Chapter 9

"What do you know of the Freelancers?"

Aries' question, like most of his questions, made no sense and threw me through a loop. It was a shock that he could still surprise me after this long, I thought I'd heard the extent of his crazy. I had always pegged him as criminally insane or something, but this was a new level. I looked up from the sniper rifle that I had been cleaning, hoping to see some deranged smile on his face or something. But the ninja-like chupa just stared at my face like a scientist would a subject, looming over my shoulder and waiting for a response.

"I don't follow," I offered, now watching his expression.

He didn't seem annoyed, or did he? I could never tell. I never really looked at his face that long.

"York, Washington, Florida, and New Jersey just to name a few," He threw words at me, and I rolled my eyes. "Names you may be familiar with? Names ring any bells?"

"You're really trying to sell me this bullshit, ain't ya? I've never met anyone with the name Florida, what even is a 'Florida'? Sounds like a mental asylum."

"So, you don't know then. That would explain quite a lot. They didn't or couldn't process you."

"You're losing me, Aries. What the fuck are you on about?"

"While you spent your time training, I spent it gathering intel for our next move. My last big op was a success, but we moved in a large number. This time it's going to be just me and you."

I could only wonder when he found time to gather information while we trained, that was impossible. Unless he was some kind of supervillain with connections that ran deeper than HADES. I began reassembling my rifle, curious now. I understood I had no real say in this adventure Aries volunteered me for, but I wanted to know now. If I was going on this safari I needed details.

"You sound like you've got a plan," I snapped the last piece back into place and stood up, "What's the play then?"

Aries cracked a small smile before walking me into our makeshift armory where practically a quarter million photos were plastered to a map of the whole ring, "Walk with me. I've had some scouts tracking one particular Freelancer's movements. Agent New Jersey. A female. Her real name is Astrid Valentino, she's about 6'6 and well-built. Registered as midnight blue fur with light blue eyes, favors submachine guns, and is currently listed as MIA/AWOL."

I leaned in at the photo of her stuck to the map, there was this cold look about her. Like she was perpetually pissed off.

"She's kinda hot," I muttered.

"Is that so?"

I froze. I didn't realize I'd said that aloud and the ice in Aries' tone wasn't making it better, the leader mumbled a few curses directed at me before tearing down the picture and placing it face down on the table below the map.

"She specializes in CQC, she might even be able to contend with me for a few minutes. She'd bend you into a pretzel. She's not like you and me but trained with the enhanced. Washington has sent her out carelessly, and he's signed her death warrant. He's convinced that she is capable alone and has sent her out not far from here."

"So you want to catch her off-guard and kill her," I surmised, "Sounds simple enough. You got me a clear shot of the target location?"

"Not exactly, I can draw her out into the open. It will be a small window where she won't know we're there."

"So then how do we know she'll be there, and we don't have a clean shot? Who did you get your location intel from?"

"A dying HADES soldier. Surprising what people are willing to tell you when you break their ribs. Pack light. Meet me outside when you're ready."

Aries turned on a heel, brushing my face with his tail as he left. There was a pit in my stomach, nothing about this felt right. This was a bad plan. A suicidal plan. I could only guess at the inner workings of his mind, if HADES would be there then they would shoot at us too. There were too many variables, too many things left to chance, and so much that could go wrong. Yet, I was already packing magazines, loading my rifle, and getting my armor together. At some point I had convinced myself that I would go even if I wasn't being forced, I couldn't just let him go and get killed.

How am I supposed to kill the target while under fire?

There was no way this would go well, and Aries had to be aware of it.

So why didn't I object? Why couldn't I say anything? Why did I just go along with this? Man, fuck.

-

"I'm in position and have eyes on target building, time to target?"

"Soon," Aries hissed through the radio, "Patience. No need to jump the gun, Stray. Get eyes on me."

I adjusted my prone position from the nearby brush, it wasn't ideal as far as routes for escape went but I was concealed and had good sightlines on the target location. I looked around until I spotted Aries crouched low wearing a brown cloak, his rear high in the air as he stalked the shadows. It was no different from watching a predator lying in wait for prey, he looked ready to pounce. Although, it was kind of funny looking. There was a childlike giddiness to the swaying of his tail, I cracked a smile behind the safety of my helmet's visor.

"Do you really need to put your ass in the air like that?"

"Really? Don't be a child, Stray," Aries commented very annoyed, but he leveled out his body, "Don't look if it bothers you."

I didn't say that. Just remember, I've got the high-power sniper rifle, and I can see your ruff Ringtail.

I chuckled at my own observation before getting serious again.

"Hold on," He slowly rose up out of his cover and flipped his hood up, "Activity on the northern end of the road. Target incoming, now."

I adjusted my sights to an ATV rolling down the road, however, two chupas rode on it. I instantly scanned the rider.

Dark blue female, tall, and icy eyes. Positive ID.

Her black leather jacket flapped in the wind, her shoulders covered with plated armor that could almost pass as part of the jacket, she wore black padded pants, and her SMGs strapped to her hips. The second chupa was green and wore all black, toting a magnum as they came to a quick stop, and both hopped off and entered the building leaving the ATV on the street.

She looks better in real life than in her pictures, especially her eyes. That was kinda creepy.

"Positive ID on target, but she's not alone. She brought a plus one."

"Eliminate him too."

I trained my sights on the door they entered until I spotted extracurricular movement in the street.

"Ho-ho wait, Aries," I turned my sights to the street watching as multiple unmarked vans pulled up and plain-clothed chupas wearing plate carrier chest plates and HADES patches began to take positions behind cars along the street. "Lotta activity street level. Trucks full of HADES motherfuckers arrived. They might muddy this shit up."

"Let's hope they don't give us away then, get ready," Aries responded, climbing up onto a low rooftop.

The door of the building opened... and a red chupa walked out with a bag full of what looked like food. I adjusted my grip, taking a deep breath trying to get rid of some of the tension. The door opened once more, and the blue chupa opened the door and stepped out with a helmet in her hand. It was like mine, but the design was intricate and almost ceremonial looking, even down to the orange visor that glinted in the sunlight. I lined up the shot and spotted something out of place. One of the HADES guys wasn't looking in the same direction as the others, in fact, he was the only one poking out of cover with his gun raised. He was pointed at Aries who seemed none the wiser. I felt my breath catch in my throat as I snapped to that agent's head and pulled the trigger, the bullet tore through his skull and sprayed red on his squadmate who was now covered in his brain matter.

"We're compromised," I barked.

"Open fire," Aries shouted nearly deafening me, he drew his pistol and blasted a few rounds from the rooftop before taking a leaping step and corkscrew flipping to the ground landing gracefully like a chupa-sized jumping spider. "Kill them all!"

I shifted my sights and cranked off another shot, piercing a hole through the body armor of a plain-clothed HADES agent. I looked back to where New Jersey had taken cover, she darted between cars. I growled in frustration, she knew there was a sniper watching just didn't know where from and there was no way for me to fire on her without revealing my position. I popped another HADES agent, watching him drop like a sack of bricks. I sighted another but Aries beat me to it, rushing them with blinding speed and cutting them to pieces with his katana. One raised his gun to fire on Aries' blind side, I pulled the trigger, and the bullet tore the agent's arm clear off his body from the shoulder leaving Aries to finish him off.

"Good shot, Stray."

"I aim to please."

I peeked back at New Jersey just in time to catch her curb-stomping a HADES agent, she wore the ornate helmet now. I lined up the shot and flinched as at least three bullets impacted the trees around me. That green chupa must have figured me out and popped some shots at me.

Fuck!

I shot to my feet, reloading and breaking cover from my perch and rushing down toward the street. I yanked the bolt back and let it fly as I broke the tree line just in time to catch New Jersey speeding off on the ATV with the green chupa riding on the back.

"They're getting away!"

I dropped to a knee, sliding across the pavement, and yanked the trigger firing from the hip. The green chupa's head rocked back and went limp and tumbling off in a bloody heap, Aries ran up next to me and smiled.

"Fuck! They got away."

"I wouldn't worry too much. We got one of them. The other will follow soon."

I looked at him incredulously gesturing with my hand, "What do you mean? She just got away-"

"With a hole in her fuel tanks," Aries pointed his handgun to the slick iridescent trail that bent around a corner and down a road that went off into the jungle. "Let's track her down. For the record, that shot was remarkable."

The sentence made me uncomfortable. I was used to people complimenting my shooting, Aries was not people. It didn't sound right from his mouth.

"Th-thanks."

What's with the praise? The last thing I got that was close to a compliment was him saying I listened to him sometimes, and now this. I don't like it. Wait, he had told me good shot too... What the hell?

-

"There's no way I'm crossing that!"

I perked up as a shrill voice cried out, Aries tapped the top of my helmet with his tail and moved his head toward the noise. We were both crouched in the bushes, waiting for the right moment. The birds cried out seemingly in an attempt to alert our quarry, but they seemed preoccupied.

"Come on, you big baby," A raspy voice growled, I peeked out of cover to see Agent New Jersey pushing a smaller brown chupa in coveralls across a rickety-looking rope bridge, "It's just like the Boy Scouts, it's easy. Scout's honor."

The smaller chupa turned his head, "You were a scout?"

"Hell no. Now move."

"Hey, stay behind me," Aries whispered, "I don't want you to take a stray bullet."

He's... Concerned about me?

Aries slowly rose from the foliage, using his tail to signal me to follow. He stepped out into the open and motioned for me to stop just inside the tree line.

I heard him do a small throat clear before booming out with his voice, "That's far enough, Freelancer."

I pulled up my rifle and lined Jersey up in my sights. She and the chupa she was pushing stood wobbly on an old rickety bridge, all the birds seemed to quiet down now.

"I was wondering when you'd catch up," The female looked in my direction.

She knew. Can she... Can she see me? Of course, she can...

I grit my teeth; it wouldn't matter if she could see me. She was in my sights, there was nothing she could do that could get her out of this.

"How did you find me?"

Aries stepped onto the bridge, and Jersey drew one of her SMGs leveling it at Aries' chest. It took every ounce of control to not put a round through her skull preemptively, I couldn't risk it without potentially hitting Aries. I could feel my claws scraping and digging against my handguard, but the female held her fire and Aries was unmoving.

"Not another fucking step. Answer the damn question."

Aries gently reached over his shoulder grasping the handle of the katana, "Oh please, with the ruckus you caused a blind man could find you. Besides, who do you think shot out your gasoline?"

"Yours truly," I snapped and felt a little lighter when Aries' tail relaxed, Jersey flinched even though she seemed to know where I was. The other chupa shakily crawled his way across the bridge, I split my sights between the two. "Movement, on her blind side."

"Who's that?"

Jersey clenched her SMG tighter, "None of your damn-"

"My name's Jackie," The crawling chupa called.

"Don't tell them your name! They're the enemy!"

"That's unfortunate," Aries pulled the katana and slashed one of the support ropes just as quickly, he chuckled as the bridge twisted nearly sending the two on the other side tumbling into the ravine. "You should really keep better friends, Jackie.

Jersey glanced at Jackie, "Go!"

Aries stood on the remaining support rope, balancing perfectly his tail waving calmly as he began to approach the agent like a menacing tightrope walker. I could feel a smile growing across my face. Suddenly Jersey found her footing and turned her gun at me.

Oh shit.

I heard the silenced chatter of her machine gun begin to pop and dove for cover, stinging pain lit up my ribs as I hit the ground. I scrambled back to a crouch and tried to quickly sight her, now I'm pissed. I blasted off a round that narrowly missed her leg and splintered wood into the air.

"Come on, Freelancer," Aries taunted cracking off two shots from his handgun as he walked them down, "I just want to find your base and kill all your buddies, it's nothing personal! Let me catch you, you can tell me where it is, and I'll just shoot you in the head instead of carving you up!"

Jersey dove off the bridge, I hadn't even realized how far they had traveled so quickly. The agent landed on her stomach, rolled over, and sprayed until the bridge undid itself on her side. Aries suddenly dropped from my sight.

Aries?

I felt my eyes sting, I pulled the rifle to my visor and blasted off the rest of my magazine only scouring one shot on her shoulder. I threw the rifle aside and got down on my knees, staring frantically down into the foggy depths.

"Aries!"

You better not-

"Stray-" I looked around for the source of his voice, "Icarus! Gimme a hand!"

I looked down and there he was, hanging onto what remained of the bridge looking conflicted. I reached down, grabbed his free hand, and pulled him up with everything I had up to a kneeling position.

You never call me Icarus. He never calls me Icarus. He called me Icarus.

"I fucked that up. I'm sorry-"

I never let go of his hand. I pulled him into a tight hug resting my, my eyes still stung. He fidgeted awkwardly, holding his arms up seeming like he didn't know what to do with them before stiffly wrapping them around me.

"What..." Aries paused and his mouth hung open for a moment, he lost the threatening edge in his eyes before attempting to take my helmet off. His tone dropped down to a quiet talking volume. "What's wrong? What happened? Why are you-"

I finally winced, softly breaking away and grabbing the helmet keeping it on, "I just... I got hit."

"Where? Did it go through? How bad is it?"

"N-no. I'm alright, I think. Most of it hit the undersuit."

"I'll kill that fucking Freelancer. Come on, let's head back to base, okay?"

He was concerned.

I forced myself to my feet and looked around for my rifle, my eyes came back to Aries who held my rifle. I pressed a hand to my chest and tried to take the rifle.

Aries moved it out of my reach, "No, I got it. Just keep yourself standing, I'll carry you if I must."

I've never been more thankful that I wore a helmet and walked leaning on him for support. I blinked hard; this feeling was messing with me, or it was the pain from my new bruises that was getting to me.

"Don't tell Samson I threw the rifle on the ground. He won't like that."

Aries simply nodded, and we started the long walk back to base.

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