A/N: Final chapter guys. And before I get asked if there will be a third - no - there won't be one. However I was thinking of writing an original based off of DCTU's days on earth and posting it at FictionPress. Not sure yet... anyway - here's the final chapter. See all of you later.
Oh, and review!
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He was hidden in the back compartment of the chopper as it flew off towards whatever destination they were headed for. He had been able to sneak on, but had lost his radio in the process. He groaned.
"Man, I feel like I'm back in the SEALs." He whispered. "Deployment, no team, and no contact until the end of the mission. Just great."
He sighed, pulling his sidearm from it's holster and checking it's clip. He added a few rounds to make up for fired ones before holstering it again. Then he pulled the knife from it's holder, gripping the grip and pulling it off. He pulled another nine-millimeter round from his pack, sliding it into it's hidden slot before applying the grip again.
"Thanks Ivan." He whispered to himself. Clicking the safety on again, sliding the knife back into it's holder.
He jolted slightly hearing a change in the choppers motor.
They were landing.
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"Where are they going?" Jackie muttered. She was following the chopper on the ground in her unit. Two other units behind hers, each packed with armed forces ready to do battle.
Seeing the chopper change paths, she followed it as best she could; watching it land she pulled to the side of the road. Killing her engine.
The building was quite large, ten stories at the top. Mei reached for the radio.
"Anyone able to scan the building for life. Heat sig or something..."
"I'm already on it. Using the SATLink. Hold tight."
"While it's good to have you back Bill, get moving. We don't have long."
"Almost done. Just hold on."
Mei restocked her ammo and medical supplies. Just in time to hear some breaking glass. She looked up to see that the ninth floor had bullet holes in the windows and that a floor below it, someone was falling - fast.
Jackie cringed as the impact was heard. She quickly ran up, seeing that it was a fur dressed in black fatigues. That symbol from Calita on his chest.
"Calita's troops?" She whispered, checking for a pulse.
"Scans complete. Looks like you've got a fire fight on the ninth floor and three hot bodies on the tenth. Cross checking the codecs with the heat sig, I'd say Bryan's been tied up either by Aramov or someone else... That third wheel seems to be moving slowly though."
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Bryan groaned, shaking his head from side to side in an attempt to quell the ache.
"You're good... I'll give you that. But I am superior in every way." Aramov hissed, holding his sidearm in her hand.
"Superiority doesn't count when you blindside your target. The true warriors fight with honor." He retorted, pulling at his binds.
"Yes well... Honor is for the weak." She grinned, tossing his weapon towards the window, breaking it in the process as the weapon fell to the street below. He was completely unarmed now... well, almost.
"I'd strip you of that knife too, but I really don't think you'll be able to get close enough to use it."
"What a pity."
"Yes, what a pity. So, how does it feel to once again, be this close, and be unable to touch me? This must be really maddening."
"If only you knew." Bryan got out, just as the door shattered into pieces.
He hoped it was from one of Brea's satchel charges. His hopes went unanswered. Though the outcome still wasn't bad.
"You!" Aramov yelled, seeing whoever it was in the doorway. Bryan felt a claw on his arm, another grabbing hold of his squirming hands.
"Yes, me." A female voice answered.
"You're supposed to be dead! I made sure of it when I had your team whipped out!" Aramov yelled. Bryan's brain snapped right to who was behind him. Calita!
"What have you been up to. I'm disappointed Aramov; taking counter-terrorism agents hostage? I thought you were bigger than that."
Now the claw had slipped to the key lock on Bryan's binds. It was obvious they were picking it.
"Besides, what use is he going to be when he's dead? You know damn well his teammates will rush in here and take you out."
"They will meet heavy resistance on they're way up here. They will not survive."
"What your guards? My team already has them done for. You'd be surprised what people will do for friends. I called a few military contacts I had, got myself a few ex-marines to work with."
Bryan lowered his head. He played out a few scenarios in his head. Each counted on him being able to get his one shot to land. In any case, if it didn't, he would only have a split second in which to duck low and throw the knife.
Not very good odds.
He sighed and looked up again. Now Aramov was standing near a window, her weapon trained on him as she looked over the edge. "Crazy bitch..." She muttered, looking back at him.
"Too bad too, she probably would have been able to save you..."
He looked over his shoulder. Calita must of thrown herself out the window.
He shifted his shoulder slightly in order to be able to twist his wrist just right to grab the grip of the knife. He didn't pull it yet, he waited for her fatal moment to come.
Aramov rubbed her eyes before looking right at him.
"Hmmm... it would appear it's just me and you again. How long do you think it will take for your team to figure out where you are and raid the building? By now, I'd say about four minutes. Have to be sure to do away with you by then."
She raised her weapon, pointing it at him. He braced his boots on the floor and tightened his muscles in order to bring his reflexes to their maximum. Her wicked grin wasn't lost on him at all.
She fired just as he kicked off the ground. The chair's back legs catching the floor as he planned causing it to fall backwards. As soon as he felt the ground hit his back he pushed off the floor, finishing the roll, putting him back on his feet in a crouch, the knife pulled and held like a K-bar combat knife.
"Really Aramov, you still can't kill me? You should see these things coming by now." He taunted, staying low to the ground.
"You are beyond annoying! Sit still so I can kill you!" She yelled firing again. This time he jumped, causing the shot to go under him. Landing, he rolled to the right, hiding behind a pillar.
"Hmm, I wonder if all DCTU agents are that nimble. I'll be sure to find out as the hunt the rest of the down... but only after I kill you first."
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Jackie watched the second body fall from the top floor. Though, this one was different. By the sixth floor it had flipped itself parallel to the wall and appeared to have grabbed on. Some sort of camouflage took effect as the figure disappeared as someone else stuck their head out the glass.
"What I wouldn't give for a sniper rifle right about now." Mei hissed, recognizing the dead swish of the subjects tail. "That bitch has him up there... we need to get in there! Now!"
Jackie had to hold her back.
"We can't get in there! Remember, the doors are wired to blow! And the Ground-to-Air missiles on the roof make a roof entry impossible. For now, we're just going to have to trust him. Not much more we can do."
Mei growled, walking to her unit and slamming the door as she jumped into the driver's seat. She just sat there.
Jackie could have sworn she was pouting.
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"Stay here!" Fox yelled, hopping into one of the police cars, taking the driver's seat.
"Wait! Fox! What are you doing! You can't steal that car!" Krystal called, nearly chasing him into the street. "Get back here!" She yelled, her voice falling on deaf ears. She looked around, growling to herself as she too, jumping into the driver's seat of a police car, taking off.
James sat in the same ambulance as Katt, Silver, and Brea. All the while wondering just what his parents were up to.
Silver turned to the black cat to his left. "Semper Fi... what does it mean?"
Both Brea and Katt looked up at him. Only Brea vocalizing her thoughts. "What's that?"
"Semper Fi. You said it before we continued on... it seemed to have a profound effect on Bryan. What does it mean?"
Brea took a breath. "Long time ago, Bryan was in the Marines. When I was still human, I served under him. Semper Fi is a term used by the Marines. It means 'Always loyal'. We used to say it a lot. It reminded us that no matter what we could always count on the team to get us out of any situation we got ourselves into."
"So it has a deep meaning for you two I take it?"
"It's more than it seems... I'll tell you that."
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"You know, you aren't going to kill me, Aramov."
"Oh? And why's that? Wait... could it be the black cat waiting for you? If she isn't dead you, I'll be sure to wipe her out next. Besides, why would you want to go back to that anyway? Haven't you heard? Black cats are bad luck."
Bryan growled as he clicked off his safety.
"If that's the case, I'm willing to let that bad luck rub off on you." He hissed, rolling out from the pillar, landing somewhere near an unbroken window. He stood, the knife now held strait out, almost like he was calling Aramov out.
"You have to understand, we've yet to lose." He taunted, making sure to smirk.
"You keep forgetting. This isn't some bullshit storyline. You can't simply backspace your death and make it into something spectacular. You die, that's it. Place the period there. You won't make it out of here."
"You sure about that?"
"I'm positive! You brought a knife to a gun fight! What part of that says you win?"
"Aramov, you have no imagination. This knife happens to have come from a good friend of mine... in fact it's the same one you killed. Maybe you don't remember him, but I'm sure bad karma remembers you!" He yelled, clicking the trigger button down, the round flying from the hidden chamber and imbedding itself deep within Aramov's chest.
The terrorist leader stumbled back a foot, grasping at the hole left behind by the surprising round. "But... how? I was supposed to live!"
"No you weren't. Ever seen the movies, Aramov? People just love the happy ending."
Using what strength she had left, Aramov pulled apart her jacket, showing off the explosive charge wrapped around her chest. Bryan felt another gasp leave him. The round had slipped between two of the syntax charges, imbedding itself right in her heart.
She was on borrowed time now.
"Happy endings suck." She hissed, slamming her paw on the detonator, grinning as the explosion blew Bryan threw the window and towards the ground below.
Even with the night time falling fast, he could still see the ground coming. His final thought before darkness overtook him came simple.
Semper Fi
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Bryan's Point of View 1st Person
I grumbled, not really wanting to open my eyes, even as something on my forehead bothered me greatly. I felt well rested for the most part, but extremely tired as far as my muscles went. It was almost like I had over done myself into a deep sleep.
I opened my eyes to see the moist cloth being pulled from them, just in time to see a black and silver fox staring back down at me. "You weren't supposed to wake up, right now. Not until the girl gets back." She said, letting a smile creed onto her face.
"You gave me quite the scare, you know. Falling like that. Wasn't sure if I was going to make it to you in time. I barely did as it is."
"What? What happened? What's going on?" I asked, my mouth felt wet, yet dry at the same time.
The fox's smile grew. "You guys won the war, that's what's going on."
"I don't understand... what happened? Where are the others?"
"They're fine... it's just..." She stopped speaking, looking over her left shoulder. I couldn't move my head to see what she was looking at. What's worse is then the room began to spin around me. I became aware that I felt cold and wet, and something was moving around me.
Voice were calling out my name, telling me to come back.
The voices faded away as I was enveloped into darkness. And somewhere in there, another voice called me. I looked up to see someone smiling down at me, waving a single finger as if to say 'not yet'.
I didn't recognize the person, but I knew that it was someone important. And then it hit me. The Gate Keeper.
But as the voices returned, and shockwaves of pain overtook my form, the images changed, and in the darkness I saw my dead wife...
...but everything was alright.
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"Clear!"
"Get out of the way!"
"We're losing him!"
"The fuck we are! I need two bags of O negative, stat! Prep an operation room, this ones messy."
"He won't make it!"
"We still have to try... get out of the way!"
"Clear!"
"I said move, damn it!"
The doctors were rushing the gurney through the crowded halls, pushing anyone who wasn't a patient out of the way in a rush for the operation rooms. On that gurney was Bryan, near death's door, but still pushing ahead. Various tubes and machines hooked onto his body, trying to hold back his hand from knocking on the door in which he was so close to.
As the gurney hit the operation room doorway, three of the doctors stood back as the operation team took control. Working quickly.
"Man," One of the doctors said, shaking his head. "I really don't think he'll make it... A fall like that?"
"It could of been worse, Jay." The nurse replied, tossing her gloves into the hazardous waste basket. "Witnesses said they saw a second figure fall with him... but no one found anyone at the scene. Obviously someone saved him from a worse fate."
"I don't know... maybe." Jay replied, falling silent as a dark and dank group of agents walked down the hall towards them. Two of them had slings on their shoulders while the others carried rifles over theirs.
One of them stepped up to the doctor while the other sat down.
"How's he looking?" Mei asked, already grim.
"It isn't good... he's unresponsive. He has massive blood loss, trauma to the head, three bruised ribs, a shattered wrist, and many, many other injuries we've yet to even discover. If he makes it through the surgery, I doubt he would make it through the night."
"Do whatever you can, Doc. Money is no object." Mei pleaded.
"You guys know we treat the military for free. It's not the money we're worried about. It's your friend in there." He said, motioning with his head towards the double doors and the frantic surgical team inside.
Mei rested her rifle against the wall, taking a seat and pulling her knees to her chest.
For the first time in her life, she felt weak and sick at the same time.
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Bryan's world had been ejected into black again. The voices faded and the mist dispersed, only to thrust him back into the fictional world he had been in before. The fox was looking back down at him again, her grin gone.
"Sorry, it's just really hard to keep a connection when they're shocking you." She whispered, whipping the cloth across his forehead again. "I won't lie to you... you're barely alive. Your body wants to give in, but the mind; your spirit, is strong. The others are worried about you... I can see them from here... I can see you from here... not this you, but the real you... the doctors don't like what they're seeing but... you'll make it."
"Who are you?" Bryan asked.
That grin came back. "I'm Calita McCloud. You've worked with my brother."
"I was told you were missing in action... assumed dead."
"I was missing in action, yes. But that's only because I discovered a few things and needed to act on them without the Military. If they had known what I had known they would of told me to stay way."
"What did you find out?"
"I'll tell you in due time. Just not right now."
"At least tell me one thing... are you real, or just a figment of my mind as it fries out?"
"I'm real. Truth be told I'm standing in an observation window just about the surgery room. I'm talking to you through a technique I've learned over the years. It's kind of a cross between telekinesis and radio waves. It's hard to explain. Maybe I'll have Silver explain it to you when you wake up."
"You know Silver?"
"Yah... me and him are kind-of dating."
"Oh... wait, what? He knows about you and didn't tell me?"
"He knows a lot of things. He tells you what he's aloud to. But even he has been sworn to keep some things a secret... I have to go now, reserve your strength, you'll need it."
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Brea looked up from her lap when she heard footsteps coming down the hall. A black and silver vixen was walking towards the group, or more directly, towards Silver.
She whispered a few things into his ear before giving him a brief hug and heading towards the exit. Walking directly past Fox on her way there. He took a few more steps before stopping dead in his tracks, turning around to see who had just walked past him.
But she was gone...
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Brea watched him silently. Her paws gripping his hand tight as she fought to stay awake.
It had been three days.
Three days of doctors telling her they didn't know when he would wake up. Three days of them telling her he most likely wouldn't make it. Three days of waiting.
And she hated waiting.
She felt her head dip low again and caught herself.
"You should really get some sleep." Silver said, coming up behind her. His arm still in a sling. "This isn't healthy. Besides, when he does wake up you'll be too tired to be excited."
He was about to say more, but when her head dipped back down again he could tell she had finally fallen asleep. Silver turned around about to go ask the nurse for some medication when he saw Fox standing in the door way.
"Not you too! If I see anyone else guilt tripping... it's been three days."
"I know but... if I had just gotten there sooner..."
"Fox, you know damn well you couldn't of done anything. It was a bomb that she had complete control of. There's nothing either you or Krystal could have done. Besides, you don't see Krystal moping around, do you?"
"That's because she has to worry about James. She'll start moping soon too."
Silver looked over his shoulder at Brea. "She needs to stop moping too. You would figure that after doing the job they do they would be happy to see the others alive instead of dead. Slightly comatose or not."
Fox nodded, turning to leave to go back home. Silver stopped him. "Grab one of the others to help carry her home." He said, nodding at Brea.
Fox shook his head, walking up to the sleeping feline and scooping her up.
"See you back at he house." He whispered, walking towards the door.
Silver took up the chair Brea had fallen asleep in. Sitting back in it and closing his eyes.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Calita smiling down at him.
"He's just fine. We had quite the conversation while he was in surgery."
"So you've said. I take it he knows about us?"
"Yup. Though I think he's always suspected you've found someone new... I just don't think he suspected it was me."
Silver nodded. "So he'll be okay, right? He's done a lot for me... I really wouldn't want him to leave now. I still have some debt to repay."
"He'll be fine. I'm sure of it." She was about to say more when a commotion outside caused her to turn around, seeing Mei, Jackie, and Brea standing in the doorway.
"You! I knew it!" Jackie yelled, getting close to Calita, who took a step back, bumping into the bed.
"Wait, what? Knew what? I'm just visiting because this is one of Silver's friends."
"Don't play dumb with me." Mei said. "I watched what happened, you jumped after him."
"I swear I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't lie to me too! It greatly insults my intelligence." Brea said, stepping forward, offering her good paw. "Thank you for what you did. I couldn't of asked you to do it... but thank you all the same."
Calita eyed her for a moment, before shaking the paw.
"Just call it professional courtesy. I would of done it for any of you."
Now Fox appeared in the doorway. "Why can't you just sit in the car like a normal..." He trailed off, seeing Calita staring at him.
"Calita." He gasped. "It's been too long."
"Brother." She acknowledged. "Wish we could have had a reunion on better terms."
"Me too."
Brea interrupted. "You lost a few of your own in that firefight, or so Mei tells me."
"Three to be exact." Calita said, watching her brother for a moment before looking back at Brea.
"We will add them to our wall." She said, shaking Calita's hand again.
"Wall?"
"Our Wall of Fallen Heroes. We already have a few names on it."
"All an effect of war." Calita said, turning to Silver she patted him on the back.
"I should get moving before the General shows up. Don't want to deal with the Military right now. I'll see you back at your house."
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Bryan's mind was swimming. He was trying to wake up, but something was tying him down. He felt his body sigh as a small part of him took control.
So tired...
Still he fought, pushing through the darkness barrier to return to his body. He regretted it, feeling the bash of pain hit him full blast.
Free at last, free at last.
His eyes stung when he opened them. But at least he could see. A nurse was removing some equipment from his arm, and judging by the feeling in his throat, she had also just removed a tube. She finished putting the stuff on the cart before shutting and locking the door.
"Don't like my disguise fool, yah. And don't get used to this 'me taking care of you' idea." She said with a light tone, removing the hat and brushing back her ears. "So, hero boy is awake. We'll have to alert his lover, won't we."
"Cute, real cute." Bryan gasped out. "So you weren't just in my head."
Calita grinned, looking over his shoulder. "Dreaming of pretty girls other than Brea? For shame."
He allowed himself a small grin. "Never said anything about pretty."
"Looking for another feeding tube?"
"Now beautiful, that's another word."
"Nice save."
"I should be saying that to you."
"No thanks necessary. You've done Corneria a word of good, taking out Aramov and Akita that is."
"Yes but with so many dead, it doesn't seem like much of a victory."
"What about the so many saved? What about Brea? I know you lost Tommy and Ivan, and that will be extremely hard to cope with when you allow yourself too, but you saved so many." Her voice had changed from the playful tone to more of a sentimental version. She was holding a moist cloth to his mouth as she ruffled his hair.
"You did good. That's all that matters."
"Where is she? Brea I mean."
"Fox had to drag her home. She wouldn't allow herself to sleep. The hospital will be calling her shortly."
"One more question." Bryan yawned out. "Why are you dressed like my nurse?"
Calita brushed her ears back under her hat. "General Pepper is wandering the hospital. I really don't want to deal with him just yet." She said, unlocking the door. "See yah 'round."
Bryan put his head back, soon fading into the darkness he had been used too.
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Next thing Bryan new he was being woken up by someone shaking him.
"I'm up! I'm up!" He said, looking to his left to see Brea sitting there.
She offered him a grin. "Sorry, I couldn't wait for you to wake up." She said, nearing jumping into the bed with him. Instead she wrapped her arms around him, holding him tonight.
"You scared the shit out of me. You know that right?"
"Won't happen again, promise."
"I'm just so happy you're alive."
Bryan looked over her shoulder to see Mei leaning on the door frame.
"Commander." She offered, touching two fingers to her forehead.
"Good to see you're still acting normal. Now, can you guys get my out of this bed. I really hate hospitals."
"Hold tight, Jackie's bringing the wheelchair. We'll have you out of here in just a few minutes."
"I don't need a wheelchair." Bryan protested, moving to swing himself off the bed. Brea stopped him.
"Think you can walk?"
"No but..."
"Then, Bryan, just get in the damn chair."
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The park smelled of fresh rain as Brea and Bryan sat at the benches, eating lunch. They were enjoying the quiet and time alone together.
"Why did you say it... why did you answer me before you jumped into the elevator shaft."
Bryan looked up. "What's that?"
"You answered me before you went. Why? I thought you said I would have to wait, give a reason to survive."
"You want the truth, or the answer that will make you feel better?"
She glared at him.
"Fine, fine. The truth is, I didn't expect to come back. I didn't expect to make it as far as I did, never mind to survive Aramov face to face."
"But what if-"
"No buts about it, Brea. I'm telling you the truth. I expected to be dead, I accepted it. I was scare shitless, mind you, but I expected to die. And to be honest, as long as she died with me, I didn't care... well almost didn't care."
"She's really gone. Mei and Jackie hit the floor that exploded after you were air lifted. They founds bits and pieces of Aramov's body. She's really dead. The better news is that word has gone out over the wire that Corneria isn't open for terrorist business anymore, something about to super, kick ass team taking them all down and killing the leaders."
"Akita's death wasn't our hand."
"They don't know that."
"Where did you get this information anyway?"
"Carmen still has a few contacts that warned her to move her ass off Corneria is she wished to live. They told her we'd find her and kill her."
"She knows better."
"Yah, her and Mei are like long lost sisters now. In fact, isn't that them and Bill over there?"
Bryan looked to where Mei was pointing, seeing Mei and Bill sitting on another bench a little ways away. Carmen was to the left of Bill while her little sister played with some other kids in the grass.
"Yah..." Bryan laughed. "If this situation went on much longer poor Mei would have wrinkles. Ever notice that through the entire war she always had some intense look on her face? Even when she was sleeping on the couch."
"We all have our little tells, Bryan. You know mine."
"That little ear twitch thing. I know, used to make me want to grab them and tell you to sit still."
"Like your constant thinking and pacing is any better." She paused. "So, how long do you think it will take for this situation to pass over and everyone on Corneria to forget it?"
"To be honest... I don't think it will."
Brea took a bite of her sandwich. "The wall opens tomorrow, I'm taking you to go see it."
Bryan nodded. "It's going to feel weird to see Ivan's name up there."
"At least it isn't yours."
"Still..." He sighed, letting the sentence hang in the air.
"Remember, it's a tough job. Remember my first day, back on earth? I refused to get close to any of you for fear of losing someone in battle. Then I realized who my commanding officer was."
"And you melted." Bryan answered as Brea got up, sitting herself in his lap, resting her head on his chest.
"Like butter." She whispered, feeling herself drift off.
"Don't fall asleep, you're driving home."
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Bryan's finger's traced the lines of the name embedded into the steel that represented the monument. The Wall of Fallen Heroes was filled with close to fifty names. All of those lost in the combat in both Darkness incidents. The words 'Semper Fi' were written across the top, only to have 'Lost but not forgotten.' written below it.
The once clear sky was now filled with clouds that threatened the city with a downpour. But even as the rain began, none of them moved. Bryan wheeled over to Brea who was standing in front of another name.
"You know you did the right thing, Brea. He would have been mad at you for trading things with them. You know this." He said, hoisting himself out of the chair.
Even while he's legs were still weak, they managed to support him. Mei took a step in his direction to get him to sit back down, but his glare waved her off. Instead, he took Brea into his arms again.
"I still can't help feeling guilty. He died for a just fight... but it wasn't just reasons."
"Aramov ordered me to do it." Carmen whispered from behind them. Brea didn't even look up at her. "But at the last second I couldn't... So she handed him off to the fox team. But she forced me to watch... I... up to the last second, he kept his head up and told those around him that he was proud that he wasn't be traded in and that in the end, his side would prevail. He knew it all, Brea. He even told me before he was handed off..." She stopped speaking. "Oh god..." She cried out, falling to her knees as sobs over took her.
Katt was already helping the girl up. "Get away from me! Can't you see what I've done! I'm a terrorist! I killed innocent people! People with families! She ran up to Mei, pulling the Colt from the holster and pressing it to her gut, holding Mei's hand firmly on the trigger.
"Do it! I deserve it!"
"Knock it off Carmen!" Mei yelled.
"I said do it!" She yelled again, this time pulling the gun from Mei's hand's and point it wildly around. None of them dared to draw their own weapon. In a final act of frustration, she pointed it at her head again, this time she didn't pull the trigger... nothing happened.
"I don't understand... why won't death take me."
"Because, you made up for everything." Katt said, taking the weapon from her loose hands, handing it back to Mei.
"Besides, the safety is on and you have to use the fingerprint identification next to the thumb guard in order for it to cock the firing pin." Mei said, siding it back into the holster before moving to Carmen.
"When you decided to help us, you saved so many lives, Carmen. Everything you've ever done, you made up for."
Bryan sighed, sitting back into his chair.
"Too much excitement, I'm exhausted."
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Through the next couple of months, various attacks were quelled by the men and women of DCTU. With the exception of the Darkness incidents, no one else on the agency roster has died in combat.
Falco and Katt are still together, though the fight often, they still love each other. They also have two kids.
Bill and Mei were later mated, though neither of them moved from the DCTU frat house. They are currently family planning.
Fox and Krystal continued to train and work with DCTU. Krystal always managed to beat Fox at the stealth missions. Fox maintains that she cheats.
James and Lindsay crushed on each other for a month. He'll be taking her to the prom this week.
Carmen runs intel for DCTU now, she's their leading terrorist actions expert. Her sister Mona skateboards down the halls, running into Dean most of the time.
Wolf made it out of the hospital and protective custody all in one piece, he now works full time at a gun smith's shop.
Dracous moved up the ranks of Military R-n-D. He now has Brea's old job and designs weapons for the Military and DCTU.
Dean continues to frequent the bars around Corneria city. He's currently dating a silver wolf he met at a dance club. So far, she's made it clear she loves him.
Silver and Calita moved within two blocks of the DCTU frat house. They now have two kids and one more on the way. Fox is ecstatic.
General Pepper received fourteen awards for his leadership during the Darkness incidents.
Bryan and Brea soon moved a block east of the DCTU frat house and still work full time shifts together. They have plans to start a family.
The Gatekeeper's numbers made sense again, causing the ghastly images to disappear from the Corneria Forensics Complex, thus allowing the place to be re-opened and cleaned out.
After the Darkness incident, the men and women of DCTU received awards from the Military for their efforts to stop the tragedy. For weeks after, their reception desk was flooded with thank you cards, flowers, and gifts, all from the Cornerian people in recognition of their efforts and sacrifice.
At the same time, four people decided to decorate the graves of anyone who died in the war, while two more decorated the Wall of Heroes. And to this day, no one has forgotten:
The Darkness Falls Incident.
-END-
(ring)
(ring)
"Hello?"
"So, how did it go?"
"You! They did just fine... the stronger ones made it out in on piece. They all played their parts."
"And Calita?"
"She still has no clue what she's gotten herself into."
"Good, see to it that it stays that way. We don't' want them snooping into our affairs, got it? You and I know damn well that the minute they smell something foul they'll go looking, and we don't need the extra attention, do we? At least, not yet anyway. For now, let them think they've won. What they don't know, can't hurt us, got it?"
"Understood. But I'm still not sure what your plans are..."
"Let me worry about those. Just know that you'll come out on top, eh General?"
"Fine..."
"Good, now I need to go before this call is traced. See yah 'round General. And remember, Mr. Pepper, I can always find you should you feel the need to screw me over."
(Disconnect)