Bang, bang, bang. The bullets shot through the air with halo of hell and blaze hitting every mark. His hand rapidly moved masterfully from gun to gun, marking his territory on the battlefield. He suspiciously watched his opponent groan with frustration from the corner of his eye, as other bullets aimlessly shot through the air; missing bullseye entirely.
"Bullseye, Ben. You're supposed to hit bullseye."Hal taunted with a joking undertone, he rested his gun on the plate and observed his brother meagerly attempt another shot. Once again, Ben missed the black target.
"Oh, you shut up!" His younger brother exclaimed jokingly. "You missed one, you should be ashamed of yourself."
"Yeah, I'm totally slacking." Hal jestered back. Ben rested his gun on the plate too and the two stepped towards each other. Ben observed his brother; he looked healthier. The dark circles under his eyes had disappeared and his physique was much more muscular. However, Ben could see the shaking soldier within; it was a fascade.
"Well, we can't all be heroes like yourself." That did it. Hal pursed his lips awkwardly and turned away to dismiss himself. "Can you sleep, Hal?" His heroic brother paused in his step. "It's the sleeping that's a problem for me. You close your eyes and you feel as though-"
"-You're going to slip under." Hal whispered under his breath. His shoulders sagged momentarily, before he snapped himself out of the dazed stupor.
A revving noise woke him from his trance, as Maggie made her big entrance; her eyes lit up at the sight of Hal and he was greeted with a cheeky smile. "Hey hero, you're wanted back with the chiefs." Her eyes darted to the younger man mightily standing beside him, to whom she greeted with a nod. Hero. Hilarious.
"Looks like I can't shoot bullets with you, little brother." He shook Ben's hand as a goodbye, which was troubling because Hal had become so formal and respectful. Shoulders rigid, hands still and his face a complete mask. "If that's what you call shooting a gun." Ben let out a laugh of disbelief, and Hal big farewell with a wink. Now, that was comforting. A true element of brother had resurfaced, but it was a rare sight. It was questionable if he would be the old Hal again.
"We've got a marine satellite hijacked by the Espheni, with twenty hostages. The hostages are mostly civilians, however, we do have an officer on board." Tom Mason's fingered palm mapped out the blueprint of the satellite, the endless faces of hostages shone through the screen. Hal pressed his hand to his temple, his eyes fleeted across the blueprint - already routing an escape plan in his forgetful muse. Something did not comfortably sit right with him.
"Why have they hijacked this specific satellite?"
"Because it belongs to the Second Mass."
His father's response was too fast; automatic as well as rehearsed. Hal narrowed his luminous windows suspiciously. He opened his mouth to challenge his authority figure, but Maggie had gained control of the tension immediately."Hal, don't go making trouble." Maggie sternly warned. Hal unquestionably would have argued back, but with the time pressure; there was no room for disputes and angry allegations. The two shared a tense frown, but Hal let the ecstatic instant pass.
"Alright, Maggie and I will take the control room. I want Anthony and Denny to take the rest of the patrol and bring the hostages out. Tom, take a hellacarrier and supply the officers with life pods for the hostages." That was another worrying quality, Hal never called Tom his father anymore. "Let's move out."
The patrols commenced to move, the carrier lit up with life and the equipment around them buzzed with energy. "Secure channel seven." Hal ordered to his second in command, Maggie.
"Seven secured." Maggie reported automatically. "You're very robotic today, not do anything fun lately?"
"Well, considering my best friend is dead - so, no." He bit back with an exhausted frown, it was a broken smile.
"We're ready for the drop, Hal" A voice whirred from his radio, Hal smacked the air-lock door open. The ground below him shook and the oxygen around him roared in his ears.
"You know, if you opened up a little bit more- you'd make more friends!" Maggie yelled over the banging of the instruments.
"That's why I don't open up!" Hal responded over the roaring of the wind around the hellacarrier. "I'm too busy!" With a carefree jump, Hal was propelled into the air without his parachute, screaming with ecstasy as his body thrashed through the air with no support; much to his patrols' panic.
His body plunged into the freezing water, with his lungs full of compressed air; he pushed himself to the surface of the water. As the marine satellite was on a ship, it was anchored by a large metal chair, using all his body strength; Hal heaved himself onto the metal chain and climbed it to gain access to the deck. Slowly, he creeped behind a Volm. Employing the heavy part of his rifle, he knocked it unconscious with one strike. It let out a cry of pain, which alerted it's brothers and sisters. Hal wasted no time; striking from left and right - he threw a blow to a Volm here, dragged a Volm down there - he was unstoppable. Lithely dashing across the deck of the Espheni ship, he took down a Volm one by one - until one struck out with a claw. Hal grabbed the reaching claw by the hand, twisting it; the Volm shrieked in pain; Hal employed his other hand to strike a punch to the throat - knocking it out cold. Another Volm behind him reached to press the panic alarm, with one throw; a jagged knife sliced through the Volm's paw - the scream was electrifying; with a kick to the temple, it was lying on the ground.
A gun cocked behind him. The Volm made a warning in that sickening noise. Hal remained still, it spoke again. A shot fired through the air and the Volm fell to the ground. Hal's patrols had arrived. Tom landed on the deck with his parachute descending.
"Thanks, Tom."
"Yeah, you seemed pretty helpless without me." His father smirked, unclenching his deflating parachute. It was not long before Anthony and Deni descended with their patrols, Maggie following pursuit. The two strode together, in the perfect sync they were.
"What about coming this Saturday to the campfire? That might be nice."
"Secure the engine room, then become my life coach."
"I'm multi-tasking!" She called after him, nevertheless leaped over the railings in pursuit of her mission.
His feet hammering against the surface of the deck, Hal leaped up and grabbed the highest rails; with his free hand - he aimed at the furthest window and a small microphone latched onto the glass. It was a translator for Espheni lexicon.
"I don't like waiting. Call Durand. I want this ship moved once the chemicals are finished."
There was something nagging at Hal, where would Durand be? If he wanted to move the ship, it would mean he is an engineering. He would be in the engine room.
Maggie.
Durand did not stand a chance. As soon as the Volm turned, Maggie smirked mischievously and greeted the creƤture. "Hey, spider!" She ripped at his leg, Durand fell to the ground screaming. Using her belt, she wrapped the leather around it's neck and squeezed. With both her feet, she propelled off the landing and somersaulted through the air - guns at the ready. SHOT! SHOT ! SHOT! Bodies went crashing down, as she masterfully soar. All the radios around her crackled with energy, she crouched close to one; with the translator attached to a radio - she could understand everything.
"Find Baltroc. If we don't find it in two minutes - I start killing them!"
"I will find him."
Deni tasered the Volm. It did not have the chance to find Baltroc. Her radio crackled with static. "Two minutes." Tom whispered through. "I repeat, we have two minutes."
The walls around them began to bang softly, as patrols descended from the skies and took their positions for attack. Anthony lay down his backpack, as Deni readied her mighty gun for impact. As the most intelligent strategist on the force, Anthony had designed a weapon that would blast through any metal on an Espheni ship; they were no longer at a disadvantage. He pressed the device against the steel door, it trapped all four corners.
"Targets acquired."
"Strike in position."
Hal crouched behind a wall, his eyes never leaving the window of the control room. "Maggie, what's your status?" Static. "Status, Maggie."
"HANG ON!" Maggie leaped onto the body of the Volm, her hands wrapped around it's neck and the electricity coursing from her gloves rendered in unconscious. As it fell, she fell with it and landed masterfully on all fours. The Volm charged at her, claws at the ready; she grabbed the claw and twisted it upwards - the bone cracked and it screamed in pain. A kick to the stomach, a kick to the ankle, a punch to the throat, she twisted the neck in her grasp and came crashing to the ground with it. "Engine room secure." The Volm reached for her ankle, she stomped on it and with the heavy part of her gun - swung and smacked it down. The last thing the Volm saw was Agent Maggie swagger away with power.
Deadly silence.
"On my mark." Hal whispered into his radio.
Three.
Two.
One.
