The Start Of Something Great

Hitman

Buck's POV: 1017, Jan. 8th

Bang! A bullet zipped past my head, narrowly missing. I whipped around and saw Micky drop to the floor, a clean hole in his head.

"Fuck!" I yelled, diving behind a console for cover.

"Nice to see you again, Buck." The voice rang out, dripping with sarcasm. It was all too familiar.

"Who the hell is this?" I barked, blind-firing toward the door.

"Ack." The sound of a bullet hitting its mark came from the doorway.

The voice answered, sharper now, filled with anger. "How could you forget the medic who saved you, Arthur, and Joy? Did I really mean that little to you?"

I froze, the pieces falling into place. "Charlie?" I muttered, disbelief creeping into my voice.

"So you do remember me," he shot back, his voice colder than ever.

He was close—too close. I grabbed a gravity star from my belt and threw it toward his position, my hand already reaching for my data knife. I jammed it into a console, initiating a quick download.

My rifle came up instinctively, my sights narrowing on the crouched figure behind the consoles. I squeezed the trigger, the recoil familiar as the bullets sped toward Charlie.

Kai's POV: 1019, Jan. 8th

"Where's Buck?" The dropship pilot's voice crackled over the comm, concern lining his tone.

Dev, our commanding officer, looked grim. "He's not responding to our hails. If he's not answering, he could be in trouble."

"We're going to head for his target, see if we can locate him there," Dev ordered, his eyes locking onto mine.

I checked my Flatline's mag—full. A quick moment of clarity hit as the sky outside the dropship's windows turned white, and then, with a jolt, we were descending toward the surface. The battlefield unfolded below us: Titans locked in combat, chaos all around.

"Two clicks out," Dev called, scanning the base. Muzzle flashes streaked from the control room.

"Raptor, hold position until we're in," Dev instructed. "Copy that, Hitman 1-1," came the pilot's response.

The dropship's ramp dropped with a mechanical hiss. We charged out, weapons raised, the noise of the Titans' battle echoing around us.

"Hitman Two, Three—breach the windows. Hitman Four, you're with me," Dev barked over the comms.

I climbed onto the glass with Ren, one of my teammates. We set the satchel charges and backed away.

"All set, Hitman 1-1," Ren confirmed.

Looking down, I saw Buck, thrown over a console, struggling to regain his footing. A pilot was closing in on him, wingman drawn, aiming at Buck's head.

"Fuck, we can't wait any longer," I muttered to Ren. He grabbed the detonator, and with a double-click, we stepped aside.

BOOM! The glass exploded in a fiery blast, and I moved fast, rappelling through the gap.

The pilot, caught off-guard by the glass shattering, shielded their face. As I dropped in, they raised their weapon. I braced for the shot—but then, Bang!, the pilot stumbled, two bullet wounds in their chest.

I hit the ground hard, quickly unhooking my rope. I raised my Flatline, aiming at the pilot as they stumbled toward an exit. Without hesitation, I fired, sending them crashing to the ground.

"Get Buck to the dropship!" I shouted to Ren, who was already helping Buck up.

I glanced over, hearing the sound of a data knife clicking into place. A familiar glint caught my eye—it was the data knife from Buck's console. Ren had pulled it free.

"Hitman One, we've secured Lieutenant Buck and are moving to extraction," Ren radioed to Dev.

"Copy that. What's your location?" Dev's voice crackled.

"We're heading to the breach site, then making a run for the dropship," I responded, moving quickly.

We turned the corner and came upon the blown-open door. The cold of Erberus hit hard as we stepped through, the planet's atmosphere biting through our gear.

"We've reached the dropship. Waiting on you, Hitman Two and Three," I reported as we picked up the pace, the crunch of sand underfoot.

Suddenly, two Legion Titans crashed down, obliterating a Green Northstar. Their Predator cannons whirred to life, glowing red with power.

Just as one of them fired, an Ion Titan with the M.R.V.N. logo leaped in front, taking the hit instead. The powerful blast tore right through the Ion's cockpit, sending the Titan crashing to the ground, its pilot dead.

The Northstar pilot roared in fury, launching into the air.

The roar of a dropship's engines signaled our extraction. Raptor's ship was coming in hot. But one of the Legions spotted it, and it began firing.

The Northstar's pilot wasn't having it. Rockets launched from its back, slamming into the Legion, causing it to erupt in flames.

"Move while you've got time!" Dev ordered.

Without another word, I wrapped Buck's arm around my neck, helping him stagger toward the dropship. We barely made it inside before Dev slammed the ramp shut.

As the ship ascended, we saw the two Legion Titans destroyed in a barrage of missiles from the Northstar.

Buck, still recovering, looked at us with a mix of gratitude and confusion. "Thanks for the rescue. But who the hell are you?"

Dev nodded, a smirk tugging at his lips. "We're Hitman. Militia Marine Raiders."

I added, "We were the squad that secured the tank and fighter manufacturing plant a few months ago."

Buck turned his gaze toward me, recognizing the name. "Just you four?"

I nodded. "That's all we needed."