The Heart of a Mercenary -Actual RP-

Masamune scowled, "Fuck you!" Masamune impaled the needle into his apprentice, injecting the entire dosage into the psychotic ESPer. "Nobody disrespects me, yells at me, or tells me what to do except Akira, this is your punishment! I'll enjoy watching you transform hahahahaha!" Masamune laughed sadistically as he pictured the agony his apprentice would be feeling as the infective took effect.

 

Nick touched down softly onto the forest floor, well beneath the canopy of the trees. After standing in silence for a second of observation, he let out a low whistle. Form the bush gathered low about the forest floor, several figures emerged. They were all clad in heavy, military issue camouflage clothing. Each of the faces that Nick saw emerge was covered in its entirety by a tight fitting breathing apparatus that fed directly into oxygen tanks. He knew right away that these were the ‘normal humans’ that had been recruited to aid in the occupation; without their breathing masks they would all be taken by the infectious viral particles that lingered about in the air, and rendered dead or incapacitated before they could even be of any use. Nick was relieved to see them though, since the other ESPers would be busy keeping the outposts exterior under control.

One of the armed soldiers approached Nick, who in turn smiled and gave a casual salute. “Captain Drake Morgan?” he asked the man.

“Correct,” the man said in a distinct British-English accent. “Captain Drake Morgan, British Special Forces. My squad has been assigned by Parliament and the Prime Minister to aid in the operations here in Europe. Our directives are to offer what support we can to the A.S.A., and provide strategic consultation to its members. So far we’re a bit uncertain what your motives are. So if you would, please get up to speed with what this operation is all about.”

“Well…” Nick was, for a moment, at a bit of a loss for words. He wasn’t entirely certain about the details of the mission, but he knew enough to explain the general idea. “The A.S.A. has determined that the Left Hand of Justice has gotten too strong in both numbers and power. So mounting a full out assault on them right now would be too much of risk for us to take. Or something. So anyways, we’re in Operation Bloody Nose. Today, small Left Hand outposts throughout Europe are being taken by the A.S.A. They’re remote outposts too. Just far enough off the beaten path that their defenses would be minimal.”

“So it’s a warning shot to them is it?” Captain Morgan said, stating it more than asking it.

“That’s the general idea,” Nick said. “Graze them bit by bit until we’ve dulled their edge just enough to go after the big cheese. I take it you guys have gotten a good read on the outpost in these woods?”

“Affirmative,” Drake said. “We’ve found the remnants of a trail that hooks around along the base of this rock formation.” He indicated an area nearby the rock face that Nick had sniped from, where what seemed to be an obscured path from some time ago, ran in the direction of the outpost. “The good thing is that they’ve got no guards keeping it, and it cuts through a low trench that should provide us just enough cover to infiltrate the outpost without being noticed. Now, if you’ll follow us, Mr. Traski.” Not looking back, Drake Morgan led his squad down the trail.

Nick, disappointed that he was suddenly under someone else’s command, followed suit.​

-/-

“As you wish.” Akira bowed her head obediently, though also ignoring Masamune’s ‘affection.’ She advanced on Arashi, who she assumed had put a great deal of effort into his previous assault attempt. With certainty, the boy would have been strained after trying to take out a beast that the likes of Masamune had become. But just to be safe, she took precaution against further outbursts. Guards from either side of the room converged upon him, these ones sporting shock resistant clothing to assure that the Electrokinesis didn’t take them as it had their colleague. Don’t resist, she ordered into his mind. It’ll only make it worse for you. Now settle down and come with us. You won’t be killed, and you certainly won’t be hurt unless you fight back.​

 

Masamune chuckled, "That, my apprentice, was the infection... in its perfected form. This is your punishment for failing me, and let this be a lesson to you all... I will not accept failure! This world... will fall to us! We are The Left Hand of Justice! And soon... we will rule this country!" He laughed maniacally before turning to face Akira, "Akira, when you're done with my brother... meet me in my private quarters, we have to discuss the future... and we need a new strategy with this new band of rebels building up." Standing up, Masamune walked away, and into his private chambers.

 

Akira rolled her eyes and let out an exhausted sigh of a breath. “Blood runs thick,” she said, thinking of Arashi’s sudden outburst. Not wasting any time, she followed him out of the throne room. “Come,” she said on her way out, issuing for some of the guards to follow as well. Accompanied by a group of four guards, she exited the throne room, leaving behind Masamune and the flustered apprentice. Passing through a short corridor she arrived in a foyer area, where Arashi was standing, clearly perplexed, and wondering aloud what direction he was supposed to go in. “Clearly,” Akira said, “you CAN’T walk to a cell by yourself. Now kindly allow the guards to escort you to your new quarters. We wouldn’t want you getting lost. An A.S.A. operative to get spotted alone by Left Hand gangs; they won’t be nearly as gentle with you if you’re wandering our hideout alone.”​

-/-

”There it is,” the Captain whispered.

Nick and the Royal Marine squadron had taken refuge kneeling down behind a short rock ledge. Through a gathering of brush that blocked them from view, they could see a rundown old bunker, no doubt owing itself to the World War II days. A steel-crafted trapezoidal structure with and opening on one side where the entrance had been built in. Nick was surprised to see such a thing functioning as a Left Hand stronghold. He had expected something more up-to-date. Then again, he though, maybe that was the whole point of the mission: showing Masamune that he wasn’t nearly as powerful as he assumed himself. It made sense, but at the same time it didn’t.

“Mr. Traski,” Nick heard the Captain whisper. “Get ready to move in.”

“What is it that I’m gonna be doing for this?” Nick asked.

“You’re a good shot with that rifle of yours,” the Captain replied. “Do you think you can pick off a few of them for us?”

“There’s no point,” Nick said, pointedly. “They already know we’re in the area. The might not know that we’re right here right now. But their guard is up. They won’t be coming out into the open.”

“Then what would you have do?” the Captain asked, sounding a little bit indignant.

“We storm the place,” Nick responded, unsheathing his two katana.​