Arik

The world collapsed weeks ago now - perhaps two months, though without a calendar, it's getting difficult to remember just how many days. The fall was incredibly fast, all government bodies responsible for maintaining order in a crisis falling one after another. Few survived the initial days, let alone the subsequent weeks. Arik was one of them.

Arik's initial food and water supplies have long run out, forcing him to scavenge to survive. Some days are better than others, but he's currently at the end of what he hopes is a particularly bad streak. His search for supplies has taken him to a small community, Carleton; a sign by the side of the road indicates the population is a paltry 267, and it's undoubtedly less than that now.

Arik is currently slightly outside Carleton, looking inward. He sees no movement around besides birds and the occasional varmint; no human figures, living or dead. On the main road, however, he can see a bright red camping tent pitched in the middle of the road. It is partially unzipped, but not far enough for him to see inside; however, he can see the top of a safety-orange backpack poking out from the bottom of the zipper.

Arik is a couple hundred feet away from the tent. He has not entered the community proper, yet, but the tent itself sits in the shade of buildings on either side.

The slight grumble of his stomach was a clear reminder of how lean the last few days had been.  If he hadn't had outdoor training in the military, he'd probably not have survived.  For a moment, his mind wandered to the carnage he'd seen leaving the Metroplex...the dead walking, the dead feeding, the screams of the living as they became the dead...he shook his head out of the fog of memory.

He knew he'd give in at some point and go investigate the tent..."You can't find if you don't seek." he muttered very softly to himself.  However, he allowed his training to kick in.  He knew he could outlast someone when it came to the waiting game.  He'd done it many times when sniffing out Syrian cells back in the day.

He stealthily found a spot where he could see the tent and the buildings, hid himself among the brush and leaves...and waited

OOC: If nothing moves or happens within the next 4 hours, let me know and I will move the story along.

Scouting/Perception: if scouting the area it is 23 if just Perception 24
19:56, Today: Arik rolled 23 using 2d10+7.  Scouting the Area (+8 if it is just perception)?

Stealth/Hide Not sure what to add other than luck?? IF just adding luck it is a 16 if not, then would need to know which attribute to use.
19:57, Today: Arik rolled 8 using 2d10.  Stealth/Hide (not sure what to add).
This message was last edited by the player at 01:01, Wed 31 Mar 2021.

Arik

Arik is not the only one watching the tent. After the better part of an hour, he sees movement in one of the buildings on the side of the road. Looking closer, he sees two men keeping watch on the tent. One has some sort of longarm - probably a shotgun or a hunting rifle - and the other is not holding a weapon in his hands, but could easily have a sidearm holstered out of sight. Like Arik, both are clearly trying to stay hidden, but lack his military discipline, so they reveal themselves to a careful observer when they get up to stretch their legs or relieve themselves.

When Arik spotted the men, a small knot of anger formed in his gut.  He took a breath and calmed himself.  'It's bad enough we have to fight against the dead to survive...but we also have to fight against idiots.  Can't they see we need to work together,' he thought to himself.

He first marked the men's location and their general movements.  He then traced a path, visually from tree to tree to get to the building across from the men.  With a firm resolve, he executed his plan.  He waited until a moment when the men seemed to not be looking his direction and moved stealthily to the next position.  When he reached the next spot, he does the same.  Moving and observing he makes his way from spot to spot until he reaches the building across from the men.

Arik

Moving from tree to tree when the men aren't looking is difficult. The timing is tight, and Arik can never be sure if they're looking away for a minute or just a split second. He manages to make it to the second tree successfully, but as he starts moving towards the third, the man with no visible weapon turns back towards him.

At that moment, he hears two gunshots in quick succession from elsewhere in the city. Both men's heads instinctively snap towards the sound, though the source is not visible when they're indoors. A moment later, the man with no visible weapon turns back towards Arik, but he's already hid himself behind the tree again.

Soon, a staccato of more gunfire rings out in different calibers. The man with the longarm pumps a fist, while the man with no visible weapon steps closer to the building's window. As he steps closer, Arik spots a handgun stuffed into the waistband of his jeans.

"They got one on the east side," says Longarm, his voice drifting out of a shattered storefront to reach Arik. "Maybe more. C'mon."

"Wait..." cautions Handgun, holding out a hand. Despite the distance, Arik can tell he's staring in his direction, trying to spot something.

"Wait nothing," Longarm retorts, stepping out of the storefront. "We let 'em, they'll screw us out of our share. I'm going."

Longarm breaks into a jog, passing out of sight, while Handgun continues to squint in Arik's direction, hand coming down on the grip of the weapon in his waistband.

Arik knew he'd almost been spotted. Pushing himself further against the tree, he waited.  Hearing the shots from the other side of town made him even more alert.  As the two men's conversation ended, Arik tried to time the appearance of Longarm at the door.  If he knew how long it took one man running from the window and out the door, he could wait until the other began to leave and try to reposition himself, he thought to himself.

Once Longarm appeared and ran off...Arik waited.  He had to outlast Handgun...hopefully it wouldn't take long.  People needed his help.

Arik

The difference between Longarm disappearing from the window and exiting the door is mere seconds, barely enough for Arik to make the next tree. After Longarm has passed out of sight, Handgun continues to watch Arik's general position, hand resting on the grip of the weapon in his waistband.

He is distracted, however, by more gunfire from the same direction as before. Once again, there seems to be a mix of calibers, and the shots come in a sudden, chaotic staccato before dying away. Handgun is clearly concerned, if not distressed, by the gunfire. His attention strays until, in the lull following the exchange, there are two more gunshots.

"The fuck," Arik faintly hears Handgun say before rising and exiting the storefront, heading in the same direction as Longarm.

Arik takes a quick, short breath as Handgun exits the doorway.  His mind worked quickly.  'I could easily take the pack, but, it is most likely empty and I don't have time to take down the tent...besides, people may need my help!' He knew what he was going to do before his thoughts told him he was correct.  A few moments after Handgun had left, he broke cover and moved as quickly as he could towards the buildings and cover.  He'd try to stay hidden but didn't want to let Handgun get too far ahead of him.  Knowing he'd most likely by needing it, he readied his weapon as he moved.

Arik

Once out of the building, Handgun breaks into a brisk jog. Given the man's speed and familiarity with the area, Arik must either forgo stealth or allow Handgun to slip away. Fortunately, Handgun does not seem to be looking back behind him; given his preoccupation with his destination and the sound of his own feet on the street, it's possible he won't notice Arik even if he breaks into a run behind him.

As the man starting moving away from him, Arik knew he had another tough decision to make.  Readying his weapon, he took off at as brisk a pace as he could while hoping to maintain a little stealth.  Scanning the area in front of him he had two objectives, stay in sight of handgun and have cover near if he needed.

Planning in his head as he ran, he prepared himself for that moment when either Handgun heard and confronted him, or, when he saw Handgun's friends as he'd know it was time to find cover.

Arik

Handgun obviously knows where he's going, and crosses through the small town quickly. The few walkers visible cannot keep up with either him or Arik. As they move, more scattered gunshots echo through the empty streets, growing closer as they move.

After a few minutes, Handgun breaks into what must pass for the town's central park, a now-overgrown patch of grass, trees, and benches about the size of a city block with a large concrete fountain in the middle. Longarm - who Arik can now tell is carrying a shotgun - and another man with what looks like a machine pistol are taking cover behind the fountain, carefully peeking over its low bowl. As Arik watches, a gunshot comes from further downrange, causing the men to duck.

Handgun stops for a moment, assessing the situation, then runs to the side, circumnavigating the park entirely to take cover behind an abandoned truck. Crouching low, he shouts, "What the fuck's going on?"

Machine Pistol, without looking back, answers: "Motherfucker broke through the ambush! Flank him!"

As Handgun moved into position, Arik quickly scanned the area for any cover.  As he maneuvered into position behind the cover, he ran his options through his mind.

‘Handgun was the leader...taking him out might cause the others to either panic and run or surrender.  The other two might have more firepower, but, there is only one real option here,’ he thought to himself.

“Truly only one option,” he whispered to himself. ‘Surprise and lack of cover should give him a clear opportunity to end Handgun,’ he thought as he raised his rifle, aimed, and squeezed out a short burst at Handgun.

OOC: short burst is 3 rounds

Arik

The base of the closest light pole to Arik has a concrete base. Though not large enough to cover his entire body, seconds count, and it's the closest cover he can reach quickly. Crouching beside it, he levels his rifle on Handgun and fires.

Handgun doesn't see it coming, but he feels it. Two rounds impact the truck, one shattering a window, while the third hits him center mass. "Ah, fuck!" he shouts, and moves around the truck to put it between him and Arik. The other two men look back towards Arik in shock; Longarm is the first to respond, hopping the lip of the concrete fountain and lying flat within it, followed shortly by Machine Pistol.

From the other side of the park is another gunshot. From the sound, Arik can tell it's a handgun round, but all he can see of the shooter is someone taking cover behind a tree. The shot shatters another one of the truck's windows, causing Handgun to flinch.

Arik dropped from his knee to a prone position laying his body along line of sight from the two men in the fountain.  He knew this position would give his body more cover from them.  He, and the unknown gunner, were still outnumbered.  The longer this went on the worse their chances were.

Taking a breath, he aimed carefully at the only exposed part of Handgun's body he could see...his foot and lower leg.  He smiled, and squeezed the trigger.

Arik

Arik hears another gunshot from across the park a split second before he fires. Bullets impact the truck, shattering a headlight and causing one corner to sink as a tire deflates. A moment later, Handgun falls flat on his back, the gun dropping from his nerveless fingers. Whether it was Arik or the other shooter that landed the blow is unknown to him.

A second later, he hears gunfire from the fountain in the park. Longarm and Machine Pistol are peeking over the edge of the fountain, shooting. Longarm is facing away from Arik, presumably shooting at the unknown shooter on the other side of the park. Machine Pistol, a broad-shouldered man whose hair and beard look as if they haven't been groomed since the dead rose, fires a burst at Arik, but the bullets bounce off his cover.

While still not good, the situation seemed better.  One-on-one odds are much better than being outnumbered.  He took a quick glance at the position of the two remaining adversaries...Machine pistol was facing him and offering very little in opportunities to hit him, however, Longarm was lying in the fountain facing away from him shooting at the other person.  While not much better, it did provide slightly more body mass to shoot at.

He hoped the person on the other side came to the same conclusion and shot at Machine Pistol.  His thoughts cleared and he pulled the trigger...'have to finish this quickly,' he thought to himself.

OOC:  11:20, Today: Arik rolled 10 using 2d10+7.  Shooting.
Seriously, this die roller is not very random where I am concerned LOL

Arik

Arik fires again, but with Machine Pistol raining lead down him, he barely has time to even sight Longarm. He already knows his shot went wide as soon as he fires. Meanwhile, both Machine Pistol and Longarm are firing. Machine pistol's rounds impact on Arik's surroundings. He doesn't know what effect Longarm had, but the stranger on the other side of the park is still shooting, so at least he's still alive. No one is making any progress fast in this gunfight.

It seemed as if luck was not on his side today.  This needed to end quickly. Arik searched around him, seeing if there was any other cover he might be able to reach that would give him a better position.  Even if he found something, he knew it would be tricky to reach it.

After taking a quick scan of the area around him, he squeezed off another round...at some point his skill, and luck would come together.

Arik

This time, Arik's shot hits true. He sees Longarm jerk in pain, then fire again in the opposite direction of Arik, presumably towards whoever is firing from the other side of the park. Meanwhile, Machine Pistol sinks out of sight, below the concrete lip of the fountain. At this point, he is wholly invisible. He is not shooting at Arik and, as near as Arik can tell, cannot even see him.

The fountain is circular, and its edge is of the same height for all 360 degrees. No ground position is likely to provide a better angle. If Arik can get a height advantage, however, he might be able to lessen the effects of the enemy's cover. He is currently in front of a two-storey building, though he doesn't know what's inside.

Arik knows he only has a few options...he could sit here wasting ammunition in a prolonged gunfight, he could make a mad dash into a building not knowing what is inside...or, 'Yes! That's it,' he thought to himself, as he rose and ran towards the fountain.

With Machinepistol not looking over the edge and Longarm wounded and facing away from him...he charged their position and, as he neared fired a shot into the back of Longarm as he yelled, "Surrender or die!"

Arik

Arik fires at Longarm, but at a run, he's unable to aim effectively. The shot catches him in the arm, rather than the main body. Longarm flinches, then turns, sitting with his back to the fountain's edge. He pumps the shotgun and levels it at Arik's incoming body, one eye peering down the sights, when Arik hears another shot from the other side of the park. A jet of bright red erupts from Longarm's head before he slumps to the side and lies motionlessly in the dry fountain tub.

As he runs forward, Arik hears the sound of a slide being pulled back on a pistol. A second later, Machine Pistol rises again, weapon in hand, and peers over the side of the fountain. He spots Arik immediately, his eyes going wide.

There was no time to think, no time to speak, only reaction...and Arik's instincts took over as his finger squeezed the trigger and he let a burst fire before jumping to the side hoping to avoid any return blast.

The only thing he had time to think was, 'kill or be killed.'

Arik

Arik's burst impact on the fountain below Machine Pistol's head, sending chips of concrete flying and causing the large man to flinch backwards. He looks unharmed, however, and fires back with a burst of his own, casings tumbling into the fountain's dry bowl. Arik does not feel any impacts, but he is standing out in the open - the next burst could easily hit him.

Arik knew he had to act quickly, he fired off another shot as he ran to the edge of the fountain and slid to the ground behind a little cover.  As he slid he yelled, "Take him out while he's standing!"

All he could hope for was that his shot hit true and/or the anonymous shooter hit him from behind...and that he didn't get it in return.

Arik

Arik knows from his training that he's unlikely to hit anything when shooting while running, but the effort hopefully helps to suppress Machine Pistol while he gets into position. He manages to slide into position behind the lip of the fountain without any new holes, and as he moves, he catches a glimpse of another figure approaching the fountain from the other side.

He doesn't see the figure shoot, but he hears it a split second after he slides into place, and knows Machine Pistol's position is becoming untenable. Before he can act, however, Arik sees the large man leap over the side of the fountain and come down on him. The impact forces the air out of Arik's lungs as the man forces Arik's rifle down across his chest.

Arik grunts as the man lands on him.  His options are few now...in this position the man can point his machine pistol and end this.  Reacting quickly, Arik released his hold on his gun with his right hand, starts to roll to his left and punched into the side of the man's knee hoping to buckle the knee so the man loses his balance and topples to the ground.

Arik

Arik slams the Machine Pistol's knee with his fist, but the man is larger and heavier than Arik is, and is already kneeling. Arik feels the man shift his weight to avoid spilling, then pivot the momentum to bring a blow down on Arik's chin. Stars fly in Arik's vision as the hand continues on, grabbing hold of his throat and pressing down into the pavement.

Above him, Arik sees the man look in the fountain's direction, lips curled back from his teeth in a snarl. He lifts the machine pistol in one hand, but a gunshot rings out, causing the man to buck and drop the handgun the ground beside the grapple.

It was now or never...perhaps the other person might save his life, but he couldn't count on it.  His life ran through his mind as he prepared for a blow...perhaps his final, perhaps not.  With a yell, he punch towards the man's groin and prayed he'd connect or, at the very least, distract him so the other person could shoot him easier.

Arik

Arik's punch is not particularly hard, but it strikes true, driving into the man's groin. Machine Pistol makes a pained noise between a grunt and a yelp, bucking, and releases his grip on Arik's neck. His weight shifts off of Arik, wheezing in exertion. After a moment he glares back down at him and reaches for his throat again, but his movements are slow and sluggish now, his injuries taking their toll now that he's lost his inertia. Arik, despite his own wounds, is easily able to bat the larger man's hands away. The fight is over.

In his peripheral vision, Arik sees a human figure step into view in the fountain, then hears the roar of a close gunshot as Machine Pistol's face erupts in a shower of red. The stranger lowers their arm and steps closer to Arik, crouching down to look at him.

"Thanks for the help," says the stranger, a pug-faced man with a stout figure and close-cropped red hair. He holsters his revolver and holds a hand out to Arik. "I might owe you my life. What's your name?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:58, Fri 04 June 2021.

Arik takes the man's hand and gets to his feet, "Arik," he responded to the man's question. "And, I'd say we probably saved each other's life today. But, I am glad I could help.  I couldn't stand by and watch these guys prey on people."

He let his words sit there for a moment before continuing. "So, what's your name, friend," he asked?

Arik

"Wallace," says the man. His eyes scan down Arik's body and he frowns. "You're a good man, Arik. Your help almost got you killed. Fucking parasites."

Wallace's hand rests on the grip of his revolver. His face looks intent, but he seems to look through you, his mind elsewhere. After a moment, he checks a watch on his wrist. "There's first aid supplies in my car. You helped me, so I can give you enough to treat yourself, but I can't stay here. I can't lose any more ground on them."

At Wallace's words, Arik looked over his own body and, as the adrenaline left his body...the pain took over.

"I would really appreciate the help," he groaned.  "Are you sure you don't want to check for supplies...I mean, even if you need to go, shouldn't you try to refuel from the gas in their cars." As Arik spoke he let his words trail off and his mind caught up to everything..."Who are you after...do you need help?  Good people need to stick together..."

Arik

"No time for supplies," Wallace says simply, but then hesitates. "But...gas. I...damn. I'll need gas."

When Arik asks who Wallace is after, his jaw sets and his eyes burn into the horizon. "My little girl. They took her, but I know where they're going. I'm going to get her back or die trying, and God fucking help anyone who tries to stop me."

He takes a deep breath, then glances over at Arik. "It's not your fight. I can't ask you to come."

"Wallace...friend, let's do this the right way, together.  Get the first aid kit and, at least patch this up a little.  Then, you check the vehicles for gas cans and for gas to siphon.  I will take the weapons and ammo from the men and then follow up with a quick search of their vehicles for any other gear we might could use.  Then," he paused and emphasized his next words, "WE go, save your girl and see what comes next."  His words were said with true sincerity.

"Alone we are just asking to be picked off by predators.  Together, we might just make it."

Arik

Wallace is quiet for a long moment, frowning uncomfortably. After several seconds, he speaks.

"They probably know I'm coming. They're probably better armed. I don't even know how many of them there'll be. And you're already wounded. I can't stop, not when my baby's in danger, but I can't ask you to do this. It's not your fight."

He turns to face Arik directly. "Knowing all that - you're sure you want to come?"

Arik looked down at his wounds and looked back up at Wallace...

"Look at me," he pointed to his wounds, "I might make it longer with the medical kit you're giving me...but we both know, out here on my own, with this wound, my odds are slim. Well," he paused, "maybe a little better then slim due to my training, but, you get the idea."

"Men like this are all over the place...let's get what we can from them and their vehicles, I can doctor myself up while we travel.  Maybe, by the time we catch up to them, I will be closer to 100%.  Two together have a better chance to survive...two together, might just be able to save her."


"Now, get me up, let's get the gas and a bit of gear and get some bandages on this crap," he tried to laugh at his words but did have some minor coughing from the pain.

Arik

Wallace nods. "I'm glad to know there's still heroes in this world. Come on, then."

The two root through the bandits' supplies. There isn't much worth taking; though they have plenty of weapons, there is little better than what they already have, though Arik finds some additional 5.56 rounds and Wallace adds a shotgun to his repertoire. There is disappointingly little food and water, but they take what they can before Wallace tends to Arik's wounds. He is not an especially skilled medic, but he uses his supplies generously.

After filling up Arik's car - a 1996 Honda Civic that looks like it's seen a lot of use and not much love - the two take to the road. They don't encounter any more gunfire, but the roads have their own dangers, such as traffic jams of permanently abandoned vehicles, often with walkers lurking among the metal. It's too dangerous to drive when dusk falls, so as the sky turns a deep orange, the two sweep a farmhouse off the road, then use its fireplace to cook supper.

Wallace's dinner is an unappealing combination of creamed corn and pork and beans, both out of cans, but he doesn't seem to mind the taste. He stares into the fire as he mechanically spoons the slop out of a bowl raided from the farmhouse's kitchen. He's almost done before he even says a word.

"Been doing this alone for so long," he finally says, quietly. The flickering light of the fire dances on his face. "It feels...funny...familiar, but it ain't quite right."