ARES:Gods of War

Inherit

The North...

Ice and snow crunched underfoot of the two makeshift squads of Nikkes and their commanders. Ahead of the pack, Signal and Delta were acting out the role of their squad name and scouting ahead, their camouflage providing the perfect cover from any Rapture that was only scanning with its normal optical sensors. The two Spartans, the Commander and the others kept trudging forward, meanwhile, through the thick layer of snow.

They gazed around at the white vastness, tall snow-covered peaks rising in the distance, poking into the overhead clouds. Said clouds were a mix of white and grey. Through various points in the thick layer of clouds, light from the sun poked, lighting certain points more brightly than the otherwise glum, dim look of the overall location. Up ahead were many a dozen buildings, probable abandoned research stations meant to study the North. Now, they were just leftover husks of days gone.

The gusts of wind that beat down upon the group were tentatively annoying, however, with Rapi, who had now pulled her jacket's hood over her head, commenting, "We should probably find a shelter ASAP! There might be a snowstorm brewing!" as the howling winds grew louder. The Commander, trembling, nodded to her, then prepared to radio in for the CG.

"Confirming... I'll send you guys coordinates to a bunker. Should be fairly close-by, straight North-West," Shifty replied. Chief had to admit, having a supporting element like Shifty around was probably gonna save them a lot of time. Or at least provide them enough information to know they weren't wading into hell without good Intel. She also seemed capable enough, if a little young.

"Commander Harriss?" You okay?" Layla asked as she marched beside the man. Though he seemed to be trying to tough it out, the group could see his lips were turning purple.

"Oh, no! The Commander's lips are turning purple... Neon, quick, take your clothes off and snuggle with the commander!" Anis yelled rather... Obscenely loud. To the point it got almost the entire group to look at the two of them like they were crazy. To anyone who heard that, even with the current context, they would be right to say Anis was a little out there. Neon's flustered reaction didn't help much either.

"What're you talking about?!" The white-haired Elysion Nikke demanded, "You do it!"

"Oh, this is gonna be annoying," Pinne commented, then inquired, "Chief, Sam, how about we head on forward to help the girls find the Bunker?!"

Chief nodded and motioned for the group to follow along while the Counters solved whatever little 'naked' issue they had on hand. It didn't take long, thankfully, 'till they found the bunker itself, a small underground facility with an armored, concrete-covered entrance that was hidden by the snowfall. Propping open the door, the Spartans moved in first, the flashlights of their guns lighting the darkness below.

Following them in, the Nikkes marched forward, Pinne keeping her Shotgun close, barrel pointing at the ceiling as she advanced behind the Chief. The Spartan radioed, "Operator, LUCKY actual. Descending into the bunker now, may lose connection..." as the howling winds outside grew even louder. Shifty's reply was short and filled with static, but it was an affirmative and happy one.

Rusty touched down behind them and began her descent as well, stowing her weaponry onto her back and stating, "Never thought I'd actually be freezing my behind off..." before turning to look for the Counters. Luckily, all four marched into the place, with Neon, the last one in, sealing the door shut behind them and quieting the winds down. The faint few traces of snow that'd made their way onto the steps of the bunker's two-person-sized stairwell soon began to melt.

The group entered the main area of the structure, a central chamber with wide enough space. It was caked in dust, cobwebs hanging off the corners, but it was also furnished with a desk, a small terminal off to the side and a bed that looked like it had recently seen use. Perhaps their Pilgrim friend had camped out in the area. Tapping a switch, Rapi soon caused the room's few working lights to come on.