jack shit around for miles. How the fuck are we supposed to even begin to know where to find a clue?" She said to Alerius, she took note of the camp. It did not seem out of the ordinary, a very small place next to a steep large cliff....something wasn't adding up. 'what if they fell off this shit?' Shina thought to herself. Come to think of it, she didn't even see tracks or any other physical clue. "Can anyone find even a footprint. Or am I truly that blind." She said sarcastically with no pun intended.


@Beowulf @Abdel featherfall @Zer0 @CkSmalling

 

[Abdel featherfall]

Alerius landed second to last right before Shina did and disembarked from his suit and headed over to the crate and unfolded it. It was portable long range comms array. Mixed in with some samples of course. He looked to the rest. " This isn't his camp it's ours. We will have to search the city which is over there." He pointed over the cliffs edge which was little more than a wall of fog at present. He kicked the last panel down for the comm array and switched it on to make sure it worked before turning it off again. " Thats where we spotted him while we were taking scans to update our maps and cartography. " He headed back over to his mech and clambered into the cockpit.  " Be extra careful piloting around the city in the early morning it's tight quarters and the fog doesn't help. It should let up in a couple hours. But we should use it to our advantage. Be extra careful once we hit mid way in the city that's where the toxins start to become a notable danger."  


The camp was theirs it seemed. There wasn't much to it but it would give them a place to set up their medical equipment and bedding outside of the toxic air of the city they needed to venture into. The rocky cliff they were on felt almost like an unpolished obsidian. Tree roots digging deep into the stone for the fertile dirt below. The broken, shattered stone leaving enough openings for water to seep in to keep this jungle alive. 


@Zer0 @tammynorthland @CkSmalling @Beowulf

 

[tammynorthland]

Shina nodded in confused agreement, she must have not been fully paying attention in the data that was transmitted to them, even so this still doesnt help at all. Bottom line was they were going ot be heading in the city with no clues to lead them off of. It would be hard to figure everything out. But thats the Canines for you, always here to help out.... Shina took Alerius words as gold and begun to deactivate the Shiroku and felt her human vision pick up again. She stepped down the mech and onto the earth under her feet. "Head out in a couple hours I pressume then?" Shina asked.


@Abdel featherfall @Beowulf @Zer0 @CkSmalling

 

[Zer0]

    - Maj. Artemis Romanov -


" Misty Jungle "


Artemis and Grizzly Sloth decided to pair up with Shina if she was willing and if Alerius didn't have any other plans. The combat medic's Dynasty Scarab stayed in the middle, while the assault rifleman's Goliath took point. He and Artemis would stay together if Shina decided to scout ahead and move whenever she gave the all clear.


The two would keep to the wilder side of the ruins where their camou is effective and move stealthily switching to thermals or NVG if needed.


The two would first carefully check the area where their target --- Artemis told the others that she decided to codename him: "Bas" --- was last spotted. If they found nothing, they'd search areas where there are sources of water and food for tracks, and places that look like good safe hiding places such as underground tunnels and dry areas with a vantage point.


Meanwhile, Assassin paired up with Robert and took the role of frontline and guard for the sniper while he scoped out the area.


@Abdel featherfall @tammynorthland @CkSmalling @

 

[Abdel featherfall]

Alerius stayed at the camp making sure they had working communications. While he did that he sent updated maps and logistics to the team. somewhat of a flight plan till they reached the city so they didn't hit any trees that were unusually tall. It wouldn't be very long until the city came into view. It was amazingly intact considering how long it had been standing on the border of such a dense and aggressive jungle and a toxic glass wasteland. Now that they were in the air above it, it was clear that the lush green on the buildings slowly faded into a greenish grey of dead and dying plants the further into the city it went. The city eventually turned an ash grey before becoming a charred black on the edges. 


 


Below, there was a small mist covered clearing near the edge of the city. All of their monitors would light that one spot up with a red constant marker. That was to be their regroup point should something happen and they needed to bug out and regroup. It seemed to be a spot where a building had collapsed, providing some cover.


 


This mission had a lot of unknowns. Alerius piped up over the comms. " So the weird thing about this mission is we got him on facial recognition.. He wasn't wearing a suit, however he seemed perfectly fine standing in areas all of our scanners deem toxic and highly dangerous. Collecting samples we believe." 


 


Once they hAd landed and started searching the areas building to building they would find that the greener side was more lush and consideribly more cramped. The fog wa a still pretty thick close to the ground but it was slowly settling. Nothing seemed out of place until they got closer to the city center where there were the reminants of hundreds of footprints, human footprints. However there were no life signs currently to match the apparent recent activity. The closer they got to the dead southern portion of the city, the more toxic the air became and they got a little more space between buildings as the toxins in the air had kept the rainforest at bay. The plants that were still clinging to the buildings were a mottled mixture of green and gray.


@tammynorthland @Zer0 @Beowulf @CkSmalling

 

[Zer0]

    - Maj. Artemis Romanov -
​

" Misty Jungle "
​

"For real?" said Artemis. "But that's impossible, he'd have to be . . . inhuman."


Her first thought was that Bas was actually an android that they secretly captured, but androids didn't have flesh on their metal, though that could be artificially synthesized. Her second idea was that he was some sort of mutant experiment. His hair was oddly white too. When they reached the city center, Artemis took pictures of the foot-prints and Grizzly Sloth went over to see the areas where the prints were closer or deeper, anything that said whoever was here spent a lot of time there. He wanted to know what samples their target and his friends were collecting.


They'd try to find out what the man was collecting before following the footprints to wherever they led.


"Alerius, what'd you make of these footprints?" asked Artemis sending him the pictures. "Are they made by one person, or many others? If a lot, how many do you think there were here?"


@Abdel featherfall

 

[CkSmalling]

As soon as Artemis said the order, he was off before even Grizzly had the time to collect his thoughts. He put the thrusters at full maximum and headed straight for the mountains. "Hahaha now who is eating my dust!!!" Robert said over video feeds so that Grizzly can see he was beat. He flew so fast he thought he had left him far behind. "Excuse me sir, we have company at 3 o'clock." He looked at saw Grizzly grining like someone who just had sex. He laughed and continued forward, not letting Grizzly win. But all his efforts were a waste when close to the mountains, Grizzly pulled side to him. It was neck and neck, Either Robert or Grizzly. They were not letting each other win. Close to the mountains and they both... DREW!!!!! "Hahaha good race brother. That woke up my mecha good. Lets head back to the others.


*******************


Robert arrived dead last. Like last of the last. There was no such thing as '...the last but not the least..' he was the tail. He scanned the area for any life forms but there was none. He heard Aleruis instructions and decided to scout on ahead. " i will scout on ahead to see if there are any dangers and make a clear path."


"I am with you." Assassin said as she lined up her mecha with his. 


"Sweet. Okay lets go." Robert said as he turned and walked towards the direction of the city. 


The area was beautiful. The fog was alright, but the canopy was in another league. The thick branches, the large leaves for some reason, some trees had large holes made in them, maybe good for cover, overgrown roots, and the god rays. Aaahh the god rays. 


"Do not dare get a boner because of nature. I know that look. I have seen it before." Assassin rudely interrupted his train of thoughts.


"Dammit woman. Can't you let a guy get a boner in peace? Robert snarled back only to be replied with a punch to the face.


"Nope not really." Assassin said with a smile on her face.


They continued walking while making some heartly conversation. "This is Robert reporting in. Nothing unusual out here. Will continue to scout ahead. Will provide further updates."


@Abdel featherfall @Zer0 @tammynorthland 

 

[tammynorthland]

(Ooc: I thought assasin was narrated by @Zer0 @CkSmalling )


Shina stayed in tight formation. The others analyzed the sample footprints left behind as shina studied the dead zone they were currently in. It was like a scar that smashed across the area. The toxic air creating a tough environment for life to stay alive in. "Grizzly Sloth, Artemis. We are probably gonna wanna join up for even groups. Once in the rainforest it's gonna get a little tricky l. Especially considering we don't excactly know what Bas is. Or who he is." Shina brought up. For the most part she was collecting information among the area. As she was listening in on the comm to what the others were saying. Artemis brought up a great point about the footprints. It was indeed a clue but what if the dead zone had something to do with it. 'No that doesn't make sense. If this guy is suitless in a place like this there's no way he'd survive.' Shina mentally talked inside the mech to herself. She held her 805 in port arms where her arms were crossed allowing the gun to cradle inside them. Massive barrel sticking out like someone carrying a ladder horozontally.


@Zer0 @CkSmalling @Abdel featherfall @Beowulf

 

[Abdel featherfall]

Alerius stood up from configuring the comms unit after finally getting a stable connection to mother base. The file lit up his visor and he opened it taking a good hard look at the footprints as requested. He highlighted different sets. And his eyes went wide with his realization. " Be on full alert out there guys. Judging by these footprints, their number how fresh they would have to be to still be there with erratic weather in this sector there's no possible way only one person could have made all of these.. I suspect maybe 30 different individuals. There's a good variation in print size too. But there's a few tracks that indicate a few were.. Bare footed? I'll keep anyalizing but that's my first impression."


Almost as if on cue from Alerius all of their weather alert systems would begin informing of a severe dust storm approaching from the south in the direction of the glass wastes. It would hit in just a few short minutes. The fog having lifted roughly an hour ago. The sky filled with moderately grey clouds. 


Roberts scanners would pick up a life form in the medium size category somewhere off to his left. Should he decide to look he'd see what appeared to be a pair of blue glowing orbs peering pit from the darkness of the deep shadows. judging by the spacing they were eyes. But that's all that could be seen. As soon as his sensors were directly on those eyes there would be a loud burst of static in his comms and a voice, seeming joined with the static said only one phrase." Make like us." In a raspy distorted voice almost like someone trying to speak after having the air knocked out of their lungs.  The eyes vanished, the static disapated and the life form was gone from his sensors just as suddenly as it had come.


Artemis's group could see the massive sandstorm looming on the horizon and approaching fast. Alerius's voice cut in " You have two minutes before the first of that hits you. I suggest you get to some cover behind the green buildings on the live half of the city. That's not a standard sandstorm." He was right. Unlike the dusty brown storms of the desert this was just a jet black wall as far as the eye could see. Advancing with a frightening speed.





@Zer0 @tammynorthland @CkSmalling @Beowulf

 

[Zer0]

    - Maj. Artemis Romanov -
​

" Ruined City "
​

"Copy that, Aurelius --- let's hustle everyone. " said Artemis, quickly flying back to the greener part of the ruins followed by Grizzly. They chose a low lying building inside an overgrown park that looked like an old water treatment facility. Artemis' Dynasty Scarab had to butt a hole through it so that they'd fit; Grizzly's Goliath felled some large branches from the giant trees, so that they could use it to block the holes and as many windows as they could. The sandstorm already engulfed them by the time Artemis said they should head in. 


"You alright, where you are, Aurelius?" asked Artemis as her bug mech crouched around the cramp first floor. Grizzly Sloth eventually punched holes through the floor of the second just so that they'd fit.


"So, there's thirty of 'em, huh?" said Grizzly, as he dismounted from his mech and began barricading the room they were in with whatever heavy debris he found, though making sure Shina still had a peek hole for her to look out from in case she took watch. His suit's double strength enhancement helping plenty. "Barefoot? Dang, that makes me think of zombies." he chuckled. "I'd love to go rampaging in a horde like that."


"If they're zombies, then they could be 'infected', don't get bitten." said Artemis, using her mech's largeness to block some windows. "Hmm, whatever makes them immune, I'd want to capture at least five alive for the scientists in the R&D sector. They could probably make something that'll allow us to breathe Earth's air without suits. Anyway, it looks like we'll be here for a while." she added, resting back inside her mech when their work was done.


"So, Shina, I've always wanted to ask you. Your eyes, why'd you have them replaced?"


@Abdel featherfall, @tammynorthland

 

[tammynorthland]

Shina followed closely behind Grizzly she held firm position being sure not to fuck up the flight pattern and smash into the trees that begun to arrive once they hit the canopy of the tree line. The water treatment facility was old, beaten, and battered. They made their way inside Tammy inside the Shiryoku squatted down,she then dismounted releasing her spinal collumn attachment allowing her to regain her bioptics skin and bine vision. Instead of her sight through shiryoku. the facility was large enough for the mechs to stand up inside but not by any means super roomy. They took their refuge making their temporary home comfy. 


Shina actually let out a chuckle considering shes been very serious for a majority of the mission thus far, usually she is a bit more........not quiet. Tammy chuckled. "in mechs it wouldn't be much of a fight don't ya think!?" Shina laughed a little again. Inside her mech her ear registered Artemis' next question. Shinas eyes. Although it wasnt a very obvious issue with her appearance. shina and artemis have been on a few missions together. So she was bound to notice the unnatural glow her eyes provided from the light the were behind the lenses. "It was kind of an accident... not really supposed to happen Artemis."


@Zer0 

 

[CkSmalling]

Robert continued to scout the area, making light conversations with Assassin. He was happy she was riding shotgun with her, someone he always knows that they are always reliable. He was a lucky dude that was a definite fact. Then suddenly his sensors picked up something. It was neither organic nor inorganic. "Assassin on me. We might have something." Assassin quickly took out her weapon and stood parallel to him. He followed the signal and when they came a few metres to it, they stopped 


Robert scanned the area and found 2 lights, 2 metres infront of him. He picked up the scanner and the signatures were the same. The scanner was picking a humanoid figure but all he is seeing is was 2 lights. He banged the scanner over and over again but the results were the same


"Are you seeing what i am seeing babe?" Robert asked.


"I am still having a hard time believing" Assassin said. 


He raised the sensor again and it shut down. The comms emitted a high pitch sound followed by an annoying static. Both Robert and Assassin held their heads in pain and a voice came inbetween the static "Make Like Us". That was all. The comms returned to normal, the sensor woke up and everything returned to normal. Looking at where the lights were, they vanished. Robert and Assassin looked at each other and both had the same thought. We are in deep shit.


"Hey guys we are heading back to camp." Assassin announced over the comms. "There is something you will need to see"


@Zer0 @Abdel featherfall @tammynorthland @Beowulf

 

[Soviet Panda]

"Bloody hell it's crowded in here." Connor said as he positioned his Rook to block a few more holes. Upon hearing Grizzly talking about fighting a zombie horde, Connor had to chime in. "It would be pretty easy to kill 'em. But the thing is there'd be a lot of them, and from what I've seen that's what gets you in a zombie horde. But then again, I got those electronic pulses to get them off me. And a lot of explosives. Actually, I might be fine." His little ramble done, he looks out one of the holes and sees the unnatural storm. "Anybody want to take a guess at what this is? It doesn't look like a normal dust storm. Alerius even said it wasn't a normal one."

 

[Abdel featherfall]

As Connor spoke a shard of obsidian about three inches long that came through one of the gaps in the building embedded it's self in the chest plate of his mech. It was superficial damage and little more than a scratch, but was a bit concerning none the less. Anybody caught outside of their mech in a storm like this would find themselves shredded. This was not a fun place to be. Visibility was almost zero outside as the black toxic obsidian dust swirled outside. Communications seemed to be getting some interference as well. However nobody was particularly far from each other so it wasn't too bad.


Alerius responded to Artemis after what was likely an agonizingly long minute. " Yeah I'm fine! Sorry for the delay in response I was setting up Slepnirs blades to protect the camp. Though for the most part the dust hitting the cliffside is being sent skyward." He was sitting inside the Slepnirs cockpit crouched behind the two swords set at a near 45 degree angle. " Though I can't see an damn thing it's like staring at a black wall trying to see the city from here. I can't see an inch past the Cliff edge."


Anybody in the jungle proper would get some residual dust but that was about it. The dangerous shards having been blocked by buildings and trees. Roberts communication would go through without a hitch. The storm would subside after about an hour of everybody hunkering down and just waiting it out. The world would be coated in black. A sharp contrast to the usual lovely green of this part of the city and bordering jungle. However the sky was now that same ominous black just hovering above all of their heads. Alerius' voice broke through any silence. " looks like it might rain soon. Should be safe enough to move around in though."


 @Zer0 @tammynorthland @Beowulf @CkSmalling ( also do feel free to interact with each other IC while waiting on my DM post outside of combat)

 

[Zer0]

    - Maj. Artemis Romanov -
​

" Ruined City "
​

"Oh . . ." said Artemis, suddenly awkwardly aware that she had probably touched upon a subject Shina probably didn't want to talk about, but she wasn't sure. "So, not something you want to talk about?" she asked considerately.


Grizzly Sloth was just getting cozy inside his Goliath. He took first watch while listening to Connor and eating a one pound monster bullymong burger he had whipped up earlier today. He loved cooking, so whenever he had time, he'd make his own grub instead of packing the usual MRE. "I wanna' get me a shotgun and run around splattering zombie heads with my boys. Wonder what it'd be like, livin' in the apocalypse, scavenging, makin' your bunker. Man, I think that'd be fun."


"Anybody want to take a guess at what this is? It doesn't look like a normal dust storm. Alerius even said it wasn't a normal one." said Connor.


"Yeah, ain't dust storms supposed to happen in deserts?" commented Grizzly. Then he heard Roberts voice over the comms. "Hey you two lovebirds! You getting cozy wherever you guys at? We're in a building in a park."


"Water treatment facility, Freedom Park." added Artemis.


"What the Major said." and Grizzly marked their location on the minimap, though it wasn't necessary as he and the rest showed up as blue or green arrows on the map depending on whether they were inside their mechs. "Ima' do some explorin'. Never been in a water facility before." with that, he dismounted and went down the stairs of a dark basement he had seen earlier while he was barricading the place. Artemis took his place, watching the outside, though only Shina could probably actually be effective what with this storm and all.


Grizzly Sloth went exploring the dark humid ruins, the flashlight from his helmet illuminating a huge dusty and moldy factory-like floor with pipes and cracked empty vats. He wondered if there was anything interesting here and broke down the door into an office and began looking for old earth artifacts that he could collect. Major Artemis had a thing for old vinyl records and cassette tapes so he kept out an eye for those too, though according to his history lessons, the most likely thing one could find would be CDs; Robert like treasure too, if Grizzly found something nice, he's gonna' bribe that guy with it. He knew Robert would do almost anything to impress his lady.


He did wonder though why Robert liked the tough girl type. Those kinds of ladies were strong yeah, but they were too much like guys for his taste. He liked real ladies, who wore dresses and did girly things, someone he could protect. The ladies in his squad were all just too . . . independent.


@Abdel featherfall, @tammynorthland, @CkSmalling, @Beowulf

 

[tammynorthland]

Shina shook her head at Artemis, "Its not that I don't want to talk about it. The issue is that its not really a story I can go over in 1 minute." Shina spoke openly but a little quiet about the subject. The canine team she worked with during the "Accident" was not really.....willing to talk about it either. Shina pulled out her MRE and begun to eat away. She was not very into it but the food was way better than what the ancestors MRE consisted of. usually gross freeze dried food. This case she had a lot more to pick from rather than in the past.


Shina listened to the convorsation as it moved between them all and commented. "when can we get back to camp?"


@Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- Maj. Artemis Romanov -
​

" Ruined City "
​

"When we're tired and sleepy?" Artemis chuckled at Shina. When the storm died down, she stepped out into the dusty blackness. It was like the city was covered in heavy ash. "You go ahead, I'll search some more."


"I'll go with you." said Grizzly, clambering back up from the basement. "Look what I got, Major, real glue! It's all hardened, though."


As much as Artemis wanted to be professional, she had a weakness for ancient earth artifacts and could not help but go back in and see what else Grizzly dug up. "Is that an actual old tin coffee can?" she pointed, failing to contain her great interest.


"Yep, and this is a real quarter."


"Oh, my gosh."


"Nope." said Grizzly, pulling his hand away when Artemis made to touch the coin. "I'm keeping this one, Major."


"Urgh, Grizzly, please, I'll do anything."


Grizzly Sloth thought awhile, but it seemed as though he was having a hard time deciding something in return. "A promotion?"


"No."


"Then I'm keepin' this."


Artemis grumbled as she stepped back out and the two resumed their search for the white haired man and the thirty others like him. They fell back into the routine of stealthily making their way around the city, checking areas where there were sources of water and some likely places where one could find food.


@Abdel featherfall, @tammynorthland

 

[CkSmalling]

Robert heard Grizzly over the comms and just smiled. "We are in the forest not really much here. Although there is something you might want to see. It weird and creppy at the same time." His map HUD updated and had the locations of all the members. "Alright i will be coming your way. Thanks for the correction boss." 


After one hour of complete blackness, both Robert and Assassin headed towards the ruin city. It was covered in black soot from the storm but looked magnificent all the same. 


"Robert, whay do you think we might find in the city?" Assassin broke the silence.


"Not sure exactly. But any thing from earth is worth millions and also authenticity at the penthouse."


"If by any chance you find any jewelry, they are mine."


"Fine fine. If you find any thing other than jewelry, consult me first"


"Deal. Lets start with that building over there." Assassin pointed to a derelict building to the south.


"Grizzly, Artemis ready for a competition? Whoever collects the rarest of tresures wins. You up to the task? Shina, Aleruis and Connor, you may compete if you want." Robert announced over the comms.


He disembarked from his mecha and Assassin followed him. "I hope i will find some records and bribe Artemis with them"


@Zer0 @Abdel featherfall @tammynorthland @Beowulf

 

[Zer0]

- Maj. Artemis Romanov -
​

" Ruined City "
​

"You're on, Robert!" said Grizzly Sloth. "But, loser gets to eat whatever the winner says, deal?"


Artemis knew these guys, and she felt apprehensive. if Grizzly Sloth won, he'd probably make them eat some pie made of tooth paste, mustard, mayonnaise, some burned meat of unknown origins, and something disgusting. Then again, it would be interesting . . . ahhh, but her professionalism. She muted her comms so that Alerius couldn't hear. "I'm in." she whispered. "Just don't tell Alerius."


She was the highest ranking officer in the squad. It wouldn't do to be seen acting like a kid, but doing stuff like this was one reason why she liked her squad. They're good in combat, really good. She trusts that they got her back just as she has theirs, but they're also really fun guys. Easy going, doing random stuff like this and she liked it . . . she felt less stressed and her tiredness would always go away.


And so the hunt was on. Artemis and Grizzly would take turns searching an area while the other treasure hunted, but they never moved far from each other. When night time came, Artemis and Grizzly had a lot of stuff they scavenged from the ruins.


"So." said Grizzly dumping their sack of treasures when they were back in camp and seated around a campfire. " We --- I mean, I --- Artemis didn't help --- found these." he said proudly.


Their scavenged treasures included a bent silver spoon with fancy engravings, an old sewing machine that was rusty and moldy, a cracked piggy bank made of clay with peeling paint, a wooden hand from some mannequin that had been vandalized years, and years ago, the frame of a cellphone that doesn't work anymore, a cracked vinyl record that Artemis was guarding jealously, and an old busted jeep the two had carried together back to camp that looked like a few months of repairs and renovation could restore it to half its former glory.


"What'd you guys get?" he asked Robert smugly.


(OOC: @Abdel featherfall , are you still continuing this? Cuz' if not, I'm taking control of this and ending it soon.


@CkSmalling)

 

[CkSmalling]

"Hahahaha that deal is on!!!! Grizzly after this, i am pretty sure we will hate each other. Temporarily of course." Robert heard Artemis weak acceptance and decided to mock her "its okay. We know"


"So what will you make Grizzly eat btw?" Assassin asked as they entered the first floor. 


"I have no idea. But he will not like me for a while, that is a guarantee"


"I know you two are thick as thieves so don't jeopardize that"


Robert looked at Assassin blankly. "I don't know who you are but i want my girlfriend back"


"Fine. I have a few ideas that will make you even vomit."


"Thats my girl"


After turning the building upside down, they made their way back to camp, their cargo inside their mechas. 


"You guys found a jeep? NO WAY!!!!!" Robert leaped from his mecha and towards the jeep. He inspected the vehicle ans popped the hood. The engine was broken and so rusted. "Grizzly, we are doing this together. Now for my booty"


Robert laid down the stuff he had found. There was an old derelict tablet, the cylindrical drum of a washing machine, a laptop that had no screen, an old DVD player. "And now the best for last. A signed vinyl of the king of rock, Elvis Presley. Now there are just 4 tracks in this case, but the value of this" he waved the  tracks in the air "trumps the jeep. Say Artemis, you want this?" He stepped closer and waved it on her face "i know you want it. Question is, how much?


"Also we found a pair of Topaz earrings in a jewelry shop." Assassin said as she sat down next to Artemis. "They are really beautiful" she took them off and handed them over to her. "They are yours btw. Robert gave them to me and i am giving them to you."


@Zer0

 

[Abdel featherfall]

By the time their hunt was over the blackened skies seemed to be getting darker almost as if it were night time despite the fact it was only mid afternoon at the latest. Their camp was well set up and orderly by the time they got back everything that could be set up was. And the comms unit was up and working perfectly. However there was something off about the jungle right now. It was quiet when it should have been buzzing with the life of the rainforest. There wasn't a sound except the occasional brush of the leaves in the wind. 


A pair air of blue glowing eyes watched the camp from a distance, they could be seen cutting through the darkness should anybody look into the jungle near the camp. After a while they would be joined by another pair, Then another, and another. Four pairs of eyes in total. There wasn't a sound except the occasional rasp of static. However that rasp of static didn't seem to emanate from any of their equipment apron inspection. The cold glowing blue eyes stayed perfectly still almost as if they were inanimate objects.


There was a rustle and a louder rush of static. The eyes vanished, replaced by only blackness they had only been there a few moments at most. However shortly after they vanished there was a scream. Like a man running and desperate for his life. But it sounded -wrong- it was digital, distorted, enshrouded in even more static and then silence.


@Zer0 @tammynorthland @CkSmalling


 ( still taking this! Had issues with my wifi past day or two)