Stained (Red vs Blue)

We Don't Surrender

Before The Storm

---Briefly Iowa's POV---

"Iowa," Eta said as I stood guard beside the door. "Yeah?" I asked him. "Something's wrong. Zeta just disappeared. I still feel Chi, but Zeta is gone. I'm worried about them," Eta sounded like a terrified little kid. He was worried about his twin. Then it clicked. Zeta is with Neva. Zeta disappeared.

"Dammit!" I yelled. Alaska jogged around the corner. "What is it?" He asked. "Neva. Eta just said Zeta disappeared. Something could be wrong with Neva," I could hear the worry in my own voice. I hope nothing bad happened. "Get out there. I'll warn Michigan to be ready just in case," He said, turning around, and running back to Michigan, who was in the process of getting the plans. The A.I. were exactly right as to where they were.

"Eta, please open the door," I said, frantic to get out there and make sure Neva was alright. "Wait. What if...they are gone?" Eta said, his voice filled with worry. "I sure they're not, Eta. Maybe Zeta shut himself down to protect himself. Those two are smart, I don't think anything can take them down," I said, trying to soothe Eta, who was panicked.

"I hope you're right... I don't know what I'll do if Zeta and Neva are gone..." He said, sadness tinting his voice. I looked at him just as the door opened. I pulled my energy sword from my hip, and the blades extended.

Several bodies were scattered across the floor, but Neva wasn't one of them. I searched for her, hoping for the best. I scanned around, and found her, sitting against a building right next door to the one containing the plans, sitting, holding her neck and arm and not looking at me.

She was hurt. Dammit.. I thought to myself as I jogged over to her. "Neva?" I asked, hoping she would respond. "T-Tracer.... Zeta..." She simply muttered, thought I couldn't understand most of her sentence, due to the fact that her voice was so quiet. "Let me see your injuries. I need to make sure that they aren't serious," I said quietly, not wanting to disturb her to much.

She didn't respond. Something was wrong. I carefully removed her hand from her neck. I could tell it was soaked with blood. "Please let me see, Neva. I need to make sure it's not very bad," I repeated. She didn't resist when I tilted her head forward, but she cringed in pain. I clenched my teeth. Why was she so unresponsive?

I looked at the injury. It was a jagged cut like wound, pretty deep, and blood still pooled. And it clicked. "This may hurt, but I have to be sure on something," I said, and brushed a finger over her neck where the memory unit would be, and the wound was right there, and I didn't feel the unit.

"Dammit.." I muttered out loud. This can't be happening. "Can I see your other injury?" I asked quietly. She put her hand back on her neck, and let me take her other hand off her arm It was a bullet wound. "Damn Neva. What did you get yourself into?" I said, trying my best to cheer her up. She gave a feeble laugh, but cringed again. I sighed. If only I stayed with her.

"Can you tell me what happened?" I asked, putting a hand to her arm. "Tracer... stole Zeta," She said. The name sounded familiar. "Who's Tracer?" I asked. "Vanguard agent. The one.. Zeta was based off of..." She said. In my head, Eta was breaking down with the loss of his brother. I tried my best to calm him down, and tell him that he was only missing, but nothing worked. He was making it hard for me concentrate on Neva.

Alaska and Michigan came through the door, and immediately spotted us. They saw me crouching beside Neva, and ran over to us. "What happened?" Alaska asked me, looking at Neva, who was still mostly unresponsive. "Vanguard stole Zeta back. By force. Tracer literally ripped the unit containing Zeta from her neck," I said, looking at my friend. I've never seen her like this. She has always been so strong, but this.. this just broke her, hopefully she wouldn't stay like this.