RMB Chivenor, Devon
Day 5.9
Colonel June lead Colin and Marine Fisher out of the Operations Room.
"We're on the backfoot Mr Braithwaite, or Marine Recruit as your title would be now.
As a very recent civilian, I wont expect the bowing and scraping with ranks from you".
With a rye smile he continued
And since your training will be conducted by 24 Commando, you'll not get much practice with the Bootneck Boys. But by god you'll get better training than anywhere else in the world"
" Captain Aubrey will see you to the Barracks, they have their orders what to do with you both after that."
"Yes Sir " , both Marine Fisher and now Marine Recruit Braithwaite chimed at the same time. It didn't seem appropriate to call "jinx" at that moment.
The group proceeded on foot across the Base to one of the Royal Marines barracks.
Two guards stood at attention at their approach and saluted.
Colin, being new was paying closer attention to everything, and felt the guards may not be giving their best " at attention" as the could be. Captain Aubrey, not paying such attention, didn't seem to notice.
"I'll leave you here. See in the new recruit Fisher" with thst said, Aubrey left them without waiting for reply.
" Come on Nod, let's get you to the sarge."
Marine Fisher stated. " It's Colin actually" he said. As she opened the Barracks door and went in, she said over her shoulder " not anymore Nod."
It was not what he expected. No rows of bunks, rather a large common room with rows of tables on one side, and a lounge area on the other. With a hall leading off to bedrooms he assumed.
Past the tables was a large kitchen, with a buffet style counter fronting it.
"Who's the guy with the pig-sticker Fisher?" A Marine looking him over asked.
"Another Contender, and new Marines Recruit, better watch out Hudson" She said with a laugh. " Where's the Sarge?"
"In his office" Hudson replied to her.
They made there way down the hall to an office. She knocked at the open door.
"New Recruit for you Sarge" She said.
Sergeant Connelly sat at the desk, didn't look up and replied " well done Marine. Off you trot Fisher"
Colin waited at what he thought was attention for the Sergeant to tell him what to do.
Connelly scoffed at him, instead pointing at a chair " sit down Recruit, you look like you're gonna hurt yourself standing like that"
Colin sat.
"Saw the feed of you clearing that road in the Village, only soldiers I can think of to compare that kind of sheer carnage to would be the Gurkha's."
Colin, not having been aware of the Unmanned Drone watching him from above, just nodded. " Thank you Sergeant"
"Mind if I have a look at your weapon?", not so much as requesting but expecting it to be handed over. Which Colin did.
"Crips! You made this? The balance is fantastic. Where'd you get bronze Spearhead like this?"
"It started as a garden shear blade wired to a broom handle Sarge" Colin said with a little embarrassment. "It got upgraded after I complete my daily quest at weapon training"
Sergeant Connelly nodded at this. "Marine Fisher said about the daily quests, but her quests have only Been for Physical Training."
"Not for me sir, mine have been Physical Training. Shelter Sercuring. Supplies Acquisition. Weapons Training. Culling The Cursed. Even one to Save Two Innocents, being Triss and Bradley."
"Been busy I see. And we'll be keeping you busy here Recruit, the more you sweat, the less you bleed. Go find a Rack and get some rest. Training starts tomorrow."
RMB Chivenor, Devon
Day 6
Colin was woken early by Marine Fisher " on your feet Nod. Time for some PE."
"Daily Quest?" he asked.
"Yup, full gear, if you have any"
Colin looked down at his leather combat Gear beside the bed, " just need boots then".
[Contender Daily Quest Available.
Physical Training [Heartrate] - 0/30 minutes.
Weapon Training - 0/60 minutes.
Cull The Cursed - 0/50.
Contender in proximity. Share Quests?
Yeah OK, share it.
" What the hell!" Fisher jumped a little with surprise. " Are these your normal daily quests? Mine are just Physical Training! "
Feeling a little smug, Colin pulled on his new gear and old boot. " welcome to training. Nod" then wanted for her to lead him to the Purser for boots.
Looking over his new gear, Colin felt a bit silly. He stood out severely from the rest of the Marines.
A form fitting brown leather tunic and leather reinforced trousers.
The tunic had hard leather panels attached over his chest, abdomen and sides. Yet it felt like thin cloth wearing it, his flexibility didn't feel compromised at all.
"Alright Recruit. Fisher here says you gave her some extra daily quests? Good for training, bad for making friends! But we are not here to make friends now, are we Marine Fisher?" This last part directed at Fisher was almost a bark, but Colin chose to reply as well.
"No Sergeant!"
"Good. Well be heading into Braunton, with a lovely stop off in Wrafton, to do some hunting. My favourite pass time. FALL IN TO TRANSPORT!"
Six Marines,a driver, the Sergeant and one out of place Recruit climbed into the Land Rover Troop Transport and headed off-base.
"You will see the fine work of our Sappers have been doing Recruit. Being the home base of the 24 Commando Regiment Royal Engineers, we expect nothing less" Sergeant Connelly stated, with no small amount of pride.
For good reason Colin thought. A heaped barrier, made from dirt, shipping containers and even trucks and cars stretched off into the distance on either side of two sets of gates. Platforms and observation towers dotted the barrier at equal distances.
The inner gate opened, allowing the Land Rover through, closing behind them before the outer gate opened.
A few hundred metres outside the gates was Wrafton, a suburb of the much larger Braunton. As the transport rolled up to the built up areas, Colin could see Cursed stumbling about in singles and pairs. Easy pickings from his perspective.
"Sergeant, any chance I can get let out here?"
Every person in the transport turned and looked at the lunatic the just said that. Which was Colin of course.
The transport stopped at the Sergeant Connelly's gesture.
"This here,Marines, is a Recruit asking to do what I would have expected trained Marines to be requested.what has my beloved Royal Marines come to". Shaking his head he gave his orders to the driver and troops
" Move the transport to the top of the offramp driver. Disembark and cover Marine Recruit Braithwaite and Marine Fisher."
[ Daily Quest Available [Optional]
Cull The Cursed 0/100 [Combined Contenders]
Cos 50 each already wasn't enough eh?
" Fisher, what are you armed with? ".
She looked at him slightly annoyed.
" standard issue KS-1. Why?"
"Knock down one of the Cursed and see if it goes towards your kill count"
She did just that, a headshot at 300+ metres. She paused while she checked her Stats.
"Fuck me! It didn't count. Why the fuck not?"
Colin nodded " Testing a theory. I figured maybe the God's of the Multiverse don't favour firearms. Wasn't sure till now."
Turning to the other Marines he asked "Any of you lads got anything bigger than standard issue dagger?"
Most shook their heads, one however reached behind him and produced a wicked looking blade. Heavy and curved, it appeared to be a cross between an axe and a machete.
The Sergeant nodded in approval. "Good man Hudson. If in a knife fight, bring a Kukri"
Marine Hudson handed the knife over to Marine Fisher, who was happier with it than her dagger.
"Advance at your discretion Recruit. Be sure not to get too far ahead of your team mates. Marines, watch your lines of fire."
Colin moved forward into the nearest Cursed visual range, triggering its attack mode, so to speak.
As the Cursed came into the range of Colin's spear, he thrust forward into its skull, already looking for his next target.
Marine Fisher was having her own success with her target. It's lung had been sidestepped, the Marine slicing through the Cursed spine at the base of its skull.
Her movement, from Colin's perspective, was slow and clunky. Too much effort and energy expanded gor the given result.
The occasional soften crack of silenced assault rifles kept the two Contenders flanks clear, so their melee butchery could continue uninterrupted.
Spinning and slicing through Cursed flesh, the morning wore on, the Hamlet of Wrafton slowly getting cleared of the excess of Cursed. 75% by Colin.
Crossing back over the A361 highway midmorning became the greatest threat the two faced, a stead stream of Cursed trickling out of Braunton Village requiring a short fighting retreat till the stream dried up. Royal marine aimed fire increased, always targeting the flanking Cursed, Colin essentially held the centre. A whirling blade of destruction.
The carnage left on the highway would be work for the Royal Engineers to clean up, if they deemed it necessary.
[Contender Daily Quest Complete.
Physical Training [Heartrate] - 30/30 minutes.
Weapons Training - 60/60 minutes
Cull The Cursed - 50/50.
[Daily Quest Complete [Optional]
Cull The Cursed - 145/100
Strength Increased
Bonus Endurance Increase
Weapon Quality upgrade
Combat equipment upgrade.
"Holy shit Braithwaite. Is this the kind of boost we can always expect? I feel like I could clear Braunton on my own right now "
Marine Emerson Fisher was practically dancing with energy.
"I like your kukri upgrade by the way" Colin pointed it out after the got back in to the Land Rover. The kukri was essentially the same, but 3-4 inches longer, with a more elongated point to it.
Marine Hudson wasn't looking so impressed though. Guess he already knew he wasn't getting it back.