… I know Kerry heard that one as well. I hope she-

“-Good call,” Kerry interrupted her thoughts, albeit calmly and collected. “Let’s keep our formation tight, shields up, and pull south of them before looping back.”

I like that idea, but how expert of a marksman is he really?

“No way!” Andre shouted back, exasperated by the suggestion. “They are standing there for a reason! You think they will just sit back and plink around while we mosey on by!?”

“We have backup on the way and a base to return to! Keep your priorities straight!”

Wait! SHIT! Kerry is forgetting about- and Andre is unaware of Revenant behind us! Both of these ideas won’t work in reality! And I can’t just explain everything to him now of all times! Ugh! Tension was increasing tenfold as her grip on the controls tightened. She knew the biggest hindrance on proper planning with not much time left was the fact she couldn’t just shout out the fact they were being tailed by a Cloak. The trap was set, almost as if Revenant himself was able to figure this all out beforehand. Scenarios raced through her head as she tried to imagine several likely outcomes, many gruesome, all the while unaware of the direction Kerry and Andre’s disagreement that still raged on.

She wished she could just shut it all out and focus on the actual problem at hand that was doomed to go on unaddressed as things stood. If only I could talk to them… She then figured the only way to even take a shot at such an idea, silently toggling off her radio completely, following it up with the muting of her audio pickup. Blackbox will get this if I don’t…

Taking a moment to gather and confirm her still-intact sanity, she shouted out loudly: “Tyrus! I need something from you!”

Several seconds seemed to have taken an eternity to pass, but that one voice came to her again, bringing a smile of relief that she herself was completely unaware of.

“Samantha, you are always connected to us as long as you have our device on you, and in these cases, it is only with you and no one else.”

It felt wrong, utterly and completely wrong that she found comfort in willingly establishing a connection with the enemy, but at the same time, she felt some sort of newfound desire to question which establishment had her best interests in mind: Infinity, or this one specific wing of the Underground. “Tyrus, I only have a second, so please! Can I get any more information on this expert marksman coming up?!”

“Samantha,” Tyrus continued calmly, “Your simulation scores were easy to access. You have the shot-placement skill to defeat Rush with your distinct firepower advantage.”

She took the statement as patronizing, striking the wrong chord. “But those are just simulations!” she fussed in return. “I am not that great of an actual pilot as my track record proves!” she then admitted after a moment’s hesitation.

Tyrus let out a casual chuckle that initially had her unsure whether to feel mocked or comforted by the simplicity of the issue from his perception. “You have too little confidence and too much noise. Leave your radio off and engage him directly before Revenant can catch up. Act as you will without worrying what others might think.”

“But that’s my team!”

“The last time you successfully took on pilots greater than yourself, you were alone. And in that same minute, you lost to another because you couldn’t pull the trigger. Why didn’t you pull the trigger back then, Samantha?”

She knew he was referencing her first drop in Bogota, and by now she wasn’t surprised the extent of his knowledge no matter how specific it was. She remembered being unable to potentially shoot her own crewmates, who ultimately died regardless. Was it her fault after all? Could her shot have saved lives that day, and was her own hesitation a result of her self-centeredness? Questions began to strangle her ability to focus even worse than before this call.

“Samantha, you only have seconds left to think,” Tyrus pressed on, almost as if he were watching and coaching. “We wanted you because of your capability and potential. You inherit from one of the Harbinger greats. Focus on the one target ahead of you. Make that pilot the only other thing in existence.”

What does that mean I do? Continue to leave the rest on mute?

“I will be here waiting for you afterward, Samantha.” The voice then faded out along with the hum that always accompanied it, signaling to Sam that she was now truly on her own if she kept things the way they were. Can I really just stay on mute and do as he said?

The silence accompanied only by the roaring of flight drives that blended into landing thuds began to grate her nerves. She knew this was the last stretch of field before their next jump would take them head-on into their enemy waiting on the other side. Worries of what Kerry and Andre were shouting by this point in time was taking its mental toll as well, but she couldn’t outright ignore the advice given seeing how far it had gotten her. Still, she couldn’t forget how much Kerry, and in turn Andre, had been an even greater factor in her survival.

The best thing now, she thought as she took in a deep breath, now quivering from anxiousness and pressured by uncertainty over the decision she was about to make. …I need to stop these self-centered thoughts. She looked over to her left, seeing the two of them still right next to her. I need to quit worrying what they think of me. I need to save them and myself or we have no one alive to whom we can make amends.

She let out that long breath at last, quickly reaching and feeling her way around for a switch over near the base of her right control stick. Her fingers found it, rotating the dial as it clicked once.

“Antares Activated,” read the indicator overlay.

She then rotated it further, hearing it click several more times. The “1” setting climbed quickly up to “7” as she closed her eyes throughout the uncomfortable adjustment period that put a strain on her vision momentarily. Memories of the strain she felt with her last encounter with who turned out to be Isaiah rushed in before fading back out equally as fast, assuming she would be able to handle this now if she could before.

She then switched her safety off of her main launcher, equipping the anti-tank rounds. I bet they’re equipped with shielding of the same level as before. Need to make these shots count. She then jumped as the end of the field approached, but instead of keeping pace, she fully depressed the throttle pedals, sending her stomach into the back of her seat, feeling something short of a blackout from the G’s pulled by the maneuver. Shield in front, she now backed off the thrusters and let her momentum carry her through her trajectory. By now she could imagine the teammates she left in her wake would surely be shouting various expletives, but there was only one thing left to focus on now.

Flowing targeting guide arrows flowed across her screen as approach angle warnings crossed paths, creating a nightmare scenario for the viewer as any attempt to follow one set would shift the camera directly over it, forcing them to lose track of the rest.

Was it always this difficult? She desperately fought the urge to react with her eye movement, forcing herself to look straight ahead. But this was it, the last final seconds to confirm her direction. I always ran beta test runs as if I was the only one out in the field, so that’s exactly what I have to do. She remembered there only being one pair of detected LTACs on the tracker, but that was only based on NOx emission levels. Likely to be some in waiting, just like anywhere else we’ve been. I need to take both of these down fast enough to put a dent in their plans. Question is, do I take the crack shot pilot first?

A flash of red and yellow from various warning signals popped up before disappearing in less than a second. It had been many days since the last time experiencing what felt like a forceful, demanding persuasion of her reflexes to influence her wrist and hand movements.

“Damn it!” she blurted out, not expecting anything inbound from this far out and at this speed of an approach. A trio of hypersonic rounds violently but safely bounced off her shield that had come between her soon-to-become freefall and her pivoting angle.

Crack shot pilot it is, then!

●　● Manila-West Quezon Region

It was approaching 6AM and morning traffic was already starting to pile up in key areas such as where the next jump had taken place. Sam’s Axiom soared over the already-busy NLEX Toll Plaza, taking her another precious second before realizing those deflected rounds may have passed through someone’s car or apartment not too far away. I can’t even think about using any of my equipped rounds! These guys are nuts! They can’t engage in a place like this! Memories of the evacuation orders back in Bogota and the restricted no-entry engagement zones in Dhaka came alongside that notion, causing her to rethink her approach with dangerously few seconds left to do so.

She then proceeded to do the only thing left she could think to do: communicate. She switched her radio and headset back on, keeping her eyes and left controls reacting to the subsequent incoming shots. “Sorry! I had to at least try to get the first jump on this guy to see what he’s about! And to hell with it! That guy is nuts!”

“Damn it, Sam!” Andre burst out in immediate response. “A little warning, please!? What are you even trying to do over there?!”

“I know! Sorry! I thought I could pull something off but couldn’t!” Sam fussed back with a hint of guilt, pointing her jump boosters in reverse to slow her to a mid-air halt, dropping behind cover provided by the remnants of a warehouse complex that separated the two parties. This is THE only cover around! Everything else is offices and apartments! “Listen! His range is too great for us without our hybrids! We need to move in closer!”

“We were just trying to figure out ourselves what the fuck to do!” Kerry shouted back in frustration. “Backup isn’t arriving for another three to four minutes- and that’s gonna be an eternity if we don’t do something quick!”

Sam’s L-Tracker began to ring out with warnings of two signals approaching from either side of the complex. “Bunch up here and let me make the first jump out once they cross that last warehouse between us!”

Kerry and Andre’s Ap50’s touched down just behind the Axiom, rolling in, booster drives furiously venting the enormous gobs of heat generated over their series of extended flights.

“Don’t fire unless you get a perfect shot! Way too many potential bystanders nearby,” Sam added, drawing even more of Andre’s suspicions. She had forgotten how much her image had always been strongly one of a rulebook follower, especially when it came to collateral damage prevention, but she was already convinced she was just as focused on coming out a winner here as either of the other two were.

“Command to squad!” the operator from earlier popped in with urgency, immediately drawing the crew’s eyes to their maps. They never heard any additional LTAC sighting warnings since the initial two, but they knew it was bad news. “As per dispatch, reinforcements have been intercepted and are sustaining rapid losses! You are advised to distance yourselves until further instruction!”

Wait WHAT?! Sam immediately knew it was Revenant. He got around us already!? Were we not the– SHIT!

“Philippine National Guard officials are scrambling to gather an air response! Advising you find shelter until their air support can move in!”

She felt faintness kicking in, heart heavy with the realization she had moved the wrong way far too soon, falling for an obvious trap. The regret for not engaging Revenant head-on was fierce, and fighting it back wasn’t going to be easy under this kind of pressure.

Kerry’s response carried the same mix of dread and humiliation: “This was a trap! Roger, dispatch! Preparing to fall back!”

“Fall back and do WHAT Kerry!?” Andre cut in, watching the nearest enemy LTAC trace inch in closer every second, gripping his controls, bracing for contact.

“Sam, tail back up! Cover fire in block pattern A!” Kerry shot back defiantly, standing her ground with the directions set in place. “We are NOT falling for any more traps!”

She’s right, they’re sitting ducks with this guy’s shot placement, Sam thought with her right forefoot anxiously hovering over the pedal. But… I can’t just run away with them. Her mind prepared for the worst, feeling insane for thinking of acting against orders, but the feelings rushing through her mind were this time more resolute than the ones that took to long to act on before. She knew she had to change at some point. “Alright, Kerry! On three! One… Two…”

Andre let out a loud, frustrated huff as he backed off his right fingers off the targeting control switch and trigger, pulling his Ap50 around and reluctantly boosted off alongside Kerry as Sam shouted:

“Three!”

Sam heard the two’s drives activate, signaling her vertical jump, immediately following the strong, mind-numbing nudge from the OS to throw herself toward the target on the right. Without hesitation, she plunged shield first right into the steady stream of quickly repeating single-shot rifle fire.

“That’s it, Samantha, you control your place in this fight,” Tyrus shifted into her thoughts, almost as if he came specifically to provide support.

.

Kerry had cleared the toll station that was now at a grinded halt due to the shutdown of all highway lanes from the threat of the conflict spilling over. It was just then that she realized she and Andre were flying alone. “Sam! What are you doing- get back here!” Her heart sank again but with an additional flicker of anger, wondering why she had to always worry about her running off and doing her own thing without ever involving her. She then shook her head in further disappointment as she realized Sam had cut her radio off once more.

“Leave her, we need to quit saving her from her own trip to the grave,” Andre coldly replied as they distanced themselves towards the West. “We still need to be prepared to face something real soon even if it’s just us two again.”

She could only push back her desire to respond, instead settling for the only relevant reply she could muster: “Clearings ahead. Let’s regroup at the one adjacent to the river.” But mid-flight, another set of L-Tracker warnings popped up, beeping a total of four times.

“Damn it, really?!” Andre fussed again as he caught notice.

Before Kerry could comment, a familiar young female’s voice came in through her headset following that particular hum she had now strangely grown accustomed to: “They’re on orders to hunt down and eliminate Tenshi. Devin Yanga.” Hearing his name quickly reset any feeling she had toward the prior incident, helping her find sudden but solid focus. If only she could reply.

“Eliminate them before they have a chance to move out.”

Kerry bit down in anticipation. “The fuck they will! Not after we handle them!”

“Huh!?” Andre interrupted, but backed off given the circumstances. “Never mind. Shit. Fuck it. Let’s fucking bullrush and hope for the best at this rate! Everywhere we turn we’re fucked anyway!”

.

.

Far above the calamity, A large pod screeched through the upper atmosphere, streaking in like a comet. As the smoke cleared, it revealed the shape to be a military-styled drop pod rather than the usual lander setup Hexa had always used. A large door opened from the backside, exposing a support rack-bound Ap50 unit strapped down. As the distance to the ground rapidly closed in, a green light from within flashed brightly, signaling the release of the foot support platform, dropping the LTAC into a freefall.

From inside, Sebastian already had his helmet affixed and visor screen up, now fighting the switch from one freefall speed to another, all the while upside down, furiously fighting the controls to keep his fall angle steady. But his eyes couldn’t help but pop back and forth to the map corner, hoping some kind of data would update. The city map of Quezon remained empty with a loading wheel spinning, taunting him as he struggled to maintain both his focus and his composure, afraid to lose to the vertigo coming in like a battering ram.

Finally, after some time had passed and he felt he had a better, more solid grip on his approach and angle, he saw large amounts of data and markings populate his map screen like a hot summer air-fueled storm blowing in. He spotted Sam engaging two targets near Quezon and then Andre and Kerry headed for another wall of targets. He couldn’t be sure who would be best able to handle which scenario, but the numbers he saw between Sam and the Quezon base seemed to be most ominous. He tilted his pitch, taking a steeper dive which would put him on course for the area near where the rally point was originally staked.

Over the next few seconds, he saw six more Infinity-marked units show up lined up behind him as the data link completed its connection. He still had the uneasiness and uncertainty of the whole drop situation which showed in his voice as he fought off a slight stutter in calling out: “Navarre here, on course for rally point, all systems ready! Rescue group, check in!”

As he listened to the six names check in one by one, all names he had never heard of prior to the impromptu drop mission, he then broadened the connection of his radio to link up with Manila HQ below. “Manila Control, this is pilot Sebastian Navarre reporting from Special Operation 5-E! Requesting connection to the teams on the ground, over!”

“Roger, Pilot Navarre, this is Command, access request granted. Continue with mission objectives as detailed, over.”

Sebastian wasted no time in accepting the connection immediately after, shouting out even louder: “Sam! This is Sebastian! Hang in there, I’m dropping nearby!” He proceeded to wait for what felt like eternity, never receiving a reply. Thoughts swirled in his head, fears that either she was in so much of a bind that she couldn’t respond, was running for her life, or even worse, was outright ignoring him. “Sam!” he continued in vain.

[Sebastian! Where the hell have you been!?] he heard Andre call out from the other end of the line in his distinct Casares dialect.

He felt relief hearing Andre’s voice for the first time in a while, but it did little to stave off his concern. [I can explain later! Why isn’t Sam responding- is she alright?!]

[She went silent on us! I don’t know what she’s thinking but maybe you can knock some sense into her! She’s had a few screws loose lately!]

Andre’s comment resonated quite uncomfortably, but Sebastian knew he had no time to waste. [What about you two?!]

[One clearing gap away from engaging enemy LTAC presence, hoping National Guard can hurry their asses up! Who the fuck let so many Gammas and Kappas sneak in like this?!]

[Listen! You have six Av25’s inbound on your position! They will drop in pattern to entrap whatever enemies you can gather! Focus on slowing them down and hold tight for a few minutes!]

[Roger that, good buddy!] Andre then quickly switched back to English in the same breath: “Kerry! Sebastian’s got help dropping our way! Forget the bull rush – we just need to get their attention and hold!”