Two Shots
By Commentaholic
Chapter Three: Trial By Fire
A lot of thought is put into training a Runner nowadays. Back when Faith was still under Merc's leadership, the Training Grounds were just a ramshackle cluster of obstacles that taught a Runner the various rooftop tricks that he or she would need while traversing the rooftops of The City while on missions.
That was a simpler time. Back before the threat of Icarus reached full strength. Now all Runner Training Grounds are manned by attack drones with stunner rounds.
In order to... 'graduate', one had to make it through the course without being taken down.
It was a trial by fire. The first of many.
One could never tell what would pop up during a job, so Runners were required to take the RAT (the Runner Aptitude Test. Don't ask me why they chose that acronym...) every month.
I barely made it. I probably wouldn't have done so without Faith's training.
She was so proud of me when I finally nailed it... on the third try.
But that didn't take away from the warm feeling I got when she patted me on the back and told me that I'd done well.
Then I was given the second half of the test.
A delivery.
Faith wished me luck and embraced me before I left.
Nobody knew why she took such a keen interest in my training and in my career... Though some suspected.
But nobody could ever know, or else we'd both be at risk.
-Sly's Journal, March 5th, 2037
Bullets whizzed past me as I fell into the room below, ducking and rolling as I landed. I looked quickly around the room and immediately found a target: There. Over by the window. I raised my handgun and sent four bullets on their merry way to pound into the target. One hit the kevlar vest, but three went straight through his helmet's tinted visor. He toppled over, dead. His machine gun slipped from his grasp as he fell. I noted its location for later use in case the firefight turned ugly.
I slid up against a wall and peered around a corner just in time to duck back as a body was hurled towards me on a column of spattering blood, accompanied by a large boom from Hops' shotgun. I grabbed the fallen guard's handgun to compliment my own as I aimed around the corner, firing into the exposed back of a PK trooper, who dropped his rifle and clutched at his back as he fell to his knees. Then he fell to the ground and moved no more.
A bullet whizzed past my ear, reminding me of...
I leapt over the barbed wire, narrowly avoiding the spray of tranq shots and rubber bullets that perforated the air. I ducked into a small alcove between a ramp and a platform to get my bearings. I risked a glance up at the observation room, where Faith and some other Runners watched, silently evaluating me.
My eyes locked on Faith, who looked at me and nodded reassuringly. Her confidence was all I needed.
I tensed and sprinted up and out, back into the fray.
I hopped up and rounded the corner, aiming at two guards with the two handguns I had acquired, my own safely tucked into the back of my pants. I fired at the guards, some of which had the sense to duck behind cover, until the two pistols clacked empty. I tossed them aside and darted forward. I vaulted over the first one's cover and launched a powerful kick into his face, sending him reeling. I followed up the kick with a one-two punch, sending him into Unconsciousville.
I looked to the side just in time to see Hops curb-stomping the other one. We exchanged nods before heading over to assist Digit, who, to be honest, didn't even need our help. A cluster of PK guardsmen lay on the ground in puddles of their own blood as Digit lit up one of her cigarettes. I grinned at her and she inhaled before smiling back, smoke curling out from between her teeth.
"Nice work, everyone." I said, "Now reload. We don't know what we could find in the next room."
We took a moment to prepare ourselves before stacking up outside of the last room. The room that Kreeg was being held in, according to our intelligence network.
I took a deep breath before kicking down the door. We poured in, guns at the ready...
But there was nothing. No Kreeg... Nobody. There was a cardboard box in the middle of the floor, though.
I walked up and flipped open one of the flaps, revealing a digital display.
00:05... 00:04...
