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Join Date: Jan 2008
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Talon and Director Westlake lay prone on a dune overlooking the enemy’s encampment. Talon’s radar and sonar sensors were activated to keep track of any enemy vehicles that might enter the area. Westlake kept the scope of his sniper rifle trained on the main entrance to the silo. Eagle Eye had taken the UH-60 and rose to a height where it would remain invisible to the eyes on the ground so that she could remain nearby in case of a quick extraction.
Nearby behind another sand dune waited the diversionary team for their cue to enter. Captain Midnight, Luminary, Jackhammer, Raptor, Rook, and Arcanum were itching to get the fight started. The Rook, Ethan McKnight, was a late arrival to the team. CORE offered him a new suit of armor and a technologically enhanced sword and shield if he would join them. And so the Count of Carrion agreed. Robbie Westlake spoke into the communicator and gave them the green light.
Captain Midnight, Luminary, and Jackhammer took to the sky and announced their presence by firing bursts of energy at the terrorist troops on the ground. Rook, Raptor, and Arcanum charged in on foot and met the troops head on.
Sharp spikes lanced through catching Luminary in the thigh. The Porcupine then jumped up and grabbed her pulling her to the ground. Several long sharp quills extended around his fist as he jabbed them into her.
Several energy discs slammed into Jackhammer but his energy barrier held. As he looked around he spotted the Armadillo standing atop a tank. Jackhammer fired an energy blast back but the Armadillo’s own energy shield absorbed the blast.
While the guards were thus distracted Shadow Blade, Cyberhawk, Wraithe, and Sunset Samurai slipped past them and entered the silo undetected. John hadn’t worked with Stonecipher or Lawrence since the Werebreed incident. He still couldn’t believe they now knew his real identity and on top of that that Tony Stonecipher now wore the Cyberhawk suit.
It took them no time at all to reach the center of the silo. Gazing up at the twenty foot tall missile however stopped them midstride. They were awed by its gargantuan size. A missile like this could probably destroy a city without the nuclear warhead. Corey Wraithe activated his radar senses. It was extremely odd that they found no guards inside. There wasn’t even any maintenance crew around the missile.
They all heard the gunshot before seeing the shooter. Shadow Blade instantly became invisible while Wraithe phased his body becoming completely intangible. Cyberhawk and Sunset Samurai were better protected by their armor so they simply chose to scan the area looking for the enemy.
The silo had catwalks circling the outer wall. On the upmost one stood a shirtless man with tiger stripes tattooed on his skin. The man wore a pharaoh headdress and held two laser-sighted pistols in his large hands. The man aimed and fired again. The bullets bounced off the two armored CORE agents who remained still on the ground floor.
Cyberhawk raised an arm and pointed it up in the direction of the shooter and launched a trio of hawk-stars. The Pharaoh dove to one side barely dodging the first star while the other two cut into the cables that attached the catwalk to the ceiling. One of the cables snapped and the catwalk titled sharply to one side. Khafra Bastet holstered his pistols as he slid down the length of the catwalk and clasped the end with his hands just in time to stop himself from falling off.
Shadow Blade and Wraithe had managed to get around to the other side of the missile blocking the Pharaoh’s view of them. John looked around and found a small control panel attached to a podium. The launch controls. Extending his blades he quickly dismantled the panel rendering it useless. Wraithe moved through the missile’s casing and into its internal systems. He’d never been inside a missile before. He drew his small energy pistol from its holster. He knew his rifle would be too big to maneuver inside here so he set it down. Then Wraithe squeezed the trigger firing bolts of energy which seared the wiring and circuit boards that made up the majority of the internal components.
The battle outside continued to rage on as the heroes and the terrorists went head to head. Captain Midnight upper-cutted the Porcupine knocking him free of Luminary, then Raptor hit him with a telekinetic blast. The Rook and Arcanum managed to slam the Armadillo against the side of a troop carrier toppling it over while disorienting the armored villain giving Jackhammer some breathing room.
Then radiation seemed to explode all around them as Bombshell came on the scene. She hit each of them in turn with bursts of radiation before slamming her fist into the wall of the Silo. Before the infiltration team could finish dismantling the missile radioactive energy blasts began slamming into the ground shaking the entire building. Bombshell had melted her way through from the outside. Sunset Samurai drew her sword and stood between the radioactive merc and the rest of her team.
Bombshell hit her with a radioactive punch. The blow was mostly absorbed by the armor but it was still staggering. Sunset had to fight hard not to lose her balance. This gave Bombshell enough time to maneuver around her and attack Cyberhawk. The Pharaoh took this time to make his way to the ground level and he drew a bead on Sunset’s chin, the only spot of her body not covered by armor. Before he could fire though invisible blades were slicing into his pistols and then a form materialized in front of him.
Shadow Blade had done all he could with the control panel and now was itching for a part of the action. He smiled inside his mask at the surprised expression on Khafra Bastet’s face as he sliced the gang leader’s guns into pieces. Then he retracted his blades and punched the man in the face breaking his nose.
“We have to keep these guys occupied” Shadow Blade said to the other two. Wraithe should be just about finished!”
Cyberhawk launched himself at Bomshell tackling her to the ground using the weight of his armor to pin her there. Then he hit her with several quick jabs in succession. The mercenary looked up into his face and gave a grim smile. Then she let the radiation explode outward sending him flying off of her and crashing into the ceiling. The impact knocked the wind out of Tony’s lungs and he blacked out. His armored body crashed into the ground and created a small crater.
Sunset Samurai swung her sword at Bombshell’s exposed back. Before she could connect the Pharaoh slammed his elbow into her back, having slipped away from Shadow Blade momentarily. Wraithe suddenly materialized outside of the missile and found himself in the middle of the chaos.
“Everybody out now” he shouted “this things going to blow!”
Shadow Blade lifted Cyberhawk’s unconscious form and ran towards the hole in the wall that Bombshell had made. Sunset and Wraithe followed closely behind. Bombshell and the Pharaoh made their escape using a secret tunnel that would take them safely away from the compound.
The explosion was immense. The silo shattered outwards sending wall sized shrapnel in all directions. Jackhammer quickly activated his energy barrier and launched himself in front of the unprotected terrorists. He wasn’t about to let them die like that no matter what they had been planning. No these soldiers would not get off that easily, they would be handed over to the authorities.
Up on the dune Talon spoke hurriedly to Westlake “we have incoming” she pointed to the sky where several tiny jets could be seen in the distance “they must have stealth capability, my radar just now picked them up.”
Westlake was shouting into the communicator now “everyone to the evac point. Eagle Eye, pick us up!”
As the first fighter jet roared into view Westlake squeezed the trigger on his sniper rifle aiming for its left engine. The jet’s wing exploded in a ball of fire and the pilot lost control. Robbie Westlake gave himself a mental pat on the back glad to know his weapon techs came through with his request for anti-aircraft bullets.
The UH-60 dropped in low and Westlake climbed aboard, Talon right on his heels. Then Eagle Eye changed course for the evacuation point to collect the rest of the team.
Later on the USS Avenger’s flight deck…
Westlake shook hands with Captain Midnight “we couldn’t have done it without your help” he said.
“Glad we could be of assistance” Midnight replied “now if you could get us off the list of America’s Most Wanted we can call it even.”
“Already done, my contacts in Washington agreed that it needed to be done. I also have something else for you.”
Westlake pulled a small PDA like device from inside a pouch on his belt. Then he handed it to Captain Midnight.
“What’s this?”
“That is Neshemah.”
“What’s Neshemah?”
“She’s a computer program. CORE scientists have just finished this prototype and I thought you could use it. Neshemah can give you real time updates from your Guardian computer so you don’t have to leave anyone behind to man it. It can also decrypt any computer or security system you might come across. It’s also equipped with the latest in transporter technology.”
“Meaning what exactly?” John Dark asked.
“Meaning you no longer have to rely on conventional means of travel, Neshemah can open a portal to anywhere on the planet and instantaneously move your entire team.”
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