As the Ghosts prepared to leave their base in Caracas, Logan wanted to get a good look at the place they called home for 4 years. Going back to Southern California was going to be a shock to all of them; they were used to the South American rainforests, going back to civilization didn't seem right to him. After his brother found him in a hole a full year after Rorke separated them, Logan needed some readjustment to the base. Now that 3 years have passed, it seems like only yesterday was his welcome back celebration. Logan looked out at the last beautiful sunset over the rainforest. Deciding if he'll stay on the Ghosts after this, Logan sighed and walked towards the cover of twilight.

Their flight was long, but Logan managed to grab some sleep as he could during their 10-hour flight to Los Angeles. Sitting next to Hesh and Keegan, Logan felt like home was a long way from where they were going. Logan looked out his window; No Man's Land. He thought of Elias and of his childhood with his parents. Logan smiled and looked at Hesh's and Kick's game of Texas Hold 'Em Poker. Merrick had a good hand, Keegan needed one more queen, and Hesh, poor Hesh, was going to lose his chips if he didn't switch out the 2 of clubs and 3 of hearts from his hand. Logan smiled and looked out the window once more. They were finally at the makeshift airport and a military convoy already waiting for them.

Logan was reaching for his pack in the overhead compartment when Neptune, who was also quiet the entire flight, patted Logan's shoulder, "Logan, how you holdin' up?"

"I've been better, but it's nice to be back in the US." Logan smiled and continued to grab his stuff from the overhead.

"I'm glad to hear it. By the way, have you seen my lucky spyglass? I thought I put it with my things, but I can't seem to find it…" Neptune looked around the area where they sat.

"I put it in your luggage before we left the base, it should be with the rest of the stuff in the cargo hold."

"Oh, okay, thanks Logan. Hope you feel better now that we're back home," Neptune gave Logan another pat on the shoulder and left the plane.

Logan was the last to exit the plane. His brother waited for him at the end of the tunnel. "Hey, Logan!" Hesh gave Logan a noogie. "Wait 'til you hear where we're going!"

"Where?"

"To Downtown Los Angeles. It seems they need special protection detail down there and hired the Ghosts to do it."

"That's great…I guess. Wait, protection detail?" Logan furrowed his brows, figured they were special forces.

"You guess? The Logan I know doesn't guess." Hesh led Logan to the entrance of the airport where the rest of the squad was.

"Yeah, well after our little incident after Dad died, I guess I question everything now. I know it's weird but I can't help it if I feel like going into something without knowing what's going on could get another one of us killed. I'm sorry, I think it could be the PTSD or my anxiety kicking in again."

"It's okay baby bro, I understand. Hey to make it up to you, I'll take you to Johnny Rockets like Dad used to when we were small, huh?"

"Sounds…fun." Hesh and Logan were the last two Ghosts into the Jeep and Merrick was already shouting explicatives to get into their seats.

"Great, let's get going."Hesh jumped into the front with that dumb smile, already packed with Ghosts, and Logan got to sit in the back, squished between Kick and Neptune, while Keegan drove.

When they arrived in Fort DLA, General Herald Samuelsson, the commanding officer and five star-ranked general of the United States Army, greeted the Ghosts at the front gate. He is a tall and muscular African-American man, with a deep voice that reminded Logan of his father's commanding voice, although deeper. He also observed two Army Rangers standing behind him, Sergeant Jan Morris and Lieutenant Marco Sanchez. Morris and Sanchez are part of the intelligence division, most likely Samuelsson's two right hands.

"Hello Ghosts, welcome to Fort DLA. This fort houses the remaining civilians and protects the greater Los Angeles region from any Federation threat. After the fall of Fort Santa Monica, the city of Los Angeles relocated all of the remaining civilians and put them here." The General showed the Ghosts around the fort, most notably the Courtyard, a field of tents that is four by five football stadiums in size. The Courtyard was dotted with small colonies of tents, each with a section, row, and column number, assigned to each of the residents. As they walked the command center that looked over the Courtyard, General Samuelsson mentioned to the Ghosts about small rebellion groups that pop up from time to time around the Fort's outer wall. He mentions how they violently protest outside the barbed wire fencing, sometimes they resorted to injuring personnel on duty. "So, we've worked up a deal with volunteers within the fort. That is, if the volunteers could regulate tensions and problems within the crowded community, that will leave more support for the problems that lie outside the fort. That is if we had more than just three. I don't need you for crowd control, but I do need help controlling a growing problem."

Suddenly, before he could utter another word, a young, cloaked man caught everyone's eye. He was dirty and somewhat frantic. He ran towards the outer door of the command center, looking for protection. Then, gunshots rang the air. The young man dove to the ground and covered his head, what seems to be a young woman appearing behind him. Her face was shaded by the command center's height. She pointed the gun at the man on the ground. As she was about to pull the trigger, a couple, a middle aged, scrawny man and a heavyset wife, pointed a shotgun at her back. Retrieving a second automatic handgun, she then proceeded to aim at the couple as well.

Samuelsson grabbed an intercom microphone to dilute the situation, "Knight, you can stand down. Don't worry, Sanchez and Morris can handle him." This young woman lowered her pistols slowly. Before she walked away, she growled at the couple who were smiling.

Although the general found the couple to be disruptive, he dismissed their presence. He sternly called after the young woman through the intercom, "Knight, you are needed in the Command bay. I need to talk to you." The young woman stopped and turned on her heels, clearly agitated. Nevertheless, she mouthed a clear 'yes sir' and walked toward command.

…

Earlier that Day…

"Knight, wake up! Knight!" Knight stirred in her sleep. In her underwear, Knight sleepily approached a walkie-talkie that lay on a foldable table in her tent. "Knight here. What's..mmmnmm…the problem?" Knight scratched her lower back. Darn mosquitoes.

"Knight, there's a situation at stalls 90-100, column 19. I think there's burglary in progress." A young girl's voice from that morning sounded over the walkie-talkie.

"Alright, give me *yawn* two minutes."

"You have one."

"Okay." Mmmm…I wanted to have a nice day today.

As Knight strolled over to stalls 90-100 in army-clad pants, black combat boots, a white tank top, and a green utility jacket. Michael, a repeat petty thief, ran through the stalls, passing her. Giving chase, Knight shot at his feet with her 9mm handgun that was stashed under her jacket. As Michael ran towards command, he fell and she stood about 5 feet away, readying her pistol. Stan and his wife Marsha, out of nowhere, had appeared behind her. Why did they always complain that she was a nuisance to the fort, and for what reason? She did not know.

As she approached Michael, Stan poked her with his shotgun. She felt the ice-cold metal of the double barrel against her back. "Girl, you are in big trouble. You shoot him, I'll shoot you." Stan had a Texas accent. She guessed that he was stranded here after the ODIN attacks a long time ago when the fort was put up, like many of the residents in Fort DLA.

"I'll shoot you before you shoot me. And your wife, I don't know if she'll eat anymore once you're gone." Knight pointed a stashed 9mm from the other side of the jacket. Good thing she always carried two. Rule number one of ODIN survival: ALWAYS keep more than one gun handy.

"Knight, you can stand down. Don't worry, Sanchez and Morris can handle him." Knight turned to see Morris and Sanchez already picking up Michael. She always hated the goons that walked around the fort, thinking they are better than the rest of the civilians. Morris gave a sly smile at Knight, might have well been the same as kicking dirt in her face. Knight turned on her heels already planning the intended demise of Stan and his wife, and how she was going to cook and throw their remains to the wolves, bears, and coyotes, that roam the LA night.

"Knight, you are needed in the command bay. I need to talk to you." Really?! What now? Knight was exhausted from her night of scavenging the Long Beach storefronts for food from the night before. She turned on her heels again and (slightly, well not really) stomped her way to the command room.

….

Baker's light hello and a high five from Jay the janitor greeted her as she walked into the main interior of Fort DLA. There were training and recon groups heading out for afternoon workout, and days of both clouded her brain. One trainee bumped into her as she slowly trudged the hallway, gave her a silent apology, and as she looked into his eyes, she found a fountain of fear. She knows the horrors of the world this young man brought himself into, whether it was the mandatory draft or by his choice. He reminded her of her brother, who was a sack of doubt and fear, but she missed him the most.

Knight entered Command, but instead of the usual 'Hello Knight' or the rare 'Great job out there,' it was the hard stares from the six black-clad men. THE GHOSTS. However, she immediately found something odd. One was missing, someone she knew and loved as much as she would have loved her own father. Elias, or Scarecrow, Walker was missing.

"Knight, I have a mission for you," General Samuelsson's tone implied that he needed another favor, in the form of precious goods she collected on her night trips around the city, "These gentlemen need supplies and we are running out of important necessities like food, water, and ammo. Also, I would like you, and your so-called team, to give a short breather into the Fort DLA security detail." He let out a small sigh, and continued to talk these men, as if she wasn't even there. But she breathed in and began the generic dialogue she and the general would say, just like a script they read.

"Yes, sir. They'll be taken care of."

"Good. If you boys need any ammo or supplies, you can ask Knight here. Is that understood Knight?"

"Yes, sir. Any ally of yours is an ally of mine."

"Good to hear, Knight. You are dismissed."

"Thank you sir."

She turned around, confused as to why Elias was missing. He was a Ghost after all. He would have hugged her, and asked if everything was all right with the team and with herself. Albeit, he was a busy man, so he probably is flying in late, again…just like last time. She sighed, but a hand gripped her shoulder and spun her back around. She faced a burly, tall man; his ID read Capt. Thomas Merrick. She remembers some comment Elias made when the team was around a camp fire saying Merrick is a bomb filled with hot air and little patience before it blows up.

"We'll need a few things. Here's a list."

"Sure, just two of you come with me. It becomes suspicious if a group goes. And it's behind enemy lines, so it would be a good idea to take a gun or two." Knight said coolly. She didn't want to make a scene and tell off this Merrick guy to think what he really is.

"Logan you come with me," the blue-eyed Ghost looked over at the youngest (as far as Knight could tell) Ghost.

"Uh, sure." The reply was slow and grabbed the attention of Merrick, throwing a look of concern.

Knight left Command with the two Ghosts behind her. She struggled to keep a normal pace, slow enough to read them but fast enough to not look suspicious into reading their intentions. Knight caught a waning glimpse from the hooded girl that watched over the civilian vehicles. Her mouth curved into a smile and lowered before the Ghosts could see.

As Knight walked them over to a covered vehicle, "Hey so, what are your names?" Lesson number two: Conversation.

"I'm Keegan, this is Logan," said the one with bright blue eyes. He pointed to the other who was slightly thinner.

"Nice to meet you. I heard a lot about the Ghosts. They're sort of a tale around these parts, you know?"

"Really?" Logan, the silent one, was interested how she knew, because when he lived here, he never heard about them (other than from his father), even at the base. Crap…almost blew it.

"Yeah, a couple old buddies from Medical school talked about you guys like you were gods or something. And others talk about how you are so fast and stealthy that Federation doesn't even have time to fathom that they died."

"Well, I can tell you that's sort just folktale," Keegan eyed the young woman. As Knight and Logan uncovered the green vehicle, "Tell me, how do you get these supplies in the first place?"

"Well, since Fort Santa Monica fell, I would raid little Federation bases of some ammo to stock up for whatever or I would go into abandoned stores and homes and collect from there. However, it so turns out that I have enough to fuel an army or two, so I lend my services to the US Army and I take refuge to live without paying the high taxes installed by the stupid old men that govern the city. Honestly, I think it is a win-win situation. But also I have enough food and water to go around after these raids and collections, so I can spare some to soldiers and civilians in the like."

"So you go by yourself?" Logan was amazed yet again.

"Yeah. Taking anyone else is risky. If I go out by myself, I am only accountable to myself, no one else. If I do take someone they have to look after themselves and follow my lead so they don't die. It is too much work for me to look after them like children. I'm not cut out to be a leader." Knight jumped into the driver's seat and started up the vehicle.

"If we're going through Federation territory, shouldn't we be disguised as Federation?" Logan asked. What the general said confused Logan. The soldiers are also fighting rebels too along with the Federation; it seems that people get their loyalties mixed up after 15 years of fighting. "We're not going into Federation territory. Your fight in Chile made that happen. The Federation retreated back to Mexico border after that fight. We're going into rebel territory. They don't like either side." Again…almost blew my cover. Why would I ever mention that? It was a covert operation.

Her hands shook as she turned out of the fort gates as she merged onto Sunset Boulevard. Knight headed down the once lively street, which is now the border of civilization and the rebellion.