▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ | Heavy boots fell onto rainy pavements. All things were obscured by the dark of night and shadows cast by bright searchlights. Alarms were ringing out into the open sky at a UDF base in the middle of nowhere. Men and women of the divisions were frantically shouting call-outs about an enemy force being within their midsts. Bright flashes of lightning and gunfire could be observed all around them. This adversary was fast, cunning, and above all else more than just human. They seemed to be everywhere at once, breaching any kind of lock, and completely overpowering any kind of defense that the UDF could put up with in a place like this. There could only be one explanation for this kind of attack—Renegades.
The invading team urged any and all UDF soldiers to surrender unless they were fired upon first. Some were smarter than others. As soon as Aeon powers were on display, most human soldiers simply gave up even if they were ordered to continue fighting. One after another, automated turrets and other defense systems were taken down by gunfire or an assortment of elemental magic provided by spirits. Renegades were not necessarily hostile towards the UDF. They had been disavowed for many different reasons in the past and present, which made their motives differ quite radically from each other. However, in this case, there was plenty of bitterness towards the UDF involved. The team penetrated deeper into the base, moving as a solid unit at what could only be described as pressurized water through steel pipes. They surgically cut through any resistance in their way, alive or otherwise.
"This is it. Over there, Joel." Benjamin said while pointing at an enormous, reinforced vault door in the inner sanctum of the base. Joel rapidly advanced ahead and began to plant explosive devices around the central area of the locking mechanisms. The breaching would weaken the internal structure of the door to such an extent that they could physically break through by hand. A short countdown was initiated before the controlled blast went off. The team was unmoved by the ear-shattering sound and pressurized air being slung outward into the room. Joel and another member of the team, Lucas, removed the vault door together and moved inside. Benjamin followed suit and began rumbling through documents in various compartments of old filing containers.
"Forty-five seconds, guys." Olivia spoke from outside the vault—the fourth member of the team. Any emergency alarm triggered at a UDF base automatically sent a distress signal, which any and all nearby forces had to respond to. The average response time was about a minute, depending on location. As this particular base was ranked as 'high value', nearby forces would certainly converge in less than a minute. "How are we looking? The last member of the team, Diana, asked as she arrived at the scene after having dealt with a security protocol. "There are three sweaty dudes in there—what do you think?" Olivia smirked. "I heard that!" Lucas shouted from inside the vault. Diana and Olivia looked at each other and chuckled.
"Here it is." Benjamin stopped in his tracks. Joel and Lucas halted their search and looked to their commander. "Where we going, boss?" Joel asked. Benjamin had a slight confusion plastered on his expression, though quickly consumed by a hint of doubt. He tried to calm his senses for a brief moment, to meditate on what he had just learned, and attempt to hear the Voice speak guidance—alas, it remained silent. "Steelwater. It's in Steelwater." Benjamin said and returned eye contact with his fellow 1st Edition S.W.A.R.G. members. "Alright, better pack that bathing suit. Draymere has some sick beaches." Lucas joked around.
"You sure about this, mate? There's no going back once we get going." Benjamin spoke to Lucas with a heavy gaze and a deeply implied sense of danger under the threat of being branded a traitor to the UDF and all mankind. Lucas did not respond, he merely returned a modest but reassured nod at the former Guardian legend. "We are with you, boss, all the way. The pack never splits, they hunt as one." Joel said and gave both of the other men a firm pat on their shoulders. Diana and Olivia had approached the entrance to the vault, observing the bro-moment. "We realize that you boys love each other, but we really need to go." Olivia said, as they began to gather themselves and dispose of any evidence of their existence. Lucas tossed two grenades into the vault as they left. The explosion was enough to vaporize any and all traces of them ever being there, and what they might have taken with them.
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