Machine Learning (Captain Allen and DPD SWAT POV)

Damaged Goods (Liera POV)

"Realizing it is my choice and my choice alone to be a Reconnaissance Marine, I accept all challenges involved with this profession. Forever shall I strive to maintain the tremendous reputation of those who went before me."

*Mild NSFW themes

*Trigger Warnings - Reference of non-consensual intercourse

My ears hadn't stopped ringing since Hart Plaza. I was worried about my friends. I was even worried about my Captain. I hadn't paid any mind to the teams in the back. The officers who seemed like they'd been out of harm's way, including Ryan. We were all in front of them. The insurgents wouldn't make it that far. They were safe.

That's what I told myself until a .50 caliber bullet muted any and all rationality.

They did make it that far. He was not safe.

He was dead.

I checked the watch on the inside of my wrist. Five minutes past shift change. I shook snow off of the watch face, dropping my sleeve back down. More snow started to fall again, glistening in the bright lights of a billboard shining from one rooftop over.

"Firebit Technologies: Blazing a Path for a Brighter Future"

A human face replaced the HD text, a woman with tenacity in her eyes, high cheekbones, full lips, and skin that shamelessly told her age.

Elena Álvarez.

Daytime professor. Moonlighter CEO. And something else...something I'd learned of not too long after I washed Ryan's blood off my hands and stepped around the Martyr's in the snow. She was a good cop. According to Connor, a good girlfriend, too.

My phone vibrated. I checked the notification on my watch.

"You're late. We are waiting for you."

I didn't have time to answer before Captain Allen planted himself at my side.

"Got somewhere to be, Lastimosa?"

I'd had an outburst not too long ago, which was good cover. But now, my act was coming to an end, and I had places to be.

I rolled my eyes, casually swiping the notification away as to not cause suspicion, "No, Captain. Just wondering how long Perkins and his goon squad are going to take."

"We could be here awhile. Traffic is bad, and it's not like he was down the street waiting for us to call."

"I don't understand why we have to wait here until he shows up."

"Because everyone is tied up. We have reason to believe Connor took the murder weapon, and who knows what he's going to do with it?"

"I don't see what that has to do with anything." I crossed my arms, "We could be out there looking for him and still be utilizing our time better than we are now."

"We have our orders."

"Never stopped you before." My eyes flickered to him, and I knew quite well that I was pressing my luck.

He gave me a disgusted growl before leaving me alone. I took out the phone disguised as my personal device, and sent an encrypted message over a network established just for me.

"Change of plans. Go without me.
They know you took the rifle."

...

"Change of plans!" Chris Miller yelled over the internal mic, "We're bringing her in now! Suspect weather patterns at the LZ!"

I fixed the headphone strap over my head, pushing my aviators up my nose, "Gee, who coulda guessed that?"