[b]'W-wait, man I...'[/b] [i]Shit,[/i] thought Kein, caught off-guard by Syrus' preternatural awareness. How in the hell did he know? Duncan had been pretty careful and hadn't spoke that loudly; was Syrus feeling guilty for having gone down before? That kind of explained the gloomy atmosphere and why he hadn't been as... outspoken as usual. [b]'I dunno man, I was just told to go with you. Part of the plan, y'know? Hell, I thought there were meant to be three of us here...'[/b] Kein scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, grumbling about the shitty uniforms the Faction had provided. [b]'We're on the assault team, right? Can't do it on your own.'[/b] Privately he too wondered why Duncan had asked him to watch Syrus; did the boss think he was gonna do something? Or maybe he just wanted Kein to keep an eye on him as a medic, make sure he was fit for duty. Pretty risky idea if that was the case though. [b]'Look. I ain't got a clue why, but the Boss wanted us together, so we're together. Heck, tell you what!'[/b] He patted the pocket with his broken bottle, the same sort of improvised weapon everyone on the assault teams had been given. [b]'Wanna take bets on who gets to whack the Prez? Hundred Gil on me.'[/b] Kein gave a fearless grin, though the effect was kinda wasted behind the helmet.

[hr]

[i]1914. Six minutes before the float reaches the target area.[/i] The parade had been in full swing for over an hour by now and was finally reaching the crowded plaza outside the Presidential Residence. Duncan had taken the utmost care to ensure that the area was utterly packed, using the Faction's influence to herd the crowds into the area way above the plaza's practical limit. More bodies would make the plan go smoother, the escape easier; he spared a thought for the innocents who were about to be caught up in it but a degree of collateral damage was unavoidable... and acceptable. Duncan thumbed his radio. [b]'Assault teams, confirm readiness.'[/b] An answer soon came amid a small burst of static. [b]'Team One, confirmed boss.'[/b] That was Kein. Putting aside his doubts about the kid's competence, Duncan was fairly sure he could keep Syrus from doing anything overly conspicuous. It wasn't that he distrusted Syrus or anything, quite the opposite in fact. The kid just had a distinct flair for the extreme, a habit of using over the top methods when a bit of subtlety would work just as well. Maybe he could learn something from Heloise, assuming she could deliver the goods. Speaking of which... [b]'Generator Team, confirm readiness.'[/b] He didn't bother to confirm with the others; Hector and co were busy scanning the crowds for suspicious characters and the others were dotted around in civvies, ready to help whip up a riot. [b]'HVT approaching target area. Prepare to deploy in three minutes, repeat 180 seconds. 179, 178...'[/b] Just like in Timber, Duncan had taken a position high above the mission area, laying prone on top of the Victory Arch. Heloise had the Dispel-imbued dagger, but just in case it failed he had his paramagic rifle loaded up to disrupt the shields and allow her a second shot. Hopefully she wouldn't need it, but that depended on Xerox and his not-always-reliable machines. After what felt like an eternity, the float finally crept into just the right place. [b]'Four, three, two, one. Generator Team, go for it!'[/b]