| From: | Avenger <Avenger@*******.DEMON.CO.UK> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | RS: Mateas - And so it ends - 2 |
| Date: | Sat, 10 Jan 1998 00:10:17 +0000 |
>>>>>[
Access Archive: Gates, Red Shift. RS-A/DG44-A7/8-T
Set Command: STOR
Authorisation: Red Shift, Gates ***/***/*****
+++++Helm Cam: Shado
Rushing through the smoking opening in the outer wall, Oscar 3 spread
out into the room beyond, a snooker table near the centre covered with
dust and rubble, green shaded lamp swinging gently. One dead man lays
beside it, his weapon nearby, blood seeping from a wound in his head.
Sheram puts three rounds into the body, making certain it's dead. Faint
gunfire can be heard from elsewhere in the building. Three doors lead
out from the snooker room. Two into the building, one onto a narrow
stoop offering stunning views of the mountains and jungle beyond.
"Oscar 2, Oscar 3, this is Pharaoh. Clear the building, Oscar 1 is
engaging basement levels."
"Oscar 2, Roger." Emma
"Oscar 3, Roger." Shado turns to the squad her arm moving into the room,
hand fanning out, the team scattering through the room, checking nooks
and behind the bar. Stephanie and Blaze stay near the entrance, weapons
covering the room and doors. As one, the two women move towards the
southern door as soon as the clear signal comes from the squad.
Opening the northernmost door, Sheram glances through, "Corridor, two
doors, foyer." Smoke and rubble strewn across the expensive marble
floor.
"Cover it." Shado pauses. "Anything moves out there who not ours, frag
it." Sheram nods, his face unreadable. Pulling three grenades from his
webbing, he takes a more comfortable position by the door, watching the
corridor beyond. The gunfire in the courtyard thins to sporadic
exchanges, and the occassional single shot, as a mercenary executes
either wounded or surrendering personnel. The remaining members of
Oscar 3 gather behind Blaze and Stephanie waiting. Shado nods, and
Blaze kicks the door down, Stephanie fires two short bursts with her
Ingram and ducks her head through rapidly withdrawing it, nodding, she
and Blaze leap through the doorway, working high and low as though they
had been working all their lives as partners. Oscar 3 follows, a two man
wide staircase leads up to the second level of the tower section, Short
bursts of gunfire echoing down the stone well. Shado and Langley run up
the stairs to the first landing weapons tracking the next section,
waving the rest on once they've ascertained that it's clear. The other
six follow rapidly behind them, following this routine up to the second
storey. More stairs lead up to another level, a door on this landing
leading presumably to the front of the stubby tower. Gunfire and curses
can be heard through the door. Shado and two other mercenaries kneel
line abreast opposite the door, weapons pointing towards the portal.
Nodding once, Blaze kicks the door hard, breaking the lock, swinging the
door into the room, the surprised thugs in the room only have sufficient
time to look behind them, before the three SMG's cut them down. The
mercs on Shado's right and left dive into the room, firing to the left
and right followed by Stephanie and Blaze. Twelve bodies, twisted into
unnatural positions of death lay motionless.
Noises on the wooden ceiling indicate that the gunmen above have heard
the events below them and are moving. The squad as a whole raise their
weapons and fire up through the floor. Floorboards jump and shudder,
bullets punching up through, screams indicate strikes, blood drips
through the shattered wood onto the firing mercenaries below. Shado
turns, accompanied by one other, and charges up the final flight of
stairs, Stephanie and the rest cease fire, listening as the door above
is beaten in, and the weapons of Shado and Langley finish off any
survivors.
Within seconds the two return. "It clear, we go down." The squad moves
downstairs rapidly, confident that nothing unpleasant awaits them.
Entering the games room again, at the same moment that Sheram throws a
grenade through the door he's guarding and starts firing, his AK,
jumping in his hands on a sustained burst. The wall between Oscar 3 and
Sheram explodes, throwing a cloud of dust and plaster into the room,
further ruining the expensive snooker table. Men and women partially
dressed, armed with guns, clubs chairs, pour through the opening, firing
wildly into the room. Something slams into Sheram lifting him to his
feet, jerking him across the floor before throwing him broken and
lifeless to the ground. Oscar 3 open fire, their concentrated fire
devastating on the disorganised, disoriented thugs. A grenade thrown
forward cracks sharply, lifting bodies and tossing them through the air.
Shado, releasing her SMG, draws a long sliver of steel from her back
moving faster than belief she wades into the attacking swarm of
defenders. Hacking around here with a deadly speed and strength leaving
severed limbs and broken bodies in her wake. Stephanie leaps into the
fray, unslinging a riflebutt club and shattering a man's knee with it in
the same movement, followed rapidly by Blaze, holding what appears to be
a machete.
Shado and Stephanie are unbelievable whirlwinds of death and
destruction, lithe, fast and unbelievably supple, the two twist, duck
and turn killing or breaking limbs, it seems with each new movement.
Still more defenders pour through the opening, clubbing his way forward
to the broken wall, Langley starts firing through the opening, trying to
stop the flow of soldiers, smashing one or two hard with the weapons'
stock if they get past his bursts. Gradually the flood slows to a
trickle, then stops. Shado, smeared and splattered with blood stands
rock still, hardly breathing, sword high, wild eyes looking for a new
subject to dice. Stephanie leans back against the wall, wiping blood
from her face, cleaning and slinging the war club: she reaches to reload
her Ingram, mumbles something startlingly rude when she finds only empty
magazine pouches.
Blaze looks around the small group. The rest of the squad dead, Shado,
bleeding from a couple of wounds, seeming to not notice the gore
surrounding her. Blaze crouches and wipes her machette on the shirt of
a dead soldier, reaching over and closing the eyes of the valiant
Langley. She picks up a fallen AR, searches for a few magazines, and
stands again. Exchanging glances with Stephanie, she turns to Shado,
the young Japanese girl tiny against the tall muscled elf. "Shado,
c'mon girl, snap out of it. People are relying on us." A shudder passes
through the young girls' body, her taught muscles relax, the sword
drops, it's bloody point hitting the floor. Blaze looks at the young
girl, then Stephanie, their torn fatigues hardly worth calling clothes
anymore. "Well, you two won't win any fashion prizes that's for sure."
Her light tone brings a reluctant grin to Shado's face - not wuite
touching her eyes, Stephanie smiles broadly, white teeth bright against
her dirty, blood smeared face.
Shado breathes deeply. "Mateas. He mine, Blaze. No-one touch."
"That depends on who gets there first." A wicked twinkle flashes in
Stephanie's eye, as Blaze shakes her head furiously. Shado looks
between the two women, trying to understand if the joke is on her, and
not sure what to make of it. A low growl issues from Stephanies throat,
her face altering very slightly for a moment, eyes yellowing, teeth
enlarging. Then it's gone.
Blaze digs through a pouch, pulling out field dressings. "How much of
that blood is yours girl?" She gestures to the rivulets running down
Stephanies arms and the exposed parts of her body.
"None of it. I'm OK." Steph tears a strip of cloth from a hanging
tapestry torn by the explosion, and wipes her face and hands: only some
large and fresh bruises mar her skin beneath the dirt.
Blaze turns to Shado, binding a bullet graze on her arm, and applying a
patch to a slash in her left leg. "Don't be so eager next time Shado,
I've booked us all a table at the Shrieking Parrot in Georgetown. You go
throwing yourself at people like that, I might end up having wasted my
money, and you _know_ I wouldn't like that."
"You not worry about me, it not matter." Blaze looks up sharply,
staring into Shado's face. "If I die, I too mean to leave you alone, I
come back, haunt you for a while."
Chuckling gently, Blaze nods. "Yeah, you'd probably do that too." She
stands, grabbing Shado gently by her shoulders.
<trans from Japanese> "Shado. We're a team, we all care about each
other. Dying won't achieve anything except to upset us. Now you
wouldn't want to upset us would you?"
Shado looks up into Blaze's face, searching her eyes.
<trans from Japanese> "It would end the pain Blaze." She pulls away,
wiping her sword, and making it disappear back into the scabbard in her
webbing. "We got work to do. Dewy be pissed if he do too much work,
and we not help.
"All teams, Oscar 1. Oscar Papa is down, repeat Oscar Papa is down."
Blaze closes her eyes for a moment, shoulders sagging, "Oh fuck." She
sighs deeply, then straightens, new resolve on her face. "C'mon ladies,
there's work to be done."
A dull explosion, followed rapidly by another and another from the far
side of the building. Too deep for grenades to short and sharp to be
pack charges or C4, the girls look at each other puzzled. Blaze tilts
her head to the side slightly, "Dewy. He's angry. He always makes lots
of noise when he's angry."
The three women pick up dropped weapons, and grab magazines and
grenades, stowing them in their webbing pouches. Shado leads the three
survivors through the shattered wall. Looking for the last of Mateas'
army.
Opening the only door in the room, on it's north wall, they walk out
into the corridor, weapons tracking to the foyer. Firing through the
door, and the thin wall, before kicking the door in, the three dive into
an empty room. Looking at each other, Blaze and Steph giggle for some
reason, and leave. Walking cautiously down the corridor towards the
hallway. A dull rolling explosion shakes the building, knocking dust
loose and rattling what few ornaments remain. "What the hell?" Blaze
looks around, searching for the source of the explosion.
Stephanie looks at her feet. "I think Oscar 1 just finished their end
of things." The door opposite them, in the eastern section of the house
erupts and vapourises in a sheet of flame. Blaze, Shado and Stephanie,
as one, lift their weapons. Before the flames have died down, Dewdrop
stalks through the portal, his face thunder, eyes burning, hands
dripping liquid flame. Everything about him indicating utter fury.
"Oh, shit, he's pissed alright." Blaze whispers to the others. Don't
say a thing to him, he's unpredictable when he's like this. The magic
has taken control of him, all he is now is a walking nuke. He'll burn
out in about ten minutes, but until then, stay out of his way.
Dewy marches into the centre of the foyer, followed rapidly by Emma, her
fatigues smouldering, hair in total disarray, as if she'd just walked
through an immense static charge. The expression on her face does not
indicate good health for anyone near her either. Fire swirls around the
mage, flicking out, igniting tables, chairs, pictures. A deep resonant
voice echoes from his throat, echoing around the building. "MATEAS.
COME OUT YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" The lack of response only infuriates the
mage even further.
"He's gonna pay for it..." And he storms towards the sweeping marble
staircase, followed rapdily by Emma, Stephanie, Blaze and Shado. At the
top of the stairs, an impressive set of carved oak doors offer barred
entrance to Mateas' quarters. Dewdrop faces the doors, the four women
shoulder to shoulder behind the furious mage. He gestures casually at
the doors, and they evaporate in a furious furnace, smoke and burning
embers the only evidence they had ever existed.
"You wanna play!? You filthy Yanqui scum wanna play with Mateas!" a
dull roar, Dewy braces, hands crossed in front of his face, palms out.
As one, the four women hit the stairs, ducking under the blast they
expect. The grenade impacts on the barrier, detonating, flame sheeting
across the landing, scorching the wall, setting fire to the teak and
mahogany bannister, burning the lush carpeting. Gunfire erupts from
within the room, a single weapon - bullets sparking and shattering
against the mage's shield. A second grenade joins the bullets, again
flaring across the barrier, the wall smouldering now, the bannisters
well alight, Dewy staggers back a step, sweating now, strain showing on
his face, the magic taking it's toll. A third grenade, and Dewy is
lifted from his feet, tossed down the stairs, his head impacting on a
flower stand with a sickening crack.
In perfect unison, the four women stand, firing together, walking
forward, ignoring the bullets buzzing past their ears, burning flesh,
plucking at their clothes like angry bees. firing steadily. The gunfire
from the room stops suddenly, they enter the room, still firing,
changing magazines on the move. Mateas, caught in the unrelenting
gunfire, backed up against a massive mahogany desk, the body with
nowhere to go dances like a broken marionette.
The gunfire ceases. Shado, dropping her weapon, moves forward like
lightning, drawing her sword as she moves. Swings wide, drawing the
sword in a vicious arc. Decapitated the ruined body of the drug lord
drops to the floor. She snatches the hair of the severed head before it
hits the ground, holding it high. One eye destroyed, the neck a smooth
slash dripping blood. She walks towards the window leading onto the
balcony, Blaze stoops to pick up the body. Flanked by Stephanie and
Emma, she follows Blaze out into the morning sun. Blaze stands on the
balcony overlooking the destroyed castillo, greeted by a ragged cheer.
Worn and tired mercenaries pick themselves up from where they've sat.
Surrounded by debris and death, they raise their weapons into the air,
and cheer again, joined by the fire teams on the ridge.
Henson walks out of the front doors, carrying the dead body of Pharaoh,
a wounded Caws limping alongside him. Henson looks up at the blood
soaked, torn and tattered women standing on the balcony, their gruesome
prize held up for all to see. He shakes his head sadly, and places
Pharaoh on the steps, sitting next to the body head in his hands. Shado
looks down, and tosses Mateas' head over the edge. It falls, landing
with a wet thonk on the concrete steps, bouncing into the courtyard.
With a slight grunt of effort, Blaze hurls the body after it, this
landing amongst the debris. Shado turns to the tall elf. Searching her
face, looking for something. Finding it, Shado collapses in tears,
hurling herself into Blaze's open arms, the bitter sobbing wracking
Shado's body, her shoulders heaving as her throat contracts around the
terrible lonely sound of a soul breaking. Her voice weak amongst the
tears "Blaze, make the pain stop..."
+++++End vid
+++++Terminate Access
]<<<<<
-- Gates <09:16:31/01-09-59>
