Jane

  One dropship was all she could reserve from the Alpha Corp to go on this off the books rescue mission to get Dan and Li home. Jane stood silently behind the two pilots that made up her crew as they naviageted through the overcast conditions. She glanced at the bead of sweat flowing down the side of the co-pilot’s face. Jane couldn’t blame the man. When they get back, she had a lot on her plate in terms of covering the asses of everyone who agreed to this unauthorized mission.

  She turned and walked back into the passenger cabin. After shutting the door behind her, she glanced on either side to see her cobbled together team. On her left was Allen and Angie, both sitting in their seats with their harnesses on. She performed a quick scan of Angie’s stats.

  Agent: Angie “Arctic” Bloodliner

  Age: 20 F

  Shard: Alpha Corporation

  Rank: Tier 1 | Level 23

  Strength: 25

  Agility: 26

  Endurance: 24

  Intelligence: 21

  Supernatural: Acolyte

  Healing Factor: n/a

  Reflex: Superior

  Since the disaster that was the conclusion of the Combat Games, the young strawberry blond had been hounding her and Allen whenever she could to train her. She demanded to be given the same level of harshness and tough love that Dan received. The girl busted her ass to get her stats up. She alternated between getting her ass handed to her by Jane in close combat training and practicing weapons with Allen.

  Specifically, Dan’s team had won the deathdealer grenade launcher from the tournament and Angie wouldn’t shut up about how it was Dan’s effort that got her such a powerful new gun. Allen helped trained her on using her grenades to the fullest, whether against agents directly or using the grenades to impede her enemies. The girl was truly well on her way to tier two in rank.

  On her right side was another team consisting of Miles Venator and hid four other teammates. Dan’s group had formed a friendship with Miles during the Combat Games and they were the first to step up and demand to be part of Dan and Li’s rescue. Jane found it amusing that Miles admitted that he never got his chance to face off against Dan in the final round of the Combat Games.

  Her eyes briefly rested on Michael Cynosa as he stood alone with his back turned near the other end of the cabin.

  Jane’s attention shifted when her nose immediately detected smoke. She calmed herself down as she didn’t pick up the accompanying scent of jet fuel. The scent came from he left side and she saw the source.

  Angie had taken a huff from not just one, but three cigarettes all at once. While smoking technically was allowed on board transports, it was uncommon for any agent to indulge in such a luxury. Everyone stared at Angie, wondering what the hell she was thinking, especially in Jane’s presence.

  “Are you feeling alright brah?” Miles asked.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone smoke than one cigar at a time,” a female agent named Zara Huntsman said.

  Even Allen piped up with a humorous comment. “You know, without our enhancements, I would have thought you were doing a speedrun for lung cancer.”

  “Oh relax,” Angie waved him off. “Cancer is supposed to be ultra rare, right?’

  “It is,” Allen said. “I get that you need something to calm your nerves, but next time ask Jane for permission to smoke beforehand.”

  Angie glanced up at Jane and her face fell. “Uh… sorry.”

  Jane didn’t reply. Instead, she held out her gloved hand to the strawberry blond. When Angie tried to hand over her three lit cigarettes, Jane shook her head.

  “No, give me a fresh one,” Jane said.

  Her request was met with wide-eyed stares and open mouths.

  “Let me piggyback on Allen’s tip,” she said. “Next time, ask me permission and bring enough for the rest of us. Got it, Angie?”

  The strawberry blond nodded enthusiastically. “Yes ma’am.”

  Angie took out a pack from her coat pocket and raised it to Jane. She picked one of the cigarettes out of the pack.

  “Light it for me please,” she said.

  Angie shoved the box back into her pocket then took out a lighter from another. She lit Jane’s cigarette. She stood in silence, taking a few huffs and savoring every second of the hot air that entered and escaped her body.

  It took her a moment to realize that everyone still had their eyes on her. Some of the initial shock from her asking for a cigar hadn’t worn off yet. Other were probably getting nervous as that was what Jane was projecting onto the rest of the team. It was time to address things openly with the rest.

  “I’m not exactly thrilled to be on this mission,” she said. “We’re off the books on this one. And I’m going to catch all sorts of hell when we come back. But don’t worry. Just prioritize your survival and I’ll take most of the heat once we return.”

  She turned specifically to both Allen and Angie. “I want you to know that no matter what my superiors tell me, I will always prioritize the wellbeing of my people over rules, policies, and corporate interests that impede my goals of getting the job done. Dan and Li will know that I won’t abandon them. We won’t abandon them.”

  “Well said Jane,” Allen nodded.

  “By the way, is it true you had to fight Bobby on your way to the dropship?” Angie asked.

  “Yes,” Jane said. “I didn’t kill him, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

  Jane spotted movement in the corner of her eye and watched as Michael walked toward them. The agent stopped in front on Miles and his team.

  “This is a bit late, but congratulations on upgrading to the latest Arctic serum,” he said. He patted Miles on the shoulder. Even through the mask, Jane could tell from his eyes that he wore a big winning smile for the younger agents.

  “The highlights you saw from your peers Dan and Li should give you an idea of the potential you all have in your progression in power and the new abilities you’ll gain.” Michael Cynosa paused his speech and looked every single one of Miles’ team in the eyes.

  “I hope so brah—Uh I mean sir,” Miles said. “I don’t know how Dan does it. I can only keep up the berserk form for about ten seconds. That shit is intense.”

  Jane crossed her arms as she watched this exchange. Michael was obviously putting the hard sell on the Arctic serum as if it was a miracle upgrade that would change their lives. Michael was technically right, but she highly doubted if Miles’ team fully knew what they signed up for. She recalled Dan having to deal with the massive strain on his body just using his abilities and the fact that he was a big enough target by a rival shard to be kidnapped.

  She slowly walked over and cut in to the glowing presentation Michael was pitching to the young agents. “Michael, we need to discuss our strategy once we hit the ground.”

  The senior agent glanced in her direction and gave a halfhearted nod. Then he looked back at the agents and said, “Just remember that you, Dan, and many others are our next generation. The generation who will crush Kodak and the Church into oblivion.” Michael give them a raised fist to end off his little session before he turned to face Jane.

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  “So, what did you think?” he asked casually.

  Jane crossed her arms and gave him nothing but silence.

  “Hard to please as always,” he said. “Alright then. Let’s go.”

  “And switch over to the private channel,” she stated bluntly.

  The two walked together towards the other end of the cabin. They stopped just a meter away from the door. She opened the private channel and Michael joined. Jane turned around to face him.

  “Alright, let’s not waste anymore time. I need to ask you how you know the precise locations of Dan and Li. How do you know the coordinates you gave to our pilots are accurate?” she said. “And if you dodge me again like the previous two times I asked, we will have problems.

  “Jane, you must understand that knowledge is power,” Michael said, using the same salesman act he put up for Miles. And probably the same one he used to convince Dan to join the Alpha Corp. “I have my methods for gathering intel and I would much prefer my course be unnamed. I wouldn’t have my current status today if I didn’t know how obtain valuable information through any means necessary. Our relations go far back Jane, but you know I can’t just divulge that.”

  “I’m sticking my neck out for my agents on this unauthorized rescue mission. I think I should know where your intel is coming from regarding the whereabouts of my people,” she said.

  “Relax Jane, we’ll find those two,” he said cooly. “Have I ever let you down?”

  Jane pondered on that question and she had plenty to say to Michael on that topic. But only one thing was on her mind if he wasn’t going to be forthcoming.

  “Very well then,” she said. “I have something I’d like to bring up if you’re not going to tell me. I’ve notice you’ve been the Alpha Corp’s number one spokesperson on the new Arctic serum. How is that working out for you?”

  Jane knew that her tone was easily conveyed through the private channel.

  “With it, our next generation of agents will reach heights higher and faster than they ever had in the Alpha Corp’s history. It’s a desperate edge we need to level the playing field. As a bonus, it gives our young talent even more motivation to work hard and contribute to the shard,” he said. “Even after the disaster at the Combat Games, we still managed to get hundreds of young agents onboard with the upgrade and the number will only gradually increase. That act of terrorism from Kodak is just a minor setback. I just thought you would be a bit more enthusiastic about the improvements to our serums. Remember the hell I put you through when you were a rookie? Imagine the whole process of getting stronger made easier and faster for our little ones.”

  “Okay, drop the sales talk with me Michael,” she said firmly. “I’m seeing the results with my own eyes and Dan and Li have targets on their backs because of this new serum. Our enemies want what we have and if they couldn’t get it through the stolen shipment of serums, then kidnapping our agents with the serum flowing within them was the next best thing. And don’t try to downplay what happened at the Combat Games. Our casualty numbers on that day because the Alpha Corp didn’t want to eliminate the infiltrators right away were a disgrace. Let’s not forget that one of those Kodak infiltrators knocked my ass out. If I had some backup from you, we could have easily stomped out this threat without any loss of life on our side.”

  The wide and optimistic eyes of her senior narrowed and transitioned to his calculating gaze. Jane could already anticipate what Michael was going to pull on her.

  “Jane, what happened at the Combat Games was tragic. I get it. But now, it’s a game of numbers. We need as many of our young talent to take the upgrade to the new serum and take the fight to the Church of—”

  “Can you for one second cut that shit out?” Jane said sharply. “Was that rhetoric on your mind when you saw Dan lying on the ground bleeding out in front of you? Did you even give a shit?”

  Jane waited as Michael let the seconds go by. She wondered what her for mentor had to say. Michael was the one who pulled the strings on placing Dan into her team.

  “I saved that boy’s life Jane.”

  “But was it necessary to inject him with the Arctic serum out of the batch you were escorting through the States? A few healing stims weren’t enough to get him back on his feet? You know, with all of the advertising you’ve been doing about the Arctic serum being the next big thing, now it makes sense. You didn’t save his life, you made him a guinea pig for a new serum that was rushed and didn’t have proper field testing in a controlled environment.”

  Michael paced for a bit before he looked into her eyes. “Even if I did, he would just return back to his life in that shithole. You’ve seen what the States are like. Why do you think people call it the badlands? Dan might find himself dead by the following week with all the shit he has to survive over there. There was nothing for him. No family, no job, no happiness. I gave him a purpose, Jane. A better life. And what’s the issue with killing two birds with one stone?”

  “So you admit it,” Jane said. She dug her fingers into the upper sleeves of her coat. “And even after Dan came back from the heist and experienced the powers that serum had to offer, he warned his new teammates Li and Angie to think before accepting the upgrade. But you just had to brush his concerns aside and whisper into both their ears. For the sake of fighting the Church of Nanotology?”

  “It was their reward for the successful heist. I know better than anyone that those kids were way in over their heads and they still pulled through.”

  Jane clenched her teeth but promptly closed her mouth to a tight line. She turned and looked at the team that she had for this rescue mission. Allen and Angie were still in their seats conversing with each other. Miles and his four other members also chatted amongst themselves.

  “Either you bought that much into whatever the executives have told you about the Arctic serum, or you have something else to gain from seeing how these kids handle it and the powers. We both know that the Arctic serum is incompatible with agents tier two and above.”

  Now Michael crossed his arms. “If you’re insinuating that I’m envious of the opportunities this serum provides to our youngest, then yes, I am. There’s always higher planes to reach for in this world. You know that. Your face is plastered on the marketing to get our recruits to see that very fact.”

  Jane kept her gaze away from her former mentor. She didn’t focus on anything in particular as she just stared. Her eyes just took in the entire scene of the cabin with her team putting their lives and even careers at stake for this mission.

  She turned to face Michael. “This is all so convenient for you, isn’t it. Having these young people’s best interests in mind while also making them into the warriors they need to be to fight the Church of Nanotology.”

  “Jane,” he said sternly.

  “No, I understand it. You’re one of our most powerful and highest ranked agents on the field. To the executives, you’re their top of the line war machine. And a machine needs to get its gears greased. I guess my frustration comes from where you get the oil from. Dan and Li being kidnapped by an all too curious band of Kodak infiltrators, the explosive traps and gas bombs they set on their way out of the Combat Games. I didn’t know you preferred blood to keep yourself going.”

  Michael gave her a cold stare that would probably turn all the others on this dropship into stone. But she didn’t want to take her foot off his neck.

  “You know what happened to me Michael. My own sister joined Kodak and abandoned me after my parents died. She wanted something more than just being my caretaker and shouldering the burdens placed on her after mom and dad’s deaths. Because of my cerebral palsy, I was deemed an undesired and the shard wanted me cast out and tossed like trash. My sister obeyed their orders to euthanize me in my sleep. That’s when you and the force of Alpha agents stormed the territory and my sister was ordered to pull back to fight the invasion. I’ll always be grateful for you finding me and making me into the woman I am today.”

  The senior agent’s features softened, if only slightly. The dim lighting made it hard to tell for certain.

  “You, Bobby, and numerous others along the way trained me and built me up. You watched me grow. But that also means I was there to watch you over the years. All of this activity outside of our territories, learning new details about our enemies, your particular fascination with the Church and the powers they wield. Even now with you being the voice that whispers into all of our new talent to take the Arctic serum. I’ve always wondered whether it's possible that you would fall to the same depravity that took my big sister Judith away from me. This endless pursuit of more knowledge, more power.”

  Michael’s facial features didn’t budge as he shook his head. “You’re being quite melodramatic, don’t you think?”

  Jane lowered her arms and curled her fists. “Dan wonders about you. Did you know that? He asked me what I knew of you, how we met, and he was nothing but excited when you chose him to take part in a mission. His own idol, the man who saved his life and gave him this position needed his help for the heist. Of course, who else would say no? You also exploited Li’s admiration for his uncle, Shang. He puts his trust into your character just based on the words from his uncle alone. You capitalized on their admiration for you, not just to meet some quota of recruitment and serum injections by the higher ups, but to satisfy that thirst of yours for more.”

  Before Michael could get a word in, Jane raised her hand and made a cutting gesture across her neck.

  “Once this mission is complete and I get my boys back, you better stay the fuck away from me Michael,” she said. She abruptly closed the private channel between them.

  Jane opened up a line to one of the pilots. “Any updates on an ETA?”

  “Yes ma’am. We’re about two hundred kilometers from Michael’s coordinates,” he said.

  “Good.”

  “We should—wait.”

  After a few seconds of silence on both ends, Jane got news that she had been dreading. “Ma’am, we got some interceptors inbound. Dropships with the same markings as ours.”

  “How many?”

  “Two. Coming from our rear.”

  “We’re in for a fight then,” she said. “Take whatever evasive action you need. We can’t afford to get shot down over enemy territory.”

  She walked down the cabin and reached up for the compartments containing their heavy gear. Jane grabbed a crack shot cannon from the upper compartment. She received confused stares all around her.

  “We have a problem,” she said, cutting to the chase. “The shard isn’t too happy about our little mission. We going to shoot down some aircraft coming after us.”

  Allen’s expression remained steeled and his eyes narrowed. Angie lowered her head down at the floor before looking up with the same determination.

  “Both of you, with me. Get your heavy weapons,” she ordered.

  “Yes ma’am,” they said in unison.

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