(A/N: I'm BAAAAAAAAAACK! With a brand new story. Also, with plans to continue my most popular piece, but more on that one later. This story takes place in the present day, and actual political figures will be used at certain points in the story. This story will be AU, and POV, like all of my stories. Enjoy :D)
Gunslinger Alana
Chapter 1: Dropping in on Geronimo
In the dead of night, three specially modified Blackhawk helicopters cross over the Pakistani border under the cover of darkness. The first two helicopters, off to our two 'o clock and 11 o' clock prospectively, carry four members each of the elite U.S. Navy Seals team. Their mission is to establish a perimeter around the target area, and make sure no one knows what's going on inside. The third helicopter, in the center of the formation, carries the future of counter intelligence. The Italians called them fratellos: Handlers paired with cybernetically altered children. Little girls with no hope and no future are turned into hardened killers. The American Congress called any type of program, rather it existed or not, to be an abomination.
Well, that's the official story.
Unofficially, the Italians have been feeding us data and gear since the Bush administration. The Obama administration was the first to give us a green light. Under the guise of the "Urban Child Reinvestment Act", we received a blank check and unlimited source of potential subjects. The official name for our group is project Alana, and I am Steven Johnson, the project's founder, and team leader. To my right, is our first graduate and project name sake, Alana sleeps peacefully before her first mission. This unassuming 12 year old girl sleeps peacefully, her soft snores barely audible above the chopping sound of the copter's rotors. Her red ponytail and slim frame covered by traditional Muslim girl's clothing to fit in with our combat area, just in case.
What sets her apart from the other girls she may encounter, other than the M4A1 Rifle gun she clutches on her lap as she sleeps, lies just below the skin. Her skeleton and neural systems are bolstered by cybernetic and neurological implants make her faster, stronger, smarter and more resilient against damage than the normal soldier. Some would call us monsters for what we do, but when 3,000 people are killed with airplanes in a single day, fair is out the window.
"Johnson, we're 60 seconds out, wake up the girl" The pilot says. I nod my head, glaring at him briefly.
"Her name is Alana, soldier." I quip, then gently reach over with my right hand, shaking her softly. "Alana, it's time."
"Okay…" Alana beams up at me through sky-blue ass, half filled with sleep. She yawns softly, then stretches out, rubbing her nose against my shoulder ever so gently, like any other girl her age. But these fleeting moments of normalcy however fly out the window when she pulls the slide on her Assault Rifle, chambering a round before slinging the strap over her shoulder, pulling it close as I ready my own weapon as the seal team copters begin to descend.
"30 seconds out, Seal teams disembarking." The pilot says. I and Alana look out the window as the helicopters land outside of the compound walls. The Seal teams hop out a moment later, heading towards the compound ahead of us. Alana's face changes from one of childish glee to stone-faced. Although her first mission of this type, she knows what this project means, and how important success is tonight.
"10 seconds, dropping ropes!"
The helicopter comes to a hover over the courtyard, and the ropes drop down. Seconds later two more Navy Seals, followed by me and Alana drop down into the courtyard, immedietly crouchind down, guns up and surveying the scene as the Blackhawk pulls off. Suddenly a gear-wrenching sound from above us catches our attention.
"Stephen, the chopper's going down!" Alana shouts as I look up in time to watch the chopper, trailing smoke from the tail rotor as it slams rear-first into the compound wall before crashing into the dirt, sand kicking up as the rotors grind into the earth. So much for a quiet first mission"
"Alana team what's going on in there? We heard a crash!" The Seal team comamnder's voice crackles over the radio as I press the talk button on my ear piece. "Chopper had motor trouble and went down, Seal Team three's getting the demo charges ready, we're moving on with the mission." I reply just as a bullet wizzes by head.
"Incoming!" Alana shouts, then goes prone to the ground. I crouch down next to her and take aim at the three men coming around the corner from the house. Before I can fire back, Alana's on the offensive, pumping three bullets into their skulls.
"Good shooting" I encourage her then pull her up by her collar, waiting until she steadies herself before run for the front door.
"Alright, here's the plan. I'll kick down the door, you give me cover from the left side window" I shout, running at full speed.
"On it!" she yells, then grabs a flash-bang grenade from my belt, sans pin, chucking it through the window infront of her 2 seconds later, the device explodes, stunning anyone inside as my partner leaps feet first through the window. Not what I meant by cover me, but it works. I kick down the door a scond later to find a pile of dead guards strewn around the floor.
I smirk and shoulder my weapon for the moment, patting Alana softly on the head, to which she giggles childishly. "Good job little one". She smiles wide at my compliment as she reloads her rifle. Blood splatters her snow white cheeks, but she shrugs it off like a battle-hardened warrior. My little angel is turning into a little demoness of war, not to mention acing our combat objectives. She leads the way through the kitchen, weapon held high as she checks her corners and keeps her barrel pointed up the stairs like a good soldier would. We enter a hallway with three doors. We look at each other then go back to back, each of us facing a door.
"On three"
"Right"
"one…two…"
"Three!" We kick the doors in, empty. Suddenly the third door opens and a woman rushes out us, I take a step back, allowing Alana to shoulder rush the girl into the left room as I squeeze off two rounds into the man in the room. He slams against the back wall, then slumps over, dead.
Alana, beaming with pride, hits the button on her communicator and screams like a child
"Alana to base, Geronimo is down!"
"I chuckle half in pity and half in relief. This young girl just killed America's number one enemy, and she can take it in with such child-like glee.
End Chapter 1