It was first light, the long shadows had yet to be wiped out by the scorching sun. Most people were still sleeping, or were just barely waking, especially this part of town. The Varmont District, home to towering buildings full of apartments, middle class, mostly white collar workers and their families. They would get up, go through their morning routine, and maybe remark on how that news reel about the gunfight had been in their neighborhood. A select few would say that they had seen the police vehicles, Babylon's finest blocking roads and constricting traffic, a good excuse for being late. They would experience it once and have a story to tell for a few weeks.

Not so for Tess. Currently laying prone on a particularly uncomfortable slab of duracrete, she mused at the benefits of a nine to five job. No getting shot at, getting adequate sleep, better benefits and severance packages. There was no excitement though, no blood pumping action and split second decisions. It wasn't the life for her, even if her current assignment was one of similar boredom. [i]"Alfa team to overwatch charlie, eye-oh?"[/i] Her mike squelched in her ear, well her brain more like. "Charlie, eye-oh." It was game time.

Readying her weapon of choice, she centered her sights on the scene across the way. A small community garden, the kind that building owners included in the building plan to make the place look fancier, dominated that floor. A few doors adorned the far wall, lucky apartments that got a nice view. Six hulking figures filed in from the elevator, all carrying weapons. The scope automatically highlighted their outlines in a vivid blue. The scene wasn't quite right yet though. She keyed her mic. "Overwatch charlie to CP, can we get some aerial over here?" [i]"CP to overwatch charlie, aerial is on station, casting now."[/i] The scene shifted again, three red outlines appeared against the wall on the other side of the garden, in an apartment. They shifted around, almost nervously, one ran to stand next to the front door.

"Overwatch charlie to alfa, I've got one stacking to the right of the door." The hulking figures advanced, hugging the wall as they moved towards the red outlines. Stacking at the door, they halted at her message. [i]"Received, making a path.[/i]" The armored figure on the right side of the door moved further to the right, unblocking the red outline. [i]"Stacked and ready, on you charlie."[/i] She centered the scope on the red outline, eager to do away with it, a green laser showed the clear path to the target. She wouldn't be doing the firing though, her weapon was merely a scope. Looking ever so slightly to her right, she eyed the grey armor next to her. Completely immobile, he too was prone, holding a long rifle. He glanced sideways and nodded, behind the tinted visor, she knew he was grinning. Tess returned to her scope as a second green laser appeared, converging with hers at the target. "Clear to fire." From her right, "Firing." A distinct whirring sound, then a thud sent the projectile on its way. Punching neatly through the wall, the red figure seemed to disintegrate. 

[i]"Alfa, breach and clear!"[/i] Her comrades below sprang into action, the figure to the right passing through the smoke and heat of the rifle round even before it had dispersed. They crashed through the door in an organized fashion, taking all of the correct positions as their green lasers swung around behind the walls, the red outlines disappeared as the green paths touched them. [i]"Sitrep."[/i] A chorus of voices responded. [i]"All clear."[/i] A few seconds passed, then, [i]"Alfa to CP, we are clear, three hostiles down, no wounded. We've got crates in the back."[/i] Other uniforms, regular officers, now poured from their positions in the stairwell and behind corners to the apartment.

[i]"CP to Alfa, received, PD will secure and handle the rest. All teams, rally next to the command van, we're done here."[/i] Tess sat up, collapsing her scope into its case, her partner was doing likewise, carefully removing the brown boxes from his rifle's magazine. Likewise, across the way the others were filing out, some with red liquid dripping down their armor as they headed to the elevator. Some of the blue uniformed officers simply stared as they passed, most ignored them or nodded their appreciation.

Four minutes later they were gathered at the command van, more of a large shipping crate painted in official colors with antennae sticking out of the top and crammed full of communication equipment. Leaning against the side of it, she realized just how exhausted she was. This had been the fourth deployment today, none of them had slept in 78 hours, give or take a few naps. Only when all twenty officers were assembled, would they be able to head back and go home. Thankfully, she could see the last two jogging up to the huddle now, gear over their shoulders. From the way they were hunched over, it was clear everyone was feeling the same. Sera stepped out of the command van, in a blue uniform, neatly kept and pressed, it was obvious she was here in more of a supervisory context. 

Instead of the expected half joyful face of a job well done though, she instead wore an apologetic expression. "Get in your transports, we're being redeployed to the Scoville Market. You'll be updated on the way." She did an about face and headed back inside as a transport swooped down, securing the command van in its grips before lifting back off. There were no groans or cursing, just the occasional huff and people hurrying off to their transports. Not a few grabbed snack foods from the leftovers the command center had set up before running off. Fifth deployment, 79 hours now, as such was life. But as she watched the city rush underneath her boots, she realized she wouldn't trade it for anything.