[center][u]Sector Zero[/center][/u]

The shuttle slowly hovered its way to Sector Zero and limped its way to the ground, where it landed and Zachary turned off the engines. He pushed the communications button, and said, "This is Zachary here, in the shuttle, here to help with evacuation."

He then released the button and sighed out loudly. He was trembling, and he felt sick in his stomach now that the euphoria had drained away. Did he really just mercilessly bombard an entire group of people, and enjoy it? But as people emerged from Sector Zero he realised that he had more pressing things do deal with than his own personal problems. He needed to get this shuttle in working order before it was time to move out again. The focus could easily be patched, although the regulator would be a trickier task. He got out his tools and the scrap from his trap cores and got to work.

Raeven looked up at the sky as she limped out of the crippled bank, pausing to rub her sore hip before looking around for an evac shuttle. She noticed one of Hector's techs patching up a shuttle and moved towards him. "Is there any word from Hector?" She asked, hoping that the news would be good.

Zachary looked up as he was addressed, and answered, "Things are pretty hectic out there. A hoarde of zombies attacked them, and things looked messy down there, although as I left they were still fighting strong." He then buried his attention back into the task at hand, welding metal sheets onto the damaged kinetic focus and hammering it into shape. Raeven watched him, her calm facade hiding the worry and frustration she felt. "Was Ishigo there?" "Not sure," Zachary replied, "Which squad was he again?" Raeven looked away, watching as civilians piled into other evac shuttles. "Squad one. It was just him and me. I wish I could have went to Hector with him, but he gave me another task."

Zachary recalled from the back of his memory that Squad One was the squad which he had called out as they were pursuing the shuttle with Hunters with the detonator. Considering that there was still a Sector Zero, he assumed that they must have succeeded, although he didn't know much about the squads. "I don't think I saw him. He may have not been there yet." Raeven simply nodded, letting him continue his work as she moved to lean against the shuttle out of his way. "May I ask you for a favor?" She asked, eyeing the splinter core cannons and the plasma cannon. She knew these weapons would aid her in the hazardous mission Ishigo gave her, and thought that Zachary was skilled in risk-taking.

"What is it?" Zachary asked. Raeven looked over at him. "I need you to take me to the front lines of the battle so I can pick up a package when the wall comes down."

Zachary eyed Raeven quizically. "Through the zombies and Vangaurds and artillery and whatever else they've got in that base?"

Raeven blinked at the mention of zombies, but ignored it at the moment. She nodded and smirked, teasing him. "Are you up for the challenge?"

Zachary pondered this for a moment. Then he gave his answer. "I'll get this shuttle patched up and see if I can get you close. Is there anyone else here who needs a lift to the front?"

---

Blake looked to the vulnerable and meek body that lay pale before him as it began to stir. For a moment Blake's anger was overshadowed by a genuine concern for a comrade. Shaking off thoughts of kinship, Blake prepared his next act. [b][i]'She'll be too disoriented to read our thoughts right now. Only time to plan is now; what do you want to do, Blake?'[/i][/b]

The muffled sounds of feet and voices reached Arianna's conscience, slowly pulling her forwards into reality. She coughed as the soreness of her body returned to her and turned her head to squint at the silhouette standing next to her. As her eyes focused, she blinked and groaned softly. "I guess I didn't die, then," she said hoarsely, swallowing in an attempt to wet her dry mouth.

Blake reached over the table next to Arianna and picked up a glass of water, handing it over to her with a warm smile. "Good guess. Unfortunately, you're going to have to get up very soon." Feigning concern, Blake sighed and stood up. "You and I are two vital assets for the Golden Mercenaries, and our comrades are up on the front lines, dying to bring down the Wall we've been striving to demolish. Once you're rested up, I'll head out to the Wall, and if I rush I'll make it just in time to see the victor and deal with the remains, whether I mourn or maul them. I hope by then you've decided if you'll take up the onus of this most somber duty alongside me; it's a long ways from here, so I hope you have some stories in mind." With that, Blake sat down across Arianna's bed. Arianna gratefully took the water and drank it as she listened to Blake. She looked up at the ceiling of the infirmary and thought for a few moments. The spirit she had gained after killing Zerox was enough to have kept her from falling into stasis, but she was unsure if it was sufficient enough to get her through another fight. She turned to look at Blake, making her decision. "I'll see how I'm faring when we near the battle."

Blake nodded. "So you're making the journey, then?" Due to his late entry, Blake was relatively unscathed after the altercation with the hunters. Arianna nodded. "Do you think one of the shuttles could drop us off near the battle? I'm not sure I can make it there on foot at the moment."

Blake sighed, shrugging. "I'll check, but I'm not too sure." Arianna finished off the glass of water and set it down, taking a deep breath. With a wince, she placed both hands on the bed beneath her and pushed, groaning a little as she sat up. Her head swam for a few moments before she regained control and moved to let her legs hang off of the bed. "We need to find a shuttle before they all leave."