The Venom

Infiltration

      Tiger and Panther woke up to the sound of the machine calming down, and the convoy coming to a halt. Panther looked out of the small outside view from the hiding spot. "We're at the first checkpoint. Get ready, we'll be moving up to the front of the convoy." Panther said. Tiger and Panther slipped out of their hiding spot, slowly moving onto the platform, making their way to the front. Tiger and Panther crept in the shadows produced by the nighttime sky.

       An Insurrectionist patrolman walked onto the platform, inspecting the area. Tiger reached for his swords, but Panther stopped him. "No, we don't kill them here. They keep a headcount. We find a way around them." Panther said. Tiger and Panther quickly pulled themselves atop the wagon, moving past the patrolman. Tiger lowered himself back down, landing onto the link between wagons. Panther continued on top of the wagon, keeping a lookout as Tiger moved down low.

      Tiger and Panther reached the front of the convoy, and Panther helped to pull Tiger onto the hauling machine. They huddled against the machine's smoke stack, blending in with the shadows. "We're all clear here. No intruders detected, and all prisoners accounted for." A patrolman said. The machine crew nodded, and started up the hauling machine. The gears turned, the smoke was rising, and the large wheels turned, pulling the convoy. "We ride this to the second checkpoint, located within the outpost. There, we sneak out, and hunt down what we're looking for." Panther said. "What are we looking for exactly? I don't understand." Tiger said.

      Panther thought for a moment, seeming lost with words. "Tiger, there are things that may seem weird or unknown to you. But this mission is something we both want. To find the man that took your family away from you." Panther said. Something didn't feel right. "Why are you doing this then?" Tiger asked. "I'm helping you, so you can get a better understanding of your situation." Panther said. Tiger still seemed uneasy. "Your questions will be answered soon, just not right now." Panther said. Tiger calmed his uneasiness with Panther, and focused on the mission.

      Tiger and Panther arrived at the second checkpoint, moving past the outer walls of the outpost. "Let's move." Panther said, hopping down from the machine. Tiger followed, and they navigated their way throughout the outpost entryway. Tiger and Panther side-stepped many Insurrectionist Watchmen, only killing those that were in their way. Soon, they both reached the main cluster of buildings. Three buildings surrounded a center building, with the entry points to the center building being connectors from the surrounding buildings.

       Tiger followed Panther, as he headed towards a building, seeming as though he knew where he was going. Panther entered the building, quietly killing a watchman, lowering his body down. Panther motioned to two other watchmen, and Tiger crept over to them, striking them down with both swords. "Move up the stairs, I'll head to the center building. We'll meet up on the second story, where there will be a platform. You'll see it." Panther said.

       Panther ran to the center building, as Tiger scrambled up the stairs to the second floor. Tiger swiftly beheaded a watchman, before stabbing another in the throat. Tiger ran to the door of one of the connectors to the center building.  Tiger sheathed his swords, before prying the doors open. Tiger moved through the connector, before reaching the platform, just as Panther arrived on the opposite side.

        A sudden bright light focused on Tiger and Panther, illuminating them. A bunch of surrounding searchlights also switched on, lighting up the several groups of Insurrectionist watchmen looking down upon them. "Tiger, we've been detected. It's about to get intense." Panther said, before the groups of watchmen made their way to the platform. Panther sprinted to the edge of the platform, and jumped off. Tiger ran to the opposing side, jumping off before the watchmen reached him.

      Tiger landed on one of the lower connecting bridges. Tiger looked beyond the center building to see Panther kill two watchmen, before sprinting into another building. Tiger faced into the direction Panther ran to, and continued that way. Tiger kicked a watchman to the ground, before sprinting past another. Tiger sliced through two more watchmen, before reaching the third building, where Panther was caught up in a fight with five other watchmen.

     Tiger jumped towards a watchman, stabbing him with one of his swords. Tiger evaded another attack, before slashing the watchman across the throat. Panther kicked a watchman to the ground, before slashing another across the throat. Panther stabbed the watchman on the ground, before facing the final watchman of the group. Tiger swiftly stabbed the final watchman in the back, before decapitating him. "Come on, this way." Panther said, pointing to a large fortress. The fortress was built from tough, and dense, material. The fortress was had many Insurrectionist patrolmen and watchmen guarding the area.

       Panther began rushing towards the fortress, as a group of watchmen entered the building with them. As Tiger and Panther ran, a wall of patrolmen blocked their path to the fortress. "We get to that fortress no matter what, understand?" Panther said. "We'll never get through." Tiger said. "I've done it before. Follow my lead." Panther said. Tiger and Panther engaged the onslaught of watchmen and patrolmen. The two focused their efforts together, avoiding strikes, and cutting through people. Before long, they pushed their way through the wall, heading towards the fortress. "Now we climb up the corner towers. You get the left, I'll climb the right. We'll meet up in the main court." Panther said.

       Panther and Tiger began to climb up the corner towers, as the watchmen and patrolmen rushed to throw stones at them. Tiger climbed in through the top of the tower, before descending down a spiral staircase. Tiger stabbed two watchmen with both swords, before stabbing a patrolman with a sword. Tiger arrived at one of the torch-lit halls. Tiger looked down the hall, where Panther sliced through two other patrolmen, before sprinting around a corner. "They seem to be focusing on him more." Tiger thought.

       Tiger ran through the halls, killing any watchmen and patrolmen that got in his way. Tiger came to a set of double doors, and swiftly slashed through the door locks. Tiger kicked the doors open, as Panther did the same on the opposite side Tiger and Panther entered the center room, as many patrolmen and watchmen entered behind them. Tiger looked around at the forces behind them. "Stop!" Boomed a loud voice.

         Tiger looked at the center throne, guarded by two heavily armored Insurrectionist lieutenants. In the throne sat an older man. "You two boys have no business with the Insurrection. You've killed many of my men, and caused disturbances within Pacifica with my informants." The man said. "We come here to kill you, bastard." Panther said. "Quiet, mere boy. Your family owed me their services, yet they refuse to help me. As such, they've been kept in a prison camp, far away from here." The man said. 

        Tiger took off his mask, stepping towards the man. "Where are my parents?" Tiger demanded. The man chuckled for a moment. "I remember you, child. The boy who escaped through the window, as your parents were taken. At least you faired better than your brother, of whom managed to coax you into working with him to come here." The man said. "Brother?" Tiger questioned, looking to Panther. "I'll make you taste your own blood for tearing my family apart!" Panther yelled, rushing at the man.