The older Maverick playfully shoved the younger. [color=darkorange]“I keep telling you, that ‘feeling’ is our souls being connected.” [/color] Feral draped an arm over Ill. [color=darkorange]“This city hardened us. It made us what we are. But we shouldn’t forget that we carry our hardness and our pain, use it as armor—so the next generation won’t have to. At least, I keep telling myself that…”[/color] [color=darkorange]“You remember that mission we had out here, closer to the docks, years ago? One of our first."[/color] Back then, Maki’s suit had been all thrifted and second-hand scraps. He could remember the way the cold had soaked his bones, barely dulling the excitement of one of their first big operations. [color=darkorange]“It was Locke’s trafficking ring.”[/color] Makarios instinctively ran his tongue over where he’d chipped a tooth that night—long since fixed, yet he traced the memory of the crack still. That night had been the start of Chuck placing his trust in Makarios. [center]--[/center] [i]She felt a pressure from her Savior. She, or he—pressed against her eyes. She felt the heat spread, gasping in response. It was bright—bright enough to show the shadow of a memory in the crevice of her mind: battle. Her sight was not back, but she felt the blinding substance flaking away. Her savior set her down and was suddenly gone. But she felt a presence surrounding her, some aura of her Savior. And then they were back. In those brief moments, she’d begun to feel again. Her Savior was now a hazy shape of darkness against a murky gray background and she reached out to touch—to thank them for catching her. But at the moment of contact, finger-to-face, a searing cry shot through her mind. Everything began to hurt, then everything went wrong.[/i] [quote=ANGEL-SUIT REPORT][color=yellowgreen][--LOG: SUBJECT—T******CODE:ANGEL …UNABLE-TO-RETRIEVE CONTEXTUAL DATA FOR DATA RECONSTRUCTION DAMAGE TO SYSTEMS: NONE; DATA:UNAVL CMMND: FORCE-EXTRAPOLATION-- BOOTING CORRUPTED LOG… --ELEVATION-TO-RAPID DESCENT: GROUND LEVEL !INTERACTION DETECTED: EXTERNAL PHYSIOLOGICAL ENTITY H.R.=NORMAL;PULSE=NRML;ADRENAL=NRML;ENOCHIAN{INTERNAL}:NON-VOLATILE RESULT:NON-HOSTILE ENTITY !CONTACT DETECTED WITH ENTITY->RESULT:ENOCHIAN{INTERNAL}:ACTIVE RISE IN ENOCHIAN{INTERNAL}:DEEMED VOLUNTARY **ALERT**ALERT**DECIBEL LVL-HIGH;PRESENCE(S) INTERACT WITH SUB-PROCESS SUIT SCANNER !INTERACTION DETECTED: EXTERNAL PHYSIOLOGICAL ENTITY-MULTIPLE H.R./PULSE/ADRENAL=ELVTD;ENOCHIAN{INTERNAL}:ACTIVE-REACTIVE ENOCHIAN{INTERNAL} SURGE DETECTED; RESULT: INITIATE PROTOCOLS: AERO-OFFENSE PROTOCOLS RESULT: AERO GAUGE SPEED RECORD 110KM/S !CONTACT DETECTED: RESULT – ENOCHIAN{INTERNAL}: SURGE-OFFENSIVE !CONTACT DETECTED: RESULT-- ****UNABLE-TO-RETRIEVE LOG. CMMND: HALTED****][/color] [/quote] [center]--[/center] [color=darkorange]“You told Thomas the op was one to get a lead to one of Locke’s drug rings and bust a weapon trafficking gang in bed with him. And you told [i]me[/i] the truth: the night [i]was[/i] about getting access to the drug ring, but we weren’t busting a weapon deal or anything. It was worse…”[/color] It had been a sex trafficking ring. Girls and boys, as young as 9 from the intel. [color=darkorange]“And so you figured it was best if Angel thought it was a weapon deal. He’d be more patient, wait for the right time. What you didn’t account for was that damn Enochian sense of his feeling their distress more and more until it clicked for him.”[/color] Feral couldn’t help the laugh that rose from him. Before long he was wheezing, reaching a hand to Chuck’s shoulder to steady himself. [color=darkorange]“And all the sudden, here comes the Thomas, sailing in and through a wave of goons. A full 5 minutes before you’d finished disarming all their traps and tech. Only to tip them off to us, and only set off their oil traps. Which led to me charging in after to provide the fool some backup, only to go careening on an oil slick –because of course, my thrifted shoes didn’t have sufficient grip—into the side of one of the shipping containers.”[/color] He looked toward the sky, almost expecting to see the big goof himself. Something about his Communion phase made Makarios more in tune with those around him at times. He could almost [i]feel[/i] Thomas, or at least he thought he could. [color=darkorange]“His weakness has always been that he wants to save everyone. He [i]needs[/i] everyone to have a chance to see the light of day as he does. It’s not a bad thing, actually quite beautiful. But anything beautiful on the battlefield is bound to be worn down.”[/color] [center]--[/center] [i]She heard cries. They were crying for her. But it was [b]wrong[/b]. Cries she’d imagined, but were wrought wrong. There was a sickness and pain in them. But those cries needed her.[/i] [quote=ANGEL-SUIT REPORT][color=yellowgreen][--LOG: SUBJECT—T******CODE:ANGEL …UNABLE-TO-RETRIEVE CONTEXTUAL DATA FOR DATA RECONSTRUCTION DAMAGE TO SYSTEMS: NONE; DATA: UNAVL CMMND: FORCE-EXTRAPOLATION-- BOOTING CORRUPTED LOG… **ALERT**ALERT**ALERT**DECIBEL LVL-HIGH; EXTERNAL FORCE DETECTED; HOSTILE PRESENCE(S) RESULT: OFFENSIVE PROTCOLS !INTERACTION DETECTED: METRIC RESULT=ENGAGING HOSTILE MUSCULATURE TENSION {BRACE} ARMOR UNBREACHED GAUNTLET/FIST RECORD: 10K N FORCE EXERTED RAPID ACCELERATION DETECTED-RESULT: AERO PRTCL RESULT: GAUGE SPEED RECORD 170KM/S **ALERT**IMPACT DETECTED; RESULT=INTENTIONAL RESULT: 15K N FORCE EXERTED **ALERT**ALERT**ENOCHIAN{EXTERNAL} WAVE DETECTED; UNKNOWN WAVE DETECTED H.R./PULSE=ELVTD;ADRENAL=NRML-- ****UNABLE-TO-RETRIEVE LOG. CMMND: HALTED****][/color][/quote] [center]--[/center] Maybe Thomas would come back, maybe he wouldn’t. But Makarios knew Thomas would always feel the call and the urge. Maki leaned back and gave a deep sigh. [color=darkorange]“He’s always been the Dawn…looking for that sunrise. He carried it with him, into us, into each mission. I was the Dusk. I knew the Sun’s warmth, but could feel the darkness. The beauty between the two. And you were the night, fearless in its mystery. That’s why we chose you to lead us. Because you rode with the unknown so well, in this dark city. And it didn’t scare you, it thrilled and excited you, delving in it to rid it. And we took our respective posts—Thomas, looking to the Dawn. Me, remembering the Dusk. You, melding with the Night.”[/color] [center]--[/center] [i]'No, stop. Stop, you’re hurting them!'[/i] [quote=ANGEL-SUIT REPORT][color=yellowgreen][--LOG: SUBJECT—T******CODE:ANGEL …UNABLE-TO-RETRIEVE CONTEXTUAL DATA FOR DATA RECONSTRUCTION DAMAGE TO SYSTEMS: HIGH; DATA: UNAVL CMMND: FORCE-EXTRAPOLATION-- BOOTING CORRUPTED LOG… **ALERT**HOSTILE PRESENCE(S)-ENGAGED H.R./PULSE/ADRENAL=!!;ENOCHIAN {INTERNAL-TURNED-EXTERNAL} RESULT:SHIELD PROTCOL SENSORS TRACING ANGEL ENOCHIAN SIGNATURE-ENACT EXO-SENSORY **ALERT**INCOMING HOSTILE: 200 KM/S 30K N EXTERNAL FORCE DETECTED RESULT: REACTIVE DEFENSE ENOCHIAN{INTERNAL-EXTERNAL} DETECTED ENOCHIAN {INTERNAL-TURNED-EXTERNAL} SURGE – CATEGORY: ALPHA ****UNABLE-TO-RETRIEVE LOG. CMMND: HALTED****][/color][/quote] [center]--[/center] The older Maverick squatted, flexing his haunches and preparing to jump. As he did, and as he began to speak, [color=darkorange]“But enough of that, how about we—”[/color] his chest, his senses, were seized by a gripping tightness, like a jaw after tasting something sour. His words caught and his pupils dilated, before the feeling cleared and he gasped for air. [center]--[/center] [i]Why? Why was all she knew falling or hurting? Who was she? Why did it keep being taken from her?[/i] [i]Everything hurt…she just wanted to sleep. She just wanted everything to stop..[/i] [quote=ANGEL-SUIT REPORT][color=yellowgreen][--LOG: SUBJECT—T******CODE:ANGEL …UNABLE-TO-RETRIEVE CONTEXTUAL DATA FOR DATA RECONSTRUCTION DAMAGE TO SYSTEMS: SEVERE; DATA: UNAVL CMMND: FORCE-EXTRAPOLATION-- BOOTING CORRUPTED LOG… **ALERT**ALERT**DECIBEL LVL-HIGH;HOSTILE PRESENCE(S) !INTERACTION DECTECTED: HOSTILE-ENGAGED **ALERT**ALERT**ARMOR PUNCTURE=CRITICAL;H.R.=SPIKE B.P.=DROP-SEVERE;ENOCHIAN{INTERNAL}=UNAVL RUN PROCESS: DETECT-ENOCHIAN;RESULT=FAIL RUN PROCESS: DETECT-INTERFERENCE; RESULT=INTERFERENCE DETECTED RESULT:ENOCHIAN{INTERNAL} DEPLETION AND INTERRUPTION-- ****UNABLE-TO-RETRIEVE LOG. CMMND: TERMINATE****][/color][/quote] [center]--[/center] As Maki gasped, Glitch pushed herself through the comm-link for both Mavericks. [color=cyan]“IllAd—Boss—CHUCK. Angel is in critical condition. Severe blood loss, fatal wound, no Enochian healing spike detected. Coordinates incoming. Report reading is bad, Chuck. I’ve got no visuals and the energy reading I have is murky at best. I can’t fully understand this one it’s familiar but—”[/color] [color=darkorange]“It’s Nox.”[/color] Makarios interrupted. His heart was thrumming and he didn’t know why, but something wasn’t right. [color=darkorange]“And we need to be there [b]now[/b].”[/color] [center]--[/center] [color=cyan]“More intel: There are 2 unconscious hostiles, seemingly unconnected to the other 3. As well as one non-combatant. Their condition is unknown. First scan indicates the 2 unconscious hostile units are teched-out humans.”[/color] Upon nearing, the two Mavericks would see the oldest Maverick slumped to his knees. The blood that covered them clearly his own, leading up to gaping hole in his chest. His eyes held that of shock, disbelief similar to his body as the Enochian genetics struggled to heal—his skin visibly pulsing to begin protecting and healing itself. Behind him, an unconscious woman lay on the ground. Glitch chimed in as Feral and IllAdvised descended on the scene: [color=cyan]“I’ve got rough metrics on the 3 hostiles. One is incapacitated or downed,”[/color] Glitch patched the report through to Chuck. Their speed and flight comparable to Angel, but less vector control and technique. Sinewy form, but capable of knocking back Angel so be advised.” She’d been able to gather intel from the initial cameras and satellite imagery over the area. Enhancing and homing in on data that would have taken 3 men 4 days to compile, Glitch completed the task in less than 90 seconds. [color=cyan]“Local cameras were out due to them. They emit sonic screeches that seem to affect multiple frequencies. Their musculature and size betray a double-jointed flexibility. No visible ocular receptors, so field of vision is unknown. Talons in lieu of hands, capable of cutting concrete. There’s also a healing factor to consider.”[/color]