'The Pit: Hell Frozen Over' - Arc 3, Chapter 3: 'The One Truth' (Closed, Started)

[The Funslinger]

"Too bad I still have a hole in my side. If it weren't for that, I imagine this farmhouse would make for a perfect place to spar. I could really use the practice."

Acolyte reached over as they walked and tousled Lucia's hair. "Ah, don't worry about it. I can always beat you up some other time."

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Korovitch noted with approval that heads were suddenly exploding in the crowd. It was exactly what he'd been counting on. By and large, these criminals were cowards, and while one solitary Warden was a tempting target, none of them had bargained for an unseen sniper. Many were dropping their weapons, and turning tail. Some weren't, however. A man with a huge belly burst forward, cradling a pump action shotgun. Suddenly a gout of blood erupted from his temple and he went down. Korovitch turned from his cover to see Fiona was stood behind him, with a pistol liberated from one of the men he'd knocked out.

Pushing her into an offshoot opposite his own, he snarled, "I gave you an order, soldier!"

"And you can put me on latrine duty later, sir. But I'm not leaving you here. You, and whoever that sniper is."

"Conrad Verner."

"You're shitting me..."

"Move, they're breaking formation! Go!" He yelled, darting from his cover towards an exit leading to the lower levels. The door was right there, they were going to make it! It was some sort of miracle."

A voice called out that nearly stopped Korovitch's heart. "The prisoners! They're in the vents! Open fire!"

Bullets hailed upwards at the source of some clanking at ceiling level for a full fifteen seconds. When it stopped, Korovitch's keen eyes could see drops of blood falling from the perforated metal. Iron Squad... no...

"NOOOOOOOO!" yelled Fiona, but Korovitch had her by the arm. "MOVE, SOLDIER!"

 

[Evrant-Knight]

The Commander flashed a smile at Abigail as he took a long first sip of his vodka, he appeared to have liked it based on the way his lips were moving. "It must be frustrating I know, to be kept in the dark. We were all in the dark once, before she showed us the true nature of the world, and gave us purpose. Don't worry, you will know the truth also, in time."

"Great, all of these guys are part of some crazy arse cult; no doubt lead by a deranged psychopath. And they're now in charge of this facility, no doubt with some malicious intent. From one extreme to another it seems." Abigail said with a small sigh.

"Tell me, what did you think of Colonel Lee Jin Oh? How much did you know about him?" Asked the Commander as he took another sip of his drink.

"What I know of him is his rather long and extensive military career; traveled to quite a number of places so I'm lead to believe. As to what I think of him? He ran a tight ship, everything went smoothly for the most part; not the most sociable person alive, but I guess the pressures of managing an extensive facility like RACDI-Alpha, leaves little time for conversation in a strictly informal nature." Abigail shrugged her shoulders at the end. She then went to get herself a glass of water.

"How's the drink?" She asked upon her return, gesturing to the half full glass.

 

[ProtoChimp]

And then all hell broke lose before the show could start. Gunshots were ringing around the Pit as some god damn hero punk ***** thought it was a good idea to... "Holy fuck."

It was him. THE Korovitch. His ice like eyes piercing through the souls of each and every prisoner there, even if he only glanced at you he saw you. And he marked you. A huge scar across his face, odd how signs of defeat look so threatening to others, but it was true. Travis couldn't even deny.

Travis had half a mind to help kill them along with the other prisoners, but oddly enough he was smarter than that. This was the perfect opportunity for him to grab one of the warden prisoners who weren't being saved by Korovitch. Luckily most were attacking the bastard warden in an act of mob justice. The others looked to be hidden in another section of the Hive. It appeared that every single prisoner was rushing the wardens, which certainly made Travis's job easier. That was until even more gunshots rang out, and the overpowering shout of blood-lust was now mixed with panicked screams. 'Faggots.' Thought Travis, whether or not he'd act the same he wouldn't ever admit.

They were scrambling all over the place as he kept searching, until finally he saw some wardens hobbling away to what they hoped was safety. Travis grinned. They were all fucked up! Wait, shit no two looked in alright shape to fight at least. But Travis had a big ass knife, they wouldn't stand a chance.

They also had no chance against guns as three of them suddenly dropped to the ground, another prisoner running up beside towards them brandishing a pistol. As he ran past Travis swiped his knife, slashing the shooter's throat. He grabbed the gun out of his hands, aiming at the two remaining wardens. One was rather small yet looked in good fighting condition while the other was a massive hulking creature, with his arm out of his socket and his leg covered in deep cuts. Travis smiled as he shot the smaller man in the face. He looked over the bigger man. "Makes my job a fuck of a lot easier." He said, shooting the man in both of his knees, following up with a brutal kick to the face, knocking teeth out of his mouth. Travis knelt down and used the grip of the gun to savagely beat him unconscious, yet still alive.

He looked around, more gunshots. Perfect, more fighting somewhere else. Travis used all his strength to heft the massive man over his shoulder, he carried him with one arm, a pistol in his free hand as he ran towards the exit.

 

[Mr.Ivebeenframed]

"Do you know what's wrong? Exactly how sick are you?"

"I've no idea... I just started coughing and coughing ever since..." Aggie hesitated. A shimmer of painful memories glittered in her eye. Tortured poses and hanging bodies. Raised fists and beaten flesh. Sadness and a perpetual feeling of pain. Aggie breathed deeply for a second and tried to regain herself but the memories too strong and too recent despite being only some time ago. She choked but regained her composure. "Ever since the Piranhas. They captured me and bunch of people before the Wardens finally did something but really it was the Wolves. Who's counting anyways..."

Lewis caught Aggie's temporary break in her rough character and saw her in a new light. He sat down beside her. Lewis didn't need to touch Aggie to express his sympathy for her. He knew who difficult it could be being a inmate let alone one for more than one day. They traded a glance but that was all that was needed. For once Aggie didn't stop him at least immediately. Finally Aggie cleared her mind temporarily and looked to Selina.

"Lewis, this is Selina." Aggie said, motioning to her. Lewis got up and approached her. He wasn't quite sure of her but she didn't look like their invaders and anyone that didn't was just another prisoner here. He outstretched his hand. "Cpl. Lewis Moore, ma'am. Thank you for finding my sister. If there's anything that I can help you with, please say so."


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Richard stayed silent in the next room, sulking until he heard the familiar sound of Selina's voice. He shook his head, thinking that the sitting around was making him crazy but just to be sure he listened intently. If it was truly Selina then perhaps staying silent would be a good move. Then maybe he could listen at what she would tell them and try to discern whether it was the real Selina. He certainly didn't trust her now but if she had something to say that would be worthwhile then maybe it was worth letting past grudges by. After all, he had to get out of this hellhole one way or the other.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

"If there's anything that I can help you with, please say so."

"Thank you, Corporal Moore." Selina replied quietly. "I'm afraid I can't give you anything satisfactory, not right now. All I can tell you is that things are probably going to get much worse before they get better. Asking people to make sacrifices is not my forte, I'm no soldier. However, there may come a time soon, where many of us may have to be prepared to give everything we have. Until that time comes, the best way you can help me, is to keep each-other safe." Selina gritted her teeth, painfully aware of how inadequate her explanations were.

"Keep each-other safe, and keep faith. Whatever it is you have faith in, whether its Venture, or each-other, or just in staying alive day by day, hold onto it. Don't provoke anyone without cause, and don't let the things you see grind you down."

Selina was forced to stop talking quickly, when the sound of heavy footfalls was heard in the corridor outside. Turning to face the doorway, Selina stood tall as General Hammond, flanked by two other soldiers, appeared in the threshold.

"Ms. Hernandez." The General announced coldly. "If you would come with me please." Despite the wording, it was clear he was giving an order, and Selina followed him with a small nod.

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"How's the drink?"

"It's perfect, thank you very much. In fact, it makes me wonder what a talent such as yours is doing so very far away from civilisation."

The commander smiled at her, a kind of cold hunger in his eyes.

"It's true, you're old Chief had been to very many places. Did he ever speak of them, or did his underlings ever whisper the stories in this haven that he would never frequent?" He leaned forward and spoke softly. "How much do you know of what he did?"

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Lee knew he was in a bad way. He remained seated, staring straight ahead with his jaw set, determined not to look at the bottle in front of him. He felt cold and weak, his shoulder throbbing worse than ever, with clammy perspiration running from his brow. His breath was beginning to rattle, and his eyelids crept downwards, as if he could no longer bear their weight.

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The young cadet swelled with pride, as he stood to attention among the hundreds of his comrades who were also present in the square. However, his face remained a fixed image of disciplined stoicism as the graduation speech continued.

"Some of you came to us petty hooligans, wasting your days in the toil of disobedience and distraction. Some of you came to us the pampered sons of wealthy fathers, ignorant to the world outside your gilded cage. You ALL came to us boys, all of you green. Now you rise, an example to the world of the kind of elite that our great nation can achieve. Now you rise as men, soldiers of the Tiger Republics!"

"GLORY TO THE REPUBLICS!" several hundred voices cried out in perfect unison, the thump of their fists hitting their chests in a completely synchronised salute seemed to shake the ground. Lee could have wept with joy.

"From this day, you will go forth as the spearhead of our war machine. No nation, or private army will stand in your path, provided you stay true to your training, to your comrades, and to your country. You are our finest sword, and by the strength of your steel we will cut out the corruption and weakness that plagues this world. We will restore order. We will restore prosperity. THOSE WHO SUBMIT TO OUR STRENGTH WILL KNOW A SHINING DAWN!"

"GLORY TO THE REPUBLICS!" Lee took up the cry again. "NO QUARTER! NO SURRENDER! GLORY TO ALL!"

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Lee wrenched his eyes open, his chest heaving and sweat pouring off his face.

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Nikolai looked up to the dilapidated farm house, unease hidden behind his brutish features. The boy had known a place not far different from this once, a very long time ago. He wondered what that place looked like now, if even a single timber remained standing.

A flash of burning like in front of his eyes, and a flash of pain behind them. He shouldn't think about such things. Shaking his head stubbornly, Nikolai hefted a sack of provisions, and walked up the short stretch of track that remained.

He came level with Lucia and Acolyte just as they reached the steps up to the front door. Lucia was doing well on her crutches up the slope, but the steps were steep and rickety.

"Let me help." he said. reaching down with his free hand and sweeping Lucia up so she sat on his immense shoulder. Despite his strength, he was careful not to irritate her wound, and he picked he up in one fluid motion, having to duck twice as much so that neither of them would hit their heads as the crossed the threshold.

 

[Fappy]

Neil continued laying down cover fire for Iron Squad, downing at least twenty inmates before they caught on to his location. This was made painfully obvious when a low-caliber round ricocheted off the vent, inches from his head, "Shit." He muttered under his breath as he dropped down onto his hands and knees, crawling down the vent as it was lit up around him. Before he turned the corner he felt a bullet rip right through sleeve, causing his heart to jump out of his chest.

Too fucking close.

He made his way back through the network of vents without further incident, eventually finding himself below one of the Lower Level walkways. His next course of action would be to get somewhere high. Somewhere he could cover Luka once he'd gotten out of the Hive. Inching through a crawlspace not much bigger than the vent he'd just crawled through, he made his way to the backside of the floor's infrastructure and began climbing up. Considering the narrow space that ran the length of this part of the Pit, Neil wasn't likely to run into anyone. It was so cramped, in fact, that his rifle kept getting caught every few feet.

Eventually he made it to the floor the Hive presided on and shimmied to the back of a nearby building. After scaling to the second floor of the small structure, he peaked through a tiny ventilation slot. It was abandoned. Carefully, he climbed around the side and peaked around the corner. The west entrance into the Hive was thrown into a frenzy. None of them would likely notice Neil climbing in through the building's side window from this distance.

Scooting closer to the window, he noticed it was mostly broken open already. Drawing his side arm, he held onto the corner of the structure with one hand while he bashed the remaining glass out of the window frame with the grip of his pistol. With the glass cleared, Neil threw himself onto the side of the building and climbed inside. The stench of death filled his nostrils almost immediately as his eyes adjusted to his new, dark surroundings. There were body parts everywhere.

"Fucking Christ..." He muttered as he held his hand up to his nose in a vain effort to shield himself from the smell. As he stumbled over the bodies, towards the front of the building, he heard footsteps from below. He froze.

"I swear! I thought I heard glass breakin' upstairs!" A man shouted.

"Then check it yer goddamn self! FUCK!" Another replied.

Soon after, footsteps began sounding from the nearby staircase. Looking at the pistol in his hand, he grimaced. Gunshots would be too loud. As the foot steps drew closer, Neil crept up against the wall, next to the staircase. Holstering his pistol, he drew his combat knife out of its sheath and pressed himself against the wall. Neil's blood was boiling by the time the first man came into view, his head popping up from the staircase. His face was full of boils and caked in dry blood.

Cannibals...

The man was brandishing a crowbar. If Neil was lucky, none of them would have guns. Just as soon as the cannibal had taken his next step, Neil was on him, lunging over the railing and landing his knees onto the man's shoulders. Neil plunged his dagger into the man's chest as they crashed down onto the cannibal's back. Riding the dying man to the bottom floor, Neil sprung to his feet, knife turned backwards in his main-hand as two more cannibals came into view. They both appeared shocked to see him. And they were unarmed.

Not wasting the element of surprise, Neil sprung into action, charging at the closest man and swinging his blade in a wide arc. The cannibal screamed and stumbled backwards, narrowly dodging the fatal blow. As Neil recovered, the second man lept at him. Stepping into his charge, Neil threw his arms backwards, catching the man in the side of the neck with his forearm. The cannibal went limp on contact and crashed against the concrete floor.

Before Neil could check to see if he was indeed dead, the first Cannibal was on him, tackling him to the floor. As they struggled on the ground with the knife between them, it became clear Neil possessed superior strength. Knowing he would lose the bout, the cannibal scrambled to escape, but was unable to when Neil grabbed the back of his head and pulled him in. The knife sank deep into his throat, covering Neil in a crimson ooze.

Getting to his feet once more, Neil bent down and slit the other man's throat for good measure. Though he'd have loved to take a breather, he was already running late. Proceeding up to the second-story window, Neil knelt down and scoped up on the Hive's entrance. It seemed to have cleared up quite a bit in the last few minutes, but there were still no signs of Iron Squad.

"Come on, Korovitch..."

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"Whoop," Lucia muttered as she was swept off her feet. She wasn't at all prepared for the impromptu ride and was forced to hold the crutches horizontally under her armpits so as to not hit anyone in the face. After making it into the barn, Nikolai carefully set her down. When their eyes could meet once more, Lucia cocked an eyebrow, "Thanks, Nikolai. But, uh, you should probably warn a girl before you just... pick them up." She chuckled.

 

[Evrant-Knight]

"It's perfect, thank you very much. In fact, it makes me wonder what a talent such as yours is doing so very far away from civilization." The Commander smiled at Abigail as he spoke, though there was something about it which didn't seem right. "It's true, you're old Chief had been to very many places. Did he ever speak of them, or did his underlings ever whisper the stories in this haven that he would never frequent?" He leaned forward and spoke softly. "How much do you know of what he did?"

"Well, I certainly know a fair bit about his actions in Japan, what little of it is left after what he did, as he spoke of them himself when he came down here a few days ago, in fact, I think he sat in that exact chair you're sitting in now sir." Abigail remarked as she began to recall the meeting she had with Lee the other day, the day that things changed in her mind.

"From what I recall, it was his first campaign, back when he was a Lieutenant in the Tiger Republics. The reason that Japan became important, was that following the Cataclysm, what I'll refer to as America to forgo the long title, had lost much of it's power, and was looking East across the Pacific.

Japan had also been bombarded, diplomatically speaking by the Tiger Republics to become apart of it, though naturally they refused, and they did it in such a way that provoked conflict. As a result, Japan was secretly arranging an alliance with America to protect themselves from attack.

To turn the tide in the Republics favor, they began a long smear campaign to turn Japan's people against itself. In short it worked. And there wasn't much America could do to help without facing severe repercussions. Whilst the regime change was successful, taking over the once Land of the Rising Sun in about a week; there were pockets of resistance.

That is where Lee came in. For over a year and a half, Lee and the rest of his kind tore through Japan like a hurricane, stamping out dissent, burning down homes, quietly removing whole families in the dead of night, interrogations you name it. And he was proud in doing it. Just hearing about it sickens me to the core, enough to despise him." Abigail said with some degree of fury as she remembered every detail.

"However, I think a part of him regrets what he has done. Lee said he wished that the stories of him breaking in Bahrain, Pan-Arabia as many have said were true. In actuality, it opened his eyes, and he saw how broken he already was. To think, a man committing such acts was allowed to run a place like this, whilst there are people down there in the Pit who have done less, it's unthinkable. But like I said, I think a part of him regrets what he's done. I don't know whether to absolve or condemn him." She then added before calming down.

 

[The Funslinger]

Korovitch and Fiona sprinted through the Hive's entrance. Combat has left them both blood splattered, but unwounded. Looking up at an adjacent window, he saw a familiar face watching him as a rifle passed over him. Good, Verner had kept his spine.

"We must regroup," he told Fiona. "We will head to the second floor and meet with Verner."

"You're really trusting him, sir?"

"We have no other choice. He has exceeded expectations thus far, at least. For now, I intend to find out what this 'mission' of his is."

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"Thanks, Nikolai. But, uh, you should probably warn a girl before you just... pick them up."

"Yeah," said Acolyte, laughing. "Usually I buy a girl dinner before I pull a stunt like that, big man."

 

[ProtoChimp]

Travis was running out of one of The Hive's few exits, this one was pretty much dead due everyone bum rushing Korovitch. With the heavy man hefted over his shoulder The Dragon was moving at half speed, and the random prisoners running up to him trying to take the warden back weren't helping. He shot them down one by one. Even if his aim sucked and they were running, he could put them down easily enough with a shot to the gut and the chest. He had no idea how much ammo he had left in the clip but he had at least enough to get out of the Hive. Mustering up all his strength he made one strong dash out of the Hive as fast as he could. He needed to get away from these greedy bastards who wanted the throne for themselves. The Pit is The Dragon's Lair! His domain and no one else's! And he knew that if he got out of The Hive alive there would be less people wanting to take this huge warden for their own, most would simply run past him looking for a good time and a good kill.

"Bastard he's mine!"

'Ah mother fucker its never easy is it?' Travis pushed on ahead as a prisoner was running behind him, brandishing a crowbar. Travis turned back and pulled the trigger only to be met with a disappointing click. 'FUCK!' He'd have to throw the warden down if he wanted to take care of this mother fucker, but that would be wasting even more time. He just kept on running, fleeing from the bastard and hoping he didn't catch up. If he did he'd beat Travis to death before he had a chance to become the all powerful Dragon of the Pit! What he was born to be! His birthright stricken away from him!

'FUCK IT!' He ran towards the nearest cover he could find in case anyone had him in their sights. He hid around a corner and crouched down with his knife in hand. His pursuer slammed the crowbar against the corner, just a tad too high. Travis returned the favour by cutting into his manhood, following up with a gutting that Travis had perfected long ago, when he was a young man hitch hiking and sailing as much as the world he could, even if it was only a few countries here and there. His guts spilled out deliciously as The Dragon smashed his brains against the wall with the crowbar. The warden was still unconscious, thank a non-existent god. Once again scooping him up he set off once again. Other inmates were swarming all around him trying to escape the Hive or searching for more Wardens. He would need to be sneakier now. With no bullets all he had to defend himself was a crowbar and a knife, and while that had worked so far it he needed more to defend himself with a warden on his shoulder. Taking a few deep breaths, he shot off like a bat out off hell, the crowbar in his free hand. He would do this.

He WOULD do this.

 

[Mr.Ivebeenframed]

Aggie and Lewis looked to each other as Selina finished, realizing that hit would be a hard fight but that much was what they already knew. Then they stayed silent as armed soldiers stood outside their room. One of them demanded that Selina leave with them. Aggie gritted her teeth then stood up.

"How come she gets to have a walk around?" Aggie protested before coughing suddenly. She sunk to the floor before Lewis could get to her. He was too shocked by her question to the commanding officer to ask her what the hell she was doing but a part of him knew what exactly she was doing. It his turn.

Lewis looked to the commanding officer. "I'm sorry, sir. I think what my she means to say is that she needs medical attention. Please, she's suffering." He said, pleadingly.

If Aggie wasn't coughing, she would have rolled her eyes at Lewis' statement but at least he was doing somethin.g

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

General Hammond looked over the pair of them coldly.

"Your old medical wing took some damage in the takeover, but it's still partially functional. You can go there to be seen to. Alternatively, my men have set up a makeshift triage in the canteen. Don't expect to be seen to quickly though. We took a lot of casualties yesterday, and my medics will look after their own before attending to..." he paused to glare especially at Lewis, "others."

Just as he was about to disappear around the corner, Hammond poked his head back around.

"Oh, and see that you don't wander off to anywhere you're not allowed. I don't expect your health would improve if anyone were to catch you."

Selina stole one last look at the pair of them before she disappeared out of sight. She just hoped that, whatever the young duo planned on doing, they would be careful.

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"Usually I buy a girl dinner before I pull a stunt like that, big man."

Nikolai shrugged, not quite understanding what Acolyte was saying, before he was called upon to help carry more things into the house. The Songbirds were stacking crates of ammunition in what used to be the old kitchen. The Free Men were not the only cargo being carried south.

"He's getting better every day." said a thickly accented voice behind Lucia. The tall, athletic form of Natalia was speaking as she stepped through the threshold, her high-powered rifle slung over one shoulder, he machete over the other. "I have been watching. Before, he always walked around like he saw nothing accept what was right in front of him. Now, thanks to you, he takes the time to see things."

Natalia had to crouch down to be on a level with Lucia, as they looked back through the door at Nikolai, hauling more crates out of the back of the truck.

"You may not notice, he shows so little difference. It's in the small things, like the way he holds his head, and the split second longer he pauses when he sees something new." she said, wistfully. "You'd have to have been watching him for a long time to see the changes."

All of a sudden, Natalia blushed and bit her lip, as if she were afraid that she had said too much.

 

[The Funslinger]

After a moment's pause, Acolyte followed Nikolai's lead in helping carry in crates of ammunition, glancing at Lucia and Natalia as he left. He was at the back of the truck when Nikolai came back for another crate, which Acolyte passed to him before hefting one himself and balancing a smaller one on top of it.

"I think you have an admirer, Nikolai," he said with a grin.

 

[Fappy]

A subtle dread crept into Neil's mind as he kept his eye glued to the Hive's entrance. When he finally spotted what was left of Iron Squad, it was like a huge weight off his shoulders. Though they weren't completely out of the woods yet, it was a good start. Seeing a few prisoners hot on their trail as they passed by the building he was set up in, Neil made quick work of them. Two headshots and three more in their chests. Once Korovitch and his subordinate were clear, he packed up and and started after the two wardens.

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"You'd have to have been watching him for a long time to see the changes."

Was she... blushing? Lucia couldn't believe was she was seeing. Though the Freemen had within them their fair share of women, it was clear they weren't treated any differently than the men in the group. In fact, if there had been any sexual relationships among them, Lucia had been unaware of their existence. The very idea of it had never crossed her mind until now. Not until she saw the way this woman looked at... Nikolai of all people.

Then she thought of Nikolai naked.

Gross.

Snapping herself back to reality, Lucia looked back to Nikolai, "He's a strange one, that's for sure," She frowned. "I spent so much time resenting him. Wanting revenge for what he had done. I realize now how stupid it was. He didn't murder Samuel. They saved me... together."

Lucia looked to Natalia and smiled, "Underneath it all, he's a good man. I can tell. It may have taken me a long time to realize it, but now... I think I... we have a chance to help him out of his shell. I apologize," Lucia blushed slightly. "I understood you all respected him as your leader... perhaps, many of you even thought of him as a brother. I must have pained you all to see him making so many sacrifices on my behalf. I understand if you resent me for it." She furrowed her brow and looked back out through the barn door.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

"I understand if you resent me for it."

Natalia shook her head.

"You weren't the first." she told the younger girl. "Nikolai has always stood up for those who did not meekly submit to others. That's how he found me. I was alone then, and I'd been set upon by the Cannibals. Eight of them cornered me in the Lower Levels. They did this," she turned her head and pointed at the mangled scar tissue that covered most of her left ear. "but I fought back. I'd killed three of them before they were ready to finish me off. That was when he arrived..."

Natalia's eyes misted over, and she sighed, surprisingly girlish all of a sudden.

"No Wardens ever answered my cries for help, but he did. When he saw what was happening, he fought them all off, all by himself. When he pulled the leader's head clean off his shoulders, all the others who remained ran away. Then, he helped me to my feet, and showed me the way back to his den. While I was healing, me kept all of the other Wolves away, to make sure none of them finished what the Cannibals started; and when the time came, he gave me the chance to fight to become their equal. He broke my nose and three of my ribs, while I broke his wrist, and gave him that big scar across his back. Do you see it?"

She sat down beside Lucia now, her knees tucked up close to her chest, staring out across the front yard with big eyes.

"Back when he made all of the others welcome me in to the fold, after I had survived the fight, I thought that maybe he would... but there was always something else that he would be thinking about. Like I said, he would only ever see what was right in front of him. Now though, he's staring to look at things differently... maybe he might look at me differently too."

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"I think you have an admirer, Nikolai."

Nikolai looked up in response, puzzled by why exactly the other man was smiling like that. Looking pack towards the porch, he saw Natalia and Lucia, both watching him. When she saw him looking, Natalia suddenly became very interested in her boots. That was odd, and why did he suddenly feel hot all of a sudden? It was warm out, yes, but it had been since they arrived.

"Natalia is good comrade." Nikolai answered, clearing his throat. "She fights well. Many times I might have died if not for her." he looked at Acolyte again. Why was the man still smiling like that? What was going on?

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"I don't know whether to absolve or condemn him."

"Don't you?" the commander pressed her. "Don't you think that he should have been punished? Does his regret, however sincere, allow those who suffered because of him to rest any easier?"

 

[Evrant-Knight]

"Don't you?" The Commander asked forcefully. "Don't you think that he should have been punished? Does his regret, however sincere, allow those who suffered because of him to rest any easier?" Abigail let out a sigh as she placed her hands down on the table.

"How the hell should I know sir? I do not come from a military background, so I would have no clue on their procedure. But I can guess based upon my time here." She said calmly, stopping a moment to catch her breath and fix her gaze.

"No, it most likely doesn't make those who suffered by his hand rest any easier, but how are they to know of his regret? As for whether or not he should have been punished because of his actions; he wouldn't have been punished by his own people, he was simply following the orders that they gave him, and would have likely been punished if he didn't. Anyone else it would have likely been severe. Discharged from the military obviously. Life imprisonment at the best, the death penalty at the worst."

"But since you asked me whether he should have been punished or not. I think he should have. But whose to say he hasn't already been punished by having to live with that regret for the rest of his days. Punishment doesn't have to be physical, it can be psychological as well as the aforementioned example shows."

 

[Fappy]

Lucia turned her head and smiled at the woman as she sat down beside her.

"Back when he made all of the others welcome me in to the fold, after I had survived the fight, I thought that maybe he would... but there was always something else that he would be thinking about. Like I said, he would only ever see what was right in front of him. Now though, he's staring to look at things differently... maybe he might look at me differently too."

"I'm not sure he's quite that far along yet," Lucia said, giggling. "But, I don't think he's too far off either." While Natalia sat there admiring Nikolai from afar, Lucia placed a friendly hand on her shoulder. "You know, I'm happy right now. In fact, I think we all are. When was the last time we were able to feel like... human beings? Like women?" She shook Natalia's shoulder lightly. "Give him some time and I think he'll come around."

She too looked at Nikolai now, "I think he's just now starting to realize that it's over. That he doesn't have to be that way anymore. That he can," She couldn't help but chuckled. "Appreciate a woman like a man should." She gave Natalia a knowing look.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

"Appreciate a woman like a man should."

Natalia looked mortified.

"I-I'm not sure if he's ever... I don't think he knows..." She stared at her knees, crestfallen. "He was in that place most of his life. He says he remembers nothing else. I'm not sure he'd know what to do if we ever... or even worse, he'd remember what some of the other Wolves would do to women, and think that that was how it was supposed to be."

 

[Fappy]

Seeing the much tougher woman wilt in front of her was an odd sight, indeed. Lucia offered her a smile and began rubbing Natalia's back.

"... I'm not sure he'd know what to do if we ever... or even worse, he'd remember what some of the other Wolves would do to women, and think that that was how it was supposed to be."

"If you want, I can talk to him about it," Lucia started. "I mean, I don't have that much experience, but if I can teach him to read I am sure I can teach him to..." Lucia blushed and the giggled. "... love."

 

[ProtoChimp]

'Running running running. Running running running. Running running running. Awaaaaay.'

Was that a nursery rhyme? He didn't remember. All Travis knew was he ended up singing that song a lot to his prey. He felt pretty humiliated that he was running away now, but hey at least he was running towards something other than outright fleeing.

The Hive now far behind him, Travis just kept on running with the warden over his shoulder. "Wha... whats going on?" mumbled the warden slung over his shoulder.

"Oh shit," Travis laughed surprised, "I actually thought you weren't gonna wake up. Thought you got fucked up too good." He laughed as he jogged with the man over his shoulder.

"I... let go of me..." The man could barely see, everything a wild haze. He felt sick as his groin was being pushed against Travis's shoulder. He lay his fists weakly and softly against The Dragon's back. "Fffucker."

"Hey watch your language you cheeky little boy!" He damn near squealed with joy. "Who says I'm not doing you a favour? Does this look like the Hive?"

"Ssstop fucking with me... you're just... what are you? Cannibal... rapist... you won't get me asshole..."

"Oh poor boy." Travis suddenly slammed the man down onto the floor with a spinebuster. "I already have you. Asshole." The man shouted out as pain shot through his back before Travis set upon him with a quick succession of ruthless fists. "You don't talk to me like... hey you awake man?" Travis slapped him a few times before noticing the man was bleeding from the back of his head, "SHIT!" Travis slung him over into a fireman's carry, speeding at full pelt down the corridors. He could see prisoners acting somewhat casual as he ran, much less chaotic than earlier. He was close to a sense of control, a place were fighting wildly would get put down by the new owners.

Unfortunately, that led to many prisoners with the same request as Travis had been given. They stared him down like animals. "Hey," they laughed, "thanks for doing the leg work for me." One approached Travis, but not getting too close.

"Fuck you cocklover he's mine!" Yelled Travis.

"Fuck off old man," said a young cocky looking skinhead. "Hand him over, don't wanna start something them old bones can't finish."

"Don't fucking talk to The Dragon that way you little ass fucker!"

They began laughing at him. "The Dragon. Please."

"Wanna test me *****? I'll gut all of you and sell your innards to Cannibals." He returned. Just then one of the invaders showed up. "I got you your war-"

"Hey yo shut the fuck up!" Yelled another as they all faced the invader. "He was mine! This ***** took him."

"The fuck you say?" Travis challenged the man.

"You heard me bit-"

"Enough for fuck sake!" Roared the guard. "You all want to claim this warden?"

"Yeah. He's alive too, just fucked up." Travis spoke.

"Alright, give him to me. You want to claim this warden you fight for him." The man kept a hand on his gun, still in its holster. Each man gave a sickly grin as their eyes darted between each other. They nodded to Travis as he walked over slowly and handed over the warden. The invader checked the pulse. "Yep, still alive. You all better kill each other quick. I wanna watch this, and this sucker hasn't got long left."

Each prisoner glared at all of the others as they entered into a large circle. Batons, knives, knuckle dusters in their hands among other things. Travis licked his lips at the murder that was soon approaching. This was going to be blissful.

 

[ProtoChimp]

Felix followed close behind the warden who was leading him down into the lower levels. The woman was tall and extremely muscular with red hair tied up in a bun. Despite clearly showing some battle fatigue she appeared no worse for wear. Perhaps it was adrenaline, he thought. "You must have been here for a long time to know your way around this well." He said.

"9 years." She said flatly as she lead him through various shortcuts. "Prisoners used to always make shortcuts back in the bad days, well not as bad as right now, but when basically the whole prison belonged to them. Warden law wasn't so good down here."

"It sounds like they had their own society." He responded as he helped her lift up a fallen support beam as they cut through a dilapidated building. "I've heard of prison culture but it is like a city down here."

"Yup," she grunted as she pushed up the beam damn near by herself, "its a whole different world down here."

"No offence, but it doesn't sound like if felt like much of a prison," he tried to speak as polite as possible, knowing how rude his statement may have come out as.

The woman sighed and gave him a sideways look. "Honest to God, it kinda was that way. Even Korovitch couldn't control everyone down here. Just scared the ever living shit out of them."

"Korovitch?" He asked.

"I'll tell you about him another time, hopefully we'll get to meet him. He knows how to keep your lot in line. Dunno how much that'll count for now, but he's ruthless and right now we need more of that."

"My lot?" He queried. "I am not lik-"

"Yeah I know, sorry its a reflex. Like I said before, not every day you see a nice prisoner. Most who are end up as Pit slaves, or they just keep quiet enough to just live day by day. Come on down here." She began climbing down a ladder.

"Pit slaves? My Lord my naivety knows no bounds." He muttered.

"What?" She asked confused.

"Nothing." He spoke again as he followed her down the ladder. He truly did not know anything about this place. He knew it was a disgusting, vile place. But his knowledge of the world, all the world, was so limited. So introverted. 'As is the nature of the league'.

The league. The order. Dedicated to educating mankind, yet knew nothing about the world around them, instead going in blindly and hoping to change a few minds. It was only now beginning to hit him how, despite his homeland having such heavy political dealings with Ignite Solutions, a corporation perhaps such as ruthless as Venture Horizen...

That was the word! 'Perhaps.' He didn't know enough about these giants, despite how they practically owned the earth and could challenge world leaders as if they were their own nation. Yet he didn't know enough, he was in his own little shell. The entire league was in their own little shell! Just a bunch of hermits, crawling along a beach. They may have known the culture of the beach, but not the way it worked. Not how hard or how high the tide came in, not how many people visited the beach, or how many predators lurked in the water. Now they just plodded along content with ignorance. Even if they were strong little hermits, their shell blinded them. A self made shell, that was the worst part. He asked his leaders the ins and outs of this facility and his mission, yet all they told him was of the moral issue of suffering. They gave him no details because they didn't know themselves. If they did, then this whole thing could have been handled much better.

Why was he wasting his time thinking like this? The order knew what it was doing. So what if it didn't have all the fine details, they had right on their side! And that was enough to do good by the world. Yet, how could they teach knowledge to a world in desperate need of awareness and intelligence when they had such little themselves? He shook his head, 'Felix Theodore Maccalian, you are over thinking this. And you have a mission. Get to the lower levels.' He continued to follow the woman down the twists and turns of the mid levels, finally making it to the lower levels. The depths of the Pit.

"Okay," spoke the warden, "stick close to me and you'll be fine. Just a guess, but its gonna be a lot harder to hide down here." She gave a laugh so forced even she knew how ridiculous she sounded.

===========================================

Clementina stayed sat upon a table on the second floor of the building she was in, trying to regain her stamina. She was controlling her breathing, she was incredibly healthy, still the amount of fighting she had done and with absolutely no sleep was getting to her. She did not have the experience of such a battle-no battle was the wrong word. She was in a war. And like it or not she was on the losing side before it had even started. Teased with the prospect of victory by taking down a few small fries before having what might as well have been the whole fucking world fall on top of you killed morale faster than finding out your entire family was dead, and your dog had broken its legs, and your childhood sweetheart just got married to someone else, and your favourite book would never be finished, and your second favourite book series had a terrible ending.

"Hey, hey, Abreu?" Her fellow warden was trying to snap her out of her haze, whistling and snapping her fingers in front of her eyes, "you okay?"

"What?" She asked confused. "Um, yeah fine I was just kinda day dreami-um thinking about things."

"Like what?" She asked.

Clementina looked at her cynically. "Is now really the time?"

"Well things have gotten quiet out there for now." The even younger warden stated.

"Lets keep it quiet in here too then." Clementina shot back at her.

"Fine." The other woman rolled her eyes and walked back towards the window, hiding out of sight from anyone who could have been outside. Clem wanted to return thinking about her admittedly melodramatic fiction, but like she herself had said now wasn't the time. Even in a reprieve like this, letting your guard down was stupid and irresponsible to your own well being.