Delta squad stood outside the control center. They were waiting for Anya to join them; not that Marcus Fenix would admit that though. Bernie Mataki shifted her lancer, and Damon Baird glanced impatiently at his wrist. Augustus Cole chuckled heartily.
"Damon Baby, there's no watch on your wrist!" he exclaimed.
"That's how fucking boring this is! What are we waiting for!" Baird snapped.
"Hoffman and Anya," Marcus said flatly.
"Maybe we should go inside to meet up with them," Dominic Santiago suggested.
"Hoffman'll be discussing shit with Prescott," Bernie said.
"There's no discussing. Prescott wants to put Gears where we aren't needed to 'keep the peace'," Baird snorted.
Before anyone could interject, or argue, two COG soldiers marched past. Between them was a young woman; each Gear had a good grip on an arm. Cole and Bernie shook their heads sadly; Baird tried not to smile at the poor Stranded fucker. Dom's eyes grew wide; Marcus thought he'd seen her somewhere before. The gap between Delta and the trio grew. Dom broke into a swift sprint to catch up to them.
"Maria!" he shouted.
Bernie, Cole and Baird were speechless. The woman looked around, and the Gears stopped. Marcus sighed and followed after Dom. He had the woman's face in both his hands; she looked so much like the Maria he remembered.
"Carlos?" she asked.
"Holy shit," Dom gasped.
"Damn you got big."
"What the fuck is going on here?" Marcus demanded.
"Sergeant Fenix, sir. We caught this Stranded bitch about five klicks east. She's been fucking around in our computers somehow," the Gear on the left reported.
"She was hiding out in the attic of an abandoned house. We found a bunch of contraband items up there with her. We'll send in another team later to check it out," his partner said.
"Am I under arrest?" the woman asked, looking amused.
By that point, Cole, Baird and Bernie joined them. The other two Gears weren't amused by their mouthy prisoner. Marcus stepped away from them; he had a hand pressed to his ear. Dom glanced over at him and watched for a moment. Marcus was talking too quietly for anyone to hear him. Dom assumed he was contacting Anya.
"Shut up, Stranded."
The woman was forcing herself not to smile, but one made it through. One of the Gears dropped her arm, and a loud crack resonated around them. He holstered his pistol; under his helmet he had a very smug look on his face. Blood trickled down her lip. Cole grabbed Bernie's arm. Marcus turned to look at them. By the time he registered what had happened, Baird was on top of the Gear. The man's helmet was ripped off and discarded. Baird got in a few good punches before Dom and Marcus ripped him off.
"What the fuck is going on here?" Hoffman bellowed.
"Sir!" the two Gears exclaimed.
Hoffman glared at them and their prisoner. At first, he didn't want to believe she was really there. The Gear that struck her started arguing with Baird, but they were both drowned out by Hoffman's demand for silence.
"Let her go," he finished.
"What?"
"Are you fucking kidding us?... Sir?"
"You heard me," he said flatly. Hoffman's eyes never left the woman. "And we'll deal with this fight later."
The two Gears shoved past Dom to get inside. The one that hit her looked back and scowled. The woman rubbed her arms where they were holding her.
"If I'm getting in trouble for saving her ass, I'll smack her myself," Baird mumbled.
"I'd like to see you try, Pretty Boy," she laughed.
"Don't push me," Baird warned. He raised a fist to her face.
"Baird, leave her alone," Marcus demanded, "You alright, Lizzy?"
"Better now. Thanks, Hun," Lizzy replied.
"Uh... No problem?" Marcus looked confused.
"Not you, Marcus," she patted Marcus' face. "Pretty Boy."
"Baird," Baird interjected.
"Whatever."
"Excuse me if I'm not getting something, but who the fuck is she? Marcus? Colonel?" Dom sighed, frustrated.
"Let's go to my office," Hoffman decided.
That's my first installment! I have a bit more written, so I'll expand on that and post it soon.