Terra-Deep

[Lonewolf888978]

Jet Grey
Center of Town

Jet woke up with a jump as the door to his rented room was kicked open, entering it was a Blood Cartel thug. The woman that laid next to Jet gave out a scream and pull up her blanket to cover her exposed body.

Jet stood up, luckily wearing boxers, and tightened his hands to fist.

Hey buddy, how about you learn to knock.
Fuck off Jet! Wheres Blood's money you owe her?
I don't owe Blood shit! I owe you like fifty dollars.

The man frowned and drew a machete from his belt, and gave a gruff grunt as he grabbed ahold of Jet and dragged him into the rest of the building. The small bar he was in was nothing compared to the Rat Tooth, but he was alot less likely to be caught here.
Well look how that turned out.

All the civilians were cleared out of the bar, and in place the thugs of the cartel ransacked it for anything they could. Most of the thugs were just sitting about, waiting for their next order. Seeing Jet they gave off screams wanting blood. Various screams cried out.

Gut him!
Make him piss himself!
Take his head off!

Regardless, Jet held his cool, starting to formulate a plan out of the situation. Before anything could be put into motion, the front door blew open as Iron Battalion soldiers stormed the room.

Drake Forester
Center of Town
The soldiers stormed the room, followed by the young Squad leader who gripped his rifle tight. He entered the small bar, his eyes immediately shooting up to the cartel member and his target, Jet Grey.

Get outta here you damn Cartel Thugs. We came for the smuggler.
Like hell! Blood would kill us if we gave him to you.
We will kill you if you don't give him to us.

The man looked down to his followers, and nodded, starting the gun fight. The cartel was out numbered and out gunned, but they held their own. As the bullets started to fire. Jet felt the machete to his back drop to the ground, along with the Thug as the Iron Battalion leader lowered his gun. Rolling away, Jet jumped to his feet and ran towards his room.

Jet Grey
Center of Town

Shit!

He said, slamming the door shut behind him, the girl he slept with last night already dressed and huddled in the corner.

What the hell is going on!
*Shrug* Wrong guy? Whatever I gotta get outta here.

Quickly dressing, the gun fire started to die down, and foot steps thundered towards him. Grabbing his pistol, the door opened as he fired two rounds towards an Iron Battalion guard coming in. Jumping through the window, Jet gave a quick yell as he landed in the street.


Drake Forester
Center of Town

Report?
He got away sir.
Shit, Richard is gonna be pissed. How many injured?
We got two injured from the Cartel members, and one dead from Jet. Shot him through the throat when he entered the room to grab him.
Damn. Get some guys after him, everyone else needs to come with me to see Richard.

​

 

[CynderTheDragoness]

Kira Canal
Edge of the City
Kira had gotten up earlirr than usual that morning to heat out to the outskirts of the city to where she had found recesses in the rock wslls of their underground world. Irod barrdd doors were fastened to the openings of these recesses. There were currently three in use. She used them to house the mutated animals she had been working with for the past six months at least. Two of these 'cages', or 'holding pens', held large mutated bats. The third housed a mutated rat. Kira was currently inside the rat's cell, strapping a leather hatness around that Kira believed had once fit an animal called a horse once. The young woman, possibly the only biologist in the city, had been working with the rat to train him to pull carts along the rails. She wanted to make rat-and-cart transportation a common thing in the city streets.

 

[Little.Fox]

Emiliya Carson : Rat Tooth

Emmy sat on the roof of the bar on a deeply padded leather chair that she had "confiscated" from one of the cartel offices many years ago and had still never been found by its rightful owner. She wasn't the only person to visit the room but since she was the normal Bar Maid of the Rat Tooth, and was rumored to have a large selections of drugs, they kept their silence for fear of loosing their drink ... or worse losing their life.

Though seeing her now lounging in the chair her feet tucked under her, large eyes slightly grazed over as she zoned out on the street below, you wouldn't guess she had quite a reputation in Terra-Deep. But in the years she had been with the Cartel she had made a name for herself.

Suddenly not far from her left the sounds of gunfire rang out, jerking Emmy out of her trance and onto her feet. She had know the Cartel was off tonight doing some dirty business but she had no idea it was going to result in a gun battle. She reached the very edge of the roof and peered into the semi-darkness of the city.

"Well .... that's not good"

She said to herself eyes still scanning buildings, glad that the height of the building gave her a eagles eye view of the city. Suddenly she heard two more shots, seeing one small window a few streets over light up by the flash of the muzzle before she watched a black figure hurl themselves through the window with a yell that sounded more like a battle cry.

So that's what the Cartel was doing tonight ... oh Jet you're such a fool.

She thought to herself with a shake of her head a small smirk appearing along her blood red lips, she would know the sound of his mocking yell anywhere.

 

[AshenAngel]

Ghost
Relaxing in a small bar and nursing a beer was apparently not on the activity list for today. Cartel members made their way inside and Ghost, being the absolute genius that he is, got out of there very quickly. He instead settled himself across the street and watched the chaos unfold. A battalion squad came upon the scene and gunshots rang out.

He wore a mildly amused smirk on his face and looked on as a guy not too much younger than him leaped from a window and landed in the middle of the street. Ghost figured that he should probably make himself scarce just in case the battalion happened to be multitasking on this absolutely fine morning in hell. Well, actually, no. Hell was a couple more miles down.

He pulled the hood up on his nice jacket to hide his face and began to amble away. He headed down an alleyway, deciding to go the more private way to Rat Tooth. As a kid he memorized every back way and short cut in this hell hole. He happened to be on one of them right now.

 

[Lonewolf888978]

Jet
Center of Town, Nearing Rat Tooth

Jet cursed himself as he traveled down an alleyway towards Rat Tooth. Captain Forester has been all over his ass because Jet had been talking publicly about wanting to travel to the surface, and even offered to smuggle a few people out if they paid the right price. Seemed someone snitched him out, and Jet was a priority on Richard Stocks list of people to take out, what ever the cost.

Regardless, the situation regarding Blood and her Cartel was growing worse. He owed Blood a few bucks. Manly due to him "liberating" himself a few rifles and selling them to the Cold Gem bandits without Blood's permission. Now he had to keep constant watch over his shoulder for her goons, and probably even Blood herself eventually. He was gonna risk it at Rat Tooth, where the Cartel liked to hang, but he had a friend there. One he had tried to get with on multiple occasions, but all ways seemed to fail. Hell, it wouldn't stop him from trying!

Hopefully Emmy was willing to help him out, again, and keep underneath Blood's radar, and more importantly Stocks.

A few miniutes later, he was pushing himself into the basement of the building, a few rats scattering away from him as he dropped down to the ground. He jumped hearing a voice behind him.

So what did you do this time Jet?

His hand shot to his knife, but he quickly pushed the thought aside, realizing who it was.

Same old shit Emmy. Care to help a devilishly handsome friend out?

Drake
Richard Stocks Mansion

Drake and his team quickly traveled to Stocks Mansion, located along the cave wall overlooking the city. Drake wasn't too keen on seeing his employers reaction to his failed attempt to catch the smuggler, but it was better to get it out of the way then postpone it. His team was easily let into the perimeter by the Battalion units stationed outside of it, and an advisor directed Drake and his team into a study looking room, various walls of books scattered about. A fire was going on the wall to the left of Drake as he stepped forward, Richard looking up smiling, and turning to gaze out to the city through a large window.

Aw, Captain Forester you've arrived! Where is our mutual friend?
Well uh... Sir. Jet got away.
Again?

Drake opened his mouth to answer, but Richard turned from his window, pulling a pistol from his suit pocket and fired past Drake, hitting a recruit square in the chest, who gave a grunt and dropped to the ground dead. Drake closed his eyes sighing. This was the third recruit the rich bastard did that to. He seemed to think it was a good lesson. It would straighten everyone up, that wasn't already dead. Regardless, Richard held a smile.

Well that was your third, and final try Drake! Seems like Garret and his unit will be taking up the case.
And us?
We have a little pest control problem on the edge of the city. Your team needs to head into the old train tunnel system and find the nest.
Ye-Yes sir.

Drakes heart sank. Heading into the tunnels was basicly a death sentence, and less than a hand full of teams has came back from a mission in the tunnels. He turned to the surviving members of the team and sighed.

Alright boys, lets saddle up. Radio the men hunting for Jet and have them meet us at Check point X. ​

 

[CynderTheDragoness]

Kira Canal
Edge of the city
Kira had just finished fastening the last buckle on the rat's harness. She fed the animal strips of meat she carved off a dead rat she had found in the tunnels. The rats were not picky when it came to food. "Good boy." She praised the rat verbally as she fed him the treat when he did not fight the harness. It had taken weeks to get to this point, and would take several more weeks before she could hook him to a cart. It was slow but steady progress. She rubbed behind his ear. Last week she had discovered that the action calmed him and nade him eager to listen to her next command. "Walk." She said and gave the signal for forward. The rat hesitated, but walked forward, discovering that the harness did not restrict his movement.

 

[Little.Fox]

Emmy
The Rat Tooth/upper floors

Emmy made her way down from the roof to the main floor of the Rat Tooth, having a feeling that Jet was going to come running here after being smoked out of his last hideout. Though this really was the last place that he should come, right into the beehive of Blood herself. But that was Jet always, testing fate, even when fate was a Cartel queen whom he had robbed just a few months ago. Even though Emmy should hate him just like the rest of the Cartel who feels emotion based on what tells them to feel. But Emmy wasn't the same mindless robot like the rest of her drunken thugs, she still had dreams of getting out of here and surfacing from this cavern of despair and deceit.

Emmy reached the main floor of the bar and cast a weary eye across the place. Taking note of who was in the bar because in a few minutes she was going to have to walk Jet through the lions den before he would reach the small sanctuary of her room. The same respect that was show to her chair on the roof was also granted to her room. That was what a solid reputation earned you in the Cartel, that and the fact that Blood cared for Emmy like a daughter. Though that love is what also made Emmys relationship with Jet that mush more dangerous … for the both of them.

She smiled slightly as she took note of just the few locals still lingering at this hour, many of whom spent more time here then at their actual homes. She ducked her head letting her long locks fall into her face though it was more for her own benefit, her black and crimson locks was the Terra-Deep equivalent of Where's Waldo's red and white sweater, even in the crowded center of town she could be easily spotted. Though this time with both gangs out on a wild goose chase and the Bartender on duty was busy with his feet kicked up on a table playing a game of cards. She nicked a dozing patrons coat and slipped behind the swing door that lead to the back of the bar and down the stairs to the basement.

She stopped on the last step one hand resting on the railing and other on her hip with the jacket in the crook of her arm. Emmy tried not to laugh and break the smug smirk she had on her red lips as she as she watched him shimmy though the small window that was on street level. Cringing a bit as he landed haphazardly knocking over a stack of empty wooden crates.

"So what did you do this time Jet?"

She asked causing his hand to dart to the hilt of the dagger at his waist, but stopped himself before he could draw it from its sheath. He turned around to face her, that signature smirk that just hinted at the devil that hid beneath his charming exterior.

"Same old shit Emmy. Care to help a devilishly handsome friend out?" He asked walking over to her, stopping just short of having the tip of his boots resting against the step. For a second she just watched him, knowing he was trying to work his magic on her like he did the rest of the girls in Terra-Deep. She tossed the jacket at him before turning and making her way back up the stairs.

"You know I'm going to cash in on all these 'I owe you ones' someday Jet." She said before he could say it. This wasn't the first time she had fetched him from the basement. They made it through the bar and up to her room without incident and they both waited until after the door was shut and the rug rolled up in front of it to hush their voices. She plopped on her bed with a sigh before saying anything to him.

"Are you hurt? I saw that leap from the window, nice stunt. Bloods or Battalion this time?"

 

[AshenAngel]

Ghost
Walking into Rat Tooth, it was easy to identify several cartel members. Things were mellow and no idiot was about to get gutted so he decided to stick around for a bit. Maybe get a drink or two. Who knew what would appear on the agenda for today. He was just hoping for a mellow day today.

As he sat down at the bar, a lovely red headed woman came up dragging some guy behind her. The more he thought about it, the bar maiden seemed very familiar... Then it clicked. Little Red! Damn, he felt old for not thinking of her sooner. While the other kids called her Emmy, he called her Little Red.

With a small frown and a glance at the people in the bar, he wasn't all that sure about revealing himself to her. All of these thugs were cartel, though. He was only hesitant of battalion guys, considering the fact that he abandoned their forces first and knew first hand how things were done regarding traitors and deserters.

 

[Lonewolf888978]

Jet
Rat Tooth
Jet smirked as he listened to Emmy.

Are you hurt? I saw that leap from the window, nice stunt. Bloods or Battalion this time?
Not to bad, but could use some bandages.


The young man rolled up his pants, a bloody slash sat on his shin. He added as he sat on her bed.

Well.... Both this time actually! Probably only alive because the Battalion stepped in.
Both!?! How do two groups sneak up on THE Jet?

The young woman smirked as she spoke in a sarcastic tone. She walked over to a desk, and dug through it before tossing Jet a roll of bandages.

I swear, you better not get blood on my sheets.
Relax, I wont! I've been wrapping myself up since I was like twelve.

Drake
Edge of the City
The team walked quietly towards the tunnels entrance, all of them dreading what would happen soon. The captain of the team was especially quiet, mainly because he was accountable for the lives of his men. The station's entrance was up ahead, the men that went hunting for Jet already were waiting on him. Drake thought silently to himself, praying to God him and his men came out alive. A voice interrupted him.

Uh Captain. Is that a giant rat wearing something? Is that a lady!
What are you talking about soldier? Wait, what the hell?

He motioned for his men to keep walking to the station as he changed his course. He gripped his rifle tightly, afraid the rat would turn and attack the woman or him. He was within distance of the woman as he called.

Uh Miss. I'd advise you and your....pets.... to get the hell outta here. We are heading into the Old Station.

​

 

[CynderTheDragoness]

Kira Cabal
Edge of the City​

"What is it?" Kira asked the rat. He was standing defensively and staring down the tunnel. Then she heard the voice. "It's alright. They won't hurt you while I'm around." She patted the rat's neck. "I'll be right with you boys." She called back, taking tbe rat to his pen and removing the harness. She locked the door and met Drake and the team, hands on her hips. "You won't get far without a guide." She said.

 

[Little.Fox]

Emiliya Carson // Rat Tooth

"Doesn't mean you wont get blood on my sheets, you know how long it took me to find a set of silk sheets to pilfer. Those rich house wives are always home and with the Battalion already looking for another reason to lock me up for a bit … lets just say be careful or your going to be headed up the walls to fetch me some linens."

She said while rifling through her old roll top desk, pulling out a small bottle filled with a few days worth of powdery pink pills. Placing the bottle on top she slid down the lid of the desk and locked it with a key that hung around her neck by a leather string. Turning around again to face him, making sure to give him able time to cover up his gash. Even after years of living in the lower depths of Terra-Deep blood still make her squeamish. But when she turned around he was already pulling back down his soiled pant leg. With a ring she tossed him the bottle.

"Take two a day until they are gone." She pointed a finger at him repeating her self pointedly "Until-They-Are-Gone."

A knock on the door interrupted the two and the both fell hushed, neither one daring to breath. The knock sounded again and with a deep breath she gestured at Jet to hide and walked to the door and pulling it open just enough to peek through. She relaxed when she realized it was the bartender, one had raised to knock on the door and the other still gripping his hand of cards.

"Yes…" Emmy asked a little tension still in her voice but if he noticed he didn't say anything.
"We're out of that shine you got last week." The slightly drunk barkeep inquired in a gruff voice.
"And …"
"We um, we have someone askin for some." He waited for her to respond but when she just stared at him he stumbled on. "Says he's willin to pay double …"
"Well if he is willing to pay two and a half he is more then welcome to it." She reached up, still careful to keep the door half shut, and grabbed a small jar filled with crystal clear liquid and at the bottom rested ruby red strawberries. Emmy handed it out to him but just before it made contact with his hand she stopped and looked him in the eye.
"Remember my rule?"
"Yes Em. Battalion pay four times. Four times Em I know."

With a crimson smile she placed the jar in his hand and shut the door resting her back against it but waiting a few more moments for the keep to shuffle off before letting out a deep sigh. Sliding down the room she sat on the rolled up rug she kicked back against the threshold.

"Jet you are going to get me thrown into Fort. Is that what you want? Even you know that wouldn't work. Forester has always had a soft spot for not letting me rot away in there." She finished with a sharp laugh and a shake of her head.

Oh what tangled webs we weave in the depths of Terra-Deep

 

[The_J]

Jerrus Tenner
Edge of the city
A perfect day to fucking someone else's day up
​

The northern edge of the city. Probably one of the most filth-filled sections of Terra Deep, if not the most, now everything was getting even worse. Jerrus had consistently been hearing of a few people attacked by mutant animals - rats, rabbits, you name it, like some freak set of experiments.
Thoughts aside of the surface, he put his focus back into the task at hand. Finding out what the hell had actually caused this. maybe they'd found a food and radiation supply in an old building, an underground nest got accidentally broken into, or whatever it was, he needed to find out what it was. God knew the Iron Battalion would do bugger all about it, Richard usually only cared what happened higher up and around where he lived, you know, the rich area that had so many fewer problems. Well, without Jerrus it did.
He heard, suddenly, talking. Silently, he swept along the tops of buildings until he came up, to his surprise, a squad of iron battalion soldiers, guns raised at a woman, and one of those giant rats. The idiots didn't consider that they might hit her, not just the rat. Or they assumed she was hostile, just like that, despite being obviously defenseless.
Then he heard her talk. She... the rat is her pet? this was confirmed when she placed it within a cage.
He realised, the voice of the commander was one he knew. Drake Forester. A pretty successful captain by their standards, but apparently he had fallen bad, recently, as one could tell from drunken soldiers in the Rat Tooth. Hopefully, nobody would really miss him too much then.
Well, he had the source of his problem, and an Iron Battalion captain to snipe safely from a distance. He could hardly ask for more.
First thing was first, he set up his R700 in a window, and looked down the sights at the captain. Pretty decent armour, but he didn't know of one yet that could stop a sniper's high-calibre and high-speed bullet to the head. A good shot, and bye-bye captain.
Breathe, in, half out, hold it.
Take up the slack in the trigger.
Steady.
Steady.
Pull the trigger.
It went off with a loud bang as the shot rang out, dead-on straight at the head of Drake Forester.​

 

[CynderTheDragoness]

The two mutant bats in the other cells began screeching and throwing themselves against the gates. Kira turned and ran toward the cages. "Echo! Radar! What is it?" She asked them. She knew the sound they were making was a dander warning. They screeched like that when a rogue rat came rampaging through the tunnels. It was usually enough warning to release the rat she kept in order to fight the rogue. She used to have two rats, but one was badly wounded in a fight a few weeks ago and had to be euthanized.
Then the sound of a riffle rang out, setting Echo and Radar screeching louder.

 

[Lonewolf888978]

Drake
The bullet grazed the side of his face, cutting it and making him go deaf for a few seconds but he was back in action soon enough. He sent a hail of bullets towards the nearest of the buildings, his soldiers doing the same in an attempt to hit the sniper.

Drake grabbed ahold of the woman and drag her deeper into the tunnel, away from the sniper, and into the rats den....
Jet
Jet slightly frowned at the mention of Captain Forester. Him and Emmy had slight fling in the past, and Jet had always been jealous of the man sense.

Oh yeah, your Ex was the one who was trying to arrest me.
He is NOT my ex. It was a one night thing.
And a second time. Pretty sure a third time.
Shut up! Lets focus on the task at hand; how are we going to get you out of here?
I got an idea. Get your things.

~~~~

Minutes later, Jet finished loading his pistol.

Alright. We gotta make our way to my inside man with the Cold Gem Bandits, Jacob Greyson.
Then?
I don't know.

He said with a simple shrug, as he headed out the door.​

 

[CynderTheDragoness]

Kira punded her fists against Drake's restraining arms. "Let me go, Forester!" She screamed. She twisted to attempt to free herself. The rat she kept and worked with disappeared down the tunnels. "Damnit Drake!" She cursed. "You let six months of work and research just run away!" She beat on him harder, only really hitting armor. "It's going to take me at least a week to find him! And even longer to re-train him! Every time you or your men come out here I get set back!" Now she was pissed.

 

[Potatocat]

Frost did as he often did on his free nights. Sat in the Rat Tooth waiting for someone to either come to him with a job, or to put a gun to his head. Of course sitting over in the corner of the bar wearing more equipment than most Iron Battalion men carried did make him less than discrete, but not too many people argued with him about it. He had enough favours with officers in the Battalion to let them leave him alone, Blood and her gang couldn't give two shits about him, and the crazy fucks with Shiny were actually on good terms with Frost. Life was good for Charlie in this little shit hole of a bar were he kept his ear to the ground.

He hadn't been there long when he noticed a man and a woman head upstairs. He recognized them. They both hung out here a lot. Didn't know either of their names, but he knew they were in trouble. The man looked a little hurt, and they both looked a little panicked. He followed them upstairs and sat outside the door they went into. He sat there for a while, leaning against the wall catching bits of their conversation through the notoriously thin walls of the shoddy establishment.

When the man opened the door to leave, Charlie walked up to him and lifted the visor of his helmet. "Well, I have a feeling that seeing old Mr. Greyson won't do you much good." He said with his classic grin and slow smooth tone. "I fear he has been, "He paused momentarily and sighed, "Put out of commission. I on the other hand, can do just about anything you need. I'm Frost by the way. Nice to meet you." He reached out his hand towards Jet.

 

[Lonewolf888978]

Drake

Damn it, I just saved your life!
I don't know if you noticed, but that sniper was after your ass, not me or my animals!

Kira said angrily. Drake sighed in response and looked around at his men. Two were missing, probably from the sniper sitting outside the tunnel. Regardless, they had to press on.

That rat is probably heading down back to the nest. You get us there, you get your rat back.

The woman scowled at Drake but reluctantly agreed, and soon the team traveled down the dark, rocky tunnels. The smell got worse and worse, and soon the only light was what shined from the soldiers. A normal sized rat scurried by, and Drake spotted the door that led to the old train tunnel system. It was rusted, and a sign sat on it, now unreadable due to age.

Drake pushed it open, clearing it and motioned for Kira to follow. The tunnel was in bad shape, the rails that once had trains traveling them were stripped, the metal missing for the most part, and the wood was rotten. One direction there was a cave in, and a pile of dirt stopped the team from heading that way. The other way had a train, rusted and broken.


Which way Kira?

Jet

After quickly getting acquainted with Frost, Jet quickly urged the trio forward.
We can talk later, we gotta get going.
The reason he was rushing, was due to the fact that a fresh team of soldiers entered the bar, which Jet spotted from atop the stairs. Throwing a hood over his head, and motioning for his two allies to follow. Jet made it through easy enough, and was nearly at the door when a large, armored man entered the bar. He wore similar armor towards the Iron Battalion soldiers, but lacked a helmet. The man had an ugly look to him, two large scratched on his face, leading up to a bald head. A dull, and messy "SGT Garret" was scratched in his breast plate.
Shit.
Jet said aloud, quickly kneeing the man in the privates, and pushing past him out onto the road, calling out to Emmy and Frost.
Lets go! We can loose them in the market. ​

 

[CynderTheDragoness]

Kira looked towards both directions. "We can't go to the collapsed side. You made my rat run away. He could have dug us a way out. The only other way is past the old train." She said and started in that direction. She tugged at the back door. It was rusted shut. "A little help here!" She grunted as she tugged on the door.

(@Lonewolf888978)