Chapter 32

"Annnnd uploaded. To everywhere." Neo says,

"Alright, where are they?"

"Getting in the plane, patience Ashe." Toni says,

Ashe shrugs as if they can see her, "I'm just excited to see him okay?"

The jet's engines fire up, they lift into the air and fly out of the hangar, they fly up high into the sky and go into stealth mode.

The jet's quiet engines soften to a whisper. Atlas looks at Tinker, who stares at the ground.

"You alright Tinker?"

He looks up at Atlas and nods, "Yeah, just...thinking about what they've probably done to him."

"We are getting him out." Atlas says,

"And we are all coming home." Toni says,

The jet finally stops and the back drops down. They hurry over as the ropes begin automatically sliding down. They grab hold and go down with the rope repelling down into the dark world.

Once they reach the ground the jet takes off. "Alright, Atlas you're with Toni, Tinker, Turner, with me." Selina says,

They split off, Selina, Tinker and Turner go north to do recon and Atlas and Toni go to the south side. They were smart doing this, no tall buildings around the base. They find their spots and drop to the ground.

"Crap. It's crawling with soldiers." Turner mutters,

"No kidding. I count six Guardians from our viewpoint, these look different."

"More like elites." Atlas says,

"This place is more fortified than we thought."

"Selina what do you think? Can we sneak in?"

She narrows her eyes, "Maybe, the storm is coming from the South."

"Yeah, do we have enough time to do this?"

"Let's wait for it."

"What?" Tinker asks,

"Selina, they'll lock a lot down." Toni says,

"We said that's a possibility. Besides, whether we try to sneak in or go in guns blazing, it could very well be suicide."

"So we use the noise of the rain." Turner says,

"Yes."

"Alright then." Toni says,

They sit and wait and wait. Within 20 minutes it starts to drizzle, within another 3 minutes it's pouring.

"Alright, we're going in." Tinker says,

"Likewise." Selina says,

Tinker, Turner and Atlas sneak down to the perimeter fence, Turner cuts through it and they creep in, behind a building. They move silently to the corner, Tinker peeks around, he pulls a knife from the sheathe on his chest and hurries around the corner. He rams the blade into a soldier's shoulder and covers his mouth.

He drags the body back and lowers him into Turner's hands, Turner passes him to Atlas, who sets him down behind the building.

They sneak out and Atlas strata to take the lead, "What are you doing?" Turner asks calmly,

"Getting my friend." Atlas says,

He pulls his knife, and leads them across the road to a large square building. He lowers his head and thinks for a moment.

"We can't not get seen." He says on the radio,

"Then we fight our way in." Selina says,

"Maybe one of us has to."

"Too late for heroics now."

"That's not what I'm saying, Turner, George, go cover me, out of sight, I'll try but fail to not get seen in. While Selina and Toni get Harvey."

"I hate you Atlas." Selina mumbles,

"Just do it."

"We are staying right here." Tinker says,

"At least take cover over there? Stay behind me, trust me. I've had a good teacher."

After a little more arguing, they finally agree. They hurry off and Atlas sneaks around the corner and over to an open hangar door.

He looks in, a few people in different groups, talking, huddled together. He jumps out and throws his hand to them, ice shoots out and engulfs everything except that above the mouths.

He grips his knife and walks in, shutting the door behind him. "Now, I imagine I don't have long. I'd like to know where my friend Harvey is. I'm sure you know who that is. Anyone wanna help me?"

They all stare in shock at him, Atlas looks at his knife, "You know, this would be a gruesome death, I'd prefer not to kill any of you. Tell me where he is, I'll leave and the ice will eventually melt."

He walks over to one soldier and looks him in the eyes, "No one wants to fess up, then he'll be the first to die."

Atlas looks around, one mumbles loud enough for Atlas to hear. He looks over at a young man and walks over.

"You don't want me to kill him, answer question, and I'll let you all live."

"Screw that Atlas." Turner says over the radio,

But Atlas ignores it. The man tries his best to nod. Atlas touches his fingers to the ice and melts it. The man breathes shakily, "H-he's in the big tent. To the north."

Several others mumble angrily, suddenly the soldier shouts for help, Atlas jolts and rams the knife into his head.

"Well, so much for keeping you all alive."

Atlas melts the ice on them slightly and pulls his sword, he touches it to the ground and electrocutes them.

"Atlas you got incoming!"

"Good."

He rushes out and tackles a soldier and stabs him with his knife. He rolls up and off him, sheathes the knife and stares down 4 soldiers that quickly turn into 12 with 4 guardians.

"Atlas, we should run."

Atlas takes a deep breath and lowers the tip of the sword to the ground. An ice wall shoots out and spikes pierce several soldiers.

They all panic for half a moment and lift their guns to open fire, Atlas opens his fist, the ice spears he created, explode and stab into their weapons.

They toss their guns and pull out long knives and charge him. Atlas jumps away from one swipe, ducks as another swings over him and Atlas spins and slices his stomach, he bursts into flames.

Atlas turns and slashes a soldiers chest and jumps back out of reach of a guardian.

Almost simultaneously two soldiers drop from Tinker and Turner. Tinker hits a guardian in the chest but he groans and falls back to the ground, but soon gets back up.

Tinker and Turner look at each other and back. Atlas stabs the ground and a fire wave explodes and throws back the soldiers while igniting them. The guardians however simply slide back across the mud or fall to a knee.

Atlas huffs out and sighs, "That's cool but disappointing. Not gonna lie."

A few soldiers get up and charge but they drop fast. The guardians charge, Atlas ducks under one swing of a knife, while spinning, he is kicked in the chest by another guardian and rolls back onto his face.

He looks up and jumps sideways to avoid a stomp. He rolls to avoid another.

He jumps up, almost slipping in the mud. He turns and leans back and steps back twice to avoid a swinging K-Bar.

He grabs the Guardian's arm and elbows them in the face.

"Agh!" Atlas cries out grabbing his elbow,

He glances at the Guardian who has stumbled backward and falls to his butt in the slippery mud.

A guardian throws his knife over his head and is immediately thrown back into the air. Atlas shouts gratitude to whoever got that head shot.

Atlas leans to one side and springs into the air horizontally to avoid the swipe, he hits the ground and rolls to his feet, a guardian grabs Atlas's shoulder and knees Atlas in the face.

Atlas is thrown back to the ground, the guardian straddles him and lifts a knife.

"Rahhhh!"

They both look back at Turner slamming the butt of his gun into the other Guardian's face, knocking him to the ground. Tinker drops the third remaining guardian. Turner aims up, Atlas kicks the guardian and throws him over head and rolls away.

Turner fires his automatic, the guardian jolts and shouts sharply. The guardian below Turner throws his arm up and stabs Turner's thigh.

Turner yells out and the guardian rolls over and slams his fist into Turner's face twice. He looks up at Atlas and jumps off.

"Get Turner out of here now!" Atlas shouts

Atlas and the guardian circle each other until finally the guardian charges him, Atlas dives and rolls around him, grabs his sword, turns and sticks it into the Guardian's shoulder.

The guardian grunts, Atlas rips it out, letting the guardian fall to the ground and then stabs him into the back.

"Atlas more are coming!" Tinker yells,

Atlas grips his sword, turns and rushes toward the way they came in.

"Toni. Selina. Talk to me." Atlas says desperately,

"On our way out! We got him!"

"Okay, just go! We'll meet you at the rendezvous point!"

"What happened?"

"Turner got hurt, he'll live."

"We're coming to you."

"We can make it."

"Shut up, we're coming!" Toni says,

Atlas throws Turner's other arm around his shoulder and they hurry off towards Toni and Selina.

They look at Turner, unconscious with wide eyes, Turner and Atlas covered in mud. Toni carries an unconscious Harvey in her arms.

"Okay, let's get out of here, now!" Tinker says,

"Agreed."

They hurry while Selina covers them, she clicks a detonator and a building on the base explodes.

"That should give us an extra second."

Selina calls in for a evac. They wait and hide within trees. Atlas, Toni and Selina watch while Tinker patches Turner's leg as best he can.

Soon a stealth jet arrives and lands in the opening as several soldiers rush out, Selina and Toni cover them while they all board.

Toni is thrown back to the ground and grunts. "Toni!" Selina yells,

"I'm fine!" She shouts,

Selina aims again and fires until the ramp closes and they fly off so fast that they all fall prone. "It hit my mechanical arm." Toni says,

Selina sighs, "What a freaking day."

"How's Turner?" Toni asks,

"He'll be alright." Tinker says,

"How's Harvey?" Atlas asks,