Chapter 10

I sat up, finally bored of being detained in my room. It still felt weird for me to consider this my room as I was originally forced to be here, but now it was mine now. I fixed the neck of my combat skin and started down the stairs, passing other chupas as I rushed down giving everyone a nod or wave until I hit the ground floor. Two chupa's who were wrestling in the sandpit gave me a shout in passing, I bypassed them and made way for the armory pushing open the door and finding exactly who I was looking for. Aries stood more toward the middle of a long table with arms folded over his chest, Samson sat atop a stool nearby, and a third brown chupa in a pilot jumper was on the opposite side of Aries on the table.

"Took you long enough, Stray," The black chupa shifted his weight and suppressed a smile, "Sit down."

"What's the sitch'," I found a seat next to Samson.

"Do you remember when I asked you about the base you were held on when you were working for the other side?"

"I remember telling you that I couldn't really tell you much. It was a similar climate to here though, not jungle as far as I saw from pelicans. Why?"

"What if I told you I found the base?"

"I'd say yer yankin' my chain and bullshitting."

Aries tilted his head down and smirked.

"You're not bullshitting, are you? No fucking way, you're lying."

"This it," The ninja chupa spread photos across the tabletop, I rushed to my feet and gawked. "Recognize anything?"

Photos of the landing pad, the barracks, main gate fortifications, courtyard, and the communication building- My eyes ran across the last few. Three chupas that made my blood boil. A red chupa with a greying mane and a sharp glare, a mint-colored soldier with bright eyes, and a pilot with a triangular eye on the helmet.

"Kovich," I dug my claws into the table, "Sera... Hocus. Yeah. I recognize them, when do we kill them?

"Eager? Good, I like that. You can pay them back for betraying you soon enough." His face hardened into a scowl. "Before I get started, get familiar with this guy here. This is Raptor."

He waved his head in the direction of the brown chupa who simply put his hands together and bowed his head.

"He's been around for a while and is the best pilot we have, he'll fly our support- Samson, you'll ride with him."

Samson nodded, "No problem."

"Now huddle up," He tapped a claw on a point on the map, "This is the base. Similar formation to the base Stray assaulted. Fortified gate, elevated guard towers, vehicle depot, landing pad, comms tower. Whole nine yards. The goal? Total control, anywhere The House can't have is a victory for us- worst-case scenario, we just torch the place but control would be ideal. Our pelican is outfitted with a jammer, as far as Samson has told me it'll buy us ten minutes. Ten minutes to storm the place, that comms tower has to be disabled and that landing pad clear. Nobody leaves alive. Take prisoners if you have to. Anyone who seems important, tie them down for me. Pelican is also loaded for bear- On the ground, we have regular warthogs and Gauss hogs."

"You mean Goss hogs," Aries glanced over at me, and I looked away in mild embarrassment. "Sorry."

"Samson, make sure everyone gets a gas mask. Alright, here's the play..."

-

The warthog roared in protest as it leaped up into the air, pouncing onto the ground waggling its tail as it straightened out. I glanced out to my left; fog surrounded us on all sides, but we wore it like a shroud to cover our approach, it could only be a bad omen, but nobody acted like it was. Gauss hogs and regular hogs flanked us on both sides of the vehicle in a staggered line. Aries stood tall on the passenger seat, short blade drawn and eyes firmly ahead and clutched tightly in his left. There was steel in his eyes, the grey seeming sunlight glistened against his fur and mane as he seemed to relish the inclement weather despite the grimace across his muzzle. He had even applied new medical tape to his arms. There was something poetic, heroic even about the way he looked. But we weren't heroes, not conventionally.

He's quiet, I know what quiet means. He's itching for a fight. I know it.

I snapped to attention when he grabbed the hog's radio receiver and pulled it up to his mouth, he tapped the transmission button three times before speaking in a low tone. "Thirty seconds. Samson, Raptor- Start the jammer. Their comms stay offline, and we take the base for us! This is the big wave- let's wash them out!"

There was a chorus of cheers from the fog, like the ghosts of war.

"Gauss hogs!" Aries threw the receiver away and yelled to the legion of vehicles with us, "Guns forward! Light them up!"

There was a harmonious metallic whirring as the guns turned, before the deafening boom of them delivering the payloads.

"Negative effect on target," Raptor called through my helmet's comms, "Gate still standing."

"Was hoping for that."

"Copy, Big Boss. I'll swing around the rear. Out."

What? But the gate-

Aries ducked down in the seat and tapped the end of my helmet with a nail, he knew I was already listening.

"Stray, throw it in neutral, and bail. Then get yourself a perch and provide some overwatch, I'm gonna get that gate open. Give the signal."

"All units," I shouted loud enough that I felt my helmet buzz a little bit, "Gas masks now, deploy crowd control in 10! Meet you on the other side, Aries."

"Copy, countermeasures being deployed. Raptor is on standby for fire support, call targets."

I moved to jump out, but Aries stopped me, placing a hand on my helmet's face area. There was a softness in his normally venomous glare, worry even.

"Don't you go and die on me out there. Roll out, Icarus. Good hunting."

I forced the gear into neutral, cradled my rifle in my arms, stepped up, and dove out of the vehicle landing on my back and tumbling across the ground. I pushed myself back up to my feet on the second roll, flicking the safety off and sprinting forward toward the fortress walls watching my partner ride off on the runaway warthog.

If the gauss shots didn't break through, then how-

I saw the flash before the sound and shockwave that would have deafened me, a massive explosion cut the fog and cleared the air. I sighted the gate in my scope in a panic, I knew Aries was a little screwy, but I didn't think he would blow himself up. The gate, like he said it would be, was blown wide open with shrapnel thrown everywhere and the remains of the warthog burning in the center of the path. Aries leaped up from the residual smoke, shoving a gas mask on his head and lifting his left arm.

He's alive! Thank fuck.

There was a chorus of pins being pulled and grenade launchers firing as the remaining hogs pelted past through the gap around him, I continued to sprint up to one of the security towers securing the rifle to my back before beginning to scale it. I could hear the soldiers inside coughing and gasping for air, then gunfire and shouting.

The battle begins. Seems like the tear gas was a good move.

"Kovich," I could hear the soldier in the tower coughing before she became muffled, I could only assume she was covering her mouth as I neared the top. "Tower? Is anyone on the air? We're under attack!"

I came up right on the lip of the rail guard and the soldier looked over the side with a sniper rifle pointed down at me.

"What the fuck!"

I reached up slamming my fist into her throat, grabbed her by the armor on her chest plate, and pulled her over. She screamed the whole way until the ground silenced her. I scrambled up into the tower, managing to land flat on my face. Pushing up onto hands and knees I looked around the crow's nest and got a pleasant surprise, neatly lined up magazines of ammo sat in netted cubbies.

Thank you, neat freaks.

"Snowball, you alive," Samson's voice cut through the gunfire and shouting, I stuffed my magazine away and began loading in one of the enemy's.

"I read you, Samson, go ahead," I ripped back the charging handle, it was music to me.

"We're covering the barracks and vehicle depot, but I see multiple targets heading for the landing pad! At least four. Don't let any get there. Can't let a single one escape."

"Solid copy, I'm sitting on enemy ordinance. Gonna burn through it."

"Lucky you, Snowball. Open up on them."

Don't need to tell me twice.

I poked my head up and dropped back down as gunfire whizzed by from my left, I drew my Automag and peppered the other tower dropping the soldier in it. The pistol went back into the holster, and I flipped down the bipod to let the rifle rest on the railing, it only took me a moment to locate the landing pad as well as the chupas heading for it. I squeezed the trigger, putting a bullet through the blue chupa who had been leading. I shifted sights to the one behind them who was now running, I put one through their hip splattering blood on his comrade behind who stopped to pick them up. They lined up and I pulled the trigger once more scoring a round through the chest of both. Everyone else began to rush back toward the door to get back inside the central communications building, except for one chupa. They darted out with a pistol in hand blasting off a few rounds in my direction but harmlessly struck my cover, a figure filled my scope. Slate grey jumper and a pilot helmet with a triangular eye painted on.

That's not Hocus.

I squeezed the trigger angrily, piercing a hole clean through the painted eye and dropping the target.

"Targets destroyed Samson; they'll rethink trying to escape through there."

"You sound angry," The short chupa commented through the radio, he didn't seem like he was poking fun. In fact, he sounded quite concerned. "Shake it off. Get your head in the game, they could use some cover fire in the piazza area. The tear gas is clearing up."

"More of a courtyard in my opinion," Raptor chimed in with a chuckle. "Throw some hate down range for me, Sniper boy."

"Cut the chatter guys."

I reloaded and swung my rifle around now overlooking the courtyard piazza area and began to unload rounds. Every time a head peeked out, I sighted it and took it off with a well-placed shot, slamming new mags in at a comfortable rhythm. By now the gas was gone and soldiers were thinning out now, the mud ran a rusty red. I lined up another soldier but before I could fire Aries pounced on them, plunging his blade deep into their chest- rolling to his feet with the dying chupa and using them as a bullet shield. The black chupa tossed them at a nearby soldier disarming them before sheathing his short sword and kicking a rifle out the hands of another, punching another so hard that he dropped his rifle. The soldier on the ground pushed his dead comrade off himself and stood up. I lined up a shot on one of the soldiers until Aries looked my way and held up a hand for me to wait.

What the hell?

The three soldiers surrounded him, two of them armed with knives. The ninja chupa slowly tilted his head, I could only assume he was cracking his neck before dropping down into a low crouching stance. Something that he told me about, tiger stance he called it. One soldier rushed him thrusting the knife forward, Aries threw a left uppercut into his chest stunning him before grabbing the arm with the knife turning, and slamming them into the dirt. He wheeled around to face the other two and motioned for them to attack, beckoning them with his hands. Both attacked simultaneously, but the unarmed one got close first, throwing an overhead right. Aries slapped it away, grabbing his wrist and jamming his elbow into the soldier's chest knocking him back. The second ran up and Aries shifted his weight back throwing the elbow into the face of his new attacker so hard that I heard their nose break from the crow's nest, he moved to finish them when the soldier who'd initially been thrown reached out and pulled his feet out from under him. I watched him hit the ground flat on his back, hard. His foot shot out striking the soldier who'd dared lay a hand on him, snapping his opponent's head back. He planted both hands on the ground behind his head and sprang back up to his feet like an action movie character, the two soldiers had recovered now and circled him. The one now sporting a profuse nosebleed nodded at the other and they both charged Aries at the same time, but he seemed ready. They threw punches virtually at the same time and Aries didn't seem to even break a sweat as he effortlessly blocked them repeatedly squeezing in counter punches, he finally faced the mostly unharmed soldier and headbutted him sending him staggering back. Aries rushed him and front flipped before landing an ax kick that seemed to hit the guy's off button, my partner landed softly and turned. The bloody soldier had at some point picked the knife up once more, but Aries seemed all-knowing, the moment he was swung at he ducked under bringing his fists to his chin before throwing an explosive left hook then a right cross. The knife clattered to the dirt, but Aries closed the distance. He wasn't finished. Left jab, right uppercut, left straight, right hook. Just when I thought he would let the guy just fall to the ground, Aries grabbed the back of the soldier's head and threw it downward just for him to meet it with a flying knee finally dropping the guy for good.

Holy fuck.

He stood over the three bodies, throwing a dark glance over his shoulder in my direction before motioning me over. The scene etched itself into my mind, maybe I'd forgotten just how dangerous he really was. I slammed in a new magazine and stuffed a few more in my field bag before throwing myself down the crow's nest ladder, Aries violently stomped the neck of one soldier to ensure that he was dead when I caught up to him.

"What's the sitch' Stray," He asked keeping his head on a swivel and motioning for me to get low.

I awkwardly crouched down with him and moved to take off my helmet, but he shook his head no. I ignored this irregularity and took a deep breath, "Landing pad, and security crow's nests are secure."

"Good. All that's left is the comms building, barracks, and the lab. Did you kill the pilot?"

"I gave his copilot a third eye, but no. He wasn't there."

"Let's clean up the stragglers outside and I'll meet you in the lab."

I furrowed a brow, the lab seemed super secure.

How would I even get in-

"Raptor will drop off Samson, he'll get that elevator running- now go. You still have revenge to take."

He patted me on the shoulder, but it felt like a shove.

Was he always that strong?

I took off toward the barracks where a firefight was still taking place, HADES soldiers were dug in with sandbag cover placements, but they were very quickly losing ground. I ran up next to a parked warthog and dug into a prone position looking down range, from my position I could see them scrambling for cover and hastily returning fire. I snorted.

And people are scared of these bastards.

But I knew what I was looking for and it didn't take long for him to sprint into my sights. A lime green chupa toting a battle rifle and light armor leaped over one of his fellow soldiers and blasted one of ours, there was joy in his face as his matching mane blew in the wind.

Octane.

I tracked his chest as he came up on a low wall.

Go to hell.

With a bang, a massive hole tore its way into his chest, and he crumpled to the ground in a heap. I rose to a low crouch still maintaining cover at the hog's engine block.

"Raptor, Samson," I called.

"Read you loud and clear, Sniper boy," Raptor called back. "Got something for us to do?"

"I need you to target the barracks, right now."

"Roger dodger."

"Rog'," Samson contributed.

The pelican waved over quickly turning the tail end to face the barracks before machinegun fire erupted from it. The soldiers began abandoning their cover, most of which being turned to red mist as the crossfire from our guys and the pelican mowed them down. There was a single group of chupas that stood their ground returning fire, I laid my rifle across the hood of the hog and took a potshot nailing one of them. That caused two of what I could now see were five remaining to fall back, one stood up and I recognized them. A mint green chupa was practically death-gripping her rifle as she opened her mouth to shout at her retreating comrades. I put the rifle on my back and drew the Automag- her Automag from my leg holster and made a mad dash toward her.

Sera.

"Suppressing target area."

By the time I got close enough to hear her she was turned away from the gunfight fiddling with her gun trying to send the bolt home, "Fucking jammed piece of shit!"

I hopped in the pseudo-entrenchment and stuck the pistol in her face, she dropped the gun and raised her hands looking angry. Then fearful.

"You... You're dead. Specialist- Icarus, look- I know our working together was rough, but it doesn't have to be like this. Look, my gun's down. I surrender." She took a coy step to the side. "You can't kill an unarmed prisoner."

"You know that only works if I give a fuck, right? Move one more time and I'll kill you."

"Icarus, come on, you can trust me-"

She stepped forward with a hand outstretched. I wrapped my left arm around hers trapping it under my armpit. I shot her in the leg, twice in the chest, and then finished her with a headshot letting her drop to the ground.

"I never trusted you, Squad leader."

"Targets destroyed," Raptor called.

I stepped over her body and motioned for our guys to clear the barracks, I had somewhere I needed to be. I turned tail and sprinted across the clearing toward the strange-looking building that I couldn't forget if I had wanted to, Raptor's pelican flew over and hung low allowing Samson to hop out and join me toting something in his hand and what looked like a gas tank on his back. The doors to the place had been blown off, I could only assume by a stray gauss shot or grenade. I led the way inside to the elevator, he slid to a kneeling position near the doors and began knocking on the wall with his head pressed to it.

"The hell are you-"

He instantly cut me off, "I really need you to shut the fuck up for a second. I'm working."

He walked moved along the wall tapping until he stopped and began putting gloves on, then pulled a blowtorch head in front of his body dropping the goggles down over his eyes.

"What the hell is that?"

"Oxy-acetylene torch, you need to get in that elevator, and I fully intend to get you in, Snowball. It'll cut right through and give me something to work with. I don't imagine this lab shares a power supply with the main base so I gotta do extra shit like this. Look, are you gonna play twenty questions or am I gonna get to do my job?"

There was a low hiss as he turned the gas valve before flames shot out of the head and he began cutting, I faced away and raised my pistol to the door, covering him in case someone decided to run in. I heard metal clatter to the floor but kept my sights trained on the door.

"Any day now, Samson."

I heard the elevator doors shift open roughly, "Got it. Told you I was working on it, don't try to rush me! Get your ass in there, I can't make it stay- Aries will be down in a minute! Clear that hole!"

I practically threw myself into the elevator and it shut fast, nearly clipping my tail. As the elevator began to descend, I dropped the magazine out of my handgun and checked my ammo, six bullets looked back at me from the mag window. I holstered it once more and reached for the knife fitted to my midsection and slowly pulled it out, this would be more than enough.

Kovich is here. I know it.

The lights in the elevator went out for a moment before I was bathed in deep red emergency lights, I didn't need them. I knew where I was going. The moment the doors opened I bolted down the hall, retracing the path I was led on before. But the further I went; the more bodies littered the hallways. In no time I was upon the lab doors which were eerily opened already, on the opposite side of the room stood a figure leaning over a computer. I swapped my knife out for the pistol, not taking my eyes off him.

"You know, I figured you weren't dead," The gruff voice I'd come to hate greeted me, "I just didn't think you dumb enough to come back here, boy!"

He turned with a muzzle flash, and I shot for his midsection, a handgun skittered across the floor, and he clutched his hand to his body as dark liquid spattered on the metal floor. There was a sharp burning feeling below my ribs, but I ignored it, I had Agent Ko-bitch right where I wanted him.

"Forgot you were a sharpshooter. Pretty good shot."

"Sera couldn't talk her way out of a bullet and you certainly ain't either Kovich," I lined up for his head this time.

"Do it then, kill me." He looked my way, but it didn't seem like the red chupa was looking at me, more like past me. "Contra, Toreador, Roulette, Lattice."

There was a primal growl from behind me, I turned my head but didn't move the pistol. Behind me, at the doorway of the lab, Aries writhed on hands and knees growling and clutching his head forcing himself back to his feet leaning on the doorway.

"Aries," I started, I wanted to go over to him but every nerve in my body told me to stay away from him.

The ninja chupa stood tall facing me with his eyes closed.

"Aries?"

"Subject Hope," Kovich called with strain, "Kill the Specialist."

Aries opened his eyes, they almost seemed to glow in the red light. A bright sickly yellow.

I looked back at Kovich, "What the fuck? What did you do to him?"

"I might tell you if you survive. Heads up-"

Quick footsteps advanced on me, I turned, a hand wrapped firmly around my throat tightly feeling like it was on the verge of crushing my windpipe. I felt my feet leave the floor, I could feel myself being lifted higher up and kicked out wildly to contact my attacker. My rifle clattered to the floor harmlessly, I could feel him slap the pistol from my grip and it skate across the floor too. Clawing at his arm trying to buy myself time or air I forced my head down and looked into his eyes, they were vacant and empty like a wild animal. His face pulled back in a menacing snarl, and the grip in his right hand seemed to tighten more and more. I scrunched up my body and shot a straight kick into his face, not only did he not flinch but roared in protest.

"Aries," I choked out, "Stop!"

The black chupa stepped forward slamming me back first into the floor creating a divot and sending my helmet tumbling across the floor, terror flooded all my senses. He released my neck and my body acted on instinct as I flipped over on my stomach to crawl away. A foot firmly planted itself on my back and I heard a sound that turned my blood to ice, my head turned and confirmed my suspicion. Aries had drawn his katana with his right, not the short blade, and raised it above his head. I threw my left arm back hooking it around his leg still on the ground and pulled it forward as hard as I could bringing him down to a knee, his foot came off my spine and I scooted out from under him reaching out for his waist. A foot shot out and kicked me clear across the floor, I rolled to my feet. I had what I needed. I shifted my stance and bladed my body, gripping the handle with two hands firmly and tilting the blade toward my attacker. Aries' short sword wasn't as heavy as I remembered it being, I chalked it up to adrenaline. The ninja chupa rose to his feet in an angered confusion searching for me until he turned and saw me. Whatever this was, it wasn't him anymore.

It was just wearing his body.

Aries dropped to a low almost crouching stance with the katana in his right pointed parallel with his tail, his left arm held over his muzzle muffling his low growl.

What the fuck's gotten into him? He would never-

I quickly and gingerly massaged my throat.

"Aries? Are you still in there? Whatever's wrong with you, I need you to snap out of it right the fuck now. You don't want to hurt me, and I sure as shit don't want to hurt you." I watched his head tilt and lowered the sword a little bit. "Come on, we still gotta meet Samson and Raptor topside. Let's just-"

He darted forward, wielding the long-curved sword like it weighed nothing as he wound up. I dove out of the way just narrowly dodging what would have likely been a devastating blow, in the time it took me to roll to my feet he was already upon me.

Just like a dance. Protect your life.

The words that I had originally heard from the mouth of my now attacker rang in my head, every hour of training. Something about this riled me up, I felt substantially less afraid and more focused.

"Come on, that the best you got?! Impress me."

I shifted my weight on my back foot and met his next downward slash with a horizontal block, I flicked his sword away and he came back with a slice aimed high that I ducked under with ease. Whatever was controlling Aries clearly had his strength and skills, but not his finesse. I took advantage of his moment of recovery and threw a hard shoulder into his chest to make some space, he stumbled but quickly gained his footing proving my theory right.

He's a CQC expert, I woulda never touched the real him.

He came at me oozing anger, wildly slashing and I maintained my footwork weaving out of the way of the more telegraphed swings. He went for a stab, and I parried before delivering a hasty riposte cutting his forearm. I followed up with a right hook and a kick to the chest, ‘Aries' wildly swiped a claw at me only catching empty air. I retaliated with an overhead slash and instead of using the sword to defend himself, ‘Aries' blocked it with his hand not reacting as the bandage grew dark with blood. I aimed my next swing for his face, to my surprise and horror he blocked it just like he always would. I dropped low, pulling a move from his own playbook, performing a sweep kick dropping him flat on his back. He rose back up quickly and tossed the sword aside; I ran up with a spin and aimed a diagonal cut for his chest. The blade was stopped with scary speed, I looked up at him. He had caught the edge with his hand. It was effortless for him to yank it from my trembling hands.

He got bored of it- oh shit, oh shit-

"Oh fuck."

I stared him down, matching his primal glare. I knew what I needed to do, it was the only viable option at this point and a last resort in an absolute emergency. I set my feet and raised my hands.

The rebel secret technique.

I spun away from the looming terror and ran; I must've confused the feral Aries because it took a moment before I heard him thundering after me.

"Fuck!"

I threw down a tall rack and looked over my shoulder to catch him vaulting over it in stride, I jumped over a desk, and he might as well have flown over it. I could hear him on my heels, I passed a stack of papers and threw it in his face which seemed to slow him down for a moment. We looped back around to the front of the lab near a metal table, I circled around one end as he came to a skidding halt around the other side. Every breath burned my throat as my lungs demanded more air. He jerked to one side, and I matched it to maintain distance, he tried it once more and I shoved the table into his legs before turning to run. Something yanked me back and slammed me onto the table, I could only sit and endure the flurry of punches he threw down on me. A left, right, he even clawed my face before tossing me onto the floor. My whole body hurt; the adrenaline wasn't enough to ebb the pain anymore. I pushed up onto hands and knees watching my blood drip onto the floor, I forced myself onto my feet once more and whirled around attempting to catch him off guard with a sucker punch. My fist never made it to the target, interrupted only by a pair of strong hands wrapping themselves around my neck once more. I was all but tapped and he knew it. The air grew harder and harder to draw in, and my eyes stung.

How could he do this to me? No- that's- that's not fair. He'd never do this to me. Why am I crying- I won't go out like that-

"It," I squeaked out, "It's okay... It's not your fault."

I closed my eyes and stopped resisting, but the grip loosened- then I hit the floor. My eyes shot open, and Aries dropped to the floor next to me eyes almost rolled back in his head.

"Ain't no way in hell," Kovich's voice hoarsely barked from across the room.

He's still alive?

I slowly reached across my body with my remaining strength, pulling the knife back out-

The older red chupa staggered halfway over just at the edge of my vision, no weapon in hand as far as I could see. "The fucking astronomical odds that you figure out his deactivation phrase, I always knew he would be a goddamn failure. We wasted so much on that child. Programming, augmentations- Only thing he's good at is killing these useless scientists."

I tightened my grip on the knife and carefully rotated it, so I held it by the blade.

Only one shot at this...

"You should have just died in that crash, and I should have put a bullet in his head as a kid. It would have all been so much simpler!"

I sat up and pulled my arm back, for a split second I could see the genuine horror in Kovich's face. The expression of someone who hadn't been afraid for a long time. I threw the knife whip through the air and sink itself deep into the agent's forehead, dropping him like a sack of bricks.

Go to hell, you evil fuck.

I laid back, completely out of gas. I couldn't move anymore and just resorted to watching the silent flashing red emergency lights, everything seemed so distant even my own breathing. Cold washed over and the room began to grow dark, so cold and dark. I felt my eyes fluttering closed, a long rest seemed supreme right now. I began to give in to the silence, a welcoming silence.

A coughing fit broke out next to me snapping me out of the daze, I didn't have the strength to see the source.

There was a scrambling noise before Aries staggered into my vision, "Stray?"

He dropped down to a kneel and his eyes were wide and worried.

"Icarus," This time there was a panic in his voice.

I must look worse than I thought... He's worried about me again...

I blinked and he was leaning over me one of his arms unwrapped with pressure on my lower chest, he secured it tight before slipping his arms underneath my legs and around my back lifting me off the floor.

"That's good enough for now, we need to get you back to base so Samson can fix you."

"Did we win," I didn't really think I would say it out loud as it was meant to just be a thought.

"Y-yeah. We won. We still need to run interrogations and pick out the useful ones."

"Mm. Just... Make sure you save Miranda... She's... She's a good doc."

I blinked again and I was being laid in a pelican on the floor, all the sounds seemed to blend together as two voices faded in and out of my hearing.

"Samson, stabilize him... Back to base, don't you let him die."

"Aries- I can do that but he needs an actual doctor, he'll die if you don't."

"... Mentioned something about a Miranda..."

"He'll get back safe; you get that doc."

I finally let go and gave in to the exhaustion.

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