The cold winter morning was met with a warm surprise.

The small community of Tomamu that primarily lived in the twin resorts were met with pillars of smoke emerging from the nearby wilderness.

First responders were already on the scene, surveying the scene. In the eyes of any civilian, they were working hard to stop a wildfire from burning down the forests. But a darker, more twisted truth was at play.

There were no actual first responders. 

Every operative that worked to put out the fire was pretending to be a firefighter. They wanted to cover up their tracks, ensuring nobody knows how or where the fire actually started.

The underground facility that once saw the pinnacle of modern medicine and science was turned into a burial site. The countless Pioneer corpses that were murdered had been left in scattered piles inside.

Some gasoline had been spilled intentionally, spreading across the floors and even reaching the main lab. Liquid elements were exposed to the spillage, and were later introduced to the burning flames of a dropped matchstick.

What were once human beings hoping to help the rest of their species adapt and live healthy lifestyles, were now scorched bones and melting flesh that would be forgotten by the world.

Then to seal their fate, the front entrance of the cave was lined with carefully placed explosives. Upon detonation, the cave fell over itself, concealing the entrance with rock, dirt and natural debris.

No one would ever find this place again.

Once the fires had settled, every agent that participated in the extinction of the Pioneers had disappeared from the scene of the crime.

The natural decline of the earth in this area was soon given a new purpose. Right atop the cremation of hundreds of souls, the sloped ground was given a cover of fresh snow that accumulated over the next coming nights.

Throughout the future, men, women and children alike enjoyed skiing down the beautiful and steep paths for racing down the hills. They laughed with joy, mesmerizing the moments that life held full value and brought them the happiness they seeked.

They skied over the collosal grave that will never be discovered by humanity ever again.

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Lightning flashed overhead.

Captain Roger sat anxiously as his feet dangled out of the helicopter's side. He waited patiently for any response from his earpiece. It's been radio silence for too long.

They were flying out of Sapporo, a major city in western Hokkaido. Two more helicopters flew by, all of which were headed towards the same spot.

Roger Helvius held on to his blue cap as another gust of wind blew against them. The rain was beginning to pick up again. Early in the morning and this is the weather they're given. He wouldn't complain if it wasn't for the urgent matter he needed to attend to.

"Report, do you copy?" A panicked male voice cried through his earpiece, finally providing the captain with an update on the situation.

"Hear you loud and clear." Roger immediately responded with a deep Australian accent. "You still south of Tomamu?"

"We're stopped at a fork in the road south of Kamitomamu. There's a nearby patch of grass fit for you to land. How much longer until you arrive?"

The captain looked at his wristwatch. "Two hours tops, we're headed your way. Tell me though, is Ebony recovering?"

"The boss faded in and out of consciousness a few times already. We don't have any medical supplies on us, you need to hurry now!"

"I want every man you have left alive watching over him. If Ebony dies, I'm turning these birds around."

There was a short pause over the call until the Pioneer guard coughed up an answer. "Understood, we'll try our best."

The call was ended, forcing Captain Roger Helvius to look back at his wristwatch. He cursed to himself. This is not an emergency he had ever wanted to hear about. He was informed of the initial incident after Tron's introduction to the Pioneer facility, but nothing else was reported afterwards. Why wasn't he contacted to provide support if they were going to be invaded?

The truth behind it all lies with Ebony. If that man dies, then it's truly over.

No amount of thunder stopped the Infernals from reaching their destination.

So when another bolt of lightning struck the Earth just meters away from one of their helicopters, nobody batted an eye. They continued their pursuit against time, anxiously hoping it wasn't too late.

This cannot be the end.

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

Trin approached the motorcycle brought to her by the Division.

She sat atop of it, resting her hands on the handles. It felt nice and sturdy, providing just enough comfort to satisfy her.

Many of the agents that raided the base were already long gone by now. Tron's body was already being taken back to Division headquarters. The virus was handed to another operative, joining the others in their return to Australia.

But not Trin.

She won't be going back now. Not while Ebony still lives.

Revving the engine of her motorcycle, she spun a 180º and floored it. The reports she received from the agents stated the underground tunnels led south of Tomamu. It gave her a pretty good idea on where to look.

She sped down the main road heading southeast to Kamitomamu. And no, this is entirely separate from Nakatomamu. They're two different places that both share similarly long and complicated names. Look it up on google maps if you want a general layout of the place, I'm too lazy to create completely fictional places lol. But it's mainly just a tiny ass village, lots of forests and it's still surrounded by valleys and stuff. Nice place honestly. 

Also, is this the first time I try to be comedic after the past few depressing chapters? Probably.

But with Trin around, the comedy can never continue. She's dead set on completing her mission. What a bitch, am I right? I miss the good ol' Tron humor. 

On her were various different weapons she was offered by her fellow agents. Whether they were guns, explosives or trackers; she's ready for any occasion. So as the heavy wind blew against her during the drive, she endured it and kept her head low with a determined glare.

An incoming call came to her via earpiece because that's what all action spies use. Rather than the Director, it was a random unimportant agent guy. "Agent Trinity, do you respond?" 

"Copy, did you find Ebony?" 

After a short pause, she received her answer. "Several of the escape vehicles were lost, but our drones captured two jeeps speeding down through a forest away from the main road. They were headed south."

Trin immediately looked around her, finding an opportunity to leave the street and find the nearest offroad path. "How long ago was this?" 

"Twenty minutes ago. Sorry, I had a coffee break in between shifts. They ran out of hazelnut creamer." 

The call was abruptly ended, forcing Trin to zip through her surroundings. She drove right past a small bridge and a field of snow where two scientists rested underneath a tree.

Finally, she was clear of civilization surrounding her. What followed straight ahead was a path leading towards the wilderness. Trees loomed over every corner as the road narrowed.

She knew exactly where to go. The skid marks on the snow made it obvious, especially when they belonged to jeeps.

The drive wasn't long, but it also wasn't short. Even with her rapid acceleration, she had passed several miles of forests. But when she spotted an upcoming fork in the road, she noticed it.

Before her eyes even settled on the scenery ahead, the rotor blades of a helicopter was heard.

She was planning on slowing down, but this caused her to further keep her momentum. Without ever decreasing her speed, she turned right towards the noises and stumbled upon it.

Two helicopters had just taken off and began hovering, while a third one was landed over a small field. A few Pioneer personnel were boarding it, preparing to leave. Only two guards were still on the ground, attempting to evacuate.

They barely had time to notice her when Trin charged in and skidded her motorcycle to the side, slamming against one of the guards and knocking them down. She immediately dismounted her ride and dropped to the ground, taking cover behind it.

The gunfire spectacle began.

She stayed in cover, barely peeking her head to see one guard jumping aboard the helicopter. The other person she rammed into was struggling to stand. It appeared that the Infernals didn't want to leave him behind.

Her motorcycle was on the verge of erupting in flames from the amount of bullets it had to endure. That's when she had an idea. She looked at her left arm, almost managing to form a smirk as she stared at the wrist-strapped grappling hook.

Just when the Infernals were about to blow up the motorcycle, they noticed the vehicle suddenly start to shake on its own. A tethered rope flew past them, attaching itself to the helicopter's interior.

A few of the men stopped firing to look at it. It all happened so fast.

The motorcycle was violently yanked at unimaginable speeds towards the helicopter, smashing into it and blowing up simultaneously. The massive explosion killed everyone onboard and gave Trin the space she needed to walk out without needing to watch out for incoming fire.

She stood still, keeping her arms lowered in front of her waist. Her eyes followed the two remaining helicopters fly farther away. A part of her wanted to chase them, but she had a better idea.

Slightly lowering her head, she looked at the Pioneer guard still alive on the grass. He was defenseless and in no shape to fight back.

"Are you wounded?" She casually asked, slowly descending onto her knees and watching over the guard.

He groaned in response, trying to crawl away out of desperation. But that only annoyed the agent further. She reached for her backside, feeling the handle of a small pistol. Without warning, she pushed its barrel into the guard's head.

That got him talking.

He pleaded for his life in the usual way. Just words being screamed out, it was enough to give anyone a headache. Trin didn't want to hear any of it.

She pressed her gun onto his head even harder, making sure he'll listen. "I'm going to ask you a question. You're going to calmly tell me the truth, and then you're free to go. Nod your head if you understand."

He awkwardly nodded his head with the gun aimed at his skull. His worried eyes stared back at Trin's death glare.

She caressed the trigger with her finger. "Those Infernals have your boss, Ebony McJackson. Where are they taking him?"

"Fuck man, they don't give me the details! I think somewhere in Greenland? I just know there's some other base up high in the mountains over there! That's where they're going, I swear."

Trin sighed before nodding. "Thank you. One more question. Would you sacrifice your life for Ebony if given the opportunity?"

"Hell no! None of this is worth it, I just want to live!" 

The formidable agent looked back at the sky. "You'll be free to go, as long as you tell me which one of those helicopters your boss boarded."

The guard struggled to extend a hand out and point. The choppers could still be seen in the distance. "That one, on the left."

Without saying a word, she reached for the inside of her coat. She pulled out a small compact weapon with a scope. It was an experimental gun the Division had manufactured on their own. Cuntfield called it the Teleporter Gun. It shoots an explosively-charged laser beam. It does not teleport. They are still working on the name. Cuntfield sucks at naming things.

She took aim, leaning in closer as she squinted her eyes. From this angle, she'll be able to shoot down the left heli's tail. 

Then came the call. A force of habit got her to answer it through her earpiece as she lined her shot. However, the second she heard the Director on the other end, she regretted answering it. 

"Ahoy mate, Trin I've got news!" 

She gritted her teeth, trying to focus. "Just spit it out!"

Her response made it clear that she was in the middle of something, prompting Cuntfield to make his long speech incredibly short.

"Remember that Time Machine we talked about in chapter 9 or something? Well it's fully operational now! That's right, Tron's coming back for season 2 of Protocol Tron! You gotta come visit, it's gonna be a blast, mate!"

Trin stayed quiet. She had the perfect angle, and her aim was on point. But she never pulled the trigger. Rather than responding, she slowly reached for her earpiece and hung up the call. 

Now that she had some peace and quiet, she looked back at the choppers again. She felt her finger slightly pull back on the trigger, but she stopped herself. Instead, she slowly turned her weapon to the right.

Before she did anything, she spoke loudly so the Pioneer guard beside her could hear. "The chopper that Ebony entered; who else was in there?"

"The hell should I know?! I don't know who those people are, just that they're with another corporation of some sort." 

Trin stared down the scope of her rifle, making sure her aim was perfect. "Did you see a man with a scar on the left side of his face in there? Dark hair, beard, muscular?" 

The guard remembered it. "Yeah I think so, he was with Ebony. I don't know his name though."

No more hesitation, she pulled the trigger. But nothing happened; nothing yet at least.

Holding down the trigger, she was charging up her shot. The weapon started to hum, producing a faint glimmer of light from its front-barrel. After a few seconds, it was ready to fire.

A powerful laser bursted from the gun instantly, zooming through the sky faster than a bullet would.

It struck the right helicopter, immediately combusting on impact and demolishing the vehicle's tail. Even from afar, she could see the chopper lose control as it started spinning and falling out of the sky. Shortly afterwards, it descended below the trees until a distant explosion could be heard.

She's not going to kill Ebony now. Not when she knows where he's headed and who he's with. Besides, she recognized these helicopters; she knew exactly who they belong to. 

That's why, she'll wait till he arrives at his destination before taking action. In the meantime, Agent Trinity had another thought in mind. 

Once she hid her gun, she reached for her pistol that she had holstered prior. She slowly approached the Pioneer that was still desperately struggling to escape. He noticed her about to aim her pistol.

"Wait, wait! You said I was free to go!" His cries were loud, only further annoying Trin. She never let go of her gun, instead coming to a stop right above him.

"You're free to go to hell."

Without hesitation, she put a bullet into the Pioneer's skull. The gunshot echoed throughout the air until it finally became silent.

Her gun was holstered again as her hand was raised to her ear. She reached for her earpiece, activating it and instantly being connected to a nearby agent.

"Agent Trinity calling in, anyone copy?" Trin asked, waiting for a response. The moment she got it, she didn't pause in placing her request.

"Need a pickup. South of Kamitomamu. There's a dirt path leading towards a fork in the road. You'll see a downed chopper there, I'll be waiting by it."

She ended the call, standing frozen still as she looked up to the clouds.

It's time for her to return to Australia.