FF: Duke Nukem - Origin of an Asskicker

[3D Master]

Additional Author's notes: Okay, this popped in my head, and wouldn't leave me alone, so I wrote it down. Don't know if it's appropriate, but I'll see. It's a fanfiction, and this is the first chapter. When it's finished I'll submit it to Joe in a nice clean HTML file so he can put it up in the fan sumbission section if he wants to, but I figured until it's completely finished, I'll show you the story one chapter at a time! Hope you like it!

Title: Duke Nukem - Origin of an Asskicker
Author: 3D Master
Feedback: 3d.master@chello.nl
Website: http://members.chello.nl/~jg.temolder1/
Rating: 15+EVSEW
Keywords: Duke Nukem, action, asskicking.
Character Listing: Duke Nukem, Brinna Hallestrom, Colonel Gavenlock.
Summary: Duke and the first EDF unit needs to protect high officials from terrorist hell bent against a united Earth, even a little bit united. Then things go from bad to worse.
Disclaimer: The characters don’t belong to me; they belong to 3D Realms and Apogee.
Author’s notes: The origin of Duke Nukem! Who hasn’t want to know it! Anyway, some, if not all, may know there’s a little tidbit in the Duke3D source code, about a conversation between Duke and a commander; well, this fic will address it, and the ‘war’ that’s talked about. Have fun reading!


Duke Nukem

Origin of an Asskicker

by 3D (Realms) Master (3d.master@chello.nl)
website: http://members.chello.nl/~jg.temolder1/

Chapter 1: The Stage is Set


Brussels, Belgium, Army Unit 1
July 15, 2027

The tent of Army Unit 1 was busy. A total of ten people were inside. Cleaning guns, finishing their uniform, or watching the tv. The tv was showing the flags of the countries of the world, after which it zoomed out and came down, to center on a female MNN reporter.

“Six years ago, no one could have foreseen this day. Six years ago was when the alien craft crash landed on the Earth after circling the globe once in such a spectacular manner, no one could possibly cover it up,” the reporter spoke, a microphone in her hand. Her red hair came to her shoulders, and her outfit was becoming - a tight blouse, with a jacket over it. Judging from the lack of fasteners she was wearing a skirt, but that was uncertain due to her lower half not being on screen. She continued, “The craft’s occupants did not survive, but the bit of information that our computer engineers were able to take from the incompatible computer systems pointed out one important fact: there’s at least one hostile alien presence out there, that prefers to enslave entire species. This prompted the nations of the world to come together. And unlike twelve years ago - the countries of the world entered in a shaky alliance to combat the upheaval our solar system went through as a consequence of just discovered subspace physical events - this time it seems to stick. Not in the least of which, because of the remarkable change in China. As everyone knows, for a few months after the crash, China was blacked out, until it emerged back upon the stage of the Earth with a whole new set of leaders. People that were part of the protests in the nineteen nineties and other eras, who decided if they couldn’t change China from the outside of the party, they might as well do it from the inside. This is the biggest reason what will happen today might work out in the long run, because last time it didn’t mainly for China’s position. After several years of negotiations, talks and concession, all of Earth’s nations’ military might - except some limited national militia - will be signed under one United Nations command and become the Earth Defense Force.

“Sadly, not everyone seems to agree this is a major step forward. Several extremists, most notably religious groups, have threatened to bomb this ‘alliance of evil’ as they called it, into hell. Many claiming the alien craft is a fake, because god or Allah created man as the rulers of creation, there couldn’t be any aliens as advanced, and much more so, than us. Therefor, the first international unit under the command of the United Nations, formed from the very best of the best from many different counties, will safeguard the leaders of many nations and the ceremony itself today from any terrorist activity,” the reporter finished.

“I guess she means us,” Galal al-Ahmed said with a grin. “You hear that guys and girl, we’re the best of the best.” He, like all the others, was dressed in army fatigues, with the characteristic blue UN beret. The man had a mustache and his hair was cut short.

“Time to move out,” a much more authoritative voice sounded.

Everyone stood up except for one blonde man who kept looking at the screen, where a male anchor was now seen. “Bennet!” the same man called out to the blonde. After a moment Colonel Gavenlock tried again, “Duke!”

“Hmm?” the blonde said and slowly turned around on his chair, a smug look on his face. His hair was almost shaved off, perfectly aligning his head, his beret strapped to his belt. He was all muscle, easily six feet high and a bit more. Instead of the standard fatigue top, he wore a black, tight, sleeveless shirt.

“The lady said we were supposed to protect some VIPs, Bennet,” the Colonel said, as he came over to turn off the tv.

“Don’t waste your breath, Colonel,” the single female spoke. She stood straight, her fatigues weren’t flattering to her figure, but she had enough curves they were visible. Her long blonde hair was strapped in a pony tail, coming through the back of her blue cap. She too wore a tight, sleeveless shirt, except hers was dark green. Her arms had well-formed muscles that just stopped from being a female body-builder’s arms, there was still a femininity to them. “Bennet here has no brain. He sees a hot chick, and he zones out.”

“Hey,” Bennet defended himself good naturedly as he got up to his six foot two height. “That’s not a sign of stupidity, everyone looks at a good piece of ass. Why, Bombshell, I’ve seen you checking out my ass on occasion.”

The young woman’s face scrunched up, and said with a growl, “I did not check out your ass, American. I’ve got better taste than then, and *stop* calling me Bombshell! The name’s Brinna, Brinna Hallestrøm!”

“Alright then,” Bennet told her with a grin, letting his eyes flow across her body. He thumbed a muscular Japanese man, showing his muscular arms off in the process, and said, “you were checking out Hotaka’s ass instead. Same diff.”

Brinna shrieked as she surged forward. She was ready to fight the smart-mouth *****, just about to jump and fly at him in fact, when several pairs of strong hands grabbed her by the shoulders and kept her away from the smirking blonde man. “I’m going to kick your ass, Bennet! Mark my words, when I get my hands on you!” she screamed in frustration, as the ones holding her back yelled at her to calm down.

“ATTENTION!” the colonel snapped, and everyone came to attention, even Bennet, although it was a half-hearted attention. The screaming, and Brinna’s attempt to fight Bennet, ended right away. “People! We’re supposed to be the well-oiled team that protects world peace and all that shit. Look at you!” They were all silent as their commanding officer scolded them. “You /are/ the best of the best, as long as you don’t let your god-damned egos get in the way, now move out, and /no/ more talk about asses or any other body parts!”

“Yes, sir!” the unit called in unity and started moving. Brinna gave Bennet a glare, and he returned a smile.

“Bennet,” Gavenlock said, and then softer. “Will you please refrain from baiting her already?”

Duke shrugged, and said with a grin, “I’ll try . . . and call me Duke, only the generals upstairs call me Bennet.”

*****

Duke lay on the rooftop in the corner, peering through the scope. He preferred hands on action, but the idea was they were to be unobtrusive. The streets were lined with throngs of cheering people as the expensive limousines carrying the people gently came down the street. Several body guards of the more clean type - dressed up in penguin suits, more commonly known as tuxedos - were walking along the cars of the presidents and other assorted VIPs. It was no wonder so many people had come: the signing would herald the end of any great wars, only small malcontents and extremists would remain to threaten the security of the world - barring extra terrestrial threats.

The EU council building where the ceremony would be held, was a light brown stoned building. The stone made up the roof border, several narrow columns, and in between were large panes of glass which made up most of the visible parts of the building. The building was a corner one. Instead of a sharp corner, it was basically cut off, making a diagonal glass front. The cut-off corner glass was also the entrance. In front of the entrance was a rather large roundabout, with greenery in the middle. The EU area of Brussels was built with wide roads and large squares for any possible tourists, visitors of events like these, and any demonstrators. The other EU buildings were close by, interspersed with buildings of companies and apartment buildings of many shapes, colors and sizes; but all wide away from each other. There were roads in between nearly every building for an effective traffic system.

The reason the signing of the UN resolution that would produce the Earth Defense Force, or EDF for short, was happening at the EU and not in the UN buildings in New York was simple. They had decided that possible terrorist activity was highly likely, so everybody was being told it would be done in New York, the preparations were made in New York - as well as in Brussels - and now shortly before the actual signing it was changed to the EU. Thus, any terrorists that had been painstakingly preparing for New York, would suddenly have to pack up and make a hasty - thus flawed - plan of attack for the Brussels location. Reasons for making this signing a prime target were more than one; not only did the event signal what the extremists hated, one of the EDF divisions would be an anti-terrorist police force and they had jurisdiction everywhere, /no/ country would deny them access. If this wasn’t stopped, the terrorists had no country to hide in, and a highly advanced investigative division would search them down, after which the military branch would come take them out. In short, chances that there would be no terrorist attack were slim to none; even if one didn’t include any plans for the fake New York location.

“All clear, for now,” Duke said into his mike. There were some suspects, but in this diverse crowd of ecstatic people a ‘suspect’ could turn out to be a pacifist. Making rash decisions now might make him miss the real terrorist a few moments later.

“Same here,” Galal’s voice sounded, and slowly the rest of the team that hadn’t reported yet, gave similar answers.

The crowd steadily kept moving in front of Duke’s eye; nicely enlarged through the scope. He slowed for a moment on the suspicious sight of someone ducking, but it turned out to be a kid desperately trying to recapture his dropped ice cream, before he started crying and the mother picked him up for comforting. He moved the gun onward again, as the first car with the VIPs arrived - two police motorcycles, white with three wide, orange, diagonal strips, up front - to drive around the roundabout, stopping three-quarters on its way, right in front of the corner entrance of EU Council building. One of the tuxedoed guards opened the back door, and out stepped the Belgian Prime Minister.

At that moment Duke took his eyes away from the scope for a moment and saw in the corner of his eyes someone coming into action. Immediately he shifted the gun and looked back to the scope, as from his mike sounded, “Hostile in grid . . .” Duke let the rest of the comment flow as he took aim, noticing the man pulling out a gun, and he relayed his own situation. He fired, and the white man bent down. His rifle allowed for variable shooting speeds so the bullet only entered the terrorist’s brain, and didn’t come out the other end and killed a good person. As with the other hostile, the dampener on Duke’s high powered rifle made sure there was hardly a sound, something the crowd couldn’t hear. That was their design: this way the terrorists didn’t know they were on to them, and the crowd wouldn’t panic, the resulting chaos of which, would give the terrorists cover.

There were several more dampened shots and relays of hostile positions, Duke took out two more, when a crash alerted him, after which there was a steadily, louder-getting heavy sound. He turned his head back into the side street and saw a big tanker truck barreling down it. Several cars were behind the truck. Further down the road the police barricade lay in ruins - the crash must have been the truck barreling right on through. “Damn,” Duke muttered and came into action. He ran back alongside the roof, while relaying the situation through his mike and jumped. He grabbed a drainpipe on the way down and slid alongside it. Even as there were several explosions - undoubtedly caused by his brothers and sister in arms fighting more terrorists - Duke pushed off the wall, and turned around in the air. He landed on the nose of the big tanker truck, the front of which was deep red. Dropping his rifle on the hood of the truck from where it fell to the ground, Duke grabbed the side rearview mirror and slid in place. Luckily the surprised terrorist was sweating like a big in the heat, and had decided to lower the window, or Duke’s next action would have been a lot more painful. In one smooth movement part of the swing around the rearview mirror, Duke smacked his fist across the terrorist’s face, who immediately jerked to the right, and the truck went with him.

Duke opened the door rapidly, pulling the steering back to the left while sitting down in the truck - pushing the terrorist further to the other side with his other hand. Duke kept the truck from just barely smashing into the walls of the four-story building he had just been lying on. While the terrorist pulled out a gun, Duke hit the brakes, the truck starting its screeching halt. The crowd just in front of the truck turned around in startlement and looked with wide eyes, some bolting off to either side. The sudden deceleration pulled Duke and the terrorist forward. Duke forced himself back - the terrorist’s shot went wide, the bullet going just in front of Duke, out through the open window, to finally smash into the wall of the building on the other end of the alley. Bennet pulled his own gun, and his shots hit, the terrorist’s brains splashing against the side window. “You should’ve bought glasses,” Duke told the corpse.

Finally the truck came to a stop, not quite before it smashed into a few people. But with the slow down, the people were only mildly hurt, not dead if not completely crushed. Duke slipped back out, and climbed on top of the cabin, and then jumped on the tanker and ran to the back of the truck. There were three cars standing still, and five men had gotten out. They hesitated as they saw Duke appear. If they hit the tanker, it would blow up. Since the white men and a woman weren’t the type of terrorists who went in with the express reason to die, and if they died now in a fire sea they would fail to get to their targets, they hesitated. That hesitation was enough for Duke to take aim, and start firing. Four were dead right away, one managed to avoid the first shot aimed at him, but got killed with the second one. Several more terrorists tried to get out of the car, but before they could aim they were taken out as well.

“I guess they just had too much gas to be welcome,” Duke muttered, seeing the dead terrorists in various death poses. He slid down from the tanker on the right side then, and noticed his rifle sticking out a bit beneath the truck. He walked over, grabbed it, and then climbed back onto the cabin of the truck. He brought up his rifle and once more scanned the cloud, trusting that his blue UN beret would keep the people from fearing him. Luckily his trust was right; the people had a lot more things to worry about.

On the other side of the main street, Galal had already fired an RPG twice, taking out two trucks that had been reinforced to breach through the blockades on that side, while the rest of the unit were handling similar incursions, or more hidden terrorists amongst the crowd. Part of the crowd was panicking, the other part was too stunned to be anything else. A building onward, Brinna saw that Galal wouldn’t be able to reload on time to take out the final reinforced hummer, barreling toward the crowd and the presidents. The blonde jumped powerfully forward off the five-story building, going down sharply. She reached the other side of the street, grabbing the drainpipe she’d been aiming for at around two and a half stories from the ground. She gritted her teeth at the sharp jolt. Her gloves took most of the impact, but her hands still smarted. On the ground she pulled her gun and jumped forward. Firing, she blew out the hummer’s windows, killing the driver of the hummer at the same time.

Brinna landed on the hummer, and opened the door. She pulled the driver out, letting him drop to the ground, and slid in the driver’s seat. Even as she got in, she shot at the four remaining terrorists in the car, three of which were in the back seat. They got off two shots, and one grazed her right forearm, but she ignored it. She hit the breaks and then looked back. Several more of the Arabic, most likely Muslim, terrorists were on foot a bit behind her. She grinned and put the monster car in reverse, then put the pedal to the metal. The hummer raced backward with smoking tires. The terrorists looked shocked before they started firing at their own reinforced car. One of them loaded a missile launcher, but never got the chance to fire it as Brinna threw the car sideways and slammed into five of the eight terrorists, the one with the launcher among them. The car bobbed up and down as it crashed over the men, audibly crushing bones. Brinna got out, and rolled. One of the remaining three terrorists missed a shot because of it, and lost his life as a bullet from Brinna slammed into his heart. The Amazonian blonde rolled off to the side, avoiding a shot from the remaining two, and killed them too.

She got up, and walked in the direction from whence she came, starting to reload her gun. As she did so, she looked to her right and saw one terrorist she crashed into still alive, groaning as he tried to sit up, and bring his gun to bear. Brinna stopped and told him casually, “So you’re the guys who would like me to sit inside a house, and cover myself from head to toe all the time, huh? I guess this proves that you should try switching with your women, would probably make things run so much better at your home.”

“Bi- . . .” the terrorist managed to groan out as moved his gun in Brinna’s direction. A shot rang out, and with a hole in his forehead the terrorist slumped into darkness.

“Yah, yah, yah, what else is new?” Brinna muttered, and then ran back to help out with whoever or whatever remained.

Back at roundabout things started to quiet down. Duke had taken down another few terrorists that had managed to breach the crowds, others were taken down by the other unit members, the guards in the tuxedos, or the cops on the motorcycles that had ridden up front. Then it happened. Several of the tuxedo-wearing guards were gunned down as a terrorist and his identical twin came from the crowd on the right forward side of the roundabout. The guards fired, the terrorists ducked. Another guard was shot down, even as gunshots seemed to miss or go through the terrorists, who switched places constantly. “*****!” Hotaka’s voice sounded across the mike. “He’s got some kind of hologram with him. If I fire through the hologram, I’ll kill the Prime Minister!”

Duke came into action, jumping high over the crowd, landing on fence keeping them back, and immediately jumped forward. As more guards were gunned down, Duke jumped up onto one of the limos in the long queue, and jumped forward from the roof, reaching the greenery. While Duke took several more large running steps, the terrorist had removed all the obstacles between him and the Belgian Prime Minister, who looked at the black males, obviously frightened but keeping a lid on it. Duke stepped on the trunk of the car, and jumped forward, head and arms first. He sailed straight through the first terrorist aiming at the Prime Minister - obviously the hologram - and then crashed into the second. The gun went off, but the shot went wide, and the bullet entered the grass of the middle circle some ways off. The terrorist hit the ground first, while Duke sat up on his knees. The two of them still slid onward across the pavement. Duke’s right fist pulled back, and then shot out. It crashed against the man’s chin, and he slammed with the back of his head against the ground. To be sure, Duke flipped the man over, pulled some cuffs they had gotten for this specific mission, and cuffed the man’s hands behind his back.

Behind him, the hologram kept moving forward and firing uselessly at the Prime Minister who looked at it with wide eyes. Duke grunted, and searched the man, finding a white belt around his waist with several buttons. “Don’t worry, ma’am,” Duke said as to the right of him Brinna arrived, smoothly jumping over the fence as people made way for her blue UN beret. Duke continued, pushing the off button, “Just a hologram.” The hologram disappeared.

Duke turned around and regarded the striking female Belgian Prime Minister. Her skirt reached to her knees, and fit nicely to accentuate her hips. The blouse fit snug around her prominent but not too big breasts. The jacket she wore over it was open where needed, and it didn’t conceal her curves, flowing around her body. Her lips were red, and the lipstick was the only makeup relatively thickly applied; the rest was applied evenly, and with a gentleness to show her femininity, but not become too obtrusively prominent. “I suppose I owe you my life, as well as these men,” the Prime Minister spoke, sadly indicated the dead guards, “Mr. . . .”

“Duke Bennet, ma’am,” Dukes said, saluting slightly with a grin, letting his eyes roam over her body. “And I must say, the pleasure is all mine. Mmh, mmh.”

Brinna groaned, and groaned more as the reporters, flashing photo cameras, and a lot of tv cameras came charging in now that the shooting was over. The Prime Minister looked with wide eyes at Duke, and said, “Thanks . . . I guess . . .”

[3D Master]

Author's notes: Feedback always appreciated!

<font color="blue">Chapter 2: One Calm Prime Minister before the Storm</font>

“Thanks . . . I guess . . .” the Belgian Prime Minister spoke, and that’s where the television screen froze in the army tent. Duke was standing front and center, Colonel Gavenlock a bit off to the side, next to General Burroughs who had the remote in his hand. Behind Duke, his squad was sitting on chairs behind their mess tables, taking the seat.

Bristling the British General took several steps forward, and turned to face Duke. He pointed backward at the screen, and bending forward into Duke’s face as he spat out, “BENNET! Not only did you hit on Prime Minister Vanderlingen like she’s a common bar hussy! BUT YOU ALSO DID IT IN FRONT OF EVERY GOD DAMNED NEWS CAMERA IN THE BLOODY WORLD!!”

“What can I say, it /was/ my pleasure to meet her . . .” Duke spoke, then added before he pissed the general off even more, “sir.” The male members of his unit snickered, and stopped the moment the general flicked his angry eyes toward them. Brinna just sat there with her arms folded across her ample chest in annoyance.

“Lieutenant,” Burroughs hissed out slowly. “You are the most inconsiderate and insubordinate pig I’ve ever met . . .” Duke’s eyebrows raised but stayed put. “Frankly, how the hell you managed not get your ass kicked out of the American army before this EDF business even started is beyond me. Must the same reason you’re not out of here yet; your uncle the General must have been protecting you - and your father before his untimely death.”

“Bullshit . . . sir,” Duke told the general slowly with narrowed eyes. “I’m still here because I get every job done in the fasted most expedient way.” Then he spoke dangerously, “And keep my father out of this”

The two had a staring match for a few moments, and then General Burroughs told Duke clear and slowly, “/You/ will stay the bloody hell away from any head of state in the next few years, got that, soldier?”

“No can do, sir,” Duke told him calmly. The general’s anger grew several levels, easily visible on his face. Duke explained, “Prime Minister Vanderlingen asked me out on a dinner date to thank me for saving her life. It’s hardly my place to disappoint the Prime Minister of Belgium, sir.”

“Stay the hell away from her,” Burroughs hissed in repeat, turned left, dropped the remote on a table and started walking toward the tent’s exit.

“Yes, sir, although I wonder what a pissed of Prime Minister will do because I stood her up when I explain to her /secretary/ I was ordered not to go by you, sir,” Duke spoke calmly, a smirk on his face.

General Burroughs stopped abruptly in his tracks, thought for a moment, and then turned around. “Bennet,” he said slowly and dangerously, “you will make absolutely sure not to piss her off, /then/ you will keep away from every head of state, clear?”

“Crystal, General,” Duke replied. Then the General turned back around, cursing obscenities as he stalked out of the tent.

Once the General had left the tent, the squad started to loosen up and get ready to talk, when the Colonel turned to face them. “Bennet!” he called sharply, shutting everyone up. “Duke, damn you! You got any idea what kind of an ass chewing I got from him and several more generals? For god sakes, Lieutenant, do what he says and don’t ever do /that/ again!” He pointed at the still frozen screen with a grimace.

“Yes, sir,” Duke answered.

“Why the hell don’t I believe you?” Gavenlock spoke slowly. Duke shrugged. The colonel sighed and then went to his own place, leaving the squad.

The squad burst out in talk over the event. Duke turned around, and looked at Brinna. “Well, what’d’ya think of that, Bombshell?” he asked with a grin, making the squad freeze up and look with fear at the big-breasted blonde.

Dangerously the Swedish woman spoke, “Do you think, Bennet, that just because your father’s dead, I’m going to take pity on you?”

Duke grinned at her, and Brinna surged forward, managing a glancing blow on his chest before the rest of the squad managed to drag her back. “Let me at him, damn it! He deserves it!” she screamed trying to move forward, but after a few moments the squad’s number advantage grew too big and she was pinned down onto the floor. “Let me go, you scum suckers!” she screamed out muffled.

Duke looked at the scene with a wide grin, and then Galal looked up and said, “Duke, will you just get dressed for the damn date and get out of here so we can calm her down?” Duke shrugged and turned to leave. “Hey, what the happened to your father anyway?” Galal added, grunting to keep the screaming blonde woman under control.

“He and my mother died in a plane crash when I was fifteen, spent the rest of puberty with the uncle general,” Duke spoke matter-of-factly and then went to his bunk to get put on an appropriate attire.

*****

Wearing a tuxedo, Duke sat in the couch of the tastefully furnished living room of Prime Minister Vanderlingen. The dinner had gone well earlier, and Duke was waiting for the beautiful woman after she said she was getting some more wine, which was starting to take pretty long. He noticed the open brief case on the table once again, and finally couldn’t curtail his curiosity - figuring she wouldn’t leave it open if there was anything sensitive in there. He bent closer and shifted through the papers. He noticed an odd name, and murmured, “Doctor Proton?”

“Yes,” the answer came. Duke looked up as the Prime Minister entered wearing a high-slitted black gown with a deep cleavage. In her hands she held two wind glasses and a bottle of red wine. Duke smiled as she noticed her lovely left leg was now constantly on display, she had obviously changed. As she came over and started pouring the wine she explained, “He’s the genius scientist, expert in subspace physics apparently, who is the biggest candidate for getting the head position on the project to build us space ships, new weapons, defenses. Basically make Star Trek a reality . . . technologically at least.”

Duke gave a contented sound, and said, “That’s good, being able to kick some alien asses when needed.” The Prime Minister sat down, crossing her left leg over her right, making the dress fall back and put her smooth leg on display. “Hmm, Marielle, this is a nice wine.”

“Thank you, Duke,” she said with her lightly accented English. “I must say I’m glad about this, as well as your comment. I was elected three years ago, and since then no man has ever ‘noticed’ I was a woman. I was just Miss Prime Minister this, and Miss Prime Minister that; everyone far too afraid of offending me. You’re the first one since then that has noticed I’m a woman. I may be the Prime Minister, but that doesn’t mean I’m not a human female as well.”

“And what a female too,” Duke complimented her, letting his eyes glide over her luscious, red lips, taking in her deep brown eyes, then let his eyes go down to take in the rest of her body, and what a body. Her bosom and leg that were on display were magnificent, and Marielle Vanderlingen, Prime Minister of Belgium basked in Duke’s appraisal of her femininity.

She shimmied over, taking in Duke’s amazing physique, looked deep into his eyes, and said, “Duke . . . as I’m not married, and everyone’s been peeing themselves in fear around me the last three years . . .”

“Say no more,” Duke said, and pulled her head closer before planting a scorching passionate kiss on her lips, which she eagerly returned. The kiss deepened, the Prime Minister starting pulling of his tuxedo’s jacket. She moaned a bit, and Duke helped her get it off. Then he suddenly got up, and picked a suddenly surprised Marielle off the couch and slung her over his shoulder, hand on her ass. She laughed the surprise off, as Duke said, “That way to the bedroom, I take it?”

“Yes,” she answered and Duke started walking. “I should call my guards,” she added as she relaxed on Duke’s hard muscles.

Duke grinned unseen as he told her, “They’d be out cold in two seconds flat, and I wouldn’t even need to put you down.”

“Oh, Duke,” she muttered before being tossed onto the bed they just reached.

[Parkar]

Brinna Hallestrom

Brinna = Burning in swedish so I would be pretty suprised if a swedish woman was named that http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Hallestrom sounds like either Hellström or Halleström

I would go with something like "Linda Hellström" if I wanted a real swedish name adn stay rather cloase to what you already have. Of course that might not be what you want and frankly since duke is an american fictional character a fake swedish name almost fits better since thats what you expect from american fiction.

My 2 cents on the actual storry. I think it started realy good but all that terrorist ass kicking stuff seamed out of place some how.

[3D Master]

Parkar said:
Brinna Hallestrom

Brinna = Burning in swedish so I would be pretty suprised if a swedish woman was named that http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Hallestrom sounds like either Hellström or Halleström

I would go with something like "Linda Hellström" if I wanted a real swedish name adn stay rather cloase to what you already have. Of course that might not be what you want and frankly since duke is an american fictional character a fake swedish name almost fits better since thats what you expect from american fiction.



Hey, have you seen the nutty names people come up with? The equivalent of 'shit' I've heard as a name, she just had freaky parents who luckily came up with at least a passable name - it isn't 'shit' or 'stupid' or 'pink' or something along those lines; Burning works pretty nicely I think. The 'o' in Hallestrom should have a diagonal dash through it, but copy + paste from word processor removed it apparently. Of course; burning + something that sounds like stream from hell --> Bombshell. http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif


My 2 cents on the actual storry. I think it started realy good but all that terrorist ass kicking stuff seamed out of place some how.



Not to me, this is BEFORE the aliens arrive, the creation of the EDF, what else kind of asses is Duke gonna kick? For the answer to that; stay tuned for the next chapters. http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[zworqy]

"Duke Bennet" hehe http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Parkar]

Actualy the o with a dash through it does not exist in swedish. The swedish counter part is ö. Of course a swede can have an o with dash in her name since danish has it so it would just mean her family name is danish or something. And brinna means burn to be gramaticaly correct not buring as I wrote it, not that it realy changes anything

Naturaly there is no aliens around but It still felt wierd somehow. Not realy the fact that he fights terrorists more more like ... can't put my finger on it. Maybe its coz I have a hard time pictureing my self anti globalisation activists turning into suicide bombers.

Anyway since I dont realy have any constructive crits just ignore me http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

edit: When I read Bennet all I could think of was former swedish pcgamers editor in chief Jocke Bennet. And belive me he does not look like duke http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[3D Master]

Parkar said:
Actualy the o with a dash through it does not exist in swedish. The swedish counter part is ö. Of course a swede can have an o with dash in her name since danish has it so it would just mean her family name is danish or something. And brinna means burn to be gramaticaly correct not buring as I wrote it, not that it realy changes anything

Naturaly there is no aliens around but It still felt wierd somehow. Not realy the fact that he fights terrorists more more like ... can't put my finger on it. Maybe its coz I have a hard time pictureing my self anti globalisation activists turning into suicide bombers.



Ah, but they weren't anti-globalsation activists! There were muslims, christians, jews, and a few more religions fanatics and very rare non-religion. The anti-globalisation activists of today would rejoice at what's happening in the story. Those activists of today only oppose OUR globalization because it's nothing more than the contued exploitation of the poor for the benefit of the rich - either in the cities of third world countries or the western countries. The reporter DID mention the religions you know, and how the global government would go against their ideas of god.

Further, the ones that hesitated I made specifically clear they had no intention of suicide if not necessary. Although willing to die for their cause, if they can fulfill their cause without dying they'd happily stay alive.

I have the feeling you need to reread the story, because you seem to have missed a lot. Was it late when you started reading it or something?

[3D Master]

AARGH!

Somehow I managed to miss the name 'Graves' on the DNF trailer movie until just now. It'll be changed from now on, also changed on my website version, but I can't edit the two parts above, so just imagine 'Graves' instead of 'Gavenlock'.

Kinda odd I actually picked a similar name, heh.

[Parkar]

Ohh, then I remembered incorrectly, actualy read the first part when you posted it, only read the last part this time and remebered somethings I felt like posting. Should have reread it I guess.

[3D Master]

<font color="blue">Chapter 3: The War Starts</font>

“With this signature, I - as president of the Chinese Democratic Republic - give Tibet back their independence; we will pay restitution within possibility, and help rebuild what our unenlightened ancestors destroyed,” the first elected Chinese president spoke, holding up the document with his signature. The Chinese parliament clapped. “The same way; Taiwan is considered completely independent from China, and any ridiculous claims on the land from the past is gone.”

“Damn,” Duke Bennet muttered as he zapped away to another channel. They were in the barracks of their EDF base, formerly of the British army.

“Why?” Hotaka asked Duke, as the rest of the team were around the barracks doing different things, about half of them watching along with Hotaka and Duke.

“If these keeps up, we’re out of a job and we can forget about doing any asskicking ever again,” Duke spoke seriously. “Almost makes one wish the aliens hurry up and get here.” Several of his squad mates chuckled half-agreeing.

“Eating, drinking, asskicking and ass******* is the only thing on your mind, huh?” Brinna question from a few off, reading some soft of Swedish book that was interesting to her. Duke suspected it was a romance novel about hunks making women howl.

“And?” Duke asked her, looking over his shoulder blinding continuing to zap away at the tv.

“There is more to life, you Neanderthal,” Brinna told him with narrowed eyes.

“Yeah, performing a job so you can afford to do good stuff. Lucky for me I’m smart and made one of the good things my job,” Duke told with a grin. The blonde, sex goddess and elite warrior just narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head.

“Hey! Back!” Galal shouted out. Duke turned his attention back to the tv and let the channels cycle back. “There!” the Arabian spoke and Duke held. On the screen was reports of a communist uprising in the rural country of China. Apparently the Communists hadn’t been completely beaten. Views of tanks and explosions were on the screen as the Chinese national militia fought back as best they could, both sides taking hits.

“Ah! Just when you’re about to despair, the good commies return to offer their asses for my asskicking pleasure,” Duke said with a big grin. “Almost makes you decide to vote for them next election, eh, guys?”

“Before you start selling your bear hide, Duke,” Hotaka spoke up amid chuckles. “Perhaps you should wait until the EDF actually gets called in. For all we now the Chinese solve it themselves in no time flat.”

“ATTENTION!” Colonel Graves voice rang out, as simultaneously the doors to the barracks opened. The squad jumped up and came to attention. “Don’t know if you heard, but this just in. Communists are uprising in China, and his apparently been going on for a few days, but the Chinese government decided to keep a lit on it and try to solve it themselves. They have seen forced to formerly request the UN and the EDF’s help. The UN secretary-general with his security advisors granted their request. We’re going to fight some Communists people!”

“You were saying?” Duke said looking down at Hotaka. The Japanese just looked back annoyed.

*****

“All right, people,” Colonel Graves called out over the heavy sound of the rotor blades of the large transport helicopter. It was day, and the craft’s red lamp burned. “You’ve all been at the briefing, you know what to do . . .”

“We go in, and we kick some communist ass,” Duke summed up smoothly.

Graves and the rest of the team looked at him, and he shrugged. “True,” Graves conceded, then added. “Also, we don’t kill any civilians they may use as shields. Keep the innocent casualties low people; I know you all like to blow things up, don’t overdo it.”

“What are you looking at me for?” Duke wondered out loud.

Graves shook his head, and added, “We’ve got several objectives, people, taking over the communist infested town is one of them, I want the town still standing when we’re done. The communist infested caves you can level with the ground. For all you English challenged folks, let me repeat, in simplest terms: town - standing, caves - leveled, got that?”

“Yes, sir,” they answered.

“Alright, for all you not English challenged, keep an eye on the ones that are, I’ll have your asses as well if it’s the other way around!” Graves called sharply again.

“Yes, sir,” came the simultaneous answer.

Graves shook his head, and said, “I have a bad feeling about this.”

The pilot came over the intercom, “We’re over the target area, stand by.”

Graves nodded to everyone, and a few moments later the light turned green. “GO!” Graves commanded, and a few moments later the first of fourteen elite soldiers jumped out the helicopter, Graves being the last.

*****

After having stashed the parachutes away, the group of commandos had made their way across the grassy terrain until they were lying on a ridge, peering at the town of their target with binoculars. Several four wheel drive vehicles, a tank and a lot of people armed to the teeth were crawling around the place. The main road through the town made mostly from wood let out the other end to bigger places. A minor road to the right would lead to the caves they could level. Suffice it to say, most of the squad members were eager to finish off the communist presence in the town so they could get to the demolish work.

“I say we just walk in and start shooting,” Duke said softly.

Brinna groaned and said, “Which part of not leveling the town didn’t you get, lame brain.”

Duke looked to his right at the blonde bombshell, and said, “I’m willing to listen to alternatives if your aim isn’t as good as mine.”

Brinna grimaced, and then said, “Bennet . . .” She paused looking left and right, finding all of her squad mates looking at her. She finished softly, “One of these days I’ll slip through the other’s fingers and I’ll kick your ass.”

Graves took charge of his team, ordering, “Brinna is right, Duke. I’m perfectly confident of all of your aim and my own, just not of theirs.” Everyone including Brinna made a chuckle. “Stealth is the key, people; the rocks to the right should cover us, as well as the bushes to the left. Anyone any questions?” There were none. “Move out.”

The team moved out, crawling on their bellies.

*****

The communist walked to the ditch, zipped down, took out his penis and started peeing. He relaxed with a relieved sound. He suddenly looked shocked, his piss fluttered about and a hand wrapped around his mouth to keep him from calling out in pain. He was pulled back and dragged away. Once the body was out of sight, the man doing the dragging, revealed the bloodied knife from the dead communist’s back. “Yuck,” Gallal muttered wiping his hand clean.

Next to him Duke chuckled softly, and whispered, “Never done that before? I usually wait till after their done.”

“Never one pissing,” Gallal whispered back.

Duke was looking over, and noticed how other two man teams took out several of their targets. They made several signs, and then continued onward.

On the other side of town, Brinna, Graves and Hotaka snuck along a wooden building’s side, and found three communist standing ‘guard’ with their guns pointing up. Brinna aimed her suppressed rifle, and made three quick shots, taking them out. “So, you were really checking out my ass?” Hotaka asked her softly.

Brinna looked back at him, and said, “Don’t you start with me.”

“Sorry,” he returned softly.

“I’m gonna kill him,” Brinna repeated privately to herself.

“Focus,” Graves said, taking a successful shot at a communist on the roof of a building.

Back with Duke, he wrapped his arm around a Chinese communist and as he dragged him back behind the corner he wrenched. With a quick crack, the communist’s neck broke and he slumped.

Duke peered around the corner, then grinned. He took in the others positions for a moment, and then pulled back. He turned to Galal and said softly, “Well, here’s where the stealth part comes to an end, and the fun starts. Ready the launcher.”

Galal nodded, pulling the missile launcher from his back that Duke too had strapped to his. Once the Arabian was ready, he nodded. Duke himself pulled out his trusty assault rifle, and jumped out from behind cover. He aimed at the guy sitting on the roof and took him out with a single shot. Other machine gun fire could be heard around the town, and a little ways off to Duke and Galal, the large contingent of communists in several cars and a tank looked surprised then got ready for action. Duke fired and several of them went down. The communists started shooting back, and the tank’s turret slowly start turning toward them with a rumbling sound. Galal emerged from behind Duke, crouched down, aimed, and fired the rocket launched. With a stream of smoke the missile launched away. Galal quickly went back behind the wall, putting the launcher away.

With a mighty explosion the tank was obliterated, pieces of it falling down among fleeing communists. Galal returned from behind the wall holding his pistol. People started coming from the houses, checking up on the suddenly loud sounds of battle. Duke and Galal ran forward, shooting down the communists trying to find new cover. A rocket shot down from the roof of a building, smoothly blowing up a Jeep. From building to Duke’s and Galal’s right came a man holding a gun. With one quick twist, Duke shot the man. Duke grinned as he and his team mate took down the few remaining communists still trying to come to terms with their destroyed tank. Then the two moved on, entering a building.

Back with Graves, Brinna tossed a grenade into an onrushing jeep. The communists yelped and jumped out of the moving car just before it blew up. Graves and Hotaka shot down the scrambling Chinese men. “That’s why I’ll never drive a convertible,” Brinna said with a grin amidst sounds of gunfire and more explosions.

She blew the brains out of another well-armed communist coming out of the building in front of them, and they entered it.

With a simple kick, Duke kicked in the door. It swung open with a crash, and smash against the wall to the right - no one there. He and Galal stepped into the bedroom, rapidly scanning it. A woman sat huddled on the bed, covering to children that peaked from out behind. “Please, don’t kill me,” she said in Chinese.

“We’re not here to kill anyone except communist scumbags, lady,” Duke returned equally in Chinese, as he and Galal entered deeper, looking around the bedroom, but no one else was present.

Duke nodded, and the two went back out to the hallway, where they continued onward. “Didn’t know you could speak Chinese,” Galal mentioned as two yelling and armed men came from around a corner.

Duke and Galal each shot one of them, and Duke answered, “Just don’t ask me to write any. Twenty-five hundred different symbols were just a few too much.”

“I hear ya,” Galal answered as he jerked his head quickly around the corner. Then he slid in forward into the middle of the corner, gun aimed. Duke followed right after and then they ran forward. Finding stairs and having finished the first floor they climbed them.

Half way the stairs at a corner a rain of bullets smashed into the walls next to them. Duke pulled back, then jumped forward, twisted and shot one of the main firing down. Then he jumped back in time to avoid the next hail. The second time it was Galal that jumped up and forward and finished off another communist. The two of them surged forward, and jumped up on the second floor. The floor went in three directions - one directly alongside the stairs having two bodies, and one long hallway going both ways forming a t-shape with the first. Four doors opened at the same time. Two men came out two of them, one in the first hallway, and one in the t-beam. The final two doors opened in the other side of the t-beam, each emitting one armed communist.

Galal took the two coming out one door in the t-beam, while Duke did the same with the ones on the other side. Shots rang out, and four communists went down. The other two communists fired as well though. Galal let out a painful roar, even as Duke was already turning and ducking beneath the hail of gunfire. With a quick controlled burst from his own assault rifle the two remaining men were killed.

“How bad is it?” Duke asked, keeping an eye out for more opening doors.

“No prob,” Galal told Duke, getting back up straight. As he reached back with his left arm to his backpack, he added, “Just a graze to by right elbow.” He pulled a bandage out his backpack, and wrapped it tightly around his arm. “Good to go,” he finished, and Duke nodded. The two commandos continued on their way.

A quick sweep of the floor proved they had taken out all the communists here, and so they took another set of stairs up to the roof. Once upon the wooden building, they went over to the edge and checked out the sandy streets with grass growing on the sides. They took in the aerial view, assessing the situation. They quickly homed in on the biggest building - and the only building using some stone in key areas - in the town; from the official marks it was town hall, and they saw how the enemy was quickly falling back to it. Several communists rand down below in the street, firing at some of Duke’s and Galal’s team mates. With a quick burst of machine gun fire the four communists were shot down.

“We need to get to the town hall,” Galal voiced both their observations.

Duke chuckled, confirmed, “Yeah, and blow up some communist ass.”

Not taking the same way back, they slid down a slanted outcropped roof just below, which was built like that to protect from the sun and have some shade. Once they were on the ground, they started running. First right - the same direction the communists they just shot were going - then bending immediately left. Several more communists came from side streets, a few jeeps already heading down the road. Duke and Galal didn’t stop running, they simply aimed and fired while doing so. Multiple communists were shot down, some turned and tried to shoot them, but they were no match for Duke’s and Galal’s aim. From the roof another EDF commando fired a rocket, blowing up a Jeep, and damaging another. The communists tried to scuttle out, but Duke’s and Galal’s gunfire ended that notion quickly.

About minute after they slid off of the roof they reached the town hall, or rather the last buildings before the small square in front of it. They were apparently just in the Communist’s range of fire - or just outside of it depending how one looked at it. A grenade was lobbed or fired from one of the building’s windows, and both Duke and Galal jumped aside. Duke to the left, Galal to the right. A moment later the grenade arrived and exploded - harmlessly since the two commandos had just gotten out of the way.

Duke chuckled and said, “They wanna play rough, we’ll just have to play rougher.”

Galal nodded in agreement and pulled his missile launcher from his back again. Duke did so too, putting the assault rifle where the launcher had just been. A moment later both had placed a rocket in the gun. Galal said, “On three.”

Duke nodded, and they jumped back to the middle of the street. Crouching down, Duke counted, “One . . . two-” Both EDF soldiers pushed the fire button and two rockets were on their way. “Hey, you cheated,” Duke accused Galal.

“So did you,” the Arabian returned as the rockets flew through windows and exploded. With a mighty explosion the town hall was torn apart; pieces of wood and stone were launched everywhere as most was vaporized. Burning sawdust and black smoke covered the sky. One communists was flung from the building like a rag doll, screaming all the way till he landed on the ground with a crunch.

“Now that’s what I call a big bang,” Duke said with a job-well-done grin. Galal agreed with him.

“Bennet, al-Ahmed!” Graves thundering voice sounded. The two commandos turned around as Graves, Hotaka, and Brinna came jogging in. Others of their squad came from other directions to look at the devastation. “Didn’t I tell you to leave town standing!”

“It’s just one building, the rest is still standing,” Duke commented with a satisfied grin.

“It’s a wooden town, how about the fire!” Graves answered them.

Duke and Galal turned back and noticed the roofs of the two closest buildings to the town hall being on fire - set ablaze by the burning sawdust. “Oh, yeah,” Galal said sheepishly.

“We just have to put out the fire, big deal,” Duke muttered.

“AARGH!!” Graves yelled.

*****

Fifteen minutes later, after finding the town’s water well, and some heavy lifting and tossing, along with some help from the locals the fires were put out. The squad was standing in the middle of the town in front of the town hall’s wreckage considering it a job well done.

Once the fires were put out though, the people in the town had other things to focus on. The people had surrounded the heavily armed EDF squad, and shouted insults at them, throwing pebbles and the occasional rotten fruit at them. “What are they saying? Ow,” one of the EDF soldiers asked.

“Killers, murders, same old, same old,” Duke spoke in answer.

“You’d expect at least some respect for saving their asses from the communists,” Galal added.

Brinna looked incredulously at the Arabian and told him, “You just blew up their town hall, I’d be pissed too.”

Duke caught something from the corner of his eyes and whirled around. He pulled his pistol with his right hand from his left hip holster in the same move, and fired once. An old woman made a scream that got cut short to a gurgle and dropped to the floor dead. The entire crowd went ballistic, screaming blood murder and attacked the EDF squad with their fists. The squad pushed the people back, knocking a few out the with the but of their guns.

“Duke! What the *****! You shot that granny!” Graves yelled in rage as Duke calmly walked over to the woman he killed.

Duke bent down, and examined the woman, who had her right hand below her vest at her bosom. Duke grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand free - clutching a gun in a death grip. “Yeah, and she was about shoot us,” Duke said with a grimace.

“That old granny was a commie? Shit, this world seriously ***** up,” Hotaka observed as the squad managed to get the crowd under control somewhat.

Duke got up, and observed the town’s inhabitants. Graves observed the same thing, and said, “Come on, people, move it. We’re not an occupational force, and we’ve got another target to take out.”

“Yes, sir.”

*****

Duke was in his element. The cave was dark, but the night vision goggles helped with that. Communist bastards intent on world domination, starting with taking back China everywhere, and hardly any of his mates in sight, who had their own cave to deal with. His automatic rifle spit death everywhere - another few bad guys dead, their brains splattered on the floor. Duke walked forward, and turned the corner, pulling the trigger, then aiming more accurately. The two communists in the well-lit room at the end died almost instantly. Duke strode onward, and suddenly three more bad guys jumped in the line of fire from and into the tunnel. Their guns fired. Duke jumped to the side, flattening himself with his back against the tunnel wall, even as he aimed and pulled the trigger of his rifle. One communist went down, while the other two jumped back.

Duke surged forward with speed, and as he reached the mouth of the tunnel jumped. The communists still expecting him to be in the tunnel and moving back in for another salvo were too surprised when Duke came sailing out through the air. He blew away the right communist, then twisted in the air. By the time the second communist came into view, Duke had flown past him. The communist was ducking away, firing - Duke was better, and hit him thrice in the torso.

Bennet took in the rest of the room and found no more bad guys; he did however find a nice fire. He took off his goggles, pushing them higher up his head, and took a better look. He found an easel with a blue print on it, as well as Chinese writing. “What the hell were they planning?” Duke muttered taking in the gibberish writing to him. There were a few more papers on scattered on the ground. He grabbed them, and the blue print on the easel, finding a schematic drawn map underneath. He took that too, rolled them all up neatly and stuffed it into his backpack, from which he immediately took a bomb. He went to the back wall and mounted the explosives on it, as he had done in a few more tunnels and rooms. Finished arming the device, he went back the way he came.

*****

When Duke came back out of his cave in the mountain range, he found the few that were left behind to guard still waiting. Brinna had returned from her cave earlier than Duke obviously, and not long after more came back from their foray into the many cave entrances. “Colonel,” Duke said, pulling the rolled up papers from his bag. “I found these, they’re up to something.”

Graves took the papers and rolled them out, and Duke added, “Better send it to the brass and have someone who knows Chinese check it out.”

“I thought you knew Chinese,” Brinna spoke, as the last few of their squad returned from the caves.

“I speak it, I don’t read it,” Duke answered all business.

Graves made a quick inspection of his men to be certain they were all here. “Blow it,” he commanded, and one of the commandos that had remained behind took out a detonator and activated it. With a series of mighty explosions, and resulting bursts of fire from the mouths of the caves that brought a smile to Duke’s and the others’ faces, the caves were completely destroyed, collapsing in on themselves.

Graves pulled out a communicating device not much bigger than a cell phone. It slid open revealing a small LCD screen and several buttons. He pushed a button and after a few beeps the device came further alive, an EDF general appearing on the screen. “Colonel, report,” the general spoke.

“All enemy soldiers taken out, hiding caves wiped out, sir,” Graves spoke solidly. “We found the following papers, you might want to have people check them out and translate them.” Craves then turned the communicator over and pointed camera down at the papers. He pushed another button and their was a flash. Then he moved the device and did the same again, then again until all of it had been photographed and transmitted to base.

“Understood,” the General spoke, and then added, “and you all might want to see this . . .”

The screen of the communicator changed to the view of a male reporter, the MNN logo on the television screen. The whole of squad except a few remaining on look out bent in. Behind the report there were the smoking ruins of a building. “We have found footage by a tourist of the actual explosion,” the reporter said, and the screen turned to the footage. The Chinese government building on the screen, which exploded with a massive fire ball and plume of smoke. The exploding building zipped to the side a bid, admitting a smaller picture of the reporter, who spoke, “For all of you just joining us, that is footage of the Chinese government building being destroyed. We have confirmation that the government was in session at the time, and are most likely all killed in the explosion, although some officials have refused to give up hope. The first democratically elected Chinese government seems to have been killed and . . . hold on . . .” The reporter listened to the piece in his ear, and then added, “The Communist Liberation Army of China has claimed responsibility for the attack- . . .”

The screen on the communicator was cut off, putting the general back on it. “The stakes just went up, way up,” he spoke harshly, as Graves and the rest of the squad looked grimly at the screen. “The Communists are playing for keeps, so we will too. I’m sending you new target information now, familiarize yourselves as you head to the pick up point. A chopper will pick you up, and give resupply you with more ammo. Good luck.”

The screen went black, and Duke voiced everyone’s feelings, “Damn, those Communist bastards are gonna pay for that.”

[3D Master]

Little question: what's more clearer: using /italic/ to denote italic and *bold* to denote bold, or (just) making them italic and bold. In the latest chapter both italic and bold is used, above that just the slashes.

[3D Master]

<font color="blue">Chapter 4: Something Amiss Amongst the Righteous</font>

The sounds of gunfire filled the night sky. The village Duke’s squad had dropped in was now a war zone. The squad of elite warriors had taken the place by surprise, and in combination with a lot of sneaking around and strategic placing of explosives, the communists never stood a chance.

Duke was on the roof of a building, Galal next to him. A tank drove across the darkened road down below - the night vision goggles helping out. The tank’s turret turned to aim at one of their mates. “This time it’s mine,” Duke said, and Galal gave him a go-ahead gesture. Duke pushed a button on a small device, and there was a mighty explosion right under the tank - resulting in a bigger explosion as the tank was blown to pieces. “Ooh, I love blowing shit up.”

“Watch this one, Duke,” Galal said with a grin and brought his rocket launcher to bear. Duke looked in Galal’s aiming direction and noticed several cars trying to get away. A moment later the rocket launched from Galal’s launcher. After a short flight it crashed smoothly in between the three cars, sending all three flying and going overboard. Duke snickered as some gunfire from another position took out the survivors.

Duke turned to survey the scene of panicking communists who most of the time had no idea who hit them and where the fire came from. “I can top that one,” Duke said and pointed out a tank and a car. He waited, waited. The tank came to a halt pivoting its turret to the left toward Brinna and Graves, whose guns didn’t help much against the heavily armored tank. “Now,” Duke said, pushing a detonator. There was an explosion, right under the tanks tracks and the pivoted turret. The tank’s left side was destroyed; and the turret was launched off the tank before the tank completely was destroyed in a following explosion. The turret slowly pivoted through the air, then came down, right on top of the truck crushing it and its occupants. “I love it when a turret and a car come together,” Duke commented with a grin, and Galal shook his head smiling.

The two pulled out their regular guns, and started shooting down armed communists on foot who hadn’t been taken down yet. Ten minutes later the village was cleaned out and the squad joined together in the middle. Several people hesitantly came out of their houses, and looked fearfully at the EDF team.

“Hey,” Duke’s team called out friendly in Chinese. “It’s over; you’re free once more.” The people stayed afraid, and kept their distance, some returned fearfully back into their homes. More came out with suitcases and started running out the village, or taking a carrier bike with their entire family and left as fast as possible. The EDF squad frowned at that.

One man swallowed his fear apparently, and walked over, a lot of the civilians watching with a morbid fascination. The man spoke out in his native Chinese, “Are you going to destroy this town now?”

Duke took a step forward and asked in Chinese, “Are all of you a bunch of bottom-feeding, terrorist, communist bastards intent on world domination?”

“No,” the man answered bitterly.

“Then why would we want to do that?” Duke returned.

The man gave a bitter smile, and said hatefully, “Ask that the inhabitants of Diwal, and Lunan the EDF leveled with the ground.” The man then turned and walked away.

“What did he say?” Hotaka asked a frowning Duke.

“He asked whether we were going to kill them all. I said we had no reason to, and he answered we should ask the inhabitants of two towns he said the EDF destroyed,” Duke translated, thinking it over.

“Colonel,” Brinna spoke up calmly, “do you think the communists destroyed those towns, making it look like the EDF and that’s how they got all the support here?”

“Hmm,” Graves answered.

“Something’s wrong here,” Duke said with a finality, as the people who had earlier returned inside also came out with their important stuff, leaving just like the others, all giving the EDF team hateful glares.

“You mean beside the obvious?” Hotaka questioned him.

Duke was about to answer, but Graves communicator interrupted the conversation. Graves answered and the same General appeared on the screen. He was obviously anxious, and said, “I’ve got a new mission right away, abort this one if necessary.” The General continued onward like a freight train, overriding Graves attempted reply, “You hit the mother load, Colonel. We have the maps translated, it seems the communists know of an abandoned hidden nuclear missile facility from the dark ages of last century’s cold war - one we weren’t aware of - one that they think has operational ICBMs with live nuclear warheads. They are not entirely sure about the position themselves, so they sent several different teams to several different locations . . .” The screen of the communicator changed to a map, highlighting several points. “. . . you will investigate the coordinates nearest to you, while other squadrons have been dispatched to the others. I don’t need to explain to you how important it is you take these bastards out, before they can their hands on this stuff. The transporter should be arriving about now.”

“Moving out right away, sir, we can hear it already,” Graves answered, and indeed the sound of a heavy helicopter became louder already.

*****

A short while later, the team was inside the super heavy transport helicopter, sitting in their new, parachute-equipped, four-man, rapid assault buggies. The cargo bay door slowly lowered as one of the helicopter’s crew hung over the colonel’s buggy. “SORRY ABOUT THE UNARMORED VEHICLES, COLONEL!” the man yelled over the sound of wind and rotor blades become more powerful as the bay doors opened further and further. “BUT THE GENERAL THOUGHT SPEED WAS OF THE ESSENCE IN SEARCHING FOR THIS PLACE AND THE DAMN COMMUNISTS!”

“ARE WE TALKING OR KICKING ASS!” Brinna yelled out in annoyance.

“ALL RIGHT, GO!” the crewman ordered, and the train of four buggies drove out the helicopter, jumping a meter before landing violently on the ground.

As the helicopter took off, Duke called out, “Hey, I expected more for my money. Where are the loops, the sharp turns-”

“This isn’t rollercoaster, Bennet!” Brinna yelled at him from the other buggy.

“My mistake,” he returned, Galal snickering next to him. Duke put the buggy in gear, and drove off, a spray of sand shooting up from the rear tires. The other three followed him.

*****

The dune buggies reached a hill top and slowed down. They surveyed the valley in which another hill was placed. Nothing there; no communists. They had reached the most likely coordinates a while earlier and found nothing. Now they were looking around. “Nothing again,” Graves said and was ready to go on.

“Hold it!” Brinna exclaimed suddenly, and everyone looked either to her, or to the hill. She adjusted her goggles back and forth, and then said, “That heat signature is wrong - that isn’t solid dirt and rock. That’s . . .”

“ . . . metal,” Duke supplied. “Bombshell here is right.”

“Brinna,” she hissed in reply, making Duke grin.

“I’ve got an entrance,” Galal muttered, having his goggles zoom in.

“And another one,” Hotaka added, the squad members nodded.

Graves took in the situation, and said, “They’re either not here yet, or they’re already inside.”

There was a low sound, a grumble. A cone emerge from a section half-way the hill. “Take a wild guess,” Duke spoke with a grimace.

“Alright, split up, one group takes one entrance, the other the second one,” Graves quickly ordered. “We gotta stop them before they can launch.”

The squad didn’t need to answer, they simply put the pedals to the metal and drove with best speed down the bumpy hillside and to the nuclear launch facility disguised as a hill.

Once there, Duke stopped the buggy and jumped out immediately; followed by half of their squad, Galal at his side. “Okay,” Galal started, “On three or what?” Duke didn’t say anything, he just smashed the grass covered door with his foot, and it swung creakily open. Echoing gunfire came out right away, making everyone jump aside, and Galal said, “No count at all, of course.”

The moment the firing paused Duke ran inside. The place was a like a giant metal hall, or hanger. Several cross beams with walkways were half-way up the ceiling. Nuclear missiles lined in neat rows; a walkway in between each one. A wall third of the way of the hill took the rest of the facility from sight. Four armed communists were visibly present at the moment. One of them was straight ahead, another two were up on the second level. A second was off diagonally to the left, and ducked behind a missile. Echoing gunfire erupted again, this time Duke’s gunfire was part of it. The one straight ahead went down. Duke aimed up and left, a second communist went down as bullets slammed next to, above, or in front of Duke into the facility’s building material. Duke ducked, and blasted the second communist on the second level, as bullets from the communist’s latest strafe slammed in the wall behind Duke, and would have killed him if he was still standing. Duke jumped, a little to the right, and let his machine gun fire again while still being in the air. The communist appearing back from behind the missile was dead, as his bullets harmlessly went underneath the jumping Duke, slamming in the wall behind him.

Galal and his team mates took exactly one moment, and not a moment longer to admire Duke’s natural affinity for gunfights, then streamed in behind him. Galal saying, “Never seen anything like it.”

“I ain’t the best for nothing,” Duke said with a grin, keeping an eye out for more communists. Once his team was in - and echoing gunfire sounded from the compartment beyond somewhere, where undoubtedly the other half of their squad was encountering resistence - Duke ordered, “Fan out, see if any more are hiding between the little weapons of mass destruction.”

They quickly found there were more hiding, and the responding echoing sounds of gunfire were deafening. With equally echoing screams of pain, the communists went down, but not before one of Duke’s squad mates got hit as well. He gave a yell of pain, and once the communists were dead, the others came to check up on him. One of them was already checking him out. “I’m fine, just took one in the elbow, just means I have to shoot with the other hand,” the European man said with a grimace.

Duke nodded, and said, “You wait here, we’ll be right back.” The man wanted to protest, but Duke didn’t give him the chance.

“Let’s go,” Duke said and turned to walk to the dividing wall, and then to the door leading to the next section, which was in the corner. Once more Duke simply kicked the door down. The sounds of gunfire erupted, but not at them. Duke entered, and shot a communist in the back that was firing somewhere else - most likely the other half of their team. Behind him the rest entered. The new section was similar to the old one - filled with neatly aligned missiles, but with one big difference. In the middle was square walled-off section; most likely the control room.

Several nearby communists noticed the new entries and turned to face Duke’s half of the squad. Wasting no time; Duke’s half once more fanned out, as they fired back. Once again the almost painfully loud echos filled the building. Duke sprinted off to his right, killing a communist on the high beams, then went left toward the middle. Another communist, and Duke ducked to the right, avoiding his bullets, and then killed him with a well-aimed shot. Duke pulled his pistol along with his rifle, and twisted around as he came across the next side way. The missiles stayed calm as Duke gunned down several communists on either side, then continued onward. There a few missiles were a little less calm, some spitting out some smoke as if ready to fly off. Duke sneered to himself, firing his guns at the next crossway, muttering to himself, “These bastards better not think launching is a nice thing to do, if they want enough of themselves left to reach the next life.”

In no time Duke reached the middle structure, and next to the entrance he reloaded both his automatic rifle and his pistol. The rest of his half of the team arrived moments later, Galal muttering, “Why the hell do we even bother coming along?”

“Beats me,” one of the others said.

“To keep me all warm and fuzzy,” Duke answered, kicking against the new door, which easily held. “Damn, reinforced.”

“Warm and fuzzy, coming up,” Galal said, pulling out his rocket launcher and walked a few ways off while loading it.

Duke grinned and he and the rest put some distance between them and the door. A moment later the rocket zipped across the distance, and exploded, shredding the door and much of the wall to pieces, showing a nice big hole - and one two communists. One bloodied and dead, the other bloodied and crawling as he moaned in pain. As another explosion sounded from the other side, Duke strode back in range and killed the communist with a shot through the head. The hole revealed a narrow hallway, which from the looks of things was nice and square, surrounding another final inner structure.

Duke took a look inside, and backed up as two hails of bullets assaulted him. The bullets didn’t come from humans this time around, but an automatic turrets mounted in the ceiling on either corner of the hallway. Duke signaled to one of his mates, and then with a practiced motion both rolled into the hallway, coming up kneeling on one knee. Immediately both of them fired, hitting the turrets. The turrets hail of fire completely missed, and a moment later the perforated turrets stopped firing. As the rest of the team entered the hallway, Duke said with a smile, “Sometimes you wish you brought the anti-rust cream.” The rest of his team mates chuckled.

Duke and his fellow turret-demolisher got up and ran toward the ends of hallway, the others following one of them close behind. Both peered around the corner, peering up to spot more of the turrets. Duke saw the one on his side being covered in bullets before it stopped, and then splatters of blood hitting the wall, after which a jerking, dying communist fell into visibility. On the other side it was duke’s mate that blew up the turret. Duke walked into the narrow hallway, and then Brinna appeared on the other side. “Clear, except the inner sanctum,” Duke called lowly, indicating the dark side hallway in the middle of the hallway.

“This side too,” Brinna replied and more of their squad mates arrived. Duke became aware of the rest of his half arriving behind him - he figured the other side didn’t have a side hall. He walked forward as Brinna did the same, and Graves and Hotaka came into view. Both of them took a quick peek around the new corner and new hails of gunfire erupted. “I counted four of the damn things,” she said in annoyance.

Duke nodded, “Two high, two low.”

“Let me handle these,” Hotaka said with a grin, pulling several pipe bombs from his backpack.

“Hurry it up,” Graves ordered.

Hotaka held the four pipe bombs and juggled as he took a quick peek around Brinna and the corner to get a more accurate position of the turrets. He quickly pulled back as bullets zipped past him. He looked at Brinna for a moment, and she rolled her eyes and said, “If you want to clown around, get the proper makeup.”

“Sorry,” the Japanese guy said, and then deftly threw the pipe bombs into the short hallway. A moment later he pushed the detonator. As the final bullets slammed into the wall, there was a big explosion, the four of bombs blending together, and a jet of flame. Then there were the sounds of crackling fire, and Chinese shouts to hurry from behind the half-destroyed door the turrets were guarding.

“Colonel, I'm thinking we take one alive to interrogate,” Duke said.

Graves answered, “I’m thinking the same, let’s go.”

Duke, Brinna, Hotaka, and Galal were the first to charge into the short mess of a hallway. Duke kicked the half-destroyed door off it’s broken hinges and, and they entered, finding five communists in a computer room. Two of them were sitting in a chair, and the other three were standing. They latter three had guns and started firing the moment they could see their enemies. Duke and Brinna ducked and rolled to either side, while Galal and Hotaka and the EDF soldiers behind them flattened themselves against the crumbling walls.

Four shots later; two from both Duke and Brinna, the gunmen and one of the hackers were dead. Duke walked over to the frantically pushing-buttons remaining hacker and smashed a powerful fist across his jaw, making him slump into unconsciousness.

*****

“Finally awake, huh, you scum-sucking . . .”

“Duke,” Colonel Graves interrupted, as they looked at the tied-up terrorist coming to. The terrorist was tied onto the chair in the middle of the control room. “A thousand word insult doesn’t help much, ask the questions, goes faster.”

Everyone looked at Graves, and Duke was the one to ask, “I thought you didn’t know Chinese?”

“I don’t, but I understand the tone,” Graves said, and then pointed at the communist who was just about appearing lucid.

Duke grunted and bent over the communist computer and/or nuclear expert. “All right, smart guy, start talking. What more have you bastards got planned?”

“What plans?” the communist retorted.

Duke slapped the guy hard across the cheek, and then said, “I repeat; what will be your next target?”

“We don’t have a target, you EDF pigs!” the communist spat out, remarkably the last was in English.

“Well,” Colonel Graves spoke out with satisfaction, “look at that, he speaks English. That’s fortunate. Hello, son, I’m Colonel John Graves, and I’m your friend. Quite simply put; you tell me what I want to know, and get to keep this guy off your back.” The communist snorted. “Let’s start with your name, son,” Graves asked.

The communist chuckled, shrugged, and said, “Tsang Heng.”

“Well, Heng,” Graves asked him. “Tell me, now that you’ve blown up the Chinese government, and failed to get nuclear weapons; what will you do next?”

Heng laughed out loud, and not a ha- ha-got-you-evil-overlord laugh, but a laugh of utter amusement. “That’s a good one, really!” Heng managed to say.

“What’s so funny, pally?” Brinna asked the guy with a frown.

“We blew up the Chinese government?” Heng asked her in disbelief.

Duke interrupted, “Who else?”

Heng snickered, and then asked, “Tell me, blondie, ever since this war started the Chinese governmental building was the most heavily guarded building in the whole ***** world. So exactly how do a couple of understaffed, underarmed, and unorganized people that can be found and defeated by a mere bunch of EDF squads blow it up, huh? Explain me that!”

They stayed silent for several minutes, and then Duke got back down in the guy’s face, and said dangerously, “Who the ***** else?”

“You know,” the communist returned.

“You’re going to tell us everything you know, or- . . .” Graves was cut off by rhythmic sound. The EDF squad looked up as it became louder. A few moments later four men in smooth combat gear, that could almost be qualified as evening wear came into the control room.

“A job well done, Colonel,” the lead men spoke, taking out an ID, “EDF intelligence; we’ll take the communist from here.”

Graves and the rest of his team checked out the ID, which turned out to be completely real. The man’s associates went forward and took hold of the communist, who started screaming profanities as he was cuffed, untied from the chair, and dragged along. “You have prevented a grave disaster they had succeeded in launching, but we are better equipped to interrogate Mr. Tsang.”

“We- . . .” Duke started.

“Don’t worry, Lieutenant Bennet,” the suit spoke calmly and resolutely as a screaming Heng was dragged past him. “Your associate is being given medical attention, and the building was sufficiently- ventilated for us to pick up some of the conversation on our way in; if there’s a third party playing both us and the communists, we’ll identify them. I believe you will soon get new orders. It was pleasure, gentleman and lady, have a nice day.”

The man took his ID back, turned around, and walked back out the way he came. “Hey!” Graves started when his communicator beeped. He took it out and opened it.

“Colonel,” General Rittel spoke from the communicator. “Great job! It’s come to my attention that your squad has seen more action than any other squad out there. So, also as a reward for saving all our asses again, you are given a few days leave. Take your time and enjoy yourselves, people, you’ve earned it.”

Most of the squad cheered softly at that announcement. Graves said though, “But, sir . . .”

“That’s an order, Graves,” the general spoke jovially, “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth and all that. Rittel out.” The communicator went dead. Graves grimaced, through lines creasing his brow.

*****

Duke looked out the transport helicopter as it flow almost peacefully across the Chinese landscape. Brinna and Graves were doing the same, and Galal was taking them in. The others were happy. Duke, Graves, and Brinna had entered the helicopter with reluctance, watching as the base was now swarming with EDF troops. Their one wounded was taken by a faster medical helicopter, as they were flown to the main Chinese EDF base.

“No offense, Colonel, but this sucks,” Duke spoke up finally, no longer able to keep it in. The happy chatter died down and took in Duke. “There’s something seriously wrong here.”

Graves didn’t answer, Hotaka however did, “When are you saying, Bennet? You don’t think they can find this third party the communist alluded to. He was probably lying anyway.”

“Yeah,” Brinna answered for Duke, “Just like an entire village fleeing for us; and a granny trying to blow our brains out . . .” Galal took her in, as well as Duke and the curiously absent-from-the-discussion Colonel.

Another member of their team took offense, and said, “What? You can’t be serious? The EDF? What would we want to do? Take over the world? We kinda already did that if you remember.”

“I don’t know what’s going on, but something is, I can smell it. Something stinks about this whole deal,” Duke said thinking out loud, “and it ain’t our farting. ”

“We’ve got leave people, just enjoy it, and stop trying to think things out the higher ups be thinking out as well,” Graves suddenly interrupted with vehemence. “That’s an order.”

Duke gave an annoyed sound, and went back to staring out the window.

[3D Master]

<font color="blue">Chapter 5: Family and Friends in High Places</font>

The grey barracks were nothing if not generic and Spartan. The bunk beds had two night stands. One on either side, one for both occupants. The night stands often had some personal belongings displayed, and those were about the only things in there that were out of the norm. Indeed, only the recreational part of the building which sported as much as two TVs, two dart boards, and a Super Playstation with either tv were the only other things non-minimal in the building. Those of course, could be seen that way, the soldiers needing the occasional well-deserved relaxation. In this setting, Duke sat on his bed in his barracks, thinking deeply. Galal was lying above him on the high bed. Duke looked up becoming aware of an annoying, insistent, but silent presence. To his surprise, he found Brinna looking down on him.

“Something’s wrong,” she stated with conviction.

“And?” Duke retorted, as above him Galal sat up, interested in where this conversation was going.

Brinna looked at him with an impatient expressions, before answering, “And I want to know what you’re going to do about it.”

“Who says I’m going to do anything about it?” Duke requested her with aloof face.

Brinna groaned, bent down, much to Duke’s and Galal’s delight, and she said, “Don’t give me that. I saw your face in the chopper, you’re planning something, probably kill every EDF and communist soldier in China just to make sure you didn’t miss any bad guys.”

Duke suddenly grinned, his eyes twinkling, and he told her, “Damn, that could be fun, and I hadn’t even thought of it yet.”

“Bennet,” Brinna hissed, holding up a fist, “I can start with the asskicking now, nobody here to stop me this time. Now spill, I want in.”

“Who says any of my plans include anyone but me?” Duke asked more seriously.

Galal decided to cut in, “What are you gonna do, Duke? Take on the whole world all by yourself?” Duke craned his head out and up to take in Galal, as Brinna straightened up to do the same. “Yes, that means I want to know what the hell is going on as well? How did the suits manage to get in there so fast after us? We’re the best of the whole world and sitting on the side lines? I want answers man.”

Duke made an annoyed sound and then got up, after which he said, “Let’s go, I thought it best to start with the colonel. Come on.”

Galal hopped off the bed, and then the three of them left the barracks.

It took them a minute to get to Colonel graves office in the executive barracks, which wasn’t all that more luxury. The just as grey office as their barracks had a dark, wooden desk, and there was one neat pile of paperwork on it. Further there was a computer, a few baskets containing more papers and the occasional other office supplies. Graves himself was sitting behind his desk, and at the knock on his door he barely looked up as he said, “Come in.”

“Colonel Graves, sir,” Duke spoke as he reached the desk. Brinna came to a stop to his right, and Galal to his left.

Now the colonel looked up and took the three of them in. “What the hell do you three want?”

“Simply put; get to the bottom of this crap hole,” Duke said gruffly. Then as an afterthought he added, “sir.”

“I think I already told you what you can do with that,” Graves spoke gravely.

“Sir,” Brinna said, shuffling a few centimeters forward, “Why are old ladies willing to pull guns on EDF personnel? Why are people fleeing a town we just freed from communists? How did the suits get to the facility so quickly after us? How did a bunch of hardly organized communists that just got their asses kicked get into the most heavily guarded city and government building in the world? Something severely stinks around here, sir, and it isn’t the men and their horrible bathing habits for a change.”

Galal added to complete the picture, “Hell, where did they even get the weapons, tanks, and the rest necessary for this and funds needed to buy them? Quite frankly, sir, I don’t believe you think nothing’s going on.” Graves sighed. Galal asked, “So what are we going to do about it, sir?”

“What can we do about it? We got orders,” Graves stated with annoyance.

“That’s what the Nazis said, and I would have loved to kick their asses,” Duke replied with force. This time he didn’t bother with the ‘sir’ at all.

Graves looked up at him, wheels turning in his head. He finally sighed, acknowledging Duke was right, and said, “But there’s nothing we can do. They didn’t give us leave and stuffed us here for nothing.”

Duke grinned, and said, “Sometimes it pays to have family in high places.”

*****

Where the barracks and colonel Graves office were Spartan, EDF orient Headquarters and General St. John “Bulldozer” Bennet’s office were down right criminally luxurious. The place was filled with paintings, luscious carpets, and beautiful windows and doors. In fact, the whole place was designed by an architect that could only be described as an artist, and the headquarters one his masterpieces. Of course, the building wasn’t originally meant to be a military headquarters, but that didn’t mean the Generals had decided to strip its insides from all the nice, shiny things.

As all around the four of them - Colonel Graves, Duke, Brinna and Galal - EDF soldiers, most of them in presentable styled uniforms for public relations reasons, were busy with all kinds of non-combative tasks, they stood gazing around the place for a few moments, until Duke said, “Looks like an old-wives, tea parlor.”

“Yeah, that’s probably all they do here; drink tea,” Brinna agreed with Duke, a rarity.

Galal smiled and added, “Well, at least they do something.” The other three looked at him, and he shrugged with a grin, and then they smiled.

“Well, let’s get goin’,” Duke said and started moving forward to the double doors that would lead into his uncle’s office.

As they neared a door a slim secretary in a flattering skirt uniform barred their way. “Sirs, you cannot . . .”

“Out of the way, babe,” Duke interrupted, pushing the brunette aside. He turned her head at her though just as he slammed his palm against the doors, and added, “but I might call ya later.” As the doors swung open, Brinna groaned at Duke’s cheap come on.

The general’s office was just as bad as the outside, except that there were less people. Duke’s uncle sat behind his wide, luxurious desk, and apart from one secretary sitting on the edge of it going over some papers with him. They both looked up as the foursome purposefully strode in the large, shiny office and over to the desk. “Uncle,” Duke greeted curtly with a smile.

“Duke!? What the hell are you doing here?” General Bennet spoke, the smile on his face showing he wasn’t angry.

“Normally, I’d be here for a visit, but I’m afraid this is business,” Duke said with a smirk, the secretary looking surprise.

The secretary they had tossed aside came in after them hastily, and said, “I’m sorry, sir, I tried . . .”

“It’s alright, Edie, it’s my nephew, go on back out,” the general spoke with a gravely, rolling voice that showed where his nickname came from. The secretary left, and the second secretary still on his desk looked at him questioningly - probably wondering whether she should leave as well. St. John Bennet gave a her a quick shake with his head, and a pat on the desk showed she could stay put. “What kind of business, Duke?”

“We’ve come across some disturbing things, uncle St. John,” Duke said and looked over to Graves to start talking.

The colonel was face to face with the general in charge of the area, a famous and well-respected one at that. Obviously he was nervous, as was Galal, Brinna either didn’t seem to know, or didn’t care, she was just as cool as always. “Well, sir,” Graves started, “as you undoubtedly know . . . we just came back from a mission . . . and given leave time . . . for no real reason.” Graves took another breath, and as he started continuing his tale, his nervousness fell away, going on auto pilot, “We were sent into a nuclear facility, all well and good, until we capture a communist alive. We interrogate him, he says they’re not behind the Chinese government building, and right at that moment some suits from intelligence waltz in, take the prisoner away. Then just as they suggest he will, our general calls up, and tells us we’re on leave, no longer having to worry.”

“Colonel,” General Bennet began, tapping his computer, bringing some file up, and then said, “I oversee this whole operation, however no man can do things alone. I give some basic orders and the people directly below me get to fill in the details. It’s true that the intelligence branch seems gruff and out of line, but no order has been given that doesn’t meet my approval. As for your leave you should take that up with the general overseeing the section your team belongs to, Rittel, I believe . . . right, here, it is.” Bennet read of the screen, reading, “Leave for consecutive high stress missions, nothing immediately wrong with that. And interrogating a prisoner should be left to the intelligence division.”

“Yes,” Brinna spoke with a slight disapproving tone. “That however does not explain villagers fleeing their villages after we get rid of the communists, as if afraid we’d burn or bomb the place into non-existence. It doesn’t explain a man outright accusing the EDF of doing exactly that.”

Bennet looked astonished, then over to his nephew, and Duke said, “It’s true, I had to shoot a sweet old granny attempting to shoot us. You put that, and our friends from intelligence together, and you get a load o’ crap.”

“That is disturbing,” Bennet spoke, but his demeanor changed, “the problem is, that I’m overseeing the effort to get red of the communists once and for all, Duke, I don’t have time to investigate, I didn’t really had time for this. I need to get back managing a war, the moment we’re done with the communists, I will make it my top priority to figure out what’s going on with the intelligence division. If anyone did something illegal without me knowing about it, they’ll go down harder than they thought possible. Now, leave me to my work making the world safe for democracy. Enjoy your leave, don’t worry about this anymore, I’ll handle it, and that’s an order.”

“Yes, sir,” Graves said, saluted, and then turned around to leave. Galal did the same, and then Brinna. Duke stayed behind a few moments longer, looking at his uncle, than shook his head in disappointment and followed his brothers and sister in arms out.

*****

The four of them had just left the Headquarters, and walked off the premises into the streets of Hong Kong. “Damn,” Duke muttered in annoyance.

Graves nodded in agreement, and said, “By the time your uncle starts his investigation, it might very well be too late. Whatever it is, that whoever is up to, has got to do with this war.”

“But what are we going to do about?” Galal asked without hope. “If the highest EDF guy and Duke’s uncle won’t do anything . . .”

“We’ll simply go higher,” Duke said with a grin, and pulled his cell phone from his pocket, which looked more like the communicator than a phone. A thin screen slid out, and Duke dialed a number.

“What? Who?” Brinna started, but Duke held up his hand because his screen came to life.

“You’ve reached the private number of Prime Minister Vanderlingen,” a recording stated from a computerized face. “She can’t come to the phone right now, lea- . . .”

“Damn,” Duke said turned off the phone, then connected to the net and searched for a number.

“The Prime Minister of Belgium?” Graves questioned remembering Duke’s saving of her life and the thank-you dinner date that followed. But she was a busy woman, no doubt having no time for military conspiracy theories - or the investigation of an alleged one even for the soldier that saved her life.

Duke had a dialed a number by now, and this time a human being spoke, “Belgische regering, publieke zaken, hoe kan ik u van dienst zijn?”

“Please, tell me you speak English,” Duke told the woman as he came to a stop, his co-investigators stopping around him.

“Of course, sir, Belgian government, public affairs, how may I help you?” the woman spoke.

“Ah, good,” Duke continued with a grin, “I need to speak to Marielle Vanderlingen, could you connect me?”

“The Prime Minister?” the woman asked shocked. Duke nodded. “Sir, with all do respect, she’s a very busy woman, you can’t just- . . .”

“Just tell her its Duke Bennet, she’ll take the call,” Duke interrupted her.

“Oh, you’re the one that saved her life,” the woman apparently recognized Duke’s name from the news.

Duke grinned, and started, “Exactly- . . .”

“I’ve very sorry, sir,” the woman interrupted again, “but that still doesn’t mean you just get to talk to her whenever you feel like it. Besides, I can’t put you through to her, but I will connect you to someone who might be able to, please hold.”

The screen went blank, except for the worlds ‘please hold’, and a lovely melody started playing. “Ah!” Duke said in annoyance turning off the phone, “that’ll take hours if not days . . . we don’t have that much time.”

“You could wait till she’s out from wherever she went and call her private number again,” Galal suggested, and then added, “How did you get her private number anyway.”

Duke grinned at his three companions, and then said, “Nah, that could take too long as well. Face to face she, nor any guards could ignore us . . . and I’ve got just the way.”

Duke opened his phone again, and dialed, leaving the other three looking at each other as if asking if he was insane. “Slipknot here,” sounded from the phone, and then he said, “Duke, what the hell do you want now?”

“Hey, Eric, me and three friends need to go from Hong Kong to Belgium in oh, say, forty-five minutes perhaps an hour,” Duke said with a grin.

In an instant the guy’s face brightened, and he said, “Well, why didn’t you say so right away! I’ve got you covered, Duke, you good for the fee?”

“Yep,” Duke answered, with the other three looked astonished.

“Hong Kong, eh?” Slipknot said, thinking a moment, “All right, you got fifteen minutes to get the helicopter pads of the Peninsula Hong Kong hotel.”

“We’ll be there,” Duke said, closed his phone, and put it away.

“Forty-five minutes? Who the hell is that?” Graves questioned.

“Was a friend of my father’s, he’s a grumpy old bastard with magic hands,” Duke said with a chuckle.

“Don’t mind him,” Brinna interrupted as the foursome started walking again, “I want to know how you think you can just waltz into a Prime Minister’s - wherever she is - and her not turn you away. Hell, for all you know that private number isn’t real, and she’d turn you away even if she wasn’t a Prime Minister.”

Duke gave a short laugh, and said, “I know the exact number how often a woman has to distinctly attest to the existence of god during a single night before she’ll always be happy to see you, that number is five.”

“You didn’t, you . . . you . . .” Brinna said in shock.

“Five times?” Graves groaned out, “Duke, I thought you’d just have dinner and leave - that was what the general ordered and we agreed upon, wasn’t it?”

“Eight,” Duke corrected with a grin, “and on top of that, I saved her life.”

“She must have been craving it,” Galal muttered.

“It had been years,” Duke agreed.

“You lucky son of a bitch,” Galal commented with wide eyes. “If only I were stationed in your position, than I’d have attest to the existence Allah.”

“Galal,” Brinna said a little shocked and mostly disappointed. “I expected better of you.”

Galal turned his head, grinning at her as they walked along the tall Hong Kong buildings and he answered, “I’m a Muslim, not a priest.”

Duke chuckled as Brinna groaned. She then spoke, “Bennet, damn you, at least tell me you used condoms.”

Duke turned to look at her and said, “Of course, just because I like to sleep with beautiful women, doesn’t mean I’m stupid.”

The Swede shook her head and muttered, “That hasn’t been my experience.”

*****

Indeed, fifteen minutes later, with a woosh of air a mighty plain arrived, before its humming went down, it’s landing gear came out, and then slowly lowered vertically down with a few jets mounted beneath the wings. It’s short wings angled from back to forward, underneath which were several big square engines. It had a long, wide, angular body, which came to a point, giving it the appearance of triangle. Once landed the large spacious cockpit canopy opened up, and a gruff, thick, grey-haired man in overalls stood up, grinning wildly. All but Duke looked with open mouth.

“Well, hi there, maties, and ooh, bombshell,” the man spoke, settling his gaze on Brinna, who’s eyes narrowed and she groaned in annoyance.

“Is that . . .” Graves observed in shock at the odd craft, “ . . . an SR-71?”

“Used to be,” Slipknot spoke with a huge grin. “Did me some modifications on this baby, just like those.”

Brinna folded her arms across her ample chest, and she growled at him, “These are real thank you very much.”

“Ooh, boy, that’s just what I wanted to know, dang it,” Slipknot said with a grin.

“I can’t believe it,” Brinna said growling and then turned to an innocent looking Duke. “Now I know where you got it from, but ugh, there’s someone actually worse than you.” The blonde shrugged at her accusation. Slipknot pulled out a small ladder and hung it off the cockpit.

“Man, this is a dinosaur,” Galal spoke as he grabbed the ladder and started climbing it.

“It used to be,” Slipknot spoke with a grin as the others one by one came up the ladder, finding a wide cockpit with four seats, two next to each other and behind them another two. “Made it a little shorter, made the cockpit bigger and passenger worthy, added more modern engines, and stuffed in a good hydrogen-subspace energy source. Can’t really fly around the world without several refuels if we just had the old kerosene.” He made a chuckle, as his four passengers put on their helmets. He grabbed the ladder and pulled it up, saying, “This ferrying passengers at stop speed business is a nice added income, but it doesn’t give me enough for a whole fleet of refueling planes, you know.” He closed the canopy and started pre-flight preparations.

“Can you even buy one of those already?” Galal wondered.

“Not really,” Slipknot told him. “You gotta know your people.” Then the plane lurched as it lifted slowly in the air. A high-pitched wine sounded, and they could see a faint blue glow coming from some openings in the top of the short wings. “Hold on, folks, here we go,” Slipknot spoke and pushed a button on his flightstick. A roar sounded as flames burned from the afterburners and the plane flew off, and rapidly increasing speed.

The four EDF soldiers made themselves comfortably as the plane started vibrating. “Say, old man,” Brinna said a little fear creeping in her, “aren’t these ships optimized for their flying to the extreme? Lowering stresses and all that? This things isn’t going to fall apart after your meddling with it, is it?”

“Of course not, I did the same, after all, you’re not talking to some two-bit, hobby boob, here,” Slipknot remarked with a little venom. “And don’t worry, once this baby hits high enough speed the little vibrations will disappear.”

Brinna looked to her right, giving Graves a not too convince look. Slipknot thought, piped up again, “Say, Duke, why you need to get to Belgium anyway? And what did you get yourself into this time?”

“Oh, need to talk to the Prime Minister about some serious shit being wrong in the China war,” Duke answered keeping it vague.

“Yeah, I figured something like that, since we got two bogeys on our tails,” Slipknot muttered. The other four exclaimed their surprise and tried to look around. “Seems you ain’t using a secure phone, old buddy, and this here thingy isn’t as invisible to that new age sensor stuff as it is to radar; gotta look into solving that.”

“Damn, whoever is responsible for this crap, sure as hell doesn’t want us finding out what they’re up to,” Duke said with annoyance, as the plane steadily gained altitude and the vibrations slowly lessened.

“Is this bad?” Graves asked.

Slipknot actually laughed, and said, “In general perhaps, but don’t worry about this baby. Nothing human-built that isn’t top secret is faster as this thing, not even the Aurora can keep with her. Isn’t that right, snoogums?”

Brinna’s eyebrows were high with disbelief at Slipknot petting the plane and calling it names of a lover. More so when the plan lurched ones with a little audible jolt and then the craft was completely still, as if the plane those answered the guy with a big, ‘Yes, honey.’ Then a shrill peep sounded, but the pilot casually kept flying. “Say,” Brinna spoke with a nervous feeling in her stomach, “correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t that warning sound mean they’ve got a target lock? Not to rain your on your speed parade and all.”

Slipknot chuckled as a verbal warning came through the communications array. “Say, Duke, is she your girlfriend or something? Because she sure sounds like it,” he asked.

“Why you little!” Brinna yelled, her hands clenching to fists. It took some control not to smash something to pieces - something that could be important to the function of the plane. “Him and me - NOTHING! Got that!? That’s insulting, and if you weren’t the only one capable of flying this bucket- . . .” Brinna trailed off as the warning sound became a little more shrill.

“Ooh, they fired two rockets,” Slipknot said with a grin, and pushed another button on his flightstick. The engine whine suddenly with up a tone in pitch, and suddenly there was a flubbering sound, a small bang. The plane suddenly lurched forward, pushing all its occupants even deeper into their seats. Behind the plane, the propulsion turned to steady bangs, making a small round cloud of vapor. “Look at that, the rockets can’t keep up, what a shame,” Slipknot said with a grin as the plane continued to accelerate at an amazing rate.

*****

Right smack in the middle of Brussels, in front of the governmental building, the modified SR-71 Blackbird, came to a halt. And then it slowly descended, downward flames keeping it from crashing to the ground, and they slowly shrunk till the wheels hit the pavement and the flames completely went down. Overhead a jet zoomed passed, unable to take a shot at the grounded plane because the resulting explosion would hurt innocent bystanders as well as the government building. Those bystanders, both tourists and people working and living nearby, looked with open mouth at the unexpected display.

The canopy opened, and four EDF commandos jumped out, as security personnel came running at them from the government building. On the second floor of said building, the vertical landing of a plane right smack in the middle of the governmental square obviously did not go unnoticed. The Prime Minister of Belgium looked outside with raised eyebrows, which shot even further up as she recognized the first man jumping out of the plane. “Duke?” she wondered out loud. The other people of her government behind her looked at her in askance, but she ignored them. She resolutely turned away, and walked to the exit of the room with great strides and a determined face.

The Belgian security officers screamed orders to surrender. With a smooth motions Duke and the other four stepped forward, closing the gap between them and the advanced security personnel rapidly. Duke grabbed one man’s pistol, twisted it up, and yanked him around. He let go to elbow a second guy in his cheek, who went down easily. Brinna close to his right swept a woman’s legs out from under her. Continuing her motion she caught up to a man trying to get to her from that end, and she grabbed his outstretched gun. With a quick motion she turned around, and pulled him up and over her shoulder, making him land painfully on the floor, unarmed, his gun now belonging to Brinna. Graves knocked a man away from with an uppercut, than grabbed another guard’s rifle and swung him around, loosening him from his gun. Galal at the same time bashed a gun from a woman’s hand, caught it with his other, while he used his first hand to push her into his companions.

A female guard swung her rifle aiming right at Duke’s chest. Duke grabbed the nuzzle and pushed it rapidly up, rotating around. The woman grimaced in pain as her wrists strained at the superior force. A moment lather the rifle was placed against her right over her heart. She was still holding the gun, but so was Duke and his finger was at the trigger. She looked in shock, and heard more guns being armed. A moment later four EDF commandos were standing in a sem-square, with about two dozen security guards swarming around her. Both sides having guns pointed at them.

“Hot damn,” Slipknot muttered from his cockpit, casually leaning on the windshield of the cockpit. “They must have been expecting us.”

Everyone took in the man’s words for a moment, and then refocused at the center, as Duke said, “Indeed, nice party, although not much of a surprise.” He smiled at the terrified woman who had her own gun pointing at her heard. Her vest would protect her from death by a bullet like this, she knew, but it would still hurt like hell, and she was going to get a whole lot more then one bullet, which could prove fatal.

“Put the guns down, you’re outnumbered,” a male guard spoke up, apparently the leader of this sorry bunch. “You fire and you’re just as dead.”

“Really? Are you certain about that,” Duke spoke with a calmness and a grin that made the man doubt his words.

Colonel Graves then added, “What you really should be asking though, is whether or not you or your people are willing to die, and whether we are.”

The man hesitated, letting the standoff go on, until a thunderous, yet female voice rang out from the entrance of the government building, “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!!” Marielle Vanderlingen, Prime Minister of Belgium, came walking out of the middle one of the narrow top-rounded portals above which were Greek-style pillars and triangular roof and were the entrance to the government building. She just came from an conference with international dignitaries where she spoke English, so with the security forces already speaking English because they knew who was coming, she automatically continued into English.

“Ma’am!” the leader said shocked. “You should stay inside. These are dangerous communist sympathizers who violated our airspace, the EDF warned us about them.” Duke and the other three’s eyes narrowed angry at that.

“That, Captain, is Duke Bennet, the man who saved my life six month back. I had a privilege of talking to him at a thank-you dinner after, and I can tell you this, if there’s one man who is not a communist sympathizer, it’s him!” she said angrily. “Now put the damn guns down, or I’m going to pick one up and shoot you myself, captain!”

“Yes, Prime Minister! Guns down!” the captain called and the security forces put their guns down. The four EDF commandos put the stolen guns on the ground, except for Duke who turned the rifle back the right way and gently pushed it into the woman’s righted hands.

“And you!” Vanderlingen shouted with authority, making the captain look startled, but soon noticed she was addressing the grinning blonde male. Duke looked at her with a smile and waiting raised eyebrows. “What the hell are you doing landing that- that- monstrosity in my backyard!?”

“Hey!” Slipknot called and than soothingly petted the plane whispering something.

Duke’s smile just widened, and said, “I didn’t land it, he did.”

“Don’t get semantic with me, Bennet,” Vanderlingen said dangerously.

Duke’s face went completely serious, and he said, “We need help, it’s very important.”

Vanderlingen reeled back up straight from her predatory stance, and she took in his words. “You . . .” she said with authority pointing at Duke with her right index finger, then turned it around and beckoned him that left nothing to do but obey, and finished, “. . . come with me, you . . .” she pointed at Slipknot, whose eyes widened, “. . . get that damn thing off my lawn and onto the national militia’s airfield, and you get back to your posts.” With finality she turned around and strode back to the entrance, and the onlookers slowly started going back into motion.

“Whhpshh,” Galal mimicked the sound of a whip.

“Yowza,” Slipknot muttered in approval, sitting down.

Graves took a step forward and muttered, “What a woman.”

Brinna took a step forward, and said softly, “I like her, she isn’t as bad as I thought, but uh . . . only eight times?”

“At least four were multiple,” Duke returned soft enough none of the dispersing security could hear.

“Ah, that explains the leniency,” she said as behind her the plane started powering up, “now hut to it Dukey, your woman has ordered.” She chuckled.

“You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?” Duke asked her as he started walking after the Prime Minister. Brinna nodded with an evil grin. Duke grinned back, and said, “Too bad for you, so do I.” Her smile faltered.

“HEY DUKE!”

Duke turned around, looking at Slipknot. The older man tossed something, and Duke caught it, looking at another cell phone. “Secure, I’ve got a feeling you’ll be needing me again, use that one this time, toss your insecure one,” he called and then pulled down the canopy.

*****

A few minutes later they reached a private conference room, a few guards went to stand outside. Inside Vanderlingen and the four EDF commandos sat around a table.

“So what’s so important? And why the hell does the EDF want you captured or killed, I thought you were the EDF,” Vanderlingen gently demanded with a rather concerned face.

“We are,” Duke spoke, and he and the others started telling the tale. Of the villagers cursing them, the old granny wanting to kill them, the implying that the EDF had leveled whole villages even before the war started, the captured communist, his statement that they hadn’t blown up the Chinese government, the quick interference from the suited intelligence people coming out of nowhere, trying to convince his uncle, and finally seeing only one remaining option and that was get to her.

Vanderlingen for her part, fell from one amazement to the other, eclipsed only by her concern. At the end the woman grabbed her forehead and rubbed it as if she had a headache. For a moment she wanted to warn Duke that if this was a joke, but she doubted her once bed partner had the pull with his uncle to pull this big one off, at least at war time. “I will have my security and intelligence people start an immediate investigation, undercover obviously; if the EDF is corrupted . . .” she looked up and took the commandos in, and she said, “They’ve got jurisdiction everywhere in the world as you know. They will come, hell they’re probably already here, and although they aren’t allowed to attack a country or its government without express permission from the UN council, the other countries are going to wonder why I blocked the EDF’s entrance to this place . . .”

Graves caught on, saying, “You want us to hide and elude them somewhere else, so you can have plausible deniability.”

Vanderlingen’s voice turned to a poor whimper, as she said, “But how can the security forces of our little country handle the EDF’s elite commandos? We caught them with sheer numbers when they landed, but they soon escaped, I don’t know where they are.”

“I’m starting to like you more and more, but why him?” Brinna asked the Prime Minister with a grin, pointing at Duke.

Vanderlingen took the blonde in for a moment, and then said dryly with just a hint of hostility, “The obvious reasons.” She turned back to the subject at hand at said, “You’re friend is going to have to hide is plane somewhere else as well, satellites will find it far too easily.”

Brinna mimicked Vanderlingen’s whimper, saying, “And your poor, little country’s airforce couldn’t possibly detain a plane faster than the Aurora.”

“Bingo,” Vanderlingen said, smiling her earlier hint of hostility to the woman gone now. “I need to be able to contact you once I find something.”

Duke pulled out the secure phone, clapped it open and looked around it a bit, pushing a few buttons. He soon found the number and told it to Vanderlingen, who wrote it down, as she asked, “That thing secure?”

“Yep,” Duke returned.

Vanderlingen take the four commandos in, and then said, “Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, not many people willing to sacrifice themselves getting to the bottom of stuff like this.”

“When we started, we weren’t under the impression we were; not fully at least,” Galal told her gingerly.

“Indeed,” Graves said, standing up and shaking the beautiful woman’s hand with appreciation. Some quick goodbyes later, had either go in their own direction.

“I’ll get you some Euros so you can get around,” Vanderlingen said, shaking Brinna’s hand. The blonde greeted back.

When Duke came around for the goodbye, Vanderlingen gave the tall, muscular man an actual hug, and she said, “You stay alive, I happen to like you.”

“No problem, babe,” Duke returned the quick hug.

*****

The four of them found themselves back out on the street after an excursion into a clothing store having made good use of a part of their spending money, now wearing less conspicuous clothes than their standard army fatigues. Duke was in jeans, a red, short-sleeved blouse with a white t-shirt underneath, sneakers, and a white cap. He had wanted to put on some dark shades, but the others had said that would make any EDF investigator check him out first, and he concurred. Graves was in jeans and a black turtle neck, while Galal was wearing black designer pants, with a white shirt on it and designer shoes. Brinna wore a knee-length, fluttering skirt, and a spaghetti-strapped red top that left her midriff bare, and showed off her cleavage - always good to draw people’s eyes away from one’s face when one didn’t want to be recognized. Finally all of them wore backpacks in which their fatigues were stored, just in case they needed them again, their present clothes and especially Brinna’s high-heels and Galal’s designer outfit didn’t lend themselves well to fighting.

Taking in the many shoppers walking in the heart of Brussels on this fine summer late afternoon, showed they’d blend right in now. They started a walking in a random direction, and soon were lost in everyone else. “So,” Graves started, having taken the lead, “just walking around will probably get us caught sooner or later. We need to find a place which is the last place they’ll look, and stay there for a good while.”

Duke and Galal looked at each other, chuckled and said simultaneously, “The nudie bar.”

“Male strippers, I like it already,” Brinna cut in with a smile.

“Huh?” the two of them said at the same time.

She looked at them, and then said, “All of the blatant heterosexual generals would know some blatant heterosexual, testosterone filled he-man like you wouldn’t be caught dead in a male stripper club . . . that is what you two meant, right?”

Duke told her disapprovingly, and almost disappointingly, “That would make it the first place they’ll look, we need the last place they’ll look, get with the program, Bombshell.”

Brinna gritted her teeth and was about to explode, when Graves cut her off softly, “Brinna, stop biting at his baiting, the more you bite, the more fun he’ll have at baiting you, and the more he’ll bait you.” Brinna closed her mouth, and looked over to Duke, who grinned and wiggle her eyebrows at her once. She narrowed her eyes at him, as Graves continued, “But I have to agree with them; the concept is so blatantly, in your face, boldly ridiculous to just walk into a strip club and sit down for the show, that they’ll never think to search for us there. But does Brussels even have one”

Brinna sighed in annoyed agreement, and said, “This is Europe, sir, even smaller towns have strip clubs, just a matter of finding the right district. The real question is if we can find one open at this time.”

*****

With a grin, Duke put a five Euro bill behind the girl’s string panties. The club had lovely music, not too loud to overpower the real entertainment, but loud enough they could dance to it, and plenty of flashy lights. Duke sat back in their corner couch seats, as Galal hooked his own bill behind the beautiful, exotic Indian babe as she enticed him with a shake of her ass. Taking a step back she took her bikini top of agonizingly slow and then continued dancing. Graves just took her in more subdued.

Brinna sighed, and said, “Couldn’t we at least have found a club that had both gender strippers?”

“Why?” Duke asked as the striptease dancer finished her show - it was hard to take off her panties without losing her tips after all. She gave them a kiss and a greet goodbye and left, swaying her hips exaggeratedly.

She looked at them with a dry look, and said, “Because I’m straight, just like you two, it’s been hours, and I have been bored out of my skull through it all. I can’t believe you two don’t realize how bad and fake they are. I’ve yet to see one who actually enjoyed it, they’re all cold fish o