The Bell Tolls - TBT Act 1 - Land of the Blind

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Description: Unfortunately for Shadaloo, not all agents affiliated with Interpol are renowned for their subtlety. Sergei, as a solo operative under Interpol jurisdiction, infiltrates deep within Mexico. The target: the suspicious location of a former tournament, Pueblo Thunderfoot. Upon his arrival, the village is deserted. It does not take long before it's clear that Sergei has stumbled upon a trap. Cut off from contacting any reinforcements by a jammer, he encounters a force of Shadaloo operatives led by the insidious Doll, Marz. Can Sergei escape with his life from the village? Or will he find himself captured deep behind enemy lines?



[SERGEI]
Out on the horizon, the sharp rise of flat-topped mesa breaks the monotony of the plains. The natural beauty of the area is split only by a well-worn dirt road leading off from the nearest highway toward a peaceful town. Rolling down the road was an old gray van, a regular sight in the area, and one barely worth any notice. The worn paint and rusty edges hid an interior of a high tech recon vehicle. It was moving towards the town of Pueblo Thunderfoot.

The inconspicuous van pulled over to the side of the road, behind a stand of cacti. The door opened, and a man stepped out.

====================

Several Hours Prior in New York

The Russian General Zima and Interpol's Chief Mallone sat together, each with their own toxin.
"So Mallone, you have disguise ready for Dragunov, correct?"

The Chief put down his whiskey and puffed his cigar.
"Don't you worry, I got your golden boy all set."

"Good, as Dragunov would be a bit... conspicuous otherwise."

"Relax, General. He'll blend right in"

====================

Out of the van, stepped Sergei Dragunov, clad in dark combat gear. To disguise his body armor, he was wearing a large black poncho, and a massive sombrero, both covered in silver embellishes. His combat boots kicked up a cloud of dust, while the van continued on. The Spetznas walked towards his mission, to investigate the town of Pueblo Thunderfoot without causing a stir.

Two farm hands were walking down the dirt road, where they then saw a massive Russian Mariachi in combat gear walk right by them. The mariachi said nothing as he just walked right past the pair. The two men looked at each other in sheer confusion, before deciding to just forget they saw that it in the first place.

Sergei however, continued to walk into the town.

[MARZ]
"Be careful with those!"

Marz, Shadaloo Doll, information specialist, psy-ops agent, info-sec officer, exasperated young German woman, finds herself inside an abandoned town in the middle of the desert. A small squad of Shadaloo soldiers given unto her in order to set up, maintain, and deploy a specialized trap for a person of particular interest to the operations of Shadaloo.

Before Shadaloo, Pueblo Thunderfoot was a peaceful place. It remains peaceful, but the peace is a dead stillness. Devoid of people, a ghost town, the only inhabitants the agents of Lord Vega. Hidden inside the old Town Church is Marz's communications hub. A wire run up through the cross serving to jam the signals of anyone not using the specially chosen frequencies. A technological dead zone with the only oasis controlled by the might of Shadaloo.

The squad waits in the empty homes, armed and ready for their moment. Marz waits in the church, not wanting to be far from her station. A single soldier finishes the final touches of loading many many cooling fans around the hardware to support Marz's equipment.

It was easy to leak false communications to Interpol. Particularly when done with so much truth to hide the falsehoods. Shadaloo was active again, and with Pueblo Thunderfoot a prior target and operation, certainly they would be likely to utilize it again. Which, as Marz considers the matter of her trap, is actually still true. It's just that the targets this time weren't the native population.

"Subject is due shortly. Keep an eye out and wait for my signal," Marz speaks into her headset. "I'll have the extraction copter on standby. Remember to disable, do not kill. This is important hardware for Lord Vega we are picking up."

With a hum, Marz leans back in her old folding chair. She pushes her glasses up her nose. Maybe she should be wondering why kidnapping isn't as stressful as having a conversation, but that notion is far from her mind. She has her mission. She has her duty. She also has a game stream to watch while she waits for Mister Sergei Dragunov.

Shadaloo Squad falls asleep.

Shadaloo Squad wakes up.

[SERGEI]
Entering the dead dust of the town, the Russian looks all around. His hand close to his Makarov pistol, he eyed for any movement. Seeing not a soul, he came to the old church. Much newer wires were visible, and Sergei came to a halt.

He stood outside the building, wincing at the light reflecting off it. He rubbed his chin, as he calculated who, and what might be inside. He has suspicions, but suspicions needed to be confirmed. The mission was to determine if the intelligence was accurate, then call in all the backup that could be spared.

And today, he was feeling lucky.

[MARZ]
Target in sight. Walking up the center of town, toward the old Church. Dust blowing in the faint wind, catching in eddies and swirling into short dust devils. A dance before dying. Then, a stillness.

Inside, watching through pinhole camera, Marz calculates the very moment to strike. Sweat from the heat rolls down her forehead, the humming of the fans a quiet white noise. She pushes her glasses up her nose. She speaks a single word.

"Now."

From either side a squad of tac-suited Shadaloo agents burst from their positions. Some with firearms, some with hand to hand weaponry, all bearing the lightning bolt marked skull symbol of their dark organization. They rush for Dragunov, an amassed assault to bring down the target as quickly as possible before he has a proper chance to react. They fire off a barrage of automatic fire while a squaddie with a riot baton moves in for a blunt force strike from behind.

Though for the moment, the initiator of the attack remains out of sight, controlling the scene like a puppeteer from the shadows.

COMBATSYS: Marz has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Marz             0/-------/-------|


COMBATSYS: Shadaloo Squad has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Marz             0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0   Shadaloo Squad


COMBATSYS: Marz has joined the fight here on the right meter side.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Shadaloo Squad   0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0             Marz


COMBATSYS: Shadaloo Squad has joined the fight here on the right meter side.

                                  >  //////////////////////////////]
                                  |-------\-------\0   Shadaloo Squad
                                  >  //////////////////////////////]
                                  |-------\-------\0             Marz


COMBATSYS: Sergei has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Sergei           0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0   Shadaloo Squad
                                  >  //////////////////////////////]
                                  |-------\-------\0             Marz


COMBATSYS: Marz calculates her next move.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Sergei           0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0   Shadaloo Squad
                                  >  //////////////////////////////]
                                  |-------\-------\0             Marz


COMBATSYS: Shadaloo Squad successfully hits Sergei with Pincer Movement.
- Power hit! -

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Sergei           0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0   Shadaloo Squad
                                  >  //////////////////////////////]
                                  |-------\-------\0             Marz


[SERGEI]
It was an ambush.

Sergei saw it happen, and reacted quickly. He would get out from the open to avoid the fire, and take out the Shadaloo agents one by one. He drew his pistol from it's hostler and quickly undid the safety. He just needed to time it just right...

* THUNK*

* BANG *

* RATATATATATATA*

One lucky punk knocked the Russian in the back of the head. When that happened, Sergei's own gun fired a round into his foot, and the automatic fire of the Shadaloo lackeys managed to fire at him.

Trapped in the open, and having a lead intake higher than recommended, Dragunov turned to grab the thug by the neck, sweep his legs, and bring him down to the ground to serve as cover from the fire bursts.

COMBATSYS: Shadaloo Squad blocks Sergei's Medium Throw.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Sergei           0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0   Shadaloo Squad
                                  >  //////////////////////////////]
                                  |-------\-------\0             Marz


[MARZ]
Success! The initial gambit has proven effective. The strike force has struck in force. Marz smiles to herself from her hidey-spot while she observes and reads the manner in which her target fights.

A hard striker, one that will bring a lot of force to bear if not taken down quickly. "You live up to your name, but you can call me Sigurd? No. Sigurda?" Marz mutters to herself as she considers her approach in all ways possible.

Outside, a Shadaloo soldier at the mercy of the man he just clonked in the head is thrown like a ragdoll. He has little more time than to gulp out a cry of pain and supplication before he hits the ground to serve as a bunker.

The remaining squad is still there, still armed, and they create a wall of fire to hold Sergei at bay. To break his focus and to keep cover while their officer moves in for her own strike.

And a strike comes from behind. Bursting through the door, fist aglow with Psycho-power, Marz rotates in the air to build up a great deal of torque so she can slam down like a hammer onto Sergi with a sharp knuckle strike of her gauntlet. Her reinforced laptop sails in the breeze along the strap that keeps it against her.

COMBATSYS: Sergei dodges Shadaloo Squad's Bounding Overwatch.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Sergei           0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0   Shadaloo Squad
                                  >  ///////////////////////////// ]
                                  |-------\-------\0             Marz


COMBATSYS: Marz successfully hits Sergei with Axle Spin Knuckle.

[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Sergei           0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0   Shadaloo Squad
                                  >  ///////////////////////////// ]
                                  |=------\-------\0             Marz


[SERGEI]
The bastion serves his purpose. When the new target makes her appearance Dragunov sees the fire coming. First using his captive as cover from fire, he tried to turn him to act as a human shield. The agent was faster.

The fist came crashing down, and Sergei felt the burn of that Psycho-power he dreaded.

His advanced undercover disguise failed, the Spetsnaz tossed his sombrero at the Shadaloo psychic. From behind the hat, the Russian would chop right into her rib cage with his right hand. Strike her sternum with his left. Then finish it with an uppercut right to her throat.

COMBATSYS: Marz blocks Sergei's Death's Door.

[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Sergei           0/-------/--=====|===----\-------\0   Shadaloo Squad
                                  >  ///////////////////////////   ]
                                  |===----\-------\0             Marz


[MARZ]
"For Lord Vega!" cries out one of the squad. The rest join in chorus. Pride swelling in them not for their own inability to shoot a man right in front of them, but for the success of the Psycho Powered Tech Support.

Steady on her feet. Marz smirks at the Mariachi Dragunov. She remains in this pose as the hat baps against her, causing her to sputter and fall back with a "Who throws a. . .whoa!"

She twist hard, arms down, the smack of Sergei's chopping hand against her reinforced gauntlets. Marz yelps, the force of the blow taking the small woman off the ground with its force. She lands, boots skidding the dust of the ghost town streets not far away.

A surprise from behind, a rushing Shadaloo agent trying to get in a sneak attack from behind Sergei. To strike him from behind with a quick blow to Sergei's back.

But Sergei still has many opponents to go. Marz, recalibrated from stopping Sergei's attack, returns with one of her own - her laptop swinging like a cudgel for Sergei's head, wreathed in a flame of Psycho Power!

COMBATSYS: Sergei dodges Shadaloo Squad's Fierce Punch.

[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Sergei           0/-------/--=====|===----\-------\0   Shadaloo Squad
                                  >  //////////////////////////    ]
                                  |=------\-------\0             Marz


COMBATSYS: Marz successfully hits Sergei with Command and Control EX.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Sergei           0/-------/=======|===----\-------\0   Shadaloo Squad
                                  >  //////////////////////////    ]
                                  |===----\-------\0             Marz


[SERGEI]
It was at this point, Shadaloo presence could be confirmed beyond a reasonable doubt. Dragunov weaved around one hapless thug, before trying to call in with his Chi-Tec.

==============

"For lord Vega! For Lord Vega! For Lord Vega!"

==============

Dragunov's signal had been jammed. Then a his face was rammed by a laptop. Knocking him to the ground, the Russian saw the agent that had missed, and was trying to correct himself. He lunged to get the man into a leg hold that would shatter bone. Then try to force him to fire at his fellows.

COMBATSYS: Sergei successfully hits Shadaloo Squad with Strong Throw.

[              \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Sergei           1/-------/=======|=======\=------\1   Shadaloo Squad
                                  >  //////////////////////////    ]
                                  |===----\-------\0             Marz


[MARZ]
Cries of pain dominate the formerly quiet ghost down. A hapless, overeager Shadaloo soldier held by his leg, limb bent akimbo under the force of Sergei Dragunov's power, his gun firing wildly at his entrenched fellows.

The gunfire drives down the Shadaloo operatives. Sending them into hiding, sending the wounded to the ground. A panic? A rout so early? Their guns go silent.

Marz still remains. The soldiers are replaceable, and they know what their orders are. She has her own. And while Dragunov is busy playing dance partner with a soldier, she takes her chances.

She rushes toward Sergei, hand cocked back. A flash of Psycho Power and a slashing strike that lances forward with an up close and knife-handedly intimate introduction to the Power that is Psycho.

"For Lord Vega!"

The squad, rallying with their cry, come storming from their hiding spots. They charge with a reckless abandon. A violent tide of soldiers with arms to bear and a dogpiling rush toward the Russian. Fists, clubs, electric baton and knife alike. All sorts to bring down the man that has brought pain to their own. All in the name of Lord Vega.

COMBATSYS: Sergei auto-guards Shadaloo Squad's For Lord Vega!.

[              \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Sergei           1/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0   Shadaloo Squad
                                  >  /////////////////////////     ]
                                  |==-----\-------\0             Marz


COMBATSYS: Marz successfully hits Sergei with Code Injection EX.

[                    \\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Sergei           1/----===/=======|==-----\-------\0   Shadaloo Squad
                                  >  /////////////////////////     ]
                                  |====---\-------\0             Marz


[SERGEI]
It was one man against an army. He was going to be run down and deafeted by a swarm brandishing blade and bludgeon. Surrounded at all sides, Sergei found a solution. When the strikes came down, he hoisted up the broken soldier, and let him take it instead. Each swing found friend over foe. Every stab was in their own fellow's back. Holding him up like a shield, the already crippled man faced the combined abuse of all his allies.

One blade made it past the cooling shield of meat though. The pure psycho-power pierced the poor man. He saw light flash before his eyes, before they faded to show a sun racing across the sky, for a thousand days and a thousand nights. And it ended with a striking pain in his temple.

Snapping back to the proper town where the sun has not moved, the Russian rushes at the woman. He would bring her straight to the ground, and pin her by the chest. He would pummel her face right into the dirt until roots turned red. The precision of an assassin would be upon her, with all the power of a killer, and the savagery of a trapped animal.

COMBATSYS: Sergei successfully hits Marz with Iron Curtain.

[                    \\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Sergei           0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0   Shadaloo Squad
                                  >  ///////////////               ]
                                  |=======\====---\1             Marz


[MARZ]
"Useless, could have replaced you with drones and just flew them into him," Marz mutters as she watches the onslaught of her entire squad of Shadaloo soldiers being battered and taunted left and right by a single man.

"Each and every one of you are going to be given a terrible review when I. . .ach!" she squeaks out in panic and pain when she's pulled down to the ground and pinned by a large Russian brute. Eyes wide, glasses askew, red faced, she just sort of stares up at the man wondering what his intent is before she finds out very very quickly.

Blow after blow rain down upon Marz as she struggles to get herself free. She calls out for the squad to actually do something. To bring the stragglers to rally. Though it's only so much an order as can be given when she's being battered so roughly.

What little organizational skill they have to bring to the table must pass muster as the Shadaloo Squad retreat a ways to the church in order to take poking pot shots at Dragunov from a hopefully safe distance.

And while Marz is being pummeled, she can only be held for so long. Her cries of shock and pain shift to a cold growl of fury when her glasses crack and bounce from her face. With an explosive force of Psycho Powered might she squirms beneath Sergei to get her hands on her laptop. A fierce thrust upward toward the man's gut with an explosive cascade of gut churning power echoing into the still skies.

COMBATSYS: Sergei dodges Shadaloo Squad's Suppressive Fire.

[                    \\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////              ]
Sergei           0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0   Shadaloo Squad
                                  >  ///////////////               ]
                                  |=------\-------\0             Marz


COMBATSYS: Marz successfully hits Sergei with Crash To Desktop.

[                             \  < >  ////////////////              ]
Sergei           0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0   Shadaloo Squad
                                  >  ///////////////               ]
                                  |=------\-------\0             Marz


[SERGEI]
The relentless assault relent once that same laptop comes back right into Sergei's gut. He is knocked off, and begins to stagger. He was trapped far behind enemy lines, barely able to stand on his own two legs, he had no comms, no support, no hope. His surroundings started to grow cold, even the sounds of bullets hitting dirt was dulled. Each step was wet with blood, his own round in his foot and several more of the enemies hitting nearby buildings. Looking at their leader, the Spetsnaz had only one option left.

He was going to drive his fist directly into her trachea then put a bullet in her belly.

COMBATSYS: Sergei can no longer fight.

                                  >  ////////////////              ]
                                  |==-----\-------\0   Shadaloo Squad
                                  >  ///////////////               ]
                                  |=------\-------\0             Marz


COMBATSYS: Marz blocks Sergei's Sub-Zero.

                                  >  ////////////////              ]
                                  |==-----\-------\0   Shadaloo Squad
                                  >  ///////////                   ]
                                  |====---\-------\0             Marz


[MARZ]
"Can't see," Marz mutters, wiping a streak of red from her face, the color staining and not quite matching her gauntlet. A gentle, loving pat is given to her laptop before she manages to grunt her way back to her feet with a staggering steadying step.

She looks across and catches sight of Dragunov's final approach. For all Sergei's strength, Marz is still present enough in mind to recoil from his attack. Her laptop held up like a trusty shield. It cracks back, bouncing off Marz's face. She staggers to the side and lowers the laptop just in time to see Sergei go for his gun.

The shot reports.

The shot goes wide, burying in the ground what would've more than certainly put down the Shadaloo Doll. The reason? One brave Shadaloo soldier with the presence of mind to quickly ram the end of an electro-baton into the back of Sergei's neck. Enough to finally put down the beast of a Russian.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou," Marz speaks repeatedly, giving endless adoration and thanks to her savior. Her laptop; cradled against her bosom. To the Shadaloo soldier she looks daggers at. "You I will say did 'satisfactorily'."

Righting herself and blinking blindly at her surroundings. She staggers off in the direction she thinks is the church. In the distance, helicopter rotors whip the air. A Shadaloo transport coming in to take away the latest acquisition done in the great name of Lord Vega and Shadaloo.

COMBATSYS: Marz has left the fight here.

                                  >  ////////////////              ]
                                  |==-----\-------\0   Shadaloo Squad


COMBATSYS: Shadaloo Squad has ended the fight here.

Log created on 19:00:14 07/11/2018 by Marz, and last modified on 11:17:32 07/16/2018.