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Post by Zeno on Apr 13, 2011 0:32:27 GMT -5
"How the hell should I know?" Zeno asked, shrugging. "I've been asking you that question ever since I found out you were one. Hell, I can't even stand five minutes with talkative rookies. How can you stand hours with them?"
Zeno chuckled, before taking a long drag on his cigarette. "Hey, is it strange that I'd rather spend a day with the savages on World-89A rather than spending a day with a bunch of rookies?"
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Post by sloth on Apr 13, 2011 0:43:36 GMT -5
"You're not the only one, mate." Michael puffed again on his cigarette, which was quickly becoming less and less. Damn. He'd need a new pack soon.
"I'm starting to think of taking them down to Mike and Shaun, see what those brilliant bastards do with the rookies." Michael chuckled, rather not imagining what the two geniuses would do to 'em.
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Post by Zeno on Apr 13, 2011 0:48:21 GMT -5
Zeno laughed loudly when Michael suggested he'd bring the rookies to Mike and Shaun. "That'd make for a... er... learning experience," he commented amusedly as he started reloading his revolvers. He felt uncomfortable walking around with empty guns...
"You doing anything tonight?" he asked as he started emptying the revolvers of the spent cases. "I was thinking of heading to the Third Strike Bar, grab myself a beer. After this nightmare, I'm gonna need it."
Spitting his cigarette out and stepping on it, he scoffed. "The docs say I shouldn't drink alcohol so soon after I've replaced the augs, but they're the reason I need the drink, so... yeah, fuck the docs."
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Post by sloth on Apr 13, 2011 1:03:18 GMT -5
Michael smiled slightly. "Aye, I could go for a drink or two." Michael puffed one last time on his cigarette before he threw it on the ground, stomping out the ashes once again. He sighed.
"Ya know, I started teaching to try and help out the few rookies that we had. Now-a-days, we seem to have more and more. Last time I taught a class, I was stared down by a hundred students. And I continually ask myself, 'Why do we have so many fucking kids here, man?'. But it gets you thinkin'. Why do we need so many recruits? It makes you think somethin' bad's gonna happen." The Irishman looked over at his Western-influenced friend.
"Something big's going on here, Z. As another wise old man once said, 'There's a storm a comin'."
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Post by Zeno on Apr 13, 2011 1:09:20 GMT -5
Zeno grinned as he holstered his revolvers, leaning in. "You know, I've been hearing some mumbles and whispers here and there," he said, looking around to make sure no one heard him. "They say they've found some new world. Dangerous, a bunch of dimension travelers as well. But they don't know just who they are, or what their goal is."
Pulling away, Zeno shrugged. "But that's probably just a bunch of bullshit. I mean, if they found a world like that, and gotten far enough to learn that they were dimension travelers, they would've at least gotten a scope on their behavior, and general cheeriness."
Feeling his augs starting to shut down, Zeno gave himself a pound on the chest, feeling them starting up again. "But you're right. Something big is stirring, and at times, I get this feeling that I'm being watched, makes the hairs on the back of my neck rise. That feeling I get right before a firefight comes at those times, and I find myself reaching for my guns even here on the Island..."
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Post by sloth on Apr 13, 2011 1:20:37 GMT -5
Michael stared at his long-time friend, and nodded.
"Aye, I'm feeling that here too, more often then my paranoia will let go of. That rumor of a new world with dimension travelers, bullshit or no, is still a possibility, and with possibilities come threats." The Irishman reached for his pack, but decided against it. He looked up at the sky, so bright and shining.
"You know, it should feel like there should be a storm overhead, but the Island remains as sunny as ever." Michael chuckled as he looked back at his friend.
"We need to be on guard for anything now, even if this new world is total bull." Michael looked at his friend, who now had just restarted his augs.
"Come on, man, let's get you inside before your lungs collapse."
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Post by Zeno on Apr 13, 2011 1:26:55 GMT -5
"My lungs are as healthy as ever!" Zeno protested, but he had already begun walking back toward the building. He looked up at the bright blue sky, taking a deep breath. So Michael saw and felt the signs as well...
"This is really happening..." he muttered, releasing a sigh. "It feels like this building that I've come to love so much is gonna be blown to shit any second, and some wannabe freedom fighters are gonna try to kill us all..."
Fishing out another cigarette and striking a match against Michael's cheek, Zeno lit it and took a drag. "You know, we could go to 113, and check things out there, listen around for rumors and such. I won't let anything threaten this place." That place held a lot of memories for Zeno, after all, and he had a few friends there as well.
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Post by sloth on Apr 13, 2011 1:40:10 GMT -5
Michael nodded, not bothered by the match being struck on his cheek.
"We could do that. I think there are plenty of bounties on 113, enough for us to keep collecting information until we're adequately informed enough to protect FUBAR. Although, it'll have to wait until your lungs are fixed up. You're no good dead, ya know." Michael looked over his shoulder. He thought he saw something move. He shook his head. He needed to stay focused.
He signed to Zeno, 'Did you see what I saw?'
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Post by Zeno on Apr 13, 2011 1:51:57 GMT -5
Zeno gave Michael a 'Are you seriously asking me that?' look, as his right hand was already on his revolver, ready to draw at any second. This time, it wasn't just Michael's paranoia acting up. His hair on the back of his neck was standing. There was the feeling again.
"Time to make lemonade, it seems," he commented, waiting to see any sign of movement. "This-" Zeno was interrupted as stars exploded in front of him when something slammed into his face, sending him flying backward. Landing harding on his back, Zeno rolled and upholstered his revolver, aiming right in front of him, only to see... nothing?
"The hell is this?" he asked, gritting his teeth. There was nothing there! "You see anything?" he asked Michael cautiously. Then, he saw how Michael was also sent flying back by some invisible force. Firing straight ahead, Zeno's eyes widened when a glowing, blue bullet hole opened up in the air, spilling a blue liquid, followed by a roar.
"INTRUDER!" Zeno roared and opened fire at the hole. The hole moved, however, as the invisible enemy rushed off, toward the F.U.B.A.R building. Another of his bullets hit, opening up another hole in the back of the invisible enemy.
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Post by sloth on Apr 13, 2011 2:03:41 GMT -5
Michael pulled out his S&W, aiming it at their invisible foe.
"Eat lead, you son of a bitch!" Six shots rang out, three holes appeared in the invisible beast.
"Fuck!" Michael's aim was off. Swinging out the cylinder as he stood up, he attached a microphone to his ear.
"Command, this is McBride, we've got an Intruder on the Lawns, heading towards HQ! Zeno and I are on scene, trying to kill the fuckin' thing! We could really use some help right about now!" Shells fell to the ground and Michael loaded three gray rounds and three red into his Model 29. He really needed a second gun. But he hoped, at least for now, that these bullets Mike and Shaun gave him worked.
He aimed at the invisible beast, and cried, "Eat Frag-15, you mother fucker!" Michael fired three shots, two hitting the ground around the beast in showers of dirt, but the last hit the thing, tearing a large hole into the 'back' of the creature.
Michael swore as he fired the other three rounds, pyro-rounds Mike and Shaun called them. All three missed, and all three melted the barrel of his gun.
"Fuck!" Michael yelled as he ran after the beast, dropping his once beautiful Model 29.
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Post by Zeno on Apr 13, 2011 2:12:54 GMT -5
"WHY ISN'T THIS FUCKING THING DYING?!" Zeno roared out, pulling out his second recolver and throwing it to Michael. He reloaded his right one and kept firing. Four more holes opened up above the massive hole in the back of the creature, who just kept running.
Growling, Zeno ran after it. He really didn't want the thing wreaking havoc inside the building. Once more, Zeno reloaded and opened fire. This time, he shot the creature in the massive hole blown open by Michael, and saw the creature stumble. Then, taking careful aim, Zeno fired his last round, and was pleased to see that, when hit, the creature tripped and fell to the ground, unmoving.
Zeno wheezed. His lungs were shot, and his augs had started malfunctioning. Pounding his chest, he started them up again, and slowly approached the creature, which started to shimmer. "Mike, you got my back?" he asked, reloading his revolver.
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Post by sloth on Apr 13, 2011 2:23:56 GMT -5
Michael had grabbed the revolver out of the air, and had seen Zeno take down the beast. He walked up with his friend as the beast began to shimmer.
"Mike, you got my back?"
Michael nodded, pulling back the hammer of Zeno's revolver, aiming at the large hole the Frag-15 had left in the beast.
"Every step of the way, Zeno." Michael held his unoccupied hand to his ear.
"Command, this is McBride, we need assistance, goddammit! Where the fuck are our reinforcements!"
"McBride, this is Command, we're sending several agents to your position, hang tight, over." Michael shook his head.
"No, Command, you aren't listening! The intruder, it's some sort of beast, invisible to the naked eye! We aren't sure it's dead yet! Hurry up!" Michael returned his focus to the invisible beast.
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Post by Zeno on Apr 13, 2011 2:33:56 GMT -5
Zeno reached the invisible beast and prodded it with his foot. The beast shimmered again, and he jumped back, in time to see whatever cloaking it had fade away. It was completely naked, as was to be expected, with pale, gray skin that had black tiger patterns on it. Its legs were long and double-folded, which probably made for being able to leap high.
Turning the beast over with his foot, Zeno had to admit, it was probably one of the most badass creatures he'd ever seen. It didn't have lips, and instead a set of three inch long teeth displayed for the world to see. It was completely bald, humanoid, and incredibly muscular, with spikes of what looked like bone sticking out of its shoulders, elbows and forearms.
"What the fuck is that?" Zeno asked as he stared down at the unmoving creature, who wasn't breathing. "And where are the fucking reinforcements?" Growling to himself, Zeno knelt next to the beast, and prodded it with his revolver. That was a mistake.
The beast's eyes shot open, and its hand lashed out, grabbing Zeno around the throat as it shot to its feet, holding Zeno to it as a shield against Michael. "Bad move, human," the beast growled out in a guttural voice, while Zeno gasped.
"Shoot it!" Zeno ordered Michael, struggling against the beast's vice-like grip. "Just avoid my heart and lungs and shoot right through me!"
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Post by sloth on Apr 13, 2011 2:45:25 GMT -5
Michael stared at the large creature that now held Zeno as a hostage. Michael held the revolver in one hand, and grabbed the hilt of his dagger in the other. His move.
Michael aimed carefully, and fired Zeno's revolver, the bullet forcing itself through his friend's collar bone and into the eye of the beast. Wasting no time, Michael pulled his dagger out and moved around Zeno with great speed, and slashed at the beast's stomach, cutting a deep gash into the creature's abdomen. The Irishman placed the revolver's barrel under the chin of the beast, ready to fire.
"I'll see you in hell, you ugly mother fucker!" Michael, with these words, pulled the trigger several times until he ran out of ammunition. One last stab into the beast's chest, and that was the end of Michael's part in the fight.
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Post by Zeno on Apr 13, 2011 2:53:07 GMT -5
Zeno cried out as the bullet dug its way through his collar bone and into the beast, making it cry out and drop Zeno to the ground. He didn't see the ensuing fight, and when he turned around, Michael had already emptied the revolver into the beast and stabbed it.
The beast dropped to the ground and fell forward, almost landing on Zeno, who rolled away at the last second, hissing in pain as he rose to his feet. He clutched at the wound and gave Michael an incredulous look. "I can't believe you shot me!" he yelled.
Naturally, this was purely joke, and he hoped Michael would get it. But it still hurt like a bitch... Zeno reached down and grabbed his dropped revolver, then walked up to the beast, emptying the revolver into the back of the beast's skull. He didn't notice that he was wheezing for a few seconds, then pounded on his chest. "I need to get these augs replaced..." he muttered, sitting down on the ground.
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