Subsequent Fall Part 14: Killing Done Dirt Cheap

"Adam, we have some important information to tell you about and no, it can't wait." Airsoft talked through the radio as the cartel became cornered on the one planet, not engaging the Everlast or Ambassador.

"Don't keep me waiting." Adam was planning for each combination of attack patterns and strategies.

"Diddler is down there with Nightmare, and Astral and Jaimie are checking out other things." Achilles said through the radio.

"Wait, Diddler." Adam dropped his pen as this was a large wrinkle in everything, not even worried about the rest of it.

"Angel, James. We were given orders from Astral and Jaimie that you two take on Diddler together. We can handle Nightmare between the two of us if Adam can maneuver Proto, Omaha and our ground forces." Airsoft was building them up.

"Adam, my team and I can keep the skies clear for as long as you need." Viper spoke into the radio as Adam sat on the ground. James and Angel gently shaking him.

"Well, I'm not worried about losing, I have worse things on my mind." Adam snapped the headband off as he needed his mind to focus. "Okay, Viper. Your team is built for outnumbered dogfights, we will be utilizing that in close air support. The ships can take any beating these two dish out."

"Correct, I will prepare my team now then." Viper walked away from the bridge on the Everlast to the hangar bay as he prepped the other thirty four pilots.

"Airsoft, your crew will take the eastern hemisphere. Achilles will take the western hemisphere. Once they land we don't leave till the planet has been wiped clean of the cartel." Adam called in more support ships that locked down space travel for anyone who didn't have clearance.

"Begin landing sequence and release our fighter jets?" Neigel asked Adam as he gave a thumbs up before he and the twins raced to the hangar bay with their fireteams to take the cartel on headfirst.

The cartel launched cruiser interceptors the size of a small apartment building as both the Everlast and Ambassador shrugged it off like it was nothing. Nuclear missiles were being fired at them as they struck the hulls. No damage and luck.

"We are fucked!" Josey yelled out as Nightmare slapped him.

"He isn't here, and my deck is stacked, we stand a chance." Diddler smiled as he fixed his suit.

Nightmare tightened his wrist bindings. "So the entire reason you are here is to take on Astral and he doesn't even show up. Rude." 

"That's why he didn't show up. He knows something is wrong. Last thing I remember is that he killed me." Diddler looked around as the other two were shocked. "Oh please, I was ready to die, but not ready to come back."

"Fucking crazy." Nightmare chuckled.

"Says the insane asylum escapee?" Josey commented as he was waved away by Diddler. "I guess I will go kill some of their men, if we all die, I will cut your nuts off in hell."

"Heh, wouldn't be the worst thing to happen to me this week." Diddler laughed as he spoke. "Nightmare, you ready to be a threat to one of the most powerful people ever?"

"Sounds like a challenge to me." He smiled as his grin opened his jaw.

Achilles landing crew was first to touch the ground as his legion of riot tanks was able to absorb the oncoming fire from the cartel. He climbed out of one of the shuttles as three viper fighters soared right by pointing Achilles in the direction of Nightmare. "Thanks boys! Stay safe up there!" Achilles shouted to them as they soared around and cleared a path for the riot tanks and his men.

"Good luck Alice, stay safe and remember to be slow, you have tank and air support." Achilles held out his arms as she hugged him.

"Thank you! I won't need it for these lowly scum." Alice took the charge as the tanks rolled forward accompanied by a legion of Polemistis warriors. Achilles turned to the building and started running to it.

Airsoft and his legion landed next. He forced down a barrage of fire from the gunner's on each transport before they were dropped off. The viper jets were being chased by some shuttles as Airsoft launched a rocket from his armor that took down one of the jets chasing them. 

"That way to my target. Proto. Take your legion and head to the north quadrant. Omaha, your legion goes south. This planet is tiny so expect many close quarters engagements. Viper is overhead gunning down their air and heavy armor. You two focus on recovery and leading." He smiled at the two as they looked away at each other.

"I bet my legion is done first." Proto mocked his sister as he took off.

"You are a bastard child. I will be finished hours before you!" Omaha took off as her team went south. Airsoft chuckled as he ran to the meetup point for him and Achilles. On his way there he had to gun down a couple of cartel members as he made it to the meetup spot.

Achilles walked over to Airsoft as he crushed one of the cartel's aliens in his hand. "Man, what took you so long?" Airsoft laughed. Shaking his hand as the two saw one of their shuttles land next to them. James, Angel and Adam hopped out as a man in a cowboy hat appeared in front of them.

"I want the nerd, the rest of you can go and take on my lackeys." Josey smiled as his eyes were hidden by his hat. Adam shrugged as the rest took off to the building as the path was clear by design for them.

"So, Josey, why join the cartel? Money? You have plenty of that. Fame? Best bounty hunter outside of the lunatic you are working for. Power? The entire galaxy fears your name." Adam rattled off as Josey laughed.

"None of those things matter, it's the thrill of the kill. How do you think I met up with the cartel?" He rested his hands on his holsters as he was ready to make the first move. "I was in the nuthouse and broke myself and Nightmare out. Believe it or not, he is the scarier of the two of us." He drew out his pistol and fired five shots at Adam who stood there as the bullets curved around him.

"See, I don't think you get the point. A talented man like you that I just have to kill?" Adam drew his pistol and pointed it at Josey. "What a shame." Adam started to open fire as Josey fired his revolver and hit the bullets out of midair. Adam rolled an explosive across the ground as Josey flung himself to the rooftops with a cable.

Adam watched this as he jumped up above the buildings. A wrist launched rocket flung at him as it went directly into his chestplate and knocked him down. "That's what I thought." Josey opened fire at the ground behind Adam as the bullets started to hit the armor of Adam as he flipped backward. Deploying a drop shield as Josey studied it.

He threw a knife as the shield shattered into bubbles. Adam had a large rocket pointed at Josey. "Not fair." It fired as it took out the building as Josey dived to the ground as it became a club. Josey rolled left as Adam recovered and pinned him into a wall, breaking his arm and ribs.

"Give up yet or want to change sides?" Adam snickered as a bullet collided with his skull. Making him stumble backwards as it was stuck in the cranium. Josey kicked the rocket launcher into Adam as he wasn't ready to die.

"You talk too much." Josey pulled out a new weapon from his side. "I got these from that newbie that showed up, said they work great against you." The bullet's hummed in the revolver's chamber as Adam ripped three pages from his notebook.

He tossed his hand upward as the bullets rang through his sides. The paper doing nothing till the figures took shape. It was a sketch of Jaimie and Astral as the two of them rushed Josey. He jumped up to evade them as they grabbed him by the ankles and slammed him into the ground.

Adam was too focused on stopping his bleeding, the blood leaking out sent a new rush through his veins as he felt cold. Slapping patches of paper on his wounds they sealed up as he was in pain.

Josey had one hell of a time dealing with the two of them. But using a flamethrower versus the two was the move. He walked over to Adam on the ground and chuckled. "Five shots or six?"

"Check it!" Kayla popped out of nowhere in front of the two. "You fired five rounds and three of them hit. Only sixty percent accurate?" A sniper bullet rang out. Josey's body fell helplessly as Adam stood up.

"You will do wonders but be happy we clipped you and didn't kill you. My snipers are one hundred percent accurate." Adam fainted over the body of Josey as blood loss finally hit him hard. Neigel rushed over with a unit of clones to escort Adam to a medical area. 

"Bring the other one aboard the Ambassador and put him in the holding cell." Neigel pointed to some of the other clones as Josey was taken away, wanting to fight as he physically couldn't.