Advanced Soldiers

"The number of disappearances has continued to climb these past few months and authorities are tr-" Nick's attention was broken away from the news when his dad put a pancake with a candle on top in front of him and Nick chuckled as the old man sat down on the opposite side of the small kitchen table.

"I know it's no birthday cake but I never learned how to bake since your mother loved doing it." He told Nick as he turned the TV down before giving him a smile and Nick returned the gesture but he knew that his dad was only doing it for appearances, "Even when you were deployed she made you a cake every year, though I was never sure why, and I figured this year shouldn't be any different."

"Thanks Dad." Nick said as he took a bite out of the pancake and gave his father a thumbs-up while swallowing the undercooked sentiment before they heard their dog begin to bark, which he never did. His dad walked over to the window to see what was making the canine upset and after a moment he tapped Nick's shoulder.

"We're you expecting anything today?" He asked he motioned for Nick to come over and Nick shook his head with a confused look as he stood up. Nick's eyes widened when the side of a van labeled 'Cyberdyne' opened and he watched several armed men climb out.

"Follow me!" Nick yelled as he grabbed the old man's hand and turned around just in time to take the butt of a rifle to his face. His world spun as he fell to the floor and the last thing he saw as he blacked out was his father being shot for fighting back.

"Nick are you there?!" Nick heard over his radio, waking him up and he yawned as he picked it up, "This is Jackson!"

"You manage to pull it off?" Nick casually asked as he stood up and looked out of the window of the decrepit skyscraper he had used for shelter. He wasn't a fan of staying the night in such a tall building since it could come down at any moment but it was the best place he could use for his mission.

"Yeah but there's an aerial unit on our ass and we're coming your way!" Jackson yelled over the radio while he narrowly avoiding its plasma blasts as they roared down the empty street in the beat up rover they had decided to use and put the radio down when the only response he got was static.

"Is your man coming?!" The man on the turret asked as he fired at the air robot but its armor was too thick for him to be causing any real damage before it suddenly flew ahead of them and turned around to shoot them from the front, "We're not going to make it!"

"He'll be here!" The woman in the passenger seat told him as she prepared a rocket launcher at the machine until Jackson accidentally hit an abandoned car trying to avoid more plasma blasts and she cursed as it fell out of her hands. The machine lowered itself so it could block the road and the turret gunner tried to get Jackson to take a different route before part of the machine slammed onto the asphalt, giving them just enough space to fit underneath.

"Is that your man?!" The gunner asked when he saw Nick holding onto the top side of it with an explosive in his hand and Jackson put the rover in reverse while whipping it around right before Nick lept off of the aerial machine and landing on the hood, making the rover tilt forward for a moment, "Holy shit!"

"Told you he'd be here!" The woman yelled as the machine exploded as Jackson began to slow to a stop so Nick could climb in until a large plasma blast flew past them and they saw a tank-like machine coming towards them, "Well that's new!"

"Can you handle that thing?!" Jackson asked as he slammed on the gas and Nick examined the tank as it quickly gained on them, "Can you or not Nick?!"

"It's armor is a lot thicker than mine so I doubt it." Nick told him over the radio in between the seats before he put out two fingers on the side of his specialized helmet, "Legion's sent a tank after us so it looks like I need some backup. Are you in the area? Jackson take a right about three blocks from here."

"You guys really love this area huh?!" Jackson yelled as he swerved to avoid another plasma blast and they heard Nick's static filled chuckle. The around the corner expecting to see a team waiting for them but the street was completely empty and Jackson gave Nick a strange look as the tank got closer before the wall to their right was blown open and a large armored truck slammed into the side of the tank, causing it to roll into the adjacent building.

"Safe travels." Nick told them as he hopped off of the rover and slid to a stop on one knee. Jackson shook his head as Nick and the truck disappeared over a hill and the gunner just stared in disbelief.

"You needed help with that little thing?" A woman in similar armor as Nick asked as she hopped out of the driver seat if the truck before they heard the tanks tracks begin to spin and it managed to get upright again, "Tough son of a bitch isn't it?"

"Let's see just how tough it is!" A man yelled in an excited voice as the back of the truck opened and he stepped out with a large turret he had been rigging up. The two were sent flying back as he began to fire grenade launcher rounds at high speed and they watched as the tank's armor burst open before its plasma cannon spun and it exploded.

"You hiding things from me again Eli?" Nick asked as he sat up with a chuckle and Sam pulled the hand-held turret to his side like it was a toy, "You alright Sam?"

"Why do you and HQ let him get away with stuff like that?" Sam sighed as she got to her feet and they heard Eli begin to laugh as he out the turret away, "At least we know the armor actually works now."

"It was one hell of a field test." Nick told them as he climbed into the driver seat of the truck and once the other two were strapped in he slammed on the gas, making the tires squeal, and raced back to their HQ.