Chaos Company

By

Christopher Slayton
Chapter One

"Wake up, mate!" Liam King slapped his unconscious prisoner across the face. Adrenaline and glee flooded him.

Brian Fraser jerked awake and began thrashing against the restraints holding him in the metal chair. The ropes around his wrists prevented his escape as the chair tipped when he rocked it. It wobbled, then crashed to the floor with him in it. Liam couldn't help but chuckle at his captive's failed attempt to break free.

"Agh! Damnit!" Brian roared.

Excitement pulsed in Liam as his captive struggled to free himself. Liam had hoped the bright overhead lights would put Brian in a state of disarray. If Liam's previous actions had taught him anything, it was to never let his captives be at ease.

Liam paced as he juggled the thought of kicking his boot into the frightened captive's temple, wishing it was an option he could take. After a long moment of silence, he righted the captive and his chair.

The prisoner struggled violently.

"Do you know who I am? Do you?" His glare swept over Liam's tactical Kevlar vest and urban camouflage pants.

"Brian R. Fraser," Liam's Australian accent thickened in anger. "U.S. Air Force Colonel. Native of Wisconsin. You're married to Sarah Fraser, your high school sweetheart. You got your MA in Political Science from UCLA before attending officer school. You're currently in the running to become Senator to Wisconsin. You're a fan of barbeques, hunting, and ranting about international affairs you have no stake in."

"So you Binged me." Governor Fraser's voice cracked. "You want a cookie or something?"

"No Colonel! I want to be able to enjoy my vacation in Prague without having to be called in to shut up idiots like you!" Liam leaned in and shot a frustrating look directly into Fraser's eyes. "Do you know how annoying it is to leave a beautiful beach with beautiful women just to kidnap a middle-aged man with more rolls on his neck than I can find at a sandwich shop?"

Colonel Fraser took a breath, and swallowed. "Not as annoying as being the man tied up I supposed."

Liam looked away and grinned reluctantly before stepping back. He pulled out an empty syringe and held it in front of Fraser's face. "Do you know what was in this?"

"No. But since you're delusional enough to think kidnapping me was a good idea, you must have already taken it all."

Liam laughed while twirling the syringe in hand. "I like that. Calm under pressure. Every hardened individual I've tied up starts that way, at first.. I don't know if you all think you're untouchable or believe I'm not truly going to do something." He dangled the syringe between his fingers. "This did hold a heavy sedative. I _acquired_ it from your doctor."

"Acquired?"

"Poor bastard took a bullet to the head, before he gave it up." Sadistic delight bubbled through Liam at the memory. He looked over to the Colonel who did all he could to break free. Liam liked when his captives struggled. He liked it even more when they started begging after their fight instincts failed them – and every captive of his always begged, sooner or later.

Colonel Fraser's eyes widened with horror, before he struggled against the handcuffs, again. "Why? Why am I here? What do you want with me? Just tell me what you want!!"

"Oh come on Colonel! It has to be obvious here that you pissed someone off" Liam shouted, pointing the syringe at the Colonel's face. He stood back and crossed his arms. "I mean, I piss off people all the time. But at least I'm smart enough not to stay in one place while I do it. Or get captured for that matter."

Liam stepped into the blinding light that lit Fraser's immediate area, reveling in the terror suffusing Fraser's face as the man got a good look at him for the first time. "You!" Fraser bellowed, struggling even harder to free himself. "Every agency in the world wants you dead!"

"Hmm. My wanted status is worldwide now? Guess I should really update my Linkedin profile." Liam said jokingly to himself.

Unfazed by Fraser's thrashing around, Liam strode behind his captive, enthralled by the heavy echo of his own booted footsteps off the concrete floor and walls. The authoritative sound sent a thrill up Liam's spine.

In the past few years highly ranked political and military officials alike came to know the name Liam King well. It wasn't a secret he was on the top of the FBI and Interpol's most wanted list. Fraser knew King had killed men like him for no better reason than the almighty dollar. Liam had no loyalty to country, no concern with the lives of others, and he liked it that way. With no attachment or loyalty each contract he took was simple.

"I thought getting my hands on a Colonel would be next to impossible, especially who lives in a military residential area. But I guess your town's security is as flimsy as any other neighborhood watch."

"You're dead!" Fraser roared while straining his arms and legs "You hear me? Dead! You fucked up kid! And when I get out of here..." Liam put Fraser's threats to a halt with an open hand across his face.

"Don't make threats you can't cash Colonel. It's unbecoming of you."

Frasier's body shook in fear. "You think you can just come in here? Where my wife and son sleep?"

"Ah ah ah. Correction, where your wife used to sleep. A graveyard is more fitting for them now."

Fraser shook his head in disbelief. "No! No! No! You didn't!" He rocked his chair back and forth. "Not my wife... my son!"

Liam grabbed Fraser by the neck keeping him still. "This is what happens when you piss off dangerous people, Brian. They pay men like me to ruin your life. But your son, he's just a boy. I'll let him live. But he'll grow up an orphan." He smiled at Fraser's tearing eyes. "The way you're having a bitch fit, I'd say I did the little bugger a favor, mate."

Fraser jerked his upper body away from Liam's grasp. "Tell me who hired you. Who hired you to kill my wife? I'll have you both killed! I swear to God!" Fraser screamed, so loud that neither he nor Liam heard the door open from behind him.

"No, you won't.," A Middle Eastern man in a three-piece suit stepped into view, accompanied by four other Middle Eastern men wearing ballistic vests over street clothes and carrying UMP45 machine pistols. Each also carried a SIG Sauer and P2220 pistols in their belt holsters.

A grin tugged at Liam's lips as he stepped back to let his employer take a look at the roughed-up politician.

"Good job, Mr. King." The well-dressed man stopped in front of Fraser, grasping the governor's jaw to turn his face from one side to the other. "And here I assumed by paying half in advance, I was just giving money to a dead man."

The well spoken man pulled out a 9mm Sig Sauer from a shoulder holster under his jacket and waved it at Fraser.

"Do you know who I am, Governor?"

"I should have known. Adir Jafri. You call yourself some kind of general, in charge of a group of Turkish radicals. You people think you're liberators, freedom fighters, but you're really just a bunch of thugs. Terrorists" spat Fraser.

Jafri's men held Fraser's seat, allowing Jafri to land one good punch to bust the Colonel's lip open. "For weeks you've been pushing for your friends in Washington to start a task force to hunt me down. My sources informed me you told them I was a threat that you wanted handled. Here's a lesson you should've learned a long time ago."

Jafri shoved the gun barrel up beneath Fraser's bruised and bloodied jaw. "You want a man dead, you kill him. If you want a man to kill you, you speak about how you want him dead."

"Go to hell." Blood dribbled from the corner of Fraser's mouth.

"Mr. Jafri," Liam reached to ease Jafri's weapon away from Fraser. "Normally, I'm all for sticking around for the good stuff, but I'm in a hurry to get to my vacation and if I leave now I can still make karaoke. So how about you just give me my money and I'll be on my way? That way I can go before things get any more intimate."

Jafri glared at Liam for a moment before laughing. "I like you, Mr. King."

He snapped his fingers which prompted one of his men to toss a suitcase at Liam's feet.

Liam picked up the suitcase and weighed it in his hand. "You know, I've carried a lot of cash in my years doing this sort of work..." He brought the suitcase to his ear and shook it again to be certain. "So unless these bills are marked in the thousands I'd say your very light on our agreement." He threw the case at Jafri's feet.

"You get one million for your services, Mr. King."

Liam smiled and laughed lightly. "We agreed on two million. Half for taking the job, half for when I delivered the Colonel to you. Now I know your part of the world probably uses pebbles and branches to count but that doesn't excuse for bad business mate."

Jafri stalked toward Liam, gun still in hand and his expression menacing. "We agreed for you to kill him before I arrived. Does he look dead to you?"

"Looks alive to me, sir," one of Jafri's men piped up.

"We agreed to a dead governor before my arrival. You didn't fulfill your end of our agreement, Mr. King." Jafri jabbed the barrel of his weapon against Liam's sternum. His men closed ranks around them until Liam couldn't move. "This is what happens when you don't follow instructions to the letter. Now, take the money and be glad you're walking out of here with your life."

Liam forced a grin at Adir and picked up the suitcase.

"That's a good boy."

Liam clutched the handle of the suitcase tightly, and to his employer's surprise, he swung the full force of the suitcase against Adir's wrist, causing him to drop his weapon. He then threw the suitcase at one of the soldiers behind him, crashing against his nose and knocking him back.

Liam grabbed the barrel of the UMP45 before the other soldier behind him could take aim and slammed the man's finger against the trigger. He aimed the gun at the guard behind Adir, spraying him with bullets from the waist up after slamming his fingers down on the trigger with his free hand. Liam jammed his elbow back into the solar plexus of the soldier whose gun he grabbed and twisted the man's arm up behind his back as he moved the soldier into position as a human shield. He drew the man's pistol from his hip holster and put four rounds in the man who'd been hit with the suitcase.

In his peripheral vision, Liam saw Jafri dive after his gun. Liam quickly kicked the weapon toward the far wall. In the same fluid movement, he shoved his human shield at the only other guard standing causing the man's aim to be off as he fired.

Turning toward the two men, Liam fired the Sig Sauer pistol in his hand until it wouldn't fire anymore, laughter spilling from him as he watched the men convulse as the bullets pierced their flesh. As the roar of gunfire subsided, the two men crumpled to the floor, Liam's former human shield slumped atop his comrade.

"Don't move!" Liam turned his weapon on Jafri who froze, kneeling with his hands up, the sweat beading from his neck was visible even from where Liam stood.

Liam quickly moved over to the pile of guards he just dispatched and stripped a guard of his loaded SIG Sauer while dropping the empty one in his hand. He looked up to see Adir making another attempt to reach for his weapon.

It was then Liam's eyes and vision both turned orange, just before a beam of orange light shot from each socket and blew a cauterizing hole the size of his fist into Adir's back. From where he stood Liam could see the violent beam had punched through Adir's chest, just before the man collapsed to his death.

"What the hell was that?" Fraser demanded, fear trembling in his voice.

Liam retrieved the suitcase from the floor. "Just a little modification, compliments of your government's top scientists. I'm actually surprised you're not aware of people with abilities like this." He pointed at his eyes, once again blue. "My benefactor was kind enough to let me experience a preview of the abilities used by your nation's forces with the help of a serum. I can't wait to get my hands on more of the stuff! Even though I'd wish he'd put me through the surgical procedure to make the effects permanent."

"What you can do...it compliments you as the freaking monster you are!" Fraser yelled out with watered eyes glaring up at Liam.

Liam ran a hand through his short blonde hair and laughed. "Exactly what I was going for." He holstered his newly acquired SIG Sauer pistol, pulled out his cell phone, dialed a number, and put it on speaker phone.

"Boss. Adir Jafri's dead." He was acutely aware of Fraser's frightened gaze on him, and the unsteady huff of the Colonel's breathing. He grinned to himself. He liked inflicting terror. Liam strongly believed a fearful person is when one is at their most honest.

"How'd it go?" His boss said on the other line.

"You were spot on about the plan. Offering Fraser's head on a platter brought Adir out in the open. Can't believe the idiot actually showed."

"Wait. This...this was all just a ploy to get Adir so show up?" Colonel Fraser shouted. "You ruined my life just to use me as bait?"

Liam looked over his shoulder and put a finger over his lip, signaling the Colonel to keep quiet. "Shhhh! I'm on the phone Colonel. Don't be rude." He said before turning away from him.

"Did he pay you before you killed him?"

Liam weighed the suitcase in his hand the second he picked it up. "Yeah, he gave me a million for finishing the job, but don't think I'll be counting that towards what you owe me."

"You earned your pay, Liam. You're a good soldier and you'll be rewarded accordingly."

Liam snorted a laugh. Like he'd believe that, before he saw his money. "Just make sure I get my money, mate, or I'll give you a taste of what Jafri got."

"Who is that?" Fraser shouted. "Let me speak to him. If I was just bait for all this than he can let me go!"

"Fraser's still alive?" Liam's boss asked.

"Yeah, he's alive. He wants to be let loose. Mind you, I may have killed his wife for seeing my face." A devilish grin tugged at Liam's mouth. "How do you want me to handle him boss?"

Without another word from the other line, the phone went silent.. Humor surged through Liam, and a laugh broke his lips as he tucked his phone away and headed for the basement stairs.

"What did he say?" Fraser pleaded eagerly.

Liam halted and glanced over his shoulder at Fraser.

"He said..." Without hesitation, Liam raised his pistol and fired a round straight into Fraser's face, causing him to slouch back in his seat. Whistling to himself, Liam holstered his weapon between his belt and pants and resumed his meander up the stairs. He had a lot of extra money coming his way, and he planned to have a lot of fun spending it.
Chapter Two

_One Month Later_

Private First Class Desmond Striker laid on his twin bed in the two room quarters he was assigned to. He remembered just finishing infantry school with his childhood friend, Anna Young, in Georgia when the two of them volunteered to be subjects in a classified medical experiment. After signing up the two were ordered on a plane that flew them to a private airstrip in Delaware. It was there they took a bus ride before catching a ferry to Fort Delaware. Desmond remembered admiring the stone structure briefly before he and Anna were guided to the basement by their military escorts.

That was the last time he had seen Anna. Her sand colored skin and vivid brown eyes burned brightly in his mind. For years Desmond had harbored feeling for Anna, ever since he first met her years ago at the Vermont Military Boarding school. He wanted to tell her how he felt, more than anything else. But he knew he couldn't. Desmond was best friends with Anna's big brother, Lieutenant Tyler Young, and he knew being with Anna wouldn't fly with Tyler, seeing how protective he was over her.

Desmond jumped off his bed and walked across the dimly lit room, occupied only by a full bathroom section to his right and the layered bricks that made up the four walls. He had lost track of how long he was kept in solitude, only entertained by a few magazines and his routine of pushups, sit-ups and squats. He walked over to the mirror above the sink, noticing how weary his dark brown eyes had worn. His dirty white jumpsuit that made him feel like a miserable house painter.

"Eh. I need to clean this up." he said to himself while leaning into the mirror and scratching his five o'clock shadow.

Desmond looked to his right at the open door leading into the white tiled room he was conditioned to dread since he occupied the quarters. Every day, for as long as he was a resident Desmond was exposed to the most nerve wrecking pain he had ever experienced. A type of pain he wouldn't wish on anyone, even if they deserved it. Every day a voice came over the intercom above his bed, ordering him to step into the white-tiled room. The moment he did the door separating the rooms would lock shut automatically.

The first day Desmond stepped into the white room, he was strapped into the arm and leg restraints bolted in the center of the room's ceiling and floor respectively. He remembered the three men in lab coats strapping him into the metal restraints before putting a pair of black goggles over his eyes. It was then the men would inject him with stem cells via multiple syringes before exiting the room.

Desmond recalled the humming sound pulsating around him after the men in lab coats left the room, just before the orange light shot from every direction filling Desmond's body with a stabbing sensation all over as the hairs on his body burned away. Desmond remembered screaming horrifically every time he stepped into that room, and then feeling groggy and exhausted every time the lights dimmed down. The first day Desmond was unshackled he made an attempt to escape, but was easily brought to his knees before being escorted to his bed.

Desmond shook his head and looked away from the room. He remembered people coming into his room at all hours of the night, picking and piercing his weary body with needles while he was too tired to swat them away.

"Private Striker." A voice said over the intercom, sending a chill down Desmond's spine. "Your incubation period has expired. Time for testing."

"Testing?" Desmond muttered to himself before he looked up at the familiar humming sound coming from the white-tiled room. He turned away as every other tile shot out a warm orange light. Even from a distance Desmond could still feel the radiation beating at his cheek.

"Please step into the room and through the exit."

Desmond shook his head in denial. He couldn't wrap his mind around walking through the radiated room, walking through all that pain, even if it was the last time he had to. He looked up at the intercom and at the spherical security camera next to it.

"Now, Private Striker." The voice from the intercom said, this time in a more demanding tone.

Desmond walked over to his nightstand and grabbed his goggles. He put them on and took a deep breath, clinched his fists, and marched into the tiled room.

The stabbing sensation he was all too familiar with engulfed him. Desmond's body tensed vigorously, leaving his arms cocked back and at his side as he moved diagonally to the exit. He slid his feet across the tiles, one by one, as he strained his body to move faster. Within a few feet of the sliding door exit Desmond could feel his knees buckling. He crashed to the ground, barely catching himself with both hands.

Screaming and cursing ferociously under the orange light, Desmond crawled for the exit. He looked down at the tiles as he found a rhythm, moving his hands and knees forward. It wasn't until his right arm stretched out of the room, hitting the cool air that he picked up his movement until he was completely out. Desmond's agonizing roar settled into heavy breathing as he took off his goggles and looked at the four dark figures walking towards him from down the hall.

"Look who made it out the other end!" Desmond heard a familiar voice say as the he looked up, recognizing one of the four men stopping in front of him.

"Ty." Desmond breathed out, looking up at his friend, Lieutenant Tyler Young, who sported his olive green fatigues and black boots. Tyler offered a hand to Desmond and pulled him to his feet.

"Congratulations on getting through this Dessy!" Tyler said to him while patting his shoulder. "How do you feel?"

Dessy looked to either side of him at the two soldiers armed with HK MP5 sub-machine guns and the pale skinny man wearing a lab coat to Tyler's right. "I've had better experiences." he answered in an unsettled tone.

Tyler laughed. "I know what you mean. I've been through it too. It sucks. But trust me, it's about to get a lot cooler."

Desmond didn't know how to digest Tyler's words, or the child-like smile he wore. "Don't see how it could get any worse actually."

"Well let's start with easing the tension." Tyler waved at the guards on both sides of him and the silent lab coat to walk past Desmond. "We got it from here guys. Thanks."

Desmond looked behind him as the men marched down the hall and turned the corner.

"Mr. Striker. I'm Dr. Henry Wilbert!" the man in the lab coat said eagerly as he forced Desmond to shake his hand. "Thank you for volunteering for this. I can assume you didn't imagine going through such a harsh trial." Wilbert waved Desmond to walk side by side with him as they followed Tyler down the dark corridor.

"I'm just hoping all those days in that room will be worth it." Desmond said while he removed his goggles from his eyes. Every time Desmond was carried out of the radiated room his vision displayed a light orange, and as he followed Tyler up the stairs and into the fort's bright kitchen, he could see his last experience in the room left him with the same effect.

"I've been seeing orange, like looking through a thin film, is that normal?" Desmond said as he stopped and looked at the soldier making a sandwich on the island in the middle of the stone-walled kitchen.

Tyler stopped and turned to Desmond with a smile on his face. "It's normal." he said while grabbing a silver plate off the island table and handing it to Desmond. "But a little freaky at first. Check it."

Desmond looked down through the plate's reflection to see his eyes were bursting a violent orange, leaving him stunned at his new found feature. "Oh man." he whispered to himself as he used his free hand to pull back his right eye lid. He lost his grip at the sight of his eyes, letting the silver plate fall to his feet. But before the plate could crash to the floor it stopped, suspended in mid-air.

"Got it!" Tyler said, forcing Desmond to look up for a moment and noticing Tyler's eyes locked on the plate as he stuck an open hand towards it.

"What the hell?" Desmond said as he noticed an orange aura blanketing the plate as it floated inches above the wooden floor. "Ty, you're doing this? How?"

"Little bit of practice and concentration. Some of us pick this stuff up faster than others."

"What you're seeing is a display of exactly what I aim for in this procedure Mr. Striker." Dr. Wilbert said to him while kneeling down to pick up the plate and set it on the island. "Through repetitive stem cell injections and radiation therapy I've been able to enhance a subject's physical and mental capabilities. In Lieutenant's Young case, his abilities are more mental than physical."

Desmond shook his head and pointed at Tyler. "So, you did that with..."

"By just thinking it." Tyler said with a nod.

"Can I..."

"Do what I can? Probably not." he said, interrupting Desmond once again.

"The procedure you went though not only grants enhancements based on your genetic makeup, but it also creates new phenotypic abilities never conceived to be possible." Doctor Wilbert chimed in. "And since no two people are the same there is no way to alter or predict the outcome of what each subject is capable of. But for the most part, we can at least expect an increase in strength, speed, and durability. But to what degree varies.

Tyler sighed, looking at the doctor before looking back at Desmond. "But it's not all good Dessy. Some people make it through the procedure...and some don't. And even the ones that do have a physical or mental price to pay for their enhancements. Whether it be an allergy or change in brain chemistry."

Tyler's words struck a chord in Desmond, reminding him that he had volunteered to go through this procedure with Anna, Tyler's younger sister.

"Oh shit." he whispered to himself. "Anna. Where's Anna? Is she alright?"

"She's alright Dessy." Tyler said with a smile and his hands up to ease Desmond. He pointed over his shoulder. She's outside exercising with the others."

Without thinking, Desmond bolted to his left at the exit. He pushed through the wooden door and shielded his eyes from the blinding sun the moment his boots touched the grass. He walked forward as his eyes adjusted, ignoring Tyler and Dr. Wilbert's order to stop walking away from them.

"Anna!" he screamed as he walked across the field, noticing the soldiers in sparring gear practicing hand to hand combat with one another. Desmond ran into the middle of the field. He looked left and right, hoping to get an eye on Anna.

"Anna!" he screamed again.

"Desmond!"

The sound of a familiar voice forced Desmond to look over his shoulder. He turned around and saw Anna, dressed in camouflage cargo pants and a sleeveless black top. Desmond looked at Anna from top to bottom, noticing the small orange pointy scales sprinkled on her sand-colored skin. He looked into her bright orange eyes, which were once a beautiful brown. Desmond sighed in relief to see her and wrapped his arms around her while she returned the gesture.

"You're alright." he said breathlessly into her dark brown hair. "Thank God you're alright."

Desmond pushed back to look at Anna while still holding her. As always when he saw her, Desmond wanted to tell Anna how he felt about her. Part of him knew she felt the same way, he knew she had to. With their eyes locked Desmond recalled their time at the Vermont military academy, from how Anna always took it easy on him in their hand to hand combat sessions, to how they went to prom together their senior year. Desmond wanted to tell Anna how much he cared and longed for her, so much that the words were at the tip of his tongue. But the moment he opened his mouth he could feel a force wedging the two of them away.

"Desmond!" Tyler said with his hand raised at Desmond and Anna.

As he was forced back a couple feet away from Anna, Desmond knew right away Tyler was using his mind to separate them.

"Sorry Ty. I mean, Lieutenant." Desmond said with his head down.

Tyler walked up to Desmond with a frustrated look on his face. "I may be your friend, but I also out-rank you. When I say stop you stop. Got it?" he said sternly.

"Yes sir." Desmond said in a low tone before sneaking a glance at Anna.

Tyler sighed and waved at Desmond and Anna to follow him across the open field. "Come on. We got a few tests to run."

"What happened to you?" Desmond said as he reached for Anna's hand and noticing the scales on them poked at his fingertips.

Anna quickly pulled her arm away. "It's a result of Dr. Wilbert's experiment." she said before pointing at the doctor's back while he walked side by side with Tyler. "These scales form around my body like a protective shell. I've only been out a few days and I'm already getting the hand of controlling it."

Desmond watched as Anna clinched her fist as more scales bled out her skin and encased her body. He noticed the larger the scales grew the sharper and denser they looked, prompting him to step away from Anna.

"Whoa Anna!" he said as he examined her from top to bottom and admiring the orange skeleton she wore like armor. "That's, wow!"

Anna smiled. "Check this out." she said before pulling one of the longer scales from her forearm and holding it like a short stick. She raised her arm, showing Desmond how another orange scale was already forming in the original's place. She handed the lengthy scale to Desmond, which he couldn't help but wield like a short stick as well.

"You could really do some damage with this thing." he said handing it back to her.

"Dr. Wilbert says these things are also pretty tough. Like bullet proof tough. We haven't done a full measure of how tough yet though. But like you said, they can do some damage." she pointed at the silhouette targets they passed by on her left, all of which looked like they were ripped apart by a monster.

"Was that you?"

"Yeah." she chuckled. "And those things were made of steel."

"Miss Young's scales have proven highly effective at cutting through most metals." Dr. Wilbert chimed in as the four of them walked into a tunnel within the walls and through a wooden door on their right. "I'm sure with more practice on creating a denser exo-skeleton there won't be anything she can't tear down or endure."

Desmond was the last one to walk down the stairs and into the sub-basement, he noticed right away he was standing in the observatory of a training facility. He looked down through the window at the dozens of soldiers using the free weights and gym equipment that surrounded the boxing ring in the center of the room.

"Glad he's on our side." Desmond said, pointing at the gargantuan bald man shadow boxing in the ring.

"That's Sergeant First Class Cameron Wilson." Anna said to him. "The guy's not that tough."

Desmond laughed. "Guessing you've had a sparring session with him?"

"You can call it that." She said with shrugged shoulders. "I call it a one-sided fight in my favor. Big guy can't fight for shit."

"Don't let her fool you Desmond." Tyler chimed in. "The guy's crazy strong, and bullet proof."

"Before or after the procedure?" Desmond said while backing away from the window.

Tyler laughed. "Let's get you strapped up for testing."

"Wait," Desmond said, stopping the Doctor from going down the spiral stairs on their left. He looked down at the people exercising and back over to Wilbert. "How do I know what I can do?"

"We're going to find that out now." Tyler said while patting Desmond's shoulder and guiding him down the spiral stairs.

As they passed by the people exercising in the huge, brightly lit room, Desmond noticed the glowing orange in some of their eyes. He looked back at Anna who shot him a grin before they walked in front of a row of lockers flushed to the wall.

"You might have not noticed Mr. Striker, but while you were going through the radiation process, my team and I drew blood from you when you were sleeping." Dr. Wilbert said to him.

"Oh no, I noticed." Desmond said quickly.

"We did that to monitor the change in your genetic structure. Everyone is different, which results in how long or short they have to go through the procedure. For example, Lieutenant Young's experience was two whole days while Miss Young experienced a full week of testing."

"How do I figure out what I can do?"

Tyler opened the locker closest to him and pulled out a pair of black grappling gloves and matching shin pads.

"Through mental and physical training you should be able to control whatever abilities you have. But..."

"But what?" Desmond asked eagerly to Dr. Wilbert.

"An adrenal response is needed for your abilities to manifest." Tyler said while shoving the sparring gear into Desmond's chest with his psychic ability.

"Alright." Desmond turned to Anna and pushed her playfully after putting on his grappling gloves. "Feel like going a few rounds?"

"Oh no buddy." Tyler said before Anna could speak and pointed over his shoulder. "You and Anna sparred plenty back in school. I think someone new is appropriate for the response we want."

Desmond turned to see Tyler pointing at the massive Sgt. Cameron Wilson, whose back was turned to them while leaning over the ring ropes. "Oh come on!" Desmond yelled out loud, which drew the eyes of almost every soldier in the gym.

"Don't worry Dessy. You got this." Anna assured him. "The guy's big, but slow...ish."

Desmond shook his head at Anna. "You're not helping."

"I beat the guy without getting hit." She said without shrugged shoulders.

"You also have three black belts and multiple first place fight trophies." Desmond chuckled nervously.

Tyler placed a hand on Desmond's shoulder and shot him a no nonsense stare. "Look Dessy, this is the best way to find out what you can do. Trust me. I went through this too. Most of the people here have. This isn't about winning or losing. It's about finding out what you're capable of."

Desmond sighed. He knew Tyler was right, and wished he wasn't. He looked over at Cameron, then back at Tyler, then to Anna, who nodded at him.

"Alright. One round." Desmond said as he threw a finger up at Tyler.

Tyler smiled. "That a boy!" he said while patting Desmond's shoulder and guiding him towards the ring. "And don't worry. We have a medic on standby."

Desmond looked over to the side of the ring where Tyler pointed out a Japanese woman, fully dressed in olive green fatigues while she held a fellow soldier's arm away from his body. Before stepping into the ring, Desmond watched as the woman grasped the soldier's arm as an orange light radiated from her palms.

"What in the world?" Desmond said breathlessly.

"That's Sergeant Kiyoko Hinori." Doctor Wilbert said to him. "Coincidentally a field medic by trade, she was granted the ability to accelerate an organism's healing process."

"But get on her bad side she can damage all the cells in your body with a touch." Tyler warned Desmond.

"Knowing that I actually feel better trading blows with big guy up there." Desmond stopped in front of the ring and took off his shoes before slipping on his shin guards. He fastened the padding over his feet and looked up to see Tyler using his mind to pry the ropes from each other, allowing Desmond to climb up the ring step onto the canvas.

*****

Tyler made room for Kiyoko Hinori to stand between him and Dr. Wilbert. The two of them exchanged nods before Wilbert said his goodbyes to them. In the past few weeks Tyler had grown to admire Kiyoko. He didn't have to read her mind to know she loved her healing powers. He could see her eagerness to help every time the opportunity presented itself. Whether it was a cosmetic wound or a fracture she was there for whoever needed her healing hands. Tyler couldn't tell if it was Kiyoko's positive attitude, her willingness to help, or her being easy on the eyes that made him attracted to her, but he did know one thing for sure; he was always happy for her to be around.

"Sup Anna?" Kiyoko said to Anna while leaning in front of Tyler to bump fists.

"Sergeant." Anna said in a professional tone.

"Please. Call me Kiyoko. Or Kiyo. We're gonna be working together once we leave this island. Might as well be friendly." She looked at Tyler and tapped his shoulder. "You did fill out your squad list, right?"

"I did." Tyler said with a laugh before pointing up at Desmond, who walked slowly to the center of the ring.

"Ugh...Sergeant First Class Wilson?" Desmond said hesitantly. He leaned to the side to see Cameron talking to a woman in fatigues just outside the ring. Desmond look back to see Anna waving him forward.

"Gotta get his attention Dessy!"

Desmond turned back to the Sergeant. "Hey! Sarge! Up for a quick round?" Desmond yelled. "I heard you're the guy to beat!"

Cameron waved back at Desmond. After looking over his shoulder and chuckling. "No thanks. Not into fighting pretty boys."

"But you're okay with trading blows with women?" Desmond said quickly.

A wave of laughter and mumbling flooded around the ring. Tyler looked around to see many eyes were focused on Cameron and Desmond.

"You talking about Diamond eyes over there?" Cameron said as he pointed over to Anna and walking up to Desmond.

Tyler's vision went orange while he focused on Desmond. After weeks of training and therapy, Tyler discovered he could read and transmit thoughts from his mind to another, along with moving objects. He could sense Desmond's anxiety as Cameron closed the distanced between them. Tyler couldn't blame him. Cameron stood an incredible six foot seven to Desmond's six foot stature.

"She has a name." Desmond said to Cameron.

"She's damn near invincible."Cameron said before pushing Desmond back with his index finger. "I'm going to guess you're not."

Desmond took a step back and raised his right hand to his chin while keeping his left open and towards Cameron. "I heard this is the way to find out."

"Doesn't mean I'm going to take it easy on you." Cameron said with a smirk.

"Not even a little...whoa!" Desmond shouted the moment Cameron stepped in with a hook to his head.

Desmond ducked under Cameron's hooked punch and held his arm in place. He then instinctively jumped to the side and crashed his fist against Cameron's jaw, forcing him to stumble away from the center of the ring.

Cameron held his jaw as he stood up right. "That actually stung!" He said with a smile."

Tyler looked at the two men, both of their eyes sparked a bright orange. He was impressed by Desmond being able to hurt Cameron, something that few people in the facility, even with their enhanced strength could do.

"Is this kid the friend you were talking about?" Kiyoko leaned in to ask Tyler.

"He is." Tyler said with a grin. "Second best fighter I know."

"Who's the best?"

Tyler tilted his head at Anna while keeping his eyes locked on Cameron and Desmond.

"Your right about that!" Anna said in a childish tone while elbowing Tyler.

"Agh! Don't tell me you fight like you're girlfriend here." Cameron said while pointing over his shoulder at Anna. "I hate that kung fu shit."

"She's not my girlfriend." Desmond replied. "And she took up akido, shotokan and ju jitsu back in school. I was more of a kickboxing guy myself."

"Desmond!" Tyler yelled at him. "He doesn't care."

"Oh...right." Desmond put his hands up the moment Cameron charged at him.

Cameron reigned a quick four punch combination, all of which Desmond parried. While reading Desmond's thoughts, Tyler knew his friend's arms were aching from Cameron's attack. Cameron threw a feint jab before spinning towards Desmond with an elbow aimed at his head. Desmond leaned back and countered with a cross punch. But before he could land it, Cameron stopped him with a kick to Desmond's stomach. Cameron's kick lifted Desmond off his feet and sent him flying back, out the center of the ring and into the ropes. Desmond bounced off the ropes and covered his faced as he soared back to Cameron.

"Ah shit." Tyler and Anna muttered simultaneously before Anna looked away from the ring.

Desmond crossed his arms to cover his face just before Cameron crashed his fist into him, and right before flipping backward and hitting the canvas, Tyler could feel his connection to Desmond was severed..

*****

Desmond came to with his cheek against the canvas. He pushed himself up in a half plank position. He turned his head to see Cameron stretching his arm across his chest. To his left Desmond saw Anna and Tyler, both of whom had a concerned look washed over them.

"You hit harder than anyone else who's been through what we've been through," Cameron said to Desmond while walking in a half circle around him. "Well, except for me, obviously. Lieutenant Young spoke highly of you. I'm waiting for you to show me what he sees in you."

Desmond looked down and slammed his left fist into the canvas, causing the entire ring to shake. It was then he felt a tingle through his body and a burning sensation throughout his left arm. He looked to see the veins in his arms glowing orange.

"Well, that's new." he said to himself before crawling to his feet. He clinched his fists and raised them both up.

"Up for round two?" Cameron said to him.

Desmond rushed at Cameron and ducked under his hooked punch. Desmond then threw a few of his own into Cameron's oblique before moving him to the side with a turning kick. With a quick side kick pushing Cameron back, Desmond moved forward hoping to land a cross to Cameron's chest. But Cameron stepped back and brushed Desmond's fist before countering with a spinning elbow. Desmond blocked Cameron's counter with his free hand, but the force of the strike knocked him off balance still.

"Come on! Step it up Private!"Cameron roared as he stepped and launched a front kick at Desmond.

Desmond moved to the side and landed a kick of his own to Cameron's stomach. He then jumped to hit Cameron with a cross to the face, staggering him before landing a jab to Cameron's chest with his glowing left fist. It was then that the impact shot an explosive force from Desmond's fist, sending Cameron flying back against the ropes.

With his hand feeling like it was on fire, Desmond stepped back and unclenched his fist. He stared in awe as an orange light pulsed around his hand.

" _Desmond watch out!"_ Desmond heard a voice shout in his head.

He looked up to see Cameron charge at him ferociously. Desmond stepped back to parry and dodge each punch Cameron threw his way. He then spun away from Cameron's back fist and looked over at Tyler.

_"Ty!"_ he thought in his head to his friend. _"I'm reading your mind!"_

_"No dumbass! I'm reading your mind!"_ Tyler replied back inside Desmond's head. _"I can establish mental links with others, reading minds and communicating. Now stay focused on Cameron!"_

_"Did you see what I did?"_ Desmond thought while keeping a safe distance from Cameron. He stayed right outside Cameron's distance, dodging his jabs while looking for an opening. _"It's like I all of a sudden know what I can do!_ _It feels so natural. This energy. This power is like an extension of my arm!"_

_"Wilbert told me once when someone's abilities express themselves it may feel like you were born them. Like they were always apart of you."_ Tyler said inside Desmond's head.

Desmond stepped in to block Cameron's jab and counter with a hook to his ribs. He then landed a hook to Cameron's jaw with the same fist before pushing him back with a front kick.

"Yeah Dessy!" Anna screamed, pulling Desmond's attention away from Cameron. Naturally he dropped his guard and grinned, forgetting he stood in a boxing ring.

_"Watch out!"_ Desmond heard Tyler shout in his head.

Desmond turned to see Cameron dash at him ferociously. He stepped back and did his best to dodge Cameron's flurry of punches. Desmond was successful, until he backed against the ropes. With nowhere to go Desmond bobbed and weaved, doing his best to absorb Cameron's devastating punches while protecting his head. Desmond tried to kick Cameron back, but Cameron caught his leg, looked up to Desmond and grinned.

Cameron walked back and pulled Desmond with him by the leg. He then grabbed Desmond by his white top and slammed him to the ground. Desmond felt a shockwave of pain shoot down his back as he hit the canvas.

"You got moves Striker!" Cameron said in a cocky tone. "You need practice!"

Cameron tightened his grip on Desmond's shirt and leg, picked him up off the Canvas and threw him towards the ropes. Soaring back first towards the ropes, Desmond stuck his left hand out, aimed his palm at Cameron, and tensed his arm. As his back hit the ropes a violent ball of light rushes out of Desmond's hand and crashes straight into Cameron, igniting an explosive force that sends him flying opposite of Desmond.

Desmond bounced off the ropes and flew back to the center of the canvas. As Cameron did the same he knew for certain the two were going to collide. Desmond looked into Cameron's eyes and could tell he wasn't all there. With inertia pulling them both closer to the center of the canvas, Desmond covered his head with both arms and rotated, just before colliding his shoulder into Cameron and hit the canvas.

Desmond's vision was in a blur as he heard the people surrounding the ring roaring in excitement.

"Dessy!" he heard Anna say as she, Tyler and Kiyoko stood over him. "You did it!"

"And in pretty flashy fashion." Kiyoko said to him with a grin on her face.

Tyler kicked at Desmond's side. "Nice job Desmond."

"Ow! Come on man!"

"Sorry!" Tyler said as he backed away from him. _"By the way. We're going to have a talk about how you think of Anna."_

Tyler's mental message sparked a fear in Desmond, one he had hoped to hide for as long as their friendship lasted. Desmond had no words for Tyler, just a nod before Kiyoko picked him up.

"Let's get you and Cameron to the medical bay. I'll patch you up.

*****

Desmond was half conscious as Kiyoko guided him out the ring and into a room on the opposite side of the gym. She sat him down on an empty medical bed, right next to one occupied by a man in fatigues taking a drink out of his flask.

"What's all the cheering for? The man with the brown fauxhawk said to Kiyoko as she went back to close the door behind her.

"We got a new champ of the ring."

Desmond raised his hand up before laying back in the bed and shutting his eyes. "I officially announce my retirement." he muttered.

"Hold up! This guy beat Cameron? Really? Him?"

Desmond could hear the man jump off the bed and walk over to him before flicking his arm.

"Ow!" Desmond screamed as his eyes shot open.

"Vincent!" Kiyoko screamed before prying him away from Desmond.

"What? I figured the guy had to be tough to take down Cam! Damn, my bad!"

"You know Sgt. Wilson? Outside of this?" Desmond asked.

"We went to the same high school." Vincent said with shrugged shoulders. "Cam graduated a year ahead of me. He had a scholarship to play linebacker in Tennessee. He failed out within a year and enlisted around the same time as me."

"Alright. Ready to get patched up?" Kiyoko said to Desmond as she placed one hand his arm while pushing him back down to the medical bed. "Just so you know, people tell me this hurts."

"How much? Agh!" Desmond growled as his body tensed involuntarily. His hips shot upward, lifting his back off the bed before Kiyoko pushed him back down. Through what felt like nails scratching his entire body from the inside, Desmond could feel Kiyoko tightening her grip around his arm. He looked up, into her bright orange eyes as she told him it was almost over. Not thinking clearly Desmond reached for Kiyoko's hand, but was quickly held down by Vincent.

Seconds later Kiyoko released her grip, and at the same time the pain inside Desmond disappeared. He breathed heavily and spun off the bed, Kiyoko and Vincent gave him his space.

"What...what was that?" He yelled with his hands up walking away from both of them.

"I was healing you." Kiyoko said quickly. "Or, forcing your body to heal itself if we're being precise."

Her words stopped Desmond from backing away. He noticed all of his aches and pains from his bout with Cameron were subsiding.

"It's going to take a bit before you're moving normal again. But you're a lot better off than before." she assured him.

"A little bit of pain to fix a broken body isn't a bad trade off." Vincent said before taking another sip out of his flask.

"She's done this to you." Desmond asked while pointing at Vincent."

Vincent stuffed his flask in his fatigue pants and nodded. "A few times, yeah. In my experience what she does hurts more depending on how badly damaged you are."

"How badly have you been hurt?"

"Broke my arm from a twenty foot drop while practicing."

"Practicing what?"

"Oh I love this shit! Check it!" Vincent said as he pulled out his phone and played a video for Desmond. "It's footage from my first week out of the enhancement quarters."

Desmond watched the video to see Vincent climbing up gym walls before leaping away and sticking to the ceiling with all four limbs. "Whoa!"

"That's not even the best part!" Vincent said while pointing at the play.

Desmond watched the playback of Vincent reaching for the climbing rope bolted to the ceiling. He slid half way down the rope before swinging forward and leaping for the boxing ring.

"Whew!" Desmond whistled as he watched Vincent leap back into the center of the ring and land on one knee.

Desmond zoomed out on the playback and watched as sparks of electricity jumped off Vincent's body. It was then, just as Vincent flexed his back in the video, that an orange aura expanded from his body and rushed towards the camera before the video went black.

"Tada!" Vincent let out before grabbing his phone from Desmond and taking a bow.

"He could have just said it, but show off here magnetizes whatever he touches, letting him stick to and climb up most surfaces."

"Don't forget the EMP powers Kiyo!" Vincent said in a cocky tone.

"Is that what that light was?" Desmond asked.

"That's right man! I got a six block radius with that thing!"

"Sounds like that could come in handy." Desmond said before raising a fist for Vincent to bump. "Nice moves."

Desmond and Vincent turned to the sound of Tyler clapping as he led Cameron and Anna into the medical room. "Good job out there Desmond! You're definitely looking better."

Desmond nodded at his friend. "Feeling better too."

"Good. Big guy hear could use Kiyoko's healing hands next." Tyler said while pointing over his shoulder at Cameron, who Anna had to help walk into the room.

Desmond look passed Tyler and couldn't help but feel uneasy being so close to Cameron. He stepped back as Cameron broke free from Anna's assistance. Desmond's heart pounded against his chest. He could tell by Cameron's limp he was in no condition to go another round.

"Look Sergeant. We can go again if you want." Desmond said while clinching his right fist. He looked to Tyler, then Anna, who spaced out to surround Cameron. "Just not here."

Cameron's approached forced Desmond to back against the wall. Desmond nervously looked up at the Sergeant who raised an open hand up to Desmond.

Cameron smiled. "Good fight Striker. You're pretty tough."

"Thanks!" Desmond exhaled in relief as he shook Cameron's hand. "You too."

"Obviously." Cameron laughed. "Next time I won't let that hand cannon get the best of me."

"Desmond, I need to show you something." Tyler said while waving Desmond over to the door on the other side of the room. "Lockhart, take Anna upstairs and go through some team drills."

"You got it." Vincent nodded and tapped Anna to follow. "Let's go."

Anna waved at Desmond while walking backwards towards the door. "You did great out there Dessy." she said before jogging pass Vincent who held the door leading to the gym for her.

Desmond walked past Cameron, but was pulled by his arm before he could exit through the side door with Tyler. He turned to see Cameron had a light grip on him and leaned into Desmond's ear.

"It's clear you got it bad for Young's sister." Cameron whispered in his ear. "Man up and do something about it. Okay."

"I will." Desmond said with a nod. "Thanks."

Desmond turned to step through the door and into the dimly lit room, where he saw Tyler standing next to Dr. Wilbert. He immediately noticed multiple motors standing in front of the window overlooking the soldiers exercising in the gym.

"Ah. Mr. Striker! Close the door please."

Desmond turned and reached for the door, but stepped back the moment the door seemed to shut itself. He looked backed at Tyler whose hand was raised in his direction.

"I got to get used to you doing that." Desmond said with a smile. He walked over to Tyler and Dr. Wilbert.

"You put on quite the performance out there!" Dr. Wilbert said while waving a hand at the boxing ring in the middle of the gym. "Tell me, how did it feel when you expressed your ability? Did it feel natural? Like walking or swallowing food?"

"It did, yeah." Desmond said while scratching his head. "It almost felt like I lived doing it all my life. Is that normal?"

Dr. Wilbert's eyes widened with joy as he smiled and patted Desmond's shoulder. "It's great is what it is Mr. Striker. It means your mind has accepted the changes that have occurred in your body. It doesn't always work that way."

"Kiyoko out there is a perfect example." Tyler said to Desmond. "She can have a person's body attack itself just as fast as she can make it heal. And in the beginning she struggled how to use her abilities."

"How did she manage to get a hold of them?" Desmond asked.

"Therapy. Some people need it after experiencing what we went through. But it doesn't look like you do."

"But that doesn't mean you won't be going through practice like the others." Dr. Wilbert assured him.

"Of course." Desmond said firmly. "I don't want any special treatment."

"You won't be getting any." Tyler said jokingly. "The DOD wants every able enhanced person assigned to a team and given orders within a month. It's not a lot of time, but it's what we've got, we need to run some more tests on you and give you time to practice more of your..."

"Kinetic discharge is what he's capable of. From what I can tell." Dr. Wilbert said to interrupt Tyler. "But we'll know more soon."

"And after the month is up I've been ordered to lead a team of people like us, and I want you on it Desmond."

Desmond looked at Wilbert and back at Tyler. "So out of all the people here you want me on your team?"

Tyler nodded. "Yeah. We'll be codenamed Chaos Company." Tyler said with his hand out at Desmond. "Me, you, Anna, Cameron, Kiyoko and Vincent. What do you say?"

"Is this because we go back? You recruiting me to your team?"

Tyler shrugged his shoulders at the question. "That. And you beat Cameron and he's damn near indestructible. That was the tipping point for me."

Desmond knew there was only one answer to say. What Tyler was offering was everything Desmond every wanted in a job, to serve with his best friend and see the girl of his dreams every day. He didn't think of what his new role would demand from him, but he was confident whatever it was would be fulfilling.

Desmond reached for Tyler's hand and shook it. "Okay." he said with a smile on his face. "I'm in."
Chapter Three

Three years later

Liam King sat on his bed in the presidential suite of the Gran Melía hotel. The suite overlooked the beautiful Luquillo Beach in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Even though a beautiful sight waited for Liam to take in at the hotel room balcony, he kept his eyes trained on the TV. He flipped through the channels before getting up for a drink.

Liam's cell phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket to see that it was a former employer. "Sorry, pal. I'm on my break," he said. He tossed the phone on the bed and picked the bottle of brandy up from the glass table. He filled a small glass up to the brim and sipped it as he explored the room and finally took in the view of the beach.

"Mmm. Well isn't that nice," he said while looking down at a group of women in bikinis walking along the beach down below.

Liam walked past the room's wireless phone just as it rang. He would have let it ring if he didn't fear someone would come up to the room and bother him. He sat his brandy down next to receiver and picked up the phone.

"If I ever call you again and you don't pick up, you better be dead, kid!" the man on the other line said.

Liam put his free hand on his Glock 17 9mm. He quickly looked around the room. "How'd you know I was...?"

"I've been tracking you."

"Then you should know I'm on break," Liam said as he eased off his pistol and picked up his brandy. He walked over to the king-sized bed and sat down while taking a sip.

"You have to rest after a job that easy? You're losing your touch, son."

"What is that phrase? All work and no play?" Liam sat down and turned off the TV. "What do you want?"

"I have a job for you."

"What're you willing to pay for it this time?"

"Six million. But you should know it's gonna be much more difficult than taking out Adir Jafri and his men like you did a while back."

Liam sipped more of his brandy before bringing the glass up to his eyes. "I lost a good team during that job. My men died so I could get to Fraser."

"You didn't even know those men!"

"One of them took a bullet for me. That makes him good enough."

"I know how you operate. Did he take one for you, or from you?"

Liam chuckled slightly. "Okay so maybe I gunned one of them down. But he was so annoying, mate. Trust me I was doing the world a favor." He paused while taking another sip "Would you be hiring men from that same PMC? I'd like more than four men this time."

"You'll be getting a full squad this time around," the man said over the phone. "You're also getting another shot of that drug."

"Oh good on you boss!" Liam said with a smile. "You don't know how much I miss having those fire eyes!"

"But first, there's a team I want you to read up on and be cautious about. They're not the target but unfortunately they could be a problem. Their dossier and your debriefing should be there any second. Call me back when you've read it." The phone line went silent.

As soon as Liam's employer hung up, room service knocked on the door. "Got to give it to the man for being punctual," he said as he walked over to the door and opened it.

"This was requested to be sent to this room," the hotel clerk said. He handed a suitcase over to Liam.

Liam chuckled at the clerk's ridiculous looking brown and red outfit with the matching small hat. "Gracias, mate," he said before slamming the door in his face.

Liam threw the suitcase on the king size bed. He wasted no time opening it up and flipping through reports and dossiers of the potential threat. "A team of soldiers who call themselves Chaos Company, eh?" he said to himself. "Sounds like an outdated heavy metal band." Liam took notice of the team's assignments and achievements. Even though he was all alone, Liam pretended not to be impressed by all the incredible work the team had done. He took out one file and read it thoroughly.

*****

One week ago

Specialist Desmond Striker and his team were deployed in the outskirts of Brazil and tasked with eliminating militant radicals terrorizing the area. Desmond was paired with Chaos Company team leader Lieutenant Tyler Young and Master Sergeant Cameron Wilson, while his other teammates, Anna Young, Kiyoko Hinori, and Vincent were tasked with keeping an eye on the enemy's base of operations.

Desmond stayed out of sight with Tyler and Cameron in a thin-walled two-story home. Cameron kept himself busy by inspecting and cleaning his weapon. It was Desmond's turn to keep watch of the perimeter.

The three of them had been rotating to keep watch every four hours for the past day. Tyler was in the corner with a skinny Brazilian man who wore nothing but shorts and a denim vest. Desmond tried to listen in on Ty's conversation while he kept watch, but unlike Ty he didn't know a lick of Portuguese.

Ty walked the man to the door. Before he let him out, he handed him a duffle bag stuffed with cash.

Ty took a seat on the floor next to Desmond. "Our friend said the rebels use these streets as their training grounds so we don't have to worry about any civilians getting caught in the crossfire."

"Good," Desmond said to his leader, and best friend. "What about the patrols?"

"He said a patrol unit of thirty or so will form up past this town in less than ten. Once they end their rounds, they'll head back to base."

Desmond drew a few lines in the dusty floor representing the bottom of the favela they were located in. "So they'll be bottlenecked in these ruins. If we can take out the tail-end of the unit, we can force them to fight on our terms," he said while pointing at the two parallel lines.

"Yeah. We take them out before heading to their HQ and meeting up with the others."

"Sounds good to me," Desmond said with a smile.

Ty pushed him in a friendly manner. "Oh, well I'm glad you approve!" he said with a laugh.

Desmond grinned. "Yeah, well someone has to make sure you don't get us shot."

Cameron stood up and stretched his massive thighs. "Do we have enough ammo to take out a patrol unit?"

"We should," Ty answered, "Our friend was nice enough to spot us some C4." He pointed over to a small bag near the front door.

"Damn. Little man knows how to party!" Cameron said while rubbing his bald head. "Not that you need any explosives Striker, with that hand cannon of yours."

Desmond opened and closed his left hand and laughed. "Yeah, well we all can't be bulletproof like you."

"Hey Wilson," Tyler said to him. "Can you take one last look outside for me?"

"Oh, bro time. I get it man," Cameron tried to walk up the stairs delicately, but as always his every step was accompanied by a loud boom.

Ty quickly switched his tone, "You ready for this?" he asked Desmond in a nervous manner.

"Yeah, of course," he said as he checked the magazine in his HK MP5 sub-machine gun.

"This is gonna be tough is all."

Desmond nodded. "I know man." he exhaled. "I know."

Ty took a deep breath before speaking. "Our superiors really screwed us on this one. We're all we got this time around.

Desmond patted his friend shoulder. "Man, we've been screwed since going through that radiation procedure." he said with a laugh.

Ty nodded. "And Anna. Desmond if anything happens..."

Desmond shook his head away from his friend. "Ty, we've been through this every time you know a fight is coming." He looked up at his friend and sighed. "I know no matter how much we plan, things can go sideways at any second. And if they do, if they ever do, I'll be there for Anna. I'll always be there for Anna. I love her."

Ty smiled. "Thanks man, really."

Over the past few years serving together Anna and Desmond had grown close, closer than they were in military school. It wasn't until a year ago the two acted on their feelings, and separated away from the others whenever they had the chance. At first it was hard for them to be public about their relationship. Not because of how their superiors looked down upon teammates becoming intimate, but because of Ty. It wasn't until Ty hashed out his anger at Desmond, both verbally and physically, that he accepted Desmond and Anna's relationship. After his anger towards Desmond subsided, he was finally able to see that he wouldn't want anyone else to be with his little sister but his best friend.

Ty and Desmond stood up and checked their respective 9mm Berettas one last time. "HQ said we get to go home for a while after we're done here." Ty assured him.

"That's reason enough for us to show these guys how we got the codename Chaos Company."

"Man you can be cheesy at times!." Tyler said with a laugh.

"Everything looks clear from above" Cameron said, running downstairs. He picked up the duffle bag of explosives near the front door and slung them over his shoulder.

"Yeah, I'll take those," Ty's eyes turned a bright orange as he lifted his hand at the bag, stripping it away from Cameron's person and into his hands with his mind "You take them head on. Make sure no one gets past you."

Cameron laughed. "Do they ever?" he said in a cocky tone. He unsheathed his 12-guage shotgun from the custom-made scabbard attached to the back of his bullet proof vest.

"Desmond, you post up in the house across the street and pick off any threats after I trigger the C4. Only use your kinetic blasts if you have to."

"Got it," he said before heading for the front door.

"Hey!" Ty grabbed Desmond before he and Cameron stepped outside. "Stay safe."

"Yes, sir. As safe as I can be in a firefight," Desmond said with a grin before he ran across the street.

It didn't take long for the three of them to get into position. Desmond could hear Cameron rushing down the street. He looked over his shoulder to see him taking cover behind him until he came across a dumpster. It had to weigh at least six hundred pounds with all of the trash harbored in it, yet Cameron pushed it in the middle of the street with just one arm.

Desmond stopped at the front entrance of the small apartment building to see Cameron checking his FN Scar-H rifle that slung across his shoulder. He then detached a steel facemask hanging from his belt and put it on. Desmond jogged up the stairs to the top floor of the abandoned three-story. He then ran into the second room down the hall. He walked over to the balcony and saw Tyler across the street, who had just climbed up the ladder to the roof of their temporary hideout. Desmond watched from afar as Tyler walked over to the ledge of the roof and dumped all the C4 out of the bag and checked each explosive quickly.

Desmond looked around the room and noticed the bullet holes that punctured the walls. The thought of how the rebels forced the inhabitants out of their homes disgusted him. He settled on the balcony in the apartment and took a knee.

"How's it looking up there, Dessy?" Cameron said to him through their earpieces.

"Like hell," he said in a depressing tone, "there's more blood and bullet holes on the walls than there is paint."

"We'll make these guys pay for it," Cameron assured him.

Desmond's vision shifted to a shade of orange. He looked into the reflection of the balcony window to see his eyes had changed the same color. He looked down at his left hand and could see the veins in his arm pulsate the same orange as his eyes.

"How's your hand?" Cameron asked.

"Ready to fire," he responded in a low tone as he tried to wave away the burning sensation in his palm.

"Hey Ty, can you hear me man?" Cameron said through their open line.

"Shh! He's doing his Houdini thing," Desmond said to him as he looked across the street at Tyler.

Desmond could almost feel how deep Ty was in concentration. Tyler's eyes were closed and his hands were lifted away from his body as the C4 explosives dangled in the air under his will. They hovered away from the rooftop as Ty waved his hands like a conductor. With his eyes closed, he placed the rectangular plastic explosives. Two rested in front of the homes on either side of the apartment building Desmond was in. Another was placed forty yards in front of the dumpster Cameron was positioned behind, while the final explosive was placed down the street opposite of Cameron.

Ty finally opened his eyes. Desmond knew Tyler's psionic efforts had to be exhausting to him, both mentally and physically. Both he and Cameron could hear Tyler panting over their earpieces.

"Okay. All set." Ty said into his earpiece.

"Just in time, too. Here they come." Desmond told them.

Desmond watched from his vantage point as the unit of thirty or so men marched their way into the team's trap. The unit was led by a T-90 Bhisma tank and two jeeps strapped with .50 caliber machine guns bringing up the rear. The rebels were dressed in leaf-green fatigues, which disgusted Desmond all the more. He knew they weren't soldiers. From the blood he spotted splattered across the apartment, he knew they were animals.

"You guys seeing this tank?" Desmond asked his team. "How the hell they get a hold of Russian gear?"

Tyler sighed. "The black market knows no borders Dessy."

"Or loyalty for that matter." Cameron added.

"Okay guys. We're going live in three, two...."

It was then that Desmond jumped at the sound and shockwave of the C4 explosives going off the moment Tyler pressed the wireless detonator. The street shook like an earthquake as fire ignited around the rebels. Dust and debris flew across the dirt road and blinded the rebels. Desmond caught eye of shrapnel piercing enemy bodies as they were thrown in every direction.

"Light 'em up!" Tyler screamed into his earpiece.

Desmond took aim and fired below as the enemy ran for cover behind the tank. He could hear Cameron and Tyler following suite with their weapons. After a few controlled bursts he stepped back from what was left of the enemy firing up at him.

Desmond looked down at the enemy tank while reloading. He noticed the C4 explosion had stopped the heavy vehicle from moving forward. He looked over to see Ty standing up while firing. "Keep the pressure on them! Don't let them get away!"

"They're not getting by me!" Cameron answered back while firing.

One of the surviving rebels emptied his assault rifle on Cameron, but each round was used in vain. He ran back behind the tank looking for another weapon. It didn't take long for him to find the mangled corpse of one of his squad mates holding a rocket launcher. He tore the weapon from his fallen comrade and quickly fired in Cameron's direction.

The second Desmond reloaded his MP5 he aimed his weapon directly below the balcony and fired blinded at the rebels he heard beneath him. But it wasn't until Desmond emptied his weapon that he spotted the rebel across the street aiming a rocket launcher in Cameron's direction.

"Cameron! RPG!" Desmond yelled as he drew his Beretta from his leg holster and stood up to shoot the rebel. With one shot Desmond put down the man wielding the RPG, but not before the man fired off his rocket.

Desmond's heart skipped a beat while he looked over at Cameron, who had just dove towards a broken down truck as the rocket launched at him went off in the middle of the road.

"Cameron!" Desmond shouted. His sights on Cameron were diminished the moment the rocket kicked up dust and debris from the explosion.

"Desmond, watch out!" Ty yelled at him.

Desmond hadn't seen that most of the remaining forces were turning his way. He got off the balcony and back into the room just as the rebels opened fire on him. He kept his head down as enemy rounds flickered over his head and through the ceiling. He was just about to exit the apartment room as three assailants blocked his way.

Without thinking, Desmond quickly threw his MP5 at one of them and raised his radiating orange hand at another. A concussive burst shot out his palm, pushing one of the rebels through a wall as the other two moved out of the way. Desmond quickly closed the space between him and the two remaining assailants. He kicked one of the rebels' guns to the side before the man could aim and punched the other in the neck. Desmond then fired one round in each man's chest before firing at their faces, one by one.

Desmond's victory was short lived when he heard more men charging up the stairs. Knowing he didn't have much time, Desmond fired at the exposed gas line running along the ceiling before heading for the balcony. He then stripped the grenade hanging on his belt and pulled the pin before tossing it over his shoulder. With his last steps on the third floor, Desmond sprinted through the balcony door and hurdled over the railing, just as the grenade went off and ignited the entire room behind him.

The explosive force was enough to push Desmond down, straight towards the tank. Even with his heart racing and his nerves spiked, Desmond fired his Beretta at the rebel operating the tank's mounted machine gun during his decent, killing him instantly. It was then Desmond crashed onto the side of the tank just above the wheels. He wasted no time pulling himself up to the deceased operator and reached for the rebel's belt and pulled the pin off one of his grenades before pushing him into the stationary tank. Desmond then rolled off the tank before the grenade rattled inside of it. The second his back hit the dirt, he opened fire on an assailant who approached him from the other side of the heavy smoking vehicle.

"Cameron! You there? You alive buddy?" Desmond could hear Tyler say over the earpiece. He looked up to see Tyler firing at the rebels near the rear of the tank before scrambling to his feet.

"I'm just peachy." Cameron replied with a cough.

"Can you fight?"Desmond asked as he took cover behind the front of the wrecked tank.

"I can fight."

Desmond look back to see Cameron pulling himself up by the wrecked truck on the side of the road. He then dropped his M4 rifle and unsheathed his shotgun. Desmond moved over to the side of the tank closest to Tyler and laid waste to a rebel who was firing up at him. The second Desmond kneeled down to reload his weapon was the moment enemy fire reigned his way. Desmond covered his head and shuffled away from his team's hideout, where the enemy was inside and shooting at him from the stained windows.

"Desmond hold on!" he heard Tyler scream through his earpiece. "Cameron! Handle the rebels in the floor below me!"

"I gotcha!"

While Desmond reloaded his weapon he peeked over at Cameron who was charging at the hideout like a freight train. Even with all the dust and debris surrounding his immediate area, Desmond could still see Cameron's brightly lit orange eyes, whish told him Cameron was at full strength, and pissed off. Desmond turned away just as his teammate plowed through the hideout wall adjacent to the street. He looked up and fired at one of the men in the room as Cameron swung a fist and kicked wildly at the enemy, before catching one in the chest with a round from his shotgun.

Desmond kept an eye on Cameron while also providing cover fire at the two rebels farthest from his teammate. He knew Cameron could withstand the impact from the automatic weapons the rebels fired upon Cameron, he had seen for years how bullets would drop after driving against his body, and every time Desmond did, it amazed him.

Desmond put down another rebel with two bullets to the man's chest while Cameron shattered an assailants skull with a heavy back fist blow. He then proceeded to kick down the side door to his team's hideout and gunned down a rebel inside. Another rebel fired a rocket his way from the left. This time Cameron rolled away from the rocket and toward another rebel as the missile whizzed through the open door behind him and into the building next door. He threw a back-kick into the man's chest, lifting him off his feet and drilling him into the wall. As soon as he turned around, he aimed his shotgun at the rebel charging at him with a knife. But before he could fire, Desmond killed the man with a single shot to the temple.

Desmond ducked down behind the tank to reload the moment more rebels entered the abandoned house with guns blazing. He stood up after realizing he was out of ammo to see enemy rounds colliding with Cameron who was shielding his chest with his arms. Desmond quickly holstered his weapon and raised his left hand up at the men, but ceased the fire of his hand cannon the second he saw Cameron had the situation under control.

"My turn!" Cameron roared the second the enemy stopped their futile assault to reload. Cameron led his attack with a front kick to one of their chests, killing the man instantly. He then rushed the remaining three men with a flurry of punches and elbows, each one of them with ease.

The sound of movement around Desmond urged him to look every which way in his immediate area, with his right arm supporting his left as he aimed his charged palm. The unsettled dust and scorching flames around him made it hard for him to see clearly, but he didn't need his eyes to know the remaining foot soldiers were closing in on him. He could hear their boots stomping in his direction before firing off two kinetic blasts into the smoke.

"I'm coming Dessy!" he heard Tyler scream at him. Desmond looked up to see Tyler leap off the rooftop of their hideout and onto the tank before front flipping off it and landing in front of Desmond. Desmond stepped back to give his friend space. He knew a normal man would have at least broken an ankle from the initial twenty foot jump, and was thankful that neither he nor Ty were normal men, especially in the situation they were in now.

"Look out!" they both said simultaneously. Desmond stepped towards the rebel approaching Ty's rear. Ty did the same for the trio that took aim at Desmond's back. Ty raised one hand just as the enemy opened fire, diverting enemies' rounds from making contact with him and Desmond with his mind.

Desmond quickly took out the rebel behind Ty with a kinetic blast that pierced through the man's stomach. He then rotated back to the men behind him while grabbing the MP5 hanging on Ty's back and opened fire. As rebels dropped before them Desmond caught another bogie in his peripheral vision climbing on top of the tank. Before he could even take aim, Desmond raised his left palm and fired a kinetic shot at his weapon to disarm the man. Ty then stripped the startled rebel's Tokarev pistol from his hip holster with his mind and emptied the clip into the man's chest and neck.

"You okay?" Ty asked while breathing heavily.

"Yeah," Desmond answered while rubbing his arm. "My arm's on fire though. God this hurts!"

"Told you to hold off on using your hand cannon."

"I did, but I ran out of ammo."

"Take this. He doesn't need it anymore." Ty said handing Desmond the fallen enemy's pistol.

Desmond and Tyler turned to see Cameron handling the last rebel in their hideout. The man tried to run for the exit but Cameron stopped his escape by tackling him. He held onto the rebel as they rolled. Cameron pulled the man to his feet while keeping him in a headlock. Desmond heard the man's neck snap the second Cameron twisted his head, immediately ending the assailant's frantic squirming.

"Cameron! Let's go!" Desmond yelled out to him.

A honked horn from an enemy jeep pulled Desmond and Cameron's attention the second Cameron stepped outside. The two moved to the side of the jeep as Tyler, who was behind the wheel, stopped in front of the two of them.

"Hop in! Desmond, you drive" Tyler said in a cheerful tone while he shuffled out of the driver seat and into the passenger's. "We're lucky none of us wrecked that thing during the fight."

Desmond slid into the driver seat as Cameron crawled into the bed of the jeep. He and Ty could both hear Cameron checking the .50 machine gun mounted on the vehicle.

Where to?" Desmond asked Ty.

Ty pointed straight ahead. "Let's catch up to the others and finish the job."

Desmond sped down the dirt road for a few miles before taking a hard right at a dead end. He accelerated up the hill. On the perimeter of the favela they had a clear view of the quarter-mile wide river on their left. Beyond that they spotted smoke coming from a group of buildings just past the tree line.

"Stop!" Ty ordered Desmond, who halted their advance up the favela. Desmond slammed on the breaks immediately before Ty climbed out the open passenger side and pulled out the pair of binoculars he had found in the jeep, aiming the scopes at the smoke across the river.

"What do you see?" Cameron asked.

"Buildings on fire. Pass the tree line." Ty said to him. "That was our target." He looked back at Desmond and Cameron.

"Maybe they decided to abandon ship," Desmond said with shrugged shoulders.

"I doubt it." Ty said before pressing the button on the walkie-talkie strapped to his vest. "CC Bravo, come in, over." he said trying to reach out to Anna and the others.

"CC Bravo here. Go, Ty." Kiyoko responded.

"You got any idea why our primary target's on fire? Over."

"That would be our doing." Vincent chimed in via his walkie-talkie. "There wasn't as much opposition as HQ told us there'd be. We saw an opening and took it. For a bunch of badass rebels they screamed like bitches...over."

"Well I guess we're done here," Ty said. "Let's meet up. Where are you? Over."

Desmond turned straight ahead and his heart raced from what he saw in front of him. "Tank!" he yelled, pointing forward at the T-90 Bhisma that just turned a corner up the hill and turned in their direction.

"Shit! Move!" Ty said while running around the jeep.

Desmond was quick to crawl across the jeep and out the passenger side. He ran alongside Cameron, who just jumped out the back. The two of them followed Ty into a nearby abandoned home right as the tank fired a missile into the jeep. The explosion from the vehicle pushed Cameron and Desmond off their feet. Desmond flew further, shooting right inside the abandoned house while Cameron scrambled to get inside. Ty slammed the door shut and turned to tackle Desmond to the floor before he could try to get up, just as the tank's mounted gun operator opened fire.

7.62mm rounds punctured through the house as if the walls were made of paper. Debris fell on Ty and Desmond as they crawled across the floor. Desmond looked over to Cameron who rolled underneath the window and took off his facemask to breathe easier.

"How many damn tanks do these guys have left?" Cameron screamed over the gunfire.

"Why don't you go out there and ask them?" Desmond screamed. He looked over to see the roof caving in on the opposite side of the beaten house.

"We're pinned down! Where are you guys?" Ty yelled into his walkie-talkie in an attempt to reach the rest of his team.

"Hang on, Ty, we're close!" Desmond could hear Anna respond.

"We need you here now!"

Desmond peered over the broken window to see the tank's main armament rotating in their direction. "In coming!" he screamed while pulling Ty away from the wall. He forced the two of them to roll away from the center of the room as the tank punched a hole in the middle of the house. "Damn these guys are vicious!" he said with white noise filling his right ear. He looked over to see Cameron too had barely escaped the violent grasp of the tank.

"Either of you got a plan?" Tyler yelled

"Don't look at me. I just peed a little." Desmond yelled as he crawled away from the reigning debris.

He looked through the massive hole and saw the main gun aiming at the roof of the house, but before the enemy could fire, an orange transparent light traveled throughout the area, passing through the tank and the ruined houses. Sparks of electricity cracked in the air. Within seconds every light in the favela went out, and the sound of the tank's main gun aiming up had ceased.

Cameron stood up and posted next to the massive whole in the wall. "Sounds like the tank operators are freaking out from over here. And it looks like Bravo's closer than they led on. The tank's electronics should be all out thanks to Vinny's EMP." He said before turning his head away from the gunner opening fire at the house.

Desmond hit the ground the moment her heard gunfire. He looked up to see Ty's eye had sparked a bright orange and his hand raised the incoming enemy fire, diverting the 7.62 ammunition from flooding through the hole in the wall. "The gun is gas operated, not electronic!" he screamed.

Desmond briefly watched in awe as the bullets' trajectory changed when it was clear the enemy was aiming directly at them.

With his mind Ty slid his submachine-gun over to Desmond. "Get up top and stop that gunner!" he yelled.

Desmond grabbed the gun and bolted up the worn stairs. He swung around the railing and sprinted down the hall to the window. He took aim at the gunner, but before he could fire, something at his two o'clock caught his attention. Desmond looked to his right to see Anna on a rooftop on a house parallel to the tank. Vincent stood at the ledge with his assault rifle aimed at the tank while Anna backed away before sprinting to the edge. Desmond could see her orange diamond-like scales covering her body .Anna leaped off the edge of the house. With both arms above her head, she pulled out a scale from her forearm. As she pulled, more scales crystallized and formed in her hand, until she had fully detached a scale the length of a nightstick from her arm. She twirled the razor sharp weapon in both hands as she descended onto the T-90 Bhisma. With an animal roar, she swung down, cutting straight through the tank's machine gun while landing next to the main cannon. She then parried the gunner from aiming his sidearm at her and punctured his heart with her scale.

Anna grabbed the tear gas grenade from her tactical vest and pulled the pin. While somersaulting off the front of the tank, she swiped her scale through the cannon's barrel cutting it wide open. The second she landed, she shoved the tear gas grenade into the tank through the shortened cannon barrel. She ducked away from the barrel when the grenade went off, backing away as gas seeped from the tank. With her M9 Beretta drawn, Anna covered the side closest to the river.

Desmond used the scope on Ty's MP5 to follow Kiyoko as she emerged from the house Vincent was on top of. Kiyoko climbed up the other side of the tank and pulled the main gun operator out the second he opened the hatch and threw him to the ground. She then jumped on top of the man, holding his hands down as her eyes sparked orange. Kiyoko put one hand around the man's neck, and when she did, his skin started to lose its color. The rebel soldier squirmed. His skin became pale while the veins in his neck turned black and traveled up his face. Kiyoko tightened her grip, and with her enhanced strength and the man's body growing frailer she crushed his neck from within. Desmond had seen Kiyoko assault a man like that before, and knew the man was suffocating to his end.

Desmond took aim at the tank driver who emerged from the smoking hatch, but hesitated to fire as he saw a single round pierced through the man's head, just above his ear. He looked over to see Vincent who had his rifle trained in the direction of the tank driver before aiming up and down the street for any potential threats. Desmond lowered his weapon and headed back downstairs to see Ty and Cameron had already left the house. He watched as the two jogged over to the women while he walked. He looked up and to his right at Vincent a few doors down, as he stepped over the ledge of the rooftop. With his eyes ignited orange Vincent threw one arm back to touch the wall while keeping a firm grip on his weapon with the other. With his adhesive palm sticking him to the wall, he slid down the home in a controlled descent. Vincent pushed and kicked off the wall before hitting the ground while running over to Desmond.

"Nice shot."Desmond said to him.

"I know." Vincent said quickly with a grin before the two of them met up with the others.

"Thanks for the assist," Ty said nodding to Anna.

"Assist would imply that you actually helped us take this tank out," Anna said with a smile.

"You okay? You're bleeding," Kiyoko said to Ty, pointing at the blood that leaked from his nose.

"Yeah," he said after touching his lip and wiping the blood away.

"Those machine gun rounds weren't easy to hold back."

"I'm glad you toughed it out for us." Desmond said while patting Ty on the back.

"Me, too," Anna added. Her scales retracted back into her skin as she walked to Desmond and gave him a kiss on the lips.

"How'd you three manage to take out that complex without us?" Cameron asked Kiyoko as he looked over the river.

"Vincent placed some C4 in the main building while Anna caused a gas leak and I provided cover." Kiyoko said while pointing at Vincent and Anna. "After that we circled the place from the tree line and lit it up, taking out anyone who survived the initial blast."

"It was Anna's idea," Vincent said pointing over to her.

Ty smile. "Good job."

"Maybe you should recommend me for OTS for making things easy for you," Anna said to him with a grin.

Ty laughed. "If you're leading a team of your own then things won't be so easy for me anymore. Let's keep you at Specialist for now."

"Call me stupid but..."

"I call you that all the time," Vincent said interrupting Cameron.

"Shut up," he said pointing at Vincent. "How're we going to radio in for an airlift seeing that smartass here fried our comms?"

"Don't worry. I radioed a pickup at the top of the favela after we took out the rebel's HQ," Kiyoko said to him.

"Awesome. Let's head out then. We got invited to a political party stateside a few days ago and I'm dying to see how the other side lives." Ty waved his team to move up the hill to the peak of the favela.

The team fell into formation with Cameron and Anna taking point while Vincent and Kiyoko brought up the rear, leaving Desmond and Ty off to the side of the road, close to the houses and quickly checking through the windows for any potential threats.

*****

Liam's phone rang disturbing his review of Chaos Company's dossier. "What is it?" he asked, answering the phone.

"You're taking forever. Did you read it yet?" the man said.

"Just finished. These kids...their powers are deadly to say the least mate. How thoughtful of you to choose me for the job." he said sarcastically.

"I want you to be aware of their capabilities in case they become a problem. They'll be in the vicinity of your next target."

Liam reached into the suitcase and pulled out a syringe of the geno-soldier serum. "When do I leave?" he asked while twirling the syringe between his fingers.

"Now. A helicopter will be on the roof in sixty seconds to pick you up. Finish what you're doing and get up there. I'll fill you in on your target when you get stateside." The man on the other line ended the call.

Liam sighed. "With so many connections I don't get why he can't redirect the team somewhere for a day or so."

Liam threw the dossier in the suitcase and headed for the door. Before walking out, he opened the bathroom door and looked down at the elderly man he was hired to kill. The man's blood from his slit neck stained his black suit

"Thanks for the room and the brandy, mate. You may be a crooked police chief, but you're a crooked police chief with class. Cheers." Liam closed the door and exited the presidential suite, excited to move on to the next job.

Chapter Four

Kiyoko, Cameron, and Vincent sat in the backseat of a black limo, dressed to the nines while their limousine driver navigated the dark freeway by moonlight. Kiyoko wore a blood-red dress with a slit up her right leg and a V-shaped opening revealing her chest while Cameron and Vincent wore black tuxedos. The only different between their suits was that Cameron did without a bowtie and had his two top buttons unfastened.

"I feel like I'm going to the prom," Cameron said.

"I bet you do, seeing as you don't have a date," Vincent said, prompting everyone except Cameron to chuckle.

"They're laughing at your fauxhawk Vinny, not your joke," Cameron responded following a small punch in the arm to Vincent.

Vincent loved making fun of Cameron, and throughout the years when Cameron saw an opening, he loved to retaliate. But to Kiyoko, hearing her teammates banter as much as they did irritated her. She hated being stuck alone with Vincent and Cameron. Whenever she was it always felt like she was their babysitter.

"Can you two try to be serious for once?" Kiyoko said loudly, "We've never done anything like this before, so you idiots better be on your best behavior. We're being honored tonight and I'll be damned if I'm applauded next to two overgrown children."

"You should be more worried about making a scene with that dress on," Vincent snapped back at her.

Kiyoko pulled her ponytail over her shoulder and sat back with her arms crossed. "

"Why aren't Desmond and Anna here?" Cameron asked "I know Ty's running security detail tonight, but what about them?"

"They were staying with Ty at his place in Soho so they just caught a ride with him."

"I seriously don't get how Ty puts up with those two dating." Vincent said to them.

"What do you mean?" Kiyoko asked. "She wants to be in a relationship, and there's no better person than a man Ty already knows and trusts."

Vincent shook his head. "Yeah but...the three of them work together and Ty's said himself that his minding reading just happens on its own."

"Oh no!" Kiyoko screamed while covering her mouth. "You don't think he's come across Desmond thinking about getting with Anna!"

Cameron laughed. "Poor guy! That has to suck hard!" he said while wiping a tear of joy from his eye.

"We're here, ma'am," Kiyoko could tell that the limo driver was new to his job because he was way too enthusiastic and generous. During the entire ride, he told them to take whatever was in the mini fridge free of charge. During their hour ride Vincent took the driver's offer by knocking two miniature whiskey shots the moment they were picked up.

They all thanked the driver as they got out and made their way up the sloping front yard of the mansion and up the steps.

"Whew!" Vincent whistled, "So this is what we fight for, huh?"

"Yeah. So the one percent can sleep easy in their mansions every night," said Kiyoko.

"At least we can enjoy their wine and women for the evening," Cameron said as a number of women who could easily be mistaken for models walked by them in a blissful manner.

"Could you sound more like a pirate?" Kiyoko asked rhetorically.

"Hey, at least he didn't scream 'let's get fucked up' like every other time we go out." Vincent said with shrugged shoulders.

Kiyoko shook her head in disgust as they approached the two doormen who were obviously Secret Service. As the three of them stood there Kiyoko went through her plan for the evening through her head; grab a drink, avoid spending time with Cameron and Vincent for the remainder of the night, and try to find a nice man whose company she can enjoy while she was in New York.

Kiyoko looked up to see Tyler looking over the edge of the rooftop. She blew a kiss up at him as he gave them a wave.

"Let them through!" Tyler yelled down at the two guards as one of them looked for Kiyoko, Cameron, and Vincent's names on the list he held.

Kiyoko, Vincent, and Cameron were amazed at the brightly lit mansion as they stepped inside and admired the open floor plan. Kiyoko could quickly tell the party was clearly a vehicle for political factions to discuss what they considered important matters, but the guests still had fun talking amongst themselves. Vincent pointed Kiyoko's attention over to the crowd on the right who were singing what sounded like a college alma mater.

"Yo, check it." Cameron pulled Kiyoko and Vincent's attention to the old couple dancing to the left to the slow playing music.

Kiyoko grinned. "They look so sweet." She said with a hand over her heart. "I really want that some day."

"An old guy who can't get it up?" Vincent asked jokingly before getting a smack in the back of the head by Kiyoko. "Ow!"

"I'm done with you two for the night." She said while walking away from Vincent and Cameron.

"Where you going?" Cameron yelled out to her, catching the attention of a few people around him.

"To find a drink and an adult conversation!"

***

Ty stood on the rooftop of the two-floor mansion, watching every person that came through the front entrance. Unlike the Secret Service men in the building and on the ground, he was able to be attentive with more than just his eyes and ears. Every thought anyone in the building had he could access. He knew that the senator of New York couldn't stop thinking about watching the baseball game he had recorded to watch later. He also knew that the city's Mayor had been growing apart from his wife and kids for the past few months. Ty was also aware that his teammates weren't getting along in a social setting, which reminded him of the early days of their time together.

When Ty accepted the security detail position, at the request of President Jennifer Grey, he promised her the upmost professionalism. He swore he would filter through the guest's minds to insure that no one would attempt to harm her or anyone at the party, but he couldn't help but divert half his mental efforts towards Anna and Desmond. Ty could see his orange eyes in the reflection of the sunroof as he stared down and watched his friend walk up the stairs of the wide open home.

Ty could sense Desmond's state of unease. No matter how hard he tried to avoid interactions by keeping his head down towards the satin carpet, he couldn't avoid the handshakes of politicians and highly decorated generals alike. Ty could sense Cameron, Kiyoko, and Vincent also, people wanting to hear their war stories and how their abilities helped them complete what was previously thought of as impossible by such a small force.

*****

Vincent finished his rum and coke before speaking to the man with the slick-back black hair next to him at the bar on the second floor. "So what's your name kid?"

"Kid?" the man in the black blazer said defensively.

"Yeah. You look too young to be a politician. What're you, Secret Service?"

"You really think the Secret Service is allowed to have a beer on the job?"

"If so, I'd definitely be down to apply."

"I'm not Secret Service." The black haired man pulled out his wallet revealing his ID. "Special Agent Jacob Hayes. FBI. I advise the President's security detail for each event."

"Damn! Look at you!" Vincent said with his hands raised to each ear. "You must be one hell of an interrogator to get invited to this shindig!"

"Investigator, actually," he corrected him. "I was with President Grey during the riot in Miami a few months back."

"Oh shit," Vincent said with wide eyes. "I heard about that. You're the guy who got her out?" he asked before taking another sip of his drink."

Jacob nodded. "Enjoy the party, Sergeant." He tipped the bartender who poured his beer and walked away.

Vincent got up and followed Agent Hayes closely. "Look agent," he said, "I know who you are. I read up on you while overseas."

"You did?"

"Yeah, man," Vincent said pulling him in close by the shoulder. He quickly snatched a glass of champagne from a bartender carrying a tray of drinks by them, "Look, the truth is. I'm trying to do something a little more low risk, high reward if you know what I mean. Something to keep me occupied when I'm in the states, you know?"

Jacob took a close look at Vincent and laughed before walking away. "Sorry pal, I'm straight."

"What? Wait, no!" Vincent yelled, causing a scene. He followed Agent Hayes across the catwalk on the second floor while finishing his glass of champagne.

Vincent followed Agent Hayes down to the first floor, failing to keep up as a crowd of guests occupied the stair. It wasn't until he reached the ground floor that nausea overcame him. Vincent stumbled forward and slowly made his way over to a vacant high rising seat next to a cocktail table in the middle of the room.

*****

Desmond finally made it past the people who pretended to give a damn about him and onto the second floor balcony. He did his best to open the glass door quietly, trying not to disrupt Anna from taking in the view of the garden. Anna exhaled in relief the moment Desmond wrapped his arms around her warm body. He buried his nosed in her curly brown hair, with the torso of his tux pressed against her topaz dress that sparkled like glitter. For the night, neither of them had the weight of their jobs on their shoulders. There were no orders, no fights, and no mission to complete. It was just them, a dream come true for Desmond.

"This is nice," he whispered in her ear.

Anna smiled "Mmmm, yeah it is. This is a good start to having three months off."

"What do you want to do tomorrow?"

"Oh God, I could go for a pizza!" Anna said joyfully.

Desmond laughed. "We'll wake up and have pizza for breakfast," he said before kissing her neck.

Anna broke free of Desmond's grasp and turned to face him. She grabbed him by his tie and pulled him in for a kiss that felt too short to him, all while softly placing a hand on his brown cheek with her other hand gripping his arm. Desmond rubbed his hand up the slit on Anna's back, feeling her smooth sand-colored skin. He savored the taste of Anna's lips, like pineapples, before she pulled away.

"What do you want to do while on leave?"

"Honestly? I want to get away from our team for a bit," Desmond said with a smile.

"I'm with you on that," Anna said with a laugh. "We're the two youngest on the team and I feel like we're babysitting Vincent and Cameron most of the time. During our raid in Herat, Cameron wanted to play rock paper scissors on which one of us got to go in a room full of machinegun-wielding baddies first."

"I know what you mean," Desmond said. "A month back I had to sneak a wasted Vinny back onto base so he wouldn't get into trouble."

"I say we just turn off our phones for the next three months."

Desmond laughed and kissed her. He pulled back and looked into Anna's eyes, thinking how perfect the moment was, having the one thing he cared for most close by in such a calm setting.

Their moment ended the second Desmond turned to the sound of tapping on the balcony door. Both recognized the women in her late sixties waving at them to come in. With her dull blue blouse and signature widow's peak that led her shoulder length blonde hair was all too familiar. It was President Jennifer Grey. Anna grabbed Desmond's hand and guided him back into the mansion.

Anna couldn't have stuck her hand out any faster at the President. "Madame President. It's an honor ma'am," she stuttered, "it's an honor to meet a living legend!"

The President threw Anna her signature quiet laugh. "Thank you Specialist Young! Being the first female President does have that draw," she said in a joking tone. "But please, the honor is mine. To you, and you as well, Specialist Striker," she said as she shook Desmond's hand. "You two and the rest of your team have done this country a great service. We all owe our gratitude to Chaos Company."

"We've been happy to serve under you, President Grey," Desmond said politely with a grin.

"I've always supported your views since you've been in office. Especially your idea to have all U.N. supporters getting involved in armed conflicts." Anna said to Grey.

"Well it's like I've been saying for the past two years -- we either fight the evil in this world together, or fall to them individually."

Anna nodded politely as President Grey talked about her political objectives. She could see Grey's passion with each word she spoke. Anna witnessed the conviction in Grey's bright blue eyes. It was that passion that allowed her pale skin to be free of the wrinkles a person in her position should have had.

"If you'll excuse me, ma'am, I think I need to save my friend from a discussion with Secretary Hopkins," Anna pointed over to Kiyoko who stood next to Secretary of Defense, Thomas Hopkins.

The President forced a smile as she walked away. "Care to take a walk with me, Specialist Striker? After reading your file I'd love to pick your brain. Paper inside a magnolia folder doesn't tell a whole story."

"Of course, ma'am!" Desmond said eagerly, wanting to spend more time with such an influential individual, and a personal hero to him for her efforts in pulling American men and women out of armed conflict overseas.

President Grey guided Desmond to the first floor and over to an empty cocktail table. "So, I've been able to read up on your team's files. You and Lieutenant Young have been friends since boarding school. Is that right?"

"Yes, ma'am. Me, Anna and Ty...I'm sorry, Lieutenant Young and I have been friends for fifteen years now."

President Grey exchanged her empty glass of wine to the next waiter that passed by for a full one. "I saw you there with Specialist Young," she said with a smile. "She's a pretty girl. And strong from what I read in her file. Good for you. Both of you."

"Thank you, ma'am,"

She leaned onto the table. "Tell me, has it affected your relationship with the Lieutenant?"

"At first." Desmond said with shrugged shoulders and a chuckle. "But Ty's my best friend and he realized we were right together. And Anna, she's...she's the best."

"I can tell." President Grey said after taking a sip of her wine and pointing at him. "You smile when you say her name. I don't have to be psychic to see you two love each other."

"Tyler had to be." he said before he and the President shared in a big laugh.

"You were informed that your parents could come to this event tonight, weren't you?" Grey asked him.

Desmond nodded. "Yes, ma'am. But my parents, they both died ten years ago," he said hesitantly.

President Grey put a hand over her heart and wore a surprised look on her face. "Oh, God. I'm so sorry. Your file...it didn't say they were deceased."

Desmond waved her apology. "It's okay ma'am. Really." Desmond continued to explain to Grey how his parents, Damien and Tamara Striker, both officers in the US Army, perished in a helicopter crash caused by a malfunction.

Explaining his parents' death and how he found out wasn't easy for Desmond, but he kept a casual tone with Grey as best he could. He told her how he was pulled out of class at the Vermont Military Academy and told of his parents' death as they were touching down in Germany, but perished due to a helicopter malfunction. He remembered breaking down in the principal's office and not being able to walk for a moment.

"It was hard for a while," he said after grabbing a beer by a server walking by. "But a lot of the instructors were there for me. And Anna and Ty, they were there for me too," he said with a positive tone. "Captain Rush, a family friend who helped me get enrolled into the academy, he took me in during the summer time away from school. And when I decided to enlist prior to graduating he was there to prep me before going into basic training."

Grey smiled at Desmond before taking another sip of her drink. "You know, out of the rest of the members in Chaos Company I took a real interest in your file the most. It just amazed me how much you've done on the field. How much you have done for your country." She paused for a moment, "I read about how you pulled Specialist Lockhart out of a firefight after he suffered a gunshot wound. I also read about how you single-handedly guided a family in Iraq out of a battlefield they used to call home, and used that...hand cannon of yours to destroy the tank in your way. I'm sure your parents would be proud of you."

"Thank you, ma'am." Desmond said sincerely, with a natural smile as he thought about his parents.

"I specifically remember what Lieutenant Young wrote about you," she paused trying to recite his words verbatim. "He said, 'I would recommend him for officer training school if I didn't need him to save my ass every day.'"

Desmond laughed heartily. He never in his life expected to hear the President curse. "I guess I'll have to thank him. I didn't know he held me in such high accord."

"Oh, that's just who you are," President Grey said in a nonchalant manner. "That's probably why you two are such good friends."

Desmond had a look of confusion on his face. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I don't follow."

"My husband, Francis, he was just like you," she said after finishing her drink and placing it on a table. "He was a military man, an Admiral in the Navy before cancer. He used to say that there are few men who are good just for the sake of being good. That they don't need to be motivated by anything else other than the chance to do what's right." President Grey raised a finger to Desmond's chest, "It's just who you are, Mr. Striker," she said with a grin. "And this country is damn lucky that you are who you are."

Desmond couldn't help but smile. "Thank you, ma'am.

While Desmond was busy describing the rest of his team in detail to President Grey, he felt a familiar tingle in his cerebrum. "Hey, Desmond," Ty said to him via HIs telepathy. "I need you to ID the waiter heading for the second floor. It's probably nothing, but I can't get a read on the guy.

Desmond turned his head and nodded, a reflex he developed whenever Tyler reached out to him telepathically. "Excuse me, Madame President. Lieutenant Young wants me to check something out," he said as he pointed to his earpiece.

"Is everything alright?"

Desmond patted her on the shoulder before heading for the stairs. "It's probably nothing, ma'am," he assured her.

Desmond walked over briskly to the waiter as the man walked up the steps in a hurry. "Waiter!" Desmond screamed at him, "Excuse me, sir. Hey!" he pushed other guests aside as politely a he could while trying to reach his target.

*****

Secretary Hopkins had a stature that was as unimpressive as his white comb-over hair. He stood fairly lean and had six inches over Kiyoko, who was five foot ten. "I must say it is a pleasure to finally meet you and your team, Miss Hinori," he said to her in a condescending tone, "the work your team has accomplished since your inception has been remarkable! And you, you have single handedly saved so many with those healing hands of yours!"

Kiyoko smiled as she brushed her ponytail back. "Thank you, Mr. Secretary!"

Secretary Thomas Hopkins had been talking Kiyoko's ear off almost as soon as she split from Cameron and Vincent. She half listened to the man as he spoke about current political events, both nationally and worldwide, and wished she could find a moment to interrupt him so she could walk away.

She looked to her right to see Anna making her way over to her through the crowd of guests.

"Hello Mr. Secretary!" Anna said enthusiastically before reaching out to shake Hopkins' hand and introduce herself. "I'm sorry, but President Grey wanted me to steal Kiyoko away for..."

Before Anna could finish her lie to the Secretary, an agonizing cry pulled their attention to the center of the first floor.

"Excuse us, sir," Kiyoko said as she lightly pushed Secretary Thomas Hopkins out of the way. Anna followed her closely as she ran across the floor to Vincent, cringing in pain.

Kiyoko caught Cameron on her right, who had found himself in good company with a pair of beautiful blondes just outside the back entrance. A quick wave from Kiyoko signaled Cameron to rush through the glass doors and meet them in front of the table Vincent had just fell in front of.

"Aggrh!" Vincent screamed. He dug into his tux, hugging his torso. Kiyoko felt for his pulse and could feel his heart pounding vigorously. "Vincent! What's wrong?"

"I don't know!" he roared. "My body. Everything feels... argh!"

Kiyoko's vision changed to a bright orange as she felt Vincent's sweaty forehead. "God, you're burning up!"

Without his authority, Vincent's eyes lit a bright orange as small electric sparks jumped off his body. Kiyoko's arm jerked back from the charge Vincent was giving off.

Kiyoko looked over at Jacob Hayes, who had just come over. She had seen talking to him earlier, "how did this happen?"

Jacob looked around frantically with his hand on his holstered pistol until he spotted who he was looking for. "Ask the guy who slipped him his drink." Jacob pointed up to the second floor, at the waiter next to Desmond.

*****

The entire house was almost void of noise, only whispers crawled across the main area of the mansion as all eyes were on the waiter. Desmond tried to force the waiter to face him, only to have his hand brushed away from the waiter before receiving a front kick to the chest, pushing Desmond down the stairs. The small crowd that gathered at the bottom of the steps dispersed frantically before Desmond would land on them. Desmond quickly regained his bearings by sticking his arm out while he rolled from the kick. He pushed off the bottom steps, lifting himself up, and finished his decent with a back flip before landing on one knee.

Desmond was quick to raise his arm up at his attacker, with his eyes lit up and his hand radiating kinetic energy. He didn't care what the people occupying the room thought of him, whether they feared his altered appearance or not. All he wanted was to get back at the man who attacked him, but the waiter did not hold still for Desmond to retaliate. After recuperating, Desmond saw the waiter made his way to the elevator located adjacent to the balcony.

Desmond looked around the mansion to see President Grey's Secret Service reacting to the waiter's actions. Four of them rushed over to the President while the rest went after Desmond's attacker.

"Guys! What the hell's going on down there? Ty asked his team telepathically.

"Vinny doesn't look so good man," Cameron responded out loud.

"That waiter you couldn't get a read on slipped him something!" Desmond said to Ty.

"Let Secret Service handle him. We gotta get Vincent out of here!" Kiyoko yelled out to her team.

Desmond stood up and kept his eyes and charged palm locked on the waiter, who violently pushed guests out of his way. He was relieved to see that Secret Service had the assailant boxed in with a few civilians. To Desmond's surprise the man put his hands up to surrender as he slowly fell to his knees.

"Argh! No!" Vincent screamed. Desmond snapped his attention back to Vincent, who tried heading for the front door but only managed to make it a few steps. He saw Vincent's lips move, but was too far away to hear what he said.

Anna fell on one knee next to Vincent. "What did you say? Vincent what is it?" she bent her ear as close to him as she could.

Vincent leaned over with all his might to Anna. "My powers. My emp" he spat out in a stuttering manner. "I can't. Argh!"

Vincent flexed his arms away from his torso as a single pulse of transparent orange light flowed out of his body and surged through the mansion. As the transparent light died down, the mansion lights died with it, leaving only moonlight piercing from the sunroof to brighten the mansion.

Desmond turned back to the waiter just as he made his move. Before the Secret Service agents could fully restrain him, he pulled his arms back, breaking free. He then struck one of them in the side of the head with his free hand and kicked the man who still had a grasp on him in the groin. Another guard pulled at the waiter's ponytail, but he quickly eliminated the threat with a back kick to the stomach before turning and delivering an axe kick to the agent's neck, paralyzing the man.

Another Secret Serviceman appeared from the crowd and took a wild swing at the waiter's jaw. The man ducked under the haymaker and pushed the guard against the railing. He then blocked the guard's punch to his torso and countered with a knife hand strike to the neck and pushed him over the railing. But before the guard could topple over the railing the waiter caught him by his tie and relieved him of his service weapon, a Sig Sauer P229 pistol. He then put one bullet in the agent's chest before letting him fall completely over the railing and crash onto the cocktail table below.

The single sound of the bullet had the guests in the dark mansion running around blindly in fear. The waiter made quick work out of the unfortunate guests in his way. He shot down the mayor of New York who had frozen still in the waiter's way. The waiter even went as far as grabbing an older looking woman by her blouse and tossing her over the railing.

"Cameron!" Desmond yelled while pointing at the woman falling from the second floor. Cameron broke away from his team and took a leap in the helpless woman's direction, catching her before she hit the ground. "Get out of here!" he screamed to her as he gently put the woman back on her feet.

"Ugh! I guess every party has a piker," the waiter looked down at Cameron. He ripped off the bow that held his hair together, letting it fall to his ears. He then took off the glasses he wore, revealing himself to the mansion.

"Shit! It's Liam King!" Agent Hayes shouted. He moved up to Desmond's side and drew his Desert Eagle pistol from his hip holster.

Liam quickly ran over to the bar and grabbed Secretary of Defense Thomas Hopkins by the neck. The remaining Secret Servicemen stopped dead in their tracks once they saw who Liam was using as a human shield and drew their pistols.

"Hey, big guy! How much can you squat!" Liam said as he fired his pistol at the chandelier above Cameron. It only took a few shots for him to detach the chandelier from the ceiling. Cameron crossed his arms over his head just before the chandelier crashed on top of him.

"Cameron!" Anna yelled, drawing Liam's attention.

Instinct kicked for Desmond as he turned and ran for Anna. "Get down!" Desmond screamed as he dove for and tackled Anna behind a buffet table. Together the two of them lifted the table on its side just in time to block Liam's rounds.

Desmond peeked over the table to see Liam focus fire at the Secret Service and pushed Secretary Hopkins out of the way before scrambling for cover behind a bar station.

Kiyoko guided Vincent to the main entrance as two more guards ran past them with pistols in hand.

"Don't worry about me!" the President said, pushing one of her men. "Stop him from hurting anyone else!"

"Yes, Madam President!"

She grabbed one of her guard's secondary pistols from his holster before they ran up the steps. She ran for cover behind the buffet table adjacent to Desmond and Anna on the other side of the front door.

"Guys, I got three MD 600N choppers surrounding this place!" Ty told his team telepathically. "One's out front and the other two moving to the back! Shit! Make that four, one's on top of this place!"

It wasn't until Ty mentioned the helicopters that Desmond heard their propellers over the screaming of party guests. He looked through the open front doors to see one of the chopper lowering repelling ropes towards the front yard before a team of six men in tactical gear and automatic weapons slid down and approached the mansion. Desmond scrambled for the doors and locked them shut, but knew his efforts would only stop the assailants from getting in briefly. He turned to see two separate teams enter the backdoors that were on either side of the stairs and open fire at the guests. He ducked down and slid towards Anna. The two of them could see Vincent and Kiyoko, who had both found cover behind the pillars to the left of them. Desmond looked up to see Tyler firing wildly while backpedalling across the sunroof.

"We have to split up to keep these people safe!" Anna said to Desmond as her eyes lit a bright orange and scales covered her skin.

Desmond nodded as his vision went orange, just before the two sprung at the five man team that barged through the front door. Desmond was quick to push one armed man against the wall while firing his kinetic blast through another's chest. To his right he saw Anna puncture through a man's ballistic vest and into his side with her scaled-covered fist while pushing another away with her leg. She then put a hole in the man's neck with another punch before stripping him of his CAR-15 carbine and opened fire on the men that approached from the back doors.

Desmond slammed his elbow into the man he held against the wall, knocking him out cold. As the man slid to the floor, Desmond grabbed his carbine and upholstered his Glock pistol. He then gunned down the man Anna had kicked away with his newly acquired Glock before ducking down next to the President while unloading his carbine into the two men who just entered through the front.

Anna took a knee on the other side of President Grey and pulled one of the deceased assailants behind cover with them. "Vinny!" she screamed, before tossing her weapon at him. Desmond pulled a magazine clip from the dead assailant and tossed it towards Vincent after he exhausted his rounds at the enemy, taking a few out in controlled bursts.

"Are you okay ma'am? Anna asked in between firing at the enemy while they moved up to the second floor.

President Grey snapped her weapon past Anna's chest and fired, killing the assailant who had just flanked them. "I'm doing fine...relatively." She exhaled before looking up and firing at the enemy.

"We're gonna get you out of here ma'am!" Desmond yelled over the gunfire.

"We can keep her safe."Anna assured him while firing in controlled bursts. "Go help the people upstairs!"

Desmond nodded and picked up another Glock by a fallen assailant close by. He looked up to see Kiyoko one pillar in front of Vincent. "Kiyoko! On your right!" he shouted while tossing her the pistol. He watched as she caught the weapon and rolled off the pillar to aim at the assailant. But before she could, the man pushed Kiyoko's gun to the side. He then threw an elbow at her, which Kiyoko dodged before grabbing at the man's neck and slamming him against the wall.

Anna, Desmond, and Vincent covered Kiyoko, eliminating the last three men in front of them before moving up to her. The three of them stood behind their respective pillars, away from the stairs leading to the second floor. Desmond looked back at Kiyoko, and the assailant that she had subdued with her abilities. He could see the man's face was rotting away for each second Kiyoko had her hand grasped around the man's neck. Desmond turned away before Kiyoko smashed the man's weakened head in and tossing him to the side.

"Thanks for the back up." Kiyoko said to her team as she hid behind a pillar with Desmond.

Desmond watched as Anna peeked from behind her pillar before jerking her head back. "Incoming!" She screamed, before the sound of enemy gun fire. Desmond and Kiyoko pushed closer together as bullets whizzed by them. With his left hand charged Desmond was ready to dive between his cover and Anna's while firing his kinetic blast. But before he could, he heard a familiar roar, followed by the sound of metal and glass crashing and breaking.

The four of them peaked from behind their respective covers to see Cameron, who had just thrown the chandelier that once immobilized him at the assailants.

"How's that taste!" Cameron screamed as he followed the chandelier closely, attacking the two masked men still standing. With his eyes glowing orange, Cameron grabbed his closest target by the shoulders and head-butted him. "You shouldn't have!" he said, stripping the man of his shotgun before kicking him through a window. Cameron's shoulder jerked back at the man who shot him, yet failed to harm him, before killing the assailant with the newly acquire Benilli M1 shotgun, pushing the man against the destroyed chandelier with one shot.

Desmond looked over to the man firing a few feet away from Cameron while moving in President Grey's direction. "Who's that?" he nodded at the man after firing up the stairs at the assailants assaulting Grey's guards.

"That's Agent Jacob...something!" Vincent spat out. "He does security for the President."

"He might wanna rethink his profession!" Anna screamed before she ripped a scale from her arm and threw it at an attacker upstairs, only to graze the man's shoulder. She then sprinted for the stairs diagonal to her, cutting down one assailant on the stairs with her scaled claws before gunning down another at the top of the steps.

"Shit! More at the front door!" Desmond screamed, pulling the other's attention to the three men moving in and firing at Cameron, who charged at them head on.

"You go back Anna!" Dessy told Vincent and Kiyoko as Anna sprinted into the fray with guns blazing. "Cam can handle those guys! We'll try to get people out the back!"

Desmond sprinted from behind the pillar. While Cameron was busy delivering an uppercut to one of the attackers that surrounded him, Desmond launched a kinetic attack at the two men who fired uselessly at Cameron. Cameron threw his victim to the ground, breaking the marble floor.

"Didn't need your help!" he screamed at Desmond, who was busy running towards Anna.

"You're welcome!" Desmond said before engaging with Anna's targets.

While Anna was busy exchanging fire with the men firing at civilians, Desmond tackled a gunman who took aim at the back of Anna's head. The two of them crashed through the glass door leading to the balcony. As Desmond stumbled onto his back he kicked his target off him and over the balcony. He picked up the sub-machine gun the man dropped and took cover behind the balcony wall, firing at the attackers that were spread out across the second floor while Anna moved away from the stairs.

Desmond moved forward and stayed low behind the second floor railing. He looked over to Anna after emptying his submachine gun at the assailants on the other side of the second floor. He could see the chips in her scales and dress from the enemy gunfire before her scales formed around the damaged parts.

"Watch out!" Desmond screamed as he pointed past her, at the man that moved in on her position.

Anna pulled a long scale away from her leg and gripped it like the bladed weapon it was. With her scales reforming over her leg, Anna rolled and cut the man's ribs while standing. She blocked the man's elbow with one hand before kicking his leg from under him. With the assailant on one knee she reached around with her blade in hand and slit the man's throat before kicking him to the floor. It was then that enemy fire was focused on her, chipping away at her exoskeleton rapidly.

"Get down!" She screamed while pulling a couple behind the second floor bar.

With no ammo, Desmond dropped his sub-machine gun and threw his arm over his shoulder and onto the railing to fire a kinetic shot. His attack crashed into a guest room door, exploding on impact and suppressing the enemy. He looked up to see Liam King, the man disguised as a waiter, running past assailants and towards the double doors opposite of Desmond.

Desmond ran in a full sprint. He quickly looked down to see Kiyoko and Vincent guiding the guests out back before kneeling to pick up the CAR-15 Carbine from the man Anna just killed.

"Anna!" he screamed, prompting her to stand up from behind the bar before he tossed her the carbine. "Back me up!" As she caught the weapon she quickly pulled a scale the length of her hand and lobbed it at him.

Desmond caught the scale and gripped it like a knife before turning the corner at the railing. He then jumped over the bloodied guest lying on the floor before kicking an armed assailant who was firing at the civilians below. He then made a dash for the rattled assailant, parrying the man's two punches before landing a jab of his own. Desmond ducked underneath the man's heavy punch and threw his scaled-knife at an assailant running to aid his teammate, lodging it in the man's knee. He then turned at the sound of two shots being fired to see Anna had gunned down the man behind Desmond.

Desmond ran along the railing and grabbed the man with the scale in his leg, pressing him forward into the bathroom straight ahead as the three remaining assailants opened fire on him. Having lifted the man off his feet, Desmond used his enhanced strength to rotate the assailant, putting him between the incoming fire and Desmond as he streaked for the bathroom. Desmond could hear and feel each round enter his enemy before being in the clear. It was then that he spun himself and the man in a full circle before tossing him through the glass of the standing shower.

Gunfire pulled Desmond to look outside the room and duck next to the door. Pass the body of civilians, masked attackers, and secret servicemen, Desmond caught a glimpse of Anna ducking as she was fired upon. He stood up and grabbed the lone attacker that was firing at her, wrapping one arm around his neck while shooting the other one straight out as he rotated the man towards the master bedroom. To his surprise, neither Liam nor the men guiding him through the second floor were there. Desmond quickly moved his charged hand up to his human shield's head, putting the man in a headlock before kicking his left leg out from under him. The second the man fell on one knee, Desmond smashed the man's head against the wall, knocking him out cold.

He stepped forward and picked up a Sig Sauer lying next to a dead secret serviceman with bullet holes in his chest. He turned back and fired a round into the back of the man's head he had just knocked out, and pointed over at Anna, who he saw moving forward in the corner of his eye.

"Stay here!" he shouted, prompting her to wave at him in agreement before scanning the first floor with her carbine.

Desmond posted up next to the master bedroom and twisted his left arm to aim his palm at the double doors. He looked away and fired a kinetic shot, blasting the door into pieces. He quickly entered the dark room with his pistol aimed straight ahead. He walked through the smoke, debris, and the two dead men his attack had claimed, aiming straight at Liam.

"Don't move!" he shouted over the sound gunfire and helicopter propellers from above.

Liam, who stood outside the room on the balcony overlooking the front yard, slowly turned around and raised his arms up. "Lucky you mate. My lift was supposed to be here twenty seconds ago!" he said while taping the watch on his right wrist. Desmond caught eye of a shadow casting on Liam before a rope ladder dropped behind him. Liam looked up at his escape chopper. "This is what happens when you're late pal!" he yelled up at the pilot. "Don't expect a good yelp review!"

"You think this is funny?" Desmond said in an angered tone while stepping around the king-sized bed and towards Liam.

Liam shook his head. "No mate. I don't. Now, you thinking you won here." he said with a menacing smile as his eyes, to Desmond's surprise, turned a violent orange.

"No way." Desmond whispered to himself. He fired at Liam's head, but missed as he stepped to the side. Desmond stepped back and fired again as Liam dashed towards him, but all he heard was a clicking noise. He dropped the pistol and parried Liam's jab before stepping back from another. Desmond then blocked Liam's sidekick and countered with a cross punch to the chest, pushing him back.

"Hmm not bad on you." Liam said in a cocky tone while rubbing his chest. Liam once again charged at Desmond, this time with a flurry of punches that Desmond blocked before one connected with his ribs. Desmond tried to recover with a hook from his charged hand, but Liam ducked and landed another punch, this time to Desmond's arm. It was then Liam landed a left hook before gripping Desmond's blazer and tossing him against the wall.

After pushing off the wall and wiping the blood from his lips, Desmond roared and charged at Liam wildly. He tried throwing a heavy overhand punch at Liam with the same arm, but each one was blocked one after the other. Liam timed the forth punch perfectly by grabbing Desmond's wrist and pulling him close. He then surprised Desmond with a head but before pushing back with a front kick that sent him stumbling to the floor.

Desmond rolled back, almost outside the bedroom before stopping himself. He saw a pistol lying next to one of the assailants near the door and quickly scrambled for it. But by the time he took aim Liam was already through the balcony, shutting the door behind him and grabbing the rope ladder attached to the chopper. Desmond fired, but all four rounds punctured the sliding glass door without breaking and hitting target.

"Damnit!" he shouted as he dropped the gun and sprinted for the balcony. Desmond kept his head down and shoulder forward as he ran through the cracked glass. Attacking on instinct and anger, Desmond jumped onto the balcony railing and jumped up, missing the ladder, but latching onto Liam's leg.

*****

"Shit!" Ty said, throwing his empty weapon aside. While his team was downstairs protecting the guests, he had his own problems engaging with the six armed men that repelled onto the rooftops. Tyler used his psychic abilities to deflect enemy rounds until finding cover behind metal rooftop entrance. He exchanged fire with the enemy, able to take half out by reading their minds to determine their positions and firing quickly before running out of ammo.

With no gun to fight with, Ty stepped from behind cover and ran towards the three remaining assailants. With his eyes burning a bright orange Ty snatched one target's HK MP5 sub-machine gun with his mind. He kept one hand in front of him, diverting all the rounds shot his direction away. Ty dove at the unarmed hostile, landing a reverse hurricane kick to the man's head. He then sprayed his second victim from top to bottom with his sub-machine gun while deflecting the other man's fire with his mind.

Ty waited for his enemy to run out of ammo before he drew the knife wedged in his belt and threw it in the assailant's direction. Ty's target leaned back, dodging the knife. Ty ran towards his target like a raging bull as the assailant rushed to reload his weapon. Ty pulled his hand back, commanding the knife to fly back in his direction, and just before the masked man could open fire, Ty's knife punctured the back of the man's neck. Ty then threw a haymaker at the man, dropping him to the ground before running to the sunroof.

From his position, Ty could see the guests below being tended to and guided out back by his team. Ty ran across the rooftop in time to see the struggle between Desmond and Liam as the helicopter ascended from the second floor. Before the chopper could pull away from the building, Ty detached the ladder from the aircraft with his telekinesis. Desmond pulled Liam close as the two spiraled down to the mansion's rooftop.

Liam and Desmond quickly tangled themselves in the ladder during their ten-foot descent. Liam forced Desmond under him just in time to break his fall. As Desmond rolled over in agony Liam pushed away and drew the Glock he had stuffed in his dress pants.

Without hesitation Liam took aim at Desmond, but before he could fire Ty used his mind to push Liam's hand back, knocking his weapon from him. Liam turned to his left just before Ty ran his fist square across Liam's jaw, knocking him to the side and forcing him into Desmond's range who kicked him towards the sunroof.

Ty offered a hand up to his friend as Liam backed away from his assailants. "You good?"

"Yeah. Thanks," Desmond said as he was pulled up to his feet.

"Seriously Dessy, where would you be without me?" Ty said rhetorically.

"I'm not in a rush to find out." Desmond said before attempting a charge at Liam.

"Wait!" Ty said, holding him back. "Catch your breath. He isn't going anywhere." Ty pressed on his temple and raised his other hand towards Liam, hoping that he could finally read Liam's thoughts now that he was closer. "I'm not getting anything on him telepathically. But that's definitely Liam King, no doubt."

Desmond stepped in front of Ty and took a look down at the dwindling chaos below. It looked like the rest of Chaos Company had a handle on things, helping the wounded while Vincent ran to the basement to try to get the power back on. He looked up at his opposition with both fists clinched.

"Am I supposed to know who that is?" he said, loud enough for Liam to hear him.

"Oh well I'm hurt, mate!" Liam said, holding his hands over his heart sarcastically. "It kills me to know you haven't heard of my work."

"He's a mercenary who's been on the FBI and Interpol's most wanted for a while now. You should really read those files I hand you."

Liam slowly pulled out a bottle of prescription pills out of his right sock and threw them at Ty's feet. "Unlike your friend here, I know it pays to do my homework." He pointed at the pills. "Anti-psychotics. Side effects may cause depression, anxiety, and resistance to prying telepaths," he said in a cocky tone.

Ty kicked the pills aside. "Too bad nobody offered you those earlier in life."

He stepped to Desmond's side to see his eyes lit bright orange as he rolled up his white sleeves, revealing the veins in his left arm that sparked the same color. Desmond pushed Ty back and rushed for Liam.

"I'm gonna beat that smug look off him!"

"Desmond, wait!" Ty yelled, but it was too late.

Desmond leaped to the center of the sunroof hoping to hit Liam with a jumping switch kick. Liam stepped to the side and caught Desmond's spinning back-fist and countered with a few cheap shots to his ribs. Ty was quick to aid Desmond. Right after Liam hit Desmond with a hook punch, Ty intervened by putting Liam in a headlock.

Liam pushed Desmond back with a kick to the ribs before throwing an elbow at Ty's side, but the force of his elbow did little harm to him. Liam then stomped on Ty's foot before stepping forward and driving his elbow into his neck. He then gripped Ty's arm and tossed him over his shoulder. While on his back, Ty raised his leg over his head, forcing Liam back as he covered his face. Liam retaliated by trying to crush Ty's skull with his dress shoe, but Ty quickly rolled out of the way, leaving Liam to crack the sunroof glass.

"Hey!" Desmond yelled to Liam just before he delivered a sidekick to Liam's abdomen forcing him away from Ty. Desmond waited for Ty to catch his bearings before approaching Liam again.

Liam cracked his neck as Ty and Desmond spread out and approached him from different angles. With his mind Tyler pried his knife out of the neck of the man he had stabbed and grasped it. He then threw his combat knife at Liam before rushing him. Liam leaned back, dodging the blade before ducking Ty's haymaker and pushing him away. Liam looked back just in time to avoid Desmond's kick to his head. He stepped to the side as he caught Desmond's foot.

Liam didn't see Ty pull his knife off the ground with his telekinesis. Instinct forced him to push Desmond away and leaned back just as Ty took a swipe at his neck. Liam spun away, putting distance between them, but failed to react to Ty's front kick. Desmond followed-up Ty's attack with a right hook, which Liam ducked and spun under before throwing his leg back at Ty, forcing him to fall on one knee before taking on Desmond.

Desmond parried the flurry of punches Liam threw. After surviving the onslaught he used one hand to block Liam's turning kick and countered with one of his own, but missed.

Ty's eyes reignited to a burning orange as he raised his hand at Liam, focusing on restricting Liam's movements with his telekinesis. It took Ty a massive amount of concentration to pull off the mental task, something he learned while sparring with Vincent a year back. It was a task he could achieve when focusing solely on his target, but Liam's fast movements were too much for Ty to wrap his mind around.

Thinking quickly, Ty unfastened his belt and tossed it. He guided it at Liam, just as Desmond stepped to the side, parrying a jab. Ty closed his hand, commanding his black leather belt to wrap around Liam's neck like a snake; tightening its grip the harder Ty clinched his fist.

Desmond stepped back and watched their assailant squirm for air as Ty lifted him off his feet by the belt. Ty kept his arm aimed at Liam, finding it easier for him to focus when he pointed at his targets. Ty stood up and walked over to Liam as he suspended him in midair just inches away from the ledge. Liam dug his nails into the belt, trying to pry free, but it was no use.

"Thanks. Again," Desmond exhaled as he doubled over to catch his breath. His eyes dimmed back to their normal brown.

Ty nodded. "FBI's gonna want to throw a party when we turn this asshole in," he said while watching Liam kick wildly.

"Nice to know, seeing as he ruined this one."

Ty loosened the tension on the belt, just enough for Liam to breathe. "Go check on everyone below. There's a lot of wounded. And find someone to take this prick away while you're down there."

"Roger that." Desmond jogged for the door leading back inside.

With a limited supply of oxygen, Liam forced a smile at Ty. His tan skin heated up as his eyes flashed from blue to orange, just like all the members of Ty's team. But unlike them, a sunburst of light escaped Liam's eyes.

"What the hell? What're you doing?" Ty yelled.

*****

Desmond turned to the sound of Ty's voice, and at that moment, everything went in slow motion for him.

By the look of the light emanating from Liam's eyes Desmond knew what was coming next. "Ty look out!" he screamed instinctively.

Desmond made a dash for his friend as he watched the bright orange light in Liam's eyes escape from his skull in a beam, piercing into Ty's chest, burning him from the inside out and shooting out his back. Liam's beam punctured through the sunroof.

"No!" Desmond roared as he reached out for a gasping Tyler.

Ty held his hands over the cavity in his chest, losing his psychic grip on Liam. He stepped back and looked down at the wound while his last breaths escaped him.

The second Liam's boots hit the roof he unfastened the belt around his neck and tossed it aside. He approached Ty, who had stepped back towards the shattered sunroof.

"Ty!" Desmond shouted while he sprinted wildly to aid his friend.

"Now that was fun!" he said, stretching his arms across his chest, "Please let Grey know that she just lost her trump card, will you?" he said to the dying lieutenant. "And I'll be coming for her next!" Liam shuffled forward, driving his foot underneath Ty's cavity forcing him through the sunroof glass.

The sight of seeing Ty fall through the sunroof pulled at Desmond's heart. But it wasn't until hearing Ty crash inside the mansion and the screams of the people down below that something awakened inside Desmond; a burning desire to tear Liam apart.

A barbaric roar from Desmond pulled Liam's attention to him. Liam turned in time to block the heavy punch Desmond threw at him. Desmond launched a front kick, hoping to bring Liam to the same fate as Ty, but Liam stepped out of the way on an angle. Desmond took the jab Liam threw at his jaw before landing a spinning back kick to his ribs, pushing Liam back. With the distance between them, Desmond fired a kinetic blast at Liam. Liam hit the ground, rolling under Desmond's attack that erupted in midair over the rooftop. After stopping on one knee Liam discharged another optic beam, colliding into Desmond's chest, forcing him off his feet and into a back flip. He flew over the hole in the sunroof and landed hard on the glass above it on an angle.

Liam held his side as he stepped away from the immobilized Desmond staring at him. Liam turned and waved down the helicopter a hundred yards away making another pass at the mansion. His attention oscillated between looking at the chopper and back at Desmond. Liam kept his hand out as the long rope attached to the chopper spiraled down to him. As the pilot slowed down while passing over the rooftop Liam grabbed hold of the rope. He wrapped his legs around the rope, climbing his way up to the chopper while being flown away from the mansion.

Desmond looked down through the sunroof to see Anna pushing through the horrified crowd of VIPs.

Cameron had a clear view of Ty's body from the second floor. "Oh God no!" he shouted with his hand over his mouth.

Vincent saw Ty convulsing on the floor before Anna caught eye of him. He made his way into the frozen crowd as Kiyoko fell to her knees by Ty's side.

"Anna get back!" Vincent screamed to her, pushing her away from her foster brother. But it was too late.

"Ty!" she screamed in dismay. She pushed Vincent aside and shoved through the civilians to be by her brother.

Trembling at the sight of her brother's wound Anna reached for Kiyoko's hands and placed them on Ty's torso. "Help him!" she screamed.

For a moment Kiyoko was speechless. She opened her mouth, but she could only sigh as she watched Ty's body convulse under her hands.

A river of tears flooded from Anna's eyes. "Kiyoko! Please! Help him!" she cried.

"There's too much damage. His heart," she swallowed her tongue and looked away from him. "His heart is completely destroyed. I can't heal what's not there."

"Help him!" Anna roared at her.

Vincent rushed over to Kiyoko and pulled her away from Ty and Anna as Ty struggled to reach for Anna's cheek.

Anna held his hand close to her. "Ty, please," she pleaded with him, "just hold on."

*****

Lieutenant Tyler Young could feel himself being pulled away from the world. He wished he could speak, now more than ever. He had so much to say to Anna, Desmond, and the others. With the last bit of his strength his eyes changed to a dull orange and pushed a single thought into the head's of his teammates.

"I love you all."

Anna dug her face into Ty's shoulder. "No! Don't go!" she beat her hand against his stomach.

Desmond struggled to lift his head over the gap in the sunroof. He had a clear view of Anna burying her head next to Ty's lifeless body. He could feel the eyes of his other teammates looking up at him. As Anna let out deafening cries for her brother, Desmond swore to himself that his team would have their revenge. The name of the man who did this to them burned in his brain.

"Liam," he whispered, clenching shards of glass in his fist.
Chapter Five

Kiyoko found it ironic, she hadn't been in a hospital since receiving her abilities. She looked around the lobby of the emergency room at the Langone Medical Center. She knew her abilities could help a lot of the patients in the hospital, but she was too paralyzed thinking about the events that led her there in the first place. She looked over at her team, who were sitting close-knit at the bottom of the spiraling staircase. Cameron and Vincent were off to the side, away from Desmond who held Anna tight as she sat motionless.

Anna had split away from the team the second the paramedics dropped them off at the hospital. She made her way to the holding area, where Tyler's body was zipped in a body bag on the floor with the rest of the victims from the party. After breaking down next to her brother's body, Anna found a vacant stretcher and brought it over to Tyler. She threw a flurry of pleas at the orderly who refused to help her put Tyler's corpse on the stretcher, but the man finally gave in to her request before Desmond and Kiyoko found Anna and walked her back to the team.

Kiyoko walked over to others who rested on the staircase. "Hey, so the nurses said that most of the people I patched up are doing okay."

"That's great," Desmond said with a forced smile.

"Yeah, I just wish I could've done more. You know?"

"It's not your fault, Kiyo" Cameron said. "You did what you could and you can't bring back the dead. Who we need to blame is that guy who started all this."

Vincent turned to his team, "Amen to that. Dessy, what was that prick's name again?"

"Liam, something. Ty...he knew his name."

All eyes were on Desmond the second he said Ty's name. Kiyoko couldn't help but wonder how they would move on or what to do next without him. Ty wasn't much older than Desmond and Anna, and had far less experience than Kiyoko, Cameron, and Vincent, but he was their commanding officer. He was their leader who had gotten them through rough times since they were assigned under his command.

"His name is Liam King," Kiyoko turned to see Special Agent Jacob Hayes approaching the team. Everyone but Anna looked up at him. Like the rest of them, Jacob was still dressed in his formal attire.

"You know who attacked us?" Vincent said to him.

Jacob pulled out a picture of Liam from his trench coat and handed it to Desmond.

"Yeah... that's him," he said, passing it over to Vincent and Cameron.

"He's an international terrorist, wanted by the FBI, CIA, NSA, MI6, Interpol, and the Messod."

Vincent sat up. "Damn! And no one has got a beat on this guy yet?"

"Not until tonight."

"How is it that we haven't even heard of him before?" Desmond asked.

Jacob shrugged his shoulders while putting his hands in his pockets. "The same reason we don't tell the world about how bad things really are nowadays. There would be outrage nationwide if people knew one man was involved in some of the worst terrorist attacks in the past decade." Jacob snatched the picture from Vincent. "The guy's been involved in attacks worldwide, from train bombings to assassinations. Information on Liam is provided to a select few. Your friend, the Lieutenant, he probably had access to Liam's files."

"Well, seeing as you have all of the answers, Agent Hayes," Kiyoko said.

Jacob raised his hand to Kiyoko, "Please, call me Jacob. No need to be formal after you saved my life," he said with a smile.

Kiyoko returned his smile with one of her own. "Can you tell us why we were attacked?"

"You weren't. I'm willing to bet he was after the President. You five were just in the way, and good thing too."

Anna snatched the photo of Liam from Jacob's fingertips. "Six," she said, fixated on the picture of her brother's killer. She hadn't spoken for almost an hour, not after leaving Ty's body in the hospital's holding area. "There were six of us."

"Right," Jacob said hesitantly. "I'm sorry about your loss. From what I heard, Lieutenant Young was a good man."

"Thanks," Desmond said for his team.

Cameron stood up, walking forward until his chest almost touched Jacob's forehead. "You seem to know a lot about the guy who took out one of ours," he said looking down at him, "Can you help us get to him?"

"I might be." Jacob said with shrugged shoulders. "When he appeared on the FBI's radar I was assigned to the investigation team tasked with apprehending him."

"Oh there won't be an arrest next time he shows his face buddy." Vincent assured him.

"Tracking him down isn't going to be easy. The guy's smart. A few years ago King was able to get international criminal Adir Jafri and Air Force Colonel Brian Fraser into one room before killing them both."

"He sounds clever. Psychopathic, but clever" Kiyoko said while regretting to admit how skillful Liam was.

"He is. The rest of the FBI believes that he is a mastermind working alone," Jacob paused, "but I have a feeling that he's being helped."

"What makes you say that?" Desmond asked.

Jacob looked down at his dress shoes, choosing his words carefully before speaking. "Because they used Sergeant Lockhart here to help Liam execute his assault and escape uncontested," he pointed at Vincent. "Liam knew how to disable the President's security defenses and he used you to do it."

"Yeah. Don't remind me." Vincent said in despair.

"What everyone here fails to ask is who the hell does Liam know that has intel on Vincent? How did he know how to get the extra adrenaline into his system? Not many people know about you five." Jacob paused. "I'm sorry...you six," he said looking at Anna.

Desmond nodded. "He has a point. And more importantly, we're supposed to be the only ones possessing these enhanced traits besides the other handful of operatives. But when Tyler and I took on Liam, he was just like us. He was a geno-human, able to fire a beam out of his eyes!"

Cameron spun around to him. "You're shitting me!"

"I wish."

"You didn't mention that before!"

"Well I am now! He fired a beam, similar to my hand cannon. It's what...it's what killed Ty."

"Meaning whoever's helping him has enough influence to make him like us." Kiyoko said.

Jacob nodded. "And he's likely to try and take Grey out again. King isn't known for backing away from a job."

"Yeah, he didn't seem like the type to throw in the white flag on that rooftop either," Desmond added.

"Liam King cares about two things -- his money, and his reputation," Jacob said with confidence. "He's not going to let the President's survival slide. And coworkers told me that everyone is being brought in for questioning, including you guys."

Desmond and Vincent stood up and gravitated toward Jacob. "That can't happen," Desmond said for his team. "We deserve to take Liam King out. He killed our friend!"

"Hey, I'm on your side," Jacob said with his hands up at Desmond. "I saw what you guys can do during an ambush. You saved a lot of lives and took out a ton of heavily armed men. I get this team is the best shot at taking down King. But if you want to go after him, you'll all be labeled as going AWOL during a national crisis," he said while shrugging his shoulders.

"So what? We either stay here and get questioned for no reason, or we hunt down King and risk getting arrested by the FBI?"

"If you all stay here for questioning Liam gets another shot at the President," Jacob informed them. "A clear shot. And I can promise you he won't miss again."

"What do you expect us to do on the run, huh?" Vincent asked with a concerned look on him.

"We make him pay," Anna said pointing at the picture. "We find this Liam King, and we make him pay for killing my brother!"

Anna stood up and headed towards the exit, bumping shoulders with Cameron and Jacob along the way.

Cameron shrugged his shoulders. "It beats the alternative by a landslide." He followed Anna out of the hospital.

"I wish I had a place for you to start looking for him, the guy has avoided apprehension for years now." Jacob said while looking at Kiyoko.

Vincent took a swig of whiskey from his flask and shoved it back in his suit pocket. "I might know how to track him down if he's still in the city. I just need a computer, a refill on whiskey, and some time."

"We're also gonna need a place to lay low," Kiyoko informed him. "We'll have a better chance finding this guy if we're not constantly on the move."

Jacob pulled out a pen and pad from his jacket pocket and wrote down an address he handed to Kiyoko. "There's an apartment complex not far from here in Soho. It's used by the FBI to protect high value witnesses. If you go into the east building you'll find some equipment in the basement. It's bolted shut, but I figure that won't be a problem for you."

Desmond threw him a smirk of confidence. "No problem here."

"Take my truck. It's the black F-150 parked in lot A," he said, tossing Desmond the keys.

"Let's go, before we get brought in for questioning," Kiyoko said, pulling Vincent with her towards the exit.

"Wait a sec, Specialist." Jacob said grabbing Desmond's arm. Kiyoko turned around, listening in on Jacob. "King is dangerous. And I get he killed your friend. But he's done work for high value targets that US agencies have been trying to catch for years. Arms dealers, radicals, you name it. And there's a chance he knows a lot about them that we don't. I get you'd rather see him in a grave than behind bars, but his arrest could lead to eliminating a lot of serious threats and save lives."

"I get you. Try to bring this guy in," Desmond paused for a moment, choosing his next words carefully. "If I see an opportunity to bring him in I will, but I'm not gonna go out of my way to avoid putting him down. You follow?"

Jacob nodded. "Yeah, I follow. Good luck."

Desmond turned and shuffled around the doctors and nurses alike to reach the exit where Kiyoko was waiting for him. As soon as they were through the sliding doors they broke into a run for the parking lot. It wasn't hard for Kiyoko and Desmond to find their team. All of them were gathered around Jacob's truck.

"Over here!" Cameron said, waving them over.

Desmond threw the keys at Vincent to open the door and start the truck. Anna climbed in the passenger seat while Cameron, Desmond, and Kiyoko jumped in the bed of the truck.

"Everyone here gets that by running away from being questioned we get labeled as fugitives, right?" Vincent said after backing the truck out of its parking spot and looking around at his team. They all nodded. "Alright then," he said while shifting to drive and taking off out of the hospital grounds. "Let's go hunt down this Liam guy."

*****

Secretary of Defense Thomas Hopkins occupied the seat next to President Jennifer Grey's medical bed as she was getting ready to head out.

"Do we have a lead on King yet?" President Grey said while putting on her pearl earrings and necklace.

Secretary Hopkins hesitated to answer. "No, not yet Jennifer. But we'll find him."

"I'm going to need a place to stay in the city until this all settles down."  
"What?" Hopkins screamed in surprise. "You can't be serious! Jennifer! The man killed dozens of guests at that party! He almost killed you! In my house! Putting roadblocks on the city limits was the right call but it's not enough. We need to put the city on lockdown and get you out of here ASAP!"

"And show the world that I can't stand against someone like Liam King? No!" she retaliated, "I'm too close to getting this legislation passed for a third term at presidency to have him ruin it for me and the rest of this country!" President Grey jumped out of her bed and grabbed her blue suit jacket that matched her blouse and heels from a Secret Serviceman.

A nurse barged into the room just as they were about to exit. "Oh, Madam President," she said with a nervous smile. "I need you to get back in the bed," the kind-looking nurse paused, almost frozen by Grey's uneasy expression. "I mean, please get back in the bed. I'm not done checking all your vitals."

Grey took a deep breath, "I'm fine, nurse, but thank you for your concern."

The nurse followed Grey and Hopkins out of the room and stepped in front of her, holding her by the shoulders. "Ma'am, please!" the nurse begged. In an instant, one of Grey's men grabbed the nurse's arms and held them tight behind her back.

"Ow! Hey!"

"Let her go!" Grey commanded the guard.

The nursed stepped away from guard and held her wrist. "Miss, I mean, President Grey, I could get in a lot of trouble if I don't do a thorough checkup."

Hopkins stepped up to Grey's side. "We don't have time for this," he whispered to her.

Grey sighed and looked up at the nurse. "Ma'am, I assure you I'm fine. I promise you won't get in trouble," President Grey's look of empathy changed to one of frustration. "Please, step aside." she said before walking by her.

"Vice President Norway and Secretary Johnson are on their way to an emergency UN conference to try to diffuse their worries about this attack. I think it would be best if we met up with them."

"It would be ideal but we need to be here right now," Grey said with confidence. "The public needs to know that I refuse to run away from a man like Liam. Norway and Johnson are capably of diffusing any worries the UN may have without us."

Just as they all reached the elevators on the fourth floor of the hospital, Secretary Hopkins' phone rang. "I'm sorry. It's my wife. I'm gonna take this."

President Grey nodded, "I'll wait for you downstairs."

Hopkins ran into the closest vacant room he could find and locked the door behind him. He then closed the drapes before answering, "You have some nerve calling me after that stunt you pulled!"

"Oh come on, mate! You sound like one of those birds I drill and never pay!" Liam King said on the other line.

"I'm going to make you pay for that shit you pulled at my house! If it wasn't for that Japanese girl, I would've suffered a concussion after you tossed me the way you did!"

"No, if it wasn't for her and the rest of Chaos Company, the President would've died hours ago. You would've just had to live with a small headache for a week or two."

"Where are you?" Hopkins said as he checked the windows.

*****

"I'm at a pub in the city," Liam said, taking a seat on a pool table in the bar he occupied. He picked up the remote to the TV and flipped through the channels. "Can you believe none of these channels here pick up rugby? Jesus. You people are uncultured."

"You better not let anyone spot you!" Thomas Hopkins said on the other end of the line.

Liam looked around the bar at the half-dozen lifeless bodies that were in his presence. He turned to the woman doubled over on the pool table next to him with a large burning hole in her back. Liam had made quick work of the bar's occupants with his optic beam, killing everyone within seconds, and leaving behind the scent of burning flesh.

"You worry too much, Thomas. From what I hear dead people make bad witnesses." Liam jumped off the table and walked over to the server bar.

"You still owe me one dead President."

"Oh, I haven't forgotten, Tommy boy! Just keep me updated on Jennifer's whereabouts and I'll make her as lifeless as a doorknob."

"Good. I never got to complement you on slipping Lockhart that drink. Clever."

"Well I'm not all bullets and bombs, mate. Got to have an escape plan in my line of work."

Hopkins laughed hysterically at Liam. "I honestly wouldn't mind you being gunned down if it meant you got the job done."

"Well you're just a rainbow on a cloudy day." Liam said to him. "Jesus! I need a drink! Where's the barman?" He leaned over the serving table to see the bartender choking on his own blood after Liam pierced his lung with an optic beam. "Oh yeah. Forgot I did that." He reached down for the beer nozzle. "I bet you could use a drink, am I right?" he said to the lifeless bartender.

"Liam! You there?" Hopkins yelled over the phone.

"I'm here. That team, Chaos Company. Are they still in play?"

"It looks that way. I was hoping to have them brought in for questioning about last night's attack, jam them up with some red tape. But I had some men look for them a few minutes ago and they weren't on hospital grounds. My guess is they're going after you."

Liam's enjoyment of his beer came to a quick stop. He lowered it on the table and brushed his hand across his face. "Damn. I'm gonna need more men then. Put some bodies between me and them to slow them down."

*****

Liam could hear Hopkins taking a deep breath. "I'll put in an order for another team. But I'm going to get a lot of shit for sending the others to their deaths."

Liam took a few large gulps of his beer. "High risk, high reward. A corporation of mercs should know that better than anyone." Liam took another sip before continuing with his demands, "I also want more of that serum. It really had me on fire, it did!" he screamed in excitement.

"Getting you more injections won't be a problem."

"Hold on a second there! I want what Young's team has. I want it permanently like they got it. No more booster shots."

"No deal, kid. I only want you with those powers temporarily. I don't want you running rampant with them after we're done."

"Oh come on, Tommy boy! What part of high risk, high reward don't you understand?"

"Okay," Hopkins muttered after a brief silence. "I'll make a few calls and set it up. You'll hear from me when it's ready."

"Now that's a good boy, Tommy!"

"Hey you little prick don't you fucking forget who works for who!" Hopkins roared over the line. "I'm making calls that'll whip this country back in shape! You're a man with no honor who'll backstab anyone for the right price. With your skill set aside, you're a waste of a life. You're expendable. Remember that."

Liam wasn't quick to respond. He allowed the silence to build between the two. "Don't talk to me about backstabbing, Thomas. And you failed to notice my best quality."

"Yeah? What's that?"

Liam paused before whispering, "I'm pretty damn good at killing old men like you in their sleep," he said, before hanging up the phone.
Chapter Six

Vincent pulled Agent Hayes' Ford F-150 into the abandoned apartment complex parking lot. The building and parking lot were divided from the streets of Soho by aluminum gates that surrounded the complex.

Vincent parked directly in front of the entrance door. Desmond, Cameron, and Kiyoko jumped out of the bed of the truck eagerly. Desmond was ready to get to work, to find Liam and do whatever it took to either kill or capture him.

"It's hard to believe that the feds use this place to hide witnesses." Cameron said as he looked around the complex grounds.

"I can't believe the gate was just wide open like that," Desmond said adding to Cameron's disapproval of the building.

"Yeah but look at it," Kiyoko said positively. "The three buildings aren't connected to one another like the rest of the complexes in Soho, meaning there's less stuff to guard and inspect."

"Let's check this place out for the storage area Hayes mentioned." Vincent said waving the team over to the East building.

After making his way to the center building, Cameron effortlessly snapped the chain wrapped around the double doors and pulled them open. He looked over at the stairs leading to the upper levels and floor below, which were located right in front of him, next to the two elevators.

"He said we could find some equipment in the basement, right?"

Desmond nodded. "That's what he said."

"Let's check it out," Kiyoko said to them.

Desmond was ready to follow his team before he realized Anna wasn't standing by his side. He turned back to see she hadn't moved out of her seat in the truck.

*****

Desmond waved at Anna as he walked towards her. Lost in a trance of depression, Anna didn't register Desmond's wave.

Anna drowned in the memories she had of Tyler. She remembered the first time they sparred during their high school years at the Vermont Military Academy. The two had both made it to the semi-finals, with Desmond waiting in the finals bracket to see whom he would face. Before Anna would move on to dislocate Desmond's arm and win the annual tournament, she wore down her big brother with a flurry of kicks and punches to clinch the victory in the two minute bout.

The memory that burned brightest in Anna's mind was more recent. She and her team had just touched down stateside after completing their assignment in Brazil. She and Desmond were staying with Ty in his two floor condo in the city while the others checked themselves in at a nearby hotel. Anna remembered going out with her team for some well-deserved drinks and a night filled with dancing and club music. She recalled looking at her brother, who was engaged in a conversation with a woman at the bar, and how happy he looked. Tyler had always been a bit too serious for his own good, not knowing how to relax and enjoy himself. But Anna remembered that night and how genuinely happy Tyler looked.

*****

"Hey," Desmond said softly to Anna. He waited for her answer that he was certain would never come. Desmond brushed Anna's hair back, letting the morning sun kiss her cheek. "You okay?" Desmond tried but failed to lock eyes with her. It was almost as if she were in a trance.

"Yeah. I'm good," Anna said in a low tone. "We need to start looking for King."

Desmond was slow to move as he reached for her shoulder. "We just got here. The guys are checking out the basement. Come on, let's get inside."

Anna stepped out of the truck, wrapping herself in Desmond's embrace and headed for the entrance.

"You'll let me know if you need anything, okay?" Desmond said after kissing her head.

Anna pushed away from Desmond and led to the building entrance. "I just need...I just need a little space for a bit. It'll help me keep my head in the game."

"Yeah I get it." Desmond said quietly.

"I'm gonna check the upstairs. Let me know when you have something on King." Anna said before walking up the stairs.

Desmond grabbed Anna's arm, stopping her on the first flight of stairs. He wanted to remind her that he was there for her, but before he could, Anna triggered her diamond skin ability before pulling away from Desmond and cutting open his hand.

"Sorry!" she said quickly, realizing her scales had cut him. "I didn't mean to! I'm just...I..."

"Anna, it's okay." Desmond assured him after gritting his teeth in pain. He looked down at his hand that was sliced open right under his middle finger. He held it with his other hand before reaching out to Anna. Before he could say anything, Anna had already left his side, sprinting up the stairs.

Desmond wanted to go upstairs and comfort Anna as best he could, but he knew there was work to be done. He headed downstairs, and was impressed to see the basement was more than he hoped for. The room was brightly lit, exposing the chipped blue paint on the walls. The ceiling was high, which he could tell Cameron was grateful for. The only thing out of place in the organized basement was the steel door lying on the carpet next to the entrance to the stairs that Desmond assumed Cameron barged through to get inside the basement.

"Thank God this place has carpeting," Kiyoko said while taking off her heels.

"Check this out," Cameron said as he made his way to the computer station that had three flat screen monitors attached to it. "I could watch TV and check my dating accounts on this thing!"

Vincent sighed. "Only you would find the most impractical use for state of the art tech, Cam."

Kiyoko inspected the computer station. "Is this stuff like every techie's dream?"

"It looks that way," Vincent said before opening the weapons locker adjacent to them. "But this is every soldier's nightmare," he said staring at the arsenal.

"What do we got?"

"A couple of tranq guns and enough nine millimeters to arm us all. We also have flash bangs, bullet proof vests, and a crap ton of handcuffs on the bottom shelf."

"At least we'll be able to make a few arrests," Kiyoko said sarcastically.

"Eh, I'm more of a 'No repeat offenders' kinda guy. We might have a better chance fighting with our hands than with this." Vincent slammed both doors to the black locker and grabbed the seat at the computer station. In just a few seconds, Vincent was able to get into the FBI's database.

"According to the FBI, Liam King started off in the Australian military at age seventeen. Did one tour to Iraq in 2003 before he was bumped up to their special forces in '04."

"This guy went to SASR in a year?" Cameron said in disbelief.

Vincent nodded. "It looks like he was second in command of a five man team after that called Grave Keepers. Two years later his team was accused of setting a slum area on fire in Qatar. They were facing dishonorable discharges and prison before making their escape. It looks like Liam is the last living member of the Grave Keepers."

Kiyoko shook her head in disgust. "He burned a town of civilians? What an asshole!"

"Is that when he got into the mercenary business?" Cameron asked.

"Yeah," Vincent clicked on another file with Liam's name on it.

"Jeez. The guy has a record as long as my dick!" Cameron said after leaning over Vincent to look at Liam's file.

"Oh, so he's not that bad of a guy then," Kiyoko said quickly.

"As far as I'm concerned, he's as bad as they get," Desmond said walking towards his team. They turned to him, shocked by the amount of blood pouring out of his clinched fist.

"Oh God! When the hell did this happen?" Kiyoko ran over to him. She pried open his hand to get a better look at the scratch.

"I'm fine. Really," he said unconvincingly.

"Did Anna do this?"

"Be honest, Striker," Vincent said to him, "no one's gonna believe you 'just fell.'"

"It was Anna," he exhaled as Kiyoko took a closer look, "she was uneasy and her scales came out. She's not taking things well."

"None of us are." Cameron confessed, "Every time I look at a door I get a feeling Ty's going to come strolling in."

"Come over here. Take a seat," Kiyoko said, dragging Desmond over to the chair next to Vincent. "You got off lucky. Anna's diamond skin can cut through steel."

"Lucky me right?" Desmond said in a low, sarcastic tone.

"Get ready. I'm gonna patch you up." Kiyoko's eyes shot a violent orange. "This might sting," she said before gripping Desmond's arm.

Desmond immediately snapped his head back in pain. His muscles tensed from head to toe as the cavity in his hand shut like a steel trap. He held his breath, trying not to express his pain. Desmond flexed his arm. "Agh! Can't you be a little gentler?" he growled.

"You're welcome. Ungrateful bastard," she said to him while stepping away.

"Where are we on finding Liam?" Desmond asked Vincent.

"Still skimming through his file," Vincent answered. "I think I know a way of finding him, but..."

"But we need more weapons to fight him with." Desmond said, finishing Vincent's sentence.

"Exactly."

Desmond stayed silent for a moment, looked at the limited supply of weaponry. "That's next to nothing. But it could be enough if we catch him by surprise."

"We got lucky last night," Cameron said to him, "but we won't get lucky again. Chances are Liam's gonna step his game up, which means more men and more weapons. We need to do the same and get a hold of some serious gear."

"Cam's right," Kiyoko said. "Men like Liam don't last very long in his line of work without learning how to adapt."

"Our abilities kept his team off balance last night," Vincent said to them all. "His guys can't protect him if we used them together. I mean, Cameron is bullet proof for Christ's sake! We can take whatever he throws at us!"

"Whoa there pal!" Cameron said, waving his hands nervously. "We're talking running head first into high-powered weapons. I can only take so many before fatiguing."

"And without his helmet, it'll be open season on that weak spot he calls a head," Kiyoko said while pointing at Cameron's skull.

"Watch it, Kiyo. The ladies like the bald look."

"Damnit guys, what about..." Desmond paused, it was then an idea dawned on him. "What about Ty?"

"What?" Vincent gasped with wide eyes.

Kiyoko put a sympathetic hand on Desmond's shoulder. "Desmond, sweetie. He's gone."

"No! I mean, I know that," he said, shrugging her away. "Ty had some guns in his apartment remember? He had weapons on display in his common area. It's not much but it'd be more helpful than whatever we have here."

"Yeah but won't the feds be all over his place?" Kiyoko asked. "We did just avoid getting questioned by them. In their eyes we're on the run and that would be the first place they'd look for us."

"She has a point," Vincent said reluctantly, "and I don't know about you, but ducking the feds just to turn ourselves in is a waste of tax dollars. That, and being someone's prison wife isn't exactly on my bucket list."

"Then I'll go at it alone," Desmond said, heading for the stairs.

"Dessy, wait!" Kiyoko said, running after him. "You're gonna need backup."

"Thanks." Desmond said with a nod. "But I'll be fine. I'll be back soon."

"Where are you going?"

Desmond and Kiyoko turned to Anna, who held a basket of clothes on her side.

"Where'd you find that?" Desmond asked, before digging into the basket and pulling out a sleeveless red-hooded shirt and black pants.

"In a room upstairs. This place is fully stocked. There's even a gym with a boxing ring on the fifth floor."

"How about footwear?" Desmond asked, hoping to finally get out of his dress shoes.

Anna nodded. "I found what I could and placed them in a basket near the entrance."

"Thanks babe." Desmond said with a grin.

"Where are you going?" she asked persistently.

"He's heading out to Ty's apartment to gather weapons," Vincent said to her.

"I want to go." Anna said quickly with her eyes fixed on Desmond.

"No," Desmond said sternly.

"But..."

"Anna, we both know now's not the time for you to be there," Desmond said looking Anna in the eyes until she looked away.

Anna sighed. "Fine" she said, wishing that he wasn't. "Just, be careful. And come back soon. I don't want to stay in this place for too long. I need to be out there. I need to find Liam."

He placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned in to kiss her forehead. "I'll be back soon. And when I do, we go after Liam, together. I promise."

The room grew silent, and only the sound of Desmond climbing the stairs echoed across the apartment building.

"So" Cameron said, trying to break the ice, "about this boxing ring."

***

Desmond recalled Tyler always being a fan of the city life. He enjoyed the flashing lights of billboards, the hole-in-the-wall cafes, and most importantly, the awe-inspiring skyscrapers that complimented one's ambitions. So it didn't come to Desmond's surprise when he bought a studio apartment close to time square three years ago.

The distance from the apartment complex in Soho to Times Square was about seventy minutes on foot. By the time Desmond arrived at Ty's studio apartment, he had worked up a good sweat in his sleeveless red-hooded shirt and black pants. He worked up more of a sweat ducking patrol cars than actually jogging.

It was obvious to Desmond by the police checkpoints that the White House had gone public with the attack on the President's life. Chances were there was an All-Points Bulletin on Chaos Company for avoiding questioning, but there was no doubt in his mind that the APB on Liam King was the greater priority for local law enforcement.

Desmond stopped across the street, diagonal to Ty's apartment complex. He paced back and forth with his hands on his head, pretending to be winded from his run as he checked the perimeter. The only threat he was able to spot was a white van parked down the road. The van wouldn't have struck him as suspicious if it weren't for the tinted windows and that it was parked in front of a fire hydrant.

Desmond jogged across the street and avoided the apartment's entrance. After looking over his shoulder and spotting no followers, he ducked into the alley and jumped on top of a dumpster before clearing the fire escape railing. He wasted no time climbing up the fire escape. He could only hope that no one in the rooms he passed by noticed him.

Once he reached the eighth floor, Desmond took off his hood. He went on one knee next the window and tried to open it, but it was locked. With his enhanced strength Desmond forced up the window.

Desmond quietly let himself in, falling into the guest bedroom he and Anna had been staying in while on leave. He reached for his green duffle bag under the bed and dumped his belongings on the mattress. He quickly looked around until he found his combat boots and put them on. Throughout his years serving Desmond had gone through a few army combat uniforms, having to get his original attire replaced due to cuts, burns, punctures, and excessive wearing. His boots, however, were the only piece of clothing he had from his original uniform.

Desmond gathered a few of Anna's belongings and stuffed them in the bag. He had a feeling none of her things would comfort her, but he had to try. His desire to comfort Anna came from a persistence he learned from his parents, a quality that Tyler had admired. He quietly opened the dresser and pulled out Ty's M4 Carbine rifle and magazines. He knew Ty enjoyed keeping a number of automatic weapons in his apartment for him to practice with when he was home, and there were plenty more around the rest of the house.

Desmond's heart skipped a beat when he heard a pain wrenching roar from outside the room. He quickly loaded the M4, a motion that became second nature while he was in basic training. He posted next to the ajar door and peaked through the crack. Desmond spotted a lifeless body resting down the hall, just outside Ty's room. The corpse's ballistic vest read FBI. The burning hole in his stomach ignited the last image Desmond had of Ty. He opened the door slowly, looking down the M4's iron sights, only to see blood splattered on the walls. Desmond tried to ignore the smell of burning flesh, and with Ty's weapon at the ready, he moved out of the guest room. To Desmond's surprise, he spotted Liam King leaning over the aluminum railing on the second floor of Ty's home.

Desmond surveyed the apartment quickly as he slowly approached Liam He noticed the bodies of federal agents dispersed all over. "Liam!" he shouted to grab his attention. Desmond kept his sights trained on the back of Liam's head. "Don't move!"

"Wouldn't dream of it mate." Liam said, still leaned over on the railing. "I know what you're thinking pal, that I slaughtered these men. But you're wrong. I bested them. They competed against me and lost."

"You're a psychopath!" Desmond muttered, doing his best not to let the smell of burning corpses get to him.

"Wrong. I'm an athlete. Fighting off these men was sport." Liam said back to him. "And in time, killing the rest of Chaos Company will be my hat trick!"

"That's not happening."

"We'll see about that." Liam said while waving off Desmond's words. "You know, I was hoping you'd come. I knew it was a long shot really, with Chaos Company being on the run and all. But I pinned you for the sentimental type after our last scrape." Liam kicked the roasted agent's corpse next to him.

"Shut up, face the ground, and put your hands on your fucking head!" Desmond spat at him.

A silence filled the room while Liam looked left and right. "You're alone," he said with a smile. "You really think you're capable of taking me in on your own?" Liam turned back against the railing.

Desmond tightened the grip on the M4. He had the sights aimed between Liam's dull orange eyes. Desmond pulled the trigger. But to his surprise, the weapon didn't fire.

Liam pulled a firing pin out of his vest. "Having a little gun trouble are we?" he said, mockingly. "Don't look so down. It's very common for a man to shoot blanks every now and again."

Desmond's vision switched to vicious orange. "I don't need a gun to kill you," he said while dropping the M4.

Liam laughed. "That's good to know! Seeing that you won't find a working one in here." He turned and threw the firing pin out of the broken window.

"Now, since the odds are even, why don't we..." Before Liam could finish speaking, Desmond launched himself at Liam and drop-kicked him in the back, knocking him over the railing.

Desmond climbed to his feet and leaned over the railing, firing a kinetic shot down at Liam who had just crashed into the living room floor. With no time to avoid the attack, Liam fired an optic beam at Desmond's kinetic shot, forcing it to detonate prematurely. Liam covered his eyes from the blast's blinding light. The hot violent air scratched at his face.

Desmond took advantage of Liam's position and leaped over the railing with a clenched fist, roaring like an animal. Liam opened his eyes in time to react to Desmond diving at him. He quickly rolled to the side and climbed to his feet as Desmond's fist smashed through the floor. With Liam still off balance Desmond swept his legs from under him with a kick and pushed himself up in the air to deliver another drop kick, this time aiming for Liam's chest.

Liam fell back into the front door, struggling to stay on his feet. Desmond rolled backwards on one knee and fired another kinetic shot just as Liam pulled a grenade from his belt and tossed it at Desmond's feet. Liam dove away from the door, letting Desmond's attack tear it to shreds. Desmond scrambled into the kitchen right before the grenade went off.

Liam pried a FN Five-Seven pistol from a deceased agent and fired around the corner. "You're quite the sparring partner, aren't you?"

"Put the gun down and I'll show you!" Desmond yelled over the gunfire.

"Not a chance!" Liam said while firing in short bursts.

Desmond scrambled for the refrigerator. He fired a kinetic shot, drilling the refrigerator through the wall.

With debris flying everywhere Desmond caught sight of Liam spinning away from the violent commotion before the appliance crushed him.

Desmond jumped through the cavity in the wall and quickly located a disoriented Liam through all the debris. He grabbed him by his vest and slammed him against the wall. "I'll kill you!" Desmond roared at him.

"You'll try!" Liam said while taking aim at Desmond's temple, but Desmond ducked and jabbed at his ribs. He then hit Liam with an uppercut before grabbing his arm and throwing him over his shoulder.

Desmond pulled Liam's gun with all his might, but Liam refused to loosen his grip. Liam twisted his body and jumped back to his feet, only to receive a boot to the chest, giving Desmond the force he needed to pry the pistol from Liam.

Liam fell back, knocking into the refrigerator that had just fallen on its side. Liam quickly fired another optic beam while rolling behind the fridge before Desmond could fire the pistol. Desmond hit the ground, dodging Liam's beam as it punched a hole in the wall behind him. Desmond pushed himself up to his feet and backed away from Liam as he leaped over the refrigerator with a turning kick. Desmond found himself just outside of Liam's kicking range. He did his best to take aim at Liam, but was occupied with a flurry of palm strikes and punches thrown at him.

After parrying a flurry of punches Desmond saw an opening to fire at Liam, only to have the pistol brushed away from his target as he fired. Liam then wrapped his arm around Desmond's and kneed him in the stomach, forcing him to double over. Liam continued raising his knee into Desmond's body, even after Desmond guarded himself with his free hand. He waited for Liam to lower his leg once again before swinging his arm into Liam's side. Liam caught the second reckless punch Desmond threw and used his leverage over Desmond to throw him into the side of the refrigerator.

Desmond ignored the pain in his spine and fired a kinetic shot at Liam's chest. Liam rolled forward, dodging Desmond's blast while grabbing the pistol he dropped. Desmond scrambled to roll behind the refrigerator, grabbed the door handle and pulled it open, as he blocked Liam's gunfire. With his augmented strength Desmond pulled the door off the fridge's hinges and hurdled towards Liam's gunfire.

Liam threw the empty pistol aside. "How creative!" he said before using both hands to stop Desmond from bashing into him. The two of them spun vigorously with the fridge door between them until Liam pushed Desmond back with a front kick at the door.

After stumbling back Desmond peeked around the door to see Liam's orange eyes lit as bright as the sun just before firing an optic beam at him. The beam cut through the unhinged door and ignited against Desmond's chest, burning a hole into his hooded shirt and forcing him to the floor. He rolled back and planted one knee on the ground. Desmond then grasped his burning chest and the singed hooded shirt. Desmond looked up to see Liam, who wobbled away from him as his burning orange eyes dimmed down.

"Damnit! If I was at full strength, you and your friend would share matching chest cavities by now!" Liam unhooked his last grenade "I'll just have to be more traditional with killing you," he said before throwing the grenade at Desmond's feet.

Desmond dove for the black sofa in Ty's living room behind him, blocking himself from the grenade's explosion and shrapnel. After feeling the sofa rattle from the explosion Desmond quickly shot his head up above the sofa to see Liam had taken cover in the kitchen. Seeing Liam's eyes flash brightly forced Desmond to duck behind the sofa once again, only to see Liam didn't fire at him, but at the chandelier above him.

While on the sofa Desmond was in no position to move out the way in time. Instead he rocked himself towards the floor, pulling the sofa over his body just before the chandelier slammed into him. Even with his increased strength and durability, Desmond's bones shook violently the moment the chandelier plummeted onto the sofa.

It wasn't until glass and wiring from the chandelier ceased to fall from the furniture that Desmond crawled out of the debris. As he crawled, he did his best to avoid the sharp bars of the chandelier. There was no getting around the broken glass however. He could feel it digging into his hands as he pulled himself from underneath the sofa. Once Desmond was free, he sprang to his feet and shot his charged arm in front of him. But Liam was gone.

Desmond did a sweep of the first floor as fast as his aching body allowed him to, but Liam was nowhere in sight. He stopped at the staircase and tried to listen for him, but all he heard was the approaching police sirens that he tuned out while fighting Liam. With what strength he had left, Desmond limped up the stairs. He took a brief moment to look Ty's place over before leaving. The white-walled and steel themed studio apartment that Ty had put so much effort into furnishing barely stood, thanks to Liam. Desmond looked down at the lifeless FBI agents. He wished he hadn't been so cautious getting to the complex. He thought to himself how many lives he could've saved if he wasn't too worried about being spotted and apprehended while getting here. But he knew thinking in the hypothetical was pointless. What's done was done. The best thing he could do for the lifeless agents and their families was to stop Liam.

Desmond walked into the guest room, grabbed his duffle bag and threw it out the window and onto the fire escape. He then grabbed another duffle bag with Ty's full name written on it from underneath the bed. Without checking it he threw it out next to his own. Just as he was leaving he caught sight of a long-forgotten picture on the nightstand next to the guest bed. It was a picture of himself, Anna, and Ty, celebrating at a bar after their first completed mission. He remembered the night clearly. Anna had pulled Kiyoko over to take the picture for her. He saw Cameron and Vincent in the back arguing over what he assumed was a woman they both wanted at the bar. Desmond grabbed the picture and stuffed it in his bag before climbing onto the fire escape.
Chapter Seven

Streetlights illuminated the FBI hideout as Kiyoko and Cameron loaded up the F-150 with their limited supply of weaponry.

"How're the clothes fitting?" Cameron asked Kiyoko.

Kiyoko looked down at the FBI tactical boots she found in the basement as she adjusted her jeans. "Surprisingly form fitting. Sorry we couldn't find much for you."

"Eh, a white tee and jeans is more than someone my size can ask for." Cameron lightly elbowed Kiyoko and pointed at Anna who stood by the open passenger door. "How's she holding up?"

"If she's not tearing up, she's asking if we found a hit on King. She's hell bent on ripping him apart."

"Can you blame her?"

Kiyoko looked up at Anna as she stuffed her M1911 pistol between her belt and pants. "Guess not."

Vincent walked out the front entrance holding enough tactical vests for the four of them.

"You guys ready?" he said while throwing the vests in the back of the truck.

Cameron nodded. "Let's do this."

"That looks good on you, Vinny." Kiyoko said, complementing Vincent's dark gray button shirt.

"Really?" he said brushing the dirt off of both pockets on his chest. "And all this time I've been praying I don't die in this thing on."

Vincent climbed into the driver's seat as Kiyoko and Cameron jumped in the back.

"Anna," Vincent said to her.

Kiyoko opened the back window separating her and Cameron from Anna and Vincent. "Anna!"

"Yeah," she said, startled.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine. Let's go."

"You sure you want to go..."

"I'm fine. Desmond might not be and I'm not losing someone else today." Anna placed her hand on the holstered M1911 strapped to her hip. "Let's go," she said with a stern voice.

"Wait!" Kiyoko yelled to her team while standing in the truck bed. She tapped on the window and pointed over at Desmond, who limped his way through the complex entrance towards them. Kiyoko and Cameron hopped out the back of the truck while Vincent and Anna scrambled out of their seats, but it was Kiyoko who was the first to welcome him back with a hug powerful enough to make him drop his bag.

"Oh, thank God! We thought you got caught, or worse."

Desmond handed one bag over to Vincent and the other to Cameron. "Sorry, I got a little hung up."

Vincent walked over, checking out Desmond's bruises. "No, wet clothes and phones get hung up. You got your ass kicked, pal."

"You're alive." Anna said before welcoming Desmond back with a hug and a kiss on his cheek. "That's all that matters to me."

"Yeah." Desmond said with a smile and a nod. "Let's get inside."

*****

James Westfield stood on the top floor of a forty-two floor skyscraper in the heart of New York City. He didn't gaze at the twilight over the horizon, but instead was hypnotized by his reflection in the window as his mind drifted back to his Marine Corps days. His emerald eyes had witnessed everything the military had to offer, from seeing the world through iron sights, to surviving more firefights than he could recount. After thirteen years of service James turned to the private sector, giving his business the name Armored Tempest.

He wandered around his well-lit office, ignoring the sharpened twin sais and katanas hanging from his eggshell-painted walls. He stood in front of his more effective weapons for a moment, admiring his Dragunov sniper rifle and Desert Eagle pistol that were on display in the glass case adjacent to his metallic office desk, along with a variety of automatic weapons.

James made his way over to the desk and picked up the single picture frame of him in a suit and tie, shaking hands with his first client. He remembered the day, not because of it being his first private military contract, but because it was the first time he felt like a business man.

Thomas Hopkins' men opened the double fog-glass doors for Hopkins to step though. "Wait outside," he ordered them while adjusting his three-piece black suit.

James felt a sense of failure wash over him at the sight of the Secretary of Defense. Hopkins had employed James to create a plan to assassinate President Grey. James went over every detail with his hired guns, from their swift assault to their seamless extraction, but all of his planning and briefing still resulted in a failure that didn't sit well with him -- all thanks to Chaos Company.

"Is there a time you're never dressed for a fight?" Hopkins said, pointing at James' ballistic vest and olive green pants.

"Life is a fight, Mr. Secretary," James said in a low raspy tone. "As for some of my best men, theirs is over."

Hopkins nodded. "Things could've gone better last night."

"Much better," James said as he leaned back on his desk. "You know, I haven't loss that many men on one assignment. Ever."

"We obviously underestimated Lieutenant Young's team." Hopkins said in a stern tone.

James pointed at Hopkins. "And you obviously overestimated King's worth."

Hopkins helped himself to the bottle of brandy sitting on James' desk, pouring a drink for both of them in the empty small glasses. "Last night wasn't a total loss. Even though people in D.C. don't know who to blame they consider last night as an act of war." he said before taking a sip from his glass. "Meaning at this point, if Grey gets taken out I'll be sworn in to lead, and finally do something about our growing number of enemies overseas."

"You make it sound easy." James said after a laugh.

"Putting the White House on high alert was the hard part. Now we just have to get King to kill Jennifer and take the blame. Lucky for us King enjoys the challenge. He'll get it done, or die trying."

"Personally I'd prefer the latter," James said while walking over to grab his drink. He pointed over Hopkins shoulder at Liam walking into his office. "Speaking of the asshole."

"Where in the world have you been?" Hopkins roared.

"I wanted to check out a hunch." He stopped in the center of the room, between the two leather seats, and saw James staring back at him angrily.

"You were supposed to be here an hour ago!" Hopkins said while closing the space between the two of them. "You're on my dime! Which means when I say to be somewhere, you damn well better be there!"

"Well, 'scuse the hell out of me for showing some initiative! I went to that psychic's shack and found that asshole with the hand cannon!"

"Desmond Striker? Ha! Is that why you look like that?" Hopkins said, pointing at the busted lip and cut across Liam's face.

"Yeah. He even tore my favorite vest. It's the closest anyone's ever gotten to ending me."

"That's two down then. I would say good job but he's not who we need dead."

"I... I didn't say I killed him."

"What?" Hopkins said, almost choking on his brandy.

"The serum was wearing off during our scuffle. But I didn't leave without roughing him up a bit," he said while grabbing and inspecting the Colt AR-15 that leaned against the weapons cabinet.

"Well, isn't that just dandy!" Hopkins shouted at him.

Liam aimed the rifle at James, who hadn't stopped staring at him since walking into his office. "The hell are you looking at?" Liam said.

"Saunders. Williamson. Thompson. Rodriguez. Johnson. Li. Perez," James said in a low tone.

"What are you on about, mate?" Liam said while lowering the weapon.

James gulped the rest of drink while approaching Liam before smashing his glass against the wall. He quickly closed the space between them, ignoring the clicking sound of Liam pulling the trigger to the empty gun. James pulled the rifle out of Liam's hands and grabbed him by his ruined ballistic vest and spun him around before driving him into the office desk.

"Those are the names of men I lost because of you!" James yelled in Liam's face. "Eighteen men! All dead under your command!"

Liam lifted his head off the desk and laughed. "Maybe your taste in employees should match your taste in rifles then, mate, because those men were as low caliber as they come!"

"You reckless little Aussie prick!" Westfield barked as he pushed away from Liam. With a stern look in his squinted green eyes, Westfield drew his pistol at Liam's chest. Liam followed by drawing a knife from his vest.

"Put those away!" Hopkins said while placing a hand over top Westfield's weapon and lowering it for him.

"You shouldn't have brought this guy into the fold! He's gonna get us all killed!"

"That's enough James!"

"You better listen to your employer, Jimmy," Liam said with a cocky tone.

"And you, shut the hell up for once!" Hopkins said, pointing at Liam.

"Your guy got my men killed! Not to mention the ones he lost while icing Colonial Fraser way back!"

Hopkins struggled to hold Westfield back, even with Hopkins' men barging in to assist him. "Your men knew the risks!"

Liam walked over to Westfield's mini fridge and grabbed a beer. "He's right you know. Your men don't come with a 'return unscathed' policy, mate. They're not rental suits. Ending up with a few holes is part of the job description."

"Get off me!" Westfield yelled as he shrugged Hopkins and his men off. He stormed over to Liam, who stayed calm while taking a sip of his beer. "My men aren't a bunch of goddamned meat shields!" Westfield screamed in his face with an open hand inches from Liam's cheek.

"We all need a purpose in this world," Liam said before his eyes flashed orange.

Westfield shrugged his shoulders, itching to smash Liam's face in as his vision lit orange thanks to Hopkins providing him and a few of his men with the same serum Liam was getting. Liam stepped away from Westfield's threatening orange eyes as the brightness in his died down.

"The second this is over I'm putting a bullet in that smug face of yours, King!"

"Do what you want after we're done, but not before!" Hopkins stepped between them once again, this time pushing James away before helping Liam get to a seat.

"Ugh! That fight dried me out like a cactus." Liam said as he slowly lowered into the leather seat. "I'd really like another dose of that serum if you don't mind. Coming off of it gives me the worst cold sweats."

"Help him up!" Hopkins commanded his men. "Let's get him to the surgical room." He looked down at Liam. "If you got here sooner we could've already been done making your powers permanent."

"Please die on the operating table," James said under his breath.

"Which way is this O.R room of yours?" Hopkins asked James while his men helped Liam out the door.

"Down one floor and to the right."

"Go!" Hopkins said waving his men to carry Liam out the office.

"I thought you were just giving him temporary injections," James said to Hopkins

"I was. But if we run into Chaos Company again that boy's going to need his abilities on a more permanent basis to stop them."

"I think you should reconsider having him go through the procedure. Giving him that kind of power can come back to bite us in the ass."

Hopkins nodded. "I'm aware of the risks, trust me. But I can't expect a bulldog to kill sheep when it's on a leash, now can I?"

*****

Desmond took his time explaining what had happened at Ty's apartment while Kiyoko held his forearm, using her abilities to heal his wounds and dampen his pain. He sat down in the chair next to the FBI computer station in the basement. His team stood close, giving him little space to breathe.

Desmond struggled expressing the amount of carnage he witnessed at his late friend's home. He could see in their eyes that his story captured the sympathy of his team.

"I should've been there with you," Anna said while shaking her head.

Desmond did his best to avoid Anna's eyes. "I thought it was better if I went alone."

"Said the guy who got his ass kicked," Vincent whispered before getting elbowed by Cameron.

Anna paced back and forth. "So we have no weapons and this guy killed a room full of agents at Tyler's place?" Anna gravitated to the desk next to the computer before pounding her fist through the printer. "Agh!" she roared as orange scales covered her skin. She walked over to the weapons locker and punched a hole through its side before tearing the doors open with her claws. "I should've been there! Damn it!"

Desmond pulled away from Kiyoko's healing hands and dashed towards Anna. He grabbed her by her belt just after she kicked parts of the wreckage aside. "Anna, cool it!"

"Cool it?" Anna said as she turned to face Desmond. Her skin returned to normal while she looked up at him.

Desmond put his hands on her shoulders. "We're gonna get this guy. I got close today and we can do it again. Next time we do, he's ours."

"I..." Anna paused. "I should've been there Dessy. I should've been there with you," she said before heading for the stairs.

"Anna, wait!" Desmond said with his voice raised, ready to chase Anna up the stairs, before being held back by Cameron.

"Hold on there, Dessy."

"Get off me!" he said before Kiyoko stepped in front of him.

"Just let her be alone for a bit."

"But I..."

"We got a lead on the men that assaulted the party with Liam," Vincent said, interrupting him.

"What?"

Vincent took a seat in front of the computer monitor and pulled up a picture of Liam's men's equipment. "I got a good look at the gear Liam's men used last night. Everything they were using was military grade. Really expensive stuff. And equipment like that, whether sold legally or through the black market can't be sold without a trace."

Desmond yelled. "Were you able to track where the order for the equipment went to?"

Vincent laughed. "Come on, Dessy. It's me you're talking to!" he said in a cocky tone. "I got an exact location of where the order was shipped to." Vincent brought up an image of a skyscraper with metallic framing and transparent windows. "It was first sent to a warehouse owned by a shell company that was owned by another freaking shell company. But after doing some digging I found this place."

"What am I looking at?"

"A private military company in New York named Armored Tempest."

"So we're dealing with pros," Desmond said in a spiteful tone.

Vincent nodded and pointed to the building. "These guys have a rep for recruiting sociopaths. What they lack in sanity, they make up for in how effective they are."

Cameron stepped behind Vincent to get a good look at the company's mission statement. "I got offered a squad leader position with Armored Tempest a while back."

"Why'd you turn them down?" Desmond asked.

Cameron shrugged his shoulders. "I love a good fight, but believe it or not I like doing it for the right reasons. Those guys are just...just, barbaric."

"They've been known to cause more collateral damage than reality TV." Vincent added.

"I'm surprised philanthropy and improving their community isn't stated in their mission statement," Kiyoko said sarcastically.

"So our best bet at finding King would be there?" Desmond said, pointing at the building.

Vincent nodded. "Yeah, I'd bank on it."

"Then let's go pay them a visit." Cameron said while cracking his knuckles.

A sudden ringing coming from Vincent's suit jacket hanging on the chair caused him to jump up. "What the hell?" He pulled out the cell phone and answered it. "Hello?" After listening to the voice on the other line he handed it over to Desmond. "It's Agent Hayes."

Desmond snatched the phone from Vincent and put it on speaker. "Agent Hayes. Nice job planting the cell on us."

"Hey Desmond, I got a question for you. Did you know that your kinetic blasts can be picked up on a radiation scanner?"

"What?"

"Yeah. I figured you didn't know this or else you wouldn't have shot up Lieutenant Young's place like you did."

"I...I ugh..." Desmond said, scratching his scalp nervously.

"If you're thinking about lying don't even try. The investigation team there told me how most of our dead agents had burn marks. I told them to scan using a GM counter and they told me the place lit up with levels of radiation similar to a microwave."

"I didn't kill your agents if that's what you're getting at."

Agent Hayes sighed. "I know you didn't kill them. What I do want to know is what the hell happened in there!"

Desmond took a deep breath and looked around at his teammates. "I went to Ty's place to retrieve the weapons he had stored. But Liam King was there. He's the one who killed your men. I showed up after."

"And that's when you two had it out."

Vincent took the phone and plugged it into the computer's speakers before he responded. "Yeah. Liam got away though. I'm sorry about those agents." Desmond swayed his head back and forth, looking at his teammates before leaning towards the phone. "Trust me, Agent Hayes, we know how it feels to lose a teammate. We don't take the death of those agents lightly."

"Thank you," Jacob said sincerely, "but those agents' families won't take solace in your sympathy."

"We got a lead on King's whereabouts," Kiyoko said with confidence. "Maybe those agents' families will find solace in having the son of a bitch who murdered them behind bars."

"But we won't be able to make that happen without some weapons, bro," Cameron added.

"So, what do you say, Jacob?" Desmond asked. "Loan us some equipment and we'll take care of King and whoever is protecting him."

"Whoa there, Scooby Doo!" Jacob yelled over the phone. Why don't you and the rest of Mystery Inc. pull the brakes on your bullet parade! I'd like to avoid turning this city into a warzone!"

"You should let us handle this, Jacob," Kiyoko advised him. "This isn't our first rodeo. We know what we're doing."

"That's a negative, sweetheart, sorry."

Desmond sighed heavily in frustration. "I hope you have a better idea since you're shutting ours down."

"Actually, I might. Professor Wilbert called me before I called you."

"Hold on. Henry Wilbert? He called you?" Vincent said nervously.

"The same. He says he has evidence to clear up last night's attack and put the right people in prison. There doesn't have to be a shootout."

"That doesn't sound like fun," Cameron whispered.

Agent Hayes sighed in disbelief. "Could you guys sound any more like sociopaths?"

"Well... we can try, yeah," Vincent answered.

"Shut up, you two!" Desmond said pointing at Cameron and Vincent.

"If we can do this without anyone else dying, then I can't argue with that," Kiyoko said.

"Good. I'll still be placing an order for some tactical gear for you" Hayes said to them.

"What?" Desmond said in confusion. "I thought you said..."

"I'm not the kind of guy to throw all my eggs in one basket, especially when it comes to national security. I'll outfit you with whatever I can get from a nearby evidence locker. Just hold off on your lead until I give the go."

Desmond looked around at his team who all gave him a nod of approval. "That's fair. We'll follow your lead."

"Thanks. I appreciate that. I'll call you in the morning with more details on Wilbert's rendezvous point," Jacob said before hanging up his cell.

*****

During his years in the private military business, James Westfield discovered that having an immediate treatment could determine whether an employee lived or died. For that reason James had a medical bay constructed just below the top floor of his building.

Thomas Hopkins stood outside the operating room below the top floor, down the hall from the elevator. He watched closely through the two-way mirror as a team of doctors strapped Liam down on the table and slid needles attached to medical equipment into his veins.

"Is this necessary?" Hopkins said standing next to James. He pointed at the three mercenaries armed with shotguns inside the operating room, keeping an eye on Liam.

James stood in front of Hopkins, blocking his line of sight to the operating room. "Not all of us have the same level of trust in your bulldog as you do," he said before walking back to his office.

"I pay for your compliance, Mr. Westfield, not your trust."

"Yes, sir!" Westfield yelled down the hall whiling flipping him off.

Hopkins walked into the operating room occupied by the surgeons, mercenaries, and Liam. He covered his eyes as they adjusted to the brightness of the white tiled room.

"We're ready to begin the procedure, Mr. Secretary," one of the doctors in the room said confidently.

"One second," Hopkins said to them all.

Hopkins noticed Liam struggling to sit up on the operating bed with the dozens of tubes poked into his torso. "You mind telling me what the hell's going on? This looks nothing like the setup I saw in those files you gave me!"

"Take it easy. The doctors thought it best to change the procedure seeing that your body has already adapted to the temporary injections I gave you," Hopkins said, pointing over to a specific rectangular-shaped device to the left of Liam's medical bed. "They've placed all the serum Professor Wilbert has available into this dialysis machine. They're going to pump your blood into the machine mixing it in with the serum. Since you've already been exposed to it, your blood should accept it with no problems."

"Careful with the word 'should,' mate," Liam said slowly.

"After that, the blood will be pumped back into you, making the serum's effects permanent and providing a boost in power that you've yet to experience."

Liam grinned at Hopkins. "Sounds like an ace of a plan to me."

Hopkins grabbed Liam by his hospital gown and pushed him down flat on the medical bed. "But listen here," he said with a stern finger waving in Liam's face. "If you fuck this up, there will be no amount of power in the world that'll stop me from having your head. You may think what you're receiving today is power...but trust me, son, trust me...mess this up and you'll see what it means to have power."

Hopkins backed away as one of the doctors put another needle in Liam's arm. He turned around and walked towards the exit where he watched from the two-way mirror.

The doctor placed her hand on Liam's shoulder. "I'm sorry to say, but according to the files I've read on administering this serum, this is going to hurt a lot more than those injections you've been taking"

"Sweetheart," Liam said as calmly as possible, "in the words of Samuel Johnson, 'for he who makes a beast of himself...'"

"'Gets rid of the pain of being a man,'" Hopkins yelled through the open door. "Please, begin."

Hopkins watched as the doctors checked all of the other medical devices before turning on the dialysis machine. They quickly fastened the straps around Liam's limbs and waist. Everyone watched closely as his blood traveled through the tube in his torso and entered the machine.

Liam stared at the ceiling as the blood was pumped out of the dialysis machine and back into his arm. Hopkins noticed the orange spots of the serum inside Liam's blood after traveling out the other end of the machine.

Then, without warning, Hopkins witnessed Liam strain back and forth. He started sweating profusely and gritted his teeth before his eyes lit up blood-orange. Liam then let out an animal-like roar that shook the room.

Hopkins watched in horror as the veins in Liam's arms and neck lit up like Halloween lights.

"Agh! Damn this burns!" Liam screamed in excruciating pain. The guards had their weapons trained on Liam's head as he tried twisting himself free of his restraints.

Hopkins slammed his hand on the intercom button next to the window. "Don't you dare fire!" he shouted to the guards.

Hopkins felt a cold shiver travel down his spine as Liam lifted his head up and looked towards the two-way mirror. Hopkins put his hands in his pockets and walked away from the medical bay, turning his back on Liam, but looking over his shoulder just as Liam fired a concentrated optic beam through the roof of the building and into the night sky.
Chapter Eight

The sun had just taken its place in the sky over New York City. Jacob sat at a round table outside a coffee shop called Grounds House and watched as people passed him by. He could easily deduce who were the money makers and who were the bottom feeders. The money makers were the ones walking slowly and talking on their cell phones. They were the ones who could take their time to grab a cup of coffee and not worry about their pay being docked for being late. The underpaid employees were the ones walking with purpose, some of them jogging, and possible praying they would get to work on time.

Jacob looked inside the coffee shop as he sipped his espresso. He saw Vincent, sitting down at the serving table looking over his shoulder every few seconds, making sure Jacob was in sight.

"Could you please try to act normal?" Jacob said to Vincent through their earpieces.

"Sorry. I'm not really used to, well...this, you know?" he said in his own hands free device. "Shoot first, ask questions later is my team's universal Plan A." Vincent waved down the server passing by him. "One over here, please."

"Here you go."

"Thanks," Vincent said to the server as he picked up the bottle of Heineken.

Jacob glanced over to Vincent. "Are you seriously drinking right now?" he said in a low, frustrating tone.

"Hey pal, you just said to act normal," Vincent said before taking a gulp of his beer.

"So unprofessional," Jacob muttered.

Jacob took a look at his watch. "Doctor Wilbert should be here soon. By the way, I appreciate the backup. You didn't have to do this," he said with sincerity.

"Trust me when I say I don't want to do this." Vincent said with certainty. "I'm here because Cameron and Kiyoko did 'nose goes' and I wasn't paying attention."

"And my sense of security is gone like that." Jacob sighed.

Twenty minutes passed, but Jacob didn't consider leaving. He had done much longer stakeouts in his day. He looked inside the café and could tell by the empty bottles that Vincent had an unproductive way to spend his time.

"So, how exactly does an FBI agent become the President's security guy?" Vincent asked.

"It started back when I volunteered to be on Grey security team during her election year. I was tasked with monitoring nearby cell phone chatter that may lead to any potential threats at every rally she attended."

"Sounds boring," Vincent said before taking a sip of his beer.

"It was supposed to be, until I picked up chatter about a nerve toxin that was placed near the site of one of her speeches in Miami."

"Wait a second," Vincent said, cutting Jacob off. He looked over his shoulder at Jacob. "I remember reading about that. The article said it was a riot in Miami though, not a terrorist attack."

"The government spun the story and paid all the survivors of the attack to do the same," Jacob assured him before taking a sip of his coffee. "The nerve agent affected the part of the brain that controls rage, turning everyone who breathed it in into violent savages. People shot, stabbed, and killed one another for hours. I got President Grey out before she was harmed, but..." Jacob paused, shaking his head in disbelief at the violence he saw that day. "A lot of people were lost during the attack. A lot of families were torn apart, too."

"Jesus," Vincent gasped. "Did you find who did it?"

Jacob nodded. "Yeah. I did. The people responsible did it for money. So many people died so a bunch of assholes could line their pockets."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, man."

"Yeah," Jacob said in a low tone. "Me, too."

After Jacob finished his second cup of coffee, Professor Henry Wilbert emerged from the crowd of New Yorkers and sat down across from him. The good doctor put his hand out for Jacob to shake.

"My sincerest apologies for being late, Agent Hayes," Wilbert said. "I had a few of Secretary Hopkins' men stationed at my home. He insisted that after last night's crisis it was in my best interest to be looked after. I thought it best to lose them before coming here."

Jacob leaned back in his chair. "Good," he said in relief, "how'd you lose them?"

"I used a trick I saw in a spy film."

Jacob sighed. "Well...whatever works" he said shaking his head. "You said you needed to talk about what's been going on?"

Dr. Wilbert nodded "Right. What I'm about to tell you will put your life at risk."

"Most things in my line of work do, Doctor." Jacob said with a small grin.

Wilbert took a deep breath. "Up until now you've been attempting to find the FBI's favorite outlaw, Liam King, correct? But you see, Agent Hayes, Liam King is a mercenary. As unhinged as he is Liam wouldn't have done what he has done without being rewarded for his efforts."

Jacob leaned forward, grasping the table. "That I already know. But if you're saying you know who hired King, now would be a great time to tell me, Doctor, because you didn't lose your tail."

Jacob looked over Wilbert's shoulder. His eyes were fixed on the two men in black suits. He looked back at Wilbert every time they looked away. Wilbert turned his head to see what he was looking at.

"Don't look at them," he whispered to the shaking Doctor. "Keep talking."

"Where was I? Oh right! Here, give me your phone," he said before pulling out his smart phone and snatching Jacob's off the table. He linked them up with a small wire and sent a file from his phone to Jacob's before handing it back to him. "There. I wish I could've sent this to you wirelessly, but every outgoing message I send is monitored by people in Washington. And I don't know who is and is not aligned with President Grey after what has happened."

"What is this?" Jacob asked while looking for the file on his phone.

"That, Agent Hayes, is a list of wire transfers between three accounts. One being linked to a private military company located in the city named Armored Tempest. The second is the routing number linked to Secretary Hopkins' offshore account."

Jacob jumped back in his seat with surprised eyes locked on Doctor Wilbert. "Wait, Hopkins? Thomas Hopkins?"

Wilbert nodded. "The same, I'm afraid. I didn't put it all together until one of his men came to my office yesterday."

"What did they come for?" Jacob asked.

"Back when I conducted the geno-human procedure I collected DNA from each successful subject and synthesized a serum. I thought it could lead to a safer way to enhance individuals, but I hadn't yet tested it on humans. Years ago Secretary Hopkins relieved me of some samples, and just last night he had one of his men take the rest.

"So he has what gave Chaos Company their powers, but in liquid form. Damn this isn't good!" Jacob rubbed his head before banging his fist against the table.

"With the amount of serum he now has, Hopkins could create a team of super-powered mercenaries," he assured him.

"Do you have any idea why he's doing this?" Jacob asked instinctively.

Wilbert shook his head. "I'm afraid not. All I know is that since the attack, the President is a hard woman to get a hold of. I heard how you risked your life for her the night of the attack. I figured you of all people would be in contact with her in a time like this."

"I haven't heard from her since I saw her in the hospital yesterday. She requested I work with local law enforcement in capturing Liam. But my guess is she's still in the city." Jacob put his cell phone in his leather jacket. "Let's get you to safety, and then I'll go find Hopkins and King."

Jacob tried to stand up, but something pushed him back down. He turned around and found himself looking up at a muscular man in navy blue whose eyes were fixed on Dr. Wilbert.

"Mr. Hopkins was afraid of this, Dr. Wilbert." The man behind Jacob said to the Doctor. "He wants to see you."

Wilbert feared for his life. "No...please. No...you can't do this!" His hands and legs shook vigorously as he pushed away from the table.

"Listen guys, you don't want to do this. I work directly for President Grey." Jacob opened his wallet revealing his FBI credentials in his wallet to the men surrounding him. He tried to stand up again but was denied for the second time.

"That's exactly the problem Agent Hayes." one of the well-dressed men said to Jacob.

Just as Jacob prayed his backup arrived, Vincent exited the café with a beer bottle in hand.

"Woooo!" he screamed as he stumbled over to Jacob's table. "Who said being happy can only last an hour? Am I right?"

"The hell!" One of Hopkins' suited men pushed Vincent away, into his teammate.

Jacob watched as Vincent smashed his beer bottle against the head of the man adjacent to Jacob. Vincent then quickly drew his weapon as he put the man in a headlock and used him as a shield while shooting at the two men behind Wilbert.

With all eyes on Vincent, Jacob threw his coffee mug over his shoulder at the man behind him, blinding him with hot coffee and allowing Jacob the space he needed to stand and push the man back. What seemed like hundreds of civilians on the street scattered in horror as Jacob drew and fired three rounds into the chest of one of Hopkins' men.

"Move! I'm behind you!" Vincent yelled at Jacob as he shot down the man behind Jacob.

Jacob snatched Dr. Wilbert out of his seat and fled into the crowd of fearful civilians.

*****

While Jacob lead Doctor Wilbert away from the café, Vincent emptied the rest of his rounds into the back of the man he held close before shoving him to the ground. He stripped his last victim of his Sig Sauer, dropping the FN Five-Seven he had, and approached the man Jacob assaulted with coffee. To Vincent's surprise, the man's eyes shot open and burned a bright orange. Vincent hesitated as the man kicked the pistol out of his hand and then in the stomach.

Vincent caught his blue suited assailant's leg, but lost his grip as the man pulled his leg back and rolled away. As Vincent picked up his pistol and stepped back, he was caught by surprise from the suited man that survived the rounds lodged in his back. The black suited man quickly grabbed Vincent's arms and held them behind his back. Vincent could tell that the man restraining him had also been granted enhanced strength, being the only explanation to the man's unwavering grip as Vincent strained to break free.

Vincent looked down to see Hopkins' other suited man was gone. He knew right away that the man must have taken off for Jacob. "Is anyone a normal human nowadays?" Vincent said as he twitched back and forth, hoping to break free.

The one in the blue suit stood up, drew a knife, and launched towards Vincent with blinding speed. Vincent backed up, throwing the suited man holding him off balance. Vincent pinned the man restraining him against the café wall before stomping on his foot and spinning out of his grip, just avoiding a stab from the man with the knife. Vincent kicked at the knife wielder's head, knocking him off balance, giving Vincent the clearing he needed to fire a bullet into the suited man who restrained him, killing him instantly.

The knife wielder quickly recovered and dashed forward looking to land a fatal puncture. Vincent stepped to the side while slapping the knife away from his body. He threw a quick back fist to the assailant's face before grabbing his hand and bending his arm toward his chest. Vincent charged forward, forcing the man to slam against the café walls. With nowhere for the officer to go, he planted his foot on Vincent's stomach and kicked him back, forcing both of them to lose their grip on the knife.

Vincent stepped back, parrying and ducking under the man's flurry of punches. It only took him bumping into one of the café's tables to throw off his defenses. The attacker landed an upper cut, lifting Vincent inches off the ground before receiving a jumping back kick to his chest that pushed him over the table and into traffic.

Vincent rolled back and pushed off the road with both hands before hitting the ground, barely avoiding a sports car that had just stopped for him. After regaining his composure Vincent threw his hands up the moment his attacker ran straight at him. Vincent charged forward, avoiding a passing truck. He jumped over the sports car in front of him with his hands on the hood and shifted his legs in front of him in time to kick the man in the chest, forcing him back into an oncoming eighteen-wheeler.

Vincent followed the man's trajectory, which launched him up the street before crashing into the back of a parked van. Vincent slid off the sports car, looked up at his assailant, jogging over to him noticing his eyes were no longer lit orange.

Vincent wished he had time to sit down and gather himself, but he knew he couldn't afford the luxury. He got back on the sidewalk filled with citizens either frozen or screaming hysterically at the violent commotion.

*****

After dragging Henry Wilbert half a block away from the coffee house, Jacob aimed his FBI credentials and his Desert Eagle onto oncoming traffic, knowing if no one would stop for the badge, they would for the gun. He fired a round in the air before aiming at a taxi driver who stopped inches from running him down.

"FBI! Out of the car! Now!" he screamed at the driver as he opened the door for him to exit. The second Wilbert entered the taxi, Jacob put the pedal to the floor. Dr. Wilbert turned to see one of the suited men chasing them down with a Toyota Tacoma.

"Shit! How the hell did he get that?" Jacob said to himself.

"Probably in a less civil manner than you acquired this taxi." Wilbert said back to him. "These men are relentless."

"They have you to thank for that," Jacob said while avoiding vehicles as he sped pass.

"Jacob!" Vincent screamed into his ear piece at Jacob. Where are you two?"

"I'm in a car with Wilbert but we're being followed. You okay?"

"Barely. Those guys I held off were enhanced like me, but one got away. He must be the one chasing you."

"What is he saying?" Dr. Wilbert asked frantically.

"He said those men back there were enhanced." Jacob said while keeping his eyes on the road. "Including Wile E. Coyote behind us.

"Oh God! If he catches up to us there's no way we'll survive!"

"You hear that?" Jacob said to Vincent. "We're gonna need your help."

"I'm really regretting losing Nose Goes right about now." Jacob could hear Vincent sighing over their earpieces. "Whichever way you went, turn back. Let me help."

"On my way!

Jacob pulled on the emergency brake and drifted around a car on his left. He took off in the other direction before the truck chasing him could react. Jacob passed by the well-dressed man in the truck, keeping an eye on him in his rear-view mirror and witnessing the assailant collide into the back of a sedan stopped at a red light.

Jacob slowed down while nearing an intersection just as two black SUVs tried to block his advance. "Hold on!" he yelled at Dr. Wilbert before accelerating and drifting around the roadblock.

"Of course those guys brought backup!"

"How the blazes are they tracking us?" Doctor Wilbert screamed as Jacob straightened the taxi.

"Your phone. Its government issued, right? Hopkins must've put an order out to track it to stop you from getting in his way," Jacob said before barking at Wilbert to turn his phone off.

Seconds later one of the SUVs Jacob avoided sped towards him. The passenger window of the SUV opened and the suited passenger fired his automatic weapon in Jacob's direction.

"Get down!" he screamed, pushing Wilbert's head down while leaning his body away from the gun fire. Glass fell onto Jacob as he drove his taxi into the SUV, slowing down the vehicle and stopping the incoming fire. "I don't think I can pick you up!" Jacob said to Vincent via his earpiece.

*****

"No shit, Sherlock! I hear the gunfire!" Vincent sprinted for the crosswalk near the intersection he came up to. "Just keep coming my way!"

Vincent maneuvered around the crowd of frightened and confused civilians, sprinting up the crosswalk to get a better view. With seconds to spare, Vincent looked back to see Jacob's assailants gaining ground on him as he got closer to the crosswalk. Vincent's vision turned orange as he took a deep breath and leaped over the railing opposite of him with his legs and arms spread wide. He put his hands in front of his face the second Jacob's taxi sped by him. Vincent closed his eyes and regretted his decision of jumping, just before crash-landing on the roof of the front SUV leading the assault on Jacob. His adhesive skin stuck to the roof, preventing him from rolling off the vehicle.

"What was that?" Vincent heard the driver of the front SUV scream to his partner. The armed passenger climbed halfway out the vehicle to see Vincent recovering from his hard landing.

"Whoa!" Vincent caught a glimpse of the man's HK MP5 sub-machine gun just in time to roll off the roof, barely dodging the rounds fired at him. He stuck to the driver side of the vehicle and slapped the driver's pistol aside before it went off. Vincent jabbed at the driver's face before he saw the passenger climb back in his seat with his weapon in hand.

"Watch out!" the passenger screamed while taking aim.

The driver leaned back giving his partner a clear shot. Vincent rotated his shoulder back as the rounds passed by his head. With his chest away from the SUV, Vincent saw the rounds rip through the passenger in the other SUV parallel to him.

"Vincent! What're you doing?" Vincent heard Jacob yell at him.

Vincent looked ahead to see the taxi Jacob and Dr. Wilbert were in, knowing Jacob had to be looking back at him. Vincent quickly crawled underneath the SUV before the passenger could fire again. "Whoa!" he let out while the two SUVs slammed into each other, almost crushing him as he crawled underneath the vehicle.

"Sorry, can't talk! Too busy improvising!" Vincent yelled at Jacob through his earpiece before the passenger above him opened fire through the vehicle floor. Vincent quickly shifted to the side and pulled himself underneath the other SUV before it pulled away.

Vincent scrambled from underneath the scratched up vehicle and stuck himself to the passenger's side. He reached in and slammed the passenger's head against the dashboard before grabbing his SMG and forcing him to fire at the driver. With the SUV swerving left and right and the men in the vehicle parallel to him taking aim, Vincent crawled to the roof and kicked off the SUV before it crashed into a row of parked cars and landed back on the roof of the vehicle chasing Jacob.

Vincent looked ahead to see the taxi Jacob operated making a sharp right. The SUV Vincent was on top of did the same, forcing Vincent to almost spin off the roof. Half of Vincent's body dangled above the road as his arms strained to remain stuck to the roof.

The passenger stuck his weapon out at Vincent. Vincent kicked at the man's weapon, knocking it out of his hand. Vincent then grabbed the man's forearm with one hand and rolled back onto the roof, banging his arm against the SUV.

The passenger jerked his arm back into the SUV. "Ah! Damnit!" He shouted.

"Here! Take my gun" Vincent heard the driver say. "Kill him already!"

Vincent rolled off the roof as gunfire ripped through it, forcing him to stick to the rear window. By looking through the rear window and out the front Vincent could see Jacob making a left and speeding through an empty gas station. The moment the driver made the same turn Vincent tensed his muscles and forced an electro-magnetic pulse out of his body. With both the taxi cab and the SUV in Vincent's EMP range, he knew the two vehicles would shut down immediately.

"No! It' stalling!" The driver chasing Jacob shouted.

Vincent rolled off the car with his head and limbs tucked just before the SUV spun out of control. While coming to a hard stop on the pavement Vincent looked up at the vehicle, and immediately covered his head after seeing the SUV crash into the vacant gas station. The impact of the car ignited the gas, and in seconds the entire ground shook from the unforgiving explosion, taking the lives of the two assailants.

*****

Both Jacob and Dr. Wilbert looked back at the explosion just before their own vehicle stalled out.

"Come on!" Jacob said in a low tone.

"We didn't escape Vincent's EMP range!" Dr. Wilbert yelled. "Slow down!"

"I'm trying!" Jacob said as he slammed on the brakes. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel hoping to keep the car straight, but wasn't able to move it from its fixed position as the taxi spun out of control. "Hold on!"

The taxi shifted left and right before rotating in a full circle. Both Jacob and Dr. Wilbert braced themselves in horror. The taxi pulled left, heading straight for the stairs of the sidewalk leading to the subway entrance and wedged between the narrow stone walls. Even though a head on collision with the subway wall was avoided, the sudden stop drove Jacob's head into the steering wheel, knocking him out cold.

*****

Jacob came to with his head pounding. He could barely make out where he was or what had happened. His vision was such a blur that, in his disoriented state, he mistook the gray walls as fog. He looked up and saw the taxi stuck between the narrow walls leading to the subway station. It took him a while before he realized he was being dragged away from the taxi by the collar on his leather jacket. Jacob looked over his shoulder to see Dr. Wilbert, struggling to drag him to safety.

Jacob could see Dr. Wilbert pulling him to the edge of the platform. "We're almost there, Agent Hayes!" Dr. Wilbert yelled over the screeching sound of the train approaching its stop.

Dr. Wilbert bent down to Jacob's level and put his arm over his shoulder and lifted him to his feet. Blood pumped out of the gash on Jacob's forehead and ran over his eyes as they moved forward.

Dr. Wilbert sighed in relief as the train came to a slow stop in front of them. But his smile ceased the second the doors slid open and another one of Hopkins' men stood in front of him. But what caught Jacob and Dr. Wilbert by surprise was seeing Hopkins standing right beside his guard.

"No!" Wilbert exhaled as he and Jacob watched a sadistic grin crawled across Hopkins' face.

Jacob looked down in defeat, he noticed Hopkins reach for his holstered Desert Eagle on his hip. Weak and disoriented, Jacob could only watch helplessly as he was disarmed before being pushed to the ground by Hopkins' guard.

As his vision faded in an out, Jacob watched as Hopkins grabbed Wilbert by his mangled lab coat and fired a round in his kneecap with Jacob's weapon. Hopkins then pushed Dr. Wilbert into the pillar next to Jacob. Wilbert slid down the pillar. His screams echoed within the empty subway station.

Hopkins and his guard approached Dr. Wilbert. "Get away! Get away from me!" Wilbert cried as he crawled away, holding his knee with one hand.

Hopkins stepped in front of his guard and fired at Wilbert's stomach. "Check him," Hopkins said to his guard.

Jacob saw blood pumping out Wilbert's stomach at an alarming rate once Hopkins' guard kicked him over. The suited guard pulled out Dr. Wilbert's cell phone from his lab coat and handed it to Hopkins.

"I really wished I could've trusted you, Henry," Hopkins said while shaking his head in disappointment. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this. You could've left your mark after I took Jennifer's Presidency from her. You could've done good work. Important work."

Dr. Henry Wilbert looked up at Hopkins just as he raised his gun to the Doctor. "I...I...I already have." he struggled to say, coughing up more blood.

*****

Vincent limped over to the subway tunnel as fast as he could while holding his bruised ribs. He could feel the side of his head burning from the scratches left by the pavement. It wasn't until he heard a single gunshot that he limped faster to the subway station.

Vincent leaned against the station walls as he stumbled down the stairs. He crawled underneath the taxi suspended by the narrow walls. He then stopped before turning the corner and peeked around the platform to see two men walking past an immobilized Jacob and towards the train. One of the men bent down and placed a pistol into Jacob's hands before entering the train car.

"Let's get out of here," Vincent heard the older looking man say to the other.

Vincent waited for both men to board the train before rushing over to Jacob. He checked Jacob's pulse before grabbing his Desert Eagle and taking aim at one of the men. He fired, but the doors had already closed, blocking what would've been a fatal shot. His target turned around and stared directly at Vincent.

Vincent lowered his gun in surprise. "Secretary Hopkins? The hell?" he looked at him in confusion before Hopkins flashed him a cocky smile.

Vincent took aim once again, but it was too late. The train started moving, throwing off his aim. Vincent ran with the train and fired wildly at Hopkins, but failed to even get close to hitting him.

After holstering the gun, Vincent turned to Jacob who was struggling to push himself up.

"Ugh! My head!"

"Come on. We gotta get out of here," Vincent said as he helped Jacob up.

Vincent could see Jacob fight to keep his balance. He slung Jacob's arm over his shoulder and guided him to the stairs at the other end of the station. Vincent stopped and briefly looked down at Dr. Henry Wilbert's motionless body and the bullet wounds that punctured his stomach and leg.

"I'm sorry, Doc." Vincent wished he could've stayed there longer to mourn the good doctor. Henry Wilbert didn't just give Vincent and his team their abilities, but he also saved Vincent's life. If it wasn't for Dr. Wilbert's geno-serum attacking Vincent's cancer cells, he knew he would've died years ago. Vincent wished he could've returned the favor and got Wilbert out of the mess he was in. With the sound of sirens from above closing in, Vincent looked away from Dr. Wilbert's body, kept moving, and hoped for a chance to bring Thomas Hopkins to justice.
Chapter Nine

A few hours ago an unmarked van pulled into the Soho apartment complex. Without saying a word the driver, who wore an FBI windbreaker, opened the back of the van and pulled out the three crates Jacob had ordered for Chaos Company before departing, which Desmond and Cameron brought upstairs.

Desmond was alone on the fourth floor of the apartment. Anna had discovered that all the walls were knocked down and the floor was reconstructed as a shooting range, which was perfect for him to store and inspect the gear Jacob had shipped to them. Desmond first opened up the crate of guns, revealing two M4A1 assault rifles, two MP5K sub-machine guns, one M1014 shotgun, and repelling gear.

"Nice job, Jacob," he said to himself before picking up one of the assault rifles. He walked over to one of the shooting stations while tweaking the sights on the weapon. He aimed down the range and fired, taking out a few of the silhouettes down range.

The M4 assault rifle brought back memories of Desmond's first time shooting with his team while overseas. It was two days after their first successful mission. He remembered it clearly, it was the first time Desmond actually saw the faces of the people he shot and killed. It wasn't until he returned to base and his adrenaline wore off that he felt the shock of taking a life. With his nerves rattled, Desmond had difficulty hitting his targets while practicing the next day until Tyler came by and spoke to him.

_"You can't think of it as killing someone, Dessy,"_ he remembered Tyler saying. _"You gotta think of it as helping people. Because if you can't take out your targets they may go on to kill a lot of innocent people."_

It was then that Desmond understood what he signed up for was a necessary action. What he did on the battlefield helped protect others that couldn't protect themselves.

Desmond walked over to the next crate and opened it with his bare hands, revealing cases of M67 fragmentation grenades and flash bangs. He moved on to the last crate that stood next to the door. He used one finger to shoot a small kinetic blast, slicing the lock off the crate and revealing a variety of body armor for him and his team. He picked up the biggest and heaviest one, knowing that Jacob had Cameron's physique in mind when ordering it. Cameron's steel colored and sleeveless plated armor came with matching plated cargo shorts.

As he dug through the rest of the ballistic vests, Desmond pulled out two smaller standard vests that he could only assume were for Anna and Kiyoko. He was eager to find the one that would best suit him when he heard an all too familiar roar coming from outside. He ran out the shooting range and looked out the window in the hallway to see Anna and Cameron sparring in the parking lot. Anna had just parried a right hook thrown by Cameron before landing a reverse spin kick to his head that knocked him off balance. Eager to get a closer look, Desmond took the elevator down the hall to the first floor.

Desmond noticed Kiyoko sitting in the bed of Jacob's truck as he exited the building and moved to the center of the parking lot. He could hear her belittling Cameron as he sparred with Anna. "Oh, Cameron! You need to learn how to duck or something!"

"You're really getting a kick out of this, aren't you?" Cameron said to Kiyoko after backing away from Anna.

"Technically, you're the one getting a kick out of this."

Cameron wiped the blood from his lip before he charged towards Anna once again. Anna bent her legs in a wide, low stance with her front heel off the ground, waiting for his approach. She stepped back, parrying every punch and jab Cameron threw at her. Desmond knew if it wasn't for the orange scales cloaking her skin, Anna's bones would've turned to dust after blocking a few of Cameron's attacks.

Anna quickly stepped to the side, dodging Cameron's haymaker. She then threw a jab at Cameron's ribs before kicking his back leg, forcing him on one knee. With Cameron on the ground Anna gripped the back of his sweaty bald head and drove his face into her knee.

"Yeah!" Kiyoko yelled cheerfully. "Haha! Oh man, if I could marry this moment I would!"

Cameron pushed himself off the ground. He wiped the blood leaking from his nose and lips.

"I thought you were supposed to be helping, not hurting!" Cameron yelled at Anna while feeling his jaw. "Damn Anna!"

"Sounds like Cameron just lost." Desmond said to Kiyoko as he walked around the truck.

"A loss?" Kiyoko said while laughing. "More like he filled the position as Anna's new heavy bag!"

Desmond covered his mouth at the site of Cameron's bloodied face. "Oh, damn!"

"Hey, hold on! We're not done yet!" Anna said, grabbing Cameron's arm before he pulled away from her.

"The hell we're not!" he said while turning his back on her.

Anna stepped in his way and put his hands up for him. "Here, look. You don't need to pull back before punching. Just go forward, like this. Pulling back leaves you open."

"I thought you were checking our weapons," Kiyoko said to Desmond while nudging him.

"I am. I mean, I was," he said while watching Anna show Cameron a few pointers. "We have a good amount to work with. You guys can have the grenades. I'll be fine."

"I would figure as much," she said with a grin. "I still can't believe that FBI agent who dropped the stuff off didn't try to arrest us."

Desmond shrugged his shoulders. "I guess Jacob has a lot of pull at the Bureau." He said, unable to keep his eyes off Anna.

"So have you and Anna talked since you went to Ty's place without her?"

"No."

"You should."

Desmond sighed. "Ty was my best friend and her big brother."

Kiyoko nodded. "He was like family to all of us. But there's no doubt he was closer to you two than the rest of us."

"Yeah." Desmond took his eyes off Anna and looked to the ground. "I wouldn't know what to say. She's my girlfriend and I don't even know how to be there for her. Does that make me an asshole?"

"No, Desmond. Even you are human. Maybe you don't have to say anything," Kiyoko said with shrugged shoulders. "Try listening first. That's probably what she wants most."

"Maybe."

Desmond knew Kiyoko was right, but he wasn't too eager to let Kiyoko know she knew what Anna needed more than he did. He hopped up on the truck with her and watched Anna teach Cameron how to throw a proper jab and cross. Desmond continued to sit there in silence with Kiyoko as Anna guided Cameron on how to throw a proper kick.

"There you go," she said as Cameron mirrored her on throwing side kicks. "You can bench a ton, but I promise you you'll dish out more power with kicks than punches."

Desmond sat on the ledge of the truck bed with Kiyoko. "Vincent should've been back here by now," he said to her with a worried tone.

"He probably got caught up in a happy hour special. And you know how he doesn't like to limit happy to an hour."

"Guess you're right," Desmond said with a laugh.

"Do we have enough ammo for some target practice?"

Desmond nodded. "Yeah. We got enough. Wanna take a few shots?"

Kiyoko nodded. "Sure. We might need it depending on the info Vincent and that agent bring back."

Desmond laughed as the two of them jumped off the truck. "Don't act like you forgot his name! I saw the way you were eyeing him back at the party!"

And where do you think you're going?" Anna said to Desmond.

Desmond looked over his shoulder "Was gonna test out the guns we had on the range."

"No you're not." she said, speaking louder than before while waving him over with one hand. "Come here. I need a new sparring partner to beat on."

Anna's words stopped Desmond in his tracks. He turned around and grinned. "Excuse me?" he said, walking past the truck towards her and Cameron.

"You heard me," she said with a devious smirk.

Desmond could see what Anna wanted by the look in her eyes. He had no problem giving her a fight. Their entire team participated in sparring matches during their down time, but things were different. They always sparred when the whole team was together. Desmond felt out of place sparring Anna now, not knowing if Vincent was alright.

He looked down at his feet before looking back at Kiyoko, who had already made herself comfortable in the passenger seat of the truck. She grinned and nodded to him. "Go on," Kiyoko said while waving Desmond away. "The guns aren't going anywhere. You're teeth might though."

Desmond looked back at Anna. "You sure you want to do this?" he said as he took off his short sleeved green shirt, leaving on his red tank top that complimented his athletic figure.

Anna stretched her legs as she waited for Cameron to get out of their way. "This won't take long. Promise," she said while cracking her neck.

"You're gonna be so happy Kiyoko's around after this," Desmond joked to Anna with a cocky grin.

"Says the guy who'll be asking for my makeup to cover up his bruises later tonight."

"Can you both just agree you suck at trash talk and fight already?" Kiyoko said, taunting.

Desmond stretched his arms behind his back and stood on the balls of his feet, doing his best to stay light on his boots. "Since you're already warmed up, why don't we just skip the foreplay and get down to business, sweetheart?" he stepped in to bump fists with Anna before backing away from her striking range.

"Sure. I'll try not to hurt your pride," Anna said with a grin as she zipped up her black sleeveless hooded top. "The rest of you is fair game though."

"Oh, this is gonna be good!" Cameron said as he leaned against the truck next to Kiyoko.

Anna eyes burst into a bright orange while Desmond's vision did the same before the two dashed toward each other. Hard orange scales covered Anna's body as she executed a running jump kick, but Desmond ducked out of the way. Without turning completely around, Desmond threw an elbow at Anna's neck. She grabbed his elbow and shoulder and swept his leg from under him.

As he fell, Desmond grabbed Anna's forearm and pulled her down with him. When his back hit the ground, he placed his foot on Anna's stomach and tossed her towards the truck.

"Whoa!" Kiyoko screamed. Cameron pulled Kiyoko out of the passenger seat before Anna smashed into the side of the truck. The two quickly climbed into the truck's bed while Anna jumped back to her feet.

Desmond knew if it weren't for Anna's scales his throw would have put her in bad shape. She regained her footing in time to step away from Desmond's diving punch that dented the side of the truck. She leaned away from the back spinning kick he aimed at her head and landed a front kick of her own, sending him into the open passenger door. Desmond pushed off the door and parried Anna's jabs. With every punch Desmond blocked, he paid for it with Anna's scales slicing his skin.

Anna ducked under the jab Desmond threw at her head and retaliated by pushing him back into the door. Desmond spun off and behind the door just as Anna launched forward and swiped her fingers across it, shredding through the door's interior like a lion attacking drywall. Desmond hid his hand behind the mangled door and fired a kinetic blast, puncturing the door and knocking Anna off her feet.

The force of Desmond's blast sent Anna rolling across the parking lot. Anna slammed both fists into the pavement. Her scales dug into the ground, stopping her backward motion. Anna picked herself back up. She shook off the pain as she waited for her scales to reform around her exposed torso.

"You're not getting tired yet?" Desmond said to Anna with a smirk as he waved her over.

Anna shook her head "Tired? I can do this all day!" she yelled at him as she dashed forward.

Desmond pulled the door off the truck, as if the hinges were made of plastic, and threw the door at Anna. Anna dropped on both knees as she slid forward. She leaned back, with her hair brushing the cement, avoiding the door, which spun like a ceiling fan above her.

Desmond fired his kinetic blast at Anna's legs. The ball of energy was smaller than the torso sized blasts that he usually fired at his targets without a thought. This kinetic shot was the size of his palm, powerful enough to knock Anna down without doing any serious damage.

Unable to stand up in time to avoid the blast, Anna rotated her torso and pushed off the ground, high enough to dodge the orange violent energy that ignited below her. She kicked at Desmond's face while she spun in the air, forcing him to step back and giving her time to get her footing. Desmond tried his best to keep the pressure on, but Anna's scales made him pay for any attack he tried to land.

Desmond threw a feint kick at Anna's shins before driving his leg into her ribs. Her scales absorbed most of the blow. Desmond followed up with a haymaker that Anna ducked.

After missing Desmond forced Anna to move back with a backing spinning kick. The second he regained his footing he ran at Anna. The moment he jumped he threw a hurricane kick, Anna jumped straight up and twisted her body like a cork screw, blocking Desmond's kick and landing one of her own across his face.

The moment Desmond crashed into the pavement he rolled off his back and rested on a knee. He looked up to see Anna dashing towards him as he stood and put his fists up. His left hand was once again charged, ready to fire. His veins radiated a bright orange. He jabbed with his right. Anna ducked under it and landed a couple cheap shots at his ribs before kneeing him in the stomach. While he was doubled over Desmond took a swing at Anna. She stepped to the side and tripped Desmond while pushing him to the ground.

"Damn!" Cameron shouted.

Anna pounced on Desmond's chest before he could sit up. Desmond threw his charged hand up at Anna, who gripped his arm. Anna then slammed Desmond's fist against the pavement, releasing his kinetic energy and causing the ground around them to crack like lightning in the sky.

Anna raised her scale-covered fist up to her cheek. Her scales then formed an orange knife in her hand. She pulled Desmond up by his tank top and looked him square in the eyes, her blade pushed against his neck.

"Good," she said while breathing heavily and smiling at him. "Really good."

"I'm glad it was good for you." Desmond exhaled jokingly.

Anna laughed before tossing her scale aside and helping him up. "Fight like that and we'll put Liam down for sure.

Desmond nodded. "I will." He assured her before pulling her in for a kiss.

"And no more going at it alone." Anna said while lightly hitting his chest.

"I'm sorry," Desmond said as his vision returned to normal and Anna's scales seeped into her light brown skin. "I should've let you come with me to Ty's place. We would've had Liam by now."

Anna waved off Desmond's apology. "It's in the past. You can make it up to me next time we see him."

"That was really hot guys!" Cameron said to Anna and Desmond.

"Ugh! Really, Cameron?" Kiyoko responded with a disgusted look.

"Oh, so I'm wrong?"

Kiyoko crossed her arms while cocking her lip and looking back at them. "No. It was pretty hot," she said with a fleeting look in her eyes. "God, I need to get laid."

"Maybe you should see if that FBI agent is single," Cameron suggested to her.

"Way ahead of you on that one."

"Called it!" Desmond said pointing at Kiyoko and smiling.

Desmond was about to ask Kiyoko to fix him and Anna up when he was interrupted by the police vehicle charging into the parking lot.

"Move!" Anna said, while she drove her body into Desmond's like a lineman and pushed him out of the way. The two of them rolled on the ground, out of the way of the cruiser's line of attack and rolled on one knee to see it heading towards Jacob's rental truck.

Desmond looked up at Kiyoko, who had already jumped out and away from the bed of the truck. Before the cruiser could collide with the truck Cameron stepped in front of it with his eyes flashing orange, his muscles pumped and his veins pressed against his skin. He got in a low stance and sprinted forward, crashing into the cruiser. With one shoulder deep in the body-sized dent of the cruiser, Cameron grabbed underneath the car and lifted it until the cruiser fell on its side unable to drive further.

"What the hell!" Anna shouted as she ran over to the other side of the vehicle with Desmond.

The two of them got to the other side in time to witness Cameron punch a hole in the roof and rip it open.

"Oh God! It's Vincent!" he said, pulling him out of the driver's seat, leaving Anna and Desmond to pull Jacob out of the passenger seat afterwards.

"Oh God, Vincent!" Kiyoko screamed as she ran towards him.

Cameron had his arm wrapped around Vincent's body, helping him walk towards the apartment.

"I'm fine, really," Vincent said, fighting Cameron to be let go. "I must've passed out before parking."

"God please don't tell me you've been drinking and driving again!" Kiyoko said as she inspected him.

"No!" he answered defensively before putting his thumb and index finger together with a little space in-between. "Okay...well, maybe a little. But that's not why I crashed!"

"Said the alcoholic," Cameron said with no remorse.

"Hey!" Vincent yelled. "I believe the words 'high functioning' goes in there somewhere!"

"Where did this come from?" Kiyoko asked, picking at the gash across his ribs underneath his ripped t-shirt.

"The pavement on 75th and Amsterdam. Took a tumble during a car chase. I'm actually surprised I didn't pass out sooner."

"This guy needs to be looked at!" Anna said while walking alongside Desmond, who had Agent Jacobs Hayes thrown over his shoulder.

"Come on! Inside!" Kiyoko barked at them.

Kiyoko led the team up two flights of stairs and into a vacant space next door to Anna's room. The room had the same layout as all the others with the living area to their immediate left and a wall separating the living room and the kitchen. Desmond carried Jacob past the kitchen. He squeezed past the narrow hall that led to the restroom and into the bedroom straight ahead.

"Lay him down," Kiyoko told Desmond, pointing at the queen-sized bed. Anna assisted Desmond in laying Jacob down gently by holding his arms and head.

"What happened?" Kiyoko asked Vincent as she put her healing hands on Jacob.

"Wilbert was followed at the rendezvous. Shit went down and it turned into a car chase gone bad."

"Did anyone follow you here?" Desmond asked, hoping the answer was no.

Vincent shook his head. "I took care of them. Wasn't easy though." Desmond followed him as he moved from the bedroom and into the kitchen, rummaging through the fridge hoping to find a drink.

Desmond snatched the beer Vincent scavenged from the fridge. "What about the cop car?" he said, holding the beer hostage until Vincent answered.

Vincent sighed. "That was obviously stolen from a cop. I needed a car to get Jacob here and it was easy to steal at the time," he answered. "Cops were all over the place so I found a squad car unattended and took it." Vincent snatched his beer back from Desmond. He banged the top against the ledge, popping the cap off the bottle. "Don't worry. I fried the GPS."

Desmond and Vincent walked back to the bedroom in time to see Cameron ripping Jacob's white t-shirt open, exposing the bruises on his chest and ribs. Desmond watched as Kiyoko placed her glowing orange hands on Jacob's shoulder and chest. She closed her orange eyes while the others stood and watched Jacob's wounds heal before them; the gash on his head closed and bruises on his body dissipated in a manner of seconds. Kiyoko's healing hands did everything except wake him up.

"That's as much as I can do for him. He might have a concussion, but we won't know until he's awake." Kiyoko told the team as she stood up and walked away from him.

"Hayes had this on him," Vincent said pulling out Jacob's phone from his jacket and handing it to Desmond. "I saw Wilbert transfer something on it."

Kiyoko stepped towards Vincent and opened his brown leather jacket before lifting his shirt, revealing the bruises around his ribs. She caught sight of a deep cut that ran along his oblique. The sight of blood leaking out of his side and staining his shirt almost made her jump back in disgust. "The hell, Vincent!" she said, poking at the bruises around the laceration. "I can give you a touch up, but you lost a lot of blood. No wonder you passed out. You're going to need more blood. Come on, there's a first aid kit in the basement."

"I'll donate some to ya, little guy," Cameron said sincerely.

"Yeah, no," Vincent responded quickly as he followed Kiyoko out the room. "Anna can do it."

"Why not me?" Cameron yelled, taking offense to Vincent's words.

"Because receiving blood from a guy that had more penicillin than allergy shots doesn't seem like a smart idea."

"Stay here and keep an eye on Hayes," Anna said to Cameron as she walked by him, following Desmond and the others out of the apartment unit.

*****

Thomas Hopkins walked hastily down a long well-lit corridor decorated with pictures and flowers. He hated how his black dress shoes dug into the blood-red carpet. Westfield, who was disguised as one of Hopkins' Secret Servicemen, followed him down the hall.

Hopkins barged through the double doors. It took a while for his eyes to adjust to the unforgiving lights illuminating the large room. The first thing he noticed was President Jennifer Grey sitting at the small rectangular dinner table in the center of room. As Hopkins walked across the hardwood floor, he took in the craftsmanship of the room. He was amazed to see the indoor balcony span across the entire room above them. The second floor was filled with books and guarded by a dozen replicas of hollow knight armor, each holding a deadly medieval weapon. What he found most intriguing was the ceiling-high stained glass window behind Grey and the brick fireplace adjacent to her.

Hopkins wished Grey's men didn't occupy both floors and the garden on the other side of the window. He thought maybe then he could enjoy the room in its entirety, and maybe do the job that he had hired Liam King to do.

"You like the room?" President Grey asked to welcome Hopkins into the gorgeous library.

"Yes." He took a seat across from Grey, where a salad covered by a lid waited for him. He handed the lid to the waiter. "So this is what it's like to hide out with the President? I could get used to this."

"A friend in the New York Stock Exchange was nice enough to lend his home to us until we can get out of the city."

Hopkins shook his head. "Don't get me wrong, Jennifer, this is nice. But I still think moving out of the city is safer for you."

"I'm not arguing that the city isn't safe right now, Thomas," Jennifer said with a nod. "But it's even more dangerous to move out with Liam King still hiding."

Hopkins sighed. "Yes, ma'am," he said before taking a bite of his salad.

"You're late," she said in a cold tone.

"Have you turned on the news?" he said with his best face of empathy masking his hate for Grey. "There were reports of multiple shootings that held up my convoy. I got here as soon as I could."

Grey grinded her fist into the table. "This is ridiculous! We need to get things under control here! I can't have that attack on my life affecting the city like this!"

"It won't for long. I got my best men working on discovering who's behind all of this." Hopkins said, trying to hide the smirk that would give away his lie.

"Thank you, but the FBI has it covered."

"Do they have a hit on King? Or who he's working for?" he asked with the most sincere look of interest, hiding his fear of being discovered.

President Grey grabbed her glass, taking a sip of wine after shaking her head. "Not yet. But the FBI thinks they found our traitor."

"Who?" Hopkins asked as he hid his shaking hands.

"Special Agent Jacob Hayes."

"Hayes?"

Grey nodded. "Apparently he was involved in that shooting today that led to a car chase throughout the city. And Doctor Wilbert was last seen alive with him before his body was found at a nearby subway station."

Hopkins dropped his fork, putting on a show for the President. "Henry...he's dead?"

"The paramedics called it on the scene. I gave the order to have the FBI and local police make looking for Agent Hayes a top priority. Witnesses claim they saw a man matching Vincent Lockhart's description following close behind Agent Hayes."

"Lockhart? He's one of those soldiers with Chaos Company, right?" Hopkins asked.

"The same," she said before taking another sip. "He's the geno-soldier whose EMP charge killed all the electronics in your home."

"We can only assume he and the rest of Lieutenant Young's team had something to do with the attack today, as well as what happened at my home," Hopkins said to Grey.

"Thomas, you're talking about the same team that risked their lives to save our own against Liam King. I doubt they were involved," she assured him.

"Then why did they go missing back at the hospital?" Thomas asked. He gave Grey time to come up with an answer, but she remained silent. She couldn't think of any reason why Desmond and the others were missing. "Loyal can be just as unpredictable as anything else, Jennifer. Chaos Company is no different," Hopkins said with a sigh. "We need to at least bring them in for questioning. Their failure to report in after that attack is an act of desertion," Hopkins stated with confidence, before excusing himself from the dinner table.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Back to work," he said with his back turned to her.

"Going out in the city now is too much of a risk!"

Hopkins turned to Grey pointing at her. "If Agent Hayes is working with our enemies that means we're at risk! Agent Hayes knew our exit strategy out of New York while the city was on lockdown looking for Liam King! That means I need to get on the phone with DC to find another way out of New York for us! So why don't you stay here sitting pretty while I try to keep us both alive!" he turned his back on her again, storming towards the exit.

"Thomas! Get back here!" President Grey ordered him, but her demand for his respect didn't stop Hopkins from leaving. He slammed the double doors behind him, leaving President Grey to boil in her anger.

"Your dinner, ma'am," the waiter said, approaching her before she waived him away and grabbed her wine glass.

Hopkins walked down the corridor with the disguised James Westfield trailing behind him. "Agent Hayes made it out of the subway station and he knows how we planned on leaving the city tomorrow."

"You shoulda just let me shoot him," Westfield said in a low tone.

Hopkins rubbed the thin white hair on his head. "Trust me, I regret leaving him alive. Specialist Lockhart must've got Hayes out of the substation before the police could arrest him." The two of them stopped at the hallway's T-junction.

"What're you gonna do?"

"After what Grey said, I'm afraid Agent Hayes may be working with Lieutenant Young's team. We can't afford another run in with them so I'm going to contact DC to change the exit strategy. Once I do, I'll read you and your men in on it."

"And what if Hayes and the others show up again?"

"I can't see how they would. But just in case I need you to make sure Liam gets on his feet. Once we get him back in play Chaos Company shouldn't be a problem for us anymore."
*****

Vincent sat down in front of the monitor in the basement of the apartment with a needle in one arm while receiving a blood transfusion from Anna, who sat on the desk next to the monitor. Anna had her arm raised to shoulder level, opening and closing her hand every few seconds to get her blood pumping into the tube and into Vincent's body, all while he told his team everything that had happened to him and Jacob

"So Thomas Hopkins, huh?" Desmond said, standing next to Anna in disbelief.

"Yeah. He shot down the doctor and tried to pin it on Jacob while he was knocked out. I'm sorry, I couldn't get there in time," Vincent said to his team.

"It's not your fault, Vinny," Anna assured him.

"Agh!" Vincent exhaled in pain as Kiyoko healed him with her abilities. He knew the drill when it came to Kiyoko fixing him up. When it came to her powers there's always a cost of excruciating pain to the patient. Vincent hated the pinching sensation he felt throughout his body, but he knew it was necessary if he wanted to get back to work with his team.

"There. Your body's still gonna ache for a while but for the most part you're all patched up." Kiyoko told him as she pulled back her arms and her eyes dimmed to their normal brown.

"I owe you one, sugar foot," Vincent said to Kiyoko with a flirtatious wink.

"You can repay me by never saying that again," Kiyoko said to Vincent while pushing him. "And you can take that out now," she said pointing at Anna and Vincent's needles.

"You sure?" asked Anna

Kiyoko stood up to put away the first aid kit. "Yeah, you gave enough blo..." she stopped, unable to finish her thought as she fell on one knee.

Anna pulled the needle out of her arm and jumped off the table ready to help Kiyoko, but Desmond, who was standing right behind her, was there to pick her up.

"You okay?" he said as he helped Kiyoko back into her seat.

She shook her head trying to realign her slightly blurred vision. "Yeah," she said unconvincingly to her team. "I guess with the lack of sleep and healing up Vincent, I haven't allowed my body to rest."

"It's okay, just sit."

"You good?" Vincent said to Kiyoko with a look of concern.

"Yeah. What were you saying about Hopkins?" she asked him.

"Right. It seems like the good doctor put some files on Jacob's phone before he was killed." he said while pulling the needle out of his arm and tossing the entire tube in the trash. With Jacob's phone plugged into the computer's USB port, Vincent pulled up the file and opened it, revealing a massive amount of banking information.

"Looks like someone from this account is handing over some big bills to these two," Anna said, pointing at the screen.

Kiyoko nodded. "Yeah, and I bet the account doing the giving is Hopkins'. Meaning one of the two definitely belongs to King. But what about the other one?"

"Can you see who it belongs to?" Desmond asked Vincent.

"Jacob blurted it out while half-conscious on the way here," Vincent said before holding his breath, not wanting to give them the bad news. "Hopkins hired Armored Tempest to do his dirty work," he said, checking the look of frustration on Desmond and Kiyoko's faces.

Desmond crossed his arms. "That figures." he said while shaking his head.

"So we were right about Armored Tempest being involved. And this money trail proves it," Kiyoko said, pointing at the monitor.

"And I bet that's where Liam King is hiding." Anna said sternly.

"Even with these transactions, Hopkins account is offshore. He could easily flip the script if we handed this into the police. Say he's been hacked. It wouldn't even be hard to fake a false account breach.

"Vinny's is right," Kiyoko said to them. "This just shows where we need to go next. We need to catch Hopkins red-handed, in the act. It's the only way we can stop Hopkins. He has too much pull to be taken down by anything less."

Anna pushed away from the desk and headed towards the lockers. "So go in and find King. While there we find something solid to tie Hopkins to all of this."

"Even with our abilities it isn't going to be easy!" Vincent whined as he watched Anna pull out all of the pistols from the equipment locker and dumped them into the FBI bag by her feet.

"It won't be. But it is necessary." she said as she charged toward him with the bag over her shoulder. She pushed a gun into Desmond's chest until he grasped it. She then pushed Vincent out of her way by his chair.

"Anna..." Desmond said to her.

"If we want to end this...if we want to get the prick that killed my brother, we have to hit that building." she said, pointing at the screenshot of the company's HQ.

Vincent jolted out of his seat and pushed Anna aside, getting in her face, "I get you want to kill Liam, but this is suicide, and I for one like my skull not punctured with bullets!"

"You know good and well Tyler would hit that place if it was one of us that died!" Anna said to Vincent as she pushed him back. "You fucking know it!"

"I'm a lot of things, sister! I'm a wall-crawling, street-brawling, highly functional alcoholic! But the one thing I know is that I'm not him!"

"Both of you! Shut up!" Desmond roared, silencing the two of them. Kiyoko slid back in her seat as Desmond walked by her. He pushed through the little space between Vincent and Anna and moved the mouse around on the digital blueprint, making three red marks -- one on the top floor, one on the bottom floor, and the other on the sixteenth floor, directly between the lobby and rooftop. "We have a fighting chance if we hit them here, here, and here simultaneously."

Desmond stepped back to let his team take a look at his plan. "We divvy up their forces," Kiyoko said. "We'd catch them scrambling to all three spots. That could work."

"Jacob sent us some repelling equipment I think you can put to use." Desmond said to Vincent.

"But scaling a building's never been a problem for me...like, ever." Vincent replied with shrugged shoulders.

"Yeah, but if we rig up a launcher you won't have to scale anything. And you can take someone with you."

"Oh!" Vincent said with a cocky grin as he pointed at Desmond. "I see where this is going."

*****

It had been twenty hours since Liam King received a double dose of the geno-human serum. In those twenty hours, Liam didn't move much. For the most part, he sat down in the corner of the medical room where he underwent the procedure. He kept his shivering body warm with the lab coat he swiped off one of the deceased doctors that occupied the room. It wasn't until the rising moon rested its light on Liam from the holes he had made in the ceiling that he started to piece together what had happened to him after the procedure.

Liam's memory came back to him in flashes. He remembered piercing holes through the ceiling and walls with his optic beam. He remembered his entire body tensing up in extreme pain, his radiant orange veins pulsating through his body, especially in his face, which looked like it had vines crawling within his skin. He remembered how his skin felt like it was on fire when he broke out of his metal restraints. Liam recalled the doctors doing their best to hold him down, and how he tossed them aside as effortless as empty cardboard boxes.

"Take him down!" Liam remembered one of the guards yelling before a shotgun shell was shot at his leg. He recalled how the shell crushed itself against his shin. He remembered feeling a faint sensation of the impact, but no pain.

Liam used the wall to lift himself up and ripped the sleeves of his lab coat, revealing the orange veins in his arms and the broken leather straps around his wrist that had once restrained him. He walked around the room, barely able to see. He remembered shooting out the lights with his beam. He looked down at the victims around him, and that's when it hit him. The remainder of memories rushed back into his mind like a tidal wave.

Twenty hours ago, Liam jumped off the medical bed now tossed against the wall. After throwing the doctors around with ease, he grabbed another and crushed her neck with one hand. It was then that James Westfield's men began their failed attempt to take Liam down. The shells they fired at him didn't come close to piercing his skin.

Liam recalled firing his optic beam at one of the guard's shotguns, shooting it out of his hands before rushing and impaling the man with his fist. Liam remembered staring down at the man, who coughed up blood, before tossing him into another hired gun. The third guard ran for the exit, but Liam was quick to leap towards him, pushing him into the two-way mirror before taking his head and smashing it into the glass. The first impact cracked the window and the helpless guard's skull, the second left him bloody and brain dead. It wasn't until Liam smashed his head through the window that he was satisfied with his assault.

The blood that stained the tiles told the rest of the story, and the mangled body parts, provided commentary. Liam was able to piece together his attack on one of the doctors. From the looks of it, he had his foot on the doctor's chest while he tore his arm away from his body, before stomping the frightened man's face in.

Liam walked over to the body of the other two guards. He kicked the one with the hole in his chest off the other. It was then that Liam remembered what happened to the last living guard. The man had reached for his weapon when Liam walked over. He did his best to crawl for it with his partner on top of him, knowing he didn't have time to push him off. It was easily within reach before Liam kicked it away, along with any hope of the guard defending himself. Liam remembered firing another optic beam, this time aimed at the guard's neck. But Liam didn't fire a single concussive shot. His optic beam acted as a blow torch as he slowly moved his eyes across the man's neck, slicing it from his body.

After recalling the incident in the medical bay, Liam took a seat on the operating table that once held him down. He remembered the agonizing screams of his victims as he tore them to bits. He remembered the looks of hopelessness across the guards' faces as each round they fired rolled off his body. Twenty hours ago while the massacre took place, the brutal killings, the screams, the amount of blood his power left in his wake, what Liam King remembered more clearly than anything else was that he did it all with a smile. Just thinking about how much fun he had resurrected the smile he wore twenty hours ago.
Chapter Ten

James Westfield arrived at his company building around 2am by air transport. His Mi-26 helicopter touched down on the roof of the helipad of his thirty-two story empire. He exited the aircraft by its side door and was welcomed by a couple of his men, one of them holding a change of clothes for him.

"How is the Aussie prick doing?" Westfield asked his armed employee. He tore off his tie and blazer and snatched the white Under Armour and black tactical vest from his employee.

"He leveled the medical bay, sir!" the man said as he struggled to keep up with Westfield's pace, holding equipment for Westfield as well as his own. "Liam King butchered the entire staff!"

"How is he?" he said as he walked down the stairs on the side of the roof and through the door that lead to his office.

"Sir! He killed our men!"

"And their families will be compensated appropriately. But Secretary Hopkins was very clear that King was a high-value asset to him, and if dies, we don't get paid!" Westfield snatched the pistol and holster from another nervously silent guard as he barked at the other. "So is King up and moving or not?"

"No, sir."

James wrapped the leg holster over his right thigh and sheathed his M9 Beretta. "See that? A clear answer!" he pushed the man aside and stomped towards the elevator.

"You stay here and setup teams to patrol the city." he said to the talkative guard. The second he stepped in the elevator he hit the button to the thirty-first floor.

"We're going to see Mr. King, sir?" he stuttered as the elevator door shut

"Hopkins wants him...damnit!" James blurted out as the elevator prematurely stopped between the thirty-second and thirty-first floor, jolting him into his employee. Seconds later the two of them felt a faint shaking of the building, almost as if a bomb had gone off in the main lobby below them.

"Must be a power outage. The backup generator should be on in a moment, sir," the man said just seconds before the generator in the basement turned on the emergency red light, lighting the elevator.

James drew the walkie-talkie attached to his vest. He tried speaking into it, but his words fell only on the employee beside him. "A power outage wouldn't knock out wireless devices." He muttered.

*****

Seven minutes ago, Vincent led Kiyoko and Cameron to the front entrance of the red metallic building, across the street from Armored Tempest's headquarters. Vincent was armed with a MP5K sub-machine gun and a M9 Beretta holstered on his hip. He also wore a dark blue SWAT ballistic vest and riot helmet. Kiyoko was armed with a M4A1 assault rifle and wore one of the two smaller vests that had FBI printed on the back.

The three of them avoided the street lights and vehicles passing by as they approached the entrance. The second Cameron moved to the rotating doors Vincent and Kiyoko covered him, scoping out the streets as Cameron inspected the entrance.

"Sleeveless armor looks good on you, Cam," Kiyoko said while surveying their surroundings.

"Yeah, it really lets you move and tries breathe," he replied.

Cameron put both of the duffle bags he had been carrying into his left hand and pushed the rotating door in with his right, breaking the lock like it was made of foil and sounding the alarm.

Kiyoko and Vincent locked eyes before Kiyoko looked up and down at his attire. "And Vincent, you look...ugh, um."

"Look sweetheart, I know I look like a five year old playing cops and robbers, so fuck off," Vincent said to Kiyoko as he moved through the rotating doors. He strafed to the center of the dark lobby and jumped over the half circle security desk.

Kiyoko ran over to him, with Cameron following close behind. "Don't call me sweetheart!" she yelled over the alarms.

"Trust me, it wasn't the first thing I wanted to call you," he yelled back before placing his hand on the central monitor. In an instant, Vincent's vision turned orange as sparks of electricity surged from his hands and into the security system, shutting down the alarm and bringing silence back to the lobby. "Let's go, sweetheart," Vincent said, leading the way to the elevator on the east side of the lobby.

Vincent's thoughts raced a mile a minute the moment the three of them took the central elevator to the top floor. He couldn't help but think he and his team were walking into a den filled with hungry lions. He breathed in and out heavily, doing his best to get more excited than he was frightened about the task at hand. He looked over to his right, at Cameron, who was pounding his chest after cracking his neck.

"You're psyched for this firefight bro?" Vincent said to him while leaning away.

"First dude, it's a game, not a match. And second, I'm bulletproof, like to brawl, and just lost a friend." Cameron said while pointing to himself. "Your damn right I'm psyched."

The elevator opened at the top floor of the building and Vincent quickly led Kiyoko and Cameron down the dark narrow hall and up the stairs leading to the rooftop.

Cameron dropped the duffle bags near the ventilation shaft. He and Kiyoko walked over to the edge, looking over at James Westfield's glass-paned building, and down at the parking lot below.

Vincent dug into the first duffle bag and pulled out his homemade grapple cannon resembling a t-shirt cannon. He took the rope and grapple at the butt-end of the cannon and wrapped it around the ventilation shaft before sitting it down. Vincent then pulled out Cameron's equipment, which included a M1014 shotgun, a steel mask, and a belt with grenades hanging off it.

"Heads up!" Vincent said before tossing him the grenade belt and steel mask.

"Oh you're too kind, brotha!" Cameron cheered as he strapped the belt around his waist and adjusted the mask over his bald head. Vincent slid the shotgun across the rooftop. Cameron kicked it up and snatched it in midair. He then turned around and faced the lethal drop to the parking lot.

Vincent was about to take aim at the helipad platform with the grapple cannon when Kiyoko tugged on his vest. "Let me try," she said to him as she took the launcher off his shoulder.

Vincent sighed. "Fine," he helped adjust the launcher on Kiyoko's shoulder. "Okay, just don't hit the chopper. We can use that for a quick escape."

"Don't worry, Vinny," Kiyoko said with her finger applying pressure to the red trigger. "I'm not gonna hit the chopper...whoa!" Kiyoko exhaled as her finger slipped, firing the grapple without lining up her shot. The grapple hook pierced through the sky, descending diagonally toward the rooftop. To Kiyoko's surprise, but not to Vincent, the hook pierced through helicopter's pilot side door. "Well, damnit" Kiyoko.

Vincent sighed as he snatched the launcher away from her and wrapped it around the vent, creating more tension on the rope.

"You know, I had three shots of whiskey before we got here and I could've made a better shot than that!" Vincent said while shaking his head. "Take this," he dug in his pocket and pulled out two pieces of rope, each as long as his forearm, and gave one to Kiyoko.

"I'll signal you once we take out their electronics," Vincent said to Cameron while wrapping the rope around the grappling rope and taking a running jump off the roof.

The second Vincent's boots dangled above the parking lot he could hear Kiyoko wasn't too far behind. He looked down at the parking lot he crossed while zipping through the skies, wishing he had something more secure than a black piece of rope separating him from freefalling. As he approached the Armored Tempest building Vincent kicked his feet back before swinging them forward and letting go of his rope. Vincent rotated his arms as momentum pushed him forwards before crashing onto the rooftop. Vincent rolled on his shoulder before planting his knee to stop. He then rolled to the side before Kiyoko could slam into him.

"Wow!" Kiyoko said in a high pitch. "I haven't done that in so long! Almost forgot how much fun it was."

"Yeah, our whole team is pretty awesome." Vincent said with a smile. "Come on."

Vincent guided Kiyoko around the helicopter and to the electrical panel on the top of the roof, next to the stairway. He pulled out the silencer attachment for his 9mm pistol and screwed it on before firing at the lock on the panel.

"Here," he said, handing Kiyoko another silencer for her pistol. "Let's try to stay as silent as possible."

Kiyoko slung her M4 over her shoulder before drawing her pistol and attaching her silencer to it. "Nice! Where'd you find these?"

"That weapons locker back at the hideout had a secret compartment we didn't check." Vincent said before pulling open the security panel next to the rooftop entrance and grabbing the wires inside.

"Doors locked" Kiyoko said as she pulled at the handle to the glass door leading inside.

"Give me a sec." Vincent closed his eyes and tensed his arms, sending an electrical pulse through his hand and into the wires. He opened in his eyes to see sparks of electricity jumping off his hand as he stepped away from the panel.

"Woo!" he said, shaking off the smoke from his hand. "How's that?"

The two of them looked over to the building they zip-lined from to see Cameron turning the flash light attached to his shotgun on and off repeatedly, signaling that all the lights in Westfield's facility were out, and that he was ready to move.

"We're all good," she said to him before signaling down to Desmond and Anna with her flashlight.

"Awesome," Vincent said with a nod. "That pulse should've knocked out all mobile devices inside that were on at the time, too. But the window I gave us is short. A place like this is sure to have a backup generator."

"Let's get a move on then." Kiyoko said as she pulled the door open and led the way down to the top floor.

While traversing the dark hallway of Armored Tempest, both Kiyoko and Vincent saw a door a few feet ahead of them swing open. Kiyoko quickly pressed her back against the hallway wall while Vincent crawled up the wall and onto the ceiling.

The Armored Tempest mercenaries didn't notice Vincent's dimly lit eyes as they rushed out the monitor room and passed under him. He waited, as he had been trained, until the last straggler jogged by him. It was then that Vincent pushed off the ceiling, landing on his feet softly while drawing his knife. He pulled his target back and sliced open his throat.

Kiyoko waited until the first guard was in arms reach to attack. She grabbed the mercenary by her face. With Kiyoko's eyes brightly lit, Vincent knew Kiyoko was in the process of ceasing the guard's blood to pump through her body. Kiyoko fired her silenced pistol, over the decaying woman's shoulder, taking out two of the mercenaries between her and Vincent. She then slammed the mercenary she held against the wall. She grabbed the guard's forearms and forced them to her side, holding her tight until she no longer moved. Kiyoko then backed away, letting the woman fall to the floor.

Vincent ran pass Kiyoko, waving at her to following as he ran down the hall. He came to a stop at two glass double doors. "Looks like we're in the right place." Vincent said as he read James Westfield's name on the plaque mounted next to the doors.

He tried opening the locked doors before he covered his eyes and shot out one of the glass doors. Vincent stepped through the frame, unlocked the doors, and held both open for Kiyoko to step through.

The first thing to catch Vincent's eye in Westfield's office was the various guns and blades decorating the walls. The second thing he caught sight of was the set of monitors displaying sections of the building next to the office doors.

"Keep an eye on that," Vincent said to Kiyoko while pointing at the monitors. He walked around Westfield's desk, plugged in his flash drive, and opened up the most recent file.

*****

Desmond and Anna sat behind the torn up police car Vincent had brought back to their hideout. They parked the car exactly between the financial building and Armored Tempest HQ in the parking. Desmond checked the magazine in his M4A1 assault rifle and looked through his scope while Anna turned on the laser pointer to her MP5 and adjusted her FBI vest.

""Hey," Anna said to him while looking at the pavement. "Thanks. For doing this. All of this"

Desmond slid closer to Anna. "It's like you said before, Ty would do the same for us." He pulled her hair back revealing her beautiful brown eyes. "And I'd do anything for you. Even take on a building full of madmen."

Anna laughed lightly, revealing her perfect smile. "You say it like it's not gonna be fun."

"I think we have different definitions of fun." he said under his breath. He looked over the trunk of the squad car with the scope on his rifle before Anna pulled him in by his vest and forced her lips against his. Desmond set his weapon down and ran his hand through Anna's brown hair while Anna felt up his exposed bicep. Her fingers crawled up to the black under-armor shirt beneath his vest as the two of them moved their lips and tongues together in unison.

After a while, Anna pulled back from Desmond and picked up her weapon. "Promise you won't die on me."

Desmond looked deep into Anna's eyes, his heart still pounding. He knew what she needed to hear, but he couldn't guarantee he'd walk out of this with her. At the end of what felt like an eternity of contemplating what to say, Desmond said to Anna what she needed to hear to keep her focused on the mission. "I'm not going anywhere," he said with a forced grin.

"Good. I'm gonna hold you to that." Anna said to him.

Desmond looked up to see Vincent and Kiyoko zip lining onto the building. "Let's go," he opened up the squad car and shifted it into neutral. Anna assisted Desmond in pushing the vehicle forward at a crawling pace. Desmond flicked all the switches on the panel, turning on the light bar and siren on the squad car.

"Get ready!" he said to Anna before he wedged the shotgun he grabbed from the trunk between the steering wheel and the pedal, forcing the squad car to take off toward the front entrance of the building at unforgiving speeds.

Anna found cover behind an SUV while Desmond kneeled behind a sedan across from her and used his rifle's scope to look at the building entrance. Just as Desmond hoped, the squad car had drawn some attention from inside. He watched as the guards on the lobby floor sprinted past the receptionist desks parallel to each other and towards the front entrance glass doors.

Desmond spotted a few of Westfield's men fire off rounds at the already damaged squad car, but their aggression was futile. Westfield's men dove behind chairs and tripods alike just as the squad car smashed through the glass doors, destroying every bit of furniture in its path. It wasn't until the hostile vehicle collided into the half-circle reception desk to the right that the squad car halted its devastating charge.

Desmond kept a close eye on the squad car. Seconds after the car ceased to move a few mercenaries cautiously moved in on it. With a clear shot at the enemy Desmond placed his hand on the vehicle he hid behind and fired a kinetic blast through the parking lot. The orange ball of light sped through the lobby and into the squad car, blowing it to bits and emitting a shockwave he could feel from the parking lot.

"Go!" Desmond shouted at Anna as he sprang from behind cover.

Anna's orange scales spread from her face and down her arms as she advanced. "I got point!" she screamed as she fired on the mercenaries still standing.

"Got your six!" Desmond ran up behind Anna, firing over her shoulder as they entered through the cavity made by the squad car.

Anna hurdled over to the left desk and fired as she moved forward. She dove for cover behind one of the row of pillars that separated the front lobby from the common area, but not without her scales being clipped by enemy rounds. "Agh!" she roared, holding her shoulder behind cover.

Desmond advanced from behind the squad car, putting a bullet in one of the mercenary's legs behind the kiosk. As the man fell from behind the kiosk, Desmond sprayed his target's upper body with bullets. He then shot a kinetic blast in the common area, forcing the enemy to halt their advance while capturing a few lives in the process.

"You okay?" Desmond yelled over enemy fire as he crawled to the pillar next to Anna.

"Ahh yeah," she said, moaning in pain. She took a deep breath and waited for her scales to re-grow over her bruised shoulder. "I'm good!"

Desmond fired blindly for a moment, forcing the enemy to find cover. He then took aim and fired at a mercenary hiding inside one of the elevators before his M4 went dry. "I'm out!" he said, tossing his weapon aside and drawing his Beretta. He fired at the golden chandelier above his enemy.

"Watch out!" one of the last six men yelled to his partner as he tackled him away from the fountain before the chandelier smashed into it, almost crushing them both.

Anna jumped back to her feet. "You still got that flash bang?" she yelled.

"Yeah," Desmond said while taking a knee. "You wanna get in close with them?"

"Has to be better than this!" she said with shrugged shoulders.

Desmond nodded. He stripped his flash bang from his belt and threw it in the air.

"Flash bang!" a mercenary yelled just before the grenade went off.

"Now!" Anna roared before running from behind the pillar. The mercenary behind the kiosk was the first to fall to her assault. Anna swiped the man's weapon from him before clawing his torso open with her scale-encrusted nails. She then grabbed the man by his vest and switched places with him just as another mercenary opened fire.

Anna kept her head behind the man's shoulder as his body shielded her from each round. She sprayed her aggressor with the last of her sub-machine gun rounds, before kicking the man she held into the shooter.

Anna turned around, startled at the roar of another mercenary charging towards her. The man drew a knife. Anna ran forward and ducked under the man's arm as he took a wild swing at her. She grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back. She then brought him to his knees with a kick to the back of his leg. Anna jumped off the man's shoulder and cleared his head, turned around, and slammed the man's face into her knee as she hit the floor.

Desmond hustled around the fountain in the center of the common area, shooting one of the mercenary's weapons out of his hand before another man tackled him from the side. Desmond shifted his weight before backing into the fountain where he kneed the man in the stomach and stripped him of the knife wedged in his vest. He stepped to the side and tossed the man into the fountain with ease. He leaned in a horse stance as the last two mercenaries charged at him, one of them held a baton.

Desmond blocked the baton with his knife and pushed the man away before throwing a side kick at the other. He parried the man's baton before throwing a combination of punches and sliced his neck open with the knife. Desmond drilled a back kick into his chest before throwing the knife at the other man's head. The mercenary ducked, just as Desmond predicted. With the man's head down, Desmond quickly jumped to the side and bashed the mercenary's head in with an axe kick.

The sound of moving water drew Desmond's attention to the mercenary he had thrown into the fountain. The man struggled to pick himself back up, but the second he stood, Desmond fired a kinetic blast into the flower-like statue that stood in the center of the fountain. In an instant the statue crumbled to pieces, taking the guard under as he screamed in horror, leaving him to drown in the shallow fountain as the debris crippled his movement.

"Anna, wait up!" Desmond said as he jogged over to her.

"Desmond! Behind you!" Kiyoko screamed into her earpiece.

Anna turned, and to Desmond's surprise, quick-drew her pistol and fired. Anna's round whizzed past Desmond's shoulder, putting a bullet into the man who was a second away from lodging rounds into Desmond's back.

Desmond turned around after Anna lowered her weapon. He looked up at the camera in the corner and waved his hand. "You're checking cameras?" he asked.

"Yeah, for now. And good thing too." Kiyoko said to him.

"Definitely. Thanks Kiyoko."

"You okay?" Anna asked him as he walked up to her, her skin turning back to normal.

Desmond nodded. "Yeah, let's go. And thank you."

Anna grinned at him and winked. "No problem babe."

*****

After a few failed attempts, James Westfield was finally able to pry open the door to the elevator he and one of his men were trapped in. He stabbed his knife in front of the door to hold it in place as he slid out the bottom of the elevator and assisted his employee out as well.

"Sounds like we're being attacked, sir!" Westfield's employee said to him in a formal military fashion.

"You think!" he yelled at him. "Get down there and help defend this place!"

"Yes, sir!"

James and the mercenary went in different directions, his soldier sprinting towards the stairwell as he jogged down the corridor towards the medical bay. Westfield slowed down, with his pistol at the ready as he neared the door. He kicked down the door to the narrow room that separated the operating room and rest of the floor. He crept over to the two-way mirror. Besides seeing Liam King's orange eyes and glowing veins that spread across his limbs and face, the room was completely dark.

He slowly opened up the door to the medical room. His pistol was the only thing separating him and Liam.

"Ahh!" Liam said in a deeper-tone than usual. "Get that light off me, will ya?" he said with his hand shielding his eyes from the laser sight attached to Westfield's pistol.

Westfield lowered his weapon and hit the switch to dimly light the room. It was then that Westfield saw the massacre surrounding him. "God!" he said as he covered his mouth and nose. It wasn't until he actually saw the mangled corpses in the room that he smelled them -- an all too familiar smell that he had never grown to tolerate, unlike Liam, who sat on the medical bed that was pushed against the wall. He breathed in and out calmly, as if death wasn't crawling up his nose.

"What the hell happened here?" Westfield screamed as he aimed his pistol at Liam's head.

Liam stood up and walked over to the two-way window. "The same thing that always happens when people are in a room with me, mate," he said as he tried to look through his own reflection. "What's all the galah about? Sounds like a war's going on down under."

"Shut up!" Westfield yelled at him, now with both shaky hands gripping his pistol. "You're out of control!"

"What?" Liam took a look around at the carnage. "You mean this? How else was I supposed to test out this new body?" he walked over to one of Westfield's mangled men, stripped him of his pants, and put them on. He was ready to take the rest of the man's attire, but found himself liking the look of the bloody, sleeveless lab coat.

Westfield waited for Liam King to turn back towards him. "I'm sick of you killing my men!"

Westfield fired at King's chest, then at his skull, knocking his head back. To his surprise, Liam just stood there.

Liam slowly raised his head back to its upright position. He picked the round that was pressed against his forehead out first, followed by the one in his chest.

"Shit!" Westfield said before he hustled for the door. His speed was outmatched by Liam's.

Liam swiftly blocked Westfield's way to the door and surprised him with a head butt. As Westfield's nose leaked blood, Liam took a step to his side while grabbing Westfield by his vest and launching him through the two-way mirror.

Liam created another cavity in the window as he followed Westfield through it. With his eyes burning orange like Liam's, Westfield jumped to his feet and threw a sloppy punch at his opponent. Liam grabbed his fist and pulled him in to elbow him in the face. He then threw Westfield over his shoulder and tossed him toward the door. Liam could have allowed inertia to drive him through the exit, but instead Liam launched a back kick into Westfield's chest for good measure.

After watching his victim crash through the door and tumble out into the hallway, Liam dashed over to Westfield before he could push himself up and held him up against the wall by his neck.

"You knocked my methods for the last time, mate!" Liam said as he raised Westfield over his head and tightened his grip around his neck. Liam felt a sense of gratification from watching Westfield's eyes popping out his head.

"Ch...Ch..." Westfield struggled to cough out.

Liam stepped closer to his suffocating partner, loosening his grip. "What was that? You gotta enunciate!"

"Chaos Company is here!" Westfield spat out. He didn't think his words would grant him release from King's fatal grip, but to his surprise, they did. He fell to his knees and sucked in as much air as he could before Liam forced him back on his feet.

"Chaos Company. They're here?"

"Yeah," Westfield said with a cough.

"Hmm. Congratulations! You just bought yourself more time! I could use some help taking his team out."

"Blow me!" Westfield coughed out.

"Said the ungrateful drongo!" he said before kicking Westfield's leg from under him and shoving him against the wall. "If there's one thing I learned about Desmond Striker and his team, it's that they're fans of the divide and conquer method. Meaning all that noise you hear down under is just half of what's going on." Liam poked Westfield's chest before walking away from him. "You might wanna take a look upstairs. I'll take care of the noise below."

Westfield struggled to stand. He used the wall to support himself as he followed King from a distance. "The armory's on the sixteenth floor,"

Liam turned around, looked at Westfield, and pointed at his own glowing orange eyes. "Now why would I limit myself to such toys mate?" he asked with a smile before leaving Westfield to carry out his orders.

*****

While on top of the building across from Armored Tempest HQ, Cameron looked down to see Anna and Desmond had made their way inside as planned.

"Looks like you're up Wilson." He said to himself. Cameron sheathed his M1014 shotgun in the holster Vincent sewed on the back of his steel vest and snapped the steel mask over his face before running to the edge of the roof. He gripped the zip-line Vincent and Kiyoko used to infiltrate James Westfield's building with his bare hands and rushed towards the building at furious speeds.

"Woooohohoho!" Cameron screamed as he slid down the wire. He kept his feet in front of him as he sped up. About sixty yards into his decent Cameron let go of his grip around the wire, allowing gravity and inertia to push him towards the lower floors of the building. His hands dangled in the air and made large circles. It wasn't until he was a few feet above the sixteenth floor that he saw a small militia that waited nervously for his arrival.

Cameron tucked his arms and legs in just before smashing through the sixteenth floor's slate-colored windows, crashing into one of the guards inside, killing him on impact. Westfield's men fired on Cameron as he rolled off the man's body and quickly dove behind one of the large crates in the room. Every round that made contact failed to pierce his armor and his skin. Cameron was grateful not having to deal with the bruises each round would've done to his body if not for his steel vest. He unsheathed his M1014 before unfastening the grenade belt from his waist and tossing it into the middle of the room. Cameron then backed away from the crate and opened fire on it with his shotgun, setting the grenades off.

Enemies' bodies and limbs flew every which way as the force from the grenades pushed them away from the center of the room. Cameron ran out of the room and continued his shock and awe attack on his opposing forces down the hall from the armory. Two men who had appeared from a room down the hall approached him. While Cameron was at full charge, he jumped with his legs pointed at one of the guards, launching him into the wall with a fatal dropkick. With his weapon already aimed at the other man Cameron fired at the mercenary's stomach with a shotgun round, sending him flying back in the room from which he came.

Cameron stood up and brushed off the blood and shrapnel that was stuck to his arms, right before he witnessed more of Westfield's men, all dressed in full riot gear, with shields and all, charging in his direction.

With bullets flying in his direction, Cameron sheathed his weapon and grabbed the attacker closest to him and slammed his elbow against the man's knee, shattering it as if it were made of glass. Cameron then pulled the man in and grabbed him by his neck before tossing him into another mercenary.

Another man jumped on Cameron's back, trying to choke him out with a baton around his neck. Cameron stood up straight and tucked in his arms, blocking the kicks and punches of three of Westfield's men.

Desperate for air, Cameron ran backwards into the wall, crushing the mercenary strangling him. He then pulled the man off of him and tossed him into the guard on his right. After knocking down the two men still opposing him with a hail of heavy punches, Cameron lifted the two men and threw them both through the glass wall on his left and out of the building. He then grabbed his next attacker by the arm, slammed him against the wall and rattled his ribs with body-shots before knocking him down with a jaw-breaking hook.

The sound of a shotgun being pumped behind Cameron sent a chill down his spine and halted his movements. The last mercenary standing fired a shell into Cameron's back, pushing him against the wall.

"Ahh!" Cameron roared in pain as he fell to his knees. The shell tore multiple holes in his armor and lodged into his back. The mercenary stepped closer to his target and pumped the shotgun again, this time aiming at the back of Cameron's head.

Cameron swiftly tilted to the side just as the guard fired. He reached back and grabbed the barrel of the shotgun. He stood up and turned around, pulling the weapon close and the mercenary with it before lifting him up by his neck.

"That hurt!" Cameron yelled at the frightened man, and threw him into the window. The mercenary left cracks in the glass as he bounced off of it like a basketball. Cameron jumped to the side and delivered a skipping sidekick, sending the man through the glass, and spiraling to his death.

Breathing heavily and running on fumes after sparring with Anna, Cameron unsheathed his shotgun and made his way down the corridor. He pressed his shoulder to the walls, staying low and checking his corners. After taking that shotgun shell to the back Cameron moved more cautiously, like he was trained before becoming enhanced.

He found the staircase and took them down, his M1014 still at the ready. Cameron ran up to the seventeenth floor when the sound of a single gunshot led him to go into the hallway. He sprinted across the floor and made a right after hearing another gunshot. He strafed through the door which led into a large office room. He checked around the cubicle to his left. The room was silent, but it wasn't empty.

Bodies of Westfield's men filled the room. Cameron moved cautiously, stepping over the bodies on the floor. He took notice of the corpses hanging over the knocked down cubicle walls. He looked away at the sight of a man's head smashed through a monitor. Cameron turned to the sound of a man choking. To his surprise, he witnessed one of Westfield's men still alive and gasping for air as Liam King held him by his neck. The mercenary gripped a smoking gun in his hand. Cameron could see the bullets he must have fired wedged into Liam's shoulder. He cringed at the sound of Liam crushing the man's neck.

"You kill your own men?" Cameron said as Liam dropped the mercenary behind him, leaving the man to suffocate.

Liam cut the twenty foot gap between him and Cameron in half. "I needed to stretch a bit. Besides, I thought I'd save you the trouble," he said as he cracked his fingers.

Cameron kept his shotgun trained on Liam's cracked face. "In that case, I don't know if I should thank you or kill you."

The cracks in Liam's face illuminated as orange as his eyes. "Oh, I have a feeling you won't be doing either mate." In that moment, Liam dove behind the cubicle to his left, just dodging Cameron's shots.

Cameron strafed across the office, firing his weapon as Liam scrambled across the desk and cubicle walls at blinding speed. It wasn't until Liam found a gap between two cubicles that he made a hard left, jumping off the cubicle wall and dodging Cameron's shot before kicking his weapon away from him and landing another kick across his face, all before touching the ground.

Cameron stumbled back, tripping over the stiff limbs of Westfield's mercenaries. He regained his footing in time to take a shot at Liam as he dashed forward. Moving at blinding speeds Liam pushed the shotgun away from his chest. Cameron dropped the empty 12-guage and drew his pistol, firing recklessly.

Liam dodged all three shots. He knew his body could withstand the damage, but the challenge was too exhilarating for him to pass up. He ducked under the first shot, rolled diagonally away from the second and leaned away from the third. He spun forward with his body parallel to the floor and drove an open hand into Cameron's throat. The second he landed, Liam connected a back kick into Cameron's chest, sending him through an empty cubicle. Cameron rolled away and fought inertia to get back on his feet, only to get drop kicked in the sternum by Liam. He bounced off the wall, but was quickly pinned back to it by Liam's optic beam.

Liam scrambled to get up and charged at Cameron as he ached and held his burning chest in pain. He ducked under Cameron's hook and jabbed his ribs before grabbing his shoulders and pulling him in for a knee to the stomach. Liam dug under Cameron's chin with a fierce uppercut and held him against the wall by his neck.

Cameron felt rattled by Liam's attacks. He could barely breathe from the punishment his body was under. What bothered him more than the pain in his chest, sides, stomach, and neck was having someone outside of his team beating him in hand to hand combat. It was unbearable, and Cameron refused to accept it.

Liam brushed Cameron's hands away as he tightened his grip around his neck. "Ha! I guess you're not as strong as I thought!"

Cameron dug under Liam's grip and pushed his hand away from his neck. He then threw a jab and pulled Liam in close before driving his head through the wall. Liam dug his head out of the wall and pushed away from Cameron. As he stumbled away, Cameron piled a number of jabs and hooks onto Liam.

Liam did his best to protect his head while off balance, though he couldn't do much to block his side. Cameron got under Liam's guard with a surprising upper cut. Before the force of the uppercut sent him flying back, Cameron grabbed Liam's arms and threw him like a discus into one of the pillars on the open office floor.

Liam crawled back to his feet, using the pillar to support himself. He wiped the blood off his lip and laughed. "Oh this will be a long night for you if that's all you got, mate."

"We'll see about that!" Cameron said just before charging at Liam. He leaped forward, quickly closing the space between them. With his fist held high above his head, Cameron struck down at Liam the moment he was in range.

Liam ducked under Cameron's ferocious punch, letting Cameron leave a crack in the pillar he had thrown him against. Liam landed a quick turning kick on Cameron's ribs before Cameron threw a spinning back fist. Liam caught his hand and threw two quick kicks, one to Cameron's spine and the other at the back of his head. Liam then jumped on Cameron's back and wrestled him to the ground after taking a few shots at his kidneys. The two of them fought to stand up before the other. Liam beat Cameron to the punch, by punching him in the face and kicking his arms from underneath him. He kicked Cameron's sides until he rolled over. The second he did Liam lifted his leg and stomped on Cameron's chest repeatedly.

"No!" Cameron roared while catching Liam's boot just before it hit his chest again.

"Catch this!" Liam said with a sadistic smile as he fired his optic beam down on Cameron

"Ahh! Ahh!" Cameron screamed in agony as Liam focused his optic beam on his chest.
Chapter Eleven

"Cameron's getting his ass kicked down there!" Kiyoko said to Vincent while watching Liam assault Cameron on the security monitors in James Westfield's office.

"Rightfully so," Vincent said under his breath as he sorted through the files on Westfield's computer. "It looks like King took a large dose of the geno-serum last night. It's crazy the dosage didn't kill him." Vincent played an earlier recording of Liam's vicious attack in the medical bay. He was in awe at how fast Liam tore through Westfield's medical and security staff.

Kiyoko picked up her assault rifle from the seat by her side. "We have to do something! Let's go!"

"I'll catch up," Vincent said passively as he typed away with one hand and waved Kiyoko off with the other.

His lack of movement forced Kiyoko to scream, "Vincent!" at the top of her lungs.

"Sssh!" he said while making the gesture over his mouth. "Are you trying to get us caught? I'm almost done downloading the files to the flash drive. I'm right behind you."

Kiyoko fell back into the room and ducked behind the couch just as James Westfield opened fire with an automatic weapon he pried from one of his employees' stiff fingers.

"Get down!" Kiyoko screamed. Westfield moved up the corridor, laying down fire at Kiyoko and Vincent.

Vincent looked up at the monitor screen, relieved that Westfield hadn't destroyed it with his bombardment of bullets. He saw all of Westfield's highlighted files were uploaded on his flash drive. Vincent took out the flash drive and hit send, emailing the same files to Agent Jacob Hayes account, all before Westfield opened fire on him once again, this time destroying his own computer.

Westfield ran in, charging to the left and flipped his metal coffee table while ducking behind it just as Kiyoko returned fire.

"You really think you could get away with ruining my place!" Westfield screamed at the top of his lungs while firing.

"Obviously! That's why we're here, dumbass!" Vincent yelled over the roaring gunfire.

Westfield switched his fire over to Kiyoko, who had just crawled behind a sofa, which she knew wasn't the best place to find cover. She quickly scrambled from behind the sofa, leaving Westfield only to shoot up his own furniture and decimating his cabinet of weaponry on display. Kiyoko dove behind the side of the office table adjacent to Vincent. She crawled behind the desk and joined Vincent in returning fire.

"I'll suppress him!" Kiyoko said to Vincent while reloading. "Go for the flank!"

"You mean I move from safety and get shot!" Vincent said after taking cover from Westfield's returning fire.

"Just go!" Kiyoko stood up and fired at the table Westfield hid behind. Just as she thought she had him suppressed, Westfield pulled the pin from his grenade and threw it in front of the office desk. "Grenade!" she shouted, running back to the sofa and covering her head.

Vincent ran from behind the desk and up the glass wall just as the grenade went off and pushed the desk he had been hiding behind out the glass wall.

With adrenaline rushing through him, he dropped his weapon and galloped on all fours across the glass as bullets trailed close behind him. Vincent jumped down and away, rolling behind a knee high liquor stand. He held his riot helmet down as the glass from whiskey bottles rained down on him as Westfield fired on his position.

Kiyoko jumped from behind the shredded sofa and charged at the metal desk Westfield hid behind as he tore apart the liquor cabinet with the last of his ammo. Vincent peaked above the liquor stand to see Westfield kick the table he hid behind at Kiyoko, ramming it into her legs As Kiyoko tumbled over the table, losing her grip on her M4, Westfield snatched it out of the air. Westfield took aim to fire, missing as Kiyoko rolled out of the room.

"Hey!" Vincent shouted at him.

Vincent dashed toward his target. Westfield turned to the sight of Vincent's whiskey drenched helmet spiraling towards him before colliding against his jaw. Vincent rushed Westfield with a flurry of disarming techniques. He first reached for the M4A1 and held it low before hitting Westfield with a palm strike to the neck and a knee to the gut. Westfield blocked his second knee, pushing Vincent's leg to the ground and returned his assault with a few jabs to his stomach.

Even with his vest taking most of the impact each attack felt like a bomb going off against Vincent's abdomen. Westfield pushed Vincent back with a kick. It was then Vincent could see the orange glow in Westfield's eyes, a dead giveaway that he was enhanced, which explained why his attacks rattled Vincent so hard.

"Damnit!" Vincent shouted out. "Is anyone here normal?"

Westfield charged at Vincent, looking to deliver a haymaker when Kiyoko jumped on his back. She hung on tight with her arm wrapped around his neck and her hand masking his face. The second she touched Westfield Vincent could see black veins appear against his cheeks first and traveled slowly down his neck. Vincent stepped away as Westfield moved around frantically, swinging his arms in all directions and roaring like a wounded lion.

"Ahhh!" He tossed and turned, knocking over a vase and picture stands.

Vincent followed Kiyoko and Westfield past the office door. Westfield stepped back, smashing Kiyoko and himself into an untouched cabinet full of knives, loosening Kiyoko's grip around his neck. Vincent went for the M4A1 Westfield had dropped, just as Westfield stepped away from the cabinet and reached back for Kiyoko, and threw her over his shoulder. Vincent's hands were barely on the M4 when Kiyoko, who flew across the office floor upside down, crashed into him.

"Mmff!" Vincent exhaled as the two of them crashed to the floor. He lifted his head to see Kiyoko, dazed, confused and motionless on top of him. "Now's not the time to sleep, Kiyoko!"

With Kiyoko immobile, Vincent pushed her off him and scrambled for the M4. He dove for the assault rifle, sliding through shattered glass, and barely grabbed the weapon, aiming as he stood up. Westfield brushed the weapon aside and pulled Vincent in close before throwing him toward the office desk.

The only thing that stopped Vincent from crashing through the window was the office desk that was already on its way out. With his vision in a blur from banging his head against the desk, Vincent pushed himself up and took aim with the M4, only to find Westfield charging at him like a feral bull.

"Get out now!" Westfield roared before taking a bullet in the shoulder from Vincent. He kept his head low and his arms in front of him. Vincent hesitated to move out of the way, and Westfield was too close for him to take another shot. All he could do was brace himself as Westfield tackled him, pushing himself, Vincent, and the desk through the window.

*****

Anna and Desmond's elevator stopped ascending once it reached the tenth floor. She stabbed through the elevator door with piercing orange scales on her fingertips before Desmond pried the doors open. The two of them moved in unison, Anna taking point down the hall while Desmond watched her six. Anna's beautiful crystal-orange scales provided them with cover. Orange veins coursed down Desmond's arm, ready to fire his kinetic shot if need be.

The two of them stumbled across the briefing room. A wide glass panel that touched the ceiling was mounted on a black object shaped like a sand dune, occupying the center of the floor. Desks with much smaller panels mounted on them occupied the rest of the room. Except for the center panel which glowed a sky blue, Anna's scales, and Desmond's arm, the room lacked any light.

Anna moved forward, leaving Desmond to examine the large panel. He was fully aware of the device's purpose. It was a briefing panel, used to display images and provide information to a room full of people at once. Desmond knew the panel had to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, which he assumed wasn't too expensive for Armored Tempest from the size of the building. He examined the blueprints on the panel and read the operation codename in the top right corner.

"Operation Uprising?" he read under his breath in a low tone. "Anna. Take a look at this," he whispered while waving her to come over.

Anna did a quick sweep of the place before shuffling over to him. "What you got?"

"Looks like an operation. A big one that involves one hell of a facility," Desmond said as he looked up and down massive blueprint.

Anna shook her head. "No...it's Manhattan. See?" she said pointing at the map, "there's Central Park."

"You're right. And that's the Plaza Hotel marked as the focal point, with checkpoints leading all the way to the Brooklyn Bridge Park," he looked down at Anna, who's attention was captured by the panel. "What're you thinking?" he asked her, something he hadn't asked her since Tyler's death.

"It has to be an escape plan...right?"

"Could be," Desmond said before Anna heard the sound of boots progressively moving their way. "Let's go," he tapped Anna's shoulder and signaled her to follow him.

The two of them moved silently down the briefing room. They stayed low with their M9 Berettas at the ready. Desmond checked behind every desk they passed. They exited the briefing room and headed left, staying silent until they were spotted by a few of Westfield's men.

"Contact!" Desmond shouted while he and Anna fired on them. Desmond stayed low, firing behind a pillar while Anna pressed herself against the wall. The exchange of fire ended in seconds -- with Desmond taking out the mercenary to the far left while Anna emptied her pistol rounds in the last two.

"I'm out!" Anna said as she ran for the door leading to the stair case.

Desmond watched their six while shuffling backwards. He knew that the opposition behind them had heard their firefight from the sound of boots charging their way. He fired at the first group of men that turned the corner before dropping his pistol and running away. Desmond sprinted for the door leading to the staircase just as Westfield's men opened fire on him. He pushed open the door and ran up the first flight of stairs in time to see Anna taking on two guards. She had one of the men's arms locked behind his back while landing two kicks on the mercenary behind her, one hitting his side and cracking a few ribs, the other going across his face, knocking him down the staircase.

Desmond hugged the railing as the mercenary tumbled past him. He looked up in time to see Anna spin the man around and slice his chest open with her scales before throwing him over the railing.

"We gotta move!" she said to him, now with a pistol in hand that she had stripped off one of her victims.

Desmond followed Anna a couple flights up before aiming his left hand at the knob of the door they entered through. He waited for the door to open before firing a kinetic blast. The force of the explosion knocked back the team of mercenaries following them, relieving most of them of their limbs, and the others of their lives. He then fired another shot at the top of the door, raining down debris and parts of the doorframe blocking off the surviving mercenaries from pursuing them.

"Desmond!" Anna yelled, who was three floors above him.

"Right behind ya."
Chapter Twelve

Vincent opened his eyes. He shook his head, trying to straighten his blurred vision. The tackle James Westfield had delivered to him was so ferocious he couldn't tell if it had knocked him out or had just temporarily taken out his vision.

"Ugh," he said as he looked around, doing his best to catch his bearings. "Ahh! Shit!" he yelled in terror as he dangled his boots three hundred feet above the parking lot below. He looked up to see his hands gripped around the long metal window pane that was bent away from the building.

"Let go!" Vincent yelled after looking down to see James Westfield clutching his midsection for dear life.

"Yeah, I'll get right on that!" he screamed.

"Ugh! Kiyoko! A little help would be nice!" Vincent yelled up into the main office. He reached his hand out, trying to pull himself closer to the edge of the office, before receiving a cheap shot to the ribs from Westfield. "Mump!" he spat out in pain. "Are you crazy!"

"Said the asshole that broke into my building!" Westfield said before punishing him with another jab.

"You do realize if I let go...we both fall, right?"

"You don't know much about the equipment my men wear, do you?" Westfield threw his head back hitting the back of his vest. "I equip my men with vests that deploy chutes. So I don't mind taking a fall if it means seeing you break your neck on my pavement!"

Westfield was ready to throw another punch until Vincent did his best to kick him away. Vincent started to swing himself back and forth, while Westfield struggled to adjust to his movements. After a few swings, Vincent's feet were high enough for him to wrap his legs around the bent window pane. Before losing his grip around Vincent's midsection, Westfield hooked his left arm around Vincent's leg and locked his grip in with his right hand around his forearm.

Vincent!" Kiyoko screamed after crawling to the edge of the office and seeing he was wrapped around the bent window pane, holding on as tight as he could.

"Get closer!" Kiyoko shouted as she reached a hand out towards Vincent. She continued to scream encouraging words at Vincent as he struggled to shimmy across the window pane.

Vincent stopped a few feet away from Kiyoko's reach. He could feel Westfield scratching at his ankle. Vincent knew right away what the mercenary was reaching for. Vincent instinctively reached for his leg, trying to knock Westfield's hand away from his weapon, but he knew there wasn't a chance in hell he could stop him like that. He took a few swipes at the holster before Westfield pulled out the pistol.

It was then that everything went in slow-motion for Vincent. His entire body froze once Westfield drew the weapon. Vincent's orange eyes were locked onto the movement of the Beretta. He assumed Westfield was going to shoot him in the spine and escape using the parachute in his vest that he had bragged about. To Vincent's surprise, Westfield didn't take aim at him, but up at Kiyoko.

Vincent looked up. He could see Kiyoko was in no position to evade Westfield's attack. Even though she had her hand stretched out and was ready to pull Vincent in, she was obviously fatigued. He could see she had just registered seeing the gun in Westfield's hands.

"No!" Vincent screamed helplessly.

Westfield's aim was inches away from being fixed on Kiyoko's head. He was ready to fire, right before Vincent let go of the window pane, sending both himself and Westfield spiraling towards the parking lot.

Vincent climbed on top of Westfield as the two of them fell to their doom. He wrapped his legs around Westfield's torso and grabbed onto his collar while throwing jabs at his jaw. They had just passed the twenty-ninth floor. Westfield protected his face with one hand while trying to rip the parachute cord located on the lower back of his vest. They had just descended below the twenty-sixth floor.

After realizing what he was reaching for, Vincent tried to hold Westfield's hand's away from the parachute cord on his shoulder. Twenty-second floor. He pulled Westfield's arm from behind him, making him miss the cord by an inch, before wrapping his arms around his. Westfield pried his hands free and clinched onto Vincent's collar and pulled him in closer for a head butt. Eighteenth floor. He then pushed his hands up and away from Vincent's grasp before kicking him down at an angle, through the thirteenth floor window, and pulled his parachute cord. The spine to Westfield's vest ripped open and his black parachute shot out.

Vincent hit the thirteenth floor hard. Shards of glass surrounded him, cutting his face, as he rolled half a dozen times, before finally landing flat on his stomach. He quickly pushed himself up, his hands digging into the glass, and limped over to the hole in the window. He held his side and wiped the blood from his face. Even though he was relieved to be on solid ground again, he refused to let James Westfield escape. If it wasn't for Westfield's men, so many innocent people wouldn't have perished at the party his team had attended. As far as he was concerned, James Westfield was just as much to blame as Liam for Ty's death.

The second he saw Westfield descending past his floor was the moment Vincent put his ass into gear. He sprinted full speed ahead, disregarding the pain throbbing down his side. He cleared the eleven feet between him and the edge of the floor in seconds before diving out the building, screaming like an animal.

Vincent tackled Westfield away from the building, knocking the wind out him. Vincent held on tight to Westfield's vest as the two of them exchanged head-butts and lip-busting punches. Vincent didn't realize that the high-altitude winds carried them back over to Westfield's building, just inches away from brushing their shoulders against it.

"Get off!" Westfield barked at Vincent as the two wrestled in the sky.

Vincent's hand felt the handle of the knife on Westfield's side and pulled it off his person. He then reached behind Westfield's back, reluctantly accepting each close jabs the mercenary threw, and cut the cords that attached his vest to the parachute. Vincent then quickly placed both feet on Westfield's chest as the two returned to falling at deadly speeds and kicked him away. Vincent reached back and pressed his hand against the building, immediately sticking to the glass wall on the tenth floor while the rest of his body dangled in the air.

"Careful what you wish for, asshole!"

Westfield's arms and legs flailed above him as he helplessly plummeted over a hundred feet. "No!" was the word he naturally wanted to scream as he looked up at Vincent, but as he opened his mouth only air shot out.

As he looked down at the man who tried to kill him and Kiyoko, Vincent couldn't help but think about that one scene, in his favorite action movie, _Die Hard_ , when the villain dies from falling at fatal heights. Vincent watched James Westfield fall and fall and fall, until he collided with the pavement, right in the center where his own office desk and computer exploded into pieces, creating a small crater around his body. Vincent found little joy in hearing the smacking noise of Westfield's body hitting the ground, but he was glad that his struggle with the mercenary was over.

"Vincent!" Kiyoko screamed to him over his earpiece in what he could only assume was a scream of joy.

He placed both hands and feet on the glass wall before answering her. "Yeah?"

"Nice job taking out that piece of trash!"

Vincent looked up the building as he scaled it. He could see Kiyoko peeking over the ledge of the top floor. "Yeah, well...if he's not dead he definitely earned the closest handicap spot." He continued to climb, placing one hand over the other before pushing himself up with his legs.

"Can you get to Cameron from down there?"

"Are you kidding me?" Vincent screamed loud enough for Kiyoko to hear from where she was standing as well as through her earpiece.

"Hey! Quit your bitching, Nancy!" she screamed back to Vincent as she moved away from the ledge. "Someone has to watch out for hostiles on the security cams."

"That's convenient...for you." Vincent said as he crawled up to the thirteenth floor and rolled into the office through the broken window he had been kicked through. He took a moment to catch his breath before his rest was interrupted.

"Vincent?" he heard Anna say as she and Desmond approached him.

Vincent sighed, wishing he could just be left alone for a moment. He took Desmond's hand and was pulled to his feet.

"What happened to securing the top floors?" Desmond asked him.

Vincent shrugged his shoulders. He didn't have the strength to explain the encounter he had with James Westfield. "Eh...I thought I'd take a stroll down the stairs," he said unconvincingly.

Desmond spotted the broken window behind Vincent and grinned. "Looks to me you used the express elevator," he said jokingly as he walked back towards the hallway that he and Anna had come through.

"You good to fight?"

Vincent drew his silenced M9 Beretta from his waist holster and detached the silencer. "I am now," he said before pulling his spare M9 pistol stuffed in the back of his pants and handing it to Desmond.

"Good." Desmond said with a nod to him. "Let's go."

*****

Cameron prayed that his team was close by as Liam King tossed him around the wrecked office floor. If Liam wasn't sending Cameron through a cubicle, he was shattering his ribs and bruising his face with jabs and hooks.

Liam waited for Cameron to crawl out from underneath the last cubicle he had been kicked into before kicking him over. "You know mate, I'm actually a bit cheeky you can take a beating this bad." Liam said as he stretched his arms across his chest while Cameron struggled to get on one knee. "Most folks nowadays just stay down too easy if you ask me. Take your Lieutenant for example."

Cameron knew Liam was trying to rile him up by mentioning Tyler, and it worked. Gritting his teeth and making the tightest fist he could, Cameron leaped forward at King, looking to bring his fist down on his head like a hammer. Liam stepped to the side and quickly countered with a side kick to Cameron's throat, knocking him on his back.

Holding his throat while gasping for air, Cameron rolled away, avoiding Liam's devastating axe kick, which was so powerful that his heel smashed through the floor. Cameron shuffled away from Liam, until his back hit the glass wall.

With his eyes burning bright, Liam took his time approaching Cameron with a smile. Cameron wanted to stand up and fight, or at least run away, but he couldn't. His body wouldn't allow him to. All he could do in his state was look over his shoulder, out of the building, and wish he could somehow make an escape. That was until Liam brought him back to reality by stepping on his ankle.

"I tell ya, mate," Liam said with his charged eyes fixed on Cameron's chest, ready to blow him through the window and out of existence. "It's a shame you and I are on different sides of the moral spectrum. We could've caused some beautiful mayhem together, you and me."

Just as Cameron was ready to put his head down and accept his fate, he caught a glimpse of three armed individuals entering the office and heading towards him. He could tell by their movements it was Anna, Desmond, and Vincent charging his way.

"Liam!" Desmond shouted.

As Liam turned away from Cameron, Cameron took advantage of the situation and kicked Liam's lower back. While stumbling forward, Liam discharged his beam, destroying an office desk.

"I got Cameron!" Vincent said while sprinting towards the enemy.

Liam lowered his body with his arm raised from the ground like a shovel digging dirt, and threw a fatal uppercut at Vincent. Vincent jumped up and blocked Liam's attack with both hands. With Liam's uppercut forcing him to the ceiling, Vincent shifted his weight and flipped over Liam's head.

Vincent rolled on the ground and quickly got under one of Cameron's arms and lifted him up. "Get up, big guy!" he said while lifting Cameron to his feet.

"Don't fucking move!" Anna said to Liam as he turned back to Vincent and Cameron.

Vincent dragged Cameron away from the glass wall and strafed around Liam, moving back over to Desmond and Anna while keeping his pistol fixed on Liam. Anna shuffled over to Liam's side, keeping a safe distance away from his reach.

Liam slowly raised his hands while turning back to face Anna and Desmond. "Well, looks like the gang's all here!" he said with a maniacal smile on his face. "Let me guess...Westfield did something right and cut that cute Jap bunny's throat?"

"Guess again, asshole!" Vincent said to him, with his pistol aimed at Liam's head.

"Haha! Well excuse me, mate! I guess it's safe to say he's no longer the CEO of this fine establishment?" Liam paused, hoping someone would fill him in on Westfield's status. "Oh, come on, people!" he said, throwing his hands to his sides. "Is no one gonna tell me where he is?"

"Why don't you check the parking lot?" Vincent said while shuffling himself and Cameron behind Desmond.

"Better yet, let's show you how he got down there!" Anna said chiming in.

Liam's smile faded from his face. "I'd like to see you try, love." His orange eyes sparked before he turned to Anna and fired a beam in her direction.

Anna dove out the way as the beam blew a hole in the floor. Her eyes glowed orange while her scales formed around her body. Anna sprung back to her feet and opened fire.

Desmond fired at Liam as well, who dashed over to him ferociously as each bullet bounced off his body. Desmond stepped back to the side the second Liam tried to land a jumping haymaker on him. He pressed the barrel of his pistol against Liam's head, only to have the gun knocked away. Desmond deflected Liam's front kick by kicking at his leg, and launched him into a pillar with a back kick.

"Get Cameron out of here!" Desmond screamed at Vincent.

"Roger that!" Vincent moved Cameron through the broken office furniture and cubicles for a straight shot to the exit.

While Anna and Desmond were busy occupying Liam, Vincent had made it to the stairs leading to the top floor with Cameron.

They looked up and saw the flights of stairs he had to climb to reach Kiyoko. "Shit!" Vincent said under his breath. "Talk about having the world on my shoulders."

"Vinnie...I gotta tell you something," Cameron coughed out, with blood following his words.

"Don't worry, pal, we'll get you on a weight loss program as soon as we get outta this mess," Vincent strained to say as he carried Cameron up the stairs.

"No!" he said, pushing Vincent away and grabbing the railing before his legs bucked under him. "I'm okay." He pulled himself up step by step, until he found a rhythm his legs could follow. "I'm fine"

Vincent got beside him, making sure Cameron didn't fall. "Ugh, no you're not!"

"Vinny..."

"I don't care what you say, dude. Look at your face!"

Cameron quickly reached for Vincent's vest and pushed him against the railing. "Vinnie!" he coughed at him. "Shut up for one second!" he tried to clear his throat of the blood he had been choking on. "Liam is nothing like Desmond described before. I dished out my best and I barely scratched him."

"Don't worry about that now, Cam. Let's get you patched up and we'll get back down there. Anna and Dessy can hold Liam him off."

"No! You're not listening!" Cameron said with his cold orange eyes piercing Vincent's. "They can't take him head on! He's too tough."

"Okay," Vincent said. He forced himself free from Cameron's grasp and continued helping him up the steps. "I might have a way to put him down for good. But we gotta get upstairs first."

*****

Anna and Desmond did their best to keep Liam off balance; taking turns punching and kicking him until they both knocked him back into a pillar with simultaneous sidekicks.

Liam rolled off the pillar and ducked behind it just before Desmond emptied his pistol rounds into the pillar.

"Just because bullets don't kill me doesn't mean they don't sting!" Liam shouted with his orange eyes focused Desmond.

"Hey!" Anna screamed before leaping on Liam's back, just before Liam could fire an optic beam at Desmond.

Liam grunted like a wild animal while tossing and turning. Desmond walked around the pillar with his left hand charged and supported by his right, ready to put a hole through Liam's chest.

"Anna, watch out!" he yelled at her.

"I got him!" she said while driving her sharp, orange scale-covered elbow through Liam's blood-stained lab coat and into his shoulder.

"Agh! Get off" Liam screamed as he trampled over bodies and office equipment with Anna on his back and elbowing him repeatedly.

Desmond tried to stay close, but it was hard for him to find an opening with Liam firing his optic beam every few seconds.

Anna jabbed her pistol against Liam's back and emptied the rounds into his spine, only to hear the bullets bounce off his skin. Liam threw his head back, busting Anna's lip, and tossing her over his shoulder and onto the floor.

"No!" Desmond screamed, knowing that Liam was going to fire his beam down on Anna. Desmond dashed after Liam before delivering a jumping kick to his ribs.

"Come on!" Desmond said, pulling Anna up by her vest and back on her feet.

Liam tripped over one of the corpses of Westfield's men before regaining his balance, just in time to see Anna and Desmond charging for him. Liam fired off an optic beam while backing up.

"Get down!" Anna said while pushing Desmond. The two of them dove and rolled away from the beam, which pierced the glass wall behind them.

The second Desmond jumped to his feet Liam bombarded him with a combination of punches. Desmond parried and deflected each punch, but each attack took a toll on his body.

Anna backed Desmond up by picking off a number of her scales and tossing them at Liam, leaving small cuts into his side with each scale that connected. She jumped forward and scratched at Liam's side, cutting at his ribs before connecting a turning kick to his head. Liam stepped back holding his side and head. He opened his stained lab coat to see the lacerations left by Anna's scales.

Desmond stood next to Anna, both of them with their guard up. "You took this guy on by yourself?" Anna said to him. She opened her fist to grip the sharp scale that formed a six inch knife in her hand.

"Yeah. But he wasn't this tough before," Desmond said in an exhausted tone. "He's different now. A lot stronger."

Liam looked up at Anna and Desmond with a violent smile. "Quite the change, no? I have a double dose of that serum to thank for it!" he said before charging at Desmond and Anna.
Chapter Thirteen

Vincent carried Cameron into James Westfield's destroyed office. Vincent's legs burned as he slowly laid Cameron down on the leather couch adjacent to the door.

"Easy does it, big guy." He looked over to see Kiyoko watching Anna and Desmond take on Liam through the monitor screen.

Kiyoko turned and ran towards the beaten and battered Cameron. She fell to her knees next to the couch. "God, Cameron!" she said with her mouth covered.

Cameron's left eye was completely shut, and his jaw looked as if it was dislocated. Blood ran from Cameron's bald head and over the discolored bruises on his forehead and cheeks.

"He could really use those hands of yours right now," Vincent said before jogging over to the security panel.

Kiyoko put one hand on Cameron's head and the other on his bicep. "On it." Her eyes sparked a bright orange just as her fingers did the same. She did her best to hold Cameron down as he twitched in excruciating pain from the healing process.

Vincent tapped on the top left mounted security screen. The screen went from focusing on Desmond and Anna's bout with Liam to showing a 3D image of the entire building. Vincent pressed on the sixteenth floor with pinched fingers before separating to zoom in on the floor.

The longer Kiyoko had her hands on Cameron the faster his wounds closed and healed, but at the cost of aching discomfort to Cameron. The scratches down his head closed within seconds. The bruises on his face didn't completely heal, but subsided into red and black blemishes.

"Ahh!" Cameron screamed as he shot up in a sitting position.

Kiyoko stepped back. "How's that?" she asked, with her hands at the ready.

"I'm good." He said while flexing his back. "You sure know how to touch a man, Kiyoko."

"Ew! A simple 'thank you' would've been nice. Here, take this," she said before handing Cameron her M4A1 assault rifle and making her way over to Vincent.

Vincent could feel Kiyoko looking over his shoulder as he tapped away at the security monitor. "What're you doing?"

"No one's ever beaten Cameron like that. The guy's stood toe to toe with tanks and made them blink," he said without breaking concentration as he navigated through the security features. "King however literally rearranged Cam's face. Which can only mean he's just as strong as Cam is. Maybe even more."

Kiyoko leaned away from Vincent with her arms crossed. "Damn, that's scary. Any ideas on how to kill this guy?"

Vincent waited a few seconds until he found the code black file he had been looking for. "Yeah. When I was rifling through Westfield's files I saw instructions for breaches such as ours." He dragged the file over to the sixteenth floor, highlighting the outer frame of the floor red. "The guy has rigged this place with auto turrets that fire armor piercing rounds."

"So you want to shoot up whichever floor King's on?" Kiyoko asked.

Vincent grinned before tapping in the final commands. "If we can get him to stay on one floor for a while, yeah."

"Well you can always hold him down while I press the button," Kiyoko suggested with a grin.

Vincent chuckled. "The hell, Kiyo? You say it as if you wouldn't miss me."

*****

Desmond and Anna continued to keep Liam off balance by dividing his attention and attacking together. Without speaking, the two of them had a rhythm that worked in their favor. Desmond attacked with a flurry of kicks while Anna bashed her scale-covered fists against Liam's side. Anna finally felt comfortable handling him. They had a few close calls with Liam's optic beam, but nothing the two of them couldn't avoid.

Liam pushed Anna away with a kick the second she stepped in range. Desmond threw a turning kick, which gave Liam a chance to catch his leg and pull him in close before discharging his optic beam into his chest, blasting Desmond through a cubicle and rolling into a pile of papers and office debris.

"Desmond!" Anna screamed, drawing Liam's attention.

Liam pushed off the cubicle wall and threw a heavy turning kick at Anna. She covered her scaled body with both arms, but the force of Liam's kick knocked her off balance and through the cubicle wall. Anna ducked under the spinning back-fist Liam aimed at her face and pushed him away as she ran. Anna twirled the knife-shaped scale in her hand before throwing it back at Liam, stabbing him just above his knee cap. With Liam falling on one knee roaring in pain, Anna had enough time to sprint to Desmond's aid.

She stopped a few feet in front of Desmond and turned to throw a grenade in Liam's direction. Reacting quickly, Liam backed up and rolled over a computer desk on its side just before the grenade went off, piercing the nearby column and the desk Liam hid behind.

For a brief moment, the grenade ignited the dark room. During the violent explosion Anna could see Desmond's face through the debris. It was the face of a man concussed and half-aware of his surroundings. More importantly, it was the face of the man that she cared deeply for, the man that she loved.

Anna offered a hand to Desmond and pulled him up.

"You get him?" Desmond asked her while covering his chest.

"I think so. Yeah," she replied unconvincingly.

Liam hopped from behind the desk and stampeded for the center of the office floor. Anna turned in time to see Liam drop down on one knee, and with one hand up to his temple, he fired an optic beam directly at her.

"Look out!" Acting on instinct, Desmond hooked his arm around Anna and pulled her back. Stepping between the optic beam and Anna, he was able to quickly fire a kinetic shot of his own at Liam.

Liam's beam crashed into Desmond, lifting him off his feet and sent him flying through the office wall, taking Anna with him. As she flew back Anna witnessed Desmond's beam igniting against Liam's chest, knocking him to the floor.

Anna and Desmond hit the floor hard as the two of them crashed into the wall outside the office room. Desmond held his chest and coughed repeated. Liam's beam had pierced through Desmond's attire, but didn't go through his chest. Orange smoke drifted off his body where the barely visible chest hairs were burned. He turned his head to Anna, who sat on the floor with her back against the door leading to the filing room.

The smell of burnt skin and the sound of agonizing coughs coming from Desmond struck fear into Anna's heart. Ignoring her back pain and ringing head, she quickly scrambled over to Desmond. She remembered the last time she smelled burnt skin was when Liam shot a hole through Tyler's chest.

"Desmond!" she screamed as she lifted his head up.

"I'm fine," he answered her after his vigorous coughing subsided.

"You guys still alive?" Desmond and Anna heard Vincent say to them over their earpieces.

"Yeah, but barely." Anna offered Desmond a hand and lifted him to his feet.

"I set off Westfield's auto-defense systems," Vincent said to Desmond and Anna. "You gotta keep Liam in a separate room from you for a little while and I can gun him down from here."

"Copy that," Desmond said quietly.

Anna peaked through the drywall they had just flown through to spot Liam rolling from side to side. He shook the entire room by pounding his fist against the floor before slowly climbing to his feet.

"Striker!" Liam roared as he stomped over to the hole he had put Desmond and Anna through.

Anna stepped away from the hole. Desmond tapped on her shoulder before she guided him down the corridor and around the corner.

"Oh, I hope you're not running Dessy!" Liam shouted. "You were so eager to fight the other day!"

Desmond and Anna stayed low against the wall. She could feel Liam closing in on their position with each step. Anna looked at Desmond and nodded, agreeing without words that they were ready to face Liam again, and this time kill him. Anna's scales regenerated around her body, her nails growing and hardening as Desmond's eyes and arm radiated an orange light. She knew they were ready to take on Liam. What they weren't ready for were the two elevator doors opening down the hall. Half a dozen of Westfield's men, all armed, stepped of the elevators.

"Move!" Anna said to Desmond as she pulled him across the hall and into the first room on their right, just as the enemy opened fire.

"Don't let them get away!" one of the mercenaries screamed storming in Anna and Desmond's direction.

"You good?" Desmond said to Anna while quickly checking her for bullet wounds.

Anna nodded. "Yeah, but there's no door leading out of here," she said while looking around what appeared to be a filing room.

Desmond brushed Anna out the way and raised his hand to the wall in front of him. "Then we make one."

*****

Liam met his team at the end of the corridor, stopping the mercenary who brought up the rear. "You!" he said, shoving him against the wall. He could feel the mercenary trembling but had no time to enjoy the man's fear.

Liam snatched the RPG the man held against his chest and pushed him to go follow the other mercenaries. Just as he put the rocket-propelled grenade launcher up on his shoulder, he felt the floor rumble under his feet. He knew the explosive shaking had to be Desmond's doing. Liam watched his men breach the room and quickly entered behind them. He scanned the room and instantly realized his targets' absence and the hole in the wall, which he knew was Desmond's handy work.

"Damn!" Liam yelled to himself.

"Over there!" one of his men yelled while firing down the hall.

Liam turned his head to see his team firing at Desmond and Anna, who made their escape through the stairwell. Liam pushed a couple of his men out of the way. He took aim through the scope of his RPG, wanting to fire at the door that shielded those two from annihilation. Instead, Liam put the weapon down to his side, which weighed nothing to him, and screamed at his men to follow them. He then turned back and headed for the elevators his men came through.

*****

"Vincent! Change of plans! King brought backup. We're moving up a few floors." Anna screamed to Vincent over her earpiece as gunfire echoed through their communications.

Vincent placed his hands over the monitor. "Okay, hide in the last room on the right of the twenty-eighth floor. It's the only room on the floor that doesn't have turrets in the walls. Get there and I'll switch on the defences." He slid his fingers up to the twenty-eighth floor, but to his surprise, the red indicator that marked which floor would deploy the auto-defence system expanded from the twenty-eighth floor down to the thirtieth floor and changed from red to blue. Before Vincent could give another command a string of words ran across the screen: **Defense Command Locked.**

"Ugh! Looks like the firewalls are stopping my hack." Vincent turned his back on the security monitor and looked at the exit on the other side of the office that led to the helipad above them.

"Hey, so the auto-defence systems are jammed. We're coming up with a plan B. Just...keep moving, I guess." Vincent said to Desmond and Anna.

"Plan B? What the hell are you doing up there?" were the last words Vincent heard Desmond scream before muting him.

"We gotta get that chopper started!" Vincent screamed to Kiyoko and Cameron, who were busy searching for ammo for the assault rifles they grabbed from Westfield's weapons display.

"There a problem Vinny?" Cameron said while loading his AK-47. He and Kiyoko instinctively posted up behind the office walls the second they heard gunfire coming from down the hall.

"You should know by now Cameron, that there's always a problem!" Kiyoko yelled at him after returning fire at the four men outside the office.

Vincent ducked under Westfield's toppled-over table located a few feet away from the entrance, which was already dented by Kiyoko taking shots behind it earlier. He rolled from behind the desk as it took its fair share of gunfire and walked backwards towards the side exit.

"I wish this was the problem I was talking about!" He pulled the glass door open and waved his teammates over. "Let's move it you two! Dessy and Anna need us!" he yelled over the sound of enemy gunfire.

Cameron moved across the front entrance, barely avoiding enemy fire, and pushed Kiyoko away from the wall. "I'll keep them back! Go!" he yelled to her while firing blindly around his cover.

Vincent looked back at the monitors across the room. He could see from the camera feed in the hallway that Cameron's blind fire dropped one of the four men before the rest moved in unison toward the office.

"Fall back! We need to get to Desmond and Anna!" Vincent screamed at them.

Cameron took a few shots at the remaining three men before Kiyoko tugged at his arm, pulling him away from the fight and towards Vincent. "Let's go!"

Vincent held the door for his team as they exited the office and hustled up the stairs. Vincent pulled out an improvised pipe bomb from underneath his vest and twisted off the cap before placing it between the closing door and door frame.

The three of them scrambled up the stairs and onto the roof with Vincent bringing up the rear. Cameron took a knee at the top of the stairs with his weapon trained down the staircase.

After jumping on the landing platform, Kiyoko opened the passenger side door and got in. Vincent ran around the red-striped and solid black Mi-26 helicopter when he saw the grappling hook Kiyoko fired earlier pierced through the pilot door.

Vincent had his hands wrapped around the grappling hook in the pilot door when he heard the sound of his pipe bomb going off. He could easily imagine the explosion shattering the glass door. The image of his enemies being ripped apart from the bomb's force crept into his mind as he felt the explosion shake the rooftop. He looked past the helicopter window to see Cameron run for the landing platform and hop into the back of the helicopter.

Vincent placed one leg against the chopper and pulled the grappling hook with all his might. He gritted his teeth and strained his back muscles until he pulled the hook out. He opened the pilot door, showing the grappling hook to Kiyoko before tossing it aside.

"Are you really pissed about that right now?" Kiyoko yelled at him while she fastened the passenger headset on.

Vincent climbed into the helicopter while having a hearty laugh. "I'm just glad you didn't hit the engine."

Vincent flipped every switch and hit every button on the control panel. He had no idea what he was doing, but the sound of the engine roaring and the propellers picking up speed gave him a sense of relief.

Cameron squatted behind the M31 Vulcan mini-gun mounted behind Kiyoko's seat. Vincent looked over his shoulder to see Cameron checking the ammo belt that fed into the gun and followed it to the cache bolted directly behind Kiyoko. Cameron put on the only headset available in the back and pulled the microphone to his lips. "Testing," he said, which his team heard from their respective headsets. Kiyoko turned and gave him a thumbs up.

"Here," Vincent said, throwing a smart tablet into Kiyoko's lap that he pulled from his vest. "Keep an eye on that. I swiped it from Westfield's office. Thought it would come in handy. It tracks intruders in the building."

Kiyoko picked up the tablet and glued her eyes to it. "As far as Plan Bs go, this is a pretty bad one," she said just as Vincent took off and angled the chopper away from the rooftop.

Vincent sighed. "It's more like improvising than planning. Look for two red dots in the building. Where are they?"

"Twenty-eighth floor."

"Good. Let's go get our favorite troublemakers back."

"I got a Gatling gun that's ready to pull out the red carpet for those two," Cameron said with a smile

"Amen to that, big guy."

*****

"This way!" Anna said to Desmond as she busted down the doors to Westfield's receptionist lobby on the twenty-eighth floor.

The two of them had no time to appreciate the ruby-red carpet they ran across, nor the leather sofas planted against the walls.

After dashing across the small lobby, the two of them found cover behind the receptionist's desk. Desmond slid across the wide desk as Anna cleared it with a front flip, just as Liam's men found them and opened fire. The two of them stayed low and covered their heads while firing blindly over the desk with their pistols.

Anna peeked over her cover to see Liam stumble into the office with his RPG in hand. Anna landed a shot on Liam's abdomen, which might as well have been a pebble to him. She fired the last of her rounds before tossing her pistol aside.

"You got any ideas?" she said to Desmond.

"Truthfully?" Desmond checked his clip to see he only had three more shots left. "I was hoping you'd come up with something."

Anna peeked around the desk to see Liam's men falling into formation, some of them taking cover behind the sofas and vase stands. Others took a knee in front of the entrance. Anna counted fifteen men, nine more than she had seen on the elevator. "Looks like Liam got some more reinforcements."

Desmond sighed. "Well, any last words before we go out swinging?" she yelled over the gunfire.

"How about duck!" Anna and Desmond heard Vincent's voice pierce through their earpieces, just as the helicopter he commandeered descended in front of them, separated only by the tall window. Vincent rotated the chopper ninety degrees so Cameron and Kiyoko would be facing the building.

"Move!" Liam screamed at his men. "Move now!"

Cameron's mini-gun rotated a few seconds before spitting out rounds in Anna and Desmond's direction. The two of them fell to their sides with Anna blanketing Desmond. She covered their heads as glass sprinkled across their bodies and bullets whizzed over them, piercing Liam's men as they failed to escape the grasp of the Vulcan.

"Oh hell yeah!" Cameron yelled over the heavy rattling of the Vulcan. "All clear you two!"

Anna stood up first, brushing glass out of her hair before giving Desmond a hand up.

"Thanks for the assist," Desmond said through his earpiece as Vincent drew the helicopter closer to the edge of the lobby.

"Assist? More like a freaking power play!" Cameron said back.

"You guys definitely owe us a beer for that," Vincent said as he moved the chopper closer to the building for Anna to board.

Anna jumped through the chopper's side opening, passing Cameron and leaning into the front of the chopper. She shook Vincent playfully by his shoulders. "When this is over I'm buying you a brewery," she said in a dry, exhausted tone.

*****

Liam opened his eyes, finding himself lying face first in blood and debris. The body that shielded him from Cameron's assault weighed lightly on him like a sheet. He saw the RPG he stripped from one of his men inches away from his fingertips.

The sound of the helicopter's propellers stirred a thick rage in Liam. He grabbed the RPG and used it as a cane to push himself up while his human shield slid off his back. Liam took a look through one of the hundreds of holes made in the wall. He saw Desmond Striker covering Anna Young's six as she boarded the helicopter. Liam posted himself against the wall. He knew he didn't have much time to make his move.

Liam lifted the rocket-propelled grenade on his shoulder as he rolled off the wall. He aimed his RPG in Chaos Company's direction, all while roaring like a gladiator who had just slain his opponent.

*****

Everything went in slow motion for Desmond the moment he heard Liam's roar. He looked back at Vincent, who already had the helicopter banking up and away from the building. He turned further to Cameron and Kiyoko gesturing for him to jump for it. He saw Anna leaning forward, offering her hand. Desmond turned back to Liam. He knew boarding the helicopter without handling Liam would spell the end for him and his team.

With his eyes burning a bright orange, Desmond dashed for the receptionist desk. He lifted the wide desk off its legs, flipping it in Liam's direction just as he fired the RPG in his direction, Desmond jumped and drop-kicked the desk away.

The rocket collided with the desk, exploding on impact. The force of the explosion pushed Desmond out the twenty-eighth floor window before the eruption could consume him.

*****

"Desmond!" Vincent heard Anna scream in horror.

Vincent reacted quickly the moment he saw Desmond flying in their direction. "Hold on!" he said as he lowered the helicopter while Anna leaned out of the aircraft. Cameron clenched Anna's ankles as her upper body slid out of the chopper. She reached down, grabbing Desmond's arm just as he soared beneath the helicopter.

"Gotcha!" Anna exhaled.

*****

Liam found himself on his back after firing the rocket launcher at close range. Once again he used the RPG to pick himself up. As the ringing in his head ceased, he rushed for the shattered window Desmond had been shot out of. Liam trampled over the bloodstained carpet and the shattered pieces of the receptionist desk. He stepped over the mangled bodies of the Armored Tempest mercenaries and stood at the edge of the receptionist floor. He watched helplessly from afar as Cameron pulled Anna back into the helicopter, she in turn pulling Desmond to safety.

For a brief moment, Liam thought that he should find a way to pursue Chaos Company. They were obviously as fatigued as he was, and he knew from experience that going on the offensive right after a battle could eliminate his opposition. But he lacked the means to attack them. All of his men in the building were either dead or severely injured, and what men he still had standing were under Secretary Hopkins' command.

He could feel his stained lab coat hanging by threads before he ripped it away from his body. With no more moves he could make, Liam turned his back on the night sky the second James Westfield's chopper was out of sight. He searched through a deceased mercenary's pockets, pulled out his cell phone, and dialed Thomas Hopkins.

"Tommy boy," Liam said as soon as he heard Hopkins answer the call. "You won't believe the night I'm having, mate."
Chapter Fourteen

Agent Jacob Hayes had only been awake for a few seconds when he heard his cell phone alert him that he had an email. Before hearing the sound of wind chimes blaring from his phone he found comfort in the silent room, regardless of how he ended up there in the first place. He sat up and grabbed the phone from the nightstand. He opened the message, and to his surprise it was everything he could have hoped for in his investigation short of a written confession.

Jacob scrolled through the email to find detailed steps in Thomas Hopkins' plan, which was titled the "Uprising." The email showed plans of attacking President Grey at the party Hopkins threw a few days ago. He listened to the briefing that James Westfield had with his men hours before the attack:

"Alright, listen up! I know when you all joined I said we'd take on the most lucrative and dire of assignments, as long as it wasn't attacking our home. Well...that rule changes today. We're being hired by our own Secretary of Defense, Thomas Hopkins, to take out President Jennifer Grey. This is a chance for us to put an aggressor in office. Someone who knows that hitting first prevents the enemy from ever hitting to begin with. Someone who knows the true value of people like us."

Jacob could hear Westfield's men cheering in the background.

"We're being paid to make the attack tonight, at the Secretary's own home here in New York. You all might've heard it and the rumors are true. Secretary Hopkins is bringing in the infamous Liam King for this job."

"Aw man!" **** Jacob heard one of the mercenaries groan.

"Sir, the guy's a maniac!" **** said another.

"This is bullshit!"

"Hey!" James screamed over his men. "You all will be getting paid eighty grand each for doing this, so I suggest you shut up and do as you're paid to!"

"Why does Hopkins want Grey taken out?" **** One of Westfield's men asked.

"We're basically being paid to start a war. A little ironic seeing that we usually get paid to end them. Hopkins wants to step in as Commander and Chief to take out rising international threats, from China to North Korea. He even mentioned deploying a garrison of troops to engage hostiles in Mexico. Hopkins has promised more work in his upcoming 'war' if we get this job done first."

Jacob paused the audio to take it all in. "A war?" he said to himself. "Killing Grey to start a war. Damn you Hopkins!"

He scrolled through the rest of the email while a million thoughts raced through his head. How can he stop Hopkins? Where in the hell was Chaos Company? Who emailed him this information to begin with?

As he continued to scroll through the information, Jacob came across something more than just wire transfers in the email attachment. He discovered a second part to Hopkins' plan, a second part to his "Uprising." Before he could sort through all the details, Jacob exited out of the file and dialed the number to the FBI directory.

"This is Special Agent Jacob Hayes of the FBI," he said the second he heard the operator pick up the line. "It's important I speak with the President."

"I'm unable to do that at this time, sir," he heard the woman say in a professional tone. "If I can put you on hold maybe I can..."

"Oh, no you don't! This is a matter of national security!"

"Sir, please!"

"No. Either patch me over to the President or get me someone who can!"

"Sir!" The woman pleaded. "As you may know, the President is still in New York! All her calls can be relayed to her through Secretary Hopkins!"

Jacob disconnected the call and tried again, and again, and again. Every time he bullied his way to the end of the call line he met the same fate.

"I can patch you over to Secretary Hopkins, sir," an operator said.

"Secretary Hopkins is able to address your concerns, Agent Hayes." said another

"Are you sure Secretary Hopkins can't take your call?"

"God damn it!" Jacob screamed before punching through the bedroom's drywall. The second he punched the cream colored wall in the bedroom, he felt a sharp pain travel up his rib cage.

Jacob grabbed a green tee shirt from the bedroom closet. To his surprise the shirt fit him perfectly, allowing him to show off his arms. He strapped the holster that held his Desert Eagle around his waist and concealed it with his jacket before his phone rang.

The number came up as unknown, which made him hesitate before putting the call on speaker. He held the phone close to his chin, waiting to hear the caller speak first.

"Trying to reach someone, Agent Hayes?"

Jacob knew right away who it was. "Mr. Secretary," he said in shock. "I..."

"You didn't think you could reach Jennifer without me knowing, did you?" Hopkins said in a cocky tone before laughing.

"What do you want?" Jacob said with a little more fear in his voice.

"I know what you're thinking, son," Hopkins stated as Jacob made his way into the living room. "But it's not what you think. Trust me, it's not."

"Oh yeah?" Jacob said as he took a look out the window, making sure he wasn't being watched. "Then why don't you enlighten me? Tell me your next move."

He could hear Hopkins chuckling on the other end of the line. "And spoil the surprise?"

Jacob walked into the elevator that was three doors down and hit the ground floor button. "Then why the hell are we talking?"

"You're wrong about me, Agent Hayes. President Grey..." Hopkins paused, trying to think carefully how to speak to Jacob. "Our country is in a lot of trouble if she remains in office. Her methods, they lack purpose. They lack...conviction."

"So what? Killing her and having the VP step-in is your answer?" he asked while quickly shooting a text to Vincent.

Hopkins laughed heartedly. "For an FBI agent, you know nothing about presidential contingency plans son. If the President dies by the hands of say, an international threat such as King, the Secretary of Defense automatically assumes position as Commander and Chief."

"Is this what this is about? Power?"

"This is about protecting my country at all costs! Just like what you think you've been doing. You and, the company you've been keeping."

"You sound like a real patriot to me, sir," Jacob said sarcastically as he exited the elevator on to the ground floor.

"Agent Hayes, wait," Hopkins said, which, for some reason, stopped Jacob from leaving through the front entrance of the complex. "I know you have dirt on me about hiring both Liam and Armored Tempest. From what I hear, Chaos Company hit their HQ pretty hard not long ago."

"Hence the team's codename," Jacob said in a dry tone.

"Listen, we can both agree that things have gotten a little out of hand," Hopkins said with great composure, like a seasoned politician.

"A 'little' is an understatement, Mr. Secretary," Jacob said while pacing back and forth on the ground floor. "A lot of influential people died at that party you threw. Even more people got hurt when your men were chasing me."

Jacob could hear Hopkins sighing out of frustration. "I didn't want any of that to happen. I just want to do what's right for my country and my people"

"I bet every dictator says the same thing."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line. Jacob listened closely to Hopkins' breathing growing rapidly before asking if he was still there.

"I'm going to give you a chance, right here, right now, to work with me, Agent. To help me. Help me remove Grey from power and restore this county to the glory it once had!"

"Not happening, sir," Jacob said quickly to Hopkins

Hopkins sighed. "Remember this, Agent Hayes. Remember I offered you a chance to be on the winning side. Remember this when I'm in office and you're rotting in a jail cell."

"We'll see about that."

"Oh, you will see," Hopkins laughed out. "You'll see that you're boxing with a man well out of your weight class, son," he said to Jacob right before hanging up on him.

"What an asshole," Jacob said as he pushed through the front entrance and was stopped by a large tactical FBI team, all with their weapons trained on his chest.

Jacob quickly raised his hands as the tactical team barked orders at him, most of them screaming at him to lie on the ground. He knew the arrest routine better than the agents that were advancing on him. Jacob knew the two SUVs were being used as cover while another three blocked off the entrance of the complex. Knowing that the FBI most likely labeled his capture as a "counter-terrorism" mission, Jacob knew that there were at least twenty agents, all dressed and armed in tactical gear, assigned to this case. He knew they would bring him to his knees with a kick to the back of the leg. He also knew that one of them would grab his weapon before pushing him down, face first, into the pavement.

"Ahh!" he coughed out in agony as a fellow agent cuffed him. "Never thought I'd know what this feels like."

"Get up!" one of the agents said to him as they pulled him to his feet by his cuffs, bruising his wrists in the process.

"Sweep the area!" Jacob heard a familiar voice say. All but the three tactical agents restraining him rushed by and entered the apartment building.

The second the remaining agents formed up and entered the building, Jacob's eyes were focused on the black female agent walking towards him from behind the SUVs.

"Agent Hayes," the woman said with a respectful nod in his direction.

Jacob couldn't help but appreciate the woman's lean physique, especially since the young agent was wearing a black formal business dress that revealed her long brown legs.

"Gabby. You're looking good, as usual," he said while checking her out from top to bottom.

"That's Agent Jones to you."

"Agent Jones? So are you just gonna act like we didn't graduate from Quantico together?" he said with a smile.

"Yep. Just how you're acting like you didn't shoot a DOD scientist in cold blood," Agent Gabrielle Jones walked up to Jacob as he was still being restrained and searched his person until she found his cell phone and wallet.

"I didn't kill Henry Wilbert." Jacob said, emphasizing every word. "He called me asking for help. I was trying to protect him.

"That's what most killers say when caught red handed." She pointed at the SUV behind her. "Put him in my car. I'll take him." She said to the agent restraining Jacob. She grabbed Jacob's gun from the arresting agent and stuffed it in the back of her pants.

Jacob was pushed forward by the heavily armed FBI agents until he was finally shoved into the back seat of the black SUV closest to the exit.

"Make sure you sweep every inch of this place before reporting back!" Agent Jones yelled out to her team before getting into her SUV and taking off.

*****

White noise played in Desmond's head like a scratched record stuck on replay. With his eyes half-opened he realized two things: he wasn't dead, and he was no longer at Armored Tempest HQ. He sat up and looked around, slowly realizing that he was in a dark hospital room. The IV puncturing his arm and other wires connecting him to the bedside monitor helped him remember how he ended up in the medical bed.

Desmond was oblivious to the dark figure that sat next to him on his left. "You're awake," Desmond heard Anna say softly in his left ear. He could feel her hand wrapped around his. Anna hit the switch on the wall, turning on the dim lights in the room.

"Are we safe here?" Desmond asked.

"You're safe," Anna answered. "We had to land on a hospital in Brooklyn to get you some rest and refuel."

"How long have I been out?"

"It's 5am now, so I'd say about two hours," she said softly.

"So I didn't miss much."

"Except for us being all over the news," she said to him. "What cops aren't looking for King, are looking for us. Kiyoko made a deal with the Chief of Medicine here. She's downstairs in the ER helping patients she can with her powers in exchange for a couple hours for us to lie low. We're safe for now," Anna reassured him.

Desmond did his best to sit up as straight as possible. "Why didn't we just go back to the safe house?"

"Agent Hayes sent Vincent a text not to come back. We... haven't heard from him since."

Desmond looked up at the television screen that he had just realized was on. He listened carefully as the blonde reporter on the news accused Agent Jacob Hayes of gunning down Professor Henry Wilbert yesterday morning.

"That's bullshit! Ahh!" Desmond quickly lowered himself in the bed while holding his side.

"Careful!" Anna said to him as if she was his nurse. "Kiyoko basically brought you back from the dead. You gotta take it easy for a bit."

"We still have a job to do."

"I know. Vincent's using the PDA he swiped from Armored Tempest to search for Agent Hayes by tracking his phone. Hopefully he's still alive by the time we get a beat on him. Vincent said he sent some info to Hayes from Westfield's PC that ties Hopkins to everything."

"Smart move."

"Yeah. We think if we can find Jacob, he'll lead us straight to Hopkins and King, and then we can end this."

"Good," Desmond said with a nod. He smiled at Anna before looking away, wishing she didn't have to see how weak he was. "So you think Liam survived that blast?" he said while pulling out his IV and removing the wires from his body.

"Hard to say," Anna said with shrugged shoulders. You two were both pretty close to that rocket."

"Yeah..." Desmond said before raising Anna's hands and kissing them. "But I have more to live for."

"God Dessy, way to be cheesy," she said with a small laugh.

Desmond grinned. "Cheesy but true. I'd take another rocket head on. Right now. For you."

Anna looked down and smiled while brushing her hair back. Desmond knew he was the only one capable of making Anna blush, and she in turn was the only woman that could bring him to his knees. It was easy for their teammates to forget how young the two of them were. Cameron, Kiyoko, and Vincent were only reminded of their age when Desmond and Anna displayed their youthful affection for one another.

"You should get some rest," Desmond said to Anna, right before she climbed on top of him.

"I'll rest once this is over, or we're dead...whichever one comes first," she said seductively as she tried to speak and kiss Desmond's neck at the same time.

"I'd personally prefer the latter."

"I'd personally prefer you."

"Anna, wait!" he said as he pushed her up. He knew he should stop her advances. Desmond looked into her eyes and knew she was weary from their recent fight with Armored Tempest. He knew the best thing for her was rest. But Anna was right, they could be dead by the end of the day, and all he wanted ever since getting stateside was to be with her. After a quick moment of realizing this might be his last chance, Desmond pushed himself up while grabbing Anna's neck and kissed her like he knew they would be dead by sunrise.

Without looking or messing up the rhythm of the tongue fight she was having with Desmond, Anna reached out for the curtains, pulled them from the end of the medical bed to the wall, and turned the lights off.

*****

Jacob sat in silence in the back of Agent Gabrielle Jones's black SUV. He looked up at the skyscrapers that slowly passed by as Jones drove through Times Square at 5:30am. He admired how glorious the waking sun was shining behind the towering buildings, making them all seem like they were constructed of crystals. Jacob could only hope Chaos Company didn't fall into the trap Hopkins had laid for them back at the safe house.

"What're you thinking, Hayes?" Agent Jones asked Jacob, pulling him out of his train of thought and back into reality. It was a question she had grown a habit of asking him from their time working together.

"Honestly?" he exhaled. "I wish I took Hopkins up on his offer. Or at least lied to him and said yes."

"What you're accused of is pretty heavy."

"I know. I can say bye-bye to that Christmas bonus," he said jokingly in a low tone.

Agent Jones stopped at a red light and punched her steering wheel. "What were you thinking, getting involved in this?"

Jacob leaned against the passenger seat, hoping to catch a glimpse of his partner's face. "This is my job, Gabby! Thomas Hopkins is a traitor. I'm not the one causing all of this. He is! He killed Dr. Wilbert at that subway station, not me!" he said, while throwing his cuffed hands on the shoulder of the passenger seat.

"Hey, sit back!" Agent Jones said strongly as she pushed Jacob into his seat. The second the light turned green, she signaled to the right and pulled over in front of an apartment building.

Agent Jones held onto the steering wheel as tight as she could and took a deep breath. "I had your phone tapped the second I heard you were involved in that doctor's death."

"Gabby, I didn't..."

"I heard everything you and Secretary Hopkins said back there. I was listening before you stepped out of the safe house," she said, interrupting him. She looked out the driver-side window. "You think you know what you're fighting for, you know? You think you're working for someone who has your same goals in mind, and to find out that a higher-up, someone whom you're supposed to serve, has gone off the rails...it's just..." Gabrielle's eyes gazed across the street, hoping to find the answers through the windows of a thrift store.

"I know," Jacob said, breaking the silence. "It sucks." He leaned forward hoping to lock eyes with his former partner. "Thomas Hopkins has already killed a lot of people. He's not gonna stop until he puts a bullet in President Grey's skull. Gabby, you can't let that happen."

Gabrielle looked back at Jacob and threw the handcuff key at him after digging it from her cup holder. Jacob leaned back onto his seat and caught the key in his lap before working to un-cuff himself.

Gabrielle unlocked the back doors. "Here. You might need these," she grabbed Jacob's pistol and wallet off the passenger seat and handed it back to him.

"Thanks. I owe you Gabby," he said with more optimism in his voice than before.

"Please tell me you've got a plan Jake," she said as she tossed him his phone.

"I'm guessing when you tapped my phone you could only listen in on me and track my location. You couldn't download the files I had on Hopkins, could you?" he asked while checking the magazine in his weapon before holstering it.

Gabby shook her head. "No. Why?"

"Well if you could, you would've seen the new exit strategy for getting President Grey out of New York."

"It's not by train anymore?"

"No, it's by chopper," Jacob said, as he typed away on his phone. "Hopkins must've convinced her security detail the plan was compromised." He hit the send button on his phone and stuffed it in his jacket. "I sent you the files on Armored Tempest's involvement with Hopkins. If this thing goes south, if we lose Grey and I don't make it...at least we don't lose the truth." He adjusted his jacket and combed back his hair with his fingers.

"You know you can't just show up to the LZ. You'll be shot on sight," she said with certainty.

"Don't worry. I think the Chaos Company team is the one who sent me these files. If they're still alive I'll have some damn good backup where I'm going." he said with a grin. "You just keep those files close to you, okay? Make sure they get in the right hands and expose Hopkins for the lunatic he is." Jacob opened up the door and slammed it behind him. He checked his gun to make sure it was concealed and secured on his hip as Gabrielle took off.

Jacob adjusted his leather jacket and walked in the opposite direction. He put on a pair of sunglasses that he had stuffed in his pocket and kept his head down from the civilians he walked past.

*****

The morning sun shined down on Vincent and Cameron as the two of them were burning time on the flat rooftop of the hospital. From their vantage point they could see the West wing of the building. Vincent's legs dangled over the side of the ledge, just a few stories above the connecting crosswalk. His attention was fixed on the PDA he had swiped from Westfield's office.

Cameron occupied himself by examining the controls on the helicopter. He knew he wasn't much help to his team at the moment. The second Vincent landed the chopper on the rooftop they all went separate ways. Anna tended to Desmond as he was carried away by medics. Kiyoko was quick to cut a deal with the Chief of Medicine -- using her healing services in exchange for temporary asylum from the law. Vincent wasted no time in trying to track Jacob, which they all hoped would lead them to Hopkins and King.

It was difficult for Cameron to sit in the cockpit and play with his thumbs while the rest of his team was active. At times it was hard for him to be the team brute. While in battle he could shine. He had a mission, targets to eliminate, and people to get to safety. While in battle he had a purpose, just like he did back in his high school and college football days. But during idle times, Cameron couldn't help but feel useless. He wanted to get up and find Liam King. He wanted his rematch, and he wanted it now.

"Come on! How long is this gonna take, Vinny? Damn!" he roared like an impatient child.

"Oh, don't get your panties in a bunch! I almost got a beat on him. It's just taking a while since his phone is protected by FBI safeguards."

"You said if we find him Hopkins and King should be close by, right?" Cameron asked Vincent as he walked over to him anxiously, blocking the sun from hitting Vincent's back.

"Yeah. If Jacob found anything in that Uprising file I sent to him, he'll find them. And he'll lead us right where we need to be. I just feel clumsy that I let the flash drive that had the info on it get crushed."

"Don't beat yourself up too bad, Vinny. At least someone has proof of what Hopkins has done," Cameron said to him. "But you're sure King will be close by?"

Vincent nodded. "Either that or he's already cut and run from the job, which I doubt."

Cameron punched his hand before cracking his knuckles. "Good," he said with a violent grin. "I won't let King pound on me next time I see him."

"Yeah. We wouldn't want your ass to take another...pounding." Vincent said while trying to hold in his laugh.

"Shut up," Cameron told him as he walked away.

"I'm just saying man, you were walking a little funny last time you saw Liam," Vincent joked as Cameron walked away.

*****

Desmond's medical bed was a mess. One of his three pillows had been tossed to the floor, his sheets were ripped off the bed, and his blanket hung off the side like drapes on a window. Even with his resting area in shambles, Desmond couldn't have been any more comfortable. His mind strolled through his night with Anna, savoring every second he had with her not too long ago, and longed for her to return from grabbing a glass of water.

Desmond was so preoccupied thinking about Anna he was oblivious to the intruder who had crawled in through the window. The shadowy figure was cautious not to disturb his rest. It only took a heavy step in his direction for Desmond's relaxation to be put on pause. His eyes shot open and turned towards the noise, but it was too late.

The intruder moved swiftly across the white tiles and grabbed Desmond's arm before he could jump out of the bed. The dark-figured assailant flipped the light switch on the wall, allowing Desmond to see who had caught him by surprise.

Anger washed over Desmond so fast it almost blurred his vision. "Liam!"

His veins sparked a bright orange. Desmond opened his palm, ready to scorch Liam's face with a kinetic blast, but Liam was quick to deflect Desmond's arm while drawing a pistol on him.

Liam clenched Desmond's arm while raising the M9 Beretta up to his cheek. "Shhh!" He threw Desmond's arm back and opened his trench coat, revealing the detonating device that hung from his belt. "Do you know what this is?" he whispered.

Desmond nodded. He knew by the short antenna on the device that whatever explosives Liam had placed before were still close by. "Where'd you place the bombs?"

Liam pointed down. "Under the beds of a few intensive care unit patients below. Some of them kids. It's a sad sight down there, mate, let me tell ya."

Desmond hated the grin spread across Liam's face. Liam had him beat, again. He left no room for Desmond to make a move, but he knew Liam wasn't here to kill him. If that were the case, he would have had a silencer attached to his Beretta.

"What do you want?" Desmond asked in a low tone.

Liam pulled the chair Anna had been in closer to him and sat in it with the chair's back against his chest. He leaned forward until the edge of the bed was the only thing separating his hands from Desmond's neck and smiled. "I just wanna chat," he whispered.

It was then Desmond saw the minor burn Liam had suffered from his own rocket launcher.

"You like that?" he said, pointing at the fresh scar that traveled from below his right eye all the way to his chin. "Thanks to the procedure the wound healed up quite nice in no time. I have half a mind to thank you. It hurt like hell to get, but it's gonna be one hell of a panty dropper at the bars."

Desmond leaned away from Liam. "You didn't answer me." He bobbed his head to the right, away from his intruder's slow grasp.

"In a minute, cowboy." Liam finally got a hold of Desmond's face and pulled him into the light that pierced through the windows. He leaned forward, examining Desmond from cheek to cheek before releasing him. "Hmm. Not a scratch on you. Guess you have the Jap to thank for that little touch up. It's like I never shot a rocket at that pretty-boy face."

Desmond pushed Liam's hand away. He remained silent in his frustration. He had never hated a man as much as he hated Liam at this moment.

Liam quickly shot out of his seat and away from Desmond's grasp. "Whoa there, mate!" He revealed the detonator device again as a reminder.

"You're not here to kill me," Desmond said with confidence.

Liam shook his finger at him. "No, no, no. Don't want to draw too much attention to myself. Not before the finale."

Desmond sat up in his bed, eager to hear more. "Finale? What finale?"

Liam paced back and forth in the dimly lit room, picking up and putting down anything that could fit in his hand. "Do you know why Hopkins is doing what he's doing?"

"Because he's a sociopath like you."

Desmond's words stopped Liam's movement on a dime. "Well...yes. But he's also a man who knows what it takes to defeat your country's enemies. Tommy's tired of the US only responding to attacks." Liam paused for a moment as he picked up a snow globe and shook it vigorously. "He believes the best defense is an unstoppable offense, hence my recent employment to help him gain the power he needs to commence a full frontal assault on the US's opposition. North Korea, China, Russia, Iran. Hell, even Mexico is gonna get a backhand to get in line."

Desmond's jaw almost unhinged. He wasn't up to date on the latest news on the US's foreign relations, but he knew there was tension between all the countries Liam mentioned. "You can't be serious! He wants to start a third world war!"

Liam laughed. "I'm just backing the winning horse here, mate. I suggest you do the same. I'd even cut you in on my deal."

Desmond shook his head at Liam's proposal. "No good will come from Hopkins starting a war."

"Said the soldier," Liam said to him. He kicked the chair aside and looked down on the fatigued Desmond. Liam's position over him blocked the rising sun from touching his face. "I really thought you'd be ecstatic to hear the news. Having job security and all that. Or at least realize you're fighting against an inevitable future. All we're doing here is putting your enemies in checkmate before the match starts. You and your team could've been a part of that. But I guess you're too busy carrying a gun in one hand and a bible in another."

"I don't need lessons in morality from a man who killed his own teammates for money," Desmond said in a snarky tone.

His words stopped Liam in his tracks from pacing back and forth. "Is that what's in my file nowadays?" he asked after laughing to himself. "Trust me, Dessy, I've done a lot of things since going rogue. But I didn't kill my SAS team. There were like family to me. Just like Chaos Company is to you."

"Yeah okay," Desmond said while looking away from him.

"You know how it is when you're ordered to do something against your better nature, me and my team, we were told to do what's necessary to take out a high value target during our third tour in the Middle East. We found our target just outside of Doha. He was a mean radical and gun runner, that one. We planned on hitting him and his men the second he was out of town but he caught wind of us and ducked into a warehouse. We surrounded the place and saw it was being run as a sweatshop. There were at least twenty civilians inside. We told our HQ, which was run by General Weathers, that our target was holding the civilians hostage. We told him the situation...we told him there was no way we could kill our target, his men, and keep the civilians safe. The General's answer was to get it done, to do what's necessary." Liam pointed at Desmond. "And we did. We set the place on fire and watched it burn from afar. We couldn't risk our target sneaking out so we fired on anyone who tried to escape the building. After that we were scheduled for a hearing for what we did, but made a run for it before we were arrested. I was the only one who made it out."

Desmond sat up in his bed. "And you've been doing dirty deeds since going AWOL."

"I've been doing what it takes to survive and make changes!" Liam shouted. "My team and I had orders and then we were chastised for following those orders!

"They hunted you instead of General Weathers?" Desmond said. "I'm guessing he told a different story about how you're team decided to hit your target."

He said we took initiative without consulting him." Liam sighed. "That was when I realized I had been fed crap since I enlisted. Teamwork, loyalty, sacrifices...all those things they tell you are needed for the greater good. I'm sorry, Dessy, but it's all a lie. When it all goes south the major players will always blame the pawns who were only following orders. Trust me, it's a lot simpler to play by your own rules than by someone else's."

Desmond flinched at the sight of Liam tossing the detonator at him from across the room. The device landed on his lap. He was quick to pick it up. It felt light to him. He had dealt with explosive triggers like this one before, but they were never this light. Desmond quickly opened up the detonator to witness there were no batteries in it.

He looked up at Liam. "There are no bombs below us?"

Liam smiled and walked away. "Like I said, I play by my own rules. I'm a mercenary, Dessy, not an animal." He stopped in front of Desmond's bed and played with the switch, turning the lights on and off. "That means I'm free to have my own code. I don't kill anyone who's completely defenseless, the sick, the weak, children...the French. I just used that detonator to get your attention without you having a little temper tantrum on me."

Desmond covered his eyes from the strobe light effect Liam was creating. "Why? Why go through all the trouble just to tell me this?"

Liam left the light on dim and smiled. " _Uno siempre debe saber lo que está muriendo por_."

"The hell does that mean?" he asked, knowing he would regret it later.

Liam turned his back on Desmond, but he didn't move forward. "It's Spanish." In one swift move, he swung his arm back and slammed Desmond against the headboard. With his hand wrapped around Desmond's neck, Liam lifted him up. He pulled back to slam Desmond against the wall next to his bed. "It means 'one should always know what he's dying for.'"

Desmond's toes barely brushed against the floor as Liam tightened his grip. He knew he didn't have much time to get out of Liam's powerful grasp. He watched Liam's eyes flicker between a raging orange and his normal blue as orange veins ran across his face.

"A man of your caliber deserves as much," Liam whispered to him.

With not many options to break free, Desmond slammed his fist on Liam's arm like a sledgehammer. He even tried throwing a few sloppy kicks to his ribs, but each attempt to escape was futile.

Desmond was like a fish out of water. He could feel his neck crumbling underneath the pressure of Liam's grasp. Air grew scarce in his lungs with each passing second. A look of satisfaction bled across his assailant's face. Desmond's vision was all but gone.

It was then that something sparked inside Desmond when he caught a glimpse of his teammates over Liam's shoulder, standing just outside of his door.

"If it makes you feel better, you're not the first to deny Thomas's offer mate. That federal agent you've been shacking up with rejected an offer at partnership, too." Liam tightened his grip around Desmond's neck. "His sense of ethics got him arrested by his own agency." Liam smiled. "Chaos Company won't be given the same courtesy."

In one last attempt of self-preservation, Desmond's vision and arm lit up as he raised his hand at Liam.

*****

Vincent and Cameron stood down the hall from Desmond's room waiting for Anna and Kiyoko to return.

Vincent waved his PDA at the ladies anxiously the moment he saw them "Great, you're back. I got a lock on Jacob. We need to move."

Kiyoko nodded. "Okay, let's go," she said leading the team towards Desmond's room.

"Is he awake?" Cameron asked.

Anna nodded. "He was earlier, but I don't think he's..."

Before Anna could finish answering Cameron, a bright light flashed from Desmond's room before an explosion erupted from behind the door, knocking the entire team to the ground.

The hospital alarms went off. Water from the sprinkler system rained down on all personnel on the floor. The screams of doctors and patients alike flooded the hallways. Vincent looked up from the floor to see Cameron was the first to get on his feet as smoke dissipated out from Desmond's room. Cameron bent down and offered Kiyoko a hand up while Vincent and Anna scrambled to their feet and rushed into the room.

Vincent drew his twin Sig Sauer pistols. "Yo!" he said to Kiyoko while throwing one of his pistols in her direction. Looking down the sights of his weapon Vincent moved to the right of the bed, looking for Desmond or any intruders.

"Clear!" he yelled out after checking his immediate area. Cameron and Kiyoko shouted the same after they checked the opposite end of the room, only to find shattered glass from the window separating them from the empty patient's room.

"Desmond!" Anna screamed. She covered her eyes to ward off the thick layer of smoke that occupied the room. She kneeled down and followed the sounds of a smoker's cough until she was close enough to see Desmond on the floor, holding his neck and fighting for each breath.

"I got cha." She dug underneath his arms and lifted him up onto his bed before wrapping a blanket around his body. "I'm here, Dessy." Anna comforted him as she rubbed his shoulders while he struggled to breathe. He pointed past the shattered window as his team converged on him.

Kiyoko bent down to his level and took a look into his watery eyes. "Dessy. What happened?"

"Liam!" he coughed out. "He's...he's here."

The four of them looked at the shattered glass and finally understood -- it was how Liam had escaped from Desmond's room.

"I got him!" Cameron said as he stampeded out the room.

Cameron charged through the hole in the wall and into the hallway, passing by civilians who were either in shock or panicking. "Move it, people!" he yelled at the crowd of personnel that blocked his path down the hall.

"You two coming?" Vincent said as he passed by Anna, Desmond, and Kiyoko before following Cameron out of the room. He looked back to see Anna clap her hands at Kiyoko to toss her Vincent's gun, which she did.

It didn't take long for Vincent to pass by Cameron while sprinting. "This way!" he yelled back at Anna and Cameron.

It was easy for Vincent to follow Liam thanks to the trail of violence and destruction he left behind. While chasing the maniacal mercenary Vincent took in the residents and patients who had fallen victim to Liam's rampage down the hall, from knocked down individuals to the burning hole in the medical desk that pierced through a nurse hiding behind cover.

Anna trailed closely behind Vincent, both of them with pistols in hand. "I'm ripping this guy to shreds when we find him!" She shouted.

The two of them stopped at an intersection. Vincent could tell the white coated doctor had obviously been a victim of Liam's treachery. There was no denying it from the river of blood pumping out of his busted nose. As soon as he pointed around the corner, Anna didn't give the man another look.

She tapped on Vincent's shoulder to follow her. They continued to sprint down the hall until they caught sight of Liam running through the crosswalk connecting the two hospital buildings.

While still moving forward, Anna took aim at Liam's back. "Get down!" she screamed at the frightened civilians who blocked her line of sight before she opened fire. Vincent lined up his sights and followed suit.

Vincent shot Liam's leg, which made it buckle under him. Anna pushed Liam to the ground with a few rounds hitting his spine. Liam broke his fall with his shoulder, rolling forward and into the east wing. He quickly spun around on his knees and fired an optic beam through the crosswalk, and then aimed at Vincent's chest.

"Look out!" Anna screamed as she pulled Vincent to the ground and onto the crosswalk that separated them from Liam.

Vincent covered his head the moment Liam's attack blasted a hole in the wall behind him. He looked up to see Liam fire another concentrated beam up and at the roof. Vincent followed the beam's trail to see it pierce through the glass and cut through the support rails of the hospital landing pad, which harbored the chopper Vincent and the others arrived on.

Anna pushed herself up and fired at Liam. Instinctively he rolled out of her line of sight and made a break for the elevator at the end of the hall.

Anna tossed her empty gun aside and pulled Vincent to his feet. "Come on!" she said while pulling him deeper onto the crosswalk as her orange scales formed around her skin.

The sound of screeching metal flooded the crosswalk. Vincent looked up and witnessed the landing pad unhinging from the rooftop. In one jerking motion the landing pad shifted diagonally, forcing the chopper to slide off the side, and casting a shadow over the crosswalk.

Vincent pulled Anna by her arm. "Anna!" he screamed after she broke his grip and jogged away. Vincent quickly jumped for Anna, wrapping his arms around her from behind and throwing her back before she could fight him off.

Anna landed on her feet and tried to run past him. "The hell are you doing?"

"Get back!" he screamed at her with his arms pushing her away from the center of the crosswalk.

It wasn't until the chopper tore through the walkway that Anna fell backwards. Vincent stumbled forward from the shockwave of the collision directly behind him, and barely escaped the chopper's propellers that nicked at his boot. As the armed chopper smashed through the floor, Vincent toppled forward. Shards of glass pounded against his back as he crawled frantically away from the center of the crosswalk. Vincent witnessed Cameron pulling Anna off the failing walkway just before he felt it crumbling under him. Cameron tossed Anna to the side and reached a hand out to Vincent, just as the floor beneath him broke away piece by piece. Out of desperation Vincent jumped a split second before the chopper crashed through the crosswalk, pulling the tiles from underneath him and wrapping his arm around Cameron's.

Vincent's body hit the hospital windows hard. His arm scratched against a few inches of what was left of the walkway's floor. Vincent could hear the collision of debris and the chopper smashing into the ground below as Cameron pulled him up. Vincent's nerves wouldn't allow him to look down.

With her scales disappearing back into her skin Anna gripped at her hair and backed against the wall. Her wide eyes told the story of her brush with death.

"You okay, man?" Cameron asked Vincent as he pulled him away from the edge.

Vincent nodded. "Yeah. But we just got our asses kicked. Again," he said while doubled-over, trying to catch his breath.

"Everyone okay?" Desmond asked his team as he approached with Kiyoko through the crowd of civilians.

"Liam got away. And he took down the chopper," Cameron said to Desmond as he stepped over to the edge to take a look at the wreckage. Cameron paced back and forth before finally putting his fist through the wall.

"Damnit!" Cameron screamed as he punched the closest wall, drawing his team's attention.

Anna pulled him away from the wall. "Hey, get it together!" she said, pushing him back. "We're all pissed he got away! But we still got a job to do!"

Cameron raised a finger to Anna. "That was our chance and he got away! He keeps getting away!"

Desmond stepped in between the two of them. "Hey, this doesn't end with King!"

Cameron pushed Desmond's arm aside. "The hell do you mean?"

"Liam plans on taking out Grey for Hopkins so Hopkins can become the next president. Hopkins wants to start a third world war."

"What?"

"It makes sense," Kiyoko said to Cameron. "If Grey dies in a time of crisis, like right now, Hopkins will supersede the VP and Secretary of State in replacing Grey."

Vincent pulled out a pair of miniature vodka bottles from his SWAT vest and opened up one of them. "The hell does he want to do that for?" he asked before taking a sip.

"Hopkins thinks that going on the offensive with the US's top opposition is what's best for this country. He wants to attack our enemies before they attack us. Spark conflict."

"He wants our defenses to be more preemptive. To be more active than reactive," Kiyoko said.

Desmond nodded. "Yeah. So this just doesn't end with King. We need to get them both. And we don't have a lot of time," he said before walking away.

Vincent did his best to keep up with Desmond's fast stride across the terrorized hallway, even going as far as lightly shoving Anna, Cameron and Kiyoko out of the way. "Hey! I'm with you man. But that Vulcan on Westfield's chopper was the best chance we had at taking down King! How do you plan on killing him now?"

"With a fucking smile on my face," he answered him quickly as he continued past the medical personnel tending to the traumatized civilians.
Chapter Fifteen

Agent Jacob Hayes was aware that all the main roads in Manhattan were blocked off by police vehicles, both squad cars and armored vehicles alike. It was six thirty in the morning and President Jennifer Grey was planning to exit the city after a nightmare of a visit to the Big Apple. For the first time in a week, everything was going smoothly. Security checkpoints surrounded the Plaza Hotel, located on the corner of Fifth Street.

Local police along with the Secret Service guarded the hotel from strategic points, from the tall skyscrapers surrounding the historic hotel with snipers trained on the location, to ground forces stationed in and around armored vehicles.

The level of security placed around the Plaza Hotel would've been all too much for Agent Jacob Hayes to infiltrate if it wasn't for Agent Gabrielle Jones' help, calling in a few favors to make sure Jacob had a way in through the back of the hotel. Jacob sat in the security office behind the front desk, going through three cups of coffee and watching the security monitors, waiting for President Grey to arrive when his cell phone rang.

"Hello?" he said in a low tone.

"Hey, partner," Vincent said on the other line.

"What the hell? Where are you?"

"Don't worry. We're close by," Vincent assured him. "It took me a while but I was able to track your cell that led us here."

Jacob leaned toward the security monitors, hoping to pick up Vincent and the rest of Chaos Company on them. "Great. I could use the backup," Jacob said to him. "And thanks for sending me those files. With skills like that, you might wanna consider moonlighting for the NSA."

"And breakup this amazing partnership we have?"

Jacob chuckled lightly. "Where are you exactly?" Jacob said with his eyes glued to the monitor.

"Covering the entrance from afar. Any clue where Hopkins and Grey are?"

Jacob's eyes scanned through monitor feeds, taking a look at the thick security that blocked off access to the hotel. "They'll be here any second. I was putting together an exit strategy for Grey before I was framed for killing Doctor Wilbert. Judging by the level of security and their formation, they didn't stray too far from the plan. They just aren't using the subway to get her out anymore."

"So how is she supposed to get out now?" Vincent asked.

"They get here and take a chopper off the island. Once they're out of the city, they'll get to DC by road with an entire military convoy chaperoning them. Or, at least that's how it's supposed to go down today."

Vincent sighed. "When do you think Hopkins will make another move on Grey?"

"Those plans you guys sent me show he's going to kill her once they reach the military convoy. Probably have King make a mess of things which leaves Hopkins looking like a lucky survivor of the assault." Jacob's eyes shifted over to the camera displaying activity at the entrance. "Looks like they just showed up, you seeing this?"

"Yeah. I see them."

The security feeds in front of Jacob showed three black SUVs parked in front of the hotel. At the same time, a dark blue commercial helicopter landed on the center of the luxuriously green rooftop. A number of Secret Servicemen exited the SUVs and made a perimeter around them. Thomas Hopkins crawled out the front vehicle from the back passenger side.

President Jennifer Grey adjusted her blood red blazer and black dress pants after being guided out of the back of the center SUV by her security team. From the hotel's security feed Jacob watched Grey take in a glimpse of the five American flags that hung over the entrance door before being directed into the hotel lobby.

*****

Vincent positioned himself on the top floor of a thirty story apartment building adjacent to the hotel. Behind him lay an unconscious New York police officer, stripped of his high-powered sniper rifle. He stood next to a window in the building with the officer's sniper trained on the front entrance of the Plaza Hotel with a half-empty flask next to his boot.

"You guys in position?" Vincent said, speaking to his team through the walkie-talkie strapped to his black tactical vest.

"Loud and clear, little man," Cameron answered.

"You got eyes on King?" he heard Anna ask through the walkie-talkie.

"Not yet. But he has to be close."

"Who're you talking to?" Jacob asked Vincent.

"Got my team on another line. They're down there with you." Vincent said to Jacob via his earpiece.

Jacob stood up and checked his pistol before holstering it. "They ready to move?"

"Ready when you are partner." he said with a smile before hearing Jacob hang up on him.

***

Jacob put his cell phone in his jean pocket and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He took a few deep breaths and barged through the door. The receptionists stared as he walked from behind the check-in desk and followed the President and her men into the next room.

It was then that everything happened slowly for Jacob. The second he caught a glimpse of Grey was the moment he saw Thomas Hopkins pointing him out to one of his guards.

"It's Hayes! Take him down!" Hopkins yelled.

Hopkins and Grey's dedicated guards who brought up the rear drew their guns on Jacob. While the entire room had eyes on Jacob, everyone failed to see Desmond Striker and Cameron Wilson rushing Hopkins from the left.

Cameron shouldered one of Hopkins' men into a seat in the middle of the room. Desmond grabbed the guard who threw a jab at him by the fist and spun him around. He then twisted the man's arm behind his back before kicking him into the serviceman drawing on Jacob, knocking them both down.

The Secret Service agents pushed Grey and Hopkins back and fanned out, away from Desmond and Cameron. Kiyoko and Anna jumped over the railing on the second floor. As they did, Kiyoko aimed at one of the guards below, crashing into him with her knees. Screams flooded the ground floor as Anna made quick work of the guard closest to Hopkins, hitting the man a with palm strike to the throat before swiping his legs from underneath him. With orange scales forming on her skin, she blocked the haymaker of another guard and scratched his arm. She sliced the man's pistol in half the second he drew it before pushing him back and landing a spinning back kick across his face.

Desmond surprised the last guard protecting Hopkins by putting him in a headlock as Cameron knocked out the guard who was ready to shoot Kiyoko with a backhand to the temple.

Desmond kept a headlock on the guard until he ceased to struggle. He then dropped the unconscious agent and pointed over to Hopkins, who was making a run for the front door. "Get him!"

"Get down here now!" Hopkins screamed into his earpiece.

*****

Minutes before hearing his boss's plea for help, Liam King had stepped out of the Bell 206 helicopter on the rooftop of the Plaza and slowly made his way to the edge of the roof. With a cigarette in his mouth, Liam took a seat and enjoyed the sights of the city, taking in the view before Grey arrived.

The job was simple for Liam. All he had to do was grab Grey the moment she got to the roof and rough up the servicemen on Hopkins' payroll to make it look like they didn't just hand her over. Then he, Grey, and Hopkins would take the chopper to the rendezvous with the military convoy where Liam would take out every soldier with the convoy, leaving Grey's body within the wreckage before going into hiding.

Liam took a deep breath and hopped around, eager to finally finish his job. Nothing was going to stop him. Not the military convoy, and certainly not Chaos Company.

Liam's legs dangled over the emerald roof of the Plaza Hotel. He took in a chimney's fill of smoke from his cigarette after hearing Hopkins yell at him for backup and tossed it over the edge before climbing to his feet.

***

Hopkins would've made it out of the hotel if he had been paying to what was in front of him, as opposed to looking back at Desmond and the others. His lack of awareness earned him a punch in the face by Jacob and a seat on the ground.

Jacob shook his fist while Cameron dragged the old man back into the room. "Agh! That hurt!" Jacob screamed over the horrified cries of the hotel guests.

"Learn how to punch and it hurts less," Kiyoko said to him with a small smile.

Desmond, Anna, and Kiyoko picked up pistols from the unconscious agents and fanned out, making a triangle around Cameron and Hopkins.

"You okay?" Desmond asked Jacob as he looked around for any more guards.

Jacob stepped inside the triangle, still holding his knuckles. "Yeah. That could've gone smoother though."

"Next time you outta let the big kids go in first!" Cameron barked at him.

"Don't worry about him Jake," Kiyoko said reassuringly. "Cam's a real teddy bear when you get to know him."

"A teddy bear that bangs everything in sight, maybe," Vincent chimed in through Desmond and the other's earpieces.

Kiyoko stuffed her pistol in the back of her pants while she and Desmond headed over to Hopkins, who leaned against the apple green couch.

"Stay down," Desmond said while kicking Hopkins' arm from under him as he tried to push himself up.

Hopkins wiped the blood pumping out his nose. He looked up at President Grey who was being gently pushed closer to him by Anna.

As Anna's scales subsided into her skin, Grey broke free from her grip and stumbled over to Hopkins' side. "What do you people want?" Grey asked with shaking hands.

Desmond holstered his pistol and raised his hands to Grey. "We're not here to hurt you, ma'am."

He went on to explain the events that led his team to attack her guards. The words betrayal and deception were tossed around with Hopkins' named tied to them.

Desmond kept a finger pointed at Hopkins, "He hired the private military company Armored Tempest and Liam King to kill you. He wants your position in the White House to start a war."

"He thinks dealing the first blow can prevent an otherwise inevitable world war," Jacob said, chiming in on Desmond's defense.

The sincerity in Desmond's words, tied with Jacob's support and the look of disgust the others had when looking at Hopkins made things all too clear for President Jennifer Grey. Jacob pulled out his cell phone and handed it to Grey, explaining that all the files needed to pin Hopkins for his atrocities were on the device.

Grey stepped back, away from her once respected colleague, with her fist clenching Jacob's phone, as Hopkins muttered under his breath.

Hopkins shook his head while pounding his fist into the floor. "You think I wanted to do this?" he shouted. "To bring an army down on the President? No! This was my last resort!" He struggled to stand up, limping over to Grey. "Jennifer," he said softly. "There's a list of countries that want to piss on our freedoms! North Korea, China, Russia, the Middle-East! They are all so close to putting us in check and you've done nothing to knock them off the board! You're too afraid of what people might think about you making the first move," he said while pointing a shaking finger at Grey. "But I'm not! I'm willing to do what's necessary!" Hopkins crawled closer to his Commander and Chief as she backed away. "I can command our forces to be proactive, not reactive like they've been for over a decade! If protecting my country means killing you, then I see that as nothing more than a means to a much needed end!"

Kiyoko pulled Grey behind her and pushed Hopkins away the second he was within reach. "Get back!"

"Here." Desmond said to Jacob while tossing him a spare earpiece. "This way we're all on the same channel."

After watching Jacob fasten the device, Desmond turned to Anna, who had just shoved Hopkins onto a sofa. She fixed her pistol on his chest as he fell helplessly on the seat.

"Anna, don't!" Desmond shouted out to her. But he could tell his words fell on deaf ears.

Orange diamond-like scales covered Anna's body, while the same color orange flooded in her eyes. Her breathing became more rapid as she closed in on the man responsible for her brother's death.

"All this time I blamed Liam for killing Tyler. Until now." she said loudly. "But now I know he was just a dog, a mercenary taking orders." Anna raised a scale-encrusted finger at Hopkins after stopping an arm's length away from him. "But it was you! Your orders...your selfishness is what got my brother killed! You fucking megalomaniac!"

*****

Vincent kept his scope trained on the front door of the hotel while Desmond and the others were inside with Grey and Hopkins. His aim was fixed, until a cigarette hitting the sidewalk next to the SUVs fell in his line of sight. Vincent's aim climbed up the twenty story building, until he came across a man on the rooftop, stretching his legs as if he was getting ready to run a race.

"Guys, I got something," he said to his team via their earpieces.

"What you got, Vincent?" Desmond asked.

Vincent finally found the correct adjustment on his scope to see the man on the roof top. "Oh, come on! It's King!"

*****

Desmond looked over to Anna, pointing at her and Hopkins. "Anna, we're taking Hopkins in." he said sternly. "Liam's here, we need to be on the same page if we're all going to get out of here alive."

"Liam King is here?" Grey asked. Her upper body shook uncontrollably

Kiyoko nodded. "We're going to get you out of here ma'am."

"Vincent, if you can see Liam take the shot." Anna said with authority.

Cameron holstered his pistol and walked up to Anna. She lowered her weapon away from Hopkins' skull. "Anna. We'll deal with him the right way."

"He's right," Desmond added, "he's no longer a threat. King is. Vincent's sniper might not do the job. We need to retreat and be ready for him."

Anna sighed as she finally took her eyes off Hopkins. "Fine. But kill King now! The longer he's alive the more people will die because of him!" she said before walking out of the room and into the lobby. "Take the shot, Vincent!" she screamed into her earpiece.

Jacob walked over to Kiyoko, still holding President Grey close. "What does he mean it might not do the job? It's a damn sniper!"

"King is on an overdose of the serum that made us what we are. It should be in those files Vincent sent you." Kiyoko said to Jacob.

"What does that mean?"

Kiyoko sighed before answering Grey. "It means...up to this point, guns haven't been able put him down."

"Vincent! Do not fire!" Desmond screamed.

"Sorry, Dessy. Anna's right. We gotta try something," Vincent said before firing a shot heard across the team's comm. link.

*****

Liam stayed low behind the roof's ventilation duct, frustrating Vincent who quickly put a round through the glass of the helicopter, killing the pilot before he could take off. He turned back to Liam who ran across the emerald rooftops and fired round after round. Liam fell on one knee after a bullet struck his leg, but was quick to get up and sprint forward. Vincent hit Liam with another round, this time in his shoulder, but Liam brushed it off quicker than the first. He didn't let it stop his sprint for the ledge, with the tails of his black trench coat flying behind him.

After readjusting his sights once more, Vincent took aim as Liam leaped over the ledge of the twenty story hotel. He could hear the chatter of law enforcement agents screaming, "shots fired!" through the walkie talkie of the officer he had knocked unconscious. The pressure of knowing Grey's sniper team was looking for him had Vincent break into a sweat, but he put the anxiety aside, and with his last bullet, he shot the infamous Liam King in the head.

"Got him!" Vincent screamed the second he saw the bullet push into Liam's skull, forcing him to tumble out of control along the hotel.

"Got eyes on the shooter!" Vincent heard Grey's sniper team confirming his visual on the walkie-talkie. "He's not one of ours!"

"Open fire!"

Vincent ran out of the room, snatching up the walkie-talkie and dragging the unconscious policeman along the way. He dropped to the floor in the hallway right before Grey's men opened fire into the top floor of the building. The sound of gunfire raced past Vincent as he covered his head.

"The plan's gone sideways! Get down to Hopkins now!" Vincent heard hostiles yell through the borrowed walkie-talkie. "And someone please put a bullet in Grey if that bitch isn't dead already!"

*****

"Vincent!" Desmond screamed, just before the sound of Liam King crashing outside the hotel entrance pulled his attention.

Dust smothered the street around Liam's point of impact. Cameron lifted Thomas Hopkins up onto his feet and dragged him into the lobby. He ran point, using Hopkins as a human shield while aiming his pistol over Hopkins' shoulder at the entrance.

Desmond and the others formed a V-formation behind Cameron. He and Anna were on Cameron's left while Jacob and Kiyoko brought up the right. Kiyoko used one hand to keep President Grey behind her, until she signaled for her to find cover behind the reception desk, where Grey found staff personnel ducking for safety.

The dust cleared around Liam's body as civilians outside scattered away from the hotel. The first thing Desmond saw rattled his nerves. He hoped to see Liam King lying dead on the pavement and his blood filling the cracks in the small crater underneath him. What Desmond saw instead was Liam King, with his right knee and fist digging into the ground. Liam's flickering orange and blue eyes pierced through the dust and fixed on Chaos Company.

Liam rampaged through the glass entrance and sprinted towards Chaos Company. Cameron fired with Desmond and the others followed suit, but their weapons failed to damage their target. Liam held one hand up to his face, shielding his eyes until he was within striking distance with Cameron.

Liam snatched Hopkins away from Cameron's grasp before pushing Cameron back with a kick to the chest. "Move, old man!" he screamed as he pulled Hopkins towards the hotel entrance before firing an optic beam at Jacob.

"Get down!" Kiyoko screamed at Jacob while tackling him to the ground. Liam's beam missed by centimeters as it cut through the reception desk.

With her skin covered in orange scales Anna charged at Liam. She tossed her pistol aside and flew at Liam with a corkscrew kick, flying right by him the moment he stepped aside. Her hands slammed against the ground, slowing her down before following up with another attack. She leaped forward, swiping at Liam's throat with her orange claws.

Liam leaned away from Anna's attack and caught her arm. In one movement he spun and slammed her into the ground. He then jumped away from Anna as Desmond fired his weapon. Liam spun and delivered a back kick to Desmond's jaw, sending Desmond spinning to the floor.

Desmond looked up and into Liam's eyes. He could tell Liam was ready to blast him in half with an optic beam, but Kiyoko snuck behind and wrapped her hands around Liam's face. Liam's muscles locked up on him as soon as Kiyoko touched him. With her eyes flashing orange, Kiyoko's deadly hands relayed a fatal signal from her brain to Liam's body, ordering his body to shut down on him. For a moment, the veins in his neck blackened all the way up to eyes. As his body seized, Liam dropped on all fours.

Kiyoko held on tight as Liam started to slow down. With his body shaking vigorously Liam jumped back, tucking his legs and crashing into the ground, with Kiyoko breaking his fall.

Cameron crawled to his feet and charged at Liam. With enough space between them Liam had time to roll off Kiyoko, back away from Cameron, and fire an optic beam at his chest. The violent orange energy pushed Cameron off his feet and pinned him to the floor.

Jacob drew his Desert Eagle as he crawled to his feet and moved toward Hopkins, but his advance was halted when Liam drew his pistol from his black jeans and put a bullet in Jacob's left arm.

While holding her ribcage, Kiyoko rolled back and jumped to her feet in an attempt to aid Jacob as he fell on his side. Her advance towards Jacob was stopped by Liam, who kicked her into Cameron.

Anna took Liam by surprise by slicing his calf muscles, which brought him to his knees and gave her an opportunity for a downward haymaker. Liam grabbed Anna by the fist and her FBI vest, flipping her over his shoulder and sending her slamming onto the floor.

"Anna!" Desmond screamed as he charged at Liam.

With a grip on Anna's arm Liam stood up and turned, throwing her into Desmond. Desmond instinctively caught and held onto Anna tight as the two of them crashed to the floor. Regardless of the hazard Anna's scaled-body threatened him with, Desmond kept his arms wrapped around her until their tumble across the lobby floor ceased as her scales tore through his vest and arms.

"Anyone else?" Liam said in a cocky tone, talking down to the room filled with civilians. "I didn't think so."

Hopkins wiped the sweat from his forehead and stood in front of Liam. "You see that, Jennifer?" Hopkins grabbed the M9 Beretta from Liam and fired it above the desk where Grey hid behind. "Get out here!"

The roar Hopkins let out after the gunfire jolted Grey to stand up from behind the desk with her hands up. Liam swiveled his attention between eyeing the President and the members of Chaos Company while Grey slowly stepped towards Hopkins.

Hopkins fixed his aim at Grey. "That's far enough," he said to her. His words forced her to stop right in front of Jacob. Hopkins waved the gun around at Desmond and his team. "The rest of you should stay down."

"That's unless you want my employer to go down as the next John Wilkes Booth," Liam said with a smile.

Hopkins' blood boiled as he tightened his grip on the pistol. "This nation needs to have a more offensive force, but you failed to see that! You always failed to see that!" Hopkins hooked the gun back and forth at Grey. "Your reservation to do what's best for all has made you weak! And that's the difference between you and me, Jennifer! I have no reservation when it comes to doing what's best for my country!" he said as he banged his hand against his chest.

"You mean what's best for yourself!"

Liam and Hopkins turned to Desmond, who got up on one knee, holding his jaw and wiping his blood from his arms.

Hopkins laughed at Desmond. "Excuse me?"

"You talk about doing what's best for this country, but all I see is you doing what's best for you." He pointed over to Grey, and as all eyes were on Desmond, Jacob kicked his pistol over to the President. "Killing the President while the country's disheveled automatically makes you the next one to take office, skipping ahead of the VP and the Secretary of State."

Hopkins raised his pistol past Liam and at Desmond's scratched up vest. "And? What's your point, soldier?"

Desmond grinned at the anxious secretary. "Sounds like you're another radical pissed 'cause things aren't going your way."

"You should be thanking us really," Liam said as he pointed at Desmond. "In the long run, we're saving lives mate. Which is completely against my skill set I might add."

"I don't expect you to understand, Corporal," Hopkins said to Desmond. "Jennifer isn't what's best for this country. She cannot make the hard decisions. I can!"

"All I see you making are selfish ones," Desmond said as he finally stood up straight. "Killing's easy. But delegating peace," Desmond paused and raised a finger to Hopkins. "That takes a kind of strength you could never understand. You think what you're doing is difficult. But it's simple, because you're a simple man."

"I'm a man who sees his country losing its top spot in this world!" Hopkins screamed while stepping closer to Desmond. "I'm a man who's willing to fight to stay on top! I'm a goddamned patriot and you're a child playing a man's game!"

Anna raced to Desmond, tackling him to the ground just before two gunshots went off back to back. The first was from Hopkins, who had missed Desmond. President Jennifer Grey was guilty of the second shot. Her sights were set on Hopkins, and she didn't miss.

The round clipped Hopkins' shoulder, pushing him back into Liam's embrace. Liam snatched his pistol from Hopkins and fulfilled his contract by gunning down President Grey with two shots, one round puncturing her chest and the other piercing though her stomach.

"No!" Jacob roared in horror as President Grey staggered backward, tripping over his leg before hitting the ground. He crawled over to Grey's side while keeping pressure on his arm.

Cameron waved Kiyoko in Grey's direction. "Go!" he screamed, which led Kiyoko to sprint before sliding across the floor to Grey's aid.

Liam quickly pulled Hopkins behind him and pushed him toward the exit. "We're leaving now!"

The second Liam and Hopkins headed for the door was the moment Cameron sprung to his feet and charged after the two. Desmond and Anna followed.

Jacob picked up his Desert Eagle that Grey had dropped and fired at Liam's back. Each bullet hit, but failed to put Liam down.

Liam had Hopkins in a bear hug as he pushed for the exit and shoved him into an SUV. The second he and Hopkins' were in he barked at the driver to take off, leaving Cameron, Desmond, and Anna behind.

The driver sped off and forced civilians and police troopers alike out of his way before making a hard U-turn. The SUV burned out its tire before speeding past the hotel again. The driver swerved onto the sidewalk, hitting a policeman and his motorcycle parked outside the hotel.

Desmond was the first to exit the hotel, sprinting past Anna and Cameron. He jumped over the dented police bike. "We can't let them escape!" His hand was charged with kinetic energy, ready to fire at the vehicle. The moment the SUV took off, dozens of frantic civilians crowded his line of sight on the vehicle. He stepped back on the sidewalk where he met Cameron and Anna, along with a tactical team that flanked them on both sides, all of whom were under Hopkins' command.

The tactical team roared at them to get down, after already firing a round at Cameron's shoulder.

"Get back!" Cameron said while pushing Desmond back into the hotel as his eyes lit up. He brushed off the bullet lodged between his arm and his metal ballistic vest and charged at his assailant.

With her skin covered in sharp orange scales, Anna slid for the black SUV in front of her, shielding herself from the tactical team approaching from the south. She climbed on the SUV as she tore one of the diamond shaped scales from her forearm and threw it at the assailant that ran point of the five-man team advancing towards her. She then rolled off the windshield and ducked behind the driver door.

Cameron made quick work of the man running point towards him. As bullets ricocheted off his body he tore off the door to the SUV closest to him and threw it at the first assailant's legs, taking them out from underneath him. Cameron took advantage of the man falling forward and delivered a devastating sidekick to his chest, pushing him onto his teammates.

Anna spotted a number of police officers under Hopkins' command coming her way, all of them looking for a clean shot at her from across the street. She would have been gunned down already if it wasn't for the riot of civilians that flooded the area. She pulled out another scale from her forearm and crawled into the back of the SUV before the police fired in her direction.

Desmond pressed his back against the entrance door frame. He peeked over to see Anna's opposition gunning down Grey's Secret Service agents adjacent to Anna, along with a few civilians who were in the line of fire. With his hand still charged Desmond launched a kinetic blast at the feet of the assailant closest to him, tearing his lower extremities from his torso.

Anna took advantage of Desmond's kinetic shot, kicking open the backdoor of the SUV she hid behind, knocking down one of Hopkins' men in the process. She jumped out and used the thirty-six inch blade she constructed from her scales to parry the sub-machine gun that was pointed at her chest from another assailant. In one swift move, Anna rotated her hips and stepped toward the man as she exposed her back to him, and drove her scale-covered elbow into his face, leaving him disfigured and bloody. She then grabbed the man's arm, swung him around with his back to her, and forced him to fire his sub-machine gun, gunning down the man's teammates that tried to flank her.

Before the mercenary Anna had knocked down with the SUV door could retaliate, she threw her sharp orange blade through the back door window. Even though each window on the all-black SUVs were bullet proof, they did little to deflect Anna's piercing blade, and the strength she put behind her throw. The blade penetrated through the glass, and into the mercenary's chest. Anna pulled the blade out of the man's chest and the window, allowing him to fall and bleed out on the sidewalk.

Glancing around, Desmond could tell that Anna and Cameron could handle any opposition that confronted them at this point. At the moment he was less worried about their safety and more worried about catching up to Liam and Hopkins. He looked ahead to see a police squad bike, knocked on its side and hanging off the side of the street. While staying low Desmond headed for the bike, stood it up on both wheels and sped off the second he mounted it.

While making a half circle around Anna with the bike, Desmond could hear her screaming out his name. He looked back to see Anna running after him to the end of the hotel waving at Desmond to stop.

"Desmond no! Wait! Wait for me!" she shouted.

Desmond could hear Anna loud and clear, both through the crowd of civilians and through his earpiece, but hearing her scream for him wasn't enough for him to hit the brakes. "I'm going after Hopkins and King!"

"Wait for us to back you up! We can take him on together!" she screamed.

"No! Protect the President! Protect the civilians!"

"Desmond, don't do this!" Anna roared into her earpiece.

"I'm not letting them get away again!"

Desmond knew what he was doing could spell the end for him. He knew the chances of him stopping Hopkins and King alone were small, but he couldn't let them get away with all they'd done. Shooting Grey in cold blood, gunning down Dr. Henry Wilbert, the man who had given him the power to protect his country. Killing Lieutenant Tyler Young, Chaos Company's team leader and Desmond's best friend. He was sick of seeing the people he loved and admire die so that Hopkins could initiate his "Uprising." Desmond was hell-bent on ending this today, without anyone else getting hurt, even if it killed him.
Chapter Sixteen

President Jennifer Grey wasn't breathing. With his fingers on her neck, Jacob could barely feel a pulse. Each beat felt faint to him. He held her head up while Kiyoko checked the punctures in Grey's chest and stomach.

"Can you heal her?" Jacob asked anxiously.

"The round in her stomach went straight through and missed her spine, but the other one's lodged next to her lung. I need something to pry it out before I can close her up."

The way Kiyoko explained the process to Jacob made him realize she had made the mistake of not taking the bullet out first before using her abilities earlier in her career. Jacob pulled out his pocket knife and handed it to Kiyoko with the pliers already sticking out. Jacob took off his leather jacket, doing his best not to make any unnecessary movements with his wounded left shoulder, and placed it under Grey's head, before Kiyoko slowly dug the knife into the President's chest cavity.

*****

Cameron had his hands full against the five assailants. Even though their rounds bounced off his body, they still left bruises on him.

After kicking one mercenary into another, the other three approached Cameron, firing as they closed in on him. Cameron snatched the shotgun from the heavily armed man closest to the street and swung the weapon against the side of his helmet. The last two standing mercenaries dropped their guns and charged at him with stun batons. Cameron stepped back as one of them swung the baton at his chest. He quickly stepped to the side and grabbed the stun baton. He then parried the other attacker's rod before using his teammate's own weapon against him, shocking him with the stun rod.

After Cameron smashed his elbow against the mercenary's temple, he hustled over to the two that were climbing to their feet. The man he threw a haymaker at instinctively ducked and stabbed Cameron in the hip with his stun rod.

Cameron could brush off most attacks easily, but the twenty thousand volts that punctured through his hip brought him to his knees just like any ordinary man. The mercenary moved the rod up Cameron's body, before pressing the prongs against the side of his neck, forcing a roar out of him as the volts sent a shockwave of pain through his body. Cameron's muscles tensed, leaving him paralyzed and vulnerable to the man's teammate, who picked up the shotgun Cameron was using and fired it at his chest.

The force of the shotgun at close range was enough to push Cameron off his knees, and slammed him into the black SUV behind him.

Cameron's senses dwindled in and out. He could barely hear the sound of gunfire that filled the streets as Hopkins' hired guns engaged in a firefight with local police and SWAT officers. His vision faded for a moment before returning to him, blurred and off balance, as if he was caught in a storm at sea. The one sense that was alive and well was the pain he felt in his chest. The shotgun shell fragments that pierced through his metal vest lodged themselves just enough to crack through his tough skin. His overdeveloped pectoral muscles were on fire and he could smell it.

The sound of the shotgun being pumped brought him back to full consciousness. He couldn't move, his body wouldn't allow it. He could only watch helplessly as Hopkins' mercenary raised the barrel of the combat shotgun up to his skull, inches away from his eyes.

*****

Vincent ran down a flight of stairs, with his PSG1 sniper on his back and a walkie-talkie hanging from his vest. He could hear enemy gunfire and commands bursting out from the receiver.

"You heard Hopkins! Get down there and eliminate the threat! And make sure anyone who saw him in the Plaza doesn't leave alive!" A mercenary yelled over the walkie-talkie

"We got local cops and anti-terrorist units down here! Engage them before the civilians," said another.

"If they're not with us, put 'em down hard!"

It wasn't until Vincent heard one of Hopkins' men scream they had two " _enhanced freaks"_ in their sights that he cut into an office and took aim at the chaos in front of the hotel. He scanned through the police men being fired at from all angles, the civilians either running for safety or dropping like flies, and found Anna running across the front of the Plaza hotel. He led his scope further down to see her running towards Cameron, who had just been launched into the black SUV behind him, thanks to the force of the shotgun a mercenary used on him.

Vincent quickly adjusted his sights and shot at the man holding the shotgun to Cameron's face, hitting the weapon and jerking it away to shoot the back tire of the SUV. Vincent took another shot, this time putting a bullet through the man's leg.

*****

Cameron saw Anna taking advantage of Vincent cover fire. She crept up on the mercenary who was picking up a MP5 from one of his fallen teammates and slit his throat with her blade-like scale.

Cameron kicked the last standing mercenary's knee in, forcing him to the ground, screaming in agony, before Vincent put him down with a shot to the chest.

Anna put her hand out for Cameron to grab and pulled him up. "You okay?"

"Yeah. What doesn't kill me, right?" he said with a heavy breath as he picked the shell fragments out of his chest.

"Desmond went after Hopkins and King and he isn't answering his comm-link."

"Seriously guys," Vincent chimed in through his earpiece, "a thank you goes a long way. Or a drink if we get out of this alive. I personally prefer the latter."

"You got it, Vinny. Thanks, man," Cameron said while Anna waved up at the building Vincent was in. Cameron finished picking the shells out of his chest.

"We gotta move." Anna looked over Cameron's shoulder. "There. We can use that SWAT van!" she shouted before running past him. "Come on!"

Instinct forced Cameron to look back one last time at the police struggling to defend themselves and the civilians on the street running for cover before making himself push forward. He wanted to go back and take on the mercenaries emerging from Central Park, but he knew that catching up to Desmond and capturing Thomas Hopkins was the key to ending the mayhem that surrounded him.

Anna jumped into the driver's seat as Cameron dove into the back and searched for weapons. "Vincent! Desmond's chasing King and Hopkins! You got a beat on where they're going?" she asked through her earpiece as the SWAT van roared to life.

"Enemy chatter spotted them taking a left on 59th. They're heading toward the Radio City Music Hall now."

Cameron felt the van jerk as it moved forward and made a tight U-turn before speeding away from the Plaza. Without letting up on the gas she made a hard right, nearly running over a group of panic-stricken civilians on the sidewalk.

The van took a large amount of enemy fire on both sides from a number of mercenaries who roamed the streets. Cameron closed the back doors. He looked up to see Anna had not flinched from the shooting, nor was she swerving to evade the gunfire.

*****

Thomas Hopkins peered through the rear window of the black SUV while Liam instructed the driver where to go. Desmond was just in view of Hopkins' sights, swerving left and right on his police motorcycle, avoiding the slow moving vehicles. Hopkins fired out the rear-side window, missing horribly until his M9 Beretta went dry.

"We're heading to the Brooklyn Bridge now! I want Striker buried before we get there!" Liam barked into the walkie-talkie just before Hopkins threw his empty pistol at Liam's head. "The hell is your probem, Tommy!"

"You were supposed to keep them off my back!" Hopkins enunciated every word, spitting at Liam as he spoke.

"I tried..." Liam paused for a second confessing, "Briefly."

"How brief were you?"

"People like that don't just flip sides cause things aren't going their way. You have a better chance changing a zebra's stripes." Liam put a hand on Hopkins' shoulder and pointed forward. "Look, mate, all we got to do is get on the other side of the Brooklyn Bridge. Once there, we can plan on our next move."

Hopkins sized Liam up, from his black boots to his shoulder length blonde hair. He couldn't help but notice how calm the Australian was. His maniacal grin hadn't left his face since they hopped into the SUV. Hopkins knew his hired gun was getting off on the excitement -- it was what he lived for.

"I hope you're enjoying yourself," Hopkins muttered at him.

The driver made a hard left, blowing past two four-way stops and made a right onto Madison Avenue. The sharp turns had the two men crashing against the back doors.

Liam pushed off Hopkins and looked back at Desmond who was half a block away. His eyes lit up before firing a concentrated optic beam, piercing through the bullet proof rear-view window. His beam hit the road just in front of Desmond, blowing the street to pieces. Desmond jerked into the left lane to avoid the pothole and quickly jerked back into the right lane to avoid a dump trunk.

Liam continued to fire at Desmond in bursts with his optic beam. "This kid is so much fun! It's a shame he's going to die soon!"

*****

"Keep pressure there!" Kiyoko pushed Jacob's hands against President Grey's stomach to stop the reservoir of blood from pumping out.

Kiyoko dug into Grey's chest with the long-nose pliers from Jacob's pocket knife. The tip of the pliers wedged into the cavity, just above Grey's right breast. Jacob turned his head away as Kiyoko pushed deeper into the cavity. He knew Kiyoko must have hit a nerve the second Grey's eyes shot open. She quickly clamped down and pulled the bullet out before Grey started shaking.

Jacob put his body weight behind his hands while he held Grey from shaking. "The hell's happening?" he yelled in horror.

"She's going into shock! Hold her steady!"

Kiyoko slid her hands underneath Jacob's before he pinned Grey down by her shoulders. Her blood was everywhere. Jacob could barely keep it together. He had experienced people dying in front of him but not like this, not with their blood on his hands. The fact that it was the President of the United States made things all the more surreal. He looked up to see Kiyoko, whose bright orange eyes almost blinded him.

Jacob watched in awe as Grey's wounds closed before his eyes. The plastic stretching sound of her skin pulling together was almost enough to make him pass out. He looked up and away from the unnatural process to see a half-circle of civilians watching Kiyoko use her gifts to save the President's life.

"There." Kiyoko's said as the glow in her eyes subsided.

Jacob lifted Grey's head off his jacket. "Madam President." He shook her gently. "You've got to get up!"

Jacob turned to the sound of gunfire drawing closer to the hotel. He looked up to see the hotel guests scatter like roaches as stray bullets whizzed into the building.

"We don't have time for this!" Kiyoko pulled her hand back and slapped Grey across the face, shocking both her and Jacob.

Grey felt for Jacob's pistol that was by her waist. She clenched the handle and fired over Kiyoko's shoulder, emptying the clip past Kiyoko's ear and gunning down a lone mercenary who had snuck up on them.

The President sat up with Jacob's help. She held the smoking gun in one hand and her cheek with the other. "Which one of you slapped me?"

Kiyoko was quick to apologize. "It was in your best interest, ma'am."

"Those are words I'd expect to hear from my advisors."

Jacob grabbed his Desert Eagle from Grey and loaded another magazine in. The three of them ran deeper into the hotel as more gunfire entered the building. Jacob suppressed the enemy from entering the hotel with blind fire. "Move it!" He pushed Grey in front of him while Kiyoko pulled her forward.

The sound of two distinct sniper rounds firing one after the other put an end to the mercenaries firing into the hotel. "You guys still alive in there?" Vincent said into their earpieces in a cocky tone.

"Barely." Kiyoko was short of breath as the three of them took refuge behind punctured furniture.

"And Grey?"

"She's lost a lot of blood, but she's breathing. Are the others chasing Hopkins and King?

"According to bad guy chatter, they are. I overheard King planning an ambush on the other side of the Brooklyn Bridge. I'd warn them but these earpieces have less range than Keanu Reeves' acting."

"Any ideas?"

"Yeah." Vincent said with a pause. "Can pretty boy down there fly a chopper?"

President Grey and Kiyoko both looked over to Jacob. "Who, me?" he said nervously.

Grey nodded. "Yes, Agent Hayes. You."

"There's a chopper on the roof of the plaza. Get to it." Vincent said in a commanding tone. "You can come pick me up. I'm in the building northwest of you. Look for me on the top floor."

Jacob glanced over to Grey and Kiyoko who shared cover behind the same couch. "Can you get her to safety on your own?"

Kiyoko nodded. "We'll be fine," she assured him. "Go!"

Jacob slid his pistol over to Kiyoko and peered towards the entrance, checking that the coast was clear before making a run for the elevators.

*****

"Come on!" Grey heard Kiyoko scream at her before being pulled by her blazer and led to the back of the hotel. Kiyoko pushed through the crowd of guests that dispersed in the hotel and used her shoulder to bust through the kitchen door.

President Grey caught a glimpse of hotel guests and cooks hiding behind prep tables and stoves. Kiyoko shuffled around the cooking equipment, pulling Grey behind her. Guilt rushed over the President as she passed by the civilians. She couldn't help but wonder if there was any way for her to have prevented the trouble Hopkins had caused.

"Through here." Kiyoko released Grey from her grip before kicking down the back door. She stepped out and scanned left, then right, down the back alley of the loading docks, before giving Grey the okay to come out. The two of them ran from behind the building towards the local police officers who were in a firefight with Hopkins' hired guns. Kiyoko quickly held Grey back at the sound of gun fire surrounding them.

"Get down!" She dragged Grey behind a parked truck to avoid any stray rounds. She looked up to see Hopkins' men advancing slowly down the street, all dressed in heavy armor and strapped with automatic weapons. A line of emergency vehicles and more than a dozen police officers returning fire separated Hopkins' men from Grey and Kiyoko

"Over here!" A police officer waved the two of them down. He took cover behind an ambulance where a paramedic was busy patching up a woman who had taken a round in the shoulder.

Kiyoko pushed Grey from behind the truck towards the ambulance. "Move!" She aimed her sights over the officers who returned fire half a block up as the President limped across the street. The lack of blood in her system was getting to her. When Kiyoko revived Grey she was full of adrenaline, but now her body was moments away from crashing.

Kiyoko strafed from the truck to the ambulance, keeping her pistol at the ready as she crossed the street.

"Are you okay, ma'am?" the officer asked while guiding President Grey to take a seat in the back of the emergency vehicle.

She pointed over her shoulder. "There are people...still in the Plaza," she said breathlessly.

"If they didn't see us go through the back, they'll be gunning for everyone in there!"

The officer, whose multiple ribbons clearly displayed his experience as a policeman, pressed the walkie-talkie strapped on his chest and barked at his peers to get a squad into the hotel.

"And get me an escort! I got the President here and she's not looking too good."

"And the National Guard," Grey said to him.

The policemen covered the walkie-talkie with both hands. "What?"

"This city needs the National Guard." Grey would have fallen out of the ambulance if it wasn't for the paramedic, a short woman, who eased Grey to sit on the crash cart stationed in the middle of the van.

Kiyoko stood the wounded woman up and told the paramedic to get some blood into the President's system while instructing the woman to find a place to hide.

"Who're you?" the officer asked Kiyoko as he reached for his handcuffs.

President Grey waved the policeman off with one hand while the paramedic punctured her other arm with a needle connected to an O-type blood bag hanging on the wall. "That's not necessary, officer," she had just enough strength to say with authority. "This woman saved my life."

The cop holstered his pistol and let up on the handcuffs. "Okay," he said hesitantly.

Kiyoko exhaled in relief. She looked at the officer's walkie-talkie strapped to his chest and pointed at it. "What's the range on that thing?"

*****

Vincent ran for the stairway opposite of the window on the top floor with his high-powered rifle in hand. Instinct kicked in the second he heard a squad of mercenaries climbing up the stairwell. He pressed his back against the doorframe that separated the stairwell from the office floor, his rifle aimed at the stairs below.

Vincent pressed on his earpiece. "You need to hurry up there, partner," Vincent said to Jacob.

"Be on the rooftop in a second. And stop calling me that!" Jacob shouted at him.

Vincent fired the second he saw the mercenary running point for the five-man kill squad. A single round pierced through the man's light armor and pushed him back into his teammates.

"Contact! Contact!" Vincent heard one of the men scream.

Vincent dropped back onto the office floor just as the enemy fired their military-grade automatic weapons. Pieces of the doorframe chipped away and pinched his heel as he took off down the hall.

"That's a second too long, pal!" he screamed at Jacob while turning into a dark room full of cubicles. After checking the empty magazine clip to his PSG1, Vincent tossed it aside. He could hear his assailants speaking from afar.

"Did we get him?" one of the assailants asked the others.

"I don't think so."

"Switch to thermal!"

"Oh, that's not good." Vincent whispered to himself. He kneeled behind a desk on the other side of the cubicle-filled room. He was hoping to sneak his way to the rooftop unnoticed, but his plans were dampened the moment the enemy opened fire into the room.

Bullets rattled through the walls to Vincent's right as he sprinted for the glass wall. He covered his head and kept moving, almost falling forward at the wall. The enemies' stray rounds punctured through the glass. Vincent dropped into a slide. His boots led the way as he slid through the wall and out the building.

Vincent looked down with fearful eyes as his vision turned orange. His fingers stuck to the frame of the building like glue. He pulled his right hand up and pressed it against the wall. He looked up to see Jacob maneuvering the chopper, hovering alongside the rooftop. The rattling of enemy fire ceased for a moment. He caught sight of a round piercing through the glass diagonally just before the sound of enemy fire picked up.

"Keep shooting!" an Armored Tempest mercenary barked loudly.

Vincent raised his legs up to his chest and launched himself over the gap in the window. Enemy rounds trailed behind him as he scaled the building. Vincent moved like a spider as he crawled up the building. A round from the enemy's high-powered rifle clipped Vincent's leg, making him hesitate while raising his left leg up. With no time to give in to the pain, Vincent gritted his teeth and scuffled upward.

Jacob descended the helicopter parallel to the top floor of the thirty story building on an angle. Vincent pressed his legs against his chest while rounds pushed through the glass around him and launched up and away from the building. He raised his hands as if he were on a roller-coaster ready to drop. With one hand, Vincent grabbed for the landing skid directly below Jacob, which tilted the chopper.

"Move!" Vincent yelled at Jacob, both from below the chopper and through his earpiece.

Hopkins' men fired on both Vincent and the helicopter that he held onto for dear life. The sound of rapid fire bouncing off the aircraft sent a chill down Vincent's spine while Jacob banked the helicopter around the building.

Vincent stuck his free hand between the landing skids and climbed to the passenger's side of the chopper as Jacob continued his descent, pointing the chopper's nose south and steadying it at two hundred feet. The sound of enemy fire faded behind them. Blood leaked from Vincent's pant leg.

"You do know that jumping out of buildings is hazardous to your health, right?" Jacob yelled over his shoulder.

Vincent crawled to his knees and pulled out the weapons cache below the seats in the back. "Yeah, but jumping out of stuff is kind of my thing." Vincent said with a smile while breathing heavily. "Kind of like you and stamp collecting."

"I don't collect stamps!" Jacob snapped at him.

"Really? Huh. You look like the type."

"Shut up! Where are we headed?"

Vincent wobbled over to Jacob and pointed over his good shoulder. "Hopkins and Liam are heading for the Brooklyn Bridge. We can cut them off there. Striker will bring up the rear like the nonchalant badass he is."

Jacob's steering hand shook at the sound of hearing Liam's name, forcing him to put the other on top of it. "You weren't down there. King tore us to pieces."

"Yeah. He has a bad habit of kicking our asses."

"So, you got any ideas?"

Jacob didn't notice Vincent had dragged the weapons cache closer to the cockpit. Vincent kneeled down and pulled out the M202 FLASH rocket launcher. All four barrels of the incendiary launcher were loaded and ready to fire. Vincent rested the weapon on top of the case, above the standard Marine Corps issued M40 sniper rifle he had found next to the case. Jacob looked back at the launcher, and then at Vincent, who couldn't help but smile.

"Never seen a launcher like that before." Jacob said over his shoulder.

"That's because they have a hit rate lower than my current BAC."

"Think you can take out King with it?"

"I've never met someone tougher than a rocket, let alone four." Vincent said with a smile before taking a sip of whiskey from the flask in his vest.

"I swear you and your team are a bunch of sociopaths," Jacob said while shaking his head at Vincent.

"Yeah...but we're the good kind." Vincent said jokingly, to which Jacob couldn't help but laugh.

*****

Hopkins' car slammed through a police blockade, crushing a number of officers that were in its way.

Desmond came up to the torn blockade, slowing down to avoid hitting any of the distraught officers, and picking up speed the second he got through. Hopkins' vehicle made a right onto 23rd street and then an immediate left. Desmond followed the SUV's lead. He knew exactly where the driver was headed. He could easily beat them to the Brooklyn Bridge, but Desmond didn't want to take any chances in case they changed their exit strategy.

He placed his hand over the bike handle and shot his kinetic blast. The SUV jerked left, barely avoiding the potential rocket of energy, allowing it to detonate at the base of a street light. Desmond sped up and made a sharp left, leaning the motorcycle under the street light before it collided with the pavement.

After kicking off the pavement to push the bike back up, Desmond kept his distance from the SUV. Liam fired his optic beam at Desmond every now and again but missed his target each time. The jerking of the high speed SUV threw off Liam's aim and had him shredding through the vehicles they passed.

After a few twists and turns around the grid system of the city, the chase led Desmond onto Park Avenue. The second his target made a slight left onto Fourth Street, he saw another police blockade that opened fire on the SUV. A glimmer of hope sparked inside Desmond, he was relieved to know that not all of the police in the city were on Hopkins' payroll.

Liam returned fire with a well-placed optic beam that punctured the engine of a SWAT officer's jeep, setting it ablaze and pushing all of the nearby officers to the ground. Desmond made the left onto Fourth Street. Sparks flickering from the SWAT jeep scratched at his neck as he passed by it.

Desmond sped up. He was only six car lengths away from Hopkins and King. He and Liam exchanged a few kinetic attacks that resulted in them tearing apart the city's streets with concussive blasts. Desmond finally had a beat on how to hit the SUV. He threw his arm back, his elbow bent, parallel to the streets. His palm illuminated with an orange sphere of violent energy. He launched his hand forward, past the cracked windshield, his kinetic shot aimed dead on for the rear of the SUV, but Liam had matched Desmond's aim -– piercing through the attack with his optic beam.

The two violent energies collided, setting off a blast the size of a delivery truck between a few parked cars and shaking the city block. Hopkins' SUV was pushed forward, straight past the barricade of mercenaries under Hopkins command. Instinct pushed Desmond to the left while the force of the blast flipped him off the squad bike. He soared above the sidewalk with his legs above him, crashing back first through the window of a jewelry store, all while his police bike rear-ended a parked sedan.

*****

The chopper Jacob commandeered was a few blocks away when an eruption of orange light flashed above the tall buildings for Jacob and Vincent to see from above.

"The hell was that?" Jacob lowered the helicopter from two hundred to a hundred and fifty feet.

"No doubt it's Liam." Vincent pointed over to the Brooklyn Bridge on their right. "That blast was only a few blocks from the bridge. Get me there and I'll have a clear shot at 'em."

Jacob banked the chopper right, heading for the bridge half a mile out and a hundred feet below them.

"Vincent, where are you?" Anna's voice screamed through Vincent and Jacob's earpieces.

"We're about to block off Hopkins and King. If you're getting me through Bluetooth I'm guessing you're close?"

"Yeah. Me and Cam are bringing up the rear."

"Roger that."

*****

Desmond's eyes opened after a brief moment of unconsciousness. White noise screamed in his ears. He had knocked down a third of the shelves in the brightly lit jewelry store. He raised his left hand, which shook violently from the last blast he projected. He scraped the glass out of his arm and wiped the blood on his pant legs. It wasn't until he sat up that he registered the number of civilians standing over him, all with looks of confusion and fear on them.

The thunderous roar of a vehicle stampeding from the north, along with enemy fire coming from the south, summoned Desmond to his feet. He brushed by the civilians, half of them helping him up while the others ducked for cover. Their words of concern and anxiety fell on Desmond's deaf ears. He jumped over the shattered glass and through the window in time to witness a SWAT van speeding past the jewelry store, aiming straight for the enemy blockade. He stayed low behind a parked truck. The enemy was clearly aiming for the SWAT van, but their stray rounds were finding their way close to the jewelry store.

*****

Cameron kicked open the back doors the second Anna told him to get ready. He picked up the Benelli M4 shotgun hanging on the wall of the van and pulled back the collapsible stock. He could barely keep his balance as Anna tried to avoid enemy fire by swerving back and forth. He slammed the SWAT issued riot helmet over his head and awaited further orders.

The closer Anna got to the barricade the more accurate the enemy's fire grew. The bulletproof windshield started to give in, but she refused to let up on the pedal. One of the mercenaries climbed into the bed of the truck and loaded the mounted .50 caliber machine gun. With her vision shot orange and diamond-like scales spreading across her body, Anna pressed her hand against the windshield, trying to keep it from collapsing in. The machinegun operator fired at the hood of the van, denting up the hood, but not piercing through the reinforced steel.

With only a couple dozen feet between the barricade and the SWAT van, the turret operator moved his way up to the weakening windshield. Anna screamed in agony as three .50 caliber rounds pierced through the windshield and chipped away the thin layer of scales on her hand. If the rounds hadn't punctured through the windshield first, Anna's hand would've been ripped to shreds.

With only ten feet between them and the barricade, Anna looked back and screamed at Cameron. "Now!"

Except for the turret gunner, Liam's men jumped out of the way at the last possible second. Cameron jumped out the back of the SWAT van just as Anna crashed through the enemy barricade. The .50 caliber operator flew forward, rolled up the SWAT windshield, and tumbled off the side of the roof as Anna pushed the truck down the street. Both vans were pushed away from the center of barricade, knocking down five mercenaries.

She turned her head in time to see Cameron off the street as inertia pulled him forward. He stopped himself on one knee and spotted three mercenaries trying to recover from Anna's head-on collision. He aimed his shotgun out with one hand and shot the enemy closest to him in the shin, knocking him on his knee and leaving him screaming in agony. Cameron then rolled diagonally to another hired gun who had pushed off the white van and fired at him with a MP5 sub-machine gun. Even with his riot helmet on, Cameron shielded his face with his forearm and shotgun, allowing the enemy the opportunity to dent, but not puncture his steel vest. Cameron sprinted towards the assailant and knocked down the man's weapon before elbowing him across the face, all while Anna hit the brakes on the SWAT vehicle and made a hundred and eighty degree turn before coming to a full stop. She reached back and grabbed the M16 carbine off the floor and jumped out the driver's seat.

One of the surviving mercenaries crawled out the passenger's side of the van closest to Cameron and put his hand on his hip, ready to draw his pistol.

Cameron threw his shotgun at the enemy. "Hold this!" he screamed, catching the man off guard. The mercenary took his hand off his hip and caught the shotgun, giving Cameron time to close the five foot gap between them. He pushed the Benelli against the man's chest with one hand before hitting him with a pair of jabs to the face. Cameron then grabbed the man by his tactical vest, lifting him off his feet and slamming him into the van. With the mercenary overwhelmed in pain, Cameron took back his shotgun and knocked the man out with a head-butt. He then tossed the mercenary across the street, into the driver-side door of the other van.

Anna took the liberty of putting a bullet in the head of the mercenary Cameron had shot in the leg. She gunned down another one who struggled to crawl away from the chaos. She then emptied her magazine into another mercenary who hid behind the van opposite of Cameron.

Cameron stood in the center of all the carnage. He scanned his immediate area for any surviving mercenaries before jogging back over to Anna, who had already climbed back into the SWAT van and turned it south.

"Hey!"

Cameron turned around just before climbing into the back of the SWAT van and saw Desmond rolling up on a severely scratched squad bike.

"Striker! How the hell did you get behind us?"

Anna looked through the back window to see Desmond parked right behind her.

"Liam slowed me down for a bit. I'm good now," he said in an exhausted tone. "Can I get one of those?" He pointed to the pistol on the wall closest to Anna. She reached behind the passenger seat and grabbed the five-seven pistol. She tossed it to Cameron to give Desmond. "Thanks."

"You need a ride?" she asked, hoping he'd say yes.

Desmond shook his head. "You guys take point. I'll follow."

"What happened to taking out Liam with a smile on your face?" Cameron said, mocking him.

"Just get me close to him."

Cameron closed the van doors as Anna took off. Desmond checked the clip in his pistol and holstered it before following the Swat van down Lafayette Street.

*****

President Grey grabbed the radio from Kiyoko after she explained the situation occurring around them.

"This is President Jennifer Grey. I want the National Guard down here right now! People are losing their lives!" she screamed at the dispatcher.

"Yes, ma'am!"

"I need medics, off duty cops, anyone who has emergency training down here."

Kiyoko grabbed at Grey's arm and reminded her of Liam King and Thomas Hopkins' escape. "When my team breached Armored Tempest HQ last night we found plans on King and Hopkins to rendezvous on the other side of the Brooklyn Bridge. They were supposed to kill you once you met up with the convoy and make it look like an ambush."

Grey looked at Kiyoko and nodded. "Get a unit over to block off Thomas Hopkins' at the Brooklyn Bridge!" she screamed into the walkie-talkie. "Gun 'em down if you have to!"

President Grey handed back the walkie-talkie to the policeman as the EMT finished monitoring her. "How was that?" she asked as Kiyoko assisted her out the back of the vehicle.

"Makes me wish I could vote for you twice, ma'am."

"There's always the next election."

An explosion rattled the streets below them, destroying what little hope for survival the two of them had. Kiyoko handed President Grey over to the policemen as she peered over the ambulance, only to see Hopkins' men had punched a hole through the police blockade up the street with the help of grenade launchers. Each explosion tore a few of the officers to shreds, with blood and limbs dispersing in the immediate area. Kiyoko could see the enemy moving past the line of squad cars and taking cover behind mail boxes and parked cars as they advanced through what little of the police force was left on the streets.

"We gotta move!" Kiyoko yelled over the gun fire. She grabbed Grey by the arm and guided her into the alley next to the ambulance.

"Up ahead! Take them out!" Kiyoko heard one of the mercenaries scream right before a barrage of bullets stormed their way. The police officer drew his service pistol and fired a few rounds as he covered Kiyoko and Grey's advance before being gunned down. A bullet went through the EMT's ankle, knocking her to her knees. Kiyoko looked back while guiding Grey around the corner. She took a step toward the EMT, wanting to help her into the alley and take her with them. Before Kiyoko could aid the EMT, another round punctured her skull, killing her instantly.

Kiyoko looked away and turned the corner down the alley to see President Grey waving for her to hurry. Grey had found an open door that led to the back of a furniture shop. Kiyoko ran up the steps and pushed Grey in before silently closing the door.

"Watch out." Grey whispered to her.

Kiyoko looked back to see that the weakened President had enough strength to push a leather two-seater sofa in front of the door. Kiyoko insisted on aiding Grey in barricading the door, but she refused her help.

"I got this. Go check the front."

She nodded obediently. "Yes, ma'am." Kiyoko couldn't believe how clearly President Jennifer Grey was thinking under the circumstances. Kiyoko could tell Grey was a fighter, doing what she could to survive Thomas Hopkins' onslaught.

Kiyoko pushed through one of the double doors slowly. She turned right and found herself in the dark on the customer floor of the furniture store, but she wasn't alone. She instinctively ducked below the dresser closest to her. Enough light came from the windows for Kiyoko to see three mercenaries who had entered through the front. She could only assume the enemy was fanning out, looking through each building for President Grey. Kiyoko holstered the Desert Eagle Jacob had given her, knowing that even if she shot and killed all three men, the sound of the pistol would draw more of Hopkins' men her way.

She looked up to see the three mercenaries moving slowly across the floor. Two moved forward on the right while the third zigzagged through the furniture, scanning the customer floor thoroughly. Kiyoko leaped over the dresser the second she was out of the enemies' line of sight and ducked under a sofa. The mercenary examining all the spaces between the furniture was only two rows away. She waited until the man scanned the row in front of her, from left to right, before she made her move.

Kiyoko sprung from behind the sofa and drove the man into his two teammates. She kept the mercenary running recon and the one bringing up the rear pinned to each other while throwing a sidekick to the face of the one running point.

The mercenary stepped back, giving President Grey the chance to grab a nearby lamp and smash it against the back of the man's head, knocking him out cold.

It took all of Kiyoko's strength to keep the two men sandwiched between her and the wall. The man she had pushed from behind threw an elbow at her face. She ducked and punched him in the kidneys as the two mercenaries struggled to get free. She grabbed the knife fastened on the side of his vest and pushed him to the side. Kiyoko fell forward, stabbing the man she had pushed against the wall in his lower abdomen before slicing his neck open. She pushed the man to the ground and dove for the last hired gun standing.

The mercenary parried Kiyoko's slash, grabbed her arm the second time the knife came around, and pulled her in for a haymaker. Kiyoko ducked under the man's heavy fist and jumped on his back.

Kiyoko rode the man as if he was giving her a piggy-back ride. She put one arm under his chin and the other on the side of his head, putting him in a headlock. It was then her vision turned blood-shot orange. A dark black aura outlined her hands as she began to decay the man's body from the head down. The mercenary desperately shuffled over toward President Grey like a zombie. Grey stepped out of his grasp, falling back onto the pile of mattresses behind her.

Kiyoko landed on her feet the second the mercenary fell to his knees. She kept her grip on him tight. She could sense the blood in his body ceasing to pump. His veins pressed against his skin. His paper-thin skin flaked away from his face. Kiyoko adjusted her grip and snapped the man's ever-weakening neck with ease and kicked him to the floor.

Kiyoko took a moment to strip the enemy of their weapons. She holstered one of their Glock 21 pistols in the back of her pants and held on to the Remington 870 shotgun she pried away from the mercenary whose neck she had sliced open.

"Take this." She said to Grey handing her a spare Glock 21.

"What?" she said, as if Kiyoko had just pulled her out of a trance.

"Here." Kiyoko forced the pistol into Grey's hand and instructed her on how it operated.

"What do we do now?"

"We wait. It's all we can do." Kiyoko walked to the front of the store, locking the front door and closing the blinds.

*****

As the driver turned the SUV onto the opposite side of the road, Hopkins looked ahead to see the last of his men setting up for the unlikely event that Chaos Company was on their trail. He could see their last line of defense had more men than the previous line, but with only one van to block the road.

Hopkins' men made a hole for them to pass through and the driver accelerated onto the left side of the bridge. "No one gets through! You hear me?" Liam screamed into his walkie-talkie.

"Yes, sir!" the team's leader responded. Hopkins looked back to see the twenty or so men digging into their positions, ready to gun down whoever opposed Hopkins' escape.

"Sir!" the driver screamed, pointing forward at the three National Guard vehicles, two Hummers and one truck, charging toward them with extreme prejudice.

Thomas felt a sense of relief after passing the checkpoint of hired guns behind him. He could feel the millions he had spent on his operation were finally coming to fruition, until he saw the opposition in front of him.

He pulled his Australian associate in close and pointed to the problem at hand. "Take care of them!"

Liam pushed his employer against the door and leaned his upper body out of the passenger window. He held on to both the front and back seats as his eyes lit up and shot an optic beam along the SUV.

Hopkins watched as the violent orange light pierced through the Hummer in the center of all three military vehicles, setting it ablaze and crashing back and forth between the other Hummer and the truck on either side, forcing the drivers to lose control. The truck sideswiped the inside railing of the bridge before toppling over and spinning on its side. The Hummer not hit by Liam's optic beam drove straight into the opposite railing, before being pushed on its side by the flame engulfed Hummer.

Liam tucked himself back into the SUV. He could see their driver frozen from the level of violence displayed before him. He leaned forward and grabbed the wheel from the driver and pulled right, speeding through an opening before the toppled truck caught up with the other vehicles. He forced the SUV left, barely missing the truck coming their way before handing control back to the driver.

He sat back down and grinned at his employer. "Happy now, Tommy?"

*****

Moments ago, Jacob pointed down at the National Guard vehicles in front of Hopkins' SUV as he held the chopper steady.

"They look like allies!" he yelled to Vincent, just before Liam tore the center Hummer apart with his optic beam. Within seconds, the reinforcements ripped to shreds as Hopkins' vehicle emerged from under the first tower. "Damnit! God damnit!" Jacob screamed while punching the chopper's dashboard. "King just chewed through a military convoy!"

"Let's see him bite down on this!" Vincent kneeled and lined up his shot before firing his M202 FLASH rocket launcher. The four missiles twirled through the air, crisscrossing amongst each other as they descended onto the Brooklyn Bridge. Vincent watched closely. He held his breath and prayed the missiles didn't hit the Bridge's cable wires.

The first three missiles twirled pass the cable wires with the forth following behind closely. Two of the missiles ignited in front of Hopkins' vehicle, jerking the SUV out of control.

The third went off on the driver's side, bouncing the SUV off the inside rails of the bridge. The fourth -- and final -- missile found its way underneath the front of the vehicle. The explosion engulfed the front half of the SUV in flames. The force lifted it up by the front and into the air.

The SUV made two rotations in the air before landing on its hood, spinning wildly on the street with sparks coming out the back end. The SUV stopped moving ninety feet away from the first tower, blocking both lanes on the bridge.

"Oh!" Vincent screamed as he laid the launcher down and raised his hands in victory. "Is it just me, or did you just get a chub from that sexy-ass shot!"

Jacob banked closer to the bridge, holding a forty foot altitude above the bridge and twenty-five feet away. "Nice job!" he yelled cheerfully over the propeller blades.

Within seconds Vincent's sense of relief shifted to worry as he watched Liam King punch open the back door of his SUV and crawl out.

"No way," Jacob said in disbelief. "Are you seeing this?"

Vincent breathed heavily out of frustration and worry. His heart pounded against his chest while witnessing the impossible. He couldn't keep his right hand from shaking, even after applying pressure with his left. "How much damage can this guy take?"

"Got any other ideas?" Jacob yelled over the sounds of the chopper.

Jacob's words fell on deaf ears. Vincent couldn't take his eyes off the resilient Australian. Liam dug his hand into the glass and gravel on the ground and pulled his lower body out of the wreckage before pushing himself to his knees. His trench coat was torn to bits. Liam ripped off what was left of it and tossed it aside. Blood ran down his back and spiraled around his arms. He crawled back to the SUV, shielding his eyes from the fire that waved above him on the bottom of the vehicle. He reached one hand deep into the back seat and pulled out a bloodied and disoriented Thomas Hopkins. Hopkins' suit jacket was shredded from front to back. From what Vincent could see from afar, the old man got away with only a few bumps and bruises, and a single scratch that ran down the side of his face.

*****

Liam pulled Hopkins up, forcing him to stand. "Come on now, Tommy boy! On your feet!"

Hopkins leaned against the SUV for a second, coughing up a storm before kneeling down to check on his chauffeur. "What about the driver?"

The growing flames on the vehicle set off an alarm in Liam's head. He instinctively pulled his employer behind him while pushing the SUV away with a strong front kick. The SUV slid ten feet from them on its roof before bursting into flames, shaking the ground beneath them.

"What about him?" Liam asked in a passive manner. "Come on. We're almost at the extraction point."

A bullet hit Liam's shoulder and pushed him back, away from Hopkins. He looked up to see the sniper round had come from a chopper, the same one he had used to land on the rooftop of the Plaza. He focused on the open door of the vehicle to see Vincent aiming a sniper rifle in his direction.

Vincent pulled back the bolt on his sniper rifle and fired again, this time shooting Liam's leg out from under him.

Liam caught himself from falling forward with both hands. "You fucking twit!" he roared as he looked up and fired an optic beam at the tail end of the chopper.

*****

"Shit!" Jacob screamed the moment Liam's optic beam blew the tail of his chopper to pieces.

"Pull-up!" Vincent barked at him.

Jacob pulled back on the joystick, but it was too late, Liam's beam had punched a hole through the center of the tail, forcing the chopper off balance.

Centrifugal force pulled Vincent into the center of the helicopter as it spun out of control. Vincent rolled through the chopper and out the open side. His vision sparked orange the second he was thrown out of the aircraft. Vincent snapped his hand up and slammed his palm on to the helicopter floor, sticking to the surface. The rest of his body dangled outside the aircraft as Jacob struggled to keep them in the air.

"We're going down!" Jacob screamed as Vincent pulled himself back into the chopper and grabbed his sniper rifle from under the seat.

"No shit Sherlock!"

Jacob unfastened his belt and threw his helmet to the floor before climbing up, across the passenger seat. "We gotta jump!" he screamed before pushing open the passenger door and jumping out of the helicopter as it tipped over on the passenger's side, falling toward the East River at an angle.

Vincent crawled across the back of the chopper. He stepped out onto the landing skid and leaped away from the descending aircraft. He fell towards the Brooklyn Bridge with his sniper rifle in one hand. He caught sight of Thomas Hopkins spotting him and warning Liam.

Hopkins shook Liam's shoulder vigorously. "Look out!" Vincent heard him scream.

Liam looked up to see Vincent falling towards them. "Why won't you die?" he shouted as he fired a concentrated optic beam at Vincent.

"Whoa!" Vincent tucked his chin to his chest and rolled forward. He brought his arms and legs in close, accelerating his drop and dodging Liam's stream of violent light.

Vincent reached out and grabbed hold of a cable wire and spiraled down, all with Liam's razor-sharp beam hot on his trail.

Vincent pushed off the cable with both legs, leaping over Liam as he halted his optic assault. Vincent landed in the metal mesh between both roads on the bridge. He quickly pulled himself over the railing and made a dash for Thomas Hopkins.

Hopkins ran for the demolished SUV. Vincent acted instinctively, sliding on both knees under Liam King's life-ending haymaker before his eyes could register the attack.

Vincent spun around on one knee in time to see Liam dropping an axe kick upon him. Vincent raised his sniper above his head with both hands to block the attack, but the barrel of the weapon snapped under the force of Liam's leg. Vincent rolled to his right, dodging Liam's sidekick, and countered with a shot to his side with the rifle.

The bullet scratched Liam's torso, which wasn't enough to kill him, but enough to leave a mark.

Vincent dropped his rifle. He cracked his neck and stretched his arms. "So there's like, no chance you wanna surrender, do you?" he said while standing up.

Liam laughed. "Not a chance, mate!"

The Australian charged at Vincent with blinding speed. Vincent threw up his arms and blocked Liam's relentless flurry from cracking his skull. His punches bruised Vincent's forearms with each strike. Vincent ducked under Liam's right hook. He went in for a front kick to Liam's stomach, but his assailant quickly pushed Vincent's leg down with a kick of his own before pushing Vincent back with the same leg. Vincent ducked under Liam's spinning back kick and stepped in with a cluster of punches, all of which merely stung Liam.

Vincent slid back and rubbed his pale white knuckles. "Bad idea Lockhart!" he said to himself while waving both hands in pain. "Whoa!" He blocked Liam's turning kick with both hands before crossing his arms to shield his chest from Liam's straight punch.

Vincent tumbled back before stopping himself on one knee. The realization that he couldn't stop Liam was setting in. He couldn't put a bullet in the terrorist and there was no way in hell he was going to kill him with his bare hands.

*****

Desmond followed Anna and Cameron's speeding SWAT van closely as they turned off Lafayette Street and charged toward the Brooklyn Bridge. Anna quickly drifted to the opposite side of the road after seeing the congested traffic leading out of the city.

"We've got bogies up ahead!" Anna screamed back at Cameron. Desmond was finally in range to hear her through his earpiece.

Desmond caught sight of Liam's optic beam attacking the green helicopter above the East River from the center of the bridge. His earpiece was in range to hear Jacob and Vincent screaming in horror from within the damaged chopper. Desmond positioned himself directly behind the van as Anna sped up. "Push through! We don't have time for this!" he said, with Vincent and Jacob's well-being in mind.

Anna stomped on the pedal, charging at the opposition as they opened fire. She looked into her side mirror to see Desmond had moved closer on the van's right side. In her rear view she spotted Cameron loading his shotgun before slamming the visor on his riot helmet over his face. He held on to the handle on the roof, bracing himself for impact.

"Hold on!" Anna yelled at the top of her lungs as she sped for the armed blockade.

Hopkins' men strafed away from the center of the road, taking cover behind abandoned civilian vehicles. Some of the mercenaries dove away from the van just as Anna crashed through the back end. The second Anna and Cameron broke through the enemy's blockade is when Desmond sped up in front of them, using the SWAT vehicle as cover from the enemies continued fire.

Desmond turned back at the sound of the SWAT van screeching up the bridge.

Anna could feel the back passenger wheel grinding against the pavement the moment the enemy shot out the tire.

Cameron rocked back and forth as Anna lost control of the van. The van swerved into the guard rail on the inside of the bridge before turning on to its side, stretching across both lanes, with its underside facing the enemy.

*****

Desmond hit the brakes on his squad bike fifty feet away from the SWAT van. He quickly turned around and sped forward. "Anna!" he screamed in horror.

He flinched at the sound of enemy fire piercing through the underside of the van. Cameron kicked open the doors with a carbine assault rifle in hand and his shot gun strapped to his back. He fired at the enemy in controlled bursts, keeping them at bay as Anna climbed out of the van and moved behind the roof.

Desmond braked just a few feet away from the two of them, keeping his head down from the rounds whizzing above him.

Anna looked up at Desmond and waved him away. "Go! Get Liam!"

"I'm not leaving you here!" he yelled over the gunfire.

He watched as Anna returned fire with Cameron by her side. He knew Anna could take care of herself, but just because she could didn't make him any more comfortable leaving her behind. Bullets continued rattling the underside.

"Go on Striker! We'll catch up!" Cameron promised.

Desmond took a look at Cameron who turned his back on him to suppress the enemy's advance. He took one last look at Anna before kicking off the pavement and speeding up the bridge.

*****

Vincent spotted Thomas Hopkins taking refuge behind scraps of the black SUV before Liam blocked his line of site. Vincent stepped back dodging Liam's sidekick. It was getting harder for him to block Liam's jabs. He took a side kick to the arm that left him in massive amounts of pain. Vincent rotated his torso in mid-air, beating Liam's rising knee with a jumping back kick. Liam slammed his fist and knees into the pavement as he hit the ground. Vincent could tell his counter actually stung Liam by the look in his eyes. Liam rubbed his chest and dug his fist into the gravel.

"You'll pay for that..." he growled.

Liam fired an optic beam at Vincent, which he ducked and rolled away from. Liam rushed at him, throwing wild punches, some crashed down Vincent's fatigued arms, others he dodged like a boxer. Liam forced Vincent away with a front kick that he slid away from on an angle, countering with a sidekick to his head.

Liam stepped back, wiping blood from his face. He stepped towards Vincent as he fired an optic beam at his torso. Vincent dodged it again by sliding to the right. As Vincent moved, Liam followed him with a quick dash, catching Vincent off guard with a flurry of punches. Vincent moved from left to right over and over, dodging Liam's flurry and only blocking if needed. He ducked under Liam's right hook, but failed to parry Liam's left palm crashing into his neck.

Liam smiled from ear to ear as he raised Vincent off his feet by his neck. "Gotcha!" He tightened his grip as Vincent tried to free himself.

As he was being choked by Liam's heavy hand, Vincent was all but ready to give in to Liam's violent embrace, until the sound of Desmond's squad bike growing closer inspired him to hang on just a moment longer. Vincent kicked back and forth frantically until he got his right leg high enough to wrap around Liam's arm. He stepped on his assailant's stomach, forcing him to double over and lower Vincent to the gravel. Vincent pulled at Liam's arm, drawing him closer so he could push his foot into Liam's face before rolling out of the way just as Desmond sped past the enflamed vehicles and directly at Liam.

The moment Vincent was out of the way Desmond rolled off the bike, just thirty feet away from Liam and Vincent. Desmond tumbled across the pavement and slid on the back of his vest as inertia pulled him forward. Vincent lifted his head up just in time to see the front of the squad bike crash into Liam.

*****

The SUV Thomas Hopkins once rode in was torn into two unequal halves from the front of the hood. Hopkins hid behind the smaller charred section on one knee. His heart pounded as the motorcycle ran down his hired gun. Thomas's hands clenched the front end of his totaled SUV as sweat poured down his face. It was over. He didn't know if Liam's shots at Jennifer Grey were fatal, but it didn't matter. Whether she lived or died didn't matter, not anymore. His violent run for the presidency was over. His eyes locked on the motorcycle pushing Liam back with no sign of ceasing.

The rampaging collision was coming at him, but Hopkins nerves kept him still. He commanded his legs to move, but it was as if they weren't getting the signal from his brain. He was only an arm's length away from the larger section of the toppled-over vehicle that was set ablaze. Hopkins' legs had a delayed reaction to pull him away from the oncoming collision. He tripped over his feet just before the squad bike smashed Liam into the roof of the SUV and through into the driver's seat before setting off a small explosion that blew out the opposite end.

The force of the eruption pushed Hopkins' back to the ground. His head bounced off the pavement, knocking him out cold.

*****

Desmond's bones rattled from the force of the explosion. He shielded his face from the sudden heat with his scratched up hands. He could hear the sound of the bike's engine giving out over the sound of metal shooting out from the underside of the SUV.

He lowered his hands to see Vincent standing above him, offering him a hand up. "Glad you came when you did."

"Glad you held on 'til I got here." Desmond grabbed Vincent's arm and allowed him to help him up.

Vincent wrapped one arm around his partner, helping him limp over to Liam's burning grave. "To be honest, the suspense was killing me," he said to Desmond.

"Ow!" Desmond said after a chuckle. "Don't make me laugh." He looked up, away from his feet to see the top half of Thomas Hopkins' body peeking out from behind the torn off hood on their left.

"But seriously, thanks man." Vincent broke away from his partner the second he saw him able to walk without a limp. "You good?" he asked as he walked backwards towards Hopkins.

Desmond waved him off. "Yeah," he said unconvincingly. "Go make sure he's not dead, someone's going to jail for all this. Might as well be the guy who threw the first punch."

"Amen to that brother," Vincent said as he turned his back to Desmond.

*****

President Grey watched as Kiyoko peeked through the front window curtains every couple of seconds and duck down. Grey could tell by noise outside that Hopkins' forces had thinned out on the streets. The sound of gunfire faded further away from their location.

Kiyoko looked back at Grey every minute or so, who had stuffed herself into the corner closest to the lifeless mercenary corpses, shaking helplessly with her legs pulled into her chest and her pistol resting on her knees. Kiyoko took one last peek outside before making her way to the President, staying low and trying not to make a sound. While approaching Grey she could hear a nearby chopper coming their way, firing in a series of bursts.

President Grey jumped back at Kiyoko's touch on her shoulder. "You okay, ma'am?" she asked softly.

"No. I am not okay. Far from it Sergeant Hinori." Her shaking ceased after Kiyoko kneeled next to her.

Kiyoko looked back at the mercenary's body that she had caused to rot with her bare hands. His decaying skin was already submitting to the weight of his tactical vest, caving his spine in.

Kiyoko slung the shotgun over her shoulder. "Let's get you away from this." Kiyoko pulled at the President's arm while covering her nose.

Grey tugged back. "I could give a damn about these men. They got what was coming to them." She pointed beyond the front door. "It's them. Outside. The civilians. I took an oath to protect the people of this nation and...and all I can do here is sit here and hide."

"If we go out there you could die and Hopkins wins." Kiyoko said reassuringly over the sound of the nearby aircraft.

Grey felt for the wall behind her and stood up. She gripped her pistol and drove her shoulder past Kiyoko. "I appreciate your concern, Sergeant. But unless you want to gun me down like Thomas did, you can't stop me from going out there." She took off her suit jacket and buttoned her shirt before stripping the vest from the mercenary whose neck Kiyoko had sliced and strapped it on. She crept to the front door while pinning up her hair in a bun.

Kiyoko was quick to rush to the front door, pushing it closed just as President Grey opened it up an inch. "Wait!" She sighed before speaking. "If you go, I gotta come with you."

"You've done a lot for me already."

"I can't vote for you come second term if you're dead. Plus I can help anyone who's wounded."

"You mean that?" Grey asked with a small smile.

"Pulling people from the brink of death is my specialty."

"No. That you'll vote for me," Grey said jokingly.

Even under the dire situation Kiyoko somehow found a way to chuckle with her. "Yeah. Especially after today."

Grey checked her clip and covered Kiyoko's six. "Every vote counts, Sergeant," she said softly, trying to drive out fear with a little small talk.

"I can't promise you'll get a second term, but if we survive this, you'll never have to worry about your approval ratings again." She pumped her shotgun and pulled back the door handle.

Grey placed her hand on Kiyoko's shoulder, sighed, and nodded to Kiyoko that she was ready.

"What's wrong?" Grey asked Kiyoko, after watching her stand up straight and lower her shotgun.

Kiyoko turned and lowered the President's pistol before sliding her pump-action shotgun out the door.

Grey pulled Kiyoko away from the door. "Are you out of your damn mind?"

Kiyoko pushed Grey back. "We're getting out of here!" She slowly pulled the door open and waved her hand out. "My name's Sergeant Kiyoko Hinori! US Army! I have the President! We're coming out. Don't shoot!"

Kiyoko stepped out of the furniture store with her hands held high. Grey took a moment before following her out. The first thing she noticed after her eyes adjusted to the sunlight was the helicopter flying low above them, piloted by the National Guard. She looked left and right as troops of the National Guard made their way down the street. She could hear her men engaging with the enemy in nearby buildings. Ambulances were parked across the street and medics were busy setting up first aid stations for the civilians the troops had pulled out of the building next door to her. A long Boeing CH-47 Chinook landed down the street, deploying a large number of soldiers who broke off into teams and secured the area.

A pale solider approached the President with a dark blanket while four others forced Kiyoko to her knees. "Are you okay, ma'am?" the soldier said to Grey.

Grey ducked at the sound of gunshots coming from down the street before turning to the sound of the guardsmen harassing Kiyoko. She brushed the soldier away and pulled back one of the men with their M16 assault rifle pointed at Kiyoko's chest.

"Get away from her! This woman saved my life." Grey gave Kiyoko a hand up before turning to the squad's commanding officer. "Can you get a team to block off the Brooklyn Bridge?"

"We had a convoy coming from the bridge, but they went dark a few minutes ago."

Kiyoko grabbed for Grey's arm. "We need to get there."

"Can you spare a chopper?" Grey said to the soldier in front of her.

The strong-chinned commanding officer, Staff Sergeant Myers, waved down the heavily armed Mi-24 attack helicopter. "Get on this one," he said as he pushed the two women back, away from the LZ. "I'll get two more to meet you there and give the Coast Guard a call."

One of Myer's men handed Kiyoko her shotgun back. Grey led Kiyoko onto the chopper the second the side door opened.

*****

Anna ducked behind the toppled-over SWAT van as the enemy rounds ricocheted off the underside of the vehicle. She pulled out the clip on her MP5 sub-machine gun.

"I'm out!" she screamed to Cameron over the sound of enemy fire.

Cameron stood up and emptied what was left of his Sig Sauer pistol. He didn't hit any of the six men advancing up the bridge towards them. He tossed his pistol aside and grabbed his Benelli shotgun off the ground. "Me, too. And this shotty isn't going to help from this range."

He peered over the backside of the van to see the truck they encountered on Lafayette Street four blocks away, with the mounted .50 caliber machine gun on the dented vehicle.

"Well that ain't good," Cameron said in his normal heavy tone, not trying to worry Anna. He turned towards her while she stood up, her orange scales covered her skin. He pulled Anna down just after she picked one of her diamond-like scales from her forearm and threw it into the chest of one of the mercenaries twenty feet away. "You need to get out of here!"

Cameron saw Anna's orange eyes widen. "No way am I leaving you, Cam!" She pulled her arm away from him.

"Look out!" he screamed pointing over her shoulder.

Anna pressed her back to the van's roof just in time for her assailant to miss his shot. She quickly threw a kick, pushing his MP5 out of the way before launching herself at him, tearing into his black tactical vest with her orange claws. She grabbed the assailant's wrist before he could drop his weapon down on her head and threw him over her shoulder. The second the man's back slammed into the street Anna pulled his arm up, keeping him still while slamming her boot into his face.

Cameron was quick to snatch the dead mercenaries sub-machine from her. "Hey!"

"Go. I got this." he said, unconvincingly to her. "Desmond needs you."

Anna took a second to look at Cameron as he checked the clip from the enemy's weapon. She knew things were bad. She had caught sight of the mounted machine gun in the distance just as Cameron had.

Cameron's vision lit up as he pointed at the bridge. "Go!" he roared.

Anna jumped at Cameron's order before taking off. Bullets trailed behind her as she leaped over the railing into the metal mesh between the two halves of the bridge. She climbed out the other side, staying low next to the slow-moving traffic of civilian cars. She took one last look at Cameron, who pressed his back against the SWAT van and dug his feet into the gravel.

Cameron's legs and back strained ferociously as he pushed against the SWAT van. It took him a few seconds before he was able to get it moving. He could hear a number of mercenaries twenty yards away falling back, all while still firing him. Cameron pushed off the vehicle and turned, throwing his shoulder into it. He then kicked the van with all his might. He dropped his shoulder into the van again, this time also throwing his forearm in as well. Cameron did whatever it took to push the van, until it started to slide down the bridge.

"There we go!" He charged at the vehicle with one last shoulder before diving onto it like an Olympic high jumper. His chest slammed onto the driver's side door as the vehicle picked up speed down the bridge while on its side. He rotated on his shoulder and opened fire at the mercenaries that failed to find cover. He then reached over the side for the swinging door on the back end of the van and held it parallel to the ground by the handle, knocking down a mercenary across the head with the door.

The heavy vibrations from the .50 caliber rounds puncturing the SWAT van put Cameron on edge. He pulled back, ripping the back door off the hinges and used it to shield himself from enemy rounds just as the operator of the mounted machine gun fired upon him. Cameron stayed low behind the metal door as he got up on one knee. He placed his shoulder against the door so his hands didn't have to absorb the bone breaking shock of the machine gun fire alone. He could feel himself slowing down at the base of the bridge.

The second the underside of the SWAT van smashed into the enemy's vehicles Cameron felt inertia shoving him off the vehicle. He rolled forward in the same direction as the enemy's truck, twirling on the pavement until he slammed the back of his head against the side of the truck.

"Ah!"

The force of the collision pushed the turret operator away from the machine gun and into the truck's bed. As the operator regained his footing, Cameron reached up, over his own head in a sitting position, ripped the mounted weapon from the truck with all his might, and slammed both the gun and the mercenary to the ground.

Cameron stood up over the mercenary in the center of the triangle comprised of the three heavily dented vehicles. He noticed the man's head had cracked open like an egg. Cameron saw that one of the .50 caliber rounds had nicked his side, tearing through his vest. A river of blood flowed down his side.

He held up his helmet and spit at the cracks in the mercenaries face. "Pussy," he said in a low tone.

Cameron heard footsteps surrounding him, followed by the sound of a few guns being loaded by the last of Hopkins' men.

Two men climbed across the SWAT van cautiously while keeping their sub-machine guns trained on Cameron. He caught sight of another mercenary strafing from behind the truck, holding his stun rod up to eye level while keeping his broken and bloody arm at his side. Three more men appeared in front of the dented white van on Cameron's right, two of them with their pistols aimed at Cameron's head while the other dropped his primary weapon to pull out his stun rod.

Cameron slowly put his hands on his head and got on both knees. He was tired. The past few days were catching up with him. He interlocked his fingers as the six assailants slowly walked towards him. He breathed in and out heavily, his heart racing at the sound of the stun rods drawing closer. Cameron knew for a fact that giving up now spelled certain death for him. He was more afraid of one of those stun rods striking him than any gun the enemy had left at their disposal. He caught sight of the mercenary on his right raising his stun rod across his chest, ready to slam it against Cameron's face.

Cameron took one last moment to pray for this to be his final stretch, before stopping the man's attack by grabbing his arm. He stood up and threw a back kick at the assailant behind him before throwing his knee into the man to the right of the mercenary he was holding.

It took the enemy a few shots to realize their guns left only bruises on their target before they all dropped them and unsheathed their stun rods.
Chapter Seventeen

Desmond sat in the gravel with his legs spread out wide while Vincent danced across the wreckage to pick up Hopkins. Desmond could hear the sound of police sirens in the distance. He couldn't help but hope that was a sign that local forces finally had control of the city.

Vincent stood up after checking Hopkins' pulse and breathing. "He's alive. Out cold though." He yelled back at Desmond.

Desmond forced himself to stand up, holding his aching back. "Let's tie him up. Cameron and Anna are holding his men off at the base of the bridge and could use a hand."

Tremors from the SUV and squad bike crash stopped Desmond's approach to his partner. He reached for a pistol on his hip, but pulled his hand away, knowing that it wouldn't do him any good.

"No," Desmond muttered to himself. He couldn't believe that movement was coming from the wreck he had smashed Liam King into. He cautiously changed his approach from going towards Vincent, to the wrecked squad bike and SUV

"You don't think..." Vincent said to Desmond before holding his words.

Desmond shook his head. "There's no way."

He kept his eyes on the wreckage as he thought to himself how impossible it would be for anyone, even someone of Liam and Cameron's stature, to survive such an assault. The orange light that glowed from inside the SUV, behind the squad bike, sent a stinging fear down Desmond's neck.

"This isn't good!" Vincent let out while taking cover behind the wreckage next to an unconscious Hopkins.

Desmond waved at his friend. "Look out!" he screamed. The orange beam generated from behind the squad bike hit it with enough force to shoot it free from the wreckage. Vincent hopped over the front end of the vehicle just as the SUV erupted, pushing over the torn metal and forcing him to land hard on his back. With parts of the squad bike flying in his direction, Desmond hit the ground, rolling off his shoulder. He sprung up to his feet to see Liam King, pulling himself out of the side of the SUV.

The Australian monstrosity fell forward; out of what Desmond thought was his grave and crawled to his feet. He held his black and red bruised ribs. Scratches blanketed his smoke residue-covered torso. Blood ran down his head and across his chest. His leg buckled under him as he advanced towards Desmond.

"Impossible." Desmond said while throwing his guard up and digging his boots into the gravel.

Liam pushed himself back up and continued closing the gap between him and Desmond. "No, mate, I think you mean 'unlikely.' Although, I've been known for doing both." He wiped the river of blood from his face and clenched it in his fist. "If I didn't know better," he yelled at Desmond angrily, "I would say you were trying to kill me!"

Desmond had really hoped that driving his squad bike into Liam would've ended Chaos Company's living nightmare. He was weary, both physically and mentally. He hadn't had time to rest since his team had returned from Brazil. He hadn't had time to mourn Tyler, his best friend and leader. He hadn't had time to truly be there for Anna, but his fatigue was drowned out by the anger that boiled inside him. Desmond breathed heavily as he took off running towards Liam.

Desmond put one hand up in front of him while in full sprint towards Liam. "You haven't seen me try to kill you yet!" he roared as an orange flame ignited in his eyes, along with the veins in his left hand.

"Oh this'll be fun!" Liam waved him on before putting up his guard.

Liam threw a heavy hook the moment Desmond was in striking distance, slowing down Desmond's charge. Desmond ducked under Liam's fatal fist and threw a hook aimed at his ribs with his kinetically charged fist. Desmond followed up with a push before kicking Liam in the head, knocking him off balance. Desmond then leaped into the air, looking to land a reverse turning kick, but Liam snatched him by the ankle. Desmond braced himself for impact as Liam slammed him, back first, into the pavement. Desmond's tactical vest absorbed most of the shock, but the force of the slam sent a shockwave of pain down his spine, forcing him to let out an animal like roar.

Liam kept a tight grip on Desmond's ankle as he tried to snap his leg in half with a front kick, but Desmond countered by kicking Liam's arm with his free leg. With his hand still charged Desmond fired a kinetic blast at Liam's bloodied chest. The violent eruption broke Liam's grip on him and sent both sliding away from each other.

Backing into the inside of the bridge's guard rail, Liam wrapped his arm around the sheet of metal so as not to fall into the metallic mesh on the other side. Desmond rolled backwards and launched forward off one knee just as Liam pushed off the guard rail towards him. Liam dropped his elbow, blocking two sidekicks to the ribs from Desmond. He then countered with a spinning back fist, which Desmond ducked under before pushing him away with a front kick.

The two squared off again, parrying each other's punches, and avoiding each other's kicks. Desmond's arms and legs were suffering from blocking Liam's heavy attacks. The only advantage he had was that Liam was weaker and slower than before. But anger could only push Desmond so far. His exhaustion was pulling at his consciousness.

Desmond struck at his opponent's throat with an open hand, but Liam caught him by the wrist. Desmond threw a punch with his free hand, which Liam brushed aside before pulling him in close.

Liam grinned as Desmond squirmed for freedom. Liam's eyes shined bright, just seconds away from firing an optic beam, when Desmond jumped, placed both feet on Liam's chest, and kicked off, breaking his grip and pushing him back. In one motion Desmond rotated back before hitting the ground, catching himself and launching himself up by his hands and landing on his feet. With his fists in front of him and his eyes locked on Liam, Desmond charged at him once again.

Desmond ducked under Liam's right hook, but failed to avoid the back fist with the same hand, knocking him to the side. Desmond gathered his balance in time to roll under Liam's optic beam, which sliced through the inside railing behind him. He then jumped, and just before Liam could get off another shot, Desmond fired a kinetic blast down, between his legs, putting a crater in the pavement as he was launched upward and flipped over Liam's head. Desmond stopped himself from falling forward with one hand and knee while turning and firing another kinetic blast, this time at Liam's back. The force of the orange beam pushed Liam into the railing. Liam caught himself from falling over the edge. His back scorched from Desmond's attack.

Desmond took a few steps before launching himself at Liam's back. Liam threw his elbow back with all his might at Desmond's approach, but it was too late. Desmond blocked Liam's elbow with an open hand and climbed up his back, forcing Liam to twist and turn like a wild bull.

"Get off!" Liam yelled as he moved around frantically, trying to pry himself free of Desmond.

With orange veins running up his clenched fist, Desmond pounded on Liam's head, even as he blocked it. "Go to hell!" Desmond screamed into Liam's ear. Desmond worked his way to hitting Liam's shoulder before finally drilling Liam with a few shots to the kidneys. Liam leaned back before doubling over, throwing Desmond over his shoulder.

After falling on the pavement Desmond quickly crawled to one knee while turning around, blocking Liam's front kick to his face. He shot a quick jab to Liam's abs as he stood up before trying for another kick to his head. Liam blocked the kick to the head this time and threw one of his own to Desmond's side. Desmond dropped his elbow to absorb the shock, but that didn't stop him from being knocked off balance.

Liam leaned forward with a haymaker, but Desmond leaned away, so far back that he had to catch himself from falling. Liam threw a kick to Desmond's head as he pushed himself back up. Desmond stopped the kick with both arms, leaving him wide open for Liam's side kick to his midsection.

The force behind Liam's kick sent Desmond flying back before crashing into the street, his chest and legs getting the worst of the road rash. He slowly made a fist. With the side of his faced pressed against the gravel Desmond could hear Liam's footsteps creeping towards him.

"You know," Liam said as he wiped the blood from his lips. "When this all began I couldn't help but admire your tenacity. But now...now it's just annoying!" He kicked a shard of glass that had fallen off the squad bike aside while walking towards Desmond. The sound of Vincent limping towards them forced Liam's head to turn and laugh at his attempt to aid Desmond.

Desmond pounded his fist against the street and crawled to his knees. He waved off Vincent to stay put. "This...is going to end...with one of us dead," he said as his vision dimmed back to its regular state.

Liam threw up two fingers and smiled at Desmond's comment. "That's where you're wrong on both fronts, mate. It's definitely you who's dying on this bridge. And it's not gonna end with just you." Liam's eyes burned bright orange as a maniacal smile spread across his face. "This city will be a grave for you, and to the rest of your precious Chaos Company!"

Weary and aching, Desmond shot his right arm up just as Liam's optic beam sped in his direction. The back of his hand almost slammed against his face as the beam of light pounded against his palm. Liam's attack did not pierce through Desmond like it did to Tyler a few nights ago. Instead, Liam's beam transformed into an orange smoke the second it drilled into Desmond's hand. The mist danced around Desmond's body before seeping into his pores. His body took in the byproduct of Liam's optic beam, returning Desmond's brown eyes and vision to a violent orange.

"The hell?" Liam said as he took a step away from Desmond.

Desmond pushed himself to his feet, getting a second wind after absorbing Liam's attack. "It took me some time, but I finally got a beat on your energy output," Desmond said confidently as he slowly approached his opposition. "I had it back at Ty's apartment, but then that overdose of the geno-serum you took made it hard to get a read on you."

"The hell are you on about?"

Desmond clenched his fist. He could feel the veins in the left side of his face pressing against his skin, pulsating orange. "Dishing out my hand cannon is only half of what I can do. Given enough time my body can match the frequency of the energy output your geno-cells are producing and start to absorb it." Desmond paused for a moment to crack his knuckles and flex his back. "Basically, every time you hit me with that beam of yours, you were recharging my hand cannon."

Liam's face stemmed a hot red with as his orange veins popped out of his neck. "No. No! That was not in your dossier!"

"That's because Ty and I never reported it. We found out over a year ago but never told Wilbert in case someone like you ever needed to be stopped."

Liam shook his head. His orange veins stretched from his face all the way down to his rippling chest like an infection. "No," he said to himself, his eyes raging with orange fury. He whipped his head in a circle before launching another beam Desmond's way.

"Desmond, watch out!" Vincent screamed before collapsing on one knee.

With his right hand leading the way, Desmond made a dash towards Liam's optic attack. He invited the orange beam to crash into his palm. A heavy smoke cloud with a hint of orange mist blinded Desmond from seeing directly in front of him, but he pressed forward, regardless of his temporary lack of sight. Liam didn't hear any noise within the dissipating cloud, taking it as a sign that he had finally killed Desmond Striker.

Desmond leaped out of the thick smoke, the orange mist trailing behind him, and attacked Liam with a flying sidekick to the chest as he roared ferociously. The second he landed, Desmond held the mercenary by the shoulders and kneed him in the stomach, forcing Liam to bend forward. Desmond followed his knee with an uppercut, knocking Liam upright. Liam blocked Desmond's right hook, but Desmond twisted his wrist and latched onto Liam's arm, pulling orange mist from Liam's pores and absorbing it into his skin. Liam roared like a wounded animal as Desmond stole his power.

Liam had gone from a mild sweat to being as drenched as if he was in a sauna. He pushed Desmond back, giving him enough time to raise his hand at Desmond's kick, but failed to block the jab Desmond threw at his ribs. Desmond followed up with a right hook that Liam blocked and retaliated with the same hand he had blocked with, connecting with Desmond's jaw. In one motion Desmond hit the ground on all fours, twisting his body before throwing his leg up, kicking Liam in the shoulder and knocking him off balance.

Desmond stood up holding his jaw. Blood poured from his mouth. It was clear to him that Liam's strength was diminishing, otherwise the last punch he landed on Desmond would have unhinged his jaw. Desmond leaped forward, throwing a midair switch kick. Liam leaned back avoiding Desmond's kick by inches. He then grabbed Desmond's arm, stopping him from landing his spinning back fist. What Liam failed to see was Desmond's brightly charged left hand under his back fist. Liam looked at his opponent's grin before seeing his palm inches away from his ribs.

Desmond launched a palm-sized kinetic blast at Liam. The violent force generated pushed the two away from each other. Vincent rolled out of the way of Liam, who slid in his direction.

"Ahhh!" Liam stepped back from the smoke, holding his cracked ribs. He applied pressure to his side with both hands, not allowing the river of blood to leak out.

Desmond could tell Liam had nothing else left to give. In his eyes, Liam was a machine falling apart.

Liam looked up to see Desmond leaping high above him with his orange-veined fist cocked behind him. Desmond struck through Liam's lackluster block and crashed his fist into Liam's temple.

Everything went in slow motion for Desmond at that point. He and Liam rolled off each other's backs as they both lost their balance. Liam spun to the side before crashing into the pavement. Desmond fell back, and thanks to Vincent catching him, he didn't meet the same fate as the Australian mercenary.

"I gotcha, Striker," Vincent said as he helped his partner from hitting the ground.

"Thanks, man," Desmond's said while breathing heavily. He took a seat on the ground with both knees to his chest.

Vincent looked up towards the city and pointed out the two helicopters in the distance coming their way. "And here comes the cavalry," he said while shaking his head. "Just like them to show up when all the work's done."

Desmond laughed halfheartedly. "You're one to talk."

"Excuse me?"

Desmond looked back and up at his bloody headed teammate. "I shouldn't say that. You did do such a great job watching," he said jokingly.

"Do you see that over there?" Vincent pointed over at the major wreckage diagonally from them. "That was all Vinny baby!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Desmond said while waving him off with what little strength he had left. "Where's Jacob?"

Vincent pointed out at the water below them. "He made a jump for the East River before our chopper went down."

Desmond nodded in relief. "He's safe. Good."

"Safe? You obviously haven't seen that river," Vincent joked.

A sniper rifle fired off behind them. The round pierced the back of Vincent's tactical vest and out his right pectoral muscle. "Aghh!" he spat out in agony.

Desmond jumped to his feet at the sound of the sniper rifle. He saw Vincent falling to his knees in his peripheral vision, but kept his eyes trained on Vincent's assailant, Thomas Hopkins, who pointed the weapon at Desmond. Blood ran down the side of Hopkins' head and trickled on to his white shirt.

"No!" Desmond reached out with his hand cannon, ready to fire as he dropped into a low stance, but he was too late. Before he could take aim Hopkins fired at Desmond's shoulder pinning his left side to the ground as a shockwave of pain pulsed through him.

"You just had to get in my way!" Hopkins roared at Desmond while he screamed in pain. "I was going to bring this country back to its former glory! Where we were respected and feared by all!" Hopkins fired at Desmond again, but the rifle made nothing but a clicking noise.

Desmond crawled forward using one forearm while holding his shoulder. His body overflowed with pain. "And you think killing the President will bring this country to a time of glory?"

Hopkins dropped his weapon. "You're a fool for not seeing the bigger picture here, son."

"I see the big picture." Desmond reached out for Hopkins' ankles even though his grasp was yards away. "You can justify killing Grey as a means to an end. You can say what you want. What I see...is a man who wants power, at any cost!"

"I'm saving us at any cost!" Hopkins screamed as he looked back at Desmond.

*****

Hopkins spat at the ground in front of Desmond before walking away. He kneeled down to Liam who was passed out between the toppled-over SUV and the torn-off front end. Hopkins picked the driver's cap and sunglasses off of the corpse hanging out the driver side door. He then took off the man's roasted suit jacket and wrapped it around Liam's ribs before slinging his arm over his shoulder.

"Come on! Get up!" Hopkins pressed his legs to full extension, raising Liam to his feet. He looked back to see Desmond and Vincent rolled over in excruciating pain like wounded animals.

"Why...why are you helping me?" Liam asked his employer after spitting out a loose molar, followed by a spoonful of blood.

"Put these on." Hopkins said, giving Liam the driver's cap and sunglasses to wear. "This isn't over. And I can still use you," he pointed up ahead at the countless number of military vehicles making their way onto the bridge from the other end. "You see that? Our story: you're my driver and you were getting me out of the city when we were ambushed by Chaos Company. Once we pass these soldiers we grab a vehicle and get out of here."

"Sounds solid enough," Liam said as he put the sunglasses over his eyes and adjusted his cap.

"I still have some connections I can reach out to. We use them to help us regroup..." Before Hopkins could finish voicing his plan, a crippling punch to his back brought him to his knees. He lost his grip on Liam, who stumbled to the side like a drunk. Hopkins looked to his left to see his attacker, Anna Young, kneeing Liam in the stomach before pushing him against the outside railing.

*****

Anna got the drop on Hopkins and Liam by staying low behind the inside rails on the opposite road of the bridge. She peeked over her cover to see Vincent rolling back and forth in pain while Desmond used the torn-off front end of the SUV to climb to his feet. She was ready to run to his aid when she spotted Hopkins assisting Liam away from what she could only imagine was a violent run in with Desmond and Vincent.

She leaped over the railing and into the metal net in the center of bridge before hopping over the railing that divided her from the men that had taken her brother from her.

After punching Hopkins in his back and forcing Liam to the ground Anna stood between them, her skin still protected by her orange scales. She watched as Hopkins pulled out a small scale she had punctured his back with. Anna tore off a huge chunk of the scales on her forearm and held it in her hand like a sword. Her scales quickly regenerated around her arm. She raised the jagged makeshift blade under Liam's chin, forcing him to look up at her. She wanted her deathly stare to pierce his soul, to strike fear into him before she slit his throat. But behind Liam's bruised and bloodied face, all she saw was a man who took pride in all the lives he had taken.

Liam struggled to raise his hand at Anna. "Nice job, Annie. Your brother would be so proud that you got his killer and brought Tommy boy here to justice," he sighed. "Just...just get it over with."

"You dumb bitch!" Hopkins screamed at Anna. "This isn't over! You hear me!" He crawled to his feet, but stopped his advance after seeing Desmond leaning against the toppled SUV with his charged hand cannon aimed at Hopkins' head.

"Don't move!" Desmond screamed at the Secretary of Defense.

"You think I'm the only one that wants Grey dead? I'll be out before any of this hits the papers!" Hopkins roared while waving his arms around. "And when I get out I swear I'm going to hunt all of you down! One by one, I'll make you all pay!"

Anna couldn't think clearly. She could feel the National Guard closing in on their position. She was aware of the Huey accompanied by a fleet of attack choppers approaching them from the city. She could even hear the Coast Guard speeding their way through the East River. But none of that mattered to Anna. For the first time in her nightmare of a week, she had her brother's killer dead to rights, but it wasn't Liam she blamed for Tyler's death, not fully anyway.

"No," she said to herself, shaking her head. "You killed my brother." She pressed her blade against Liam's throat.

"As I've done with anyone who's in my way," Liam said in a tired tone.

"Death is too good for you. People need someone to hate after the mess you two caused." She slowly reached for the Glock pistol she had stuffed in her pants against her lower back. "But having Hopkins dead...is exactly what we all need!"

Anna drew her weapon and fired two shots, the first piercing Hopkins' bloodied skull, the second puncturing his heart.

"No!" Liam screamed as he watched his employer fall back lifelessly.

"Anna, look out!" Desmond screamed to her.

Anna spun back in time to see Liam pushing her back with his foot, forcing her gun out of her hand. Liam crawled for the gun in front of him and struggled to his feet, his fingers gripped around Anna's pistol.

Desmond fell forward on all fours before raising his hand up. "Liam, don't!"

Before Liam could take aim at Anna, Desmond launched a kinetic blast that ran over Liam, picking him off his feet, pushing him through the outside railing of the Brooklyn Bridge, and sending him spiraling down to the East River.

Anna's heart skipped a beat the moment she saw Desmond's kinetic blast tackle Liam off the bridge. She turned to Desmond who rolled on to his side, screaming in agony. Blood rushed out of his shoulder after firing his hand cannon.

"Desmond!" She fell to her knees and placed her hand on his, helping him apply pressure to his shoulder. She lifted his head off the street as he cursed in pain.

"Agh that hurt!" he screamed over the sound of the thick military convoy coming to a stop a few yards away from them.

"You lost a lot of blood," she said worriedly.

"I'll be okay," he replied.

Vincent limped over to the two of them while holding his chest. "Jeez, I really need to find a girl to care for me. Or a bottle of vodka. Actually, I'd take the bottle over having a girl right now," he said in a low aching tone.

"Freeze!" the armed soldiers running point roared at them. "Don't move!"

Anna, Desmond, and Vincent were overwhelmed by the loud yells being aimed at them. Some of the soldiers ordered them to put their hands on their heads while others told them not to move. Anna was forced onto the ground next to Desmond by a squad of soldiers. Her hands were tied behind her. Even with their bullet wounds, Desmond and Vincent were treated no differently than she was. Vincent was kicked to the ground by a soldier before having a shotgun put to his face while Desmond was flipped over and restrained. One of the soldiers pressed his knee on to his back, digging his wounded shoulder into rock and glass.

"You guys seriously couldn't show up ten minutes ago?" Vincent muttered under a soldier's knee pressed against his head.

*****

After taking out two of the six mercenaries surrounding him, Cameron made quick work of his opposition. He threw a spinning back fist at the man who almost fired at him with his sub-machine gun. He ducked under the man charging at him from his right and launched him over his shoulder. Cameron jumped and spun in midair, throwing his entire weight behind his left fist as he rotated and brought his fist down like a hammer onto the man he tossed over his shoulder, crushing him into the ground.

The mercenary to Cameron's right charged at him, roaring like a mad man with his stun rod in hand. Cameron grabbed the man's wrist and dispatched him with a head-butt, before the last standing mercenary wrapped a stun rod around his neck. The mercenary jumped on Cameron's back as he struggled to stand on his feet, squeezing the charged stun rod over his neck.

With his muscles convulsing vigorously Cameron couldn't slam back into the truck behind him. Instead, he took what little strength that wasn't already shocked out of him to jump, and shifted his weight back, crushing the mercenary beneath him into the ground.

Cameron slowly rolled off the incapacitated man and grabbed his stun rod. "Let's see how you like it." He switched the non-lethal weapon on and dropped it on the man's chest, leaving him to shake uncontrollably.

Cameron squeezed his massive torso between the SWAT vehicle and the mercenaries' white van only to be stopped by a squad of soldiers, who subdued him with aggression.

*****

Jacob had stayed underwater at the helicopter's moment of impact. The force of the explosion rippled through the water, pushing him towards the bridge while cracking a few ribs. He spotted an unhinged door from the chopper floating next to him. He fought the river's current to grab it before passing out.

By the time the Coast Guard picked Jacob up in a speed boat he was freezing from head to toe as he lay in the boat. The medic kneeling next to Jacob pried his hand away from his wounded ribs and forced him to sit back while she examined him.

Jacob's body grew stiff with fear the second he saw two men drag another man onto the boat. "The hell's he doing here?" He kicked back with all the strength he could muster, which wasn't much, until the medic forced him to sit still. She explained to him her men were pulling in a scorched and drenched Liam King out of the river so he could be imprisoned for his crimes. As the woman spoke he noticed the petty officers strapping a metal brace around Liam's neck. Jacob watched as the glass circles around the choker lit up orange.

Liam wasn't the same as Jacob remembered him back at the Plaza Hotel. Liam's tan face was no longer occupied by orange veins. His skin seemed more human and his muscular frame had deflated. He could only assume the choker had something to do with Liam's less violent appearance.

Jacob wanted to keep his eyes on Liam until either he was behind bars that could hold him or his head was severed from his neck, but Jacob's body wouldn't allow it. He didn't have it in him. The last thing he heard from the medic was that Liam was no longer a threat before passing out once again.
Chapter Eighteen

Ten days. It had been ten days since Chaos Company had defeated Liam King. It had been ten days since Anna shot and killed Thomas Hopkins, the late Secretary of Defence, who she blamed for the death of her brother, Lieutenant Tyler Young. None of that was the top concern for Vincent Lockhart at the moment. No. What bothered him the most was the fact that it had been ten days since the last time he had seen any of his friends.

After his team's final encounter with Thomas Hopkins and Liam King, Vincent was arrested alongside Desmond and Anna, blindfolded by the National Guard, and flown off to an undisclosed location, where he was shoved into a dimly lit eight-by-eight cell.

The first day in, Kiyoko was given a few minutes to meet with Vincent and heal his wounds. In their short time spent together Kiyoko quickly told Vincent she had seen the others and they were being treated the same as him.

For the past ten days Vincent was given two meals a day and was interrogated for hours every day. He had never seen his interrogator. The interrogation room Vincent was thrown into had a speaker for a person to communicate through.

"Tell me what happened."

"Tell me again."

"Why did you go AWOL?"

"Is that all?"

"Why not alert the authorities?"

"Do you have proof?"

"How'd you find King?"

"How'd you know he and James Westfield were working for Secretary Hopkins?"

"Do you have any evidence?"

The questions were thrown at Vincent for hours at a time, and for the past ten days he answered each question, whether they had already been asked before or not. Sometimes he'd answer with attitude, sometimes he'd curse out his anonymous interrogator, and sometimes Vincent would respond with dullness in his tone.

"Oh you have to be kidding me!" Vincent finally screamed on his tenth day of interrogation.

"Just answer the question, Specialist Lockhart," the muffled baritone voice said to him with no emotion.

Vincent shot up out of his metal chair. "How many times are you people gonna ask me the same damn questions?"

"Please answer our final question of the day, Specialist."

"Screw you. That's my final answer," he said as he sat back in the chair and crossed his arms.

There was a long, awkward silence before he heard the interrogator say, "Okay. I think we're done here."

"Wait, what?" Vincent said as he uncrossed his arms and sat up straight.

Seconds later three men dressed in blue Navy fatigues and equipped with HK MP5 sub-machine guns stepped through the interrogation door to guide Vincent out of the room. Vincent was hesitant to get up at first.

He replayed the interrogator's words in his head, " _I think we're done here_." What could he have meant? Could he have meant he was free to go? Did it mean that his being alive no longer held any value? Vincent sat in his seat for a little while, even when he was being told to get up. He took a deep breath and stood up, knowing he wasn't going to get any answers by sitting around.

*****

Desmond rested on his sheet-less twin bed with one knee up and one hand supporting his head. He lost track of how long he had been toying around with his abilities. His left hand was charged with kinetic energy. He had been slowly opening and closing his hand, expanding the aura of his power and absorbing it back into his palm.

He would never admit it to anyone, but Desmond learned to enjoy the silence of his soundproof cell. It was one of the few times since he enlisted that he didn't have to look over his shoulder. He wasn't having orders barked at him, gun shots weren't being fired, and he didn't have to prep for a mission. He did love his job and the feeling of accomplishment he got from completing a task, no matter how big or small, but just being able to be left alone with his thoughts for once was a relief he had long forgotten.

The brief sound of footsteps outside his cell forced Desmond to sit up. His orange veins subsided as his eyes and vision returned to normal. He stood up at the sound of his cell being unlocked. The four-inch iron door swung open.

"You're free to go, sir," the guard stationed at Desmond's cell said to him while stepping out of his way.

Desmond slowly walked out of his cell, nodding at the BDU-dressed guard, who saluted him as he walked by. He looked down the dark narrow hall to his right, knowing that was the way to the interrogation room. He walked away from the room, towards a flight of stairs squeezing through a narrow doorframe. Desmond made quick work of the sixteen metal steps heading up, skipping two at a time. He pushed open the door at the top of the steps, and to his surprise, he walked onto the flight deck of a heavily occupied aircraft carrier.

Desmond was in awe at the magnificence of the eleven hundred foot ship that was anchored in the middle of the Upper New York Bay. He stepped away from the white painted hanger and took in the view before him. It wasn't the aircrafts around him, nor the sailors that moved around the flight deck with purpose that filled his heart with pride. It definitely wasn't the Sea Sparrow SAM launchers or any of the other weapons the ship was equipped with that held his attention. Desmond had seen enough guns and missiles over the past few days to last him a lifetime. What captivated his attention was the Statue of Liberty. The aircraft carrier was parked just north of the statue which was perfect to capture a profile view of the iconic monument. If there was no other reason Desmond had to fight these past couple of days, this view, this moment was enough of a reason for him.

"Dessy!" he heard Kiyoko scream before she attacked him with a hug.

"Hey, guys," he said, laughing, as Cameron and Vincent followed Kiyoko. The three of them were all dressed in the same depressing blue prison getup he was in.

Cameron patted Desmond on the shoulder the second Kiyoko released him from her bear hug. "Great going taking out Liam, Dessy!" he said. "I heard you sucked him dry. I had no clue you could do that man!"

Vincent stared up at Cameron with a look of amusement on his face. "Dude, seriously...phrasing."

"Bite me."

"Is what you said to Liam, after that pounding he gave you?" Vincent shot back quickly.

"Oh!" Kiyoko roared childishly while covering her mouth.

Cameron finally submitted to Vincent's humour and punched his shoulder. "Screw you little man," he said in a laughing manner.

Desmond couldn't help but notice Anna was nowhere in sight. It was actually the first thing on his mind the second his friends found him in the crowd of seamen and slow moving aircrafts. "Have you guys seen Anna?"

Vincent shook his head. "Not since we got here."

Cameron raised his shoulders. "Sorry, man."

"We thought she was with you," Kiyoko said to Desmond.

"President on deck!" one of the working sailors yelled at the top of her lungs. Her words halted the movement of every soldier in the immediate area and held a salute for their Commander and Chief.

Desmond and the others turned to President Grey, who walked toward them with a team of four Secret Service agents on her six. "At ease," she commanded the soldiers who stopped to acknowledge her presence, allowing them to get back to work. President Grey made her rounds shaking hands with the team that saved her life and her country.

"President Grey," Cameron said softly. "It's nice to see you alive and well, ma'am."

Grey grabbed Kiyoko by her shoulder and pointed at her. "I have you and your friends to thank for that." She walked by Cameron and tapped his bulging bicep. "All of you acted with valor during violent times," she said with great appreciation. "Come with me."

"Madame President. What happened to Liam King?" Kiyoko asked as they all followed her along the flight deck.

"Liam King has been thrown in the deepest most secure cell on Rikers Island," she said pointing over her shoulder at the East River where the prison was located northeast of them. "His abilities are being suppressed by a device strapped around his neck designed to negate his geno-cells. In time, the device will drain him of his power permanently."

"Where's Anna?" Desmond said to Grey. His eagerness to find her made him forget who he was talking to for a moment.

The President smiled as she continued walking past the hard at work soldiers and stationary aircrafts. "I had her released a few days earlier so she could bury her brother. I'm sorry I couldn't do the same for you all. My advisors thought it best I don't show too much favouritism after you all went AWOL, on top of the hell Hopkins put us all through. But trust me, Lieutenant Young is fine, Captain."

"Whoa, wait? Lieutenant? Captain?" Vincent said, bringing a halt to Grey's advance across the flight deck.

President Grey waved at her men to give Vincent and the others folders with their names and the word "classified" stamped across the exterior. "Yes. In light of recent events, you've all been promoted. You Mr. Lockhart have been promoted to Lieutenant, along with Anna Young. And Mr. Wilson here has received Captain status with Mr. Striker. Of course, with your new ranks there'll be an academic crash course to get you all up to speed."

"Dessy gets Captain? Really?" Cameron said in outrage.

Vincent was quick to point at Desmond. "You know he didn't vote for you right?"

"Vincent!" Kiyoko and Desmond yelled at him simultaneously.

President Grey waved Desmond to lock it up. "Wait, you didn't vote for me?"

Kiyoko stepped between Grey and a nervous Desmond before he got an ear full of why she deserves to be President. "Ma'am? What about me?"

"Major Hinori. Congratulations."

"Whoa hold up! She gets Major?" Vincent screamed.

The President pointed at Vincent. "Excuse me. Did you stop Liam King?"

Vincent shook his head. "No, ma'am."

"And did you save me from a fatal gunshot wound?"

"No, ma'am,"

Desmond did his best to hide his grin. He couldn't help but enjoy seeing Vincent speechless, for once.

"Okay then." President Grey rubbed her eyes. The crows' feet below them were a clear sign she hadn't been sleeping well over the past ten days. "God help me. I try to give you people a promotion and a new job and this is the thanks I get."

Desmond walked side by side with the President as she moved toward the other end of the carrier. "We're being reassigned?"

Grey nodded. "It's all in your folders." She took a deep breath before asking, "Do you know what one of my greatest fears is, Captain Striker?"

"Uh, re-election year?" Vincent answered for him while looking through his file.

"National economic instability?"

Vincent elbowed Cameron while reading through his file. "Aww! Look at you being relevant!"

Desmond ignored his teammates and shrugged his shoulders at Grey. "No, ma'am."

Grey stopped just short of the sixty-foot-long white jet with blue stripes painted from the cockpit to the tail. "Being betrayed by one of my own. I fear it because it's always the ones closest to us that are able to do the most damage. They know how we think, they know our strengths, and our weaknesses."

She looked back at Desmond and his team as he took in her words. She walked back to Desmond, looked up at him, and rubbed his shoulder. "One of my fears turned into...into a living nightmare. Thomas Hopkins almost launched this country into another war when we're already spread too thin. A lot of people would've died, if not for you and your team." Grey paused. "To show my gratitude, I'm giving you that," she said, pointing at Desmond's file.

Kiyoko walked up to the President with her file raised. "It says here you're discharging us, ma'am."

Vincent flipped through the pages of weapons and vehicles that were in the file until he read what Kiyoko had. "The hell? Who thanks people by firing them?"

President Grey put a hand up to Vincent. "Yes, I had you all discharged, because I'm having you all reinstated to a new outfit, along with your new rank."

Desmond stepped back from the President and stood with his team. It wasn't until that moment that he finally felt the eyes of Grey's men surrounding them. "What sort of new outfit?" he asked with a cautious tone.

"One that works to prevent and end major conflicts, not just fight them. Your new outfit will take mission requests from countries affiliated with the UN from time to time. After I've cleared them of course."

"Where will we be stationed?" Cameron asked.

"That FBI apartment complex seemed to do the job for you all before. I've had my people working on it for the past couple of days. The complex will be upgraded, fully staffed, and operational by the end of the week."

Vincent closed his folder and smiled at President Grey. "Damn, Madame President! A twelve pack would've been thank you enough for me."

"You're profile led me to assume as much," Grey said, leaving the team with a small laugh as she headed for the side of the jet where the mobile stairway unfolded.

Kiyoko lead Cameron and Vincent off the strip as she heard the jet engines warming up. "You guys think we should do this?"

Vincent shrugged his shoulders. "Sounds like a good gig. We'll be able to lead and do some good."

"Can't really oppose a job that has nightclubs located down the street from it," Cameron added.

"Amen to that brother," Vincent said while pointing at Cameron.

Desmond took in everything his team had to say, nodding in agreement. But he couldn't help but think about Anna. "I'll be right back guys." he said while patting Kiyoko and Vincent on the shoulder before breaking away from them.

Desmond brushed by a few seamen to get to the President, who took her time up the mobile stairway. "Madame President!" Desmond yelled out, stopping her in her tracks.

President Grey turned and looked down at Desmond. She raised her hand to Desmond before he could utter another word. "Lieutenant Young has already accepted my proposal, Captain. That's why she isn't here to greet you all. She's on protection detail with an oil distribution company in Columbia."

Worry of Anna's wellbeing flooded Desmond's mind, which he clearly displayed while looking at President Grey.

Grey sighed. "Part of me admires your concern Captain. But there's no need to worry. She'll be back, I promise." she said before throwing him a small grin. She turned and entered the jet through the side door. One of the two Marines dressed in their service uniforms at the top of the stairway closed the door behind her before Desmond made his way over to his team.

*****

The inside of the presidential jet was as all-American as one could imagine. The bright stars painted over the stripe of blue running underneath the windows reflected off the cream white covering the interior walls. The soft dark red carpet couldn't compare to the comfort of the pair of brown leather chairs located diagonal to each other and separated by a low mahogany table. The space adjacent to the chair furthest from the cockpit was filled by a black L-shaped sofa with three small blue pillows placed on it.

President Grey walked in on Anna with her knees dug into the sofa as she looked out the tinted window. Grey noticed the glass of whiskey sitting on the table next to a file of paperwork for Anna to read through.

"Someone in your position shouldn't be having that. You have a big job ahead of you," she said to Anna, startling her, as she took a seat in the brown chair adjacent to her.

Anna pointed at the flight attendant standing in the tail end of the jet. "She said it was for you. I'm fine with water."

Grey leaned in for the drink and took it all down at once. She pointed at the tinted window Anna had been looking out of. "Taking one last look at your team?"

Anna nodded. "What did you tell them?" Anna asked.

Grey waved her flight attendant over for another drink. "I told them that you already accepted my offer." She picked up the glass and thanked the attendant. "I hope that was okay."

"Yeah," Anna said hesitantly. "That's fine. Thank you for covering for me."

Grey waved off her thanks while sipping her whiskey. "Please, Miss Young. You saved my life. Hell, you personally put a bullet in the man who wanted me dead. Establishing a cover for you is the least I could do."

*****

Anna hid her smile from President Grey by looking down at the carpet before looking through the window again. She could hear the sound of the jet engines firing up, which only made her eyes lock on Desmond more intensely than before. She watched him conversing with the rest of her team. She could only assume they were talking about their new jobs. She watched Desmond look up at the aircraft from time to time.

Anna felt the jet jerk back before rolling forward. She saw Desmond smile at something Vincent said. She committed his smile to memory before pressing her head against the glass, just as the jet sped across the aircraft carrier and ascended above the bay.

"Are you okay, Lieutenant?" President Grey said with a note of concern in her voice as Anna sat back down on the sofa and straightened her black blazer and matching dress pants.

Anna wiped a single tear from her eye and forced a smile. She took a deep breath and held on tight to the vision of Desmond's smile. "I will be," she said.
Chapter Nineteen

Special Agent Jacob Hayes had a first-class seat at the former FBI apartment complex in Soho, New York. He watched from the corner window on the fifth floor of the east building, which was being remodelled as the complex's medical bay. He had lost interest in how half of the floor he was looking at was furnished with white walls and light blue and white diamond-patterned tiles. He focused more on the construction outside. He was fascinated with how diligently the workers outside moved around the fresh operators walking into the north and west wings.

What fought for Jacob's attention the most was the unfinished catwalk being built on the fourth floor of the north and west wing in the shape of an "L." He could only assume another crosswalk would be built between the east and north wing, seeing that there were already columns put into place.

"Your move, Agent Hayes," Doctor Henry Wilbert said to him in an annoying demeanour. The good doctor had told Jacob he had spent the last few days in Bellevue hospital listed as a John Doe, before being shipped to the former FBI hideout.

Jacob was about to move a pawn forward when he saw the glass door slide open.

Desmond, who wore a red tee shirt and black jeans, thanked Agent Gabrielle Jones for leading him to Jacob. Jacob could tell by Desmond's widening eyes that he was surprised to see Dr. Wilbert in the room.

"Dr. Wilbert?" he said with a jaw dropping look on his face.

Dr. WIlbert turned his head to Desmond and waved him over. "Ahh! Mr. Striker, good to see you!" he shook Desmond's hand with both of his.

Desmond's mouth was open before he let out a small laugh. "How? How are you...?"

"I was bleeding out something awful when the paramedics found me. I woke up to a call from Jennifer while in Bellevue's ICU. She told me she saw what happened on the news and had me labelled as a John Doe until things settled down. Once they did I requested to be transferred here."

Desmond looked down at the medical patch and tape covering the bullet hole in Wilbert's torso. "How bad is it?"

Wilbert threw his hand at him, batting away his concern. "With the other round going through my knee, I'm afraid I won't be running any marathons anytime soon," he said, pointing at the cane he would be using to get around for the next few weeks. "But other than that I'm fine."

"Oh snap!" Vincent said as he walked into the room. He pointed at Wilbert while patting Desmond on the back. "You're alive!"

Wilbert nodded. "Yes, Mr. Lockhart. No thanks to you," he said jokingly while tugging at Vincent's leather jacket.

"You're just in time to watch the old man lose," Jacob said as he waved Desmond over.

Desmond walked around Wilbert and the chess set to shake Jacob's hand, who struggled to move his upper body as each muscle ached. "That doesn't look good," Desmond said, pointing at the bandages wrapped around Jacob's ribs and his left arm in a sling.

"What, this?" he said while he moved his left arm. "I'll bounce back, unlike Hopkins. From what I heard his condition's pretty permanent."

Desmond smiled and put his hands in his pockets. "Bullets to the head usually are."

"I'll have to thank Anna when I see her."

Vincent leaned on Dr. Wilbert's medical bed. "You could if she was around," he said. Wilbert reached out and moved his queen up to take Jacob's knight.

"Who's Anna?" Agent Jones said as she moved closer to the center of the room.

"She's part of our team. And Dessy's girl," Vincent said pointing at Desmond.

"Where'd she go?" Jacob asked.

Desmond covered his eyes for a moment. "She's running security detail in Columbia."

"Guarding the interest of some oil company there," Vincent said, chiming in.

"During my talks with Mr. Young he used to tell me how close you were with his sister," Wilbert said to Desmond. "But he also emphasized how strong she is. I'm sure Miss Young will be fine and back soon enough Mr. Striker."

"Thanks, doc," he said with a nod.

Everyone turned to the sound of the sliding glass door opening as Kiyoko walked in, wearing a pink sundress and sandals. "Hey," she said, waving specifically at Jacob.

Doctor Wilbert waved her over for a big hug. "Miss Hinori, it's nice to see you!"

"Same to you, Henry!" she said before kissing his forehead. "I just heard from the operatives downstairs that you were here."

"And you can believe I plan on sticking around." Wilbert said with a smile. "President Grey offered me an advisor position here with you all."

Kiyoko's eyes flashed a bright orange as she stepped back and held Wilbert's hand. "Here. Let me help you out."

Wilbert brushed Kiyoko's hand away gently. "Oh, no. That's quite alright. The wound in my abdomen is healing nicely already, but I'm afraid the nerve damage to my leg is irreversible. I know from our tests together that the nervous system is beyond your capabilities. I'd hate for you to waste your efforts."

Kiyoko nodded. "Oh. Okay. I understand," she said, stepping away from him.

"If it's any conciliation, chicks dig British dudes with walking canes," Vincent said to him.

Jacob found himself half-listening to everything everyone was saying. His attention was focused on Kiyoko since the moment she had stepped into the room

Desmond looked over his shoulder to see Jacob in awe with Kiyoko's appearance. Jacob looked up at Desmond, then over at Agent Jones, who grinned at him.

"Henry, let us show you around the place for a bit," Desmond said as he handed Dr. Wilbert his cane and helped him up. Vincent stood on the opposite side of Wilbert, helping him to his feet.

Dr. Wilbert took a look back at the chess set between the medical beds. "Hold on a minute! Agent Hayes and I weren't finished with our match."

Vincent leaned over the bed and took a look at the game. "The way I see it he has you beat in three moves there, doc," he said discouragingly.

Wilbert turned to the chess board with a confused look. "What? How?"

"It's called the Blackburne Shilling move. In three moves I'll have you in checkmate. Have fun, doc," Jacob said quickly while Desmond and Vincent helped Henry out of the room.

"Don't forget to ask him," Desmond whispered to Kiyoko with a smile, loud enough for Jacob to hear.

"I won't," she said with a grin as Desmond headed for the door. Kiyoko looked over at Jacob, smiling at him radiantly.

Jacob pushed himself up and brushed his uncombed hair away from his face.

Kiyoko took a seat in the bed next to his. "So, you look worse than when you got in that car accident." she said jokingly.

"I'm stepping my game up from head on collisions to plane crashes," he said with a laugh. "You...you look, wow."

Kiyoko smiled and brushed her hair back. "Thanks."

"What's the occasion?"

"Me and the guys are going out for drinks." Kiyoko bent forward, reaching for Jacob's hand while she slid onto the bed and took a knee by his side. "You're welcome to come if you like."

"Thanks, but I'll just be a burden, you'd have to...agh!"

Jacob screamed in agony as his body tightened. He gritted his teeth from the painful flexing of his muscles. Kiyoko tightened her grip on Jacob as he tried to break away. Kiyoko eyes sparked orange while her hands radiated the same color. Jacob could feel the muscle tissue in his shoulder reforming from his gunshot wound. The feeling of the ribs in his chest snapping back into place forced an animal yell out of him. After a few more seconds of what felt like torture to Jacob, Kyoko's eyes dimmed back to their beautiful natural brown while the pain in Jacob's arm and torso subsided

"There," Kiyoko said as Jacob sat up and touched his ribs. "Here, let me." She reached for the sling and lifted it from around his neck while he slid his arm out.

Jacob took a moment to bend his left arm slowly. He smiled at the fact he could move it without a sharp pain coming from his shoulder. "Whoa! Neat trick."

"Not the first time I pulled a trick on you," she said with a cocky smile.

Jacob laughed. "Excuse me?" he asked, purposely taking her comment as promiscuous.

Kiyoko's eyes widen with embarrassment. "What? No! I...I didn't mean that!"

Jacob couldn't help but laugh. He waved off her attempt to correct herself. "It's okay," he said while laughing, "I know what you meant."

Kiyoko brushed her hair back and laughed a little. "So you'll come now?"

"Yeah," he said without hesitating, "I could use a drink. Can I bring Gabby?"

"Who?"

"Agent Jones?"

"Um yeah. Sure." Kiyoko paused. "Are you two...together?"

Jacob laughed. "Who? Jones? No. We trained at Quantico together. She's a good friend."

"Oh," Kiyoko exhaled while looking away from Jacob.

Jacob did his best to lock Kiyoko's evasive eyes with his. "Is that what Desmond wanted you to ask me? For me to go out for a drink?" he said with a smile.

Kiyoko smiled back. She looked at Jacob. "No."

Jacob laughed. "Then what was it?"

"He ugh...he wanted me to ask you to join us. Like, work with us."

"Yeah!" he said quickly.

"Really?"

"Hell yeah!" Jacob said as he leaned back in bed. "What's the division's name?"

Kiyoko smiled. "We thought about sticking with our team's codename Chaos Company."

Jacob nodded. "I like it. And I'm definitely in." Jacob paused while shrugging his shoulders. "I mean, I can't really go back to the FBI and act like everything is the same, not after what Hopkins tried to do."

"Oh, I never thought of that,"

Jacob reached out and grabbed Kiyoko's hand, waiting for her to look at him. "Hey. We can't go back to how things were before. But what we face from now on, we can face together."

Kiyoko smiled at him and brushed her hair back. "Yeah, you're right."

*****

Agent Gabrielle Jones walked through a heavy dark brown door, stepping into The Knock Around, a warm, homey bar with a hole in the wall exterior. Gabrielle appreciated the light-brown wood interior that gave the watering hole a cabin-like ambiance. She felt out of place wearing a seductive sparkling black dress with needle-thin heels and a purse to match, but her sense of detachment from the casually dressed customers quickly faded once she saw Kiyoko, who sat at a high table with Jacob and Cameron, dressed in her pink sundress.

Gabrielle made her way through the crowd over to Kiyoko and the guys. She noticed a lot of the customers were actually the recruits of their division. Surprisingly to her, she received a wave from some recruits who were busy playing pool.

Gabrielle gave a round of hugs to Jacob and Kiyoko. She didn't bother giving one to Cameron, seeing that he was occupied with talking to one of the new recruits, a young blonde who stared at him hypnotically.

She listened in on the flirting going on between Cameron and the beautiful blonde while ordering a beer. "I guess Wilson didn't read the 'no fraternizing with operatives' paragraph in his contract, huh?"

"He read it. He just doesn't agree with it," Kiyoko said as she wrapped one arm around Jacob's.

"I don't think I do either," Jacob said as he held Kiyoko close and smiled.

"Cameron also doesn't agree with wearing condoms," Vincent chimed in as he walked past the table to the dart board in the back. He pulled out the three darts that he had just thrown into the bull's eye while finishing his fourth White Russian of the night. He put two of the darts in his pocket and twirled the other in his hand as he walked back to the throwing line. The fact that he was still hitting the bull's eye would have been impressive to Gabrielle, if she hadn't read the teams file and discovered that the geno-human serum lessened the affects of alcohol on subjects like Vincent.

*****

Desmond watched his team mingle with the new recruits with a sorrowful gaze. He leaned back against the bar stool with his arm out on the table, holding his second short glass of rum and coke on the rocks in his hand. It took him over an hour to finish sipping on the first one, his mind kept fading in and out of reality, thinking about Anna, and how she wasn't around.

Vincent surprised Desmond by jumping into the seat next to him. "Look who's taking a move out of the ol' Lockhart playbook!"

Desmond moved his arm out of the way so Vincent had a place to put his empty glass. "You mean people watching?"

Vincent shook his head at Desmond's response while ordering another round for the two of them. "I meant drinking alone. When I do it I'm having fun. I play a little AC/DC, maybe do a little gun tinkering, hit the shooting range."

"Isn't that how you ended up spending a Tuesday night in lockup?"

"If you replace the word night with morning you'd be spot on," he said, slurring his word slightly.

Desmond threw Vincent a small laugh. He appreciated Vincent was trying to cheer him up.

"Has she called?" Vincent asked.

Desmond bit his lip and shook his head. He turned his back on the sea of new recruits and folded his arms on the bar stool. "I just don't get why she left before seeing any of us."

Vincent turned in his stool and patted Desmond on the back. "Yeah, I'm sorry, man. I mean, you didn't even get goodbye sex."

Desmond's eyes wandered down to the table as he picked at the bar nuts with an accomplished grin on him.

"Oh my God, you did, didn't you?" Vincent screamed as he slapped the table before biting his knuckle. "Seriously dude, you're my hero."

Desmond pushed Vincent away. "Shut up, man," he laughed.

"When did it happen?"

"Back at the hospital." Desmond swirled his ounces of rum before finishing it.

Vincent nudged a congratulatory elbow in Desmond's side. "Oh, a little role play, huh? The sexy nurse mounting the helpless soldier? Freaking classic man!"

The bartender sat two vodka drinks in front of Vincent and Desmond. Vincent pulled out a twenty for the bartender and told him to keep the change.

"Look, Anna...she'll be alright."

Desmond took a sip from his new glass. "I know. It's just ever since we joined Chaos Company we've never gone more than a week or two without seeing each other. And before that I saw her every day at infantry school, and before that basic, and before that boarding school. But now she's gone, you know?"

"Yeah. I mean I don't have what you and she have, but I get it." Vincent said before twirling in his chair to look out at the civilian-dressed recruits that filled the bar. "We just went through hell, lost one of our own, and made it out the other side."

"We did go through a lot."

"And at the end of it all she bolted like it was a one-night stand."

"Yeah. Wait, no. That's not what I was getting at." Desmond turned his head to see Vincent fighting to keep his balance on the stool. "How many have you had?"

Vincent put his drink between his legs and raised both hands open. "What's one more than this?"

"A helluva lot." He dug into his pocket to pull out his vibrating cell phone. "I just wish I was there with her. I wish I could be there for her."

Vincent patted him on his back. "She'll be fine, Dessy. I promise. And back before you know it."

Desmond was partially listening to Vincent's slurred attempt to comfort him. He was more focused on the unknown phone number that ran across the screen of his cell. "I'm gonna take this," he said to Vincent before spinning around in the stool and rushing for the bar entrance.

Vincent waved him off. "Good talk, Striker!" he yelled out to him.

"That's debatable," Desmond said as he walked off.

As he made his way through the crowd of new recruits Desmond noticed how close Kiyoko and Jacob were to each other, his hands on her hips as she leaned over his shoulder. Desmond couldn't help but feel happy for Kiyoko. He looked down at the unknown number again and pushed through the bar door before answering the call.

"Hello?" he chattered, as the cold New York wind entangled him.

"Dessy."

It was a voice he was overjoyed to hear. "Anna," was all he could exhale. He wanted to tell her how much he missed her, how much he needed her at the moment. There were thousands of things he wanted to say to her, but hearing her knocked him off guard, leaving him only able to say her name.

"You sound good, Dessy," she said with a smile that he could feel over the phone.

He looked up and down the calm street at all the parked cars. "Yeah, you too. How did you..."

"Grey got me a SAT phone so I could call," she said, cutting him off. "How's everyone?"

"Good. We're all good."

"You all took the deal?"

Desmond walked away from the bar entrance, letting a couple enter. He looked down the alley, where he spotted two new recruits making out next to all the parked cars. He turned back and smiled. "Yeah, we did. We should be fully operational in a few days."

"That's great," she said softly, "I heard Jacob survived that crash."

As much as he loved hearing from Anna, Desmond's mind churned with confusion. His head was clouded by her absence. He barely heard her speak about how beautiful Columbia was and how she wished he could visit and explore the country with her. "Why did you leave, Anna?" he asked her, cutting her off abruptly.

He heard nothing but silence from her. He could hear the wind blowing in the background. He could almost see Anna, with her mouth open, and at a loss for words.

"I would've gone with you, you know," he said to her, after giving her a chance to answer him. "You didn't have to take this assignment alone. We've always been better together. You and me. You make me better Anna."

"I know, Desmond. I know," she said to him as her voice jumped an octave. "I just, I just needed to get away from everything. It's something I had to do, after seeing Ty's dad."

"You mean your dad," he corrected her.

"No, Desmond. I mean Ty's dad," She paused for a second. "President Grey pulled a few strings to get me out of detainment so I could make it to Ty's funeral. I saw his dad there," she stopped for a moment. "He was a wreck, Desmond! And I'm no better! I thought going there would be good for me but it wasn't!"

Desmond didn't know what to say. With Liam King distracting him and his team he hadn't really had time to mourn over his best friend. He worked through Tyler's death with each punch he landed on Liam during their bout on the Brooklyn Bridge. Before that he turned his sorrow for Ty into rage, killing anyone linked to Thomas Hopkins, Liam King, or James Westfield. After days of running, shooting, punching, kicking, and escaping death more times than he could count. Desmond was too tired to mourn for his friend.

"Anna. I'm sorry," he said softly. "I wish I could've been there with you."

"He told me to never come back, Ty's dad and his new wife. They said I wasn't...that I wasn't welcome home anymore." She cried out.

Desmond's jaw dropped. If he hadn't heard it from Anna he wouldn't have believed it. He knew Ty's father, Sergeant Gregory Young, for as long as he could remember. He knew there was a picture of Gregory and Desmond's parents, Tamara and Dominic Striker, with him, Anna, and Ty in Gregory's ranch-style home in Manchester, Vermont.

Desmond could hear her weeping on the line. He wiped his face, pushing back the tears with his fingers. "God, Anna. I'm so sorry. I'm, so sorry you had to go through that by yourself. I should've been there, you know how Gregory can be," his voice was raised an octave while he tried to hold back the drops of tears behind his eyes.

"It's okay," she said while sniffing. "No, it's okay. Really. It's for the best. I guess I always knew his love for me was never really there, you know? I've always been so busy with work. He probably took me in so Ty had someone to keep him occupied. Give him some responsibility. Ty's the one who kept me tethered to that family for so long."

"Ty did love you," Desmond added to her tangent.

"Yeah. I know. He loved you, too," she said as she wiped the tears from her eyes. Her voice returned back to its tomboyish norm. "I took the job in Columbia to get away for a while. I'll be back, I promise."

Desmond looked up at the cold night sky. He wished that he could somehow, some way convince her to come back that night. As much as he hated it he knew it was best that Anna left, at least for a while. He could tell by her tone that it was a hard decision for her to make. But he couldn't help but realize it was the right one.

"I'll hold you to it," he said reluctantly.

"Thank you Dessy. I need you to be okay with this."

Desmond wanted to tell Anna her place was with the team. He wanted to tell her even though they stopped Liam and Hopkins they needed to be together, now more than ever. But instead he held his tongue

"Of course Anna. Take all the time you need. "We'll be here when you're ready." he paused for a moment. "I'll be here when you're ready.

"Dessy," she paused, which felt like a century to Desmond. "I just want to say. I..."

A hard blowing wind muffled the connection between the two.

"Desmond...I..."

"What? Anna I can't hear you!" he screamed into the phone, but it was no use. After a few more seconds of yelling into the phone, begging her to repeat her lost words, Desmond pried the phone from his ear to see that his connection with her had been lost.

He looked down the street to his right to see a steel-colored UH-1Y Venom Helicopter landing in the center of the vacant four-way crossing, and generating sharp winds.

"Let's go! Cam! Grab Vinny! Whoa!" Kiyoko yelled while exiting the bar, before bumping into a distracted Desmond. "Oh! Sorry Dessy."

"What's going on?" Desmond pointed over to the five-passenger chopper as the pilot dressed in military fatigues climbed out.

"Local Canadian forces sent a distress call about an attack in Montreal," Kiyoko yelled to Desmond as they made their way to the helicopter. "The JTF is holding them back but Grey wants Chaos Company to handle it."

"Sounds a bit out of the way for us to get involved."

"I'd agree if we weren't the only ones equipped to handle it." Kiyoko slowed to a fast walk to hand Desmond her smart phone. "These guys took some pretty nasty military-grade equipment from a base in Tennessee. Our main concern is the experimental hardware they lifted."

Desmond scrolled to the last two pages of the attachment on Kiyoko's phone. The first revealed that the enemy had gotten their hands on a crate full of XM25 CDTE air-burst grenade launchers, which were known for their easy use and extremely high accuracy. The last image displayed a highly advanced military suit codenamed M.O.T.A.S.

Even though he was familiar with the technology, to Desmond the Man-Operated Tactical Assault Suit, or M.O.T.A.S, looked like something out of a science fiction movie. The dark-green tactical suit was made from steel plates and Kevlar from the chest to the user's extremities. Desmond knew the inside of the suit had a rubber texture to it, which was actually gelatine capable of absorbing the impact from high velocity rounds. From the schematics on the phone he saw a hydraulics system ran through the armor, granting the user superhuman strength and reflexes.

"M.O.T.A.S. I remember hearing about it in a conference once," Desmond said while zooming in on the schematics of the suit. "It's supposed to be an all-purpose assault suit. I thought we were years away from a finished design."

Desmond handed the phone back to Kiyoko as they jogged past two buildings on either side, toward the helicopter. He could hear Jacob, Cameron, and Vincent following suit.

"Grey's advisers think our targets stole the blueprints to Project M.O.T.A.S and had someone engineer a number of suits."

"I'm guessing whoever was able to steal the blueprints and actually make a functioning suit has a major benefactor backing them." Jacob yelled out. "We need to stop this before a lot of innocent people get hurt."

Desmond watched as a white SUV parked itself diagonal to the chopper. Two men climbed out and quickly opened up the back of the van, throwing backpacks of gear to each teammate as they approached the vehicle.

Kiyoko climbed into the back of the van to change while Desmond and the others ripped off their tops to put on their long-sleeved undershirts and tactical vests. Kiyoko was the only one who put on the urban camouflage pants and jumped out of the SUV. Desmond and the others kept their own jeans on.

Cameron pulled out a metal facemask from his bag. "I'm digging the paint job!" he said, complementing the yellow skull sprayed on the mask.

The pilot ran over to Vincent, taking off his helmet and handing it over to him before saluting his superior. "The twin mini-guns are fully loaded and there's a weapons cache in the back, Lieutenant."

Vincent put his hand out to shake the pilot's hand. "Thanks, man. I got it from here."

Desmond nodded at the pilot before climbing in the back.

"Good luck sir." The pilot said over his shoulder.

"Thanks."

"How're local police handling this?" Jacob yelled over the sound of the helicopter blades as he fastened his vest.

"Come on, Huntington," Vincent yelled as he climbed into the pilot seat through the passenger side.

"It's Hayes," Jacob said with frustration in his tone while he jumped into the passenger seat.

Vincent continued without correcting himself, "The deadliest thing Canadian cops have to worry about are jay walkers and Drake. So I'm guessing they're losing the fight right now."

Cameron climbed into the back and occupied the seat between both guns. Jacob picked up the tablet attached to the chopper's guidance system and explained to Vincent the best way to get to Montreal and avoid any problematic wind shear.

"Chances are this team is being run by someone offsite. If I can get a hit on their location I'll need you to drop me off to hunt them down before you engage with the hostiles."

"Sounds good to me," Vincent said as he fastened the pilot's helmet over his faux hawk and onto his head.

Jacob paused before asking Vincent a question. "Hey, maybe I can fly us back after all's said and done?"

"No," Vincent said quickly.

"But you didn't even stop to think..."

"No," he said again, cutting Jacob off.

"Come on man. I need to practice."

Vincent laughed. "I agree, but not while I'm in this thing."

Jacob turned after hearing Cameron's hearty laugh and Kiyoko's light chuckle. He looked at her and smiled. "Oh, you think that's funny?"

Kiyoko did her best to hide her laugh. She sat next to the mini-gun directly behind Jacob. "I mean. You did crash a taxi."

"I know."

"And a helicopter," Vincent added.

"I know!"

"Both within twenty-four hours of each other," Cameron chimed in.

"Okay fine!" Jacob said over the sound of his peers laughing. "I'll just practice on a simulator."

Vincent patted the federal agent on the shoulder. "Playing Asteroids doesn't count as a simulator, pal."

"Hey, Dessy!" Kiyoko looked him.

Her voice pulled Desmond out of his train of thought while he half-listened to his team's banter. He wished he had the time to call Anna back and tell her out loud, for once, that he loved her. He wanted to tell her that their time together meant more to him than she could ever know, and how much he wanted her by his side. He clenched his phone to the point that the screen started to crack around the perimeter. He would've called her if he didn't have a job to do.

"Sorry." Desmond said to Kiyoko while he rubbed his eyes.

"You good?"

Desmond looked down, and nodded. "Yeah, I'm good," he said.

Cameron leaned forward, rubbing Desmond's shoulder."No shame in saying your head's not in the game, Striker."

"The man said he's good, guys. Let's lay off him," Vincent said as he twisted a few knobs on the control panel, prepping for take-off.

Desmond turned his back on his team and adjusted himself to the mini-gun in front of him. "Don't worry about me. My head's in the game," he nodded to Cameron, who returned the gesture. He kept the same commanding tone he had when his team was plotting how to breach James Westfield's HQ. "Let's get to work."

"Yes sir!" Vincent responded with a tone of excitement.

Cameron leaned back and smiled. "Go, team, go."

Vincent pulled back on the handle, lifting them off the streets of Soho and high above the skyscrapers. Desmond covered his eyes, shielding them from the cold winds sliding down his face. He clenched his hand around the handle of his mini-gun as the chopper banked to the right. His chest pressed against the machine gun until Vincent levelled out. Desmond looked down at the city, trying his best to keep his mind off Anna. He knew thoughts about her could get him hurt once they reached their destination. Instead, he imagined what he'd do the second he and his team touched down in Montreal.

Desmond pictured himself firing his mini-gun at the enemy, gunning down targets as the Montreal snow soaked up their blood. He imagined himself leaping fifteen feet out of the chopper, his boots hitting the fresh snow as he took aim with his charged arm, ready to pierce a kinetic blast through the user of a MOTAS suit, whoever they may be. With each mile the chopper travelled, Desmond's thoughts of completing the mission outweighed those he had of Anna. He knew in order to see Anna's return and to be together again, the best thing for him to do was to keep his mind on the mission at hand.
