Phoenix Rising (A Division Story)

(Opening scene) A Strategic Homeland Division agent’s all-weather hiking boots trudge through the snowy streets to Colonel Charles Bliss and the headquarters station of the Last Man Battalion.

. (Cut to a broken out store window, focusing on a wide-screen television. A soldier from the Joint Task Force reads a speech given to him by his superiors) “The Strategic Homeland Division has been activated in accordance with National Security Presidential Directive 51. A curfew is in effect as of twenty hundred hours local time. All residents must remain in their homes.”

(Cut back to the Last Man Battalion’s stronghold) The SHD agent’s MK46 light machine gun, buttstock pushed into the right shoulder of the agent’s vest as he runs, grows heavier with every step. The agent’s smart watch glows with a ring of orange on his wrist as he keeps the weapon pushed against his shoulder.

. (Cut back to the television in the broken store window) “The local National Guard and Reserve units as well as Catastrophic Emergency Response Agencies have been deployed to New York City in a containment and relief effort.”

. (Cut back to the assault on the LMB HQ) The SHD Agent’s squad mates trail behind the machine gunner agent in a diamond formation, keeping the same pace and distance as they reach the Last Man Battalion’s front gates.

. (Cut back to the television in the broken store window) “Containment efforts have failed. CERA stations and guard posts have been overrun. Be vigilant and stay inside your homes. Joint Task Force patrols will be conducting routine patrols acting as a local police force. Food and medicine are in short supply.”

(The assault commences) The fire team reaches the front gate and immediately takes fire. The SHD agents are prepared for this and take cover, deploying automatic portable turrets and ammo/healing support stations. Two agents retaliate, firing explosive sticky bombs into an advancing crowd of LMB soldiers. The line of soldiers explodes and the agent with the machine gun suppresses the advancing troop of fresh LMB soldiers.

Meet the Team

(Three Months Ago)

Kay-Bee, Beast, Flo, and Kev. SHD Agents deployed with the first wave with Chunga coming later to Washington, D.C., as a deployed Second Wave Agent. They were activated close to the same time before the Green Poison Outbreak in New York City. Kay-Bee, Beast, Flo, and Kev were all recruited in a local Kerman’s coffee shop just downstairs and across the street from their apartment building. Kay-Bee had just moved from the UK to the states for different job opportunities. Beast was from Trinidad/Tobago and had been gaming with Kay-Bee, Flo, Kev, and Chunga for a few months before moving to the states. Beast was in a band called The Owls as the bassist and backing vocalist, acting in local features in his spare time. Flo was from Florida and built his own weapons in his free time. A locksmith by trade, Flo was a contractor specializing in armament and disarmament of tactical vehicles, lending his services to private military contracting firms like the Last Man Battalion and the Black Tusk (before they went rogue). Flo build them a personalized arsenal for when activation came around, as well as a pretty good ammo supply, which was paid for by the team. Kev was a military man, having served a total of eleven and a half years active duty between the US Marines and the US Army. Deploying twice with the Marines on a combat tour to Iraq and later part of a joint task force headquarters element on the USS Tarawa. He left active duty temporarily and reenlisted into the Army, entering Special Forces Assessment and Selection, earning him a spot in in 1st Special Forces Group and deploying to Afghanistan. He completed his tour and got back to the states, still not feeling fulfilled. Kev was college bound, pursuing a career in computer science and information technology, enrolling in classes in Columbia University and acquiring his bachelor’s degree after 5 years. Chunga worked for a finance company, gaining all the critical thinking skills and analytical habits over his numerous years in the field, which would come in handy later. Eventually the four (minus Chunga) all moved into the same building together. After the team of New Yorkers had been activated, they would do mobility drills, encouraging Chunga to do so just in case something catastrophic happened in his area. They would conduct these drills and pick a point, setting a goal time to beat every run. When they weren’t gaming or running drills together, they were hanging out and talking shop over a meal or a cup of coffee. They would rib each other while gaming or eating unless it was serious, forming a more cohesive bond, figuring out how each other thought, and learning to anticipate each other’s movements and actions. Every drill together was better than the previous one. They would go to a range out of the city and practice shooting and sighting in their optics and aiming pointers/illuminators. They also have a makeshift kill house outside of the city where they would practice building infiltration, close quarters shooting and urban operations, sharpening the spear that was the team.

During their recruitment training, they passed every group training and individual test with flying colors. When they got back home, they all had their gear in a singular spot within the building that no one else knew about and were able to lock themselves inside until they were done gearing up. Beast was the last into the room. “We move out in twenty, guys…and lady” the group chuckled. Twenty minutes passed and their individual AR maps were marked with the nearest SHD safehouse. “I’ll take point. It’s just down the street and around the corner.” Kev says as he readies his machine gun. “Let’s go!” Twenty-ish minutes of walking at a patrol pace and Flo speaks up. “There’s the orange circle.” Him and Kay-Bee were exchanging comedic banter the entire trip. The group entered the safe house and reported in, settling down for a place to stay. “Alright, Agents. I don’t think I have to tell you why you’re here. But I will anyway because I guess I like the way I talk.” Silence followed. “That was supposed to be a joke. I know it’s dire out there but geez. Lighten up will ya?” Flo replies “Are you going to brief us or give us a stand up special?” Awkward silence followed. The person in front of them was a Joint Task Force soldier, one of the many volunteers. They were losing their grip on the city at an alarming rate. The SHD agents were one of many cells activated to ensure continuity of government locally and nationwide.

For now, the agents would embed themselves in JTF patrols to gather intelligence. At the end of the day they would compare their findings with each other and prepare mission briefings for the next day. Whether a dangerous group of people disrupting the peace, or a building of people that were starving, they would conduct their missions to try and restore the peace that once was. They were able to lock down their part of town. Based on intelligence they had gather previously, they were able to contact the local SHD R&D shop and come up with what they called a “bounty map” that would track local events such as food shortages, service disruptions (water, power, etc.), or local crime sprees. The city started to present a semblance of normal. With normalcy came JTF patrols becoming lax, creating hotspots that were being covered up. Agents and JTF alike were dying at an alarming rate. Beast had friends in a team called Noble Squad. When Beast heard that they had all died, Beast wasn’t the same. He started acting erratically, but not enough to raise a red flag. No one would know until later.

Deployment of Second Wave

(Retaking of the Midtown Manhattan)

Chunga got the call. He would be deploying to Washington, D.C., to rebuild the base of operations in the White House and restoring the local and national SHD node after the death of Lt. Col Charles Bliss in New York. Chunga had been doing his drills with alongside the team where he lived in Tennessee. He had gone through the selection training the other four had been through and even visited the team in new York with his family a few times. Chunga was ready. Seven months after the initial outbreak in New York, he would be arriving two miles from the White House, arriving to a group of Hyenas assaulting the front gate. Chunga was ready and acted accordingly, taking out the group of assaulters and meeting his four friends from New York after they redeployed to D.C.

After the five of them were activated, they would feed each other intel reports of what they were dealing with between New York and D.C. Something big was coming and no one knew what it was. Between agents around New York going rogue and the JTF withering away to nothing, it was getting bad and trust was hard to come by. The agents had heard of the assault on the Pennsylvania Post Office and the SHD tried many times to take the building. The SHD and the JTF both wanted the building as a headquarters hub. The nearby radio burst to life with Faye Lau’s voice, acting as commander of the SHD in the local vicinity. “Dispatch: This is Division Agent Faye Lau empowered and authorized by executive order. and DHS directive 51.” The reply from the JTF agents on site was ominous with the sound of gunfire accompanied by a panicked JTF soldier. “Whoever you are we’re under an all-out assault. I’m not sure how much…help me…aw screw it! We’ll take anything you can give us! How are you on my comms?!” Beast grins at the team. “We’re right down the block you know. You guys bored?” Kay-Bee grinned and replied “Hell yeh! Let’s go boys.” Kev nods and smiles as they get ready to head out. The team reach the soon to be Base of Operations and take fire. The enemy force was minimal, and the team split in groups of two. Working their way to the middle and taking out enemies as they got closer to the doorway. Beast shouts “CLEAR! Good work guys!” Over a period of weeks, they rebuilt the Base of Operations. Rescuing people like Paul Rhodes, Roy Benitez, and Jessica Kendall, they eventually got Midtown Manhattan under control.

The team was instrumental in taking back the city, Rescuing Kendall from the Madison Field Hospital in the now Abandoned Madison Square Stadium, restoring main power to the city via the Subway Morgue on 29th Street and 7th Avenue, and reopening the supply lines of the Lincoln Tunnel checkpoint, escorting Jessica Kendall, Paul Rhodes, and Roy Benitez back to the Base of Operations in the Post Office. This as a start, but more needed to be done. The team of four took a much-needed break after gathering the key personnel and escorting back to the BoO. The team of four had a nice spot in the basement of the BoO. A corridor with a door, housing 4 bedrooms surrounding a common area with a fifth armory room where the team kept gear and weapons. The common area was where they had their briefings, team stories or the past, local gaming sessions, and just plain relaxing. The door to the rest area was always locked, only granting access to personnel using ISAC watches to gain entry, dawning a giant spray-painted orange phoenix surrounded by an orange circle. Beast would have tiny jam sessions as Flo, Kay-Bee, and Kev just hung out and listened, reflecting on the current state of the chaos that surrounds them, planning around local intel reports and formulating plans.

Word of Aaron Keener started circulating. He had been a prominent name as an extremely intelligent SHD agent gone rogue. Aaron Keener had always thought he was the smartest person in the room. He was arrogant and it showed. He had resurfaced during the kidnapping of virologist Vitaly Chernenko from the Russian Consulate in New York City. The four agents infiltrated the consulate to retrieve the scientist but were too late. Chernenko was gone. Aaron Keener was aided by the Last Man Battalion in the endeavor. Before this happened, side operations had been happening around the Base of Operations. Faye Lau enter the SHD Dorm playfully dubbed “Yo Mama’s Alley” after an inside joke during the hunting and killing of Larae Barrett at the Lexington Event Center. Kay-Bee landed the kill shot on Larae Barrett, and after clearing the event center, ran up and yelled in Barrett’s face in a British accent “YA MOMMA’S A HO!”, followed by an eruption of laughter from Beast, Flo, and Kev. After power was restored to Times Square and the WarrenGate Power Plant, and a group of documents were collected from Gordon Amherst’s old apartment concerning a starting point that would eventually lead to antivirals to the Green Poison. An investigation followed as local disruptions intensified, instigated by groups of the Last Man Battalion. The incidents started around the New York City Police Academy and led to the Battle of Grand Central Station.

The Battle of Grand Central Station

Beast’s ISAC system chirps to life: “Patching in to JTF transmission…” as the team of four were moving through the subway tunnels leading to the Grand Central railway station, dispatching the LMB as they appeared. A panicked JTF soldier comes over the radio: “LMB scouts engaging the assault force. We can’t move our ECP until those turrets go down!” Beast shouts “CLEAR! Keep moving! We don’t have any time to lose. We have to reinforce those JTF soldiers.” The agents head down the stairs only to be rocked by a huge explosion “We’re taking heavy fire! The LMB are…SHIT! What the hell was that?! Take cover! Everyone take…” Flo shouts over the gunfire: “See that tunnel? It’s a little unstable but I think we can make it!” The team runs fast and carefully through the tunnel on the verge of collapse, making it to the subway control station. After the team clears the control room, Kev spots the computer controlling the turrets. “I got this guys…one sec.” After Kev’s fingers glide across the keyboard, ISAC chirps “Turrets offline.” Kev nods to the team and Kay-Bee radios to the JTF “Your turrets are down. Move your asses! We’re popping up toward the bottom of the ramp on your ECP. How copy?” The JTF soldier responds “That’s a good copy. We’re waiting for you.” Kay-Bee nods at the team “Right then. Let’s get out of here.”

The team move up a winding staircase and to street level, emerging to an intense firefight between LMB and JTF forces. Beast shouts “Alright guys, this is what we get paid for. Let’s kill these LMB assholes.” The team spreads out and takes cover where they can, bounding and shooting their way up the ramp toward Grand Central Station. When the team gets to level ground in front of the station, ISAC chirps to life and a voice from the JTF speaks up: “Incoming! Incoming! Find cover and dig in. Taking it is nothing unless we can hold it.” The agents form a firing line at the end of the ECP by the station, bracing for the final assault from the LMB. The LMB start appearing, seemingly coming out of nowhere and firing at the agents and the remaining JTF soldiers. Beast shouts, “If you have a shot, take it!” and the team responds, shooting where they see the enemy. “Alert: Intercepting radio transmission” says the ISAC system followed by a voice belonging to a LMB soldier, “Fall back! I repeat fall back! They’re dug in too well. All LMB at Grand Central fall back to Checkpoint Hector Alpha. We’re leaving!” Kev shouts “WOOOOO! We got ‘em! What’s next? Any new orders? I’m fired up y’all! Holy shit!” The team regroups in a half-circle, urging the LMB to share anything they had heard going on. “I heard they pinned down where Bliss was. Have you talked to your people lately?” asks a JTF soldier. Kev radios back to the BoO, “Heard anything about Bliss? What’s going on?” ISAC chirps in reply “He’s holed up at his garrison surrounded by LMB. You can go ahead if you want. We’ll have backup waiting for you.” Kev replies through his comms, “Roger that. We’re headed over there to see what we can do. What’s the status with Chernenko?” The BoO replies “He’s gone. We can’t track him. But we know he’s still alive. We’ll keep you posted.” Kev replies “Roger that. We’ll update you when we get to the General Assembly. Out” The agents bid the JTF farewell, assuring them that reinforcements are on the way as they leave and heading in the direction of the general assembly.

Assault on the LMB General Assembly

(Fall of Bliss and the LMB)

The agents arrive at a JTF rendezvous near the front gates of the LMB’s General Assembly. The agents approach the demolitions team carefully as to not be seen. “Hey guys…we were sent to take the general assembly.” Kev whispers and takes the explosives. “Cheers gents” Kay-Bee nods at the team prepares for the upcoming assault. “There’s an escort waiting to take you guys back to the BoO when you’re ready about a mile down the road. Good luck. See you at home.” The agents start to move toward the gate, preparing to assault the stronghold, taking out the initial group of LMB guarding the gate and turning into a side passage leading them down into a traffic tunnel blocked off by the LMB. “Contact front!” Kay-Bee shouts as the division agents open fire on the LMB in front of them clearing the tunnel and eventually coming to a storage room. Kev chuckles and says “It’s not a dead end if you have explosives. Let’s see what’s on the other side, eh?” Kev plants the explosives and blows a hole in the wall, revealing a crowded parking structure on the other side packed with abandoned cars and more LMB soldiers. The team then moves around the structure and into a sort of makeshift supply area with LMB equipment and vehicles, being assaulted by a wave of LMB soldiers. The team of agents cleared the structure only to be ambushed by one final wave, dispatching the remaining enemies, and moving up the stairs cautiously.

ISAC chirps to life as the agents make it halfway up the staircase “We’re getting shot up pretty bad out here.” Benitez replies “This is taking too long. We need to get those turrets turned around and the main gate open NOW!” Kev seizes the initiative, ensuring his MK46 is fully loaded, prompting the last three agents to follow behind closely. He rushes toward the turrets and reprograms them while the other agents provide security against the endless waves of LMB soldiers closing on his position. The agent completes his task, and the turrets are now turned on the LMB soldiers, the agents rushing toward the front gate, bounding from cover to cover. After the intense skirmish at the front gates and ground was gained, allowing them access to the headquarters building, the agents move through the structure, clearing room after room with speed and ferocity, seeing the end goal in sight. The agents clear the way to the lecture hall containing the LMB’s command center. As the agents download the command data, the final assault of LMB soldiers as a last-ditch effort commences. The agents wiped out the wave of assaulters and their commander with little effort and proceeded to leave the base. As the agents were leaving the building and moving into the courtyard, they noticed a heavily armed attack helicopter hovering overhead. It was Bliss. Benitez came over the comms “Knock that arrogant fuck out of the sky!” The turrets that were reprogrammed earlier were trained on Bliss’s helicopter. The agents got good, covered positions, and started shooting at Bliss’s helicopter while dodging his incoming fire, eventually making bliss lose control and crash into the LMB headquarters building in an exploding ball of flame. Bliss was dead but Keener and Chernenko were still out there. The agents gathered with the nearby JTF soldiers and started heading back to the BoO. Everyone made it safely home. The future was uncertain. The agents sit in a debrief session with Faye Lau, safe in their living quarters. Turning their attention to the city’s Underground and the newly abandoned Dark Zone that was being taken over by the remaining factions within the city. They were also reaching out across what was left of the current special operations communities. Several units received the call. from SEALs to Army Rangers and Special Forces and deployed accordingly, starting to advise their local JTF units and keeping local High Value Targets from taking over. Over the coming months, incursions were made into the Dark Zone and supply drops were arranged for operative cells in New York and other places, such as Washington, D.C., Salt Lake City, Utah, and the desolate countryside of Bolivia.

The biggest event was the mission to retrieve an experimental batch of antiviral medicines from the Dark Zone and bring it back. The team decided to take up the mission once again out of boredom. The team made it to the Dark Zone and retrieved the antivirals resulting in Beast being terribly wounded. Kay-Bee helped him to the extraction site while Flo and Kev provided security. After the team called for extraction out of the Dark Zone, a group of hunters intercepted the team, cutting off Kay-Bee and Beast from Flo and Kev. The pairs were separated, Beast and Kay-Bee taking shelter in a nearby parking structure and Kev and Flo escaping on the extraction helicopter. “We’ll go get help!” Kev yelled from the helicopter and tossed medicine down to Kay-Bee and Beast. “Hang tight!” Flo yelled as the helicopter faded out of sight. When the helicopter arrived at the BoO, Kev and Flo rushed into the operations center. “We have two downed agents out there. We were separated. We gotta go back and get ‘em.” Kev begged, on the verge of tears. The helicopter was sent and arrived on-scene. “Give me 5 minutes…” Flo said as he and Kev fanned out to look for Beast and Kay-Bee. Beast and Kay-Bee were nowhere to be found except for some bloody bandages and discarded medicine cartridges…and a note. “We have decided to move back to the BoO on our own. We’ll see you there. Regards, Kay-Bee. P.S.: keep yo momma’s alley warm for us.” Kev and Flo moved back to the helicopter and lifted off, landing back at the BoO, and reporting their findings to Faye Lau. The team rest in their dormitory, contemplating their actions, their past lives, their possible futures. They Missed Kay-Bee and Beast. Every patrol they did was a chance to find them. Day after day, patrol after patrol, Kev, and Flo along with a handful of JTF looked for Kay-Bee and Beast but never found the two. The green poison isn’t going away. There are still contaminated hotspots around the country and the globe. Patrols alongside JTF as a show of force after Flo and Kev regrettably stopped searching. The establishment of settlements across the city such as Haven, ran by Paul Rhodes. The Underground situation was becoming a non-issue and underground encampments were being set up, places where people felt safe and secure. This was the new normal. The snow was melting. The plants were blooming again. Sounds of kids and parents playing around the post office was a welcoming addition to the everyday monotony of the situation at hand. Three months later, a call came to Faye Lau. “SHD Headquarters New York, this is Nomad. Do you read?” Faye Lau replies “This is Faye Lau, SHD Commander, reading you loud and clear. Go ahead Nomad.” Nomad lays on a hilltop surrounded by Weaver, Holt, and Midas, overlooking a SHD crate. “Hey Lau. You drop some crates in Bolivia?” Lau replies “Yeah. You can have what’s inside if you’re close to it.” Nomad chuckles, replying to Lau on the radio. “You sure you didn’t just ask us for a favor with these crates?” Lau grins “On second thought, I have a couple of agents itching for something to do. Mind if we send ‘em your way?” Nomad replies “Sure. I’ll take ‘em. Make arrangements with our handler, Karen Bowman, and we’ll see what we can come up with.” Lau replies “Roger that. Expect my agents soon. Out.” Nomad looks at his teammates “We’re gonna have some company boys.” Weaver chuckles and replies “Mmm. Fresh meat.”