From The Ashes

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"From the looks of it you're from L 'enfant plaza, correct? I've been waiting hours and any help that steps forward I'll take..." Wilson muttered as he went from body to body, picking through their belongings without saying much of anything. Sure it was wrong to violate the dead, but his guilt had left him long ago, and it brought back some results that he thought to be worth it. The ranger came up with a significant amount of ammunition, collecting every bullet and storing it in his satchel as he reserved the ones that could fit in his rifle for himself. "What caliber is your rifle?" He asked, knowing the PKP had a caliber that was the same as a mosin nagant. Fortunately he came out with a couple rounds, but it was obvious that a machine gun needed a lot more. There were other options though, and the ranger decided to approach the man with a handfull of rounds, his eyes glancing over the stranger. "You might want to find a second weapon. No ammo will get you killed now adays." With that the anthro even un-holstered his revolver with his free hand and flipped it around, the handle facing the man. "A lot of people are waiting in that station, and war is not waiting for them. If either faction finds their way the war will follow, and all those refugees will be caught in the cross fire. We have to get this done and get it done fast."
 
"Yes, I am from L'Enfant plaza, and you would be correct when you say that war is not waiting for them." Snatching the revolver from the ranger, he bowed his head as a thanks. "As for that ammo you have there, I need 7.62mmR, and that usually only comes in bundles." Thumbing the release latch on the revolver, he pushed the cylinder out and checked the amount of rounds inside. "You all seem good on ammunition, thank you once again for the handgun." He pushed the cylinder back into the revolver, only to turn towards the blockade once more. He shifted in his position a bit before speaking up. "Those bandits, raiders, or whatever you want to call them seem to be well armed and far better prepared then us, the odds look very grim. How did you two manage to anger them anyway?"
 
Crimson turned and smiled, "Well, you see, I was walking along, heard a guy talk got worried, saw the Ranger hiding, took one of them out and allowed him to take the other. I don't know why he was here tho," He turned to the Ranger, now curious as to why he was here. While they were talking he drew his sword and inspected the dark steel blade. "After this, if we plan on moving in deeper, I'll need to sit and sharpen for a moment, wouldn't want the blood to ruin the blade." He looked at the two with him, neither of them seemed to be classic weapon kind of people, but he could see them being in a group for a while, so maybe he'd finally have somewhere to belong, maybe they even had another group that they were separated from.
 
After giving the man his revolver Wilson continued to reach into one of his jacket pockets to pull out some of his .44 magnum rounds, the small cluster of rounds resting on the pawish palm of his hand as he continued. "I'll explain everything when we get this threat dealt with." He said, reaching for his rifle as his gaze shifted towards the blockade down the line, an obvious look of determination in them. He was set on taking these people down, but perhaps he was too focused on the goal and that is asking for mistakes to happen. There was a pause after the stanger took the rounds the anthro offered (if he took them) before he took up the assault rifle and pressed on, his eyes scanning for the enemy.

It would be rather cliche, but it was expected from a blockade: these men were carrying more serious hardware, high powered rifles and such. They were waiting for the group, and unfortunately there was a well lit open area between the group and the hostile group, an evident defensive adjustment the barricade had made. The bodies strewn about the area made it obvious a head on assault would be crazy and when the ranger got into a position to survey the scene he growled with discontent, taking a moment to think over his options before he glanced over to his right, where a light funneled into the tunnel, the light from the surface. "There." He said, pointing to the funnel before continuing, "We can head for the surface and find a different angle to hit them... Anyone have a better alternative?"
 
"Bandits are usually not organized, if we can push them from the barricade, it could possibly be filled with weapons." pocketing the extra rounds into one of the pouches on his suit, he continued. "And with the weapons they possibly have, you could bring them to the market." He suggested with a smile. Fillip pushed his visor fully up and played with the safety of the handgun at his side. "How much in the terms of weapons could bandits possibly have though, surely they could not have high powered weapons." He spoke on. "Anyway, ill follow you, ranger. I know nothing of this area as I prefer other places, and you must know how to get behind the barricade." Going up to the already dead bandits on the ground, he grabbed a handgun holster that one of the bodies had, only to place it on himself. He quickly holstered the revolver and gestured for the ranger to get moving.
 
"That is a lot if's and maybe's. I say we just charge them, if we give the presence of hundreds of men, maybe we can scare them off." Crimson lifted it up and threw it at a group of rats, scattering them. "They are no better than those rats, they scatter at the first sign of aggression." He took a loot around for any sort of wooden beam or board. "If you happen to have any long pieces of wood, know of any nearby, I can turn it to arrows and get us an easier time at showing a massive army." He continued to look around the area hoping to come across wood.
 
"Some of these carts are made of the wood you're looking for.." Wilson said, glancing around at a couple broken down makeshift carts before scratching his chin and peering out at the barricade. "That is not a bad idea. They'll head to the surface and that'll give us time to at least see if we can snatch away any survivors from those caravan attacks. Do what you must to prepare I'll give you a couple minutes." With that plan set the ranger knelt down and set his satchel on the ground, taking out the handfull of 5.56 rounds he had collected along with one of his empty magazines. While waiting for Crimson the anthro started filling up a clip, his eyes occasionally glancing up at the newly met stranger. After the fifth glance he finally spoke up. "So, you have any plans after this stranger?"
 
Nodding, Crimson went over to one of the carts, and ripped the boards away. He walked back to the group and took off his quiver, pulling off the bottom portion of it to reveal the 'bottom' of the quiver. He pulled the knife, twine, feathers and candle out. Setting them around him like he usually had them, he set to work on making arrows. "You know, my family, I haven't seen them since this started. I have no hope that they are still around, so I really don't have much else. Why?" As he said this, he looked at the amount he had already made, he now had a total of five arrows, and enough to make another thirty-five. "You know, give me ten minutes, and I'll have forty fresh arrows, ready to fire."
 
Wilson nodded and crouched down a bit as he scanned their surroundings before he began to break away from the pair. "Take your time, Crimson. I am going to see if I can find another angle. I will strike when you do." He said, holding his rifle firmly in his hands as he went back into the shadows to do what he had said.

Back and alone once again the ranger carefully navigated through the scrap and debris scattered throughout the small yet big tunnel. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust, and he paused so to let that go through and once he could see again he noticed the significant body count before him, all of which were bandits. They weren't his kill nor where they Crimson's, but investigating who took the lives of these individuals were none of his concern when he saw a dim light filtering into the space from the opening, the opportune spot to set up and open fire. Wilson was quick about scanning his surroundings before he got into position, and once he was ready the anthro reached into his bag and pulled out the spare full magazine he had just prepared, setting it down then reaching up for the bolt if his automatic assault rifle. He was careful in pulling it, but it was impossible to ready his weapon without making that distinctive sound of the bolt being pulled back. All he could do was wait for the pair of survivors he left behind to engage the group of hostiles.
 
~"As the color faded from the faces of my friends I prayed into the dark for forgiveness. It answered my prayer by granting me silence"~
​
It had been days since everything had gone from bad to worse and she was forced to say goodbye to those who had become family to her. She'd watched as they fell one by one, cut down by the monsters that used to exist in old world fables. To be the one left standing was both a blessing and a curse, emotions betraying the understanding of why the unfortunate events had lead her to this moment when all she could do was hope that something might guide her home again. Such foolish thoughts deserved no more attention, for she had to concentrate on the now and accept the gift the tunnels had given her. A second chance. Naomi was a young anthro, her sleek and slender form built for speed and stealth which became her tools of destruction. Bodies littered the tunnels, her previous targets who had fallen victim to her blade which she now sat cleaning against a stained white cloth. She sighed to herself, her breath kicking dust into the air and made visible by the dim light.

Taking the life of another wasn't a pleasant feeling, no matter who they were. However she knew the consequences of failure, not just because she wore the Ranger insignia. The thoughts of what could be inflicted upon her were worse than death in her eyes, and a thought she chose not to entertain for long. Though it seemed her thoughts were fated to be interrupted as the click of a bolt echoes the walls, her ear flicking to the sound as she turned to face the direction from where the sound came. She returned the blade to it's sheath strapped to her thigh before she stood, lifting the strap of her DMR as she slid it across her back, disappearing into the shadows of the metro where she was more fierce. It didn't take her long to find her next target, a male wolf... though his ears caused her to question her initial judgement. It didn't matter, soon he would be another body among the many, another notch on her knife and nothing more. Sliding the blade from it's slumber on her thigh she crept up on him, her sapphire eyes trained carefully on him as she prepared her strike.​
 
Wilson kept his eyes locked on a section of the group that was exposed to his angle, his finger itching the trigger as he waited for Crimson and Fillip to strike. Something felt off though, and it made him uncomfortable despite the advantage he had. The ranger could feel it though, the death that was around the corner, but he had assumed it was just the edgy feeling one had before a shootout. All of that changed though when he decided to slowly glance over his shoulder to see a shadow, his eyes following the shadow to see another anthro just inches away from him if not a foot, her knife ready to take his life away.

Everything from then on was all circumstantial; if she was already bringing the sharp blade in a quick move he would match her speed with his by attempting to catch her wrist, if she was still creeping up on him he would move onto the second phase which was lunging towards her and tackling into her so to send them back behind the debris and avoid getting spotted by the bandits during this close quarters match. Like the other anthro Wilson went for his knife, but in the same time he had to try and keep hers away as well as keep his attacker beneath him and she unlike him had two hands to overpower his one hand since he was busy reaching for his blade. He didn't make much noise other than a quiet growl, they couldn't risk even speaking since any significant noise could give them away to both Wilson's comrads and the bandits. While his companions would be a relief for this situation, a bunch of angry men with assault rifles would also be on top of them. Thankfully, he had his skills as a ranger to help him, but he wasn't aware of this stranger's potential and that was what could probably turn the tables against him.
 
Her eyes shot wide as her wrist was caught, the tip of the blade coming so close to his flesh that the point merely pricked the surface of his coat, causing the tiniest dot of blood to rise to the surface. Had he been a second latter her blade would have made it into his neck entirely, making him another statistic to the death toll of the Metro. As the larger stronger anthro tackled her she balled her fist before locking her forearm against the other, pushing both her arms against his one in order to force her knife closer towards him. She too was aware of the bandits up ahead, a group which had been sending patrols that had recently fallen prey to the very knife she pointed towards this wolf. Because of this she said nothing, merely making a straining sound as she fought for control over this silent fight. Her face would become temporarily illuminated by the lights of the metro which flickered to life every so often, giving him a good look at his attacker before the world around them returned to the dark dim lights and shadows.

He was heavier than her, which made a problem as she was already at a disadvantage for strength and seeing his other hand move for his knife only caused her situation to escalate from bad to worse. 'Think Naomi, think!' she said to herself before her the arm of hers that had been supporting the other moved beside her, reaching for a rock or some debris she could use to club him with. It was a risky move as he would now find it much easier to push the knife further away from him, but if she could just find a rock big enough she could club him in the side which might be enough to give her enough wiggle room to escape from under him. And from there maybe she could finish the fight, and if not she would be forced to run. She refused to die here after everything she had gone through and been through to survive.
 
Wilson locked his eyes on his target as she tried to fight his strength and plunge the knife into him, his arm trembling as his free hand searched for the knife he had. Whoever this stranger was she was persistent, and it indeed surprised him when he realized that his attacker was a slim female.. It should be expected though for even the most innocent in these tunnels have the capacity to kill. Everything seemed to be in his favor, and he probably underestimated the woman as he finally found his knife yet he didn't bring the sharp edge to her throat yet with confidence he didn't even need to do anything drastic.

"You're at a disadvantage.." He thought aloud in a whisper as he slowly leaned in on the girl with another quiet mixture of a growl and a grunt to follow his statement. Her plan to find an alternative weapon wasn't one he had really prepared for, and with the darkness surrounding the two he wasn't aware of what she was doing. Soon he would overpower this woman and then he could get back to the task at hand, or so he thought.
 
She could feel the last of her strength slipping away as exhaustion took hold of her, feeling the sensation in her stomach where her body cried out for the struggle to end. However with the adrenaline coursing her veins perhaps she was able to hold out for just a little longer. Her ear flicked at the sound of his words, highlighting what she already knew as her arm began to give to his superior strength. Now was the time she needed to act, less she join the graveyard she'd built in these tunnels. Her fingers wrapped around a small blunt rock which she drove hard against the armor covering his ribs, using the moment distraction to attempt to roll him over, using her knee against his thigh to help her assume the position he'd just had on her. With her now on top of him she used her body weight to once again drive the knife back towards him, the tip glinting in the flickering lights as it hungered to take another life. As the lights had once again flickered she was now able to take note of his own features, finally looking into the eyes of the next life she'd planned to take. As their struggle continued her black laced necklace fell out, dangling under her with the Ranger insignia tied to the end. "You were saying?" she replied, her voice allot softer than his.
 
Wilson thought he had the upper hand and kept silent as he slowly brought the knife further and further away from him. He had an evident sense of confidence in this fight, but all that changed when he felt the stone strike him in the chest, the impact knocking the breath out of him and leaving him open to the counter attack. Before he knew it, the hybrid was beneath the girl with her blade just centimeters away from his throat. He replied with a glare and showed the attacker his teeth as he dropped his knife and used both hands to hold the knife away, his arms trembling still as gravity was now against him. The glare quickly faded though when the ranger token was exposed in the sunlight, an expression of shock being replaced as his strength seemed to drop significantly. He was fighting another ranger, and she was about to kill him! There wasn't even enough time for a second to pass as the wolf spoke quietly with a strain in his voice.

"W-wait wait wait!" He pleaded, focusing on avoiding the death that was coming his way. As his motivation faded the distance between his fur and her knife closed rather quickly, and it was to the point the tip was piercing his throat again like it had before, but it was evident if he didn't step up to the plate again she might kill him. "Discipline your blade ranger!"
 
Seeing her opportunity she continued to press on the blade, her arms becoming sore from the struggle as she continued to push down with all her strength. She felt his arms weaken and all of a sudden his attitude changed, seeming surprised. She couldn't be sure if it was because he was close to death or if it was something else, but it wasn't until he called her 'Ranger' that her own features expressed confusion and uncertainty. Why would a ranger be all the way out here... and by himself too, it didn't quite add up. Having eased up on her strength to drive the blade down she quickly flicked the blade in her wrist to train the flat of the blade against his neck. "Don't move!" she replied sharply before her free hand slipped inside his armor, pulling out his own tag so she could confirm her suspicion for herself. Seeing the insignia she felt as though a giant weight had been lifted as all the tension sudden't disappeared within the space of a moment. "You're a ranger?" she said, more for her own benefit as she pulled the knife away from his neck, sliding it back in the sheath on her thigh.

For a moment she seemed to be fixated on his answer, having not even moved off of him before he'd answer. She would let out a sigh once he'd answered before moving back off from him, offering him a hand up before dusting herself off. "I'm so sorry" she said softly, "I had no idea you were a ranger... I've seen nothing but bandits for days. The bodies around us are my doing... patrols that have tried to extend their occupation of this tunnel " she said before adding, "My name is Naomi, I'm what remains of Excalibur" she said, reaching to her chest before tucking her tag back into her armor.
 
The ranger held his hands and complied to the lady as she searched for his tags, his body still tense from having a blade to his throat even though it was not as menacing as before. When the lady finally pulled her blade away Wilson felt over his neck to come back with only a bit of blood, but nonetheless he was relieved that he would live through this scuffle. Upon hearing her inquiry to confirm his affiliation he gave a nod and slowly sat up in order to reach over and grab his knife. When he finally noticed the hand he hesitated but in the end took it up, grunting under his breath as he got onto his feet.

Hearing the stranger identify herself was yet another surprise... The name wasn't what caught him off guard, but who she said she stood by was what made him have another surprised look. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out as his gaze shifted back towards the light where his rifle had laid next to his position. He stared for a minute, wondering about his companions. How much of that ten minutes did he waste trying to avoid an unexpected death. "Wilson's the name.. Perhaps we can talk later." He whispered as he waved the girl over once their hands broke contact. "I need your help."
 
Naomi bent her arm as he took her hand, using his momentum and her legs to pull him to his feet, "Don't sulk, you'll get me next time" she said with a small smile in hopes of alleviating the tension. She watched him as he picked up his rifle, seeming to give no reaction to the fact her squad had been wiped out save for herself. Perhaps he didn't know of Excalibur, or perhaps he merely didn't care. Either way he was a ranger and that was a welcome sight for her to be sure, though it also gave her a renewed feeling of confidence to once again be in the presence of another ranger. As he mentioned about talking latter she gave a simple nod before crossing her arms as he mentioned needing her help, "You've got it" she replied simply and clearly. Her eagerness to help him might have appeared strange to those who weren't used to working with rangers, but to them when a ranger asked another for help it was very rare that they'd say no. There was an unspoken comradery that existed in the rangers that very few could understand.

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While Wilson couldn't act all surprised from the circumstances at hand, the main situation is what he had his whole focus on as he tried to keep his serious composure from being compromised. There were questions swirling through his head, but he damned himself for having them for they distracted him from the task at hand. He paused to survey the surroundings then he pointed towards the blockade he had been watching, speaking in a quiet tone. "There's about six of them with rifles, they've been attacking convoys and holding survivors to sell off into the slave market. I gotta clear this tunnel out before the people at L'enfant plaza get impatient. I got two volunteers with me, one in heavy looking armor, the other with a bow." He paused again to think over the question what might she be thinking about since he was rather silent about who she was? He know he couldn't just leave her in the dark and glanced over his shoulder at the girl once more. "Like I said, I would like to talk to you after this Naomi... So don't get shot please."
 
Standing, Crimson placed his fresh arrows in the quiver, replacing the false bottom. He walked over to the ranger, and the new person. "Ranger, I'm set to go, just give me to word, and I'll unleash hell." He turned and looked at the new person. "How do you do? Feel free to call me Crimson." He looked down the tunnel and took in the body count, and their estimated positions. "They have so many blind spots, with the cover I'll provide, you both should be able to get up there no problem." He raised his hood back over his head, practically covering his face in a shadow. "After this, would you mind me joining you Ranger? I have no where else to go."
 
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