Vector Squad 27

[kas_F]

This thread was previously deleted. And so I will be posting the story up ONE PART AT A TIME. So, for all you folks that were on chapter 9, sorry. JUST IN CASE YOU DON'T WANT TO WAIT, this entire fic was completed 2 years ago, so if you want the Microsoft Word file, just holla at me. Thanks.
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Vector's 27th Team Current Roster
Michael Young, Age 26, Rank 82

Christina Long, Age 24, Rank 68

Conner "Rex" Maxwell, Age 24, Rank 61

Robert McCloud, Age 20, Rank 40

Victor Hernandez, Age 28, Rank 79

Jill O'Neal, Age 23, Rank 67 (Temporary Transfer from Team 18)

Other Teams

Team 1 (Chiefs)
Chief Stephen Cambridge - Red, Rank 166
Chief Hayato Toriyama - Red, Rank 166
Chief Lilian Williams - Red, Rank 149
Chief Laurence Hayes - Red, Rank 152
Chief Martin Perez - Red, Rank 141
Chief Sandra Jackson - Red, Rank 160

Team 3
???
???
???

Team 4 (Assault Team)
Jessica Reyes - Red, Rank 82
Leon Blood - Black, Rank 70
Laura Smith - Blue, Rank 68
Byron Joy - Green, Rank 53

Team 6 (Medical and Rescue)
Alexander Hawkins - Red, Rank 88
Lisa Ray - Blue, Rank 69
Ryo Nomura - Yellow, Rank 54
Kevin LeBlanc - Black, Rank 74

Team 10 (Research and Prototype Testing)
Alicia Crawford - Red (Codename Dagger) Rank 100
Frank Valentine - Yellow (Codename Cyclone) Rank 100

Team 16 (Special Vehicles)
Dante Thornton - Red, 91
Renee Tan - Yellow, 82
Peter Franklin - Black, 80

Team 18 (Free Agents and Support)
Kenneth Blake - Red (Codename Fire), 91
Jill O'neal - Green (Codename Jet), 67
Macy Robinson - Black (Codename Dusk), 66
Silvia Griffin - Blue (Codename Sky), 59


Current Enemies
Emmanuel King
Barr
ZRD Plans thief (identity unconfirmed)
Jewel
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Stuff I'm too lazy to describe in the story
-The Vector symbol is a gold circle with a straight line down the the middle. (See helmet)
-Rank is determined by the number (1 to 100) found on an individual's vector symbol/badge/license. The higher the number, the higher the rank. Only Chiefs have a rank above 100.
-Team 27 isn't the only squad working for Vector.
-Team 1 is made up of all the Chiefs, including Hayes.
-Alicia used to be Victor and Mike's captain on team 9, before the two were made into team 19. She was assigned to team 10 shortly after.
-Certain Chiefs are in charge of certain teams
-Some teams are permanent (ie: Team 6), as they fulfill a continuous task within Vector, while others are formed to perform a speacial singular task (ie: Team 27), and are disbanded after the job is done
-The second highest ranked employee is not always second in command

-Vector Suit Data
>Vector suits come in a variety of colors, but leaders of a squad are obligated to wear Red. There can only be one red suit on a team.
>The Vector suit is a highly durable and heavy suit, outfitted with motors that can provide great strength, speed, and agility to its wearer
>The leader of a team has a suit override, which allows them to deactivate any member's suit at any time they see fit

>There are 5 versions of the Vector Suit in existence, and only 3 in current use:
PS01 (Power Suit)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v626/kasF/Drawings/PR-Sentai/PS01color.jpg
No longer in use
This suit is outfitted with heavy bullet/slashproof armor, but with limited mobility.
No materialization capability
Outfitted with hand daggers and bomb capsules hidden in the glove.

PS02 (Power Suit II)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v626/kasF/Drawings/PR-Sentai/PS02color.jpg
No longer in use.
This suit is outfitted with a durable slash proof, non-bullet proof armor for added mobility
No materialization capability
First suit to use a visor (Heat Vision, Night Vision)
Outfitted with hand daggers, bomb capsules and grapple line

VMS (Vector Motor Suit)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v626/kasF/Drawings/PR-Sentai/VMScolor.jpg
Still in use to train upcoming recruits.
This suit is outfitted with a durable slash proof, non-bullet proof armor for added mobility
20 second materialization capability via V-HN-Sh1N, and later 8 second materialization with V-HN-Sh1N.
Visor (Heat vision, night vision, x-ray vision, sonar, signal tracer)
Outfitted with bomb caps, grapple line, power assist.

VMSb (Vector Motor Suit Beta)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v626/kasF/Drawings/PR-Sentai/VMSbcolor.jpg
Still in use by all teams, including team 27.
This suit is out fitted with bullet/slash proof armor with excellent mobility.
6 second materialization capability via V-HN-Sh1N
Visor (Heat vision, night vision, x-ray vision, sonar, signal tracer, voice channels, video capture, file storage and sharing, user memory)
Outfitted with bomb caps, grapple line, power assist, hand taser, full taser

SMVS (Super Vector Motor Suit)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v626/kasF/Drawings/PR-Sentai/SVMScolor.jpg
Recently completed final build model, only a few members of Vector use this suit as of now.
This suit is outfitted with Panel-Flex armor, and is bullet/slash proof with excellent mobility.
2 second materialization capability via M0r-F
Visor ( Heat vision, night vision, x-ray vision, sonar, signal tracer, voice channels, video capture, file storage and sharing, user memory)
Outfitted with detachable grapple line, upgraded power assist, hand taser, full taser, armor shift Jupiter/Mercury, upgraded bomb caps, gas powered impact launchers

-ZRD (Zone Recon and Defense) Data

>001 Sabretooth, 002 Mastodon, 003 Tryanno, 004 Ptera, 005 Cera
>The ZRDs cockpit console connects to the Vector suit visor, allowing easier and quicker operation.

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Part I
Chapter List
Building the Team Arc
Chapter 1: Employment
Chapter 2: To the Rescue
Chapter 3: Recruitment
Break 1
Chapter 4: Iron Barr
Chapter 5: Plans to Chase
Chapter 6: Peace
Break 2

Pink Dove Arc
Chapter 7: Feint Attack
Chapter 8: Machine Team
Chapter 9: Jewel Thief
Break 3

New Heroes Arc
Chapter 10: Yellow Thunder
Chapter 11: Ground Zero
Chapter 12: Like A Jet

Hell and Back Arc
Break 4
Chapter 13: Life at Stake
Chapter 14: Moving
Chapter 15: Winds of Change
Break 5
Chapter 16: Mike
Chapter 17: Versus
Chapter 18: Over the Edge
Break 6

Rebuild
Chapter 19: Rebirth
Epilogue

 

[kas_F]

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>>Chapter 1: Employment<<
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Mike got out of his car. He walked to the trunk and pulled out his suitcase, clicking on the car alarm after he shut the trunk. He walked towards the steps of the Vector building and looked up at its magnificence. Its green windows reflected the city and the ends of the earth.

"Excuse me?? Sir??" A soft voice pulled him out of his amazement. "Are you Mr. Young?"

"Yea that's me," He still stayed staring upwards. "Mr. Young..."

The person walked up and tapped him. "Sir?"

He shifted his attention to the speaker "Yea what is iiiiiii-" She was fine. A girl in her late 20s with short brown hair and curves to match. Mike's mouth quickly shaped itself into a grin ad straightened his tie. "Ah yes. I'm Michael Young, and you are...?"

"Julia," She smiled. "Chief Hayes personally asked me to come and retrieve you. You're running late."

"Late? You're right, let’s Go," he couldn't stop staring at her as he escorted him inside.

They entered the Vector building, and it was even larger on the inside. Light poured upon the many people bustling around the lobby around a gigantic silver desk.

"This way, if you will," said Julia, pointing to the very desk. She walked to it and turned one of the touch monitors around, apparently to sign Mike in. "Okay, you're all set Mr. Young. Have a nice meeting."

Mike raised an eyebrow. "You know, this place is pretty big. Would you mind escorting me to Mr. Hayes office?"

Julia gave him a curious look, knowing full well that Mike had been here dozens of times. "Sure, I suppose."

They walked to the elevator, Mike pressing the up button. "After you," he said. Julia stepped inside. Just before the doors closed, Mike put his arm around her.

67 floors later...

Chief Hayes turns to see a bruised Mike massaging the right side of his face. He turned to a newspaper in his hands

"So, Michael, how many floors did you make this time?" Chief Hayes asked.

Mike walked over and pulled out a chair at the opposite end of a long executive’s desk and reclined.
Chief Hayes turned to his butler standing in the corner. "Brian, would you please retrieve some ice for Mr. Young?"

"Right away, sir," the butler said as he walked into the next room.

"So, Michael, how many floors did you make this time?" Chief Hayes asked.

"Not even three. She knew what was up before I even moved in on her! These girls are getting wise."

Chief Hayes couldn't contain his laughter. "I'm pretty sure women are wise enough, and your reputation is growing as of late."

Brian walked in the room and placed an ice pack on the desk in front of Mike. "Here you are, Mr. Young."

"Thank you, Brian," Mike pressed the pack against his cheek. "Ah well, but she was a fine one. Short hair, short skirt? You know how to pick em, chief."

"It's what I do, and it’s the only way to get your lazy ass up here on time." Hayes chuckled. "But enough with the pleasantries. I do presume you know why you're here Michael?"

"I'd heard something about weapons, thieves?" Mike sat up straight.

Chief Hayes cleared his throat. "Yes. There has been a high amount of weapons dealing of late. Hi grade weaponry to be exact, and we've tracked bulk shipments disappearing along trade routes."

"So? Can't a couple agents slip in and see what’s up?" Mike questioned.

"Of course the higher ups have done that, but agents never return, or are found dead. They feel-"

"Look, Chief, stop with the bullshit and tell me what they want," Mike stated bluntly.

The Chief put his paper down on the desk and leaned over it. "Vector wants you to assemble a squad to investigate. We've comprised a list of candidates for you to look at, if you agree to lead them."

"If I agree? Usually I'd take a cut in pay if I didn't," Mike grinned. "They must really feel some urgency comin on."

"Well?" The Chief asked.

"Yeah, I'll do it, But I want double off-duty pay after the job is done," Mike stood up from the desk, and flipped open his suitcase -- totally empty. "Now where's the equipment?"

"Brian?" Hayes said.

Brian walked to a wall behind Hayes and pressed on a square in the pattern. A portion of the wall flipped open. Brian reached in and took out five metallic devices and closed the opening in the wall. He walked over to Mike who took them.
"Thanks, Brian," He said, and examined them each, noting they each had individual color markings on them. He chose one and clipped it to his belt.

"What are you doing? The mission hasn't started yet." Chief Hayes asked curiously.

Mike turned around. "What? It's first come first serve. And since I'm leaden the team, I'm the red guy, right?"

He placed the other devices in his suitcase and opened the door.

"Peace," Mike smiled and closed the door behind him.

Chief Hayes picked up the paper and laughed to himself.
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[kas_F]

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>>Chapter 2: To the Rescue<<
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"Please make a left and take the Wilshire freeway," an electronic voice said.

"O-Kay," Mike swerved a left through an intersection and caught the onramp. The wind smacking the windshield of his convertible.

It was two days after meeting up with Chief Hayes. He was to head down to the Vector East branch facility and check out some candidates. The sunlight floated over the horizon, reflecting the sky over the ocean. Mike caught a glimpse of it. It looked just like the Vector building's windows, immense, reflecting all around it. This was a big operation if they desperately needed him. It had been a while since he was last employed. He thought about his previous missions on the two-man squad, team 19. They had done spy missions, swat missions, demolition -- they'd done it all. It was Mike Young and Victor Hernandez. They'd become famous at Vector for their over the top strategies and combined success. All that ended when an assassination prevention mission went wrong. The culprit's shots knocked a beam over, injuring Victor, leaving him in a coma for over 2 years now. Mike clenched his steering wheel and looked at the passenger seat to his right, the suitcase on it.

"I'm savin’ you a spot on the team, Vic," he said to himself.

"Please take the Cherry exit. Incoming 2 miles," the electronic voice said.

As Mike changed lanes, his eyes opened wide. I his rear view mirror he saw a car flip over as a runaway semi bulldozed every vehicle in its path. He quickly decelerated and squinted in awe as a pickup truck hurdled over him and landed a couple of yards in front of him. He changed lanes quickly to avoid it. Mike once again decelerated, and the 18 wheeler pulled up beside him, bobbing up and down as it unsteadily stayed in the third and fourth lanes. Mike shifted to his left until he was a mere three feet from the vehicle's door.

"You have passed the Cherry exit. Please take the Sierra exit and make a right at the light." The computer said

Mike unbuckled his seat and adjusted his seat back, pulling his feet onto the cushion. He switched on cruise control.

"Haven't done this in a while," Mike muttered as he squatted on the driver's seat.

"You have passed the Sierra exit. Please take the Cedar exit and make a right at the light." The computer said.

"I get it, I get it!" Mike stood tall, facing the semi. The wind howling in his right ear. He stood staring at the trailer carrying gigantic metal pipes. Mike glared at the binding rope and cables. "Here goes nothin'!" and jumped across, clinging to the rope like Spider-Man on his web.

Mike's car kept a steady pace. "You have passed the Cedar exit. Please take the --"

"You know what!? Forget the damn exit! Why don't you go park somewhere!" He screamed angrily.

"Understood. Parking...Parking..." The car drifted away.

"Why cant they give a normal free car!" Mike said frustrated, and slid with his stomach to the pipes toward the tractor.

The semi swerved unsteadily into the right lane as Mike inched closer to the front of the vehicle.

"Come on. Just a little closer..." Mike grumbled. He leaned back to see the road ahead and unfortunately caught sight of a red convertible parked on the side of the road. "Aw hell."

The rig plowed into the car and grinded its wheels over it. The jolt from the impact threw Mike off of the pipes and into the roadside bushes. He rolled a painful couple yards before coming to a stop. Mike groaned and began to lift himself up when he felt someone clutching his arm.

"Hey idiot!" the voice shouted. "You shouldn't be trying to pull a stunt like that! Are you crazy!"

Mike stood uneasily on his feet and dusted himself off and looked up. It was a young man with light skin and spiked dark brown hair. Mike spotted a vector symbol with the number 22 engraved in it on the man's jacket. He was a low ranking employee. A twenty.

"Well, I'm so sorry sir," He sarcastically whined. "But I'm pretty sure I'm more qualified than you to pull that stunt."

Obviously this angered the young man, who proceeded to grab mike by his collar. He glared angrily into Mike's eyes.

"I wouldn’t do that if I were you," Mike said as he eyed towards the small emblem on his sleeve, with the number 82 stitched in.

The man gasped. "Holy.."

"****. Yeah. Now let go of me and lets go after this truck before you're in a whole pile of it," Mike smiled and released himself from the man's already loosened grip.

He limped over to his battered vehicle and reached into the crumpled area which used to be the front passenger seat, and pulled out a bent suitcase. He opened it up and put three of the devices in his pocket. He threw the remaining one at the guy.


"Here. We might need this along the way," Mike looked at a white car parked in the middle of the freeway. "That your car?"

"Yeah," the guy said attentively.

"Let’s go."

The man took the driver's seat and Mike rode shotgun.

"What's your name, rookie?" Mike asked.

"Robert, sir. Robert McCloud."

They drove off.


Mike's totaled car sparked and hissed from the dashboard. "Please see to immediate maintenance of your vehicle," it crackled.

 

[kas_F]

From now on, all chapters will be posted in their entirety, and no longer in parts. If you find yourself reading one thing, and the stroy abrubtly changes to other happenings, that is the start of a new 'part' of a chapter. I apologize ahead of time, but the word doc I have for this fic wasn't separated into parts, and I don't really feel like separating them now. Hope you enjoy.

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>>Chapter 2: To the Rescue (Part 2)<<
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“There it is!” Robert shouted and hit pressed the accelerator further.

“I’ve got an idea,” Mike said, and turned to Robert, “but it’s pretty dangerous and it’s gonna require perfect timing.”

Robert’s face shifted to a worried expression. “What do you mean?” he asked?

“I couldn’t get to the tuck by climbing on those pipes, so we’re gonna have to get on from the front,” Mike said. “We’ve gotta swerve in the front of that truck and leap out just before impact.”

He glanced at Robert, who stretched the collar of his t-shirt.

“You’re not nervous are you?" Mike inquired.

"No sir." Robert said with obvious nervousness. "Not at all"

"Good. Then lets go." Mike said.

Robert pressed the accelerator forward and caught sight of the truck.

"There it is!" Robert said. "What now?"

"Okay. Its in the middle lanes, so we're gonna have trouble turning in front." Mike examined the opposite road, which was caught in traffic. "Get in the exit lane and go as fast as you can!”

“What for?” Robert questioned.

"You're gonna jump from the cross bridge." Mike stuck his head out the window to look up the ramp.

"What are you ? Crazy?" Robert said.

"Look! You wanna work for Vector right? Because we do this stuff all the time,” Mike yelled.

Robert nodded yes in response.

“Then do what the hell I tell you," Mike stuck his head back in. " Break your door open.”

Mike crawled to the back passenger seat behind Robert and kicked his door open. Robert looked behind him and did the same.


“Okay, here's the ramp. When I say go, turn to your left and jump off the bridge!"

Robert pushed the gas to the limit and they shot up the ramp past the semi.

“Go!” Mike shouted.

Robert quickly skidded to his left and broke the guardrail of the bridge as he launched off into the air.

“Holy --” Robert cried.

The semi appeared below them.

“Jump!” Mike yelled and dragged Robert out of the car with him.

Robert managed to grab hold of the exhaust pipe and Mike dangled from his shirt as held on for dear life. Robert groaned in agony as he pulled himself on the roof of the cab and hauled Mike with him.

“Duck!” Mike pushed Robert’s head onto the surface of the cab as the bottom of another bridge whooshed just above their heads.

Mike laid flat on his chest as he reached over the driver’s side and tried to open the door. It was locked.

“Hold my legs!” He screamed to his companion.

Robert grabbed his legs and closed his eyes in fear. Mike closed his in anticipation of the pain to come. He punched the glass window with his bare fist, but all four knuckles bounced off.

“AH! Dammit!” He screamed and shook his hand. He regained himself and prepared for another punch.

Suddenly the truck bounced, and Mike’s head hit the glass window, breaking it. Car parts flew behind the raging vehicle. Mike felt his forehead. It was bleeding horribly.

“You still up there, kid?” He said in pain.

“Yeah!” Robert said with his eyes shut tight.

“Let me go! Then you climb in too!” Mike shouted.

Robert loosened his grip on Mike’s legs and the latter began to slide inside the cab. Robert slowly crawled inside, eyes half shut.

“Please, don’t let me fall off of this thing,” he said to himself.

Robert entered moments later to find an unconscious driver bound with ropes. Mike had taken off his shirt and wrapped it around his head.

“What’s going on? Can’t you stop it?” Robert asked.

“No. The steering wheel is missing, and it hasn’t lost momentum after hitting all those cars for miles.” Mike finished wiping blood off of his face.

“What do we do?” Robert asked.

“I need you to take this driver to a hospital,” Mike said as the trunk bounced again.

“How?!” Robert questioned.

“That thing I gave you,” Mike said, referring to the device Chief Hayes had given him earlier. “Press the blue button on it twice.”

“Okay,” Robert muttered as he pressed said button. His body glowed completely white. “What’s happening?”

“It takes six seconds for the suit to take shape,” Mike said and lifted the driver to Robert’s arms.

“What the hell?” Robert’s body was no longer white, but covered in a shining metallic body armor, his face masked by a helmet. He looked at Mike through his visor. Small text scrolled on the left side indicating battery life, status, and three blank slots.

“That’s the vector suit. It should protect you when you jump out,” Mike commented. “Now hurry and take this guy!”

Robert took the man from his hands and inched backwards. He jumped backwards out of the door and Mike heard a sharp thud and scraping. He looked out of the driver door and saw Robert had come to a rolling stop. He gave Mike a thumbs up.

“Well,” Mike examined. “These aren’t like the old ones”

He reached in his pocket and clicked the red button on his device. His body shown white and he gazed at his hands, completely white. The light faded and the similar menu that Robert saw appeared.

“Enter Young, Michael. Personal: Mike,” he commanded. The list was now headed by bold white text that read “Welcome, Mike.”

“Motorized output to right arm increase!” He commanded. One empty slot blinked “Right arm, motor assist 25%”.

Mike pulled back his right arm back and thrust it through where the pedals were and ripped out cables and metal from the inside. He twisted it to the right, and the car swerved violently to the right, breaking through a brick wall. Mike looked up and saw buildings come into view. He caught sight of the east branch building.

“Stupid car told me to take the Cherry exit. I Would’ve been stuck taking the streets,” He complained. “Contact Vector East branch line 324. Repeat message: Clear streets in a half mile radius!”

The twisted the bar further right and managed to enter a street. He crashed through a parking lot and twisted his arm left. He spun around the corner and the truck bobbled up and down.

“I hope I don’t kill too many people,” He said to himself.


Mike continued down a long one way street for about one minute. He looked up and caught sight of two helicopters. Eight police vehicles rounded the corner, blocking a cross street.
He twisted his arm to the right and pulled. He could hear the front wheels being pulled inward, but the semi still wouldn’t reduce speed. Mike pulled out his hand and looked up and saw the Vector Building directly down the street.

“Five seconds, stiffen and cushion. Motorized out put to legs at full power!” He commanded.

Mike punched out the windshield and leaped out backwards. He grabbed the front bumper and planted his feet into the asphalt. He began a walking motion as he tried to slow down the machine. The suit began to slightly inflate near his back region, and the upper body became stiff. He groaned and pushed as hard as he could, for as long as he could. He looked behind him and saw the reinforced wall closing in on him.

“Please, don’t let anyone die,” he groaned, and sharply stuck his heel into the ground.

There was a loud crash. The truck caught the corner of the building and spun out of control, sending Mike flipping into a window of another building across the street. A huge splash roared throughout the area. Moments later, a horde of people swarmed out of the vector building.

A slender, Hispanic female climbed into the broken window and gasped at the non-moving suit.

“Someone get a medic!” She shouted.

Four people rushed back to the building. Two others stepped forward struggled to lift Mike up. He started to wriggle, and the suit glowed white.

“Michael?” the woman gasped.

“Yo,” Mike greeted, and proceeded to cough blood. He passed out.

 

[kas_F]

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>>Chapter 3: Recruitment<<
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The ocean water bubbled as a crane picked up a battered semi out of the bay. It was early morning, 7 am. Removal and reconstruction had began on the southwest corner of the East Branch Vector building and the building across the street. Construction workers grumbled and conversed on the events of yesterday. The blackness in Mike’s mind turned a fuzzy orange as he slightly open his eyes. He gazed up at the ceiling. He was in the medical wing.

The door swung open. “Well, well!†It was the woman from yesterday. “How do you feel, Mike?†She walked over to his bedside.

“Like ****,†He looked out of the window. “Are you here to make me feel better?†And slowly reached around her waist.

The woman smiled and smacked his hand away, cracking a couple fingers. “I heard about your three floor failure from Dante. If you can barely get that far with a complete stranger, how do you expect to get anywhere with someone who knows you?†she frowned hopelessly. “Besides, you’ll be up and about in two weeks.â€

Mike gazed at her in surprise. “Are you serious?â€

“Yeah. That suit pretty much took the beating for you,†she explained. “You got off with two broken ribs, but you’re all fixed thanks to team 6.â€

“Team six?†Mike asked.

“Yeah, Alexander and Lisa happened to be here when all of this went down. They had to specially treated,†she explained. “but all that aside, you did a good job.â€

“How many people got hurt, Jessica?†He asked her and stared up at the lights.

“Well,†she grabbed a nearby seat and sat. “eleven people are dead, and twenty six are injured, but don’t let it get you down. The mission was a success.â€

“Any time someone dies there’s no real success,†he said.

“You of all people should know that casualties occur, Mike,†She grumbled. “Victor knew it, everyone knows it. Mistakes happen. Stop living in the past.â€

A young man with long black hair and bangs covering his eyes poked his head in.

“What’s up, Leon?†Mike asked.

“Ah, same old,†he replied. “Good job yesterday. I might just join your team, since my captain can’t do anything that cool.â€

Jessica growled ferociously at him.

“But uh, besides that,†he quickly spoke, “We’ve got a notice, Jessica. Chief Cambridge wants us to check out some Noma business.â€

“Those cultists?†she blew her hair away from her ear in disgust. “Well, I’ve got to go, Mike.†She reached over to his face with her lips, Mike puckered his, anticipating a kiss. “Ah. There we go.â€

She picked up a water bottle on the stand on the opposite side of the bed. Mike’s scrunched his face in annoyance.

“See ya mike,†She walked toward the door, Leon waving goodbye. She turned around and threw the bottle at him. He fumbled it into his lap. “Make sure you drink up. You have recruits to look at today, right?â€


“Totally forgot,†He looked at the bottle as Jessica walked out.

He moved to get out of bed, anticipating a painful struggle to do so, but he by the time he braced for the pain, he was already sitting on the edge of the bed. He got up and walked to a closet on the opposite side of the bed and retrieved a new pair of jeans, a shirt, and a new jacket. His old clothes had been tossed away from being blood-soaked. Mike looked out of the window and caught a glimpse of Jessica, Leon, and two other employees -- one male, one female-- walk toward a helicopter. This was team 4, the top team of the eastern branch. That was why Mike was here, because east branch employees were said to be the best agents, and east branch had the finest training facility. Mike stared at team 4. They all glowed white, and seconds later Jessica was coated in a red vector suit, Leon in black, and the male and female in Green and blue, respectively.

“That’s right!†Mike felt the pockets of his jacket and pants and pulled out five devices. They were all fine, even his red one. He looked at the blue one. “He must’ve given it back after yesterday,†He said to himself, thinking of Robert.

He put on his pants and slung his jacket over his shoulder. Mike walked through the door and slammed it shut. Moments later the handle jiggled and Mike broke in and ran into the private restroom across the bed. The sound of liquid trickling echoed in the restroom.
----

It was now twelve noon. Mike was on his way to the training hall to meet his potential recruits. He proceeded down a large and seemingly endless hallway, hands in his pockets. Someone rounded a corner ahead of him.

“Hey!†Mike said. “Can you tell me where the training hall is?â€

The young Asian woman looked at him strangely, as if judging him. “New recruits shouldn’t be wandering on this side of the building. Don’t you have some paperwork to be filing?†She said coldly and continued walking.

“You don’t have to be so rude,†he commented smiling. “Just point me in the direction of the training hall.â€

She sighed and ignored him. Her collar length hair waved as she turned her emerald green eyes away from him. Mike rolled his eyes. He walked up behind her as she continued on her path.

“Look-†he began, but was cut off as she grabbed his hand and pushed him against a nearby wall with his arm behind his back.
“I have important things to take care of, rookie!â€

Mike looked behind out of the corner of his eye and saw the vector symbol on her chest. It was labeled with a 61. Obviously she couldn‘t know his rank because his clothes were replaced, and he couldn‘t pull out his license because of his position.

“You want to calm the hell down?†He raised his voice.

She pushed him harder against the cold wall. “I was on team 3, and if you haven’t heard of it, we used to assassinated retards like yourself, who don’t know when to shut up,†She growled. “Keep pressing me and I’ll break every bone in your body.â€

Thank god team 6 is here, Mike thought to himself. They did a pretty good job on my ribs.

The woman loosened her grip and walked away.

Mike shook his head. “Man, it’s like every lower ranked employee treats me like garbage.â€

A man rounded the same corner, and this guy recognized Mike.

“Ha! Mr. Young!†He shouted with joy. “How’s it going? Are you healing up all right?â€

“Yeah, actually. You guys did a good job on me,†He smiled and shook Alex’s hand. “How long are you gonna be here?†Mike asked.

Alex scratched his golden goatee, the same color as his slightly long hair, and stared with his teal eyes into the distance. This was Alexander Hawkins, leader of the medical squad. Team 6.

“Actually, I think I’m here for two more days,†he replied happily. “I’m teaching medical classes.â€

“Cool,†Mike said. “So do you mind showing me to the training hall if you’re not busy? I’m actually lost up in this place, and the lower ranks don’t seem too friendly if they can’t see your number,†He complained.

“Sure,†Alex said. “Let’s go.â€

They began walking down the hall and turned a left at the fifth door down.


----

Three young men and women stood in a line. They were in a large circular room with a tall domed ceiling of clear green glass. They faced the middle of the floor, covered in fighting mats and training equipment. There was an air of impatience in the room.

“Hey Jonathan, I wonder when Christina will show up,†a young man asked. He was dressed in a full grey exercise suit. His light brown hair pointed up and away from his head.

“Don’t worry Rex,†a tall, young African American man next to Rex said, and pointed with his index toward a large green door to the right.

A young woman strolled through, with short black hair and a serious expression on her face. She walked toward the line of people and stood next to Rex.

“Why’re you so late?†Jonathan asked. “What if Team 27’s captain showed up?â€

She looked over at him. “Well he didn’t, and anyway there was dumb idiot hassling me back in the hallway. He kept asking where the training hall was. Rookie.†She muttered.

“New recruits are always pretty annoying when they first show up,†Rex chuckled. “But anyway, I can’t wait to meet the captain. They said he and some low level employee -- a twenty, I think -- stopped some huge weird truck on the freeway.â€

“Yea,†She said a little but not too excitedly. “At least this way we’re dealing with a professional. Then I could really show my skills.†She looked down in confidence.

“Is she always like this?†Jonathan whispered to Rex.

“Yeah. She’s always talking about her skills from when she was on Team 3. She said she quit because the team couldn’t keep up with her.†Rex answered.

Jonathan looked to his right at the door. “Well here’s her chance to show her stuff,†he smiled and looked down on the ground. Another recruit was sleeping on the floor. “Ben, wake up!†He kicked the tall, muscular, young man awake.

Mike and Alex walked through the door laughing.

“I’ll wait for you upstairs, man,†Alex told Mike and boarded a small elevator lift to a balcony above the recruits.

Christina stood in shock. “Rex, Jonathan, that’s the idiot who was harassing me in the hallway.†She motioned with her chin.

“What are you talking about?†Jonathan raised an eyebrow. “That’s Mike. Michael Young. He’s one the best. I heard he’s and 82, he’s the same level as Jessica.â€

Christina thought to herself with disbelief and stared at Mike. There was no way that this fool was an eighty on par with Captain Jessica. A woman in a grey outfit walked up to Mike with a clipboard and they chatted. Mike smiled and gestured with his hands. The woman looked over her shoulder and pointed at the four of them. Mike looked over, and Christina instinctively hid her face from his sight. There was no way she’d be on this team now.

The woman nodded and walked toward the lift that Alex took not too long ago. Mike called to her and gestured once again with his hands. A loud “Not going to happen!†echoed through the training hall. She then handed him the clipboard and reversed her direction to the door form which he entered. Alex could be heard chuckling from the balcony, Mike waved his fist and then shrugged at him. He walked over to the group.

Christina angled her head even further downward, but against her luck, Mike just happened to drop a pen which landed directly in front of her feet.

“You wanna get that for me please?†he asked as he looked at the board.

Christina dropped to pick it up and when she arose to hand him the pen, his eyes caught sight with her face.

“Thanks,†he said with complete indifference.

It was as if he had never met her before, but she could feel his eye pierce through her with vengeance and criticism.

Mike cleared his throat. “What’s up ya’ll, I’m Mike Young, leader of Team 27. Today I’m gonna pick two of you to join the squad, so don’t shoot yourself if you don’t get picked. The Chiefs always form new temporary teams every so often, so look out for 28 and 29 anytime soon.â€

It was obvious to the four that Mike was bored as he spoke in complete monotone and sighed heavily.

“I was supposed to evaluate you with charts and whatnot, but that’s all boring and needlessly complicated,†He held the clipboard under his arm and grinned.

“What are we going to do instead, sir?†Ben asked. “And why are only two of us getting picked? I thought it took five people to make the team.â€

“Good questions,†Mike asked. He paced toward Christina and stopped. “There are some people who have a reserved spot on my team if you don’t mind. About you four…you’re going to fight each other. Hard. The last two people standing -- of course everyone should be alive at the end -- are on my team. I’m looking for good combatants.â€

All four of them looked at each other and then the three eyed Christina. She could feel leave her presence and head for the lift.

“I’ll let you know when to fight. If any of you get hurt, I’ve got Alex up here to help you out,†Mike shouted as he entered the balcony. “Get to the mats.†he smiled.

The four recruits walked over to individual corners of the large blue mat. They all examined each other, thinking of ways to take each other out.



----

Mike sat down next to Alex.

“So do you actually have a reason for this fight demo or is it just for entertainment?†Alex asked.

“I actually do,†Mike smiled. “I’m a good fighter, but not top rank. The east branch has some of the best fighters, and I need people like that on my team.â€

“Hmm. Good thinking, Mike,†Alex put his leg up on a bar in front of him. “If you thought out your strategies with the ladies you’d be a little more successful.â€

“Yeah, yeah,†Mike laughed, then looked at the recruits. “Okay, guys. You all know what to do. Now go!â€

The four entered their fighting stances. Rex ran towards the muscular Ben with his forearm guarding his chest and reared the other arm back for a thrusting punch. Ben spun clockwise and caught Rex’s arm in his grip.

“That’s not very smart of you!†Ben grimaced as he squeezed Rex’s arm.

“You shouldn’t talk!†Rex front flipped onto the ground, twisting Ben’s arm painfully. He then scissor kicked Ben’s legs, forcing him to fall.

Meanwhile, Jonathan traded punches with Christina. She managed to get a few shots in but Jonathan was quick to slap them away and parry with a punch to the ribs. Christina knew that she couldn’t win as Jonathan’s defense was too good. She faked a right hook, forcing Jonathan to parry with his left hand, leaving his left torso exposed. She proceeded kick mercilessly at his ribs, knowing it would make him tired. Jonathan rolled sideways to the ground and pounced on her from her right side, pinning her to the ground. Jonathan rendered her legs immovable and shoved her face into the ground.

“Damn,†Alex said. “I might actually have work to do.â€

“Yeah. I didn’t think they’d go so hard on each other so quickly. They must really want the job..†Mike leaned forward and placed his chin on his fist.


Ben’s immense strength proved to be too much for Rex. He hurled the latter onto the mat and assumed a fighting stance. Rex turned around to assume a stance as well but was too late. He was sent skidding on the mat after taking a direct jab to the face. Ben rushed over and jumped on top him. Rex took hold of Ben’s wrists to prevent any more damage to his face.

Christina gasped for air after managing to move her face from the mat. She then swung back her right arm with all her might and clocked Jonathan in the temple. He clutched the side of his face in pain. Now she had an opening. Before Jonathan could raise himself from the ground, Christina struck his back with an axe kick. He was now gasping for air, and Christina reached for his neck. Jonathan tried to punch her but to no avail -- he was feeling light headed and his attacks were misplaced. Christina knocked him out with a palm to the face.

“Ouch!†Mike and Alex gasped in unison.

Rex wriggled his legs.

“I’m not falling for that!†Ben grunted and raised himself slightly above Rex’s body, expecting a knee to the groin.

“But you fell for this,†Rex catapulted himself from underneath Ben’s body using his arms as a sling.

He then turned around and quickly leaped onto Ben’s back and clutched his neck with his arms. He held on tight as the massive Ben moved crazily like a rodeo bull. Rex looked behind him as Ben inched towards the edge of the mat. He squeezed Ben’s neck tighter.

“You won’t get rid of me that easily, Ben!†He grunted.

“I don’t have to get you off me. I’ll just crush you!†Ben screamed.

Ben’s body began to lean backward in an attempt to crush Rex under his weight. Rex quickly let go and slid off of his back. There was a loud smack as Ben’s head hid the hardwood floor. He was too close to the edge of the mat and was knocked unconscious by his choice to flatten Rex with his body. Rex stared at the dazed and drooling Ben as he sat on the mat holding his jaw in pain.


Alex and Mike looked at each other.

“I’m going to call some people to take care of this,†Alex said nervously. He walked turned away from Mike and took out a cell phone to contact the medical staff.

“You do that,†Mike said, still shocked. He walked over to the edge of the balcony and leaned over to watch Christina help Rex up from the mat.

These two were good. He looked at the papers in the clipboard. Rex was a free agent who recently completed a rescue mission with temporary team 25. He had a pilot’s license and was also trained in medical relief. An all around good team member. Christina was an agent on team 3. There was no further information concerning her, however.

There was commotion as the medical staff rushed in and picked up the two men lying on the groulked up behind Mike.

“You’ve got some good ones here, Michael,†he complimented.

“No doubt,†Mike replied, watching the two being attended to the staff.

“So, what about the two remaining spots?†Alex asked.

Mike looked at him. “Well, you of all people should know who the first one is going to.â€

Alex nodded and looked on as well. “And the other?â€

“Well, remember the incident yesterday?†Mike asked. “There’s this kid I want to check out. He’s pretty good.â€

One of the medical staff members shouted for Alex to come down. The two rode the lift to the bottom floor.

“Well,†he sighed. “I’ve got work to do. You take care, Michael. Good luck with the team.â€

He reached out his hand. Mike shook it and examined the two recruits.

“Hey! Wash up and get rest!†He shouted. They looked up at him. “We leave tomorrow.â€

Mike walked out of the door with the clipboard under his arm.

 

[kas_F]

---------------------
>>Break<<
--------------------
Christina and Rex sat in a small briefing room. Mike was late looking for someone he felt would “fit well†with the team. For now, all they could look at was a blank and shiny mahogany desk in front of them.

“How long is he going to take?†Christina frowned.

“I don’t know,†Rex said as he shuffled through songs on his MP3 player.

“Will you ever take those damn things off?†She leaned over and tried to take it.

“Chill out, Chris,†Rex waved her away. “I’m listening to the news.â€

“Something important?†She questioned.

“Some crap about Noma. Seems to be real popular with everyone now,†He sighed. “Even the CEO of Westmeyer joined up.â€

“I always thought-†Christina began.

She wan interrupted by the sliding door behind her. Mike entered the room and took a seat behind the desk. A young man into the room after him.

“Have a seat Robert,†He said and leaned back, madly fiddling with his cell phone.

Robert took the seat next to Rex. The two looked at the patch on his arm. He was a rank 22. Robert sat uneasily. He was next to high ranking employees. To a twenty like him it usually meant trouble. He looked into his lap and played with his thumbs. There was dead silence, except for Mike and his phone.

“Crap,†Mike muttered.

“Something wrong, sir?†Rex asked.

“Oh, no. I’m running low on girls phone numbers, I gotta get new ones,†he folded the cell and placed it on the desk. “By the way, call me Mike…uhh?â€

“Rex,†Rex replied. He sighed within himself. Captain Jessica often said how Mike was a woman chaser.

“Cool. And you are Christina, right?†Mike asked.

Christina nodded. She couldn’t believe that he totally forgot the incident the other day.

“Welcome, you two, to team 27,†Mike grinned. “This team was created by team 1 to investigate the rising number of weapons theft and trade in recent months. Just so you know, we report directly to Chief Hayes. I’m your new captain, Michael Young. Call me Mike.â€

He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out two devices. One marked with purple and the other black. He tossed them to Christina and Rex, respectively.

“You probably already know, since you were previously on other teams. These are your Vector suit generators, the V-HN-Sh1N. We call em henshin devices. While these are brand new, they still have a six second delay. So if you find yourself in a situation, make sure you’ve got six seconds to spare before it’s complete. Any questions?â€

“Yeah,†Robert looked up. “Why am I here?â€

The two others were thinking the same question as well.

“Ha. I was waiting for you to speak up, Robert,†Mike reached into his pocket and placed a blue henshin device on the desk. “You really did well the other day with the truck. I’ve requested that you join my team.â€

Rex and Christina eyed each other in shock.

“But why? Don’t you have to be at least rank 40 to join a squad?†Robert was shocked himself.

“No ****,†Mike laughed. “The way you handled yourself with no prior experience really impressed me and some other employees. I had Chief Hayes promote you to rank 40. No problem right?â€

“No! Uh.. That’s great!†Robert chuckled.

“Good,†Mike reclined and put his feet on the desk. “So now my question is.. Are you in?â€

He picked up the henshin device and waved it.

“Of course,†Robert followed the device with his eyes.

Mike tossed it at him. He then looked at Christina.

“Now enough questions, here come the orders,“ Mike looked up at the ceiling with his arms behind his head. “Christina Long, as the second highest rank on this team, 68, I’m making you my second in command.â€

Christina’s heart beat a little faster when Mike made the announcement. Robert looked over at her jacket’s emblem and sure enough it was a 68. Rex followed with a 61.

“Tonight we move into our quarters, an apartment complex in River city,†Mike stood up and took out a henshin device from his pocket. It had a chain attached. He placed it around his neck. “Be ready. We get our first orders in the morning.â€

He reached for his phone on the desk and once again played with the buttons. Mike disappeared out of the sliding door. The three sat and stared at their henshin devices. Rex’s headphones faintly echoed toward the others as he turned the volume up.

 

[kas_F]

-----------------------------------
>>Chapter 4: Iron Barr<<
-----------------------------------

Mike carefully adjusted the camera underneath a huge flat panel screen.

“All clear. Can you see us chief?†He stepped back to allow himself into the camera’s view.

“Everything’s fine here, Mike. Thanks.†Chief Hayes replied. He could see the room he was in through the screen on his laptop.

The other members of team 27 walked into the room and sat down on a long red couch. Mike walked over and sat at the left end beside Robert. Chief Hayes unfolded a stack of papers and began examining them.

“Nice, very nice.†He muttered to himself. “This team is pretty good Mike. Remind me to thank Jessica for such excellent paperwork.â€

“Just remember who put the team together, though,†Mike boasted.

“Damn, these papers are really great,†Chief Hayes ignored Mike, causing him to sigh. “Nice to meet you all. If you do not know already, I am Chief Hayes of Team 1. Now let’s see…Conner, Christina, and Robert, am I correct?†He said as he pointed to each one respectively.

“Please sir, call me Rex,†Rex asked.

“No problem. Glad to have you. Very well rounded employee, and you have your pilot’s license.â€

Chief Hayes glared at Mike through his shades. Mike looked away in embarrassment. He had failed his pilot’s test four times and was now restricted from driving special vehicles.

“Ah, Christina Long,†Hayes looked at her over another sheet. “Most impressive. Someone with your unique skills is beneficial to the team.â€

Christina smirked with pride and folded her arms across her chest. Rex shook his head.

“And…Robert McCloud? A new employee, just promoted. Good work helping Mike the other day. Glad to have you aboard.â€

“Thank you sir,†Robert said happily.

“Now, on to business,†Chief Hayes set the papers down and cleared his throat. “Team 27, we’ve received reports from one of our insiders that there will be a weapons auction tonight, at the Baldwin hotel on 5th Street.â€

He typed on his laptop and a picture in picture screen appeared next to him, providing an image of the hotel.

“Aside from basic arms and weapons, there is one item in particular that you must monitor.†the PIP screen changed to schematic. “This is a vacuum gun.â€

“Vacuum gun?†Rex raised an eyebrow.

“A vacuum gun,†Christina began. “It utilizes vacuum technology to create a narrow empty space in the air, like a narrow black hole. This lets the user fire projectiles through this space at speeds close to that of sound.â€

“Very good, Christina,†Chief Hayes smiled.

The other three looked at her, quite impressed. She once again smirked with pride.

“The objective of this mission is to observe the buyers. Obviously the buyer of such an advanced weapon is planning on using it, and is possibly involved in the recent thefts and other buys.†Hayes continued.

“Isn’t that a little too easy?†Christina asked. “Shouldn’t we take it?â€

The Rex and Robert looked at her. Pretty bold questioning your superior.

“Not at all. Such a buyer has intense security surrounding him, as well as the other bidders. Taking such an item would only draw suspicions and attention to yourself,†Hayes shifted papers and chuckled, “I would expect you to know that miss, given your past record.â€

Christina frowned and closed her eyes. Rex rolled his eyes away form her.

“Well, I guess that’s all,†Chief Hayes said. “The auction is at 11 pm. Set up camp early and choose your positions well. Good luck, team. You are dismissed.â€

The four got up from the couch and walked out of the room. Christina continued to frown as Rex silently teased her.

“Mike, I need to speak with you,†Hayes waited until they left the room.

“What’s up, Chief?†Mike sat back down.

“I’ve received word that Victor is awake,†he said in a low voice.

Mike’s eyes opened wide. He stood in complete silence.

“After your mission, you’d better visit him,†Hayes scooted his seat back and pulled out a phone.

“What’s that for?†Mike asked. He already knew the line to Victor’s hospital quarters.

“Well, my cousin’s daughter just broke up with her boyfriend, and Mike, I think it’s time--†He began.

“SHUT UP!†Mike yelled in shock. “I’m not that kind of guy!â€

Chief Hayes was always trying to set Mike up with various women for him to commit to.

“Hey, I’m just saying.†He shrugged with his hands wide open in defense. “There aren’t many girls in Vector that don’t know about you, and let’s face it, you aren’t too lucky with non-employees.â€

“Whatever. Go look at Jessica’s papers,†He picked up his remote and pointed it at the screen.

“Hey, Mike, come on--†Mike clicked the screen off and disabled the camera.

He walked toward the door muttering something to himself, and then saw the other three staring at him from the kitchen. They had apparently heard everything.

“Umm..†Mike began, “I have to check the equipment. You guys do something for a while.†and left the apartment.

“Is it alright to be like that to one of the Chiefs?†Robert asked the other two.

“I guess. Jessica is pretty cool with chief Cambridge. So is Dante,†Rex said as he placed his earphones in his ears.

“I still don’t think this guy is all he’s cracked up to be,†Christina said before sipping her coffee. “There’s no way her can be equal to Captain Jessica. He was even buddy-buddy with Captain Alex.â€

Rex looked at Robert. “Hey, Robert. So far you’re the only person who’s worked with the boss here. Is he really that great?â€

“Sure, I guess,†Robert looked up in thought, “He meant business when we were on that truck back there. He pretty much knew what he was doing. I think he’s got enough skill.â€

“Whatever. He’s just a pervert. I bet I’ll take his spot in no time,†Christina sipped some more coffee.

“Yeah right,†Rex grinned. “The chief was pretty disappointed in your opinion back there, Chris.â€

“Yeah, what’s up with that?†Robert asked. “You know something special?â€

“Look. You two just mind your own business,†she got up from the counter and dumped the rest of her coffee in the sink. “I’m going to train. Please don’t bother me. You saw what I did to Jonathan, Rex.â€

She exited the kitchen towards the stairs. Robert and Rex stared until she was completely out of sight and sound range and then began conversing.
-----------

The sky roared a dark purple as the lights in the sky and the city literally mirrored each other.

“I see some people coming in,†Robert said on a small communicator built into his hen shin device.

“Roger,†Mike replied. He turned to his left and nodded to Rex.

He crawled forward to a hole in the ceiling that revealed the entire auction hall. He and Mike were in the ceiling above where the auction would take place. Christina was on the roof of the building across the street, and Robert was with her. Rex placed a lens attached to a robotic arm into the hole., which was attached to a small computer he held in his hands. The arm would move and allow Rex to take a number of pictures from different angles. Mike had placed receivers around the hall that would provide audio from the hall. He toyed with a knob on his own device.

“Are you sure those receivers are good? They looked kinda old,†Rex complained after looking at the receivers from his camera.

“Are you kidding?†Mike took off hi headphones and smiled. “You can hear a cricket walking with these things.â€

The wind blew as Christina and Robert sat on the roof, videotaping the guests entering the hotel.

“Why do we have to wait up here doing novice work?†She sighed to Robert. “If he was a smart captain he’d have his most elite member in the building with him.â€

Robert looked at her and shrugged. His eyes opened wide as the red light on her hen shin device was on, indicating that the radio was in effect.

“I wouldn’t be too sure,†Mike’s voice crackled through the device. “If something were to happen to me here, I’d need my second in command to take over from an alternate and safe position. Don’t they teach you this on Team 3?â€

Christina clutched her device and stared angrily at it, almost hoping it would explode in her palm. Robert shook his head and kept filming.

Mike spoke to Rex. “Why is she so uptight, dammit?†He asked.

“That’s how she is, I guess,†Rex laughed. “She’s an asshole, and you..you chase women.â€

Mike frowned at Rex and stuck his tongue out in annoyance.

“Okay, it’s starting!†Rex stated. Mike put on his headphones at listened intently. A direct feed of the auction was beamed to Robert and Christina.

The hall glowed with a golden radiance. All the guests were dressed for a ball, as well as their security. A man in his late forties walked up to the podium and tapped a microphone.

“Welcome, everyone,†he began. “I hope everyone is having a nice night. Drinks and food will be distributed momentarily. Now, on to our first item up for bid tonight.â€

On the other building, Christina sat on the cold cement next to Robert and reached into his bag of chips. Robert passed her a set of headphones.

“Prepare to be bored out of your mind, rookie,†She leaned forward and began chewing on her snack.

So the auction commenced, with handguns and rifles being sold by various bidders, but no one person was buying too much of anything. Civil war replicas were up for bid, and a couple of older bidders had a bidding competition, but nothing to extravagant. After this was a set of platinum desert eagles. Robert saw one of the bodyguards in the back radio to an unknown person. One of the bidders, a gray haired man, nodded.

“Pshh. how cute,†Mike grinned. “He wants his boss to buy those for him.â€

Rex laughed silently in reply.

The man in response bid four thousand on the guns. An old woman bid 4500 and looked back at him. The man raised his paddle and bid 6000. The woman spoke loudly and bid 8000. The man radioed fro the man to stop, but he said he would continue. This sparked laughter from Mike and Rex. The man stood and bid 20,000 on the guns. This caught Rex’s attention.

“This could be our guy,†Rex whispered.

“Maybe,†Mike kept listening, while peeping at Rex’s camera screen.

The man apparently won, as he bowed and the other auctioneers applauded to him. From that point, two hours passed, and the last three items were up for bid, the first of those three being the vacuum gun.

“Sir,†Mike’s radio crackled. “We’ve got five guys coming into the hotel. Maybe entering the auction.â€

“Got it.†Mike said. “What about you Rex?â€

“Yeah, I see them,†Rex squinted.

They entered the hall and sat at the back row. Bidding had already started on the vacuum gun. The same man who had bid on the desert eagles looked back to him and a middle-aged man from the new group nodded. Another man from the audience bid 5600. The gray haired man raised his paddle for an 20,000 bid and won.

Mike looked at Rex. “That’s our guy.â€

“How can you tell?†Rex asked.

“Simple. The guy shows up two hours late, at the exact time of the bidding and bids immediately for the gun.â€

“Humph.†Christina contacted. “So what now?â€

“Just wait,†Mike said.

Christina reclined on the cement and looked up into the sky. She looked to her left and saw a plane flying low, headed in their direction. She immediately sat up, worried.

“What is it?†Robert asked, surprised.

“Captain! Shut off your equipment! There’s a plane flying low--†She began, but the plane overhead roared above them.

Interference blared through everyone’s headphones and screens. A loud high pitched screeching sound resonated from the ceiling. Mike and Rex threw off their headphones in pain.

“Oh ****,†Rex stared at his screen.

“What’s wrong?†Mike asked seriously.

Rex pointed to the screen, a man with aviator glasses was looking up at the ceiling. He spoke to a man sitting down, and headed out of the room. Two other men followed him.

Mike picked up his device and shouted in whisper “Christina, Robert! Get ready to back us up! Pack all of you r equipment in a safe place!â€

“What’s going on--†Christina shouted, but Mike turned off his communicator and began packing his stuff into his pockets.

Rex had already done so with his. The two heard a creaking sound behind them and crawled themselves in to a corner. Rex turned around and kicked a hole in the weak wooden wall behind him.

“Crap!†he whispered. He cut himself and was bleeding on his leg.

He and Mike proceeded through what seemed to be air vents. Mike picked up debris behind him and covered the hole. They crawled silently on their stomachs and heard footsteps come from their previous location.

“There’s no one here,†a man said.

The man with the glasses entered in behind him. The weight of his footsteps echoed through the vents as Mike and Rex continued slowly and silently.

“Go check downstairs. Tell Raphael to take the rest and leave.†The man with the glasses commanded. The first man left in obedience.

He walked around and carefully studied the ground. It was covered in wood and sawdust. A couple of rusted tools were scattered on the floor. He turned around to exit, but suddenly stopped. A dripping sound has caught his ear. He looked back and saw blood falling from a broken piece of wood. He walked up and kicked it aside. He bent over and looked in to see the shining walls of an air vent.

“Secure the outside,†he radioed, then paced out of the room.

Rex lifted and shoved aside the dusty filter of the vent and lowered his head through. It was all clear. He slowly slimed out and landed in complete silence, then grabbed his leg. Mike exited in similar fashion.

“You okay?†He whispered.

“I’m fine,†Rex grunted. “Where to next?â€

“Let’s hit the roof, we can regroup with Christina and Robert somehow,†Mike said, and they began running toward a stairs.

The two leaped up the stairway three steps at a time, their shoes creating a soft clanking sound in the process. Mike looked up a couple floors and saw a man with a black suit look over the railings, then look down straight into Mike’s eyes.

“Fuck!†Mike dragged Rex down quickly. Bullets ricocheted off of the wall an rail above them.

“What now?†Rex whispered.

“The safest place is up, and we’ve only got a couple floors to go,†Mike looked at Rex’s leg. “Can you make it?â€

Rex sat up and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small roll of bandages and quickly wrapped the entire thing around his leg.

“Let’s go,†he said.

Christina and Robert paced impatiently on the roof of the other building. They saw people in black suits escorting a man into a black Chrysler. Other people began running out of the building in panic.

“Did you hear that?†Robert said in distress. “I heard a gunshot!â€

“Of course I heard the gun!†Christina shouted angrily. “I knew this guy was a joke. On our first mission he totally blows it.â€

Mike ran up the stairs and out of nowhere a the man in the suit landed in front of him.

“What the--†Mike was punched in the face, and fell down a couple steps.

Rex leaped over Mike’s body and rushed the man with a kick to the face, knocking him down hard. The guy shook himself and pulled out a radio.

“They’re heading to the roof!†He shouted.

Mike hustled up the steps. He reached down and kicked the radio from the man’s hands, breaking his hand in the process. The man screamed in pain. Rex bent over him knocked him unconscious with a swift punch. Blood squirted from his jaw. Mike crushed the radio with his shoe. They ran quickly up the rest of the steps to a large metal door. It was locked.

“Step back!†Mike pulled out a tiny metal cylinder from his back pocket.

Mike broke off the tip and slid it into the door’s keyhole. He moved himself back a couple of steps and within seconds a hole was blown in between the door and the wall. Mike pushed the door open. They were on the roof of the hotel.

“We made it,†Rex said.

“Yeah,†Mike panted.

Mike pulled out his hen shin device and contacted Christina. Christina’s light flashed and she immediately held it to her mouth to speak. She could see them from her position.

“I don’t wanna hear anything from you right now, Christina! Just know that we’re on our way!†Mike stated. He pulled out a grapple gun from his pant pocket. “You ready, Rex?â€

“Boss, we got trouble!†Rex pointed.

A bald Caucasian man with aviator glasses walked toward them and cracked his knuckles.

“What the hell are you doing here? Sight seeing?†He asked grimly.

“I don’t think our answer would matter much to you anyway,†Mike muttered. “Rex, let’s take him.â€

Rex nodded.

“Take me?†He continued to walk toward them.

Mike dashed forward and front flipped over the man’s head, distracting him from the fist that Rex had prepared right behind him. The man stumbled from the hit and walked backwards into Mike’s roundhouse kick to the neck. The man fell over onto his knees and dug his fingers into the cement. He ripped out a section of the ground and tossed it at Mike, who ducked in time to dodge it. Rex ran toward the man and kicked him in the back, pushing him forward. Mike got up and punched him in the chest. The man reached behind him and grabbed Rex. He reached forward and pulled on Mike’s jacket, then smashed the two into each other with a swing of his arms. He kicked them away from him, sending them rolling into a wall.

“What the hell is this guy?†Rex wiped blood from his mouth. “He’s frikin strong.â€

“I know, how does he rip out cement with his bare hands?†Mike stood up shakily.

The man continued to walk toward them. Mike pulled out a combat knife from his pocket.

“Come on,†He said. Rex pulled out his knife as well.

The two ran toward the man once again, Rex to the right, Mike to the left. The man also ran forward and attempted to clothesline them both. They each grabbed an arm and swung up from them. The two then slashed at his arms numerous times. The man spun and pushed Rex away. Mike managed to dodge the attack, and thrust forward to stab the man in the armpit.

“What?!†Mike gasped. His knife broke in half upon impact.

The man smacked Mike in the side and sent him skidding in the opposite direction of Rex. Mike moaned and pushed himself from the ground and looked at the man. His sleeves were torn apart, and so was his skin. But he wasn’t bleeding. Instead, what seemed to be metal shone through the tears. The man laughed and ripped off his sleeves. He then pinched his skin with his fingernails and proceeded to rip off the skin on his arms like paper.

“Damn, that disgusting,†Mike coughed. “Rex, we won’t make it alone!â€

“We need help you two! Hurry over here!†Rex called upon seeing the fully metallic arms of their adversary.

“Already on our way, Rex!’ Robert said.

Rex looked across the building and saw Robert and Christina shoot their gas powered guns toward them. The two shot quickly between the buildings and landed behind the man with the glasses. Christina and Robert looked in awe at his arms.

“There was more of you?†He frowned. “Doesn’t make much of a difference.â€

“We’ll see about that,†Mike pulled out another small cylinder and grabbed his hen shin device. “You ready?â€

Everyone nodded.

Mike threw the cylinder at the man and an explosion threw dust and debris into the air.

1..

2...

3...

4...

5...

6...

The dust settled and the man coughed. He looked around him and open his mouth in surprise as to what he saw. There were four shining figures in the place of the four intruders.

------------

“Barr!! What are you doing? Mr. King is waiting! Hurry and get back here!†A communicator in the man’s pocket blared. He shut it off and wiped dust from his face.

“I’ll take care of you guys first,†and ran towards the red figure in front of him.

“Both arms, motor assist,†Mike commanded. “Robert, check me out!â€

Robert put a hand to the side of his helmet. “On it!â€

Barr raised both arms to slam down on Mike, but was stopped suddenly. Mike grunted as he pushed the heavy metallic arms away from him. He twisted Barr’s right arm behind his back and shoved him to the ground.

“Who are you people?†Barr asked angrily.

“Let me answer your first question,†Mike grinned behind his helmet. “See, me and my buddy here were sight seeing. The back of your mother‘s head.â€

The man looked Mike right in the visor and let out and cursed him. He spun over and managed to break Mike’s grip. He picked him up and smacked him on the ground, ready to finish with a punch, but Mike quickly rolled out of the way. The impact from Barr’s punch demolished the rooftop, sending debris and all five of them falling into a hallway. Robert rushed and pulled Mike from the rubble.

“Did you collect data on his strength just now?†Mike asked.

“Yeah,†Robert answered as he analyzed figures with his visor screen. “It’s more than possible for him to overpower the vector suits, so we need to finish him quickly.â€

“Transmit it to my visor,†Mike ordered, and Robert began touching his helmet.

“What are you doing?†Christina yelled. “Are you trying to get us killed?â€

“Listen--†Mike began, but was interrupted by Rex.

“Look out!†Rex shouted and pointed as debris exploded from the ground, hitting Christina and Mike.

Barr roared and swung at the blue armored Robert, knocking him through a wall into a nearby hotel room. He reached down and picked Mike up by the legs. Christina swiftly grabbed his ankles with her legs and tripped him. Mike attempted to get up, but Barr had grabbed a hold of his neck.

“I’m going to kill all of you!†Barr yelled and squeezed tighter, causing Mike to gasp for air.

Rex rushed forward and rammed Barr with his shoulder, setting Mike free.

“You okay, Boss?†he asked.

“Yeah, hurry and take care of him!†Mike choked.

Rex leaped to Barr, dodging his fists’ swings with incredible agility. Christina jumped in front of Rex and kicked Barr hard in the chest, making him cough blood. Rex dipped under Christina and maneuvered himself so that he was right under Barr’s nose.

“Right arm, power assist!†He commanded, and followed with a powerful uppercut to the jaw, shooting Barr’s head straight into the ceiling.

Barr swayed and wiggled around, finally falling to the floor, his whole body white with dust and coughed. He dug his fingers into the ground, ripped the carpet from the floor and pulled, making the three fall to the ground. Barr picked up the purple clad Christina from the now wooden floor and pushed her against a wall. He proceeded to punch her in the stomach. Christina yelled in agony.
Barr laughed evilly. Rex tried to stopped him but was quickly knocked into the floor by a swing of Barr’s arm. He continued to punch Christina.

There was a sudden rumbling sound behind the wall. Robert burst through, hitting Barr in the temple and saving Christina. Barr flew into the room opposite the wall. Robert helped Christina up. Rex ran into the room and continued the battle. Mike rushed down the hall and dashed past the two into the room. Rex was evading a flurry of jabs and hooks from the metallic fists, but was caught off guard by a knee to the stomach, sending him stumbling back before he fell. Mike walked up and stood in front of him.

“Get out of the room!†Mike commanded and looked back.

Rex obeyed and crawled backward out of the room, clutching his stomach through his black suit.

“Taser, activate,†Mike commanded. The glove on his right hand slightly expanded, revealing wired underneath.

Mike jumped forward, dodging two punched from the enemy and reached around to grab the back of Barr’s left shoulder. The room flashed a bright blue. Barr stumbled back in tremendous pain. His left arm hung lifelessly. It was disabled.

“You guys just don’t quit do you!†Barr growled.

Mike silently assumed a fighting stance and waved for Barr to come. Barr ran with his right arm wide open. Mike stood up straight and braced himself for impact. Barr bear hugged him and dove straight into the floor, crashing them into the hotel room on the level below. Barr looked at Mike’s dangling body underneath him.

“Huh,†Barr laughed. “I told you I’d kill you.â€

He started to move up but Mike sprung his arms around his neck.

“Full taser!†He commanded.

The others heard a loud popping sound. The hotel room where Mike fought Barr glowed a bright white for a gull five seconds. They all looked at each other.

“Let’s go!†Christina ordered and they all ran into the room and leaped through the hole.

Mike was bent over on his knees breathing heavily. Smoke rose from his now unarmored body.

“What happened?†Rex asked. He and Robert helped Mike to his feet.

“I used up all of my battery with a full taser,†He smiled and nudged his chin in Barr’s direction.

He was unconscious and his body smoked heavier than Mike’s. Christina walked over and stood over him. “You think it’s funny to hit me like that!â€

She rose her leg in the air and dropped an axe kick on Barr’s left shin, breaking it. Barr screamed out in pain.

“Your arms may be metal, but the rest of your body isn’t!†She raised her leg once more.

“Stop her!†Mike commanded.

Rex and Robert dashed over and prevented another attack. Christina tried violently to escape their hold on her.

“Vector suit override,†Mike commanded into his hen shin device.

Rex and Robert looked in awe as Christina’s purple suit disappeared. She was now in her normal clothes. She pushed the two away and walked up to Mike, ready to punch him. Mike grabbed her wrist.

“What’s wrong with you!†she yelled viciously. “Do you even know how to lead! Joking around, almost getting us injured! You need to--â€

“You listen to me,†Mike said calmly. He let go of her wrist. “There’ll be a time for you to take command, and then you can do whatever you like. Until then, you follow my orders.â€

She s along with the other two.

Mike cracked his neck and shook himself. He looked back and smiled. “Let’s go. More of his people are on the way.†He exited through a the door.

“What does he know, saying jokes about a person’s mother in the middle of the mission,†She crossed her arms across her chest.

“If you paid attention, Chris, you’d see what he was doing,†Rex sighed and walked up behind her.

“Oh really?†She asked angrily.

“He wanted to survey the enemy’s abilities, Christina,†Robert stated.

“Then why the insults?†She interrogated.

“Because,†Rex began as he wiped dirt off of his armor, “The boss wanted to survey the enemy while he exerted his full strength, and the best way to do that is provocation. He did that alone to allow Robert to scan him from a safe distance.â€

Christina looked at Robert who nodded in agreement through his helmet.

“I’m guessing that when Robert transmitted the data to him, he found a weakness,†Rex turned to the now unconscious Barr. “That’s why he finished him so quickly with the taser.â€

Christina though something to herself, then walked toward the door. “Whatever. Let’s just leave. Quickly.†She left the room.

Rex followed after looking out of the window. There were cars showing up at the building. People in black suits exited the vehicles with guns.

“Well, she finally said something right,†Rex laughed and followed Robert out of the room.