Chapter 22

Toni looks at Atlas and smirks, but only let's her smile linger for a moment.

"Do you think people will believe us?"

"Maybe, I know people will wonder at least."

Atlas leans up and looks out the window. Nothing, yet at least. He sits down and relaxes again.

She takes a deep silent breath in and bites her cheek. "Um Atlas?"

He looks at her and smiles softly, "Yes?"

"I'm probably too much, but I am willing to risk it. When, this is over, will you go out with me?" she says,

She clears her throat and forces herself to stare at him. He looks at her in surprise, but can't help but grin.

She scoffs, "I know it's horrible timing."

"Would you guys please focus?" Neo says over the radio,

Shadow throws the back of her hand into Neo's shoulder as she let's go of the radio.

"Agh! What?!"

"Idiot." Shadow mutters,

Atlas chuckles, as Toni clicks her radio off of auto. Atlas nods and clicks his off as well.

"Toni, yes. I would love to. You're amazing and kind. I'd be an idiot to say no. As for Ashe, she already knows who I have my eyes on."

Toni tries to fight it, but her smile turns into a grin, her face turns bright red.

"What do you say we BOTH go tomorrow to get supplies?"

She nods, "I like the sound of that."

****

Ashe grins, "They are so cute." Ashe says,

Turner grins, "So unfair." he chuckles,

"Hey I'm always here for you." George says giving a serious and loving look to Turner,

Turner snorts and shakes his head as he silently laughs. "Aw wedding bells Turner."

He glares at her, "Shut uuup." he complains,

"Eyes up."

Tinker jumps to a crouch and looks out the window, Toni and Atlas look down from their view points at the three who creep out into the open.

"Ashe?"

"On it."

She has already started down the steps and to the ground floor. She stops and peeks out at the elderly man, the young man and the young woman and waits.

"Now?"

"We got you covered Ashe. Head out."

Ashe steps out the door and starts over to them.

The woman gasps and taps the elderly man's back, they turn and stare at her.

"It's a trap!" the elderly man shouts,

Pew! Tut-ffft!

The bullet ricochets off the forcefield and hits the earth.

"Blue building! Forth floor!"

Shadow sends her faded half into the building next to her and as she reconnects, she does it again and phases into the small blue building.

Shadow finished reconnecting with herself and runs to the sniper, she jumps phases behind them, she turns, grabs them by the shoulders as they fire at her, and slams the man into the ground hard.

She kicks back at the other sniper's hands and knocks the rifle out of his hand. She grabs his collar, lifts him and slams him into the wall, she then rams a fist into his gut. The first sniper had pulled his pistol, but Shadow had already guessed his recovery. As she phases back on top of him, she pulls a Taser Pulser and completes the phase shift, straddling the sniper.

Shadow throws the Taser Pulser without even looking at the second sniper. He yells out in pain, Shadow pushes the first sniper's pistol to the ground and punches him in the stomach and then the face twice, knocking him out.

****

"Got em Neo!" Tinker shouts,

Turner drops and slides as the three turn around. Tinker, with his semi auto rifle already drawn, he fires twice and drops the back two.

Turner as he finishes the slide, plants his foot on the soldier's and with Turner's other leg, he kicks himself up and bear hugs the soldier.

Turner immediately lifts him up and slams him down. The soldier yells out and throws his elbows into Turner's back. Turner grunts and is thrown to the side. But Tinker is already aiming and fires, the bullet tears into and through the man's stomach.

****

"Easy, it's okay. We need you to prove you aren't with the SGA. Come with me."

Ashe grips her pistol, but keeps her arm loose and ready to move. She walks behind them and escorts them into a nearby building.

Neo walks down with a tablet in hand. "Are there more of you?" she asks,

"N-no. No it's just us." the woman says,

"We'll see, let's go."

They escort the three to a truck hidden in a dusty garage. They walk around the corner and see Toni and Atlas helping Shadow load the unconscious SGA soldiers.

The three stare in shock and awe at the masked people and the cyborg lady. They climb onto the back of the truck with them.

Shadow and Turner sit up front. Neo begins questioning them in the back.

"Full. Full names JJ."

"Jacob Jackson, this is Yuna Jackson and her dad Frank Pobbs."

"Why did you listen to us and not them?"

Frank shrugs, "We are one of the poorest families there is. The government has slowly been getting stricter, but it has been getting more strict."

"We don't trust the Guardians either."

"So why trust us then?" Neo asks,

They all look at each other and back. "Because you said you're about freedom, is that really true?" the young man asks,

"Absolutely." Ashe says,

They look at her and smile. "The SGA wants total control. We want a system, but we want freedom. Equality."

"To put it simply. We want family...The kind that works together and supports each other. For everyone." Atlas says,

Neo looks at him with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah actually." she says,

"You say that like you're surprised." he laughs,

She shrugs, "A little. It was well said."

"You guys can join us. You'll have to subit to polygraph tests." Shadow says,

"You were really cool ma'am. Is teleportong your power?"

Shadow looks at the woman. But doesn't say a thing.

"We want to be sure you're on our side. Don't take it personally." Ashe says,

The elderly man nods, "Of course, we understand."

They have Turner and Tinker drop them off seven blocks away from their temporary HQ in the middle class area. Turner and Tinker then agree to drive the three others to their secondary HQ.

"Think taking them back was a bad idea?"

Shadow shakes her head, "No way they are SGA."

"How do you know?" Atlas asks,

"I spent a long time watching them. Higher ups are always better at hiding it, but they are never perfect."

"Yeah well, neither are we." Ashe says,

"Maybe you Kitty."

Ashe smirks at Neo,

"Well, okay if I take a shower?" Toni asks,

"Yeah we got this covered." Ashe says,

Neo gives the heads up to Tips and Thomas at HQ and leaves Shadow, Ashe and Atlas.

Shadow move close to Atlas, Atlas leans back, but Shadow grips his shoulder tight.

"I know you won't hurt her. But Toni is my best friend. We leveled?"

Atlas nods, "Shadow, Toni deserves all the respect in the world. There's no way I'm not giving it to her."

Shadow nods and lets go of his shoulder. "Good."

Ashe still stares at Shadow with a raised eyebrow. "How come you don't care about me like that?!"

Shadow slowly turns to look at her, secreting frustration. "Because, you weren't the one that always was there even after I stopped threatening them."

Atlas grins and powers down his suit. "Shadow you are one of my favorite human beings, I hope you know that." he says as he starts to his room,

They look at him as he says goodnight to them.