《Project American Star》


 Prologue

    HOT...why is it so hot? That was all I could think of at the time. People often underestimate how complex children''s thoughts can be, but in that moment, that feeling was as complex as it got. I was ten years old at the time and on that day I''d gone to bed like it was any other day. Sure, I had fought my parents about brushing my teeth and would do everything I could delay going to sleep, but inevitably, I ended up in bed with childhood dog Corky at my side and trusty sidekick Jeff the plush Giraffe.


    There was nothing to indicate that it would be anything other than a normal night, and I remember snuggling into bed with Corky curled up next to me. As a kid, I was always dreaming of being the one to save the day as a superhero or a fantasy hero, so that night I did what I often did and pulled out the latest issue of the Captain Flag comic to read to Jeff the Giraffe.  Sadly my time with the good Captain only lasted a few minutes before Mom came to check on me and made me go lights out.


    My last concrete memory was of snuggling into the blankets before a feeling of being drained came over me followed by suddenly feeling hot. My Mom told me later that she had checked on me fifteen minutes after I had gone to bed and found me asleep. About an hour later, it happened. Everything from here on out was relayed to me by my family or doctors as I didn¡¯t regain consciousness until three weeks later.


    According to my parents, they started to hear a hum coming from my bedroom that increased rapidly in intensity before ending in a deep thrum followed by an intense burst of light. My dad likened it to something going into overload, and he may have been right. Mom and Dad rushed up the stairs to my room only to find that the room looked like it had been flash-burned. The covers were blown off me, my lamp was knocked off the bedside table, my comic was thrown across the room and was blackened at the edges, and toys and nicknacks were scattered all over. Strangely nothing was really burnt but there were clear signs of some kind of heat discharge.


    As for poor Corky, she was found near the foot of my bed, a slightly singed and flash-blind whimpering mess. Even as shell-shocked as she was, my Dad claimed she was trying to protect me when my parents got to my room. The poor thing was probably just reacting on instinct and she must have either jumped or gotten knocked off the bed so her fur and skin only took a little damage. The vet said she had what looked like a sunburn under her fur! Sadly her eyesight would never completely recover and it took a day before she started reacting to any visual stimulation. While she wasn¡¯t blind, you could tell she just couldn¡¯t track things like she used to before my incident. I will always feel guilty for what happened to her. For the rest of her life, I always told her she was my hero and personal super-dog.


    So yeah, as Dad was dealing with our blind sunburned dog, Mom was checking on me. My clothes were slightly blackened in spots, but they were in better condition than the rest of the room, almost like how the eye of a hurricane is peaceful while the storm rages around it. The biggest issue of course was that I was unresponsive at that point. Mom at that point began what my Dad later termed a ¡°Freakout of instructions¡± which had him running from checking on my brother (who slept through the whole thing), to calling for an ambulance, to getting the dog out of the room and downstairs.


    After a somewhat heated ¡°discussion¡± about moving me, my Dad won the argument on the grounds of not staying in a room that looked like a grenade went off. He carried me down the stairs to the living room and placed me on the couch while Mom got my brother Evan. I can¡¯t imagine what my parents went through waiting for the ambulance to arrive not knowing what had happened and why their daughter was unresponsive in a blown-out bedroom. I know it¡¯s still painful for them to talk about even years later because they rarely talk about that night. I might get the odd joke referencing it thrown my way, but it¡¯s rare for them to bring it up seriously. Hell, even my brother who generally won¡¯t ever pass on an opportunity to make fun of me won¡¯t reference it.


    My Dad told me years later when I asked about that night that one of the hardest parts of was the drive to the hospital with my younger brother. Evan who at six was old enough to understand something bad had happened to his sister, but was still young enough to not fully process the gravity of the situation kept alternately crying, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Dani?¡± and ¡°I want chocolate milk!¡± All the while Dad was driving like mad to keep up with the ambulance that was rushing Mom and me to the Hospital.


    My Dad is a little old school, got a job out of high school with the local auto factory, and just worked his ass off to claw as much success as he could. At first for himself, and then for his family. He never took a day off, almost always worked overtime, and proved himself to be invaluable to the company. He is the type who hides his emotions with jokes and sarcasm so I can¡¯t imagine what he must have been like that night. By the time he made it to the hospital, I can imagine his stress level was probably off the chart just dealing with Evan and Mom so nothing of his daughter being just a little comatose. Unfortunately getting to the hospital wasn¡¯t going to improve his anxiety much.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Now Mom, on the other hand, was NOT interested in stoicism riding in the back of the ambulance with the paramedics who were probably quite confused at the unresponsive slightly singed little blond girl. Especially considering I was told I came in with normal vitals and just a slightly elevated body temperature. I¡¯m sure the fifteen minutes or so it took to get to the hospital felt like an eternity for poor Mom and the paramedics who were alternately working through cycles of her breaking down and or yelling at them to do something. I of course feel awful that she had to go through that, but it¡¯s not like I had a choice in the matter.


    Regardless Dad and Evan made it to the hospital just behind Mom and the ambulance where I was rushed into the emergency room and ultimately up to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) due to the whole unconscious thing. The doctors were concerned that I didn¡¯t display any outward trauma but was still unresponsive. My body temperature continued to run high but never went to a place of true concern based on the data they were getting back from their tests. That didn¡¯t stop them from running battery after battery of tests trying to figure out why I wouldn¡¯t wake up while Mom and Dad spent more time than they would have liked talking to the police and Fire Chief about what happened.


    Eventually, the Police and Fire Department stopped trying to find something to blame the family for and went with the tried and true ¡°faulty wiring¡± on the official report. Everyone who knew anything about fire and explosions knew damn well that wasn¡¯t true, but at the end of the day, there were more important things going on in the world than the mystery of the little Walker girl. Especially since my parent¡¯s behavior and reaction didn¡¯t match the profile of parents who were trying to harm their child.


    At this point, the family settled into a routine of Mom or Dad taking my brother to school and then one of them going to the hospital to stay with me and talk to the doctors and specialists. On weekends they would spend family time in my room or entertain concerned friends and family who came to visit.


    According to my parents, the maddening thing was the lack of any real progress in my condition at the time. Nobody seemed to have any answers. I was just kind of ¡°shut off¡± for lack of a better term and I know they were starting to have conversations about my long-term care and what that would mean. The good news was that they wouldn''t have to worry about it, the bad news was that I was about to wake up and can be a bit of a drama llama.


    On day fifteen ¡°I doth rise like a phoenix to burn the sky with my righteous fury!¡±...at least that¡¯s how I like to tell it. The reality is a little more scattered as you have to remember this was all secondhand to me until I woke up, and even when that happened, let''s just say I wasn¡¯t on top of my game. Also...you know...ten.


    At approximately 1:07 pm Eastern Time, an energy signature lit up NASA¡¯s Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor like a Christmas Tree which is one of the sensors NASA uses to monitor the Sun''s incoming energy. Also at that exact time in Michigan City, Michigan, a private room on the third floor of Riverside Hospital exploded. Thankfully there wasn¡¯t anyone in the room but myself, which was either just blind dumb luck or a clue that a higher power was at play. What I do know is that the windows were blown out and there was again a strange pattern to the damage. There was more damage to the area around the bed beginning in about a 10-inch radius from my body than the bed itself. Things were thrown everywhere with quite a few items having some singe marks on them, but fortunately, the oxygen tank in the room never ruptured. I can¡¯t imagine how much worse it could have been had that happened. The door to the room was also cracked off its hinges so if my first time was a hiccup, this was a burp.


    My Dad happened to be down the hall at the nurse¡¯s station talking to one of the day shift nurses at the time of the explosion, and thankfully not in the room.  He told me that just about everyone on the floor got knocked off their feet when I went off which must have been terrifying (As I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed I carry a lot of guilt for the unintentional harm I¡¯ve caused). Once he was able to get his bearings he said he just knew it was my room and ran to me. When he finally got to my room and forced the door open with the help of the hospital staff, there I was, floating a foot off the bed and radiating an aura of light and heat. I¡¯d blown the room up with what turned out to be the full awakening of my Supernormal Abilities which came with a concussive blast appetizer that I¡¯m pretty sure nobody ordered off the menu.


    I only sort of remember this next part, but I again had the feeling of being hot. As well as feeling full. It¡¯s hard to describe as it wasn¡¯t like when you eat too much, but just like when you have too much energy and you¡¯re all skittery and need to burn it off. That¡¯s the best way I can describe it. Whatever it was, I was full and had to release it and in doing so I sort of exploded a bit. There was a vague awareness that I¡¯d just done something and that I no longer felt like bursting but I think I also instinctively knew that I had changed at that moment.


    Like I said this is all very vague for me as the lights may have come on but I definitely wasn¡¯t home yet. I know I¡¯m repeating myself when I say I carry around a lot of guilt for the damage and pain I caused, even if it was unintentional, but if I¡¯m honest with myself, I''m kind of glad that I wasn''t awake for any of it. I think it would have been too much process...but...that ended up on my parents so the circle of guilt continues. Thankfully my parents were able to do that heavy lifting in the early days even though I know it had to have taken a toll on them.


    My Dad, bless him, despite having to process the inconceivable, ran to my bed dodging debris, and started screaming at me to wake up. I don¡¯t know if it was that the process had run its course but I just vaguely remember opening my eyes and looking down at my poor distressed Dad and saying, ¡°Daddy...I feel funny.¡± At which point I dropped into his arms and passed out again. I was whisked away to another isolated room and this is the point where there would be no going back to a normal life. At least not for me, and unfortunately not for my family. One thing that I didn¡¯t learn for years was that evidently, I was also glowing.


    As I¡¯m sure you can guess this next part is where all the scientists and military types come in, and you would be correct, but that¡¯s a story for another time. We¡¯ve got my first adventure to get to

 Chapter 1

    ¡°Dani!...Dani!¡±


    The fact that someone was yelling my name slowly broke through the haze of music in my earbuds while I walked from my last class of the day. I turned to find the source of the greeting and was met with the sight of my best friend Christina barreling straight toward me. The look on her face usually meant there was a question coming and an answer was expected. She could be tenacious like that.


    ¡°Dani! Is it true?¡± Christina demanded as she almost literally skidded to stop in front of me, causing the other students rushing to and from class to hurriedly dodge around her as we stood in the hallway of the LSA building.


    ¡°Is what true, and why are you trying to drill a hole through my face with that glare?¡± I said with a laugh as she stared at me with her hands on her hips. She was clearly ready for battle for some reason, so I put my earbuds in my pocket to give her my full attention.


    ¡°That you''re dropping out!¡± she practically shouted at me as I started to realize she was truly upset. Christina could be very emotional and tended to wear her emotions on her sleeve but that was only with friends and family and rarely in public. The fact she was yelling at me in the hallway was a good indicator of how upset she was at me.


    ¡°Ah. Who told you?¡± I very helpfully stuttered. Which, I realized as it left my mouth, was absolute the wrong way to respond. I watched Christina¡¯s expression move from anger to devastation.


    ¡°So it is true,¡± she whispered as tears started to well up in her blue eyes. ¡°You''re planning on leaving and you didn¡¯t even tell me,¡± she choked out through a sob, and god did I feel like trash at that moment. I¡¯d been putting off telling her about my side job because I could never seem to find the right way to tell her. I had kept waiting for the right moment, but it turns out the universe cares so little for me and my plans.


    I felt a surge of guilt from seeing the crestfallen expression on her face which made it even harder to answer. ¡°It¡¯s true that I¡¯m not coming back next year, but that¡¯s not the whole story either. I¡¯m planning to take a gap year and then finishing the rest of my degree. I¡­have some things to work out.¡±


    ¡°Some¡­things¡­to work out? I¡¯m your best friend Dani. What could you possibly have to work out that I wouldn¡¯t know about? What is going on that would cause you to bounce on college and our plans? We had our senior year all planned out! Was all of that a lie? Were you just humoring me?¡± she nearly shouted at me.


    ¡°Christina, it¡¯s not like that. Really, it¡¯s not. I was just waiting for the right time to tell you. Let¡¯s go somewhere we can talk. How about that coffee shop on Fifth? I¡¯ll explain everything, I promise.¡± I pleaded with her as my emotions started to kick in.


    Christina was one of my best friends and the absolute last thing I wanted to do was hurt her. We had met as freshmen when we were assigned as roommates in West Hall, and we hit it off right away. From that point on we did everything together, even making plans to become Resident Advisors our Junior year before my condition made it clear that living with others that closely wasn''t a good idea. We stayed close though, even after I moved out and into my own place after our Freshman year. In fact, Christina spent almost as much time at my place as she did in her dorm our sophomore year. Still, she wanted to be an RA so with my encouragement she applied and was accepted. She was adamant that she would get enough experience for the both of us and I could live vicariously through her. She was even assigned to our old dorm, West Hall.


    ¡°The right time to tell me? And when exactly was that? After we left for summer break! What, were you planning to just ghost me? I had to freaking hear it from counselor Simmons! My god Dani, I can¡¯t even with this. I thought we would be there for each other, but I guess I was wrong,¡± she snapped trying to hold back the tears before turning and running down the hall away from me.


    I was dumbstruck. I¡¯d seen her that angry before but it was usually at her Mom. I¡¯d never seen it directed toward me and I had to admit, it was pretty intimidating. Not as intimidating as Captain Williams or my instructor but close. Dammit, this was not how I wanted this to go. I knew she¡¯d take it poorly, but it really felt like I¡¯d found a new and exciting way to screw it up. Also, note to self, I owe counselor Simmons a conversation about confidentiality.


    ¡°Christina wait!¡±, I yelled at her back after picking my jaw up off the floor, but it was too late. I could see her blonde hair zip around a corner and she was gone. I knew I¡¯d have to let her cool down before I¡¯d be able to make anything up to her, so I¡¯d just have to hope that her anger ran its course in a couple of days and not weeks or months as I¡¯d seen at times with her mom.


    Deciding I no longer wished to be the sideshow spectacle in the hallway I took my pity party outside to the diag. Since I didn¡¯t have anymore classes for the day I found a nice little bench under the shade of an old oak tree and fished my phone out of my pocket. There was the usual message from Mom asking if I would be coming home for dinner, so I tapped out a reply letting her know that I wouldn¡¯t make it but that I¡¯d call her soon. The next message was from my Instructor reminding me of my training session at three. I had been looking forward to it but it had lost some shine after Christina went off on me. Still, I couldn¡¯t miss a chance to annoy my instructor a little so I replied ¡°See you soon,¡± with a bunch of emojis. My instructor was amazing, but he was always so calm and collected, so much so that it was infuriating. Therefore I took it upon myself to make him laugh whenever possible, and ninety-nine percent of the time I was an abject failure at it, but every now and then, I¡¯d get him to smile or chuckle. It was those rare moments that sustained me. It was like winning the lottery, and one day I swore I would get a full guffaw out of him.


    Today was supposed to have been a good day I reflected while enjoying the nice spring breeze that was blowing through campus. I¡¯d finished my last exam for the semester and I was going to have one last tune-up session with my training instructor before taking my final test to get my special government First Responder certification at the weekend. If I passed that, then all the training I¡¯d been doing would get put to practical use. I¡¯d be taking on a new role working for the government and that was the real reason I was taking a gap year. It would mean a chance at being able to help people rather than just doing a job. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I love graphic design and being creative, which is why it¡¯s my degree path, but It¡¯s something I can do any time. I don¡¯t want to miss this chance to do something more meaningful.


    I figured stretching my legs might help burn off some of the restless energy I had built up so I left my little slice of shade and started across the diag toward the parking garage on the west side of campus. On my way there I passed students rushing to exams or lazily wandering the campus after finishing exams and realized how much I was going to miss it. As I approached the Student Union I could see the seniors lining up to take pictures in their caps and gowns in front of the Union sign with its immaculate flower beds as a backdrop. I was giving up this experience and all the promise a senior year with friends brought with it, and at that moment of reflection, I could understand why Christina was so mad at me. Sadly as much as the pomp and tradition pulled at my heartstrings, I just knew in my heart that I had to follow my current path through. I just hoped that Christina could understand when I could finally tell her why I¡¯d kept things from her.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Just as I was about to pass the Union I noticed a blur out of the corner of my eye. A student dressed in his cap and gown sporting what looked to be a pair of spiffy Nike Air Max ninety-fives in Comet Red was blurring around a very pretty young lady dressed in a lovely white swing dress by the Union fountain. Judging from his smile and her blush they were a couple and he was doing his level best to get some photos with his phone¡¯s camera. What really surprised me was that he had an ability and was openly using it. From the looks of it, he had some sort of short-range translocation or speed burst ability. I watched for a bit wondering how long he could use it and got my answer after about a minute when he stopped flitting about and put his hands on his knees looking like he might toss his cookies. His girlfriend jumped up to both scold and take care of him, it was pretty cute actually.


    Smiling, I left them behind as I continued on to the parking garage. I hope he had a good job lined up with the government or private sector. Something that would protect him as his ability looked useful and that meant he¡¯d need to be careful. Considering only point five percent of all humans have a Supernormal ability, aka superpowers in the parlance of comic books, and having an ability like that would be quite sought after. Point five percent of the world population meant there were just shy of forty million people with Supernormal abilities which is both an incredibly large number and a relatively small number at the same time. All Supernormals in the world are divided into three classifications based on ability level with the most common being the Sigma designation. Sigma class Supernormals could only possess one ability and often they were weak or of no value like being able to grow fingernails at an accelerated rate. Like anything though there was a range and the more powerful abilities caught the attention of those with power. Following on from the Sigma¡¯s are the more rare Delta class supernormals. Loosely defined as those that manifest two abilities that are generally twice as strong as a Sigma of a similar ability. Interestingly some exceptionally strong Delta¡¯s develop a third ability. Lastly is the Quantum class Supernormals, the strongest and rarest of the supernormal classes, who tend to have four or more abilities. Supernormal science was far from settled though so these classifications often saw shifts in how a Supernormals may be classified.


    Sadly it wasn¡¯t uncommon for Supernormals to disappear or be killed for their abilities which is why in most countries Supernormals had to be registered. I still didn¡¯t mean that Supernormals weren''t treated like an arms race with governments and corporate factions constantly jockeying to have Supernormals on their side, and who would gladly murder a Supernormal to keep a rival faction from gaining an advantage.


    I did my best to shake off those dark thoughts but just as I reached the parking garage I was startled by a scream. A young mother was walking with her dog and young son when the dog slipped its leash and ran into the street after seeing a squirrel. The little boy had run into the street calling after the dog and right into the path of a delivery van.


    Without thinking I dropped the backpack I¡¯d been carrying and flew into the street racing the van to reach the boy. It was going to be close and I could see the drivers eyes as wide as saucers as she slammed on the brakes.


    Right before the van could impact the boy who had frozen at the sight of the vehicle bearing down them I swooped in and cradled the boy to my chest doing my best not to hurt him in the process and spun away from the front of the van while puting my free hand out and pushing the van away causing it to lurch away before stopping.


    I picked the little boy up who couldn¡¯t be more than seven or eight years old and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯re okay.¡±


    He looked up at me with big doe eyes that were filled with tears and whimpered, ¡°I want my mommy.¡±


    ¡°Right. Right, let¡¯s get you back to your mom,¡± I told him and jogged around the back of the van back toward the boy¡¯s mom.


    She had collapsed on her knees and was wailing, ¡°Timmy!¡± near the front of the van. The driver had exited the van and was heading tentatively around the front expecting the worst.


    I approached Timmy¡¯s mom but she was so shocked she didn¡¯t notice me. ¡°Excuse me, Miss,¡± I said as I walked up to her but she didn¡¯t acknowledge me so I tried again this time touching her shoulder.


    ¡°Excuse me, Miss. I have your son,¡± I said gently.


    ¡°What!¡± she exclaimed while turning on me with anger in her eyes until her gaze fell on the sniffling boy in my arms. She exploded up off the ground and grabbed the little boy out of my arms while exclaiming, ¡°Oh my God, Timmy! Are you hurt? I thought you¡¯d been run over by the van. I¡­I heard the thump. Are you really ok?¡± she fired at the little boy who had started crying at this point. Poor guy, it had to have been pretty scary for him.


    I watched them hug for a few moments before wandering back over toward my bag that was still laying on the sidewalk where I had dropped it. I noticed there was a crowd starting to form due to all he commotion and realized I needed to get moving before I had to start answering questions.


    Still, I wanted to make sure the driver was ok so I made my way over to where she was standing with a puzzled expression at the front of her van.


    ¡°You okay?¡± I asked as I walked up to the delivery driver. She looked pretty disheveled and I hoped she hadn¡¯t been injured when I nudged the van.


    Her face didn¡¯t show any recognition that I was the one who jumped in front of the van. ¡°I¡¯m okay, but I don¡¯t understand what happened. I thought for sure I was going to hit that kid. There was no way I could stop in time but suddenly the van jumped sideways and no kid.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, crazy right. All I heard was screaming and then your van was sideways in the street. Just glad you¡¯re okay,¡± I said with a smile.


    Right then a small dog came bolting right past us to the other side of the van and we could hear happy exclamations. I made a show of peeking around the van before telling the driver, ¡°Looks like the kid is with his mom so you should probably go talk to them. I¡¯m sure the police will be here shortly.¡±


    ¡°Yeah you¡¯re probably right, but I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m going to explain this,¡± she said while gesturing to a clear hand print indented in the front quarter panel of van.


    ¡°Ooh, that is weird. Well I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay. I gotta get going so good luck and I hope this doesn¡¯t screw up your deliveries,¡± I said with a wave and walked briskly into the entrance to the parking garage before I could attract anymore attention. I¡¯m sure I was on camera anyway so I made a note to let someone at the base know in case they wanted intervene.


    No one stopped me as I started up the stairs to the top floor and my thoughts drifted away from saving the boy back to Christina and what she¡¯d think if she knew what I was doing. Would she be supportive, or would she think I¡¯m crazy? I had no idea, but I knew I was at a loss for how to talk to her without making her angrier at me.


    I mean, I want to help people. The only way for me to do that is to use my abilities to help keep regular people like her safe from the fallout that often came with Supernormal activity. Also Supernormals deserved to have someone looking out for them as well. Being forced into Indentured servitude to shady governments and corporations, or worse being killed for just existing wasn¡¯t right. So many innocent Supernormals were caught up in something they never asked to be a part of.


    It always made my stomach turn when I thought about it, but was made worse by the knowledge that many Supernormals perpetuated these acts willingly on their own kind. You could sort of understand the ones that did it for money or because of blackmail, but every now and then you¡¯d hear of one that did it just for the kicks. Those were the ones I truly couldn¡¯t wrap my head around.


    I pushed that line of thinking away as I reached the ninth floor and stepped out onto the top deck. The parking garage was just a bit higher than the surrounding buildings so I got a good view of the campus and the surrounding skyline of Michigan City. This time of year it was dotted with the lush green of newly sprouted vegetation now that Spring had firmly taken hold of the Michigan weather. Despite it being one of the better views of the campus, the area was usually deserted which I often used to my advantage.


    I walked past a blue sedan to my destination on the southwest corner of the deck to where I knew there was a dead spot in the security cameras. Once I found my spot I unslung my backpack from the shoulder it was dangling from, and fished around inside for the hoodie I always kept inside. Being late April the midafternoon sun made the day quite pleasant but I put it on anyway. A dark navy blue with a single white star on the front, it wouldn¡¯t stand out too much which was perfect. Taking a second to tie my hair back into a sloppy ponytail I noticed how sunbleached it was getting. My normal honey blonde color was now streaked with yellow-white. I made a mental note to remember to be diligent about conditioning as I pulled up the hood and tucked in my hair.


    Making sure my bag was all zipped up, I put my arms through the straps and made sure it was snug on my back. I glanced up to make sure I was still in the blindspot of the camera that watched over this corner of the parking deck before stepping up on the ledge. Taking a deep breath I concentrated on centering myself for a second before exhaling and jumping off the ledge.

 Chapter 2

    Shooting up into the sky I felt the wind on my face and couldn¡¯t help but smile. These moments where it was just me and the sky with no pressure were some of my favorites. Taking a second to make sure I was high enough up to be hard to spot, but not approaching any jetways, I took a moment to just feel the wind. To be able to fly free is a privilege not afforded to many and I always tried to not take it for granted. Realizing that while I would still be early it was probably best to head to STAR headquarters and get ready to train. Looking out to the northwest I spotted the river and started following the landmark that would take me to STAR.


    This was what I couldn¡¯t tell Christina yet. Everybody knows about how some people possess Supernormal abilities, but what almost nobody knows is that there is a level above ¡°Delta¡± designated ¡°Quantum¡± and that I¡¯m the first recorded Quantum in the last 20 years. I mean how do you just casually drop that into conversation? Oh and by the way it¡¯s classified so if you tell anyone, you and your family could face prison on the light side.


    So yeah, did I also forget to mention I¡¯m also training to be a Supernormal First Responder, and that I¡¯m part of a newly formed government unit called the Supernormal Tactics and Response team? I¡¯ve been training for the last 2 years to use my abilities for crisis intervention and to essentially fight supernormals and other high level threats. I was so engrossed in thought that I almost overshot the building I was looking for. It would have been nice to have enhanced vision to go with my other abilities, but honestly, that would just be greedy considering most people get just one ability.


    The STAR base is a relatively unremarkable building of cookie cutter gray concrete and glass with some brick inlays that fit with the collegiate architecture of the area. As a government building, it has a guard booth and gate to go along with the standard issue fencing and security cameras every fifteen feet or so, and at first blush it looks like a pretty standard Administration building, but after learning more about tactics from my instructor and Captain Williams you realize pretty quickly the building has multiple choke points and kill boxes. Pretty intense stuff for someone who was studying the applications of advanced color theory not too long ago.


    Don¡¯t get me wrong it makes sense considering what¡¯s underneath the building but still, I really hope it never gets put into action. Unfortunately considering the ever increasing aggression from various factions over Supernormals and Supernormal research it¡¯s a very real possibility which means it has to be planned for no matter how bleak a thought that is.


    Slowing my airspeed and losing altitude I decided to come in for a controlled landing in the parking lot away from the gatehouse. Once I¡¯d received clearance to fly more regularly I made the mistake of landing inside the perimeter once and set off a security alert that Ian still won¡¯t let me live down. It¡¯s a fun story now, but at the time the conga line to yell at me was long and distinguished. Colonel Morales, I was used to yelling but the tag team of quasi-parental disapproval I got from Lieutenant Colonel Amin and Captain Williams was something I¡¯m not eager to repeat. Thankfully my instructor and the rest of the team just used it as a teaching moment. Well everyone except that asshat Chief Brunner. Who it seems has made it his life¡¯s mission to make my life difficult.


    Sighing and pushing the thought of that douchenozzle out of my mind I touched down in the parking lot next to Captain William''s restored 1982 Ford Bronco and walked up to the guardhouse and announced to the security officer on duty ¡°PMC Walker reporting for training.¡± with my best smile.


    ¡°Security Badge please.¡± replied the security officer whose name was Travis.


    ¡°Crap! It¡¯s in my bag I think. I¡¯m going to dig around in my bag a bit, so don¡¯t get fidgety and call in an alert or get shooty Travis,¡± I said to the Officer with a smirk.


    ¡°I believe the last time that happened was due to a certain contractor who can¡¯t find their security badge not following protocol.¡± Travis deadpanned.


    ¡°Ouch Travis, I thought I told you not to shoot.¡±, I laughed as I dug my badge out of my bag. ¡°Here, you go. Now you can stop firing those zingers.¡±


    Laughing as he scanned the badge, Travis handed it back with a hearty ¡°Good Luck Miss. Walker.¡± as the gate opened. This was it I couldn¡¯t help but think. The point of no return. Taking a breath and walking onto the STAR campus it was time to find my instructor.


    The walk to the building was pretty straightforward although now that I knew that the hedgerows lining the approach were designed to slow down an approaching force I couldn¡¯t find much fun in the landscaping anymore. Oh, well all part of being on the inside I keep telling myself as I pushed open the glass doors to the reception area. Seeing the Security Officer on duty I flashed my badge and walked up to the reception area where Julie was currently helming the desk.


    ¡°Is he in?¡±, I asked hoping that he was in early so we could start my practice run-through early.


    Looking up from her computer with a warm smile Julie said, ¡°Oh hi Dani. Let''s check the board and see if he¡¯s checked¡­in.¡±


    Noticing her odd pause l couldn¡¯t help but ask ¡°Um, is everything ok?¡±


    Julie didn¡¯t answer me and instead looked at something over my shoulder and before I could turn around to see what she was looking at a voice right next to my ear said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m in, and I thought I taught you to be more aware of your surroundings.¡±


    ¡°Eek!¡±, I eloquently squeaked as I turned and jumped from the voice behind me. I was so startled I floated for a second. Standing there with his hands clasped behind his back in his casual uniform was my primary instructor, callsign Fox. Of mixed Japanese-American heritage, he had perfectly average good looks that allowed him to seemingly blend in everywhere while standing at about 5¡¯11¡±. Sporting a short crop of jet black hair and he had a lithe build that belied just how strong he really was. I knew that part firsthand since he¡¯d punched, kicked, and thrown me all over every inch of the gym facility in our training sessions. So much so that Brunner had named laying on my back staring up at the sky the ¡®Dani maneuver¡¯ which made me want to punch that douche in the nuts every time I saw him.


    Although he had been my instructor for about two years now he was still a bit of a mystery. It¡¯s not that he was standoffish or anything, just a bit aloof, and not prone to sharing so I didn¡¯t know a ton about him. His file was evidently classified three ways from Sunday as well so I was left with rumor and innuendo. I did, however, learn quickly to make a habit of listening when he speaks and gives advice, even if I struggle with the follow through. I certainly do appreciate his wry sense of humor and subtle digs at Brunner.


    The feature that is striking about Fox is that he has blue eyes, which I¡¯m assuming he gets from his American mother. His eyes make him look super intense sometimes, especially when focused on a target¡­like right now, I thought with a blush.


    With a nod, he turned to walk to the elevator and said, ¡°It¡¯s time for you to sink or swim.¡±


    ¡°Fox! Fox, wait a second. I still have to sign in!¡± I yelled at the retreating form of my instructor as he approached the secure elevator¡¯s biometric scanner.


    ¡°Best be quick then,¡± he said over his shoulder as I fumbled with the ID scanner at Julie¡¯s desk.


    Julie took pity on me, winked, and said, ¡°I got the swipe. I¡¯ll do the rest so you best hurry. You know how he gets if you keep him waiting,¡± as she shooed me on with a smile.


    ¡°Thanks Julie, you¡¯re a lifesaver!¡± I chirped as I waved over my shoulder while I jogged across the lobby to the elevator.


    ¡°Glad you could join me Star. What do you say we run your test prep so you don¡¯t make me look bad tomorrow?¡± he said with a deadpan expression and a flat look in his blue eyes.


    Horrified at the thought of making Fox look bad and his use of my codename I stopped dead and just stared at him wide-eyed as the doors to the elevator opened. I respected the hell out of Fox. He¡¯d taken his responsibility of training me seriously and never once made me feel like I was stupid for my lack of experience.


    Stepping into the elevator that was fortunately empty, Fox turned with the barest hint of a smirk and said, ¡°You can stop looking like fish gasping for air. I was only teasing. I know how hard you¡¯ve worked and as long as you give it your best, no matter the outcome you will have earned my respect. Now, are you getting on?¡± he said quizzically raising an eyebrow. ¡°Remember conversation can be just as effective at causing you to lose focus as a physical attack if you let it. ¡°You must be fluid and adaptable mentally as well as physically.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir!¡± I half shouted while blushing furiously and all but jumped into the elevator.


    I have to say I was a little shook, but in a good way. It¡¯s not that Fox doesn¡¯t talk or have a sense of humor, he¡¯s not some silent ninja in black, but he also takes his job very seriously. He gives praise when it¡¯s earned, but to say I¡¯ve earned his respect paired with a joke? My already sluggish brain was chugging to process that, and I couldn¡¯t decide what made me happier. The fact that he felt comfortable enough to pick on me, or that I had earned his respect? Of course, he also wrapped it in a teaching moment but I wasn¡¯t about to let that ruin it for me.


    ¡°Any particular reason you¡¯re studying the floor so hard Walker?¡± Fox said as the elevator began its descent to subfloor five where the training area was located.


    ¡°I¡¯m just nervous about tomorrow and whether I¡¯ll live up to expectations. I¡¯ve trained my powers for years now, and the last year of extensive training has been something I¡¯ve really wanted, but I don¡¯t think it sunk in what that would mean for the rest of my life. I hurt my best friend today and I can¡¯t even tell her why. Not to mention leaving college and how this will affect my family. I guess it¡¯s just really hitting home that if I mess up tomorrow it could all be for nothing,¡± I said while continuing to stare a hole in the floor.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    The elevator arrived on subfloor five with what felt like a very loud beep and we stepped out into the elevator lobby on the training level. After a few steps, Fox turned and faced me causing me to stop up short and said, ¡°Do you want to quit Walker? Because it¡¯s not too late. Sure you¡¯ll have to mend some bridges in your personal life, and there are a bunch of people here at STAR who have invested time and resources into training and helping you with your powers that will be disappointed, but ultimately that decision is with you. Nobody will make you do this. I think you have immense potential Dani, and I would love nothing more than to see you use that potential to do good in the world, but I would understand why you would choose not to go through with it. You''re going to be the face of one of the Government¡¯s premier units and once you¡¯ve been certified you¡¯re going to be put in the field on active duty. Lives will be in your hands, and your life will be in others'' hands. There will be no room for halfway.


    ¡°So let me be completely clear. If you¡¯re not committed to doing this I will end this now and withhold my final approval for certification. You can go back to college and do your part for King and Country by continuing to come in for yearly testing. No lives on the line, nobody learning who you are and what you can do. Now I¡¯m going to go to the training room and get set up. Go get changed and think about what I said and what you want to do. I expect your answer when you report for training¡±, Fox said as he walked off leaving me standing there.


    For the second time in the span of minutes, Fox had rendered me speechless. As I stared at his retreating back I couldn¡¯t help but think that I didn¡¯t like the reason this time nearly as much as the first time. I sighed as Fox continued down the short hallway until he disappeared at the junction to presumably go to the training control room, and headed to the locker room to get changed. I really hoped the room was empty as I wasn¡¯t particularly up to banter after Fox had dropped the hammer on me.


    Fortunately, the locker room was empty as I began changing out of my civvies and into my practice gear which consisted of a specially designed high-cut white leotard with short sleeves and a zipper front that opened down the middle to my bust line. It was a pretty cool design with red side panels and a red strip across the shoulder with blue trim and a blue star on my chest where the zipper runs through it, and it was designed to help monitor my output during training sessions and provide biometric data for benchmarking. It was only in the last few years of training that it was upgraded to its current white, red, and blue version. The reasoning behind the flashy training suit as it was explained to me was to acclimate me to wearing not just my chosen colors but an outfit that will draw attention. To start conditioning me to be comfortable having the focus on me in high pressure situations because public relations and marketing are going to be an unfortunate byproduct of choosing to be a government-sanctioned supernormal first responder regardless of whether or not PR is something I feel spectacularly unfit for.


    Reaching into the locker and pulling out my boots, and gloves I realized that all the hours of training aside, even this outfit which was custom designed for me, reflected the commitment of the people who believed in me. Sure I¡¯m not so naive as to believe I¡¯m not being used in some ways for what I can do or bring, but it would be unfair to label everyone like that, I thought as I pulled on the white thigh-high leggings. The leggings were made of the same material as the leotard and had a red stripe on the outside that visually continued the lines of the red side panels from the leotard and were unique as the shoes were built directly into them. My understanding is that the shoes have to be specially reinforced to handle the forces of turning, jumping, and landing with enhanced strength and that the whole thing works together structurally to reinforce and cushion my movements. All I know is that they are very comfortable.


    Feeling a bit more centered, I realized that this had almost become a ritual. The act of getting dressed for the last few years to train with Fox and the rest of my instructors signified all the work I had put in toward this goal. It would be silly to back out now right when I¡¯m at the finish line and honestly I would be extremely disappointed in myself if I didn¡¯t do this. Not to mention what kind of example would I be setting for my little brother If I didn¡¯t follow through and qualify? How could I look him in the eye if I didn¡¯t do anything but my best? I would be disrespecting everything my parents have done and sacrificed over the years. My family never asked for any of this and if I can¡¯t stand for my convictions what can I stand for? How could I ask others to stand for or with me?


    Closing my eyes and taking a deep centering breath as Fox taught me to do, I counted to five and exhaled. ¡°Ok let''s do this,¡± I said to the empty locker room and picked up my gloves as I started to close the locker before remembering to reach in and grab the blue garment that was folded on the locker¡¯s shelf before closing it and walking to the back of the room. The exit into the training area was past the showers and the door was conveniently labeled ¡®Warning Training Area¡¯ in yellow on it so it was pretty hard to miss. Once out of the locker room you entered the ready room which was a room that had big reinforced windows and seating so that if you weren''t in training you could watch what was going on while you waited. There was also a console for controlling the room¡¯s programs and configurations as well as stairs and a lift up to the main control room and viewing area which was two floors above. Last, there was a door that led to a medical room that could be utilized in the case of any injuries.


    Fox was standing at the console typing something while geared out in a light version of his tactical armor. Technically speaking Fox is a Special Forces Weapons Specialist with a secondary specialty in Infiltration, but he¡¯s also certified as a hand-to-hand combat instructor and the mess hall gossip says that he¡¯s also some kind of edged weapons specialist. I¡¯d even heard rumors that he¡¯s highly skilled in wetworks, and supposedly, a bit of a legend in special forces circles. The respect he¡¯s given by the base staff tends to lend credence to the idea that at least some version of the rumors are true. Even dickface Brunner doesn¡¯t mess with Fox which is the biggest tell that Fox¡¯s reputation as a badass is probably earned, and I wasn¡¯t relishing the possibility of having to face him for real.


    I took stock of what weaponry he was carrying, remembering how he always says that battles are won and lost in the details. In addition to his tactical armor, on his right thigh in a drop holster was a training Sig Sauer 9mm XM17 variant that fired rubber bullets. In the small of his back was the XM18 variant of the Sig and on his left leg was a combat knife, but the biggest surprise was the sword sheathed across his back. He¡¯d used training knives in sessions from time to time, but I¡¯d never seen him use a sword before, and I was really hoping it was a training weapon and not as pointy and stabby as it looked.


    Finishing whatever he was entering with one last button press Fox straightened up and grabbed his gloves and began putting them on while giving me a droll look and said, ¡°Are you ready?¡± to which I nodded. ¡°Good, so here¡¯s what¡¯s going to happen. The training room weaponry is going to be set to seventy-five percent of your estimated durability. This means you are going to feel it if you get hit. Firearm rounds will be rubber with a polymer core so they will hurt, and just as in real life you will be most vulnerable in your face so be mindful that you will not be immune from potential injury. Additionally, environmental armaments will be deployed against you so be prepared for anything.


    Officially this is a tactical endurance test where the goal is for you to guard a zone indicated by the blue hexagon by the back wall. Full disclosure though, this is a FUBAR test. What are you going to do when you need to protect an asset or guard civilians against an attack of unknown firepower and no backup? The average response time for law enforcement to get on site is ten minutes so that will be the general timeframe for the test. Lastly, I will be playing the role of a rogue supernormal. Obviously, I will not be trying to severely injure or kill you but I will not be holding back. Now, do you have any questions?¡± he said.


    ¡°No sir,¡± I said swallowing a sudden lump in my throat. I wasn¡¯t sure I was ready but as Fox had said it was time to sink or swim.


    Glancing at the blue garment in my hand Fox remarked, ¡°Oh, and Dani this is a cape on exercise.¡±


    Sheepishly unfolding the blue cloth I was still holding I looked at Fox and asked him, ¡°Can you attach my cape? I didn¡¯t know if I¡¯d need it so I didn¡¯t attach it.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Fox replied taking the cape from my hand and stepping around behind me. The cape in this case was a single-shoulder cape that hung off my right shoulder. My regular uniform featured a full cape but since this was a training uniform mobility and comfort were prioritized so this uniform featured a detachable asymmetrical design. It let me get used to moving with the garment without having to wear the full thing. There was a soft click as Fox attached the cape to the magnetic anchor at my right shoulder blade.


    Fox stepped back around to the entryway and gestured that I should follow him, so I walked with him into the giant space that is the training room with the door whooshing closed behind us. I¡¯ve trained here hundreds of times with Fox and Captain Williams among others but I couldn¡¯t help feeling nervous as I looked around the cavernous space. The room was pretty technologically advanced using some pretty cutting-edge hologram tech. It was explained to me that a Delta with an invention ability had helped design it, and the room would simulate an environment using physical objects and environmental effects to sell the illusion. It was pretty cool in all honesty. At four floors high I could fly to some degree and the walls were reinforced to handle the abuse from supernormals. The training room must take up a significant amount of the width of the facility to be this big and house the internal machinery that makes it work.


    Once Fox had walked about a third of the way into the room he stopped and put his hand on my shoulder briefly to get my attention and said, ¡°Ok Dani there¡¯s your defense point,¡± pointing to a blue hexagon shape on the floor by the back wall. ¡°Again, the rules are simple, defend your zone. Remember your training. Be observant, but do not hesitate. The battlefield is chaos and you need to be fluid and adaptable. The test ends if you are defeated by being incapacitated, if your zone is breached, or if you hold out until backup arrives without any of the former conditions being met. Do you understand?¡±


    I nodded my assent with a lukewarm, ¡°Yes sir.¡±


    ¡°Good. Here is your tactical communicator. It is already set for the dispatch channel. Now go take position at your checkpoint. Oh, and Dani. Remember, I will be coming for you and I will not go easy,¡± he said with a smirk. There was a cold edge to his expression that I can¡¯t ever remember seeing before as he turned his back to me to walk to the front of the training room. Frankly, it gave me chills.


    Oh goodie, I get to fight Fox. I¡¯m not sure how this is prep, I grumbled to myself while Inserting the earbud-like device into my ear as I floated over to the blue hexagon at the back of the room which was my defensive zone. While Fox had given me the basics of the exercise, I didn''t exactly know what I was going to be up against. I¡¯d fought Fox plenty of times but he was instructing and he never was going full out. I knew he was a Delta, and a strong one at that, but I don¡¯t even know what his actual abilities are, just gossip and vague allusions. None of this felt like exam prep, and it didn¡¯t help that the little voice in my head kept screaming ¡®Danger, Danger!¡¯.


    Which is why I about jumped through the roof when my earbud crackled to life with a crisp, ¡°Overwatch online. Star, confirm comms,¡± landing a few yards from my defensive zone I turned to face the control room and responded, ¡°Star confirms. I can hear you loud and clear Overwatch.¡±


    ¡°Overwatch confirms. Hold position Star we¡¯re going to start up the scenario. Once we¡¯re in the green up here we¡¯ll give a warning and countdown from 5. Be advised once the scenario starts, only scenario related communications will be provided.¡±


    Looking up at the one-way windows of the main control room I asked, ¡°I don¡¯t recognize your voice overwatch and since the scenario hasn¡¯t started yet I can ask questions right?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± came the response quickly with a hint of a grin in the inflection. I didn¡¯t know who Overwatch was but I at least appreciated they had a sense of humor. I was equally appreciative that they didn¡¯t have assface Brunner in the role. Small victories I suppose.


    ¡°Star, systems are green. The scenario is go,¡± suddenly crackled through the earbud and I frantically looked around for Fox but couldn¡¯t see him anywhere. The ball of anxiety that had been sitting in my gut exploded into fear when the earbud followed up with ¡°Five, Four, Three, Two, One.¡±

 Chapter 3

    Suddenly I was standing in front of a thrift shop in a plaza full of people. I looked around wildly not knowing what to do when my earbud chirped to life, ¡°Star confirmed onsite. Hostile contact is imminent. The primary objective is to protect a newly manifested Delta from abduction. The subject has been designated ¡®Delta One¡¯ and their last known location is Mary¡¯s Thrift Shoppe in Liberty Plaza.¡±


    ¡°Star confirms onsite Overwatch. What am I facing and what about all the people in the plaza¡±, I nervously replied.


    The reply was now quick and professional, ¡°Reports of an unknown Supernormal abduction team. Exact composition is unknown, however, expect them to be heavily armed and use extreme caution. Intelligence suggests that a Supernormal operator is in play. Your secondary objective is to protect any citizens caught in the crossfire and minimize casualties. Backup has been dispatched and is approximately five minutes out. Good luck Star.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I muttered as I racked my brain to figure out what to do. Think Star, think. God, Captain Williams and Fox have been drilling me with tactics for the last two years, why am I blanking now? Just when I was starting to think I would never think of something I remembered something Captain Williams was always saying, ¡®Control the battlefield¡¯. While in an open space like this, I couldn¡¯t do much to control the environment but I knew they were coming so I had that advantage. I just need to find a weakness and use that as a wedge to start breaking them down.


    ¡°Overwatch, do we know Delta One¡¯s name?¡±, I asked while I stood bouncing in front of the shop like a boxer waiting for a round to start.


    A couple of seconds went by before Overwatch responded, ¡°Julie Jones, age fourteen.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Overwatch.¡±, can you patch me through to the shop and Julie¡¯s phone?¡±


    ¡°Negative Star. Communications seem to be down in your area. We suspect jamming has been deployed. Be aware, your communications may be affected even though we use a different system. This attack caught us by surprise, and we only learned of it at the last minute. Abduction teams are usually fast and mobile but expect at least a five person team,¡± Overwatch responded although there was noticeable static in the response this time.


    ¡°Roger that,¡± I replied while squinting out into the plaza like I could manifest the bad guys. Realizing I needed to do something proactive, I turned to the shop and yelled, ¡°Attention those in the thrift shop! This is Supernormal first responder Star, we have an emerging Supernormal threat out here. Communications in this area are down and for your safety, I ask that you find the safest location in the store and stay put until given the all clear. Your shop is my responsibility and I will be intercepting anything that comes your way. If you look out your windows I¡¯m the blonde lady in the silly white outfit with a star on her chest. Now that you¡¯ve had a look, go find someplace safe and we¡¯ll get through this just fine.¡±


    I really hoped that would be good enough. This scenario was starting to feel a little too real and I had to be running out of time. Touching my earbud I attempted to contact Overwatch for another sitrep, but all I got back was an ear full of static. Not good.


    It was time to do something other than stand there and wait so I decided to get a bird''s eye view of the approach and hopefully gain some intel. I floated up about 50 feet in the air and did a slow spin to surveil the area. Feeling a bit of breeze and noticing that it looked like a weather front was approaching from the west I still didn¡¯t see anything. I didn¡¯t want to alarm anyone unduly, but the people in the plaza were starting to notice my odd behavior when suddenly I saw a glint from a three-story building about 500 feet away.


    ¡°Crap!¡±, was all I could exclaim before pain blossomed in my right shoulder, and I fell like a stone to the ground as the report of the sniper rifle echoed through the plaza. It felt like a hot poker had been jammed into my shoulder and looking at the spot where the round hit I could see a discoloration where it had hit on my uniform. My side also was smarting a bit since I smashed into a light pole on the way down so I was off to a rocking start.


    After getting behind some cover by a fountain I looked out into the plaza and saw the abduction team scattering for cover from a panel van. I caught three hostiles bail from the van so with the sniper and driver Overwatch was on the money on the size of the hostile team. If I had to guess they were going to try and flank me with one of them laying down suppression while their teammates worked their way around while their sniper kept me grounded.


    This was just supposed to be a practice run before my test tomorrow. I don¡¯t know what Fox was playing at but I decided I didn¡¯t care if ¡®Julie¡¯ was virtual or not. These a-holes were not going to get their hands on her. My shoulder was a constant dull throb and even though Fox had warned me ahead of time I was still pissed I¡¯d already managed to get myself shot. It was time to take it out on something.


    Standing up from the fountain manifesting my energy ability in my fists, I clapped my hands together over my head resulting in a loud ¡°CRACK¡± that echoed off the plaza and a burst of light in the fuchsia, and neon blue colors that are the manifestation of my energy ability. Fortunately, I got the desired effect of causing the plaza to stop and look at me and I yelled out, ¡°Citizens! Evacuate immediately!¡±


    And with that, I was on the move. Staying below the rooftops so the sniper couldn¡¯t get a clean shot I flew straight at the hostile who was on point at the other end of the plaza. My little light show bought me the time I needed to get to the first hostile and flew in a little too fast and almost overshot them but was able to grab them and smash an elbow into their temple dropping them immediately. I took a quick look around and there was still too much chaos for my liking. People were running all over and it was making it hard to see the other hostiles.


    ¡°Overwatch, Hostile down,¡± I said into my communicator but didn¡¯t get a response. ¡°Overwatch if you can hear me I¡¯ve got at least five hostiles. One neutralized. Do you copy?¡±, but there was still nothing.


    Realizing I needed to keep moving I spared a glance at where I last saw one of the hostiles who was edging around the plaza when a burst of gunfire erupted from that area causing the ground to my right to erupt in debris. The people who had yet to evacuate the plaza began to scream and panic even more as I jumped back to try and spot the shooter through the chaos. I was almost certain they were by a food cart when they broke cover for another burst of fire that missed by about a foot but still caused me to jump back to try and break line of sight with the shooter.


    Turns out this was actually a feint and the shooter wasn¡¯t aiming to hit me but rather to push me back into the sniper''s line of sight. I know this because, for the second time in a minute, I felt the impact of a bullet. This time I was struck in the hip and spun down to the ground with a cry of pain. My whole leg went numb and I realized at that point that I was flailing. I did not have control of the battlefield and if I didn¡¯t do something soon I was going to fail my objective.


    Rolling next to a planter I pulled myself up with a grunt of pain. I was out of options, and I had to start eliminating some hostiles. It was already a miracle nobody had been killed collaterally at this point, but before I could get too lost in that thought I needed to get moving before the sniper could get another shot, and it was time to take care of the hot dog shooter. Floating off the ground so that I didn¡¯t have any weight on my injured leg I put a hand up and quickly strobed my power ¡°Pop, pop, pop¡± and then immediately made a beeline to the hot dog cart to try and catch the hostile by surprise which in a stroke of luck I did. They were looking to change positions and didn¡¯t see me coming around the opposite side of the cart. They caught sight of me at the last second but it was too late. I was already firing an energy bolt into their chest which flung them back about ten feet before they smashed into the pavement. I flew over to make sure they were out before turning my attention to the driver and the van.


    The plaza had finally cleared out and I moved quickly to cover behind a vending machine. I knew it had only been a couple of minutes but it felt like forever. I didn¡¯t have time to dawdle but also knew I needed a plan and to take stock. My shoulder hurt like crazy but was usable so that was good. My leg on the other hand already had a deep purple bruise where it had hit bare skin on the back of my thigh. I was getting some feeling back but it was weaker than I¡¯d like.


    I turned on my communicator to check in with Overwatch and said, ¡°Star to Overwatch. Do you copy Overwatch? Hostile two down. The plaza is evacuated but three hostiles remain. One is in a sniping position. What is the ETA of backup?¡±


    Nothing. Same as before. With a sigh I realized that I was still on my own, only now I could hear sirens in the distance that sounded like they were heading my way. Ok, one hostile was with the van, one was the sniper and one had ghosted. Thinking about the lessons Fox and Captain Williams had drilled into me I realized that the ghost was the one that was the most dangerous so the other two had to be dealt with, and dealt with quickly. Everything else was just a distraction. If my assessment was right the sniper would try to protect the getaway vehicle now that the assault team was decimated while hoping to get me exposed for a kill shot. I needed to get the van and driver off the board so I could deal with the sniper. Time for a stupid plan.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    I peeked out from my vending machine cover to make sure I got a good look at where the van and the driver were before ducking back just as a bullet smashed into the decorative brickwork lining the area. Ok time to test the power of stupidity. I rushed out of cover holding my cape over my face and chest stretched taut like a shield. The fabric was bulletproof and I remember my instructors always saying to shoot for center mass so I took that to heart and tried to cover as much of myself as possible.


    Sure enough two bullets rattled my arms as I flew across the plaza. They both hit my fabric shield and thankfully the fabric held. Right as I was about where I judged the van to be a quick percussion of hits splattered against the fabric and I could see spots where it was starting to tear. Changing my plan on the fly I dropped my good shoulder and just slammed straight into the van.


    Fun fact, I¡¯m not just more durable than your average person, I''m stronger too even though I spend most of my time trying not to use it. I hit the van with enough force that it crumpled around me a bit before slamming up and over on its side. I heard a yelp from the van and zipped over to find the driver pinned by his leg. The simulation was damn good because the driver looked up at me and said, ¡°My leg. Please¡­please help.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said as I kicked the gun away. Reaching down I picked up the van just enough to slide the hostile out and then cracked them upside their head knocking them out. Time for the sniper. I launched into the air making sure to throw off some random bursts of energy as I did so and leaned into my flight ability and getting to the sniper¡¯s position as fast as possible.


    I can move pretty damn fast when I want to in the air, and in perfect conditions I can get up to speeds of a little over two hundred miles per hour. According to Dr. Rokker, I haven¡¯t reached my top speed yet as my abilities are still developing, so once I lined up on the building where I had last seen the sniper I was there in a couple of seconds.


    I came in hard and I was definitely letting my emotions run a little hot because I blasted the entire balcony as I came in blowing out the patio doors and windows and throwing glass into the interior of the apartment. I realized belatedly that I didn¡¯t know if the apartment was occupied and that there could have been civilians inside along with the hostile. I let my anger get the better of me and cursed silently for the mistake. My heart raced as I scanned the interior quickly, and I found the sniper crawling toward the door of the apartment and fortunately nobody else. My blast had caught them trying to relocate and the concussion had thrown them off their feet. Not wasting the chance I flew in and blasted the hostile with an energy blast which should put them down long enough for backup to get here and help with clean up and containment.


    I quickly activated my communicator to do my due diligence in reporting to Overwatch and said, ¡°Star to Overwatch, hostiles three and four are down. Hostile five is in the wind. I¡¯m out of position and heading back to Delta One¡¯s position. Now would be a great time for some backup.¡±


    Launching back out of the busted apartment I raced back to the thrift shop just in time to catch a figure jump to the thrift shop roof from an adjacent building with the fluidity and grace of an acrobat. No doubt this was Fox. I got you this time, I thought as I raced to catch him off guard. I came in fast on his back shoulder hoping to just tackle him right off the roof before he could see me coming but amazingly he twisted out of the way at the last second and threw an elbow jab into my ribs sending me off balance and into the roof with a crash.


    I rolled with it as best as I could but it was still a mess as my leg absolutely screamed at me and my shoulder which had been feeling a little better was back to letting me know it was also angry. Coming out of the roll¡­flop¡­whatever, roughly facing Fox on one knee I realized that he had drawn his weapon and was sighting down on me. My cape was caught under me so I got as compact as I could in a crouch behind my knee and put my forearms up to cover my face and core.


    Fox quickly proved true to his word about not taking it easy as absolute fire blossomed all along my arms as Fox emptied his clip into me. I was in agony but didn¡¯t have time to worry much about it as suddenly he was on me before I could clear the tears of pain from my eyes. He snapped a kick right into the side of my head which I just slightly deflected by the grace of already having my arms up in a defensive position. The force of the kick threw me down to the roof and I managed to roll and get my hands up for a quick strobe of my energy ability hoping to catch him by surprise but quick as lighting he had slid off to my left causing me to catch nothing but air.


    As he moved Fox was lining up another strike and while I didn¡¯t hit him with my energy ability, it gives off light so the quick flash was just enough to trigger the lenses in his mask to darken for a second which caused him to hitch in his strike. I took that moment to roll away to my right and try to get airborne. As I jumped to get airborne Fox jumped into a roll and used the momentum coming out of it to spring into the air grabbing my cape and slammed me back to the roof with a crack.


    Pivoting with the grace of a ballerina he put himself directly over the top of me with his foot on my cape to pin me down and pulled his XM18 from his back holster and pointed it at the star logo on my chest in one smooth motion.


    Evidently, you can beat the ever loving crap out of me but you can¡¯t beat the snark out of me because even though my brain was real fuzzy around the edges and I hurt almost everywhere, I looked up into Fox¡¯s mask and sassed, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Can¡¯t monologue with the mask on? Isn¡¯t this where you tell me I can¡¯t win and to give up?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Fox replied and pumped four shots in quick succession right into the star on my chest. I screamed and curled into a ball as pure fire radiated through my chest. All the other pain was nothing compared to the agony that I was feeling at that moment, but a small angry part of my brain was screaming to get up and move. A little angry ember that was rapidly exploding into an inferno. I trusted Fox, how could he do this to me? How he could be so cold was running laps like a race car through my head.


    ¡°Screw you,¡± I choked out despite the agony and I twisted around and up into a crouch reaching back at the same time and ripping my cape free from its clasp. Fox jumped back in surprise while training his gun on me but this time I wasn¡¯t going to give him time to shoot me and shoulder faked to the left before moving right as much as my bad leg would let me. Unbelievably he followed my movement like he was in my head. It was uncanny, nobody moves that fast, and neither enhanced speed nor telepathy was one of his abilities so I had no idea how he was doing it.


    At that moment though I was too mad to care. I had to get him off of me so I continued my momentum backward and threw my arms out like a baseball umpire signaling safe throwing out an energy wave, and I¡¯ll be damned if Fox didn¡¯t almost dodge it as he dropped back like he was doing an aggressive limbo but he wasn¡¯t quite fast enough. The wave clipped him in the mask and his gun hand causing him to get rocked back away from me losing his grip on the gun.


    I spun away and got into the air but Fox had already rolled away from where he was thrown and had drawn the sword from the sheath on his back. I couldn¡¯t see his face behind the cold expressionless mask he wore and I couldn¡¯t help but idly wonder if there was a story behind the mask or if he was simply just leaning into his code name. Regardless it was damn effective as the eyes were just lenses and the details of the mask gave you a vague impression of a Japanese kitsune. It was sleek but slightly sinister and unsettling.


    ¡°Star, backup thirty seconds out,¡± my earbud crackled back to life at that moment with Overwatch providing the update I¡¯d been waiting for. I didn¡¯t bother replying though as getting distracted right now was a surefire way to lose the fight but at least now I knew that I had to ONLY hold another thirty seconds against Fox who had pretty much smacked me around at this point. My abilities were my only advantage so it was time to press it. I shot off a blast only to see Fox dive out of the way so I started to shoot volleys at him, and damn if he didn¡¯t dance through them somehow until he made it to the roof access door on the other side of the roof, breaking my line of sight.


    Crap. I raced to where I¡¯d last seen him slip around the corner ready to blast him off the damn roof when suddenly he was behind me and a line of burning agony traced a line across my back as Fox slashed me with his sword causing me to flinch and jump away from the contact. This of course was his plan all along as he spun out of the slash and ran toward the edge of the roof closest to the entrance to the thrift shop. As I breathed through the pain I realized Fox knew he was out of time and was going for the girl. He didn¡¯t even look back at me and jumped over the side of the building trusting his cut would give him the time he needed.


    I groaned and flew after him, dropping over the side of the building and speeding to catch him which I managed to do right before he got to the door. The sirens blaring in the background were very close now adding to the madness this training session had become.


    Fox of course managed to duck and pivot my grab attempt so I put on the air brakes just in time to get snap kicked in the ribs but this time I wasn¡¯t going to be moved. Making sure to keep as much pressure off my leg as possible I stood my ground and blasted a shot at Fox. He dodged it by just slightly moving off its trajectory and fired off an upward slash with his sword, but this time I read his move having trained against him hundreds of times. It was a combination he liked to use when using batons and staffs.


    I swung my forearm over and blocked the sword away hitting the flat of the blade and with my other hand I blasted him point blank. Both the sword and Fox went flying in different directions and this time he must have been stunned because he landed roughly fifteen feet away. It was the first time I hadn¡¯t seen him move fluidly but he was already getting back to his feet. I needed to end this before someone got hurt¡­more hurt if I was being honest. I rushed to him and grabbed him by the front of his uniform and yelled, ¡°This is over! Surrender or I will be forced to do whatever is necessary to incapacitate you. You¡¯ve lost.¡±


    Fox¡¯s mask tilted a little as I held him off the ground and in that cold emotionless tone he had taken on he simply replied, ¡°Did I?¡±


    ¡°What? All of your team are down and you¡¯re in no position to do anything.¡±, I growled into that mask I was quickly growing to hate.


    ¡°My orders were to bring the Delta in if possible or to liquidate the target to take them off the board. We can¡¯t allow competitors to have such a valuable asset,¡± he said.


    Looking behind me in a panic I realized I¡¯d missed a detail in my rush to get to Fox and that was the round device blinking a countdown stuck to the door. ¡°Oh, no¡± I whispered and flung Fox across the plaza. I didn¡¯t even glance to see how he landed as I acted on pure instinct and adrenaline and flew as fast as I could to the door. Not quite sure how to remove the device or if it would trigger if I touched it I smashed the lock and grabbed the door and pulled it as hard as I could and ripped it off the building. The LED on the device immediately started a frantic strobe and I knew I was out of time. I jumped the door away from the building and I had time to register a ¡®BANG¡¯ right before the world went white and then black.

 Chapter 4

    ¡°Dani¡­Dani. Dani wake up! Come on kid, I know you took a knock but you need to wake up¡±, through the throbbing haze that was my return to consciousness I could vaguely hear a voice that was familiar.


    ¡°Ten more minutes Mom. I had a nightmare that I fought a cheese grater and lost,¡± I groaned while keeping my eyes shut tight and hoping that the dull throbbing pain all over my body would disappear.


    A chuckle greeted my response and the voice I now recognized as belonging to Dr. Robinson shot back, ¡°As your doctor, I would love nothing else than to let you rest right now but I figured you wouldn¡¯t want to keep Colonel Morales and Captain Williams waiting.¡±


    My eyes snapped open at hearing that and I sat bolt upright on an exam bed in a room that I guessed was the medical room attached to the training facility. Regret immediately assailed me as a thunderbolt of pain lanced through my head, and judging from its intensity it had to have been thrown by Zeus himself. A wave of nausea ran through me and I must have started to sway a little as Dr. Robinson put a steadying hand on my shoulder. A relatively tall woman somewhere in her fifties who was just now starting to show some softness around the edges with blonde hair that had started to turn grey. She had piercing grey eyes that never missed a thing but with an accumulation of smile lines that foretold of a sharp wit mixed with an easy sense of humor, it was impossible not like Dr. Robinson. She serves as the doctor in charge of the facility¡¯s medical department and was highly respected by nearly everyone on the base having earned that respect by serving in the field and her fantastic bedside manner.


    ¡°Easy there hot rod. I didn¡¯t mean for you to try and run out of here. They can wait until you¡¯re a little more steady. Now if you can stay sitting up I want to run a quick couple of tests to make sure you don¡¯t have a concussion,¡± Dr. Robinson said while grabbing a penlight from her coat pocket, ¡°I¡¯m going to check your pupils and ask you some questions. What¡¯s your callsign?¡±


    ¡°My original callsign was Stella but currently it¡¯s Star,¡± I answered, ¡°But Brunner calls me Stuperstar,¡± ugh why did I share that? I definitely took a hit to the head.


    Dr. Robinson chuckled softly saying, ¡°Well Brunner doesn¡¯t count because he¡¯s an asshat,¡± while shining her penlight into my eyes.


    I couldn¡¯t help but snort at that, ¡°I know, right!¡±


    ¡°Well your pupils are reacting normally and your sense of humor is intact so that¡¯s good. What¡¯s your brother¡¯s name,¡± she asked suddenly.


    ¡°Evan. My brother¡¯s name is Evan, my dad is Daniel, and my mom is Amy. Their cat¡¯s name is Nova, so do I pass?¡± I said with a bit of a smirk.


    ¡°You¡¯re entirely too much of a wise ass sometimes young lady,¡± she said while chuckling. ¡°I¡¯m going to give you some painkillers because no matter how good your healing is, I imagine you¡¯re still feeling getting knocked around like that.¡±


    ¡°Um, yeah. That would be great actually. My head is still pounding and honestly I kind of ache everywhere. So¡­um, do you know what happened out there. It seemed kind of intense for a practice session. I mean If that was the easy version, I don''t even want to think about what tomorrow is going to be like,¡± I said while reaching out to take the little paper cup with two big pills in it from her.


    ¡°Well I can¡¯t go into too many details but the gist of it is that Fox went at you pretty hard. I don¡¯t know what he was thinking about using an explosive in a training session, but at the end there the door you were holding was one of the physical constructs in the room so when the explosive went off it absorbed some of the blast. Unfortunately, a piece of it hit you in the head when it splintered and knocked you out which of course meant you stopped flying and ragdolled into the ground,¡± she explained as she handed me a water cup.


    ¡°After that, the simulation was terminated. Fox carried you to the medical room and since I was put on standby for this exercise I rushed down to make sure you were ok. All jokes aside, you need to take it easy for a day or two. You took a hard knock and will need to pay attention for signs of concussion for the next twenty four hours. Also, you¡¯ve got pretty gnarly bruising where you were shot. In the areas where the bullets hit your uniform, it¡¯s not too bad but your forearms and hip are probably going to be some glorious shades of purple and green in the next few days.


    The upside is that you wrenched Fox¡¯s shoulder pretty good when you flung him across the room which serves him right for getting carried away,¡± she said with more than a little edge.


    Doctor Robinson is generally a sweetheart of a woman but when she considers you one of her patients she can be downright fierce in making sure that your well being is taken care of. As feared as Fox may be, I have a feeling she was going to get her two cents worth of him at some point in the near future.


    ¡°When you''re done taking your pills I need you to stand up so I can see how your balance is, and if everything is ok I want you to take off that uniform and put on the medical gown on the counter over there so I can give you quick once over now that you¡¯re awake.¡±


    ¡°Ok, but no judgment if I face plant,¡± I said as I took a breath and downed the pills she gave me. All jokes aside I was hoping they didn¡¯t take long to kick in. My head was throbbing as well as various other parts of my body. Setting down the now empty paper cups I scooted to the edge of the table. Dr. Robinson moved closer with a look of concern and was clearly ready to help if I needed it.


    I scooted off the table and winced as my leg took my weight but otherwise was able to stand without the room spinning. When I looked down at my hip I could see a bandage and an angry red spot. I looked up at the doctor and asked, ¡°Did I get cut?¡±


    ¡°You did,¡± she answered. ¡°When Fox brought you in and got you on the table I did a quick exam to see if anything was wrong besides the head injury. As I said you have bruising to your forearms which will not be enjoyable but with the way you heal will be a minor inconvenience. The same for your sternum where your uniform blunted the trauma from Fox¡¯s sidearm.


    The real damage was from the sniper rifle with its higher velocity. The shot to your shoulder was again blunted by your uniform but it was still a pretty heavy hit and I expect some deep tissue bruising. Now the shot to your hip was by far the hardest hit you took. Essentially you took a bullet right to your exposed skin which with nothing to blunt the impact managed to cause a minor pressure cut. I cleaned it and pushed it back together and used some skin glue to close it and bandaged it. I don¡¯t expect a scar, it¡¯s pretty small still it¡¯s a good reminder you¡¯re not invincible, eh.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± I replied. ¡°I knew it hurt a lot but I never even stopped to look. I figured if I could move it couldn¡¯t be that bad.¡±


    She sighed a bit before replying, ¡°Heroes¡­honestly that¡¯s not much of a surprise. Adrenaline does crazy things and I¡¯ve seen soldiers with parts blown off not even noticing until they have a chance to slow down and stop, but that¡¯s a bit morbid so let''s change the topic. I¡¯m going to go out and talk to Fox, so you go ahead and get changed into the gown. Everything off but the undies. I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes.¡±


    As she stepped out into the training room¡¯s ready room I limped over the counter to get the gown so I could change, the realization of how crazy the last half hour had been was starting to hit. I¡¯d never been in a training like that and I still wasn¡¯t sure just what that was all about. Hell, I didn¡¯t even know if I achieved the goal and passed or failed because I got myself knocked out.


    Unzipping the leotard and slipping it over my shoulder was agony and I¡¯m glad Dr. Robinson had stepped out as more than a few unsavory words were said during the process. At least after getting my shoulders out it was relatively easy to shimmy the garment the rest of the way down and step out of it with the aid of the counter to hold on to. Sigh, the bra was going to suck. Taking a deep breath I gritted my teeth through getting it over my head and then slipped the medical gown over my head. Fortunately, this was the style of gown that opens and closes in the front so I wasn¡¯t showing the world my backside. Tying the sash to close the gown so I didn¡¯t flash anyone I bent over to pick up my uniform with a groan and folded it and put it on the counter.


    Now for the hard part, how to get the leggings off? In the end it took more than a few tries and a lot of grunts but I managed to work them off right as Dr. Robinson came back into the room carrying a stack of clothes.


    ¡°Good news,¡± she said with a grin. ¡°I had Fox arrange to get your clothes from your locker.¡±


    ¡°Oh thank God. I really wasn¡¯t looking forward to putting that uniform back on,¡± I said with relief on my face.


    ¡°From the looks of this stack of clothes you''re going to be much more comfortable,¡± she said with a laugh while putting the clothes on the counter next to my uniform. ¡°Now let¡¯s get this exam over with so you can go meet with the bigwigs.¡±


    ¡°How''s Fox?¡± I blurted


    Without missing a beat she said, ¡°You first, him later. Now lay back so I can get a proper look at all these fun injuries you¡¯ve accumulated.¡±


    Not really having a good reason to argue I did as I was told and lay back on the table to let Dr. Robinson do her exam. She moved around me asking me to move this or that and poking, prodding, or manipulating things so that she could get a good idea of my condition. Always apologizing for causing any pain and you could tell she was very good at her job by the way she moved.


    After a few minutes, she asked me to sit up and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to do one last concussion check so I want you to follow the light again as I move it. Moving the pen light through a series of movements going up, down, left, and right as well as various other things like covering one eye and then the other I did what she asked and after a few minutes, she must have been satisfied as she grunted and put away the penlight and pinched the bridge of her nose before exhaling.


    ¡°Ok, Dani the good news is that you really don¡¯t seem to have a concussion. Everything I said earlier still stands though about the next twenty four hours. You heal faster than anyone I¡¯ve ever seen that doesn¡¯t specifically have a healing ability so I imagine most of this will be gone in a couple of days to a week, however, you have a pretty deep bruise on your hip that will probably take a bit longer, and I imagine your shoulder will too. Your sternum, forearms, and side will be some fun colors so I would stick to long sleeves for a bit to avoid any awkward questions.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    I¡¯m going to release you now but you are officially off training for a week and you will need to see me personally before I release you to resume activities. I¡¯ll have a prescription ready for you at the front desk for something stronger than over the counter painkillers for tonight and tomorrow if you need them and after that over-the-counter ibuprofen is your friend as it will help with the inflammation. If you experience any worsening pain you contact me immediately, understand? I should probably send you for imaging but I would bet my pension that they are already getting impatient upstairs. Ok, any questions?¡± she said with a look that somehow was both comforting and stern at the same time.


    ¡°Can I still fly?¡± immediately jumped out of my mouth and I blushed furiously when all she did for a beat was raise an eyebrow. ¡°Um¡­can I walk on my leg or do I need a crutch or anything?¡± I followed up lamely.


    ¡°Dani you can do anything you can tolerate within normal activities as long as you don¡¯t overdo it until you¡¯re healed. Flying wouldn¡¯t be a consideration for most people let alone fall into ¡®normal activities¡¯ but I know asking you not to fly is like asking you not to breathe, so just don¡¯t overdo it ok? If it hurts stop,¡± she said with a wisp of a smile, ¡°Now get dressed.¡±


    ¡°Yes Doc,¡± I said and smiled when she brought my stack of clothes over to me from the counter. ¡°Um, Doc. I think I¡¯m going to skip the bra. My shoulder is stiffening up and I¡¯m starting to feel my sternum. Do you have a bag or anything I could use?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s probably for the best,¡± she said and then began rummaging around the cabinets in the medical room finally hitting paydirt with a kind of nylon little drawstring rucksack thing. ¡°This should work for anything you need to carry.¡±


    A few minutes later, and much to my embarrassment, with a little help from the good doctor I was dressed, and I was very happy that I had come to the base super casual in leggings, a shirt, and a hoodie. With my bra safely stowed in my new bag I was ready to leave when I realized I still didn¡¯t know how Fox was. I couldn¡¯t decide if I was worried or pissed but he was still my mentor so I guess worried was winning sixty to forty.


    ¡°So¡­um how¡¯s Fox?¡± I asked again hoping this time I¡¯d get an answer as I tidied up and folded up the remnants of my training uniform.


    Dr. Robinson¡¯s eyes hardened a bit at the mention of Fox and for a second I thought she wasn¡¯t going to answer but then she relented ¡°Fox was sent to the main infirmary to get his shoulder looked at. As I said he took a pretty good knock when you threw him. Even with an injured shoulder he still picked you up and brought you straight here though, but personally, I¡¯m still pretty annoyed at him for going at you so hard. He did at least have the decency to be worried about you, and he was refusing to get looked at until he knew you were ok, but I threatened to put him on a medical leave if he didn¡¯t go. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be along shortly so we should get going to the meeting since I¡¯m one of the bigwigs. I have to go to the meeting so I¡¯ll be with you and I¡¯ll try to make sure they don¡¯t overwhelm you. Oh and leave your uniform, someone will take care of it. Not sure you¡¯ll be wearing that one again anyway,¡± she said heading toward the door to the ready area of the training room and the elevator to the main control room.


    Dr. Robinson made sure to match my pace as I limped over to the elevator and once we were in she pressed the button for the control room. It was a quick ride up as we only had to go up a couple of floors but it was enough for my stomach to start developing butterflies.


    With a ding we arrived and the doors opened into a large space dominated by large windows that ran almost the width of the room. Set back a little ways from the windows were a row of workstations and displays that operated and monitored the room with a couple of technicians tapping away at whatever they were doing on the screens. In the center of the room was a holo table that currently seemed to be replaying scenes from the exercise. To our left was a staff area that housed restrooms and a small kitchenette and on our right was a large conference room that Dr. Robinson gestured toward in a ¡®before you¡¯ gesture.


    I was a little reluctant to leave the main control room area partially because I was nervous but also because I¡¯d only seen the room once before on my orientation tour of the facility and I really wanted to see what everything did. What can I say, I¡¯m a sucker for shiny buttons.


    I limped to the door of the conference room and stopped and paused to glance at Dr. Robinson who nodded at me and softly said, ¡°You got this Dani,¡± as she walked past me into the room and took a seat at the table inside.


    Taking a deep breath I followed her into the room only to find it more occupied than I had been expecting. As conference rooms go it was pretty standard although it was pretty big. I guessed it could hold about twelve people sitting though there were only ten chairs in the room currently, but there was standing space for more people if needed. Ringing the room were slick state of the art displays and the table looked to be made of some kind of dark glass. A star emblem that matched the one on my hoodie was on one wall and on the other was the seal of the US Army. Something tickled the back of my brain about being told this room doubled as secondary operations planning space.


    Sitting at the head of the table was Colonel Morales who was the commanding officer of the base. His callsign was ¡®Jupiter¡¯ and he was a veteran officer in his forties of Mexican-American descent. He was slightly above average height and just starting to see middle age spread kick in but his black hair was always military ¡®high and tight¡¯ and his bearing screamed military lifer which only helped his reputation as a no-nonsense leader. Generally speaking conversations with the Colonel were unpleasant as he seemed to revel in being abrasive but ultimately operations and personnel at the Michigan City facility were his responsibility. A responsibility he took very seriously.


    The Colonel noticed my arrival with a nod and gestured to the empty chair at the foot of the table opposite him. ¡°Have a seat, Miss Walker. I¡¯m glad you could join us. I believe you know almost everyone here and we are just waiting on Chief Brunner to return with Master Sergeant Takahara from the infirmary and then we¡¯ll get started.¡±


    I pulled out the chair that was evidently designated for me at the foot of the table and gingerly sat down. I was pretty proud of myself that I only winced a little in the process and shifted around to get comfortable. An aid appeared out of nowhere with a glass of water and a coaster and just as quickly disappeared. Taking a sip of the water I took a moment to look around the room at the assembled guests.


    To the right of Colonel Morales was Lieutenant Colonel Amin, callsign Astraea, who in many ways was the polar opposite of the Colonel. Lieutenant Colonel Amin couldn¡¯t be much taller than five foot four inches and was of Indian-American heritage. Where he was gruff, she was outgoing and engaging, and her fast track promotion through the ranks to Lieutenant Colonel at the young age of thirty seemed to rankle old schoolers like Colonel Morales. Rumor has it that the Lieutenant Colonel has a Sigma ability that has something to do with influencing others, but I didn¡¯t really care much about the rumors as I found her super likable and fun to be around as I had spent quite a bit of time with her taking public relations lessons. She gave me a quick smile and a wave.


    To the left of the Colonel sat a surprise in the form of Doctor Rokker. Doctor Rokker led the research team that was the other component of the Star Project and I had known him since I was a kid. He was always kind to me and my family and always was upfront with us when the government started researching my abilities. In his late fifties with a shock of unkempt white hair, he greeted me with a big grin and wave when I caught his eye. Like Doctor Robinson, his presence was comforting but also out of place for a training exercise so I couldn¡¯t help but be on edge.


    Speaking of Dr. Robinson she took a seat next to Dr. Rokker and immediately leaned in toward him as they began a conversation like the old friends they were. The seat on the other side of Robinson was empty with the one closest to me on that side of the table occupied by Major Zeit. Tall and skinny with a buzz cut and southern inflection I didn¡¯t know much about the Major other than he was the operations officer for the base, but the handful of times we interacted he was nothing but charming. Still, his presence was yet another red flag to the fact that something was up. I gave him a queasy smile and a nod which he returned before going back to whatever was on the tablet in front of him.


    This was definitely turning into an interesting day and the fact that I just had the crap kicked out of me less than an hour ago and now I was sitting in a room of big wigs was giving me mental whiplash. I was definitely not feeling like I was keeping pace so when I looked to the right side of the table it was a relief to see Captain Williams, Hound Two, make eye contact and give me a nod. The African-American woman was a little taller than me and built like a track star. Muscular and lithe, Captain Williams was no joke. While Fox was superior in hand-to-hand and up close fighting even he couldn''t touch Captain Williams''s tactical ability. She just saw things differently and was able to almost always put herself in the right position for the best outcome. I rarely sparred with her but when I did she beat me just as often as Fox did. Captain Willaims and Fox were assigned as my primary trainers and were the two people most responsible for my training so I could understand why they would be here and while I can¡¯t say that I¡¯ve really gotten to know the Captain on much of a personal level, I certainly respect her. In fact I¡¯m not sure she wanted this assignment, but she¡¯s been nothing but professional and thorough in carrying out my training so getting just that little nod of acknowledgment meant a lot to me.


    To the Captain¡¯s right was a tall young woman with auburn hair pulled back in a regulation ponytail wearing the standard regulation blue duty uniform that I didn¡¯t recognize. Now granted it was a pretty good size base so having somebody I¡¯ve never interacted with was entirely possible but I would bet money I¡¯d never seen her before. Whoever she was, she seemed pretty at ease in the group and even gave me a quick wink and turned away from me to ask Lieutenant Colonel Amin something.


    I¡­what? What is today I thought. The anxiety was starting to really build but fortunately, salvation came in the person I least wanted to see as Chief Brunner came sauntering into the room to announce ¡°I found your lost Fox. He¡¯ll be here in a minute. He has to stop and grab a new shirt from his locker since his shoulder¡¯s all wrapped up,¡± as he slid into the chair next to Robinson and managed to somehow slouch and yet not be so obvious as to be reprimanded.


    Ugh, Brunner. He was easily my least favorite person on base. Chief Warrant Officer Nicholas Brunner, Hound Four, was the textbook definition of an alpha douche, was in charge of training me on the different weapons and weapons systems I could run up against as well as helping with my traditional firearms training. He actually knew his stuff when it came to different weapons but he was just such a prick it was hard to give him any credit.


    During our first week of training, he hit on me every time Captain Williams or Fox wasn¡¯t around asking if I¡¯d ever had a ¡®real¡¯ man, or just those ¡®soy boys¡¯ at college, and that a hottie like me was wasting their time with training because with my looks I should just be getting rich as an influencer. I really think the insufferable prick thought I would be flattered and that talking to me that way would somehow make me swoon for him, except all it did was convince me to make it my mission to prove him wrong every chance I could.


    Standing at six foot, two inches with blond hair and blue eyes, and muscles on muscles he was a Texas fried jock next door type if there ever was one and a cheerleader¡¯s wet dream. He evidently didn¡¯t much like my turning him down and had gone out of his way to take shots at me or remind me what I¡¯m ¡®missing¡¯ ever since. I know he has a history with Captain Williams and Fox and a bunch of medals for bravery because he made sure to tell me¡­repeatedly, but honestly, I don¡¯t see how they put up with him. I¡¯ll have to ask one day.


    In the meantime, I took another sip of water and checked to make sure the bag with my bra was safely down at my feet while studiously not looking at Brunner. Possibly I may have even started to daydream about a structural collapse that would save me from having to sit in this room any longer when Fox came through the door. He was wearing his right arm in a sling over a tank top with his duty jacket draped over his shoulders. He paused behind me like he was looking for an open chair when I felt him give my shoulder a whisper of a squeeze before he seated himself between the officer I didn¡¯t know and myself.


    ¡°Thank you for joining us Master Sergeant Takahara, I hope your injury is nothing serious. Now that everyone that needs to be here is here, let''s get this show on the road, shall we?¡± said Colonel Morales from the head of the room. All the conversations died away instantly and one of the ninja aids closed the conference room door with a soft click before disappearing again.


    ¡°As you know we are here today to decide whether Private Military Contractor Walker will be awarded a Special First Responder Certification by the United States Government and all clearances that go with it. Congratulations PMC Walker on finishing your certification test. Now let¡¯s see if you passed,¡± he said.


    ¡°WHAT?!¡±

 Chapter 5

    I couldn¡¯t believe what I¡¯d just heard. I¡¯d just gotten smacked all around the training room in what I thought was a training session, and here was Colonel Morales just casually informing me in front of a room of officers that it was actually my certification test.


    ¡°Do calm down PMC Walker,¡± Colonel Morales said while steepling his hands in front of him. ¡°While I do appreciate that this was a shock, and I understand a certain amount of frustration, I also expect you to have picked up some military decorum after the last few years of us putting so much effort into training you.¡±


    Ugggghh, so Morales was going to do the ¡®I¡¯m being reasonable, why are you overreacting?¡¯ schtick. I couldn¡¯t help thinking that if he called me any variation of ¡®Young lady¡¯ in the next ten seconds I was going to flash fry him and consider whatever jail time that came with it as justified.


    ¡°Oh do lighten up Reginald,¡± Doctor Robinson said to the Colonel before glancing at me and saying ¡°And Dani please sit down. We¡¯re not here to ambush you. I promise.¡±


    The last bit she said while giving the Colonel a pointed look and I realized she was right. I was half out of my chair leaning on the table. I forced myself to unclench a bit and sit back down even though I can¡¯t say I was happy about this particular turn of events and dammit now my hip was smarting again.


    ¡°That¡¯s Colonel or Colonel Morales. Doctor,¡± the Colonel said his forehead wrinkling in irritation at the breach of protocol, but Doctor Robinson just waved at him with a ¡®get on with it¡¯ gesture completely nonplussed at the rebuke and clearly not intimidated in the slightest. God, I loved that woman.


    ¡°Ahem, let us get on with it then. For the record, this meeting starts now and will be recorded and transcribed for recordkeeping. PMC Walker, we¡¯ve gathered each of the individuals here due to their expertise in evaluating your performance today and during your time as a trainee. This program has been unique in that you¡¯ve kept your civilian status rather than being made to enlist due to the agreement your family made with the research team.


    According to those above my pay grade, your unique abilities mean that you get special treatment. Let me be clear, I don¡¯t like that. Either you¡¯re all in or you¡¯re all out, none of this in-between crap, but they didn¡¯t ask my opinion and my orders were to use every resource to train you, so here we are. If at the outcome of this evaluation, it has been determined that you passed you will be granted special government clearance equal to that of a Captain in the United States Army while keeping your Private Military Contractor designation. Furthermore, you will be issued an Alpha Level First Responder classification with the US Government. This is the highest level of classification you can hold without a Presidential Order or an act of Congress,¡± he finished with a look around the table before meeting my eyes.


    ¡°For the record PMC Walker please affirm verbally that you understand the nature of this meeting¡±, he said in that flat tone military commanders have when they have detached any personal feelings they have for the subject matter.


    ¡°I attest that I understand the purpose of this evaluation meeting,¡± I said to an encouraging nod from Lieutenant Colonel Amin.


    ¡°Noted,¡± the Colonel responded and then turned to Doctor Rokker saying, ¡°Doctor Rokker if you would please get us started with your assessment.¡±


    With a nod to the Colonel, the good Doctor caught everyone¡¯s eye before turning to speak to me directly and began his assessment, ¡°No matter what your personal feelings may be about this project we are gathered here today to discuss this remarkable young woman. Ultimately the trajectory of her life will be impacted by our decision today, and while I¡¯ve had the privilege of knowing Miss Walker since she was eleven years old, I expect all of you to give her your utmost respect and treat this evaluation with the highest order of professionalism.¡±


    Oh my God. Doctor Rokker was going to make me cry, right here in this stupid meeting room with everyone watching. He¡¯d always been nice to me over the years as I did testing for him and when he and his research team helped me deal with containing and then learning about my abilities. His concern and affection had always seemed genuine so to have him gently rebuke the room like this was almost more than my tired and beat up emotional state could handle. I gave him a smile and tried to play it cool as I wiped at the corner of my eye.


    Doctor Robinson to his left was absolutely beaming and few others like Lieutenant Colonel Amin had small smiles on their faces. It was good to know I had some allies in the room but I wasn¡¯t going to take it for granted. These were military officers and good ones, they knew how to separate their feelings when needed, although Colonel Morales looked like he was sucking a lemon.


    ¡°Ok now that, that¡¯s out of the way let¡¯s get to it shall we? As I mentioned I¡¯ve known Miss Walker since she was eleven years old. As all of you know, most supernormals manifest during their teen years with the average age being fourteen years old. While it¡¯s not unheard of for a supernormal to manifest younger it is exceedingly rare for a supernormal to develop at the age of ten like Miss. Walker,¡± he said with the air and demeanor of a college professor.


    You could always tell when Doctor Rokker was engaged in the subject matter because he talked with his hands and looked like was conducting music. It was interesting being both the subject of the current topic and an observer. I found myself wanting to see where he was going next despite the fatigue that was starting to settle in.


    ¡°If that was the only thing it would have been remarkable, but the first manifestation resulted in an energy expulsion in her childhood home which fortunately didn¡¯t cause much damage but resulted in Miss. Walker entering a comatose state. The aforementioned energy expulsion registered as a blip on NASA¡¯s Total Solar and Spectral Irradiance Sensor which measures the Sun¡¯s energy input to Earth. Fifteen days later a stronger blip registered on the TSSI which we now know correlates to Miss. Walker coming out of her coma and her abilities fully manifesting. This second expulsion of energy was much stronger and damaged the hospital that she was staying in. Officially it was listed as an oxygen leak and fire as there was nothing to indicate Dani was manifesting during her time at the hospital prior to the expulsion. NASA still investigated of course but with no concrete evidence, it was decided there wasn¡¯t enough to go on and filed it away.


    Much to our surprise approximately one year later the Walkers came to NASA Headquarters asking for help. After running some tests we realized that Miss. Walker was the anomaly that was recorded by the TSSI. In just a year Miss. Walker¡¯s abilities had advanced to the point where she was able to discharge a form of bioenergy, albeit without any control, therefore endangering those around her. The speed upon which Miss Walker¡¯s energy abilities had grown was relatively unheard of and at this point in her development at the age of eleven, she would already be one of the strongest Sigmas ever recorded.


    It was determined at that time by myself and the administration that we should enter into a special agreement with the Walker family as Miss. Walker represented an unprecedented chance to study an early manifestation of unusual strength. Her tests were indicating that her body was still in flux and that she was going to manifest additional abilities giving us an opportunity to try and understand what made her manifestation unique. It was felt that it would not be in our best interests to antagonize the family as any research could prove invaluable.


    As part of this agreement, we would help the family with containing and controlling her abilities and the Walker family would cooperate with us for one month each year to do extensive testing at our Washington DC facility. At this point, it was believed by myself and the other researchers that Miss. Walker was a developing Quantum level Supernormal. As I¡¯m sure you know, only point five percent of the world''s population are Supernomals and Quantums are a statistically tiny portion of the point five percent and there are only a handful of known Quantum Supernormals in the world. Having the ability to study a Quantum at such an early stage of development would be invaluable to helping understand Supernormal abilities and why some manifest more than others.


    The point here is, not only did we have a chance to help a young girl and her family but also to have the chance to study the growth of one of the rarest Supernormal classifications from a young age. Working with the Walkers has indeed been a great privilege and we have made significant strides in our understanding of Supernormal abilities. For example Miss. Walker''s ability to absorb cosmic and solar energies and convert them to bioenergy has applications for creating new energy sources and we¡¯ve made some strides toward replicating them to a degree.¡±


    ¡°Apologies Doctor but could you start wrapping up? There are a lot of us to get through,¡± Colonel Morales interjected while the good doctor paused for a breath. I hid a small smile behind my hand because even if the Colonel gets on my nerves we both knew what would happen if Doctor Rokker got on a roll talking about his research.


    Doctor Rokker nodded to the Colonel with a sheepish green, ¡°Yes, yes of course. My apologies everyone, it¡¯s just I do so love to discuss my research. To the subject at hand, I¡¯ve had the pleasure of getting to watch Miss. Walker go from a scared little girl to the determined young woman you see before you today. She¡¯s gone above and beyond to help master her abilities and has provided this country with invaluable research data. All of this has caused her and her family great hardship but she has always faithfully risen to the challenge and always with a positive outlook.


    Do not doubt her dedication to wanting to help others just because she does not want to enlist in the Army. I believe in her and I believe in her character and I think we would be foolish to not do all we can to support her.¡±


    And with that, he sat back down next to Doctor Robinson who beamed at him and good-naturedly bumped him with her shoulder. As far as good starts go I couldn¡¯t ask for much better than that.


    ¡°Thank you, Doctor. Since Doctor Rokker is here representing the research side I wanted to let him go first but now we''re going to move into hearing from those of you who have been part of this training program for the last two years.


    As you are all aware the US Government fields multiple first response teams housed across the country and these teams are tasked with responding to incidents that require a specialized response. Sometimes that involves helping with things like a natural disaster, but more often than not it involves responding to a Supernormal incident. Whether that is a control and contain op for a powerful manifestation, stopping a rogue threat like a powerful Supernormal criminal, or in especially bad cases, a Supernormal gang war or industrial espionage operation. Essentially if local and state enforcement can¡¯t handle it but it falls short of a full military response, we get called out.


    While these first response teams are not classified or clandestine they are also not public. This initiative would be the first in a new model of public teams built around the idea of maintaining a public profile. What this means is that the S.T.A.R. team will be positioned to be directly in the public spotlight. So with that in mind, I¡¯m going to turn it over to Lieutenant. Colonel Amin who is our public relations expert.¡±


    Standing up with a nod to Colonel Morales she began, ¡°To provide some background since the introduction of the internet there has been a dramatic increase in incidents involving Supernormals that require the intervention of law enforcement. Incidents of industrial espionage have doubled in this time period, and quite honestly the interconnectivity provided by the internet has made being a Supernormal more dangerous than ever. Statistically speaking Delta Class Supernormals are the most at risk after registering. Now granted with the size of the population the odds of being abducted or killed are still statistically low per individual, but it¡¯s still rising at an alarming rate.


    The Government feels that with the increasing number of Supernormal incidents having a team in the public eye that the public could identify with is a project worth considering. The idea of course is by giving a face to the first response team that the public will see that the Government is doing something to protect the citizenry and conversely, the public will identify with the team and put their support behind the team.


    In order to make this team more personable it was decided to provide the public with a ¡®face¡¯ they could identify with. Someone who is not a soldier and can be looked to as a role model, and this is where Dani comes in and why she is not an enlisted member of the military.¡±


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    At the mention of ¡®role model¡¯ Brunner couldn¡¯t help himself and rolled his eyes while snorting and mumbling ¡°Role model, riiiight,¡± as he slouched in his chair.


    God, he¡¯s such an insufferable a-hole. To make matters worse he caught me glaring at him and threw me a wink. God, the urge to shoot him the nuts with an energy blast was off the charts.


    Fortunately, I didn¡¯t need to as Colonel Morales might be many things but someone who puts up with shenanigans in a meeting is not one of them. He snapped ¡°That¡¯s enough from you Mr. Brunner. You¡¯ll have your chance to provide your relevant feedback when it¡¯s your turn.¡±


    Damn, Colonel Morales just reversed global warming with the ice in that response, but it warmed my heart to see the asshat humbled. In true douche fashion, he slouched more and crossed his arms all sulkily. Dooouuuche.


    ¡°As I was saying,¡± Lieutenant Colonel Armin started again while giving Brunner a very deserved dirty look. ¡°Dani''s status as a civilian willing to put themselves in the line of fire is a good look. It shows that individuals can make a difference and that the Government and military are willing to be creative, and Dani¡¯s status as a PMC provides enough legal structure for Army leadership and for the White House to sell this to Congress.


    Now that all said this project carries considerable risk. First and foremost to Miss. Walker herself as she takes on missions. It will not take long for her to be outed as a Quantum and the optics of her getting hurt or killed will not be a good look for the Government. Additionally should Miss. Walker not be effective in the field and worsen a first response by negligence that will open all of us in the program to litigation and will most certainly draw the eyes and oversight of Congress. So there is a huge upside to this program but as I¡¯ve stated there is also considerable risk.¡±


    Flicking her gaze toward me for a moment I knew that everything the Lieutenant Colonel was saying was all true and that this was exactly what an evaluation should be doing, but it was still damn uncomfortable to have to sit here and listen to it. I wanted to argue points and make bold declarations but I also knew that for the most part, none of this was personal. Still, hearing it put on front street like that was making me antsy and I was trying my best not to fidget in my chair.


    ¡°So to start wrapping my portion of this eval up it¡¯s felt by many that the potential upsides to this program are worth the risks of any downsides. I concur with this line of thinking. I have been working with Miss. Walker for the last two years to understand how to navigate the public relations aspect of this work and while I still think she is rough around the edges there is really no way to know if anyone is ready for the spotlight until they are in it. Having gotten to know Dani I feel like she has what it takes to make this work,¡± she finished and sat down with a nod to Colonel Morales.


    ¡°Thank you, Miss. Armin. Next, I¡¯d like to move to the field training team. For the past two years, primary training has been assigned to Captain Williams, Chief Warrant Officer Brunner, and Master Sergeant Takahara. In case you aren¡¯t familiar with them they all served as members of the Green Berets, Hound Team. After Hound Teams¡¯ dissolution, they were assigned to this program while the Army figured out their new assignments. Captain Williams if you would,¡± he said with a ¡®go ahead¡¯ gesture.


    ¡°Sir,¡± Captain Williams said crisply as she stood to begin her portion of the evaluation. I caught her eye briefly but her expression gave nothing away so all I could do is cross my fingers. I don¡¯t think Captain Williams disliked me per se but I also knew this wasn¡¯t the assignment she wanted.


    ¡°Firstly I want to say that I don¡¯t necessarily disagree with the objective of this program and I hold no ill will toward PMC Walker but I do have to question why the military would want to entrust something like this to a civilian. That said upon my assignment here to the STAR Project my orders were to provide every effort to train Miss. Walker and my team and I have done our very best to fulfill that objective.


    Two years ago when I was assigned to this posting, Miss. Walker was a freshman in college with nothing but idealist notions of saving the world. It is my hope that we have managed to drill a healthy dose of realism into her during her time in the program, and while I may still have my reservations, I cannot in good faith stand here in front of you and say that Miss. Walker has not applied herself to learning everything that we have attempted to teach her.


    However, in my opinion, it¡¯s dangerous to put an untested rookie in the field, especially one with her strength. Again I want to stress that Miss. Walker has given me no reason to think she is not genuine in her desire to help others but she is also impulsive, emotional, occasionally headstrong, and green to the dangers that someone on the front lines will face. With the attention this position is going to garner I can¡¯t help but have reservations.¡±


    Well ouch, kinda? Maybe? I dunno. I can¡¯t say what she was saying didn¡¯t ring true even if I wish it was a little more ¡®She¡¯s got this¡¯ in tone I thought to myself while absently rubbing at my sore hip.


    ¡°Miss. Walker carries a lot of potential and already has some of the strongest abilities I¡¯ve ever seen which is not a surprise considering her Quantum status, but any soldier will tell you it¡¯s not about just having power. It¡¯s knowing how to use it. It¡¯s knowing how to read a situation and using the best methods and tactics to facilitate the best outcome. It¡¯s being able to make hard decisions when all that¡¯s available is to choose from bad and worse outcomes. Worst of all it¡¯s knowing that sometimes you can¡¯t save everyone or sometimes anyone.


    I have done my best to drill into Miss. Walker tactics and field operations. I think today¡¯s exercise showed that for someone without formal military training, she has taken those lessons to heart and while her run was far from clean she displayed tactical thinking and thought to safeguard the target and minimize civilian casualties which I take as a success.


    While I¡¯m certain that Miss. Walker will put in the work, my caveat is that I can¡¯t help but think someone with her power level needs more training and that a top-notch support system needs to be put in place if this project is to be green-lit for field deployment,¡± she finished and took her seat.


    ¡°Thank you, Captain Williams. I appreciate your feedback and I acknowledge that this posting isn¡¯t what you had hoped for, but nonetheless, your professionalism is noted,¡± Colonel Morales said to the Captain in a rare show of public respect. It was both refreshing and piqued my curiosity as to whether there was something more to it.


    Colonel Morales shifted his gaze to Fox and I knew he was going to go next. His opinion was the one I most looking forward to hearing and yet also dreading. In general, Fox wasn¡¯t much for long winded anything so this was going to be interesting. He wasn¡¯t giving anything away either as a glance at him revealed his expression was the very definition of neutrality.


    ¡°Master Sergeant Takahara if you would please,¡± Colonel Morales said with a nod to Fox.


    Fox stood up with a fluidness that belied how much his shoulder had to be hurting him and I couldn¡¯t help but be envious. My hip was starting to ache through the painkillers and I kept having to shift in my seat to get comfortable. Honestly, while the outcome was important I was rapidly getting to the point where I wanted this meeting to be over. I was running on fumes and just plain physically and mentally exhausted no matter how much accelerated healing I was supposed to have and just wanted to go lay down. Right then my stomach growled as if offended that I had forgotten it, so I mentally added hungry to my list.


    My attention snapped back to the room upon realizing Fox had begun his evaluation, ¡°My primary assignment the last two years has been as Miss. Walker¡¯s combat instructor. My objective was to provide her with as much training in combat techniques and martial arts instruction as possible. While her abilities don¡¯t primarily lean toward hand-to-hand combat the foundation it provides allows for the proper growth and application of other techniques. Understanding and recognizing different schools of combat is key to defeating and disarming them.


    Together with Captain Williams, we worked on threat assessment and how to take down enemies with the correct amount of force for a given situation. Considering situational awareness is one of the hardest things to teach, it was our goal to provide the best fundamentals possible without being able to do fieldwork. I am pleased to say that Miss. Walker has been an exemplary student although I caution that I don¡¯t think it¡¯s realistic to expect anyone to master everything we¡¯ve thrown at her. She has the ability to build upon these skills with continued guidance and practical experience.


    In addition to the conventional skills we trained on we¡¯ve also worked on unconventional skills, like how to use or not use her enhanced strength, how to fight in flight, and performing powered breaches for example. Miss. Walker¡¯s ability to fly meant that time was spent on tactical recon while her energy discharge ability meant we worked on the accuracy, strength, and stamina of her discharges and how to apply them offensively and defensively amongst many other skills.


    All of these things you saw on display in today¡¯s exercise. Do I think there are things that could have gone better? Like Captain Williams, I do, but there are always things that can be improved. For example Miss. Walker was a little passive at the beginning and ended up getting ambushed by the sniper while later she let her impulsiveness get the better of her by rushing the sniper¡¯s nest which allowed me to close on the target, but overall I am pleased with the outcome. While I will not lie and say I went full out in the exercise, Miss. Walker did indeed rally to put up a solid resistance and protected the target at the cost of herself when I chose no joy.


    It is my opinion that Miss. Walker should be passed and cleared as First Responder with the caveat that like Captain Williams she is provided an elite team to support her,¡± he finished with the briefest of nods to me before sitting down.


    Oh Fox, you don¡¯t know it, but you are going to get the biggest, most embarrassing hug at an awkward time of my choosing. I couldn¡¯t help but think on aggregate I was doing ok and that barring anything drastic coming from left field there was a good chance that I would pass the evaluation.


    ¡°Thank you Fox,¡± Colonel Morales said as Fox retook his seat and then looked to my right and said the words I was hoping he wouldn¡¯t, ¡°Chief Brunner, please share your feedback.¡±


    Oh, hello left field. Seriously universe? What did I do to piss you off? I grumbled mentally as asshat Brunner hoisted his six-foot, two-inch frame up out of his slouch to stand with a scowl and a nod to the Colonel.


    ¡°Sir, I was assigned the primary task of training the civilian on weapons systems and making sure they were fluent in the use of standard US military arms. I served to help train her in tactical shooting with Captain Williams and Fox and it is my opinion that this is a waste of resources. This effort would have been better served by going to someone in the service who deserves the opportunity and has put in the time. While the civilian was able to learn the basics of most firearms and weapons systems, I would not trust her in a firefight and would not feel comfortable with her covering my back much less to be able to hit the broadside of a barn,¡± said Brunner with more and more heat to his words as he spoke.


    ¡°There has to be a soldier who is capable of filling this role. I¡¯ve dedicated my life to the service of my country and I would gladly step up to¡­¡±Brunner continued heatedly until he was abruptly cut off by Colonel Morales.


    ¡°Thank you, Chief Brunner, we¡¯re here to assess PMC Walker. While I have no doubt you would serve to the best of your abilities, the last time I checked you couldn¡¯t fly, shoot energy from your hands, and weren¡¯t classified as a Quantum level Supernormal. The whole point of this is that we have a unique opportunity with a Quantum Level Supernormal and it is our job as assigned by the President themselves to properly evaluate Miss. Walker and feasibility of this program.


    It is noted that you don¡¯t like Miss. Walker but for the record she was able to learn the basics of what you were assigned to teach her. If you have problems with your posting and assignment feel free to set up a meeting to discuss it with me through my aide. Now, you can sit,¡± he said with a steely tone, and for a second I saw something dangerous pass through Brunner¡¯s expression before evidently thinking better of it and sitting down and folding his arms. This might be the first time I ever really saw him as dangerous and not just a nuisance.


    I glanced over to Fox and Captain Williams and they both looked unhappy at Chief Brunner¡¯s diatribe. Fox looked like he was trying to drill a hole through Burnner¡¯s thick skull and Captain Williams was wearing a frown that I would bet dollars to doughnuts was loaded with a conversation the first chance she got with the Chief. Seriously, one of these days I was going to have to find out what the deal was between the three of them and what happened with Hound Unit.


    After that, the rest of the meeting went by relatively painlessly even if it did retain a little bit of an undercurrent of unease after Brunner¡¯s statement. It turned out the young officer with the auburn hair was a Communications Sergeant newly assigned to the base whose name was Heidi Spinklemann. She was brought in to give her opinion as an outsider on the training operation and was the voice on the other side of the comms in the training exercise. She had an easy nature and even though I¡¯d had very limited interaction with her I couldn¡¯t help but find myself liking her. Her feedback ended up being mostly positive giving me kudos for not giving up on trying to maintain contact with Overwatch.


    Major Zeit went after Sergeant Spinklemann and gave a tactical review that essentially stuck with the theme that I didn¡¯t screw the pooch, but could''ve done better. Overall I was getting a real B minus, B vibe from my performance. My math professors would probably agree that this was my wheelhouse I thought deprecatingly.


    Last to go was Dr. Robinson but she kept it pretty short and really just summed up my physiology and affirmed that I had passed all the psych tests. After Doctor Robinson finished Colonel Morales asked everyone but the senior officers to leave and for me to wait outside to be called back in.


    Brunner wasted no time leaving and glared at me as he passed by my chair and disappeared out the door. Major Ziet gave me a smile as he filtered out and Seargent Spinklemann slipped out while Fox made his way over to my chair.


    ¡°Need a hand,¡± he said as he saw me wincing as I got up out of the chair.


    ¡°Nah, I got it. Besides you don¡¯t look much better than I do,¡± I said with a chuckle.


    ¡°True, true,¡± he shot back as we limped and walked out of the meeting room with the stealth aide appearing out of nowhere to close the doors.

 Chapter 6

    Two days before Dani¡¯s Exam


    ¡°Well, what do you think? Is she ready?¡± Captain Williams asked the lanky dark haired man leaning against the gym wall.


    ¡°She¡¯s emotional, headstrong, and doesn¡¯t have nearly the training I¡¯d like for her to have but she¡¯s got heart. If she fails it won¡¯t be because she didn¡¯t try,¡± he said while wiping the sweat from his brow with a towel.


    Blowing air out through her nose in a show of mild frustration and then pinching the bridge of her nose Captain Wiliams glared at the dark-haired man before trying again, ¡°Yeah, yeah. You¡¯ve got a soft spot for the girl but you didn¡¯t answer my question. Is she ready? If she goes down in flames it¡¯s going to look bad for all of us, you know.¡±


    ¡°Listen Jas, if you want my gut feeling, then yes I think she¡¯s ready even if she herself might not think so, but you and I have been at this long enough to know that nobody ever knows if they''re ready for something like this until it¡¯s time to do it. Were you ready for your special forces final test?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, point taken, but dammit Fox this might be the only way we can get assigned back into the field after Major Hanson FUBARed us in Syria. I really have nothing against the girl, and in fact, do admire her determination but babysitting a rookie civilian wasn¡¯t what I signed up for,¡± she groused while while walking to the heavy bag hanging in the corner of the gym which was currently empty of anyone else.


    Putting on a pair of training gloves Jas viciously jabbed at the bag with the smack ringing across the gym. Following that up with a jab hook combo the bag rocked as she took her frustrations out on the bag.


    ¡°You want me to hold that?¡±Fox said walking over to the bag and tossing his towel to the side to get a good grip. ¡°Also, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Ken, Captain Williams?¡±


    ¡°Evidently not enough¡­Fox,¡± she punctuated ¡®Fox¡¯ with another punch to the bag which she rolled into a vicious knee-elbow combo. Working the bag for a few more minutes with various different combos Jas finally ran out of steam and started viciously ripping off the training gloves.


    ¡°Ugh, this isn¡¯t working. I thought I could exercise my frustration out but I don¡¯t feel any better,¡± grabbing her towel off the bench and wiping her face.


    Stepping out from behind the heavy bag Fox raised an eyebrow and locked his ice blue eyes on Jas before remarking ¡°Ok, but you are rarely this unsettled. Why don¡¯t we stop punching around whatever is really eating at you? I know this isn¡¯t the assignment you had hoped for but there is something more than the girl bothering you.¡±


    Glaring back at Fox, Jas finally threw her hands up exclaiming, ¡°Fine, but not here. If I¡¯m going to unburden myself to you then I need a coffee. You do remember I outrank you right?¡±


    ¡°Pffft details,¡± he said while picking up his towel and walking toward the gym exit. C¡¯mon, let''s grab a coffee at the stand on the second floor. It¡¯s way better than that swill at the mess, and I¡¯ll even pay. You have to keep the commanding officers properly bribed after all.¡±


    ¡°I think I liked you better when you barely talked,¡± she said before breaking into a laugh and jogging to catch up.


    Walking out of the gym and down the hallway to the elevator in companionable silence they rode it up to floor two before stepping out onto the administration level for the base. The base itself looked more like a college building which was by design so it would blend into the area of Michigan City it was situated in. Officially it was supposed to be a research and administration base which is why floor two housed the admin team for the area. Floor three did house various research projects but all the real work of the base was in the subfloors that were unknown to the general public.


    Exiting onto the second floor they walked down the long open air walkway past the offices, meeting rooms, and touchdown spaces doing their best impression of a corporate collaborative space toward the coffee shop which serviced the building. Cafe Diem, like every modern coffee shop these days, served overpriced drinks that you could customize in almost any way you¡¯d like along with serving sandwiches and pastries. The coffee shop¡¯s seating was a mixed use combination of tables, booths, and soft seating like chairs and loveseats. It was a nice arrangement especially since the shop being at the end of the building meant there were plenty of windows to let in light and it had a nice view of the river that ran along the north side of the complex.


    Stepping up to the counter after a short wait Fox nodded to the dark haired Barisita behind the counter and ordered a medium black coffee before nodding at Jas and saying,  ¡°And whatever my colleague would like.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like a large double shot iced caramel macchiato,¡± she said stepping up to the counter and firing her drink off to the barista.


    ¡°Anything else?¡± the barista asked with the practice patience of someone who repeats the same phrase hundreds of times a day.


    ¡°No, I think¡­¡± Jas started before stopping and glancing up at the menu and changing her mind. ¡°Actually I¡¯d like a raspberry scone as well.¡±


    ¡°You did offer,¡± she said turning to Fox with an innocent smile.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t offer pastries!¡± Fox protested in faux outrage. ¡°You know how much I make Captain,¡± he finished with a chuckle.


    ¡°Incorrect my good Master Sergeant. And I quote ¡®Whatever my colleague would like¡¯ is what you said.¡±


    ¡°Well with that much caffeine, my revenge will be that you get a sour stomach with the jitters,¡± Fox deadpanned.


    After getting the total and paying for their drinks and pastry they waited at the end of the counter while the barista worked on their drinks.


    ¡°So what¡¯s eating you Jas?¡± Fox said as he nodded thank you to the barista as she delivered their drinks.


    Picking up her drink and gesturing to a high-top table with stools looking out over the river, Jas sat down and just held her drink for a minute while Fox waited to see what she would say. She took a long sip through her straw before exhaling.


    ¡°If I¡¯m being honest it all goes back to that last mission with HOUND Unit. The way it all fell apart. Hanson splitting us up and going off to try and take that building without proper intel. He could be impulsive but he was never stupid, ¡° she sighed, staring out the window.


    ¡°I was his XO. It was my job to make sure that everything was accounted for. He¡¯d always listened to me before but why on that day wouldn¡¯t he listen? I just don¡¯t get it. All we had were rumors that the Senator¡¯s son was being held in that warehouse and if he''d just given us more time instead of rushing we could have properly scouted the building. I understand holding Brunner back cause he¡¯s a bull in a china shop but you¡¯re a Calvary Scout with stealth abilities and probably the best we have. Why hold you back?¡±


    ¡°I wish I knew Jas, I really do. All I know is something spooked Hanson. Remember he was acting squirrely after that private communication he got right before we deployed. I asked him what it was but he deflected and said it was nothing, just some clarification on orders that we didn¡¯t need to worry about,¡± Fox said picking at the lid on his cup.


    ¡°Everything about that day was strange and off Fox. Hanson¡¯s call right before the mission, that communication we intercepted pointing to the warehouse, his tactical decision to have us hold the LZ and not fully scout the warehouse. The fact the Senator''s son turned up dead in a ditch in some backwater a hundred miles from our location. Why lure us there? I can¡¯t make it add up. I know we have plenty of enemies that would be more than happy to eliminate a special forces team but this felt targeted, you know?¡± she said while holding the tip of the straw to her mouth but not drinking and staring out at the river.


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    Fox leaned back in his chair and looked to the ceiling thinking about his answer before responding, ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it a lot too. There¡¯s definitely something going on that we aren¡¯t privy to. I don¡¯t know about you but it was almost as if Hanson held us back. Like he knew something bad was going to go down but why keep us back and not Connely, Tucker, or Riley? Riley was our field medic and would have made the most sense but he took them and not us. I can¡¯t help but feel like your instinct that this was targeted is on point. That was a message to someone, but who?¡±


    Closing her eyes for a moment, Jas scrunched up her face like she was fighting with herself about what she wanted to say next before taking a breath and saying, ¡°Fox, did you see the woman with white hair on that mission?¡±


    Fox, who had been gazing out the window watching the birds as they flew against the overcast sky suddenly snapped his head toward Jas with an intensity that caused the Captain to involuntarily flinch.


    ¡°What did you just say?¡± Fox said with a dangerous edge to his voice.


    Jas¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Fox for all his ferociousness in battle was a very chill person when not on the battlefield. Occasionally stern and definitely reserved with those he didn¡¯t consider friends but rarely was he triggered like he seemed to currently be.


    ¡°I¡­I saw a woman with white hair right before the warehouse exploded. She was on the rooftop adjacent to our target. It was one of the ones I wanted to scout but I didn¡¯t mention it because it didn¡¯t seem important at the time and I wasn¡¯t sure what I saw. When we were debriefed and looked at the drone and bodycam footage she didn¡¯t appear so I thought maybe my mind was playing tricks on me, but I¡¯ve never been able to shake the feeling that I didn¡¯t make her up and that I really did see her,¡± Jas said with some uncertainty.


    All humor had faded from Fox and he stared directly into Jas¡¯s eyes unnerving the younger woman. ¡°You really believe you saw this woman?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes I do,¡± she replied, becoming more than a little concerned.


    ¡°That makes this so much worse,¡± he said while crushing a napkin in his hand absentmindedly. ¡°Listen, what I¡¯m going to tell you is classified. Out of respect for you as a person and for what we¡¯ve gone through I¡¯m going to share some information with you. Promise me you will keep it a secret?¡± he said.


    ¡°Fox, I¡¯m a professional. You know I can keep a secret,¡± Jas replied with a bit of heat. Some of her fire returned at the idea of her not being trustworthy.


    ¡°I know, but I needed to hear you say it,¡± he said looking into her eyes again and holding her gaze for a few seconds before looking down at the table. You know that I get sent on solo missions and I know you¡¯re smart enough to know that often they are infiltration and elimination missions. Heavily classified need to know only stuff. Part of why I was assigned to HOUND was that it gave me cover and flexibility to detach and go on these missions.


    About six months before HOUND was wiped out I was sent on a solo mission to Afghanistan. You and the rest of the unit were not aware of it because it was during a scheduled leave but Major Hanson was aware. He was the one who passed on the orders to deploy. The mission was simple, a regional governor had run afoul of his own party and was looking to cut a deal for extraction. He would provide us with his party''s goals and plans in the region and whatever troop information he had and we would get him out. I was to go in solo and use my abilities to get him out to a waiting evac team on the edge of friendly territory.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess, something went sideways? This feels like one of those stories,¡± Jas deadpanned before taking a bite of her scone.


    Abscently rubbing at his chin he replied, ¡°You¡¯d be right. I was able to get in with relatively little trouble but there were signs that something was off. Patrols suddenly started breaking patterns. Meetings getting moved to new locations and times. Intel that was rock solid just hours before was now inaccurate. I¡¯ve been doing this long enough to know our target had been made somehow.


    I was supposed to make contact and then give the package two days to button up anything they needed to do for it to look like a day off while we exfilled. My gut was screaming at me that something was off so I made contact and planned to exfil immediately that night. Upon collecting the package I was immediately met with resistance that shouldn¡¯t have had any idea I was even there but yet here I was having a running fight all the way to our ride on the outskirts of the town. The only reason we made it that far was because I surprised my opponent by moving up the timeline. They hadn¡¯t managed to get all their troops in place so I was able to make a go for it. The other thing that was interesting was that the resistance wasn¡¯t by homegrown Afghani fighters but by another force entirely.


    We barely reached the truck to begin our evacuation when the package took a fatal shot to their right eye. I caught the muzzle flash and tracked the sniper to be about 300 meters out on the roof of a gas station. I pursued and engaged with the operative,¡± he paused for effect, ¡°A woman with white hair. I fought her briefly and we were evenly matched but she had the benefit of reinforcements so I disengaged when I could hear sirens and stole a vehicle to get back to friendly territory. I left Afghanistan with the mission a failure.¡±


    ¡°You fought her!¡± Jas exclaimed before realizing she needed to keep her voice down. ¡°I did see someone, thank God, but why didn¡¯t she show on any of the surveillance equipment?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he replied, ¡°But she didn¡¯t show up on any of our surveillance equipment during that mission either. I reported it during the debrief and I was told to drop it and that malfunctions happen. I was then gently reminded that the mission was classified and to stop asking questions. After that I was assigned leave and told to depart and to report back to HOUND and rejoin the rest of the unit at the end of the leave period. Right after that we essentially deployed to recover the Senator¡¯s son, and no I don¡¯t believe this is a coincidence.¡±


    Rubbing her temple with her left hand Jas couldn¡¯t believe what she¡¯d just heard. ¡°What is going on Fox? How are we connected to this?¡±


    Shaking his head Fox said, ¡°I don¡¯t know, but my gut tells me Major Hansen knew something. I just don¡¯t know if he was the target or if maybe I was, but it seems pretty clear that the Senator¡¯s Son was just a lure to get us there. I think we need to tread carefully. Right now I¡¯m choosing to believe that Major Hanson was looking out for us but I¡¯m not so naive as to think I couldn¡¯t have it all backward and he just ended up getting caught in whatever was going on.¡±


    ¡°Crap, is that why we¡¯ve been sidelined with this nonsense? We should be out there trying to find this woman and figure out what happened to Hansen,¡± Jas responded, getting louder as her frustration seeped through.


    ¡°Jas I love seeing your fire but stop for a minute. We¡¯ve been held out of the loop, and I know you¡¯ve been chafing to get back out there but HOUND put a black mark on our record, deserved or not. No other unit was going to pick us up and we weren¡¯t going to get a chance to reform HOUND. This posting was someone looking out for us. Your promotion to Captain and us being assigned this post together¡­someone pulled strings to make that happen.


    Sighing, Jas looked up to the ceiling before responding, ¡°Rationally I can see your point but everything in me wants to go get the bad guys, not, whatever this is.¡±


    ¡°Listen, I think the past two years have been beneficial. It put space between us and whatever we got tied up in and personally I was tired of the missions and constant churn of deployment. I¡¯ve enjoyed my time here. I¡¯ve always enjoyed training and I¡¯ve gotten to do that with a student who is eager to learn and my friend by my side. I¡¯m not often selfish but in this case, I have no regrets.¡± he said finishing his coffee.


    ¡°Jeez no guilt there Master Sergeant Takahashi,¡± she said trying and failing to hide a smile, ¡°and you¡¯re right. I may not like being stuck here but it¡¯s far from the worst posting. ¡°And for what it¡¯s worth I think I really did like you better when you didn¡¯t speak,¡± Jas said while jabbing her finger at him and winking.


    ¡°Pfft you just don¡¯t like that I¡¯m right. It¡¯s an affliction that infects even the best officers,¡± he said with a grin, ¡°Besides without me you¡¯d be stuck with Brunner.¡±


    ¡°Touche,¡± she said with a wince as Fox got up from his stool.


    ¡°Well, I gotta get going. I have a session with Dani in an hour and need to get set up,¡± he said while grabbing his cup and walking toward the recycling bin before he stopped and looked back at Jas.


    ¡°You going to pass her?¡± he asked while trying to gauge the younger woman''s expression.


    Quirking an eyebrow, Jas paused a beat before her reply, ¡°I guess I owe you my honest opinion aside from my usual objections. You are right that she¡¯s worked hard, and there is no way we¡¯ll ever really know she¡¯s ready without putting her into the field. It¡¯s still in her hands to not stuff up her exam but if she can prove she¡¯s listened to us and is competent I¡¯ll pass her.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Captain Williams sir,¡± he said throwing up a sort of wave salute combo which elicited a chuckle from Jas before walking off to drop his cup in the recycling bin. As he walked back toward the elevator Jas couldn¡¯t hear him say under his breath ¡°Good because my gut tells me this is all connected.¡±


    Jas watched him go for a minute before turning to look out over the river through the windows. Just then a stairway to heaven broke free from the clouds to illuminate a patch of water before muttering to herself, ¡°I hope that¡¯s a good sign.¡±

 Chapter 7

    After Forty-five of the longest minutes of my life, the ninja aide opened the doors and informed me very seriously that ¡°Colonel Morales would like to see you.¡± Like I hadn¡¯t just been in the meeting which was ABOUT ME. A meeting in which I was told to go hang out in the hall like I was the disruptive kid at a parent teacher conference who had to leave so the adults could have an ¡®adult conversation.¡¯


    At this point, I couldn¡¯t help but roll my eyes and wonder if I was crazy for wanting to affiliate with the military if this was the level of nonsense I would have to deal with on the daily. The saving grace was that I got a chuckle out of Fox who shared a ¡®Military, am I right?¡¯ look with me before we both hobbled back into the room.


    Ninja aide closed the doors behind us before disappearing to do ninja aide stuff, and I retook my chair at the end of the table across from Colonel Morales but didn¡¯t bother stifling the wince this time as I sat down. I couldn¡¯t help but hope it made him feel a tiny bit bad in that shriveled little Grinch heart of his. Sadly I suspected this plan would fail. Even though Fox reinforced me by also wincing as he sat back down in his chair to my left.


    ¡°Thank you for joining us PMC Walker,¡± he said more than a little pompously, leaning forward and lacing his fingers together. ¡°It would be an honor for any person to obtain this certification and clearance. That is why it is our duty to do our due diligence to the utmost of our ability to assess your abilities and qualification for this clearance. The President himself has been following your progress and if this ultimately ends up before a Congressional Review everything has to be completely in order. As you know we owe it to the American taxpayer to ensure that we have only their security in mind in the event that we move forward with this program which has been generously funded by them.¡±


    As he paused to take a breath I raised my hand like I was in class. I simply could not absorb any more pompous rhetoric.


    ¡°Yes, Walker,¡± the Colonel said with a frown on his face that I¡¯d interrupted whatever this little speech was.


    ¡°Respectfully Colonel, can we get to the point? I¡¯ve been sitting around for God knows how long now and it¡¯s been a long day,¡± I gritted out having finally reached the end of my manners. I instinctively knew that as far as career decisions go that this wasn¡¯t one of the better ones considering how long I¡¯d waited for this but at that moment I had no more craps to give with my hip throbbing steady fire up and down my side.


    Doctor Robinson let out a full guffaw of laughter and Doctor Rokker comically widened his eyes in shock while the Lieutenant Colonel and Captain Williams studiously studied the table. Fox shot me a look that I¡¯d seen too many times in training that told me to find my center but it was somewhat spoiled by the slight smirk he was wearing.


    Colonel Morales, it turns out, has a vein that bulges at his temple when he¡¯s angry and the tips of his ears turn red. He ground out ¡°You should mind your tone, Miss. Walker. Unless you¡¯d like me to disqualify you right here on the spot for insubordination. I don¡¯t know what makes you think you have the right to speak to me or any other officer here that way but you will be respectful while on my base.¡±


    Leaning forward in my chair I gripped the table and heatedly replied ¡°I have the right to say that because I don¡¯t recall you getting smacked around the training room and blown up just for the chance to show you that I¡¯ve done everything asked of me. To prove that I belong here in this program and that I¡¯ve been doing my best to not let everyone down. That includes being ambushed today with a test that I¡¯m sure you all had your reasons for but feels no less unfair to me, to being made to sit around like a kid in detention while the adults discuss my punishment. It may not feel like it to you but I am an adult and you can damn well treat me like one or I¡¯m not going to treat you like one. You know full well that I was knocked out in that training exercise, but here I am, in pain meeting with you like it couldn¡¯t wait, so let''s not pretend respect is something we¡¯ve fully leaned into today.¡±


    ¡°She not wrong Reginald. Let¡¯s wrap this up so she can go rest and start recuperating. Doctors orders,¡± Doctor Robinson interjected with a stern look at the Colonel.


    The doctor must have significant sway with the Colonel because some of the fire left him but you could tell that I¡¯d thoroughly pissed him off. Which¡­fair, I did talk to him like crap, but also, bite me.


    Leaning back in his chair the Colonel took a deep breath and chewed down whatever his original response was going to before finally speaking. ¡°Well, it seems that I should get to the point. Let the record show upon the recommendation of the senior officers of this base in concurrence with the base commander I am recommending PMC Walker be awarded Special First Responder certification and all clearances that go with it. PMC Walker will be contacted by legal to review the contract and to go over any final details.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stop myself from doing a little fist pump and a hissed ¡°Yesss.¡± Partially because I was trying to have some decorum and partially because ouch.


    Looking me dead in the eyes the Colonel asked me, ¡°Any more comments, or was that enough to the point?¡±


    Composing myself I side-eyed Fox who almost imperceptibly nodded and I responded, ¡°No, that was very to the point, and thank you very much, sir. You have no idea how much this means to me.¡±


    He leaned back in his chair and steeped his hands across his chest with his elbows on the armrests and glared at me for a minute like he was rearranging whatever it was he was going to say.


    ¡°Very well Miss Walker, pending the final details welcome to the Supernormal Tactics and Response Team, or STAR for short. As you are aware the original basis for this program was to research your unique manifestation of abilities with the hope that the data gathered would help better understand Supernormal abilities. The establishment of the Supernormal Theory and Advance Research Project has proved to be fruitful and the government sees the success of the program as the perfect opportunity to show support for Supernormals and non-supernormal citizens.¡±


    Pausing for effect and meeting the officer''s eyes around the table he continued, ¡°The government hasn¡¯t had publicly sponsored operatives since after World War Two and feels with Supernormals becoming more and more of a flash point in world affairs it¡¯s time to reestablish the idea of a public face. To this end, the Supernormal Theory and Advance Research Project is being combined with a newly formed tactical first response unit which because the government loves its fun acronyms has been named the Supernormal Tactics and Response Team, so STAAR and STAR,¡± he said with a sigh.


    Seeing that there was about to be a flurry of questions the Colonel held up his hand to forestall them by saying, ¡°Hold onto your questions I¡¯ll get to them, but there is more. The research team will continue to operate as it has, collecting data and working on its projects but it will now also put focus on R & D to support the Tactical Team. Funding will be adjusted and any positions will be filled accordingly. The Tactical Team will operate as early adopters of any technology that comes from the Research Team and will provide data to the research team. It is expected that the teams will work in synergy. The umbrella name for the combined teams is Project: American Star, and the teams will be based here at the Michigan City base. It was determined that since the Research Team was already relocated here from DC that it made sense to continue to house the project here. The base¡¯s operations will be refocused to operate primarily in support of this unit. The base and unit will be also tasked with training additional units as deemed feasible. Alright, I¡¯ll pause here and open up for questions.¡±


    There was a weird energy around the table that ran from apprehension to excitement. Everyone here had played some role in the planning and execution of this project and my training so to be here at the point where it was about to become reality was a bit surreal.


    ¡°Sir, If I may,¡± the Lieutenant Colonel began and with the acknowledging nod from Colonel Morales continued, ¡°How public is this team going to be? The majority of our First Response and Supernormal teams aren¡¯t classified but yet also benefit from being shielded from public scrutiny by being part of the military,¡± she finished waving her hand to indicate the base.


    ¡°Well, this team will be more public than what is standard. We will be more akin to an agency like NASA is the best analogy I can think of at the moment. We are in somewhat uncharted waters.¡± he answered. ¡°In fact to that effect, anyone with the potential to be in a public facing situation will go through Public Relations training and will be assigned a callsign and yes you can suggest your own callsign but it is subject to approval from leadership. However, at the end of the day, we are still a functioning military base so not everything will be public.¡±


    Doctor Rokker indicated that he¡¯d like to speak and was acknowledged by the Colonel. ¡°What does this mean in terms of personnel? Will leadership be changing and will my team be affected?¡±, the white haired man said with some concern.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry Doctor, you will remain in charge of the research team and not personnel changes are planned other than any needed additions. Same for you Doctor Robinson, unless you¡¯d like to transfer. In fact that goes for everyone with a few exceptions. Any transfers deemed reasonable and within established protocol will be granted if possible,¡± the Colonel said while giving everyone eye contact. ¡°If anyone wants to transfer you can tell me now or see me privately,¡± he added.


    I met the Colonel''s eyes to make sure he could see I wanted to speak, ¡°Umm, does that mean I change my callsign? Also since I¡¯ll be part of the unit but I¡¯m not military what does that mean for my living arrangement?¡±, I asked hoping to get a bit of clarification.


    ¡°I¡¯ll answer the second part first. You will be expected to live on base for the first year while establishing the unit and that gives us time to get a better idea of any potential threats this unit could face. You will be provided an officer''s suite and additionally, a protection detail will be assigned to your family,¡± he said.


    ¡°Oh, Ok,¡± I said in response but my mind was spinning about how I was going to explain moving out of my apartment. I wasn¡¯t in love with the idea of losing my freedom but I understood why they were being cautious and living on base wasn¡¯t the worst thing either. Also if my family was going to be protected I guess I really should be grateful.


    ¡°Thank you for thinking of my family, sir. While I hope that precaution is never needed it¡¯s nice to know it¡¯s there,¡± I said sincerely. The Colonel gave me a sincere head nod in response.


    ¡°As to your callsign, you are set as Star and no changes will be granted, so if you¡¯re not happy with it you¡¯ll need to find a way to get okay with it,¡± he said.


    ¡°No sir, it¡¯s not that. It¡¯s just there¡¯s a lot of usage of Star with the Unit name and team names. My original designation was ¡®Stella¡¯ which is Latin for Star which is where I got it from, so I thought it might be something to think about is all.¡±


    Unexpectedly he actually chuckled at that. ¡°Trust me Walker I get it, but you¡¯re the whole reason everything is named ¡®Star¡¯. You keep forgetting that you¡¯re the branding. Clearly, I need to have the Lieutenant Colonel work with you some more on the PR side of your duties,¡± he said while chuckling, and surprisingly, I found myself smiling. The mood seemed to lighten a bit after that exchange.


    ¡°Oh, are there any other questions before I dismiss and let the lawyers get to the contract stuff?¡± he said.


    ¡°Actually Colonel, if I may?¡± Captain Williams said. She has been quiet through most of the meeting but in the last few minutes since I came back into the room she had been studiously looking at a spot on the table and not really engaging.


    ¡°By all means,¡± the Colonel said with a wave.


    ¡°Sir¡­, I wish to be reassigned. I¡¯ve spent the last two years training PMC Walker to the best of my ability but my unit needs to get back into the field and do what we do best as a special forces team. Major Hanson left us a mess and I want to¡­I need to get back into the field and show that HOUND unit isn¡¯t a liability and while I can¡¯t speak for my team I suspect they would agree,¡± Captain Willimas said tensely. Her whole posture had gone rigid and I could tell that the normally unflappable Captain was working hard to maintain control.


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    Colonel Morlas regarded the Captain for a few beats before slicking back his hair with his hand and letting out a sigh. ¡°I had hoped that some of that burning need to chase after Hanson¡¯s ghosts would bleed away over the last few years but I can see that I was wrong. I appreciate your honesty if maybe not your choice of venue. In case anyone had any doubts I¡¯ve been assigned to continue running this base and as such will continue as STAR¡¯s commanding officer.


    It is at my discretion that personnel changes are approved and as I said earlier transfer requests will be granted to anyone who wants one with a few exceptions. You Captain Williams are one of the exceptions. Your request is denied and in fact, you will remain assigned to the STAR unit.¡±


    ¡°Colonel Morales¡­SIR, I do not wish to be on the sidelines babysitting a civilian. I have done my part in training her and think we all know I can be better utilized elsewhere¡± she said with some edge to her voice.


    It was extremely disconcerting to see the normally level headed Captain so agitated. I knew her, Fox, and Brunner had a history, and this was clearly tied to that but we¡¯d still trained together for two years. Rationally I knew it wasn¡¯t really personal but I couldn¡¯t help but be a little hurt by how she regarded her time working with me.


    And just like that the positive mood that had taken over the room evaporated. The Colonel¡¯s command face snapped back into place and the steel in his eyes reappeared. All of the officers seemed to suddenly be holding their breath and Fox''s expression just looked pained for his friend.


    ¡°Captain Williams, where you go and what you do is fully at my discretion. Your record is impeccable aside from Syria and there are few better than you in the whole of the military but let me be frank with you, HOUND Unit is dead. It¡¯s not coming back, and you are not going to save its reputation. Hanson made damn good and sure of that in Syria. You¡¯re radioactive as far as the rest of the Army is concerned and no other unit is going to pick you up.


    In fact, if it wasn''t for your Special Forces Training Officer Major Parker asking me to personally step in to give you a chance so that the military couldn¡¯t quietly kill your career you probably wouldn¡¯t be here. That¡¯s how toxic anything to do with HOUND Unit and Hanson is. I didn¡¯t really know Hanson so I can¡¯t speak to why he did what he did but I trust the hell out of Major Parker so here you are doing your level best to piss all that goodwill away,¡± he said coldly.


    ¡°Sir, I just¡­¡± she started but was cut off.


    ¡°I¡¯m not done, Captain Williams. I made sure that you were promoted to Captain upon joining this project because it¡¯s the least you deserved after Syria but also because I knew I would need someone to lead the tactical unit if this project was green lit. That¡¯s you, Captain. You will be assigned as the Detachment Commander of the STAR Team and will be given a chance to redeem your reputation by supporting PMC Walker, or you could push this and see where fate takes you should you decline this assignment, but I guarantee you won¡¯t like it. Oh, and you seem pretty confident that your team would follow and honestly Brunner probably would but don¡¯t be sure about everyone,¡± he finished with a look at Fox.


    A look of utter surprise blossomed on Captain William¡¯s face as she looked at Fox before morphing into a look of disappointment and hurt. It was an expression that I¡¯d seen earlier in the day from Christina so in that moment I felt empathy for what Captain Williams was feeling. As I watched two friends and teammates struggle to find their words I couldn¡¯t help but idly think, was my argument with Christina really only this morning? It felt like it was days ago at this point.


    Finally Captain Williams pinned Fox with a stare and found her voice and asked, ¡°What¡¯s he talking about Fox?¡±


    ¡°I was going to talk to you about it but as the end of this assignment has drawn closer you¡¯ve gotten more and more obsessed with the idea of getting back into the field and either avenging HOUND or proving yourself to the world. I¡±m sorry, it¡¯s my fault as your friend for not finding a way to tell you but I¡¯m tired Jas. I¡¯m tired of the endless missions to God knows where for goals I¡¯m not even allowed to know. I¡¯m not afraid of doing dangerous work or doing the things that need to be done but I¡¯m tired of not knowing if I¡¯m making a difference for the better,¡± Fox said with more emotion than I¡¯m used to hearing from him.


    ¡°So that means you¡¯re giving up on finding out what happened with Hanson and HOUND? You¡¯re just going to move on?¡± Captain Williams almost shouted back at him.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying at all Jasmine and you should damn well know that. I¡¯ve been doing this for longer than you, and you of all people should know the assignments I¡¯m given when I¡¯m detached from our unit. I can¡¯t just be the Army¡¯s scalpel anymore. I like training others Jas, and I like feeling like I''m doing something positive. This posting reminded me that there is more to what we do than just defeating whoever we were told are the bad guys this week. I¡¯m never going to forget Syria and if the chance ever comes to find out the truth of what went on there¡­ to make those responsible pay I¡¯ll be there at the front of the line, but I¡¯m not going to let what happened control my fate, and deep down I don¡¯t think you are either. At least I hope not, and that¡¯s why I asked Colonel Morales if it would be possible for me to stay on as a combat instructor,¡± Fox finished with a look that was almost pleading with Captain Williams to understand.


    ¡°I thought we were together on this, especially after everything we talked about the other day. You couldn¡¯t have shared what you felt then? I had to find out like this? I¡¯m sorry but you know what all this has been like for me and Brunner, yet here you are thinking about yourself Master Sergeant Takahashi,¡± she spat at Fox.


    ¡°Jas that¡¯s not fair be reasonable¡­¡± Fox started.


    ¡°ENOUGH!¡± Colonel Morales cut through the two friends'' argument. ¡°You two can spend your own time working out whatever issues you have but I have a meeting to finish,¡± he said heatedly.


    ¡°Permission to leave the meeting Colonel?¡± Captain Williams asked with clenched fists while starting to stand.


    ¡°Permission denied. Now sit your ass back down and listen. I¡¯m going to say a few things to both of you and then I¡¯m going to wrap this up and have a nice evening.


    Captain Williams as I¡¯ve already said you are a tremendous officer but either figure out how to move past Syria or get out of the service. Anyone on active duty in the service who¡¯s been around long enough, especially those of us in Special Forces, will see something go sideways, and if you¡¯re lucky you survived it to learn something from it. You don¡¯t ever have to forget but it¡¯s not a dishonor to those who you lost or left behind to move forward either. You¡¯re doing yourself and the country a disservice when you have so much more to give. Think about that,¡± he said to the Captain which elicited a nod, and a mumbled ¡°Sir¡±.


    ¡°Now Fox, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen and done some things that make it hard to sleep at night. That¡¯s the cruel twist of being the best of the best. You get to do the worst of the worst, and we all have our limits, but it¡¯s our friends and teammates that help us hold on to our humanity. If you¡¯ve stepped up to the abyss and need something to pull you back I completely understand but don¡¯t leave your team behind while they¡¯re still here. Talk to them and at least give them closure. You may even be surprised to find out they are going through similar things,¡± he said to Fox and punctuated it with a sweeping gesture to indicate Captain Williams eliciting a curt nod from Fox.


    I¡¯m going to be honest, this little drama was not something I saw coming. I couldn¡¯t help but feel bad for both Fox and Captain Williams as I knew they¡¯d been friends for a long time but to discover they weren¡¯t on the same page like this had to suck. I made up my mind to do whatever I could to help them mend whatever damage this meeting had caused right as a huge yawn broke free. I quickly ducked my head and covered my mouth but there was no hiding it and I felt my ears turn red in embarrassment.


    Colonel Morales noticed, and of course called attention to it, ¡°See even Walker is bored by this drama,¡± he said making me squirm in my seat which of course caused me to wince as I aggravated my injuries.


    ¡°Now where was I?¡± he continued before snapping his fingers and saying, ¡°Right, I was being your commanding officer and telling you what to do. In one week this unit goes live so there is lots to do. Captain Williams, should you decide to stay, as Operational Detachment Commander of the tactical team you will be responsible for helping fill out the roster for the team. The tactical unit will be a seven person team designed to be a flexible, fast response unit composed of both Supernormal and non-Supernomal personnel.


    This unit will loosely follow the special forces team structure so you will need to decide on an XO. Additionally, this team has designated spots for an Operations Sergeant, Medical Sergeant, Engineering Sergeant, Intelligence Sergeant, and Communications Sergeant. The good news is that two of those spots are filled so that should make things go a bit faster. Sergeant Spinklemann who you met earlier today in the exercise is being assigned to the team by a request from above my pay grade, but her service record is impeccable so I doubt you¡¯ll find any issue with it. Your Operations Sergeant has also been decided and it''s a choice that up until a few minutes ago I thought would be a slam dunk, but Master Sergeant Takahashi has been assigned to that role as well as serving as combat instructor. Doctor Robinson can assist with choosing a Medical Sergeant if desired.


    Lastly, Lieutenant Colonel Amin will be your main liaison and will continue to function as Public Relations for the unit. Before I adjourn the meeting I want you Captain Williams and Master Sergeant Takahashi to make every attempt to mend fences. Before you protest, this is an order and if you haven¡¯t patched things up I expect you to attend mediation with the doctor as I will not have this project derailed by personal grievances. As for you PMC Walker, you will hold no official rank nor will you be in the command chain of the unit. I expect as you gain experience that the team will listen to you as a trusted advisor, but you are to follow Captain William''s orders. We will be in touch with you about finalizing your contract and assigning your living quarters. Unless there is any additional drama this meeting is adjourned,¡± the colonel said and spread his hand in a get out gesture. The ninja aide appearing like magic to open the doors.


    Well damn, that was¡­something. I watched for a second as Captain Williams nodded to the Colonel and left the room without a word to Fox who looked troubled as he got up from his chair and watched her leave.


    ¡°Are you ok?¡± I asked as he stood there holding his injured arm.


    He looked lost in thought for a moment before saying, ¡°I don¡¯t regret my decision but I regret how I¡¯ve handled it. I very much hope we can work this out,¡± before finally looking at me. You should get out of here and get some rest. You got pretty banged up today and you should really take care of those injuries.¡±


    ¡°Same could be said for you,¡± said the voice of Doctor Robinson as she had come into earshot of the conversation. ¡°In fact, I think I¡¯ll make it doctor¡¯s orders. Get out of here and do nothing for the rest of the night and see me tomorrow and we¡¯ll see where you¡¯re at with that shoulder.¡±


    ¡°Yes Doc,¡± Fox replied before reaching over with his good hand and squeezing my shoulder and saying, ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon Dani. I know this has been a hard day but you did good today. Get some rest and we¡¯ll catch up soon,¡± he said and left the conference room.


    Looking over to the head of the table the Colonel and Lieutenant Colonel were in a conversation and Doctor Rokker must have slipped out when I was talking to Fox. The Colonel caught me looking at him and said ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I said dismissed Walker. Go get some rest and if you need help getting home just ask Major Ziet and he¡¯ll arrange transportation.¡±


    ¡°Ok, that¡¯s our freebie. The next time he¡¯ll yell so let''s get going,¡± Doctor Robinson said with a smile while grabbing my bag from the floor while I slowly got up out of the chair.


    ¡°Do you want anything for the pain?¡± the doctor asked as we started making our way out of the operations room to the elevator to head back to the main floor.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie. I feel like everything hurts but I think what I need most is to just get home and go to sleep. I can take a bunch of Ibuprofen when I get back to my apartment but as you know most painkillers don¡¯t do much because of my metabolism,¡± I said as we stepped into the elevator and pressed the button to take us back to the main floor.


    We made it to the main floor and I noticed that it was late evening with the sun just starting to dip into the horizon and casting everything with a last gasp of orange. Julie¡¯s shift must have ended as there was someone I didn¡¯t recognize helming the reception desk as I signed out. It turned out someone had the foresight to have my backpack waiting for me at reception so I grabbed it and headed toward the entrance.


    Walking up to the doors I turned to the Doctor and gave her a quick and painful hug. ¡°Thank you for today. I really appreciate you being so supportive. Doctor Rokker too.¡±


    ¡°Oh Dani, you¡¯re such a breath of fresh air. It¡¯s absolutely my and Roland¡¯s pleasure. You have so much potential for greatness and it has nothing to do with your abilities. Now are you sure you can get home?¡± she asked again.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± I said while putting it at about ninety five percent certain in my head. ¡°If you could help me get this backpack on I would appreciate it.¡±


    The Doctor helped me get the backpack over my shoulders and positioned it so that it wouldn¡¯t slide off. It hurt quite a bit getting it on and I wasn¡¯t looking forward to how I was going to feel once I started flying and the drag from the air started pulling at it.


    ¡°Thanks Doc. I¡¯ll see you soon,¡± I said with a wave as I pulled open the door.


    ¡°Please call if you need to!¡± she said as I stepped through the doors into the still warm evening air. It felt amazing to be out of the building and the light breeze helped restore some of my spirits even though I still felt like I had been used as a chew toy.


    As I Iimped to the parking lot, I noticed that Captain Williams Bronco was gone and couldn¡¯t help but think about the sadness in Fox¡¯s eyes when we parted I really hope those two can talk it out. I passed the guardhouse and after I had a look to see if anyone was watching I jumped into the air and felt the weightlessness that comes with my flight ability kick in. Orienting myself to the south I gained altitude and started flying toward my apartment just off the campus of the University.


    I made it home and landed in the secluded spot I always used when flying since my Supernormal abilities weren¡¯t public, at least not yet. I was fortunate to have a ground floor apartment so I didn¡¯t have to deal with stairs and managed to get inside right as the last bits of daylight were fading. Painfully shrugging out of the backpack and locking the door behind me I went straight to my bedroom as the events of the day were definitely catching up with me, and at this point, I was almost drooling at the thought of crawling into bed. I worked the hoodie off and then my shoes but didn¡¯t even bother with anything else and sank down into the mattress with a sigh. The cold of the pillow felt delightful and I took a moment to reflect on the day as I felt my eyelids already getting heavy but before I was overcome by sleep I yelled out, ¡°I did it!¡± to the universe with my last bit of energy before swiftly falling asleep.

 Chapter 8

    One week later


    I ended up signing my contract after my family and lawyers reviewed it a few days after the review meeting. The military ended up throwing me a curveball by demanding a duration of two years minimum on the contract, so any plans I had for a gap year from college were pretty much toast but at least the salary was higher than I had expected. That was the start of what turned out to be a crazy few weeks where a bunch of things happened all at once. I had to start moving from my apartment to the base quarters I had been assigned, which honestly weren¡¯t too bad, but of course, my idea of ¡®good'' might be skewed considering I was living in a one bedroom student housing apartment of dubious upkeep.


    A new schedule was assigned to me for tactical and combat training with added classes in relation to my security clearance and PR duties. Lieutenant Colonel Amin usually handled the stuff related to clearance and PR, but my tactical and combat training was still being overseen by Fox and Captain Williams. In the end, Captain Williams decided to stay even though I could tell she still wasn¡¯t happy about her situation and things were still a little strained between her and Fox, but at least she was professional about it and wasn¡¯t taking it out on everyone.


    After deciding to stay she threw herself into forming the tactical team and I had seen her in more than a few serious looking conversations with Lieutenant Colonel Amin. She wouldn¡¯t tell me much when I asked her but Fox said that was because some of the members hadn¡¯t arrived yet due to having to wrap up their current assignments. What I did know was that Chief Warrant Officer Brunner was assigned as her second in command and I honestly for the life of me couldn¡¯t understand why. One day I really hoped someone would explain to me the history they have together, but regardless I knew I was going to have to work to keep my dislike of the man in check.


    When I wasn¡¯t moving or training, Doctor Rokker¡¯s team ran me through a whole new battery of tests to get new baseline readings which included taking a million measurements for my uniform. After that Lieutenant Amin put what felt like a million designs in front of me for feedback. It was determined I would have a flashy uniform that would be as functional as the research team could make it, but unlike the tactical team uniforms it would be designed to stand out. As the PR focal point Lieutenant Colonel Amin felt it was important that I have a say in my public identity and that I wear something I would be comfortable in, and honestly, she was great about working with me and helping guide my choices rather than dictating what she or the program thought was best. Still, I knew there were a couple of things that I had insisted on that she wasn¡¯t happy about but she still let me put forward my design which I appreciated. In fact, the final uniform should be ready any day now.


    One thing that hadn¡¯t gotten better unfortunately was my relationship with my best friend. Christina was still refusing to answer my calls and texts so I still hadn¡¯t been able to patch things up with her which sucked, and according to the Lieutenant Colonel local agencies had started to be notified that the STAR team was going online and would be operating within their jurisdictions which meant I was out of time. We could be deployed any day now pending the arrival of the rest of the team and I wanted to clear the air with Christina before that happened and she saw me on the news, or worse yet through social media or an acquaintance. I owed her the truth, even if she didn¡¯t particularly want to talk to me, and I really hoped we would get the chance to reconcile.I hoped she could forgive me for keeping everything from her.


    ¡°Dani! Dinner¡¯s ready!¡± came the voice of my Mom from the kitchen of my childhood house snapping me out of my introspection. My parent''s house was an old farmhouse that had a neighborhood spring up around it as the farmland gave way to the suburbs of Michigan City as urban sprawl slowly pushed into the rural areas. Their neighborhood was made up of other old farmhouses that used to go with the other long gone farms mixed with older single family constructions that had grown up around them. It was a bit old school compared to the newer neighborhoods with their mini-mansions with their tiny landscaped yards in perfectly laid out streets. But for us, it was perfect because we knew the neighbors on our tree lined street but we didn¡¯t live on top of each other either. It was a nice mix of space and community and one that I honestly didn¡¯t fully appreciate until I moved out for college.


    The house had seemed huge when I was a kid but now that I am an adult I realized it was on the smaller size by today¡¯s standards. Three bedrooms, one and a half baths with a modernized cellar, situated in the center of an acre of property that was full of old growth trees that I used to play in and it was absolutely perfect to me.


    ¡°Dani, now!¡±


    Uh oh, better get moving judging by the tone in Mom¡¯s voice I thought as I swung my feet off the old porch swing that hung on the back porch. I had retreated to the porch for a bit of solitude after a long day of moving the last of my things to the base. I couldn¡¯t take everything so I had split coordinating the military movers and moving the stuff that was going to a storage unit. That¡¯s probably why I was feeling so nostalgic and why it was so nice to be home in a familiar place for a bit. As I had gotten older this little porch swing had become one of my favorite places to be with my thoughts when the seasons allowed it. In fact I had spent a lot of time just swinging and sorting through the happiness and heartache that came along with high school out here and I would still end up here from time to time even after college started.


    ¡®Hey Dork, you better get moving. Mom¡¯s getting annoyed and I don¡¯t want to deal with your fall out¡± said my brother Evan who had popped his head out of the doorway that led inside the house.


    I rolled my eyes at my brother before retorting, ¡°Good, you deserve some heat for all the crap I¡¯ve had to put up with from you all these years. Maybe I¡¯ll stay out here another half hour and really rile her up.¡±


    He glared at me through the doorway for a few seconds before saying, ¡°You suck, you know that?¡±¡¯


    ¡°Evan, why would you say such a hurtful thing to your big sister? I loooove you,¡± I shot back at him in a sing-song tone which caused him to scowl and retreat back into the house.


    A receding, ¡°Bite me, Dork,¡± faintly followed him as he left.


    ¡°Ew, no,¡± I said to the air while laughing to myself and heading inside to have dinner. My brother and I are four years apart and so while we were old enough to do things together growing up there was also enough distance so that we never overlapped in school or friend groups. When he started high school I was starting college so while I love the idiot we pretty much only communicate in insults these days as we really haven¡¯t spent much time together in the last few years. On the odd occasion I¡¯ve taken him to college with me or brought my friends around, his seventeen year old brain can¡¯t seem to handle the presence of college girls. In fact, I suspected that he has a crush on Christina which, eww.


    Since our house is an old farmhouse that was two stories it doesn¡¯t really have a dining room but rather a large country kitchen so we always ate at my grandmother''s antique table that sat at the center of the room. As I passed down the short hallway toward the kitchen I couldn¡¯t help but think of all the amazing memories that the house held. The pictures of family that hung on the walls, the baseboard that was still scratched from one of my childhood cats, the vase on the end table by my Dad¡¯s recliner that was glued together because Evan and I broke it fighting when he was seven and I was eleven. It was after my abilities had manifested and our roughhousing caused me to ¡®flare¡¯ and I knocked the table and vase over.


    It was one of many memories that came with mixed feelings due to my abilities pretty much changing everything after I manifested. My family never asked for all the extra that came with my abilities and certainly not Evan, and here I was about to change their lives again by going public. I couldn¡¯t help but try to do something positive with the abilities I had but that didn¡¯t change the guilt that I held for how it affected my family. I knew they¡¯d worry but be supportive but it was my responsibility to make this impact them as little as possible.


    ¡°Hi Mom, sorry I''m late,¡± I said as I came into the kitchen to the glorious smell of lasagna. Evan was already there and Mom was busy putting the finishing touches on the dish but my Dad was nowhere to be found.


    ¡°Need any help?¡± I asked before sitting down.


    ¡°I got it, sweetheart. Get yourself something to drink if you¡¯d like and lasagne will be ready soon. Just a couple more minutes of resting to get the cheese perfectly melted and we¡¯ll be ready to eat,¡± she said not looking up from what she was doing.


    I went to the fridge and grabbed a carbonated beverage and sat down in my usual seat across from Evan who was busy on his phone and then asked, ¡°Where¡¯s dad?¡±


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°Oh, he ran out of hot sauce and ran out to get some. You know how he has to put that stuff on everything, but he should be back anytime now,¡± she said with a smile.


    ¡°That tracks,¡± I said with a laugh. For as long as I could remember my father Daniel Walker had put hot sauce or pepper on everything. I wasn¡¯t even sure if his taste buds functioned correctly anymore.


    Since I had nothing better to do I decided to poke at my brother a bit and asked him, ¡°So hot rod, got a girlfriend or are you too busy lusting after V-Tubers?¡±


    ¡°No I don¡¯t have a girlfriend and if I did it¡¯s none of your business. Same for who I like or don¡¯t like,¡± he snarked back at me.


    ¡°Holy hell Evan, unclench a bit,¡± I said to him trying not to lose my temper, ¡°I was just messing with you a bit, and this may come as a surprise but as your sister I do actually care about what¡¯s going on in your life.¡±


    Just then my dad came home and walked into the kitchen with his hot sauce. ¡°Oh, I see you two are getting along,¡± he said glibly.


    ¡°Well, Dani¡¯s being an ass,¡± Evan said as he started to plead his case while I just glared at him while projecting the word ¡®weasel¡¯ in the hopes that I would spontaneously develop telepathy so that he could hear me.


    ¡°Evan, Dani that¡¯s enough. Can we just have a nice meal while we¡¯re all together?¡± my Mom said with a bit of edge to her voice while putting the lasagne on the table. My brother just rolled his eyes and looked annoyed but didn¡¯t continue.


    After a couple of minutes of passing dishes around and eating, I broke the silence ¡°I really wanted to thank you for helping me move the stuff that couldn¡¯t go to the base. With everything at warp speed it was really nice to have some normalcy.¡±


    ¡°It was no problem Dani,¡± said my Mom.


    ¡°Speak for yourself. My sore back thinks otherwise,¡± retorted my dad in mock indignation.


    ¡°Oh, shush Daniel. It really was no problem and your father should probably think about taking a couple of ibuprofens then, because that flowerbed he promised to work on is still waiting for his attention,¡± Mom shot back eliciting a groan from my Dad.


    If anyone ever wondered where I got my love for banter and sarcasm from they just need to come to dinner with my parents. My parents both have a fantastic sense of humor and I¡¯m always grateful that I inherited it from them. Shame it seemed to have skipped my brother though, I thought maliciously at him.


    ¡°I was hoping we¡¯d get to see Christina. It¡¯s been a while since you¡¯ve brought her around¡± Mom said with a loaded look and I noticed Evan suddenly became interested in the conversation, ¡°I figured she¡¯d be helping you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah about that¡­we kind of had a fight and she¡¯s not speaking to me right now. I¡¯ve been calling and texting her but she¡¯s ignoring me. You know how she is when she¡¯s mad¡±


    ¡°What did you do to piss her off or did she finally realize that she¡¯s doing you a favor being your friend and decided to stop doing charity work?¡± my ever empathetic brother lobbed in from the other side of the table.


    ¡°Oh, are you still here? You¡¯ve been so busy providing nothing of value to the conversation I thought maybe you¡¯d left. Anyway, why do you care? Tired of getting shot down by high school girls and want to kick it up a notch to getting shot down by college girls?¡± I said letting all my frustration over my fight with Christina bleed into my retort.


    ¡°Screw you Dani. I¡¯m out of here,¡± Evan said heatedly while standing up and storming out of the room.


    Frick


    ¡°Dani! That was over the line and uncalled for. He didn¡¯t deserve that and you know he has a crush on her,¡± my Mom chastised me while Dad gave his best disapproving ¡®Dad Glare¡¯.


    ¡°Actually no, I didn¡¯t know he had a crush on her. I mean, I suspected it, but it¡¯s not like he ever said anything to me. I¡¯ll apologize to him later when he¡¯s done being emo.¡±


    Evan¡¯s mouth as usual found a way to somehow get me in trouble but I had to admit that I went a little hard at him.


    ¡°Dani I know it¡¯s different between teenage boys and teenage girls but try and remember back to how crazy everything felt when you were his age. I know we¡¯re guilty as parents of forgetting just how the gap between you two can be, and he¡¯ll never admit this, but he looks up to his big sister. I¡¯ll have a talk with him¡­sometimes he even listens,¡± my Dad said with a smile somehow making me feel both better and worse.


    My Mom reached over and put her hand on my hand ¡°What¡¯s really wrong sweetheart? This can¡¯t just be about Christina,¡± she asked gently.


    Sigh, I had been hoping to talk about it but at the same time somehow didn¡¯t. Talking about it meant I couldn¡¯t hide from it anymore. I mean, I wanted it to happen but emotions don¡¯t always make sense and my Mom looking at me with a face full of concern just served to remind me this was about them too.


    ¡°I¡¯m going active any day now. We¡¯re being deployed.¡± There, I said it. It was out in the universe now.


    ¡°But sweetie isn¡¯t that what you wanted? What all this has been for?¡± she said giving my hand a squeeze.


    I rubbed the bridge of my nose and looked at the lasagne remnants on my plate for a second before replying, ¡°Yes it is, but it also means I¡¯m out of time. There is no more ¡®One day¡¯, it¡¯s all real for everyone in my life too. I¡¯ll be public as the face of the team, It will be public that I¡¯m a Quantum level Supernormal and everyone who is close to me is going to be affected.¡±


    ¡°Are you expecting bad things to happen to us? To you?¡± my Dad asked gently.


    ¡°No¡­maybe¡­I don¡¯t know. I just don¡¯t think I was prepared for how much this scares me,¡± I said while trying and failing at not tearing up. ¡°I¡¯m scared for myself to some degree of course but I accept it¡¯s dangerous. What I didn¡¯t expect was how scared I¡¯d be for you and my friends. That you could become a target and that my choices could put you in danger. I mean it¡¯s obviously a possibility since the military is assigning you a security detail. That¡¯s why I want to connect with Christina so badly. She deserves to know.¡±


    ¡°Honey our biggest fear isn¡¯t us getting hurt although it¡¯s a risk we accept to let you use your gifts to help others. Our biggest fear is you getting hurt or killed. That¡¯s what scares your father and I. You¡¯re stepping into a world we don¡¯t understand but know that we love you and support you. When you get deployed do it knowing that you make us proud,¡± my Mom said with tears in her eyes.


    That was enough to break the dam and the tears started to fall down my cheeks. I got up and hugged my Mom and just let myself cry on her shoulder like when I was a kid. I felt my dad¡¯s strong embrace encircle us both a few seconds later and we just stayed like that for a couple of minutes before I whispered ¡°Thank you. You¡¯re the best.¡± and started snuffling myself into some kind of composure.


    After breaking up our little hug fest I could see the worry on my parents'' faces and felt guilty for causing that worry, but I also felt better. Knowing they supported me truly meant the world.


    All that crying had caused me to lose my appetite for the lasagna but did make me crave comfort food so I quipped, ¡°Man I could really go for some cake right now.¡±.


    My Dad¡¯s eyebrows shot up at that before surprising me by saying ¡°Oh I almost forgot,¡± and walked out of the room for a minute before returning with a bakery box. ¡°It just so happens I might be able to solve your cake problem.¡±


    He placed the box on the now clear table and opened it and inside was a cake with white frosting that had ¡®Congratulations Dani, You¡¯re our Star!¡¯ written in frosting on it. I groaned a bit inwardly seeing ¡®Star¡¯ and couldn¡¯t help but wonder if I would learn to accept all the ways that word was now part of my life and identity.


    I looked at my Dad and his goofy grin and asked, ¡°Marble cake?¡±


    He faked looking hurt by my question and replied, ¡°Of course. Your father is a man of culture after all. Chocolate alone is for heathens. Only when paired with the subtle smoothness of vanilla can you appreciate the bittersweet of the chocolate properly.¡±


    I burst out laughing at the unexpected comment and looked at my Mom who was laughing as well and said, ¡°No more baking shows for him.¡±


    In the end, I did go look for my brother so that he could have cake and to try and talk to him but I couldn¡¯t find him. After giving up I headed back to the kitchen to say my goodbyes with a belly full lasagne and cake..


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t find Evan anywhere. He must have left,¡± I said coming back into the room slightly concerned.


    My Mom picked up her phone and waved it at me, ¡°He texted a few minutes ago that he went to a friend''s house down the street for a bit. He¡¯s definitely getting a conversation when he gets home for how he acted.¡±


    ¡°Oh well, it¡¯s Emo-Boys¡¯ loss. I¡¯m just going to have to take all my cake and eat it too,¡± I snarked.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t,¡± my Dad said with a mock shocked expression.


    ¡°I would¡±


    ¡°You monster,¡± he said in response before laughing.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, I wouldn¡¯t, but it¡¯s time for me to get going,¡± I said while leaning in to give him a hug and then turning to give a big hug to my Mom.


    With our goodbyes said, a big piece of cake was shoved into my hands in a to-go container and I stepped out into the backyard so that I could fly back to the base. I turned and waved to my parents who were standing at the door and after a deep breath, I jumped into the night sky and toward my future

 Chapter 9

    My week started with classes, training, more training, and briefings. Honestly, it felt like I was still in college but with more structure but I had started to get settled into the officer''s quarters section which honestly felt a little too much like moving into the dorms if I was honest. I had, however, managed to meet a bunch of very nice officers who worked at the base just by proximity which was nice.


    It just so happened that I managed to meet one of my new squadmates, Sergeant Heidi Sprinklemann in the hallway outside my room. I had met her briefly at my evaluation and she was the voice of Overwatch in my exam but I found out she was new to the base having just transferred in. It turned out she¡¯s only a few years older than me and was also from Michigan which meant we had some stuff in common even though she¡¯s from the other side of the state, which was pretty cool. I learned that her specialty is communications and that she¡¯d be filling the Communications Sergeant role on the tactical team so we¡¯d be working together, so we made plans to have coffee later in the week to get to know each other better. I did enjoy the possibility of making a new friend.


    As for old friends, Christina was still radio silent and it was really starting to drag on me since I was spending so much time on base I had plenty of time to dwell on it. I had stopped texting to give her some space but it had been a few weeks at this point and if she didn¡¯t respond in some way soon I was going to go looking for her and force the issue. I¡¯d really prefer to not have to go that route though because it had a strong chance of pushing her further away which I didn¡¯t want.


    Unfortunately, I found myself having time to dwell on it because I was currently in the research testing area¡¯s multipurpose room with Dr. Rokker waiting for Fox and Lieutenant Colonel Amin. The research area was Dr. Rokker¡¯s territory and took up a floor topside and a floor in the sublevels. The sneaky-dangerous stuff was all done on the subfloor while the standard research was done on the upper floor. The research area held all kinds of labs and testing gear, and the multipurpose room I was in was located in the Supernormal testing area and served as a de facto meeting room, locker room, and lounge area.


    Lieutenant Colonel Amin surprised me by asking me to meet Doctor Rokker, Fox, and herself on the research floor rather than the usual classroom for our Public Relations class. Doctor Rokker had met me on the way through the floor to the room so we had arrived together.


    Deciding I had enough of my brain running in circles I turned to the Doctor, ¡°So Dr. Rokker, working on anything fun that I''d actually understand?¡± I asked the jovial white haired researcher as he leaned against the wall fidgeting with a pen.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± he said absentmindedly, before realizing I had asked a question. ¡°Oh my gosh. Dani, I¡¯m so sorry I was lost in thought. Can you repeat your question?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but giggle at him. He was one of the nicest people I¡¯d met in my time with the program but at times really fit the stereotype of the head in the clouds researcher.


    ¡°No worries Doc. I asked if you were working on anything fun that I¡¯d actually understand?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, we are actually. We¡¯ve been working on modifying the dampening gloves you wear in training to mimic your absorption and discharge abilities. The idea being that it could be used for natural energy applications since your ability to process Solar and Cosmic Rays could revolutionize power production,¡± he said enthusiastically while waving the pen around as he spoke.


    ¡°Oh, that all sounds very cool,¡± I replied but I couldn¡¯t help but frown and chew my lip at the thought of my abilities being replicated, ¡°But couldn¡¯t you wait a little bit before making me obsolete?¡± I finished letting the intrusive thought win.


    Doctor Rokker froze for a second at my words and then a look of concern flooded his face. ¡°Dani, your gifts are amazing and I dearly hope that I can do something amazing with all the data you¡¯ve blessed me with, but nobody will ever replace you,¡± he said punctuating the ¡®You¡¯ with a pen jab.


    ¡°Take some advice from someone who has to deal with military and political blowhards their entire career. If you don¡¯t have self confidence or at least learn to fake it you¡¯re not going to make it. Despite what some here will tell you there is nothing wrong with showing your emotions and being empathetic, but you also have to stand your ground and be proud of yourself and what you¡¯ve worked for. There are going to be times where your conviction in yourself will be all you have to convince others to follow you,¡± he said pointedly.


    Just then the door opened and Lieutenant Colonel Amin walked in carrying a silver case followed by Fox right behind her. Noticing the atmosphere in the room she looked from me to Doctor Rokker and back to me before pausing and slightly quirking an eyebrow and saying, ¡°Everything good in here? Doctor, Dani?¡±


    ¡°Everything is fine Lieutenant Colonel,¡± I said with a half hearted grin, ¡°The Doctor was just giving me some much needed advice. It seems I can be somewhat¡­hardheaded.¡±


    My response got a full on chuckle from the Doctor and I did catch the fleeting smile on Fox¡¯s face as he suddenly needed to study the ceiling for some reason.


    ¡°Ok, good. The reason you¡¯re here is because your uniform is ready. I wanted to do this down here with a small group before we show it to anyone else in case there are any issues,¡± Lieutenant Colonel Amin said while placing the silver case in front of me.


    ¡°Go try it on and we¡¯ll go over its specs and see if reality matches the design.¡±


    I grabbed the case and moved into the little changing room bathroom tucked away in the back corner room and left my colleagues to chat while I changed. I put the metal case on the countertop and hesitated for a second before popping the latches and opening the lid.


    Sitting inside the case was my uniform. The one I¡¯d designed with the Lieutenant Colonel, but seeing it in person sent a chill down my spine. The Red, White, and Blue colors looked so crisp that I couldn¡¯t help but run my hands across the fabric. It had the strangest texture as it felt akin to a thick cotton-spandex hybrid but had a subtle sheen to it that seemed to catch the light.


    I stripped down to my undergarments and took the pants out of the case first and slid each foot through the legs into shoes built into the leggings. It took a bit of wiggling to figure out how to get each foot properly locked in as the shoes were custom molded but they fit like a glove. The shoes were reinforced and cushioned to withstand my enhanced strength so that I didn¡¯t have to worry about blowing out a shoe when pushing off and moving at full strength.


    After I got my feet in I shimmied the pants up over my hips and adjusted the built in belt and looked in the mirror. The pants had a nice clean look to them with a thick red stripe on the outside of the legs from foot to hip while the rest of the pants were white with the exception of the belt area which was admiral blue with a small white star where a belt buckle would normally sit.


    Next, I took out the top and pulled it on taking care to make sure my hair didn¡¯t get caught up when pulling it over my head since the top was just as form fitting as the pants. The collar of the top had a hidden clasp that allowed it to open wider which I struggled with for a bit before sealing it up and making sure the piping detail lined up in the mirror. The shoulders of the top were admiral blue from about my collarbone up and had three white stars in a line across them. Like the pants, the top had a red stripe running up the side along the body ending at the blue shoulders under the arm with the rest of the top being white except for the long sleeves which were black. The sleeves were black from my wrists to my armpits where they angled to point at the shoulder leaving just a bit of white detail for contrast.


    The top is where Lieutenant Colonel Amin and I had disagreed the most. When I designed the costume I based the idea loosely on my favorite comic book hero Captain Flag from when I was kid, but I had wanted to give my top the lines of a shield so my top was made so that it came to point at my midriff leaving my stomach exposed. When my arms were at my sides my top looked like that heater shield with the way the black on my arms framed the red stripes and blue shoulder design.


    The Lieutenant Colonel was absolutely adamant that I couldn¡¯t leave my midriff exposed but I had pushed back that if they wanted flashy then this would be flashy. It was a pretty fascinating conversion really as different department heads were brought in for consultation and there was a lot of discussion about safety versus public perception. The Lieutenant Colonel did not like the message it sent that I would go out less protected just to look good. In the end, the fact that anything short of a fifty caliber bullet couldn¡¯t really pierce my skin won the argument in my favor.


    Looking in the mirror I confirmed everything was lined up and in place and I fingered and brushed my hair to smooth it out. The uniform looked very clean and I had to admit to a boost of self confidence because it looked good on me and hugged my figure in all the right ways. The last piece was the cape which sat folded in the bottom of the case. It was admiral blue on the outside and red on the inside with white trim on the outside edges. It was a different fabric than the rest of the uniform and was more like satin or silk in texture.


    Interestingly the cape was also a bit of a contentious choice as nobody wears capes in real life, but I wanted to go all in so a cape was designed. Unlike my training uniform which has a half cape on the right shoulder, this is a full cape that should end at the back of my knees so that I don¡¯t step on it. It was determined that if it could be made functional it would be approved based on my work in the training room with my training uniform.


    I picked the caped up out of the case draping it over an arm and headed back out to the main room to see what the others thought. When I came back into the room Lieutenant Armin and Doctor Rokker were chatting and while Fox was just sitting quietly listening and was the first to see me so he cleared his throat and nodded in my direction.


    Both the Lieutenant Colonel and Doctor turned and gave me a once over. A big smile appeared on the Doctor''s face, where Lieutenant Colonel Armin just kind of scowled. ¡±Well it looks good at least,¡± she said before gesturing for me to come closer.


    I walked up to the group and raised my arm up to show the cape draped over it saying, ¡°I got excited and put the top before thinking about the cape and didn¡¯t know how to attach it.¡±


    I guess that¡¯s a good segway into the functionality of the uniform I suppose, so Doctor if you¡¯d do the honors,¡± she said while gesturing for the doctor to fill us in on what they¡¯d created.


    ¡°Of course. Dani, if you¡¯d hand me the cape I¡¯ll start there,¡± he said while I handed him the cape. ¡°This fabric, as you''ll notice, is different from the main body of the uniform. It¡¯s a specially developed fabric that started life as a bulletproof parachute prototype. It¡¯s super lightweight but has outstanding ballistic stopping abilities. We¡¯ve layered the fabric so that it¡¯s twice as durable but for Dani, it will still be incredibly lightweight. The cape will stop bullets at a diminishing rate until failure, and will even catch a fifty caliber bullet as long as it isn¡¯t fired from right on top of you. While the fabric is durable and should hold up to regular wear and tear and flying, but much like Kevlar body armor, it doesn''t do as well with edged weapons. It will provide some resistance depending on the angle but with a sharp enough edge or force it will give.¡±


    He unfolded the cape and gave it a once over before finding the attachment mechanism and asking me to turn around with my back to him, ¡°Ok Dani it will be easier if you do this before putting on the top but the cape can be attached after the fact. Essentially there is a micronized magnet system embedded in the cape and the attachment point on your back. If you reach around your left shoulder with your right hand and take the edge of the cape it should seat automatically.¡±


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Doing as he asked I reached around with my right hand and grasped the end of the cape and guided it to the back of my left shoulder attachment point by reaching under my armpit and felt the end snap into place like the Doctor said it would. Neat.


    ¡°Now do that with the other side and you should be all set. It will automatically pull the cape up and lock it in once the second attachment is made. One of our designers has a Sigma ability in micronization and they improved the original design for your training uniform. In fact, this design is being implemented on that garment as well since you shredded the old one in the exam.¡±


    I attached the other side after a couple of failed attempts but once the cape was on I could barely feel it. I did a quick twirl making the cape swish eliciting laughs from everyone before floating up about a foot in the air and saluting.


    ¡°Star on station and reporting for duty. Requesting fit check,¡± I said while trying and failing to keep a smirk off my face.


    Lieutenant Colonel Amin just groaned and closed her eyes while rubbing her temples before saying, ¡°I really thought it was going to be Colonel Morales that turned my hair grey prematurely but now I realize I was wrong. It¡¯s definitely going to be you Dani.¡±


    I heard Doctor Rokker whisper ¡°What¡¯s a fit check?¡± while Fox actually laughed out loud before chiming in with, ¡°Amen, for the truth.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± I exclaimed in faux outrage while returning back to the floor with my hands on my hips which just made Fox laugh harder and he was joined by the Lieutenant Colonel.


    After a minute of everyone enjoying a good laugh, I gathered my composure and asked, ¡°I do look okay though, don¡¯t I?¡±


    Taking a steading breath Lieutenant Colonel Amin replied, ¡°You look great. Everything looks like it fits perfectly and after seeing the uniform it really does have that comic book hero look you were going for, just more modern. I still don¡¯t love the exposed midriff but we don¡¯t plan to send you anywhere that it should be an issue right out of the gate, so we still have time to workshop it.


    ¡°Thank you Lieutenant Colonel Amin,¡± I said with a smile, noting that Fox gave me a thumbs up and Doctor Rokker a smile and a wink.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± the Lieutenant Colonel exclaimed before continuing, ¡°For the last time, call me Rupal when we¡¯re in an informal setting, Dani. You don¡¯t need to be that formal.¡±


    I held my hands up in supplication ¡°I just can¡¯t. You worked too hard to get where you¡¯re at and my parents always taught me to respect people''s titles and you¡¯re way too young to call ma¡¯am,¡± I said defensively.


    ¡°Yep, I just felt it. That was a grey hair,¡± she said before pointing a finger at me, ¡°Then how about you call me by my callsign like you do Fox? Do you think you can handle ¡®Astraea¡¯?¡± she asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± I cheekily replied with a big grin on my face.


    ¡°Oh¡­my¡­God. Do you ever want to go on a mission?¡± she said, trying to look stern, but mostly failing. Clearly having had enough of my smartassery she turned to Doctor Rokker and asked, ¡°Are there any other features of the cape that we should know about before we get sidetracked again?¡±


    ¡°Actually it¡¯s helpful to know that the cape has been tested in a wind tunnel and shouldn¡¯t cause any significant drag while in flight. The anchor point was also designed and tested to stand up to flight. We never called you in to test it because all of our data models told us that with your abilities it would be insignificant. Obviously, if that is incorrect we expect you to let us know,¡± he said with a pointed look before continuing, ¡° Also we designed the cape to break away if enough force is applied. As I said flying shouldn¡¯t generate enough force to cause it to disconnect but if you ever find yourself pinned or in need of removing it in a hurry just pull as hard as you can and it will break away. Lastly, the cape has been treated to be water and fire resistant, so liquids will bead off its surface and it won¡¯t catch fire immediately.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Doctor. That¡¯s all very helpful information,¡± Astraea said in a way that led me to believe that she probably had already read a report that had outlined everything the good Doctor had said.


    ¡°Now one of the reasons I stopped fighting you on the midriff thing was because of the functionality of the cape. I¡¯ve asked Fox to develop more training about using the cape defensively now that we know its capabilities. Your safety in the field is a priority,¡± she said proving that I was correct in her already knowing the specs on my uniform.


    Dammit, more training. While rationally I understood that practice makes perfect it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I felt like I¡¯d been doing nothing but practicing forever I thought with an inward groan.


    My introspection was interrupted before it could really get rolling by Astraea asking the Doctor to continue going over the rest of the uniform.


    Both the top and pants are made from a heavier fabric than the cape which is far more durable. This fabric was developed by our in-house research department and is currently only available to STAR and will be implemented in the tactical team uniforms as well. It was designed to be lightweight and breathable but also have strong ballistic stopping abilities and rip resistance. Also, this fabric will stop an edged weapon. However just like with traditional ballistic armor the fabric absorbs and spreads out the impact of a projectile and we¡¯ve done our best to mitigate the energy transference as much as possible but there is still transference so it will hurt to get shot, and anyone with less durability than you is going to be bruised by your standard calibers. When you start getting up to heavier calibers like the 50 cal you might get one or two successful stops before failure, but the average person is probably going to wish the round had killed them. With your enhanced durability we¡¯re not really sure how it will feel for you, Dani, short of putting you on the range and shooting you, but we figured that probably wasn¡¯t the most scientific method and wouldn¡¯t be approved,¡± he said with a chuckle.


    ¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯m going to pass on that option. The sniper rifle in the exam hurt plenty and it was a rubber bullet, so I¡¯m just going to assume it will suck and try my best to not find out.¡±


    ¡°Ok, we¡¯ll table that line of experimentation¡­for now,¡± he said with a wink, ¡°Now as I mentioned the fabric is cut resistant and will withstand a normal edged weapon to a point but will only dull the cut of a vibro knife or something like Fox¡¯s sword. As with any fabric, it¡¯s only going to make you harder to stab, so do your best to not get stabbed either.


    So, getting back to the features of the uniform we¡¯ve also implemented a few hidden features since your uniform doesn¡¯t have pouches or regular pockets. Your collar has a built-in microphone that will sync automatically with your field issue earpiece and in the event you lose your earpiece a shorter range backup earpiece is located in a hidden pocket on your right hip. On your left hip is a hidden ID pocket for your First Responder card. It¡¯s pretty small so it won¡¯t hold anything more than a couple of cards or some cash so don¡¯t go getting any ideas about trying to fit a phone or anything in there. Speaking of phones, you won¡¯t be able to carry your phone with you when deployed so we¡¯ve implemented a flexible touch screen interface on the underside of the forearm of your left sleeve that is almost invisible when not in use for communication and limited internet. It¡¯s connected to the military communications network so everything going in and out of your communications gear is encrypted. Ok any questions?¡± he asked while raising his eyebrows comically.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the difference between this and my training uniform aside from the tech bells and whistles?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°Well simply put this uniform does everything better. Your training uniform served as a prototype and the data we gathered from your training was used to make this uniform and the tactical team uniforms. These uniforms really are a leap forward but presently they can¡¯t be mass produced so they are a STAR exclusive for now,¡± he explained. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    I don¡¯t think I have any more questions. Do any of you? I said to the group.


    Astraea responded with an ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± but of course she would as she had already read the specs but Fox spoke up from his chair after being silent for most of the discussion.


    ¡°Is there any progress on my new helmet Doctor Rokker?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Actually we are finishing a prototype for you as we speak. We had a bit of an issue engineering the visor but we think we¡¯ve got it figured out. Unless we run into another fabrication issue you should have it by the end of today and if I do say so myself it looks very good. We managed to improve on your specs in a few areas but of course, your feedback is welcome.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Doctor, I look forward to trying it out. I¡¯m sure it will perform to your usual high standards. I don¡¯t have anything else.¡±


    Perfect, I¡¯m sure you all know how to get out of here by now so I¡¯ll let you all disperse at your leisure. I¡¯m going to go check on Fox¡¯s helmet while it¡¯s still fresh in my mind,¡± said Doctor Rokker with a wave and smile before exiting the room.


    ¡°Star I¡¯ll leave you to get changed and Fox I¡¯ll set up a meeting to review Dani¡¯s training to figure out how to best work in training on using the uniform¡¯s features,¡± Astraea said before looking at her watch and muttering a curse. ¡°I¡¯ve got to go anyway, I told Major Ziet I¡¯d have lunch with him today to go over operations and I need to prepare,¡± she added in a rush and with that, she disappeared out the door.


    I couldn¡¯t help but hide a grin at the Lieutenant Colonel as I watched her disappear through the door. It was the worst kept secret on base that Major Ziet had a crush on Astraea to which she was dubiously unaware. My grin turned into a full on laugh when I faintly heard ¡°Fit check passed!¡± from Astraea as she receded down the hallway. Fox just looked at me and shook his head.


    ¡°What?¡±, I said through fits of giggle, ¡°I can¡¯t laugh on duty?¡± trying and failing to give him a stern look.


    ¡°Not at all. In fact, you seem to bring it out in others. I hope you can retain that quality after getting field experience,¡± was Fox¡¯s response.


    ¡°You''re a buzzkill sometimes Fox. I¡¯m going to get changed,¡± I said to my instructor and turned back toward the locker room to change with a fairly magnificent swish of my cape in my opinion.


    It took me a little bit longer to get undressed than normal as I had to figure out all the closures and releases and then fold the garments to fit back in the case. Once I was done I grabbed the case and went back out into the multipurpose room expecting it to be empty but to my surprise, Fox was still sitting there waiting.


    ¡°Fox, I figured you¡¯d have taken off to do something better like hang out with Captain Williams,¡± I said in surprise.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m free for a while. I just wanted to tell you that the uniform looked good on you and that you¡¯ve earned it.¡±


    I could feel the heat in my face as I blushed furiously at Fox¡¯s compliment. I still wasn¡¯t used to greeting compliments from the Master Sergeant. He¡¯d been far less uptight since my exam.


    ¡°I, uh¡­thanks. I¡¯m glad you think so,¡± I stammered. Smooth. So smooth. If Fox could tell how flustered his comment made me he didn¡¯t let on thankfully.


    ¡°Come on,¡± he said getting up from this chair and taking the case from my hand. I¡¯ll walk you to the elevator.


    I nodded ok and we exited the meeting room in the hallway. Some of the labs had windows and it was amazing the diversity of environments you could get a glimpse of. Some labs were so clean they would make an Apple Store jealous and others it would be generous to label them controlled chaos. We were just passing the halfway point and I was looking at a sign that said ¡®Do not enter. Experiment in progress¡¯ when Fox spoke again.


    ¡°I just wanted to let you know the last member of Wolf Unit should be arriving tomorrow or the day after, so we¡¯ll start running unit drills shortly after. Also, we¡¯ve been getting word of increased activity from one of the organizations on our watch list. Intelligence has indicated that Michigan City is a target for something. Early signs seem to indicate a kidnapping but nothing is concrete. I¡¯m telling you this because our chances of deployment have gone up significantly with this news. Hopefully, it turns into a sit around and wait situation but forewarned is forearmed¡±, he finished as we arrived at the elevator.


    Fox handed me the case with my uniform in it which I took and stepped into the elevator car. I pushed the button for my floor but I noticed the Fox didn''t step in but rather kept his hand on the door holding it from closing so I threw him a questioning glance.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go check on my helmet. The Doctor has me curious so I¡¯d like to see it while I¡¯m down here so I¡¯ll catch up with you later,¡° he said.


    ¡°Oh, ok. I guess I¡¯ll see you later,¡± I said with a twinge of disappointment. I always enjoyed hanging out with Fox even if he was hot and cold with conversation. I always felt like I learned something from being around him.


    ¡°One last thing Dani,¡± he said looking into my eyes, ¡°I want you to remember something my grandmother used to always tell me. Fate aids the courageous,¡± and with that, he took his hand from the door sensor and the elevator closed with a soft whoosh.

 Chapter 10

    It had been a couple of days since the fit test for my uniform and unfortunately, Astraea had been good to her word, and Fox started running new drills with me wearing the uniform the next day. The upside was that since I lived on the base now I didn¡¯t need to worry about changing in the locker room if I didn¡¯t want to, and could just go to my quarters.


    Which was where I was currently after one such session munching on a power bar and downing a sports drink. I didn¡¯t really work up a sweat in the sessions unless we really went at it due to my enhanced stamina, but I was still contemplating a shower since I actually had the afternoon free and could afford to relax a bit.


    I had just tossed my empty bottle and wrapper in the trash on the way to my room when my phone¡¯s alert tone chirped from the table where I had set it along with my earbud when I got home. It was a local news alert from my news app stating that there was a possible hostage situation at Briarland Mall. There wasn¡¯t much information other than police were responding with SWAT and that the story was developing. A hostage situation was unusual but I hoped everything could be resolved peacefully. It didn¡¯t seem like we would be called in to help, but that could always change.


    Since I was already on my phone I decided to check on Christina and after seeing she still hadn¡¯t replied to my texts I switched to Instagram to see if she¡¯d posted anything new and hoped she hadn¡¯t blocked me. What I saw on her feed made my blood run cold. It was a picture of her and Amber, one of our mutual friends, smiling at the food court holding frozen custards from Bob Joe¡¯s in the mall. The timestamp on the photo was thirty seven minutes ago which meant there was a good chance they were at the mall when the hostage situation started. With a bad feeling in my gut, I tried calling Christina only for it to go to voicemail without ringing. Hoping that she was just screening me I called Amber¡¯s phone next and it also went straight to voicemail.


    Pure dread settled into my gut and I started pacing my living area unsure of what to do. Officially we weren¡¯t operational as a unit yet even though we were available to deploy in an emergency. Going up the chain to Astrea or Captain Williams wouldn¡¯t be a good idea because they either wouldn¡¯t tell me anything or I¡¯d have to explain why I was so interested in the mall. Dammit, I had no idea if the girls were safe and the more I thought about it, the more antsy I got. I was gripping my phone so hard I heard it creak and took a few deep breaths before I shattered it and decided to call Fox and see if he knew anything.


    ¡°Hey Fox, did you see the news alert about the mall? Do you think we¡¯ll get deployed to assist?¡± I said trying to sound calm.


    ¡°Hello Dani,¡± Fox answered right away. ¡°I saw the alert and right now we¡¯re still on general standby. The local LEOs haven¡¯t requested assistance and the situation hasn¡¯t escalated to trigger a response from us on our own.¡±


    ¡°Oh, ok.¡±


    ¡°Everything ok? You sound tense,¡± he said with his concern coming through the connection.


    Damn his intuition I thought before replying, ¡°Nothing, I guess I¡¯m just antsy that this might be it. My first deployment.¡± I lied, feeling awful about it.


    ¡°Well it could still happen but right now I would do your best to relax. Our first mission is coming soon,¡± he said in his calm manner trying to keep me centered like always.


    ¡°But Fox¡­shouldn¡¯t I try to help? Isn¡¯t that what these abilities are for? To help people?¡±


    ¡°Dani, I understand where you¡¯re coming from but you agreed to work with this unit and follow our rules of engagement. Trust in our protocols and believe that we want to help you use your abilities to properly help those who need it. There are professionals on site doing their jobs. If they need us they¡¯ll call.¡± he said.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right Fox. Thank you for always keeping me level. I¡¯ll talk to you soon,¡± I finished and broke the connection.


    The thing is, I wasn¡¯t level. Everything Fox said felt wrong, and at that moment I made the decision to go to the mall, consequences be damned. My friends were there and in danger as well as other innocent people. I had to at least see if I could help.


    With my decision made I walked into the bathroom and set my phone down on the counter before turning on the faucet and splashing water on my face. Pausing to look at myself in the mirror still wearing my silly uniform like I was some comic book hero. I blew out a breath and grabbed a hair brush and hair tie and quickly tied my hair back into a ponytail before saying to my reflection ¡®I hope you know what you¡¯re doing. You could very well be throwing everything away before you¡¯ve even started.¡¯ The reflection of course didn¡¯t answer back but I did. ¡®Alright let''s do this.¡¯


    With that, I left my room quickly and made my way to the elevator which I took to the top floor. Nobody was around that would question what I was doing since I used the roof access pretty regularly, so I ran to the door and as soon as I was outside I took off as fast as I could fly toward the mall.


    About ten minutes later I found myself circling wide of the mall to land by the electronics store adjacent to the mall¡¯s main entrance hoping that nobody on the bad guy team saw my approach but that illusion was quickly shattered as I poked my head out for a look.


    Fhiiiz! followed a nano-second later by the crack of a bullet as it zipped past my face and impacted with the concrete planter behind me, showering the area in concrete splinters. I¡¯m telling you now that it doesn¡¯t matter how much you¡¯ve trained to face this type of situation it does not prepare you for getting shot at in reality, It¡¯s always goddamned terrifying. Thankfully they missed.


    I¡¯d not even been here a minute and I¡¯d already been shot at and that had my ¡®Fox Senses¡¯ tingling. It felt like an overly aggressive response and I was certain that I¡¯d gotten into the perimeter clean, but clearly, I¡¯d been spotted somehow even though the main entrance didn¡¯t have a sightline on my approach and landing. Not to mention that based on the sound and size of the impact on the planter the gunman was packing a decent caliber rifle.


    Retreating further back behind the wall of the electronics store I closed my eyes and rested my head on the brick while wishing desperately for x-ray vision like in the comics. Ok, time to use all that training no matter how badly I wanted to fly away or curl up in a ball of anxiety now that I was there. I looked over to the Police line only to find them in a pretty standard perimeter looking pretty tense as would be expected. They looked pretty uncomfortable at my arrival and that I was drawing fire, and I was at a loss now that I knew whoever was inside the mall had high-powered rifles. Small arms fire was one thing. The rounds hurt but I could withstand a handful of those, but the higher caliber stuff could pierce my skin and do it at range which was problematic. Sigh, it was time to go consult the S.W.A.T. commander.


    I sort of half flew, jumped over to the police line trying to stay out of line of sight for the gunman at the entrance, and managed to make it without drawing more fire. I identified the Lieutenant in charge, he was a stout man a little taller than average with red hair and a mustache. He was speaking urgently into a radio as I dropped in and I only caught the tail end of the conversation, ¡°I don¡¯t care! If you can¡¯t get Metro South over here this is going to go to hell real fast¡­especially with her here¡±.


    ¡°Greetings Lieutenant¡±, I said as I landed next to him.


    ¡°Shit!¡±, he exclaimed. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you!? Are you goddamned stupid!¡± he yelled as he turned to face me. Evidently whoever was on the other end of his earpiece must have thought he was talking to them as he gave me a withering look and addressed the radio, ¡°No not you. I was yelling at her. Now get South over here now even if you have to drag Jennings out of the donut shop¡±.


    With a look to the heavens and a pained sigh, the Lieutenant turned to address me directly, ¡°What do you want? Why are you here?¡± while motioning for the officers who had trained their guns on me to lower their weapons.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to help get those civilians out of there safely and to hopefully end this without any casualties. As for what I want, I was hoping to coordinate with you. I don¡¯t want to make this worse¡±


    ¡°Then leave,¡± was his terse reply. ¡°We don¡¯t need some amateur in...whatever the hell that getup you¡¯re wearing is getting in our way. This is going to be hard enough as it is.¡±


    Even though I kind of figured this would be the reaction, I tried my best to hide my irritation and inject some earnest enthusiasm into my reply. ¡°I know this is less than ideal circumstances for introductions but I¡¯m really here to help. I know your department has been briefed that I¡¯ve been cleared by the government to deploy for emergency response operations and I think this qualifies. If you¡¯d like, I can contact my superiors and we can squabble over authorizations and jurisdiction, or we could just try to help the hostages.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not leaving are you?¡± he said glaring a hole through me.


    ¡°No sir!¡± I said with probably too much enthusiasm as I earned an even sharper glare.


    ¡°Fine. Tell me what you were able to see when you were over by the entrance. So far we¡¯ve been unable to get an idea of exactly how many gunmen are occupying the mall, and we¡¯re still unclear on how heavily armed they are. We¡¯ve called for the bomb unit to set up in case they have explosives but right now we don¡¯t know jack. They haven¡¯t even called out demands.¡±


    ¡°Sure, Lieutenant¡­?¡± I said with a pregnant pause for him to hopefully provide a name.


    ¡°Bidwell, now get on with it. Every minute we waste is a minute those hostages are in danger,¡± he said with his temper starting to edge back into his tone.


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    ¡°Yes sir,¡± I said and got to it. ¡°I flew in from the North and since I was already aware of the situation I made sure to get a look at the roof thinking I might be able to land there, but I spotted at least three men on the roof probably guarding the roof access. At that point I didn¡¯t want to alert them, so I put some distance between us. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have enhanced vision.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that would have actually been helpful,'''' the Lieutenant snarked at me.


    Ignoring his continued hostility I continued to share the little information that I had, ¡°Yeah, I agree,'''' I said. ¡°After that, I realized that sneaking in probably wasn¡¯t going to be an option so I dropped in over by the electronic store to get a look. Either I wasn¡¯t as stealthy as I thought on approach or they spotted me after I landed somehow as I took fire when I poked my head out for a look. What I can tell you from my training is that based on the sound and the impact it was a military-grade rifle and your everyday hunting rifle. Aside from that, I didn¡¯t get much.¡±


    The Lieutenant squeezed the bridge of his nose and sighed while looking back over his shoulder at the mall entrance. ¡°Ok, we now know they have positions on the roof which is bad as we don¡¯t know if they have set up sniper positions or are just guarding entry points. We know that they have at least semi-automatic rifles of a decent caliber but should be prepared for them to have military-grade automatic weapons. The officers deployed around the perimeter have confirmed that the other 5 entrances have armed hostiles guarding them. We currently don¡¯t have any idea of their numbers, how well armed they are, or what their intentions are. So basically we have a cluster with the option of turning into a shit show. Ok, Miss based on my training, what''s your tactical assessment?¡±.


    Ok, this is the moment I¡¯d been waiting for I thought. Lieutenant Bidwell was giving me space to offer my opinion as a professional. Now I just had to not screw it up so I took a deep breath and hoped he didn¡¯t notice the shakiness of it and started my tactical analysis.


    ¡°Based on my flyover we know they''ve stationed at least three guards on the roof entrance that I was able to confirm. This also tells us that they¡¯re most likely aware of the layout of the mall and points of entry as I imagine roof access is accessed from the service corridors that run behind the storefronts and not public knowledge. Considering it¡¯s only been about 40 minutes since they took control of the mall and you had officers on the scene in less than 10 minutes we can somewhat assume they knew where to go.¡±


    ¡°Alright, so far so good,¡± he said. ¡°Now what else do you have and make it quick. We need to start planning on how to get the hostages and we need to know what in the hell they want.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir, based on the assumption that they know the layout we need to plan that they¡¯ve either got guards or have booby-trapped the service entrances. Since the service doors are metal security doors and open out it¡¯s a problematic breach. My guess is that they will have also brought the hostages to someplace like the food court that will be defensible with good sightlines and proximity to multiple exits. The mall has skylights especially at the food court so that¡¯s both a positive and a negative as it works as a possible breach point, but also as another way to get spotted.


    If this is a professional operation I would also guess that they would have dropped the security gates on the storefronts to slow down anyone trying to enter from the back of a store. My instructor would say that until we know their intentions and demands any breach would result in unacceptable casualties, and that communication should be a priority followed closely by getting real intel on how many hostages are being held and the numbers and composition of the occupying force.¡±


    ¡°I like your instructor already but that¡¯s our current problem. We haven¡¯t been able to establish communication. Any approach has been met with gunfire. Based on your flyover and what we can see at the entrances we know there are at least ten armed individuals inside and have to assume the actual number is higher. That¡¯s a decent-sized group depending on how they are armed but not for a space like a mall,¡± he growled.


    I think it was at that moment I realized how much this was frustrating him, and that while he probably didn¡¯t really like me, some of his abrasiveness was due to not having the answers he needed to do something. At that moment a tech from a van I hadn¡¯t noticed off to the side yelled to the Lieutenant ¡°Drone Ready!¡±


    ¡°Great, send it up,¡± Lieutenant Bidwell said to the tech, ¡°Maybe now we can get some concrete intel.¡±


    As we watched the drone lift off and approach the mall, apprehension filled the police line. This was the first thing they¡¯d been able to do other than set up and get shot at. ¡°Try to get a look at the roof.¡± Lieutenant Bidwell instructed the tech. As the drone altered its approach, gaining altitude to get a high angle look at the roof a shot rang out and the drone exploded into pieces. Everyone ducked back down into cover at the noise waiting for another shot. After a few minutes, the Lieutenant told the front lines to maintain cover and went over to the tech while I trailed behind him and asked ¡°You get anything?¡±


    The tech responded with a grimace and pointed at his screen. ¡°Only this, which doesn¡¯t tell us much.¡± We were looking at a frozen image of a man in dark tactical gear with a sniper position aiming through his scope. It was the last image the drone had captured.


    ¡°Oh crap!¡± I exclaimed. ¡°That''s a TAC-Fifty which confirms that they have some military-grade gear.¡± This garnered an eyebrow raise from Lieutenant Bidwell, which I¡¯m going to label as an ¡®eyebrow raise of approval¡¯. I also should remember to thank Captain Williams and Fox for all the endless lessons on current weaponry.


    At this little revelation, Lieutenant Bidwell moved the police line back and placed the heavy SWAT units at the front of the line for better cover. Smart move and my estimation of him went up a notch. The SWAT team and Police were limited in cover due to there being no buildings around except the electronics store being stuck in the open parking lot. Still, it was weird that no demands had been issued. What possible reason could a team of kidnappers or terrorists hope to gain? Inaction was starting to eat at me and the voices of Fox and my Mom in my head preaching patience were not helping.


    While I was standing off to the side being entirely unhelpful a small commotion was taking place by the command and control area of the cordon. As I wandered over I could see a livid Lieutenant Bidwell exclaiming into his radio that it was not acceptable that South hadn''t shown up yet, but evidently, there was a multi-car pileup in South¡¯s jurisdiction that included a hazmat situation. That was awfully convenient, and I was starting to get a bad feeling...ok a worse feeling that something bigger was going on, but accidents happen every day. I was sure it was probably just bad luck right up until I heard him exclaim, ¡°What do you mean the helicopter support is not coming? How in the hell do both tail rotors get stripped at the same time? Find me some air support now!¡±


    ¡°Get me the girl!¡± he bellowed to everyone around him. ¡°Dammit, I don¡¯t even know her name. Sunshine or something?¡± a very angry Lieutenant Bidwell grumbled not realizing that I had just been around the corner just as a nervous-looking deputy pointed helpfully behind Lieutenant Bidwell.


    ¡°It¡¯s Star sir,¡± I said as I walked up to the group. ¡°How can I help?¡±


    ¡°Well Sunbeam, I¡¯ve just been informed that our backup from South is delayed and somehow our helios for this area are both out of commission. The longer this drags on the more danger the hostages are in, if there even are any at this point. Something about this feels off and I don¡¯t like it. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m going to ask this but I¡¯m going to need you to do some aerial reconnaissance, ideally without getting spotted or killed. Do you think you can do it, Star girl?¡±


    I think I¡¯m growing on him. He almost got my name right. This is clearly a man that shows affection through some lighthearted razzing. ¡°Uh sure, I think I can do that,¡± I replied and immediately knew that was the wrong way to answer.


    ¡°You think you can?¡± he growled and turned on me. If you only think you can, then you can turn your stupid costumed ass right around and fly the hell right out of here. I don¡¯t care what the Commissioner says and what training you¡¯ve supposedly had, the professionals here will handle it. I can¡¯t believe I was starting to think you might be helpful in some...¡±


    ¡°Lieutenant!¡± a deputy holding a handheld radio interrupted him and if looks could kill I wouldn¡¯t be alone in my journey to the afterlife. I don¡¯t know how I planned this day to go but this was NOT it.


    ¡°What! Deputy Garcia, what could be so damned important that you needed to interrupt me right now?¡± he growled at who I presumed was Deputy Garcia.


    To her credit, Deputy Garcia just deadpanned back ¡°She¡¯s got a call.¡± and held up a handheld radio. I couldn¡¯t be sure but I didn''t think this was her first rodeo with the Lieutenant.


    The range of expressions that rolled across the Lieutenant¡¯s face was a sight to behold and he finally settled on ¡°I¡¯m not paid enough for this shit¡± and asked the deputy what they wanted? ¡°They wouldn¡¯t say, Lieutenant. They said it¡¯s for Star¡¯s clearance only. It¡¯s straight from headquarters on the command channel.¡±


    With yet another withering look aimed at my direction, the Lieutenant said, ¡°Give me the damn radio,¡± and snatched it from Deputy Garcia¡¯s hand.


    Rude.


    ¡°This is SWAT Commander Lieutenant Bidwell. I¡¯m in charge of this scene and I expect communication security to be¡­.no...she hasn¡¯t. So far she hasn¡¯t been much...yes, ma¡¯am. I was going to authorize reconnaissance to try to gain some actionable intel. Something feels off about this. Yes, ok I understand¡± he stammered.


    Whoever was on the other end must be just as forceful or outrank our dear Lieutenant as his demeanor changed from rampaging bull to just regulation pissed off.


    ¡°They want to speak to YOU,¡± he said and handed me the radio.


    I took the radio and started to drift a bit from the Lieutenant and Deputy who were both watching me intently. ¡°This is Star,¡± I said into the radio.


    ¡°Confirmation Code.¡± the radio cracked back. Oh crap. I want to go back to just dealing with Lieutenant Bidwell, I thought before responding, ¡° Confirmation code 36951.¡±


    ¡°Confirmed,¡± the radio cracked back. ¡°This is Wolf Leader, Fox is en route, ETA fifteen minutes.¡±


    Oh crap, oh crap. They knew where I was, and she sounded less than happy. I focused back on the radio when she continued, ¡°Lieutenant Bidwell is correct, you are to do aerial reconnaissance. I expect two plans for neutralizing the roof threat by the time Fox arrives. Utilize reconnaissance pattern Solis One and make sure you are not seen.¡±


    I swiftly replied, ¡°Acknowledged,¡± but the radio wasn¡¯t done with me yet, unfortunately.


    ¡°Star, you violated protocol by not informing us of deployment. That¡¯s ignoring the fact you weren¡¯t ordered to deploy in the first place,¡± the radio practically crackled with Wolf Leader¡¯s disapproval. ¡°Additionally, why are you radio silent? Enable your earbud immediately.¡±


    Thankfully Wolf Leader wasn¡¯t there to see how red I had turned but having to admit I left it on my table wasn¡¯t going to go over well. ¡°I kind of left it on the table in my rush to leave,¡± I said fully expecting to be reamed, but surprisingly all I got back was a sigh that spoke volumes of how Wolf Leader felt about having to babysit me. Clearly, I was not knocking it out of the park today.


    Wolf Leader finally responded, ¡°Astrea says to check your waistband¡­right hip. You should have an emergency backup. It¡¯s a shorter range model but should sync up with your collar mic and allow you to communicate with Overwatch and Fox when he arrives. We will talk about this when this situation is over. You clearly need more work with protocol and didn¡¯t pay attention to your equipment briefing.¡±


    I checked my right hip for the pouch tucked away under the faux belt of my uniform, and sure enough, there was the backup earbud that Doctor Rokker had briefed me about. I quickly put it in my ear hitting the activation button as I did, and waited for it to chime that it had synced with my collar mic and responded, ¡°Star online.¡±


    The response this time was in my ear, ¡°Good. Fox has onsite oversight upon arrival. Follow his orders. Wolf Leader out.¡±


    Either I¡¯ve screwed up something major or this is something far worse than it seems. It never occurred to me that it could be both.

 Chapter 11

    ¡°Lieutenant, I''ve been ordered to perform the aerial reconnaissance as we discussed. I will attempt to perform a pattern that I¡¯ve trained in that will involve four passes from each point on the compass and if possible I will try to find a blind spot in coverage. Before you ask, no I don¡¯t have any special scanning abilities however my vision is twenty-ten so I will try to get as good a look at the roof as possible,¡± I explained rejoining the conversation and handing the radio back to the Lieutenant.


    Suddenly an idea popped into my head. ¡°Deputy Garcia, does the drone team have a camera I could take with me? ¡° I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I can find out,¡± she replied with some excitement before remembering the chain of command. ¡°Um, that is if the Lieutenant agrees,¡± she stammered.


    ¡°Get your ass in gear Garcia, I think our hero here might have had a good idea,¡± he grumbled watching Deputy Garcia jog over to the drone tech¡¯s van.


    ¡°Now if I''m following your line of thought, you¡¯re thinking you can use the camera to provide some intel the same way the drone would have. I agree it¡¯s worth a shot but you¡¯d better understand something right now. This is your moment of trust. If you screw this up I will be in the ear of every single star, bar, and stripe I can find to let them know exactly who jacked up this operation. Are we clear?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re clear,¡± I replied but couldn¡¯t help but think of old the abrasiveness from the Lieutenant was getting. Everything was one step forward, and two steps back with him. Of course, I can¡¯t imagine Wolf Leader helped by basically pulling rank on him and it¡¯s almost a guarantee to make any commander sour, and so far if Lieutenant Bidwell gets any sourer he¡¯s going to ferment.


    On top of dealing with Lieutenant Sandpaper Fox was going to be on site any moment as if I wasn¡¯t already on edge enough. I did not want to screw up in front of Fox. Not only would any negative feedback be reported to Wolf Leader which was guaranteed to ruin my day, but I just plain didn¡¯t want to disappoint my mentor. Luckily before I could fall any deeper into my thoughts I saw Deputy Garcia waving me over to the drone van. Here goes everything, I thought as I jogged over to the van.


    ¡°What do you have for me, Garcia?¡± I asked the Deputy.


    ¡°Good news ma¡¯am. Our technician here has a camera that we can wire to a battery pack that should give us about 10 minutes of video. Since the camera is a standalone component it will broadcast back to the monitors just like the drone would have. The downside of course is the way the battery pack is set up means a shorter run time,¡± she then looked over to a dark haired officer dressed in a jumpsuit type thing rather than a regular police uniform or SWAT tactical gear. ¡°Technician Davis you should probably take over explaining the rest,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± replied the rather nervous Technician Davis with a nod before he turned to address me directly. ¡°As Deputy Garcia said, the working plan is for you to carry a drone camera to you with a battery pack. This should work, but honestly, we won¡¯t know if or how well it will work until we do it. The problem Miss...um...what do I call you?¡± he stammered.


    ¡°My codename Star is fine Technician Davis,¡± I said and gave him what I hoped was a reassuring smile.¡±


    ¡°Ah, okay then Miss Star,¡± Davis began before I interrupted him.


    ¡°It¡¯s just Star, no Miss. When you say Miss like that I¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a frack if he calls you Mary Poppins!¡± Lieutenant Bidwell barked from behind my right shoulder. ¡°Get this godamned shit show on the road before someone gets killed. Christ almighty, what did I do to deserve this crap today?¡±


    Both Davis and I gulped at the same time while Garcia winced at us with a look of sympathy. The thing is the Lieutenant was right, we were losing time and Fox would be here any minute.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, carry on Davis,¡± I said with a nod to the technician.


    ¡°Um, as I was saying the problem is that while some image stabilization is built into the camera a lot of it was built into the drone software. In order for us to get really good images, you¡¯re going to need to hold relatively still. We can attach the battery pack to a belt but you¡¯re going to have to hold the camera. It¡¯s not heavy but it¡¯s too big and awkward to attach to a helmet or glasses. Given time I¡¯m sure we could rig something but time is something we don¡¯t have,¡± he explained as he reached for a belt that had what I assumed was the battery pack in a pouch zip tied to it.


    ¡°If you could put this on while I get the cord and the camera,¡± Davis said as he handed me the belt.


    I put the belt on and snapped the buckle before adjusting the belt to fit over my pants and asked him, ¡°Does it matter where I position it?¡±


    ¡°Anywhere is fine as long as it¡¯s comfortable to you and won¡¯t interfere with the cord.¡± came the muffled reply from inside the van. A second later Davis popped out with a camera about the size of a medium sized smart speaker and a small coil of cord. As he walked over he plugged the cord into the camera and handed it to me. ¡°Garcia, give me a hand would you? I want to make sure this battery pack is secure in case she has to move abruptly. Hold her cape off to the side please,¡± directed Davis as he adjusted something on the pack I couldn¡¯t see.


    With a final tug on the pack, Davis seemed satisfied it was secure and plugged the cord from the camera into the pack before standing to face me and announcing, ¡°I think we¡¯re good to go,¡± while pushing his hair back with his hand in a nervous gesture.


    ¡°When you¡¯re in position I need you to press this button,¡± he said pointing to a small black button on the back of the camera. ¡°After that, the camera will do its thing. Just remember to point it at what you¡¯re looking at. The steadier the better. Don¡¯t worry about framing the shot, just get the important bits in view. I can control the thermal imaging and zoom from my workstation here. And congratulations you are now the most unique drone the city has ever employed.¡±


    ¡°Thanks...I think,¡± I smirked at Davis before turning to Lieutenant Bidwell. ¡°Oi, let''s do this. You were right we¡¯ve wasted too much time, and it¡¯s time we figure out what these bastards want. What channel are your radios on so I can communicate?¡±


    Davis chipped in from his workstation with ¡°One fifty point three,¡± before the Lieutenant could reply. ¡°Oh, and remember you¡¯ll have about 10 minutes to broadcast video. After that, we¡¯ll be blind and you¡¯ll just be holding a paperweight.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± I shot back as tapped the frequency into the tiny control panel under my wrist on my left sleeve. The S.T.A.R. frequency was hardwired into my earbud, but I could add additional frequencies using the micro panel. I don¡¯t have a lot of tech built into my suit but I do have a mini panel that shows me the time and gives me some limited functionality with my earbud. Supposedly the tech gurus back at the S.T.A.R. base are working on something for my collar that would use voice commands but it¡¯s been months so I¡¯ll believe it when I see it. Evidently being able to generate heat and shoot concussive energy blasts is hard on equipment and hard to design for. Go figure.


    ¡°Star, radio check. Copy?¡± I said into my collar mic and waited for a response. ¡°Copy, Star confirmed. We have you on comms.¡± crackled back the reply from Davis. ¡°Comms established and confirmed. At your signal Lieutenant. I said as I started floating above the ground¡±


    The Lieutenant pinched the bridge of his nose, took a long exhale, and then looked at me before simply saying, ¡°Go.¡±


    So go I went. I launched straight up into the air in a trajectory that took me away from the mall as I worked on gaining altitude and setting up an approach arc. As I completed a turn about four miles out from the mall in an attempt to be extra careful about being spotted, I was slapped in the face with a professional grade panic attack. It suddenly came crashing in that these were real people, with real bad guys shooting real guns and Christina and Amber were in there. All I¡¯ve ever wanted to do is use my abilities to help others but at the moment I just felt like the twenty one year old college student I was. What the hell am I doing? I¡¯m going to screw this up and get my friends killed I morbidly thought as the wind ripped past me. Looking down I could see my hands were shaking as I held the camera, and it was a testament to the training that Fox had drilled into me that while all of this was happening I had completed my arc to come around the backside of the mall. Hovering a mile up with the wind whipping my hair and cape around me I breathed raggedly for about a minute before calming myself enough to do what I was sent to do. Carefully holding the camera in one hand, tapped my earbud and announced ¡°Star on station,¡± into the air.


    ¡°Great. Now how about attempting to be useful, we¡¯re running out of time before this blows up one way or another,¡± came the gruff voice of Lieutenant Bidwell.


    ¡°Star? This is Garcia. We¡¯ve been tipped off that the media has gotten wind of the situation and is probably already on route.¡± said Garcia into my ear followed quickly by some lovely background expletives by the Lieutenant before Garcia could kill her mic.


    Friiiick was all I could think. I stupidly hadn¡¯t even thought of the media when I rushed over here. No wonder Wolf Leader sounded ready to rip my head off and go bowling with it. If I survived this and they let me do it again I¡¯ve got to get better at it. I took my training seriously but clearly my mental game needed work, stupid and impulsive. The pit in my stomach clenched hard enough to make a diamond, but I gathered what was left of my dignity and vowed to see this through. I simply couldn¡¯t let those people down and I needed to take responsibility for injecting myself into the situation. All right Dani, shit together time I thought as I touched the earbud again and said ¡°Star, beginning reconnaissance.¡±


    I put both hands on the camera, positioning it so that I thought it was pointing down at what I thought was the correct angle, and propelled myself forward to begin the pass. I¡¯ve been clocked at a little over 200 mph which is not the speed I¡¯ll be going during this pass as I doubt the camera is rated for that level of speed. The science side of the S.T.A.R. Team has a theory that my abilities aren¡¯t fully mature yet and that my true top speed is yet to be determined. Sure it sounds cool, but it¡¯s actually pretty scary. Humans are not meant to go that fast, especially without assistance.


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    I¡¯d gone about a mile or so when my earbud crackled to life with Technician Davis frantically saying ¡°Turn on the Camera!¡±. I quickly pushed the button and reminded myself to get out of my head as the scenery sped past below. It took less than a minute to reach the mall and fly over in the first pass. I already could see that I was right on my initial assessment when I flew in that the roof exits were covered but this time I thought I could see a sniper set up. I was really hoping I had the camera aimed in the right spot but couldn¡¯t take my hand off the camera to activate my earbud at this speed so I settled for just getting the pass done.


    As I flew over the police line I caught the Lieutenant and Deputy Garcia looking up as I sped over their heads in an arc that would set up the next pass across the roof east to west having completed the north to south pass. Again I came to a stop a few miles out and about a mile up to hover. I did take a second to note that my hands had stopped shaking and took that for a good sign. Putting the camera in one hand before activating my earbud I spoke into the wind ¡°This is Star, pass one complete. Please advise on camera placement, speed, and altitude.¡±.


    ¡°Star!¡± the earbud crackled to life ¡°That was amazing! How do you control your propulsion and altitude?¡± came Davis''s excited voice into my ear. ¡°The physics and propulsion dynamics would need¡­¡± the thought was never completed because he was swiftly interrupted in the background by a sharp ¡°Davis!¡± by Lieutenant Bidwell. ¡°Sorry sir.¡± I could hear him mutter as his mic clicked off. I know I shouldn¡¯t but I couldn¡¯t help but grin at Davis joining me on the Lieutenant¡¯s shitlist.


    The line crackled to life again with a very sardonic Lieutenant Bidwell saying ¡°Technician runs his mouth tells me that your camera placement is fine as is the altitude although closer is better. Your speed might be a little too high as the images we¡¯re a bit blurry using the wide angle lens.¡± I then heard him say in a tone that would be dry for a desert, ¡°Anything else Davis?¡± as he spoke off to the side. I could barely hear Davis reply ¡°No sir,¡± and couldn¡¯t help but feel a little bad for him. ¡°Proceed with the next pass. Deputy Garcia will relay instructions as needed.¡± The Lieutenant finished with the line going dead.


    Alrighty then, no point in wasting time, so I steadied the camera and shot off toward the mall. I tried my best to gauge my speed but it¡¯s hard to tell just by feel and the fact I couldn¡¯t activate the earbud or use my mini display proved to be much more of a problem than anticipated. I made a mental note to have a chat with the tech team at the base, and I couldn¡¯t help but think that this was one of those operational challenges that Fox was always reminding me about. Which reminded me I hadn¡¯t heard from Fox. He should either be on-site or close by now. I¡¯ll have to try our S.T.A.R. frequency when I get a chance. I could really use his advice right now.


    When I was within a thousand yards of the rooftop Garcia chirped into my ear that I was still too fast and the camera needed to be tilted down more, which I hurried to do. As I flew over the roof my blood ran cold as from this angle I could clearly see that each roof entrance was guarded by individuals in what looked like military grade tactical gear and that there were indeed what looked like snipers set up on approach. This was bad, very bad, and quite frankly overkill for a mall. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder just what the hell was going on here as I sped up and zipped overhead.


    This time instead of setting up another pass I looped out in an arc to bring me around and behind the police line. We had talked about making about four passes but having seen the setup on the roof I wanted to get on the same page as the Lieutenant and find out where Fox was so I poured on the speed and made it back to the command center in a handful of seconds.


    I came in relatively hot which in hindsight was not the smartest thing to do to a group of police in a tense standoff with unknown terrorists. Now I don¡¯t completely understand how my powers work but aside from the air turbulence I make when flying I also have a bit of an energy wash. It¡¯s subtle, sort of like when looking at a hot road and seeing the heat haze. I touched down right by Davis¡¯s van with a whoosh blowing loose paper around and evidently scaring the hell right out of everyone.


    Lieutenant Bidwell spun around and drew his sidearm with Garcia not far behind him with a bunch of SWAT Officers drawing down on me as well. Davis for his part just exclaimed ¡°Holy!¡± and fell off his chair.


    ¡°Geezus on the Christ! Are you as dumb as a box of hammers?¡± the Lieutenant exclaimed while once again giving me his favorite death glare. ¡°Clear, friendly!¡± he yelled at the officers who then thankfully aimed their guns elsewhere. He and Garcia holstered their sidearms and ushered me under a little canopy that pulled out of Davis¡¯s van while Davis attempted to find his dignity and righted himself in his chair at the little makeshift workstation that was under the canopy.


    ¡°That was pretty damn stupid girl. You keep telling me you have tactical training but I¡¯m really not sure. Who was your teacher, Bugs Bunny?¡± the Lieutenant fumed at me when suddenly a voice from behind him said, ¡°No, I am,¡± and for the second time in the last few minutes the Lieutenant almost jumped out of this uniform. As he spun he reached for his sidearm, a hand in a black glove shot out and grabbed his arm while saying ¡°That¡¯s not necessary Lieutenant.¡±


    When my brain finally engaged I yelled out, ¡°Wait, wait, wait!¡± and as everyone looked at me all I could squeak out was, ¡°He¡¯s with me! My unit commander mentioned earlier when you spoke to her that our infiltration expert was en route. Well, this is Fox from the Superhuman Tactics and Response Team, S.T.A.R. for short, it¡¯s the first response team I¡¯m attached to,¡± I rapidly explained.


    I¡¯ll say this for Fox, he¡¯s the most menacing average person you¡¯ll ever meet. There¡¯s nothing about him that screams black ops, but that¡¯s partially why he¡¯s so good at his job.


    ¡°Greetings Lieutenant Bidwell,¡± Fox said as he removed his hand from the Lieutenant¡¯s arm. ¡°I will be coordinating infiltration with you and your team. Now if I could get a Sit-Rep from Star I would¡­¡±


    ¡°Now wait a goddamned minute. I don¡¯t give a rat¡¯s ass who you are. You don¡¯t just show up out of nowhere dressed like Neo from the Matrix and start giving me orders on how to run my op!¡± Lieutenant Bidwell exploded. Evidently, he¡¯d had enough of the outside interference. ¡°You can take your skinny ass from a team nobody has ever heard of and take this girl dressed like a flag and kindly remove yourself from my command post. Now!¡± he yelled.


    Oh crap. I know that look on Fox¡¯s face and I knew for a fact the Lieutenant wasn¡¯t going to like what came next. I glanced at Garcia and Davis and they had the same look I¡¯m sure I had which was the look kids get when their parents fight.


    Fox just looked at the Lieutenant with so much disdain it was painful before saying, ¡°One moment Lieutenant. I had hoped to avoid this and get right to saving the hostages but I guess you¡¯re going to need to do this the hard way,¡± and then he stepped away from the Lieutenant and touched his earbud and spoke into the receiver. ¡°Fox onsite confirmation, zed, ten, fourteen, sixteen. Confirm contact made with Stella. Local control is hostile. Requesting relay of authorization of deployment to LEOs on site,¡± only to follow that up a moment later with ¡°Roger Astraea. Will proceed,¡± to whatever the reply was on the earpiece. Fox then turned to Lieutenant Bidwell and said, ¡°You¡¯re going to want to answer that,¡± with just the faintest hint of a smirk.


    I was starting to have some genuine concern for our good Lieutenant at this point. As red as he was couldn''t be good for his blood pressure. Just as he opened his mouth to reply his phone rang. Not the police radio. His PERSONAL cell phone and whatever number that showed up on the caller ID caused the Lieutenant to transition from red to white. He picked up the call and all I could get out of the one-sided conversation was a series of ¡°Yes, sirs,¡± stammered into the receiver. The one time he attempted to get a ¡°But sir, this is highly irregular.¡± in, he didn¡¯t even get to finish, only to follow up with another ¡°Yes, sir.¡± a second later. This was clearly not a conversation he wanted to have and when it was over he just kind of stared at his phone for a moment and gathered himself before addressing Fox, ¡°Well it looks like this is your Op now.¡±


    I had to admire Garica¡¯s loyalty in that she immediately became indignant and blurted out ¡°But sir!¡± which confirmed what I had already figured out, that beneath his gruff exterior the Lieutenant was a good person.


    ¡°Stand down Officer,¡± he said addressing Garcia but loud enough for some of the officers who had been eavesdropping to hear as well. ¡°Somebody much higher than you ever want to speak to has orders for the Master Sergeant to take over command of this operation with all due support from Michigan City¡¯s finest.¡±


    ¡°Relax Lieutenant Bidwell. I have no desire to take over full control of this op. What I am going to do is take over the infiltration planning and I hope I can count on you and your team to help us get in there and rescue those hostages,¡± Fox said to the Lieutenant in that disarming way he had. It was both magical and infuriating watching the Lieutenant¡¯s anger drain from nearly apoplectic to earnest professionalism at the mention of hostages.


    With a visible sigh, Lieutenant Bidwell faced Fox and asked, ¡°What do you need and what are your thoughts on how we get in?¡±


    Nodding and moving back to Davis¡¯s work area Fox replied, ¡°First things first, need a sitrep. Star, your reconnaissance in addition to whatever intelligence the SWAT team has gathered will help us formulate our entry and extraction plans. Alright Star, time to use all of that tactical and infiltration training Wolf Leader and I have been trying to impart.¡±


    I took a deep breath and started, ¡°I completed two passes of my reconnaissance flight carrying a drone camera. We¡¯ve yet to review the footage but I¡¯ve confirmed that we have at least 3 hostiles on the roof set up in sniper positions. All looked like they were wearing body armor and from an earlier drone flight, we know at least one is carrying what looks like a TAC-50 sniper rifle although I think it would be prudent to assume they are all carrying equivalent military grade weapons. Based on the quality of the gear I would err on the side of caution that they came equipped to appropriately repel or hold a moderate frontal assault.


    Additionally, the precision with which they infiltrated and took over the mall has my gut telling me that they have access to the building¡¯s schematics and are a professional outfit. All the approaches are covered making any approach problematic and the terrorists have refused all communication. My guess is they are there for something or someone specific and that it¡¯s taken time to lock down and find said items or persons. Once that goal is achieved they will transition to their exfiltration plan. Lastly, at present has been no indication of any of them being Supernormals,¡± I exhaled hoping that I hadn¡¯t missed anything vital.


    Fox nodded with a concise, ¡°I concur,¡± and then turned to Lieutenant Bidwell and asked, ¡°Does the MCPD have the mall¡¯s schematics?¡±


    ¡°Davis! Pull up the floor plans for the government ninja¡±, snapped the Lieutenant to a flustered Davis.


    ¡°On it sir,¡± said Davis as he worked the computer station to bring up the files while I on the other hand was lost in thought. What could possibly be worth taking hostages at a shopping mall? It¡¯s too professional to be a burglary. That would have been a simple smash and grab or would have been done after hours. They¡¯ve got to be looking for someone, but who and why?


    ¡°Star? Star!¡±I realized Fox had been saying my name and snapped out of my fugue state with a start and mumbled ¡°Yes sir!¡± Smooth Dani, real smooth I thought as I imagined my stock as a first responder plummeting.


    ¡°As I was saying, the Lieutenant and I have an idea of how we might breach the building. I would like to get your thoughts as It¡¯s going to be beyond dangerous with the limited information we have, and I¡¯m going to need you to be front and center,¡± Fox said with a strong serving of rebuke in his voice.


    Damn, that stung. Fox was the type of mentor in that he could throw me all over the training facility and I wouldn¡¯t think a thing of it, but a simple, ¡°I¡¯m disappointed,¡± wrecked my day. Time to pull it together and show his faith in me was not misplaced

 Chapter 12

    Fox gathered us around Davis¡¯ workstation which was really just a folding table with a small canopy that pulled out of the back of the tech van to look at the blueprints of the mall. At approximately two hundred thousand square feet it was going to be no small feat to infiltrate.


    ¡°So the working plan is as follows; Lieutenant Bidwell is going to resume calling inside the mall in an attempt to open a dialogue with whoever is inside. We¡¯re going to give him about fifteen minutes to make contact and if after fifteen minutes it¡¯s still radio silent from inside Star you are going to approach the entrance ahead of us and relay that they have five minutes to respond with the status of the hostages or we will consider them dead and react accordingly,¡± he said looking at each of us in turn.


    ¡°Okay but what will ¡®act accordingly¡¯ mean, and what will you be doing,¡± I said while trying to puzzle out what Fox had in mind.


    ¡°Having Lieutenant Bidwell call them is giving them a fair chance to resolve whatever this is without further escalation and while he¡¯s attempting to communicate I will be confirming authorization for us to move on the mall and attempt intervention. Since the full team isn¡¯t ready for deployment and you forced our hand on this I don¡¯t expect any additional support as this isn¡¯t how command wanted to debut the team.¡± Everyone standing there listening to Fox had a frown on their face at that last statement.


    ¡°So because this isn¡¯t the PR the government wanted they are willing to just look the other way on this? It¡¯s a freaking shopping mall full of people for crying out loud,¡± I ranted.


    ¡°I understand your frustration. I do, but welcome to politics. Politics are never a soldier¡¯s friend and in this instance, our presence wasn¡¯t requested or at least hadn¡¯t yet been requested. You forced this by interjecting yourself into the situation, and in doing so screwed with the plans that had been put in place for your introduction. So whether your intentions are good or not the simple reality is by not deploying they have plausible deniability if it blows up and it¡¯s you who will bear the brunt of the blame. I¡¯m sorry but that¡¯s the reality, he said with a sad shake of his head.


    ¡°Oh to hell with that I¡¯m already starting to regret signing those papers if this is how they treat people who just want to help,¡± I said heatedly while balling my hands into fists.


    Fox held my gaze for a moment before replying, ¡°Noted, and we can talk about this afterward. This isn¡¯t really the time for this particular discussion and I think it¡¯s best if we just worry about what is in our control and do our absolute best to make sure they have no reason to make an example of you.¡±


    Lieutenant Bidwell, Garcia, and Davis just kind of watched our exchange with a range of expressions from irritation to sympathy before Lieutenant Bidwell spoke up, ¡°So yeah, politics suck. What¡¯s the rest of the plan?¡±


    Right, so assuming the terrorists continue to be incommunicado I¡¯m going to scale the building to the roof and take out the troops stationed up there while Star is pulling attention to her. Davis will take the role of local overwatch and monitor communications, and if everything goes well I will then begin infiltration of the building proper and attempt to ascertain the status of the hostages. I will decide our best course of action based on whatever actionable intel I can gather from inside. Okay everyone, we will begin on my mark, so once I¡¯ve signaled the op is go MCPD will move to your assigned roles, followed by Star based on the timeline I¡¯ve laid out,¡± Fox explained.


    ¡°What if they pick up the phone this time?¡± asked Lieutenant Bidwell.


    ¡°Then negotiate like you normally would. Try to see what they want and get them to provide an update on the status of the hostages. I will still try to gain the roof and Star will hold for further instructions.¡±


    ¡°Roger that. Come on Garcia, let¡¯s go fill in Seargent Pulaski and then you can spread the word to the other units at the entrances,¡± he said while heading off toward the heart of the police line.


    Fox had started to trail off now that the instructions had been given but I still couldn¡¯t help but grimace at my part of the plan, so I followed after him until he noticed me trailing him, ¡°What is it Star?¡±


    ¡°So I couldn¡¯t help but notice that my part of the plan was a little vague on details. What exactly does distracting them entail?¡±


    Fox just waved my question away saying, ¡°You¡¯re going to go talk to them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it? Fox, they are armed, what am I supposed to say?¡± I really couldn¡¯t fathom why he was being so light on details.


    ¡°Star, your role is to play the distraction so go be the face of the program like Astraea has trained you to be. If they shoot you, shoot back but do not enter the building unless I tell you to. You can look at it as a lack of direction or as trust in you. Up to you,¡± he said while walking back toward where his motorcycle was parked. I watched as he grabbed his custom battle helmet that looked like a futuristic kitsune mask and put it on before pulling his sword out of somewhere on the bike and sheathing it on his back. I turned away thinking for the millionth time how scary he could be, but despite that, I still promised myself one day I was going to get the story of his codename.


    I looked over at Davis who looked every bit as nervous as I felt. Both Davis and Garcia looked to be in their mid-twenties and I couldn¡¯t imagine he was too far removed from college. It would be interesting to talk to them outside of work and get their perspective on why they chose law enforcement and what it was like navigating it as a young professional, and if I was honest, it would be nice to maybe have a friend that wasn¡¯t involved with STAR or college.


    ¡°Hey Davis, it¡¯s going to be alright. We¡¯ll figure this out one way or another,¡± I said to the nervous technician figuring might be able to use some positivity at the moment.


    It took him a second to process that I¡¯d said something to him and he shook his head and looked away from whatever held his attention on the screen. ¡°Sorry, I was just a little lost in thought and trying to process the floorplans. I¡¯ve never been on¡­ overwatch. That''s what your very intense teammate called it, right?¡±


    ¡°Yep, you got it right. Don¡¯t stress too much, you¡¯re basically a glorified operator making sure all the channels are managed and open. I¡¯ve seen you with the tech, you¡¯ve got this,¡± I replied hoping to give him a shot of confidence.


    ¡°I hope so. I thought Lieutenant Bidwell was scary but Fox is a whole different kind of scary.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh a little a that as it validated what I had often thought. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong there,¡± I said with a smile.


    I was rewarded with a big smile from Davis and he seemed to visibly relax a bit so of course our radios crackled to life at that moment with Fox issuing orders. ¡°The operation is go. On my mark begin phase one with a fifteen minute countdown. Mark, MCPD please open negotiations. Fox out.¡±


    I looked out in the direction Fox had gone but I couldn¡¯t see him and honestly didn¡¯t really expect to see him so I looked over to see Deputy Garcia rushing back over to us from the main part of the police line. I couldn¡¯t see Lieutenant Bidwell but I assumed he was there somewhere.


    ¡°Davis, Lieutenant Bidwell wants you to patch his radio through to the mall as well as Star and Fox. Once you¡¯ve done that he¡¯ll start calling the emergency phones in the mall and security office,¡± Deputy Garcia explained breathlessly having sprinted over to where we were standing which was probably about thirty yards from the main police line.


    Davis turned to his computer and started rapidly typing and while I¡¯m not stupid and can maneuver my way around tech just fine I was also smart enough to know I wasn¡¯t going to learn anything from watching him so I turned back to Deputy Garcia and asked, ¡°Where is the Lieutenant?¡±


    She was intently watching Davis and answered without looking at me. ¡°He¡¯s over at the big SWAT van. They have a communication hub and he wanted to be able to have a good look at the perimeter.¡±


    Makes sense I thought idly waiting for Davis to finish his communications work when I suddenly realized that Fox had started his infiltration attempt and that having an open channel feeding into his ear might not be the best idea. I quickly turned away and checked my wrist panel to make sure I was on the STAR channel before speaking so only he would hear me, ¡°Fox the Lieutenant has asked that his attempt at communications be patched through to your communicator. Double click if negative for communication relay.¡±


    Click, click came through the earbud indicating that Fox did not want the hear the open line. ¡°Roger, that. Updates will be provided based on operational need otherwise communication will remain limited. Let us know when you are clear to communicate freely. Star out,¡± I said and then quickly turned to let Davis know to not include Fox on the open line.


    ¡°Davis don¡¯t patch the Lieutenant through to Fox. With what he¡¯s doing he doesn¡¯t need the distraction. I¡¯ll relay to him as needed until he¡¯s in a safe place to fully communicate.¡±


    Davis just nodded and resumed adjusting whatever programs he needed to patch everything together. A bead of sweat was making its way down from his temple when a final keystroke he announced ¡°Finished.¡±


    Deputy Gracia wasted no time speaking into her radio, ¡°Communications are go.¡± We heard the line pick up and begin ringing while Lieutenant Bidwell started making an announcement on a loudspeaker.


    ¡°Attention whoever is in charge inside the mall. We are calling the phone in the security office and the emergency phones. We would ask that pick up the line so that we can understand why you have taken hostages and what your intentions are. We cannot help if we don''t know what you want. We would like to see this situation resolved peacefully.¡±


    I was really hoping that a stroke of luck would occur and the terrorists would actually respond and this could all be resolved but unfortunately, I was too much of a realist to believe that. Everything about this felt wrong and if I was picking that up then all these veteran officers had to be as well. I guess you have to try because occasionally people would surprise you I thought.


    I stayed back at the technician van while the Lieutenant made his call so that I was out of his way and wasn¡¯t a distraction. To my surprise, Depty Garcia stayed with me with both of us scanning the mall entrance to see if we could pick up anything but I kept looking up at the roof to see if I could spot Fox but I never did. It¡¯s amazing how long and short fifteen minutes can be. It felt like we stood there forever but then the Lieutenant¡¯s voice came through, ¡°Okay, cut the line. They clearly don¡¯t wish to respond. You¡¯re up Star.¡±


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    I looked over to Davis and said softly ¡°You got this,¡± before looking over to Deputy Garcia and saying, ¡°Care to escort me to the Lieutenant?¡±


    She looked up at me since I was a few inches taller than her and smiled before saying, ¡°Not really, but let''s go anyway.¡±


    With that, we made the walk up to the line. Again I scanned the rooftop but still couldn¡¯t see anything which I hoped was a good sign. When I reached the armored SWAT van I could see the Lieutenant watching us walk up.


    ¡°I wish that would have worked out but it never did pass the smell test. Listen Star, you¡¯ve been a pain in my ass all afternoon but be careful. Everything about this feels off.¡±


    I nodded at the Lieutenant and Garcia before stepping around the SWAT van. I could feel my stomach clench and a bead of sweat started to make its way down the back of my neck. I reached up and adjusted my ponytail and tapped my earbud to let Fox know we were moving on to phase two.


    ¡°Fox, moving to phase two. If you want me to abort this now is the time. Either double click or verbally confirm,¡± I waited a few seconds for a response but didn¡¯t get any. Ignoring the lump that had formed in my throat I started walking out in front of the police line toward the entrance to the mall.


    The whole time I was walking I kept focusing on projecting confidence and poise like Astraea had coached. I was consciously making sure to keep my shoulders back my head up and my gaze forward on the doors and not darting around nervously like I felt. It was way harder to do than I ever expected and gave me a bit more appreciation for celebrities and models that have to stuff like this. Which is the fear of death of course.


    I got to about fifty yards in front of the entrance when gunshots tore up the parking lot in front of my feet. A man dressed in military style tactical gear with a mask over his nose and mouth was shooting out of the breezeway between the outer doors and inner doors of the entrance. He had taken a shooter''s stance and was using the door jam to brace his weapon through the cracked door. I could just imagine how tense the police line had to have gotten with shots fired.


    I held up my hands in front of my shoulders with my palms facing out to try and show that I meant no harm and raised my voice toward the entrance, ¡°My name is Star. I¡¯m a first responder and I¡¯d like to speak to whoever is in charge to ascertain the condition of the people you have trapped inside,¡± and took another step forward.


    Again gunfire ripped up the concrete at my feet followed by a shout that was somewhat muffled by the mask the gunman was wearing, ¡°DO. NOT. COME ANY CLOSER!¡±


    ¡°Okay, but you have to understand that your refusal to communicate is complicating this situation. We don¡¯t know what you want and more importantly by not telling us the status of your hostages you are limiting our options. While all of us on this side would love nothing more than to resolve this peacefully you are narrowing our options. Without a guarantee of the hostages'' safety, we will have to assume the worst and will respond accordingly. You are on the clock so I would very much appreciate it if you could arrange for me to talk to whoever is in charge,¡± I monologued hoping dearly that I was saying the right things.


    I could see the gunman somewhat clearly now and he was kitted out in light tactical gear which matched up perfectly for a quick hit squad. There didn¡¯t seem to be any distinguishing marks that were immediately visible and he was wearing a face mask that covered his eyes and mouth leaving just his eyes exposed. He handled his weapon like an expert which in my mind just lent more credence to the theory that these guys were professionals and not some slapdash group of radicals.


    While I was taking in whatever details I could the gunman was speaking into what was most likely a throat mic while never taking his eyes off of me and keeping his rifle leveled on me. This was going to be a pivotal moment depending on how whoever was in charge responded.


    ¡°You no have leverage here to make demands. Back up to the line or we will start executing prisoners!¡± he yelled from his position.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t want to do that. It won¡¯t end well for you,¡± I yelled back.


    ¡°GET¡­BACK!¡±, he yelled at me.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to back up but if you don¡¯t provide proof of the hostages'' safety in the next five minutes I¡¯ll be back for another chat,¡± and with that, I backed up keeping my eyes on the entryway while trying to sneak glances at the roof for signs of Fox. I hoped he was having more success than we were.


    Once I reached the police line Lieutenant Bidwell was there asking, ¡°What now?¡±


    I kept walking until we could use the SWAT van to break line of sight before answering. ¡°Well I gave them five minutes to prove anyone is still alive in there and then I go have another chat. Right now I¡¯m going to risk reaching out to Fox and see if he has any advice or orders.¡±


    ¡°Alright we¡¯re in it now, so keep us updated.¡±


    I nodded while selecting the STAR channel on my wrist panel. ¡°Fox, are you in a position to receive a sit-rep?¡±


    Click, Click  Fox¡¯s mic popped in my receiver as Fox gave the affirmative to proceed without speaking.


    ¡°Acknowledged, the MCPD was unsuccessful in making contact. Moving to phase two, I approached to make contact and warning shots were fired from the entrance. I proceeded to inform the gunman at the entrance that we required proof of life for the hostages and gave them five minutes to comply or let us speak with their leader. I could really use some direction,¡± I said pacing back and forth behind the SWAT van.


    I felt a faint vibration from my wrist panel and turned my arm over to look at it. Fox replied via text which told me wherever he was he couldn¡¯t speak.


    Push proof of life request. Do not attack unless danger to self or others. Wait for the signal.


    ¡°Acknowledged. Good luck Fox, Star out,¡± I said and terminated the connection.


    I turned to locate Lieutenant Bidwell and found him speaking with an officer with a Captain¡¯s stripes. ¡°Excuse me Lieutenant, but you wanted an update.¡±


    He paused his conversation and walked a step away from the Captain. ¡°Well, what did your ninja say?¡±


    ¡°He wants me to try again to secure proof that the hostages are alive and I¡¯m to wait for his signal. Wherever he is in there he couldn¡¯t talk and was only able to text me a reply. I don¡¯t know what the ¡®Signal¡¯ will be but I hope it¡¯s obvious. Be ready, I don¡¯t like this,¡± I relayed to the Lieutenant.


    ¡°In that, we agree, but we¡¯ll cover your back,¡± he said and then went back over to the line.


    I switched back to the MCPD channel and asked ¡°Davis, any new developments I should know about before I head back over to the guys with guns?¡±


    I wish, but there hasn¡¯t been any response. The place is too big to pick up anything useful on imaging. I could try to put up another drone or try deploying the tactical robot.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think any of that will help and would just serve as a distraction. They have to have some kind of extraction plan and I¡¯ll need you ready once things start to happen. Just keep monitoring what you can and we¡¯ll let Fox make his play.


    With that said I made my way back over to the edge of the police line nodding at the officers I passed hoping to build up some goodwill. At this point, I really had no idea how this was going to turn out. While I collected myself I noticed the wind had picked up into a nice breeze and I could feel my cape and ponytail swaying along with it. I couldn¡¯t help but think what a nice day this should have been and how unfair it was that the people inside the mall were being robbed of the peace of mind of enjoying a nice day. With that in mind, I steeled my resolve and crossed the parking lot.


    I stopped at the same spot as before which was marked by where the gunfire had torn up the ground. I noticed the same gunman in the entranceway was sighting down on me the entire time I approached.


    ¡°Your time is up! Show me proof of life or we will be forced to escalate!¡± I yelled to the gunman who didn¡¯t so much as blink as he kept his gun pointed at me. Ok, I guess this is going to get interesting, and hoping that they couldn¡¯t see my knees shaking I took a step forward.


    Gunfire rang out and again tore up the parking lot directly in front of me. ¡°DO NOT APPROACH ANY CLOSER!¡± the gunman shouted.


    I stopped and after a minute I asked him, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    Silence. ¡°Ok, Timmy. I hope you don¡¯t mind, but I¡¯m going to call you Timmy since you¡¯re being rude not talking, and saying ¡®gunman¡¯ or ¡®terrorist¡¯ feels reductive,¡± I said putting every ounce of false bravado I had into it, ¡°So here¡¯s the deal Timmy, I¡¯m very much out of patience and I¡¯m going to ask one more time to prove the hostages are still alive and if I don¡¯t get an answer then I¡¯m going to show you why I have the fancy uniform.¡± The last part was said while balling up my fists and channeling my energy into them so they lit up and crackled with unreleased energy.


    I could see Timmy¡¯s eyes widen a bit before he started speaking to whoever was on the other end of his earpiece. After a few back and forths he locked his eyes back on me and yelled, ¡°Do not move any closer. We are sending someone out!¡±


    After a couple of minutes, another gunman came into the entryway pushing a young woman who looked to be about my age. She looked terrified and very small next to the men in tactical armor. It pissed me off to see her look so scared and my powers flared for a second which didn¡¯t go unnoticed.


    ¡°You will release whatever ability you are using and we will send the girl to you! After that you will retreat and not approach again!¡± and with that Timmy¡¯s friend shoved the girl out the doors and yelled, ¡°Walk!¡±


    I dismissed the energy I was channeling into my hands and it felt like time had slowed to crawl. Every hair on the back of my neck was standing up as I tried to take in every detail as my body fell into hyper-focus. The girl was walking towards me tears running down her cheeks with red-rimmed eyes from crying. Her mascara had run a bit and she was wearing a cute yellow sun dress with honey bees on it. She was petite and had light brown hair that had come partially free from the side braided bun she had styled it into and was now blowing around her face in the breeze. I¡¯d bet money she was on a date when she was trapped.


    When she was about ten yards from me I realized that I recognized her. It was the girl from the student union who was taking photos with her Supernormal boyfriend. At that moment of recognition, I lost my focus for a second only to start in surprise when a loud crack rang out and I felt something wet splatter across my face. I looked at the girl in horror as she stumbled and fell with a gaping hole in her forehead.


    I jumped forward and caught her before she could hit the ground and cradled her gently. Her eyes were still wide open in fear but without the spark of life. Still cradling her I instinctively closed her eyes before turning toward the entrance and screamed ¡°WHY!¡± with tears streaming down my face.


    ¡°BECAUSE NOW YOU¡¯LL BACK THE HELL UP AND STAY QUIET OR THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN!¡± not Timmy yelled back. Timmy while clearly not a good dude must not have been in on the plan because he managed to look shocked at what not-Timmy just did even with only his eyes visible.


    I took care to gently lay the dead girl¡¯s head down on the ground and stood up feeling a rage I¡¯d never felt before bubbling up inside of me. They¡¯d killed her. Killed her for no reason other than to send a message. I could barely hear the police line shouting over the pounding in my ears. Locking eyes with Lieutenant Bidwell I could see his shocked expression while Deputy Garcia covered her mouth in horror. EMTs were rushing to break the line and run to us but it wouldn¡¯t do any good she was already dead. They would just put themselves in danger so I yelled for them to stay back all the while feeling the rage still building.


    The EMTs stopped trying to advance at my shout and looked at the Lieutenant who motioned them back snapping out of his shock, and that¡¯s when I noticed something wet dripping down my face and reached up to wipe at it. When my hand came back it was red. At first I couldn¡¯t figure out where it had come from in my haze, but then I remembered feeling something wet hit my face when she was shot and realized I must be covered in her blood.


    With that realization, the rage bubbled over. Reaching back I grabbed hold of my cape and ripped it free of its anchors while kneeling down and gently covering the dead girl with it. This small dignity was the least I could do considering how I¡¯d failed to protect her. Standing up I wiped the blood and tears off my face with my sleeve and balled up my fists. I may have just killed my career before it ever got started but that didn¡¯t matter anymore. My mind made up, my anger demanded a target, and I might as well add another bad decision to the pile I¡¯d accumulated today.


    Toggling my communicator to the open channel knowing Fox would be monitoring it I spoke through gritted teeth, ¡°Civilian hostage killed on transfer by hostiles.¡± While I was giving the sitrep I had started advancing on Timmy¡¯s position energy building in my fists. Timmy''s friend noticed and took up a stronger firing stance as he and Timmy both put me in their sights. At about twenty yards they opened fire and while it hurt, their bullets wouldn¡¯t be enough to stop me and I could see it in their eyes when they realized it.


    Speaking softly into my comm I simply said, ¡°Engaging hostiles,¡± and promptly blew the entrance to hell.

 Chapter 13

    Fox


    ¡°The operation is go. On my mark begin phase one with a fifteen-minute countdown¡­and mark. MCPD please open negotiations. Fox out,¡± he said while moving away from the police staging area.


    Using the cars still left in the parking lot as cover Fox made his way as quickly as possible to the east side of the building which was more in shadow. He was on the clock to secure the roof before the MCPD attempted to reopen negotiations so he was going to have to be efficient.


    What he didn¡¯t share with Dani was that he had asked for necessary force authorization which was approved so he was weapons-free. Dani¡¯s operational mandate was to use deadly force only if necessary and that''s how she had been trained which was why she was always holding back so as not to hurt anyone, but that fit well with her personality. An idealist at heart who wants to find a way to help others. It''s one of the reasons Fox found the girl so endearing, but that was also what gave him the most cause for concern.


    He continued to make his way closer to the building while trying his best to not let his inner thoughts rob him of his focus. It was difficult though because this whole situation felt off and there was definitely more going on here than some kind of hostage situation. Terrorists don¡¯t just take hostages and then not make demands. In contrast to Dani¡¯s idealism, Fox¡¯s pragmatism manifested as a nagging voice in the back of his head that kept telling him that this was going to end up getting messy.


    He made his way to the foundation of the building by slipping up to a delivery van that provided a good cover angle to make the run to the base of the structure. Toggling the lens in his mask to magnify his view of the roof he confirmed that his approach looked to be unguarded at the moment which was exactly what he was hoping for. There were too few of the occupying force to fully watch all the approach angles. They were going to rely on intimidation and the fact the police generally aren¡¯t equipped to assault a structure of this size in his opinion.


    Resetting his mask he took a deep breath and trigged his silent movement ability and sprinted from cover to the base of the structure. With silent movement active nobody would hear him coming as the ability deadened any sound he made while moving. It came in very handy at times like this and was one of the reasons why he was so good at infiltration.


    The mall was a two-story structure with the main walking areas open from floor to roof with skylights set into the roof for natural lighting. This mall was one where the food court sat at the heart of the building anchoring the different wings. Ultimately he knew that would be the ultimate destination as it was the most logical place to hold the hostages with sightlines on every approach. If this was a professional unit they would have set their defenses in mind to collapse back to that location.


    Reaching the base of the outer wall he found a section of the wall where a tall shrub would obscure him while he affixed his climbing claws to his gloves. Using a decorative pilaster that was part of the architecture to gain hand holds he ascended the roof with quick practiced movements. Once he was at the roof ledge he pulled himself up just enough to peek over and confirm that there wasn¡¯t a hostile in the vicinity. Confirming that he was alone he pulled himself up onto the rooftop and quickly scrambled into the shadow of the closest HVAC unit.


    Staying crouched he put away his climbing claws and unholstered his XM17 before leaning out to locate the next piece of cover he could move to. The roof was way too wide open for his tastes and his black and navy tactical suit would stand out against the light colors of the rooftop. At least there was some cover with the transformer boxes and HVAC units scattered around. He¡¯d have to be wary of the skylights though. It wouldn¡¯t do to get spotted from inside the mall.


    The mall was laid out with three wings that all converged at the food court, after getting his bearings he located the entrance closest to him and began moving toward it skipping from cover to cover when possible. The intel they¡¯d gathered put three hostiles on the roof but it was far from rock solid so he was taking it as more of a guestimate. If this was a professional unit they¡¯d be checking in at regular intervals which would be a problem as it put a timer on how long he had before they realized someone was in the building.


    Putting his thoughts on hold he approached one of the roof accesses. Moving quickly he slipped up to the wall of the access which was just a box with a door that let the stairs come all the way up to the roof. Taking a mini camera from a pouch on his belt he synced it with the screen on his suit and pointed in around the corner. Sure enough, there was a hostile with a sniper rifle and a pair of binoculars scanning out over the parking lot guarding the approach to the doors.


    Suddenly Dani¡¯s voice was in his ear, ¡°Fox the Lieutenant has asked that his attempt at communications be patched through to your communicator. Double click if negative for communication relay.¡± Grimacing under his mask he sent back a double click through the comm. Dani¡¯s timing was horrible but a running commentary was a distraction he didn¡¯t need right now, so he had to give her credit for having the foresight to make sure he didn¡¯t want an open broadcast running in his ear.


    ¡°Roger, that. Updates will be provided based on operational need, otherwise communication will remain limited. Let us know when you are clear to communicate freely. Star out.¡±


    With that settled Fox moved low and quick and approached the hostile from his blind spot and kicked the man viciously behind his knee causing him to flail momentarily as he collapsed backward. A moment was all he needed and Fox smoothly put him in a single-arm chokehold while placing his XM17 into the man¡¯s armpit and pulling the trigger twice. With silent movement activated the gun made the same amount of sound as if he was using a silencer. Dropping the dying man Fox quickly put a bullet in his forehead to end his suffering before quickly dragging him out of sight. That done he set off toward the next wing and his next target.


    Same as before he picked his way across the roof as quickly as he could moving from cover to cover. There was a point where he had to cross closer than he¡¯d like to a skylight to get to the section of roof he needed to begin making his way around the glass roof that enclosed the food court. He had to get low to avoid anyone watching the roof from inside the food court since there was greater visibility with the glass roof but he also needed to minimize exposure in case his adversaries had external spotters. It didn¡¯t seem like that was the case but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to be cautious.


    Getting past the center section of the roof he moved a little faster from the cover to cover. He could hear the activity down below which the meant that Lieutenant was doing his part. Finally, he saw the roof access for this wing and sprinted to it. Pulling out the camera he confirmed a sniper covering the approach but something was making him feel uneasy. Pulling back into cover he paused to take a few breaths to center himself and focus on what his senses were telling him. He was missing something. He was about to look out again and see if could get a view with a little more roof when it hit him.


    Smoke. He smelled cigarette smoke but the sniper wasn¡¯t smoking and he didn¡¯t see any cigarette butts by him. There¡¯s a second hostile at this position that he couldn¡¯t see. ¡°Shit,¡± he muttered in his mask. This was going to be tricky. Putting the camera back into its pouch and holstering his gun Fox leaped up and grabbed the roof of the access and pulled himself up. He was going to have to speed this up as he was starting to feel the edges of mental fatigue creeping in from using his ability for so long.


    He inched himself across the access roof trying to stay as flat as possible until he was right in front of the edge. He was close enough now that he pulled out the camera and pointed over the edge and sure enough there was a hostile positioned right in the access doorway. Running through his options Fox realized there wasn¡¯t going to be a clean option like last time. This was going to be tricky and would require a touch of luck.


    Unholstering his XM17 he used the roof to line up a shot at the sniper. From this angle, he had a nice downward shot at the man''s neck. His mask helped give him some telemetry but in reality, this was a rifle shot and not something you¡¯d choose to do with a pistol even at this relatively close range if you could help it. Taking a few breaths to relax into the position he pulled the trigger on the third exhale and put a bullet through the sniper''s throat. The man stumbled forward dropping his gun to clutch at his throat.


    The hostile guarding the door startled by the sniper''s reaction took a few steps forward asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong man?¡± He then gasped and fell forward on his hands and knees having been shot twice through the neck. Fox jumped down from the roof, pulled the man''s helmet back, and put a bullet in his brain. Looking toward the sniper he found him lying on this side weakly gasping for breath as he futilely tried to put pressure on the wound. He wouldn¡¯t last long as it was but Fox wasn¡¯t inclined to let him suffer. He took no joy as he placed his gloved hand over the man¡¯s mouth and nose and shot him in between the eyes killing the man and ending his suffering.


    He pulled both of the bodies behind a nearby HVAC unit so that they weren¡¯t immediately visible but there was nothing he could do about the blood. If he had time to plan this appropriately he would have done this at night or at least more towards dusk when he could more effectively use his other ability and things would have gone much cleaner. Oh well, you play the cards you¡¯re dealt. Flipping his wrist over he checked the time on his underarm panel. He had about seven minutes left before Dani would be up assuming the hostiles didn¡¯t communicate this time. The extra guard had really slowed him down, so he would have to hurry.


    Moving much quicker this time Fox sprinted across the roof before again navigating carefully past the skylights and glass roof of the food court. Once past the food court roof, he sprinted into cover closest to the area where a sniper should be located. Sure enough, there was a man stationed overlooking the approach to the north entrance just like the others. The way this man was positioned and the lack of relative cover on this section of the roof didn¡¯t lend itself to a good shot or approach. The hostile had positioned himself so that he was able to watch the parking lot and also keep an eye on the roof. Fox quickly ran through his options and decided that speed would be the best option.


    Peeking out of cover to get the position of the man before ducking back and taking a centering breath, Fox made sure his breathing was steady and calm before drawing his knife from its sheath on his left leg. He burst from cover a full speed in the hope of blindsiding the target. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t quite make it as the man caught the movement in peripheral vision, and unlike the previous enemies, this man showed he was exceptionally trained as he managed to turn at the last second to take the knife strike on the rifle he was holding. Fox didn¡¯t remain still though and moved to fluidly heel stomp the man''s foot causing him to move off balance. Fox quickly hooked his arm under the man¡¯s rifle between the man¡¯s hands and slashed at his elbow with his knife hand causing the other man to release the gun and Fox to rip the rifle from his grip.


    Fox may have taken the man¡¯s firearm but he displayed his training by taking the opportunity to spin away from Fox and pull his own knife from a quick draw sheath on his belt. He launched himself back at Fox not letting Fox pull his sidearm or use the weapon he had just taken against him. His knife was like liquid mercury sliding in and out of Fox¡¯s guard while his offhand probed and defended. Fox was caught a bit off guard by the man¡¯s ferocity and training and was just barely able to block the flurry of strikes.


    Slipping back and up to avoid a slash followed by an attempt at a disarming strike by his opponent''s open hand, Fox threw a knee at the man¡¯s ribs which forced his opponent to tuck his elbow to take the blow. This gave him a couple of seconds of reprieve to drop his silent movement ability and activate another ability called Mimic. Mimic allows Fox to read and mimic an opponent''s unique skills as long as they are within standard human capability for a limited period of time. In this case, he was pretty sure his opponent had been trained in Kali by the way handled his knife. While Fox was trained in many fighting forms, Kali was not one he was fluent in.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    His opponent didn¡¯t waste any time and moved in with a step-in feint that he turned into a kidney strike which Fox blocked by guiding his opponent''s arm out and away. The speed at which they traded blows was fantastic but Fox could see a frown on his opponent''s face start to form as he couldn¡¯t land a critical strike. Fox considered for a brief second drawing his sword but the range wouldn¡¯t be of much use as his opponent stayed in tight on him. This man was obviously well trained and well disciplined as neither man said a word, instead letting their fighting prowess do the talking. However, as much as Fox respected the skills of the man before him, he needed to be put down.


    The next time his opponent advanced Fox used his forearm to block a downward knife strike and spun inside his opponent''s guard slapping down the man¡¯s offhand strike as he turned and slammed his own knife into his opponent''s eye socket. The man let out a grunt as he reeled back and clutched his face. Fox took the opportunity to reactivate Silent Movement and snapped a kick into his opponent''s head knocking him to the ground. Pulling his sidearm from its holster with clinical efficiency, Fox placed two bullets into the man¡¯s head ending the encounter.


    Retrieving his knife from the dead man Fox wiped it clean and resheathed it before turning without another thought to locate the roof access and sprinted for it. Fox pulled his sidearm and cracked the door checking that it was clear before moving into the stairwell taking the stairs two at a time. While the mall was two stories in the public area it actually had four floors due to the extra space for all of the mechanicals. Fox decided on the fly to take the door to the fourth floor which was the mechanical area above the shops on the second story of the shopping area.


    Easing into the hallway it was exactly as Fox had thought it would be, a mechanical space. Access to electrical boxes, HVAC, and other essential functions were scattered up and down the hallway. He didn¡¯t see anyone and a quick scan didn¡¯t show any kind of obvious sabotage. Moving quickly back into the stairwell he moved down to the third floor. Moving slowly Fox pushed open the door and cleared the immediate vicinity before stepping out fully into the hallway. He found himself in the service corridor behind the second-level shops.


    There was absolutely no cover and he would be at an extreme disadvantage including almost certainly being on camera so he quickly toggled a filter on his helmet to show RF and WiFi hotspots and began moving quickly toward the closest junction. He needed to determine where he was and how to best get to the food court. As he approached the junction his mask indicated there was a camera giving off an RF signal. Most likely it was a wide shot showing all the hallways converging. There was no way he would be able to avoid detection long-term in a place with this many cameras, so with a grunt of frustration for not thinking to grab a uniform off one of the roof guards he put a bullet into the wire that led to the camera and ran up the corridor that looked to be heading into the public section of the mall.


    Another camera greeted Fox at the end of the corridor which he swiftly took out with his sword before exiting into the mall concourse itself. Crouching down to minimize his silhouette he looked around to get his bearings. One of the mall¡¯s anchor stores was on his left so that meant he needed to head to the right which would be toward the interior of the mall. Taking a peek around the wall he noticed there was a guard patrolling by the second-level railway with another guard visible on the other side across the gap. Moving quickly to cover behind a cell phone case stand he got a look at the storefronts. He could see that all of the security gates had been pulled down, and he had to give them credit, it was a smart move that would make it easier to secure the mall with limited personnel.


    Suddenly Fox¡¯s comm popped to life with Dani¡¯s voice, ¡°Fox, are you in a position to receive a sit-rep?¡±


    Gritting his teeth Fox took a quick look out to see where the guard was and seeing that he was still toward the far end of the concourse replied by double-clicking his comm.


    ¡°Acknowledged, the MCPD was unsuccessful in making contact. Moving to phase two, I approached to make contact and warning shots were fired from the entrance. I proceeded to inform the gunman at the entrance that we required proof of life for the hostages and gave them five minutes to comply or let us speak with their leader. I could really use some direction.¡±


    Taking a centering breath Fox checked again to make sure the hostile wasn¡¯t an imminent threat before considering how to respond. He knew getting frustrated with Dani wasn¡¯t fair and for all her training Dani was the very definition of green. Getting his perspective in order he flipped his wrist paned open and typed out a response. Try again and push proof of life request. Do not attack unless danger to self or others. Wait for the signal.


    ¡°Acknowledged. Good luck Fox, Star out.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but be worried. Dani was in a tough spot with no real experience and he couldn¡¯t sit there and hold her hand. If they got out of this with their jobs Fox was going to have some strong words for Colonel Morales for not sending a team out. This whole situation was exactly what the STAR Team should be helping with and nothing about this passed the smell test which meant that something worse was going on. Now he just needed to figure out how to get to the food court.


    Keeping an eye toward the guards walking the concourse Fox looked around for a solution and realized that he just didn¡¯t have many options. There were too many cameras to stay on the main level and the service floors didn¡¯t look like they were all connected so he would be forced to exit to the main floors. Looking up at the ceiling he noticed that there were steel beams that ran the length of the roof. If he could get up there he might be able to stay undetected. It was that or go back outside to the roof and then try to cut into a skylight and that seemed risky.


    Making up his mind Fox looked around for a way to get up into the ceiling. Behind him was a photo booth tucked into a space by a pillar that might work if he could be quick. Making sure he was still in the clear he moved quickly keeping low and doing his best to make sure the guards didn¡¯t have a clear line of sight. His black tactical suit was a disadvantage with all the bright lights and white interior but he managed to make it to the photo booth undetected and quickly ducked behind it to pull himself up to the roof of the booth.


    Putting on his climbing claws and exposing the climbing spikes built into his boots Fox readed himself to try and climb the pillar. Thankfully that mall had decided to use concrete pillars so he was able to get a purchase on the material and started climbing. With silent movement masking the noise he would be making digging the claws into the concrete he ascended to the top of the pillar. Now came the hard part, transitioning off the pillar. Reaching for a device on his belt Fox pulled out a compact filament line launcher. Working carefully with one hand he aimed the line at the closest beam and pushed the button to launch it. The line shot out toward the beam and the hook wrapped around it and set snuggly. Quickly aligning the end of the launcher to the pilar he pushed another button which set an anchor into it.


    It was a cool little compact gadget that R & D had managed to come up with. Not meant for major ascensions but rather for urban situations where it might be necessary to quickly get vertical, they had come up with a compressed gas launcher that used a monofilament type wire that then doubled as an ascender device. It was a one-and-done gadget that I¡¯d helped test and had more than once been thankful to have had at hand.


    Putting some slack into the line Fox attached the ascender to an anchor point on his belt and let go of the pillar. Using his hand he steadied himself and looked to see if the guards were visible. He couldn¡¯t see them from his current angle so he hit the button to ascend. Once the compressed gas was expended it couldn¡¯t be used again and the miniaturized motor was only good for about a hundred feet max but weight and weather conditions affected that number greatly.


    As he was ascending he got a clearer view of the concourse and his adrenaline spiked as walking up to his position was the guard on his side of the mall. Cursing silently and willing the ascender to move faster Fox could only hope that the guard didn¡¯t look up, but he made it to beam and pulled himself up. Disengaging the ascender making sure that nothing was left dangling over the edge he got as flat as he could get. The line was still attached to the pillar and the beam but it would be very hard to see so he wasn¡¯t particularly worried about it. Still being careless would get you killed as fast as anything.


    Fox took a quick look and held his breath as the guard glanced up at the ceiling in his direction before exhaling when the guard continued on without stopping. He waited a couple of minutes to make sure the man was not looking up before he got up into a crouch and began moving down the beam toward the food court keeping an eye out for any guards that may be patrolling. From his vantage point, he was able to ascertain that they had underestimated the number of hostiles as the closer he got to the center of the mall the more patrols he saw. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t see any bodies but that wasn¡¯t necessarily a confirmation of anything.


    Finally making it to the food court, Fox took up a position slightly outside the main seating area to help shield him from detection. Sure enough, all the people who had been in the mall at the time of the takeover were crammed into the food court. There was a man decked out in full tactical gear with a bushy red beard at the center of the space. At his feet was a young man who was blindfolded with his hands tied behind his back. He looked young, probably about Dani¡¯s age, and had blood dripping down his face from a cut above his eye. It looked like he had tried to resist. A few feet away from him was a girl in a dress who kept looking at him and sobbing which earned her more than one scowl from the bearded man.


    While Fox was watching the bearded man suddenly touched his ear in an unconscious gesture that usually signified listening to an earbud. ¡°We¡¯re almost done here. Can you stall her?¡± he responded shortly to whatever was said. After another minute he followed up iwth, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll send someone over but if she seems like she¡¯s going to be an issue you put her down. We need to hold just a bit longer.¡±


    Looking around the bearded hostile gestured for someone and another man in the now familiar tactical gear approached where he was standing. ¡°The supernormal out there in the stupid uniform is demanding proof the hostages are still alive and Tyler has said she¡¯s already displayed the ability to fly and what looks like some kind of energy ability. We need to stall her or kill her if she won¡¯t back down. I¡¯m giving you a hostage to exchange. Make sure the Supernormal stays preoccupied. Tyler seems jumpy for some reason so do whatever you need to get the point across. We clear Derrick?¡±


    ¡°Crystal, boss,¡± said Derrick back to the man with the beard who was evidently the leader.


    ¡°Great now take the girl in the dress who won¡¯t stop crying and get that Supernormal to back down.¡±


    With that, the man named Derrick walked over grabbed the girl in the dress, and yanked her roughly to her feet before shoving her toward the entrance to the left of Fox¡¯s current position.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt me and what about my boyfriend?¡± the girl cried as she stumbled forward.


    ¡°Your boyfriend is staying with us and you get to be proof of life, now shut up and walk,¡± he snarled at her while pointing his weapon at her.


    With a look over her shoulder at her boyfriend, she sobbed and started walking out of Fox¡¯s view. The man with the beard watched them walk away before he leaned down to the young man who was bound and blindfolded and said, ¡°Your pretty little girlfriend is being sent out to show that you¡¯re still alive. I hope you¡¯ll behave better now with this little show of good faith, but then again I don¡¯t really care because I kind of enjoy zapping your stupid ass.¡± With that, he pressed a button on a device in his hand causing the young man to spasm and scream before collapsing and panting on the floor.


    ¡°Yeah, you should just lay there,¡± he said with a laugh while walking over to lean against a table before casting his gaze over the rest of the assembled hostages who were fearfully looking back at him. ¡°Remember, shut up and behave, and maybe, just maybe, you¡¯ll live through this.¡±


    Fox was gritting his teeth so hard he was starting to worry he might crack a tooth. Hostages and torture were the coward''s way, and he¡¯d put down many a would-be terrorist in his time in special forces. He was looking forward to the opportunity to add this guy to the list. Fox was just starting to formulate a plan when suddenly he heard a commotion and what sounded like a gunshot from where Derrick had taken the girl.


    ¡°What now?¡± he heard the leader say to himself while putting his hand on his weapon causing Fox to tense up another notch.


    Dani¡¯s voice crackled to life in Fox¡¯s ears as she spoke into the comm, ¡°Civilian hostage killed on transfer by hostiles.¡±


    She sounded raw. There was an edge to her voice he¡¯d never heard before, and a chill crawled its way down his spine. ¡°Engaging hostiles,¡± came softly over the comm right before a massive blast resounded through the mall.

 Chapter 14

    The entrance was a mangled mess. I¡¯d blown all the glass out of the entryway and the doors were almost completely off their hinges. The firing had stopped as both Timmy and not-Timmy were either somewhere in the wreckage of the entryway or blown further into the mall. The concussive force of the blast was pretty substantial as I¡¯d put a lot of my anger into it.


    The interesting thing about my energy casting ability is that the energy is mostly concussive in nature with a small heat signature. However the more I concentrate or refine the discharge the hotter I can make the beam. It requires a lot of focus to do it though so generally speaking I''m more smashy than melty.


    I floated over to the entrance and scanned it for any hostiles, fortunately, there wasn¡¯t anyone in the immediate vicinity, but I could hear yelling from deeper into the mall so I probably didn¡¯t have much time to hang about. I was about to move into the mall when I noticed an arm sticking out from the wreckage of a soft drink vending machine and went over to check it out. I discovered the owner of the arm was Timmy who had ended up buried underneath the wrecked vending machine and chunks of ceiling and glass.


    I landed and got a good grip on the vending machine throwing it off of him before checking to see if he was still breathing, which fortunately he was. While I wasn¡¯t thinking much about Timmy and not-Timmy¡¯s well-being when I blew up the entrance, I wasn¡¯t trained to kill unless it was unavoidable for the safety of others. As angry as I was, murdering Timmy in retribution wasn¡¯t something I wanted to live with. Still, that didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t shake him until he rattled, so I picked him up off of the floor by the front of his tactical vest and growled at him, ¡°Where are the hostages?¡±


    He stared at me with glassy eyes and I could tell he was struggling to focus. Probably concussed. Channeling some energy into my other hand I held it up near his face and yelled, ¡°Hostages! Where!¡±


    Timmy weakly pointed further into the mall and struggled out the words ¡°Food court.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Timmy,¡± I said and smacked him upside the head knocking him back out, before tossing him outside the entrance where the police could get him. Time to go find Christina and Amber and see if I could find the bastard responsible for all this and put my foot on his neck.


    ¡°Star, do you copy?¡± came Fox¡¯s voice into my ear just as was about to start into the mall.


    ¡°Star Copies.¡±


    ¡°What was that explosion?¡± Fox asked.


    ¡°I deemed that there was no good faith and blew the entrance. I¡¯m entering the mall.¡±


    ¡°Roger that. I don¡¯t have a full idea of how many hostiles there are but plan on heavy resistance. Military trained, probably a mercenary group. Here¡¯s the play, you go in hard and fast with whatever force is necessary to disable any resistance. I have overwatch on the food court and hostages. Something still doesn¡¯t smell right with all of this but the ball is in play now. Watch the second level, there are gunmen up there. Clear your wing of the mall and move toward the center and the food court. I¡¯ll support you or you¡¯ll support me depending on how they react,¡± Fox immediately pivoted with a plan based on my actions.


    I answered back with a simple, ¡°Acknowledged.¡±


    ¡°Star¡­Dani¡­this is not the mission I would have hoped for your first action, but remember your training. You know what to do to save those people but stay true to who you are and don¡¯t let your anger make you something you are not. I believe in you. Fox out.¡±


    Well damn, wasn''t expecting that. I closed my eyes for a second and pinched the bridge of my nose and exhaled trying to center myself but it wouldn¡¯t come. I¡¯d bled off some of the anger in blowing up the entrance but I kept seeing the girl''s face as she died thanks to these bastards and it kept bubbling back. My friends were trapped in here with these bastards and if they were willing to shoot an innocent girl in the back anyone could be next. With that in mind, I took off deeper into the mall.


    Debris from the entrance had made it to the main concourse and I noticed there was also a trail of blood leading from the blown out entrance into the concourse before disappearing. I stopped for a second to get my bearings and I could see a bunch of seating and an open kids play area in front of me, while to my right was the entrance to a clothing store that had its shutter down.


    I dismissed the store as a threat vector and moved into the main concourse but right as I approached the play area pain exploded up my side as I was raked by gunfire from somewhere off to my left. It knocked the wind out of me and I dove behind a turtle-shaped play structure to get away from it. I felt my side for damage but even though it hurt like hell the bullets hadn¡¯t broken the skin. I¡¯d already tanked a bunch of shots from Timmy and not-Timmy so I was already feeling pretty beat up so this was adding bruises to bruises at this point.. At least my uniform was doing its job mitigating the damage, but it already had a few holes in it from where the fabric had been overloaded. Without my cape to use as an extra layer of protection it was only a matter of time before something did real damage.


    While I didn¡¯t get a good look it seemed like the gunfire came from the vicinity of a sunglasses kiosk. I was considering what to do next after catching my breath when more gunfire tore through the turtle play structure almost hitting me. Time to go I thought, and as soon as there was a pause I shot straight up into the air and blasted the kiosk. It came apart in a bang throwing debris and bits of sunglasses everywhere. Turns out the hostile wasn¡¯t actually in the kiosk but next to it behind a support pillar. I heard them exclaim as the blast knocked them sprawling.


    I swooped down as fast as could and ripped the gun out of their hands breaking it at the stock before grabbing them by the collar. The man had a gash in his leg and was covered in dust. It was then I realized that I was holding not-Timmy and snarled at him, ¡°You son of a bitch. You killed that poor girl!¡±


    His only response was to spit on me. With a scream, I hurled him across the mall where he slammed into the security gate of the clothing store making a person sized dent that he slowly slid out of. I went to the play structure and ripped a metal support free before approaching not-Timmy. Seeing the man was still breathing but unconscious I let all of the awful things I wanted to do to him play out in my mind before reaching down and driving the support into the floor. I then bent it over his leg pinning him to the floor.


    ¡°Screw you, you piece of crap,¡± I said to the unconscious man before flying up to the second floor to find the gunman Fox had mentioned. Strategically they needed to be dealt with as they could do a lot of damage with the high ground to anyone attempting to enter the mall.


    Trying to maintain some semblance of my training I located one of the support pillars and flew over to it to use as cover so that I could maybe locate the bad guys without being shot for once. It turned out I made the right decision because two men were moving quickly toward my location on the upper level to my right. It was inevitable that the gunfire would attract some attention if the whole blowing up of the entrance thing wasn¡¯t enough. I peered around the pillar while hovering high enough that I shouldn¡¯t immediately be visible.


    The soldiers were definitely pros as they covered each other advancing and sweeping their field of view to always see in front and behind them as they went. Since there were concourses on each side of the mall¡¯s upper level it meant the middle was open to the ceiling. This meant that I had to be careful to not expose myself to someone on the other catwalk approaching from my blind spot while staying out of sight of the soldiers below me. They approached the area above where I had engaged not-Timmy, and I mentally decided they would be designated Frick and Frack.


    ¡°Shit,¡± I heard Frack exclaim. ¡°I knew we shouldn¡¯t have pulled back after that explosion.¡±


    The other man who I had dubbed Frick nodded before pointing toward the clothing store. ¡°Frick, is that Derrick? Jesus, he looks like a bug who hit a windshield. ¡°Look at the size of the dent in the rollup door,¡± he said while visibly tightening his grip on this weapon.


    No, you¡¯re Frick. He¡¯s Frack I thought with a glimmer of my usual humor. These idiots can¡¯t even keep their nicknames straight.


    Get sharp, that Supernormal is in here somewhere, and get on the radio and let the boss know,¡± Frick said bringing his gun back up and scanning the area with renewed urgency.


    ¡°Boss, we got a problem,¡± Frack said into the mic at his throat while looking around warily. ¡°The Supernormal has entered the building. Derrick is down, no idea about Tony but he was at the door when it blew up. Roger that, we¡¯ll make our way back.


    Boss wants us to collapse back to the food court. The chopper is en-route and the guys on the roof aren¡¯t answering either.¡±


    Tony huh? I guess Timmy wasn¡¯t too far off after all. I ducked back behind the pillar and peeked around the side I had my back to just to make sure nobody was sneaking up on me from behind. I closed my eyes and took a cleansing breath in yet another effort to center myself. I was a little more successful this time but I still needed a plan. I checked on Frick and Frack and they were slowly retreating back toward the center of the mall. A bunch of different ideas of how to approach the situation flew through my mind but Captain Williams always stressed that overcomplicating a plan was a fast way to lose an engagement.


    I made up my mind and decided a simple misdirect and good old fashioned speed would do the trick. Leaning out to see where Frick and Frack were on the concourse, I lined up a shot on the opposite concourse ahead of them to hopefully draw their attention away from me. Ducking back behind the pillar I started charging up for the discharge. The neon pink and blues of my energy ability started to swirl around my hands, and I worked to concentrate the energy a little more than usual since I was trying for a very tight and controlled beam. After a few seconds of concentrating, I leaned out the opposite side of the pillar in an effort to hide the light show I was creating and released the beam at an unsuspecting trash can. Fortunately for the trash can I missed, but I hit the glass window of a Hot Topic that only had security bars which exploded the window and threw overpriced pop culture collectibles all over the concourse.


    Even though my tastes ran more toward comic book collectibles rather than anime, as a connoisseur of a pop culture collectible or two, I winced at the damage. I always remembered how shocked the guys were in high school when I wanted to discuss the latest blockbuster comic book movie or show. Heck, I owned my fair share of waifus in the popular ship-girl game on my phone.


    I shook my head, come on ADHD brain focus, and launched myself at Frick and Frack. Frick was running down the concourse trying to get to the walkway that bridged the gap between the two concourses, or maybe it was Frack. I dunno, not important. What was important was that the other bad guy not running was taking up a covering position and starting to sweep the area so he had to go first. I flew in fast in a shallow downward trajectory that allowed me to come in from his blind side and grab him by his tactical vest. I grunted a bit with the added weight but continued forward regaining momentum toward Frick who hadn¡¯t registered my approach. I caught up to Frick right as he got to the walkway and threw Frack into him causing both of them to end up in a heap. Not caring who was who I fired an energy discharge into them and sent them sprawling. I made sure they were both out of action and removed their weapons before bending a piece of railing around them to pin them in place. I realized that twice now I would have benefitted from having something like zip ties to restrain people, and made a mental note to ask if we could incorporate them into my uniform somehow.


    Taking a moment to get my bearings I realized that I was about halfway to the food court. If there would be resistance it would be there but I needed a better vantage point so I flew up to the ceiling to see if there were any more guards in the vicinity. It looked clear but they also knew which way I was coming from and there were plenty of places to hide in cover. Looking up at the skylight I made the snap decision to see if I could change the playing field a bit and blew a hole in the glass. Hoping I didn¡¯t make too much noise and didn¡¯t give away what was doing I slipped out the hole to the roof. Oh well, I wasn¡¯t exactly being stealthy anyway.


    Once I cleared the skylight I looked around immediately to see if there were any hostiles on the roof I needed to be concerned about. I didn¡¯t see anyone so I flew up a little higher and away from the skylight so I wouldn¡¯t be seen easily from inside and proceeded to move toward the opposite end of the mall. I planned to reenter the mall from the skylight and hopefully come in fast and take them by surprise from the opposite direction.


    ¡°Star, is that you? We¡¯ve got movement on the roof that looks like flying,¡± came Deputy Garcia¡¯s voice in my earpiece.


    ¡°Affirmative overwatch. Interior is hot. Actively engaged. Continue to monitor but do not engage. Star out,¡± I replied quickly as I came up to the opposite end of the mall. I had been a bit distracted replying to Garcia when I came upon the bodies of two men laid out behind an HVAC unit. I looked away quickly but they looked like they¡¯d been taken out with a brutal efficiency. Realistically I knew what my mentor was capable of and certainly of his reputation, but seeing his handiwork in person was another reminder of just what a dangerous individual he was. Hurrying past the bodies I made it to the section of skylight I was looking for uncontested. Of course, now I knew why that was.


    Looking into the skylight I could see a hostile patrolling the walkway. I leaned back out of sight to decide how I was going to get in there as the breeze blew my hair around my face. I hadn¡¯t even noticed that I¡¯d lost my hair tie somewhere along the line. A couple of different ideas bounced around in my head, but again, sometimes a straight line is the best plan. Making my decision I jumped up and levitated up above the skylight and the position of the hostile. I took a moment to again appreciate what a criminally nice day it was before I stopped defying gravity and let myself drop feet first through the skylight.


    I crashed straight down with a crash and spray of glass and sped toward the concourse floor. I used my ability to fly to arrest my fall a few feet above the floor and then launched myself into a maneuver that looked like someone making a ¡°C¡± around the hostile that had ducked away from the glass. I took advantage of that distraction and backhanded them into the wall watching as they slid down the wall and didn¡¯t move. They had dropped their gun when I hit them so I took a second to step on in and deform it enough that it would be useless. A quick check said they were still alive so it was time to move on. Scanning the area I didn¡¯t see anyone else up on the concourse but there would be a least one hostile at the entrance on this wing.


    I jumped down and found the entryway and flew down it to find two gunmen looking out at the parking lot. One in the breezeway and one just outside of it. I stayed in flight and grabbed the hostile holding the position outside of the breezeway and smashed them through the glass breezeway door before throwing them into the hostile guarding the door. The one I¡¯d smashed through the door bounced off the other hostile and lay there dazed, but the man who was guarding the outer door had managed to roll with the blow a bit. Even though he had dropped his rifle in the impact, he had enough wherewithal to pull a pistol from somewhere and get a couple of shots off. I saw the draw motion and was moving as he came around but wasn¡¯t fast enough and took a round in my left arm just above the elbow and a shot to the midriff just below my ribs. Exactly where I didn¡¯t have any protection.


    With my right hand, I blessed him with an energy discharge as I spun with the impact. Pain blossomed in my arm and left side and I went down to one knee clutching my side and arm. I managed to keep my head enough to remember to make sure he was down and through watering eyes, I put another discharge into him to make sure they stayed down. Breathing heavily I struggled to my feet with a small cry and stumbled into the mall before leaning on a wall to try and catch my breath. My arm had gone partially numb but fire continued to radiate from my side. Putting my back to the wall I took a moment to just breathe while looking up at the ceiling. I knew I needed to check my wounds and make sure nothing was seriously wrong but I honestly was afraid of what I would see.


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    Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have time for self pity so gritting my teeth and wincing I brought my arm up to where I could see it. Again the uniform held and while it hurt there was only a small mark on the black fabric where the round had hit. My arm was going to be sore but feeling was already coming back to it. My side on the other hand continued to radiate fire, and worse, it felt wet. I sucked in a breath and looked down at my side and what greeted me was a bloody hole, which accounted for why my side felt wet. With a shaking hand, I went to put pressure on the wound and nearly puked from the pain. It had felt like something was stuck in the hole and it hurt like hell. With tears streaming I gritted my teeth and stuck a finger into the wound and felt a hard lump. Curling my finger further into the wound before I lost my nerve or passed out I dug in and popped out a lump of metal which hit the floor with a thunk.


    I stayed bent over at the waist taking deep breaths with my eyes closed for a minute before finally wiping the tears from my eyes and straightening up. My side already felt exponentially better having dug out what I assumed was the bullet. Sure, I¡¯d been banged up plenty of times, but since my abilities started manifesting and my durability had gone further and further into the Supernormal range it had been rare to be injured beyond a bruise. STAR had tested my physical durability multiple times, but they had never gone so far as to shoot me at close range with regular ammo. Fortunately, my enhanced metabolism was already clotting the wound and the bleeding had mostly stopped. It didn¡¯t seem like the wound was super deep and I wasn¡¯t going to stop anyway, but damn, I really was starting to feel like a punching bag.


    I caught my reflection in a store window and to say I looked like a mess would be an understatement. My hair was all over the place, and my face and uniform were covered in blood from the girl. On top of that, I had tears and blemishes all over my uniform and now a bloody wound with accompanying blood stains. Helluva debut, was all I could think before getting my mind back on task. With wince a floated off the ground and took off toward the center of the mall.


    As I flew I decided flying high hadn¡¯t really worked so I stayed low and came in hot avoiding kiosks and other assorted obstacles. There was one hostile between me and the food court and they never had time to react. I buried my right fist into their gut as I flew and felt something give before heaving them over and into a storefront. I didn¡¯t pause to check this time and just kept going and burst into the food on a mission. Locating a hostile immediately let loose with an energy discharge blasting them back and out of the immediate area. I had dialed up the intensity of my blasts not willing to take chances and hoping that their tactical armor would blunt it enough that I wasn¡¯t outright killing anyone.


    Moving evasively I looked for my next target and found them when gunshots ripped past where I had been a second ago. There were two hostiles spaced apart that looked like they were guarding the hostages who were grouped at one end of the food court. I wouldn¡¯t be able to get them both and was worried about the hostages so I pulled a trick I¡¯d used during my training session. I charged up my powers and clapped my hands together resulting in a resounding CRACK and a blinding flash of the light. It temporarily blinded the two guards giving me a chance to blast the one furthest from me off his feet while flying to the other and backhanding them hard enough to knock them out.


    ¡°Dani?¡±


    I heard my name and looked behind me to see Christina staring at me wide-eyed from where she sat on the floor with Amber next to her. They looked like they were ok if a bit disheveled. Christina looked like she might have been crying at one point and Amber just looked like she wanted to kick somebody''s ass. Amber¡¯s red hair was half in and half out of the ponytail it started in and I don¡¯t think her captors understood how lucky they were that looks couldn¡¯t kill. I was just about to reply when two gunshots rang out causing me to whip around in time to see a hostile pitch over the railing of the closest elevated walkway.


    ¡°Head in the game Star!¡± Fox¡¯s voice rang out as he came into my field of view. He was moving to grab cover by a pillar and putting himself between the hostages and the last wing of the mall. ¡°The leader has a hostage and he is retreating. The hostage is a kid your age who I believe is a Supernormal. This was an abduction and stalling action to allow their evac helicopter to get here. Hold this area, and evacuate the hostages if possible. I¡¯m going after their leader.¡±


    ¡°Roger,¡± I replied and looked around to make sure that I wasn¡¯t missing any hostiles. Fox took off without making any noise and I lost sight of him almost immediately.


    ¡°Dani, what¡¯s going on? Why are you here dressed like that¡­and are you ok?¡± Christina said still clearly having trouble processing.


    I moved over to where she and Amber sat keeping my head on a swivel for any hostiles that we missed. ¡°Stop using my name, please. I¡¯ll tell you everything once this is over and fine is a relative term at this point. I¡¯ll be fine once I get you two out of here. For now, keep your heads down and be ready.¡±


    I could feel her scowl without even looking but I didn¡¯t have time for her to be mad at me. Taking a deep breath I raised my voice to be heard across the food court, ¡°Everyone! My name is Star and I¡¯m a First Responder with the Supernormal Tactics and Response Team. It¡¯s my job to make sure we get you out of here. I need everyone to be ready to move. Once I update the Police outside what the plan is we¡¯re going to start moving.¡±


    I adjusted my wrist panel to make sure I had the Police frequency and then touched my earbud to begin transmitting, ¡°Star to overwatch. Hostages are in custody but not secure. Fox is in pursuit of the Terrorist Leader.¡± I took a look around and figured the Urban Outfitters store nearest to our position would do to move the hostages through, ¡° I will be attempting to extract the hostages through the back of the Urban Outfitters store. Please be prepared to receive us, Star out.¡±


    ¡°Roger that, Star. We¡¯ll be ready,¡± came Deputy Garcia¡¯s voice through the earpiece.


    ¡°Alright everyone we¡¯re moving. I want everyone up and ready to move to the Urban Outfitters store. I¡¯m going to open it and then get in position to cover you as all move as fast as you can into the store. Head to the back of the store and wait. We don¡¯t know what¡¯s in the service corridors so I will make sure those are clear before we proceed to exit the mall. Help each other. If you need assistance or mobility issues make them known. We¡¯ll need to rely on each other to get out of here. Nod if you understand.¡±


    I got nods all around and more than a few nervous looks. Christina was somewhere between worry and outright glaring at me. If I knew Christina like I thought I knew her, my keeping secrets from her would have pushed being a hostage to the background. If there was one thing she hated, it was being lied to. Christina valued emotional vulnerability and did not react well when that was one-sided. Thankfully Amber was there keeping her grounded from whatever thoughts were racing through her head. I caught Amber¡¯s eye and nodded to her before turning my attention to the task at hand which was breaking into the camping store.


    I looked around making sure that we were still clear and flew the short distance to the storefront. Like the rest of the stores, its security gate was down but that wasn¡¯t going to be an issue for me. I reached down and pulled until the lock snapped with relative ease and pulled the door up just high enough for everyone to pass under. After getting the door I flew up so that I would be in a position above everyone so that I could see down the approaches from the food court and concourse.


    Looking over at my group of people I raised my voice, ¡°Ok everyone, let¡¯s move!¡±


    They all began moving into the store which took longer than I would have liked but wasn¡¯t unexpected considering the large number of people. The store was packed but we had enough room and wouldn¡¯t be staying long hopefully. I pulled the security gate back down and hoped nobody would notice that it didn¡¯t sit perfectly. If we were lucky Fox and I had taken out all of the hostiles. I floated up and over the crowd toward the back of the store and after a little shuffling of bodies slipped into the back room and made my way to the door that led into the service corridors. This was the tricky part, if there were any hostiles left they could easily have slipped into these corridors.


    Just as I was getting ready to open the door I bumped into a woman who was holding a child close to her. She was strikingly beautiful with porcelain skin and crystal blue eyes wearing a nifty black leather jacket with white straps and red piping accents topped off with a baseball hat which was covering a mane of white hair.


    ¡°My apologies,¡± I said to the woman with a nod before speaking to the boy whose dark skin was in complete contrast to her. He looked to be probably about seven or eight years old in a grey t-shirt and blue jeans. His brown eyes were huge as he tried to take in everything that was going on.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be ok buddy. We¡¯re almost out of here. I just need to go out there and make sure it¡¯s safe and then we¡¯ll be able to get you out of here. Can you and your¡­¡± I paused looking at the woman to fill in the blank.


    ¡°Guardian,¡± she supplied.


    ¡°You and your guardian be brave for me?¡± to which he nodded slowly. ¡°Ok then, I¡¯m going to check this out and get you out here,¡± I finished with a wink.


    I slipped out of the door and into the hallway. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t see anyone in the hallway and zipped to the end making sure it was clear. There were some fire doors at the end of the hallway that I closed before retracing my steps and finding an emergency exit door about fifteen yards from the Urban Outfitters store¡¯s back entrance. Perfect, I thought before leaning back with a grimace because my side still hurt, and kicked the door completely free of the door frame. It landed out in the parking lot and I could see the police startle at the noise. I waved at them and realized that this wasn¡¯t the same police line and I was on a different side of the building.


    Touching my earbud I spoke into my mic, ¡°Overwatch, we¡¯re going to begin exiting the building. I¡¯m not sure where I¡¯m at in relation to your position, but I can see the police line where I¡¯m at.¡±


    ¡°Acknowledged Star. You¡¯re¡­¡± There was a pause where I imagined Deputy Garcia was asking Davis something. I was proven right a few seconds later when she came back, ¡°Davis says you¡¯re on the opposite side from us. We¡¯ll move to you right way.¡±


    ¡°Acknowledged beginning extraction,¡± I replied and killed the line. Hopefully, Fox got the sitrep despite dealing with the terrorist leader and his hostage. If I could everyone out of here I could go help him, but that¡¯s getting ahead of myself a bit. I moved back inside to the door and was about to rip it open when I decided that maybe making a bunch of noise wasn¡¯t the best idea after already kicking the other door open. Knocking on the door and announcing myself it cracked open and then opened fully when the occupant at the door saw it was me.


    ¡°Everyone we have a clear path out of here. Once you step through the door you will turn right and about fifteen yards down the hallway there is an emergency exit on your left. It¡¯s already open, so please proceed as fast as you are able in an orderly fashion to the police line. Thank you, and pass this information to those in the back,¡± I finished feeling more and more washed out as the stress of the day was starting to mix with all the throbbing aches and pains.


    ¡°Thank you miss, you¡¯re a godsend,¡± said the beautiful white haired woman as she passed me and I waved at her and the boy before shifting my attention to making sure the line stayed moving and that nobody was sneaking up on us while we were vulnerable. Everything went smoothly for the most part and I only had to speak up a couple of times to remind people to maintain order. Christina and Amber were in the last quarter and Christina glared at me as she passed so I mouthed ¡°Later¡± to her as she went by with Amber keeping her to keep moving.


    After the last person entered the hallway I closed the door to the Urban Outfitters store and covered the last of the hostages as they exited. I toggled the radio and announced, ¡°Extraction complete. Exiting the building.¡±


    The hostages were quickly being triaged into groups and as I moved back to the police line I was greeted by Lieutenant Bidwell and Deputy Garica. ¡°Nice work. It looks like everyone got out but good lord you look like shit,¡± said the Lieutenant.


    ¡°I kind of feel like it and not everyone¡­¡± I said looking down and remembering the girl that was murdered in front of me.


    ¡°Right, I¡¯m sorry. You did good though whether you think so or not. What¡¯s the status inside? Can we enter?¡±


    Looking up and willing myself to not get emotional and absently holding my hand over the bullet wound I answered, ¡°We never had an exact count of how many hostiles were in the mall and Fox is still in there, but you should be able to enter when I initially went in. Be careful though. I incapacitated everyone I fought but I can¡¯t guarantee they¡¯re still harmless, but I¡¯m pretty sure Fox was a little more permanent in his methods,¡± I finished with a grimace.


    ¡°I¡­see,¡± said the Lieutenant stepping away to give orders.


    I looked around to see if I could find Christna but I couldn¡¯t see her and never did see where she had been triaged to. I was still looking when I felt a touch on my elbow and realized that Deputy Garcia hadn¡¯t left.


    ¡°Are you really okay?¡± she asked with concern on her face.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m good. Just a little tired.¡±


    ¡°A¡­little tired?¡± she looked at me flabbergasted.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re standing there with a thousand-yard stare, covered in blood, and with what looks like a bullet wound that you keep covering like nobody will notice. Are you really ok? Should I get a doctor?¡± she said forcefully.


    I blinked, and then actually looked at Deputy Garcia. Genuine concern was written all over her face. ¡°No, I¡¯m not even remotely ok,¡± I said with a sigh, ¡°But I have to be ok until this is done. Once I get back to base I¡¯ll¡­something¡­but there are people there that will make sure I¡¯m ok whether I like it or not,¡± I finished thinking pretty specifically of Doctor Robinson once she got ahold of me.


    ¡°Okay, but if you ever need to talk, I¡¯d be happy to lend an ear,¡± she said with a smile while touching my good elbow. ¡°You know how to get a hold of me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a good one Garcia," I said to her as she moved off to join the Lieutenant and his group of officers. It was the type of thing Fox would do when he was in mentor mode. Fox! Crap, what was I doing. Quickly activating my radio I spoke into the mic, ¡°Fox do you copy? Can you give us a sitrep?¡±


    ¡°Fox copies. Hostile neutralized and hostage recovered. We¡¯ll be out in a moment. Lieutenant Bidwell I believe there is a helicopter en route, this is a hostile craft,¡± he responded right away and I let out a breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding.


    ¡°Fox, we don¡¯t show any craft in our vicinity on radar. Are you sure they mentioned a helo,¡± Lieuteantn Bidwell replied over the radio.


    ¡°Affirmative Lieutenant. They mentioned they had a chopper en route and were close to exfil when Star introduced herself. If it¡¯s not showing up on radar it¡¯s either aborted or cloaked. Neither option is good. With one we lose a lead and with the other, it means this may not be over.¡±


    As he said the last bit Fox exited the mall marching the terrorist leader in front of him at gunpoint while keeping the hostage shielded behind him. The man looked a little worse for wear as his face was bruised and he had a cut above his eye. When he was about thirty yards from the police line a black helicopter came blasting in to hover above the parking lot. The police all scrambled to take positions while the former hostages started to panic and run from what looked like another threat.


    Fox immediately positioned the young man from the mall behind him and dropped into a firing stance but wasn¡¯t sure who he should be aiming at. The helicopter lowered down to hover a few feet from the ground with its side door open, and up close you could see that it wasn¡¯t a normal black. The color was easiest described as black but it was a weird pearlescent black that caused the light to do weird things when it hit it.


    I noticed two things at that moment. One, I realized that the man Fox was protecting was the Supernormal that I had watched at the Student Union the other day with his girlfriend and my heart broke again. Two was that the white haired woman and the boy from the mall hadn¡¯t run away from the helicopter. The woman was just watching without an expression on her face with her hands on the boy¡¯s shoulders until she noticed that I was looking at her and then she winked.


    Just then a man wearing a black tracksuit and hoodie appeared out of nowhere and grabbed the terrorist leader before disappearing. Fox was quick, but not that quick, and missed his lunge to grab or shoot the man before he disappeared. The man reappeared in front of the white haired woman with the Terrorist Leader who stumbled when he let him go. The woman pushed the boy at the man in the tracksuit who grabbed the boy and disappeared again. As soon as the boy was gone the white haired woman pulled out a pistol and blew the terrorist leader''s brains out as the helicopter started to ascend kicking up wind gusts as it did blowing her hat off and whipping her white hair around.


    It all happened in a handful of seconds. Fox to his credit showed how badass he was by snapping shots off almost immediately but even he was too late. The boy was gone and the white haired woman now had six metal-looking shields that appeared out of nowhere floating around her. They intercepted all of Fox¡¯s shots before they could do any damage and her eyes which were blue, were now red. With a growl, Fox emptied his clip at the woman who blocked all his shots as if they were nothing.


    ¡°Who are you?!¡± the normally even keeled Fox screamed


    ¡°Now, now, Master Sergeant Takahara, all in due time,¡± she replied with a wisp of smile like everything amused her greatly.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the boy? What are doing with him,¡± I yelled at her. I had thought she was being protective of him earlier based on her body language but now I realized she was keeping him in line.


    She looked at me with those unsettling red eyes for a second before speaking, ¡°Thank you for rescuing us. You¡¯re either going to become a legend or flame out spectacularly.¡±


    Screw this, I thought and launched myself at her as fast as I could go and she just ever so calmly stepped out of the way as I shot past her. The downside to overshooting was that I missed but the upside was that I could now flank her. I shot an energy blast at her while at the same time, Fox pulled out his backup pistol and fired, but unbelievably her shields rotated around her body and blocked both of our shots. Who the hell is this woman?


    ¡°Well that¡¯s enough fun. I¡¯ve got another appointment to get to. It was nice seeing you again Fox. Sly-D!¡± with the last part the man in the tracksuit appeared out of nowhere grabbing her and disappearing as the chopper started gaining altitude and began fading from view.


    ¡°What¡­the¡­hell¡­¡± I said to no one in particular.

 Chapter 15

    I jumped into the air yelling at Fox, ¡°I¡¯m going to try and chase it!¡±


    ¡°Negative,¡± he replied while reholstering his weapons. ¡°The chopper is cloaked and we can¡¯t endanger the boy. Are you confident that you can fight off that woman and the teleporter without bringing the chopper down? Assuming you could even catch it?¡±


    ¡°I¡­no,¡± I replied and floated back down to the ground to stand next to Fox. I couldn¡¯t help but feel dejected at our failure to save the boy even though there wasn¡¯t any way for us to know that he was a target.


    ¡°I¡¯ve sent a message to base to try and pick up tracking or at least start doing the math to get an idea of where they were headed.¡±


    Fox walked over to me and put his hand on my shoulder before saying, "Listen, we got caught up in something today that we had no way to prepare for, but we saved lives..." He paused seeing the anger flash across my face. "Let me finish. I know you carry the girl''s death on your shoulders and that''s something you''re going to have to work through, but unfortunately, that is also part of doing this work. You cannot save everyone as hard as you might try, nor plan for every eventuality. I think you already know this, but you don''t have to like it. It''s our job to stand in front of the engines of chaos and become the shield for the innocent and the powerless. It''s our honor and solemn duty and yet it steals bits of our soul when we fail.  However, we can''t let that make us forget that we saved people today, including your friends. I choose to believe that remembering those we save is just as important as honoring those that we couldn''t. I''ll be there for you if you want to talk, but please don''t let perceived failures overshadow the good. You''re not a soldier and I don''t want to see you become one. Understand?"


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I mumbled while staring at the ground and absently rubbing a hand over the wound on my side instead of looking into the visor of his helmet while his words bounced around in my head. Rationally I knew that I couldn¡¯t save everyone but being faced with it in reality hit a lot harder than the abstracts of training.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯m going to call this in and give them a sitrep and then wrap up things with Lieutenant Bidwell and the MCPD before heading back. I¡¯m ordering you to return to base and to report to Doctor Robinson,¡± he said while turning and walking toward his bike at the edge of the police cordon. I opened my mouth to yell after him. ¡°Yes, you can say goodbye to your friends,¡± he said before I could get the words out. Creepy how he does that.


    I turned and looked into the crowd of people hoping to see the aforementioned friends but that was wishful thinking with the chaos that was the triage area, so I started walking around hoping I could spot them. There were multiple ambulances behind the police line now and the EMTs were busy rushing around checking over everyone for injuries while some of the police had been allocated to help direct traffic and take statements. In fact, I spotted Deputy Garcia doing just that and walked over to her while doing my best to ignore all the stares I was getting.


    ¡°Hey Garcia,¡± I said as I walked up to her.


    ¡°One Sec Star,¡± Garcia said while she finished directing the man she was talking with to a free EMT before turning to me. ¡°What do you need?¡± she said and I noticed how tired she looked which was a good reminder to not forget all the other professionals that showed up today to try and save lives.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for my friends. You haven¡¯t seen a couple of girls my age, have you? One about my height with blonde hair a little lighter than mine, with a shorter redhead have you? They were in the mall so they should be around her somewhere. Fox ordered me back to base so I wanted to check in on them before I leave.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I think I remember seeing a couple of girls that fit that description. Try over by the blue ambulance from the University Hospital over toward the back,¡± she said while pointing in the direction of the ambulance in question. ¡±


    ¡°Thanks Garcia, I appreciate all the help you¡¯ve been today and can you tell Davis it was nice meeting him for me? I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to get the chance as I¡¯m running on fumes and I don¡¯t want him to think I just bounced.¡±


    The shorter woman quirked her eyebrow before responding, ¡°Yeah, I can do that. I think he¡¯ll be over the moon to be honest,¡± and then she winked.


    My eyes went wide and I felt a blush on my cheeks before stammering ¡°I didn¡¯t mean¡­that¡¯s not what¡­I just didn¡¯t want to be rude.¡±


    Garcia dissolved into a giggle that reminded me that she was actually my age before grabbing my hand and saying, ¡°I¡¯m just messing with you Star. I know you didn¡¯t mean it that way, but don¡¯t be shocked if Davis¡¯ imagination gets the better of him. It¡¯s not every day a pretty Supernormal shows up and talks drones with him. Anyway, I just wanted to try and lighten up the mood a little for you. You look like you¡¯ve been drug through a mouse hole backward. Remember my offer of someone to talk to still stands.¡±


    Without thinking I pulled Garcia in and gave her a hug which caused her to squeak in surprise. ¡°Thanks, again Garcia. You¡¯re still a real one,¡± I said releasing the surprised Deputy.


    Poor Garcia just kind of stood frozen for a second with a blush on her cheeks before blurting out, ¡°It¡¯s Gabriela. My name, you don¡¯t have to keep calling me Garcia.¡±


    ¡°Gotcha, thanks Gabriela. Talk to you soon¡­and it¡¯s Dani,¡± I said while holding my finger to my lips to indicate that she should keep that a secret. With a wave, I turned and left Garcia to get back to helping the EMTs. I wasn¡¯t sure what to make of Garcia¡¯s reaction but I didn¡¯t have the mental energy to think about it at the moment. As I made my way toward the blue ambulance she had pointed me to I was still getting strange looks, but I did my best to make eye contact or nod to people in the ways that Astraea had coached me to do. Just when I was starting to think I would never find Christina and Amber a voice caught my ear from around the side of the ambulance at the edge of the triage area.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you twice now that we didn¡¯t see anything out of the ordinary before the guys with guns appeared. They ordered us to the food court and then took our devices and shoved us into groups. Next time I have a gun in my face I¡¯ll be sure to pay better attention!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just trying to do his job, Christina. Take a breath,¡± I could hear Amber say to Christina who was evidently not in the mood to be calmed down as I approached the corner of the ambulance. I¡¯d seen her like this before and about the only thing you can do is let her burn out. She¡¯ll calm down and feel bad about it later, still, I¡¯m not going to lie, it sucks when you¡¯re in the crosshairs. Truthfully part of me wanted to just fly away rather than jump into the middle of it but that would be selfish. Taking a deep breath I turned the corner to face my friends. Christina was standing with her arms crossed glaring between an officer and Amber


    ¡°Excuse me officer, I need to speak with with these two. Can I have I minute?¡± I said to the officer whose expression went from barely contained frustration to almost joy in seeing their freedom from the conversation arrive in front of them.


    The officer closed his notebook with a snap saying, ¡°Absolutely,¡± before remembering who I worked for and replying with a more professional, ¡°Of course ma¡¯am, take your time.¡±


    With a nod he strode past me and around the corner, probably to find a less prickly witness. I waited a beat to make sure he had left before turning to my friends and asking, ¡°Are you guys okay? I mean I know okay is relative, and that you don¡¯t go through something like today and come out okay, but you¡¯re not physically hurt are you?¡±


    Christina somehow crossed her arms harder and glared at me but it was Amber who responded. ¡°We¡¯re fine physically. They shoved us a few times and weren¡¯t exactly gentle, but the only person they really abused was the guy they were holding at the front. They roughed him up pretty good and threatened his girlfriend a few times before they released her right before you showed up.¡±


    I felt my expression tighten at the mention of the girl and made sure to keep my wound covered. ¡°I¡¯m glad they didn¡¯t hurt you. I don¡¯t have all the details but the guy they were holding is actually a student at our¡­¡±


    ¡°Dani, why are you here?¡± Christina suddenly asked.


    A frown crawled its way across my face at the aggression. ¡°I wanted to make sure you¡¯re okay,¡± I respond a bit defensively.


    ¡°Cool, but why are you HERE,¡± she said raising her voice and gesturing to indicate the mall. ¡°You have no reason to be here. Talking to police, wearing that outfit, fighting criminals or terrorists, or whatever hell they¡¯re calling those assholes!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here because I saw on your Insta account that you were at the mall with Amber at when the news broke that there was a hostage situation at the mall, so I responded without orders,¡± I replied, and then immediately winced.


    ¡°Without¡­orders? Who the hell even are you Dani!¡± Christina yelled at me, her blue eyes blazing with anger. ¡°Is this what you couldn¡¯t tell me?¡±


    Dammit. This was not where I wanted to have this conversation. ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t tell you everything right now, especially out in the open like this, but yes, this is what I wanted to tell you. As I¡¯m sure you figured out by now, I¡¯m a Supernormal and my medical condition is related to my abilities. I¡¯ve been part of a government program since I was a kid that helped me learn to control my abilities, and they offered me a chance to use those abilities as Supernormal First Responder and I accepted is the short version.¡±


    Poor Amber just kind of ended up watching on the sideline as Christina and I argued. She¡¯d been a good friend to Christina since they met in RA training, and filled the gap I¡¯d left when I moved out of the dorms to live on my own. We¡¯d hung out quite a few times since she was pulled into Christina¡¯s orbit and she was absolute sweetheart. Smart as a whip, but with a great sarcastic sense of humor that hid an ocean of empathy and enough fire to stand up to Christina when she needed it. Unfortunately, she was getting a face full our issues right now and could only watch the back and forth. As sad as the thought made me, at least I knew that Christina had a good friend like Amber if we couldn¡¯t make up.


    Christina looked a little shook at the revelation and took a step back before regaining her fire. ¡°So what were all those nights that we talked about our futures and the things we wanted to do after college? I opened up to you about things like my relationships and the struggles I¡¯ve had with my parents and expectations. Christ, Dani, I told you stuff that I never told anyone else and now I find out that it was evidently a one-way street. You of all people know how important trust is to me and to find out you never trusted me¡­it hurts.¡±


    ¡°Christina, I couldn¡¯t tell you. It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to share, or even that I didn¡¯t share. I shared what I could, but my family and I are under a Non-Disclosure Agreement as part of our agreement with the Government. A lot of information about my abilities and the program is quite literally classified!¡± I replied with growing agitation.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Convenient excuse. Sorry, It¡¯s classified¡± she bit back bitterly.


    ¡°Christina! That¡¯s unfair. All you¡¯ve wanted is for Dani to open up so you can understand her decisions. Yet here she is trying to tell you her side of things, and you¡¯re not letting her. Stop being petty and listen,¡± Amber said sharply from where she was standing wearing a disapproving frown.


    Christina shot a look of pure annoyance at Amber who was completely nonplussed but didn¡¯t say anything else. Amber just raised an eyebrow back at her in response.


    I appreciated the assist, but I look on her face told me that she would brook no nonsense and call me out if she felt the need to as well. I started to pace, making sure to keep my side covered, before I decided to just lay it all out, ¡°Look, when my abilities manifested they weren¡¯t under control and I was a danger to the people around me, including my parents and brother. The government stepped in when I was a kid and provided my family with a team of researchers and scientists who helped me train and learn about my abilities, but what came with that was the implicit threat that if I ever lost control the government would take custody of me.


    It took a lot of time and effort from a lot of people for me to get to the point where I could control myself enough to not worry about hurting someone and that I wasn¡¯t a bad day from being taken from my parent''s custody. It wasn¡¯t until high school that I had solid enough control over my abilities that I didn¡¯t need to think about it constantly. When I finally did go back, I made friends, but they were never best friends. The damage was done, it was easier to just keep people at arm''s reach so that I didn¡¯t have to worry about them. I had lost that sense of community you get from being with your peers. I couldn¡¯t even play sports because there was too much risk involved, so without those shared experiences, I became a spectator when I wasn¡¯t with the research team,¡± I said hoping that there weren¡¯t any eavesdroppers. We were a little bit out of the way with the ambulance shielding us but it was still an open parking lot.


    Christina didn¡¯t say anything so I continued with my explanation. ¡°My family was great but they couldn¡¯t replicate the social stuff, so I dove into art, read comic books, or played video games to fill the gap when I wasn¡¯t being a guinea pig for the government. That¡¯s where my love for pop culture comes from, and why I love art so much even if I never specifically shared with you why I loved those things. I swear I always tried to be honest about the things I cared about even if I couldn¡¯t always share the specifics. It was never a one-way street to me.¡±


    I stopped pacing to look her in the eyes before I said the next part, ¡°There¡¯s a lot more but I don¡¯t want this to be a trauma dump. I¡¯m not the only person in the world who¡¯s gone through some stuff and I don¡¯t want to live in that space and I sure as hell don¡¯t want for it to define me. That¡¯s why I always try to be happy and fun. My abilities are a blessing even if they mean I¡®ve had to take a harder path.¡±


    ¡°Dani¡­¡± Christina said tentatively and she wasn¡¯t glaring daggers at me anymore so that was maybe progress.


    ¡°Let me finish please, before I lose my nerve. I just want you to know that I never had a best friend before I met you,¡± I said looking into the sky which was just starting its transition from afternoon into evening. ¡°Wanting to experience being normal was why I came to college, to get lost in the crowd and start fresh. Meeting you and spending time with you and just being my age was amazing for a while, but I can¡¯t escape the reality that I have all these abilities,¡± I said looking back at her while floating up off the payment a little bit and holding my hands out away from body palms up and creating a ball of energy in each hand before letting them fizzle out. ¡°And while it was nice that I could pretend for a little while the truth is I couldn¡¯t just ignore they were there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you moved out isn''t it?¡± she asked, this time without any heat behind it.


    ¡°Yeah, as easy as it had become to pretend since I wasn¡¯t randomly exploding anymore or shooting energy blasts when I sneezed like when I was kid, it wasn¡¯t perfect. I¡¯m way stronger than a non-supernormal and every day I have to moderate what I do to make sure I don¡¯t break things or hurt people. I started to have anxiety about losing control, and since I couldn¡¯t tell you what was really wrong, I fell back into the medical condition excuse from my childhood. You weren¡¯t getting my best by the time I moved out, and I didn¡¯t feel it was fair to you. I wanted you to have your best college experience and to be able to do all the things we had talked about. I just want you to be happy.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god Dani,¡± Christina gasped tears in her eyes. Slowly she closed the gap between us before she ran the last few yards between us and threw herself at me. Surprised, I managed to catch her without crushing her as she wrapped me up in a big hug burying her head into my neck. After a minute she let me go and stepped back with tear tracks running down her cheeks and wiped at her eyes. I couldn¡¯t help but notice that her eye makeup was beyond saving at this point. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Dani, for being so over the top, but I wish you¡¯d have told me some of this before now. The way we clicked and how you fit into my life...I just took for granted that you would be a part of it going forward, and when I found out you were leaving and you hadn¡¯t told me¡­¡± pausing before seeming to change her mind about what she was going to say she finished with, ¡°I think we have a lot to talk about.¡±


    Nodding I said, ¡°I¡¯ll take the promise of having a conversation over where we were when the day started,¡± I said with a weak grin. ¡°For what it¡¯s worth I¡¯m sorry too. I should have trusted you.¡±


    ¡°You two are infuriating, yet somehow adorable,¡± Amber said with an exaggerated eye-roll for punctuation. ¡°Can I get in on the hug action?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± I said before looking down and seeing how I was still covered in blood and grime. ¡°On second thought, maybe we share a meaningful fist bump until I¡¯m more presentable?¡±


    ¡°Um yeah, let''s do that,¡± Amber said while grimacing at my current state but coming over and giving me a fist bump complete with fa la la la at the end.


    Christina had been standing there lost in thought but Amber¡¯s mention of my current less-than-savory appearance must have kicked her brain into gear because she seemed to notice the wound in my side that I forgot I had been hiding. Pointing at the scabbed-over hole she stammered, ¡°Dani¡­have¡­have you been¡­shot?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Hurt like hell for a while. Especially when I dug the bullet out with my finger, but it¡¯s more of a dull ache right now. That might change later when all the adrenaline fully wears off though,¡± I said calmly, like it was just another day at the office. Disassociation was fun.


    She stared at me in sheer disbelief for a full five seconds before narrowing her eyes and half yelling at me, ¡°Why are you talking to us? You need to see a doctor or a least an EMT.¡± She stepped forward to grab my hand and start pulling me back toward the main triage area. I let her take my hand and move my arm but I didn¡¯t budge when she tried to move me. It was a little funny seeing the little frown form on her face as she tried pulling again to no effect. ¡°Amber, give me a hand making sure this idiot gets looked at,¡± she said looking at the other woman for help.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s going to do anything she doesn¡¯t want to do. Although it¡¯s kind of fun watching to see if your stubbornness can actually defeat a supernormal ability. I¡¯ve had my suspicions about you for a while now,¡± Amber said crossing her arms and squinting at Christina.


    ¡°Amber!¡± Christina exclaimed at her friend for the seeming betrayal. ¡°She¡¯s hurt,¡± she punctuated by letting go of my hand and gesticulating toward my stomach.


    I burst out laughing at their antics. It was so nice to see Christina was in good hands with Amber. I felt a knot of tension release as my laughter died out. Christina for her part looked hurt at my outburst.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad this is amusing,¡± Christina said to both Amber and me while glaring daggers.


    ¡°Oh God, I needed that,¡± I said wiping tears from the corner of my eyes. ¡°It¡¯s been a long day, Christina, I appreciate that you¡¯re worried, but while the wound looks bad and it does hurt I¡¯m not in any danger. It can wait until I get back to base and the doctor there can look at it. If it helps any, she¡¯s going to yell at me about it, and then my Captain is going to get her say for getting shot, and then after that, the PR officer is going to remind me that she was against leaving my midriff exposed and that I was just asking for trouble by designing my uniform this way.¡±


    ¡°I just want to be sure you¡¯re okay,¡± she said with a pout.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m okay. At least okay enough. Today was my first deployment and it was not what I expected. I¡­I do have some things I¡¯m going to have to work through but I¡¯ll be ok. I promise. The bigger problem is that I didn¡¯t have orders to come here so I might be doing that senior year anyway,¡± I finished with a wince.


    ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll punish you after all this?¡±, Amber asked.


    ¡°Honestly I don¡¯t know. The other officer that was on site with me seemed very concerned with what we found and that outcome might supersede intent. I¡¯m about to find out when I get back to base. Which I need to do now that I know you guys are okay.¡±


    ¡°I do have a question though Dani,¡± Amber asked.


    ¡°Sure, go for it.¡±


    ¡°Something you said kind of stuck with me. You said that you wanted to experience normal but what made you decide to do¡­this?¡± Amber asked with a general wave in my direction indicating my uniform.


    ¡°When I realized that whatever the definition of normal I had set for myself wasn¡¯t reality I started asking questions. Trying to understand what someone with my abilities could do, and as I gained more and more control of my abilities and the stronger they got, the more it sank in that I could do things others couldn¡¯t. Even other Supernormals, so at some point in the back of my head, it took root that if I didn¡¯t use my abilities to help others what kind of person would I be?


    ¡°Well¡­damn, that¡¯s pretty admirable. No wonder Christina talks about you all the time,¡± Amber said with a big smile.


    ¡°Amber! Why do you have to say it like that?¡± Christina protested.


    ¡°Sorry, Amber. I¡¯ve always been happy that you¡¯re such a good friend to Christina and try to give you room,¡± I said to the redhead.


    She just shrugged before saying, ¡°No worries, I¡¯m not that insecure. I like hanging out with you too and friendships are multilayered. Seriously though, she talks about you a lot. I was really surprised you only met in college,¡± she said hooking her thumb toward Christina.


    ¡°Sthaaap, you''re making me sound sus,¡± Christina Whined at her friend. Which made Amber¡¯s smile get even bigger.


    ¡°Well this turned out better than I thought it would and if there aren¡¯t any more questions I¡¯d better get going. If you guys need anything give me a call and text me later to let me know you got home safe. I¡¯d really love to hang out sometime soon so that we can talk some more,¡± I said to both of them making sure Amber knew she was included if she wanted to be.


    ¡°Actually, I do have one more question,¡± Christina said. ¡°What¡¯s with the flag motif? Don¡¯t get me wrong, it looks good on you, but it doesn¡¯t look like any police or military uniform I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    ¡°I designed it based off of¡­you know what, never mind,¡± I started to say.


    ¡°What? Go ahead,¡± she said seeing my hesitation.


    ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing to admit out loud.¡±


    Christina looked over at Amber before attempting to reassure me, ¡°We won¡¯t laugh, I¡¯m just really curious. It¡¯s not like you based it off that Captain Flag comic book you were always talking about or anything.¡±


    I felt the color rush to my cheeks at her comment. ¡°You ladies have a good night,¡± I said launching myself into the air to start my flight back to base.


    ¡°Oh my God, you did,¡± Christina exclaimed with a huge grin. Amber at least tried to hide her smile behind her hand.


    ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t laugh,¡± I said with a frown as glared at her from where I floated.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just I didn¡¯t expect that to be the actual answer. I still forget that you¡¯re actually a huge dork,¡± she said putting her hands up in a not-my-fault gesture like that somehow made her answer better.


    ¡°Have a good night you two. I think I¡¯m starting to crash,¡± I said with a sigh. All the aches and pains we¡¯re starting to finally show up. Especially all the places I¡¯d been shot.


    ¡°Dani, stay safe. I¡­we¡¯ll talk soon, and thank you for coming to save us,¡± Christina said realizing that I really was leaving.


    Bye Amber, bye Christina,¡± I said with a wave and shot off into the evening sky. As always the feeling of escaping gravity and the wind ripping through my hair did a lot to soothe my mental state. That went better than expected I reflected as I began heading toward the STAR base to the north. ¡°Now I just have to hope I¡¯m not fired.¡±

 Chapter 16

    ¡°I¡¯ve cleaned and sealed the wound on your side but it would be ideal if you didn¡¯t do anything stupid for the next few days,¡± Doctor Robinson said while giving possibly the drollest look I¡¯d ever seen.


    Looking at the ceiling, I replied with a wince. ¡°It¡¯s not like I tried to get shot.¡±


    ¡°Judging from the number of bullet bruises on just your arms, not to mention the various other spots I¡¯ve looked at, I have to disagree. I¡¯m sure you were suitably heroic. Later I might even be suitably appreciative of your efforts, but right now I¡¯m your doctor and I don¡¯t like seeing you injured like this.¡±


    ¡°Okay, next time I promise I won¡¯t get shot¡­as much,¡± I said to the good doctor with a wink.


    ¡°Ugh¡­how are you this stubborn at such a young age,¡± she snarked while crossing her arms and scowling at me. ¡°You¡¯re almost as bad as Colonel Morales.


    ¡°I believe it¡¯s a mix of hard work and natural skill. Although I¡¯m not sure if that last part was an insult or a compliment.¡±


    She threw her pen at me.


    ¡°Get out before you make me laugh. I¡¯m not ready to give up my doctorly indignation about your injuries just yet,¡± she said while pointing at the door with a scowl that was threatening to turn into a smile.


    I put my hands up in defeat.  ¡°Okay, okay, can I at least get dressed first? Honestly, I don¡¯t feel that bad,¡± I offered while hopping off the exam table. When I hit the floor a a stinging pain radiated from the bullet wound in my side causing me to grimace and to involuntarily hiss in pain.


    ¡°Ha! Serves you right,¡± Doctor Robinson said while picking her pen up off the floor from where it had landed after bouncing off of me.


    ¡°Yeah maybe,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Where¡¯s my uniform?¡±


    ¡°Doctor Rokker¡¯s team is taking your uniform for analysis, but let¡¯s be honest, it was ruined anyway. You¡¯re going to need a new one and I told them that I¡¯d let them know when they could come get it. Where¡¯s your cape by the way?¡±


    That sobered me up and I felt my eyes get glassy. I¡¯d been putting on a bit of a show with my quippy attitude and Doctor Robinson knew it, but she also knew that it wasn¡¯t the right time to call me on it.


    I took a breath and rubbed my eyes clear of the moisture that had been accumulating there before meeting Doctor Robinson¡¯s gaze. ¡°I¡­I¡¯m not ready to talk about the details just yet, but let¡¯s just say I left it with someone who needed it more than I did. If I had to guess though, I imagine it¡¯s with the MCPD. You might want to tell Doctor Rokker¡¯s team to check with them as I¡¯m sure they collected it with her bod¡­¡± I stopped dead and closed my eyes while balling my fists.


    I felt Doctor Robinson¡¯s arms close around me in a hug and the emotional dam that had barely been keeping my emotions in check broke. I leaned into her embrace and cried on her shoulder until the flood of emotions had run their course.


    When I finally regained my composure Doctor Robinson put both hands on my shoulders and stepped back to look into my eyes. ¡°Dani, I¡¯ll give you some space but you¡¯re going to need to talk about whatever happened. I¡¯m supposed to send you to Lieutenant Colonel Amin and Captain Williams for debriefing but that¡¯s only if I clear you as fit for it. Are you fit for it?¡± she asked gently.


    With an impressive sniffle that probably undercut my intention somewhat, I nodded affirmatively. Also proving that the brain works in strange ways, it was at that moment that it caught up to me that I¡¯d been standing there in my underwear. ¡°Um, if I can¡¯t have my uniform back what am I supposed to wear? I don¡¯t really relish the idea of walking across the base in my undies.¡±


    Doctor Robinson responded by handing me a box of tissues which I gladly accepted before blowing my nose loudly. After restoring some order to my face I noticed that she had produced a small stack of clothes from somewhere and handed them to me. Turns out it was a shirt and sweatpants in the base¡¯s navy color and the white star logo that we had adopted after the program went live. I quickly put on the clothes and felt immensely better and less self-conscious. The only problem I could see was that I wasn¡¯t wearing any shoes since they were built into my uniform and came off as one piece with the leggings.


    Looking at my feet and wiggling my toes I asked, ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have some shoes hidden around here somewhere too?¡±


    Doctor Robinson looked at down at my bare feet with a grimace while fiddling with her stethoscope. ¡°Right, the shoes are part of the pants. You don¡¯t wear socks?¡±


    ¡°Nope, the shoes are molded to my feet and weren¡¯t designed for socks. I¡¯d have to take the leggings off to adjust something anyway.¡±


    ¡°That seems¡­less than optimal,¡± she said slowly with a frown. ¡°Let me see what I have in the store room. I¡¯m sure we have some of those exam socks with the little grippers on them somewhere.¡±


    She stepped out of the room and I could hear her call for one of the nurses on duty. While she stepped out I took the time to adjust the drawstring on the pants before taking a deep breath. The fatigue of the day was really starting to set in, but I evidently still had a debrief ahead of me and it was still only early evening.


    Doctor Robinson popped back into the room holding a package of sky blue socks and a bag of bandages. ¡°Found em. Well, Tara found them, but at least you won¡¯t have to walk back barefoot. I¡¯ve released you officially on your paperwork and I¡¯ll text the Lieutenant Colonel a few minutes after you leave to give you a little head start. I¡¯ll follow up with you tomorrow of course. Also, before you leave, a shower tonight is ok but no baths, and keep the bandage on for the next forty-eight hours while you''re healing.¡±


    I was busy putting the socks on while she talked so I mumbled a, ¡°Thanks,¡± before heading toward the door and pausing, ¡°I am free to go right?¡±


    ¡°Yes Dani, go.¡±


    With a nod, I started out the door before I stopped and rushed back into the room and hugged the taller woman. ¡°Thanks doc,¡± I whispered before rushing out the door leaving her standing there with a surprised expression.


    First things first, was to get to my quarters which were on the other side of the base. Unfortunately, that meant I was going to have to go down a floor so I rushed down the hall as fast as I could trying my best not to break out into a run. All while studiously ignoring all the odd glances I was getting for walking around in my socks. Thankfully the doctor having some clothes spared me the full indignity of having to do it in a hospital gown or worse yet wrapped in the crinkle paper from the exam table. Fortunately, I only passed a handful of people in the hallway before I made it to my room.


    Once in my room, I beelined for my phone which was still on the bathroom counter where I had left it before my ill-advised adventure. The battery indicator showed thirty three percent which was probably good enough for the time being as long as I didn¡¯t spend a bunch of time on it. The screen also showed a bunch of missed texts and a voicemail from Lieutenant Colonel Amin which I winced at.


    The most recent text was from Christina though letting me know she was back home and that she¡¯d call me tomorrow but to text her if I wanted to. I¡¯d find time to sort out all the messages later, but right now I figured it was best to go talk to Lieutenant Colonel Amin and Captain Williams sooner rather than later.


    Before going anywhere though, I needed to jump in the shower because, despite a wipe down or two, I was still covered in far too much gross to feel comfortable interacting with others. After a quick shower to wash all the grime off, I was feeling a lot better if sore. I spent some time looking in the mirror and noticed bags under my eyes that weren¡¯t there when I left, and that the bruises I¡¯d accumulated were already starting to get some color since my metabolism sped up the process. I made sure to put a new bandage over the bullet wound, and towel dried my hair before heading to my bedroom to figure out what to wear.


    In the end, I decided to wear the sweatpants and shirt Doctor Robinson gave me as they were a little bit oversized which made them comfortable over the accumulated bruises and wounds. Somewhat ironically, once I had slipped on my trainers I looked more like I was ready for some PT at the gym, rather than someone who had just come from a hostage scene and shoot out.


    Slipping back into the bathroom I put my hair up into a messy ponytail and was in the process of putting on deodorant and double checking that I looked at least half presentable when my phone rang. The caller ID showed that it was Lieutenant Colonel Amin. ¡°Crap.¡±


    I quickly hit the accept button and put it on speaker. ¡°Hello Astraea.¡±


    ¡°Hello Dani. Doctor Robinson let me know a while ago that she had cleared you to debrief and Captain Williams and I were just wondering when we would have the pleasure of your company.¡±


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    Whew, Lieutenant Colonel Amin, aka Astraea, did not sound happy. I knew that I¡¯d have to take responsibility for deploying without orders and face the reality that I put myself and possibly the whole program in jeopardy. Still, a little ember of anger swirled up inside of me at her tone. It had been a hell of a day, and despite my actions, a little empathy wasn¡¯t too much to ask considering what Fox and I had run into. The more thought I gave it, the more certain I was that we should have been deployed in the first place.


    ¡°Listen Lieutenant Colonel, I understand the need to debrief, but I¡¯m also equally sure that Fox has already checked in. Not to mention that I¡¯m sure you were monitoring everything that happened. You¡¯ll have to excuse me if I prioritized getting some clean clothes and washing a dead girl¡¯s blood out of my hair before coming to see you,¡± I snapped at the phone, not doing a good job managing my emotions.


    There was a long pause before Lieutenant Colonel Amin spoke. ¡°I¡­see. Please meet us in the training room¡¯s conference room as soon as you can.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just finishing up here and should be there in under ten minutes. See you soon,¡± I replied before hitting the end call button with a grimace. I probably shouldn¡¯t have taken that tone. Looking in the mirror one last time, I adjusted my hair tie before considering myself good enough. I made sure my phone was in my pocket and I headed out to meet Astraea and Captain Williams.


    I ended up arriving at the conference room a few minutes later than the deadline I¡¯d given myself due to giving in to a sudden and unstoppable craving for a mocha iced coffee. The craving had led me up to the second floor coffee shop and the hope that they¡¯d be quick. In the end, I was overly optimistic.


    The conference room was open when I arrived and I hadn¡¯t been there since my certification meeting earlier in the month. Captain Williams and Lieutenant Colonel Amin were chatting toward the back of the room with some empty coffee cups and the local news on one of the televisions.


    ¡°Greetings, I come bearing caffeine,¡± I said as I swept into the room with my iced coffee and a beverage holder. ¡°I think I got it right, but I apologize if I got your drinks wrong. I was hit with a crazy coffee craving and I caved. Also sorry I¡¯m late.¡±


    As usual, I was rambling which was always a tell that I was nervous. A better sign for my potential career was that Colonel Morales wasn¡¯t here.


    ¡°An iced caramel macchiato for you Captain, and a black and white for you Lieutenant Colonel,¡± I said while placing the drinks in front of them.


    ¡°Thank you, Dani, and you can use my callsign. It fits for a meeting like this where it''s official but not formal. Also, thank you for coming considering the day you¡¯ve had, and I¡¯d like to apologize for my tone earlier. While I will admit to some frustrations with you and how today played out I  should have had some consideration for you.¡±


    Taking a seat, I met her eyes and I could tell she was being honest with me. ¡°Thank you Astraea.¡±


    She acknowledged me with a nod before pressing a button on the desk and then leaning forward and lacing her fingers together while resting her elbows on the table. Astraea locked her gaze on me and the somewhat friendly demeanor evaporated in an instant. She stayed like that while waiting for the door the door to close, which after what felt like forever, finally did with a soft click.


    Astraea didn¡¯t waste any time once the door was closed. ¡°Captain Williams and I are very disappointed in some of the choices you made today. As part of the team that trained you, your actions are a direct reflection on us, and as such had hoped to see better discipline. While we understand you¡¯re not strictly military, you¡¯ve jeopardized your entire career before you even had your first mission and put the entire program at risk.¡±


    Oof. They weren''t wasting any time.


    ¡°You were correct on the phone earlier that Fox has checked in and he has already sent in a preliminary account. He noted that the situation turned out to be far more complicated than the initial assessment. We are currently trying to figure out the identity of the boy that was abducted. We¡¯re hoping we get a hit on facial recognition provided by Fox¡¯s helmet,¡± she explained and started typing on the display inlaid into the table.


    Basically what I¡¯m wondering is, if any of the tactical training and basic discipline actually stuck or if I wasted all those hours training you?¡± Captain Williams interjected with a very pointed look taking over the conversation while Astraea was busy with the console.


    ¡°No, Ma¡¯am,¡± I started to say.


    ¡°No, nothing stuck, or No I didn¡¯t waste my time?¡± she snapped.


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t waste your time. I know I went off protocol but when I saw what was happening I couldn¡¯t sit still and do nothing. We¡¯re supposed to be helping people and Fox indicated we wouldn¡¯t be deployed,¡± I fired back.


    Astraea had paused what she was doing and was now watching our exchange with an odd expression on her face that led me to believe that Captain Williams was currently off-script.


    ¡°Cut the bullshit PMC Walker. Do you think we¡¯re stupid? Your friends were in the mall during the attack. You didn¡¯t decide to go out of the goodness of your heart. You went out of a selfish desire to save your friends, so don¡¯t go trying to blow smoke up my ass of your altruistic intentions,¡± retorted Captain Williams.


    Anger flashed through my body and I felt my face get hot as I was on the verge of losing my temper, but before I said or did truly regrettably I remembered a quote Fox would use from time to time.


    ¡°Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.¡± by Robert Frost


    He said that he liked this quote from Robert Frost because it reminded him that sometimes the biggest obstacle to growth was our own emotions. Using that thought I pushed down my anger to a manageable ember so that I could hear what the Captain was saying rather than reacting.


    Taking a deep breath I answered her accusation, ¡°You¡¯re right. I won¡¯t sit here and try and deny that I wanted to save my friends. But, if my friends weren¡¯t in that mall then I might not have been where I could help people. Once I committed to going it was with every intention of helping everyone there, not just my friends. I admit that I royally screwed up how I handled everything and did not give the program, or all of you, the thought you deserved. I¡¯m ready to face the consequences of my actions but I don¡¯t regret them.¡±


    Captain Williams folded her arms and stared at me without saying a word for what felt like an eternity before finally saying a single word, ¡°Good.¡±


    My mind absolutely stuttered at that response before I responded with a very eloquent, ¡°Uh, what?¡±


    At this point, Astraea was now trying to hide a smile behind a hand as she looked at Captain Williams, who nodded fractionally in her direction.


    Breaking out in an obvious smile and with a shake of her head Astraea pointed at Captain Williams and said, ¡°Oh no, this is all you. Please continue.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but look between them with a bewildered expression. I had no idea what was going on or whether or not I was being punished or not.


    Captain Williams shot Astraea a dirty look before focusing on me again. ¡°The simple truth is you pissed off a lot of people today Dani. A whole PR launch had been planned for later in the week to introduce you and the team. Your reckless decision today took the shine off that apple at best, and ruined it at worst, depending on how your actions today are received.¡±


    ¡°The Secretary of Supernormal Affairs was scheduled to fly in to officially launch the team to the public,¡± Astraea interjected providing some context.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said and slumped back into my chair. My mind was racing at how shortsighted I¡¯d been. I¡¯d been told at every turn that the program reached the highest levels of government, but I¡¯d always disassociated myself from the political side. I''d always thought politics were for other people, but on the path I¡¯ve chosen, they really are intertwined.


    ¡°Right, but that¡¯s somewhat incidental. Mostly we just wanted to make our frustration clear in the hopes that you¡¯d think things through a bit more moving forward. Neither myself nor Captain Williams are recommending anything worse than an official warning and remedial classes about the chain of command and operational protocol,¡± Astraea explained. ¡°Seeing as this program is military adjacent and not strictly under the Department of Defense it should offer us some leeway. Granted, it¡¯s not entirely up to us, and The Department of Supernormal Affairs will have a say as well, of course. It¡¯s worth noting that Colonel Morales has been locked away in meetings since the operative with the white hair was confirmed active in this incident, so my gut tells me there¡¯s something bigger at play.¡±


    ¡°Dani, I¡¯m going to be candid for a moment,¡± started Captain Willaims after Astraea had finished.


    ¡°Never be afraid to have moral conviction. Blindly following orders will never suit you, and there may come a time when you will need to stand firm while it feels like the whole world is against you. You lack experience, and if we just roll up the rug the first time you make a mistake we¡¯d be pretty awful teachers. Just learn some finesse and how to pick your battles please,¡± Captain Williams said and then took a big swig of her coffee.


    Captain Williams was usually all business so it was rare for her to speak like this, and frankly, it threw me off a bit. Guarded was a good way to describe her, and while I didn¡¯t want to push my luck, I also couldn¡¯t miss an opportunity to get more of her thoughts.


    ¡°How do you handle orders or things you don¡¯t believe in,¡± Captain Willaims?


    She took a long pull on her coffee seemingly wrestling with how she wanted to answer before putting down the cup and meeting my gaze.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t join the army to be a blind robot that only follows orders if that¡¯s what you¡¯re wondering. One of the reasons I joined was that it allowed me to change my personal situation and the army seemed to reward hard work. I was fortunate to have some good mentors and they taught me that great leaders don¡¯t make you compromise your morals,¡± her voice trailed off a bit as she looked past me seeming lost in a memory for a moment.


    She started to crush her coffee cup a bit at the last part, but it seemed to snap her out of whatever memory her thoughts had taken her to. ¡°Also, sometimes as a leader that means stepping on a moral landmine to protect your squadmates. It¡¯s no secret that I didn¡¯t want this assignment, so I had to approach it from the perspective of trying to shield Fox and Brunner from the fallout from our previous unit. If we also have the opportunity to do good things at the same time, then all the better, and as long as I am here I will do everything in my power to carry out STAR¡¯s mission¡­your mission, to help protect those who need it. LIke I said, never be afraid to have moral conviction, but actions have consequences. Some you can see and some you can¡¯t. Just always be ready to answer for those actions and try not to drag others down with you.¡±


    Suddenly Astraea looked up from her screen, ¡°On that uplifting note, I just received notice that we''ve been placed on standby. Time to meet the team Star.¡±

 Chapter 17

    Astraea had dismissed me but made it clear that I was on call for a team briefing as soon as Fox returned. He was just about finished with the MCPD and was expected to return shortly. Not really having any idea what to do with myself and not wanting to socialize I made my way to the roof.


    For all the top secret stuff in the building, there was nothing special about the roof other than a small green space that one of the labs had established. It took up the center of the roof and consisted of a bunch of planters and trellis type installations. There were various gauges and some enterprising person had planted some herbs in one of the planters. I could smell mint, which I recognized because my mom liked to grow her own herbs on the kitchen window sill at home. It was a familiar smell that transported me back to my childhood.


    While the green space wasn¡¯t an official lounge there were still some benches that had been placed among the greenery, so I sat down on one that butted up against a trellis so I could lean my back against it. A quick glance told me I was alone and I double-checked that my phone was on before leaning back and closing my eyes. I still couldn¡¯t believe everything that had happened. It felt like more than I could process but after meeting with Astraea and Captain Williams I was resolved to learn and get better.


    I had fully planned to just chill for a bit and maybe reply to some texts but I must have dozed off at some point. When I woke the air was noticeably cooler although not enough to bother me as the last vestiges of dusk were just about to lose their battle against the night sky. Shaking off my drowsiness, I realized that my phone buzzing in my pocket was what had woken me up. Quickly digging the phone out of my pocket, I hit the answer button expecting to see Astraea on the caller ID. Instead, it read Captain Williams.


    ¡°Hello Captain, everything okay?¡± I greeted her.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine but Astraea was pulled into a meeting with the brass. Since Fox is back I¡¯m pulling the team together now. We¡¯re meeting in the training room. The main room, not the conference room,¡± she informed me.


    ¡°Roger, I¡¯ll be there shortly. Should I come in uniform or anything?¡± I asked. I really wasn¡¯t sure what kind of introduction she had planned and didn¡¯t want to get caught looking foolish. Especially, since I¡¯d only met one of the team members who weren¡¯t part of my training group.


    ¡°What you had on earlier should be fine, and I mean now Dani, no coffee detours,¡± came her no-nonsense reply.


    ¡°Understood. Besides, I¡¯m pretty sure they''re closed anyway. See you soon Captain,¡± ending the call but not before hearing the sigh on the other end.


    Why am I like this? I thought and started making my way down to the Training Room. It was a short trip but still would take a few minutes since I was on the roof and the training room was on sublevel five.


    When I entered the room I noticed a tired looking Fox was talking to Captain Williams by the ready room control panel. Fox noticed me walk in and nodded to Captain Willams who stopped what she was doing to address me.


    ¡°Thanks for getting here so quickly Dani. I just need a moment to finish syncing up my tablet with the room and we¡¯ll be right out, so please head out to the main area. Sergeant Moshner beat you here so you can go introduce yourself,¡± she instructed me before turning back to the control panel.


    I nodded my understanding before exiting into the main room of the training facility. With the lights on you could see all the movable objects and with the holoprojector being off it looked a lot like a half-finished video game level.


    Standing toward the center of the room was a tall woman slender woman with dirty blonde hair tied back in a regulation ponytail. She was wearing the blue duty fatigues that the base had adopted and every detail of her uniform looked crisp and precise. She was at ease and yet at the same time, it very much felt like she was at attention with the way she stood with her hands clasped behind her back.


    I took a breath to swallow my nerves and made my way over to Sergeant Moshner, trying not to look too awkward in the process .¡°Um, Hello. I¡¯m Dani. It looks like we¡¯ll be teammates,¡± I said introducing myself.


    Sergeant Moshner turned to face me and she had the most intense ice blue eyes which felt like they were inspecting every inch of me. I felt like a computer had just scanned me and assessed all my flaws. She couldn¡¯t be much older than me, but wow, was she intimidating.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Sergeant First Class Laurel Moshner. I¡¯ll be serving as the Intelligence Officer for the team,¡± she introduced herself with a crisp nod. Her voice was a bit deeper than average and her tone managed to somehow be both friendly and standoffish at the same time. Overall she was quite the striking presence.


    Before I could figure out what to say next, a new voice entered the room. ¡°Dani! I see you¡¯ve met Laurel. Don¡¯t let her intimidate you. There¡¯s actually a gooey center underneath that icy exterior!¡±


    The voice belonged to none other than, Sergeant Heidi Sprinklemann, who I had met previously, and evidently, she already knew Sergeant Moshner. For her part, Sergeant Moshner was wearing a pained smile as she watched the other woman approach.


    ¡°Hello, Heidi. I hope you¡¯ve been well,¡± Laurel greeted Heidi as she bounced to stop next to us.


    It was pretty interesting having two other women at my height. It wasn¡¯t uncommon to see women of taller than average height on the base, but on average at five-foot-nine, I was taller than most of my peers. This wasn¡¯t the case at the moment though as both Laurel and Heidi were at eye level with me. Laurel might be just a touch shorter but not enough to be meaningful. If you added Captain Williams to the mix, she just upped the average as she was taller than me by a bit.


    Out of the corner of my eye, I caught someone else entering the room and groaned audibly when I realized it was Chief Warrant Officer Brunner. Laurel must not have met him yet as she didn¡¯t have any reaction other than to give me a questioning look. Heidi for her part was on the same page as me as she rolled her eyes at the approaching Chief.


    ¡°Well, well, well, I wonder what I did to be so lucky to be assigned such lovely squadmates,¡± Brunner said while looking Laurel and Heidi up and down.


    ¡°The hell Brunner. Don¡¯t you have any manners,¡± I snarked at him.


    ¡°First off Walker, I wasn¡¯t talking to you. Second, it was a compliment. Something I''m sure you don¡¯t have much experience with,¡± Brunner shot back.


    I looked at Laurel and turned my back on the Chief knowing it would piss him off. ¡°You see Sergeant, Brunner and I have a long history of not getting along. It started when he hit on me as soon as we were introduced, I turned him down of course, and continued when he was then assigned as my primary weapons instructor. He¡¯s been butthurt about me turning him down ever since and unfortunately for both of us, his attitude hasn¡¯t improved. I¡¯m not being fair though, I should let you decide for yourself that he¡¯s the walking embodiment of the ¡®Sleazy Jock¡¯ stereotype.¡±


    ¡°Walker, you¡¯re a bitch,¡± he spit in response.


    ¡°Well gosh, that¡¯s not very professional Chief Brunner,¡± I said looking back over my shoulder with a fake smile.


    That caused Hiedi to break out a laugh which just further pissed off Brunner. The whole time Sergeant Moshner didn¡¯t give much away but observed everything. Still, I was sure I caught an undercurrent of annoyance at the big man when he called me a bitch.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s actually very competent for a meathead¡±, I added just to further needle Brunner and very much enjoyed seeing him scowl.


    Sergeant Moshner raised an eyebrow at that. ¡°Isn¡¯t he your superior officer?¡± Her training and respect for the chain of command were obviously at war with my flippant attitude.


    ¡°Yes he is, but good luck explaining that to this waste of taxpayer dollars. Don¡¯t worry ladies I¡¯ll do my best to watch your backs so that this little girl doesn¡¯t get you killed,¡± Brunner interjected with plenty of venom.


    His barb landed and I gave him a dirty look. His smirk told me that he knew it too.


    Heidi jumped in at that moment recognizing that we weren¡¯t getting off to the best start. ¡°So Laurel, how much of the team have you met.¡±


    Laurel took a second like she was mentally sifting through information before answering. ¡°I¡¯ve met Lieutenant Colonel Amin and Captain Williams who gave me a brief onboarding. I only arrived two days ago so I¡¯m not even really settled yet. I did meet Captain Zaymon who is helping with the logistics of getting the rest of my things from DC. I was scheduled to start meeting with officers this week which included Chief Brunner.¡±


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    ¡°Oh, that means you haven¡¯t met Andre yet. He came in earlier this week from somewhere out east. Our last member just arrived today so hopefully we¡¯ll get to meet her shortly,¡± Heidi added helpfully.


    ¡°Sounds like you know more than you¡¯re saying,¡± I said to her with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°I AM a Communications Officer. It¡¯s our sworn duty to stay informed,¡± she replied with a shit eating grin and a faux serious hands on her hips pose.


    Before we could continue to press Heidi for more information a tall and trim man with dark brown hair, and eyes entered the room. He was in the base casual fatigues and next to him was a very petite woman wearing army green casual wear who was looking around taking everything in. Her black hair was styled into a bob cut and her features spoke of some Asian heritage.


    ¡°Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Andre, get over here and introduce yourself and your new friend,¡± Heidi shouted to the man who was now identified as Andre.


    The man came over with a huge smile on his face. ¡°Bonjour! I¡¯m Andre Ricard, but everyone calls me Dre, and I¡¯ll be filling the Engineering Sergeant role on the team,¡± he said to the group before gesturing to the petite woman who walked in with him. ¡°I¡¯ll let this fine officer here introduce themselves.¡±


    ¡°Hello everyone, I¡¯m Alessandra White but I go by Alessa. I¡¯ll be acting as the team¡¯s Medical Officer,¡± she said with a hint of a New York accent.


    Hiedi who was already proving to be the social glue, jumped in to give introductions.


    ¡°I¡¯m Heidi Spinklemann the Communications Officer. Next to me here is Laurel Moshner, Intelligence Officer. Across from me is Chief Warrant Officer Nicholas Brunner who is also the unit''s Executive Officer, and lastly this lovely young lady is Dani Walker our PMC,¡± she finished with a wink at me.


    The introductions kicked off a round of hellos from everyone except Brunner who just gave a sullen nod. Fortunately, they were saved from having to explain why he was sulking by Captain Williams entering the room.


    ¡°Listen up everyone, I know it''s unorthodox to meet like this but we¡¯re an unorthodox unit, and unfortunately we don¡¯t have the time to do the usual team bonding,¡± she said getting everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°For those of you that I haven¡¯t met in person, I¡¯m Captain Williams, the detachment commander for this unit and your Commanding Officer. Chief Warrant Officer Brunner, who it seems you¡¯ve met, serves as Executive Officer, while Master Sergeant Takahashi, codename Fox, serves as our Operations Officer and rounds out unit leadership,¡± Captain Williams said gesturing to each man as she mentioned them.


    ¡°The long and short of it is that Dani and Fox stumbled into something bigger than a Supernormal kidnapping under the guise of a terrorist action today,¡± the Captain had activated the holographic projectors to display information as she was speaking showing the mall and the various data points.


    ¡°Our intelligence network has been working overtime since Fox and Dani confronted the white-haired woman who was present but hasn¡¯t been able to tell us much. What we do know is that her presence spooked every alphabet agency in North America due to her alleged involvement in multiple terrorist actions across the globe. This woman¡¯s presence on US soil has spurred interagency cooperation on a scale I can¡¯t ever recall seeing and now we know why. Today¡¯s mall incident was all a smokescreen for a political kidnapping,¡± she said making eye contact with everyone before displaying a picture of the little boy that was kidnapped.


    ¡°The boy who was kidnapped has been identified as Markus McGee age ten, and the son of Jeremy McGee, the Secretary of Supernormal Affairs. Secretary McGee is a Supernromal himself and has been a staunch ally of this very program. With Congress scheduled to vote on an appropriations bill that would continue to fund Supernormal programs including this very program, it¡¯s being viewed as an attempt to derail a key piece of Supernormal legislation. Somebody, somewhere doesn¡¯t want this bill passed and is willing to risk more than the usual bribes to make sure it fails.¡±


    ¡°Captain Williams, do we know who the white-haired woman is and what her motive may be? This all feels a bit extreme for a political play. It¡¯s awfully risky to run an op on this scale inside the country. What exactly is the endgame?¡± Sergeant Moshner spoke up while staring intently at the displayed information.


    Fox shared a look with Captain Williams who nodded and then keyed something into the tablet. ¡°We don¡¯t know exactly who this woman is just some vague intelligence referring to her as the Phantom Queen. From the bits and pieces we have been able to uncover she seems to work as a mercenary who specializes in destabilizing governments and her appearance is feared. Interestingly, while she has a very distinctive physical appearance, we only have eyewitness accounts of what she looks due to what we believe is a Supernormal ability that makes her invisible to technology,¡± as he spoke Fox continued to work the tablet.


    The projectors shifted to a video feed that I recognized as showing the mall and our showdown with the woman from Fox¡¯s point of view through his helmet. Where I knew there should be a woman, there was nothing but a slight distortion. You could see us reacting to her but you couldn¡¯t see her just the space she should have been. It was kind of creepy because my memory said she was there but the screens said otherwise.


    ¡°Captain Williams, Chief Brunner, and I have encountered her once before with our former unit and can corroborate her physical description. This Phantom Queen looks to be in her late twenties or early thirties, with blue eyes, above average height, an athletic build, and white hair that seems to be natural. In addition to being able to cloak herself from being recorded, Dani and I witnessed her being able to control some kind of constructs telekinetically as shields. Intelligence before today was unaware of this ability and while it was assumed that she was Delta class, today confirms it.¡±


    Captain Williams took over from Fox changing the display to show various images of a Hispanic man mostly dressed in expensive streetwear. ¡°While we have very little on the Phantom Queen, we do have a positive ID on the teleporter. His name is Sandalo Diaz a first generation citizen of Mexican immigrants. Sandalo is a known small time crook who occasionally moonlights as a mercenary operating under the name Sly-D.¡±


    ¡°While he has a rap sheet a mile long, it¡¯s mostly for minor felonies relating back to his teen years when his father was severely injured in a manufacturing accident causing the family to go into severe debt. When his teleportation ability manifested he began to use it to help his family by taking jobs from less than savory types. However, at some point, Sandalo became smarter about his activities and worked to create a reputation in his community as a Robin Hood type figure. By all accounts, he regularly gives back to his community and no longer aligns with any organization that would harm the community.¡±


    ¡°Considering his ability it will come as no surprise that he can be difficult to hold and do not be fooled he can be very dangerous. At some point, he has received some paramilitary training and knows how to fight. That said previous to the mall incident he has never operated on US soil as a mercenary, and while we do not have any confirmed records of him killing anyone, he is to be treated as a priority hostile,¡± Captain Williams punctuated the last part by looking each of us the eyes.


    ¡°To sum up, we have a priority hostage in the custody of a rogue supernormal. Any motive at this point is conjecture but we believe that Dani and Fox disrupted whatever their original plan was. Fortunately, Fox was able to get a tracker on the helicopter before it cloaked, and we¡¯ve tracked it to an abandoned Air Force base in the upper peninsula. We believe this was a fallback position and that the original plan most likely was to teleport the hostage to an alternate extraction vehicle while using the original mercenary team as a distraction. Once Fox and PMC Walker¡¯s presence was made known the Phantom Queen knew that her cover was blown and moved to terminate mercenary leadership and move to a contingency plan. Sergeant Moshner I would be interested in your assessment as an Intelligence Officer,¡±


    After being put on the spot, Laurel''s cheeks puffed up as she held her breath for a second as she organized her thoughts before blowing out the breath a few seconds later. ¡°I¡¯m not fully up to speed on all the data points but I would imagine the op was compartmentalized. The intel brief that I was able to read indicated that the mercenary group thought their primary objective was the Supernormal. Most likely they knew there was another operative in play but didn¡¯t know any details about the other side of the op, which was the abduction of Secretary McGee¡¯s son.¡±


    ¡°The mercenary group would have served as a distraction to hide the other op. If the Mercs pulled off their mission and extraction then whoever set this up gained a Supernormal asset in addition to a political hostage. The Phantom Queen would have exfilled during the confusion in the aftermath with the boy, but Fox¡¯s presence derailed that plan. Fox could ID her and his presence meant that US agencies were now involved including the military. My guess is that they were hoping to keep it local if possible and exfil before any escalation to Agency or Military involvement. I would theorize that the backup plan was, as you stated, to terminate the Merc leadership and leave the rest to their fate as they wouldn¡¯t know anything anyway. Get as much distance as possible, as quickly as possible to a backup exfill location. In this case a remote location with little agency or local resources. They will be moving with urgency, and we may already be too late even with Fox getting the tracker on Helo,¡± Laurel finished with a nod to the Captain.


    ¡°Very good Sergeant Moshner. That¡¯s the general assessment of our intelligence unit as well, but we¡¯ve had a stroke of good luck. A late spring snowstorm has swept into the area and is causing chaos with travel in the area, giving us our window to deploy on a rescue mission. Operational security is tight on this and we as a unit are officially on alert status.¡±


    Captain Williams took a moment to look at everyone before continuing. ¡°Again to be clear this is not the welcome we wanted for all of you, and I certainly wouldn¡¯t want my first mission with a new unit to be under these circumstances. We are untested and untried, and will undoubtedly be going into a dangerous situation. Knowing this, if anyone wants to recuse themselves no judgments or remarks will be made. Your official record will not reflect your ever being asked or assigned to this mission.¡±


    The soldiers around me just looked surprised for a moment before everyone stole glances at each other to see if anyone would opt out. A strange flutter of anxiety ran through me as I realized this was the point of no return and I did my best to clamp down on that anxiety.


    ¡°With all due respect Captain, shut the hell up and tell us what, where, and when,¡± Brunner answered in the silence.


    There was a flash of something that flitted across Captain Williams''s face before she looked right at me. ¡°What about you PMC Walker? This is it. You can walk away from all this right now, no repercussions. Are you in?¡±


    The way Captain Williams said the last part felt like a challenge and it irritated me. The anxiety that had settled into me was burnt away in a flare of anger at the challenge


    ¡°I¡¯m in, let¡¯s go get Markus,¡± I said with some heat.

 Chapter 18

    Captain Williams nodded back to me in response with a strange expression that almost looked like relief while behind her Fox had the tiniest of smirks on his face before he quickly schooled his expression.


    ¡°Excellent, and thank you everyone. As of this moment, you are now part of the Project American Star program. Specifically, you are assigned to the tactical arm of the program designated as the Supernormal Tactics and Response team. The STAR team is made up of two components, a Special Forces Unit and PMC Walker.¡±


    ¡°Officially everyone in this room not named PMC Walker is now assigned to Wolf Unit. Wolf unit is a blended Human/Supernormal Unit, so some of you have abilities, some of you don¡¯t, but all of you are the best of the best. When I was given leeway to name our new unit, I wanted to honor the name of our former unit in which Fox, Brunner, and I served. We were Hound Unit, a bunch of dogs that ran together. When thinking about this unit I wanted something better for us. A name that evoked even stronger bonds and a name that will let us forge our own legacy. I want this unit to work and grow together like a pack. To stand and fall together, each of us strengthening the pack,¡± Captain Williams explained all this while walking slowly to stand with Fox and Brunner. Something passed between them before she continued.


    ¡°I will serve as your Detachment Commander and will carry the callsign of Wolf One. Chief Warrant Officer Nicholas Brunner serves as my Assistant Detachment Commander carrying the callsign of Wolf Two,¡± she said waving in Brunner¡¯s direction. ¡°I have high expectations of Chief Brunner and know he will do everything he can to support the unit.¡±


    ¡°Lastly, Master Sergeant Ken Takahara, Fox, will serve as our Operations Officer and rounds out team leadership as third in command. As I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed, Fox does not carry the ¡®Wolf¡¯ designation. While Fox is assigned to the unit officially he is still tied to SpecOps Command as a special operator and may be called into service at their request and there there retains a special designation. Additionally, Fox will function as a combat instructor while on base and all of you will at some point enjoy his¡­training.¡±


    I winced at the loaded way she said the word training having already experienced Fox¡¯s training sessions. He still managed to put me through my paces even with above average endurance. Heidi must have heard the rumors or talked to someone who had trained with Fox as I caught her quick grimace at the word training.


    ¡°I would be remiss if I didn¡¯t give an overview of the Command Chain above us. I¡¯ll start at the top with base commander Colonel Reginald Morales who carries the callsign of Jupiter, followed by Lieutenant Colonel Rupal Amin, callsign Astraea. Lieutenant Colonel Amin serves as our direct liaison to Colonel Morales. Additionally, she serves as the Public Relations Officer for the Program. She is someone you¡¯d do well to make friends with,¡± Captain Williams made a point to pause for effect on explaining Astraea¡¯s role.


    ¡°Doctor Anna Robinson who carries the rank of Major is the head of the base medical corps and directly supports our unit and the Medical Sergeant. Major Maxwell Ziet, callsign Whiskey, serves as our base Operations Officer and will support the unit Operations and Intelligence Officers. Lastly in order, but not in importance, is Captain Ian Zaymon our Quartermaster. Captain Zaymon goes by the callsign, Backpack, and there may be no more important officer on this base. You¡¯d do well to remember to treat him accordingly if you¡¯d like to get anything in a timely manner. Okay, that was a lot. Does anyone have any questions?¡± Captain Williams finished her run down with her hands spread inviting questions.


    ¡°Captain Williams thank you for the overview. I¡¯m sure that will be helpful as we settle in but what are our callsigns?¡± asked Laurel.


    ¡°Thank you Sergeant Moshner. I was getting to that but since you asked, I¡¯ll just get to it,¡° she answered..


    ¡°Sergeant First Class Alessandra White will serve as the unit Medical Officer, Callsign Wolf Three, ability Empathic Touch. Sergeant Andre Ricard serves as our Engineering Officer, Callsign Wolf Four. Sergeant First Class Laurel Moshner fills the role of Intelligence Officer, Callsign Wolf Five. Finally, rounding out Wolf Unit is Sergeant Heidi Spinklemann our Communications Officer, Callsign Wolf Six. Any questions?¡±


    There were none and each officer had simply nodded at their newly assigned callsign as it was given.


    ¡°Last but not least is the final member of the tactical team, Danielle Walker, Callsign Star. Officially Miss Walker is a Private Military Contractor and holds no rank, however, if you are astute you may have noticed a recurring theme around the word ¡®Star¡¯. PMC Walker here is the original ¡®Star¡¯ and the genesis from which this program was formed. She is a Quantum level Supernormal and Miss Walker has spent the last two years training with myself, Fox, and Chief Brunner in military protocol and first response to deploy as a First Responder. While under the banner of the STAR Team, we will work together, but make no mistake, Wolf Unit is deployed in support of Miss. Walker and her role as a First Responder.


    Forcing a nervous smile on my face I looked at Wolf Unit. ¡°No worries guys, remember you can call me Dani, and we¡¯re all going to do our best right? I¡¯ll be sure to do my best for you as well. A rising tide lifts all boats,¡± I finished in the lamest way possible.


    My true ability of being a huge dork must of sparked the right amount of humor because Heidi broke out in a giggle while Alessa had a smile on her face. Even Laurel who seemed to not show much emotion had a smirk but it was all topped off by Andre who hit me with a wink and shot finger guns my way.


    I did notice Brunner roll his eyes before crossing his arms and looking angry, but then again, anything about me usually had that effect on him.


    ¡°Thank you Dani. Just to make sure I¡¯ve covered all of my bases, the final part of the Project American Star program consists of the Supernormal Theory and Advance Research Project. This consists of the original research program that was formed after Miss. Walker manifested. They represent the leading edge of Supernormal research and will be providing us with technical support and R&D while we share operational data with them. For context, Dani has been working with Dr. Rokker and his team since she was eleven years old. Multiple breakthroughs in the understanding of Supernormals have come from their research. I share this just in case anyone wants to question PMC Walkers or the non-military staffs'' dedication,¡± Captain Williams explained to the group.


    I was confused by the tone until she said the last part directly at Brunner and I understood this was her way of getting ahead of him and his negativity toward me. The Captain has probably had to hear his complaints more than once and whatever her feelings this was her way of subtly saying to the new members I don¡¯t support his negativity.


    ¡°Alright while I¡¯ve been stalling Fox has been setting up a quick rundown of the plan if we get the green light to deploy,¡± and with that, Captain Williams gestured for Fox to take over.


    ¡°Thank you, Captain, as has already been explained our targets are military-trained and highly dangerous. Before our tracker went dark, we were able to ascertain that they had relocated to an abandoned Air Force Station located on the Keweenaw Peninsula in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This particular base does not have an airstrip but does have an old helipad as well as close access to Lake Superior. It wouldn¡¯t take much to get onto a boat and then find their way into Canada if they weren¡¯t planning to exfil by air,¡± Fox explained all this while bringing up images of the area on the projectors.


    Changing the display to show a large weather pattern moving into the area. ¡°As we mentioned earlier we¡¯ve gotten a stroke of luck in the form of a late season snow storm that is impacting the area. The storm hit a few hours after they landed and it¡¯s our belief they were effectively grounded and did not have enough time to move to the next phase of their exfil. Lake effect snow is expected to drag out the timeline of the storm into late tomorrow so we are going to use this as our window to mount a rescue operation.¡±


    ¡°Sir, if I may, how are we going to get up there if the weather is so bad that their chopper is grounded?¡± asked Andre.


    ¡°I did mention the R & D department, right? Turns out we have an experimental VTOL transport prototype that just happens to be decked out in the latest stealth gear here on base and we¡¯ve been given emergency authorization to use it. It kind of looks like a drone ate a helicopter. The rotors are internal and I¡¯m assured they will hold up to weather for the time we are exposed,¡± explained Captain Williams.


    ¡°That solves us getting up there but how will we see through the weather if the conditions are that bad? They most certainly will have some kind of monitoring for electronic signals,¡± Laurel asked in follow-up to Andre''s question.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve come up with what we hope is a solution to that. Since we already know the location of the base we don¡¯t have to waste time locating it, so it¡¯s the approach we¡¯ll be concerned with due to the lack of intel. We¡¯ll make full use of the stealth capabilities of the craft so hopefully they are what we¡¯ve been promised. Still in order to get on target and stay as passive as possible we¡¯re planning to be guided in by laser.¡±


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    ¡°How will that be possible if the plan is for us to go in passively. We¡¯d be lighting up their monitoring by painting the location with a laser,¡± Heidi stated this time. Her communications training kicked in as the conversation veered into her specialty.


    Fox changed the projection to remove the weather overlaid over the base. ¡°The radar equipment at the base was stripped out years ago when it closed so whatever detection equipment they have they¡¯ve brought with them. Taking into consideration the average range of portable radar systems and the weather we¡¯re going to deploy Star with a laser beacon at twenty-five klicks. She¡¯ll fly in low following the road until she gets to the base. Once at the base, she¡¯ll need to approach with caution and plant the beacon in a location where we can land the craft.¡±


    My eyebrows rose into my hairline at the revelation that I¡¯d be deployed in the vanguard position. ¡°Fox, what happens if I get spotted? Should I fight back?¡±


    Fox nodded at my question. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what we are hoping will happen, and exactly why I¡¯ll be going with you. Your primary role is to plant the beacon, but upon achieving that, you¡¯ll serve as a distraction for me to infiltrate. There are a lot of buildings and places they could be holed up but our bet is on the old administration building. There is still power to some of the base due to a cell tower being located on the grounds and that would be the most logical place.¡±


    ¡°If I can locate the boy I will attempt to extract him if possible, but more specifically you¡¯re going to hold the landing zone and protect the team¡¯s landing. Once on the ground, Captain Williams will provide orders, but in the gap you will have to use your best judgment. Once the rest of the team arrives they will begin search and suppression. Remember we don¡¯t have intel so we¡¯re going in blind, which means teamwork and communication will be vital,¡± Fox said letting the gravity of the situation sink in.


    ¡°Alright, so hopefully everyone has a good idea of the overall mission. Once we deploy callsigns only, and we¡¯ve designated Markus as ¡®MacGuffin¡¯ for this operation. Fox and Star will deploy as Scout and Vanguard. Once we¡¯ve landed Wolves Four and Six will stay with the craft. In the event the LZ is hot, you are to pull back to a safe location and wait for further instructions. Wolf Six will be running communications and countermeasures while Wolf Four will handle operations onsite for this mission,¡± Captain Williams handed out a mission packet to each of us as our names were mentioned.


    ¡°Wolves Two, Three, and Five will be with me on search and suppression. We¡¯ll pair off with Two and Three together and Five with me. Star I will give you more specific direction based on the situation once we arrive. Your tactical uniforms have been delivered to your quarters and any specialty gear is being delivered to the hanger. I know this isn¡¯t ideal and I wish we had been able to get some time together to work out any kinks but all of you are professionals and I know you¡¯ll do your jobs. Let¡¯s look out for each other and talk to each other. It seems fate has decided that trial by fire is the crucible upon which this unit will be forged. You are all dismissed to get changed into your tactical uniforms and to grab anything else you need. Please meet at the hangar ready room on subfloor two in twenty minutes,¡± Captain Williams instructed everyone.


    We all started to shuffle toward the exit with a palpable nervous energy collectively rolling through us. Considering most of us were strangers and here we were already getting deployed, I don¡¯t think I could have ever imagined how things would actually turn out when I signed on.


    ¡°Hold on everyone!¡± Captain Wiliams called out before we had filtered out of the training room. ¡°I¡¯ve just received word from Lieutenant Amin that the mission is go. We are airborne within the hour. Get moving!


    Everyone but unit leadership immediately dispersed, and by dispersed, I mean we all immediately got into the same elevator at the end of the hall. We were all headed to subfloor three where our quarters were located so we had to go up two floors to get there. I knew Heidi was near my quarters but I wondered if the rest of the team would be nearby as well.


    ¡°I gotta say this unit is already shaping up to be more exciting than I anticipated,¡± joked Andre while we rode up to our floor. ¡°Brunner seems fun.¡±


    ¡°He¡­really rubs me the wrong way, and I¡¯m probably pushing it with how I talk to him. From what Fox and the Captain say he¡¯s a good soldier and I know firsthand that he knows his weapons systems. While I have my own thoughts, I¡¯ll try to let you form your own opinions,¡± I replied earnestly to Andre¡¯s joke.


    I didn¡¯t want my new squadmates to think I was overly antagonistic and it wasn¡¯t my place to poison their opinion. My Mom would have my hide for doing that, but I also knew I had every right to stand my ground considering my own experience with Brunner. My Dad would say that you don¡¯t have to be friends with or agree with someone to be professional. It was a standard that I strived for but often fell short of. It was also somewhat Dad¡¯s fault because I got the majority of my smart mouth from him. Not that he would never admit it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it Dani. We¡¯re all professionals and we¡¯ll figure out our dynamic soon enough, but I don¡¯t think you have to worry,¡± Hiedi said in reply as the elevator doors opened.


    The personnel quarters in this area were set up with a main hallway and smaller hallways that branched off of it. I turned down the hallway where my quarters were located and it turned out that we had indeed been grouped together. Heidi was across from me with Alessa next to her, and Laurel was next to me with Andre on the other side of her.


    ¡°C¡¯est le fun! We¡¯re all together,¡± Andre exclaimed when it became apparent we were all living near each other. ¡°This will make team bonding easier.¡±


    Andre¡¯s good nature was infectious and you couldn¡¯t help but smile. I noticed the others smiling as well.


    ¡°There will be time for that later, but right now we¡¯d better get ready,¡± Laurel said bringing us back to business.


    ¡°You got it ma ch¨¨re,¡± Andre said cheekily to Laurel with a wink before ducking into his quarters.


    Laurel just looked at the space Andre had vacated with a frosty expression before turning and entering her room without a word. Hiedi however found the exchange hilarious and burst out laughing before getting enough control of herself to say, ¡°See you at the ready room,¡± before disappearing as well.


    Alessa had been watching the shenanigans with an amused expression on her face and made eye contact with me. I had nothing to offer so I just shrugged and entered my room.


    After shutting my door I noticed a case sitting a few feet into my quarters. I placed it on the table and noted that it had STAAR stamped on the lid which meant that it was from Dr. Rokker and the research team. I popped the latches to find a new uniform folded away neatly inside with a card that read All Weather Prototype. I pulled out the first piece of the uniform and noted that it still had the same general design but with some differences.


    For one, the base layer was all one piece rather than the two pieces that I designed. It was basically a white full-body suit with red stripes that ran up the sides of the uniform like my regular one except they continued into the shoulders, unlike my regular top. One noticeable difference was that the red stripes had an almost metallic texture and were segmented horizontally the length of the suit. They had a vague resemblance to solar panels in an abstract way. The same one-piece shoe system was present in the legs of the suit.


    Deciding that I should probably get moving, I tossed the base layer back into the case with the card and moved everything to my bedroom. I placed the case on the bed and then laid out the different components of the uniform. The card had instructions on its back with the recommended order for putting on each component and how a few things worked.


    There was the base layer, a pair of red fingerless gloves with an interesting design on the palms, a black bolero jacket with my signature three stars across the shoulders with white trim at the collar and cuffs, and lastly an interesting cape-cloak combo in my regular blue color. All in all, it was a pretty interesting remix of my usual uniform. The black bolero jacket was especially interesting and I wasn¡¯t sure why they chose black instead of my usual blue. Sadly, I didn¡¯t have time to dwell on the fashion of it all as I was on the clock to get changed.


    I made sure to put on fresh underwear and some deodorant though. If something went very wrong I hoped they could at least say ¡®she had on clean underwear¡¯. I put the base layer on first and noted that the fabric was a little sturdier than the uniform I wore at the mall. Next came the bolero jacket which covered my shoulders to just above my bust and my arms. When I looked in the mirror I had to admit I looked nice and the way it was cut mimicked the design of my two piece uniform top.


    Last came the cape which was cut completely differently than my regular cape. It was cut more like a cloak and it draped down the front of the uniform at my shoulders. It had two anchor points at the collar that looked like they would break away under enough force. The cape was admiral blue with a single large white star on the front where it covered the bolero jacket and the edges were trimmed in white, and in a bit of surprise, it had a hood. When I checked the mirror I finally understood why the bolero jacket was black. With the cape on, the colors all landed in the same location as my regular design. Blue shoulders, red and white stripes on the body with black arms. It wasn¡¯t a perfect recreation but that clearly wasn¡¯t the intent of whoever designed it.


    I double-checked all the bits and bobs like the wrist panel interface to make sure they worked and then checked the case to see if there was an earpiece. Sure enough in a spot by the lid was the wireless earpiece that would work with the suit¡¯s communication gear. Next to it was the backup receiver that I put into the hidden pouch in the waistband. The last thing I found was a small case that held a pair of glasses that were slightly reflective and a small folded red cloth that on further inspection was a face mask.


    I put the glasses back in the case and realized I only had a few minutes before I was expected to meet everyone at the ready room. I quickly ducked into the bathroom and brushed my hair getting it in order before putting it in a ponytail to keep it out of the way. I debated taking my phone but realized that with the microcomputer in my suit panel, I didn¡¯t need it, so with everything in order I set off to the ready room.

 Chapter 19

    It had ended up taking longer than expected to get my uniform on so I found myself rushing down the hallway toward my destination cursing under my breath and hoping I wouldn''t be late. Fortunately, I made it to the ready room with a minute to spare and rushed in, my cape swirling behind me. I wasn¡¯t familiar with this particular room but it turned out that, ''ready room'', was just a different way of saying conference room, and inside was just another room with a table with chairs around it.


    As I took in the room, I dejectedly realized I was the last person to arrive. My team was already seated around the table along with Lieutenant Colonel Amin and Colonel Morales. Wolf Unit was looking sharp in black tactical body suits with various harnesses for weapons or tools. They also wore bolero jackets in a dark navy color with a Wolf Unit patch on the right shoulder and the American Flag on the other. On their left breast was a solid White Star, while on their right was their last name. Fox was the outlier as his uniform was a completely custom tactical armor in the same black and navy colors but without any unit designations. His helmet was sitting on the table in front of him looking menacing.


    I quickly took a seat in a chair that was open between Andre and Alessa. ¡°Whoo, well look at you ma ch¨¨re,¡± Andre whispered to me as I sat down.


    ¡°Alright let''s get started,¡± Colonel Morales announced to the room as soon as I was seated. ¡°I¡¯m aware that Captain Williams has already covered the basics. What I can add is that the decision to send you in was not an easy one, but was one that Secretary McGee ultimately signed off on. The political ramifications are massive not only because this is a high profile attack directly on a member of the US Government but because should you fail this will further destabilize the unrest surrounding Supernormal politics. To put it bluntly, the President wants this handled,¡± the Colonel finished gravely.


    Lieutenant Colonel Amin took a cue from the Colonel and stood up to speak to the room. ¡°I know Captain Williams covered the mission parameters but Major Ziet will go over last minute details,¡± she said before pressing a button on the table she was holding.


    Major Ziet entered the room and walked crisply up the the Lieutenant Colonel who just nodded and handed him the tablet before sitting back down. Major Ziet touched the tablet and a screen built into the wall activated. On the screen was a satellite image of the abandoned base.


    ¡°Officially this is Calumet Air Force Station located in the Upper Peninsula. Specifically the Keweenaw Peninsula near the town of Phoenix, Michigan. The station was decommissioned in 1988 and formerly housed the 665th Radar Squadron operating as part of Air Defense Command. The good news is that it¡¯s isolated so there will be minimum risk to civilians. The downside is that it sits at the top of Mount Horace Greeley which is one of the highest elevations in Michigan at 1540 feet above sea level.¡±


    ¡°This means sightlines will not be in your favor and any radar they have will be at an advantage. Staying on the hard deck will be vital to the approach. The site itself is over one hundred acres but the actual footprint of the base is much smaller,¡± Major Ziet explained while zooming in on the buildings that made up the heart of the base.


    ¡°As you can see there are a lot of buildings still standing. Not all of them have power but you will need to be cautious. This area here where one of the radar towers was converted to a cell phone tower is our best guess as to where your hostiles will be located,¡± he explained while drawing on a circle around the specific building on the tablet that showed up on the screen.


    Major Ziet then switched the screen so that a weather map was overlaid over the top of the location. ¡°As you can see the snowstorm has settled into the region bringing with it lake effect snow bands that are expected to last late into the day, thus giving us our window of opportunity. The road leading up the base will be a tight fit for the transport craft, but it will be the only way under these conditions to stay under any radar they might have. Total snowfall is expected to be in the ballpark of a foot so you¡¯re not going to want to walk.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but what is the transport craft?¡± Andre asked


    ¡°Apologies Sergeant Ricard. The Reconnaissance and Advanced Insertion Drone, aka the RAID., is the VTOL craft that will be your ride. As you will note the word ¡®Drone¡¯ is in its name, it is capable of autonomous and remote deployment but under these conditions, It will be crewed by two of the test pilots for the RAID program. It¡¯s armed with twenty-millimeter cannons in addition to a full stealth suite and countermeasures. Unfortunately, we weren¡¯t able to get anything else mounted in time. Honestly, it will make more sense once you see it,¡± the Major said with a smile.


    ¡°Are there any questions? No, okay then I¡¯ll finish up. We still believe that they are holed up in the base. Our satellites haven¡¯t shown any traffic in or out since we tracked them. If they had planned to refuel the helicopter or change vehicles the weather turning so quickly seems to have caught them by surprise,¡± the Major finished with a nod.


    ¡°Thank you Major Ziet. Base command will of course continue to monitor the situation and provide any intel we can. Overwatch will be provided by myself or Major Ziet. Please review your mission packets while in the air. Captain Williams you and your team are dismissed and your gear is staged in the hanger,¡±


    ¡°Good luck STAR Team and bring that little boy home,¡± slipped in Colonel Morales as we left the ready room.


    Captain Williams led us to an elevator at the end of the hallway which we took down to the hanger itself. I had never been in this part of the base and was kind of lost for where it was located in relation to the layout of the base outside of understanding we were underground.


    The elevator opened up into the hanger. It was about what you¡¯d expect when you hear someone say ¡®hangar¡¯. It was a big rectangular open space with mechanical bays at the edges and various workstations scattered about with a big metal door on the wall furthest away from us. There was only one craft in the hangar, and it was a hell of a craft.


    The RAID really did look like a quad drone mashed together with a helicopter. It had a sleek white body with two drone-like wings that smoothly melted out of the main body to hold the propulsion units. The rear of the craft was a tail with stabilizer fins and what looked like more engines of some kind. It was a large craft and since it was VTOL capable it sat on landing skids instead of wheels. No markings were marred the surface of the craft anywhere that would identify it.


    ¡°Whooo, that¡¯s a beauty,¡± exclaimed Andre as we moved into the hangar. ¡°I might have to get certified to fly that beautiful lady.¡±


    ¡°I have a feeling that¡¯s going to depend on us not denting grandpa¡¯s car and returning it in one piece. Grandpa being Doctor Rokker in this analogy,¡± I said jokingly.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to tell him you said that,¡± Lieutenant Colonel Amiin said as she joined us.


    ¡°Sooo, somebody said something about getting our gear?¡± I deadpanned in response.


    ¡°Over here. We¡¯ll start loading as soon as everyone has checked over their loadout. If anything is missing let me know and we¡¯ll remedy the problem,¡± said the tall man with dark hair. His eyes held a playfulness to them that made him instantly likable.


    ¡°For those of you who are new, this is Captain Zaymon our quartermaster. He goes by the callsign Backpack. If you need something and he can¡¯t get it, it probably doesn¡¯t exist,¡± Captain Williams said to the team by way of introduction.


    ¡°Why thank you, Captain Williams. Now I¡¯ve already planned for your specialties. Sergeant White, I¡¯ve received your medical pack and diagnostic equipment from Dr. Robinson. Please double check that it¡¯s accurate to your specialty. There will also be some additional supplies loaded onto the RAID,¡± he said pointing to a bench holding specialty gear.


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    ¡°Thank you,¡± Wolf Three acknowledged the Quartermaster while making her way to the bench and inspecting her gear.


    ¡°Sergeant Spinklemann, the mission brief states that you will be staying onboard the RAID, but I¡¯ve made sure to have your gear prepped as well just in case. You¡¯ll find your communications pack and AR glasses on the bench next to Sergeant White. Your AR glasses are compatible with the RAID¡¯s onboard communication suite so it should be seamless for you to interface with the RAID¡¯s systems.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, sir,¡± Heidi responded before joining Sergeant White.


    Captain Zaymon gave her a wave as she moved off to her gear. ¡°Captain Williams, Chief Brunner, Sergeants Ricard you can grab your communications gear and any additional standard issue gear from the station behind me. Your weapons have already been loaded onto the RAID and are secured in the weapons locker. Cold weather gear has been stowed as well. PMC Walker and Master Sergeant Takahashi I understand that you both already have your gear but if you need anything please let me know,¡± Captain Zaymon finished before stepping out of their way to stand next to Lieutenant Amin.


    The team busied themselves checking over their gear or adding bits and pieces based on personal preference. Fox wandered over at some point to look at what was available as well, but I didn¡¯t need anything extra so I stayed off to the side and observed. Heidi and Alessa came over to stand with me after a bit having finished checking their gear. Heidi had a backpack with her that had a bunch of extra electronics and was now wearing what I assumed were the previously mentioned AR glasses. Alessa had various pouches strapped to her belt that carried the medical red cross symbol.


    ¡°Cool glasses,¡± I quipped to Heidi while we waited for everyone to finish up.


    ¡°Yes they are. Would you like to see me use them to hack into your phone?¡± was her deadpan response.


    ¡°Um, no not really,¡± I responded somewhat bewilderedly.


    It must have shown on my face because she put a hand on my shoulder before breaking into a big grin. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding Dani. You give off such amazing little sister energy I can¡¯t help but want to tease you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. I think?¡±


    The rest of the team had started drifting back toward us when Captain Williams called us to attention.


    ¡°Starting now it¡¯s codenames only until the mission is complete,¡± Lieutenant Colonel Amin told the group. ¡°As a reminder, my codename is Astraea and the Colonel is Jupiter. Now, please perform a systems check on your suit¡¯s onboard processor and then radio check that your communications are functioning for Overwatch.¡±


    ¡°Wolf Leader, radio check,¡± Captain Williams said as she went first.


    ¡°This is Overwatch, I read you 5 by 5,¡± came the return over the earbud in my ear as Captain Williams checked off. The rest of the team then checked off in order until it was my turn.


    ¡°Star, radio check,¡± I said into the mic pickup in my collar. ¡°This is Overwatch, I read you 5 by 5 Star.¡±


    And just like that, we were ready to go. As I looked around the hangar I noticed almost all the activity had stopped. Astraea led us over to the loading ramp in the back of the RAID where two officers stood with helmets under their arms.


    ¡°These two gentlemen will be your pilots for this mission. They are veteran pilots and are part of the RAID program so they are very familiar with the craft and its capabilities. Their callsigns for this mission are Sentinel and Dreamboy,¡± Astraea introduced us to our pilots with Sentinel being the shorter of the two by a few inches.


    ¡°Presently STAR is only cleared to use callsigns due to the RAID program being classified, but I assure you, they are both decorated pilots.¡±


    Dreamboy gave us a big smile before saying, ¡°Welcome aboard the RAID. You¡¯re in for a treat, because once you fly the RAID everything else just fades.¡±


    Sentinel sighed and let out a painful sounding sigh at his fellow pilot. ¡°Please ignore him and come aboard,¡± Sentinel said while leading us up the ramp.


    ¡°I like you gar?on de r¨ºve,¡± I heard Wolf Four say as I walked up the ramp and into the RAID.


    The inside of the RAID was pretty spacious all things considered. The pilots sat up front while there were two stations behind them on the sides of the craft. Various storage bins and lockers were placed around the exterior of the cabin, with nine seats arranged three to a row down the center in the passenger cabin. The RAID could still accommodate a small vehicle or equipment behind the seats if needed.


    The pilots moved to the front of the craft with Sentinel taking the left pilot seat. He immediately began punching buttons and entering things on a touchscreen panel while Dreamboy turned to address us. ¡°Again welcome aboard, make yourselves at home. You can stow whatever you need to in the storage lockers. The weapons locker and the locker with your winter gear are labeled.¡±


    ¡°Wolf Six I¡¯ve been informed you¡¯ll be running communications on this operation so if you¡¯d please take the Comm station,¡± Dreamboy said while indicating the station behind his pilot seat on the right side of the craft.


    ¡°Wolf Five you can take Ops station on the opposite side unless Wolf Leader you would prefer to set up there?¡± he asked Captain Williams while indicating an empty station behind Sentinel.


    ¡°Thank you for your consideration but Wolf Five is Ops for the mission so he should familiarize himself with the station. Whiskey will be coordinating with him during the OP,¡± Wolf Leader explained to the pilot.


    ¡°You got it,¡± Dreamboy answered with a smile. ¡°Last thing then before we get this bird in the air. Emergency egress points are marked and I suggest you memorize their locations. There are a few conveniences on this ride, namely a head and a small, and I do mean small, galley. Lastly, there is a med bay recessed into the floor behind the seats in case of wounded, but I very much hope none of y¡¯all need it. Now buckle in and we¡¯ll get this show on the road.¡±


    With his explanation finished Dreamboy took his seat next to Sentinel and started going through their pre-flight procedures. Wolves Five and Six took their positions at the Ops and Comms stations after stowing their gear. Wolf Leader, Wolf Two, and Fox took the first row of seats leaving the rest of us to sit behind them. Wolf Five sat behind Wolf Leader on my far left with Wolf Three taking the seat in the middle next to me behind Wolf Two leaving me behind Fox on the right. From where I was I could see Wolf Six at her station and her hands were flying over the touchscreen with a faint glow coming from her glasses.


    I had stowed my cape so I didn¡¯t have to worry about buckling the safety harness around it and was briefly amused by the realization that of everyone here I was the least likely to need it. After getting buckled in, I looked over at my row mates and found Wolf Five almost completely expressionless and calm, while Wolf Three looked nervous.


    ¡°Jitters?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Every time,¡± was her reply with a half-hearted smile.


    ¡°Well I¡¯m happy to know I¡¯m not alone,¡± I said to her and held up my fist for a fist bump.


    She bumped my fist but said, ¡°Yeah, but at least you''re bulletproof.¡±


    ¡°Mostly bulletproof,¡± I said with a wince to the shorter woman.


    Suddenly the RAID thrummed as whatever powered the craft came to life. The craft was remarkably silent in the cabin as the rotors spun up. ¡°Preflight checks complete, all systems show green,¡± Dreamboy said from the co-pilot''s seat.


    ¡°Acknowledged,¡± Sentinel replied to his Co-Pilot before speaking over to the comm system. ¡°Overwatch, all systems green. Requesting clearance to launch.¡±


    ¡°RAID, permission granted. Airspace is being cleared along your launch vector. Hold for confirmation once clear of the hanger,¡± Overwatched replied.


    ¡°Roger that, Overwatch,¡± answered Sentinel to the instructions.


    The ramp behind closed with a thunk and then the craft rose from the deck of the hanger. The pilots smoothly pushed the craft forward toward the big doors that were slowly opening. The RAID pushed out past the doors which opened into a shaft. The pilots transitioned the craft to a vertical assent and we slowly emerged from the underground hanger and into the night sky. The hanger had been cleverly disguised under a pond at the back of the complex. I was stunned that it had been there all this time and that I had no idea.


    The RAID held its position after exiting the hangar for a few moments before Overwatch broke in, ¡°FAA confirms, airspace is clear.¡±


    ¡°Understood Overwatch. Beginning climb to cruising altitude,¡± Sentinel replied to the confirmation. Suddenly we were all pressed back into our seats as Sentinel opened up the engines and began the climb to the RAID¡¯s cruising altitude.


    ¡°Whoo, I love this part,¡± exclaimed Dreamboy


    The comm came to life a few seconds later with the unexpected voice of Jupiter. ¡°Godspeed STAR and happy hunting.¡±

 Chapter 20

    About a half-hour into the flight, Sentinel informed us that we could move around if we wanted to. I watched Fox as he said a few things to Captain Williams and Chief Brunner before walking to the back of the craft, squeezing my shoulder as he passed. He found a spot in the cargo area and sat down on the deck crossing his legs and folding his hands into his lap and settled in to meditate. Fox always preached that meditation was the key to a focused mind. A mind that was free of clutter was the sharpest of blades, was a phrase he was fond of saying when the topic came up.


    I had tried to meditate with him multiple times but struggled to find the key to calm my mind. I told him that as someone with ADHD, I wasn¡¯t sure if I could ever get my mind to slow down, but he always gently insisted it was possible and that one day I would find the right path. He never pushed me or made me uncomfortable though. It was always at my own pace and free will. His touch as he passed me was his invitation to join him but I already knew that it would be a fruitless endeavor so I left him to it.


    Andre left the Ops station declaring, ¡°He was going to see if there was any coffee on this tub.¡± He returned a few minutes later with a travel cup as he sat down behind Alessa. ¡°C¡¯est de valeur all we have is instant coffee.¡±


    The absolute sadness with which he said it made me smile and I heard Alessa chuckle. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be at the Ops station,¡± I said with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Nah, it will be ok if I hang out here for a bit. I¡¯m not actually running Ops at the moment, that¡¯s all going through the command team. Wolf Leader put me there to familiarize myself with the station. Once we¡¯re on site and you deploy, well, then I¡¯m in the hot seat Chere,¡± he answered with a smile and a tip of his cup.


    ¡°So what¡¯s with the French? I didn¡¯t notice it much earlier when you were showing me around,¡± Alessa said turning in her seat to address him.


    ¡°Well I spent most of my childhood in Montreal and my Dad is Qu¨¦b¨¦cois so I grew up speaking French. My Mom is American so I¡¯ve always been bilingual but those formative years are hard to break. If I¡¯m truthful it comes out more when I¡¯m nervous. Well that, or jokes,¡± he explained before knocking back his drink only to come away with a grimace.


    ¡°You¡¯re really not selling that coffee,¡± I said in response to his reaction.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you want to buy it,¡± he quipped back.


    ¡°You said your Mom is American. Is that how you ended up in the U.S. Army?¡± Laurel asked from the end of the row where she had twisted in her seat to join the conversation.


    ¡°Well, my Mom is an engineer and took a job in Montreal just out of college. She had planned to live a few years in an exciting foreign city before moving back to the U.S. but she ended up meeting my Dad. When I was eleven she got an offer to teach at M.I.T. and my Dad encouraged her to take it since it was a dream job, so we moved to the U.S. and I ended up finishing school in America. Due to my engineering aptitude scores, the military recruited me hard and paid for my undergrad. After that, I was fast-tracked into advanced engineering and then recruited into special forces. My parents weren¡¯t in love with my choice but I liked the idea of the challenge.


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine switching countries and having to adjust to a new school at the same time,¡± I said.


    ¡°I moved around a bit when I was a kid. It does help you learn to adapt but it was never easy,¡± Laurel shared.


    Andre nodded in agreement with that. ¡°What about you two?¡± he asked me and Alessa.


    I gestured to Alessa that she could go if she wanted.


    ¡°I¡¯m from New York, Long Island specifically. My Dad is a doctor and my Mom is a teacher. We moved when I was little but it was only to the other side of our town so I don¡¯t think that really counts. I was always interested in medicine so when my ability manifested and it had a healing focus, it only strengthened my resolve to work in the medical field. Once I was in high school, I started looking into programs that would specialize in teaching traditional medicine alongside the use of Supernormal abilities. Surprisingly I discovered the Army has one of the best practical teaching curriculums for Medical Supernormals in the country. I had applied to all the major Medical Schools but the more I thought about it, the more the immediacy of getting practical knowledge appealed to me, so against my parent¡¯s wishes I joined the Army. Surprisingly I found that I enjoyed the structure of the military and the learning opportunities that it provided. While my passion is healing others I also discovered that I enjoyed proving people who underestimate me wrong, which is how I ended up in Spec Ops,¡± shared the diminutive Medical Sergeant.


    ¡°How about you Star?, Andre asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Never moved around,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯m probably the most boring backstory on this plane. Actually, is this thing even considered a plane?¡± I said wanting to deflect for some reason.


    ¡°Non ch¨¨re, we shared, it¡¯s your turn,¡± Andre pinned me with a glare that was undermined by the mirth dancing in his brown eyes.


    ¡°Yeah Dani, spill the tea,¡± Heidi said suddenly and unexpectedly in my ear which startled me enough to cause me to jump in my seat and Andre to break out into laughter.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m feeling a bit left out over here so I tapped into your Comm units. Don¡¯t worry I¡¯ve localized it to just the five of us,¡± Heidi explained over our earbuds even though she was only a few feet away at the Comm Station.


    ¡°Ladies and Gentleman, while I have no issue with you getting to know each other, let''s remember we are on a mission. Heads in the game,¡± Wolf Leader turned in her seat and admonished us.


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Wolves Three, Four, and Five all replied in unison.


    Captain Williams caught each of our eyes briefly before turning back to whatever it was she was reading.


    ¡°Saved by Wolf Leader, but this is only a reprieve. I will know your backstory,¡± Andre threatened with a comically bad evil glare before breaking into a grin.


    ¡°Hey, Laurel didn¡¯t really share either. And let''s not forget our lurker over there on comms,¡± I groused while hooking my thumb toward Heidi.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m aware, but you¡¯re the Star of the show.¡±


    Everyone in our row groaned at the pun and I rolled my eyes. I could hear Heidi¡¯s ¡°Ugh¡± come through my earpiece.


    ¡°And with that, I believe it¡¯s time to head back to my station. Au revoir mesdames,¡± Andre said somewhat flamboyantly. This was punctuated by the fact that as he got up he gave us a small bow before heading back to the Ops station at the front of the craft.


    ¡°He¡¯s¡­a lot,¡± I said to Alessa next to me.


    ¡°Mmm¡¯hmm,¡± was her only reply.


    ¡°Star, can you join me for a moment,¡± Fox spoke from the back of the craft where he had been meditating.


    ¡°Uh, sure,¡± I answered back while shooting Alessa and Laurel an uncertain look.


    I got up and smoothed the nonexistent wrinkles from my uniform before walking the short distance to the back of the craft where Fox was sitting cross-legged on the deck. His back was ramrod straight with hands resting upturned in his lap and he had his eyes closed. It showed the flexibility of his suit, that even covered with the tactical armor he was able to achieve that position.


    Not really sure what to say, I started with the tried and true, ¡°Um.¡±


    ¡°Sit down,¡± he responded before I could say anything else.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I sat down next to him assuming the same cross-legged pose but had to work a bit to get my back straight. I¡¯d meditated with a Fox quite often while he was training me but never really mastered it. My mind had always been too chaotic for me to calm it as he had instructed. I did find that the controlled breathing helped reduce my anxiety sometimes though. Unfortunately other times it didn¡¯t, which was one reason why I found meditation to be frustrating as often as it was helpful.


    Literally, at that very moment, my mind was running all over that place and all I could think of was, how glad I was that I didn¡¯t have my cape on so that it didn¡¯t get caught under me or wasn¡¯t in the way. Why DID I like the cape so much anyway if it was such a pain? On the other hand, it did look good and if I wanted to be like Captain Flag then I needed to have a cape. Also, without the cape, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to give that girl a small matter of dignity in the mall parking lot. That last thought caused a sharp inhalation while simultaneously threatening to bring tears to my eyes.


    I felt a hand on my shoulder before Fox spoke in a calm even tone, ¡°Focus Dani.¡±


    ¡°Codenames, remember,¡± was the automatic sarcastic response that slipped out before I could even get a handle on a proper reply. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Focus Dani. Breathe with me. Your energy serves you well at times but you¡¯re going to burn yourself out mentally before we ever make it to the it to the boy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I said quietly knowing that he was right.


    ¡°Good, now breathe in and hold,¡± he said like he used to do in the early days of our training keeping his hand on my shoulder while he did so. ¡°Now exhale and center your focus on what is ahead while releasing the extraneous thoughts.¡±


    He guided me through the meditation and I slowly lost track of time as I focused. It seemed like no time had passed when Wolf Leader¡¯s voice finally brought me back to the present.


    ¡°Focus up people. We¡¯re about forty minutes out from the target. We¡¯re going to go over the plan and gear up,¡± she informed us.


    As I came back to awareness Fox gave me a hand up as we moved back into the main cabin area. As we walked the short distance he leaned in and said quietly, ¡°Good job. I know you find that difficult¡­and probably didn¡¯t want to do it.¡±


    Fox¡¯s insight made me smile and I nodded in reply as I went to my seat while he joined the rest of the command officers. I noticed that the weather outside had turned from the clear night sky that had been the view before meditating to what was now a dark starless view. The RAID¡¯s running lights illuminated the snow enveloping us as we raced into the storm on our way to our destination.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to keep this brief as we¡¯ve been over this a few times but I¡¯d rather be sure than sorry when it comes to planning,¡± Captain Williams said as she stood up and took hold of one of the grab handles mounted around the cabin so she could look at all of us while still being able to read from her tablet.


    Just then the RAID shuddered causing everyone to reach for their armrests. ¡°Sorry about that, but it might start getting bumpy. We¡¯re on the outside edge of the storm now, but as we move into the heart of it the winds are going to pick up,¡± Dreamboy announced from the navigation station.


    I watched as he checked his instruments and took a quick look at Sentinel at the pilots'' station where some silent communication took place between them before he turned to address us directly. ¡°It¡¯s also at this point I remind you that the RAID is a prototype. While it has hundreds of hours of flight time in all sorts of conditions it has never been flown into the middle of a snowstorm in freezing conditions for an extended period. It has also never seen combat. While flight testing and theoretical testing are great, they can never account for the real thing. There may be times we can¡¯t predict how she¡¯ll react, but if I know our girl, she¡¯ll dance like a diva while hitting like a truck.¡±


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Thank you for the reminder. I have faith the RAID will perform as promised or Doctor Rokker wouldn¡¯t have volunteered it,¡± Captain Williams replied with a ghost of a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth for the charismatic pilot.


    ¡°No problem ma¡¯am. We¡¯re currently descending to ground level to use the terrain to foul any radar they have as we approach per the mission brief. We¡¯ve identified a problem though. We have been reviewing the satellite maps of the area and we don¡¯t think the RAID is going to fit down the road that Overwatch selected in the mission plan. I¡¯ve put the maps we¡¯ve marked up on the display,¡± the pilot said while while a viewscreen dropped out of the ceiling.


    The pilots had marked up the roads leading to the Air Base on the map. Essentially if we we are going to use roads as planned, we have an option to the north and an option to the south.


    Wolf Leader studied the map for a minute before asking, ¡°Okay, what¡¯s your recommendation?¡±


    ¡°Considering the conditions Sentinel and I believe that the southern route is preferable. There is a lake southeast of the target location that links to the road we need. The downside is that it puts us closer to the base and we¡¯d be exposed longer than originally planned.¡±


    ¡°What are the odds we get picked up on radar by doing that?¡± Brunner asked.


    ¡°With the stealth capabilities of this craft and the conditions we believe that If we stay at tree level and then drop below the tree line at the lake we can stay undetected. The road we need runs right to the lake. It¡¯s a bit riskier but the roads and weather are going to make this difficult. The longer we have to navigate the terrain and the weather the more we are tempting fate,¡± Dreamboy shared while highlighting a lake on the map labeled ¡®Lake Gratiot¡¯.


    ¡°Please tell us about the northern approach. I would prefer to hear all of our options before choosing a path that has more risk to the hostage,¡± Fox said from his seat in the front row.


    ¡°Of course sir. The northern approach is more straight forward except that we have to go further north to hook up with the roads we need. Also, the original standoff distance of twenty-five clicks puts us in the town of Calumet in order to pick up Highway Forty One which takes us to Gratiot Rd and the final approach. That¡¯s fifteen miles of wooded twists and turns in the dark with whiteout conditions for the advance team to navigate while we try to avoid detection in the town,¡± Dreamboy said with a shrug.


    ¡°The original approach used a farm road which for most of the trip and I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s what won¡¯t accommodate the RAID?¡± Fox asked.


    ¡°That would be our assessment. We¡¯re in pine country and we have no idea how well-kept those backroads are. With the snow weighing down branches, there could be all kinds of unforeseen obstacles. Also, it can be hard to differentiate the farm roads from the power line cuts running through the trees in this weather and obviously, we don¡¯t want to run the RAID through a high-voltage line,¡± Dreamboy explained.


    ¡°Team, any thoughts?¡± solicited Captain Williams.


    ¡°Both options seem viable if not preferred,¡± was Fox¡¯s response.


    ¡°Honestly Cap, I think we should just ditch this stealth crap and drop the hammer on them,¡± Brunner grumbled from his seat.


    ¡°Any helpful feedback,¡± Wolf Leader replied to Brunner with a positively epic side-eye.


    ¡°There¡¯s a chance we get spotted either way so I think we should use the southern approach. We don¡¯t know the terrain and while we have GPS to help us navigate, GPS isn¡¯t error-free. The southern approach puts us closer to the advance team on main roads and it puts us away from the town in case they have the ability to launch something,¡± Laurel opined while studying the map intently. Her ice-blue eyes taking in every detail.


    ¡°I agree with Five,¡± Heidi chimed in from the Ops station.


    ¡°Anyone else?¡± Captain Williams asked giving Alessa and Andre and chance to chime in. Both shook their heads signaling they didn¡¯t have anything to add.


    My mind was rolling with how fast everything was changing and evolving and somewhat marveling at how fast all the officers were processing everything and adjusting on the fly. I was especially impressed with Laurel. This was the second time I¡¯d seen her analyze a scenario and break it down like it was nothing. I was so lost in trying to process everything that I almost missed Wolf Leader asking my opinion.


    ¡°Um, I think I agree with the southern approach. I don¡¯t like the risk involved but I also don¡¯t want to spend time lost trying to find the target,¡± I said hoping I didn¡¯t sound like an idiot.


    ¡°Fox, Chief, any last thoughts you¡¯d like to add?¡± The Captain said as she solicited her Command Officers.


    ¡°I still think stealth is stupid and we should go in there hard, but if I have to choose I agree with the southern approach,¡± added Brunner.


    ¡°Wolf Five¡¯s point about keeping civilians out of harm''s way resonates. We have no idea what we will find and what capabilities they may have. As much as I would prefer a route with more certainty I think I agree with the consensus,¡± Fox added.


    ¡°Thank you everyone. I concur with your assessments and the weather has added an even deeper wrinkle of urgency to the operation. According to the latest weather models, there is a small break in the weather that will cross the area in about an hour. We are going to assume the enemy is monitoring the weather and will use that break to evacuate if they can. We know they have a helicopter but also we have to be wary of other options like snowmobiles. They just need to slip past us and MacGuffin is in the wind,¡± Captain Williams said to the team.


    ¡°Dreamboy, change course to the southern approach. Wolf Six inform Overwatch of the change in plan. Wolves Four and Six coordinate with Overwatch. We¡¯ll be going dark shortly so if they have anything to say to use they should do it,¡± Captain Williams fired off instructions to the team and pilots.


    ¡°Additionally, I received an intel update from Astraea providing more information on how MacGuffin was kidnapped. It turns out our Phantom Queen has played the long game toward this result. Four months ago the McGee¡¯s regular nanny suddenly quit and they had to scramble to hire a new one. It just so happens they hired a woman with white hair and blue eyes that matches the description of our Phantom Queen. She was hired under the name Michelle Turner which is an obvious alias since we¡¯ve been unable to uncover any information matching the name to an actual person. Michelle Turner accompanied MacGuffin and his mother Kaylea McGee to Michigan City ahead of Secretary McGee who was scheduled to attend the S.T.A.R. Team¡¯s commissioning PR event. Mrs. McGee in her capacity as a lawyer took a meeting while in town leaving MacGuffin in the care of Ms. Turner who decided they would take a trip to the local mall for some shopping and ice cream. You all know how that turned out. Interestingly the McGee¡¯s reported that she was exemplary during her time acting as a nanny so we¡¯re going to hope that means she¡¯s been treating him well. I¡¯m not sure this information helps us at present, but it does further build the case that this was premeditated.¡±


    ¡°Wolf Leader, Overwatch confirms the change in plans and indicates that we should proceed as we see fit based on the local intel and conditions,¡± Heidi interjected from the comm station.


    ¡°Thank you. Please log the acknowledgment and let them know we will be going dark until we¡¯ve engaged the enemy,¡± Captain Williams instructed Heidi.


    ¡°Permission to speak?¡± Laurel asked from her seat behind the command row.


    ¡°Granted.¡±


    ¡°While we are missing large chunks of information making it hard to build a complete profile, it¡¯s my opinion that this kidnapping is not just a maneuver to derail a key piece of legislation of import to a major geopolitical power, but also a direct message to those in the pockets of whoever orchestrated this. It says everyone is touchable and they won¡¯t hesitate to use any means necessary to force compliance. It serves to prove that the individuals behind this plot can reach inside the most powerful nations on earth and put their thumbs on the scale. This is the first shot of escalation. If funding is pulled for Supernormal programs, it will destabilize a large and potentially dangerous group that in many cases have no other support programs. Research, insurance, and medical care for Supernormal¡¯s with dangerous abilities will start to dry up and those without means will start to be driven outside the system. Humans and Supernormals have always coexisted but the simple fact is that Supernormals are a minority. Even if almost everyone knows a Supernormal, Supernormals are still treated with distrust by many. I¡¯ll give you a guess who will be there to radicalize these individuals, which in turn will further radicalize the fringe human groups. Suddenly we are forced to look inside the country at our own affairs and we¡¯ve taken our eye off the rest world. ¡± Laurel theorized.


    Everyone sort of sat stunned at Wolf Five¡¯s analysis. Everyone that is except Captain Williams, who wore almost no expression at all outside of a slight narrowing of her eyes. I personally could feel myself metaphorically sliding further down the depth chart of critical thinkers on the team.


    ¡°Very, good Five. Astraea and Whiskey are going to be thrilled to have you as part of the intelligence group. Now if we take what Five just posited further, you will also understand the timing and why it centers around our commissioning. What would be a threat to this type of destabilization? A highly public mixed Human-Supernromal team working as part of the government to help protect Humans and Supernormals perhaps. One leaning on patriotism in its imagery even,¡± Captain Williams said while taking a moment to look each of us in the eyes. It had the desired effect of really drilling in the message.


    ¡°Now you have an inkling as to why so many resources have been put toward this program. It is vital that if we do nothing else, we seize this opportunity. We represent the honor and valor of those who serve for the good of the country and not out of self. We stand for the right of a little boy to grow up and the people to feel safe.¡± We might be untried and untested, but you are all the best of the best. I have the utmost faith that we will show everyone that their trust in us was well founded. Today S.T.A.R.¡¯s legacy begins. Today we will become the light in the dark that pushes back the chaos for another day. A beacon to those in need and the bulwark protecting them from harm,¡± Captain Williams said with a flourish and the look of someone who just surprised themselves.


    Wolf Unit and the pilots all burst out with a loud, ¡°Hooah!¡± at the Captain¡¯s rousing words. Since I wasn¡¯t Army I didn¡¯t have the same automatic response baked in, but I couldn¡¯t help but smile and feel a flutter in my chest in response to her rousing words. It felt like at that moment something clicked into place for Captain Williams.


    ¡°We¡¯re on approach to the standoff position Wolf Leader,¡± Dreamboy announced from his station.


    ¡°Wolf Unit, Star, gear up. Fox and Star you¡¯re up first. Fox will help direct your approach and will choose his insertion point, then you will proceed to drop the beacon. The area where they removed some housing near the admin buildings continues to look like the best location. If intel does not match reality use your best judgment once on site. Remember your job is to hold the landing zone until the rest of the team can be deployed,¡± barked Captain Willaims.


    The only thing I needed was my cape and mask which I grabbed from where they had been stowed. I made sure that everything was on and fastened correctly before I remembered that I had a pair of glasses that was part of this uniform and quickly went back and grabbed them. I made sure to double-check my earbud unit and wrist-com intent on not repeating earlier mistakes before making my way over to Fox.


    Fox had geared up and was now sporting an assortment of weapons. He carried a sword sheathed on his back with pistols holstered on his hip and in the small of his back, while a Yarborough knife sat in a quick draw position on his shoulder harness. His dark light dampening nano-weave bodysuit was covered in armored plates designed not to restrict his movement while also sporting armored gauntlets and greaves. His entire setup was for stealth and up close fighting which fit his role as a scout perfectly. The final part of his uniform was the custom tactical battle helmet that covered his face. The helmet featured a face plate that was mostly featureless except for a yellow v-shaped lens where his eyes would be and what looked like small fox ears molded into the top of the helmet giving the whole thing a bit of a sinister look.


    ¡°Got all your pointy, stabby, shooty things?¡± I quipped to Fox as I sidled up to him.


    He didn¡¯t dignify me with a response.


    Captain Williams approached us still adjusting the M17 pistols she now sported in her shoulder holsters. Before she could say anything we all felt the RAID decelerate but it was done so smoothly that we barely felt it. Considering the conditions it was a fine display of skill.


    ¡°We¡¯re on station Wolf Leader,¡± Sentinel announced.


    ¡°Roger,¡± she replied offhandedly to the pilot. ¡°Alright, Com check with Wolf Six, and let¡¯s get this show on the road.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t missed the pointed look she gave me. Clearly, my mistakes at the mall will not be forgotten any time soon. ¡°Star, radio check,¡± I said without wasting any more time on introspection.


    ¡°Roger Star, five by five on local control,¡± came back Heidi immediately.


    ¡°Alright, you¡¯re up. Good hunting Fox, and Star be ready for anything. We¡¯ll be there as soon as you get that beacon up,¡± Captain Williams said with a look of determination.


    ¡°Alright Star let''s get in position,¡± Fox said putting on his helmet while we moved to the back of the cargo bay where the entry ramp was located.


    I pulled up my hood and put on my mask and glasses to prepare to drop out of the RAID with Fox. My mind was racing, and again I found it difficult to focus.


    ¡°So, do you want a princess carry, or would you prefer to ride piggyback?¡± I asked Fox as we approached the ramp.


    ¡°Neither,¡± was his very unamused sounding reply even through the distortion of his helmet. ¡°There are two handles on my tactical harness that you will grab and we¡¯ll strap our legs together with a breakaway strap to keep a tight silhouette. Think like a tandem skydive.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never skydived. I can fly,¡± I muttered to myself.


    ¡°Dropping the ramp¡± Andre yelled on Captain William''s signal and the ramp in front of us began to descend.


    Once the ramp was open we descended until we were about three-quarters of the way down, when Fox stopped and stood directly in front of me. He took a strap and threaded it around the back of my legs and then attached it to some anchor points on his leg armor. There was a little give to the strap but we were still only inches apart.


    ¡°Find the handles on the back of my harness and get a hold. Give a yank to make sure everything is secure,¡± Fox instructed me. I found the handles and gave them a yank almost pulling us off balance.


    ¡°Um, they seem secure, and sorry about that,¡± I said while the wind howled just outside. The pilots had put the RAID against the wind so we were sheltered by the craft on the ramp.


    Fox didn¡¯t acknowledge my gaff, just spoke calmly into the radio, ¡°Fox and Star ready.¡±


    ¡°Deploy,¡± came Wolf Leader¡¯s response.


    On that command, Fox and I jumped into the cold, snowy northern Michigan predawn.

 Chapter 21

    As soon as we cleared the craft and fell into the dark the wind immediately hit us and I had to fight to get us oriented. It was awkward having Fox attached and we were catching the wind in ways I wasn¡¯t used to as we moved away from the RAID.


    Lake Gratiot had iced over and was a featureless mass of green-white below us through my glasses. The driving snow combined with the predawn darkness made it impossible to locate the shoreline by sight. Normally I would use the GPS on my wrist-comm to check for directions but since I currently had my hands full of Master Sergeant that wasn¡¯t possible.


    ¡°Fox, I can¡¯t see much of anything other than snow. Can you point us in the right direction?¡± I asked Fox while I hovered us over the lake.


    ¡°According to my helmet¡¯s GPS, we¡¯re pointed in the wrong direction. Turn ninety degrees to your left and head straight,¡± he replied using over the comm while pointing in the direction we needed to go.


    ¡°Roger,¡± I replied and turned us in the correct direction. At first, I started flying at a slower pace than I would have liked so I could get a feel for how holding Fox was affecting how we moved in the air. I was also struggling to get a feel for the tree level and I didn¡¯t want to lose my bearings and give our position away.


    The wind was awful. It was swirling as it blew down over the lake and with such force that it was constantly ripping at my cape. After a couple of minutes of being relentlessly buffeted, it finally succeeded at blowing my hood down and away from my face before it finally dug into my hair and whipped it all over the place as we flew. Unfortunately, there was no choice but to push forward into it, so on we flew.


    Finally, after what felt like far too long of flying completely exposed to the elements surrounded by darkness we could make out the faint glow of a light. Using that as a guide I sped up to get us to what we assumed was the shore. As we approached I could start to make out the shape of a house with what looked like some outbuildings. The light we were following was coming from one of those buildings mounted on a roof.


    ¡°Are we in the right spot Fox?¡± I asked my passenger while hovering us above the snow-covered ground.


    ¡°We are. This address is the last house on the road we need so we just need to locate the road,¡± Fox confirmed.


    It took a bit of trial and error in the conditions but we eventually found the property¡¯s driveway and we were able to navigate to the road that would take us to the Air Force Station. It was about two miles to our target give or take which in clear conditions would have been a cakewalk. I was starting to get a better handle on how to compensate for flying with Fox so I took off down the road and quickly discovered that anything over forty-five miles per hour became difficult due to the poor visibility.


    After about three minutes of flying with Fox helping with navigation due to the HUD in his helmet, we finally made it to the road that led up to our destination when Fox signaled for me to land in a bit of clearing where the two roads met.


    I set us down on the edge of that clearing on what I thought was the road leading up the base trying to use the treeline as a bit of a wind break. We immediately sunk into what had to be eight inches of snow as I brought us back to earth. As soon as we had settled Fox released the strap holding us together so I let go of the handles on his harness. I noticed him roll his shoulders as if trying to loosen up.


    I took the slight reprieve from the weather to shake out the snow that had accumulated in and around my hood and clean my glasses. The techs in the R & D department had done a good job with the new uniform as I didn¡¯t really feel the cold and for the most part was dry, but my hair was another story. It was wet, frozen, and windblown to hell making it an absolute mess. I tried my best to shake it out and get some of the ice and snow out of it, and by some small miracle, the hair tie I had used to pull it into a ponytail had stayed in place so I did my best tidy it back up before pulling my hood back up.


    ¡°Okay Star, I¡¯ve reviewed the satellite map of the layout of the station and I¡¯ve decided where I want to start. I want to have a look at the old motor pool and that should put you in a good position to place the beacon,¡± Fox explained.


    ¡°Okay, but why there though? Intelligence seemed to think it would be the Admin building or one closer to the old radar positions. Do you think the boy might be held there?¡± I asked him not quite seeing the logic.


    ¡°They came to this Station deliberately and my instincts are screaming that this site has been reinforced. I want to see what¡¯s parked in there,¡± Fox answered my question without using the comms since we didn¡¯t have to fight the noise of flying.


    ¡°Alright, I trust your judgment. If that¡¯s where you want to start, then that¡¯s where we''ll start.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re a bit behind schedule so let''s get moving. I¡¯m not using the leg strap again so I can hit the ground moving so if you¡¯re ready just grab the handles and let¡¯s go,¡± Fox said.


    I acknowledged Fox with a simple, ¡°Roger,¡± before grabbing the handles on his harness and breaking free of gravity again.


    We started off a bit tentatively a first but it quickly became clear that we just needed to follow the line cut through the forest. A wall of trees surrounded us to our left and right that was so densely packed that you hardly see between them. To the point that I was concerned that the RAID might not fit.


    Very quickly we turned the final corner and the Air Station came into view and Fox pointed to a building I could barely make out through the snow on the northeast corner of the base. I made my way across the open ground in front of us in a looping approach that took us toward a grove of trees that was near the building that would provide some cover. As we got closer I could start to make out more of the details of the target building. It was a long building with a high ceiling which made sense if it was used to house the base¡¯s trucks. I couldn¡¯t quite tell if there was a second floor but the roofline was high enough for one.


    As I neared the target building Fox signaled me toward the roof so I angled my way upward as we approached and then set him down as gently as possible on the side of the roof furthest away from the rest of the complex.


    Fox handed me the guidance beacon and then pointed toward a wide open space that was big enough for the RAID back the way we came in. I nodded my understanding and started to turn to head toward my part of the mission when Fox reached out and grabbed my forearm stopping me. He held my arm for a moment and gave me a slow nod before releasing me.


    I nodded in return looking where I thought his eyes were behind his visor and then as if we had rehearsed it we both turned to our assigned tasks. I dropped down to just above the ground and sped over to a spot diagonal from the motor pool building somewhat behind one of the old barrack buildings. It should provide some cover for the team when exiting the RAID. It was closer to the buildings than I would have liked but the depth of the snow ruled out landing further out.


    I dropped into the snow with what has been popularized in the movies as a ¡®superhero¡¯ landing; the snow and wind absorbing any sound that I might have made. With my hand and arm buried in the snow, I released a tiny amount of my ability. The energy pulsed into the ground creating a clear patch where I could set the beacon. Fortunately, the beacon was pretty idiot-proof. There was a cover over the switch that would activate the black cylindrical device and that was it. I popped the switch cover and flipped the switch. There weren''t any lights to signify it was working so I just had to trust it was doing its thing and placed it on the bare patch of ground that was already accumulating new snow.


    I got back to my feet and moved a bit away from the beacon and back toward the heart of the base. Now was the nerve wracking part where I had to wait by myself while the RAID made its way to the Station and Fox did his thing. The wind was still ripping through the abandoned buildings and the surrounding trees making strange noises that had me jumping at shadows and on edge. I knew it would only take the RAID a few minutes to get to our location provided nothing unexpected happened but it was still disconcerting nonetheless.


    I decided that standing out in the wide open even if it was in a snow storm wasn¡¯t the best tactical position so I crouched down pulling my cape around me. My head was on a swivel and just when I thought my nerves were starting to finally settle a bit Fox suddenly suddenly crackled across the comm in a sea of static. ¡°Sta¡­the base¡­.een¡­reinfor,¡± was all that I was able to make out before a final burst of static wiped out the communication altogether.


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    I immediately turned and looked toward the motor pool building but couldn¡¯t make out any activity nor did I see anything that would cause obvious concern. Still for Fox to break communications silence, and from what little I was able to get from his message, I had to infer that the base had been reinforced like he feared. That was bad, as it meant our intel was even further out of date than we feared. Scanning the area I didn¡¯t notice anything obvious so flipped my wrist and activated my wrist-comm to see if there were any messages on the tiny display. The display was blank so I turned it back to standby before the urge to send a message could take root. I had taken care to make sure I shielded my arm inside my cape just in case the muted glow of the screen could give me away but it turned out I needn¡¯t have worried. My position was already known.


    Something smashed into me from behind and sent me skidding across the frozen ground leaving me in a miniature snowdrift of my own making. Whatever hit me had hit me hard enough to daze me and I just managed to roll over and catch another blow on my forearms as I protected my face like Fox and trained me. It was like getting hit by a truck as blows started raining down on me as I lay on my back in the snow. I got a glimpse of a humanoid shape but was struggling to get my bearings when the assailant switched it up and started throwing body blows as they stood over me. Moving purely on training I moved my guard to block the new path of assault and they immediately took advantage by tagging me in the face causing my head to crack against the ground.


    That¡¯s when I felt the attacker¡¯s hands close around my throat and their weight settle on top of me. Whoever this was they were strong enough that they were actually choking me despite my enhanced durability. My mind was struggling to engage and fraying around the edge of panic as I started struggling to breathe.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are or what you think you¡¯re doing but you¡¯ve made a fatal mistake coming here bitch,¡± growled a male voice from above me.


    I don¡¯t know why but that was like a bucket of ice water hitting me in the face and all the times training with Captain Williams and Fox came rushing back to me. I stopped flailing and grabbed my attacker¡¯s wrist with one hand and pulled it out to the side away from my neck throwing off their balance while striking out with the other hand hitting them in the sternum.


    This gave me the space I needed to slip my knee up between us and wedge my attacker backward with my foot. Without giving him time to recover I placed both hands out and unleashed an energy discharge strong enough to crumple the side of a car. It had the desired effect, blasting the man up and off of me. He landed with a grunt and a puff of snow about five feet away. I quickly got to my feet and into a ready position energy crackling around my fists all while hoping my attacker wouldn¡¯t get back up.


    I wasn¡¯t that lucky.


    The man got up slowly at first but gained strength as he rose and once he was he was at full height I got to see that he had a bruiser¡¯s physique. He was even bigger than Brunner and had to be six foot five at least. I had completely shredded the white winter parka he had been wearing, and it was now hanging by tatters around him as he wiped snow away from his eyes. Underneath his shredded clothes I could see some kind of black bodysuit with three yellow stripes running down it. It had a stripe that ran down his sides starting at his shoulders and encompassing each arm. The final stripe ran down the center of the body suit from his neck until it was hidden by what remained of his combat pants.


    ¡°That was a pretty good shot bitch, but it¡¯s going to take more than that to put me down,¡± he sneered at me.


    He had a gruff voice with no appreciable accent other than ¡®American¡¯. His hair was short and dark in a military cut and he looked like he¡¯d probably been in more than a few scraps. The fact that he ate my energy discharge and got up was all the confirmation I needed that he was a Supernormal. Now the question was what were his abilities and Supernormal class. If he was just a physical type I felt good about my odds even if he was Delta class. I tensed ready to make a move when he surprised me.


    ¡°I¡¯mgonnamessyouup,¡± he slurred as his form suddenly blurred and he appeared right in front of me launching a punch into my midsection that threw me easily twenty feet to land with a crash into the snow.


    I was still wheezing on the ground when he appeared out of nowhere and started kicking me. The first shot got me in the ribs and I let out a cry as pain blossomed all over my side. I immediately curled into myself and brought my guard up to my head and my knee up to help deflect the blows. He was throwing punches and kicks impossibly fast and each one rattled me due to his enhanced strength.


    This was a deadly position to be in and while I wasn¡¯t seriously hurt yet it could all change in a heartbeat. I needed to get some distance and get my bearings, so again I leaned on my energy ability and used a move Fox came up with in training. I took another blow trying to time it for the moment when he had drawn back and when it came I put my hand down and discharged right into the ground and blew myself away from him in a flash of light and snow.


    It worked as intended with the force of the concussion throwing me a couple of feet away from him. I immediately rolled as best as could and went straight into the air. My attacker''s hand missed me by inches as I gained distance between us.


    For once I didn¡¯t overthink as I sent energy discharges from both hands down at the man. I immediately discovered two things. One, he was a delta as he blurred out of the way of the energy blast in what looked like some kind of enhanced speed. The second was that he had a gun as I heard the cracks and felt pain blossom in my right hip and left shoulder. My new suit blunted everything and nothing penetrated but the shot to my shoulder caused my arm to go numb and it was now hanging somewhat uselessly at my side.


    I fortunately had the forethought to pull my cape up in front of me with my working arm as he unloaded more shots at me a few of which managed to hit the cape which acted as a ballistic curtain. Unfortunately, I¡¯d made the mistake of staying stationary and had dropped closer to the ground while dealing with the pain and the gunshots.


    Suddenly I felt the man''s hand grip my ankle and violently smash me into the ground. Ha jokes on him, I barely felt that, I thought as I landed on my numb shoulder with a grunt. Before he could do anything else I twisted and mule-kicked as hard as could and was gratified to hear a grunt and felt the pressure on my ankle release. This guy was seriously pissing me off now.


    ¡°Ya know girlie, ya got moxie, I¡¯ll give you that,¡± the brute said before flashing toward me in a spray of snow.


    I was ready for him this time. He lacked finesse when he used his speed and seemed to prefer straight lines so that he could use his strength. As soon as I saw him tense I spun and ducked into a crouch while throwing the point of my elbow into the space I¡¯d vacated. I was gratified by his grunt of pain as I folded him in half with the blow. I opened the palm of my hand while my elbow was in his gut and shot a blast straight into his face rocking him backward.


    My left arm was still pins and needles and fairly useless although I was getting feeling back slowly so I pushed my advantage and rushed forward while he was staggered and clotheslined him. He went down with a strange POP sound and when I turned around he looked a little smaller and something was different about his suit. The left stripe was missing.


    Didn¡¯t matter. It was time to put this asshole down. He was on his hands and knees with one hand holding his face and it sounded like he was growling. No, not growling, laughing. Well, that¡¯s disconcerting.


    The big man looked up at me with a grin even though his face was red and raw with a trickle of blood making its way slowly down his chin from the corner of his mouth. ¡°Oh girlie, I got you now.¡±


    ¡°The hell?¡± I said out loud before suddenly being rocked forward by a blow from behind. I was knocked right into the brute who rose up with both hands laced together and smashed me across the face knocking me sideways to the ground. I landed hard as lights flashed behind my eyes. This time my arm was a liability as I wasn¡¯t able to brace with it and felt the man''s arm slide around my neck in a rear naked choke. The pressure was intense and he kept twisting to keep my good arm from finding purchase or being able to release an energy discharge.


    My vision was already wavering and I thought I was hallucinating when I thought I heard the man¡¯s voice from in front of me saying, ¡°Well, well, well. What do we have here?¡±


    In front of me seemed to stand a trimmer less bulky version of the man I¡¯d been fighting with a single yellow stripe running down his left side. That couldn¡¯t be the case though, because that man was currently trying to pull my head off. Then I noticed the figure held the beacon.


    ¡°No,¡± I rasped and weakly popped a blast in their direction.


    The figure blurred out of the way and I struggled harder to get out of the chokehold. I was rewarded by successfully loosening the grip of the man behind me for a moment allowing me to draw a blissful lungful of frozen Northern Michigan air. At the same time, some lizard part of my brain took note that the man didn¡¯t seem to be quite as strong as he was before. I started twisting and turning trying to break the man¡¯s hold and was starting to make some headway by working my way to my knees.


    ¡°Break that¡­and get¡­back here. I need¡­everything,¡± the man choking me growled struggling to hold me.


    The other man, Left Stripe, blurred forward and smashed the beacon into me crushing it and knocking me back on my ass followed by the same strange POP sound I had heard earlier. Suddenly the strength of the man behind me surged and he pulled me back prone while wrapping his legs around my arms and pinning them. My thoughts were getting fuzzy as he increased the pressure on my windpipe. The¡­beacon¡­the RAID¡­have to guide them in.. floated up through the cottonwool currently occupying my brain with a lot of difficulty.


    I was barely hanging on, but I put everything I could muster into turning my right palm toward the sky and letting loose a blast of energy that lit up the field around us in fuchsia and neon blue. More importantly, it lit up the sky.


    ¡°The hell you think that¡¯s going to do you dumb bitch,¡± was the last thing I heard as things started to go black.

 Chapter 22

    My vision tunneled and everything sounded muffled as I wheezed against the pressure on my throat. I knew I was done, I couldn¡¯t get any leverage, I couldn¡¯t think, and all my training had faded away leaving only thoughts of my family.


    Visions of my Mom and Dad, my brother Evan, and my friends Christina and Amber all swirled through the fog in my head. I felt warm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give up Peanut. You can do it,¡± a vision of my dad said before swirling away only for my brother to take his place. ¡°You¡¯re losing to this guy? Lame. I thought you were cooler than that,¡± the vision of Evan snarked at me before fading away.


    My mom swirled into my thoughts next. ¡°I love you sweetheart. Remember what I told you growing up? When the world tries to break you, you break the world.¡± I felt a flutter in my chest at her words. It was something she had said to me when I was going through puberty and was struggling with everything. My emotions, the physical changes, my growing abilities, and the isolation.


    The warmth had grown and now it was like there was a hot coal in my chest. It had turned into a dull intense radiating pain threatening to pierce the haze.


    Next came Christina, ¡°The hell are you doing? Do you think Captain Flag would just lay here and die? The Dani I know is too damn stubborn for that. Now get up!¡±


    Suddenly the pain in my chest intensified and it felt like it was on fire. It would be just my luck that I spontaneously combusted while being choked to death.


    Amber swirled in with a ¡°C¡¯mon Dani, don¡¯t upset Christina. I don¡¯t want to have to deal with that¡­¡± followed by Doctors Robinson and Rokker and then the STAR team who all offered words of encouragement with the notable exception of Brunner. With each vision, the burning pain in my chest got worse.


    Finally, Captain Williams swirled into whatever place my head was at. She wore the same expression of barely contained frustration I¡¯d seen so many times in training. ¡°Walker! You have all the potential in the world, but potential means nothing if you can¡¯t harness it. Time to put up or shut up, or was I wrong not to fail you during your certification?¡±


    At her accusation, the fire in my chest surged to the point of being nearly unbearable. I felt like I was dying which was wholly ironic considering I currently was dying.


    ¡°Your will Dani, it will always be the most dangerous weapon you can employ,¡± Fox¡¯s calm voice penetrated through the blinding pain that was now permeating whatever metaphysical space my consciousness was existing in. ¡°Harden your will. Focus your resolve. Make it manifest, for defeat is not possible because¡­YOU¡­DO¡­NOT¡­WILL¡­IT!¡±


    Oh God¡­it BURNS.


    Suddenly there was a noise that might have been a bang. It was hard to tell because everything sounded so far away, but the pressure on my neck was gone. Freed from the constriction I labored to take in as much oxygen as I could as my battered senses slowly started to come back. I rolled onto my hands and knees and immediately started coughing. Tears that I didn¡¯t realize were even there ran down my cheeks in tracks from behind my now-cracked glasses, snowflakes sticking to the wet patches before melting away.


    Still coughing but now able to breathe, I opened my eyes and was confused by what I saw. My vision was still a little blurry, but it looked like I was in a shallow crater that was maybe a foot deep at best, but in a circumference around where I was. All the snow looked like it had been blown or melted away near me as well. My brain was slowly starting to fire again but it still didn¡¯t make any sense.


    I was nearly unconscious and had no leverage on the man strangling me. How¡­how did I end up alone in a crater? Alone¡­crap, the enemy. I frantically looked around, but mostly just succeeded in making myself dizzy. Taking a few deep breaths, I tried again more slowly this time but still didn¡¯t see him anywhere. What I did know was that everything hurt, especially my head and there was a buzzing in my ears.


    Slowly the buzzing resolved itself into broken words, ¡°Ar¡­it..ep. S ar o you c py?¡± It took me a good fifteen seconds to realize it was my earpiece and that the buzz was the comm system in my suit trying to work through whatever had just happened.


    Toggling the mic while hoping it worked, I responded, or at least I tried to, but only got out a croak. On my second attempt, I rasped out a reply that actually sounded like words. ¡°LZ contested. Use caution.¡±


    I was still on my hands and knees when the RAID came in hard, snow blowing all around the sleek white craft. Sentinel angled it so that RAID¡¯s guns could cover the landing zone while the ramp was facing away from the buildings of the Air Station before he dropped the craft to the earth in one smooth maneuver. Before the craft had even fully settled the ramp dropped and Wolf Unit was disgorged into the snow. They had been outfitted in white combat parkas and were wearing glasses and masks similar to mine. As a testament to their professionalism, they moved as a unit, weapons up and covering all the angles as best they could in such a wide-open environment despite not having any time together as a unit.


    By the time Wolf Leader and the rest of the unit had tramped through the deep snow to reach me, I¡¯d managed to sit up on my knees, though I was still hunched over a bit holding my throat.


    ¡°Star, report,¡± Wolf Leader ordered as she approached and made a hand gesture at Alessa.


    ¡°Was attacked after depositing Fox and setting up the beacon. It was a Supernormal with enhanced strength, speed, and possibly something else. I was ambushed from behind and we fought but then he used some kind of ability and there was more than one of him. Next thing I knew he was choking me and I was almost done. Everything was going black¡­after that, I don¡¯t know what happened.¡± I managed to rasp out. ¡°There¡¯s a strong chance they know we¡¯re here.¡±


    That was when I noticed Alessa had stepped up to me. ¡°I¡¯m going to check you over. I just need to put my hand on a bare patch of skin for a second to use my ability. I¡¯m going to touch your cheek, ok?¡±


    Alessa pulled the glove off her left hand and as soon as I nodded she placed her hand on my cheek. I felt a pleasant warmth radiating from her hand from where she was cupping my cheek. The contact made me realize my mask had been lost somewhere in the struggle.


    Alessa closed her eyes while she used her ability and after a moment she withdrew her hand and put her glove back on. ¡°You¡¯ve got some bruises and some moderate trauma to your trachea but nothing life-threatening. Your body is already working to heal the damage at an accelerated rate. I don¡¯t know how your abilities work but my Empathic Touch seemed to indicate that your abilities are¡­unsettled¡­at the moment, for lack of a better way to describe the impression I got,¡± the Medical Sergeant explained to me but loud enough for Captain Williams to hear.


    ¡°So is she good to go?¡± Captain Williams asked Alessa but was looking at me.


    ¡°Yes, as far as I can tell she should be clear to continue the mission,¡± answered Alessa.


    ¡°Star, is she right? Are you ok to continue?¡± Captain Williams asked while offering me her hand to pull me up to my feet.


    I took the Captain¡¯s hand and as I got to my feet I was happy to discover that I was fairly steady upon getting there. ¡°I didn¡¯t come this far to give up now. Plus, if that Supernormal is still around you¡¯re going to need me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to hear. Wolf Unit move to cover,¡± Captain Williams said, pointing to the building closest to us. ¡°Staying in the open even with this snow isn¡¯t a good idea especially if Star is right and they know we¡¯re here. Let¡¯s hope that Fox hasn¡¯t been discovered. All right team, let¡¯s get moving.¡±


    Wolf Unit did its best to move as fast as possible to the closest building to our location which happened to be one of the old barracks buildings. It put us in very close proximity to the motor pool building where I dropped Fox but as expected there were no signs of him.


    Wolf Unit quickly took covering positions while Captain Wiliams checked in with Wolf Four and Six on the RAID. It was a quick conversation and it wasn''t long before Wolf Leader disconnected, the conversation not being broadcast on the team channel.


    ¡°The break in the weather is almost on top of us so the advantage is going to switch to the enemy. Wolves Two and Three, I want you to clear the barracks and then work your way toward the old radar towers,¡± Captain Williams instructed Brunner and Alessa. ¡°Wolf Five and I will start clearing the admin buildings and working toward the radar towers. Be careful we are going to eventually run into resistance and find where they are holed up. The RAID will continue to monitor the situation and can provide backup if possible but their primary role is to hold for Fox and to exfil the boy immediately.¡±


    Wolf Leader adjusted her grip on her M17 and then gave me my orders, ¡°Star you will hold here ready to assist on callout, and to watch our backs in case your Supernormal shows back up. Speaking of that particular problem, do you know what happened to them?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t actually. I remember losing consciousness and feeling a burning sensation. Next thing I knew I was in a crater and he was gone and the RAID was landing. I don¡¯t suppose you could tell me what happened?¡±


    ¡°We were on the beacon and almost to you when its signal disappeared. We had some difficulty navigating the road to the base but when saw your energy discharge Sentinel pushed it. Then the whole sky lit up right as we came into the base,¡± Wolf Leader explained. ¡°That¡¯s when we found you in a hole looking a little worse for wear.¡±


    ¡°Worse for wear?¡± snorted Brunner. ¡°She looks like she got her shit kicked in.¡±


    I gave him a withering glare.


    ¡°Enough,¡± snapped Captain Williams. ¡°Not the time. Not the place. We can debrief whatever happened later. You all have your orders.¡±


    With that Brunner and Alessa made their way into the barracks building we had been using as cover while Captain Williams and Laurel made their way toward the administration building.


    I decided to take a quick look at the motor pool building. I was worried about the missing Supernormal and I wanted to be sure that Fox had gotten away. Deciding that stealth wasn¡¯t a thing I pushed the door open and just walked in. The first thing I noticed was that the building was far from empty. There were a couple of SUVs parked inside as well as some snowmobiles. All of them looked to be in good shape. Notably, there were lights on inside the building by a workbench area.


    I made my way over to have a quick look and discovered two dead bodies lying in dark pools of blood. I felt my gorge rise at the unexpected sight and did my best to breathe through it. Both men were dressed in tactical gear and had been sliced open by something razor-sharp. In fact, one man¡¯s arm looked like it had been sliced off at the elbow. Clearly, Fox had made short work of them before moving on. Not seeing anything else of note or the missing Supernormal I quickly left the building and made my back into the snow while reminding myself that I was going to have to get used to sights like that.


    As I pushed through the wind my head was still throbbing, but at least it had calmed down to a dull throb that I could manage. I decided to fly up to the roof of the closest barracks building so I could have a better view. Snow continued to swirl and blow about as I crouched but it definitely seemed like it was starting to lighten up. I felt like I could see a little further than I could before when looking across the base.


    That¡¯s when I noticed what looked like a figure lurking in the tree line near the administration building where Captain Williams and Laurel were. Visibility still wasn¡¯t great and my glasses were practically useless so I decided to reach out to the RAID. ¡°RAID I have what looks like a hostile advancing on Wolf Leader¡¯s position. Can you confirm?¡± I said, using the team-wide comm channel so that Wolf Leader and Wolf Five would be aware of the potential problem.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    After a short pause, Heidi replied, ¡°FLIR confirms humanoid at the tree line. We painted the area for only a moment but the was a concrete hit before we switched back to passive.¡±


    ¡°Roger, Star moving to investigate,¡± I replied letting everyone know I was on the move.


    There was no doubt that the sky was lightening up as morning started to break over the Keweenaw Peninsula and the storm paused its assault on the area. I made sure to stay at the roof line of the buildings as I flew and made a lazy loop out and away before circling back at treetop level to where the enemy was spotted.


    The spring foliage hadn¡¯t completely come in yet so when I reached the area where I last saw my target I was hoping I could quickly spot them. I was starting to get frustrated at my inability to locate them when a figure in black broke from the tree in a blur toward the administration building.


    I took off in a shot toward the hostile through air and as I was almost on top of them I confirmed that it was my foe from earlier, Yellow Stripes. Not slowing down I charged in and swept the man off his feet before spiking him down into the ground. He let out a groan as he rolled roughly through the snow.


    ¡°Star, engaging hostile,¡± I quickly announced into my comm before moving to approach him.


    Unfortunately, Yellow Stripes was already getting up, albeit slowly. As he faced me I could see that the skin on his face was a bright pink like freshly healed skin and his bodysuit and hair looked singed as well.


    ¡°Oh, I was hoping you weren¡¯t dead. I was going to let off some steam on the two bitches creeping around in the building before giving their heads to Morrigan, but even better, I can rip your head off,¡± he sneered.


    I didn¡¯t wait and exploded at him in a spray of snow closing the distance in a blink. I had already started channeling my energy ability into my right fist and let it go as I punched him in the gut with a rising punch. At the same time, I twisted and grabbed him by the back of the neck not letting him get thrown away by the force of my punch. Instead used my own strength as a counterforce to smash him back down into the ground with a sickening thud.


    I rarely used my true strength but already knew from our previous encounter that pulling punches against this guy was a bad idea. He lay sprawled out face down in the snow not moving but I didn¡¯t trust anything with him. None too gently I kicked him in the thigh and when I didn¡¯t get a reaction I reached down to check for a pulse. I quickly found out he was still alive but seemingly unconscious and I was at a loss for what to do with him.


    I stepped away from him to contact the RAID to see if they had any Supernormal restraint devices onboard when I heard two distinct POPs and when I turned around three people were lying on the ground where there was only one a second ago.


    Okay, what the¡­and this explains a few things.


    Each person looked identical with the same close-cropped brown hair except for minor physical differences. The one on the right had a bigger build that more closely matched the man I had been fighting and there was now only one yellow stripe running down the right side of his suit. The man on the left was smaller but no less muscular and built like a world-class sprinter with a yellow stripe down the left side of his suit. This was the man who had smashed the beacon into me. I had wondered where he came from and where he had gone, and now I knew.


    The last man in the middle was of average build with only a single stripe down the center of his suit. This man looked worse for wear. He was covered in bruises and had a cut over his eye. It was strange because the other two didn¡¯t look to have any injuries. Suddenly the man in the middle¡¯s eyes snapped open and he started screaming and writhing on the ground. It was incredibly disconcerting and for a moment I was completely at a loss for what to do.


    ¡°You know, you are an extreme pain in the ass girl. It¡¯s been a long time since someone hurt us enough to cause us to fully separate,¡± the man with the left stripe said, getting to his feet.


    ¡°Going¡­to¡­mess you up bitch,¡± Right Stripe said, getting to his feet while Center Stripe continued to moan in the snow.


    ¡°Um, right. I don¡¯t have a clue about whatever the hell this is, but I¡¯m going to ask nicely once. Stop calling me bitch,¡± I said to the men in front of me.


    ¡°My brother isn¡¯t the most eloquent. He loses some intellect when we separate but the sentiment remains. Individually we have our own abilities but collectively we go by ¡®Hammerdown¡¯. I just thought you¡¯d like to know who was going to put you in the dirt,¡± Left Stripe said menacingly.


    Before Left Stripe had even finished talking he blurred into motion and threw an elbow into my face snapping my head up and back while pivoting and throwing a punch into my already sore ribs. I instinctively curled inward and brought my left elbow down to cover the injured area but before I could even get my bearings I was yanked off my feet by Right Stripe.


    He attempted to use my cape to slam me to the ground but I flew with the motion and smashed into him back first. Letting go of my flight ability I planted my left foot into the snow and threw a spinning elbow that rocked Right Stripe and sent him stumbling.


    Left Stripe rushed into the gap and peppered me with punches. I was able to somewhat get a guard up and ate most of them on my arms. Left Stripe was strong but not nearly as strong as Right Stripe. His power came from his speed and it became quantity over quality as he worked to wear me down.


    I was fast myself though, and managed to parry a punch and turn it into a grab attempt forcing him to blur away. I didn¡¯t get much time to reflect as Right Stripe gave himself away with a growl as he barreled into me from behind and put me into a bear hug. I needed to come up with a better plan as fighting hand to hand wasn¡¯t working.


    It had become obvious the game plan for Hammerdown was to grapple whenever possible and it probably worked most of the time with their strength and speed. I wasn¡¯t going to let him get me locked up this time though and activated my flight and carried Right Stripe into the air with me. Without the leverage of being on the ground, it became a contest of pure strength for him to hold me while fighting gravity.


    I started forcing my arms up and levering apart his grip as I took us up above the roof line not wanting to get too far away. I was stronger than this version of him and I could feel him start to slip so I went into a spin to add some extra force. With a grunt, he lost his grip and fell arms pinwheeling. Left Stripe who was unable to do anything while we were in the air rushed to where Right Stripe was going to hit the ground and just before Right Stripe hit he rushed underneath and they collided with a POP. Where there were once two men there was now one who went stumbling and crashed into the ground not able to fully defeat momentum with their little trick.


    I am so sick of this guy.


    And of course, he was already starting to get to his feet so I blasted him back into the snow with an energy discharge. He tanked it admirably but it was finally looking like maybe I could put him down. He was groaning on his hands and knees but I knew better than to underestimate him.


    I let go of gravity dropping out of the air and smashed my fist into Hammerdown flattening him into the ground. He let out a wheeze and didn¡¯t get up. I bent over at the waist with my hands on my thighs and let out a long breath. Then I heard a voice from behind me.


    ¡°Hahahah¡­good show girlie. It¡¯s damn hard to put those two down.¡±


    I spun around to find the third man, Center Stripe, walking toward me. The last time I paid any attention to him he had been on the ground screaming covered in cuts and bruises. The man in front of me now looked fresh as a daisy with nary an injury to be seen.


    ¡°Guess our code name was a poor choice today. You really put the hammer down on us. Hahaha¡­get it?¡± Center Stripe said with a big smile that did not reach his eyes. His eyes were dark brown to the point they almost appeared to be black, and I¡¯d never really understood the phrase ¡®Crazy Eyes¡¯ until that moment.


    ¡°That¡¯s far enough, stay right where you are,¡± I said to the man feeling very unnerved by his odd behavior. Not listening to my command the man kept approaching me with that creepy smile on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious. I will blast you if you don''t stop walking,¡± I said again, this time pointing my hand at him. Suddenly the sound of gunfire echoed through the base from the direction of Wolves Two and Three. I instinctively looked toward my teammates and made a rookie mistake, I took my eyes off of him.


    I felt him barrel into me. He wasn''t strong like his brothers so he didn¡¯t move me much but he managed to lunge inside my outstretched arm and did something completely unexpected. He bit me.


    It was sudden and unexpected as he sunk his teeth into my collarbone. I reacted swiftly almost purely on instinct and grabbed him by the back of his head and spiked him into the ground next to his brothers. He landed with a wet snap and  I could tell immediately that I broke his collarbone by the way he landed. He immediately started screaming and rolling around grabbing at his shoulder. I hadn¡¯t expected him to not be durable like his brothers.


    ¡°Oh my God. Just hold still and see if I can help you¡­¡± I started to say taking a step toward him when his screams of pain started to morph into grunts of what sounded like pleasure.


    The sounds stopped me dead and I backed up instinctively. I had no frame of reference for whatever this person was. I just knew I needed to deal with them. Especially as I was again hearing gunfire from across the base and the snowstorm had almost fully stopped at this point.


    ¡°Oh¡­oh, thank you¡­girlie. I haven¡¯t been let out to play in so long. My¡­brothers¡­don¡¯t like to let me drive, and I haven¡¯t been able to feel pain like the pain you¡¯ve given us today in a long time. The exquisiteness of it has been amazing. To think a pretty girlie like you would be the one to do it. We need to play some more¡­¡± he said through gasps on the ground as he lay in the fetal position by the still forms of his brothers.


    The shit. I couldn¡¯t have been more skeeved out if I tried and felt a cold chill run down my spine that had nothing to do with the cold Michigan air.


    He suddenly looked at me with a big bloodstained smile and with a POP, POP he recombined with his brothers. The brute I¡¯d originally fought was again now in front of me getting to his feet. His right arm was at a strange angle until he reached over with his left and pulled at it until it made a wet pop. He rotated the arm before exclaiming, ¡°Not perfect yet, but better. You didn¡¯t figure it out yet did ya girlie? My brothers are fast and strong, but I heal.¡±


    With that, he blurred forward and tried to take my head off with a punch. I managed to get my forearms up in a block but was rocked back. He came in again with a grab trying to catch me off balance but I managed to slap his hand down and away causing him to miss and slide past me. I used that momentum and punched him in the back of the head causing him to stumble away.


    I dialed up an energy blast and shot him in the back but it was only for a second before he blurred away. He was hard to track and I realized that getting into the air was still my best advantage. I jumped into the air but didn¡¯t make it far as I felt a crushing grip latch onto my ankle before being smashed to the ground...again. We¡¯d done this dance once before already and I¡¯ll be damned if I was going to be caught again. Twisting I unleashed an energy discharge that caught him in the chest and flung him back.


    I shot to my feet with a wince for my poor ribs but didn¡¯t have time to dwell on it as again he came charging at me with that same creepy smile on his face. I ducked low and shot forward using my flight ability to meet him and took him by surprise when I rammed my shoulder into his knees and low-bridged him. I heard and felt something pop in his leg as I smashed my way through him to land with a thud in the snow.


    The move had hurt and I had to take a second to get my wind but Hammerdown was lying in the snow holding his leg. It was bent at an awkward angle at the knee and it looked like it sucked and I truly hoped it did.


    I stalked my way over to Hammerdown and shot him with an energy discharge only for him to groan, ¡°Yesss.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. I think I missed your other personality,¡± I said before reaching down and grabbing the front of his uniform, and punching him as hard as I could in the face.


    POP!


    ¡°That can be arranged, bitch,¡± I heard from behind me as Right Stripe suddenly appeared and kicked me off of Hammerdown.


    POP!


    Again I found myself at a disadvantage as Hammerdown recombined and swiftly moved to mount a forward choke by smashing a forearm down on me.


    As I felt his forearm slide into my windpipe and begin choking me again something inside me snapped. I felt a white-hot fury at again being at a disadvantage. That having all these abilities, all this power meant nothing. I was being beaten by training and experience. It was a humbling lesson and one that I would remember.


    I tuned out the pressure on my windpipe for a moment and did my best to ignore the maniacal gleam in Hammerdown¡¯s eyes as I reached for the feeling I had earlier. One that I had only a vague memory of feeling once before when I manifested. I visualized that white-hot energy in my chest and willed it to build up until I felt like I couldn¡¯t contain it anymore. I focused it¡­channeled it into my fists which I pushed into either side of Hammerdown¡¯s chest.


    With a scream, I unleashed the pent-up energy into Hammerdown. The discharge blinded me for a moment but the pressure on my neck was gone. When I blinked my vision back into focus Hammerdown was still on my legs but had sat back on his heels with his arms limp at his sides. He was looking down at two smoking holes in his midsection.


    ¡°That¡­doesn¡¯t feel good,¡± he said weakly before falling over.


    I scrambled to get away from him. I felt sick. Drained. My abilities were primarily concussive in nature and I¡¯d never done anything like that before. I¡¯d never¡­killed¡­anyone before. I couldn¡¯t process what I¡¯d just done and stood there looking at Hammerdown while hugging myself.


    ¡°Star, what¡¯s your status? We show you as no longer engaged,¡± Overwatch said into my comm shortly afterward.


    ¡°Hostile¡­neutralized,¡± I replied numbly.

 Chapter 23

    ¡ïWolf Leader¡ï


    Everything had escalated quickly. Team Two had run into a patrol sheltering in the rec building, and while they had been able to hold, they were outnumbered. Dani had re-engaged the Supernormal and Captain Williams and Laurel had been playing cat and mouse with a small sentry patrol.


    With Captain Williams and Laurel not in a position to help the other team, she was forced to call up Wolves Four and Six to support her team in danger. It was a risk, but she ordered the RAID to skirt Dani¡¯s engagement and deliver Wolves Four and Six as close as possible to Team Two before withdrawing as quickly as possible. Fortunately, Team Three arrived in time to help neutralize the resistance in the rec building.


    Unfortunately, it was now a surety that the enemy had been alerted to their presence. Captain Williams watched as the Patrol they had been avoiding started moving to flank Team Two. Wolf Leader was forced to engage, giving up their position, and was now on the defense. One thing that had made itself clear though was the enemy had made Building Twenty their base of operations. Unfortunately, it was a good tactical choice as it sat at the top of a hill.


    Inching up out of cover Wolf Leader popped off a few shots to push back the beginnings of an advance before taking a moment to take stock of the team. Wolf Five and Wolf Leader were together and holding down a group of hostiles attempting to flank their position in the civil engineering building. Cover was adequate due to the cinder block construction but firing positions were funneled through the windows, making them predictable.


    While she had ordered the rest of the team to regroup on her position, it wasn¡¯t going easy as reinforcement patrols had arrived. Alessa and Andre were in rough shape having been pinned behind the old heating building, but they were holding. Brunner and Heidi were in trouble though. They were pinned behind a dumpster sitting in the open and Wolf Leader didn¡¯t have a vantage point to see them, which was a problem. She needed to get them moved up into better cover, and quickly.


    ¡°Wolves Two and Six what¡¯s your situation,¡± Wolf Leader said into her comm as she ducked from a particularly nasty burst of fire from the enemy position.


    ¡°Wolf Six is injured. We took fire getting to this position and she was hit getting into cover. It looks like her uniform stopped anything from penetrating, but she took a nasty hit. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s going to be running anywhere, anytime soon,¡± Wolf Two crackled back in her ear.


    Dammit, of all the times to not have Dani with us. She could have tanked these jackasses and we could have concentrated on getting to the objective, thought Wolf Leader.


    ¡°Wolf Two, can you hold that position? We¡¯re all pinned down pretty effectively at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Roger Wolf Leader, but if they bring out anything heaver, we¡¯re going to be FUBAR. Also, we are way too exposed to being flanked here. I hope you¡¯ve got some brilliant idea because I¡¯m getting pretty pissed off being used for target practice,¡± Brunner growled over the line, punctuated by his heavy machine gun throwing shots at the defenders.


    ¡°Wolf Leader, we¡¯ve got a problem,¡± Andre¡¯s voice suddenly cut through the comm as he broke in. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you can see it from where you¡¯re at, but it looks like the enemy is setting up a fifty-cal. If we don¡¯t do something about it, everybody better say their prayers, cause it¡¯s going to get real holy up in here, real quick.¡±


    Captain Williams rolled her eyes at the joke and Alessa¡¯s groan was audible before the mic cut off. Well, this just keeps getting better and better, Wolf Leader thought, before catching the eyes of Laurel who was a few feet away, and mouthing, ¡°You good?¡±


    Wolf Five nodded affirmatively and then went back to cooly tossing shots downrange with her XM7. It turned out that the Intelligence Sergeant was nothing if terrifyingly efficient. She didn¡¯t waste any shots, only what was needed to push back the enemy. However, in their current situation, a fifty-caliber machine gun would chew through everyone¡¯s cover, and being efficient wouldn¡¯t matter. Captain Williams silently cursed Wolf Two for giving the universe ideas.


    ¡°Five, Six is injured. Any professional guesses as to where Fox might be,¡± Wolf Leader shouted to the other woman as they were raked by gunfire causing concrete shards to rain down on them.


    Wolf Five responded by shaking her head to the negative causing her dirty blond ponytail to swish back and forth with the motion as she ducked back into cover. Wincing at the dust and debris being kicked up.


    Grimacing Wolf Leader tapped her comm, ¡°Overwatch what is Star¡¯s status?¡±


    ¡°Wolf Leader, Star is still engaged with the hostile Supernormal behind the administration building. She¡¯s got her hands full, and the outcome is unclear,¡± Dreamboy¡¯s voice responded. He had taken over local control when Heidi and Andre had been called up.


    This level of resistance was unexpected, and the team was equipped too lightly for the engagement they were facing. They had badly underestimated the enemy, which was deeply frustrating to Captain Williams as this left her with options that were less than optimal.


    Choosing from one of those less-than-ideal options she toggled her comm. ¡°Fox, the team is pinned down, Wolf Six is injured, Star is already engaged, and we are about to come under fire from a fifty-cal. Our current position is becoming untenable. Are you able to assist?¡±


    Wolf Leader¡¯s wrist vibrated indicating a notification almost immediately. Flipping her wrist, she looked at the screen built into the underside of her uniform sleeve to see a text from Fox that read, ¡°Put flashbang on fifty. Be ready to move.¡± and nothing else. Cryptic, typical Fox, at least he¡¯s not dead.


    Wolf Leader re-opened the team channel on her radio, ¡°Everyone, Fox is in a position to do something about the fifty-cal. Wolf Two put a flashbang on the fifty¡¯s position, and then be ready to move to my position on my mark. Ready¡­Mark!¡±


    Wolf Two leaned out from behind the dumpster and popped the flashbang on the mercenaries as they were setting up the gunner¡¯s nest. It went off with a flash of light and the loud bang that accompanied it reverberated off the buildings of the Air Station. The sound was enough to create a pause in the enemy firing and suddenly at the back of the enemy formation, Fox appeared.


    Alessa and Andre came sprinting into Wolf Leader¡¯s position as fast as they could through the snow and immediately took position to lay down cover fire. They needed to suppress the enemy not only for Fox but for Brunner who was running as fast as his six-foot-two frame would let him, with a Communications Sergeant thrown over his shoulder while holding his rifle. Fortunately, with the added firepower of Wolves Three and Four they were able to pin down the enemy long enough for Brunner to make it to their position.


    Brunner, breathing hard placed Heidi down deeper inside the civil engineering building they were using as cover. With the team back together, Wolf Leader went over to check on Heidi while Brunner took up her vacated position with a nod and started returning fire.


    ¡°How are you doing?¡± Captain Williams asked while kneeling to check out Wolf Six visually. Heidi looked to be in one piece but was in obvious pain as tears ran down her cheeks from behind her glasses as she grimaced through the pain.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­okay, Captain. I just need a minute to get myself back together after Brunner dumped me like a sack of potatoes,¡± she answered through gritted teeth that might have been an attempt at a smile.


    ¡°Good to hear. Now honesty time. How bad is it? Are you mobile or not?¡± Wolf Leader asked her while looking her in the eyes and putting a hand on her shoulder.


    Heidi paused to take a breath before she answered, which just caused her to wince in pain. ¡°I think I have a cracked rib. My uniform stopped the bullets, but I still got tagged pretty hard. I can move but not fast and running any distance is probably out of the question.¡±


    ¡°Ok, that¡¯s what I thought. Don¡¯t worry we got you. Alright, stay here and gather your strength. We¡¯re going to have to move soon one way or another. We¡¯ll get you out of here,¡± Wolf Leader said to the injured Communications Sergeant.


    ¡°Wolf Three, I need you over here,¡± she called out to the diminutive Japanese American woman with the bob cut who held the callsign Wolf Three. Alessa White the unit''s Medical Sergeant was supposedly as good as they came in terms of battlefield medics.


    ¡°Roger,¡± Alessa answered and moved over to the captain¡¯s position while ducking down to stay out of the line of fire. ¡°What do you need?¡±


    Wolf Leader leaned into Alessa so that her voice wouldn¡¯t carry, ¡°You¡¯re Heidi¡¯s bodyguard. Your sole mission right now is to staple yourself to Six¡¯s side and keep her safe. She¡¯s hurt worse than she¡¯s letting on and we¡¯re going to have to split up again since she¡¯s not mobile. If we can stash you somewhere safe or redirect the fighting away from here, I want you to see what you can do. She¡¯s admitted to possibly having a cracked rib, but I know from your file you can out stubborn her if it¡¯s anything worse.¡±


    ¡°Roger, I¡¯ll keep her safe,¡± Alessa replied, the ghost of a smirk visible on her face through the captain''s low-light glasses.


    ¡°I know you will,¡± Wolf Leader said touching Wolf Three¡¯s shoulder before returning to cover.


    ¡°Alright everyone, we¡¯ve got to crack this resistance. Wolves Three and Six will stay here or move when possible so we¡¯ll be down two so nobody else gets shot. We can still get control of this situation. Wolves Two and Four take the right and clear toward the middle. Five you¡¯re with me on the left. Move fast, call out targets, and cover each other. Fox has them in disarray so let''s not waste the advantage. Go on my signal.


    Keying the com she spoke into the receiver, ¡°Fox we¡¯re moving up.¡±


    ¡°Go!¡±


    ¡ïFox¡ï


    Fox arrived at building twenty with little difficulty by making jumps using his Supernormal ability, ¡°Shadow Step¡±, but the building was proving difficult to navigate. Building twenty was a multipurpose building that used to house Operations and Planning, among other things, based on the old plans they had access to. It was an interesting design as a product of the Cold War because it was an existing building covered with a bomb-resistant shell. It was that cinderblock outer shell that was the primary issue as there were no windows and only a handful of ingress points


    One of the men he¡¯d run across in the motor pool had given up the location with a little persuasion but was killed by his comrade before he could provide anything further. Fox had been surprised at the move and had been forced to end that man¡¯s life. He had hoped to gather more intel before risking breaking radio silence and keeping an enemy combatant alive would have been helpful.


    Fox had set up a position watching the target building in the old height radar facility adjacent to building twenty. He had hoped that by getting an elevated look at the building he could get a good idea of the best approach when he started hearing gunfire. Fox had been monitoring the comms so he knew that Star had engaged a Supernormal after he split off to scout ahead which bothered him. They shouldn¡¯t have known they were coming so engaging that quickly after infiltrating made this whole op feel off somehow. Not to mention the staffed and stocked motor pool.


    Dawn was starting to break but with the cloud cover that only meant that it was getting less dark, but it worked against him as he needed shadows to use his ability. Combine that with the predicted break in the weather that had arrived, and visibility was improving by the minute. The wind was still howling through the abandoned radar tower but even it had calmed noticeably swinging the advantage toward the defenders.


    ¡°Fox, the team is pinned down, Wolf Six is injured, Star is already engaged, and we are about to come under fire from a fifty-cal. Our current position is becoming untenable. Are you able to assist?¡± Wolf Leader¡¯s voice came across the com system built into his helmet on a direct line and not the team channel.


    After scanning the enemy¡¯s defensive position, he found the fifty-caliber heavy machine gun being set up at the top of the hill giving it a wide range of fire. Not something you just have lying around at an abandoned base, he thought idly.


    Quickly formulating a plan of attack Fox responded to Wolf Leader via text, ¡°Put flashbang on fifty. Be ready to move.¡±


    Not a minute later a flashbang went off on the fifty caliber¡¯s position causing Fox¡¯s visor to darken and casting shadows all over the area. In the time took to blink Fox had used ¡°Shadow Step¡± and emerged from a shadow cast by the flashbang behind the two gunners. Moving swiftly Fox pulled his sword from its sheath on his back the knife from its holster.


    With no wasted movement Fox punched his knife through the skull of the nearest enemy while simultaneously reversing his grip on the sword and punching it through the other man¡¯s throat. The enemy position was still recovering from the flashbang, so Fox moved quickly on the next man who was rubbing his eyes trying to clear his vision when Fox ran his sword through the gap in his armpit piercing the man¡¯s heart who collapsed with a gurgle.


    All the patrols he had seen so far had been four-man units, so he spun and located the other two members of the fifty-cal unit. One man was carrying ammunition and still looked dazed, so Fox threw his knife at him and scored a hit as it sunk hilt deep into his throat taking him out of the fight. Not stopping Fox sheathed his sword and pulled the XM17 from its holster on his hip. His helmet¡¯s HUD highlighted his final target who was trying to bring his SMG around, and he quickly put a bullet through the man''s right eye dropping him into the snow.


    With the element of surprise gone Fox quickly scanned the area to find a deep enough shadow to use for a ¡°Shadow Step¡±. Fortunately, he found one in a crook of the building and used it to jump away. Unfortunately, he was still exposed so he immediately jumped into another shadow on the old radar tower.


    Right then Wolf Leader¡¯s voice crackled through his helmet, ¡°Fox, we¡¯re moving up.¡±


    The sound of gunfire intensified as the Wolf Unit opened up on the enemy position. Using the distraction Fox crouched down and watched the enemy when he saw his chance. Fox slowly smiled in his helmet while thinking to himself, this will, definitely, maybe work.


    ¡°Shadow Step relied on line-of-site so Fox couldn¡¯t just jump into a dark space he couldn¡¯t see, but all he needed was a glimpse and a sufficiently dark enough space to hold his mass. In a stroke of luck, one of the patrols was exiting the building and a soldier was holding the door for a straggler giving Fox a glimpse of the very dark inside of the building. Timing it to when the soldier exited the building he jumped through the darkness.


    He stepped out of the shadows and took a deep breath. Semi-blind ¡°Shadow Steps¡± like that were taxing. It took a lot more effort to pull himself out of it than it did when the landing area was clearly visualized. He had materialized inside a short hallway which was not ideal. With quick practice, he moved down the hallway activating one of his other Delta abilities ¡°Silent Movement¡±.  When ¡°Silent Movement¡± was active Fox made no noise by creating a dead zone around his body where sound was deadened. The field had a limited range, and the further away from him the lesser the effect, and it could only deaden so much sound. Still, it worked well for pistols effectively acting as a built-in silencer.


    The inside of the building was a mess. Debris and graffiti were scattered everywhere showing the obvious effects of the base''s abandonment, but it also showed signs of recent habitation, because as Fox neared the end of the hallway he could see lights.


    As he edged out of the hallway he was faced with two soldiers manning what looked to be a checkpoint. The room looked like an old office or common room and was lit by a dim string of work lights strung across the room. Fox slid into the room quickly and soundlessly, gun up and ready. One of the soldiers was facing his direction as he entered the room, and his eyes widened as he caught sight of Fox as he entered the room. That was the only thing he had time to do before Fox had put him and his partner down.


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    ¡ïWolves Three and Six¡ï


    ¡°Shiiiiit, Alessa!¡± Heidi hissed as the Medical Sergeant probed her injuries while they hunkered down in the old engineering building that Wolf Unit had just vacated.


    ¡°Callsigns on mission remember,¡± Wolf Three replied with a wink while deftly probing Wolf Six¡¯s ribs and earning a fierce glare from the injured Communications Sergeant propped against the wall.


    ¡°Fine, but if we get yelled at by Wolf Leader, I¡¯m telling her you said screw callsigns,¡± Alessa said with an arched eyebrow causing Heidi to laugh and then double over in pain.


    ¡°Oh God, that hurts,¡± she wheezed out with a fresh batch of tears now running down her cheeks.


    Alessa steadied the other woman by using ¡°Empathic Touch¡± while she got her breathing under control. ¡°I know, and I¡¯m sorry I shouldn¡¯t have made you laugh, but from what I can feel I agree with your assessment that you have a fractured rib. The best thing we can do is keep your tactical suit on and try not to have you do anything too strenuous.¡±


    Closing her eyes and resting her head against the wall, Wolf Six finished getting her breathing under control before wiping the tears from her face with the back of her hand. For a moment everything went silent before new bursts of gunfire erupted reminding them of their current situation.


    ¡°Strenuous¡­Right. You want to tell them to knock it off and just give us the flux capacitor,¡± Wolf Six mumbled.


    ¡°Flux what?¡± Wolf Three asked while pulling a device from the medical pouch at her hip.


    ¡°Pop culture reference. You know what, never mind, what¡¯s that?¡± she said, nodding toward the small device in the other woman''s hand.


    Alessa held up the small white device with a miniature canister attached to one end and a contact point on the other end. ¡°This is a jet injector with a fast-acting pain killer that should help keep you mobile and help with the swelling. Especially, since that hip can¡¯t be feeling too good either. This is just a stopgap until we can get you out of here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. I don¡¯t love needles but if this will dull some of this pain I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    ¡°No needles, just air,¡± Allessa explained while waggling the device in front of Heidi before putting the device to her neck and pressing a button, causing it to make a sharp whoosh sound.


    ¡°All done, and see that was nothing. You sit here and rest a minute while I go peek outside and see what¡¯s going on,¡± Alessa instructed Heidi, receiving a nod in response.


    Picking up her weapon she made her way over the wall and pulled it into a ready position before looking out the window. The two components of Wolf Unit had advanced about halfway to the target building and were currently covering each other as they leapfrogged each other for cover. The battle was far from over though, so it looked like they would have to sit tight for a bit longer.


    ¡ïWolf Leader¡ï


    The team had managed to progress in moving up using various trees for cover, but they were quickly running out of options. With only wide-open space ahead of them. the enemy would have an easy time cutting them down. Wolf Leader ducked back behind the tree she was using for cover.


    ¡°Team, there is no clear way forward and our window to the target is closing rapidly. Suggestions if you have them,¡± Wolf Leader broadcast to the team.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing but a new artisanal collection of toothpicks from the tree I''m hiding behind ma¡¯am,¡± Andre joked over the line.


    ¡°MacGuffin is either in building twenty as the resistance would indicate, or is in the old nuclear bunker. Tactically that wouldn¡¯t make much sense normally, but as we know, they have a teleporter,¡± Wolf Five contributed. ¡°My money is on the bunker.¡±


    ¡°Fox, what are your thoughts if you can respond?¡±


    ¡°Inside the building. Heavily guarded,¡± he replied via text which indicated that he was either hiding somewhere and unable to speak or actively using ¡°Silent Movement¡±.


    Wolf Leader closed her eyes momentarily and wished for a solution to drop into their lap before mentally moving on. Well, if wishes were fishes we¡¯d all eat for free, but opportunities are made, she thought. With that, she made up her mind to do something that she¡¯d hoped she wouldn¡¯t have to do. Especially on their first mission.


    ¡°Wolf Two, what do you have for grenades?¡± she asked her XO.


    ¡°Two and Two,¡± he grumbled in reply. ¡°I told you we should have loaded out heavier.¡±


    Wolf Leader grimaced at Brunner¡¯s response. Now wasn¡¯t the time for his, I can do your job better than you, bullshit.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t the mission parameters, and you know that. Feel free to file your complaints when and if we make it back to base. Until then pay attention, I¡¯m going to do the thing,¡±


    ¡°What thing? Wolf Two responded with more than a little irritation.


    ¡°Kuwait¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± was his simple reply.


    Peeking out of cover to get stock of the situation Wolf One quickly formulated a plan, but it was going to suck. ¡°I hope this works,¡± she whispered to herself before keying the comms.


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯re outnumbered, and we have limited cover and options. If we stay here like this we¡¯re dead. It¡¯s time to level the field. Wolves Four and Five I¡¯m going to do something that¡¯s classified, so I need you to listen and follow my instructions to the letter, and if something goes sideways listen to Wolf Two and Fox,¡± Wolf Leader said making sure to catch the eyes of her squad mates for emphasis.


    ¡°Roger,¡± came back quickly from Wolves Four and Five.


    Wolves Three and Six, I know you¡¯re watching and listening. I need you to stay put for your own safety no matter what you see. Especially you Three.¡±


    Heidi acknowledged the instruction, but Alessa responded, ¡°Captain I must object if you¡¯re planning to do something that will endanger your life.¡±


    ¡°Noted, but I already ordered you to worry about Six, so let me worry about me,¡± she shot back to the Medical Sergeant. She didn¡¯t mean to be quite that sharp to Alessa but what she was about to do had her on edge.


    ¡°Alright, here¡¯s the plan. Wolves Four and Five are going to lay down covering fire for Wolf Two while he puts grenades on the approaches. Two will then follow that up with the flashbangs. When he does that I¡¯m going to deploy my ability which is a gravity ability codenamed, ¡°Event Horizon¡±. When I step out of cover, Four and Five you are to fall back to Three and Six, and whatever happens, you must stay behind me.  Wolf Two will stay close in case I need help while Fox uses the distraction to find out if the mission is blown or not. We go on my mark,¡± Wolf Leader finished explaining to the team.


    Captain Williams got into a ready position and tossed her weapon to Laurel since she wouldn¡¯t be needing it which drew a questioning look from Wolf Five. To Laurel¡¯s credit she clearly had questions but just picked up Wolf Leader¡¯s weapon and slung it across her back before settling back into a covering position. Wolf Leader really didn¡¯t want to use her ability, but they didn¡¯t have much choice and it would solve their immediate issue.


    Actually, Star would solve their immediate issue, so Wolf Leader grasped at one last straw. ¡°Overwatch, status on Star,¡± she asked the RAID for an update on her direct comm channel. She knew she was delaying but if Star was available, it would be a better solution.


    ¡°Still engaged Wolf Leader,¡± Dreamboy replied over the comm channel. Wolf Leader swore silently.


    Opening a comm line directly to Wolf Two and Fox, she spoke quickly, ¡°Nick, if this goes sideways and I can¡¯t control it¡­ you need to incapacitate me. Do whatever you need to do if it looks like I can¡¯t get it under control. Remember Kuwait and what happened before Fox was able to stop me? That can¡¯t happen here. Save the team and the boy. You understand?¡±


    ¡°I understand Captain. I won¡¯t let you down,¡± Brunner replied without any of his usual bluster. It seemed he understood the gravity of the situation.


    Taking a deep breath, Wolf Leader changed back to the team channel and gave the order, ¡°Mark.¡±


    Wolves Four and Five immediately started putting burst fire down range on the enemy positions, followed quickly by Wolf Two putting grenades on approaches causing snow and debris to rain down over the area.


    Chaos erupted as the enemy position struggled to sort itself out. Right then Brunner showed his skill with his weapon by putting back-to-back flashbangs on the positions deepening the chaos.


    Wolf Leader waited for the second flashbang to go off before stepping out and striding toward the enemy as best she could through the snow. A familiar burning feeling started to build in her core. It felt like slowly opening the door to a room that was filled with electrical current. Her vision dimmed as the color drained from the world leaving everything in shades of grey tinged with gold. A feeling of both weightlessness and heaviness assailed her senses as she fought to hold herself together.


    It built slowly as the air started to move toward Wolf Leader, then small objects, but soon her ability seemed to feed on itself as a disk of raw golden energy formed arcing and snapping around what resembled an accretion disk. Soon smoke and small objects were being pulled across the space toward the captain, only to be crushed into nothingness. Anything that made it to the disk was quickly crushed under the unyielding gravity of her ¡°Event Horizon¡±.


    Wolf Leader fully in the thrall of her ability floated off the ground arms spread as if in supplication to the awesome power swirling from and around her. Her eyes had turned pitch black, and a grimace of strain was etched across her face. She was losing the battle to control her ability.


    The enemy forces were now being sucked toward the accretion disk only to simply vanish as they were crushed by the gravity created by her ability. Soon loose debris and pieces of the surrounding buildings were being sucked toward the Captain.


    ¡°Captain! Captain Williams! You¡¯ve got to control it. Jasmine don¡¯t make do this!¡±


    The voice hazily filtered through to Wolf Leader but it felt so very far away.  It felt so good to not have control, to let go. Wolf Leader¡¯s thoughts were foggy as the thrum of power surged through her. She knew there was something important that she was supposed to remember, but it eluded her.


    ¡ïWolf Two¡ï


    Nick Brunner had seen Captain Williams use her ability only once before and it had been catastrophic. As he backed away to a safe distance and watched Captain Williams he drifted back to that mission. It was during a mission to suppress a band of rebels in Kuwait that had threatened a strategic oil field. Hound Unit had been called in because the rebels were more organized, possessing better equipment than usual, and the Kuwaiti government kept losing engagements. It was getting harder and harder to suppress that information, so they reached out to the US for assistance.


    Of course, the government couldn¡¯t turn down an ally requesting help in suppressing terrorist activity. That it also just happened to protect an important strategic resource was just a bonus. Hound Unit was assigned the mission of tracking and terminating the rebel faction.


    When Fox finally tracked them down, they were set up in an abandoned oil field near a small village that had probably grown up around the oil field. It had ended up being a rough fight against an entrenched enemy who had home-field advantage and Hound would end up taking casualties as the engagement drug out over days.


    Hound, like most modern special forces, was a mixed Human/Supernormal unit so Captain Williams''s Supernormal status wasn¡¯t a secret, but she never talked about it and seemed hell-bent on proving she didn¡¯t need it. Brunner had never even seen her use it until that day when Hound ended up separated when the rebels collapsed part of the facilities.


    The story went that Fox saved then Lieutenant Williams''s life but was caught in the collapse. Alone and wounded the rebels found her and with little choice, she used her ability. Hound¡¯s Commanding Officer at the time, Major Hanson, must have known about it because he pulled everyone back as soon as he realized what was happening. In the end, Lieutenant Williams destroyed most of the abandoned oil field and half the village.


    Major Hanson was so spooked he had called in an airstrike on her position, but the gravitational energy or her ¡°Event Horizon¡± caused the missiles to go haywire or to be sucked into her gravity field. There was a real fear that she would only stop by burning herself out. Fortunately for her, Fox had survived and used that creepy shadow ability of his to free himself and make his way back to her. He was somehow able to stop her and came walking out of the desert holding an unconscious Lieutenant Willams.


    Fox and Jasmine had been friends before the incident but whatever happened caused them to become even closer afterward. Major Hanson knew what happened as well, but nobody would ever share and the specific details ended up being classified.


    Seeing those golden energy whisps radiating off Captain Wiliams again caused a ball of dread to form in Chief Warrant Officer Brunner¡¯s stomach as he looked on. All he knew was that they were on US soil, and he wouldn¡¯t let what happened in Kuwait happen here regardless of whether Captain Williams had asked him to stop her or not.


    More and more things were sucked in and vaporized as the pull continued to increase as the disc slowly grew in size. The bulk of the gravity was facing toward building twenty, but he could still feel it pulling at him from the edges and when he looked at Captain Williams she was fully engaged in her ability now and frankly¡­it scared him.


    Brunner was a big man at six foot-two but the power on display made him feel small and he didn¡¯t like that feeling one bit. Captain Williams was showing no signs of stopping, floating in the air with her arms out to her sides like she was in worship to the energy around her, and even more distressing, her eyes had turned black and now looked blank and unseeing.


    Brunner wasn¡¯t one for introspection but having been squad mates for years together in their previous unit he felt he at least owed her a chance before making a decision. Doing his best to be heard over the sound of the wind generated by the gravimetric pull he yelled, ¡°Captain! Captain Williams!  You did it! You can stop now! Control it, Jasmine, don¡¯t make me do this!¡±


    Getting no response, he keyed his Com to Fox¡¯s private channel. ¡°I tried Fox, but I can¡¯t let Kuwait happen again. Not on US soil,¡± Wolf Two said into the comm pickup while shouldering his weapon into a firing stance and fighting the gravity pulling at him.


    Squeezing the trigger, he fired a burst of automatic fire at the Captain before suddenly his world went white and then dark.


    ¡ïWolf Unit¡ï


    Watching with wide eyes, Andre began retreating with Wolf Five to the building they had previously occupied as Captain Williams stepped out into the open unarmed and advanced on the enemy position.


    It wasn¡¯t apparent at first what she was doing, the only thing visible was some whisps of something that seemed to play tricks on your mind. By the time they had rejoined Wolves Three and Six, it was impossible to miss the golden ropes of energy now swirling around Captain Williams. Slowly she stopped moving forward and instead started to float above the ground with her arms out to her sides. A strong breeze started to pick up and swirl around the captain followed shortly by loose objects. It was an amazing sight.


    Andre looked at Laurel eyes still wide and whispered, ¡°Did you know she could do this?¡±


    ¡°Not a clue,¡± replied Laurel with her own wide eyes


    ¡°What about you Alessa, Heidi?¡± he asked the other two members of Wolf Unit present.


    ¡°All I know is that she is a Supernormal. The details are sealed, and now I know why,¡± added the Medical Sergeant.


    ¡°Well, I can guarantee I don¡¯t know either, but it¡¯s not like I can see anything from down here either,¡± grumbled Wolf Six from her spot on the ground. ¡°Help me up Alessa.¡±


    Wolf Three helped the taller woman up and over to the wall while grumbling something about Callsigns.


    ¡°Whoa,¡± exclaimed Heidi at the sight of Wolf Leader''s ability. ¡°No wonder they classified her ability. That¡¯s nuts. Do you think Dani could stand up to that?¡±


    ¡°We might have to find out. I don¡¯t think Wolf Leader has full control,¡± Laurel pointed out.


    ¡°What makes you say that,¡± asked Alessa with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°That she¡¯s leading a First Response Unit for one. With a destructive ability like that the government would have her hidden away in some black ops program if she could use it. Another is the fact she never uses it or even alludes to it on top of it being classified. Lastly, I overheard her ask Wolf Two to stop her before we retreated,¡± explained Laurel.


    Alessa rolled her eyes good-naturedly before teasing Laurel, ¡°Leave it up to the Intelligence Officer to pull out a completely plausible hypothesis during a firefight. Should we be concerned?¡±


    ¡°I think we should be¡­prepared,¡± Laurel answered hesitantly.


    ¡°Vous autres, it looks like things are getting serious,¡± Andre said, putting his attention back on the battlefield. As they watched, enemy troops started being sucked into the Captain¡¯s Event Horizon and the wind noticeably picked up. ¡°The roof fixtures are starting to move! Just how strong is her ability?¡±


    Everyone looked on in amazement as the air vents and the HVAC units started to rock and shake before the gravitational pull slowly started dragging them across the space toward Wolf Leader. After about twenty yards the front end of one of the units started to lift off the ground before breaking free entirely only to slam into the accretion disk and be crushed into nothingness.


    ¡°Wolf Six, get ready to contact overwatch,¡± Laurel instructed Heidi, pragmatic as ever, as they watched.


    ¡°Roger¡±, replied Heidi who put on her AR glasses that would show her the data feeds and uplinks built into her communications gear. She opened the hidden panel on the underside of her left forearm that contained a mico-interface screen allowing her to access the suit''s onboard computing features. As the Communications Sergeant for the unit, she had a more robust communications suite with extra communication features built in. If the unit hadn¡¯t been rapidly deployed light in a stealth configuration, she would have had a large backpack that greatly expanded her communication capabilities.


    ¡°There it goes!¡± Andre called and pointed as the HVAC unit suddenly sailed across the distance between it and Wolf Leader only to be crushed into oblivion.


    ¡°Okay, that thing had to weigh in the tons. Six you¡¯re on,¡± Laurel encouraged the Communications Sergeant.


    Heidi¡¯s hand flew across the screen built into her suit as she tried to establish a data link with Overwatch and the RAID. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of interference but, I think I got a data packet out that they can forward back to Headquarters.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope so,¡± chimed in Alessa from where she was watching. ¡°If this is going sideways, we¡¯re going to need some direction.¡±


    Suddenly they could faintly hear shouting from Wolf Two over the roar of the wind.


    ¡°Captain! Captain Williams!  You did it! You can stop now! Control it, Jasmine, don¡¯t make me do this!¡± Wolf Two was yelling at Wolf Leader.


    Briefly Wolf Two looked like he was talking to someone over his com channel before suddenly raising his weapon and firing directly at Wolf Leader.


    Someone screamed and then everyone was blinded by a flash of light accompanied by a heavy boom, and an explosion of debris. When the snow started clearing aided by Wolf Leader¡¯s ability, Wolf Two lay in a heap, and standing in a small crater seemingly unfazed by the power rippling from the gravity disc was a tall young woman with an athletic build, and golden blonde hair. She was wearing a uniform drenched in the colors of the United States flag with a dark blue cape ripping in the wind.


    Star had arrived.

 Chapter 24

    Danielle Walker, codename ¡°Star¡±, one of only a handful of true Quantum Level Supernormals in the world was rapidly trying to figure out just what in the hell was going on.


    I had finally managed to put down Hammerdown and had barely caught my breath when Overwatch informed me that the Tactical Team was in urgent need of assistance.


    I looked at Captain Williams floating above the ground and was shocked at the raw power rippling off the woman. ¡°Captain! Captain Williams! Wolf Leader can you hear me!¡± I yelled at her but got no response. Looking around I spotted Wolf Two in a heap where he had landed.


    Stalking over to the prone form of Brunner, I picked him up by his weapons harness to see if I could get some answers to what was going on and why I found him firing on our team leader. Unfortunately for me, but possibly fortunate for him, he seemed to be unconscious. Wondering where the rest of the team was I started looking around but with so much debris swirling in the air visibility was rapidly deteriorating.  Helpfully helpfully my comm crackled to life.


    ¡°Star, we¡¯re holed up in the civil engineering building at six o¡¯clock of your position,¡± Heidi¡¯s voice spoke into my ear.


    Getting a good grip on Wolf Two I fought through the wind and debris by staying low to the ground until I found the building holding the somewhat ragged-looking Wolf Unit.


    Having located the team I tossed Wolf Two down in a heap. ¡°What in the hell is going on? Oh, and uh, I guess somebody should check on him,¡± she said addressing the group with a nod toward the unconscious Wolf Two.


    Alessa immediately went to check on Brunner while the rest of the team nominated Laurel as spokesperson by looking at her.


    Laurel leaned in a little closer before beginning her explanation. ¡°As you know we deployed outside and moved to infiltrate while Fox was ahead as a forward scout but we quickly realized there was an unexpected level of activity and presence. Fox Two and Three ran into a patrol at the rec building and were forced to engage while Wolf Leader and I were staying hidden from a patrol of our own and weren¡¯t in a position to help. Overwatch informed us that you were engaged so Wolf Leader called up Four and Six to assist. After pacifying the rec building Teams Two and Three moved to regroup with Wolf Leader, but they were hit by reinforcements wounding Wolf Six and leading to an all-out engagement.¡±


    ¡°Okay that tracks given the outcome but how did we get to Wolf Leader going all floaty and Wolf Two shooting at her?¡± I asked over the steadily increasing noise from the other side of the wall where their Captain was slowly tearing apart the base.


    ¡°The enemy position was deploying a fifty-caliber so we had to move to stop it, but Wolf Six was injured, so Wolf Three was ordered to stay with her. Fox was able to coordinate with us to take it out but we weren¡¯t able to advance fast enough and got caught exposed. Not seeing a way out Wolf Leader decided to use her ability. She said it was classified but called it ¡°Event Horizon¡±. From what I can tell it seems to be a gravity-based ability,¡± Laurel explained.


    ¡°And she doesn¡¯t know how to turn it off?¡± I asked


    Laurel looked frustrated for a moment and I couldn¡¯t tell if it was because her hair kept getting blown in her face or that she didn¡¯t know the answer.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it, but you know about as much as we do at this point. She asked Wolf Two to incapacitate her if she got out of control before activating her ability and he was yelling at her before he fired on her. Then you arrived. Speaking of your arrival, what did you do to Wolf Two?¡±


    ¡°I got here right as Brunner fired on the Captain so I blasted the ground as I landed to knock him away. I might have put a bit more into it than I meant to though,¡± I explained with a sheepish look.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know what was going on and based on the circumstances, you probably did the right thing. Hopefully, he¡¯ll be ok because I think we¡¯re going to need all hands on deck if this gets any worse,¡± Laurel said placing her hand on my shoulder.


    I appreciated the gesture but was still at a loss for what to do. I had guessed that Captain Williams was a Supernormal during training due to her strength and durability, but she never talked about it, and I never got the courage to ask.


    Realizing that being in my head wasn¡¯t going to do any good I decided to focus on trying to figure out a plan with Wolf Unit. ¡°How¡¯s Brunner,¡± I asked Alessa, who was still on her knees with a hand on Brunner¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°From what my ability is telling me I can tell he¡¯s borderline for a concussion and is bruised from getting ragdolled. It was probably the pressure wave from being so close to your blast and a classic case of sudden acceleration when he was pushed away. I expect he¡¯ll wake up sometime soon with a headache,¡± she detailed for me.


    ¡°Okay, I appreciate the update. I¡¯m glad he¡¯s going to be alright. I wasn¡¯t really trying to hurt him, just get him away from Wolf Leader,¡± I explained a little defensively for some reason.


    Alessa held my gaze for a beat. ¡°He fired on our commanding officer. Without context, he¡¯s lucky he isn¡¯t the crater.¡±


    ¡°Listen, Chere, we¡¯re all new to each other but I don¡¯t think anyone''s first thought is ill intent. We¡¯ll figure it out. Assuming we survive our debut, eh,¡± Andre said with a lopsided smile topped off with his now trademark wink.


    ¡°Right, Right,¡± I said with a shake of my head trying to re-focus on the task at hand. ¡°So who¡¯s actually in charge right now?¡±


    ¡°Technically Fox is, but since he¡¯s indisposed command falls Wolf Five as the Assistant Operations Officer,¡± Heidi volunteered. ¡°After that, it¡¯s rock paper scissors between, Three, Four, and myself.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at that bit of information. Hearing it really drove home how close to a disaster the mission was.


    ¡°Um, is this what you special forces guys refer to as FUBAR?¡± I asked the remnants of Wolf Unit.


    Andre let out a peal of laughter while Heidi just smiled. I heard Alessa snort from where she was kneeling next to Brunner before she replied, ¡°You could say that.¡± Even Laurel had a bit of a smirk despite the situation. I felt my cheeks heat as I realized how badly I¡¯d stated the obvious.


    ¡°Alright everyone, let''s figure out¡­¡± Laurel started to say before she was interrupted by the whole building shaking and what sounded like part of the roof being torn off.


    ¡°A plan,¡± she finished, a look of deep concern on her face.


    We all rushed to the windows to see a piece of the building swirling around Captain Williams before being pulled into the golden disk and crushed. The trees near our position were even starting to bend toward Wolf Leader.


    At this point, Captain Williams was starting to tear apart the base''s standing structures as the intensity of her ability increased. We could barely even see building twenty anymore due to the haze of debris being sucked toward Wolf Leader.


    ¡°Okay, Wolf Unit we¡¯re going to begin an ordered retreat back toward the RAID since this position is no longer safe. Wolf Six, let the RAID know we¡¯re in retreat toward their position and make sure to loop Fox in. The rest of us will try to move Wolf Two while Star tries to see if she can snap Wolf Leader out of her trance since she¡¯s the only one who can probably even get close at this point,¡± Laurel said taking command of Wolf Unit.


    She was doing her best to look confident but none of us missed the look of uncertainty in her eyes. Still, she was a professional and would do her best. ¡°If anyone has anything to add, now would be time.¡±


    ¡°Um, I have a suggestion,¡± I ventured before the group could muster.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Laurel said with a guarded expression.


    ¡°Wolf Two is six-foot-two, and probably in the vicinity of two hundred and fifty pounds of dead weight. You will struggle to move him if he doesn¡¯t wake up in the next few minutes. Not to mention the issue with the snow. Let me fly him and Wolf Three back to the RAID. That way you, four, and Six can stay flexible. If it¡¯s safe to move Wolf Two I can make it quick,¡± I suggested. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Laurel''s eyes narrowed a bit and you could almost physically see the gears turning in her head as she worked through different scenarios. ¡°I¡¯m not a huge fan of having you unavailable, even for a few minutes considering the situation but I see your point. We could try to rig up a sled but that will be unwieldy in its own way.¡±


    ¡°Normally I wouldn¡¯t suggest moving someone with head trauma but I don¡¯t think we have much of a choice. I didn¡¯t feel any neck or spinal trauma when I scanned him so I don¡¯t think we risk further damage if we¡¯re careful. Even then I¡¯m sure he¡¯d take that over being smashed to atoms,¡± Alessa interjected.


    ¡°Alright, I don¡¯t think we have time to beat this up. Star will proceed to evac Wolf Two and Wolf Three to the RAID. Wolves Four and Six will proceed with me to pull back toward the barracks and try to stay in a position to cover Wolf Leader,¡± Laurel ordered.


    The team wasted no time and broke up into their respective groups. I stepped back over to Alessa and Brunner and looked at her questioningly. ¡°Um, is there a particular way I should do this?¡±


    ¡°Outside of carrying him by his tactical harness like luggage again, not really. Whatever works to allow you to carry us both,¡± she said while packing up her tools and doing up all her straps.


    ¡°Okay, I think I¡¯m going to do a fireman carry then, which will keep an arm free for you and let me balance his bulk. Plus, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d want to ride in his lap if I do a princess carry,¡± I said, reaching down to pick up the prone Executive Officer.


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile when I caught her grimace as I hefted Brunner up and over my shoulder trying not to jostle him too much. He was heavy by average standards but with my enhanced strength his weight wasn¡¯t an issue. With Brunner settled on my left shoulder, I reached out and snatched Alessa up with my right arm, eliciting a surprised squeak from the medical sergeant. Unfortunately due to our height difference, I had to get a little handsy with her as I wrapped my arm around her and pinned her against my side.


    ¡°You okay?¡± I asked looking down at her in the crook of my arm. Her face was only a few inches away and her eyes were as big as saucers. She took a big breath and nodded.


    I rose off the floor and floated out the door of the civil engineering building and was immediately buffeted by wind and debris created by Captain Williams. The gusts were easily equal to a strong thunderstorm and visibility was a nightmare causing me to tighten my grip on Alessa and Brunner instinctively as I pushed out into it.


    Before I started my journey to the RAID I turned to the rest of Wolf Unit and told them to be safe. I was especially worried about Heidi as she was just barely hanging on with her injuries. Whatever Alessa gave her would only work for so long and there was the very real possibility she could get injured even worse.


    I pushed those thoughts aside as I rose into the air and quickly realized that I wouldn¡¯t be able to just fly over the top of the buildings due to the amount of debris swirling around the area. ¡°Hang on we¡¯re going to have to stay low. Keep an eye out for anything I might miss,¡± I said to Alessa who had a death grip around my waist.


    ¡°Overwatch, Star enroute. One wounded,¡± Heidi came across our comm as soon as we separated from the rest of Wolf Unit.


    Fortunately, the air cleared up the further away we got from Captain Williams but it was obvious her ability was still strengthening. The RAID put its ramp down and we approached and I flew us directly into the craft. I kept hold of Brunner while setting Alessa down near the medical station of the craft.


    Dreamboy approached us from the front and immediately started helping Alessa set up the med station that rose up out of the floor. Once it had been properly set up Alessa gestured for me to set Brunner down on the table. I did my best not to jostle him too much as I moved him from my shoulder onto the med station bed. Alessa immediately started going over him and setting up different devices so I stepped back out of the way.


    Dreamboy approached me with a look of concern on his face. His entire posture was tense. ¡°Turning into a bit of shitshow out there isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I sighed and rubbed my temple before looking at him. ¡°Honestly, yes. I¡¯m going to go do my best to try and see if we can salvage it but I would make sure the RAID is ready to go¡±


    ¡°A mission wipe and hot evac are entirely possible,¡± Alessa chimed in from the med station.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be ready, but you got this. Good luck,¡± Dreamboy replied, offering a fist bump. His trademark smile returning.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go find out,¡± I said bumping his fist and ending with a ¡°fa la la la¡±. I could just hear him say ¡°Girl¡± and laugh as I flew back out into the snow.


    I activated my comm to the team channel to find out Wolf Unit¡¯s current location, ¡°Star requesting unit location. Package delivered.¡±


    ¡°Dining hall building,¡± was the response from Heidi.


    ¡°Roger, en route,¡± I said and blasted back toward the barracks. If I remembered the briefing correctly the cafeteria was just south of the barracks. The debris picked up again as I approached the location of Wolf Unit and while my glasses were cracked and no longer functioned properly they at least helped keep the swirling garbage out of my eyes.


    Day had officially broken over the air base so everything was now a hazy light grey rather than a soupy dark grey. I was able to pick out the Wolves as they held a position on the back wall of the dining hall and made my way to them.


    ¡°Any changes?¡± I asked as soon as I landed.


    ¡°No, but having pulled back we can get a better perspective of the damage Captain Williams is doing. You can see her ability looks to be weakest in a cone directly behind her,¡± Laurel said pointing at the various things she was referring to.


    Laurel took my elbow to orient me toward what she wanted me to look at.


    ¡°From what I can tell, her ability seems to work by the gravity disk pulling more from the front and side of her while seemingly forming a pocket that doesn¡¯t harm her. It might be a good spot to approach,¡± explained her theory. ¡°You can see that while the civil engineering building we were in was taking some damage it¡¯s taken less of a beating due to it being behind her.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to go see if I can do something. Has anyone heard from Fox?¡± I inquired.


    ¡ïFox¡ï


    Fox had been playing cat and mouse with the building''s occupants jumping from shadow to shadow when he finally managed to work his way into a room adjacent to what looked like a command hub. There were at least ten hostiles in the room and it looked to be where the patrols were being commanded from. The room itself looked like an old briefing room and was packed with old theater-style chairs that had seen better days while the other half had an old raised dias which now housed a table with communications equipment.


    Fox was huddled in the corner of an office he had shadow-stepped into and was using the infrared setting in his helmet to see into the next room over. He had hidden the bodies of the men he had killed but he knew he was on borrowed time until someone discovered them or went looking for them. He had briefly used a flexible camera to look to confirm the readings on his visor before retreating to his current position. There were just too many hostiles in close quarters for him to risk leaving the tenuous safety the shadows provided him.


    Using his wrist panel Fox enabled the parabolic microphones embedded in the ears of his mask and had been settled in for about five minutes when the team¡¯s comm channel crackled to life in his ears.


    ¡°Team, there is no clear way forward and our window to the target is closing rapidly. Suggestions if you have them,¡± Wolf Leader''s voice queried the team.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing but a new collection of artisanal toothpicks from the tree I''m hiding behind ma¡¯am,¡± was Andre¡¯s response as he joked over the line. Fox made a note to have a word with him about operational protocol if Jas didn¡¯t already plan to.


    ¡°MacGuffin is either in building twenty as the resistance would indicate, or is in the old nuclear bunker in my opinion. Tactically the bunker wouldn¡¯t make much sense normally, but as we know, they have a teleporter,¡± Wolf Five provided a counterbalance to Andre by contributing an actual tactical observation before following up with, ¡°My money is on the bunker.¡±


    ¡°Fox, what are your thoughts if you can respond?¡± Captain Williams asked.


    ¡°Inside the building. Heavily guarded. Need ears free,¡± he replied via text. He couldn¡¯t monitor the team channel and use the parabolic microphones at the same time so he prioritized gathering intelligence by switching off the team channel and setting it to speech-to-text on his wrist panel.


    He felt bad dismissing his team like that, but he was too close to the objective and had to trust their ability to operate without him. As soon as he tuned back into the microphones, he started to get a better understanding of the conversation that just took place. The hostile commander was getting reports of a stalled advance by Wolf Unit and was now scrambling to take advantage of the situation. It didn¡¯t sound like everything was rosy though as someone named ¡°Hammerdown¡± was missing.


    Fox was pondering whether he needed to blow cover and intervene when the commander said something that made Fox¡¯s blood run cold. ¡°Inform Commander Morrigan that we¡¯ve stalled the assault but that Hammerdown is missing.¡±


    She was here.


    It was at that moment Fox¡¯s helmet comm came to life again. This time it was on a direct channel from Captain Williams, ¡°Nick if this goes sideways and I can¡¯t control it¡­ you need to incapacitate me. Do whatever you need to do if it looks like I can¡¯t get it under control. Remember Kuwait and what happened before Fox was able to stop me? That can¡¯t happen here. Fox, save the team and the boy. You understand?¡±


    ¡°I understand Captain. I won¡¯t let you down,¡± Brunner replied sounding unusually serious.


    Fox had an inkling of what was about to happen and started rapidly scrolling through the text log from the team channel when he felt the building shudder. Dammit, Jas, what are you thinking, he thought as the text log confirmed his fears. Captain Williams was going to use ¡°Event Horizon¡±. Just what was going on out there and where was Star? He didn¡¯t get much time to ponder the current situation because his comm came to life again.


    This time it was Brunner, ¡°I tried Fox, but I can¡¯t let Kuwait happen again. Not on US soil.¡±


    Despite his best efforts and stealth training Fox couldn¡¯t stop himself from muttering ¡°Shit¡± out loud.

 Chapter 25

    <h3 style="text-align: center">¡ïFox¡ï


    Fox leaned back against the wall of the office he was still holed up in frantically running through scenarios trying to figure out the best course of action. Things must be going poorly outside for Jasmine to risk using ¡°Event Horizon¡± and now with her having lost control, she was rapidly turning into a threat equal to or greater than the troops occupying the base.


    He had scrolled back to the notification that Star had engaged a Supernormal which explained why she wasn¡¯t with the team and squared with the enemy reports of someone missing named ¡°Hammerdown¡±. But that just added to his worries. She was so raw. He would never question Dani¡¯s drive but a trained Supernormal operator would be incredibly dangerous.


    Realistically the odds of him being able to rescue the boy had dropped sharply if he didn¡¯t have the support of his team and if Jasmine had lost control the boy was in even more danger. Coming to a decision Fox tuned back into his microphones. The boy was the mission and he needed to attempt to complete it.


    ¡°Let the commander know that she needs to get up here.¡±


    Fox made his decision. There wasn¡¯t going to be an easy way and fighting the Phantom Queen was going to be inevitable. It was time to thin the opposition.


    Fox activated ¡°Silent Movement¡± and took aim at the two hostiles he could see from his position. The communications officer was the first to go down on the dias followed quickly by the Officer, but he was already moving after the second shot knowing that surprise would only take him so far.


    He moved into the room crouched low and started picking off targets near to far. The low light filters on his mask allowing him to quickly identify his targets. The two soldiers by the door were quickly dispatched as their attention was drawn to the officer as he collapsed. Fox followed up by picking off another two soldiers looking over a map of the base and its layout. ¡°Silent Movement¡± making it so that Fox¡¯s weapon made virtually no sound as he picked off his targets.


    It wasn¡¯t to last though as the soldiers guarding the exit door on the other side of the room finally realized they were under attack and returned fire. Fortunately for Fox, their return fire was wild and shredded the wall and seats in front of him but the cold truth was he didn¡¯t have any decent cover.


    He quickly snapped off two shots and possibly scored a hit on one of the two men but he didn¡¯t have time to confirm it as he dove away from his current position as bullets shredded the area.


    ¡°Go find the commander!¡± one of the men yelled while the other took off out of the room.


    Fox popped up out of his roll and shot out the lights behind the gunman casting the area in deeper shadows. He began to transition into ¡°Shadow Step¡± when felt pain explode over his left side almost breaking his concentration. Stumbling out of his ¡°Shadow Step¡± behind the hostile he put a few rounds into the back of the man dropping him. The pop of his weapon was suddenly loud in the space as he could no longer hold ¡°Silent Movement¡±.


    He quickly checked his side to see that his suit had held but was now sporting two telltale black impact marks on his ribs. His side hurt like a son of a bitch and it made it hard to breathe but he started working on the mental exercises to compartmentalize the pain. He reactivated ¡°Silent Movement¡± and turned on his infrared filter to see if he could locate any hidden enemies or the soldier who had run from the room. The path looked clear so he started down the hallway thankful for ¡°Silent Movement¡± as he could hear how ragged his breath sounded in this helmet.


    Finally turning a corner he found himself at a door that led to another door just outside the building. It was definitely the bunker as the old Cold War-era steel door had been welded shut. The soldier Fox had been looking for was speaking into a modern communications console that had been mounted by the door.


    ¡°Commander requesting assistance! The command station is under¡­¡±


    He never finished his statement as Fox put a round through the back of his head. The soldier collapsed his head smashing the communications console as he went down in a heap.


    Fox quickly looked over the door and realized it was indeed welded shut from the inside and the only way in would be to blow it open or maybe Dani could tear it open. Regardless, he wasn¡¯t equipped to break in and would need assistance. Realizing that he wasn¡¯t in a great tactical position Fox assessed his options and quickly decided that retreating and regrouping with Wolf Unit was probably the best play. As he turned to begin navigating around the building a voice spoke.


    ¡°Well, that was just rude Master Segreant Takahashi. You could have let the poor man finish his sentence.¡±


    Fox was stunned and started looking around wildly. His visor didn¡¯t show anyone near him.


    I peal of laughter rang out before the voice spoke again. ¡°Adorable. You realize you¡¯d be dead by now if I wanted to kill you right? You¡¯re going to want to either shut off whatever electronics you¡¯re looking through in that admittedly very cool-looking mask or take it off,¡± the voice said.


    Fox quickly reached into a recess of his mask for a hidden button and killed the electronics leaving him looking through a yellow-tinted visor.


    Standing in front of him was a woman with long white hair and ice-blue eyes. She stood loosely with her hip cocked and her hands lightly resting on the pistols holstered on each hip. She wore a short black jacket with white accents that was left open over what looked like some kind of white leotard. It had a high neck with a diamond cutout exposing impressive cleavage while being trimmed with red accents. The leotard was cut high enough that some of her hips were exposed over the waist of her pants which were skintight with a black and white pattern of black on the outside of her legs and white on the inside. It was a striking look with a bizarre mix of urban tactical and tech gear. The fact the woman in front of Fox was stunningly gorgeous lent evidence to the idea its desired effect was probably as a distraction.


    ¡°The Phantom Queen I presume?¡± Fox addressed the woman unsure of what she wanted.


    The woman rolled her eyes and waved a hand dismissively. ¡°Even I¡¯m not that pretentious. You can call me Morrigan. The Phantom Queen stuff is something my organization decided to spread around.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Morrigan. What do you want if you¡¯re not going to kill me?¡± Fox asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure this is not very professional of me from my organization''s standpoint but I simply wanted to meet you. You¡¯ve been very disruptive to many of my operations you know.¡±


    Fox was absolutely reeling. He had been completely caught dead to rights and Morrigan instead of putting a bullet into him wanted to talk. He had no idea what to do but the danger radiating off this woman was almost palpable. Feeling like he didn¡¯t have any choice he decided to keep talking.


    ¡°I could say the same thing. You¡¯re responsible for destroying my last unit,¡± Fox replied with some heat.


    Morrigan cocked her head and her eyes lost focus for a moment as she recalled what Fox was referring to. As soon as she looked distracted Fox began subtly moving his pistol when Morrigan¡¯s eyes seemed to flicker red for a second.


    ¡°Now, now, Master Sergeant let''s keep this civil for now, shall we? I¡¯m not stupid enough to expect you to holster your weapon but please be a dear and stop trying to line up a shot,¡± she said picking up instantly on Fox¡¯s movements.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Fox responded by dropping his pistol into a ready position but no longer directly pointed at Morrigan.


    ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s nice we can be civil. Also, I remember your unit now. Hound and Major Hanson if I recall correctly. I¡¯m not sure exactly what caught his attention on that mission in Kuwait but it seemed he figured out that the oil field wasn¡¯t strategic enough to draw the deployment of a US Special Forces unit. He was right and it was a shame he started digging around after Kuwait and got on my organization¡¯s radar. The whole thing was a misdirection to allow my organization to take possession of a high-level Supernormal with a unique ability.


    ¡°Wolf Leader,¡± Fox said almost in a whisper.


    ¡°You got it in one. Yes, we know all about Captain Williams,¡± said Morrigan. ¡°You¡¯ve got some leaks in that chain of command and had I known I would have another chance at her I would have prepared better. It¡¯s a shame we¡¯ve missed her twice now, although, I do wish she wasn¡¯t trying to destroy Mount Horace Greeley presently, but I do have to give you credit, this new Supernormal you¡¯ve brought with you looks even more promising.¡±


    ¡°So all this was a ploy to lure us here?¡±


    Morrigan laughed at Fox. ¡°Oh God no. We just wanted to get Markus out of the country. We expected a response but we didn¡¯t expect the President to send the Supernormal Tactics and Response Team before you¡¯d even been sanctioned, and we didn¡¯t expect you to be deployed so quickly. I surely didn¡¯t expect the hand of God to ruin my plans with this damnable snowstorm.¡±


    ¡°Why are you being so honest?¡± Fox asked, his mind racing to figure this woman out.


    ¡°Why not? It¡¯s not going to change anything, and frankly, I like getting to know my opponents. Today¡¯s opponent could be tomorrow''s ally after all.¡±


    Suddenly a large piece of metal from the roof groaned and peeled back before shearing away to be sucked toward Captain Willams on the other side of the building.  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Well, it looks like we¡¯re running out of time. Any more questions or do you want to jump to the shooting?¡± Morrigan asked Fox while pointing a finger gun at him.


    ¡°Actually yes. Something has been bothering me since you appeared. Why couldn¡¯t I see you through my helmet today but I could see you just fine at the mall?¡± Fox asked the white-haired woman.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy. I have a passive ability that makes me invisible to optical technology. I¡¯m guessing your super fancy helmet has all sorts of little sensors that feed into that visor. That means you¡¯re looking at a data feed and not with your actual eyeballs. At the mall, I was actively suppressing this ability so that I would be visible. And before you ask why, I did it so your Secretary of Supernormal Affairs would know it was their nanny, and to let the President know my organization could get to anyone in his cabinet. Dirty pool, but that¡¯s the job,¡± she explained with a shrug.


    Fox was rarely flustered but this woman had him completely unsure. She was nothing like what he had expected and even though they were clearly enemies he found himself believing that she genuinely wanted to talk to him. If it was a psychological tactic it was a damn good one.


    Suddenly, one of Morrigan''s soldiers came around the corner. The man¡¯s eyes widened and he yelled, ¡°Commander look out!¡± before raising his SMG and firing at Fox.


    Fox was caught flat-footed but tried his best to twist away from the trajectory of the barrel and minimize his profile his ribs screaming at him the whole time. All he could do at that point was hope that his suit would hold but the impact never came. Just the sound of rounds hitting something.


    When he focused back on the Morrigan a metal-looking shield was floating in front of the soldier blocking the shots. Morrigan¡¯s eyes were a bright red color and she had a look of intense irritation on her beautiful face.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough soldier. I was trying to have a conversation with Mr. Fox over there and you are making it very difficult,¡± she snapped at the confused-looking soldier.


    ¡°But¡­they¡¯re the enemy,¡± the soldier replied bewilderedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m very aware of who they are soldier,¡± Morrigan replied with a glare so sharp it could split an atom. ¡°You''re here to tell me the situation is out of control. That the attacking Supernormal with the gravity ability is causing chaos and that our losses have mounted to a critical level. Let me save you some time. Disengage and pull all units that are still capable back to point Bravo. Our friend here will communicate that our troops have retreated while we all try not to get sucked into the event horizon forming out there. Hammerdown and I will handle any further engagements. In the event, he¡¯s not dead or incapacitated of course.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°Go!¡± Morrigan snapped at the soldier who turned and tore ass away from his commander to relay her orders.


    Morrigan closed her eyes and blew out a breath and when she reopened them they back to their ice-blue color. ¡°I apologize for that. I¡¯m well aware that ultimately we are going to try and cause each other grievous bodily harm but I don¡¯t see any point in letting our teams continue to take unnecessary losses. This situation has advanced past the rank-and-file anyway with Captain Williams out there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very reasonable of you,¡± Fox replied while quickly typing out a message to Overwatch explaining that the enemy troops were pulling back. ¡°There, I¡¯ve let our command chain know that your troops are pulling back. We don¡¯t have a solution for Wolf Leader but you must know that I can¡¯t let you leave with Markus.¡±


    Morrigan grimaced at that statement before replying, ¡°You might find this odd considering the circumstances, but I find this whole kidnapping of a child distasteful. I grew rather fond of Markus during my time with him and find no real joy in what I¡¯ve done to him or his family. My organization, however, finds this sort of thing to be effective, and as I know you are well aware, orders often don¡¯t align with a moral compass.¡±


    ¡°And who is your organization?¡± Fox asked as another tremor caused the building to groan.


    ¡°We are known as SUN and that is all I will tell you, but you have intersected with us more times than you realize. My organization strongly opposes your government and the power it exerts on the globe, but when how we announce ourselves is not in my pay grade,¡± Morrigan explained while six metal shields slowly formed behind her spread out like wings.


    ¡°I have to say I find you fascinating and I can¡¯t help but wish that maybe we could have met under different circumstances,¡± Fox said to the white-haired woman while moving back into a ready position. His XM17 now tracking back to be just off center mass of the enemy commander.


    ¡°The feeling is mutual Master Sergeant Takahashi, but our time for pleasantries is unfortunately


    over. I need to move Markus and as enjoyable as it¡¯s been to chat I am well aware of our diverging goals,¡± Morrigan said as her eyes changed to red indicating the activation of an ability.


    <h3 style="text-align: center">¡ïStar¡ï


    ¡°Okay I don¡¯t have any great ideas so I¡¯m going to go try and talk to her and see if I can get any traction. If that doesn¡¯t work I¡¯ll probably just shoot her,¡± I explained, belatedly realizing that was exactly what Brunner had done.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what Wolf Two did and you slapped him into the dirt for it?¡± Andre quipped.


    ¡°Yes, but the difference is that you all know that¡¯s the plan so you hopefully won¡¯t be angry when I shoot our good captain. Listen, I do have a super vague idea but quantum mechanics wasn¡¯t exactly something I excelled at,¡± I shot back.


    ¡°How close do you think you can get to her?¡± Laurel asked.


    ¡°I have no idea. My strength and durability are well above normal but I¡¯ve never been measured against something like that gravity disk. What are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t want to hurt her if we don¡¯t have to, so I was thinking that if you could get in the sweet spot behind her maybe you¡¯d be strong enough to resist the gravity effects long enough to inject her with a sedative,¡± Laurel explained.


    ¡°Do we have a sedative? Wolf Three is on the RAID,¡± I asked looking at the remnants of Wolf Unit.


    ¡°I do. I have an expanded medical kit as part of my communications pack,¡± Heidi answered. She turned with a grimace reminding me that she was injured and should probably be back at the RAID herself. Laurel quickly opened a compartment on her backpack and pulled out a medical jet injector. After she closed up Heidi¡¯s pack she handed me the device.


    ¡°This jet injector is preloaded with a sedative that should be enough to knock her out. The problem of course, is that you will need to be close enough to apply it to a bare patch of skin,¡± explained Laurel.


    I frowned looking back over at Wolf Leader floating off the ground as debris continued to swirl around her before being sucked into the gravity disk. ¡°Um, you do realize she¡¯s floating right? Will this work through her tactical suit?¡±


    ¡°No. If it was regular clothes that had an open weave it would work but our tactical suits aren¡¯t built like that,¡± Andre interjected.


    ¡°Great,¡± I grumbled but quickly shoved that attitude away. This was Captain Williams and the whole reason she was in trouble was because she was trying to save her team. She was one of my mentors and while I never connected with her like I did Fox, I never felt like she never gave me anything but her best when teaching. I needed to help her.


    ¡°Never mind, let''s do this. You all stay out of trouble while I¡¯m gone okay?¡± I said to Wolf Unit with my best glare, which I¡¯m sure was undermined by the fact that I was dirty and disheveled from my fight with Hammerdown.


    ¡°Ch¨¨re, you offend us. The trouble always seems to come looking for you and we just happen to be standing next to you. Once you leave we¡¯ll be safe as can be,¡± was Andre¡¯s retort.


    ¡°Enough,¡± Laurel said cutting through the banter. ¡°Let''s get back on mission. Whenever you¡¯re ready Star. We¡¯ll stay here but if things look like they are going south we¡¯ll reassess whether to retreat to the RAID.¡±


    ¡°Roger that,¡± I said acknowledging Wolf Five as the functional commander of the unit. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m off. Stay safe and see you soon.¡±


    With that, I launched myself toward Captain Williams making sure I had stashed the sedative in a hidden pocket on my suit. Flying was getting more and more difficult not only because of the constant debris but because the air itself was getting more and more turbulent. It wasn¡¯t a long flight but I was pelted the whole way.


    I landed about twenty yards behind Captain Williams and could already feel a constant pull of gravity toward her. My cape was plastered to my back as the pull caused it to billow out around me, and my hair which was already messy, was straining to escape the ponytail I¡¯d placed it into after my fight with Hammerdown.


    ¡°CAPTAIN WILLIAMS¡­WOLF LEADER!¡± I yelled at the woman floating in front of me to no response. Due to my position behind her, I didn¡¯t have the best look at her but she looked like she was completely enthralled by her ability.


    I remembered back to one of my lectures with Doctor Rokker where he explained that some Supernormal abilities can have a euphoric effect on the user. Where once activated the user can go into an autonomous state where the ability runs on autopilot until the user either exerts their will or runs out of energy.


    I was fortunate that my abilities didn¡¯t have that type of effect on me. I felt a pleasant tingle when I used my energy discharge ability and it was stronger when I was near the limit of what I could store but nothing that came even close to overriding my senses. I felt for Captain Williams in this regard. For someone who prided themselves on personal discipline, it had to be immensely frustrating to have this ability and not be able to control it.


    Not getting any response I decided to try and move closer and see if the sedative plan could work. I slowly closed the distance feeling the pull of gravity steadily increasing with each step. After only a few feet I was gritting my teeth as both the pull of the disk and the increased gravity were making it difficult to move and hold my position.


    At about the halfway point I was starting to be pulled off my feet as the pull toward the gravity disk was threatening to overpower my ability to stay grounded. I was already using my flight ability to push against gravity to help keep my feet planted, but at this point, I realized I wouldn¡¯t be able to get to Wolf Leader. I might be able to survive the increased gravity but I wouldn¡¯t be able to keep my feet and would get sucked toward the disk. I didn¡¯t like my chances of surviving that from seeing firsthand the way things were being atomized.


    I fought my way back to a spot where I could hold my position without being in imminent danger of being sucked off my feet and decided to try talking to Wolf Leader one more time in the hope that somehow I could get through to her.


    ¡°CAPTAIN WILLIAMS! You¡¯ve got to listen. Your team is in danger. Fox is in danger. We need you to get control,¡± I yelled again at Wolf Leader.


    There was no visible reaction so I grit my teeth and tried again. ¡°JASMINE! YOU¡­ARE¡­STRONGER¡­THAN..THIS¡­PLEASE! There are so many reasons I look up to you, but it¡¯s your unbreakable will that I admire most. I know that no matter what you will always look after your team. I know you don¡¯t love being stuck with me but I hope so much to make you proud of me one day. PLEASE¡­Captain get control or I¡¯m going to have to shoot you. I don¡¯t want to do that but you¡¯re becoming a danger to the civilians! To us!¡±


    I thought maybe I saw her eye twitch, but in the end, my plea didn¡¯t seem to have any effect. I felt my shoulders slump as I realized that I was down to my final option. In that moment I felt every bump and bruise I had accumulated over the course of the day. I had hoped that it wouldn¡¯t come to this and suddenly an image of Hammerdown with two holes burned through his chest came rushing to my mind. I didn¡¯t even know if anyone had checked on him or if he was still lying there in the snow.


    My lizard brain recognized that Hammerdown was trying to kill me, but I still felt like I should have been able to do something different to avoid the outcome. One thing I was sure of, was that I¡¯d have plenty to work through when and if I had time to finally unpack it all.


    Most of all, I just didn¡¯t want to have to risk repeating that outcome with my commander. This was not the same as Hammerdown. Jasmine wasn¡¯t trying to do all of this. She just needed help.


    ¡°Argh,¡± I let out a scream of frustration.