DAYS AFTER〔M〕〔IC〕「Hoef & MidKnight」

[Dire Hoef]

---

---

---

---

It had been just over a year..

And everything's changed.. Everything's gone.. Our world is no longer the same

So fast..

How do you even survive something like this..?

---

---

Location: St. Louis, Missouri; MJ12 FOB
Time: 0800 Hours
Date: August 5th, 2001

The situation on the ground here had grown to be rather...intense. Breakthroughs throughout this area of the Red Line had caused a lot of worry among sentry teams, but morale still remained high as the new defenses were being installed. But Captain Scrawl was unfazed by this, and only really focused on the task at hand. That was to rendevous with Commander Chancy, who was in charge of this area of the Line.

The captain saw the entrance to the FOB and found that it had been attacked. "How long has it been since their last incursion?" Corporal von Karmichael had spoke out, clearly thinking aloud.

"48 hours from the looks of it," Warrant Officer Rodriguez interjected glancing over the damage done.

"St. Louis had been a frontline since last September right..?" Sergeant Christy asked, clearly uninterested.

Rodriguez shrugged, "I remember they were overrun prior to..whatever the hell is going on here." Rodriguez was one of those few men that actually was fixated on the events of Y2k. He was considered a lunatic, and was ostracized as a result. However, he had been spot on with what they were dealing with. His squad had a level of distrust due to this, but that had since eroded after various events revealed that he was on their side.

"Well," Christy was now looking at the headquarter'ss interior lobby, "They sure as shit turned this place around in the year since.."

The squad entered a room that served as the Command and Control center for this area. Standing at the central island overlooking a regional map of Missouri and Illinois was Commander Chancy. Chancy was the type of veteran who had seen far too much bloodshed to remain positive. He's grizzled, and often bitter about the life he was handed.

Commander Chancy looked up from his thought-filled gandering, and noticed Diamond Team enter the room. He gave an acknowledging nod to Captain Scrawl, who returned it with a salute; the rest of the squad followed with their salutes.

"Glad you could join us on the Line," Commander Chancy started with some pleasantries, "But I gander that you're not here for pleasure, so let me get to business." He zoomed in on the town of St. Elmo. "There's a storage of petroleum left behind here," satellite imagery comes up revealing a petroleum plant east of the town, "We want you to get in there and snag what you can. We'll have a cargo helicopter on standby to pick up whatever you happen to find. Questions?"

Captain Scrawl opened his mouth and asked, "What's been the reports on M Killers in the area?"

"A horde traveled through the town 72 hours after this satellite image was taken. There might still be stragglers wandering the town. We haven't encountered anything outside of that." Commander Chancy was blunt on this front, as he thought back to those 72 hours and wondered where that horde was going.

"What direction was the horde moving?" Rodriguez interjected, stepping forward.

"South, soldier. My guess is that they were responding to Bismuth Team and their...rather loud operation that took place 48 hours prior to that." Chancy crossed his arms as he waited for any other questions.

[MidKnight]

Jade quietly opened the door to her home, she could smell the foul odor of alcohol in the room. She looked around and noticed how trashy it had gotten while she was away. She sighs softly and entered the room, taking her boots off and placed them by the door. She looked around the kitchen/living room area and noticed her father wasn't there where he normally would be. She walked to the bathroom where she also finds him from time to time passed out by the toilet, he wasn't there as well. Instead, she finds him in her room where he was sitting on the bed, he appeared to be crying for some time while looking at a picture frame. She walked in quietly and didn't make a noise, she noticed a bottle of whiskey on the dresser and some of her personal things were on the floor. She sighs softly, thinking he had gone traded some food cards for booze. He sat there still, softly crying as he looked at the picture frame. She sat beside him and sees the picture, it was her father, mother and her as a child. "Where did I go wrong?" He asked softly to himself. "Have I not raised you right?"

She didn't say a word, instead, she hopped on the bed, lifted her father up and pulled him onto the bed. He started sobbing and cried out even more. She pulled him close on the bed near the pillows where she sat and cradled him like a child. Hugging her from behind and held him close, hugging his head while he mourned. She stroked his hair and waited for him to finally sleep. It didn't take very long. She felt her pocket vibrating, she reached for her phone and finds a message. 'Gear up.' it said. She sighs softly once again and kissed her father's head before leaving his side. She even grabbed the bottle of whiskey and dumped it in the sink.

After a few hours or so, she arrived to a room where it was consider to the Command and Control Center. She looked around the room, it was a bit shabby, they could have picked a better spot to be in. When she sees the Commanding Officer, she gives a salute like her Captain had done. She lowered her arm when she sees the Commander responded.

She walked and stood next to Captain Scrawl and looked at the strategic plans and informed them of their mission, once she heard about the M Killer stragglers in the area, she held onto her Kevlar and gives a gentle tug and her main weapon pointing towards the ground. "Point of approach sir? Will we be walking or dropped at a certain of location?" She asked looking at the Commander then to the Captain, "Also what is our exfil?"

[Dire Hoef]

Captain Scrawl was quiet for a moment as he examined the map and the question. He glanced at Jade, as if studying her expressions. However he had already came to answer and pointed to a stretch of field outside of Brownstown. "We land there. We walk the rest of the way."

Commander Chancy answered the second question, "Your exfil will be that same chopper, from an LZ marked by your Captain." Chancy tossed a colored flare to Scrawl who caught it with ease. "I expect that you guys can make it happen."

Captain Scrawl didn't even acknowledge that comment, and only stared at the commander. Chancy didn't really move to press the topic further, and only moved on by clearing his throat. "In any case, you'll be leaving in thirty mikes, prep whatever you need and board the helicopter on pad 2. Dismissed Diamond Team, Godspeed." Commander Chancy gave a salute, to which Diamond Team returned their own.

After departing and finding a moment to themselves, Captain Scrawl sighed and looked over at Jade. "You have some thoughts. I can tell on your face," he rested his hands on his vest as they walked over to the arming station.

"Oh does Jade got a battleplan??" Rodriguez chimed in, thrashing into the conversation like a drunken raver.

Captain Scrawl looked back at him with a decapitating look, which made the man back down a little.

[MidKnight]

"Them stragglers are gonna be a pain the ass, I can tell you that much." She replied and looked over her shoulder. "If my plan involves saving your ass again, you bet." She smirked and looked straight again. "If we go in quiet, suppressors only, we can make it in and out." She looked at the Captain for an approval but had a look on her face and walked in front of the Captain, she waved the rest of the team to move on and waited until it as her and the Captain.

"I found my dad drunk again...this time he was in my room." She was avoiding eye contact and looking at the ground while holding onto her vest. "I'm afraid he's gonna do something stupid once he knows I'm gone for the day."

[Dire Hoef]

After quips were exchanged, and the squad sent off, Jade got real with him. "That dream.." He remembered when she finally came forward to speak on these dreams. It was like pulling teeth, but she's come around since then. "Didn't we install CCTV cameras in your house to watch in the event of that?" He paced a little, and thought about all the options he presented to her when they first had this talk. "Are you certain he's up to no good? I can trust that gut to make a call, but I want to know this isn't going to be a goose chase."

As far as the Captain was concerned, this was routine. However he had some manner of sympathy for her, and kept his business attitude light when discussing personal matters like this.

[MidKnight]

"Last time I found him was in his own vomit." She says while wiping one of her eyes. "I swear, I leave that man alone for one hour...I don't know where he's been getting the booze from." She grabbed her vest and looked around. "He trades about two third of his ration cards for it." Then she wiped her other eye. "Yea, got every room covered...except the bathrooms." She gives a gentle punch to the Captians chest. "God, can't even have a little privacy? I had to rip that thing off with my own two hands."

She wiped her smirk and gained her confidence back. "If you got someone to tail him, maybe find the source?" She looked at the Captain directly. "I wanna punch whoever keeps trading him." Then she nods her head to the armory.

"I have a friend who can keep an eye on him, she owes me a lot of favors anyways."

[Dire Hoef]

Darius stared at Jade for a moment, and then shared that smirk. He then looked over at armory and sighed, "I had somebody in mind, but if you have a person right here, right now, I"ll take them. It beats having to shovel out food rations for their cooperation." The Captain wasn't about distractions as they prove to be fatal in most situations out there in those RZs. He made his way over to the armory, and saw that the rest of the squad were finishing up their resupply.

Darius started his while he looked to Jade to procure this new contact. He thought about how crazy one would have to be trade food rations for alcohol.. But he always counted with the fact that everyone's lives weren't the same anymore. These new paths they were forced to choose are trecherous to some, and terminal for others. He knew this all too well.

Christy and Rodriguez were arguing about something trivial while Karmichael running over his supply of medical equipment. Darius took stock of everyone's needs and wants, and tallied up all stims he was given for any quick medical attention. He also read over the mission files as Karmichael was kind enough to procure them. The Captain wanted more information on the area, missions like these have ulterior objectives attached to them. Outside of general logistics and supply, why are they looking at this town? That's the question he was looking to answer.

[MidKnight]

"We could have your guy follow him around while mine keeps an eye on him at home?" She asked curiously. "I'll call and let them know to check by my place to see how he is." She sighs softly as she reached her phone and sent a quick text.

Before she walked into the armory, she walked over to another desk where there was a few laptops still active. She used her authorization code and searched for images or a map area of the location where the mission would take place. She found the location using the satellite image or what was left of it. She picked up the laptop and walked towards the center where a table was and placed the laptop down. "Map is up Cap'n." She said aloud before walking over to her own locker area. She opened the locker and pulled out her M4 Carbine rifle. She had a mid range scope attached and she looked through to check adjustments.

She set aside the rifle grabbed her gear bag and checked what she needed. A couple of extra MRE's, a few extra water bottles, face mask for more dangerous contagious areas, some batteries for her flashlight and of course a few extra magazines. She placed 4 loaded magazines on her vest and grabbed a couple grenades, even a few suppressors for her rifle and her .22 Glock pistol. She even grabbed her night vision goggles and placed them in the bag.

"Christy, Rodriguez, quit your complaining. Karmichael, double check your meds. Darius, we have everything?" She asked curiously.

[Dire Hoef]

"That sounds good to me," Darius said not even looking up from his reading.

Christy huffed, and Rodriguez threw up his hands in frustration. Christy turned to handle her own equipment check, and Rodriguez, already having done his equipment check, proceeded to go read some old comics that he had stored away in his backpack. Karmichael did his fifth and final runover of his meds and nodded when he confirmed that he had everything he needed.

As for Darius, he had finally consumed everything and was a little surprised at the results. "Apparently there was a research laboratory built in 1987, but was shortly abandoned in 1993 due to some mishaps that resulted in five staff members kicking the bucket. Reports say it was a chemical spill that took their lives, but apparently it was an M-Killer outbreak.. The coroner's report reveals this." He took the laptop and zoomed in on the abandoned building, "That's what's left of the building. If we're lucky, they'll be something in that building that'll help us toward ending this nightmare."

Darius stood and prepped his own equipment, "We do what Chancy wants, then we get our own answers."

[MidKnight]

Jade placed her bag next to her rifle and grabbed her protective gear, it looked like your average paintball gear but it was modified to help against biters in most situations. She placed her arm guards on and double checked the straps. She grabbed one of her leg guards and walked over to the table when Darius was talking about an old facility.

"It would be best to stay as a group, splitting up is a bad idea with those M Killers on the loose." She turned her head towards one of the lockers which was empty and sighs heavily. "I do miss that bitches cooking, ain't gonna lie on that." She said while walking back to her own locker.

She finished strapping up her protective gear and reached for her hat and placed it on. She started putting her gear on and clicked the straps together. Her last item in her locker was a combat knife, she reached for and checked it for any dullness and yet it was still sharper than ever.