Russia arc

[Asrana]

Laika nodded, relieved. "Very well then, Lieutenant. I'll see you in Magadan or back at base when we regroup."

Saluting a last time, she turned and jogged back to her command vehicle, nodding in satisfaction that the tent and her tatami were packed. Hopping through the hatch of her Seeker command vehicle, she pulled on her commo helmet and nodded to the crewmen before settling herself in the command chair. She quickly jerked a lever on her right, sending her chair up to occupy the top hatch and machine gun cupola.

Tilting the ten millemeter automatic weapon into a safe position, she raised a gloved hand and signaled the point unit to move out, it was time to go.

[Bean Bandit]

Bean didn't look over.

"I will need you to direct me." He said tightly, ignoring Spy's unworded question.

[Dracos]

"Certainly.  We must acquire lodgings for the night.  Our 'pickup' will arrive in a little over twenty four hours at the docks.  We must be ready."  With that Spy began relaying instructions from a map to a hotel near the docks.

Fearless Leader

[Bean Bandit]

Bean drove where Spy instructed, throwing his mind into the task to avoid thinking about what had gone before...

and before long, they arrived at Spy's designated hotel.

[Dracos]

Spy exited the car, quickly acquiring a room for them.  Giving Cardinal Black the keys, he left silently to go analyze the surrounding territory.  Leaving Cardinal Black to protect Dr. Andonuts.

Fearless Leader

[Bean Bandit]

Bean put out the 'Do not disturb' sign as he ushered the portly scientist onto the room. He went to the bedside table and withdrew the complimentary bible, and opened it and bent the covers together in a wedge, sliding it beneath the closed door of the room.

He locked and latched the door, and left Andonuts to his own devices, taking up a postion on the hotel balcony, staring up at the sky...and thought hard about his new memories, trying not to think about the ghost that had come with them...

[Dracos]

Behind Cardinal Black, Dr. Andonuts sat down on the bed, chewing on a donut he got from who knows where, as he scribbled over a notepad.

Fearless Leader

[Rezantis]

Kale lifted the empty gas canister, ignoring the slight crunch of a deliberately heavy footstep behind him until he had finished stowing it.  Even then he didn't bother turning around.

"Well?"

Relm's gaze drilled into the back of his neck.  "We're leaving, of course."

"Of course," came the response in a slightly mocking tone.  As he moved to the left side of the jeep and surveyed the frantic activity quickly, Relm hauled herself in the opposite side and settled back into the passenger seat, closing her eyes.

"The sooner we get out of here, the better."

[Asrana]

"Alright, move out." Laika's calm voice echoed over the vehicle intercom once the vanguard had moved out of defensive positions and onto the road.

Her own vehicle accelerated behind the Panther tanks of the lead, making sure to stay a safe distance behind.

Flashing several hand signals behind her, Laika relaxed slightly as the units behind her began to move. Pre-arranged orders and signals filtered back through the column as it leaked onto the road, all the way until the last platoon of tanks rolled out of the river valley.

The march to Magadan had begun.

[Bean Bandit]

Bean stared up at the night sky settling over the city, from the hotel room's balcony.  He wished for some sort of emotional release for the strange emptiness that has settled over him after they had settled into the hotel room.

All this intrigue, the motions of Cardinal Black...the utter pointlessness was hammered home to him. He had nothing left to believe in.

He felt dead inside.

I don't feel a thing
and I stopped remembering
The days are just like moments turned to hours

He could recall every last little detail about her, now. A memory surfaced suddenly, of spending an hour just watching how the sun reflected of her soft brown hair...

Mother Used to say
if you want, you'll find a way
Bet mother never danced through fire shower

Flames and spectral figures writhes around them threateningly. She stood against them defiantly, glaring into their ranks, her gleaming sword held high, already stained with blacking ichor. He looked over to the side, trading glances with the short, green haired girl on her other flank, brandishing a spear. With a short nod, they each moved closer to her, and raised their weapons for battle...

Walk in the rain, in the rain, in the rain
I walk in the rain, in the rain
Is it right or is it wrong
and is it here that I belong

"...Bean-kun?"
"What is it?"
"We'll always be together, right?"
"Yeah. Always..."

I don't hear a sound
Silent faces in the ground
The quiet screams, but I refuse to listen

Asuza came out of the treatment room of the hospital, her arm in a cast, and smiled tiredly at him as he jumped up and hurried over to her.

"Uhm...Are you ok? Is she...?"

The small girl smiled sunnily up at him. "Miss Yohko is fine, Mister Bandit...she's just resting. The doctor said you can see her n-,"

The rest of her words were lost as he dashed past her into the room, followed by the sounds of Asuza giggling...

If there is a hell
I'm sure this is how it smells
Wish this were a dream, but no, it isn't

Shock...Horror...followed by and all consuming rage. He was barely aware of Chigako flinching in pain and backing away in fright as a corona of searing yellow plasma surged, swirling around him like a fire.
No...No She can't be dead...Iwon't believe it...Iwon'tIwon'tIwon'tIWON'T!!!!!!
He screamed, and a pillar of yellow fire lanced into the heavens

"YOHKO!!!!!!!"

Walk in the rain, in the rain, in the rain
I walk in the rain, in the rain
Am I right or am I wrong
and is it here that I belong

Walk in the rain, in the rain, in the rain
I walk in the rain, in the rain
Why do I feel so alone
For some reason I think of home...

Bean felt something inside him give slightly...and he bowed his head to hide his pain from the world...

[Dracos]

In the darkness before dawn, the door softly creaked open.  A voice in the darkness called out to Cardinal Black, filtering through the hotel room.  "Wake up, our ride will be at the docks in two hours.  Let's move."

Fearless leader

[Bean Bandit]

Bean nodded and re-entered the room from his post on the balcony, simply securing his katana...and wondering idly if he even needed it anymore.

He decided to keep it, if only for the fact that it was less distinctive than his plasma swords.

As he walked to the door, he glanced at Andonuts...and shrugged. He wasn't going to babysit the doctor. He'd pulled him from the prison, he was spy's responsiblitiy now...

[Dracos]

The spy hustled the doctor out of the room and back into the car.  "I'll drive," He called out to Cardinal Black, getting into the drivers seat.

Fearless Leader

[Asrana]

Curapca, Siberia; Autumn of 2015;

Dear Journal,

We've made it so far with fewer problems than I could normally expect. We're camped in the abandoned town of Curapca at the moment. Everyone fled a while ago it seems.

Well, the troops seem to be in better morale with the movement. It's still several days to Magadan, but it does feel good to be on the move again. The roads are cold, like the rest of this artic plain. I haven't seen the sky anything but grey for a few days, hopefully it will clear up soon...it would be good to see the sun again.

Oneesan is quiet as usual...though I think Kale's presence may be making her a little tight-lipped.

One of my lieutenants is calling me, probably wants to know when we'll be moving again and why a 'little girl' was given this command.

I don't know why I started writing this...my thoughts don't seem to stay in one place enough. Ah well, I must go.

Cat be with you,
Laika Fujikawa, Inquisition.