The City V
#5 of The City
His eyes focused on the puddle of sick he had cast on the floor, his mask barely popped off in time. He looked up at the spot where the kid had been standing, seeing only a bloody misting painting the far wall. He dry heaved again, his stomach fully emptied as he felt his radio crackle back on.
"Perp, you alright there? Status report, please?"
Perp wiped his mouth, sitting himself down as he pressed the button to transmit. "Lux... They have something. I don't know what, it was a leg and it... Lux, it just misted a kid."
Perp listened to the comm line for a long moment before hearing Lux come back on. "We're designating it a Daeva, from-"
Perp let out a sarcastic chuckle. "False god, huh? Yeah, it seems to have those kind of powers. So, avoid the 'Daeva', I'm guessing is part of the Ar Oh Ee, right?"
"Yes, that's correct, Perp. Think you'll be okay to keep going?"
Perp coughed slightly, tapping on his arm's built-in computer check system and seeing what the damage to his exosuit was. "Readings are good. Out of jump fuel for obvious reasons, legs are a bit damaged, but overall I will be okay to go."
Lux let out a slight sigh as Perp heard the tapping on the keyboard. "Okay, Nihilo, Astra, and Scripta are moving to meet you. Should be there in a few minutes. Mind popping a flare?"
Perp aimed his arm up, looking at the sky and tapping a button on his arm. A capsule flew up and there was a moment of silence before the golden light filled the village. Perp walked out of the destroyed house, putting his mask back on and tapping a button on the side of his helmet. The suit made him seven feet tall total, and made him look like a jet black fox with glowing red eyes. Perp scanned the area a bit before seeing six lights working up towards him -- two green, two cyan, and two purple. The three figures, also as deeply colored as him, snapped off a salute before the pair of purple eyes handed him a light machine gun. "RPK variant? Really, Scripta?"
The purple eyes chuckled and walked off as Scripta nodded. "Sorry, Perp. Best we could do. Try not being shot out of the sky next time."
The green eyes let out a bit of a shrug. "You know, you might have a better time if you thought not every enemy weapon was bad."
The cyan eyes smacked the green eyes. "Astra, watch it."
Perp chuckled. "Easy, Nihilo. I know what you're saying, Astra. I can try enjoying it."
Scripta drove up to the group in a simple pickup truck, motioning to the bed. "Get in, folks. Bit of a drive to the capital."
The three remaining suits clambered into the back, sitting on simple benches that had been set up. After a few minutes of driving, Nihilo cleared his throat. "So, Perp, why are we on this side of the world again?"
Perp tapped a few buttons on his arm and held out his paw, projecting a light onto the bed of the truck, which showed off a logo, a propaganda picture of an eagle with a scar over his eye, and a partial model of a Daeva . "The company has decided that the current regime here has been overstepping their boundary in terms of technological advancement. After seeing what we now call a Daeva, I have to agree. It seems they can make biotech on a large scale. Personally, I'd rather get rid of the brain, because it has to have a hivemind, but we're on an assassination, not a sabotage, mission."
Nihilo and Astra checked their weapons before Lux chimed in on their comms. "Wait... we found the central brain. Hold on..."
The truck slowed to a stop as Scripta hopped out, walking to the back of the truck and placing down a metal disk. Suddenly, a magenta hologram rose out of it as all four suits snapped a salute.
"At ease." The level voice of the bat eased them. Even though she was nearly 4000 miles away, she commanded complete respect from the group, having personally evaluated each one in the past. Virta was the owner of Zotz Security Solutions, a private military firm focused on stabilizing regions more than making money. Even though this was a top secret meeting, Virta had dressed in her best, sporting a suit that would make any world leader jealous. She smiled and turned to Perpetuum. "First off, nice job surviving that fall. It was messed up beyond belief. When you get back, you're gonna have to be the one teaching the Perpetuum Recovery to all of our field workers." Perp nodded slowly, unsure he'd want to relive that anytime soon. Virta cleared her throat and continued, "After the footage from that Daeva was sent to me, I had to personally inform you all of the mission. We're backing off. We can't risk company assets getting captured, and we certainly can't risk our field agents being killed."
There was a slight grumble from the four of them before Perp spoke up. "Due respect, ma'am, but, if you find the brain of that beast, and any others? We can take them out and probably stabilize the region from those sorts of attacks."
Virta shifted a bit and sighed. "Figured you'd say that, Perp. And I know if I tell you no, you'll find it anyways. So, we're changing the plan. Lux found the brain, you'll go and eliminate the connection. We'll go from there."
The bat shrunk back into the disk as Scripta picked it up, nodding and walking back towards the cab. The three in the back sat in silence for an hour before the truck slowed again. This time, Perp could hear an extremely faint whirr. He chambered a round and stood up, walking down the road, the other three following. As they walked, there was light chatter from the three, discussing the local cuisine they might get if they got stuck, the fashion of the region, and a particularly filthy joke about Nihilo's new significant other back home.
The group found themselves overlooking a compound. Four large concrete doors were arranged near the center, with a big building towering over the covers. Furs patrolled catwalks and the grounds around the doors. As the group scanned, they saw a door pop open as a large mass rose out of it. The mass set down four legs and took off away from them, barely giving them a look. Just enough to notice the gun hanging from the belly.
"Okay... Must be the place. That's a descent..."
Scripta handed over the sniper rifle, trading for the RPK that Perp was holding. "I'll take Astra and Nihilo in, you cover us. Piece of cake."
Perp nodded and laid prone, sniping the group in and taking out enemies as they presented themselves as a threat. The three made it to the building in the center and silently made their way in. Perp sat in silence for a few moments before raising Lux on the comm. "Any news from them?"
Lux sighed a bit. "They're doing well. Not much resistance, which is... odd."
Perp sighed a bit and scanned the area again. "Very odd. If this is their secret, signature weapon..."
The top of the building blasted clear off. Perp fixed his sight on Astra, who was jumping down from the top, right into an EMP blast that was thrown with extreme luck at the foot of the building. Perp looked up and watched as a group dragged off Astra before seeing Nihilo and Scripta leave the building, waving at him. Finally, the radio transmitted to him.
"-ompletely fucked situation! We rigged it to blow but the charges went early! Astra went up-"
Perp snapped his transmitter on. "Astra's captured, we need to exfil!"
"Negative! Negative! We need Astra! Astra has the data disk for the Daeva!!"
Perp dropped his paw from his ear, trying to think of what he just heard.
_ Astra has the data disk? _
____________________
Khopesh woke up to see the white of a sterile ceiling greeting him. He panted heavily, his eyes trying to focus, as he heard a familiar voice next to him.
"Easy, easy, my son." Khopesh felt the touch of Chap on his arm as he turned to the rat. The young face smiled, his gray eyes twinkling slightly. "You were out for a bit. Pulled me right out of the Cathedral, you four did. For that, I am grateful."
Khopesh gripped his head, thinking back. "Didn't pull you. I got shot in the lung. Which... lacks... pain?" Khopesh looked down at his bare body, seeing no new scares, just an IV in his left arm.
Chap chuckled lightly. "You were writhing terribly as you slept, I'm afraid. May have had some fanciful dreams. That, mixed with adrenaline, you may have just forgotten. The doctors think you passed out from the stress of the last few days."
Khopesh blinked slowly, nodding a bit. "R-iiiiight." He stretched before standing, assisted by Chap. "So, tell me, where do we go from here?"
Chap smiled softly, helping Khopesh across the room to is belongings before he shrugged. "I'm not sure, I'm afraid. I think you and the others will get a few days of rest, but then you'll probably be working for the General."
Khopesh nodded slowly, deep in thought. He slid his red ballcap on and looked at Chap again before smiling a bit, seeing the academic text in Chap's paws. "Can you take me to the library?"
Chap smiled back, opening the door and leading Khopesh to Eagle Rock's book depository.