The Mantis APC rolled to a stop, its motors humming softly before shutting down. Zoey stretched her arms, wincing as the bandages on her side pulled tight. Etrius was already gathering his gear, eyes scanning the desolate surroundings. His plasma sword was clipped to his belt, and his massive .50cal M1911 holstered at his side.
“Looks deserted,” Etrius muttered, his deep voice breaking the silence.
“For now,” Zoey replied, stepping down from the APC, her boots crunching on the gravel. She looked around with a practiced eye, her tail flicking lazily behind her. "But places like this always have a way of hiding surprises.”
They made their way through the old gates and into the yard, where rows of vehicles sat under tarps and layers of grime. The first thing they noticed were the older models of the Mantis. Zoey's eyes lit up with interest, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.
"Look at these beauties," Zoey said, running a hand along the hull of one of the APCs. "Haven't seen one of these up close. I've seen pictures on the Extranet. I remember when I got mine. These are older models, but still solid."
Etrius raised an eyebrow, glancing at the rows of vehicles. “Good to know we’re not the only ones with taste in overbuilt military hardware.”
Zoey chuckled and kept walking, her eyes scanning the yard for anything that stood out. The two of them moved deeper into the base, coming across several smaller armored vehicles, some intact, others looking like they'd seen better days. Fighter jets were parked haphazardly in one corner, their sleek forms marred only by the thick layers of dust that coated them.
“These APCs look practically untouched,” Etrius observed, wiping dust from the windshield of one. “We could use the parts to fix up the Mantis’s damaged systems. Assuming we get power back up, anyway.”
Zoey glanced at him. “Then let’s see what the office buildings hold, probably where the generators are.”
They found their way into the central office building after forcing open a pair of heavy steel doors. The building was eerily quiet, the air stale and heavy with disuse. Zoey’s boots echoed against the tile floors as they moved through the hallways, flashlights cutting through the dim light. Old posters lined the walls, promoting wartime efforts and discipline, relics of an age long gone.
Eventually, they reached the generator room in the far back, finding it exactly as Zoey had suspected: dusty, cobwebbed, and lifeless. The backup generators were there, but without a working battery to kickstart them, they were as good as dead.
“Think your Mantis has enough juice to give them a nudge?” Etrius asked, examining the panel. His green eyes flicked over the schematics, taking mental notes.
“Worth a shot,” Zoey shrugged. “Give me a few minutes.”
She headed back outside, leaving Etrius to familiarize himself with the system. A short while later, she returned with a power cable hooked up to the Mantis. As she connected it to the generator, the machines sputtered to life, coughing as if waking from a long, deep sleep. The hum of power slowly filled the room.
“There we go,” Zoey said with satisfaction. “Old tech’s still got some life left.”
Etrius immediately got to work, his cybernetic fingers tapping quickly across the control panel. Within moments, the lights flickered on, one by one, illuminating the building in a dim, flickering glow.
“Let’s see what secrets this place is hiding,” he said.
As Etrius delved deeper into the files and data banks, Zoey decided to explore the basement. She headed down the narrow, dimly lit staircase, her instincts telling her there was more to this place than just old vehicles and fighter jets.
When she reached the bottom, she found herself in what appeared to be an armory. Crates of ammunition were stacked high, some sealed, some broken open. Zoey’s eyes immediately locked onto the familiar markings of 20mm Vulcan rounds—perfect for her custom PTRS-41 anti-material rifle.
“Jackpot,” Zoey muttered to herself, hefting a box of the rounds over her shoulder. She grinned as she spotted another stack of 14.5mm rounds for the Mantis’s turret. The place was practically a goldmine.
But what really caught her eye were the weapons laid out on racks along the far wall. They weren’t the typical military rifles she was used to seeing—no M4s, M16s, or SCAR variants. These were something else entirely. Sleek, advanced, and deadly. The name “Rexor Arms” was stamped into the metal of each rifle.
Zoey picked up one of the rifles, weighing it in her hands. It was lighter than it looked, with a futuristic design that practically screamed high-tech precision. She recognized it from descriptions but had never seen one in person. Rexor Arms had a reputation for making top-tier weapons.
“Well, well,” Zoey mused, running a hand along the barrel. “Looks like we’ve got some new toys to play with.”
She slung one of the rifles over her shoulder, grabbing a few more for good measure before heading back upstairs. Etrius was still working on the computers, his focus intense, though he glanced up as Zoey approached.
“Find anything good?” he asked, his voice casual but with a hint of curiosity.
“Found enough ammo to last us a lifetime,” Zoey said, dropping the crate of Vulcan rounds at her feet. “And check these out.” She unslung one of the Rexor rifles and held it out for Etrius to see.
He raised an eyebrow, taking the rifle from her and examining it closely. “Rexor Arms… Haven’t seen one of these since the war. These are rare. High-end.”
“I know,” Zoey replied with a grin. “Figured you’d appreciate them.”
Etrius nodded, handing the rifle back. “Nice find. We’ll make good use of these.”
Zoey set the rifle down, leaning against the wall as Etrius continued to sift through the files. “Anything interesting on the system?”
“Mostly old reports and inventory logs,” Etrius said. “But there’s something… strange. There are logs of activity here that date back only a decade or so. Someone had been using this place for a long time.”
Zoey frowned, her tail twitching. “So it’s not as dead as we thought.”
“Exactly,” Etrius replied, turning off the monitor. “We’ll need to be on guard. Whoever was here before might come back now that we've kicked up some dust.”
Zoey cracked her knuckles, a familiar glint in her eyes. “Let ‘em try. We’ve got enough firepower now to hold off an army.”
Etrius gave a small, approving nod. “Let’s load up and get ready. This place might not be as empty as it looks.”
Etrius joined Zoey in the dimly lit basement, moving with a steady, deliberate pace. His tall, muscular frame filled the narrow hallway, the flicker of the overhead lights casting his long shadow against the walls. Zoey was already busy, pulling heavy crates from the shelves, her prehensile tail helping balance the load. She worked methodically, her enhanced strength making the task look effortless.
“Need a hand?” Etrius asked, eyeing the stack of ammunition and weapons Zoey had already assembled.
Zoey glanced over her shoulder, her black hair catching the light. “Sure, grab those boxes of KPV rounds. I’m thinking a few thousand rounds should hold us over for a while.”
Etrius nodded, kneeling down to grab the ammunition crates. He hefted two of them easily, their weight barely registering against his cybernetic arms. Zoey smirked as she watched him, always amused by how effortlessly he moved despite his size and bulk. She slung a few more rifles over her shoulder, picking out some of the Rexor Arms models they’d found earlier.
“These Rexor guns are something else,” Zoey said, her voice muffled slightly as she adjusted the rifles. “We’re gonna have some fun testing these out.”
Etrius chuckled, packing more magazines and ammo into his large, military-style backpack. “Yeah, but let’s hope we don’t have to use them too soon. I’m not looking for a fight… yet.”
Zoey snorted. “Speak for yourself. I’m always looking for a reason.”
Etrius shook his head, but the small smile on his face told Zoey he didn’t entirely disagree. They made their way back upstairs, arms full of weapons and ammo. As they stepped out into the fading sunlight, the air had grown cooler, and the sky had shifted to deep orange, night creeping in.
“I’m gonna let the automated program run while we finish up,” Etrius said, looking back toward the office building. “Should decrypt the rest of the data by morning, but if it hits any snags, I’ll deal with it then.”
Zoey nodded, her attention already shifting back to the Mantis. “You get to play with your fancy computers, and I get to load up our new toys. Sounds fair.”
They walked together to the Mantis, the hulking machine standing proudly where they had parked it earlier. Zoey opened up the inside compartments, weapon lockers, and storage bins, starting to load the crates of ammo and weapons into the available spaces. Her movements were quick, efficient, the metallic clink of boxes and rifles filling the air as she secured their haul.
“This is convenient as hell,” Zoey said with a smirk. “Almost like someone left all this stuff here just for us.”
“Or it’s a trap,” Etrius said, his voice serious but with a glint of dry humor. “Wouldn’t be the first time we’ve walked into one.”
Zoey shrugged, unfazed. “If it’s a trap, I say we spring it. With this loadout, we can handle whatever comes at us.”
Etrius watched her for a moment before nodding. “You’re probably right. But we stay alert. Something about all this still feels off. And you know what, I'm gonna put on my old gear.”
Zoey finished loading the last crate and slammed the storage door shut. “I always love seeing you in different outfits. You always wear the same shit.”
Etrius took a few moments to strip, his heavy, muscular body in full view for Zoey to see. She licked her lips as she stared at his crotch, but remembered this was not the time nor the place for such activities.
Zoey watched as Etrius put on the heavy, black, fireproof pants and jacket that Etrius had sewn together himself decades ago. And with one switft swooping motion, the black cloak and hood that effortlessly concealed his form was in place, secured snugly to his plate carrier.
"God damn, you look so hot and mysterious in that." Zoey said.
"Thanks. It's very heavy and very hot. I don't sweat so it's not an issue but it's uncomfortable in a hot environment like a desert. It was meant for the cold of Russia, and you know that," Etrius replied as he finished putting down a big box of ammo.
Once the gear was stowed, they split up. Etrius returned to the office, his long strides carrying him back inside to continue decrypting the computer systems. He glanced at the automated program on the screen, making sure everything was progressing smoothly. The code scrolled rapidly, data pouring in as the system worked through the encryption. He settled in for the long process, his mind already thinking of what secrets the base might be hiding.
Meanwhile, Zoey made her way back to the rows of older Mantis APCs. Her boots crunched on the gravel as she moved, her eyes scanning the vehicles with a critical eye. Many of them had armor panels still intact—exactly what she needed to repair the damage on her own Mantis.
She hopped up onto one of the older models, prying open the hatch and slipping inside. The interior lights flickered weakly, casting a pale glow over the cockpit. It smelled stale, like old diesel and long-forgotten machinery, but the controls were still somewhat operational. She powered on the console, but the hybrid battery systems were completely drained. The engine was dead, and the diesel fuel had likely gone bad years ago.
“Figures,” Zoey muttered, tapping the dashboard. “Still, these armor panels could come in handy.”
She climbed out of the APC and continued inspecting the others, finding similar results. Most of them were unlocked, with minimal power to their interiors, but none were operational. The hybrid systems were all dead, and without fresh fuel, they weren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Still, they were a treasure trove of parts, especially the undamaged armor.
Her eyes drifted toward the tanks parked nearby. One of the smaller tanks, a rugged and sleek model, caught her attention. Zoey approached it, running a hand along its hull, thinking. If she could fuel it, maybe rig the systems a bit, she could likely tow it with the Mantis. Her Mantis had nearly unlimited electricity thanks to the alien power cores she had rigged up, giving her a distinct advantage when it came to endurance.
“Wouldn’t be too hard to drag this thing around,” she mused to herself, an idea forming in the back of her mind. She kept the thought to herself for now, planning to investigate further when she had more time. For now, there were more pressing matters.
As night began to fall, the air grew colder, and the shadows lengthened across the yard. Zoey headed back toward the office building, the dim lights of the base casting long, eerie beams through the windows. She found Etrius sitting in front of the computer, his fingers flying over the keyboard, his eyes locked on the screen.
“Any luck?” Zoey asked, leaning against the doorway.
Etrius didn’t look up, his focus intense. “Making progress. This place has a lot of encrypted files, but I’m getting through it. There’s something big here. Place was called OH117.”
Zoey raised an eyebrow, stepping into the room. “Like what? There's always secret shit in these places.”
“Still working that out,” Etrius replied. “But whatever it is, it’s hidden deep in the system. Probably military projects, maybe even black ops. Keep in mind, we go straight for the high end mil sites. Of course there's always shit here. First the weapons facility we caught this bug at, then Manhattan, and now this shit in the middle of what used to be Ohio.”
Zoey crossed her arms, watching the data scroll across the screen. “Sounds like we’re sitting on a potential goldmine.”
“Or a hornet’s nest,” Etrius said with a faint smirk.
Zoey grinned, her fangs glinting in the dim light. “Either way, we’re ready for it.”
Etrius leaned back in the chair, his large frame seeming almost too big for the small office space. “Let’s hope so. Whatever we find, it might change the whole game.”
Zoey’s tail flicked behind her as she thought about the possibilities. “Well, if there’s a game to be played, I’m all in,” she said as she strode out the front door.
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