FSE

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A little late but here's part two of Ch 10. An old character revisits in this part as well as an unexpected tidbit of info. I just got this back from the guy who edits my stuff and while I was waiting I finished 7 pages of Ch 11 so I'm almost done with it. But let's see where this goes first shall we?

Please vote and comment.

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The walkway that was above them had just collapsed killing several Outcasts. Shadow; who was carrying Lure and the two kids, had just managed to jump out of the way. The kids sighed as Shadow sat up and shook his head, then looked behind them at the rubble.

"Well that'll buy us some time...but that's gunfire." Shadow said as shots rang off the walls from the open streets. He got up then went over to and checked Lure's injuries.

He noticed that the most shots had hit the upper half of her body and most in the back. In order to see the extent of her injuries, she would have to take off the top half of her armor. She removed it with Shadow's help then he started to check the extent of her wounds.

"I'm fine, really." She said before hacking up more blood.

"No you're not." Shadow said as he came across one particular wound that made his eyes widen for a moment "You're lung shot!" Shadow said worriedly as she coughed up even more blood.

Shadow was really worried now, he had supplies that could fix up minor wounds but this, this was another story all together and he didn't have anything that would help. She would need medical facilities of a hospital or the med bay on the Cupidita; which was still two and a half hours from transport range, and it also seemed like a war had just started with all the gunfire coming from around them.

"If only you could have got a synchronized orbit." Shadow said as he quickly tended her other wounds. "Now I wish we brought the Ira, at least I have an AI on my ship." He added.

"You know I don't trust AI's." Lure said.

"Yes we all know, ever since your ship was nearly destroyed by its last AI." Shadow said remembering the event.

"Will she be alright?" Timmy asked worriedly.

"I'm not sure."

"It was our fault." MaiGhan said.

"No." She paused to cough again. "I wanted to protect you." Lure said.

"Don't talk Lure." Shadow said after he patched up the last minor injury, but the chest wound he couldn't deal with. "Do you two know of somewhere I could take her to get this fixed?" Shadow asked the kids.

"Yeah, there's a hospital nearby but it doesn't sound safe out there. And it may be packed too." MaiGhan said when something exploded nearby.

There was fighting starting up all over the area. Fires were being set, and vehicles were being destroyed as civilians exited there homes to see what was happening only to either flee for their lives or be gunned down the moment they opened their doors.

"You're right about that, oh I know. Have either of you ever seen a small device about so big" Shadow motioned with his hands "That opens up and has a cylinder filled with a liquid like substance with a hose attached to it, it also has the word ‘Med-Gel' on the front?" Shadow asked.

After a few moments MaiGhan said "I think I know what your talking about, it's what they use to seal up injures right?"

"Yes that's it. Have you seen one around here?" Shadow asked, doubting that a place like this might have one.

MaiGhan was thinking but she couldn't remember where she had seen them before. She started to shake her head when Timmy spoke up.

"Sissy, didn't Mr. Nate have one of those?" Timmy asked.

"Oh yes your right! Thanks little brother." She said and hugged him "Mr. Nate in the market district has lots of those things. He takes care of all of us street kids, but he's back the other way." She said.

"That'll have to do. Can you take me there?" Shadow asked.

Both of the kids looked at Shadow, then at Lure; who just moments before risked her own life to protect them. Timmy was still looking at Lure as MaiGhan looked back at Shadow and nodded her head.

"Yeah, I can lead you through a safe section of the alleys that will take us toward the market district. But...after the alley there's a lot of open space to run through to get to it." She said.

"As you've witnessed I can run pretty fast." Shadow said.

"I can still walk." Lure said stubbornly, before coughing.

"I know, but we'll go faster if I carry you." Shadow said to her, not letting her have any say in the matter as he helped put her armor back on.

Another explosion brought them to realize that the fighting was drawing closer to where they were. If they were going to go, they had to head out now.

"Ok, MaiGhan right? Lead the way." Shadow said after he finished with Lure's armor and she and Timmy started off down the alley with Shadow; carrying Lure, right behind them.

**********************

Family members ran down the street; charging the Outcasts who were openly firing at them. A few Outcasts were killed but all the Family members who were charging them were slaughtered and torn apart by the advanced weapons the Outcasts possessed.

"We need to call for reinforcements." An Outcast said as another explosion killed him and several others near him.

"Return fire!" another Outcast said as they fired at the buildings that Family members were firing at them from.

"This is not good." Shadow said as he viewed the turmoil that was taking place out in the streets from a safe spot in the alley ways.

"Come on, we still have a little way to go before we reach the market." MaiGhan said as she pulled at Shadow's arm.

As he followed, even more gunfire started up as more explosions happened nearby. They all stopped as they heard the engines of an assault ship; one of the Families ships, as it flew overhead.

Once it flew by MaiGhan started down the path again with Timmy and Shadow carrying Lure behind her. After a few minuets of what seemed like never ending turns, Shadow nearly tripped over MaiGhan as she stopped at an opening. She looked back at him and pointed towards the open area.

Shadow sat Lure down; who grunted as she was sat down, and stepped up to take a look at what MaiGhan was pointing at. When he looked he saw an open area of what may have been eighty or so yards wide with multiple shopping stands that were either barren, wreaked, or pushed up against others making walls. But what was worst was the fact that the Outcasts had called in reinforcements to help get rid of the annoying Family members that had attacked them, and that this area was being set up as a base of operations.

"That's not good. Where is the place I have to go to?" Shadow asked as he stepped back a couple feet.

"It's actually on this side of the district...but it's at that end." MaiGhan said and pointed to the right.

"How many buildings down?" Shadow asked.

"I haven't used this alley much...I think it may be ten buildings down?" She said as she was thinking of what else could help identify the correct building. "Oh yeah, his home is the only one that has two floors to it, the others around it have three or more." She added.

"Ok, then...it may be safer if I leave you three here in the alley. Wasn't there a small area a few turns back you could hide in?" Shadow asked.

"Yeah...and we could block it off too." Timmy added in.

"That's good thinking." Shadow said to him as a single Outcast stopped in front of the alley; looking away from them.

The kids grew still and silent upon seeing the man, Lure was trying not to cough as Shadow drew his knife out and snuck right up behind the Outcast. He was about to slice the mans throat when Lure coughed. He spun around and pointed his phase rifle right at shadow, lucky for Shadow that he was black furred and wore black armor because the Outcast didn't have a light on. He was able to use the borrowed time to push the gun away from himself and slice open the Outcasts neck before he fired or sounded the alarm.

Shadow picked up the body while blood still sprayed from his neck and started to drag it into the alley as he said "I want you two to head to that spot." He dropped the body and picked up the rifle and slung it over his shoulder before he picked up Lure. After the kids got to that spot and he sat Lure down again he handed her the gun and said "If anyone comes you know what to do." before he headed back to the market.

Shadow looked both ways from the alley. Most of the Outcasts seemed to be in the center of the market; which was good for him, so when he was sure there was no eyes watching him he exited the ally and went to the right.

He stayed as close as he could to the buildings but also as low as he could as to not draw any attention to him. The ground was made of some sort of dark stone so he blending in well with the ground but the buildings were made of a brighter material. If he was close to being spotted he could drop completely to the ground or; considering that there were obstacles that he could hide behind every so often, he could hide behind one of them.

Shadow had just gotten behind a few barrels when a few Outcasts turned the corner and headed towards him. They didn't see him, they were just patrolling the area and stopped on the other side of the barrels and started talking.

"Why are we still here? Didn't they already get the traitor?" The Outcast who leaned against the barrels asked.

"We did, but it turns out the info that he was meeting with two of the Cardinal Sin Freelancers was true. They're still here somewhere, so we were ordered to find them and take ‘em out." The Outcast at the left of the one leaning said.

"Who was it that tipped us off that there was a traitor anyway?" The Outcast at the left asked.

Shadow was thinking it was the spy, who else would know, but the only people who knew about this meeting was Lure, Delta, the informant and himself. What the Outcast at the right said surprised him almost into a state of shock.

"I'm not sure if it's true but...I heard some of the higher ups say it was actually Freelancer Delta himself." The Outcast said.

The other two Outcasts were surprise to say the least. The one sitting down said "You're kidding right? You have to be kidding!"

"That's what I heard; they sounded doubtful that's why they only sent a few of us here. But to think, the info was true." He said.

"You're saying Delta switched sides?" The one on the left asked.

"I don't know." The one on the right said.

"Well then let's go. We need to finish our patrol." The one on the right said as they turned to face the direction that Shadow had come from and started walking away.

**********************

It couldn't be true could it? There's no way that Delta would betray them. Shadow was extremely confused, maybe they expected him to be there and say that to distract him. What they said though did add up a little. He knew Lure wouldn't give them away, he sure as hell didn't, and John the informant couldn't because he was killed first. That only left Delta...unless...unless Delta was the spy but that didn't make much sense either. He wasn't sure of it but he was sure he had to get to this Mr. Nate's place and get some of the Med-gel he supposedly had so that Lure's life wouldn't be in danger.

He snapped himself back into the task at hand and continued onward. He had almost forgotten that Mr. Nate's home only had two floors and nearly passed it by. He stopped and looked around before heading up to the door and tried opening it. It wasn't locked; which was strange, so he headed inside carefully and on guard.

The main room he stepped into was dark and looked like it had been looted. Books and papers lay scattered about the room, a chair was knocked over and it seemed like a struggle had taken place not moments ago. He looked around and couldn't see or find any Med-gel packs in that room so he headed toward the only other door in the room other then the front door.

It opened up into a hallway with the stairs next to him on his left while the hall continued down to his right, with three additional doors. He decided to check the three other doors before heading upstairs. The first room he checked was on the same side of the hall where the main room was. It too looked trashed and was empty so he continued and searched the next room.

It too looked trashed but he noticed that the rug in the middle of the room was the only thing that seemed like it hadn't been messed with, almost like it was intentionally left alone. He went over to it and stood in the middle of it. Nothing seemed wrong so when he went to step away, the floor creaked as if it was about to give way. But it was only in one spot, so he grabbed the rug and lifted it off the floor. Lo and behold a small wooden trap door.

"Hmm, how cliché." Shadow said as he went over to it and lifted it up.

Shadow was expecting an old dark and dirty cellar but what he saw was completely different. Inside was a metal staircase with metal walls. He proceeded down and was met with a security door; with a numeric keypad next to it with a red light on meaning it was locked.

"Ok now I'm curious." Shadow said as he examined the keypad.

He was about to head to the next room when he heard a crash upstairs on the second floor. Shadow quickly exited the room and went over to the stairs. He had drawn his sidearm back in the room with the security door in it and was now crouched with the gun pointing up the stairs. He slowly made his way up while keeping the gun pointed at where an enemy could easily shoot at him.

He made it to the top floor and heard someone cursing in the closest room. He snuck right up to the door that was partially open and listened in to whatever the person inside was saying.

"What don't your understand? An attack force from the I.F.H.W has attacked Daghain! An all out war has broken out between them and the local mob families and civilians are being caught in the crossfire!" the person in the room said.

"You seem...be breaking up...repeat...said...Lieutenant Barker..." Shadow heard from a comm device.

"Lieutenant...Barker, Mr. Nate? It couldn't be could it?" Shadow said quietly and stood up

"Damn it! I'm being jammed." Lieutenant Barker said.

Shadow was slowly opening the door to get a good look at this Lieutenant when the door creaked a little. Before Shadow could do anything a foot materialized at of no where and kicked him in the face. Shadow was knocked against the wall behind him, and before he even knew what had happened a furry arm had pushed against his shoulder while another furry arm held a knife at his neck but stopped.

"You're not of the I.F.H.W.!" Lieutenant Barker said.

Mr. Nate; as the two kids called him, or as the people on the other end of the line called him Lieutenant Barker; who Shadow had gotten the feeling was Nathanial Barker from a few years back was in fact the same person. He was a few years older now and he was dressed in the uniform of the P.T.T. (Psychic, Telekinetic and Telepathic) Corps.

He had the short military cut type brown hair, a deep hue of red colored fur. White fur under his jaw and down his throat and across his chest, obviously, and on the undersides of his arms, legs and on the tip his tail. The only black fur on him was on his gloves and socks and his ears, it was defiantly Nate. His build seemed more athletic then the last time he saw him and the fact he didn't even see him coming must have been from his training in the P.T.T.C.

"I wonder what gave that away, my fur perhaps." Shadow said a little hot temperedly.

After he got a good look at who he had down, Nate took keen notice to the power armor that this black wolf wore. He knew right away it was a Freelancers power armor but there was something else that caught his attention. This wolf seemed familiar, other then the white mark above his eye; he reminded him a lot of his old squad Captain.

"I see you're a Freelancer, thank god. What is your name?" He asked.

"Freelancer Shadow." Shadow replied.

"Do you know what has happened here Shadow?" Nate asked.

"Yeah, I know what happened. Someone tipped off these guys that my friend and I were here meeting with a spy in the I.F.H.W. and they burst into the room we were all in and he was killed." Shadow said.

His voice was almost the same too Nate thought, only it sounded a little deeper. He decided to read this Freelancers mind to see who he really was, but in order to make it seem like nothing was out of the ordinary he had to keep him talking.

"If the spy was killed, then why are they still here?" Nate asked as he dived into Shadows mind.

"Apparently who ever tipped ‘em off also said that we'd be here, my friend and I." Shadow said and noticed what Nate was tying to do.

"Hmm, where's your friend?" Nate asked.

"She was shot up. She's still alive and hidden in a spot in the alleys just a few buildings down with a pair of wolf pups. She's been lung shot and those pups said that you have a lot of Med-gel packs here...and I think I know why." Shadow said and smiled.

Nate was having problems reading this Freelancers mind, something he'd encountered a few times before on others but he'd get past it quickly enough. He just had to keep him talking.

"And why is that?" Nate asked not truly listening to what was being said.

"Because I know you were a medic a few years back on the I.S.F Darwin. I also know that you're trying to read my mind, right Nate." Shadow said to Nate's surprise.

He had just found what he was looking for when Shadow said he knew him. Nate looked up in surprise at Shadow. Shock apparent on his face as he said "Rrah...Rrahkarr, is...is that you?"

Shadow smiled a little and said "Yeah, it's me. I can't hide that from you considering you read my mind and found that out yourself. Now do you have any Med-gel packs lying around somewhere?"

****************

"It's a good thing you came when you did. Those Humanitists out there just started showing up a little while ago." Nate said.

Nate had led Shadow back down to the room where the security door was. After he opened it, both Shadow and Nate went in. What Shadow first saw looked like a lab of sorts but turned out to be a small A.T.W.F. outpost.

"Ah...here we go. How many do you need?" Nate asked as he pulled a few packs from a drawer.

"I'll need one for sure...but I better have a few extra, incase one of us get a big wound I can't take care of." Shadow said as Nate handed him a few.

"You said you found a couple wolf pups?" Nate asked.

"Yeah, there names are MaiGhan and Timmy...I don't know their last name or if they even remember their last name." Shadow said.

"Oh thank god their ok. Those two come here frequently. They've been on their own for a long time. How did your friend get hurt?" Nate asked.

"She was shot while she used herself as a shield to protect them." Shadow told him.

"Where are they?" Nate asked.

"In the alley...just behind one of the buildings around here." Shadow said.

"Well since I'm a medic, I'd better go with you and check your friend." Nate said and smiled.

******************

Lure coughed a few times before saying. "It's been too long."

Just as Shadow had said, she had the phase rifle aimed at where any Outcast's would have come from. Timmy and MaiGhan both had stacked what they could in front of the opening to this little back ally in hopes of not being spotted and shot by anyone.

Lure tried to get up but both MaiGhan and Timmy stopped her as Timmy said "No, Mr. Shadow said to stay."

"He might be in trouble." Lure said and tried to get up again.

"No you mustn't get up Lure. You'd be no match in your condition." MaiGhan said when a sound came from the ally on the other side of the obstruction that both MaiGhan and Timmy made.

Lure pointed the phase rifle at it and waiting incase someone tried to get through it. She couldn't aim it very well but she was determined to not let Timmy and MaiGhan get hurt. She put the gun down and sighed when they heard Shadows familiar voice.

"Lure, it's me." Shadow said as he started moving some of the thing blocking the way.

"I thought that you had (cough) been caught." Lure said and tried to hold back her coughs.

When Shadow moved another box out of the way he was able to see Lure and the kids and they were able to see him...and the fox behind him. Thinking that the fox may be an enemy Lure tired to aim the gun at him.

"Watch out!" Lure said as loud as she could.

"No wait, this is a friend." Shadow said to her.

"That's Mr. Nate, Lure." Timmy said as he looked at Lure.

"This is Mr. Nate?" Lure said.

"Well my real name is Nathanial Barker. If it'd be Mr. anything it'd be Mr. Barker. As I've told you two many times before." Nate said to the kids.

"I know Nate here from a few years back. He's a medic so you should be fine...for a while at least." Shadow informed Lure.

Nate looked Lure over, he saw where; on her armor, she got hit; most of which, was on her upper half. Nate requested she remove the upper portion of her armor so he could have a better look at her injuries. Once it was off he quickly noted where Shadow had taken care of minor injuries but then came across the same injury Shadow did.

"I see now why needed the med-gel." Nate said as he opened a pack and started to apply it to the wound.

"That's cold!" Lure said as the gel made contact with the open wound.

Even thought the wound hadn't been sanitized, med-gel does more then just close and seal a wound. It cleans and kills bacteria and viruses, prevents blood loss by sealing an open wound, and even though it wasn't meant to treat wounds like being lung shot; it still would seal the wound right to the lung without interfering with airflow.

"Was she shot with a solid round gun?" Nate asked as he finished.

"I didn't see them using any solid round weapons." Shadow said then added "Now I'm puzzled on how she got lung shot."

"Depending on the model of phase or even pulse rifle, if it's set on a certain level of power it'll act like a solid round shot." Nate said then added "That I learned the hard way, and getting shot like that really sucks."

"Well, can you breathe better Lure?" Shadow asked as he helped her up.

She breathed in a couple times then said "Yeah, I'll manage."

"Good...oh here let me introduce you two. This is Nathanial A. Barker, last I saw him he was of Corporal rank, now he's a Lieutenant. Nate, this is Freelancer Lure." Shadow said.

"You know Mr. Nate?" Timmy asked.

"Yes...or I did." Shadow said to him.

"How can you know someone and not know them anymore?" Timmy asked.

"A few years have gone by since we last saw each other Timmy. We don't know each other anymore because we don't know what has happened to each other in those years." Nate told him.

"I take it you knew Shadow here before he was a Freelancer?" Lure asked.

"Yeah I did...but he's so different from the Captain I knew those few years ago. What happened?" Nate asked curiously.

"Long story...you know half of it, and I don't feel like going into detail here. We're still in a war zone." Shadow said, and as if to enhance what he said several explosions happened back in the Market square.

"Man...and from what I heard even more enemies will be showing up looking for us Lure." Shadow added.

"An A.T.W.F. protection force should be here soon. Since my message was being partially blocked they know something's going on." Nate said.

"We still have to wait two hours before my ship comes back into transport range." Lure said.

"Don't you have an AI to fly it overhead?" Nate asked.

"No I don't trust AI's." Lure told him.

"Why..." Nate started to ask.

"Don't ask, too long." Shadow told him.

"We need to get out of the area before anymore of those Outcast bastards get here." Lure said as she picked up the phase rifle and put the strap over her shoulder and let it hang there then asked Nate "Do you have a weapon?"

"No."

"Here." She said as she handed him her sidearm.

Pulling out his sidearm Shadow said "Let's go, and try to stick to the shadows and not get seen."

**********************

Lure, Shadow, Nate and the two kids in the middle of them started down the alleys. They passed several exit spots that held massacres out in the streets. The Outcasts where starting to kill everyone and anyone. They even went so far as to pile up bodies in the middle of the streets and set them on fire allowing the smell of burning fur, hair and flesh to permeate the air. They held their breath as they got upwind of the horrid smell.

They came upon a calm area but stayed on guard anyway. Good thing they did because a large group of Outcasts were making their way down the open street. Shadow had spotted Family members on the roofs above them and told the others to get undercover. When the Outcasts reached the largest open part of the street, Family members threw down everything from fission grenades to petrol bombs. The Outcasts were burnt alive inside their armor; which was melting from the heat generated from the fission grenades and other fire weapons.

A couple Outcasts were able to escape the inferno and headed into the alley where Shadow and the others were. Shadow had seen them coming and so did Nate, when they were close enough Shadow sprang up and stabbed his blade into one of the Outcasts eye while Nate moved incredibly fast like Shadow; due to his training in the P.T.T.C, and disarmed the other Outcasts and held him in place while Shadow finished him off.

Now all three of them had Phase rifles and plenty of ammo; that they looted off the Outcasts bodies, they quickly moved on before any of the family members found them.

*******************

They had found a secure position in a building that was unoccupied. They quickly barricaded the front door and bottom floor windows yet from the outside it looked as if nothing had been placed on the other side of the windows or door. There was still an hour before the Cupidita would be in range of transport; that is if its stealth system didn't fail or it was located and destroyed by Outcast ships with advanced sensors.

Timmy and MaiGhan were both getting sleep in one of the rooms on the second floor while Lure stayed close incase something happened. Only a room away was Nate and Shadow; keeping watch over the streets through the covered windows.

Every so often they would hear explosions or gunfire but it seemed far away so they relaxed but not to much. Nate had questions he wanted to ask but most of them he'd wait until there was a truly safe place to ask them. There was one however he had to ask.

"Rra...err Shadow. I have to ask you a question if that's alright?" Nate said.

Looking out the window from behind drawn curtains Shadow turned his head and nodded at Nate before he continued looking out the window.

"Have you spoken at all with Sara?" Nate asked, somewhat hesitant.

"No" Shadow answered.

"You've never received any mail from her?"

After a few minuets Shadow turned and faced Nate as he said "One managed to find its way to me."

"What did it say? I'm not trying to be nosy but Sara, Dan, Neal and I still talk to one another. She told us that she's sent out hundreds of vid-mail to you." Nate said.

"It said that she'd given up trying to find me. It also said that she found someone that she settled down with and even had a kid." Shadow said with a little sorrow in his voice. Yet he was happy that she moved on, it would mean they wouldn't be able to use her against him.

Nate would have told Shadow the truth about the child Sara had, but just as he was going to. Gunfire erupted from the street right in front of the building they were in. Both Shadow and Nate quickly had their weapons at the ready as they looked out the windows.

There were many Outcasts heading their way; searching every building they passed. It would only be a matter of seconds until they tried to search this building and find the door barricaded. They silently moved out of that room and into the room that Lure and the kids where in.

"Lure, we got Outcasts comin this way. They're searching all the buildings, get ready." Shadow said to her as Nate woke the kids up and told them to follow him.

Just as Nate had told them to follow the door on the first floor was rattled as the Outcasts tried to open it. A few moments later, the door and barricade were destroyed in a small explosion.

"Shit, too late." Shadow said as he looked down the staircase just as Outcasts entered the building.

They spotted him and immediately fired on him. Shadow dove to the other side of the stairs and was separated from Nate, Lure and the kids by gunfire. There were so many of them that Shadow, Lure and Nate could hardly get off a shot at them.

"Shit this isn't good." Shadow said and managed to take a few shots and killed a couple Outcasts.

"Do you have any grenades or explosives of any kind?" Nate asked.

"No." Shadow yelled as Lure took a couple pot shots at the Outcasts.

"There may be some liquor or something flammable in the kitchen up here." Lure said as she ducked back under cover as a new wave of enemy fire was unleashed on them.

"Got it." Nate said and headed towards the kitchen.

The windows in the rooms that Shadow and Nate had been in were destroyed as the Outcasts fired on them, thinking their may have been more resistance in those rooms. After both Shadow and Lure returned fire Nate came back with a couple bottles of Jack Daniels and Jim Beam with a washcloth in them.

"Not the Jack." Lure said.

And Shadow said in unison "Not the Jim."

"Sorry its all there was." Nate said as he lit a match.

"Great wont these burn the building down?" Shadow said as Nate lit one of the bottles on fire.

"If so we can access the roof and jump over to one of the other buildings." Lure said.

"It'd be more open but we'd be on a level fighting ground." Nate said as he threw the bottle of Jack down the stairs.

It landed right on a few of the Outcasts and they burst into flames. The fire spread quickly on the first floor. This bought them time to get the kids and run up to the top floor. Shadow had to ram the door in order to open it and once on the roof tops both Shadow and Lure picked up one of the kids and jumped to one of the adjacent roofs followed by Nate.

The building they were in quickly went up in flames and managed to kill a few Outcasts. But the building was unstable and soon it collapsed and killed even more Outcasts and blocked the street in the process. They cheered as multiple Outcasts were killed but that small victory was short lived as they were fired upon from other building tops.

"I guess now would be a good time to use some of my powers." Nate said as they ducked under cover and returned fire.

"What powers?" Shadow asked.

"Remember back when you said I'd be a good asset to the team? Well since then I've gained both Psychic and Telekinetic abilities. Here let me combine both my Psychic and Telepathic abilities and let's get some help." Nate said then put his hand to his head.

At first nothing happened as both Lure and Shadow fired at the enemy. Shortly after however the enemy started firing at one another. This drew most of the gunfire that was being shot at them towards another target.

"Nate?"

"Yeah that was me. I can control more weak minded people...turns out a lot of them are weak minded." Nate said and laughed as a few more shots were fired their way.

"I thought they'd be distracted?" Lure said.

"They obviously have more units backing them up so while they fight amongst them selves they'll still be able to fire at us." Nate answered.

Just then two assault ships flew overhead and noticed Shadow, Lure, Nate and the kids were under fire from the Outcasts. Shadow and the rest of them noticed that the two assault ships were from both of the Families. The two mob Families must have had a truce going because they both opened fire on the Outcasts.

The ships both had Gatling gun energy weapons and when they fired it was an endless stream of energy fire. As the energy bolts rained down on the Outcasts they were torn apart and the buildings they were on and in were decimated. The pilots in the Assault ships waved down at Shadow and the others and started to fly off.

Just then a large beam weapon was fired from the sky and not only split the two ships in half but sliced through countless buildings; which caused them to collapse. Even thought it was night the lights from all the gunfire and fires lit the area up fairly well, and with the added search lights they easily saw a large ship descend into view.

"Oh shit!" all three adults yelled.

They were going to try and run but Shadow noticed something odd. He looked back up at the ship and noticed; it wasn't descending, it was falling. He noticed what looked like another ship dropping near it but that was part of the ship.

"Wait, it's falling." Shadow said.

"What?" Nate and Lure asked.

"Look." Shadow said and pointed to the flames that encircled the separate part that was falling from the ship.

Just then another beam was fired and split the ship a second time and it exploded; filling the sky with crimson fire. The sky was now lit up from the fire engulfed ship and they all noticed other ships above it and that there was a fight going on in the sky.

"Those are A.T.W.F. ships!" Nate yelled in joyous surprise.

Just as he yelled another beam shot was fired and traveled along the street next to them. They manage to run to the opposite side of the building and barely survived as the beam destroyed a quarter of the building they were on along with a quarter of the building opposite to the one they were on.

"Looks like the battle up there is even fiercer up there." Lure said.

"Yeah." Nate said as they watched explosion after explosion.

"I wonder if the Cupidita is ok." Shadow said just as a buzzer went off on Lure's belt.

"Looks like the Cupidita is in transporter range." Lure said as another beam weapon was fired from orbit and missed its intended target.

They all looked up and saw the beam heading towards them. Without thinking Lure grabbed the kids, Shadow saw that and grabbed Nate as Lure hit the buzzer on her belt which would transport both Lure and Shadow; along with anyone they were holding onto, back onto the Cupidita.

They transported away just as the beam hit right where they were standing.

***********************

Lure had piloted the Cupidita out of attack range of both the A.T.W.F fleet and the Outcast ships. As a few more Federation ships dropped out of hyperspace and joined the battle the Outcasts started to retreat. Half an hour after they beamed up to the ship, the battle was over and they picked up transmission coming from the commanding officer on the lead ship of the Federation fleet.

The transmission was for Nate on the planets surface. So when Nate made contact to them from orbit they were confused, but glad he was ok. He told them he was on a Freelancer ship and that they had just escaped being killed. The Captain of the I.S.F Kalm requested that Nate beam over to his ship for a debriefing. Nate agreed but Shadow and Lure had to tell him a few things before he left.

***********************

"Remember, say nearly nothing about us...and don't tell anyone who I really am." Shadow said to Nate.

"It's ok if you tell them that the enemy were Freelancer Outcasts...Freelancer Obsidian already contacted the Federation Council and let them know about the Outcasts, and once we tell him what we learned the A.T.W.F may go on full alert." Lure added.

"Ok and thanks. If it wasn't for you coming into my house I may be dead right now." Nate said as he shook Shadows paw.

"It was good seeing you again. If you get the chance, let both Dan and Neal know I'm ok." Shadow said.

"Sure thing." Nate said as he stepped onto the transporter then added "You should really send a message to Sara." Before he was engulfed in a bright light and transported to the Kalm.

***********************

The Cupidita was still a few days away from Inner Haven carrying four people rather then the two that had left. Lure had told Shadow that she wasn't going to send Timmy and MaiGhan back down to the destroyed streets of Daghain even though the Freelancer code said that a Freelancer couldn't adopt a child or even have young kids that needed their parents. Shadow didn't say anything though which made Lure a little suspicious as to what he was thinking.

Timmy and MaiGhan were happily asleep in the room that Lure gave them. Lure and Shadow were on the bridge when Shadow thought about something.

"Kathy" Shadow said which grabbed her attention immediately.

"What?" She asked surprised.

"You never explained how your past made you hate the Electus."

Lure looked down for a moment before she switched her computer over to auto pilot. She then turned the seat to face Shadow before she talked.

"My little brother and sister were taken from me by the Electus. We were all kidnapped in a pirate rade. It turned out that those pirates worked for the Electus." Lure said.

"I know they employ pirates...it was pirates that Patrick Territh paid to kill me. Instead..." Shadow said and stopped.

What he said caught Lure's attention, he was about to say something from his personal life that he had never told any of the others.

"Instead...?" Lure said, trying to get him to continue.

"Instead, they killed most of my team and my little brother." He told her.

"Then we have something in common, the Electus killed my little brother and sister. The same day we got Dead Eye was the day they were killed...if only we had arrived there sooner."

"I'm sorry, wait... you're telling me that you were with Delta the day he saved Dead Eye?"

"Yeah."

"How did that happen?" Shadow asked intrigued.

"I was experimented on by the Electus just like Dead Eye, but I escaped. I was taken to another lab instead of the one that my little brother and sister were at. I ran into him on the streets of the city their base was under and he looked like one of there guards. I tried to fight him because he was in my way."

"Bet that didn't end to well." Shadow said, thinking about how well Delta can fight.

"Not that bad actually. I don't know exactly what they did to me but when in close quarters combat like that...I can accurately guess how someone will attack. I dodged every attack Delta tried to hit me with until the Electus guards arrived and saw that he was Freelancer Delta. We both helped each other fight them off and I informed him of the secret base under the city. Since then I've been with him."

"Huh...so you've been here longer then Dead Eye...hmm."

"What about you?" Lure asked.

There was a long pause...Shadow looked at Lure, considering what he overheard from the Outcasts...he might as well tell her about him and how he and Delta are connected. Then tell her of what he heard.

*****************

After a few hours, Lure sat back in shock and surprise. She now knew that Shadows real name was Rrahkarr J Sutarra; the greatest pilot that the A.T.W.F had. She was also shocked to learn that Delta was well over a couple hundred years old and had been watching over his best friends family of which Rrahkarr was apart of. She also learned that Delta was a G.M.P (Genetically Modified Person) as was Rrahkarr; although through birth and not experimentation. If what he told her was true about Delta and that if he truly has allied himself with the Outcasts, the Freelancers were all but finished.

"Wow...I never new." Lure said in amazement.

"Now you know, and now comes the reason why I was ok with you taking in those two back there." Shadow said.

"Why?"

"When we get back...we'll get paid. With that money and any extra you have, I want you to go into hiding. Go by your real name or go by another, you can say that those two are your kids and come up with any story you want to cover yourself. If Delta has truly gone to the Outcasts then I don't want to see you get hurt. I'm sure that; since he knows us best, he'd be the one who takes us out.

I'm going to talk to him when we get back. Even he wouldn't dare make a scene in the middle of Inner Haven. He's a sneaky bastard, and he'll want to take us out stealthfully if he has turned. But then there's also the spy, and I'm sure it's not him. I bet he's talking with the Outcasts and even the Electus threw him...if they've met." Shadow told her.

"Ok...I will, but why do you care if I get hurt?" Lure asked.

Shadow chuckled before saying "So far, you've been the only one who seems to notice when something is bothering me or you know when I'm sad even though I don't show it. And I'll be damned but you always get me to talk somehow."

"Yeah that's another thing I gained from the experiments. I've only learned recently though. I can sense a persons feeling even when they're the best at hiding it, and whenever I press for details anyone and everyone seem to fess up to me." Lure admitted.

"Hmm, either way I don't want to see you get hurt."