[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/1trNZ24.png[/img][h1][color=fdc68a]&[/color][/h1][img] https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/654438713455149084/873479307715051540/image.png[/img][sub][color=goldenrod]Collaboration[/color] |  [@Mistress Dizzy]  AKA  Kassandra
[color=goldenrod]Location[/color] | Mission Site; Taos, New Mexico
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It had been a long time since he’d felt pain quite like this in his head. Sounds were blurry in nature, like his senses were dulled. In trying to open his eyes there was nothing but darkness overhead. Something seemed wrong…it didn’t smell like the Indawo Engcwele…though as the realization started to set in, his senses sobered from unconsciousness quickly. He hadn’t been there since his freedom, which was over a [i]year[/i] ago.

Kila’s eyes shot open, body suddenly stiffening. Taking in his surroundings, not only was he away from that wretched place, he seemed to be in another hellzone entirely. Did he awake into yet another dream? He was being carried down a corridor, from low lighting to even lower lighting on the approaching floor. Looking up at his carrier directly, he was able to distinguish Kass. Trying to blink more clarity into his vision, he called to her.

[color=goldenrod]“Mirage…”[/color]

Mirage was carrying Metamorph in a careful fireman's carry, making her way down the corridor to the lower level where the rest of the fighting was taking place. When she felt him start to stir and shift, she stepped into a darker area before kneeling and settling him down gently. [color=orange]"Metamorph."[/color] Her cool hands cupped his face. Despite the battles taking place above and below, it was clear that she was worried enough to give him full focus. [color=orange]"What happened? Rain and I found you unconscious. What do you remember?"[/color]

[color=goldenrod]“I…don’t…”[/color] He started, trying to reclaim some semblance of how he got here. It was like the circus all over again… [color=goldenrod]“I remember the rec center…searching for teens…”[/color] Kila pushed himself to sit up straighter, pulling the half-mask off to let his face get fresher air. The sounds of battle grew louder with the more alert he was getting. He tasted blood…though nothing felt particularly injured. Was it even his? [color=goldenrod]“What’s happening? Where are the others?”[/color]

Mirage's hands slowly moved from his face to his head, clearly checking for damage. The expression of concern grew. [color=orange]"...Metamorph, the rec center was [i]hours[/i] ago."[/color] Her mouth twisted into a frown. Then she shook her head, putting it aside. One thing at a time. [color=orange]"Rain is above, fighting one of the more dangerous Kobra members. The others are below, also in battle. I need to get below, as Rain is…"[/color] She trailed off, biting back several comments. [color=orange]"Fine. Will you be safe here? Do you want my knife?"[/color] To Mirage's eye, he didn't look fit for battle. He barely looked fit to stand.

The Meta took in her commentary slowly at first, thinking it over. Hours ago? Well…it certainly felt like it was, but the pain in his head felt fresher than that. From the many times he’d done battle, he knew the differences of pain from many injuries. It wasn’t a hit that had knocked him out…Instead something more internal, more sinister…he’d have time for that later. 

She had said that Viktor was alright, which had indicated to him that he could handle his particular situation. Though…her tone suggested that she didn’t care much of how he fared… Regardless, when Mirage offered him her knife, the young warrior sharply nodded and stood up. 

[color=goldenrod]“I have seen darker days. Our comrades need us, regardless of what I’m currently dealing with. Let’s hurry.”[/color]

Mirage cast him one more concerned gaze. [color=orange]"If you say so."[/color] She didn't fully believe him. People did not shake off something that could knock them out so easily. And Metamorph was the best of the team - what could have caught him off guard?

[color=orange]"Try to remember what hit you, if you could. It's probably important."[/color] She extended her staff to it's full length and stood as well, pointing the way down. [color=orange]"Come on. The others were quite outnumbered when I left."[/color] She moved quickly, but not as quickly as she usually did. It was clear she was making sure Metamorph could manage.

Due to that, Kila took point but stopped at the mouth leading into the next room. He was not prepared for what he saw next. His heart pounded in his throat, hands clasped into shaking fists. Fire reflected off of his eyes as a body burned between the moving bodies of battle. However, it was not a body of flesh and blood. What Metamorph and Kassy bore witness to was the head of their comrade Alisa laying beside metal bits and a body being burned asunder.

Although an android, antithetical anger ascended and annunciated across his face. 

Mirage clapped one hand to her mouth, eyes wide in horror as she took in the scene as well. [color=orange]"No… oh, gods below…"[/color] She gulped heavily and shoved the fear down, deep down. [color=orange]"Rain, get down here now, Cybergirl is - is -"[/color] She couldn't say it. [color=orange]"Just get here! Rain, respond!"[/color] Nothing. Either their comms were cut, or his fight had gone bad. Either way, things were getting overwhelming.

[color=orange]"Metamorph, I can't get Rain. I think we need to retreat, this is above our heads."[/color]

For a brief second did Kila watch the chaos before looking at Kassy again. The knife in his hand flipped into a reverse grip, cutting a scratch across the middle of his alternate palm. He understood that she wouldn’t be gone forever, thus it would be no deep wound. But his lapse in self-awareness would not be his undoing.

[color=goldenrod]“No. Alisa was sacrificed in this battle. For her sake, we finish it. Will you cover me?”[/color]

Mirage watched her teammate slash his palm. She knew now, what that represented. Surely there had to be some way to get her back. But that wasn't going to happen until they all made it out. The fear in her eyes turned into a chilling resolution. 

[color=orange]"I am behind you. Always. Tell me who we strike first."[/color]

Metamorph turned back to the room, eyes quickly roving between moving bodies and quick flashes from firearms. Between the teens and remaining Kobra grunts, Kila got a little over a dozen. Zatara and Brightheart were handling the teens, but cleared having to duck gunfire from the others.

[color=goldenrod]“We need to get the groups off of our squadmates. Drop the furthest ones first.”[/color]

Keeping close to the wall, Kila used the relative darkness to his advantage, coming up on a trio with their weapons trained on Brightheart. The closest heard him approaching and turned a second too late. The knife left two puncture wounds in his calf and thigh, forcing the man to his knee. Grabbing the first agent’s weapon arm to divert his aim, Metamorph turned his attention to the next. The atlantean dagger flew from his hand, piercing through and pinning the second agent’s wrists together due to the man’s two handed shooting position. 

With his knife hand now free, he was able to bat away an attempted punch to his stomach from the first agent. In the same motion, Kila brought his elbow down on his opponent’s joint to break the arm. With the commotion grabbing the third’s attention, his pistol was aimed for the young lion. Holding the first’s gun hand with both of his, Kila dropped to his back to duck a few shots. On the way down, he tapped the trigger on the SMG the first had, aiming for the third’s legs to wound and destabilize him.

The second in the meanwhile, being a little tougher, managed to separate his now slit wrists. With the knife still lodged in his right arm, he attempted to reach down to pick up the weapon he’d dropped, but it was for naught. Kila had never stopped moving and hit the man with a jumping back kick to his head, knocking him out instantly.

[hr]While Metamorph moved on one side, Mirage took the other. She had come to a silent realization, in the somber space between seeing Alisa and taking Metamorph's orders. Unfortunately, she had been more than a little self absorbed lately. Trauma was one thing, sure. Despite the pain, she was still upright and breathing. Sure, she might not have had nearly as much of her power at her disposal. But she damn sure wasn't going to earn it back wallowing in bed and refusing to fight with everything she had.

Her footsteps faded into silence as she vanished into the shadows. The first - and last - sign of her approach on the first Kobra agent was the whoosh of her staff through the air, right before it made contact with the side of his face. The thud of his unconscious body alerted the rest. Three stopped shooting below and spun to face… nothing.

"Spread out and search. Cover everything!" 

The trio of agents fanned out into the dark. 

"Damn… can't believe we have to do this without the goggles." The first agent paced slowly into the dark corridor, whining to himself. "And she never even looks at me. What am I doing here? I wanna go ho-" His whining - and windpipe - were suddenly stopped. Mirage was behind him, one arm neatly cutting his air supply from behind. The other was wrapped around his torso, keeping his gun arm down.

While he struggled soundlessly, his desperate struggle for breath muted under a sound illusion, Mirage flickered in and out of sight. The moment he went limp, she lowered him slowly to the ground. After removing the bullets from his gun (Rain had taught them all that) she melted back into invisibility.

The footsteps of the second agent paced slowly down the middle hall. Unlike his teammate, he had a little more discipline. He was silent, his gun sweeping left to right as he moved. It was obvious he'd taken to whatever training that had been forced upon the teens quite well. Mirage would make that his undoing. Silent and graceful as a shark on the hunt, she closed in. Her steps fell into rhythm, matching the pace of the agent's sweep. The Kobra teen danced with her, unseen, until Mirage was just winding up to knock him out- 

Yet the lad struck first and faster, whipping backward, turning the gun on Mirage and squeezing off a shot. If the staff hadn't already been in their hands, it would have been too late to react. But sometimes even the most skilled fighters needed just a touch of luck. Mirage batted the gun to the side in the same moment that it was fired - the shot popped off and she negated the sound on reflex - until the pain hit her upper arm a second later. 

Mirage gritted her teeth, a hiss of pain escaping. [color=orange]"Well done."[/color] Her lips raised, into an expression that was only in the shape of a smile. [color=orange]"But not enough."[/color] Everything went a fathomless black, like the bottom of the sea.

A few seconds later, a gunshot rang out in the dark. Then another. 

"Come quick- I found the hero! H-help!" The Kobra leader showed up fast, looking for his squadmate. There was nothing to greet him, save a small pool of fresh blood.

[color=orange]"Interesting."[/color] Mirage's voice echoed through empty air. The Kobra leader spun, trying to track the sound. But it seemed to be coming from everywhere at once. 

[color=orange]"Without the presence of that woman… you all seem to show loyalty to each other."[/color]

"Where is he? What did you do to my brother?!" The Kobra leader spat. Mirage could see the fear in his eyes, hiding behind the anger - it was genuine. She silently debated. If Rain were in charge, the obvious move would be to use this man's loyalty to take him down. But right now, no one was leading Mirage but Mirage.

[color=orange]"Your brother lives and breathes. Though he will have some nasty bruises when he comes to, and for that I apologize. He'll require medical care, but it's nothing so severe that a caring older brother could not provide."[/color] She melted from the shadows, revealing herself, and the agent lying unconscious at her feet. The Kobra leader startled, the barrel raising, and Mirage raised both hands carefully. A slow but steady trickle of blood dripped from the wound on her upper arm, starting to puddle on the ground.

Without knowing what word would come next, she started to speak. [color=orange]"I know what you're seeing. I know it makes you want to hurt me. I [i]think[/i] I know what has been done to you, your brother, your friends. Out of respect for the repeated violation of your self-will, I will not do as she has, and force you to stand down. I will only ask."[/color] Her orange eyes stared, soft and steady. [color=orange]"Disarm your weapon. Throw it aside. There's been more than enough blood shed today."[/color]

The Kobra leader stared on. Mirage was wide open - he had a clean shot that could likely be lethal. He closed his eyes… and pulled the magazine free. With a quick motion, he dislodged the remaining bullet from the chamber and flung the gun aside. Then he simply ran forward for the other teen on the ground, starting to check his pulse.

Mirage stepped aside with a tiny smile at the family reunion, digging in her side pack and pulling out a small plastic bag. It was little more than a small roll of bandages and some alcohol wipes. Truthfully, she needed them herself right now, but… she'd manage.

[color=orange]"Your brother has a knack for this. It's rare that anyone can get the drop on me. In the future - if this experience marks him for something other than a peaceful life - I will gladly advocate."[/color] She nodded to the two, and ran off to find Kila.

[hr]Across the room, Kila took aim with the borrowed Uzi to ravage the legs of yet another of the Kobra fodder that took notice of Zatara’s battle. That moment of dividing his attention though, left him open for the prickling sensation of two small objects puncturing his suit at his side. As he turned his head to the right, instantly that prickly feeling became full on waves of shock from a Kobra man with a taser. 

His teeth clenched at the static like feeling rippling through his body. Although painful, Kila’s threshold for pain was much higher than most. That threshold enabled him to withstand and power through to aim the SMG at the tasing operative. As he did, he barely felt the sensation of two more prongs latching to him. The sudden jolt of more electricity caused the young lion to fall to his hands and knees, dropping weapons in the process. He felt his heart stutter in his chest and his hair stood in surprise. 

While his body started to shake and his vision blurred, threatening him with unconsciousness, a third Kobra agent decided to run directly at him. However, the stunned Metamorph looked past and made eye contact with Alisa’s deadened eyes. The imagery of their cyber friend’s body engulfed by flame, metallic organs strewn about, bore into the pit of his stomach. Then just past her, one of the teens sat beside the body of another, distraught by the destruction. 

None of them needed this…None of them wanted this…None of them deserved this.

How many more meta children would have to suffer because of the ambitions of organizations that wanted their power? To be twisted and manipulated into doing things they’d rather not? This was why Kila fought. So that the men and women who were responsible, wouldn’t win. Very briefly did his golden eyes tinge amber.

Kila didn’t know exactly when he started shouting, but it wasn’t a shout of anguish or fear. No, this was a battle cry from a type of pure, primal rage. The type of rage that numbed pain and drew strength from hidden places. Strength that Kila used to catch the boot of the Kobra man that ran to try kicking him while downed. Standing up from his knees, Metamorph raised the leg above his head, jutting a swift kick to the man’s groin. 

As their squealing associate fell, the remaining two agents watched with shock while Kila pulled the static barbs from his suit. Still they didn’t relent, deciding to drop the tasers to rush him at the same time. Kila waited for them, feeling more free now that the electrical currents had ceased. Without the buzzing in his head, he noticed that the sounds of combat were more isolated. Kila deduced that these were likely the last two henchmen. Although his body ached, he remained steadfast. These two would not be enough.

Feigning focus on Kobra Ten, he ducked a telegraphed punch. Taking the split second to turn tail, K stomped the side of Kobra Eleven’s right knee. Weaving another hook from Kobra Ten, The Meta countered with an elbow to his neck. Kobra Eleven started to recover but Kila didn’t forget about him. The young lion faked him out with a low crane kick, hitting that knee once again. 

Kobra Ten grabbed hold of him, trying to choke him out with both arms. Kila strained for a second, pulling at the man’s arms to regain his airways. In the meanwhile, Kobra Eleven took notice of the Uzi that Kila had dropped earlier. However, Metamorph noticed it as well and knew he had only a moment. Noticing the dagger at his feet, he flicked it upward with his foot to catch and stab at Kobra Ten’s armpit. Tearing through fabric and drawing blood, Kobra Ten’s grip loosened just enough for Metamorph to headbutt him and break free. 

Kobra Eleven, on his one good knee, took aim at Metamorph’s chest and pulled the trigger. Kila clenched his forearms together in the knick of time, artillery shells ricocheting off of Iwisa’s gauntlets. It didn’t last long though, just as soon as six shots were fired, the weapon clicked in defiance— empty. 

When Kobra Eleven looked up, a fist came directly to his head. Then another. Then [i]another[/i]. Chain punches broke through the feeble defense that Kobra Eleven tried to put up. Kobra Ten watched with bated breath at the relentless assault until Kobra Eleven’s body fell to the ground limp. 

Metamorph turned to face Kobra Ten, shoulders rising and falling with his breathing, fists clenched for more. There was a brief standoff; one that ended with Kobra Ten clutching at his bleeding armpit and running in the other direction.

Only after his opponent was gone from sight, did Kila fall to his backside in exhaustion. It would be up to the others now to finish their fights…at least before he could get his second wind…