Chapter 2
"Alright, rise and shine gang." Chase's voice echoed. "It's a school day."
After getting inducted into gen: LOCK, it was time for the new recruits to begin their training officially. Four of them dragged themselves out of the bed. They all quickly washed up and put on their body suits. Eva would look at herself in the mirror with her back and behind in view. She didn't seem have that much of a reaction, but she seemed satisfied. Once they were done, Hyun-Woo quickly pushed Oliver out of his bed, making him land on the ground with a loud thud. Oliver, now awake, just picked himself up and followed suit as fast as he could.
The group eventually made it to the cafeteria, where they were given… less than desirable foods. But that didn't stop Charlotte from making fresh food for the entire team. Thanks to them, everyone was able to get their energy for the day.
Later, inside their Holons, they began training. Target practice, everyone seemed to do fine, as they all somewhat of an experience when handling firearms. Oliver fell behind a little bit, but he quickly picked it up. To the Colonel's interest, she was impressed that these batch of recruits were getting the hang of things more quickly. In the obstacle course, Oliver surprised everyone by just bouncing over everything. He explained that he took a little bit of gymnastics when he was younger, but was worried if that would translate into his Holon. Eva found that a little cute.
Not only this, the team also listened to all of Dr. Weller's lectures on the gen: LOCK program, such as the protection of the brain, uptime, overclocking, their bodysuits, and the GL network, or more colloquially referred to as, mindshare. Charlotte took extensive notes on the subject. They even learned that Leon was also eligible to join, but was just a little too old.
A few days later, their Holons finally received the Vanguard Armor. Not only of the white armor, but they also received a few pieces in their own color. Hyun-Woo brown, Oliver orange, Eero black, Charlotte pink, and Eva silver. It was only then, they proceeded to receive on some hand-to-hand training. Chase took on Hyun-Woo, and he was a little surprised that Hyun-Woo was able to keep up. Yaz handled Charlotte, who took a little more time getting used to combat inside a Holon. Cammie and Oliver went at it, but Oliver held back a little, since he didn't want to hurt his crush. Cammie clearly took advantage of this, so she quickly overpowered him. Eva and Valentina fought each other, each learning a bit about the other. Kazu and Eero… well, let's just say a few walls of the Anvil had to let in a little natural light due to their competitive edge.
Once the day's training was over, all of the Holons returned to their bays and all of the candidates downloaded into their bodies. Miranda was just finishing up getting out of her Strider when Chase mixed in behind her.
"So, how's it looking?" He asked with a smile.
Miranda didn't seem to return it, but she did answer his question.
"Well, to be frank, these guys are progressing a lot faster than the first recruits had." Miranda answered.
"Is that so?" Chase responded.
"Here are some things I have noticed." Miranda explained. "Eva, while being a little flashy in her methods, serves enough of a distraction for us to get around, or even flank. Charlotte and Hyun-Woo are fairly similar, being the two forward offensive dealers, so they always attack first. Eero is always in the middle, being the center of his team's performance. Oliver, while he is still learning, can provide decent support from the back."
"As a fireteam, they're already doing more than enough." She concluded. "Now, the issue they have is if all that can transfer onto the battlefield. Or they'll be handing their four-story metal asses on a silver platter, just like your guys when they started out."
"Damn, girl." Chase sighed. "That's cold."
"That's what everyone sees." Miranda chided. "Leon and Jodie think so too."
With that said, Miranda just continued on into the base. Chase just stood there, not knowing what to do. Leon and Jodie saw this go on, so they approached Chase from the back.
"So…" Jodie began, trying to lighten up the mood. "She's a bit forward."
"Kid, she's been like that since he got back." Leon reminded.
Chase just shook his head and faced the other two Strider pilots. He didn't have an annoyed look, instead he had a positive look.
"If you guys are here to talk about us, it's alright." He started.
"No offense, man." Jodie explained. "You can't really blame her."
"I never said I was." Chase corrected.
Jodie got really quiet. He never considered Chase to be the type of guy that could be angered easily, but even with something like this, he never thought he would be this chill.
"Uh…" He stuttered. "Huh. Never thought of what I was going to say after that."
"How about an 'I'm sorry' from me?" Chase asked, trying to lightened up the mood.
"What do you mean?" Leon asked, leaning on his Strider.
"Miranda gave me the gist of what you guys went through while I was gone." Chase explained. "Dying on you guys once was bad enough. But if I reached out and then died again… you get why I did what I did. You know, I'm barely holding to life as it is. The least I can do is make amends with everyone when I still have this chance."
Leon and Jodie looked at each other before turning back to Chase.
"You're surprisingly chill with everything that's been going on." Leon mentioned.
"I've had some time to make peace with it." Chase replied. "If you guys want to talk more, you know where my tank is."
With that said, Chase pixelated away, leaving the two Strider pilots in the hanger. Leon put a hand on Jodie's shoulder, and the two quickly went into the base.
Migas was watching the whole thing from afar, working on what looked like a Hornbill. He was so focused he didn't notice Oliver mixing in beside him.
"Well, that didn't sound good." He commented.
Migas jumped at the hearing of Oliver's voice, and quickly turned to see the young man standing beside him.
"Where'd you come from?" He asked.
"I'm mixing in from my Holon. Chase does it all the time, so I thought I'd give it a try." Oliver replied. "What are you doing?"
Migas then turned to see what Oliver was looking at. It looked like a Hornbill, but it was much larger, maybe with cargo space for an entire squad of Striders.
"A larger Hornbill for you guys." Migas explained. "I mean, with you new guys on board, you're going to need a much more practical mean of getting around."
Migas swiped to the side to show Oliver the blueprints. Oliver studied it a bit before finally giving him his thoughts.
"Well, you're going to have to take into account of how this thing is going to defend itself." Oliver said. "I mean, I know we'll be escorted, but at the very least."
"I'm no expert on weapons, kid." Migas chuckled. "But I will take it up with the higher ups to see what I can do."
"Alright, that's assuring." Oliver smiled. "Also, if it's not much… do you think my Holon could be stored beside Cammie's?"
"I don't decide that." Migas chuckled. "But… you could try. Not sure if it'll work, but you could try."
Oliver rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. He really hadn't been trying to hide his little crush on Cammie since he got here. Oliver looked around to make sure if anyone else was around.
"Don't worry, kiddo." Migas laughed. "Your secret's safe with me."
Oliver nodded, and then pixelated away. Migas went back to working on this huge behemoth.
Later, the members of gen:LOCK 2 were given a bit of downtime to themselves. Hyun-Woo was cleaning his sword that he brought along, while Eero was doing pushups to pass the time. Eva was writing a letter, while Oliver was looking through some pictures he took. Charlotte had just returned from the shower, and was just drying her hair.
"Ah…" She sighed. "I've never had a shower in weeks… that hit the spot…"
"Do they not have showers where you're from?" Hyun-Woo joked.
"I'm just saying it's been a while." Charlotte replied, playfully punching his back.
Hyun-Woo just sighed and sheathed his sword back into its scabbard. He then leaned back on his bed, sighing loudly.
"Ah… I want to drink something…" He sighed.
"You do know the mess hall is open, yes?" Eero replied, standing up from his pushups.
"I know…" Hyun-Woo corrected. "I just want to get out of this base and get some fresh air…"
"That makes two of us." Eva agreed, clicking her pen.
"Hate to burst your bubble, but we can't go off-base." Charlotte said, sitting down on her bed.
"Then, what do we do for fun around here?" Eero asked, taking a sip from his canteen.
Everyone wondered a bit as Oliver quickly stood up from his bed.
"Uh… the Ether?" He suggested. "It's the only method of fun anyone has these days."
Everyone looked at each other for a few minutes before going back to deciding.
"What's the matter?" Oliver asked. "This is the one time we have some downtime! Why not spend it together or something?"
"But we spend the last few days being with each other." Eva retorted. "No offense, but I speak for all of us when I say we could use some personal space."
Everyone nodded quietly. Eva was right. It has only been a few days since they had arrived, but they felt as if it was time for them to get some time to themselves. Oliver, still wanting to be with his new friends, got down from his bed
"Correct me if I'm wrong." Oliver asked. "We've only interacted as teammates, right? Given we don't how long we're going to be together, could we at least get to know each other?"
Everyone looked at each other, but Oliver's logic wasn't wrong. Since they really don't know how long they'll be together, might as well get to know each other.
"Very well." Eva conceded.
Oliver smiled as he quickly went back up his bed and put his headset on, everyone else quickly grabbed their headsets too, getting comfortable on the floor, bed, or desk.
"I'll meet you guys in the main lobby." Oliver called as he logged in.
(Cue Beneath the Mask – Persona 5)
Username: OliversEleven
Password: **********
As the Ether materialized, Oliver's Avatar came into being. It was Spider-Man (Homecoming Suit), and to his surprise, they weren't as many people in the Ether right around now. Even the music was calm, fitting the calm nature of the Ether. He looked around, not really noticing a lot of people around.
"Huh." He admitted. "A lot less crowded than I remember."
He opened a screen to let everyone log in near him. He first tapped on Eero's name, letting him spawn behind him. Oliver turned around to meet Reinhardt (Overwatch). He had to look up a bit just to see him.
"Reinhardt, huh?" He said. "Not a bad choice."
"He's a personal favorite of mine." Eero said, crossing his huge arms. "He reminds me of me, somehow."
Just as they finished, another figure spawned near them. It was Eva, but it was Lupin X (Super Sentai). Her form shined as she came. Oliver and Eero were intrigued by the look.
"Well." Eero commented. "You really like the color silver, don't you?"
"You say that like it's a bad thing, monsieur." Eva retorted.
"We're not just used to being all… flashy, you know?" Oliver corrected.
"What, me being a phantom thief wasn't flashy enough for you, train boy?" Eva joked, stroking the smaller kid's chin.
Oliver stuttered a bit, but Eva chuckled as she stepped back. Another figure spawn in behind them as well. It was a robot, but there was one thing that everyone was able to find. The robot had a small Autobot logo on its shoulders and its chest, and it immediately put its hands on its hips. It was First Aid.
"Y'know, when Oliver said we get to know each other, I didn't imagine this." Charlotte's voice commented.
Following her was Hyun-Woo, dressed in a traditional Korean Hwarang uniform. He was quite amused with the situation.
"So, what are we gonna do?" He asked. "Not really the atmosphere for games though."
Everyone looked around. Hyun-Woo was right. Not a lot of people are online at the moment, so this wasn't turning out well for them.
"I mean, we could do a little small thing between ourselves." Oliver suggested.
"How about a little more company?" asked a familiar voice.
Everyone turned to see a lot of familiar faces heading towards them. They saw a rabbit, which was identified to be Cammie, Chase with a hoodie on, Kazu in a punk rock-like outfit, Yaz with long hair and a hijab, and another well-dressed male that they couldn't identify yet.
"Cammie?" Oliver asked. "Is that you?"
"Of course, it's me. Who the fuck else would it be?" Cammie replied with a raised eyebrow.
"We were just as surprised to find the Ether empty." Kazu admitted. "But Chase heard that you guys were online so we'd give you guys a visit."
"Good timing too." The other man replied, strangely with Valentina's voice. "We were just looking for some fun as well."
Everyone was surprised by this. They were not expecting this.
"Valentina?" Charlotte asked. "Is that you?"
"Please." Valentina corrected. "Call me Val."
"Wait, what?" Charlotte asked again, raising an eyebrow. "What are you going on about?"
"Nyet, it's fine if you don't get it." Val explained. "I've already explained it to my team once, so I guess it wouldn't be as awkward to say it to you."
"Genderfluid?" Eva asked, walking up to Val. "Yes, I'm familiar."
Eva looked all over Val. She was somewhat impressed by what she saw. And considering how nonchalant Val was acting, she deduced that this wasn't the first time.
"If you don't mind me asking," She asked. "Have you shifted before?"
"A few times." Val replied. "It's like riding a bicycle. You get used to it after a while."
Charlotte, finally taking everything in, decided to speak up.
"Then… what were you born as?" She asked.
Val looked at the robot, and moved a hand across the faceplate.
"Wouldn't you like to know…?" She said very mysteriously.
Charlotte just shrugged the odd feeling off, and retreated back to her team. Meanwhile, Hyun-Woo had taken a brief look at Yaz. But it was only a glance.
"So, what do you fellas had in mind?" Chase asked.
"Well…" Oliver muttered, scrolling through the options. "I was thinking something like fantasy warriors, maybe?"
He soon found one that he was looking for and picked it. Instantly, everyone's forms transformed into RWBY outfits. The gen:LOCK One crew were wearing the ones they had before: Chase as Jaune, Yaz as Blake, Cammie as Ruby, Kazu as Sun, and Val as Ren. As for gen:LOCK Two, they received a few cool outfits to fit them as well. Hyun-Woo received Neptune, Charlotte got Nora, Oliver had chosen Oscar for himself, Eero got Yatsuhashi, and Eva got Weiss.
"We could slay monsters just to pass the time, if you get my meaning." Oliver concluded.
"Well, hate to burst your bubble, but…" Cammie interjected. "Why not just hang out with us IRL?"
Everyone paused for a minute. They all looked at each other and then logged off one by one. Cammie and Chase couldn't help but chuckle before logging off with the rest of their teammates.
Back in the real world, gen:LOCK Two quickly took off their headsets and got outside their barracks. Right outside, they found the gen:LOCK One, waiting for them. They all made it to the mess hall where they were now laughing, and exchanging funny stories together. Cammie felt Oliver was particular nervous around Cammie, with everyone noticing. They still stayed quiet about it, much to Oliver's chagrin.
Suddenly, the alarms in the base suddenly went off. Able's voice echoed throughout the base.
"Interceptors, ready one and ready two. Scramble. Alert Teams Baker, Charlie, gen:LOCK One and gen:LOCK Two. Report to North Mech Hanger for immediate load up. Repeat, Interceptors…"
"Is that us?" Hyun-Woo asked.
"Well, time to see what you fellas can do." Chase smiled, mixing away.
Immediately, everyone quickly grabbed their bodysuits and ran down to the hangers, where they boarded and departed to the call of duty.
They quickly arrived at their destination. Four Hornbills, flanked by a squadron of Interceptors, approached a
"We'll be dropping you right in the center of Oklahoma City." Colonel Marin explained.
"Alright, Colonel." Leon asked. "What's going on? Why Oklahoma City?"
"Intelligence reports that the Union are looking for a staging area." Dr. Weller replied. "Looks like this is where they first set their sights on."
"The city was evacuated when the attack began." Colonel Marin continued. "Your tasks are to get inside and handle any forces that you come across."
"Hm. Shouldn't be that hard." Eero commented, crossing his arms. "Although I am not quite fond of our method of travel."
Eero wasn't wrong. Due to their main Hornbill was still under construction, they had to make do with using two separate standard issue Hornbills, which meant that the gen:LOCK Two's Holon were on a different Hornbill just outside theirs.
"This is how you will all usually deploy" Dr. Weller sighed. "We fly you in, upload, take care of business, download, and then fly back home."
"Still, take caution." Colonel Marin said. "Even though the Union seemed to have stopped throwing curveballs, we still can't guarantee what you'll be heading into."
"Like our mystery mech?" Chase asked.
Everyone from gen:LOCK Two got confused at that.
"Mystery mech?" Oliver asked. "What's that?"
"It's this dark and scary bastard that attacked us in our last mission." Cammie answered. "That thing could still be out there."
"It is the one variable in the Union's attack that we never can factor in." Colonel Marin added. "The least I can tell you is to be safe out there."
"That goes double for all of you." Dr. Weller finished, looking at gen:LOCK Two.
Charlotte crossed her arms as Colonel Marin continued to explain. She then remembered something.
"Oh doctor!" She called. "When do we upload?"
Dr. Weller then looked at the clock. It just struck 23:47.
"Uh… now!" He called.
On cue, everyone quickly got into their pods. They all closed their eyes as they all uploaded into their Holons.
While gen:LOCK One were used to being a little cramped in their cargo bay, the same couldn't really be said for gen:LOCK Two. When they uploaded, the little amount of space they had within the Hornbill… wasn't very ideal.
"Uh… a little cramped, ain't it?" Charlotte commented.
"Monsieur Park, would you mind moving a bit please?" Eva asked.
"Do you think I have space to move?" Hyun-Woo shot back, shifting a bit.
"Alright, cut the chatter, GL Two." Leon's voice called. "We're coming in hot."
Just as Leon said that, the Hornbill rocked. From outside, the Union spider tanks and squads of Union troopers have begun firing on the Vanguard transports. The bottom of the two Hornbills opened, allowing them to look at the ground below. They were all littered with Union forces, laying constant fire on the incoming aircraft.
Then, they saw Chase and Yaz's Holons moving down first, changing their armor into a camo-like plating. They even tag-teamed in taking down a Union tank. Valentina came down next, landing on top of a building, surveying her surroundings. Cammie and Kazu deployed next, and while not having the smoothest landing with the occasional collateral damage, they quickly went to work on the Union soldiers.
It was time for gen:LOCK Two to deploy. Hyun-Woo went first. He swooped down gracefully, rolling as he hit the ground. He saw a tank darting towards him. On impulse, he went for his side, but then realized that he didn't have his sword.
"Force of habit." He groaned.
He just charged at the tank and grabbed its leg. He then threw it over his shoulder, slamming it down onto the road.
Eva and Charlotte came down next. Eva landed on a building beside Valentina. Valentina waved, with Eva giving a simple wave back. Eva then hopped across the other buildings as Valentina set up with her rifle.
Charlotte rolled down as well, quickly going for a downed Strider. Three spider tanks were on top of it. She soon came in and kicked one tank over the side, and shot another. The other tank just fired its guns as her in retaliation. Charlotte shielded the downed Strider until it stopped shooting. She winked at the pilot before turning back and ripping its main gun off and impaling the tank's main body with it.
Next, Oliver came down next. He was very excited.
"Let's rumble!" Oliver called as he dropped down.
But that call to action was a little premature, as he immediately lost his footing, making him slide all over the place for a bit. He spun around a few times, knocking a few cars and signs over, but quickly regained it. Once he had stopped, he looked around, hoping that nobody saw.
"Nailed it." He said to no one before rushing towards the others.
Lastly, Eero dropped down. As he darted down, he aimed right on top of a spider tank, crushing it when he landed. He stood perfectly still for a good few seconds until he started moving again. He then ran forward to the others.
"Everyone, turn on your camo!" Yaz called. "We're rendezvousing with Leon and the others!"
Every Holon engaged their camo and began to make their ways towards Leon. Cammie, running into a couple Union troops, quickly shot them down with a billboard before moving on. As she continued on, she jumped and pointed her gun at a huge figure. She then realized she almost shot Charlotte, who just looked her, confused.
"Oh, bloody hell, Charlotte!" She griped. "Don't scare me like that! I thought you were the mystery mech!"
"Right…" Charlotte muttered. "Let's just get to Leon quickly."
Speaking of Leon, he and his squad have encountered several Union tanks, with infantry soldiers and fighter drones. They were at a bit of standstill, just shooting each other with no real impact.
"Alright, grunts hang back." Leon called. "Striders, move up and we'll keep up the…"
Leon was interrupted when a tree flew past his view. The tree crashed into one of the Union tanks, getting its attention. Then, Eero darted past them, yelling a battle cry. He swiped the fighters aside, throwing them into the sides of the buildings. He kicked some troopers and slammed his arms down on one of the tanks. Then, with his arm still in the tank, he slammed another into the ground with it.
"And you say I don't look out for collateral damage." Kazu joked, watching Eero going ham on the Union forces.
Leon just shook his head and went back on task.
"All teams, report." He ordered.
"Area secure here." A voice called. "Just doing some last-minute cleanups."
"Same with us." Chase replied. "Nothing out of the ordinary here."
Leon thought about what to do next. In the end, he just decided to follow protocols.
"Alright then." He finally answered, giving out new sets of orders. "Sweep the area. Striders, we'll take the eastern side of the city. GL, you take the west. But stay close. Keep your channels open."
"Copy." Chase replied. "You heard him, let's get to it."
One by one, the Striders and the Holons departed in opposite directions. Chase and Miranda exchange a brief glance, but they departed to patrol nonetheless.
For a while, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Each side encountered small amounts of resistance from Union tanks, fighters, and infantry. But, so far, nothing too out of the ordinary.
"It's a little too quiet…" Eero commented. "They never leave an area this empty…"
"You're right." Yaz agreed. "There's usually a lot more."
All of gen:LOCK took that comment into consideration as they got more alert. Valentina surveyed from building to building, looking down her sniper scope. Eva was bouncing from building to building, strangely making no sounds at all.
Cammie, holding her pistol tightly, turned a corner past an abandoned commercial building. She turned to the left to find a purple cloud. Out of the clouds stepped out a large hulking mech with four arms.
"Oh hell…" She muttered.
As the dark mech got closer and closer, the purple cloud behind it got thicker, spraying around it. Before the cloud got to her, Cammie quickly contacted everyone else.
"Guys…?" She said. "It's here!"
Before she could continue, the black mech charged her, tackling her into a building. She yelled in response, landing some kicks in response.
"Cammie!" Kazu called. "Damn it, come on!"
Chase quickly formulated a plan in his HUD. He took note of every Holon's position.
"Oliver, you're the closest!" He ordered. "Get to Cammie, quickly! We'll get to you as soon as we can!"
"O-o-on my way!" Oliver stuttered, running down the street.
Chase and the others began speeding their way down to Cammie's position. Back in the Anvil, Dr. Weller just as concerned as they were.
"Oliver, hurry!" He pleaded.
Oliver ran as fast his Holon's legs could carry him. He glanced at his radar, and he was getting close. As he rounded the corner, he stopped. He saw the dark and menacing mech trying to rip Cammie's head off. She was resisting, but she was losing. He got scared, but his crush's safety mattered more right now. He overclocked his stats just a tad, and then he darted down the road.
The mech turned its head, just in time to get body slammed away. Cammie shook her head and saw that Oliver was standing in front of her, with his arms out by his sides.
"Don't you touch her!" He shouted in a very firm stance. As he said that, he reset his stats back to normal.
"Oliver…?" Cammie muttered, standing up.
The black mech got back up groggily, its head and one eye twitching. Oliver grabbed his pistol and began firing. The mech didn't seem to react, as it just charged at him with its four arms. Oliver kept on shooting, but the mech grabbed hold of the pistol and crushed it. Oliver got wide-eyed, and was grabbed in the face. The mech swung him over its head, slamming him down to the road. It then bent forward, planning to rip his head off. Oliver covered his face, but the mech was resilient. It pinned Oliver's arms and went for his head. It suddenly stopped as it lurched back up suddenly. Cammie had gotten hold of his other two arms, yanking them back.
"Leave him alone!" She ordered.
The mech twitched again, and just pushed Cammie away. Oliver tried to move, but the mech pinned him down by grabbing hold of his face. Cammie grabbed her pistol and shot the mech, but that didn't get its attention. It just formed a purple mist barrier in between them.
To her luck, Hyun-Woo swooped in from above, landing a perfect bicycle kick on the side of the black mech. The mech tumbled down the road, but quickly recovered by getting on all its limbs. Oliver sat up to see what was going on.
"You okay, kid?" Hyun-Woo asked.
"I'll live." Oliver muttered, getting up.
The mech twitched again, and lunged at Hyun-Woo. However, he dodged it after pushing Oliver to safety. Hyun-Woo braced his fists and lunged at the hulking robot.
The black mech dodged Hyun-Woo's first few punches. It grabbed one of them and was about to swipe him away when it was shot with bullets. Yaz and Chase had arrived, firing their guns. Kazu and Eero ran past them, Kazu with two cars in his hands. Eero went for a punch, but was knocked aside. Kazu was also swept aside, losing the cars he had in his hands. That distracted the mech long enough for Hyun-Woo to get his fist back, going for back kick.
The mech stumbled again, and then turned to Yaz, who was still shooting. It charged, but Chase and Eero tackled it against each other. Kazu then went for another slam, but was caught and thrown into Hyun-Woo, the two slamming into a building. Hyun-Woo scoffed, and just ripped off a maintenance pipe. He used it as a makeshift sword, but was broken when he tried to hit the mech over the head with it. Yaz quickly regained its attention by shooting again.
The mech grabbed hold of both her SMGs, twisting her arms. But Yaz quickly made some distance between with a spin kick. Then, behind her, Charlotte popped up and got on the back of the mech. She punched the head of it over and over. The mech grabbed her by the arm and slammed her down. The mech raised its arms, but Kazu stopped it by grabbing hold of them. The mech threw him aside, and then dodged a ground pound from Eero.
From above, Eva and Valentina had been watching the fight unfold. Valentina was looking down her scope, but just can't seem to find the mark.
"Can't get a clear shot…" She muttered.
"I'll get you that!" Eva called.
Eva then swooped down from her building, getting on the ground level. She grabbed two maintenance pipes on her way. As she ran forward, she contacted her teammates.
"Alright, personnes!" She called. "We need to get Valentina a clean shot! Pin it down!"
Eero moved in first. The black mech swiped its arm to the side. Eero dodged it, and quickly grabbed that arm. He then pulled it. The mech retaliated with its other arm, but Kazu got hold of that one. The mech's other arms were held by Yaz and Charlotte, who proceeded to pull as well. Eva swooped in just then. She got low, and dug the two maintenance pipes into the ground where one of the mech's legs were, trapping it.
Valentina took this opportunity. She quickly lined up her scope and pulled the trigger. The shot hit the mech right in the head, blasting it back. The mech fell on its back, and then it just looked up. All seven Holons got into a battle stance in front of it. The mech stood up, with the purple mist dissipating back into a small cloud around it. The mech then stood up and ran away.
Everyone, now with the danger gone, eased up from what they had just went through and began to speak.
"Was that the mystery mech you guys mentioned before?" Charlotte asked.
"Yup." Chase replied. "Tall, dark, ugly, and… that."
Charlotte crossed her arms. She wasn't satisfied with the description.
"Hey, I'm just saying what I saw." Chase explained.
As they continued talking about their recent encounter, Valentina dropped down from her building and helped Cammie up.
"Are you okay?" She asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Cammie sighed. "Could've gotten my head ripped off again if it wasn't for Oliver."
Valentina looked at Oliver being helped by Hyun-Woo, who gave the orange Holon a pat on the shoulder.
"It was lucky he was close by." Valentina mentioned.
"I guess…" Cammie admitted, her voice very quiet.
A few minutes later, all of the Striders and Holons have regrouped at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. The Striders and Holons were waiting outside as Leon gave the Colonel the debrief.
"Command, the city's clear." He reported. "Last bogie encountered by GL has just… moved off. Again."
"Good work." Colonel Marin replied, putting her hand on her chest as a sign of relief. "Re-establish the perimeter. Better safe than sorry."
"As for both gen:LOCK squads," She continued. "Secure Holons on the transports and prepare for download."
All of the Holons crouched down to load their Holons into their Hornbills and downloaded back into their bodies. Cammie, once she woke up, looked over to Oliver, who just walked away and sat at one of the free seats of the Hornbill. She wanted to thank him, but she was cut off as Hyun-Woo and Charlotte sat down on either side of the teen and gave him some consoling. She sighed and just sat back down on her pod.
"Next time, moya zaika." Valentina whispered. "Next time."