Shu

COLD PLAGUE

Mira shuffled back against a nearby shelf, heart pounding and sweat covering her whole face now. What the fuck was that? How? How was she just shrugging off bullets like that? This is literally impossible! At least a shot to the head had put her down. Mira ran her right hand across her face, it was so soaked you could hear the gentle squelch of moisture against flesh as she wiped sideways.

It dawned on her after a moment that Omar had asked her a question, Mira facing him with unsteady eyes and a half open mouth, “Uh… yeah… we definitely need EMT’s here. Maybe… maybe backup too, I think. We need to secure the scene.”

Mira wiped her sweat covered hand on her sheriff’s jacket and stepped by Omar, looking into the freezer room for herself. The eviscerated body of the third suspect was in plain view and the Corporal felt her stomach spin one good time at the site of the mangled blue-skinned corpse. Mira took a deep swallow, trying to suppress the rising lump in her throat. She had seen no shortage of bodies in her years with the department - but this? People shrugging off bullets without even a cry and cannibalism? Never, not even close. This was like something from a horror film. She took slow deep breaths through her nose while trying not to overload on oxygen. She already felt lightheaded and sick enough, no good in making herself faint.

Mira laid a hand on Omar’s shoulder, “You go call this in and check on the other guy. I… need to have a look at this body in here. Then I’ll need a full report from you, Mister Francocci.” Mira looked to the store owner.

The store owner nodded wearily, Mira could hear nervous breaths slipping through his parted lips as his forehead glistened with moisture. Between the holdup, the shooting, and then this it was any wonder the husky store owner hadn’t had a heart attack. That was definitely all they needed now. Mira gave Omar a slight push to try and force him into motion, looking back at the corpse before them herself half afraid that any moment the deranged woman would rise yet again to attack. If she did Mira would just blast her whole skull apart, ’Bet she wouldn’t get up from that.

“Go on.” Mira pushed Omar a little harder.

A cultured [INSERT TOPIC HERE] discussion thread

This thread is officially mine now.

COLD PLAGUE

“What the hell, Omar, I s-!” Mira’s voice cutoff as she rounded the aisle, gun in hand. She had the first perp locked in her car and was just coming back through the door when she heard the pow of Omar’s Glock. The Corporal looked in shocked awe at the woman before her, her deathly gray-white flesh and bloody appearance like something straight from a horror film. Were the woman staying still Mira would take her for a corpse, but that she was very much not.

“Back up and raise your hands!” Mira snapped out of her trance, pistol raised. The grody-looking woman did not comply, instead continuing to grasp and lunge at Omar. Fuck, she’s crazy! Mira dashed towards Omar and the woman, dropping her shoulder as she drew close and slamming into the assailant sending her tumbling across the floor and into the wall with a crash. Mira glanced at Omar to make sure he was okay, she didn’t see any blood or scratches or bite marks. That was good. The last thing the Corporal wanted was her new partner getting maimed by some drug-head on her watch. Mira then took a bold stride forward and pointed her gun down at the fallen woman, “Face down, hands behind your head!”

The woman only grunted in response, shoes scraping against the floor as she raised up and twisted to face the two deputies. Mira then saw the wound in her face, the gaping hole and all the blood - it made her stomach churn fiercely. What was more rattling was the female perp seemed not in the least phased by it, standing up to full height and continuing with the short throaty groans Mira and Omar had been hearing as she looked at them with glossy but intent eyes.

“I’ll shoot you if don’t comply!” Sweat was beading across Mira’s forehead, her fingers felt numb from the tight grip she had on her firearm. The woman lunged and Mira with no other choice squeezed the trigger. The gun was loud in the tight quarters, the bullet striking into the center of the woman’s’ chest sending her falling back against the wall. A cold, fearful wave surged across Mira as the woman stood back up straight and shuffled forward again.

“Fuck!” Mira screamed, her trigger fingering snapping three times firing off three more shots into the suspects’ chest, hot bullet casings clinking across the floor at her feet. The woman still did not fall, merely staggering back before lurching forward with savage eyes and a raging growl. Mira stepped back, heart pounding at what she was witnessing. This is fucking impossible! Mira’s feet got tangled up and the Corporal overbalanced and fell back in a sprawl across the floor, eyes wide with fear as the woman reached down for her - blood pouring from the four bullet holes in her torso.

“Omar!” Mira yelled.

What Are You Listening To?

-

What Are You Listening To?

COLD PLAGUE

Mira stood the gunman up keeping a tight hold on his wrists as she looked toward the freezer room door. A wax of worry seemed to be encased upon her visage as she considered the options. They needed to remove the other two perpetrators and arrest them immediately, if both of the deputies went outside to deal with the man at hand the other two could break for it and be gone in minutes. They couldn’t just leave the handcuffed gunman crammed into a corner to run the minute they turned their backs. But Mira hated the idea of leaving Omar to face two people alone, even if one was allegedly ill. They could both be armed and likely were and Omar would be in a perilous situation.

But what other option is there? Mira gritted her teeth.

Mira looked to the store owner, Francocci, “Get inside your office and lock the door, one of us come get you when things are all clear.”

Francocci nodded nervously and stepped back behind the counter and through the rickety wooden door into his personal office. Mira took a deep breath and then looked to Omar, “Go cover the door, I’ll get this one out to the car, wait up for me.”

What was that growling?

Mira backed towards the front door while Omar followed her order. She twisted around and went from pulling to pushing as she walked the cuffed man outside and towards the patrol car. The freezing rain had picked up, coming down harder and colder than earlier, Mira feeling bits of ice in it as well. She imagined as the temperature dipped a bit more it would be hail and soon enough snow. It took her no time to get the door open and push the perp inside with some final protests from him. Making sure he was secure Mira then turned and made a rush back towards the front of the store, hand slipping around her holstered pistol as she reached the front door.

Mass Effect: Second Vigil

AMINA GALAL

”ROGUE”

---

Amina sighed through her nose as she adjusted the heavy brown coat she wore over her armor. Moisture was beading around her hairline and the woman found herself breathing harder than usual thanks to the Cuban humidity. This coat certainly doesn’t help either. Walking down the streets of Cerro Amina carried in her right hand a large, heavy suitcase that contained her Vindicator rifle within, her pistol and all other items concealed beneath her coat. The suitcase she had grabbed from her room after emptying it and the coat was from a shop near the hotel, Amina figuring it better to disguise her appearance than to go parading around in full body armor packing a heavy rifle - especially in a neighborhood like Cerro.

The last thing we need is unwanted local attention. Amina thought to herself, then realizing how foolish a thought it was as she glanced at the two aliens accompanying her. Amina could see people staring and talking among themselves as she, Zenn, and Nadara made their way to the target location. A human with a large coat and suitcase accompanied by two aliens all skulking down the street together at night certainly was not exactly common around here.

Well… if anything maybe we’re less likely to be bothered.

Laughter and jubilant chatter carried over the tin rooftops, fireworks popped all around, and people rushed and gathered in yards and alleyways for the celebration. Cars cruised by honking away at people, some in friendly acknowledgment and some in protest for them to get out of the streets. Even as comparably run down and backwater as this area was everyone was finding ways to have a great time and revel the eve away.

“Keep your eyes peeled and stay ready.” Amina said aloud to her two companions. Amina wasn’t too sure yet what to make of either of Zenn or Nadara. The Asari seemed a bit dense and the Quarian like the type to fall down a well in broad daylight. They seemed pleasant enough on a personal level, and were willing enough to get involved in something like this. At the least it could be said they had drive and a sense of involvement and responsibility. But that still didn’t mean Amina trusted them - being aliens aside, they both whiffed of greenness to her regardless of their backgrounds. Maybe I’m just being too critical…

As the three rounded a sharp corner Amina drew in a sharp breath, eager to get to the alleyway in question and check out the signal but also nervous about what they would come across. Would the three of them be able to handle it? Would the Asari and Quarian be able to hold their own and have Amina’s back if something bad went down? All she could do is hope and keep her fingers crossed that this little investigation did not go awry. And if it did, she had enough faith in her own abilities.

COLD PLAGUE

There was a sudden heavy clopping sound from the nearby aisle, the sound of boots on linoleum. The robber turned back around raising up his shotgun, time seemed to be coming to a grinding halt. Mira burst forth into Omar’s view, gun holstered and instead she wielded her baton in her right hand. She took a sharp forward stride bringing the baton up and then beginning a downward arc. There was a loud crack and the masked gunman cried out in pain as his shotgun fell from his grasp and clattered to the floor. Mira had struck him across the left forearm just as he had brought his gun up level with her.

The man grabbed at his arm in shocked agony which gave Mira the chance to bring him down, jabbing him hard in the stomach and dropping him to his knees. From there she got behind him and drove him down onto the hard floor with her left knee, right next to the hostage he had been threatening. Mira slipped her baton away, keeping the downed gunman pinned as she reached for her handcuffs.

Stupid. Mira though to herself admittedly, Very stupid. Had the gunman been just a second or two faster Mira would have taken a chest full of shot and be sprawled out dead on the floor. She shook her head as she tussled for the man’s arms, ignoring his groans of pain and explicit protests. “My arm, you pig bitch, I think you broke my… fucking arm!” His voice was muffled from his face being pressed into the linoleum but his protests were audible enough. The hostage was scrambling away as he slowly stood, wobbly and big-eyed at what had just occurred.

“Nice little distraction, Omar.” Mira said as the handcuffs clicked together. The Corporal hooked her hands under the robbers’ shoulders and with a loud grunt began to roughly haul him to his feet. “You broke my arm, dammit! Take these off me!” Mira got the man stood up, he was maybe an inch or two taller than her. “Your arm isn’t broken.” Mira snapped.

“How do you know?”

“We’ll check it then when we get you back to the station.” Mira asserted. “Omar grab his gun.”

COLD PLAGUE

Mira dashed around the side of the gas station and made fast for the rear of the building, hoping the gunman had not caught a glimpse of her and hoping that the back door was not locked. The ground was slick from all the rain and twice she had to catch herself from face planting onto the hard concrete. Mira slowed up as she reached the back corner of the building, pressing herself against the cold brick wall as she reached for her gun. There was nothing saying the suspect did not have a partner waiting out back.

Mira slowly came around the corner, pistol raised and eyes down the sights. There was no one behind the building, the woman releasing a clouded breath of a sigh. A single car, undoubtedly the owners’, was parked in a space near the back door and a line of half filled dumpsters reached down the wall on the left side of the door opposite of Mira. Mira stepped back against the wall once more, sliding down it until she was directly alongside the back door of the gas station. Cold crystals of frozen rain glazed her hair and neck sending a sharp chill down her spine, the corporal ignoring it to her best. The door was thankfully not one of the large heavy metal ones but rather a windowless wooden door. She reached down with her right hand and twisted at the knob - locked of course.

Couldn’t have it that easy I guess.

Mira flinched as she heard another loud blast from the perps’ gun. Fuck it, we don’t have time for backup and I need to get in there!

Mira considered reaching to try and rattle or yank the door open but then decided not. If the gunman happened to hear her he might blind fire at the door, possibly hitting her or someone inside. Or worse yet he may panic and just start shooting people. Mira stepped back sucking in a deep breath, the cold air tightening her throat and chest, her heart beating like a war drum. “Go.” Mira sprinted forward, swinging up her right leg with all her momentum behind it as she slammed a fierce kick into the back door - a slight snap of wood and a rattling of the knob could be heard as the door flew open and slammed against the inside wall.

“What the fuck?”

The bright lights of the gas station interior disoriented Mira for a second, even so she could see the gunman standing behind the front counter dead ahead. Nothing was between them, a line of freezers to her right filled with assortments of booze and to her left was a shelf of chips and crackers that reached just short of the counter. The gunman was facing Mira, the woman could see a short rotund man cowering at his feet. Mira barely had time to react as the perp raised his weapon, a shotgun - the corporal leapt behind the shelf to her left as the wall nearby was blasted spraying chunks of shattered paneling through the air.

“Bitch!” the gunman roared.

“Make it easy on yourself,” Mira shouted back defiantly as she scrambled to a half crouch behind the shelf, “drop the weapon!”

“Fuck you!” Another gunshot, Mira hunkered down as the shelf was blasted across the top raining down bits of metal and shredded chip bags.

“Put the weapon down!” Mira shouted back, not standing again.

“Not a chance!”

COLD PLAGUE

“I- I…” Mira found herself speechless as she retightened her grip on the steering wheel. She had nearly plowed right over the wave of cats and dogs that had came surging forth. If Omar had not shouted fast enough she was not too sure she would have reacted in time. For a second Mira thought she had pissed on herself until she looked down and realized the sudden stop had sloshed some of her coffee out onto the dash and across her upper thigh and groin.

“Well shit.” Mira spat as she reached out and used one bare hand to smear and wipe at the brown liquid on the dash. It would be sticky without doubt but she could wipe it off later, thankfully none of the coffee had splashed out onto the radio. The spill on her pants had already soaked in, it was uncomfortably hot but not scalding thankfully so she could just let it dry and worry about washing her uniform later. She absently wiped her sticky hand off on her pants leg, annoyed and disoriented from the sudden happening.

“Yeah, we need to call that in…” Mira said, her tone a little distant as she tried to process what she just saw. What the hell caused that? All those animals to just go flooding in a singular direction undeterred by any kind of danger. Jesus, this city is getting weirder by the hour it seems.

Just as Mira’s hand started to glide toward the radio it suddenly crackled to life causing her to flinch slightly.

“Attention all units we have a one thirty-two in progress at the corner gas station on Willard Street, all available units please respond.”

Armed robbery, Mira felt the hair on her arms and neck raise, Willard Street. That’s just two blocks over!

Mira put the car in gear and drove her foot down into the pedal, the patrol car lurching forward as the engine roared to new life. “Take that for me!” Mira nodded toward the radio as she made a sudden hard turn. The animals will just have to wait. What a shift this is looking to fucking be!