I could see an orange glow in the distance that steadily grew larger. As we got closer, I saw a flag with a similar insignia to the patch of Natalie's body armor; a black background with a reaper holding a rifle. About a hundred meters down the dirt path was a wall made out of various materials, with a large iron gate in the center. The place resembled something you'd see in medieval times.

When we reached the gate, Nat brought the vehicle to a slow stop before cupping her hands around her mouth.

“Death is the bittersweet end to all things!” she called out.

A few seconds went by before a loud creaking filled the surrounding area. Then the large gate began to slowly lift. As soon as there was enough clearance for the UTV to fit, we entered the town within. The town had a rather similar aesthetic to the main hub except for one main difference. Scaffolding could be seen all throughout, and the buildings seemed to be in better repair than those in the main hub.

“Hey, Nat. Do the NPCs here actually repair and build things or is all this just for show?” I asked her curiously.

“They actually repair and build. This place is a fully functioning society that actually progresses with time. Sometimes players have to carry out quests in order to allow for further progression, but everything functions like real life,” She replied.

“Interesting,” I muttered to myself.

We made a right turn, and eventually came to a slow stop outside of a large well fortified building surrounded by barbed wire fences. Nat turned off the UTV and hopped out.

“Come on, let's go get your initiation quest,” she said as she gestured for me to follow her.

With a quick nod, I slid out the vehicle and followed close behind. We entered the fortified building and made an immediate beeline to a thick metal door with a placard that read: War Room. Inside Was an array of screens covering the walls with various NPCs running back and forth, monitoring whatever they were looking at.

“Ya’ know for being post apocalyptic, these people seem to be very technologically advanced,” I whisper in Natalie's ear.

She nudged me in the ribs and I winced.

“Okay, rude,” I hissed as we stopped a couple of inches from the large round table in the center of the room. Sitting opposite of us was a man wearing a hood and a mask that covered the lower half of his scarred face. Looking up from the map he had been drawing on, his eyes grew wide in surprise at the sight of us.

“Ah, Tyranny, perfect timing. I have a new mission for you…” his dark eyes drifted over to me before he continued to speak, “And who is this?”

“Sir, I've brought us a new recruit,” she responded immediately.

“Ah, excellent! This will complete your squad then?” he asked enthusiastically.

She nodded in response.

“Very well, very well,” he stood and reached a gnarled hand out to me, “Welcome to the Death Stalkers…”

I took his hand firmly and said, “Azrael and thank you sir.”

“Azrael,” he said as he looked me up and down, “Bringer of death, I love it. I expect you to learn and grow so that you might be an asset to our organization. Spend a lot of time with Tyranny and you'll become a true dealer of death.”

“Understood sir,” I replied feeling a bit awkward talking to an AI.

“Now back to the matter at hand,” he said before redirecting his attention to Tyranny, “Our outpost near our western border was overrun and taken by the Colonials. I've tried to resolve this diplomatically, but they refused all my transmissions. I need you to take a small element, no more than four, and go recon the enemy, report back your findings and await further instructions.”

Natalie did a weird pose before she said, “Understood, sir.”

He nodded and began examining his map once again. Natalie nudged me and motioned for me to follow her.

Once we exited the war room she broke the silence, “Well, It looks like you got your first mission.”

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I looked at her stunned, “I what?”

She grinned and shrugged, “You're coming with me on this little recon mission, obviously.”

“B-b but I don't even know anything yet,” I stuttered.

“Can you sit in a bush?” She asked.

I furrowed my brow in confusion, “Yeah, I can.”

“Can you shut your mouth and be quiet and observe what another human being is doing?” She asked more aggressively this time.

“Um yeah, doesn't sound too difficult,” I said, growing agitated.

She nodded, “Then you do know how to do something and you've already proven you can shoot and kill. You'll be fine I promise. Now let's stop by the squad hideout so I can pick up a few things and get you some gear.”

I was in complete shock at her method of encouragement, but unfortunately I had to deal with the hand I was dealt.

We arrived at the hideout, which turned out to be more of a giant warehouse with modifications. On one side was a wooden structure with a bunch of doorways. Outside each door, except one, was a sign with a name written in black paint. On the opposite side was a small kitchen and living room. Towards the back was a room labeled showers and locker room. Lastly, beside the stairs was a sign that read armory and war room with an arrow pointing up.

“Have a seat on the couch and I'll be back down in a moment,” Natalie said before she made way for the stairs.

With nothing better to do, I obeyed her command and sat on the worn leather sofa. Everything remained quiet and peaceful, the only noise coming from the generator. I relaxed, making myself comfortable. Closing my eyes, I began to drift off until I heard a high pitched voice.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here, Neko?” she questioned.

I opened my eyes and standing over me were a set of identical females, but everything about them was opposite. One had red hair and dark black eyes like coal, while the other one had dark red eyes with raven black hair. However both were wearing very, very revealing outfits.

Neko responded saying, “Looks like that new kid Tyranny mentioned.”

“Is that so,” the red-haired girl said with an evil grin, “Hope she doesn't mind if we show him the ropes,” She leaned down and slid her arms around my neck and down my chest.

“We've never had a man in our group before. This will definitely shake things up around here,” she whispered in my ear before nipping my skin with her teeth.

I swallowed hard as my imagination began to run wild, and my blood began to flow.

Letting out a nervous chuckle I said, “Nice to meet you. I'm uh, I'm Azrael.”

This time Neko leaned in to whisper in my other ear, “Hi, Azrael I'm Neko.”

“And I'm Neoni,” said the other girl.

Then they both said in unison with a thick layer of promiscuity, “We're going to take really good care of you.”

My face was on fire and I struggled to hide the steadily growing appendage down below. Even worse if Nat sees this she'll probably freak out and make me leave.

As if on cue I heard Nat's voice fill the open space, “Hands off ladies, he's not a chew toy.”

They both let out low groans before they both took a step back.

“So you just get him all to yourself?” Neoni hissed.

Nat rolled her eyes, “As I said he's not a toy. He's an asset and a teammate and you will keep your hands off. I will not have you two seducing him for views.”

Ah now it all clicked for me. Neko and Neoni are streamers that gained their popularity for their lewd content. I just so happened to almost be their next big score.

“Now if you ladies are done pouting, go grab your gear. We've got a little reconnaissance to do,” Nat barked.

They both disappeared back into their rooms, and Natalie tossed several items onto the couch next to me.

“There's a rig to hold your mags, an M4 with a silencer, a backpack, and a ghillie. Get ready so we can head out asap.”

“Uh, yeah sure.” I said, before scrambling to prepare my new gear.

“Also, Seraph…” she paused.

“Yeah,” I shot back.

“Don't ever let me catch you with another woman's hands on you, or I'll chop your dick off and shove it up your ass.”

With that she headed for the exit. I stood there stunned, watching her walk away. I couldn't tell if there was a hint of jealousy in her voice or if it was just my imagination. I mean we're friends, she couldn't possibly be jealous. Could she?

Once everyone was loaded up, Natalie wasted no time. We barreled down the old dusty roads, enroute to the western border. When we arrived we could see the faint glow of fire in the distance. The scent of smoke permeated the air.

Stopping about a kilometer away Natalie looked at everyone and said, “We'll get closer on foot. Neoni find a vantage point and look for survivors. Everyone be ready to turn and burn. If anything happens, return here, and be ready to run.”

We all nodded and exited the vehicle. Neoni went to the back of the UTV and picked up a sniper rifle that was just as long as she was.

“Would you like me to carry that?” I asked, trying to be a nice guy.

She shot me a glare, “You think I can't carry my own weight?”

I shook my head, “Just trying to help.”

She rolled her eyes, “Whatever, come on we've got a climb to make.”

She pointed behind me, and I turned to look at the small mountain.

“Well fuck me.” I groaned.

“Quit yer whining and get moving,” Neoni ordered.

I noticed Nat and Neko were already on the move in a different direction, so not wasting anymore time I began my ascent. By the time we reached a well concealed spot someway up the mountain, I was exhausted. I fell down to the ground and let out an exasperated sigh of relief.

Neoni shot me an annoyed look as she slid past me and assumed a good prone position behind her rifle. She focused on the camp below, and began scanning all around. After several moments she reached to her chest to use her comm.

“Tyranny, I've assessed up to fourteen armed Colonials and no survivors.” she muttered.

Natalie's voice came through the radio with a bit of static, “Very well. I'll radio up to higher and get our follow on orders, so sit tight.”

Thanks Nat. As if we're not already doing that.

Several minutes passed by, silently. The only sound coming from the gentle rustling of the leaves from the occasional breeze. Growing bored, I began fidgeting with a nearby bush until I heard a branch snap.