Ranger citadel! This is ag center, we're under attack! The plants, they're mutating! They're tearing my people apart!"

Another voice, vargas's, can be heard through the radio as well, responding to ag center.

"Ag center, this is citadel base. Did you say the plants were attacking?"

Vargas seemed confused by that statement, and honestly, James was as well. Plants?

"Yes damn it! The plants! Somethings wrong with them!"

There's a loud crashing sound from ag centers end, and screaming

"Oh fuck, the door! Everybody get back to the-"

The transmission cut off. The noise from the radio woke up the rest of the team. 

"The hells goin on?"

Comrade shouted as he grabbed his rifle, kneeling next to the radio, as it crackled to life again, this time a transmittion from the citadel

"Ranger team echo, this is ranger command, respond!"

James picked up the microphone clipped to the radio

"This is echo one, we heard that call!"

"Understood. The radio tower is still top priority, but civilian matters always come first. Help ag center, and then continue with your mission."

James, Sam. And conrade got up, hastily collected their things, and set off towards the nearby ag center. But about 10 minutes later, they got another radio transmission.

"S.O.S! This is highpool! Is anybody out there! Raiders with mortars and explosives are blasting our walls! If anybody can hear this, come immediately! I dont know how much longer we can hold-"

Sam looked at the radio as the noise cut off.

"2 at the same time, this has got to be a trap right?"

James looked at sam, considering.

"We can't save both.. where do we go?"

Conrade seems lost in thought for a bit

Ag center'll be screwed already right? Highpool has water. We can't afford to lose them. Even if they don't exactly like us.

"Then we go to highpool. But- what of ag center? Maybe if we hurry.."

Sam seemed guilty for leaving ag center for dead, but they don't exactly have a choice. The group changes their direction to highpoo, leaving ag center for dead.

The walk took a couple hours, but they arrive at the mountainous terrain that highpool resides on. As they get closer, they see a group of raiders, weilding rifles and machetes. The group takes cover near a car

"What do we do here? There's gotta be at least 7 of em"

Conrade bolts his rifle, looking through the scope of his gun, surveying the area

James aims through his rifle, a old m-16 rifle. He knew he'd have to kill them. If not him, then the others. When it happens, could he pull the trigger? If he hesitates, it could mean the death of his team-

There's no time to think about that now. Conrade takes a shot, a loud bang echoing through the mountain range as the bullet flies through the air, hitting its mark, nailing one of the raiders in the head, dropping him to the floor. Taking initiative, Sam fires at 2 with his grease gun, killing one and forcing the other to take cover. James peeks out from behind the car, and shoots at the retreating raider, shooting him in the back. He just killed a man. A man who killed others, yes, but a man nonetheless. 

Sam seemed to notice the distant look in his eyes

"Dude! Dude you good?"

James snapped out of it, blinking a couple times

"Yeah- no I'm good- I'm good"

James aimed down his rifle sights again, and continued firing. As they advanced, they finally killed, or force retreated, all of the raiders. As they'd walked through, going higher up the dam, they found the mortar they were talking about. Sam kicked it, and it just fell over, its base disconnecting from the barrel. As they reached the Dam, a man on top waved at them, lowering a crane operated lift down to them.

The group gets on, And the lift acends. They meet a diheveled man that looked annoyed to see them

"About damn time! Skorpions would've gotten here faster than you dog killers"

Conrade seemed to be mad at this

"Scuse me? We just saved your ass, you ungrateful dick!"

"Saved some of us! Damn mayors dead, irrigation system is damaged, and there's still fires everywhere! Why the hell did we even agree to ranger protection if you don't show up!"

Sam spoke up at this

"We were the only ones in the area! We got here as fast as we could!"

"Well next time, get here faster!"

The group walked past, conrade looking like he's about to punch the man in the nose if he said anything else. They headed for the underground irrigation system, highpoolers glaring at them as they walked past.

A woman greeted them as they walked into the main room, a large pump near the entrance.

"You guys can fix this right? Pressures built up, it could explode any minute. Thank god you arrived when you did"

James looked over at Sam

"Hey you can fix this thing right?"

"Uh- I think?"

Sam starting messing with the pipes and wires. James had almost no idea what he was doing with it, but apparently it worked, cause the faint noise of water could be heard from the pipes as Sam stepped back from it. They then left highpool, as they were done there.

As they traveled to Ag center, they say overgrown vegetation and the smell of pesticides. 

"What happened here.."

Sam said, looking over the overgrown vines and bushes

They searched around, but there was no one alive, except for one man inside the main lobby. Sam knelt next to the dying man.

"Don't worry, we'll get you out of here"

Sam said to the man as he looked over the man's wounds, conrade and James clearing the rest of the room

"Heh.. the spores… did their job.."

The man said. Sam noticed he's gripping a revolver in his right hand.

"All according to plan.. Mattias will be pleased.."

The man raised his gun, and shot James in the leg with it. James yelped in pain, his leg giving out under him and he fell to the floor

"Motherfucker!"

Conrade drew his pistol, and shot the man in the head before he could react. Sam ran to James, tending to the gunshot wound

"Who the fuck was that! the fuck is Mattias!"

Conrade shot the man again to confirm the kill. Sam wrapped James leg in gauze.

"Damn it.. ow-"

James, with the assistance of Sam, got up.

"Morphine should help soon, you'll be fine"

Sam said as he helped him up.

"God damn it" 

James muttered to himself as he put pressure on his leg. It should be fine, but it still hurt a lot. 

They knew the radio would bear a answer. It was all too close together, 2 emergencies at once, and the death of a ranger on a seemingly trivial mission. The group leaves the ravaged ag center, none of them noticing that instead of blood, the man was leaking oil from the gunshot wound in his head.