| VIGILANTE'S RUN Chapters 11 - 15 A Bubble Gum Crucible Fanfic - Second in the Series By Craig A. Reed Jr. (trboturtle@aol.com) |
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| Index: | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 |
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The Bubble Gum Crisis OVA's (which this story is based on) are copyrighted by Artmic Inc. and Youmex, Inc. I am just borrowing the characters for a little while for non-monetary reasons. I can be contacted at the Email address above. Serious C&C will be accepted, out-and-out flames will result in a Boomer or two being sent after you, once they get around to building them.Please, enjoy my take on the Bubble Gum Crisis universe . . .
Chapter 11
Over District 8 February 10, 2036 10:31pm "What do you have on the police channels, Nene?" asked Sylia. "It's bad and getting worse," replied the redhead, who was sitting at the Knight Wing's communications station. "There are reports of several Jager Hunter/Killers class power suits in the area, and they're not really choosy about their targets right now. The building Priss' signal is coming from is on fire, and there's been a couple of more explosions from inside. It's a warzone down there." "Any idea what's going on?" asked Linna, who was standing beside Nene. "The Police don't know, but the name 'Nemesis' has been bandied about several times. It could be him." "How are we going to handle this, Sylia?" asked Linna. "We can't just go up against Jagers power suits." "We will try to avoid them if we can," replied Sylia, bringing the aircraft into a gentle turn. "Our first responsibility is to help Priss out of whatever she's in the middle of. But if the Jagers make themselves a danger to the surrounding area, we won't have a choice in the matter." "And what if it is Nemesis down there?" asked Nene. "Do we try to take him?" Sylia was silent for a minute. "Not unless he attacks us first," she replied. "We're not going to do the ADP's job for them." "But the man is a killer!" said Linna. "Every one of his victims has been an active member of a criminal organization," said Sylia. "He's never harmed an innocent." "There's always a first time." "Nene, have you checked on the building's ownership?" asked Sylia, ignoring Linna for a moment. "I didn't have the time for a through check. I managed to find out the building was purchased eighteen months ago by VMR Limited. Nothing on the company, but the only business in the building is the Fu-Shui nightclub." "I've been there," said Linna quietly. "It's one of the hottest club in the city." "If these reports are right," said Nene, her face serious, "then it's going to get hotter. The fire in the building is spreading, and the Fire Department can't get close enough to fight the fire." "We'll be there in three minutes," said Sylia calmly. "Be ready for anything."
Inside Fu-Shui nightclub February 10, 2036 10:33pm It wasn't hard to follow Nemesis - the vigilante left a trail of dead Yakuza gangsters in his wake. Priss glanced at the first couple of bodies they passed, and wished she hadn't. Each gangster had died from a single 12mm round that had nearly cut them in half. She made it a point not to look closely at the bodies after that. From in front of them, they heard the occasional crack of the Gerlitch, inter- spaced with other gunfire, several explosions, and the occasional scream or yell. Priss didn't know if she should be impressed or scared at the vigilante's chilling proficiency with the bulky rifle. Leon held Satoru tightly with one hand, using him as a shield, his other hand gripping his Redhawk. Satoru himself wasn't resisting, preferring being a live prisoner then a dead man for now. Priss trailed behind the pair, her eyes constantly searching for any signs of an ambush. They reached the ground floor without incident and moved slowly across the now deserted dance floor. Priss looked around carefully. "What do you think?" she asked Leon. "I think Nemesis must have eliminated most of the inside security by now." He looked at the Yakuza leader. "Right?" Satoru nodded slowly. He was pale and drawn, looking nothing like the smooth and confident man he had been half an hour ago. "There are still the men guarding the exits, and the Jager units. Nemesis will not leave this place alive." As if to make his point, a flurry of automatic weapons fire came from the direction of the front door. That was followed by two flat cracks as the Gerlitch replied, then a flash of intense light teamed with a loud bang. The three of them stopped. "Flash Bang grenades," said Leon. "Do your men have any?" "No," replied Satoru, looking worried. "But Nemesis does." Another explosion, followed by several screams, glass shattering, and wood cracking reached their ears. After that there was silence. "Stay here," said Leon. "I'm going to take a look." He moved forward, leaving Priss and Satoru standing in the middle of the dance floor. After reaching the hallway leading to the main entrance, he turned and gave Priss the high sign and disappeared into the gloom. Priss tapped the Yakuza member on the shoulder with her pistol. "Don't think of going anywhere," she growled. "I'm not as thoughtful as Leon." "I will not attempt anything," Satoru said in defeat. "Right now, I'm safer with you and Inspector McNichol then out on the street." They were silent after that, until Leon jogged backed to them. "Nemesis made it out onto the street," he said in a normal tone, but Priss saw he was a bit pale. He pointed to an emergency exit off to their right. "Let's use that to get out of here. Nemesis left a real mess behind him at the front door." The trio moved quickly toward the emergency doors. The doors opened easily, leading out onto the sidewalk. The air was thick with the smell of smoke, the shouts of people, and the scream of sirens. Priss looked up and her eyes widen as she saw the flames shooting out from the windows several floors above her. "Let's get clear!" Leon yelled, grabbing Satoru by the arm and propelling him into the street. Priss followed and the three ran across the street and took shelter behind an ADP troop transport. There was an explosion that shattered glass and sent burning debris in every direction. The night air lit up with flame that turn the area almost into day. Priss blinked several times to clear the bright dots that peppered her vision. She slowly looked up at the building and grimaced at the sight. The top four floors of the building were now completely engulfed in fire. Even as she watched, several pillars of flames shot through the roof and reached into the sky. Like a torch lighting up the night, she thought in amazement. Leon wasn't kidding when he said Nemesis had a scorched earth policy. She tore her gaze away in time to see Leon reached out and grabbed a nearby ADP trooper. "Who's in charge?" "Inspector Wong." Leon released the trooper and pointed to Satoru. "That man's under arrest. You and your partner escort him to ADP headquarters, ASAP." "Yes sir." The trooper hustled the subdued man away. Leon opened the door and reached inside for the vehicle's radio. "Daley, it's Leon. What's the situation?" //About time you showed up. Where the hell was you?// Leon smiled at Priss, who returned it with a smirk of her own. "Taking a look at the problem from inside the building." //Inside? You're kidding me.// "I give you all the juicy details later. What's going on?" //About a minute ago, some guy in a black hardsuit came charging out of the front door of the building. He paused long enough to take apart half a dozen armed Yakuza gunmen guarding the front door, then charged off into the night, followed by at least half a dozen Jager battle suits. I've got a major scramble order out to all ADP units.// As if to accent Daley's words, there wasthe sound of explosions in the distance. "Did any of our people shoot at the guy in the hardsuit?" asked Leon. //Negative, and he didn't shoot at us. Let me guess, that was Nemesis, right?// "You got it, partner. If I know our guy, he's going to try and draw those Jagers off into a deserted area, then either lose them, or take them out. How's the surrounding area?" //Well, there's an abandoned apartment complex four blocks in the direction Nemesis took off in. The place is so run down, even the rats don't hang out there.// "Sounds like the right type of place. How many units do we have deployed right now?" //Three ADP TAC teams right here, with two Detachments on the way. The N-Police has four of their own units here too. There are also two ADP choppers and a N-police whirlybird standing by.// "Get the choppers into the air and start tracking our friends now. Leave one TAC team here to round up the survivors, and protect the fire department. Have the Detachments stand by to move out. If Nemesis decides to turn and fight the Jagers, I want to be able to seal off the surrounding area." //You've got it.// The roar of a low flying aircraft interrupted the conversation. Leon looked up to see a dark shape fly low over the building. He looked at Priss. "I think your ride is here." She nodded, watching the Knight Wing disappear into the darkness. "I think the Knight Sabers might decide to give the ADP a hand in this matter." Leon grinned. "It's been a hell of a date, hasn't it?" "I preferred mine a little less exciting." Leon shrugged. "I preferred our dates didn't finish early because either you or me or both of us have to go off to save the city from itself." Priss reached out, grabbed Leon by his shirt, and kissed him. Leon was too surprised to resist. After several seconds, she released him and stepped back. She grinned at the stupefied look on his face. "You wouldn't have any other way, Inspector McNichols. Later." She turned and dashed off in the direction the Knight Wing had been flying. Leon watched her, not believing what she'd done, but enjoying the sensation of her kiss anyway. The mood ended quickly. "McNichol!" shouted a female voice. An ANGRY female voice. Leon closed his eyes and muttered, "Anderson." He turned and smiled at the N-police detective, who was glaring at him from a couple of meters away. "Can I help you, Inspector?" The blonde continued to glare at him. "Has anyone told you you're a pig?" she snarled. Behind her, a chastised-looking Kosaku Sanemori stood watching from the safety of the ADP police car he'd been driving. "Not in the last three hours." "This is a crime scene, not lovers' lane!" Anderson stalked toward him. "Or do you make it a habit of allowing pretty bystanders kiss you?" Leon sighed. "Until about twenty minutes ago, I was on a date, a date with that 'Bystander'. We happen to be inside the nightclub when Nemesis hit it." She stopped less then a meter from him. "And how in the hell do you know it was Nemesis?" "There's not many people wearing black hardsuits with a stylized skull painted on the faceplate running around MegaToyko at the present time, is there?" "You saw him?" "He was as close to me as you are now." "Didn't you try to arrest him?" Leon's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Are you serious?" "Hell, yes. He's a criminal, and you're a police officer, or at least you're posing as one." Leon felt the start of a very big headache coming on. He fought to keep his anger down. "I didn't try to arrest him for two reasons. First, I was in the process of keeping Masahiro Satoru from becoming road kill, courtesy of Nemesis. Name rings a bell?" Anderson nodded. "One of Sato's senior advisers. The second reason?" "The second reason is Nemesis was using a Gerlitch antiboomer Rifle to try and take out Satoru. Do you have any idea the damage one of those rifles will do to a Boomer, let alone a Human?" "I'm familiar with the Gerlitch," replied Anderson stiffly. "Those weapons are too heavy for quick -" Leon cut her off. "Well, Anderson," he said angrily "I've got news for you. Nemesis wasn't having any trouble using the Gerlitch, and there's a number of bodies n that building to prove it. Add the small fact that Nemesis was carrying enough armor on that hardsuit of his to make any threat of force I could muster laughable." "Nemesis has never attacked a police officer." "But he's never stuck his hands in the air and surrendered when told to do so either, has he?" Anderson's eyes narrowed. "Where's Satoru?" "On his way to ADP HQ. Of course, he'll be out before we're finished here, but he's still alive." "And Nemesis?" "He's playing tag with several Jager power suits off in that direction." He pointed toward the direction Nemesis had flown off in. Several explosions could be heard, mixed in with the sounds of autofire and screeches of missiles. "I was about to direct the containment operation. Want to watch?" "All right, Cowboy, you're on." "We'll take your car, if you don't mind." "Fine by me. I borrowed it, and Sanemori, from you guys anyway." "Come on, then." Seconds later, the ADP car, light flashing and sirens screaming, roared off in the direction of battle.
Chapter 12
District 8 February 10, 2036 10:35pm Nemesis dodged another flight of rockets at the last second. The spread of unguided missiles struck a couple of parked cars, turning them into fireballs that lit up the surrounding buildings. Several pieces of debris struck his hardsuit, but he didn't slow to check for damage. He saw a flash of light in the sky, and thought for a second it was another explosion of some sort. But the rumble of thunder told him that nature was involved in its own plans. Finally, a break. A bad thunderstorm will degrade those Jager suits' sensors a good thirty per cent. Should even the odds a bit. There were at least three Jager suits in pursuit of him now, but he knew there was more converging on the area. The Gerlitch was gone, its barrel twisted and useless. The Hardsuit's weapons were also useless, with little or no ammo left. So, he was running full out, dodging erratically and presenting an elusive a target as he could manage. I just need a bit more time. "Sarge, where are you?" //In position at point YANKEE, five hundred meters southeast of you. I've got you on my scope. I also have four, unidentified targets one hundred twenty-five meters behind you, and two more on an intercept course coming in from the north.// Damn it! "How far are the two on the intercept?" //Next intersection.// He looked up, and noticed he was quickly approaching the intersection. He was maybe thirty yards away now. "ETA of the new guys?" //Fifteen seconds.// Nemesis zigged to his right, then cut back left sharply. "Can you drop smoke rounds onto that intersection?" //Already on it.// Three soft thumps followed, then Sarge said, //Smoke away. Impact in ten . . . nine . . . eight . . . .// The vigilante altered his course slightly, heading for a wedge-shaped sports car parked near the intersection. I don't have many options here, so lets try something they don't expect. //Seven . . . six . . . five . . . // As he reached the car, he didn't slow, but leapt onto the hood of the car. The car hood, not designed to hold the weight of such a heavy object, buckled. Another stride carried him to the roof, with much the same result as the car hood. His injured ribs flared in pain, but he ignored it. //Four . . . three . . . two . . . .// As he took another stride, he activated his jetpack and launched himself into the air toward the intersection. "ONE!" Three large explosions occurred three meters above the intersection. Instead of shrapnel, the mortar shells released thick clouds of black smoke that rapidly expanded. As the clouds merged onto one wall of impenetrable smoke, Nemesis flew into the cloud. As soon as the cloud swallowed him, he cut the thrusters and dropped to the ground. When his feet hit the ground, he rolled, ignored another flare of pain from his injured ribs, changed direction, and started running toward the rendezvous point. Behind him, he heard the heavy crack of the Jager's twenty millimeter rifles firing into the smoke. He was clear of the smoke now, his suit powered strides putting more distance between himself and the Jagers. The rendezvous point, a trio of abandoned apartment buildings, was coming up on his left. He could just make out the large truck sitting behind a partially collapsed wall. "I see you, Sarge. Coming in now." //I've got you on visual. The Jagers are beginning to move clear of the smoke.// Nemesis cut to his left, just as the first Jager emerged from the smoke. "Can you keep those suits off of me long enough to change?" //On it. Activating point and antiboomer defenses.// Two dark objects rose out of the truck's roof, swung around in Nemesis' direction, and stopped. The one closer to the front of the truck was the shape of a long flattened box. The other object, mounted farther back on the trailer, looked to be more cylindrical. //Point and anti-boomer defenses are active. First target in range in three... two...One.// On the trailer, the cylindrical object spat a meter long burst of flame. The burst from the minigun passed over Nemesis's head by slightly more then a meter, and slammed into the first Jager suit to come into view. While the small caliber slugs didn't penetrate the suit's armor, the impact was enough to send the suit staggering back. Before the Yakuza pilot could recover, the other object opened fire. A spread of four missiles struck the Jager, tearing large gashes in the armor. The miniexplosions threw the Jager back several meters. It hit the ground hard, and didn't move. Nemesis raced around the corner of the wall, just as an opening appeared in the truck's side, near the rear axles. Without slowing, the vigilante leapt through the opening and into the truck. The inside of the truck was shrouded in red from several lightbulbs set into the ceiling. The forward part of the compartment was a compact command and control station where Sarge monitored Nemesis' attacks. Farther back, the mid part of the compartment was lined with shelves holding weapons and extra ammo. The rear of the compartment held the extra hardsuit in an open-faced locker. As Nemesis unlatched his helmet, he heard the missile launcher on the roof open fire again. Sarge was there, unsealing the hardsuit even as Nemesis removed his helmet. Without speaking, the vigilante stepped out of the hardsuit, wincing in pain as he did so. "You're hurt," said Sarge. "It'll wait." "At least let me look at it, then." "No time for that now." Nemesis moved toward the other hardsuit. "What's the weapon's load?" Sarge sighed. "Minigun is carrying Anti-Boomer load -- set to five-round bursts, three armor-piercing, one explosive tipped, one tracer, last five in the ammo bin are tracers." Nemesis climbed into the heavy hardsuit and began sealing it up. "Missiles?" "Left pod is twelve fire-and-forget SS-3s, right pod is thirty saturation rockets, grouped in cluster of five. Railgun has an extra magazine attached in place of the plasma torch. Vibrosword is still in place." "Good." With the suit sealed Nemesis reached for his helmet. "I'll draw the suits away from here. Fall back to point X-RAY, and monitor the action from there. Keep their communications jammed as much as possible." Sarge nodded. "One other thing you should be aware of, Sir. What Yak communications I haven't been able to jam, I've been listening to." Nemesis placed the helmet over his head. "And?" he prompted. "And the Jager pilots are not Yakuza. They're mercenaries hired by Sato to pilot the suits. They don't give a rat's ass about Yakuza traditions. So, anyone caught in the crossfire is dead meat." "Then I'd better make sure they don't get the chance." "Right." Sarge flipped a switch on a nearby console, and the door to the outside again. "Luck, Sir." Nemesis sealed the helmet and went out into the night.
Over District 8 February 10, 2036 10:39pm Sylia glanced down at the scene below her. The burning building lit up the night like a torch among fireflies. By the look of it, the building was a complete loss. "Sylia!" called out Nene. "It's Nemesis. He's just broken free of the containment around the building, and he's moving east with several Jager suits in pursuit." "They've got a positive ID on him?" asked Linna. "Yes." The redhead sounded distracted. "The ADP is setting up a containment area centering on an abandon apartment complex four blocks from here." "Have you contacted Priss yet?" asked Sylia. "She's online right now. Want to talk to her?" "Patch her through." There was several seconds delay before the familiar voice of Priss could be heard over the channel. //About time you guys showed up!// "Are you all right?" asked Sylia. //I'll survive. What's the plan?// "Can you give me your location?" //I'm two streets off to your left. I'm tracking the ADP on foot. Can you see an empty lot from up there?// Sylia slowed the Knightwing to look at the ground below her. "The only clear area is that abandoned apartment complex the ADP is centering on." //Not good. How about one of the buildings?// A flash of light off to Sylia's right caught her attention. At the same moment, she heard Nene yell, "Someone's got a missile lock on us!" Sylia immediately banked the Knightwing hard to the left, and slammed her hand down on the countermeasures' buttons. Several small canisters shot away from the aircraft, traveled a short distance, then exploded. Smoke, laser reflecting chaff, and small transmitters spoofing the Knightwing's radar image scattered across the night sky. "I'm tracking five missiles heading toward us!" shouted Nene, her voice hoarse with fear. "Impact in twenty seconds!" "Hang on back there!" Sylia yelled. She released another round of countermeasures and push the Knightwing's engine's throttle to full. The aircraft gathered speed in a desperate attempt to escape the missiles. Nene kept a running commentary on the location of missiles. "There's seven of them now... two have gone after the first set of countermeasures. They're using laser and radar guidance to track us . . . " "I'm releasing smoke," ordered Sylia, her voice tense. A billowing black cloud of smoke poured from the tail of the Knightwing, covering the area between the aircraft and the oncoming missiles. Sylia sent the Knightwing into a steep climb. The aircraft responded and started gaining height. "Where are the missiles, Nene?" "Did you see where the missiles came from?" shouted Linna. "NO!" Nene shouted back. Then, in a calmer voice, she said, "Three missiles at fifteen seconds. The others have been spooked by the countermeasures and smoke." "Any identification on them?" "I think they're Type 25s SAMs," replied the redhead quickly. "They can be used by Jagers power suits." "The Yakuza is firing at us?" shouted Linna, a trace of panic in her voice. "They might think we're allied with Nemesis," said Sylia cooly. "But we're not!" "They don't know that. Nene, time to missiles?" "Ten seconds." Sylia tapped the countermeasure button one more time, then banked the Knight Wing hard to the right into a shallow drive, in an effort to evade the last of the missiles. It didn't work. Two of the remaining missiles disappeared in explosions as they latched onto the fake signals of the countermeasures. But the third passed under the countermeasures cloud and bore in on the Knightwing. "Sylia!" Nene's warning shout alerted Sylia that she hadn't been successful. She slapped her hand on the countermeasures' buttons, level off the aircraft and hoped it was enough. It wasn't. At the last second, the missile chose the signals coming from the countermeasure cloud, and dove into the middle of it. The explosion sent shrapnel in every direction, including the direction of the escaping aircraft. The Knightwing, less the one hundred meters away from the explosion, shuddered as several pieces tore through the port engine turbine. Moving quickly, Sylia shut down the port engine before it could tear itself apart. There was some sluggishness in the controls, and she fought to keep the Knight Wing level. "Damage reports," she said, her voice icy calm. "The port engine is damaged," replied Nene, her voice tense. "There's some damage to the portside flaps and sensory nodes." "I'm going to have to land her near here." "WHAT?" chorused Nene and Linna. "I'm not about to risk crashing into a building until I know exactly what's wrong." Just then, Priss cut in. //Sylia! Are you guys all right?// "We're coming in for an emergency landing," replied Sylia. "Nene, find the largest open space nearby." "We have no choice." The redhead became more excited as she continued. "The apartment complex where Nemesis was heading for! It's the only place within a thirty- block radius that has an open area big enough to land the Knightwing!" "There's no other place?" asked Linna. "We either land there, or risk falling out of the sky onto an occupied building." //I'll meet you there,// said Priss. //Priss out.// Sylia's jaw tightened as she concentrated on landing the damaged aircraft in one piece.
Leon slammed on the brakes, throwing all three occupants of the car forward into their safety harnesses. "What the hell?" snarled Anderson, her blonde hair covering her expression of anger. Leon ignored her, unbuckled his harness, and got out of the car. Anderson, followed by a pale-looking Sanemori, also got out of the car. Leon continued to ignore them and looked up as the familiar shape of the Knightwing, trailing smoke, flew in the direction of the apartment complex. Not good. He felt someone tapping his shoulder. He turned away from the crippled aircraft and faced Anderson. "Sightseeing again?" "The Knights Sabers," he said, looking back up at the aircraft. "They're going down in the middle of the containment zone." "So?" snarled Anderson, looking unimpressed. "They're as much wanted by the Law as Nemesis is." "Do you want a four-way battle?" asked Leon sharply. "We've already got Nemesis, Yakuza power suits, and the ADP converging on that spot! All we need are a couple of rampaging Boomers, and we'd be set!" "Leon!" shouted Ko, still looking pale. "Daley's on the line!" Leon leaned inside the car and grabbed the mike. "What's up?" //Someone in a tractor trailer just came charging out of the containment area just before we sealed it off. No ID on it, but it's managed to lose the pursuing AD Patrol cars and disappeared into the traffic.// "Forget that for the time being," said Leon quickly. "Can you see the Knight Wing from your position?" //Affirmative. She looks like she's taken apounding. She's heading for the Southeast corner of the apartment complex. There's enough room there to land.// "Tell the squads in that area to stay clear of the Knight Wing and its occupants. Let's try and keep this a simple war for the time being, OK?" //You'll get no argument from me. Daley out.// Leon replaced the mike into its spot on the dash and straightened. "Break out the stomach guns, Ko." he said. "We're going to go hunting Jagers."
Chapter 13
Drayson Arms Apartment Complex - section south District 8 February 10, 2036 10:37pm Nemesis stayed in the darkest shadows of a ruined wall, tracking the chaos going on around him. His sensors had fragmentary identification of at least three Jagers suits landing inside the bounds of the apartment complex, and his onboard computer estimated that there at least two ADP detachments on the outskirts of the complex. Hopefully, they'll stay out there, he thought. Jagers are almost as bad as Boomers. He glanced at the sensor display again. The nearest Jager is anywhere between two hundred to fifteen hundred meters to the North. I should go see if they can play hide and seek. A crack of lighting made him look up. As he did so, his sensors picked out an object that was darker then the night sky flying over him. What is that? An ADP aircraft? His onboard computer had nothing in its files that matched this object. A Yakuza spotter? Or, maybe a news team's aircraft. Whoever it was, they were in trouble. His suit's audio sensors told him the craft was using only one engine, while his visual sensors could see that the aircraft was wobbling. Flying at about two hundred meters, it was heading for the only open area - the parking lot way off to Nemesis' right. I hate unknown factors. "Sarge, can you hear me?" //Loud and clear. I am at point X-RAY.// "I've got a plane going in for a crash landing to the southwest of my position. Can you ID it for me?" //Affirmative. ADP channels are saying it's the Knight Sabers, and it looks like they took a Type 25s SAM in the engine.// Damn! Damn! DAMN! What are they doing here? "Keep me appraised of their status. If they're here after me, I'll be force to make a run for it. Get ready to cover me if that happens." //Understood. Sarge out.// The clouds were thickening rapidly now, the promise of an extreme thunderstorm clear in the flashes of lightning. Any time now. Moving at a shambling run, the vigilante headed North.
District 8 February 10, 2036 10:38pm The landing Sylia made was probably the worse she ever made. Which meant she did a better job of it then most pilots would have done in her situation. With only the starboard engine still running, she kept the nose of the Knightwing up with through sheer stubbornness on her part. Her target was a fairly level area about half the size of a soccer field, the dirt packed down to the hardness of cement. Large dirt hills and junk piles covered most of the area surrounding the landing area. There was little room for error, and even less time. Sylia managed to keep her voice level as she said, "Nene, Linna, strap yourselves in. There's no telling how bad the landing's going to be. Nene, is there anyone near us?" "Negative. I've got something moving toward us, but it's still seventeen hundred meters away. I think it's an ADP vehicle." "Understood. Twenty seconds to landing." No one said anything as Sylia guided the damaged aircraft toward the landing site. The strain on the starboard engine sent the needle on the tachometer into the red, and the aircraft began to wobble. Sylia gripped the joystick even tighter, straining to keep the aircraft from flipping over. The landing site was clearly in view now, growing larger every second. Releasing her right hand from its death grip on the joystick, Sylia reached down and pulled several leavers back. The sound of the undamaged engine changed as all the thrust was channeled into the VTOL jets. She then lowered the landing gear before she reclaimed the joystick with both hands. Almost at once, the Knight Wing lost both forward and down momentum. The vibration in the joystick lessened some, but Sylia still held it tightly. "Are you two strapped in?" Both Nene and Linna answered her with quick and worried "yeses." At the last second, Sylia pulled back on the joystick as hard as she could. The nose of the Knightwing came up slowly, but it came up just enough to keep the aircraft from plowing into the hard earth. First to hit was the rear landing gear, hard enough to send the Knight Wing bouncing into the air several meters before it came down again, hard enough to rattle Sylia's teeth. The nosed dropped and the front landing gear impacted hard on the earth. Sylia's hand slapped down on the ignition cutoff switch. The noise of the straining engine died away in the night air. For several seconds, she closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. "Sylia!" called out Linna. "Are you all right?" "Yes," replied Sylia, opening her eyes. She unbuckled her safety harness. "Are you two all right?" "We're OK." "Right." Sylia got out of the pilot's chair."Nene, I need you to run the Knight Wing's diagnostic routines. I want to know how much damage we sustained." "I'm on it." "Linna, get the Motorslaves out on guard duty. After that, I want you to give me a hand in checking the damage to the portside engine." "What about Priss?" asked Linna. "Nene?" "Patching you through right now, Sylia." Priss' voice, full of worry and concern, came through loud and clear. //Why don't you answer me? Are you guys all right?// "We're fine," replied Sylia. "We're down and in one piece - barely. Where are you?" //About two blocks from the apartment complex. Where are you?// "We're in the southeast corner of the apartment complex." //Damn! That's on the far side of the block from where I am! It's going to take me twenty minutes to get to you guys, assuming I don't run to any trouble along the way.// "Get here as fast as you can. We've got Nemesis, Yakuza Jager suits and, the ADP all converging in this block. This could be a real mess." //Tell me about it! Leon and I had a close encounter with Nemesis not more then twenty minutes ago. Avoid him if you can - he must have taken out at least a couple of dozen Yakuza gunmen at the nightclub with a Gerlitch rifle.// Sylia frowned. "After we get out of this, I want you to tell me everything you saw. For now just get here." //I'm on my way.// Sylia broke off the connection. "Let's get moving," she told the others.
Pris frowned as she peeked out from the alley. Not again! she thought as she saw the two ADP personnel carriers and their occupants barricading the street half a block down from where she was. She'd seen the Knightwing pass over, wobbling like a drunken bird before she lost it in the cluster of buildings. There had been a moment of fear deep inside her as she tried to contact Sylia and the others and received no reply. Only when she had finally gotten through did she realize that she'd been holding her breath. Now she was determined to get to the team. But she hadn't counted on the ADP response. Scowling, she slipped back into the shadows and grimaced as lighting lit up the sky, followed quickly by the rumble of thunder. Damn! I've got to keep moving! The team needs me! Fingering her holstered pistol, she carefully leaned out and looked up and down the street. At least there's no one else out here. With the exception of herself and the dozen or so ADP troopers, the streets were deserted. There would be crowds later, when it was all over, but for now everyone was staying away, not wanting to add to the body count with their own corpses. MegaTokyo residents learned long ago to stay out of ADP's business, which Priss was grateful for tonight. She inhaled deeply, then dashed across the street to the ally beyond. She listened for Shouts or running footsteps from the direction of the barricade, but heard none. The shadows swallowed her up and she jogged toward the next intersection.
ADP Command trailer District 8 February 10, 2036 10:41pm Leon pulled the pursuit car to a halt next to the ADP command center. Daley walked up as Leon climbed out of the car. The redhead smiled at Anderson, who returned it with an icy glare. Ko just climbed out and said nothing. "What's the latest?" Leon asked Daley, as he tossed the keys to Ko. "Not good. They've got five Jager battlesuits in and around the Apartment complex," replied Daley. "They've got another six on the way, ETA seven minutes." "Where in hell did they get those Battlesuits?" asked Anderson. "Beats me," replied Daley "We can discuss that later," said Leon. He glanced up into the sky. "What's the weather report say?" "Not good. Severe thunderstorms for the next two hours, if we're lucky." "There goes any chance of air cover. Did the Knightwing land safely?" "A Squad from Fifth TAC saw it land in a clearing in the southeast corner of the complex. Looked like it tangled with the Jagers, but it came down in one piece. Our people are keeping their distance for now." "How long until everyone's in place?" "Five more minutes and we should have the block sealed off. But with no air cover, we can't pin either Nemesis or those Jagers down for any length of time. They can just jump or fly over our barricades." Leon looked up at the surrounding buildings. "Get some of our heavy weapons teams up on the rooftops ASAP. It won't be as effective as air cover, but it's going to have to do." "Right. How are we going to play this?" "Carefully. Once everyone is in place, we play it by ear. Maybe Nemesis will cut down the odds a bit before we have to go in." "Or," broke in Ko, handing Leon a Stomach gun. "The Jagers will cut down Nemesis." "Not if he's on the ball," replied Leon, slamming a magazine into place. "This guy has out thought and outfought everyone he's gone up against." "So far," said Anderson in a cool tone. Leon turned and smiled at her. "So far."
Chapter 14
Drayson Arms Apartment Complex - section north District 8 February 10, 2036 10:43pm The Jager teams reformed near the base of the northernmost apartment building. There were only five Jagers suits, Red Wind Three being incinerated by Nemesis back at the nightclub. And of the five, only two were unmarked and fully operational. The overall leader of the Jager teams, Red Wind One, a hatchet-faced man by the name of Malcolm Hijosama, was angry. No, not just angry, Hijosama was pissed. One suit destroyed, three others damaged and they hadn't even managed to get a good shot at their target. His own suit was one of the damaged ones, and his ears were still ringing from the blast on the fourth floor of the nightclub. These were his men, the best he could recruit, and nobody was going to make his men look like fools and get away with it. "Red Wind one to Black Wind one," he snarled into his radio. "What's your ETA?" Black Wind one was Shinji Natamuyo, Hijosama's second-in-command of the Jager force and the closest thing he had to a friend in this world. //Black Wind One . HEre. Our ETA is four minETes, tHIrty SecOnds.// Hijosama frowned. The jamming and the lighting had played havoc with their com- munications since they arrived. If it wasn't for the advanced comm system, the radios would have been completely useless. As it was, the signal from Natamuyo was only under- standable by the onboard computer's dropping in of missed syllables. The result was a result that sounded like a DJ Tommy reject. "That's too long," Hijosama said. //Can't Be hELped,// replied Natamuyo. //The AD. is all OVer the PLace out hERe. If we try blasting our way thrOUgh,we'll have them aLL over us liKe ants at a dinNer PArty.// The Jager leader cursed. He was ready to order Natamuyo to blast his way through the cops and screw the Oyabun's order, but he couldn't. Sato was not a man to disobey on a whim. "Get here as soon as possible. I'll leave a suit for you to home in on. I'm taking the others and try to track down our quarry." //WHat abOut thAt airC.raft We shoT at? Did we hit it?// "I think so. We saw it go down in the southeast corner, trailing smoke from an engine. There wasn't an explosion, so I think whoever it was managed to land the plane in one piece." //WAs iT An ADP aIRCraft?// "I didn't see any markings on it. If we have time, we'll take a look see, but Nemesis is our main target." //UndERstOOd. BLACk WiNd ONe oUT// At least the comm system works at short range with no problems. Hijosama switched channels and said, "All right. Blue Two, stay here and activate your homing signal for Black Wind One to track in on. Blue One and Red Two, take the right. Blue Three, you're with me." That would give each pair an undamaged Jager. "We'll head south from this point. If you find him,try and pin him down, and call for backup. DO NOT take him on alone. I want live soldiers, not dead fools. Got it?" A chorus of 'yes' followed. Hijosama nodded to himself. "Move out."
Drayson Arms Apartment Complex - section southwest District 8 February 10, 2036 10:44pm The Knightwing sat in the middle of the former parking lot. The Motorslaves were on the ground, keeping watch while Sylia and Linna examined the damage. Sylia unlatched the engine cowl for the port engine and shined a small flashlight inside. "Nene, what does the diagnostic system say?" //I've got a red light on the main fuel pump, secondary oil pump, and the primary electrical junction.// The white Knight Saber shined her light in the areas Nene had indicated. She frowned as she saw the damage. "The main fuel pump is severely mangled. You had better double check the secondary fuel system." //Secondary fuel system reads as all green.// "Then switch over to the secondary fuel systems." //Right.// Sylia checked the other parts Nene had listed. The secondary oil pump was only slightly damaged, but the primary electrical junction had been reduced to a pile of hissing wires that sparked every so often. She ordered the redheaded Knight Saber to reroute the electrical systems through the undamaged secondary junctions. After several minutes, Nene asked, //How does it look?// "Not great," replied Sylia. "I think it'll start, but I don't know how long it'll run." She glanced over at Linna. "What are the conditions of the portside flaps and sensory nodes?" "About the same," replied the green Saber, who was on her hand and knees examining the holes in the wing. "About two thirds of the portside flaps' electrical system is useless, and we've lost four out of six sensory nodes." She turned to look at her leader. "Can we get the Knightwing home?" Sylia was silent for a moment, then said, "I think so, but it's best I do it alone. You two wait for Priss. After she gets here, take the Motorslaves and head back to base." "What?" //No, Sylia! We won't leave you!// "I won't risk your lives." "Why can't you just activate the remote and come with us?" asked Linna. "It's not sophisticated enough to compensate for the damage. It could crash on the way home and I can't allow that. I'm the best pilot, so it's up to me." //But you could be killed!// shouted Nene. "We can't leave it here for the ADP police to confiscate, and I want to avoid destroying it if at all possible." "I think Priss should be here for this," said Linna firmly. "We can't wait for her. We have to get the Knightwing out of danger as soon as possible. That is my final decision." The words hung there for several seconds, a pall in the night air. A streak of lighting cut through the air, the thunder following sounding like an artillery barrage. Sylia looked up into the night sky. "We don't have time to argue. It's going to be bad enough as it is without adding a thunderstorm to them. Let's get started on the emergency repairs now."
ADP Command trailer District 8 February 10, 2036 10:46pm "Do we have a complete perimeter yet?" shouted Leon from the doorway of the command vehicle. One of the comm techs looked up at him. "We're at ninety-two percent containment. Fifth TAC is moving into place now. ETA is six minutes." "Tell Franks he has three minutes, or I'm going to be all over him like a cheap sexroid!" "Yes Sir!" Leon dropped from the vehicle's doorway, not bothering using the built in steps. He looked at Daley, Anderson, and Ko, all three who were standing around a table with a map laid out on it. "Problems?" asked the blonde N policewoman. "Nothing that a good chewing-out won't cure," Leon replied. "We move out in three minutes." Ko sighed and glanced up into the sky. "I usually like rain," he said. "But I hate fighting in it." Anderson scowled. "Maybe you'd like the Jagers out there to wait until it bright and sunny," she snarled. "Lay off the kid," said Daley with a frown. "He's not saying anything we're not already thinking about." Leon strode over and looked at the map. "What's the layout of this complex?" Daley placed his finger on the map. "The name of this place is the Drayson Arms Apartment Complex. A victim of the Earthquake, but there's a big legal case that's been keeping this place as is for years. There are four main apartment buildings - North, South, East and West. The West and South buildings are nothing more then rubble, and the other two aren't much better. I suggest you circumvent them if you want to avoid being caught in an avalanche. The center of the complex has a small administration building, and what use to be a park." He tapped the northeast section of the map. "A swimming pool was here, but it's half-filled with rubble. The northwest and southwest corners were a minimall and tennis courts, but they're nothing more then shells now." "What about the Knight Sabers landing area?" asked Ko, as he leaned over the table. "They're lucky. That use to be a parking lot and is the only open area in a thirty- block radius." Leon nodded. "Right. He's how we'll do it. Two squads from each TAC are to move into the complex and establish an inner perimeter. We'll bypass the apartment buildings and head toward the administrations building. Each squad with three K-11s, 12s or 17s for support." He looked up and Daley. "Heavy weapon teams in place yet?" "They should be by the time we move out." "Assign each squad going in a weapon team to act as overwatch. If they see as much as a twitch in the shadows, they can open fire. I also want two more squads from each TAC backing up their team, in case they need reinforcements or a rear guard in a hurry." Daley nodded. "What are you going to do?" "Lead one of the teams in of course. I need you to stay here and coordinate - I want to keep the outer perimeter as tight as possible." He glanced over at Ko. "I'll lead one team, you lead other." "What about me?" demanded Anderson. "You're staying put." "In a pig's eye!" "Sorry, Detective, but I'm going to have enough problems out there with adding a non-combatant to my squad." Anderson pulled her jacket back to show her pistol on her belt. "I know how to shoot!" Leon's hand was a blur as he stepped forward and snatched the N policewoman's pistol from its holster. He held it up. "This pea shooter? Are you stupid enough to think that this is going to have ANY effect on a Jager suit?" She snatched the pistol back angrily. "No!" she snarled. "But I'm not going to stand - " Leon stepped forward until his face was mere centimeters from Anderson's face. "Look, Anderson!' he snapped. "This isn't 'cops and robbers' anymore. THIS IS A WAR! We have nearly a dozen Jager battle suits hunting a hi-tech vigilante with his own battle suit. Add our own local 'heroes', the Knight Sabers, who've landed in the middle of this, and we're facing more firepower then THREE ADP TAC teams! We can't wait, as much as I would like to, for the Jagers and Nemesis to kill each other off. We've got to go in and stop them before they turn this city into their own little war zone. Is this getting through your thick skull?" Anderson glared at him, then turned and stalked away. Daley said nothing until she disappeared behind a personnel carrier. "With that much charm, I'm surprised she didn't swoon in your arms." "She was getting on my nerves," replied Leon with a growl. Daley shrugged. "Do you want me to get on the horn to the local JSDF commander and see if we can get some help?" Leon picked up the stomach gun. "I doubt we'll get any, but it won't hurt to try. While you're at it, see if you can scare the chief into giving us access to some of the serious firepower. If Anderson comes storming back, have her coordinate with the N-Police. The last thing we need is spectators." A flash of lighting, followed quickly by an earsplitting crack of thunder. Daley glanced up at the sky. "I don't think onlookers are going to be a major problem." Leon grabbed several more rounds for the stomach rifle and stuffed them into his jacket pocket. "You never can tell. Ko, let's get going. Daley, stay in contact."
Chapter 15
Drayson Arms Apartment Complex - section south District 8 February 10, 2036 10:48pm Nemesis moved carefully through the rubble, sensors alert for the first sign of trouble. As he passed a slab of broken concrete, he noticed the first few drops of rain hit it. Excellent. Nature's fury is a perfect counterpart to what is about to happen. He activated his radio. "Sarge, are you receiving me?" //Loud and clear.// "Do you have the locations on those Jager suits that followed me? There's too much ground clutter for me to pick them up now." //Affirmative. I have five targets in three groups on the ground, and six more targets closing in. ETA is two minutes.// "Where is the closest target?" //I have two targets, designated Group Alpha, bearing at forty-seven degrees, fifteen hundred meters. There are two more targets, designated Group Beta, bearing at three hundred twenty-five degrees, thirteen hundred fifty meters. Looks like they're trying to catch you in a pincer. The last present target is designated Gamma, bearing six degrees, seventeen hundred meters and is stationary. I think Gamma is acting as a homing beacon for the new targets.// "I'm going after Beta Group. Can the mortars reach Alpha?" //Barely. If they were two hundred meters closer --// "Wait until they are. I'll move toward Beta. When I'm ready to hit them, I'll signal you. I want you to drop two salvos of WP and HE shells on Alpha." //The high explosive rounds I can understand, but the white phosphorus? I'm not certain it'll burn through the Jager's armor.// "But it should burn out enough of the Jager sensor suites to make a difference." //You got it.Sarge out.// Just then, the rain started for real. As the rain came pouring down, Nemesis' sensor picked up something moving off to his left. He stopped in the shadow of a broken wall and turned his head to look in that direction. In his helmet, the figure was a mass of gold and red against the darkness around it, moving stealthily through the rubble. Ever so often, it would disappear behind piles of rubble for a few seconds, then emerge again. As he tracked it, the onboard computer flashed up a series of states about the figure. Let's see. . . . Human, height about one hundred sixty-five centimeters, weight, approximately fifty kilograms. Moving at a thirty-degree angle from me at a distance of fifty meters. An ADP scout? No, ADP uniforms are better insulated then this person's outfit. Yakuza? Doubtful. They wouldn't just send in one person, and they'd be better armed then this one. Let's see if I can identify our guest. He switched from the thermal setting to the starlight. The eerie green glow from the surrounding objects gave the area a strangeness unmatched by daylight. It also showed him the face of the person walking into a killing zone. What the hell is Leon's date doing out here? A couple of lighting flashes heralded the opening of the skies, and the rain came down in a solid wall of water. Nemesis frowned. "Sarge, What's the location of Beta Group?" //I'm not sure. The rain and lighting are interfering with the drones. Last position I had them at was at bearing at three hundred twenty degrees, twelve hundred sixty meters. What's up?// "We've got an unannounced guest." //What?// There were several seconds of silence, then Sarge said, //She was with McNichol when I bumped into him in the nightclub. What is she doing out here?// "I don't know, but she's moving between me and Beta Group." //Shit. What do we do?// "Keep tracking the Jagers. I've got to get her out of the killing zone before Beta gets too close. She won't stand a chance against them." //I'll do my best, but I don't know if it'll be good enough.//
Priss didn't bother glaring up at the sky. The rain had started with a vengeance and it hadn't taken long before she was soaked to the skin. Someone up there doesn't like me. She knew she was taking a risk by cutting through the shattered remains of the complex, but she took it. Trying to work her way around the outside of the police cordon to reach her team mates was a time-consuming failure. Assuming I manage to find a way through the barricades, she thought, the last thing I need is to be seen! Her best chance lay in slipping into the complex now. Even so, getting into the area hadn't been easy. She'd managed to beat the ADP to one intersection and dashed into the rubble and the shadows. Five seconds later, two ADP carriers roared into view and closed off the streets. Priss watched the ADP troopers unload and set up before she moved off into the ruins. The ruins were, for the most part, dark. Flashes of lighting lit up the area around her for a brief teasing second before it all turned dark again. She stayed as close as she could to the piles of rubble without actually tripping over them, but her progress was slow. She held her pistol low and close to her side, though she wasn't certain that the powerful handgun would be effective against military grade armor. She glanced at her watch and frowned. I'm taking too long, but if I try to go any faster, I'll end up breaking my neck! Just then, a massive shadow loomed out of the darkness. At the same moment, Priss heard the sound of stones being crushed under a heavy weight. Her handgun snapped up and pointed at the shadow, but before she could squeeze the trigger, An armored hand reached out of the darkness and grabbed the pistol. Priss, surprised at the sudden movement, stepped back, trying to pull the pistol free. The pistol didn't budge in the shadow's grip. "Interesting place to find you," said a familiar electronically distorted voice. "Or does Inspector McNichol always allow his girlfriends to scout for him?" "Let go of my gun," snarled Priss. "Or I'll pull the trigger." "Do that and you'll bring at least four Jagers down on our heads." A flash of lightning lit up the surrounding night sky. In that brief flash, Priss saw that Nemesis had changed hardsuits. This one was larger then the one she had seen him in at the nightclub, with more visible weapons, but the stylized skull was still present on his helmet. The rain that fell onto the vigilante's suit beaded and left water streaks behind as it dripped off the armor. "What are you going to do with me?" she asked with a hiss. "Get you out of the way. There are two Jagers heading in this direction, and I'm going to have a hard enough time against them without you in the line of fire." "I can take care of myself!" "Against a Jager? You don't stand a chance." A harsh crack of thunder interrupted them. Nemesis glanced at the sky. "Go home," he said quietly. "There's nothing out here that's worth dying over." He released Priss' pistol. "So why are you here?" asked Priss sharply, stepping away from the imposing bulk of Nemesis. She ignored the rain that fell on her. "Isn't taking on the Yakuza suicide?" "You can't kill a dead man," came the soft reply. Then, in a stronger voice, he said, "You'd better go. My suit's sensors are picking up approaching targets closing in fast." "But -" "Go and tell Inspector McNicholto stay out of this. This is between Shikichi Sato and me. This is a war that only one of us will survive. I know the AD Police's strengths and weaknesses - they wouldn't stand a chance against those Jager suits." "Or against you?" "I'm trying to save policemen's lives - including Inspector McNichol. I've seen too much stupidity from commanders kill good men. I don't want any more good men's deaths on my conscience. Now go!" With that, he turned and moved off into the dankness. Priss shivered, though she wasn't certain it was from the cold rain. She stuck her pistol in her belt and debated following him. Better not. He's right about the Jagers. Without my hardsuit, I wouldn't have a chance. Besides, the team needs me. With that thought, she carefully picked a path in the momentary flashes of light that ripped through the sky, then made her way through the rubble in the direction the Knight Wing.
Drayson Arms Apartment Complex - section south District 8 February 10, 2036 10:53pm Leon glanced up at the night sky, receiving a face full of water for his efforts. He scowled and readjusted the rain poncho in an effort to keep dry. It didn't work. Strung out behind him were sixteen ADP troopers, a K-12 and a pair of K-11 armored troopers, all looking equable miserable. He noticed that all the line troopers had slung extra bandoleers of pistol grenades over the shoulders, while half of them had grenade launchers in addition to their own assault rifles. I don't blame them. Jagers are tough enough bastards as it is. If he had his druthers, he would have preferred to be wearing the K-12 suit, butthe Chief had decided that Leon's habit of losing the armored trooper every time there was trouble wasn't "cost efficient." So, he'd restricted Leon from jumping into one unless the inspector had the chief's personal permission. The result was Leon hadn't seen the inside of an armored trooper in six months, much to his disgust. But there was nothing preventing him from leading his people into battle, and he was dammed if he was going to sit back and let someone do it for him. He adjusted the headset he wore. "All teams, this is McNichols. Are you in place?" Separated by a street and several ADP personnel carriers, the mound of masonry and steel waited for them. Portable searchlights were now in place, shining their light beams into the complex and lighting up large sections of the destruction. Large numbers of ADP troopers were racing around the area, setting up heavy weapons and firing positions despite the heavy downpour. As he watched the activity around him,Leon glanced at the large mounds of shattered concrete and rusting steel. He couldn't shake the feel of dread that hovered in the back of his mind. You're allowing your imagination to run wild, he though to himself. Snap out of it. You have a job to do. The other three team leaders checked in rapidly. Once they had finished, Leon said, "I'm going to make this simple. We're here to keep this fight between Nemesis and the Jagers from spreading beyond this area. I want you to move into the ruins, find a solid defensive line and hold it. Does everyone understand?" After the chorus of 'yeses', Leon continued. "If the Jagers or Nemesis happens to approach your position, you give them ONE chance to surrender. If they refused, or open fire at you, return fire. Stay in contact with your backup team, and don't be reluctant to call them in if you need them. Is that understood?" //What about the Knight Sabers?// asked Ko. Leon hesitated. "Use your best judgement if they are sighted," he said without emotion. "We've got bigger problems then the Knight Sabers to worry about. Any other questions?" There was silence on the channel. "We move out in thirty seconds. McNichols out." He broke the connection and took a deep breath. He looked at the rubble again, trying to shake off that unease he felt. The light lit up the night sky. Nemesis, Why the hell did you have to show up here? He looked at his watch, letting the seconds tick away in silence. When thirty had passed, he looked up. "All right!" he shouted. He pointed to the four troopers and a K-11. "You five are on the point. The other half of the squad and the other K-11 are the rear guard. The other squad and the K-12 are with me in the middle. Any questions?" There were none. "Move out!"
Drayson Arms Apartment Complex - section southwest District 8 February 10, 2036 10:59pm Sylia wished she could wipe her brow, but the hardsuit made that impossible. At least I can use two hands for this job, she thought. The pouring rain wasn't helping any, and Sylia was glad the suits were insulated every time the sky lit up with lightning. "Try the rerouting now, Nene," she said in a calm voice. //Right.// There was several seconds of silence, then Nene said, //It's holding, but I don't know for how long.// "All it has to do is last until we get home." "I've finished with the sensor nodes," said Linna from the edge of the wing. "It's not the best in the world, but you'll know if anyone is there." //Are you still sure you want to pilot the Knightwing home by yourself?// There was a cautious plea in Nene's tone of voice. "Yes, Nene. I am still sure." //But - Hold on, Priss is contacting us.// After several seconds of silence, Nene said, //I'm patching her through now.// "Priss?" //I'm . . . .// There was a sound like a sneeze, then Priss said, //I'm cold, I'm soaked to the skin and I have no idea where you guys are. Can you come get me?// "Nene?" //I've got her. She's about three hundred meters east of us, in the ruins.// Sylia looked off the direction Nene had indicated, and cycled through her helmet's settings until she had the thermograph vison. Against the darkness and cold rain, there was a small blob of red and yellow near the base of a steep-sloped mound of rubble. "Priss, I think I see you. Wave an arm." The blob moved, a yellowish appendage waving in Sylia's direction. "I see her," said Linna. "Do you want me to go get her?" "Yes. Take a flashlight, but be careful. We're not the only ones out here." "Right." Linna jumped lightly to the ground and disappeared around the back of the aircraft. Sylia continued to watch the colored blob. "Priss, I'm sending Linna out to get you. Stay where you are." //Hurry up! There's an ugly situation brewing here, and I want out of here!// "What's wrong?" //Nemesis is getting ready to take on several Jagers battlesuits, and the ADP have this place surrounded.// "Nemesis is going to take on Jagers with a Gerlitch?" //Hell, NO! He somehow got himself another hardsuits, and the damm thing's a walking arsenal!// Sylia frowned. "You ran into him again?" //Yes.// Another sneeze followed. //He told me to clear out of here.// Just then, Linna darted out from under the Knightwing and sprinted off in Priss' direction. "Linna's on her way," said Sylia. //Good. Make sure Nene's got a blanket and a hot drink ready when I get there.// //I will,// replied the redhead. Just then, there was a flash of light on the ground, followed by the abrupt rumble of an explosion. Sylia frowned. Looks like the battle has begun.
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