I've had a lot on my mind at once. I think everyone has. Maybe it was a bunch of stuff you wanted to cram into one hour of time on Minecraft or Fallout 4, maybe it was too many movies and all the time in the world, but your popcorn supply wouldn't last so you'd scrape the back of the junk food cupboard for the can of pringles you know you bought last week. Maybe it was a day at the strip and all you can think about is "damn I hope my tires hold out". I've also had time pass by way slower than it should. Every Christmas eve for example. Let me tell you that when I stepped onto that Electric helo for the ride home, I wished that the only thing I had to worry about was if my tires would hold up. My brain was assaulting me with questions I couldn't even begin to answer "where did Black River take Mercury and Trace? What were they planing to do with them? Would I ever see my friend again? Would we beable to find them before Black River tortured them to death?" And since they kept playing in my head like a bad record, the 16 hour fly home, without the whine of a supercharged Turboshaft engine to listen to proved to be the longest 16 hours of my life. Electric motors are already quiet, even when you have eight of them, now add in a silence from your friends because everyone is certain a piece of the team has just been murdered when there was nothing you could do to save them and you'll get an idea of what the inside of the Chinook was like the fly home. If only I hadn't been worried about that stupid Dhskia, but then again, if I hadn't gone after it, Tristan might have been found and killed, so no matter what I had done, I would have lost a friend.

When we got back to Area 29, the sky was dark and threatening. There was lightning flashing and the wind was blowing hard, very hard. I could see Luke and Conner hurrying to finish a repair on the Semi Trailer before the rain came down. The Prof and Morningstar were waiting for us on the strip, the Prof's blazing red 2002 Honda Integra Type R, slammed on coil-overs, BBS wheels and with Origin body work was also with them, driverside open, the car idling with Morningstar's Veyron beside it, they must have just gotten back from picking it up. Morningstar looked like he'd been beaten to hell from the drive.

"I know it's probably pointless", he said, "but is my son with you?"

I shook my head, "no...fuck if I hadn't gone after that AA...."

"Don't give me that bullshit solider", Morningstar said, "you did what you had to do and it looks like you saved someone else in the process, what's your name solider?"

"Private E3 Tristan Hungate Sir", Tristan said standing at attention.

"At ease son", Morningstar said, "you'll find that this base is quite a relaxed facility. Where's the rest of the unit?"

"KIA", Tristan sighed, "they were killed when our Osprey came under fire from the AA emplacement."

"Where were you stationed at?", Morningstar asked, "I'll call your base CO and let him know I got ya."

"Firebase Echo in Iraq", Tristan said, "by the way, my leg is busted pretty badly, where's your infirmary?"

"Ace will show you", Morningstar said.

"Hey Morningstar", I said, "how are we going to find Mercury and Trace?"

"I've got an idea about that", Morningstar said, "go back to the barracks, get changed, cleaned up, what ever it is you gotta do and then come to the lounge where we usually eat breakfast, we'll talk there."

I nodded, "come on Taro, I'll show you the infirmary."

Tristan and I walked from the landing pad to the infirmary while the others went back to the barracks. When we walked inside the dome, I saw my buddies face turn to shock.

"Wow", He whistled looking around.

"Really something isn't it?", I asked, "this could withstand a nuclear blast right outside the front door. Were in a 4 billion dollar rebar and concrete lead lined sphere."

'Damn", Tristan sighed, "I wish the main building at Echo was this nice. Also, I assume that giant glass cylinder in the middle is where you turned?"

I nodded, "yeah, according to Morningstar, I was on the floor for two days because they were scared that they might kill me if they moved me."

"Oh hell", he smiled, "sounds like a WTF do I do moment."

"Yeah", I said as we walked down the long hallway to the infirmary. When we were there I tapped on the door, then opened it.

"Doctor Sun are you in here?", I asked.

"I'm in the back Ace", he called, "you need something?"

"My friend's got a busted leg", I said, "he needs it looked at."

"Leave him here and I'll get to him in a minute."

"Looks like your a package to be left on the door step", I said turning back to him.

"Doesn't matter", Tristan said taking his vest off, "I need some time to wrap my brain around what's going on."

"I think you'll probably be spending the night", I said, "so if you come by my barracks later, I'll explain everything to you."

'Sounds good to me bro", Tristan said, "what are you gonna do about your other teammates?"

I sighed, "I guess I'll see what Morningstar wants to do. Oh and remember when we had that fight awhile back and you said to join so I could understand what was going on?"

"Yeah", Tristan said.

"I think I get it now", I said, "two months ago, I didn't know these people existed, now, I find myself thinking me dying is an acceptable loss if it means Mercury and Trace get to come home."

'And your so willing to do so it's retarded ain't it?", Tristan asked.

"You have no idea", I sighed, "I'm sorry you lost your team brother. After all those times you helped me through shit, I guess it's time for me to return the favor."

"You don't need to be", Tristan said, "it's war, shit happens, people die, I guess it's just something you get used to."

I sighed, "well let's just hope this doesn't end like FSRTDW."

"God I hope not", Tristan smiled, "that makes me dead, one of your friends a warlord and...I don't know what that makes you. Maybe that makes you the character everyone liked but was just in the background."

I laughed, "stop making everything about you fucktard."

"I'll come by the barracks later", Tristan said, "until then go be with your girl and make sure your teams okay."{

I smiled as I left. I walked back to the barracks, stashed the 220 under my mattress, changed into jeans and a thin, button up white shirt that I left open, shorts, grabbed my bracelet and necklace and then went to the lounge, where I found everyone, looking worn out as shit, but unable to rest because of worry about Mercury and Trace, the way they were dressed, bare minimum, certainly reflected that. None of the boys had shirts on, the girls had small open shirts with sports bras, and everyone was wearing what I would say was the equivalent, at least material wise, of swim trunks. The tire and worry hung over the room like a soggy wool blanket, almost suffocatingly so. Even Void and Navi looked like they were about to pass out from fatigue.

"Wow", I said as I sat next to Nina, "everyone looks....destroyed."

"I'm scared shitless for my big sister", Riley said, "I'm worried I'll never see her again."

"I'm worried about Mercury", Leanna sighed, "I hope he's okay,"

I sighed, "Is this my fault? Was me not being there what tipped the scales in their favor?"

"No", Void yawned, "that Abrams showed up and I knew we had been set up."

"I'd say I'm surprised", I said, "but I'm pretty sure if my billion dollar R&D Facility that was working on state of the art super soldiers got razed by a Warthog, I'd assume someone had already made off with my Data. You think they knew we were gonna hit that convoy?"

"Yeah", Void said, "only thing I can't figure out is why only one tank and no X-01 units....and why they didn't kill us."

'What do you mean?", Nina asked.

"When Black River wants someone dead", Void began, "that person dies, no matter the cost. Were not dead, which means that Black River wasn't out to kill us, they wanted to find out who they were up against and how to kill them."

I gritted my teeth, "which means that Mercury and Trace are probably being tortured to death right now."

Void sighed, "sorry, I only made things worse."

I was about to reply to him when Morningstar walked in and sat down, looking just as helpless of the rest of us.

"You said you had an idea on finding Mercury and Trace?", I asked, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I hope you chipped us after we turned."

"Yes and no", Morningstar said, "your dog tags had tracker chips in them yes, however, this relies on you keeping your tags, which it looks like Mercury and Trace have. I've got their locations, moving down from Russia and through Pakistan."

"What are we waiting for?", I asked, "let's load up and go get them!"

Morningstar sighed, 'Ace, as much as I want my son back, I'm not willing to jump the gun and possibly get them, as well as someone else killed."

"Good idea sir", Void said, "Black River will be expecting an attack on the convoy at every step of the way and no doubt they've prepared for it, I'd bet my hide they'll have air support, artillery support and armored escorts, attacking it would be suicide."

"So what the fuck do we do then?", I asked.

"Black river likes to drive a prisoner convoy around for a few days to confuse the prisoners", Void said, "I speak from personal experience. They won't touch Mercury or Trace until they're sure that they've confused them to the point of no escape. Then they'll head to their base. Assuming they can keep their tags that long, we can sneak in, rescue Mercury and Trace and burn the base down on our way out."

"There's still the un answered question of what the hell are they up to", I said.

"That will be our main focus after we get Mercury and Trace back from them", Morningstar said, "as well as getting a few more recruits."

'Why?", I asked.

"We can't handle everything with just two teams of dragons", Morningstar said, "we need a third team, problem is, we don't have a list of potentials."

I thought for a minute, 'well...I think I can help with that, but I need to talk to green first."

"I think he's in the lab", Morningstar said getting up, "let me go check, if he's there I'll drag him back."

Morningstar got up and left the room. A few minutes later, he came back with Green.

"What do you need to know Ace?", he asked.

"Morningstar said that we need more recruits, I have a list in my head of people we can trust and could train easily, but two of them I know for sure aren't compatible with the serum. Do you think you could work around that?"

The Prof thought for a minute, "yeah, if you can get them here and I can run blood work I know I can work around that."

"Good", I said.

"Looks like it's decided", Morningstar said, "once we get Mercury and Trace back we round up some new recruits and then figure out what Black River is up to."