Soldier to Soldier (Kavalshek/Open)

[Kragen]

Despite everything that has happened with the Isafaro resistance and the crisis at the Crystal Expanse, the ex-soldier found himself back where he was at his best and most comfortable. Sniper's position. At the top of a building in hiding, the scope of his DSR 50 looking down upon the soldiers of the Crimson Vulture, watching them move back and forth as they carry in supplies that has already been tampered with by both Garrus and himself. He laid there flat on his stomach silent as a mouse and still as a starfish, his eyes keeping a look out for anything out of the norm.

And he's seen some things out of the norm.

However it would not be anything out there that would draw his attention, it would be a noise coming from behind him that would quickly make the ex-soldier change position and aim his DSR 50 at the source of the noise as he slowly moved forward to find the cause.

[Zabuza Midareta]

Kavalshek was walking the streets when he saw some of the Vulture's troop trucks heading toward him. He didn't even have enough time to put out his cigar, he just ran into the closest building. He had his AK to his shoulder, waiting for any troops to enter the building. He listened closely and he heard the trucks go by him without stopping. He didn't want to risk being seen so he looked around the building. He walked around the lobby surveying the layout. An idea crossed his mind to check an item on a table to see where it was made, then by cross checking what countries have a trade agreement he'd be able to discover his own location. He picked up a vase and looked on the underside. Nothing, it was blank. "Great," He let out a sigh. He placed the vase down and headed for the stairs, he had seen earlier.

He started up the stairs making as little noise as possible. He stopped on the second floor and puffed some smoke from his cigar. He let out a small cough and then put the cigar out and stashed it away in his pocket. Grabbing the scarf around his neck he pulled it up to cover his mouth and nose.

He was on the third story and saw that one more level would put him on the roof. He nodded that he could watch these soldiers do what ever with his Dragunov. He was behind the door as he opened it carefully. He stepped out and looked at the sky letting out a breath into the cold night. He pulled down the scarf to go around his neck and chin. When he looked back down he saw a man holding a sniper rifle at him. Instantly his hands went to his AK, but he realized, before he snapped it up that, if this man was going to kill him he wouldn't have let him have the chance.

He let his AK go back down across his stomach in the slack of strap. He put his hands up into the air, just above his head.

[Linx]

Ducking through buildings in life was a lot less glamorous than movies or games made it out to be. It involved a lot of patience, and more than a couple heart stopping moments when you barely avoid detection, capture or death at the hands of the enemy forces. Snake prowled silently through the buildings, shadowing the movements of the enemy troops. He didn't know anything about this place yet, despite having been here for a while now. He was just a soldier, he left the thinking to the higher ups and the egg heads. Pausing to ensure he was clear, he slipped down the back streets, moving for a better vantage point in order to keep an eye on them. Gathering information was something of a specialty of his, as was infiltration and espionage.

He paused on the bottom floor of the only building around here that seemed like it had a good vantage point and a safe distance from the convoy, pausing for a moment to light a cigarette, inhaling deeply. "Ahh, nothing like the little luxuries." he remarks to himself, checking over the new gun he'd nabbed from their supply lines. He'd managed to grab a socom and the suppressor to go with it, and he didn't feel nearly so naked now. He wasn't big on killing needlessly, but sometimes it was better to have a real gun, rather than a tranq pistol. He slips it into a holster, drawing his tranq pistol instead. If anyone else was here, he'd rather take them out quietly and not have to worry about blood or bodies.

Moving carefully, he sweeps the first floor clear, proceeding to the second and pausing to listen. The faint creak of stairs seemed to indicate someone else was up above him and he lifted his pistol to the ready position, cautiously peeking around the corner at the base of the stairs. Up above, he saw what looked to be a Russian Wetworks operative, hands above his head. 'Not much gets the drop on Spetsnaz, what the hell is going on?' he thinks to himself, pausing and taking a steadying breath. He'd never really been on good terms with the Russians, not that he'd met many outside of Olga and Ocelot, but hey, hopefully this would work. Chances were they might be from the same world, and if one of these Vulture bastards had the drop on him, chances are he could use some help. Moving silently, he proceeded up the stairs, weapon at the ready to provide back up for the Russian, hoping he wasn't making a mistake.

[Kragen]

Pass the nose of the DSR 50, Kragen saw the Russian and recognized the weapon on his person from his own world. However AK-47s and M16s were standard Isafaro military issue before they switched to energy weapons so for as far as Kragen knew this was a native. "Identify yourself." It wasn't long before the ex-soldier noticed movement behind the Russian's position. "Company," he stated to Kavalshek. "Tell him to stand down."

[Zabuza Midareta]

Kavalshek stood with his hands above his head, and for the second time in his life, he was scared for his life. He listened as the man looked him up and down and told him, in a commanding voice, to identify himself. He gulped. "Code name Kavalshek. I am an ex-Spetsnaz operative from southern Siberia, Russia." His voice think with the accent as an oral proof. He wanted to get the same information from this man, but he knew better than ask questions to someone with a rifle pointed at you. He heard some noises behind him as someone started up the question. His eyes went wider. Crap, I'm trapped. The man in front of him didn't even flinch when he heard the noise behind him. He just told him to tell the person behind him to stand down. "I came alone. Whoever is behind me I don't know who they are." Kavalshek whispered to the man in front of him. "Whoever you are behind me, stand down. Stand down, I say. If you do, the outcome of this situation will be much better. Kavalshek spoke loud enough for this man to hear him.

[Linx]

Snake barely batted an eye from the command, moving slowly, catching an image of the man in a gas mask with a gun pointed at the Russian, dropping back out of sight. "Stand down with a gun aimed at me? I thought you Russians were smarter than that." he retorts, keeping his weapon handy. He didn't exactly like being unarmed with a weapon aimed in his direction, it made him twitchy. "Code name Snake, semi-retired American Special Forces." he calls, figuring he might as well identify himself since the Russian already had. Luckily he'd judged right, the man seemed to be from his world. Or one closely similar at least.

"If he looks like he's gonna shoot, drop and I'll cover you." he says quietly to the Russian, keeping his gun level, ready to fire from his rather meager cover. A fire fight in a stairwell, while not foreign to him, was never pleasant. He'd rather avoid the exchange of hostilities while he could, or at least until he could get to a better position. "Whoever you are in the gas mask, care to identify yourself?" he calls out louder, ready to move at a moments notice. "Since you didn't shoot the Russian here, I assume you're not one of Vulture's folks. Any reason to shoot it out with each other and bring the whole damned company down on our heads?" he continues, wondering if it would make any difference. Hopefully the guy wasn't green, they'd all be liable to wind up dead if he was. Rookies always had an itchy trigger finger at the slightest twitch, and right now, an errant shot would get them all killed.

[Kragen]

Russian, American, after nine months of being trapped in this world the ex-soldier has finally met people who appeared to be from the same world as he. Kragen slowly lowered his DSR 50 as any sudden movement on either party's part would wind up with someone taking a bullet. Once it was lowered, Kragen returned it to the strap on his back and spoke one word, never being a man with much to say. "Kragen."

[Zabuza Midareta]

Kavalshek stood in his scared state when he heard the voice behind him spoke in what seemed like a low growl.

"Stand down with a gun aimed at me? I thought you Russians were smarter than that."

"Situation is tight, da, but you must stand down," The Russian whispered back to the person behind him.

"Code name Snake, semi-retired American Special Forces."

The color in Kavalshek's face faded from his cheeks. 'American Special Forces? This is bad.' The Russian thought to himself. "American, eh? I thought I lost you guys." Kavalshek spoke, with a small laugh at the end.

"If he looks like he's gonna shoot, drop and I'll cover you." Snake whispered to him.

Kavalshek nodded a little bit to show he understood what this guy was expecting from him in case a firefight started. Kavalshek fixed his footing just in case something went downhill.

"Whoever you are in the gas mask, care to identify yourself?" Snake spoke loud enough for the man with the sniper pointed at Kavalshek could hear.

"Since you didn't shoot the Russian here, I assume you're not one of Vulture's folks. Any reason to shoot it out with each other and bring the whole damned company down on our heads?" Snake yelled to the man.

Kavalshek nodded at that as well. If this sniper went off, it would alert everyone below them, and within a few moments they would be in for a hell of a fight. "Da. We do not need to start a fight. Especially with the neighbors." Kavalshek's accent heavy.

The man with the sniper lowered the rifle slowly. 'Good.' The Russian thought to himself. That is one less battle that we will have to fight.

"Kragen." Was all the man said.

Kavalshek nodded, saying a friendly greeting to the man. "You can come out of cover American," Kavalshek turned his head to the door way. So, why is it that you are up here with a sniper rifle, Kragen?"

Kavalshek grabbed the strap to him AK-47 and slid it so the rifle was on his back. He grabbed the strap on his other arm and pulled out his Dragunov and kept it across his chest.

[Linx]

He exhales, not having realized he'd been holding his breath, shaking his head. Soldiers were a stupid lot, himself included. He eases his weapon back into it's holster, rising cautiously from his cover, moving to stand on the roof top with the other two. Kragen and Kavalshek huh? Kragen seemed a man of few words, something he appreciated. Chatty soldiers usually got others killed, so at least he was battle hardened enough to not react impulsively. "Thought you lost us? Running from some Americans before you ended up here Kavalshek?" he questions, not really caring whether he was considered wanted or hunted by his fellow Americans. "And before you get jumpy, I don't care if you were. Even if it was my problem, I think we have slightly bigger issues at hand." he says, raising a new cigarette to his mouth and lighting it.

He inhales deeply, exhaling a cloud of smoke, examining Kragen intently. He was the type of soldier who looked like he'd seen some heavy action, probably former black ops, either here or back on Earth. A real hard ass then. "If I were to guess, he was keeping an eye on the convoy. I don't have a rifle, or this would've been my spot. As you should know, it's a better vantage point than the ground, and it's a safe distance through a snipers scope. I've had to get up close and personal, scrounging what food and gear I can." he follows the train of logic a few steps further, "I'd assume he's linked up with a group here. Means he's well armed, equipped and cared for. Am I right Kragen?" he questions, wondering if perhaps he might learn a little more about the goings on of this place. God knew he needed it. At the rate he was going, it was a wonder he wasn't dead. While covert ops were his specialty, there was no telling what these people had to detect intruders like him.

[Kragen]

Kragen remained quiet, allowing Snake to answer most of Kavalshek's question without saying or doing anything to either confirm or deny what the American soldier had stated. When he finally did speak for himself it was once again another single word. "Waiting." As soon as he finished the building across from this one exploded. People crashed through the window of the top floor screaming at the top of their lungs as they fell to their deaths while being burned alive. The convoy down below would get caught in the explosion while a helicopter patrolling the air would be kicked off its flight path and crash into another building. Kragen watched the chain reaction take place before turning and leaving the rooftop going back inside. The others weren't going to want to stick around on the roof.

[Zabuza Midareta]

"Thought you lost us? Running from some Americans before you ended up here Kavalshek?"

But before Kavalshek could answer the question Snake quickly interjected

"And before you get jumpy, I don't care if you were. Even if it was my problem, I think we have slightly bigger issues at hand."

Kavalshek smiled under his scarf. "I understand your concern, Snake. I do not believe it is your problem, unless you were in Afghanistan about a month ago." Kavalshek's face looked grim as the last part of his sentence left his vocal cords.

"If I were to guess, he was keeping an eye on the convoy. I don't have a rifle, or this would've been my spot. As you should know, it's a better vantage point than the ground, and it's a safe distance through a snipers scope. I've had to get up close and personal, scrounging what food and gear I can."

"Da. I have had to get close up and personal before, this is why Lenin gave me knife and AK-47, but I am a better shot than my old comrades so this is why I have Dragunov," Kavalshek's accent showing alot more than he meant. As he said each object he motioned towards it a little bit.

"I'd assume he's linked up with a group here. Means he's well armed, equipped and cared for. Am I right Kragen?"

Kavalshek nodded at the possibility of the notion.

Kragen spoke a single word again nothing more, nothing less, "Waiting."

Just as the simple word was finished it became shit outside. The building across from them exploded, Kavalshek's arm instinctively went to cover his eyes from the light. He didn't get to see what happened, but he heard the screams. He turned around to see Kragen heading down the stairs.

"Hey! Wait up!" Kavalshek shouted as he started for the stairs. "What the hell was that!?" Kavalshek yelled at Kragen.

[grimmhallows]

Violet had done as requested by her new commander, who'd taken her in after she was wandering the streets near the army base. It was obvious she was not out of her teenage years; but her grim expression was darker than any undead she'd summoned. As her bomb went off, she shook her head, and began to walk off; that is until her glasses detected "noise". She looked to the roof, and found that her glasses were detecting three armed men up there.
"Sarge," She said through the small head set she'd recieved, "Send a one of your metal birds overhead; I think there are resistance members on the move tonight." She said, and the sergeant was quick to respond.

"T-minus 10 minutes, "Eleventy-2" he reported back. She shook her head in disgust; why must it take so long. She whispered to the ground, and suddenly skeleton's rose, carrying all sorts of weapons, from swords to rifles.
"I want them alive." She told them, and they rushed through the buildings to find them.
Violet herself drew her rose and took a deep breath; her eyes glasses scanning for other threats.
"It's only a matter of time, Vulture. Three more to interrogate." She said to herself, before racing up to join her skeletal hunters.
And there would be screams as civilians raced from the buildings; for the undead had a habit of terrifying even stalwart hearts.
"Vermin, he'd called them. I wonder if Grey would think the same...." She whispered to herself as she climbed a set of stairs.

A skeleton broke onto the rooftop where Snake, Kragen and the Russian were, dodged the startled Kragen, and brought it's rifle to butt the Russian from behind...

[Linx]

Snake was less perturbed than the Russian by the thunderous detonation, and he immediately dropped to a crouch, drawing his gun and raising it defensively. He was more than a little angered by the Kragens callous disregard for the life of the people in the building, but he'd seen far worse horrors in his life, and it didn't stop him from reacting quickly. As he heard the Russian starting in on Kragen, he turned in irritation. "Kavalshek, shut the hell...GET DOWN!" he roared, firing off a round to shatter the skull of the...the thing, coming up behind him. With a detached interest, he counted himself lucky he drew the socom and not the modified M9 he had been using of late, doubting that a tranquilizer dart would've done anything to the skeleton.

"Kavalshek, save your damn objections for later. We're in the middle of a battlefield with hostile forces breathing down on us." he spoke swiftly, dashing to the far side of the roof, opposite of where the entrance on the bottom was. No doubt other forces were already on their way, and going through the ground floor would be a sure fire way to end up in their cross hairs. Leaning over, he quickly scanned the street below, noting with relief it was clear, if only for the moment. "Quickly, either of you have any rope? The ground floor won't be safe, we can rappel down the side here. I assume Kragen already knows how, and I'm only hoping they taught you Spetsnaz boys that." he says, remaining low and keeping his weapon trained on the door to keep them covered. With little time to waste, he idly wished he were back home. 'Damned walking skeletons now. I've almost had enough of this place.' he grumbled silently to himself, waiting for them to move.

[Kragen]

"An explosion." Came his reply to Kavalshek. After Snake took care of the skeleton that appeared behind them a second would appear at their front from up the flight of steps back inside the building. It would make it all this way to the top only to receive a kick to the chest by the ex-soldier as it broke apart while falling back down the stairs it ascended. Kragen dropped a rope for Kavalshek and Snake to use. "The sniper in the area will provide cover fire as you descend." He himself took out his HKG3 rifle and descended down the staircase.

[Garrus Vakarian]

Garrus watched the aftermath of the explosion through the eye of his rifle's scope. The fire was beginning to dive down and the damage done to the structure was already beginning to repair itself, like a monster regenerating the wounds that were opened. The technology of Isafaro was astounding but nevertheless they hit their target, the next man in line on the chain of command had been killed in the explosion with several high-ranking officers along with him. One less Vulture bastard walking the streets.

Soon the scope was on Kragen's position seeing that he was joined by two other men, not Vulture so either natives to this place or outsiders. Their equipment was similar to Kragen's but so was a lot of the Crimson Vulture's equipment so no way to be sure. They didn't appear to be hostile but the skeletons to follow were. Before Garrus could fire Snake and Kragen had already taken care of the ones on the roof before the ex-soldier handed the other two a rope. Garrus knew what to do. Lowering the scope over the wall of the building he found two more of those things climbing the wall. That come to an abrupt end for them as the skeletons would be hit and fall to pieces before they even collided with the ground. This wasn't Vulture's doing, too magical for their liking. There was someone 'different' among them. Whether or not they were with Vulture remained to be seen.