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+--- Thread: Home sweet home... (/showthread.php?tid=7378)
Home sweet home... - Albert Wesker - 05-19-2018
Almost felt like home again, now. After so much work.
Nostalgia wasn't something Albert Wesker was given to often, but as he sat there in a chair which he remembered all too clearly, in a room drawn perfectly from his memories...it was difficult not to reminisce at least a little. Not exactly pleasantly, as the times from which he had drawn this place in his mind were not ones he recalled fondly. Not after certain things he had learned from an old, dying man.
But it was familiar. And now it was his.
It had been far from easy to get it all set up. Even after substantial practice, working with this new...omnilium substance. He had summoned, and practiced summong, all manner of things. Even going so far as to gather a loyal band of subordinates whose skills he knew he could count on. Each one individually, and all of their preferred equipment and tools of work, had been a heavy undertaking. A valuable one, to be sure; it had taught him much about the complexity of things and how time-consuming it could all be.
It had all been nothing compared to the task he had undertaken when he had decided to summon this mansion.
Each member of the Wolfpack, each item of their equipment, had taken minutes at a time. Perhaps as much as half an hour each, to properly summon them and their equipment, properly outfitting each one.
This mansion, however... Several hours. It had taken hours to get it right. The complications and interference had not helped matters. The environment was hostile, full of all manner of creatures which most might dub 'nightmarish'. Monstrous, horrific, bloodthirsty and flesh-hungry beasts. Mostly mindless, though some did certainly display intelligence enough to not throw themselves into the meat grinder that was the amply prepared and armed Wolfpack.
The Umbrella Security Service's Delta Team had proven its worth already, with just this seemingly mundane task. Several hours of protection, and holding off the terror of the Verse, had been sufficient. Now they had been rewarded by having sanctuary and shelter in the mansion. Time to rest after the frantic, messy defense, and leave the external security to a more...disposable staff which had been summoned. Combined with the fortified nature of the building itself -- a noted factor in its original summoning time -- they should serve as adequate protection.
Yes...a well-fortified headquarters was always a first step. Or at least the ending of a first step. Learning how this world worked and some of the peculiarities of its inhabitants had been first; setting up a place to call 'home' had been the final part of that, to reflect on and clarify his findings. And of course...a place to story a trophy room was also an excellent touch.
As the lights dimmed upon his exit of the trophy room in question, barren and empty at the moment, Wesker's lips curled upward in a faint smile as he caught the glint of light, filtering through the doorway, on the drake skull that rested in a sealed case. Just the first step of many. Then the door closed behind him, and he strode purposefully down the hallway.
Onto other matters, now.
RE: Home sweet home... - Albert Wesker - 05-21-2018
Wesker had barely gone half a dozen steps from his trophy room when Agent HUNK fell into step alongside him. "Your thoughts, Mister Death?"
"Little too fancy for my tastes, really," the operative responded. "But not bad. Isolated. Well-equipped. Wouldn't stand up forever to a determined attack, but it's defensible." He nodded. "And it's a hell of a lot better than having nowhere to go at all."
"Ever the military-minded one," Wesker mused, with a mild grin. He reached up to adjust his sunglasses. "You are correct, of course. This place is not a truly fortified stronghold, but it is sufficiently equipped and sturdily built enough to serve as more than adequate shelter from the unpleasantries this verse has to offer." As they reached the doors to the mansion's meeting room, he paused, tilting his head up slightly. "If I could trouble you to do so, round up the Delta Team and bring them here. We have matters to discuss."
"Anything in particular?" If Agent HUNK was bothered by such a menial task, it didn't show in his tone. "You know the one who's going to ask."
"It's time to set the wolfpack loose, and use them to gather information more quickly," the executive responded simply, pushing the doors open. "I'm going to outline which of those wolves is going where in their explorations."
"Letting them run wild to gather intel," the security officer repeated. "That's going to be a mess." He turned on one heel to leave and do as instructed, but paused after only two paces, as something occurred to him. After a handful of silent seconds, he simply pushed it aside and strode away. It could wait to be brought up during the upcoming discussion; no need to stall for it now.
RE: Home sweet home... - Albert Wesker - 05-21-2018
While Agent HUNK had retrieved Delta Team, Wesker himself had taken the time to do a little research on the other verses that were out there to be explored, taking advantage of what passed for the internet in this place. The Dataverse, it was called...seemed fitting enough. Time was short, and his research was brief, but the handful of facts he managed to uncover with some quick searches were sufficient. Accounting for the Ashen Steppes, which he had already explored, and his current location (which he now learned was called the Pale Moors; a terribly fitting name for the place), there were six other primary locations.
The Empire of Coruscant, a technologically advanced and powerful verse, which seemed to be a single massive city. He would elect to go there himself, at a later date.
The Kingdom of Camelot, a place which would have seemed entirely ridiculous to Wesker, before coming to this place. A place of magic, more primitive and medieval but still powerful in its own right. An interesting enough location...and one which would need some thought as to who to send.
The Endless Dunes, a sprawling and inhospitable desert. Civilization was sparse, and danger was high. A place which would require some careful consideration on who to send.
The Tangled Green, a colossal forest. The potential there intrigued him somewhat, as in massive forests and jungles there had often been interesting discoveries to be made. He already had a clear idea of who he might send there.
The Vasty Deep, an absolutely massive ocean with countless islands. There was a strong presence of the Empire there, as well. The size of the verse gave him an idea of who to send there, as well.
The Frozen Fields, a landscape of frigid and inhospitable weather. Treacherous not just for its weather, but for its terrain. Another location he would have to consider carefully.
It was...quite the collection of places, to be certain. A little surprising, in all actuality. The sheer diversity was impressive, though it did present certain challenges. Challenges that would only be minor impediments to a man like Albert Wesker. All he needed was more information. General details and an overview wouldn't suffice; he would require detailed intelligence and first-hand experience from out there. Going to visit each and every location personally would take far too long, even if it likely would be the most efficient method. That was why he was sending Delta Team and Agent HUNK in his stead. HUNK would unquestionably get results; his success wasn't a matter of "if", merely "how well" he would succeed. The wolves of Delta Team, however...were a little more unpredictable. Which would necessitate something of a middle ground approach.
If he couldn't be there in person...direct communication and contact, along with a log of all events from each member in the field, would have to suffice. The wolves might not be fully controllable, but they could be collared and monitored.
RE: Home sweet home... - Albert Wesker - 05-24-2018
In short order, Agent HUNK returned with the rest of Delta Team.
Wesker didn't waste any time. He displayed and explained his plans for them, where each of them would go for now and the guidelines for what their actual tasks would be there. Reconnaissance, information gathering, scouting the lay of the land were all top of the agenda. Putting in work to make good impressions, spread word and begin building a positive image was second on the agenda.
He didn't have any illusions about most any of the group playing 'nice', of course. But nice wasn't necessary. The job would get done either way. A reputation for ruthless, precise effectiveness was in some ways better than one for being perceived in a positive light for selfless or 'nice' actions. That was the angle he was counting on, and knew he could expect out of the likes of this bunch of rabid dogs. They were wild, and questionable in method, but there was one thing guaranteed: their effectiveness.
Agent HUNK was in a league of his own, VECTOR was a close second to the man. None of the other members of Delta Team could match either of them individually, perhaps. Even two or three of them together would be hard-pressed to compete directly against a man like Mister Death. But as a unit, the entire group of six working together, they were far more effective and capable. Which made it problematic that he would be splitting them up. Regardless...he laid his plans firmly.
Agent HUNK and LONE WOLF would go to Camelot. HUNK was capable enough on his own, but he would need rapid and reliable transport. That would be easy enough to arrange and manage.
LUPO, FOUR EYES and VECTOR would be sent to the Tangled Green. The leader of the team was a capable fighter in any environment, and would keep them on task and organized if violence broke out in the jungles. VECTOR's stealth and assassination skills would be put to ample use there, as well. And FOUR EYES would be the one keeping an eye out for any....special substances, as outlined in a file Wesker provided.
SPECTRE, BELTWAY and BERTHA would be shipping out to the Frozen Fields. The chilly weather and harsh climates endured by the Russian technician and German medic would help them cope with the cold there, just as much as the giant size and bulk, and the highly-insulation equipment of the boisterous blaster. The scanning equipment and keen eyes of the resident sniper would keep them alert and informed of any surprises hidden in the snow, or treacherous ground to avoid, while the medic could keep them going. And BELTWAY...he would bring the overwhelming brute force and cheery expletives.
After announcing the assignments, the executive next produced and laid out for them all their communications, recording and uplink equipment, explaining he would be keeping tabs on everything they did while out in the field. When the inevitable question came of what Wesker himself would be doing, he answered it simply: tending to their other guest here, and then seeing to the investigation of the Pale Moors personally. It wasn't exactly a pleasant course of action for them, but there were no objections. They were all more than ready to get to some actual work, even if it was something as seemingly mundane as this.
RE: Home sweet home... - Albert Wesker - 05-26-2018
In varying states of disgruntlement, the members of Delta Team filed out and went to work gathering their gear and equipment. "Prepare for anything, just in case," Lupo had advised them, and though Wesker remained silent on the point it was one he agreed with. Even with just a relatively small slice of experience with this Omniverse under his belt, he could tell this place was not liable to be something one could underestimate. Only a small stroll through two of the verses, and they had proven very dangerous in quite different ways.
But The Wolfpack would be fine. They would survive, or at the least last long enough to make their excursion worth it; and if they did come to their deaths, they could be resummoned again. He had already experimented with that.
When the last of them had left, he rose from his seat and left the room. The doors shut quietly behind him automatically. At the end of the hall, he could already see their newest guest waiting.
"It...it looks like you've got some big plans," she said quietly. As Wesker drew nearer, she looked down, pointedly avoiding meeting his gaze for more than a few seconds. "Sending them out to so many places like that, I mean."
"Yes...I suppose you could say that." His amusement crept in all over again as he drew nearly alongside her, at just how much he towered over the little snake. Such a diminutive, deceptive little thing she was; he'd seen her in action firsthand during the arduous setup process for this place. "Though I have something else I'd like to discuss." A faint smile curled at his lips as he strode right past her. He was confident it would be easy enough to get her to agree; that quiet demeanor act wouldn't let her refuse. And that bloodthirsty, cruel nature she had wouldn't want to refuse, either.
He heard her turn and scurry up to fall into step with him as he paced on, down the hall and toward the stairs. "O-Oh, well...what is it?" She cleared her throat slightly, speaking up a little more. "That you want to talk about, I mean."
"While I was searching out and doing a bit of research for where to send my scouts..." He internally chuckled at that designation; it would no doubt have displeased them. Little better than mercenary soldiers they were, after all. Brought in by Umbrella to make use of their services and skills when they had nowhere else to go. "...I came across information about something rather interesting." One hand came up, reaching into an internal pocket of his suit, pulling his phone out. A quick button press, and the screen lit up, displaying holographic images over it. He could hear the surprise etch itself onto the expression of the small one at his side. "Dante's Abyss..." He turned his eyes down toward her. "I take it you've heard of it?"
She just nodded slowly. "Y-Yes, I...I've heard of it. A yearly event. It's quite popular." She shook her head. "It's different every year, though, so...I don't really know terribly much about it beyond that."
"Well, luckily, knowing about it won't be a requirement for what I had in mind." He clicked the phone off and stowed it away again as they reached the top of the stairs. "I'd like you to enter this competition."
Cerise stopped dead in her tracks on the first step. Wesker didn't even need to look back at her to know that the news had been a surprise, one that she was having trouble processing. He had almost reached the bottom of the stairs when he finally heard her step forward after him again. "B-But why? Why would you want me to? I'm not..."
"I have seen you in action," he said, cutting her off. "Whatever you might think of your combat abilities, you are currently far more experienced and capable than one such as myself." He stopped at the base of the stairs, one foot resting on the ground, the other still on the final step, and turned back to look up at her. "I've no doubt in my mind you would fare far better than I ever could, especially in such an environment." He lifted a hand to lightly pull his sunglasses from over his eyes. "As much as I would enjoy being there to participate, and witness things first hand...I am a simple businessman and scientist." He let a smile crawl onto his face. "I lack the skills and capability to last for long in such an environment. Based on what I observed of the previous years' events, I doubt I would perform very well at all. Certainly I wouldn't get to see very much."
The small snake shivered faintly, both hands coming up to rest against her chest, one clutched tightly in the other. "I...I don't know..." she finally spoke up, quietly again. "I'm not really sure how well I'll do, either." She started forward, down a few more steps. "Depending on what the event is this year, I might not even last as long as you."
"Oh, come now, my dear," Wesker spoke up gently. False kindness in his voice; an act he had put on many times in the past. "You think far too little of yourself. After that display you put on, I'd be surprised if you didn't perform admirably." He shook his head slightly, reaching out a free hand up the stairs toward her. "And remember...regardless of how well you end up doing, no one can ask or expect more of you than the best you can do, yes?"
For several seconds there was only silence, then a faint smile twitched at the corner of Cerise's lips and she took the last few steps down to meet him. "Yeah...yeah, I guess so. Alright, I'll enter, then." She flinched slightly as the man in black brought his outstretched hand down on her head, gently. She tried not to shiver from it all; mostly that unnerving, red-eyed stare. Like a giant predatory cat, or some reptile of a much higher order. It was unsettling, and if her blood hadn't already been cold, feeling that gaze on her -- that dead, cold gaze, with a smile that didn't reach all the way to the eyes -- would have turned it to ice. "I'll do my best."
"Yes...I know you will." And he turned away, sliding his glasses back over his eyes. "I believe it said there should be a signup facility at most major locations of civilization. There is one such near enough to here." And he simply strode off at a brisk pace. "Let us not delay."
"R-Right!" She hurried after him.