| From: | "Michael R. Goldberg" <mrgoldbe@**.NETCOM.COM> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Berlin burning bright on Xmas day.... |
| Date: | Tue, 24 Dec 1996 23:31:47 -0800 |
Seven churches were blown up a half-hour before midnight mass was
supposed to begin. The Wanderer immediately started mobilizing his
forces. In a terse pirate transmission, he blamed the churches on
Nightmare and said if he was truly concerned about his city, he would
have prevented the atrocity. I had a good laugh over the Wanderer’s
concern, because let's face it -- he certainly didn't loose any sleep
over killing a whole community a year ago.
Nightmare, as is typical, refused to comment. However, fearing the
worse, he stepped up his defenses. Well at 5am, Berlin woke up with a
loud bang. The fireworks started fast and furious. The Wanderer sent
in scout teams, and Shadowfox went out to mop them up. When the
Wanderer sent in reinforcements he met opposition from two separate
groups of mercenaries. One lead by Kor, and one lead by Midnight.
And then all hell broke out. I have the footage of it all, but there
is a hell of lot of it, and I don't think that posting it all, and let
you all figure out what happened is a kind thing to do on a Christmas
morning.
I will say this: It has been a long time since I have seen so many
bodies. We estimated there were roughly 300 people in a confined area.
Everything was a friendly exchange of mercenary tactics until the
Wraith arrived. All of a sudden, it became a everyone for themselves.
And lord, did it get ugly. It is hard to tell, but we think we had at
least 60% casualties on our side, and we think we shattered the
Wanderer's group.
Sprinkler? ]<<<<<
-- Ratspeak <09:00:20/25-DEC-57>
>>>>>[ Remind me to stay home the next time Shadowfox says "This is
strictly volunteers only op." Puppet and Wrecker were right in going
to Boston to do a job for Gunner.
Things started out smoothly, for an all out bloodshed. At least until
Scourge ordered Stealth and the other riggers to clear the area around
the security center. When the fighting caught up our first line of
defense around the center, it became apparent that the mercenaries left
to defend us were caught up in whatever the heck happened to cause
communications to break down. So Scourge ordered to fire on everyone.
Fragging bastard.
Stealth and the riggers earned their paycheck. Stealth and I got an
added bonus of having to defend the inner center off from the few
stragglers that managed to get through everything. I owe Stealth big
time for the help. Shadowfox's training is good, but I thought I was a
goner.
We got the center back on-line right about the time that whatever was
causing the communication break-down quit living. Still haven't sorted
through the massive footage to find out what is happened to our
friends.
Oh ... this just in: Livewire is sitting guard on Nightmare and a body
that needs to be buried.
++++++ signal merge with Ratspeak? (y/n) y
Ratspeak: Test.
Sprinkler: You’re live, rodent.
Ratspeak: What’s this about Nightmare and a body?
Sprinkler: Scourge is looking for the appropriate footage right now.
++++++ long pause
++++++ signal merge with Scourge? (y/n) y
Scourge: Test.
Ratspeak: Hey.
Sprinkler: Welcome aboard, frosty.
Scourge: Sprinkler, hell of a job, even if you are pissed at me. I'm
sorry you had to go through it. I got the footage of what happened to
Nightmare. Livewire and Nightmare are being escorted to med area. The
body is being handled, by the company that is doing the cleanup. More
on that later (today). Shall I show the footage?
Ratspeak: Yeah.
++++++ transmit footage
You see the tattered remains of a small group desperately trying to
hold ground against a massive ground assault. You see it is pretty
much an everyone for themselves fight as it has gone to melee for all
involved. One person manages to back away from the fighting. Another
person follows him out of the confused melee. Both people are in full
combat armor. Both are wielding swords. The person pursuing has a
cane in his off-hand. The person gets labeled "Scarface." The other
person is backing away. What he is lost because sound isn't being
transmitted. He continues to back away to a quiet alley. The alley is
a dead-end. The other person gets labeled as "Nightmare."
+++++ transmission pause
Scourge: Let me see if I can access Nightmare's armor's tactical
computer to see what he said, and etc.
+++++ long pause
+++++ transmission continues
Nightmare: Scarface, it doesn't have to come to this!
Scarface: It should have come years ago, bastard!
Nightmare: You are being manipulated. I don't believe it has to come
to this. I can help you!
Scarface: ONLY BY DYING!
Scarface unleashes a mighty swing at Nightmare that Nightmare
effectively blocks. He follows up not with the logical conclusion of
the first blow, but a slash with the cane-blade that catches Nightmare
in his right thigh. Nightmare crashes into Scarface as a counter to
the slash, and struggles to take off Scarface's helmet. Scarface
uncaring about a mere helmet, slams Nightmare into a nearby garbage
dumpster. Nightmare grunts but holds onto Scarface long enough to get
the helmet off. He grunts in pain as the helmet falls to ground.
Scarface slams Nightmare into the opposite wall as Nightmare hits
Scarface in his head with the hilt of his sword. Scarface curses and
stumbles off.
Nightmare pauses for a second as he is shaking off something and then
registering the change in Scarface. The scars looks angry and red --
like they were formed yesterday instead of having healed years ago.
Nightmare backs away.
Nightmare: Bruce, you really need help. Let me help you. Don't make
me fight you.
Scarface: Shut up, you old fool. We've listened to your lies for long
enough.
Scarface charges, and Nightmare freezes at the last second and is
tacked to the ground.
****** Nightmare: ARCHANGEL! The Wraith .... OOMPH!!
****** Archangel: Livewire, you are closer. Go to X32 and aid
Nightmare. The Wraith is near him.
****** Livewire: I'm on it. Will need backup fast.
Nightmare: I'm losing it.
Nightmare shoves Scarface off of him and bolts to a standing position.
He looks around frantically, and then roars a wordless shout as he
charges the recovering Scarface.
On a fire-escape, a figure cloaked in black just watches.
Scarface barely meets Nightmare's furious attack. Back and forth the
battle tides. Neither really getting an edge, although it is clear
that Nightmare is the more experienced combatant. Nightmare quickly
wears down Scarface.
A hideous voice croaks: "Finish him."
As another voice cries out, "NO!" Nightmare obeys the command by
viciously running Scarface through. Scarface stunned drops to the
ground. Rapidly paling. The black cloak figure gestures and
Scarface looks at Nightmare with wide-eyed betrayal.
Scarface (softly, as blood comes to his lips from talking): Why?
Nightmare: Because you are weak.
You can see the sad understanding in eyes when Scarface looks up and
sees the black figure.
Hideous voice: Someone approaches, use your best spell to deal with
him.
Nightmare drops his sword and turns and starts weaving a complicated
spell. Scarface tries to shout out to try to stop Nightmare but is too
weak to shout or cast anything to stop him. An elf (by the height and
width) comes flying around the corner. Quicker than he can get the
spell off, the elf sees what Nightmare is doing and charges him.
Heedless of the danger, the elf shoulders Nightmare into the dumpster,
and then slams him to the ground. Nightmare tries to finish the spell
but it fizzles as he can't make the finishing touches. The elf stomps
on Nightmare's right and Nightmare screams out, "NO!" as he passes out
from the pain of his hand being broken in such a manner.
The elf looks up and slings around an assault rifle. Moving extremely
fast, he fires off a burst at the black figure. The figure retreats
into the building as the elf fires a mini-grenade after it. The elf
shields Nightmare’s body from the shrapnel. The elf then quickly goes
over to Scarface, and looks him over, and shakes his head.
Elf: Hell of a way to go.
Scarface: Don't worry about me. There is nothing left for that damn
wraith to do to me now.
Elf: But....
Scarface: Save ... yourself.
The elf quickly moves to Nightmare and carries him and his sword to a
different alley.
***** Livewire: Need immediate magical backup at X32. Preferably a
healer. Otherwise, we've lost a friend.
***** Scourge: Aside from Archangel, no one is currently in that area.
Will advise.
***** Livewire: Frag.
***** Archangel: Sorry, can't help, I just found the Wraith.
***** Scourge: I'll try and get someone to you, no promises.
***** Livewire: Damn.
The elf runs back across, dodging obvious entanglements and grabs
Scarface. Trying to be gentle as he can, he carries Scarface and
Scarface's cane and sword over to where he left Nightmare. He then
reloads his assault rifle and sits over the two of them.
+++++ transmission stopped
Scarface didn't last long enough for medical attention to get them.
Livewire watched him die. Both Livewire and Nightmare have reached the
medical team. They are both being looked at.
The only other interesting footage we have is when all hell broke loose
in Midnight's group.
++++++ transmission begin
You see a massive troll (labeled Doomsday) open fire with a light
machine gun into the crowd of melee. A human (labeled Midnight) gets
nailed from behind and drops down. The combatants locked in melee get
a large splash of white phosphorus over them, nailing people on both
sides. A fast, large troll, crashes into Doomsday and throws him
through a wall. The troll continues moving, barely avoiding the white
phosphorus and leaps at Doomsday. Doomsday uses the other troll's
(labeled Whirlwind) momentum and spikes him to the floor.
Doomsday then tries to tackle Whirlwind, but ends up tackling floor.
Meanwhile, another human stops by the new building entrance and
exclaims, "Just what I like to see, a good ol' troll fight. Hope you
boys don't mind, but here's a little gift for you." He drops a
grenade in the building. Whirlwind uses the distraction to use
Doomsday to make another hole in the wall and follows him out as the
grenade detonates. Doomsday frustrated punches at Whirlwind and
manages to catch him in the upper arm.
Whirlwind curses, and leg sweeps Doomsday. He then charges the human
but misses him due to gunfire from the two new arrivals, a human male
(labeled Neuron Basher) and a human female (labeled Trixie). Trixie
shouts something unintelligible and throws a grenade into the room that
had Doomsday and the other human. Meanwhile, Whirlwind tackles Neuron
Basher sends them both to some cover from the exploding grenade.
Doomsday rolls with the blast and pounces on the still recovering
human. Trixie throws yet another grenade into the room, dropping both
the human and Doomsday. Meanwhile, Whirlwind continues to pound on
Neuron Basher who is hopelessly outmatched by the troll.
Trixie is about to enter a room, when a human cries out something
unintelligible and somehow stops all three of them. He then enters the
room, still chanting something odd, and lifts the helmet off the human.
You see a cutting motion and then a spurt of blood. He then walks out
of the building and says, "Now all we have to do is find the Wanderer."
He touches each one separately (still on fire himself from the
phosphorous) and they seems stunned to find themselves where they are.
Whirlwind (letting go of Neuron Basher): Midnight! We need to get you
doused by water.
Neuron Basher: And I need to settle an old score with the Wanderer.
Midnight: You are all going no where!
Water engulfs Midnight. The flames last a few more seconds and go out.
Midnight: Whirlwind, get back in that room, and get your brother out
of there before the building collapses. You two stay with me, unless
you feel like loosing control again! Oh, Tyrell....
A voice from nowhere sounding pretty peaceful midst the screams of the
dying: Yes?
Midnight: Thank you.
+++++ transmission end
I'm not sure, but I think that Midnight got separated from Trixie and
Neuron Basher a little later. Midnight is suffering from massive
burns. No word on Doomsday's condition, and no word on how or where
Whirlwind ended up. No word on Shadowfox either. He has failed to
report in, but he could very well be receiving medical attention and
right now we are so disorganized that we wouldn't know it.
Blitzkrieg has agreed to do an interview with me. If you give me some
moments, I'll give it to you live. ]<<<<<
-- Sprinkler <09:05:53/25-DEC-57>
>>>>>[ Live, here from Berlin, Germany, I give you Blitzkrieg.
++++++ begin transmission
You see a very tired elf wearing urban camouflage sitting in a chair.
He has bandages wrapped around his right forearm, right thigh, and left
shin. A closer look, makes you think that this elf is only about 17 or
so.
Lying in a bed, is Blitzkrieg. His head is shaved as usual, and he is
attached to life support.
The elf sits for a real long while, just resting, and then he looks at
Blitzkrieg who is watching him. "Are you ready to begin?"
"Actually, Sprinkler, you look worse than I feel. Yeah, let's get this
over with."
Sprinkler: What happened out there?
Blitzkrieg: Not really sure. The wraith was even more powerful than I
think Archangel was expecting. It certainly caused the communication
break-down. I was still with Kor when I ran into Scarface. I - umm.
Whatever the wraith did to him, sure fragged him up. His wounds were
as fresh as if they had happened yesterday. At least as far as the
naked eye could see. Astrally, his wounds were -- well, let me just
leave it as saying they were infected. (he shudders)
Sprinkler: What happened to Kor?
Blitzkrieg: We got separated after the wraith had left our area. I
think it was tailing Scarface, hoping to some more juicy targets. I'm
surprised it didn't try and get me or Kor, but perhaps that was because
Kor and I were near each other.
Sprinkler: Did you see DragonEyes at all?
Blitzkrieg: Yes, but only briefly. DragonEyes was the reason we
weren't able to stop Bruce. He distracted us when we were trying to
keep our magical guard up against the wraith. Bruce fled when he
realized we couldn't do everything at once.
Sprinker: Anything else noteworthy happen?
Blitzkrieg pauses for a real long while, and shudders. He then says,
"I'm not really sure. Everything was so damn confusing. I have never
had so many people try to kill me at once. I --"
He pauses and sucks on oxygen for a while. He then continues, "I
watched so many people die, it is hard to feel that life has any value.
Why? What worthless, senseless deaths! I wonder if I'm dreaming this,
and still out there dying in the streets that are laden with so many
bodies strewn about. I -- I wonder if I am dreaming that I'm in such
agony, and I will wake up and find myself next to -- Shit. That _is_
a dream."
He sighs. "I saw, Fred, Archangel's best friend, die to the Wanderer.
I tried to take out the Wanderer -- but. .. ."
Sprinkler: Fred died? Aside from Livewire, we don't know where any of
Archangel's company is.
Blitzkrieg: "I came around a corner and heard an ungodly scream. I
ran as hard as I could, but I was already in quite some pain. I saw
Archangel and the Wraith in a magical battle. It was just concluding
by the time I got close enough to be of any help to Archangel.
Archangel was on the ground. His body was shattered. The wraith was
-- well, I think it was banished. It was no where to be found.
"DragonEyes was there, and commanded someone to pick Archangel up.
They did. Archangel gave me one of the strangest grins. Doc and Fred
came racing around the corner. They passed me. They didn't see what I
did. The Wanderer was there watching. Archangel too, was watching the
Wanderer. He was just grinning. DragonEyes looked at the Wanderer and
said, 'Your lord has merged with this Angel's body. If the merge is to
be successful, I must tend to your lord's wounds.' I could see what
DragonEyes was doing, yet I wasn't powerful enough or brave enough to
stop it. DragonEyes continued, 'Stop them from following me, and then
leave the country. Your war with Nightmare and his so called friends
is over. We have won.'
"DragonEyes and the others left with Archangel, and Archangel still
with his knowing grin. Doc and Fred engaged the Wanderer. I too,
engaged him. I saw Doc go down first. The Wanderer was just to
fragging quick for us. He -- (shudder). If I ever have to go against
him again, I would prefer to have a tactical nuke on my side. I gave
him my best shot, without any magicians providing him any defenses, and
I still couldn't down him. Fred give it his everything and ignored a
lot of wounds, but in the end, his body couldn't take the punishment
and gave out. The Wanderer started coming after me, and I ignored
everything I had promised myself and let a spell go. I just didn't
care, I figured one way or another I would be dead, but at least this
way, I wouldn't be awake for when he got a hold of my body.
"I don't know if I took him out because I passed out. I assume I got
him based on the last time I did anything so stupid, but, I don't know.
I don't feel confident."
Blitzkrieg pauses and takes a sip of water. He then softly sings,
"Mama put these guns in the ground, I can't use them anymore. Its
getting dark, to dark to see .... it feels like I'm knocking on
heaven's door." ]<<<<<
-- Sprinkler <09:14:05/25-DEC-57>
