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BlackCitySkyline

Story 07: Operation Bear Hunt

Aug 18th, 2013
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  1. In an alternate reality...
  2.  
  3.  
  4. You have other questions to ask, of course, but it's then that Kharn holds up a clawed hand as she presses her fingers against her headset's earpiece, eyes narrowing behind her glasses. Ahead of you, the truck has ground to a stop, with some of the soldiers hopping off. Metallic clicks filling the air as they ready their own weapons, worn rifles and firearms being prepared for combat.
  5.  
  6. Kharn shouts a query in Russian; a hard-bitten soldier with rheumy blue eyes and a savage, jagged scar for a mouth replies quickly and tersely, an AK-47 slung casually across his body. You look towards your former partner for answers - you'd like to know what is happening, at least - and you watch as both Misaka and Midori disembark from the truck as well, running towards you with curious looks on their faces.
  7.  
  8. "Sempai? What's going on?" Midori asks as she comes up in front of you, one hand carefully holding Misaka's own. "From what I could understand, we weren't supposed to be stopping until after a few more kilometers." She looks up at Kharn, who's still murmuring into her headset. "Did Miss Valnikov say anything?"
  9.  
  10. You shake your head. You've been waiting for an answer yourself, really.
  11.  
  12. A few more moments of speaking rather tersely to her headset's microphone - as well as snapping out some commands in Russian - that Kharn finally remembers her small group of guests consisting of two magical girls and a rather irate-looking arms dealer. "Ah, forgiveness, Murderface, but there seems to have been a slight issue in our preparations. Our hunting is delayed for a bit."
  13.  
  14. Kharn shakes her head, a grin cracking across her face. "It seems like we are the ones being hunted. One of our advance parties caught sight of a bear horde and reported that they are rushing straight for our location."
  15.  
  16. Well. That doesn't sound good at all.
  17.  
  18. Kharn dropped her hand from her headset and took in the group of Russian soldiers standing around, waiting for her orders. After a few tense moments, she nodded. Russian commands echoed in the air, passing through the rabble of soldiers like a pagan cry to the wilds. Words of valor were said, men's jaws clenched, and hearts pounded like a war drum. The Bear Hunt had began in ernest.
  19.  
  20. "Forgiveness, Murderface, even if you are warmaster-in-training, I am taking command of this butchery. As my guests, I must show you all a good time! A good time!" She nodded, the smile turning into something barbaric.
  21.  
  22. "What do we do, Sempai?" Midori asked, clearly worried over the notion of being hunted by wild bears. Bears that can and have ripped entire tanks in half. Her female form would be far easier to rip apart in comparison to a tank.
  23.  
  24. "Yeah, Murderface, what does this one do to help?" Misaka peeped in, staring up at you for orders. She really wanted to help, that much was clear from her face. Tiny Pete remained quiet, but your gut told you that he wanted orders as much as Misaka and Midori, that he was excited over the prospect of war.
  25.  
  26. Everyone, besides Kharn and her soldiers, were looking up to you for directions. It was as if you were already a Warmaster, and held all the strategems concerning the incoming horde.
  27.  
  28. You thought the entire situation over with a calm, mostly alcohol free brain, one that you shouldn't be thinking with, let alone possess. Your hands gripped your Mosin rifle, making sure it was there. You had this, and your shield of guns. Besides the two golden weapons that lay like threatening parasites in it's hold, you had a good chance of churning out something handy in any given situation.
  29.  
  30. Your attention turned to Midori, who had only opted a cellphone to take pictures with. It was believed that pictures stole a person's soul, but unfortunately these bears probably have no souls to steal. You ask her if she's alright with just a cellphone, if she wanted a pistol at the very least. You could easily drop one out right now for her to use.
  31.  
  32. "Oh, n-no, Sempai. Thanks for the offer, but I'm sticking to my original plan of not shooting any fluffy bears." You stared hard. She became addled under your piercing gaze. "I was serious when I picked my phone, Matsuda-Sempai." You were serious too, but with a sigh you told her that she should stay out of danger. "Of course, Sempai, I'll be careful." She nodded once at you.
  33.  
  34. And then there was Misaka, Souji's younger sister and your arms dealer. He would throw a bitch-fit if a single scratch landed on her. Her safety warrented top priority. You told her that she couldn't go into battle with them with a gun, but she could lend her support to Tiny Pete. Keep an eye out for him, especially if the situation got hairy. She looked positively crest-fallen, and pouted, shaking her head back and forth.
  35.  
  36. "No, Misaka wants to help! Wants gun to blow bears dead! Cheerleading isn't helping!" Wouldn't she do it for you? Uncertainty entered her eyes as she thought it over, then she finally relented. Nodding, she said, "... Misaka would do that for Murderface." You smile small, patting her head and telling her that she was a good girl. That improved her desposition a bit.
  37.  
  38. You went up to Tiny Pete, who gazed down at you. The two of you shared a moment of silence. You pointed at Misaka and told him to follow her orders, for she will be keeping an eye out for your back.
  39.  
  40. [UNDERSTOOD, CAPTAIN MURDERFACE. ORDER ACCEPTED.]
  41.  
  42. The soldiers were busy, moving the trucks away from the nearby forest and setting up a line of C4 just a few steps out of it. They were taking this seriously, to the point where you found it ridiculous. Bears, and that much C4 was needed? Then it happened.
  43.  
  44. A bear's roar. Loud, ferocious. Filled with nature's hatred. A roar that pierced the air, rumbled the ground, and froze everyone. They were coming, and they were near.
  45.  
  46. Everyone worked faster after that, double timing it as if tomorrow wouldn't exist anymore. For some, it wouldn't. For some, the dawn of a new sun would fall upon sightless eyes. You felt that there wasn't enough C4 on the ground, after that roar. A frown, quickly cleared away, surfaced.
  47.  
  48. All the soldiers fled backwards, keeping guns and eyes drawn on the trees, forming a line outside blast radius. There, they aimed their sights and became statues.
  49.  
  50. "Come, Murderface, you shall have front line seats." Kharn spoke, walking past you to a point behind the line. The air was still, devoid of all sound besides the whistling wind, the crunching snow, and the phantom roar.
  51.  
  52. The four that stood behind the line were ready. Mosin, mosin, cellphone, and bare fists; a very assault heavy team. Kharn looked at you without turning your way. "Are you ready, Comrade? To die by my side? To succeed with me behind your back? To kill until nothing else matters?" Then she grinned. "Just like old times, Comrade, when we were team, are you ready to become the Murderface I love again?" The bloodlust was high in her, her limbs faintly twitching in expectation, in excitement, that grin already slathered in ichor. You nodded. Once. You were ready.
  53.  
  54. "Good, my dearest friend. I am ready, too." She turned her gaze back to the forest, ready to give them the order.
  55.  
  56. You decided to check up on your teammates before all hell broke loose. Midori was looking at you, a bit worried, but serious. "I'm ready to die by your side, Sempai. I prefer we succeed, but... dying by your side isn't a bad end for me..." Tiny Pete, sensing your gaze, spoke.
  57.  
  58. [THE DOGS OF THE FALSE EMPEROR WILL FALL TO MY BLOWS.]
  59.  
  60. You swung your consciousness over to the patch of greenery and waited. You didn't have to wait for very long. A bear popped out. Burning coal for eyes, a shaggy coat of fur sticky from bloody, huge for its size, the abomination had talons the size of sabers and teeth like screwdrivers. It was angry, and it was crying out to them to die. No one obliged the beast it's request.
  61.  
  62. "Oh my god..." Midori muttered, visibly shaken by the sight. Couldn't blame her, you were surprised by it as well. And this is what they hunted here?
  63.  
  64. It ran closer, with its army appearing behind a dozen at a time, out from the forest and into the clear landscape. Kharn held something in her hand, something that had a shiny red button that screamed 'Push me!' with her thumb hovering over it. She looked like she really wanted to push it, but was holding it off like an addict going cold turkey.
  65.  
  66. None of the soldiers fired, amazingly enough. You gave them credit, they were all professionals. Waiting for the order to fire, even if it meant being mauled to death a second later. Kharn must have their trust.
  67.  
  68. "Now!" The former Warmaster gave the order, pressing the button a second later after the volley of russian lead. One pair of C4 goes off, then another, and another, and another, until all went off. The bears in front were caught in a withering wall, while the ones behind them were reduced to giblets. The blast was tremendous, the rain bloody, and the numbers reduced. You noticed how easily they went down. Death still had domain over them, and they were as killable as anything you've ever met.
  69.  
  70. No one cheered yet, their fingers and minds firmly entrenched on the idea of caressing their triggers. Kharn joined the line, holding her rifle with her absurdly wicked hands and fired as well. It looked to you that they could keep the bears at bay, but they just kept on coming.
  71.  
  72. Something about this felt wrong to you. The flood of ursine in front did not feel right, like they were putting on a play. Paranoia up, you glanced side to side. Nothing but white snow. Your paranoia didn't let up, making you on edge of a knife tettering side to side. Your hands tightened around your rifle and you began to wonder if you still have time to get a better weapon out of your virtual armory.
  73.  
  74. Another glance, and there they were. Great shaggy beasts of death and slaughter rampaging their way toward you and your friends from your left flank. Checking the right, you saw snow, but that could change any second.
  75.  
  76. You started to warn Kharn but she cut you off.
  77.  
  78. "I know. Defend us from them." You went right to it, walking away from the line and making your own some feet away. With your mosin. And your hidden cache of weapons. You laughed. That's all you had. Your shield was wonky, and when it did work you were met by a pink haired demon. You wanted to avoid this demon whenever possible, this situation being one of them.
  79.  
  80. "Tiny Pete! Go help out favorite boss, Murderface!" Misaka's voice carried over the battlefield. She must've found herself a megaphone from somewhere in the truck and was using it to deadly efficiency. Tiny Pete's voice rumbled in confirmation and soon stood next to you, dwarfing you with minimal effort.
  81.  
  82. You smiled a predator's smile. In a gradual manner, it came upon you. You were facing what looked like fifty bears known for killing things real good and all you had on hand was a rifle and an armored giant monstrosity in Siberia. You should thank Kharn later for such fun. You felt like you could really relax here.
  83.  
  84. And that was when the wave of brown fur crashed into the two of you. Tiny Pete went to work immediately, plowing his fist into a face, caving it in while the other fist upper cut another bear, snapping the spine. A vertiable whirlwind of fists he was, bringing down bears like flapjacks. You decided to jump onto his massive pauldrons, firing your rifle into the crowd. It was easy staying on top of him, inspite of his wonderful rotations that brought safety that much closer.
  85.  
  86. "Bears on the right side!" Misaka's voice reported. That wasn't good. That wasn't good at all.
  87.  
  88. You left Tiny Pete to deal with the remainder here, telling him to continue defending. You rushed to the other side, maybe to do some good there. You were too slow. The bears were overrunning the line.
  89.  
  90. "Fix Bayonets!" Kharn ordered. A wall of cold steel formed. They were still facing the forest, where a dozen bears came at them. It looked like the forest was running out of bears.
  91.  
  92. "Tiny Pete, watch out your right si-- uuu..." A heavy crashing could be heard, the sounds of metal grating wispy amid roars and growls of anger.
  93.  
  94. [THE WARP IS OVERTAKING ME... IT IS A GOOD PAIN.]
  95.  
  96. That line caught your attention, and a second later you saw Tiny Pete with three deep gashes across his body turn a bear around, wrap his arms around its' belly, and promptly slamed it head first into the ground backwards. The world was stunned, and spun around it to show off the killer move, showing it from various angles for thirty seconds. Then the world went back to normal.
  97.  
  98. Bears were everywhere. East met West, North met cold steel, and South was empty except for a little girl fuming out from a megaphone. You were in the middle, and here there be dragons.
  99.  
  100. You abandoned the mosin, clacking your trusty good day ruiner for something it would deign worthy enough to give you. It gave you the golden sword. You kicked snow over it, heart raging like a hurricane. You tried again. The golden deagle. You kicked snow over it, growing wrathful by the second. One last try and you acquired the FN Minimi. Pickng it up, the weight and feel felt nostalgic to you. You must have killed tons with this to feel so intricately bonded to it. It was perfect for this moment.
  101.  
  102. You patted it with a caressing hand, tender and loving, and heard a tiny click nearby. Looking around quickly, you see Midori jumping from one bear to another, fleet-foot, snapping pictures like a gun. Running toward her, you fired into the bears, their hides exploding and rippling as the bullets entered. The living mass of floor that Midori was jumping across died under her feet, and she landed on her feet shaken.
  103.  
  104. You grabbed her, pulling her up. You told her to stick with you, and she nodded without any words, eyes wide with shock. She looked unharmed. Several bears were threatening you right now, but you made them go away with a pull of the trigger.
  105.  
  106. "Tiny Pete, behind you!" Misaka yelled, and a quick glance tells you the giant was performing various wrestling techniques when a bear mauled him from behind. They disappeared in the sea. You were sure he was fine, he could take care of himself. Bears should be no problem, since full born daemons took more out of him in far lesser time.
  107.  
  108. You ordered your subordinate down, laying down a harsh circle of harm that put down any bear in its reach.
  109.  
  110. Right, breathing space. This was nice. Midori clinging to you wasn't helping but she steered clear of your Minimi so you had that going for you.
  111.  
  112. Kharn suddenly burst through a wall of bear, wielding a bloody and very wicked chainaxe, gory and scratched up but still lively.
  113.  
  114. "Ah, Murderface. Reborn in the battlfield, your grin tells me so! Come, we must clear out these bear before any more die." Her cheerfulness was a beacon of light in the night that was bears. Beeeeaaaarrrrsss.
  115.  
  116. With you and Kharn partnered up one last time, the bear menace was quickly throttled, choked out of existance with metal flesh hands. Tiny Pete was fine, a bit holy but in tact. Misaka wasn't harmed anywhere, a miracle considering. Midori was rattled and unharmed, a sign of how well she did jumping across bears. Many soldiers lay dead, but some survived, and one, one poor soul, was stuck between the two.
  117.  
  118. He was laying against a mound of six bears, propping his head on them, staring up at the sky. Blood soaked the snow like some macabre cherry slushie. The man laying there had no lower torso, entrails hanging out where they should be, a hand on his deeply breathing chest. Nearby was his lower torso, mangled. Someone swore they could see his beating heart where he stood. Kharn strode toward him with confidence, kneeling down by the soldiers side. She slid a hand under his head gingerly, raising it with reverence.
  119.  
  120. "Yuri..." His eyes worked their way to her face.
  121.  
  122. "Sir." He rasped.
  123.  
  124. "You can stop holding on now, you've earned your rest." Yuri smiled at that, then let out all of the breath he had stored up in one exhale. His watery, optimistic eyes had clouded over when he was still staring at her.
  125.  
  126. Kharn laid his head down, stood, and walked back to the group. It struck you that was she the very model of a Warmaster. She should have never retired.
  127.  
  128. "It is time to start salvaging what we can from these bears. Skins, paws, steaks!"
  129.  
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  167.  
  168.  
  169.  
  170.  
  171.  
  172. The fire crackled. The bear steaks, speared through with wooden sticks, dripped fat that sizzled. You sat on your legs, as did Midori, near the bear corpse fire, as did Midori, who held your arm and cuddled close. She shivered, but not from the cold. Kharn reclined with one metal flesh hand propping her up and the other draped over her body. She watched the stars, a pleasant smile glued to her lips. Tiny Pete still possessed all his limbs but sported lady fetching gashes, proofs of his dedication to your commands. You gave him a nod, which was reciprocated. Misaka worried over him, muttering plans on how to fix this and that.
  173.  
  174. Several other campfires dotted around them, these housing the soldiers with their own bear steaks. Everyone deserved this bounty, this boon, that mother Gaia so thoughtfully provided, in such a cruel, hilarious-in-her-own-way way.
  175.  
  176. What you would do for a flask of vodka right about now.
  177.  
  178. "A good hunt, yes?" Kharn asked aloud. You turned your attention to her, noting how she kept looking at the stars. Yes, it was a good hunt. Lots of close calls and spectacular action shots. You also looked up at the stars.
  179.  
  180. "Beautiful, aren't they? The stars." You supposed they were. Siberia must make them crisp, back in Mitakihara Town they weren't this clear, this close to you.
  181.  
  182. Kharn moved closer to the fire, checking the steaks with her bear hands. "Ah, bear steaks are nearing completion. Comrade Murderface, it is now, to whittle down the time until eating our treat, that I tell you of a part of your past." She sat cross legged, arms folded like a wise sage, with a genuinely warm smile directed at you.
  183.  
  184. "Is it time I tell you of the Murderer, The Ghost, And The Betrayer..."
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