A Hero's Sacrifice: a tale about Noble Six

Crumbling Hope

"OPEN FIRE"

I ducked behind a counter as Rhode shot off a missile like thing from his purple plane. Looking at the "Needler" in my hand, I took a breath, then leaned out of cover to shoot the baddies. A wild firefight ensued, me trying not to get shot. After a while, this dude with a flamethrower came in and forced us to move.

"What the" *BLEEP* (by FILSS) "is up with that guy?!"

"Keep fighting, Wash!" Rhode thrust his plane forwards as he leaped out.

"Okay!"

Jersey hit the reactor of the plane with a missile, blowing it and Sharkface to smithereens. Panting, I landed on my bum.

"That guy was a jerk."

Rhode helped me to my feet. "Nice fighting, Wash. Go and evac the package, I'll go get Zona and Penny outta here."

"Sure thing, bro. You better not die, ya hear?"

He nodded, then ran off. The rest of us brought the Sarcophagus to the roof, where Texas kicked it off and the Mother of Invention blasted a hole down the middle of the building. We lept off and Carolina shouted something.

"This must be karma for kicking Maine out the window!"

As we fell, my eyes grew wide. "Rhode!"

A tear rolled down my cheek. "rhode..."

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Six's POV:

Sprinting through the building, I got back to the first floor. Zona and Penny waved at me.

"Hey Rhode! No intruders here!"

A rumble went through the building and dust started to get kicked up as the building fell. My eyes grew wide as I rushed over to the cheery Freelancers. Throwing them to the ground, I locked my armor up and got ready for a lot of pummeling.

I dreamt of the future. I dreamt of the flippin' future!

The building seemed to fall forever. Eventually, everything settled and I managed to unlock my armor, worn out. Rolling off Zona and Penny, I began to cough.

"Rhode!" Penny ripped off my helmet, revealing my foggy brown eyes, ruffled black hair, and blood-stained white skin.

I began to cough up blood and Zona gasped. "Rhode! Stick with us! We-. We'll think of something!"

Though the blood, I told them something. "My beacon's broke."

Penny and Zona paused their panic attack, getting the hint. Zona nodded, then Penny drew her Magnum, pointing it at her friend's gut.

BANG!

Penny shot Zona, who instinctively pressed her hands against the wound and fell down next to me. Penny put her hands on Zona's wound and gazed at the sky, hopeful.

She sighed. "It might be a while before someone comes. Just hang in there, you two."

I sighed, then clenched my teeth. Come on Jun, help me! Come back!

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A low drone woke me up, the pain flooding back. A Pelican with floodlights hovered before us, then touched down. The cargo hold opened up, the soft orange light bleeding onto my face. Two people rushed out of the hold and picked Zona and I up, then laid us down in the hold.

Opening my eyes, I smiled. "Texas. Why are you here?"

"To help Zona and Penny. We thought you were dead, Rhode."

I chuckled. "You'll have to do a lot more than that," I waved at the collapsed building, "to kill me."

Texas rolled her head, then turned around to help Zona. The second Agent, Jun, stood beside me and smiled at me.

"Hang in there, bud. You'll be back in bed before you know it."

I chuckled, then fell asleep.

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"Rhode. Wake up."

Moaning, I opened my eyes to see a dark room. "Huh? Where am I?"

"Relax, Rhode. You're on the Mother of Invention. Specifically its medical bay."

"Then why the hell is it dark?"

Carolina sighed. "The time on the ship is 0000."

"Then why are you here?"

She gulped, took a deep breath, then stood up. "I... I just wanted to check up on you, that's all."

My eyes narrowed at her silhouette. Riiiiight...

Sighing, I fell back asleep.

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????'s POV:

Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I laid down on the operating table. Beside me, the Director stood, the Consular by his side. Looking across me, the Director narrowed his eyes at a group of doctors.

"Begin the procedure."

The doctors nodded, then started the procedure, changing me in ways that could never be reversed. My bones, strengthened. Heart, stronger. Muscles, better. Eyes, keener. Mind, swifter. Ears, sharper. Lungs, larger. My entire body?

Redefined.

I stayed calm and collected the entire time, my body accepting the augmentations. Then, it came to the most dangerous change possible. The capability to have five AIs in my mind, at once.

This didn't come without a cost.

And that cost...
was loyalty.

Loyalty to Freelancer.

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"It's done, sir. We've finished the procedure."

"Good. Leave us."

"Yes, sir."

The doctors left and I opened my eyes. The Director was on my left and Consular on my right.

The Consular spoke first. "How are you feeling? Dizzy? Confused? Sick?"

I stood up, perfectly fine. "How am I feeling? I'm feeling like I can take out those rebels, once and for all. At least, once I get some armor."

The Director chuckled, then looked me in the eyes. "Is that so?"

"Yes, sir. But I guess I'll need to wait a bit until that happens, given my age."

A grin formed on the Director's pale, cold lips. "About that. We have a way to fast-forward your age until you are of a good enough age to don your armor."

I looked up at him. "Really?"

"Yes, really. Step into this portal and you will come back, a seventeen-year-old."

I looked at the Forerunner portal, then stepped in. After a second, I was back in the restricted medical bay, the grin on the Director's face growing even bigger.

"It worked. Well then, welcome to Project Freelancer, Agent Hawaii." He held out his hand.

I took it gently and shook. "It's nice to be in the project, sir."

Cliffhanger! Six manages to save Zona and Penny from the collapse of the 110 story building and a woman undergoes genetical augmentation, then gets accelerated to the age of 17!

Who is she and what augmentation did she go through, and why?

All will be revealed in due time.