Zero quietly opened the door to the bar and snaked inside, finding his way to the main tenders area, all eyes seemingly on him.
The most exposed the mans ever been since basic training.
He made it out of the Rainbow base.
But they were coming after him eventually.
He had to stay alert.
The bar itself was quiet.
A couple people were inside, minding their own business and drinking.
They didn't even bat an eye to the door opening and closing, or Zero who walked in.
The bartender turned to him, almost unnervingly, asking, "We don't linger here. Order."
"Didn't know waiting was a crime. You got Jack Daniels?" Zero sat back, one arm on the counter, he wasn't on his game tonight, what with the rainbow team falling apart in mere minutes, being stranded from his main team, and without but a few mags and gear to his name.
"War happens everywhere here...I will not wait for one to order. As each moment could very well be my last." The bartender cleared his throat, his english good considering the country, almost too good.
"Yes, I do. Wait one moment." The bartender slipped into the back of the bar, giving Zero the chance to examine his surroundings.
Zero only briefly examined the people around him, and keeping his keen sense of enemy detection behind him, focusing on hearing more than seeing, for an old man he could sure tell what was behind and in front of him… anyway, he waited patiently, fiddling with the coin he had left, just enough for one shot.
The bartender came back out, with a shot of Jack Daniels.
He gracefully took the coin, giving Zero the change. "What brings you out here?" The bartender asked casually, aiming to get information on why a man with Special Operations gear had come out to this worn bar.
"Nothing you should be knowing about… but if it quenches your curiosity… it's official government business."
Zero took a hard sip of the drink, almost immediately finishing it all.
"Ah yes, government business. Foreign influence coming to my country. Let me guess. Covert? Killing innocent people?"
The bartenders initial casual tone was overtook by a more aggressive persona, indicating inner turmoil of some sort.
"Foreign? We sure are. Killing innocent people? Definitely not."
Zero finished his drink soon after, raising a brow to the bartender and standing up.
"Thanks for the drink. Hard to find something so good around here."
The bartender slipped into the back storage again, not to make or collect a drink but to inform his true calling of Zero's presence.
He went on the old telephone and informed Citadel Security Agency.
As Zero went to the front door, it was shot open, and in came a flashbang.
POP.
First it was loud.
Then Zero couldn't hear anything.
A CSA operator immedietely walked in and threw Zero to the ground, brandishing his knife and stalking, walking towards Zero as the two civilians in the bar made their way to the exit.
The other CSA operative walked in after, shutting off an escape route.
"Don't toy with me…" Zero laid on the ground, muttering to himself, awaiting the CSA operatives next move. As soon as he heard the boot creak near his head, he rolled left, avoiding a stab and immediately taking down the operative, tackling him to the ground and performing a disarm technique, sending the knife across the bar.
Zero was way out of his league here at this point, old, hurt and drunk.
But that didn't stop him from giving the stabbing operative a good fight, wielding a bar stool and throwing it down on the man, then focusing on the other.
The first operative with the knife just managed to block the bar stool with his arms, though disoriented in the process as he fell against the wall. His comrade nailed Zero in the knee with one kick, before flipping the nearby table over, shattering dishes over the floor.
He picked up a shard and stabbed Zero in the arm with it. As he tried to pull his pistol out to finish, it was knocked out of his hand and he was left distracted.
"Not gonna tell me a name? You don't kill and tell?"
Zero disarmed the other operative, ripping a dish from the ground and hurling it over his head, the plate shattering into a billion pieces, as the operative was stunned.
Then, Zero turned his attention to the one on the wall, rushing him down again, this time, shattered bottlw in hand.
Before Zero could do so, a third operative got him in a tight head lock, quickly worsening his airflow. He got Zero onto the floor. The op on the wall quickly rummaged for his pistol, aiming it between Zero's eyes.
Just as this happened, Victor Wolfe walked in, eyeing the scene casually.
"Woah boys, this is the one we wanna keep. We can't kill him yet…we gotta try a little first. Test his faith. You know the drill. Load him up." Victor walked off just as the operator knocked Zero out.
---
0300
Citadel Security Agency Base
---
Voices woke him up.
"This all better be worth it..."
The door shut infront of Zero.
He tried to stand up, but failed due to his fractured body.
His cell was damn near pitch black. His NVG's missing, so he went closer to the bars, trying to get a good look.
A light flickered on, revealing Zero was in a shed of some sort, not a larger building. On the other side of the bars, were two operatives.
"Sir, AG ordered to get the man tied up to the chair. And prepare methods. What methods?" CSA Sergeant Elias Maddox asked Overlord politely. He knew waterboarding was an option.
The CSA operatives were instructed to extract information from Zero on the locations of the missing R6 operatives - Frost, Warden, Caveira, Buck and Pulse.
Elias eyed Zero in the cell.
"AG must be short… last time i waterboarded someone he nearly blew his lid."
Overlord patted Elias on the shoulder, a small tap, awaiting for the cell door to open.
As it slid open, he stepped inside, loud sounds of boots stepping over to Zero.
He then turned to Maddox, not ignoring his previous questions.
"A jerry can full of the coldest water you can find, a rag and a battery. That will be all AG wants me to use."
"Roger that..." Elias slipped out, grabbing supplies needed for the waterboarding effect. Him and another CSA operative walked back into the shed minutes later, coming back to Overlord standing over a beaten Zero who was tied to a chair:
"Sir. Here it is."
The CSA operative got to work and prepared the jerry can, battery and rag, nodding to Kolinski once ready.
"Tell the boss i'm not holding back on this one. We got history." Kolinski immediately dropped the tools to the side, flipping Zero's chair over, stuffing a rag onto his face, pouring the jerry can water slowly, but effectively.
Sam choked on the rag, desperately trying to bite through it, whilst keeping his mouth shut when the water was being poured, it never seemed to stop, and Zero seemed more intent on death than information.
After a few seconds, the CSA operative helped remove the rag, allowing Zero to catch his breath temporarily. He turned to Elias, who began to speak to Zero.
"We were at that base. There were way more than we have accounted for. The brazillian with the face paint...You know where she went?" Elias' voice was steady and determined as he asked about Caveira.
He prepared the jerry can for another go-around.
"Needed a smoke anyway." Overlord stepped out of the cell after them, finding his way outside, lighting his cigarette along the way, but his face was long out of sight for Zero.
"You think she's gonna give you more than i could? Leave the woman out of this, I know a lot more than her."
Zero had a long scowl now, his eyes set on the sergeant, water all over his face and clothes.
"JUST A LOCATION! GIVE IT!" Elias shut his eyes as he threw the rag back on and dumped the jerry can.
"Not over my rotting corpse!" Sam struggled to breathe through the water again. Taking controlled deep breaths whenever he had stopped pouring, as he had now chewed a hole through the rag.
Elias quickly came over, and pulled the rag off of Zero, talking sternly.
"We need you to cooperate. It makes things easier. For everyone. You told us nothing. Make it easy."
"Rgh… your men are brutal. You ever consider asking nicely?"
Zero didn't budge, not one bit, years in various Russian prisons and all sorts of camps made him feel like he was resistant to just about any kind of torture.
Silence replied.
"….. no? Hop on over to the bar you found me, I told her to meet me there before you showed up."
Elias clapped slowly.
"There we go...A location. So we go in the surrounding area, we'll find her? Or something? A sign she's there?"
Elias stood over him with the CSA operative, holding the half empty jerry can in one hand, the rag in another.
"A sign? What do you think she is? A deity?" Zero had a small chuckle to himself, a slight grin. Then quickly looking to the pair of them.
"Could be anywhere, if you're lucky, she might just be arriving."
"Shut up. Youre lucky we're nice...AG on the other hand...I wouldn't bet on you surviving." Elias was going to go in for a punch, but restrained himself, leaving the tied up Zero to the CSA operatives guarding the shed.
He turned to face the door, "I'll talk to the boss. Let him know we have a location."
---
He made his way to Anslo's personal quarters, where Wolfe and Anslo were already discussing.
In the shadows.
"...We already wasted valuable time today, Lieutenant. You made the right call to attack the base. Wrong call to not account for any survivors. Now our enemy is in the wild and we have no location."
Wolfe explained his and Overlord's plan.
"Sir...Kolinski and I...we tried..."
Anslo shook his head, silencing Wolfe.
"It isn't always about you, Victor..."
He interrupted Wolfe again as the man tried to speak.
"We lost a day of tracking our enemy...because you were caught up wasting time ambushing one single enemy at a bar, instead of covering territory and gathering everyone."
As Victor left, Elias entered. "Sir."
He had began to whittle a knife in the darkness of his quarters, not ignoring Elias but not replying either.
"I got information. The brazillian with the face paint...She's in the area around the bar. I broke Zero..."
Still ignored, Elias continued, "I think...I think Zero could be good here...We need the manpower and hes tough as nails. It'll be a long road but we can get him on our side."
Anslo continued to whittle a rock with his knife, now turning to face Elias' direction. "What makes you think he'll work with us so easy?"
"Where else can he go, sir? We practically dismantled their base in one attack...."
Elias' voice, once steady at the shed with Zero and the CSA...now unsteady in the presence of his leader. He now sat down across from Anslo, their faces only lit by a candle nearby.
Anslo set the rock and knife down, leaning forward towards Elias.
"You think we can trust him? Like we trusted the others? We forge him with fire?" Anslo asked, referring to Fenrir and Doc who had already passed their test.
"Yeah...--...Yes sir." Elias replied, slightly less unsteady but still problematic.
"...Good. Fearless men like him...is exactly what we need here. The only problem...his faith must be tested..."
---
Elias ordered the CSA operator out and pulled a chair next to Zero. waking him up with smelling salts. "Wake up."
Sam jolted awake again, this time he didn't move to a defensive position or anything of the sort, instead he gazed directly upon the sergeant, with a gleam in his eyes, one of disappointment, of anger, maybe even disbelief.
"… what do you want?"
Elias began to speak calmly.
"Its time for a decision -- Your team members, people you worked alongside...--For years. Fenrir...Doc...They are already part of our ranks. So now its time to see what you think. Does working as a contractor for us appeal to you? I mean...where else can you go now?" Elias gave Zero an ultimatum, waiting for a response, as he sat across from him in the shed.
In the shed there was just the one door, the cell that Zero was brought out of to get waterboarded, and a window.
"You people disgust me… you beat me half to death and manipulated my teammates. I will only work for you, if you can guarantee the safety of whichever of my comrades you seek, and a constant paycheck on top of that."
Sam wasn't fully broken yet, but he knew playing around as a contractor for his enemy was a better fate than death, he could still make something good out of it yet, patience, and timing was key.
"Aye, Im vouching for you up there to the boss. I just managed to convince him to keep you around...I can definitely make that happen. As long as you work for us...and remain faithful."
His last line was ambigious, but Elias remained truthful through this exchange, wanting Zero part of the team, seeing his fearlessness as an asset to bring CSA manpower up.
"To turn on my teammates is one thing. However, i don't have much choice do i?"
Zero tried to shrug, his hands faithfully reminding him he was still bound and upside down, laying on a chair, on the floor.
"You dont. But trust me. I can help you settle in...and everything...You'll fit right in here."
Elias cautiously began to unbind Zero, eventually getting him off the chair and out of the cell.
Elias was too trusting, but he felt that if Zero tried anything, he could best him in a fight, considering Zero's impaired state.
"Listen, the big boss is on his way to meet you. Just follow my lead and do as he says."
Zero stood up, hobbling himself out of the cell.
At this point, he was leaning on his surroundings more than anything else, his ribs bruised, his entire body matter of fact, even his face looked like it had seen better days.
He shivered, he whined, all of the above, trying to remain warm in the cold, desolate shed.
"Alright, lets--" As Elias reached for the doorknob, he heard a thud on the other side.
Confused, he tried the door, but it wouldn't budge.
Before he could say or do anything, he noticed liquid leaking from underneath the door.
He jumped away, "LOOK OUT!"
The ground was set on fire, and the shed began to burn. He was immedietely wounded by the blast, falling down.
"AGH! SHIT!"
The shed was small, which meant it'd burn quick, but it also meant that exit was easy, as all it took was enough force on the window to break it, and escape. If Zero wanted to prove himself to CSA, this was the time to prove his "brotherhood".
The fire raged.
"For christ sake!" Zero threw a large metal bracket toward the window, which shattered it within seconds, then he grabbed Elias by the hand, ripping him upwards and helping him out of the window.
"WE GOTTA GO!" He coughed manically, nodding gratefully as Zero helped him out of the window first. As he got out, he fell onto the grass, continuing to cough and sputter, trying to collect himself.
As the two got out, they were met outside the catwalk of the base's main building. On the pavement, a dozen CSA mercs stood at attention, mainly lieutenants, higher-ranks, Fenrir, Doc, etc.
Up on the catwalk and stairs, Anslo stood there, watching the fire burn, with Spectre, Overlord, and Wolfe alongside him.
His hands remained behind his back as he watched the shed burn.
Elias walked over and joined the mercs standing at attention, facing Zero who stood alone, facing the group.
He didn't seem too happy about this anymore. He was willing for work, willing to sacrifice some values, but not this.
It was turning more and more personal now, his anger seethed through his teeth.
Anslo stood above the rest of the mercenaries, hands behind his back, observing Zero from the catwalk as the shed collapsed behind the Ex-R6 operator.
Anslo began to speak loudly, garnering the attention of the mercs and Zero himself.
"Forged by fire..."
"Ordained...by God!"
"WELCOME HIM!"
The mercenaries all chanted in unison: "PURITAS PER IGNEM!"
"I would rather Harry…" Zero muttered to himself, nodding to the group. His body oozed water, still barely recovered from the waterboarding and torture.
---
Anslo sat down with Zero at his living quarters. A single bodyguard stood by the door. Anslo studied the man, examined him almost, like he was searching for a deeper emotion just by looking at him.
"You believe in God?"
"He is worshipped by fools." Zero wasn't having none of Anslo's games yet, he's seen worse rise, and horribly fall.
His mentality wasn't gonna break. Not here. His demeanour remained true.
Anslo wasn't phased.
"Mmm. Well, that's a mistake,"
Anslo didn't continue, instead expecting Zero to ask why. Anslo felt in control of the situation, and didn't let Zero's words affect him.
"You want me to ask you why?" Zero played these games before, his mentality had been tested by leaders like Garrick before, multiple times.
He wasn't gonna play the game, but he would test Anslo while he was at it.
"Its cause you're not him." Zero had passed Anslo's test, his training by fire if you will, and Anslo continued to test him, mentally, and badly wanted him to understand.
"I do not believe man can become a god. Is there some kind of point you're trying to reach?" Zero leaned forward.
"You think that shed collapsing was the end of the tests? Listen, Zero...I want you to...Understand. Understand why we do what we do..."
Anslo grabbed a pack of cigs and lit one, handing the other to Zero.
"Most of us...Not all of us, but majority of our group met in Death Valley. Thats what Command coined the border between Zaire and Angola. We were British Special Forces originally. Fought for our country...carried our dead brothers off the field. Carried so many, we lost count after a while. See, we might've been doing the dirty work, but those people in chain of command...They didn't care about us. They cared about what we were doing. What we accomplished. Never what we lost in the process. See, they always talked about God, but they didn't know him like we did. They never saw His face. We saw God everywhere. He was the blood and the horror...and the death. He was telling us where to go. Didn't have much to hold onto those days, but Him. And eachother."
Zero refused the smoke.
"God has long since abandoned you - if you believe any of this… is his will." He sat back in the chair, almost as though he were bored by the monologue before him. Though he did listen, scanning for anything to use against his new employer - and potentially future enemy.
Anslo motioned with his hands as he continued to speak, "If thats what you believe..." Anslo scoffed, exhaling smoke as he continued. "...Eventually our group got sent behind enemy lines. Doing the real dirty work. Covert type. But this… Oh, the things we did. All that death, day after day after day… After a while, I started to feel like you--"
Anslo began to look around frantically.
--Wondering...Wondering where God was. Until He showed his face again. See, chain of command, sent us into a town. Under ZLF Occupation. To intercept a convoy carrying munitions for their war effort. We hid in a church. But they didn't inform us that they were planning to fire bomb the entire territory. The bombs came thick and fast. It did not stop, and we holed up there as everything. and I mean everything burned around us. When the fires finally died down, I looked at my people… I could not believe it. Not a trace of blood. No burn marks. Not even a scratch. And that's when I knew. I knew we were the Chosen Ones."
Anslo then compared it to what Zero endured tonight.
"God chose you tonight. You came out of that fire...No scratch, no burns...no blood. Nothing. I mean, you came out of that fire alive and whole."
Zero growled in anger, seething at the teeth towards Anslo.
"You suffered a great deal. That much i understand. You need to stop and consider what's really happening here though. You survived certain death, but your mind didn't. You're rotting from the core, putting these men, these people as close as humanly possible is not initiating them into any cause - it's nearly just slaughter with a false purpose… maybe even, with a false father."
Zero knew his words would cut deep, but he wasn't playing any favourites here, he was strictly here with transactional reasoning. His team was secure, and so was he - or so he thought.
"Mm -- I don't think you understand what just happened...In that fire...saving Elias, getting him out first, that was God at work. He made you into one of us. Yet even after, I stop to wonder...Why am I keeping you around? You think Im making the right call -- Bringing you into the fold?"
Anslo stopped smoking and poured a glass of whiskey for himself, not offering Zero this time as Zero had already rejected the smoke.
"This fold isn't for me… i told your men this time and time again, you ambushed me and tried to kill me. You proclaim that God did this, but God wouldn't put me and Elias in that fire." Zero sat back, his will was slipping, but he wasn't breaking, he instead was trying to get Anslo to kick him out or do something… anything.
"See, you remind me of my old dog Max. He was a bloodhound. Found him on the side of the road. He was starving, pretty much dead already. The thing with these rescues like Max, they don't trust easy. Sometimes I'd reach for Max and he'd give me this look. " He motioned towards Zero. "That look...like he couldn't decide whether to lick my hand, or bite it off."
Anslo chuckled, motioning towards Zero.
Zero replied, "Well, I wasn't planning on licking your hand." He chuckled too, expecting something even worse from Anslo's mouth.
The anticipation building up in seconds, AG was a man of very little predicability, what he could say next or do next was hard to tell.
He laughed. "Fair enough. Sometimes he licked my hand. However...I wouldn't advise you to bite my hand. Max did..."
Anslo stood up and began walking over to Zero.
...Hurt like hell having to strangle that dog."
He then walked back, picking up the whiskey bottle and closing the lid on it.
"Your threats of violence are… duly noted, sir." Zero stood up, his eyes met Anslo's, the violent tension cut through the air, resting above the both of them. His face tensed a little, eyes narrowing. "…Is that all?"
He patted Zero's back as he walked to the exit. "You'll fit right in here. God has chosen you for a reason." He chuckled as he patted Zero's shoulder hard, making Zero stumble, and left.
Zero looked around as Anslo exited the quarters.
This was life now.