29: Shootout

Ms Hobgoblin: Intense? Entirely my intention. ^_^

Gothic-Wolf: I've only seen half of V-Force. They cut the series off. And now they won't answer my emails... MEOW!!!

TigerRain: Heh heh. No torture in this fic. As for killing Zika...

Imari: He got shot all right. In the leg. And Lee got grazed across the chest.

Jay Kamiya: Not getting better? We'll see. ^_~

Acey1: So do I.

Ethe: Bleed to death...

Nothing like guns blazing, ducking behind cover, bodies flying back full of lead… what a sweet thing it is. ^_^

Disclaimer: I wonder if it will carry over into other stories? I hope not. Running out of ideas here…

The room was a flurry of movement as they all dived for cover, Gary scooping up Kevin and joining Mariah, Tyson, and Max behind the counter Tyson had been leaning against moments before. Mr Dickenson knelt behind the desk, Kenny sliding under it. Ray lingered back as Kai and Lee moved forward, checking their guns. Lee glanced at him, making a gesture for Ray to get under cover. Ray nodded, shooting Lee a 'be careful' look before sliding behind a counter near the others.

Lee dropped behind a crate as Kai knelt behind a counter closer to the doorway that led out into the corridor. Both had a clean line-of-fire toward the doorway, their positions crossing over each other meaning that Kai could take out those on the right, while Lee could take out those on the left. The two shot each other a look as the roar of the outraged enemy drew closer, the door shifting under the strain as they tried to break it down.

Kai let his gaze move around the room, making sure all his teammates were safely under cover. He nodded with satisfaction in seeing that they were, his eyes narrowing as he took in an object sitting on the table not far from where he crouched. Smirking, he dived across to the table, snatching up the object before returning to his position, ignoring the pain in his leg as he flipped open the lid.

"Hey, Dizzi."

"Well about time you showed up." The interface burned to life, familiar and welcome. "I was starting to think you had deserted me."

"You know, that's not such a bad idea."

"Hey!"

"Need you to do something for me." Kai glanced over his shoulder. "Think you can monitor all the arseholes who come through that door?"

"Well, I've never been asked to monitor 'arseholes' before-"

"Dizzi." Kai glared at her.

"Okay, okay. Yes, I can keep track of everyone who comes through that door. I can even give you a reading on height, gender, and weight. Want me to tell you what they had for breakfast?"

"This is serious."

"Oh come off it, sourpuss. I'm just trying to lighten the mood." A pause. "You know, this is kind of exciting."

Kai smirked, setting her down beside him as he glanced around the corner. "I know what you mean."

With a crash the door buckled, crumpling as it collapsed into the room. Dizzi quickly rattled off the numbers over the noise, Kai calling them across to Lee who raised his gun in a salute. The two waited for a second before swinging around the edge of their cover, blasting the foremost of the group. Their aim was true, taking down five apiece before they were forced to protect themselves.

"There's one trying to move around the outer wall!" Dizzi yelled.

"He's mine," Lee replied, glancing around the corner as Kai layed down covering fire. Spotting the man, Lee brought up his weapon and aimed, the bullet catching the man in the back of the head and leaving a red mark on the wall as the enemy slumped to the ground. Lee pulled himself back behind the crate as a bullet bounced off the edge in a shower of sparks. "Don't need to worry about him no more."

Kai nodded, reloading his gun as Lee took down the next few. "We almost done, Dizzi?"

"Almost done? You're barely getting started. There's a whole bunch of them just joining them. And… uh-oh. They've got a whopping big gun they're setting up out there."

"Big gun?" Kai frowned, mind buzzing as he tried to recall his training. "Shit. Machine gun. And I'm talking anti-tank machine gun before you say anything." Kai leant around the corner, taking down a couple more. "This could be a problem."

"They're starting to get smart," Lee called across. "They're using the doorway as cover."

Kai nodded, patting his pockets. "I'm getting short on ammo."

"Yeah, me too." Lee winced as a bullet bounced off the ground beside him. "Think they've worked out where we are."

"Agreed." A glass shattered over Kai's head, sending shards down on him.

"Don't seem to care about collateral damage, do they."

A computer screen exploded, causing Kai to raise an eyebrow. "Not really."

"Here comes trouble," Dizzi spoke up. "I suggest you start ducking now."

A roar filled the air, Mariah letting out a shriek as the bullets tore through the room, destroying everything in their path. Kai's eyes widened as a hole appeared in the counter by his head. "Not good."

Lee slid lower to the ground, firing a few rounds down the corridor, not knowing if he hit anything as the room had started to fill with smoke and flickering light. "Problem."

"I noticed."

Lee gasped as the top of the crate erupted, blowing back as the trail of bullets moved across it. "Friggin hell!"

"You okay?"

"I won't be if they make another pass." Lee brushed bits of metal from his hair, grip tightening on his gun. He growled. "Now I'm starting to get angry."

Kai's eyes narrowed, a quiet realisation and acceptance flickering through his mind. "On three?"

"On three."

"Wait!" Dizzi's voice portrayed the fear that she was unable to express facially. "Charging at them will be suicide!"

"That's the idea." Kai pushed himself up. "One."

Lee nodded, setting himself. "Two."

Kai opened his mouth, only to pause as the sound increased, the bullets tearing into the room ceasing. He raised his head up over the edge of the counter, peering into the smoke.

"What the hell?" Lee looked around the corner.

Kai glanced down at the laptop. "Dizzi?"

"Don't ask me. All the electrical interference is messing with my sensors."

The sound died, a deafening silence rolling amongst the smoke and fire, the echoing of approaching footsteps moving toward them. Kai and Lee readied themselves, hair plastered to their faces as Lee's fangs glittering in the flickering light. This was their last round. After this…

"Mr Stanley Dickenson." The voice was clear and controlled, underlined with authority. "This is Colonel Harry Brennan of the United States Army. Our base was contacted by the BBA and we were sent to rescue you."

"And about time," Tyson called, standing. "I'm starving."

Rescue! But it isn't over yet. Na-ah. This is far from over…