[center]
[b][h1][color=0072bc]International Freedom Brigade[/color][/h1][/b]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/qu1KhEe.jpg[/img]
[h2][i]Catching the Train[/i][/h2]
[b][color=0072bc]Joaquin Cruzado - "Hot Hands"
International Fighters[/color][/b]
Railroad Tunnel - Loyalist Territory, Northern Colombia
[i]Present Day[/i]
[hr]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/l247ouI.jpg[/img]
[/center]

	A long set of tracks, one of many that operated as one of the 'veins' of the industrialized Colombia, ran through the forests of the Northern Territory, an area that was normally controlled under the loyalists. While the northern parts of Colombia were pretty rich and diverse when it comes to various environments (including a desert), this one was one of many forests that occupied the mainland, complete with mountains that seperated the capital from the coast. 

	Approaching the train tracks are four fighters, armed with various weapons and wearing various low-end combat outfits, three males and one female. One from Argentina, one from Venezuela, one from Puerto Rico and one from Mexico. The leader of the squadron was the Argentinian Metahuman who was codenamed "Hot Hands", a blonde metahuman who had the ability to heat his hands to the point where it could melt, burn or ignite just about anything he touched. While he mainly worked at power plants and steel mills using his abilities to fork in lots of cash, he signed up in the International Freedom Brigade in Colombia once he heard about what was happening there. Many of the normal humans that fought within these brigades appreciated metahuman help, and those who were assigned to Hot Hands' squadron were more than happy to serve under his command. 

	[b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Qué piensan ustedes que es un buen lugar para instalar? (Do you guys think this is a good place to set up?)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b] Hot Hands asked the fighters following him as he approached the railroad tracks.

	The Venezuelan, the only female in the group, pointed towards the train tunnel. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Ese túnel crearía un estrangulamiento que podría hacer que el descarrilamiento mucho más grave. (That tunnel would create a choke that could possibly make the derailment much more severe.)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b] She explained. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Es solo cabía un tren. El motor podría fácilmente bloquear los otros coches y causar una colisión con tanta fuerza que ni siquiera habría C4 para hacer estallar! (It could only fit one train. The engine could easily block the other cars and cause a collision with so much force that we might not even need C4 to make it explode!)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b]

	Hot Hands nodded. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Sí, buena observación. Buen trabajo, Teresa. (Yeah, good observation. Nice job, Teresa.)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b] He smiled, patting Teresa on her shoulder. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Rico? Cortes? Alguna objeción? (Rico? Cortez? Any objections?)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b]

	The Puerto Rican and Mexican, Rico and Cortez respectively, shook their heads. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]No señor. La señora tiene un buen punto. Debemos establecer aquí. (No, sir. The lady has a good point. We should set up here.)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b] Rico said, Cortez nodding in agreement.

	Hot Hands smiled. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Está arreglado entonces. (It's settled then.)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b] He looked to Teresa. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Te importa llamando a nuestro puesto de observación RFAC? Quiero saber cuánto tiempo nos queda antes de que llegue el tren, y si es posible, saber si estamos atacando un objetivo puramente militar. (Do you mind calling our RCAF lookout? I wanna know how much time we have left before the train comes, and if possible, find out if we're attacking a purely military target.)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b] 

	Teresa nodded, pulling out her cell phone and making a call.

[hr]

[center]
[color=0072bc][b][h1]Republic of Colombia Armed Forces[/h1][/b][/color]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/NUTut2d.jpg[/img]
[b][color=0072bc]RCAF (Loyalist) Soldiers[/color][/b]
Mobile Scouting Outpost - Loyalist Territory, Northern Colombia
[i]Same Time, Further South[/i][/center]
[hr]

	Quite a few kilometers south of the international fighters, down the railroad, was a small scouting outpost being held by a handful of loyalist Colombian soldiers. With a small hunting tree tower setup, as well as just a few vehicles, chairs and crates, the Colombian Soldiers sat around, intercepting radio transmissions in hopes of acting as an early warning force to other Loyalist Soldiers and International Fighters in the area. Unlike the International Fighters, the Loyalist Soldiers were experienced soldiers that wore standard uniforms of their respective armed forces branches, and often times they carried better weapons as well. 

	The scout unit was lead by Jax Ambriz, a decorated soldier experienced in fighting FARC for most of his life. Ever since the Fascists took over his beloved nation and brought pain and suffering to the people he swore to protect, he had to use the tactics of the guerrillas he fought for so long against the Fascists as a result, as the Fascists forced their hand. While the National Colombian Army [i]does[/i] outnumber them, he takes comfort in the fact that most of the Air Force and all of the Navy are still on the side of the Loyalists. 

	Jax sat there with his subordinates, consisting of purely Colombian men and women, listening to radio transmissions with them. Everything seemed incredibly quiet around this area, other than the fact that a northernly pocket of NCA troops were in dire need of armor, light support and ammunition. The NCA troops had finished a mission taking over a FARC compound, and were surprised attacked by Loyalist Special Forces, who destroyed most of their vehicles and ammunition before disappearing into the woods. So at the moment, the NCA group are stranded with FARC prisoners, with no real means to return to base. It was only a matter of time before infighting broke out, and sustained to the point where Loyalists could capture the compound and the enemy with little to no casualties. A sound strategy that Jax himself highly approved of.

	Jax then heard something that immediately dashed that idea. [i][b][color=ed1c24]"[/color][color=f7976a]---pelotón, sus vehículos y municiones son entrantes desde el sur por tren. De espera para más actualizaciones. (---platoon, your vehicles and ammunition are inbound from the south via train. Standby for further updates.)[/color][color=ed1c24]"[/color][/b][/i] The static and the tone of voice that came with that transmission indicated that the transmission was from one of the NCA command centers. He knew it was addressed to the NCA soldiers, as he heard their callsign vaguely through the static. 

	He looked to the others. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Date prisa y notificar a los demás, voy a mantener un ojo en la radio. (Hurry up and notify the others, I'll keep an eye on the radio.)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b] He said, to which some of the soldiers hurried to the vehicles to notify the command center about the train. Jax stood there for a moment before feeling his cell phone vibrate in his pocket, which he quickly answered. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]El sargento Ambriz. (Sergeant Ambriz.)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b] He answered, before he looked to the tracks. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Qué? Cómo lo sabe ya? Manos calientes tenían un espía en Bogotá? ¡Bueno esta bien! Sólo asegúrese de comandos sabe acerca -... Oh, está viniendo a lo largo de nuestra pista? (What? How did you already know? Hot Hands had a spy in Bogota? Well, okay! Just make sure command knows about-... Oh, it's coming along our track?)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b] Jax looked to the train tracks behind him. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Y usted planea en hacer fracasar ella? Así que se ocupa de una gran cantidad de problemas allí! (And you plan on [i]derailing[/i] it? Well that takes care of a whole lot of problems there!)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b] He nodded. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Veré lo que puedo hacer, yo lo haré saber cuando nos pasa, y si hay o no algún civil a bordo. Buena suerte! (I'll see what I can do, I'll let you know when it passes us, and whether or not there are any civilians onboard. Good luck!)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b] He hung up before looking to his comrades. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Amigos, tenemos un elemento en el norte que se va a tratar de descarrilar el tren, y ellos nos necesitan para darles una ventana de tiempo con el fin de hacerlo. Mantenga un ojo en las pistas! (Friends, we have an element up north that is going to attempt to derail the train, and they need us to give them a time window in order to do so. Keep an eye out on the tracks!)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b]


[hr]

[center]
[color=0072bc][b][h1]International Freedom Brigade[/h1][/b][/color]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/qu1KhEe.jpg[/img]
[color=0072bc][b]Joaquin Cruzado - "Hot Hands"
International Fighters
RCAF (Loyalist) Soldiers[/b][/color]
Railroad Tunnel - Loyalist Territory, Northern Colombia[/center]
[hr]
	
	Teresa hung up the phone. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Parece que el tren no ha pasado a nuestros amigos en el sur, sin embargo, por lo que tiene tiempo para calentar. (It looks like the train hasn't passed our friends down south yet, so you have time to heat up.)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b] She said to Hot Hands.

	Hot Hands smiled. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Bueno.[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b] He nodded before taking off his gloves and letting his rifle hang on his back. Slowly but surely, his hands started to heat up like a hot plate, and as a result, they started to glow, almost like molten metal or lava. It took quite a few minutes of time, and as the air sizzled around his hands, Hot Hands wiggled his glowing fingers. Through his power, he could easily melt anything with his hands, including large steel beams... and [i]railroad tracks.[/i]

	After ten minutes, Hot Hands looked to Teresa. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Estoy en los niveles metálicos. Sólo tengo que esperar la confirmación de que estamos llevando a cabo un objetivo militar antes de proceder. (I'm at metallic levels. I just gotta wait for confirmation that we're taking out a military target before proceeding.)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color] [/b]

	Teresa nodded. While they waited, both Rico and Cortez covered them, making sure that there was no enemy elements that were going to engage them at surprise. Soon enough, her phone vibrated. After she activated it and looked at the message that was sent to her, her eyes widened a little before she looked to Hot Hands. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][b][color=7ea7d8]El tren es entrante y viniendo en rápido! (The train is inbound and coming in fast!)[/color][/b][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b] She called out before looking at her phone once again for details. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Es también un objetivo militar también, y él dicen que parece malo como el infierno! Llevarlo a cabo! (It's also a military target too, and he say it looks mean as all hell! Take it out!)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b] She called out to him.

	Hot Hands nodded with a grin. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Esto va a ser divertido! (This is gonna be fun!)[/color][color=0072bc][color=0072bc]"[/color][/color][/b] He grinned. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]El resto de ir a cubierto detrás de los árboles, tengo esto! (The rest of you go take cover behind the trees, I got this!)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b] He said, and as the others walked into the forest to remain at a safe distance from the train tracks, he pressed his hands against one of the rails on the tracks, pressing it down in a chopping motion with intent in melting it into two different pieces. His hand took a whole lot of force, but with pressure and time, his hand came through like a hot knife through butter, and using his other hand, he bent the rail towards the left of the tracks, going down the rail and making sure it was bent properly. He applied the same process to the rail on the other side, but as he was bending the rail, he felt it vibrate.

	[b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Oh, mierda. (Oh shit.)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b] Hot Hands looked around before continuing to bend the rail, keeping an eye out for the train. He heard the engine coming from beyond the trees, but it wasn't close, so he still had a little time left.

	The other three, who were chilling out by the trees, saw the train, and looked visibly terrified. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Oh, mierda! Manos calientes! Obtener el salir de allí! Ahora! Movimiento! (Oh shit! Hot Hands! Get the out of there! Now! Move!)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b] Teresa called out as loud as she could to the metahuman who was still on the tracks. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Prisa! Está viniendo en rápido! (Hurry! It's coming in fast!)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b]

	It wasn't long before the train revealed itself. Mean was one word to describe it, it was a large [url=https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Df3vPG3lxu8/maxresdefault.jpg]locomotive outfitted with a bunch of armor[/url], with a crap ton of cars behind it, towing around Colombian military vehicles and stockpiles of ammunition (kept in closed cars). The train was large, menacing, and bearing down on Hot Hands with the haunting sound of a deeper train horn. It got closer and closer by the second, and Hot Hands had to move, fast!

	[b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Ve, ve, ve! Movimiento! Ahora! (Go, go, go! Move! Now!)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b] His comrades continued to shout at him, before he finally broke into a sprint towards the trees.

	Gunning it towards his friends, Hot Hands would call himself Hot Feet at this point, running like the wind as the train sped towards him. Just as he got off the tracks, the train runs straight behind him, just a hair away from hitting him, before the tracks run the locomotive straight off of the rails and into the tunnel walls. With a loud booming [i][b]CRASH!!![/b][/i], the massive banging sound of heavy metal smashing against concrete, the locomotive was pushed to the point where it sealed off the tunnel, smashing into the walls as the cars behind it rammed into the locomotive itself. Vehicles flew from the back of the train and nearly went everywhere, some of them nearly missing Hot Hands as he ran towards the trees. The cars, with lots of force and inertia, continued to smash into everything in front of them, plowing through vehicles and containers full of ammo. One car filled with fuel tank ran straight through a large container filled with ammo crates, and with enough force, smashed it to the point where it detonated a large explosion and ignited a whole lot of ammo all into the tunnel, bullets flying and rockets exploding as the long train collapsed on itself horizontally, the rest of the cars soon coming to a halt after flying off the rails and crashing into just about everything else. Soon enough, everything settled down, and while many of the munitions continued to fire from the flames that engulfed them, the train itself was a total wreck.

	Hot Hands panted at his escape, as he and his comrades went deep into the woods to escape the vehicles flung from the derailing cars, as well as the munitions fired from the crates that ignited. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Wow... que era increíble! (Wow... that was amazing!)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b] He cried out, raising his scalding hot fist into the air, to which his friends cheered with him. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Vamos, tenemos que date prisa antes de que los fascistas se muestran a investigar. (Let's go, we gotta hurry before the fascists show up to investigate.)[/color][color=0072bc]" [/color][/b]

	The group of freedom fighters made it towards a dirt path that cut through the forests and followed the railroad. An older Chevy truck was sitting on the side of the path. The group walked towards it, until they heard vehicles come from the same direction the train did. Immediately, the fighters raised their rifles and aimed them at the trucks that came towards them. As the trucks stopped, the soldiers stepped out with their hands up.

	The first one to emerge from one of the military vehicles was Jax, the commander of the RCAF scout group that operated further down the tracks. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]No disparen, somos amistosos. (Don't shoot, we're friendlies.)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b] Jax said, trying to reassure the fighters.

	Teresa smiled. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Es bueno verte de nuevo, lo siento por la bienvenida poco amistosa. (Nice to see you again, sorry for the unfriendly welcome.)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b] She said as she lowered her rifle, shaking Jax's hand as the two groups converged. The groups made friendly exchanges, before Jax spoke to Hot Hands.

	[b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Manos calientes, que realmente superado a ti aquí. Vi las explosiones y oí el choque. Debe haber sido salvaje! (Hot Hands, you really outdone yourself here. I saw the explosions and heard the crash. It must've been wild!)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b]

	Hot Hands chuckled a little. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Me acabo de mudar los carriles un poco, eso es todo. (I just moved the rails a little, that's all.)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b]

	[b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Ahora no ser tan humilde. (Now don't be so humble.)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b] Jax patted Hot Hands on the shoulder before gesturing where all of the smoke was billowing out from. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Deberíamos ir mirar y admirar su realización? (Should we go look at and admire your accomplishment?)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b]

	Teresa chuckled and shook her head. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Mala idea, todavía hay municiones que se apagan de las cajas después de que se incendiaron, que no es seguro que ir allí ahora. (Bad idea, there's still munitions going off from the crates after they caught fire, it's unsafe to go there now.)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b]

	Another explosion was heard, which startled everyone in the area.

	Jax smirked a little. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Parece que tenía razón. (It appears that she was right.)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b] He looked back to Hot Hands. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]En cualquier caso, apreciamos lo que hizo aquí, que terminó parar un tren desde el reabastecimiento de los fascistas al norte de aquí, y como resultado, es dar a nuestros amigos allí una oportunidad capturar el compuesto sin ninguna resistencia. (In any event, we appreciate what you did here, you ended up stopping a train from resupplying the Fascists north of here, and as a result, it's giving our friends up there a chance capture the compound without any resistance.)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b]

	Hot Hands nodded. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Eso explica el tren, me preguntaba lo que estaba haciendo con toda esa carga. (That explains the train, I was wondering what it was doing with all of that cargo.)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b]

	Jax looked to the smoke. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]De cualquier manera, gracias por la ayuda. (Either way, thanks for the help.)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b] He said before attempting to shake the metahuman's hand. Immediately, he burned it and his hand nearly sizzled. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Aaaii! Aiaiai![/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b] He cried out in pain, blowing on his hand to cool it down while the others laughed.

	[b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Es por eso que estoy manos calientes, tipo! (That's why I'm Hot Hands, dude!)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b] Hot Hands grinned.

	Jax looked to Hot Hands. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Debería haber visto venir... (Should've seen that one coming...) Aiaiaii... aahhh...[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b]

	Teresa patted him on the shoulder. [b][color=0072bc]"[/color][color=7ea7d8]Vamos a poner un hielo de nuevo una vez que volvamos a la base. Pero por ahora, tenemos que ir antes de que más fascistas aparecen. Vamonos. (We'll put an ice back on it once we get back to base. But for now, we gotta go before more fascists show up. Let's go.)[/color][color=0072bc]"[/color][/b]