01:06:39 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Westbound on Qane, Tehran
Weather: Approximately 42 degrees Fahrenheit, partially cloudy, light gusts 5-8 mph NNE

As the last Corpselight disintegrated into a puff of smoke from the mighty swing of his axe, Bubba looked to his left and right and sensing the danger was over he switched his axe off. The lasers disappeared into the mounts and the soft hum of the axe came to an end. There was an eerie silence as Bubba knelt beside Starling doing his best to examine her condition. Bubba keyed his comm link.

"Threats beens eliminateds, Starlings needs help, sends da healer, and someones go after dat Foo Foo Boy he rans offs in terror, who knows where dat piece of works is nows, and I gots me a headaches wouldn't mind a little mojos fix either after we patch Starlings. Dese shining little bastards gave us some fits! Whatevers da hells dey were!"

Bubba placed a left hand under Starlings head and his other hand released the combat axe and then gently took her hand.

"Use gonna bes oks," he spoke softly. As annoying as the girls were Bubba always had a soft spot for his team members, mainly because of his fear of being abandoned, or left for dead. These fears brought out his compassion for a broken team mate.

01:06:45 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Westbound on Qane, Tehran

"Copy that. Lima, Foxtrot with me" regaining his composure Kliko got up and ran in the general direction Knuckle Duster ran off only half a minute ago, atuning his cyber ears for any trace of the adepts fleeting feet.

"Foxtrot, drop the spirit thing power on the adept"

The bio-enhanced heart powered Kliko's extended sprint as he rushed his across the sidecurb. The adepts BattleTac^tm icon blinking dead-ahead. 'Frag this' Grabbing Duster by the shoulders he shook him violently to bring him out of whatever trance like state he found him in. "Are you there chummer! Listen to me, follow my voice, you're gonna be just fine alright hear me!"

Doing a quick scan of his surrounding Kliko looked for Ludmilla's flashing BattleTac^tm icon. "Lima cover me. I got to patch this one up before we head out."

01:06:50 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Westbound on Qane, Tehran

When Kliko approached, Duster flinched, tucking back deeper into the doorway. After a second or two, his face turned from fear to recognition.

"What... what happened?"

01:07:32 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – "Corpselight Park" on Qane, Tehran

The team began to regroup loosely around Duster's position. Ludi took over rear security, covering the park in case any more of those corpselights appeared.


Kliko treated Duster, who seemed disorientated and confused, like his bell had been rung. His breathing had slowed to a normal pace, instead of its rapid gasping, and the glass on his eyes seemed to clear.

"Got's another for ya's to treats," Bubba dropped Starling who slumped next to Duster. She appeared to be in the same condition as Duster, only worse.

Bubba and Kliko did what they could for them, before Felix took over to lay hands on Starling.

"Hey boss," Bubba whispered loudly to Kliko, "Cans we takes a break. Me has a headaches from fightin' dose dumb glowies."

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea."

He then relayed message over the radio, "Take a breather everyone. We will continue on at 0130."


01:21:11 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – "Corpselight Park" on Qane, Tehran

What the frag!? Ludi swore she saw someone, or something, moving in the trees behind the park building. Was something poking its head out from behind one of those trees? Calm in almost every combat situation, she felt her pulse racing. She took a purposeful slow, deep breath, to calm her nerves and control her body, but soon she could hear her heart beating in her inner ear. Not this drek again.

She blinked hard, and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, attempting to clear her vision. The shape was gone, or had never been there. She regained her composure, though her senses were now heightened. Several times she swore she could see a head poking out around the trees, but when she tried to focus on it, nothing looked out of place.

Ludi had convinced her self that the ghost town was getting to her, and there was nothing there... then she heard something off in the distance letting out an eerie, crackling laugh. Or was it just the creaking of the tree branches in the wind?

01:26:49 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – "Corpselight Park" on Qane, Tehran

Ludi convinces herself that it is her mind playing tricks on her, and the evidence of someone, or something, watching her from the dark disappears. Nevertheless, she keeps watchful eye on the park through the open sights of her AKS-74U.


01:28:36 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – "Corpselight Park" on Qane, Tehran

"Okay, lets gear up," Kliko says, pulling the straps tight on his ruck sack.

"Lima. Moving in two."
"Thank God."

Ludi would have welcomed the break on account of her teammates, but this dead sprawl gave her the creeps, and watching over the haunted park didn't do anything to comfort her. She stood upright, still using the building as cover, and surely keeping her rifle covering the park. The sooner she could leave, the better.

"Lima, you and I will be taking point. Bravo is en route to take over the rear."
"Copy."

Ludi took a step toward her teammates when she heard a whisper on the wind, "Ludmila..." She froze, the hair on the back of her neck on end, and she could feel the static electricity in the air. Spinning, aiming at her previous location, nothing. She slowly backed away, and as she turned again, the wind called her once more,"Ludmila. We see you."

"Frag this!"

She picked up the pace as she passed, Bubba.

"Frag what?" Bubba said with a frown. Now what had he done to piss her off.

01:29:14 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – "Corpselight Park" on Qane, Tehran

Ludi joined the main body, and Kliko filled her in on the plan.

"You and me in front, mojos and Starling 50 meters behind us, Bubba-"

"Did you grab my tomahawk from the park?" Duster interrupts.

Ludi responded with an icy stare, then marched off to cover point and put distance between her and the park.

"But, my tomahawk..."

01:29:28 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – "Corpselight Park" on Qane, Tehran

"Should have taken the Assault rifles our galant ms J. offered when you could Delta." Unstrapping his SPAS-22 Kliko passed both the shotgun and an ammo pouch over to the stunned looking adept. In truth Kliko was just happy to rid himself of some 4kg's in weight he was hauling along.

"It operates like a smooth little thing. Just point and click, best used in CQB. Gotta smartlink? Better slot it chummer. This baby got a Smartlink II interface it just feels better then anything you slotted before... smartlink wise that is..."

01:29:37 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – "Corpselight Park" on Qane, Tehran

Duster takes the shotgun reluctantly from Kliko, and stares at it suspiciously as the tutorial is given.

"But I hate guns..." Duster impotently mutters.

01:40:01 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Northbound on Sadeqi, Tehran

Bubba had to keep his friends safe. They were all ahead of him, and he had their back. While he was used to being the point man, smashing through doors, running first into danger, being rear guard was something new. He was confused as to whether Kliko didn't trust him to be the lead man and making him be the big fat caboose, or if he was trusting him to watch everyone's back while not having to be the big meat shield.

Bubba contemplated these things as he marched down the empty streets while munching donuts he had pulled from his pack.


01:43:49 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Westbound on 152nd, Tehran

Kliko and Ludi arrive first at the Baqeri Highway at the corner of 152nd Street.

"That is a lot of open space," Kliko says, scanning the open road and the fields that surround it.

"I don't know if it is more dangerous to cross it, or sit still," Ludi replies.

The feeling of something watching her has followed her from the park, but constant looks over her shoulder only revealed Duster and Felix following dutifully behind.

01:29:37 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – "Corpselight Park" on Qane, Tehran

"I don't like being in this shithole either.... but I do like a big fat credstick. Now, it's real simple operation. Just point and click, can't miss when stuff comes up close and personal."

01:43:52 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Westbound on 152nd, Tehran

"We be moving around it. There's a big facility right there, we should be able to cut across and pass through taking a shortcut" 'no fraggin way We're gonna walk out in the open like that' "I'll take point, we be going slow and steady. Bravo got our back. Last thing we want is ghouls sneaking up on us." 'Just don't chicken out on me girl'

"Foxtrot, Kilo, can you scan the big metroplex to our north-west for squatters over."

01:44:45 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – 152nd and Baqeri Highway, Tehran

"Cover me," Felix paused before adding, "Someone follow me... in case we need some guns."

Felix could handle himself, but he didn't like being out in the open all alone. Hovering, invisible or both, and especially not neither. Crossing over the elevated freeway, Felix got his first good wide open view of the city. The city didn't collapse upon itself. As he scanned the area he saw buildings in various states of decay, while some look almost brand new, minus the residual dust from the both the desert sandstorms and fallen buildings.

Other buildings show evidence of fire damage. To the northeast he can see entire neighborhoods that have been burned to the ground, while to one side the houses stand preserved in time, and on the other, half a block is flattened.

His World History course at the People's University in San Francisco had talked about natural disasters and civil wars tearing the city apart in the 20s. He couldn't remember much of that class, but like most of the teachings there, they seemed more politically motivated brainwashing than true education. Students were too dumb to see all the facts and come to their own conclusions.

Something was on the edge of his memory, and the harder he dug into his thoughts, it seemed to escape him. He recalled discussing conspiracy theories and what really happened in Tehran. Where was he? Yes, that part he could see perfectly clear. He was at the bar, at... the Albatross? No. It was in Berkeley, though. Definitely Berkeley. Or was it Oakland? ... No matter. Felix shook his head, involuntarily. He and Carlos... Yes, definitely Carlos. Unless it was Hector. Either way they were discussing the middle east and what they had heard really happened...

"Foxtrot!"
"Huh? What?"
"Slow down, turbo! You wanted I should cover you?" Ludi yelled over the com system.

Felix looked around and realized he had been lost in thought and had crossed the highway completely, while Ludi had to climb the wall to access the overpass, then bounded to the center divide and was taking cover as she scanned the area.

"Sorry... I thought... never mind. The road is clear, Lima. Go ahead and cross to the far side of the freeway."

Even over the radio, there had been a detectable change in Felix's voice and speech pattern.

Ludi was hesitant about following. Had Felix seen her shadow? She looked around, then quickly decided staying close to the shaman was a much better option than sitting in the middle of an abandoned road. That's when the memories of the French New Guinea jungle flooded her mind. She dashed across the road while rage filled her. "I am not going to be this missions Sugar," she told herself.

Felix looked at the demolished city once more. What happened to them all? What really happened here? He pocketed his lighter and refocused on pushing forward to the target, and tried to ignore the horror of what must have happened to this city and her people.

He would find that forgetting the images of the smoldering city surrounding him was a much more difficult task than trying to remember what he and whoever were talking about at some bar a few years ago.

01:48:02 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – 152nd and Baqeri Highway, Tehran

Felix made his way down to what looked like it used to be a large public transport system. Ludi was still on the overwatch from the overpass, now above him. She would have to travel south to Bagheri to make it down, without jumping or him levitating her. She was already slowly moving south, following his investigation, while still keeping a watchful eye on her firing arc.

Felix continued his decent, until he was at the large entrance of the facility. The glass had been shattered and swept way long ago from the windows and remaining doors. Large staircases and dead escalators lead up and down from the main floor. The walls were decorated with maps and schedules along with advertisements, which were buried below graffiti of various colors, which was buried under dust and soot.

Something stirred behind a pillar, startling Felix. Ready to drop another stunball, he breathed a large sigh of relief as some old papers blew past. He was about to give the all clear when something that couldn't be garbage caught his attention. Voices. Or at least echos of voices. But from where? It was difficult for him to pinpoint.


Ludi watched the shaman levitate so unnaturally down to the building in question. When he had reached where he could see in the entrance he had paused. Ludi stopped and got in a comfortable stance, using the cement barricade to support her rifle barrel, her hand sandwiched between the two for control. Suddenly Felix had shifted his weight, or adjusted his body somehow in midair that was different.

"Drek, drek, drek..." Ludi whispered, "Fraggin' mage is going to get himself ubitayy!"

She could not see past the ledge that hung well beyond the entrance doors, hiding whatever had startled Felix from her view. No sooner had she cursed the shaman, he relaxed, and she followed. She scanned the second and third floor windows and openings, as those she could see through well. Nothing of interest, unless you find vulgar words misspelled in a foreign languages spray painted all over walls interesting.

01:51:23 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – 152nd and Baqeri Highway, Tehran

"What's going on, Foxtrot? Talk to me," Ludi called.
"I heard voices, but I cannot make them out. I cannot determine if its upstairs or downstairs... just echos. I am holding position. Kilo?"
"Keep watch, we-"
Kliko's transmission was cut off abruptly by an enthusiastic Bubba, "OH YEAHS!! ME'S GOTS DIS!!!"

Bubba was determined to not miss a moment of this fight, plus, the magic user could use a bodyguard. He rushed past the middle group who had all taken a knee awaiting the scouting report.

"Muhahahahahahehehehahaha!!!" Bubba laughed chaotically as he ran passed Kliko.

01:51:59 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – 152nd and Baqeri Highway, Tehran

"Last ones to dah buildings is a rotten donuts!," Bubba blurted out as he passed the rest of his teammates.

With no fear, Bubba raced across the freeway and headed towards Ludi's position. He knew his impulsiveness may catch Kliko's wrath, but he felt it was the right thing to do. The last time Ludi was out in front she got shot and Sugar was left for dead in a third world hospital. No, that wasn't going to happen this time, not if Bubba could help it. Bubba was tough, his encounters with bullets left him bruised, but never anything life threatening. The time he took a panther cannon to the head would have surely been his doom, fortunately it took off his horn leaving him with a gnarled stump on one side of his head. It was encounters like these that just fed the giant, made him feel more invincible, and more confident in his capability to act as the team protector. He decided it was that time in the mission to step up as such even if he had to endure the wrath of his boss.

As he raced towards Ludi's position he keyed the mic.

"Just behinds you Ludis, don't gets startleds."

As Bubba closed the distance to Ludi he slowed up and approached her softly. Sensing her tension the giant placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Cover mes girl Imsa going ins with da Mojo Mixer."

He then worked his way down to the building entrance and stood next to Felix.

"Yous ready?"

01:52:50 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Baqeri Highway, Tehran

With relative ease, Bubba made the 20 foot drop from the top of the overpass barrier to the ground below. With an 11 and a half foot frame, plus arms that stretched nearly 5 feet, he had been able to cut the drop to a mere 5 foot drop. Ludi watched in amazement as without thought, the giant descended to the road below, landed as smooth as an adept, then ran off in his standard particular style.


01:53:07 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Baqeri Station, Tehran

"Yous ready?" Bubba asked Felix, who was levitating enough to see look Bubba eye to eye. Instead of the rancid breath he was used to finding at dinner tables with the formally uncouth troll, the frosty breath that blew in his face smelled of mint and vanilla. This startled Felix more than the giant appearing almost out of nowhere.

Felix looked around for the rest of the team, but only spotted Ludi, still at the overwatch position, some 30 meters behind and 6 meters above them. He looked back toward the transport station entrance, trying to listen for the voices again, but it was difficult to hear over Bubba's mouth breathing.

Double -

01:58:07 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Baqeri Station, Tehran


As the rest of the team joined Felix and Bubba at the entrance, Bubba looked back and signaled Kliko with a thumbs up then marched forward while cocking his head back, "Let's get its on!"

Bubba stepped into the metro complex, and looked around. He took a deep breath through his nose using all his senses to survey the area. He then double checked the HMG and ensured his laser axe was quickly accessible.

He keyed his Mic, "Which ways dos we go Kilo? Wes may wants to tightens our spacings in here's."

01:59:21 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Baqeri Station, Tehran

Bubba scanned the main entrance lobby, but all he saw was litter, graffiti and dirt. The dirt was everywhere, reminding Bubba what his apartment looked like when he finally cleaned last month after living there for several years.

Kliko had caught up with the main group, still gathered by the door, while Ludi lagged behind as rear security.

"So we are going through here?" Starling asked with a shaky voice.
"Why not? Might take us right to the university."
"Yeah, but which way?" Duster asked.
"Me said, 'Let's gets it on!'" Bubba exclaimed, his voice echoing through the empty station.
"We are still trying to figure out which way, Bubba." Duster told him.
"My orientation system should help us go in the right direction," Kliko added.
"Why donts wes just follows dese maps?," Bubba said, pointing at the train and bus schedules and maps still hanging from one of the pillars.

01:59:30 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Baqeri Station, Tehran

An empty soda can rolled across the abandoned metro-station floor, tinging as it drifted down the hallway, past the gates and down the stairs. As Bubba gestured frantically towards some sort of metro-complex diagram, Kliko slotted the Farsi linguasoft, hoping to get a better understanding of the Tehran metro-system. 'At least this is going somewhere' the draft being a clear indicator of an open end down these tunnels. 'Good a place as any to take shelter from a blazin wyrm...'. Memorizing the diagram Kliko couldn't find any direct routes to the IUST University complex. "Listen chums, the best we can do is make a small hop back to the west. It gets us closer where we want to be, but not right there, aye."

"Simple plan, minimal complications.... Bubba you got point."

01:59:43 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Baqeri Station, Tehran

It didn't take Kliko long to decipher the diagram of faded colored lines, and fine print. "This is the bus routes and schedules, Bubba. For 2020. We want the subway map."

Bubba looked down at the ground, dejected. He thought he had done well, but no, he let Kliko down again. He kicked an old soda can that had rolled to a stop at his feet.

"But this is a great find," Kliko continued. "If there is a subway system, they should have a map down there. Good job, Bubba. You got point."

01:59:47 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Baqeri Station, Tehran

"I don't know about where you came from, but for me I generally look underground for the subway maps, not at the bus stop" Felix snickered at Kliko. "Perhaps if Bravo led the way down the stairwell over there we might find a map of more relevance to us? Even if we don't find a route to the objective, an alternate route out of the city would not be amiss."

02:00:22 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Baqeri Station, Tehran

"Wells then, I gots dis." Bubba lead the team down the stairwell and into the subway.

02:00:28 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Baqeri Station, Tehran

Walking down the dead up escalator made Bubba laugh, but his chuckles were cut short. He heard the echos speaking in gibberish somewhere in the catacombs below.

02:00:28 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Baqeri Station, Tehran


"Uhooooooo?" Bubba's head cocked to the side as he positioned his right ear to the direction of the voices. 'Maybes me gonna gets some action's.' Bubba raised the HMG to the ready position as he stealthily continued his decent below.

02:00:32 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Baqeri Station, Tehran

Creeping down the stair way, MG mounted on his shoulder, Bubba spots two shadowy figures hiding behind an old soda machine about 75 meters away.

02:00:38 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Baqeri Station, Tehran

Bubba hand gestured to his team eyes on two targets. The hand gestured was repeated from front to the back of the team.

Bubba continued a slow and quiet approach with his weapon aimed at the front most figure. As Bubba got closer to the shadowy figures he yelled,

"OOGA BOOGA! ...I know yous there comes out where I can sees ya!"

02:00:39 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Baqeri Station, Tehran

One of the figures darted, heading deeper into the darkness, dropping some metal contraption to the floor with a clang as it made its escape. The other figure remained behind the soda machine, completely hidden from Bubba now.

02:00:52 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Baqeri Station, Tehran


Bubba motioned to Felix to cover the other side of the soda machine while Bubba approached the cowering shadowy figure. He reached for his flashlight, he turned the flashlight on holding it in conjunction with his front grip of his HMG. Where the flashlight pointed so did the HMG. Bubba rounded the Soda machine ready for anything, the light of the flash light creeped around the machine and pierced the darkness...

02:00:54 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Baqeri Station, Tehran

Huddled in the corner, Bubba found a scrawny man, with long matted hair. His tattered clothing was covered in grime and what smelled like fecal matter. He put his hands in front of his face, dropping the rat he had caught, which scurried away into the darkness.

02:01:06 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Baqeri Station, Tehran

Bubba lowered his HMG and the flashlight. Sensing no threat Bubba had an idea, but could the nasty man understand english, not just any english, Bubba english?

"Yous want to earns some rations?"

02:01:15 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Baqeri Station, Tehran

The bum rambles his gibberish as Bubba tries to employ his services as a forward scout.

"Me says, yous wants to earns some rations!?"

The man continues to ramble incoherently, hiding his face.

"Foods! Does yous wants foods, idiot-face!?"

At this point Kliko interjects, speaking the same sort of gibberish to the man, though more slowly and with less sobbing. Bubba just stared at Kliko.

Able to calm the man down enough to communicate, Kliko translates for Bubba, who is growing more and more frustrated.

"I told him you don't mean any harm, but he is pretty scared of you. He called you the 'Shiekh Ogre of Doom,' but I assured him you are a gentle giant. Jolly in fact."
"But. Does. He. Wants. Food!? Me hads ideas..."
"Okay, big guy. What was your idea. I will ask him."
"Me forgets."

Kliko continues to try and calm the scared man, and reassures him that they just want his help. Turning back to Bubba, he says, "His name is Lufti-Rafiq. He will help us in exchange for food. Now, do you remember your ideas?"

"Yes... me thinks so. Tell Lufry, Luf-, Lafry," Bubba stomps his foot, unable to pronounce the foreign name with his dangling tongue. "Tell Larry da Bums dats I gots a plan!"

02:01:15 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Baqeri Station, Tehran

"Mes plan is for hims to shows us da ways ors to points us to maps ors tells us about da spooky Mosque."

Kliko turned back to Lufti-Rafiq and translated Bubba's idea. As Kliko engaged in dialogue Bubba impateintly watched the the bum looking for any visible clue that his idea was received.

Bubba noticed the bum pointing to the wall. Hanging on the wall appeared to be maps.

"Ahas!" Bubba moved over to the wall and shifted through the hanging maps.

He turned back to Kliko, "So is he gonna shows us da ways to or tells us a spooky story about whats in da mosque or is dis all hes gots for us?
"He seems confused, i dont think he knows where the mosque is but let me take a look at those maps."

Bubba handed Kliko the maps. As Kliko examined the maps Bubba dropped a meal ration in front of his foot and then gently kicked it closer to Larry.

"Eats up yous nasty stink!" Bubba snickered as he went off to investigate where he had heard the metal contraption fall.

02:02:30 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Baqeri Station, Tehran

The team scanned over the maps on the walls and the old pamphlet of train and bus schedules Larry the Bum had pointed them to, while Bubba investigated the dropped gear by the bum's friend.

Bubba found a small cage that had four rats in it, while the others found something more important; The rail car did go to the university, or at least did at one time. Looking down the long dark tunnels, and judging by the condition of the city, anything could be lurking a head, if the tunnels were even still intact.

A heated disagreement broke out about which direction to take, but after a few unfriendly words, and a few minutes, it was decided that Kliko had the best land navigation experience, and they would follow his way, but they still all wanted to be heard.

Ludi did not get involved in the discussion, though her land navigational skills could match anyone's, she had already found Kliko to be a fully capable navigator. In fact, she trusted Kliko's leadership completely. What she had found not only odd, but disturbing, how he could spend so much time planning every detail, and making sure everyone knew their roles, but then he would be the first to disregard all that planning when the situation got tense, and just start opening fire. She felt uneasy, memories of the French New Guinea jungle again resurfaced. She just could not shake them tonight, when before she could bury those memories for weeks at a time.

She felt her skin crawl as a warm gust of stale air came through the tunnels, carrying with it again, the whispers of her name. Her rifle already shouldered while she was pulling rear security, she saw shadows moving on the ground about 70 meters down the subway in front of her, with her team still discussing which way to go.

02:02:52 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Baqeri Station, Tehran

Hot air flowed past Kliko's face as he peered down into the tunnels ahead of him. 'Who knows what lives down these tunnels?'.

Planning ahead, that was his job, fortunately he bothered to actually haul along an ultrasound sight. Going underground sounded more appealing by the minute... using high-explosive grenades to clear out ghouls and devil rats, not so. Fortunately Duster was happy enough to part from his shotgun once more. Fitted with the piped ultrasound sight at least Kliko would have the means to map the tunnels and actually reach out in the pitch black conditions ahead of them 'Who needs light sticks anyway?'.

"We're moving out in five. We kow there's at least one exit ahead of us, so we should be ok. Lima, what are you looking at? there's nothing there except for the poor sod who ran off... and apparantly dropped his dinner." Looking over at Bubba's findings.

02:04:52 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Baqeri Station, Tehran

To sum everything up, Ludmila felt cranky. And, to those that knew her well, it meant she was running one of her hot temper. The mission was dragging on, and her teammates were clawing at her patience. Minute by minute, she could feel her self control ebbing away. The dogs, the creepy ghostly things in the park, the two fragging airheads. And now, to top it all off, Kliko had decided to trade off the safety of manoeuvre and cover for a dank confined tunnel. Anyone with half a brain, and maybe even less, could ambush them and they'd be fragged. Their movement could be anticipated since they could only go forward, or backtrack. The tunnel could collapse on them, either willingly or by accident. Heck, if someone got injured down here, simple infection could do the trick.

Taking a deep breath only to sigh it out, Ludmila noticed the shadows. For a moment, she didn't exactly see anything... It felt more like a feeling. A feeling of being watched, observed. It was the sort of tingle that had kept her alive during the Yakut war, and now, that feeling was back. The carbine's stock immediately went into her shoulder. Cheek pressed, eyes focused, the young woman tried to slow her breath down. Her hearth started to pound inside her head.

When Kliko spoke up, she gritted her teeth.

“Will you shut the frag up for two seconds! I saw something. There's something there.”

She scanned the darkness ahead of her.

"This is a bad idea..."

02:23:18 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Train Tunnel running west from Baqeri Station, Tehran

Despite some dissent from the team, none more vocal than Ludi, Kliko pushes on with the plan to use the light rail tunnels. He leads the way using his ultrasound scope to clear the way, with Bubba on the other side of the rails, scouting with his natural thermographic vision. So far the only thing they have spotted were rats. Tens of rats. And it didn't require any type of visual enhancements to spot them.

"Watch for devil rats, people." Kliko warned.
"No drek, Dunklelzahn," Ludi said to herself.
"All rats are of the Devil," Knuckleduster chimed in.

There is some murmuring among the team, but it quickly dies down, and the tunnel song of echoing rat squeaking and running continues.

"Uh... Kilos? Whats devil rats look likes?"
"They're big. Like a small dog... like a chihuahua. And they have red eyes."
"Cheewoowa? What dat?"
"A small dog."
"Red eyeballs?"
"Yes. You will know if you see one."
"Like dat? Is dat a cheewoowoowa rat or a devils rat?" Bubba asks, pointing ahead.
"Frag." - "Devil rats!"

02:23:25 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Train Tunnel running west from Baqeri Station, Tehran

The rats that had been scurrying away as Kliko marched, and Bubba stomped down the subway tunnel, now are running in multiple directions. The devil rat that was "making eyes" with Bubba sits still while the rodents around him start to swirl in a tornado of vermin. As he is joined by a few other larger devil rats, they dart toward the towering giant, who smiles his black toothed and dangling tongue grin in response. His machine gun is already racked, and his temper is already boiling.

02:23:28 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Train Tunnel running west from Baqeri Station, Tehran

"Frag." - "Devil rats!"

Kliko slammed down the vizor on his security helmet as he watched the onslaught of rats whirling towards them.
Bringing up the Franchi Spas, the comforting smartlink crosshair indicator appeared in his field of vision.

'Eat flechette, motherfraggers' The Spas spewed out its deadly load in a hail of flechette tearing apart the devil rat infestation ahead of them.

Flopping rat carcasses was about all that remained in the shotguns cone of fire...

02:23:33 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Train Tunnel running west from Baqeri Station, Tehran

Bubba lobbed his grenade, which landed softly in the midst of the growing pack of rats ahead of him, who seemed not to notice. Kliko let out a rain of steel from the end of his Spas 22, clearing the path immediately in front of his giant friend. Anything that survived his blast, was so maimed it was no longer a threat.

Felix showed his them by unleashing a stunball that dropped the majority of the remaining rats into dreamland, while V, Duster and Starling raced toward the front line.

Unbeknownst to the rest of team, Ludi dropped her bulky armor and pack, powering up her ruthenium suit. In a split second the mini image sensors woven throughout the suit sent the information to the image displays on the opposite side, virtually making Ludi invisible. As she disappeared, another wave of rodents began to swarm from the rear.

Even more rats flooded the tunnel, climbing over the dead and unconscious ones, making their way toward the unfortunate shadowrun team. Little did they know, they were the unfortunate, as one of the bodies they had climbed over, was that of Bubba's grenade as it rolled toward them.

02:23:34 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Train Tunnel running west from Baqeri Station, Tehran

The grenades shock wave ripped across the tunnel stopping Kliko flat in his tracks.

Debris, schrappnel and bits of rat goo too hit the desert camo suit leaving a clean outline, about Kliko's dimensions, on the blood muck smeared concrete tunnel wall right next to him.

'Drek'

With rats still pouring in on his side of the tracks Kliko shifted his smartlink retina back to his side, choke set to its widest mark he prepared to unleash another deadly hail of the flechette darts. There would be plenty of time to clean up later.

02:23:35 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Train Tunnel running west from Baqeri Station, Tehran

A bright flash of light followed by a thundering boom launches rat particles in every direction, misting Bubba as he shook off the shock wave with a goofy smile.

02:23:45 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Train Tunnel running west from Baqeri Station, Tehran

Showered in blood and guts of the exploded rats, Bubba opened his M-107 wide open. Its barking echoed through the tunnel as he exploded three of the larger rats he could see through the darkness. He was ready to destroy several more from the growing swarm, when something in the shadows ahead, caught his eye. It couldn't be...

Dad!?

Around his feet, the ground was moving, as rats poured out of an unseen storm drain, but he had a score to settle.

02:24:01 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Train Tunnel running west from Baqeri Station, Tehran

Bubba hesitated for a moment as his father's image stood before him.

"WHATS THE FRAGS ARE YOUS DOINGS HERE?"

'This can't be right, dad wouldn't be here, and if it is him he deserves this'

"YOUS FED MES DONUTS DAD! I'MS GONNA FEEDS YOUS SOME LEADS!!"

Adrenalin and rage took over Bubba, he couldn't think clearly and he knew if he had ever saw his father again he would either kill him or hug him. Something didn't smell right this time either. Why would his father be here in a tornado of rats? This angered Bubba even more and since his finger was already resting on the trigger of his HMG coupled with the searing rage he felt from seeing his father it made it all the more easy to pull the trigger without restraint.

"I HATES YOUS I HATES YOUS!!!" Bubba screamed over and over as the HMG spattered burst after burst at his father's image.

02:24:03 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Train Tunnel running west from Baqeri Station, Tehran

Mr. Johnson, bursts into a red mist, satisfying Bubba's anger and giving him a taste for vengeance he has dreamed of. If this was some shamanistic attempt to frighten the big troll, it probably backfired.

About 35 meters behind Bubba, Ludi hides beneath her ruthenium suit, but she is not immune to the horrors that are about to flood this dark underground. She starts feeling the need to take someone down. Something is wrong with her team as she hears them firing fully automatic weapons within the sea of rats. She finds herself raising her rifle at Starling's back. She fought hard to not pull the trigger...

On the south side of the tunnel, 30 meters away from Ludi, and about the same distance from Bubba, Felix watched the floor continue to writhe with more and more rats. However, he spotted something much worse. The dark aura of something evil floated deep in the darkness past Ludi. Invisible in the darkness of the physical world, it radiated blackness darker than nothingness on the astral plane.

02:24:03 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Train Tunnel running west from Baqeri Station, Tehran

A feeling of dread and disgust filled Felix's stomach as he looked at the dark nothingness floating beyond Ludi. "Lima it looks like your friend followed us here" Felix called over the radio as he pulled out one of his wire and crystal trinkets.

Holding the foci in his left hand, Felix reached out for all the mana he could grasp before shaping in and throwing it with an animalistic growl at the dark blackness polluting the astral plane. The energies roiled and fought his control before he reasserted his mental control and smoothed the edges of the power he released.

02:24:03 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Train Tunnel running west from Baqeri Station, Tehran

Starling closed the gap between the Shaman and herself, pulling her katana as she ran through the sea of rats. Nothing was going to stop her from her target. Duster followed, killing hands charged.


After the effects of Felix's devastating mana attack, the dark spirit fades away. There was something different about the way it faded off the astral plane, not the way any other spirit he had dispatched before. He watched as Ludi slumped to the ground, on the walk way, as the black ribbon washed way from her aura.


After fighting off the effects of invisible assaults on her mind, Ludi knew something else was out there driving her to shoot Starling in the back. As much as she fought it, she could see her vision darkening, she was about to pull the trigger, when her head really began to spin.


V fired a manabolt at the Shaman as rats bit and clawed at her feet, swarming around her ankles.


The rats swarmed the ground in every direction. It was obvious now that there were more than could be fought off. Ludi was safe for now, upon the walkway, as was Felix who continued to levitate above them. The rest of the team however, was under attack. Rat biting and clawing, and ... spitting.

Starling screamed as something wet hit her face, burning her eyes. Duster yelled curse words as he stumbled, but was able to regain his footing. Soon Bubba found out what all the screaming was about. A large rat spat at him.

02:24:23 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Train Tunnel running west from Baqeri Station, Tehran

A dark figured stood a few meters behind the dissipating image of Bubba's father. 'Dad just turneds intos mist? Dis is mojo works, and yous must bes da guy'

"You tinks you can fools me! I hates him and nows I hates yous! DIE FRAGGER!"

The HMG spat out several more bursts...

02:24:24 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Train Tunnel running west from Baqeri Station, Tehran

As Bubba swung the machine gun, bullets sprayed into the Shaman's chest, dropping him to the ground. He continued firing at the biggest rats he could see, pulverizing them into chunks.

He watched as Starling continued to scream, and began swatting at the air in front of her.


With relative ease, Felix put a large section of rats to sleep, but it did little to change the disposition of the rodents.

02:24:25 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Train Tunnel running west from Baqeri Station, Tehran

Duster shrugged off the caustic lugie, melting away sections of his armor, closing in on the downed magician. He leapt in the air and landed on the man with what looked like a professional wrestling move. The Shaman choked for air after the elbow to the chest, rolled and disappeared.

Bubba readies the MG to double tap the Rat Shaman with another full auto burst, but cannot locate him as the air in front of him begins to burst with flashes of light and thunderous explosions. He fires, but is not sure whether he hit the target.

Starling falls to the ground, fighting off the illusion of chaos around her, struggling to fend off the rats who swarm her.

V struggles to fight through the spell, but is able to stay in the combat. However, a second spell hits her, disrupting her focus.

02:24:30 Thursday, 12 October 2062 – Train Tunnel running west from Baqeri Station, Tehran

Bubba, Kliko, Starling , Knuckle Duster and V struggle to fight off the onslaught of sensory overload. It is like being at an Orcasm concert on an active jet tarmac, while strobe lights and pyrotechnics flash all around. In the complete darkness of the tunnel, the effects are overwhelming.

Bubba is able to find the walkway, and climb out of the sea of rats, but he is unable to discern who is who, and whether he is seeing a teammate or a ghost image.

Kliko scans through his ultra sound scope, but it is impossible to interpret the images at this point. For now, he concentrates on staying upright.

Felix hovers toward the unconscious body of Ludi. She looks safe for now, on an island above the rats, The floating jaguar shaman gathers energies from the void and prepares a defensive shield over his team that should ward off, or at least lessen, any incoming spells. He attempt to scan the darkness for his team, as the barking of a machine gun fired seconds before, continues to echo through the catacombs.