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[Overdose]

(One vision, one purpose. The technology of peace. Peace through power. Peace, unity, brotherhood. Tiberium is power. Deus ex Kane.)

Chapter 2: Jackals

Luis and five of his men sat around a lamp. The evening was windy and slightly chilly. “That's when I sneaked up behind the guy and immobilized him.” The soldier with a soft voice drew in the sand as he told his story. “No way. I was on patrol with you that night. I saw none of that” The man with a coarse voice interrupted him then flicked a pebble at his general direction. “You were probably asleep by then or completely drunk. Possibly both. Remember how the local bar was the only building left standing?” The man with the coarse voice laughed then gave him a slight nod. “Yes. That much I remember. That place had some good drinks, man.”

The men were very disturbed by the sound of footsteps approaching them. They quickly grabbed their weapons and took aim. “Good evening guys.” Nagase came into view and walked over timidly. “Ah, good evening ma'am. Is there something you wish to discuss with me?” Luis stood on his feet and saluted her. “Not really. Just looking to pass time.” Nagase sat down, the ocean breeze blowing her long black hair aside. She grasped a handful of sand and released it slightly watching the breeze do the same to the grains.

“So 'Raven'. I heard you are a real demon sort of woman. The kind that makes GDI shit their yellow pants.” The soldier chuckled but was punished with a punch from Luis. “Allow me to introduce these very 'educated' men who are a 'source of pride' for those that wear the Black Hand uniform.” Luis pointed at the soldier with a soft voice, he always seems to carry a smirk on his lips. “That's Trevor. He's always got a story to tell. Whether you want to hear it or not.” Trevor wiped away his drawings on the sand and gave Nagase a nod in greeting. “Hello.”

Nagase nodded back to him, he seemed to remind her of Lucas somewhat. But her attention was quickly lost when Luis introduced the next man. “The one with his face on the sand and twisting in pain is named Alek”. Alek buried his face deeper in the sand then waved at her with his hand. It was all he could manage after receiving a punch from Luis. Luis then pointed at the quiet man who seemed to be minding his own business. “That's Sadir. He only talks when it's a necessity. That's something that ought to be learned here.”

Noticing his turn was coming up next the youngest man in the group stood up up and saluted Nagase. “I'm Roberto. I'm honored to finally meet you, Miss Nagase. Though I was present at your rescue it's a shame we couldn't meet face to face. ” Nagase made a faint smile “Seems like I'm in debt to everyone here.” She then looked at the last man that hadn't been introduced yet. He sighed softly and replied with his coarse voice sounding somewhat annoyed. “Edgar here. Hello and stuff.” He waved to Nagase and then lied down.

“I remember there was one more. Where is he?” Nagase stretched her legs a bit, she was starting to feel tired. “Jean offered to get us some food. He should be back soon.” Luis was already getting worried, it had been a while since he had left. “So your unit, does it have a name?” Nagase glanced at them and was confused due to the fact she didn't get an answer right away. “Officially, we were part of Platoon Iris in Eastern Europe. But everyone else died.” Trevor started to scrabble on the sand again.

“The Brotherhood was still recovering from the last war.” Trevor glanced up at the man approaching them and waved. “Sorry, I'm late.” Jean walked over carrying a large supply of canned food on his arms. “The shop owner insisted in giving these for free. I guess the flamethrower and the uniform spooked him a bit since he didn't seem like a supporter. But it's all good since I'm not carrying the local currency.” He distributed the cans over to everyone then sat down. “Let me have the beef one.” Edgar forcefully exchanged his chicken with Roberto, who only watched in disdain.

“Thank you.” Nagase opened her can slowly and then breathed in the warm scent of meat and vegetables that was permanently warmed by the can. She pulled a small combat knife from the leather sheath strapped to her ankle and began eating. “So where was I?” Trevor wiped his mouth clean with his forearm. “We haven't really voted on a name or anything.” Alek drank down the meaty juice that was left in the can. “A name like 'Hyenas' would be cool.” Edgar sat up and shook his head “The only hyena here is you.” then threw a seashell at him.

“Jackals.” Sadir broke his silence while he stared at his unopened meal. “That's one mighty contender there.” Jean smiled. Luis raised his right hand “All in favor of 'Jackals'?” he noticed five other hands. “The majority are in favor. It's been decided.” Roberto stood up as the tide was getting too close for comfort “Even democracy has it's uses.” he then proceeded to wipe the sand off his cape.

Edited by Overdose, 07 March 2008 - 03:11.

[Jok3r]

Great chapter. You're really building up the suspense here... I can't wait.
~SLG

[Overdose]

(Double chapters today! Enjoy.)

Chapter 3: Crossfire

Sadir sprinted inside the small bakery and jumped over the counter taking cover. The building shook heavily and the glass shattered into a thousand pieces glittering under the sunlight. He counted to five, stood up and ran up the stairs making it to the top floor. He finds a door that has been barricaded. He swings the flamethrower in front of him and shoots out a stream of liquid flame burning down most of the door and then rams his way inside with his shoulder.

Inside he finds a sniper that was very much surprised with his presence. Before the man could react he was burned down to the point of being no longer be recognizable. “Sadir here. All clear. Over.” Luis peeks over the wall over to the bakery and raised his hand. “Edgar, Alek. Proceed as planned.” Edgar shrugged then knocked on Alek's shoulder “We really need a raise.”

Alek nodded and ran into an alley, he was greeted by a spray of bullets. He hit the ground and rolled to his right and found protection under a truck. The front tires were shot and the truck lowered itself slightly. “I'm in deep shit here.” Alek covered his eyes with his forearm as the ricocheting bullets broke debris from the pavement and kicked up to his face.

Edgar had sneaked around the perimeter and found a small entrenched position with a high caliber machine gun placement firing down an alley. He jumped inside and grabbed the head of a soldier, snapped his neck and watched the lifeless body collapse on the ground. “Hello there, fascist bitches.” He commandeers the machine gun placement and begins to open fire at the group of soldiers nearby, quickly dropping like flies.

Roberto quietly approaches a soldier from behind pulling a large dagger from his chest. “Over here.” The soldier glanced around but could not see anyone. At the same exact moment, Roberto leaped off from the light post and thrust the dagger into the man's head. “Forgive me, but I cannot allow you to live.” He placed his foot on the man's back and pushed the dagger off, making the man fall over. Roberto made two upward slashes severing the man's arms. He stepped back as if time had slowed down avoiding the drops of blood descending upon him “One down.”

Trevor sat on the shoulder of the Avatar as it strides down the avenue. “That's a nice view you have up here Missus.” He stood up and jumped on the terrace of the building next to them. “You seem to be a big girl that can take care of herself so I'll find something fun to do.” He waved to Nagase and watched her go. “Now let's see.” He rested the flamethrower against his shoulder and held the back of his head while he inspected the area.

Nagase found a small GDI camp ahead, probably the heart of their resistance. “This is it.” She raised her right arm and took in a deep breath. She could probably put an end to this with two shots. Her mind became empty and everything turned silent. Even her heart seemed to stop beating. All she could see was the GDI camp and her enemy. She squeezed her fingers and fired the laser at the guard tower, detaching the small hut from the foundation. Then she took aim at the bunker and fired at the entrance, causing it to collapse. “This is Nagase. GDI position destroyed. I'll leave the clean up to you guys.” Nagase started to approach the camp.

“Hey Missus, you are so generous. Leaving all the fun to us and all.” Trevor was having a pretty good time killing the rest of the enemy. Leaving the camp into smoldering ashes, he sat on an ammo box and waited for the rest of the team to arrive. “Your late.” He smirked at Roberto. “I got held up.” Roberto sheathes his dagger. Trevor was feeling like starting a fight, but he decided to keep his mouth shut when Roberto dropped a bulk of bloody dog tags on his lap. “I believe that earned my Black Hand mark today.” He tried to recount the tags on Trevor's lap.

Luis approached them, being followed by the others. “Today you guys were exceptional. Even for the high standards I expect from this unit.” Trevor grinned and ran his hand through his hair. “It was nothing. I didn't even break a sweat.” Sadir glanced at collapsed bunker and cleared his throat before speaking. “I assume that was our main target all along.”

“Indeed. Intel warned us that place has tons of supplies that feed GDI's war efforts in the region. Even if they manage to regain this area it would probably take them months to dig themselves inside without causing a massive underground chain explosion. We've done quite some damage to them today” Luis glanced up at Nagase as she came closer to them.

“Luis.” Nagase seemed to hesitate. “Are you familiar with the Green Dawn Project?” The Avatar stood motionless. “Too familiar.” Luis crossed his arms. “Vazislokh Laboratory. That's a pretty dreadful place. The Brotherhood's dream to create superior beings, surpassing humans. Lots of research were done there. From cyborgs, to the mithrandir-class 'super humans' and tiberium infused troops.” Luis closed his eyes.

“Can you tell me anything more?” Nagase bit her lip, craving for more information. Luis shook his head. “I would but currently this is not the time or the place for such a discussion. Perhaps some other time.” Nagase sighs with disappointment. “...Alright.”

Edited by Overdose, 07 March 2008 - 20:51.

[Comr4de]

As always top quality stuff

[Dauth]

You have 2 dedicated fans here amongst the masses, and you always supply us with wonderful entertainment.

[Nid]

Those combat action sections were delivered perfectly, pure brilliance. I was in suspense as I thought Alek was killed when you said "he hit the ground and rolled to his right" but then you quickly revealed that he was still alive.

[nova]

make that 3 fams i just dont post much

[Overdose]

Chapter 4: Blood Pact

Nagase was seated on the edge of a brick wall, her legs dangling with boredom. This small town they were located had been knocked out of power in the latest bombing. The moon was their only source of light. Most of the civilians got killed in the crossfire or managed to escape. This reminded her of her own hometown, that had been destroyed by GDI. How many parents had she killed up to this point? How many children suffered the same fate in her hands? A wave of futility and guilt washed over her.

She turned her eyes to the little ceremony being performed by the Jackals. Apparently Roberto passed his trial and was being commended by Luis. Vows were exchanged between the men, a chain pendant sporting the Black Hand symbol in red and black was given to him. “Marcion will show us the way.” She heard of that man before. Commonly called 'The Usurper' by those who didn't sympathize with his anti-Kane ideologies. Though she didn't like him either, she wouldn't dare to interrupt them.

She slips off the wall and her boots touch down on the floor lifting a cloud of cement particles. Nagase walks through the collapsed building, the bloodstains everywhere where still fresh and the corpses removed due to their smell. At a corner she finds her sleeping bag, a small red lamp and her black leather bag. She sat down on the soft fabric and placed the bag on her lap, opening it carefully. “You.” She looked up, hearing a voice and removed her gun from the holster.

“Who's there?” Nagase stood nervously, attempting to find a figure in the dark. “I've heard plenty of good things about you. It would be a shame to throw all your future away over some personal goal.” The voice spoke again, seeming to come from all directions. Nagase was beginning to get irritated. “Show yourself. You surely don't want me to come out and hunt you?.” Her bluff felt hallow even for her, she'd rather stay with her back on the wall where she felt the safest. “I know your plan. It's obvious once you add the numbers. Sadly you are very predictable.” The voice didn't sound it was intimated at all.

“Fine then amuse me. What is this 'plan' you claim to know?” Nagase bit her lip, she was already considering calling Luis for backup. “You've been tipped that Captain Jonsen was brought to North America. You fear that his trial will be neither fair or with a favorable outcome. You plan to go rogue and rescue him in some vain attempt at heroism and camaraderie once you get close to your objective.” Nagase chuckled, regaining her com posture. “You really believe that? I could care less about him.” This bluff had a far better amount of weight.

“I'm tired of this game. Just know that the price to pay for ignoring our orders would be too much for you to bear. You surely know our policy with traitors. You've dealt with them before. I honestly don't even know why I even care about you. Your just another worker ant—expendable.” As the voice turned silent, Nagase heard a soft beeping noise. She turned her sleeping bag over and found a small communicator blinking with a red light.

“Curses.” She grabbed it and threw it against the wall, much to disappointment of her rage that wasn't enough to break it. That only managed to make it bounce off the wall and land between her feet. “How did they figure it out?” She tried to discover the reason why. The only person that knew was Luis, but he was in this as deep as she was. It would not make sense for him to sabotage himself along the way. She storms off, seeking Luis.

Edited by Overdose, 10 March 2008 - 23:31.

[Nid]

Another excellent installment, One thing that bugs me, how do you pronounce Nagase?
I'm not too sure if I'm reading it right.

Edited by Nidmeister, 10 March 2008 - 23:52.

[Overdose]

Naga is probably correct the way you've been speaking, like the mythological snake people. Nah-gah

The 'se' is pronounced like the 'ze' from 'zero'. Except you don't drag the 'e' like 'zee-ro.' depending on your pronunciation.

Edited by Overdose, 11 March 2008 - 00:07.

[Dauth]

The plot thickens like a soup on the boil...

Still enjoying this a lot.

[Comr4de]

Indeed, keep at it

[Overdose]

Chapter 5: Tiberian and Machine

Nagase watched Luis from a distance. He seemed to be discussing something with Edgar. The other one soon left, leaving her all alone with Luis. She walked quietly over to him as if she was stepping on clouds. “I know you are there.” Nagase halted between steps and crouched down. She places her palm down on the ground and leans onto it for balance. “Luis, I'm disappointed with you.”

Luis shrugged his shoulders and leaned off the light post. “Disappointed?”. Nagase ignored his question and sneaked closer to Luis. She could almost smell him now. She looked over the wrecked car and spotted Luis' back. He seemed oblivious to what direction she was approaching him from. She decided to end this quickly and silently. She wouldn't like to grab the attention of his men, she'd rather be very far away by the time they found out.

She takes in a deep breath and rushed him from behind, wanting to tackle him. However Luis was too much for her, she only managed to fall back on her butt. “What are you doing?” Luis looked down at Nagase. “The Brotherhood has figured it out. My plan is ruined. There's no way I can save The Captain now.” She quickly stood and planted her foot on his chest and stepped with the other foot on his left shoulder as if she wanted to climb him. She ascended almost past half of Luis's height and then descended with her leg stretched out trying to hit the back of his head with her heel.

“Impressive, but you'll need more than that to take me down.” Luis grabbed her ankle and held Nagase in mid air. She dangled before him, her nose brushing slightly against his knee. Nagase struggled like a fish caught in a net, except more enraged. “Now would you bother explaining to me, what the hell is going on?” Luis raised Nagase slightly, trying to get a better view of her face. “You are the only person that knew. The Brotherhood will be watching our every move now. This is all your fault.” Nagase tried to break free, screaming in anger.

“Ah, I understand now. But you are wrong. I have nothing to do with it.” Luis loosens the grip of Nagase's ankle and sets her down on the ground. He crosses his arms as he watches her stand again. “You see, I have my reasons for wanting to succeed in this as well. When I came to rescue you at Schwarzes Prison...” Luis held his forehead and sighed “...my priority wasn't really you.” Nagase wiped her uniform as if that would recover her lost pride.

“Me and Mikkel go a long way back. He taught me everything I know.” Luis turned his back to her and walked away. “Wait.” Nagase follows him. “I want some answers. I want everything you know.” Luis looks back to her and raised his eyebrows. “What do you want to know?” Nagase approached Luis and stood next to him. “The Green Dawn Project. Tell me where the laboratory is.” Luis shrugged and looked up at the night sky “Temple Prime. About fifty meters underground. As I told you, there's where some of our most confidential research is made.”

Luis pointed at Nagase's left leg. “You can thank them for all your 'parts'. They were all designed there. You'd probably not be walking on your own if it wasn't for them.” Luis stared at his palm then glanced back at Nagase. “About six years ago, the Brotherhood's dream took another step closer to their goal. They successfully managed to infuse human beings with tiberium. Granting the test subjects many improvement to their abilities with very few side effects. The research was considered a complete success. Many gone through the procedure including ourselves.”

Luis nodded “That's right. Me and my men were included. In fact, I'm even thankful for it. We'd probably not have survived this long if things had been any different.” Nagase bit her lip and stared down at the ground. “What is the Brotherhood trying to do? It feels as if they want to rid this world of humans.” Luis nodded slightly “I'm not surprised. I don't even consider myself human. I have different needs than a human and I don't even feel like one anymore.”

“You are different than me. You are part machine. Still, I believe you feel the same way I do.” Luis glanced at Nagase again, uncrossing his arms. “I prefer being called 'cyborg'. However, you are correct." Nagase seemed slightly insulted. “I don't care what you call me. As long it's not 'tiberium junkie'. Well, I'll get back to camp. The others are probably worried about now. Good night.” Luis tapped Nagase's shoulder with a faint smile on his lips and walked away.

Edited by Overdose, 15 March 2008 - 01:58.

[Comr4de]

So far so good 'dose, looking forward to the next installment.

[nova]

next pleas

[Admiral Wesley]

Is this story over? Or just dead?

[Dauth]

Hibernation is the term, I am sure if Overdose writes anymore he will post it here

[Overdose]

It's hybernating ATM. There were certain conflicts with the third part of the series now I need to restructure everything from this point forward.

[Admiral Wesley]

I think you're planning something big.

[Overdose]

I've entered a prequel for this at the second story competition. Hope you all enjoy it =)