Diego looks a bit strained, keeping the chopper on the deck proving difficult in a strong side wind and low pressure cell. You don't often see him look like that.

"We got this?"

"Yeah, can't risk being detected on radar. Not until we're too close for it to matter, anyways." He replies, hand white knuckled around the stick.

The small craft bucks and shakes, but seems to be safe enough for now.

"So what's the plan? We going with the sneaky insertion and distraction? Drop you right off at the gate for a quick smash and grab? What?" Diego asks, glancing over.

You think for a long minute, pondering what is going to work and what isn't.

"You're sure once we have your soul back we won't need to worry about getting back out?" You ask Kiara.

"As sure as I can be, mortal."

Well you certainly hope she's right. You don't much fancy going in against an elite guard stationed for a singular purpose, you certainly aren't thrilled at the prospect of having to find some other way to get out.

"Plan?" Diego asks again, "For what it's worth, the drop off out of sight seems like a good one."

>plan? Talk/question/action?

No glasses version by the anon who has been making these. I searched for a yellow stalker suit but didn't find any with quite as much funk.

Yessssssssssss

Drop off out of sight and try to sneak in

>>18454995
Same plan as before, be a real man and take the back door without warning.

Fuck yessss! PapaN quest. If you got order problems I feel bad for you, son. I got 99 problems 'cause a witch solved one.

We got a ride, so quick smash and grab would be the most optimal. Would be a waste of mobility to try to sneak in.

>>18454995
Get dropped off and have Diego run interference while we try (and likely fail) to be a sneaky fucker.

"A rear insertion seems like the best bet. You sure you can take on anything they bring out?"

You swear you heard Kiara snigger...

"Infantry and tanks? Yeah provided they don't have too many MANPADS. Those gunships on station you told me about? More difficult but I can probably hit them with rockets if they are slow enough."

"So I should try to make it out in less than fifteen?"

"It would certainly make our lives easier." Diego nods.

The little helicopter gets even closer to the treetops below as Diego does his best to ensure you won't be spotted until the last second.

"I've swung us around back," He tells you, checking a terrain screen, "These rotors aren't quiet so they've probably already heard us. Make it quick, kid."

Trees disappear beneath you, giving way to an open clearing full of decayed old buildings. A last testament to Soviet engineering.

Diego expertly swoops the small chopper down, the skids now mere inches from the grass beneath.

"Go!" He shouts, clapping you once on the shoulder. He doesn't need to say it twice.

With a leap, you drop out of the chopper and into a dead out run. Well, as dead out as you can manage, so weighed down with gear and guns.

The littlebird powers up again, its motor working at full tilt judging by the whine. It soars up into the air, quickly leaving you behind. As you put your head down and sprint harder, you hear the telltale sound of it's hellfire's being unleashed.

"Guess the party has started."

>>18455169
Time to dance.

The sarcophagus isn't particularly difficult to reach, likely because the guards are in a brief panic over the sudden helicopter raining down a nasty little wave of shit on them. Good thing, too, you would rather not have to tango with any of them.

You press your back to the old concrete of the structure and crouch down low, rifle at the ready.

There are a few ways you can go about this. Sure it might be easy to just blow a hole in the back with the Semtex and go in through there. IF the Semtex can penetrate. Using the explosives might garner some unwanted attention though.

Taking out the four gate guards certainly won't be any easier, but it might not draw as much attention if you can do it quickly. After all, you've got the enemy comms blocked.

"Having a good evening STALKERS? I know I am. Got some good beats lined up for you, and we're going to start with a little bit of Canned Heat..."

You can't help but chortle a bit, imagining the reaction of the guards when they realize that not only are they cut off communications wise, but rather than traditional jamming static, its some flat out groove.

"Its great that you're having fun, mortal, now focus!" Kiara berates you, snapping you back to the reality of your current situation.

>action?

>>18455200
Time to sneak in further, try to quietly take out any guards in our way (quiet is a relative term, all things considered) and see if we can't find that soul.

>>18455200

Take out the guards.

>>18455200
This is the Chernobyl Reactor 4 sarcophagus, which has been degraded by both time and Kiara's soul. Trying to blow a hole in it would probably bring the entire thing down.

Lets try to take out the guards.

>>18455200
Go for the gate. Odds are we aren't carrying near enough Semtex to breach the Sarc.

Of course we can set a charge on the back of the structure and pop it off before we start shooting for that extra element of confusion.

>>18455200
it's designed to contain a witch soul, it's blast proof for sure.

so time to go full dakka

>>18455200
Set up a small bit of semtex if things get hairy we got a nice little trap. Then go for the guards.

Hey, got here in time!

Didn't really think that I'd have the patience to draw a cuda driving down the beachlane, so I drew all the vehicles that I remembered that we have used so far.

>Cheated as much as possible to avoid drawing any details.
Damnit anon, I know! I use the same trick always to hide things that I don't want to draw properly.

From top to bottom:
Cuda, Hercules, Hilux and Littlebird.

We can always make satchel charges from the semtex. Provides some extra oomph to our little war.

>sarcophagus
>eater of the flesh
Not sure I like that name for soul containers.

Also, we're fucked if the soul isn't Kiara's huh?

You glance at the satchel of Semtex at your side for a brief moment.

"Yeah that doesn't seem like a good or safe idea..."

Not only might it fail to penetrate the structure, but in the worst case scenario it might bring it all crumbling down. Diego isn't protected like you are, a massive wave of radiation would not do him well.

"Which means we need to go in through the front, shit... Can you be my head radar?"

"Here? There's so much platinum interference I can barely function as is. You're on your own right now, more or less."

"Right..."

Thankfully you don't have to worry too hard about being quiet as you race along the left side of the structure, toward the corner. Diego is rattling off heavy .50cal rounds and raining down hellfire, literally. At the same time, he's begun playing Ride of the Valkyries over the helicopter's external system. That's a hard clash with the funk you've got broadcasting over the enemy comm system.

Slowly you peer around the side, and you don't see much for a few moments. Well, other than Diego swooping around and men on the ground in varying states of panic as they try to engage him with small arms fire.

*Boom!*

A resounding blast from a nearby rubble pile. You look over and notice what you guess to be one of the snipers, laid out prone, tac50 pointed up at the sky as he tries to engage the helicopter.

Well that's one, but there is another sniper and two other guards. None of which you can see from here.

>action?

>>18455334
depends on whether or not we can fuel kiara with it

>>18455345
dakka
apply directly to their foreheads

>>18455286
I like it all, and the colors all of the pretty colors, oh the colors.

Also sad that they don't sell the Hilux in North America. I know they sell the "Truck" but it has some kind of ricer tax slapped on it so everyone selling their old 89 with half a million miles and a bum engine thinks its worth 5k+

>>18455334
We can always blow the place sky high and let the soul make a zone for itself. If one little wizard gets away, I don't think that they will mind as much when they have a powerful wizard soul creating anomalies and wrecking Ukraine.

>>18455345
If we can't see those snipers then it is probably best to get that soul and then help Deigo.

>>18455345
Wait until Diego makes another pass then drop the sniper, with luck they'll think he got a lucky shot in the confusion.

>>18455364
Hilux is kinda so-so. Drove one during concsription time. Though, it was clanky and used by the military almost daily from the day it was acquired 30 years ago.

The colours bug me to no end, I think I'll make another version with more cohesive colour scheme. This one was 4 different pictures smashed together and only one that I'm happy with is the Littlebird section.

>>18455345
VSS, apply directly to forehead.

>>18455345
VSS is the ideal countersniping implement.

>>18455428
>>18455434
BROTHER!

VSS time.

Why didn't we get grenades?
Oh well. Vss, eliminate, change position.

Slinging the AK quickly, you grab the VSS even as you drop into a low crouch.

You aren't a killer, don't want to be. But these guys are playing hardball and getting soft on them now would likely just get you killed.

The cross-hairs of the scope steady as you hold your breath. Yet you wait, and wait, and wait. Your rifle might be nearly silent, but you want to make sure you remain unseen.

Sure enough, Diego comes back around and starts working another pass hard with his guns.

The sniper fires again, the round pinging off of the tail boom of the helicopter overhead.

The VSS might as well not make any noise with the racket going on, even if it wasn't suppressed it wouldn't be heard over the din.

A little plume of red mist as the heavy 9mm round crumples the sniper's skull in, leaving little of his head remaining. A clean, painless kill. The corpse slumps over it's large rifle, and you hope it remains unseen.

Not that you're about to stick around.

In a dead out hurry you swing back around the corner and dash across the rear of the sarcophagus yet again. This time coming up to the far corner and into another crouch as you peer around it.

Only now you see no one close by.

A rocket trails upwards toward Diego from behind a new looking armored truck, but veers off as Diego pops flares and veers hard. A few seconds later and he's peppering the launch area with .50cal seasoning.

The informant you spoke to earlier said there would be four gate guards, two of which were snipers. You've eliminated one and now can't see any more. Either the last sniper is hidden, got taken out by Diego, or is off somewhere else.

You stop to think for a moment as you catch your breath and keep looking. Still, it doesn't appear anyone is nearby.

>action?

>aww yeah, got home for zombie&witch time.

>>18455345
Diego is a big boy, he and his helicopter should be able to take care of himself. The fast we get the soul and get out the less time we have to deal with any of these child-rending chuckleheads.
make for the structure of the building instead of the outer Sarc', there should be doors and such aplenty.

They might be locked or welded, but that will be less semtex (or a superpunch) then trying t go right through the blocky Sarc' wall.

>>18455411
Conscription? What country?

I used to have an old Ranger that I used for offroading and it was a good little truck but broke down a lot more than my friends in Toyotas.

>>18455507
ah, keen.
Then the second part, Operation: Run, Jive-turkey, Run is a go?

>>18455519
Agreed. Speed is king this day. Advance on mission.

I don't want to make any moves until we can confirm the other sniper is out of the picture.

Look around for a possible sniper nest.

>>18455507
Gotta find that other sniper. He'll notice if we take out the other guards and then we're fucked.

>>18455527
Finland, used a year to learn how to protect a small batch of deep forests with a group of guys and a whole lot of explosives.
The trucks we used ran on baseless hopes and unheard prayers and broke down from time to time. Always fun to carry a mosquito an extra mile because of them.

Standing around kills Diego. Advance when there's no enemy in sight.

Just because you can't see the sniper doesn't mean he's not there. There are a few likely hide areas, places he would be well hidden. Unfortunately for him, you are packing quite a few explosives.

Using what you know, you quickly snatch up a block of Semtex and a wireless detonator. Shoving the detonator in, you make sure that it's armed and ready to rock, which makes you very uneasy considering that you are still holding onto it.

This block of death you shove into a mag pouch which you detach from the vest.

The nearest possible hide is only a good fifty yards from you, and you've got a pretty good arm, especially with the strength boost.

Meaning it is very easy to wing the explosives in a light underhand arc, and you watch it slowly descend until it bounces up against a pile of bricks.

Bricks that shift slightly.

Without a second more of hesitation you jam the switch in your hand and watch the pretty explosion for a second before ducking back behind the concrete to avoid any shrapnel.

"I need a smoke..." You complain after a second, before readying the AK in your hand and peeking around the building again. It doesn't seem like anyone's taken notice of you, or the explosion.

Likely because Diego is still cracking off hellfire rockets.

As quickly as you can without losing your situation awareness, you skirt around the building and head for the gate inside. It lies about a quarter of the building length away from you, and already you can see the imposing steel of the door and the large number pad on the side.

A number pad you unfortunately don't have the code to.

Skidding to a stop in front of the door, you think for just a brief second before drawing your fist back and letting loose.

"OW FUCK!" You exclaim as your hand bounces off the steel, leaving just a small dent.

[ ] Semtex

[ ] Powerup fist

>Something else?

In somewhat related, does anyone have somekind of a funk/groove playlist that anons could listen to?

>>18455611
I used to have a good friend from Finland but his family moved here before he had to do anything with the service.

I wish I had one of the RK rifles, I've heard they are a step above any other AK platform.

>>18455729
Semtex smushed into the first seam or edge found in the building's surface, a good 10 feet to one side of the door or the other?

>chancing that the hi-power super-door is stronger the the building it was retrofit into, so smarter to defeat the building itself?

And if it does not work, maybe it will make Sergei The Guard put down his gun (and girlie magazine) to open the door from the inside to check on that noise?
At which time he will get thomped in the face.

>>18455753
RK-95 is cool.

Powerfist

As if it was ever even in question.

>>18455750
http://vip.aersia.net/vip.swf

Semtex. Platinum is probably going to interfere in any power we can get.

>>18455729

Either way is going to be pretty noisy, I suggest Semtex as it doesn't ping their magic radar. I'd rather not alert them to a witch before we actually get the soul.

>>18455803
I was shopping for a valmet for a while before I bought my AR. .223 models run about a grand or more used, but the 7.62x39 models are incredibly hard to find and fetch 3k+ easily.

So I settled on an AR and now I'm on the hunt for an AK because I've got the itch.

>>18455881
>>18455753
The "jaegers can't shoot for shit-95"-version is a bit heavier, but has all the fun toys. I used the 62 version and I did buy the propaganda of it being the most accurate and reliable AK platform. no hinges or plastic to break, all the parts are made to fit. Just a well designed assault rifle which relies on the users ability to point at things and pull the trigger.

The only people that I know owning one of them are officers or ex-military. No one else is willing to pay the price for one. Kinda makes sense for them to use the same gun to play around as they use in work, though.

>>18455729
Don't know much about semtex.
If it's moldable, then make a door charge and bust in.

>>18455857
This. Don't forget, the place has so much platinum that Kiara can barely help us; we probably will only hurt our hand more trying to punch the door.

"Fuck you, door." You gripe as you dredge out another block of Semtex and get to rigging. Quickly. Getting shot in the back as you set up explosives isn't your idea of fun.

It takes a minute for you to get a good setup, shoving the explosives along the side so they will blow off the hinges.

After shoving in a detonator, you quickly back out to safety.

As Diego veers off to set up another pass, one of the Order soldiers on the ground takes notice of you, yelling something out in what you think is German.

"Time to get in there..." You mutter as you thumb the trigger and hear the muffled explosion through the bricks at your back.

More soldiers turn toward you, raising their rifles.

Rounds skitter and zip past you as you run, firing the AK over your shoulder to try to throw off their aim as you sprint all out for the hole in the structure.

You feel a hard slap in the back, against the plate of your armor, and run even harder. These guys aren't amateurs and as much as your back is now throbbing, you aren't about to give them an easier target.

Finally you make it inside the building.

"They're on to me!" You yell over your headset.

"Doing the best I can up here! Running low on rounds and I've only taken out one of their tanks. Getting a lot of chatter and I'm pretty sure the gunships have been dispatched. Better hurry up!"

Even as he says that, you hear the helicopter make another devastating pass, firing more than it has in the last few. He's trying to buy you some time.

"Fuck!" You quickly rig up a trip charge with the Semtex and place it low in the door frame. It would be incredibly obvious to anyone trained, but it might at least slow them down for a few seconds.

When you turn around to take a good look at the inside of the place, you can see only darkness. Good thing you brought along the NVGs...

>>18455993
STALKERing in darkness. Always a good idea. No monsters in here no monsters in here no monsters in here....

>>18455993
We C-Consciousness now.

Ripping them out of the pouch you'd stuffed them into, you hastily fasten them around your head and turn them on. They aren't a brand new set, maybe gen 2+ or early gen 3. Not terrible, but inside the building you are going to have to rely on the attached IR illumination a lot, with next to no ambient light.

You look around for a few seconds, eying the place up.

There are two sets of stairs, one leading up and another down. In addition there are a few other corridors that split off.

"Any idea which way to go?" You ask Kiara.

"None, but I wouldn't suggest up, counter-intuitive."

"Down it is, I guess."

You start making your way toward the stairs down, rifle raised and on your shoulder. The informant didn't mention any interior guards, but you aren't about to take chances.

Slowly you descend the rusted metal steps, which groan as they take your weight. The whole place seems to be falling apart, and you feel a very, VERY unwelcoming warmth.

"The radiation." Kiara muses.

Oh well that certainly makes you feel a whole lot better...

The air is musty and humid, only growing worse the deeper you go. You find yourself wishing you'd brought along some kind of mask, not trusting the air to be safe to breathe.

"I'm keeping you shielded from the worst of it, as much as I can with this much interference. I'll sort you out once we're through here, don't concern yourself with the..."

Something skitters in the darkness...

>action?

>>18456064
Shoot the fucker down

>>18456064
Don't give away our position find out what it was quietly and quickly

>>18456064

Apply all the dakka. If it ain't there, then proceed as planned.

>>18456064
Get low, and make like cpt. hook with your finger.

>>18456064
Keep moving, gun up. Try to source noise.

See what it is. If its at all cute, attempt to pet.

>>18456133
>/tg/ in a nutshell

>>18456064
Don't shoot until you have a target. If it can see us, we're already in deep shit until we can see it. But if it can't see us, shooting at sounds will just give our position away to anyone who cares to listen, including whatever the fuck that is.

>>18456137
Hey, furry companions from stalkerverse never hurt a quest.

Heart racing at formula 1 speeds, eyes as wide open as they perhaps have ever been, you freeze with the rifle raised at the ready.

In the dark quiet, all you can hear is the sound of your own heart thumping away, drowning out everything else.

Scanning quickly, ready for something to jump out at you from the darkness, your small area of vision finally rests upon a small rat.

"Oh fuck..." You sigh and almost begin to lower the rifle.

Until a clawed hand reaches out of a large crack in the wall and snatches up the rat, you hear it squeak for a moment before the noise is cut short.

"Fiends..." Kiara marvels.

"What??" You snap back in your mind, not wanting to give away your position.

"...Creatures, I guess I would call them. Attracted to large sources of magic, mutated if they stray too far or a source dries up."

"Dangerous?"

"Only if they get the drop on you."

Noting that, you slowly back away from the hole in the wall until you're a bit further down the hallway. There is no ambient light down here, and all you have to see with is the small circle of IR light through the goggles. This does nothing to quell your panic that there are monsters left in the world, and that they are down here with you.

You stop as you notice the hallway splits in two separate directions. Though your Russian isn't immaculate, its more than enough for you to read off the decrepit signs.

"Left - Reactor" Something comes after reactor but the text is too far gone to make out.

"Right - Control Room" You wonder if its the same control room that people were in when the place melted down.

>left/right?

>>18456258
>Left - Reactor
Lets make this fast

>>18456258
Right first, I'd say. Caution first. We don't know if that trailed off text was a warning, or what.

left
The control room on the right probably doesn't have power anyway.

>>18456258
Left, most probable place for the soul to be in.

And because any place with a load of old dead bodies is not a good place to be.

>>18456310
>dead bodies

Nah, the control room was rather safe. Since the reactor went Kablooee, it wasn't swathed in radiation.

...actually, if Reactor 4 wasn't being used to power Kiev, we should take a look at the control room. There might still be power to show what they were doing in there.

I was thinking about what is it that Kiara does to amuse herself inside our brain when we are Stalkering around in darkness.

"Huh, fiends...."
>Last night a dj saved my life~
>Last night a dj saved my life with a song~

>>18456258
>Fiends
>thanks for the gorram heads-up, lil'miss magical.

go right.
The Control Room should be clear of debris. Perhaps the original systems monitoring the Soul-Cask are still there.
>with a big button next to a spout labeled: Emergency Soul Release. Do Not Press

>>18456258
Control room.

Gonna be tough for the Order to follow us in here what with the radiation and all. Hopefully Diego has buggered off for now.

We've got time to look but not to linger.

"I'm not sure the control room would do us much good, this place doesn't seem to have any power." You tell Kiara silently.

"Just make it quick."

"Well I'm not one to keep a girl waiting..."

You start walking quickly down the dark hall, the walls seem to press in from all sides, a byproduct of having such tunnel vision with the goggles. The AK in your hands at the ready as you follow a few faded red arrows.

Something in an air duct moves above you, and you spin upwards, raising the rifle and holding your breath.

For a moment, nothing happens.

Until a grate drops to the floor, along with something else. Something almost alien in its form.

Long, spindly limbs covered in patches of putrid boils and splotches of dirty pale hair. Its eyes are beady, sunken and dark. The creature's mouth is human-like, but full of a handful of long and jagged, cavity-strewn teeth.

The fiend hisses for a second before being introduced to a burst of 5.45x39.

Thankfully the suppressor on the rifle does a good job of eliminating muzzle flash, so you aren't blinded by your own goggles down in this decaying hall.

The creature buckles under the salvo, blood erupting as puncture wounds adorn its chest. With a gurgle, it falls backwards.

Which is when you notice the flash of metal, and see the grimy necklace hanging around the limp corpse.

"They were... Human?" You ask, mouth agape.

"Once, but no more." Kiara tells you, "We don't have time, keep moving!"

You prod the fiend with your foot, and it makes no movement, clearly dead. That doesn't put you at ease at all.

Still, you don't have time to gawk.

>>18456388
>>18456386
>more votes the second I post

lol... Should I rewrite or keep going?

>>18456403
keep going

>>18456403
Eh I'm alright with reactor.

Kiara seems to be in a hurry.

>>18456403
Keep going. Who knows what might happen if we turn our backs now.

>inb4 Kiara turns on us when she gets her soul
>inb4 we survive being cut of from her life support via fluke
>inb4 Bleeding Sword Quest

>>18456384
I was trying to find something I wanted to listen to, thanks!

Did you just draw that?

>>18456403
Whichever one lets us get one of these things as a pet faster.

>>18456403
>aww, heck, keep going.
>the worst that that could happen is tripping in the dark, falling into a watery pit and pinning ourselves to the floor on jagged wreckage that starts to collapse onto us as we struggle.

>>18456403
I dunno, keep going but say something like "You know, lets check that out anyways"?

>>18456428
Drew it a bit earlier today. Made some minor, invisible tweaks now.

I just browse youtube for fever 105 and everything related when reading this.

Down the hallway you keep going, sweeping the rifle around and wishing you didn't have to rely on the goggles, because they don't do as much as you'd like.

As quietly as you can, you ease out the half-empty magazine and exchange it for a full one.

"If we don't find anything soon, I'm turning around for the control room."

You can hear something now, what sounds like a quiet ringing, almost as if your ears...

"It isn't your ears, its a sound."

"Any idea what?"

"None."

Inching forward now, the air seems to be growing less damp, warmer even.

There also seems to be a light coming from a doorway splitting off of the hall. The closer you get, the brighter your goggles become until you are forced to remove them.

The rusted metal door is open only a crack, and you peer through it into a large expanse beyond. The area ramps down quite rapidly, and in the distance you can hear the whine, the ringing growing louder the closer you get.

"Seems like something still works down here..." You muse, trying to see more without moving the door. The hinges are quite rusted, it may not open quietly...

>Action? Try for stealth? Dynamic entry?

>>18456494
Dynamic entry. If there is anyone in there, they likely already know something is up and will be alert, being stealthy may end up losing us the initiative.

>>18456494
dynamic entry
with all the bullshit going on up top anyone important down here knows what's going on

>>18456494
Mostly-dynamic entry.
Rusted up hinges can Whiiiiiiiine and squeal if you pull slowly but can sometimes open quickly with a simple pop of surface rust.

>>18456498
Amendment, dynamic entry, but place semtex further along the wall, blow it just before we go in to draw attention.

A wall suddenly disintegrating is likely to turn a few heads.

>>18456494
Dynamic entry!
Booyashacka boom everything until soul is acquired.

>>18456471
Is that Last? I like the hair.

Song makes me want to play GTA again, might have to buy it for Android and play it at work. Going to be pretty weird being a criminal mastermind while riding around in an armored car...

>>18456523
Or bring the ceiling down on us. Dynamic entry, hold the bombs.

>>18456494
Dynamic entry

>>18456530
Last? Nah, Kiara. I just have this thing of drawing every face masculine. Never found a good way of doing a quick, beautiful female face.

>>18456556
I'm suggesting it so as to draw attention away from the door.

If they know people are coming, they will be watching entrances.

If we burst in whilst guns are trained on the door our day will get more than a little bit worse.
Sudden explosion will draw attention away from us as we burst in.

Dynamic entry!

Stealthy Dynamic entry. Btw Papa, just found time to use your fishing tip that you gave me almost 2 months ago. Caught a 45 pound Red Snapper.

>>18456582
This deep in the horribly contaminated reactor area is not a place where you have some guards just sitting around. Not even zealots.

You've had enough of sneaking around, and Diego is likely ready to go. You guess he's running very low on munitions now, and you hope he managed to either bug out or take out the gunships. If he died here, you'd never forgive yourself.

Thankfully he had packed the vest he'd given you with a few... Goodies. Namely a few flashbang grenades, one of which you slide out of it's pocket and ready.

You're only going to get one shot at this, but in a large room, the effectiveness of the grenade won't be as pronounced.

Wrenching the door open as much as you need it, you wing the grenade hard. The metal cylinder bounces along the concrete beneath it, but you don't watch. A second later, you hear it go off and fly into action.

Through the door and into the room, rifle raised, adrenaline pumping hard.

A soldier, having dropped his rifle, is blinking rapidly and holding his hands to his head. You give him a quick burst before turning to another. This one tries to raise his own weapon, but too late. A final round punctures his neck and he drops to the floor, hard.

And this is why flashbangs and other grenades are invented. For dynamic entries. Hopefully we learned something from this.

The rhythmic thumping of a heavy machine gun is magnified by the thick walls, and you dive for cover behind an imposing pipe. The shots stop for just a moment, long enough for you to duck out and send a 30mm downrange.

The small grenade is effective enough, exploding just short of the gunner but close enough to send him and the gun backwards. He doesn't move after hitting the ground.

You approach just to make sure, rifle trained on the guard's chest. Its no wonder you were faster than them, they are weighed down by some heavy anti-radiation gear.

Sweeping the area again, you don't see anyone else, thankfully.

You take a few deep breaths to try to slow your heart down and check again before changing out for a fresh mag and placing another grenade in the tube.

"Nice work..." Kiara muses.

"I had a good teacher." You figure its safe enough down here and light up a cigarette, "Any idea which way to go now, "Wrecker of Homeless Shelters"? Or am I on my own here?"

"...Follow the pipes, and quit being annoying."

>field too long
>field too long
>field too long

>>18456653
>>18456651
My murmur was unfound. Diego is the man.

>>18456615
>45lb red snapper

Hot damn, that's a nice one! All I have left in the freezer is some grouper, a few hogfish filets, and some yellowtail.

What tip did I give you? I remember talking fishing in a HLQ thread.

>aside from the vorefishrapegoddess

>>18456664
I think we earn the right to be annoying by retrieving her soul. Or she loses the right to complain.

>>18456683
It was use live bait, not frozen. A shrimp trap got caught up on one of my mangrove trees a couple weeks ago and so I thought I'd give catching my own bait a try. Anyway, to make a long story short, caught a nice crop of shrimp, got my fishing line out, and, about a half our later, I got a massive yank on my rod. Lemme tell you, it was one hell of a fight landing that one. I still have the blisters on my palms.

>>18456743
I just realized what a massive double entendre the sport of fishing is.

What's in those pipes?
>All the nightmares

Stalkers gonna stalker and just grab the witch soul artifact, gtfo and be happy that he is alive.

>>18456752
There are plenty of fish in the sea.

>>18456664
Follow those pipes, listen to she who haunts suburban thoroughfares.

"Follow the pipes, eh? Well hold onto your butts.."

You smirk at Kiara's sigh and keep going. Sure enough, the pipes all do appear to be heading a single direction. Quite massive pipes, you wonder if they have an inside platinum layer. They certainly would be large enough in diameter.

Keeping your rifle at the ready as you continue to walk, you notice the floor continuing to slant down, taking you deeper and deeper underground.

You get the impression this is no longer a part of the reactor itself.

Thankfully the lights here work, you don't fancy another go with the goggles and the fiends and the pants shitting scenes right out of a horror film.

Though the scenery around you looks like its right out of a bad science fiction horror flick.

Large, old computer terminal line the walls. Humming, lights still flicking and such. You figure those have been here since the place was built.

The whine is growing louder the more you walk, making you wince a bit as it grates on your eardrums.

You stuff a .357sig cartridge in each one to try to quiet the sound, with mild success.

Slowly rounding another corner, weapon raised, you pause at what you see before you.

An old man, long grey beard and wrinkled dark face. He's sitting atop a decrepit wooden chair, his eyes fixed upon you. Weirder still is the gleaming armor adorning him, shiny even down here, and the broadsword and tower shield beside him.

He gives you a small wave, his face emotionless.

"Any idea who he is?"

No response.

"Kiara?"

"No good down here, lad. The platinum here is strong, it keeps the witch at bay." He gestures up and you see now that the entire ceiling is gleaming metal, as are several dozen support struts.

>talk/question/action?

>>18456780
Well, since your first action wasn't trying to kill me, there's no reason we can't be civil now is there?

I'm sure you've at least somewhat guessed why I'm down here, anything you wish to share or ask?

>>18456780
>using cartridges as earplugs

GREAT IDEA, LAST

>>18456743
Nice, glad it worked out for you. That is a whopper of a snapper, and the reds are some of the best eating there is. Live bait works wonders on the older/larger ones.

Speared a nice mutton when I was down in the Keys over Xmas. Bull sharks thought I was a tourist and tried to bully me out of it. They didn't expect me to get stabby, I don't give up my fish for anything less than a big Hammer/Tiger.

>>18456789
Because I'm too lazy to make my own post, this.

>>18456789
Pretty much this.

Anything else in the room? Any obvious storage unit?

Though I have a suspicion that he is what is storing it, soul bound to him, keeping him alive, keeping the soul trapped etc etc.

>>18456780
Talk to the old man, he probably can take our head off quickly if he has a mind to and I'd rather not bet our life on that, also he started by trying to talk which is new and different. Also he's been here for N years without getting radiated to death, he isn't normal.

Ask how long he has stood vigil here. Be honest, our purpose is to free Kiara and to return her to life both for our own life and for hers. When he tells us we are releasing an evil into the world tell him we'll spend the rest of our life keeping an eye on her and keeping her on something resembling the straight and narrow.

Cap his ass. On't stop firing until he has more holes in him than the end of mass effect 3.

rolled 72 = 72

>>18456828
That's a lot holes.

But nah, lets try talking first then capping later if needed.

>>18456780
Unlikely that he's about to let us walk out of here with a witch in our head and a shiny new soul, but hey it's worth asking.

Were in a hurry so we should press on as quickly as possible. Most likely the old man is kind of a big boss around here, so I don't believe we can convince him to change his baby and child rending ways in minutes.

>>18456797
Good man. It tasted great. Think I still have some in my freezer, if my friends haven't eaten it all. I remember a couple of years ago, I fell off of my dock, and hit what felt like sandpaper with my feet. Looked down, saw a grey head, and flipped out. Turns out it was only a 2 foot nurse shark, but I grabbed that thing by the tail and tossed it what must have been a good 10 yards.

>>18456797
Now the image of what i guess to be papa fighting sharks with one hand while reeling in a sea monster with the other is seared into my mind.

"You haven't tried to kill me, yet at least. That's new." You say, lowering your weapon but only slightly, still at the ready.

The old man laughs, which fills the small room, before shaking his head.

"I'm no young pup, lad. My days of crusading for my god are long past, I'm afraid. No, now I prefer to let my old bones rest." He nonetheless slides the sword in front of him, resting his hands upon the pommel as he frowns.

"That isn't to say I'm about to let you go about with this." He gestures to a small platinum door behind him.

"So you know why I'm here, then?" You ask, hoping your bullets will do something if it comes to that.

"Why you're here? Why you've been lead here by an ancient being, hellbent on piecing herself back together?" The old man chuckles again.

"No lad, you are here only as a vessel. You are not the one I'm concerned with, a poor man led astray." He stands up, rising to quite an impressive height as he stares.

"You think she's been controlling me this whole time? I've had my free will, old man. I've chosen to come this far of my own accord."

"Have you, now?" His bushy eyebrows raise.

"She give you a fair bargain, did she? A level field? I think not, lad, that isn't how she works. There's a reason we rended her, swifted her parts away in hopes she would never be whole again."

The old man stares at your head, as though addressing her instead of you.

"A witch capable of ending empires, of leveling cities to ash and unleashing plagues the likes of which you've had the fortune to have never born witness to? She's had you in her palm this whole time, you just haven't wanted to see that."

>question/talk/action?

Talk more but if he comes any closer put a 30 mm in him.

>>18456960
Yep, he ain't gonna repent his rending ways.
He believes in his own version of the world order.
Booashacka boom him out of the way.

>>18456960
"Why should I throw away everything I know about her just because you say so? As far as I'm concerned you're trying to use me."

>>18456873
Should have tossed it back onto land, Nurses are pretty good eating if you're into sharks. Bitch to clean, though.

>>18456905
Nah, more like stabbing them in the gills with my spear so they get the hint that I'm as much of a predator as they are and I'm not giving up my catch. Bulls are annoying, and they never show up alone.

>>18456960
"Considering it was either serving her or going back to being dead? Yeah, I'd say I got a fair bargain.

"YOU people, on the other hand, have done NOTHING but try to kill me at every turn, even without the knowledge of who she is. I know for a fucking fact who my friends are and who my enemies are."

>>18456960
A human being who was used and abused, fighting to free herself of those who wanted her for nothing but the power she held.

I can spin propaganda too old man, the real question is why you think the destruction of innocents is the good choice, the proper choice or even the necessary choice.

Rending infants? I'd fight against your organization had I known about it regardless of the passenger I carry around with me.

"If that were true, then why would she have bound herself to me forever? She isn't as evil as you make her out to be."

>>18456960
Talk, I'd rather convince him if at all possible.

I'm quite aware that I have Kiara, She Who Kicks Puppies on Tuesdays, inside my noggin. I'm also rather aware that due to shitty ass circumstances our lives are stuck together and that helping her is the only way to help myself. We're pretty much stuck together for good at this point and she's good company and seems to like Funk.

I somehow doubt that anyone in your order has seen the inside of her like I have. You haven't seen the pain she's been through, the countless generations trying to use her and hunt her. So on one side I have a scared girl who has lashed out over millenia and on the other I have people who have spend the last few weeks trying to kill me, take little girls from their homes and tear them apart oh and are secretly trying to run the world.

You know, irrespective of how the order acts, there is nothing saying he can't be right.
It is plausible that kiara was putting on an act.
She's been around long enough to learn how to manipulate people.

Not saying I think she has been, but it's just a thought.

Why are we talking?
Our friend and extraction is probably out of munitions by now and he's gonna be proper fucked if we don't get the soul and get out. Not to mention the fact that we're probably on a personal timer before we rot to dust.

Not to mention the fact that we're trying to convince a religious & old (that pretty much means double stubborn) man that his ways are wrong?

Hell no.

Respond with a fullauto unload into his chest. This fucking dude is the head of the local kidnapping, torturing, soul-reading motherfucker club, and he didn't get that way by not kidnapping, torturing or soul-rending. End this fool before he shows us why he thinks he can stand up to an assault rifle in plate armour with a sword.

>>18457060
Also the old man could just be trying to stall us to give the other more time to catch up with us.

>>18457060
True. But she hasn't been trying to kill us with rended baby souls yet. That gives her some extra credibility over the order.

>>18457040
>trying

No they're pretty much running it at this point.

Either way yeah let's give him the explanashuns

>>18457060
Not like we have a choice at this point, even if they can and would be inclined to remove the witch from his head without killing Last, he's still a loose end.

And Lastly if we can kidnap him and keep him alive long enough for Kiara to pick his brain then we would have a great advantage.

What ever we say lets start walking towards the door.

Tick tock, Diego in danger, Kiara in danger, we're in danger and old render fundamentalist in our way. Shoot him with a grenade to be sure and to end his kidnapping, child-murdering life quickly.

"She brought me back from the dead, seems like a fair bargain to me." You glare.

"Ah, well I suppose a dying man might take such a deal. I cannot blame you for doing so, lad. However I can't allow you to leave here, not with her."

"You refer to her as a human, but you aren't willing to give that to her? She never wanted any of this, it was forced upon her and she acted. She's more human than you know."

"Think you know her better than me, eh? How long have you known her, lad? A year? Two? I hunted her for over a century until I finally had her. Have you ever seen what a plague does to a town, lad? To a family?"

"No, but that doesn't have anything to do with this." You glare.

"Doesn't it? I have, boy. I've seen what she's capable of, the towns she's turned to prisons of bleeding, rot, and slow death. You think she's some kind of benevolent being? Something content in watching idly as the ages pass? She's nothing like that, lad, not Ruin. No, she thrives on creating havoc."

Do we still have some flashbangs?
Should do the trick in an underground concrete(?) room lined with shiny metals.

"And I'm supposed to believe YOU of all people? The same group that rounds up infants in the night and rips them apart? The same group trying to kill me now? At your best you are lower than her worst." Your finger hovers an inch over the trigger, ready if need be.

"You know little of witches, lad. Little of what they are capable of. There is more to all of this than our religion." He hefts his sword, and despite looking like he's far past being past his prime, you can tell there is plenty of strength left in those hands.

"If it comes to that, I'll stop her myself." You spit angrily.

The old man tosses his head back and roars with laughter at your words.

"Will you, eh? Think she can't just make you dance about like a puppet on a string if she wants? No lad, you have no control here."

>talk/question/action? Anything I've missed?

[ ] Open fire

[ ] Keep talking

>?

>>18457149
"As do I."

Noob-toob to the face. Fuck your spiel, Renegade Interrupt time.

I know shes no saint, shes done awful, horrible things and caused the death of more then I can dream of. But you know what? At least she hasn't spent the last several hundred years taking little girls and boys and killing them just for being born different. If she is free I know that she will do everything in her power to end that.

>>18457156
[x] keep talking

>>18457134
No we should kidnap him and as soon as we are free of the platinum have despoiler of cake rip all the order procedure and capabilities from his head.

>>18457156
well, It looks like you aren't going to let me out of here alive, and my ride's waiting sorry I ha- *interrupt with gunfire* -ve to do this old man.

"She can't kill me because I am bound to her. "

Open fire.

>>18457156
Open fire. We've heard enough. He's just going to keep talking down to us about YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW ABOUT THESE WITCHES, BRO.

>>18457173
That ain't happening.

Keep talkin'. Give him a minute to either let us through or make a move and then shoot 'im.

>>18457156
Right, he armed himself with a sword and says that we have no choice here.

Apply grenade directly to the forehead.

>chasov fkill
Yes, captcha. Kill hours stroke now.

>>18457192
Yes she can, if she stops feeding us magic we die. She can just possess someone else.

>>18457156
I will spend the rest of my life keeping her in check if need be and should it come to it I will encase myself in platinum and jump into the Mariana Trench.

Your vigil has come to an end noble warrior and mine will begin, you know these are my words and mine alone, she can have no influence over me within these walls.

Just kill him

>>18457156
Open fire, we don't have time for this shit.

>>18457204
Trying to help him understand would be fine if we weren't responsible for Diegos and Kiaras lives here. The old man is just buying time. There were at least 50+ infantry around this place. No way they aren't going to add 2+2.

Shoot the fucker

I'm the only curious how Grandpa is seemingly hunting Kiara for over a century?

ya time is of the essence, we're trying to convince a man who devoted his LIFE to this cause. No way are we changing it now. Apologize. Then kill him

>>18457288
You're not, it makes me think he may be another one of these immortals who are used by the order.

"I hope you won't think ill of me for trying to hurry this up then. Much as I'd like to spend all day talking and trying to convince you, there are people I care about risking their lives to give me this chance."

>>18457288
Nope. But we don't really have time to dig any deeper.

>>18457288
Well he's at least 400 I think years old and doesn't seem to mind radiation. Also his mojo isn't fucked with by Platinum, a different magic source, maybe faith based or just immortal but in a very different way from a witch.

>story atomic

Yes captcha, we are telling a story in a nuclear reactor, how did you know?

"I'm no puppet, and I know she's no saint, but neither am I. Even if you're right, even if she destroys your Order, at least than you won't be free to hunt helpless children."

You raise your rifle, drawing a bead.

"No old man, we're through here, I've heard enough."

"Have you? Willing to risk the world on your fool's errand? To let loose the very being capable of dooming us all?" He twirls the sword in his hand.

"So be it. You can try." He shrugs, presenting his chest for you.

The AK erupts in your grasp, spewing forth a torrent of 5.45. The rounds find their target, ripping into the man's torso as he just stands there.

The chamber closes once more, and the hammer falls on an empty magazine.

"Quite done?" He asks, hefting his sword and shield and starting to walk toward you.

*thunk*

The 30mm grenade launches out with little more than a loud cough, and impacts brilliantly right on his upper torso. You see stretches of skin fly off, blood and chunks of his armor.

"I hunted down the one inside your mind, boy. You think you can do anything to harm me?"

The smoke clears, and already you can see the skeletal head with its charred black beard beginning to regenerate.

Well if you can't just kill him...

You quickly unsling the SMAW, point it right at the ceiling above him, and depress the trigger.

The rocket sails out, barely clearing its minimum arming distance, before impacting the platinum above.

For a moment, nothing happens. Until the secondary explosion triggers.

A pile of concrete, steel, and platinum falls to the ground with a deafening noise. You don't stop to admire it, already loading another tube and aiming right for the platinum door on the wall. The rocket blasts it open easily.

A skeletal hand, clad in crushed armor, begins trying to clear the debris from above it. Old fucker is tough.

>action?

>>18457362
Blow the door, get her soul.
If the door is amde of platinum, we amy be unable to touch it.

>>18457362
let's just try to free Kiara

>>18457362
We don't have a chance in hell of taking him out without Kiara's soul, but we've delayed him, run like the hell to where the soul is, waste no time, if it seems like he's getting up to follow us blow another ceiling down. But get to Kiara's soul, blow doors, punch them open all that.

>>18457356
Drop a load of semtek in him, that should either kill him outright or slow him down long enough to get through the door behind him.

Run past, to the reactor.

We need to bust it open, we can come back and falcon punch him with Kiara when she is back to full power.

>>18457356
Drop some semtex and run past him. Keep him hobbled till we can reach the goal.

>>18457371
Derp, missed the part where we had already blown the door.

Get her soul. Possibly doom the world. Escape to the sound of a funky beat.

>>18457362
Time to embrace our inner Kenyan and use our Nigerian strides to get to that fucking door.

Hand him a grenade charge as you sprint towards the door. Or a satchel.

>God damn immortals.

>>18457362
another semtex+ammo explosive then break for the soul

>>18457393
>Kenyan
>Nigerian
You do realize that these are two separate countries in Africa, right? One touches the Atlantic, the other touches the Pacific. They're on opposite sides of the continent.

>>18457431
Last Kapernieks, the son of russian druglord, immortal zombie, host to an ancient witch, holder of the inner kenyan spirit, master of the nigerian stride and lover of FUNK.

>>18457431
>All the way across Africa.
That explains why people from there run so fast now doesn't it?

You think for a moment about trying out a few more rockets to see if you can put Grandpa down, but it doesn't seem worth the hassle, not right now. Not with Diego possibly out of ammo and still trying to buy you time.

"I'll deal with you later you old fuck..." You growl, kicking the hand, which sends a few digits flying off.

Instead, you put on the heat as you sprint through the door you just opened up. A long corridor, platinum lining each wall. You wonder if perhaps the container holding her soul is that thick of pure platinum, but you don't dwell on it.

Another door at the end of it, this one takes two rockets easily, and your last brick of Semtex. Finally, the giant hinges weakened enough, you kick it inward and enter.

The room is surprisingly not dark, a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling by a long cord. The insides of the room, however, are scorched black.

You can see claw marks that dig into the platinum, some at least several inches deep. There are craters everywhere, in the floor, the ceiling...

Chunks of platinum litter the ground underfoot, and you have to tread carefully to avoid tripping on some of the larger ones.

The whine in here is incredible, your hands clamped down over your ears and still it does nothing to muffle it.

That's when you see it, there in the corner, an untouched corner of still shiny platinum.

A small, black, thin thing is all it is. No larger than Sarna, smaller even. A moving shadow.

It seems to be watching you.

"Kiara?"

Still no response, but the head of the dark mass tilts slightly at the word, as though watching you.

>action?

>>18457502
Dive in.

>>18457502
Touch the shadow

>>18457502
Perhaps the soul and mind can't communicate?

"I have your mind in my head kiara, i'm here to get you out"
Slowly walk towards it.

>>18457502
Kiara, Lady of the Grove, I have come to free you from this prison. Stretch our hand out to meet its hand.

>>18457502
Well what are you waiting for? Get in my head.

In for a penny, in for a pound.

Touch it.

>>18457502
Extend your hand outward towards it in a sign of peace and approach slowly.

if you get close enough gently take its hand and start leading it out.

>>18457502
i have your mind. come with me if you want to live again.

"Come. It's time to finally leave."

Grab the soul of Kiara in princess carry and skedaddle. Run like hell to someplace with no platinum and where Kiara can do her thing. Kick the old man again for the fact that he must have done something horrible to gain immortality. Drank virgin witch blood or something, that bugger.

>>18457615
When you can feel your am
And have a good time
Just step right up
Hurry hurry hurry
To the fire light

Act like you know
This is your way to shine
Act like you know
Theres only stars in the firelight
Act like you know
Where the thugs are real
Act like you know
Start kicking up your heels~

"Easy there, I'm a friend." You say to the shadow, its head tilting the other direction.

You had expected something more impressive than a shadow, its throwing you off a bit...

Slowly you approach, holding out your hands in your best friendly demeanor. Hoping it doesn't rage out and scorch you like it seems to have done to the walls.

"I've got your mind, right inside my head." You tell it, standing close now.

Slowly, ever so slowly, you extend out a hand. The shadow raises one of it's own to meet it, a single finger extended. It pulls back for a moment, as though cautious.

"Relax, just trying to help..." You say soothingly.

The next moment, the shadow leaps up from the ground, jumps into the air, and wraps its hands around you.

For a moment, nothing.

The next, the shadow itself is boring into you, seeping inside of your flesh. It isn't painful, but it feels pretty god damn bizarre. You flinch at the cold feeling, hoping this is all going according to plan.

After a few seconds, you are standing alone inside the small room.

"That's it?" You ponder.

Until something lurches right out of your head, it feels as though your skull is being split apart. You howl in pain and drop to the ground, grabbing at your head as though trying to hold it together, to prevent it from being split open. It feels as though it goes on for an eternity, agonizing, until all at once it ceases.

"Do stand up, mortal. I'd prefer not to dwell here any longer."

You look up, squinted eyes and gritted teeth, hoping the pain doesn't return.

Kiara stands before you, or floats, as you notice her feet don't appear to touch the ground beneath. Her hair floats as well, whipping about as though in a fierce gale. Purple eyes glow quite vibrantly now.

>>18457664
And now for the flashy escape.

Diego had better not have died on us.

>>18457664
Hey there, hows it feel to have your soul back, oh and call me by my name.

Dynamic running away!

>>18457664
"I do have a name you know"

Time to skedaddle.

>>18457718
This.
We've gotten her soul back, I think we've earned a little respect at least.

>>18457664
so you got more soul for our funk. let's jam.

>>18457664
Time to leave, but on the way out make sure to remind her that there is an immortal knight waiting for us at the end of the corridor.

Last is all okay, oh madam of bellowing war ukuleles.
Didn't really think that getting Kiaras soul back would actually bring more pain. Wonder what fun it will be to find her corpse.

"...So you're a ghost now?"

"Shut up, we need to get out of here." She frowns, and this time you can see it instead of just sense it.

She extends out a hand, and for a second you wonder why. Until she snatches up your own and pulls you to your feet.

"Wait, wat?"

"I'm not so powerless now, mortal. Nor am I confined to the admittedly spacious confines of your mind." She smirks.

"Great, lets get the fuck out of here. Also, not as dumb as you keep implying."

"So you say..." The flash of a small smile?

"Also I have a name."

"So you do, mortal."

"..." You frown and fold your arms, but only for a moment. You know you have to get out of here, back to Diego before things end up badly.

Turning back to the door you entered from, you start into a run, Kiara floating along behind you.

"Who is that?" You ask, gesturing down to the rubble pile and the skeletal hand still trying to clear the rubble.

"An old fool." Kiara retorts.

You keep sprinting hard, which is easier without as much explosive ordinance. Kiara doesn't seem to have any trouble keeping up, floating beside you on her back as though bored.

"This as fast as you can go? Lets see..." She looks over and yawns.

Instantly you feel your feet pick up, and you nearly slam headlong into the far wall before skidding to a stop. You'd insert some witty comment about being magicked into the Flash if you weren't in such a hurry.

Your headset finally picks up a message, obscured in static.

"Bing...fuel...amm...got...move!" Diego is shouting, you can tell that much.

>>18457802
Start yelling into the radio as you run, tell Diego to clear out that we'll make our own extraction.

>>18457802
Mission acomplished, scram!

>>18457802
Time to go fast.

>>18457802
Tell Diego to get the fuck out of dodge, we got what we came for. Quick escape, give some of the new magic we have access to a test drive if need be, super reflexes to shoot ten people a second, collapsing the ground under tanks and so on. But our priority is to get the fuck out of this joint.

Diego's alive!
...

GET TO THE CHOPPAAAAAAR!

>>18457802
Tell Diego we got the soul and we wont need his support.

"I'm on my way! Bug out, I can handle it from here!" You shout into the mic, hoping he can pick up the transmission, you keep repeating it.

With new magic boosted speed, you reach the darkness and nearly grab out your NVGs.

"Little need for that."

Kiara simply lights the walls on fire, illuminating everything in front of you, as well as catching several fiends alight. They scream and dart in different directions, batting at the flames.

"I thought platinum dampened your abilities..."

"It DOES." She retorts.

Swiftly you clear the stairs, feet barely seeming to touch them. The metal gives out on several of the steps, but you are already past them by then.

You run and run until finally you clear the last door.

Completely forgetting the trip wire you'd setup.

The explosion triggers behind you, collapsing the doorway of the sarcophagus, but you're already well past it and into the open air.

The air, you notice, that is absent a helicopter.

>>18457898
its time to ruin someones day.

>>18457898
Let loose, I bet Kiara has some serious anger to work out and not has a soul full of destruction. Lets get some tactical retreat action going leaving a swatch of pain behind us.

Suddenly, everyones powerhungry.
Get away without killing needlessly, get to the chopper and protect chopper from enemy aircrafts. Diego and we need to get somewhere that is not Europe.

>>18457898
Call Diego and find out if he got out or needs saving.

Time to punch some tanks either way I think.

Get Kiara to scan the area for Diego.

If he isn't here, run away. Otherwise, rush to rescue him.

>>18457898
no more platinum slowing us down

GOTTA GO FAST

>>18457929
Indeed, letting loose may not be the best of options.

So, now we have an ultra powerful witch-ghost at our side. What happens next? I'm getting the feeling this quest would have taken an extremely different turn if we'd gone after 3 Mile Island or Hoover Dam first.

>>18457898
>GET TO THE CHOPPA
>There is no choppa.
>mfw

>>18457987
Kiara could get drunk on power and we have to come up with some way of dealing with it?

Which might explain why he's sitting on a rubble pile, fiddling with a small package.

"Was wondering when you would show up, got pretty damn boring out here." Diego says, taking a bite out of the protein bar as he stands back up beside the silent littlebird.

"You bastard..." You glare.

"Not my fault, ran out of fuel, tank got punctured." He jerks a thumb back at the helicopter and it's still rotors.

He doesn't mention anything about Kiara floating above you.

"Can you see her?" You ask, pointing up.

"Who? I don't see anything." Diego frowns.

Looking around, you notice six blown out tanks and at least fifty corpses, most barely recognizable from being hit hard by very large rounds.

"We would do well to leave here, more will surely be on the way." Kiara sighs, before floating over to the helicopter and blowing lightly on the rotors.

Which suddenly activate at almost full power, nearly lifting the craft off of the ground.

"Holy shit!?" Diego jumps up, turning back to look at his craft.

"Witchy woman says its time to go, its time to go." You shrug and slide into the passenger side.

Diego thinks for a moment, tosses his snack aside, and climbs into the helicopter. He tests the controls for a moment, finding them quite responsive despite the fuel gauge reading zero.

"Even the electronics work..." He shakes his head, "Magic, eh?"

>>18457987
We'd probably have found some documents in an office that said something to the effect of 'SHE IS IN PRIPYAT YOU HALFWIT' and ended up here anyway after a little while.

And the Order still has untold resources and powerful witches/hunters of its own. They took her on at full strength centuries ago and now she's only at 2/3 and they are even more powerful. We still gotta stay in hiding, but right now we have the chance to go all out in a fight.

>action? Head back for the Hercules? Find a different way out of here?

>>18458023
>Looking around, you notice six blown out tanks and at least fifty corpses, most barely recognizable from being hit hard by very large rounds.

so we have confirmation that dad and diego are former PCs and our boy is just picking up the scraps in a sequel campaign?

>>18458023
Well the guys at the Hercules aren't exactly our friends anymore.

Get clear of here, out into the Zone and call dad via satphone chain to secure transport to the states.

Also holy shit Diego wiped everyone like a fucking boss.

>>18458047
Hercules is probably the easiest available nondescript way out. Lets do that.

>>18458047
Go get the Hercules back, it's kind of an expensive aircraft for civilians, even if they own a seemingly infinite drug empire, so we should get it back to our dad.

>>18458047
I don't trust the Hercules currently, people know about it and there might be people wondering about us waiting there.

Also we need to find her body and we might want to start in Europe rather than going back to the Americas. Ask Kiara if she has any clue where they would keep her body or keep records on where they are. Also I wouldn't mind seeing the library of Alexandria.

>>18458047
Back to hercules, get out of Europe.

Go back to the Hercules but be careful and look around the airfield to make sure we aren't being watched.

>>18458023
Guys, I don't like this. At all. Wasn't he struggling last we heard bout him? And where are those enemy helos? Shouldn't they be here already? I really don't like this. Not to say we don't trust Diego, but fuck, this is suspicious.

Hercules still needs to be get out of here. It's a lead to our father and we don't want them to find about him.

Gain connection to Kenji Jensen and ask for more info. If something points to europe, stay and investigate. Otherwise hop in to the Hercules with Diego and return back home.

>She can run the helicopter by magic.

We have to go back to the states and talk her into tuning the 'Cuda

>>18458160
He probably shot them down and was trolling us. Diego's the kind of person who would probably die under torture before betraying us or our father. Still, you do have a point.

The chopper back in the sky, Diego pushes it hard and it responds well.

"Better than when it actually worked for real..." He just raises an eyebrow and slowly shakes his head.

"What was with the panic message anyways?"

"That? Was getting bored waiting for you. Already downed an entire MRE, didn't want more to show up while I was grounded, either. Made you hurry up, didn't it?" He smirks.

"You're an asshole..." You can't help but chuckle along as he does.

"So where are we headed?" He finally asks.

"Back to the plane, I guess. Dad would probably be pissed if we didn't bring it back."

"He just got backstabbed by some guys he paid, and who he thought was a friend, he's already going to be pissed off..." Diego shrugs.

"Right. Well, we for sure need to get the plane back, then."

The helicopter ride back to the airfield is far faster then the ride out from it, the little chopper cooking along on pure magic.

Which means you get to see the airfield lined with Zeus guns and at least forty or so men, all armed to the teeth, several with MANPADS of varying makes.

"Looks like the LZ is hot, damn hot." Diego says, backing off as a jet of tracers arc into the sky.

>action?

>Was getting bored waiting for you.
>>18458209
Called it.

>>18458214
"Hey Kiara? What say you to using these sons of bitches who stabbed you in the back to exercise the old powers?"

>>18458214
Kiara could maybe do some crowd control, no fire just blow em away.

>>18458214
Kiara, anything you can do about the shilka's?

>>18458214
We fire a little of what we got right back at them. Then shove the heilo right into them while bailing from it using little witch here to assist us in our dynamic entry. She'll also soften our land.

>>18458214
Bug the fuck out, we'll find and alternate way out. Have Kiara do hard to notice protective stuff to keep us from getting harmed but so no one knows we have a magic girl in our head, I'd rather not tip our hand just yet.

Also I told you guys to not go back to the Hercules.

>>18458214
Still got plenty of ammo for that sniper rifle, right? shame to waste fuel in the herc bringing it all back.

>>18458214
can kiara pacify them without killing them? We've offed enough people today and a pile of dead bodies would give the sword a trail to follow

>>18458214


Burn it, burn it all to fucking ashes! Unleash fire and hell and let the remains be disposed of by the gentle european winds.

Let's test her true power. See if she can wipe them all out.

Kiara, these guys more of the Order? If so lets take them out. Otherwise we skedaddle. We aren't here to cause a war between our old man and others. thats up to him.

>>18458214
Dip the fuck out and find alternate transport

>>18458247
>>18458243
>>18458242
>Using Kiara for her magic
>The same thing that caused her to decide to bring down the roman empire

Let's never ask her to use her magic unless it's something we legitimately cannot take care of ourselves, such as mind reading or dealing with another magic user, for everything else we have an ex-KGB agent of a father who can supply us with materiel.

>>18458305
Or making the car run like it was brand new.

>protagonist who doesn't like killing things
>an enemy who can actively track magic use
>LET'S SPAM FIREBALL SPELLS ON THEM FROM OUR MAGIC-FUELED HELECOPTER

flawless logic

>>18458305
I think that asking for their use while in situations directly related to retrieving her bits is fine or when it is a matter of life or death for us or someone we hold dear. It stops being cool when we want it for selfish reasons to gain power and control over people, to conquer and so on, also modding the 'cuda is fine.

Still need to bail Hercules out of there.
Summon bears.

>>18458305
There's a difference between "Chain this bitch up, and conquer the world with her", and "Hey, these guys tried to backstab us and prevent us from getting your soul back. You want first dibs?"

>>18458332
Oh yeah, modding the 'cuda was totally ok in my book, simple pleasures.

>>18458344
yessssssssssss

>>18458352
That is the kind of shit that has exacerbated this war for millenia. We are the outside influence with tons of power and a love of funk that can finally moderate this shit.

We should only waste people when we REALLY have to.

"Kiara, clear us a path please. Diego, get ready to run."

>>18458373
And you think 40 men armed with heavy AA preventing us from taking our plane back ISN'T a situation calling for that?

>>18458305

No man, witchy-woman wants us to trek around the world putting her ass back together like the world's oldest jigsaw puzzle then she better start pulling her goddamn weight. Simply keeping Last breathing isn't enough when dealing with an institution that has the money, power and resources the Order has. We are about and official as you can get with war on these people and she's the asset we need to make it happen.

When things have settled down and there isn't the daily threat of getting our ass blasted with platinum bullets we can all converse and play nice and respect each other's limits, but right now we are neck-deep in a foxhole of shit so the magic flamethrower should get to burning motherfuckers. We aren't ceaser trying to use her just to get more power, we're trying to use EVERYTHING to keep ourselves alive.

Maybe she can make us invisible. And inaudible. Then we can just sneak in with the baddies none the wiser.

"I think we can handle them. Kiara, can you do it... Less than lethal? Please?" You ask nicely.

"Hmm? Still concerned for the lives of those willing to end yours? That could still doom us, mortal, keep that in mind. I suppose I can, just this once..."

The bored looking immortal ghost witch sighs, before leaving her seat on the side near you, floating effortlessly down toward the men on the ground.

They don't pay her any mind, apparently unable to see her.

You watch as Kiara stops to float a few feet above them, puts her hands on her hips and shakes her head as though annoyed at having to put up with your antics.

She raises a hand, and you wonder if perhaps she snaps her fingers, you can't exactly see from here.

All you know is, the trees start moving.

The massive pines seem to stand up on their roots, and slowly start lumbering in from all sides toward the men on the ground, who rightfully panic. They fire their weapons, shredding a few trees, but to little effect.

The forest meets them all at once, and branches whip around, sending men flying in all directions. The big guns are bent in as trunks collapse on them, trucks are crushed by even more.

After a few minutes of you and Diego watching the bizarre scene, mouths quite agape, you see the forest starting to retreat. What few men are left unbeaten are huddled on the ground, unarmed. Fallen trees push themselves back up with their branches, before turning back to walk toward the non-moving treeline.

The men unharmed don't move, likely because there are still several large bears lumbering about. Some simply laying on unconscious men, lazily, as though its just an everyday thing..

dang.. too bad we lacked the time to grab up a couple big chunks of platinum. That could well have paid dad back for bankrolling our entire insane operation.

Might be for the best though. The Sword probably runs the entirety of the precious platinum market in one way or another. We still want to keep dad out of this.

>>18458214
>>18458214
If we involve Kiara at all, we could at least ask her to knock all those guys out. Like, to sleep.

They will be in enough shit when the Sword tracks us along this far and decides they are either incompetent at stopping us or actively helping us.

>>18458425
Yes that will do nicely.

aaaaaaaaaaaand now we've left a great magical trail for the sword to follow. great job.

>>18458425
>>18458426
>split-second timing

>>18458425
Thank you Kiara, lets return to the Herc and be on our way home.

Once we get on our way we need a nice heart to heart chat about us and how we don't want her power, though helping maintain the cuda would be nice, and we're only asking as part of getting her bits together and keeping us and Diego alive.

>>18458451
As if attacking the the sarcophagus didn't raise any alarms. The old dude is still alive. The escape hasn't even really started yet. We need to shake them off once we're off the ground.

>>18458520
setting alarms off at the sarcophagus is one thing.

leaving a trail to people who are known to be willing to sell us out is another. won't take much for them to sell out daddy.

You see Kiara soar back up to you, and she again takes her perch on the side of the helicopter.

"Good enough for you, mortal?"

"Oh man, please lets do that at a beach so I can call you Aquawoman, oh guardian of the forest." You have to squelch your laughter with your fist.

"Can we find some hobbits next? Please tell me there is a ring we can toss into a volcano."

"Oh shut up." She quips, jabbing you in the side with her index finger.

"Sorry, sorry..." You raise your hands in surrender.

"That sure made it easy." Diego laughs, "Tell your witch she's alright in my book. Nice touch with the bears, as well."

"I can hear him." Kiara says, resting her chin on her hand.

"She can hear you." You repeat.

"Eh? Well, alright." Diego shrugs.

He lands the littlebird near the rear of the airplane, and once on the ground it's rotors cease to spin. Quite unnerving without any noise of an engine. Diego starts heading to grab some equipment to pull it into the plane, until a group of large bears stops him and surrounds the craft.

"Uh... Last?" He asks, clearly not liking being so close to that many bears.

The animals don't attack, however, and instead began grabbing the chopper and pushing it over and up into the plane. You and Diego just stand by, shaking your heads, until they have it loaded.

One of the bears stops in front of you as the others head off back into the forest, it gives a small grunt, and then heads off itself.

>>18458534
True, but they would have found out either way. Now we can at least take the evidence away and get father to use his power to force the betrayers to shut their mouths.

>>18458545
>from the makers of Bear Calvary... Try New Bear Ground Crew!

Bear Roadies. Awesome.

>18458545

Bears. Fucktones of bears.

All my dreams have come true.

"Lady of the Grove, eh? You have control over all of the forest creatures? When can I expect a Disney song?"

Kiara just floats above you, eyes closed, refusing to dignify that with a response.

"We should get out of here, though. Don't know when more might show up." Diego says as he heads for the cockpit. You follow him and notice Kiara tags along above you. You aren't sure if you'll get used to that...

"You'll have to." She smirks.

"Guess so." You shrug as you flop down into the copilot seat.

"Time to head home. Got a date to make." Diego says as he fires up the engines.

"You? Got a girl?"

"No, buying an old Mig and I need to be in LA to meet the seller."

"Oh, well..." You laugh.

You know Diego had been married once before, though you don't know how it ended. He doesn't seem to carry a cross with him, though, so you assume it just kind of fell out.

"Will we need to stop for fuel or can Kiara keep us afloat?" He asks, eying the quarter-tank the gauge is displaying.

"I can keep it flying." Kiara says quietly.

Diego jumps a country mile out of his seat, looking very alarmed.

"I heard her that time." He chuckles.

>action/talk/question?

>fly back home? Head off somewhere else?

>>18458648
Home. Dad's going to want his Herky bird back, and we don't want to make Diego miss his MIG.

>>18458656
I'm gonna go to bed, but I think we should ask about how this whole soul projection thing works. Like how Diego can hear her now.

>>18458648
Well, Kiara talking directly to him kinda saves us a lot of trouble. I think, since we really don't have a plan past this, we fly home. Also, if we can somehow check for magic bugs on the plane, or mechanical once, we should get her to do that.

Ask Diego if he wants to ask Kiara anything; you know, since he actually can and he may want to hear from the woman herself why he was dancing with hinds back there.

So many new scenes I that I wish I could draw... Damn it, time to start practicing seriously again, not just vast batches of random colours anymore. Detailed bear fur. Green and purple. Applying grenades to old men and stalkering in darkness.

>>18458656


Home. The quicker and farther away we are the better. After that we can plan our next step.

>>18458648
Fly home. Return plane, retrieve car, hit up contacts.

Maybe talk to Diego about >implications and keeping things to himself. Get a story straight to tell dad.

>>18458692
>fryholdingaswissbankacountwhilespongebobthrowsdiamonds.png

"Can you see her?"

>>18458683
I think, as we get away from that reactor, she regains strength. Also, her audibly projecting her voice is something she can control, I think.

Would just like to note here that if the order didn't have a clue that we were resurrecting the Pile Driver of Penguins, they certiantly do now. Shit is going to get intense.

We should ask her if her having more power makes it easier or harder to shield herself.

>>18458656
Lets head home.

>>18458648
So now that you have your soul back are your senses expanded? Can you find your body parts more easily, or read thoughts from farther away? Can you interact with things?

We should make a cover story for how we got the helicopter back on. Can't have people asking questions we can't answer.

>>18458686
>>18458703
>>18458723

These. We need to collaborate a straight story. Although we shouldn't leave out the fact Dad's contact screwed us over.

And find a way to get dad out of the loop.
Scramble the memories of the mercs or something similar that kills their leads.

Diego quickly has the big bird in the sky, and is cruising upwards fast, climbing hard for altitude. He said something about the flight plan probably being scrapped, but he can improvise.

"Can you see her?" You ask, looking over at Kiara who is gazing around as though looking for a seat.

"Nah, just us in here that I can see."

"You can't see me, but he can. I've linked myself with this mortal's mind, and until I have my body back, I'll continue to be. Now I can just project myself, the freedom is quite nice, his head is stuffy."

"Yeah, I can see it." Diego squints at your noggin and nods.

"You're both assholes." You chuckle.

"Just having a bit of fun. I kind of like this girl, she's got spunk." Diego smirks.

"Yeah, she's just swell..." You roll your eyes, "Speaking of her, are we in for a mountain of shit once those guys wake up?"

"No, mortal, you insult my intellect. The last thing they will remember is abandoning their post to get drunk and head to a petting zoo."

You and Diego both crack up hard, and you catch Kiara smile for the flash of a second.

"They aren't the only thing I'm worried about... How are we going to explain anything to dad?" You ponder.

"Yeah, we should figure something out..." Diego agrees.

>what is going to be your backstory?

Ask Kiara who that old man was.

>also what questions/etc did I miss? Trying to eat and write. mmm Frango Ensopado.

>>18458802
This.

Seems like they have some history.

>>18458790
Weapons deal gone south, we were trying to wrangle some surplus russian arms and secure a trade route, shit went south and his contacts betrayed us.

Ask Kiara about immortal knight dude. Also have a good conversation with her about us not after her for her power or trying to use her for personal gain, except we'd like her to soup up the 'cuda, as reward for getting her soul back.

>>18458813
I get the feeling that he was her personal Van Helsing
>but sadly not hugh jackman

Hey, can Kiara feel the location of her body now that she is back to having unlimited cosmic power?
>personally betting it is in a church as some "incorruptible" artifact, labeled as a saint something or other.

DAMSEL WAS SAVED GLORIOUSLY FROM THE WICKED OLD MAN!
Diego provided backup while Last sneaked to the lair of the old pervert and convinced to young maiden to frolic away from her prison.
Everything went smoothly and the three of them had fun while blowing up cows on the way back.
The shy and scared, helpless girl is now under Lasts protection in undisclosed dwelling.

>>18458804
>Frango Ensopado
Some HUEHEUHEUHEU cuisine i see.
also, go with this one
>>18458842

>>18458790
After killing the people that needed to be killed we returned to an airfield full of hostile Ukrainians. We responded by shooting everything we had left to clear our escape. Unfortunately the we had to leave quickly so we couldn't confirm whether we actually hit anyone.

>>18458842
Only issue with this is that he'd probably of heard about this shit going down, and that would mean explaining why Chernobyl was assaulted in the same time frame. We need to somehow explain that. Maybe as we were doing the deal, the arms dealers hit the plant and we used that as a distraction to gtfo of that deal.

>>18458804
Didn't answer these:
>>18458723

After a few minutes, you and Diego agree on what to tell your father. Hopefully he buys it, and if he's been drinking as much as you assume he has... Well, it should be easy.

"Anyways, who the fuck was that old dude?" You turn to a fidgeting Kiara. She's seated herself on the dash and doesn't appear comfortable.

"Him? Someone I would prefer not to meet again. You only escaped because he would have rather you willingly hand me over than fight..."

Kiara sighs, before sliding off of the console and standing in front of you.

"For which I should... Thank you."

"Don't mention it." You shrug, "But really, who was he?"

"One of the original hunters. Mattias the Phoenix, perhaps the most dangerous threat to witches that there has ever been. I'll admit, I hadn't expected to see him there, though I'm not surprised he's still alive. He's the one who finally struck me down enough for the Order to capture me. That sword of his... Don't get hit with it." She frowns.

"Don't plan on it. So are they going to have as easy of a time tracking us now? Or can you shield yourself better?"

"Hmph, I believe I can hide my power better now. Best to not test the limits of it, mortal." Kiara folds her arms.

"And Mattias, will he be after us now?"

"Likely. He never did concern himself much with lesser witches, he spent many lives and many years in his crusade to rend me." Kiara nods before continuing.

"Mattias isn't a normal man, nor is he a magic user. He was cursed, I guess I would call it. Cursed by another witch long before coming after me. Mattias isn't immortal, nor indestructible, not like a witch. At the same time, he is very tough in his own regard, for a moral."

"Know what witch?"

"Can't say that I do." Kiara shrugs, before sitting down on the arm of your seat, back to you.

>more questions? Anything I've missed? timeskip to Florida?

>>18459033
Serious conversation about our future, our lack of desire for using her power to our own ends, what is going to happen once we get her body back and asking how awesome she could make the 'cuda without making it magically noticeable.

>>18459033
Hold the fuck up. We fucking blasted the guys face off and buried him under a fuckton of rubble. He's still alive, we all know it.

AND HE'S NOT INDISTRUCTABLE?

Ask her how we can finish that guy off, seems like it would be good information to know. I'd say, worst comes to worst, we could rend him like they do witches, though I doubt that's in character, considering that its apparently a fate worse than death. Not sure if it works on mortals though, even badasses like him.

Need to figure out what witch cursed him and why.. Seems that curse is his driving reason to rend the super witches with his Phoenix body. We could potentially break his will if we find that out

might be best to keep him alive in case the witch does indeed turn on us.

plus he's not really an issue now that the witch has her soul

>>18459137
This stone cold motherfucker took her out full. We should NOT underestimate him. Only reason we won round 1 is because he let us.

"Sooo... How do we finish him off? If he isn't indestructible, I mean, there should be a way."

"When you find out, let me know. I killed another similar to him, but it took enough magic power that I had to drain the Nile to do it, and Mattias is far stronger still than he was. If we encounter Mattias again, if we fail to avoid him... It might be in our best interest to flee."

"Shit, guess it won't be as simple as summoning your tree friends..." You grumble.

"No, mortal, it certainly won't be so easy. I doubt it is even possible without my body returned to me, until I'm again at full strength." Kiara agrees.

"So what exactly happens when we get your body back? Aside from destroying the Order once and for all? Any plans for beyond that?

Kiara leans back on her perch to look you in the eyes.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, mortal, focus on the task at hand. Though I think, once it is all done, I would prefer a few centuries of quiet." She sighs, before sitting back up.

"Right. So what do I have to do to get you to magic up my 'cuda?"

"Prove you deserve it." Kiara laughs once.

"Freed your soul, didn't I?"

She leans back once more.

"If I have to fool around with that toy to get you to shut up about it, so be it."

>questions/timeskip?

>>18459163
You must to get us to shut up about it, and as far as requests to immortal magic figures it's pretty tame.

Also use our name, we use yours, or at least a funny variation on it. Call us Last, or give us a proper title like Sworn Knight of the Grove or he who rescued my soul.

>>18459163
Skip to landing I think.

>>18459163
Not indestructible, Neigh Indestructible.

Devil in the details.

Also lets timeskip.

So, what happens if we wonder if she looks uncomfortable because she's not sitting (in our lap) next to us, while the radio is blasting...

>>18459232
HUEHUEHUE, I would imagine.

"Might be a start." You smirk, "Also you could call me by my name, or a nickname at least."

"Hmm? A nickname, mortal? You may have freed my soul, but don't get ahead of yourself." She stretches out, arms above her head, "Besides, I've rather grown used to mortal, it has a good ring to it."

Before you can retort, you notice her small smirk.

"Tch, whatever "She who Thirsts for Riverwater", I'm going to sleep."

You recline the chair as far as it can go and shut your eyes.

You open them a crack when you feel Kiara pushing your legs aside so she can sit down on at least part of the seat. As uncomfortable as it is, and despite the opportunity to poke fun, you are too tired.

"Wake me up before we get back, Diego. I need a long nap."

"Gotcha." Your friend nods.

"And you, witchy woman, let me have at least one dream without you mucking it up. Though if you can make it so I dream about something nice, go for it."

You pass out pretty quickly, and for the next long hours, you dream you are trying to work on your 'cuda's engine and pieces are refusing to fit. It is incredibly frustrating.

Man, its gonna suck when this dream ends

>>18459289
All we ask for is a normal nice dream and she ruins it, she is going to live in outrageous outfits in our head for the next week. Ranging from frilly maid to amazon to pantsless fighter pilot. We will be very creative.

So, what's happening here is that he's trying to put things into the focus of his affection, but no matter how hard he tries, they're just too big to fit?

Hehehe, hehehehe...

So when you finally are roused from your sleep by Diego turning on some of his classic rock, you wake up agitated.

"Sleep well?" Kiara asks lightly.

"You know damn well I didn't. That belt was at least five inches too small and I damn well know it." You growl.

"Get a room, but first focus up. I didn't wake you because we're landing, I woke you up because of THEM.

Diego jerks his thumb toward the window, and you see the pilot of the F-16 making a gesture telling you he wants you to go DOWN.

And with those wicked looking missiles mounted under his wings, and the fact that you are in a cumbersome cargo plane, you aren't sure if its a good idea to argue with him. Though you don't know what it is he wants.

"Shit!" You jerk up in your seat.

"What do they want?!"

"Us to land, obviously. They are pissed off because we don't have a flight log, and the fact that we just entered US airspace without one." Diego says, worked up and frustrated.

"I thought you were going to improvise?!" You shout.

"I did, tried to tell them we're a Navy plane that turned around from a flight due to engine problems. It didn't work." Diego curses as he watches the F-16 pilot jerk a thumb down again.

>action?

>>18459388
Go supersonic and outrun them

>>18459388
Ok, how much headfuckery can you pull on that pilot? If you can convince the pilot that our documents are good we'll be fine. Given what's in this bird I'd rather not land and have them see and we have no chance in hell of outrunning the fucker.

If she can't pull that off make smoke issue forth from one of the engines, make it sell our lie, hell we might want to start with this one and then move on to headfucking.

>>18459418
You know, I'm not real familiar with what specific aircraft can and cannot do - but can't the jet go supersonic as well?

>>18459388

Ask keira to use her mind ju-ju to make them believe we're legit and let us go.

Alternativley, ask her if she can fuck with the missile's electronics and make them go off while attacked to the fighter.

>>18459289
>that feeling
Parts are of different temperature because it's winter outside and because of that the parts are slightly off from their normal diameter.

>>18459418
>Going supersonic and outrunning Vipers
>In a Hercules

...nigga what?

That said, we're in deep shit here. The Helicopter will be an issue if they were just on a drug interdiction intercept. It will be much, much worse if this is the order. What can we do in such a short timeframe?

>>18459388
We now have the ability to mindfuck them.

Lets mindfuck them.

>>18459453
>>18459471
MAGIC.

I should have specified.

Use MAGIC to outrun them

>>18459490
Inb4 OBS pilots

>>18459490
We can mindfuck *them*. The fighter pilots flying alongside us.

What about the radar operators that sent them on the intercept?

>>18459447
>>18459388
Head-fuckery sounds like the ideal.

Convince the pilot that our voice sounds like his flight control when we tell him that all the documents seem in order? Tell him to go to radio silence and return to base/carrier.

>>18459388
We land, US security tends to be tight, they've already radioed this in.

Then when they go to search the plane we politely ask Kiara

>>18459507
We need to mindfuck the pilots so they seriously don't see us. They'll argue with the radar operators down at the station. Shenanigans will be had.

>>18459513
*politely ask Kiara to prevent them from seeing anything unusual.

Mind fuck them into thinking that they saw a UFO there are so many false UFO reports that no one will bat an eye when they get to base.

This is not the plane you are looking for.

*Jedi handwave*

>>18459587
THIS!!

I think we need a new thread. This one ain't bumpin' anymore.

"Kiara, can you... Make it convincing? I'd rather not have to land and explain the helicopter or the cache of VERY illegal shit."

"If you do your best to quit annoying me for a while." The witch sighs and stands up to peer out at the F-16.

One of the Hercules's engines begins to smoke, and despite it looking very convincing, Diego doesn't notice anything unusual through the controls.

"Now for a little extra..." She smirks as though having fun.

***

Tom watches the unidentified Hercules wearily, though he notes the smoking engine.

"This is control, our mistake, that bird is a registered USN flight, just received confirmation. The craft we have on radar is far east of you, take up this heading..."

Tom sighs, looking back once more at the Hercules.

Shit, those bastards sent him up here and had him on the verge of nearly downing one of his OWN. Not only that, but somehow Ensign chucklefuck on the radar can't even peg the right plane.

He keys his radio to talk to the pilot of the C-130 again.

"Sorry man, fucking clusterfuck, you know what I'm talking about. Some shitstain on radar got the wrong bird, not even sure how but he manged to. You're all clear to your destination. Need me to keep with you, electronics all working fine?" He asks politely.

***

"No, we don't have far to go from here. Just the one engine acting up, too much to cross the Atlantic. Thanks for not schwacking us, would have wrecked my day." Diego replies.

"Alright, make sure to land that thing safe, eh?" The F-16 pilot replies before banking off.

"How did you manage that?" You turn to ask Kiara.

She just grins and shrugs, before stealing your seat.

Half an hour later, Diego touches the wheels down lightly on your dad's private airfield, expertly landing the big craft.

You step out of the plane with a groan, your body aching from having been cramped up inside the cockpit for that long. Not to mention having to hold on as the plane landed, damn seat-stealing witches...

"I like to sit down too, you know." Kiara replies.

"So find somewhere less aggravating." You grumble, before waving to your father as he walks toward the plane, its props still spinning as the engine cuts.

"Well that didn't take as long as I though it would." Your dad laughs, smacking Diego on the back before taking a drink of the bottle in his hand.

"Shit went south fast, but we got it done. Had a run in with your "friend"'s goons, he tried to sell us out to another group, they wanted the plane and everything in it."

Your dad frowns at your words, before his face starts getting red.

"Those fucks, those mother fucking cunts... They'll learn what it means to mess with me..." He tells you, his tone low and dangerous.

>question/talk/action?

>probably the last one for tonight, have to wake up early. Next thread is going to be tomorrow at 5pm though.

>>18459775
"Trust me on this, Dad. The guys they were trying to sell us out to are into some heavy shit. You don't want to mess with them right now. We got the plane out, we sealed the deal, and we did it all while making them look like fools. Just file this away for future usage against the bastard, for me at least."

Last (heh) thing we need right now is our dad sticking his nose into that area right after we kicked the shit out of the Order's hornets' nest.

Should probably check in with "Lil sis" and see what the immediate fallout is of your excapades.

>>18459775
Tell dad that he probably doesn't want to get involved, some of the people there are the nastiest we've ever met and we made them look like complete idiots. When I say don't stick your nose in there just don't. I'm fine, Diego is fine, everything got done.

Handshake Diego. Get back to the cuda and give it a hug, whisper sweet nothings in it's ear and tell it that we're glad to be back, ask if it missed us.

>>18459679
>home again home again, jiggety jig.

Time to gtfo.
Someone who has Not been brainscrewed is going to realize that a fast one has been pulled before long. Need to get that plane in a hanger if it will fit in one, or get some field service trucks wheeled out and have an engine half ripped open. Drag that deadly little chopped out and Diego can hide it in his usual place or strip the weapons and stick them in a hole with all the other bottles we have stacked up.

>a rogue cargo plane? nah, all we have is this old junkheap. Been tracking an electrical fault through it for a month, but you are welcome to take a peek inside Officer.

>>18459775
"take it easy, dad. They never had a chance, not with the one-man-army on the job."
Diego deserves lots of credit.
Mention that Diego managed to bullshit a fighter pilot too.

And then we bug out of the whole area. Suggest to pops that we go get dinner, or lunch, breakfast, something.

"Let it rest for a while and figure out a good way that doesn't involve a mafia war. We gave them the ol' what for, wasted a lot of them with the chopper, a damn lot. They are into some heavy shit and it might be better just to leave it, really. We both got out alive and got what I needed to get done. Besides, Diego fucked them up so hard they won't walk straight for months."

Your father looks at you for a minute, before nodding slowly.

"Alright, I can leave it alone for now. Would have been a bad time, anyways. Have a lot of shit on my plate right now as is."

"Good, lets at least wait until after the anniversary." You tell him, putting your hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah that sounds good for now." He takes another drink.

"Great."

You turn to Diego.

"Gotta thank you again for helping me out, couldn't have done it without you." You reach out and shake his hand.

"You know me, always glad for a chance to let off some steam." He says simply, with a toothy grin biting down on a fresh cigar.

"Bullshitted us past a navy fighter, too." You tell your dad, nodding your head at Diego.

"Course he did, he is the king bullshitter. Why do you think I hate poker night so much?" Your dad chuckles.

"Why do you think I learned to just not play when he wanted in? Hey, my 'cuda around?"

"Eh, that old heap? Scrapped it."

"Har har." You frown.

"In the hangar, go check it out." Your dad says with a telling smile.

Leaving the two behind, you make your way to the hangar, which opens electronically. Kiara floats lazily along beside you.

"So much to do and the first thing on your mind is to check on that rusting anchor?"

"Hush, you."

You walk into the open hanger, turn to your car, and gawk.

>>18459941
>inb4 he had it restored

>>18459837
>>18459878
We'll start tomorrow's thread with these.

Tomorrow on Z&W VII: Dude that isn't my car

Starting tomorrow at 5pm eastern (-4gmt)

>>18459985
see you then

>>18459985
Guess I should say Monday instead of tomorrow, as it is already Monday...

Done for tonight but I'll lurk around on my droid for whatever after I grab more food, until I crash for the night.

>>18460015
What made you pick the Barracuda and how did Last manage to acquire one that runs without throwing a ton of money at someone?

>>18460043
Seemed like a fitting car for a groovy beach bum I guess. Always been one of my favorite cars as well, I'll have one, someday.

How he got it would be better during a thread than me just saying it.

Would it have been worth our while to stop by the control room in the sarcophagus?

God tell me he didn't pull an xhibit on us and pimp our ride! Although if be fine if he restored it Nash bridges level. (correct me if I'm wrong but didn't he drive a yellow cuda?)

>>18460156

you would have been ambushed by a kill team but manage to open the doors without rockets

The suspense is literally killing me

>>18460193

yep, he did

>>18460386
So whats the deal with the old guys sword? Made out meteorite or some shit?

>>18460626
DOUBLE PLATINUM

>>18460386
Did we have any chance of convincing old guy to move aside, I doubt it but I'm kinda curious.

>>18460649
Also what would have happened if we had simply submitted ourselves to him?

>>18460626
Some shit indeed

>>18460649
Possible but unlikely. You could have triggered something maybe, I just go with the flow.

>>18460692
Bleeding Sword the Quest?

>>18460915
>Bleeding Sword the Quest?

The shrieking phantasms vanish as the apostate child quickly expends its reserves. The parents still stand in stunned silence, staring blankly between you and the child.

You raise your weapon.

>>18460915
>Bleeding Sword Quest.
I was kinda feeling that there was a chance of this.
Or perhaps the moment we recovered the Soul it would turn Kiara evil (well, back to her previous evil) and she would half-destroy us.

Armor-guy would save us, at the cost of his own imperviousness, and we would have to go out into the world to save the world from The Ruin

>>18460988
If we had to do that, it'd be independent witchhunter quest.

Bleeding sword can suck it

>>18460973
Yep, pretty much like that.

>>18460988
damn, missed a good hue opportunity. been seeking an outlet

>>18461009
A good hue opportunity would be when we went to sleep in the plane with her basically sitting in our lap.

Could've popped a boner right into her ass cheeks.