I jiggle my handcuffs, linked to a hospital bed. An old man marches in. Yeah, definitely not my kink. "Sir, do you know who I am?" I make the cuffs rattle and smile, "You're the man that will uncuff me? Now?" He laughs with my legs in his hands. "I am Reed Kaylin, The Marshal of Peacekeeper."

I wave my hand while in cuffs, "Why are you here and not in some headquarters, Marshal?" He pauses and smies, letting his ugly wrinkles show, "I admire what you did in that warehouse! Truly a fighting spirit! Those Knockout scum were moving material for nuclear warheads."

I roll my eyes at him, "I want you to join a team of recruits." He flicks a button and the cuffs unlock. I rub my wrists, "A

team? Of recruits?" Kill me now. He hands me my legs, "Yes, I think you are just the man to run Task Force Theta."

The legs snap on and the knees spin until they lock the legs in place. "What will we be doing?" He shakes my shoulder, "You will respond to street and organized crime in an armored patrol car. Come with me." I get up and try to maintain balance out the door.

A great big asphalt lot greets us as tanks and infantry march on. Big, thick steel walls surround the lot. "This is the Raid Center." "C'mon, twenty more, private!" To my right, recruits do push ups, "Yes sergeant!" "Don't worry, Garvey. I know what you can do."

I pause, "What's that?" He pats me as a tank goes around us, "You are Shotgun Garvey." I quickly grab him by the neck and glare into his eyes, "The fuck you say?" He looks into my eyes, "There's that fire." He grips my hand and crunches down.

"And don't you ever touch me again, soldier." He rips my hand off his windpipe. I smile knowing I would regret not pushing him in front of that tank.

He rubs his neck and halts in front of two others saluting, "Marshal, sir!" "At ease, soldiers," I sigh, these two aren't

cripples. "State your names for B-Zero-L-Seven" I squint, "Uh, what now?" The man on the left salutes to us both, "Zero, sir!" A man in his 40s is a recruit?

On the right is a young woman, "Here to make a difference, Bolt!" After a quick glance, I tear my eyes away from the her. I run my fingers through my ragged hair, scratching the scalp before pointing at her, "Anyone but her." "Whip em' into shape, ah?"

It's my clone again, he smirks as he circles the woman, "Wow, did she have a sister?" I grit my teeth as he touches her hips, "A constant reminder of your failure." With a shake of my head, my worse half disappears, I'll call him Garvey. "I'm capable, sir!" She gets lost in my eyes, "Your name?" I sigh and snap my fingers in her face.

She stammers, "Al-Tango, Just Tango, sir!" "Drop and give me fifty, Tango And forget the sir. Just call me Bolt." She goes down and counts slow. I join her as she groans, "Twenty five-" "Come on Zero, join in." He drops and his tattoos catch my eye. "You a vet?" "My third round, you?"

I smile, at least I don't have to baby two people. "What about you, Tango?" Tango collapses and rolls onto her back. "What makes you special?" She looks down, "I'm just a quick study." Their smug grins say it all, "You guys went through weapons training?" Zero casually scratches his head, "Yup, we're just waiting for your orders, sir."