The flay back to base was a standard 16 hour fly even though Greyson was flying at 20,000 RPM and almost 560 miles an hour. Russian jets tailed us most of the way, I suspect due to the belief that we were American's. If only they knew the truth, what was really going on. When we got back to base, I was so tired and close to passing out that I couldn't see Danny and Alex to the hospital like I should have. Instead, I told them I'd come see them in the morning and went back to the barracks.
When I woke up the next morning, Adelind and the kids were already up. I could smell breakfast and hear the TV so I guessed that Adelind was cooking and the kids were watching TV. Yawning, I pulled myself out of bed and pulled on one of my uniforms before walking out of the living room. Ace was hovering over the Xbox playing Call Of Duty Ghosts split screen with Tyson, Helix and Dusk were hovering over their heads watching them and Adelind was in the kitchen making breakfast.
"Morning honey", she said.
"Morning", I said walking up beside her, "what's in the pan?"
"Bacon", she said, "you weren't up so I thought I 'd try my hand at it. Took me a minute to figure out how to light the stove, but other than that it's the same thing as cooking a bison over a fire back home."
I sighed, "I'd give anything for some freshly killed meat right about now."
"When can we go back?", she asked, "I mean I love it here...but I'd rather live like we did at Tacoma. All this stuff here at Romeo is a bit much for me."
"It's starting to get to me too", I said, "I promise we go home after Lung is dead."
"And how do you plan on doing that?", she asked, "we don't even know where he is."
I sighed. Adelind was getting more and more agitated by the day, more than likely a result of my being gone all the time and her not knowing for sure if I was coming back or not. To be honest, I could tell her that I was gonna come back in one piece all day long, but whether or not it happened always remained to be seen.
"I don't know", I said, "I just don't know."
Adelind put the spatula down and leaned into me.
"Every time you go out I'm scared to death until you come back", she whispered, "I'm scared that you'll be shot, blown up or dismembered in someway and I'll lose you. I won't ever be able to even begin to patch the hole you'd leave if I lost you."
"Nor I you", I told her.
"Promise me that when you do find Lung that we can go home afterwords?", Adelind asked.
"I promise you", I answered, "once he's dead were going to go home and forget any of this ever happened."
Adelind sighed and turned back to the stove. I suspected that she didn't believe me. Sighing myself, I went into the living room and sat down by the couch, watching Ace and Tyson play Call Of Duty. They were in a menu and Ace was changing out some attachments on his characters ARX-160.
"Why that gun?", Tyson asked.
"Because it kills what I point it at", Ace said picking out an EoTech holographic sight.
"No it doesn't", Tyson retorted, "if you want a gun with a fast time to kill you go Remington R5."
"No you don't", Ace said, "you go ARX or SA-805. And for your information, Semi Automatic turns my ARX into a two shot monster while your R5 still takes 3 or four rounds to drop me at the same range!"
"Lies!", Tyson said.
"I'll prove it to you", Ace said, "Let's play Octane next. I guarantee I get to 20 before you."
"Your on", Tyson said as Ace picked out the map, "get ready to die!"
A loading screen popped up with a picture of a desert town with what looked like a strip club and a tank. There was a loading bar at the bottom of the screen and there was a text that read.
"You can't outrun a Maniac."
"More lies", Tyson said, "I outran it as Michael Myers in the Fog map."
"Mmmm but you can't get old pasty face on any map besides that", Ace said, "therefore you can't outrun him."
"If I stack the speed perks I can", Tyson said, "I can run as fast as he can."
"Tried that", Dusk said, "Helix stabbed me in the back as I tried to get away."
Tyson shook his head as the Class Select screen came up. Ace picked Ghost team and Tyson picked Federation. Ace grabbed his ARX with Semi Auto, EoTech and a fore-grip and Tyson took his R5 with a M203 launcher, extended magazine and a CNPX VMR sight. They both started at opposite ends of the map and wasted no time in meeting each other. Ace instantly dove to prone and cracked off two shots, aimed center mass. Tyson's character fell like a bag of concrete after only managing to get off one shot.
"Boom", Ace said as he collected Tyson's R5 and a small, blue bag of ammunition that he had dropped on death.
"Next time I see you it's boom time for you!", Tyson said.
"Good luck", Ace said, "I'll drop you like a cinder block."
Ace made very good on his threat. There encounters always ended with Tyson's death and another point for Ace, expect for when Ace was waiting for an armor drop and Tyson switched to a sniper rifle, managing to headshot him. Tyson then stole Ace's armor and Ace reacted by pulling out a light machine gun and tearing his brother to pieces. The final score was Ace 20, Tyson one.
"Humiliation", Dusk said.
"Shut up Dusk", Tyson said, "I can still beat you!"
Dusk laughed and changed places with Ace as he, Helix and I went into the dining room where Adelind was plating breakfast.
"Tell them breakfast is ready will you Helix?", Adelind asked.
Helix stuck her head back into the living room and yelled out, "Food!"
For the first time in my life, I watched as my kids DIDN'T trip over each other at the sound of that word. Dusk and Tyson kept playing as if no one had said anything.
"Who are they and what have the done with my brothers?", Helix asked.
"No kidding", Ace said, "I feel like I don't even know them anymore!"
"They've got the headphones on", I said, "probably can't hear us."
"That means when they'll start listening to their noses instead of their ears", Adelind said, "give it a minute and they'll be here."
Sure enough, the second we sat down Dusk and Tyson paused their game and came into the kitchen.
"So I take you see that Semi-Auto is the way to go?", Ace asked.
"If you wanna get spanked by the Vet Level bots", Tyson said, "I'll stick with automatic and extended magazines."
"Suit yourself", ace said, "but when I drop you with two shots don't complain."
Tyson stuffed several strips of bacon into his mouth, "I'll complain about what ever I want."
"No you won't", Helix said, "your the worst Ghosts player in this house!"
"I am not", Tyson said
"Recruit bots beat you 150-69", Dusk said, "you suck!"
"Those bots were set to mixed!", Tyson said.
"Right", Ace said, "and I bet the..."
Ace was cut off as there was a knock on the door.
"Tyro, Adelind", Hudson called.
"It's open", I said.
Hudson stepped inside, "Nolan wants the both of you down at the command tent, something about intel your boys gave us."
"We'll be right there", I said as Hudson shut the door.
Adelind sighed, "family time interrupted for like the umpteenth time. Will you kids be okay here?"
"Yeah", Dusk said, "yeah we'll be fine."
"Well let's go see what the old man wants then", I said standing. Adelind and I followed Hudson out of the barracks and down to the command tent. Inside was busier than I'd ever seen it. There were people at all kinds of computers and Nolan was talking with who I assumed to be high ranking generals. Nolan noticed me and smiled.
"Tyro", he said, "your boys sang like birds. They gave us Lung's location, the base of RDH, the locations of Draco labs, recruiters, everything we could have ever hoped for they spilled like a bucket of paint. I've sent the Army, Navy and the Marines to capture the recruiters and destroy the labs, by the time the day is out, Draco will be nothing but a pile of slag."
I smiled, "about time."
"Danny and Alex are set to receive Romeo's high...", Nolan was cut off as tech Sargent, a yellow and red Anthro, turned around.
"Sir, incoming message containing audio and video."
'What channel?", Nolan asked.
"One", the Anthro said.
"That's not possible", Nolan said, "no one on this Earth has the console to read the code on that channel."
"Well it's coming and who ever is sending it enabled two way video, but not two way audio."
"Put it on screen", Nolan said.
The screen turned on and a big "Please wait", popped up. Seconds later, it turned to feed of Lung with the red and black RDH uniform. He was also wearing a KC 90 assault vest.
"Well, well, well", Nolan said snickering, "look whose come to beg for mercy."
"Quite the opposite Nolan", Lung said, "but yes, I am going to kindly, not begging mind you, but kindly, ask you to call off the attacks on my little project."
"Fat chance dumbass", Nolan said, "your going to die Lung. Your gonna be burning right beside all your little fuck buddies at Satan's feet. May God have mercy on your soul, because I wont."
Lung shrugged, "well if your gonna be like that I guess I won't get my way."
The camera zoomed out to reveal my parents, and Adelind's parents, chained to floor. My Dad was struggling to brake free from the restraints, but my mother and Adelind's parents looked to scared to even try and move.
"Tyro, Adelind", Lung said sadistically, "I'll let them go right now if you simply kill Nolan where he stands."
"Don't do it son!", Dad shouted.
"Shut the fuck up!", Lung shouted driving the knife down through my father's snout. It stuck into the concrete, pining him where he lay.
"You'll pay for that!", I shouted.
"He can go free without any more harm", Lung said, "kill Nolan and I let all four of them go right now."
"I'll never give you anything you want!", I shouted.
"Get the location of that signal!", Nolan shouted, "I want an Angel of Death and five Marine Teams in that area right the hell now!"
Lung yanked the knife from my Dad's muzzle. He grabbed my Dad by the horn and lifted his head up so he was looking right into the camera.
"Your a higher rank than your son", Lung said, "ORDER him to kill Nolan!"
"Go", my Dad coughed, "go fuck yourself Lung."
Lung growled and slammed Dad's head into the ground, dislocating his jaw.
"If you don't order your son to kill Major Nolan than I will kill you where you lay!", Lung shouted.
Dad couldn't answer because of his jaw, I guarantee that Lung had done that so he couldn't order me if he wanted too. Lung laughed and sank his claws into Dad's wing. He dragged his claws along the seam of my Dad's wing and then slammed down on it with his paw, the bone giving no fight as it broke under Lung's paw. He ripped my Dad's wing off and tossed it to the back of the room. The shriek my father let out chilled me to my bones and made my mother start to cry.
"Fine" Lung snickered, 'I've been dying to murder the four of you anyway."
"I'm gonna kill you Lung!", I shouted shaking at my knees, almost unable to hold myself up, "I'm gonna carve you open with your own rib-cage!"
"Lovely", Lung said, "I don't think you raised him right. If you had a chance to raise him again, what would you do differently?"
"Go die...in...a fire", Dad coughed, "I'll...never give into the...likes of you."
"Too bad then", Lung laughed, "here comes the really, really fun part!"
Lung grabbed my Dad by the base of his neck and lifted him high in the air, beginning to viciously shake him around, then abruptly stopped.
"Any last words?", Lung asked,
Dad didn't say anything. With a growl, Lung twisted his head and ripped my Dad's spine right out of his neck, tearing out all the way down his back and down his tail, jerking it out of the base of his skull before letting him fall to the ground. His blood began to pour all over the ground. Mom was now fighting the restraints with every ounce of strength that she had, but the metal bars kept her from moving even an inch.
"Get it away from me!", she cried in fear, "please get it away!"
"Your scared of it", Lung snickered, "why? Is it because it's your mate's blood?"
Lung grabbed my Mom's head and started rolling her around in the puddle of Dad's blood as if her head were a mop.
"Wow", Lung said stepping back, "Resistance blue really does go with tan."
"GET A FUCKING TEAM IN THERE NOW!", Nolan shouted.
"We can't dial out sir!", The Sarge said, "all of our abilities to do so are jammed, there's a SAT COM over our airspace!"
Nolan picked up a radio, "get the Warthogs in the air! We have hostiles in our airspace, repeat hostiles in our airspace!"
"Jackie!", Lung said, "you won't be wanting to miss this next part me thinks!"
Nolan turned back around as Lung turned my mother over on her back and shot her six times with his shotgun, each time her scream and gasp was like a bullet to my brain.
"So what you gonna name the baby?", Lung asked, "oh...did I just fill it full of double ought buck? Sorry, my bad."
I felt my heart stop. My mother was pregnant? Why had she gone on Dad's mission with him!!? Why hadn't they told me!?
"Any last words?", Lung asked.
"Tyro", Mom rasped.
"I'm here Mom!", I said as my shaking worsened and my eyes started to well with tears, "I'm here!"
My mother started to cough up blood, "I...I..."
"Too slow!", Lung said. He wrapped my Dad's severed spine around Mom's neck and slowly strangled her with it. The sight of that made me throw up right where I was and I saw one of the older, scared General's pass out. Mom actually took several minutes to stop breathing and die, even though she wasn't fighting him. Lung tossed the spine aside and then looked in the camera.
"Lats chance Tyro", he said, "Kill Nolan and Adelind's parents leave alive. Think about it long and hard. Your mate will never forgive you if you deny me and seal the deaths of her parents."
I looked at Adelind, she had tears in her eyes. She knew what was coming, and so did I.
"Very well", Lung said. He walked over to Adelind's father and ripped him apart like he was a rabid dog, killing her mother in the same manner. Adelind fell over, taking me with her as the monitor clicked off. I pulled her as close to me as I could as we both sobbed. I felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest, body was numb, my legs felt like jelly. I felt like I was at the edge of life and death myself. Adelind and I lay there crying for what seemed like hours before I felt a paw on my shoulder. I glanced up slightly to see Emelia and Shadow.
"Come on brother", Emelia said, "we'll take you and Adelind back."
It took Emelia, Shadow and four other dragons as well as Nolan just to get me on my feet. I had zero feeling in any of my limbs and could barely breathe. Emelia hauled me to her back and started back for the barracks as Shadow carried Adelind.
"I'm...I'm gonna throw up Emelia", I said.
"Not on me your not", she answered, "just wait, were almost there."
A few second later Emelia entered my room and I slid off her back, using her like a crutch. Tyson and Helix took off their headphones and paused there game when we entered, obviously surprised at what was going on. Emelia walked me into the bathroom and I began throwing up into the toilet, feeling like everything inside of me was coming out all at once. I felt Emelia rubbing my back as I puked up.
"Get it out brother", she said.
I spasamed for at least ten minutes, but it felt like hours. Once I was done Emelia put Adelind and I in the shower and then put us in bed, staying behind even after Shadow left. About five minutes after Shadow had left, the kids came in, they were sobbing, I guessed that Emelia had told them what happened. They crawled into bed with Adelind and I and burred themselves underneath us. I curled around my family, not sure what to do or think. What I did know, was that Wei was going to die a painful, agonizing death. I fully intended to make good on the threat I'd made at the temple.
"Wei will pay with his life", I told myself, "I promise you that."
After a few more minutes, my body gave out and I feel asleep.