Chapter 10: The Reign of Terror

Part 2 of 2: An Unlikely Alliance

"And how is your wine, sir?" asked the servant.

"Exquisite," Sombra said proudly. "You should truly be proud of your work."

"Yes, your majesty," the servant said with a bow. Sombra examined himself in the mirror. He was quite the fan of the flowing, violet, silky cape protruding from his back; it gave him character, personality, and perfectly defined him as a man of wealth and resources. Of course, having an expensive tuxedo could not hurt either, but Sombra wanted to go big for the final night of the ball. The crown, which had since grown larger and more refined since the previous night, rested perfectly atop his head. He looked like a king, just like he always dreamt.

But then, just as he was getting comfortable gazing into his own reflection, a guard burst into the throne room, panting heavily.

"My liege," the guard said, hastily bowing. "No one from the jungle entrance is responding. We think there—"

"Calm yourself," Sombra said with a smile. "Tell me everything. Slowly."

"Well," said the guard nervously. "We've yet to fully restore access to our primary servers, so we've been unable to gain access to security feeds."

"But the previously stored footage is fine, correct?"

"Yes, sir, but that is not the point. We've lost contact with all members of the jungle patrol unit. There may be people trying to stage a rescue for those hostages you've taken."

Sombra chuckled. He adjusted his cuffs, and then slowly walked towards the trembling guard. He placed one massive hand on the guard's shoulder, and spoke gently.

"Do not worry," said King Sombra. "I'm sure you did everything you could. All is going to be fine. Why don't you take a rest, and enjoy the evening?"

"I… yes, King Sombra. Of course," said the humble guard. He was relieved, to say the least. He thought the king would be frustrated, but the new leader was handling everything with class. Perhaps the evening would turn out fine after all.

Then, with no hesitation, King Sombra placed his hands on the guard's head, and snapped his neck. The body plopped unceremoniously to the floor, as Sombra calmly turned to the servant, who seen the entire conversation with watchful eyes.

"Tell the other guards to cover all exits from the castle at once," Sombra stated, walking back to the mirror. "Make sure no one gets in or out of this place. Send any operative you can manage. If something is going on, I want to know what it is, or it will be your neck that will break next. Understood?"

"Yes, your majesty," said the servant, bowing once more. He left the room at once, rushing to send out the warning. Sombra clicked his tongue against his teeth as he stared at his crown in the mirror.

Those girls think they can screw me over, thought the King. No one gets to fuck with me and gets away with it. Come at me, you little bitches. I'll be waiting for you.

__________

"Holy shit, this place is massive," Dash sighed, peering around the corner.

"Anyone?" asked Fiona.

"Nah, coast is clear. I really hope you know where you're going, Rachel."

"I better," Rachel commented. "Pinky wouldn't shut up about the armory. Every time you girls were doing something, she was talking about that goddamn armory. Turn left."

Dash did as she was told, lowering her weapon. Tara stumbled along, resting her full weight on Fiona's shoulder.

"Go outside and play…" she moaned with a half-smile.

"Shush," Fiona whispered. "It's okay, Tara. Everything's okay."

"Dear God, if I have to hear Spark moaning about random shit one more time…" Dash muttered under her breath. The four girls marched on through the complex, keeping a lookout for any guards. They had assumed that most of the would be near the forest exit, which gave them hope that they would meet little opposition until they got better weaponry.

"How much farther?" Dash asked impatiently no less than five minutes later.

"Almost there," the Brit replied. "About fifty meters, give or take."

"In English?"

"Guard."

"What the fuck does—"

"Guard!"

Rachel suddenly grabbed onto Dash's shoulder, and swung her back around the corner from which she had just crossed. From across the way, a pair of guards walked into view, searching carefully for signs of life.

"Shit," said Rachel. "That hurt a whole lot."

"How many guards?" Dash asked, readying her shots.

"Just two, I think. The armory is right past 'em, or at least it bloody should be."

"Great, wish me luck!"

Dash didn't bother listening to Rachel complain before she stormed out of cover, charging at the guards head-on. Before the gunshots had begun to ricochet around her, she was already in the guards' faces, barrel pointed at one of their noses. Within moments, the two guards had been dispatched, and Dash wiped her forehead of sweat before beckoning the others.

"Jesus Christ, you're going to get us all killed," Rachel scolded. You do understand that none of us can fend for ourselves particularly well right now, and if you were to die in some bullshit rage of glory, we would be entirely helpless to… hey, are you even listening to me!?"

Dash was staring wide-eyed at something around the corner, her face lit up with a sense of astonishment.

"Rachel," Dash said calmly. "Shut the fuck up.

Rachel crossed her arms angrily, as Fiona went to witness what Dash was so amazed at.

"Oh… wow… those are a lot of guns."

The door to the armory was left open, giving the girls a perfect view of the stockpile of guns available. There had to be hundreds of different types of firearms, explosives, stun weapons, melee weapons, and more present in the room. Dash was pretty sure that if Pinky was with them, she would have died on the spot; her brain smoking like it was having a mechanical breakdown. While Dash's thoughts gave her a small chuckle, Fiona's were far more negative. Why, she couldn't help but wonder, were all of these weapons necessary? She thought she would have been used to seeing the crude combinations of powder, lead, and steel, but seeing so many tools of death in one location was almost sickening. It made her feel disgusted in humanity, thinking that society had commended the creation of such means of murder.

But that didn't stop her from catching the gun that Dash tossed her way.

"Dash, what is this?" she asked, horribly concerned. "You know I don't kill people. That's not what I want to do."

"It's like a stun-gun," Dash said, grabbing weapons from the shelves and attaching them to clips on her waist. "I'm gonna need help carrying this shit."

"You're not going to need all of those," Fiona stated. "Besides, you're the only one that can actually fire any one of those weapons."

"It's better to be safe than sorry, my friend," Dash sighed, clipping grenades to her belt. By the time she was finished, Dash was duel wielding machine guns, and had an additional five guns at standby, along with an assortment of varied grenades. "Man, I feel like a badass. All I need is a red headband and some war paint."

"Those flowers are beautiful…"

"Thanks, Spark," Dash said sarcastically. "Okay, P.O.N.Y's, let's get a move on."

Following Dash's lead (which, as Rachel pointed out, was based on her instructions), the girls made great pace through the castle, checking constantly for any guards. Occasionally, they would spot someone in their path, but thanks to Dash's quick reflexes, they were dealt with instantly. The closer they drew to their goal, the tighter the security became. Instead of one or two guards, they started to run into squadrons of five or more soldiers at a time. Several times, they were forced to halt their progress, bunker down, and wait for Dash to bomb the enemy before moving on. Fiona even had to help once in a while, taking non-fatal shots to the soldiers' chests.

"Hey, Rachel, with all of these guards, how are we going to get access to the server?" Fiona asked after a short battle with six guards. "I mean, wouldn't they have the thing hacked by now?"

"Do you remember that virus we downloaded into the Smiling Dragons' server all those months ago?" Rachel replied.

"Sort of…"

"Well, I don't know when she had the time, but Pinky reproduced the damn thing and plugged it in. They may take months to get everything sorted out in there without the proper shutdown code."

"Let's hope you're right," Dash interrupted. "I can see the server up ahead."

In front of her lay the server room, promptly surrounded by eight guards, with two more guards within the small room itself. As of fortune, none of them had seen her coming, and thus Dash slid behind a wall, and pressed a finger to her lips. The others followed suit, pressing tightly against the wall so as to make themselves unseen.

"Damn, everything is all jumbled up," said a guard from within the server room.

"Can you just let me take a look at it?" groaned his partner. "You need to stop fiddling around with it."

"I'm trying to," replied the first guard. "Quit getting in my way."

"You are incredibly impatient."

"You are incredibly frustrating."

And I'm incredibly resourceful, thought Dash with a grin, as she nonchalantly chucked a grenade into the midst of the crowd.

BOOOOOOOOOOM

After a spray of blood flew past, Dash left her cover, and went straight to work picking off the remaining guards. If they were not yet killed, they had been incapacitated long enough for Dash to place bullets in their skulls. The two guards within the server room peered out into the open, where Fiona shot and stunned them as fast as she could. It was only a minute before all before them were either dead or useless.

"Dash, help me with something," Rachel said, holding out her hand for guidance. Dash bowed gracefully, and took her friend's hand, leading her to the computer as if she were leading her to dance. Rachel found her way to the chair, and sat down. Dash placed the keyboard in front of her, and tod her which keys her hands rested upon.

On instinct alone, Rachel's fingers scattered about the keys, sending flashes of images across the screen. Pieces of code which Dash couldn't hope to understand flew past, and all she could do was watch as her friend proved that she still had plenty of talent left within her.

"The virus should be bypassed," Rachel instructed. "Dash, I hopefully opened a folder leading to past security footage. Be a dear, and acquire a download of The Unknown talking to Quincius, if you would so kindly."

"I'll try," Dash moaned, taking Rachel's seat. She barely had any idea of what she was supposed to do. Computers were not her thing; excessive violence was her thing. She searched through any file she could find, looking for something to help her cause. If she found any footage captured of herself or any of her friends, she made sure to delete it. But this couldn't help her find anything relating to The Unknown.

She searched for what felt like forever. Finally, she couldn't take any more, and slammed her head onto the desk.

I hope you're having an easier time than us, AJ, Dash thought. We need someone to succeed here.

__________

The second night of the ball was arguably better than the first. Although the men were quite disappointed that the stunning beauty from the night prior was not present, no one could state that they were having a bad time. The food was just as delicious and plentiful as ever, the social life was rich, and every person in the room was dancing merrily.

So, it was understandable that some questioned why a young girl, wearing a black stealth suit, Stetson, and covered in scratches and bruises, was walking about amongst the crowd. However, they were all far too drunk to care, and the young girl became lost in the endless wave of people.

AJ glanced up at the stairs. Two guards were standing by, bored and unaware of any plan to attack the king. She could not help smirk. Aside from them, she did not see a single other guard in the vicinity, which probably meant that Sombra had fallen for the ruse. Of all of the things that could go wrong, increased security was the largest fear AJ possessed. However, everything seemed like it would be alright.

"Mmm, this food is great," Pinky moaned over the earpiece. "For a crazy dude, the king really knows how to make pastries."

"Focus, Pinky," AJ instructed. "Last thing we need is for you to draw attention to yourself."

"Don't worry, no one is looking at me," Pinky reassured. "There's this fat, drunk guy yelling at his wife, or some lady. He's drawing all of the attention in the room, even from the one guard stationed here."

"If you say so. Just remember, don't pull the trigger until the king finishes his speech, and leaves. We don't want too much attention."

"I got it, I got it," Pinky sighed. "You're (moan) worrying too much. Man, this is delicious…"

AJ trudged over to the wall, and pressed herself tightly to one of the support columns. It simply became a matter of waiting. She had an estimated ten minutes until the king would give his speech; perfect time for making an escape strategy. If all went well, the guards would be so distracted with rushing Quincius away from the crowd that they couldn't block the main gate. If she moved fast enough, she and Pinky could hotwire a car, and rendezvous with the others at the extraction point.

For half of a second, AJ felt a subtle rumbling beneath her feet, and then everything was still again.

That better not be you girls dying, AJ thought grimly. Last thing I fucking need right now.

"Attention, ladies and gentlemen!" shouted one of the servants. "May I proudly introduce, his royal majesty, Quincius Daltenoss!"

The crowd, which had significantly quieted, suddenly erupted into a round of cheers and applause. AJ watched as her target walked down the steps, and stood in the center of the staircase, although not before noted that the servant had neglected to call him a "king".

"Pinky, get ready," AJ whispered, moving towards the crowd.

"I am pleased to see many happy faces," Sombra said. "My father, unfortunately, has taken ill, and cannot be present for tonight. However, may that not stop anyone from enjoying themselves!"

The crowd burst into more applause. AJ surveyed the environment, pleased to see that no guards were standing by the door. She entered the crowd, and began to inch her way towards the exit.

"We are a proud people," Sombra stated. "We have accomplished so much over the past few years. However, recently, we have discovered that… well, it didn't seem like enough."

AJ tried to move as inconspicuously as possible, but couldn't help causing some distasteful groans as she nudged the drunken party guests.

"Deep in our mines, we have found much more than crystals. Much more than anyone would have thought, and greater than any of my people could have dreamed. We have discovered such minerals to make our noble country of Vitrumia more powerful than ever."

Out of the corner of her eye, AJ could see Pinky lining up her shot. No eyes were on her. AJ herself had long since drowned out Sombra's words; her only thoughts were directed towards making it to the door by the time the speech was over. The crowd was thinning, and it seemed like it would only take a few more seconds for her to make her escape.

"…and to the people who thought they could continue to trample over us, we will no longer give in to such preposterous demands. We intend to—"

AJ was almost at the door. Not a single pair of eyes were locked on her. There was only three people left at the back of the crowd, and AJ easily pushed past them. There was a guest making his way towards the crowd, but she paid little attention to him, never even bothering to look at his face. She refused to take her eyes off of the exit, no matter what happened.

Except then, that guest grabbed onto AJ's shoulder, and pressed her close to him. He pressed his cheek to hers, so that she was unable to turn her head. Before she had a chance to move away, he spoke.

"The doors are booby-trapped," he whispered. "Touch them, and you'll be blown to pieces."

"How did you—"

"Tell your friend to shoot Sombra now," the man instructed. "Before he has time to fully realize what's going on."

"Why—"

AJ was cut off as the man pushed away from her, making her nearly stumble to the floor. By the time she had recovered, he had already vanished into the crowd. She scanned the area, but all she saw were more clapping partiers, and wobbly legs.

"Pinky, we have a problem," AJ said worriedly. "We may need to work out another escape route."

"Are you sure?" Pinky asked.

"No, but that's what worries me," AJ sighed. "Also, you may—"

AJ froze. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that two guards were slowly approaching her, marching unchallenged through the crowd.

"Pinky, shoot."

"Wait, is this a test? You told me not to shoot until he finished his speech."

"Pinky, shoot the damn gun." AJ said, slowly backing up towards the main gate. It was not difficult to see that the guards were carrying batons, with machetes strapped to their backs.

"But won't that blow our cover?"

"It's too late for that. Take a look at what I'm dealing with."

"What's going—Oh, those guys look mean," Pinky commented, leaning over the railing.

"No shit," AJ hissed. The two guards were now in striking distance.

"Ma'am, you're going to have to come with us," said one of the guards. AJ's eyes zoomed around the room, looking for something to help her. She saw a servant carrying some form of cheesy dough on a silver tray to her left, and then she gulped, muttering:

"Pinky, the instant I do something stupid, you know what to do."

"Kablam-O?" Pinky asked, almost innocently.

"Yeah… kablam-O," AJ sighed. One of the guards took a step closer.

"Okay, miss, surre—"

AJ reached out, and grabbed onto the guard's wrist, contorting his arm around. With one quarter turn, she flung his body into the servant, sending the tray crashing to the ground. Before he hit the ground, however, AJ removed the machete from the guard's back, and promptly sliced the other's arm off with it. The crowd seemed to let out one simultaneous gasp, as they turned towards the sudden display of violence. It was even enough to throw the King off guard, drawing his attention away from the blonde on the second floor with a gun pointed towards his scalp.

BANG

The bullet launched out of the chamber, and zoomed at Sombra's head. He had not seen the shooter, but somehow, he knew something was coming for him. In the span of a moment, his appearance was altered. His eyes and veins bugged out, glowing with a bright golden sheen. A golden material, denser than steel, ran up his body, and entirely covered his face. With a scream, he leaned into the shot, allowing the bullet to directly connect with his forehead. For a second, the lead rested against his skull, before he threw his head backwards, sending the bullet crashing into the wall behind him.

The crowd erupted. Every single guest scrammed for an exit, stumbling over each other to get to safety. In madness, several people were nearly trampled to death. AJ, stuck in the midst of chaos, did the only thing she saw to be reasonable. She spun around the remaining guard, stealing his weapon, and delivered two quick stabs to his neck.

BANG BANG BANG

"Why isn't he dying!?" Pinky screamed in frustration. Sombra had retreated down the hall, avoiding all further shots.

"Did ya hit him at all?" AJ asked.

"I hit him square in the face!" Pinky cried. "He just deflected it. Don't tell me we have to fight another bulletproof guy. I don't—Ah!"

Pinky took cover behind a table as gunfire spread around her. AJ muttered a curse. She couldn't let Sombra get away now, not after all she had been through. With a sneer, she stole a pistol from the corpse before her, and took off through the mad crowd.

"Pinky, get outta here as soon as ya can!" AJ said. "I'm going after the King."

"I'll try not to get murdered!" Pinky screamed, not at all having the situation under control. AJ was far too focused to hear her friend's cry of panic, however. She pushed through the crowd as fast as she could, trying her best not to trample any collapsed innocents. Already, more guards were swarming in behind Sombra as he made his escape through one of the halls. She bounded up the steps, and took a sharp right. Before she left, she briefly impaled one of the guards hunting down Pinky, earning a very earnest, "THANK YOU!" from her friend.

AJ moved as fast as her feet could carry her, and once she reached that boundary, she moved even faster. She spotted a scared Sombra sprinting one hundred feet away, followed closely by three guards. One guard spun around, and opened fire upon the child soldier, scattering bullets around her feet. Her prey turned a corner, yet she did not follow. Instead, she slid to a halt just before the bend. Pressing herself to the wall, AJ listened carefully.

There ya are, AJ thought with a grin. She lightly tossed the machete out of cover, and allowed it to bounce casually against the exposed wall. With no hesitation, it was shot at, and was forced down to the floor. The poor guard failed to have the reflexes to see AJ coming in from the opposite angle, and thus was entirely powerless to stop her from cutting his head off. AJ scooped up her other sword, and took after Sombra yet again. She recalled the path from many hours before, and instant familiarity hit her like a brick; Sombra was retreating to his throne room.

Her memory now her primary guide, AJ continued on her journey. She found no other guards blocking her way, and instantly assumed the worst. Technically speaking, it would only make sense for all of the guards to block themselves up behind the secret painting, or at least that was what AJ thought. That didn't stop her from advancing though. Under less dire circumstances, she would have mentally scorned herself for rushing straight into danger again, probably for the hundredth time.

But when one was dealing with an international incident that could spark global catastrophe, they didn't have time to consider that.

At last, AJ arrived at the secret entrance. She placed her hand upon the image, as if she was trying to scope out what was behind it. She took a glance at the keypad, realizing she didn't know the code. With a shrug, she drew back her blade, and thrust it into the metal, hearing the wires snap with satisfaction. The door slid open automatically, and much to AJ's surprise, no guards were present.

She took a cautious step forward, looking around the dimly-lit stairwell. Taking very slow footsteps, AJ ascended, coming to the next door. She took another deep breath, holding the machetes in a reverse-grip. In one fluid motion, AJ burst through the door, rolled to the center of the room, and brought her arms close to her chest, crossing her arms so that the blades extended out.

Yet there was no mass of guards waiting for the kill. Instead, there was one servant nervously, shifting around on his feet. AJ, raising an eyebrow, rose to her feet, and pointed one of the swords at the rather skinny man.

"Where's the King?" she asked forcefully.

"His Majesty is in there," replied the servant honestly. "He's expecting you."

Suddenly, the blade was brought up to the servant's neck.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" AJ asked. Was the servant being serious? He seemed far too calm for someone with a blade held to their neck. Yet here this man was, treating an assassination like a standard business meeting.

"Nothing more than what I already said," the servant said. "Don't keep the King waiting."

AJ glared hard at the man. Despite the fact that he seemed confident at first glance, she could clearly see his legs shaking. What had this man been through over the years? Did he even want to do this job anymore? AJ thought about this for a moment, and then, half out of mercy and half out of pity, she lowered her blade, and walked towards the door to the main throne room. She closed her eyes, and concentrated. She could hear the servant scurrying away to safety behind her. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She could feel the gentle beating of her heart in her ears. In her mind, she went over her training, every move, every step, every instinct of fighting. She knew what she had to do, and she planned on getting it done.

AJ opened her eyes. She wasn't going to fail.

With a kick, the agent burst into the room, and was immediately greeted with six machine guns pointed at her temple.

"Well, here we are," Sombra said calmly, sitting on his throne. In his mouth was a lit cigar, and on his lap rested something AJ was quite familiar with: Tara's sword. "Gonna have to say that you're little 'diversion' was fun. To think that your friends could get out of here alive, and you could still take me down… well, that's quite the idea, isn't it?"

"You betrayed your father, you betrayed my country, you betrayed my friends, and, worst of all, you betrayed me," AJ spat. "I'd say that makes this operation justified enough."

Sombra laughed.

"Ah, I love American confidence. So sure that you can do anything, even though the odds are so packed against you; those are some truly wonderful traits."

Sombra stroked the sheathed blade in his lap, as if it were his pet.

"Shall we be done with her?" asked one of the guards. "There are still others we need to hunt down."

"Wait," Sombra said. "I'm king here, and I get to make my own decisions. Guards… put down your weapons."

"But, sir—"

"Put them down!" Sombra growled. AJ watched in confusion as the guards dropped their weapons, and looked back at their King. "Now, execute her… but with swords. I want some… entertainment."

"What the hell are ya getting' at?" AJ sneered.

"I just want to see something," Sombra said simply. "Now, guards, do as I said, and put her down."

The guards were still for a moment, before nervously unsheathing their emergency blades. AJ spread her feet apart, and adjusted her sweaty grip on the handles. The six guards started to inch closer and closer, none of them wanting to fully charge. Even without having seen much of her abilities, the aura of the teenager seemed far too confident for their liking. It was something in the way she darted her eyes back and forth, always examining, and something about the way she held the blades.

Still, they had to attack some point. The guard second form the left dashed forward, and tried his best to land a killing blow. AJ barely batted an eye as she stepped to the right, watching the soldier sail pass. Just as he flew by, she slashed the machete across the back of his neck, killing him. The other guards, enticed by the violence, all attacked at once.

Immediately, it became clear to AJ that these guards were not chosen because of their skill. In fact, she realized that most of the skilled guards had to of been taken out a while ago, or were dealing with the others. If she wasn't trained to kill, she might have felt remorse for the loss of such young life. If she wasn't trained to kill, she might have wondered how old these guards even were, or how long they were doing their jobs for, or if they ever wanted this.

But she was trained to kill, and so she did. She killed with ruthless efficiency. With a slash of her sword, blood spurted out of limbs. She with a twirl, she cut through tissue and bone. Sombra watched the carnage, enticed by the magnificent slaughter. He breathed out a puff of smoke, and grinned as the last of his soldiers fell to the floor. AJ removed her Stetson, and wiped the sweat from her brow, stepping over a detached leg.

"Brilliant, just brilliant," Sombra said happily. "You must have had one hell of a trainer to perform that."

"If you think this is a game, it ain't," AJ snarled. "You're gonna die now."

Sombra, with a laugh, clasped his hands together, and rose to his feet. He lightly placed Tara's sword on his throne, and then tossed his cigar aside.

"You know, I haven't had to do this in quite a while," Sombra said, untying his flowing cape. The velvet fluttered to the floor. Sombra tossed away his coat, and then began to unbutton his shirt. "You and your friends have provided ample entertainment over the past few months. Secretly, I was hoping I might have to do this."

Sombra opened his shirt fully, and removed it; AJ could make out the multitude of scars on his massive chest.

"You Americans think you own the goddamn world, don't you? You think you can just wander into any damn place you like, and as long as you can spread your Western propaganda, you can get whatever you want. I think it's about time we shift the balance of power…"

Sombra rolled his head back, taking a deep breath. Suddenly, his eyes shot open, glowing a radiant gold. He doubled, and began to cry out in pain. In horror, AJ watched as Sombra transformed. His muscles bulged unnaturally, and his veins began to glow the same color as his eyes. A metallic corruption ran up his exposed chest, and covered him from his neck down. AJ shot forward, swinging her blade as hard as she could against the mad King. But to her surprise, as the machete made contact with his chest, it caught on the metallic substance, almost as if it was striking a steel wall. She drew the sword back, grinding sparks against the gold, attempting to strike again.

But before she could, Sombra, with one monstrous, metallic hand, picked her up by the throat, and held her aloft in front of his face. He was breathing heavily, yet had on a terrible grin.

"Don't fuck with the King."

__________

"Man, I can barely see a thing," Dash sighed. "Uh, Rachel… didn't you hear me? I said—"

"I know, Dash. A blind joke. Very sincere of you to make fun of that extremely serious issue of mine."

"I was just trying to lighten the mood."

Dash clicked her tongue in her mouth, and wondered why all secret passages had to be dark. The flash drive dangled from a clip on her belt, swinging side to side in the endless shadow. She didn't know how long she had been jogging in the passage, but it felt like an eternity. It would have felt less tedious is she had more than the slightest indication of where she was supposed to be going, but all she had to navigate was Rachel's vague, adrenaline-based directions.

"Slow down, guys…." Tara mumbled. "My head…"

"You can rest soon," Fiona stated, trying her best to keep up.

"Very soon, in fact," Rachel added. "We're almost there, I think. Just up ahead."

Dash picked up her pace, the constant rustle of metal bouncing about from her body. She stayed a good twenty paces ahead of the others, and thus had no time to react when Rachel shouted at her.

"Here! It should be right here!"

"Huh?" Dash turned her head, and in the darkness, failed to spot the wall before she collided into it with a thud. She groaned, and cupped her nose, jiggling it around slightly. "Fuck my life…"

"Oh wow, you should have seen that coming," Rachel said snidely. "Now hurry and get that door open."

Confident that she had at least broken something, Dash made a childish face at her peer, and then proceeded to push open the hidden doorway. Light rushed into the room, making Tara moan in discomfort. In the distance the girls saw foliage, and placed themselves just near the base of the cliff. Dash took a cautious step outside, turned to her right, and then shot back into the darkness.

"There are a lot of enemies out there," said the rebel. "Like twenty or so. They're all standing watch at the exit."

"So, where's this 'amazing escape plan', Dash?" Rachel asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"It's literally just over on the other side of the entrance. All we need to do is sneak around without being seen, and drive out of here on that dirt path through the jungle."

"What if they spot us?" asked Fiona.

"Then we kill them all. Duh," Dash sighed, waving around her arms. "I'll go first. I do have the only means of defending myself."

"But couldn't we—"

Dash paid no mind to her green-eyed friend, and crouched as low as her legs could manage, keeping her weapons tucked in closely to her chest. Taking a step outside, she felt a refreshing wind blow across her face, and could feel the gentle crunch of the soil underneath her foot. She breathed in, and began to circle around the heavily guarded entrance. If she kept low enough, the thick brush barely managed to cover her head, and thankfully, it almost encircled the entire opening, save for a five foot wide gap for the dirt road to pass between. Dash peered over the plants every few feet, making sure she hadn't drawn any attention form the guards.

That's right, assholes, she thought happily. Just keep looking over there.

Coming up, Dash faced her biggest obstacle: the dirt road. She needed to time her movements carefully now; one wrong step could leave her wide open to all kinds of gunfire. Dash approached the very edge of the foliage, keeping her head less than six inches off of the ground. One guard occasionally looked over his shoulder, as if weary of something in the density of the island. Dash waited for the guard to turn again, and then again, and then again. Finally, when she was confident that the coast would be clear, she rolled into the center of the road, and then immediately dived out, avoiding detection.

When Dash reached the other side of the entrance, she looked over to the opposite side with glee.

"Okay, you fuckers," she said to herself. "Don't fuck it up."

"Uh, Dash?" said a soft voice from behind. Dash had to stop herself from screaming as she discovered that the others were waiting behind her, Fiona looking startled and Tara resting on Rachel's shoulder.

"What the—How the fuck did you guys get here?" she asked, confused.

"Fiona flew us over," Rachel commented. "First Tara, then me. Seriously, it took about ten seconds, and the guards never even looked up."

"Huh… I forgot about that," Dash muttered under breath. Regardless, she focused on the job at hand, and led the P.O.N.Y's several yards to the concealed car, which was camouflaged under many leaves and dirt. She brushed off as much of the filth as possible, and then hopped into the driver's seat. Carefully, Tara was lowered into the back of the vehicle, and Rachel joined her in silence.

"Wait, won't the guards notice that we're driving away?" asked Fiona. Dash groaned.

"Just get the fuck in the vehicle," she stated, patting the seat next to her. Raising an eyebrow, Fiona entered the car, and watched as Dash started the engine.

"Dash, aren't they going to notice us?" Fiona reiterated. "Dash? Dash?"

Dash's lips curved into a devious grin, and she slammed her foot down on the gas. The car came to life at once, roaring loudly as it pushed forward through the leaves and muck of the forest. Fiona clutched the seat in terror. The guards were alerted at once, opening fire upon the vehicle as it drove past. However, Dash nonchalantly tossed two grenades over her shoulder, detonating at the enemies' feet.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

Fiona cried out as the car shook heavily, threatening to turn over. Dash laughed at the pure chaos around her.

"Now that's how you make an escape," she said cheerfully.

"Are you crazy!? You could have gotten us all killed!" Fiona stated furiously (although her voice sounded more terrified than angry).

"Hey, look at how many of us died: zero. Considering how I was the only one who actually did anything, I think that's a pretty good job."

"I agree with her," Rachel said, more annoyed than anything. "I thought you had this planned out?"

"I did. It just mostly involved explosions. Look, no harm, no foul. Now let's get—"

Dash stopped speaking as she heard something rumbling behind her. She turned, and frightfully discovered that two cars similar to her own were hunting her down, each packed with four more guards.

"Damn it, these guys don't give up," Dash groaned. She picked up one of her machine guns, and blind fired upon the soldiers, missing every target. To her the task seemed impossible. She could barely keep the car steady as it was, but having to shoot people at the same time, who weren't even in front of her, was daunting. At times like this, she really hated how Fiona refused to use guns. It wasn't like it would have mattered much; Fiona clung to her seat in fear, unable to even scream.

Looking in the mirror, Dash saw something even worse. As the two vehicles drove side-by-side, one of the guards stood up in his car, and pulled out an RPG. He wobbled to regain his balance, but quickly found his footing, and took aim at the P.O.N.Y's.

"Oh shit…" Dash muttered, trying to outdrive the other cars. Yet there were no more boundaries to push. The car was at its maximum speed, and nothing could make them go any faster. In desperation, Dash spun around, taking her eye entirely off of the road, and opened fire again. Before, her aim was immaculate, but now on the root-covered, sticky, rough terrain, she could do nothing except shoot at damp leaves and rotten wood.

The rocket-toting guard waited to get as close as possible, and then he fired.

Much to his surprise, he didn't fire at the car in front of him, filled with the girls who were trying to escape. Instead, doing something he found quite horrified, he spun to his right, and blew up his own allies. He had not a moment to gasp in shock the entire vehicle flipped over, sending everyone crashing into the ground at breakneck pace.

Dash glanced around, and saw Tara standing in the back of the vehicle, swaying to and fro, her hand extended outwards. In a haze, she managed to utter a single word:

"Drive."

At once, Tara collapsed back into the car, her body going limp. Fiona reached out and caught her before she hit her head against something, and she sighed in relief. Bitter at her own inabilities, Dash continued to drive deeper and deeper into the jungle.

__________

AJ was thrown violently against the wall. With a groan, she straightened herself up, and picked up her blades. Sombra stood where he was, arms crossed over his chest. Shaking the hair out of her eyes, AJ charged at him, and attempted to impale the mad King. He didn't move a muscle, letting the swords bounce harmlessly off of his plated skin.

"That isn't going to work," he sighed. AJ swung repeatedly, flicking her wrists back and forth to increase the pace of her swings. She became lost in the clanging of metal, and thought of nothing else other than seeing Sombra fall. Tedium built to become frustration, and that only made her swing harder. Yet there was not a scratch on him, no indication that he was injured. And that smug grin kept taunting her, reminding her that she was failing to do her duties.

Eventually, Sombra grew bored. He grabbed onto AJ's sides, and tossed her across the room. She slammed into the wall, recovered hastily, and landed on her feet. By the time she looked, Sombra was running at her like a wild animal. She barely was able to duck in time before a fist struck the wall behind her, nearly bursting through. Sombra swung at her now with his left fist, and again she ducked the vicious blow.

"Once you die—"

Sombra grabbed AJ's arm, and dangled her in the air.

"And your people fall…"

AJ flung her legs up, and wrapped around Sombra's massive arm. She rotated, and using all of her strength, threw Sombra to the ground. The King got back up with a smirk, and swept his long hair out of his face.

"Then we will expand."

Sombra ran at her yet again, this time tackling the American to the ground. Her machete's clattered out of her hands, and skid to opposite sides of the room. Sombra rose his fist over his head, and it darkened instantly.

"The world will be desperate for order."

He launched his attack, and AJ barely rolled her head to the left to avoid it. He tried again from the opposite side, but she still avoided.

"And, once they hear that Vitrumia is almost ready to launch nuclear missiles…"

Nuclear missiles? AJ thought in distress. Her mind was quickly directed elsewhere when Sombra attempted to pound her head into the floor. She sucked in her gut, loosened her form, and slid underneath the King before he had a chance to do any more harm. Unfortunately, he quickly turned around, grabbed her yet again, and threw her to the glass wall. She cracked the glass as she connected, and moaned as she hit the floor.

"I'll be king of the whole fucking world."

Sombra picked AJ up by her collar, and held against the glass, keeping her suspended in mid-air. She winced at the sudden movement. She tried to push Sombra away, but his grip was far too tight for her to do anything useful. He grinned again, his smile which had once seemed peaceful and relaxing now psychotic and cruel.

"You're not going to be around to see it, though," he said. "You would be dead, having plummeted a hundred feet to your demise. Now, let's see if you also have wings…"

Sombra leaned backwards, preparing to finish his target, when he felt a boot connect with his temple. The next thing AJ knew, she was on the ground, Sombra was ten feet away, clutching his head in pain, and someone was holding out a hand for her to grab onto.

"Thank God for ya, Pi—"

AJ looked up and froze. The gloved hand reaching out to her did not belong to Patricia Patrikson. It belonged to a man without a face, glaring down at her expectantly.

"Get up," The Unknown said dryly. AJ was stunned; she didn't know what to do. All of a sudden, her hand was taken ahold of, and she was hoisted to her feet. "Snap out of it, and focus. I don't need… dodge!"

AJ was still shaken when The Unknown tackled her to the floor. She heard the sound of glass breaking, and discovered that Sombra had punched directly through the large pane. Finally, AJ regained her senses, and jumped to her feet.

"Why did you—"

"Stop talking and listen," The Unknown said. "I know you have every right to distrust me, and that's fine. I don't need your trust right now. What I do need is for you to help me kill this man."

"What? I thought you two were working together?"

"Ah, yes, you missed that part, didn't you? Look, we both want this man dead, and neither of us can take care of this on our own, so I propose a truce. Just this once."

"And why should I help you?" AJ sneered, watching as Sombra freed himself from the glass.

"Because you have to," The Unknown shrugged. "And I just saved your life. If I wanted you dead, you already would be. So, truce?"

"Will you two shut up!?" Sombra shouted, enraged. "You two won't be able to do anything to me. You're just an annoyance, a distraction to my rule. I can't die, I can't be destroyed, and I won't be vanquished. No more games! It's over!"

With no hesitation, Sombra ran to the center of the room, and threw a right hook at his foes. Almost synchronized, AJ and The Unknown rolled underneath the attack, and kicked the King in his back. They sprang back as Sombra turned around, and with only a glance, they managed to coordinate attacks. The new alliance went to work at once, waiting for Sombra to attack before launching their simultaneous hit. Unfortunately for the pair, before they could connect with flesh, the armor came back, covering the targeted area in its entirety.

In the corner of AJ's eyes, she saw the glistening of her machete, lying several yards away. She weaved in the direction of the blade, and then ran after it. The Unknown wrapped his legs around Sombra's making the King fall to the ground, and allowing AJ to reach her weapon. Now properly armed, AJ ran back towards the King, and brought her machete down upon his spine. Yet Sombra twisted and tumbled away, shooting The Unknown to the ground, and causing AJ's sword to connect with marble.

How are we supposed to beat this guy? thought AJ worriedly. She brushed moist hair off of her sticky forehead, and clenched her fist tightly. She was fed up with everything. It was finally hitting her that nothing was working. There truly seemed to be no way at all to even hurt Sombra, let alone kill him. AJ wasn't one for giving up hope, but her shoulders and back were killing her, and she was running out of patience. What was his weakness? He did have a weakness, right? He had to have a weakness. Everyone had a weakness.

But there didn't seem to be any weakness. As she watched Sombra and The Unknown fight it out, she became more and more hopeless. Each and every time The Unknown threw a strike, the metal armor would crawl through Sombra's skin, and arrive with plenty of time to deflect the blow. Sombra might have been slow in attacking, but if no damage could be dealt in return, it would simply be a matter of waiting to die.

But then, something struck her. Something that had seen so insignificant before now seemed so important. The Unknown had saved her by kicking Sombra in the head, a sensation which the King most certainly did feel. And if Sombra didn't feel anything when hit in the armor, then it could only mean one thing to her.

She could still hit him.

AJ tightened her grip, and sprinted over to the battle. The Unknown rolled away from another slow attack when he noticed AJ running from behind. Perhaps it was in the way he paused for just a moment, or perhaps it was just from sheer luck, but Sombra knew something was coming from behind. He rotated around, and backhanded AJ across the face, sending her sliding back into his throne. AJ gripped her head in pain, and then she felt something fall into her lap: Tara's sword. Sombra was still distracted with his former partner to notice her; she could only have one chance.

AJ rose steadily to her feet, and unsheathed Tara's sword. The moonlight flowed through the glass, and reflected off of the sheen of the steel. Holding the sheathe in her left hand and the blade in the right, AJ slowly walked so that she was just behind Sombra.

"Why did you turn your back us?" The Unknown asked. "I offered you everything."

"Everything isn't enough," Sombra stated. "I needed my country to flourish, and you just weren't making that possible. And, nothing personal, but I really don't like you at all."

The Unknown snickered. At this moment, AJ knew that it was time to strike. She ran at Sombra, the katana held out at her side.

"Unfortunately, your opinion isn't really important anymore," The Unknown sneered. Sombra looked at the expressionless mask, and knew that something was coming for him again. He repeated his actions that were only seconds old; he turned around, and shot out a fist directly at AJ's face.

However, AJ was ready as well. She slid on her knees, and flung the blade into the air, right over the King's head. Taking the sheathe, she jammed it right into Sombra's midsection, making him cry out in pain. The Unknown, as if he had planned for the entire action to occur, leapt into the air, grabbed onto the sword, and, with one final thrust, drove it into Sombra's back. There was no plating to save him; the katana pierced through his ribs, and poked out of his chest. Sombra looked down at his chest absolutely stunned. The sword was removed, and a steady stream of blood began pouring out of his chest.

"But…" Sombra muttered. "I'm the King. You… you can't kill the King…"

Sombra fell to his knees, coughing up blood over the floor. His face didn't indicate pain, but rather intense shock. It seemed impossible. It was impossible. This couldn't be his end. No, it simply wasn't true. The great King Sombra would not die like this.

But yet, it was true. Sombra was dying.

"How… how did you…" he mumbled, looking up at AJ with almost a sense of wonder.

"It's all over, Quincius," AJ sighed. "You failed. Whatever little anti-American revolution you were planning is over."

Sombra gazed at AJ with big eyes, almost like a dog. Then, he started to chuckle. He could feel the blood welling up in his chest, and every single one of his muscles hurt, but he couldn't help himself.

"You… you think I hate your country?" Sombra asked, almost insultingly. "I love America. I love every little thing it represents. Everything I've ever done wasn't so I could destroy America; it was so I could become it."

"What the hell are ya talking about?" AJ asked, bending over to be eye-level with the fallen King. He looked up at her, and managed to form a small smile.

"Your so naïve," he said in a whisper. "You're so devoted to your country… that you can't see what they really are. You… look past the greed, past the corruption, past the… war crimes and the bigotry. You ignore the innocent lives… you've taken in the mad search for power. But that's all I see. And damn… that's like a dream come true for me. To have all that money and power, and do… anything you want with it without… even getting a second glance. Any other countries display a missile, and… it's an act of war, but you… you get to show off all of that technology, and more. It's… glorious."

"You're… you're deranged," AJ spat, standing upright. Sombra started to laugh again, blood dripping from his crimson lips.

"You can't… look past what you've been told… to see the truth," he said softly. "But you will. Someday… you'll see everything that I see, and you'll love it. After all… it is the greatest country… in the world."

Sombra arm shook as he slowly raised it to his head, and then, in a final show of glory, gave AJ a salute.

"God… bless… America…" Sombra breathed out, his voice fading into nothing. "And may… we all… prosper… like it…"

Sombra's eyes rolled back into his head. With a heavy thud, he fell face first into the marble floor. His golden crown rolled off of his head, traveled across the ground, and came to a rest at AJ's feet. AJ stared down at the fallen King, unsure of what to fear. She didn't believe any word from his mouth. He was deranged, she reminded herself. She had no reason to listen to anything he said at all. Nothing that shocking could be true. Couldn't it?

Click

AJ froze. She recognized that sound all too well. It was the sound of a pistol being cocked, and it was close; very, very close. In a haze, AJ turned her head to the right, and found herself staring down the barrel of a gun, being held less than an inch away from her skull. The Unknown looked at her through the faceless mask. His finger was on the trigger, and he said nothing. He simply stared at her, no expression at all. Was he going to kill her out of fear? Out of anger, perhaps? Or maybe, just maybe, he was going to kill her just because. She wouldn't have time to swat away the gun before the trigger was pulled. She didn't have any secret superpower to get her out of the situation. She had no friends to help her, and she was most certain that The Unknown was not going to listen to reason. After all, he had no reason not to kill her.

It just made sense that she was going to die.

"AJ!"

Suddenly, both The Unknown and AJ's heads flipped towards the doorway, where a blood-covered Pinky was standing in shock. Pinky immediately reached for her gun, and out of the corner of her eye, AJ saw The Unknown move, indicating her incoming death.

However, he didn't pull the trigger. In fact, he didn't fire at all. The Unknown grabbed onto AJ's arm, wrapped it around her back, and then flung her to the ground. As AJ fell, she picked up three things. One was the surprise of not being shot, the reason of which she could not fathom. The second was The Unknown firing at Pinky, shooting the gun directly out of her hands, but not at all hurting the blonde.

The third thing she picked up was The Unknown whispering something into her ear.

As soon as AJ hit the ground, The Unknown made a mad dash towards the window. Pinky dove after her gun, but by the time she reached it, The Unknown had reached the glass wall, and promptly dove through without any hesitation. Confused, Pinky ran over to the broken wall, and peered over the edge of the cliff. Many yards below, she could barely make out the shape of a man sliding down the mountainside using a sharp, claw-like object attached to his hand. For her, it was already too late; The Unknown was gone.

"AJ, are you alright?" Pinky asked, rushing over to her friend. AJ laid on the floor, staring up at the ceiling in utter shock. "Uh, AJ? Are you alright? You're not dead, are you?"

Pinky started to rock AJ back and forth, which managed to shake AJ out of her stupor.

"Wha… huh… oh, yeah, I'm fine," AJ sad, getting to her feet.

"Is that Daltenoss?" Pinky asked, mildly disgusted, pointing at the bloody corpse on the floor.

"Yeah, he's taken care of," AJ stated, picking Tara's sword and sheathe off of the floor.

"So we can get out of here now? The guards are pretty much clear…" Pinky said enthusiastically.

"Yeah. Let's go," AJ sighed, starting to move towards the large doors. She glanced over her shoulder at the broken wall, thinking of what she had just witnessed.

"What happened with The Unknown?" asked a confused Pinky.

"I wish I knew," AJ said honestly. "I really wish I knew."

__________

March 16th, 2016

"Yes, I fully understand that," Celestia groaned, resting her head on her hand. "No, that doesn't… but… you're not paying attention!"

Tara had never seen Celestia so fed up. Whenever the chairwoman was brought up, Tara usually envisioned someone of a peaceful and angelic quality. What Tara wouldn't have imaged was a screaming, irritated blonde practically stomping around the Briefing Room with a cell phone placed to her ear, angrily yelling at her superiors. The P.O.N.Y's watched silently from the back of the room, none of them daring to speak.

"Look, a terrorist took out the king and his son," Celestia repeated. "We have the files to prove they worked together. Nothing about this operation got out. I don't know why—"

Celestia paused. She rubbed the bridge of her nose in frustration.

"There is no proof!" Celestia screamed. "A couple of drunks doesn't mean—"

Celestia paused again. She sighed heavily.

"Yes, sir," she said grudgingly. "Of course."

Celestia hung up her phone, and resisted the urge to throw it against the wall. She muttered several curses to herself, before she remembered that she had six teenagers watching her movements.

"So… is it bad?" Dash asked, her voice teetering on being sarcastic.

"Well, we're faced with a string of international incidents," Celestia sighed. "Any one of which is warranted of executive interference. Layman's terms: America is facing a series of trade issues over Vitrumia-based materials due to the death of the kings, the material might be contaminated anyway because we would have bought it from a country that worked heavily with a terrorist, but that probably won't matter, because despite the overwhelming evidence, several guest testimonies quote seeing you girls attacking the guards, which would then open a whole other can of worms that could potentially lead to an investigation of the entire United States government. So, yes, Dash… it's pretty bad."

"That's a lot of bad news," Tara said softly. "Is there any way that we can get out of this, like, at all? It sounds like whatever we do, we lose."

"Do you mean any way that we cannot look like psychopaths and make the country improve in some way, shape or form? No, not a chance in hell," Celestia sighed. "Unfortunately, the blame for this is falling down to you girls."

"What did we do?" AJ asked, confused. "We stopped terrorists. That's our job."

"You acted against our orders," Celestia stated. "We could have attempted a diplomatic solution, but instead, you just had to run in and kill the kings."

"But we did our job right," AJ stated. "If we didn't act—"

"AJ, I think this is just as much bullshit as you do," Celestia sighed. "But it's out of my hands now. And, I'm not supposed to tell you this, but…" Celestia lowered her voice greatly. "They're considering shutting P.O.N.Y. down entirely."

"But that's—"

"Not fair, I know, Tara," Celestia said again. "Look, the decision isn't final yet. For now, they want to keep you very low on the radar, so we're not going to be having any more missions for a while."

"So if The Unknown strikes, we're just supposed to sit here and wait?" AJ asked, getting frustrated as well. Celestia fiddled with her hands for a moment, avoiding eye-contact with the group. Finally, she sighed.

"Yeah… I suppose so."

The girls were silent. No one knew what to say. They weren't sure whether to feel angry, disappointed, or shameful. Pinky watched her feet tap on the ground again and again. Rachel rested her head on her knees, her glass eyes gazing at some unspecific spec in the distance. Fiona hid her embarrassment underneath her hair. Dash muttered countless obscenities.

But Tara felt the worst. She didn't have the spirit to say that she was in the right. No matter how much she wanted to believe that she did the proper course of action in Vitrumia, deep down, she knew it wasn't so. She felt like a failure. Not just a failure, but the biggest failure in the world. Her carelessness could lead to millions suffering in some form, and it was all her fault. She could have passed on the blame to the rest of the group, but it didn't feel right either. She was the leader, and it was her job to lead. If her team made a horrible mistake, then it was only justified to pass the blame to her.

Suddenly, Tara's thoughts were interrupted when AJ stood up with an emotionless expression, and marched out of the room. Everyone was startled by the signs of life that seemed so absent from the meeting, but no one knew what to do. After a few seconds of silence, Tara stood up, and chased after her friend. AJ was still in view when Tara left the Briefing Room.

"AJ, where are you goin?" Tara called out. AJ stopped in her tracks. When she responded, she never turned around.

"I have some things to take care of," AJ stated, although her voice gave away her anxiety.

"What kind of things?"

"Personal matters. I'll be out for a bit. Don't worry about me."

"AJ, we just got told we can't leave for missions."

"This isn't a mission. It's just… well, it's just…"

AJ couldn't get the words out. It was something Tara couldn't understand, and more importantly, wasn't meant to understand.

"AJ, we're your teammates," Tara said, stepping closer to her friend with each word. "We handle things together."

AJ sighed. "Not this time, Tara. I'll be back soon."

AJ continued down the hall, only one thought set on her mind. However, just before she was able to leave, she heard the rapid footsteps behind her, and felt a hand on her shoulder.

"AJ, wait," Tara said softly. "Do you remember when we were in that cell, and you told me about what happened to you as a kid?"

AJ slowly nodded.

"Well, I've just been wondering, and I know it's not really my business," Tara said, almost embarrassed to ask. "But… what did happen when you talked to Mac that day after your first mission."

AJ was silent. Dreadfully silent. She didn't want to answer, for it still hurt inside to do so. But Tara had asked an honest question, and AJ needed to give an honest response. It was simply the way she did things. AJ closed her eyes.

"I never spoke to Mac that morning," AJ said quietly. "I woke up, and was told that after he went home from the party, he took a gun, and put a bullet in his head."

Tara instantly removed her hand from AJ's shoulder.

"They say they don't know why he did it," AJ continued. "But I think I know. I think, deep down, he never wanted me to follow in his footsteps. I don't think he could bear to see me waste my life like this, to become a soldier. Maybe he wanted me to do something better with my life. But this is who I am, and I can't change it."

"AJ, I'm…" Tara stumbled with her words. "I'm so sorry."

"I know," AJ said dryly. "I am too."

AJ said no more. She walked straight out of the base, through the Chinese restaurant, and stopped at the main entrance. The thought of Mac's death stung a primitive part of her brain, a part that had yet to grow numb to violence. But she shut that part out. Instead, she focused on the sentence that had plagued her for two full days.

"342 Graver's Road, Warehouse 22."

The words haunted her. Why would he bother speaking them to her? Why didn't he kill her when he had the chance? Why didn't he kill her friends? Why did he have to kill Sombra? And why, if her hunch turned out to be true, would he lead her directly to his base? To kill her? Why not just kill her earlier?

The questions tugged at the strings in her mind, each trying to take primary control. However, through all of the thoughts, the confusion, the heartache, the pain, the pressure, the anxiety, all of it, she was certain of one thing.

The Unknown spared her life, and she was going to find out why.

End of Chapter 10