Vlad re entered the jet with Cole unconscious over his shoulder to see Riku, Lucia, and Leo huddled together at a single table.
“Oh, you two are awake. Good to see you are both doing well.” He said as the Italians. He read their faces as he approached them, laying Cole on a nearby table as he walked. He recognized the particular look.
“We have a new mission?”
Riku looked around, at the team. His team. He sat in the corner, across from Lucia and Leo. Cole was unconscious on a nearby table. Vlad took a seat next to Leo, revealing Kira behind him. Riku took know that even in her older, more difficult to notice (for other men, at least) form, she was still incredibly stealthy.
Riku scanned the room, looking at the chairs behind him.
“Where did Lara go?”
Vlad scanned the room to.
“She wasn’t outside.” he said.
“She wasn’t on the roof?”
“Would she have ran off?”
“She’s not that kind of broad.” Cole’s voice cut in, slightly slurred. “She was more willing to come here than I was.”
“How long have you been awake?” Riku asked.
“You were willing to come here?” Leo asked.
Cole pushed himself off of the table and stood. He almost fell back, but steadied himself.
“I want a rematch, vampire!” He said, pointing to Vlad.
“You’ll get it later,” Vlad said.
Riku loudly cleared his throat.
“Back to Lara. We need the entire team here. If you know her so well, where would she have gone?”
Cole opened his mouth to speak, then fell backwards onto the table. He then rolled face first onto the seat. Vlad forcibly held back a loud laugh while Kira held back a small giggle.
“Who passes out, wakes up, says something useful, then passes out again?” Riku asked, facepalming.
“At least he didn’t set the jet on fire.” Leo said, looking at the tabletop.
“Do you have eyes on them, James?” Lara heard a voice say.
“Nah, man, not since those last two mofes.” another voice responded.
Lara struggled to move any part of her body, but was completely immobilized. She dug her nails into her skin. Her eyes widened underneath whatever material covered her face. Her nails dug into her skin. She didn’t feel her nails bounce off of her metallic skin like it had since she got her powers. She felt pain in both her arms and in her heart as she realized something. She no longer had her powers. Any amount of bravery she held fell from her as she lost consciousness.
A dark-skinned teenager lied on a rooftop, a long-range rifle in his hands. Strangely, the rifle had no scope. Considering the fact that his target was half a mile away and several stories down and he still had complete view on the Axis jet, the teen the teen was quite skilled.
“Well, one of Malik’s boys caught this one.” The teenager behind him. “According to the report, there are six others. Since I locked this one’s powers away, we only need to capture the Italian girl, the other German, and the two Japanese ones. The other Italian and the Romanian, you can kill.”
The sniper turned his head to the teen speaking.
“Da hell makes you think I know the difference between a German and an Italian?”
The other teen sighed. Why couldn’t Ken be here so I wouldn’t have to deal with this idiot.
“I thought someone who uses the derogatory terms you do would at least be able to tell what race a person is.”
“What was that?!” Jimmy asked, agitated. He stood, gripping the rifle in his hand while he pointed his other hand at the other teen.
“Do you know who I am!? I’m Jimmy Devil! Show some respect!”
The teen’s mind flooded with reasons why Jimmy’s rant made no sense. The first thing that came to mind was the fact that the teen’s name was James Thomas. The second fact was that less than than one one-hundredth of one percent of the population knew who Jimmy Devil or James Thomas was. The third fact was that before Jimmy gained his powers, he barely knew who he even was. The teen sighed again, taking shelter with the fact that Jimmy’s powers weren’t unique enough to warrant protection. Once he had the powers secure and the remaining Axis members dead, he could dispose of Jimmy, doing him and the four men Malik had loaned him a favor for the return trip to France.
The teen took a step towards Jimmy. He knew his role on the chessboard was the bishop, but a bishop is still above a simple pawn.
“Yes, I know your name, James. And my name is Kyle Silver. Do your job, or my name will be the last you hear.”
Jimmy threw his hands up and turned around.
“Whatever man, as long as I get paid.”
Kyle Silver folded his arms and looked at the jet, waiting for his targets to walk out into the ambush.
“So, she wouldn’t have ran off...” Vlad said.
Leo’s gaze met Riku’s.
“Do you think...” Leo started.
“No, it couldn’t have.” Riku said. “From what I overhead, that brother of his was only scouting.”
“Maybe you should explain to the group what you’re talking about.” Vlad said, folding his arms.
He looked over the unconscious Cole next to him and smacked him in the head. Cole raised his head, maybe a quarter awake.
“Listen up, lightweight. Time for us to work.”
Lara began to stir, but barely recognizing it, since her vision was still completely obscured. She tried to move, but was still completely immobilized. She poked herself with her nails again. Feeling the pain, she remembered that she somehow lost her powers. The thought entering her mind forced her back into unconsciousness.
“Yo Kyle. I’ve got a target.” Jimmy said, breaking the rather peaceful silence Kyle was enjoying.
“What ethnicity?” Kyle asked quickly, walking over to the rooftop edge.
“White.” Jimmy responded.
For a solid five seconds, Kyle considered kicking Jimmy off of the building. He instead threw that thought out. A soldier does not murder his own pawns. He instead sighed and pulled a pair of binoculars from his coat pocket.
“Its the Romanian. Take him down.”
“About time.” Jimmy said as he took aim at Vlad’s head.
Vlad heard the shot half a second after it was fired. He jumped to his right just in time to see a bullet hit the boarding ramp, right next to Cole’s foot. Vlad and Cole’s eyes locked onto the shooter. Vlad could hear a curse from the shooter. Cole lept into the air, while Vlad lept onto a nearby rooftop. As Vlad got closer, he heard more profanity coming from the shooter. Vlad guessed he knew that he was about to get ripped into pieces.
“They’re coming.” Jimmy yelled, in between several bouts of profanity. Kyle took several steps backwards, until the back of his foot his the end of the roof.
“Then kill them!” Kyle yelled back. “I don’t care who they are, just take them out!”
Jimmy gripped his rifle, aimed, and fired several shots towards the quickly approaching Vlad. He seemed to have forgotten the angry German approaching from below.
Cole’s hand found the barrel of the gun. As he flew upwards, he gripped the barrel, picking up the gun and almost taking Jimmy with it. Once he realized he was unarmed, Jimmy jumped onto his feet and backed away up. Cole landed directly in front of him.
“Sup.” the German said.
From Jimmy’s right, Vlad appeared, leaping onto the roof top.
“Hey.” the Romanian said.