A/N. To answer the question of where I am getting my inspiration/ideas. The answer is not simple, a whole bunch of places. So I'll list them all here so that you guys can get some pictures to put to the descriptions, or don't look and let your imagination play out. There are a lot of things that I've really wanted to incorporate in other non-HP stories as well as my HP stories that I haven't really been able to do, and so this is a place where all of those little tiny bits of ideas are coming together. Harry's name and the general composition of the squad, is from Doom the movie, I'm trying to stay away from the game simply because its not as accessible to a lot of people and the movie just portrays it in a more `realistic' fashion, really gives it the feel I'm looking for. The assault rifle is from the game Gears of War, its right on the cover picture, very cool looking gun, check it out. The implants are from the mmofps Planet-Side. The sniper rifle is from Warhammer 40,000 Vindicare assassin with some liberties taken to it. Sentinel idea from AvP. Rocket launcher will be named Shark from Unreal 2, M406 Hydra Grenade launcher also from the same place. Still debating on which air vehicle I want to give them, thinking either the Doom one at the beginning or the Halo drop ships, if anyone has some good ones they like please share them, AvP one seems pretty good too, still very much debatable. Not sure if an APC or ground vehicle would be used, I want to, but haven't really found what I'm looking for, other then perhaps the `bat mobile' from the latest movie - it's a high tech military design that costs too much, so it fits. So it's a lot various bits and pieces that I've always wanted to use but have never been able to properly. Oh ya and the armor kind of like Gears of War, fully enclosed, helmets and all that. The rest I've come up with, melded all these bits and pieces together and done all that kind of stuff. About Bessy - try as I might the name just stuck in my head and it fit really well; I mean c'mon it's just awesome.
Sniper
Alexander Romanov made the short five minute walk to the firing range in dreadful silence, the colonel was escorting him to see the army commander. Damn it his dick got the better of him and now he was paying for it, at least the night out at the club was worth it. They were going to hold him responsible because his brother was a leader in the mafia, he was well educated and could speak fluent English, the colonel hated that, and he had shot out the dollar sized alarm sensor from five kilometers away, and that was how they traced it to him. He fucked up and now there was hell to pay, plain and simple, although it was strange that it had gone this far.
"You've fucked up big time asshole." The colonel said with relish.
"Go fuck yourself." Romanov spat out, its not like he was going to get into even more trouble for swearing to him.
The colonel couldn't say another word as they saw the commander standing outside with two civilians. They came up, saluted and Romanov remained at attention.
"You are dismissed colonel." Came the commander's curt reply.
That's interesting, thought Romanov as the awe struck colonel left immediately.
"At ease." The commander looked at him carefully, sizing him up. "Tell us in English how you disabled the security sensor last night."
"I took one shot from the living quarters with a sniper rifle sir."
"What were the conditions like?" The civilian asked the question, he was old but in shape, and he looked sharp, like a man you didn't want to fuck with.
"Very windy. I had a buddy shine a light on it so I could see it."
"You did it when it was dark?"
"Yes sir."
"With that gun?" The man pointed to the rifle that the commander was holding.
"Yes sir, my own gun sir."
"That would seem like an impossible shot, are you lying at all?"
"No sir. The shot is not impossible, just a bit tough." Romanov answered confidently.
"And how many other people do you know of that could make a shot similar to that?"
"Honestly sir?"
"Yes."
"None sir."
"There is Coke can on a stool at the end of the range, hit it." The man ordered.
The commander nodded and handed him the rifle. "You have three attempts."
Romanov popped the clip and checked inside, three bullets, little bit of cross wind, ten kilometers. Easy. He got onto one knee, held the rifle steady, adjusted the sight as necessary, fired three quick consecutive shots, put the rifle down and gave it back to the commander.
"You can go over there and check, I hit it all three times." The commander and the old guy had been looking through binoculars while other one hadn't. The other guy was young, and for the life of him Romanov did not want to be on his bad side. His eyes seemed to penetrate every fiber of his body, he couldn't look in the eyes, and the gaze seemed probe down to his soul. He was obviously tall and very muscular, he wanted to think special forces but that didn't seem to quite fit, he held himself better then any mere killer, he was something else entirely. Romanov had met many different people in his twenty two years, but never someone like him, he was so sure, so calm, the commander intimidated him, but this guy intimidated on a whole different level, he didn't even have to say anything to intimidate.
"He hit it all three times." The man said.
Romanov released a birth he didn't realize that he was holding, but how could have possibly seen?
"He is exceptionally good."
"You want him?" The old man asked.
"I do."
"Commander if you will excuse us please." The old man asked.
To Romanov's utter astonishment the commander nodded and actually left. Now they were completely alone from all outside eyes and ears.
"Up on that hill over there." The man pointed to a hill at least twenty kilometers away, he couldn't even see the damn thing. "Is a cherry, hit it."
Romanov looked at the old guy curiously, was he being serious? "Sir, that shot is physically impossible."
"Why?" It seemed like a stupid question to Romanov.
"Well because the gun cannot physically hit that target, the gravitational pull, the wind, even a computer wouldn't be able to pull the shot off. Maybe if the gun was powerful enough you could, but I don't know of any that could do that, I mean that rifle right there is the best I know of." Romanov reasoned.
"It is a nice rifle, where did you get it?"
"My dad, the mafia, we have ways."
"Interesting, so you say you can't hit it then?"
"No sir."
"Would you like to?"
"Pardon sir?"
"Would you like to be able to make that kind of shot?"
"Well yes of course, I just don't know how it can physically be managed."
"The Sergeant." Miller motioned at Sarge. "Has accepted to recruit you into his team, do you accept?"
"What kind of team?"
"A special kind."
"What is the catch?"
"A big one."
His brother had always told him not to accept any kind of offer that was very loose, but he had also said that if everything is completely and utterly unusual, that there is something about that just seems to fit, then take it. "Yes, I'll join."
The sergeant walked up to him with a long black case. "As soon as I open this there is no going back. If you still wish leave you are free to do so, this is your last chance."
"I'm in."
"I'm Sarge and this is Frank Miller, the director."
"Victor Romanov, nice to meet you both." He shook hands with both of them in turn.
"Like wise." Sarge replied.
"Give me your hands, palms down." Miller instructed taking out a small LCD screen and typing some things into it.
Romanov stuck out his hands. "Put you fingers on this screen one at a time, start with the pinky on your left hand and go right."
Again Romanov did as instructed. "Okay you're in our data base now, welcome to Exodus."
Romanov just stood there not knowing what to really say.
"Would you like to make the shot that you yourself told us is impossible?" Sarge asked.
"Yes." The word came out a bit anxious.
Sarge put the case down on the ground and pressed his thumbs on two small pads. "Identification confirmed. Sarge."
The case opened and inside was a night black rifle, but this thing was like nothing Romanov had ever seen before. The Barrel and butt end of the rifle unfolded itself crisply in Sarge's hands.
"This is your new gun." Sarge said handing over the awesome looking weapon to him.
Romanov held it delicately. It was a bit on the heavy side but perfectly balanced. The scope was a miniature LCD and there were no buttons whatsoever. He put his finger over a small pad as instructed by Sarge. "Identification confirmed. Snipes." The LCD in the scope turned light green.
"Comes with various ammunition and clip sizes, this is your standard long range bullet, the barrel is auto adjustable so you can pretty much fire anything that fits in the hole. It uses ionic coils to fire the round, no kickback, no loss of energy, just hold it tight and steady." Sarge explained.
Romanov nodded in understanding, a little overwhelmed at the moment he looked into the scope. Not wanting to look stupid he didn't ask how to adjust it, after not being able to find anything on the smooth weapon he finally asked. "How do I adjust he sight?"
"Talk to it." Sarge replied simply.
"Talk to it?"
"Yes talk."
Romanov shrugged and told the rifle. "Twenty kilometers, cherry." The LCD began zooming in, scanning the area for the characteristic dimensions of a cherry. To Romanov's utter astonishment small arrows began to guide him to a locked on object…a cherry. Confirm blinked at the bottom of the visor, knowing of nothing better to do he said. "Confirm." The circular lock on changed to a cross hair.
"What about variables?" He asked out loud, still looking down the scope.
"The barrel of the gun is pointing at a different spot then what you're seeing on the screen." Sarge explained.
"Ok." Romanov made sure that he had it dead center and took the shot.
The shot gave off a slight red hue and as the very air was ignited in a coned line by the passing projectile. Twenty kilometers away a bullet larger then its actual target hit the cherry dead center.
Romanov stood up slowly, trembling slightly for the first time in his life. Unwillingly he gave the rifle back to Sarge who packed it into its case.
"Go get whatever belongings you wish, we will meet you at the airport." Miller instructed him.
Romanov didn't need to be told twice. His imagination ran wild with questions about what had just transpired, this was obviously something very unique, from the two men, to the weapon, the circumstances, how the commander acted, all of it was bizarre, and yet it all felt right, in its own way everything sort of made sense. By the time he had packed his things and made his way over to the small nearby airport he was sure of only one thing, the strangeness had just begun, their jet and the conversation inside proved that fact beyond all doubt.
Miller and Sarge had just told Romanov about what was going on, the magical community, about Sarge, what he was doing, what he had become, what they would become, and of course about Bessy. He sat silently for a few moments soaking the information in, his life had literally just been turned upside down.
"Questions?" Miller asked.
"Thousands." Romanov replied.
"What will my family think happened to me?"
"They will be informed that you graduated to a special forces group, that you would be out of contact for a while, but would make a visit when possible, the time and duration of these visits will not be specified. You will be labeled as alive, your family will know you are safe, but not know where you are. You will be able to make visits home, we will try our best to make sure that you make their birthdays or new years, its never a long flight."
"Thank you sir."
"Not a problem."
The last few minutes of the flight were spent in comfortable silence as they arrived back at the facility, landing lightly on a seemingly random spot close to the lake.
"Now remember Bessy is harmless and very intelligent so don't be scared." Sarge reassured him.
He wasn't very sure about the harmless part, but if she was intelligent and Sarge could communicate with her then it shouldn't be much of a problem. Then he heard a rough slithering noise behind him coming from the lake, and then he saw her and almost choked. Sarge put a hand on his shoulder reassuringly as Bessy slithered up towards them.
"Hey Bessy, good swim?" He asked petting as she rubbed her head against his chest.
"Yesss, this the new guy?" She motioned to the bewildered Romanov.
"Alexander Romanov, our Sniper."
"Interesting." She said turning her attention towards him, her tongue flicking at his face.
"Its ok you can pet her." Miller urged.
Romanov reached out a trembling hand and pet Bessy lightly on the head, she responded by moving into his hand, showing that she didn't mind and wouldn't hurt him. After a few minutes he relaxed as she tasted him out with her flicking tongue, familiarizing her senses with him.
"Personally I think of it this way. What ever you are scared of, whatever creature or thing haunts you the most, know that Bessy is far worse and she is on your side. I was really scared of sharks a few weeks back, so we had Bessy get really hungry, brought a nursing shark into the lake, they can live in fresh water and are big nasty sharks, then we took all of the people scared of sharks out for a swim with Bessy. Bessy had dinner and we weren't scared of sharks anymore, worked out well for everyone."
Romanov looked at him like he was joking, and then realized he wasn't.
A/N. Next chapter will give a perspective on what is happening at Hogwarts and generally do a nice big leap into time.
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