The Bloodying of Blades

[Thanatos]

The moltry band of men reaches the crest of the grassy hill, standing in silence as they carefully survey the veritable fortress that lays before them. Thick pallisade walls enclose a compound as large as a self-sustained village; barracks after barracks are visible throughout the settlement, as well as several guardhouses. The storehouses, the goal of this deep night expedition, are barely visible from the party's current location. The entire facility is ablaze with electric lighting, although it is clear the majority of its denizens are currently fast asleep. The Traderoad branch the group had been shadowing ends abruptly at the settlement's mammoth wooden gate. All in all, it appears a relatively routine aquisition of gasoline has turned into far more than what was bargained for...

After quietly gazing at the facility for several moments, Thanatos begins calmly checking the condition of his weaponry and equipment, one black-gloved hand moving surely through the depths of his heavy and armament-lined overcoat.

"It is interesting that the Syndicate house has grown so quickly. This evidences the increasing lack of order present in the Confederation, as well as the booming growth of the Syndicates in general. The Bloodied Blades have apparently ventured upon a city of ancient times--they possess electricity in abundance. This coupled with their less-than-moral nature will undoubtedly make them likely targets of the MASS..."

With this Thanatos turns on his heel to address the rest of the silent group, the hint of a cold smile making itself clear on his white features. His smile is not one of pleasantness.

"There will be at least fifty individuals present within that facility, and most will be heavily armed, if the thieves have in actuality located a technological ruin site. The most likely course of action will be to comandeer a vehicle within the compound and load it with as much fuel as possible. Even this plan possesses a minimal chance of success. Nevertheless, it would be suggested that all three of you prepare for the worst. Then things will only grow more positive."

[Argis]

Argis stands there, listening to every word, every movement, of Thanatos as he addresses them of the up-and-coming battle. Argis then nods as Thanatos finishes his speech. Then Argis moves to the top of the hill to survey the compound, finding many thugs hurrying about. Argis notices something strange about one of the thugs, it’s a girl wearing a red suit, she is walking calmly around heading towards a barrack. Argis then mutters, “Mina.”she must be spying on the base Argis turns to the group of men and says, “the number has grown, it’s now bigger than 50, it may be 51 or many more due to a new thug raiding party that has arrived and…Mina is with them…leave her to me.” “My guess is we must use surprise for victory to be anywhere near obtainable.” “I notice,” Argis points to a few thugs running in and out of the gates, “if we could kill them quickly and silently, we could maybe just walk in or we could possibly sneak in at night I’ll use my graftling hook to eliminate the guards due to the fact your all carrying loud weapons. Or maybe you guys can think of a better idea…

[Whitakker]

*Whitakker listens patiently to Thanatos' analysis and summary of the compound and it's residents. It truly was bigger than Whitakker had expected. He silently contemplated all the possible infiltration points, and noted all the vehicles in sight, looking for one that would suit the purpose. In spite of himself, Whitakker grinned slightly. This was going to be challenging, or as Whitakker liked to call it, fun. As a thought, Whitakker turned to Thanatos:*

"So, do you think it would be a good idea to stay together, or to split up and surround the place?"

[Argis]

"I'm sorry but I must strongly oppose this. For this will surly increase our already slim chances of infiltration with out being spotted. The best course of action is to stay to in a single group…”

[Thanatos]

Thanatos' attention is also drawn to the woman in red as she comes into sight; even in the dead of night at such a far distance away, she stands out clear as day. The android's head inclines slightly in Argis' direction as he starts calmly down the slope, his eventual destination a small area directly beneath the wall that has been calculated to be covered the least in the assorted thugs' patrol patterns.

"It is improbable that a courtesan might remain unaccompanied in the midst of a den of thieves. There is much more to this situation than what is immediately perceived; the current best course of action will undoubtedly be to comandeer the Syndicate resources as quickly as possible. Perhaps MASS will be striking this very night..."

[Argis]

So a slip in slip out move, ok well this will be the best course. I guess would be to go from the south end kill a few men cloth ourselves in their clothes, and walk in walk out. Now if we get stopped leave them to me *Argis flashes about 10 long slimed wooden needles* made them on the way here ok... Now this way it will be the less deadly strike or we could go in and leave no one to be attacked by the mass…same thing except this time we flash our weapons and go out with everything burning…

[Syrant]

Syrant stares at the enemy base carefully. He sees the woman in red a pauses a breath. Syrant then looks off into the horizon and his mind begins to fog up with darkness. Syrant looks over at Thanatos with a concerned look.

"They're closer than I though, I would say we have no more than two hours. Seems that the lady in red is simply a scout leading the rest here. We need to form a plan now and go for it."

[Thanatos]

At Syrant and Argis' words a shadow of a frown touches Thanatos' face, the android gazing once more at the now retreating back of the woman in red. Even after she has passed through an open barracks door, his visor continues to focus at the location she had last been. It is clear the Thanatos is deep in thought and the execution of inumberable calculations. Finally he speaks, a trace of what is certainly sadness present in his usually cold and emotionless tone.

"These thieves have grown too quickly, aquired too much lost technology to be ignored. The rise of a MASS stronghold this deep within the 'civilization' of Xenon must not occur. The objective of this mission has changed: group priority must now be to obliterate this settlement, obtaining as much fuel as possible in the process."

Thanatos' visor turns in a lazy sweep to critically examine the faces of each of his three comrades. As this is done, one slender black-gloved hand is reaching purposefully into the veiled folds of his overcoat, grasping at something. Something large.

"It is never decent nor fair for one creature to so harshly judge another. Yet these are not decent or fair times--we are now present in an era that has moved beyond the horrors of the past and delved into an age of darkness unprecedented in all the texts of humankind. It is thus that the most logical decision is reached: every last being present in this compound must be exterminated before the MASS arrives."

With this Thanatos draws from his overcoat what he had been grasping, a gigantic pistol with a barrel in excess of two feet long. No engravings or identifying marks are present on the smooth black steel of the weapon; not even a trigger is visible. Thanatos slowly moves his other hand to withdraw a small pouch from another invisible region of his overcoat, from this pouch removing a large bullet which he beings to load into the odd chamber of the gun.

"It is understandable if some do not wish to participate in this operation--what was originally a simple aquisition of supplies has warped instead into a mission with a goal of no less than absolute slaughter. The creatures on the other side of this wall are as of yet untouched by MASS; they possess emotion and family, the same as each of you. Under no circumstances are they inferior or undeserving of the opportunity to exist. Rather, circumstance and logic creates a situation where their deaths will be more beneficial than harmful. Reflect and present your decisions...time is of the essence, and the toil ahead will not be simplistic."

[Argis]

“I agree with Thanatos on this. So if you shoot you shoot to kill, if you slice you slice to kill, no maiming or leave one to suffer, and if they run kill them.” “We are saving them from the mass, a life of pain.”...*stares at Wittaker and Syrant for answer*

[Whitakker]

*Whitakker allowed Thanatos' reevaluation to register, and he weighed the choices. Whitakker knew that, no matter how grimy and filthy and vile these people were, that they had a soul. And he also knew that the only way to preserve those souls from almost eternal suffering and d**nation at the hands of the Mass would kill them even more than a simple slit of their throats. It's poetic justice, when you think about it...*

"I'll do it, but I'll probably hate myself in the morning. By the way, Thanatos, you still haven't answered my question. I would like to know, so that I may properly prepare myself. What is your decision...leader?"

*Whitakker uttered the last word with diluted respect, simply acknowledging the android as the appointed head of this team. It was plain to see that Thanatos knew what his business was about, and no one had the right, nor the experience, to contradict him. It did not take a rocket scientist to realize this fact. Whitakker slowly shifted his weight, eventually going for the west gate of the complex, should Thanatos decide that they should split up and surround the place. He waited for Thanatos' decision...*

[Thanatos]

Thanatos nods lazily towards Whitakker, visor flashing in the half-darkness as the android turns his attentions now to analyzing the actual layout and structure of the wall in front of him--it remains unclear if the assassin is actually capable of gazing through the thick pallisade fortification the party now huddles under. Whether Thanatos' vision actually penetrates the wall or not, he nevertheless speaks after several seconds of this focused silence.

"It is imperative that the group divide itself in order to accomplish its dual purpose in as little time as feasible. Whitakker, you will secure a vehicle loaded with a sufficient amount of gasoline to ensure a safe supply for the remainder of the expedition. Argis, you will kill the compound's denizens through stealth and fighting prowess, as engage in combat with the MASS-possessed scout. These thieves will have access to assorted firearms far more advanced than the average Xenonian resident. None will survive if strategy and intelligent actions are not practiced."

Thanatos now turns towards Syrant, nodding courteously towards the man that is most his comrade and fellow warrior.

"Together we will provide a suitable distraction that will allow both Whitakker and Argis to carry out their appointed tasks. It will also be vital that you focus your energies and isolate the MASS already within this compound to keep it from instantaneously alerting its brethren components of our location--if the MASS organism as a whole grows aware of our presence, the caravan itself will be in grave danger. That is, unless you possess qualms about the work ahead..."

The shadowy hints of a wry smile play upon Thanatos' chalk white features at his last comment, the glossy blackness of his visor glinting fearsomely. The android slowly raises his mammoth pistol, pointing it directly at the segment of twenty-foot wall in front of him.

"Commence the operation after and only after Syrant and myself have entered the compound through an improvised entrance. Prepare yourselves..."

[Syrant]

Syrant nods in agreement to his assigned job. Syrant draws his guns ready to enter combat. He gazes into the complex and focuses his mind.

"Any MASS inside have been cut off from any outside source. As long as I'm conscious I won't allow any MASS to commuincate out of here."

Syrant looks over to the group and nods.

"I'm ready whenever you guys are."

[Whitakker]

"Very well, I'll be positioned at the west gate, and wait until you two go in. I believe I spied a small parking garage not far from that gate. I'll see what I can rustle up. Good luck."

*At that, Whitakker pulled his hood over his head, his eyes no longer visible, and quickly made his way to the west entrance. As he rounded the corner, he found one lone gatekeeper. Too easy. Whitakker picked up a rock, and threw it towards some brush close to the gate. The guard, alerted to the noise, went to go inspect the source. Whitakker quickly rushed behind the guard and gave the base of his skull a hard chop with his hand. The guard slumped over, never giving a sound. After hiding the body, Whitakker waited beside the gate, waiting for whatever signal Thanatos might give him.*

[Thanatos]

Thanatos nods one final time as Whitakker and Argis move to take their respective positions along the wall of the complex in preparation for the now inevitable strike.

"Steel yourself. Purgatory will be quite crowded this night..."

Wide spread of one-hundred ten, initial explosion at twenty.

After these final words a fierce silence ensues, a timeless void broken only by the distant release of air as Thanatos' firearm unleashes its deadly cargo. What follows is as easily an instance as it is an hour; an impossible period of microseconds that seems to last forever as it races towards its inexorable conclusion...

...and then all hell breaks loose.

The quiet popping sound of the gun's bullet exploding at the pallisade wall is instantly drowned out by the tortured screeches of straining metal and cracking wood. Less than a second later assorted human screams join the painful orchestra as the countless microscopic slivers embedded in the bullet slice the men lounging on the other side of the wall to bloody ribbons.

Debris flies everywhere and a thick layer of smoke engulfs half the compound as a twenty-meter section of the fortification's enclosure is literally wrended apart down to the individual molecule. Wood and metal collapse in on themselves in futile groans of protest, taking the thieves patrolling the wall with them. It takes only three seconds for the horrific sound and sight to gradually subside, but what remains is still brutal: a gigantic section of wall lies in ruin, blanketed by the assorted gore of almost half a dozen foes.

Argis and Whitakker have their distraction.

In one smooth motion Thanatos reholsters his pistol within the depths of his overcoat, leaping lightly over the twisted remains of the wall even as he unerringly casts a brutally-shaped throwing dagger into the throat of the nearest surviving Bloodied Blades member. A costly one-second scan of the area tells the android that much of the compound is even now converging on Syrant and himself's position, and that their reactions will be decidedly hostile.

The operation is finally underway, and the true bloodying of blades is about to begin...

[Argis]

*Argis pulls out his gun, pushes the button as the gun assumes the crossbow form. Argis then fiddles with a small quartz rock as the moon catches it, it projects a small pinprick on a man out near the top of the wall just standing hanging his head over the wall looking at a small animal. The light heads to the temple as it hits it target Argis squeezes the trigger the man doesn’t even flinch as the bolt pierces his head. The man falls off the wall on to the ground.

*Argis reaches in to his side pocket and grabs two odd items they look like a pair of bear-like metal claws. He attach them to his feet and started to climb up the wall. Argis slips over the wall quickly and quietly as you can imagine. The first guard was on patrol as he walked past Argis (in some sort on day dream) Argis crawls along the wall, and then in a instant Argis leaps grabbing the face of the man and quickly breaks the mans neck.

A man run towards Argis still in shock he starts to suck in air to scream when a shurriken Argis moves quickly towards the gate room. The wall started to get dark as torches started to be smothered. Argis Arrives to the gate house and two guards are sitting there playing cards.

(Guards prospective) one laughs in joy and then quickly says

“man I got a bad hand. “

”Man you suck at bluffing…what was that.”

A shadow out of the corner of the mans eye vanishes He looks its gone then they start to play again when a load crash is heard and the wall shakes they both get up to look out side to see part of the wall fell in the distance.

“what the hell.. Happened over there…“He looks over to see his partner to find he is not there.

”Ben where *turns around* did…did oh my god.”

He sees his partner laying on the ground in a small pool of blood (guards prospective ends). Argis the falls from the ceiling on the man and makes very quick work. He then hit the weight to cause the gate door to open. When the gate opens Argis is standing there to greet Whittaker. Argis makes a grim, sad comment to him before heading off

“let the kill fest begins.”