MASK: Legacy Saga 3: The Fallen
Chapter 6

Author's Notes: We just want to say thanks again for everyone who's been staying on board and reading and reviewing! The varying degrees of reviews really keep us motivated to write more as well as keep the surprises coming. Lisa and I are both working on separate segments that will really keep the tensions mounted as the Saga continues. We'll have more to come in a couple weeks, after I return from vacation. Until then, enjoy the next chapter!

"We've been away too long," Gloria muttered.

"What makes you say that?" Brad asked with an arched eyebrow.

Gloria turned and looked at him before pointing to the scene playing out in the distance. "Your daughter having a conversation with Matt…since when has she been able to say more than two words to him?"

"Ah, but they have something in common, yes?" Jacques commented in his still prominent French accent, nodding his head Scott's direction. "Love is a wonderful thing, is it not?"

"Love does make people do strange things," Gloria added idly, unable to help another look in Brad's direction.

Brad's eyes narrowed in suspicion until Hondo joined the conversation. "Annie's also had a very successful career in the High Mountain Rangers, which may have cracked her shell. Heck," he noted with a smile to Brad, "she'd make quiet a case study for my law students. Rumor has it she's even gotten second command of this team."

Gloria transfixed Hondo with a 'please-tell-me-you're joking' look before Buddy piped in, "Your rumor's headed this way with a definite look of command, and considering Matt just left with Scott, I'd maybe consider that rumor a bit of fact if I were you."

"What rumor?"

Annie's hearing had picked up the tail end of the conversation, and she ran hard and inquisitive eyes over the whole group before stopping at Buddy, the last person she heard speaking. However, it was Brad who broke the sudden silence.

"Just bringing the group up to speed on the command changes. I take it you're stepping in at the moment?" he asked calmly, attempting to diffuse the situation.

Annie glanced over at her father before raking the group over again and replying, "At the moment, yes. So if this entire mission doesn't scare the hell out of you, maybe the thought of my command might." She paused for a full minute before adding somewhat acidly, "I'll turn temporarily blind if anyone wants to sneak out the back door and disappear inexplicably…Matt doesn't even have to know why."

Jess's ears perked up at Annie's heartless request. She couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth, how low did she have to sink right behind both Scott and Matt's back by attempting to rob them of their only hope. "What the hell is your problem! Think everybody just gonna join your little Roxy rebellion and take your side now that the truth is out! You know if that's the sort of attitude your gonna take why don't you just stay behind!"

"Because I never back out of a mission, no matter how grotesque it maybe," She harshly replied back not even bothering to match Jess's stare.

"Oh please," Jess rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "nothing is keeping you here except that stubborn pride of yours, and that fact your not gonna sleep at night until you kill her!"

"YOU ARE OUT OF LINE!" Annie snapped back with her finger in Jess's face.

"Ok girls…calm down." Dust insisted putting a restraining arm on Jess who looked like she wasn't ready to give up the fight. "We haven't even gotten on the battlefield and your already letting this tear us apart from the inside."

"But dad…"Jess slumped on her father giving in, "Roxy's my best friend, and I have to help her. I'm not gonna stand here and listen to this when she can't be here to defend herself."

"Annie…that was taking it a little too far."

Annie ignored her father's reproachful tone and let Jess's little scene roll over her shoulder "Well then, since no one is running and screaming in terror, let's get started. We've got quite a few preparations to make and only a few hours to do it in. I want another debriefing in three and a half hours. Buddy, you've got your work cut out for you getting the older vehicles out of mothball before then."

"I've had worse deadlines," Buddy grinned back.

Annie didn't smile back, instead she lashed out even harder. "Dad, Dusty, Julio, Jess…I need you to give him some support by helping to get our newly activated agents reacquainted with the changes since they've been on duty…and there's a lot of them. You're going to have to work quickly to pull it off."

"I feel that we will soon become one with the machine." Bruce said, with a knowing look toward Alex.

"I believe you may be right my friend," Alex answered in reply.

"You're right," Calhoun nudged Hondo, "Bruce is starting to make sense, we have been away too long."

Annie nodded toward their computer and engineering experts. "My communication skills are good, but they aren't that good. I need you two to help me update the computer systems and bring our newest vehicles into the link, so let's get cracking because this isn't going to be a cream puff job."

As soon as she was out of earshot, Brad became the recipient of several significant "What the Hell?" looks. Before Gloria could stop herself, she said aloud, "That girl has always scared me, and now she scares me even more."

Dusty stepped in as he saw the look on Brad's face darken. "Gloria, don't let Annie rub ya the wrong way. She's been under a lotta stress lately. She's just doin' what she feels is best for the team."

"And she's currently in command of it," Brad answered, shrugging off a stinging reply as he headed toward the vehicle bay.

"He's got a point," Buddy affirmed, "and we better get to work, because if round one scared you, you aren't going to want to see round two."

"Remote communications link activated by user Phoenix. Tracking system now online."

Hondo jumped in surprise as Hurricane's control panel suddenly lit up and started to download several programs from Phoenix's connection all by itself. He very nearly missed stepping on Buddy's outstretched head as he leapt out of the open door of the '57 Chevrolet, staring at it as though it was possessed.

Buddy finished the final maintenance check of the car and rolled out from underneath it, unable to hide a grin at his former partner's startled expression. At the same time, Gloria and Jacques strode toward them with the same surprised look on their faces. Calhoun only looked slightly bemused, yet followed his teammates toward Hurricane to see what was going on.

"Buddy must have renamed my car while I was gone," Hondo commented dryly. "I feel like I just stepped into a Stephen King novel."

"Me too," Gloria added.

"Volcano, she just lights up like, as you say, a Christmas tree, yes?" Jacques rambled, his surprise radiating through a thicker accent.

"Raven doesn't seem to be affected by whatever it is you're talking about," Calhoun shrugged.

His reply came back in the form of a terse radio communication from Annie. "Bruce, I don't see Raven in the radar loop yet…" There was a small pause before she corrected herself. "Never mind, all vehicles are present and accounted for. I'll be off the practice grounds in two minutes and I want everyone in the briefing room in five."

The communications connections in the vehicles died almost as soon as they came on. Gloria glared at Hurricane's dashboard noticed the computer flashing the words 'Run…Operation…X-5937…Yes…Run…Equipmentcheck…. Viruscheck…Engage…. Network…Good…End…' before asking harshly, "What is this, 1984? Big Brother is watching?"

"More like Big Sister." Buddy tried his best attempt at humor to diffuse the growing irritation within the team. "Believe me though guys, you're going to be thankful for the new communications and radar up link when you're on the battlefield. Annie's bike, Phoenix will be able to get to you within seconds if you're in a bad situation."

"Reassuring, isn't it?" Jess asked her aunt snidely as she, Dusty, Brad, and Julio stepped up to the gathering after finishing their own vehicle touch ups.

"Look, I know she's rubbing you all wrong, but let's try to remember that Annie is in command here and not make her life any harder than it already is." Brad shifted a pointed look in Jess' direction before addressing all of them. "Our five minutes is almost up by the way…"

Everyone took the hint and started filing toward the control room, except for Jess, who turned back to see Brad leaning patiently against one of the garage walls. She waved and spouted off one last sarcastic reply. "Been nice knowing you."

Annie let out a deep sigh as she checked the communications up link on Phoenix and at Boulderhill's core terminal one final time before heading toward the conference room. She wasn't at all surprised when her father fell into step beside her, and she did her best to hide how much it irritated her with a limited degree of success.

"Please don't lecture me right now, not when I'm about to enter a really bad command situation."

"Alienating people and pissing them off isn't going to make it any better."

"You're point's taken, okay? Now would you PLEASE," she forced out between clenched teeth and fists, "get in there so I don't have to look like a guilty child with her hand stuck in a cookie jar?"

Brad just shrugged as he acquiesced. "If the shoe fits…"

Annie expelled several deep breaths for a good full minute before she stepped into the control room under a varying degree of warmth. She took her place at the head of the table and took another full thirty seconds to compose her thoughts before she spoke.

"I've been accused," she began, matching her father's eyes, "of only seeing things in black and white. I like my life, and my command, very neat, tidy, orderly, matter of fact, straightforward, and most of all, within some vision of an outcome. This," she sighed deeply, "is definitely not it. This falls into a shade of gray so bleak I can't even describe it to you, it's messier than hell, and I have less than absolutely no idea what will come of it."

She paused, scanning the eyes in the room intently, surprised to find that she had captured everyone's attention in some fashion, so she continued and just let everything on her mind fall out of her mouth. "To be perfectly honest, this mission goes against everything I've ever been taught, and I'd like to be the first one running out that door in terror, but like most of you, I can't and won't do that."

She continued to look up, staring in surprise when she locked eyes with Matt Trakker, who had somehow managed to sneak in on her little speech unnoticed. His expression remained neutral, although her father smirked in approval, Dusty winked, and Buddy semi-hid a thumbs up. So, she swallowed hard, hoped Matt hadn't heard her previous commentary, and moved on. "The best I can do is to reiterate that this mission is not sanctioned by the PNA and could get us at the very least court marshaled and at the very worst, killed."

"Not the cheeriest speech you've ever made, darlin'," Dusty joked, hoping to drain off some of the doom and gloom in the air.

"Best apology you're going to get right now," Brad replied almost inaudibly.

"Annie's right people," Matt said as he took his true place at the front of the room. "This is one of the most dangerous missions we've undertaken, and I need to make sure everyone is on board 100 percent. If anyone has any doubts…"

Matt glanced over at Annie briefly, saw the resolve in her eyes, then looked back to the rest of the team. Jacques answered as he had before. "We said we'd help you mon ami, and we will."

"Very well," Matt replied tonelessly, but his expression belied one of relief. "The transport is ready to leave…anything more to add, Annie?"

She shook her head. "I haven't had a chance to go over the new communications and tracking system, but I can debrief en route."

"Good, then let's get moving." The sooner we can get this over with, the better.