The Last Castle
Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2023 11:50 am
This story is a one-shot based on the game The Division 2. A game I have spent many an hour on and established many lasting friendships. Here, Division agent Maggie Raines as been sent ahead of a Division raid, to scout the area. The Division received intelligence that the Black Tusk, a PMC hired by a mysterious third party, had secured the ruins of the Pentagon in order to seize DARPA technology that could make all the difference in securing peace in DC. Now without any further ado...
SHD agent, Maggie Raines felt the water lap at her ankles as saw the chopper that brought her recede over the horizon, across the Potamac River back towards the White House. She shouldered her M4 rifle and checked the Vector SMG attached to her backpack, then finally her turret and pulse where online, both glowing with a orange light that matched her wristwatch. Good she was connected to ISAC. Satisfied, Maggie then silently crept over the ridge until she saw the Pentagon. The Last Castle, was a shadow of her former self left derelict since the outbreak, and swarming with Black Tusk Troopers. But Raines was unfazed, as a former US army ranger and member of Ghost Recon, this was her type of mission, a stealthy infiltration. She was 28 years old with shoulder length Auburn hair, done up in a short ponytail behind the back of her head. With high cheekbones and narrow cunning blue eyes. She chuckled, It sure beat dodging Outcasts and facing down drugged up Hyena rushers in the DC ruins. Raines hunkered low and hugged the ridgeline, using the shadows as cover.
She took out her night vision scope, and surveyed the area, the approach was guarded by five female snipers, all armed with suppressed Desert Tech Interdiction rifles. Which lead up to the "back door" which was guarded by a platoon strength of Black Tusk, with a least two warhounds, and a medic. Raines surmised that the snipers, had to go or else the raid would turn into a slaughter. She turned her NV scope and found the nearest sniper, she on was position on top of a ridge not too far away. The woman was wearing a black hooded cloak, her mouth covered by a black face mask and a pair of clear goggles over her eyes. Her torso was covered by a tight black-tusk composite lycra top, over which she wore a zip up grey tactical vest. Her arms were covered with the same composite lycra, that started at above her elbows and tapered into black gloves that covered her hands. A pair of combat pants with, coloured grey on the outside seam and mottled camouflage grey and white on the inside leg. Black and white combat sneakers covered her feet. All branded with the black tusk logo. Raines smiled, she had an idea the sniper was exactly her size and her rifle would come in handy. She stowed her scope and move silently to flank.
This was another boring night for Peyton " Deadeye" Donnelly, command had warned her team that the SHD would try something to breach the Pentagon. But so far it was a quiet dull evening, the Division was too busy hunting Emeline Shaw, and the rest of the Outcasts to care what was happening here. As she leant up against a rock, laying her rifle beside her she picked up a MRE but before she could open it, she felt a pair of arms encircle her throat. Before she could react, she was pulled over the rock and her neck snapped to the right. Then she knew nothing at all.
Raines had barely broken a sweat, she thought the Black Tusk were supposed to be tough. Without wasting time, Raines stripped off her gear and clothes, and propping up the dead woman against the rock, began to strip the corpse. She removed the hooded cloak, face mask and goggles, amazed to see that the sniper was younger then her, about early twenties with brown hair cut into a military pixie cut, with soft almond shaped green eyes and a rounded face. Raines noted she was pretty, and on the wrong side as she closed the woman's eyes. She then unzipped the snipers tactical vest, and slipped it off her shoulders, moving on to the compression gloves, Raines pulled them off the dead woman's arms and rolled them up her own. Holding up the dead woman's arms, Raines pulled off the compression top off over the corpses head and pulled it on herself. The snipers C-cup breasts covered by a short black vest, that left her toned midriff exposed, nipples peaking through the sheer fabric. Raines then unlaced the combat sneakers and removed them from the dead woman's feet, covered by a pair of black ankle socks. She than unfastened the combat trousers, and worked them from around the dead snipers shapely hips, pulling them down her long toned legs and free of the corpse. A pair of black military shorts, covered her modesty. Raines looked the girl over, she was toned, athletic and slim but didn't have much muscle mass, about what she expected from a sniper. She got dressed in the dead woman's uniform, taking out the snipers earpiece and putting it in her own. Tapping into the Black Tusk comm bead, hearing comm-checks, when it came to her Raines answered "Sniper five, all clear." She picked up the rifle and could make out the three man SHD team, approaching the insertion point in a zodiac from the river.
Her, watch glowed orange and she held it to her ear " Raines, come in are you in position, over." Came the voice of her friend and fellow SHD agent Alani Kelso. " Roger, that Kelso up here on the ridge to your right. Got me a new rifle, and some new threads over, the sniper had no further use for them." Kelso laughed " Waste not, right. So what have we got here." Raines gave Kelso her report. She sighed " The Troopers and warhounds we can handle, but the snipers.." Raines gently reassured her. " I will take out the snipers, my stolen uniform will confuse them and keep me hidden. I happen to be a good shot, or have you forgotten. Alani." Kelso chuckled " I would ask Keener, but you killed him already. Good luck. Out." Raines removed her wrist watch, becoming completely one with the shadows.
Raines sighted the first sniper, in a watch tower to the left of the main road, adjusting the scope and aiming a little above the target, fired. The shot hit the woman in her chest, knocking her off her feet, the watchtower that served as her hide, concealing her corpse. Cycling the bolt, Raines then moved her scope to the right. Another sniper, in a watch tower to the right of the main road. Raines sighted, adjusted the dials on the scope aimed a little above the targets head and fired. The bullet hit the woman, in the back of her head and she fell forwards, her watchtower now her tomb. After cycling the bolt, Raines shifted to the centre, and spotted the last two snipers in a watch tower near the Pentagon's rear entrance. This shot would be tricky, Raines sighted her rifle, aiming at the first snipers head. When her partner, moved to chat with her, Raines fired. The bullet passed through the heads of both snipers, and they fell to the ground like puppets with their strings cut. Raines held her watch to her mouth, " Kelso, all snipers down. If you move now, you can take them by surprise, before the next comm check." Raines could hear the smile in Kelso's voice. " Roger, that. Great work as always. Move in with us and provide support, over." Raines grabbed her backpack, with her gear inside as she reloaded her rifle and looped it over her shoulder. " You got it, Kelso." She slapped her wristwatch on, as she left the underwear clad corpse of Peyton Donnelly behind.
She relocated to the east watchtower. Stepping over the body of the Black Tusk sniper. Raines sighted with her rifle, and saw Kelso and her team, one male, the other female storm the Black Tusk platoon. The female agent disabled one warhound with her pulse, Raines fired at the crippled robot, hitting in its knee joints and causing it to detonate, turning it to scrap. The other was blown apart by the male agent as he fired his portable missile launcher, exploding after a salvo of missiles hit square in its chassis. Between, the gun fire, drones and the portable turrets, Raines had even deployed her own, they whittled down the platoon. Only the medic was left, as he attempted to launch a medical drone to aid his downed comrades, Raines fired at the drone, hitting it and causing a feedback loop that electrocuted the medic. Before she could cycle the bolt, to finish the prick off, Kelso shredded him with a burst from her Vector SMG. " All clear, nice work Raines. Come on down, let's admire our handiwork." Raines smiled as she slid down the watchtowers ladder, to reunite with Kelso.
" Sweet outfit Raines, looks better on you then on some Black Tusk bitch." Raines gripped Kelso's wrist " A sweet looking rifle too, Kelso. I have always wanted one of these." She said as she eyed up the rifle with reverence. Kelso rolled her eyes "At least one of us lucked out tonight." They both laughed, as the four agents proceeded into the heart of the Last Castle, in search of their prize.
SHD agent, Maggie Raines felt the water lap at her ankles as saw the chopper that brought her recede over the horizon, across the Potamac River back towards the White House. She shouldered her M4 rifle and checked the Vector SMG attached to her backpack, then finally her turret and pulse where online, both glowing with a orange light that matched her wristwatch. Good she was connected to ISAC. Satisfied, Maggie then silently crept over the ridge until she saw the Pentagon. The Last Castle, was a shadow of her former self left derelict since the outbreak, and swarming with Black Tusk Troopers. But Raines was unfazed, as a former US army ranger and member of Ghost Recon, this was her type of mission, a stealthy infiltration. She was 28 years old with shoulder length Auburn hair, done up in a short ponytail behind the back of her head. With high cheekbones and narrow cunning blue eyes. She chuckled, It sure beat dodging Outcasts and facing down drugged up Hyena rushers in the DC ruins. Raines hunkered low and hugged the ridgeline, using the shadows as cover.
She took out her night vision scope, and surveyed the area, the approach was guarded by five female snipers, all armed with suppressed Desert Tech Interdiction rifles. Which lead up to the "back door" which was guarded by a platoon strength of Black Tusk, with a least two warhounds, and a medic. Raines surmised that the snipers, had to go or else the raid would turn into a slaughter. She turned her NV scope and found the nearest sniper, she on was position on top of a ridge not too far away. The woman was wearing a black hooded cloak, her mouth covered by a black face mask and a pair of clear goggles over her eyes. Her torso was covered by a tight black-tusk composite lycra top, over which she wore a zip up grey tactical vest. Her arms were covered with the same composite lycra, that started at above her elbows and tapered into black gloves that covered her hands. A pair of combat pants with, coloured grey on the outside seam and mottled camouflage grey and white on the inside leg. Black and white combat sneakers covered her feet. All branded with the black tusk logo. Raines smiled, she had an idea the sniper was exactly her size and her rifle would come in handy. She stowed her scope and move silently to flank.
This was another boring night for Peyton " Deadeye" Donnelly, command had warned her team that the SHD would try something to breach the Pentagon. But so far it was a quiet dull evening, the Division was too busy hunting Emeline Shaw, and the rest of the Outcasts to care what was happening here. As she leant up against a rock, laying her rifle beside her she picked up a MRE but before she could open it, she felt a pair of arms encircle her throat. Before she could react, she was pulled over the rock and her neck snapped to the right. Then she knew nothing at all.
Raines had barely broken a sweat, she thought the Black Tusk were supposed to be tough. Without wasting time, Raines stripped off her gear and clothes, and propping up the dead woman against the rock, began to strip the corpse. She removed the hooded cloak, face mask and goggles, amazed to see that the sniper was younger then her, about early twenties with brown hair cut into a military pixie cut, with soft almond shaped green eyes and a rounded face. Raines noted she was pretty, and on the wrong side as she closed the woman's eyes. She then unzipped the snipers tactical vest, and slipped it off her shoulders, moving on to the compression gloves, Raines pulled them off the dead woman's arms and rolled them up her own. Holding up the dead woman's arms, Raines pulled off the compression top off over the corpses head and pulled it on herself. The snipers C-cup breasts covered by a short black vest, that left her toned midriff exposed, nipples peaking through the sheer fabric. Raines then unlaced the combat sneakers and removed them from the dead woman's feet, covered by a pair of black ankle socks. She than unfastened the combat trousers, and worked them from around the dead snipers shapely hips, pulling them down her long toned legs and free of the corpse. A pair of black military shorts, covered her modesty. Raines looked the girl over, she was toned, athletic and slim but didn't have much muscle mass, about what she expected from a sniper. She got dressed in the dead woman's uniform, taking out the snipers earpiece and putting it in her own. Tapping into the Black Tusk comm bead, hearing comm-checks, when it came to her Raines answered "Sniper five, all clear." She picked up the rifle and could make out the three man SHD team, approaching the insertion point in a zodiac from the river.
Her, watch glowed orange and she held it to her ear " Raines, come in are you in position, over." Came the voice of her friend and fellow SHD agent Alani Kelso. " Roger, that Kelso up here on the ridge to your right. Got me a new rifle, and some new threads over, the sniper had no further use for them." Kelso laughed " Waste not, right. So what have we got here." Raines gave Kelso her report. She sighed " The Troopers and warhounds we can handle, but the snipers.." Raines gently reassured her. " I will take out the snipers, my stolen uniform will confuse them and keep me hidden. I happen to be a good shot, or have you forgotten. Alani." Kelso chuckled " I would ask Keener, but you killed him already. Good luck. Out." Raines removed her wrist watch, becoming completely one with the shadows.
Raines sighted the first sniper, in a watch tower to the left of the main road, adjusting the scope and aiming a little above the target, fired. The shot hit the woman in her chest, knocking her off her feet, the watchtower that served as her hide, concealing her corpse. Cycling the bolt, Raines then moved her scope to the right. Another sniper, in a watch tower to the right of the main road. Raines sighted, adjusted the dials on the scope aimed a little above the targets head and fired. The bullet hit the woman, in the back of her head and she fell forwards, her watchtower now her tomb. After cycling the bolt, Raines shifted to the centre, and spotted the last two snipers in a watch tower near the Pentagon's rear entrance. This shot would be tricky, Raines sighted her rifle, aiming at the first snipers head. When her partner, moved to chat with her, Raines fired. The bullet passed through the heads of both snipers, and they fell to the ground like puppets with their strings cut. Raines held her watch to her mouth, " Kelso, all snipers down. If you move now, you can take them by surprise, before the next comm check." Raines could hear the smile in Kelso's voice. " Roger, that. Great work as always. Move in with us and provide support, over." Raines grabbed her backpack, with her gear inside as she reloaded her rifle and looped it over her shoulder. " You got it, Kelso." She slapped her wristwatch on, as she left the underwear clad corpse of Peyton Donnelly behind.
She relocated to the east watchtower. Stepping over the body of the Black Tusk sniper. Raines sighted with her rifle, and saw Kelso and her team, one male, the other female storm the Black Tusk platoon. The female agent disabled one warhound with her pulse, Raines fired at the crippled robot, hitting in its knee joints and causing it to detonate, turning it to scrap. The other was blown apart by the male agent as he fired his portable missile launcher, exploding after a salvo of missiles hit square in its chassis. Between, the gun fire, drones and the portable turrets, Raines had even deployed her own, they whittled down the platoon. Only the medic was left, as he attempted to launch a medical drone to aid his downed comrades, Raines fired at the drone, hitting it and causing a feedback loop that electrocuted the medic. Before she could cycle the bolt, to finish the prick off, Kelso shredded him with a burst from her Vector SMG. " All clear, nice work Raines. Come on down, let's admire our handiwork." Raines smiled as she slid down the watchtowers ladder, to reunite with Kelso.
" Sweet outfit Raines, looks better on you then on some Black Tusk bitch." Raines gripped Kelso's wrist " A sweet looking rifle too, Kelso. I have always wanted one of these." She said as she eyed up the rifle with reverence. Kelso rolled her eyes "At least one of us lucked out tonight." They both laughed, as the four agents proceeded into the heart of the Last Castle, in search of their prize.
