#snipeheart

There weren't a lot of jobs that came across the Guild's table that were overt in their political nature. Mostly jobs came down to private companies contracting for short term solutions in containing outbreaks, or incidents that didn't need to involve the chartered counter-bioterrorism organizations like the BSAA.

This job? Couldn't involve the BSAA.

A drug-smuggling sting gone wrong in the Penghu Islands, off the coast of Taiwan, resulting in an outbreak of C-virus both in the crew of the fishing boat used to smuggle the infectious agents, and the coast guard that conducted the sting... and some of the military that had been called in to reinforce the guard as well as contain the outbreak.

Intelligence given to their company indicated J'avo on the vessel, and C-infected zombies and their mutations within the coast guard response and military outfit.

The presence of J'avo? Given the low-infectivity of C-virus... Hawk had the suspicion that the infection among the crew was deliberate.

Was it another situation similar to the PLA in Edonia? There wasn't a way to know for certain, but their contact seemed convinced that this was an attempt by foreign intelligence to push for reunification.

Whether it was, or wasn't... that still was a politically messy conclusion to jump to out of the gate. But Hawk couldn't blame them, either, given the country's lack of UN recognition and current push within the charter to exclude Taiwan from the WHO.

And the BSAA's UN charter pretty much guaranteed they couldn't respond without China's input or request- which would legitimize the mainland's claim over the island.

Mess for them, money for the mercenaries. Potential international incidents aside, it seemed well worth the time. And the Guild had a personal interest in C-virus. An old friend was tracking down all that remained of the Family's holdings, and a new guest was learning how to manage the mutation incurred, and how to live again.

Given the terrain and the presence of intelligent BOWs, it seemed the perfect job to have snipers to cover the assault team's insertion and extraction.

---

"Y'know, I think once we clear out this place, we should stick around and have a mini-vacation. Beautiful place, here. Lot's to do," Hawk chirped.

He unlocked the case for the sniper rifle for Piers before shifting his focus to his own tools. He set his radio to the side, and unfolded a tripod for his scope, put out a waterproofed and laminated note-book with erasable marker, a laser rangefinder, and his environmental reader.

Below and out of sight of the moored fishing boat, the assault team was getting ready and relaying progress over the radio.

Jack had many nightmares just as one would with his lengthy military career and encounters with subsequent horrors designed to be beyond human comprehension. The worst of which was operation Javier and the horrors of that godforsaken jungle. His men... The suffering they had all endured before meeting their end.

He thought he could be in control, that his guidance could lead them through that mess even though they had been ill equipped to handle bioweapons and the destruction they wrought. How wrong he was, and he had to watch as slowly their number dwindled until only him and the rookie remained.

In his mind's eye, the events of their deaths played over again like his own personal purgatory punishing him for not being good enough even if deep down he knew it wasn't his fault. Sweat drenched his body and made his muscles twitch, but nothing could have prepared him for the cruelty that awaited him with the new figment of torture his mind played on him.

Piers... Why the hell was he here? Just like the men before him, Jack could only watch helplessly as he too was torn from his side to meet a particularly slow and brutal death. God... The blood. It felt like an endless sea as he knelt there coated in it, trying with all his might to resuscitate him. Human arms morphed into familiar mutations, rendering them even more useless in providing aid before the scene seems to cut away and skip to reveal his bladed arm elbow deep in Pier's chest.

WAKE UP GODDAMNIT

Jack jolts violently awake, limbs flailing before one arm smacks hard against a firm form beside him. Something real and tangible unlike the devastation of his nightmare. Piers had been by his side the entire time, not bleeding out or dying at his hand.

He could not register the way his arms shook as he turned on his side to pull the other man into his arms in a tight embrace. He said absolutely nothing but felt almost inconsolable. He'd never felt like this before, never felt so afraid to lose something good in a long time because he'd felt like he didn't deserve it.

She’s able to be objective about these things. Piers is a well put together guy, and it’s hard to imagine him wanting to start a relationship with anybody after what happened to him. Nor would she especially want to saddle anybody with her own bundle of neuroses and odd habits - but that doesn’t mean she’s incapable of recognizing a well kept body at work.

And it also doesn’t mean she’s above commenting on it. “Shirt giving you too much drag?” Emily’s here for the free weights, thank you very much, the basement “gym” not having much to offer in the way of cardio even if the weights with notations all in Cyrillic are surprisingly comprehensive. She takes a ten pounder in each hand and a fighting stance, slowly pushing the dumbbells out from her waist to shoulder level in an approximation of a punch.

[txt:] fight it is

[txt:] c'mon; find me first. the chase might help, too.

[txt:] heading to the woods it'll be fun.

If nothing else, this'll give him some good cardio. Maybe an excuse to skip drills tomorrow if he's injured enough. And a healthy way of dealing with his trauma of being charged by monsters. Face your fears. Hopefully it'll save some other poor sap from this.

Alright....which one sucks **** better, Leon or Carlos?

​you know, this actually deserve a post on its own because apparently i thought a bit too long about it.

short answer? carlos, there are no doubts about that and not just because he is far more experienced.

long answer? it depends on the preferences one has, 'cause some may find leon better and some would say carlos.

because on one hand you have leon whom loves to please his partner, and it's one of the rare instances where he enjoys giving the control over, and that goes for giving head too. doing what his partner like, going at their pace and all, hell, if he is in the right state of mind, he would gladly let his partner guide him and use his pretty mouth as they please.

"you're upset it hasn't been displaced yet."

"Displaced?"

"Displaced? Raccoon City is gone, and there was never any real restitution for it, was there? The rare case where Umbrella actually folded? It wasn't enough. Derek lived for fifteen years after he pressed a button and buried a city with no repercussions. Actually, he got promoted for his decision. He really thought he could control everything."

A sigh. She doesn't really care about that part.

Morality was a lot of garland for the very real sensation she wanted- Killing Someone of Consequence. For the last few years, she'd been tempered and very, very controlled.