Chapter 7

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     "Kal Wardin grew up in a rather basic home. Unremarkable grades, decent athleticism, and an average income made him downright ignorable to anyone who saw him. However, upon entering the Navy, this changed drastically. His drill sergeants in boot camp would say later that he was the most determined and disciplined person they had ever trained, reporting that he kept a straight face while they were doing training in the gas chambers, reciting the Soldier's Creed at a casual speed without flinching. Eventually, he joined the Navy SEALs, finishing at the top of his class, and was assigned to SEAL Team Six after passing the prerequisite test. He became known as 'Azrael' by the numerous enemies who had to face against him. His most famous feat known to the public is his slaughter of a Taliban offensive single-handedly. He and his team were sent to protect a hospital of Afghan civilians who were trapped inside and under constant threat of slaughter due to their refusal to follow the Taliban. There was intense fighting for over three days, but by the time there was a lull in the battle, only two soldiers remained, Kal and the captain of his squad, who was wounded. Knowing that they wouldn't survive another assault, Kal chose to stay behind and keep the Taliban busy while the captain led the civilians away under the cover of night. Kal laid in the sand unmoving, the blood from his comrades and the enemy running onto his face. A wind blew in from the north, covering his face with sand. Eventually, as the Taliban entered the city, he got to work. First, he used his guns, and when he ran out of ammo, he used his knife, and once it became dull, he used his bare hands. By the time the sun rose, there was only one survivor of the entire 250-man company. This lone fighter took a single look at Kal, face covered with sand and his hands stained with the blood of the many bodies nearby, and he just ran. He was found wandering aimlessly, and when given sustenance and time to recover, he would swear that he had seen Azrael (The Angel of Death) in the flesh. This fear spread to the rest of the Taliban, and migrated over to Iraq even after Kal was done with all of his tours of duty."

     "So, that's just the stuff we know already. What about the rest?" Dwight asks, breaking Leon out of his trance.

     The blond man takes a moment to get a breath and clear his throat, before continuing. "However, there are many things not known about Wardin. His kill count has just as many civilians in it as it does threats. While many of these have been swept up under the rug for both morale as well as to keep international support, one that was very close to being uncovered was Wardin's mental snap during what was supposed to be a routine assignment. Against an overwhelming number of enemy fighters, Kal made the decision to use a mortar with white phosphorus shells, and cleared out the enemy with said weapon without him or his other two teammates being killed. This had consequences, however, as after dropping a shell into an alleyway and torching out what had seemed to be a large group of enemy fighters, upon closer examination Wardin discovered something far, far more horrible. The alley had been filled with civilians that the Afghans had been trying to remove from the city in an attempt to get them away from the fighting, and he had killed every single one of them. Something in Wardin's mind snapped at that moment, and began his descent into madness. What sealed his fate was the death of one of his squadmates, who went by the nickname Lugo, at the hands of Afghan civilians, who hung him from a lamppost out of anger at the chaos that was plaguing their city. Upon seeing that his friend was gone, Kal began to open fire on the civilians, gunning down at least twenty, maybe more. His other squadmate, Peters, attempted to stop him, but Kal simply knocked him to the ground and fired three shots into the man's chest for 'insubordination'. Days went by, with Kal killing everyone he came across, both ally, enemy, and civilian, out of sheer survival instinct. Eventually, he collapsed on a main road outside the city he had been deployed in, thoroughly exhausted from lack of sleep. He was picked up by a convoy of NATO soldiers, and sent back to the states to be rehabilitated. He was pardoned of his atrocities committed due to them being considered acts of true insanity, though the memories of what he had done still haunted him during his civilian life" 

     The other survivors are completely frozen at this new information, though what they all are unanimously both eager and terrified to learn is what Kal's ability will be. Thankfully, Leon doesn't keep them waiting for long. 

     "The War Criminal uses stealth and resourcefulness to hunt his prey, taking advantage of their fear and desire to survive against them. His power is called "Azrael's Instinct" He's able to enter lockers like survivors as well as plant traps inside at the cost of materials, which he gains from dismantling hooks and damaging generators. Survivors that enter trapped lockers will be immediately damaged, and the locker will be destroyed for one minute. He's also able to use pools of mud/sand/or dirt to camouflage himself and hide from Survivors. His terror radius will be completely stopped when hiding, but he's unable to move as he does. He can use materials for other objects as well, such as IED that will be triggered by a tripwire, knives that can be thrown at Survivors to damage them, or caltrops that can be used to slow Survivors"

     "His perks?" Dwight asks, leaning forward a bit.

     "He doesn't have any. It's just his power" Leon replies, though his attention is drawn to the black smoke beginning to pool at his feet. The same thing was happening to Bill, Meg, and Nea, and the oldest of the four glances over to the other Survivors. "Wish us luck" He says gruffly, before the smoke engulfs them, and they're gone.

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⏰ Last updated: Dec 11, 2023 ⏰

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