I ran as fast as I could down the narrow street. My heart pounded my chest, beating in time with the thunderous footsteps pounding behind me. I burst out of the alley and onto the main road. I was twenty feet away when the entrance to the alley exploded in a cascade of bricks and cobblestone. The massive form of a Hybrid burst onto the road, roaring in anger. I stopped and turned. "Hey! You want me?!!" I yelled. The beast whirled to face me. "Come on!! What's the matter? Can't keep up? You want to take a break? Maybe have someone massage your toes?" I taunted. The Hybrid roared again, and began charging towards me. I turned and ran. "[i]Just a little longer. Your almost there.[/i]" I told my screaming lungs. I ran past two buildings marked with a red x on either side of the street. I ran ten more feet then stopped. "Come on, you big idiot!" I yelled. The Hybrid stopped and sniffed the air. "You don't want to kill me? Oh, are you a pacifist now? I think, you need a name. How about, flower petal?" I teased. The creature growled. "No, no. I've got it. BUTTERCUP!!!" I yelled. The Hybrid roared and charged. The moment it reached the red x's I yelled, "NOW!!" The walls on either side of the Hybrid exploded. Multiple mortars fired from golden age cannons. The Hybrid moaned as it was torn to shreds. It fell to it's knees, and raised one SIVA encrusted claw towards me. I could see the nanites begin to glow, charging their needles. Suddenly, it's hand was obliterated by a mortar. The Hybrid screamed one last time before it's mutilated body hit the ground. I sighed in relief. "Good job!" A voice said behind me. I turned to find Drake standing there, a wide grin across his face. "Thanks. I'm just glad to be alive." I replied. "Come on, let's go." Drake said, gesturing to the sparrows hidden in the shadows. We each hopped on one and took off towards the resistance bunker. "It's a good thing, that the new resistance leader recognized the need for cooperation between guardians and non-guardians." I said as we sped down the road. "Can you believe it's been five months since we got here? Its feels like yesterday, when we met our first Hybrid." Drake said. "You nearly peed your pants!" I laughed. "You were screaming like a little girl!" He retorted. We both chuckled. Soon we reached the entrance and we parked our sparrows. Two engineers came running out and took them inside. Drake and I navigated the maze of tunnels until we reached the council room. Jedesia and Willard stood around the table looking at maps. Jedesia brightened when she saw us. "Your back!" She said. "How did it go?" Willard asked. "Mission successful." I replied. "Good. Now get some rest. You've earned it." He said. "Yes sir." Drake and I said. I put my arm around Jedesia and smiled. "How are you doing, m'lady?" I asked as I kissed her cheek. "Just fine, thank you." She said, giggling. "We're still going tonight, aren't we?" I asked as I took her into my arms. "You bet we are!" She said as she rested her head on my chest. I pulled her closer, savoring this moment. After a few seconds I pulled away and smiled. "I will see you at 7:00 o'clock sharp." I said as I left the room. I took the most direct route to my quarters and dropped into my bunk. "[i]I'm going to enjoy this.[/i]" I thought as I drifted off to sleep.