ZRP-2: Chapter 3, The Coming Storm

(Sam)
"Eve! Eve! Nice going James!"
=I ran after her=

(James)
"Goddammit...."
=I was going to regret this I was sure=

*Marcus*
"If you're done with you're personal drama, are we going to get moving yet or no?"

Eve found the nearest corner and hide, crying.
She didn't mean it.
Oh god she didn't mean it.
She slid to the ground.

Hibiki let Sam go after her.
"Whatever the Shepherds did...they did it well." She sighed. "And she was right. She was the best suited. Even unarmored James, you still are far larger then she is."

I made my way downstairs, out of the building and to the staduim. I should saying I'm walking there now.

Maybe.... surely they'll let me into the staduim. Hopefully to get some sort of armor. If they have it.

(James)
"That wasn't the point Hibiki. You're not worried at all, about her going into Shepherd territory? I mean, what if Jonah is there? You really think she's going to be able to stay loyal to us? That she'll be able to resist everything he did to her?"

(Sam)
=I found Eve, crying in a corner. I got down next to her, and held her close to me=

"Like her running off crying after that performance couldn't answer your question." Hibiki retorted harshly. "You missed it, didn't you? The look, her eyes. Her apology? My fucking god James. Look beyond what you see. Stop seeing her as their ex spy. See her as my daughter. Our daughter. And see she is traumatized. If you won't, then you can keep your ring."
She climbed into the bus without another word.

Eve leaned into Sam. "I didn't know I was acting...I didn't realize...I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She sobbed. "Don't leavd me. Don't let me face my own mind alone."

(Sam)
"Eve....it's not your fault. Okay? It is not your fault right now. It's just...."
=I stared into the distance=

"James has a lot of demons. I see them in his eyes, even when no one else does. Jonah is one of them. He's done his best to forgive you, to not see you as his daughter. But it's hard. Jonah did things to James, when he was torturing him. It's hard for him to forget, and harder still not to see a threat when it used to be associated with the Shepherds, especially Jonah."

(James)
=I grimaced, angry both at myself and this whole damn situation. I looked to Marcus=
"We'll give everyone 15 minutes to get here. After that, we're out."

Eve sobbed. "That's why I have to scout. Because he can't die. He can't leave mommy alone. He can't let my father win..." she hugged Sam tighter. "I can't let the man who will be my daddy die. I can't let him get hurt. I can't."

Hibiki merely sat in the bus.

(Sam)
"But that's the thing Eve. He's already hurt. More than you can imagine. He's stared your father in the eye again, came close to death, and nearly lost the people he loves. He's put down someone he thought of as a brother, watched his home and family burn. And to top it all off, has to deal with you and your past betrayal."
=I stopped to take a breath=

"My point though, is that you can't assume to be in control of everything, or whether or not James gets hurt. He's a grown man, and he's making his own choices. Maybe you should let him."

After walking awhile I make it to the stadium. Looking around I see a couple and of course the bus. Can't miss that.
I'm not sure what to do now, ask for entry or just walk into the bus. And the people standing around look kinda busy.

"Even if that choice could lead them to a trap and their deaths?" She shot back through tears. "I can't lose mommy. I can't lose you. You...you two are the only things I can be sure are real. Are not my mind. Please. Don't make me lose a sine chance at redemption." Eve pleaded.

(Sam)
"I won't Eve. But as for James....he needs to deal with Jonah. Its his demon to face."

(James)
=I took a seat in the tank, mulling over the argument=

"Scout. Not assassinate." She said more calmly.
She scooted a bit to kiss Sam's cheek. "Th...thanks for coming after me..." she cuddled with Sam. "I'm calm...I...I can do this. I mnow I can."
She slowly started to rise, holding both of Sam's hands.

(Sam)
"Okay Eve."
=I stood up, letting go of one of her hands so I could walk, leading her back to the stadium=

Eve held onto the other hand tightly.
"Do I get a kiss for good luck?" She ventured hesitantly.

Hibiki started the bus. "Rescue party mount up."

(Sam)
"Not yet Eve. Think I'll save that for when we actually get there."

=People began to climb into the bus, taking seats where they could=

So I'd been told to go to some stadium. I remembered seeing one before, around the time Allie and I had been separated while I was searching for booze.

I managed to find booze, thankfully. However, now that I'd been drinking I couldn't help but think it was gonna be a little more tedious to get into the stadium. Here's hoping they didn't have guards.
I made my way out of the building, and begin to close the gap between the stadium and I, with a very slight stagger.

Eve pointed to the tank. "Then we get on the tank. Because the room on the bus is needed for the prisoners." She tugs Sam that way. "Unless people are gonna walk home." She paused. "I'm also holding you to that."

(Sam)
"To what, walking home?"

(James)
=People started to climb into the tank, and it soon became cramped as hell=

People were climbing aboard the bus and now the SWAT vehicle. Guess there's very little time left, better be quick.
I dash inside the stadium, looking for some sort of armor. Riot, SWAT, National Guard. Just anything bullet proof.
My heart is pounding, the pressure of being left behind got a hold on me. I look around on the shelves and tables but fing nothing.

=I wheel on, making it to the stadium just in time, watching the convoy make final preparations to move out=

Give those bastards hell...

=I wheel over to Sam and Eve, bracing for a bit of a bawling out=

Now's as good a time as any...

=I just sit there, my face carefully neutral=

"Kissing me good luck when we get there silly." Eve responded.

Hibiki revved the bus up.

After a bit more of looking, I give up. Seems there's none left. Well, let's hope I don't get shot then. Though I doubt that'll stop a bullet.
With no real purpose being here any more, I run back outside and to the bus. Where I hop aboard and take a seat.

(Allie)

I climb on board the bus and sit down, sheathing my knife and placing my half-finished bear in my pocket.

"Lets go!"

(Sam)
"Ah. Well, no need for that. I'd do that anyway."
=We grabbed a seat on the bus, Tyler and Allie already aboard. I nodded to them, and then to Hibiki=

"Good to go."

(James)
=Once the last of the soldiers was in the tank, the hatch closed. Cooper was in the driver's seat, and he looked at me from the mirror=

*Cooper*
"Looks like we're good to go James. Now or never."

(James)
"Let's move man."
=Suddenly, I felt the tank jerk forward, as we started to move=

=I give the convoy a salute, a smile on my face=

Give 'em Hell...

=I wheel away, my mind concentrating on recovering from my injuries=

What I wouldn't give to be in that fight...

=I sigh, the sound of my thoughts my only companion as the convoy rolled away=

Eve leaned against Sam quietly. She didn't do anything else. She just snuggled against Sam's sidenl. Eve was steeling herself for the coming mission.
And to fight against her own mind and her old comrades.

Hibiki didn't pay attention to the occupants of the bus. Half would get off anyways to attack. Rest would come help save the prisoners.
If any were left, that is.

=The tiny convoy, of only two vehicles, rolled away from the stadium, moving for the south side of the compound. As thye drove through the street, some of the denizens of the compound, waking early, stood at the side of the street to see the vehicles, knowing what they meant. Some raised a fist in the air, giving shouts of 'good luck,' or 'take it to them!' As they neared the gates, they parted, and the tiny convoy picked up speed=

(James)
=We were bouncing around inside the cramped confines of the tank, and while I was blind to everything outside, I had a feeling that we were outside the compound. We were now, well on our way to the Shepherd base=

Hmm. Just how many will be there? And where?

I fidgit around in my seat. I haven't in a car in a cou- since the move. Even then I wasn't comfortable.

I'd barely gotten on. In fact, as soon as I was in the bus had started moving. I looked down the corridor and smiled, stepping down awkwardly before flopping in a seat behind Allie, grinning and reaching around the seat.
"Hey there~" I said slovenly.

(Allie)

I blink and smile at Sam.

"Hey, I didn't see you there."

I sigh and lean my head back against the seat. I guess I'll find out sooner or later.

I murred happily, flopping against the back of your seat and yawning, wrapping my arms around your upper body and grinning lazily.
"Heheh awh, you dihn't shee me?"

(James)
=It was maybe thirty minutes later, when I decided to speak up=
"Hey Cooper, how far are we?"

*Cooper*
"Maybe half a mile out on the streets. We'll stop here, if the girl is still intent on scouting. Once that's done, we split: we take the front door, Hibiki and the bus will try and circle around to a side entrance, and get in while we hold their attention."

(James)
"Alright. So once we stop, let me out to tell her."

*Cooper*
"Stopping now. You have two minutes."
=They came to a stop, and he thumbed a button to open the rear hatch=

The bus slowed to a stop, and Eve stood.
And of course waited for Sam.

Hibiki turned...Fuck.
Seeing a drunk woman, she grabbed some handcuffs and cuffed the woman to her seat.
"Ace. Why the fuck did you let a drunk woman onboard? This is war. Not afternoon tea. Now you get to babysit her." She said, not amused, before heading to the driver's seat.

(Sam)
=First, I chuckled when Hibiki cuffed the drunk girl to her seat. That was the last thing we needed. Second, I wondered why Eve was just standing there=
"Waiting for something Eve?"

(James)
=Getting out of my seat and out the tank, I jogged over to the bus, knocking on the door=
"Hibiki, we need to discuss the plan. Open up."

I look up at Hibiki, pouting a little, trying to stand up before my arm forces me back down. Why'd she even have hand cuffs on her during a zombie apocalypse? Gosh.
"C'mon, I work besht when ah'm inebriadated, I eshcayed my house drunk... twice!" I groaned and fell forward, my head thudding against the back of the seat.
"Sorry Allie..."

Hibiki opened the door. "Yeah?"

Eve sighed. "I'm making sure I'm ready to go scout."

(Sam)
"Well, you look as ready as you'll ever be."
=I noticed that James was outside, but Hibiki had already moved to open the door=

(James)
"Listen, here's the plan: Cooper and I will take the front door, draw their attention. You guys wait maybe three minutes, after that move to the side or rear of the complex, anywhere you can find an entrance, and move in. We'll draw their fire, and you evacuate who you can."

Hibiki nodded. "Sounds like a plan. But we still should wait until Eve returns with some intl. For all we know they have an M1 Abrams back there."

Eve took a step forward.

(James)
"If that's the case, this whole thing is over before the fireworks started. Eve, I don't need you inside, I need you somewhere high enough to see over the walls, if there are any. I need to know if there are any soldiers, or even any vehicles. Can you do that?"

(Sam)
=I called from across the bus=
"You really have to ask?"

Eve blushed and smiled back at Sam before facing James. "I can...we don't have any radios, do we?"

(James)
=Shaking my head with a grimace, I looked at the girl=
"Unfortunately no. It's too far for you to walk anyway, so we'll drive you up a little bit further, then drop you off. You'll have ten, maybe fifteen minutes before you need to come back."

Even nodded. "I can do it." she said firmly.

(James)
"Okay. I'll ride with you until we reach a drop off point, so I'll give Cooper the message. Get back in your seat, and wait here."
=I jogged back to the tank, the rear hatch still open. Cooper looked back at me, and I told him the plan. Nodding, he let me leave and soon the door closed behind me. The tank started moving again as I boarded the bus=

"Well, good to go."

Hibiki nodded and drove forward as well to the dropsite.

(James)
=We were getting close, enough that I had Hibiki stop the bus. Cooper must have seen it, because the tank also stopped in front of us. Walking to the door, I waited for it to open, then looked back at Eve=
"Alright....here you go."

Eve nodded, then stood. She hugged Sam.
"I'll be right back."

(Sam)
=I returned the hug, almost crushing her as I gave her a swift kiss on the cheek=
"Be safe out there Eve."

(James)
=I waited outside the bus. There was something I needed to tell Eve=

Eve smiled. "Not what I had hoped, but I'll take what I can get."
She kissed Sam's cheek before letting go and heading outside. "If you have handcuffs, I'm shooting you." She said to James.

(James)
"That's now why I'm here Eve."
=Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair. The next few words were the hardest things I was going to say=

"I'm sorry Eve. I haven't been treating you fairly lately, and you didn't deserve it. It's just with what, who we're about to attack.....and what your father did to me, and everyone I've lost because of him, I wanted to so desperately to take it out on him. And since he wasn't there, and you were.....I'm sorry."