Chapter 28: Justice Bringer

It was close to noon when everyone was coming back to the military base. This operation happened quick, like everyone anticipated. But nobody ever thought it would go downhill like this.

Omega Team Two were the ones who were most devastated. They all sat in a truck headed back to base. Everyone was down, but nobody in that truck was way worse than how Christine felt. She always thought that getting her brother back wasn't easy, but now she might not get him back at all. However that feeling was the same for the others. It was their one shot at getting them back but they didn't manage to make it far.

8.50 in the morning, Omega Team Two were keeping an eye out on the airport ever since they got into position, waiting for the enemy. The 5 friends were either excited, angry, motivated or petrified at the eyes of death just waiting out there. Just like in the simulator, Sykes and Cassie were with them keeping a lookout around the airport as well.

Out of everyone, Christine was the most terrified. Not only thinking she might die, but also to the hands of her own brother who might not even realize who she was just like in her nightmare. As Sykes looked at her, he turned to Cassie and nodded at her direction. "Don't worry, I'll tell you guys if something's up. Most probably Assault Team are gonna have the first word." Cassie nodded and went to Christine.

"Nervous?" Cassie asked. Christine nodded slowly, holding onto her gun like her life depends on it. "I remember my first operation. I was scared as hell just like you, if not worse." She looked at Sykes who was watching the airport with Cato and Riki and Gumball sitting behind them with Lexy. "But I'd say I was thankful for that first mission. Even though I screwed up big time, but there's always a bright side, like my first time Sykes talked to me. We were the same team, me and him. He gave me the strength to carry on. We grew close overtime. Maybe you can find that with your friends. They might give you the will to carry on."

Christine looks at her friends who were despite being scared, they didn't show any signs of nervousness. "We're all nervous the first time around. We just gotta keep moving up." She looks at Cassie who was smiling with a beaming smile. But the smile didn't last long.

Meanwhile, the others were keeping an eye at the airport.

"This counts as an airport? It's just a bunch of hangars and a runway." Lexy said.

"They said it was an airport, I'd rather not have a fight about it." Sykes said.

He turned around and noticed Gumball toying around with a little dart. "You might not wanna play with that, kiddo." Sykes said, looking at him.

"What is this?" he asked. "It's a tracking beacon. Stick it at a truck and you can easily tell where the truck's headed off to." Sykes answered, looking into his binoculars again.

"How long can it hold onto the truck?" Riki said.

"Once it sticks, this thing won't come off. It can only be deactivated and that is by shooting it or turning it off on our own."

"So why did we bring it?" Cato asked.

"You'll never know when you might need it."

Then, the comms started buzzing.

"Alpha squad to all personnel, we got hostiles coming in through the entrance. Stand-by." Everyone heard Sgt. Red's voice through the comms. Now they grew even scared, but it didn't show on their faces. Christine tried as hard to not let it show. She started thinking about something other than death. Like how furious she was when she found out Eric, her own brother, is now a mind-wiped criminal and probably doesn't remember her anymore. This alone got her pumped up to save him from all this madness. "Wait for them to take the HVI's out to avoid any casualties."

"I see cages in the truck. Wait...are those kids in there? These guys are psychos."

Everyone looked at each other and waited for the call to move in. As for the assault teams, they laid there watching them bring the cages out and towards a regular plane. Finally, the moment of truth began. "Alright, weapons free! Take 'em out!"

A burst of fire were heard and bullets can be seen flying through the glass of the hangar. Omega Team Two took out the hostile support from the side and pushed in. "Omega Team Two pushing in for support." Sykes said over the comms.

The comms started buzzing. "Omega Team One moving in for support." "Copy, watch your fire, we got friendlies incoming."

They went through the side door and they already see the assault team pushing through. Alpha, Bravo and Charlie squads all move in without hesitation as the criminals pushed back with the hostages. There was no catwalk to get above, so they had to provide support from the same level as the others were. However, the more they pushed, the faster the cages were being put into the plane.

As they finally make it to the runway, the engines were already starting. "We need to push in or we're gonna lose them!"

Meanwhile, Christine saw two criminals running out to the plane on their side of the hangar, one in front of the other. She was just about to aim her gun over their direction, but she saw that the second criminal had green fur. "Eric?" Christine was now hesitant of what to do. Shoot or chase? She didn't have much time to think and finally ran towards them.

"CJ, where are you going?!" Lexy shouted.

"Jackson, get back here!" Then followed by Sykes. Despite that however, she still ran right for them, gaining more ground on the person at the back.

Lexy couldn't stare any longer and decided to follow her. "Guys, cover me!"

"Wait, no!" Cassie shouted but was too late as she already bolted.

The assault team couldn't push on without the cover fire they needed. Everyone heard Sgt. Red fuming through the comms. "We need cover fire! We can't push on!"

Omega Team Two were split on what to do. Sykes and Cassie decided to keep an eye on the plane to make sure it doesn't go airborne. Then, Riki finally came up with an idea. "Gumball, pass me a tracking beacon."

"What for?" Gumball asked.

"Let's not debate about it and just give it to me." Gumball did as he was told and now even Riki chased after the two girls.

As the first criminal finally made it to the plane, Christine finally caught up to the second and tackled them to the ground. Both of them ended up rolling and landed beside each other. Christine was the first to get up and pointed a gun at the criminal. The criminal looked up to face her and both of them were shocked. Her suspicions were right. It was Eric.

Lexy caught up to the duo and noticed the first criminal coming back for his partner. She saw Christine just standing there with a gun pointed at the downed criminal. "CJ, wake up!"

Christine got back to her senses and saw the first criminal bolting to them, not with a gun but a grenade. He threw the grenade in between the two and it started blinking and beeping. Both of them then got pushed back in different directions. Christine ended up landing on Lexy while Eric landed right in front of his partner.

He went in front of Eric and popped open what appears to be a blue force shield to protect him and Eric. Eric looked up to his partner as he got up.

"Thanks, Strike." He said.

"Not now, get in!"

Eric ran into the plane with Strike behind him.

Meanwhile, Omega Team Two saw the Assault Teams running towards the plane. However, time was short as the door started closing and the plane slowly moving. All the support team could do was sit and watch the plane moving away from them and the dead bodies strewn all over the place.

Riki made it to Lexy and Christine but also noticed the plane moving away. He had one shot at this. "I hope you're right, Sykes."

He took out a dart gun and loaded the tracking beacon. He aimed for the plane and finally pulled the trigger without wasting time. The dart-shaped beacon went as fast as Cato could run and got stuck on the side of the door. However, it was so small, Riki couldn't make it out whether they got it or not. He let out a sigh of relief and hoped for the best.

Unfortunately, the plane managed to go airborne leaving everyone at the hangar and airport behind. Riki turned to Lexy and Christine who were getting up from the ground.

"You two alright?"

"Yeah, we're good." Lexy said.

Although noticing Christine's still shocked expression, Riki decided not to question it. Then, a roaring voice was heard at their direction. "Jackson!"

Red walked towards the trio fuming and with no hesitation slapped Christine at the face. "What the hell was that, soldier? You just compromised the entire operation!"

Blu came up behind him and tried to calm him down. "Hey, ease up, man. Kid's trying to save her sibling."

"Avoiding orders are not to be tolerated in the battlefield!"

"Yeah, I know. I get it, and I'm not any less mad about this than you are. But let's just get back and debrief to the chief, alright? Don't need to waste energy right now."

Surprisingly, that got Red to back off and walk away with his team. Christine cupped her cheek where she was slapped at and looked at him as he turned around. "Thanks."

"I saved your ass once. Don't make it a second." And Blu walked off. Christine was left there shattered as to think that all this were her fault. Lexy put her hand on her shoulder as they walked back to their team waiting for them at the hangar.

Meanwhile in the plane, Strike and Eric just barely made it in. Both of them were panting behind the door.

"What the hell was that, dude?" Strike yelled.

"What?" Eric asked, confused.

"You didn't move at all, what happened?"

"What do you mean what happened? You saw it, I got tackled." Eric fought back as best as he could.

"And you didn't move a single muscle afterward. I had to use one of my impulse grenades to get you out of there." Strike commented. Finally, Eric was lost for words. "What happened, Haywire?"

"You wanna know what happened? That girl that tackled me, it was my sister." Eric finally said with tears almost flooding his eyes.

"What? But she's dead. Right?" Strike asked. Now, he's the one who is confused.

"I don't know anymore."

Strike now felt bad for him and got up after a few minutes of silence.

"C'mon. Let's get some rest."

Strike got up and then so did Eric as they walked to a room where the kids were being kept. Sad for them, they had to be the first few people to keep watch on them while they head to their HQ. Despite that, they made a deal with the others, sat down and took turns sleeping.

"What happened?" The commander asked Red in with his voice so loud, everyone outside the room could hear him, including the three boys. Lexy decided to stay with Christine to make her feel better.

"We didn't get the cover fire we needed and they escaped with the HVI's. All this wouldn't have happened if it weren't for those liabilities." Red said.

"I don't want to hear excuses, sergeant. In the heat of battle, if one plan doesn't go well, then you move to the next. But it seems to me that you don't." The commander said putting some senses into him.

Red stayed quiet along with the other team leaders, including Sykes.

Gumball, Cato and Riki were sitting outside the room waiting for Sykes who asked them to wait. They could feel the tension just listening to the commander.

"You know, for a place to do a debrief you'd think the room would be airtight?" Cato remarked.

"Dude, not now." Gumball said.

"Okay, what do you think will happen?"

"If a miracle, we get a second chance. Worst case scenario, we get kicked and leave all this to them." Riki said.

"It looks like we need to form a new plan to get them back. But now they're at the facility in the Carribean, it's gonna be harder." The general spoke out.

"Hmm...maybe this setback isn't as depressing as we thought?" The commander said.

"What do you mean, sir?" Blu said.

"A new objective. To stop this from happening again in the future, we need to take down the source."

"So that would mean not only do we have to save the kids, but take out the entire facility as well?" Sykes concluded.

"And how do we do that?" asked the leader of Bravo team.

"How do you capture a snake?" The commander asked, calmingly placing his hands on his table.

"Shotgun?" Red said.

"No, capture its head."

"Yeah that makes way more sense. Take their leader, and we should gain control over the facility to take it down easily." The general remarked.

"So now we're gonna have to capture their leader who we don't even know." The leader of Charlie team asked.

"That's the only problem. We'll have to dig this one through enough before we can execute. But sadly time is of the essence. You're all dismissed for now. Except for you, Sykes."

Everyone left except for the commander himself and the general. As the leaders walked out, they noticed the three boys sitting outside the door and gave a salty stare. Red gave the worst. Sykes walked out and towards them.

"You guys might wanna come in." Sykes said.

Gumball, Cato and Riki followed him in and met with the general and commander.

"So you wanna tell your side of the story?" The commander asked.

"Long story short, CJ - I mean, Jackson - saw her brother who was kidnapped a year ago and ran towards him. Probably trying to save him from all this mess." Cato answered.

"Well that selfish act didn't really work out from what I've heard from the rest." The commander commented. They looked away, not daring to meet his gaze at the moment. "However, I think we can let this slide. Thanks to that, we can accomplish a much bigger task." He continued.

"What bigger task?" Riki asked.

"We're gonna take down their brainwashing facility once and for all." The general answered.

"So now we're stuck with helping you guys for your cause." Gumball said.

"One, it's not just our cause. We're doing this for the families who have lost their loved ones. And two, isn't that what you've been doing?" The commander retorted back.

Gumball took a few seconds to figure out what he said. "Eh, fair enough."

"So we or you gotta come up with a new plan, huh?" Cato asked.

"We don't have to. I already have one." The commander said. "We just have to make sure our intel is correct."

And that's all for now. Not gonna lie, this is getting a lot slower than I thought. Hope this is gonna go well soon. Also, sorry for the hiatus. School and all that got in the way. And if you're asking where the hell this is going, I ask the same question sometimes but I'm trying to make it as clear as possible for you guys. Anyway, drop a like and a comment down below and I'll see you in the next chapter.