I took a glance around the desolate rooftop I sat on; it was lucky I picked one with raised ledges.

Perfect cover for me. I should be virtually unseen.

I opened my bag and began unpacking my rifle, quickly assembling it before resting it against the high ledge. I grabbed the magazine from the bag and began pressing the rounds into the box. Grabbing the rifle, I hopped on the ledge maintaining balance as I dropped down to a sitting position, rifle in one hand and magazine in the other. I carefully slid the mag into the mag well giving it an extra pat to secure it, giving the charging handle a sharp pull with a resounding chick-chick. I laid the rifle across my lap, reaching into my left glove. I pulled out a picture, unfolded it, and pinned it under my foot in front of me, a black and white photo from a newspaper of my target.

Big, tall, bearded, suit, and ugly. Business bastard. I can work with it.

I shouldered the rifle once more; I could hear a ruckus stir up. I took one last glance at the picture before sighting down the street. I scanned the street, and it didn't take long to spot. At least five chupas of varying shades of red stood at the entrance of a coffee shop. A female stood with her head bowed while a male stood over her shouting abuse, from what I could gather, she had spilled a cup of coffee on his suit. The chupas whom I could only assume were with him just stood around with similar suits of black, sunglasses, and arms crossed. Like they were looking for something. If anything, the new stain added some style to the grey thing. I could feel my skin prickle with irritation as the word ‘bitch' struck my senses multiple times.

Tall, suit, bearded and ugly. He's bigger than his entourage- That's him.

I lined his forehead in my sights and pulled away a bit, my mane drifted to my left. I angled the barrel slightly into the wind and squeezed the trigger. With a deafening bang, the rifle seated itself back into my shoulder as the suited Chupa's head exploded out the back, spraying bystanders in brain matter and blood. The woman and several other bystanders screamed and ran.

Alright, time to collect-

I dove for cover as I heard a bullet ricochet and slam into the building.

"Come out with your hands up," A voice shouted from street level.

"Oh, you have got to be bullshittin'," I hissed securing the rifle strap across my back.

I pushed myself up to my feet, running toward the building next to me.

I can lose them on the rooftops, easy.

I leaned into the sprint, stepped off the ledge, and jumped only then realizing how far the gap was. Gravity pulled me down toward a window a few floors below, I curled up into a ball shattering the glass as I skid across the floor scattering shards everywhere. There was a scream, and I poked my head up with a light shake to clear the glass from my mane, a mother with two kids gripping her jeans and a third staring me down from behind their other siblings. The mother pointed a broom at me. I crawled toward her, away from the window.

"What are you-," She started, but I cut her off by pressing a digit to my muzzle and pointing to the window.

She walked over and a voice called down to her, "Miss, are you alright? There was a shooter, did you see where he went?"

Don't sell me out, don't sell me out.

"He ran through, he's going to the lobby," She called back up to them.

Their footsteps faded after the short conversation.

"Thank you, miss- Ow- hey," I had begun thanking her and was immediately smacked on the head with her broom.

"Now git', look at the mess you've made!"

I ran back over to the window, leaping out, sliding down some of the fire escape, and landing hard with a roll. I ran out toward the street and a police car skid to a halt directly in front of me. Two cops stepped out with guns drawn.

"Freeze!"

Not on your fucking life, sport.

I turned tail back toward the alley, hopping up and throwing myself over a wooden alley gate narrowly landing in a dumpster before hitting the ground hard and dragging myself behind the dumpster I'd almost landed in. I waited for the sound of the officers attempting to climb the gate, there was a beat of silence before a hail of gunfire blew chunks of the gate past my head.

"What the fuck," I scrambled to my feet, staying low and starting down the winding system of alleys to avoid the main streets. "What happened to capture people alive?"

This wasn't how this was supposed to go. He wasn't supposed to have agents with him, that wasn't part of the deal! Either way, I don't want to get caught by them. Who knows what kind of evil shit they'll do to me?

I charged through an outlet that threw me into dense foliage, I kept pace. I needed to create distance between where they last saw me and where I am.

Well... That went to shit fast. I better still get paid.

I poked at my small fire; it was the best I could manage after running all day. A branch creaked and I whipped my head around with my rifle raised. I'd been jumpy ever since the shitshow of an assassination. This never happened before, ever. Shitty intel, shitty target info, hell I had to track the motherfucker for weeks. There was a distant crack of a branch and I initially ignored it. Then a voice, then multiple voices, and flashlight beams. I threw myself to my feet, kicking and stomping out the already poor excuse for a campfire. Once the last burning coal was out, I took off.

I sprinted blindly in the dark, narrowly avoiding trees and bushes as I pelted through. But no matter how fast I ran the footsteps and voices sounded like they were right on my neck. Their lights danced around the foliage, threatening to spot me. I turned hard, bouncing off a tree and dropping down sliding down the sudden embankment, hitting the bottom hard and tumbling into the underbrush. I was running on fumes at this point, I felt around in the dark looking for something that could be a hiding place. My hand contacted an opening at ground level.

Is it- fuck it, it'll have to work.

Scrambling forward on all fours, I forced myself into the opening stuffing myself as far back as I could fit with the rifle on my back now poking into my waist and my tail clutched tightly to my chest. There was just barely enough space for me to peek out of my cover. It wasn't long before the footsteps all converged on my position flashlight beams pointed all over the place, there was just enough illumination in my direction that I could see my hiding spot was under the thick roots of a partially uprooted tree.

"Sir," The voice of one of my pursuers made my heart jump, they were all clad in vaguely thick-looking armor, although it was hard to tell the color. It wasn't hard to see the HADES emblazoned across their chest plate though. He walked up to another soldier who didn't wear a helmet and looked quite irritated. "No sign of the hostile contact, it's like they hit that hill and just vanished."

"They'll reappear, nobody stays gone for long," The commander glanced down and through the dark, we made eye contact.

My breath caught in my throat and my heartbeat rattled around in my skull.

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit-

"Sir I found tracks leading toward the nearby river, they can't have gotten far," Called a soldier I couldn't see.

He finally ended our impromptu staring contest, "That's what I like to hear, let's move!"

The squadron took off in a hurry, the moment I was sure I was alone I felt a breath release that I didn't remember holding.

What the fuck? He couldn't see me, right? Fuck me, HADES? Who the fuck did I kill?

I could feel my adrenaline dwindling, and my blinks growing longer.

I jolted awake; sunlight streamed through the trees and distant birdsong could be heard. I clambered out of my hiding spot, careful not to get the sniper stuck on something. Once I was out, I turned and looked at my spot. It was a lot smaller than I thought it was. Way smaller.

Being small paid off for once.

My whole body hurt, but I guessed running into shit in the dark would do that to anyone. A big stretch gave way to a few loud pops and cracks, then I was on my way walking gingerly on my left leg. It wasn't long before I came upon the river that the soldiers had been talking about, just slightly beyond it was a busy-looking roadway.

If HADES is hunting me, they're probably gonna keep it on the DL. I can just hitchhike back.

I made it to the river, removing the rifle and the sling from my body and cradling it over the rushing water.

You served me well, one last time. Goodbye, Archer.

I removed the magazine before tossing the rifle in, it nearly sank to the bottom before being carried off by the strong current. Then the magazine. I quickly made my way up to the roadway, hopped the side barrier, and just started walking. It had been a long few weeks, but the job was done, authorities avoided, just needed to pick up my money. A wild thought crossed my mind as I walked lazily on the shoulder of the road.

If my life wasn't in danger, I think that whole situation would have been fun- aside from being shot at.

I heard a car roll up beside me, I glanced over and felt my stomach drop when I read the words, Sheriff Department, on the doors. Two guys occupied the front seats, a short yellow one and a tall orange one. Both in the gross, coffee brown uniforms.

"Hey, buddy, you okay," The orange officer asked rolling down his window tipping down his sunglasses, "We had to break up some parties in the woods last night and you look like you've been through it."

I had an idea. I faked a wince and stopped walking, leaning against the shoulder barrier.

"I think so," I added a little strain to my voice, "My friends dragged me out to a party in the woods over there and then left me. I figured I just walk home-,"

"He's fine, Mark," The yellow officer huffed, clearly not feeling sorry for my sob story, "He's just tipsy is all, he'll walk it off."

"We can't leave him on the road."

The yellow officer groaned in annoyance, stepping out of the vehicle handcuffs in hand.

"Alright, out in front of the car. On your knees, hands behind your head. We're gonna take you to the station and you can leave when you sober up."

I did as he asked but scowled the second I faced away from them. I didn't like the idea of being handcuffed, but if it got them to believe me so be it. The officer guided my hands to my lower back and cuffed me before helping me into the back seat of the car. I laid across the back seat, it was just nice to be off my feet especially after last night. I turned my gaze out the rear window, there was nothing left to do but just enjoy the ride. The car started down the street, and I just basked in the sunlight with my eyes closed. I probably looked weird, but I could care less, all I could think about was my shitty apartment, hot food, my uncomfortable bed. All of it waiting for me at home.

Never thought I'd be happy to go back to that shit-

A large shadow blocked the sunlight. My eyes shot open; three unmarked trucks had begun to box in the police car. It wasn't long before they rolled to a stop and HADES soldiers hopped out of each truck in droves, guns drawn. The rear door closest to me was ripped open and I was thrown out onto the hot asphalt face first.

No way.

"Thought you could get away did you," I recognized that voice. The commander from the forest.

"I dodged you once, I figured you needed a little help-," He cut me off with a swift kick to my stomach.

"If it were up to me? You'd already be dead."

His boot came rushing to my face.

Red vs Blue © Rooster Teeth. Halo © 343 Industries. Concept by Myshu, assisted by The Department of Chupapology.