Purgatory (Dawn/Qi)

Valo could tell she was uneasy, and he couldn't blame her. He wouldn't have taken her out on a mission like this normally, especially for her first real one, but having fought her in combat during their training previously, he felt like she could easily hold her own against anything that came their way. She was one of a handful of people he could feel comfortable fighting alongside, and he can only hope that he was starting to mold her into a capable fighter. She had potential, and he could see her surpassing him someday.

There were smarter ways to try and nab a high profile target, but this guy was out of the jurisdiction of any laws or government now, and Valo foresaw it staying this way. He was a huge arms dealer who supplied weapons to New York, and thus, it was their business to put him down. As far as Valo was concerned, they had him right where they wanted him.

"It'll be okay. I've got your back the entire way, I promise." He said, putting a hand on her shoulder and giving a reassuring smile. Both of them couldn't feel scared, or at least, not show it openly. He would step away, bringing out two devices from a nearby shelf, handing one to her. They were in the shape of a typical smartphone, but their purpose was so much more than that. Valo would turn his on, inputing a quick command, and a large hologram of the island would pop up in front of them both from the phone.

"I can't say for certain how many there are, but with smart tactics and patience, we can offset their numbers if we go in, grab the guy, and get out. However, they have the home field advantage since they know the island well... I assume, and we'll be going in nearly blind. We'll be landing... here..."

He pointed to a small area on the east side of the island, a small forest clearing overlooking a beach.

"And the target is assumed to be in a heavily guarded base over in this general area." He would point to a series of buildings on the northwest side of the island on top of the mountains in that area. The rest of the island was covered in forests, rivers, and waterfalls. "I'm sure we could find many places to make camp if needed... but we have to be careful at all times."

The hologram would disappear, and Valo would pocket his device, Christa being able to keep her own. He would look out of the window.

"We're nearly there... time to suit up."

As Christa readied up, Valo would do the same. He would walk over to a stand, grabbing and putting on his vest, hood, shoulder pads, and visor. Making sure he had his bow, quiver, crossbow, and a few other gadgets that could come in handy, Valo made sure he grabbed whatever he and Christa might need.

"Yeah." He answered her question. "Looks like we're here."

He could feel the helicopter slowing down, and a quick look outside told him they were right above the island. "Take us down." He commanded, and the helicopter would start to descend slowly until it was safely on the ground. Valo would open the door to the helicopter, dropping down onto the grass below and would aim his bow, arrow at the ready, all around them, making sure the coast was clear.

"It's safe. Come on." He said as he lowered his bow, starting to walk into the forest once Christa was out. The moment she left the helicopter, a cloaking device would enable and shield it from anyone's view.

Using the scope attached to his bow, Valo would look to see what Christa had pointed out. There were easily a dozen patrols at the least, not including what could possibly be inside.

"Damn... we should make our way up from the side of the mountain. Chances are, someone saw the helicopter. So we need to be cautious."

He looked back at her before changing directions to walk east of the mountain instead.

"Christa... are you sure you're okay with this mission?" He stopped suddenly, looking back at her. "I just... If something happens to you... Well... If you want to turn back, just tell me, and we can forget about this whole thing, okay?"

Valo looked at the pistol in his hands, checking how much ammo he had left. Fuck... He thought, seeing he was running low. Sliding the magazine back into the gun, he leaned his head back against the wall he was by, taking deep breaths. Where are you, Christa? Please, please be alive...fuck, this is my fault. I shouldn't have brought you here...

He waited for the gunfire to slow down before jumping out of cover, firing shots at the men who were shooting at him previously. He hit two of them and they dropped, but as he dove to cover, he took another shot to the upper right leg, yelling in pain as he quickly crawled to safety.

"1 day, 5 hours and 21 minutes remain." He heard his wristwatch say, and he grit his teeth. He had to find Christa...

68 Hours Earlier...

Valo returned Christa's smile, nodding as she said she wanted to do this. Things will be okay... they have to be. He thought, seeing Christa plop down on the floor.

"At night?" He pondered for a moment. "...Why didn't I think about that?" He looked around, finding the area of the forest they were in seemed secure enough, and the trees hid them from sight currently from any sentries.

"Alright, we'll make our way closer when we have light, but the operation itself will be done at night." He spoke, grabbing a capsule at tossing it to the ground nearby, where it would expand quickly into a tent for the two of them. He would walk over and hold the tent flap open for her.

"Ladies first." He grinned. "And... do you got any more of those granola bars?"