Enter Miko Part 5 of ?

Brutal Revelation


The trek back to the haven of the Longbow carrier was rattling for Gunny.  He lead the group gun gripped tightly in his hands, the but against his shoulder.  His eyes scanned the surroundings, only stopping to inspect shadows.  Without their cloaks they were in a lot of danger.  It was the only way to keep their new companion with them though.  He looked back and found the blue clad woman trailing him with Sarah bringing up the rear.  Both looked winded, both looked hurt.

“Down.” Gunny put his hand up in a fist and then put his palm to the ground and lowered it.

Both women did what he said without hesitation.  Sarah scanned the area searching like she’d been taught, and their companion, this Malta Hawk breathed hard as she looked to Gunny.  They were at the end of the park platform, looking down on the beach and across to the open water.  What they saw was not good.

“They must be tracking me.” Malta Hawk said still catching her breath, “They provided me with my arms after I ruined my last ones.”
“I figured they had some kind of tracking unit on or after us.  But to get here so fast ahead of us.” Gunny trailed off.

The beach was being combed by two squads of seven Malta Operatives with a commander and an engineer for both units.  But there was one who stood apart from them, a lone figure between the two squads. Gunny knew exactly what he was, and it did not bode well.  He waved them all behind the small wall that rose out from the water along the edge of the pavement.

“Gunslinger.” Gunny whispered as Sarah came to crouch next to him.

Her eyes widened as she understood why her father was so nervous.  These men were Malta’s elite soldiers, armed with side-arms that made even the flashiest rifle in Paragon seem like a pellet gun.  Gunny racked his mind for a simple solution, and he didn’t like any of them.  It was obvious, they would need a distraction.  And one of them would have to be the bait.

“We part ways here.” Gunny turned to the women, “I will go and draw their attention.” Sarah began to protest but Gunny waved his hand, “No kid, you and she are getting to that boat, that’s the mission now.” Gunny looked back at the city for a sniping position that could be easily seen and settled on the second street corner up the beach road, “Once you hear the shot, you move.”

Gunny unhooked his cloak device and handed it to Hawk who in turn took it with little hesitation.  Sarah’s face flushed as she looked at the ground, tears welling in her eyes.  Gunny walked Hawk through the activation of the device and told her how to move best so that the device could keep up with her motion.  

“Sarah.” Gunny put his hands on her shoulders,”You do this; I’ll buy you that car you have been wanting.”
“Bribing me?” she whispered harshly.
“Yeah, well, a little.” Gunny smiled and kissed her on the forehead.

Gunny signed some hand motions to Sarah before he backtracked to the hotel and then plunged into the city.  Sarah put a hand on her earpiece and waited for the ready.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Arachnos troops screamed as a wave of black fire rushed over them.  They had formed a line on the other side of the wall, first line crouching and the second standing behind them, guns and energy clubs blasting shots at the fiery wall.  Many of their comrades now lay fallen before them, giving them ample cover for the time being when the next few would die.  A hundred feet behind the battle line the seer stood with her second, the widow.  Both laughed as they screamed for their troops to march.

“Forward for Recluse!”

Two figures charged the Arachnos formation from the south block, one vanished before they met the ranks, but soon reappeared striking the widow with a savage blow to her back, paralyzing her.  

“Heroes!” the Seer screamed with rage as the widow’s wail filled the air.
“I am not a hero!” Shade screamed turning to the Seer, her eyes fierce.

Miko ran into the midst of the troops and performed her ‘Dragons Tail’ maneuver.  She crouched down on one foot, and then spun herself in a circle with her other leg outstretched, knocking down all foes too slow to move.  She came up with the same leg across another soldiers head and put him down.  She moved further into the ranks, sliding between soldiers who tried to strike her, but she managed to evade every blow.  She took out several more guards before she had to barrel roll into them with her flight the give herself breathing room.
Shade brought her fist down hard across the Seer’s lidless helm, and grinned as she heard a resounding crack.  She broke the woman’s arms and then slammed her fist into her gut, silencing the scream.  She turned and saw her sister in the midst of the Arachnos soldiers, taking them down almost faster than they could come at her.  She spat on the body at her feet and slowly walked towards the action, melting into the air.
Sentinal had brought down his wall of fire, encased in his blackness once more, strode through the heart of the ranks, putting down all who got in his way.  Malta troops were now advancing in support, their guns blazing.  Miko could see Sentinal coming straight towards them, and she began to sweat.  She did not want to fight that man.

“Getting nervous sister?” Shade laughed with delight as she appeared out of thin air, striking two soldiers down behind Miko.
“Sentinal is coming.” Miko stated, kicking another soldier down, “And there is no end to these troops in sight.”
“More sheep to feed the wolves.” Shade grinned as she broke a soldier’s ribs.

Miko jumped into the air, somersaulted and brought her feet down on a crab spider soldier, and he collapsed under the attack.  Shade picked up two soldiers and threw them into the other soldiers around them.  Bullets zinged passed them, most found home in Arachnos soldiers, some ricocheted off the concrete.  Sentinal disappeared behind a wave of Arachnos, but re-emerged as his fire fell over them.
Shade hissed as he entered the circle of conflict housing Miko and her.  She tore into the soldiers around them, moving away from the man.  Miko had thrown one man into the fray and turned to bring another down with a spin kick.  Her eyes met Sentinal’s and she chilled to the bone.

“Hero,” he spoke in a low monotone “If you’re here to cause Malta trouble, then you got another thing coming.” He turned and sent his fire into some men that had charged him and hollered at Shade, “And you, what are you doing helping this hero?”
“Contract is to kill the spiders.” Shade grunted as she took a hit and returned it ten-fold, “They said nothing about Statesman’s cronies.”

Miko smiled as she plowed into more minions, slowly making her way towards the docks.  Sentinal followed her like the living shadow he was.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Gunny perched himself on the small outcropping of broken concrete that over looked the beach almost due west of where Sarah waited.  He toggled his sniper rounds, slowed his breathing and took aim down the sight of his gun.  The Gunslinger he’d put down first, drawing their attention, then assuming he could get a second shot in before they fired on him he’d take one of the engineers before they could set up an automated turret.
The shot rang out like a bell tolling.  It struck the Gunslinger right on the back of his neck, and he dropped like a stone.  Gunny dialed in his next target, seeing through his sight that they had turned and were marching towards his position, scanning with their guns.  As he locked the engineer in his sight, the first shots were fired back.  They’d found him too soon.

“Damn it.” Gunny breathed squeezing the trigger as he rolled away.

He got up and ran back down the small service ladder, hopping off near the foot of it, grunting hard as he landed on the mess of roadway.  He ran forward up the rubble hill diving onto it before he crested and became visible.  He could hear boots scuffling as they hit the pavement, toggling his regular ammo and switching his rifle to a semi-automatic setting giving him three shot bursts.  A huge explosion shook the earth around him and he didn’t need to know what it was.  Sarah had acted.  
Gunny jumped to his feet, seeing over the crest of the rubble, the tail end of the operatives was no more.  Six remained standing, looking around as the commander continued to charge up the hill, his pistol drawn.  Gunny fired a shot off hitting the man in the torso, slowing his march slightly as he fired shot after shot in return.  Gunny felt the hits on his left arm and down his leg, but continued firing until the man went down after three more bursts.  The second engineer had almost finished setting up a turret as an arrow struck him in the back, sticking out of him perpendicularly.  
Sarah was advancing on the operatives from where she had been waiting, drawing another few arrows from her quiver as Malta Hawk ran across the beach towards the Longbow carrier which was closer to shore than when they had left it.  
The body of the engineer fell onto the turret, and luckily for his comrades his hand glanced off the starter switch.  The barrels whined into action as it rotated on its small disc platform, finding a target.  Gunny felt the rubble at his feet get torn up; debris pelted him as he fell back under the crest.

“Get down Sarah!”

The turret lost sight of its first target, and began to track for the next.  Sarah yelled in surprise when the turret finished firing on her father, seeing him fall.  She took a bulging tipped arrow from her quiver and notched it, pulling the string back.  It was slow motion in her eyes.  The turret slowly came to rest on her as she let the arrow fly.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Miko reached the remnants of the Arachnos front line as the Malta soldiers raked it with relentless gunfire.  She felt a round hit her on her left side and decided to fall.  She landed behind a brute of a man’s body, and it shook as stray rounds hit it.  What was she doing, charging a wall of gunfire like this?  She looked over her shoulder as Sentinal strode back towards the docks, yelling over his shoulder.

“Bring up the prototypes!  Drive them back, I can’t keep this up!”

He stopped as he came to stand right over Miko.  She looked up at him as the fire swirled in the air, gunfire passing by him.  His eyes found hers and they stared at each other for a while until the earth began to shake.  An echo resounded off the walls, a great explosion.
Miko watched in horrid fascination as two huge biped robots strode past them.  Their three pronged feet left prints in the concrete and from their shoulders small seeker missiles roared into the sky.  Their hands were gattling cannons, the barrel spinning so fast, it looked like it was spitting fire from the barrel’s end.  Miko had never seen these before.  These had to be some of the perfected titan models.  Which meant she was coming up on the end of her mission's time.

“Girl.” Sentinal looked down at her again, his voice a low whisper, “Get up slowly, I will cover you.”

Miko nodded despite her instincts screaming at her.  If this man wanted her dead, he’d have tried by now.  But something about him gave her pause.  She brought herself up slowly, first onto her elbows, then to a sitting position, and finally rose to her feet.  Everything around her was consumed by blackness as Sentinal let out a roar.  Miko flinched as the fire swept out and over everything.
She opened her eyes after a moment, and found herself standing right in front of him.  She was looking directly at his throat, and could see scars.  She titled her head and looked into his eyes, red as blood.  His face was covered by a cowl and his hat’s brim flapped in the swirling fire about them.
Miko was taken aback, she was engulfed in fire!  She looked around, standing as still as possible, the fire that engulfed him and now stretched out in a two foot radius from him.

“Don’t worry girl.” He said looking down at her, “I may not be the toughest thing in town, but you won’t find a person who can control the black flame like I can.” His voice was almost friendly now.
“Why are you hiding me?”
“You’re here to sabotage the Malta lab right?”
“In a manner of speaking.” She replied returning his gaze.
“Good.  So am I.”

Miko had to keep herself from stepping away from the man.  Was he really a rogue?  He took her in his arms, almost picking her up, as he began to move back towards the docks.  Miko looked over his shoulder the way she was facing, and could see the Arachnos troops being pushed back furiously as the two titan robots advanced.  She saw Shade still fighting in the midst as the robots closed on her.
Miko relaxed her craned neck, and looked to the side, at the fire swirling about them.  It felt like water on this side, and ran over her as such.  It burned everything it touched, but here, inside, it chilled her to the bone.

“What about Shade?” she asked, craning her neck to look back again.
“She can handle herself.” He laughed, “This isn’t the first time we’ve had a run in together.”
“What?” Miko asked looking up at him.
“You probably don’t remember, but I was there for the reunion.”

Miko racked her brain trying to remember.  She had met this man before, at a reunion?  No, maybe he meant Shade, not her.  No, he just said all three of them had had a run in.  So who?  She looked up at him again, and found the scars on his neck.  Her eyes widened as the memory came flooding back to her.

“You can’t be him.” Miko whispered, “She ate your soul.”
“Yea, she did.” He looked down at her, “But she woke up the previous host.”
“Host?”
“Yes.  This body has housed many of the people from my plane of existence, where everyone is a ‘Sentinal’ and wields a measure of power.” He held her tight as he stretched one hand towards the docks and waved it in a circle, “I am Sentinal Black now.  And I fight the good fight.” the air around them became furious as the fire whipped about in tornado-like fashion, “Get ready to fly lucky angel.”

The fire exploded outwards again and threw the crates on the dock away and the few operatives nearby were thrown into the water and against the walls, knocking them out.  Sentinal threw Miko into the air and she willed herself higher as he charged into the nearest group, throwing his fire about.

“Door’s down here!  I’ll get it open!”

Miko landed on the roof and leaned over the ledge as Sentinal made it to the building.  She landed next to him as the doors blew inward.  He charged in without hesitation, slamming into the door guards at blinding speed.  Miko ran after him, and took down some guards further in.  It wasn’t until they entered the main room that they stopped in their tracks.


Big Robots


“I’m beginning to think my contact overestimates me.” Miko breathed hard as her eyes roamed over the robots in the center of the room.
“Yeah,” Sentinal chuckled, “I don’t think I could take these guys solo either.”

The perfected titan class robots sat in a harness in the center of the room, five of them to be exact all with their backs facing a huge pillar in the center.  Each was standing in a harness with wires and cables running off parts of their chassis into a bank of computers that sat in front of each one.  Men in lab coats typed away as they their screens scrolled data at astounding speeds.  Malta operatives were spread all over the inside of the room, like guards.
Miko ducked to the ground and crept along the wall to sit behind some crates as Sentinal poured fire around himself, blending into the shadows.  Miko eyed the scientists and noted they were not Malta, but Council.  They wore the insignia of their Reich on the left shoulder of their coats.  An operative stood behind each one, all wore the gunslinger ‘sombrero’ and held one pistol at the ready.  Klaxons wailed and every soldier turned towards their position.

“Alert.  Alert.”  A robotic voice resounded in the building, “Longbow intruders detected.  Arachnos intruders detected.  Repeat.  Alert.  Alert.”

Miko looked at where Sentinal was and nodded to him, signing she was going in.  He returned her gaze and raised an eyebrow, mouthing something to her.  She could imagine what it was, probably ‘You’re crazy lady’ or something to that effect.  She reached into her cowl and rubbed her hand on the tracking beacon, reassuring herself it was still there, and more importantly, in one piece.

“Sentinal, light them up, I’m heading for the robots.”
“Just don’t die.” He sent his flame outward from his body and took down the nearest soldier, “I just tackled a whole platoon of spiders, and I don’t have much left in me.”

How true that was, she didn’t have much in her either.  She jumped over the crate gracefully and used her flight to get a running start as Sentinal rushed from the shadows behind her.  Shots zinged by her so close she felt the heat on her face.  Sentinal yelled as his fire consumed everything within arms reach, and Miko plowed through a soldier too slow to move out of her way.  She felt a few shots hit her, but she forced her thoughts on the task at hand.  All she had to do was pretend to hide from the gunfire amongst the robots, place the beacon in a crevice or open cavity if she could find one and then get out in one piece.  She’d worry about Sentinal when it was time to leave.
She used her flight to barrel into another soldier and then kicked off of him and up over the bank of computers, and then landed right in front of one of the robots.  She ran up beside one and heard shots pass close to her as she squeezed behind on of them.  Gunfire crept after her; a few bullets ricocheted and hit her, though luckily, none had gotten her near her head.
She felt around the backside of the chassis and found a small cavity on under its back plating, and slid the beacon inside, pushing on it with her finger as hard as she could to make sure it stayed in.  Satisfied that it was secure, she slowly eased herself out into line of sight, and brought up her bracers as she charged down from the stand.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

“Sergeant, take this woman to the command deck now, she has Intel on the Malta plant here in Warburg.” The Longbow deckhand almost pushed Malta Hawk towards another Longbow agent who turned about slowly.
“Thanks, I owe you.” Gunny gave a quick salute as he headed back to the ramp, “I have to get back out there, one of my team is still out there.”

Gunny ran past Sarah who followed him back down the ramp and into the skiff.  They sped off east and angled up when they rounded the southern corner of the island, heading straight for the docks.  Gunny angled the engine so that they’d come up alongside the part of the dock that faced out into the water, and was surprised to find it lightly guarded.  
They eased up alongside the dock, and Gunny killed the motor, and was surprised when he heard a klaxon wail.  He didn’t motion to Sarah, but moved past her and hauled himself up onto the dock.  After he made it over, he stayed down on his knee, scanning for hostile players.  He was surprised to see a full scale battle raging out by where they had left Miko.  Arachnos and Malta soldiers were fighting, and a rogue was moving away from them, and heading towards the dock, limping as it ran.
Gunny looked to the base and saw a door on facing towards them and decided to go in.  He waved to Sarah who followed him in.  They noted that the Malta patrols and guards were stationed on the edge of the dock facing the city, Arachnos was demanding their attention.  When they reached the door, Gunny peered inside, and the alarm sounded in response.  He could hear gunfire inside, and could see some guards at the end of the short hall aiming inwards; down another hall no doubt.

“Rogue.” Sarah cautioned, looking back towards the lone figure that was making its way towards the warehouses.

Gunny turned and knew exactly who it was.  The one Miko had stayed behind to fight.  If this rogue was still here, then Miko must be in the cruiser hospital, assuming her beacon was working or worse, captured in a hostile cell, and even more worse, dead.  He was going to find out where, and this rogue was going to tell him.
She didn’t even stop to see if they were there.  Her body was covered in blood and burn marks as she came towards the door.  If she did know they were there, she didn’t care.  One step before the door, she stopped cold.  Gunny stood in the doorway, his cloak fading and his rifle’s barrel right between her eyes.

“Where’s Miko?” Gunny kept his voice low but his intention clear, “You get one chance.”
“You must be the man.” Shade smiled, “She took off in the mayhem, along with the other one.” Shade turned her head from one side of the door to the other, “Come on little girl, I know you’re there.”
“Where did she go to?” Sarah said, on the further side of the door from the city, “Tell me.”
“I believe she went in here, to complete her mission.  She left me out there, she left me.” Shade turned her eyes back to Gunny, “Did she tell you who I am?  I bet she forgot to mention to you about her sisters.”
“She told us about them.  But she didn’t say anything about you.” Gunny said taking a step into the building, Sarah rolled in after him, under the barrel of his gun, “Who are you then? Malta’s hired goon?”
“Yes.  I am a hired goon at the moment.  But I intend to see Miko one last time before I leave here.”
“Why?” Sarah peered around the doorway.
“She has made me an offer, and I have yet to give her my response in a proper fashion.” Shade cocked her head from side to side cracking her neck and smiled, “You two are safe, Miko is the one I want.  Stay out of my way, during this, and I will give you a head start afterwards.”

Gunny dropped his gun and turned into the building, advancing at a quick pace with Sarah in a startled tow.  Shade walked in behind them, and smiled.

“Truce for the meantime.” Gunny said not looking back, “I need to get my team, and get out.”
“I hear you.” Shade breathed.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Sentinal was quite a remarkable person.  He had fought Arachnos almost single-handedly and was now providing her with cover in the form of his own body.  Miko was leading their backtrack charge towards the door, taking down the guards that had come in after them when the klaxons wailed.  Sentinal held up his hands as he followed her backwards, a wall of black fire in front of him, catching the gunfire and burning them instantly away into smoke and cinder.
She had her bracers up in front of her, feeling bullets bounce off them, and winced as the others hit her body.  She had many thanks to give Serge when she saw him next, and much more thanks to give the doctor.  She peeked over her right arm and saw that the next pocket of soldiers was fifteen yards down the hall, and she didn’t want to take many more blows to her body, so she decided she’d fly into the fire, and hope she hit them, before they hit her.

“Sentinal, I’m running ahead, watch yourself.”
“Yeah, sure.” He said nonchalantly.

Miko launched herself forward leaping into the air before using her flight to carry her ahead.  She kept her bracers in front of her, but the air resistance and the gunfire that bounced off them made it hard to keep them in front of her face.  Her shoulder was hit and the bullet stuck, and she grunted as another skimmed her leg and bounced off her foot.  By the time she reached the guards, she felt like she had become swiss cheese.
She delivered a solid kick to the first soldier, and then dropped to the ground, and rolled into the next one’s legs, bringing him down.  She jumped up, somersaulted and brought both her heels down onto the third.  She limped as she landed on her injured foot, but forgot about it as a fourth guard rounded the hallway corner with a grenade in his hand.
Miko was too far from him to stop the throw in time, and too close to get out of the blast radius.  So she did something she hadn’t done in ages, she closed her eyes and prayed to whichever god would listen.  She flinched when she heard a gunshot sound off, and opened her eyes to see the grenade roll out of the soldier’s hand detonating a few seconds later.  Sentinal came running up behind her and with both arms scooped her up and kept running.
They rounded the corner and ran right into Gunny, knocking him flat on his back.  Sarah gasped in shock as Shade instinctively brought up her hands to guard.  Sentinal looked at the three of them each in turn before setting Miko down and then he turned to face the hallway corner.

“Nice shot Gunny.” Miko said still in mild shock.
“You guys need to watch what you run into.” Gunny said adjusting his helmet and dusting himself off as he got up.
“You get it done Miko?” Sarah asked, hope in her voice.
“Yeah, we’re good to get out of here.” Miko put a hand on the girl’s shoulder.
“You ladies get going.” Sentinal said over his shoulder as he crafted more dark fire into a wall, “Hey soldier man, you got bombs handy?”
“Yeah, I was going to do that either way.” Gunny kneeled down and pulled from his pack a few proximity bombs.
“Arachnos was getting thinned out pretty good, we don’t have much time before the Malta boys come back to clean house.” Shade said turning and walking back towards the door.
“Let’s go.” Miko gently pushed Sarah after Shade, nodding to Gunny as the three left.

Gunny turned back to his mines, setting them along the walls at ten foot intervals.  Once Sentinal began to withdraw slowly from his fire-wall Gunny began arming each bomb in turn.  He didn’t like this guy.  Something about him felt fishy.  But then, anyone who wielded powers he didn’t understand he didn’t like.  As he set the last bomb, he stood and un-slung his rifle, motioning to the door, getting a nod in return.

“You may be fighting alongside her,” Gunny spoke low “but that doesn’t mean you’re with us.”
“I understand your apprehension.  But please, I’m with you.” Sentinal kept facing forward as he replied.

Gunny grunted as he looked towards the door, and the three women crouched around it.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

She stood on the railing of the boat, looking out at the island city, her heart thumped hard against her chest.  Her hands tingled as she flexed her mechanical fingers.  She looked down at her waist to her small signal receiver.  Her heart skipped a beat as the device began to beep.  
Malta Hawk looked back towards the way she had come, and saw the massive barge slowly disappear behind the east side of the island.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

“Their friends are here huh?” Shade snorted as the barge settled alongside the dock.
“How are the odds now?” Miko looked at Gunny.
“Can’t you see?” Gunny tilted his helmet back and scratched his forehead, “Sarah and I can get out easy enough, but you guys are going to have some fun.” He pointed towards the city where everyone could see the Malta force returning to their positions.
“We get to do what we do best now,” Shade locked eyes with Miko “we get to show them true fury.”

Miko stood and followed Shade out onto the concrete, charging towards the city as fast as they could.  Sentinal sighed as he followed them a moment later.  Gunny reached over and switched Sarah’s cloak on before he switched his.  Sarah began to get up but felt a hand on her shoulder.

“You are going straight back to the longbow carrier.” Gunny spoke harshly, “There is no argument here.”
“We have to help them get out of here!”
“You’re not.  I am.  You’re going to get out now before everything goes to hell.”
“But!”
“No!” Gunny yelled and tightened his grip, Sarah flinched, and “You get to complete the mission.  I’m going on worst case scenario.  Go now or so help me,” Gunny trailed off as he ran out through the door, dragging Sarah by the arm.

She stayed silent but fought quietly as Gunny pulled her towards the toll and the city.  She saw the others, Sentinal was fighting the soldiers coming off the barge as Shade and Miko were in the street, putting down the returning soldiers.  Gunny let go when they reached the dock gate, and pumped off a grenade that hit the deck of the barge, sending a handful of soldiers flying.

“Sarah get out now!” Gunny yelled, barely able to make out her wavering image in the air, “Complete the mission.”

Sarah thought of protesting, but instead, wiped her cheek as she ran off down the street towards the Longbow carrier.
Miko ducked under the swing and delivered a solid kick to the man’s gut, causing him to retch as he fell.  She leaned far to her left as her peripheral caught sight of the butt of a gun closing in, she let it pass and then performed a small barrel roll, her foot finding the wielder’s neck and dropping him.  She saw Gunny let go of something as she turned to block an attack, and saw the air waver next to him.


Mission Complete . . ?


Sarah stopped when she came to the end of the parkway that overlooked the beach and the cruiser in the distance.  She was stunned to see Longbow on shore, in formation with army support.  Fliers circled over head in small “V” formations.  She slowly treaded through the sand to find the Longbow Liaison shouting orders and calls going out.  He turned when an agent noticed her, and pointed.

“Ident card please!” the agent shouted as he pulled a pistol out and aimed it.
“Here.” Sarah said clumsily pulling it out of her thigh pouch.

The agent read her card and satisfied holstered his gun.  He turned and barked some orders to his soldiers and they moved up and into the city behind the tanks.  He turned back to her with a sour look on his face.

“We didn’t get anyone in the carrier sickbay, are you the only one left?”
“No, the rest of my team are still back at the dock.” Sarah looked back the way she had come willing her eyes to see what was hidden, she turned back “We have to go help them.”
“Sorry.” The agent replied almost without pause, “We have orders to move to the far end of the island, possible Arachnos station.” He looked at the ground before he returned her gaze “Is the mission complete?”
“Yes.” Sarah said, tears in her eyes, “They’re outnumbered, and I couldn’t help them.”
“Heroes make sacrifices.” The agent said, saluting her before he took off after his platoon.

Sarah watched him go, her sadness replaced with anger.  Longbow sent Miko and her father on that mission and they wouldn’t even supply backup now that they needed it.  But she remembered his last words, heroes make sacrifices and she clenched her fists.  It wasn’t fair.
Her father had talked many times about his service during the Rikti war.  The devastation and loss of life he saw first hand.  Soldiers fought and died alongside him, friends, comrades and brothers.  How did he manage to deal with it?  Was it merely part of the job?  Was this now part of her job she had to accept?  She couldn’t, not now.  She’d done nothing to help, she hadn’t even protested, she’d just run.

“There was no way they could take that many.” She breathed as she fell to her knees, “It can’t just end like that.”
“It doesn’t have to.”

Sarah turned to look up at the smiling face of Malta Hawk.  Her hand was outstretched, the gears whirring under her metal skin.  She motioned with her hand, and Sarah clasped it.

“We can go back there.” Malta Hawk spoke softly, “There is always hope.”

Sarah smiled and without saying anything, dashed back towards the Malta docks.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

“I need some help over here!” Sentinal yelled over the fighting, his voice unyielding against the chaos around him.

Gunny tracked his rifle to the boat and aimed through the scope.  Sentinal’s fire had gone out, and he was being overwhelmed by the operatives swarming him.  Gunny fired a round and got one of the soldiers coming up behind the man, and quickly tracked another target and fired again.  He looked back over his shoulder at the street brawl.  Miko and the woman had erected a circle of bodies around them, soldiers that were beaten, and in the woman’s case, dead.

“We need to get out fast ladies!” Gunny yelled as he looked back towards the barge, Sentinal had disappeared amidst the operatives on the deck, “Man down.” He breathed.

Miko chanced a glance back to the docks and saw Gunny fade into the air as he charged towards them, he had pumped his gun.  She back flipped and landed right behind Shade, and she quickly grabbed her and jumped back towards Gunny.  A second later they were thrown almost clear back to the toll gate from the grenades blast.  Gunny’s form shimmered over them as he bent down to pick them up.
Miko jumped up and helped Shade to her feet.

“Gunny, I need ten seconds please, and then I need you to get out.”
“Whatever you say Miko.” Gunny thumped a couple more grenades.
“Shade, hold on to me.” Miko put one of her arms around Shade who in return put an arm around her.
“Fly angel fly.” Gunny whispered as he thumped a third grenade at the docks where the soldiers from the barge had charged onto.

Miko rose slowly at first, testing the weight before she willed herself to open up. She ascended into the sky like a rocket; Shade struggled to lock her arms around her sister.  Miko strained herself; she’d never tried flying with another person on her.

Gunny ran as fast as he dared to keep himself cloaked.  He cast a few glances skyward to see if Miko was evading fire, but it sounded like Malta wasn’t pursuing them, odd.  They’d went into the base, and for all appearances seem to have been overwhelmed and pushed back out.  Maybe the Malta thought they won.  Gunny shook his head, that’d be too easy, too simple.  There must be another reason.  He came to a stop and went prone on the ground, sweeping his rifle around and aimed it back towards the docks.
Sentinal had gone down, been overwhelmed.  Gunny scanned the docks, but only found blue figures milling about.  The deck of the boat was behind the boat’s hull, and couldn’t be seen.  He kept looking for a moment and then decided to pull out his binoculars and find Miko.  Sentinal was still under question in Gunny’s mind, he might be too rogue for them to trust, but the woman with Miko, well, they were both too rogue for him.
It didn’t take long for him to find her.  Her black figure stood out against the blue sky.  She had gained a fair amount of altitude, but she was still too low for his liking.  She was a sniper’s best friend at the moment.  The woman was with her, her mouth was moving from the look of it.  He wondered what they could be talking about.  She said that Miko was her sister, but Miko only had two sisters, that she had spoken of anyway.  
Gunny sighed as he got back up and began walking back towards the carrier at a brisk pace.  From what he remembered Miko had been apart of some final founding at her dojo where she grew up.  She had said her sisters had trained there as well, though they were not related, the dojo made them like family.  Much like a brotherly bond for the service men Gunny thought.
Gunny rounded the corner and looked out at the beach, Sarah was standing with Malta Hawk, both turned and began walking towards him.  She never did listen well.
Gunny waited until he was within a few yards of them, a safe distance from the corner he rounded before he dropped his cloak.  Both women gasped and came to a halt when he appeared.

“I thought I told you to get to the carrier.” Gunny said nodding to Hawk and looking at Sarah.
“We were coming back for you.” Malta Hawk said, looking behind Gunny; searching.
“Where are they?” Sarah asked, following suit.
Gunny sighed again, “Miko is up there with that woman.” He gestured with his thumb, “But that guy, Sentinal, got caught.”
“He won’t live the night if someone doesn’t help him.” Hawk said looking at the ground.
“As much as I hate to say it, I don’t care.” Gunny said evenly, “He’s not one of the team, he wasn’t an objective, he voluntarily helped us.” He closed his eyes when he heard Sarah gasp, “He knew what he was doing.  He knew the situation.”

Minutes passed as Gunny felt himself sink inward.  Sentinal had done an honorable thing, and here he was dismissing it as if it didn’t matter.  It’d be a good while before Sarah forgave him for these words.  It’d be even longer before he forgave himself for leaving someone behind.


Redemption Undone


“You can come back.  You can be one of us again.  You can atone for them.”
“You don’t even know what I have done.  There are things, you cannot rise above.”
“Sister.” She breathed heavy, “I remember his final words.”
“We all do.”
“No.  I know his final words, spoken only to me.” Another breath, “Be fearless in the wake of your enemies.  Fight for those who cannot themselves fight.  Become the guardians, the Mikos you are descended from.  Cleanse the world of the greedy and vengeful.  Return hope and honor to this world.”
“That’s the code! That’s our code?”
“Power is not your weapon.  Love is your weapon.”

Her laugh boomed from the heavens as they descended on the beach.