Chapter 6

  "They say that fighting in ubran settings is the most dangerous things you can do. And that is still true. But when it comes to fighting in an Undercity. That is like you combind fighting in a slum, a jungle and ruin at night. You never know where or whom the enemy is. So recruits! If you find yourself fighting an enemy that be merc's gangs or the antithesis the best way to go about it is. Burn shoot anything or anyone that moves." - An officer for the secound Hellhound PMC

  -2049

  Jack PoV

  One and a half hours earlier.

  I couldn't help but swear as something exploded behind me tossing me back. Looking around I saw that Bill, David, and Martin were all there and safe, but Evan was nowhere to be seen. Pulling up the groups messiging room on my admitiedly crappy augs, I sent of a message.

  Jack:Evan you there you better not be crushed.

  I sent the message and waited no response looking between the others as they were taking up defensive positions as I looked at the collapsed building. The sound of gunfire could be heard down the street behind us. “How does it look?” I asked David.

  “There are a lot of those fuckers pouring out of one of the alley ways down the street.” He responded

  I sent an other message as I took the time to reload the old mostly home-cobbled together rifle

  Jack: Hey Answer me damn it!After a moment I sent a final message before turning.”We might need to head around to see if can't get to Evan.” I said and the others nodded preparing to move outJack: If you are dead I will personally drag you back and you won't like that.. Hal will fucking kill me.

  Just as I was about to give the order for us to start moving I got a reply

  Evan: Alive.. A bit hurt will find a way out of here in a bit.

  Breathing out a sigh of relief I looked at the others and motioned for them to wait “He's alive hurt thinking he can make his way out of there. Options?” he asked the others and Martin answered “Could meet up somewhere those alley ways lead all the way to the markets. And the Casino is armored not quite a shelter but close to it.” I nodded thinking it over “It will have to do.” I then sent an other message to Evan

  Jack: Fuck you scared us there for a moment. We are heading west meet us at the square we need to get back to the pit.Motioning for the others to leave the alley. We crossed the road towards an old post office that I knew was connected to old Tuscon's service tunnels as I got the reply

  Evan: Got it. Will move soon.

  Good luck you lucky bastard I thought as Martin kicked in the door and rushed inside his sledge hammer ready. “Rooms empty he called back out” Before I and Bill pushed in to the room David covering our rear. Looking to Martin “Want to take the lead in the tunnels or take rear guard with that hammer of yours?” I asked as I walked towards the door to the back room. “I'll take the rear. Would just get in the way for you guys If I went at the front” I nodded “Bill and I take the lead David pick off anything that we can't hurt and Martin if something comes up that you can't handle yell.” I said pushing the door open and entering the back room clearing sweeping in to the right as Bill followed moving towards the left. “Clear” I called echoed by Bill. “And here I did think our Antith fighting was in the past.” Bill said shaking his head “So did I just other monsters to fight down here instead. But seems like they had other plans” I said moving to the door leading down to the service tunnel. Standing by the wall as David and Martin entered and moved to the side of the room. Bill getting in to position behind me as I felt the handle locked. Looking over to Martin “Martin would you be so kind as to break down the door” I said moving back. Martin nodding as he moved over “Sure thing.” He replied before moving the sledge hammer back “And down goes the door” Said as he swung it towards the handle splintering it and the lock only to step a side as I went up kicked in the door and rushed the small room. Empty “Clear” I called out as Bill followed. Behind the door was a small room and stairs leading down to an underground tunnel. Lights flickering and cables hanging loosely from the ceiling.

  Bill would start down the stairs his shotgun ready as I followed covering him as we moved the other two would enter. “Shame we don't have some kind of explosive to leave at the door.” Commented Martin “That would have been useful” David agreed.

  Once down in the tunnel itself we fell silent walking ready for anything. After about half an hour we ran in to trouble. Rounding a bend we spot five Model 3's they instantly spot us and charges the two in the lead ranging up as the three behind do their best to spread out in the narrow hallway. I instantly open fire. Double tapping the right as Bill waits and blasts the head of the other.

  Once they fall I turn to shoot at the one on the right as take a step to the side and kneel down Bill aims at the one to the left and we fire downing the two as David puts a bullet in the third. Wasting no time we start to move quickly “Only two more buildings then we will be at the Den. From there we can cross to the Casino” I tell the others and get grunts in conformation that they heard.

  Running down the hall not really stopping as I tackle the door in to the next stairwell sweeping the room, empty. “Clear I call out as I start heading up the stairs finding the door open I keep inside of the Den and its ruined tables sofas torn a part there are no bodies left and the few plants we had are gone. In the middle of the room I see one of the tentacle freaks. Raising my rifle I put two bullets in its head joined by one from Davids rifle. The sound of gunfire can be heard from outside.

  Stolen story; please report.

  We quickly move across the lobby towards the main door and look outside. There are quite a few antithesis out there storming the casino, lucky for us not as many as I had feared. “We have to cross over to the other side. Bill blast anything that gets too close. David focus on the spike throwing fuckers if you see any. And Martin don't get bit again..” I said looking at them they nodded and Bill flicked his shotgun open and pulled out the shells before taking out some orange tipped ones. “Oh I have been waiting to use these.” He said and we moved. We got almost half way before some model 3's spotted us. Two heading to cut us off as four others charged us.

  David picked off one that was trying to cut us off and Martin ran at it and swung as it jumped for him. The model 3 crashed head first in the the sledgehammer it's lifeless body went flying past Martin to flop in the ground. I opened up on the four charging us taking down two quickly before having to reload. My eyes going wide as the first one that Bill shoots at gets engulfed in flames, quickly followed by the second one. I look over to him. “How did you get dragons-breath rounds those are rare as hell down here.” I asked as we ran. “I didn't” he replied. “Remember that odd guy that was down here what two months ago.. Asking all kinds of questions? He had some Sam shit napalm rounds and he agreed to gamble them away for information. I won one round. So got two of them.” He said with a grin.

  The guards at the casino quickly moved to one side of the barricade as we dove over it. Almost instantly one of the guards from inside ran up to us. “Oh thank fuck that you are here Jack! Please tell me you did bring some of the heavy weapons.” He said and I had to shake my head. “No we were out on patrol when this started. The one where we search for people dumb enough to evade our cut.” The guard just nodded. “Fuck.. Well we do need all the help we can get.” He said before heading back in. We followed him. Quickly heading up stairs to find room behind makeshift barricades to fire down from.

  Evan PoV

  Present time.

  As I stand there looking down at the small war as the square is filled with a mix of models. "I won't be able to cross that without getting seen by something." I say to myself

  That is quite correct. But with your current weapon you will be able to farm enough points that we might be able to find a way to solve that problem. And before you ask the word is Boom. And big ones at that.

  I couldn't stop myself from snorting. "You really do have a thing for that word don't you?" I ask before moving to push a window open. Kneeling down behind it I aim down. "I'm still new to shooting and never shot this rifle before. How much will it kick?" It is a fun word. And quite effective at solving more then a few problems. As for the rifle the 4.2MM rounds don't kick all that hard. A lot less then the superloaded buckshot you had with the Tunnel sweeper. As for aiming. There are currently enough targets down there that you will be able to just shoot in to the swarm and be bound to kill or wound something. You do get partial point reward if you wound it and someone else kills it.

  "That is news to me. But good to know. "Pressing the stock in to my shoulder I press the trigger once, the sound muffled but still a bit loud, then I blink. "Fen.. Is the hearing protection broken?" I asked before shooting again and again in to the mass below. Some of the models stop and look around running towards my possition but not directly towards me.

  No need to worry! That it is the supressor at work. Lowering the noise to the point where it is just below the cutoff point. Still loud but not damagingly so.

  I shift my aim down towards the antithesis that have gotten closer to the building Im in and firing again and again hitting every fourth or fifth shot. Some killing but mostly wounding them. "Damn why is this so hard" I swear to myself. And after thirty or so shots I manage to bring down most of the close ones. "Fen I didn't count.. Is there any way for me to know how many rounds I have left?"

  Three ways! One is that you count the rounds left in the magazine. You can see the rounds through the side after all. Second is I could just tell you that you have seventeen rounds left. And third I can put it up on your hud. Oh and that reminds me! You might want to get new Augs. Yours are quite good top of the line as far as human standard goes. But what I can offer is way better. And why don't you have any hud elements. They are capable of it As for the aiming problem. I would suggest you getting Class I Exotic balistic ammunition guided rounds. Along with Aim assist laser attachment from your Class I kinetic weapons accessory catalog. The ammo catalog will be 75 points and the Aim assist laser will be 35. So far you have killed 4 model four and seven model 3's down there and others have managed to kill three model threes. Your current point total is at 175 points. Shall I get the catalog and item for you.

  Moving down to cover as I nod. “And Fen put an ammo counter on my Augs please.” I say as I spot Jack over by one of the windows in the Casino.

  Unlocking Class I Exotic ballistic Ammunition -75 points

  New purchases

  Class I Aim assist laser -35

  One magazine of Laser guided 4.2MM AP rounds -25 points

  Points remaining : 40

  “Wait how much for the magazine?!” I ask a bit shocked. As a small box appears beside me and an other magazine falls in to my hand. “And how do I reload this thing?”

  It is mostly self guiding rounds. They are expensive to make you got sixty of them. As for how you reload there are two tabs at the side of the magazine towards the back. Depress them and pull up. Then you take the one and slide it in then press it down.

  I follow the instructions finding the tabs and fiddle with them for a moment before managing to pull it free. Not wanting to toss it away I put it in one of my leg pockets it still had those rounds left in it after all. Then after looking at the rifle for a bit I manged to slide it down in to place and press it down with a click. Then I opened the box and looked inside. There was a small black box with some hooks on one side and what looked like a light at one end. I picked it up look from it to the rifle.

  Move it up to the side of the rifle and it will do the rest itself. Just make sure to point it away from you that light looking thing is the laser pointer.

  Nodding as I move the box up towards the front of the rifle and the hooks slide out and grabs on to the vents in the side of the hand-guard, before tighten itself in place. Then I look back towards the casino. And send a message.

  Evan: I'm across the square from you guys up in one of the buildings.

  Jack: Fuck, you might have to find an other way to get here or back to the pit as you can see we are having some trouble.

  Evan: About that. I might have some ideas on how to get over. Would need some time but it should work.

  Jack: No it is too dangerous.

  Evan: If it looks like it won't work I'll stop.

  Jack: We will talk about this later.

  I look back over the short wall below the window no new antithesis trying to get in to the building. I lean up over the edge again and aims down the rifle. Just before I pull the trigger Fen speaks

  First round is still a normal so just fire it and then aim at a target and don't turn away until the round hits.

  “Got it” I say before pulling the trigger hitting a model three in the foot causing it to stumble or at least that's how it looked to me. Then I aim at a model four holding steady as I pull the trigger and watch the bullet fly a small cyan light seeming to flair up behind it somewhere between me and the target. The bullet of course moving too fast to be seen but a short lived light trail clearly shows as a small curve leading to a model four that has collapsed. “Damn.. That is almost like cheating” I said.

  Oh nothing as bad as that. Now for the plan to get over there I would recommend saving a bit and getting Class I esoteric explosives.