[HIATUS] The Tide Rises

Chapter 2

"Damn, finally. It was starting to get boring over there," TNTina said, stretching her arms as she kicked up her legs atop the starboard of their motorboat. Her eyes shifted to the missile launch button in a moment of temptation, but she shrugged it off. "Can't believe Ocean took off without me. Leave some adventure for the rest of us!"

She didn't know if it was the way 8-Ball shook his head with an irritated sigh, or if it was the general aura of annoyance radiating from him, but it was enough for her to immediately retract her limbs. The mannerisms almost reminded her of... no, that was long enough ago. He was nothing of relevance anymore, whether it be to her or the hearts of GHOST.

Pushing the thoughts of the golden mastermind to the back of her head, Tina scooted a little closer to the front, leaving 8-Ball with a new dilemma as she hovered over his shoulder, and by extension, the controls. He had to constantly shift his position to block her view of the missile button, as he could feel the slight rush of air from her arm each time she tried to reach for it. His attempts to stop her only further tested her stubbornness and encouraged her to keep trying. "Death will be real boring if SHADOW discovers us outside of base," he finally snapped. "We are here on a rescue mission, not to be taken hostage because we brought too much attention to ourselves shooting missiles. I assume you wouldn't want that to happen either."

She shrugged. "Hey, just us being on this boat is enough attention on us. So, west of Pleasant, one of those islands of trash?"

"Correct," 8-Ball confirmed, sharply turning a corner. "Are you properly supplied?"

Tina pulled a grenade from the case she had packed and threw it into the air, watching it explode behind them. "You kidding? I'm always prepared."

"I question that statement."

Tina rolled her eyes. "Thanks."

Pleasant Park was just ahead, and there was a boat parked along the shore between the two islands made of debris. Ocean and Turk weren't there; rather, they were a little farther away on a patch of green that had resurfaced, complete with a small wooden shed. They could hear the distant singing and laughter of the marauders, and as one duo made their way to the other, they could see their strange wooden structures built atop another hill. There was a typical group of them dancing away between their temporary base (if they could even call it that), with their strange animal masks and protective armor glistening under the sun. They were performing some strange wordless incantation, some strange healing ritual. The agents had to act fast, or they'd be dealing with stronger enemies.

Ocean and Turk were both holding out their own weapons and observing their movements with them. "About time," Turk said as they approached, without looking away from his sniper. His sarcastic remark was more directed towards 8-Ball than anyone else.

"Slow your roll, angler," 8-Ball retorted, holding a tactical shotgun at ease. "How long have they been lurking there?"

"They've been doing their little ritual thing for the past, like, ten minutes, Ocean said, lowering her burst. "We're kinda surprised they haven't started completely wrecking Pleasant. They'll probably be on the move any second, though."

Tina pulled out another grenade. "Then we better get fighting, don'tcha think?" She said a bit too loudly, and she immediately charged towards the group, leaving no room for protests. She climbed atop the wooden shed; the marauders were just a few swims away. Tina pulled the pin from her grenade and aimed for the leader in the center of the group. "Hey, big guy!" She yelled. The assault marauders were faster than her impulsivity anticipated, and within seconds, stink bombs flew towards her as the grenade slipped from her grasp in a clumsy throw. It fell short somewhere and exploded in the water.