A/N: It took me a long while to get this chapter out, mainly due to finals and all that stuff for school. That and pushing through some writers block, I had some trouble getting the chapter the exact way I wanted it. I still might change things slightly depending on how I feel but overall I think its a good step forward in the plot. Also I hope I portrayed Cyclops well enough, haven't read that far yet in the novels.

gryphus-On3: Thank you for the compliment!

MSDeus: Yeah the people of the Republic are quite ungrateful bastards lol. Hopefully I can portray them slightly differently but in a way that satisfies both myself and you all.

Amaterasu: I do know there isn't a king in the Republic but I wanted to take some liberties regarding the lore of the show. I think there are certain parts of the lore, such as the governing body of the Republic that wasn't really fleshed out. At least from the stuff I've seen and read so far. I've only watched the first part of the season and I'm waiting for the second part to finish so I can binge it. Other than that, all my info is from the wiki directly. That being said, what's Shiden's squadron called then? All I've seen is brisingamen from the wiki. Any information would be welcome from anyone really.

With that out the way. Hope you enjoy!


I tiredly pinched the bridge of my nose. The noise and vibrations from the helicopter did nothing to ease my mental exhaustion. The Colonel just had to give me the worst order he could've given me, to recruit a bunch of angry 86s.

You're the only one I can count on Sebrina. I know this isn't what you want to do but could you do this for me please? I need the Brísingamen Squadron.

How could I ever refuse him? There was no way I could. It still felt like a long shot though. Spearhead might've agreed easily, way too easily even, but the other 86s probably weren't so easy. Not all units had such a leader as Captain Undertaker. Ever since I met the members of Spearhead I thought of them as the exception to the rule.

Other 86s were no doubt like how I was before I met Johan.

Angry.

Bitter.

Sad.

Resentful.

It drew up a long buried but not forgotten memory of mine of when I first met Johan in the camps. Somehow, in some way this young teen managed to pull the guards away and talk to me one on one with the presence of someone infinitely my superior. It pissed me off to no end when he went on and on about his plans to change the nation.

As if some teenager could comprehend what she was going through and what it meant to follow up on his words. He was just some stupid kid who had some money to throw around and wanted some toys to play around with. I was sure the nobility of the nation had such pastimes.

Otherwise it made no sense how he managed to be an officer at such a young age. Shit at his age I was still in high school doing stupid shit day in and day out, not caring about my own personal future, much less the future of the country.

I remember I cussed him out like the Marine I was and told him to pound sand and in return he promised me that he would return. When he left I thought that was the end of it. Just some sort of sick prank that was being played on me, I even thought the guards were in on it.

Until he came back a couple weeks later.

And then the rest was history. At first I was still skeptical of the younger boy but it didn't take long for me to realize he was no boy. He could outsmart the best of them and do it with supreme confidence, as if the world was in his palms. And I believe it. Johan has this world at the palm of his hands and from his hands he would mold the world they needed. To that end, I would follow him until the end. Whatever end it may be.

That was what I promised to myself and I took pride in it like I took pride in being a Marine again.

I'm sure, no, I knew all the Marines felt the same. It felt good to be a part of something bigger than just ourselves again. Us Jarheads found a purpose again and it was Johan who gave us that purpose.

I felt the chinook land and I took a moment to check myself over again, making sure everything was good.

The Republic's new uniforms felt stifling, I had no idea how Johan and the Major wore these everyday. I felt much more at home in my battle dress uniform or the older uniforms the 86s wore. Nevertheless I pushed onward and adjusted the black cover on my head and stood up as the ramp dropped. I waited until the turbines powered down with a whine before I stepped out.

"Good luck ma'am!" One of the pilots gave me a thumbs up in encouragement.

I gave both pilots a nod before walking down the ramps. In front of me was Brísingamen Squadron and their rather infamous leader, Captain Cyclops. The dossier mentioned her height but I didn't expect her to be almost as tall as Johan. With her red hair and twin colored eyes, she stuck out like a sore thumb.

Behind her was her unit. While they weren't as infamous as Spearhead, they were strong in their own right. At the head of the formation, their captain stood at ease with an annoyed expression.

I stood in front of them all with my hands behind my back. Both myself and Cyclops were the same rank. I couldn't even try to pull some sort of rank here and even if I could, I had a feeling rank meant jack shit to these people.

Be confident Sebrina, that's all it really is.

I took a deep breath. "Good morning, ladies and gents. On behalf of Colonel Richter, I thank you for coming out here."

"No, thank you for coming out all this way Captain. I know this is probably a little too poor for your tastes." Cyclops sarcastically replied.

She wasn't exactly wrong. Much like Spearheads base, Brísingamen Squadrons base was also run down and in a state of decay. Still, her attitude rubbed me the wrong way.

"Not at all Captain, it's about what I expected." I shot back. "However, I am not here to nitpick about silly things such as that."

Cyclops rolled her eyes. "And what would be so important that the Colonel couldn't come out here himself?"

"He is busy, so you get me instead." I glared at the younger woman. This woman knew how to push someone's buttons.

"Unfortunate."

"For both of us, yes." The two of us silently glared at each other for a moment. Well this started off poorly but I couldn't go back empty handed. However, my little speech that I had prepared went straight out the window, there was no way I could even try to act charismatic or persuade this woman with simple words. I got a distinct feeling that would end poorly.

So what now? I asked myself repeatedly for several minutes. By now the men in formation just looked tired and looked like they would just break formation on a whim. All it would take was one person and I'm sure their captain would happily take the plunge.

"I'll get to this straight to the point, so listen up!" I projected my voice louder and firmly, getting their full attention. "Colonel Richter will be undergoing some major projects for this country soon and he wants your help in doing so."

"Oh and what does the great Colonel want our meager help for?"

I clicked my tongue. It was getting harder and harder to deal with the bitch. "A coup d'etat."

There was a long pause before she broke out into laughter.

"A coup! That's rich! What did the little Alba suddenly gain consciousness about us poor 86s?!" She continued to laugh despite being the only person to do so. The rest of her men were silent as they looked at each other with varying degrees of confusion.

I gave the taller girl a vindictive smirk. "It is rich that you think someone like the Colonel has time for you lot."

That shut her up.

"I'll explain it in simple terms. The Colonel hates the current nobility and government for being the lazy unimaginative pieces of shit that they are and decided to take matters into his own hands. You 86s….are just coming along for the ride and the Colonel has offered you a first row seat. You should be honored." I sneered.

She gave me a hateful glare. "Yes I am so glad to be used as someone's tool, and so are the rest of my men. If this is your pitch at your little revolution then you failed shorty. Do remember not all of us are privileged enough to have silver eyes and hair."

It was my turn to laugh at her, much to her surprise. I genuinely laughed for a while, a long while before I calmed myself down. "Funny assumption." I reached up to my eyes and took out my contacts and then threw down my cover, revealing my blonde hair. I took great pride in seeing everyones eyes bug out of their heads. "What silver hair?! What silver eyes?! Such things are irrelevant for the next king of this country!" I undid my blouse, leaving me in my white undershirt. I rolled the sleeves up to my shoulders, showing them my tattoo of the Marine Corp insignia. It was a simple eagle holding a spear and shield in its claws. "I was there at the very beginning! I was a part of the Old Generation! We fought to protect our brothers and sisters when all we could do was die! No care for politics! We Marines fought the good fight where others wouldn't and in the end our reward was a complete disbanding of our beloved corps!"

I was breathing heavily so I took a brief pause to catch my breath. "And then I was put on a one way trip to the very metal coffins you pilot every day."

The red haired woman looked contemplative for a moment. "What's in it for us?"

"A chance at a regular life, or whatever path you want."

"A chance?" She asked, confused at my wording.

I nodded. "Nothing in life is guaranteed except the fact that we all die. The only thing we can choose is how we get there. That is what Colonel Richter promises. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Hmmmm." She quietly hummed to herself. She turned to her squad. "What about you guys? What do you want?"

I watched as they all quietly murmured to one another and I had to reevaluate the captain a little bit. As annoying as she was, she definitely cared for those under her. In her own weird way, I could see bits of Undertaker in her in the way her men seemed to trust her. Of course that's where all the similarities stopped, personality wise, the two couldn't be farther apart from one another.

"We'll join only on one condition."

I raised my eyebrows. That seemed easier than I expected. After all, Johan said to do whatever it took to win them over. "That is?"

"Beat me in a fight."

I blinked in surprise. "You want to fight?" Was that really it?

"Yep, I refuse to follow someone weaker than me and if this Colonel is such a great hotshot as you say he is then you must be strong too right?"

I scoffed. "You tell your handler the same thing before they send you all to your deaths?" I shot back as I crossed my arms over my chest. Truthfully, the idea of punching in this annoying girl's face really appealed to me. I wanted to erase that trifling smirk she always seemed to wear on her face.

She shrugged. "I don't very much have a choice with my handler but with you it's different. I have a choice of whether or not I want to follow you or your boy toy...or are you the toy in the relationship?"

I clicked my tongue at the comment. "Have it your way then. How do you want to do this then? I win and you join and if you win you don't?"

"We could do that...or we could make this interesting."

"How so?"

She gave me a wide grin. "I'll add onto that if you lose, you swap places with me or at the least, be a proper 86 in my squadron."

I narrowed my eyes. I definitely had more to lose but…..

"What? You scared or something?" She taunted.

It didn't matter. I clenched my fists hard enough to feel pain. I was going to cave this bitches face before choking her out. I returned her taunt with a vicious glare. "Hell no, strip bitch." I commanded. Taking off my blouse was a good move even if I didn't know it at the time.

"Kinky." She joked as she stripped down to her faded white undershirt.

I lightly stretched my limbs out as I readied myself. I had no intention of underestimating her just because she was an 86 and I was a Marine. I silently judged the captain's toned features, she kept herself in shape. And while I would love to rush in and start wailing away, I had no idea just how she fought.

Taking it slow was never my kind of style, I preferred a swift and violence of action to overwhelm my opponents. Thinking things through, gauging my enemies next moves, how I would react, how they would react to my reactions, then planning the next 10 steps and then closing in and eventually killing the enemy was Johans thing. Over the years I quickly learned the difference between me, a ground pounder, and a strategist with a mind of iron.

It was for that very reason why I never managed to beat Johan in a fight. I was definitely as good as he was in many areas except reach but somehow, he always managed to come out on top. It also made me wonder just what kind of fighter his friend Jayce was.

I shook the thoughts from my head and focused on the woman in front of me. She had her ever present smirk on her face as she settled into her fighting stance. Her hands were held up high in a typical boxing stance. Her body wasn't stiff, like an amatuer would be. She was loose and limber and looked ready to strike.

I settled into my own stance that mirrored hers. The question now was, who would make the first move?

After a moment of consideration I decided to make the first move. There was about 10 meters between us and I closed the gap in nearly an instant. I saw her dual colored eyes widen in surprise but otherwise showed no hesitation as she blocked my punch to her face with her forearms.

Out of the corner of my eyes I saw a counter from her left hand flying towards me. Out of instinct I backstepped away from the blow intended for my temple. The punch nearly hit me as I could feel her hand pass right in front of my view. Before I could catch a break, she pounced on me like a lion.

Her strikes were fast and hard but were otherwise predictable. It was the only saving grace as I defended myself. It was a tight dance as I ducked and dodged her blows and I nearly got my head taken off by a surprise uppercut. I weaved my head to the side, dodging another jab aimed for my face. I took the chance to get in closer from her left side as I saw an opening from her extended arm.

As soon as I got within my reach I found a viscous knee digging into my gut. I gritted my teeth and threw an overhand right straight into her jaw. The blow knocked the woman on her ass and gave me a quick moment to catch my breath.

That knee hurt. I could feel sharp pain every time I tried to take a deep breath. I was lucky she hit my abs and not my solar plexus or my liver for that matter. If she hit those at that kind of force I would be out of the fight.

I took slow shallow breaths as I watched the taller woman get back on her feet. That punch didn't even do much despite it landing directly on her nose. With her only being on one leg at the time of impact it would be better to say she was pushed down than anything else.

My mind rapidly went through our brief exchange. She had the reach and the strength on me and we were evenly matched on speed and skill as far as I could tell. In many ways, it felt like I was fighting a female version of Johan but knowing from past experiences I knew deep down if I fought like I fought against Johan, I would lose.

I smirked at the woman and motioned her to come at me with my finger.

She didn't say a word as she charged in with a right hook. The punch was well telegraphed and swung wide. It was just a setup for her next strike, something I wouldn't let happen again.

I stepped into the oncoming arm and grabbed the limb as I planted my feet into the ground. Twisting my body along with the arm, I lowered my center of gravity and swung the arm, and by extension her whole body, over my back and onto the ground.

There was a loud thud and a gasp of air as the woman landed hard on her back. I gave her no time to rest and pounced on her on the ground. I straddled my legs over her waist and began throwing hammer fists onto her face and whatever else was exposed. In her shock, all she could do was put her arms over her head and endure the onslaught.

Suddenly she grabbed my hands and literally headbutted me off of her. My head swam from the impact as I stumbled back on my feet. Bitch might've given me a concussion with how hard she hit me. I blinked the blurriness away, only to find a foot coming my way.

I was unable to dodge the kick and was sent flying down on my back. I had a brief moment where all I saw was the bright blue sky before it was replaced by the oppressive weight of my opponent and her white and dark indigo colored eyes. I gave her a defiant look as our roles were swapped.

I quickly felt fatigue kicking in as I did my best to dodge or block her attacks. I winced as I blocked an elbow with my forearms. That would definitely be bruised later but I had no other thoughts as a punch slipped past my defense and struck me in my jaw.

My eyes widened as she took my moment of weakness and grabbed my arms and pried them apart. I already knew what she was trying to do. The blood trickling down my face from the cut I received from her earlier headbutt was a stark reminder of what her next move would most likely be. She had both my arms under her control and her body weight and legs were pinning the rest of my body down.

Unlike me though, her face was perfectly fine. There were no signs that she had used her forehead as a blunt object just moments earlier.

I saw as she pulled her head back. I gritted my teeth and readied myself. As her head came down I tilted my head down and trusted up as best I could into where I thought her jaw would be. Surprisingly I felt and heard a crack of bones breaking. I felt her hands let go of my arms and took the chance to look up.

Her nose was crooked and bleeding.

Somehow I got lucky and managed to break her nose. At that moment I struck back with an open palm into her exposed throat. I felt her soft flesh contort around my hand as I hit a weak spot for any human being. I didn't close my hand around her throat though, I needed to get the woman off of me first. I pulled my arm back as far as I could and slammed a punch into where her liver was.

I heard her choke on air as she recoiled back in pain. Taking her moment of weakness I and tried to get her off of me. We began wrestling on the ground, trying our best to get the other in a submission hold. She resisted as best she could given the circumstances but it was over when I managed to get behind her with a choke hold. The taller woman grabbed my arms and tried to pry them apart but this time I held firm, just barely. As that failed I felt her throw her elbows back into my sides.

Even in her weakened state, the blows packed a hell of a punch and I nearly lost my grip for a moment. It took me wrapping my legs around her waist to really lock myself into place.

All of this happened within mere seconds as we struggled against each other but ultimately I came out the winner as the red haired captain slumped back in my grasp. I held the hold for a moment longer before letting her go. I grunted as I pushed her off of me before I sprawled my arms and legs out in exhaustion.

Johan owed me one for making me do this.

"...Ugh, I need a raise." I moaned as I closed my eyes.


"Whoa!" Jayce exclaimed as he shoved the two of us apart to avoid my knee.

I narrowed my eyes and pressed the attack with my wooden sword. I swung down on his head to keep him on the defense. Jayce easily blocked the sword with his own but I retaliated with a kick to his stomach which felt like punting a wall. The kick didn't even look like it winded him. Unsurprising considering the kind of freak Jayce was. In fact I was the only one that moved in the exchange as the kick forced me back.

Clicking my tongue in annoyance I ignored the stabbing pain shooting up my bad leg in favor of the oncoming train. Jayce mirrored my overhead strike and I copied Jayce as I blocked the strike head on.

I felt the two swords impact and shatter into shrapnel before a thunderous punch landed on my stomach. Unlike my friend though, I collapsed onto the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. I clutched my body as I struggled to breath. My breaths came in short gasps and my body suddenly felt incredibly weak.

That was the only blow that Jayce landed on me throughout our spar and it was also the one that ended it with my defeat.

It took me a long time to even get myself off of the fetal position to be able to sit and even then that was a struggle in itself. When I looked up Jayce had a worried, yet stern expression on his face. A change from his usual cocky smirk and demeanor.

"So what's eating at you?"

I looked away with a sigh. "Is it that obvious?"

Jayce nodded his head. "Well for one you never fight head on like that so a little bit yeah." He knelt down on his knee. "Come on, tell me what's going on."

I sighed again. "...The thing is, I think I don't know what's going on. I just don't know if I'm making the right choices."

He gave me a weird look. "You? You, Johan Richter, don't know what's going on? Sounds like horseshit." He scoffed at me. "Come, get your ass up. I'll set you straight over some drinks."

I rolled my eyes at him. What a typical no nonsense response from the man. "I'm not omnipotent Jayce, at the end of the day I'm still every bit the human that everyone else is."

"Didn't ask whether or not you're human. Come." He ordered as he stomped away from me. "You're the one who came to us saying to put our faith in your abilities, you don't have time to doubt yourself or whatever else you've got going on in your head." He stopped and turned around with a stern expression. "If people die because of the consequences of your actions or at a risk of death because they chose to follow you...then that's on you. But don't ever let it affect who you are Johan, because you don't have that luxury anymore. This road you chose is a one way street."

For a moment I looked up, stunned at my friend, before picking myself up with a small grin. "You're right I suppose." I dusted myself off and fell in behind him. "Heh, who knew you could be so motivating?" I teased lightly with a chuckle.

"I did learn from the best."


We arrived at our safehouse some time ago and immediately got to work. Under the orders of Colonel Richter, we quickly fell back into our primary role, which was to be an extension of his will.

I took a sip of coffee as my partner and I sat quietly in our car a block away from HQ. I winced as the setting sun burned into my eyes and flipped the visor down. "Still no sign of the Major?" I asked as I took the chance to take another glance at our surroundings. Nothing changed from this morning. Good.

My partner grunted in his gravelly voice. "Not yet."

"Mmmm." I acknowledged as I leaned back in my chair. In my boredom I lightly played with the steering wheel as I ran my hands along the fake black leather and stitching. I felt several long minutes tick by before I noticed someone of interest walking out of the building. I reached over and lightly tapped my partner's shoulder. "Hey, that's Penrose walking out of HQ."

"Yeah I see her. I wonder what she was doing at HQ at this hour...without the Major?"

He had a point, it was kind of strange to see her around here and not at her lab. Typically on the rare days where Miss Penrose was at HQ for any extended period of time, she was usually with Major Milize. That was what we had gathered from our previous time shadowing the duo.

I was reasonably sure it wasn't anything to worry about but that wasn't my job. I had a duty to my colonel to carry out my mission to my absolute best. That meant leaving nothing to chance. "Follow her, I'll take care of the Major."

"Good idea." He grumbled as he quickly checked his suppressed pistol before concealing it under his clothes. He looked one last look around before slipping on his Para-RAID and linking the two of us. He quietly opened the door and stepped out.

I watched as he followed the researcher from a distance. After a moment, I lost him to the crowds, leaving only me in the car and the ambient sounds around me. Occasionally I could overhear some extra sounds from the Para-RAID but I ignored it. It wasn't much longer before I saw the Major walk out with numerous files in hand.

I had to smirk at the sour expression she had as she glared down at the paperwork. I quickly wiped the smile off my face as I readied myself to follow her home in my car. I sat up straighter and cracked my back to relieve some of the stiffness that settled in from sitting for a long period of time.

"Suspicious van inbound on me, take care over there."

My eyes narrowed as I took a quick glance over my shoulder and sure enough there was an all white van behind me, a van that wasn't there just moments ago. "Wilco." I quietly racked a round in my pistol and gently laid the gun on my lap. I could feel my heart thump ever so faster in my chest in anticipation.

I saw the Major float off into the crowd and not a moment later the white van rumbled past me. I waited a moment and let a couple cars get in front of me before I started to tail the suspicious van. I wasn't too worried about losing sight of the Major. I was sure that if I kept following the van then I would eventually find the target in question.

Sure enough after a while of me playing cat and mouse with the van, I stumbled on the same van approaching the Major on a secluded stretch of road. Were these people really trying to do this in broad daylight? I scoffed as I floored my car to catched up.I saw the van cut the Major off and the side sliding doors open.

I could hear her shout in what was probably a mix of fear and surprise as a man in an all black uniform stormed onto her. Just as I got close enough I slammed on the brakes. I could hear the tires squeal and the ABS kick in as the brakes pumped rapidly to stop the two ton car. I came to a perfect stop with a hard tap onto the vans quarter panel. The impact was hard enough to josel the bigger car for a moment.

That moment was all I needed. I swung the door open and rushed out with my pistol drawn. I trained my sights on the closest one to the Major and saw his eyes widen in surprise. Without another thought I calmly depressed on the trigger and let the bullet fly.

There was a loud bang of the gun, even with the suppressor and it was enough to cause the woman to jump. "Major Milize! Get in the car!" I barked at her. It took her an agonizing second before she sprang into action as she ran to my car. In just a couple steps she threw open the door and slammed it closed.

As soon as I saw it close I did the same and got back in my car. In one smooth motion I closed the door and threw the car in reverse. I floored the car and backed away from the van. I glanced up at my mirrors to ensure no one was behind me before yanking the wheel around and slamming the gear into drive.

My vision blurred as the car swung around at speed before we were facing the direction we had just come from. I smashed the gas pedal down and felt the engine shove us forward. Glancing up in the mirror I saw the van make an attempt to catch up with us but I wasn't going to let them.

I had the faster, smaller and more nimble car and in my hands I was confident in making ourselves scarce. However, I still had to ensure my partner was good,

"I've got the Major in the car, give me your location. We'll be en route as soon as I lose my tail." I waited several moments for a response but there was silence over the line.

I could feel my blood freeze in the silence but I refrained from showing any emotions as I directed my car to a more public setting. At the very least in a public place, these fools shouldn't be able to make any sudden moves on us while I figured out what to do next. "Come on Mark, give me something."

The silence was deafening in the car. "Mark?...Mark!" The last came out more forceful than I intended and I could see her flinch at my tone.

"Calm down...I'm here with Miss Penrose." There was a pause and I could hear his heavy breathing. He sounded like he just ran a marathon. "I need a pickup over here ASAP. We're in an alleyway on 5th street. It's not too far from HQ."

I felt relief wash over me as I heard his voice. "Understood, on our way." I glanced up in my mirrors to make sure I wasn't being followed. The van was long gone as far as I could tell but I still made quick moves to get us out of the area. There could be more than just the people in the van that I needed to worry about. Plus I didn't know if Mark and Penrose were injured or were still compromised.

The last thing I wanted was for all us to be cornered with no way out. I reached behind me for my rifle. As I felt the cold metal in my hands I looked over at my passenger. "Major Milize?"

She glanced over at me with a hesitant expression. "Y-Yes?"

"How are you at handling a rifle ma'm?"

I was surprised when she gave me an angry pout. "I'll have you know I graduated at the top of my class for marksmanship with a rifle." She sighed as she glanced at the rifle. "But...I've never had to fire at a live human being and from a moving car no less."

I could feel my stoic expression soften ever so slightly. I couldn't blame her if she chose to not to take a life. It wasn't too late for her, unlike me. It felt foolish of me to even ask her but it was still worth a shot. I was so lost in my own thoughts that I missed the Major reach behind my seat and grab the rifle in her hand.

My eyes widened as I heard her flip the safety off and rack a round into the chamber.

I snapped my head to the younger woman and stared into her eyes as long as I dared. She just gave me a shaky smile in return.

"Does this mean that I'm a part of the revolution now?"

I had to shake my head at the comment. It was good to see she still had a sense of humor in the situation. "Perhaps, that's ultimately your decision ma'm."

"Hmph, looks like someone already made that decision for me…..Assassin."

I wasn't at all bothered that she found out who I was. It was bound to happen one way or another. "How'd you guess?"

She scoffed as she waved my question off with her hand. "It's pretty simple and it really boils down to the Colonel being a little too talkative for his own good sometimes. Unless he has another unit that I am completely unaware of, you are the only ones who even have the capability to pull something like this off." She paused for a moment as a conflicted expression flickered on her face. "And I would bet that you and your partner are the ones who have been doing all the dirty work for the Colonel too."

I had to reevaluate my opinion on the Majors a little differently now. Definitely not someone to be underestimated. And also someone who had to be watched carefully.

"Plus I recognized your voice." She added nonchalantly with a shrug.

I just chuckled at her before focusing on the task at hand. We managed to get to the area Mark mentioned but I had no idea where he was exactly other than he was in an alleyway with Penrose. I slowed the car down and kept an eye out for something, anything familiar among the regular civilians. It was hard to really tell with everyone having the same color hair though.

Out of the corner of my eyes I saw the familiar stature of her friend along with her glasses standing at the entrance of an alley with her arms crossed over her chest on the other side of the street. She looked pissed. I quickly turned the car around and parked in front of her.

She stiffened in surprise and took a step back before Major Milize lowered the window. "Come on Annette!"

"Lena!" She shouted in surprise before checking the area with panicked eyes. "What are you doing here? What's going on?"

"I'll explain later, just get in!"

I cautiously looked around us in my own paranoia. We were sitting ducks out here in the open. Thankfully our only saving grace was that we were in a relatively crowded area. While we were drawing some curious eyes of the civilians, the enemy wouldn't dare make a scene. At least I hoped so. Suddenly I heard the Major gasp.

I looked over and saw a bloodied Mark limping out of the dark alley. His normally pale face had blood running down it as he limped out with another body dragging behind him. Whoever it was, was dressed like the enemy. I saw Penrose open the door and Mark throw the body in before falling in. As soon as I saw Penrose get in the backseat, I floored it out of there.

We needed to get to our safehouse first. Then I could contact the Colonel about what our next moves were. My only issue came from doing so without drawing any unwanted attention. I bit my lips as I glanced up at the mirror.

Off in the distance I could see a white van weaving through the traffic.

"Shit." I mumbled as I blew through a red light. I ignored the commotion in the backseat as Mark moved the unknown man over into the middle. There was some peace of mind as the unknown had his feet and arms zip tied together but in hindsight we probably should've thrown him in the trunk but it was too late now. We had to deal with it.

"So? What's going on Lena? Why was I almost abducted by some freaks?! What did you get yourself into?!" Penrose rattled off in an angry voice.

I had to mentally refrain myself from looking at her with annoyance and instead chose to focus on widening the distance between us and the guys chasing us because there was no way I would risk returning straight to our safehouse otherwise.

Lena sighed. "I'll tell you later Annette, I promise."

She huffed. "And if I want an answer now?" Suddenly there was a rustle of clothing. "Hey!" She exclaimed, watch your hands!"

I heard Mark scoff. "And you watch your head Miss Penrose. We got company."

I clicked my tongue in annoyance as I glanced in the rearview mirror. Sure enough, the van had managed to close the gap on us and were still rapidly closing in. "Major, get ready." I warned her. I saw the side doors slide open on the van and had to scoff at their eagerness. "They're really doing this in the middle of the city? They must really want you two."

"Shit….shit….shit…" Penrose mumbled as she frantically looked behind her.

Mark began rolling down his window but I stopped him there. "We'll fire back as a last resort. Roll up that window Mark, no need to draw more attention than necessary."

"We're already getting unwanted attention, Stillen. You sure you can lose them?"

I smirked at the question. "Easily, hold on tight." I gripped the steering wheel tightly and whipped the car around in a very illegal u-turn in the middle of an intersection. I floored the car and felt the engine rocket us forward. My eyes locked on with the driver of the vans as we passed each other.

The van hopped the median and ripped through the traffic like a bulldozer.

Heh that driver had balls to do that while their door was open.

I turned a corner and took a route that would take us out of the district entirely. It was the long way around but it was also the hardest for the van to follow. I ignored the females shouts and yells of terror and blitzed through the tight alleyways and small one way streets as fast as I could.

We were just about to get out of the district and into the more…..rural parts of the second when I noticed we lost our tail entirely. Not a single sight of them anywhere. I slowed the car down as we entered a long windy stretch of backroads that would eventually lead to our secondary hideout.

I heard the Major breathe a sigh of relief as she wiped off her palms on her pants. I took the chance to ask Mark what caused his injuries.

"Mark, how'd you get hurt? What happened?"

He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Miss Penrose made a run for it as soon as she saw the van get near her. They got out and chased her and I took an exception to that."

"You killed them?" I asked in a blunt tone. I saw the Major bit her lips at my question.

"They made it harder than necessary but yes, I did."

"And the driver?"

"He was the first, didn't even know what hit him."

That would explain why there was only one van chasing us. Most likely the very same one that I hit earlier. Either way, I lost them easily enough.

It was less than five minutes later I would find the same van dogging behind us.

"They caught us…..how?" Mark mumbled as he rolled his window down with his rifle at the ready.

I glanced back at our unwanted fifth passenger. "Somehow tracking us through him. Did you destroy his phone and everything?" I asked as I sped up but with the van somehow always having our position it was a futile effort. I glanced down at my gas gauge. And we would probably run out of fuel before outrunning them.

Mark scoffed at my question. "Of course I did, nothing but his clothes on him." I heard him crack his neck. "They got some implant or something, that's my best guess." He laughed and I could practically see his bloodthirsty smile. "No matter now, time to rock and roll Stillen!"

"Major hold fire for now, let us do the work. Miss Penrose, get your head down and make sure the guy back there doesn't start anything." I commanded as I navigated through the tight turns. I pushed the car through a near 90 degree blind uphill turn and saw our chance.

As we propelled out the corner I immediately yanked my handbrake and flipped the car around and into the oncoming lane and stopped hard. Tense seconds passed before the van followed behind. Only difference was, we were now facing them directly and they didn't stop.

Or rather, they couldn't. I saw the whole van pitch forward in my mirror and come to an abrupt stop. Immediately I saw the driver attempt to turn the boat around the tight road.

Wrong move.

"Brace yourself!" With a smirk, I threw the car in reverse and slammed our rear into their side. I yanked the handbrake up to stop the car from moving and threw the door open with my knife and pistol, one in each hand. I ran past Mark who was sliding across the bent trunk with his rifle and to the back of the van. I heard a window shatter followed by a thunderous boom.

That was probably the driver getting shot by Mark.

The doors swung open, revealing 5 very surprised souls as I leveled my pistol on them.

I heard a series of booms followed by a thud.

That was probably the guy riding shotgun who just got pumped full of bullets. Most likely was Mark dishing out the punishment rather than receiving it. "Come on bitches!"

Yep definitely him.

I on the other hand opened fire on the five men in front of me. I fired one round into a guy's face, killing him instantly before switching targets. I fired off the rest of my magazine in a judicious yet precise manner, killing the other two as the remaining two jumped down from the van.

Holstering my pistol I lunged forward with my knife in hand. Two on one wasn't ideal for me but I couldn't back away now. Plus I was reasonably sure if I had trouble, Mark would be close enough and fast enough to assist.

One of the remaining guys dropped his pistol and charged at me as he drew his knife. I stabbed forward with my knife, intending to gut the man but he swiped the blow to the side and retaliated with his own. I sidestepped the knife and grabbed his wrist with my free hand and tried to twist the appendage but he was a lot stronger than he looked. I grunted as he grabbed my wrist and the two of us got into a power struggle. A struggle I was rapidly losing.

I kicked him square in the gut, giving me some room as he fell backwards before turning my attention to the other man. I could instantly tell the guy was a lot younger than the others as he leveled his pistol on me.

An experienced agent would most likely have taken the brief window and double teamed me instead of trying to shoot me.

No matter, I planned on capitalizing on the little mistake.

There only had to be a handful of yards between us and I closed the distance instantly. I dashed forward and off to the side where he had his pistol and grabbed the barrel and slide of the pistol forcefully.

"Wha-!"

He had no chance to say anything as I forcefully yanked his hand and gun up before stabbing my knife into his throat. The cold, serrated blade dug deep into his vital area and stayed there. I grunted as I struggled to take the knife out. I let go of the weapon and with it, the dead body to face a pissed off man charging at me.

I ducked and rolled out of the way and sprang up immediately. I threw a punch at his sides but that was blocked by his elbow. I winced at feeling my fist nearly break at the impact.

He turned and stepped in closer as he swung upwards with his blade.

My body twisted to the side and my palms struck at the offending hand. Using his own momentum against him I pushed the blade to the opposite side and away from me.

At the apex of the upwards strike, he reversed his grip and swung down.

Out of reflex I grabbed the arm with both hands and ducked down low and threw the man over my body.

I heard him cry out as he landed harshly on his back from the throw. I took the chance to use my leverage over his arm on my knee. There was a loud scream of pain as I felt the joint get hyperextended backwards and the knife dropped with a clang on the concrete. My eyes landed on the silver and black knife and reached for the weapon.

I never saw the fist come flying to my temple. I grunted as the hit knocked me on my ass but otherwise didn't do too much damage. In his desperation he lunged at me with just his one functioning arm. I leaned back and swung my knee up on his chin with all the force I could muster.

There was a dull thud as my knee connected. His body landed on top of mine, unmoving. His eyes were closed but he probably wasn't dead. I calmly pushed the heavy body off of me and stood up. I looked at the body and looked over at Mark approaching me with his rifle. He looked nonchalant about the whole exchange, to the point where he looked bored.

I jerked my head at the unconscious body and walked away. Another gunshot was the only cue I needed to know what was done. I felt some stinging across my arms and body as the adrenaline began wearing off. Looking down, there were some minor cuts that slashed through my clothing. I cracked my neck and made my way to the car. Now, I needed to figure out what to do with the tied up bad guy in my car. I couldn't risk going anywhere with him around.

With a sigh I unholstered my pistol and reloaded it before returning it back to its spot under my clothing. When I looked into the car, the last thing I was expecting to see was a pissed off Major Milize holding her rifle at the now conscious man.

In fact, the muzzle of the rifle was literally in his mouth as he mumbled around the intrusion.

"Say that again for me." She hissed out.

Even I had to do a double take the venomous tone. It surprised me even more when I saw her start to slide her finger over the trigger.

Oh shit!

"Major!" I gently grabbed her arm. "It ain't worth it. Whatever he said, it isn't worth killing him over and plus, that's exactly what he wants."

I could see her wide eyes filled with anger. Her heavy breathing subsided after a moment as she slowly let off on the trigger. With a tired sigh she turned around and slumped back in her seat with the rifle in hand. I nodded at her in approval before turning to the man who, despite having the barrel of a gun in his mouth not moments ago, looked like he was ready to spout some more nonsense. So I grabbed him by the collar and dragged him out of the car before he could start something again.

"Mark open the trunk." I commanded as I dragged him back.

He looked at me with raised eyebrows. "Will do." With a click he unlatched the trunk lid and swung it up.

"Might as well kill me now!" The man shouted as I picked him up with both hands. "You won't get shit out of me! Let that whore of Richter finish the job!" He sneered.

I scoffed. "Maybe later buddy." I grabbed him and slammed his head on the side of the car as hard as I could. I felt him slump over and threw him in the trunk. I let Mark shut it down as I walked around to the driver seat.

With a sigh I slid into the seat and looked over at the two exhausted looking passengers. I gave them a reassuring smirk. "Long day huh?"

Major Milize gave me a soft chuckle but Penrose seemed less amused. As expected.

I put the car into drive and shut my door. I lowered the handbrake when I felt Mark get back in and turned the car back around and continued on. "We'll continue as planned for the safehouse."

Mark grunted at the news. "Are you sure that's wise? They know our every move."

"Don't worry about that." I firmly reassured my partner as I drove around the crashed van. "I'll make it worth it."

I smirked as I ran through the last few hours back in my head.

The Colonel was going to have a field day with this.