"What the hell were these runts thinking? They're kids, some haven't even hit twenty yet they're making car bombs and-- Shit, well... They wanted to step into this territory, I suggest we wake them up from this fever dream." Watching an aftermath and gathering of a recent property raid from an armoured vehicles open turret hatch in a similar attitude as to how nosy onlookers stare from their car window. An assemblement of young adults were kneeling upon the torn up grass in the front of a large multi-story residence, a display of young wealth turned to towards hostile investment against the republic. Banners displayed similar printings to Bundschuh sympathiser groups that were in the process of being photographed for the soon to be file that accounted for this incident. What made the Buro intervene on the incident was not just the mere presence of these young supporters, but the intentions that they were willing to carry out.
Enfield still propped up from the hatch was talking to an enforcement agent that was clinging from the side of the armoured vehicle by the roof rail and running board, he had his helmet up to merely show his eyes to the then Kommissaroberrat Enfield. "Who are the two teens on the balcony?" Nodding towards the two deceased individuals slung over the balcony guards, glass panels on the railings were trailing what blood drained from their riddled bullet holes. Bi-colour striped tee's received their third streaks of colour. "A Professor Albert Henshell and Ellisen Kollen... They picked up small arms and started to fire at our armoured cars as soon as we stepped out, even after firing the gas." And the lawn was littered with expended canisters, some even between the knees of the detainees still hot to the touch. "Did they surrender straight away?" "After we dispatched those two, some were covered in vomit the moment we came in. We also managed to isolate their political leader in his study, found him crawled under a hidden floor panel." Enfield pointed with a full arm extended out towards another separated from the rest of the group by a few meters facing away from them. The agent turned around to see what he was looking at, taking one arm off the roof rail to pivot around. "Yeah.. Him. A Professor Colin Augustus-Ingram. Known speaker for Bundschuh ideas, potential financial supporter but we now he only deals in such things with pre-paid charge cards, and now we're adding arms supplier and criminal figurehead to the list... What do you want to do with him.?""Veirlande." Enfield didn't hesitate, prisoners will have a fun time knowing he employed child soldiers so an unofficial death sentence might be more appropriate, especially for a coward.
Enfield climbed out the top hatch of the armoured car with a his rifle slung over his shoulder, passing a nod to other agents that were debriefing themselves in their circles. He came right upto Augustus-Ingram, standing beside the kneeling detainee, looking down in a look of disgust as he switched his view between the crying students and the professor that was stammering a breath that could only mean-- "P-please, I'll pay you... I have several million in-" Enfield couldn't help but simultaneously roll his eyes and un-sling his rifle... What followed was a heavy shaft from the rifle barrel into the temple of his head, forcing him to yell and roll in pain onto his side, hands cuffed and unable to cuddle the circular bleeding would on the side of his head. "You send these kids to their deaths in your name. And now you're paying me nothing but shit to let you go?" Augustus-Ingram was now occupied with screaming what little breath he had in front of his child army. Enfield tapped the side of his rifle's magazine in view to the rest of the agents and in response most quickly reloaded without a word. He meanwhile picked up the imbecile that seemed to continue nothing but care of his own pain, shaking his head by the finger tips to get his attention. "Listen-- You want a deal? I'll cut you one. Its either you or these kids because I honestly don't have time for all of you. They don't have a future--" Iron boots started to line up parallel behind the panicking students. "So you give the word, you'll get the bullet but these kids can carry on with their miserable lives in mommy's arm, probably grounded for life. So, I'll give you five seconds..." All the agents quickly cocked their spiker rifles and took aim at the kneeling line of rebel students. "One... Two..." Suddenly the line of students shouted, begging for Agustus-Ingram to relieve them of their execution, he only responded by closing his eyes and looking away in tears. "Three... Four... You're hesitating Colin." Augustus-Ingram gritted his teeth, but nothing more. Not even a moan, a cry, a plead. Enfield just shrugged and waved his hand before everything started to become drowned out by the gunfire...
It rang for about five full seconds, five long seconds as even the metallic casings of the ammunition were drowned out by the loud ear shattering gunfire. But- Then after which... The sound was nothing but teens gasping for breath. An emotional silence started to fill up as Enfield left the side of the kneeling coward and presented himself to the students that had just practically stood into the mirror's glare of death. "Right-- Now its your turn. You can go home... You will be watched. But I will give you the option of either letting him go to Veirlande untouched. Or We'll give him a little more tutoring about the results of not being a comrade." He knelt down beside a few, some that were still holding their breaths being near a Buro officer, even after their lives were spared. "Now I know we don't see eye to eye on ideals. But he was willing to hand you away for his own personal gain. If your philosophy was to support the common people. He is no worse than the corporations you're trying... tried to fight... So speak up now--" A girl opened her mouth, but she only presented hesitation, after which she choked up on her breath and didn't even let a whisper out. "Fine..." Enfield raised his eyebrows from this little surprise, stood up and turned about to the men that held Augustus on his knees. "Take him back in the house." The heavy hands of the agents soon hefted the man by the underside arms, his yelling and pleading was heard again for his own wellbeing. "NO, NO! Let me go! You useless Bastards-- Why didn't you say anything--!" He turned his attention to the row of students that seemed to have held their tears back for now as an iron stomach had seemed to form in the recent lights of their sacrifices to this man as he was dragged back into the house. Enfield meanwhile took his leave back into his armored car... "Well?" Enfield was stopped by the agent he'd first talked to, he nodded towards the kids. Enfield only seemed to twist his mouth in thought. "Take them in, give them food. Contact their parents and monitor them. If there are any Orphans, take them in for processing--" Those were his last words before he hastily returned to the back seat of the armoured car.
He put his rifle in the stowage contained beside his feet and say back to relax after his little performance. "So, how was it?" Zeal was sat in the drivers position, keeping an eye on the whole event that took place. She didn't need to turn around to see how he looked "We seized a few million credits and hopefully stopped another university insurgency." Enfield sat in silence in the back-- Not exactly sure with how to approach the conversation further. "Lets go... I don't want to stay here no longer."
The Bundestag on planet New Berlin rivalled almost every structure possible within the snow coated mega-city, its large alloy and glass dome was its signature that even rivalled the skyscrapers of the planet. The birth peninsula of what first graced the settlers over 800 years ago on this blizzard climate was undoubtedly ready to produce the most hard-working people within Sirius. Cold climates, yearly days and nights and winds that could rip the frozen layer of skin right off... It certainly made strong people, so much that others couldn't fathom why people recluse to the corporate living style.
Enfield standing outside of the republic halls, donning a thick coat, winter hood and a metal briefcase that was certainly sizeable. It was almost approaching the year of night and the snow flakes were being blown sideways already, only having a single stone pillar in the way to ensure that his cigarette wasn't being blown out, nothing but military and approved vessels flew above. Most carrying the politicians and security experts around the conjoined the republic in its governmental network of territories. Just finishing off the rest of the burning tobacco that was soon nothing more than a wilting, burning stem of ash before he flicked the entire thing into the snow and crushing it under his shoe. "Mhmm-- Quitting time I think." His habits have been getting the best of him recently and its been something that he's been paying attention to.
He then moved towards one of many doors that lined the walls which slid open along their rails, opening the inside to let a huge breeze of warmth that almost instantly flooded around him which was more than inviting. The halls were lined in fire-stone marble. Golden eagles hang over the chandeliers that don the long corridor towards the senate building as if it was a path that was more Holy than political, an old cliche that hung on after the imperial throne. "I hate this place." He just silently gazed around before he finally made his way to the front desk. "Herr Enfield.""Fraulein Becker.""Here for another speech?""No, just... More of the usual hearings." Enfield handed in his coat, already damp from the melted snow that easily added to its weight. He then felt the freedom of his Agency uniform giving him some ability to breathe without the heft of that coat, he brushed himself down and shrugged off the remaining chill. "Take care."
He was soon making his own pace down the monolithic corridor, the steel heels of his oxfords echoed like a hammer against stone. He took some time to ready himself before he got to the senate hall, re-adjusting his tie, tightening his shoulder plate... "Excuse me!" A call from behind him certainly got his attention, it was a man in a suit, nicely dressed and approached with a fast-paced walk. "Mister Enfield?""Yes...?"
"I-- I can't..." He was just coming around now, the light had a fire-hue glow to it, maybe he was in hell... Or worse, still in the Bundestag. Trying to wipe the blood out of his eyes just hurt more as he could barely move his arm. All that he could think of right now was if the red was visible against his uniform as he laid there bleeding out in a pool of his blood."Ssh-shit..." The sound of his own heartbeat was probably the loudest thing right now as he could only just make out the sound of the attack-alarm blaring out completely within the halls like a screeching spirit. Politicians that didn't run out in panic and have yet to be moved out by the security staff were just standing around him as he clenched the expended compact auto-spiker that he'd emptied into the man in front of him as soon as that blade got the third strike on him that resulted to the opening of the left side of his stomach to a bloody display. The emergency medical teams were already finding a way to bandage his wound while the knife was still lodged in there. He'd just managed to flash the tattoo on his arm to show his blood-type before his first pass-out, at least he'd get some means of replacing the mess he'd spilt everywhere...
He could only think about being comedic in his most desperate state. "Ein-Zwei--" His body was lifted onto the stretcher that almost had to be compensated for the weight of his augment, but his other arm could hardly carry the auto-spiker as it dangled off the side of the stretcher, its fall met with a solid slam onto the floor that cracked the marble floor. "N-no..." He didn't feel right, his arm was just stiff, hard to move. But it was probably because it was the victim of two slashes through his muscle and was wrapped in more layers of bandage than what his coat had. Now he's just wishing that he wouldn't need another hand that's cold to the touch.
Hospitals were never his most enjoyed area. Generally it was his least favourite area. It's clinical nature and overall tender care was passing on a feeling he'd lost. He was alive, but he didn't make it without putting him out of action. The bed was actually comfortable for a stations medical bay and the sheets were cozy warm as he was tucked in nicely as if he was being hunted that he'd be in there for a while. He'd just woke up a few hours ago after they took him off the anesthesia, the last thing he wanted to do was be dead after such an ordeal since he never liked leaving unfinished business behind. His emotions were just starting to wake up along side him too, confusion to just unhappiness... He was resting upright in the bed and looked down to notice his arm in a sling, bandaged up heavily and just numb from the flow of morphine to dull the twin laceration that cut deep into and possibly straight through his muscles. He never liked the idea of losing a limb, not after the last war.
"Hey." "Heeeey~" If it was one happy sight, it was her. Skin like polished platinum and a love just as rich as she looked... Even if her clothing choice was still a flight suit for the majority of the time. "Yeah-- So... Bundestag..." Enfield wasn't dealing with it too well, he just sighed and lowered his head as he looked at his arm. "You got lucky, it's staying on this time.""Some ameture with a knife, he just got my by surprise... Of all the places, I've fought on Thuringia, trained in the coldest nights... And i get shanked in the Bundestag." She knew the importance of him keeping his arm. While his augmented limb was an excellent addition to operations, he'd find himself lost if he couldn't feel the touch of the one he cherished. "What's the mood like with everyone else?" Zeal was shocked, that he would immediately show concern for the people working under him. "They're... Mixed. You message spoke a lot of truths, some that would even be afraid to admit. But those who fought in the purge know why you did it." He just sat there nodding, as he looked towards... Anything. There wasn't a TV, nothing of decoration to note, nothing that could divert the conversation or keep himself busy. All he had right now was to talk with Zeal, something he never liked when he was at this state. "Hon'-""Geoff. Agency fleets are following your orders and securing the homeland. Thuringia has their reinforcements and are tightening up as best they can.""I don't want this to be a battle of ideals... But people are letting this go on while we have to deal with a forest fire with the equipment equivalent to a glass of water. I don't want my men to die in something so pointless. They weren't here for that." The Android placed her hand on his own, the simulated touch of coldness onto each other as his augment gently had its thumb rub the back of her hand In comfort. "I'm going to talk to the rest of command and the officers, see what they think about this.""Something doesn't seem right... At all.""What?""I don't know... Just keep everyone on alert." Zeal could only nod before passing him a kiss as she got up and left, the jangling straps on her flight suit and characteristic hip movements only supported by her form fitting flight suit. "Mmm~"
The dirt generally wasn't a good sleeping place, although in this thick fauna riddled with insects and the occasional arachnid, it was good enough they found a clearing in the forest to settle down before they moved on. Its been their third day on their deployment and they've managed to reserve food supplies better than they expected... Enfield never really was one to deal with the death of comrades too well, but the rubber trimming around the extra dog-tags he was carrying helped him forget it when the moment required his attention. "Hey... How you doing?" She came up and whispered to him, being quiet as they can to not wake the others or bring attention to the groups location. "Fischer, didn't even see it coming... And Hermann--""They already got their hands on him, there was nothing you could do." Enfield was still shuffling the two pairs of dog-tags in his hands that were once of his former colleagues. He was contemplating silently, it was his way of mourning their losses especially considering the circumstances of this conflict to which the real funeral would be an empty casket and removing the ability to notify the families how he died for a great cause. "He didn't want to go like this... He wanted it quick. It was like killing a healthy man. Although you knew that 'cancer' in him would hurt us more if we left it.""Disabling the bodies is what we have to do... If we let them corrupt of them. Its going to hurt us more.""I know, Hermann knew, Fischer knew... Everyone knew." He could leave the mourning for later, right now he knew that this down time was needed for the next two days. "We started with 30... Now we're--""23... You know that is going to be better than most others squads."
Enfield sat upright and cuddled his rifle into his lap, looking on at the rest of the platoon that were getting some shut eye in the pitch black, they certainly felt lucky they could sleep this deep behind enemy lines with an android who never rests. "You sure you don't want me around?" He looked at her as he held those soft silicone layered hands, smooth silver to the touch. "I'll be fine, you humans are so fragile anyway.""Yeah, but you certainly don't love me for my blood." She smirked and huffed with some amusement. Getting up, she re-armed her plasma thrower as she got back up onto her feet to continue her guarding around the post. "Get some sleep, Don't worry, as soon as that the first layer of sensors go off, you'll be awake before they hit the next layer." Enfield wasn't really settled with the idea of sleeping, but this would be at least the first time he'd be getting more than 3 hours. And with that placed his rifle by his legs, yet he wasn't ready to remove the magazine.
He took his sleeping bag and took it just over his chest, one arm covered, the other resting over his rifle by the barrel. "Goodnight.""Night."
"Fu-- You ever think getting stuck in a gas mask on Malta for eight hours is a piece of cake, I take it back." Enfield and Oberhauser were suspended along the side of a mountain tower above a window. It was at the peak of darkness yet the moon wasn't showing as the clouds obscured the light of the night. They've been dangling for around an hour now, waiting for their assigned target to arrive in the tower chambers. "Yet you still love this stuff? Scheisse, you know I just want a desk job after all this.""Really? I feel a little useless if I'm not out here--.""Ja, ja, I know, kicking these alien asses." The tower they dangled from was atop of what looked like a church parsonage yet what emblems hung from those flags and banners wasn't one the Buro liked too much. "You ever get over the Purge campaign?""Hell no, but I'd do it again if I had to..."
Enfield unzipped a Velcro flap open from his vest, taking out a small silver packet with a singular straw protruding from it and while he managed to get the cover of the straw, he then began to fumble and struggle with the insert of his mask cover. "C-come on I just... Piece of sh- Ah there.""I don't know how you eat that much.""Protein, I need it." Enfield was sucking out the contents of the packet, sometimes giving a pleasing hum as he managed to get the first few drops of that synth-gel onto his taste buds. "Banana flavour... Mmm~""I gotta ask, who was that woman here that you-""Espinosa." The answer was as quick as the question was asked. "Yeah she used to be a Inquisitor in the Cross... Although she keeps that sack-of-shit religious rubbish on show only for her crew and bosses.""How do you know?" Enfield shrugged as he finished off his last drop of Synth-Gel before stuffing the packet back into his Pocket. "Trust me, she was alright in the end."
"So why did you make first contact with the Cross?" Enfield waved his finger at Oberhauser, needing to delay the moment so he can at least swallow what was left of his paste-meal. "Money, drug trade control and a finger in toppling Alien support groups... She was the key." Their chit chat was soon interrupted by the noise of doors opening and slamming shut on the other side of the window, the two suddenly took out their silenced spiker pistols with quite the sizeable cans on the end of the barrels. "Alright pull the cut of glass..." Enfield braced himself while Oberhauser prepared to pull a third rope attached to the suction-cup on a circular cut out of glass on the stained window. "In ten..." Enfield was aligned above where the cut out was, hoping to attempt a flawless jump through the hole.
"... She was such a bitch though!" He added with humorous tones and a muffled chuckle through the gas mask.
"Okay, keep going." Enfield stood behind Zeal at a defensive posture as they continued to move down the narrow tunnel, it wasn't often the android opted to wear armour, but with the squadron whittled down to these two, every measure of precaution had to be taken. The tunnel was quiet save for the occasional crumbling rocks and gust of wind and the only light came from a long distance behind them and their pair of artificial eyes that dimly glowed a blue halo where their retinas are. Their steps were almost as silent as the ambience. "We find the command post and we get out... Thats all I want.""Me too... But Kathrine's still missing and her dogtags are the last pair." Zeal abruptly stopped to have Enfield follow with a bump into her back, still with his gun pointed forward and tucked under her arm. "You can't go searching for it now, we have no time for it.""Why--?!" As much as he wanted to be angry at that response, the nature of the situation forced him to only whisper it. "And screw up our assignment? Our time to die isn't now and you know that--" He could only sigh out and adjust his grip and focus himself back onto the task at hand. "Fine, keep moving..."
As they continued to walk down the tunnel, it soon became as dark as it could be save for their eyes. "Hold on... Thats an infrared--" As soon as the words slipped from his mouth, several shots came from the other side that lit up the length of the tunnel in a strobe-light fashion. Anything that didn't come from the spray of gunfire was what sparked off the armour plating of the android. "Push--! Don't let them slow us down!" The advantage of the android came into play, her light-machine gun soon defended the gunfire of their targets as she didn't let go of that trigger. The straight corridor offering its disadvantages to anyone opposing such firepower as a lack of cover set them up like a line of trees being buzz sawed. Fleshy splatters and muffled grunts were the only things heard in response as the two finished expending their first ammo belts. "We have to keep going, those bastards don't use radios." Zeal was more than correct to caution this, their telepathy was strong near the command centre and it wouldn't be long before more were ready to come down the tunnel from both the entrance and exit, let alone pack up their post. So the two made haste and trampled over what remained of the butchered bodies...
But they were both stopped as Enfield was snatched on something. "H-hey!""C-commander--!" It was Kathrine, her legs were mutilated and her guts spilling out in a pool of blood... A mixture that was. "P-please he-"--Splch-Crack-- Enfield didn't take a chance, he drove his gun right into the face of her, the blood audibly boiling and her flesh searing around the heat of his gun barrel and her hand gripping strongly before limping dead as Enfield shook it off his ankle. He took a small canister off his webbing and pulled the pin before dropping it where she finally laid. "Fuck off Xeno." As he dropped it, a double tap on Zeal's shoulder was the signal she needed to double time it down the tunnel. "Was that--?""Yeah..."
Their rushing could be heard by the footstep down the tunnel, all before a glowing amber from the canister erupted into a fireball all over the corpses and spreading alight around the radius... Burning what remains they left behind.
"Damn, Rheinbier lite?." Enfield was already staring at a somewhat empty shelf of the alcohol isle in the shop. Either people really didn't touch the stuff because they thought it was bad; or actually it was probably really bad. His shopping basket was very sparse, a couple of packs of protein bars, beef jerkey and an amount of flavoured sparkling water. He'd been in this store for at least an hour yet most of it was struggling to find what he wanted.
As he walked down to the self-checkout, he noted that there was hardly anyone around with a few defining figures on this midnight shopping run, the store clerk that was obviously stoned out of his mind and the security guard that was watching around on these final hours. He slid off his empty backpack and went through the silent effort of placing everything inside along with the annoying effort of miss-typing his pin number. He was pretty much exhausted from todays ordeal that he was running on his last few cylinders, huffing at the annoyance of trying to pay for his goods.
As much as Berlin was the prime capital of Sirius frozen nation, it certainly was quiet on the outskirts of the capital district at this hour, so he was at least happy that this silence was enough to give his brain time to think as he made his trip home through the dark alleyways and tight corners. "Two... No, four..." One thing was for sure though, the silence was much appreciated to count the people that have been following you for the past 10 minutes. They'd at least followed him right to the doorstep of his apartment block. He purposely ignored them as he scanned his keycard to get in, but as he took a few steps past the door he noted that it never clicked shut--
"Can i help you gentlemen, Or are those balaclavas for show?" He turned around to see four individuals armed with compact pistols and brandishing small knifes. Seeing them more or less readily stepping forward one by one. "You cunts serious--?"