The White Coats were different. They did not sneak around like the other Necromunda gangs. They dressed and walked around liked they owned the place. Wearing their bright long white coats, they were distinctive as they roamed around.
Their turf was known as the “Apartments”, a series of multi-story buildings. Mostly private rooms, with occasional sections that had once been offices. What had once been areas for living, were now mostly for dying. But it was theirs. At least, up to now . . .
A new gang was trying to move in. Once high class accommodation, the Apartments were now a maze of darkened corridors, small rooms and the occasional large area created by “explosive architecture” as the White Coats liked to call it.
The White Coats approached the Common, one of the largest areas of the Apartment. They all wore their anti-flash night vision goggles. These had been “liberated” from a dying army squad several years ago. They made the normally darkened rooms and corridors of the Apartment appear as if floodlit.
These were experimental goggles. They did not suffer from the typical problems of normal night vision. Not only did they see full colour, but the goggles would instantly darken if a flash grenade went off, stopping the wearer from going blind. They had been a great find.
It was these special goggles that had allowed the White Coats to rapidly control the Apartment. Up until then, the gangs vying for supremacy were evenly matched. But none of the other gangs knew about the goggles. The first time others found that they were no longer hidden in the deep shadows, was usually also their last time alive.
Since then, the White Coats had controlled the Apartment. Until now. A new gang had challenged them. L’il Wain approached the rendezvous with apparent bravado. But he was being more cautious than usual. They knew little about this rival gang.
L’il Wain tensed as he emerged into the Common room. Their rivals were on several levels.
One of them spoke. “We wants dis place”.
“Time to show our visitors out.” L’il Wain retorted. He stepped deftly aside as he saw the sniper fire. The goggles had saved him again. A shot rang out from behind him, as J-Zed took out the sniper. Hiding in the deepest shadows, the sniper did not even have time to be surprised as the single bullet snatched his life away.
The rival leader snarled. Then the world went crazy. Everyone dove for cover as the bullets and energy beams started flying. The fight was on.
Doorways were dangerous places as they framed targets. Luckily no one had grenades L’il Wayne mused as he lined up another target. Grenades thankfully were hard to come by these days. Dangerous things in the close confines of small rooms and narrow hallways.
A nearby richocet caused him to involuntarily flinch, throwing off his aim. His target was wounded, but only lightly. The return fire cause L’il Wain to duck. He shifted his position behind the rubble.
The firing slackened. Bullets were expensive. No one could afford to waste precious ammunition for long.
But that made it even more dangerous. Enemies shifted slowly or patiently waited for a target to present itself.
Both sides had lost men, but now the advantage lay with the White Coats. Their rivals had no plan beyond trying to snipe out the leader. And the White Coats were on their home turf.
L’il Wain gave the signal. J-Zed quickly turned on the floodlights. A few seconds later he turned them off again. The rivals were tryining to adjust to the changed lighting when the White Coats burst out of cover. They surprised their rivals, taking down another of them.
Faced with this unexpected onslaught, the rivals withdrew, leaving their dead behind. Fading back to lick their wounds and plan for revenge. L’il Wain touched his goggles. The goggles had done the trick again. Unlike their foes, the White Coats had been protected from the sudden change of light.
But then he stopped. L’il Wayne stared into the corridors, wondering who these new rivals were. And when they would be back.