All You Need Is Kill

[Karl Hathaway]

There's no THEN. Karl's completely NOW, now.

Karl nods at Kate's assessment.

"Okay, 'less there are any other objections, let's take 'er in, nice and easy. I'll keep a bead on whatever that is on the tower, but I still got a funny feeling about the feller in the courtyard, so keep yer eyes peeled. Pilot, kin you get me good and low? Wingman here ain't gonna be doing any rappelling, but I figure I can sling 'im over my shoulder."

I'm comin', Katie. Please be okay, Karl thinks to himself.

He keeps a bead on the tower and if that camouflaged thing turns into a threat, he'll neutralize it.

[Murometz]

Nice and easy. Good and low.

The pilot hesitated a few seconds (thinking?) then began a deliberate angling descent...

Dan's headache began to magnify. It now seemed way past the point of a "normal" alcoholic's headache. It bordered on skull-crushing migraine. He breathed in deeply, and suddenly detected a scent...

It was unmistakable. It was the smell of that old beaten-up leather jacket. A whiff of cologne. He had always used the same one. The one his wife had liked. What the @!#$?! Impossible! Worst of all was the smell of death and decay. And the cold. Coldness somehow now had a smell to Dan. Dan detected Chuck. Chuck was dead, but Dan could somehow "sense" his brother. Wingman? Was that it? For @!#$'s sake, Dan could smell the dead. The fumes of Limbo! Or heaven. Or hell. @!#$!

Artie snoozed, still oblivious. Poor bastard had no idea he was about to start rappelling with Karl.

Eddy shivered involuntarily. He could see Karl lying still upon a cold, hard surface. Unable to move. Then the two-second vision was gone. The @!#$ing visions were coming fast and furious with ol' Wingman around...

The pilot continues his descent. Nothing doing in the courtyard. No movements.

A minute later, the rappelling ropes were thrown down. They were three hundred yards above the courtyard, near C Tower, the one with the shot-out spotlight. Karl was still keeping a bead on A Tower. Still no idea what that object was.

All quiet.

Go time?

[Eddy Stringer]

Not sure what else to say, there were literally hundreds of ways Karl could end up motionless on the ground or gurney, given their current situation.  That he was still recognizable in the vision was somewhat encouraging.

"Make sure you carry a knife, " Eddy said oddly to Karl, "you might need it."

Eddy figured the Doctor would expect his rocket launcher guys to be taken out, since he also doubted the Doctor wanted to simply blast them out of the sky.  There would have been far easier ways to take us out, Eddy thought.  Was he even counting on Eddy's own visions?  Eddy barely knew he had them himself.

"He wants us here, and alive.  I think you in particular Karl. And I think that figure is going to play a big part in that."

[Kate Hammerhill]

"I'll go first and secure the tower, Then Dan and Chosen with Oneshot covering us form up here then descends with Wingman." She meant it more as a question but she realized after she finished it came out like a command,  or summary of the next phase.

With a parting nod to the group Kate stepped onto the rope, gripping the lower part with her feet and positioning herself in the standard rappellers hand hold, confident Karl's markmanship would keep her safe on the brief decent to the tower where she planned to quickly swing inside and remove any opposition with a quick and silent take down. If Wingmans ability held true any surprises down there would be dead before they processed her appearance.

[Dan Donovan]

Dan broke out into a sweat, feeling a shiver move down his spine. What the hell was this? This Wingman guy was too much. He had half a mind to throw him off the helo and be rid of him, not that he had any real control over it. And it was helpful to increase his sense now and then.

Still. Pain in the ass right now.

He grabbed hold of one of the ropes, watching Quick Silver descent. He hadn't jumped from a helicopter in - well, ever, actually. Better to get it done with. Donovan readied his weapon, keeping an eye out for any trouble.

[Murometz]

Touchdowns.

Kate rappelled down to Tower C, shattered spotlight tower. No issues. No welcoming committee. So far so good. It felt good to be on solid footing.

Dan covered her then went next. Some huffing and puffing. His body wasn't used to this.

Suddenly, "HELP ME PLEEEASE! HELP ME!" It was the cowed figure in the center of the courtyard. He was watching them descend.

Eddy went next. Small problem, he somehow couldn't quite make the tower and descended further. Courtyard. Landed nicely though. 9.5 from the Russian judge.

Now Karl and Wingman, who mumbled something and drooled on Karl's shoulder, but was still freaking unconscious.

Down they went...

[Dr. Insano!!!]

A PA system comes on.

"*KEEEEEEEECHKKZZZZ*Welcome to the party! Frank! Frankie! So nice you could make it! Did you find the place okay? Ah! Aaaaaaah! This guy! No, no, no. Fashionably late and all that! Try the hors d'oeuvres, they're to DIE for!"

With that, a barrel starts spinning with a highpitched whirring sound and a shower of deadly hot lead spews onto the hanging shape of Karl and Artie. Wingman's head explodes like a melon full of m80s showering Karl in gore, he barely has a chance to react though as he feels a sharp pain in his lower backside. He drops to the ground.

[Eddy Stringer]

Eddys Theory of the Doctor wanted them alive evaporated instantly. Maybe he just wanted their _bodies_ here.

Eddy saw a second gun at ground level - it hadn't started firing yet, but doubtless would soon.   Time to move.

One advantage of Eddy's small frame was he was quick - it had served him well countless times before, getting away from the bullies that got their jollys beating those smaller.

So he ran, as fast as his legs and his lord would let him, bringing him close to the chained figure.  Just close enough to give his short burst of gunfire a chance to cut the chains without cutting the prisoner.

More the merrier, he thought.   

Eddy_Stringer rolls 1d100 and gets 38.

[Karl Hathaway]

Karl lands hard, but comes up fast, rifle dropped, .45 already in his hand. Dodge? @!#$ that. The gun comes up in a stance and he lets fly. Too bad about Artie, but this is War.

Karl fires, BLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAM, holding his position until the last round clears. Seven shots. Seven explosions and seven super sonic >cracks!< Even the Bonded Match Hollow Point rounds Karl uses - known for their excellent muzzle velocity and penetration - shouldn't go supersonic, but when Karl dials in, muzzle velocity doubles.

It's a risky gambit. Karl knows he can fire seven shots before the mini can swivel around to him. But even with his power he ain't certain he can stop a minigun with a pistol. And if he doesn't stop it, d**n thing'll shred him before he can get cover. Still, Colt fires seven shots in the time Linh fires just one, and if there's a human operator it only takes one. If there aint, well, that's seven chances to gum up the works.

Plus... if this Insano guy DOES want him alive, it'll make the minigun hesitate. Of course, if it doesn't work, and if they're wrong and Insano doesn't want Karl alive, well... Karl's @!#$ed. But out in the open like this, he's @!#$ed anyway, so what the hell?

[Dr. Insano!!!]

Just then, a muted sound, and a pull. Eddy's weapon was pulled towards the ground, dragging him towards the tied up figure. The hollow eyes of the prisoner looks sadly at Eddy, closer up, he can see the scars on his stomach. "I'm so sorry..." He says, before exploding.

[Eddy Stringer]

The moment the gun seemed to take a mind of its own, Eddy let go, and sprinted away  - without the gun he had no hope of opened chains under gunfire.  Instead he moved to get as close to the wall beside the gun as possible...

[Dan Donovan]

Sh*tsh*tsh*tsh*tsh*tsh*tsh*tsh*tsh*tsh-

Donovan loosed the safety on his rifle picked the closest minigun. The G36 might not do sh*t against it, but what the hell else was there to do?

He hadn't fired a rifle in a while. It felt good. Warm, clean. The smell of the cartridges sliding through hot steel.

Dan_Donovan rolls 1d100 and gets 23.

[Kate Hammerhill]

Kate flinched at the sound of the mini gun, drawing her Glock and dropping into a defensive crouch, the slightly muffled explosion from the courtyard likely the death of another comrade. She felt the world slip into slow motion as she glimpsed over the side, the spray of blood and bone in slow motion form the center of the courtyard sickening her for a fraction of a second, the mini guns whirr of death soon to pen more in the dead book if they weren't silenced soon.

With a micro second pause Kate let go of the Glock and reached onto her belt, grasping and withdrawing two of her grenades, yanking the pins with her thumbs and tossing them at each turret. Defensive hand grenades had a lethal blast radius of around eight to ten feet, and should certainly put the turrets out of commission, hopefully before more of the team were canceled.

The grenades away she knelt back down, snatching the Glock from the air where it had began it's slow motion decent to the towers floorplate. Now to wait for the double bangs and see what was still left to cancel.

Loud enough for her comrades wearing ear buds to hear she said two simple, yet tactically altering words. "Frags Out!"
(Rolled 27 & 36 for the grenade throws)

[Murometz]

Few Seconds Ago

The hand-gun yanked Eddy toward the electro-magnet, but he let go immediately. The pleading eyes of the living bomb closed for the last time, as Eddy turned to run toward the wall... "I'm so sorry..." he half-heard amidst the hail of gunfire.

Karl felt the "wet" on his neck and the back of his head. The contents of Artie's brain mostly.Then he felt the "wet" on his upper thigh, right below the butt. Bullet hit. Didn't matter to him at the moment, no time for wounds. Karl unloaded at the firing turret...

As did Dan from the tower, through gritted teeth, pumping lead like it was going out of style.

Next to him, Kate went from gun to toys, and tossed two grenades. Less fuss, more boom.

Now

Eddy was running in slow motion somehow, fast as hell, but he could sense that time, at least around him, had faltered. Or relaxed. It was impossible to tell. He saw peripherally, an arm float by him slowly through the air. Scraps of metal, flesh, stone, all floating around him like in a slow simmering soup. Surreal. That word again.

Then, Bam! He smashed against a wall in fast forward. Time had caught up. No, not smashed. Someone was watching over him. Just as he was about to splatter himself, a door opened in that exact spot in the wall. Standing there was what looked like another prison guard. Standing only for a moment. Eddy slammed into the figure, propelled by the bomb's force, sending both bodies sprawling along some dank, cold corridor. Eddy ended up on top. When he opened his eyes, the prison guard just lay there, a shard of metal sticking out from his eye-socket. Eddy was laying on top of the dead guard. He was somehow ok! Nothing hurt too bad. His head was another matter though. Hurt like hell. Felt a bit deaf too. Hopefully temporary.

Then Eddy heard distant barking. Not the happy-go-lucky kind of barking either.

Dan and Karl peppered the turrets, and for a moment they could see their success. The guns stopped firing. Then Kate unleashed the grenades, and two direct hits later, both miniguns exploded with considerable force.

Suddenly it got quiet.

Kate and Dan looked down and saw no sign of Eddy. No sign of exploding guy either. Blown to bits.

Karl they spotted below. He was along a wall, flat against it. His whole head was blood-red and slimed. He looked like he had been trying to make his way back up some poor women's birth canal, head-first. But he was ready. Eyes still darting, weapon aloft. Already saying something out loud, though they couldn't make out what.

Artie's corpse lay beside him. Minus head.

The Courtyard resembled some kind of gladiatorial arena on steroids. Blood, filth, gore, metal, and stone, everywhere. But quiet now at least.

[Kate Hammerhill]

The silence was all but deafening to Kate and she felt time resume it's normal flow to her perceptions, a quick peak over the wall confirming the immediate danger had passed, for now at least. "Sound off if you're with us." She raised her voice slightly, hoping the ear bud had worked as a suitable shield for each of her teammates from the deafening explosions effect in that ear at least.

She reholstered the glock and gathered up a shattered fragment of the broken spot lights backing to use as a mirror to peer over the edge. There was a chance, however unlikely one of the miniguns were still active, and if so she had no wish to place her head int he firing arc.

She gave Dan a thumbs up and waited for responses on the com, calculating possibilities, weighing courses of action, wondering briefly if a similar pair of mini guns has been guarding the docks, ready to filet any boats that came in range.

[Dr. Insano!!!]

The speakers come on again.

"Oh woah, hey sorry about that! ...What? No, no. Frank, how can you say that?! Of course not! I wasn't shooting at- No. Frank, Frank! I swear, I swear on my mother's life, why would I shoot at you?! You, me, Karen, we're family! You and me! Ridiculous...  Yeah! Hahahahahaha! Yeah! It's a party! Fire-works, boom baby! Oh? Would I LIKE to hear more about you talking about FOOTBALL?! Ohohoho...ohohoho, would I?! This guy... What? No, Karen's in the... in the bathroom, yeah. Why are you....Why are you looking at me like that? ..What? Frank? Frank! Quit it. QUIT IT!!"

[Karl Hathaway]

Karl checks his wound. Just a graze. Hurts. But pain and Karl are old friends.

"Hoo-Rah," Karl says low, by way of sounding off to Kate. "Eddy got tossed into the prison by the blast. I'll check on 'im. I'm shot. Not bad. Like Furlough in Saigon, it ain't a party 'less you're bleedin' by the--"

Karl cuts off as Insano lives up to his name. Then he's had enough. Karl pops a new mag in his Colt, FMJs this time.

"Shut the @!#$ up," he says right before he shoots every godd**n speaker. Then he reloads with more hollow points.

"Let's get inside. I wish I was high up, but I ain't. One o' you, take overwatch. Typical prison, walls'll lead into to fenced-off guard areas, but I'll be where the inmates live."

Karl slings Linh.  No good for close in fightin'. He'll have to rely on his Colt. At least he has a few spare mags. Maybe someone inside will let him use his weapon after Karl's done killin' him.

[Eddy Stringer]

Eddy relieved the guard of his weapons, phones, keys,cards, and by habit, his wallet.

Now what? Go deeper and meet Lassie? Wait for help? Waiting here seemed to be a bad idea - this Dr. Insano seemed good at keeping things moving along.

[Kate Hammerhill]

"We can use the rope from the chopper to get you both up here to the tower and breach through the guard sections, the prison area is likely on lock down so there'll be lots of remote locked doors and cameras. Guard section is less monitored and likely lead to the wardens office and medical areas more directly."

She slipped the chunk of mirrored spot light backing into her jacket pocket, it'd come in handy for peeking around corners in this place. "Blood Hound, where does the scent lead us next?"

[Dan Donovan]

Dan wrinkled his nose. "I'll see what I can do. Shoulda gotten something from each of yous before we got here so I could pinpoint everything. But Eddy stinks, so I'll make do." He closed his eyes, exhaled a few times, then took a long, deep breath through his nose.

(14:50:03) Minion: Dozus rolls 1d100 and gets 99.

[Kate Hammerhill]

"We can use the cord from this spotlight for you guys to get a hand up if our chopper pilots to antsy to stick around." Kate suggested, reaching down to unplug and uncoil the lights cord. "I was talking about the missing girl we're here to find." She said quietly to Dan leaning in close and dropping her voice a little lower. "Also these ear buds pick up everything you say that's louder than a whisper, for future reference." She winked and prepared to uncoil the lights cord if need be, waiting for One Shot to finish retrieving their less than hygienic comrade from where he'd been flung to.

[Dr. Insano...]

Somewhere within the bowels of the prison...

"Hmmmmhmmmhmmmhmmmhmm."

Humming. Pain. So much pain. Wrongness. Fingers running through her hair. Her throat as dry as gravel. She tried to speak.

"...P..Please..."
-
"Ssssssch. Save your strength now my dear, you'll be all better soon, Karen. Just a little more..."
-
"...I-I'm... not...Kar-"
-
"Sssssch."

A gloved hand laid gently upon her mouth. The scent of rubber. His dark shape eclipsed her vision and spoke softly.

"You don't have to be afraid. I won't let him take you away Karen. Never again. No, no. It's okay. I know you didn't really want to go. He made you. Yes. He forced you. Told you lies. I know all too well. But it's all better now, Karen. I'm all better. I can walk again, you see? So you don't need to take care of me anymore. I won't let him touch you ever again. It's all better now. Soon. Very soon. Once you open your second pair of eyes. Once you awaken. Our child will grow up in a better tomorrow, you'll see. I'm making it all better..."

His ramblings droned on, the pain got to be too much, and she blacked out again. One single thought echoed within her... Please God....Let me die.