Chronocide: Mission Wounded Pride

"what is that thing?" she asked in a low voice.

"That'd be a tank" ANastasia unhelpfully said "but specifically. That's Brass Eagle's tank"

"Brass Eagle. He's one of Iron's unit, right?"

"He sure is. One of the big ones too" She murmured "Handsome bastard, too"

"Huh. And he has a tank?"

"he has more than a tank. He's the Alloy Unit's heavy ordinance expert."

"Oh boy. Of course he is." she sighed, not letting her eyes off tha tank until she saw where it was going.

It came to the glass tunnel, and it stopped. It's gun swiveled back and forth, twice.

"Get ready to move if necessary," she said in a low voice

Anastasia nodded, as the tank rumbled too close for comfort. and then it bumped against the glass.

There was the sound of glass crinkling, as the motor revved...and the glass began to fracture quite quickly.

"Move!" Hazel said as the glass started to fracture. She ran toward the end of the hall.

Anastasia jumped up, and ran for the lab door, she shoved it open with her shoulder, and went toppling inside.

Hazel half leapt in behind her, and closed the door behind them.

The sound of the shattering glass filled the air along with the roar of the engine as just beyond the door, a tank rolled though the hall way itself

"Craaaap" hissed Anastasia

"That's one way to put it," Hazel said dryly, her jaw set.

"I think he may have gotten the sense we were in there" she whispered

"Please tell me he's not another psychic."

"Another _what_ " Anastasia said with widened eyes

"Don't worry about it.'

"well no...he..." she grimaced "they might have noticed us on some of the exterior cameras, maybe?"

"Potentially," she said, "whatever it is, we need to be on high alert."

"Yeah, I'll be careful" She nodded "I...I'll try to remember where all the cameras are"

"And i'll keep an eye out. What's our heading from here?"

"W-well we need to get to the second floor, above the barracks" she gestured to the right "that way."

Hazel nodded and hurried forward, her pace quick, and her body tight and alert for anything, letting her brain autopilot and react to any stimuli.

"I just hope we don't have to deal with Brass Eagle now. NOt until we get some better weapons"

"We'd better hustle, then," she said, doing just that. She had one goal right now, make it to the armory.

They rushed through the sterile halls together, keeping low. And that was when she heard the 'beep beep boop' of the intercom

She paused, just for a moment, as it came on.

"It comes to my attention that we have spies slinking about among us" Purred a voice tinged with an english accent. A voice too similar to her own "And that perhaps...one of those spies is someone very near and dear to my genetic memory"

"Wonderful," she sighed. "keep moving." She slunk through the corridor, keeping an eye on all the doors and the cover.

"Now. I know you're listening to this _sister_ " she purred the word "So why don't you listen to this." There was the sound of scuffling "Dr. Kovalenko! how are you feeling _tonight_ ?"

Hazel could see doors down the hall, one seemed to be the other side of the mess hall...and the others were marked 'barracks and shower area.'

"I... I don't think you mean that question seriously," Doctor Kovolenko muttered into the mic.

Hazel looked to Anastasia for guidance.

"you're just _adorable_ " She hissed "why don't you say hello to our dear friend _Steel Heron_ . , who lurks out there like a labrat in a maze?"

Anastasia looked uncomfortable, and gestured to the barracks "we have to go through the shower area to hit the stairs"

She nodded, and hurried toward them, hand on her tranq gun. Her next priority would be her brother.

"H-hello, Steel Heron...."

"why don't you ask her very politely to turn herself in, Doctor? I mean...after all, once you finish repairs on the Metal Wolf...." She chuckled "We'll all get to watch the world burn together. Like a big. Happy. family"

Anastasia lurked forward, and eased the door open. Leaning in, she peered from side to side, and waved for Hazel to follow.

"Ah, no... no I don't think I'll be asking that," he said, timidly, but with a stubbornness in his voice.

Hazel followed anastasia in, looking around as well.

"Look who's grown himself a backbone" She sneered "Calvin Kovalenko. If you think you can embarass me in front of my _clone_ then you severely misunderstand your situation."

They were in  a tile plated hallway, with a large door on either side. They were each labeled 'lavatory and showers' , but didn't appear to be gendered.

She headed toward the showers, waving Anastasia with her.

"I'm not trying to embaress you," he said. "I just... I just think you should give this whole thing up!"

"well" She said with a faux affability "I'm afraid that's just out of the question. Say ta ta" She chirped.

Anastasia slinked after her "i wish we had the time. I could use a hot shower" She sighed softly

"Seriously?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Ta ta..." he said, miserably.

"Goodbye _sister_ " Iron hissed, before the line went dead.

"Well" Anastasia said miserably as Calvin "i got a comrade's blood splattered all over me. And...and that's my first real kill"

She closed her eyes for a half second and looked around. "No one else is here. If you think we can spare 3 minutes...."

"I... I'm not compromising your mission just because I'm being a wimp about murdering someone I had Lunch with!" she snapped

"What you did was hard. It isn't something people should be asked to do."

She grimaced "he...he chose the wrong side" she said hollowly

"Doesn't matter. Sides.... they can change in an instant. before you even realize."

She winced slightly "fuck" she murmured "that doesn't help me feel any better. I... I think I need that shower after all"

She nodded. "Lets take a minute."

With that, Anastasia entered one of the shower rooms.

Hazel stood gaurd, taking the moment to reflect on the situation.

She heard the shower turn on.

She was here, in a base stolen by her cloned sister and her possee of PTSD riddled sodiers. Her brother was captured. SHe'd teamed up with an AI who thought she was the goddess of time and Stilletto's lab guard daughter.... and there was some mysterious backup lurking about .

That about summed it up. It certainly wasn't a routine mission. But what was routine anyway?

In her life, nothing much. She always seemed to get the weird missions.

Chronia hummed from her place on her hip.

The humming was somehow comforting.

"Heron" She said in her low, mechanical voice.

"Chronia."

"I overheard some of what transpired"

"And what do you think?"

"I am curious about the girl's response to the death of the enemy agent"

"when you kill somebody you've talked to... it can be hard."

"But he was an enemy." She said in a slow, contemplative tone. "A threat to the wellbeing of the common collective and herself personally"

"Yes. But, its not black and white. Even if you know they were on the wrong side. They were a person."

"I See. The goddess of time has logged this" She said "and will take it into account."

Another pause

"was [unknown demigod] threatening Calvin?"

"Iron Heron. My clone. And yes, yes she was."

[demigod registered as Iron Heron] "I see. This displeases the goddess of time"

"It displeases me too."

"Recieve my divine command" chronia said "you will stop her from harming my priest. No harm will come to Calvin. So commands time itself"

"Right. I'll do my best, Chronia." She didnt mention that it was already her mission. "Your... priest?"

"Good. You have my blessing" she paused, whirred , and said "he is the keeper of the temporal secrets. A young demigod like yourself, who spent a great deal of time learning my teachings and keeping me... company"

"Ah," she nodded. That her brother would keep a sentient computer company didn't seem far off the mark to her.

Chronia was quiet "do you think she will kill him?"

"I think she needs him."

"I see. Then we have a deadline"

"we do."

"Please do not let him perish, Heron"

"He's my brother. Im not going to let him die."

"You are related then?"

"we are," she nodded.

"I do see a resemblance. Dr. kovalenko's genes in you both"

"yes," she nodded. "The doctor raised me, as well."

"That I am not surprised by." Chronia said "The power of time runs through your veins, as it does among the other demigods. All of whom are connected to those original meddlings"

"Yeah Its one big spiderweb of connections."

"Time is non-linear, but the connections forged by it are like threads"

And that was when she heard Anastasia scream

She jolted and grabbed her gun, hurrying to anastasia

And she found Anastasia naked, under the steaming water of the shower, with a loofa. She looked surprised as Heron burst in "oh!! ah, h-hello?" She stammered, covering herself up.

Heron blinked at the situation. "You screamed."

Anastasia frowned "I did?"

Now that she had a moment, The sound had come predominantly from her left ear.

which was the ear that held the communicator.

Her eyes widened "What the hell?" she murmered, turning away from anastasia and checking her com link. "Simon?"

The line was currently dead. Severed it sounded like.

And then she heard the bathroom door click closed.

She cursed. "Ana, get ready," she said holding her gun. "We're about to have a serious problem."

Anastasia squeaked "I'm NAKED!" she said "how ready can I _get_ "

"grab your gun," she snapped. she looked around tensely eyes narrowed.

Anastasia jumped for the pile of clothes and weaponry, only to grab her rifle and press against the far wall "Damn it!"

There was the sound of someone knocking on the door.

"Stay behind me," she said, moving toward the door-- but not directly in front of it. she stood toward the side of it.

Anastasia hurried behind her, holding her rifle at the ready with a nod.

Pressed against the wall next to the door, she grabbed the handle, and tried to throw the door open, gun aimed.

She met the barrel of a guard's rifle, who startled a bit, but hopped back with a "FREEZE"

He wasn't alone.

As he readjusted to bring the rifle around, she grabbed the gun out of his hands, and smacked him across the head with it.

He cried out, and staggered back before collapsing in a dizzy heap.

SHe felt the sudden tearing of the air, as Anastasia jumped to the side, and opened fire at some of the other guards trying to target Hazel in their surprise at her gung ho assault

It brought a grim smile to her face as she turned around the rifle and opened fire as well.

The guards fell one by one under her and Anastasia's surprise counter offensive.

There were seven of them. Seven whole men dropped by a naked guard and one trained agent.

There was the sound of clapping hands.

Hazel's gaze whipped up to the source of the sound, leveling her gun there as well.

A pale reflection of herself smiled at her, clapping her hands slowly together  as she approached, flanked by A tall, lithe woman with bladed wings and strange attachments on her legs, and another figure.

The other woman who stood beside her also had some sort of wings fitted to her body. She was small, and pale, with long dark hair and sharp eyes.

The tall woman strapped in blades was balanced out by the shining gleam of whatever attachments were...or were encasing her arms and legs. She smiled at Hazel with a sharp smile that never reached her eyes.

And Iron grinned "well wasn't that quite the show" she purred  , her voice lilting and affable "You really are worthy of the title _greatest soldier in Pax_ aren't you?"

"I wouldn't know, Im not the one who gives out titles," she said. She looed over the strange reflection of herself. "What's with the flash gordon birdmen?"

Iron was dressed in a long brown coat over a military uniform decorated with medals and accolades.  a beret tipped over her pale white hair, and her deep...red eyes glaring at Hazel with jealousy and hate. Still, she smiled. "Oh, but you're so close to the woman who does" she purred "the woman who thinks you're so _wonderful_ . " she leaned forward "you can get any title you want, little girl."

She gestured to the woman with the metal limbs "Solder Crane" she purred "and Talonite Raven" she gestured to the other "two of the finest special forces agents on Pax"

"A pleasure, I'm sure," she said, her jaw setting "Iron, listen we need to talk"

"talk....why _Siissterrr_ " She drawled "You want to have a little tit a tat with me?" she smiled "i'm flattered. Solder?" she chirped "Take care of our little traitor, will you?"

The blade covered bird woman grinned, and darted forward with speed. Shoving Hazel aside, she plowed into Anastasia, and one of her wing-blades flexed and slashed through the back of Ana's leg, dropping her to the ground.

Hazel grimaced. "Hey! leave her be!" she snapped,  fingers flexing on her gun.

Anastasia was dragged to her feet, blood running down her bare leg...but she was held hostage. Solder held the edge of a sword to her throat "on your knees, tin soldier" she rasped.

Iron chuckled, and stepped forward, raising a gun from behind her back "SIster, I advise you drop your weapon and come quietly"

Hazel frowned, and dropped her weapon. The wheels in her mind turned slowly, letting the situation play out, for now.

"i'm not letting you talk your way out of this" She said in a low voice "I heard enough about _you_ from everyone. From soteria.. from him. from knight. from my own damned creators. I don't need to hear your silver tongue for myself"

"I didnt know I had a reputation foe a silver tongue," she said with a frown.

"You must have one. There's simply no way you'd be so... _loved_ . " She said with a sneer "people love you."

She shrugged her shoulder, and aimed the gun between her eyes "but that's neither here nor there, Steel Heron. " she said and pulled the trigger. There was a flash, a sharp pain between her eyes....and then darkness.

_Damn it_

But she never felt that strange, overwhelming rush of the time stream around her. No backwards yank, no stars in her eyes....

Instead she felt her head pound with pain as she swam out of the darkness an indeterminable time later.

She groaned, putting her hand to her head. The first thing that swam to her mind was _please don't let me have braindamage_ .

She felt some swelling and the feeling of dried blood.... and a small puncture.

But no other damage. Her thoughts seemed clear.

"Drugged?" she murmured.  She slowly opened her eyes.

THe light was a blazing inferno to her eyes. Like looking into the sun. It was so bright it made her ears ring.

she groaned and shaded her eyes.

Spots danced behind her arm for a long moment before she finally started to get used to the light.

She waited, impatiently, blinking her eyes.

And the light focused into something manageable.

Unfortunately, the sight wasn't fantastic.

Her wrists were in electronic manacles. And she was prone, but tilted up at an angle, looking at a large lamp.

Wow. Wonderful. Great.  She took a deep breath and tried to quell the fear that was rising in her chest

THe manacles buzzed, and suddenly her arms were magnetically forced down, in an outstretched position.

And she saw another figure not unfamiliar in a torture room.

"Howdy" Drawled Panther

She desperately wished she'd been shot in the head with an actual bullet.

"Panther," she replied dryly.

"Seems like yer mighty fond of finding yourself tied up in a place like this" he said, smoothing out his moustache.

"Fond may be an overstatement," she said. Had it been a trap all along? They hadn't even gotten to the damned armory. She was unlikely to still have the keycard.

He whistled cheerfully, and sauntered over, tightenig her manacles with a little screwdriver 'yeah. It ain't the most fun place to find yourself in, I imagine. Least not from your seat."

"Mmm. Did you hook back up with Lynx or is she missing?"

"Lynx? Oh she's around" he said with a chuckle "Saw her 'bout an hour ago, when she came on by. Said you made a new friend"

"Did she tell you she's playing with chrononaut tech? Could be dangerous for her."

He tutted his tongue, and slapped the manacles "I'll have to have a chat with her about that" he grinned, and winked at Hazel "Can't risk another temporal anomaly" he hit a button, and suddenly electricity poured through her body.

Hazel's body was flooded with pain, and convulsed against her restraints. She made a small, gurgling noise in the back of her throat as she twitched.

He let go of the button, and tossed it up and down in his hand. The currant stopped . "alright. So that's workin' mighty fine" he drawled "now, Hazel. I just want you to know it all ain't anything personal" he flashed a grin "Nothing to get _bent out of shape about_ " he chuckled, and knocked on the door "s'all ready for you, commander"

Hazel flexed her fingers tensely. She hoped that Simon didn't have to watch this.

The door slid open and in walked Iron, all smiles and bouncing, pale hair "sister! How kind of you to join me!"

"if we're sisters, why don't you share your name with me."

Iron stopped before her, arms crossed over her chest and a smirk on her face "bold of you to assume I have one" she sneered

"Someone must have given you one?" she askeed

"They did." She said with a slight frown "but..."

She cocked her head. "But?"

"But they don't own me." She sneered "and I won't be named after someone I never met"

"fair enough," she shrugged. "What do you call yourself then?"

"Val. It's better than _Nadia_ " she spat the name

SHe raised her eyebrows. "well, I like them both. But I think Val suits you."

"How sweet of you to say , _Hazel Kovalenko_ " she leered , pacing before her with a slim, dangerous smile

"Its funny, I'm still not used to that name."

"Do you prefer.." she chuckled "what was it? Hazel Davidson? Is that what I read in the reports?"

"That's right," she nodded. "Davidson."

"hm" Her sister said with a slight smirk "How...quaint"

"I guess it is," she nodded

"well, I don't care what they name you" she said flippantly "it doesn't bother me what name they put on your headstone"

"why do you want to kill me?"

"because" She said, and suddenly leaned in close with a sneer "you've always been there to get in my way, Steel Heron. Even when you were _dead_ and _Buried_ , you haunted my every step like a ghost." she flipped the switch, and the electricity flowed

"When I was born, It was your name that was on their lips" she snapped "in their reports. Talking about their genetic meddling. WHen I was a young girl, trying to forge myself ....you.. You were always there providing _goalposts_ that I couldn't ever meet. Not like Wrought. Not like her, no. Not like the _perfect_ replica"

"It sounds like who you have beef with is someone trying to compare you to me," she said. "and not even the real me."

She snorted, and pressed the button, delivering a shock to Heron with a sharp humm of machinery.

Heron winced, letting her body go limp and trying not to bite her tongue as the terrible pain rolled through her.

And then it stopped "Don't try to analyze me" she spat "You've always been in my way. And now here you are again, playing Pax's hero, while trying to stop me from doing what has to be done!" she snorted "the only person who understood. who treated me like _my own damned person_ , and was just as uncomfortable with all this... was _him_ . And I was sent to kill him" her eyes narrowed,

She gripped the remote in her shaking hands and paced again "ANd I couldn't do it. No. I couldn't do my mission. so Wrought had to finish it. But she failed, because I _know_ he's still alive. And this. This is the full realization of his dream" She gestured broadly "Pax in flames, Soteria and her cronies torn asunder by her own people, and the nation in the hands of _soldiers_  who will never be irrelevent, used , or disregarded again!"

Hazel held her tongue. If she said anything would her doppelganger listen? Even if she told her she understood her hurt. She;d be rebuffed. But-- wait, what?

"What do you mean he's still alive?"

Iron turned to her, her lips parted in a feral grin "I mean that foolish little brat Wrought failed." she gestured towards Hazel with a sneer "despite the best efforts of _your kin and company_ . He's still out there. There was no body. Nothing that could be identified after the explosion."

Hazel felt like ice water had been dumped over her aching body. She stared at Iron.

Iron grinned wider "and this is my gift to him, wherever he's hiding. This..." she slammed a button on the wall, that caused a screen before Hazel to flicker on, showing the massive, deadly looking mech with it's twin ICBM nuclear warheads balanced on it's back, twitching as workers hurried around it and welded...soldered...forged it into working order

"this is my _declaration of loyalty_ ."

"what in the hell is that?" she rasped, still extremely shaken.

"oh. This?" she purred "just the newest variant of the metal wolf prototype. A model meant not for little things like infantry use and homeland security, but for global warefare. Equipped with an advanced AI,  it's a walking being of nuclear deterrence! Or...in the right hands"

She strolled over, drawing her fingers down the image of the beast "they very tool of nuclear Armageddon for the Pax Republic. "

"youre not actually going to launch that thing...."

"oh I am." Iron said, her eyes narrowed. "I'm going to show them just how much they underestimated the ones they used, and threw away. I'm going to use it to wipe my dear little sister Wrought, and my _dear creators_ from the face of Terra. And in the ashes, I'll offer the clean slate to Viper"

"with mass destruction like that? You have no idea who you'll kill," she snapped.

"oh I have some idea" She said with a shrug , and a wide grin "Every living thing in the capital . At the very least. Save for the roaches"

"so you'll just gamble that the person you're waiting for isn't in the blast zone. Great idea."

She chuckled, and then she laughed out loud. SHe flipped the switch, sending electricity coursing through the cuffs again

"DO you really think I'm _that_ stupid? Do you really think I'd go this far  if I didn't have intelligence already in place?"

Hazel jolted with pain, gasping and shaking, her body hanging limp after the current passed through it. She said nothing. Her twin was arrogant. Meanspirited. Could she have ever been like this?

And the current was cut off. She walked towards Hazel with fire in her eyes "For all you know, I could have eyes and ears _anywhere_ " she put her hand on her shoulder "Steel" she said in a low voice "if you only understood the depths of depravity this nation sinks to on a regular basis, you'd join me in wanting it all to burn"

"Wanting something doesn't make it a good plan," she said dryly.

Iron went for the remote with a sneer "condescending bi...." and  the door suddenly opened. In walked Panther, who saluted crisply "hey commander" he drawled "problem down in sector three. needs yer immediate attention"

"Damn it!" Iron cursed "can't these idiots do anything right?" She stormed out of the room in a hurry, and Panther turned to look at Heron with a sly grin.

HIs wrist wiggled strangely for a moment, as he said "hey, hope yer holdin' up alright kid" he winked "try not to get bent out of shape about this whole thing" he said, repeating his earlier statement "it's nothin' personal"

She opened her mouth, and then closed it. He'd messed with her cuffs earlier. She bent her wrist, trying to free it.

She felt a sharp prick, but..wiggling her wrist brought her fingers into contact with a thin metal  pin, that was bent into the locking mechanism of the cuffs. It might have been enough to pick her way out.

Panther walked out of the room, and closed the door.

A small smirk twitched the side of her lips, her muscles tired with pain. She deftly worked her way to the pick

And the cuff, with a satisfying click, fell free. It was short work getting the other off as well.

She let herself drop, and took a few breaths, looking around the room in case her things, or anything useful was there.

There was a large trunk that likely held her things.

She moved over to it, and opened it in a hurry.

And lo and behold, there was all her stuff. neatly arranged. Her com was ringing off the hook.

She put her comm back in place first and answered it as she geared up.

"Yeah. I'm here."

"HAZEL" Simon cried "I thought you were _dead_ "

"I wish," she murmered. "my dear sister decided to run a few thousand volts through me instead of putting one between the eyes."

"She...she was probably buying time." Simon  said, with a nervous tone "I think she's been having someone try and hack into our systems. It's been a hell of a thing keeping them out"

"Oh, wonderful," she sighed. 'Anything I should know about?"

"Ah, nothing more than a small fire in the back of the command shuttle from one of our panels exploding" He said with a nervous laugh "and ah, the GPS is putting you right next to the Director's room, which...ah...well. It's near the area they converted into makeshift cells for high priority targets."

"Great, is that so?" she sighed. "Any good i can do from this area?'

"You might be able to get your new friend Anastasia and possibly even Dr. Kovalenko free. Though the latter is likely already transported to the high security lab a floor below"

"Wonderful," she sighed. "Alright, I'll see if I can find Anastasia. where am I in relation to where I was before?"

"pretty far. but you're closer to the armory now. The director's office is on the third floor, above the barracks and armory sections"

he paused "didja see the big awful helicopter pad? it's connected to that. Where you were was down in the security section of the building, deeper in the bowels of the first and second floors.

"Right, I think I got it," she nodded. "At least Im closer to the armory now." She checked to see if her radar was still working.

It beeped weekly in the direction of the director's office.

Good... She moved toward the door.

The door was unlocked once she reached it, and the peeping continued to sound from the right rather than right in front of her

She cautiosly opened the door and looked around the hallway.

The hallway was oak paneled, bright. with a maroon carpet and pictures hanging on the walls. Pictures of Soteria and some older man with glasses. shaking hands, laughing, smiling. In front of machines and developments. One of which was the chronopod.

the further down the hall she looked, the more miserable the two in the photos seemed to look.

Ah, it was the nice part of the base. She made a face, and looked for the other cells-- hoping to find where they were keeping anastasia and her brother.

THe signs of life were from the right. So that was probably the right place to start.

She passed the big door labeled 'director'

She kept moving past it.... for now.

There was a room labeled 'secure access- files and data storage' though a lot of file cabinets were in the hall, discarded and in a heap. Like the rooms had been cleared out.

She peeked into the room that had been emptied.

The door was locked, but she could see through the small window. She saw Anastasia, tied up by the wrists, and hanging from the ceiling a few inches off the ground.

She winced. That couldnt be comfortable. She looked at the lock- could she maybe pick it?

It was an electronic lock, but...there was a small panel she might be able to break open to gget at the wiring.

she slammeed the butt of her gun against the small panel to break it open.

The panel snapped off with a sharp crack.

She looked at the wires, recalling her trianining.

She saw that there were multicolored wires. Red, blue, green, and they all connected in a criss cross against different diodes.

She looked at the pattern closely.

It looked like, with her trained eyes, that if she cut the red and blue wire at the same time, the power would be cut off

SHe took out a small knife, and pulled the red and blue wires taut, slipping the knife under them both.

She'd have to be precise. And fast.

She held both wires taught with the knife, and pulled hard and fast to cut them at the exact same moment.

There was a spark, and the lock clicked open

She smirked and put the knife away, stepping into the door

The door swung open, into a cleared out records room. a small puddle of blood gleamed from under Anastasia's foot. but she stirred upon hearing Hazel enter

"you won't get anything out of me" she rasped, eyes downcast at the floor

"Nothing, huh? Good job."

Anastasia's head snapped up "Heron?? You're alive?" she said, her eyes widen. Her hair was mussed, still wet, and covered an eye that was a bit bruised.

"Alive enough," she chuckled wearily.

"Care to cut a girl down?" she said with a weak smile.

"Hold still," she nodded, and came up to cut her down.

The rope was cut away, and Anastasia hit the ground with a slight wince "the cut on my leg's not too bad" she said "i pushed through worse in basic"

"Lemme see it. Better to get some pressure on it."

She held out her bare leg, where a gash was sliced across the meet of her calf. It didn't look like it did any real damage however. It was mostly a surface wound likely intended to bring her down in distraction.

"Ouch," she nodded, and ripped up some fabric to tie it up.

"Yeah, it sucked. I can't believe I let that feathered bitch get the jump on me" she huffed.

"We both got jumped," she said with afrown.

"and not by a routine guard..." She said with a frown of her own as her wound was bandaged "By Iron and her cronies herself. They _knew_ where we were. "

"Yeah, they did," she frowned deeply.

"Guess we'll have to be on our guard... could have been hidden cameras. but I thought I knew the location of most of them .."

She frowned. "I have a bad feeling about this.'

"Me too" Anastasia stood up, wobbling "Lets get my clothes and get out of here, though. Before they come back"

She nodded. "You can walk aright?"

She nodded "just... just a bit dizzy. It'll pass" she rubbed her eyes "Hanging like that takes it outta you"

"Yeah," she nodded. "sure does." she put a hand on her back supportively.

Anastasia looked over at Hazel "how are you holding up, Heron?"

Hazel gave her a wan smile. "Surviving."

"Truer words ain't ever been spoken" the woman said with a weak chuckle "Alright. so.... I think I can walk now"

"Good. Lets get our asses out of here," she grinned lamely and headed out.

Anastasia held up her fingers, and hurried to a box in the corner of the room.

Then she redressed herself in her guard uniform, and grabbed the gun that'd been confiscated from her.

"Oh good. don't want you sneaking around undressed."

"I think it'd give the enemy the wrong impression" she drawled.

"Agreed,' she smirked. "ready?"

"ready' She nodded, and loaded her gun.

She nodded, and headed out the door.

Back out in the opulent hallway, they saw that the other makeshift cell was empty "I saw them taking Dr . Kovalenko away" She said "i think he ah, had to go back to work"

"Great," she frowned. "Where do you think they took him from here?"

"Probably the development labs. A floor or so down"

"Which is closer-the labs or the armory?"

"well, the labs, but I wouldn't recommend going there first. We're gonna want to get the armory all set first and foremost."

She nodded. "That's what I was thinking." She checked if she still had the card.

It was with the rest of her belongings. Iron wasn't the brightest when it came to going through the enemy's inventory it seems.

She shook her head. The more she knew of iron the more she wondered if they added some frog DNA to the mix. "Alright, lets go."

"alright, I know the way from here. I got a few lectures from the director in my time" she laughed "....oof...he's probably pretty dead at this point"

"we'll deal with that later," she said with a sigh. "Lets just get to the armory. Lead the way."

She nodded, a little more somber looking as she hurried down the hall "Hey, Heron?"

"Yeah?" she paused and looked over at her.

Anastasia lead her through the wood paneled hall, past a large photo of the first metal wolf standing beside the Titan prototype from Uldovia . "You don't really think she's gonna do it, do you?"

"I don't know," she said with a frown. "I didn't think so...."

"Didn't isn't exactly the word I wanted to hear" Anastasia said awkwardly

"Whatever happens we'll stop her beforehand."

"Yeah. we will" Anastasia said , still frowning "She was one of my heroes, you know. I wanted to be part of the alloy unit my whole life"

"It sounds like a lot of people looked up to them."

"They were heroes. Heroes who overcame all obstacles to protect Pax and the peace of the world... they were the honorary descendants of... of the original Alloy Unit that Viper and Heron were supposed to head"

She shook her head. "Almost seems like the unit is cursed."

"seems like it" She sighed "Seems like everything the Snowdrift mission touched is cursed honestly... Mom's career... the alloy unit. Soteria.. hell. even the Metal Wolf.."

"I would believe it," she frowned. Or maybe it was everything the chrononaut project had touched.

"huh...." She said with a slight frown "You might have a point there. I didn't think of that"

"I am not cursed" Chronia said

"I don't think you're cursed, Chronia," she sighed. "But maybe the project was."

"The humans did not listen to me as closely as they should have. They strayed from the path of the goddess of time. Perhaps this is what cursed them" She mused "perhaps it's the final curse of the forgotten man"

"The forgotten man?" she cocked her head.

"The soldier who's name was lost in the time stream" she said "the one who was dissolved into infinity itself" Chronia said flippantly "Like a lamb on the alter of time"

"Jesus... I never knew about that."

"The final experiment" She said "It may be his curse to you all"

"who...are you talking to?" Asked Anastasia

"Huh? Oh.... sorry, I forgot you couldn't hear her." she tapped her pocket. "I saved the core of one of the ai computers in the lab. She was talking to me through my comm.'

"What a life you lead" Anastasia said with a soft chuckle "One of the AI pods... that wouldn't be the crazy one, would it?"

"Crazy. Foolish mortal girl. Tell her to tell me I am crazy to my optical receptor and watch me _smite_ her from the time stream itself!"

"Please don't smite her chronia," Hazel sighed.

"wait, she wants to smite me?" Anastasia squeaked

"For calling her crazy."

"Oh" Anastasia paused and said "i'm sorry?"

"Tell her to make an offer of clocks to me after this mission"

"She says after the mission you can make an offering and she'll forgive you."

"ALright. alright. I'll do that" She bowed her head "i got a few watches or something that could work"

"perfect. But for now, we should probably focus on the mission...."

"yeah...we're almost there" she murmured, and gestured "see that vent? that should lead us down, and near the armory without having to pass the checkpoint"

"perfect," she nodded, moving toward the vent and looking at how best to remove it.

It was simple. a few screws and a latch, and she'd find her way through.

She undid the screws with the tip of her knife and motioned for Ana. "You first."

Ana nodded stiffly, and slid into the vent. "yes ma'am"

Hazel slid in after her, pulling the grate back into its hole delicately.

Ana crawled forward, carefully and slowly edging her way downwards

Hazel followed her-- she couldn't help getting a look at her butt.

Ana's behind...was well. She had a nice ass. Round, with wide hips. Her military issue pants were almost painted on there.

Hazel flushed a bit and looked down at the floor.

Ana tilted down, and began to carefully move down a vertical shaft with slow handholds on the rivets and sides

Even as she used the handholds she wondered-- what were they there for?

They seemed less like intentional handholds and more like where the metal of the manufactured ducts were riveted together. It raised slightly, with the excess metal and bolts, givig enough room for a tentative handhold.

At least no one was deliberately manufacturing ducts to be crawled through.

That would be silly, no. there was a perfectly logical explaination for the ease in which they crawled through.

It certainly was convinient for her however, she thought as she climbed toward the armor.

Ana dropped soundlessly to the bottom, and slipped forward to a downward facing grate. she gestured, putting her finger over her lips.

Hazel nodded, and stayed as quiet as possible.

Ana worked at the screws , her fingers pressing through the vent.  After a moment, the panel was free. She peered down, and when she saw it was clear...dropped to the ground.

Hazel waited til she had moved and then dropped down after her.

Anastasia pressed herself against the wall, taking a deep breath "alright" she whispered

They were in a grey hallway of steel and ceramic, sparse and utilitarian...and at the end...a  metal door with a keycard reader

"we're here"

"So we are," she said, strolling toward it and getting her keycard "finllay."

"Heh, well. It took a lot of doing, but..."

She followed behind her "but here we are. at the motherlode"

"The motherload. Hopefully it'll be as helpful as we think. If there's a note n there calling us suckers...." she swiped the card.

The card reader turned green, and the door came open.

Carefully, Hazel peered inside.

Inside...well, there was no note labeled 'sucker'

There were racks of weapons, and ammo. Some of them empty, but others laden with snipers, assault rifles and handguns.

And...the crown jewel of it all, in a case labeled in danger symbols... a guided rocket system, with a case of ammo.

A smile cralwed over Hazel's tired face. "jackpot."

Anastasia was already scooping up a sniper rifle with a wide grin on her face "oh yesss, Jackpot is right"

Hazel took a sniper and some ammo, and looked over the guided rocket system./

It was in a large box, and looked like it had a targetting computer built into it's sight with a small atari style controller against it's chassis.

"we need to bring this. if only to find somewhre to stash it."

"That'll probably help against the choppers...and probably Eagle too" She said with a sharp nod "Good thinking"

She nodded. "That's exactly what I was thinking."

"I know just the place to stash them" she said , and stood fluidly, loading her rifle

Hazel grabbed the rocket system with a grin. "I knew I could depend on you."

"well, what kind of partner would I be in this adventure if you couldn't?" she flashed a grin "there's a little abandoned guard station right by the helipad. It ah , was in an accident and is partially exposed to the elements"

"Ahhh, and nobody's gotten around to fixing it yet."

"so nobody uses it" Anastasia finished triumphantly

"Perfect." She did a double check of the room for anything else useful.

There were...oh boy. Grenades. Mostly flashbangs

She grabbed a few and clipped them to her outfit.

"you look ready for war" Anastasia commented

"I'm going to have to be."

"I guess it is a small warzone" she nodded and looked at the door "we shouldn't linger here. they'll come back soon..."

"yeah, we need to get going," she agreed, moving back to the door,

Anastasia followed her as the slipped back into the gunmetal grey hallway "So, to get to the pad, we have to go back up, and out the director's room" she started

"Up and out the director's room. Got it," she nodded.

"There'll be a kind of bay there, where the guard tower stood, and temperature control creates a buffer between the cold helipad and the warmth of the director's office"

Pinned a message.

"A bay huh? Too bad there won't be any bagels."

Hazel crept down the hallway with purpose and confidence-- it was all she could do with the insanity all around them. She had taught herself from a young age, with her mother's influence, to be a rock in the storm. Deflecting nervousness with humor however, she learned all her own.

Anastasia crept after her, holding her SMG close as she peeked down a fork in the hall.

"why would there be bagels in the..." She cocked her head to the side. "oh, actually, if you're that hungry there's probably some in the break room. There's one near the restroom there..."

"Maybe later," Hazel said with a little shake of her head. "For now lets just make it to our next stop."

She paused just before the fork to check carefully as well.

It was clear to the left, though there was...music...coming from the right fork.

"Well that's unusual.." Ana flicked the safety off . "people shouldn't have time for that sort of thing right now."

She leaned around the corner, and peered. "it's coming from one of the office rooms..."

Hazel frowned, and listened for a moment. Did she recognize the tune at all?

Strangely...she did. And it was one from far, far away. A song she was familiar with from another world.

_Here's to you, Nicola and Bart. Rest forever here in our hearts_

"I don't think I recognize it... it sounds.." Ana rubbed the back of her neck "kind of old fashioned. Like something my mom would have listened to back in the day."

"We'd better check it out," Hazel murmured. Music from her world? Who could be playing that?

Checking that there was no one coming she moved toward the sound.

Nobody seemed to be coming down the hall , as the two infiltrators moved unimpeded past framed posters of the Pax Republic, and reminders to wash your hands.  (Your health is Pax's Future!)

The music got louder as she approached a room labeled 'Executive Conference Room A'

her com beeped ...just as her proximity monitor began to blip as well.

She paused an hung back, answering the com.

"Yeah?"

"hey Heron." Simon spoke up.

"Red Fox here, is that 'Here's to you', by Joan Baez? That song's not from here! it's from Earth, for sure. It was written for the 1971 film ' Sacco & Vanzetti' , about the trial and execution of two anarchists from the 1920's. So, it's not native in the least!"

"Yeah... I was pretty sure that was the case..." she nodded. "Thanks, Fox."

"no problem! But there's more..."

He paused for a moment, as if listening to someone else in the command center "what do you mean you've lost visual? Are you _kidding me_ ? He's hacking the _what?_ Justine, aren't you some kind of scientist? Hack him _back!_ geeze!"

"Sorry Heron, technical difficulties over here. But we've got your back!"

"Got it. Good luck up there," she murmured. Tranq gun in hand, she waved to Ana and moved toward the door.

Ana flattened herself on the other side of the door, and nodded. "Ready?" she whispered.

"Ready," she nodded She moved to open the door, readying herself for attack.

The door swung open, and they were blasted with a gust of cold air.

As Ana peeked inside with Hazel, she saw a large conference room. In it, a great Pax Republic Flag hung, tattered and torn, on the far wall, overlooking a long table. At the center of which stood a briefcase, stained in blood, and a walkman with an attached speaker. The song was playing from the walkman...

But there didn't seem to be anyone in the room.

Still, the proximity monitor beeped away.

"What the hell..." she murmured. "Be alert.  This is... probably a trap."

Still at least she had the reassuring weight of the rocket launcher on her back.

She looked around, edging closer and paying attention to the monitor's beeping.

The beeping got louder as she edged towards the table and window...

Ana nodded slowly, and crept inside, gripping her gun and aiming around the empty room.

She picked up the walkman as she came close, reading off a piece of faded tape .

"it says .. Val...on it." she mused , turning it over. "this song's so strange.."

"Val?" she hissed, "That's Iron's name." She moved to follow Ana, toward the briefcase and speaker, sweeping the room for threats.

The proximity sensor pinged as she crossed the table, and stood beside Ana near the briefcase.

"Wait, then this is Iron's??" She dropped it like a hot potato. "oh she's gonna be livid that I touched her stuff!"

The briefcase had a familiar name on it...

Dr. Renfield...

And it was battered and beaten to hell and back.

the thing looked like it'd been through a missile strike.

"What the hell? Renfield.... He was from the Snowdrift mission..." Was there anything IN it? was it open or closed?

It was closed... and Hazel saw the glint of thin wire around the handle...

"From _Snowdrift?_ ...that's on old briefcase." Ana mused, poking it. "Wonder what's inside. I got some lockpicks, I could open it for you.."

"Don't touch it!" Hazel hissed, grabbing her and pulling her back.

Ana yelped, and stumbled back towards the window.

"what do you mean? It's just a brie---"

A pair of taloned feet suddenly swung down from above the window, gripped Ana's arm, and threw her bodily out the window.

"And here i thought you could make this easy." Rasped a voice , speaking up over Ana's scream and the sharp thump of her hitting the ground below.

Hazel winced but she didn't have any time to check on Ana right now. Not with a threat right in front of her.

"We can make this easy," she said, pointing her tranq gun at the woman. "Surrender."

The metal talons glinted in the light from the room, dangling just above the windowframe....

From what she could see, they were sleek...made of darkened iron, and emblazoned with the telltale peace sign of Pax on one leg, only this one was gripped in the talons of a crane in flight.

They rose up, vanishing from view as a gravely , but feminine voice laughed.

"And let you saunter wherever you like? Like you own the place? How irritating that would be." she taunted, as scraping footsteps sounded on the ceiling above Hazel. "

Hazel followed the movement with her ears, as she switched from her tranq gun to her high caliber pistol.

A blade suddenly pierced through the sturdy roof, and nearly skewered her arm, before retracting quickly with the scrape of metal on stone.

"You just don't understand, Steel Heron..." she continued "Iron's not doing this out of malice. Or ...petty jealously."

Hazel ducked and rolled on the floor, aiming upward and firing off a shot.

She heard a sudden shout, and the ping of a bullet off metal.

"Bitch!!"

The second, closed window suddenly burst, as a form flipped down from the roof, and hurled herself into the conference room.

She rose to her feet, blade tipped wings opening wide behind her as she raised a claw tipped hand, dropping the slug  she'd caught to the ground with a feral grin on her face.

She was a tall, lithe bodied woman...though her limbs were each made of dark iron, her curling black hair fluttering in the arctic wind as she looked Heron over.

She stood like a deadly bird of prey, ready to strike at any moment.

"Falcon was a comrade of mine....a friend." She rasped. "Someone who understood what we've all been through. I won't forgive his death so easily...now you face Solder Crane, Heron. Lets see how fast I can clip your wings."

"I guess that's it then," Hazel said. "Crane versus Heron." The pale haired young woman stood ready to make a move. Crane was fast, obviously but hopefully Heron could find some advantage.

Crane flexed her wings. before she suddenly rushed Hazel, checking her full against the chest as her wing slashed around and attempted to stab into her side with the hiss of metal on metal.

"I'm sure the government's _perfect_ attack dog wouldn't understand us." She rasped "they haven't thrown you away yet. You're still _useful_ "

Hazel pivoted, managing to avoid the stab, though not the check itself. She moved to reverse it, grabbing Crane in return.

"Your hurt feelings don't justify murder and chaos on this scale, Crane."

Crane was grabbed , and her talons dug furrows into the ground as she attempted to stand her ground, the two women grappling for control.

She snarled, and dug her talons into Hazel's shoulder, looking her dead in the eyes.

"What a good soldier." She hissed "But to kill the snake, you have to cut off the head...to remove those monsters from office, we have to make sacrifices."

"And who put you in a position to decide who makes that sacrifice?" she demanded, hissing as the talons dug into her. She mustered her considerable strength to slam Crane into a nearby wall.

Crane slammed against the wall, reeling for a moment as the sudden shock sent one of her arms twitching, like the connection had been interupted. "gggh..."

Her wings rose behind her, scraping against the wall...and stabbed in towards Hazel.

Hazel had to disengage suddenly at the wings attack, unused to fighting someone with more limbs than she herself had. She danced backwards, as Crane let her go when her arms started twitching.

Crane slapped the joint with her other hand, and something slipped back into place, returning functionality to the limb.

She danced back, and away from Hazel with a glower.

"It's not my decision to make, you're right." She said slowly "I don't want innocents to suffer, but if knew the truths behind Pax's glittering exterior, you'd understand why it's necessary. This is more than hurt feelings."

"Maybe, maybe not," she said, "but either way this isn't the right path to fix things. When you throw the world into chaos, its innocent people who suffer the most." She moved in, looking for an opening to tackle her again-- seeing the way her limbs behaved, that might be the best tactic.

"It's the innocents who suffer." She scoffed softly. "I've seen real suffering. I've seen what this false peace does to people. When the system burns, people will adapt to something better."

The woman  suddenly jumped out the window, hefting herself back onto the roof with a quick flip.

From above, she heard the scrape of talons on the roof....and a raspy voice singing in a foreign language.

Hazel frowned and raised her gun, following the sound of it with the sight.

It sounded a little like Spanish, but not quite. It had a soft, somber tone to it as it drifted just over Hazel's head.

She kept tracking the movement for a moment, getting into position behind the podium and crouching.

"Chronia...? you wouldn't happen to know that language would you?"

The movement stopped, and the whir of metal on metal sounded over the song for a moment.

"Yes [Heron] , that is a language commonly used in the far south of the Pax Republic."

There was a pause "Specifically the regional dialect of [Luma], an area annexed 10 years ago after a period of strife with the local governance resulted in a takeover by the Pax Republic following intense debate."

She paused again "In this case [Heron], Debate means war between the loyalist faction backed by Uldovian agents, and a revolutionary army supported by the Pax Republic."

"Huh... sounds messy," she said, her lips pursing. She took at shot at the sound of metal on metal.

The song was interupted by a sharp shout. A blade stabbed down, and slashed across her arm...though she did hear the woman thump heavily on the roof, as if knocked off her balance.

"it was quite messy, [Heron]. The Goddess of Peace didn't bless either side in that conflict. If I were there, I would have simply frozen it in time until they learned to behave.'

Heron bit back a hiss, moving backward from the point of attack as a small amount of blood  dripped down her arm. Luckily it was her steadying arm, not her main one.

She leveled her gun again and took another shot at where the thump had happened.

This time, she must have struck flesh...

She heard a shout of pain, as the body rolled across the rooftop...and then nothing.

Heron grimaced... Was it over? She moved slowly toward the window closest where she had heard the body roll.

There was the faint screech of metal...before a claw grabbed her, and hoisted her up and over.

Hazel was hurled onto the roof, slamming into a rooftop heating unit with a crash.

Hazel felt the wind knocked out of her for a moment, but rolled out of the way as fast as she could.

She rolled to the side, just as one of the Crane's wings slashed down...and sliced through the heating unit with a sharp shriek of metal on metal...and cleaved through it like butter.

"Good shot." She said with a tense smile, ripping the wing from the jagged metal. "you've given me another scar."

Blood dripped through the fabric just over the joint of her metal leg, where her hip was. "One more mark of 'honor' from the Pax republic to me."

Hazel caught her breath, rolling and moving to her feet in a smooth motion as she got away from the attack.

"You don't have to keep doing this," Hazel offered, doubting she'd get much beyond taunts as a reply.

The blade retracted back into the woman's wings, which spread wide. The cloth had torn from her hip, showing where flesh met metal. The skin was burned, covered in thick, pale scars against her dark skin.

"I wish, more than you can believe , that I could stop." She said, almost earnestly, flexing one of her claws with a frown. "But if's too late for that now. there's too much on the line for me to stop now."

She glanced at where Hazel ran, and rushed for an interception, winds pointed outward in the attempt to skewer her as she rushed past.

Hazel ducked low and dived between her legs as she came at her, popping up behind her and drawing the ceramic knife where it was holstered by her heart.

She had to block quickly , as Crane suddenly whipped around, slashing at her with her clawed hand.

Heron moved swiftly, blocking with the large knife, against the sharp, steel talons, locking the two of them into another contest of strength and speed.

Crane pushed against her, her claw latching around the knife with an audible cracking sound, as her eyes locked with Heron's. As she grappled with her, she began to sing again, once more in that language Hazel didn't understand.

She pushed forward, trying to drive Heron towards the rooftop's edge.

Heron pushed back, looking for an opening. She let herself be pushed back-- just a little, before she suddenly took back all her force and danced to one side, letting momentum carry the Crane forward.

Crane fell forward, and stumbled over the edge of the roof...only to hook herself with her foot talons, and duck into the building below.

She sound of singing rose from under Heron again....trailing a bit to her left.

Hazel raised her gun and followed the sound, moving slightly and keeping her footsteps as quiet as possible.

"Chronia... can you translate that for me?"

Chronia began to translate , though her singing voice was very mechanical, and the rhyme scheme was thrown off by the direct translation... but she sang anyway. "As the sun shines on the open sea , we see reflections of Luma's Peace. Within the tide, we hear the sound of those we lost crying out. They call to us to finish the fight.."

"For they are gone but not forgotten, and in their name Luma will rise, free from strife and free from pain. An independent , hand in hand, the tide will sing of..."

A blade suddenly shot up from the ground as the song cut out, and nearly skewered Hazel's foot.

Hazel gasped sharply, jumping away, glad that she'd been carefuly with her steps, even as the very edge of one of her boots was sliced through. "Shit," she hissed, swinging her gun down to shoot at the spot with the blade.

She heard a sharp shout, and the thump of the woman hitting the ground. The sound of whirring mechanics sounded through the window below.

"Dammit!!"

She fired again, and glanced to see if there was a simple way down from the roof-- though she doubted it.

She heard the woman whimper, before there was the sound of tearing metal...and then the woman leapt out from the window again, and hefted herself to the roof with a wide eyed snarl.

She was missing an arm. One of her taloned arms was gone, leaving a horribly scarred stump in it's place, burned, with the marks of where wires must have been torn free...a bullet hole rested right where the thing must have connected, a frayed wire partially visible... she must have hit one of the wires connecting the thing to her body.

Hazel grimaced seeing it. She hated doing this, but she reminded herself that the woman was the one who was attacking _her_-- who had thrown Ana out of a building. Hazel was defending herself.

She aimed the gun at her. "Surrender," she said again.

The woman raised her still intact arm, and rushed for Hazel, though her balance was off....

She missed, and careened into a heating unit, one of her wings becoming briefly stuck in the machine before she wrenched it free and tumbled behind it with a muffled sob.

She barked something in her language at Hazel.

Chronia translated.

"A revolutionary, even caged, will never surrender."

It was Hazel's grim duty to end it, then. She stepped around toward her cautiously, aiming her gun.

As she came around the  heating unit, one of the wings snapped around.

It sliced through the unit, and sunk into Hazel's side as the woman rose...unsteadily, to meet it.

"No surrender." She said, though there were tears in her eyes. "Even if I die , I will die knowing I've slowed you down...wounded you and weakened you so you cannot stop my dear Val. and she _will_ keep her promise." she raised her single arm, and dragged herself up and towards Hazel. , her legs screeching against the heating unit as she glared at Hazel.

"Guh!" Hazel swallowed a yell as the meat of her side tore open and she stumbled backwards, but she wavered as little as possible. She took a breath, and focused her aim at the woman. "Sorry, but I can't surrender either."

Crane's wings retracted, curling around her body as if trying to protect her...but she was still wide open as she stood on unsteady feet, tipping too far to the left.

"us dogs of the state are like that." She said in her rasping voice. "But I will die a revolutionary. Just like as all my comrades all those years ago."

She tilted her chin up, and fixed Hazel with a sharp glance.

"Long Live the Luma Revolution."

With that, she made one last unsteady rush for Hazel, moving to grab her throat with her clawed hand as she sprinted for her.

Hazel calmly aimed at her head, and fired as many rounds as she could squeeze off as the woman came at her.

_Ping Ping Ping_ Three shots ricocheted off her wings, but the force of them destabilized her enough that she tilted to the side, and they opened enough for a single bullet to get through.

The high caliber round slammed into her chest, and brought Solder Crane down with the crash of metal.

All four of her limbs twitched oddly, the claws retracting and extending as the signals from her brain went haywire.

But the woman...what was left of her after whatever filled her with such pain and anger, lay on the frigid roof, staring at the snow filled sky. Tears fell down the side of her face.

"It's over." She said with difficulty, her voice trembling and weak. "all that fighting and it ends here. In the snow...far from the beaches of home."

"Its over," Hazel agreed quietly, standing over her with the gun. Many things passed through her mind to say, but what she said was, "you fought well."

The woman looked up at her, smiling sadly. "if only I fought better back when Luma needed me most...if I had not trusted so easily..." She coughed, blood leaking down her lips.

"gah..." She closed her bright eyes. "thank you, Heron. You are more like your sister than you realize..."

When she opened her eyes again, they were free of tears. Instead, she simply rested her head against the cold snow, and looked into the sky, singing.

_An independent Luma, hand in hand with those we've lost...the tide will sing...of...our....our....vic..to...r-ry_

The whirring of metal limbs went quiet, and Solder Crane went still, the last notes of her song drifting through the air, unhindered by the howl of the wind around them.

Hazel saluted her briefly as she passed on. She took a moment for a quiet breath, and turned putting away her gun and knife, hurrying to go find Ana.

Another life ended. Every one a heavy price for Pax.

Peace never came cheap. It was a road filled with good intentions...death...

Hazel's com beeped as she hurried to find a way off the roof.

**beep beep**

"Yeah?" Hazel breathed

"Heron, it's Red Fox... We ah, lost communication for a while there. Looks like Sterling Owl's been making attacks on our system. But.."

He paused

"I have some information about Solder Crane."

"Alright," she said, trying to keep the terseness out of her voice. "Lay it on me."

"It looks like she was a member of a group of rebels down in the far south of Pax, a place called Luma....Looks like a dozen years ago or so, this place was independent of the Pax Republic, under the command of a regime aligned with the Uldovian Collectivists. Under the Collectivist sponsored government...well. nobody fared well in those days save for the elite."

"Yeah. I can think of a few places a bit like that back on earth."

"Yeah, same." Simon sighed. "And it's a similar story here too..."

He paused for a moment. "see.... Looks like Pax offered aid to a rebel faction down there. The Luma Revolution stood against the Uldovian sponsored dictator with the help of their Pax Intelligence Office aid....and Miss Analee Abrego...ah, Solder Crane, was one of their commanders. Came from a small family living in the massive slums just under the manor houses of the elite. But she was a passionate girl...they say she never hesitated to throw herself in the path of an enemy and who couldn't protect themselves."

"yea... she definitely seemed passionate," Heron agreed, a slight catch to her voice.

"Yeah... passionate enough that...ah.."

His voice hesitated, and then he came through clearer...on a private line. "so, I did some digging while I had time..."

"It looks like during this time, the Pax military handlers began setting landmines around their country. In the attempt to stop loyalist infantry and trucks. But ...they didn't exactly document them very well."

"Analee was out on a training mission with some young revolutionaries, when one of them stepped on a hidden Pax landmine."

"Fuck. Of course she did," Hazel breathed

"Yeah, she uh... She bodily threw her comrade off the mine, and covered it with her body. Analee somehow survived, but with massive trauma to her torso, and the loss of both arms and legs. It was a miracle...she even saved the young soldier's life..."

"yeah. A miracle," she repeated thickly.

"...so ah, the Pax Republic came to her in the hospital and offered her a position in the alloy unit...said they'd help her walk again. That's where she underwent experiments to affix those mechanical arms and legs to her body, as well as the wings for defense. It was a success...but she made them promise one thing before she went in for surgery and agreed to join their cause."

With some trepidation Hazel asked. "And what was that?"

"that when the war in Luma was won, the Pax Republic would step away and allow them to create their own independent government. That they'd be allies, but not a part of the Republic itself. She asked for Luma's Freedom. And the Pax Intelligence Agency...Mr. Frost himself...gave his word that it'd be done. So...she went under. and worked for a few years getting acquainted with her new body."

"And they went back on their word."

"When she got out of physical therapy , she saw that her own rebel force had been suppressed, and the Pax Republic had absorbed Luma as a part of it's southern reach."

He sighed softly. "They say after that is when Iron approached her and offered her a place in her Unit...she must have made a good pitch, because Analee joined without hesitation."

"_Yeah. That must have been some pitch alright_," she said, the sarcasm thick in her voice.

"it's possible Iron offered to ensure Luma was freed from Pax control once the heads of state were eliminated." Simon guessed. "...promised to give them the freedom that was stolen by bureaucrats."

"Seems likely," she agreed with a sigh, surveying the roof once more. "Whatever it was, it secured her loyalty."

The roof was quiet...just her, the heating units, and the corpse of Solder Crane.

but there was a pipe leading down near the shattered windows...

Heron jogged toward the pipe. "Thanks for the intel, Fox."

"you got it, Heron...sorry again. Sorry you gotta keep doing this."

The line clicked off.

She sighed, and started to climb down the pipe. SHe'd take a look at her own wounds after she checked on Ana.

Her wounds ached in the cold, but soon she'd clambered down to the snow below, where Ana was huddled by one of the heating units.

Resourceful, she'd managed to bind her leg with some of the curtains from inside one of the open windows beside her. It looked like her wounds reopened when she hit the ground...but she was alive. Battered but alive.

"Ana." Hazel jogged toward her

Ana looked up at her with a weak smile. She'd gained a few new wounds from the claws that grabbed her, and her leg looked less than perfect, but she shifted to stand. "hey Heron." she breathed. "If i'm gonna get beaten up like a spy, I wish I could at least get one of the cool code names too, huh?"

Hazel knelt down beside her. "That'd make it worth it, huh?"

"oh yeah. It'd absolutely take all the pain away." She said with a wry smile. "Just call me Gold Mockingbird or something and boom, I'm good to go. What leg wound? where?"

She smirked back. "yeah, that's exactly why I can't feel this one."

"Yowch." She agreed. "looks like a real papercut alright. Though I saw the arm fall from the window, so I think you got crane back pretty good."

"She won't be a problem again," she nodded. "I can;t see my side very well-- does it look like it needs stitches?"

"I know it's gonna suck in this weather, but care to pry the cloth apart a little?"

She leaned in, squinting in the harsh light of the lamps. "....oof, that doesn't look great."

Hazel made a face. "great. You ever done any sewing?"

"hah." Ana grinned "you're a lucky one, you know." She hoisted herself up with a wince. "I've got a few accolades during my service to the Republic...and one of them's in field medicine."

"wonderful," she said dryly. "You can help me with my first aid kit then."

Ana saluted her "I won't let you down ma'am, but we should get somewhere warmer before I get working...the cold makes my hands shake."

She nodded. "lets do it. Come on."

"think we can get back up there?" She glanced at the broken window above "we left our rocket launcher up there, right?"

"There's a pipe we can climb, if nothing else.":

"I can make it up, if you can." She said with a grunt, standing up on her bad leg. "You know, I'm starting to wonder if the life of a spy's really worth it."

She laughed, but there was anxiety behind her eyes. "killing your old heroes...getting banged up like this.. heh, what a life, right?"

"Its not as glamorous as the movies make it out to be," she admitted. "For one thing you can never think of a good pun at the right moment."

"Didja get a good one for Solder?" She asked with a weak smile, grabbing the pipe with a soft grunt.

"She stole my 'clipped wings' joke before I could say it," Hazel said smiling weakly back. She waited for Ana to get part way up and then followed her.

"damn ,that's possibly the worst wound she coulda inflicted huh? Stealing the best possible joke."

For a girl with cut up leg and a bad fall...she was holding up alright. She made it up and through the open window with only a little trouble, dropping the to ground inside with a whine.

"oof."

Hazel made her way up behind her, the wound in her side twinging with every motion. "Oof is right."

Ana pushed the briefcase and walkman aside, and pat the table "Get on there, it's sturdy. I'll patch you up, alright?"

Hazel nodded, and hefted herself up. "I appreciate it.'

Ana grabbed a small first aid kit from her belt, and nodded "i don't have great painkillers, so...maybe bite down on something, huh?"

She smiled "we're in this together, Heron. I know i'm not much, but I've got your back."

Heron nodded. "Don't sell yourself short. I'm glad to have you here." She pulled out a leather glove to bite.

Ana nodded and pulled her sneaking suit out of the way, starting on the process of stitching the wound shut with a nod.

"Thanks Heron, it means a lot...especially from someone my ma looked up to." She laughed softly "...she's often very harsh with people. Most people. Loving towards me and pop, yeah, but ..."

Her eyes stayed on Heron's wound as she stitched it closed. "...but I want to prove to her just how strong I really am...I've trained my whole life, you know? to be a soldier.. to serve my country." She sighed "...but now I'm here. Captured , beaten, thrown out a window..."

"some spy I'm turning out to be."

She shook her head. "Ana, I'm not exactly in much better shape."

"yeah but...like.." Ana passed the needle through one more time with a small smile 'you're a hero, Heron... a real hero. One of the greatest spies to ever live..."

Heron hissed, biting down for a moment through the worst of the pain.

"Take it from the one who lived it-- part of that was luck. I've come closer to death than people realize."

"But you came through the other side, didn't you?" She said, finishing off the stitches, and sanitizing the wound before bandaging it. "You survived and came through to save everyone from the end of the world.."

"I had help."

Ana's nose wrinkled slightly, as she finished the bandaging with a sharp tug. "...like from my ma and the com team?"

"Them too," she said grunting with pain. "And from.... Viper."

"Viper?" Ana cocked her head.

She stepped back, and began putting medical supplies away. For a moment, she looked puzzled...before recognition dawned.

"wait!! you mean like the _terrorist_ that Iron started yelling about after she took over?"

"He wasn't a terrorist," she said quietly. "Not then, anyway. Whatever happened later..."

"I didn't know he was part of the Snowdrift mission...nobody ever said..."

She bit her lip, looking a little nervous. "...all I know about Viper are the ah... few facts viewable to someone of my clearance level on the incident off the shore of Khosta in the United Nations of Kemet.."

"Seriously?" she scoffed. "he was vital to the mission. We were partners..."

"T-the official record only mentions Steel Heron." Ana stammered, "nothing about any partner or anything..."

"Damn," she shook her head. It hurt to hear. Who's idea had the revisionist history been.

Ana looked shook, her hands clutching her medical kit "...you met Viper himself, worked with him in Snowdrift...I..wow.."

She closed her eyes "...i guess that even the best needs help sometimes."

She nodded. "Don't forget it, Ana."

Hazel put a hand on her shoulder.

Ana smiled weakly "well I'm hardly the best...but I'll remember that always, ma'am."

She saluted her "Still.."

Hazel's com beeped.

"What's up?" she murmured, answering it.

"Ismael here." The friendly voice answered. "with a friendly survival tip."

"I'm listening," she nodded.

"careful of trips down memory lane, because sometimes you'll find someone's gone and crossed it all up with red tape and dangerous pitfalls."

"Uh.. thanks for that," she said, standing gingerly and waving for Ana to follow.

Ana stood with her and followed closely behind.

"What I mean is...sometimes the things you remember become the sort of things that get redacted and changed...and folks don't take kindly to their precious revisionist history being disputed, you know what I mean?"

"I think I see what you mean," she murmured. probably shouldn't be going around talking about something that was classified, even fi she didn't know it had been. "yeah. Thanks for the tip."

"No problem, Heron. Be safe out there."

"Get a call from the com team?" Ana whispered "is my mom on it this time?"

"Just getting reminded that we shouldn't stand around."

"oh." Ana nodded, and hoisted her submachine gun "let's go stash that rocket launcher, huh? And then...maybe we'll find your brother?"

Heron nodded. "That's the plan," she said, hefting the rocket launcher back onto her back. "Lets get to it."

"alright." she said softly "we're actually pretty close to the main office. Once we get into there... we'll just have to go into the adjourning room, where the repairs were being made...that's the damaged guard bay.""

"Main office.... that's gonna be pretty populated, you think?" ash asked, moving swiftly and cautiously toward the door.

"it's likely to have a guard..." She whispered. "but with Iron busy elsewhere, it'll probably be fairly safe...just some guards like me, you know?"

Hazel nodded. "Got it. Anything I should know?"

She thought for a moment "the director is dead, but..." She followed her, peeking down one of the halls as they passed a fork. "They said he had a keycard hidden away. One that could unlock all sorts of doors in here, based on arranging it certain ways.."

"For real?" Hazel asked. "Like a sort of skeleton key?"

"yeah, but kind of a...puzzle key. he was a weird guy."

"Wild," she shook her head. "Well we'll see if we can grab it."

She nodded at her "but first priority is surviving. I'll let you take the lead."

She nodded, and stepped into the front. "Stay behind me and stay alert."

Anastasia nodded, and raised her submachine gun "i've got your back , Heron." She bowed her head, as they neared a large set of double doors....distantly, even through the walls...they could hear the howl of the wind.

Heron nodded, her tranq gun in hand, heavy weaponry on her back. She approached the doors cautiously-- open? closed?

They were slightly open, enough for her to get a peek inside if she was quiet.

She stayed as quiet as possible, her footsteps delicate as she approached adn took a look.

Through the crack of the door, she saw a great oak desk, framed from behind by the crossed flags of the Pax Republic, and the Pax Army Corps. A computer, desk calendar, and a number of small desk puzzles boxes all stood atop it, along with a good number of papers.

Flanking it were two guards, both of which were wearing bandannas marked with the serpent coiling through the Pax republic's peace sign. Some sort of elite troops...

They stood vigil, automatic rifles in hand.

Two security cameras swept the room, moving in slow and lazy arcs. just slightly out of time with one another.

She marked the guards in her mind and looked around-- any other exits to that room in view?

There was a large back door...this one leading out towards a massive helipad...on which was sitting a HIND helicopter, with another cruising around just in view.

Another door , this one on the left of the room, was blocked off with yellow tape.

_Great. Alright. Just be careful. Don't want to get Ana shot._ Was the cruising HIND circling, or was it in the process of leaving?

It was just in the process of leaving...and from the look of it, the other was getting ready to take off as well.

She pressed herself up against the wall, listening to the sound- waiting for it to fade.