His armour had grown tight. He needed to spend less time lifting weights or he would start to slow down. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and adjusted his gloves for the third time. Daphi would be ready to drop him soon, he had to be ready too. He checked his shoe laces, they were fine. His rifle was fine. Little-man, his heirloom pistol, was loaded. He needed a haircut. It could get in the way if it grew any longer.

"You've got this, Reese." Lara whispered. She was sat across from him as always. He nodded. He knew he would make it, that never alleviated the nerves though. He had been on much riskier missions than this during the Queen's Rebellion and came out unharmed. "Well, mostly unharmed." He thought as he glanced at his right arm nestled within its glove. He knew the plan. He trusted his squad. He was ready.

Drop would be soon. They had waited till dark, not that it mattered. It was a full moon. They would see him from a mile out; it was almost as bad as attacking in broad daylight. They couldn't wait, however. Lazlow was here and that meant something. He could be inspecting the device or he could be preparing to transport it to Hypatia, well out of reach. It had to be now. "Check me." He told Lara. She did. She tried to pull his armour down but it didn't budge, good. She routed through his pack. "No carabiners." She said, handing him a small pack of three clips from her belt and he slotted it into his pack. "Ready?" She asked.

"Ready. Wish me luck, kid." He responded.

"Shouldn't need it."

"Couldn't hurt to have it though."

The door slid open and the smell of pine and grass flooded in. It reminded him of home. The little cabin in the woods that he, Sash and Lara used to live in. The inch of paradise on Earth. "Just a day till paradise, hey kid?" He said as he stepped out. She laughed. The phrase was a common one for Raptor, almost a prayer but the time for praying was over.

The snow crunched underfoot. He would need to tread lighter. He ran forth. Stage one of the plan, Lara would take out the elite guard from the cliff. Reese would destroy the anti-air defences so that Archi could launch an assault. All he needed to wait on was the distraction.

Ten, thirty, ninety round flew into the base. The guards ran together to the main entrance to see where the shots came from. Reese wished he could see their faces, the horror and confusion upon realising there was a colossal German man holding an oversized machine gun launching a one man assault on the base.

They left the far wall unmanned, ametures. He slipped through the fence and hid beneath a tank. He didn't have much time, Garrison would be overwhelmed without air support. He planted a small sticky sack within the tanks treads, just behind the armour panelling, and moved on. The first problem of the day, three guards on the turret. He could take two easily but the third would see and alert the others before he could get to him. Reese thought to himself and searched for an opportunity until he realised - a laser was being pointed at him.

It came from the cliff. Lara. She was signaling him. She would take the third. He pointed at the furthest guard and the laser disappeared.

A blade was drawn and a corpse created. His friend didn't even see. Reese moved on to the second man just as a shot rang out and got the third. The guard panicked and span around before being met with the same blade to his throat. Reese had used the man's own momentum against him.

The bomb was planted and he moved on.

Three more guards and a dog. The guards were dispersed, easy. The dog could be distracted, hopefully. He ran as quick as he could at them. They didn't hear him coming. He jumped and landed a knee to the back of the first guard's head. She fell flat. He fired two silenced rounds and killed the second guard. A final shot finished the third but the dog managed to dive Reese and he was knocked onto his back. The dog grew fierce. It clawed and gnashed away. It was well trained and jumped straight for his jugular. Reese managed to get his right arm in the way and the dog clamped down, hard. The first guard rose up and readied her rifle but was swiftly stopped by a shot from afar. Lara was still watching over him. He pulled his blade and thrust it into the hound's neck. It was a quick death. The next bomb was placed to destroy both remaining anti-air guns. He prepared to detonate.

"Move!" A soldier called from within the base. Just then, ten elite guards barged out and took a defensive posture. They were well equipped and even better trained. They would be a problem. Reese moved from the blast radius and hit his detonator. The guns went up and the tank was disabled. The explosion wasn't as large as Reese had hoped and - knowing that they had no way to communicate - he worried Archi wouldn't know the guns were down. His worries seemed to be confirmed when five minutes passed and Daphi was nowhere to be seen.

He hoped Lara was still watching over him and waved to her. The laser re-appeared beside him. He wrote in large print on a piece of paper "DAPHI" and hoped it would be enough to get her to signal Archi. The laser disappeared and a moment passed. Then another; and another. He prepared himself to face the assault without Daphi. He racked his rifle and cleaned his blade but then he saw it. It was like a shooting star in the middle of the night. It flew high over the base and shimmered like sunlight through rain. It cleared the top of the base by at least a hundred metres. That was when he realised what it was. Lara had shot a round at Archi. Her way of getting his attention.

It worked. Archi flew in and dropped his first payload. No great damage was caused but the distraction gave Reese a chance to slip through the elite guards and enter into the facility.

The walls were cracked black concrete that sucked the light from the corridor. The roof held a single fluorescent bulb but otherwise the hall was featureless. He tied the door shut behind him and skulked forth. With any luck the guards would all be too distracted to notice him slip in. He knew luck was too much to ask for.

He reached the single wooden door at the end of the mouldy old room. An ear to the keyhole betrayed those behind it. He heard mumbled orders and rifles being loaded. They were ready.

It wouldn't save them.

The door blew off its hinges and smoke flooded the room. Bullets flew wildly at nothing in particular. The first man died within seconds. Nobody noticed. The fourth and fifth died loudly yet much quieter than the hail of bullets and so, yet again, nobody noticed. It was only at the tenth man did they notice and regroup but it was much too late by then.

The smoke began to clear and the corpses presented themselves. Some were hung from the ceiling; some were gutted on the floor. Most simply lacked throats. The remaining guards formed a circle, they sought to protect each others backs.

They couldn't find the attacker. It seemed he had disappeared. Maybe he had managed to run past them?

Had they been calmer they would have noticed. Ten men had died yet eleven corpses lay beneath the last remnants of smoke. They would have noticed the deadman pull the pin, and they would have noticed the grenade roll in the middle of their circle.

The first room was clear. How many more would he have to face?

He stepped over the barrier and entered the next room. Cameras focused in on him. He prepared to dodge any turrets but none appeared.

"Lieutenant..." A whispered voice called over the speakers. "Lieutenant. My name is Ntumbe." The voice continued. He was clearly panicked and yet speaking very quietly. "I'm the Alliance spy that leaked the generator plans. I've managed to disable the cameras. You can sneak through the next room and hitch a ride into the facility. But- but be quick, lieutenant. My cover will likely be blown by the time you reach me. I will need aid in my escape." He whispered. Reese sighed. The Arbiter had clearly lead this man to believe he would be protected if he spied for her. Reese knew he wouldn't have time to extract him. He also knew the Arbiter wouldn't care, otherwise she would have told Garrison about the spy. He stepped into the next room.

A warehouse spanned before him. It could have gone on for miles. From roof to floor Reese thought he could fit ten full houses. He didn't realise how deep he had already descended. It made some sense though, after all they had spent a full day atop of a man-made cliff - the stone had to come from somewhere. He walked on. Racks and racks spread across the entire warehouse. Some stored rifles, some stored plastic bags. Everything an army could possibly need buried deep underground.

He ducked away as a pair of mechanical guards passed him by. They seemed to be on low alert, why? It seemed the spy had managed to completely cut communication within the base. They had no idea they were being attacked. Good. It gave Reese a chance.

He snuck around boxes and crates. A suppressed bullet or two had to be fired along his way and a body was stuffed into a crate of tinned vegetables but otherwise the route was easy. This had all been strangely easy. "Lieutenant?" The spy whispered again as Reese approached the vehicle depot. "I hope you can hear me. Be careful. There are elite security inside." He said.

The door blew clean off, only, the wrong way. The blast send Reese onto his back and a piece of shrapnel clipped his shoulder. From the door, three soldiers poured out. They moved as one and checked all angles but Reese was already gone. He had managed to slip around the corner. He readied for a fight. These were the elite guards and would wipe the floor with him if he wasn't careful. He rounded the corner and fired. One, two, three bullets hit three heads and three men fell down. He was almost disappointed at the ease of it, until...

A flurry of bullets rang out from the downed soldiers. Reese dove out of the line of fire but one shot clipped his calf. Nothing major, just a flesh wound. He stood with his back an inch from the wall as the three men took turns emptying a magazine into it. How did they take the bullets? They weren't wearing helmets, they must somehow have gained access to SBAs. Reese doubted he would be able to shake off a point blank headshot like they had. Theirs must have been upgraded using ministry tech.

He threw a smoke grenade and rounded the corner again. Guns would be useless, he needed to get up close. He threw a small knife at the furthest soldier's gun and knocked it from his hands. The other two opened fire. He managed to get close enough to one to throw his rifle into the air but he still took a round to the back from the third man. Reese fell to his knee for a moment but swiped his legs forward and brought the near soldier down atop of him. He struggled to keep the soldier close as to prevent the others from shooting. She fought back, and did so with great speed. Reese grabbed the soldier's arm as she launched a punch at him. He tangled around it and twisted it till it snapped; then he pulled the woman up by the arm so that the two were stood opposed to the remaining elites. He named them in his head as he planned. In his grasp was Red. To his left was Blue and to his right was Green.

He backed up to the racks behind him while Blue and Green kept him well within their sights.

"Where'd you get the kit?" He asked mostly just trying to stall them but somewhat curious. They deigned not to respond and so Reese decided to twist Red's broken arm a little more.

"Have a guess, traitor." She spat through gritted teeth.

"You have a spy at Elysium?" He asked, twisting a little more for luck.

"A spy? You think we only have one?" She mocked.

He could have continued the questioning but he had managed to back up far enough so instead elected to break her neck. The two remaining soldiers opened fire, not realising where he had backed up to. Around him where crates of grenades. Not just any grenades, but CS gas grenades - more commonly known as 'tear gas'. Reese had spent weeks in the gas chamber during training, he very much doubted these troopers could say the same. He was correct. They coughed and sputtered long enough for Reese to climb the rack and get out of view.

The soldiers backed away from the gas leak and Reese got to work. He pulled out a rope and tied a noose with it. He jumped like a shadow across racks to follow the soldiers as they tried to recover from the gas. It was his chance. He dove down onto Green and wrapped his noose around the gun Blue held. He ripped it from his hands and threw it far from reach. Reese ducked a swing from Blue and slammed him with a shoulder barge. He managed to wrangle green's gun and let off three rounds into his eye. The third managed to breach his SBA and his eye popped into a bloody mess.

Blue charged in with a tackle and got Reese around the waist. They crashed into a rack and a dozen boxes fell down around them. The two men struggled for a moment, locked in a deadly embrace, until Blue managed to pull Reese's knife from its sheath. Thinking fast, Reese slipped his legs and brought the struggle to the floor. He tried, in vain, to grab the knife. Blue slashed heavily at Reese who managed to just about deflect Blue's arm each time. The struggle continued with no clear winner. Reese would throw a punch and Blue would duck it, throwing out a knife slash in kind. This was until Green snuck up and grabbed Reese from behind. His new eyehole leaked blood and puss down Reese's shirt and the urge to gag nearly consumed him. Blue ran at him and planted the knife firmly into his left shoulder. With a great and pained yell, Reese managed to flip Green over him and onto his back. "AARGH! Fuck you!" Reese shouted as he dug the blade out from his shoulder. He charged mercilessly. A slash and stab and kick and punch. He was injured but focused and armed. He had the advantage. He targeted Blue first. He feigned an attack overhead before dropping to slash his thigh. He stood back up and slashed again up Blues chest. It wasn't over, however. Blue managed to kick the blade from Reese's hand and knock him backwards into a rack.

None of the three men attacked. Reese leant against the rack and caught his breath and the two soldiers did the same.

"If we don't get you, traitor, there's fifty more inside." Blue said. He spat blood on the floor mid way through speaking. Reese didn't respond. He smiled and gave a coy wink before he took a deep breath and steadied his stance before facing the soldiers. He didn't attack though, instead he invited them to. Green accepted the offer. He let off a great roar, stood to charge.... and collapsed. Reese laughed a little. "Blood loss." He pointed out.

"I know." Blue said with disgust. "Let's just get on with it."

He charged. Reese pulled a box from the rack he had been leaning on and threw it directly at Blues head. It knocked him off guard and Reese ran in with a heavy hook right after. He followed Blue to the floor and kept punching. He beat and beat and beat until there was no Blue left behind all the red.

"Good job, Lieutenant!" The spy whispered over his comm. Reese was too tired to insult him but rest assured, many rude words were thought. He knew that the guards only blew the door down because they heard him speaking over the intercom.

He continued to the depot and a small train opened its door. He sat heavily and took his shirt off to get to his wounds. The train set off automatically as he pulled a medical kit from his pack. He packed the stab wound with a white foam before stapling the flesh together then he pulled a flask from the pack. The smell of scotch filled the carriage. He drank half the flask in one and saved the rest for victory.

"Lieutenant? Are you well?" The spy asked.

"Just dandy." He answered with the vigour of a man who wanted nothing more than a nice soft, cotton sheeted bed.

"They were right, you know? I count forty six more elites like those you have just fought." He whispered.

"Well, I wish them luck. How is the assault outside going?" He tiredly asked.

"It's over. Your ship picked up the gunner and left the scene. They probably think you are dead already." The spy said. Reese just laughed.

"They've got my vitals on a monitor. They know i'm still kicking... Have some plan ready for me, no doubt." He sounded close to sleep but roused himself as the train came to a stop.

He reached for the door.

"Errm, Lieutenant. I wouldn't-" The spy tried to warn. He was too late. The door was open. Before Reese was a corridor. Exposed wires dangled from the roof, pipes ran up the walls and detritus littered the old floor. There also happened to be twelve of the so called 'elite guards' all staring directly at the shirtless and bloody Reese. They stood in stark confusion and didn't even raise their weapons. He shot them all a wide toothy smile.

"Anybody got the time?" He asked.

The youngest, and closest, soldier checked his watch.

"4:30." He politely told Reese.

"Oh, right." Reese responded, clearly caught off guard that somebody answered him. "Thanks!" He decided to push his luck. He put his hands behind his back, stood up straight and marched forward like an officer. A guard stood in front of the door and Reese looked him in the eyes. "Move aside now." Reese ordered. The soldiers looked at each other in confusion. They looked back and forth as if to check if they were supposed to let him through or not.

"Erm." The guard nearest mumbled. "Who... Are you?" He finally asked.

"Ah! Lieutenant! Welcome. Come on in." The spy called out over the speakers.

"Thank you Ntumbe." Reese responded. He looked to the guard again and simply raised his eyebrows.

"Lieutenant... Why are you bleeding?" The guard asked.

"And shirtless?" Another guard somewhat breathlessly asked.

"Well, my shirt was covered in blood. Couldn't rightly keep it on; could I?" Reese answered.

"But why was it covered in blood?" The first guard asked.

"Because I was bleeding... obviously."

"I- Why where you bleeding?"

"Because I had a cut. Tell me sergeant: Do you tend to interrogate all of your superior officers?" It seemed as if the guard was about to concede, Reese began to step past him.

"Hang on." Another soldier interrupted. "You're the Reese. The traitor!" She announced.

"Oh, fuck you!" Reese shouted as he grabbed the shotgun from the first guard. "He was going to let me through! That would have made the best fucking story." Reese complained as he snapped the first guards neck.

The fight began. The room was too enclosed for the guards to just hail fire on Reese. Three struck out with batons. One high, one low and one to the groin. Reese brought his leg up high to block the groin shot while using the shotgun to block high. The low managed to swipe his leg and he tumbled to one knee. Strategy took a back seat to instinct as Reese allowed his body to take control. He ducked a swipe at his head and let loose with the shotgun. One to the head would knock them down, two would take them out. Twelve rounds, twelve enemies. He moved through the group. He used the gun more as a melee weapon than a firearm. He blocked a baton and fired behind himself, knocking a man out. He would wake in a couple of seconds. A shell was sent out into one guards knee and the leg was snapped backwards. It didn't stop him. The guard limped and pulled out a small pistol. Two rounds hit Reese in the chest but neither penetrated. His SBA was holding but Reese doubted it would take much more punishment.

He steadied himself. Two guards were dead, one had a broken leg and another was still dazed. He had managed to create some space to unload a few shells. One dead, two hurt. Good enough. He shot as quickly as he could into the crowd. It wasn't as effective but wore down nearly all the guards somewhat. That was that, the ammo ran dry.

He took a boxers stance and a deep breath.

"Grab him" A guard ordered. Four guards ran at Reese. He kicked the first one while punching out at the second. The third grabbed his leg and the fourth kicked him in the jaw. Reese was dragged to the ground but quickly got on top. A right hook was enough to snap the guards jaw and a heel behind him was enough to keep the fourth back.

He found himself somewhat afraid when he stood up. The guard whose jaw he had just left dangling was crawling towards Reese and the man who had his knee inverted was limping on regardless. These men and women refused to give in no matter how bad he hurt them. Usually he would make a graphic display of hurting the first three enemies and the rest would run but with these elites he realised he would somehow have to kill them all.

Left, right and a leg sweep. Behind, two were running up. Roll and leg pincer. Snap. He needed a weapon. Baton? No, he needed something longer; something to keep them at bay. He rolled a charging soldier over his back, grabbed him by his wrist and snapped his elbow.

Two stood near but weren't attacking, why? He looked around, they were circling him.

They were going to surround him, grab him and put him down. Reese backed up against a wall. He bumped into something jutting out. He couldn't turn around to look at it but felt it. A pipe. Perfect! He needed to pull it from the wall but it would take too much force.

He looked around for something to get the bar off with. That's when a guard charged alone. She thought she had the drop on Reese. She was wrong. He grabbed her and threw her against the pipe. It budged a little but needed something more. He grabbed her baton, wedged it behind the pipe and threw her head first into it. It came free with a clang as he ripped it away.

He swung, hard. It met flesh and bone with a violent crunch. Crimson sprayed across the beige brickwork. Reese rolled backwards and bounced off the wall, landing with a swing and breaking through the circle.

He almost convinced himself he had the advantage until he felt a knife slip beneath his ribs. It missed his lungs but he was willing to bet his liver had been nicked. He grabbed behind him and flipped the attacker over his shoulder. The man didn't go easy, he pulled the knife with him and dragged it along Reese's left shoulder as he went. The cut was deep and bloody.

"I should have left my shirt on, ey?" Reese joked as he crushed the man's windpipe with his bare right hand.

"How many of you cunts are left?" He sighed as he clutched his gaping wound. There were a few left, most of them injured. "Any of you got kids?" He asked as he braced for the fight to go on. Nobody responded. "Leave now and see them again. Stay and i'll string you from the roof." He declared. Nobody took his offer.

"When Sect Head Malthines finds out we killed you, Reese..." An injured guard panted. "We'll live like kings."

Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

"We will find the spy that got you in here, then we will find Serah and bring an end to this petty little tantrum of hers." Another guard declared. Reese laughed. It was a false laugh, transparently so. He smiled widely but his eyes were dead. The guards looked at each other before approaching him.

They attacked together. It was like a dance.

They flowed and pushed and pulled while Reese stepped and dodged, spun and blocked. They landed hits and so did he. A woman punched him in the belly in return he hit the man to his side. He swept her legs out and threw another guard into the wall. He rolled to grab the pipe and stabbed the jagged end into one of the guards. Now only three soldiers were left standing. Himself, the woman and the young soldier who told him the time.

"Walk away." Reese said. He was nearly begging.

"We aren't traitors, Lieutenant." The woman spat. The boy looked around. He was clearly afraid.

"Just walk, please." He pled. The boy looked at him, steeled.

"All these corpses, you can't leave this place alive." The boy declared.

"I've killed all your friends. I'll kill you too." Reese sighed, completely resigned.

"Probably." The boy admitted as he took a fighting stance. "But i'll soften you up for the others."

He screamed. He charged. He died. His lifeless corpse fell to the Earth with a crunch. The woman followed shortly.

He was done. Not just with this fight but in general. He was beaten. There was no further he could go. He had leaked enough blood to sink a ship and by Ntumbe's count, there could be as many as twenty more men in the next room.

"Fuck" He grumbled as he collapsed to the floor. Colour seemed to drain from the room and Reese could swear he heard the sea. Waves crashing on shore, or maybe rain pelting on the cabin's roof?

"Take a breath, Jackass." He told himself. "It's just one more day... till Paradise." He grunted as he rose to his feet. His bloody palm left bloody streaks along the wall as he slinked towards the door. A path of crimson, never any further behind him than his own hand.

He tripped over a corpse and landed hard on his hands and knees. His body took the chance to throw up. He didn't stew, though; he moved on and reached the door, ready to face whatever would greet him on the other side.

He was frozen for a moment. All flashed before him. He remembered life in the undercity. He remembered finding his new family, growing up as abandoned children together. He remembered the day Iris Commons graced him, and the day she told him her name. He remembered training with Akemi. Firing the shot that began the Queen's rebellion. Meeting Lara Black and saving each other time and time again. He remembered the tower, the princess within it and Lazlow who killed her. He remembered his vow and why it destroyed him. The names he swore to wipe out. Lazlow, Khaleed, Akyama, Gardener, Max, Malthines and the final name he would never repeat. He remembered carving each name into their own bullet and loading them into Little Man.

He remembered why he wouldn't lose. He remembered his daughter, the princess in the tower. He would avenge Anna. He could die in victory, but never else.

The door flung open and he readied for a fight. His fists raised up and he tucked in his chin. He sprung ready to dodge a hit that... didn't come? There were no guards. No soldiers. Just a couple of scared scientists and one excessively happy gentleman.

"Lieutenant!" Ntumbe called out, winding up for a hug.

"N- Ntumbe?"

"Yes! It is I!" He was a tall man, slim and lanky. His short curly hair held a streak of grey and his youthful eyes were held within a cracked and wrinkled face.

"I thought there would be more guards here?" Reese questioned.

"There were. They left." He said in an annoyingly chipper tone.

"They... Left?" Reese questioned.

"Indeed! It is most fortuitous!"

"But, why?"

"They must have been scared off?"

Reese didn't believe him. These men had fought on after losing limbs and eyes and a dozen comrades. They wouldn't flee without a fight.

"They believed there was a large fighting force invading and left some place." Ntumbe continued. Reese didn't have time to question it. He assumed they had moved deeper within the facility and he would simply see them later.

"Sit, Lieutenant. Let us treat your wounds." Ntumbe insisted. He lightly pushed Reese into a stool and began to clean out the gash on his shoulder.

"Dr. Ntumbe?" A scientist whispered. "What are you doing?" She asked. He looked at her with a slight disgust.

"Dr. Singh, I am afraid I must tender my resignation. After much ethical consideration, I realise that our work here must be stopped." He told her.

"Doctor. This is not the answer! He killed those men!" She responded in a slight rage. Reese winced as Ntumbe carelessly applied disinfectant spray to his wound.

"Amanda... We have killed hundreds. Our technology powers weapons of genocide, we need to be stopped." He insisted.

"We have families, Ntumbe. Please."

"Oh, erm." Reese interrupted. "I have no idea who you people are or what you are doing here. I have no interest in killing any of you. Just... go ahead and leave if you want?"

"Oh." The doctor jolted. She didn't look at Reese but quickly shuffled out of the room. Two more scientists stood stationary in fear. Reese just waved at them and they left the room in turn. A small squeal called out from the corridor as the scientists stumbled upon the mass of corpses but the door slammed shut and they were gone from view.

Ntumbe continued to tend to Reese's wounds. "So..." Reese awkwardly began. "What is it you work on here?" He asked.

"This room is the weapons tech department. I am in charge of countermeasures. Which reminds me!" He shuffled away, leaving a stitch dangling from Reese's chest. Reese continued the stitch himself as the doctor routed around in a large crate. "Aha!" He called out. He rose from the crate and produced from it a large, European style bastard sword covered in what looked like circuits.

"A... sword?"

"Not just any sword!" Ntumbe explained. "A ' nano enhanced weapon type' sword or a NEWT, for short." He beamed as he handed the blade to Reese.

"So... a newt sword?"

"Yes!"

"What does a newt sword do, exactly?" Reese asked.

"Well... It cuts people." He answered with a facetious grin. Reese didn't humour him. He placed the sword down and continued to tend to his wounds. "I'm sorry. No, it disrupts SBAs!" He proudly announced.

"Knives penetrate SBAs already?" Reese pointed out.

"True, for now. The next gen being created in Hypatia blocks even melee weapons. This device can disrupt the energy field created by an SBA and allows penetration. In older models, like those yourself and these elites are using, it can completely shut them down after even minor contact." He explained.

"Meaning, I hit them with this and they are vulnerable to bullets?" The realisation of what he held began to dawn on Reese. An advantage, a huge one at that.

"Indeed, lieutenant!" He proudly agreed.

"Can it be made smaller?" Reese asked. "Say a knife, or even a bullet?"

Ntumbe paused to contemplate. "The technology is in its infancy. Maybe one day, with appropriate research, but this blade alone cost the same as a tank to create. I think it is unlikely to be used in automatic weaponry any time soon." He pontificated.

"Thank you, doctor. This gives me a shot." Reese said as he rose to his feet.

"You are still going deeper?" Ntumbe recoiled in shock.

"Mission isn't complete yet. Gotta keep going." Reese explained. He pulled a carabiner from his pack and created an impromptu sheath for the sword.

"But-" He stammered. "But what about me?"

Reese didn't respond. He looked at the doctor with dead eyes. "Run?" He carelessly suggested. Ntumbe's eyes filled with dread.

"But- I helped you? They will kill me for this!"

"The only people who know you were involved have just ran." Reese hinted.

"You're saying I should kill them?" The horror in his voice echoed throughout the laboratory. The soldier turned his back in cold apathy. He had a mission, he had a target. Nothing else mattered.

He marched towards the next door. He wasn't fresh but felt a new hope. The blade, Newt, gave a chance. It wasn't much but it was enough. He was focused, ready. He didn't even flinch when gunshots rang out in the corridor behind him. He didn't react when he heard a scientist begging for their lives. He simply stepped to the threshold of the next room.

The door creaked open. There was no great breach nor any massive rush. One step lead to another, lead to another. The room was empty.

A mouldy old desk. A lowly humming computer. A single fluorescent bulb. This couldn't be everything. Drops of water tumbled from broken old pipes and ran down the wooden panel walls. The floor creaked beneath him. He stepped deeper into the room. A crooked painting. A dusty bookshelf. A cold cup of coffee. Nothing. He looked around more thoroughly. It was a puzzle. "Where's Novalise when you need her?" He thought. He considered, what would she do. First, check for dust. If somebody had been here recently, dust would be displaced.

He ran his finger along the broken computer monitor, filthy. He checked the bookcase, just as bad. The room was old, very old. It looked like something designed in the 1980s. The doctor said that a group of soldiers had fled through here. Why and how? He knocked on the drywall, looking for something hollow. Nothing.

A thought arose in the back of his mind. Coffee. A single cold mug but it didn't have a skin over it or mold around it. It could only have been out for a small while. The mug was caked in dust all around only... Behind it. Finger marks. Reese picked the mug up and beneath was a cutout hole in the table. A switch!

The floor in the middle of the room fell away. A ladder and a very tight squeeze presented itself. He made his way down. Ten, maybe twenty meters? A stark contrast to the old fashioned room. Clinical and sterile. A laboratory?

Generators hummed and computers beeped. White tiles lined blank walls in the far from homely room. A room to his right could be seen through a thin glass window. Within were microscopes and lab equipment, but also rough linen beds and utilitarian couches. One wall, on the far side, had posters and pictures sporadically pinned up. Some were of families, some were less than wholesome. People lived down here. Where were they?

He walked on. The doors opened automatically. The air was stale, recycled. Was this a survival shelter of some kind? He proceeded on. He passed a garden filled with greens and nature; he passed a canteen equipped for at least fifty. There was an eerie emptiness all around. No sound echoed from the blank walls, nobody worked, nobody ate, nobody slept. There were signs that people had been through recently. Food left unattended, experiments left half complete.

Reese winced as his stitches popped. Blood dripped down and stained the perfect white floor. He clenched his belly as it hurt more than his shoulder. He was bleeding internally and externally. Without medical attention, he would pass out and die within an hour. He had to complete the mission.

He knew he had no way of communicating with Daphi. The ministry had trackers setup everywhere on the mainland. A single word spoken over his comm and his exact position would be given away. He was on his own. A poor fate for a pack animal, for a Raptor.

He rose to his unsteady feet and limped on, dripping blood along his path. At least he would be able to find his way out.

"Reese." A voice called out. He raised his blade and prepared for a fight but nobody was there. "What is it now... Lieutenant?" The voice continued. Reese realised that it was coming over an intercom. He marched forward, ignoring the voice.

"Something of a demotion, wouldn't you say?" The voice became clearer, Reese knew who it was. "From the Heiress' personal guard, to a lowly lieutenant. There's almost a shame in it." Reese didn't speak. He knew what his response would be and he prefered to give it in person. "Then again... You couldn't rightly continue to serve her after such a spectacular failure!" The voice mocked. Reese walked faster, nearly breaking into a run. "Tell me, does she blame you?"

He had to be near. The lab was a one way system. A single corridor with detached rooms alongside. A sign read 'Bunker' and pointed down the corridor. He could see the door.

"No, I don't suppose she would tell you. It wouldn't matter anyhow. A man like you... Sure to blame himself even when granted absolution." The voice goaded, a craven cackle budded from beneath his words. The nasal tone, the self importance and the slow - monotonous - cadance all made his identity so very apparent. Lazlow. He taunted the bull because he believed the barrel he hid in would keep him safe from the horns. He was wrong. "Tell me, Lieutenant." Lazlow spat, the rank was an insult when it came from his lips. "How is our darling Serah? Her father misses her so..."

The door was solid steel. It would take time to break through, too much time. He could burn through it but by the time the door was gone, he would have bled out. He needed the door opened from the inside. He would need to bait Lazlow into a fight.

"Councillor." He grumbled as he faced the door. A camera just above focused in on him.

"Ah, it speaks!" Lazlow responded. "I was worried spending so much time amongst the rabble - sorry, 'Rebels' - had atrophied your mind so greatly that your capacity for speech had devolved to the level of the great apes you so thoroughly resemble."

"Councillor." Reese repeated, lowly. "It is ill fitting to address a man of your... Status, through a camera. Come out and let us parley."

"Parley? You invade ministry property, you kill my personal guard and you expect to... Parley?" He would have sounded amused had he not been so offended by the implication he would negotiate with the likes of Reese.

"We can wait here all day, Lazlow. Only, your son may not appreciate that." Reese began.

"My- son?" Lazlow repeated.

"We have him Lazlow. We will kill him, slowly. I'm not here for you. I'm here for the generator. Give it to me and I leave." Reese declared.

"You- You're lying!" Lazlow declared, a mix of fear and arrogance had mixed behind his throat and left his voice to break. He was correct, of course. Latest intel suggested that Lazlow's son had gone into hiding somewhere near Hawai'i but Reese had no idea where he was beyond that.

"Try me." He lost all expression. It was a bluff but one he knew he could play off. He knew Lazlow was scared of him and what he could do. He knew his reputation would be enough to convince Lazlow.

A moment of silence passed. Reese wouldn't let another. He knew the more time he gave Lazlow, the more he would think everything through. "Do you remember the last time we met?" Reese whispered. "Do you remember what you did to me. Do you really believe I won't kill your son?" He took a breath. He tried to steady himself. The hostage may be a lie but the hatred wasn't. The willingness to burn anyone and anything between himself and his target.

"Open. The. Door." He ordered through gritted teeth and the reserved wrath of a man who lost all but hope.

The door shifted slowly. It crept from the ground as steam flooded from beneath it. Sirens blared and men marched. The last soldiers. Armed and fresh.

He didn't wait. The door opened and the blade was drawn. It was perfect. Sharp enough to near split a man in half. He ducked bullets and wild fists. A soldiers hand came off, another lost his nose. It was getting easier and easier. A blade nicked a man's cheek and a flurry of stolen bullets riddled him soon after. The door hadn't even finished opening by the time the first four men fell. Anyone else wouldn't have a chance. Any other target and Reese would have lost. Now? It was easy. Pure drive - pure spite - pushed him onwards. Hate ducked a bullet and wrath reached out a flurry of fists. It was beyond a combat, it was slaughter. Reese didn't even notice that his SBA had finally given out. Whether it was hatred, will or just pure adrenaline; Reese was oblivious to the hits he had taken. A bullet to the calf, a shallow slash up the back, a heavy hook to the ribs. None of it mattered. None of it was enough. Reese wasn't a man, wasn't a soldier. He was a ghost. A dead eyed vessel for the feeling of who came before. A last ember of the life that he once had, the life ripped from him by the man in the next room. The man these guards protected. A ducked swing lead to the blade slashing upwards into the man's ribs. Revenge for his own puncture wound. A kick behind lead to him throwing the sword across the room at a woman ready to open fire. No bullets shot from the rifle but blood spilt from her eye. A stolen rifle was enough from there. A single spray in an enclosed room. All corpses.

He didn't dawdle. The next room. Two more corpses.

"Wait!" Lazlow begged. Reese marched to him and rested the blade beside his throat. "Please!"

"The generator." Reese ordered. Lazlow nodded, frantically.

"Yes. Right here, please!" He sputtered as he crawled across the room. He opened a shutter and curled up with his hands raised over his head.

What he presented was giant. Easily three meters tall and wider even than that. It had a steel wireframe and circuits that were laid bare. It was a prototype in the most barely functional kind of way. Reese realised he had come all this way but had no way of transporting it.

"This is the generator?" He asked the cowering Lazlow.

"Y-y-ye-" He stammered. Reese didn't wait for him to finish. He searched all around the device. There had to be something he could do? The Arbiter may be cruel but she wasn't stupid. She knew Reese would have to transport it somehow.

"How do we get it out of here?" He asked.

"I- I- I don- I don't-"

"Is there a blueprint?" Reese interrupted. Lazlow nodded. "Show me." He demanded.

Lazlow didn't rise. He crawled along the floor and knelt behind the computer. A file opened, the project file. Everything he would need to create a new device. He didn't need the generator, he just needed the plans.

He planted all of his remaining explosives onto the generator's shell. He would destroy it and steal the plans. Keep the tech out of ministry hands.

"W-wait. Reese!" Lazlow begged as Reese began to leave the room. He paused. "The explosion. It will kill me?" Reese nodded. He was right; he couldn't let the explosion kill Lazlow. He approached him without a word, drew Little Man - his heirloom pistol - and checked the magazine. The first bullet was marked with the name "Lazlow". He loaded the gun and chambered the round. "Wait. Reese, please." He begged. Reese didn't respond. He wouldn't enjoy killing Lazlow, but he made a vow. "My son, Reese? Let him live." Lazlow pled.

The bullet rang out and echoed down the stained red halls. The corpse fell down and the day was won. It was over, time for bed...

Nobody stopped him on the way out. The guards had all fled, or died, or simply hid away. He stepped over Ntumbe's scientists, or what was left of them. He sidestepped Red, Green and Blue before tripping over a corpse in the room with a single fluorescent bulb.

The daylight was blinding, the sun had rose in full force. How long had he been down there? He stepped through the threshold and triggered the reactor bomb. He half expected the explosion to permeate the entire facility but nothing came. He didn't even hear the bang. "How far underground was the bunker afterall?" He wondered. It didn't matter. It was all behind him now. Daphi was nowhere to be seen. Lara wasn't on her ridge and the mad titan wasn't hailing fire at the base. It was calm, silent. How the hell was he going to get out? Where the hell were they?

He knew he only had one option. Radio. Daphi would have seconds to pick him up before the ministry would send its interceptors. He sighed. The fresh air filled his lungs and the cool winds massaged his bare chest.

"Archi. I'm at the main gate. Come get me."

Ten seconds.

Nothing came back over the radio. The air was still and nature was calm. It was possible they had fled the mainland. They would be too slow to get him.

Nine seconds.

The birds sang and a new snow began to fall. A dark cloud formed in the East.

Eight seconds.

The winds blew North. The cloud would miss him. His skin prickled as his temperature began to drop. The world span as the bloodloss took him.

Seven.

White snow stained red. Blue skies grew grey. Everything grew grey? Colour drained from his face and he fell to his knees.

Six.

He could see the birds flee in the distance. South, the ministry sent them from the south.

Five.

He may even be dead by the time they arrive. The snow was more red than white. More him than ice.

Four.

A hand gripped his shoulder. A fight? No, he was done. Mission complete. They could have him.

Three.

He could nearly hear the squad. He must have been hallucinating. He was lifted to his feet, dragged along the dirt. He was beaten. A prisoner of war.

Two.

It was warmer in his new cell. His captor was hideous and Reese told him so. He was too delirious to know what came from his mouth but he was sure it was a cutting roast.

One.

Either his head was spinning worse than ever or his new cell was moving, flying? A needle pierced his skin. As if he needed a new hole in his body. The woman holding the needle plunged something deep.

Zero.

The gasp was great. As if the first breath he had ever taken. Oxygen felt like cocaine as it coursed through his blood. He shot up, ready and able to break out of his new cell. He mapped his environment and plotted his escape! A window, perfect! All he had to do was get up and dive out. He would need Lara to move aside, though. She was blocking his flight.

Wait.... Lara?

"Sit down, Reese." Lara ordered as she held him down.

"Sparky?" Reese sighed in his delirium. She laughed. He was glad to hear her laugh. Her laugh was home. He was home. He lay on the stretcher inside Daphi. He was safe. He made it.

"I... Made it?" He asked.

"Pretty much." She answered, carefully fixing his stitches. "Though, I'm pretty sure your mission was to find a reactor. Not a He-Man cosplay." She mocked, looking at his sword and lacking of shirt. "Poor attire for the winter, Lieutenant." Garrison joked as he squeezed through the relatively tiny cabin.

"Reactor... download." Reese mumbled. His grasp on consciousness was tenuous at best. Lara removed his wrist device and began to scroll through it.

"Sergeant?" Garrison nudged as he impatiently watched her scroll through. She looked at him and nodded. Her mask wrinkled into what most would consider a concealed smile.

"Mission successful, sir."