Invasion: The Resistance

[starmark2k]

((OCC-You can still join if you want just post a Sheet in the D&R thread))

 

Richard Cole walked down a street that was once shadowed by skyscrapers but now surrounded by the ruined buildings. He was currently heading to a Hospital in the middle of the city with Boris "Alpha" Alexandrovich to see if they could find any antibiotics.

 

A bacterial infection had broken out in the resistance’s camp and the doctors sent the two men out to a hospital they had not yet raided to find some drugs. The hospital they were heading for remained un-raided by the resistance, as the city was full of patrols making it difficult to travel through that deep in to New York. Already the two-man team had to hide from 2 ‘Skull’ patrols, 3 Blackheart squads and 5 aerial gunships.

 

“We’re coming up to a checkpoint, we’ll rest up there before moving on.” Richard informed holding his rifle under his right arm.

[Black Knight of Keno]

Boris was the third one in the line, keeping their rear secure. The main reason was that he was gung ho and wished to kill every machine and alien that came into his sight, but the other reason was that he attempted to keep away from the Marine the best he could. He had his assault rifle behind his back and his revolver in hand, knowing too well that the revolver would do more damage in the buckets of metal than their rifles combined. The city was eerily empty, even if the sound of gunship patrols was ever present, even if not directly above them.This made for an unrelaxing atmosphere at all times.

 

"Rest... Even a minute without moving may be lethal in this town" Boris grumbled with a light Russian accent. He reached for his belt and shook his cantina so he could hear how much water was in it. Every refugee was running out of water and it was no surprise that they were since the water cleaning plants were out of order and they could carry only so much water to be boiled and that way purified. Of course they made use of any vehicles they could get their hands on, but even that proved to be tricky since refueling was extremely risky. The Blackhearts had gotten the aliens into making notes of gas stations and when there wasn't a machine around to guard the station, there was probably some of them too close for comfort if the plan was to fill up the car's tank and several containers.

[Writer]

Adelina 'Jewel' Moretti was in a hospital in the heart of the ruins of New York City and she was very angry with herself. She'd always prided herself on her talent for survival and escape, but she'd very nearly been caught again... and the escape resulted in a sprained ankle this time. It was true, she'd walked, and even run on a broken leg before, but it was never easy and far from fun.

 

Alina limped into a supply room and began rummaging through the items left there. And there it was... she found a wrap and an ankle brace. With a grimace of pain, she sat down on the floor to apply the two items, taking a moment to run a hand through her blond hair, caked with blood and dust from the fight she'd just been in.

 

"Damned aliens," she muttered softly to herself. And really, what was it with aliens always wanting to destroy the people of earth and take it for themselves? What about the aliens who wanted to help the humans grow and prosper? Where were the damned Vulcans when you needed them? Alina laughed softly and then winced in pain as she snapped the ankle brace into place and struggled to stand. Vulcans were fiction. These insect things were the real deal.

 

"Guess maybe Star Trek got it wrong," she concluded, strapping her weapons belt back to her waist and drawing one of her G23C's, preparing to leave the hospital.

[starmark2k]

Richard turned his head behind him to the Russian, he was one of the few other members of the resistance who actually did have some kind of military training and combat experience. Most Military personnel were killed in the initial attacks when the Alien’s attacked all the areas with high concentration of military units and buildings. The bulk of the resistance was made up of civilians who just happened to evade capture or get freed by the resistance itself.

 

“The checkpoint is in an old subway station we’ll be able to remain out of harms way.” Cole explained with an arrogant tone. “Besides we’ll only be there a few minuets and we need to supply up on water.”

[Master_Archon]

((If I'm not allowed to post starmark2k, then I'll delete this, but in any case I've done what you told me to, and I'm assuming I can post now.))

 

Guy hobbled up to the doors of the hospital, even though the doors no longer existed, seeing as they were pretty much obliterated, like most other glass was during the initial alien invasion and occupation. He leaned on a lead pipe, supporting his left leg, which had been injured by none other than a large shard of glass while trying to avoid a robot patrol. His calf was bandaged with gauze, like the blood stained and sweat soaked strips that covered his hands and wrists.

 

The injury wasn't all that bad, he had only gotten a deep cut that hurt when pressure was applied, like when standing, other than that he could use it fine, though walking normally caused a bit of a limp, which severely slowed him down. In his right hand he held a meat cleaver, it was caked with dirt, and under that could be seen not too old blood stains. He looked around with deadened, emotionless eyes, scanning for any sign of recent activity.

 

He had been using the hospital for awhile as a bit of a shelter, or refuge, seeing as it was one of the few 'partially intact buildings left in New York. He lacked his normally dawned windbreaker jacket, which he had left with his other stuff. The only things he had on him were the clothes on his back, his lead pipe and his grandma's cleaver, and a tube of neosporin and a roll of gauze in his pocket. He had left his pack and stuff in the staff lounge on a leather cushioned seat next to a vending machine, which, by the way, he had torn open with his fire axe.

 

Guy went on into the hospital, satisfied that nothing was out of place. He had learned very quickly how to survive, how to trust his gut, his instincts, and the signs of his surroundings, and if all else failed he used the instincts of animals, the few that were left that is. He had also learned not to trust anyone...not a soul, not a one.

[Corinthian]

For a wasteland, New York was surprisingly intact.

 

Other than Lady Liberty being sliced in half, half the buildings gutted or shattered, and the giant robots prowling the streets.

 

The man who was leading the refugees, an old fellow by the name of Lionel, crawled up next to him. They were on a hill about two miles out from the city, with their camp about a mile back. Behind them, some of the more able-bodied refugees were waiting, holding shotguns or hunting rifles.

 

"They got New York, too."

 

Robert looked over at him. "You're surprised? It's the largest city on the continent. I'm surprised they didn't nuke it."

 

"Not really surprised, but it's not good news." Lionel had a way of being a little depressed. Not that depression was all that rare around here, antidepressants were selling at an all-time high and the situation wasn't conducive to good mental health. Quite a few had already cracked.

 

"I know the feeling, Lionel. We're gonna have to make a raid into New York. We need food, guns, and bullets. There also might be some intact cars in the city we can take. If we have to run, we're not going to be able to wait for the guys on hover-rounds."

 

"What about gas?"

 

"It's the end of the world, Lionel. Everything is on sale, including gas."

 

The old man chuckled, then broke into a loud, hacking cough, choking up mucus. Robert brought his legs underneath him and helped Lionel up.

 

"Yeah, and while I'm at it, I'm gonna find a pharmacy or hospital and get some meds for that cough. Besides, the rest of the group probably could use it."

 

Lionel cleared his throat and nodded. "The cough isn't as bad as it looks, but you're right about the rest of the group." Robert gave him a quizzical look, but shrugged, then let out a sharp whistle. "Ed, John, you're with me. We're hitting the Big Apple."

[Writer]

Alina began making her way cautiously through the halls of the hospital, keeping her ears open for any out of place sounds... there were faint footsteps, paired with a light clank, like metal thumping against something. The thing that made this different was that it was only one set of steps. Still, she slipped around a corner and waited... just to be safe.

 

In the end, she was glad she had done so. The kid was using a rather impressive lead pipe as a walking stick, but something about the way he held it proved to her that he knew it had far more violent uses than that. Slowly, she revealed herself, some ten yards ahead of him, one of her pistols aimed at him.

 

"I know you're not a Blackheart," she said quietly. "You don't have the uniform and quite frankly, they don't recruit as young as you." She spread her arms to show him that she was not wearing the uniform of a Blackheart. She gestured to the piece of glass in his leg. "You could use some help and I have a bit of medical knowledge. Let me help you."

[Black Knight of Keno]

As the small group found their checkpoint, the Russian loaded his revolver, knowing it would come in use if a patrol happened to come snooping around. He leaned against the wall next to the entrance and looked around.

"If amerikansky tired, amerikansky rest" he said in an obvious paradox of the Russian stereotype and took his cantine, raising it to his lips and taking a swig. He could've done that while walking, of course, but decided to do something since they were going to rest for a moment. In truth he couldn't wait to get back to camp and end this hellish trip of stealth and looming doom.

[starmark2k]

((OCC- I obviously misinterpreted Corinthians D&R post and thought he had already met the resistance. So only Richard and 'Alpha' are in the resistance and heading for the hospital for them.))

 

Richard laughed at his Russian companions comment as he walked up to the subway entrance, it had been covered with a barricade and made to look like it was debris, infact it was just a cover to prevent the Alien forces from finding it. He knocked on an old Van door twice waited a five seconds and then knocked three more times. He waited 30 seconds before he frowned and looked over at Alpha. “Something’s wrong.” Cole Stated as he raised his rifle up and reached for the Van door handle.

 

He pulled the door open and gasped, it was suppose o be locked at all times and if it wasn’t it meant it had either been forced open or the Checkpoint had been abandoned, neither was good. Looking over the door there was no sign of it being forced so Richard slowly entered and signalled for Alpha to do the same and keep his eye’s open.

 

Walking down the wide staircase deeper into the small Subway station sign of a fight could be seen everywhere Blood stains, bullet holes and clunks of concrete scattered the floor and walls. As they reached the bottom the bodies of three resistance fighters were lying dead on the floor, all three were riddled with bullet holes.

[Corinthian]

Nothing ever really looked better when you got close. New York was no exception. Aside from having been a warzone for alien invaders with giant robots, eighteen months of neglect had most of the buildings coming apart at the seams. Alien craft buzzed overhead.

 

"John, get back to the camp and tell them to get undercover. We've got Bugs."

 

John, a tall middle-aged fellow, nodded and turned around. Ed looked at Robert. "You think we can get everything we need with just two people?"

 

"We'll improvise. Grab a wheelbarrow or something when it comes up. What's first on the list?"

 

"Uh...I think the food."

 

"Alright, we'll head for the hospital first and raid any grocery stores and gun shops as we go past. If we run into any robots, shoot and run, don't stand and fight."

 

"I know the drill, Robert."

 

Robert nodded. He wasn't really comfortable having Ed here, the fellow was a solid guy with a fiance back at the camp, but he'd be uncomfortable with anyone here."

 

"What hospital we heading to?"

 

Robert had nabbed a map out of a glove compartment of some car that got split in half. He pointed towards the center of the city. "The place is huge, if any place has meds that survived, it's that place. About three miles from here."

 

Ed groaned theatrically, then grinned at Robert. "Hey, check it out, New York Arms. It's either a prosthetic shop or a gun store."

 

"You're a laugh a minute, Ed."

[Black Knight of Keno]

Boris followed several steps behind his American colleague with his senses turned to notice anything behind him. It would be bad to get surprised in a wide staircase such as this. The man looked behind himself ever so often to make sure he wasn't being followed by a Blackheart or a machine and if he were, he had his revolver ready and cocked. As he glanced at the walls, he had to admit that the guards had put up one hell of a fight, even if he didn't know how the enemy had gotten inside. The only possibilities were that the Blackhearts knew their code or one of the guards had gone rogue.

 

As they reached the lower end of the stairs, he knelt down next to one of the bodies and let out a grunt.

"They sure put up a good fight" he said as he closed the eyelids on the body he knelt next to.

"We better forget the rest and grab any supplies we can get from here before leaving. We need to get that hospital" Alpha said and stood up, unloading his revolver and holstering it before looking around nervously.

[starmark2k]

Richard two walked over to the small weapons locker in the room and opened it, it was empty not even a single bullet was left behind. He frowned and then looked around at the three bodies and realised the problem, there were suppose to be four men to a checkpoint. This meant either a the forth man had betrayed the resistance, escaped or was still in here.

 

At that point of realisation a loud bang echoed around the large room, the sound of something falling on the ground. Richard raised his weapon and looked over at the direction of the noise, the sound had come from some kind door adjacent to the room he was in.

 

Looking over at Boris Richard bopped his head in the direction of the door.

[Corinthian]

New York Arms had been thoroughly raided.

 

"Aliens didn't do this, they've got no use for guns."

 

Ed nodded. Most of the guns had been taken, but there was a pump-action shotgun under the counter and a revolver in a spring clip. Ed fiddled with it for a moment, then popped the revolver out. "There we go." He shoved it through his belt. They loaded up on the remaining ammo and headed out, Robert now toting a shotgun.

 

"Back on the road."

 

A clanking noise came from outside. Robert dropped down and pulled Ed down alongside. Peering around the counter, he saw four of the robots, steel skeletons, about man-size.

 

"Bots."

 

Ed nodded and readied his own shotgun. "Stay down..."

 

The bots paused in front of the building and looked in for a moment, then continued past. Robert let out his breath, but didn't move for a few more minutes. "Alright, let's get to that hospital on the double. That was too close."

[Master_Archon]

"I know you're not a Blackheart," came a sudden voice from around the corner. He had already lifted his right hand and was in a throwing position, but paused as he saw the woman who had her gun trained on him. He had already hesitated, and fighting an opponent with a gun was something you could not hesitate in, he closed his eyes, waiting to feel the pain of a bullet breaking skin, muscle and bone...but nothing happened.

 

"You don't have the uniform and quite frankly, they don't recruit as young as you." The woman continued, as he peeked his eye open to see her arms held open to show she meant no harm. He still had his cleaver ready, he pondered for a moment, he'd had women talk to him before, he'd even had people do the same thing she was doing, showing they meant no harm.

 

But they had lied, they had been "collectors", folks who were meant to coerce others into believing them, and then taking them to the aliens. He'd killed without questioning himself before, what was so different now? Then again, she had the opportunity to kill him the moment she came around that corner, but she didn't, most Blackhearts, collectors or not, would have taken the shot rather than the pain of talking.

 

"You could use some help and I have a bit of medical knowledge. Let me help you." She continued, he flinched as her words brought back a recent memory, he paused, then decided not even a second afterwards. He hurled the cleaver, it went through the air like a axe or hatchet might. But it fell short, landing only a quarter of a foot away from her, between her feet, lodging soundly inbetween the cracks of two tiles, vibrating slightly and making a light ringing sound.

 

He had a distastful combination of distrust, disdain, and discust on his face as he hobbled forward for a couple feet towards the lady, then turned to his right and opened a door.

 

He hobbled into the staff lounge and sat down on the leather cushioned seat where his stuff lay intact. Beside the seat could be seen a vending machine, it's contents could be seen through a gaping 'wound' where he had hacked it open.

[Writer]

Alina blinked. The kid had decided to throw his cleaver and then without a word, he'd moved into the staff lounge. Shaking her head slowly, Alina followed him, pausing for just a moment to retrieve his meat cleaver. Entering the staff lounge, she set the cleaver gently on the floor, preventing any further loud noises the weapon might make.

 

"I can hardly blame you for your behavior," she said quietly. "Collectors and all..." She frowned, observing the lived-in quality of the lounge. "I take it I'm intruding on your bedroom space..." Taking a step back toward the door, she sighed.

 

"It's clear you don't trust anyone," she told him. "And given the events of the last eighteen months, nobody would blame you. But you need help. I'm not asking you to go anywhere for it. I'm asking you to trust me... here. Think about it. Anyone who wanted you rounded up or dead would have killed you after your meat cleaver stunt. I haven't done that, now have I?"

 

One final time, she urged, "Let me help." Then, she stood in the doorway, waiting for his answer.

[Master_Archon]

Guy glared at the woman, he'd heard the whole speel [sp?] before, the whole, 'I could have killed you after the cleaver' thing, the whole, trust me here and now, I can help you with your injuries, blah blah blah, he didn't want to hear it, it was all the same. But then again, this woman was...different, she had sincere and honest concern on her face, like his mom used to show.

 

No Collector, no matter how experienced or skilled, could ever recreate that much honest concern. His head dipped down as he thought of his mom, a depressed sulky look came upon his face as he sat there.

 

He then thought of a time, only a month earlier, a Collector, a really good one, had attempted helping him, similar to this woman, he'd trusted the Blackheart, and he was betrayed, held to the ground, right after his ribs had been badaged by the same person. But luckily the Blackheart Collector underestimated him, by instinct it seemed he had reversed the move, but instead of running like he normally would have, knowing robots or Blackhearts would be coming to retrieve him, he stayed, but only long enough to plunge a screwdriver through the Collector's temple.

 

He thought of this and shivered, a stern look now replaced his depressed one. He looked up at the woman, a look of pure contempt on his face as he studied her for a moment.

 

"A girl your age still afraid of boys' rooms? That's sad....Do what you want to, but know that I don't trust you...not by a long shot, you try something, you're dead, simple as that," he finally said, speaking for the first time. His voice was a bit cracked from being so dry all the time, but it was a surprisingly comely voice, light and handsome, belying his malnurished and beat up appearance.

 

"And don't think I can't," he mumbled picking up his backpack and rummaging through it to check on it's contents as he waited for the woman to do or say something.

[Writer]

"A girl your age still afraid of boys' rooms? That's sad...."Do what you want to, but know that I don't trust you...not by a long shot."

 

"What I'm doing," she said, gesturing to the doorway around her, "is more respect of privacy than fear." She entered and, taking care to move slowly so as not to make him overreact, she approached him.

 

"You try something, you're dead, simple as that," he finally said.

 

That comment came just as Alina sat down and she couldn't help but smile. "I've no doubt of that," she replied. "But before long, you'll learn you can trust me."

 

There was a flicker of something like anger in her eyes and she looked as though she were ready to say something further... but she started working on his leg and said only, "My name is Adelina Moretti. Call me Alina... or Jewel, if you prefer." After a short pause, she looked over at him with a faint smile. "Or just, 'hey you'... I'll answer to that too." With that, she returned her focus to his injured leg.

[Master_Archon]

"I've no doubt of that. But before long, you'll learn you can trust me." The woman said, this made Guy frown, he'd heard that said too, and all it did was upset him.

 

The woman looked like she were about to say something else, but she only got this strange, sorta angry look on her face. This made Guy flinch his arm, which was in his backpack, he'd already reached for the nearest thing he could find, but he didn't pull it out, the woman hadn't done anything. His eyebrows furrowed though as he felt what he was holding. He looked down to see what it was, and when he did he sighed and frowned further, it was a pair of tweezers.

 

'Today is not my day. Yeah, and I would have plucked her eyebrows out, that would have done it...' he thought rhetorically. 'Maybe we could have gotten manicures too,' he continued, but surprisingly, this made him smile a bit.

 

"My name is Adelina Moretti. Call me Alina... or Jewel, if you prefer." After a short pause, she looked over at him with a faint smile. "Or just, 'hey you'... I'll answer to that too."

 

He stared at her blankly, looking at her as she worked on his leg.

 

"I'm Guy," he said. He didn't give his full name, but he was at least nice enough to give her his first, most of the time he wouldn't even do that, he'd just give a cold shoulder.

[Corinthian]

Robert looked at the hospital through his binoculars. "Yup, that's the place. Not in quite as good a shape as I was hoping, but better than I was expecting. Looks like they only blew a chunk off and shattered part of one wing. I think we can find what we're looking for there."

 

Their packs were stuffed with canned food and the ammo they had scavenged from the gun shop, and the weight was getting a little annoying. More than a little, actually, it made fast movement a pain and it was cutting into his shoulders.

 

"Come on, Ed, buck up. We're almost there." The younger man grunted and hoisted his pack. "Keep your eyes -"

 

"Peeled for the Terminator, I know."

 

Robert chuckled. He had been sort of pounding that into the younger man's head. They walked through the threshold into the hospital, taking a look around the abandoned 24-hour clinic. "Guess that guarantee wore out."

 

Ed gave him a glance. "This is the end of the world, you know. Do you ever stop making wisecracks about it?"

 

"Hey, the world ended a year ago. Now we're just cruising along the post-apocalyptic wilderness. Check the wall map, look for one of the pharmacies. I'll go find the bandages and antiseptics and stuff."

 

Ed nodded and walked off, out of the clinic. Robert wandered around, keeping a steady stream of mingled German obscenities. The place had been thoroughly raided, even of bedsheets. He'd need to go deeper into the hospital to find anything of note. "Ed! We'll meet back here in twenty minutes. If I'm late, head back to the camp without me."

 

Ed nodded and kept walking.

 

He headed towards the other door, towards the Emergency Room. Along the way, voices came out of one of the doors. He couldn't catch any of the words, but he did pump the shotgun, loading a slug into the chamber.

 

Sounded like a fairly young woman and a man. Most likely refugees, but Lionel told me he'd seen some people collaborating with the aliens.

 

He held his shotgun at the ready, but didn't enter the room. If they were as jumpy as some of the rest of the refugees, he'd probably get plugged full of holes.

[Writer]

As she spoke with Guy, Alina had been working on his leg. It wasn't long before she had his leg bound securely. She was about to speak again when she heard the faint sound of a weapon cocking. Slowly, she lifted one of her pistols and moved cautiously to the door. Carefully, she took a quick glance through the doorway... and swore softly in several different languages. The man had a shotgun... and he was looking straight at the doorway. No doubt, he'd seen her... Now the question would be, what would he do now that he knew for certain someone was in the room? She gestured to Guy to get some form of weapon ready...

[Black Knight of Keno]

Alpha took his assault rifle swiftly out and clicked the safety off with the barrel pointed in the direction where the sound came from. Glancing at his american colleague he grunted and groaned while approaching the door.

"Who made this guy the squad leader anyway..." he grunted as he stopped in front of the door and lowered the barrel of his rifle for a second so he could get ready to kick in the door.

 

"Take a look at the proper way to do this, amerikansky" he said and turned the knob to try and open the door. It didn't work so with a single move he crashed his leg to a precise point in the door which caused it to be swung open. Boris clicked the flashlight on, raised the barrel to point into the room and went in, ready to shoot at anything hostile and even a neautral in the leg if it was the only way to clear the room. He knew not what awaited them inside so was extremely wary.

[starmark2k]

As the door swung open and the Russian’s flashlight filled the room, a lone man could be seen sitting with his back against the wall hands in front of his face, palms facing the two resistance fighters defensively. The man’s hands stopped them from seeing his face but they could see his body and it was wearing the all too familiar uniform of a blackheart.

 

“Don’t shoot!” the man shouted still holding his hands out.

 

Richard was about to ignor the mans request and shoot him anyway, after all the blackheats wouldn’t think twice about doing it to him. Then the man’s hands lowered slightly to show his face and Richard recognised him.

 

“Cabble?” Richard asked looking at the man confused.

 

“Cole!” The man stated. “Thank God it’s you.”

 

Richard lowered his gun and moved his hand over onto the barrel of Boris’ gun so he would lower it too. “It’s OK Ruskie, He’s with us.”

[Master_Archon]

Guy was up before he woman had gestured for him to do so, he looked angry, he thought the woman was alone and different, maybe not. Then again, she was acting like she didn't know who it was, so he could be wrong.

 

He picked up his lead pipe and removed a circular saw blade from his backpack. He glared at her for a moment, not knowing whether to trust her enough to work with her on this one, or to just kill her outright.

 

He looked at the floor and then limped off towards the back of the lounge, only moments later reappearing on the opposite side of the door from Jewel, low to the ground so the man outside wouldn't see him. If the man entered the room all he'd have to do was lift the lead pipe up and trip the man, then Guy would be on him in moments.

[Corinthian]

Well, that hadn't worked quite the way he'd wanted. They'd both spotted him, and they were both probably crouched in the room, praying to God that he'd spare them. Wonderful.

 

He raised his voice so they could hear him. "I'm Robert, I'm from Washington. Calm down, I'm not after you. Who are you?"

 

Robert wasn't about to step into that room, they probably had guns trained on the doorway if he walked in - it was what he was doing.

[Black Knight of Keno]

Boris glanced at the Marine and lowered his barrel slightly. He panned the room with his light and then returned the gun to point towards Cobble.

"You know the policy. As long as there's a uniform, there's a gun pointing at him" he said and kept his distance with the gun pointed at the Cobble's kneecaps.

"This may have been an inside job and even if he didn't personally slaughter the others, he may have opened the door for the enemy and is here as the bait for a trap" he said and looked around nervously.

 

He could see the american didn't find his view on the matter possible, so he grumbled something in russian before looking at Cole.

"Just keep your rifle ready just in case" he said, knowing that he would be just as dead as the others if he lost his squadmate.