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[Issue 25] Rising of an Underdog

By Fen-Harel,
in Newspaper Archive

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Fen-Harel 1,176

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"Get up already, will you?" a female voice disturbed the silence. A man woke up from his cheap looking bed. Black haired, about 17 years of age. He got up and went to an old bathroom, washed his face to stop the feeling of being worn-out. A common man with an uncommon past.

"I'm up..." he answered with a slightly annoyed tone.

"Good, now I need you to clean the living room." He looked at her sharply:

"Ugh... Mother would always do that, not since she left though." he said, but did not disobey the request. He took an old used duster and started cleaning the table and chairs. The house looked cramped as if whoever lived there stopped caring about it. The floor got to the point of breaking off, the walls moist, and the kitchen appliances rusty.

"You know she didn't leave because she wanted to, brother." she added slightly intrigued.

"Sure didn't look like that." he cut off sharply.

"Are you really going to be like this still? They wanted to find a better living space, we're the ones who decided to stay here." she seemed unhappy with what she was hearing.

"They could have stayed. They didn't have to leave. There's opportunity here. There's chance... hope... You know exactly what I mean, too." he continued cleaning without even glancing at his sister. She sighed.

"Fine, be like that, Mark, your fascination with the army and the tanking amateur championship will only disappoint you..." she said and left the room.

"You're wrong... I'll show you you're wrong..." he thought to himself. He took some food from the kitchen. It appeared all the things they had was some bread and canned food. He sat down and started thinking about what will he do next. He turned on the television, one of the few things actually working in the house. The television showed a common commercial, the tanking amateur championship, biggest event of the year for aspiring tank drivers. Mark was blankly looking at it.

"Got what it takes to become one of the best tankers in the city? Think you can impress the veterans? Come on over and test yourself against other people in a live duelling arena. Applications are valid until the end of the week!"

He took a deep breath, relaxed his head on the back of the chair and closed his eyes.

"Could I do it?" he thought "could I win something there... become something other than a guy living at an aged house... Only thing my dad left me is the old tank, a rusted pile of stock parts."

His sister was standing by the door looking at him and shaking her head worryingly. She is only but a year older than him, and feels it's her duty to take care of them both. After their parents left she didn't think of them much, only focused on preserving herself and her brother. As much as she liked her brothers' spirit to do something fairly brilliant for them, she never thought he could actually do it.

"Look... I know you want to get into that tournament... and..." she paused and took a deep breath, Mark looked at her with great interest, "I'll help you finish your dad's tank. You'll need to improve it a little however. I have some money I saved, I think you should use it."

Mark knew that she didn't do this because she thought he could win, but only to ease his constant thinking about entering the tournament. He looked at her and didn't know what to say, the money she saved was her own, and she'd spend it just to help his thinking become happier and less obsessed.

"I... no..." he gave her back the money "that's yours, I'll use what I have, I can repair it..."

"If you really want to do this, you might as well try to as strongly as you can, take the money and fix the tank. It'll help you greatly."

Mark could see the determination on her face, and knew that she wouldn't let him go off without the help she offered.

"Very well then..." He took the money with a confused glance at her. "I'll start the repairs and shopping tomorrow... Thank you."

 

 

The next day Jennifer woke up and noticed that her brother wasn't in his bed. She looked around the house expecting to see him watching television, but all house rooms were empty. "Guess he went off to buy parts for the repairs." she thought and continued her daily schedule. Still, she couldn't help the feeling that this is all a mistake.

The market wasn't the modern type at the place Mark and Jennifer lived. It was crowded with merchants having only a table to show off what they have. Almost everything was used and stock equipment. There weren't many people there either. Most of the folk weren't buying things other than food, and the higher class wouldn't go to a cheap market. Mark spent 3 hours searching for the best parts he could find, but only managed to get average used parts. Still better than what he had.

He returned home, and after checking if his sister is home, he went directly to the garage. There were some old second-hand tools lying on the floor. The tank was in decent shape compared to the rest of the house. It had some rust spots and a few bumps, but nothing he couldn't fix. The hull of the tank was medium sized, not too big to be an easy target, but enough armor to take a hit. On the side of it was a sign "Hunter Mark 0". With his spare parts he started upgrading it hoping to reach the status of a mark 1 hull. The turret wasn't in good condition, it was damaged on the tip, so he had to replace the entire pipe. It had electrically charged ammo, which when shot at the right place of the opponents tank, would deal near fatal amount of damage. There wasn't a marking which he could use to identify the weapon, but he heard people around town calling it "Smoky". It was probably correct so he went with it, improving the electrical charge of the bullets, giving him a larger target for a fatal shot.

After hours of work he decided that the tank was finished. It looked improved and in better shape, but could hardly compete with even the above average gear. His sister came along. Seeing the tank she seemed impressed but not so much surprised.

"I see you've been busy." She gave him a small smile.

"Yes, managed to get this stock tank into something average looking" He answered proudly.

"I guess I should wish you luck in the tournament then" she said but her smile disappeared. She didn't like the feeling of him going against other tank drivers. The tournament has its precautions, but they can't always protect and save the competitors.

"Be careful out there will you?" She added worryingly.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." he answered happily. But Jennifer wasn't sure of it. It was in her nature to take care of them both, but if he were to enter a tournament such as this, who knows what would happen. He could get a job in the army, and then she would rarely see him again, he could even get killed while fighting. All these thoughts crowded her mind.

"Good luck then" She said as she was leaving the room. Mark put his tools down, trying to think of a way to comfort his sister. He as well knew that this was risky, but didn't want to show any signs of him thinking so; it would only trouble her more.

He wrote the letter for the tournament application. Looking at it he was hoping that it was the right decision. The tournament was in 6 days. While sending the letter, he decided it would be best to have a rest and prepare for the next few days. He didn't have much training in using a tank, but he knew some strategies and tactics he saw while watching the television. Hopefully that will help him at least a bit, for this was his greatest ambition.

 

    

Mark wasn't the only one who was looking forward to the tournament. At the city centre, where the tournament was organized, a talk between two people happened without anyone knowing.

"Do you really think we'll find one of them?" one asked.

"I think we will find more than one actually... The professional tournament didn't turn out as I hoped. However this time I'm rather sure we'll find them." the other man answered. He seemed to be in the higher authority from the way he spoke and moved.

"I'm glad you're optimistic about this, sir. Our forces are ready and waiting, and the... adjustments to the arena have been set."

"Wonderful. Proceed with the plan then."

The day finally came to start the tournament, and Mark had a mixture of fear and excitement. He went into the competitors quarters of the large building the tournament was set in. Inside there were competitors with all kinds of weapons, he counted probably more than 15 of them. Some stood out from the crowd as being the more threatening ones. He knew they had experience and training for this, and that it won't be easy to beat them. One in particular had a well made tank, custom upgraded as well. It was largely armoured but slow moving. The weapon it had was made to deal heavy damage to enemies in a small amount of time, while the armour absorbs attacks. He tried to see who the owner of the tank was, and after he looked around he was surprised as to what he saw. The owner was a young man with white hair. He was practising at the physical obstacle course, running over fences, climbing ropes, shooting target dummies with his gun with ease. Mark didn't like the feeling of going up against him. He made some last minute checks to the tank to ensure it's working properly.

"10 minutes until the beginning of the tournament, all competitors enter the arena. You will get a sign when to start there." A voice echoed throughout the preparation quarters.

Mark got into his tank. He drove to the arena, the crowd wasn't too large. Only about 100 people came to watch the tournament, mostly friends and relatives of the competitors. His sister did not come however. He looked around hoping to see her, but she really didn't come. He got a slight look of disappointment on his face, but had to ignore it for the more pressing matter.

"Everyone get to your places" said the speaker.

Everyone took what little cover they could. Mark kept count of all the tanks, he didn't want to be surprised for behind or flanked from the sides. His heart was beating fast, adrenaline took over his body. This is the time he couldn't lose.

"Begin!"

Instantly one tank was destroyed. Mark looked and saw a small tank getting destroyed behind cover. The bullet hit a wall and damaged the fragile tank, built for speed instead of protection. He could guess that the white haired man took that shot. He had to act quickly, a tank with a built in flamethrower started approaching. He decided to move slightly back from cover, trying to disturb the driving of the opponent with his shooting. Flamethrower tank was destroyed without great threat. He immediately ran for cover and started observing the situation. He noticed a sniper hiding on the corner of the arena behind a fence. The white haired man's tank was obviously dominating the field, he thought it would be best to let others weaken him. Suddenly a bullet hit his cover, and he noticed the same tank he had. He waited for the enemy to shoot again and at that point used his exposed part to get the shot. Luckily for Mark, he shot a vital structure to the tank, and the bullet's electrical charge destroyed the tank. Many tanks already lost in this short period of time. Chaos on the arena and explosions everywhere. There were about seven tanks left, all taking cover. He went in closer to the corner, trying to take out the sniper without being noticed. This wasn't successful however as the sniper spotted him trying to adjust his aim. He had a short window of opportunity as the sniper was slowly turning around. He managed to shoot it at the side, rotating it more. Now he could get easy shots, and managed to win the encounter. He then noticed what he hoped not to face. The large tank driven by the strongest competitor was going towards him, other tanks were trying to shoot while he was distracted, but the amazing armour just shrugged of the bullets. He heard the gun firing and felt a sudden pain in his leg. The shot hit him even if he was behind cover. The front part of his tank was ruined, and he couldn't move. Seeing as the tank wasn't fit for battle anymore, the white haired man looked for another target.

"So it's over... I lost." He thought to himself pulling out his leg from the dented part of the hull.

But at the tower above the arena, a voice was heard.

"Now," the mysterious man said.

And almost instantly, Mark felt an enormous amount of burning inside his body. As if someone lit a fire in his very blood. He screamed of pain, trying to make it stop while he was tumbling inside the tank. After a moment it ceased and Mark was breathing heavily. "What was that?" he asked himself in amazement. Then he heard a large amount of explosions. He looked through the opening on the tank and saw that everything was destroyed. All competitors eliminated. He stood and couldn't believe what he was seeing. The burning he felt, did it kill everyone? What was it? He had no answers. Somehow he won the tournament, that was most important. The speaker announced his name as the winner. He was thrilled to have won, but couldn't help to feel fear of what happened in that arena.

Back at the tower the conversation continued.

"You found one indeed, sir. Wonderful news."

"Yes. I think it's time we gather everyone. And find some information on who our winner is."

"At once, sir."

 

 

Mark was brought into the tower. Two guards escorted him and didn't give him much time to look at the large entrance room. They were heading towards the elevator on the other side of the room. He only saw a few paintings and the reception workers typing on their computers. Mark and the guards got inside the elevator and went to the top floor. After entering trough the door, they left Mark alone with a man looking out the window. The room was certainly spacious, paintings were hanging on the walls, a comfortable sofa and desk at the middle of the room along with two leather couches. Windows were built into the walls. He then took a glance into the man. He was middle aged wearing an expensive suit. He was of an average build and didn't stand out physically. His face was resolute and firm, with a hint of anxiety. He looked at Mark and started the conversation:

"Greetings to you, my name is Sebastian. I have some important news for you that you have to hear straight away." Mark walked around the room nervously:

"This is about the tournament isn't it? What was the burning inside of me? How did everyone get shattered?"

"This...takes some explaining. I see now that you do not know much of your heritage. For this reason I've done research about you." Mark was visibly worried about this man. "Could he somehow know more about me than myself..." the thought shook his mind. Sebastian continued: "You of all people know that the country is in a crisis in more than one way. The general living conditions are poor, raids are occurring, and our military is weak. This is a great threat; order must be brought once more." Mark was looking baffled:

"What does that have to do with me?"

"Well," he answered "there was an event that took place while you were a child. A certain artefact was found. An instrument of great power capable of shattering an army squad in a single move. It is said the it should never be touched by a human hand, that it is too dangerous for anyone to wield it. But we found it. We used it..." the man got more uneasy "But we were not prepared for it. Part of it... turned into dust, poisoning everyone. However few survived and now the artefact is in their blood. It has been returned to the depths, and the dust can be used to find it."

"This is why you need me? I have it in my blood?" Sebastian nodded.

"Yes. This time we are prepared. We can control it. And now you will help us find it."

"You're insane, why would I ever want to help you in such a plan?" Mark snapped a firm refusal.

"Because it will slowly kill you." Sebastian answered flatly. Mark was standing shocked and puzzled more than ever. He continued:

"The artefact inside you was inside your parents as well. It had no doubt killed them by now. Same will happen to you, given enough time. And to your sister."

"No! You're lying. My parents left to find a better place to live... they..."

"Stop fooling yourself, boy. They felt it inside them, they knew what would happen and decided to spare you the sight. The only cure is the artefact, it wants to be whole and you are keeping it from that goal."

Mark sat down and relaxed his head on the back of the couch. He tried to calm his breathing.

"So if I help you, both my sister and I will be safe?" Sebastian nodded, patiently waiting for his decision.

"How would you have me find it then?" he asked.

"I had a device built that would track your blood rate, if some changes occur, we will know how to locate the artefact."

"Is this even safe? I doubt I can go on a madman's quest of finding artefacts of legend alone."

He leaned in: "This is no legend I assure you. And you will have the top soldiers along with you, all specialized in their own unique skills. You will never find better protection than them."

A secretary entered the room:

"Excuse me for interrupting, sir. You are being expected at the meeting room."

"That must be them now." Sebastian added. He pointed the way to Mark with his arm. "Shall we?" Mark nodded and followed silently.

 

 

As the door opened he saw the meeting room. It wasn't anything grand, but it could suffice for any sort of gathering. Country flags were hanged on the walls and in the middle of the room was a large table, stretching trough the room. On the back part of the room there were two large windows, from which you could see the town below. There were four people waiting inside. His eyes were looking at each of them slowly. All of them in military uniform. One of them was sitting on the table, casually waiting for something to happen. He seemed bored and tapped his fingers on the table. He had short dark hair, and was visibly fit. He also had a belt carrying two identical handguns. They seemed modified as well, having a different handle then the regular ones.

Next he looked at the biggest person in the group. The man was sitting in his chair calmly. He was of a strong build, his body muscular and adapted to large amounts of physical work. His hair was shorter than the last person, with a bit of a brownish colour to it. His face had a few small scares, not as much as his arms however. Next to his chair was an assault rifle- a heavy and powerful weapon. Mark could easily tell that this man has been in many battles.

He then moved his eyes to the next chair, the man sitting there has put up his legs on the table. He was fit, but obviously not the strongest in the group. He didn't have any visible scars on his face, perhaps one or two on his arms. He had a bit longer hair, a bit like Mark. On his uniform were several pockets holding scalpels and needles, as well as bandages. He didn't carry much weaponry, only a basic handgun.

Finally he looked at the side of the room, seeing the woman standing against the wall. She was looking into the distance, almost motionless. She had a smooth and long hair, going just over her over shoulders and to the middle of her back. Her face clear and her body strong and agile. There was also a bandage covering her right arm. He then took a look at her uniform. Like all others she had a Kevlar vest, however the only weapons she had on her belt were two daggers. The daggers had some markings on the blade, and the hilts were decorated in an artistic manner.

Sebastian then spoke:

"Here we are. These four people are the best soldiers in the country. Each of them a combat veteran," he continued pointing at one person at the time "the leader of the squad and master of close combat, spying and assassinations - Fiona. Expert sniper and marksman - Richard. The survival veteran, commando and former colonel Scott. And lastly the military medic and head surgeon of the city hospital - James."

The woman slowly walked to towards the centre of the room. She put her hands on the table and glanced over Mark. Then looked at Sebastian:

"So this is who you want us to protect, and the only reason you want us to do it is because you suspect an artefact of stories to be found." her voice was determined and her view sharp.

"Even if it were stories, it is not your concern. Your job is to look for it and protect the boy," Sebastian walked towards the table "and I'm sure the payment is sufficient." he added.

Richard chuckled a bit while relaxing in his chair. Fiona responded:

"We are not simple mercenaries Sebastian, you know this. And you know very well it is not money that interests us."

"Of course" he nodded "I assure you everything will be prepared and all rewards sent to you. After you recover the artefact of course"

This time Fiona didn't even question whether it even exists. She just looked at her squad. All of them nodding in agreement.

"Very well then. We begin travelling at dawn." Everyone stood up and was preparing to leave. Then Mark stepped in:

"Wait, wait... You can't possibly expect me to just pack my bags and go to whatever place you're planning to go?"

Fiona sighed, she continued walking and without even looking at Mark added:

"You will be prepared at dawn and this decision has already been made. I will not waste my time trying to convince you of matters that are not of your understanding. We all know about your condition, or at least what Sebastian told us about it. However do not act like you're the only one dragged into this mess."

Mark had no way to respond to that. He simply stood in silence. Everyone was exiting the room and Sebastian gestured with his hand to Mark:

"Come" he said "I will take you to your room where you will spend the night."

Seeing as he couldn't do anything, Mark simply followed, hoping that all of this will clear up and he'll understand everything that's happening.

 

 

Mark woke up, he had a somewhat peaceful sleep. Beside him was a military uniform, lighter than the normal ones however. He put it on and went outside. His eyes were still sleepy, and he was stretching our as he walked. Walking around the tower he almost got lost, one of the workers there told him to go to the bottom floor. In the end found where the squad and Sebastian were waiting. The room was looking a bit like a hangar, but he wasn't really looking around too much. He smiled nervously trying not to feel awkward for making everyone wait. Sebastian stepped forward:

"I hope you had a good night sleep. You'll need to be well rested for the travel that waits you." he said, he seemed excited, "you will be heading towards the country border. Then across it is where we last found trace of the artefact. I cannot provide much information, but I hope that you will find some on your own."

Now Fiona approached as well.

"We shouldn't waste anymore time. I would like to get to the border as quickly as possible, we'll get some supplies there too."

Mark yawned and nodded. He figured it'll be better just to listen for now, he still felt used but couldn't do anything. Waiting was the only thing he could do.

"Let us be off then" Fiona said. She turned around and opened a large door, revealing a military jeep. She sat in the front, while Richard was in the driver's seat. Mark sat in between James and Scott at the back of the jeep. There wasn't much room there however, and he was desperately trying to get comfortable. Richard chuckled at his attempts and then started the car. They drove outside of the room into the road. All that was left for Sebastian was to watch as the jeep quickly went farther into the horizon.

The roads weren't of the highest quality, and it was a bit of a bumpy ride. They mostly travelled in silence, except for a few attempts by Mark to start a conversation, however they were met with silence. The group had a confident and determined feeling to it, Mark noticed. And in the afternoon they arrived to a smaller town. Not much of a town, more of a village since it was a place of poverty. They stopped in front of a cafe and went inside, Mark following them closely. As they entered they were met with the stares of civilians, but the squad ignored them. Clearly used to such attention. Fiona approach the worker, while the rest of them sat at an empty table.

The cafe wasn't anything extravagant, but it served its purpose. The tables were metal and rusted on most places, chairs were made of wood, and not renewed for at least five years. Still, the cafe had supplies of food and drinks, and no one could ask for more in that area.

"I'm looking for some supplies. Food, water and medical gear." she lowered her voice "and some ammunition, if you don't mind."

The worker was a bit surprised if not frightened. Fiona glanced aside.

"And tell Margaret I need to talk to her." she added.

The worker nodded nervously and walked to the back.

In his own habit, Richard just relaxed in his chair and put his feet up, also waved at one of the waiters to bring him a drink. Scott on the other hand was observing the entire room. Sitting still in the char, his eyes analysed every person in the cafe. James was just writing stuff down on his notebook, after he finished he put it back in his jacket pocked and sat back in his chair.

A woman walked out of the back. Her hair was red and just long enough to touch her shoulders. She was dressed in a commoners outfit, mostly out of leather and walked elegantly to Fiona. Her body was fit and strong, and she had a small slot concealing a short knife on her right thigh.

"So, what is it I can do for you once more, Fiona?" she asked with a smile, her voice was naturally soft.

"It would appear, I finally got an opportunity." Fiona responded quietly. Margaret moved her head back a bit.

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. I was sent to recover an artefact that caused the incident years back."

"Interesting." the red haired woman responded, "And who is it that sent you?"

"You might know him, his name is Sebastian. Started organizing a competition a few days back." Margaret chuckled.

"Ah, yes, I know him." she waved her hand "but why now?"

Fiona moved her eyes towards Mark. Margaret nodded with understanding.

"I see, so he has finally found one." she said, "so this is why you need my help, yes?"

"Actually he found two. The boy has a sister" Margaret looked at Mark again, her face in thought. "And yes, I do need your help. I figured you would like to help too."

"I can never say no to an adventure now, can I?" She laughed. Then she pressed a lever with her leg, it made some noise in the back. She went there, and returned with a bow, a quiver and arrows. The bow was a steel one, modified to produce the maximum power possible as well as having perfect accuracy. It's weight balanced to keep a steady hand.

Fiona smiled.

"I see you still prefer your old weapon, will you have enough arrows?"

"Of course." she smirked, "One can never abandon what they like most. I'll make more arrows along the way, I have enough materials."

"Shall we then?" Fiona gestured with her arm.

"Lead the way." She put the bow over her shoulder. She jumped over the bar with ease, showing that she has gymnastics training. Walking towards the squad, Margaret turned around and yelled "I'll be busy for a while, take care of the cafe!" then she continued walking towards the exit. Fiona looked to her squad, and everyone stood up following her. Mark couldn't even finish his meal and drink, and stood up, complaining along the way. They exited the cafe and entered the jeep. Do we really need more people? There's almost no room for us in the jeep anyway...

 

 

They continued along a desert area, the only thing they saw was the bumpy road leading them across the country. Mark was clumped in the jeep, quietly complaining at times. Margaret looked at him:

"Since you're so uncomfortable with all of us trying to sit in one jeep" she said "how about I sit in your lap?" She gave him a small smile. Mark blushed a bit, and turned his eyes away from her.

She laughed "I'm joking", she added "don't get all nervous now" Mark heard Rodger chuckling. Then he gave a small smile to Margaret.

She turned around and quietly watched the dessert landscape.

"Leave the kid alone, Margaret" Rodger added "he's been nervous since we started this tour".

"Oh, please," she answered "you're not jealous right?"

Rodger laughed. "Of course I'm not" he said, "well, maybe a bit"

Margaret bumped his shoulder laughing.

They approached a line of barricades along with ramps on the road. A spiked fence was put up on both sides, stretching to the next military post. They stopped in front of it. Fiona got out and talked to the soldiers at the ramp. We're leaving the country. Mark wondered how far they will travel. Fiona returned to the jeep and the ramps were raised. They quickly passed the post and drove a few hundred meters before Rodger suddenly took a sharp turn off road. Mark shook from his seat and almost fell, but he leaned on Margaret. She looked at him and arched a brow. He quickly straightened up in his seat, doing a slight cough and blushing. Mark asked where they were headed.

"We're crossing the country and going into enemy territory." Fiona responded. "Even though we're considered as neutral mercenaries, I don't want us sitting in front of the country border armed with weapons."

Mark nodded. "But the border is secured, how are we going to get passed?"

"I have everything prepared for these situations" Fiona answered sharply. "There are places where we can pass undetected. And that's exactly where we're going."

Mark got quiet again. After fifteen minutes of driving along the spiked fence they reached an opening and Rodger drove through it. They drove for a few kilometres trough the desert terrain until they finally got back on the road. Afterwards they left the desert and entered into a forest. The sun was slowly setting, and after seeing a clearing, Rodger drove to it and stopped the vehicle.

"We'll set camp here to rest. Perhaps for a whole night." Fiona explained. They started setting up tents, everyone was moving quickly and raising tents with precision Mark couldn't even attempt to follow. Scott looked around the ground looking for footprints. Then he walked away to scout the trees.

"There shouldn't be any hostile animals" He yelled towards the camp. "We should set up fire."

Margaret also walked away from the camp towards a tall sturdy tree. She quickly climbed it and relaxed herself on a branch. She put her hand in her pocked and pulled out a small flute and started playing an unfamiliar song. It was calm and relaxing, and she played it with obvious finesse. Mark was still struggling with unpacking his tent. Then Rodger came to help him, and finished in less than 5 minutes. Mark smiled feeling a bit embarrassed. The camp now had all the tents set with a small fire in the centre. James started preparing a meal, and the scent of it was mouthwatering. He left it on the fire and started viewing plants, taking some and putting them in his backpack. Mark sat next to the fire, watching James' stew. Fiona laid down and rested, listening to Margaret's music. When the dinner was ready they all gathered around the fire. "Never heard you play that song" Rodger commented.

"I've been learning a few new things since we last met" she smiled and gave him a wink. Rodger turned to Mark:

"So tell us about yourself, kid." he said cheerfully. "any fun experiences, special skills, fun anecdotes?"

"What happened to leave the kid alone?" Margaret added.

Richard waved his hand and didn't respond.

Mark was looking at him quietly. He swallowed the food in his mouth, then responded: "Hmm, not really. There wasn't much happening in the district I grew up in."

Rodger rolled his eyes "How about you, Margaret" he turned to her "I'm sure you have many fun stories?"

She grinned "Not any you need to hear or know about."

"Of course." he shook his head "always so secretive." He turned his gaze. "So no one else?" he looked at everyone one by one. "Very well then" he shrugged "I guess it's up to me to entertain as always."

"Oh please do" Fiona said flatly while chewing her food.

Rodger ignored her. "Once I was in a bar..."

"When were you not?" James added. Rodger ignored him as well and continued. "...with some of my friends, and naturally they got me drunk. Decided to have some fun and arrange a marksman duel with a some guy who I can't even remember. You see, they placed bets to who will score better. I won of course, but that wasn't their prank. While we were shooting they invited a policeman, then they ran away. Leaving me in an alley with a gun and the target I was shooting at. The cop held me in the station for two days until the lads decided to get me out." He continued eating. "However, while I was there I managed to play some games with other inmates, got a few marbles, ten cents and a small ball." He sighed. "Guess I was lucky they didn't notice me cheating each time. So after I got out they said I passed out after I got into a bar fight and got arrested. Can you imagine, me passing out in a bar. They could have been more creative with their lies."

"I'm sure they weren't quite off" Margaret commented.

"Maybe they weren't. I don't like remembering the details that much." he laughed and continued eating his meal.

"I doubt you can." James remarked. Richard gave him a short glance. Afterwards all decided to quietly eat. Margaret and James had the best table manners, eating slowly and elegantly. Richard was eating sloppy, drinking water to jug down a bite too large for him. When they finished eating, it was already night. Fiona stood up.

"We can either continue driving to the nearest city, or if you're too tired" she said and glanced to Mark, "we can camp here for the night."

"I've never liked sleeping in tents" Rodger added. "And we should arrive at a city in about two hours. I saw we keep moving."

Everyone nodded and looked at Fiona.

"It's decided then. Everyone gather your things and we're going as soon as possible."

Naturally the squad was packing up quickly, and within 5 minutes all tents were gone. James offered to help Mark, and then they all got into the car.

Rodger found a rough dirt road, but it was better than nothing. You could barely see anything in the darkness, and the only light was the one from the car. Scott seemed nervous, looking around and into the dark trees. He seemed to have a better hearing than the others, moving head to any sound. Mark wasn't worried since he couldn't hear anything, but the squad knew to trust Scott's judgement. While driving, they encountered a man standing on the middle of the road, wrapped in an old brown blanket. Richard stopped the car looking at him.

"Do you mind getting off the road?" he said.

The man coughed. "I apologize, but I got lost in the forest, do you have some food or water? Please."

Fiona looked at Rodger and gave him a nod. Rodger took a bottle of water from his backpack and some leftovers from the earlier meal. The squad got off the car and Scott gestured Mark to stay. Mark retreated into the jeep. Suddenly light was pointed at them, and the man pulled out a gun. More people came out of the dark forest, all armed with handguns and a few riffles as well.

"I would suggest you all to freeze." the man in the street said. "You look like a lot that would have some money."

"You look like a lot that no one would miss." Richard answered seriously, his eyes were narrowed at the man.

The man laughed. "You're rather confident for someone outnumbered." Fiona gave Richard a nod. The bandit continued:

"Now hand over everything you ha..." With lighting fast movement, Richard twisted his arm and took his gun, holding him as a human shield. At the same the entire squad except James immediately took down the nearest opponents, taking their weapons while they were doing it. Margaret took out her bow and quickly shot at a tree, hitting a man in the shoulder and he fell down, barely able to stand. He dragged himself away to the dark forest. Richard squeezed the bandit's neck.

"Now unless you want me to snap your neck right now" he said "I would suggest that all of you stand down and run away."

"How did you possibly..."

Richard twisted his arm harder, the bandit screamed in pain. "I said to stand down!" he yelled. The bandit nodded and everyone lowered their weapons and ran away. Richard let him go, still pointing a gun at him. "You're lucky I'm in a good mood. We are not simple travellers, thief. And if I ever see you again" he said with a grin "well, you won't see anything after that." The bandit gulped and nodded.

"Now get away from my sight" Richard added and the man ran away as fast as he could. The forest was dark and quiet again. He disassembled the gun within seconds and threw it away. Fiona looked at him arching a brow.

"What?" he asked.

"Not that bad, although I would've pressured him a bit more" she said. Mark stood amazed and shocked. His eyes just went from one person to another. He was left speechless. Everyone returned to the jeep.

"We're not some amateurs, kid." Rodger said. "We knew exactly what they were going to try, and we prevented it." Rodger leaned in to him. "So do relax a bit? We have everything covered, and so far the only thing you need to do is walk around 'till your blood gives some sort of signal to doctor James over there." He moved back and started driving the car. Mark didn't even have the time to return a nod.

They drove through the forest, breaking its silence for only a moment. For only a moment the darkness would lower. And then they finally got out, and entered an old city. It's buildings were visibly damaged, and the roads were bumpy and full of holes. There weren't any people, everything was silent. Almost dead. Fiona looked at the town.

"It's time to start our mission here." she said "but I want everyone to be as careful as possible. I don't want us to attract too much attention." Her eyes were locked on the city. "We're in enemy territory now."

Edited by Hexed
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Meliora 1,652

Posted
Posted

You could split this up into two parts for easier reading, as well as making the spacing a bit better... Even though it looks like you've written less, it's because the forum is wider... Currently the story isn't very inviting to read, even though it is of good quality.

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loktinho 62

Posted
Posted

Great story, I have to agree with Selena though with the length of it. It does minimize my cravings of a sequel less now that I have read more lol. 

Quoting [story] in the title would help, thought this was a guide talking about a player who was an underdog :3 

 

All being said, that's a really impressive effort there, and I can't wait to see more from you!

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The_PlayMaker 657

Posted
Posted

You could split this up into two parts for easier reading, as well as making the spacing a bit better... Even though it looks like you've written less, it's because the forum is wider... Currently the story isn't very inviting to read, even though it is of good quality.

Umm... Who are you to say this? A Reporter? I don't think so

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qinwan9 125

Posted
Posted (edited)

You could split this up into two parts for easier reading, as well as making the spacing a bit better... Even though it looks like you've written less, it's because the forum is wider... Currently the story isn't very inviting to read, even though it is of good quality.

Can't you just appreciate him/her rather than criticizing or telling him/her what to do?This is his/her start and I'm sure he can become a great reporter....

Edited by qinwan9
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GoldRock 6,165

Posted
Posted

I don't want to flood here ok...

Then don't...

 

Reporters appreciate the feedback they receive, whether positive or negative. Selena is just as entitled as anyone else to share her opinions on this article.

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Lhamster 4,081

Posted
Posted

I don't like reading stories which are longer then 500 words. It kills the interest 

So you haven't read Harry Potter, The Hunger Games or anything like that then?

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Kotooshu 30

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Posted

So i heard most of you don't read books? Stop complaining abouth the lenght and just apriciate the story. Even if you don't read it all, you can still say it's good =)

Fen, it's very interesting =) I liked it.

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