Lullaby of a Hero

Predator or Prey?

After the medic cleared Saiko, she had the commander of the mercenaries, Andrew Mercer, brought in. "What's the status?"
The man was stubborn and gruff. He was a veteran of countless conflicts, with scars lining his neck and face. He had a decently bushy beard to compliment them, and had a rough appeal. "We lost all three helicopters and a full chopper of good mercenaries. Comms are down and this area is spotty at best. We won't be able to call for reinforcements."
"We need to be able to get retrieved..." Saiko started, before he interrupted.

"The closest mountain peak. That's where I'll take a portion of the men. We'll re-establish communication quickly and get the Merchant's attention."

Saiko asked, "Did the asset survive?"
"Bait? Yeah. We'll leave her with you, with a couple of us for protection." He called out, "Daniels, Morrigan, bring over the asset!" The two, a man and a woman, brought in the one the mercenary referred to as bait: her servant, Tia Fae. She was bound, and her mouth gagged. Not like she could've refused, anyways, but she needed the assurance that she would not flee. There were a few cuts and bruises, but none on her face. Her wings weren't damaged, either, which surprised Saiko. However, her eyes were defeated. It reminded her of before...

One week before:

Tia was called to Saiko's office. She had two guesses as to why. Either it was a performance review, which made her nervous, or the worse alternative... she got found out. Neither was great, but she kept hoping for the former. However, her Mistress' face was serious as she entered the room, focused on something on her computer. She bowed down, waiting for her to speak. Eventually, the lady of the house recognized that she was there. "Tia Fae. We haven't really had a proper introduction, but I know you. The newest member of the house, and the one who was closest to Momo before... her departure." She closed her laptop to give her full attention. "You gave her the idea of where to go."

It wasn't a question, but a fact. One they both knew to be true... Taking her silence as confirmation, Saiko continued. "Due to your betrayal of the house... you are now on a very... fine... line... but there is a way to repay that. Just as you helped her escape, you will help her rejoin me here." Two men approached from behind, their steps heavy on the old floors, and clanking on metal. She didn't need to turn around to immediately understand the gravity of the situation. "Miss...?"
"When I go to retrieve her from that shack she is convinced is her home, I will bring you along. You are now too valuable to let go. Congratulations, you have been promoted from maid, to asset. Take her to confinement until the mission can commence." The last she saw of Saiko was a cold, confident expression on her face as the doors closed....

Present Day:

Which was completely different to her appearance now. Now, she was afraid. Not in her demeanor or presentation, wounds notwithstanding, but Tia could tell. In her eyes. Tia now knew what had happened. Anna put them in a dangerous position, forcing them to act. Act predictably, and that was what she wanted. She smiled passively as the mercenaries discussed what they would do, and most of them, save two, stayed there. As soon as they left, Tia spoke, "So Anna isn't coming quietly, is she?"
The woman in combat gear grabbed her cuffs and shoved her away. "You don't get to talk."

"Wait." Saiko said, before Tia was allowed to look back at her.

"Did you expect this to happen?" The ravenette asked quietly.

Tia didn't sound smug. She didn't need to. "She's smart enough to make her own decisions. She's fought large groups of villains before. This is her home. Her turf. She'll win."

Without anything else to say, the woman forced her into the basement area and tied her downstairs before leaving. All she could do was wait, and hope that Anna would pull through.

Mercer was not wanting to waste anymore time. His aged and well groomed bearded face barked orders as he approached the tree line. He ordered his men into line, and started the march. They had at least a few hours' trek, if visual distance was anything to go by. The forest was calm, with nothing but birds, wind, and the gentle sound of leaves being blown around by said wind. A few hours passed, and eventually breaking the silence, his second in command, Jenkins, asked, "Sir, when we get there... are we really sending in more people? She took out three choppers with nothing but a tree..."
"Hell no. The Merchant's got more than enough data. We're getting our ride out of here. We are mercenaries. Not soldiers. We didn't sign up for this kind of vietnam shit." He then pulled out a cigar as they were walking, and lit it with a lighter.

"Then... what about the client?"
"The client? That's not who's payin. The real client's back safe and sound. Merchant knows who through connections. He'll gather a proper force and come back later. We just need to get the data back to her..." It was then that they heard it. The birds had stopped, leaving only the wind. A new sound had taken over: a humming through the air...

"Get ready! We'll soon have company!"

Anna hummed, waiting for them to react. The forest was accommodating to those that respected it. And so, it carried her voice far and wide. Making it hard to pinpoint. It was amusing to watch the trespassers look around, cautious with their guns. Carefully, she raised a hatchet, and flung it with all her strength.

Mercer looked around, watching for any sign of movement... when he heard a thud behind him. Turning, he found that Jenkins had taken the hit. "Goddamn it, Lewis, pinpoint the source!"

"Sir, the forest is messing with the targeting software..." But he wasn't able to say anything else as a hatchet buried itself into his left collarbone. Turning to the source, all of the mercenaries opened fire. Their rounds were non-lethal darts. However, she ducked into cover, the uneven terrain providing protection from their weapons. "Get to higher ground!" the commander barked, and his men followed his orders... until one took a hatchet to the back, falling down as he cried out in pain. It was chaos as they tried to get farther towards their goal. They had made it far, but not nearly far enough. It turns out that Mercer had misinterpreted the distance by an order of magnitude. So while the others ran towards the destination, he hid down in a crevice in the terrain, pretending to be dead. I'm innit for myself, goddamn it! When he was confident she was gone, he got to his feet, and made his way back... and almost made it back when a hatchet struck him in the back. He fell forward, but not dead. He tried moving forward, but he heard an almost gentle laugh. "Prey like you is always worth it... Let's get your friends out here, shall we?"