(A/N) Hey guys, again, sorry that we've fallen a chapter or two behind in our stream of updates, but don't worry, now that it's the weekend I should be able to catch up on these updates once more! I'm very proud to announce that Phase One: Genesis has reached 100 favourites since last night, so I'd like to thank all of you that, well, have read this saga and continued through. Your support means everything to us! So, we've got a Wyoming chapter here, written by Xehanorto, so I'll let you read it without further ado!
Enjoy!
Chapter Sixty-Four – What Makes a Leader?
Agent Wyoming
Written by Xehanorto
"Leaders aren't born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that's the price we'll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal." — Vince Lombardi
The air was very tense, the card game that had been taking place just moments before having been abandoned as soon as the Freelancers heard F.I.L.S.S.'s call. Several agents had been ordered to make their way up to the briefing room at once – mostly veterans, but a couple of the new recruits as well. Wyoming was walking in front of the majority of the group, with only Carolina ahead of him, who was more than likely mentally preparing for the mission ahead, if he knew her at all.
Wyoming already had a good guess as to why they had been called together – a new lead on the Crimson Sun. After all, ever since Project Freelancer had been reinstated, it wasn't like they had spent much time dealing with any other threats. All Wyoming could hope was that this would mean they had a chance to catch those CS bastards and take them down. If that was the case, if there was a chance for them to catch Ark and Penn, or even Harper, Wyoming would leap at it without hesitation.
"It's about goddamn time we finally got an edge over them! We've always been one step behind up until now." The conversations that Wyoming overheard from the other agents walking with him were mixed with excitement, anticipation and, from the older agents, grim determination. Whatever was about to transpire, it would more than likely going be the first big mission with a real chance at putting those bastards down since the revival of the project. It certainly wouldn't be an opportunity that he would not pass up very easily, if the chance fell to him.
As the Freelancers filed into the briefing room one by one behind, Wyoming glanced over them, making a mental note of who else had been called. After his name had been called out by F.I.L.S.S., there had been a brief moment of bliss as his mind acknowledged the call, and by the time he resumed listening, the other names had already been passed over. Of course Carolina would be among them, as always. Made sense to send the best agent in, whenever an important mission was at hand. Near her, and on his right, stood the two Dakotas – South scowling impassively, but Wyoming felt that there was something more going on beneath her expression, a sense of impatience, of excitement. Someone was eager to get the show on the road, he felt, but then again he shared her sentiments; he was merely better at keeping his composure.
Standing directly behind Wyoming was the always quiet Maine, just waiting for their dear Director to begin this briefing. To his left stood the rest of others: Virginia, Nevada, Nebraska, California, Minnesota and Alaska. As Wyoming glanced over at them, he noted that the very people the Director had promised would be in his squad were all here; all ready to hear whatever the Director had for them.
This could be his chance to prove himself as a leader to his squad, his chance to prove that he was the one who had what it took to take down the Crimson Sun, that he would be the one to avenge his fallen comrades. Considering everything that had happened since their last investigation at the prison where Sergeant-Major Jira Olumbu had been assassinated, which was essentially considered a failure, they needed some good news, otherwise the match between Cal and Georgia could just be a precursor of what would come next.
The murmurings and small conversations, which had been in progress since F.I.L.S.S. had called them to the briefing room, ceased as soon as the Director walked into the room, all agents present focusing their attention on him. They all knew how serious the current situation was, and they all knew that now was not the time to mince words, or at least Wyoming hoped they did.
"Agents, I will be brief as our window of opportunity is short. Moments ago we received a transmission from Dr Isla Grace, a UNSC scientist, who believes that she is the next target of the Crimson Sun. Her name was, at the very least, on Arkansas' list of targets, but she is convinced that they are already about to move against her, and though we cannot confirm that, we cannot risk the Crimson Sun taking out another one of their targets. You will be sent down to Aurora in two teams to extract her, to ensure that our enemy cannot get to their target."
So, we do have a chance to catch these bastards off guard, Wyoming thought smugly, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the Director, waiting for him to continue with the briefing. He looked over to South and saw that she looked slightly agitated. "Sir, with all due respect, if we have a chance of getting there before the Crimson Sun, shouldn't we send in all of our agents? Minimize the chance of something going wrong?"
Carolina turned to South as every agent in the room looked over at the purple armoured woman. Wyoming was inclined to agree with her, he wanted the Crimson Sun gone, though South was taking away the chance of him getting to deliver the killing blow to Penn or Arkansas.
"South, the Director was also on that list," Carolina murmured, by way of explanation. "If we sent all of our agents down to Aurora, it'd make it a lot easier for the CS to run a hit on him. For all we know, that's exactly what they want. If the Director believes that we can carry out this mission on our own, then we will be able to."
Wyoming grinned beneath his helmet. Unsurprisingly, Carolina had given clear cut, top quality answer as per usual, not even giving anyone else the chance to speak. She was right though; they would be leaving themselves open for failure, for a chance to lose more comrades.
"Thank you, Agent Carolina. Now, if there are no further questions, we can begin." Everyone turned their focus back to the Director, with South mumbling something about Carolina showing off again. It was times like this that Wyoming was glad that South was not to be part of his squad; she was too hot headed for his tastes and her impatience could prove to interfere in more delicate operations, which this one certainly promised to be.
The Director pressed a few keys on the holographic table in front of the collected agents, bringing up the schematics for the building that this Dr Grace was in.
"The compound is multileveled, while the good doctor herself is secured in a safe room in the deepest part of the base, with limited UNSC protection. While there is only one main entry point for the facility, once either our team or the Crimson Sun enters, there are a variety of paths that will lead to Dr Grace, so you must make sure that all routes are guarded carefully."
As the projection slowly changed to the outer landscape of the area surrounding the facility, Wyoming began thinking about how his team could best fit inside the compound. Maine would be ideal for the main entrance to the facility; big brute could cut off his fair share of enemy soldiers before being forced back if it came to that.
Before Wyoming could contemplate further however, the Director began again, marking insertion points. "You will all be split into two teams for this mission. Team A will be led by Agent Carolina, which will include North Dakota, South Dakota, Virginia and Nevada. Team A will be making their way into the facility to retrieve Dr Grace and return to the extraction point."
Wyoming fumed inwardly at the news, having wanted to be the one who was planted on the inside. Arkansas and Penn would do whatever it took to break into that compound, if the outer defence failed, and then it would be up to the inner team to defend the doctor with their lives. Though, it didn't surprise him that the favoured Number One would get the more difficult task. After all, her bloody rank had to protected, right?
Before Wyoming could say anything to the Director, his sourness was transformed into excitement as the Director carried on with the briefing. "Team B will consist of agents Wyoming, California, Maine, Nebraska, Colorado, Minnesota and Alaska. Wyoming will be leading in the field; your objective is to ensure that Crimson Sun forces cannot break into the facility to ensure that Team A can complete the primary objective."
South once again decided to interrupt, which was starting to annoy Wyoming to no end. "What's the matter Wyoming, need the extra help?"
"No, I have to make sure that our enemies don't break in, so they can't easily run over you while you continue to gloat, South. Now, let it go and focus." Wyoming's reply was curt with a small hint of amusement in his voice, but he added it to the mental list of slights the other agent had directed towards him. She'd regret it, one day.
The others snickered a bit at his reply, while South just fumed, before the Director cleared his throat to get his agents' attention once again. "I do not need to remind you that this mission is of the highest priority. Do whatever it takes to see it done, agents, is that clear?"
All the agents saluted at once and prepared to leave, when F.I.L.S.S. interrupted the briefing that was at a close. "Director, incoming distress beacon from Dr Isla Grace's compound, the facility has fallen under attack by Insurrectionist forces."
Not another word needed to be said; every agent who did not have their helmet on quickly attached it to their suits and ran to the hangers like their lives depended on it.
Wyoming glanced back at his squad, a wry smile on his face beneath his helmet. "Well, so much for the element of surprise, and here I was hoping to give them a welcoming gift."
Alaska laughed as the two squads continued their trek towards the hanger, with Team A falling behind Carolina and Wyoming's team falling in behind him. "What, were you going to shout 'Surprise!' or something and then unload a sniper round into their heads?"
Wyoming gave a hearty laugh in response to that, grinning underneath his helmet. "Well, I was planning on something a little more subtle. Either way, the sniper round would still be present."
At least his squad members were able to make a joke, unlike the dullards Carolina had to deal with. That was no doubt down to Carolina's own presence, in fairness, as the Number One was hardly known for her comedic presence. Wyoming thought of the opportunity before him, to prove himself, not as the next Number One, but the ideal leader in hunting down the Crimson Sun, the traitors, the enemies of Project Freelancer.
Maine would have to be placed near the entrance, the last resort to hold off anything that got past the rest of them. He was the tank of the squad, able to take any blow, and if he could hold off a straggler long enough for one of the others to take care of him, than he would do his job well, once the area was clear.
Similarly, Minnesota would have be kept back, behind Maine, in order to make best use of his sniping ability. Wyoming would keep him close, and between the two of them, they should be able to keep most of the heat away from the entrance, with Maine mopping up whatever remained.
Cal and Alaska would need to be put closer to the front lines of this operation, as Cal's hatred for the enemy would prove very beneficial in getting him to clear a path straight to the compound, while Alaska's calculating mind would prove a great asset in directing Cal's rage at the Crimson Sun.
Then Colorado and Nebraska, both relatively unknown factors in his mind, at least. Neither had really shown so far, in his opinion at least, but they had, at least, shown a basic competency. These two would have a drive, maybe not for the same reasons as himself and the other Freelancers, but a drive nonetheless. After all, they still had a lot to prove, and he'd make sure that they knew that. People willing to push to gain either respect or revenge would go that much farther than those without that drive, and Wyoming could use that.
As the two teams of armoured men and women climbed onto the pelicans, Wyoming chuckled to himself as the others looked at each other, no doubt preparing themselves for the fight that was about to come. Oh, Wyoming hoped that today would be an end to the Crimson Sun, and that the traitors of Freelancer would pay for their crimes in blood, repaying the blood they spilt.
He still had a debt to pay, after all.