Where Eagles Stand, and Jaguars Hunt

Link to article: Where Eagles Stand, and Jaguars Hunt.

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There were times when Etzli wondered if turning her back on one of the most powerful military corporations in the world was the best idea, but deep down she knew she had done the right thing. Even so, she knew Valravn was not something to be trifled with. Their reputation preceded them. The corporation was infamous for its borderline cultish ideals that mixed hypercapitalism with a warped interpretation of Norse Mythology. They took soldiers and armed them with anomalous weapons, fed them propaganda and sent them to fight for the highest bidder.

Among Valravn's infamous ranks were the Valkyries, a regiment of women whose bodies were modified through strange rituals and cybernetic enhancements, courtesy of Dr. Olga Brandt. They called her the "Mother of Valkyries."

Brandt always liked to spin it as a form of empowerment, but by now Etzli saw what she was really doing. She was exploiting vulnerable women with no hope, women whose bodies could never function again. And she offered to "fix" them, with the caveat of lifetime service to Valravn. There was no retirement plan for Valkyries except empty promises of "Valhalla." It was just continued service until they died, one way or another. And sometimes even death couldn't free them.

Etzli had never asked for the augmentations she had received. The earliest she could remember was waking up in a "hospital" that looked more like a butcher shop, and no memory of her past life. They had the nerve to say she consented to the operation, but she always had her doubts. Those doubts were confirmed when she found the medical report proving she had been clinically braindead before the transformation.

But where Valravn saw their Valkyries as property, Etzli had come to view them as family. They were her sisters, and she had been a far better maternal figure to her Eagle Warriors than their so-called "mother" ever could have been. That much had been to her advantage, seeing as the four others who made up the Eagle Warriors were loyal enough to follow her.

"Tracking Target,"

Etzli perked up as she heard the voice of her lieutenant, Teichuih. They sat across a table from each other. Teicuih's arm was held up in front of her, a screen displayed on it.

"Are you okay, Etzli?" Tecuih asked, trying not to take her eyes off the screen.

Of course, she'd notice something was bothering Etzli. Teicuih knew her well. Etzli's dedicated lieutenant had been with her as long as she could remember, which in her case was when she joined Valravn. 

Etzli knew Teicuih’s loyalty knew no bounds. She was ready to catch a bullet for her. She agreed to turn her back on one of the most dangerous military corporations in the world for Etzli. And she would do it all over again if she had to. So it was hardly surprising that she was quick to spot when something was wrong.

"Yeah," Etzli muttered. "I'm fine."

"It's just you've been very quiet the last few days."

"Sorry, it's just... I can't stop thinking about Necca- sorry, Maya."

She still needed to get used to Necca switching back to her birth name, but that made her no less a sister. The poor girl was subjected to one of Valravn's "experiments" that were never completed. Now she required assisted living at Site-42, and would probably never walk normally again. But at least she was safe, and well-cared for.

"We made sure she's in good hands," Teicuih replied.

"I know," Etzli muttered. "But after everything she's gone through... I can't help looking back on it. I wonder if there's something we could have done differently. Maybe... I could have talked her out of it."

"There was nothing you could have done," Teichui said. "It's not like you could have known they would shut down the program. It was her choice to participate. You saw how keen she was to prove herself."

"Was it her choice, though?" Etzli asked. "You saw how they spoke to her. All that talk about glory and honor, and those promises to finally have what she needed to get back at Sin Nombre. It feels more like they wanted her to think she was volunteering."

"Even so," Teicuih replied. "You did your best."

"And what if my best wasn't good enough," Etzli replied. "What if I could have done something before they grafted that chassis to her body. Maybe she wouldn't need a wheelchair, and she could have come with us."

"What happened to Maya is unfortunate," Teicuih said. "But dwelling on the past is not going to help our situation."

Etzli took a deep breath. "I know, I know. But she's one of us. I'm responsible for her. I hope she's-"

"TARGET APPROACHING!" Techuih yelled out. That was enough to shake Etzli into action.

"I have eyes on Dr. Curtis," Teichui said. "Looks like he has some backup."

"How much?"

"Looks like a small contingent of Jomsvikings accompanying him. Looks like he has more setting up around us. We'll be surrounded. We need to make this exchange quick."

"Any Valkyries?" Etzli asked.

"I don't think so," Tecuih replied. 

That much was comforting. For all the reasons they had to despise Valravn, Etzli was not so thrilled about the prospect of having to kill her former sisters.

"Alright," Etzli said. She reached for her earpiece.

"Operation Stormfall is Go. Everyone to their positions."

A series of voices responded.

"Chantico standing by,"

"Eta standing by,"

At that moment, a woman entered, dressed in armor resembling a cross between a Greek hoplite and something out of a cyberpunk adventure, spear in one hand and shield in the other. Etzli had gotten to know her well: Thalestris. She was a Valkyrie from the Greek division who had also turned on Valravn, though not by choice. Her story of being left for dead by her own unit only gave Etzli further reason to hate Valravn.

They had their differences, but it was always good to know they weren't alone.

"I heard we're ready to go," 

"Almost," Etzli replied. Then it dawned on her that she only heard two voices in response. She reached for her earpiece again.

"Eta, where's your sister?"

"I'm not sure. You want me to-"

"It's fine, I'll find her," Etzli quickly stood up. She had often wondered whose bright idea it was to put a cloaking device on an introvert.

It did not take long to find the missing Valkyrie. First, Etzli stopped in the kitchen and made a pot of coffee. 

Then she saw a couch with a noticeable person-shaped imprint, and she could hear someone snoring.

Etzli smiled as she approached.

"Initiate override 247,"

And just like that, the cloak fell. A raven-haired young woman was now visible on the couch, fast asleep and drooling everywhere.

Etzli gave her a gentle nudge. "Xochi..."

Xochi groaned as she woke and rolled over, looking visibly groggy.

"Wake up, it's time to move."

Xochi slowly sat up, still looking groggy and slightly confused. 

Etzli handed Xochi the coffee. She took it, and took a sip before wincing.

"Ugh," Xochi muttered. "Why can't Ceballos have any good coffee?"

"Dr. Curtis is going to be here in a few minutes. I need you ready. You know what to do."

Xochi nodded. She didn't have to move before her body changed in front of Etzli's eyes, looking like Dr. Ceballos.

"Good. Once you're ready, meet us at the door."

Thalestris's voice came over the earpiece. "This it. Let's try to make this clean. I want you to make a good impression on the Foundation. Remember, we want Dr. Curtis alive if possible, but the prototype is our main priority."

Xochi appeared at the door, placing her coffee on the table. Despite the bitter taste in her mouth, she was about as ready as she could be to do this.

Thalestris was waiting for her, alongside Etzli.

"How do I look?" Xochi asked.

Etzli smiled. She tried to make herself look shocked. "Dr. Ceballos," she said, as if surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Xochi could not help but smile.

"Remember, keep him talking," Thalestris said. "As soon as you can, get him inside with the prototype."

Xochi smiled nervously.

"I'll be guiding you," Etzli said. "Just follow my lead and you should be fine."

Xochi nodded as she took a deep breath. Slowly she opened the door and stepped out into the swampy shoreline. She approached the murky river, her eyes scanning for signs of any human presence. 

She knew Valravn wasn't stupid. They probably had people set up all over the swamp. 

Teicuih's voice came in over her earpiece. "Target approaching,"

Xochi glanced down the river. She started to make out a group of hovercrafts approaching. Most of the occupants were soldiers dressed in heavy combat armor, many of them masked. 

They'd all seen them before, the Jomsvikings. That was Valravn's name for its rank-and-file troops. They were certainly capable in combat, many of them coming from military backgrounds, but they were more suited for conventional warfare than combat against Valkyries. Still, they did have a clear numerical advantage.

Their nearly identical uniforms caused most of the Jomsvikings to blur together. For some of them it was impossible to even tell if they were male or female. Only one person stood out amongst them, a man in khaki. It was the man they were looking for: Dr. Arthur Curtis.

The hovercrafts pulled up onto the shore. The kakhi-suited man quickly climbed out, while his troops moved into formation.

"Here goes nothing," Xochi thought as she approached. She just hoped the disguise would hold up, and the memetic cloak would keep him in the dark.

"You must be Dr. Curtis,"

The khaki-suited man looked at "Dr. Ceballos." He smiled, and pulled out a black case from the hovercraft. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person."

"I've heard great things about your work," "Ceballos" replied. "Your father would be proud."

"My father was weak," Curtis said. "He was smart, but he was too burdened by misplaced ethics to see the bigger picture. And because of that, he led GRU-P right to his doorstep."

Internally, Xochi cringed. Hearing a man talk about his own father in such a way seemed... cold. She pulled up the files on Dr. Joseph Curtis, reminding herself of the abomination he created. It was hard to imagine someone thinking that he of all people was too bogged down by ethics. 

But as she recalled the data she'd been given on Dr. Arthur Curtis, it should hardly be surprising. Valravn got to him much younger than they did his father, and had a lot more time to indoctrinate him. It was hard not to shudder as she recalled the Foundation's case file for [https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-191 SCP-191], a product she now knew was his handiwork.

As if somehow able to sense Xochi's growing anxiety, Etzli's voice came in over the earpiece. 

"Let him talk. I know it hurts but we need you to keep it together, okay?"

Xochi struggled to hold herself together. Taking on the appearance of Ceballos was one thing, but acting like she could accept half the things he said was another. It was mentally draining. Fortunately the cloak seemed to be hiding her sweat. 

She froze, unsure of what to say next. 

"Ask him about the prototype," Etzli said through the earpiece.

Xochi almost stammered the next line. "You have the prototype."

"Yes," Curtis replied. He held up the case. 

"Ask him if you can see it." Etzli whispered. 

"Uh... may I take a look?"

"Of course," Curtis replied. He placed the black case on the edge of the hovercraft and opened it to reveal a small drone inside. "

"This baby's going to change drone warfare forever," Curtis said. "No longer do we need a subject to enter a state of REM sleep. Instead, we can move their consciousness fully into the drone. I am about to make your dream technology obsol-"

He was cut off by the sound of someone clapping. Xochi turned to see a blonde-haired woman with a malicious grin. But what really stood out were her glowing blue eyes, a detail that only seemed to emphasize her contempt for everyone around her.

She slowly clapped her gloved hands as she approached, each finger tipped with a sharp point that gave the appearance of claws.

"Bravo," she said in a sarcastic tone. "Very good performance."

Etzli cursed as she saw the new arrival. 

"Teichui, are you seeing this?"

"Yes, what's she doing here?"

They all recognized her, a face from the past they had not expected to find out here. 

Her name was Yaretzi. Xochi remembered her well. The commanding officer of the Jaguar Warriors, known for her borderline psychotic personality. How many times had the Eagle and Jaguar warriors been forced to compete?

Xochi began to tense up as she remembered all the things this woman had done to them. She recalled the insults, the vindictiveness, the way she relentlessly bullied Necca. The memory of seeing a trained combat specialist from //Fuerzas Especiales// reduced to tears at her hands filled Xochi with rage.

Etzli had, on multiple occasions, pleaded to Olga for some sort of action against Yaretzi, pleas that fell on deaf ears. Valravn loved making its personell compete with each other, but this was another level. Sure, there was always some competition between Eagle and Jaguar warriors, but this went beyond merely challenging each other in contests. Yaretzi seemed to have it out for the Eagle Warriors, and jumped on any opportunity to make their lives miserable as long as Etzli wasn't present, but would quickly turn and run if she was. 

So much unneccessary pain had come at Yaretzi's hands. And yet, Valravn only stood by and watched. They watched as Yaretzi learned to hurt every member of the team. They watched as she bullied her squadmates into helping her, and found ways to punish the few that refused. They watched as she refused to accept defeat and would find ways to get payback for being defeated fair and square in any contest. They watched while she cornered and mocked Zyanya about Necca's planned termination. But they did nothing, because to them it was all just "competition."

Curtis was confused. "What?"

The woman smiled. "You don't think that's the real Dr. Ceballos, do you?"

"Stay calm," Etzli whispered into Xochi's ear. "Don't give her the satisfaction."

"What do you mean?"

"I know a memetic cloak when I see one," Yaretzi said. 

"I have line of sight," Eta said. 

"Hold until my command," Etzli replied.

"I thought they had a failsafe," Curtis said. "They can't be used to impersonate our personel."

"Well, I guess someone found a workaround."

"They're on to us," Thalestris said.

Xochi already had an idea of what was coming, before she heard Etzli say those two words:

"Open fire,"

Suddenly a shot came out of the house, slamming into Yaretzi and knocking over a piece of her armor. She stumbled. The glow in her eyes faded. She grunted and cried out.

"Initiate plan B" Etzli said.

Xochi quickly switched disguises, changing herself to appear as Olga Brandt.

"You!" Curtis yelled. "I should have known you'd be this petty,"

He quickly began to run towards his hovercraft.

"Chantico," Etzli said, "You're up!"

Suddenly one of the hovercrafts exploded. Xóchitl stumbled to the ground, with several soldiers being thrown around. Shots were being fired.

Curtis hastily closed the case and ran back toward his hovercraft, climbing in and starting the engine. 

Back in the house, the sounds of bullets from the nearby trees seemed almost deafening. Eta switched her eye to thermal vision. At first the enemy seemed invisible, but once she saw their body heat, it wasn't so hard.

"We're surrounded on all sides," Thalestris said.

"Don't worry," Etzli replied. "We've still got a few tricks."

"Like what?"

"Air support, for one thing."

She made her way to the room where Teichui was still operating the drone.

"You see anything?"

Techui pushed a button on her interface, quickly switching the screen to infrared. "I can see them."

"Good. I'll need you to cover us."

Etzli reached for her earpiece. "Okay, listen up. Chantico and Thalestris, you're with me. Eta and Techui, I need you to carve us a path to the river. We're going after Curtis."

"What happened to Xochi?" Eta said.  "I can't see her."

Etzli sighed. She was worried, but knew she had to prioritize.

"She can handle herself. Let's move!"

Etzli made her way to the door, Thalestris and Chantico by her side. 

"We're going to push for the river," Etzli explained. "Take cover behind anything you can!"

"Drone is ready," Techui reported.

"Good," Etzli replied. "Engage."

The defeaning sounds of a machine gun were heard. 

Etzli opened the door and ran for the first point of cover, her two squadmates close behind her. Above them they could see Techui's drone, firing from above. That combined with Eta's shots seemed to be enough to reduce the bullet flow.

"We made it," Etzli remarked. "Thalestris, move up and take point."

Thalestris did as instructed. She ran to the next point of cover, ducking behind a large boulder. Above them, the drone continued to fire on the treeline, seemingly taking out a lot of the opposing force. 

As Thalestris approached the river, she made her way to one of the boats, only to suddenly her a female growl. Before she knew it, a hulking body had toppled her, and she was held down by a pair of very strong arms. As she looked up, she saw the blonde-haired menace Etzli identified as Yaretzi. Her glowing blue eyes were back in working order.

"Hey," Yaretzi said eagerly. "I remember you. You're that crybaby from the Greek unit, I thought you were dead."

"Is that what they told you?" Thalestris replied.

"You were weak, you didn't have what it took. Well, now I'm going to enjoy killing you."

Suddenly, Thalestris sprung into action. She pulled Yaretzi to the ground, and tried to climb on top of her.

"Let her go," Etzli called out. Yaretzi turned to see the two eagle warriors standing over her. 

"Etzli... we meet again. You must be getting desperate if you're taking all our washouts."

"Your quarrel is with me," Etzli replied.

Yaretzi stared for a moment.

"Come on," Etzli said. "Show me what you've got. All those upgrades must have made you stronger, right?"

Yaretzi stood and looked Etzli in the eye. All the rage seemed to fade in a second. Her voice went from a roar to a whimper. 

"This isn't over," Yaretzi said, before she ran.

"How'd you manage that," Thalestris asked, as she stood up, visibly bruised but otherwise okay.

"She's a bully," Etzli replied. "She picks on people she thinks can't fight back, and panics when faced with someone who can."

"You mean-"

"It's a long story," Etzli said. "But yes, she will never admit it but she is //terrified// of me. Let's get moving. We still need to catch up with Dr. Curtis." 

------

Dr. Arthur Curtis breathed a sigh of relief as he looked back. From his position on the hovercraft, it looked like he'd successfully escaped. The loss of his escorts were unfortunate, but they knew the risks. He still had the prototype. The real question was how he managed to get discovered so easily. As far as he could tell, Olga Brandt had set him up. 

The answer to why seemed obvious. It was no secret that she hated Dr. Ceballos and was ready to do anything to shut him down. She probably wanted to intercept his prototype before it could be properly developed.

Still, the important thing was he had gotten away in one piece and his work was safe. His best bet was to get out of the swamp and call for an extraction. Simple enough... until it wasn't.

Suddenly he felt himself thrown out of his seat and onto the deck. He looked up to see... absolutely nothing. The black case seemed to levitate, until he suddenly saw a figure appear. The raven-haired valkyrie Xochi stood above him, with a smile.

"You really thought it would be that easy?" Xochi said. 

"You think you can just take that?" Curtis asked. "You know what he will do?"

Xochi laughed. "Oh you mean Ceballos. Yeah, we're ready for him."

She reached for the tiller and turned the boat around. 

Curtis reached for the gun at his side. He lifted it up, his trembling hand trying to aim it at Xochi. The bullet missed, just grazing the side of her face.

"Seriously?"

Curtis squeezed off two more shots as Xochi approached. She grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up. Curtis tried to fight back, but the Valkyrie was too strong for him. Next thing he knew, he was plunging off the hovercraft into the swampy river. 

Xochi took the tiller and immediately turned around. She sped back along the river. She reached for her earpiece.

"Package is secure."

"What?" Etzli asked, somewhat confused. "Xochi where have you been? Your sister was worried."


"I snuck onto Curtis's hovercraft," Xochi said. "Waited for him to get some distance, then acted."

"Nice job, sis," she heard Eta saying.

"We're on our way to you now," Etzli said. "Hold tight,"

"Understood," 

Xochi shut off the hovercraft's motor. She looked back to see if there was any sign of Curtis. She didn't see him.

Xochi carefully opened the case, looking at the drone inside when she heard a twig snapping. 

Immediately her attention was drawn toward the shoreline. Slowly she got up, carefully stepping off the hovercraft and onto the wet marshland. 

She cloaked herself, hoping to avoid drawing too much attention, but it seemed that wasn't enough.
 
Suddenly she felt like she'd been struck by a freight train, and fell to the ground. The cloak came off immediately. She could feel two very strong hands pushing her down, feeling like claws. As she looked up, she saw a familiar face. In the shade provided by the trees, she could make out a pair of glowing eyes.

"Yaretzi,"

"Well well, if it isn't the little raven. I guess your sister was too much of a coward to join you? She didn't even have the nerve to show herself."

At the mention of Eta, Xochi slammed her fist into Yaretzi's face. She reached for her knife with her other hand, slowly drawing it. With one swift motion, she ran it into Yaretzi's shoulder.

Yaretzi cried out. Xochi knew it wouldn't stop her for long, but it was long eough for her to break Yaretzi's grip. 

Thinking quickly, Xochi recloaked. She knew she had a disadvantage here. There were two clear options, escape, or find a way to turn the environment on Yaretszi. 

Clouds were starting to roll over. The faint sound of thunder could be heard in the distance. Xochi couldn't help thinking about how she'd much rather be back in the safehouse, curled up on the couch again. But war never waits for the best conditions. She knew that sometimes she had to fight in less-than-ideal circumstances.

She made her way back to the river, looking for the prototype. There it was, on the ground. She paused and looked at it, then glanced down the river hoping to see signs of Etzli.

That was when she heard an ominous chuckle.

"You think that pathetic cloak will save you."

Yaretzi emerged from the increasingly shadowed forest, her eyes glowing like a cat... like a jaguar. 

"Oh you're so naive. My occular implants were specially calibrated for spotting people when they're cloaked. I can see you clearly."

Yaretzi wrapped her hands around Xochi's throat and shoved her backward, crashing into the water. She then began to push her head under.

Every feral instinct in Xochi kicked in. Her arms flailed as she tried to break Yaretzi's hold, but it was too strong. 

It all seemed so hopeless, until she managed to see one small detail through the rippling waves. Xochi's knife was still embedded in Yaretzi's shoulder, but a more tactical strike was neccessary. It wouldn't be enough to kill her, but Xochi could see just how to turn the situation around. 

With one hand, Xochi grabbed the knife and yanked it out. That seemed to be enough to loosen Yaretzi's grip as she cried out.

Now was her one chance.

Xochi shoved the knife into Yaretzi's eye. Suddenly the glow stopped. Her eye seemed to shatter like glass, and sparks appeared around the knife's hilt

That did it. The shock of being partially blinded was enough to knock Yaretzi over. giving Xochi the opportunity to get back on her feet. She reached for the knife in what remained of Yaretzi's eye, and yanked it out. 

Slowly Xochi picked up the case, just in time to see Yaretzi stumble to her feet. She charged toward Xochi, but this time it was different. Her attacks seemed random, confused. Like Yaretzi had forgotten how to fight and was reduced to pure feral rage.

Before she could do much else, there was a sudden explosion from under her. Yaretzi was flung into the treeline, crashing into a heap on the ground. 

Xochi paused, slightly disoriented, before she saw the approaching hovercraft. Chantico was enthusiastically posed on the front, with a large grenade launcher in hand.

The hovercraft pulled up next to Xochi, and she quickly climbed in with the case.

"Are you okay?" Etzli said.

"Just ran into some trouble," Xochi replied. "Let's get out of here before Yaretzi wakes up."

Etzli quickly started up the engine and began driving the hovercraft back toward the safehouse.

"Now that they know we're here we probably shouldn't stick around much longer," Etzli said.

"Already on it," Thalestris replied, as she reached for her own earpiece. 

"This is A-04. Package secured, requesting extraction."

The Swamp seemed much calmer now, but they knew it wouldn't last long. Getting out of there was top priority.

As the Safehouse came into view, Xochi took a deep breath. Everything was looking good so far. They pulled up on the shore. So far it seemed if any Valravn personel were left, they were too scattered to put up much of a fight. 

"Chopper's on its way," Thalestris said as she climbed off the hovercraft. "We just need to wait a few minutes. 

Etzli reached for her earpiece. "Techui, any sign of hostiles."

"I got some movement," Techui replied. "They look pretty scattered, but I'd still recommend caution."

"Alright," Etzli replied. "Thalestris, keep us updated on the chopper. We'll fall back to the house until it arrives.

"I can set up some explosives," Chantico said.

"Okay, just use a manual detonator. I don't want any civillians getting caught in the blast if we don't use them."

Chantico nodded as she ran back toward the house. The others quickly followed.

No sooner had Xochi entered than she felt a pair of arms wrapping around her. She shouldn't have been too surprised to see her sister, but in that moment it felt strange.

"I was worried about you," Eta said.

Xochi paused before slowly returning the gesture. In that moment of affection, it was easy to see the physical resemblance between the twins, even if they seemed so different from each other. 

After letting go, Xochi made her way to a nearby couch and quickly planted herself in it. She was sweating, and visibly exhausted. That much was hardly surprising. Everyone knew it took a lot of energy to keep up both a disguise and a memetic cloak. Almost immediately, Eta handed her a bottle of water, which Xochi began guzzling.


"Is she okay?" Thalestris asked.

"Just a bit tired," Etzli replied. "Keeping up a disguise with a memetic cloak takes a lot of energy. Plus she could probably use the rest after that beating."

Suddenly she was approached by Techui. 

"Any word on our extraction?"

"They should be here in about 10 minutes."

"Good," Tecuih replied. "But we have a problem. More hostiles incoming. I guess someone called for backup."

"Alright, Tecuih, give us some air support. "

"Got it, but it looks like it's going to be hot."

"We're going to have to take cover in here," Etzli said. "Chantico, see if you can get a few charges set before they arrive. Eta, I need you on overwatch again. Thalestris, you're with me. on the front."

"What about me," Xochi asked.

"You've already done enough," Etzli said. "Try to relax, but be ready in case they breach."

Eta quickly made her way back to the upper window. Her rifle was already prepared. She just had to start aiming.

Etzli took position at the front, with Thalestris next to her. 

They waited. The minutes ticked by. 

"You see anything yet?"

"I have eyes on something," Teicuih reported. "Something big. It looks like- oh shi-"

Before she could say anything more a large hulking machine tore through the wall, latching itself onto Etzli and pulling her down. It looked almost like a robotic bear, except somehow with much sharper fangs and claws.

Of course they had a Berserk.

Etzli was quickly held down by the abomination, struggling to break free of its grip. She cried out as one of its sharp claws ran into her shoulder.

Thalestris charged toward the machine, spear in hand. Impressively, she managed to score a hit that sent sparks flying and knocked some of the metal loose, exposing a piece of the hidden flesh underneath.

That was the unsettling part. It was easy to forget these mechanical abominations were in fact cyborgs. Even more bizarre, nobody seemed to know where these biological components came from. Theories among Valravn staff ranged from mutating captured enemies to elaborate synthetic engineering. The source of the berserks was one of many Valravn mysteries known only to a select few at the very top.

The exposed skin seemed to enrage the berserk, as if it was not already enraged enough, and it quickly turned its attention towards Thalestris. Etzli screamed as she felt its claw yanked out of her shoulder. 

Next thing they knew, the mechanical bear was on top of Thalestris. She collapsed to the ground, but not completely unprepared. She still had a shield.

As the Berserk stood on its hind legs, looking like it was going to provide a massive ground slam, Thalestris readied her shield. Its claws slammed into it with a metal clank. As the Berserk tried a second pounding, Thalestris rolled out of the way.

Suddenly, a bullet struck the creature. It was not enough to do any serious damage, but it seemed to hit just the right spot to dislodge a piece of armor, exposing its neck area. Only one person could make a shot //that// precise.

Eta stood in the doorframe, rifle in hand, readying herself to take the next shot. But even her reaction times were had to match with the bear's speed. It was running towards her when suddenly someone jumped in front.

It was Chantico, with a small block of C4 in hand.

"I got this," 

As the berserk got close, Chantico shoved the explosive into its mouth with all the strength she could muster, impaling it on the spears inside.

She pushed Eta aside and hit her detonator. A small explosion came out of the creature's mouth. Suddenly there was smoke bellowing from its now-slightly dislodged jaws, and broken speartips literring the floor. 

Tecuih needed a few minutes to get the drone insight, but she could hear the commotion in the lower floor. She knew she needed to help them. She quickly flew it back into what remained of the house, and fired on the berserk.

The berserk turned its attention toward the drone, swinging its claws at it, but the damage it had already faced seemed to reduce its speed. Tecuih was keeping it just out of reach.

Eta reached for her sidearm and approached, seeing the distraction as an opportunity to hit the bear in its weak points. She squeezed off two shots before it turned toward her, and pounced, quickly pulling her down.

But Eta saw an even greater opportunity. She slowly lifted her gun, aiming it straight into the bear's mouth, and fired.

The Berserk roared as it stepped backward, clearly injured but unwilling to go down without a fight. 

And then it happened.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a large gash appeared in the Berserk's neck. It turned and started trying to strike at its target. Only it couldn't seem to find her. It seemed to be swatting repeatedly at nothing  before another precise strike hit it in the side. Then another in the neck, which produced a gash that seemed to just keep expanding. Something was dripping out of the berserk, possibly blood. 

Finally, the monster began to stumble, roaring as it tried to find the unseen attacker, before being hit one more time, and collapsing.

As the berserk hit the ground, Xochi uncloaked herself. She looked tired and bruised but in far better condition than her opponent, and she had a knife soaked in the luiquid that had been dripping from the bear.

Teicuih ran into the room, her drone automatically flying towards her, and carefully folding itself into the back of her armor.

Upon seeing Etzli, Teicuih was shocked and ran toward her, quickly pulling her into her arms.

"Chopper's here," Thalestris said, obviously a little out of breath. "We need to get moving."

"Leaving already?" A familiar voice said, with a faint but malicious chuckle. They looked toward the opening to see none other than Yaretzi stepping through. She looked bruised, and her armor looked like it had seen better days, Only one eye was still working, the other an empty hole. All that seemed to just make her more intimidating.

"You still have a debt. What was it they say? Oh yeah, an eye for an eye." She pointed to her empty socket.

"Your quarrel is with me," Etzli said, between breaths. She grunted from the pain as she hung from Teicuih’s shoulder. "Let the others go."

"You see," Yaretzi said as she stepped in. "That's the problem with you. You're too caught up in this absurd fantasy that you can have a family. Your loyalty is to Valravn. You remember your contract? You signed it. But this notion of sisterhood is a weakness. You coddle your squad, when they should know to fear you."

"You see that's where we differ," Etzli said. "You use fear and intimidation to force your squad to follow you. You make them afraid of what you will do if they do not. I don't have to."

"You keep telling yourself that." Yaretzi said. "But you're not the one who pulled my eye out. Or the one who shot me. Or the one who fired a grenade at me."

"You should have thought of that before attacking us,"

Yaretzi chuckled in that ominous tone that implied she was up to something. "I did,"

As if on cue, a pair of centaur-like figures appeared at the opening. Chirons, they called them.

"More minions to do your dirty work?" Etzli asked. "Just like you to be too cowardly to do it yourself."

"On the contrary," Yaretzi said, her voice sounding especially smug. "I'm just smart enough to make sure I have an advantage."

Before anything could happen, a bullet struck one of the Chirons in the head, and it toppled to the ground. The noise of a helicopter came from overhead. Another shot hit Yaretzi, whose one eye stopped glowing.

Eta lowered her smoking rifle. For anyone else, the shots might have been impossible but Eta... she knew just how to hit them where it hurt.

For most people, a knife and a bullet to both eyes would be fatal. But Yaretzi was a Valkyrie. They were designed to have a high tolerance for pain, and they could take a lot more than most. Yaretzi staggered, but she kept her footing. Losing her sight only seemed to enrage her more, but at least it made it harder for her to attack.

The remaining Chiron was suddenly tackled to the ground by an invisible force. As he struggled, he found himself at a disadvantage once prone, and was quickly dealt with. Xochi reappeared, yanking her knife out of its neck.

Teicuih quickly began carrying Etzli out through the opening, past the presently-incapacitated Yaretzi. The others followed, each one with their weapons trained on the surrounding area. Thalestris grabbed the prototype as they ran.

As the helicopter came in for a landing, two women stepped off, both in the distinct uniforms of the Task Force known as "Street Samurai."

"Did you get it?" One of them asked as she approached.

"We got it, Johnston," Thalestris yelled over the helicopter's rotors. She handed her the prototype. "LET'S GO!"

Johnston quickly led the squad back to the helicopter. One by one they climbed inside. Teicuih quickly brought Etzli in, and gently placed her on one of the seats.

"She needs help," Teicuih yelled.

"I'll see what I can do," Johnston replied.

Next was Chantico, followed by Eta, Xochi, and Thalestris.

The helicopter began to take off. Johnston closed the door. They were a few feet off the ground when they suddenly felt turbulence.

"What's going on?" Thalestris asked.

"I'm not sure," the pilot yelled back. "It's like we've got extra weig-"

And then they saw what happened. The door swung open, and who should be waiting but Yaretzi. 

"We're not done yet,"

Yaretzi jumped in, lunging at Xochi.

In the tight quarters of the helicopter, it was hard to do much, but Yaretzi quickly felt her claws smash into Thalestris's shield. 

"Hey," she heard a voice call out. Eta stood, pistol in hand. Yaretzi turned toward her.

"Stay away from my sister."

Eta fired, the bullet flying straight into Yaretzi's hand. She roared as she swung her arms around wildly, blindly trying to strike at anything. 

Etzli stood, mustering all the strength she could to shove Yaretzi out of the helicopter. She fell through the open door.

It seemed to work, for a moment, until she felt the chopper wobble. Etzli stumbled toward the door, looking down to see Yaretzi hanging from the chopper's skids, by one hand.

"Pull me up," Yaretzi called, trying to reach up with her free hand, but in her blinded state, it was no use. 

"HELP ME! We're Valkyries, right? We're sisters!"

Etzli reached one arm out towards Eta, who immediately handed her the pistol. 

She stared down into Yaretzi's eyes. If only she could see how cold her face was in that moment.

"You are not my sister,"

Etzli squeezed off one shot, striking Yaretzi's hand. Her grip suddenly loosened. The Jaguar Warrior fell into the swamp below, out of sight.

At that moment, the pain of her injury began to catch up with her. Etzli felt herself stumbling before being grabbed. Teicuih held her by the arm, and led her back to her seat.

"Is she..." Johnston asked.

"Probably not." Chantico replied. 

Etzli took a seat as Teicuih began looking at her injury. 

"It's okay," Teicuih muttered. "We'll get you patched up when we get back. Right now, you just need to rest."

Etzli nodded, she let her head fall against the wall and closed her eyes.

"What do you think?" Thalestris asked.

Johnston smiled. "Well, it's Richter's decision, but it seems like your Eagle warriors are a valuable asset."

She looked to the door. "Who was that?"

"An old enemy," Teicuih replied. "I'll tell you all about it when we're out of here."

------

Dr. Curtis paced anxiously as he stood outside the office, trying to brace himself for the inevitable chewing out he was about to receive. This was not a good way to make a decent first impression on Ceballos. He'd already gotten a ton of Valravn personel killed and lost the important prototype. There weren't very many excuses that could justify that. Having to walk out of a swamp didn't do much to help his mood, either. 

And listening to Yaretzi's snoring didn't help. The Jaguar Warrior commander was seated on the bench with her head leaning against the wall, fast asleep, while a Valravn tech sat next to her, carefully performing maintenance on her body. Not like she couldn't use the rest after what they had been through, but listening to her snore for what felt like hours was not doing much good for his mind. He could barely focus. Trying to formulate an explanation for his actions seemed an increasingly futile exercise.

Finally, the door opened, and Dr. Ceballos stepped out, clipboard in hand.

"You're Dr. Arthur Curtis?"

"Yes, sir?"

"I've read your file. Your father was an interesting man."

"I'm better than he ever was."

"Oh, I don't doubt that. But this prototype of yours sounds like it could have been something special. What happened?"

"You saw the report."

"I want to hear it from you," 

Dr. Curtis took a deep breath. "We were diverted to a safehouse in the middle of a swamp. And, I thought you were there? But you weren't? Someone was impersonating you..."

"Who?"

"Olga Brandt. She had an army of Valkyries waiting for us."

"The report mentions you had one of your own."

"What?"

"A valkyrie. Why'd you bring her along?"

"She insisted on coming," Dr. Curtis replied. "I figured we needed anyone we could get."

"I see. It seems Olga's' up to something. You saw her, didn't you?" 

"Briefly,"

"That bastard's been trying to shut down my robots. She's scared that drones are going to put her out of business. And now she's using her pathetic Valkyries to do her dirty work? Figures. How would you like to get back at her."

Curtis smiled. "I would like that very much."

"I can help," said a voice from nearby. 

Yaretzi slowly lifted her head. As she opened her eyes, the scientists could see they were glowing once again. She stretched as she sat up. "You want to take down Olga Brandt? I have some information that might be of interest to you."

Ceballos and Curtis paused, both surprised by the offer.

"Why would you help us?" Ceballos asked. 

Yaretzi smiled. "That's for me to know, and you to find out."

"Do you think we can trust her?" Ceballos whispered.

"Probably not, but she's been useful so far."

Yaretzi chuckled. "Those Valkyries you found, they weren't just any unit."

"You know them?" Ceballos asked.

"The Eagle Warriors. They're traitors."

"I think I heard about that," Ceballos said. "They just abandoned their post one day and went off the grid."

"And now they're working personally for Olga Brandt. Strange, isn't it?"

"It is," Curtis replied.

"Why would Olga be working with deserters?" Ceballos asked.

Yaretzi shrugged. "No idea," though of course that was a lie. She already knew they weren't working for Olga, but for now, she decided it was better to keep them in the dark, let them follow their misguided assumptions.

"I guess we need a way to beat Olga at her own game. What coul-"

"I might have an idea." Curtis interjected.

"Really?" Ceballos replied.

"Remember Project Jotunn?"

"Of course. It was a disaster."

"Yes, but I think I have an idea for how we can make it work this time. And if I'm right, we can take your drone technology to a whole new level."

Ceballos paused, eyeing Curtis with a mix of curiosity and skepticism. 

"I'm Listening."

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