A.N.: If I were to estimate, I would say that there are approximately four chapters left if not shorter. *thumbs up* Has been a fairly long ride for me. This is like the first time that I have ever written so much (except for this really weird story I wrote back in six grade...). Yeah, I'll just leave it like this because I'll say more when we actually reach the last chapter.

Additionally, I apologize for the email problem. I don't know what happened with but there had been some sort of problems when I post the story that resulted in the inability to send the automatic email notification *Shrug*. I hope whatever it was has been fixed (unless it's a problem on my side..

Anyways, onwards!

When Bear woke, all he felt was numbness and a stabbing pain in his right leg. He grunted as he opened his eyes. He couldn't see anything. Everything was black. It took him a while to realize that a black cloth was draped across his eyes. He could make out small blotches of light, here and there, scattered across the thin veil of the cloth. He couldn't move his head. His hearing felt distantly distorted and he heard the continuously, almost rhythmic chopping sound. He lifted a hand to remove the cloth to get a view. As soon as his hand was lifted a few inches off the ground, his shoulder screamed in protest and a stabbing pain erupted across his forearm.

"Lie still," Someone instructed him, pressing his hand back onto the cool metal.

Even though his mind was still groggy and out of focus, the conscious part of it was alert. Enemy? Was he captured? He struggled to sit up but let out a pained grunt as he tensed his muscle.

"Lie still, Bear" The same person insisted, his voice a little hard, "You're going to rupture your wounds further."

They know his codename, Bear realized with a start. But whoever it was did not sound menacing. An enemy in disguise? His instincts somehow doubted it. Then who was the man? His voice sounded familiar.

Where am I? Bear wanted to ask but it came out more like a grunt than an eligible question.

"You're in a helicopter to the hospital." Somehow, the man must have realized what he intended to say.

Hospital? Bear racked his brain to remember what happened. They were in a cell. Then K-Unit came, they got out. He went to get Coyote along with Wolf. He left when Coyote and Wolf went to retrieve the information. He barely got out of the exit before he was hurled forward by the explosion. Then nothing.

"Where's Wolf and Coyote?" Bear grunted. Did they make it out before the explosion? They must have.

"Wolf's in the other helicopter," The man said, hesitating in the end. The sentence seemed to be left hanging in the air.

The voice suddenly clicked with a certain man in his memory. Agent Belworth. So they had gotten out safely. So was it a mission success? When his brain finally started to function properly, the truth and realization hit him. The mission itself was a half-success. K-Unit and M-Unit had to get them out. And…he felt his heart constricted as memories of Ferret and Leopard flickered across his mind. That was right. They were dead. J-Unit didn't exist anymore. But for some reason, it didn't hurt as much as before. While in the cells, all he thought about was them. Their memories, first time meeting each other, getting across training, bonding, and the incidents with fourth members. He had gone over everything, believing that it was Coyote who took them away. Coyote did, he didn't save them when he had the chance.

"Does it honestly take a death for you to understand a person's value?"

Sudden memories of Ferret saying it flashed before his mind and he closed his eyes. He told himself that he didn't like Ferret. Everything the man did seemed to be opposing him. He didn't know what he did wrong, nor could he find out. Ferret was always pushing against him, arguing and fighting with him.

But Ferret was right, Bear had to admit. Ferret, Leopard and him were the core of J-Unit. They had been unit members for longer than others. If he didn't care about Ferret, he wouldn't have felt the stabbing pain when they died. It was more than guilt. But now that they were dead, he couldn't tell them how much they really were to him. All that was left of J-Unit him. And Coyote…

"Where's Coyote?" Bear questioned. Agent Belworth mentioned Wolf, but not Coyote. Was he somewhere else?

"About Coyote…" Agent Belworth said, hesitating again and, not knowing why Bear felt tensed, his mind nearly going overheating with all the possibilities of the answer to the question—none of them were what he wanted-, "He-"

"Agent Belworth, we're landing," Someone called from close-by.

"All right," The agent replied and Bear heard him shifting slightly, "I'll pay you a visit sometime later if I can. Then we'll continue our conversation. Hopefully."

Bear swore that the man sounded relieved to be able to evade the question. He clenched his fist. Coyote…

"Thirty minutes ago, a small unidentified compound near the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral was blown up. The explosion took its toll on the ancient cathedral. The west side of the cathedral has caved in by the impact. Fifteen had died and thirty-two were wounded presently. The police are still searching for survivors from the explosion."

The man sat before the television screen, the lights were switched on in the living room, casting the yellow light on the pale face of the man. If you looked closely, you could probably see the small frown that flickered across the man's features every now and then.

"Now to Mark who is currently at the scene. So how are things there, Mark?"

"There are police and ambulances everywhere," Mark took over. The man could hear the loud siren in the background, "The police are still trying to figure out what was the cause of the explosion. We don't know exactly who or what caused it so the area around it has been strictly taped off. The cathedral was hosting a musical night when the explosion happened and many people were buried under the debris. Rescue teams are trying their best to get the survivors out. We have totaled seventeen deaths right now and thirty-seven wounded."

The camera switched to the blazing compound next door and the man froze the screen and zoomed in. He could make out small black figures standing outside the ring of fire while the firefighter doused the fire with gushes of water. He didn't find the figure that he was hoping to see but he did find the man that he saw earlier yesterday.

"So they did go," The man muttered, even though he knew that they would.

"You were literally asking them to go," A second man sitting next to him said, "Why wouldn't they?"

"A small part of me was hoping that they wouldn't," The man said, his tone soft but firm, "The cathedral is a historical monument after all."

"Why, of course I will put the life of someone I know before this building." The second man mimicked his voice though failing terribly, "That was exactly what you said."

"I didn't command them to take action," The man said, shaking his head slightly in faint amusement.

"So did they get that Rider boy you mentioned?" The second man asked, sitting back against the couch.

"I don't know."

"You should go see him if you're really that hung up with him."

The man's piercing blue gaze made him cringe inwardly, "I'm not."

"Then why did you care?"

"Because I know him."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"What about his father?" The second man asked, "I thought you knew his father."

The blue gaze intensified, "Who told you that?"

"Chill," The second man laughed nervously, "Don't get so worked up."

"Who told you that?" The man pressed.

"I met this man a few days ago in this school," The second man sighed, "I worked in the police force with him. We were investigating on the school because of a previous suspicious event. On top of that, we do some investigations on you as well, since you boldly blew up a nearby hangar on your last escape attempt."

"That was a year ago," The man muttered, "Go on."

"When I asked the man what he knows about you, he told me that you had links with John Rider. Of course, he told me that you are a paid assassin and all that, but he added that on later. I honestly don't know why he would want to tell me that."

"Your cover has been blown," The man said nonchalantly.

"What?" The second man was shocked, "But I acted perfectly fine."

"Do you think someone will just tell you something that normal civilians won't even know about?" The first man glanced at him, his gaze seemed to pity his low intelligence.

"Don't give me that look!"

"But this is interesting," The man smiled, "This man you mentioned has officially gained my attention."

"Is that good?"

"It's considered an honor," The man said as he unfroze the news, letting it skip to where it currently was, "Send my application to the force tomorrow, I want to meet the man personally."

"You sure?"

"When am I not sure?" The man said as he turned his attention back to the news, the light from the screen reflecting back from his blue eyes.

"But this is not paid."

"I do a lot of things that are not paid," The man said, giving him another pitying glance, "Just like giving you a place to live temporarily."

"Hey, I give you information and go undercover for you," The second man exclaimed though he didn't sound offended.

"You don't even know when your cover is blown."

The second man threw up his hand in exasperation, "I give up! You know, you're a bastard."

The man was silent for a moment, "Am I?"

"What name should I give them for the application?" The second man decided to change the topic.

"Anthony Evans." The man replied after a moment of consideration.

"That name is common," The second man said but proposing no objection.

"That's the point exactly."

"You should have picked a name to your initial," The man grumbled, "I mean, what kind of name is Anthony Evans?"

"You have a name for me?"

"Yorick Gerard," The second man said, "With initial of YG, don't you like that?"

"No."

"He might still be there!" Wolf yelled as Fox and Snake pulled him back, toward the helicopter, "You can't just leave him!"

"I know," Fox replied quietly, "We have a search team on the job already. It's time to go."

"He said he'll find another way," Wolf's eyes were fixed on the ruin of what was once the compound and the raging fire around it, "He said he will get out…" It came out no more than a hoarse whisper.

The firefighters were doing their best to extinguish the fire, but the speed was painfully slow. All the while, Coyote could be trapped in there! Wolf clenched then unclenched his fist, never feeling such hopelessness ever since Lynx died. This was a repeat, wasn't it? The God punishing him, for whatever he did, by making him watch someone close to him die. Someone close to him. He felt the stinging sensation in his eyes and looked away. Since when did Coyote come into his circle? He didn't know.

"Oh, so you love me." Coyote mimicked the voice of a high pitch person and flapped his hand, batting his eyelashes as if being flirted with, "Oh, Wolfie, I never know that! But I am sorry, I don't date guys."

Why? Wolf curled his fists in anger. Wolf never liked him. Everything Coyote said made his irritation go up a shot. Everything about him made Wolf dislike him.

"It is a theory, not an idea!" Eagle corrected him while wagging his finger, "What if," He deliberately paused, "Coyote actually wants Wolf to hate him?"

If he was ever given the chance to simply rant about everything he hated about Coyote, it would never end. He hated Coyote simply because of his sarcastic response, his way of turning everything he said, the way he embarrassed Wolf in front of others, evading questions, hiding secrets, reminding him of the painful memory of Lynx...And making him worry, giving him the whole save-the-world shit, throwing his life in danger just to save others, and stubbornly refusing to change his mind.

Wolf hated Coyote so much. Maybe that was the reason why tears were not sweet but salty, bitterly salty as if trying to convey his inner feelings. He felt bitter, bitter that Coyote had just waltzed into his life and left without saying goodbye, leaving him standing there waiting for a simple greeting that might never come again. Why was Coyote so determined to be the 'good guy'? What was the point of throwing your life away? He thought that people life and did things for their own goods, not for others. Everyone their own after all. Or was it all wrong?

"Wolf," Fox snapped his finger in front of his eyes, "Get in the helicopter."

Wolf numbly complied, glancing back at the slowly diminishing fire. Somehow, it reminded him of life. It was bright and fierce from the first moment, but soon it would die, disappearing, and only the scorched ground would remember its presence. He inwardly chuckled. Maybe he was getting sentimental, yeah, that must be it.

"Fox?" Wolf asked.

"What?"

"Do you think he's still alive?" Wolf didn't want to hear the answer. He didn't even want to listen to anything about Coyote anymore, but he just had to know, to know what the truth that everyone else was believing in.

"Of course he is," Fox's replied took Wolf by surprise. He turned his gaze toward the former-SAS spy, "Coyote is alive."

"How do you know?"

Fox wasn't looking at him, but when he asked the question, the man did, finally meeting his eyes, "Because he is Coyote."

That was all he said and was willing to say before the helicopter took off. Fox's gaze seemed to be a little distant, just like Coyote's every now and then. It was as if they were going back in time mentally, looking through the periods of time that was forever etched into their memory. Wolf glanced out through the clear panel of the helicopter. He could hear the rotating blades above them, slicing through the thin air, propelling and supporting the craft as it slowly sped away. The large cathedral right next to the compound below them was not entirely preserved. The side had a large caved-in hole caused by the uncontrolled explosion. He could see the whirling lights from the cars and the small dots of the moving crowds of people. There were flashlights and torches shone everywhere across the darken ground. The sun was nearly set, its final ray casting over the gaping hole in the tall building. A hole that would take time to mend. To heal.

Mrs. Jones sat in the chair, listening as Agent Daniels finished his debriefing. The man sounded and looked tired, not that Mrs. Jones could blame him. The rescue mission had turned disastrous, but she knew that it wasn't as disastrous as the man put it. They had retrieved the information.

Fox presented her the gun and she took it, glancing at the disk lodged in the barrel. It would take Smithers ten seconds to take it out and get the information on the disk, she wasn't worrying too much about it. She set the gun aside and glanced at the agent.

"You have something else to say?" Mrs. Jones asked.

The agent nodded, "It's about Alex."

"Go ahead," Mrs. Jones replied, sitting back in the chair.

"We haven't found him yet," Agent Daniels replied, his tone hesitant, "He might have been…killed in the explosion."

"What about the search teams sent?"

"No findings yet."

"Ask them to keep looking," Mrs. Jones instructed, "He is still there."

"Pardon me but, how do you know?"

"He has the luck of a devil," Mrs. Jones replied without missing a beat. This was Alex they were talking about after all, a teenage spy who had successive mission record on his documents, even though the majority of the missions weren't really official or sent by them.

"If he gets back, may I ask for you to stop using him?" Agent Daniels asked. Mrs. Jones knew that it took courage and determination to actually voice that thought.

"That will be impossible," Her reply was curt and to the point without any note of apology, "I have a mission already prepared for him. He is best put to field. As soon as we get our hand on Pirmors, it will not be necessary for him to stay in Brecon."

Agent Daniels stayed silent.

"Dismissed."

Have you noticed just how short the chapter was? Next chapter will definitely be longer because I have things planned.

Thanks for all the reviews, favorites and follows! Next chapter will the official thirtieth chapter and I'll make my review-reply section as planned~