Ain't that a Kick in the Head?

[SoulofChrysamere]

Nicholas Prescott Rheims: The Wilderness

 

 

It was the cheapest bandit camp Nicholas had ever seen...consisting of only four tents, two large plastic totes, and about a half-dozen weapons between the five inhabitants. None of the weapons were even serious hardware. There was one rifle on one of the lankier group members, but Nicholas could tell that it was just a .22 hunting model through his Dragunov's scope. The remaining firearms were all handguns. Small handguns -- nothing over 9mm.. The ex-military sniper sighed as he surveyed the squalid scene. At any other time, he would have assumed it just a traveling camp for a group of raiders headed back to their main base. Now though, raider traffic had slowed down quite a bit for whatever reason. He couldn't tell whether the scene he saw right now was a headquarters or an outpost. The only thing he knew was that he was about to shorten the guest list.

 

Nichloas slowly zeroed in on one of the bandits, a small and thin girl, seated on one of the totes. He meticulously studied her movements, paying attention to her pivoting head, her swaying torso, and her restless limbs. His teachers in the army had always told him to never aim for the head unless he had a perfect shot at it...and that lass's mobile noggin hardly qualified as an ideal target. Instead, Nicholas immediately started zooming in on the woman's torso. His teachers had told him that most of his shots were going to be body shots since it was the least flexible part of the body. This fact was illustrated greatly by the fact that while the girls' head and limbs moved freely awash in drunken conversation with a cohort, the torso only rocked back and forth. The torso was vulnerable...predictable...ideal. Moreover, her back was to him, giving him a greater margin for error, for which Nicholas was thankful seeing has he was already dealing with a stiff leftward crosswind.

 

Although meticulous and methodical by his very nature, Nicholas knew that he likely didn't have very long before the woman's movements became too wild or she got up and moved altogether. He quickly adjusted his Dragunov's position to account for the wind and bullet drop. Then he just lay there, waiting for his target to leave her torso still for just a moment. A second was all he needed. After several tense moments, the opportunity showed. A squeeze of the trigger later, the blonde's body twitched as a misty red spray gushed from the general area of her heart. Upon hearing the shot's ring and seeing their comrade slink onto the ground, the other four raiders quickly ducked down behind cover. Three crammed themselves behind the plastic totes, while the fourth trusted his safety instead to the fragile canvas of the rightmost tent.

 

Nicholas heaved a frustrated sigh. Through sheer dumb luck, the raiders had managed to huddle down on the correct side of the totes, shielding themselves from the Dragunov's gaze. Nicholas then watched as the men proceeded to fire off blind shots in all directions. If he had something with a bit more punch such as a Barrett .50, he would have just shot right through the totes. However, his Dragunov didn't quite have the grunt to slice through a barrier that thick and still deal death to the target beyond. Instead, he opted to go ahead and snap off the odd one out hiding in the tent. It was a small tent, a bargain camping model most likely. Nicholas adjusted his aim and fired off three more rounds in quick succession. Hopefully, one of them managed to hit their target and at least take him out of the fight.

 

To his chagrin, the man in the tent wasn't the one holding the hunting rifle. Nicholas could see the rifle's slender steel barrel waving around behind the left tote. Eventually, the quartet managed to send some of its fire in Nicholas's direction. The puffs of sand thirty yards in caused him to duck back behind the crest of his small dune a few times. Gradually, the enemy fire became more concentrated on his position. It didn't take long for him to realize that they had finally spotted him and his rifle atop the hill.

 

Nicholas glanced back at his small brown dirt bike at bottom of the hill's friendly side. Even with the high ground and the superior weapon, he knew that he could easily burn through all of his ammo and not touch the remaining three goons. Deciding to cut his losses and make tracks while he could, Nicholas jerked up his Dragunov and half slid-half ran down the dune to his bike. He hastily revved up the engine and threw up the kickstand. As he sped off back toward town with his compass leading the way, he was somewhat disappointed with this latest episode -- only two out of five bad guys were dead. Still, he reasoned it was good enough with the weapons and terrain with which he had to work. After all...this wasn't a video game where bullets punched through six-inch steel plate and blew their marks' heads off or where having the weapon's sights fixated directly onto a target always ensured a hit. It was the real world where physics and the battle of quantity versus quality were alive and well.

Edited June 22, 2012 by SoulofChrysamere

[BaldurAnthology]

"Cute. Very Cute smoothskin. Make fun of the ghoul. I oughta.." He grumbles and turns away.

 

Greebo exits the building, flamboyant as always, his vivid red coat and Union Jack bandana colorful as ever. "What's this? Discourtesy among allies? Come, come now there is no need for such behavior! How about we go back to Megaton, get medical attention where needed, and have a nice cuppa, hey? I could go for a good cup of tea right about now!"

 

Chips exits the building, and sees the girl from near the two legs get stuff place. He walks up to her, and sniffs at her curiously. Deciding she was a nice person, he starts licking her.

 

Leeroy gets to his feet, and walking on all fours, he rubs his head against Axelle to say hello.

[ViaFernandez]

[sees the group] Well now doggy, looks like your owner came from them, since there's no one else around. [walks toward the group's location while shouting] Hello there people! anyone missing a dog?!

[boneless1]

He nods assuringly, His nerves calming as he says. "I could use one, shall we?" he gestures towards the door and smiles. Taking one last look back at the disatrorous of a school he only sighs. "Bad luck." He mutters as he looks down to his feet for a moment and begins to walk out of the building back to megaton. He reaches the gates of megaton, the robot greeting him he only smiles and nods reassuringly. "I'm not dead after all eh?"

[vathelis]

"Wait, we're leaving now? But I just got here... Is someone going to buy me a bottle of wine at least?" Kira glances around the group, making note of the various faces. "I don't really have any money... All I have isn't worth anything around this place."

[tokyobiohazard]

"Well..." Axelle said, scratching the back of her neck, "I can take his leg off... But that isn't very nice. He can chase his tail, though." Feeling a nudge from something, Axelle looked over and noticed Leeroy the yao guai. She rubbed a hand on his scabby head, wondering what he would look like covered in fur.

[BaldurAnthology]

"Sure, smoothskin! Just keep with us, you'll get your drink. Unless you want some of this? Haven't opened it yet, so no worries about getting 'cooties' from me." Sandro says, holding out the bottle of whiskey.

 

Greebo wanders off towards Megaton. "Come, Chips!" He says, calling his St Bernard.

 

Leeroy (jenkins) licks Axelle's hand once, and trundles off to find a place close enough to Megaton to be within range if needed, but far enough away to sleep undisturbed.

 

Chips barks and runs after his master.

[ViaFernandez]

[continues to approach the group] ..........you guys have earwax lodged in your ears? [suddenly notices one of the girls] .....is that you Kira?! [immediately unsheathes her sword and sprints toward Kira at high-speed] Go baaaack! [does a thrusting attack at Kira].....

[vathelis]

Caught by surprise, Kira spins toward the new person, ripping her Beretta 92FS from her pocket, firing a few shots in the direction of the oncoming sworduser. She shouts an expletive or two as she kicks up some dirt turning to take a dive and attempting to land behind the Yao Guai. Edited June 22, 2012 by vathelis

[boneless1]

As Vlad sat at the entrance he witnesses the commotion between the two woman, one who weilds a rather dashing pistol, the other swinging a sword in the air. At first Vlad thought this an oddity though he only perked a brow and observed them with curiosity. His hand grips his .44, eyes squinting to the two.

"Not a sight you see everyday." He walks, cautiously over to the two and says. "Whoa, whoa you two calm down!." He extends his arms between the two looking at them.

"If your going to kill yourself..do it somewhere I wont see..you two are ladies for gods sake, shouldn't be pouncing on each other like humanity is lost."

 

Vlad sighs and looks to the two.