[7] Bra - Military Base

[Bra]

The trio and the group?s unofficial horrible demonic mascot silently made their way down a hall, ignoring the ceiling tile which fell from above, crashing into the floor. It disturbed little more than the thick layer of dust which had formed after Bra and the others had first made their way through the cutting edge military installation, much of which had been reduced to a burned out shell of what it had once been.

Turrets and other gun emplacements lay scattered all about, torn from their mounts or destroyed altogether. Scorches and gashes were deeply set in nearly every surface of the twisting corridor, complete with flickering lights and sparks shooting haphazardly from several of the damaged technology.

?There... should be an elevator around here somewhere. We missed it...? the cyan haired girl?s voice began to falter. Bra paused, taking in a deep breath in order to steady herself and stay her emotions, ?We missed it the first time going in... but it should take us deep into the base a lot faster than heading through all the halls and ramps n? stuff. But...? she fell silent, still walking forward, along with the mighty prince and the teal stranger.

?What?? Vegeta demanded, breaking the silence. His daughter cleared her throat before continuing her explanation.

?Well, uh... this place is loaded with traps. We?ll have to be on our guard if we take the elevator. We got split up from most of the group last time...? the hybrid trailed off again, recalling the events which happened after the separation. The threat of a VX leak suddenly became very real, especially after all the damage she had incurred upon returning to the base. Stupid!! Bra mentally scolded herself, stifling a growl. The girl decided to avoid telling the others about VX, at least for now. The threat of it reacting to Blue-2 was minimal for the time being, as Trunks had unwittingly drank it last time.

And now he was dead.

The familiar sensation of tears welled into her eyes, spilling over and tumbling down her gentle face. Though she tried desperately, the young princess couldn?t hold back the sobs that came next. She managed to keep herself somewhat quiet, refusing to let her father see her like this once again.

?Are we close to this elevator yet?? Zarbon inquired, matching stride with the raven haired warrior next to him. He took in the sights around him, observing the continuous trail of destruction. Sprays of blood had painted widening strokes on one of the walls up ahead; apparently there were some serious injuries during the last incursion.

?Y-Yeah...? Bra confirmed, sniffling and wiping away the remaining tears, ?We should be heading into the foyer any second now.? she rounded a corner, nearly screaming in shock as she leapt back, evading a smoking gun emplacement which crashed loudly into the floor where she had formerly stood.

?Shit!? she exclaimed, her pulse having quickened considerably, her breaths rapid. Such a minor occurrence shouldn?t have affected her so, ?Alright. One of the elevators is busted, care of Cell... but the other two should work. Plus they?ll tell us what?s on each floor.?

The full-blooded saiyan marched forward, planting his index finger on the ?Down? button, taking note of the single set of doors which had been forced outward from an explosion. Obviously that would not be the elevator they were to take.

A gratingly annoying Ding! sounded off, alerting the three to the lift which had arrived on their floor. The set of doors on the right slid open, allowing the group to head into the uncomfortably small box.

?Hey. There?s a couple floors here that we never got to!? Bra exclaimed, suddenly interested in the three options which were new to her, ?So we got the Control Center, Storage Sector... Barracks... and Maintenance.?

?We should probably head to the control center. It?s the logical place for Brim to be, isn?t it?? the emerald humanoid responded, receiving an approving nod from Vegeta, who had folded his arms across his chest.

?Hm. If Brim is in there, chances are he?ll be defended by those traps that Bra mentioned. The coward likely has a detachment assigned to him for protection as well. When we head in, we?ll be met with a very stiff resistance.? he replied, frowning at the buttons on the elevator?s control panel.

?Hey!? chimed in the cyan haired girl, ?Don?t you think the generators?ll be on the maintenance level?? We could take them out and drop the base?s defenses. Anyone in the control center would be confused -at least for a minute or so- and we can fly back up to it and bust in without any of those traps.?

?Heh.? Vegeta smirked, ?Alright. We head to the maintenance levels. I bet it?s been secured, too, so you watch yourself, child.?

?Uh huh.? Bra agreed, pressing the button for their desired floor. The elevator lurched into motion, swiftly sailing downward through the shaft, traveling deep into the rock that the base had been built into.

After a moment, the halfling could feel the lift slowing down, and finally, stopping completely. With another of those aggravating ?ding? sounds, the doors lumbered open, revealing the new floors.

Bra softly gasped, taking in her new surroundings. Red light was bathed over the spartan confines of the maintenance level. Exposed pipes stretched and zigzagged across the concrete ceiling, and up and down walls. Several rusting lockers lined a nearby wall, along with three doors, each marked ?Storage Room?. Steam had begun to escape from one of the pipes, creating a light fog within the area. It was uncomfortably hot and damp. Almost instantly, the princess? hair started to become frizzy, her bangs sticking to her forehead.

?Not a whole lot to look at, hm?? Zarbon darkly mused, heading into the room. Vegeta, his daughter, and her trans-dimensional pet closely followed. One of the red lights down an adjoining corridor began to flicker wildly before going out completely. Shrill, desperate screams suddenly shattered the still air.

?Waaaah!! Oh dear G-!!? ?They broke through, man!! They?re coming, oh sweet fuck, they?re coming after us!!? another series of screams echoed through the hall, meeting the group?s collective hearing, ?Dammit, Steve, pull the fuckin? trigger!!? ?I-I can?t!!? ?Give me the gun, dammit!!?

The deafening, unmistakable report of a shotgun thundered throughout the entire floor. Two more gunshots roared out, followed by moaning and scuffling. A much more morbid shriek echoed loudly, preceding yet another gun blast.

?What... what the hell-!?? Bra was mortified. Whatever was happening, it simply could not have been good. Vegeta grunted, his energy building noticeably. The warrior within him was preparing to be unleashed.

?Alistair!! You rigged up the guns yet!? Son of a-!!? another report from the shotgun, ?Shit, I?m out! Mick, Steve, hold ?em off! I have to reload!! Al!! Move yer ass!!?

?Get back you sons o?-? the order was silenced by a scream, ?Steve, what the fuck!? Stop standing around and fight!!?

?Help me!! Please, for the love of-!!? a horrifying scream reverberated through the halls, quelled only by the wet sound of tearing flesh. Another shotgun blast filled the air, then another.

?I got it!! Get on the ground and don?t move! They?re motion trackin? and they don?t know who?s who!!?

The sound of machine gun fire droned on for nearly half a minute before pausing. Three short bursts of gunfire followed, and then the room fell silent once more. None of the warriors made any move, or any sounds. All of them strained to hear for a new development.

?Okay... got it reading our service tags.? the voice grew solemn, ?The guns won?t shoot us... but... damn. We?re the only ones left down here. Where the hell are the soldiers!? The emergency alarm was tripped over an hour ago!!?

The conversation continued, mostly the two recounting the harrowing events that had just transpired, or one making an inquiry about the other?s plans for the future. It was wholly unimportant, and allowed the trio to begin their own dialogue.

?What do we do, dad?? the princess questioned, her voice noticeably tinged with the element of fear. Bra turned away, disappointed in herself. She was supposed to be strong! For Burter, for Trunks, ...for the respect of her father.

?We move.? Vegeta responded simply. He and the nightmare shade were the first to enter the corridor. Bra stayed close behind her father, while Zarbon held back a few steps, ever watchful for anything the others may have missed. The group rounded the corner, all taking notice of the two ceiling-mounted sentry guns which whirred to life, opening fire upon them. The girl dove out of the way of a spray of bullets, while the prince leapt upward, releasing a swift blast of ki which immediately consumed one of the two gun emplacements. The teal warrior back-flipped, planting his feet on the wall behind him before springing forward, his fist crashing into the remaining turret, which exploded under the impact, raining shards of metal and plastic upon the three men below him. One opened fire upon him with his shotgun, while the other two cowered in fear. Bra dashed forward, snatching the weapon and breaking it in two before another shot could be fired.

?Who-who the hell are you!?? shouted the one stripped of his firearm, ?Please, don?t kill us! We?ve been through enough!?

?Shut up!? Vegeta interrupted, finally getting a chance to take in the features of this new room. A makeshift barricade of tables and shelves had been broken through, and the bodies of zombies lay strewn all about, most of them having been torn to pieces by gunfire. A handful of fresh bodies, with deep scratches and bite marks, lay in heaps upon the ground, blood flowing freely from their fatal wounds. Two of the survivors sat near an exposed series of wires which had obviously been connected in a rush, while a third cowered underneath a desk, his pants soaked with his own urine, ?We?re not here to kill you fools. We?ve come looking for the generators. You three will help us.?

?Why... why do you want to go to them?? spoke one of the two near the tampered wiring panel, ?What do you plan to do here??

?That?s none of your business. We?ve given you your orders. Now carry them out or I?ll make sure you suffer the same fate as these disgusting oafs.? Vegeta gestured to the bloody mass of undead scattered about. Bra stepped in, doing her best to defuse the situation.

?Uh, listen. The name?s Bra. This? my dad, and that guy?s Zarbon.? she began, waving an arm in the teal man?s direction.

?This here?s Gus.? he paused, casting a disdainful glance at the pitiful man underneath the desk, ?...That?s Steve.? he sighed, ?And I?m Alistair. We?re the last techs on this forsaken level.?

?You guys got screwed over by Brim, Alistair. He?s the one behind all these horrible things happening around here. We think that he?s in the control center, and that taking out the generators will shut down the base?s power supply, and take out all the defenses Brim?s got.? the half-blood youth explained, ?But we need your help.?

?Brim, huh? That fucker, I knew something was up when he transferred one of the garrisons out of the base. He was acting real weird after that.? Gus retorted, his gruff, raspy voice marring some of his words.

?Well, you?re on the right track. There?s a back-up that?ll come online after we shut down the main generators, but I can easily disable it with a few keystrokes. But if we help you, you?ve got to do us a favor.? Alistair demanded.

?What?s that?? Bra inquired, placing a hand on her hip.

?You get us the hell outta here. I?ve got too much to worry about right now. The kids can?t take care of themselves yet, and-?

?We?ll take you as far as the surface. After that, you?re on your own.? Vegeta interrupted, his stern tones denying any chance of argument. Alistair nodded his approval, waving for the others to follow him down another hallway.

Another series of pipes snaked down the ceiling and along the walls. The floor was clearly in disrepair. A deep impression was imprinted upon the concrete floor, filled with a rancid puddle of water mixed with some foul smelling green fluid. The group rounded a corner, stopping at a thickly reinforced door complete with a keypad.

?Alright,? Alistair began, withdrawing a magnetic security card. He swiped it along the card reader, causing the red light to turn green, ?Inside is the generator room. My clearance will turn off the defenses, but we got to work fast. Even I can?t get away with shutting down the main power source and not causing a lot of suspicion.?

?All you need to do is open the door.? the prince responded, a sinister smirk painted across his visage. The younger member of the royal family immediately realized what her father was planning to do, and couldn?t help but mirror his trademark expression.

?Alright...? the technician replied, striking a series of keys and turning the handle. With a hiss, the heavy door rumbled open, with the aid of a series of hydraulic actuators. The deafening roar of the immense generators rumbled from within as the warrior trio stepped into the vast room. Three absurdly large generators towered over the fighters, creating intense vibrations through the floor beneath their feet.

Zarbon extended his hand, forming a mock gun while collecting energy in his index finger. He cracked a bit of a grin, his gaze falling upon the others.

?So, I guess this is the part where we make things go ?boom??? he insinuated, his grin widening as Vegeta formed a similar ?handgun?, imitating the teal warrior?s hyper elegant magnum attack.

?Monster-thing! Blow that shit up!!? Bra cried, watching as Grimshaw?s memento leapt forward, a searing orb of cobalt energy converging within the shade?s razor-tooth lined mouth. Just as the monstrosity unleashed it?s ki wave, Vegeta and Zarbon fired their attacks. The three blasts tore through the generators, creating explosions which ripped the gargantuan machines open. The drone of the generators dissipated, leaving only the crackling of fire.

?Quick! I gotta seal this door before the generator defenses come online. Believe me, we don?t wanna face off against that stuff.? Alistair warned, ushering everybody out of the gigantic room. With another series of keys, the technician sealed the room, before turning to the others.

?Okay. I can use my PDA to shut down the backup after we take the elevator up to the control room. Me and the boys?ll hide out in the elevator while you do whatever you need to do in there. On the plus side, all the computers are battery backed, so you?ll still be able to access the networks and stuff. Use my password: Chombie.? the man explained, leading them to the elevator. He had already called one by the time he finished his explanation, and now watched as the doors granted them access into one of the lifts.

* * * * * *

The doors opened, allowing Bra, Vegeta, Zarbon, and the shadow horror off the elevator. Alistair wished them well, and then sealed himself, along with Gus and Steve, inside the lift. A short moment passed before the low hum of machinery powering down sounded from all directions. Emergency lighting quickly sprung to life, but the dozens of turrets which lined every wall fell dormant. The cyan haired half-blood quickly stepped up to the central computer, entering Alistair?s password without delay.

?Says here there?s another control center in here. Behind that door,? the girl pointed at a massive blast door on the other side of the room, ?Apparently it?s the master control room. If Brim?s in here, he?s got to be in there. It?s made out of ki resistant metal, though. Just like that shit in the prison. Check this out! ?VX-B Test #44-1. Kalagrad?. It?s a video log.? she explained, opening the file. It began playing on the large screen, full color and sound prominently displayed.

The camera focused on a quaint little town nestled upon the asteroid. It was obviously devoid of any military reinforcement, and appeared to be rather prosperous.

?Final testing phase of the modified VX nerve agent. We?ve been ordered to test this stuff on the citizens here. I think it?s sick... but my opinions are not for official logs.? a long exhale followed, ?Launch strike.?

Missiles fell from the sky, hammering into the town below. Clouds of thick smoke quickly enveloped the town, completely obscuring the buildings visible to the camera. Moments passed, before the camera switched to an overhead view from a passing helicopter. People could be seen wretching and collapsing through the haze. Nobody escaped. Nobody survived.

?...Success. God forgive me.?

?No way. No freakin' way! They launched VX on an innocent town, as a test!? What a bunch of sick fucks!!?

OOC: Wow. It's... long. I apologize, I just really got into this post. ^_^;
Hope it was a good read!