The West Wind's Cry

[Herculine]

Great work. I look forward to seeing more!

[Zephyr2011]

Sorry I've been a wee bit behind schedule but here it is.

 

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CHAPTER 2 CONTINUED: 2278

 

Zephyr moved in a blur. In an instant he was up and moving towards the "armory" on his way he stepped on the Helmet crushing it like a bug despite its impressive reinforcement and technology. Lara knew Zephyr all too well and was after him immediately her blonde locks flowing behind her as she half-walked half-ran to the crumbling mail-room that served as a weapons storage area. Zephyr was clipping grenades-fragmentation, plasma even a few shredder grenades-to his belt and armor. He moved about the room like a bulture picking a carcass. All of the groups 7.62 NATO rounds were quickly added to his kit then he moved out of the room muscling past Lara as she tried to stand in his way.

 

"F__k!" she swore to herself massaging her shoulder after Zephyr brushed her aside, she continued moving after him. She grabbed her AK-107 and ran after the quickly receding figure of Zephyr and she began barking out orders to the rest of the group, "CARL!" hollering to a man about 5' 9" with mottled brown and amber hair who was the groups official medic, "Get Mira onto Mars's back and let's get a move on! Get to Jolliet and get her help! Mike! You're with me we're getting Zeph back!" On the outside Lara commanded total control and no one questioned her, she'd been with Zephyr the longest, not even Mike shared the close friendship she had with Zephyr and she was the indisputed second-in-command, but on the inside, in her mind and in her heart Lara was a nervous wreck, she knew exactly waht Zephyr was going to do and she feared it'd be the death of him.

 

Zephyr marched through the barren wastes his cloak billowing with his movement exposing his fearsome armor-and arsenal for that matter. He normally walked heel-to-toe silent as Death himself but now he marched with purpose and stirred dust as he moved, not the cool calculating gait he was renowned for but one that radiated strength, purpose but most of all-wrecklessness. He slung his SABR off his back and punched the pins out of the 18" upper and stuck them twixt his lips then placed strapped the upper to his calf and grabbed the 12" and fit it into position pushing the pins in all without slowing down a tick. He crested the brow of a hill and looked down on the once peacefull town of Jolliet...

 

The screams tore through the air like a jagged knife, men, women and children were drug to cages, shot in the street or set ablaze in their own homes. The scene was complete chaos. Enclave soldiers in Tesla and Mk II power armor tore through every building like the plague capturing the weak and slaughtering the resisters. Zephyr shook with rage as Lara and Mike materialized on either side of him and stopped, watching in pure terror at the devastation around them.

 

Suddenly Erik's tent material wrippled and the canvas door-flap was thrown wide. A trooper with Hellfire armor on marched point followed by Erik flanked by two Tesla soldiers who in turn were followed by a haughty looking officer in an emaculate black uniform with his hands behind his back and his pointed nose skyward. They marched towards a man in gleaming power-armor the likes of which Zephyr nor Mike and Lara had ever seen, he wore no helmet but rathered favored his wild curly brown hair and many scars. This man was big, no doubt about it. Enclave didn't hand out tech that impressive to just any officer and sure as Hell not to any troopers.

 

Erik had his hands tied behind him or so it looked from the trio's vantage point. Suddenly the scrappy scottsman's veins popped on his arms and the pathetic fibers that once binded him exploded in a flurry of manilla. Before the escorts could react Erik punched the Hellfire trooper in the back of the neck and siezed the combat knife attached to the soldiers thigh. Erik swung the blade like it was an extension of his arm and decapitated the guard on his right then the plunged the knife into the officer's gut and jerked upward savagely ripping a cavity all the way through his torse and up to his neck slicing his windpipe open. The other tesla trooper had scarcely had time to react and had only just gotten the his plasma rifle pointed towards Erik. The wild-eyed man was not to be stopped he grabbed the barrel of the rifle and wrenched it from the unfortunate's hands then brought the butt end to bare on his visor shattering it into a thousand pieces then slamming it into him once again breaking his nose. The barrel of the rifle was thrust into the mans power armor at the gut and his eyes opened wide in shock and realization then clouded over in death as a hole was blast through his intestines and out his back. The man in Hellfire armor had just recovered from his brush with the short little barbor's immense strength and was beginning to swing his Heavy incinerator around to fire at the scottsman when his head was liquified into green molten waste by the plasma rifle. Erik was mad with rage he blasted every enclave b_____d in sight until at last the man in the impressive armor began walking slowly and deliberattely towards him. Erik turned and began firing but nothing phased the daunting power armor and when he aimed towards the man's head it was as if some supernatural force parted the plasma and sent it round the officer's face. The great tower of a man was a full two feet taller than Erik he raised his hand and crushed the pathetic rifle in his awesome hands a feat that was nigh impossible even with power armor. His mighty hand then grasped Erik by the collar of his shirt and lifted him off the ground so he could stare the barbor in his defiant forest eyes.

 

"Quite the fighter I see." The Enclave officer said flatly.

 

Erik spat in his face, "Aye, and I'd kill ye too if it weren't for ye power armor ye great pompous bastad."

 

(experimenting a bit with dialect here lemme know your thoughts)

 

"A pitty, I could have used a man like you."

 

"Erik Glen would never serve the filthy ranks of Enclave vermin like yeself." The scottsman roared defiantly.

 

"Ah, Erik Glen is it. I...am General Rodrick Faull. No my name and fear it as you go to the grave. I'm here for you're friend and I will take him back to Valhalla or he will die by my hand."

 

"What friend do ye speak of? Ai've got many unlike ye, ya great ass." Erik said tauntingly, resistant to the bitter end.

 

Faull threw his fist into Glen's stomach and dropped him to the ground. The great boot moved quickly onto Erik's chest and the General knelt over his knee staring into the scott's eyes. No fear existed there, not of Faull not of death not of anyone there never had been. Faull slowly drew an ion pistol and held it ready towards Erik though not obstructing either man's view.

 

"Zephyr." Faull whispered with finallity and a sick satisfaction.

 

For the first time Erik Glen's eyes shown with fear, with terror. Faull pulled the trigger tearing a rift through Erik's heart which eerily reflected his feelings. The scott died in the worst way imaginable, thinking his friend's number might truelly and finally be up and surrounded by his other friends and family either dead or screaming in horror captured...

 

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[Herculine]

I really like the way this is developing. :biggrin:

[Zephyr2011]

Thanks Herculine I don't have much going on tonight so I'm gonna go ahead and start posting the third chapter tonight.

[Zephyr2011]

Third chapter bit of a change up. It's also shorter so it's in one piece instead of two.

 

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CHAPTER 3: 2269

 

The man or rather, boy stood in the file with the others his jet black hair exposed beneath a likewise black combat helmet emblazoned with the symbol of a once great nation upon it. His Armor was like-wise adorned his comrades however wore gleaming power-armor, the latest Advanced Mk II suits and helmets straight from the armory. They all carried assault rifles or minor-class energy weapons but not the boy. He was no more than 17 and yet he was denied any protection beyond the pathetic metal plates and padding of the modified military regalia. Ironically the youngest of the group and most poorly armored he was the most heavily armed. Cases of ammo were stuffed into his kit grenades clipped to his belt and armor. In his hands he held a Colt M16 rifle from before the war, a rare piece of equipment even to the Enclave. On his back he carried one of the most fearsome and awe-inspiring weapons of the wastes: an experimental MIRV. Strapped to his thing was a deadly Sig-Sauer 14mm pistol and sheathed on the side of his boot was a diamond edged combat knife.

 

“LISTEN UP MAGGOTS!” Barked a man in a black cotton and wool uniform. “TODAY WE’RE ELIMINATING A RAIDER OUTPOST. BRAVO TEAM! You’re to circle around west of their camp and hit them on their Northwestern extremity. CHARLIE TEAM! Circle east and take them on their Northern shelters. GOLD TEAM! You’ll board the Vertibirds and be dropped into the thick of it at seven f=minutes into the engagement. ZHE-“

 

“It’s Zephyr.” The boy interjected with a voice laden with hate.

 

The officer blinked rapidly then continued on, “Hit them at their front door in the south and use that MIRV for God’s sake!”

 

The massive transport crawler stopped and the ramp creaked as it was lowered to the scarred land of the wasteland and the soldiers poured out as a Vertibird touched down next to the ramp. The boy ran faster than any of the men in Power Armor despite their increased strength and endurance. He reached the main gates it was an imposing installation for raiders.

 

The gates were made of rusted sheet metal torn from old airplanes and other decimated structures behind them was a network of steel towers and catwalks and atop them were at least a dozen raiders armed with whatever they could get their hands on. Rusted pipes, old machetes, guns fashioned out of plumbing parts, rotting hunting rifles, the occasional assault rifle and the weapons made of junk metal from spears to swords. The boy hid behind a rocky outcropping listening to the raiders exchange banter, jokes, stories, and liquor on the wall when he decided to step out of the shadows and stand right in front of them.

 

“What’s this? Some little Enclave female dog? Dance brat dance!” One raider roared and fired his gun at Zephyr’s feet but Zephyr knew the spread was too great at that range even for a precision assault rifle let alone a rifle held together by wonder glue, tape and crossed fingers. He didn’t flinch as bullets ripped into the ground meters from his feet.

 

Coolly Zephyr said, “You’re going to die today.”

 

“What’s that female dog? Maybe I should teach you some manners.” Another raider said this one with a hunting rifle. He brandished it like a cane then thought better of it and began to line up his sights instead. The barrel moved jerkily as he tried to sight it, he was soft from living in a compound where all he had to do is sit at a gate and sound tough. The bullet missed Zephyr by at least three meters.

 

“Unlike you, I don’t miss.” Zephyr said then he aimed his assault rifle towards the top of the gate and opened fire. His munitions flew like maddened hornets slicing through the raiders’ flesh none were killing shots but nearly all of them hit a mark. One hit his true target: a barrel suspended from a cable above the gate. It was filled with irradiated water to counterweight the gates so they wouldn’t swing outwards. The raiders were too consumed in panicking to notice that Zephyr had stopped shooting, reloaded then took out his MIRV and was walking towards the gate.

 

When the raiders at last realized they were no longer being shot at it was too late. The massive gates had opened with the counterweights destroyed and Zephyr was inside all eight mini nukes loaded into his awesome weapon. Before any one of them could so much as blink the projectiles spread like a carpet bomb at the support beams and guardhouses erupting into a great wall of flame and radiation. The entire gate catwalk system screamed in protest as its remaining beams buckled and it all fell in a twisted metal heap littered with the bodies of the raiders who had been guarding the gate or were asleep in the guardhouses.

 

Zephyr shouldered the hulking weapon and readied his M16 once more. He was rushed by a crazed raider woman in Sadist armor brandishing a rusted machete with the point re-sharpened. As she leapt into the air her copper jewelry flying about her face and her machete held high over her head Zephyr pumped five rounds into her the stopping power sending her to the ground where she lay in a growing pool of blood. A handful of other raiders came but they were ill-prepared for this unstoppable boy in power armor and were cut down in seconds by the scythe of machine gun fire.

 

The roar of a Vertibird pierced the air as the Gold Team touched down and began burning the raider shelters and stockades. Zephyr’s work was finished. He reluctantly boarded the Vertibird and watched the raider stronghold explode in a flurry of detonations set by the other Enclave troopers who were now on their way back to the crawler as he soared through the sky his hair whipping around his face and tearing his helmet from his head.

 

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More will be up later enjoy.

[Herculine]

Zephyr is sooooo cool.

[shadowmadnezz]

nice stuff man :)

 

And for the record, imma love to see how the RP turns out lol Zephyr n Mars lookn for Danny Reckless.. Cant wait to see what happens

[species5478]

I like your writing style.

[Zephyr2011]

It has officially been WAAAAAY too long so I've got another two chapters for those of you who liked the first 3 but only one is going up today.

 

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CHAPTER 4: 2278

Zephyr still quaking after his moment of nostalgia was like lightning readying his SABR and attempting to get a burst of shots off at the imposing figure in Power armor but Mike was faster. He grasped the barrel and thrust it high into the air.

 

“Are you insane!?” Mike said in as quiet of a voice as his shock would allow. “They’ll kill us all! We can’t take them now, we’re outmanned, outgunned and we’d be outmaneuvered soon as well!”

 

“That male without a father killed Erik!” Zephyr yelled.

 

“I Know Zeph, and we’ll get them but not now, not here.” Lara consoled. But to no avail. Zephyr overpowered Mike and brought his barrel down and very nearly got off a shot before Lara was forced to grasp her fist in her dominant hand and thrust her elbow into the base of Zephyr’s neck knocking him unconscious.

 

Mars and the others saw the trio and made a head long dash to them, Mars wearing a concerned look on his scaly countenance. Kiki chimed, “What’s up with Zephy?” in her melodic voice. She enjoyed giving him pet names, he might be her ‘boss’ but he was also somewhat of a fantasy to her.

 

Mike gestured towards the killing grounds. It was enough of an explanation and Kiki instantly quieted down. “Alright we need to get Zephyr out of here and Mira to a doctor. Gino’s is the next big town that’ll have the medical supplies we need plus we’ll be able to lay low until this blows over… or we get some more fire power.” Lara barked and led the group through the waste north.

 

Gino’s was a large settlement in Chicago named so because a group of wastelanders took refuge in an old pizzeria by the name of Gino’s East, slowly more settlers came and the community mushroomed into a large semi-walled city in Chicago.

 

The gaggle of warriors trudged through the wind-swept plains of the decimated prairie state north dust flying through the air. Their lips dried with the blistering winds so that they cracked and bled at the slightest movements or hint of a smile. After hours of marching their faces stung with wind-burn and they were exhausted from carrying many dozens of pounds of gear for nearly ten miles in only a few hours. Eventually Lara called for a halt and they made camp for the night.

 

The blistering sun was finally retreating behind the horizon offering the weary travelers a reprieve from the oppressive heat in summer. Surprisingly Lara and Mike had thought to grab the tents from base before leaving. Quickly the duo pitched a Brahmin hide tent and carried Mira and Zephyr inside out of the setting sun’s heat. Kiki and the other two women, Sierra and Carry, two former raiders, set about collecting wood for a fire. They fanned out looking for shriveled remnants of a tree. Kiki went one direction while the other two went another conversing with their heads together as usual.

 

Later in the evening the group sat around a large fire that blazed like a beacon in the night save for Mira and Zephyr in the tent with Mars curled outside daring any of the Radscorpions to come close. Few words passed between the group, everyone was anxious, what did Enclave want in the mid west? No important tech was here? Talon’s presence was also disconcerting to say the least especially now that Mira was out of commission and Zephyr had to be knocked unconscious. It had been horribly slow going for the sun, wind, and the two unconscious people they had to carry not to mention virtually all of their supplies from their stronghold.

 

“We’ll have to head out early, before dawn so the sun doesn’t slaughter us again and we can make some actual progress,” Mike said to Lara without looking away from the hot coals they were all huddled around.

 

Lara nodded, “The wind’s died down some hopefully it’ll stay like that. Even if we book it it’s at least another day and a half to Gino’s,”

 

“If we move through tomorrow night we’ll make it by sunrise, plus Zephyr should come around tonight or tomorrow morning so he can carry his share of the supplies and Mars will only have to carry Mira.”

 

“Good point, Zephyr can get those two-“ Lara gestured to Sierra and Carry, “To actually move too instead of holding us up. And Kiki will cheer up and just skip along the entire way once Zeph’s come to.”

 

“Yeah.” Mike said. Five more minutes passed, “We better get some rest. I’ll set the alarm to get us up at three. That’ll give us nearly six hours before it gets so hot again.” He rose and patted Lara’s shoulder.

 

Raising her voice and speaking to Karl, Kiki, Sierra and Carri, “Alright everyone, lets get some rest. It’s gonna be an early morning tomorrow and a long hike.” When she finished Lara went and lay in her sleeping bag until morning.

 

Zephyr jerked bolt-upright, drenched in a cold sweat, panting hard with Lara leaning against the support beam to the tent watching him with a strange and slightly scared look in her eyes. “You had one of those dreams didn’t you?”

 

“Wha-No. No I’m fine.” He lied.

 

“Come on, I know you better than that. What was it this time?” Lara inquired, not convinced in the least.

 

“Alright, fine it was of the last experi-“ Zephyr jerked his head sharply to his left to scan the tent, he remembered that Mira had been injured and would be in the tent too.

 

“It’s fine, I just pumped another five shots of morphine into her, she’ll be out cold until we reach the East clinic.” Lara comforted the battle scarred man.

 

“We’re going to Gino’s? Nevermind. The dream was…”

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[Zephyr2011]

This is easily the grittiest chapter thus far, its not 100% essential to understanding the storyline so if you've got an issue with language please don't post a bunch of hate messages because it's used rather heavily in this chapter, it's a real illustration of the hatred Zephyr harbors for the Enclave. It's also got some pretty intense stuff in a dialogue soif you can't handle an M rating (using games cause that's more familiar to all of us I think rather than movies) don't read it. but to those of you that do read it I hope you enjoy.

 

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CHAPTER 5: November 2269

 

He was about 19 now, more muscularly built than before, but still just a young gun. The rubber-like straps cut into his bare wrists, arms, ankles, and legs as he felt the cold steel of the table on his back. The scientists prepared another syringe and moved a strange apparatus closer to their workspace. This was the fifth injection in this session and according to the scientists, the last he would ever have.

 

The burning pain screeched up his arm and branched out through his entire body, searing like magma through his veins and arteries at first flushing all of his skin a bright red from the intense pain and heat then making it deathly pale and giving him shivers.

 

“F-F-F-U-UUU-C-K Y-Y-O-OO-U!” He roared through his chattering teeth at his tormentors.

 

“Now, now Zheta 3, that wasn’t so bad was it? Your last injection we just need to check your radiation resistance and vitals then you’re done. For the rest of your life! Just think, soon President Eden will have you a commander then he’ll make you his confident, Autumn has outstayed his welcome and you’re far superior to him. You’ll command the entire DC area!” The scientist that was clearly in charge grimed with a wolfish smile.

 

“LIAR! YOU LIE- GAAAH!!!” He spat then yelped as the injection sent enormous spasms of pain ricocheting through his body, “LIEING male without a father!”

 

Hmmph, we picked the wrong one. He’s too smart. Of course we would pick the best possible candidate for the job then Octavias would beat him and make him despise us. I can’t wait to see the look on his face when Eden hands over his job to Zheta. We engineered him to be perfect, to be able to do anything the Enclave needs and we dosed him up to hell and back before Eden could regulate us. He’ll be the best and we’ll get our funding once he becomes the second in command. Of course that’s if we can get the damned mind chip planted in him. Ha! Octavias thinks that all this Deathclaw mind control *manure* is just for using the beasts in battle I can’t wait for the perfect troopers to take the battlefield and operate perfectly with Zheta and crush everything in our path and watch Zheta strangle the pompous male without a father, that will be the day. The lead scientist thought. “Now, just calm down. You’ve just got to do the normal tests and you’re free to go back to your quarters.”

 

The tests took hours, radiation induction, reflexes, strength and more Zephyr did everything with a snarl and a malicious glint in his eye. He absorbed only 100 RADS when he was exposed to 10,000 and they were going down by the minute. He was possessed almost super-human strength, very few people could lift as much weight and with such grace and ease. His muscles were compacted, stronger, denser, and nimbler than any other person’s. His reflexes were astonishing and his pain tolerance was remarkably high allowing him to till aim and function far better than a normal human being. The examination complete the scientists were extremely pleased with the results and sent Zephyr to his ‘quarters’ a steel room with a bed chained to the wall with a footlocker.

 

On his way an officer walking by in a crisp black uniform and shining black boots sneered at him as he passed shoving him into the wall and spitting into his face, “Out of the way worm.”

 

Zephyr moved like lightning, his arm moved in a blur slamming the officer’s head against the wall with his hand at the arrogant fool’s throat. His fury knew no bounds as he pummeled the officer’s stomach and torso cracking several ribs, at least one was a compound fracture because blood seeped through the black cotton. Zephyr’s knee slammed into the officer’s crouch doubling him over then a swift uppercut along with a rapid turn sent him up into the air and over Zephyr’s head slamming onto the floor. He heard the sirens go off as the security monitors or a passerby noticed the beating but he didn’t care, with a last act of immense rage and brutality he brought his heel down upon the man’s face with a bone-crunching stomp that shattered his skull and face into several pieces. Three troopers ran down the hall in full advanced mk 2 the flanking men bore ion sniper rifles while the center carried a similar ion SMG Zephyr glanced behind him and saw two more troopers in tesla armor carrying ion assault rifles between them a man with a haughty snare and nose looked down upon Zephyr while he strode in his black commander’s uniform…

 

Zephyr’s blood pooled on the cold floor of the interrogation room. His wrists and ankles were bound to the ceiling and floor as Colonel Demetri Octavias beat him with an electron pulse whip that sent shockwaves throughout his scarred body and left great gashes upon his back. “How many-“ the whip cracked, “Times have I told you-“ The blood splattered upon Octavias’s face, “To respect your-“ Zephyr’s eyes were nearly red with rage and hellbent fury “Superiors! And this time you killed one. You worthless maggot why can’t you just fight! Do we still need to break you? Is that it?” ten more lashes hit their mark. “I know something that’ll break you.” The lead scientist winced as more lashes struck his prized experiment, “Do you remember your mother?”

 

Zephyr said nothing but anguish and even more fury shone in his eyes. “Ah! So you do. You know what scum? I was there.” Octavias said, the whip was held behind his back and he stood in front of Zephyr looking into his eyes. “And you know what else? I did it. My men and I blew the door down and there was your father, with his little rifle trying to stop us. He told us ‘Leave, get out of my house’ the poo hole was barely worth anything, we would have left and taken nothing but no, your daddy got defiant. So you know what I did?” He smiled with a sick sense of passion as if simultaneously savoring the defeat of an opponent and a meal. “I shot him. First I blew off his legs, then when he was on his knees he tried to fire his pathetic little gun, I blew off his hands and then I put my gun to his forehead and I told him he was going to die.” He licked his lips and looked as if in ecstasy in recalling the brutal murder. “Then you’re mother came out of another room clutching you’re 11 year-old sister to her chest, ‘Chris what’s wrong?’” He mocked, “Then she screamed when she saw the body. My two tesla troopers grabbed her and pulled her away from her precious little daughter.” He was beaming with pleasure at the pain it caused Zephyr to hear the tale related and reveling in his horrible deeds. “They screamed and screamed, ‘no, don’t take me away from my daughter, not my little girl too’ your mother screamed as my men dragged her away. One grabbed your sister and started to take her out but I stopped him and held her by the arm, then they left. Once they were outside your sister struggled, oh she struggled but she was no match. I tore the clothes off of her and enjoyed her sweet virgin flesh.” The scientist in the room looked horrified and revolted at the sickening tale. “She screamed and begged for help but I held her down, she struggled too much and there was blood, so much blood, it was delicious. Her pitiful cries for help did nothing-nothing as I pleasured myself. When I had finished with her she kept screaming and begging for help then I held her by the jaw and I dragged her naked body up and I knelt down so I could look into her quivering eyes with tears rolling down her face.” He paused savoring the moment, “And I pulled the trigger, and she screamed for the last time as she fell to the floor with a gaping hole in her belly.” The scientist ran over to a sink and vomited which was all the more pleasurable for Octavias. “Then you know what? When I pulled that trooper aside with your sister I had told him and the others to have fun with your mother. I left that poo hole of a house you had been in and found your mother naked, tears all over her covered in dirt bleeding from struggling too much. She struggled too much I guess because the men had shot her too. Suddenly I heard crying though and I went back inside and in a little side room, in a cradle, there you were, bitching your little infant head off just like your sister had when I raped her.” Octavias smiled sickeningly.

 

Suddenly the commander’s smile vanished and was replaced with wide eyes and a look of pure terror as all the hatred in Zephyr boiled over, his muscles rippled and his eyes were endless oceans of pure malice and hate. The bonds binding his right wrist snapped and his fist came flying towards Octavias, a sickening echoed through the room as his lower jaw broke and several teeth became dislodged. The magnet door opened immediately and troopers armed with more ion weapons aimed at Zephyr.

 

“Take him to cell 9.” Octavias said spitting blood as he did so, nursing his broken jaw. He strode out of the room ahead of the procession as pompous as ever, even if shaken a little. Zephyr went with the troopers begrudgingly but quietly.

 

After all the commotion the lead scientist, Dr. Ervine, was left standing over the sink, he wiped the vomit from his mouth still disgusted with Octavias. But a new light shone in his eyes, Zheta hated the commander with a deep-seated passion. Now he had something to work with…”

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