Burning Rubber And Flying Lead

by Gearsmash King

Chapter 9

"Alpha Team to LEGION Command, come in." A voice called over a radio.

"LEGION Command, receiving." The woman dispatcher from before answered, "Go ahead, Alpha."

"Roger, Command. Teams Charlie and Delta are heavily disabled and both motorcycles have been taken out."

Once again, Zero was watching and listening from behind the dispatcher. He checked the heart monitors for the teams that had been knocked out, finding only three active. One from a rider and the other two from the wrecked SUVs. The others were flatlined.

"Let me talk to them." He said, taking the headset from her again, "Alpha team, did you acquire Twilight Sparkle?"

"Affirmative, sir." The mercenary replied, "Currently loading package onto the plane. We'll be airborne in ten minutes."

"Any sign of Bravo Team?"

"Negative, sir."

"Acknowledged, Alpha. Carry on with your operation. Out."

Zero handed the headset back to the dispatcher and turned to leave, before being grabbed by the wrist and stopping him.

"Sir, with all due respect," The dispatcher said, releasing him from her grip, "why didn't you inform Alpha Team about the status of the others? Or to wait for Bravo Team?"

"The mission comes before the man, Channel. And failure to complete tasks end in consequences." Zero replied in an irritated tone, "Bravo Team failed to recover the gem and they failed to rendezvous with the extraction. So, they aren't important anymore. And the three survivors from Charlie, Delta, and the motorcycles, they were expected to escort and remain with Alpha, which they failed to do. So, they'll have to make their own arrangements to get back. Those are the consequences of their failures."

Zero turned back to the door and opened it, before stopping and turning slightly.

"And, Channel..." He said in a low voice, "Don't ever grab my wrist like that again."

With that, Zero exited the communications room, making his way up to Saber's office to inform her of the current status. This time, however, he was more calm as he entered the elevator and seeing the dent he had left before. Once he reached the floor again, the doors opened and revealed Saber standing on the other side.

"I was just coming to speak with you." Zero said, watching Saber enter the elevator and press the button for the lobby.

"Has the gem been recovered?" Saber asked, opening an application on her phone.

"No. But, Alpha Team did manage to acquire one person of interest. Twilight Sparkle. Name ring a bell?"

Saber sighed in annoyance and flipped through the messages that she had received. But, the slight twitch in her face did signal curiosity.

"It sounds a little familiar." Saber stated, texting to someone else, "Who's that?"

"A LEGION chemist from our Canterlot medical research facility." Zero explained as the elevator reached the lobby and following Saber out, "She works for Dr. Blue Cross and is a friend of Sunset Shimmer."

Saber stopped and looked back at Zero inquisitively.

"She's a friend of Sunset Shimmer and works for Dr. Cross?" Saber echoed, showing interest, "Does she know anything about Project Nexus?"

"I don't know." Zero replied, crossing his arms and checking his watch, "But, she surrendered herself willingly, while the others caused conflict with the teams. Right now, Alpha Team and her should currently be in the air and flying here. They'll probably be here very early in the morning."

"When she gets here, she's to be under guard at all times. Have her brought up to my office, I'd like to chat with her."

Saber turned away, heading for the exit and grabbing her coat from her personal assistant.

"Oh, and one more thing..." Saber called back, "Firebolt wants to speak with you about the security detail for next weeks shipment."

With that, Saber left the building, where a red Lykan HyperSport that the assistant had brought from the parking garage was waiting. Zero watched as she got in the driver seat and sped away, leaving the assistant where he stood, until deciding to walk back into the building.

"Security?" Zero said to himself, turning back to the elevator, "Why would Firebolt be concerned about security for a truckload of test samples?"

He re-entered the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor, deciding not to question the subject too much, unless needed.

---

Saber tore through the streets of Denver, dodging cars, racing through intersections, and barely avoiding pedestrians. All of which didn't phase her as she made her way out of the city. Soon, she reached the outskirts and turned onto a road that led to her home. Soon, she reached her front gate and punched in the security code to open it, before entering and parking in the garage.

It wasn't a mega-mansion, but plenty big enough for the brunette. As she exited the HyperSport, Saber stepped through the door that connected the garage to the rest of the house and went to the kitchen.

"Wine?" Saber said to herself, removing her coat and hanging it on the back of a chair, "No, that's more of a dinner date drink..."

"Who says it has to be for dates?" A masculine voice asked, causing Saber to pivot and toss the throwing knife she had strapped to her thigh.

However, the man she had thrown the knife at had blocked it with a thick paperback novel. He wasn't bothered as he rotated the novel and pulled the knife from the cover.

"Shame..." He said flatly, placing the knife on a side table and inspecting the damaged book, "I was really getting into that. Did you know, that in chapter three, they confess their love for each other? In my opinion, that's a little early in their relationship. That, or the author skipped a few steps..."

Saber's expression changed from surprise to confused and annoyed as she watched the man place the novel next to the knife.

"I could've hit you with that, you know... What are you doing here, Blade?" Saber asked, turning back to her liquor cabinet and opening a bottle of vodka, pouring it into a glass, "Dad send you here to keep tabs on me again?"

"No, he didn't send me..." Blade replied, standing and grabbing a briefcase as he approached and sat next to her at the counter, "I came here because I've noticed a lot of strange things coming from your branch of the company. Such as large amounts of company funds being transferred to your finances. Why are there records of a transfer of one hundred million dollars to a land owner and a high-end renovation company in Arizona?"

Saber drank the vodka and looked at Blade sternly.

"That's nothing for you to worry about." She stated, rinsing the glass and putting it away.

"Um, yeah... It is something for me to worry about, Saber." Blade retorted, opening the briefcase which was actually a laptop, "Look at this. Hundred million, forty million, three million... All in the span of three months. You've been spending company money, our family's hard earned money, on non-essential things. I came here to ask my twin sister; why?"

"Like I said, nothing for you to worry about."

Saber began walking out of the kitchen only to feel her brother grab her wrist forcefully. Looking down at the invasive hand and following the arm up to Blade's face, Saber saw the irritation written on his face.

"Didn't you learn last time you pulled a stunt like this and got caught?" Blade asked as Saber ripped her wrist out of his grip, "I can keep some things quiet, but not everything... You already lost your seat on the Board. You're lucky to still have employment at LEGION, because you're the boss's daughter."

"Yeah and your my brother who keeps pestering me about it." Saber replying, glaring at Blade, "Don't forget, if I get in trouble, you're going with me. Because, after all, you're Dad's right hand man and should be on top of everything that happens."

"That's where you're wrong."

Closing the laptop and clamping it shut, Blade stepped out of the kitchen and walked to the front door. Curious to know what he meant, Saber followed her brother for a brief moment.

"I tried to do this the easy way, Saber..." Blade stated, grabbing his jacket from the coatrack and putting it on, "But, seeing how you won't tell me what you're doing, or why you've spent so much money, I have no choice but to revoke your access to company resources. I'll keep what you've already done off the books and keep them quiet. But, that'll be all you're given."

"You don't have the authority to do that!" Saber seethed through gritted teeth, "Everything I've been doing has been for the benefit of the family and humanity! Only Dad could authorize such an action!"

"You don't get it, do you?! Everything you've done has made the company look bad or nearly driven it into the ground! Including stuff done before this little stunt of yours. I'm done covering for you. So, be thankful I'm giving you this much slack!"

There was a pause as both siblings felt the tension between them become worse.

"You have two weeks to get your affairs in order and resign from the company..." Blade sighed, opening the door and being greeted by his personal assistant, who was standing next to a black Rolls Royce Phantom VIII, "I hope you know that this isn't personal, Saber. But, there isn't really any other option."

With that, Blade stepped outside, closing the door behind him and leaving Saber alone. If anyone could see the expression on her face, they'd see the look of anger and pain. Looking down on a table next to her, Saber saw the knife she had thrown at Blade, laying next to the damaged novel.

"Well then," Saber huffed, sheathing the knife to her thigh again and grabbing her phone, "I'd better get my affairs in order..."

Scrolling through her contacts, her finger landed on Zero's name and tapped it.

"I just walked through my door, Saber." Zero groaned, answering the call, "Can I at least get an hour or two to sleep?"

"You can sleep on the transport out." Saber countered, quickly rummaging through her closet and finding a large case, "I need you to help me call everyone involved in Project Nexus and tell them to move everything to the Arizona site. If we're going to get it to work, then we need to move now."

Opening the case, Saber found a Katana, a pair of custom made 9mm Beretta handguns, finger-cut gloves, combat boots, and a tactical bulletproof vest.

"Whoa, wait a minute, Saber!" Zero objected as Saber dressed herself and checked her gear, "What do you mean? Blue Cross isn't done prepping the samples, the equipment we need is only seventy-five percent complete, and we still don't have the gem. We're at least a couple months from getting anything done and ready to move."

"Just get it done, Zero." Saber said, sheathing the sword on her back and holstering the Berettas on her hips, "And contact the flight carrying Twilight Sparkle and tell them to reroute. I'll meet you back at the office in three hours. That should give enough time for us to make some calls and get everything ready to move."

Tapping her phone again, Saber hung up with Zero, before scrolling through her contacts again.

Comments

[Frazikar]

"Look at this. Hundred million, forty million, three million... All in the span of three months.

Depending on the company, that could be considered petty cash for the major ones ...

[Gearsmash King]

10645963
Perhaps. But, it's more so the fact that it's being spent without permission.

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

Saber seethed through gritted teeth, "Everything I've been doing has been for the benefit of the family and humanity!"

Oh, so she's one of those ones, huh?
I don't see this ending well for her, or anyone involved in her little... whatever "Project Nexus" is.
*pauses, then *
"Project Nexus".
The idiots are gonna try to open a portal, or something, aren't they?
Stay safe, Twilight.
But I think Sunset and the rest of the Cavalry are coming to the rescue, in any case.

[Frazikar]

10646351

Perhaps. But, it's more so the fact that it's being spent without permission.

Hmmm, don't think so, it more along the lines of without an explanation (or an acceptable end goal), though permission would have helped ...