Summary/Disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Fractured State. Enjoy the 900-word chapter. I don't own RvB, Rooster Teeth does.
(Bjorndal Cryogenic Research Facility, 2 hours before The Twins)
Texas was starting to realize the Space Pirates could fight and they could fight every bit as well as a Freelancer.
Will caught another of her punches, pivoted and elbowed her in the solar plexus before tossing her to the ground.
"Your every bit as tough as the Chairmen said…. And I recognize that fighting… former navy?" He asked, cracking his neck and knuckles while Texas cracked her back.
"Marines." Texas answered while Will nodded.
"Former Helljumpers… Guess only the best soldiers go private… Truth be told, I don't give a damn about these rebels… An entire battalion of them could stack up to 4 of me… My groups only in it for the money… Me…" Will said before Texas rushed him and launched a dropkick which Will blocked, but slid back.
He was impressed, he had tried to ground himself and keep his center of gravity. He was fighting a pro.
"I'm in it to tour the galaxy, fight the good fight and a paycheck… I have ethics… They and morals don't pay the bills." Will finished before he rushed and launched a butterfly kick which Tex dodged.
Will landed in a crouch while he noticed the bomb she had planted and turned to look at Texas.
"You were planning to blow us all to hell…" Will said, he was roundhouse kicked to the ground and then backflipped to his feet.
"You talk too much." Texas said before Will nodded and drew his SMGs before firing them both. He watched Texas dodge the rush of bullets with a roll.
Texas backflipped away and rushed away as more Rebel soldiers finally arrived and chased after her while Will watched.
"Merc, Command wants a word with you." Will heard over his suit's radio as he reloaded his SMGs. He put them on his thighs and then grabbed his shotgun, pumped the handle to eject the used round and put it on his back.
"I'm on my way back…" Will said and walked back, looking at the bomb and seeing it hadn't been armed fully.
He would leave the bomb to the Security soldiers and talk to Command; he had a paycheck to get.
"Texas, huh? She sure fights like she's from there…" Will said while he walked back towards the platform to get his reward.
(Lower levels)
Texas clung to a support beam while the platoons of soldiers raked over the entire rig for her, she thumbed her radio for a channel not compromised by the Insurrectionists.
"Agent Texas, report." She heard from the director and she answered while waiting for the Pelican to arrive.
"The mission is a failure, sir, the entire rig is alerted to me… Requesting pickup…" Texas reported before she looked up.
"Report back to the Invention… What about that Mercenary you encountered on the rig?" The Director asked before she saw the Pelican pull up. She leapt into the back before the pelican shot into the sky.
"He's elite and they have equipment like we do…. Whoever Charon hired for them, their damn good…" Texas stated before she looked at the rig.
"We're have to adjust our tactics… We're have another team deal with the objective… We have another mission for you, Agent Texas… But we need a debrief on this mercenary you encountered…" The Director stated, Texas looked back at the rig which was fading into the distance.
"I'll have one ready for you when I arrive back at the Invention, sir." Texas stated before the doors closed over the back of the pelican which vanished into the distance.
(With William)
Will entered the command center of the rig and took a seat. There was no call to remove his helmet, every single merc that was employed by Charon was already in their database.
"Lieutenant Carson, your report?" He heard from an encrypted voice: Command.
"Single Freelancer, killed 6 of the security soldiers. She left an unknown device behind…" Will reported in, he heard a slight clearing of the voice.
"Were you able to learn anything about the device?" Will heard from command, he sighed and put his hands on his hips.
"No… Not really, I'm a mercenary, a hired gun… Not a bomb expert…. These Freelancers are a lot more than anything you said…. They're beyond what you've shown us…" Will stated, the Freelancers were different, they were skilled soldiers, and Will knew better then to take them lightly.
"That's why I hired mercenaries like you… I'm a business man… Not a soldier, you're my answer to the Freelancers…. I have another assignment for you and… 'XI' as the team has called your Artificial Intelligence fragment…. Don't make me regret allowing new fragments to destroy the freelancers." Command said, Will rolled his eyes under his helmet.
"Spare me the rhetoric, sir… What's the mission? I need a paycheck." Will said, not knowing the reaction he would get.
Author Notes
Phew, another chapter done! I want to point out that Will isn't better than Tex, but I want to show that the Space Pirates are Charon's answer to the Freelancers and they can handle the Freelancers, next chapter will show Mason and Tex preparing for their missions and set up the Blood Gulf chronicles. Until then, Lighting Wolf out!