(A/N) This is the last of the pre-written chapters I've written, so from now on I'll be uploading chapters as I write them. It might take a while! But I made this one extra-long to compensate. Enjoy!
As bad as today had been so far... it still wasn't the worst day in Myron Faulke's life.
As soon as he gave the order to bring Carter to the meeting with the brass, all hell had broken loose. All the people at his meeting, all the people that had scoffed at his 'Outsider' briefings, suddenly started convulsing and drooling some sort of black fluid, and flung themselves with extreme violence against whatever happened to be standing nearby. Thank God that Weaver was on hand with her Springfield - that situation could have gotten even uglier than it already had. Still, the fact that it had happened at all was cause for alarm - many of the top-ranking military personnel, including J. Edgar Hoover himself, were now lying in a pile of corpses in a smoky room upstairs somewhere.
From there, the attack was coordinated, swift, and brutal. First their communication lines were cut. Then their troops were separated and surrounded. Even if they didn't have flying gunships that swam through the air and weapons that turned everything to ashes, their tactics would've been enough. This was premeditated, this was planned.
This was war.
Taking a long draft from his cigarette, Faulke's eyes looked over his hastily-assembled defense team. A half-dozen Army grunts, America's best and bravest boys that were nonetheless metaphorically (and maybe literally) pissing themselves with fear. A handful of visiting officers and soldiers from America's allies around the world, including a pair of Scottish twins, two British World War 2 Veterans, a Spanish Interpol agent, and an Austrian field medic with some god-awfully-long last name. Squad Leader Angela Weaver on his left, keeping her finger on the trigger of her trusty rifle, ready to put an ounce or two of lead between the eyes of anyone who so much as coughed. And relatively new Engineering Agent James McKinney on his right, gripping his shotgun like it was a lifeline, eyes darting wildly around and jumping at every noise.
Were these the men with which he was supposed to save the world?
He could only hope so, because this might be all they get.
The sound of an elevator approaching made everyone's guns in the room point at the new source of noise. A tense moment went by as no one was sure what to expect until a voice crackled from Kinney's receiver.
"This is Agent William Carter, Second Class, CIA, reporting as ordered. Now can I open the door without getting shot? I could use some answers."
The reaction was...mixed. Some let out a sigh of relief, while others groaned. Myron, however, just nodded.
"Stand down, soldiers. Let's give them a proper welcome. Briggs? Get the door for our guests."
One of the British veterans grumbled about 'rolling out the red carpet for Americans again", but nonetheless went over and pulled the door open with a heave. Two well-dressed men in sharp suits, one wearing a dark gray hat, stepped out of the elevator. Kinney's eyes lit up when he saw Nils step out, while Weaver rolled her eyes as Carter tipped his hat towards the director.
The last person to step out definitely got everyone's attention.
A woman in a bloodied officer's uniform walked out alongside Carter and Nils, with bare legs covered in scratches and scrapes and boots that looked a few kicks away from falling off entirely. Her short hair, black with dark-red tips, was kept in a loose bob, and her eyes were as silver as a mirror that had been polished to perfection. And as she fiddled with the rifle in her hands, she slowly became aware of everyone staring at her, murmuring quietly under their breath.
"Who's that? Another one of ours?"
"Never seen her before. Did she transfer?"
"Holy shit, that's a pair of legs."
Faulke saw Kinney turn to Weaver, eyes wide open. "She's got a gun? Is she an agent, like you?"
Weaver scowled. "There are no other agents like me, Kinney."
The young engineer nodded. "If you say so. She sure is pretty, though…"
Faulke was the one to break up the rumor mill with a loud cough. "Agent Nils, good to see you alive. Agent Carter - you and your 'friend' come over here. We need to talk."
Nils saluted and headed over to a cache of ammo and weapons, filling up his rifle and pistol while he had the chance. Carter and the woman pushed past the rest of the soldiers, standing across the table from Faulke, Weaver, and Kinney.
"No doubt you have a lot of questions," said the Director, "And I'll answer them as best I can. But first things first. The artifact that you were supposed to deliver - do you have it?"
Carter and the woman exchanged a glance. Faulke raised an eyebrow, and was about to speak again when Carter spoke up.
"It was...destroyed in the fighting, sir. Just before the attack, I was ambushed by the officer sent as an escort. When I came to, the officer was dead and the artifact was gone."
Weaver raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess - the officer had black fluid running down their face, their eyes went red, and they tried to murder the first thing they got their hands on?"
Carter blinked in surprise. "Yeah...pretty much."
The woman with short-cropped brown hair and a stern face nodded, before casting her steely gaze onto Carter's current 'escort.' Faulke looked over the new woman quizzically as well, curiosity in his eyes. "And what about you?" he said, "Where do you fit into all this, miss…?"
Realizing she was being addressed directly, the silver-eyed stranger straightened up. "My name is Summer Rose, sir, and I can confirm the validity of Carter's description. I was there with him when he was attacked. I...actually saved him, sir."
Carter groaned. Faulke hummed thoughtfully. Kinney seemed intrigued.
Weaver didn't seem so fascinated by this "summer rose." She pulled out her pistol and aimed it at the stranger, whose hand reached for her own pistol but grasped empty air. A look of embarrassment, not fear, shot across Summer's face, before she stared down the barrel of the gun seemingly unafraid.
"Where are you from? What unit did you serve with? What was your business at the Groom Range? When did - "
"Weaver," said Faulke, raising his hand. "Give her a chance to answer the questions before you fire off more of them."
Summer nodded. "The first thing I can remember is waking up in a bed that was not my own, in a place that was unfamiliar to me. I saw Agent Carter when I woke up, and a few minutes later he was attacked by the officer. A few moments after that, we were attacked. I know nothing about our enemy, this place, or who I was or where I came from before I awoke a few hours ago. I'm aware of how suspicious and unlikely it sounds, but it's the only explanation I have for why I'm here."
No dilated pupils. No nervous tics. This woman was either extremely good at lying, or was actually telling the truth. The director adjusted his glasses for a moment, taking another draft of his calming cigarette. It was Kinney who spoke up first, surprisingly enough.
"Sir? If I may…could it be possible that her lack of memories are from amnesia? Possibly induced by the…'artifact'?"
Summer tilted her head. "...amnesia?"
"Memory loss. Get hit in the head in the wrong spot, and you can end up forgetting five, ten, maybe even twenty years of your life. Depends on how bad it is."
The mysterious woman nodded. "...amnesia. That...makes a great deal of sense."
"I could believe that," added Carter, "considering I woke up with some kind of healing ability."
Now Faulke was extremely curious. "Healing?"
The hatted agent nodded. "When I woke up, the bullet hole the officer gave me had completely healed. And just a few moments ago, when Nils went down under enemy fire, I just touched him and healed him. We'd both be dead in either case."
Faulke hummed thoughtfully. "Interesting. Very interesting. We'll have to run some tests when we get back to the lab."
Summer seemed to find that answer satisfactory. Carter, however, grimaced. "With respect, sir, my assignment here is temporary. Under the circumstances, I should report immediately to Director Frost and -"
"We have to assume that the Director of Central Intelligence is dead," said Weaver stoically. "Unless you happened to run into him on your way here, you're looking at every last living person in Groom Range right now."
Carter cursed under his breath. Summer gazed around mournfully, shaking her head at something. Faulke raised an eyebrow at his second-in-command, but said nothing. Weaver wasn't exactly known for her kind and nurturing disposition.
"Alright… so what happens now?" asked Carter after a moment to process the news. "We can't exactly stay here, can we?"
Faulke shook his head. "Protocols dictate that, should something happen to Frost, you'd work for me. Now that that's come to pass, I'm going to need everyone's help in securing the research, samples, and materials we've collected here. Without that information, we won't have a chance."
"We've got a couple APCs in the Subterranean Garage fueled up and ready to go," said Kinney, "Just need to finish loading up all the cargo. Shouldn't take too long if everyone helps."
"First day on the job and I'm already stuck with babysitting and heavy lifting," grumbled Carter. Faulke pretended not to notice as he continued issuing orders.
"Carter, you and Nils take a few minutes to restock and rest up, then help the rest of the soldiers in packing everything up. Weaver, you and your squad find Barnes and the Skyranger and make sure they're both ready to fly. And as for you…"
The bespectacled man cast his gaze on Summer, who stared back at him with a raised eyebrow. Silver eyes, he thought to himself, how...unusual.
"You seem to have some familiarity with Agent Carter and Nils," he finished after a tense moment. "Stay with them for now, and we'll try to find out more about you when everyone's safe and sound."
For a moment, the woman looked like she wasn't sure if she should be relieved or disappointed. Regardless, she nodded and stepped back.
"We need to travel light, people," finished Faulke as he addressed the room. "Essentials only, classified documents and materials take top priority. I want everything gone from this facility within an hour. You have your orders - move out."
As the soldiers filed out into groups to do their assigned duty, Faulke took one last whiff of his cigarette before casting it into a nearby garbage can.
It wasn't the worst day of Myron Faulke's life.
But it was definitely up there.
The next half-hour was a bustle of activity. While a handful of soldiers started the engines of what Summer could only describe as boxes with caterpillar tracks, she, Carter, and Nils helped some man named Kinney load up boxes of papers, loose metallic sheets, and crates containing strange amber crystals onto said vehicles. Most of the work was done in silence, though a few conversations rang out here and there. Given the devastation that had happened just moments earlier, no one really seemed to be in the mood for small talk.
Summer watched as Kinney tried and failed to lift a rather large metallic box, chuckling as she walked over to him. "Need a hand with that?"
Kinney panted and shook his head. "Not unless you can lift about eighty pounds from rest. I'll flag down the Mucallin twins, see if they can -!"
With a grunt of exertion, Summer grabbed the handles of the crate and hoisted it up into the air, bouncing it off her bare knee to get a better grip on it. With a somewhat strained smile, she hefted it onto the nearby hand cart, clapping the dust off her hands as she stood back up.
"Well, Miss Rose, you're just full of surprises, aren't you?"
"So I've heard," said Summer as she stretched, reading off the label of the crate she had just conquered. "What is this 'elerium' stuff anyways?"
Nearby, Nils cleared his throat. "Um, I don't think you're cleared for that info -"
"I don't think it matters anymore," grumbled Carter as he stuffed a box full of documents into the Recon Agent's arms.
"Right, well…" said Nils as he watched Carter move to another pile of loose papers, "...we found it a couple of years ago. Didn't take long to figure out that it's an extra-terrestrial element - some kind of space rock."
Summer hummed thoughtfully. "I see. Does it have any strange properties?"
"You kidding?" Nils chuckled. "I'm no scientist, but I've talked to the techs. They think this stuff is Elvis and the second coming all rolled into one."
"We were using it for all kinds of stuff," added Kinney as he collected a few more strange metallic samples and deposited it into a bin. "Reactors, munitions, pretty much everything you can think of. Some of the things I worked on - it was just like out of one of those old Captain Thunderclap serials."
Elvis? Captain Thunderclap? And the second coming of what? Summer had more questions, but chose to save those. "How much of it is there?"
"Most of it's still in the elerium mine over in Bannack, but some of it was shipped here for study," finished Nils as he added his box to the cart. "Can't be a coincidence that these freaks would attack the only elerium lab on Earth."
"We're not the only place that's been hit, either."
Everyone turned to see Faulke standing there, glasses reflecting the dim light in the room. He had a box in his hands, and was in the process of grabbing several large books and placing them carefully inside a small box like they were priceless treasures.
Kinney chuckled. "Never thought I'd see the day when the great Director Faulke got down and dirty with the rest of us."
Faulke gave a small smile and nod in return. "I've always believed in leading by example, Agent Kinney. In any other circumstances, I'd be out there trading fire with the enemy right alongside you. But someone needs to coordinate the defense of the entire nation, and I don't exactly see anyone else volunteering."
"Entire nation, sir?" asked Carter warily. "What about the President? The National Guard? The UN?"
"Uncertain," said Faulke as he closed up his box, his smile vanishing. "There's been a nation-wide communications blackout for the past several hours now." With a sigh, he added, "I'm working under the assumption that Washington has been hit."
Summer might not have understood what Washington was, but the somber expressions on both Kinney and Nils spoke volumes about the situation. Even Carter seemed a bit shaken. "How can you be sure about that?"
"I can't, Carter," explained Faulke wearily. "But the only thing that's been coming from the radio has been silence. For now, we have to assume the worst."
A short silence followed as boxes were packed and loaded onto the hand cart, and eventually the group made their way out of the now-emptied room and into the hallway. Summer finally decided to be the one to break it.
"So...what do we know about these things? What are they?"
Faulke blinked a bit, raising an eyebrow as he pushed the cart. "We've theorized about these 'Outsiders' for some time now, but this is our first confirmed contact with an extraterrestrial species."
"First time meeting aliens," grumbled Carter, "And so far it's gone just great, hasn't it?"
"We were hoping to learn more from that artifact you lost," said Faulke without batting an eye. "But now? Well...we've got no shortage of material to study."
"We grabbed some of the weapons and gear they were using upstairs," said Nils, "Hopefully it helps."
"I'm sure it will, Nils. Good thinking."
"I just want to know one thing," growled Carter, "How to get rid of them."
"You and me both, Carter," sighed Faulke. "You and me both."
Summer just walked alongside the men, pondering and thinking. So these people have never encountered aliens before...and now they're fighting a war against an invasion from something completely unfamiliar to them, something that wants them destroyed. I guess I probably shouldn't tell them that I'm a Huntress from another world who died on a suicide mission and woke up on this planet...Earth, was it? Yeah...telling them I'm from Remnant is gonna go real well.
A powerful tremor shook the entire hallway, knocking Summer out of her thoughts as well knocking around everything else.
"Uh, Director Faulke? We might have a problem."
Faulke pulled his two-way receiver off his hip. "Agent Fowler, report."
"You know those big ball-like things that we couldn't figure out what they did? Well, uh...they just grew."
The director raised an eyebrow. "Agent Fowler, please confirm. They just grew?"
"They sure as hell did, just doubled in size right as I was looking at them. It looks like they're setting up some kind of base camp here, but - oh shit! They saw us!"
"Agent Fowler, pull back! Do not engage, repeat, do not engage -"
The only answer the director received was static. Summer saw Faulke's face tense up for a fraction of a second, before he started stoically pushing the cart again.
"Sir?" asked Nils with a raised eyebrow as he and the rest of the soldiers followed.
"They're trying to secure a foothold here," said Faulke in an emotionless tone, "Standard occupation procedures. Find a key spot, demolish any resistance in the area, set up a base of operations to expand from. This is the start of an invasion, men - and I won't let them start it here. Not after what they've already done here."
He stopped pushing the cart, turning to the men. "There's a rail platform down at the end of the east hallway. Go there, and take the diesel sub-tram as far as it can go. It should take you to a testing site...where we were testing elerium-powered nuclear bombs."
Carter seemed to be one step ahead of Faulke. "You want us to start the test, right?"
The director nodded. "The raw destructive power of just one elerium bomb makes the Mark 27 look like a firecracker on a rainy day. We currently have over a dozen of them stored in secure locations throughout this facility. All we need is a handful of them going off, and the entire range is purged in nuclear fire. It's the only way to keep these Outsiders from establishing a foothold in this area."
"And to get some payback," muttered Nils. Then he looked up. "But wouldn't we be right in the center of that explosion?"
"The Skyranger One's the fastest thing we've got in the sky. It can clear the blast radius after picking you up for evac. We'll get you out of there - if you can buy us enough time."
"I doubt these Outsiders are going to just let us blow up their new base," added Kinney.
"You'll be out-manned and outgunned," acknowledged Faulke, "but you're the only ones equipped to even try something like this at the moment. We need everyone else for the evacuation effort - without those men and that research, we're done for."
"I'm guessing that threatening to set off a super weapon is gonna get more attention than a couple of trucks."
"That's what I'm hoping too, Carter. Now...Miss Rose, was it? Come with me, we need to get this on the trucks and get the convoy going. Carter, Nils, Kinney? You have your orders. Get out there, start the test, and stand your ground. We'll get you out of there before the bomb goes off. Good luck, and Vigilo Confido."
Carter tipped his hat first at Faulke, then at Summer. Thomas gave a quick salute, while Kinney gave a nervous wave. Then all three of them took off, disappearing around the corner.
Summer watched them go, thoughts racing in her mind. Those men - good men - were willingly throwing their lives away on what was almost certainly a suicide mission. Part of her wanted to condemn them for throwing their lives away...but she realized she had no reason to judge them. After all...hadn't she left behind her world to try to save it? Hadn't she abandoned her family to give them a chance to live in a world without Salem?
Her hands balled into fists. Maybe that was why she was here. To stop others from making the same choice she had made. If good people were going to throw themselves into the fire...she would make sure they came out the other side.
Summer turned to Faulke, determination in her eyes. "I'm going with them."
The director raised an eyebrow, but said nothing to oppose her or try to change her mind. Instead, he just nodded and pulled out his two-way radio.
"Agent Carter, be advised: Agent Rose is joining you."
"...Agent? She works for you?"
"She does now," said Faulke, "keep each other safe, and good luck out there. Over and out."
Mimicking the salute that she saw Nils do, Summer Rose darted down the hall, clutching her rifle to keep it from bouncing against her hip.
Even without her Aura, she was still a Huntress.
"Welcome to the rail platform. Our ride is just up ahead. Not much to look at, I know, but at least it works. Usually."
Carter sighed as he and Nils followed Kinney into a rundown-looking, sorry excuse for a diesel train, with faded paint and hooked up to flatbed trucks that looked about twenty years newer than the locomotive. The engineer immediately went to the cabin and started pulling levers and pushing buttons, while the other two agents took a look around.
"This is Director Faulke, broadcasting to all remaining Groom Range forces. Tune your frequencies to 102.1. We're mobilizing and getting ready to move out in less than a minute."
The gray-hatted man fiddled with the radio receiver until a wide variety of voices came through the speaker.
"Hook that up to the tram's speaker," said Nils, "so we can all listen."
Carter did that, just as a woman with a rifle slung across her shoulders came sprinting and leaping over the gate separating the train from the platform. She rolled and landed on her feet, a determined glint in her eyes.
"Sorry I'm late," said Summer, "Had to trim my nails first."
Nils raised an eyebrow, before sighing. Kinney blinked at Summer's arrival, before he started working on getting the tram started again. Carter just rolled his eyes and spoke into the radio, which was currently hooked up to the diesel locomotive's onboard PA.
"Director Faulke, this is Agent Carter. Rose just arrived."
"Copy that, Agent Carter. Go ahead and deploy. Good luck."
With a hiss and a groan, the massive diesel locomotive lurched forward, carrying around twenty tons of steel and lumber behind it. Summer and Nils held to the railing of the front car, while Kinney and Carter kept an eye on the engine and the gauges. And as the tram rumbled down the tracks, the chatter of the rest of the survivors filled the cabin with static, crackling voices.
"Motor Teams, sound off."
"Motor-One Driver, Andrew Harper, checking in."
"Motor-One Gunner, Tyler Duren, locked and loaded."
"Motor-Two Driver, Edward Briggs, ready to roll out."
"Motor-Two Gunner, Jordan Loveday, all set. Just like old times, eh Briggs?"
"Motor-Three Driver, Adam Goldstein, engine running hot."
"Motor-Three Gunner, Richard Holt, ready to bring the rain."
"Motor-Four Driver, Knox Dolan, reporting in."
"Motor-Four Gunner, Raymond Shen, ready to engage."
"Skyranger-One, Leon Barnes, ready to fly."
"Good. Motors One through Four, be advised that your APCs have been loaded with prototype elerium-based rounds. Use them only if necessary - our supply is extremely limited."
"Roger that, Director. Gunners One and Three, stick to flak rounds for now. Gunners Two and Four, prep the special ammo, but hold fire until I give the order."
"Acknowledged, Driver One. Switching now."
"Additionally, Agent Carter and his team are going to set off an elerium nuclear warhead at the testing facility. This will set off a chain reaction that should destroy -"
"Hang on just a bloody moment. You're detonating a fucking nuke?"
"Yes, Driver Two. Is there a problem?"
"...no sir." Under his breath, Carter could hear Briggs mutter something about "typical american strategy."
"Then Drivers, get ready to move on Driver-One's order. Driver-One? Whenever you're ready."
"Copy that. Alright Motors, move out!"
Carter watched as the train slowly picked up speed, nodding to Kinney and signaling him to keep an eye on the controls. He walked out of the cabin to see Nils vigilantly guarding the left side of the train, sweeping his sniper rifle and watching for activity. On the right, the woman known as Summer Rose gripped the safety railing tightly, watching the scenery as it passed them by.
With a sigh, William went and joined her, leaning on the railing next to the woman. "So...amnesia, huh?"
Summer nodded tersely. "Seems that way."
"You don't remember anything at all?"
"Just bits and pieces," she replied, almost wistfully, "Memories of me playing with friends when I was younger, attending classes, learning from my parents. But I can't place where or when those memories were. It's like someone took a photograph and tore it up, scattering the pieces to the wind and leaving only the corners behind. Even if I had the pieces, I'm not sure if I'd be able to put them back together."
"Never had much patience for those jigsaw puzzles myself," grumbled Carter as he pulled out a cigarette and a gold-plated lighter, lighting it and drawing a whiff of that bitter, acrid smoke in one smooth motion. When Summer looked at him with an eyebrow raised in curiosity, the man chuckled. "Want a smoke? Might help jog your memory."
"A...smoke?"
Carter sighed, pulling out another cig and lighting it, offering it to Summer. "Yeah. You know, to calm the nerves? Blow off some steam? Give it a try. It can't hurt."
The silver-eyed woman looked at the offered stick warily, before taking it and mimicking what Carter did. She had barely taken half a whiff before coughing and wheezing, smoke pouring out her nose and mouth as she squeezed her eyes shut.
"Guess that's a 'no' to you being a smoker, then," said Carter with a smirk.
"I'd certainly remember something like that," coughed Summer, holding the cigarette at a distance and waving the smoke away. "Here, you can take it back."
Carter shook his head, still smirking. "Hey, it's been in your mouth, I don't want it either. Just toss it over the side."
"That's allowed?"
"Usually not. But I have a feeling it's not gonna matter much here anymore."
Summer shrugged and pitched the cigarette into the rapidly passing scenery, watching as it tumbled end over end and landed a hundred feet away. Carter raised an eyebrow at the display of strength - it seemed this woman could make any action look superhuman, no matter how mundane.
"Whoever you were, you must've been a serious athlete. Or some kind of super soldier."
"Couldn't tell you one way or another," said Summer with another shrug. "Just wish I could remember…"
"Maybe it's better this way," mumbled Carter as he took another whiff of his cigarette. Before Summer could ask what he meant, the speakers blared to life with radio chatter again.
"Shit! Those damn flyers are back, and they're coming in hot!"
"Spread out! Ten yard spacing! Don't let them get a bead on - AAAUGH!"
"Motor-One! Respond!"
"Motor-Two Driver here, director. Motor-One's just a burning wreck by the side of the road."
A brief, tense silence hung over the radio. Carter swore under his breath. Finally, Faulke's voice came over the comms.
"...understood, Motor-Two. Do whatever you need to do to get out of there."
"Roger that! Split up! Hit the side roads! There's three of us, and only two of them! It can't come after all of us! Gunners Two and Four, hold fire until you get a clean shot!"
As the tram chugged along, the four agents waited with baited breath, listening for news about a battle they had no control over.
"Gunner Four here, got a flyer on our tail! I think I've got a clear shot!"
"Not yet you don't, kid. Gimmie five seconds, tracking?"
"But sir-!"
"Five goddamn seconds, slant! Wait till we're clear of the trees…now! Fire!"
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!"
Summer covered her mouth as the radio again went quiet, a loud booming in the background.
"Motor Four?"
"We're okay, Director. Target neutralized, heading for rendezvous now. Those elerium rounds worked like a trick."
"Next time, keep your eyes open when shooting, slant."
"...the fuck did you call me?"
"Oh, you don't like that? Would you prefer if I called you a go-"
"Sergeant Dolan, that kind of talk on a public channel is to cease immediately. Do I make myself clear?"
"...yes sir. Tracking."
Summer raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
"Motors Two and Three, status?"
"Managed to lose ours, sir. Gunner Two got a grazing hit and took out its guns, but it pulled away before he could finish it off."
"Which is bollocks, I tell you. Pardon my language."
"Motor Three, in the clear. A few miles out from the -OH SHIT!"
"Motor Three!"
"Flyer just dropped a Sectoid on us! Hang on!"
"Sectoid?" asked Summer, raising an eyebrow. "What's a Sectoid?"
Kinney shrugged. "It's what we've been calling those little gray things. The ones with those huge eyes and big heads. It seems the Outsiders keep them as slaves...or pets, even."
"They might be small, but they're still pretty dangerous," said Nils, rolling his shoulder. "Still nursing a bruise from when one of them grazed me with those lasers."
Carter frowned. Outsiders and Sectoids...why were they here? What did they want?
And why did he feel like that artifact was the answer to both of those questions?
The sounds of fighting and gunshots going off killed the conversation. The men and the woman waited anxiously, listening for some kind of news. Eventually, the whining roar of some kind of heavy weapon filled the air, followed by a loud whoop.
"Haha, got 'em that time! It's just like Normandy all over again, eh Briggs?"
"You and I remember Normandy very differently, Loveday. Motor-Three, you alright?"
"More or less. Sectoid blew our gunner's head off and tried to climb inside, but Massey and the twins managed to pin it down and kick it to death. Thanks for the assist, Motor-Two."
"Cheers, Three. Fours? How are you doi-"
The signal suddenly disappeared in a haze of static, making Summer clamp her hands over her ears. Kinney unplugged the two-way radio, handing it back to Carter.
"Sounds like we just hit the max range on these things," said the Engineer. "Still...that's gotta be, what? Forty miles? Fifty? Impressive."
"Yeah…'impressive'," grumbled Carter as he clipped the box back on his belt, "Maybe for the 40's. But compared to flying spaceships and goddamn death lasers, this thing might as well be a toy."
Kinney looked down. Summer went back to staring out at the passing scenery. Nils took a moment to readjust the sights on his rifle.
The rest of the trip was made in silence.
The tram pulled up alongside a large, tall platform made of concrete and steel. Several large shipping containers lined the right side of the platform, while a mechanical winch hung off the left side next to some hastily-assembled steel scaffolding. Barebones stairs and columns supported elevated platforms with bar-grated floors, ultimately leading up to an observation deck with a radio array and a thick concrete bunker. Other elevated platforms and mezzanines with stairs and ladders dotted the structure, and in the center of the site on the north end was a trio of large, well-worn cranes.
Of course, the first thing that Summer noticed was exactly what each crane was holding - a very large, very dangerous-looking tear-shaped bomb. The sheer size of it made the munitions of Atlas - the most powerful military force in Remnant - look like water balloons and small rocks in comparison.
Noticing how the woman stared at the weapons of mass destruction, Kinney spoke up. "Don't worry. Those things are designed to be dropped from airplanes, so they'll only explode if something hits the blasting cap - that's that tip thing on the end there. Long as we watch our shots, we should be fine - until it goes off as part of the test, of course."
Summer nodded. "I see. And how big of an explosion are we talking if it does?"
"Just one of those things was enough to level Hiroshima," said Nils, "and we're dropping three of them. If we're still on this platform when they go off...at least the deaths would be pretty painless."
"That's comforting," grumbled Carter.
"Is it?" asked Summer, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course it isn't. Kinney, you know how to start this thing, right?"
"Yes sir, went through the safety training and everythi-"
"Good. Head up to the platform and hit the button. I trust you to know which one. Nils, take that high-rise in the southeast corner. Rose, with me, we're on point."
"Understood."
"Moving."
Summer nodded tersely as she pulled the rifle (the "M14", as the boys had called it) off her back, crouching behind a stack of boxes overlooking the left side of a landing pad. Carter hunkered down and watched the right side, while Nils climbed a ladder up to a higher platform before going prone, watching through the scope for movement. Kinney went up a set of stairs, pulled a few switches and hit a few buttons before the cranes hummed to life, a deep alarm reverberating through the cold night air.
"Test commencing in fifteen minutes," came Kinney's voice over the comm device on Summer's hip. "Where do you want me now, Carter? I've got a few landmines I can set up around the perimeter, give our guests a little 'welcoming package.'"
"Do it. Nils, keep an eye on the skies. I'll signal Faulke."
While the engineer went about setting down smooth silvery discs on the edges of the platform, Carter pulled out his two-way and growled into it.
"Faulke, if you can hear me, the tests are live. Bombs are ready to blow in fifteen minutes."
A deep voice that was not the director's replied. "Solid copy, Carter. Skyranger One inbound. Be advised: hostile ships are converging on your position. You'll have to take care of whatever they drop off before we can risk picking you up."
"Understood, Skyranger. Carter out." To Summer, he grumbled, "At least we have their attention…" to which the displaced Huntress could only nod.
Just like Skyranger had warned, a half-dozen ships hovered in the night sky like alien obelisks, each one dropping off two squads of Outsiders and Sectoids around the edges. The engineer's landmines took care of four of the squads outright, gravely wounding three others and letting the rest of the agents mop them up with crossfire and sniper rounds. Kinney's shotgun barked in the night as it tore apart Outsider chests and Sectoid heads, Carter's frag grenades blew apart squads that made the mistake of bunching up, Summer's bursts of concentrated fire kept the alien attackers either on the move or in cover, and Nils was always quick to put a bullet through the brain of whatever the other three couldn't finish off.
The concrete and steel soon became slick with alien blood and viscera, and the cold night air reeked of ozone and rotting otherworldly flesh. Minute by minute, squad by squad, kill by kill, Carter, Summer, Nils, and Kinney held the line as the alarm blared out the time to detonation. First it was thirteen minutes. Then it was twelve. Then eleven, then nine, then eight…
"Skyranger!" growled Carter, "What's your status?"
"We have a visual on the test platform, Carter. It looks like these Outsiders are running out of reserves. Finish off that last squad, and we should be alright to land."
Summer let out a small sigh of relief as she put a fistful of lead into an Outsider getting too close for comfort. Soon, they'd be out of here. Soon, they'd all be safe.
It all seemed to be going according to plan.
And then…
"Agh! Dammit! No!"
Summer's blood froze as she saw Kinney's cover get shredded by dozens of laser bolts, as the squadron of Outsiders focused fire on the engineer. With a loud cry of agony, his body was sent flying against the concrete wall behind him, slowly sinking to the floor.
"Kinney!" growled Carter, "Kinney, life check!"
"It hurts...dammit, it hurts…"
"Hang in there soldier! I'm on my way to - "
"CARTER WATCH OUT!"
Summer barely had time to scream as she tackled the Agent to the floor, narrowly avoiding the renewed bursts of superheated light as the Outsiders redoubled their suppression efforts. They seemed to be aware of Carter's strange healing powers, and chose to keep their focus on the Squad Leader to keep him away from his wounded trooper. There was really no need to go over and finish off the engineer - if he wasn't dead already from the sheer number of wounds in such a short time, he soon would be.
Carter groaned as he and Summer crawled on their hands and knees behind another low wall, the swarm of lasers seemingly following their every move. Red lances of energy struck the concrete and stone again and again, whittling a little more of it away with every blow.
"Nils!" barked Carter, "Need some fire support down here, stat!"
"No joy, Carter! Grays have me pinned down!"
Sure enough, Summer saw a trio of Sectoids crawl up onto a higher platform, showering the recon's position in red death. His prone form kept him safe for the moment, but he was unable to fire back - every time his barrel tried to poke out from the edge, it would be beaten back by another laser bolt.
Another solid inch of Carter and Summer's cover disappeared in a cloud of dust and smoke. Their time was running out.
"Carter! Do you have any grenades left?"
"Just the one! But I can't aim it without getting torn apart!"
Summer cursed, looking around for something, anything that she could use.
That's when she noticed a long metal pole strewn among the debris of the battlefield, one that seemed remarkably fit to use as an improvised polearm. It even had a sharpened edge, too, and there was even a mechanical winch close enough to the edge of their platform that she could probably…
An idea formed in her head.
"Carter!" she commanded, "On the count of three, I need you to throw that grenade at the Outsiders! Then - "
"I told you I can't aim it without -"
"Then don't aim it! Just throw it!" She pulled her M14 off her back and shoved it towards Carter. "Once it goes off, stand up and give these assholes everything in both these mags! When I give the signal, cease firing and get Kinney back on his feet immediately!"
"What signal?"
"You'll know it when you see it! One!"
"You're damn crazy, woman!"
"Two!"
"This better work!"
"THREE!"
With a growl of frustration, Carter yanked the pin out of the frag and tossed it blindly over their rapidly-diminishing cover. The grenade bounced across the ground for a few feet before exploding into shrapnel, creating a loud boom but barely grazing the squadron of Outsiders. As soon as the explosion resounded, Summer darted to the left, scooping up the sharpened pole in one hand and snagging the winch hook with the other.
"Rose! The hell are you -"
"Improvising!" she shouted as she sprinted across the narrow platform. When she reached the edge, she used the safety rail as a vaulting point to dive off the edge of the test site. The wind whipped past her hair as she plummeted in a free fall, the winch cable trailing behind her.
"SUMMER!"
"SHOOT THEM NOW, CARTER!"
The safety lock on the winch kicked in, pulling taut on the hook and snapping the cable backwards. Summer groaned as the momentum from her dive flowed into a sweeping (and painful) swing, pumping her legs at just the right moment to boost her angular velocity. With a combination of grace and grit, she swung up behind the trio of Sectoids suppressing Nils, planting her feet against the skull of one of them and kicking it clear off the platform and into the valley below. The other two Sectoids chittered angrily at Summer's sudden appearance, but a pole smashing against one skull and a sharpened edge skewering the other through the eye cut their screams short.
Out of the corner of her eye, Summer saw Carter rise from his cover, rifles in both hands as he aimed in the general direction of the Outsiders and fired, heat blazing from both weapons as he struggled to keep his arms somewhat steady. The alien troops weren't sure which crazy human was more demanding of their attention - the growling man that was firing dual M14s at them, or the woman that had swung through the air like the world's deadliest trapeze artist. So stunned were they, that they even forgot to fire - and that mistake cost them dearly.
With a feral scream, Summer launched herself from the higher ground, bringing her improvised polearm crashing down onto the skull of an Outsider as her feet hit the ground. Not staying still for even a second, she flowed into a spinning swing that struck the neck of another outsider, breaking it instantly. A low sweep shattered the kneecaps of a third, and a solid jab to the torso sent a fourth one stumbling over the edge and into the darkness below. A quick flurry of blows struck another one, then another fell to her mad melee rush, as she tore through the Outsiders with nothing but a metal pole and the skill of a Huntress.
"...holy shit," breathed Nils.
"Making my way to Kinney now! Keep them occupied!"
While Carter darted over towards the fallen engineer, Summer grinned as she continued her melee assault. Some of the Outsiders had started shooting again, but she managed to avoid the brunt of it as she seemingly flowed around their shots, knocking weapons out of their hands and knocking teeth out of their skulls. But over time, fatigue and laser burns began to catch up with the Huntress, and her strikes became weaker, her movements became slower, and her reflexes began to falter. The remaining Outsiders backpedaled out of melee range as she collapsed to the ground, the bloodied and dented pole falling out of her hands and rolling off the edge of the platform.
"Heh...guess I'm...zero for two when it comes to...last stands…" she panted as she saw the Outsiders take aim with their laser rifles…
CRACK!
The sound of a sniper round being fired filled the air as the lead Outsider's neck was suddenly filled with lead and blood, falling to its knees as it choked on its own fluids. The other alien troops turned to fire on the source, only to find a bullet lodged in their throats.
"I've got your back, Miss Rose!"
"And so do we!"
Summer's heart leapt as Kinney's voice rang through the mike, just as she saw a silvery disc flying through the air. She rolled back towards the center of the platform as the mine detonated, sending golden flames and blue alien blood splattering in all directions. The last Outsider, coughing and wheezing, stumbled out of the smoke and aimed a laser rifle at Summer Rose, only to find Carter's fist smash into its jaw with a powerful uppercut, knocking it onto its back and priming it for two quick pistol rounds right through the skull.
The battle, at long last, was over.
"Detonation in three minutes."
Walking over first to retrieve his hat (which had been knocked off in the fighting), Carter then stowed his pistol and walked over to Summer, extending a hand meaningfully. She took it generously, feeling a surge of warmth and relief seep through her bones and muscle as the man's mysterious healing touch took effect. Within a moment, she was back on her feet, standing exhaustedly, but standing nonetheless.
"Skyranger, this is Carter. Landing pad is clear. Come and get us the hell outta here, would you?"
"Coming in for a landing now! Gotta say, I have seen some crazy stuff in my life...but I've never seen anything like that…"
"Yeah, no kidding," said Nils as he and Kinney grouped back up with Carter and Summer, "That was one hell of a clutch play there, Miss Rose. Who the hell are you?"
"That's a very good question," said Summer, feeling only a tiny bit bad about lying at this point, "I wish I had an answer for you right now."
"Well, I've got one."
Kinney stepped forward, extending a hand to Summer. "You're the woman that came up with the plan to save my dumb ass. So thank you. You ever get the itch to do field work, you can join DaSilva's crew anytime."
Summer wanted to ask who or what "DaSilva" was, but at that moment, a massive helicopter-like craft with a massive rotor, a bulbous forward-facing cockpit, and twin jet engines on the back descended. The back of it slid open, revealing Director Faulke and Angela Weaver already seated and buckled in, waiting for the agents to board.
Once everyone was in, the Skyranger set off just as quickly as it had landed, seconds before the test site, the remaining Outsider ships, and everything else in the Groom Range was purged in nuclear fire.
The world would never know what happened on that day. Not for a very long time.
But Summer would always remember it as her first day on Earth.
