It hadn't been pretty, not in the least. What should have been a routine mission, a glorified supply run to an outer camp surrounded by untold miles of snow and ice, had turned into a bloodbath that had left an entire camp dead. It didn't much matter, perhaps the powers that be back home would appreciate that Shugtil, and Jacer, as well as the rest had downed an entire Enslaved congregation. The man ran his fingers through his stock silver hair, the gloved fabric feeling nice against what parts of his scalp it touched.
He paused in his tracks for a moment, letting his cybernetically enhanced irises zoom back in on the camp, with its smoke billowing in the breeze from what deceased bodies they had elected to burn instead of let rot in the newly fashioned ghost town. They had, of course, taken what supplies they could carry and they were now being watched over by Elicka, Kerry, and the often misunderstood Magnus, Chamberlain. Shugtil, himself, had fallen back when it was apparent that whatever Jacer had went to do was taking far too long to be completed.
The orders he had given the orders were fairly simple, to continue on to the rendezvous point, where Shugtil and Jacer would meet up with them, if not before, within a day. The three guarding their loot could handle themselves, and Jacer and Shugtil were among the strongest, so they could as well.
That was an hour ago.
Forty-five minutes prior, he had spotted a strange grouping heading off towards the west, and thought it pertinent to follow. That was the direction Jacer took when he left, and despite the man's gifted skills with his brand of magic, taking on that many figures would be difficult. And so, he did. Forty-four minutes later, he stood at the entrance to a cave, deep and cavernous - dark and forboding. His hand immediately went to one of the two nine-millimeter pistols strapped to his hip with specialized magnetic plates, an idea he got from Jacer.
With a clock, he ejected the magazine from his chosen weapon, and examined the load within. He was missing two bullets, but still had enough in the magazine to put ten holes in someone if need be. The bullets therein were unique, they were longer than average because they were built on earthen model rocket ships, which detached portions of itself every so often as it launched. The back end of the bullets were really nanobots, designed to leave a trail between Shug and the target to set up his magic. The bullet in front was normal, it would put a hole in anything it could penetrate.
With a sigh, the former Japageos turned Ebium resident headed into the cave. Small, dust-like particles danced around his person - his nanobots ready to be dispersed in the Magnus' chosen way - the Art of the String.
The sounds of a scuffle brought him deep into the cave, where the ending of the aforementioned battle was taking place. Jacer and another had been the survivors, yet that may have changed soon. With his magnified eyes, he could see the tell-tale signs of the unnamed figure turning. Something had gotten to him.
From his ledge, the military grade body suit wearing figure leaped and landed with a small thud on the ground below. His body suit absorbed the impact and dispersed it around his body to dissipate the fall damage to nothing. The kinetic energy was made moot, the latest innovation in the armor of the Magnus. It was designed to take punishment without damage to the wearer, but being a prototype, it was prone to its own failings. All the more reason one didn't want to take a shot to the chest.
"Jacer...," he called, his eyes turning towards the Magnus and then back to the figure next to him. "He's turning." His voice was cold, almost emotionless as he approached the pair. His right hand was raised, gun aimed towards the center mass of the one known as Dom, though Shugtil had no idea that was his name.
For whatever reason Jacer couldn't, wouldn't, or just didn't see that his companion was becoming one of those they needed to kill - an Enslaved.
The nanonbots around him fell back into his skin, they were not yet needed - surely Jacer would see that this was the best course of action. Thirty feet out, he was well within the kill range of his 9x19 millimeter Parabellum EX, a newer variety with the same effectiveness, as well as out of the way of most countermeasures, unless Jacer took the initiative to defend his new companion.
Scrawl Banditta,
Ohm,
KactusPunch