Operation: Healing Shadows

The final blow

Mason's POV
       I crouched next to Luna and looked over the building "ready to go?" She nodded before pointing to the sniper on the roof "we have to deal with him" I patted her shoulder and laid down with my L115 "I'll hit him when you give me the signal she nodded and spoke "I trust you..." I finished the sentence "with my soul, now go. I'll get you home" she stood and disappeared over the hill while I shifted my sight from enemy to enemy making sure there wasn't anything out of place, no actions out of the usual. I waited until I heard Luna "I'm in position, preparing to rappel to the roof" I offered a simple "rog'" as I shifted my sight so it sat a foot off of Luna while muttering too myself "don't want any accidents now do I?" I waited until Luna was just under the snipers position and spoke quietly "executing in 3" I counted down quietly from 3 before squeezing the trigger and watching the snipers corpse start moving forward until Luna presses her gloved hands into his chest and shoved him back over the railing before pulling herself up "I'll cover your approach" I pushed myself up and slung my rifle across my back before lifting my P99 and slowly making my way towards where Luna breached.
I was just about to reach the breach point Luna cut into the chain link fence when I heard a mask say "hey, did you hear that?" I froze and dropped to prone holding my suppressed pistol tightly as I prayed I wouldn't have to use it. I heard Luna in my ear "I've got my eyes on them, it looks like they'll find you" I sighed silently before listening as she continued "I've got the guy to your left if you've got the one on your right" I nodded and flexed my fingers on the grip before popping up and firing 4 rounds into the chest of the mask to the right just for the crack of Luna's acquired sniper to break the silence and force the second mask to drop to the ground in a slum as the remains of his brain slipped out of his brain case. I spoke quickly "Moving" as I moved through the hole in the fence and started moving through the base, it was a quiet walk with some of the masks running through the base searching for whatever their 'sniper' had hit.
I heard footsteps getting closer to my position forcing me to press myself against the cold metal wall waiting for the patrol to pass. I heard Luna "easy now, let them pass" I didn't reply instead peaking around the corner and watching the patrol as it moved until they disappeared around the corner, I pushed off the wall and sprinted across the road before setting up my rappel. I slowly backed my way up the wall keeping my pistol pointed down at the ground until I reached the top rail and spun before pulling myself up and over finding Luna standing infront of me "why hello there" to which she replied "general kenobi" I smirked under my balaclava and replied "god I love you" before she nodded and offered "I know." I gripped her shoulder as I passed before pressing myself against the wall on the right side of the door, Luna appeared across from me and gave me a small nod. I lifted my pistol while gripping the doorknob, I pushed the door open and went in a second after Luna. Luna stepped through the door and sidestepped to the corner while I crossed behind her and went into the left corner, I aimed down the corridor with my P99 listening as Luna said "checking right" I returned with "covering" as I sidestepped across the hallway and crouched behind a piece of cover.
       I heard an explosion outside and wanted to go and look but couldn't force myself to leave Luna unprotected, a second later she stepped out into the hallway and asked "what was that?" I shrugged "I don't know, I...." I was cut off by the eruption of a battle outside "I think Rainbows here" I heard Aaron on our back coms "Ozone, we're moving to intercept. I hear you could use some help" I replied confused "Apex? What are you doing here?" He answered over the gunfire "were here to kill the masks and try to capture you, if you manage to escape then its out of my control. Good luck, get what you came here for" I nodded to Luna "let's go, I want to get out of here quickly" she turned and lifted her FMG-9 and started moving down the hallway towards the room at the end of it.
I shifted my aim to the staircase as we passed it and saw a mask coming up the staircase, we noticed each other at the same time but I reacted first and fired 4 rounds hitting the mask in the head with all 4 rounds only to hear Luna "Ozone? What happened?" I replied as I pulled my slide back checking the chamber for a round "just a mask, I've dealt with him" she nodded and continued down the hallway checking rooms and moving our way to the final room, our target room. I pressed myself against the wall after pressing a breaching charge onto the door, I got my pistol up and was about to press the clapper only to have a round impact the wall behind me causing myself and Luna to spin and fire our rounds into the 2 masks that had come up the staircase dropping them fast. I reloaded my pistol and turned my attention to the breach, Luna nodded as I waited listening to the footsteps on the other side and the gunshots on the first floor, I spoke softly "sounds like a minimum of 3 people, Rainbow will be here by the time we're done searching" she replied in her now familiar accent "well I guess we'll have to cut it close" I smirked and hit the clapper causing the door to go flying open with a thunderous echo.
      I charged in shifting my aim to my right catching one mask as he started turning towards the door, 4 rounds later he simply slumped in the corner as the life left him. I shifted my aim left and fired into the mask that tried ducking behind the desk, her body continued forward tackling the man infront of her. I chuckled as Luna called "clear!" I replied "clear!" As I pulled the masks corpse off of the civilian "Why are you here?" He stuttered our "they... they forced me to be here, I didn't want to help" I growled out "tell me what they wanted with you?" He replied "they're working on a more powerful chemical agent for their attacks, I'm a chemist. They forced me to find a new agent for them" I stood and motioned to the door "Meet rainbow, they're on the second floor now" he scrambled to get to his feet so he could run but once he managed it he was gone.
I heard Luna "I think I got something" I stood and walked over, looking over her shoulder as she spoke "this form specifically mentions Stevens and Hotchkins, apparently they're in charge of acquiring the stuff the masks need" I spoke "let's find some more stuff, the more we can find the more we have to clear our names" her veil shifted as she nodded and we started searching through more files. It didn't take long before we had found more files with mentions of the two NCIS officers who ruined my life, "this one says they've been destroying evidence so we can't find patterns of the mask attacks" Luna nodded before replying "this says they've helped free captured masks" I started pushing things into my bag. "Think we should make our get away, I haven't hear much gunfire recently" she nodded before handing me a couple more files "these have promise too" I put them in my bag before lifting my pistol from its holster and heading to the door, Luna spoke as she got to it "I've got point" I nodded as I replied "wilco" she headed out the door as I followed her only to hear three gunshots and a familiar voice "Son of a bitch! Cease fire! CEASE FIRE!" as Luna dropped, my heart dropped with her as I dropped my bag and rolled her over cutting off her plate carrier and tearing her shirt and undershirt out of her pants so I could see the wound, I tore off one of my sleeves and pressed on the wound gaining a groan of pain from her.
        I looked up as Aaron crouched across from me "fix this" he nodded and started working while Mike crouched next to me and I ordered "Keep pressure on the wound" Gustave appeared next to which I spoke "hit her with your serum or morphine" before I scooted over and cupped her face "baby, baby stay with me" she replied tiredly "it's okay, Hej(hey) you called me baby" I tore off my helmet, sunglasses and balaclava throwing them to the ground behind me as I smiled a tearful smile and nodded "of course, stay with me now. I can't have that little house without you...." I heard a hiss of pain and the indistinct talking of Gustave and Aaron but I focused solely on Luna "I love you Mason, I do. I hope you know that" I hissed out at the treachery "don't go anywhere, I know you love me and if you love me you'll stay here with me. Come on gemstone, show me those beautiful eyes. Gemstone! Stay awake!" She slowly opened her eyes before her face shifted to a toothy smile "thank you for making life not so boring" I gripped her face and yelled through the tears "look me in the fucking eyes! It's not that bad, it's not that bad! Come on, stay with me baby!"
She replied with a waiver of fear slipping into her voice "it's okay, it's okay...." I shook my head no and yelled "none of this is okay! We're supposed to have that house and grow old! You can't leave me like this, I still need you" she passed out as I turned to Aaron and Gustave who worked feverishly as the sound left the world and I fell back on my ass as Max pulled me into a tight hug. I watched them continue to work as they moved outside and loaded her into a medevac, I wanted to go with her but couldn't bear to be next to her. The pain clawed at the back of my throat as Aaron looked at me "I'm so sorry bro, I did everything I could" I asked with an edge of rage to my voice "who shot her?" Aaron replied sadly "Miles, he saw the gun and reacted without checking targets" I rushed forward and grabbed the straps of Miles's vest almost throwing him over the edge of the balcony as I yelled "you stupid fuck! You took her from me! You fucking son of a bitch!" Only to be pulled back by Mike and Aaron "I'll kill you! I'll tear you limb from limb! You fucking waste of space!"
Mike pulled me back and spoke softly, like a father, "son, you have to calm down. Luna has a chance to pull through, she's not gone yet. Just keep hoping" I looked at him "but what if she doesn't pull through?" He replied "she will, she's one of the toughest women I know" I nodded as I tossed my bag to Aaron "get that to my father, it has everything he needs to clear our names" he nodded as I heard Max "Mate, we're gonna bring you back to base. Well let you see Luna before we put you in custody" I nodded numbly as we slowly walked to the helicopter.
When we arrived at the base I immediately headed to the medical wing and saw Gustave and Lera waiting "Ah Mason, we were wondering when you'd show up" I replied hurriedly "doesn't matter, where's Luna?" Lera smiled slightly at the worry before bringing me to one of the room and motioning me in. I hurried in and saw Luna laying limply, "no, she couldn't have." Lera replied "nyet(no), she pulled through. She's just sleeping" I walked forward as the door closed before pulling up a chair next to her bed, her eyes fluttered open. Her skin was pale and ashen, her eyes much dimmer that the typical pots of honey, I leaned forward as she looked at me "Mason...." I smiled at my name "I'm here" she tried to lift her hand but the surgery had taken to much out of her, I took it in my hand and spoke "hello dear, I'm here. I'm here" she smiled softly "I knew you would be, you always have been" I choked back a sniffle as she spoke "I like it when you call me baby" I chuckled at the seemingly random comment before replying "we'll finally be able to have that house you wanted, I'll call you baby as much as you want. Get some rest, I'll be here" just then Mike walked in "the officers made a run for it when we went to detain them, you guys are home free." He started to turn away and walk out before he stopped and spoke "oh son, treat her right. She's a keeper" I laughed and nodded "of course, I know that much" I heard Luna weakly "alright Mike, shoo. I'm trying to go back to sleep" I released her hand and sat back in my chair muttering to no one "we're home free"