[center][color=8dc73f]Ruben Verislav[/color]
[color=8dc73f]Level[/color]: 1
[color=8dc73f]Day/Time[/color]: Day Three - Evening
[color=8dc73f]Location[/color]: Forest of Skyrim
[color=8dc73f]Tag[/color]: [@Holy Soldier][@Lugubrious][@Zarkun][@DracoLunaris]
[color=8dc73f]Word Count[/color]: 674
[/center]

It was unlikely that the Boss realized just how close he came to engaging the undefended men in front of him. The unit of men in front of them may have lowered their guard, falling just as quickly under its power as the rest of the group, but they were still considered an enemy force. They were soon joined by five more, one giving off the appearance of authority. They didn't appear to be any better equipped that the others, but the party was now outnumbered three to one. It really did not matter whether they were influenced by magic or not. Ruben had already returned to a shooting stance, his finger resting just outside the trigger guard. He adjusted his aim to focus on the newly arrived leader. One of the most effective tactics in combat is to eliminate the figure of authority quickly. This was no exception. The Boss's order may not have contained the word "fire" but the soldier was prepared to consider it a technicality at this point. His breathing slowed and his index finger placed the slightest bit of pressure on the trigger.

Something moved.

Ruben's eyes flickered to the side, checking the whirl of color in his peripheral vision. It was followed soon after by war cries and, to his surprise, laser fire. Colored beams streaked by them, burning holes in the snow and slicing limbs off of trees. They didn't appear to be associates with the first group of enemies, unless they were prone to firing indiscriminately at anything that moved. Everyone took cover. Ruben paused for a moment, turning to analyze where his teammates were moving. The blue-haired songstress was flat on the ground. The other two were heading for tree cover. The Boss was behind a large rock. The new enemy force was armed with ranged weapons, meaning anyone could be engaged at any time. Ruben selected a low slab of rock situated in the center of the field, withing throwing distance of the patch of trees being used as cover, as the best position. Ignoring the hiss of enemy fire as it smashed into the landscape around him, he sprinted hard for the rock, diving over it and spinning around to lay flat on his stomach. He slid forward and planted his body against it, taking a moment to slow his breathing, then glanced over the top.

Twenty men, clothed in leather and rawhide and armed with projectile energy weapons. They were even less well-defended than the previous force, which had since taken cover behind everything and anything they could find. He ducked back behind cover, then raised the rifle and fixed the scope on the nearest of them, allowing the optic to do the math. He decided to cut the necessary ammunition back to one per target. Assuming his aim was good, he wouldn't even need to reload.

Three laser rounds whizzed past him, followed by the crack of what sounded like an old rifle. His team was returning fire. Ruben readjusted his aim, focusing instead on the farthest target and letting the hit percent rise. A laser round clipped the edge of his cover, incinerating a small chunk of the stone. He dropped back for a moment, then raised himself to a kneeling stance. The crosshairs reappeared and the rifle hard locked onto the farthest of them. Another one crossed in between them, giving Ruben a lovely opportunity to hit two targets at once. He took a breath, then squeezed the trigger, sending five rounds downrange in a faction of a second. He dropped back behind his cover immediately and scanned the rest of his team for injury. It was unlikely that the trees they were behind would outlast more than one good hit. Thinking quickly, Ruben unlatched the smoke grenade from his belt and watched the treeline. If anyone lost their cover, he could use it to disguise their position, allowing for movement to a better vantage point or retreat if necessary. 

But he wasn't going to use it without orders.