faderift | [Closed] Operation: Execution

Entry tags:

[Closed] Operation: Execution

WHO: Anders, Jamie
WHAT: Anders is given Inquisition intel regarding a target they want questioned and then eliminated and takes an associate to deal with the matter.
WHEN: In the FUUUUUUUUTURE (dark future AU)
WHERE: Ye Olde Windye Roade
NOTES: Intimidation, violence, threats, death.

It's not the usual raid, and that gives him pause. Raiding is... different, somehow. He's been able to do the mental gymnastics to justify raids - they need supplies, people just happen to be there who are enemies. This is direct.

And yet the pause is short. They're at war, and even though he's fairly certain they're losing this he's going to fight. Anders gathers what he'll need and checks his mental list of who is around before heading out to one of the local hangouts. Sure enough, Jamie's there and he takes a seat next to the Rifter.

"I've an errand to run, if you're interested in joining me. It's not the usual, but it's for friends of the both of us." Which should say enough for any public conversation. Privately, though, he passes the specifics he'd been given over to Jamie while keeping an eye out for anyone trying to read over the man's shoulder.

"Memorize what you'd like to. I'm going to burn that once you're done." The details are simple enough, at least.

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It's a good amount of supplies and Anders nods, coming over to start looking through the supplies.

"I think I might like to make some scarecrows attached to ropes that we can trigger to suddenly look like there's people on the hills too, so if you find stones that look round, grab those too. ...Obviously drop them if you find a bear, though, and shout please. I'll be closer to the road, but I'll move to your side as quickly as possible. And don't forget that if you've any ideas that need a trigger, you've a mage with you who can burn through a rope in an instant."

Anders picks up both packs and starts heading north, toward the road, so he can see it on this level and figure out which hill will be best to weaken. One day people will be used to dealing with mages, which will be all the better for everyone. More heads will come up with ideas of uses for magic and more can be done. The world can continuously become better for everyone around them.

"Ah, no fear. You'll know if any of them actually turn up around here."

Come to think about it, he couldn't actually remember the last time he'd seen a bear - or even heard about one being around, with the exception of that one that'd turned up with the Doctor, Hermione and the others. That didn't necessarily mean that there weren't some around here, though - for all he knew, they'd been around all along, only in places where people didn't run into them. He'd keep an eye out.

But Anders has a point, and before he gets too far Jamie takes a moment to add, "Oh, and I've not forgotten, you know. Could set some traps along with yon scarecrows so that when someone comes to check on those you can trigger them and give them a nasty surprise?"

He might do that with the rockslide, too, truthfully, to add another layer to the physical triggers. Maybe some sort of dummy trigger to tangle up some people while Anders burns the rope...but before he voices those ideas he wants to think them through somewhat first.

The patrolling gives him a chance to do just that, because on his end things remain quiet, with the largest beastie he sees a fennec. Once he gets done, he swings back Anders's way, letting him know both about that and the idea about the dummy triggers coupled with Anders using his magic to set off the rockslide. Once he's explained his idea in full, he gives Anders a questioning look.

"So what do you think about that, then?"

"Mm, good idea," he says before Jamie heads out, glancing at their supplies again. They've got plenty of things to work with. It's probably a good thing he's walked into an ambush or two in his days, and it seems Jamie has as well.

The other ideas are good as well, and Anders nods his approval.

"We've got our work cut out for us, then." To kill a man. He's still not sure how he feels about the assignment, but it has to be done. Anders has been working on the rockslide first, taking his time to loosen in just the right places with just the right amount. There's not much to show for this, just a glow around Anders' hands as he walks the hill he'll be destroying and pauses here and there.

"Thankfully the road seems to be on the quiet side as well. And soon we'll have the experience needed to set us up for a life of banditry if ever it becomes an option."

He flashes Jamie a faint smile. "Let's. Perhaps this can be the straw that topples the ogre."

Jamie's mouth twists into a wry half-smile at the mention of a life of banditry, but the expression is brief, replaced with something more serious a few moments later.

"Aye, here's hoping."

If this does turn out to be the straw that does topple the ogre, then maybe the whole thing'll be worth it - even if he still doesn't relish the necessity of having to kill a man in this way in the process. But the assignment is the assignment, and while Anders starts to take care of the hill, he starts to take care of what needs doing on his end. His past experience comes in handy here, allowing him to set up things quickly and smoothly, and it's not too long before he finishes and goes to rejoin Anders.

"Anything else that needs doing or are we good to go?"

He takes a breath, looking the preparations over.

"I suppose there's nothing left to do but wait." Waiting is torturous, but necessary. They set up a small area and Anders works on putting together something palatable to eat in the meantime.

"Are you all right with the end of this? We'll be killing a man in, not exactly cold blood, but rather close. Mercy's a little on edge, I'd not be surprised if you were too." So is he, to be truthful, but the assignment was handed to him. He doesn't have the freedom to not be all right with it.

One thing that hasn't changed over the years is Jamie's love of food, and there's obvious signs of anticipation from him over the meal Anders is putting together. However, that changes the moment Anders brings up the task that's been given to them. The enthusiastic expression on his face fades away, replaced with something that is much more guarded - and for a few moments, he doesn't say anything at all. Still, it's a question he has to answer, and before the silence can stretch out a little bit too long, he takes a breath and lets it out again.

"Not sure 'all right' is what I'd call it. It's...look, I know it's what we're supposed to do. If we'd not been ordered to do it, though, I'm no so sure I'd be seeking to end this man's life. Not like this, anyway."

Anders nods, looking grim.

"I don't blame you." He takes a slow breath in and out before pushing his food around a little. "If you need... If I have to do the final blow, I'll do it. You'd the option of coming. The order was given to me."

Mercy won't be pleased. She's already tense, but she at least understands the vague shape of ending one person to save many in theory. He'll see if practice works, or if he's going to have to find another spirit to work with after this.

"That's assuming he doesn't make it easy and attacks us and he dies in the chaos." Information would be very useful, but the end goal is the target dying. There's no guarantee he can tell them anything useful.

"Eat up, and then we can get into position and wait."

Maybe the man will make it a moot point, at that. All the planning in the world isn't necessarily going make this go smoothly, and it's entirely possible that he might wind up attacking them. A small part of him almost hopes he will. It sits a bit better with him than the thought of assassination. He appreciates the fact that Anders is willing to be the one to make that final blow, though, and he reaches to clasp Anders' shoulder for a moment.

"I know it was...and I daresay it can't be any easier for you than me. Look, let's just agree that when the time comes one of us'll take care of it. We can sort out the details when it's time."

A small smile turns up the corners of his mouth as he lets go, crossing over to where the food's been set up to take a portion of it for himself. Whatever's meant to happen there will happen when its time, and he'll worry about that - and any resulting guilt - when it happens.

For now, it's time to wait, and he makes short work of his food and goes to settle into position, shifting until he finds one that's relatively comfortable. Whatever else is going to happen today, he's fairly sure that it's going to involve a fair amount of waiting.

The agreement is an easy one to make and nod to, and then it's time for eating and waiting. He finds he almost misses Justice at times like this; talking outloud could give them away and he'd been able to speak with the spirit in his head. But considering all the downsides of being possessed, Anders knows it's better this way.

Evening fades into night fades into the twinklings of dawn, and they can hear movement on the road. Anders glances over at Jamie before taking a nice, slow breath and bracing.

The initial traps go off, and rocks slide down the hill to take on the carriage, destroying wheels and crippling horses that Anders feels for. But there's nothing to be done. More traps trigger and he can hear men yelling now, some in pain, some in anger. Anders casts an ice storm over the area, chilling and slowing, moments after tossing up a barrier around himself and Jamie. It's go time.

Anders isn't the only one feeling regret when it comes to the horses - but Jamie doesn't have time to dwell on their fates, unfortunate as they are. The trap's been sprung, and while it's taken out some of the guards, and even though the ice-storm has slowed them considerably, there's still some that can respond to the attack.

Rather than rush down immediately, however, Jamie pops up from the spot he's chosen from behind the practice dummies they'd set up as trap, taking aim with a bow he'd brought with him and firing before running to another position and firing again, making it seem like there's archers on the hill in an attempt to draw some of the men up and into the range of the traps. For now, it seems to be working, at least to an extent. Some of the less injured men do draw their swords, moving up the hill and towards the line of "archers". Not all of them do, however, and when Jamie spots some of the others reaching for bows to return fire with, he ducks back down out of sight, using the terrain to cut across to a spot he knows he can use to hide his movements and allow him to flank the men that remain below.

In the meantime, the men that do make their way up the hill are still moving slowly, thanks to the ice-storm...but it's not long at all before they're in range of the second trap, unaware of the rather nasty surprise that awaits them.

And nasty surprise it is, metal shards spraying through the air and shredding into the guards. Mercy does not approve of this, cannot, but at least she doesn't flee. There will be so many more lost if they don't take care of this man and determine what they can from him.

Anders does what he can from his own position, trying to keep track of Jamie while he makes fires flare up. By now the men are scattered and few, and their target is struggling out of the center carriage and yelling. It takes a great deal of patience to wait for it, but finally the man steps into the paralysis glyph and Anders activates it, trapping him for a good long time.

As far as the rest goes? Anders weaves together force and ice for a reverberation effect as he yells "Run" to them. It's their only chance to scatter, and they don't have to die here today unless they choose to do so.

As the reverberation effect starts to sweep through the ambush area, some of the men - the smarter ones - do. They can see where this is headed, and they're not getting paid nearly enough to lose their lives in the process. Some of them are slower than the others, thanks to their injuries, but it's clear to see that they're still going - and once Jamie sees that, he makes no move to stop them.

The ones that are left, however, are another matter, and as they realize that the dummies are in fact dummies and not people, they start to turn their attention towards Anders and their trapped boss. By then it's too late, however. Jamie's made his way into position, and as the men that are left start to make their move, he does as well, springing out from behind a tree with steel in hand and every intention of taking down the few men that remain.

It helps that they're not all in the same place, as well. That means neither he nor Anders are going to get overwhelmed, and barring anything odd happening, between the two of them they'll be able to take down the last of the guards in short order.

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[Closed] Operation: Execution

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