The first stop was Mirage HQ, it being the closest to where we were. We were greeted by a rather large task force of both MTs and FlashTactics. Moby and I had already begun our decent onto the battlefield, covering Aylis and the transport.

I landed with a thud; Moby slowly hovered to a halt next to me. Strangely, the enemy squad hadn't started firing on us.

"They're waiting for something." Moby offered over radio.

"Possibly, but what?"

As if to answer a group of FlashTactics stepped aside to reveal a white AC. This one had sharper looking parts - none like anything I'd ever seen - and was just taller than the average AC height. It held a strange looking plasma rifle in each hand. It also had two laser blades on each wrist, one on top, the other on the side.

"It's a prototype."

"Very good Garret," the voice sent a chill down my spine. It was human. "I must commend your little trio on making it past our traps at Kisaragi and Navis. As for William, we have him. He's going through a few changes right now, but he looks promising."

"What are you talking about?"

"Turn on your holo display and check this guy out." Moby sounded disgusted.

I did so, now wishing I hadn't. This man, if you could even call him that anymore, was nothing more than a bald, featureless head with wires attached to it. The spinal column was jammed directly into some sort of box at the base of the head. The eyes were sewn shut. Only the mouth moved as he laughed at us.

"I won't let you do this to William, not if he's still alive!"

"Too late, Garret, I have just received word that he is on his way to the rendezvous now. I will take a temporary leave for now. Not to worry, I will bring him back here for the reunion."

With that, he boosted to the South.

"What the fuck was that?" Aylis had jumped into the middle of the conversation.

"I don't know, but right now we got more imperative issues to deal with. Just focus on giving us some cover fire."

I started firing on MTs with the rifle and pounding the ACs that got in range of the shotgun. The EO function kept any rear attacks at bay for the moment, but it still had limited ammo before it had to recharge. The attacks seemed endless for a while until I boosted to higher ground. I could see Caesar's grenades exploding into very large, very dense groups of ACs and MTs.

I took shots at what I could, conserving ammo until my EO was recharged. Suddenly, a volley of very large plasma explosions illuminated the area. When I could see again, there were two of those white ACs standing on top of tons of twisted metal, I assumed one was William.

"William?"

I was answered by a shot from the plasma rifle, luckily only a warning shot that hit below me, but it was still enough to shake the perch I was on.

"He is my pet now. He does whatever I say, no questions asked. Of course that won't matter to you too much longer seeing as you cannot possibly defeat us. We are wired into these ACs, they are literally our bodies. Our grace is unmatched, our reflexes unrivaled. Oh the power! Soon you will know it too." The grizzly face on the holo offered a demonic grin. "William, shall we?"

William's white AC nodded and boosted in Moby's direction. The other came full force at me. I boosted backwards firing with both guns. He dodged almost every shot with cat-like reflexes. Suddenly a bullet came from somewhere in the distance, hitting the white AC in the right shoulder, sending it into a slow spiral downward. I was relieved that there wasn't a third AC running at Aylis, leaving her open to support Moby and me. The AC reoriented itself and came looked off in Aylis' direction. Before he could decide which of us to attack, I unloaded a full magazine from both the shotgun and the rifle into his back. Surprisingly, not one bullet even punctured the ACs armor. He turned around and jabbed two laser blades into Shyft's head, cutting my video feed and radar. I boosted backward again, slamming into the side of a Mirage skyscraper.

I could hear the white AC coming for me, but there was little I could do about it. I tried aiming the shotgun to where he was before and fired. I hit nothing but ruble.

"Aylis, tell me where he is. I've lost video and radar."

"To your right, about twenty meters away. He's got all four laser blades running and he's coming fast."

"Dammit," I looked at my ammo supplies. I had three shots left in the rifle, "Well it's worth a shot."

I dropped the rifle, taking my machine gun out of the hangar space provided. I aimed to my right and opened fire. I heard the sounds of metal deflecting metal, a good sign. The sound got closer with every few shots; he was advancing. I had about four magazines left in the machine gun, roughly a hundred twenty shots. The white AC continued the advance as I continued to expend ammo. He was finally in range and I threw the gun in his direction, following up by throwing the shotgun as well. I heard both hit and simply fall as I blindly aimed Shyft's bare fist at the white AC. I made contact with some random part, sending him staggering backwards. I followed with a small combination of punches ending in an open palm strike. By now, I had worn the armor down enough that the palm strike went through it. I closed my AC's fist around whatever I could grab and pulled it out ferociously. I could hear the face's wails of agony as I ripped the cybernetic entrails from his AC body. I took my laser blade out of it hangar space and powered it up. I cut into various areas and finally decapitated the white AC. The screams of pain stopped abruptly and the only sound left was that of the falling AC.

I put my machine gun back into its hangar slot and picked the rifle and shotgun back up, leaving the blade in place for now.

"I'm comin' Moby, stay alive for me. Aylis, tell me where he is."

"He's about a mile south of you. Hurry, Garret, he's in trouble, William's taking a huge toll on Caesar's defenses."

"Dammit," I boosted I his direction.

"Shit! Garret, run! It's too late for me! Save yourse-"

Radio static. Moby was dead.

"William you fucking bastard…"

I could hear his booster coming in my direction, he was close. I had seconds to react. Seconds controlled by primitive instinct. I activated the blade, swiping blindly. I hit him. I don't know where, but I heard a bloodcurdling scream from him over the radio. William fell over, dead.

"Let's go Aylis, Crest shouldn't be too far."

I started walking Shyft back in the direction of the transport, cursing the loss of yet another teammate.