"Commander!" called out a young female officer who handed Carbine a communicator.

Charlie could make out serious tones but hadn't the heart to leave the sleeping figure of May alone. Green eyes soon caught the softened black gaze of the Commander who knelt down at her side; head bowed as she grasped the communicator with both hands and tensed. "What is it?" Charlie voiced full of concern.

Carbine took a deep breath, " We have a mole in our midst, an air raid ambushed our platoons, Kay and Stoker have been taken to a military hospital underground," pausing looked the girl in the eyes, "We lost contact with Vinnie, Modo, Throttle, Agent J, Jay, and RimFire.."

Eyes overflowed with tears at the news, but managed to keep her calm disposition, " We have to see them-"

"It's not safe," Carbine prompted sternly, "I have made arrangements to have you taken to one of our safe houses, Harley is going to escort you."

Reluctant to move, cut in, "What about May? Throttle said-"

"I told Throttle I will look after you," determined, sincere optics dug deep into the human's green ones, " I'm going to keep my promise. Leave May to me, but for now you need to get to a safe place."

Hesitantly standing up, took note of the two six foot mice that now flanked her left and right side; and as she was led away Charlie took one last glance at Carbine with a soulful glimmer in her eyes. "Please.. be careful.."

0 0 0

A very stunned young adult pulled himself from among the rubble that buried him. "Ooahh.." he groaned as a shaking hand clapped the back of his skull. Feeling a damp sensation froze wide eyed and gasped. Slowly retracting his hand found a red imprint and gasped, but it was a second afterwards when a damp sensation seeped through his army-green cargo pants catching him off guard. With all the war stories he'd heard from Veterans, RimFire feared the worst. "Please let me have my legs..please let me have my legs.." he told himself gulping down hard as his eye lids clapped tightly against his face.

"Hey buddy, you all right?" came a very husky tone making the younger other jump as a gloved hand rested upon a tense shoulder.

"Oww!" cried out the younger other who's eyes blinked open to find a familiar character who'd retracted his hand in surprise at his outburst. Still quite dazed didn't register the question, until a good five seconds later, "My legs.." came the worried lyrics.

Chuckling Throttle replied, " Heh..heh..heh.. still there," he knocked on the lad's bootleg as he offered an arm to pull RimFire to his feet.

Smiling sheepishly, the youth took the helping hand and stood up, only to haunch over and slap his left hand against his right shoulder blade, "Gah!" he heaved gritting his teeth.

Narrowing his gaze, spied the wound and sat the lad back down, "Let me take a look at that," came concerned lyrics.

"Is it bad?" RimFire quizzed in anticipation.

In all honesty, Throttle had a good reason to worry, it looked like a minor fracture had occurred on his shoulder blade which also had a piece of metal sticking out from it. "Not bad at all, just a thorn that's all," he casually stated not wanting to make the youth panic. "Just a surface wound heh..heh..heh.." he added. Deciding it was better to pull out the projectile struck up a very touchy subject that he knew would divert RimFire's attention, " So, any girls in your life yet?"

Taken aback at the question just blushed, laughing, "Well..now that you mention it..there was one," came the casual response, "..but she's kinda from..outta town if you know what I mean."

Throttle grinned as he quickly ripped a sleeve off of Rim's jacket, "What's she like?" he prodded as he stuck a hand into his pocket to pull out a small paper sachet filled with a disinfecting wet towel. It was funny what one would pick up hanging out with a field medic such as J.

"Well," continued the youth, "she's a little older than me, very funny, loves to ride, and uhm.." pausing turned to face the red sky chuckling, " .. she loves to sing when she's in the shower."

Throttle paused and looked at the young lad with a quizzical raised brow, "Shower?"

Feeling an awkward pause Rim quickly faced his friend, " Don't get the wrong idea! Harley told me," came his honest defensive retort.

"O," came the low vowel, "So she's a friend of Harley's?" continued the inquisition as the golden furred character held the edge of the boy's jacket ajar.

"Yea, she's a good friend of hers- she's kinda like her sister ya know?" came the amused word play.

As Throttle's mind tossed the lad's words, he couldn't help but wonder.. and tested the waters..Harley didn't have many female best friends.. "How long have you two been goin out?"

"Oh I didn't ask her out yet..she kinda..left before I could ask her," came the sheepish reply. "It was 'bout four years back," came the dreamy tunes.

"Ray?" blurted Throttle subconsciously.

"How did you-OWWWWW!" came the shrill pitch as the metallic piece was pulled out of his shoulder.

Drawing a frown behind his shades gritted his teeth as he made quick work at disinfecting the boy's wound while wrapping up the shoulder tightly. "You do know she's with someone else right?" he stated defensively, knowing very well that she wasn't committed with anyone yet- not really realizing that he'd cut the circulation of RimFire's arm.

"Uh, is my arm supposed to be that color?" came the young soldier's comical inquisition.

0 0 0

A looming ominous shadow imprinted its dark outline against the dusty red evening sky, "I'm switching to silent running," came Ray's emotionless report. "We will reach our Waypoint in about five minutes."

"Good.." came the pleased remark of the young man as he turned to face the scepter bound in rope, " My good Ralph, how does it feel to know that you're responsible for the death of your fellow brothers-in-arms?"

The man's green eyes narrowed out in a sinister manner, "You promised you wouldn't harm them..you said that-" the cold words were cut midsentence.

" ..That I'd need the location of your friends in order to avoid striking them down.." laughing darkly knelt down to eye level, green eyes digging deep into his older brother's orbs, " All I saw was a bunch of rats," came the tone of mockery.

"This is Phoenix-2," rang out a male's voice through the loud speakers, " Target eliminated, we have clear space to land two clicks from here."

Ray threw back, "What of the survivors?"

"Just a handful, but they're unable to return fire. The desert will take them if we don't." came the voice of the pilot Phoenix-2.

"You betrayed them.." cursed Ralph, "You..your grandfather was down there! How could you do nothing!"

Ray felt her blood run cold, but showed no waver. As much as his words pained her, Ralph should've been wise enough not to share their location.."Don't pin it on me mate, you were the one who led the cat to his quarry," her words dark, and emotionless as before.

All Ralph could do was sigh, the girl was right, he shouldn't have disclosed their location..but his brother..he really thought he'd changed. After hearing how Ray canceled her previous plan just to start over a new slate touched his brother's heart, sincerely thought his younger relation had changed too. Kaito showed so much promise, and potential, and when he'd been reunited with Ray..Ralph actually caught sight of an old familiar glimmer in his brother's eyes. "I thought you changed.." came the agent's sorrowful tone.

Feeling a heaviness in his chest, Kaito stood up frowning, " I've reached the point of no return, we all know that. "

"It's never too late," Ralph pleaded.

"You can't teach an old new tricks," Kaito sighed as he walked up to the cockpit, placing a heavy hand upon the girl's shoulders in union to her closing statement, " Take no prisoners alive."

Allowing her eyes to travel to the hand that rested upon her shoulder sighed deeply and turned forward with satisfaction. "But you can force an old dog into a corner if you hold his bone," grinning at her statement instructed, "Buckle up Kai," her voice, quiet and full of care.

Nodding took a seat next to his brother and looked forward, eyes only dropping to view his golden pocket watch. They were cutting it too close, only fifteen minutes remained. "I hope this works.." he uttered under his breath.