Rebel and I didn't stick around long after dropping Team Delta off. Rebel helped safely maneuver Outlaw into the house, we both avoided any interaction with Slick's ex, and then we were gone.

Our meeting place was one of guaranteed safety; a place that the Kinetic would not likely think to search ... a place that had once seen a decent amount of traffic so far as LASAR agents went. We were meeting everyone in Howler's former safe house; a place that had been a crossroads for LASAR agents who did frequent fieldwork ... a place that Rebel and I knew Aim and Gambler had never been to.

The safe house was actually an entire building. It was a little on the small side, and only two stories, but it existed all the same, and given Howler's frequent use of it over the years, there was no doubt it would be stocked with a myriad of supplies we might find useful. A portion of those supplies being weapons, of course.

Rebel and I ditched the car several blocks away from the safe house, and took an indirect route from there. By some streak of luck, we made it there without incident. Out of habit we both headed toward the back of the building, given we were accustomed to doing everything in our power to draw less attention.

"Key?" Rebel asked as I pressed nimble fingers into the wall, feeling carefully for the loose brick.

"Working on it," I said, giving him a pointed look before I felt one of the bricks wiggle. I tugged it out with little difficulty, tossing Rebel a 'see-I-know-what-I'm-doing' look in the process, before slipping the key into the lock.

"How many loose bricks did she set up, anyway?" Rebel asked, audibly fiddling with one of his knives.

"Don't remember," I admitted, tugging the door open and tossing him the key. "Under a dozen. She wasn't as paranoid ..." I trailed off as we headed into the building, dark eyes glancing over everything. It was all eerily familiar; it looked almost exactly as it had the last time we'd been here. The only difference was that now it was dead silent. No Top 50 Hits playing, no thrumming of a washing machine or the dishwasher ...

Though when there was a not-quite-whisper of "I think someone else came into the house," it felt safe to assume others had arrived.

Especially given after Desmond's too-loud observation, I could hear Sergeant hiss, "You suck at being quiet, Freckles. Offense intended."

Before Rebel or I could even make it out of the kitchen, Catatonic appeared in the doorway, cheshire grin wide on his face. "'Sup, Alpha dogs?" And before either of us could answer— "No worries, guys, Risk and Rebel are here!"

No sooner had he spoken our names than did a pixie-like girl with a mess of purple hair appear beside him, accompanied by a slight breeze. Standing at the same height as myself, but with darker skin and freckles galore, Snag beamed with impish mischief. "Aw, look, it's my favorite dangerous duo!"

"And our favorite speedster," I returned.

"Who evidently has decided to go purple," Rebel noted, an amused smile on his lips.

"Hey," Snag grinned brightly, "I'm not a LASAR agent anymore. What's it matter if anyone recognizes me?" she scoffed. "After all, they certainly can't catch me."

"That's fair," Cat pointed out, brows high on his forehead as he shrugged. He turned back to Rebel and I in a smooth motion. "Everybody's up in the lounge," he offered, waving toward the hall with a flourish.

"I'd ask who everybody is," I said, stepping past both Cat and Snag and heading up the stairs without a moment's hesitation, taking them two at a time; "But I really don't have the patience for a snarky rundown right now."

"Also fair," I heard Cat mutter, Rebel's presence heavy behind me as we trekked up the stairs.

We reached the lounge soon enough, and Cat hadn't been joking when he'd said everybody. Legion, Sergeant and Gunner were huddled around near the window, and looked up as soon as we walked in. Desmond was seated on the well-worn, cushy couch, his laptop balanced on his knees, with Imitate seated next to him, her legs crossed in lady-like manner. She still looking prim and proper despite their extensive plane ride. Immediately beside Imitate was Low, who snapped a bubble as soon as we came in. On the other side of the room, Rage had claimed the recliner, and was methodically fitting bullets into a magazine.

"What happened to Team Delta?" Rage asked, his fingers never slowing, even as he watched us.

"Outlaw was shot," Rebel answered.

Snag zipped her way onto the arm of the couch beside Desmond, instantly leaning over his back and observing whatever was on his screen. Cat took a seat on the other arm of the couch beside Low, lounging back as though he belonged there.

"Status?" Gunner asked, brow immediately furrowing.

"Not fatal, but bad," I supplied. "Slick had a contingency plan."

"So Outlaw and Slick ..." Desmond said slowly, fingers hovering over his keyboard. "They won't be fighting with us?"

"No," I agreed. "They won't."

"I'm really hoping that you have a plan for this one, hooligans," Sergeant said. "As much as it amuses me to see you outwit people when you're only winging it ..."

"Winging it with the people who are literally in charge of running the world doesn't seem ideal," Legion finished for him.

"I dunno what you're talking about," Snag drawled, "I wing it all the time. Winging it is always a good idea."

"Don't listen to her," Gunner advised, looking directly at Desmond (who now had wide eyes and a slightly open mouth). "Snag thinks almost as fast as she moves. Winging it for her is on a whole different level from anybody else."

"Basically any advice Snag ever offers you," Imitate said, giving Desmond a pointed look, "you should not listen to."

"Well you're all making me out to be horrible," Snag mused, though her playful smile never faltered. She knew they spoke the truth, and we all knew it didn't come anywhere close to bothering her.

"You'll get over it," Low retorted before blowing another bubble.

"Probably sooner rather than later," Imitate added.

"And this," Catatonic said, "is why Boss kept every agent in the field as often as possible."

"I'm beginning to forget the question that launched this entire conversation," Desmond admitted, turning his attention toward Rebel and I with a wide-eyed look that screamed help.

"Legion and Sergeant don't want us to wing it," Rebel said, a quiet laugh escaping him.

"I think he's just overwhelmed because he's surrounded by the best espionage artists in the world," Snag supplied in a breath, before smiling innocently down at Desmond when he shot her a perplexed look.

"Moving on from that," I said swiftly, speaking loud enough that the entirety of the room stopped to look at me. "To answer Bravo: no, we are not winging it. To answer the unspoken question that is Rage's entire demeanor: yeah, we are going to assist leaders of the United Nations. And by assist, I mean save their lives. Because as I'm sure you're all aware of by now, Aim and Gambler are the ones responsible for LASAR's destruction. They're the ones who killed our own.

"They're with the Kinetic ... and so is Gray. The Kinetic's goal—"

"So far as we know," Rebel interjected.

"—is to cause enough havoc in the world that they can find a twisted way to rise to power. They've been infiltrating international governments, but that wasn't enough. Now they're planning a mass assassination."

Rage was frowning. "How is it that I am the one you pick out as being apprehensive?"

"You're always apprehensive," Rebel said.

I pointed toward Rebel and gave Rage a look, wordlessly conveying my agreement with my partner.

"As lovely of a recap as that was," Sarge drawled, "it doesn't detail any kind of plan."

"Did you just use the word lovely to describe a hooligan?" Legion asked, giving his partner a skeptical look.

"Yeah, I'm already regretting it, let's not talk about it," Sergeant muttered.

"Oh, I think we should talk about it," Imitate grinned at the two of them.

"Do you want to hear the plan," I asked, being purposeful in projecting my voice, "or did you all want to sass each other for another few hours?"

That silenced them in a matter of seconds, and though a handful of them looked like they still wanted to say something, no one did. Instead Rebel bumped my shoulder with his own, and I looked up at him briefly. Just long enough to exchange a devilish smile. I returned my focus to the entirety of the room then; "That's what I thought."