Alex – Heart Of The Vanguard

Waking up following morning to the usual 'Wake Up' flashing message in my head, I felt surprisingly refreshed, even if now my male side of my brain had only just caught up with last night, making me feel partially disgusted at my actions. The worst thing though is that even though I felt refreshed... I still felt like I needed more... Self attention... the warmth from my groin begging for it. I refrained though, I needed to get myself under control, once was enough. I don't even know why I suddenly felt so bad that I had to give in last night. I proceeded to breakfast, joining D42 and D12 who were already sitting. I took my seat next to '12, who looked over, her eyes widened at the sight of me and launched herself into a hug with me,

D12: "Oh my god! Where were you yesterday?! We were so worried!"

D42: "Where's Sam?"

Me: "I'm fine... me and Sam... had an accident..." '12 pulled away quickly, eyes still wide,

D12: "Did you...?" she suggested.

Me: "Huh... oh no, no no... we tried messing with the device on my back... didn't end too well for either of us, but especially Sam, because of me, he's hurt quite bad."

D42: "Really?! Is he be ok?!"

Me: "I think so... they told me he had terrible burns on his hand and a concussion, I guess they're still treating him..." I trailed off. '12 rubbed my shoulder in comfort. "...Anyway... I want to talk about something else, I feel bad enough as it is. What did I miss yesterday?"

D42: "Well, you know the scenarios we ran the day before? Well yesterday we had to run it again, but this time we had to identify every type of defence for ourselves that we were told about the first time around."

D12: "Then in the afternoon, it was more disarming those defences."

Me: "So probably would have helped if I didn't miss the afternoon at least then eh?" '12 grimaced, which only told me that my suspicion was probably correct. We ate in silence, not that again I ate much, I had another hunger, which I had to admit was getting rather irritating. Again the claxon sounded before I had finished so we made our way through the tunnels again arriving at the scenario halls and again, told to enter. I was faced with the same forest I experienced the first time.

Skiff: "We will now increase the difficulty of the scenarios. All weapons are now paint balls and are armed. This challenge is not like Scenario 3, Due to the size of the of this test, one shot and reset would be unachievable at your current level. You will start with 250 hit points, each round you take is minus 1 hit point, Sniper shots are minus 25, claymores, grenades and rockets that are counted as splash damage and are minus 50 points, direct hits from mines or rockets are minus 100 points. Lose all 250 points and you have failed, resulting in disciplinary measures. Your objective is to enter the facility and reclaim a stolen artefact. WARNING: There are live personnel in these scenarios who are employees of this facility, you may disarm ONLY, any injuries they sustain through acctions of yourself will result in disciplinary measures." Dr Skiff announced as I stepped up to the start line.

'Oh fuck... really throwing me in the deep end on this one.'

I started walking forwards but didn't get far until I heard a buzzing whirring noise, coming through the trees were 2 drones, aiming straight for me, and they started firing paint balls at me! I darted to one side as the rounds peppered the ground where I had stood and leapt up a tree, snapping a branch off and throwing it at a drone. My throw made contact, smashed the drone and crashed landed on the floor, which also caught a mine, paint exploded up and covered the surrounding trees. I took a couple of hits to my right shoulder as the other drone circled close around me, so I swiped my tail at it, smacking it from from the air but lost my balance in the tree and fell a good 12 feet, hard to the floor, landing on my side.

I groaned in pain as I pulled myself up and looked around. It was quiet now, but I remembered Skiff's instruction from the first day about mines, trip wires and claymores and seeing the mess the last mine had made, I painfully climbed my way back up the nearby tree I just fell out of. I leapt from tree to tree, granted not as nicely as I had done on the first day after my fall just now, but I still just managed alright. I landed in a tree and a rushing air sound whistle past, very close to my right ear, I ducked behind the tree trunk just as I heard another round hit the opposite side of the trunk to me with a *snap*. My options were limited, I had no where really to go, I had no choice. I hyped myself up, rounded the trunk and bounded through the tree branches, darting this way and that, paint ball rounds whizzing past me. I took a hit to the snout, which stung so bad it threw me off, I missed a branch and fell.

I more or less caught my feet as I landed on the floor but still stumbled. I quickly pulled myself up and started moving forward again as rounds started hitting the floor near me, climbing the nearest tree and making progress again, I spotted my sniper, a soldier lying on a platform in a tree. So I did something I don't think he quite accounted for.

In the next tree I stopped, hid behind the trunk, shimmied my way down it into some shrubs below that ran along the scenario wall. It took some time but I crawled ever so slowly, got closer and closer to their tree, almost making a mistake, gasping and hold my breath and remained completely still as I did... my hand was hovering over a button on the floor. I pulled my hand back and gently dug a larger circumference around the button revealing a trip mine. 'I could make this work for me...' I carefully removed it from the ground and carried it with me, very gently and made it to the tree in question. Placing it below the perch on the floor, I yanked a vine that was dangling from the tree, made a lasso on one end and tying the other end to my diamond tipped tail and made my slow and quiet climb up. I crept around behind the perch, laying the lasso on the branch behind me and sneaked up behind the man lying prone on the platform with the sniper. I heard a voice and a rustle from above and behind me as the sniper still looked out ahead through his scope...

Spotter: "Stupid thing is, clearly she doesn't know that with a sniper, usually comes a spotter." I felt a barrel poke into my back and the sniper turned to look at me chuckling as he did. His chuckle quickly died though as he saw the huge grin on my face.

Sniper: "She's planning something!" He said worried, 'too late, it was already planned mate' I yanked my tail toward me and I felt it snag,

Spotter: "What the... ARRGGHH!!" The spotter shouted as the vine yanked him off the branch I gripped tight to my branch as he fell and the vine yanked my tail hard as he reached the end of the vine's length, almost pulling me out of the tree, but I stayed anchored to my spot using my claws dug into the branch. The sniper rolled onto his back, grabbed his paintball pistol and I smacked it out of his hand before he could aim it at me and it flew down to the forest floor below.

I held my clawed hand up at him in threat and he slowly put his hands up. 'Good, got that message, eh?' I leant around and pulled on the vine with my hand to get some slack and loosened the knot on my tail.

Spotter: "Whoa! HEY!" the guy shouted as he dangled below, I hissed down at him, then walked over to the sniper, placing the other end of the vine on his boot, then let go of the vine, both men screamed, the spotter as he dropped further and the sniper as he was yanked from the platform. I heard an "oof" from the pair as they smacked into each other as the vine equalled them out.

Sniper: "Get off!"

Spotter: "Shut up! you hit me!" I smiled at the sight of them arguing and dangling by their ankles, then turned and collected up their weapons and ammo, grabbing as much as I could carry and made my way back down the tree.

Sniper: "Quick grab my knife, in my boot." he said just as I rounded the tree on them, they gasped at the sight of me. I pointed to my eyes, then down to the floor beneath them and they looked down, spying the mine directly beneath them that I placed earlier. I walked up to the one that was the sniper,

Sniper: "Hey! Stay away from me!..." He shouted at me, I growled at him in return, "...Ok ok! Sorry!" Waving his hands at me, I stood on my hind legs, pulled his knife from his boot and threw it a few feet away into the dirt and then stripped him of his paint pistol holster, his ammo pouches and his belt of paint grenades, and did the same for the other guy. I made a quick count of what I had acquired from the pair. 1 pistol, 2 spare mags, their sniper rifle, 1 round chambered, 1 left in the mag and 3 spare magazines for that and 4 grenades... That should do...

Armed to the teeth, strapping on the last grenade belt, I looked up to the 2 soldiers hanging upside down, gave the a smile, a quick salute, used the sling on the rifle to throw it over my head and shoulder and onto my back and leapt back up the tree. I made my way further down the trees, not really encountering any further resistance... Until I approached where the tree line ended and the concrete pad started... I sat on the branch and unslung the rifle, swapped out the mag for a full one and kept the single round back for later, readied the rifle against my shoulder and peered down the scope, which wasn't easy with a long neck and head... Ahead there was almost everything in front of the bunker that Skiff had mentioned the other day, watch towers, troops left, right and center, turrets... I know this wasn't a real sniper rifle, but it was a serious bit of kit for just a paintball gun, I had never fired anything other than a paintball gun that you get at these cheap paintballing days and I've never had any militaristic type training...

'Fuck it... let's see how this goes.' I pulled the sight around to the first watch tower and fired at the sniper crouched in it, looking bored, catching him in the shoulder, the shock on his face telling me he wasn't expecting that at all but he raised his weapon scanning in my direction. The male voice that had spoken and warned me many a time before suddenly spoke out again, but this time not aimed at me...

"All Sky High Technologies personnel in Scenario Hall 33, you are hereby ordered to act as per paint ball rules, one hit and you are out, at which point, drop your weapons and proceed to the sides of the scenario walls with your hands raised and await further instructions."

Me: "Oh yes, something to work in my favour for a change." I said excitedly as I took sight of the other watch tower as he tried to sight me after I took out his colleague, I fired, missed the first round and caught him on the arm with the second.

My focus down the scope though had cost me, because I had completely missed the forces moving in on me on the ground level and the tree I was in, and myself, were peppered in paint. I swung around the tree, groaning at all the stinging pain of my front and belly getting hit multiple times. I pulled a grenade from the belt, pulled the pin and threw it among their midsts. It exploded before any of them had time to react, I leant around the tree to see it had covered 7 of them in orange paint, with 3 left over, I pulled a pistol and spent 5 rounds and got the last 3. All the soldiers downed their weapons and held their arms up, walking away to the sides, a couple that were caught by the grenade were spitting paint from their mouths.

Me: "Ha! Tastes like shit don't it?!" I shouted, I knew they wouldn't understand me but I felt better for it. I holstered the pistol and pulled the rifle back up to scope what was left of the troops. There were tall barricades with men scattered behind them peering over, I fired the last 2 rounds at a guy who just peeked over but both rounds missed.

Me: "Shit..." 'Not got enough of a target' I thought to myself as I swapped mags and shouldered the rifle again. I leapt forward to the next tree, then the next and slid down the trunk, little did I know that there was a soldier hiding right behind this tree. A taser rod was thrusted around the tree and into my side as I touched the floor, I fell to the floor, groaning in pain... but not as much as it had done before, sure I still had the odd all over body twitch and the general area of contact on my side spasmed and cramped, but I wasn't completely debilitated like I had been in the past.

"D24 down." The man said on his radio and stepped up beside me. I whipped my tail around taking out his feet and causing the man to land on his back. I flipped myself up, whipped out the pistol and held it to the man before he was even able to grab his. Realising his position, he put his hands above his head, I relieved him of his taser rod, stuffing it under 1 of the grenade belts, dropped the magazine from the pistol, took his spare mag and threw the pistol away from us. I stood up from him, still keeping the pistol aimed at him, pointed with my other hand then sent him back down the trail to the entrance, waving 'bye' at him, he got the hint, got to his feet and walked the way I directed with his hands still on his head. As soon as I was happy he wasn't going to try anything I unslung my riffle and looked back down the scope back towards the bunker. The last soldier's announcement on the radio must have pulled them from covered positions to come and assist, as they all 8 or the remaining soldiers were walking towards the tree line toward me, rather casually actually... Perfect.

I picked off the 4 at the back first, one straight after the other, completely caught unaware, the 4 up front ran and ducked for what ever cover they could. I swapped mags and climbed back into the trees, creeping along the branches, I could hear the men shouting orders and directions to each other. I took another grenade out, pulled the pin and dropped it in a way that it just rolled behind the large rock that I knew 2 of them were hiding behind.

"Grenade!..." one shouted, *POP*, "...Argh!" The 2 walked out, hands raised, backs covered in paint and I smiled. The sound of many rounds snapping against the tree made me scurry back, the odd couple catching my arms, again I hid behind the trunk, I sighted one as I got into cover, pulled the pistol, fired 3 rounds and got him. I spotted his colleague now retreating back to cover but he wasn't quick enough, I emptied the last few rounds of the clip into his back and he groaned in pain, raising his hands and growling in annoyance as he walked off.

Me: "He he he" I gave in a evil but childish way.

But that last guy out of it, that was it then, the yard was clear. I leapt down to the ground, swapping the mag on the pistol as I did and reholstered it. I stepped up to the the point where dirt met concrete and looking at either side of the scenario hall, both sides lined with pissed off orange splattered soldiers which made me smile again and I started walking to the entrance. My amusement was short lived however as I had forgotten about the auto turrets on top of the bunker... they covered me in rounds and I quickly darted to the nearest high barricade...

Me: "Ow..." I groaned to myself, as I stung all over. A couple of the soldiers standing by the scenario wall nearby laughed, I made sure they regretted it though, I pulled my pistol and shot both of them in the crotch they crumpled to the floor, "...wankers..." I smiled again, knowing that at least for now, while in this body, I couldn't feel that sort of pain. I skirted up to the other edge of my cover, unslung my rifle and quickly sighted the turret closest and fired, 1st round missed, 2nd round got a direct hit... but it kept shooting at me.

Me: "Oh come on!..." 'Yeah I suppose an automated turret isn't going to care if it gets hit by some paint' I decided. Then as if someone heard my thoughts, the turret stopped firing and pointed up skyward. "...Huh..." I stated curiously. I aimed for the second turret fired the last 2 rounds, both made contact and almost instantly the turret stopped firing and pointed up as well. I stepped out of cover, ready to jump back in if needed, but nothing fired, I ran up the side of the bunker, opening at the hatch on the roof, while looking at the turret a few feet from me, still motionless thankfully, I dropped in.

I walked through the duct, the grenade belts and my riffle catching on the sides, making it difficult to proceed quickly as I had done before, I rounded a couple of corners then came across a grate in the floor and paused over it, knowing it was the grate that I came up through before from the main entrance corridor. I sighed, I knew this wasn't the way to go but I was curious... placed my riffle on the floor of the duct and kicked through the grate and leapt down, landing silently on the floor of the empty hall below. I walked back towards the main entrance, turned and slumped myself on the door looking back down the hall. I waited in the lit corridor for a while, hoping that my little Bluey friend would return... but nothing appeared, even after a few minutes.

I sighed and pulled myself back up and jumped back up into the duct, recollected my riffle and continued down the route. I arrived at the next grate, being the one that arrives at the security centre. I kicked the grate through, leapt down and walked straight over to the console with 9 screens above it. I started going through it, trying to work out what exactly I was looking for. But my hearing caught something, but too late, I was rudely interrupted by a shock to my back.

Me: "Aarrgghh!" I fell forwards, smashing my face on the console and slumping to the floor, I curled up twitching, holding my sides painfully, but it still wasn't as bad as it use to be, but I played along.

"Got D24, security control room." The guard in the room stated. I slowly rolled over toward the guy standing above, subtly reaching for the button to activate my own taser baton that was tucked in my belt.

"Don't trust her! She's not staying down!" A voice crackled over his radio. I quickly finished my roll, touching the probes on the man's ankle and pressed the button, he screamed and fell to the floor. I struggled to stand up but looked down at the man in fits of spams on the floor.

Me: "Good to see some role reversal for a change..." I said to him and turned back to the computer, "...Shit!..." I had smashed the console when I fell on it, I tried to use what controls I could but the system was unresponsive. "...god damn it..." I looked over to the door, saw a palm scanner next to it, I looked back to the guy curled up on the floor, grabbed him and dragged his twitchy groaning body to the door, pulled his hand up up and placed it on the scanner. The scanner beeped, door clicked and opened, "...Thanks for that." I dropped him and stepped over him.

Ah yes... the warehouse... there were more soldiers in here who all raced to defensive positions upon hearing me entering the room. I started off by throwing a grenade amongst them as I dived behind a neaby fork lift, I peeked over the fork lift seat to see who I got and how many were left. I got 3 of them who were walking off and there was at least another 6 or so, hard to count as the instantly started shooting at me with automatic riffles, rounds snapping off of the other side of the forklift sending splatters of paint flying over top to me.

I leant around the back of the fork lift and took a couple of pot shots and actually managed to accidentally hit one guy in the face. Just before I ducked back in though I saw someone throw a grenade at me. I darted out the other side of the forklift, but not quick enough, it covered my back in paint as I darted for the side of the racking that ran down the side of the warehouse. 'Fuck it...' I thought to myself, I had lost track how many hit points I would actually have left, hopefully I haven't reached my limit and this wasn't all for nothing.

I climbed up the racking swinging around the edge, using the pistol and took out 3 more, then bounded along the top shelf taking a few rounds on the way and hid between a crate on the shelf and the wall for cover. There was little to no cover in here, how was I going to get clear shots on them or disarm them?... I needed to make cover, or scatter them... Or both... an idea popped into my head. I gripped onto the shelf and the pushed against it away from the wall, the shelf partially bent under the force but the racking still moved away from the wall, ripping from it's mounts.

"MOVE MOVE MOVE!" I heard one of the men shout below as they realised the racking was coming toward them with me riding the back of it. It and the crates on it, came crashing down with a deafening sound. I pulled myself from the mess of twisted steel and smashed wooden crates,

Me: "Whoa..." I said shaking my head clear.

"I've had just about enough of you!" I heard a man shout, I looked over to the far corner of the warehouse where one of the soldiers had run for cover and he started walking quick toward me, I went for my pistol, but I had lost it, I quickly unslung the riffle and he started running toward me. I swapped to the mag with the 1 round in it, chambered the round and fired at him, almost point black, catching him square in the chest but he still came at me pulling his dagger at the last second. I dropped the riffle and covered my face as I tried to scurry, he ragefully screamed as he sunk his blade into my back, just above my shoulder.

I opened my mouth, I wanted to scream in pain, but the man beat me to it, he screamed in shear agony as I feebly pulled myself away through the racking wreckage. I looked back over my shoulder to see the dagger sticking out of it, the pain seemed to intensify once I looked at it, past that I saw the man, cradling the stub of his arm, trying to hold it up, blood pouring out of it. A red glisten on my tail caught my attention, I gasped as I realised that I had instinctively and subconsciously extended and swiped my tail blades at him, blood trickled down the blades and I snapped them away.

Me: "What the fuck are you playing at?!" I shouted at him, my voice breaking slightly through the pain in my shoulder, I didn't dare remove it as it had been sunk in at least 3 or 4 inches, some of his colleagues came rushing to his attention, a couple to give the man medical attention a couple now pulled some very real looking riffles out at me, sounding very serious indeed,

"GET OUT OF THE DEBRIS NOW!"

Me: "Whoa! Guys! he attacked me!" I said carefully stepping out from the collapsed racking.

"ON THE GROUND NOW!, HANDS ON YOUR HEAD!" I did as instructed, I laid down, pulled my right hand up and onto my head fine, but I groaned in pain as I tried to bring me left up, I could feel the dagger tearing more muscle when I moved my arm up so I just stretched it out to the side flat on the floor.

"I SAID ON YOUR HEAD!" I gave a whimpered moan back, I couldn't! it hurt too much. Another soldier kicked my elbow so that my hand shot toward my face.

Me: "FUCK!" I screamed, as I felt so much tearing, the pain actually causing me to cry this time, my hand shook as I moved it to on top of my head. Some medics took away the injured soldier, but I received no such fine treatment, some more soldiers moved in with some odd looking restraint devices, specifically looking like they were intended for us dragons.

__________*_D12_*_________

I bounced happily from the scenario hall, happy that I had completed the scenario, I could see '42 waiting outside, covered in orange pain, I couldn't help it I burst out in laughter at his look,

D12: "Ha ha ha ha! You know the idea was to NOT get hit right?"

D42: "Shut up '12." He said back to me, I sniggered at his reply,

D12: "How many hit points did you loose??" I inquired, he paused due to being embarrassed, I could tell,

D42: "231..."

D12: "Nooooo! ha ha ha"

D42: "Why? how many did you lose?" he asked, eyeing up the lack of paint on me.

D12: "I don't think you want to know..."

D42: "Tell me." he demanded, our attention was distracted though at the sound of an almighty crash that came from behind us...

D12: "What was that?" I asked

D42: "Not a clue... anyway, you're changing the subject, how many?" He demanded again, I turned back to him.

D12: "Erm... 9..."

D42: "9?! How the hell did you manage that?!"

D12: "I'm stealthy I guess." I winked at him and he shook his head. We were distracted again, this time a load of armed soldiers ran forwards towards the Scenario room exits with a black pod, in particular hall 33...

D12: "That's Alex's hall..." I said, turning and taking a step towards it, '42 stepped up beside me and held me back with one arm.

We watched for a couple of minutes as they opened the pod and stood forming a corridor of troops between the door and the pod. The door opened, 2 medics escorting a soldier out appeared and were allowed to pass between the troops. Another minute later and the door opened again, out came a group of soldiers carrying something between them, scaly skin, had a plated muzzle and restraints up and down their body, my eyes widened, and what looked like a knife sticking out the back of her left shoulder.

D12: "That's Alex!..." I strode towards them as they carried her out, D42 in tow, "...Let her go!" I demanded to the soldiers.

"STAND BACK!" One of the guarding soldiers shouted at me raising his riffle at me. I stopped in my tracks, watched as Alex was placed into the pod, tears rolling down her cheeks and they slammed down the pod door behind her.

D42: "There's nothing we can do..." he said solemnly behind me, pulling at my upper arm.

__________*_Alex_*__________

Finally they removed the blade from my shoulder, it took them longer to secure me to the operating table than than to actually remove the blade I'm sure, not that I was going to resist them taking a dagger out of me... they cleaned and stapled the wound shut, I guess scales were probably too tough to sew up. After that was done, again, I was man handled into a pod and they injected me with something, I couldn't resist as the restraints still locked me more or less in one position, It wasn't long after I blacked out. I can't have been out for long though as the next thing I remember hearing was the whirring of machinery, in the dark pod again, however I was able to move freely now, so they had removed the restraints while I was out of it.

I pulled myself up from the bottom of the pod floor, gave my very sore shoulder a very gentle rub and hissed in pain. I rolled my joint to make sure I still had full movement and although very painful, I had no issues. I travelled along for about the usual 5 or 10 minutes until I slowed and the usual clunking noises ensued, I stepped up to the sides of the pod an anticipation of dropping into the glass cell again. However, the door underneath me wasn't the one that opened, instead the door on the end opened and I stepped on through into the white 'medical' cell that I was in yesterday.

The 2 way mirror in front changed to glass revealing Dr Skiff again, looking rather pissed off.

Skiff: "D-two four, although I could give you credit for using some unorthodox methods including using their weapons, the idea was to use stealth and disarm, but going in guns blazing seems to suit you down to a tee, to the point you've become a nuisance yet again."

Me: "I aim to please." I replied sarcastically.

Skiff: "Even now you're not taking this seriously!" She snapped back at me, this was the first time I have ever heard her with her voice raised, it was quite funny actually, it's like back in school when you finally hear the cool, calm and collected teacher snap and lose it.

Me: "What was I supposed to?! He attacked me with a fucking knife!"

Skiff: "And you retaliated by cutting his arm off?!..." She buried her head in her hands, "...D-two four... You are testing our patience... we have never, EVER, had anyone give us as many problems as you."

Me: "Well I'm glad to be the first."

Skiff: "D-two four! Lose the attitude!"

Me: "Come on!, I can't be the only one you have to tell off on a regular basis, surely!"

Skiff: "YES! As a matter of fact you are! I am currently meant to be on leave, I've had to come back to work to sort you! I was actually not long going to head for home again when you kicked off this shit!"

Me: "Uhh Ohhh... you swore!" I took the piss... I really did not care anymore. I could almost see her blood boil.

Skiff: "D-two four... this is now your second strike, your lack of seriousness to your situation is worrying to say the least, we have punishment procedures for misbehaviour and negligence of the rules we enforce.-"

Me: "I'm locked up against my will, forced to do things I don't want to do with people I don't like and having you controlling lot towering over me, what else can you do to me? Kill me? if so please do, there's nothing else lower you can do to me now." A smile appeared across her face, I had to admit, it worried me slightly.

Skiff: "Oh I have something in mind, I'm going to run it past my superiors, I doubt they will say no, I usually have free reign, it would merely be out of courtesy and more or less just informing them. In the mean time we will use this medical room as an isolation room. Good night." She said with an evil smirk and the glass returned to it's mirror state, the usual *Click* in my head confirmed that the conversation was over. Still sat in the same place, staring at the spot where Skiff was on the other side of the glass, I realised I had better take a shower looking at the state of myself in the mirror.

But I also realised something else, this is the first time I had properly seen my reflection since I was changed, the other day I didn't get a long enough chance to look at it... It was like I was staring into the eyes of a very scary creature indeed. It sat there, staring back at me, pissed off, dark green and scaly, but I knew that much just from looking down at me, but my face... I had seen the other dragons obviously, so I had some idea how I looked, but it's still a shock to see someone, or rather, someTHING, completely different to what I remember looking back at me. The only thing I had retained from before, albeit it now slitted like a reptile, and seemingly brighter, were my blue eyes.

Me: "Fuck 'em." I said, still stewing and headed for the shower.

(-Guns N' Roses)