Artificial

Charge

Operator Velox

Evo and I turn to face the flaming enemy installation. I give him a quick squeeze, then let him go and ready myself for the assault. We slide our helmets on, then look over to see Shockwave give Reach one last passionate kiss before following our example. I yank back the charging handle on my assault rifle, chambering a round, and Shockwave does the same.
I turn to Reach.
"You gonna load your gun?"
He smiles at me.

Operator Reach

"My gun's been loaded. Soon as Evo tossed it to me." I turn to her boyfriend. "Right bro?"
"Yeah," he replies, voice muffled by his helmet. "That's the way we run it."
We engage in a perfectly synchronized fist bump, then ready our weapons once more.
"Wraith, Apex, are you two ready?"
"Yes, sir!" Wraith cheerfully responds.
"We're in position," Apex adds in his usual smooth, collected fashion. "Raise some hell and we'll start slashing tendons."
I cringe slightly at the gruesome metaphor, then reply, "Good to hear."
I turn to Phoenix.
"You ready to move?"
"Kid, I was ready when you were watching cartoons."
"Damn, since an hour ago?"
She lets out a chuckle.
"Always a child at heart."
"Thanks," I reply with a laugh of my own.
"You'll make a good father."

Operator Phoenix

I suppress a laugh and begin advancing toward the base as Reach stands frozen in place. The man could fight off an entire squad of infantry with a full kitchen knife, but his one weakness will always be responsibility.
"C'mon, kid! There's fighting to be done!"

We approach the gate, and I can hear the alarm blaring, panicked footsteps in all directions, and beneath all of that, the sizzling of melted metal.
Evo walks up behind me.
"Riot, you're up."
The large Operator steps forward, deploys his shield, and uses it to bash open the doors of the gate. Evo, Shockwave, and I proceed into the base behind him, firing our weapons in controlled, accurate bursts. Corpses fall left and right as we begin to carve a path of destruction. Evo raises a hand to his helmet, still using his right hand to deliver lethal fire from his rifle.
"Anytime you wanna join in, bro!"
"Yeah, yeah, keep your shirt on."
A grappling hook clamps onto the tower to my right, and soon after Reach follows, delivering a powerful haymaker directly to an enemy footsoldier's face. The target goes flying to the ground, and Reach lands atop the tower, casually raising his assault rifle to fire a fatal burst from the hip.
"Where's your girlfriend?"
As if on cue, the sound of rapid footsteps manifests behind us. We turn and watch as Velox sprints through a hole in the wall and vaults off of a destroyed tank with Olympic athleticism. She completes a full frontflip before planting her boot into a soldier's helmet, driving their head into the ground and swiftly stunning them. As she turns to face us, she finishes her prey off with a one-handed burst from her assault rifle.
"Why don't you worry about yourself, there, Romeo?"
Reach gives her the finger as he taps the side of his helmet.

Operator Wraith

"Wraith, Apex, we've got quite a fight on our hands. Time to move in."
"You've got it, sir."
I turn to Apex.
"You ready to go, ninja man?"
I watch as gradually, plate by plate, his armor renders him invisible.
"Always. Are you, warrior princess?"
I pull my hood over my head, and fade into the background.
"Hmm... does that make you the dashing rogue?" I suggest with a flirtatious giggle.
Phoenix's voice on the comms startles me.
"You two flirts do realize you didn't disconnect from the comm channel, right? We can all hear you."
"Oh my god, I'm sorry!" I immediately reply.
"I'm not," Apex counters, his intimidating distortion somehow endearing as he wraps an arm around my shoulders. He lifts up his visor and whispers, "Not even a little," before disappearing once more.
I can't wipe a smile off my face, even as I creep toward what is only my second taste of real combat.