Let it Snow: Red Start

[voidtreckermods]

The doors slam shut, the train moves. Through the snow this time but the shuddering is almost worse that entering the void. "Red team to doors." The visibility out of the window is low but they are moving further up the mountain.

The doors open, allowing red team to jump. The snow here is thick, there is little protection from the howling winds and biting cold.

Their SCA shows a route, following it will, presumably lead them to the gang that caused these problems. Here on the low slopes of the mountain there are some homesteads. Much fewer than in the town itself but cottages and small farm houses. All seem abandoned.

For now there is not much to do but to walk, forge a path through the snow. Fight the snow and ice monsters that attack and do their best to survive as they follow the map towards their goal.

Comments

[rieper]

I. Disembark.

47 didn't mingle yesterday as they all prepared for the mission and he didn't mingle now as they waited to disembark from the train. Things were in a hurry here and 47 was actually in a rare restless mood, ready to get off the train and even more ready to go on the mission. It had been far too long since he'd had one. He would have preferred his usual type of assassination; no partners, all stealth, and proper Intel at the start. But life was hardly perfect and it wasn't the first time 47 had gone on point in a hurry. He could improvise.

The hitman was back in a black outfit meant for comfort and mobility in the cold weather, though there was a noticeable splash of red on the front and back of the jacket. That suited the hitman fine anyway. He missed his red tie (and suit for that matter. He needed to talk to the spider sometime after this mission). He had the hood pulled over his bald head and a pair of goggles over his eyes for protection against the raging snow outside. He'd glimpsed it as the first few teams left for their parts of the mission. On his back he had his backpack with a dark weatherproofing over it, with various supplies and at least two coils of rope visible on the outside. He was prepared.

When their time to disembark came he was one of the first to exit the train. He wanted to get the lay of the land as soon as possible. He ignored the cold, biting winds ripping at his clothing as he hiked to a high point nearby. He swept his gaze over the area. He looked at the SCA that showed their route, glanced at the direction it indicated.

He looked back at the others gathering out of the train as they finished exiting, managed to catch the train as it disappeared back into the void. How strange. More importantly, 47 realized this was when he would finally get to see the extent of his team's skills and abilities. He was admittedly curious. If for no other reason than to know what was available and who was the weakest link. He wouldn't be the one to protect them.

Did they need a plan? Would their so-called leaders come up with one on the fly, quickly? 47 appeared impatient to wait. He wanted to get moving.

II. Scouting and Fighting.

47 liked to stay out in front of the pack. If asked he said he was scouting ahead to make certain they didn't run into any surprises. In reality he just didn't feel like being close to the liabilities. He had worked with small two to three man teams from time to time for special operations but mostly he worked alone. It's how he preferred it, and it's how he worked best.

There were a few notable times when 47 seemed to disappear for minutes at a time. This occurred most often when they passed by cottages and farm houses. Indeed, the assassin made his way into several of the buildings--by brute force if needed--and rummaged around in them. He wasn't above pilfering a few items here and there. He picked up a few tools out of one shed. A wrench, a screwdriver, a spade. Useful items. 47 had always found them to be quite handy to have on a mission. They made excellent weapons as much as tools to cause accidents with. He stuffed them into one of many pockets he had and moved on. At some point he picked up a shovel and used it as a walking stick as he trudged through the snow.

It made an excellent weapon, too. When the first ice monster appeared 47 hesitated for one full second as he stared at the incomprehensible creature made of ice and snow. The moment passed quickly--the hitman didn't feel fear or anything else for that matter--and he ducked and rolled as the monster swiped a meaty paw at him. As he rolled back onto his feet he swung the shovel with all his might and momentum, hit the monster squarely on the head, and watched it drop. He hacked it's head off with the thin edge of the shovel's head. It disappeared, melted, blended into the rest of the snow and ice. 47 turned around and started trudging towards their goal once more.

Not all of the fights he got into with ice creatures went so smoothly, of course. The smaller ones he seemed fine to handle on his own with just the shovel. The larger ones proved a challenge. He had to work with the team to take them on--or else waste precious ammo if caught alone. He had his pistol; his aim was impeccable. He had a few explosives; not many, and he didn't want to waste them before the final fight, but he might expend one if he had to in order to survive.

III. Wild Card!

[[Make something up?! Hit me! Am willing to have 47 caught in a Snowswirl and need rescue. Or notice someone else caught in one?? but he probably won't know how to hit a snowstorm... Similarly, if people need help getting over a patch of ice or a rope to climb up a hard part of the mountain slope--47 is good at this physical stuff and can point people to the easiest paths to take. Or, you know, just more fighting. If you want to discuss anything or have any questions, hit me with a PM or plurk at me!]]

[knifewithnoname]

She had been keeping up and fighting hard. The grav-con Lightning had loaned her had helped a lot. It meant she could navigate snowdrifts by bouncing off them and it meant that she had more range on the monsters and could get away easier.

All good things. She saw the man who had a number for a name fighting one of the ice creatures. Not the snow ones. The snow ones were easier, they fell apart quickly once you started hitting them. The ice ones were tougher.

He was very strong, but the monster was big. She jumped towards it, using the grav-con to jump up high and then land hard. If she had been a grown person the force would have done some damage to the creature but as it was she barely chipped it.

She had her knife though and attacked it from behind.

[rieper]

47 took advantage of the minute distraction. She may have been small but the knife trying to carve into the ice was just annoyance enough to gain the beast's attention. So the hitman swung his shovel hard into the creature's head as it looked away from him. He grit his teeth against the twang of the blow, the return vibrations painful from the thickness of the ice. It didn't stop him from swinging the shovel again in another attack.

Agent 47 was nothing if not tenacious. Besides, he wanted this creature dead so they could move on.

[knifewithnoname]

She jumped backwards, using the grav device to manipulate the gravity magic and slow her fall as the ice monster shattered.

Heavier weapons were better, but she was not used to them and wasn't sure she had the sheer strength to smash a monster like that. She was better with knives, even if against these creatures she wasn't much use except as a distraction.

She saw a smaller monster, one made out of snow coming up from behind the man and jumped over to smush that one. Those ones were much easier to smush! Even with a knife.

[rieper]

47 shouldered his shovel as he turned leisurely around, watching the girl go after the smaller snow creature. They really were rather weak. He didn't think he would be needed for it. He simply watched her smush it into oblivion.

His arms and shoulders ached from all the heavy fighting, swinging the shovel so much, but he would never complain or slow down. He'd force himself to just keep going. On top of that, his legs ached from trudging through the snow, most often somewhere in the front rather than after someone else. He wouldn't complain about that either. All he had to remember was his brutal training from his childhood and all this seemed like a walk in the park.

47's break ended once the little girl finished destroying the snow monster. He turned to survey what was left of the fight and determine whether it was safe to assume the group could move on again or not.

[knifewithnoname]

Smushing snowmen was easy enough work and she bounced around, she was getting the hang of the gravity magic manipulator. Soon there were no more snowmen, just piles of snow where once they stood. She moved back to his side, looking around through the storm. Swirling snow stung her eyes but she merely blinked them clear.

It looked like the fight was over, for now. She nodded at him, "I do be thanking you. For before."

As much as she didn't like needing help, the ice creatures required a bit more brute strength than she was capable of. It would be her next aim, to get as strong as he was, as Tony was. So next time she would need no help at all.

[rieper]

47 looked down at the girl for the gratitude aimed at him. He was fairly certain this was where anyone else on the train would have said something inspirational like 'no thanks needed, we're all in this together' but that wasn't like him. It wasn't even really like Tobias Rieper, the quickest and easiest persona he could fall into, and the one he used on the train.

Instead he nodded in acknowledgement. "We should keep moving. The target has a head start."

wrap? another short but sweet thread

[knifewithnoname]

She nodded back, they did indeed have a head start and they had to catch up to them as quickly as they could.

She didn't say anymore but just continued trudging through the snow, keeping her eyes and ears alert for any further danger and using the gravity magic device to navigate any large snowdrifts.

There was a lot of walking to do if they were to catch up to this Professor Chill.