"Hi there Kenzi! It's great to hear from you guys! That way I know you both landed safely! Now, as for stuff that can blow you up let's pull up the latest satellite scans of the area and see what we're up against." Both agents had a blue-tinted tactical map display appear in front of their eyes with a pulsing dot indicating where they were and showing the areas of interest. "You guys are here, south of the city. Wolfpack's base is to the north of the city. Python is somewhere in the mountains north east of the city and south west of Wolfpack's base. Wolfpack is officially in control of the city but it's a warzone right now. Local mallitia forces have been gathering outside all week and they launch a full scale assault this morning. Wolfpack's lost a lot of ground to them due to their superior numbers but their troops are relatively low-tech. Expect basic infantry and trucks. Their guns are also naked so you'll be able to use them. Wolfpack's lost a lot of ground but they still firmly hold the northern half and they've brought in some serious firepower to make their counteroffensive. Expect well-trained and well-equipped infantry with stryker and helicopter gunship support. Along with a lot of GEKOS. I know it sounds like suicide but you guys can go by virtually unnoticed if you play it stealthy and there's no time to go around the whole city."
"If you want me to suggest a route, use the right analogue stick to move the cursor around and select the "plot route" button. This will highlight the best way to your current objective from where you are. Press the action button to cycle between objectives and press the back button to exit the map. Press the action button to pull the map back up again. You can also use your controller's middle touchscreen to draw your own route if you fine one better. Good luck guys, and call me if you need any information on the environment or and equipment you pick up. My codec frequency is 141.25."
"If we input a cheat code will it give us unlimited lives or ammo?" Kenzi turned her device and swiped left, extending it into a controller and moving the analog sticks left, down, right, up, left, down, right, up, all with a chuckle, making even Vex laugh as he hears the clicking and the screen input. With the joke passing Kenzi expanded the map and placed markers on each approximate GECKO, tapping her fingers on the side thinking about the last time the pair encountered the insanely proficient mech. If they are in fact on the battlefield then that leads to the conclusion or at least the assumption that Wolfpack has major skin in the game. You don't risk discretion at the hands of a god damn hopping cow mech if there wasn't something very valuable.
"The real problem is those damn GECKOs. Flying around and mooing like a cow strapped to a jet pack. It's bad enough that they are A.I but to top it off they don't stop until their target is killed. I suppose making them moo quite smart. It Leads soldiers into a false sense of security due to the sound of home. That's why they also give off the scent of grass and even make a cicada call. Psychological warfare meets primal warfare." A trimmed eyebrow was raised at the thought of a board of robotic experts all nodding their head at a cow protocol on the chicken walking cow bot.
"Not only that but the fact that we are not suppose to be here. If either either side catches us then it's full and plausible deniability. We never existed and we're never seeing home again. Lucky for us, that won't happen. Isn't that right, Jess?"
"Damn skippy! I highlighted the general route and any points of interest or areas of concern. There will be a lot of buildings around so cover should be decent. The rubble from the string of bombardments should also create good transition points. It's sad to see what the city has turned into."
"What about mines, Jess? I don't want to land on what I think is sand only to find out it's a blasting cap with enough power to turn me into red jelly."
"I marked all areas of concern, like I said. I also provided an additional route and made it to where your device will notify via codec if you are close." The pattering of a keyboard could be heard coming through the codec. The noise dampener will be turned on in the field just in case an enemy has acute hearing or if a PMC soldier has an implant. Implants; Wolfpack is known for combat augmentations and implants but most are minor, no attack units as of yet.
A blue route popped up making its way to the HQ signaling that this is the path that Vex will take. From the looks of it he should avoid the fighting and mines but anything and everything change in the field. Fighting could escalate and go deeper in the city, an attack helicopter could blow up a building and block the path and so forth. Here's hoping that won't in fact happen. If all goes his way he should make it with all his appendages attached as well as hole free. Both sides should be immersed in shooting each other for money and country. It seems like the Middle East has been soaked in blood since before modern firearms and pseudo ideology. The Sunni and Shia have been butchering each other over the same religion for centuries. One believes that Mohammad was god and the other believes that Mohammad was not a god but a prophet. They are killing each other over the same religion just different view points but they don't seem to care about this key element. The idea that peace will be achieved here is as absurd as Iran and Israel having tea over peace talks and nuclear disarmament.
Regardless of the semantics of the matter, the two had a job to do and they planned on seeing it through no matter what. The history books will never tell tales of their bravery or courage—no tales of the blood spilled or lives lost —Their names will never meet a page and if it does it will not be by their request. The files may be stricken black but in this age once information leaks out it empties into the vast electronic ocean. A country being able to control information is next to impossible. Classified is subjective and can be declassified with the right programs and the know how. Just like the special operators before them and around the world they swore an oath to never yearn for fame and to never discuss their missions with anyone, family included, even after they have accomplished the mission. They are the unsung heroes of history and this world is in their debt. There have been operatives who divulge the details of a mission, however they are either not held in high regard or die of a heart attack, an accident or a bullet to the skull. Some are knowing red herrings or scapegoats. Such is the job they love so much.
A yellow route then appeared on the HUD and diverged off to the left and up a building connected to a series of other structures. The line waved up and down every roof, darted in and out a few windows, highlighted a long steel wire and then into the HQ; this was Kenzi's general route. It would be the easier route in terms of safety and she can also call out sniper nests down to Vex or any other obstacles heading his way before he got there. Kenzi's ghost eye quickly darted to and from each building and took note of the shape, the texture of the building, the rooftops and what else was around it. With a satisfied nod the two attached suppressors onto their respective weapons and cocked the actions.
"Alright, time for our prayer." Both partners locked hands and bowed their heads and even Jess got silent.
"May we move like a ghost, unseen and unheard. Locked away from everyone else. Let's us stalk like a snake in grass. If the time comes to act like us coil and strike, sinking our fangs, venom dripping into our prey. And if we fail let us join together once again in the afterlife." Vex let go of Kenzi's hand and held up his necklace; a split domino with a one pip dangled in front of their faces causing Kenzi to do the same and show her half. They may not have dog tags and any tattoos may be covered but that doesn't mean they would give up another connection to each other. In most cases they would be not be put on the same mission in fear of acting out of rage if the other died, but that's what gave them tan edge; minds and hearts connected. Not only we're they partners, but they are a team almost made for each other. She got her eye implant and a slight reflex boost just so Vex would have a very capable partner. Vex may have been bred to fight and lead, but that doesn't mean Kenzi can't upgrade a little bit. The things we do for the people we love.
"Alright Jess, you're our guardian. Keep us safe. I'll come in second, so our sharpshooter is up first." Vex smiled and gave his angel of death a quick but loving hug before she made her way into the field. As a leader Vex does a few things differently; he let's his closest people see the loving side of him but shows the professional to any other operative. Some might say he's a hardass but that's because when on a mission the most important thing is succeeding, not having a fun time. He wouldn't be a good leader if he cared about winning a congeniality contest.
Heat waves swam across the sand covers horizon as she peered through her scope, black crosshairs scanning the area in front of her. It snapped to each building in view and took note of cover and any footholds or holes used to get up in the roof. Even though she already had a route mapped she wanted to see if there were any shortcuts or hazards. While one eye was deep in the scope her ghost eye swiveled and made sure she wasn't noticeable or there wasn't anyone around. One of the many great things about augmentations. Hers was minor enough to not look intrusive. Instead of a purely yellow eye her iris was bright yellow and wires took the place of veins. The eye enabled her to be a one woman sniping team; it took note of wind, trajectory, Coriolis effect and any other factors. Not only that but it picks up small details so if they have to investigate something or she wants to pull of an incredible shot the eye would take note of the smallest of openings.
However, with rewards comes risks. The eye itself can get hacked into, if let's say some sort of EMP wave went off it could stop the aug rendering it useless. The eye itself has a few tricks to protect it, so she isn't worried for the most part. The eye as well as her other augs require a tune up every time something goes wrong. The hardest thing about it is that it makes her never forget what she sees. One foot in the present and one foot in the past. It might sound like a great thing but not in her line of work. Whenever she closes her eyes she can see all the people she failed to protect and all the evil she failed to stop.
The rifle was lowered and slung on her back and her MP5 took it's place and she continued towards the first building. The height of the house was like any other middle eastern home; short enough to monkey her way up there but high enough for a nice perch. Kenzi simply released the MP5 letting it fall to her side before she ran up the wall and pushed up off it catching herself on a ledge. Her foot began to feel around before finding a large hole and digging right in it enabling her to lean up for a brick to grab in order to move her left foot up on the window sill allowing her to reach the roof. She took one look at the skyline and simply shook her head; air strikes and drones are the preferred method to war for countries such as the U.S due to not having boots in the ground. It's purely to save face. Air strikes always kill more civilians than they do enemies in urban environments. Teams like SNAKE PIT only get sent in when it gets worse and always under the blanket of secrecy. The public doesn't know half of what goes on. The minority that do can't find anything else about current missions. Some soldiers go home to their families, some go into private contractor still fighting the good fight and some turn to wet work or mercenary work. Wolfpack accepts soldiers from all over the world. Some soldiers were once good and others were never good to begin with. Some men will go off and kill a few civilians or rape a woman or two and chalk it up to 'war is war. War will always have casualties' and try to justify it.
War crimes make her sick. You join the service to protect your country and those in need, not because you get off on killing and pillaging the lands. A soldier who commits these heinous acts are lower than dirt in both her eyes and Vex's eyes. The fact that they have to work with a war criminal makes her stomach hurt and skin crawl. She knows the bastard is good at what he does but that doesn't mean she has to like it. After all the asshole is only helping to get his sentence exonerated.
She took a deep breath and began to run along the edge getting faster once she saw a new window into a new building. A smile crept on her face before she jumped into the window coiling her legs allowing her to go through and roll out of it without a scratch. However, the smile dissipated as soon as she saw blood. Her ghost eye began to scan the small house and compiled signs of a struggle; upheaved furniture, broken glass, numerous holes in the walls and TV and a bloody bed and even bloodier stuffed bunny. It looked like a family of three shared the small apartment like house. The child's room was close enough to where she didn't even have to move out of the living room. Her eyes ran across the floor before she found the casings associated with the bullet holes; 7.62' rounds. This wasn't done by a PMC soldier but instead an insurgent. What kind of a monster kills his countrymen for no reason then say that they are fighting for them? Furthermore what kind of a monster would kill a child?
All thoughts exited her mind as the chattering of foreign threats entered the bottom floor. Her head swiveled in every direction trying to come up with a plan. She could go through the window but what if there are more outside? What if she landed incorrectly and broke her leg? She could block the door with the table but what if she left a boot print? The voices are getting closer and her time is running out. She can't scramble up the wall because once again she could leave a print. The couch was standing vertically and was weighed down by rubble from an adjacent wall. Maybe an explosion knocked a hole in the wall? Either way it didn't matter as the stairs outside started to creak in threes. By the sounds it was three men and one had a machine gun, not only by the volume of sound of the creak and the jingle of a bandolier.
The door swung open violently and the three men barged in.
Sometime had passed since Kenzi had departed, telling Vex that is was now his time to do the same. He eyed over his route one last time before making his way into the warring city. The Middle East; a place with so much history in not only in religion but in architecture. I'd only he was here on better terms and working with an excavation team like he did around Egypt. It seemed like yesterday; The team had been lucky enough to not only find valuable digs but also find them in the shade. Vex had on tan cargo pants and a blue shirt with a ball cap. Kenzi had desert fatigues on, a white tank top but this time she had long hair. One side was long anyway.The other side was shaved short where the longer side was flipped over.
"Hey Vex. You think we'll see any action?"
"Not if we're lucky. You always bitched about a vacation. This is the best of both worlds; we get to go on digs in the shade AND get paid. Or do you want us to be stuck in some muggy ass swamp training men who will just run away once the fighting starts?"
"Yeah, yeah. I got it. Hey, Chataev. What are you hoping to find? Links to ancient aliens?" Kenzi snickered but she meant what she said. She was just as interested as they were. Although having something to shoot wouldn't hurt, well not her at least. This was better than some jungle in the amazon where bullets are the least are the least of your worries.
"You are correct. The sand here nowadays was not here when the first pyramid and sphinx was built. History, computer models as well as recorded accounts have talked about a another pyramid aside from the ones we know today. The most interesting thought is that of the idea that the slaves did not use wheels and rolling pins but rather the blocks levitated in place by some otherworldly force. Not only that but there is plenty of other evidence around the world, but I digress. Right now we are looking for more mundane things such as pottery or tools."
"Sounds pretty awesome. Anyway, you have fun with that. Vex! I'm sitting by you!" Kenzi got up and instead of taking a seat by his side, she took a seat on his lap, making him let out a sigh as the obvious sign of affection, knowing that when they are acting as contractors they are not officially SNAKE PIT but rather hirelings from a decent corporation. Now, if it was typical mission, then it would not be allowed under most circumstances. This was not a typical missions so they could act more relaxed than usual. The two watched the archeologists enjoy their work just as the two soldiers enjoyed time away from the intense parameters, radio silence and professionalism. For just a moment there was peace in this war torn land, this blood soaked world and for just that instant it was good. Moments like these are what make these two fight on; the ability to enjoy the sun and nature, to enjoy the knowledge of other people and to protect history and the people around them. This is what it means to be a soldier to them. Not the medals or the killing, but saving people that can't help themselves. They are many who alone can change the world for the better, no matter what anyone else says.
"Hey Vexie, do you remember the first time we met? Not the first time we went on a mission but the first time we saw each other face to face." Kenzi leaned against him and messed with her hair to get it out of his face.
"How could I forget. I was in the Mess eating across from everyone else, reading up on what I had assigned by my mentor and when I looked up I saw you eyeing and sizing up each table, as if you were looking for prey. God, we were just kids back then it seems like. We both had sparred a couple of times but that's the extent of our interaction. He didn't want me to ostracize myself from the crowd so he mixed me in with the others as well as you. Maybe it on purpose. He had a knack for seeing the best in people and parring up people who complimented each other. Jesus, you were the only one who gave me plops like I was normal and not, well me." Vex smiled and chuckled at the look of joy Kenzi had when he began to talk about how the two met at while the stars were aligned, some might say.
"
So far so good, big guy. What else? What were you thinking? I know what I was thinking but I'll save that for later." She grinned and asked permission to smoke, which the team allowed as long as she doesn't get near the artifacts. She pulled out a steel flip lighter with K&V etched on with numerous scratches on it and pinched in between her thumb and first two fingers popping it open before lighting her cig, letting out small puffs of smokes filling the air around them.
"I thought that you looked very good fighting and I also tired to figure out how to ask you out without getting shot."
"Looks like you didn't get shot by me, yet." The half haired heroine pointed at Vex and pretended to shoot him.
Vex would have been lost in the memory if not for the sound of vehicles. He ducked crouched next to a nearby dumpster and as soon as the troop truck was just about to near him he rolled under and quickly latched on, scrapping his vest for a moment.
Who has the easiest path now, Kenzi! He thought to himself and snickered tightening his grip and foot hold on the frame. Oh he wished they could have their trackers on. The look on her face once she knew how fast he was arriving. All he had to do was hold on and wait until they stopped towards the battlefield. All he had to do was get off and make a run for it which would be straight forward. It's not like it needs some unforeseen writer detail it at every step.
Her nails dug into the rafters while she knew damn well that could have died right then in there if not for the couch. Which is now being used as a stand for the machine gun team who was unloading like a bunch of amateurs. Foreign tongues began to make sense thanks to her language augs. The men were chattering about something that had the word mech in it but she couldn't be sure over the fire of the Pecheneg. Whatever it actually was they seemed scared quite worried. That sign alone didn't sit well with her nor did the fact of dying by the hands of three god awful shots that just happened to know how to reload. Flashes and cartridges filled the room drowning out the voices and making focusing on her grip and position even harder. Her eyes darted to each hand knowing that before too long they would give out, causing her to lose her grip and her life.
Okay, remember rock climbing in Peru? You almost fell if not for the piton. All you have to do is reach for your MP5. God damn girl, why did you leave the piton in the ACC? I'll have it request mine as soon as these bastards leave. The thought locked in her memory and all focus went on getting the weapon out while also maintaining her hold. Her legs spread and found two corners and arm barred in the left beam and gently moved to he left to try to reach the damn gun. The gun was hanging on her side for comfort as well as ease of carrying that and her M24. Black steel could be felt and a hopeful smile crept on her face but soon went away as she felt her right leg burning, which was a sign of exhaustion.
Come on... Almost there... Almost.
She gasped as she felt her right leg go then panicked when she could feel her other going. In a desperate attempt, she forced her arm forward grabbing the sub machine gun quickly slid it across the left beam and grabbed it, letting her legs go and wrap around the same beam. This gave her a little time, but not much. The men fired belt after belt from an limitless supply in her mind. She couldn't do it much longer. She could feel her body go at once, but for once god was on her side because the group now had their brains across the floor from the bullets of an unseen group of soldiers. With a long sigh, she let off the beams, landing with a thud. Not as graceful as she usually was but was better than being filled with holes... Or worse.
"This is Inland Taipan coming in. I got held up but I'm making my way now. Oh and Jess? Remind me to bring my piton from now on. Taipan over and out." She let out an angry sigh before pulling up her map to acquire her next move as well as let her arms and leg rest for a bit. After her body recovered from almost dying she sat on the windowsill with her back to the outside and her hands found stones, gloves gripping each edge and bump and began pulling the body attached to them up higher and higher as her legs coiled and pushed her off shooting her in the air just enough for her to land softly. When the dust settled her head slowly looked up with a smile before she springboard off of a ledge and flew over a street wide gap taking a glimpse of the street below her chuckling before rolling of it and into a run towards the HQ almost skipping her way into the base knowing that she beat Vex.
"Hi there. What took you so long?" Vex grinned and fanned his hands to the equipment and called Jess to confirm that they had arrived. To say that Kenzi was disappointed was an understatement. Her feelings of anger had to wait until Vex radioed them in.
"Vexing Snake and Inland Taipan coming in. We have arrived and awaiting the rest of the team."
