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    T. Rakinson

    A Brute among Beasts
    If you wish to apply to this Roleplay, please do so at this thread.

    Cast: [Closed]
    T.Rakinson as Duncan Mcintosh
    EpicVakarian as Elizaveta Ivanova
    Orion Terrik as Jake Miller
    Simus as Jennifer Scott
    Skyrimsity as Ben Graham

    Toxius as Brandon Barkley
    TheCaptain as Dipprasad Dharmadhoj
    ***
    upload_2014-10-20_20-22-8-png.36051


    05:45, 14/04/15
    Sleeping Quarter 035, XCOM HQ

    Rushing around the back of the truck to gain a better view of his target, Duncan rested his Assault Rifle against the hood of the vehicle, preparing his shot. It was imperative that he brought down the Muton, he could see it taking glances at O'Conner & glancing at one of its grenades, which hummed & released an unhealthy green glow. The hulking beast of an alien stood within an alleyway thats walls blocked his shot, as if it was anticipating an external threat
    As O'Conner briefly jumped out of her cover to score a bodyshot on a local adversary, her mutated would-be attacker popped out from behind its cover, reaching for its Ordnance. Quickly as possible, Duncan pushed the trigger in, realeasing a wave of ballistic death at the Muton. Though some of the bullets richocheted harmlessly off of its thick body armour, a handful of bullets implanted themselves directly in its skull, instantly killing the alien before it could activate its explosives.
    Having also neutralised her target, O'Conner looked on to see the Corporal give her the all clear gesture. Reloading her Shotgun, she began to rush towards his location, briefly passing the alleyway where Duncan's victim had gone down.
    Suddenly, & without warning, a gargantum, armour plated crimson hand reached out from the opening, grabbing the woman by the neck, instantly snapping it, & throwing her limp body against the brick wall...


    Duncan brust out of his bed, grabbing his Knife & slashing wildly through the air. After several seconds of blindly attacking the empty space with Lucy's jagged tip his panic subsided, & he collapsed back onto his bed.
    His Insomnia had not passed, even though it had been almost a fortnight since the same fight he had dreamt about had occured. As he lay there, temporarily paralyzed by his forced awakening, Duncan tried to clear his mind of the flashback. He had to think positive. Today he could be going back into the field after a week of recovery, & with a new squad to supplement him. It would give him a chance to avenge Abbey...
    At this Duncan had to shake his head slightly. His psychiatrist had warned him that mixing up his personal life with his job was undoubtably the cause of his sleepless nights. Still, it was hard for his blood not to boil whenever he saw the aliens, especially considering they were all identical.

    As his head cleared & he retook control of his body Duncan grew bored of his solitude & made his way out of his quarters, stretching his arms & legs beforehand. Originally planning to head to the Gym, a deep growling in his stomach diverted his course towards the dining room.
    Even at this hour there were plenty of people awake. Scientists, Communications officers, soliders & technicians were all in full swing; eating breakfast, discussing amongst social groups & planning their days. Recieving a few nods as he went over to the breakfast table, the Corporal made himself some toast & poured out some coffee.
    Heading over to the table where he & his squadmates usually gathered, he sat down, feeling depressed. There were downsides to being a survivor. Not only had he been the only person to get out of their last Ops alive, but it had been a forced retreat. Not only could he not recover their bodies, but his abortion of the mission had lead to the Council questioning his continued presense in the XCOM project. It was a miracle he was still here, never mind him being made head of another squadron.

    After a few minutes of ignoring his breakfast & occasionally sipping his coffee someone finally appeared in front of his table. It was the Sergeant Field. Either as a result of his beverage or his superior officer's intimidating presense Duncan wasnt sure, but he suddenly found himself shivering.
    The Sergeant sat down next to him, & on closer inspection it appeared as though his night had not been any better than Duncan's. Despite Field's... unique opinion of the aliens, it was still obvious that he too had insomnia on their behalf. He yawned & then looked at the Sergeant.
    "Morning Jacob".
    In response he recieved a withering glance. The Sergeant took out a flask from his pocket & took a swig from it with apparent thirst. "You know, most soliders regard to their superior officers as 'sir'".
    Duncan looked at the man & gave him his first wry smile in days. "Oh, come on. Isn't our little friendship past that?" he joked.
    Jacob wasnt amused. "Well to be honest, you should be showing a bit more respect to the main reason why the Council's turning a blind eye on you".

    The Corporal blinked at him in surprise. "You fought to keep me in XCOM? Why?". The Sergeant lowered his voice so that only Duncan could hear him. "You'll find out in time. Those people in command? They dont know how it feels. Facing those things, knowing what they'd do you if you gave them a chance. But you & me? We know how to fight them". Jacob stood up. "We never had this conversation" & with that he was gone.
    Duncan now thought about what the Sergeant had said. Was he wrong to assume that it was himself at fault? All the Council had seemingly done was provide funding, & other wealthy benefactors could easily replace them. Did Jacob have method in his madness? But the thought quickly passed. It was basically treason. If the Sergeant wanted to try something like that, then he could do it on his own. Yet for some reason the Corporal hesitated to report this.
    After a few more minutes a member of staff came over to his table. "Good morning, sir. Glad iv'e found you-" he then typed something on his data pad. "Just sent a notification to your new squadmates to meet you here".
    "Thank you, officer. You are dismissed".
    Duncan looked at his watch. 06:25.
     
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    EpicVakarian

    Calibration-Master General
    An alert from her data pad jerked Liz awake. She took a few seconds to allow her eyes to grow accustomed to the light, then twisted herself upright and grabbed the device; a message had come through from one of the admin staff. It told her to report to a Corporal Duncan McIntosh, who was to be her new squad leader, in the mess hall as soon as possible.

    She checked the time; 6:25am.
    "Suchyy syn..." she cursed, reverting to her native Ukrainian as she was wont to do sometimes. She headed through to the women's wash room to take a quick shower, then returned to her (admittedly small) quarters to dry herself off and dress in her standard casual dress; typical military camo gear with rolled-up sleeves. Giving her hair a quick brush, she headed out to the mess hall to find this corporal.

    Liz couldn't help but feel a little worried about the message. Her squad leader was to be a corporal? She couldn't understand the logic based on what she'd been told, but decided to give this McIntosh the benefit of the doubt and treat him with the respect all soldiers were due.
    Upon arriving at the hall, she realized that the message hadn't informed her on how to find the man. Her eyes scoured the surroundings until she spotted a man sat at a table alone, engaged in similar activities to herself; staring around the room looking for someone. Her gut told her that this was the man she was looking for, so she approached, back straight and chin up.

    "Excuse me, I'm supposed to report to a Corporal McIntosh. Is this you?" The man responded positively, with a strong Scottish accent. She smiled at him and saluted before holding out her hand for him to shake it. "My name, it is Elizaveta Ivanova. I'm told you are my new squad leader, sir." It felt strange, addressing a corporal as "sir", but she went along with it out of respect; he was obviously in command for a reason, and she just hadn't found out what that reason was yet. Though she had a feeling that it must have been something extraordinary, for him to be singled out over any of the other soldiers in the underground base.
     

    Orien Terrik

    "Arik tree'ac te kek."
    Jake Miller had arrived a few days earlier, and had not been given any orders what so ever. He had been assigned a pass to the base, and a Quarters to live in. So, he had been just messing around, hitting the weight room a lot. As it so happens, he was just coming out of the showers from a workout, and entering his room, when his data pad started beeping. Jake had woken up at 4:30 that morning, to workout because he had nothing better to do, so he was a little excited to see his Data pad finally beeping. He quickly jumped into a pair of Camo pants, and put his boots on. Throwing on a white, sleeveless shirt, he grabbed his data pad, and started walking to the Mess Hall. As he read his message, he noticed his Squad leader would be a Corporal. 'How weird...' He thought to himself, a little alarmed. 'Maybe our ranks reset now that we are a part of this program? Because they are bringing in different military groups, or so I was told.' He brainstormed. He didn't have long though, as he had soon arrived at the Mess Hall. Looking around for his group was a interesting situation, as he hadn't received any information besides it saying he was in the Mess Hall. He saw a woman salute a man sitting at a table, and recognized her as one of his fellow squad mates. He had thoroughly checked the dossier on his Squadron, which gave him details on everyone, except his leader. He assumed the man the woman saluted was him. Jake walked up to the table, and stood at attention. "Master Chief Jake Miller, reporting as ordered." He said to the man, saluting him as he talked.
     

    Simus

    An Excellent Site Member
    Jen was sitting on a neatly made up hospital bed with her legs folded, dressed in U.S Marine camo pants, white socks and a black tank top that revealed her cleavage. Her dog tags from the service were still around her neck, the black rubber silencers wrapped around the edges making sure they never rattled. She had been in the hospital of XCOM HQ ever since she arrived 3 days ago. So far it had been a rough stay. She had been shipped here under heavy sedation thanks to her rather violent protest over leaving the hospital at Joint Base Andrews. When she came to and found herself in this strange underground base she tried to escape. When the orderly wheeling her gurney tried to calm her down she broke his wrist. When a second tried to restrain her she broke his nose. The XCOM Security Personnel that restrained and sedated her all had cuts and bruises from her struggle. All four of them large intimidating men. Needless to say 2nd Lieutenant Jennifer Scott was violent when she was angry. And she was often angry.

    Her behavior had improved over the three days she had been here and was let out of her restraints yesterday morning. She was let out on the first day and tried to escape but before she could get very far she was shot by some sort of stun gun that threw an arc of electricity into her lower back. She collapsed onto the floor like a pile of jelly and was restrained again. After that she decided she was done trying to escape. The headache from that stun lasted for hours.

    Now Jen was holding a datapad scrolling through pictures with her finger. Pictures of strange and nasty creatures that couldn't be from this planet. Most looked like something out of a video game but there were a few she recognized from her last combat assignment. The one that had landed her a medical discharge from the Marines and into the hospital. Two doctors, one an old Chinese guy in a green jacket and the other a woman in a lab coat over a sweater, asked Jen to point out the pictures familiar to her.

    "This one right here. The little gray fl*ff." She said. "These things I saw first. Some had us pinned down, others fought the Hajis we were supposed to clear out. These were the things that...changed my squad."

    "They're called Sectoids." Dr. Vahlen said. "They're among the most common of the aliens we've encountered. What exactly did the aliens to do your squadmates? Can you describe their changes?"

    "They seemed to focus really hard and then sent this...purple energy plops from their giant fl*ffing heads into my guys. I look around and their eyes go white and they get these purple shadows under them. Like they're tired or some plops but...different. Some of 'em panic, others just kind of accept it but they all turn their guns on me. There's me and four others who aren't like that, they all get wasted and I barely roll out of the way. I look at one of the riflemen in my squad. Lucy. Small brunette. Sweet kid. Felt protective of her for some reason. She's under whatever spell those little gray fl*ffs do. I have clear shot at the one closest to her and take out my sidearm. Shoot the thing in the head and it dies. That felt good. But Lucy...her eyes go blank and she just...falls over. I see blood coming out of her ears."

    "Did Lucy get back up?" Dr. Vahlen asked, writing everything down on a clipboard.

    "No. She does not get back up. I don't know the fl*ff how but when I popped that Septoid or whatever the fl*ff it is Lucy dies with it. Like they tied their brains together or something. That's when I know I'm gonna kill these things."

    "What happened next?"

    "My own squad jumps me. They open fire on me and I take cover. They're advancing but some of the Hajis...Iraqi insurgent forces, they regroup and fire on my guys and the aliens. I use that to bug out. Seeing what happend to Lucy fl*ffed me over bad. I panicked. The Corp trains you not to panic but I did anyway. I don't even try to help the rest of my guys. I just run. I run to try and save my own fl*ffing neck." Jen grew quiet and looked down at her feet.

    "Lieutenant," Dr. Vahlen said, moving to hold Jen's right hand. She jerked it away in response and the doctor withdrew her hand. "There was nothing you could have done to save your squadmates. You were outmanned and outgunned facing a completely unknown enemy. You can't..."

    "Oh and it gets better." Jen said, cutting off the doctor. "My guys, my friends and fellow Marines are sent in to flush me out, those little gray fl*ffs just behind them with that purple head energy like a fl*ffing leash. So we play cat and mouse for two days, I've got no food, no water and no sleep. But that doesn't stop me. I use the terrain to my advantage and hunt those little plopss down. One. By. One. And you know what happens to my guys? They all die just like Lucy. I didn't save a single one of them."

    "Jennifer..."

    "Jen." She growled.

    "Jen..." Dr. Vahlen tried to take Jen's hand again and she allowed it this time." You can't blame yourself for what happened in Baghdad. There was nothing you could have done to save your friends. By killing the sectoids you gave them peace. It was an act of mercy and you should remember that as such. The very fact your survived, alone, until you were rescued means that their deaths were not in vain. No one else outside of our organization has encountered the aliens in direct combat and survived. Your survival is nothing less than a miracle."

    Jen looked up at Dr. Vahlen with misty eyes but quickly blinked them dry. In an instant her scowl and stone mask returned. "And just who the fl*ff are you people?"

    Dr. Shen, who had remained quiet until now spoke up. "We are an organization called XCOM. Our mission is to identify, study, contain and eliminate this alien threat. You have been brought here lieutenant because we want you to join us."

    "So you drug me? You put me in restraints and sedate me when I try to leave? Why the fl*ff didn't you just ask me?"

    "We did lieutenant." Dr. Shen said. "Your exact response was 'Go to hell.' Then you reacted violently and injured several guards. The restraints and sedatives were made necessary by your actions and no one else's. That lesson didn't seen to take until you experienced an arc thrower."

    "Well I've always been a slow learner. Plus you people have plops I'd kill for so I guess I'm interested."

    "Now, have you seen any other species on this pad? Any information you can give would help us."

    "No...just those sectoid things. No...wait. There was this big gray walker. Had this giant fl*ffing laser cannon that burned through everything it hit. Took out the first Stryker in our column with one shot. That's how the whole ambush started. .50 cal? Rockets? Mark 19's? Didn't do plops. Only a shot from the main gun of an Abrams even made a dent and all THAT did was stagger it a little. And that was a depleted uranium shell mind you. Something designed to rip a hole through a concrete bunker and everyone in it. Then it trained that giant laser and ripped the Abrams open like a fl*ffing banana. Everybody inside burned to death."

    "Interesting..." Dr. Shen said. "Very interesting....that was a sectopod you encountered. The largest of the alien's mechanized units we've encountered. That makes your survival all the more miraculous."

    "Yeah, I'll say. I've never seen firepower like that before. How the fl*ff do you stop something like that. One of those things took out an entire armored column by itself."

    "We're still formulating a strategy but rest assured..." Dr. Shen stopped mid-sentence as his datapad flashed. He and Dr. Vahlen exchanged surprised looks and exchanged a few words in German but both nodded in agreement of something. "Well lieutenant, I have some good news for you."

    "Spit it out then."

    "It appears the commander has decided to add you to our roster of front line soldiers. You're to report to Corporal McIntosh to the mess hall at once."

    "Does that mean I can leave?"

    "Provided you behave yourself, yes." Dr. Vahlen said. "Though sending you into combat after what you've experienced isn't my official medical recommendation. It would be extremely hazardous to your mental health if..."

    "Being locked up in a fl*ffing psych ward is what's 'hazerdous to my mental health!" Jen yelled, leaping to her feet and jabbing her finger at Dr. Vahlen. "If your commander thinks I've got the balls to shoot aliens after what I've been through than he's got me fl*ffing pegged perfectly! I'm gonna do this and neither of you are gonna stop me. And don't get all therapist on me. This is exactly what the fl*ff I need."

    Both doctors were concerned about Jen's mental stability and behavior that was dangerously close to sociopathic but truthfully they were both too scared to say anything. "I-In that case, good luck lieutenant. Um...let us know if you remember anything else."

    Jen cackled as she laced up her tan combat boots. "What, I didn't rattle you did I doc? Relax, where I'm from strapping people down is a sign of friendship! And call me Jen for fl*ff's sake. Or at least fl*ffing Scott, everybody else does." She hopped off of bed and walked out of the hospital "Later." She called back, feeling like she was breathing fresh air despite being underground.

    A few minutes later she jogged down to the mess hall, pushing anyone in her way. Half the base had seen or heard of the scene she caused during her arrival so they gave her ample space. When she arrived she saw three other soldiers. An older guy she thought she'd seen in the hospital yesterday, a guy about her age that looked like he was completely made of muscle and a chick with the most jet black dye job hair she'd ever seen. Having no regard for whatever conversation they might be having, Jen jumped onto the table they were sitting at, knocking over a full coffee cup in the process and clattering two forks to the ground. She sat down with her legs folded and arms supporting her chin while looking at the chick and her perfectly black hair.

    "2nd Lieutenant Jennifer Scott, United States Marine Crop, 1st Squad, 2nd Platoon, Able Company, 4th Armored Infantry Division. Who the fl*ff are you guys?"
     
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    T. Rakinson

    A Brute among Beasts
    After a few minutes of tapping his finger on the table someone once again walked over to his table. This time they gave him a salute, so he was guessing this was one of his new Team-mates.
    "Excuse me, I'm supposed to report to a Corporal McIntosh. Is this you?"
    Duncan turned to look at his new arrival. "Yes, that would be me. Please, have a seat". For some strange reason he found his accent cropping up in a heavier fashion. The girl didnt seem to mind however, & took a seat at the table. She introduced herself. "My name, it is Elizaveta Ivanova. I'm told you are my new squad leader, sir." The Corporal listened carefully this time. He could sense a light European accent of sorts in her voice. "Squadron 045? If so, nice to meet you, Miss". He looked for her profile on the data pad the staff worker had left at his table, remembering to tick her name off to confirm her arrival to Command. "So you're a Sniper, then? How are you with headshots?" as he said this, a shadow came over him & after finishing his coffee he ordered a new one, then turned to look at the large figure now standing before him.

    "Master Chief Jake Miller, reporting as ordered."
    "Morning, Solider. Sleep well?" He decided not to be the one to break the news that transfer to XCOM led to what was basically a reset in Rank. Though confident that his new crew would all be able fighters, ranking up here was not easy. Curently the highest ranking operative on active duty was a Major, & family contacts were the main reason that she was still alive. That, & the smoke grenades.
    Jake had yet to reply, so Duncan decided to introduce himself again.
    "I am Corporal Mcintosh. Just call me Mac". He adressed that to Elizaveta as well. 'Duncan' brought up a lot of stuff with him. He gestured to her now. "This is Miss Ivanova. She'll also be on the team, serving as out markswoman". He returned to his data-pad to confirm Miller's arrival. Now unless command has any more surprises for us, the only person were expecting now is-"

    Sudenly an overreactive woman leaped onto the table, spilling his coffee & drawing a lot of attention to herself. After looking at them all she sat at the table, staring at the company.
    "2nd Lieutenant Jennifer Scott, United States Marine Crop, 1st Squad, 2nd Platoon, Able Company, 4th Armored Infantry Division. Who the fl*ff are you guys?" Duncan instantly disliked her, but decided to go along with the situation. He was willing to bet this one would prove to be an unpopular figure; the last thing she needed was her own team despising her. He took a deep breath before proceeding. His voice was calm yet authorative.
    "Well I'll give these two a chance to say hello, but all YOU need to know is my name is Corporal Mcintosh, I'm going to be your leader until you either get yourself killed, or the people upstairs grows tired of your erratic behaviour, & that the coffee you just knocked over was mine". He took a deep breath. "Now, while I go & refresh my drink I suggest you cool off & have a nice chat with these lovely people because like me, they too will be working with you on the field, & I would hate for them to put... personal reasons ahead of the safety of their teammates".
    With that he picked up his cracked mug & walked off back to coffee pot. He got the feeling caffeine would be appropriate for the upcoming day.
     

    EpicVakarian

    Calibration-Master General
    "Squadron 045? If so, nice to meet you, miss."
    McIntosh glanced down at his pad, then back up at Liz. "So you're a sniper, then? How are you with headshots?"
    Liz grinned as she replied.
    "My old squad, they called me mertvykh ochey; dead-eye. They said I saved their lives almost as many times as the medics did." She realised it sounded as though she was being arrogant. "I don't know about that though. All I do is to remove threats."

    As she finished her sentence, a large, muscle-bound man stepped up.
    "Master Chief Jake Miller, reporting as ordered."
    "Morning, soldier," McIntosh replied. "Sleep well?" Before Miller could respond, the corporal introduced himself. "I am Corporal McIntosh. Just call me Mac." He nodded to Liz as well.
    "And call me Liz."
    "This is Miss Ivanova," he said, gesturing to her. "She'll also be on the team, serving as our markswoman." Liz smiled up at Miller, who was nearly a foot taller than her, and nodded curtly. "Now, unless command has any more surprises for us, the only person we're expecting now is-"

    Before Mac could finish his sentence, something very strange happened. A woman, who appeared of similar age to Liz, jumped up on top of the table, spilling Mac's coffee before she swung her legs over so she was sitting on the table. She was just slightly taller than Liz, and quite a bit stronger, by the looks. Her strong jaw and shaven head made her look like a bit of a thug, something that wasn't helped by her actions; but Liz knew well enough not to judge people entirely on first impressions. Mac didn't seem to have the same opinion though; he scowled at the woman as she introduced herself.
    "2nd Lieutenant Jennifer Scott, United States Marine Corp, 1st Squad, 2nd Platoon, Able Company, 4th Armored Infantry Division. Who the fl*ff are you guys?"
    There was silence for a moment, then Mac took in a deep breath before speaking.
    "Well, I'll give these two a chance to say hello, but all YOU need to know is my name is Corporal McIntosh, I'm going to be your leader until you either get yourself killed, or the people upstairs grow tired of your erratic behaviour. And that coffee you just knocked over was mine. Now, while I go and refresh my drink, I suggest you cool off and have a nice chat with these lovely people, because like me, they too will be working with you on the field, and I would hate for them to put... personal reasons ahead of the safety of their teammates."
    Then, he picked up his broken cup and walked away, clearly attempting to keep his temper in check. Liz was starting to dislike Jennifer, but she held out her hand all the same.
    "Elizaveta Ivanova. Call me Liz. I'm the squad sniper."
     

    Simus

    An Excellent Site Member
    Mac's little rant didn't phase Jen. She was used to having officers in her face and she had seen much meaner than this guy at boot camp. His worry that she wouldn't do her job in combat wasn't new either. Jen started fights and got drunk when off duty because she was angry and needed to blow off steam, and because she didn't give two plopss about what other people thought. In combat she was a professional. Aware, focused, merciless and infamously enthusiastic. She knew who to shoot and who to back up. These people would learn that like everybody else and if they didn't, well, armies need cannon fodder too.

    "Lighten up sir." She said in a tone that was just skirting insubordination. She watched him as he picked up his cracked coffee cup and went to refresh it. Good mug, she thought. She expected it to shatter or at least break but that small crack was all the damage it suffered. When she looked back the sniper chick had her hand out to her. Her accent sounded somewhere around Russian and Jen found it kind of sexy. She introduced herself as the squad sniper and held out her hand, an obvious gesture of friendship. Too bad Jen wasn't here to make friends.

    "Hey." She said, giving Liz a bored look.
     

    Orien Terrik

    "Arik tree'ac te kek."
    "Morning, soldier," McIntosh replied. "Sleep well?" Before Miller could respond, the corporal introduced himself. "I am Corporal McIntosh. Just call me Mac." He nodded to Liz as well.
    "And call me Liz." The woman said to him.
    "This is Miss Ivanova," he said, gesturing to her. "She'll also be on the team, serving as our markswoman." Jake smiled down at liz, giving her a friendly nod of the head. She was smaller than him, but, most people were. "Now, unless command has any more surprises for us, the only person we're expecting now is-"
    Mac was interrupted by a woman jumping on the table, spilling his coffee on the table. Jake immediately recognized her as a Marine by her Jar Head haircut, the same one that he had used when he was in the Corps.
    "2nd Lieutenant Jennifer Scott, United States Marine Corp, 1st Squad, 2nd Platoon, Able Company, 4th Armored Infantry Division. Who the fl*ff are you guys?"
    There was silence for a moment, then Mac took in a deep breath before speaking.
    "Well, I'll give these two a chance to say hello, but all YOU need to know is my name is Corporal McIntosh, I'm going to be your leader until you either get yourself killed, or the people upstairs grow tired of your erratic behavior. And that coffee you just knocked over was mine. Now, while I go and refresh my drink, I suggest you cool off and have a nice chat with these lovely people, because like me, they too will be working with you on the field, and I would hate for them to put... personal reasons ahead of the safety of their teammates."
    The Corporal picked up his broken cup and walked away, trying to keep his anger from showing. Jake watched as the man left the room. Looking back at the new woman, he sized her up. Seemed like good stock. She looked tough, and muscular. A typical Marine. "So your a Marine, huh? I was too, till I got moved to DEVGRU. 4th Armored Division, nice! I was with the Baker Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines. Part of the 1st Marine Division. Made it up to Gunnery Sergeant before I joined, and got transferred, to the SEALs." He said to the new woman, nodding in respect.
     

    Skyrimosity

    Well-Known Member
    22:45, 6:45 local time, 13/04/15
    Hindu Kush Mountains, North-East, On the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan
    "What are we doing here, anyway?"

    "You got the report same as I did, Foster. There's been strange activity in the area. It's our job to investigate." Ben had grown tired of Foster, truth be told. He was always raising questions that were already answered. The other eighteen men from the 75th Ranger Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Alpha Squad, assigned to this mission were silent at the moment. They were keeping eyes on twelve and six as they advanced up the mountain pass.

    The assigned area was a cave about five-thousand feet above sea level. Strange lights had been seen going into and out of the cave at an alarming rate, so twenty members of Alpha squad were sent to gather intel. Their code name was DAGGER.

    "But why? Can't somebody else do this same job? Or have the Air Force just blow it up?"

    "Sheesh Foster, haven't you seen the commercials? Rangers lead the way."

    There was total silence for a couple of minutes. They were near the cave. Staff Sergeant Reynolds, whom was leading the incursion, started giving orders. "Graham, stop talking and get us eyes on the entrance. Sergeant Lamb, take three men a bit further up. Find some cover, stay behind it, and don't do anything stupid. I'll stay back with the rest of the men until it is time for entry."

    Ben Graham did as he was ordered. He saw a ledge on the other side of the pass that would provide oversight. He maneuvered his way over there, and climbed up to it. Being able to traverse this difficult terrain was a part of Ben's Ranger training, so was little issue for him. He got on the ledge, and lay down overlooking the cave entrance. He pulled out his radio and his binoculars.

    "Corporal Graham in position, eyes on the cave. No visual on contacts. Over."

    "Roger that. Lamb, cover the entrance. Over."


    Ben saw Lamb's small squad position themselves around the entrance as Reynolds moved up.

    "Reynolds, Lamb, I see movement within the cave. Repeat, movement in the cave."

    "Remember men, we are not authorized to shoot without confirmation. Don't get trigger happy."

    Lamb began yelling into the cave. "This is Sergeant Lamb of the US Army Rangers. Put any weapons down and come out with your hands up."

    There was no response. Lamb repeated, and there was no response. Reynolds had taken position, and signaled for his men to enter. As they did, flashes of green lights appeared in the cave. Just like that, Lamb was down. As well as three others.

    "FALL BACK!"

    The Rangers rushed out of the cave, getting behind cover. Before they could set up firing positions, grenades rolled out of the cave. With loud explosions and flashes of green, six more soldiers were down. Foster and Reynolds among them. Of the twenty Rangers, ten were already dead.

    Ben began firing his rifle into the cave, hoping to slow whatever enemy assault was taking place.

    "Corporal Graham, assuming direct control of Dagger. Rangers, fall back into defensive positions. We will not retreat." Ben then chunked a smoke grenade near the cave's entrance, as the Rangers took cover behind the rocks. Suddenly, very small outlines appeared in the smoke. Ben and the Rangers fired into the smoke, but could not see if they were hitting anything. As the smoke cleared, more of the green bullets were fired from behind rocks near the cave. Ben stopped firing for a split moment. From his vantage point, he realized he was not shooting at humans.

    The alien weaponry was superior in every way to the American Arsenal, and despite the brave fighting of the Rangers, they were getting slaughtered. They were down to just five men, Ben included.

    Ben talked into his radio, hidden best he could from enemy view. "Base, Base, this is Corporal Graham of DAGGER. Staff Sergeant Reynolds and Sergeant Lamb are KIA. I repeat, KIA. I have assumed Command. Requesting artillery bombardment and air strike at Echo Nine Seven. I repeat, Echo Nine Seven. Danger Close. Hostiles stronger than expected, being overrun."

    "Roger that Dagger. Support Incoming at Echo Nine Seven. ETA two minutes for artillery fire. ETA five for Gunship. Base Out."

    Ben returned to his firing position, shooting desperately at the alien creatures, praying for the firepower to begin falling down. The first minute felt like an hour. The second a year. But then the mighty firepower of a Paladin artillery vehicle began to pound the entrance of the cave. The aliens made strange noises, as the might of American arms was brought to bear upon them. Machine gun fire poured out at them, the Rangers re-invigorated. Their green bullets stopped entirely.

    The Rangers screamed and shouted in celebration, for despite their losses they realized what Ben had realized before. They had fought another species, one not from this world. But a loud noise emerged from the cave, and a gargantuan beast ran out. It did not take cover, it did not stop running. It charged right at the remaining Rangers. It ripped one man in half, and it threw another into a rock. Ben heard his spine snap. All the bullets the Rangers shot it with did nothing.

    Suddenly, the unmistakable sound of a helicopter filled the air. "Dagger, this is Apache 00-1, entering position. Please identify enemy targets."

    "Roger. Apache 00-1, large object just north of Echo Nine Seven. Shoot it with rockets, machine guns, whatever. Just shoot!"

    The gunship appeared, high in the air. It shot multiple missiles and machine guns ripped into the beast. The area was riddled with explosions. The beast fell to the ground, dead. There were no surviving Rangers besides Ben.

    "Base, this is Corporal Graham. I am Lone Survivor, repeat Lone Survivor. Requesting Extrac. Apache 00-1, suggest shooting missiles into that damned cave. Kill anything in there. It is all hostile."

    The gunship lowered to where it could fire into the cave. It unleashed everything it had into it.

    00:45
    Returning to base, all the higher-ups surrounded Ben. Confidential, Confidential they yelled. But the highest ranked Officer there took Ben to the communications tent. He made everyone leave. "I know what you have encountered. I have put your name to an organization higher than the Rangers; XCOM. It is not up to me to give you any more details, but transport will pick you up any moment. Remember this, though. You must always fight for your homeland."

    The most advanced transport technology Ben had ever seen now landed on base. It was a Skyranger, the transport of the XCOM program. Ben was informed that his record was wiped and that he was no longer a US soldier. He was to be among a truly elite group of soldiers. He boarded the Skyranger, and was immediately put in communication with a Dr. Vahlen.

    "Incoming... this is Dr. Vahlen. Do you copy?"

    "Yes Ma'am, I do."

    "Corporal Graham, we look forward to you joining the program. What can you tell me about these aliens you encountered?"

    "Well, most were really tiny, humanoid creatures with big heads"

    "A Sectoid."

    "Sectoid? Huh. I just called it a son-of-a-bitch. The other was huge. It absorbed bullets like nothing. Didn't have a gun, just used its hands."

    "That's a Berserker."

    "Yeah, it sure is."

    "Well, I have research to do. Welcome to XCOM, Corporal Graham."

    06:45, XCOM HQ
    Ben had caught a little sleep on the six hour trip, but spent most of the time re-living the events of the day. He stepped off the Skyranger. He was escorted a bit into the base to where the rest of his squad was meeting.

    "... personal reasons ahead of the safety of their teammates." Ben could hear the man talking loudly. The man walked in the direction of Ben, turned a corner and put the two a mere few feet from each other..

    "Who the hell are you?"

    "Corporal Ben Graham, reporting to XCOM."

    "Well I'm McIntosh. And I'm the only Corporal around HERE, rookie. I'm running this show, whatever the higher-ups say. Go deal with your other squad mates."

    The man walked off, leaving Ben a bit confused. One girl, Eastern European from the looks of her, introduced herself. "Elizaveta Ivanova. Call me Liz. I'm the squad sniper."

    Ben saw one man talking to a tough, rough-looking woman. She had a look in her eye that told him she'd had a bit of an experience.

    "So your a Marine, huh? I was too, till I got moved to DEVGRU. 4th Armored Division, nice! I was with the Baker Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines. Part of the 1st Marine Division. Made it up to Gunnery Sergeant before I joined, and got transferred, to the SEALs."

    Ben walked up, making his presence known to the squad for the first time. He was walking confidently, not put off from his naturally confident persona one bit by his earlier experience.

    "Name's Ben Graham. 75th Ranger Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Alpha squad. Just out of Afghanistan."

    He shook hands with the man who had introduced himself as a SEAL.
     

    T. Rakinson

    A Brute among Beasts
    After draining another cup of coffee Duncan checked his pad to look for the new kid on the team. Yep, he was there. Ben Graham, support unit. He regretted snapping at the troop, but put it down to his lack of sleep. So far introductions hadnt been the greatest with his new men & women, but at the end of the day it was likely he would never make much of a connection with them anyway.
    Now hyperactive from his excessive Caffeine intake, Duncan began to wander, forgetting to get back to his troops. Soon he found himself randomly walking through a door to the sounds of a familiar voice. Colliding with a few pilots as he went, he angrily brushed them off before he bumped into Issah, one of the interceptor pilots working for XCOM. She laughed at his tired yet open-eyed expression. "Looks like someone's been taking their morning meds". Duncan almost smiled, then took in her apparel. Pilot gear.

    The Asian woman took in his looks. "Look, I was going to tell you th-".
    He gave her a fake smile, & spoke in a hopeful tone. "What, your being transfered to another base? I dont mind. Keep in touch, though."
    Issah laughed nervously, trying to keep her composure. "Look, Scottie Boy, maybe you can save lives on the ground, but the sky is my domain".
    But he was having none of it. "It cant be your turn. Dont tell me there sending you after-"
    "A measly scout ship? Please, I'm gonna be using the best weaponry those dorks in engineering have got. Prototype laser cannon. You worry too much".
    Duncan shook his head. "Just be careful. I... I want there to be something to shoot when you blast those X-rays out of the sky".
    She smiled, then patted him on the shoulder. As she began to walk out she called out to him. "I line 'em up". He laughed & smiled as she left. "& I knock them down", he muttered to himself.
    Glad that today could be an action day, he decided to get his team moving. Un-attaching his data-pad from his belt, he sent an alert to his new squad to meet in the gym at 09:00 hours. But first, he had somewhere to go.
    ***​
    "I got her all fixed up for your new cargo" Jack was saying to Quinn as Duncan entered the room. He jumped slightly as the Corporal appeared behind him. "Cargo? Iv'e met the new folks, & let me tell you, 'Cargo' is not a name I would give them. especially to their faces". Jack faked interest whilst cleaning off his hands with a cloth. He had never had a sense of humour. Yet somehow Quinn, Duncan's designated driver, couldent stop himself from cracking up, even as he went inside the Skyranger to test the engines, the two others could still hear him.
    Jack looked at the Solider & sighed. "You sure you want someone like that behind the wheel? I mean, fieldwork isnt my thing, but what if you ask for an evac & he thinks your joking?" He patted the technician on the back. "Quinn may be a bit strange, but that man's not failed me yet. So... should I be seeing any new additions inside?".

    Jack shook his head. "It's a dropship. It serves its purpose. Feel free to look inside".
    As the technician walked off Duncan took up his offer. Stepping inside the Skyranger, he noticed no immediate changes. From his old crews signature vehicle. Hell, this thing was out of date. walking through to the cockpit, he found Quinn checking the controls.
    "Jack wasnt lying about not changing anything, was he?" The Corporal said, taking a seat beside his friend.
    If he agreed, Quinn didnt let on.
    "Her engines seem good. I can fly this bird". He seemed oblivious to the fact that it was the same dropship the two have them had always used. Deciding to leave the man to it, Duncan walked out again, this time heading to the gym to meet his squad for some exercise.

    (OOC: This is the chance to sum up conversations & start an exercise)
     

    T. Rakinson

    A Brute among Beasts
    After draining another cup of coffee Duncan checked his pad to look for the new kid on the team. Yep, he was there. Ben Graham, support unit. He regretted snapping at the troop, but put it down to his lack of sleep. So far introductions hadnt been the greatest with his new men & women, but at the end of the day it was likely he would never make much of a connection with them anyway.
    Now hyperactive from his excessive Caffeine intake, Duncan began to wander, forgetting to get back to his troops. Soon he found himself randomly walking through a door to the sounds of a familiar voice. Colliding with a few pilots as he went, he angrily brushed them off before he bumped into Issah, one of the interceptor pilots working for XCOM. She laughed at his tired yet open-eyed expression. "Looks like someone's been taking their morning meds". Duncan almost smiled, then took in her apparel. Pilot gear.

    The Asian woman took in his looks. "Look, I was going to tell you th-".
    He gave her a fake smile, & spoke in a hopeful tone. "What, your being transfered to another base? I dont mind. Keep in touch, though."
    Issah laughed nervously, trying to keep her composure. "Look, Scottie Boy, maybe you can save lives on the ground, but the sky is my domain".
    But he was having none of it. "It cant be your turn. Dont tell me there sending you after-"
    "A measly scout ship? Please, I'm gonna be using the best weaponry those dorks in engineering have got. Prototype laser cannon. You worry too much".
    Duncan shook his head. "Just be careful. I... I want there to be something to shoot when you blast those X-rays out of the sky".
    She smiled, then patted him on the shoulder. As she began to walk out she called out to him. "I line 'em up". He laughed & smiled as she left. "& I knock them down", he muttered to himself.
    Glad that today could be an action day, he decided to get his team moving. Un-attaching his data-pad from his belt, he sent an alert to his new squad to meet in the gym at 09:00 hours. But first, he had somewhere to go.
    ***​
    "I got her all fixed up for your new cargo" Jack was saying to Quinn as Duncan entered the room. He jumped slightly as the Corporal appeared behind him. "Cargo? Iv'e met the new folks, & let me tell you, 'Cargo' is not a name I would give them. especially to their faces". Jack faked interest whilst cleaning off his hands with a cloth. He had never had a sense of humour. Yet somehow Quinn, Duncan's designated driver, couldent stop himself from cracking up, even as he went inside the Skyranger to test the engines, the two others could still hear him.
    Jack looked at the Solider & sighed. "You sure you want someone like that behind the wheel? I mean, fieldwork isnt my thing, but what if you ask for an evac & he thinks your joking?" He patted the technician on the back. "Quinn may be a bit strange, but that man's not failed me yet. So... should I be seeing any new additions inside?".

    Jack shook his head. "It's a dropship. It serves its purpose. Feel free to look inside".
    As the technician walked off Duncan took up his offer. Stepping inside the Skyranger, he noticed no immediate changes. From his old crews signature vehicle. Hell, this thing was out of date. walking through to the cockpit, he found Quinn checking the controls.
    "Jack wasnt lying about not changing anything, was he?" The Corporal said, taking a seat beside his friend.
    If he agreed, Quinn didnt let on.
    "Her engines seem good. I can fly this bird". He seemed oblivious to the fact that it was the same dropship the two have them had always used. Deciding to leave the man to it, Duncan walked out again, this time heading to the gym to meet his squad for some exercise.

    (OOC: This is the chance to sum up conversations & start an exercise)
     

    Simus

    An Excellent Site Member
    Before Liz could respond to Jen two more new squadmates entered the room. Not really caring what Liz had to say, Jen moved off the table to size up the new arrivals. Strong, well built white guys who were clearly fellow Americans. One introduced himself as Millar and introduced himself to Jen as a fellow Marine and a SEAL. She didn't like SEALs, or any Special Forces for that matter. She always saw them as glory boy twats that garnered all the media attention while grunts like her did all the work. She also had no problems expressing her feelings to these men whenever she met one, which led to more than a few bar fights. Still, if he was a jarhead he at least knew how to hold a gun before he got paid to play in water.

    "1st Marine's a good unit. If you made it to Gunnery Sergeant that you learned how to use a rifle instead of just hold one and look pretty. Let's hope you still remember how to fight. E.T's not gonna piss his pants and run just because you're one of the glory boy premadonas who gets to talk about how he got Bin Ladan on Twitter."

    The other burly white guy introduced himself as Graham and said he was a Ranger just out of Afghanistan. Jen had been in Afghanistan as well as Iraq so she knew how bad the fighting was but he was army and therefore not as good as a marine. " 2nd Lt. Jennifer Scott. Marines, 4th Armored Infantry. I've been thinking about transferring to the rangers actually. I've seen Black Hawk Down and played Modern Warfare 2 on Veteran so I'd say I'm more than qualified."

    She put on a toothy grin, waiting to see the rise she would get from one or both of these men.
     

    Skyrimosity

    Well-Known Member
    The rough-looking girl, whom would introduce herself as Jennifer, clearly had a problem with the SEAL and Ben.

    "1st Marine's a good unit. If you made it to Gunnery Sergeant that you learned how to use a rifle instead of just hold one and look pretty. Let's hope you still remember how to fight. E.T's not gonna piss his pants and run just because you're one of the glory boy primadonnas who gets to talk about how he got Bin Laden on Twitter."

    Ben found it weird that Jen would question the SEAL's qualifications. He predicted, correctly, that his own training and ability would get questioned next.

    "2nd Lt. Jennifer Scott. Marines, 4th Armored Infantry. I've been thinking about transferring to the rangers actually. I've seen Black Hawk Down and played Modern Warfare 2 on Veteran so I'd say I'm more than qualified."

    Ben did not take long to make a response. He wanted to say something that would diffuse any situation while hopefully giving himself a position of high standing within the squad. He was cool and relaxed, not even a bit agitated by anything said. Though he had found it a tad bit humorous, the last thing Ben wanted was for any hostility within the group, especially between fellow Americans. If Americans in perhaps the world's most elite squad couldn't stick together, what did that say for the nation? What impression would that make to non-American squad members like Liz?

    "Well, the way I see it is this: we have all been asked to join. And I doubt they cared how beautiful our uniforms looked when they were deciding who would help save the Earth. I don't care what training any of you have; our training means nothing. We're all rookies again. We've been trained in the ways of fighting Earth-bound threats; we have no training against fighting Aliens; only a little practice. Or maybe none at all, I don't know how the rest of you got here.

    But the point is that this is a new slate. I didn't come here to debate Military branches or to compare kills with anyone. I came here with a goal that in this War of the Worlds, Earth kicks the aliens' asses."
     

    Orien Terrik

    "Arik tree'ac te kek."
    "1st Marine's a good unit. If you made it to Gunnery Sergeant that you learned how to use a rifle instead of just hold one and look pretty. Let's hope you still remember how to fight. E.T's not gonna piss his pants and run just because you're one of the glory boy premadonas who gets to talk about how he got Bin Ladan on Twitter." The woman said to him. It brought a chuckle out of him. "I don't have a twitter." He said with a smirk. "There is no such ting as an Ex-Marine, and I consider myself a marine before a Navy twat. And I hope E.T. doesn't piss his pants and run, because I have a score to settle." He said, grumbling out the ending. The Marine Female then turned to the Ranger. Jake started to take a sip from his water bottle, which he had brought with him. "2nd Lt. Jennifer Scott. Marines, 4th Armored Infantry. I've been thinking about transferring to the rangers actually. I've seen Black Hawk Down and played Modern Warfare 2 on Veteran so I'd say I'm more than qualified." She said to him. Jake turned away from the group and spewed the water out of his mouth, laughing.

    The new man he had shaken hands with, Ben, then decided to speak again. "Well, the way I see it is this: we have all been asked to join. And I doubt they cared how beautiful our uniforms looked when they were deciding who would help save the Earth. I don't care what training any of you have; our training means nothing. We're all rookies again. We've been trained in the ways of fighting Earth-bound threats; we have no training against fighting Aliens; only a little practice. Or maybe none at all, I don't know how the rest of you got here. But the point is that this is a new slate. I didn't come here to debate Military branches or to compare kills with anyone. I came here with a goal that in this War of the Worlds, Earth kicks the aliens' asses." He finished. Jake shrugged. "I guess you're right, even if you are from the Army. We are our own Branch now. The XCOM. We should come up with our own motto. Give ourselves a nickname. We got the Army dogs, Jarheads, Navy Twats, and the Special Forces Premadonas. Now we just need something for the XCOM." He said, looking around at the other three members of the Squad.
     

    Simus

    An Excellent Site Member
    Fun as it would have been to see both of them get pissy, Jen couldn't help but be impressed by how well these guys held themselves together. And they both had a point. They were here to kill these aliens, not sit around polishing their guns.

    "You guys don't lose your plops when people are in your face. That's good 'cause I'm in people's faces alot when I drink. And after the plops I've seen I plan on doing a lot of drinking. Fair warning. I don't know about you guys but I fought these things before. Those little sectoid fluffs. Had to hunt 'em down after they "borrowed" my squad. They go down easy but they can buff each other somehow. And if you ever get hit with a stream of purple energy from one of their heads then...well...then I shoot you. What about you guys? Ever seen these things in action. We're stuck together so we should share what we know so we don't all die."
     

    Skyrimosity

    Well-Known Member
    Jen seemed to switch tones extremely quickly. She went from her rude, accusatory tone to a somewhat informative, melancholy tone. It was as if she had given a test, the test was passed, so now she was free to be a real person. Ben couldn't really comprehend it.

    "You guys don't lose your pl*** when people are in your face. That's good 'cause I'm in people's faces alot when I drink. And after the pl*** I've seen I plan on doing a lot of drinking. Fair warning. I don't know about you guys but I fought these things before. Those little sectoid fluffs. Had to hunt 'em down after they "borrowed" my squad. They go down easy but they can buff each other somehow. And if you ever get hit with a stream of purple energy from one of their heads then...well...then I shoot you. What about you guys? Ever seen these things in action. We're stuck together so we should share what we know so we don't all die."

    "Yeah, got to meet our little sectoid friends way out in Afghanistan. We were investigating some cave with a bunch of weird sightings recently. Naturally, being the Army, they sent us up without spending weeks preparing a complex scheme and mission" he said, smiling.

    "They sent 30 Rangers up, and Reynolds -- he was leading the little expedition-- decided I should be the scout. I guess I've always been naturally good at climbing and stuff. I was on a ledge, plenty of cover and such. Looking into the cave. They moved in... then flashes of green and screams came from that cave. They threw grenades as the Rangers tried to fall back... I guess twenty of them were already dead. Then there was a fire fight. Paladin fire started pouring in.

    I thought it was over. Some giant beast, a Berserker some woman said, ran out. It tore a man in half. Threw another against a rock and snapped his spine. It seemed unstoppable... but I guess everything does before it runs into an Apache. Not even it could withstand fire from a gunship like that. Jen, you said that their purple energy was something to worry about. I haven't seen that yet, but until we learn more I think it's important not to forget that they can shoot us too."
     

    TheCaptain

    The Mad Conductor of Words
    5:00 am 14/04/15
    XCOM HQ, The Gym


    Dipprasad was practicing with his Kurki using stabs and slashes and then several moves of pretend beheading someone after doing this for 2 hours he put his kurki in it's respected sheath and then grabbed hold of a secure, horizontal pole with both hands and started doing pull ups "7, 8, 9, 10...." he counted each time he did a pull up before twisting his waist both ways and doing another pull up and so on. Another hour later he was doing push ups and finally another two hours later he was doing sit ups "a few more and then I'll finish up for lunch" he said to himself.

    Dipprasad eats alone since he doesn't know anyone here yet and he only arrived two days ago and he's just been practicing the whole time, he never really stopped practicing. Not even when he left the military in fact it was the only thing to keep him from going mad with boredom and the shakes he got. Some time later he headed to the armory and collected his rifle and after finding his table again in the lunch room he set his rifle down and began taking it apart placing each piece on the table before carefully cleaning out any grime or dust. He got a few odd stares and glares but he didn't care when suddenly his right hand started to shake, Quickly he grabbed it with his left to hold it still and after a minute it stopped. "Time to leave" said Dipprasad quickly putting the rifle back together and then returned it to the armory.
     
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    Simus

    An Excellent Site Member
    Jen listened intently to Ben's story. Normally she wouldn't care about the exploits of a ranger but if this guy really had fought the aliens before, he may have information that could save her life later. The others would benefit too but that was only a secondary concern. Jen had survived this long because she always took care of herself first. She never let anyone get in the way of her own needs. She'd never had a real family and all of her friends were either dead or had abandoned her when they got whatever it is they wanted. She had learned to cut ties first. It was easier that way. She was smart enough to know she needed help to survive.

    "Of course they can shoot you. Whatever tech they've got behind their weapons can burn through stryker armor. Even their pistols go right through a dragonskin armor vest and that plops is fluffing expensive. Good to know about big dumb red idiots who can rip men in half. I'm guessing I should avoid those. Sounds like you got lucky out there. Hope it lasts."

    She looked around and saw that Mac, their supposed leader, had left.

    "Hey, where the fluff did William Wallice go? Thought we had a mission to do. Not sit around in the lunchroom and fluff with each other."
     

    TheCaptain

    The Mad Conductor of Words
    Dipprasad decided to head back to The Gym and continue exercising so wrapping his hands in wrist wraps he goes to work on a punching bag with some quite powerful gut punches as old memories went through his mind, gunfire slowly replacing the sound of his punches.

    "BLACK! we're getting ripped to shreds by a row of machine gunfire, flank behind them and use some explosives to take them out I'll cover you!!"

    "Come on Nathan just one smoke what's it gonna do?"

    "Do it, do it, do it, do it, do it, DO IT, DO IT, DO IT, YAY WOO!!!"


    "I'LL KILL YOU ALL AAAHHH!!!" that last memory sticks in his mind, it was of him holding a Bren Light machine gun using the handle to aim better as he fires upon several Taliban soldiers, as the memory fades he delivers a final kick to the punching bag which swings in the air for a short time before he stops to catch his breath "God fluffing Dammit" he said grinding his teeth.
     
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    T. Rakinson

    A Brute among Beasts
    After typing in his crew's instructions, Duncan went to the gym himself. Cracking his knuckles as he arrived at the centre, the scotsman made his way to the changing rooms & slipped out of his sleeping apparal, putting on a generic black XCOM t-shirt & some shorts, then walked back into the gymnasium. Even at this time there were countless agents in the room, either pushing themselves to the limit in preparation for an upcoming mission, or simply waking themselves up.
    Heading for a nearby Treadmill & setting it to average, Duncan found himself progressing from a slow walk to a steady jog. After ten minutes of steadily increasing his pace he began loosing his attention to a loud, repetitive noise that suggested that a nearby punching bag was taking a severe beating.

    Though he couldent see anybody, Duncan was intrigued. Not spotting any of his team nearby he decided to instead search for the source of the noise. As he arrived in the boxing area he found a well-built man murdering his inanimate target.
    "God fluffing Dammit" he heard the man say as he brutally kicked the punching bag, which was beginning to show signs of tear. Duncan walked over, impressed at his ferocity.
    "Nice work, solider. Good enough technique, if not a bit overly agressive" Duncan nodded at the beaten sack. he crossed his arms. "Something on your mind?"
     

    Toxius

    Frost Wolf
    It was a clear night, not dark at the least. No rain was expected, and the day went from scorching to cool and bearable. They couldn’t complain, they had been staking out the warehouse for the better part of two hours and it had shade when it was still pretty hot out. Old 50’s music started to hum from the car’s radio, “Hel, Turn that off. We’re here to stake out the place, not listen to your outdated crap,” Brandon said, seeming more like a scold.

    “Well, if your eyes wasn’t stuck to the stars then you would have also been watching the warehouse. Plus, we’ve been out here for hours on end and nothing,” He replied, the annoyance clear in his eyes. It was also an ironic statement, as two cars pulled up into the warehouse. There were some more men on foot.

    “Well, looki’ here, who are these tall bastards?” He claimed, obviously pointing out the matching and oddly tall men in suits.

    Hmm, well, there does seem to be more than expected but nothing we can’t handle. You’ve got that warrant, just in case?” Brandon asked, more politely than before.

    “Right here,” he replied, patting down his coat pocket before producing a sealed envelope and threw it to Brandon. Both men exited the car and then proceeded down the road to the warehouse, where strange and colourful lights started to produce from the windows. They were more than just workers, they needed to be prepared.

    Call backup would you, I’ve got an odd feeling about this,” Brandon said, watching the roof and often thought he caught glimpses of small moving figures. He couldn’t be too sure, maybe it was just the blue light reflecting off the glass or something. Hel pulled the phone to his face before cussing out and slamming his phone shut.

    What’s the story?” Brandon asked, looking down at the phone and then back to the warehouse. His gut told him to feel for his weapon, which was in position on his hip.

    “No bars, and here I thought this place got better signal than in town,” he set his phone back in his pocket.

    It did earlier.

    There was an inhuman scream, followed by multiple tall men appearing out of nowhere and getting into cover. This was followed with Brandon pulling his partner into cover, and fully armed with his pistol in hand. A light show seemed to have started, the men were firing green bursts of some unknown weapon they seemed to be holding easily. They followed a typical pattern style, covering while some of their men advanced closer up. There was a gap, before Brandon fired a few shots and probably got about two of the men who were getting closer his partner also got a few.

    One of the men seemed to have gotten tiresome, and did something both of the agents hadn’t seen a man do, he leaped on top of the warehouse roof and produced to what appeared to be a smirk before both of the agents unloaded their weapons on him. The tall man dropped down, right in front of the agents. Noxious gas started to seep from the body, but the agents already advanced to better cover.

    The small figures Brandon has seen on the roof earlier joined in, and both agents couldn’t believe their eyes. They were small, blue aliens with orange glowing chests but one of them were different, he or rather it had a glowing larger head with red eyes. An energy-like fluid hit Hel, and he fell to the ground. Brandon watched as his eyes rolled back, and he brought his gun up to his head.

    Brandon closed his eyes as he heard the words, “Help me,” followed by an echo of a gunshot. Everything from there was fuzzy and blank, but soon after that happened. There was a loud buzzing sound, followed by soldiers of sorts coming in from all sides. He somehow made it out alive, and his partner didn’t.


    It was a clear night again, this time he was in the air going back to base after the usual. It also had been a long trip, and he held all the files in his hands. Mostly about Thin men, Sectoids, and their bigger, more dangerous Commanders. He longed for a hot shower, and a good comfortable bed. The helicopter, landed and the familiar base presented itself, or was it more like a second home. He walked inside the passage making his way through people for greeted him on his way to the gym, he also noted the talk about a few new squad member or so. He obviously greeted back, and when he got to the gym he saw the usual people trying to work out in peace. He also saw Duncan talking to somebody he hadn’t seen before, maybe his new squad member. He approached the pair, "Something on your mind?" Duncan had said, his arms crossed.

    "Scotty, So I guess he's in your squad?" Brandon greeted Duncan, and produced his hand to the other man whom he just mentioned earlier. He hoped he was a friendly guy with some proper manners.
     

    TheCaptain

    The Mad Conductor of Words
    after Dipprasad kicked the punching bag, a fellow soldier about 2 years old than him walked up. "Nice work, soldier. Good enough technique, if not a bit overly aggressive" the man nodded at the beaten sack. "sometimes a bit overly aggressive can be good thing" he said as the man crossed his arms. "Something on your mind?" he asked Dipprasad was surprised someone actually asked him about it *quick think but don't reveal too much* he thought before turning to him "Just bad memories one of many souvenirs I got during my service in Afghanistan, the usual thing a soldier goes home with after serving 15 years in that place" he said turning back to the punching bag.

    "Name's Dipprasad Dharmadhoj but like most you can call Black, Nathan Black" he said continuing to punch the bag again as another soldier came up, greeted the first soldier as "Scotty" and then held his hand to which Dipprasad stopped and shook the man's hand "Greetings but I'm not one of his teammates, we just met actually, I think the sound of me giving this old thing a beating brought him my way, I must doing something right" he said laughing as he gesturing to the punching bag next to him.
     
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