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As Tsubakis squad finished preparing their kit, they all started walking to various pods along the wall. Makoto wasn't familiar with this set-up at all, but then again she -was- fresh out of the academy. "Umm, how do these things work?" "Don't worry, missy, they do all the work. Just be ready to sprint for cover when the hatch opens after landing." "Alright everyone, mount yourselves up!" "Ma'am!" Makoto, while she wasn't too fond of going down and fighting, was glad that the crew wasn't too formal in terms of military jargon: they all spoke like normal people. Definitely not the image she had in her mind of the most feared military group in entire Preatorian empire. As she and Tsubaki stepped inside their pods, the hatches closed down on them and they put on the restraints. ~"Alright everyone, standard routine: we're going via high-speed deployment and decimating the opposition using lethal force. We've just been given access to AO and are completely unrestricted in every way possible. Just make sure you don't destroy the city, alright?"~ ~"Can't make any promises, but we'll do our best, ma'am."~ As they all did their final safety-checks, three red lights lit up above the hatch. They counted down for each second, then flashed green: the hurtling sensation was immense, it literally felt like gravity had reversed and doubled itself on each crew member. Anyone looking up would see 32 balls of fire hurtling towards the earth from one of the Flagships. As they neared the ground, a blue ball of energy could be seen shooting down before the pods and hit the ground. As the pods hit these balls, the pods landed with little noise, then swiftly adjusted until they were completely upright. Shortly after the energy dispersed, the hatches swung down and acted like a walking platform, with the PREDATORs following shortly after. They sprinted to any piece of rubble that could bare cover and had their eyes down the sights within seconds. "Visuals and thermals are clear. Regroup on the commanders." After those words were spoken, the hatches swiftly came down on Tsubakis and Makotos drop pods. The beast girl was absolutely thrilled about her first Aierial Drop, leaving her in a state of adrenaline. "Wooow, that was awesome! Hey, when we win this thing can I do that again? Can I? Pretty please?" "I thought you'd like that: we were going to just do a standard drop-off, but I personally prepared this for us." Makoto couldn't stop smiling one bit, leaving the rest of the group trying to hold their laughter back. "Alright, the rookie's had her fun-" "-No fair!" "and given us all a smile, but now we need to start earning our wages. Everyone on me." Tsubaki started walking through one of the alleyways, her enterage following obediantly and silently.

Every time they reached a corner, one of her men would check and cover the corner before allowing everyone else to proceed. As they reached another alleyway, the current spotter raised his hand, stopping the entire column. The glorious thing about these soldiers was that they had surgically installed cameras within their eyes, so everything they could see could be recorded and viewed by others via their Heads-Up Displays. Tsubaki didn't have this luxury, so she had to depend on a portable screen: she saw 2 people in the street, a man and a winged woman. Without a single word spoken, the group split off into 3 squads and prepared for an 3-pronged ambush. Tsubaki turned to Makoto and started using sign-language. |-Alright, I want you to attack from the top: get to the roof and prepare to drop in as soon as the gunfire starts.-||-Ground pound 'em? I like the way you think.-| Tsubaki smiled as her friend walked off and bounded up the fire-escape in the alley. She then watched as her troops activated their camoflage, rendering them almost undetectable in low-lit areas like here.The moment of truth had arrived... Tsubaki took a deep breath and started to walk out into the open to confront the pair. "Well isn't this a deranged couple we have here?" She stopped 5 meters short of the pair and looked the girl over: she definately looked like she could hold her own in a fight, but what was strikingly noticeable was her golden eyes. Definitely not natural. The guy just looked like some everyday mercenary, so he didn't pose much interest to her, though she recognised the fact that he could be of equal threat. "I have a proposition for you: give up now and I garantee the deaths you recieve will be quick and painless. Give me a hard time, and you will die. How will be up to you." Tsubaki didn't show much emotion as she spoke, it was more formal speak than casual. Her face didn't even show signs of fear or doubt.
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Tsubakis men were all aimed perfectly on the enemy, and Makoto sat patiently on the rooftop waiting for the signal. Thankfully, beast-men like her had very clear and acute hearing, so everything that was spoken on the ground, she could hear perfectly. "... crap. This just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?" As soon as the winged woman finished speaking, something felt off: there was some new energy being released from her. Tsubaki didn't show any facial reaction after the woman spoke, instead just taking a step back and grabbing her weapons: two small, metallic pipes. They were only a little larger than her palms. "Well, I guess that leaves me no choice, then." Makoto didn't know what her commander was thinking, but she knew that an action was needed then and there. "Sorry Tsubaki, but I need to drop in on them." She stood on the edge and leapt off. Most people at this point would start yelling before they punched, but her training made it a habit to stay quiet until she was seen. Before Tsubaki could move in, Makoto came hurtling towards the ground and tried to land a punch in on the woman. If she missed, the ground beneath her would be shattered and destroyed, and the squad would start firing on the enemy right after Makoto lands.
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As soon as Makoto hit the ground, she was absolutely gob-smacked: this person was just as capable as Corey. But at the same time, this was a good thing, because now she knew exactly what she was up against. As soon as the dust cleared, she could see the smile on Tsubakis face. "Looks like I picked the right person for this." Before they could do anything else, though, they saw a black ball of energy launch into the sky, then what looked like balls of fire come hurtling down. Tsubakis men weren't ready for this. "Squad, fall back, you're not equipped to go against someone like this!" Without another word, they sprinted back to the landing site and prepared a small, defensible location there. Meanwhile, Tsubaki clapped her weapons together and an orange glow emitted from them, forming a total barrier around her. Makoto, on the other hand, was simply stepping around each meteor before they hit her: this was just like basic training. "Ha, please, you're gonna have to do better than that! Teach always made me do this sort of thing as a warm up!" Makoto propped herself against a piece of rubble and launched herself at Rosa with frightening speed, landing her heel into the womans stomach. The glorious part about her light frame was that she could travel much faster than other people, not to mention her beastkin origins helped her with strength.
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Makoto was still laying into to woman she had pinned down, but it was only now that she had realised that the woman was dead: she had so harshly beaten the winged woman that her skull was completely shattered and her neck out of alignment. Blood was still on the Beastkins fist as she released the horn, letting the body drop. This was the first life she'd taken... somehow, it didn't really affect her too much. "... guess I'll get used to the job after all, Noel." She took a stand and looked at her fists, both stained in a deep crimson. The sight, like the thought of her fist kill, didn't stand on her mind too much. She acknowledged the dead womans blood on her hands, but she knew this was war. She had to be prepared for this. "Hey Tsubaki..." She called out to her commanding officer, giving off a hint of concern in her voice. ... why're you just standing there, huh? I'm sure we could be doing something else other than talking." Tsubaki was surprised that she handled the woman so easilly, but then again she did pick Makoto for her strength and speed. Plus she did make a good point. "You know what?" She turned around and pressed her wrist, causing her legs to slowly dissolve from sight. "You're right. Let's go..." Just as she finished, her entire pressence was gone from sight, and she had begun silently walking away from the area... Makoto could haer where she was going, though."Gah, I hate this thing... Well, gotta go. Sorry 'bout your friend." Honestly thought she'd put up more of a fight... eh, goes to show how battles can turn. As the was thinking, she disappeared from sight thanks to sheer speed, leaving the swordsman on his own.
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As the soldiers began making their way out of the buildings to regroup, Vanity was still admiring the destruction that was left behind. Absolute chaos was the only way to describe it. I'm almost tempted to go back and try to help my guys out. While the idea sounded good, traitors are only greeted by heavily armed firing squads so he was stuck with these guys... but a the same time, he couldn't help wondering just how these people had such strong weapons in a magic-based world. "Orders, sir?" Vanity turned to one of his men and saw that they all looked at him enviously, as if realising just how how good a commander he was. He not only picked out a trap, but fought back with another trap of his own. He literally saved their lives. "... We move foreword. We don't give the enemy any more breaks other than what we've given them. How are we on ammo?" "Most of us used our last clips earlier, sir." Vanity took a look at the bullets and clips that the guns used and looked at the pile of rubble and scrap metal that was once a squad of tanks. Walking over, he placed his hand on the pile, the metal shifting and turning. Eventually, the entire things separated and shifted, turning into piles of loaded magazines and grenades, and bags off ammo for the troops. They instantly cheered and swarmed around the piles, loading their weapons and refilling their ammo-pouches. When he turned he saw Lillian and the pair he sent off returning The pair instantly ran towards the ammo pile like giddy children, leaving Vanity and Lillian. Vanity smiled behind his helmet. "That was pretty impressive, Lil'. Glad to know you're on my side."

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The entire 30 man squad waited patiently for the arrival of the captain and Makoto, but not a single word was spoken by any soldier. It wasn't from professionalism, rather from worry for the safety of a team member. Being such an elite force, they all had very close connections to eachother from their small numbers, and they always stayed quiet like this from worry. Thankfully for them, the pair returned. -[K]-"Well it's about time, you two! We were getting bored!" Krins voice was lighter than most men, and though he had one of the smallest bodies the force had seen, he was one of the most skilled in CQC. "Yeah, I'm sure you were. No-one came out for target practice?" [}¢в{]"Nah, think they all prefer shitting themselves in the shadows." ChatterBox wasn't one to hold his tongue, being the squads professional smart-mouth. He was also the best sniper there was in Preatora and an entrepreneur of explosives. [<30-K>]"Watch your mouth, Chatterbox: She may be our captain but she's still a woman." 30k was a more old-school guy, preferring the now dying tradition of respecting woman, though he absolutely adores technology and short to mid-range weapons. He also loves keeping others in place with their manners. "Wow, I thought your type was long dead." Makoto had snuck up on the entire group without them being at all aware: kinda amazing for a girl with a tail bigger than her. [}¢в{]"Whatever the hell she's eating, cap', I want double serves." "That'll be chestnuts and all-you-can-eat buffets" [}¢в{]"... well at least the fat's gone to your tail and not that as-" Makoto thumped him on the head with her tonfa, accidently sending him a couple meters away. The squad gave a small laugh, though Tsubaki was the first to stop. "Alright, we've eliminated one of the threats but there's still alot of people out there that can do harm: I want to split into 10 teams and cover as much ground as possible, got it?" "Ma'am!"...

[}¢в{]"God damnit, why the hell did I get you two?" The first three to speak up were placed together by order of Tsubaki, so there wasn't anything that could be done. ChatterBox didn't really like the other two: 30-K because their personalities didn't match and Krin because, well, he can't beat him in a fight. -[K]-"Get over it. Orders are orders, so we need to work together." 30-K silently agreed, keeping an eye out for anything unusual. [}¢в{]"Suck me, Krin. I mean, seriously, why us of all people?" -[K]-"So we can learn to work together." [}¢в{]"Right, right... and which century is that supposed to happen?" -[K]-"Depends: when're you gonna grow a brain and change your attitude?" Chatter flipped off his team mate and started walking faster. -[K]-Pathetic... 30-K held the pair back for a moment, staring at a wall: the group switched to their shared vision and saw the X-ray scan of the wall. Two bodies, one with a sword and another sorter than the first. [}¢в{]"Live ones." -[K]-"30, stay back and provide any support as we need it: air support, TITANS, the usual." [<30-K>]"Got it." They had no idea who these guys were or what they were capable of, but they always prepared for the worst. Krin and CB split up and made it either side of the pair behind the building, preparing for a pincer-move. CB lined up his rifle and prepared to shoot, as did Krin. After a brief second of aiming, they opened fire on their targets.
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Lilian smiled slightly as Vanity complimented her abilities. Not many people did, since she had rarely worked with partners before, so very few people had observed her firing from the friendly end. "Thanks. Hope that doesn't start again to soon though, my rifle is starting to heat up." She said. Her rifle was held in her hands again, and while the barrel had stopped glowing, heat was still visibly coming off of it, and there was a barely audible whine as the capacitors spun back up to charge. Again, this weapon hadn't been expected to fire as much as it had in as short of a time as it had. "So, your continuing to push forward. What's your target?" She asked. This was information she wanted so she could see about spotting it before the ground troops did, and maybe give them a little extra information before they started trying to attack whatever it is.

Above the battlefield of Neo Midgar, yet another craft had entered the airspace. However, there was a difference between the new fighter and all the other craft in the sky. This one could only be seen by eyes. Radar waves slipped off of it, and most other sensor systems wouldn't even notice its presence. A plane few would recognize, the Jade Falcon had entered the fight.