The World Left Behind (IC)

[Dakota K5]

Otto White

Interaction: Reina and Tess
----
Otto tested his arm as he glared at the dent in the metal casing of the sensitive bits in his prosthetic arm, no extra damage but it would still be annoying to fix the dent or replace though he supposed with their new rich backers that he would be able to get a replacement plate fairly easy. He heard Reina go to the back to discover what they had just stolen while he took off his head concealment letting his hair slow out freely as he wiped some sweat and left over blood and brain matter from what little bit of his exposed face he had during the mission, he heard the conversation over the coms before Reina cut off Javion as she stormed back to Tess and himself and asked them about their own moral feelings on the supplies they took.

"Hmm..." Otto's voice rumbled in his chest. "Sorry beautiful, can't be the moral compass on this." His tone was heavy despite the lightness his words might have conveyed in any other situation. "I think it's shit to do but compared to some of the things I know I've been part of, both indirectly and directly." The color of his eyes seemed to dull a little as he said that. "What's done is done now despite the moral qualms we may have about it, we can't exactly go back and return it after the hornets nest we kicked back there and short of burning it all it'll get back to people who can use it one way or another as I doubt our employers are so cruel as to get rid of it all as it wouldn't serve much of a purpose except as a waste of time and resources, we all know the terms of this contract should we see it through. People with that pull don't do things without a reason." Otto stopped speaking as he looked to both women with him.​

 

[Jack Robinson]

Zion Bill


Well. He'd done it. He'd survived. They'd all survived. In all honesty, there really hadn't been a moment where Bill had feared for his life or the lives of his compatriots. Compared to some of the other shit he'd been through, this mission had been tame. He shook his head and lit a cigarette as he sat in the back of a jostling van with Syd, the hulking war machine himself.

"Thank you for your mercy and wisdom," he whispered, his eyes cast upward to heaven. He pulled a small flask from his bag. But this flask wasn't filled with liquor. He splashed holy water on his hands, cleansing them of the blood and sin, before splashing his face with some and putting the flask away. He then took out another flask, this one full of whiskey, and took a long pull from it before offering it to Syd. He heard Reina on the radio talking about feeling bad about what they'd done. Bill frowned.

"What was in the cargo?" he asked. "Jewels? Weapons? You all doing alright?" he asked.​

 

[Amaranth]

Tess raised an eyebrow when she heard Reina and Javion discuss whatever it was inside the train. She tapped the notch up one more time to make the train speed up, reaching the velocity she was looking for for the time being - fast, but not too fast that she couldn't slow it down if needed. As much as she had study the rails and the geography as best as she could before the mission, she wasn't familiar with the terrain. And they probably wouldn't have much information on the situation, either, so it was mostly up to her to keep an eye on the path.

Which was fine for now, considered she was still hyped about being able to drive a train. Tess only hoped they would reach their destination before sleep and tiredness overcome any excitement she was feeling.

She before shaking off her wet jacket and dumping it on the back of the chair. Reina was back then, stomping babbling something about guilty conscience and feeling like the bad guys. Hearing her mention her sister killed all the joy Tess was currently feeling, and she dropped back down on the conductor's seat with a grunt, crossing her arms.

"Me having a sister is precisely the reason why I don't feel guilty." She growled back, but it felt fake even to her own ears. She couldn't afford being guilty over stolen goods, because she needed to complete this mission. For her sister. If for herself only, Tess would probably have punched Javion in the face ten seconds after meeting him, so this wouldn't even be a problem. If she was doing this, though, she'd do this all the way.

Still, she didn't expect Reina to feel guilty over their stolen cargo. In many ways, Tess didn't want to know - she didn't want to deal with a guilty conscience. But mostly, she knew she would ask anyway. Tess snorted when she heard Otto's reply, rolling her eyes.

"You can't be that naive, Beary." She said, the sudden anger mostly gone from her voice. "If those people can't make money, they won't move their asses. Whatever this cargo is, they will only 'get it back to people' if the trouble is worth it. Which means that it'll get terrible overpriced and those who need it won't get it. So they might as well just burn everything."

Tess hummed when Bill's voice came from the comm. "I doubt it's weapons or jewelry if this is the reaction Reina got. What is it back there?" She echoed Bill's question at Reina, this time with a bit more sympathy in her voice.

 

[Dunruffle]

After everyone finished voicing their opinions Reina let out a sarcastic laugh. "Of course, you all wouldn't even spit on a burning puppy if you did not benefit from it. I don't know why I even asked, you mercs only look out for yourselves and couldn't give a shit about anyone else. It doesn't matter that all these humanitarian supplies could help the poor fucks at the bottom of the food chain live another day. You all just want off this fucked up planet and everyone else can burn. I may have sold my body, but I did not sell my soul." Whirling around, Reina kicked the lever of the freight car connector and watched as the box car slowly began to roll to a stop. Looking at the deserted buildings passing by, Reina put a finger to her ear and glared at the sky. "Javion you either let the right people know about this free stuff or i am going to try and do it on an open channel. I know your boss would be absolutely thrilled." There was a loud sigh and one could almost hear Javion rolling his eyes. "So melodramatic Reina, if you must absolutely soothe your conscience then I guess I might entertain the notion of assisting you. But do play nice with your coworkers, I paid quite a hefty sum hiring them and I do not want to lose my investment because you all killed each other." Reina growled under her breath but did not say any more. Leaning against the railing of the train, Reina began picking her nails and while making a point to ignore Otto, Tess, and Bill.

In the box truck, Syd had stopped moving while Reina let her displeasure be known. While they had worked together for a long time, Javion would only need to say the word and Syd would kill Reina without a second thought. As the communications ended, Syd went back to picking bullets out of his armor. A few minutes later the box truck came to a halt and the cargo door opened with a loud rattle. They had stopped in some sort of abandoned building that looked like it had suffered from some kind of fire. Nearby Javion leaned against the hood of his sedan as he idly inspected his fingernails. A large military styled transport truck was idling close by with yet another generic looking driver sitting in the seat. Looking up, Javion put on his fake smile and opened his hands welcomingly. "Ah welcome back gentleman. A job well done if I do say so myself. Objective achieved and no injuries to either of you, I am glad my investment seems to be paying off." Straightening his suit jacket, Javion looked over at the train tracks that were several yards away. "All we need to do is wait for our cohorts to arrive with the train and then we can go back to the world of luxury and comfort." Pulling out a cigar from his pocket, Javion pulled out a thin lighter and ignited the seemingly expensive cigar.

 

[Dakota K5]

Otto White

Interaction: Tess and Reina
---
Otto retreated into the shade of the cabin after Reina spoke as a twitch of his hand and a bit of grinding his teeth let him calm his growing anger at the female sniper, a hypocrite she was, working for a man like Javion and acting like her soul was clean. "And how man sons, daughters, fathers and mothers had she killed at the behest of a man like Javion? Huh Reina? Or are you as pure as the driven snow while my soul is so much coal huh? But I guess you'll hide in that cloak of hypocrisy and ignore me. And here I thought you were someone different from those that look down on us." Otto spoke with a bit of bitter venom at the end as he shut the cabin door to separate both himself and Tess from Reina as a low growl escaped his throat as he let go of the handle, it being misshapen from the grip of his prosthetic.

Otto took a deep breath to calm himself before looked to Tess, he hadn't forgotten her own words. "And it ain't naivety, or at least I don't think it is. I have no illusion of what would happen to the stuff, my point was it would get to people regardless. If you want to call it naive then I guess it is Tess, but it keeps me from crawling into a bottle and never coming out or eating the barrel of my own weapon." He looked over to her in the darkness of the cabin. "Never lose that drive you got for your and your sister's future off this world Tess, and hopefully I can see you and her at the other end of this." He gave her a friendly smile and a thumbs up as he pushed down the dark mood that had taken him before looking forward to getting to Javion, Bill and Syd.​

 

[Jack Robinson]

Zion Bill


Bill didn't get an exact response for his question about what exactly was in the train. But from the muted arguments he was half paying attention to, he could tell it was something that was obviously causing a rift between his comrades. He shook his head, pulled a cigarette out of his breast pocket, and lit up. A few minutes later, their truck rolled to a stop right by yet another vehicle. Bill stepped out and saw Javion there, who congratulated him and Syd on a job well done.

"Weren't too bad. Course, can't help but think we could've done all that in a more stealthy manner. Fewer corpses. But hey, you're the boss man, I reckon. I just shoot people," Bill said as he looked around for his comrades. "Guess now we just gotta wait." He plopped himself down on the ground and lit up another cigarette. His heart wasn't beating quite as fast. Now, he just felt really tired. His feet hurt, his ears were ringing, he could smell only metal and blood. That was the worst part about any job. The aftermath. The physical and mental toll such a venture could take on a man. He tried to figure out how many people he'd killed that day. Seven? Maybe ten? He wasn't exactly sure. He'd stopped keeping track a while back. All the kills kind of started to blend together after a while. A few tended to stick out. For example, while he didn't remember his first kill, he certainly remembered sticking an African warlord in a wooden hut and setting it on fire with a Molotov. And how could he forget that time he had to hack his way out of a base with only an axe and a cleaver? So much blood.

Today hadn't been one of those memorable days. It had been just another series of simple kills. Poor fools who didn't know what was coming, fools who died not truly understanding just how outmatched they were. Not for the first time, Bill wondered what kind of God could allow him to live while so many other innocents died.​

 

[Amaranth]

"We are the bottom of the food chain, miss. Or, at least, I know I am." Tess kicked the wall of the cabin, twisting her body to face the sniper, watching her retreat and raising her voice so the other would be able to hear her even through the door Otto just closed. "Me, my sister, the people I share a cramped and dirty room with, we are the ones that need this fucking humanitarian supplies to live another day, and funny thing, they almost never get to us. So I'll sell my soul a fucking thousand of times if it'll get myself out of this shit-hole." She scowled at the door, as if Reina would be able to see.

It was petty and irrational, but Tess honestly didn't care. She was fuming - this holier than thou attitude never failing to get to her. When it was veiled, it was easier to ignore and focus on the reward, but when people spit like that in her face, it took all her control not to punch them in the face. As if they didn't feel guilty over things like that as well. Well, at least Tess knew she did. But she would swallow the guilt and do it again and again and how many times it was necessary to get her sister out of this mess.

She only let the anger wash away when Otto turned to speak to her, although her arms remained crossed and her shoulders were still tense.

"You believe what you need to believe, I guess. There's nothing wrong with fighting for survival, it's what everyone does, even if some people like to believe otherwise." Tess turned back to stare at the rails ahead, straightening her back and adjusting herself into the seat. "When we get out of here, I'll introduce you to her. You'll love her, everyone does." She said with a roll of her eyes, although there was a clear fondness in her voice.

It didn't take long for her to see their destination, and she began slowing down the train, notch by notch. It finally slowed to a stop, a few meters ahead of the building, but close enough that Tess still counted that as a successful parking. She pulled the manual break, locking the train in place, before opening the door and jumping to the ground, grimacing as she felt the weight in her sore ankle. Well, at least she knew it wasn't broken nor anything.

"Hey, Billy!" She called, waiving at the other when she got close enough so she didn't have to scream to be heard. "Have you gotten me any fancy whiskey?"

 

[Dunruffle]

Reina laughed bitterly as she listened to Otto and Tess bark back at her. "I know I am going to hell, but if I am in a position to possibly help some poor fool survive another day you bet I am gonna help. We aren't at the top of the food chain but we sure as hell are not at the bottom. I know what it's like at the bottom, the things I did to keep my family fed..." Her voice twisted into self disgust and she glared at the closed door. "The world is all fucked up the way it is because of everyone in power being selfish bastards. If even a fraction of them had decided to fix things this world might not have ended up dead. That is what I am pissed off about. I would rather shoot a selfish priest than a kind thief. But nothing changes and it will always be the selfish and greedy on top."

Before the train had even stopped, Reina had jumped off and strode past a smug looking Javion. "Aww, did miss bleeding heart get in a tiff with our mercenary friends?" Reina simply ignored Javion and climbed into the back of the transport truck as Syd stood up and took his place by Javion's side. Watching Otto and Tess approach, Javion exhaled a cloud of smoke and put on his fake smile. "Commendable effort you two, don't worry about Reina. As long as you two stay useful to me you have nothing to fear from her. Now chop chop, I grow tired of this dull place and there is some celebratory champagne back on the plane." Motioning for the three mercenaries to board the truck, Javion stubbed out his cigar and got back in his sedan. As the luxury car started it's engine the transport truck rumbled to life as the driver prepared to depart. Syd somewhat awkwardly climbed into the truck and just barely managed to fit his bulk inside as his minigun took up another seat beside him.

 

[Dakota K5]

Otto White

----
Otto didn't really pay much attention to Javion, didn't really need to to know to get on the truck to leave the place. Didn't have much to say to Tess or Bill, as he entered the van he took the seat opposite and down the end of the row from Reina. He was still mad and being prone to flying off the handle when mad was not something Otto was unfamiliar with and he didn't really want an incident so early in this new job. He watched as Syd lumbered on with his armor and mini gun, he had remembered hearing it in the distance, the whine of the motor spinning the barrels and near constant melody of rounds be fired. He took the jacket, hood and shemagh off his head as his hair hung loose across his head as he rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath.
He reached into his bag and pulled out something he had brought along, well two somethings. A small leather pouch and a simple hard wood tobacco pipe, about five inches long with a black stem making up the final portion. Inside the leather pouch was produced a small thing of loose tobacco, a tamping tool and a box of matches. Otto was in his own little world as he packed the pipe with said tobacco in a slow and methodical pace made from many years of practice as he put in just the right amount to last him about forty five minutes, he put the stem of the pipe in his mouth as he pulled a match from the box and struck it against the side of his pants and with a brilliant burst of orange it lit as he let it burn down to the wood. He hovered the flame above the tobacco leaf as he drew breath through the pipe and thus drew the flame into the dried leaf, a couple puffs and soon smoke filled the area around him, smoke that held the distinct smell of roasting chocolate due to the blend of tobacco.
Otto Exhaled a breath he didn't realize he was holding as the tension released from his body as did the smoke from his mouth as the red cherry light from the pipe's bowl lit part of his face.​

 

[Amaranth]

Tess patted Bill on the shoulder as she passed by him, stucking out a tongue at Javion's back when the other turned, for no real reason other than she was still annoyed at Reina - and at Javion, by simple assossiation. Still, the promise of alchohol and the comfortable furniture of the plane was enough to keep her mouth shut as she practically jumped on the back of the truck.

She practically fell down on the empty space at Otto's side, shoving her hands inside her pockets and crossing her legs on the seat. The position took more space than strictly necessary, but it was comfortable, and there was still room for Bill. Leaning against the metal behind her, Tess tilted her head to watch as Otto prepared his pipe. She wasn't a big fan of smoking, although she did so occasionally when she could get her hands onto something good, but the smell of tobacco was one she found pleasant.

When smoke began to lift from the pipe, she took a deep breath, smiling and closing her eyes, resting her head against the metal.

"That's a pleasant scent." She commented, adjusting herself and willing the tension away from her shoulders. In the end, as much as Reina's words had annoyed her, she didn't really care about what the other woman thought of her. Tess had thought Javion would be the only one annoying to work with, but she could stand being wrong.

 

[Dunruffle]

After Bill joined the rest of the gang in the truck and closed the door, the large cargo truck slowly exited the building. The ride was uneventful, the driver having tuned the radio to the local stations and was listening to various news reports discuss the train yard robbery. after about 30 minutes of driving, the truck and sedan pulled into the underground parking garage of the building the plane was parked on. After a somewhat cramped but short elevator ride back up to the top, Javion stopped to admire the view presented before them. The rain had stopped and the clouds had dissipated, leaving the bright bustling city below on full display. "I just love views like this, reminds you that we are up top while the worthless peons toil below like ants. Always makes me feel better about myself." Syd simply grunted in response as Reina stomped her way aboard the plane and locked her cabin door behind her. Taking a seat at the conference table, Javion selected a very expensive looking bottle of champagne and popped the cork. Pouring the bubbling liquid into some crystal champagne glasses, Javion smiled insincerely and toasted the motley trio before him. "A job well done. Tomorrow we can discuss our next move. Though you all should take a shower, i really do not want this plan to start smelling of gunsmoke and blood."

 

[Dakota K5]

Otto White

Interaction: Tess and Bill
----
He leaned his neck to look at Tess as a puff of smoke escaped his lips like a puffy white snake lazily stretching into the air between them, the smell of fire roasted chocolate filling the air. He saw Tess let the tension fade from her shoulders a bit. "Wanna help with this later?" He asked as he held up his left arm, dented left arm. "Took a pretty big wack before boarding the train and it always helps to have a extra set of hands." He shifted the pipe stem with his teeth. "Plus I think with your background you should be able to pick up on the workings of it quick enough to provide the help I need." Really Otto was looking to see if she would be able to help in the future if the arm was damaged more so then it was now, he really had trouble doing it with just one arm. "Your welcome to watch Bill if you want to feel included." Another puff of smoke filled the area as they bumped along on the drive, all staying silent on the way.

When they arrived at the building they had started at and entered the elevator Otto let the tobacco in his pipe extinguish as to not smoke up the small elevator on the ride up but he kept the pipe held in his teeth, Otto ignored Javion's words as they boarded the plane. He regarded the man's words and the champagne with disinterest for a moment, Javion's words were as hollow as his smile but Otto accepted the glass in politeness but drank it in one large gulp before setting the glass back on the conference table before turning to Tess. "Come by my cabin in a bit if you want to help with the arm." Otto nodded to bill and Javion before walking back to his cabin and entering.

Once inside Otto set his pipe down out of his mouth, he then walked to his pack he had brought along and pulled out what could only be called a mechanical cradle for his arm and set it up on the small table in the room. "First shower though." He said to himself as he took his weapons off and set them near his pack for maintenance later, then came his clothing until he was standing as free as the day he was born, he folded the clothing into a neat pile for cleaning as well before reaching his right hand to his left pectoral. The metal did not end at the shoulder and the mechanical part of his body extended into his left pectoral region by a decent margin, a few buttons hidden on the metal were pressed before the left arm went slack. He reached the arm with his right hand and with a few turns it popped out of the metal housing on the left side of his chest where his shoulder joint used to be which then sealed over with a cover, the arm was placed in the cradle with the dented section facing him. He left the arm sit there as he entered the bathroom area and started the shower, steam filling the area behind the door while his arm sat in it's place leaving the room still relatively spartan in appearance despite it now having an occupant.
​

 

[Amaranth]

"Oh, I wouldn't miss this chance for anything." Tess perked up, straightening a bit and eyes shining when Otto asked if she wanted to help fix his arm. It was definitely one of those things she simply couldn't refuse. Prosthetics weren't a thing she had much experience on, as her interests had laid elsewhere when she had a teacher to learn from, but she had messed around with the mechanical leg of a girl that had shared a room with her and her sister for a while, when it had been hit by a bullet. Still, opportunities were opportunities, and she knew better than to waste them.

That offer, along with the calming scent of chocolate, erased all memory of the earlier confrontation between them and Reina, and the rest of the ride was surprisingly pleasant. Once they arrived at their destination, Tess' mood had improved considerably.

The rain had stopped, which was a very nice bonus. Javion's comment still made Tess roll her eyes, though, the annoyance poking in the back of her mind at the pride and arrogance with which the man carried himself. Even with her improved mood, the urge to shoot Javion was strong, although thankfully manageable.

"I'm sure it does. I doubt you have much to feel good about yourself, anyway." She said as she passed by him, entering the ship and throwing herself at the couch near the conference table, once again raising her feet and resting them on the table. Tess accepted the glass of champagne, sticking her tongue out at Javion's words. "Don't worry, the stink of asshole is too strong, it'll mask the other scents. Perhaps you should step outside for a bit and let us breath?"

Tess finished her glass relatively quickly, before wondering if she should get another glass before going. She needed to be sober to understand the inner workings of the mechanical arm, but a couple of glass of champagne was far from enough to make her drunk. Still, as much as she hated to admit it, Javion was kind of right, and they were smelling of a mix of blood, dirt and rain, far from a good combination. That, and the company wasn't exactly amiable.

Getting up, the woman waved at Bill and Syd, ignoring Javion as she grabbed some random bottle of alcohol and made her way to her cabin, closing the door behind her. She opened the bottle she was holding - a fancy wine she had seen once in her father's cabinet - and took a deep gulp, before taking off her clothes and getting inside the shower.


As much as she wanted to stay beneath the water for hours, Tess turned off the faucet as soon as she was clean, rummaging through her bag and pulling off a large t-shirt and a short, both faded and with some random oil stains that hadn't come off even with multiple washes. She dressed up, ruffling her hair to dry it a bit, before she grabbed the bottle of wine and finally left the room, stopping in front of Otto's door.

"Coming in!" She called, knocking twice.

 

[Dakota K5]

Otto White

Interaction: Tess
-----
As Otto finished his shower he stepped out and started to dry himself off, wiping away the steam of the mirror in the room, he saw his hair matted down from the water along with his beard. He took note of the many discolored and jagged looking scars on his left side near the metal attached to his body, small little dots is what they looked like if someone took a quick glance but in reality it was where the metal shards of the mine that took his arm still rested inside of him. His torso was not what one would call "sculpted" he was much more barrel chested and that showed in how his torso held muscle that was built up from work rather then any sort of workout routine. Of course though part of that had been replaced or at least covered by metal, from where his shoulder had been to just midway over his clavicle and down a third of the way to his hip. Always had to remember when he repaired the arm, always had to remember the blast, the heat, the blood and pain as he laid without and arm on the savanna while the bullets and mortars lanced around him.

By the time Otto came back from those memories the steam had gone away and his hair was almost dry along with his body, he shook his head and sighed. He left the bathroom and got into his bag and pulled out a simple white shirt and pair of pants, it took him a moment of struggle to get both articles of clothing on after all, he was technically handicapped when he didn't have his prosthetic in place. After his struggle with clothing he went back to his bag and pulled out a rolled pouch made of leather and unrolled it on the table holding his arm and the cradled it was in revealing a large selection of tools and as he was counting them he heard Tess knock on the door and announce she was about to come it but Otto beat her to the punch as he stepped to the door and opened it.
Otto looked at Tess and the bottle of wine she had and blinked twice, even with his arm damaged he couldn't help but joke "Now Tess, what if someone saw you standing outside my room with a bottle of wine like that, why someone might think you're trying to have your wicked way with me when I'm down an arm." Otto spoke with faux tone of concern before a smirk came to his face which eventually bloomed to a smile. "I'm glad you're here, come in." Otto motioned her in and closed the door behind her. "There it is in all it's shinny...well less shinny glory." He spoke as he pointed to his prosthetic.​

 

[Amaranth]

Tess grasped at her chest, opening her mouth in a comically exaggerated expression of surprise. "What? So you didn't mean that kind of help? I'm wounded!" She then smiled, rolling her eyes in a rather friendly way instead of an exasperated one. She accepted the invitation to enter the room when it came, walking inside as she practically shoved the bottle of wine into Otto's hands.

Her eyes shone with almost childlike excitement when she saw the prosthetic, practically skipping towards it. She took her time to run her fingers over the metal, sensing for the joints, trying to find out exactly how they fit together and how they worked, without having to dismantle the entire arm. It wasn't going to paint an accurate picture, but she could probably get an idea about how the arm worked as a whole. After a while, she turned her attention to the tools Otto had, cataloging everything, more out of habit than true necessity - if he repaired the arm with those tools, it was unlikely that she would need anything else to work.

And then, only then, Tess set out to find exactly what the damage was. It was clear the metal was dented, but she still knew too little about the durability and the design of the arm to know if it was only the exterior, or if it had messed something inside the arm as well. She worked with attention, listening to Otto if he made any comments or suggestions about the arm, but mostly, she focused on the work.

"So, what's the history?" She asked, tapping the arm lightly when she straightened herself after a - relatively long - while.

 

[Dakota K5]

Otto White

Interaction: Tess
---
Otto set the wine down after Tess showed it to him, he had no real reason to drink and she immediately started working. Otto watched and made comments as she went, she worked much faster then he could and thankfully the damage done was indeed superficial at best and minor at worst. Watching her finish was satisfying, mostly since he didn't have to do any work but also because it was nice to see someone else able to do it.

"The history?" Otto spoke as he walked over and picked up the arm and inspected it himself. "The history is that fleshy bits and explosives tend to not mix well." He said as he took his shirt off and pressed several buttons on the metal of his shoulder, the plate moving out of the way where his shoulder socket had been as Otto slowly put the limb back in place and with a click regained sense from the left limb. "Job out in Africa, got hired as a consultant rather then a actual fighter for a warlord." As Otto spoke he rotated and moved his arm, testing response time and finger dexterity as he made flowing movements with the fingers. "Was at a field base when the local commander got a radio transmission that one of his larger patrols had stumbled themselves into a mine field and me being the resident explosive expert and being paid a large sum I went out to pull them out." He looked at the plate that had been dented, a discarded thing and the new shinny plate that looked out of place on the rest of the arm. "When I got there with the two troops sent with me I saw the patrol men sitting in the middle of a very large open area near a small crater while one of their numbers laid dead just near it, luckily the area was dry and the wind was down so I could follow their steps to them. They could have walked back out that way but none of them would move unless I said it was safe so I got on my belly and started to probe the ground with my knife, safest way to get rid of a mine is to find it with a stick or knife being poked in the ground, digging the thing up then taking it apart. Would have gone fine to." Otto paused as he walked over to the bottle of wine as well as grabbing two cups and pouring a bit of the wine in each before handing one to Tess while he sat down across from her.

"Turns out it was an ambush set for us, halfway back to the road an enemy force pushed out and started firing on us, I had a newly dug out mine in my left hand when one of the patrolmen was hit and fell into me making me spike the damned thing into the ground. It went off needless to say." Otto pointed to the left side of his torso and the little shrapnel fragment scars along his body. "You really start evaluating things when you got metal bits rattling around your lungs and your arm along with parts of your torso are...scattered about." He rubbed his eyes and took a sip of his wine. "Don't know how I didn't die, I passed out and woke up in the warlord's personal tent with his doctors around me, and make no mistake these people were the best of the best around but even they weren't miracle workers. Luckily I was being paid in gold at the time and after a long while of looking I found someone who would take on the task of repairing me for lack of a better word. The risk was huge and most people that could do this kinda work wouldn't do it since I was likely to die during the procedure but enough money can buy you anything now a days." He finished the wine in his glass and set it down and stood up before handing Tess the wine bottle, walking her to the door. "It took, literally, all the money I had saved at that point to get this made. This arm as well as the parts on my body are probably worth more then this vehicle we're in." He opened the door and motioned for her. "I do wish to express how grateful I am for your help Tess, if you even need a favor from me, don't hesitate to ask." He spoke with a smile as she walked out of the room and he closed the door behind her.​

 

[Dunruffle]

Javion's eye twitched slightly when Tess finished talking back to him. When the young woman left, Javion's face turned into a venomous glare. Downing his champagne, Javion huffed angrily as Syd cast a blank look in his direction. As if telepathically communicating with his bodyguard, Javion stood up and waved his hand dismissively. "No Syd, as much as I would enjoy watching you snap her neck we still need her. For now at least." Letting out a yawn, Javion walked to his cabin and looked back at Syd. "Good job as usual, seems like you are the only competent one around here."


The night passed, and the next morning the sound of the large propellers whirring to life echoed throughout the aircraft. As the pilot went about his final checks, Javion slowly ate some poached eggs as he perused a datapad. Syd sat in a chair nearby and simply watched Javion like some kind of single minded automaton. Reina was in the kitchen area making some kind of fruit smoothie as she absentmindedly blinked rapidly with soft clicks. Javion was dressed in a button down shirt and casual black slacks, seemingly not accustomed to wearing anything but high end clothes. Syd wore cargo pants and a simple plain T-shirt with a black bulletproof vest strapped to his chest. Reina was the most normal looking out of the three, dressed in baggy sweatpants, a dark green hoodie, and wearing nothing on her feet as her toes dug into the carpet. With a slight lurch the giant aircraft began to slowly ascend and start to fly away from Chicago.

Finished making her smoothie, Reina plopped onto a plush couch and sprawled out lazily as she sipped her liquid breakfast. Not looking up from his datapad, Javion addressed Reina. "Reina what was the name of that boring place we demolished last year? Began with a C or K right?" Reina shook her head and leaned up slightly to turn her head. "No it was a paramilitary compound, the mercs were named the Razorbacks if that is what you are trying to remember." Nodding his head slightly, Javion scrolled through various websites. "Ah yes, thank you for reminding me."

 

[Dakota K5]

Otto White

Interaction: Javion, Reina and Syd
---
Otto had slept only a few hours during the night, couldn't sleep more then four or five unless he was in the dirt anymore. During the night he had gone to the armory and brought some things back to his room, first and foremost being a round for Syd's mini gun, a MP5 for his own use along with some ammo for his shotgun and pistol. After working through some of the early hours he heard some others waking up and they were in the kitchen area, he threw on a white shirt and his boots while putting his pistol on his belt which held up the jeans he was already wearing before heading out. Once in the kitchen area he observed the three already there, he threw the round he had worked on last night in Syd's lap. "Test that on something later." The bullet itself looked different, the tip being steel and a red line ringing the jacket of the bullet just below it. "Armor perpetrator on the tip and put a line of explosives in the center, it'll detonate after it goes through something, shrapnel round. If you find it useful I can make a few more with the supplies we got if not then whatever, was a idea in the night."

Otto spoke to the silent man before he went to a coffee maker and started it before turning around and looking at Reina, he wasn't really all that mad anymore, it passed like his anger always did but his opinion on the sniper had changed. He looked to Javion and...really hadn't changed what he thought about the man, a man who had everything given to him and put into a situation he didn't want to be in...or at least that's what Otto thought. He grabbed a cup and poured some of the hot coffee into his cup and took a swig. "Another train theft today or are we doing something more...direct?" Otto was sure he wouldn't get an answer until the others were here but better then the idle silence that would pervade between the four if nothing was said.​

 

[Jack Robinson]

Zion Bill


After the mission was done and they had been debriefed, Bill had gone straight to sleep. Well, sort of. Rather, he went to his room with a bottle of fancy whiskey, a pack of cigarettes, and his Bible and spent most of the night, drinking, smoking, and atoning for his sins. He eventually fell asleep around three in the morning, and awoke to the sound of people moving around the ship. He sighed. His head was aching terribly from the ringing of gunshots and the whiskey he'd had the night before. He showered off, washing away the last vestiges of blood and dirt left on his body from the day before. He lit up a cig and went out to the common area, where Javion, Reina, Syd, and Otto were already getting ready for the day.

He waved at everyone in general and then walked up to Otto. "Scuse me, partner," he said, reaching around him for the coffee pot. He poured himself a cup and took an appreciative sip. "Shit. Not bad." He looked over at Otto. "You feelin' good partner? Glad to see you and the girls made it out alright. Things got a little hairy there for a moment. Wasn't sure how we were all doing." He glanced at Javion. "Sure hope we get to relax a little today," he said, both to Javion and to Otto.​

 

[Dunruffle]

Syd simply gave a single grunt in response to Otto and pocketed the unique bullet while Reina slurped loudly on her smoothie. Javion leaned back in his chair and glanced out one of the small windows set in the side of the aircraft, pausing for a few seconds before answering Bill and Otto. "We have a long flight but when we arrive at our destination we will have another mission to complete. No rest for the wicked as they say." Smirking slightly at his own wit, Javion craned his neck slightly as he looked around. "I see little miss Tess is sleeping in. One of you go rouse her from her slumber so we can go over the mission debriefing." Making a shooing motion with his hand at the two men, Javion picked up his tablet and began typing on it.

Syd as usual simply sat in silence as he watched over Javion like a hawk, his eyes locked into the pistol Otto carried. Reina continued to drink her smoothie as her eyes made barely audible clicking sounds as they worked. Outside the rising sun turned the clouds a warm golden color as the aircraft climbed higher into the sky.