DAWN OF MANKIND

A Pegasus contractor looked at his screen, looking at the radar in his screen in front of him. 

"All clear," he reported to his superior. "Libyan air force aircraft have left the area." 

"That Bethorian gunship?" asked his superior. 

"It has left too," he replied. 

"Let's still be careful," said the superior. "Launch the ice screen." 

The Pegasus contractor pressed a button on his control panel. 

An emitter at the roof top turned on, pumping a gas into the air. It contains a chemical that will freeze upon coming into contact with aircraft fuel. 

Meanwhile, the 3 UNSSD aircraft entered the airspace above the building. Their stealth capabilities allowing them to enter whilst being hidden to Archangel. 

Knowing that reinforcements are airdropping in, Charlotte had requested the Bethorian gunship above to temporarily leave to trick the enemy and let them lower their guard. 

"Approaching drop height," said the pilot of the transport plane to his co-pilot. They need to slowly descent down to the optimal height for the Team Zero operators in the back to parachute off. 

In the cargo hold, Sean tugged Frederica's hand, gesturing that she can release him now. 

Yet, Frederica did not seem to understand his cue, still gripping onto Sean's hand. 

Sean wanted to ask Frederica to let him go, or to pull his hand away. Yet, another part of him strangely wants to hold onto her longer, which prompted him to get flustered. 

"Freddie looks so pretty today...wait, what am I thinking?!" Sean thought, not sure whats happening to him. 

The rest of the Team Zero operators did not notice what's going on with him and Frederica. 

Just then, the engine malfunction light popped up in the cockpit, much to the confusion of the pilots. 

"Both engines are malfunctioning," said the pilot. He turned to look at the cameras, shocked to see that both are burning. 

"Ice damage?" muttered the co-pilot in shock, looking at the AI diagnosis of the issue. Their engines apparently sucked in hail and received serious damage. 

Smoke started to seep into the cabin, prompting the operators inside to move away from the smoke. 

To prevent the fire from spreading and burning the plane, the pilots turned on the extinguishers in the engines, putting it out, but it also rendered both engines nonoperational. 

Their hearts sank, knowing that they need to do a forced landing, or they crash. 

"Let them jump first," said the pilot. "We have enough time," he said, looking at the onboard AI's calculations and cross-referenced it with his own experiences flying. 

"Skyhawk to Gold 1, we need to do a forced landing, will be dropping Team Zero first, over," he radioed. "Contact established with Libyan air force ATC, they will guide us to the nearby military air base." 

"Gold 1 copy, moving to escort," replied Harriet, turning her plane. 

The co-pilot then notified the operators in the back, while the pilot used all of his might to stabilise the now powerless aircraft. 

"What about you all?" asked a worried Xiao Tian. 

"We will be fine Lieutenant Colonel," replied the co-pilot. "You have your mission." 

"Good luck, comrade," replied Xiao Tian as the green jump light turned on and the rear doors opened. The Team Zero operators stood up, jumping off the plane, diving towards the rooftop of the building. 

In the meantime, both Vasily and Harriet are escorting the cargo plane away. Their engines did not freeze up as they were flying a distance away from the cargo plane. Hence unknown to them, the amount of the gas they sucked in was not concentrated enough to freeze their engines. 

Little did they know that the cargo plane's communication with the Libyan air force ATC was picked up by the Pegasus contractors, who were secretly listening in to the communications of the Libyan air force. 

As for how that is possible, its because they have moles inside the Libyan air force. 

"UNSSD has reinforcements," one of them said. "Ready the AAs." 

"What about them?" asked another contractor. 

"Need not worry, our friends in the Libyan air force will take care of them for us," he replied. 

Harriet and Vasily flew along side the cargo plane that is now essentially gliding its way to the military airbase. The cargo plane had activated its APU to provide some mechanical and electrical power so that the pilots can still have control of the plane. 

Just then, Harriet and Vasily noticed 2 dots approaching them rapidly on their radars. 

Soon, 2 fighters with Libyan air force decals pulled up around them. 

"Dassault Dragone F5s," recognised Harriet. "Non-stealth fighters operated by the Libyan air force, a French design." 

"Probably here to watch over us, no need to be alarmed." 

Yet Vasily reported that he cannot reach the 2 fighters on the public frequency. 

The 2 fighters then slowed down, allowing them to overtake. They are now flying at their 6 o'clock positions. 

A Libyan pilot sneered. 

"Bandits 12 o'clock, 3 miles out. Co-altitude," he said to his wingman in Arabian. 

"Let's show force," his wingman replied, locking on to Vasily and Harriet. "Save the cargo plane for later." 

The lock-on warning on the UNSSD fighters started blaring. 

"THEY ARE HOSTILE!" yelled Vasily. "Gold 2 locked on, taking evasive action." 

"Gold 1 evading!" yelled Harriet. 

"FOX 2!" said the Libyan pilots, firing infrared air to air missiles. 

Both fighters popped flares, speeding up and rolling out of the way and into the clouds. 

The missiles hit the flares and exploded in the air. 

"Not so fast," said a Libyan pilot, he and his wingman pursuing them. 

"Dog fighting," remarked Harriet. "Our stealth capabilities are less useful now," 

"Not quite," replied Vasily. "We can do that maneuver." 

Harriet concurred. Soon, her F-130X and Vasily's SU-700 flew overlapping to each other. This way the enemies' radar cannot distinguish their 2 fighters apart, only able to scan and detect 1 target. And this is not factoring how both Vasily and Harriet are flying stealth fighters, which makes radar detection even more difficult. 

Vasily then quickly flew vertically upwards, out of the radar detection zone of the 2 Libyan fighters, and then pulled back, flying towards the back of the 2 Libyan fighters, undetected by them. 

"I see them," said a Libyan pilot as they flew out of the clouds, having a visual on Harriet's F-130X. 

"Wait, where's the other one?" asked his wingman. 

By then Vasily had swooped in behind them. 

"See you in your next life, fools!" yelled Vasily. 'FOX 1!" he chose to use semi radar homing air to air missiles instead of the usual infrared at this distance to avoid accidentally locking on to Harriet when they are all in a straight line. 

Vasily's missiles hit one of the Libyan fighters, while the other one managed to evade in time, popping flares wildly.

"Damn you!" he cursed, maneuvering his fighter to break contact with Vasily and Harriet. Unfortunately, Harriet is quicker, quickly accelerating and catching up. 

She fired her autocannons, shooting down the fighter. 

"Nicely done," commended Vasily, pulling up beside her. 

"I hope they are doing alright," commented Harriet. 

"The plane? They already landed safely," replied Vasily. 

"No, Team Zero and the rest," said Harriet. 

"Then we fly back again with ground attack payload?" he suggested. 

Harriet agreed, and they flew in direction of the Libyan air base. 

(Building) 

"Team Zero approaching," radioed Xiao Tian. The Team Zero operators have landed on the rooftop, packing up their parachutes. 

"Copy," replied Maia. They are readying themselves to advance upwards. 

"How are things down there?" asked Khai, radioing their colleagues below. 

"We managed to repel them," replied Sayyid, reloading his Noveke N4 as he and the rest of the Spades Contractors tidied up the battlefield and tended to their casualties. "For now, the Vanguard terrorists are also reorganising as we speak." 

Charlotte then took over, asking Sayyid to hold on for as long as he can. She already sent a request to her fellow Spades International board members to reinforce them, as well as to help lobby the Libyan government and the UNSC into taking a firmer response towards Archangel. 

Back at the rooftop, Xu Qing pulled at the door, finding it locked. He wired up a thermite emitter onto the lock. 

The lock is melted off in an instant, and the door came open. Ariel acted as the point man, entering first, followed by Xiao Tian and the rest.

"Team Zero, enter," Xiao Tian radioed. 

"Team Zero, enter," his voice is broadcasted live in the 60th floor. 

Sir Howard rubbed his forehead in annoyance, hearing the voice of the team of operators who had proved themselves to be his biggest headache. 

He turned to Kronos and Livia. Understanding his needs, Kronos nodded at Constantine, Aurelia and Camila.

"Go handle them," he ordered. 

"Wait," said Director Kovac. "I think this will be a good opportunity to test the finalised iteration of Project Lone Star, don't you think?" he asked. 

Sir Howard agreed, ordering Ori Yashar to bring the spoils of the project and follow the 3 Sellardraxians. 

The 4 of them left the room, with Ori making a call. 

Little did anyone notice a smile creeping up to the faces of Director Kovac and Richard. 

(95th floor) 

"Power's out here, weird," commented Sean, looking into his NODs as they carefully walked down the stairs, scanning the area in front of them carefully, searching through each floor. 

"Stay alert," reminded Jay. "The vibe here screams "it's a trap"."

A cluster flashbang grenade rolled to their feet. "AMBUSH!" yelled Ariel as they all quickly turned away. The sound it made still somewhat disoriented them. 

Constantine emerged from the shadows. 

"YOU?!" exclaimed Louis in shock. He turned to Jay and Santos, who are also perplexed. "Didn't we mag dump this bast*rd?" 

"My death was, highly exaggerated," smirked Constantine. 

Ori then appeared behind Constantine. 

"You snaking traitor," scolded Ariel. "Your running days are over!" 

"Watch your tongue, Kraut," said Ori, insulting Ariel's German nationality. 

"Same goes to you, Juden," she snapped, saying the last word in German. 

Everyone in the room turned silent. Sean is staring at her with his jaws open. His first impression of Ariel as a sweet and kind "girl next door" is now shattered. 

"I thought my insults are cancel-worthy, but this is next level," he thought. 

"ANTI-SEMITE!" roared Ori. "YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!" 

He stepped back, revealing rows of humanoid creatures. 

"They are not the ones Liu Zhong encountered," said Nanami. "These are new." 

"Behold, the dawn of mankind!" declared Ori. 

One of the creatures charged. 

Xiao Tian opened fire. The creature instantly fell from the barrage of bullets. 

Then it stood back up, and the bullets are pushed out of its body. 

"Advanced healing factor?" he muttered in shock. 

Before any of them can react, the creature then launched a Cosmic Energy attack, blasting the Team Zero operators back. 

The front row of creatures then morphed their forms. Sean looked at them, shocked to see that they have turned themselves into copies of him and his fellow Squad Artemis siblings. 

Sean realised that these humanoid beings are basically Deep Dwellers, but in Earth and humanoid, able to evolve to adapt to any environment rapidly.