Halloween Nights: Resurgence (Chapter 3)

7/28/2019 Halloween Nights: Resurgence (Chapter 3)

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Chapter 3: Down the Rabbit Hole

Its been over twenty four hours (and therefore, October 26th, 2013, technically) since I joined the

not-so-creatively named Guardian Hunters. Now I find myself on my first mission - observation,

overwatch, and protection of a squad of Guardian Hunter members, of whom I knew nothing

about - in a somewhat hilly area south of the Twin Cities. How I got there was via a GPS suppliedto me by Sybil, which had the destination pre-programmed in. I had come here in the Impreza,

which was parked in a not-so-near parking lot. I was the one responsible for finding a decent

spot to set up a vantage point. This is easier said than done since Minnesota weather doesnt

like to play nice, and there was freezing rain again, and since this is 3-4 AM, its extremely cold

and wet and just generally very unpleasant. Thankfully, Wayland supplied me with cold weather

wear that also keeps me dry, as well as a MOLLE vest which I customized with pouches. I was

also wearing a fleece hat to keep my head warm and a tactical balaclava. My outfit was entirely

black, since it was pitch black outside anyway, and consisted of a tactical shirt, cargo pants,

combat boots, knee pads, rain shell jacket, and some tactical fingerless gloves to keep mobility

at its best. This all also meant that I had decent concealment. What really helped though wasthat I was hidden underneath a camo tarp which helped shield me from the wind and rain, and

concealed me even better. That, combined with my hiding spot on the side of a hill amongst

some short trees and bushes, I was pretty much invisible. I was observing the target building

with a Leupold Golden Ring spotting scope, with the passive night vision activated in those really

cool contact lenses that Shin gave me (which showed everything in my choice of either black

and white or green). I also had the ear piece, well, in my ear, and was awaiting for any mission

updates that Kitty was going to give me on the field. Laying beside me is whats called a Sniper

Drag Bag, a bag that contains a sniper rifle and other necessary sniper equipment and opens up

to a shooting mat that I can lay on and shoot from as a dry platform thats also comfortable.

Finally, I also had my upgraded XD which had a new threaded barrel and suppressor and atactical cord-wrapped handle Tanto attached to a sheath on my lower back just below my

MOLLE vest. And of course, my new companion under a separate tarp still within the drag bag.

Im talking about my new sniper rifle of course.

I lay there, still as a rock, and somewhat cozy despite the freezing rain falling on top of my head.

Stupid falling water. I was performing some up-to-the-second recon and relaying the info to Kitty,

who then referred it to the waiting squad apparently waiting for their opportunity to enter the

building. To be honest, though, I didnt think it was wise to maintain radio contact this close to the

enemy, but since Im not a commander, I just dismissed the thought from my mind. The target

destination is an abandoned, condemned, and soon-to-be demolished office building located just

outside a small town in Minnesota which I forgot the name to. It only had a single road that led to

it, and was surrounded by hills and Minnesotas familiar densely wooded areas. Since those

were the most obvious places to set up a vantage point, I opted for a tiny clearing in the woods

and set up near the tree line to remain invisible. In addition, the wind that was blowing kept a

constant rushing sound and would occasionally pick up speed making more noise. Using all of

these to our advantage meant that we could sneak in unnoticed as long as no one noticed us.

Not like it mattered though.


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The outside of the office building is being patrolled by a small group of orcs, and a tall cyclops

wearing a large hoodie. I gotta hand it to our enemy. At least they have modern fashion sense.

The few of the creatures outside were quickly patrolling the area, and evidently showing that they

found the cold as unpleasant as I do. Go figure. I lay there, watching the orcs and single cyclops

patrol the outside of the building. The building itself is fairly new, and many of the exterior lightsnot only still work, but were in operation by the creatures. It made sense, because Kitty told me

to look for any signs of the involvement of the organization Entropy. The problem was that in

order to do that, I would need a much stronger spotting scope, because the one I have can only

zoom into 40X, and I was located a good 500 meters away. The rain didnt help the visibility

either, so I found myself relying on the night vision and thermal imaging built into my contact

lenses. Then, I hear Kitty relay some info to me via the radio.

Takeo, the squad youre providing overwatch for is a group of light and dark elves. This is going

to be a routine reconnaissance mission. Were trying to find out if that destination is being used

as a headquarters for Entropy, or at least as an operating post. If thats the case, then I will givethe green light to engage the enemy. Takeo and Lunar squad, do you understand your

objectives? I hear a rather sultry but quiet voice reply over the radio.

Lunar Squad copies. And Takeo, its a pleasure to work with you. Well, thats awfully nice of

them to say that. I feel special...kind of.

I understand Kitty. And Lunar Squad, I wish the best for you, and Godspeed. I continue

observing through my spotting scope. I can hear the Lunar Squad commander again.

Takeo, is there any openings?

Theres several options. Theres a door designed for freight on my side of the building. It has no

one guarding it, but Id imagine that on the inside, its a death trap or at least theres probably a

blocked path into the building and would be rather pointless. The front door is guarded by a lone

cyclops, I think. Its a tall figure that appears somewhat grotesque and only has one eye in the

middle of its head. The rest of the perimeter is being patrolled by two pairs of two walking around

the building itself, one group going clockwise and the other going counter-clockwise. They cross

paths at the southwest corner near a side door, and again on what I cant really see but if I had to

guess on the opposite side. Every window on this side of the building is dark, but from what I can

see with night vision, theres some sort of winged creature watching from certain windows

chosen strategically. Its going to be hard to get in without a distraction. Unless, of course, were

going to throw discretion out of the window and perform an all-out frontal assault, but that would

all be pointless if this wasnt what we were really looking for. I kept watching through my spotting

scope. Except for what I just mentioned, this was an ordinary abandoned office building in an

outer suburb of the Twin Cities. If I were an urban explorer and didnt mind freezing rain and

Minnesotas hilly terrain, this would be awesome. But its not.


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Looking through the spotting scope, I can see a squad of dark-dressed figures wearing skin-tight

clothing approach the building from a poorly lit area. I noticed that where they were going was not

ideal given my position. I get back on the radio.

Wait.

Lunar copies. Lunar Squad replies in a whisper.

Where are you entering from?

Theres an opening in the wall in the east side of the building. We need you to tell us when the

orc patrols cross paths. Thats our window.

Kitty? I didnt even have to wait for a response.

Do it. Once thats over, Takeo, establish a new position that gives you line-of-sight on that sideof the building. Oh, thats just great, I gotta pack up my crap in freezing rain with low visibility,

while still having lungs that resemble a sieve. Thats just great. Flippin great. If you havent

noticed, Im not exactly happy at the order, but what else am I going to do? I continue watching

through the spotting scope, observing the patrols. I stare at the spot where they normally cross

paths. After a minute or so, that exactly happens. The two pairs of orcs cross paths near the

door where the cyclops was shivering and standing. I immediately get on the radio.

Paths crossed, now do what you need. Will re-establish position upon entry. I start crawling

backwards, holding the spotting scope in my right hand and drag the drag back with my left,

while sliding from underneath the camo tarp. After not even a full minute, I hear Lunar on theradio.

Gained entry. Beginning infiltration Then I hear Kittys voice.

Takeo, move to a new position.

Roger. Part of me wished the Guardian Hunters followed US Army radio protocols and

practices, but I cant really make them do that since Im not a commander. I crawl back, holding

the tarp, and stand up to a rather painful half-crouch behind a berm, turn to my left, and quickly

make my way to find a position to the east side of the building. As Im navigating through some

rather dense woods, I hear a noise like wings flapping above my head. I dive to the ground and

pull the tarp over me concealing myself. A few seconds later, a black tiny pixie faerie (black as in

black wings with purple skin, not African American, just to be clear.) Lands not even two feet in

front of my face, a miniaturized radio in-hand. I can hear her speak.

I dont see anything here. You sure you saw something moving here? The small faerie awaits a

reply from the radio. I can hear it reply clearly.


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Yes, and it was too tall to be any sort of animal native to the area. Keep looking. The faeries

shoulders drop in disappointment.

Do I have to? Flying in freezing rain really hurts my wings, you know. The faerie turns and tries

to shake a small amount of ice off her wings. She keeps looking around, and manages tocompletely miss me. But then, I can hear Lunar in my radio.

Kitty! HQ! Weve got an imprisoned human in here. Hes some sort of scientist...wait, hold on,

according to a hacked computer near where hes being held, shows that he was doing some

sort of robotics for Entropy. That proves it, weve got Entropy in his building! I grin and shift

slightly, but then I realized that the faerie in front of me was staring, almost directly at me. She

gets back on the radio again.

HQ and Eyes, I think Ive found the source of the movement. Investigating now. The faerie clips

the mini-radio on a belt, and starts carefully searching the area inches in front of her. This is bad,really bad. I slowly reach my right hand down towards the holster holding my XD45, while

simultaneously pressing the talk button on my radio with my left. As quietly as I can, I radio to

Kitty in a whisper.

Kitty...permission to engage... I wait. The faerie starts to get dangerously close. Still no reply. I

keep waiting. By now the faerie sees my tarp.

Wait a minute, this is camouflage! The faerie grabs the tarp. If I dont do something soon, Im

going to get compromised. The faerie gets back on her radio. I think weve got company, HQ!

Right after she says that, I hear Kittys voice on the radio.

All units, permission to engage! Right when she says that, the faerie throws the tarp off of me,

exposing me, but I was ready. I was in the process of drawing my XD45. Before I get an easy

bead on her, she takes off into the air. She does some strange motion, and I realize that the

roots of the nearby trees shot up from the ground and were heading straight for me. I take quick

aim at the faerie and rock the trigger. The XD45 flashes and ejects the casing. I missed the

faerie, but I did manage to cause it to hesitate enough to get out of the way of the roots. Never

mind that Im already a big guy making me a big target and Im slower than one whos smaller

than me, Ive also got to worry about my physical well-being so as to not strain myself and

hasten my death.

I keep an eye on the faerie. I draw a bead on it again as it tries to attack me, and I hit a tree next

to it, causing splinters to fly into her, distracting her again. I get up and step around some still

roots sticking up from the ground, and take aim again. I shoot, and miss again, but this time

intentionally shooting to the right, and right afterwards, I fire a follow-up shot right where I knew

she was going to fly to from the first shot that narrowly missed. Her body explodes with the .45

round hit her, sending her bits everywhere, and her wings were mostly intact and fall to the


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ground near where she was flying. It was a somewhat disturbing image, but I didnt have time to

think about that now. I turn my attention back to the office building which now was lit up like Time

Square, New York. I hear Kitty on the radio, and this time, she seemed distressed.

Takeo, provide overwatch now-! Then I hear she gets interrupted. Then I hear my wifes voice

on the radio.

Why didnt you tell me you left?!

Im sorry. Marku gave me a mission and I didnt want to wake you. And I cant really talk right

now, the situation is getting really bad. Then I hear what sounds like Kitty trying to reason with

my wife, a few seconds later, I hear Kitty on the radio again.

Takeo, Im sending your wife out there with Sybil as reinforcement. Make sure those Lunar gets

out of there alive.

Roger, Wilco! And Kitty, make sure Wayland equips my wife well, okay? Wayland seems to

have a taste for the finer things in life.

Will do. Ill be coming too, but wont break communications. Survive until then, no matter what!

Entropy doesnt play around.

Roger.

I turn and grab the drag bag and unzip it, laying it on the ground near a short berm, and exposing

my rifle of choice that I managed to acquire from Wayland. I open another flap and there it was,all beautiful and ready to roll a Parker-Hale M85. Time to get down to business.

I grab the M85, open its bi-pod, and lay down on the berm, insert a magazine (its not a clip

people, NOT A CLIP!) cycle the bolt, and take aim. The contact lense in my left eye automatically

darkens so that I can concentrate on using my strong eye. Nice. Immediately, I scope the

cyclops, who was waiting by the main entrance for Lunar squad to exit from. Line up the

crosshairs and compensate for wind, drop, and bullet rotation, take a deep breath, exhale, relax,

and squeeze the trigger. The cyclops's head splits in half and its one eye flies out and splatters

against the nearby wall. I work the bolt ejecting the shell next to me, then I start coughing. The

deep breathing required for accurate long-range shooting is already taking its toll on my

respiratory system. I search for more target. I catch sight of a harpy in a window. I repeat the

process, and squeeze the trigger. The harpy darts away from the window as the bullet strikes it

breaking it. Uh oh. Now, they know where I am. I broke one of the most important rules of being a

sniper: never take two shots from the same location. I crawl back, roll over, grab the drag

bag/shooting mat, go to my left through some woods, and find another location where I had

line-of-site of the office building. I set up again, work the bolt to eject the second casing, and take

aim at another harpy in a window. I jerk the trigger, and miss the harpys head, but I managed to


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hit it in the chest, and it falls, disappearing from view. I cough a couple times then get on the

radio.

Lunar! Sitrep!

Were almost out of the building, but were facing a lot of opposition. I dont know how muchlonger were going to last. If you can take pot shots and create a diversion outside, it would be

much appreciated. I eject the third shell.

Roger.

I shoot one of the patrolling orcs on the outside of the building. I work the bolt again and take out

his buddy who was trying to figure out where the shot came from. Five shots, half a magazine

left. I take aim at the other pair of orcs who were patrolling the outside. They were lined up one in

front of the other from my perspective. I eject the fifth and chamber the sixth round, and take aim,

and fire. I forgot to compensate for wind, because the wind had picked up. I hit the front orc in thearm, and the bullet travelled and hit the second orc in the chest, from the orcs right side to its left

(it was standing with its side facing towards me) killing it. The first orc gives out a wail. Exactly

what I needed for a diversion. Now theyll be coming outside to investigate. I turn my attention

back to the orc who was holding his bleeding arm. I wait for some of the other creatures to come

out, and see more orcs and a few more cyclops emerge, and some small faeries and

human-size faeries. Time for a field day. I eject number six, and chamber number seven. Finish

the wounded orc. Number eight: a cyclops. Number nine: a pixie faerie, causing it to explode in a

similar manner with its wings falling to the ground. By the time I chamber the last round in the

magazine, the orcs and cyclops are now shooting at me using modern weapons. Thats pretty

interesting that creatures of that type would use those kinds of weapons...but then again, itshard to battle a sniper at long range with a sword, battle axe, or warhammer. At least they keep

up with the times.

I squeeze of my tenth (last in the magazine) shot on a human-sized faerie, and while under fire,

load the second magazine, and eject the last casing, loading the first round. Im about to take

aim when I realized that not far above me was another human-size faerie, diving in for an attack.

It throws some sort of bluish-white energy sphere at me. I grab the mat and quickly roll over

dodging the attack. Laying on my back, I aim at the faerie upside-down, and hit it in the chest in a

snap shot. It falls and rolls down the hill, out of my line of sight. I roll onto my stomach, in a

slightly different position from where I was before. It ended up working out as shifting over slightly

gave me a better view of the area. I take five more shots at various creatures. After that, I get

back on the radio again.

Lunar, have you evacuated yet?

We just exited. Were being chased. I swing over to where they apparently entered the building

(a broken window), and I see one elf in the middle of the squad was carrying a half-naked human


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male. The rear of the squad had two elves that were holding off some sort of grotesque creature,

that looked like an orc, but was more human in appearance, shorter, and more natural skin color

from what I could tell.

What the heck is that? Lunar replies to me almost immediately.

Its a troll! Wow...just...wow. Im going to kill a troll. That makes me happy. I fire my sixth shot

and take out the troll with ease. I eject the shell casing, but then I get into a coughing fit. I try my

best to control it and spit the blood out of my mouth and chamber the next round when I hear the

Lunar commander speak over the radio again. Weve reached our extraction point. Your primary

objective is complete, now get the heck out of there!

Shoot, you aint gotta tell me twice! I turn and roll behind the berm and Im about to put the rifle

back into the bag, when suddenly this really, REALLY, scary woman-looking-thing pops up right

in front of the berm. I nearly crap my pants. She has pale skin and glowing red eyes, and just all

around is very scary looking. She turns back towards the creatures fighting for Entropy andsignals to them. Then, she turns back to me, and gives this awful scream. But, its more than

that, it seems that theres some sort of sonic disturbance thats cutting off my radio at the same

time. Then I remembered something I once read on Wikipedia, but I wasnt completely sure.

Suddenly, the shrieking stops, and the humanoid creature stares at me. Just that look almost

made me pee myself, it was that scary-looking.

Human, Ive shrieked at you, and Ive marked you for death. I just glare at her. You seem

unafraid. Actually, now that Ive gotten past her scary face, Im actually a little angry.

Im already marked for death, Banshee.

Oh, so you know what I- Before she even gets close to finishing her sentence, I had brought

my M85 up and shot her, the bullet entering her mouth and exploding out the back of her head.

Her body falls onto the ground and starts rolling down the hill. I strap the rifle in the drag back,

sling it on my back using the backpack-style straps, draw my XD45 and thread on the

suppressor to not give away my position, and begin my journey back to the Impreza as fast as I

can without straining myself. I pass by the clearing where my first sniping position was before I

had to move, and an orc jumps down and tries to punch me. I sidestep and try to shoot it, but the

orc grabs my XD45 and pushes it off target. I kick the orc between its legs. Its eyes widen and

falls to it knees. I shoot it in the head and keep on moving. Im about to climb over a hill and out of

the treeline, when I feel something wrap around my neck, like a whip of some sort. I grab it with

my empty hand and turn around to see a female dullahan dressed in what looks like a

motorcycle suit, a whip in hand, that very same whip wrapped around my neck. I shoot at the

headless body, but the dullahan pulls me in closer. I shoot the whip, which causes the wrist to

jerk. Using that split second of slack, I free myself from the whip and run, now with my adrenaline

pumping. I dont make it very far before I get tired and my body cant keep up, but despite that, I

had lost the dullahan. By now I had made it over the hill into an area loosely packed with some


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trees, and the parking lot with the Impreza is in sight. I start making my way through the wet

ground, exhausted. I hear Kitty on the radio, and decide to stop briefly, leaning against a tree.

Takeo! Theres a radio silence, are you still alive?

Yeah... Im breathing heavy. My lungs feel like theyre on fire. Whats...y-your E.T.A.?

One minute. Hang in there, you dont sound too good. I cough up some blood.

Im not- Suddenly, my XD45 is knocked out of my hand by something. When I turn to look, I get

punched in the face hard, then in the solar plexus, causing me to cough up a lot of blood and

gargle from it. Before I can recover, I feel a hand grab my through, and lift me into the air, then

pinning me against the tree I was leaning against. After regaining my senses, I look down to see

a gloved hand leading to a woman with unnatural blue eyes and from what I can tell as curly red

hair that went down past her shoulders. I couldnt tell what she was wearing because it was

dark, and to be honest, I dont really care. She smiles exposing a pair of vampire fangs.

Hello, Takeo. Its a pleasure to meet your acquaintance.

How...do you...? I try and say. Her grip was tight, but for the time being, I could still breath.

Thing is, the entirety of my body weight at this point is on my neck and jaw, since Im held at the

throat. That pain is excruciating. I grab her hand with my hands. I notice another figure standing

behind her who walks into view. He speaks.

Oh, Eve, where are your manners? Please, forgive her, for we havent properly introduced

ourselves. Just so you know, he doesnt have an English accent, more like a snobby richAmerican accent if there is such a thing. But, more than that, Im getting this vibe that theyre

after me specifically for some reason. Im called Adam, and shes Eve. But, make no mistake,

weve got nothing to do with the Biblical Adam & Eve. Thank God. Wait, what? Weve been

looking for you, and specifically you, Takeo. Why do I have the feeling that I have to listen to

some long villainous rant. I mean, is he really going to be that cliche?

Adam, youre not going to rant now, are you? Adam laughs.

Nope. Ill just say that we dont take kindly to those who oppose Entropy, is all. That, and you,

Takeo, were present when a good Lycan friend of ours was killed. His name was Jerry, by the

way. Jeez, sometimes that idiot will go out and do things he should. Not like it matters now, since

hes dead and all. I try to get some words out.

I...didnt...

Oh, we know, but you joined the Guardians. See, the thing is, though, you, and well, your wife

for that matter, have something that is absolutely detrimental to the existence of us vampires.


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And people like you, of the Christian faith, are our worst enemy, and towards the top of our

Types of Humans to Kill list. Once weve eliminated most of you, its much easier to eliminate

humankind as a whole and take the earth for ourselves, just like its supposed to be- Eve

interrupts Adam.

I thought you werent going to rant, and just let me get to the killin.

Sorry. Well, Takeo. Enjoy your afterlife. I can feel Eves hand clamp on my neck. Jeez, talk

about strength. I can feel the vertebrae in my neck starting to shift painfully, and the blood flow to

my head start to stop, and of course, I cant breathe. I struggle by trying to kick Eve, but to no

avail. Then, the grip loosens and I can breath again. Are you going to toy with him now?

Why not? I enjoy human suffering.

Dont take too long, you never know if were being targeted. We are out in the open after all.

I know. So, Takeo, any questions before I start to strangle you again?

How...did you...know I would...be here...? Eve smirks, then clamps my neck again. I struggle to

fight it and not succumb to it. I flex the muscles in my neck to help keep it from breaking,

however much good thatll do.

Well, we would tell you, but your commander, Marku, could probably answer that question for

you! I try to fight more, when I notice that Adam was holding the drag bag and my radio in hand.

When did they manage to take those off of me?

Ooh, a Parker Hale M85, huh? You have good taste. And this radio...its ordinary. He pulls out

the headset, rerouting the audio to the built-in speaker. I can hear Kittys voice, distressed.

Takeo! Takeo! Are you there?! What Happened?! Answer me!

Aw, your widdle fwiends awe wondewing whewe you awe. Adam laughs. Maybe I should get

on the radio and reply! Eve smirks as Adam pushes the talk button. Hello, my name is Adam,

and Im of the top commanders for Entropy. We have your friend here, and hes not doing so hot.

My girlfriend is choking him out as we speak. Want to hear it? Adam walks up to me and holds

the radio near my head, and Eve suddenly tightens her grip much harder than before. I make

choking sounds that picks up on the radio. Tighter and tighter she holds. When his neck will

snap, Im sure Eve knows. Im starting to fade, when suddenly Eve releases her grip again

causing me to regain consciousness. Adam then delivers a hard roundhouse kick to my

midsection, causing me to cough up blood and gargle on it again. Before I could do anything, like

spit the blood out, Eve starts choking me again, and Im making choking sounds. Adam steps

away and releases the talk button. Kitty was now screaming insults and obscenities at Adam.

Adam crushes the radio in his hand and throws the bits over his shoulder. He turns back to me.


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I would say Nothing personal, but oh, its very personal. So, die! I feel Eves grip tightening

harder than before. I can feel the vertebrae in my neck on the brink of breaking, but then, she

stops at a strange sound. Its the sound of a braying horse. Out of nowhere, I see someone in a

black and purple ride up to us at high speed on a motorcycle, pull out a whip, and manages to

wrap it around Adams neck, dragging him on the ground. Its Sybil. As she takes care of Adam, I

hear another familiar voice, its my wife Jenn. I turn my eyes towards where the voice was. Thereshe was my beautiful wife, dressed in tactical gear: boots, tactical cargo pants, long-sleeve shirt,

and a matching MOLLE tactical vest with magazine pouches. In addition to that, she was also

wearing a beanie for the cold weather and tactical gloves. She was aiming square at Eves head.

Oh, pitiful human. What could you possibly do with that weapon to harm me? They have a

staredown of epic proportions. Then, suddenly, Jenn taps a single shot at Eve square in the eye.

Even though it hit, I could already start to see that it was beginning to heal on its own very

quickly. And, obviously, Eve was not pleased. Well, now youve pissed me off. This is exactly

what I needed. My adrenaline kicks in again as Eve slightly loosens her grip. Using the

opportunity of my regained composure and Eve dropping her guard, I clutch her arm with myhands and bring my legs up around her arm and manage to knock her to the ground, and lock in

an armbar with her face down and her arm between my legs. Jenn runs up and presses her

UMP45 against the back of Eves head.

Mess with my husband and I will kill you. Even smiles.

Id like to see you- WAAAH! I lean back all my weight on her arm, and break it in three places:

shoulder, upper arm, and hyper-extending her elbow, inverting it.

Oh... I cough, and spit some blood off the side. I guess vampires do feel physical pain.

You human meat-sack bas- Jenn switched her UMP45 to full auto and hamburger-beefs (my

term for what happens when you put meat or flesh in a grinder what what it looks like when you

put it through a grinder) her head to bits. After emptying her mag, I try and stand, but am too

weak. Jenn catches me. I look down and see Eves body, arm mangled, and generally headless,

but still twitching. I also see that the bits of her head were coming back to her body and her head

was slowly, but surely, reforming itself. I look over and see Sybil whip Adam into the air with her

whip, launching him well over the hill. Shes a strong one, thats for sure. I hear the sound of a

bell. Me and Jenn turn to see Kitty running towards us at full sprint. She reaches us and is

breathing heavily.

I...shouldve...used...my...human...form... Kitty looks up at me. Takeo, you look horrible.

Ive...b-b-been b-better. Thats f-f-for sure...Urgh! I turn and cough up a lot of blood on the

ground for several seconds. When the coughing stops, I just stare at it. Kitty...how much do you

know about Marku?


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Not much. Just that the higher-ups put him in that leadership position for the Guardian Hunters

here in Minnesota. That doesnt bode well for Marku. After hearing what Adam and Eve - Im

never going to get over those names - said, it looks like Ive got a bone to pick with him. No time

to think about that now, though, because Entropys army is coming upon us. A large group of

creatures, which Im to lazy to list off, just remember what I said before, is coming at us, armed,

and angry. Jenn, Takeo! You two get into your Impreza. Well hold them off until you leave andwell meet you back at HQ. Jenn nods, and is about to leave, but I stop her.

Jenn, can you grab the rifle and XD45 for me please? The rifle is a loaner, kinda. You can lean

me against the tree. She puts me up against a tree, and goes and grabs the drag bag with the

M85 in it, but cant find my XD45.

Tom, were you really attached to that gun? Thinking about it, it wasnt worth risking my life for a

handgun.

Not really. Good to go? She comes under my arm again and we make our way back to theImpreza I parked in the nearby parking lot.

Tom, can you drive?

Do I look like I can drive?

Well... I just give her a look. I just saved you, give me some credit. No one deserves to kill you

more than me. I smirk, as she helps me into the passenger seat. She hands me her UMP45.

Well, you should probably do defense for us then. I nod, since now I was feeling a little better,

now that Ive had a chance to sit down and take a ...breather. Well, at least some semblance of abreather. She gets into the driver seat, and I hand her the keys. I check the UMP45 and notice

that the mag was empty.

Mag? She opens the pouches on her vest and pulls out all of the UMP45 mags she had still full,

which were nine of them. Thats a lot of firepower even by my standards. I fold the stock of the

UMP to make it easier to handle in an enclosed car, drop the empty mag, load a fresh one, and

slap the bolt shut. We take off at high speed onto the road towards the highway. I reach for my

radio, only to realize that it was destroyed. I turn to Jenn. Radio? She unplugs hers and hands it

to me.

Whore you calling?

Kitty and Sybil. I press the talk button. Are you two okay?

Weve got a little caught up in the moment. Nothing we cant handle, nyan.

Dont die out there.


12/22

We wont...Wait, theyve gotten into their vehicles and are going to chase after you. Well try and

breakaway here to help you.

Roger- Just then, I feel the Impreza jerk from a rear impact, causing me to drop the radio.

Theyre behind us! Help me get rid of them! Jenn yells.

Shoot, you aint gotta tell me twice. I roll down the window, and put into full auto.

Sometimes I do!

Well, this aint one of those times. I look out the window to see a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8

beside us. I look behind us and see nothing. Brake!

What?

BRAKE! Jenn slams on the brake, slamming me into the dashboard because I wasnt wearing

my seatbelt. Remember kids, wear your seatbelt, otherwise your delicate lungs may get

punctured by your ribs. Speaking of which, OW!!!! Gas! Jenn floors it. I lean out of the window,

and pepper the rear windshield with a long burst of .45 ACP ammo. The SUV swerves, and flips

into a ditch, rolling several more times. I sit back in the car. My torso hurts a lot now. Then, a

black car of a make and model I cant see cuts us off. An orc pops up from the sunroof window,

assault rifle in hand. Duck! Me and Jenn duck. We both grab the wheel to maintain a straight

path. I blindfire the UMP over the dash out through the front windshield. I peek back over to see

the vehicle still going but the orc is gone and the windshield is wrecked. Jenn straightens backup and struggles to look through the wrecked windshield.

Can you kick the windshield down?

Watch your eyes. I recline the seat back, and kick the windshield out as best as I can while

Jenn concentrated on the driving. You okay? I look over and see Jenn was bleeding from her

right hand through her glove. What happened?

I got cut from the glass. I try and grab her hand to check, but she winced and withdrew her

hand. Its got glass in it. We have to wait to get back to get it out.

Okay. As long as youre okay. We continue along, slowing down slightly. You think we lost

them? I spoke a tad too soon. Three cars surround us. Really? REALLY? By now I was

channelling The Miz of WWE fame. Really?! Really?! The car behind us rams us. Suddenly, I

feel Jenn swerve to the left, draw her sidearm, a Smith & Wesson M&P 40 that I bought for her

for defense, and unload into the car to our left. She gives me a look, and I already knew what to

do. I brace myself as Jenn slams on the brakes again, forcing the car behind us to swerve to one


13/22

side and speed past us slightly. Jenn accelerates again, and I empty the rest of the magazine to

the right of our car from behind before they could react. I drop the empty mag and load the third.

Jenn performs a police PIT-maneuver on the third and final car causing it to spin out. In the

process of the car spinning out, I unload the entire magazine into the spinning car, surely killing

everything inside of it. I drop the third empty magazine, and load a fourth for insurance. Because

we all know, thirty rounds of .45 ACP ammunition will always beat Progressive and their ability tocompare rates, State Farm and their neighborly service, Allstate with Dennis Haysbert and Dean

Winters, and whatever other insurance companies are out there, the .45 will always reign

supreme...at least in my eyes.

We continue on the highway, slow down slightly. Since it was late, the roads were all empty. I

was getting tired, and the pain in my upper torso was getting worse. I lean back in my seat as the

rain pours in through where the windshield used to be. Shortly after I finally relax, Sybil pulls up

alongside us on her trusty steed (her motorcycle) and Kitty riding on the back with her own

cat-sized motorcycle helmet. I look over to Jenn who was basically bearing the brunt of the

freezing rain coming through the windshield, her hand still bleeding.

Jenn...Are you okay?

Not really. The rain is getting to me, and my hands really bothering me. And its cold.

Want to pull over somewhere?

Where?

Next exit. Well find a place to stop. I look out at Sybil, and motion to her on what we want to do.Sybil nods. We pull over and park in a deserted parking lot. We get out, and I look at Jenns hand.

Its not that bad. Liar!

I understand that you dont want to baby it, but dont try and say that its not that bad when it is.

You said theres a piece of glass stuck in there, right? You still got your knife? She reaches for a

spring-assisted folding knife. I bought it for her quite some time ago to use as a utility knife. It has

served both of us well. Where is it? She points to where the piece of glass was, then takes off

her glove and puts it into her mouth. I take off the glove on her bleeding hand and observe it.

There were glass shards everywhere. I think that a bullet tore open her glove, and a second

grazed her hand after it took some of the windshield with it. I try and brush off the glass that was

loose enough with her flinching from the pain. I observe closely and carefully stick the point of the

knife in her hand. Kitty, who was now sitting on the hood of the Impreza, was watching this

unfold.

Takeo, you sure this is a good idea?


14/22

Kitty, do you doubt my steady hands? Im a sniper for petes sake!

Well, no, but your wife doesnt look too good-

Done!

Wow, that was fast. Jenn relaxes and looks at me.

I feel a little better. I feel a tap on my shoulder, and see that Sybil had a roll of gauze in hand. I

take it and nod, and wrap Jenns hand up. Tom, are you okay?

...I... Suddenly, I became really light-headed. I brace myself and look down. I notice that blood

was dripping from my waist apparently. I lift up my outer shirt then my inner shirt. The blood had

soaked through my bandages again. I might pass out again...We need to head back. More than

my health, I wanted to confront Marku. He knows something, I just know it. Kitty evidently saw my

conviction.

Meow Mix for your thoughts, nyan?

Dont worry about it, Kitty. Jenn, can you drive a little longer. I dont want to pass out behind the

wheel.

Okay.

We get back into the Impreza. Now, Im fighting to stay conscious. Things are getting a little

blurry, but still I stay coherent enough to know whats going on. Not long before we return to HQ.The ride is quiet until Jenn asks me about what was on my mind.

I know that look. What you thinking about? I figured she should know.

Adam and Eve.

Adam and Eve as in Biblical Adam and Eve?

No. Adam and Eve the vampires we fought. Eve we so graciously hamburgered her head.

Ah. Yeah, what about them?

They said something that bothers me. When I asked them how they knew I was going to be

there, they said that Marku would know. Jenn gives me look of shock.

What, but, how? You mean he put you on that mission knowing that you might die?


15/22

I dont know. This all sucks all kinds of supafly booty. But, Im sure, you can agree, this mission

seemed strange. Not so much what it was, but everything that happened. But, thankfully, you

showed up and saved my life. Thanks... No, dont fade now. Were almost to the HQ. After what

seems like an eternity, we pull into the garage. Sybil motions to Jenn to drive the car onto a

hydraulic lift for repairs. Jenn exits first, and helps me from the car. I still had the UMP45 in my

hand. Im losing coherence every moment, but the one thing keeping me conscious is anger. Weget into an elevator and take it up to the main floor. On the way, I hand Jenn back the UMP45.

Can I get your pistol?

Why?

Markus might need some convincing.

Youre going to shoot him, arent you?

Yeah. Jenn, can I ask you to do something?

Uh, yeah.

When I pass out, tend to me asap, either that, or find Shin. Im at that point.

Okay. And Marku?

If he gets in your way. I give a look to Jenn. Kill him, and dont hesitate. I tap Jenn so that she

would stop trying to hold me up. I can feel the anger well up inside me, and my adrenaline start to

kick in. I give a low growl as we arrive on the main floor of the Guardian Hunters mansion.Directly in front of me was Marku.

Takeo, report to the briefing room for a debriefing- I was quickly walking towards him. Takeo,

what are you doing? Im going at a slow jog, at least a pathetic one given my condition. Takeo?

Thats an- Before he could say that it was an order, I raised the M&P40 and shoot him in the

upper torso five times. I tackle him, then use my knees to pin his arms against the floor. I press

the barrel of the M&P40 into his left eye. Despite all of this, he showed no change in his cold

resolve.

Marku. Ive got questions that need answers, and a limited amount of time. Now, if you dont tell

me, youre going to get the nickname One-Eyed Markus, at least until it heals, but Im going to

make sure your balls are next to go. Got it?

Fine, Takeo. Well debrief here. What questions do you have?

Why did you send me on a mission where the enemy was waiting for me, and specifically me?


16/22

I do not know what youre talking about. I shift the angle on the M&P40 in his eye and pull the

trigger, blowing out his left eye. He yelps, but his steely resolve remains unchanged. This guy

pisses me off. Oh, really? And Adam and Eve, who are they?

Two people from the Bible. I turn, and shoot him in the groin. He wails, and I pistol whip him.

Wrong Adam and Eve. Im talking about the duo of vampires who tried to kill me tonight. Should I

go for Blind Markus next? I ram the M&P40 into his right eye now. Or are you going to be

stubborn and not tell me?

Theres nothing you can do to me that could do me harm. After all, Ill just regenerate.

Oh, really? Using my teeth, I undo my glove on my left hand. Did you forget? Apparently, when

I touch you, you get all scorched, and you dont heal from it. Thats evident from the burn scars

on your hand which are still there. Dont underestimate my observation skills either. I may be

nearly blind sans glasses, but with glasses, or at least, when I can see, Im a force to bereckoned with...kind of. After I shoot out your right eye, Im going to pick a spot to burn you, a

place thats not visible when clothed. How does that sound?

Dont touch me.

Is that all you have to say? What really goes on in that scheming vampiric brain of yours?

Should I stick my hand in there and feel around to find out? Or how about ravaging your internal

organs? Or, maybe...

STOP NOW, TAKEO! That was Kittys voice. Suddenly, I feel a force hit me from the right side.I pull the trigger, and blow out Marku's right eye. He screams in pain, as I get knocked over by

none other than Kitty. Takeo, what the heck are you doing?

Marku knows something. He sent me into that mission knowing that I was going to get

specifically targeted by the enemy!

And that justifies you to come into the HQ popping your gun off?! Whether youre right or wrong

doesnt matter at this point. You shot up the place and didnt even bother to use your head. What

creatures you think caught all of that? You just shot their leader in front of them!

So what?! None of you really liked him did you? I smack Kitty off of me and try and stand up, but

end up having to lean on the banister near the stairs and near where Marku was still laying, blind,

writhing in pain as his wounds slowly but surely regenerate and heal. I stomp on his bloodied

face before I try and make it up the stairs, but the adrenaline wore off, and I dont even remember

making it halfway up, before falling and everything fades to black again.

***


17/22

This is beginning to get ridiculous...

I passed out again...

My eyes want to stay shut. I also feel something warm against my body. I cant move my rightarm, so with my left arm, I pry my eyes open. I look around. Interesting, this time, the window is

letting in daylight. It felt like mid day, or some time similar. Jenn was laying on me, sound asleep

wearing a tank-top and shorts. You know, Im just now thinking about it, but since my lungs are

slowly collapsing and filling, why not just insert a chest tube and let out the air and blood? I want

to get up to ask Shin, but Jenn is snuggling up close to me. I move around slightly, when I

realized something felt weird. I noticed that there was an IV attached to my left arm. Following it

back, it was attached to a bag and a machine. I also noticed something else. There was a tube

that went to my torso. With my free hand, I feel around and notice that its just below my chest

cavity. I guess I spoke too soon about the whole chest tube thing. I look around the room. It

hasnt really changed, except that there was a few medical machines near the bed. On the nearnightstand was a thin vase with five different-colored roses and a card resting next to it with a

stylized hand-written Takeo on the front of it. Then, I also realized something, there wasnt

much pain, and I was breathing much better. I relax, and lay in the bed, staring at the ceiling. I still

had the contact lenses in, so I can thankfully see. Jenn moves slightly and mumbles in her sleep.

I grin, then I hear the door open. I manage to slide myself out from underneath Jenn and sit up

slightly. I see Shin, who looked like he hasnt slept for days, being helped in by Sybil, who was in

a much more casual outfit, but still had the black and purple color scheme. Shin and Sybil work

their way to my bed, and Shin pulls up a chair and almost collapses into it. He takes off his

glasses and rubs his eyes. Sybil pulls up a chair next to him and gently rubs his back. Then he

looks at me, unusually somber and very serious, but also somewhat relieved.

Takeo, youre awake. Almost immediately I had a pressing question.

What day is it? H-H-How long have I been out? Shin looks at Sybil. She shrugs. Shin looks

back and me, scratches his head, then puts his glasses back on. I should also mention that his

eyes are very dark. Yep, he hasnt slept at all for a long period of time at least.

October 30th. Wow, didnt even bother to ease me into it. But hey, I can appreciate honesty.

What happened? Was I...?

You were comatose for...uh... He was struggling to think.

You havent had much sleep, I can tell. You dont h-h-have to tell me exactly. I can do the math

on my own. He gives a weak grin. He leans on Sybil who gently pulls him close and strokes his

head.


18/22

I...havent...Oh, Takeo, I just remembered something. That guy that you helped rescue on that

mission, we found out something interesting when he regained consciousness. His name is

Seth Miles. Hes an adopted Korean-American doctor and scientist, no short of being a genius.

Okay, whoop-de-doo, what does that have to do with me?

Are you familiar with biorobotics?

Kinda.

Well, long story short, he went missing a.k.a. kidnapped, but before he was, he pioneered some

new forms of robotics specifically designed for medical use in treating patients that had

compromised circulatory and respiratory systems. He stops then smiles.

What? Your smile is kinda creepy.

Takeo, he was working on a robotics-based prototype system to give those with damaged lungs

a new lease on life. It just dawned on me what he was saying.

Wait, youre t-t-telling me th-that youve found a way to save me? His smile faded slightly.

Possibly...Takeo, I dont want to give you false hope, but I mentioned that it was still only a

prototype. And its not like Seth is in any condition to perform any types of surgery or robotics or

anything like that right now. He was torn up really bad.

What happened? And why was he kidnapped?

Were not really sure. The only thing that he knows personally is that he was forced to make

some sort of robotic system designed to target humans. He never finished it, but the designs

and architecture behind the system is still with Entropy. We may have a major problem on not

just our hands, but every other Guardian-style organization all over the worlds hands.

I see. I scratch my head. Is there anything I can do? Then I hear Kittys voice.

No! Kitty walks into the room, and jumps up onto the bed. Takeo, you have strict orders: youre

not to approach Markus in any way, shape, or form, and youre not allowed to leave the grounds

until you either have mostly recovered from your injuries, or die, whichever comes first. Youre a

loose cannon and I cant possible let you go on another mission good health or not. Kitty

seemed unusually cold, and obviously was very irritable. But then, her demeanor changes. At

least, thats what the orders from the higher-ups told me to give you. Personally, I dont want you

causing a scene like you did the other day. I agree with you not getting involved with missions, or

any type of combat anymore. Just hang out, and get acquainted with the other people in the

mansion here...And... Kitty just collapses onto the bed. Sybil and Shin rush to her aid.


19/22

She hasnt had much sleep either, has she? Sybil gently picks her up and holds her in her

arms.

Not really. Shin replies. Weve all been really busy, but me and Kitty especially. Ive been up

day and night caring for both you and Seth. Its a lot for a single doctor to handle. As for Kitty,shes been in the commander role while Marku recovers physically in his room. He just returned

to his position early this morning, after Kitty hasnt slept at all for days. I have to admit, though,

with Kitty in charge, things were going smoothly...but Entropy.

What about Entropy? Shin looks at Sybil who was tapping on her phone and shows it to me.

Theyve been making moves to do something, but no one is entirely sure of what. Sybil types

on her phone. Lunar has been doing recon. We still have no idea. Sybil types again. But

theres no way its good. Seth is only a tiny piece of the puzzle. But, you shouldnt be worrying

about all of this. Just rest for now. Shin will take care of you. Sybil pockets her phone and walksout of the room carrying Kitty. Shin plops back down into his chair and rotates his head to stretch

his neck. He looks at something near the bed then looks at me, or more specifically, the chest

tube.

Takeo, how do you feel?

Would you be offended if I said Better than you? He grins, and nods.

Not really. But, I think Ive done what I can with the tools we have. Your lungs have been drained

of blood and whatever fluids is also in there, and the air will be kept out temporarily so long asyou keep relieving the air pressure. Id stay away from any type of blood thinners or alcohol. The

blood has clotted in your lungs preventing the bleeding, but it wont take much to knock them

loose, and if they do, youll die for sure. Dont stress yourself. Ill remove your IV and chest tube.

Ill get some anesthesia and pain killers. I lean in and kiss Jenn to wake her up. See, an

interesting tidbit is that shes like sleeping beauty, shell only wake up when I kiss her. She wakes

up and is surprised.

Youre up! I thought...I thought you... She hugs me. She pulls back and kisses me.

Okay, Jenn. Shins going to remove the IV and chest tube. She gives a sad meow and gets

off the bed. Love you too.

I love you. Shin returns with a cart of medical tools and gloves on. And this is where Id rather

not disclose in detail what happens...

***


20/22

I was finally back in regular clothes again. Shin had removed the IV and chest tube. My arm was

bandaged where the IV was, and my chest was bandaged well. Thing is, Im stuck in a

wheelchair. Its not that I cant walk. Actually, the opposite, Im capable of walking, but the thing is,

Shin, to be safe, told me to use a wheelchair until he can have a talk with Seth to determine of

the plausibility of using robotics to restore my lungs to 100% or close to it. Me and Jenn were

alone in my room, and the procedure to get me back to being detached from the machines tooklong enough that the shorter Minnesota autumn days made for a good view of the early evening

sunset. I had read the card that were next to the flowers on the nightstand. It was from the Lunar

Squad, thanking me for my service with them, and they invited us to hang out with them and

meet them face-to-face. I spin the wheelchair around to Jenn who was helping Shin pack up and

move the machines. After Shin moves the machine to their appropriate place in the mansion and

returns, I get his attention.

Hey man. You oughta get some sleep. You look like you went on a bad trip and was forced to

drink coffee the entire time. Shin nods, and just collapses on my bed. Me and Jenn just sit/stand

there, staring at Shin for a minute.

Should we leave him?

Yeah, and we wont tell Sybil, see how long that goes before she figures it out. I cough, but

instead of it being like a hacking cough, it was dry, and wasnt so bad. It did hurt a little, but not

like how it did before. Talk about a breath of fresh air. Jenn walks behind me and rolls me out of

the room and into the hallway of the mansion. This is actually the first time Ive seen it without

being rushed to do something. The walls were painted maroon color, and the corridor was lined

with doors that led to apparent dormitories of various creatures. The floor was carpeted, but with

a thin carpet similar to what you would find in a hotel, and had groom marks from a vacuum, butthey looked weird, evident of one using a Dyson ball vacuum. Yeah, I just referenced Dyson

vacuums, shoot me. We were rolling along as various creatures were smiling and waving, and

whispering out of earshot. Now, a normal person, especially a guy, wouldnt mind getting that

kind attention, but I have to be honest, Im not well suited for this kind of attention. I was getting

annoyed, until there was a group of elf girls...or women, or...huh? One of them points me out and

I bend my head back to look at Jenn. One of the elves speaks.

Im Luna, the leader of the Lunar Squad. She seemed to be really perky and bubbly. So much

so that it went beyond creepy to just somewhat pointless. I sighed. She grabbed my hand and

shook it, to my surprise. You must be Takeo. I just give an unsure nod. I mean, to be honest,

these elves were of average human size and stature as far as women are concerned, or should

I say teenage girls? I have no idea. It was just weird seeing their different skin tones with the

semi-long pointed ears and many (but tasteful) piercings. I just thought it was strange, that they

would be so accepting of someone like me. They motion for me and Jenn to go into their room.

What you think? I ask.


21/22

Well...I dont really know. I think we should just move on. Jenn continues pushing me, and we

move past the room, but then one of the elves of Lunar runs out and yells out both of our

weakness.

We have chocolate! Jenn stops and I put on the brakes of the wheelchair. We slowly turn

towards them. The elf just stood there, big smile on her face, holding two Godiva chocolate bars,one in each hand. Me and Jenn, we dont even look at each other.

Jenn? I ask. Jenn immediately replies.

When was the last time we had chocolate?

Since before we ended up here with the Guardians.

We havent had any for a while.

Shall we?

We shall. I unlock the brakes and Jenn is about to push me into the room, theres an explosion

so powerful that it shakes the floor we were on. Jenn loses her balance and braces herself on a

nearby pillar, while I grab the wheels and adjust myself to keep from rolling uncontrollably away.

The heck was that?! I yell. Suddenly, theres another explosion and one of the rooms in front of

me is blown open, the door sent flying across the corridor to the room door on the opposite side.

Elves, vampires, pixies, dwarves, heck, I think I saw a sprite (a small fairy that can control

certain elements). In an instant, the corridor was chaos. I reach out my hand to Jenn and help

her regain her stance. I spin around the wheelchair, and directly in front of me was a Kitsune(Japanese fox spirit) with two tails. It...or rather, she, quickly informs me on the situation.

Were getting attacked by Entropy! Well, I knew the attack part was probably pretty obvious, but

Entropy? To be completely honest, I figured that the security would be really tight for the

Guardian Hunters, but Entropy managed to break through, which meant one of two things: our

security sucks, or Entropy is much stronger than we thought. Oh crap, its the latter isnt it? I look

back to Jenn.

Jenn, lets go to Waylands armory! This just got real. Jenn grabs my wheelchair and wheels

me at high speed to the elevator lobby, but she stops.

Dont use the elevators. That would be a stupid way to die! Lets take the- I guess we didnt

have to go up to the armor. Wayland had come down to us through the stairwell. I stand up from

the wheelchair, as my adrenaline was running again. Wayland opens a pistol case. In it was

Jenns M&P40 and a shiny SIG P220. Its drastically different than my old XD45, but Im

experienced in using one. Wayland also hands Jenn a UMP45 and a handful of magazines and a

KA-BAR combat knife. Wayland hands me a cord-wrapped modern Tanto and that trusty


22/22

Parker-Hale M85, which is somewhat useless in a close-quarters like the inside of a mansion.

But, I think were going with a defensive tactic anyway, so put me in a window, and Ill be good.

And so, here we find ourselves with an attack from Entropy in a mansion with no easy escape

route and apparently theyre hitting us with RPGs. What I didnt know, was that this was going to

be the start of yet another life-changing event in my life.

TO BE CONTINUED

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Halloween Nights: Resurgence (Chapter 3)