Question

-=//Decaying Winter\\=- [V1.8]

A story I've been cooking lately.

Thank you @Extrinator2317 for the LATEX guide!
Link to his post: https://questioncove.com/study#/updates/6276860b3221e55be24eba00

NOTE: THIS IS NOT THE COMPLETE VERSION, ME AND THE OTHERS WILL UPDATE THIS STORY FREQUENTLY, NEW VERSIONS WILL BE LABELED [V2.0]

Story in the replies!
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Answer 1

\(\rlap{\color{grey}{Decaying~Winter}}{\hspace{1px}\color{lightcyan}{Decaying~Winter}}\)


Author: PureSoulless, NWCBautastica, Iamrussianman


Ideator: PotatooCake


[NWCBautastica] Before we start, Let me introduce you to some lore content! Just so that newcomers understand a bit of what’s happening.


//Warning, sensitive content such as suicide and human torture is included.


…


>This is NOT related to the main story, It is only a chapter representing the Factions I'll be using here.


>As you interact with the device In Front of you, A Hologram of a Woman wearing glasses appears directly In Front of you, Causing you to jump back in shock, Upon looking from a farther perspective, Besides her is what seems to be a digital board, Showcasing Logos of different "Factions"


>…


>AGENT
>Incoming transmission; audio playback starting now.


>[Eva] “Welcome Agent, Congrats on getting to the AGENCY! I am Eva, Or as most of you are familiar with, Voidwalker. An AGENCY Operative. With all that behind us, Let me introduce you to the many Factions we associate ourselves with.”


>|--Dossier Info–|
Name: Eva Eristov
Gender: Female
Perk: Soveign
Date of birth: *Profusely covered in ink*
Scars and marks: Multiple slices in the wrist, Scar on left cheek.
Complexion: Pale
Voice: Sweet and mellifluous voice
Occupation: AGENT, Developer, HR manager [Prior]
Country of origin: Canada
Place of birth: Montreal, Quebec
Remarks: Successful takedowns of REIKGON shadows. Proved competent enough to handle Solo-Missions. Despite being a support, Frontlining is present if "Thralls" are present. Loyal to the Agency, 6 Pledges.
"Expert" Rank Agent.
|--Dossier Info End–|


>//The AGENCY.//


>[Eva] First of all, The Organization that houses you and me, The AGENCY. It is an organization that serves as a pseudo-government in case the government in New Earth fails. We are an Interplanetary Organization. And unlike most, the AGENCY is about neutral to everyone. The AGENCY operates by sending what we call an "Agent Wave" towards Missions that are highly dangerous. An Agent Wave consists of groups of 4, Each person being equipped with their own personal equipment, I myself is part of the 4th Wave of Agents! We are a Research Group, And so we specialize in Researching those that are unknown.


>//Ulayclon Megagroup Corps.//


>[Eva] Though it is essentially our founding company, We do not know much about U.M.G, But what we DO know is that they are a corporation infamous for founding a game show called "Survival of the Fittest", Where they send Contestants to fight to the death on New Earth. This Game Show was very Dangerous and has resorted to a few extremes in order to make it "Fair". Examples of these vary from: Allowing the Creation of Weapons, Powerful Poisonous Chambers that release gas once activated, [These are dubbed as Pylons], And even the creation of a disease, It is proven that Ulayclon made a disease during the later stages of "Survival of the Fittest" known as the "Systemic Infection", It was supposedly injected in every contestant to make them more vulnerable and weaker the longer they survived. To make things spicier I suppose.


>//R.I.S.//


>[Eva] The R.I.S. The rival of the U.M.G, The R.I.S is a Squad that worked its way to leaking information from Ulayclon generally due to it being an evil organization. Because the contestants became weaker over time, They initiated several investigations and uncovered the airborne disease. And so, To destroy Ulayclon once and for all, They started a turf war to collect multiple samples of this infection, They wore powerful suits to protect against the airborne disease, But despite their best efforts. They failed due to too many casualties. But they still did enough damage to the U.M.G that they had to postpone the Game show albeit temporarily.


>//Reikgon//


>[Eva] Explaining the Reikgon is very tricky, Little to none information is known about them. Other than they are responsible for the existence of Reikgon Shadows. But we do suspect that Reikgon is either a God or a Supernatural Being as there are groups of Cultists that seem to be "blessed" with enchanted weapons and even some actual dark magic. An Example of this is ”Shadowfading". We have reports of highly ranked Cultists being able to Shadowfade, Emitting dark shadows and gaining all their health back. How this works exactly is still unknown.


>//The Reikgon Shadows.//


>"The R.I.S attempted to weaponize these monsters against the U.M.G.They had found a major breakthrough using information regarding Agent Mordem. And through what seems like the altering of DNA, They created some more "Hiddens" and experimented with different combinations of DNA that made some demon-like entities known as Reikgon Shadows."


>[Eva] These Shadows are programmed only to kill those who are infected with the Systemic Infection to stop the spread. We have about three Reikgon Shadows that we are most familiar with, And to start with, Why not the most feared?


>The notorious Sickler, The Sickler is a monster which was capable of clearing groups of AGENTS without much difficulty. Restricting its movement to the extreme was needed just so they could transport it safely. It was meant to be a weapon devastating to Ulayclon. Unfortunately, It only becomes hostile once a subject approaches it. If not, It only walks around painfully slow while emitting cries of distress in its restraints. Just Treat it like a live-nuke and I assure you can keep your organs where it's supposed to be. Otherwise, Just do your team a favor and call yourself in as KIA.


>The Skinner, It is a ghoul that can replicate anyone's appearances to an extent. Its tactic of hunting is by camouflaging as a normal human being. looking to kill those who are unaware of its true characteristics. Despite its perfect ability to mimic looks, It seems it can't do so Emotionally. It is unable to talk, Unable to emit any kind of emotion. Just keep wary if you meet someone and they just seem dead inside. Because chances are that they are. If a Skinner deems you as prey, It throws away the disguise it currently is using and reveals its true nature, It screams horribly and a Blade comes out of its palm composed of organic materials such as Bone and Flesh will be attempted to slash through your throat. Luckily, It is yet but a mindless beast, So treat it like one. If you are well-armed, Please do dispose of it to avoid any further damages done to your folks.


>Lastly, The Hanger. I saved this one for last as it's a bit of a special case. A Hanger is born when a Human being is attempted to be used as Host by a shadow, Be it through an inhumane Experiment [We have lots of those.] or just an Unlucky find in nature. Once the process begins, The subject is to be exposed to excruciating pain. The thing is that the kiss of death won't be coming to calm them down anytime soon. Most of the Subjects were killed immediately, Those unlucky enough without anyone to end their suffering are to be turned into a Reikgon Shadow, And those who had the opportunity killed themselves. Though even after death, The Shadow was able to complete the takeover fine.


>Why mentioning that is important is because the term Hanger is revolved around a certain woman who was exposed as a subject- //DATA EXPUNGED//


>//The Scavengers.//


>[Eva] These are the smaller groups in terms of size, But they still deserve a place here, The Scavengers seem to be residents of Eden-227 that has chose to stay in the planet after the Collapse, They seem to be comprised of Criminals, Corrupt people, Generally not very nice people who are in it for the Pillaging and Looting, The Scavengers weren't really considered a Faction before due to them being spread around Eden-227, That is until Yosef came to be, Yosef is an Agent that went Rouge, We think He was betrayed by his fellow Agents in an excursion inside Eden-227. Yet he survived to tell the tale, Seems he formed one of the first organized scavenger groups and to this day they are still growing in size. I should add that Yosef is a high priority target, He was a tier 10 before he went Rogue. Kind of a big deal


>//The Raiders.//


>[Eva] The Raiders, Also residing in Eden-227. This group is made up of Rogue Law enforcement officers and Rogue soldiers back when Eden-227 was still in its way to complete collapse. There really isn't too much known about them, Especially how they really formed. but this faction is not associated with the Scavengers at all, Despite both groups having the same goal, The Raiders only show hostility to those who dare step near into the Castle which they reside. This most likely means they are somewhat neutral. They are led by the Sledge queen, Her identity is not known but she goes by the name Sledge Queen as her choice of weapon is a Modified Sledgehammer. She is also a High Priority target, Due to her having stolen AGENT hardware from the previous Agent Waves sent in Eden-227, The Raiders attacked the Agent Wave and successfully took them down, From the 4 Agents she specifically stole An Augmentation "Knuckle Boom" from an "Arbiter". She has also modified the Augmentation. This shows she is able to Modify and somehow Upgrade AGENT Hardware. She's a damn Genius, Pair this with her near perfect QCQ skills, She is able to take on Agents themselves. She is quite the problem. I might add, she is smoking hot. And by “smoking hot” I mean that she is very sexy. So beware...


>Aaand that seems to be everything, Again, Welcome to the AGENCY, You will contribute many great things to us, I assure it.


>Good luck out there Agent, Loyal to the Agency!


>...






>[Eva] ...Whewwww~ that was tiring. How long did that take? About an hour? Jeez. Talking for that long really isn't for me... Hey Mordem~ wanna go get a dri-


>AGENT
Ending transmission; playback complete.


>The hologram disappears, you step back and salute at the damaged ECHO watch, everyone else behind you, also salutes, respecting the past Agents.


>The disk containing this playback was later found by the Agency inside a burning building, it was held tightly by an unknown person that seems to have been burnt alive, the cause of the fire is still unknown, further inspection is expected.




\(\rlap{\color{grey}{Decaying~Winter~~TIMELINE~//[02]}}{\hspace{1px}\color{lightcyan}{Decaying~Winter~~TIMELINE~//[02]}}\)


Radio Ping




The quiet rustling of falling leaves masked the complete silence of the park. Only that and the footsteps of Leah and Max were audible. The sun set on the two Agents as they strolled along the pathway. Leah looked out into the void. She seemed to lack her normal presence of mind, as if she was blind. Max peered over his shoulder to look closely at her.


|–Dossier Info–|
Name: Leah Watsons
Gender: Female
Perk: Immolator
Date of birth: April 19th
Scars and marks: Fractures in the manubrium
Complexion: Pale
Voice: A typical women at her 20’s
Occupation: AGENT, Account specialist
Country of origin: United states
Place of birth: Ohio, Columbus
Remarks: Caring and always looking out for others, has never failed in teamwork based missions, calm, Loyal to the agency
|–Dossier Info End–|


|–Dossier Info–| [2]
Name: Max willsmith
Gender: Male
Perk: Arbiter
Date of birth: August 21st
Scars and marks: Burns on his left testical
Complexion: Rose blige
Voice: A typical male at his 20’s
Occupation: AGENT
Country of origin: Australia
Place of birth: Tweed Heads, New South Wales
Remarks: A fast runner, will accomplish any mission assigned to him no matter what happens, Loyal to the agency
|–Dossier Info end–|

"Are you okay?"

Leah jumped a little upon hearing Max's voice.


"Yeah, I'm fine." Leah responded, now looking at the dirt she was walking across.


Max knew that something was off about Leah, something was bothering her.

"You know I'm someone you can talk to."

"Fine."

Leah then made eye contact with Max, with a mildly worried expression on her face.

"I'm... worried. We were all enlisted as Agents, and the four of us haven't been assigned a mission yet. I'm starting to worry that the fun times we have are about to end."

"I-, don't think about it too hard, Leah. This is what we enlisted for, so at least be happy that we had those memories with the others. You're talking about Arthur and Carmen, correct?"

"Yeah, those two were a bit hard to get a grasp on. They seemed a bit off. But at least we'll get to meet up with them tonight."

The two continue their walk back to their apartment. The sun sets behind the horizon as the cold autumn air swept past their clothes. Leah shivered a little in her orange jumpsuit as Max rested his arm on her shoulders. The couple walked up the stairs leading to their room.

Leah and Max arrived at their neatly arranged apartment. The lights shone a perfect white glow, illuminating the clean yet seemingly lived-in rooms. Leah turned to the heater and switched it on while Max walked to the kitchen to grab some drinks.

"English Breakfast or Earl Grey?" Max asked in a loud voice from across the room.

"Grey." Leah responded quickly.

Max walked back to the coffee table, sat in the living room and gently laid down a cup of Earl Grey tea.


"Enjoy, it'll help you calm down."


"Thanks."

Max walked back to the mini-fridge and pulled out a half bottle of vodka and an orange. He rested a liquor glass on the counter while he started to slice the oranges into wedges.

“Are you sure they’re coming tonight?” Max pondered for a moment as he applied the salt rim to the edge of his glass.

“Yes, probably.”

The two sat down next to the coffee table, Max taking a sip from his Sandwichtail.

Twilight fell upon the windows of the city as the pair awaited the others' arrival. Footsteps were heard outside the door of the apartment. The noise stopped right outside the door, and a person started to knock on the door.

“Max? Leah? Is this even the right room?” A low raspy voice asked behind the door.

“Arthur? Come in!” Max responded.

A tall man with a cigarette in his mouth appeared in the doorway. He wore a black dark suit, and his face was cloaked behind a wide-brimmed black sun hat.

|–Dossier Info–| [3]
Name: Arthur goodman
Gender: Male
Perk: Artillerist
Date of birth: June 9th
Scars and marks: Lungs decaying from smoking too much cigarettes, several cuts and stab marks on both of his arms
Complexion: Honey
Voice: A low raspy voice
Occupation: AGENT, Quality control coordinator
Country of origin: Brazil
Place of birth: Tocantins, Gurupi
Remarks: Achieved 100% accuracy in the agency’s aim test, Loyal to the agency
|–Dossier Info End–|

“Long time no see Max.”

“It’s great to see you Arthur.”

Max walked up to Arthur and wrapped his arms around him. They patted each other on the backs and let go.

"Drinks?"


"Sure, thanks." Arthur responded.


Max walked off to the mini fridge to grab beverages for the guests.

"Carmen's here too, right?" Leah asked Arthur.

"Of course she is."

A short woman hid behind Arthur's tall stature. Her face was covered by neck-long black hair, and she was wearing a white lab coat. Carmen walked across the room and squatted next to the coffee table.

"Hi Carmen, nice to see you." Leah told Carmen.

She only gestured back with a wave before returning to silence.

|–Dossier Info–| [4]
Name: Carmen maybee
Gender: Female
Perk: Lazarus
Date of birth: December 31st
Scars and marks: Always has a band aid on her left cheek
Complexion: Pale
Voice: high female voice
Occupation: AGENT, Medical Researcher
Country of origin: Antarctica
Place of birth: Unknown lighthouse
Remarks: Medical knowledge, Loyal to the agency
|–Dossier Info End–|

Leah walked away from the two and brought back a portable induction stove. She rested a pot of water and copious vegetables and meats.

"Do you guys want soup?" Leah asked Arthur and Carmen.

"Yes, thank you." Arthur responded.

Carmen nodded at Leah's question.

The watch on Max's left arm started to glow.

"ORDER, ARE YOU THERE?" a robotic voice emitted from the device.

"Yes." Max responded.

"INFORM YOUR TEAM REGARDING A MISSION. PLEASE USE THE AGENCY RADIO."

Max walked back to the group with a soda and a beer in hand. He put them on the table and turned on the TV.


"A movie?" Leah asked.


"No, it's something else." Max responded

The channel was set to the Agency's frequency, as a voice was played through the speakers.
"TABS, KINDLE, ORDER, DEFT. YOU ARE ALL HERE, CORRECT?"

"Yes." Three responded, and Carmen nodded in agreement.

"YOU HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED A MISSION ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD, NICKNAMED EDEN-227. YOU ALL WILL BE DEPLOYED THERE DURING THE MIDDLE OF WINTER. DELAY THE ATTACK OF THE SCAVENGERS ON OUR DATABASE."

Max and Arthur laughed and cheered, "Hooray for a mission!", while they started to drink and joke with each other. The other two sat in silence, it was befitting for one of them, the other not so much. Leah was a very warm and caring person, not one to sit in her own thoughts.

"I think the soup's ready." Leah said to break her silence.

She starts ladling out bowls for herself and the other three, her hand shaking slightly with each scoop. Carmen shuffles over to Leah and whispers quietly,

"Troubled?"

Leah serves a bowl of soup to Carmen and nods. They sit down on the couch, Leah shaking with fear and sadness. Carmen rests calmly and eats spoons of soup. Leah shivers and whispers back to Carmen.

"We could all die... I'm scared of that."

She acknowledges Leah's worry and leans onto her. "Eat." Carmen whispers while gesturing the motion. Leah picks up her bowl of soup, her mind clouded by the thought of imminent doom.

Preparation


The evening went by quickly, with the Agents passed out from alcohol intoxication. Everyone but Leah was fast asleep in the living room. She looked closely at the mantle of the induction stove before turning it off. The smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke filled the air. Leah looked at Arthur and took the burning cigarette out of his mouth.
"Sorry..." was heard faintly from Arthur's mouth before he fell unconscious again.

Leah extinguished the cigarette and lied down on the bed next to Max. Her thoughts spun around in her head, her consciousness slowly drifting past the walls of the room and into the void . Leah fell asleep, but not soundly in the slightest.

Beams of sunlight shimmered through the veil of the curtains. Not a single one of the other Agents had yet to wake up. It was a Sunday, you'd normally sleep in a while before eating breakfast. Only Leah was left, still and awake on her part of the couch. She could barely sleep during the long night. She limped off the couch and directly into the kitchen to make a cup of coffee.

Her shuffling and bumping into things started to wake up the other Agents. Both Max and Arthur woke up tired from last night.


"You guys want coffee too?”


"Mhm."


It was only the quiet Carmen who remained asleep.

“Did you…sleep at all?” Max asked.

“Yeah, but barely any. I couldn’t clear my mind to rest”

Arthur walked behind Leah, who was brewing coffee. He patted her on the shoulder and said, “That was some great soup, thanks.”

The comment felt oddly sincere coming from him, but it was probably from the sleep inertia.

“Here’s your coffee. Drink well.”

Arthur grabs three cups of coffee and brings them to the coffee table in the middle. One next to Max and another next to Carmen's head. Carmen was still asleep on the table, kneeling next to it. Arthur blows the top of his cup and takes a small sip from the piping hot beverage.

"Leah, are you sure you're okay? I mea-"
Leah starts chugging the entire mug of scalding coffee without a flinch.

“...What the fu-”

“Oh, I was a bit impatient. I forgot that you people usually wait for your drinks to cool down.” Leah says, making it unable to hear the last two letters of what Arthur was gonna say.

The ECHO wristwatch on Leah's arm started to glow and turn on.
"KINDLE, THIS IS YOUR ECHO IF I RECALL?", the glowing yellow wristwatch asked.


"Yeah, I was drinking coffee."


"PERFECT, INFORM YOUR TEAM THAT YOU WILL BE LEAVING IN A WEEK. START TO MAKE YOUR FINAL PREPARATIONS."


The yellow screen turned off. Max and Arthur overheard the conversation with the Agency.


"One week? That isn't a lot of time." Max commented across the room.


The watch screen turned back on.


"ALSO MEET AT THE AGENCY TO TEST YOUR EQUIPMENT. WE'LL BE EXPECTING YOU."


"Well we should get going. They're expecting us, aren't they?" Leah asked the group.


"Sure, let's go." Max responds.


Arthur looks over at Carmen to see if she's awake yet. She hasn't moved an inch since she was last seen, but the cup of coffee resting beside her is almost empty.

"You're awake, aren't you Carmen?"

She smiles and nods lightly.

"Eat first, then go." She says lightly.

"Also, Max, Leah, sorry for sleeping over today. I hope we didn't trouble you."

"It was no problem Arthur, thanks for coming over." Max responds.
He gets up from the couch and goes into the bathroom.

"Get ready, we'll take turns in the bathroom. You okay with going third?"

"Sure. You okay with last, Carmen?"

Carmen raises her arm up slightly and gives a thumbs up to the group.

A little while later, they head to the local café for some breakfast. The sun shines through the slightly cloudy sky as it illuminates the tops of the shaded tables. The four Agents sit down in chairs around a table and wait for their turn. One of the waiters comes up to the group and asks for their order.

"Good morning, I'm Stephen, may I take your order?" He asks politely while glancing at the peculiar yellow watches on the group's arms.

"Those watches look quite nice, but they don't seem to tell the time. What are they for?" Stephen continues.

"Oh, it's for work." Arthur responds.

"I'll have a tuna sandwich I guess, do you want a Cuban sandwich, Max?"

"Sure."

"Alright, and I'll have a classic American Breakfast, and what about you, Carmen?"

Carmen points towards the pancakes in the breakfast section.

"Alright, so your order is a tuna sandwich, a Cuban sandwich, a Classic American Breakfast, and breakfast pancakes?" Stephen confirms.

"Yeah, that's all. Thanks." Arthur responds.

Stephen quickly jots something down on his clipboard and leaves to the inside of the restaurant. The crew sits and waits for a few minutes while the food is being prepared. All of them sit normally, except for Carmen, who is leaning forward and has her arms outstretched on the table similar to a child.

The food was served a few minutes later, once again by Stephen. He sets down the plates of food in a professional manner onto the table. Carmen gets up and starts to eat her pancakes quickly.

"Thanks for the food again, Stephen." Max says.

"It was no problem. We hope to see you again soon." Stephen responds, before returning to receive the order of another guest.

All the Agents finish their breakfast and pay for the food. Arthur leaves a note and a twenty dollar tip. "He seemed like a nice guy." Arthur commented before leaving. The group continued their walk to the Agency building.

The crew arrives at the Agency base. It only took a single glance of the woman at the front desk to see their ECHO devices.

"Agents are here." She spoke into her headset.

The elevator going down into the training grounds played a calm jazz theme. The yellow glow on the watches grew brighter.

"AGENTS, YOU ARE AT THE BASE, CORRECT?" The voice asked through the microphone.

"Hey, doesn't that voice sound a little familiar now?" Max whispered to Leah.

"Probably nothing." Leah responds.

The Quartermaster greeted the group when the elevator doors opened.

"Good morning, team~."

|–Dossier Info–| [5]
Name: Quartermaster (Unable to share her real name, due to having to remain anonymous)
Gender: Female
Perk: Prophet
Date of birth: Jan 15th
Scars and marks: A scar on her right palm
Complexion: Pale
Voice: Mommy voice (The best I could describe her voice)
Occupation: AGENT, Biostatistician, Drafter, Quartermaster, Recruiter, Attorney
Country of origin: United States
Place of birth: Detroit, Michigan
Remarks: Served for the agency for 9 years, Trusted by the agency, pledged several times gaining the “Quartermaster” rank, Successful takedowns of REIKGON shadows, Loyal to the agency
|–Dossier Info End–|

"Wait, are you going to be teaching us, Quartermaster?" Max asked politely.

"Pffft, in your dreams. Your mentor for the week is coming down the next elevator cycle. Wait for them right here."

The Quartermaster then walked away from the group to continue her tasks.

“Man she’s hot-”

“I wonder who our mentor’s gonna be.” Arthur tells the team, cutting off what Max was gonna say.

The elevator reached the bottom floor, and the doors slowly opened.

“Hey guys thanks for the tip.”

The group went silent seeing Stephen's face appear from the elevator.

Simulation


"S-Stephen!?"

|–Dossier Info–|
Name: Stephen Annika
Gender: Male
Perk: Apostle
Date of birth: Oct 13th
Scars and marks: “Meat veins” growing from “its” body, severe blood loss due to the “meat veins” growing from blood,
a mark of skin getting shed multiple times on “its” right arm, vital organs replaced with the apostle's decaying parts
Complexion: Pale
Voice: low scratchy voice, a voice unique to apostle users only, a little german accent
Occupation: AGENT, Drafter, Onboarding specialist, Recruiter
Country of origin: Germany
Place of birth: Gütersloh, Nordrhein-Westfalen
Remarks: Served for the agency for 6 years, Trusted by the agency, Pledged several times, Successful takedowns of REIKGON shadows, Loyal to the agency

"Hey. I served you back at the café right?"

"Wait, if you're really our mentor, then why didn't you recognize the ECHO watches?" Max asks.

"The truth is, I did. I didn't know you were my students, but I didn't call out the watches. Professionalism."

"Why do you need two jobs? Doesn't being an Agent give enough money?" Leah continued.

"..."

"That's aside from the point. We need you to pick your perks for your trip to Eden-227."

Stephen gestured towards the battlements, free of people. There lay an amassment of items, from glass vials filled with metal bees, to a large minigun, to a bundle of grenades.

There were three pieces of equipment that were stored in glass display cases. There was a hand of throwing knives, an arm mounted blade, and a beating decaying heart with black tar flowing out.

Carmen walks over to the heart and asks softly, "What is it?"

"It's part of our cast of restricted perks. These are unlocked once you prove yourself able to handle them." Stephen responds.

"Crosslink, Drifter, and Apostle. If you can prove yourself to the Agency then you can choose to be them."

"Anyway, we'll be dropping you off in a simulation of Eden-227. We made the digital world go as far as we could scan from the base. Prove yourself worthy before you secure a perk. Get on the treadmill."

Stephen gestures at a strange looking treadmill with a headset and gloves attached.



The Agents put on their headsets and wear their gloves. Stephen's voice grew more static and distorted, as if coming out of a damaged speaker.

"This is as clean as my voice will be during the mission. I'll be your communications for this test. Good luck, Agents."

The group spawns in the indoor section of the digital world, the cold winter air of the simulation chills their skin. Four mattresses rest on the floor of the communications base. The radio muffled voice played through their headsets.

"Team, scavenge outside. There, dangers and resources await you."

"This place is chilly. Freezing even." Leah says in her jacket.

"Let's get going. The faster, the better." Max comments.

"Agents, I forgot to mention. The storm of Eden-227 will roll in quickly. Check your ECHO watches to see the time. Try not to get caught in it."

The team starts to run out of base. Max and Leah head to the right and start to climb up the ladder to the mountain. Arthur and Carmen go to the left into the outpost.

“Hey, Max.” Stephen calls through the radio.

“Yeah? What is it?” Max responds.

“Try to point at something with your index finger.”

“Alright.”

Max points precisely at a strange crate in the distance. "Now what?" Max asks.

"Move your thumb around like you're pressing a joystick button. I can see you from the real world. But I won't when you're actually in Eden-227. Get used to the motion."

A blue light glows on Max's inner wrist. A square blue marker appears on his HUD.

"Woah, so this is the spotter they talked about. That's so cool."

"Yeah, your entire team can see that too. Use it to mark important items that others may need."

"Max? Max? Are you there? We only have a minute left." Leah says, breaking Max's concentration.

"Sorry Leah. Let's go."

The radio disconnects from Max's channel and reconnects to Carmen and Arthur's.

"Carmen, Arthur, do you see that thin wire on the ground?"

"Yeah, what does it do?" Arthur asks.

"It either sets off dynamite which'll blow your leg off, or a flare which attracts all your opponents. Try not to step on it either way."

Arthur cautiously jumps over the dynamite trap's string.

"Your turn, Carmen."

Carmen nods and walks over the trap, barely dodging the trigger. She smiles innocently and continues looking through lockers and the tops of tables.

"You didn't need to do that, you know." Arthur says before accompanying her.

The Agents rummage through containers and lockers, finding medical supplies and weaponry. Leah finds a crate with a M1911A1 inside of it. But the group can only hold so much in their hands, and head back carrying as much as they can.

Carmen lazily drops her stuff at the edge of the base before going back out again. She walks through the outpost, around the small hill, and sees a glitchy blue mess covering half of a destroyed building.

"Is this normal?" Carmen whispers into the headset.

"Well, yes and no. This is intended, as this is as far as we can scan through the storm. But no, this is not what that building will actually look like when you're on Eden-227."

"Later then." Carmen responds before running back to the safe zone.

She runs back and trips the dynamite trap absent-mindedly. A loud blast played through the group's headsets.

"Arthur! Carmen just ran over a dynamite trap! Is she okay?!" Stephen shouted through the speakers.

Arthur looks closely at Carmen, who is approaching the entrance to the base.


"Nah, she seems fine."


"Great to hear. If she did break her leg, then fix it with a splint or a stimulant. The one called Hemostatic Zanustin."


Stephen displays a picture of the glass vial to the crew.
"This one."

"You experience the pain of the damage you take here. You won't get hurt in real life, but if you get blown up by a bomb or stabbed to death, then you'll really feel it. This is to prevent you from... dying stupidly when you're there. Anyway, the storm is about to roll in. The area right next to the base is safe from its reach though. The scavengers are about to attack. I hope you're experienced in melee combat."

The cyan-gray storm surrounds the base quickly before stopping at the edge of the building. It's cold grasp reaching in and freezing the group. The stomping of scavs is heard loudly and clearly, as four enemies holding weapons walk out of the blizzard.

"I'm a little rusty, won't you help me clean off?"

Choosers


The translucent fog of the storm enveloped the outside of the facility. Its cold and intimidating atmosphere prevents the Agents from moving forward. Their bodies are dotted with slices and bruises from their battle against the scavengers.

"This is the time when you'd normally sleep." Stephen announced through the headsets.

"It takes a while for the storm to dissipate completely. You'll need the rest."

The group heads behind the red shipping container in the base. They attempt to lie down on the worn mattresses before slipping on the treadmills.

Stephen laughs through the headsets, "That's enough. Do that ten more times when you're actually on Eden and you've completed the mission."

The digital simulation of Eden warps and melts around the Agents. The textures on the walls and floors turn gray and the shadows disappear and appear randomly. Eden-227's digital world went completely black.

"Take off your headsets. The test's over." Stephen says clearly through the group's headphones.

The group takes off their virtual reality headsets and removes their haptic gloves. The pain of their slices and wounds in the simulation immediately disappear once their headsets are off.

"How did you manage to make us feel fake pain?" Leah asks.

"It's the Agency, even I don't know." Stephen responds.

...

“So, you’ve all proved yourselves worthy of being on this mission. It’s time to choose your perk for this mission.”

Stephen gestures towards the armory equipment in the hall.

"They all have downsides and upsides. Read their descriptions well and think about their implications. You'll have to change the way you operate to match your equipment."

Carmen walks up to the wall first, her eyes darting to and from the different perks available. She continues this for a while before something stops her. A medical case and an arm-mounted launcher. She points at the pair with an inquisitive look.

"Oh, did Lazarus catch your attention?"

She nods in affirmation.

The other Agents start to browse the selection of equipment.

"Well, Carmen, Lazarus is a perk that is great for melee and support. You could also hang back with a rifle. If you get hurt while holding a gun, your bolt-launcher deactivates temporarily until you drop it."

Carmen whispers, "Medical license?"

"Oh, well... I'm not too sure about that." Stephen responds.

Meanwhile, Arthur inspects the VULKAN very closely. The minigun seems like a great choice for being a helping hand for the team. He thinks for a moment, before saying, "Hey, Stephen."

"Yes?" Stephen responds.

"This VULKAN thing. How are you expected to get bullets for it? Aren't bullets rare on Eden-227?"

"Ah, yes. The VULKAN produces its own bullets with the fabricator tank at the back. You can also feed some of the bullets you find to turn into VULKAN rounds, but it's a little selfish."

Arthur thinks for a bit.

"I guess I'll give it a try. Let's head to the shooting range."

Arthur and Stephen haul the minigun towards the indoor shooting range. Its empty field is dotted with cardboard targets. Arthur sets himself in front of the shooting stands and enters the field itself.

"Alright. I need to be mobile if I don't want to bother my friends."

He pulls out the VULKAN and starts shooting the cardboard targets, the high velocity rounds piercing through them cleanly. While shooting, his aim jumps and shakes with the recoil, and the weight of the gun prevents him from moving faster than a crawl.

"I... can't use this, Stephen."

"Oh. Alright then. I guess Riskrunner just isn't for you. Return it and find another perk you'd like more."

Arthur walks back to the wall and looks for a perk that would fit him better. Carmen sits down and starts playfully shooting Nantite-Bolts at him and Max.

Max finds a strange-looking device that should be strapped to a wrist and a leg brace.

"Stephen, is this some kind of punch-enhancing machine?"

"Half right. It shoots out an exploding shotshell. It does some damage to scavengers, and you can use it to jump high and reach tall places. The leg braces prevent you from breaking your legs, but the fall will still hurt." Stephen responds.

"I'll take it. Movement and combos, I'm a real fan of those tactical shooters."

"Alright then, Arbiter it is."

Leah strays away from the group and sees a small desk with a diverse selection of equipment. It ranged from Holographic emitters to a bottle of whiskey. She sees a small box of matches and picks them up. She lights a candle on the table and stares at it for a moment, before returning to the group.

On the way back to the wall, she sees Arthur and Stephen trying out a strange looking revolver.

"This one is much nicer. Fast and helpful for the team." Arthur comments.

She makes it back to the wall, where she sees Max with half a dozen bolts in his back. Carmen looks closely at the Lazarus launcher before shooting it at Max again.

"Leah, don't worry. It doesn't hurt at all. I'm actually feeling quite good."

Leah smiles and nods at Max before perusing the wall again.

She sees a large gas canister with a hand-mounted flamethrower. The gas canister has a large danger symbol and a fire symbol printed on it.

"Immolator? A frail but powerful perk. Your flamethrower prevents you from aiming your firearms properly, so try shotguns."

"W-wha? No, I'm just a bit of a firebug. It seemed interesting." Leah responds.

"Immolator's ability is to set you and teammates close to you on fire... safely. It prevents you and your teammates from getting burnt, while enchanting your attacks with fire." Stephen adds.

Leah looks a little embarrassed before grabbing the canister and walking off silently. Stephen smiles before calling everyone to the second table.

"Alright crew, it's time to pick your..."

Stephen looks at the back of Max's jacket, the Nantite bolts hanging out of him. He walks behind him and pulls out the needles. He looks at Carmen and scolds her, "Don't do that, you're wasting your bolts. The effect lasts a while, they'll tell you when to reapply your buff."

Carmen's face turns slightly saddened and nods.

"Anyway, this small desk bears some auxiliary equipment you can bring on your mission. Your default choice is an emergency mask, but you can choose other-"

Max grabs the bottle of alcohol, "Dan Janiel, one of my favorites."

Arthur grabs the pack of Koldera Black, "Cheap brand, but it's fine."

Carmen grabs the Ballistic Dagger. She whispers, "Poison..."

"Good to know that you guys already have choices in mind. Train and spend your last week here wisely. You might not come back from this."

Leah walks off silently towards the shooting range, where burning and explosions can be heard from the perk gallery.

Dropoff


"Leah. Calm down. We'll try our best not to die." Arthur says.

Leah is sitting next to a burning cardboard cutout, her face turned away from the group. She turns her head, just enough to get a glance at her slightly teary face.

"Stand." Carmen whispers into her ear.

Carmen grabs her torso and attempts to lift her off the ground.

Leah stands up and wipes the tears off her face.
"Alright. We had training to do, right?"

The group smiles in response to her change in mood. The four Agents split off into their own separate quadrants for training.

From Max's room, the sounds of constant shotshell blasts and parkour are heard. Glass bottles and aluminum cans breaking from revolver shots are heard from Arthur's room. Shotgun rounds and fire explosions are heard from Leah's fire-resistant training room. The only person not in a specific training area is Carmen. She sits down on a bench, shooting Nantite Bolts at the wall with a stopwatch in her right hand.

Stephen approaches the focused Carmen.
"Working on your timing?" He asks.

Carmen nods in affirmation before staring at the stopwatch again. She shoots at exactly fifteen seconds and smiles. She shows the stopwatch to Stephen with an accomplished look.

"Great job on getting that timing down. It's tricky to judge your teammates buff."

He walks up from the bench and leaves Carmen alone again. She resets the timing on the stopwatch and continues shooting bolts at the wall. Stephen approaches the rest of the Agents in their respective rooms.

"Leave when you're done training. You're not required to be here, do what you want to with your time."

Stephen then promptly leaves them to continue his tasks.

Max, Leah, and Arthur confirm Stephen's words and continue with their practice.

In the evening, the group leave their rooms and head outside the Agency building. They stopped by the same café they visited on their trip this morning. They sit at the exact same table, the moonlight faintly illuminating the outside seating. A familiar voice greets them.

"Good evening crew, what can I serve you?"

"Good evening, Stephen. Hmm... I guess I'll take this one. And what about you, Leah?"

The Agents all order their meals for the night, the food being served quickly and efficiently. They finish eating under the moonlight and wave Stephen goodbye.

"Goodbye, Agents. I hope you had a good time here. We hope to see you again soon!"

"Yeah, I'll definitely come again." Arthur responds before the group leaves back to their apartment.

"Alright, we should spend the last week hanging out and training together. It'll help build teamwork for us." Max announces.

"Great idea. We should ask Stephen if we can borrow the headsets for training." Leah responds.

They walk through the sandy dirt paths that line the park before reaching the stairs to the apartment. Leah and Max wave the other two goodbye.

"See you tomorrow, then." Arthur says before leaving with Carmen.

After seeing the two leave, Leah lets out a deep sigh.

“What’s wrong?” Max asks.

“You know what’s wrong.” Leah answers.

...

The final week of preparation and relaxation passes by quickly. The moon shines brightly on the snow-topped surfaces of early winter. Each one of the Agents prepared and trained for their trip to Eden-227. The door of the apartment opens, revealing Max and Leah wearing jackets. The couple walk down the stairs of their complex and reach the entrance, where Carmen and Arthur await them.

"Evening." Carmen whispers, forming a small cloud of mist around her mouth.

"Good evening, off to the rendezvous?" Leah responds.

The three nod and start walking to a bus station near the park. There sits Stephen under the roof of the bench.

"Ready to go? We're leaving on the next stop, about 3 minutes." Stephen says to the group.

The group sits down, and a few minutes later a bus arrives at the stop. The team walks in and sits down on their seats. The bus cruises across the urban environment of the city before stopping at the Agency Transportation Hub. The Agents all dismount the bus before walking into the building. They brandish their yellow watches and sit down on lobby chairs while Stephen books a boat for the mission.

The inside of the transport hub is well lit, with the place being populated by a couple dozen people, coming and going. Each one of them is wearing an ECHO watch, which is to be expected from an Agency building. Stephen finishes his talk with one of the staff and returns to the group.

"Okay, we have a ship set for Eden. Let's board it and go." Stephen says to the crew.

The Agents rise from their chairs and walk towards one of the boats dotting the water port of the transport hub. They board the boat and are greeted by the captain, an older man with short, gray hair.

"Are you the crew going for Eden-227?" The captain asked.

"That's right. Thanks." Stephen responds.

The captain smiles and starts the engines of the boat. The ship starts to move slowly across the glimmering waters of night.

"There's a deck below you can stay in until we're there." The captain says before continuing with his work.

The Agents all move below deck in the lounge area of the boat, filled with drinks, food, and a table and couches.

Max immediately goes to the kitchen to make Cheesetails for everyone.

"Whoa, what a selection. They have so much to choose from. Pillaging time." Max mutters, before rummaging around the cupboards.

Stephen starts to make conversation with the rest of the Agents. In his talk, Max catches a specific point that he announced to the group.

"Apparently there were some cases of Agents being able to use items without really using them. Like gaining the effects of a stimulant without the needle emptying. They were even able to store objects in invisible backpacks. The Agency dubbed this, "Duping"."

Max stored this in his memory, before continuing his drink looting.

While the other Agents start talking, Arthur leans back in his chair and pulls out a small note of paper. He writes down some words before stowing it in his pocket. No one else seemed to notice him writing. He finishes and gets back up from his chair to join the conversation with Stephen and Leah.

Time passes.

Their demise... Coming closer and closer...

Arrival


The cold, windy smog of Eden-227 chilled the spines of the heavily-clothed Agents. Only Leah's flamethrower, kept at a small flame to prevent overheating, was turned on to warm the crew slightly. The snowy hills surrounding the area feel as if they are staring straight at the group, their primed eyes inspecting every motion that they are making.

"Doesn't this place seem a bit more alive than what you'd expect?" Leah asks the group.

"Yes. Scavs are all over the place. Stay on guard the whole mission." Stephen spoke through the scratchy microphone.

"Alright then. En guarde." Max responds.

”WHAT THE HECK!? THERE’S A SHEEP OVER HERE!” Leah shouts at the top of her lungs.

”What..? Is it an actual sheep? Or is it some kind of code name that I was supposed to remember.” Max says confused.

”It’s an actual sheep!” Leah shouts while pointing at a white lump.

”Huh?” Max approaches the white creature, and pokes it with a stick and starts laughing.
”Hahah! It’s just a lump of snow!”

”Wha-” Leah blushes.

”Maybe you’re really tired.” Max smirks.

”I- I- err, I’M NOT TIRED!” Leah covers her face in embarrassment.

The crew descends down into the large pit where the Agency base is located. The inside of the base looked exactly the same as the virtual recreation, down to the smallest details and scratches on the red shipping container. The storm watches beep as the Agents sit down at the entrance of the storm-shielded building. The cyan-gray smog of the virtual world looks faster and more chaotic in real life, the shards of icy water ready to impale whoever chooses to walk in.

The four Agents sit down at the edge of the base, observing the storm while priming themselves before their mission.

"Get some rest, the mission starts later today. It's dawn right now." Stephens distorted voice sounded through the headset.

Leah huddled up next to Max, her flamethrower rested on top of his Knuckleboom. It was an emotional closeness only brought by a dire circumstance.

"Funny how we get to be this close at such a terrible time." Leah remarks.

"It seems appropriate from a different perspective. We were brought together for our mission, all four of us connected more than ever because of it." Max responds.

"Maybe this wasn't all bad after all?" Leah continues.

The storm's intimidating yet seemingly gentle breeze ventilates the closed interior of the base. Arthur looks deeply at the storm and silently sheds a tear, his black sun hat and attire juxtapose to the cold winter dawn of Eden. His partner, Carmen, is soundly asleep on one of the damaged mattresses, getting a good rest for the next looting phase.

Arthur stands up from his spot on the floor and heads to the mattresses, moving his next to Carmen's and sleeping on it. He falls asleep, leaving only Max and Leah staring into the snow.

"We should get to the beds, we need energy for the rest of this mission." Max tells Leah.

"Let's enjoy this a little while longer." She responds.
The two stare at the storm for what feels like an hour, until the both fall asleep at resting on the side of the shipping container.

…



*Apple iphone “radar” ringtone*

The chimes of the ECHO watches wake the Agents up on a dark and gloomy evening.

"Good evening. It's 6 PM over here. You only have half an hour to get going before it's storm time again. Hurry."

"Man, I'm hungry." Arthur remarks.

"Food is limited here, and scavengers tend to hold some of it. They are so competitive over it that they sometimes infight. Kill some of them, silently." Stephen responds.

The group goes out on their usual looting sprees, made efficient and safe from their extensive training. They target weak melee scavs and kill them to take their rations, not a single scratch is left on the Agents. Their time starts to run short as they haul their inventories back to base, copious bandages, medkits, bombs, and bullets. Each one of them drops a pile of scrap metal and prepares to begin the battle.

On the other side of the Agents, a man with a skull bandana and shades inspects the base closely. His shielded binoculars leaving no reflection to reveal his location.

"A new set of Agents, the Agency really is helping us." The man says in a deep and intimidating voice.

"Perhaps." She says in an intrigued tone. She brandishes her Decimator and sits down on her throne.


\(\boxed{weapon~data}\)

-|”The Decimator”|-
>WEAPON CLASSIFICATION: Classified as a “Bludgeon Weapon”

>DESCRIPTION: The Decimator is a melee weapon that is only obtained by combining a shotgun with a sledge hammer. The Decimator looks like a hammer with some spikes on one side and some holes on the other side. Under the side with holes is a box containing several shotgun shells. Swinging the “Decimator” lightly does not have any special effects, however swinging it heavily causes the loaded shotgun shells to explode on impact, heavily damaging anyone nearby.

>LETHALITY: 14%
>STRIKE_LETHALITY: 50%
>WEIGHT~LIGHT_SWING: 50%
>WEIGHT~HEAVY_SWING: 50%
>EFFECTIVE_RANGE: 150%
>WOUNDING_LEVEL: 200%

>END_


The storm slowly closes in on the Agents, with Yosef still staring at them from the far side.

"Send our scouts. Do the usual." He says to his minions.
Four of his melee scouts start to head through the storm with respirators and vests, protecting them from the harsh storm.

\(\boxed{Dossier~Info}\)
Name: Yosef
Gender: Male
Perk: Unknown
Date of birth: Unknown
Scars and marks: Unknown
Complexion: Pale
Voice: Deep voice
Occupation: Unknown
Country of origin: Unknown
Place of birth: Unknown
Known information: "A powerful gay Russian man who likes KFC and created the 'Escape from tarkov game.'"
Leader of the scavengers. Possesses a powerful m60 machine gun. Former AGENT who was thought to be dead, but still alive. Has beef with the agency because he thinks the agency betrayed them.
\(\boxed{Dossier~Info~End}\)

"Did anyone catch that weird purple flash in the storm?" Max announces to the group.

Carmen nods in approval. "Castle." She whispers to herself.

"Guys, you should get ready. I detect some hostiles approaching."
Stephen tells the crew.

The four men that Yosef sent arrive at the building, displaying their crowbars and bats openly. Carmen shoots a Nantite Bolt at their feet, temporarily paralyzing them. Leah sets off a flame blast on the ground, buffing her teammates and setting the scavs ablaze. Arthur and Max aim their equipment at the scavs and finish them off. The dead bodies of the scavs fall to the ground as Arthur sets a cigarette alight before pushing them outside.

"Damn. Their team coordination is impressive. Send the higher ranked scouts next night. Let's do this quickly." Yosef tells his scavengers before returning to his base.

The storm covers the door of the base once again, and the four Agents lie down on their mattresses. Carmen cuddles and hugs Arthur in bed before falling asleep.

"Perfect round, I would say if we were still playing." Max jokingly says.

"Of course, not a single hit." Leah replies.

The Agents all drift off to sleep for the next cycle. After a long rest, the storm recedes from the gate of the building and lets the Agents scavenge once again. Carmen starts to rush towards the castle on the left, previously glitched and warped from the bad scanning. She could see it in full detail, every part of it. It was real, the cracks in the walls and the dilapidated structure.

Through one of the cracks in the concrete, a strange and bright purple glow is seen. Carmen recoils back in response, her Lazarus bolt launcher primed and ready to fire. The light disappears and the arming of a Knuckle Boom is heard inside of the castle.

"Max?" Carmen asks softly but concerningly.

Sledge Queen, Leader of the Raiders

Sledge Queen leaps high into the air with her Decimator hanging off her back. At the peak of her jump she holds her hammer and readies a slam directly onto Carmen. Arthur appears from behind the hillside to check on Carmen, and sees her frozen in place, about to get obliterated.

"CARMEN! WATCH OUT!!" Arthur shouts as he tackles Carmen out of the way.

Sledge Queen misses her attack and pulls her hammer out of the ground. She stares deathly at the pair with her Agent Eyepiece.

She looks at them closely, a small and malicious smile forming on her face. Sledge Queen laughs for a moment and starts to charge at the pair with her Decimator, about to strike. She swings the hammer behind herself and winds up a massive attack. Arthur stares down Sledge Queen, readying his revolver behind his back. He pulls it out swiftly and aims directly at her head.

Sledge Queens Decimator hits Arthur's leg, the impact strong enough to break his bones. Carmen shoots a Nantite Bolt to dull the pain of the force slightly. Arthur pulls the trigger, the hit throwing his aim off slightly, but it was still dead on the Queen's head.

"I got you." Arthur snickers to himself.

The smoke clears from Arthur's high-caliber revolver, revealing Sledge Queen with her Decimator in front of her face. The bullet was caught inside of the handle.

"Great shot, but too slow." She laughs, while knocking the bullet out of her hammer.

"Impossible. No one can just deflect a bullet like that!"

|--Dossier Info–|
Name: Sledge Queen (Real name unknown)
Gender: Female
Perk: Arbiter
Date of birth: Unknown
Scars and marks: None
Complexion: Pale
Voice: A very soothing, calming, and seductive voice
Occupation: Unknown
Country of origin: Unknown
Place of birth: Unknown
Known information:She's referred to as the "Sledge Queen" due to her Sledgehammer Mastery. Wielding a custom-created Sledgehammer called “The Decimator”. She is the leader of the raiders, Sledge Queen nor her Raiders do not have any relationship to The Agency. One interesting detail is that Executioner’s (A bounty hunter perk) goggles marks her as "Wanted by Agency" but the Agency refuses to talk about it.
|--Dossier Info End–|

"I'm not a nobody. Wonder how I could survive this gun-filled hell with a hammer? That's how." Sledge Queen exclaims before readying another attack.

"Stall. Now." Arthur whispers to Carmen before bolting off with a limp.

The two run to the outpost, up the stairs to the top of the cove. Sledge Queen stays still while looking at them run away. She laughs and starts to reload her Knuckleboom with another round. She aims at the floor, launching herself directly to the two Agents next to the scrapper.

She lands on the ground with a loud thud, her gaze aimed directly at Arthur's head. She swings her hammer back and charges forward with great speed. She starts to swing her Decimator, while she shouts out, "Try better in your next life!"

"Shove now, Carmen."

Carmen shoves Arthur to the floor, leaning back and barely dodging Sledge Queen's Decimator swing.

"Perfect." Arthur says to himself before aiming at Sledge Queen's eyepiece, without her Decimator to block it.

"What?!" Sledge Queen shouts before getting her head shot and blinded. Her body falls limp to the ground, blood dripping out of her skull.

"That was close, right Carmen?" Arthur says with a genuine smile.

"Let's head back then." He continues before limping off to base.

Carmen stalls for a moment before running to Arthur. Tears fall down her face as she hugs Arthur tightly. She holds him tight and quietly apologizes for her carelessness.

"I-I'm so sorry." She whispers over and over to Arthur.

The two head back to the building where Arthur uses a splint to help his leg and a first aid kit to heal his wounds slightly. He drops off his blueprints for guns and a scrap pack before resting against the front of the red shipping container. The team's ECHO watches started to beep, indicating that the storm was about to close in. Both Leah and Max hop off the right side right in time and drop off their resources at the base.

"Arthur, you don't seem too good. What happened to your leg?" Max asked.

"It's alright. I got in a fight with a powerful scav that had a Decimator." Arthur responded.

"A scav with a Decimator? We haven't encountered that in the simulation." Leah added.

"Strange, I know. I got them with the revolver, but I'll hang back this round."

Yosef's scavengers run in from the storm, their weapons more deadly and their stance more trained. Arthur aims his revolver at an ice pick scav and kills them instantly, while Max and Leah fight on the frontline. The bodies all fall to the ground as Max starts pushing them out of the building.

"Great job again. I got scraped a bit by that combat knife though." Max says before sitting down next to Arthur.

Leah passes Max two colas and beans, and he shares them with Arthur.
"Take it easy next night."

"Dammit! They can't keep getting away with this!" Yosef shouts from his lookout post.

"Yosef, should we start to send in some of our gun users?" One of his guards asks.

"Go. Deal with them quickly." He says before returning to his quarters, angered by his carelessness.

The four Agents all fall asleep on their damaged mattresses, and after a few hours, the storm fades away. The outside is ripe for looting once again.

"Good evening. It's 6 again. Do your thing today." Stephen says through the mic.

"Aye." Max responds.

He picks up the scrap packs and three blueprints before heading to the right to craft firearms for the group.

Arthur limps carefully along the left side, where he searches the outpost thoroughly. With his injury, he can only cover a small area before he runs out of stamina. Arthur grabs medical supplies and uses them to tend to his wounds. He marks and opens a crate, containing a High-Capa with a full magazine.


"My favorite." He says before returning back with full hands and pockets.

He rests back at the Agency base, checking the storm watch for the time. He patiently waits and lights a cigarette to help pass the minutes. The other three Agents come back with their full hands as well, Max holding multiple guns for the team.

"KSG, RSASS, and AKM." He says before gently resting them on the ground.

The team starts to eat and prepare for the fighting phase. They eat their rations quickly, before hearing loud metal scraping outside. The thick, gray fog prevents any detail from being shown other than a faint silhouette of a person walking towards the base. They pull out a long, large hammer and start to charge towards the crew.

"GUYS! WATCH OUT!" Arthur screams before getting up and aiming his High-Capa at Sledge Queen.

Everyone drops their food and picks up a gun, aiming at the shadow.

"I'M NOT QUITE DONE WITH YOU YET, REVOLVER BOY!" She shouts loudly.

Arthur moved quietly from spot to spot, silencing his broken leg's steps with a bandage. Sledge Queen moves her head around, looking for Arthur after attacking the spot he was sitting in.

"WHERE ARE YOU!? THERE ARE FOUR OF YOU, RIGHT?!" She shouts while turning her body around.

The rest of the Agents were completely still, their firearms aimed straight at Sledge Queen's head.

"Aim." Arthur says quietly to the rest of the group.

"THERE YOU ARE!" Sledge Queen exclaims before aiming her Knuckleboom at Arthur. She begins to fire it and punches the shell right as it leaves the barrel. Arthur dodges to the left, ensuring that he makes minimal noise on the landing.

Carmen pulls out her ballistic dagger and aims it at the ground next to Sledge Queen. She fires the capsule, making an audible click on landing. Sledge Queen smashes the spot that Carmen shot with the Decimator.

"Is she blind?" Leah whispers to Arthur.

He nods and continues his quiet circling around Sledge Queen. The enraged raider listens for the slightest of sounds. The four Agents are now equally spaced in a half circle around Sledge Queen.

Arthur gestures an okay sign, asking everyone if they’re ready.

Everyone nods in affirmation.

Arthur slowly points at sledge queen.

Their surroundings become extremely quiet.

...

"Fire!" Arthur shouts out.

All four of the Agents fire their guns at Sledge Queen, her Decimator put in front of her heart and face to protect her vital organs. Many bullets hit her body, but she only barely flinches every time she gets hit.

"THERE YOU ARE, YOU SCUMBAG!" She shouts before charging at Arthur and shoving the Decimator into his chest.

Arthur reels back in pain and falls to the ground.

"Guh! I should've dodged!" He says with a strained voice, before coughing up blood.

Sledge Queen pins him to the ground with the leg, and swings her Decimator up.

"I WISH I COULD SEE YOUR FACE RIGHT NOW, YOUR EXPRESSION WOULD BE PRICELESS!" She loudly laughs out before swinging her hammer directly at Arthur's face.

"One chance, I think I got it!"

Leah flames the ground and coats everyone in a layer of napalm, setting Sledge Queen on fire. Max aims his Knuckleboom at Sledge Queen and punches the shell, knocking her Decimator away and burning the skin off her hands.

"YOU KNOW HOW TO DO THAT TOO?! WE COULD'VE BEEN PARTNERS!" She shouts in pain.

"I'm part of the Agency, I couldn't possibly." Max responds in a smug tone.

"THIS, DO YOU KNOW WHERE THIS CAME FROM?!" Sledge Queen shouts while pointing at her destroyed Agent eyepiece.

Carmen starts to shoot a mag of RSASS rounds into the back of Sledge Queen.

"CUT THAT OUT!" She says, before picking up her Decimator and charging at Carmen.

"Damn you..." Carmen whispers while being grappled by Sledge Queen.

She shoots a Nantite Bolt at the ground, stunning Sledge Queen in place for a moment. She sweeps her legs and grabs her Decimator.

"Eye for an eye, leg for a leg..." She says quietly while priming her attack.

The Decimator impacts Sledge Queen's leg, crippling her just like she did with Arthur.

The base suddenly goes quiet. Sledge Queen rests on the ground with her leg bent sideways, blood flowing out of the wound. She giggles a little, coughing every few seconds.

"THIS IS THE GREATEST FIGHT OF MY LIFE!!!" She loudly exclaims before jumping up on her broken leg.

Sledge Queen charges at Carmen, her attacks faster and more precise than before. You couldn't even assume that she was blind. She chains punches, kicks, and shotshell blasts together, Carmen desperately defending against her attacks. She swings the Decimator at Sledge Queen's chest, knocking the wind out of her, and pins her against the shipping container.


Sledge Queen laughs.


"I WON'T DIE UNTIL I GET MY REVENGE!" She shouts, before loading a shell into her Knuckleboom and aiming it at the crippled Artillerist. She shoots it and punches the shell, blowing Arthur's face into a puddle of red paste. Sledge Queen laughs maniacally after hearing the blood drip onto the floor.


"..."

Everyone went silent.

Carmen kicks Sledge Queen in the chest and slams the Decimator directly into her face, instantly blowing her skull to bits. Tears fall down her face as she punches what's left of Sledge Queen's corpse.

"I-I couldn't protect h-him... even when he-, he was wounded! He did the same for me!"

Yosef looks through his binoculars at the show in the building.

"Yosef, it seems as if the Agents have taken out Zero. They are a much larger threat than we realize. Is it time to start the war?" One of his guards asks.

"Alright. Tell the gunmen to return. We start the war tomorrow."

"Arthur, is dead. Life is really fragile, isn't it." Stephen says through the scratchy headsets.

"Rest in peace, comrade."

The headset communications glitch for a moment.

"Disheartening. He didn't deserve to die. I'm really sorry, but you have to prepare for the storm."

The storm starts to move to the outside of the base. The blue-gray fog and sharp blades of ice halting further looting. But this time, no scavengers appeared to attack the Agents.

"There seems to be... no scavengers. Try to get some rest." Stephen says, before powering down communications for the night.

The team sighs, Leah and Max walk over to Arthur's body. Leah grabs the box of cigarettes and the revolver from his body. While searching his corpse, they find a small handwritten note next to his lighter. They get up and hand the note to Carmen.


"I'm pretty sure it's for you." Max says in a comforting tone.

Carmen grabs the note and walks over to the far corner of the building to read it. She sets the Decimator to her left and opens the piece of paper.

"Hey guys. Don't be sad by my death. I'm sure you're already crying over my body. I lived my early life running away from things, and I was extremely selfish. I wanted to change that when I became an Agent, to help people when they really needed it. I fully expected someone to die during this mission, and I would do everything in my power to save them. When you're done here, buy me an American Breakfast, and tip well too."

Carmen's eyes start to flood out tears, audibly crying in the corner.
"I-I... I'M SO SORRY ARTHUR!" She shouts out for the first time in years.

\(\rlap{\color{red}{TO~BE~CONTINUED}}{\hspace{1px}\color{black}{TO~BE~CONTINUED}}\)

Answer 2

It's very good

Answer 3

Great workk !! .

Answer 4

noice

Answer 5

^