Shad
Midnight
Joined: 25 Aug 2006
Post Count: 2684
Location: Lion's Maw
4252503 Potch
200 Soldiers
38 Nation Points
|
 Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 10:39 am Post subject: 001 - Introduction: Vigilantes |
  |
|
With this post I have officially launched a project long overdue. Feel free to contribute as much or as little as you would like. There are no requirements for length or quality, and now's a good time to introduce your characters. Just a note, only reply to threads with comments. If you have an actual story post to make, give it its own thread. Now, without further ado, welcome to the newest installment of Midnight Dawn.
[center:1xtcm9xg][size=200:1xtcm9xg]MIDNIGHT DAWN
[size=150:1xtcm9xg]Chapter X
Introduction: Vigilantes[/center:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]There was little to disguise the Wayne Brothers' hangout. What with "The Wayne Saloon" painted above the door and a giant wooden plaque on the wall reading "The Kings of Texas", it was safe to assume they'd come to the right place. He had to check the window first.[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]An old wooden table, a stack of chips and playing cards, half a bottle of Jack Daniels, and three men dressed up like cowboys encompassed the center of the room in a sort of haphazard manner. They were all drunk and rowdy, shouting at one another. 'Barbarians', he thought. Cowboy hats, cowboy boots, pistol belts that favored old Colt revolvers over any modern weapon... These were the ones. "Take them."[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]The door was smashed open and the occupants all turned around, trying to draw their guns half wasted and caught off guard. They didn't have much of a chance as four M16s turned them inside out across the table. A door in the back of the room flew open and another cowboy stepped out with a shotgun to meet them. "Just who the hell do you think you are bargin' in h---" The blast of the assault rifles muffled out his final words. The group moved in to control the first room.[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]The four people who had tactically stormed the room and were about to claim the next dressed all the same. They were draped in rather battered US Army uniforms, though they'd each taken care to remove the logo on the front denoting this former organization. In place of these words each wore a pinned-on emblem showing two hands, one gold and one silver, clasped together - a symbol of unity. It was not unusual to see militant groups dressed in former US military uniforms. Ever since Hunt had done away with the armed services no one could lay proper claim to them. There was no United States military. These four were peculiar however in the fact that they'd removed the tags denoting it. Most groups displayed these words with pride, considering themselves a sort of neo-militia. These people obviously did not. It made no difference though. Any view of their uniforms was obscured by the full body armor they wore over them.[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]There was however a fifth man in the room, and he was dressed quite differently. He wore a white short sleeve dress shirt and black dress pants, with the handshake symbol over his left breast pocket and the name "Croft" over his right. He carried the same weapon as the troops in front of him, but no kevlar or body armor for personal protection.[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]With a forward motion of his hand the contingent barged in to the second room. This time their opponents were waiting. Shots rang out behind an overturned table in the center of the room. As the first man to enter took a bullet square in his chest the squad quickly cleared back out of the room. The four men in cowboy garb were quite dismayed to see the wounded man stand up and scramble back out to his companions with relative ease, the lead stopped fast in his armor, but their disappointment turned quickly to dread as a frag grenade followed the retreat.[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]Croft removed his fingers from his ears and stood back up from the ground as the dust from the explosion settled. Two of his guards entered the room once more, and he followed behind them after a signal that the coast was clear. The room he'd left a moment prior now possessed a sizable hole leading out into the street beyond where the overturned table once stood. The table itself lay in splinters. He stepped over a human hand with little concern as he approached the four soon-to-be corpses behind. Three bodies lay in pieces around him. The fourth, though grotesquely disfigured, clawed and pulled his way out of the hole behind him. Croft noted that he would not be going far. Not without his legs, anyway. He ducked his head and casually walked through the hole to stand over the man outside of it. Though pieces of him were missing, one identifying item remained intact - a gold star on his shirt.[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]"Who the hell are you?" the man gasped out, a gaze of fear filling his eyes.[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]"The name's Clarence Croft," his pursuer calmly replied.[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]"You... you can't do this! I demand a trial!"[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]"Well you see Mr... Wayne, in order to have a trial you need some sort of judicial system first, don't you? Now, correct me if I am wrong, but didn't you and your boys claim this town as your own, independent of the rest of the nation?" Croft examined his fingernails as he spoke. They were properly trimmed and clean. He liked to be clean.[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]"Don't try to fuck with me man, I know my rights," the cowboy called back in desperation.[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]"You and I have a lot in common Mr. Wayne," Croft raised his head and stared the man in the eyes. "We both like to take charge. We both like to make changes. We're both..." an enormous grin crossed his face "...vigilantes, you might say." A single shot rang out, and that was all. Wayne's lifeless body fell back against the concrete. The mission was complete.[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]"Good job boys," Croft said, turning to his men. "No casualties. A clean sweep. That's the way I like it. Now get out there and let these townsfolk know they're free." He stepped back through the hole and removed his blood-splattered white shirt. There were plenty more in the van.[/p:1xtcm9xg]
************************************************** **********
[p:1xtcm9xg]"In national news, an organization calling themselves 'One Nation' successfully expelled a group of terrorists from San Angelo, Texas last night, finally reuniting the state."[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]"Terrorists," Reynolds muttered to himself. "They always use the word 'terrorists'."[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]"In the wake of Hunt Vasci Antoire numerous terrorist organizations laid claim to the state of Texas. Finally, after eleven years of oppression, the final city within their control has been liberated. We take you live now to the streets of San Angelo, where thousands of civilians have gathered to enjoy their first day of freedom in over a decade."[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]The screen switched to a view of city hall. Beside it stood a large western-style building bearing the sign 'The Wayne Saloon'. "Thank you Steven. As you can see behind me, the people here are ecstatic. Apparently armored vehicles rolled into the town here at eight o'clock last night, and by ten they had not only defeated the terrorist army, numbering over 300, but also managed to storm their headquarters and eliminate the group's leaders, the Wayne brothers. Both brothers were killed after resisting arrest, however as you can see their loss has not been mourned."[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]The mic was passed down to a swarming crowd of people hoping for a chance to speak.[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]"I haven't seen my family in years. They wouldn't even let us leave the town after a while."[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]"They were crazy. A bunch of punk kids who thought they were cowboys."[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]"All they ever did was fight and cause trouble."[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]"The streets haven't been safe at night ever since they took over."[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]"Thieves..."[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]"Criminals..."[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]"Thank you One Nation!"[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]"They robbed everyone. Took all our guns so we couldn't fight back."[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]"What took you so long?"[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]"Life can go back to normal again."[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]Samuel Reynolds gritted his teeth. So maybe this time One Nation really were the good guys. There were bad gangs out there, and plenty of them. Ever since Hunt's virus devastated America dozens of cities fell into anarchy. Most were reclaimed, others became successfully independent, and others turned in to... this. San Angelo needed this. The 'cowboys' got what they had coming to them. The news had hardly even mentioned One Nation's last two conquests though. The citizens were a little less accepting those times. "Downright pissed off" was a better way to put it. Sometimes unity meant liberty. Sometimes it just meant more taxes and control.[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]Reynolds gazed out the window of his modest townhouse. "Mr. President" people liked to call him. The president of the nation of Ohio, a country that didn't exist in the rest of the world's eyes. While the northeast had been one of the first regions reunited, things sort of cut off after the Appalachians. Ohio was of no real significance to the rest of the country now. They'd been hit unusually hard by the virus. Cincinnati didn't even exist anymore. The other cities had dwindled.[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]The spirit in this state hadn't honestly changed much. Life recovered and carried on much the same as it had in the rest of the world. They were simply centralized now. Self governed. The cost of living was down. Federal taxes no longer existed there, and state taxes were at an all time low. The virus only took lives. It destroyed no roads or buildings. Nothing needed repaired or rebuilt. Life was quaint.[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]What would a realignment with the rest of the United States bring them? Incredibly high taxes wasted on war-torn states like New York and California, hundreds, even thousands of miles away. It wasn't their responsibility. They were self sufficient. Farming fed the people, far less in number these days. Oil imports were cheap due to a booming economy in the Middle East. What would alliance bring them but a return to the over-commercialized, over-complicated life they once knew? This state contained very little crime and destitution now. Why should his people suffer?[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]It wouldn't be so bad if the money went to a good cause, but it never did. The United States government was weak, and the UCPA took advantage of it. Much of the national budget was left in their hands, and though the disaster last year weakened their hold at first they acted quickly to turn things around. Almost every penny went to rebuilding Los Angeles once more. The city had been completely destroyed during Hunt's reign, and after millions of dollars passed through the UCPA to rebuild it they managed to turn around and destroy it again. Now their reputation with the rest of the world rested on rebuilding that city once more. There was no way they could cover up the... dilemma, as they liked to call it, when their strong supporter Dr. Righteous leveled the city in a failed attempt to frame the Mystics, but their idea of remedying it was to rebuild the city as quickly as possible. It might look good to the rest of the world, but to the United States it was just a meaningless burden. No one lived there. No one ever would. Who would want to live in a city whose population had been wiped clean twice in ten years?[/p:1xtcm9xg]
************************************************** **********
[p:1xtcm9xg]"Now we take you to a live interview with the leader of One Nation himself, Clarence Croft." The tv switched to a shot of Croft standing in front of The Wayne Saloon, dressed once more in a white short sleeve dress shirt, this one quite clear of blood.[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]"Mr. Croft," the reporter began.[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]"Oh, please call me Clarence," he responded with a friendly smile.[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]The reporter returned the expression. He was not a handsome man, but yet charming in appearance. His somewhat rugged middle-aged facial features clashed with his manner of dress. He was a fairly large man, six feet tall and muscular, and he wore a pair of glasses that, rather than augmenting his age, gave him a somewhat cool and relaxed appearance. "Clarence, first and foremost, I think I speak for everyone present here today in saying Thank You for what you've done."[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]"You're welcome," he replied, leaning in a bit closer to the microphone and maintaining his smile.[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]"Could you tell us a bit more about your organization Clarence?" the real interview began.[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]"I'd love to." Croft straightened himself out and his voice became dead serious. He sounded as though he were giving a sales pitch. "We here at One Nation fight for the freedom and liberty of the world. It is our sworn duty to hunt down terrorists, dispel gangs, and squelch rebellions for the sake of the people. We fight not for money or fame, but for freedom!"[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]Croft paused, and so too did the reporter, wondering what to make of that. As it turned out she didn't have to. After a few seconds Croft's stern face cracked, and he carried on, the friendly grin back in its proper place. "At least, that's what I'm supposed to say when on a camera. In reality One Nation is little more than a tiny group of citizens who've grown tired of sitting idly by. We're just trying to make the world a better place really. We're a non-profit organization, but charities have been overwhelmingly supportive in our cause. I'll not hide the fact that I get paid for what I do." No doubt about it, he was a legitimately amiable guy.[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]The reporter was visibly relieved that the man had lightened up and carried on with her inquiries. "What are One Nation's future targets?"[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]"Well, if I told you they'd know to expect us. I can only give one reply to that." He lowered his head towards the camera and his smile widened. "If you stand in the way, we'll be coming."[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]"Are the rumors true that One Nation has signed an agreement to turn over all future reclaimed land to the UCPA?" she went on to ask.[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]Croft released an inaudible sigh and reverted to his normal standing position. What a rude question to ask in the wake of his victory. "No," he replied. "No official agreements have been signed, nor will they be. All agreements between One Nation and the UCPA are completely open-ended and subject to change or withdrawal. I wish to build an organization that cannot be corrupted by men like Dr. Righteous. The UCPA is only a temporary solution until we've the power to build something greater, and furthermore any direct control given to them is delegated by the US government, not One Nation. We are simply peacekeepers."[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]"I'm afraid that's all the time we have for now. Thank you very much for your time Clarence, and for your astounding contribution to society. For INC, this is---"[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]David Holmes switched his viewscreen off and sank back into the rather luxurious leather swivel chair that graced his otherwise wholly task-oriented office. He sipped a cup of coffee and shut his eyes, hoping to see some clear way through it all. Nothing. There was never an easy way out. The United Countries Protection Association was formed to unite a plague-torn world left in shambles and ensure that no further conflicts followed in its wake. Now, as nations recovered and slowly reclaimed their independence, the organization had to start a war of its own to maintain power. Holmes was not responsible for that. He'd had no part in it. Truly, very few members of the UCPA ever knew about Dr. Righteous' plans any sooner than the rest of the world. Even so, the disaster he brought about nearly shattered the global union.[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]As the first president to follow this catastrophe, Holmes probably faced the most daunting task on the planet. To third world nations the UCPA was an essential element. Their moderation of international economy was slowly allowing backwards nations to rise up for the first time in history. The trade revenue that the UCPA guaranteed them was the only thing preventing hundreds of thousands from returning to lives of poverty and starvation. To powerful nations the UCPA was a threat. Up until Dr. Righteous their integrity had seldom been questioned. Now they were looked upon not as an international peace council, but rather a nearly independent potentially militant power that could, given the authority, establish something of a global dictatorship.[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]Holmes had no great lust for power. At least, if he did, his current position satisfied it. He would have been content to rebuild the UCPA slowly and let tempers simmer down, but he exerted by no means complete control. Many counsel members threatened to pull out if they didn't see rapid results, and others sought to push through their own power-hungry agendas. When doing the right thing meant being expelled from office, his only real option was to be ambitious now and aid the world later.[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]Clarence Croft appeared on the scene entirely independent of any other organizations. His supplies he acquired from abandoned military posts. His men he gathered by recruiting the people he liberated. What was he fighting for? He had money, but no great volume of it. He had military power, but no actual control; not once did he lay claim to a city himself. They were all returned to the nation. He had fame. Was that it? Fame? Holmes was doubtful. Perhaps the man was legitimate, but that idea seemed absurd. The UCPA's president had learned long ago to trust no one. Honesty was a foreign concept to him.[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]Regardless of his ultimate goals, at the moment Croft proved the perfect tool. The UCPA had been indirectly responsible for the re-destruction of Los Angeles a year ago, and much of their reputation rested on rebuilding it quickly. Congress had been putty in their hands for quite some time now, but this still required revenue and manpower, resources hard to come by. Croft provided both. The people he 'liberated', whether they liked it or not, now faced taxation, and with his personal army doing all of the dirty work UCPA manpower could be devoted to restoring LA. So long as One Nation continued to unite the world, the UCPA profited.[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]Croft's words today though had been most troublesome. "All agreements between One Nation and the UCPA are completely open-ended and subject to change or withdrawal. The UCPA is only a temporary solution until we've the power to build something greater, and furthermore any direct control given to them is delegated by the US government, not One Nation." Holmes knew for a fact that representatives from the two parties had never met. There was no 'agreement' of words whatsoever. Croft's 'agreement' was simply the acknowledgement of a mutual understanding. He had essentially said that he knew he was being used by the UCPA but that he would tolerate it for the time being because he had something bigger in store.[/p:1xtcm9xg]
[p:1xtcm9xg]It was to these final foreboding thoughts that Holmes finished his coffee, picked up a small briefcase, and headed 'home' from his UCPA office in Antarctica.[/p:1xtcm9xg] |
|
