{(set: $head to (font: "Bebas Neue")+(size: 1.25)) (size: 3)+(font: "Bebas Neue")[Dewdrop]}
(size: 1)[ ]
(size: 2)+(font: "Bebas Neue")[An Operation Featuring Nightshade]
(size: 2)+(font: "Bebas Neue")[]
by B.J. Best
for //Combat Master// by Alfa Bravo Inc.
First draft
May 25, 2024
[[Introduction]]
[[Map]](append: ?SideBar)[\
[[Home]]
[[Introduction]]
[[Discretion]]
[[Loner]]
[[Deep Breaths]]
[[Box Score]]
[[Metalhead]]
[[Nothing Personal]]
[[Fashionista]]
[[Follow the Leader]]
[[Extra]]
[[Shooting Star]]
[[Countdown]]
[[Crosscut]]
[[Snakebite]]
[[So Anyway ...]]
[[No Tales]]
[[Stop Making Scents]]
[[Smoke Break]]
[[Seeing Spots]]
[[Exit Strategies]]
[[Noxious]]
[[Danse Macabre]]
[[Tree Frog]]
[[Pain in the Neck]]
[[Glory Days]]
[[Hearing Voices]]
[[Acting Lessons]]
[[Map]]
](size: 2)+(font: "Bebas Neue")[Operation Name]
(size: 1.25)[Dewdrop]
$head[Tagline]
[Infiltration is often a very dark art.]
[[Discretion]]<img src="https://bjbest60.neocities.org/cm/dewdrop/map.png" style="max-width: 80%; max-height: 80%;">
[[Home]]
[[Discretion]] $head[Mission]
**No Tales**
$head[Intro]
Killing isn't strictly necessary, but it's part of the job. Dead men can't talk and all that. A quick application of a syringe into the back of the terrorist's neck and it was over.
$head[Gameplay Goal]
Make 8 Hip Fire kills on the Caribbean Map in Team Deathmatch mode.
$head[Resolution]
The thing about poisons is they don't leave a trace until it's far too late. Less so with a dead body. I could dump it into the sea, or maybe drag it into a shipping container for now.
[[Stop Making Scents]]
[[Glory Days]]
[[Map]]$head[Mission]
**Discretion**
$head[Intro]
Some terrorists had taken over an offshore oil rig. The intel didn't say what they wanted beyond blowing it up. Ecoterrorists, maybe, but more likely another poorly led group looking for ransom.
$head[Gameplay Goal]
Make 5 Knife kills on the Oil Rig map in Deathmatch mode.
$head[Resolution]
It was night. I jumped off our Zodiac about a half-mile from the platform, beyond the searchlights. Discretion is always the better part of valor, of course. Plus, the brisk water would steel my resolve.
[[Loner]]
[[Map]]$head[Mission]
**Pain in the Neck**
$head[Intro]
I keep a blowgun wrapped tight in my wetsuit for just these kinds of circumstances. The darts are tipped with nightshade toxin, of course. A little souvenir from three hundred feet above the ocean.
$head[Gameplay Goal]
Make 8 One Shot, One Kills on the Oil Rag map in Combat Master mode.
$head[Resolution]
My shot went straight into the leader's neck, and he collapsed like a bag of cement. Now there was no one to give the orders to blow the rig. I radioed in my success and waited for our choppers to arrive to clear out the rest.
**ITEM: WEAPON.**
**END OPERATION.**
[[Map]] $head[Mission]
**Stop Making Scents**
$head[Intro]
The shipping container certainly did stink, even worse than the dead guard's cheap cologne. It had a pungent, dead-fish smell that would mask his body until much later.
$head[Gameplay Goal]
Make 12 Downed highlights on the Oil Rig map in CombatZone mode.
$head[Resolution]
I'd wash off in the ocean later. Even in that putrid container, I could smell something else coming from nearby.
[[Smoke Break]]
[[Map]]$head[Mission]
**Box Score**
$head[Intro]
I dragged the body behind some wood pallets. He'd wake up long after I was gone. Then I heard two voices coming from within a nearby shipping container. It sounded like they were talking about ... baseball?
$head[Gameplay Goal]
Make 4 One Shot, One Kill highlights on the Caribbean Night map in Search and Destroy mode.
$head[Resolution]
Just like a pitcher versus a batter, there's a lot at play between two opposing forces. I could go in that container, maybe take both of them. Or I could avoid them and hope for a better matchup.
[[Metalhead]]
[[Smoke Break]]
[[Map]]$head[Mission]
**Noxious**
$head[Intro]
The smell of diesel and petroleum might be nauseating to some, but not to someone like me who deals with belladonna and arsenic and other pungent concoctions. The tanker's cabin was lit, and I was heading for it.
$head[Gameplay Goal]
Make 6 Major Stop Streak kills on the Highrise map in Arms Race mode.
$head[Resolution]
I had daggers and darts and shurikens, all laced with my own blends of incapacitation. Through a small cabin porthole, I saw terrorists and their equipment inside. I was ready to take it all out.
[[Danse Macabre]]
[[Map]]$head[Mission]
**Tree Frog**
$head[Intro]
People forget that being a frogman sometimes involves heights. I raced to the oil derrick and began climbing. The leader emerged from the tanker's cabin. It's funny how no one ever thinks to look up.
$head[Gameplay Goal]
Make 3 In Air Kills on the Highrise map in Arms Race mode.
$head[Resolution]
From far away, the leader looked like some sort of ugly toad. All terrorist leaders do, really. We have a joke as frogmen--our enemies are the only ones who will croak.
[[Pain in the Neck]]
[[Map]]$head[Mission]
**Danse Macabre**
$head[Intro]
My gift, besides poisons, is the ability to see the whole dance of a melee fight before it begins. A dagger here, a dart there, and then my sabotage of all their comms equipment, including the detonator for the rig.
$head[Gameplay Goal]
Make 17 Clean Kills on the Oil Rig map in CombatZone mode.
$head[Resolution]
I snapped on my radio and made sure our choppers would arrive before theirs did. And me, maybe I'd take a little bow for a successful mission before slipping back into the oil-slicked sea.
**ITEM: WEAPON.**
**END OPERATION.**
[[Map]]$head[Mission]
**Metalhead**
$head[Intro]
The amount of poison I carry on me could kill an entire battalion, and thankfully it's never killed me. I went inside the container, bumping into some piece of metal on a crate. Now that noise might kill me instead.
$head[Gameplay Goal]
Make 10 First Blood highlights on the Trainyard map in Arms Race mode.
$head[Resolution]
The two militants' faces were frozen in shock. All that poison, and a stupid clanking sound gave me away. I could stick with my trusty throwing knives or force my way out since my cover was blown.
[[Nothing Personal]]
[[Snakebite]]
[[Map]]$head[Mission]
**Nothing Personal**
$head[Intro]
The poison on the knives is dipped and sealed; it was just a matter of applying it. There was hardly even any blood as both goons fell. Just strategy, fellas. No hard feelings.
$head[Gameplay Goal]
Make 1 Double Kill on the Hangar map in Deathmatch mode.
$head[Resolution]
These operatives' lack of preparation was comical. Maybe they'd laugh about it when they woke up twelve hours later. I'd probably give them something else to laugh about, too.
[[Fashionista]]
[[Map]]$head[Mission]
**Fashionista**
$head[Intro]
You know how spies change into a guard's clothes in the movies? Well, that's a real thing. This guy's body odor was also a real thing. It's like it could be a poison in its own right.
$head[Gameplay Goal]
Make 13 Assist highlights on the Art Gallery map in Team Deathmatch mode.
$head[Resolution]
I emerged from the shipping container in my new, ill-fitting clothes. I glimpsed someone nearby walking purposefully towards one of the cranes. I decided to follow.
[[Follow the Leader]]
[[Map]]$head[Mission]
**Follow the Leader**
$head[Intro]
By the way he was giving orders and having sycophants follow him, it was clear I was trailing the leader. Despite his authority, he looked nervous. As he should be.
$head[Gameplay Goal]
Make 8 Close Combat kills on the Farm map in Arms Race mode.
$head[Resolution]
I had a shuriken in my hand and ready, but it'd be a long throw. I could also try to be part of the entourage in my disguise, but acting has never been my strong suit.
[[Extra]]
[[Shooting Star]]
[[Map]]$head[Mission]
**Shooting Star**
$head[Intro]
People forget how poisonous some of those Amazon dart frogs are. But not me. I took a beautiful shot with my shuriken--a long, hooking arc--directly into the leader's neck.
$head[Gameplay Goal]
Make 3 King Slayer kills on the Power Stations map in Deathmatch mode.
$head[Resolution]
All his little minions scattered, terrified. Amateurs. None of them went in the direction the leader was traveling. I had a hunch that's where the target would be.
[[Countdown]]
[[Map]]$head[Mission]
**Extra**
$head[Intro]
I decided I should try to fit in, to gather additional intel. I walked near the group but slightly behind, like an extra in a bad action movie. I hope I wouldn't have to remember any lines.
$head[Gameplay Goal]
Make 2 Team Wipe highlights on the Oil Rig map in Team Deathmatch mode.
$head[Resolution]
Suddenly, the leader stopped and turned. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded. I answered with a smoke grenade. I swan-dived off the platform and swam back to the boat, a failure but alive.
**END OPERATION.**
[[Map]]$head[Mission]
**Loner**
$head[Intro]
After the swim, it was a short climb up one of the pilings of the North Platform, and then I could get to the real work. I scanned the cranes and shipping containers and saw my first target standing alone.
$head[Gameplay Goal]
Make 7 No Mods kills on the Oil Rig map in Team Deathmatch mode.
$head[Resolution]
The whistling of wind and crashing of waves made my approach behind him soundless. The only question was whether I'd knock him out temporarily or permanently.
[[Deep Breaths]]
[[No Tales]]
[[Map]]$head[Mission]
**Deep Breaths**
$head[Intro]
After a brief struggle of comic breathing, the militant collapsed. A rag splashed with chloroform is elegant, really. In my line of work, that matters. Grace, poise, and skill keep me coming home alive.
$head[Gameplay Goal]
Make 8 In Slide kills on the Pool map in Deathmatch mode.
$head[Resolution]
Still, I had to make my unconscious friend disappear. The searchlights on the rig swung around aimlessly. They'd be easy enough to avoid. I started dragging his body toward the shadows.
[[Box Score]]
[[Map]]$head[Mission]
**Smoke Break**
$head[Intro]
I was nearing the crew's quarters, and two guards were standing outside, smoking. "Guess they'll pick their poison," I muttered to myself. I thought that was clever.
$head[Gameplay Goal]
Make 11 Close Combat kills on the Subway map in Demon Slayer mode.
$head[Resolution]
Even though there were two of them, I figured knocking them out would be easy enough. But I thought maybe I could stay for a while, see if their idle chat could prove useful.
[[Seeing Spots]]
[[Exit Strategies]]
[[Map]]$head[Mission]
**Countdown**
$head[Intro]
There was a general clamor I could occasionally hear that got lost in the whistling wind. And that's when I saw them: the explosives at the base of the crane, a digital timer glowing red.
$head[Gameplay Goal]
Make 11 Stop Streak kills on the Oil Rig map in Search and Destroy mode.
$head[Resolution]
There were only ten minutes left. I don't know if this was a kamikaze mission for the terrorists, or just an empty threat. I'd take care of it either way.
[[Crosscut]]
[[Map]]$head[Mission]
**Crosscut**
$head[Intro]
People think you have to be careful in disarming a bomb. They're wrong. You don't just cut the red wire. You cut all of them and throw the bomb into the sea, hoping it doesn't blow things to hell.
$head[Gameplay Goal]
Make 14 Explosive kills on the Oil Rig map in Search and Destroy mode.
$head[Resolution]
After the bomb was gone, so was I. Nothing like another half-mile swim to cap off a mission. I reported my complete success and said the diplomats could handle the rest. I'd rather stay in the shadows.
**ITEM: WEAPON. (BEST REWARD HERE.)**
**END OPERATION.**
[[Map]]$head[Mission]
**Snakebite**
$head[Intro]
Few people think how anything can be poisonous with the right application. Like these brass knuckles. If the metal doesn't get you, the cobra venom will.
$head[Gameplay Goal]
Make 7 First Blood kills on the Highrise map in Deathmatch mode.
$head[Resolution]
It was all going well until one of the terrorists stopped being surprised and started calling for backup on his radio. I knew I'd have to resort to less ... serpentine measures.
[[So Anyway ...]]
[[Map]]$head[Mission]
**So Anyway ...**
$head[Intro]
I dislike guns. There's no elegance or mystique. But you don't worry about aesthetics when you're up against five terrorists and blasting your way out of a shipping container.
$head[Gameplay Goal]
Make 3 On Verge of Death kills on the Pool map in Arms Race mode.
$head[Resolution]
I dove off the platform and into the shadows of the tanker, bullets raining down until they gave up. It would be a long swim back to the Zodiac. I had failed, and I would have to call in less elegant artillery.
**END OPERATION.**
[[Map]]$head[Mission]
**Seeing Spots**
$head[Intro]
By the time the first terrorist hit the ground due to my well-placed blow on the back of his head, I was already upon the second one. Then a spotlight caught and momentarily froze us both.
$head[Gameplay Goal]
Make 3 Wall Bang kills on the Egypt map in Team Deathmatch mode.
$head[Resolution]
A second spotlight made the whole quarters glow. I hate being center stage. I ran off the platform, diving back into the sea. They'd have to bring in choppers, and I'd have to explain to my commander where I went wrong.
**END OPERATION.**
[[Map]]$head[Mission]
**Glory Days**
$head[Intro]
At least a burial at sea could be a honorable one. And I'd have to follow if I wanted to swim to the Main Platform. At one time I was a high-school swimming champion, but the dead man wasn't impressed.
$head[Gameplay Goal]
Make 5 In Air kills on the Pool map in Arms Race mode.
$head[Resolution]
In the pool, you get used to wetness, and chlorine, and a certain type of silence. All of them would later become my career. Now it was helping me hear some radio chatter near the helipad.
[[Hearing Voices]]
[[Map]]$head[Mission]
**Hearing Voices**
$head[Intro]
The radio was left unattended on a crate--how dumb were these guys? Somebody called Blue Seal was barking orders to someone else called Heli-1, demanding a sitrep.
$head[Gameplay Goal]
Make 5 Double Kills on the Forest map in Team Deathmatch mode.
$head[Resolution]
Some of the intel was good. But then Blue Seal started demanding answers. I could listen a bit longer, knowing they'd investigate the area soon. Or I could try pretending to be Heli-1 for more info.
[[Exit Strategies]]
[[Acting Lessons]]
[[Map]]$head[Mission]
**Exit Strategies**
$head[Intro]
I continued to listen. It became obvious the crew's headquarters was on the tanker. They were talking about possible escape plans for when the whole platform blew.
$head[Gameplay Goal]
Make 4 Bomb Planted highlights on the Warehouse map in Search and Destroy Mode.
$head[Resolution]
It also sounded like the terrorists' leader would be making his way to the helipad. A chopper was incoming. I could get a better view. But whatever plans they had for the tanker were concerning, too.
[[Noxious]]
[[Tree Frog]]
[[Map]]$head[Mission]
**Acting Lessons**
$head[Intro]
I picked up the radio. "This is Heli-1," I began, before I even thought what I'd say next. "All ... is normal." "That's not what I asked!" Blue Seal said. Then there was crackling.
$head[Gameplay Goal]
Make 1 Atomyc! highlight on the Oil Rig map in Team Deathmatch mode.
$head[Resolution]
Blue Seal knew I was an impostor, and I knew I'd soon be swarmed. My acting career over, it was a long slide down a piling back into the sea. I'd have to act like I didn't fail the mission once I was back on our boat.
**END OPERATION.**
[[Map]]