Chapter One - Fraught Beginnings
Aurora leaned back and listened to the steady, and slightly hypnotizing, "chop-chop-chop" of the rotor blades. They were covering ground fast, which was usually the case when General Stryker was giving the orders.
Voices sounded through the din. Her team-mates getting acquainted, testing strengths and limits. The small compartment was laden with testosterone. She could see them quite clearly, even though her eyes were firmly closed. Their synapses fired electrical charges in unique patterns, creating electrical fingerprints which she could easily distinguish between, now that she had watched them for awhile. She opened her eyes to mere slits and studied them more closely. The map of their brains could only tell her so much, there was a lot more to reading people than that. Two of them were obviously soldiers, and possibly related. The younger man was ruggedly good-looking, but too short for her taste. The older one looked like trouble.
What were their names again? She tried to recall if they had been mentioned. Oh yes. Logan and Victor.
The air thickened with tension as the guy with the blades made some comment about, swords guns… and the fingernails of a bag lady? Aurora had to keep herself from grinning widely. The guy was funny. What was his name? Blade? No, no…Wade. Victor, however, thought differently. The comment sent hundreds of angry little charges racing through his brain. Then they all seemed to gather and grow, ready explode at the drop of a hat. Aurora let her hand rest lightly on the hilt of the knife in her belt, ready to intercede if the Lord Push decided to shove.
A resolution to the situation came when Wraith cut through the tension like a knife. Easy name to remember, interesting ability as well, she thought.
"I'm more worried about the new tattoo Dukes got."
Dukes, a big leviathan of man, looked at his tattoo and then swung his head up to look at Wraith. "This here tattoo is of the woman I love," he rumbled.
"Fred, man, how do you even know you love her? You only met her for one day."
"She's a gymnast..." Dukes replied.
Aurora couldn't keep herself from smiling and decided it was time to introduce herself. "Leave the man alone. I think it's romantic. Love at first sight and all that," Aurora said, grinning.
The guy sitting next to her jumped in his seat. he was a small fellow whose name she did not remember.
"Where the hell did you come from?" He said, almost shouting.
She shrugged, and then revealed a row of slightly crooked teeth in a wide smile, "What are you talking about? I've been here all along."
From the cockpit came the voice of General Stryker, "Team, say hello to agent Blitz. She and agent Zero have been a part of this project for some time."
Aurora nodded and greeted the other team members. She was about to say something when Wade interrupted her.
"So, agent Blitzen," he paused, "is agent Donner waiting for us at the landing site?"
Blitz leaned forward, made eye contact and said,
"Why, yes he is. How'd you know that? Donner is my brother and together we have the ability to transform into flying reindeer that can stop time. Pretty cool, eh?"
She leaned back, flashing Dukes another wide grin.
"It's Blitz, as in blitzkrieg, you dumbass," Victor growled.
His hands flexed and Blitz watched in disturbed silence as his fingernails grew into claws. Wade loosened the blades from the scabbard and the air was again heavy with tension.
Blitz looked out the round window by her head and the turned to the rest of the team.
"Hold you horses, boys. We're here."
They walked with Stryker up to what looked like a para-military compound. Blitz, making the grave error of standing next to Dukes, felt like a leprechaun.
The general turned to Blitz, "Agent, have your observations lead to any thoughts about who we should partner up together?" Stryker emphasized the word observations and made a face like the whole world was filled with rotten eggs and overcooked cabbage.
Blitz bristled inside at the tone, but nodded and opened her mouth to reply, only to be interrupted by none other than Wade The Mouth.
"What's this about partners? I don't need someone getting in my way."
Blitz swung her head around, gritting her teeth. "In this team we go by the buddy system. We will assign you a buddy and you two will be the bestest friends in the whole wide world for the duration of your stay with us. One more complaint and I'll put both of you on a leash like they do in kindergarten." She smiled sweetly.
He shook his head and said defiantly, "I don't take orders from you".
Blitz shrugged and turned to Stryker again before Wade had the time to say anything else, and lowered her voice, " Logan and Victor, of course. Then Wraith and Wade, Agent Zero and that little guy whose name I keep forgetting, and myself and Dukes. It's a good combination of defensive and offensive powers, and I also paired them so that each pair has one responsible, sensible member which will hopefully have some level of control over the other. It's a matter of pairing the ones who are chaos up with the ones who are order, sir."
Stryker nodded, "Very well."
Blitz took a step back as Stryker relayed her suggestions to the rest of the group. Agent Zero met the order with a dark look of resentment, knowing full well what it meant. But then, he always met orders with a look of resentment, like he was better than that. As if he felt he was the one supposed to give the orders. That sentiment was echoed by the volatile soldier Victor. The man set her teeth on edge. A giant hand thumping down on her shoulder brought her out of her thoughts. It also brought her out of balance. She steadied herself and looked up. Craning her neck she met Dukes' gaze and was happy to see a crooked smile flicker across his face. He definitely should smile more often, she thought.
"So we're partners?" He asked, his voice dark and husky. She nodded.
"Frederick J. Dukes, most people call me Dukes" he said, extending his hand.
Blitz hesitated for a second, checking that her gloves covered her hands completely before shaking his. "Aurora Winters, most people call me Blitz."
Dukes cocked his head, his blue eyes looking curious. "Why do they call you that?"
She squeezed his hand a little harder, watched the hair on his arms and head lift, and smiled. "You'll find out soon enough."
They approached the compound. The men guarding the gate were exposed of by agent Zero in quick succession. Blitz admired his handiwork, but not with as much awe as the others. She had, after all, seen it quite a few times before. She let her eyes wander over the rooftops and shadowed windows, looking for snipers. Blitz hated those sneaky, cowardly bastards, but had to admit that they were highly efficient in certain types of warfare. A sudden explosion turned her attention to ground level again. A tank, which she hadn't noticed, was blazing with fire. It looked like Dukes had stopped a tank grenade with his bare hands. Impressive.
General Stryker moved up alongside her and nodded at the building.
"How many up there, agent Blitz?"
She looked up, focusing on the top floors, struggling to see that far. Tiny specks of bluish, pulsating lights began to take shape and move around in intricate patterns. Some lights moved fast, others were slower. Seconds passed as she identified the differences and counted them.
After a while she replied, "Twenty on the top floor and fifteen on the floor below, sir."
Stryker nodded and folded his arms across his chest. He surveyed the building, looking for suitable points of entry. There were few that wouldn't leave them riddled with bullet holes.
"Ok, agent. Take them out."
Blitz swung her head around, staring at him in wild-eyed surprise. "What? From down here?!" she blurted out.
He nodded again, not deigning to look at her.
"With all due respect, sir, that is impossible. I can't control that amount of power. I might end up frying everyone in the vicinity, including myself. Sir."
Stryker frowned and gave her a look of irritation and disappointment. "Are you disobeying my orders, agent?" His tone was that of constrained anger.
Blitz, felt, more than knew, that he was waiting for her to slip up. His posture showed tell-tale signs of a body ready to pounce, a mouth ready to berate. In the corner of her eye she could see Zero nodding his head, a sickening smirk on his face. The others had gathered nearby, well within hearing range. Certain team members looked more smug than others and had an expectant air about them. She had a feeling Stryker had been waiting for an opportunity like this. A reason to dismiss her from the team. Because of my father. He thinks me no more than a simple spy, she thought, anger rising. I'll show him. She had to think fast, find a solution to the problem. She glanced over at Dukes and then up at the building. A thought occurred to her. Unclenching her fists she met Stryker's gaze unwavering.
"No, sir. Permission to engage the enemy in CQC, sir?" Quenching a smile as a look of utter surprise filled Stryker's face, Blitz felt immensely satisfied.
But it didn't last long until satisfaction turned into fear. She had just volunteered for what could only be described as a suicide mission. But Stryker wouldn't permit such a preposterous thing, would he?
"Permission granted," he said, his composure regained.
He would. Damn, they really want to get rid of me, she thought, resisting the urge to hide her face in her hands. Instead she smiled at him, saluted and turned to Dukes. Time to put my trust in a man I don't even know. I'm gonna get myself killed.
She grabbed him by the arm and dragged him closer to the building, but made sure they were out of range in case the people inside decided to start shooting.
"How good is that pitching arm of yours, Dukes?" She asked while stopping to look at the building.
He grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her around, facing him. Blitz looked up, Dukes looked down. "What was that all about?"
"What was what all about?" Blitz replied, being intentionally evasive.
"You know what I'm talking about. You, Stryker, Agent Zero. Something was about get real ugly real fast between you."
Blitz looked down, sighed and pulled a hand through her dark brown hair. Not as dumb as you look.
"It seems factions are forming in the team. Stryker, Zero and possibly Victor in one, me in the other. Stryker suspects that I'm her to spy and keep tabs on what he's doing. For my father. And not matter what I do I can't convince him otherwise. So I decided that one last suicidal effort might prove my loyalty. The funny thing is, both my father and Stryker are looking for reasons to kick me off the team."
"So, what's your plan?" She looked up, surprised by his lack of further questions, surprised by his tone. It had almost been – comforting
.
"My plan is insane."
"I'm so glad you included me then," he said wryly.
Blitz half smiled, half frowned and chewed her lip. She took a step back and then another and stopped. Breathing deeply she said,
"I want you throw me through the window up there. Second from the right." She pointed at a window that was vaguely lit on the floor below the top floor.
"Are you in - "
"Maybe just a little," Blitz interrupted, "Once inside I'll take care of the enemy, and then I'll take the elevator up and finish things."
"Why don't I just throw you through a window on the top floor?" Dukes asked.
"Can't. Windows are reinforced somehow. They won't break. Besides, the angle is all wrong. And if I go to the top floor first and you guys decide to come after in the elevator before I've cleaned out the other floor, you'll be in serious trouble. My guess is that elevator automatically stops on that floor, and then you need a password or key-card to get to the top floor. If the elevator stops there before I'm done you'll all be riddled with bullet holes before you can even say "Shit!" Some of those guys are most likely using armour piercing rounds, and some of you guys are most likely not immune to that," Blitz said, finishing her lecture.
"And you are?"
Blitz just shrugged and looked up at the second window from the right.
"You'll get yourself killed." He sounded worried, which felt strangely exciting.
"I guess flying into a building filled with gun- toting madmen is as good a way to go as any." Blitz said in a fit of gallows humour.
"I guess," he admitted. "So, you really want me to throw you up there?"
"Yup, seems like the only way to me. I doubt Victor would let me ride piggy-back."
Dukes threw his head back and roared with laughter, an act that was awarded with perplexed looks from the others. Blitz' face split in a wide grin and she couldn't help but chuckle a little. Dukes patted her on the back as he slowly stopped laughing, almost knocking the wind out of her. She drew a ragged breath and steadied herself.
"So, head first?" asked Dukes.
Blitz nodded and looked away, suddenly sombre now. Her hands were shaking. Another thought occurred to her.
"Oh, tell Zero to shoot the glass. He'll now when."
"Sure. Don't want you to ruin that pretty face of yours," he said and grabbed her by the belt.
Blitz was about to change her mind as she was violently pulled off her feet and was sent flying, head first, through the air. Well, I've always wanted to fly, she thought, watching the concrete wall come closer at a terrifying speed. The window seemed like an awfully small target and the glass was still intact. Shoot it, shoot it now goddammit!
A/N: Fixed the paragraphs and some typos. Thanks Werden and Lunn.
I really appreciate constructive criticism, so feel free to give me some