Skylux

The Final Mission

"2:15, only a few minutes until the target should walk by." Thought a man in a tattered hoodie, and pants with so many stains you wouldn't be able to tell what they originally looked like, or where they were from. He took this time to once more go over the plan in his head. When the target passes the alley, he is to follow him for about half a klick to an abandoned building that was once a 6-story hotel, scheduled for demolition the following morning. There the target is supposed to be meeting a man in a white suit and red tie on the fourth floor, with information that the target believes to be very important. However, there will be no man in a white suit and a red tie. Only the cold steel of a blade.

It began to rain just as the target crossed the entrance to the alley, "Perfect..." thought Jak to himself. The rain will only help to mask his approach, not hinder it. After a half klick of walking, the target opened the door, or what was left of it, leading into the lobby. While the target, leisurely climbed the stairs, Jak moved rapidly up another set of stairs to the fourth floor. Jak then entered Room 408, and waited. After about a minute, the door to Room 408 creaked loudly as the target opened it.

"I'm here, now tell me what's so impor- who the hell are you?!" screamed the surprised target as he felt the cold feel of metal on his neck. Without a word, Jak slid the knife across the target's throat, laid the target on the bed, when suddenly the windows shattered, allowing two armed soldiers to rappel into the room. Four others emerged through a knocked down door, the noise of the door breaking masked by the shattering windows.

"Your getting sloppy." complained Jak, as he quickly unholstered his two pistols, one facing each group of attackers.

"Sergeant Jak Daly, you have two choices. Either come with us peacefully, or-"

"Yeah yeah, I know we're doing this the hard way," sighed Jak "...It's your funeral..."

Dropping to one knee, Jak quickly fired six rounds, five of them finding their mark, the sixth, hitting the leader of the hit squad in the shoulder. The impact sent the soldier toppling out the window. Standing up, Jak walked briskly to the shattered windows. Looking down, he saw the soldier holding on tightly; his life depended on it. Jak silently reached down and offered the soldier his hand. Shocked, the soldier grabbed Jak's hand. Seemingly without any effort, Jak lifted the man back into the room. Jak picked through all the soldiers pockets, finding the soldiers orders, as well as his I.D.

"Sorry Corporal, I have this thing against traitors."

Jak raised his pistol and fired one more shot; impossible to miss.

"After this, I may need some R&R, I'm getting just as sloppy as them." thought Jak.

Silently leaving the room, Jak turned into a M4 barrel. Feeling a needle pierce the skin of his neck, "Damn... I am getting sloppy..." muttered Jak. His knees then buckled, and everything went black...

Project Revenant

"Hello Skylux," came a mysterious voice from the darkness, "and welcome to Project Revenant. During your stay with us, your body has been altered in a few exceptional ways, to better you in your line of duty, here with us. Soon, during our training exercises, to get you used to your new...abilities, you'll take note that your already above-normal pain tolerance, has been altered to allow for you to take about 5 times the amount of punishment as a normal man can. However, remember, even with your enhanced pain tolerance, you are still only human. Taking note of your expertise in espionage, and assassination. We have trained you to be the perfect assassin. Your accuracy and prowess with fire arms, has increased to that of a world-ranked marksman. Your renowned abilities as a swordsman have been honed to near perfection, thanks to a certain ninja clan based out of a secret dojo, in the hills of Tibet. Finally-"

"Alright, whoever you are, shut the fuck up and get to the point!"

"I see you've still retained that attitude of yours...never-the-less..." stated the disembodied voice in the darkness.

Into The Breach

Suddenly, there was an flash of bright light. Taking a moment, Skylux, let his eyes adjust to the light, noting that it took nearly a fraction of the time it used to. How he knew how long it took his eyes adjust to the dark, he didn't understand. Glancing around, he noted he was in a small room, with four spotlights, one in each corner of the square room. Along one wall, was an assortment of rifles, handguns, and boxes full of different types of grenades. Glancing down, to his surprise, he was wearing what looked to be a new type of combat gear. Strapped across his back, were two ninja-esque blades. There were also five knives, wrapped around his right thigh, throwing knives he assumed. After crossing the room to the weapons rack, Skylux selected two pistols and four magazines. Finding what looked to be specialized night-vision goggles, Skylux quickly strapped them on.

"Nice, night vision *click*... and thermo." he mumbled to himself.

Grabbing a flare, and two fragmentation grenades, Skylux walked casually to the door, and tried to open it. To no surprise at all, it was locked.

"Are you ready Skylux? During your training exercise, you will not be able to reacess the armory."

"I'm always ready."

With that said, the door clicked, and Skylux eased open the door.

Skylux spent three months going through extensive exercises to make surely he was able to handle any situation, as well as test his physical limits.

Towards the end of the third month, however, something happened. Something that would change Skylux life forever...

A Change of Pace

During the middle of a training exercise in a remote part of Paragon City, thought to be unpatrolled by heroes, ‘‘‘Skylux’’’ was approached on a rooftop whilst following a team of Crey Juggernauts. Skylux thought this was just another routine exercise, but it was actually quite the opposite. The Juggernauts turned out to be a team of 5th Column Nacht commandos, tasked with the elimination of Skylux. He easily defeated the commandos, but they were not Skylux's biggest problem. A squad of Mk II Wolfpack units, lead by Othman Doul, or Vandal himself, emerged from the woods. Knowing he wasn't fully equipped, he made the tactical decision to retreat into the forest.

After his retreat through the forest, Skylux noticed he was being followed. Skylux glanced over his shoulder at the man standing behind him. He quickly analyzed the man. 6 feet tall. Weighing about 180 pounds. He was also unarmed.

"Is this a joke?" thought Skylux to himself. With the grace and agility of an Olympic Class gymnast, Skylux lunged at the man, drawing his two teal tinted daggers. His favorite weapons. The man caught one blade in his right arm, while the second blade sunk into the man's bicep. "Heh, not quite fast enough." Skylux said with a smirk. "Who says I need to be fast?" chuckled the man. Skylux quickly pulled out his blade and watched in amazement as the man's wound healed completely in a matter of seconds.

"Now let's stop wasting time and get to the point. We've only got a minute or so until they find us. Skylux, I've been monitoring you for the last month or so, and I have to admit I'm impressed."

"Whoa, stop right there. How the hell do you know who I am?" asked Skylux.

"That will all be explained later. I have a proposition for you. Come train with me, and you will get in on the really action. Not this shit they have you doing here. You will make a difference in the world, and you may just find out about your past..."

"Deal. Now let's get out of here."

The Mentor, The Hornet, The Disappearance

Skylux spent the next year training under The Hornet. He learned a great deal from a real-world operative compared to the suits that were trying to teach him things earlier. He also experienced loads of on site training. It was going great until one day, at the rendezvous point, The Hornet never showed up. They were in the middle of a very important mission, and the information Skylux retrieved needed to be delivered. He went to the Hornet's safe house located in Kings Row. When he arrived he noticed the door was kicked in. Immediately he drew his sidearm, and carefully walked in. Lying on the front desk, was the Hornet's goggles and mask, and the body of an incapacitated Fifth Column Raserei Elite Unteroffizier slouched against the back wall. He grabbed the mask and goggles and quickly left. He was later spotted wearing the same mask and goggles while operating. To this day, Skylux still has a strong dislike for the Fifth Column, and the new Council, and is always looking for a bit of vengeance.

Give A Little, Get A Little

After searching on his own, Skylux reluctantly realized he needed help trying to find out more about his past. Luckily, the Vanguard also required assistance. Skylux carried out many different missions for them. Usually, assassinations of high ranking Rikti officials and military leaders, preventing and repelling assualts on the Vanguard compound, and assaulting the downed Rikti mother ship. After a month of these missions, the Lady Grey rewarded Skylux with a pair of Talsorian blades, and a Vanguard assault rifle. Along with these gifts, he was given the last known location of the Revenant Project.

Homecoming

"It's raining..." thought Skylux. He always did enjoy the rain. It usually had a calming effect on him. [i]Usually...[/i] Tonight, he didn't want the usual. Now, at will, he could release adrenaline into his body. With help from the The Hornet, he mastered this ability. Good thing too, being able to control the amount of adrenaline in his body had saved his ass on more than one occassion.

Staring through the scope on his Custom Modified Barrett .50-caliber sniper rifle, Skylux quickly accessed the situation.

"Four guard towers, located at compass heading zero, ninety, one hundred and eighty, and two hundred and seventy degrees. North, South, East, and West. Two guards per tower. Most likely a sniper/spotter team." Generic guard set up. Skylux glanced at his watch. 0100 hour, good. The guards should be glossy eyed and tired. Not that they would of been a problem to be take out, this just makes it easier.

Eight silent cracks rang out, with a three second space between every two.

With the guards eliminated, Skylux slowly crawled out of his hide on the edge of the forest. He silently moved up to the edge of the barbwire fence surrounding the compound. It was there he stayed for a good half hour, watching. He kept track of the movement of the guards stationed outside. Moving at just the right time, Skylux easily avoided the guards and entered the compound.

Skylux found himself in a long blank hallway. Continuing down the long corridor, Skylux finally found a door. Grasping the handle, he stopped.

Déjà vu...

The Squad

Suddenly, he developed a massive migraine. Scenes flashed before his eyes. Men in dark blue labcoats, needles, training sessions with a group of men he had never seen before... men that seemed oddly familiar... All too familiar. When the visions stopped, Skylux's migraine did as well. "Shiiiiiit... I've got to stop these visions..."

Finally testing the door handle, he found it locked. Sighing, he took a step back. "Always the hard way..." he muttered. Skylux delivered a swift kick to the door, just under the handle. This caused the door to swing open. Stepping into the room, Skylux was meet with a room containing only a lab table (with many testing devices, instruments, and measuring tools), and a hospital bed, and health monitoring devices.

This proves it... It's all true. I can't beli- wait, what about my squad mates? My brothers...? I've got to find them if they're still alive. Skylux sprinted to the door across the room, and quickly checked the door. Unlocked. Opening the door he found a waiting room. Room after room, Skylux searched.

Heads, check. Mess Hall, check. Living Quarters, check. Live Fire Obstacle Course, still operating.

Damn it! Where are they?! Skylux says to himself, while finding his way into another hall. Suddenly, he hears gunshots down an adjacent hallway. Finding this odd, he veers of to check it out. After another winding hallway, Skylux finds himself on a balcony, overlooking a training course. Looking down he sees a fire fight in progress. On one end of the massive room, was a bunker, locked down by a single squad. On the other end, Skylux counted fifty men, using whatever they could find, as cover. Quickly, Skylux unraveled a rope from around his belt, and rappelled to the ground. Moving fast, but silent he made his way towards the bunker. Peeking around the concrete wall he was using for cover, Skylux searched the bunker for an entrance. Not two seconds after Skylux glanced around the corner, he quickly jumped back. A tracer round passed straight through where his head had been a mere second before.

"Shit that's them!" Skylux turned and quickly made his way through a destroyed house, putting himself about 40 yards away from the bunker. Taking one deep breath, Skylux prepared himself, then burst out of the house. In those 40 yards, the sniper managed to pop off two shots, one clipping Skylux in the thigh. Once at the entrance to the bunker, and in the sniper's defilade, Skylux sighed. The shot missed his bone, going straight through his muscle. Easily forgetting the pain, Skylux bellowed, "This is Echo Actual, get this damn door open!"

A moajority of the gun fire from the bunker ceased, with the exception of an automated defense turret or two. "I'm not fuckin' around here boys, get this door open now! That's an order!" The door was quickly opened, Skylux was ushered in, and the door was slammed shut.

"Shit Sky, it's really you." said Maverick, the teams driver, pilot, and engineering genius. He could fly or drive any vehicle known to man, even some unknown.

"Yeah, nice to see ya bud, now where's Chief at? I need a sit rep." asked Skylux.

"He's in the other room, I'll show you."

"Don't worry about, get back to your post."

"Yessir!"

Moving through the bunker, Skylux realized he knew the layout already. He quickly moved to Ops-Center.

"Sky? Sir you're hit!" said Chief , in shock.

"Don't worry about it Chief , Sit-Rep!"

"We're surrounded, three hundred and sixty degrees. We've got no way out." Chief . Chief , a by-the-books soldier, is Echo Squad's second-in-command and master strategist.

"I see, I've got something in mind. Where can I find Sev? I need to have a talk with him."

Chief smiled, "On the roof, enjoying himself."

Skylux chuckled, "I should of known, work on keeping us defended, I'll find us a way out."

Climbing to the stairs to the top floor, and then the ladder to the roof, Skylux planned on giving Sev hell for shooting at him. Reaching the roof, Skylux found Sev.

"Sev, what the fuck was that?" asked Skylux.

"Hey Boss, I missed, won't happen again." stated Sev glancing up from his scope, smirking.

"Don't let it happen again," said Skylux, returning the smirk. "How we doin'?"

"We've been here ever since the raid sirens went off. Chief ran into a group of armed guards, and was fired upon. We got out of there ASAP and set up in our "personal armory"."

"Ammo?"

"Running low Boss, we've got maybe an hour left. Fifteen minutes if you let Maverick keep shooting."

"Alright, meet me and Chief in the Ops-Center, five minutes. I'm getting us outta here."

Skylux quickly spun on his heels and made his way back down stairs as he heard Sev begin to inflict his wrath once more.

A Way Out

Skylux rolled out a map of the complex on the table, and placed a radio on the table.

"Sev, you listenin'" he asked. *CRACK* "...Always."

"Right, so here's what we're gonna do..."

Skylux spends 5 minutes going over the plane, involving them getting out of the bunker, to the complex's underground airstrip, and hijacking a plane out. Chief and Maverick silently nod. Sev quickly climbs down the ladder and hands his Barrett .50-caliber Sniper Rifle to Skylux.

"Take care of 'er boss." Skylux winks, and says, "Let's do this..."

Skylux quickly climbs up the ladder and sets up the rifle. He whispers into his radio, "On three boys... One... Two-" The three men rushed out the back door, and sprinted straight for the exit. It was an old trick they had used many times when there was even a remote chance that thier communications were being monitered. They would plan a count for three, but leave on two. As they ran, Skylux covered them from the roof of the bunker. When they made it to the other side, they set up in a semi-circle around they door and watched as Skylux dove from the bunker, and hit the ground running. The three men hit every soldier that moved to take a shot on their squad leader. Skylux slammed his back against the wall, and rested for one second. He then signaled the squad to prepare to break through the door. Maverick smiled and pulled out a breaching charge. They all slid into position. Maverick started a silent countdown with his fingers.

Three... Two... One... *click*

Kick the Tires, Light the Fires