The Mercenary Grind

[weapons_mistress]

"Adri, I have a new list of prospective jobs," Millicent called to her best friend, who was currently in the kitchen. "Do you want me to read through them?"

Comments

[weapons_mistress]

Agent Rossel nodded, removing a tarp from a box.

"Miniature rocket launchers, complete with lock-on targeting."

Millicent gave an appreciative whistle. "I approve."

"The German government takes the clean-up of its predecessors' mistakes very seriously."

[ze_leaper]

Even Adrienne let out an appreciative grin. "Well done," she agreed.

"Are zere any particular interesting parties in zis affair, or just ze usual alphabet soup of organizations?"

[weapons_mistress]

"We strongly suspect Hydra may make a run at him. We don't know much about who leads the organization these days, but von Strucker once had strong connections with the old Prussian military, so there may be a link there," Rossel replied.

"Hmph, if there is anyone I do not mind burning bridges with, it's them. We can be off, unless you have nay follow-up questions?" Millicent asked looking over at Adrienne.

[ze_leaper]

"None here," Adrienne said. She too, wouldn't mind settling up with Hydra. Her father's dealings with them had gone rather south, after all.

[weapons_mistress]

"Very good." The agent smoothly lifted her sleeve to check her watch. "Alright then, let's move to it!" The frozen man was loaded into the truck. "Ms. Batroc, seeing as you are a hand-to-hand fighter, perhaps you should join our guest in the truck. They likely will not wish to harm the vehicle with long-range attacks. The back car would likely suit you, Ms. Zaran."

"Logical strategy," Millicent conceded.

[ze_leaper]

"A good plan," she agreed.

Adrienne turned to Millicent. "Good luck to you."

[weapons_mistress]

"You too, soeur dans les bras," Millicent said in turn, throwing in a little French for the fun of it.

The two women took their positions as the German agents took up theirs. It was night and the route they were taking was very scenic so as to make any vehicles stick out like sore thumbs in the eyes of passengers. For a time it went rather smoothly. There were no vehicles in sight..which made it all the more surprising when a giant figure moved from the nearby wood and cut off the truck's path.

"Bloody hell!" Millicent had her infrared activated when the sudden movement occurred. "That's Hydra Mandroid armor!" She quickly grabbed one of the rocket launchers.

[ze_leaper]

"Sacre bleu!" Adrienne shouted, switching to the comms. "Go for the shoulder joints, Millicent! The armor is weakest there!"

[weapons_mistress]

"Surrender the Marshal, and you can walk away from this," came the mechanized voice.

Millicent heard what Adrienne said, quickly aiming the launcher at the armor's joints.

"Go to Hell, fascist dupe," came Agent Rossel's response.

"Your funeral," was the pilot's response.

"We'll see about that," Millicent mumble, before letting off a shot at the armor's knee joint.

[ze_leaper]

The sound of something on the roof instant spurred Adrienne into action, delivering a kick that was perfectly timed to catch the enemy in the solar plexus just as he swung from the roof of the truck into her compartment. She jumped out, landing easily, and almost immediately jumping again as gunfire filled the air.

It was turning into an interesting day.

[weapons_mistress]

Of course it wouldn't be JUST a Mandroid. Millicent didn't let this distract her too much. As the armor went down to one knee from her first shot, she quickly let loose another, this time aimed at the Mandroid's exposed shoulder. The pilot cursed at the unexpected damage.

Adrienne was fighting more Hydra soldiers while the German agents exchanged gunfire with those trying to pick Adrienne off.

"Eat this, bitch." That was when Millicent noticed the Mandroid pilot had his arm raised, sending a missile of his own from the wrist.

"Shit! Everyone out of the car!" Millicent and the agents with her scrambled from the car just in time before the vehicle exploded into pieces. Millicent's ears were protected by her helmet, though her vision was somewhat clouded by smoke. She tried to reach for the launcher, but she couldn't place it as she heard heavy footsteps heading her way.

[ze_leaper]

There was something very satisfying about beating up Nazi's. The Batrocs came from a long mercenary line, but even they had contributed in various ways to the second World War.

Adrienne delivered a double footed kick to one of the Hydra soldiers, bouncing off and landing on the truck roof. She was barely there a minute before she was moving again, her powerful leg muscles launching her forward. She sailed past Millicent and nearly past the Mandroid, grabbing onto its domed helmet and obscuring its eyeslits as she passed.

"I would appreciate a little speed, Millicent..."

[weapons_mistress]

"Always so bossy, Adrienne," Millicent mumbled. When she couldn't find the launcher, instead she grabbed her sword. Pushing a button on the hilt lit the sword up with arcs of energy. She dashed at the armor, as the pilot tried top dislodge Adrienne from her perch. Millicent slashed into one of the exposed armn-joints, causing it to fizzle and crack is it hung on only by a few wires.

Meanwhille...

"Agent Rossel! The ice..it's melting!" Cried one of the German agents.

"What!? Wait, it's not melting, it's..shrinking..the moisture's being drawn into the man!"

[ze_leaper]

Adrienne timed her own jump perfectly with Millicent's strike.

"Getting a bit heavy," she said, unsheathing a pair of collapsible batons. "Hopefully that was their only Mandroid..."

[weapons_mistress]

Said-Mandroid for its part wasn't down yet, bringing its undamaged arm up to unleash a pulse blast at the pair.

"We can't stop it, Ma'am! It makes no sense! Refrigeration's at maximum, but it's still shrinking!"

"Damn it!" Rossel cursed.

Hyrdra soldiers burst through the back. "Hands up, now, or we'll kill all of you!"

[ze_leaper]

"Now zat," came a voice from behind them, "would be a mistake. And I would not get paid, so zere is that too."

As soon as she finished speaking, she struck the nearest of them from behind, hard on the skulls with her batons.

[weapons_mistress]

Millicent dodged the pulse-wave. She gritted her teeth and charged. She knew it took a little bit for those to recharge. She had time for another strike...

When Adrienne took a couple down, their attention turned slightly, causing the German agents to come at them from the rear to take advantage of Adrienne's opening.

But then..the ice cracked..then exploded.

[ze_leaper]

Adrienne winced.

"Oh, merde."

[ngm_foes]

He shook his head to clear the fog from his mind and try to get a decent picture before his eyes. He knew he'd been asleep, but the sounds of the battlefield stirred his groggy brain. He did not recognize the strange uniforms of any of those who stood before.

"Identify yourselves! Names and ranks! Speak quickly!" He spoke in a dialect of German, though not one immediately noticeable to non-Germans.

[weapons_mistress]

"Adri..I don't know what he's saying," Millicent admitted tensely.

A Hydra soldier attempted to speak, though Agent Rossel beat him to it.

"I am Agent Rossel of German Intelligence, sir," she said quickly, speaking an accented version of the man's dialect. "these men are criminals against Germany-"

"Lies!" The Hydra officer spoke in the general German language, though it wasn't very refined. "We are patriots who wish to see Germany take its rightful place!" He points at Millicent and Adrienne. "These people are traitors that consort with the British and the French against the Empire!"

[ze_leaper]

Adrienne's German was passable... but also very much filtered through her everyday (as opposed to her showmanship) French accent.

"He lies," she said, pointing at the Hydra officer. "We are contracted agents, working with the German government, and they are terrorists."

[ngm_foes]

He was getting irritated. He had no idea which side to believe. He glared at Agent Rossel, then Adrienne and Millicent.

"Women in military service to Germany? This..how long..?"

"Do not let them deceive you, Major Eis!" The Hydra officer chimed in.

"You know me?" the major asked.

"Yes, our leader, Baron Strucker served under you as a young man!"

"Strucker.." He knew that name.

[weapons_mistress]

Millicent had no idea how powerful this man was. if they could avoid somehow having to fight him, they needed to try.

"I may be a woman, but please listen," Millicent began, it wasn't the man's dialect of German, but he seemed to understand them all well enough. "When you fought in the Great War honor still meant something in warfare. Strucker became a monster complicit in the deaths of uncounted men, women, and children in service to a Reich that became a wretched mockery of the German Empire. These men are remnants of that dark time and know nothing of dignity, honor, or basic humanity!"

[ze_leaper]

Adrienne nodded. "Strucker dreams of personal enrichment and world conquest. He cares nothing for the ideals you once served. And they carry on that dream."

[ngm_foes]

"They exagerate things grossly, major! Strucker did what he could to resurrect the Empire! The whole of the world conspired to keep Germany down!"

"Then..we lost." The realization struck him just from the things they were saying.

"Yes, but-"

"Then..these things..killing civilians..."

"Enemies of the state, major! Those that crippled Germany-"

AGent Rossel yelled out. "Millions killed because of their religion and race! The Third Reich was a supremacist monstrosity!"

"No..that..that can't be true. We..we couldn't have fallen that far..."