{The Final Act}

Joe Peperelli considered himself a cautious man. As someone who needed others to work his powers through, he knew when to keep both friend and foe alike close.

That cautiousness bled into everything else he did, or else he would not have survived in the cutthroat world of the criminal underground.

"Wait!" Joe shouted to his Elites before they could get into range of Fletcher, and, consequently, the turret fire raining down on the combat instructor. "Elites, hold defensive entrenchment. Shield line formation delta!"

Several elites filed in front of each other and unlatched large metal discs with glowing red centers. They planted the discs at their feet and crouched down, pressing a few touchscreen buttons.

The discs crackled with red energy before opening up, exposing glowing red circuitry and moving mechanical parts.

Large front facing shields of energy formed from these discs, and behind them, groups of three Elites crouched for cover.