Mission 2

***To make reading easier, segments posted by Colorado will start with C: while segments from Locus start with L:***

C: \*Colorado adjusts the sidearm on his hip briefly, the night is calm and cold with a few stars showing through the cloudy skies. He glances over at Locus before returning to inspect a small cloud shaped like a penis. 'The pilot was supposed to have arrived by now', he thought before shaking his head ever so slightly. Civilians could hardly be expected to match up to pinpoint standards that he had been held to throughout his life\*

L: \*Locus throws a clip into his custom sniper and chambers a round as he watches Colorado waiting. He pulls out a suppressor and attaches it as he notices Colorado's annoyance of the pilot not being here. 'No one outside of the military is on time' he thinks. He places the sniper on his back and checks the mag on his pistol before making sure his knife is in place. He was told there was not going to be much fighting, but in his years of experience, it pays to come prepared\*

C: \*He glances over again as he sees Locus preparing his array of weapons, rolling his eyes within his helmet. The excess amount of armaments will most likely slow them down but in the end, there's nothing he can do to convince the assassin to pack lightly. Instead he decides to briefly check the rest of his gear since there seems to be some spare time. Slipping the silenced DMR from his back, he checks the clip and safety. Seeming satisfied, he replaces it, feeling the magnets click into place with a soft smack. He glances briefly at the battery levels for the energy daggers on his wrists. 'Just like old times', he thinks grimly as he notices that ever preparation has been done impeccably\*

L: \*Slightly laughs\* You're judging me aren't you?

C: \*continues to scan the horizon, his tone stone cold\* I always analyze my teammates. It's good to be prepared for every eventuality

L: There's a difference between analyzing and judging. \*stretches his legs out while waiting, stopping slightly when he gets to his left leg each time\* I'm just saying I value input instead of you silently saying things about me.

C: \*Rotates his left shoulder whilst switching his weight from his heels to the balls of his feet ever so slightly\* There isn't much to say as valuable input goes Locus I'm just taking stock of the possible complications and fallbacks we have available \*he turns his head, his expression a mystery behind the thin black visor\* Unless there's something you feel is critical enough to discuss

L: \*pauses momentarily\* No there's nothing. \*his voice has a hint of pain in it, as he says that while applying pressure on his leg\*

C: \*he holds his gaze for a few moments more before returning to look out\* Well since it seems we might be waiting for a bit, I could come up with some lively conversation. What would you like to start with? You're inability to seek help when you're injured? Your mental condition? Or how about that drunkard with the roofies that you burned alive?

L: \*He stiffens at the last remark\* He got what was coming to him...

C: \*his tone doesn't change at all other than a faint trace of sarcasm\* I'm sure of that. Either way I'm confident you can handle a mission like this without losing it. You're a professional and that's what this assignment is also

L: \*looks directly at Colorado\* You really are one of those lone wolves aren't you...

C: \*chuckles with a slightly grim tone that contains a hint of regret\* what gave it away?

L: The fact that you seem to notice everything negative about others. Lone wolves rarely think about themselves so they have flaws too but they don't notice. Tell me, how's the medication?

C: \*lets out a solid bark of laughter this time\* About as bitter as it ever was. You seem to have the wrong impression of me, mercenary. I don't just notice the flaws in my teammates, I just happen to be able to keep a lid on my own

L: \*chuckles\* Glad to hear it.

C: \*shrugs\* lone wolves know everything about themselves. It's how they survive \*his hand makes a small movement upwards but stops\* I would have imagined you'd know that more than anyone

L: \*shrugs\* Felix leaves an impression on you after a while. Especially when you're manipulated by him..

C: \*Colorado is about to say something in response as the transport ship arrives. The agent shares a few words with the pilot, a man in his mid 40s in a grubby jumpsuit. After a brief conversation and exchange of credits, the man clambers back into the cockpit and the back  door slides open with a rusty scraping sound and a hiss\*

L: God sounds like a death trap.

C: \*nods but says nothing as he climbs in, strapping in to a seat near the exit\*

L: \*climbs in and sits several seats away from Colorado\*

C: \*he leans back slightly, inhaling slowly as the ship begins to take flight. The walls around them shudder as the beast starts to climb out of the atmosphere\*

L: \*mutters\* God have mercy on us in this death trap...

C: \*eventually the shaking stops as the craft emerges into the exosphere. Colorado seems to relax slightly\* The fun's only just getting started \*he says grimly\* Do you remember the plan?

L: Yes. Keep stealth a top priority and look for the cargo. Kill no one unless absolutely necessary

C: \*nods\* Exactly, I've had the blueprints of the hangar our target is in uploaded to my HUD so once we're inside follow my lead. \*he seems to pause for a moment as he remembers the remarks shared earlier\* about before....

L: Yes? \*no hint of emotion in his voice\*

C: \*inhales slowly before releasing his breath sharply\* I apologize if I appeared like I was criticizing you. \*his tone still somewhat dry but sounds a little bit more like the Colorado everyone has come to know at base\* I was being paranoid and that was inappropriate of me to intrude on your personal life

L: \*Shrugs\* Not complaining, sir. Just anxious to get this done.

C: If you were the type to complain I wouldn't have brought you with me. Regardless, I want to keep the ground between us clear because at least for the moment we're a team. \*he looks out one of the blast windows\* and I'm just as anxious to put this mission to rest

L: \*examines him\* Past come to haunt you?

C: \*he continues to look out the window\* More unfinished business than anything else

L: \*nods\* I understand

C: \*scoffs slightly and mutters under his breath 'God I hope you really don't'\*

L: \*pulls his knife out and starts playing with it\* I have some unfinished business as well...

C: \*glances over at the movement\* Revenge? Or some other agenda?

L: More like, they started this wrong sin of a life I'm living, and I need to right it, starting from the source up..

C: \*Nods in understanding\* I respect that

L: \*looks at himself in the reflection of his knife\* I hope that the sins of my past are redeemable though.

C:\*shrugs slightly\* It's hard to tell if someone can ever redeem themselves for what they did in the past. Best anyone can do is try to do the right thing instead

L: True...

C:\*he leans back again, checking the monitor on his forearm. His lips tighten within his helmet as the sense of the ship re-entering the regular dimension from slipspace causes a sense of intense nausea\*

L: \*slowly he grabs his head as they exit slip space but then shakes it off\*

C:\*He unstraps the restraints and straightens up, stretching his legs\* This is our stop

L: \*stands up and cracks his neck, putting the knife away and looks at Colorado\* You lead. I follow

C: \*Nods and walks over the back entrance as it starts to slide down, the air within the hangar rushing through the gaping hole. Outside is an asteroid field, the collection of celestial junk scattered lightly within the vacuum of space\* Stay close to me, use your thrusters for course correction only \*he stays as he crouches down, pushing off from the ledge into the dark beyond\*

L: \*follows quickly behind pushing himself off as hard as he can to minimize the use of thrusters as he follows Colorado through the asteroid field\* Gotta love space...\*he mutters to himself\*

C: \*Colorado maintains a streamlined stance as his initial momentum carries him across the field. He marks a larger asteroid in the distance where a number of ships are docked onto Locus HUD\*

L: \*notices the new HUD notification and acknowledges\*

C: \*uses his thrusters to direct himself away from a wayward rock chunk that soars by to his left and then again to return to his course\*

L: \*grabs a piece of junk as they fly by it, tucking it into his pocket. Then he dodges several asteroids in a very graceful manner, still following Colorado\*

C: \*As the asteroid looms into view, Colorado, checks the exterior blueprint quickly before directing himself towards an indent in the rock, smoothly pulling his feet out with aid from the thrusters and landing on the surface. He activates the magnetic lock in his boots and starts to walk towards the center of the indent\*

L: \*Locus follows in suit, scanning the area for anything out of the ordinary, making sure things go according to plan\*

C: \*As he arrives at the center of the indent, an airlock opening can be seen. Bringing up a command console next to the door, he inserts a chip into the dashboard and waits for a few seconds before the first door of the airlock opens. He gestures for Locus to follow as he steps inside\*

L: \*as locus follows Colorado inside he closes the door behind him, hearing the click as it seals back up. He then turns to Colorado gently tapping his fingers on his side as he waits for the soldiers next move, and at the same time analyzing the way the Agent holds himself in a mission, how he is completely a different man, and yet noticing that this means more than he could realize to this Agent\*

C: \*Colorado stands with his hand hovering over the handle to the second door as the airlock begins its filtration process, leaving the data chip within the systems to avoid detection. A loud hiss is heard as oxygen flows into the room\* Who's the one "analyzing" now? \*he speaks in a slightly humorous tone but keeps his head facing forwards\*\*This is similar to when he was conversing with Locus in the gym, completely straight and constantly poised as if expecting action at any moment. It seems professional but even more so..... Deadly\*

L: \*he shifts on his feet, clenching and unclenches his fist while waiting for him to open the door. His anxiety was building up, as he hates being confined in airlocks from previous experience. He looks around and gives up trying to look calm as he shifts on his feet again and barely acknowledges Colorado's remark\*

C: \*Eventually a small ding sounds out and Colorado unlatches the door handle, sliding it open carefully. He glances around for a few moments. Seeming satisfied that there are no personnel in the area, he drops down to the floor of a tunnel with a soft metallic thunk\*

L: \*Locus immediately follows, as soon as his feet connect with the ground he acts his normal self again, calming down and scanning the area while waiting for the next batch of orders. He remembers his time working with the UNSC and he thinks of how Colorado acts like a military man, but it wasn't standard ground troops like Locus. It was something more, more covert. He checks his weapons to make sure they are secure, then he looks at Colorado, debating on if he told him the full reason they were here or not.\*

C: \*Colorado crouches down slightly, sticking to the walls as he makes his way down the hallway. Moments later, the soft metal clanging of footsteps is heard from down the hallway. Colorado motions for Locus to activate his camouflage before slipping swiftly out of view. Strangely, Colorado's camo doesn't possess even a trace giveaway of his body shape. This causes an invisibility to the point where it appears as if he is no longer even in the room\*

L: \*locus activates his camo and moves towards the wall, pressing himself as close to the wall as possible. He sits there wondering about what Colorado, and what that Agent has in his private arsenal. His camouflage was amazing, and it bothered Locus because he's hunted for something like that but never found anything close to it.... But now he knows it exists but how...?\*

C: \*Before Locus can finish his thought, the footsteps are just around the corner. The shadows cast display two armed guards in minimal security gear. A simple text message appears on Locust's HUD 'you take right, I'll take left'\*

L: \*He nods, figuring Colorado can see him, unlike the poor guard on the right he was about to knock unconscious, peeping himself by unclenching his fists and analyzing the man, knowing where he will grab him to minimize noise\*

C: \*The guards circle to corner. The left is a large burly soldier large enough that he seems to have difficulty squeezing into the uniform. The right is a well muscled and tough looking woman with a paper thin scar beneath her right eye that trails down to the tip of her nose\*

L: \*He thinks to himself: 'of course he gives me the woman...'\*

C: \*The fight is over before it even begins as the two guards pass by their location. As the large man walks into full view, a gauntleted hand shoots out of the void in a knife hand strike towards his throat. The resounding thunk is brutal and the man lets out a single violent cough as his trachea concaves in on itself. Before the woman has time to react, Colorado brings his wrist beneath the large man's chin, sending him off his feet and sprawling onto the ground, unconscious\*

L: \*Locus moves out and spins the woman to face him and he covers her mouth with his hand as he brings his other arm down on the right shoulders pressure point, then he spins her back around, placing her in a chokehold until she goes completely limp, before jabbing her in the other shoulder pressure point and dragging her body over to the corner, leaving her unconscious in the corner\*

C: \*Colorado slips out of his camouflage completely and nods\* Good form \*he mutters before heading down the hallway again\*

L: \*Locus nods and decloaks, still trying to process what just happened to the other man\*

C: \*They quickly arrive at the entrance to a large hangar. A large number of storage crates have been placed in numerous locations around the expansive space. In the center stands a large transport craft with a huge number of armed guards surrounding it, other security personnel are scattered across the complex. Skirting around the doorframe leading in, Colorado dives and rolls behind a stack of metal crates, gesturing for Locus to follow\*

L: \*Locus follows in suit, more hesitant to move as quickly as Colorado and refuses to dive. He looks around and is slightly bothered by the amount of crates present, only pondering about the vast possibilities of the contents, figuring most are military related\*

C: \*Colorado leans in slowly\* The large cargo ship over there is our target.  \*he gestures towards it\* the hard part is getting it to ourselves but we're lucky enough to have arrived at the same time that an excess amount of heavy gaseous sedative has been donated to the insurrection cause by a mysterious benefactor \*he makes the military visor signal for smiling\* The cash is stockpiled throughout these crates and are marked with a dual katana logo \*Colorado reaches into a small pouch and pulls out small cylindrical devices\* place these face down on the logo for in an evenly scattered pattern and meet back here

L: Solid copy on last. \*He kicks into his Unsc personality. He takes the cylindrical devices and cloaks instantly, moving through the assortment of crates, placing them in the marked crates facing the ship. He approaches the last crate, only to run into a sleeping guard, who he proceeds to stab in the throat. He does it so efficiently that the blood that sprays out only lands on the man's uniform. He drags the body into an open crate and places the final device on the last crate and starts walking back towards the meeting point. He stops suddenly, noticing something odd to his left. He turns and notices a figure standing there in the dark. 'Who the hell is that...' He thinks\*

C: \*The figure steps out of the shadows with a pistol drawn it is a woman covered from head to toe in black armor with a golden orange visor\* Hands in the air, asshol- \*she hesitates as she recognizes him but her gun stays up\* Locus?

L: \*he freezes in his tracks looking at her, dropping his knife\* Tex...? Why are you- \*He stops mid sentence, realizing the gun pointing at him\* You can lower that..

C: \*She starts to bring the weapon down\* I don't understand.... How did you get here... \*her tone steels over a little more and the gun stays lowered but ready\* Why are you here?

L: I came here with Col-\*He stops mid sentence\* Why the hell are you here? I'm here for my mission. You weren't included. \*his tone is shaky, as he had become very close to her in the past few days\* You aren't supposed to be here...

C: \*Texas squeezes the grip on her weapon a little more tightly\* I'm here on a defense contract.... They said I would have a shot at taking down a rogue Spartan to protect supplies that a starving outer colony desperately needs.... And you think I'm not supposed to be here?

L: These people have military weaponry babe... Not food supplies... You shouldn't be here... \*he tenses up, realizing this can go bad fast and sends helmet feed to colorado\*

C: \*She shakes her head\* I don't know where you got that information baby.... \*She slowly brings up her weapon again\* But I don't have time to convince you right now and I can't let yo-
\*her words are cut off as an energy dagger sprouts from her chest lifting her clean out of the air. A coughing sound is heard from within the helmet followed by the sound of viscous liquid hitting a solid surface. The body drops limp to the floor as Colorado deactivates the blades. The impact knocks her helmet off, revealing the face of a young, Venusian woman. Colorado shakes his head in disgust and turns to Locus\* Are the devices in place?

L: \*he stands there shaken and collapse to his knees\* Y-y-yes... They... They are.. \*he shakes his head and makes a weird noise. A moment later he gets back to his feet and looks at Colorado\* Orders now sir?

C: \*He takes a moment to place his hand on Locus’ shoulder\* We can deal with... that later  right now we need to.. \*His sentence is cut short as a series of alarms are sounded\* Fuck! \*he breathes as he fluidly slips his rifle from his back. He glances over at the cargo ship to see that is is already being prepped for launch. He lets out a stream of profanity in six different languages and ducks back behind cover. His motion tracker indicates a squadron of soldiers are fast approaching\* get ready for a firefight Locus \*he says coldly and calmly, slipping the safety off his device\* This isn't a stealth mission anymore

L: \*Locus pulls his sniper from his back and turns around firing a round that ricochets off a crate and into several men\* They fucked with me... \*his voice filled with anger as he chambers the next round into the rifle\* These fucks fucked with me...

C: \*Colorado glances briefly at Locus before shaking his head 'Fight now. Talk later' he pops up over a crate and fires three rounds, dropping three individual targets as the unfortunate soldiers are clambering for cover to avoid Locus’ deadly accuracy\*

L: \*Locus rolls behind a crate and pops out, firing another round that goes through several men before exploding and sending blood and guts everywhere, then he chambers the next round and turns to bash a soldiers face in with the butt of his rifle, letting out a roar of rage as he smashes the soldiers face in. Then he turns and fires another round at a soldier who was aiming a rocket at him, sending the man's rocket off course and crashing into a stack of highly piled crates, causing a massive explosion. He turns and calmly walks towards a group of soldiers stricken with fear from him and he holsters his rifle. The next moments were terrifying for the remaining survivor of the group. Locus grabbed one man by the throat and crushed it in his hand, throwing the limp corpse like it was nothing while with his other hand he deflected a punch thrown at him. Then he kicked out the attackers legs and slammed him to the floor, indenting his body through the metal plates. Then he turned and pulled his knife slicing madly but beautifully into several men, blood spraying everywhere but none landing on Locus. As their bodies dropped he turns towards the final man in front of him and swings his knife towards the floor, removing all the blood on it and slowly walks towards the shaking man\*

C: \*Colorado grunts quietly as he witnesses the brutality and lethality Locus is capable of. As the assassin approaches the last survivor, Colorado glances at his tracker again to see another blip pop up mere meters to their left, whipping around rapidly, he sees a lineup of heavily armored marines lock down with explosive ordinance turrets. Without an ounce of hesitation, Colorado breaks into a full on sprint, firing cover shots at the turret men. One drops to the ground dead still. Without wasting breath, He tackles Locus with such force that the two are carried right behind a large series of crates. The cargo ship is starting to take off roughly twenty meters ahead of them\*

L:  \*Locus cries out in surprise and then as Colorado and himself fly behind the crate he feels his shoulder pop out of place. He screams out in pain for a moment, not ready for it and glares at Colorado behind his helmet before noticing his life was just saved by the man\* Thanks. \*he looks up and sees a sniper aiming at Colorado's head\* Colorado! \*he shoves him out of the way but takes the shot straight to the center of his chest piece, another round follows in suit, crashing through his shoulder piece on his left arm. He collapses to the floor, still alive but in a heavy amount of pain and in shock of what he just did\*

C: \*Without wasting a second, Colorado whips around at a speed that shouldn't be possible and releases two shots with a gentle fluidity. The first bullet hits the sniper itself, incapacitating it and the second punched clean through the visor of the soldier. He releases his clip and discards the weapon before hoisting the injured Locus onto his shoulder in a fireman's carry\* Let's get out of here \*He draws his pistol and begins to charge down the hallway in the opposite direction\* Paradox! I need an escape vehicle now! \*he shouts within his helmet as he rushes rapidly out of the hangar. He takes a series of sharp turns that lead into a much smaller dock full of civilian aircraft and modified military ships\*

L: \*locus cries out in pain as he was hoisted up by Colorado. He fades in and out of consciousness, hearing Colorado yell something about paradox and seeing flashbacks of his past. He sees Tex standing in front of him  pointing a gun at him, but then he sees her in his arms back at the base as they sit there and they laugh, her smiling at him. The happy memory is cut short at the sound of a round being fired and orders yelled at him during the war. Then back to the present, watching her die, only to it not being her.. Or was it? Locus didn't know anymore. Not at this moment\*

C: \*Pausing for a moment to select a target, Colorado spots a strangely modified Pelican. He quickly runs over to the ship and clambers in through the cockpit. He slides Locus into the co-pilot seat. He slips a chip out of his helmet and places it in the Pelican\* \*A group of armed soldiers sprint into the hangar as the engines of the Pelican start up. They attempt to disable the ship's engines with weapons fire but it is too late. The ship slowly rotates to face the soldiers and the rounds bounce harmlessly off. Reaching full power, the ship takes off out of the station, maneuvering swiftly through the asteroids\*

L: \*Locus completely goes unconscious, the nightmares torturing him throughout the time. He awakes violently in the ship, and noticed his shoulder is popped back into place. He looks around and then reaches for the medkit next to him  and starts to treat his wounds. Slowly of the course of the next hour he stitches himself up and relaxes finally. He sits there and realizes that Tex is going to kill him once he gets back to the base, but at the same time he thinks she will be caring.. He doesn't know. He shakes his head and slowly drifts off to an uneasy sleep while traveling back to base\*