Out for blood

[tex_freelancer]

She'd been avoiding the Blue Base for a reason, but enough was enough. O'Malley had taunted her for the last time. She's surprised at her own reluctance to kill Caboose, but she knows O'Malley too well to underestimate him. They's been one after all and she's parlty to blame for this

Comments

[m_j_caboose]

O'Malley walks out onto the roof of the base. He's grinning under his helmet. "I thought you'd never ask."
He leaps down and lands, ready for action.

[tex_freelancer]

Tex doesn't reply, just studies him for a moment. His posture is so unlike Caboose's and it just makes her more determined to get this over with. She's got her handgun in its holster and the detonator Claire gave her is safely tucked away. She'll use them both, but not if she can prevent it. She doesn't wait then to see if he's ready, just launches at him, using all her strength as she hopes to knock him out with one blow.

[m_j_caboose]

He'd been expecting her to move quickly, and braces for the impact, grabbing at her hand as she comes in to deflect her rush away. "You haven't changed," he says, attempting to hit her in the stomach where the armour plates don't quite cover.

[tex_freelancer]

She jumps sideways, wrenching her hand out of his grip. The blow lands on her side instead, but she doesn't give herself time to think about it as she grabs hold of his shoulderplate and tries to use her own weight to pull him down.

"I have, there's a lot less whining in my head now," she growls.

[shred_the_sky]

Several minutes after Claire sends her message from the Nexus, the air in the area distorts to indicate the working PINpoint - and then, Ether warps into the area. He immediately activates his weapon system, the grey crystal on his armlet flaring up slightly, and then dashes into the base.

Hopefully, he'll find Tex faster than O'Malley manages to get back.

[tex_freelancer]

Tex wakes up inside the base's cell. Her head is pounding and her body's sore and it takes a moment for her to realise she's no longer wearing her armour. It seems O'Malley isn't as dumb as Caboose.

Using the wall for support, Tex gets to her feet and moves over to the bars. While she's still strong without armour she's nowhere near strong enough to break through them. She reaches a hand out, but she doesn't even have to touch the bars to feel the current flowing through them. With a loud curse, she moves away and looks around for any sort of panel she could wrench open but she already knows there isn't one.

[m_j_caboose]

On the roof of the base, the teleporter crackles into life and O'Malley walks back through, as yet oblivious to the fact that anything's afoot. He looks around for a few moments, pushing the discussions he had in the Nexus out of his head.
Tex would be safe where she was for a little while, he thought...

[shred_the_sky]

It doesn't take resorting to memories for Ether to know how to break into a base - by now, all of the work is instinctive. The first available terminal is quickly scanned for the map of building and then it's all about moving quickly and avoiding the security measures.

The android is very good at both, and the few tricks he's learned over the last few weeks help, as well. Of course, there's still a matter of locked doors, but he's got a trick up his sleeve for that, as well - and by the time O'Malley will be on his way toward Tex, he will find that most locked doors on the way from the entrance to her look like they established an intimate relationship with an oversized bottle opener.

Several minutes later, the door to the base's prison block is torn open - and then, Ether moves in. He moves quietly, without attracting more attention that he already has and needs, all of his senses concentrated on locating his friend.

[lafinjack]

Excellent read. Great job, everyone!

[tex_freelancer]

Glad you enjoyed it as much as we did!