Caine soars down onto the twilight ground, gun in hand and sweeping, on the alert for any attack. Above him, a handful of black on black Aegis enter through a glistening gap leading from the expanse of levels above. Three of the handful sport wide bronze wings, while the remaining two glide on silent gravity packs. Caine tucks his wings even as he hovers in a crouch, then drops behind a wall already blasted with gray and white dust. Behind him, Stinger lands in an equally protective crouch. The remaining two winged warriors alight a few meters farther to Caine's left, and the pair on gliders to his right.
Caine sets the twin guns sideways on the ground, raises his nose, closes his eyes, and sniffs. Faint, hidden beneath the smell of fear and sizzled steel and blood. Turning his head to try again, that scent he could follow down the trail of forever, but his concentration is broken by a huffing grunt. He swivels his head to face the intrusion.
"Problem?" He whispers back to the heavily muscled, grim faced Legionnaire. This warrior carries his battle wounds with a rough pride. Even if he could, Gulo would not have his cells replaced with lesser stuff.
"I don't like you. I don't trust you." His companion, a long scar twisting one half of her leathery face then disappearing into the short gray mop of hair, nods her assent.
"Any man who's been to the Dead Lands never comes back the same."
"The Dead Lands are what they are. I was, we were, pardoned."
"The pardon of an entitled." Gulo sneers with all of his fat, yellow teeth.
"Just what did you have to do the buy your freedom?" The woman makes a lewd gesture down the side of her hip.
"Defeat a villain, save a Queen, fight for truth and justice." Captain Tsing's stinging words and commanding presence silence further dissenting banter. Caine nods to her as the other Legionaires grugdingly give way. "What we do. Posts." And the pair take up their guard again, but Caine still caught the sound of 'girlfriend' and 'rebel.' "But off the record," Tsing whispers for Caine's ears only, "Jupiter certainly did appear to be on the side shooting at us."
"That just isn't possible," Caine whispers back with an angry grimace. "This is all a mistake." Stinger leans over, directing his question with the nose of his weapon.
"Which way?" Tsing gives a terse nod, and Caine clears his mind to allow his senses to roam the scene. He perks at the delicious scent, and begins to move.
"There," Stinger murmurs, waiting for his Captain's command. Tsing motions, and the team slinks towards the gaping, dark mouth of the alleyway.