It happened in a flash, the travelling from one planet to the other. He'd expected some kind of feeling, a pull, a pinch, anything. But he felt nothing. There was no difference between stepping through the portal, and walking through a doorway. He felt a little let down.

“Bit underwhelming…” Jack stood tall, and looked around, but all he found was inky darkness. The portal was nowhere to be seen. He took a few steps forward, feeling through the dark. His heavy treads sounded out against concrete, and reverberated back at him. He was underground, in a basement, maybe. Setting down his heavy pack, Jack began rooting through it for his spare set of goggles.

Finally finding the low light goggles stowed squarely at the bottom of his pack, Jack pulled them on, and activated the NVG's. The black turned green, and nothing was illuminated. Rolling his eye, Jack activated the next filter, the backscatter overlay. The magnetic scanner sent out a pulse, and gave him a brief overlay of the room. He was definitely in a basement, if the items inside were anything to go off of. The wall to his left had a rack of sonic washers stacked upon each other, long gathering dust. To his right was a set of shelving, likely empty for equally as long. He frowned slightly, before finding the stairs up. It seemed he was alone in the basement of some apartment building.

“Got maybe a few minutes until the first few show up…” Jack mumbled to himself as he lifted his pack and re-engaged the magnetic clamps holding it in place on his armour. Lifting his rifle, he slowly began to stalk toward the stairs. Slicing his corners, Jack began to ascend.

As he neared a metal door, his PDA blipped. And then it blipped again, and again, and again, until he turned off notifications and looked to the screen. Pulling off his goggles, he squinted at the screen in the dark, before his eye went wide in shock.

Shaking his head slightly, Jack looked to the date, and once again, found himself pausing.

Stowing his phone, he had to shake his head again. He had to focus on the now, and investigate his phone later. Pushing open the door, he stepped into the dull grey light of Terra.

Flitter's breath caught as she stepped through the portal, and what she expected to happen, didn't happen. She'd expected a pull, a pinch, anything. It was like walking through a door. “Little underwhelming…” She murmured to herself as she squinted and tried to pick up anything in the inky blackness. “Jack?” She called out softly, but got not response. “Dammit…”

“Ah-huh?”

Flitter looked over her shoulder as Taven seemed to simply materialize out of thin air. “Where the hell?”

“I'm on your right.” Flitter said quietly. “Can you see anything?”

She heard him sigh, and the quiet jingle of his equipment. “It's really dark, but I can make out some shapes… there's stairs over there. I think we're underground.”

The sound of another one of the platoon arriving drew their attention, and forced Flitter to stand and act. “Alright, Taven, find a way out of here, and see if you can't find Jack.”

“Right… I'll scout ahead.” The sound of his booted feet on the concrete met Flitter's ears, just before a door squealed open on rusty hinges.

Fwoosh

A bright red flare landed near the bottom of the stairs, bathing the large basement in flickering phosphoric light.

“Welcome to Earth. Get topside before that flare dies.” Jack's voice came down the stairs, prompting those who had arrived to rise and move toward the stairs. Mounting the stairs, Flitter and the others had some issues, considering their new bodies and the challenge that fifteen concrete steps now posed.

Flitter was the first through the open door, and she found herself in some kind of lobby. Ancient, desiccated carpets clung futilely to the floors, and what had once been furniture had all but collapsed into piles of old wood and rotten fabric. Jack was standing near a large desk that was covered in dust, looking out the front windows, which had long since been blasted inwards.

“What is it?” Flitter asked quietly as more of the team mounted the stairs with great effort.

“I think I know where we are…” He mumbled in response as he looked out onto the destroyed street. Rusted and gutted vehicles were piled up upon each other, creating blockades across entire streets. Their frames almost seemed melted together in some instances. Without another word, Jack stepped out onto the street, crushing stray glass underfoot. He stopped a few steps out, and spoke again. “I know exactly where we are…”

Walking up beside him, Flitter found herself stopping in shock; not because of the truly massive concrete and steel giants, whose skeletons pierced the skies in the distance, but for the two kilometer deep sinkhole that ate up two dozen city blocks in either direction. “What… what is this?”

“My grave… we're in Detroit.”

The team slowly filtered out of the blasted apartment, and gathered in the melted street. Jack stepped aside, and pulled on his booney hat as Flitter gathered everyone up and made sure nobody had been lost in transit. The platoon couldn't help but rubber neck as they looked around at the ruined city.

“What is this place?” Minerva asked out loud as she picked through some of the wrecked cars and scanned the grey skyline.

“Detroit. At the start of the war, it was one of the first cities lost to the invasion. They set down and set up shop.” Jack kicked over a loose hubcap. Without another word, he marched to the end of the street, and looked both ways before planting his hands on his hips. Flitter watched him as he stalked about, checking the area.

“What's the plan, Captain?” Taven asked as he sat down on the hood of a luxury sedan long since turned to a rotten carcass.

Flitter cast another look to Jack, before standing up and securing her pack. “We follow our Pathfinder. Alright, everyone up! I want standard combat spread, eyes on the windows and alleys. Aurora, stay in the center and if bullets start flying, find cover and keep your head down. Simoh, I want you ready to get into an elevated position if we get fired on.”

A round of affirmatives went up, and the platoon spread out while Flitter moved forward to link up with Jack. Mythic was at her side, his eyes flicking about nervously. “Captain? I'm picking up a strange signal.”

When Flitter turned to Mythic, Jack was already heading back towards them. He came to a stop, and lifted a brow as Flitter placed the headset over her ears.

“-KRSSHH-ON YOU APES, YOU WANNA LIVE FOREVER!?”

Furrowing her brows deeply, Flitter readjusted the headset, and tried to listen further. “I can hear gunfire. Lots of yelling. Can you identify where it's coming from?” She looked up at Mythic, who shook his head.

“No way, with all these buildings around? I almost didn't pick it up at all.”

Sighing lightly, Jack seemed to nod to himself. “That’s the concrete jungle for you. Unless whoever's broadcasting has a transmission tower, you're not gonna get shit for radio reception. Come on, I think I know where we are, streetwise… if we head over six blocks to the east, we should be on a main thoroughfare, find our way to the train tracks, or find a working vehicle. However unlikely that is…” He checked his phone, and furrowed his brow as he flicked through the options. Opening up the WiFi table, he found only one signal waiting for him. MLND198212. Secured. “Dammit… let's go people, we're burning daylight, and Motor City gets cold as fuck in October.”

“We're following you, Jack.” Flitter gave him a nod, and they all set off.

Picking their way slowly through the empty, ruined streets, the Equestrians found themselves at a loss for explanations regarding the ruined alien landscape. The buildings that surrounded them were long abandoned, and often destroyed from war time shelling. Jack slowed as they walked by an overturned Corvellan Hovertank; it's turret laying in pieces several meters away. The armour on it's side had suffered a massive penetrating hit, buckling the alien armour like tinfoil. He all but had to pry Aurora off it as she tried to scramble inside to pilfer alien tech.

Something was beginning to pick at Jack's brain, setting him on edge as they passed block after block and only saw empty buildings, abandoned cars, and ruined military equipment.

“Where the fuck are all the bodies…” Jack muttered to himself. Those who heard him looked around, confirming that there wasn't so much as a single bleached bone sticking out of the dirt and dust.

Moving up next to Jack, Flitter nudged him, and pointed further up the street. Just as he looked up toward the light, a Corvellan heavy patrol all but materialised from an alley way. Biting back a yell of terror, Jack grabbed Flitter by the collar, and dove into cover. Her mouth worked in surprise, only to be covered by his metal gauntlet as the rest of the platoon found cover. The patrol began to close, silently plodding along the ground. They laid perfectly still for what felt like ages, waiting for the patrol to pass by. They'd clearly not been spotted, as no incandescent bolts punched through Jack's armour, or blew the lightly armoured soldiers behind him to steaming bits. In fact, not a single noise was made by the patrol as they wheeled away and marched down the street.

Slowly peeking over the edge of the rubble, Jack let out the breath he'd been holding in deep. “What the fuck are the Slugs still doing here? Elissa said we won, god dammit…” He worried at his scarred cheek as he watched the patrol grow smaller.

“What the hell were those!?” Minerva hissed at them from across the street, her rifle trained on the figures.

“Hot death on a platter.” Jack muttered, before pointing harshly at the Corvellans. “That, is your fucking alien.”

“I preferred it when you were my alien…” Flitter muttered as she motioned the platoon up and out of cover. “Off the streets, we have no idea how many there could be.”

As the others moved into the cramped alleges and kept their guns trained in every which direction, Mythic moved up next to Flitter and held up the receiver to her again. “It's back.”

Cupping the headset to her now small ear, Flitter listened intently through the static.

“Forward! Ninth battalion, forward into the breach! FOLLOW ME TO GLORYYYY!” An earth shattering cheer went up, followed by intense gunfire. Flitter pulled the headset off, and listened intently. No gunshots echoed through the dead city on the cold wind. The voice on the other end sounded familiar, but she couldn't figure out where she'd heard it before.

Jack moved ahead, peeking around the corner. He narrowed his eyes upon seeing more Corvellan's, but the itching in his brain refused to go away. Against his better judgement, he began to follow them like a ghost.

After what felt like an hour of stalking the patrol several city blocks, they came across a set of rails, however, the rails didn't look like anything the Equestrians, nor Jack, had ever seen. They were more akin to railgun rails, and when the platoon approached, all the ferrous metal on their bodies lifted up and tried to fly to the metal rails. A wire sat overhead, buzzing quietly. Quirking a brow, Taven slowly approached the rails next to Jack.

“What are they for?” He asked quietly as Jack looked up and down the track.

“I think-” Jack drew in a breath of surprise through clenched teeth as he grabbed Taven by the collar and dove to the side, just as a metal tube zipped passed them nearly silently. The tube had appeared and disappeared within the snap of a finger, though the suck of air as it whipped by nearly pulled Jack and Taven back onto the tracks. The wire above crackled with energy for a moment, before fading back to a dull buzz.

Panting in fear, Taven let his head loll back. “Thanks Jack…”

“Anytime, buddy…” Jack slowly sat up, and looked back down the track. “That… was a maglev, I think. Okay.” Pushing himself up, he waved to the rest of the platoon. “Change of plans, we are NOT going to follow the train tracks!” Nobody argued as a lot of heads nodded vigorously in agreement.

It took a fair amount of time to find a way to safely cross the tracks, but when they did, they could hear distant noises. However, there was one sound that pricked Jack's interest in particular. The sound of tires slowly grinding stone against pavement. The sound of a vehicle slowly moving. He motioned toward a relatively tall building that had all of its windows blasted inwards; it's exterior marred with soot and blast marks. Entering the building, they caught flashes of movement on the other side, on the street. Jack motioned jerkily for them to climb a level before pounding up the stairs as swiftly as his legs could carry him. Edging cautiously to the destroyed windows on the other side, the group was treated to a macabre scene of a human battle group clashing with a massive Corvellan host. Lasers and steel bolts ripped through the air, sending the aliens flying, while incandescent bolts boiled men and women alive. Tanks trundled and swooped across the rubble strewn streets, their turrets spewing hot death at each other with mammoth guns. At the head of it all, was a Longbow soldier, firing a heavy Grizzly sabot rifle with one hand, while holding a battle standard in the other.

It all would have been deafening; should have been deafening. The war made not a single noise. The platoon watched the silent, macabre dance as human soldiers fell and aliens died.

“Flitter?” Mythic spoke quietly as he unplugged the headset and let the tinny speakers play.

The gunfire came in loud and clear, along with the screams and yelling, the gunning of engines and the howling of alien guns. The Longbow soldier shoulder checked a Corvellan Elite, before firing a burst into it's chest. As the alien died, the soldier hefted the Terran battle standard high into the air.

“WE'RE ALMOST THERE! COME ON MEN!”

It struck Flitter like a ton of bricks. The voice was Jack's, though it sounded younger, louder, and full of less gravel and growl. The charge came, and the aliens fell like chaff. Soon though, a new sound joined the radio chatter, and with it, a source. A greatly lifted eight wheeled vehicle slowly trundled over the debris, the open topped deck sporting a number of humans in garish clothes pointing glowing wrist mounted devices at everything. There were children among them, wearing plastic replicas of Jack's helmet.

A human up at the front of the vehicle lifted a microphone to his lips and spoke through the vehicle's PA system. “And here is where the gallant Martyr Kessle rallied the broken ninth battalion, and punched a hole through the alien lines. From here, he would selflessly lead a one man charge and infiltrate their fortress. There he'd single handedly slay the alien commander, and sacrifice his heroic life to destroy the final Corvellan teleportation platform, locking their remaining forces in space.”

The vehicle trundled passed, the sounds of the battle filtering through the PA system, alongside the encouraging bellows of the Phantom Jack. The fallen on the street seemed to all but dematerialize into flickers of light, before new ones came up from the various streets and alleys to stand ready for the next tour vehicle. All eyes went to Jack, but found him missing. The sound of his boots crushing glass on the street below drew all eyes, and the platoon found their pathfinder plowing through the Corvellan soldiers as if they were made of thin glass as he chased after the tour vehicle.

“He's twigged!”

Flitter shook her head as she threw her rifle over her shoulder, and jumped to the street below. The landing came far softer than she'd expected, but it was the last thing on her mind as she chased after Jack. Soon, the entire platoon was running after the both of them.

Jack followed the tour vehicle for what felt like ages, tailing it through the twisting blocks of empty buildings and mazes of ruined cars. Noise was beginning to meet his ears though, the noise of civilization. The sun had long since set into the horizon, bathing the entire city in inky darkness, though something in the distance shone bright enough to fade the stars.

“Jack! Jack wait up!” Flitter yelled after him, only to almost run into his backside when he skidded to a halt. “Jack, what-”

“Are you seeing this?” He pointed around the corner, and down the street. Peering out, Flitter's eyes went wide in shock as she watched the massive tour vehicle enter a fenced compound, that held an amusement park. A rollercoaster whizzed by overhead, full of screaming humans. Above it all floated the sign:

“What… in all of the worlds…” Flitter pulled away, and turned back to the others as they finally caught up. “Hold tight, we've got… something. Jack?” Flitter looked back to him, and found the man with a monocular against his eye.

Scanning the amusement park, Jack couldn't help but slowly start to shake his head. “I… I need to get closer. Flitter, pick a squad if you're going to follow me…” He slowly rose, and stowed the monocular. He set his rifle aside, and motioned for the others following to do the same.

“Taven, Aurora, Baron, Yuma, with me. Simoh and Mythic, up the building with eyes and ears on, emergency channel. First squad, across the street, second sticks here. Stay in cover and don't get seen.” Flitter quickly barked the orders, and gestured with her metal hand. “Minerva, you're in charge, I expect a tight ship.”

The busty woman saluted sharply. “Yes ma'am! You heard the captain! Let's go ladies!”

The platoon scattered across the street, soon leaving the six scouts alone. They all looked to Jack, who remained in his armour. “Jack?” Flitter spoke softly. “We're waiting on you.”

“Yeah… yeah let's go.” He rose from his hunkered spot, and started toward the fence. “Cross your fingers…”

Crossing the no man's land between the ruined city and the gleaming park, Jack heard no cries of alarm, no yells to halt. In fact, he didn't see a single armed guard. There were a number of security cameras, but they all seemed to be pointing inwards. The park wasn't expecting anybody to break in through the city, apparently. A large concrete building rose up on the edge of the fenced in property, with a heavy metal door. Jamming his knife into the frame, Jack cut through the bar lock, and carefully pulled open the door. Ushering in the team through, Jack carefully closed the door, and turned to take a look around. It seemed they were in some kind of maintenance room; shelves lined the walls full of part boxes and miscellaneous bits. A large generator hummed away in the corner, protected by a section of chain link fence.

Moving to the next door, Jack didn't wait for the team to finish gawking as he carefully opened it. Peeking out, he found himself looking out into the employee changing rooms and lounge. A number of actors ambled about, either changing or relaxing.

“So how long are you on shift for?”

A voice drew his attention over to a pair of men, one of which was dressed as a cartoonish Corvellan, and the other as a Longbow soldier.

“I'm on for another two hours until closing, then I'm catching the train back home.” The Longbow soldier groaned as he leaned back and pulled off his costume. “But right now, I'm taking my break.”

“Hah, well, see you tomorrow.”

“Later boo.”

Jack eased the door back, and waited for the pair to leave, before slipping out and heading for the longbow costume. Pulling the metal and plastic helmet off the pile, Jack plunked it down over his head, and was shocked when a HUD shimmered up. His armour’s VI tried to connect, but the warning of software incompatibility flashed, telling him he was out of luck. Snagging the replica rifle from the pile, Jack motioned the others forward. “See those ninth battalion costumes? Grab what you can and make it work.”

The others quickly nodded, and began rooting through the costumes available. Jack peeked out around the corner, watching and waiting to see if anyone else would come to the lockers. Glancing over his shoulder, he made the grave mistake of checking to see if his team was finished changing. The stark, shameless human nudity caused his eyes to linger for an excruciatingly long moment, before he shook his head and looked back to the hall.

“Jack?” Flitter spoke behind him, causing him to once again glance over his shoulder at her. She held her arms out, showcasing the ill fitting ACMC ninth battalion uniform. “How does it look?”

His eyes flicked down for a brief moment, before he forced them back up. “Beautiful… It-it’s fine, I mean.” He gave her a jerky thumbs up, before stepping out of the locker room. “Okay… recon, act natural… nothing out of the ordinary…”

Walking down the short hallway, Jack entered the lounge, and idly glanced around at the attraction workers. Nobody glanced their way as the squad moved behind him, save for when Yuma slid her seven foot tall frame through the doorway. Eyes quickly diverted when Yuma's met them, and she acted like she completely belonged. Aurora however, shuffled her feet and glanced around nervously, unable to keep a cool expression as they moved for the main doors.

Exiting out into the cool night air, the sounds of the amusement park buffeted the squad, causing both Taven and Aurora to cringe and cover their ears.

“What is this place? I've… I've never seen anything like it…” Flitter murmured next to Jack as she gawked at the neon lights and vibrant attractions. On all sides, they were surrounded by families and sightseers, and the noise was nearly deafening.

Jack slowly shook his head as he looked around with wide eyes. It was as much of a shock to him as it was to everyone else. “I don't… just… stick close. Okay?”

“Jack, are you alright?” Taven asked softly as he moved up to the other side of the man.

“I don't know anymore…”

Moving forward, Jack began to slowly weave his way through the crowd. Passing by another longbow actor, he found out, to his chagrin, that he was considerably taller in his armour than they were in their replicas. He stood out among the crowd, and was beginning to draw attention to himself as he slowly ambled about. He wasn't even sure what he was looking for, or if there was anything he could do with this place to help further their goal.

“Look, over there.” Aurora pointed off through the crowd, toward an information booth, sitting next to an open air gift store.

“Good find Aurora.” Flitter nudged the girl with her hip, before walking casually over to the electronic booth. As she approached, the screen lit up, and a little animated chibi Jack popped up.

“Hi there! Welcome to Martyrland! I'm Jack junior, the official mascot! What can I help you with today?” The chibi sprite certainly sounded like Jack, if he were higher pitched and adorable, but the rosy little cheeks and the gleaming green eyes full of mischief just threw it off completely.

“Um…” Flitter blanked as the cute little spite placed his armoured hands on his hips and leaned forward in anticipation. “Uhhhh…”

Budging passed Flitter, Aurora got closer to the screen, drawing the little sprite's attention. “What is this place?”

The little chibi grinned brightly and rocked on his heels. “This is Martyrland! One of eight locations renowned for their historical location and importance, owned and operated by Elysian Fields Media! This park celebrates the amazing victory that Longbow Specialist Jack Kessle, also known as Martyr Kessle, heroically turned the tides of Operation Ironguard, and destroyed the Corvellan teleportation system and primary stronghold for the eastern seaboard! Would you like to know more?”

Aurora squee'd happily as she clapped her hands. “Such an intelligent little creature! How did they get you inside this box?”

“I was preprogrammed to answer as many questions as possible by our beloved visitors and guests, and this booth has been placed here for your convenience!” The little sprite seemed all too happy to answer Aurora's questions, which thrilled the small woman to no end.

“Aurora.” Flitter tapped her shoulder. “Find out where the next town is, and how we can escape this place. I need to keep an eye on Jack.” Flitter looked over her shoulder, and sighed as she watched Yuma and Taven become entranced by the carnival games. “And everybody else…”

“Can do, Captain!” Aurora peered back at the little sprite as he patiently awaited her next question. “I wish I could take you home with me~”

“You can! Just ask your parents permission before downloading Martyr Kessle Junior by Elysian Fields Media from the app store for only one ninety nine ninety nine!”

“That's a lot of bits…”

Flitter shook her head as she turned away and searched for Jack. With an idle flick of her hand, she got Baron's attention and motioned to Aurora. The other woman didn't need any more than the motion, as she moved to the small woman's side to keep her safe. Thankfully, Flitter didn't have to look far, though what she saw gave her a long moment of pause. A little girl with curly mousy hair stood before Jack, wearing denim overalls, a light green t-shirt, bright yellow gumboots, and a ball cap that read NASCAR across the front. In her hands she clutched a plushie Longbow soldier that was as big as her head. Jack had knelt down in front of the little girl, and seemed to be listening intently to what the little girl was saying. Pushing back a small smile, Flitter approached the pair. “What's going on, Jack?”

He lifted his head towards her for a moment. “She's… she's lost her family. We… I'm going to… help.” He spoke in an unusually soft tone, one Flitter could barely hear over the din of the crowds.

Unable to hide her soft smile, Flitter placed her hands between her knees and stooped over toward the girl. “What do your parents look like?” To her surprise, the little girl covered her face with her Jack plushie, and moved to hide behind the real one's big armoured leg.

“Hey… it's okay.” Jack offered his gauntlet to the girl, who cautiously took it by the tip of a single finger. Very carefully, Jack lifted her up onto his shoulder, but left his hand up for her to hold onto. “What do your momma and daddy look like?” He listened carefully, and softly relayed the information to Flitter.

Across the park thoroughfare, Yuma and Taven were watching with rapt attention as people played the carnival games. The games were unlike anything they'd seen before, being a combination of physical, electronic, and hardlight components. The prizes were varied and colourful, though the one that drew Yuma's eyes the most was the positively gigantic Longbow plushie, which was nearly as big as the real thing.

“Taven, Sergeant Taven! I need that large toy Jack!” She tugged at his arm, causing the slightly smaller man to chuckle.

“Okay okay, I suppose one game won't hurt…” He cleared his throat and approached the staff member manning the booth. “Hello. Um… how much to get the big prize?”

The bored looking teenage girl simply rolled her eyes as she pointed toward the sign on the back wall. Apparently all he had to do was hit the bullseye with the balls five times in a row, with the five balls provided. At the bottom of the sign read 'first game free, 50$ per game after the first.’

Relaying the rules to Yuma, Taven stood back as the huge Amazonian woman grabbed her five balls, and approached the line with intent to win. Beside her, a young boy yelled a vibrant curse as a hardlight Corvellan blocked his last ball. Taken aback by the vulgarities spewing from the child's mouth, Yuma slowly turned her attentions back to the board, and tossed her first ball. It flew high over the target, and earned an eye roll from the attendant as the buzzer sounded.

“No good!” A little voice shouted out from the board, mocking Yuma.

“I will show you no good…” Yuma muttered as she reeled to take her next shot, using her hydraulic arm.

Leaning against the ticket booth, Taven allowed himself a moment to breath and take in the sights. There was just… so much. Unable to flatten his ears against his head, Taven was forced to bear the brunt of the noises, and his light sensitive eyes suffered greatly from the flashing LEDs and neon lights. Shielding his eyes from the light, Taven turned his attentions back to the game. As he did, the attendant quickly averted her eyes from his backside, and Yuma muttered in agitation.

“The game is cheating! It has blocked my balls twice! I will only get the little wrist thing…” She gestured sadly toward the cheap children's watch sitting in the low tier prize case, just above small sugary candies and other dollar store party favors.

Pushing off of the stand, Taven approached her side. “Here, let me try.” He pressed the button on the booth, and received five balls. Looking over the target, he shrugged and lobbed a ball at it. Bullseye. “Hey this is pretty easy.” He lobbed another, and another, both smacking the center of the target. His fourth struck true, and now more than a few people were watching him throw. He paused, just as a hard light alien popped up, and waved his arms about to block a ball that wouldn't come. Just as the hardlight alien was beginning to fall apart, Taven slung the ball in, shattering the alien, and striking true.

Ding ding ding! The alarm went off. “Winner! Mega prize!”

Even the attendant looked surprised as she reached up and unhooked the giant plushie. She smiled a little to the attractive mulatto stranger as she handed it over. “I've never actually seen someone win this. Con-rats, I s’pose.”

Taking the prize, Taven shrugged to her. “It wasn't all that hard. Just had to watch the little light things.” Turning back to Yuma, he hefted the heavy plush. “Got it.”

Despite his victory, Yuma still seemed slightly off put by the whole ordeal. “You have proven yourself the superior ball thrower, Knight Sergeant Varenikov… I will take my small wrist thing as prize.”

“Well… here. I won it for you.” Taven pushed the giant thing toward her, only to watch as the Amazonian’s eyes lit up with glee.

“Truly!? You are the greatest of friends!” The big woman wrapped her flesh arm around his head, and pulled him into a smothering embrace against her chest. She seemed unaware of Taven's flailing limbs as she squeezed him happily. “This is the greatest gift I have ever received! It's fur is so soft I wish to perish!”

Patting her arm, Taven tried in vain to free his head. “Y-yuma… can't…. Breathe!”

“Ah! My friend!” Releasing Taven, Yuma lifted him up off the ground. “I apologise deeply for harming you with my boobflesh…”

He waved off the apology as he sucked in air. “No.. no problem, Yuma… had a great time.” Rolling his neck, Taven glanced around the busy park. “Dammit… I can't see Jack or Flitter anywhere, let's get back to Baron and Aurora.”

The huge woman nodded rapidly as she hugged the plushie to her chest. “Yes! An excellent idea Knight Sergeant, we should regroup!”

With a little effort, the pair returned to Baron and Aurora, though now a line was forming as Aurora continued to ask the chibi Jack every question she could think of. Baron looked greatly relieved as the pair approached. “Have fun? I'm glad you guys are back, these humans look upset, and I can't pry Aurora away from the thing…”

“Have you seen Jack or Flitter?” Taven questioned as he moved up to Aurora's side.

“Nope. Haven't felt them either. This place is just… Awful. It makes me want to puke, all these human emotions…” She shivered heavily.

Shaking his head, Taven reached over and ran two fingers sharply down Aurora's spine, right between where her wings would normally be. The intended effect was immediate, as Aurora arched her back and let out a shrill 'Eeeee’. Whipping around, the woman backed up against the holographic console. “W-what was that for!?” Her cheeks all but glowed a rosy red from embarrassment.

Motioning over his shoulder with his head, Taven spoke. “There's a queue forming, and we've lost Jack. Come on doc, we need to leave.”

“S-sure… um… goodbye!” She said to the little chibi sprite, which waved back at her. “Oh I need one of these little creatures so badly!~”

“Yeah yeah, real adorable without the spaz attacks and rampant alcoholism.” Baron muttered as she grabbed the woman and physically pulled her away from the kiosk. “Did you at least learn anything useful?”

Aurora swiftly nodded in return. “Yes! There is a 'magnetic levitation’ train that will take us to a village called 'Washington DC’.”

“I have spotted Jack!” Yuma exclaimed as she pointed at the man. The whole group turned, and craned their necks to see over the crowd.

Handing over the small girl, her parents were utterly beside themselves with relief. Hugging her child against herself, the mother beamed to the masked Jack. “Thank you so much for keeping Gabby safe! We were about to go to security! You have no idea how much this means to us!”

Jack stared back at them through the tinted red visor, his tongue catching as his brain faltered. “...Yeah…”

Moving in beside the big man, Flitter smiled at the pair. “It was our pleasure, really.”

“What are your names, we'll tell your manager to give you a raise!” The father grinned brightly at them.

“Just keep an eye on her better, next time.” Jack turned away from the family, and pressed a hand against his helmet as he began to walk away. Excusing herself, Flitter followed after him, just as a booming voice caused him to freeze.

“You there!” The voice was coming from another standing console, but as Jack turned to it, a full sized hardlight replica of him materialised, and mocked him with a fully intact face. “Good evening-” The replica paused, and a small message displayed below his chin.

“-Specialist Jack Kessle, retired ACMC Staff Sergeant! According to my database, you're a veteran of the- Desert Shield, Operation Enduring Peace, Operation Desert Spear, Corvellan-Terran conflict, Operation Tundra Storm, Operation Blinding Light, Operation Hellfire, Caucasus region conflict, Operation Tokyo Thunder, Operation Supremacy, Pacific Theatre, Operation Peleliu, Eastern North American Theatre, South American Theatre, Operation Striking Snake, Liberation of Washington, Liberation of Moscow, Operation Black Beast, and Operation Ironguard! You've got an impressive service record, soldier! Have you considered signing on with the Terran Legion? New four year contracts have become available, with fifty thousand dollar signing bonus incentives! Contact your local recruiter asap, and remember, if you follow the way of the Martyr, anybody, can be a hero!” The hardlight Jack saluted sharply, and shifted, showing the real Jack what he would look like in the silver and red Legion dress uniform.

His grizzled, ruined features replaced the grinning, perfect face of the copy. He looked like he should have been dead a long time ago, and just hadn't gotten the memo. The old fat 'Y’ shaped scar across his forehead had long since faded to a less angry colour, but the other half of his face looked melted, and still had teeth showing through the cheek. His intact cheek was still gaunt from the starvation and torture he'd endured at the claws of Carolus. His empty eye socket was covered by the cloth patch; his other eye dull and lost. His hair was scraggly, and it had far more white and grey in it than he ever remembered and the same could be said for the scruff now growing on half his face. Staring himself in the eye, Jack slowly slumped in his armour, and pressed a metal gauntlet against his visor. His dress uniformed copy mirrored him.

“Oh god…”

Flitter's hand rested on his shoulder as she pulled herself closer to him. “Jack… it's going to be alright. Let's just meet up with the others, and get out of here…”

He slowly shook his head, the hand on his visor now trembling violently as he stumbled away from the machine. “I… can’t, this… this fucking place is… wrong... It's… it's all wrong! I can't… I… fuck… Fuck!” His hoarse yells were now drawing attention, and people were starting to give him a wide berth.

They sent you to die, and now they're using your pretty little face to recruit kids to die. Ironic, isn't it?

“Shut the fuck up!” Jack snarled through clenched teeth and drawn lips. “I don't want to hear a fucking peep out of you!”

Flitter drew her hand away in surprise. “Jack…” She looked incredibly surprised, and hurt.

The look was like a spear through his heart. “No, no, Flitter, n-not you, please… just-”

The hardlight copy sprung back up and spoke with his voice, though it regarded Flitter this time. “Good evening-” It didn't get a chance to even start searching for Flitter's nonexistent personal data, as Jack's fist smashed it's face into a million pieces. It immediately rematerialized, this time with a frown. “Assault of Elysian Fields Media property is punishable by four months in prison and a twenty thousand dollar fine. Security forces have been alerted to your location. Good day.”

Gritting his teeth, Jack was just about to smash the whole console to bits when he heard pneumatic steps approaching. Turning, he found himself staring down two humanoid droids that had 'security’ emblazoned across their chests. They approached with a human officer, who in his own right was a massive man in his uniform. “Step away from the recruiter.” Jack shuddered involuntarily as the officer spoke, and clamped a hand down around his shaking hand. The security officer set his hands on his utility belt. “Why don't you come with me to the office and chill out for a few?”

His eye flicked from droid to droid. While the officer was clearly willing to be lenient to a point, the droids were prepared to try and take him down, hard. “Y-yeah… fine.” He nearly had to spit his last word out, as his jaw shook and his voice faltered. As he moved to the officer, he muttered to Flitter. “Get the others. Wait.”

With a nod, Flitter disappeared into the crowd, and Jack was alone.

The walk to the security office was a short one, and Jack soon found himself in a small office within. On the door was the name 'Shift Leader Barnes’. Officer Barnes beckoned him in, before gesturing to the chair. “Take a seat please.” His heavy pack released with a near silent buzz, and caused a the desk to jump from the impact. As Jack sat down, and the chair groaned in protest, Barnes sat down across from him, eyeing the big pack, and the man it belonged to. “So, bad day huh?”

“It's been… a bad decade, I think…” Jack's eye flicked up under the helmet, regarding the security officer. He was big, almost as big a Petyr, but not fat like Petyr. He had massively broad shoulders, and a shock of dusty brown hair on his head. His thickset features were freshly shaven, and fairly young, if Jack could judge by the lines.

“Hmfph. I hear that. Look dog, I don't blame you for socking that hardlight asshole one. Grudd, we all get the urge to geek him on occasion.” Barnes motioned in a placating manner with his hands. “But that being said, you can't be smashing Martyr Kessle in the face in front of all the guests, even if it is a bastardized recruiter.”

Slowly shaking his head, Jack leaned back in the straining chair. “I can't believe they've done this… made this… this fucking place.”

“It’s-”

“It's a slap to the face is what it is.” Jack shot back harshly before the officer could say anything. “How many people lost their lives, only to be remembered by a fucking theme park…”

Barnes sighed as he reached out and tapped a hardlight screen. “Coffee, two cream two sugar.” Within moments, the cup plunked down from a slot in the wall, and filled with coffee. “It's historically inaccurate-”

“How do you think people would feel if it was Holocaust Park? With the 'Anne Frank’ funhouse, and the ‘Dunk Hitler’ carnie game? The Auschwitz gas chamber maze? It's-” Jack could no longer contain himself, and his hand slowly crushed the arm of the chair like tinfoil. “Historically inaccurate… It disgusts me…”

As the metal was crushed in his hand, Barnes slowly set his coffee down. “Can you take your helmet off for me please? I need to get your ID number, recommend you for some extra days off.” Without a second thought, Jack complied, and let the replica clatter to the floor. Barnes’ eyes slowly widened as he looked at Jack's ruined face. “I don't… recognise you. You don't work here.”

“Funny…” Jack slowly smiled an emotionless smile as he reached into one of his pouches and produced a cigarette. “There wasn't a fucking amusement park the last time I was here…”

“Janine, scan the man across from me and give me his profile.”

The console built into his desk responded curtly. “Right away, Walter.”

“So.” Walter clasped his hands together on the desk. “What's your name?”

“Jack… Jack Kessle.”

“Very funny. Your real name, please. Janine, what's taking so long?” Walter glanced down at the console.

“Profile is unavailable due to clearance requirements.”

“What? What clearance level is he?”

“Double black as dictated by the Elysian Fields media group.”

Walter blinked, and looked to Jack, who was too busy sucking back the cigarette to care about anything that was being said. “Recall camera footage of the recruiter, number twenty two, when 'Mr. Kessle’ approached it.”

“Right away sir.”

“Okay tough guy.” Walter leaned forward, and frowned. “I don't know who you are, and I don't care who you 'think’ you are. You try and bullshit me about being Martyr Kessle, I'll knock your damn teeth out. If it weren't for his Foundation, I'd be dead, so don't think I take kindly to random people pretending to be a man I idolise.” His console pinged, as Jack smiled weakly behind his cigarette. Narrowing his eyes, the officer watched the clip. His eyes soon widened, and his mouth worked in confusion. “There's… No, the recruiter's wrong, it shouldn't even have access to double black profiles-”

“Unless it's owned and operated by the people who own my likeness.” Jack snubbed the cigarette. “I don't have time for this.” Reaching into his webbing, Jack grabbed Delta King's carry handle, and plunked the two megatonne bomb down on the large man's desk. The officer's eyes went wide, and he back away from the bomb. “My name, is Jack Kessle. I have had a very bad day, among many. I'd appreciate it if you cooperated.” He drawled, letting his words hang in the air for a good long moment, before reaching into his bag and grasping a fist full of golden bits. “If you help me out, I'll compensate you. Fuck sakes, you keep your mouth shut and let me and mine pass through, I'll pay you.” He plunked the fist full of coins down on the desk, before leaning back to let the security officer stew. “I honestly don’t give a flying fuck.”

Blinking owlishly, Walter looked from Jack, to the bomb, then to the gold now sitting on his desk, and then back to Jack. “Am… am I dreaming?” Walter pinched himself, before blinking hard again, and leaning in to look at the gold, then to the bomb.

“I keep telling myself I'm trapped in a nightmare, but I haven't woken up in over two years. What'll it be, Officer Barnes? Easy way, or the hard way.”

Shaking his head, the large man slouched, and rested his cheek in the palm of his hand. “This is… a little overwhelming.” He frowned heavily, before pinching the bridge of his nose. “Okay. Let's… let's say I believe you. You're the real Jack Kessle, the man who nuked himself to save Earth eighty five years ago. How in the blueberry hell, are you sitting, right here, right now, looking like death itself, carrying hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gold, and a nuke, that by all accounts, has gone off and altered the course of history?”

“Can I get a coffee? Triple triple. Please.”

“I see five coming back…” Simoh shifted and panned his scope across the barren landscape. “No sign of the big man…”

Moving to the edge of the roof, Mythic stage whispered down to the others. “Five coming in! Hold fire!”

The returning five soon crossed the street, and entered the cover of the buildings. Flitter looked around, before having her attention drawn to the side by a whistle. Minerva beckoned her over from a destroyed window, and soon the squads were reunited.

Crouching down by a chemlight, the rangers looked to Flitter in the lowlight. Minerva was the first to speak. “Well? What is it?”

Looking to the others, Flitter huffed in amusement. “It’s some kind of… park. Jack called it a theme park.”

“Where is Jack?” Taven questioned quietly, having not been given an answer on the trek back.

“He… was detained by security. He asked that we wait and monitor the emergency channel.”

A round of curses and mutters went around, while Minerva looked grave. “So we have no pathfinder. Did-” She paused, upon seeing the giant stuffed plushie Yuma was now cramming into her bag. “...what the fuck is that thing?”

Settling on lashing the plushie to the outside, Yuma hummed happily as she answered. “Sergeant Taven has won me a wonderful gift! Look! It is so soft!”

The Sergeant's eyes flicked to Taven, who held up his hands defensively. “Don't give me that look. We had to act natural, and the carnival games were the closest. I just so happened to win…”

Growling quietly, Minerva shook her head as she looked to Baron and Aurora. “Did you two at least stick to the mission and learn anything useful?”

“Yes!” Aurora exclaimed brightly. “We should board the train, and go to a village called 'Washington D.C.” She shifted happily. “There was a tiny Jack in a box in there, he was so smart!”

“Smarter than the real one at least…” Baron murmured.

Taking in the information, Minerva looked to Flitter, who was busy looking out the window, and back at the vibrant lights of the park. “Ma'am, if our pathfinder's been compromised, we should move immediately. There's no telling how long we have before he tells them where we are.”

Snorting hotly, Taven shook his head vehemently. “The man endured weeks of torture without giving a peep, what the hell makes you think he's going to break to a security guard?”

“Well excuse me for keeping my head in reality and my mind on the mission, I didn't have the luxury of jerking off and playing carnival games for the past hour! And besides, they're human. Jack is human. There's no telling what's going on in that messed up head of his, and for all we know, he's sold us out already!”

“He'd have every right to, after what Celestia did.” Flitter spoke lowly as she continued to watch. “We're going to wait.”

Minerva blinked in shock. “But… ma'am! We can't stay here, it's an untenable position, and we could have humans on top of us any minute now!”

Flitter slowly looked away from the window, and fixed her subordinate with a hard stare. “Are you questioning my leadership, Sergeant Aegis?”

All noise in the building died as Minerva worked her mouth as her brain stalled on a response. “N-no, ma'am. I'm just trying to make my opinion on the matter known.”

“It’s been noted. Now get settled. We'll know what happened soon enough.”

Without another word, the squad killed their lights, and began to wait out their pathfinder’s return. The cold had long since settled in, though it was unlike any cold Flitter had ever suffered before. It felt heavy and wet, and clung to her, pulling her down. The entire world seemed to be more dull than her home, as it was currently made of nothing but muted greys and browns.

Slowly, the lights of the theme park dimmed, and the noise ceased. Flitter had taken to counting how many trips the maglev made, watching it as it flashed by like a bolt of lightning. When it stopped running, she felt the worry in her chest grow. “Come on, Jack… where are you?”

“Simoh has something coming out of the park.” Mythic reported quietly over the radio, causing an immediate shuffle from the soldiers around Flitter.

Moving up to a better vantage, Flitter broke out her field glass to have a better look. The no man's land was incredibly dark, making it difficult to make out anything of note. Slowly panning over, Flitter soon spotted some sort of small cart zipping over the jagged with ease. It was coming toward them, and fast.

Resting her cheek against the stock of her rifle, Minerva dialed in on the swiftly approaching vehicle. “Guess we’re about to find out who’s right, Varenikov.”

“Cut the chatter.” Flitter spoke as the cart began to slow, and mounted the street curb. The cart came to an idling stop a little over a dozen meters away. It bore six aggressive off road wheels, and had an equally rugged suspension. The lights mounted upon its grill and roof suddenly lit up, bathing the street in light. More than a few of the rangers drew back and shield their eyes from the harsh glare as the doors on the vehicle swung open.

Tensions rose as two security droids rounded the front of the vehicle and scanned the street. Rifles were raised in the dark, sights aimed for the bulbous torsos of the robots. Jack, and the large security officer soon clambered out of the vehicle, and flanked the droids. The officer looked to Jack, before rocking on his heels and sticking his thumbs in his pockets.

“Well Martyr… I've got about twenty five guns pointing at me… I hope these friends of yours are friendly.”

“If they weren’t we wouldn’t have gotten so close. Have your drones stand down.” Walking toward the ruins, Jack raised an open hand to the unseen operatives. “Hold your fire, please.”

Standing from the long shadows the buggy’s lights cast, Flitter lifted a hand to signal him. “Weapons down, JSOG.”

Leaning against the humming hood of the buggy, Jack waved for the operatives to come forward. “Come on JSOG, let’s have a little pow wow.”

Without a second thought Flitter clambered through the destroyed window, and began crossing the street toward Jack. The rest of the platoon soon followed, until they nearly surrounded the tiny security detail. Walter fidgeted nervously as his eyes flicked from face to face. “So. Martyr Kessle tells me that you all need help. I... “ He cleared his throat, before standing taller. “I’m willing to help you as best I can, so long as you don’t pose a threat to humanity.”

Striding forward, Flitter jutted her hand out toward him. “I’m Knight Captain Flitter Falenas of the Joint Special Operations Group. On behalf of the crown, and our entire world, I thank you for your hospitality and cooperation from the bottom of my heart.”

After a split second of hesitation, Walter reached forward and grasped her weather worn hand with his hairy bear paw. “Corporal Walter Barnes, retired. It’s my pleasure.”

Giving the hand a hearty shake, Flitter found herself smiling ever so slightly. “You see, Jack? That’s how first contact is supposed to go.” Her smile faltered slightly when he didn’t do so much as grunt in her general direction. Instead, he simply leaned against the buggy with his arms crossed and his gaze stuck to the ground. “Anyways… we need a place to stay. Can you help us at all?”

Coughing softly into his fist, the burly man looked around before sighing. “I do have something that might… help. I can explain it on the train ride to DC. Come on, if I don’t lock up the park on time, someone might get suspicious.”

With a nod, Flitter turned away and whistled. “Pack it up JSOG! We’re moving out!” The platoon scattered swiftly, breaking what little they'd pulled out and quickly returning. It wasn't long before the platoon was following after the security buggy as it trundled easily over the rough terrain.

The empty park was a far cry from the deafening miasma it had been only an hour prior. Now, attractions stood still and silent, waiting for the next day to further entertain their guests. The platoon moved quickly and quietly through the park, though they couldn't help but rubber neck at the alien attractions. Despite his earlier misgivings, Walter began to relax slightly as he ducked into the offices to grab his bag. Outside, Jack lit a cigarette and puffed on it slowly as the others waited.

When he next opened his eyes, Flitter was standing next to him, doing her best to scan the area, and failing to hide her concern. “I assume things went well if Officer Barnes is willing to help. What did you say to him?”

“Worried I blew your cover already?” Jack all but muttered back as the smoldering end of the cigarette bobbed and swished in the cold october air.

“Jack… just talk to me, please.”

Letting out a long smoky breath through his nose, Jack pulled his cigarette out and regarded it as he tapped ash from the end. “Gave him the gist of things. Shit’s fucked and you all need help. Didn’t tell him who you are, where you're from, or anything about what happened to me.”

Nodding, Flitter allowed herself a brief smile. “Thank you. I mean that. Even just this little bit is more than we could have gotten on our own.” Reaching down, Flitter gently grasped two of his fingers, and gave them a meaningful squeeze.

Her smile slowly died when he closed his eyes and failed to hide a pained grimace. “I just want to get the fuck out of this travesty.”

As she nodded in understanding, the door to the office opened, and Walter walked out. “Okay! To the train station!”

“Finally.” Jack pushed off the rail he'd been leaning on, and began to walk toward the station. Walter was quick to catch up, as the rest of the platoon fell in behind them. As they walked, Jack’s eyes flicked to the recruiter station, just as it began to shimmer to life. As the mockingly perfect face snapped into existence, Jack lashed out at it. His fist stopped short of the grinning mockery; the servos in his exoskeleton groaning in strain as Walter held him tightly by the wrist.

“Just leave it be, Martyr.”

Shaking his head, Jack yanked his hand out of Walter’s iron grip, and continued toward the station. “I fucking hate this place…”

The train station itself was a fairly simple affair, the whole system seemed to be automated. Three sleek cars sat waiting on the tracks, the front car shaped like a bullet. The gate buzzed open when Walter waved his badge over the scanner, and he waved the group through as he held the gate open. As the platoon cautiously filed into the brightly lit cabin, a friendly woman's voice welcomed them aboard, and began to inform them of the destination and that they must be seated for acceleration. Slowly but surely, the group found seats, and Walter soon entered after them. The doors closed with a near silent buzz, and the cabin pressurized. A disconcerted murmur went out, before the train began moving forward without so much as a lurch or a jerk. Its speed slowly increased, up until they left the station, where the rails charged, and the train shot up to speed. Yells of amazement went up as the dark landscape turned into a blur by the window.

“Image if we could have this at home!” Aurora practically pranced in her seat as she kept her face pressed against the glass. “How fast are we going? I can't make out anything!”

All eyes went to Walter, who was busy counting thick golden coins. Without a second thought, Jack kicked his foot. “Huh? What?”

“How fast is this train?” Aurora repeated herself excitedly.

Shrugging lightly, Walter shiftly with mild discomfort at the tiny woman’s near glowing stare. “I don't know… something like five hundred, six hundred kilometers an hour?” He lifted his arm. “Let me ask Janine. Janine? How fast is the maglev between work and washington?”

More than a few brows went up as the large man questioned his wrist, but nearly all of them shot up in surprise when the pleasant woman’s voice responded to him. “The 182 to Washington DC has an average cruising speed of six hundred and seventy two miles per hour, or one thousand eighty one point forty eight kilometers an hour.”

“Aah!” Aurora all but leapt from her seat to grab onto Walter’s arm. “Another tiny creature lives in your arm!”

Fighting the clear need to yank his arm out of her hands, Walter looked around the car nervously, only to find most of the platoon staring at him and his arm in a mixture of awe and suspicion. “W-what? Janine isn't a… She’s my personal VI. She’s a program that runs on my omnilink.” He tapped his arm, and the hardlight computer shimmered across his wrist. “See? I mean, mine’s a little dated, I don't like the layout of the new ones.”

Whistling quietly, Flitter nudged Jack and gestured to the show Walter was putting on for the platoon. “Pretty impressive, huh?”

“Yeah…” He mumbled quietly in response as he idly turned his one phone over, staring at the messages waiting for him. His thumb hovered over the button for a long moment, before he shook his head and stowed the device. “Officer Barnes.” He barked, sounding gruffer than usual, and he mentally berated himself for his tone when the big officer jumped and snapped to attention.

“Yes Martyr?”

“This place you mentioned.” Jack paused for a moment, before willing himself onwards with a softer tone. “Will it work? With the numbers we have, I mean.”

Walter paused for a moment, as if considering the question. He swiftly nodded and smiled. “Yes sir. It's a little out of the way, out in the old Yellowstone national park. Used to be a Cascadian Marine Corp rapid response airfield during the war for Earth. My dad bought the land couple decades ago, it’s been a bit of a group project to restore it.” The big man seemed to grow ever so brighter as he spoke about it.

“Group project?” Jack slowly quirked a brow.

Nodding, Walter seemed to do his best to reign in his pride. “Yes sir. Myself, my sister, and a bunch of our buddies from the Legion. My Kessle Foundation support group too. They're all amputees like me, we meet every three months.”

A good number of eyes went to Jack at the mention of the foundation, but that only seemed to fuel his frown. Flitter scooted forward in her seat and rested her elbows on her knees. “I didn't notice that you'd lost a limb, Officer Barnes.”

“And I couldn't help but notice how many… uh… crude, prosthetics you all have. You should really get them replaced while you're here. They’re going to draw a lot of attention.” Scratching the back of his neck, Walter seemed to become very interested in the floor, before starting. “Oh! Heh, I guess you wanted to know what I’d lost, huh? Well… Not much to tell really. I was stationed on Viridian Jewel, a tropical deathworld outside human territory, and my patrol ended up accidentally wandering into Corpseman territory.” At the stares, Walter cleared his throat and continued. “Corpsemen are known as what we call titanic lifeforms. I think they mature at around… er… a hundred feet long or so, and a couple dozen tonnes. They're fast too, and right flippin’ nasty when they're hungry. Anyways, they've got these spines along their bodies that they use for traction and maneuvering, I was unlucky enough to get caught by one as it passed us at something like… I think their cruising speed is something like seventy kilometers an hour through the jungle. Cut me in half and shredded my arm, right through my Juggernaut war armour. My buddies stabilized me, and I got airlifted up to the TSS Kennedy III. That was the end of my tour. It would have been the end of me. I would have been wheelchair bound for the rest of my life and a complete basket case, if the Kessle Foundation hadn’t taken me in. I got new guts, new legs, new arm… all the help a guy could ask for.” He looked up from his hand, and smiled weakly toward Jack. “They gave me my life back.”

“Are they…” Jack paused for a brief moment as he tried to wrap his head around things. “Are they… you know… organic?” He gestured toward Walter, and his legs.

“No, no I opted for synthetic over cybernetic upgrades. I still feel everything mind you, but I'm a hell of a lot stronger. Healthier too!” The big man beamed as Jack nodded slowly, turning his attentions back down. Jack began to idly rub at the seam on his thigh where metal met flesh.

As the mood settled, the speakers announced that the train was about to arrive at Freedom Spire Station, and that passengers were to ensure that they had all of their belongings before departing. The maglev began to deccelerate to the point where the landscape ceased being a constant blur of colour. Coming to a smooth, soft stop, the cabin chimed, and the doors opened nearly silently. The speakers bid them a good night as they filed out.

The last time Jack had been to Washington, it had nearly been glassed. It had been a warzone, ripping the old american capital to pieces. The Liberation of Washington. Memories of helping marines heft the flag back up on top of the white house ruins tingled in the back of his mind as he slowly craned his neck, staring at the concrete and metal behemoth spire city as it stretched up and up and up, piercing the thick clouds and carrying on far beyond. “Jesus wept....”

“What… what is that?” Taven asked as the others stared at the spire in open awe.

“You mean The Spire? Well, that’s uh… that’s New Washington. The city was rebuilt around the Freedom Space Elevator. I live there, floor two hundred and twenty seven.” Walter tossed his bag over his shoulder, before his eyes went to the firepower the team was carrying. “Aw hell… You guys will need to hide those guns, security will have a fit if the lot of you roll through like that.”

Some in the group seemed confused, while others immediately began breaking down the weapons and stowing them in their bags. As they did, eyes went out to scan the station around them. The station was massive, and bustling with people of all shapes and sizes. Vibrant advertisements drew their eyes as announcements rang in their heads. Thousands of voices intermingled in the open air station, before thunder cracked the sky, and the first rain began to run off the near invisible roof.

Yuma shrank back slightly, her hand grasping Taven’s arm tightly. Wincing heavily, he patted her hand and grit his teeth.

Shaking her head as she scanned the station, Minerva had to work her jaw for a moment before her words found their way out. “I’ve… I've never seen so many humans in one place before… gods above, there has to be thousands of them!”

“Get it together JSOG!” Flitter hissed as she stuck conspicuously close to Jack’s side. “This is the Terran homeworld, of course there’s a lot of them! We’re ready for this.” Despite her words, She couldn't hide the fact that the massive crowd of humans was making her equally uncomfortable. “Officer Barnes, where do we go?”

In direct opposition to the alien JSOG, Officer Barnes seemed completely at ease in the huge crowd. “It’s not that bad. You should try being on the stretch during christmas.”

“How do we get from here to Yellowstone, Walter?” Jack asked gruffly as his battle scarred power armour drew more than a few eyes. “I do not want to stay in the capital any longer than I have to.”

“Oh! Well, that’s easy! There’s a pawn shop off of the main track that buys gold, we’ll get you some cred sticks and from there we’ll jump on the four ninety three to Cascadia. There’s a greyhound that runs from Cascadia to Whitemound; it's a small boomtown near Yellowstone. We can get my truck and go from there.”

Nodding slowly, Jack glanced up at a security camera, before fixing his booney hat lower on his head. “Right…” He motioned with his head as Walter began to walk off. “Follow the officer and don't draw attention.” Jack swiftly moved to catch up to walter, not wanting to lose him in the large crowd.

“Ma’am?” Minerva looked to Flitter, as almost all of JSOG stayed put against the tide of human bodies. She shifted from foot to foot, her fingers grasping at a weapon that was now disassembled and stowed in her bag.

“You heard the man, don’t stray far.” Without another word, Flitter set off after Jack and Walter, prompting the rest of the platoon to follow.

“Thirsty? Why not have a Pepsi Cola?” A vending machine chimed as they passed, its display lit up with happy LEDs showing off the myriad of flavors it had available.

“Save up to four thousand dollars when you switch to Geico!” Another ad yelled at them as they walked.

“Still walking like a chump? Get the new Ford Brawndo, and change your life!”

Jingles and chimes played from dozens of ads and billboards, each vying for everybody’s individual attentions. Deals and savings were turned into so much noise and slurred colour, only to be drowned out by the roar of a thousand conversations going on at once. Thankfully, the torturous press of life began to abate slightly as they neared the massive exit escalators. Unfortunately, things didn't get any easier for the displaced equestrians as they found themselves outside in the rain, smack center of the old mall. Air cars swooped overhead while ground cars packed the streets, and now horns and humming engines joined the chorus of Earth as the metal and concrete pressed in on all sides. A number of the rangers jumped back with yells as air cabs swooped in and discharged their passengers, before picking up new ones. The entire city was a machine of pure controlled chaos, and they were cogs that clearly did not fit.

Jack came to a slow stop as the rain pitter pattered off the brim of his boonie hat and dribbled to the ground. He slowly pulled the hat off, to feel the cold october rain upon his abused scalp. He tilted his head upwards, and closed his eyes as the rain softly struck his face. Even with his eyes closed, the shining headlights and glowing neon signs played across his eyelids. Slowly, he let out a soft breath, and allowed his body to relax, just ever so slightly.

Welcome home, Jack.

The walk to the pawn shop was a short one, thankfully. It took far more effort than what should have been necessary for Jack to keep the rangers from getting hit by cars and crossing the streets at the wrong time. The Equestrians were very clearly far out of their element, and utterly overcome with the storm of lights, scents, and noise. Following Walter’s directions, the platoon and their pathfinder found themselves on the wrong side of the tracks within the span of a single city block. The shift was subtle, but in that single city block, the ads stopped talking to them, and the vibrant LEDs were replaced by grungy neon signs. The storefronts changed from metropolitan clothing stores, restaurants, and chain cafes to dive bars, tattoo parlors, and live strip joints. The traffic grew slightly lighter, but foot traffic increased, causing the group to tighten up as the passed by hundreds of humans.

“I'm almost afraid to ask what ‘XXX Live girls’ means.” Taven spoke out loud, earning a snorting laugh from Walter, and a brief smirk from Jack.

“Is he being serious?” Walter glanced back, a huge grin on his face.

Jack simply nodded. “Mhm. Where they’re from, pretty much everybody is naked.” As Walter’s eyes went wide and his mouth worked like a fish, Jack turned his head toward Taven and the others. “It's where some women go to get paid. They dance on a stage and get naked for a crowd.”

Quirking a brow, Baron shifted her pack as she looked back toward the club. “Are you being serious?”

Without skipping a beat, Jack shot back a quick answer. “You're special forces, Baron. You’re not allowed to be a stripper. You're not even supposed to want to be one.”

“Oh. Well… Then why do your people do it?” She asked as Mythic muttered next to her as he adjusted the heavy radio set.

“The money is supposed to be pretty good, and some people like the attention. Nothing like being the complete center of attention for forty drunks. Everybody in the building wants to fuck you.”

“So it's a buffet, huh?” Baron smirked as she nudged Mythic. “Maybe I'll just practice on you.”

The radio operator’s brows shot up as his face went a vibrant shade of red. “W-what!? U-uhhh…”

“Down girl, he might burst into flames if you tease him too much.” Taven spoke with a grin, earning an eyeroll from the disguised changeling.

“Oh bite me.”

“I’ll pass, don't want to make Mythic jealous. I bet you taste awful anyways.” An off kilter chorus of chuckles went up along the tense group as Mythic shook his head and picked up the pace. Coming up beside Flitter and Jack, he cleared his throat.

“Sir, Ma’am? I think we’re in gang territory.”

“What makes you say that?” Flitter swiveled her head at his mention, immediately becoming suspicious of the area they found themselves in. Jack simply arched a brow as he looked to the shorter man.

“Well…” Mythic scratched the back of his head as he looked around. “I grew up in Baltimare. It’s just… giving me the same feeling. Look at the tags.” He gestured toward the smattered graffiti marring the concrete walls.

Jack slowly nodded as he looked around. “Good catch.” His eyes went up to the wires above that strung across the street. “Yep… there’s the shoes. Okay, tighten up. Walter, how much further to the pawn shop? I don't want to loiter too long.”

“It's just up here!” He called back as he pointed to the bright animated sign that read ‘CASH 4 GOLD.’

“Right.” Moving up to the building, Jack slowly scanned the area, before pointing at a dark alley. “Flitter, take the guys and hunker down there. Hopefully this won't take too long.” As she nodded, Jack moved into the alley and disengaged his armour. Climbing out, he reached into his bag and pulled out one of the smaller pouches of gold. Despite the comparative lack in size, it still weighed close to ten kilograms. Stretching out, Jack grunted as his body popped and protested, while his skin tightened against the cold.

“You’re… a lot smaller than I thought you’d be, Martyr…” Walter rubbed his wrist lightly as he smiled.

“Not by choice.” Jack muttered. “And call me Jack, for fuck’s sake.”

“Sorry!” Walter held his hands up in a placating manner. “I didn't mean to trigger you…”

The pained groan that followed from Jack earned more than a few worried looks. “Is that still a fucking thing? Of all the goddamn things to fucking survive, god mother fucking…” Jack shook his head roughly as he stormed toward the door of the pawn shop, with Walter following swiftly at his heels. The doorbell clattered cheerily as the pair ducked in out of the rain.

The pawnshop was almost exactly what Jack had expected it to be, despite the difference in years. Shoddy shelves lined the walls and clogged the aisles, and all sorts of high tech gadgets and common items filled those shelves to bursting. Jack slowly began to meander about, pretending to be interested in the rack of new age guitars. Or at least, he thought they were guitars.

“Walter. Look up the price of gold per gram.”

“Oh, yeah, sure. We should get you an omnilink while we’re in town. Replace that old clunker you have. I've never even seen a physical phone until yours.” As Jack rolled his eyes and muttered about his phone being fine, Walter called up the search. “Looks like it’s just shy of sixty thousand for every hundred grams.”

“Eheh..heh… sixty fuckin grand.” Jack shook his head, and kept his smirk as he approached the counter. “Evening.” The weathered old man behind the counter grunted as Jack leaned. “Cash for gold. Need it now.”

“You want it to a claimed card or on an A-non credstick?” The old man practically growled as he didn’t turn his attention away from his omnilink.

Jack glanced to Walter to get his answer. Smiling, Walter stepped up. “Anonymous credstick, please.”

With another annoyed grunt, the old man dug under the counter and pulled out the sort of scale someone would use for tiny things. Trading glances, Jack shrugged as he plunked the heavy sack down on the counter, causing several stands inside to fall over. The old man finally turned his attention from his omnilink; a deep sneering scowl cutting hard lines across his face. Whatever scalding abuse he was getting ready to hurl at the pair died in his throat as the bag slipped open slightly, and several heavy gold coins tumbled out. Blinking owlishly, the old man reached into the bag and pulled out one of the coins. Shaking his head, he stared harder at it, before lifting his omnilink over the coin. “Scan.”

A quick swath of light ran over the coin, before pinging on his screen. 24 karat.

The old man’s jaw worked idly as he looked from the bag, to Jack, and then back to the bag. “Ten point four kilos… best I can do is four hundred.”

“Four fifty, split into ten sticks.” Jack set his hands on the counter, and idly drummed his fingers across it.

“I can’t do four fifty. I can do four hundred, all A-non and no questions asked.” The old man crossed his arms in defiance. “I pay you four fifty, and I can’t keep the lights on.”

Letting out an idle snort, Jack’s eyes wandered around the electronics display. “Four hundred, that laptop, and four of your newest omnilinks.”

“Three omnilinks.”

“Four omnilinks, or I take my gold and find the next pawn shop.” Jack returned to staring through the shopkeep.

Silence reigned between the pair for what felt like an eternity, before the old man’s shoulder slumped and he let out a sigh. “What evs. So long as nobody comes looking for this gold.” Pulling the bag off the scale, he walked into the backroom with it. When he returned, he set ten thin credit card sized sticks on the counter, before collecting the other items. Taking the items without word, Jack checked the stick balances before he set off out the door, leaving Walter behind.

Smiling sheepishly, Walter rubbed his hands in anticipation. “I don’t suppose you’re looking to buy some more gold, are-”

“You wanna get geeked? Get the fuck out.”

“Oookay.”

As Walter’s bulk passed through the door, and the bell jingled as it closed, the old man opened up his omnilink and called one of his contacts. “Ty-Dog, it’s Kyle, down at Mario’s Pawn. I just had two guys come in here. Big guy, brown hair. Shorter guy, black hair and a geeked up face. Lots of money. Yeah. Yeah, half, like we agreed. Aight.” Closing the call, Kyle smirked, and sat back down in his seat. “Booyah.”

Outside, the platoon quickly regrouped, and Jack handed out the tiny wrist mounted omnilinks to Flitter, Mythic, and Aurora. “I don't know how they work.” He admitted as he stuck his inside a pocket. “Just keep them handy.” As the other nodded in understanding, Walter chimed in.

“They're actually really easy to hook up, but we can do that later. Was there any trouble?” Walter looked about as Jack limped to his armour and pulled himself inside.

“We have a watcher.” Simoh commented idly as he watched down the street. “They are in the metal cart, over there.”

Peeking around the corner, Flitter spotted the black suv with flashy rims with just it’s nose and windshield visible beyond the building that dominated the corner. “How long have they been there?”

“Not long. The human inside pointed at us. He was talking to his wrist.”

“Damn you've got good eyes…” Walter muttered as he looked down the street. “Well, if we go down a couple blocks the other way, we could lose them-”

The solid thump of Jack closing the breach on his shotgun cut off the security guard. “There’s nearly thirty of us, all armed to the fucking teeth. If they’re stupid enough to start shit in the open, then they fuckin’ deserve everything they get. We’re going back to the station and headed for base.”

“Hm.” Flitter stood straight and checked her shoulder holster. “Good enough for me. You all heard the Pathfinder, we’re moving, admirers be damned.”

With the order put down, there was no argument or question. The platoon rallied behind Jack and Walter, and followed after them. As they walked back to the massive station, the suv slowly crept along behind them, the occupants making a number of calls.

“They’re still following us…” Mythic muttered out loud, and several of the group looked back through the thin crowd of humans in the way.

“They’re pissing me off is what they're doing.” Jack shot back as he clenched his fists.

For his part, Walter was doing his best to hide how anxious he was becoming. “do you… do you think they know about the gold?”

“If that wrinkled old cunt made a call on us, I will personally walk back there and sodomize him with every fucking power tool in that shit hole.”

A big grin spread across Flitter’s face as she walked by him. “There’s the Jack I know.”

“Try not to look so pleased…” Jack muttered as he cast another look over his shoulder. “Keep walking to the station.” Stopping in his tracks, Jack turned on his heels and started toward the suv. The moment he cleared the group, the lights on the grill came on, and the driver cranked the wheel to the side. The suv jerked forward as the driver mashed the accelerator, at the same time Jack launched forward at a sprint through the pedestrian crowd. The concussive boom of power armour meeting aluminum side panel filled the street as the impact shattered the windows on the passenger’s side and tires squealed across pavement as they fought for purchase. Digging his fingers into the frame, Jack growled in exertion as he used his strength and momentum to overturn the suv. The vehicle came down with a crash, shattering the other windows and setting off the air bags as it rocked over and rolled on to it’s roof. Civilians yelled in alarm, and calls for the police went out as some began to flee the scene.

Hardly skipping a beat, Jack grabbed the driver side door and ripped it from it’s hinges. There, he found the driver trying to level a bulbous pistol at him. As Jack snatched the man’s arm and twisted it until the joints popped and squelched, the pistol howled, and blinded him momentarily as it spat virulent balls of ionized plasma that washed over his chest and careened across the street. Those few remaining witnesses decided that watching the fight might not be in their best interests. Ripping the man from the overturned suv, Jack spun on his heels, and smashed him headfirst into the side of the vehicle. Pulling the weapon from the twitching hand it belonged to, Jack fixed the fleeing passenger with a fury that was all to mechanical.

Stumbling away from the wreck, the passenger cried out in pain and surprise as something struck his back hard, and sent him tumbling to the concrete. The whirr of servos and thumping rubber on concrete was the only warning the man got as Jack grabbed him by the shirt and hauled him off the ground. Slamming him into the nearby alley wall, Jack stuck his mammoth double barrel into the man’s mouth. “Who sent you?” He snarled in the man’s face, but only earned a muffled cry around his gun. Grunting quietly, Jack removed it, and stared.

“G-grudd, man! You’re fuckin’ loco! You’re as good as geekEEEEIIIIAA!” The man squealed as Jack pistoned an armoured knee between his legs.

“English motherfucker! Gimme names or you’ll be scooping your nuts off the concrete! Was it Hades? CIA? FBI?”

“I-it was Kyle!”

“Who the fuck is Kyle?” Jack made a face as he stared at the heavily tattooed man. He idly took note that the tattoos were literally dancing across his flesh. The man’s face was utterly perforated with piercings and artificial modifications.

“I-I’m a Blood Hawk! W-we’re gonna hunt you down, and geek the shit-”

“And you’ll break my kneecaps, yeah yeah yeah. Spare me the fuckin’ theatrics, cunt.” Slamming his scarred forehead into the gangster’s, Jack dropped him as he crumpled. Dusting off his hands, he began to head back toward the station, only to find the entire group staring at him. Anger flared once again in his head. “I told you to keep walking to the station! Fuck sakes!” As sirens sounded in the distance, Jack jogged back to the group and began to cajole them back toward the station.

If they had struggled to avoid undue attention before, their retreat to the station was a task impossible to keep unnoticed. Sliding his credit stick into the payment slot, Jack shifted and glanced around furtively as he waited for twenty nine tickets to print off. He could see the police officers entering the station and descending the escalator already, and it would only be a matter of time before they spotted him. Power armour was hardly conducive to stealth.

A friendly voice came on over the PA system as he turned toward the group. “The Four Ninety Three to Cascadia is now in final boarding. Please make sure you scan your tickets upon entry.”

Setting off at a light jog, Jack had just reached the group and was handing out tickets as a shrill whistle went off.

“STOP! HANDS IN THE AIR!”

Casting a glance over his shoulder as the group quickly filed into the train, Jack spotted the two officers making a hard line right for him. One was a taller man wearing police issue black body armour, and the other was a smaller woman wearing a jacket and a large headset. A pair of drones with flashing red and blue lights buzzed above her.

“The Four Ninety Three to Cascadia is now departing, please stand clear of the doors.”

Jack leapt forward as a round bounced off his armour, and crackled with discharging energy. As he fell into the train, the doors closed, and the cars began to leave the station. Turning on his back, Jack stared the woman in the eyes just before they accelerated away from her. With a soft sigh of relief escaping his lips, Jack slowly pulled himself up with a pained groan.

“Are you alright, Mar-eh… Jack?” Walter asked as he offered a hand.

“Just… Fucking… Peachy…” Jack muttered as he stood on his own power and left the hand waiting. Flopping into his seat, he let his head loll back as his fingers searched for his pack of cigarettes. Pulling out the pack, he found that he was down to his last smoke.

What a lovely day~

“Do me a favour, and shut the fuck up.” Jack mumbled as he pulled the brim of his boonie hat over his eyes.

“Wh-”

“Not you.” Jack spoke quickly, upon realizing he’d spoken out loud again. “Just… thinking out loud. Wake me up when we get there…”

“Sir? Doctor Blackburn?”

Not bothering to glance up at the rating standing by his door, Doctor Ernest Blackburn simply lifted a brow in question as he plugged away at his console. “What is it? Your superiors know I don't like being disturbed while I'm working.”

The rating swallowed nervously as he fidgeted with a holopad. “Sir, we’ve been observing a situation planetside. We became aware of it when a couple invasion-era tracking tags came back online. My… My superiors really think you should look at this.”

Glancing up from under the hazy light above his steel desk, the Doctor leaned back in his chair and gestured for the rating to come forward. “It’s alright son, didn't mean to snap at yah. What tags came online?” He smiled, disarming the younger man.

“Let’s see here... 298-2-5MT-DE, and 5467-7123-0019-JK-LBDE.”

Furrowing his thin brows, Blackburn leaned forward and motioned the rating to his desk. “Let me see that datapad. And where did they first pop up?”

“Old Detroit, sir.” The rating flinched when the thin doctor lunged forward and snatched the holopad out of his hands.

Pouring over the collected data, Doctor Blackburn felt a smile creeping upon him, one that only widened into glee as he watched a familiar face punch one of their holo-recruiters. “Demolitions Specialist Jack Kessle… now this, this is a shock.” Setting down the pad, he activated his omnilink and made a call as he shooed the rating away. Once the door closed, he spoke. “Commander Clancy, it’s Doctor Blackburn. Get a shuttle fueled and ready, and two Thanatos operatives kitted for bodyguard detail. I'm going planetside to see an old subordinate. Thank you, Commander.” Ending the call, Blackburn leaned back and laughed. “Nasty Jack... Where have you been hiding all these years?”

Author's Notes:

Wow, this one took a bit longer than anticipated to pump out. I've FINALLY reached the stuff I've been wanting to do forever! I just hope to hell I can keep everything straight.

Looking at that final word count like