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Darwin's Soldiers

Serris · 697 · 123949

Mirumoto_Kenjiro

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Vic kept his mind on the console, and worked the last set of wires when he hears a click and a whiz of air as the door unlocked and opened a good foot before stopping.  Crouching low, he pried the door further open and peered inside, turning the rifle back in front of him for safety.  "If there's anyone in here," he called in, "then come into view and give your name."  With his focus solely on the closet, he hadn't really paid attention to the hostage situation right outside the lab...

----------

Dr. Joe aimed her firearm at the rogue scientists, but held her fire as she saw James with a shotgun to his face.

Snow stood behind Neku as the situation is being played out...

----------

Deep in the corner of his dark cell, a silouette sits in meditation, although his unblinking compound eyes kept track of every corner of the room.  He has been waiting, and somehow he knows very soon he will be released...

(OOC:  Thought I could throw in a Dragonstorm experiment for future mayhem.  You think he'd be in the sublevels or in a different place?)


Serris

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(OOC - in one of the earlier posts it is mentioned that the Dragonstorm labs are accessible only through a false door in the cafeteria freezer. It's more likely he'd be in that lab.)

Dr. Kerzach was sitting by the far side of the closet when the door opened. He knew it was futile to resist, so he walked towards the figure.

---------------------------------------------

"So, Dr. Zanasiu, you're getting help from someone in the control room? I thought your motto was 'if you want something done right; do it yourself'." O'Neill sneered.

"O'Neill, you are a disgrace to the prestigious Equestrian Scientific Union. Nice spot on their record; one of their scientists is an amoral sociopath!" James spat.

"Shut it!"

Zachary and the Dhole were still crouched behind the lab table.

"Zachary, we need to get Vic. We may be able to trap these rogue scientists between two lines of fire." the Dhole said.

She then crawled to Vic and tapped him on the leg. "Vic. James is being held hostage outside the lab."

Koslov kept his shotgun aimed at James's head. Montgomery and Hicks still kept their weapons at the ready in defiance of the armed group.

The Iguana security guard leveled his shotgun at Montgomery. "Drop your weapon."

Montgomery chuckled. "And that is why you are a security guard. Are you oblivious to the fact that we have a hostage?"

"Are you interested in committing suicide?" The Iguana's finger twitched on the trigger of his weapon.

Montgomery nodded to Koslov who grinned and jabbed the barrel of his weapon into James's face. "Kill me and Zanasiu dies."

The Iguana sighed and lowered his weapon.

---------------------------------------------

Inside the secret lab, the Deer scientist impatiently paced around the entrance hall. "Where are Montgomery, Hicks, O'Neill and Koslov?"

"You don't suppose they ran afoul of some terrorists?" a Rat scientist asked.

"Nah. Koslov would scare the crap out of anyone who crossed him. An angry Brown Bear with a shotgun is not pretty sight."

"I guess. We can't continue with our creation unless we have those notes. And come to think of it, what happened to that DVD that outlined the basic principles of Dragonstorm?"

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aabicus (LettuceBacon&Tomato)

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(OOC: Uh, f-22, are you planning on embellishing where the heck he came from? And what he's going to contribute to the hostage situation?)


f-22 "raptor" ace

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(Yes I plan on telling on where he came from and what he will do to help with the hostage situation but if you want me to edit my last two posts i will)


Mirumoto_Kenjiro

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Vic was anxious as the figure moved into the light, it was a scientist alright.  There was no certainty about him being involved with the Dragonstorm scientists, so he has to be cautious.  As he felt the Dhole scientist tap him from behind, he glanced back and answered, "I just found another survivor in here.  He could be another Dragonstorm scientist."  He called into his mic.  "Shelton, I need you to get ready to check profiles again."  He then turned to the scientist inside the the closet.  "As I said before, I want your name."

----------

"Neku, what can we do?" Snow whispered...

----------

The terrorist hitman stared back down the hallway, before he turned to the leader, but said nothing.  With possible fighting nearby, he was almost starting to feel anxious to hunt...

----------

The siloulette moved quickly and smoothly to his feet as he approached the door, where a tiny sliver of light pierced the chamber through a partially closed slot...


Serris

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The Dhole looked at the new scientist. She motioned to Zachary who staggered to his feet and moved to where she was.

"Vic, Zachary and I will deal with this new scientist. You deal with the rogue scientists outside." the Dhole said.

The Dhole kept her rifle trained on the scientist as Zachary patted him down. He retrieved a switchblade and a portable radio. "Hmm. He doesn't seem to be carrying a gun."

Have the scientists gone insane? Why are they treating me like a criminal. Dr. Kerzach thought as he looked at the rifle pointed at him.

Zachary used the switchblade to cut away the tape gagging Dr. Kerzach's mouth.

"Thank you." Dr. Kerzach said.

"Ok, now let's get down to business." Zachary said, "What is your name?"

Dr. Kerzach gulped. "It's Yuri Kerzach, Dr. Yuri Kerzach. Now will you please free my hands?"

"That will be sufficient. And sorry, we can't trust you yet, so please step into the closet." The Dhole said, keeping her rifle trained on Dr. Kerzach.

Dr. Kerzach sighed and complied with the Dhole's order. The Dhole then stood in the doorway, keeping her rifle aimed at Dr. Kerzach.

Zachary pulled out his radio. "Shelton, the new scientist is a Cassowary named Dr. Yuri Kerzach." He then turned off his radio and readied his M-16.

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Neku shook his head.  
"I don't know.  We should probably just sit this part out."
He said, uncertainty in his voice.

Kagetora stood a short distance back with Hawkeye, silently observing...


Serris

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The Cobalt Squad soldiers arrived at the lab only to see hostage situation unfolding.

"You! With the shotgun! Drop your weapon and move away from the scientist!" the Cobalt commander shouted, aiming his weapon at Kozlov.

The other Cobalt soldiers also readied their weapons.

O'Neill looked at the soldiers and chuckled icily. "Don't think your weapons give you leverage. We have a hostage." He gestured to Kozlov.

The Cobalt Squad soldiers backed away and headed to a corner where they couldn't be seen.

"What do you want?" the Iguana guard asked.

-----------

Inside the lab, Zachary radioed Shelton. "Shelton, Vic, the Dhole and I are inside the lab and those rogue scientists don't know it. We can potentially trap them between the group outside and us. Can you set off a distraction of some sort?"

(OOC - I'm going with the "Kozlov" spelling of the Bear's name.)

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aabicus (LettuceBacon&Tomato)

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"Can I?" grinned Shelton. "One distraction coming right up. And Vic, Zach, Kerzach is clear. It's his lab you're standing in."

Shelton got to work. "All right, mate," he muttered to himself, "I know bears have good eyesight, but what about hearing?"

He opened communication. "Hey, Kozlov, I got a question for you."

The bear put the radio to his ear. "What?"

Shelton blasted radio feedback through the ear piece. Simultaneously, the fire alarm went off, a shrill, screeching burst.

"Aaugh!" yelled the bear, clutching his ears.

"Don't lose the hostage!" yelled O'Neill, spinning to look behind him, shotgun raised. But before he could register James' position, the lights suddenly switched off and the sprinklers clicked on, dousing him and the entire room with ice cold water.

O'Neill fired off a flare, which was instantly doused. "Kozlov! Where are you? Find Zanasiu!" he yelled.


Serris

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James took advantage of his captors' distraction and ran into the lab, pushing Hicks aside. Hicks tried to grab him but missed.  

"What? I can't hear you!" Kozlov shouted.

O'Neill groaned. "Montgomery, Hicks! Find Zanasiu!" he shouted. He pulled a flare out of his lab coat and ignited it only to have it extinguished in mere seconds.

"I can't find him." Montgomery said, "The water is inhibiting my sense of smell." He turned his head and noticed a dim blue glow from the lab door. "I'll see if he's in there."

Inside the darkened lab, Zachary tapped the Dhole's shoulder. "Dr. Kerzach is with us. Cut him free." Zachary then handed the Dhole the switchblade he'd confiscated from Dr. Kerzach.

The Dhole nodded and cut Dr. Kerzach free using the blue emergency light in the closet. "Dr. Kerzach, stay in this closet until everything is clear." The Dhole then wrinkled her nose. "I smell wet dog."

"It's Montgomery. He's looking for James. I'll get him." Zachary said. He then positioned himself in the closet and when Montgomery entered the lab and peered into the closet; he grabbed him. Zachary quickly pinned Montgomery and Dr. Kerzach and the Dhole bound and gagged him with some duct tape.

Hicks had also followed Montgomery into the lab but passed over the blue-lit closet but didn't get far before Zachary grabbed him and dragged him into the closet where Dr. Kerzach and the Dhole bound him.

The Iguana security guard radioed Shelton. "Shelton turn the lights back on. I can't..." he was cut off by O'Neill who heard him talking and tackled him.

"Kozlov! Get over here!" O'Neill shouted as he struggled with the guard.

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aabicus (LettuceBacon&Tomato)

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(OOC:Serris, did you men for O'Neill to call for Kersach, or did you mean to type Kozlov?)

"What?" asked Shelton. "Repeat!"

"He said hit the lights! Do it!"

"Sorry!" Shelton entered the command. The lights flickered, but before they could fully warm up, Kozlov shot the laboratory light out with his shotgun.

"Not yet!" he yelled cheerfully. "I'm in my element in the dark!"

He let off another round, missing Neku and Snow by inches. Cobalt commander, next to them, wasn't so lucky, and was hit in the side. He fell, cursing.

Kozlov grinned, peering over at the utility closet. "Peekaboo, I see you!" he crowed, vaulting a lab table.

But he didn't see the body of the stunned terrorist on the floor. Tangling his feet up in the landing, he slid headfirst into the wall, busting a hole through the metal-reinforced plywood. Stale fluorescent light filtered in from the adjacent room, leaving a contrasting bluish tint on everything.


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Neku smiled.
"Thank you, Shelton.  I've got an advantage now.  Everyone, cover your eyes!"
He said, looking at the water on the ground.  Thinking quickly, he raised psychic barriers around all of his friends, then sent an electrical current into the floor and the water coming from the ceiling, shocking any enemies nearby...


Serris

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The Iguana guard was still pinned under O'Neill who was viciously pounding any part of the the guard he could reach. The Iguana tried to roll O'Neill off of him but was thwarted by the fact that O'Neill outweighed him by 120 pounds or more.

The Iguana saw a bright flash and heard the sound of electrical arcing. Suddenly, O'Neill stiffened and fell over. The Iguana then staggered to his feet and looked at Neku. "Thanks. Now can someone find a med kit and a change of clothes?"

The Dhole marched a dazed Kozlov to the closet, where Dr. Kerzach bound and gagged him.

James, then ordered him to stand by the other two rogue scientists. He kept his shotgun trained on them. "Dr. Kerzach, can you use a gun?"

Dr. Kerzach shook his head. "No. I have never handled one in my entire life."

Zachary radioed Shelton. "Shelton, we have rescued Dr. Kerzach and captured three of the rogue scientists. What shall we do with them?" He then overhead Dr. Kerzach. "Um, shall we bring Dr. Kerzach to you? He can't use a gun and the only weapon we have that's not a gun is a fire ax."

The Dhole trained her rifle on the three captives and tapped James. "James, I'll watch them, and you can get a change of clothes."

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aabicus (LettuceBacon&Tomato)

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"You got three of them?" asked Shelton. "Who escaped, no don't tell me, Hicks, I bet."

Down in the laboratory, the Cobalt commander got to his feet, hands covering the wound. He glared at the bound and gagged bear. "I promise I'll repay you for that. If you escape, you better come lookin' for me first."

Shelton smiled. "Oh yeah, and make sure to thank Koslov for the lights idea. Pure genius on his part."

"What about Kerzach?"

"Sure, bring him up. Swipe another computer from somewhere while you're at it. Yuri, you any good with technology?"


Serris

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O'Neill staggered to his feet. "Well. I have to congratulate you on that technique. But I have something for you. Catch!" In one fluid motion, O'Neill ignited and hurled a flare at the group. While the group was trying to move away from the burning object, O'Neill ran away.

James radioed Shelton back, "We have Hicks, Montgomery, and Kozlov." Just then the Iguana security guard staggered into the lab, his face bloody.

"What happened to you?" Zachary asked.

"The Shire horse beat me and threw a flare at the group as a distraction. He ran away."

Zachary grabbed a med kit from a bracket on the wall and treated the guard's injuries.

James left the room and entered an adjacent locker room, in a few minutes, he reappeared in a dry lab coat and pants. He still wore the shooting glasses style safety glasses.

Dr. Kerzach spoke into the radio. "Sorry, no computers here. My lab got ransacked and completely shot up. I'm about 'normal' in technology."

The Dhole's stomach growled. "Hey, how about we hit the cafeteria?"

James nodded and held up the remains of the salmon salad sandwich which was shredded from a shotgun blast. "Yeah. Those sandwiches have probably gone bad. Vic, you up for seeing what the Double Helix Eatery aka the Pelvanida Cafeteria has to offer?"

Zachary stuck his head outside the lab door. "Anybody up for a quick journey to the cafeteria for some food? And Cobalt Squad, please escort our three 'guests' and Dr. Kerzach to Shelton."

Dr. Kerzach left the lab and stood by the three Cobalt Squad soldiers.

The Dhole patted Montgomery down and confiscated 4 20 round AK-47 magazines, including the one in his rifle.

Zachary patted Kerzach down and confiscated 2 flares and 5 shotgun shells which he handed to James.

James patted Hicks down and confiscated 2 30 round M-16 magazines, including the one in his rifle. He placed them on the lab bench.

James and Zachary marched the three to the Cobalt Squad soldiers. "Ok, you may head out."

The Cobalt Squad soldiers left the area with Dr. Kerzach and the captives.

"Shelton, the group and I are heading to the cafeteria for some food. I sent Dr. Kerzach and the three prisoners to you." James said into the radio.

------

O'Neill made his way back to the cafeteria and entered the secret lab by way of the freezer.

"So, O'Neill I see you didn't get those notes back." the Deer scientist said.

"It's worse, Hicks, Montgomery and Kozlov were captured by Dr. Zanasiu and his allies. But he is getting help from someone in the control room, I have a feeling that's where he kept those notes he found." O'Neill replied.

"We'll hit the control room later. For now, work on the experiments we have."


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aabicus (LettuceBacon&Tomato)

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"We'll be ready for them when they arrive, James." said Shelton. "But you might want to know that the cafeteria is out of range of my sensors. Once you're in there, I'm blind."
The door to the control room slid open; Kerzach and the Cobalt squad members dragged the prisoners in.
"Oy, Werner and Pa, can both generations help us over here?" panted the Cobalt medic.

Montgomery stared at Shelton. "I know you by face, but your name escapes me."
Shelton doffed an imaginary hat. "And I'd prefer to keep it that way."
Hicks looked at him too. "Hey, ain't you that chess champion guy?"
"Yup. And you're the 'falls-for-en-passant-five-times-in-one-game' guy. That was probably the funniest game I've ever played."

Kozlov noticed the bloodied carcass of Oli. "Oli! Oh my God, what have you done to him?"
"I thought bears have good eyesight. Can't you see for yourself?"
Kozlov looked stricken, then turned and glared at Shelton. "You'll pay for that."
The Cobalt Commander stepped forward. "Hey, not until my score's settled. You want to avenge the ostrich, you fight me."

"You two have fun with that." Shelton turned to Kerzach. "Unfortunately, with one computer, you'll have to function more like my assistant than my technician. Sorry about that."

"You think you've won, but you haven't," spat Hicks. "Just you wait until-"
"Hey, Hicks, you know what?"
"What?"
Shelton slid one of Werner's playing cards to land next to Hicks' face. It was a king, and showed a White King from chess. "Scoreboard."

While Hicks and Kozlov were busy hating specific people in the room, Montgomery had disengaged the conversation, and was silently scanning the control room for the datapad...


Serris

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James listened to Shelton. "Guys, I've heard some bad news from Shelton, the cafeteria is out of sensor range. Is everyone okay with that conclusion?"

Zachary nodded. "We cannot be dazed by hunger at a time like this."

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Vic reloaded his clip after he had fired away at O'Neil when he ran off down the hall.  He lost track of the scientist after he turned multiple corners to escape.  Somewhat frustrated, he had to regroup with the others as they all started towards the cafeteria.

Dr. Joe puts her gun away when everything began to settle down.  She was starting to get thirsty, and with all the terrorists, mad scientists, and evil experiments about, she hopes she also wouldn't die of heat stroke...

Snow kept close to Neku.  Nothing has been all that well since the explosion in the lab with Dr. Joe and the others.  Hopefully she could get something to eat before she passes out from fear alone.

----------

The experiment listened with his antennae to the conversation outside, his eyes faintly catching sight of the scientists outside.  His talons slowly scratched the metal door, making a low screech as it left marks in the steel...


StarfallRaptor

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Neku took Snow's hand.  
"You hungry?"
He asked, fishing inside his vest pocket and producing a candy bar, offering it to Snow.
"Here.  This'll help, I think..."
He said, smiling at her...

Hawkeye stood next to Dr. Joe, then looked at her for a moment.
"Doctor.  Your body temperature seems to be a little high.  Here, take this.  It should help, at least a little."
He stated, popping a bottle of chilled water out of a pocket on his armor...