Red hot blaze flashed up and grew cracklingly over the stub of the cigarette in the course of one vigorous puff. Paper turned to ashes, tobacco transcended its earthly manifestation and, in its ethereal form, rushed into swelling lungs, bar one whisp not falling for the attraction pursed lips hold, wavering away. It's brethren, though, were trapped in an organic prison.<br/><br/>While holding his breath, Pjotr keenly considered the device sitting on the table in front of him, illuminated by the bluish-white light of humming neon tubes. He was sitting alone in one of the garages of NBX's HQ, waiting for his next assignment to go live. The garage was rather dirty. The floor was littered with oily patches and the typical filth accumulating in such places, and apart from the table, chairs, a few lockers, a workbench and the vehicle he would drive on the mission, there was nothing much of interest. For now, Pjotr was occupied with preparation. He already wore his metallic full body armor sans helmet. That one was on a chair next to him, it's eyes currently lifeless.<br/><br/>He twitched in an attempt to suppress his body's desire to rid itself of the crude fumes, all the while reiterating a very specific list of actions, like it was taught to him and as he had done so often before.<br/><em>Pull cocking handle, lock bolt, push handle until click audible, push safety to right, raise feed tray, look for links and ammunition <span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 6pt;"> clear, if necessary </span>, close and lock, push savety to the left, pull cocking handle back, squeeze trigger, <span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 6pt;"> carefully </span> ease bolt forward with handle.</em><br/>His hands whirled over the object.<br/><em>Pull pin left, let buffer and buttstock sag, remove operating rod assembly, remove drive spring, pull cocking handle to rear, remove moving parts, rotate bolt left, pull bolt forward, remove bolt, press rear pin left, remove slide assembly, lift heat shield off barrel, close cover, press locking lever, lift barrel up and push forward, remove barrel, rotate collar pin with scraper until collar falls off, remove gas regulator from gas block, push pin at handguard left, pull down and remove handguard, turn gas cylinder until click audible, pull forward, remove gas cylinder, turn lower pin to left, remove buffer and buttstock, remove trigger and handgrip.</em><br/>In a matter of seconds, the weapon got torn apart, only for its pieces to be placed on the tabletop in an orderly fashion, carefully aligned for easy retrival and inspection.<br/><br/>Pjotr extracted the almost extinguished cigarette from his mouth and exhaled deeply through his teeth. While his gaze was locked on the items directly in front of him, he propped up his arm on the table and flicked the butt expertly into a metal bucket placed at the far wall, about eight feet away, near a door. He began to clean each item thoroughly and lubricated those that needed to be, only interrupting his activity for occasional glances at his watch.<br/><br/>Having finished this task, he assembled the machine gun again, not quite as swiftly as before. A few functionality checks later, he stood up, the carrying strap of the weapon slung around his shoulder. Pjotr stepped to one of the lockers, opening it with an id card. He reached inside and got hold of two things: A barbaric looking bat and an book.<br/>The book he lightly grazed with dry lips and put back; the bat he inserted into a noose on his belt.<br/>His preparation was nearly complete now. He closed the locker and walked over to a small console next to the door. At the hit of a button, the garage door was opened. Behind it laid the courtyard, which at the time was covered with a shallow sheet of stagnant rain water that reflected the buildings surrounding it and the skeletal arcs of steel constructed above them.<br/><br/>Footfalls and the splashing sound they were accompanied with echoed back and forth between the walls, as Pjotr walked expeditiously, but not hastily, over the courtyard to the armory, another cigarette smoldering in the corner of his mouth.