Artificial

Sitting Ducks

Operator Wraith

The dropship swoops down to a gentle hover, and we hop off of the craft, armed to the teeth. Lazarus and Riot are waiting for us. Evo approaches them, and drops his gear bag in the dirt.
"Six Force Recon Operators, reporting for duty."
"About time," Lazarus comments.
He starts to respond, but Riot interrupts him.
"Yeah, what took you guys so long?"
"Well, sixty-six percent of us got laid, and the other thirty-four percent is bored and bloodthirsty. I'll let you figure out who's who."
Riot leans to look past Evo at Apex and I.
"Really? Y'all left the base abandoned to fuck?"
We both attempt to justify our actions immediately, exclaiming, "I thought he was dead!" and "I thought she was dead!" in unison.
"Oh, my bad," Riot replies sarcastically. "I forgot that near-death experiences make y'all hump like rabbits."
"Shut up," Apex adds. "So what's the threat? Why are we out here?"
"Inbound ships. We think it might be more Special Forces."
"You think? What's up with the lack of intel?"
"Satellites can only see so much, and the ships are pretty heavily armored."
"Probably because every time they try to land one we shoot it out of the sky," Vel comments with an arrogant grin.
"Don't get cocky," Lazarus counters, the smirk disappearing from Velox's face. "They're adapting. Taking us seriously. It won't be long until they start taking desperate measures."
"We need to end this war quick," Riot concludes.
"Indeed. But first, we have to hold the ground we have gained. Intel reported four dropships, so group up. Riot, you're with me. I assume you all know who you want to partner up with?"
I slide my arm possessively around Apex's shoulders, and he slides his around my waist in response. The other couples do the same, and we look to Lazarus. She puts her helmet on, and loads her assault rifle. The HUD syncs, and her visor glows a deep, aggressive red.
"That's one good thing about you lovebirds. Grouping up is never an issue. Everybody take a side of the base."

After waiting around for about fifteen minutes, the enemy still has not shown themselves. I press a button on the side of my neck cover, opening the comm channel.

Wraith: "Yo, how long are we gonna wait here?"
Reach: "Yeah, I'm getting bored."
Evo: "Do something productive."
Reach: "Like what?"
Evo: "You could work out."
Reach: "Nope, would rather die."
Velox: "That can be arranged."
Shockwave: "Oh, lay off him, Vel. I'll work up a sweat with you, babe."
Phoenix: "No fucking in the combat zone!"
Reach: "Aw."
Shockwave: "Aw."
Riot: "Aw, shit!"
Reach: "I know, right? Prudes!"
Riot: "No, you idiot! Stealth craft! The enemy is here!"

Apex and I turn around to see four matte black dropships in a tight diamond formation descending toward the base. They abruptly split, each one moving toward one of the teams.
"Game faces, guys!" Phoenix orders over comms, then launches a volley of grenades at the nearest ship.
I move my goggles from my forehead to my eyes, and look over my shoulder at the dropship circling above us while I pull my mask up over my nose. As I bring my rifle to bear, the side door opens, revealing four Special Forces soldiers in trademark black. I immediately fire twice, achieving two precise headshots on the closest target. He falls clumsily from the craft, dead before he hits the ground. I shift my rifle to the next target, and find myself staring at a rocket launcher.
"Take cover!" I yell as I dive behind a scorched tank, narrowly dodging the explosion. 
C'mon, c'mon... cloak already.
I'm going as fast as I can! The blast damaged some of the circuits. I'm almost done... got it!
I watch as my hands and weapon disappear, then my legs.
You're good, Wraith! Give 'em hell!
I take off in a low sprint, leaving my rifle behind and drawing my silenced pistol.  Circling around the combat zone, I watch as a soldier closes in on Apex, while another watches his back from a distance. As I close the distance toward the further enemy, I fire a shot into each of his knees, then grab him by the throat and hold him in place as I shoot his comrade in the leg. Apex capitalizes on the opportunity, vaulting the cover and kicking the wounded soldier in the face before finishing him off with a well-placed armblade slash. As he walks toward me, I lift my victim into the air, then end his life with a swift flick of my wrist.
Wait a minute... that's only thre—
My train of thought is derailed by the unmistakable crack of a sniper rifle, and the searing pain of a bullet piercing my leg.
Fuck, that hurts.
Suddenly, I'm being lifted off the ground and carried at an impressive pace.
Apex is a pretty slim dude, but a lot of people don't realize he's strong as an ox.
He sets me down behind the same tank I hid behind earlier, right next to my rifle. I pull down my mask and remove my goggles, breathing heavily.
"You are so getting laid tonight," I promise as he inspects my wound.
He laughs, then shifts his gaze from my leg to my face.
"Thanks. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine. Now go kill that fucker."