Chapter CV: Breaking the Spirits of Madmen

 The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. A reminder of the failures of humanity, and a monolithic fortress for those who seek to defend Zone from outside influences. Its walls stand strong to this day, and even if the tooth of decay has struck its venerable towers and black reactor blocks, there is nothing quite as strikingly aweinspiring as it in the Zone. But for Redemption, it was not a miraculous sight. It was a nut to be cracked, a outpost to be cleared. Boris led them to the battle, dividing his forces into three. He would lead the heavy assault, while Dima would take charge of the skirmishers. Vityukha would lead the support unit with Tooth and the newcomers.

The heavy assault team passed the gate to the plant first. Sin troopers on the walls of the facility opened fire, but the distance made it ineffective and widely inaccurate. There was a small ditch nearby, and Boris ordered Mark to make it his sniper's nest. Mark rushed in while the heavies fired at the plant, equally ineffectively. Once in position, the vengeful sniper begun to pour shot after shot towards the three Sin marksmen. Some went wide, some sent the concrete flying, but enough 5.56 millimetre bullets found to their targets to absolutely decimate the Sinners. A lone survivor retreated back, only to be caught in an electric anomaly and fried.

• No further enemies in sight!, Sanyok yelled, having observed the walls while the rest of his squad kept firing.

• Good. Support and skirmishers, move in. Mark, join the latter, Boris said and crouched down to observe his map while Dima and Sanyok joined him.

• Here's the deal. There's a lot of ground to cover, and excellent spots for snipers to occupy. For example, this bridge here. So I think we should go around the hill with those domes, that way we can strike the enemy from the rear, the Redemption leader explained.

• Aye, that place is perfect for an ambush, but if we can instead ambush the ambushers, that'd be perfect, Dima replied.

• So the support group stays back and distracts, while me and the boys strike through first and then let Dima and his guys go to town on the Sinner snipers. Got it?, Boris asked, and got nods in return.

• Let's go then, I can already feel the rads creeping through my suit, Boris ordered, and the proper mission kicked off.

There was two helicopters near a hill with a series of domed structures. The weather was working to their advantage, as thick grey fog was settling down, limiting visibility. It masked the large force from the Monolith and Sin marksmen well, and soon a pair of large Mi-26 helicopters appeared from the fog. They had probably stood there ever since the 1986 disaster, where such things played a key role. Now, these ancient machines served as a improvised defensive positions for a Sin squad, who had heard the earlier firefight. Moving in a line formation, they slowly advanced in the fog. Boris, Orlov, Sanyok, Micha and Anton took positions behind pillars, and on their leaders' mark, leaned out and opened fire.

The Sin squad, to their credit, spread out and took firing positions, but two of their ranks fell to the accurate first salvo. One of them, a man in a trenchcoat and Volos flack jacket under it, opened fire with a heavy rifle. Two of the shots struck the pillar Boris was hiding behind, and it visibly shook from the impact. Boris shuddered, a round from that thing could be lethal to his heavy squad. He leaned out very slightly and fired a quick burst, getting back to cover when yet another big bullet flew past him. Orlov took his chance, but the other Sinners reacted to him quickly and shot him in the arm. He yelped and crouched down, holding it.

However, the fog had allowed Dima's skirmishers to flank the enemy, and with the Sin squad distracted, they got completely surprised by Dima, Leva, Stepukha, Toha and Mark rushing at their side with guns blazing. Toha's SV-98 hit the heavily armed Sinner to the back of his head, splintering the man's skull. Only one zealot managed to react, but Stepukha's Ppsh burped out lead at such incredible rate that by the time the dark stalker's gun was up, he had been hit by at least twelve rounds. He managed to stand for a second longer, looking down at the trickling bloodflow, before collapsing.

• Molodets, Dima was useful for once! Now, let's keep the pressure on, strike them while the iron is hot, Boris ordered and used his exoskeleton to power him into a fast sprint.

• Useful for once, blyat, Dima muttered to himself and followed, leading his squad behind the hulking battlesuits of Boris' group.

Tooth led the squad of rookie Redeemed on another spot, their main mission would be to act as distraction. The building they were aiming for was a large, blocky factory-like one, and on its roof was a properly fortified position. Filled with crates and wooden boxes, the snipers also had camo nets placed on strategic positions. There was also plenty of open ground between closest cover and the ladder which could lead up there. Tooth spread out his men into cover, and ordered them to only take quick bursts, simply to keep the enemy occupied. Soon enough the Monolith squad up there was crouching behind cover to avoid the hail of gunfire coming up there, taking potshots here and there. Polymer was the only one not using the grey blocky buildings for cover, instead he was trying to get a fireline on the enemies using the "liberated" PTRS rifle while laying down.

Meanwhile Boris and Dima led their men up the hill, closing in on the domed structures. They circled around a reddish-hued brick factory, descending the hill under a broken raised walkway. Boris wondered what could've brought such a large structure to such state of disrepair, and whether the damage was from 2011 or earlier. Either way, here they were again, breaking into the most forbidden area of the Zone, with only their wits, guts and steel to help them. His thoughts were cut off when they heard an odd sound, like neighing of a horse. Dima looked at Boris and raised his eyebrow, Boris shrugged back.

• The hell? Monolith has cavalry now?, Leva whispered, making Toha scoff.

The remarks were cut off when a jet-black creature sprung from the fog towards them at blistering speeds. The attacking beast struck Anton and caused him to fall down, while passing Orlov at mere inches distance. It came so fast that only Mark had reflexes fast enough to pump rounds into it, and he did, but the small magazine capacity of his SVDS PMC meant that he only wounded the thing. Cursing, Dima pulled out his KS shotgun and blasted the mutant, hitting it in the head. The sheer ballistic strength of the massive gun almost ripped the abominations head off, making it veer to the side dangerously. Only as it slowed down due to heavy damage did Boris realize that it was indeed a mutated, massively muscular horse.

Before the horse mutant could recover, Leva pumped his rifle magazine into it, ending it on the spot. Boris raised his helmet screen and wiped his forehead. That had been close. Far too close for comfort. He checked on Anton, but the fact that the free stalker was getting up on his own was a good sign. No signs on his suit of bleeding either.

• What the hell was that?, Toha exclaimed, kicking the corpse of the mutant.

• A tark. I've seen a few during my years, they're really rare. Or at least used to be. Freedom tried to use them as mounts, no not like that you fucking degenerate, but Duty exterminated most of the tark population out of spite. They've become a lot more hostile now, Mark explained while looking angrily at Orlov who was furiously trying to hold back a Freedom joke.

• I agree with Mark, Orlov keep your mouth shut for once. Still, mutant cavalry, there's an idea... Well anyway, now that the thing is dead, let's move on, Boris said and Orlov frowned but wasn't clearly annoyed.

• Hey, it's in our contract to make childish jokes about Freedom, they'd have such a thing too if they believed that contracts weren't a sign of capitalist aggression, Orlov protested, but everyone was already moving on.

• Remind me again why we drag a Dutyer around?, Dima asked sarcastically.

• To actually, for once, for them participate into the triumphant march towards saving the planet, and also to show them that there is life outside of Rostok, Boris joked and the squad laughed.

They crested the hill, coming to a mirror image of the other side, but this there was a lower building connecting with the one Monolith had fortified. There was no ladder leading to the roof of either building, but a single Monolith guard patrolled the higher roof. Toha said that he could take the man out, and Boris gave him the go-ahead. The lone Redeemed climbed on top of the nearest dome, checking his Geiger counter carefully and keeping an eye on the patrolling fanatic. When the lone rifleman turned around, Toha got up slightly, raised his trusty SV-98, focused the scope on the enemy's back and pulled the trigger. The muzzle flash and gunshot could have given them off had Tooth's squad not been peppering the building. Now, only the Monolithian guard noticed anything, and that thing was immense pain seconds before life left him. Toha's bullet had struck true.

They quickly got to the wall of the square concrete block, and with the help of Boris and Micha, Dima was raised up. Mark went next, and then Leva. Finally, Toha and Stepukha were lifted up. While they got up, Micha set up his DP on one of the domes to cover an exit if one was required. Boris did not feel too good to not take part in the attack there, but he trusted that Dima and Mark would see it through. While they cleared the snipers, Boris' squad advanced without Micha to take over the entrance to Generators.

Dima took lead on top of the sniper nest. They climbed another ladder, checked that the Monolith guard was truly dead and moved to the wall to stay hidden from the occupants of the bridge. Tooth's men kept spraying and praying at the boxes and other covers on top of the building, and this could potentially be dangerous. Dima spoke to the trader through radio, ordering him to shift the fire towards the bridge.

• Affirmative, clean house then!, came an enthusiastic reply. The old ex-bandit was clearly having a blast.

• Dima rounded the corner, seeing the backs of the Monolith troops now turned to him. Their long and powerful rifles were turned away from him, and he waited for Leva and Mark to join him. While the suppressors would not make the rifles of the other two stalkers quiet, they would probably help avoid notice from the other snipers. Dima silently nodded to the other two to choose targets, and with everyone lined up, three almost simultaneous muzzle flashes erupted amidst the fog. Three snipers similarly fell down, as if some otherworldly puppeteer had cut their lines.

One of the bodies slipped over the edge and plummeted down, hitting the asphalt with a wet splat-sound. Dima cringed, the bridge snipers must have seen that. He charged in, the element of surprise held still, and opened fire.

• Stepukha, Toha, let it rip, fuck those sukas on the bridge up! Tooth, same order!, he shouted into the radio.

• Roger roger, Toha replied, and a loud shot followed by long burst came from behind Dima, yet again followed by a wail of agony as a Sinner got hit on the bridge.

Dima did not even register these. All he knew that Mark and Leva were right behind him, and the fanatics right in front. Two fell down in rapid succession, hit by Leva's Molot rifle and by Dima's Val. One tried to fight back, firing a burst in desperation, but it flew wide. Despite the Monolith steel nerves, they had been caught with their pants down. Mark returned fire from behind a crate, hitting the Monolith's chest. The bullet seemed like it did not penetrate, but the sheer impact of the hit sent the zealot staggering back. Over the building edge. The follower of C-Conciousness fired wildly as he fell, breaking his bones on the hard ground.

• I think we got them all..., Dima said triumphantly.

He was cut off as a Sinner in heavy suit jumped down from the very top of the building, trying to impale the Redemption commander on his knife. Dima managed to dodge just in the nick of time, and the hit went wide. The Sinner, clearly one of the Castigators, opened fire, missing Dima by mere millimetres. Mark and Leva tried to help and opened up on the Sinner, but the suit he was wearing was even heavier than an exoskeleton. It was a Frankenstein's monster of an armour, stitched together from various parts and up-armoured with large and bulky plates. Dima avoided yet another burst, but it was getting tight on the roof, the area was very cramped.

• Dima! Get the bastard on open, I have a nasty surprise for him!, came a voice from the radio.

Dima gritted his teeth and made another streak across open ground when the massive Sin leader reloaded. He needed to agitate the Sinner into chasing him, as now the man was hidden behind metal crates and sandbags. The Val seemed pitiful against the plates, barely making dents on it. Time to use my best asset, Dima thought to himself and peeked out to shout at the cultist. He needed to be as annoying as possible to draw the hulking man-beast out.

• Shame Orlov stayed back, I could've used him to read Duty's manifesto, that would rile up a Zone-lover like that guy... Although..., Dima thinked to himself out loud.

• Hey big bastard! Guess what? This ain't my first time here, me and Boris came here with your best pal Strelok just to do one thing!, he shouted, catching the attention of the Castigator, now firing at Leva's hiding place.

• Shut up and die infidel! I have no time for your childish shouting contests, the Sin-priest replied, firing a burst towards Dima.

• Oh but you're gonna want to hear this! So we attacked the Sarcophagus once, as a sort of joke, and got in, slaughtered those rockboy friends of yours and decided to visit the Wish Granter!

• I told you to die! Do not defame the holy manifestation of Vyraj's Will!

• So anyway, we go up there and what do we find? A talking rock! It promised us all sorts of things, like infinite money and so on, but I just wanted one thing! Can you guess what it was?, Dima shouted, while bullets still struck the area around him.

• Shut the fuck up or I come there and do it myself, the Sinner shouted back, still trying to avoid Mark's accurate but largely ineffective fire.

• So I really needed to piss. All that vodka we got off the Monolith corpses was making me feel the pressure, and well, one thing led to another. Next time you visit the rock, you now know why it has these stains on it!

• You did what? You heretic! I will gut you myself!, the Castigator screamed in rage and rushed towards Dima, who suddenly felt very small.

A thundering roar of a anti-tank rifle echoed throughout the CNPP, and the Castigator shook as if he had been hit by a bolt of lightning. Polymer looked through the ironsights once more as the muzzle flash and smoke had dissipated, and saw the heavy Sinner slowly crumble to the ground. Dima let out a sigh of relief. He had never been this tense. If Polymer had missed, he'd be wormfood. He lowered his rifle, now empty of bullets, and looked around. Leva was patching his shoulder up but grinning, and even the normally taciturn Mark gave Dima a thumbs up.

• Brothers, the road to the Generators is clear, came Boris' voice from the radio, sounding winded and exhausted.

• The bridge is clear too. The Sinners are on the run, I got three and Stepukha nailed one. They got spanked like never before, those cowards seem to be fleeing, Toha commented too.

• And one of the Castigator is down. Thanks to my insults and Polymer's shooting, Dima answered into the radio.

• Great. Dima, get your squad to the gate. Tooth, take over the sniper's nest, it shall be ours now for the time being. Vityukha and Polymer to the gate as well. Keep an eye on the fanatics though, they never run from fear, I smell a ruse, Boris ordered.

Dima stayed up there for a few more seconds. For a second he had accepted that he was going to die. And he had felt like for once, it would be a meaningful death. The carnage around him was for a cause. To stop madmen. Dima looked up the power plant, gazing at its mighty walls.

• A mistake happened here. Twice. I do not know if we'll ever reverse the last one, but I will make bloody sure that no more happen as long as I live, he murmured before gathering his squad and joining his friends at the gate. The former mercenary was not the man he had been a year ago. Redemption had changed him, and now he would help change the Zone for the better or die trying.