●　● Manila-Valenzuela Region, The Philippines

Sam was still empty-handed, subconsciously rocking back and forth cross-legged, hands on knees, mind still racing. She felt the clock ticking but still no light at the end of the tunnel.

A door opened not too far away, snapping her out of her boundless train of thought. She heard a pair of feet trudge through heavily, not sounding like they’d be someone of Devin’s stature. Were they sent for her?

“Wait!” She heard Devin’s hushed shout from farther away, prompting her to tiptoe stealthily as she could to the door, pressing her ear to it.

“Not yet!” His footsteps joined the other’s as he continued to speak in a hushed tone, just audible enough to make out the words. “Don’t worry about her, I got her- hold on.”

She intermittently held her breath while he spoke, quietly exchanging air in between pauses.

“Apologies… no, sir, I was talking to Titan… understood… by the end of tomorrow… correct.” That last word was followed by the sound of something being put away before footsteps started back up, startling her to the point she almost fell backwards over her own feet. She awkwardly but quietly managed to get her rear end back on the bed and her watch back into the pocket before the heavy door opened.

A bag was thrown onto her lap as Devin popped in momentarily. “Change if you want. They’re Kerry’s so it might be a bit tight on you, but deal or don’t. Your choice.”

She knew it’d be futile to display her offense to her captor’s hospitality, but it brightly showed anyway. “OK? And? Am I supposed to just live off this tiny room according to your directions of laying low for a while?”

“Yeah. Deal with it for a while if you want us to let you go in due time,” he huffed, closing the door not a second after.

“You know I’m reporting everything!” she screamed out defiantly.

The door opened just slightly, enough for his voice to make it through clearly. “No shit. You walking means our operations were finished and we simply disappear. Have fun for all we care.”

The door slammed shut this time, causing her to blink tightly. Letting out a sigh, she played with the bag thoughtlessly for a moment, finally opening the flap to see what was inside. She dug around to find a white t-shirt, stretch leggings, and a pair of chanclas. “Hmph, great. And of course, there’s no bra,” she shrugged. Oh well. Beats feeling half-exposed with this party dress, I guess. She put the bag back down beside her on the bed, feeling the regret from earlier rapidly setting back in. Why didn’t she just report in and check into her dorm like she was supposed to? She knew this all could have been avoided if she had just done as told.

I will just have to use this time I didn’t want but have plenty of to figure out how to get out of here or get signal. She took her watch back out, tapping it out of habit. The no signal sign still stuck out as a sore reminder she would remain powerless. That is, unless a miracle could be pulled off.

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▽　▽　▽

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For how late in the day it was, the Command Annex at Hexa’s Manila CCC was as active as it was during peak hours. In the central operations office, the main screens on holographic display that hovered over the central workstation tables showed “Awaiting Connection – Akkadia Central Headquarters: Executive Office” alongside the call-in-progress marking. One agent’s attention was caught by the opening of the main doors to the office, prompting him to approach as he masked his increasing impatience. “Excuse me! No one should be accepting any visitors!” he fussed to the clerk who entered first.

“Apologies, but they were insistent, and they technically do have the required clearance given the circumstances,” the clerk responded as he stepped aside, revealing he had brought in Andre and Kerry.

Andre’s condition wasn’t too far from the norm after a day of piloting, just the expected visible levels of exhaustion and sweat. It was Kerry that had drawn most of everyone’s attention, still in her party dress with the exception of a towel hung over her neck and down the front of her shoulders. Smears of blood remained on her hands and arms, and much of her makeup on the lower half of her face had been wiped away. Whatever remained of her makeup was ruined by the combination of sweat and her hair getting everywhere from the running and struggling she had done.

“I think we all deserve to know why we can’t get that Eye in the Sky request cleared!” Andre shouted angrily, seemingly irritated by how polite the clerk was acting in such a dire situation.

The agent was for a moment concerned for their physical state but still couldn’t afford the time as it was. “Sorry, but we can’t deal with pilot concerns right now!”

“Aw hell naw!” Kerry joined in, already matching Andre’s energy which was already a rare enough sight for him. “We did NOT just go through all that to hear any of that bullshit! Does anyone here not care about Devin or Sam anymore?!”

“Why’d you bring them in?!” the agent hissed to the clerk, drawing Andre’s and Kerry’s rapidly increasing ire.

“We got a faint signal and I KNOW it has to be Sam or Devin!” Andre persisted, now approaching the center work station as the agent started to walk in between in a move to slow him down. “Why can’t anyone give us the means to close in on it!? Time is ticking, damn it!”

“Manila CCC this is Knight,” Al’s voice came over the intercom as heads snapped toward the holographic display in unison.

“Hey! That’s Sam’s dad!” Kerry whispered to Andre, feeling a spark of hope upon seeing his face.

“I don’t have much time, what is the important update?” Al continued, now locking gazes with Andre and Kerry. The other agents at the table began grabbing and reaching for their things before Al lost his patience. “Actually, forget it. You two, great you’re here. Detail me on what just happened.”

“I got a faint signal on some area near north of here between Navotas and Quezon City!” Andre stepped up, relieved to finally have someone of authority listening. “We think it’s either Sam or maybe even Kerry’s fiancé, Devin Yanga, who disappeared as well! I’ve been trying like hell to get through to anyone the whole past half hour! The crew that came to cleanup didn’t do jack to explain anything or even listen!”

“And the jamming is still up in both areas,” Kerry joined in, now standing next to Andre. “We all know there’s no way this isn’t the work of the Cloaks! Why can’t we get anyone moving?! They took my Devin and our Sam- your daughter!”

Al took a pause out of caution before continuing. “I get that, and I promise to do what I can. I have to see that tracking log for myself, though, before I can give any orders. Was it logged into your systems recorder?”

“Everything, sir!” Andre excitedly replied.

“Then it is a damn good question why I haven’t gotten those updates up here yet,” Al replied with a cross face, looking over to the agents standing nearer to the station monitors. “I’ll override the upload.” He then looked back at Kerry with resumed anticipation. “What happened in the Casino?”

“I can’t guarantee the head count, sir, but multiple armed men... as many as five. I got all but one.”

“What shape was Sam in when you last saw her?”

“She ducked into some car that disappeared on us. I think she did that to dodge getting shot by the last guy I couldn’t reach.” She remembered another key detail just as Al was about to continue speaking, putting a hand up. “Oh, and this was something I can’t confirm but I am ninety percent sure of- shots were fired from that car at Sam’s assailant.”

“But no sign of Sam anywhere besides this possible faint signal. Any visuals on the car she got into?”

“Was way too dark with headlights here and there making it worse, sorry. All I know is that it was a smaller car, sedan perhaps.”

Al nodded and paused once more in thought before shifting his sight to Andre. “LTAC presence?”

“We fought off four, sir,” he replied, straightening up his posture. “They were armed with less than usual, but made far better shots than anyone we’ve ever faced before for simple Kappa outfits.”

“And who was your originally appointed squad leader?”

“Devin Yanga. He was captured as well, no signs or nothing on him, either.”

“Cloak crew activity at the Casino, LTAC activity in North Quezon, both jammed. This sounds like two opposing parties given the timing and circumstances.” He then looked back to Kerry with narrowed eyes. “You sure you heard those gunshots?”

“I couldn’t tell the direction, but I heard the glass popping for sure. Sam wasn’t armed, and the cracking came from the side of the shooter. I don’t see who else would’ve made the shot because it wasn’t me and it sure wasn’t Sam.”

“Excuse me!” the agent from earlier roared at the two, having long sat idly through their impatience, having been afraid to speak up but couldn’t hold their tongue anymore. “We had made connection requests that do not-”

“-You aren’t being spoken to!” Al fired back, shutting him up. “Did I not say I didn’t have much time?-ugh, never mind again,” he closed his eyes tightly for a moment, opening them back up to look toward Andre and Kerry once more. “I’ll get someone to access your recordings on the double, Nguyen. In the meantime, both of you, if you’re physically able, do what you need and get yourself on standby in your A-P’s. We don’t know when we can get a launch going but I highly suspect two working parties for the Underground. I will assign a liaison between myself and you two, so forget dealing with HQ, alright?”

“Yes, sir!” the two energetically replied in unison as the agent scoffed.

“Thank you for everything you have done thus far. Someone will be in touch shortly.”

The second the call disconnected, the agent turned to scold the two pilots but saw they had already bolted out of the office. “Augh! We didn’t to address the actual issue we had!”

.

“I heard from so many lately that if you want shit done, he was the guy to talk to- if you get lucky, that is,” Andre spoke to Kerry as they hurriedly walked down the hallway for the elevator.

“For real. Look, I’m going to wash up and change, first. I’ll catch you at the hangar in a bit.”

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She had made her way through the clearance checks that brought her to the locker room’s shower area. Being the time it was, it was completely empty and quiet. Quiet enough to allow her to stop at the mirror and see what a mess she was. It not only reminded her of the bloody injuries she inflicted upon Sam’s assailants, but the thought they may have died as a result, regardless of her intent to avoid the neck and chest.

She leaned against the sink, feeling faintness and nausea coming on strong. These kinds of feelings had assaulted her before as she was never able to tolerate the feeling of lost life in front of her eyes, seeing that normally the only times that would happen was between and behind thick plates of armor, by definition shielding her from ever seeing or imagining such horrors. But with those flashbacks combined with the rapidly re-emerging fear and concern for Devin’s safety, something was coming up. And to add the helplessness-inducing thought that only one man so far was willing to do something about it all?

She immediately ran for the toilet behind her.

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●　● Akkadia One, Eden Space Territories

Al had stepped out of the meeting room, letting out a long, tired sigh as the door closed. As he pulled out his mobile from his pocket he noticed Lucian approaching the door.

“Knight, you heard the negative on the LACOM (laser communication) satellite permissions?”

“Vrey told me to expect as much,” Al replied with his eyes locked on his mobile’s screen. “We are on our own for sure on this one. And as a matter of fact, that’s exactly why I am off to see what I can help get started,” he spoke with an increasing volume along with heightened frustration, drawing Lucian’s full attention for the moment. “The only ones we can really rely on are the ones with their proverbial boots on the damned ground… unless you think one day Vrey comes out of his cave.”

“I hear you on that one. He has been to himself a lot more these days,” Lucian concurred as he passed through the doors.

“Right…” Al continued down the hall and into his office, quickly taking a seat and punching the connect button to Sebastian’s contact entry. It rang a few times before the answer click came up.

“Listen, I need a favor,” Al started off immediately, not giving the other side a chance to say “hello.”

“I am borrowing the boy,” Amelie’s voice responded, throwing Al for a loop, continuing before he could have a chance to gather any words. “And I am also borrowing Norris along with a few other things. Thanks for reminding me to disconnect this number.”

“Ame-”

*~click~*

…

He was now left staring blankly into space for a moment. He was slow to put away his mobile, upset he let her slip by yet again, but at the same time jaded to this kind of behavior from her.

Well, great. All that’s left to do is pray Sam hangs in there. He then started jotting down a few things on a notepad in front of him: “Sedan leaving Casino”, “Kappa Frames in North Quezon”, and “Faint Signal between Navotas and Quezon”, all under the heading “Orb-Sat Requests”.

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●　● Manila-Navotas Docks, The Philippines

The garage door opened as Revenant pulled back into the ramshackle operations building Isaiah had come to take over recently. With a different security outfit and a slew of crates and boxes he had no recollection of, it reminded him of how Isaiah and Marian had hollowed out the place to better accommodate for their equipment they brought along.

He passed through the few doors leading him to the main operations room, first making eye contact with Marian who seemed perturbed by his very existence. He of course was in no mood to deal with it. “Yeah? What?”

She rolled her eyes and spun her mobile around to better point the holographic display in his direction. “You couldn’t’ve handled that little errand any worse.”

He knew he had screwed the pooch but still didn’t want any of it. It was all trivial in the end in his mind. “It’s not like they gained anything or we lost anything.” He threw his bag down and took a seat, looking at the screen that showed a news clip she had been watching. Its headline read: “Old War-Style Jamming Reveals New Threats”. He put a hand up as if he was supposed to feel a certain way upon viewing it. “Again, you act like Infinity had anything to gain from this. Who knows who the hell picked her up because it sure as hell wasn’t her crew… and what gives with the second jamming umbrella? Was that you two?”

Isaiah put his tea thermos down calmly, taking his time swallowing the sip he took prior. “You know, you’ve grown sloppy throughout this little… separation we’ve had,” he stated, ignoring the offended reaction drawn from Revenant. “But I take your return here as your offer to reinstate yourself, am I wrong?”

“I work for Tyrus, now, clearly,” he smugly returned the perceived jab. “I came back because I have to report everything, and to be honest? I was hoping I could get that one little explanation that I just asked for, but go on, assume what you please.”

Isaiah closed his eyes, seemingly in concession to that notion, but then let out a sigh with a slight smile as if reminiscing. “I miss having the solitude and privacy of the woods. It’s all I had ever known until forcing myself to adapt to holing up in places like this just to keep tabs on everyone and everything.”

Revenant leaned forward, looking unsure of Isaiah’s direction. “And we won’t ever get those days back, Reap’. What’s the point?” He then looked over to see Marian had returned her focus on the News reel, still jotting notes. “Oh, wait…” He then looked back to Isaiah to see this had been the only time he appeared without dark spots under his eyes. He seemed almost as if he were at peace with something. “You bastard, you’ve been letting Cable here do the heavy lifting. You?!” he started laughing sarcastically. “You really came rested as if you had to take my words seriously that day back in Boston.”

Isaiah passed on any denials, indirectly validating Revenant’s assumption. “I need your talents to complete the package now that you had your attempt to exact revenge,” he started back before opening his eyes again, leaning forward with a sudden match in intensity. “But I need you to understand a few things before we start discussing it.” He pulled up his notepad and started reading from it: “That man who snatched up Sam last minute was one of your own. Devin Yanga. Codename Tenshi.”

“What!? Wait, one of ours?!”

“Apparent mole, planted at Infinity’s base some time ago by Tyrus.”

“I knew there was one but I don’t have a face to put with that name.”

“Just… listen, please,” Isaiah said with a pause and a frown. “Tyrus had always expected my return, but couldn’t know when. You showing up for our first meeting triggered the jamming according to Cable’s calculations, and I fully back her up on that. Nothing else could trigger it.”

Revenant started to verbally react, holding his tongue as he noticed Isaiah still holding a hand up.

“Yanga, or Tenshi, owns a flat in town. Sam’s staying there because she is with Kerry Melancon, Tenshi’s fiancée.”

Things started connecting in Revenant’s mind as he sat back in his seat.

Isaiah was now looking over to him directly. “Look. Just as you said. There had to be an explanation for the convenient rescue that ruined your attempt along with that second jamming umbrella… and there you have it. And also, just as you said, Infinity had nothing to gain from your slip up but I knew that Tyrus had everything to lose if you failed.”

“OK, now you’re losing me again.”

“Tyrus has allowed the pendulum to swing away from him and right towards us with this monumental slip-up. You do realize that Quezon City is the heart of the new P4C movement?”

“Well, yeah, but-”

“-The demonstrators and the residents of Quezon… think about it. They just lost their ability to connect AND they witnessed a deadly fiasco between their forces and Infinity’s tonight. All they can do is sit in temporary fear and confusion, but us? We are the only ones who see it for what it is.” He leaned further in, increasing in intensity. “Tyrus fears us. He knows he’s banking on a miracle allowing the passive, peaceful movement to take hold. He just watched the beginning of the end for that, however, and he didn’t want to lose you on top of all that.”

“I get it,” Revenant replied with a smirk. “I don’t know why I doubted you,” he said with his smile evidently fighting off a bitter curve the other direction. “I fucked up letting that girl slip through my fingers, but I have to let the past go with Req’. No one made him suffer that fate but himself- I remember his orders to retreat.” He took a few breaths during the short silence before looking back at Isaiah. “I needed a break, and so did you, but you were right about me. Let’s sweep this shit show out of the way and get things rolling for real like old times.”

“Are you quite done yet?” Marian dryly added to their conversation. “Rex was needing to talk to you once you decided to join back.”

“Rex?” Revenant pointed to himself in confusion. “Me?”

Marian rolled her eyes with a chuckle, pointing to the device they passed him earlier. “Click that button.”

He fished around his pocket, feeling where it was and pressed the only button on it. It instantly sync’d with his earpiece as a familiar, deeply distorted voice came up.

“Nice of you to join us once more, Revenant. You still want your revenge, don’t you?”

The cold, robotic tone from his former and once-again reinstated boss rang with a chill.

“Yes, I do.”

“We’ve located a faint signal northeast of you, and we have gathered enough evidence to believe it’s either Tyrus’ mole ‘Tenshi’s’ signal or it’s Samantha Knight’s. Here is the next move you will make while jamming continues to be a convenient diversion for us.”