3000 Miles West - Somewhere over the Labyrinth

The eight-hundred foot long zephyr broke below the cloud line like a giant silver bullet. The Captain stood at the helm calling orders to his team, but below Jack and his Ravens prepared for insertion. They would be jumping the last fifteen thousand feet. “Double check your vests and load out”. Jack shouted above the roar of engine sounds. “Three minutes” He didn’t know exactly where they were, only the captain was given the coordinates, but he assumed somewhere in the northwest territory. He wasn’t aware there was anything out here but ruins and scavengers. Whatever this Dragon was, the king wanted it back at first reach. “Remember, the Skybeam marks the landing zone, we drop straight down along the light path” There was a loud alarm and the gate began to lower. They looked out at the virtually pitch black night, with only a little light from the sliver of moon. The giant Skybeam lit up the night sky, like a giant marker for a top secret base. Jack imagined this mission must be more desperate than he had imagined. Once they were close enough he began shouting “Go, Go, Go” Cro was the first one out, followed by the rookie, Sug, and Xyla. With a deep breath he followed closely after.

They were in free fall, Cro and Sug had already locked hands and were waiting for the rest. Jack could see Xyla, but the goddamn rookie was out of position. He and Xyla joined the others and locked hands, a giant X formed as they fell along the light path. The rookie seemed to be struggling to get to them. Well there wasn’t much drop training, the entire Kingdom only had three Zephyr’s, but he thought it was pretty easy to understand. They were running way too short on time. He broke away and directed himself towards the idiot Wilkerson. He could see the panicked look on the man’s face when he got there. He grabbed him by the back of the neck and forced him to look at him, signalling to follow his movement. The ground was coming too fucking fast, and if they were out of posistion they were done for. They started moving toward the others, he was already able to make out the outline of the facility in the dark, this was not good. They got to the others and had barely finished locking hands when he started to feel the pressure on his vest. Locked in a star around the beam of light, they could all feel their descent begin to slow, the ground not far away at all now. As they entered the courtyard to the facility they unlocked hands as their descent had almost completely stopped. At about three feet from the ground they hit the eject button on their vests and the giant magnets on their backs ejected, shooting into the night sky. They dropped to the landing pad one knee down, landing virtually simultaneously. The Skybeam turned off, and they heard the electric magnet below them power down. They stood quickly and looked around, they were in the center of a giant stadium looking building. From here he could see the walls were heavily manned with ballista and auto crossbows. It wasn’t a perfect defence, but for raiders, he imagined it was more than enough. Secrecy was obviously their greatest defence. A man in a lab coat was on the edge of the landing zone. There were three guards with him. He walked up and presented a hand. “Dr. Hing, you are the team to extract the dragon I presume.” Jack looked him over as he took his hand. Black hair with gray at the temple, tan skin, and a slant of the eyes. “Commander Jack Storm and my team’ Dr. Hing nodded and turned. “This way” they began a walk toward one of the tunnel entrances. He assumed there was much inside the colosseum he couldn't see, full of weird experiments. “Your team will wait out here, only you have clearance for what's inside” Jack nodded and motioned for his team to take up the perimeter on the tunnel entrance. “What's our exfil doc?” Hing stopped and motioned across the field where he could see some winged looking things. “Our new pegasus project, you will be the first to use them, very exciting.” He said exciting but Hing looked anything but. “Cro, Rookie” Jack motioned towards the Pegasus. “Affirmative” Cro barked and he started toward the machines. Hing motioned for Jack to follow. They stepped into the narrow corridor, and he followed along to some stairs, it was a oddly built structure with lots of open space and narrow hallways. They climbed three sets of stairs before Hing found what he was looking for. He waved for his guards to wait outside as he swiped his keycard and walked inside. Jack followed.

The man in white and gray camo, slowly scaled the wall to the colosseum. In the darkness of the night, he looked like a ghost. Two of his brothers were entering from different points. Stealth was their friend, but time was their enemy.

Cro whistled as he walked up to the Pegasi. “Well i'll be a turkey’s grandpa, but ain’t she a bute” There were five of the sleek black machines. They were on some kind of angled platform, it almost looked like a short launch. Maybe it was. They looked like war horses but infinitely sleeker. Fat black tires, low frames, and long slender gliding wings. “What the hell is it” Wilkerson asked. Cro wore a big smile “That my friend, is a warhorse that flies”

Sug looked over at Xyla, she was always tense lately. He felt like maybe he knew where it was coming from, but neither he nor Cro really wanted to cross that line. She had been with them for years now, and she was like a little sister, but she wore her feelings for the commander like an open book. He debated reaching out to put a hand on her shoulder, maybe he would have that older brotherly chat about duty and love. All of a sudden the Skybeam activated. There were shouts from the Catacombs guards. An alarm sounded just as they saw shadows falling from the sky.

Jack and the doctor exited the room to a blaring alarm. A small black case strapped to Jack's left forearm. Hing for once showed an expression, and it was grim. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but we must hurry” The guards flanked them as the doctor picked up a brisk pace out of the maze of corridors.

The arrows fell like rain, Cro and Rook had taken cover behind the Pegasus. There wasn’t much for cover in the landing field, it was a death trap to anyone landing without authorization. Unfortunately the ballista and crossbow turrets were aimed down or out. No one could foresee an air attack, how could they, no one else should have air abilities. Hitting his mic, Cro shouted “We have multiple incoming charlies, we will hold the exfil point” He heard Jack respond over the radio “I’m with the doctor, we’re making our way out now, three minutes” The guards were firing back at the paratroopers dropping in, but the numbers weren’t in their favor. Dropping mostly into the stands around them, a few landed near the launch pad. Cro grabbed his axe from his back holster and moved in fast. The axe took a twelve guage shell, and had a silver bladed axe head mounted on its forearm and spikes along the top rib. The first charlie was still uncliping himself from his chute. He wore a black and gray camo jumpsuit. His crossbow hung from his chest, and he had a gladius at his side. He didn’t even realize he was in danger before the sharp axe split his head in two. “Get your ass moving Rook'' shouted Cro. Rook uncliped his mace from his side. The mace was a .357 magnum with an eighteen inch barrel. The end of the barrel was weighted and cylindrical, full of spikes. He quickly moved to take the south flank. Two charlies had already unclipped from their chutes and were moving his way with gladiuses drawn and bucklers attached. He mentally smacked himself for not moving quicker, but sometimes when the battle starts, the brain stops. The Ravens didn't carry shields but their left bracers were designed to take a blow. Layered kevlar, ceramic, and steel, with ridges to stop a blade from sliding, with training they were damn near better than a shield. He moved in quick, not giving them time to flank. He took the gladius on his bracer, fainting forward with his mace, and Charlie raised his shield, blocking his view as Rook kicked in his kneecap. His mace swung to the right knocking the incoming gladius away from his neck. He spun right using his left hand to keep the second charlies arm out of reach while he brought the mace in an overhand strike, turning his face into paste. The first charlie had recovered enough to come back in with a swing of his sword, aiming for Rook’s midsection. Rook dodged back and punched his mace forward taking the charlie in the sternum with the top spike. With the two down, he turned and looked around. In the minor moments of his fight, tens more had landed. While there were still lab guards standing, this fight only had one conclusion. He heard Cro’s voice over the mic. “Permission to spend bullets, commander” there was a short pause and Jack answered “Permission granted, but only if necessary.” Rook was pretty surprised, not only was firing a gun, literally burning money, they only had so many rounds with them, and it was a long trip home. Looking around at all the incoming charlies though, he decided making it out of here was certainly a priority.

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Xyla was firing her arrows as fast as she could draw them, but still they kept coming. She was a master with the bow, and with Big Sug running close defence they could hold this door all day. Yet she was keenly aware that she had already used half her quiver. While she had a few more that should already be stashed in the Pegasus supplies, that wouldn’t help her here. She had ten more shots, and then she was down to her daggers. She watched as Sug sliced a charlie damn near in half with his giant buster sword. His kit alone was maybe worth all of the others put together. His mini gun with a giant blade along the base carried enough ammo to make him richer than a count. But he only had one roll of ammo and she hoped he didn’t have to use it here. She looked out at the flood of enemies and saw a man in jet white armor drop into the centar yard. She had some very dark intuition that he wasn’t your average charlie, Jack better fucking hurry she thought.

As Jack and the doctor moved quickly towards the door, one of the lab guards spoke for the first time. “Doctor, it's code Styx '' The doctor's face immediately paled. Without looking at Jack he muttered. “As soon as we are in the courtyard, take the pegasus and flee. The dragon must not fall into enemy hands'' Jack looked at him briefly before lowering his face plate and drawing his weapons. He carried two .44 caliber eagles, with a large curved blade that ran from the base of the handle to the tip of the barrel. They were slashing weapons, meant to be employed in the gun katata that Jack had been mastering over the years. They had a small engraving that ran the length of the blade. For those who could read, it said “When I raise this blade, I wish that even my enemies will receive life eternal”. As they came upon the gate to the courtyard the guards charged forward, Jack could see Xyla in her dance covering Cro, and beyond them a field of enemies. The doctor grabbed him by the elbow and spoke quickly. “I must go and destroy our research, but please keep it safe. In my work is my life, let me live on'' the doctor spun and hurried away. Jack gave him one last look, then marched out into the madness.

Jack moved right up to Sug’s flank, being careful to give him room to maneuver his Buster. “Move toward the Pegs'' Jack shouted into the mic. The din of battle had risen to its peak, and was beginning to lull as the guards were thinned out. Xyla quickly spoke up. “Three charlies in white, centerfield, they look like officers.” Jack’s eyes immediately locked on the three men in stark white armor. They were tearing through the guards like butter. One wielded a chain sword, which he used with all of the grace of a dancer. Everywhere it slashed was cut open or dismembered. The second carried two hook swords. Unwieldy in most hands, this person was a true artist, his brush was murder and his canvas was death. And the third, and possibly most terrifying, was a giant of a man, nearly seven feet tall. His armor made him look like a giant white statue. A man that size couldn’t have that kind of speed, but as Jack watched, he made his weapon sing. It was at least six feet long, with a war hammer on one side, and a scythe on the other. He harvested a swath of lives wherever he walked. In Jack’s hindbrain, a surge of challenge roared within him. These were real fucking warriors, and the battle would be glorious. Then he felt a tug on his arm and looked down to see Xyla had pulled at him. He realized he had stopped in his tracks to stare at these three. In that moment, he felt all three of them turn and stare at him as well. “Now, Jack” Xylas' words reignited his brain and he moved toward the Pegasi. Even if they stormed straight toward them, they wouldn’t reach them in time. The battle would have to wait.

Cro’s axe caved into the chest of the closest charlie, he used the man’s chest to cock his shotgun as he fired into the charlie who had been reloading a crossbow on the other side of him. He cocked his shotgun again and yanked it out of the dying charlie’s chest. He caught an incoming gladius on his bracer and smashed the piked end of his axe into the man’s temple. “Teach you to keep your shield up, idiot” He and Rook had finally cleared some space and there was a pile of bodies around both of them. They had used it sparingly, but burning some ammo had saved their asses. “Mount up!” he saw the rest of the team rolling up. And quickly jumped on the closest Pegasus. As the rest of the team straddled their bikes. Cro asked “how do we start these, what is this button--- Oh Shit!” his pegasus shot up the forty-five degree like a bullet from a gun. At the peak of his ark the wings engaged and he started gliding. Below him he could see the fighting had almost ended. The gray camo soldiers had taken the facility, but there were alot of bodies on both sides down there. Something had gone very wrong, he wasn’t sure what Jack had planned next. If this site was compromised, their next rendezvous could be as well. He looked behind him and saw all the gliders in the sky behind him. “I guess that’s a problem for another day he muttered”

Dr. Hing had just finished trashing his office when the door was kicked in. Three soldiers burst into the room followed by another man with no helmet on. The soldiers grabbed the doctor and threw him into his office chair. They quickly secured his legs and wrists with the plastic manacles. “Alright Doctor, where is it, we know there was a second dragon created.” His initial response was going to be to lie, but he was surprised at how much this man seemed to know. How did he know they had created two? He decided to go with obstinacy. “I won't tell you-- Aghh!” a knife slammed into his thigh and he screamed. “Let’s skip the torture and get to the part where you tell me what I want to know.” The man said as he raised his eyebrow. Hing struggled with his thoughts, he was a scientist, he knew he wouldn’t be able to take the pain. Tears filled his eyes but he spoke firmly. “In the safe, behind the mirror” the man smiled as he walked over to the wall and smashed the mirror. Behind it in the wall, was a small coded safe. “I knew you would be a good boy, now tell me the code.” Hing spoke through the pain as one of the guards twisted the dagger when he took too long to speak. “Eleven sixteen, fifty-eight” He mumbled something very quietly at the end. “What did you say?” sneered the man as he finished the code. Hing slowly smiled and said “god be with me” as the room exploded.

From where Jack was still gliding he saw a portion of the lab go up in a large explosion. The doc had told him the contingency plan but he had hoped he wouldn’t need it. He wondered if the three men in white had been taken by the explosion, but somehow he doubted it. As their gliders finally hit the dirt several miles from the lab, the wings disconnected and Jack hit the throttle on his bike, turning southeast. On the radio he heard Cro ask “The rendezvous is eighty clicks that way Jack.” Jack nodded. Something was bothering him, and he always trusted his instincts. The plan was compromised, so they need to change the plan. “We head for New Vegas” he said. He didn’t see Sug and Cro share a look behind him. He knew if he said they were going to hell itself they would follow, because they always did.