Frantically he looked around, trying to find his ride. If only he could make it there, he might be able to escape whatever it was that was driving his clan to erupt in mindless, senseless anger. His road captain, only minutes before speaking with the rally group about the safest way back into town, was slavering like a mad woman and gurgling unintelligibly. One moment she was there, and the next she was dashing into the fray of bodies, slicing at Ironworks military with both blades.
This was bad. Very, very bad. He hopped to his one good leg, pulling himself out from under one of the bike crew that he had to put down with two well placed shots in the head. He wasn’t sure if it was broken, but the leg wasn’t holding his weight. Left leg, lazy leg – he could still drive. He propelled himself along as quickly as possible, grasping at the handle of the door and yanking it open. Thank all the Kings, he was safe!
He knew that last thought, lingering in the air like a last gasp of air, wasn’t true. He felt his mind twisting as the door was flung wide. He finally understood that, in the end, everyone had to die by his hand. Grabbing his bladed bat from inside the ride, he turned with a wild look in his eyes. Ironworks soldiers were definitely the right target. He knew that to the core of his being as that lingering thought evaporated.
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Action Report: CY-D1121-BV
Raider activity magnified exponentially. Berwyn squad reports Cheesehead encounters have returned, immediate hostility. Aurora squad and Joliet squad seeing mixed sorties, both raider fronts combined effort. Unknown cause of cooperation. Minor casualties to military units. Heavy casualties to militia. Moving to bolster lines.
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She tacked the last note onto the board of the Depot, the wild look in her eye belying any calm exterior she wore. She had warned the town for months, most of which was likely unheeded as the poems were just obscure enough to not be removed. Yet it was just enough for those that were paying attention to pick up a few details here and there. She had recognized, slowly but surely, her sanity slipping away at an ever increasing rate. She had been forced to do many things she never wanted, and when she regained her own senses, those thought weighed heavily on her. Those periods of lucidity were becoming less regular, and the awful dread she used to feel was slowly dissipating with them. It was like wearing a well fit glove when her mind took over her actions, and she knew she would soon succumb to the raiders’ demands. Those fucking Haze clan. She was losing her last war without having any way to combat the onslaught.
Maybe they will listen this time. Maybe they’ll do something to help themselves. She had to try one last time.
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Action Report: CY-D1201-FZ
Haze raider activity confirmed. Stallis and Racine squads suffered heavy casualties. Squads reported lost by survivors. Immediate threat eminent. Multiple mass harm tactics employed; toxins, radiation, and explosions most prevalent. Need ways to avoid chemicals. Send reinforcements.
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“It’s as bad as they’re reporting,” said the young man, his chest heaving for breath as he stood in the small circle at the edge of the dim firelight.
The air around the small crowd immediate grew tight and tense, and all face dropped slightly. It was not the news they were looking for. It was not what they wanted for themselves, for their home, or for anyone that shared these aspects with them.
After a few moments of silence, a seasoned veteran of the forests spoke with an air of resignation. “It seems everything comes full circle. We will help where we can, from the edges and the lines, but we must prepare to move out of the immediate area. We cannot have any more taken from this blight, especially the young and hearty,” he said softly with a deep sigh following.
The few heads that could be seen from the shafts of light nodded in agreement, knowing what this meant for themselves and their families.
“Make contact with the town,” the shadowed man said, choosing his words carefully. “They need to know there are some out here that can help, but our number has grown small. It is up to them to stop this once and for all.”
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Military Radio Transmission – Channel 17D:
THIS IS AN EMERGENCY BROADCAST. FORWARD POSITION DELTA OVERRUN. REPEAT, FORWARD POSITION DELTA OVERRUN. ALL COMMUNICATION LOST. THIS POSITION COMPROMISED. THIS MESSAGE WILL REPEAT.