A/N: Hello guys. As is unfortunately becoming typical of me, it's been a long wait in between chapters. My personal life got turned quite upside down, but for the better! It's just been crazy readjusting to an almost entirely new life and routine, but as always, I eventually return to this story. Told one of my faithful readers I'd have this out before the year was up and while I sure as hell waited to the last day, I'm a man of my word. So here is chapter 46, and happy new year to all of you!

Snow fell into the cold, large, empty room through the holes and rips in the ceiling and walls. Sparse moonlight and synthetic light from the various floodlights crept their way in, but only so far, as though afraid to get to close to him. Ghost breathed slowly, his breath visible in the air like smoke. He felt a cold calm, which had settled over him the moment he had learned Ryota and Bando had broken free of his trap. Now they were coming. The wait was over.

You ready for this Katsuo?

"Been ready for a long time."

But there was some fear. As much as he wanted vengeance on Ryota for the lies and death of his old friends, he didn't know if he could pull the trigger when the moment came. And he knew that moment would come. He would make it this far. Ghost knew.

He clenched his fists, nails digging into the leather of his fingerless gloves, then absently trailed a hand across the steel grip of his .50 caliber pistol. He drew the weapon fluidly and pointed it outwards towards the open double doors, hand steady, aim sure. In his mind's eye, he saw them. Ryota, and Bando. Dead to rights, and no escape. He pulled the trigger.

Click.

But in his mind, he heard the explosion like a lion's roar. He could almost feel the recoil of the monstrous weapon, could smell the cordite in the air. He saw them lying dead on the ground. Saw the smoke in the air from the gun barrel.

The cold couldn't touch him now. The discomfort was a distant, insignificant thing.

Aim. Shoot. Reload. The cycle of his life. The only thing he had left.

"Come on you motherfuckers," Ghost whispered darkly to himself…

We're waiting for you…

"We're waiting for you…"

Looming before them, was the dark shape of the bleak, imposing industrial building that Ghost's forces had set up in. Bando stared with hard eyes at the building; somewhere in there Ghost was waiting. It was a tense silence, or at least as silent as it could be with soldiers making final preparations. Bando could see the dark silhouettes of men at the industrial complex running around urgently. They knew Bando and Ryota's men were out there. They were just waiting for them to knock on the front door.

"So," Bando said to Ryota, breaking the silence, "what's the plan?"

"Shock and awe," Ryota said, "bit of a western tactic but I believe it will serve our purposes here."

"Meaning?"

Ryota turned to Nana, "how are you feeling girl?"

"Angry," Nana said, in a voice that made Bando really, truly believe it.

"Good, hold onto that. You're going to need it."

"What do you want me to do?"

Ryota paused for a moment, starting at the fortifications in front of them. There was a giant steel door that had been hastily constructed around barricades and razor wire. Guards manned nearby towers and waited near the inside of the door.

"I want you to lead our men up that road and unleash such devastation like they have never known in their lives. I want you to be flamboyant and dramatic in your anger. I want them to feel that they aren't the target of a military operation. I want them to feel like this is personal. I want them to be afraid. I want them on their radios, screaming and begging for backup. I want you to be their worst nightmare and if any survive, I want thoughts of you to keep them up at night. I want you to break their will."

Bando looked at Nana, who was beginning to pale at Ryota's words.

"Ryota…" Bando started, but was silenced with a look.

"I want all of their attention right here, on this front door. So that Bando, Arakawa, myself, and a small strike team can infiltrate the building without attracting too much notice. Remember, our primary targets are Ghost and Red Sky. Once both are neutralized, we can evacuate. The sooner we accomplish this, the sooner we can help the rest of our allies in stopping Westmore…and Number 5."

"Angel…" Nana hissed, the anger flooding back into her eyes.

"You have your men picked out?" Bando asked.

"Got a five man squad to go with us. As long as we move quickly and keep contact with the enemy to a relative minimum, it should be all we need."

Ryota then looked towards Arakawa who was crouched down with them, looking nervous.

"There WILL be contact with the enemy however. Are you going to be ok Akane?"

"I'm ready," she said quickly, "let's….let's just do this."

Ryota looked at her for a long time, before nodding his head. He then got on his radio.

"All units, check weapons and gear and prepare to attack. This is it. Fall in behind Seraph and keep her covered. She will tear down their fortifications and spearhead the assault. Once those doors come down…give them hell. Show no mercy, for they will show you none."

Banco made a face and looked at Nana who returned a questioning look. Seraph?

Ryota adjusted the frequency on his radio, then spoke again.

"Alpha squad, meet us on the southeast corner of the building and bring the breach sticks. We will infiltrate via the loading bays and work our way up the building. Move out."

Bando fished around in the pack he had filled up upon reaching the building and pulled out an earpiece connected to a small radio device. This he handed to Nana.

"Put this on."

"What…?"

"It's a radio. It'll keep you connected to the squad. They'll keep you updated on enemy positions, imminent threats, and vice versa."

"I don't know if I can do that…"

"Nana, you can do this. After everything you've done and been through, you can do this. Worst comes to worst, just think of yourself as the battering ram. Drill right through those motherfuckers. That's all you need to worry about. The men will do the rest and back you up."

He saw Ryota pause for a moment, as if though in thought, he then got back on his radio.

"All units get ready to move. Seraph is taking point, so provide cover. Sweep the yard and push the enemy back into the front offices. Seraph will spearhead the assault. We move in twenty minutes."

"Um…" Nana said, somewhat meekly, "who…is Seraph?"

Ryota smiled, "you are."

Bando's brow furrowed as he looked at Ryota, "Seraph?"

"Why not? I thought it was preferable to having her name, which is well known to the enemy, spoken aloud on local radio chatter, or in earshot…"

"What difference does it make? The enemy will know who we're talking ab…"

"Also," Ryota said, cutting Bando off, "I think we would all agree it sounds much better than Number 7, wouldn't you agree Nana?"

Bando saw Nana crack a smile.

"Seraph," she said, testing the name on her tongue.

"I'll take that as a yes," Ryota said, "you're a part of this unit so I decided you could use a codename. The rest of the men have already been briefed on your handle. Interestingly enough, many of the men never knew your name to begin with so don't be too surprised if some of these men continue to refer to you as Seraph when this is over."

"So," Bando said, "she gets a codename and I don't?"

"I was thinking Mowgli."

"…Mowgli?"

"From Kipling's 'The Jungle Book'. Boy raised on his own in the wild. What do you think?"

"I'm thinking if you call me that over the radio, I'll put a boot in your ass."

"So 'Bando' it is then," he said dryly.

Ryota breathed a sigh, "it's time. Bando, Akane, let's go finish this."

Ryota began to move away into the darkness. Arakawa stopped as she walked near Nana. She took Nana's face in her hands and kissed her cheek. She looked like she wanted to cry.

"Nana….I…"

"Go," she said quietly, raising a hand and putting it over one of Arakawa's, who wiped at her eyes with her other hand, and pulled Nana into a quick hug.

"Don't you dare let them get you Nana. You do EXACTLY what Ryota said. Burn them down."

"I will," she whispered.

Arakawa walked away, and Bando stepped forward. They looked at each other for a long while.

Enemies once. Like him and Lucy. Like him and the Diclonius. Like him against the world.

"I'm damn proud of you girl," he said, "I've never been so glad to be so wrong about anything in my life. And I was wrong about you. Both of you. You and Lucy."

Nana swallowed, "thank you Bando."

Bando turned the corner of his mouth up in a smile.

"Give em hell…Seraph. This is your moment so you shine like the damn sun, you hear me?"

Nana's gaze turned watery and she stepped forward, throwing her arms around Bando.

"Come back alive," she said.

"You too."

They parted and Bando quickly turned around and started walking away.

Here I come Ghost. Hope you're fucking ready.

Nana stepped forward onto the road, just outside of the lights but they were illuminating her gently.

She remembered herself as a prisoner at the Institute. Afraid, always afraid, but drowning it in the one thing she'd felt she was living for. A father she never really knew. A father who wasn't really her father. A dream. She had been alive, but not living, and always afraid. There, on an operating table, afraid and alone, was where she died the first time.

She began to walk forward. The soldiers in her peripheral vision disappearing as they watched her walk alone towards the enemy, entrenched behind steel, razor wire, and countless guns.

She had been reborn on the beach. Emerging from her coffin into a new world and a new life, but things were still the same. Life had begun, but she had still been afraid. The world didn't make sense to her and all she knew was that it feared and hated her. Her family kept her, protected her, shielded her. Gave her comfort and warmth, but dread always painted her world black around the edges. Knowing that warmth couldnt last. And then Mariko had come back.

This was how she'd truly known her life had been a lie. Even who she thought she was or who she thought Kurama was. Just a lie.

The gravel crunched beneath her feet as she began to take faster steps, anger building inside of her. The lights began to shine on her and she could more clearly see the heavily falling snow against those lights. Some of that light reflected off of the falling ice to throw out crystalline glimmers as far as she could see. Cold wind blew her long coat and tossed her hair wildly about.

She remembered that explosion. That awful moment in her life. She saw it before her like life flashing before her eyes, removing the sight of Ghost's men and the industrial building. The explosion that killed Kurama and Mariko. There, as she watched, was when she died for the second time.

She heard yelling in the distance. They could see her.

She hadn't felt fear after that second death. Just a hollow existence where she could feel only pain and loss. The fear had remained as well. Fear to live again. Fear to love again. So she'd stayed distant, from nearly everyone. Except Mayu.

So much had changed since then. Not only did she still have the love and support of her new family, but she had a purpose. She had seen former enemies reject their old hatreds and prejudices. She had watched them develop trust, faith, and respect for her. And now, she had been shown the ultimate display of faith and trust. Without her, this mission would fail. She would strike the first blow. They were all counting on her. She would not fail.

She grit her teeth and broke into a sprint, running headlong, and alone, into the steel jaws of death and impossible odds.

Here, on this night, she was born again. But now, there was no more fear. Only purpose.

Tonight, she was Seraph. Tonight, she was an avenger.

No more fear. Never again.

Too late, the soldiers before her realized what was about to happen. She saw them raising their weapons but it was already too late. She opened her mouth…

…and screamed in rage.

Born again, with fire in her heart.

She hurled all of her vectors outwards with inhuman strength towards the steel door. Upon impact, there was a deafening crash as the force of the impact sent the massive steel doors flying completely off of their hinges. Razor wire caught on the doors flew outwards and caught a few unlucky soldiers who were swept off their feet, incapacitated. The doors flew out into the guard towers on either side, splintering the flimsy, and hastily constructed metal supports that held it up. The towers went down like a straw house hit by a tidal wave.

She kept running. Men lay strewn on the ground before her, dazed. Nana let her anger wash away everything else and began destroying them one by one, thinking only that each one she killed, was one who couldn't kill one of hers. Some began fighting back, but she easily deflected their bullets. There were nearby Humvees. She quickly dashed away to get behind one, then used all her strength to focus all her vectors on lifting it, then launched it outwards towards another cluster of men who screamed and scattered out of their cover to get out of the way.

Nana could hear chatter in her earpiece.

"That's it, that's it! Seraph has breached the compound! Move in! Go! Go!"

Two trucks moved in with mounted guns and set up by the offices. They had a clear shot of the open door.

"Look out!" Nana screamed stupidly before she remembered. She deflected more gunfire and ran for another car for cover, holding the call button on her radio.

"Mounted guns! They'll kill you walking in!"

"Copy that Seraph, mortar teams, get some fire in that courtyard. We're twenty meters from the breach point, give me some degrees on the mortars."

"Uh…" Nana said, having no idea how to answer that. She knew what mortars were however.

"Just fire them straight at the door. Straight through it!"

"Say again Seraph, a horizontal shot? Through the door?"

Soldiers got the angle on her and started firing. She stopped their bullets until they had to reload, then flung all the ones she caught back at them at high speed. All the attacking soldiers flew backwards, dead. She got back on her radio.

"JUST DO IT!"

"Understood, incoming!"

The men on the mounted guns began firing in the direction of the door, trying to keep out the advancing soldiers. Nana heard the sound of two mortars firing and quickly dashed from her hiding place. As they came through the opening, she used a quick, light touch of her vectors to direct them to the gunner's vehicles. Deafening explosions rang out as the cars went up in a storm of fire, steel, and smoke.

"You're clear!" Nana screamed, before raising her guard to head for another vehicle for cover.

Ryota's men began to spill into the courtyard in a storm of gunfire. The sound was nonstop and deafening. The scale of it was the likes which she had never seen. She nearly succumbed to panic, but then remembered that Ryota had trusted her to bring those feelings and panic to the enemy. Not to harbor them herself.

She remembered how Ghost had hurt her, tortured her, beat her, tormented Mayu, Arakawa, threatened her family. She remembered her dark promise to him.

Anger flooding back into her heart, she strode out of cover and began walking purposefully towards the enemy where they were dug in. They fired at her but it was useless. They couldn't touch her, couldn't even graze her. She walked across the battlefield as if she were the only one there. She saw the enemy retreating bit by bit, just because she was walking towards them. The sight emboldened her.

"Seraph's got em on the run, fall in and get her some cover goddamn it! Let's sweep the yard! Seraph, we've got you! Take em down!"

"Copy that," she said darkly, as she lashed out with her vectors once more, smiting all around her in a storm of dust, steel, snow, and blood.

They could hear the explosions from their corner of the complex. There had been a significant guard presence on that wall before then. Bando figured that perhaps Ghost thought they'd try to come in the back door. Which was true, but it seemed Ghost felt it would have been more likely they'd attack here. They probably hadn't really counted on them boldly kicking down their front door. Nearly all the guards had been pulled off of the loading bays to reinforce the men in the courtyard. The last two men standing on the wall didn't know they were about to die. Bando sighted his target with his sniper rifle, Ryota next to him doing the same.

"On my mark," Ryota said quietly, waiting a moment.

"…mark," he said simply.

They pulled the triggers of their silenced weapons and the two guards fell dead instantly. Bando and Ryota handed the guns back to the soldiers who had been carrying them and the group rushed quickly to the heavily padlocked gate. The lock and chains were far too thick for bolt cutters and using them to cut around the gate would have taken time they didn't have.

"Breach stick," Bando said holding his hand out. One of the men gave him a long covered rod, two feet in length. He twisted the cap and quickly removed it to expose the metal which quickly heated due to the chemical reaction. The metal glowed red, almost laserlike, in the dark. Bando passed it through the lock and chains as if they were butter, then tossed the glowing blade into a nearby pile of snow which hissed with steam before the blade finally went out.

"We're in, let's go," Bando said, pushing the gate open and bringing his assault rifle to bear. They moved quickly and quietly through the empty loading bay, keeping their eyes open for any patrols. Two soldiers equipped with night vision scanned the windows for movement. In the distance, they could hear the battle raging on in the courtyard. He hoped Nana was giving them one hell of a hard time.

They crossed the bay until they reached a set of double doors. Bando retrieved another breach stick, lit it, and pushed it through the lock. The group swiftly entered the room, checking corners and any conceivable direction they could be attacked in. The room looked like some sort of large processing area for materials unknown. It was empty and quiet. Bando didn't like it. A look towards Ryota told him that Ryota was having the same thought.

"We keep moving," Bando said quietly, "Red Sky will be on the third floor. That's our first priority."

They started moving again, their steps seeming to echo too loudly for Bando's taste. Were they really all outside repelling Nana and the others?

"It's too quiet," Arakawa whispered.

"Noticed that huh?" Bando replied.

With a hand motion, Bando ordered the other men to fan out and start checking the catwalks. Slowly and methodically, the group proceeded along the factory floor. A particularly loud boom from somewhere outside made all crouch down in unison.

"It's hell on earth out there," Arakawa said.

"Not just there," came a voice from up high, "it's everywhere."

All pointed their weapons upwards to the catwalks, Bando training his own on where the voice had come from. Clanging sounds on metal told Bando that men were pouring in from somewhere upstairs to take positions on the catwalks.

"Get to cover!" Bando yelled as he pulled Arakawa aside and behind a large machine.

The sounds of footsteps persisted as Bando could now see some of the soldiers upstairs. Lights started flickering on from gun barrels and began to shine downwards. Bando stayed behind his cover, wanting to asses the situation, without being blinded by gun lights.

"Ghost!" Bando yelled, "that you up there asshole?"

"Got it in one, shithead."

Bando's gaze flickered over to Ryota who's face remained coldly neutral. Bando turned his head back upwards.

"Why don't we cut the bullshit here? This is between us! Let's you and me end this. Just us."

"Sure, just tell your people to throw down their guns and come out with their hands up and we can deal."

Silence on both sides for a moment, before Ghost's derisive laughter rang out.

"So no then? At least you don't actually believe your own bullshit."

"That rocket's bogus and you know it. Hell, even Westmore's got to know it. Why else would we go to all this trouble just to be wrong? Westmore's set you up you stupid son of a bitch! Why else do you think he's not here?"

"I don't give a fuck about the rocket Bando. If you can stop it, stop it. Hell, I might even let you," he chuckled, "but then again maybe not. You're right you know, this is between us. But not just us."

Another silence before Ghost's voice rang out even louder.

"Ryota! You down there too? I know you are. You'd want to be here wouldn't you?"

Ryota opened his mouth silently a few times before actually speaking, "I'm here Katsuo."

"Still insist on calling me that, even after I asked you not to? Even after I told you why? All those years ago?"

Ryota did not answer, but instead closed his eyes.

"You know Ryota, it doesn't matter now. I remember. I remember everything. You know that don't you?"

"Katsuo, it is you and I who must resolve this. Would you let your men gun me down? Would you let any other but yourself finish this?"

Ghost didn't answer. Bando's hackles were beginning to rise. He could feel that things were going to explode at any moment. He'd taken stock of the situation. The soldiers didn't bother surrounding them. At least not in any way visible. It was likely Ghost was expecting the indomitable display of force to coax them into a hasty retreat back the way they came. If that doorway wasn't mined now, there was probably at least a few soldiers in position to mow them down as they went out the door. If Ghost was still talking, that likely meant they weren't in position yet, but they would be soon. In addition to any forces Ghost might have ordered further within the facility. They had to act soon, and forcefully. They had to break the line somehow.

Bando got on his radio quietly, "flashbangs, up high, on my mark. Push forward through the factory floor to the main stairwell. Don't stop for anything. Rear guard get frags onto those catwalks."

"I don't think I'll have to worry about that," came Ghost's voice, answering Ryota, "I'm sure if you want it bad enough, you'll find me. You were always good. Let's see how good you really are…"

"Katsuo, you're making a mist…"

"MARK!" Bando screamed, throwing up a flashbang grenade along with several of the other soldiers. Loud cracks rang out and gun lights swayed.

"MOVE!" Bando yelled out as he broke from cover, firing his rifle wildly upwards and running forward. Gunfire erupted all around them as Ghost's men fought back. Arakawa nearly stopped moving in terror, but Bando grabbed her arm and pulled her forward. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ryota running past. He had dropped his rifle and drawn two pistols from his holster, firing measured shots as he ran, slowing down only slightly every so often to fire a few rounds where they were needed. His shots sent men down into cover, or dead off of the catwalk when his aim was true. One of Ghost's men tried to cut Ryota off on the ground floor, but Ryota quickly sailed under his guard, and used his momentum to lift the soldier, slamming him onto the ground while going back to a dead run, firing a killing shot downward as he kept moving.

Bando switched to the grenade launcher function of his rifle and threw his arm back, firing once into the supports of one of the catwalks. An explosion rang out, followed by the sounds of grinding metal and screams as the catwalk collapsed. They had almost made it to the main stairwell when he saw two of them men they had taken with them go down in a hail of gunfire from behind them.

"GO GO GO!" Bando screamed, drawing his pistol and shooting several times at the deadbolt lock on the door in front of him. He blasted it off just in time for him to reach it, and shoulder check it open. He lost his balance then and fell, only just noticing the three soldiers who were now preparing to take advantage of his mistake. Before they could, Ryota sailed into the room, guns gripped tightly in his fists as he jumped and savagely kicked the man in front before diving backwards to dodge gunfire. As Ryota's back hit the ground, he pointed his pistols out and emptied them into the bodies of the two remaining men, taking a moment to fire a headshot at the man he'd kicked to the ground.

"Close the fucking door!" Bando shouted at the two remaining soldiers, who immediately complied.

Bando quickly stood up, reloading his assault rifle as Ryota began reloading his pistols.

"Shit!" Bando said, "I was hoping we'd be much farther in before it turned into a full on dustup in here."

"Few things go as planned," Ryota said, checking up the stairs, "we adapt."

"We're outnumbered and two floors away from the rocket!" Arakawa screeched, "please explain how 'adapt' works right now!"

As if to punctuate her point, gunfire rang out from upstairs, to keep them pinned down.

"Got em closing in from down here too!" cried one of the soldiers as he smashed out one of the two windows on the door.

"Well hold them back!" Bando said, reaching for his radio, "adapt my ass. What we need is a damn guardian angel right now."

The courtyard was complete chaos.

Fire burned everywhere from spilled gasoline and napalm, and smoke filled the air. Gunfire was a constant sound, broken occasionally by explosions. Snow fell heavily and thunder rolled ahead, barely perceptible over the sounds of battle. Nana struggled on, blood in her eyes from a cut on her forehead that came from flying shrapnel. Though it, she continued to shield herself from attack and strike out at enemies nearby, who were learning very quickly to fear the teenage girl in the dark coat.

"Push them back!" came Takashi's voice on the radio, "inside the complex! Bottle them in!"

Wiping her eyes, she looked over and saw Takashi with a group of men, trading shots with soldiers who had taken position inside the front office building. On her other side, she saw Ryota's men taking wide positions to funnel the survivors in the courtyard back inside the building. Through the pain, she felt a thrill blast through her. They were winning. They were actually winning.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the unmistakable sounds of .50 caliber machine guns from up above. She looked up to see two men had taken position on the roof of the office and were laying down fire with two massive machine guns. The bullets tore through Takashi's men from behind their barricade. And then she saw Takashi go down.

"TAKASHI!" she screamed, taking off forward in a dead run, towards the front offices.

"Seraph! Shit, get her some fucking cover fire! Now!"

She screamed as she tore ahead, gunfire peppering the ground all around her. Gunfire behind her roared as the soldiers forced Ghost's men back down. She saw the men in the offices began to stumble back in fear.

She was unleashed. Cut loose. Finally able to vent all of her rage and pain that she'd ever felt in her life and it felt so good it scared her, but couldn't stop her.

She vaulted into the air with her vectors until she was high above the office building. The men with the machines guns were there. The men she'd watched kill those men, and shoot Takashi. She could see the fear in their eyes. Could see their knowledge that doom was coming and there was absolutely nothing they could do to stop it. They threw their hands up as Nana sailed downwards towards them. Death coming as sure as night followed day.

She wanted to spare them in that moment. Their fear cut through her anger. Her rage, which seemed out of her control.

Then one of them went for their gun. Instinct took over and she lashed out, impaling them with her vectors and ending their lives in a blink as she landed gracefully upon the office roof. She froze as she looked outwards, watching Ryota's men close in and fire at the soldiers inside the office. The smell of cordite in the air was suffocating and she could barely see outward for the smoke and the snow. Bodies were everywhere, both on Ryota's, and Ghost's side. The scope of the violence and ended lives was beginning to crash in upon her now that most of her rage had been vented. She trembled from cold, pain, and shock.

"T…Takashi?" she said, pressing the call button. She didn't get a response.

"Takashi!?" she cried again.

"Nana! Er…uh…Seraph!" came a voice on the radio. Not Takashi.

"Who is…"

"It's Bando! We've got a problem inside! What's the situation outside?"

"Takashi's been shot!"

"Fuck Takashi goddamn it, what is the goddamn situation outside! Focus! Report!"

Anger flooded back into her.

"We're fine out here! We pushed them back inside! Front office! And don't you dare…"

"Good! Then come in here and fucking help us! Ghost made us walking in the door and he's here now. Got us pinned down in the first floor stairwell. Need you on the second floor, get us moving again."

Ghost. The man who'd tortured her. The man who had caused so much pain. Rage swept back into her heart at knowing he was so close and about to kill more people she cared about. She looked up and saw flashing lights in a series of second story windows. Flashes like what would come from gunfire.

"Nana!"

"Seraph!" she corrected angrily. She liked the name. Made her feel strong in a way she couldn't explain. She needed that strength right about then.

"I'm coming, just hold on!"

Nana, vaulted herself up quickly, taking a moment to ensure no one was looking out of the window. She saw soldiers firing their weapons downward over the railing of a flight of stairs. She saw Ghost too. He was right there, in the hallway, pulling two grenades from his belt and leaning over the railing. Eyes wide, Nana pressed the call button.

"Look out! He's throwing grenades!"

She shattered the window at the same moment he dropped the grenades downward. All turned shocked looks at the window as Nana vaulted into the room.

Ghost and Nana exchanged dark looks for a moment as all froze. When the explosions rang out, all turned their heads slightly. Nana struck out immediately and killed all within reach. Ghost, however, had been too far in the hallway. There was a silence after the explosion. No one in the room except Nana and Ghost. Face to face again at last.

"Well well," Ghost said, "fancy seeing you here."

"You bastard!" Nana hissed.

"Come and get you some, fucking bitch!"

She lashed out with her vectors, knowing he had no chance. Suddenly however, there was a shock in her mind that cut her concentration. Her vectors passed through Ghost but he simply stood there smiling.

"That all you got?"

Ghost drew his pistol and Nana panicked, knowing she'd be unable to stop the bullet. It was a .50 caliber at close range, likely loaded with tungsten and her vectors suddenly weren't working right. She dashed to a nearby room and dived just as she heard Ghost's gun firing, narrowly escaping death.

"I'm comin for you girl," she heard him say from outside. Fear began to reach through the rage, remembering that Ghost was no longer the human she'd believed he was.

He was like her. But so much worse.

"I heard her!" Bando said, "she's up there!"

They emerged from behind the stairwell from where they'd taken shelter from the grenade assault. It had unfortunately claimed the life of one of the two remaining soldiers they'd taken with them.

"Then let's go," Ryota said.

Bando fired a few rounds upstairs just in case, then began ascending the stairwell, his rifle held hard against his shoulders as he moved quickly.

"I'm comin for you girl," he heard.

"No motherfucker!" Bando roared, "we're coming for you!"

After a few seconds, he saw Ghost hang a submachine gun over the railing and began to blindfire over the railing. Arakawa, Bando, and the remaining soldier began to return fire. Ryota, however, began to run ahead.

"Ryota! Wait for us!"

He kept moving, not heeding Bando's call, and soon vanished around one of the bends.

"Shit" Bando screamed as he heard the downstairs door slam open.

"We've got incoming," he cried as Arakawa and the other soldier began firing downstairs. Everything seemed to be going wrong.

"No motherfucker, we're coming for you!"

It was Bando, coming to her rescue now. Nana scrambled up to take a cautionary peek around the door. What she saw, didn't seem to make sense to her. She saw Ghost, seemingly running for it, and then she saw Ryota scramble up the stairs and begin to chase him down in one of the second floor hallways. Instinct, as well as vengeance and curiosity, set her on her feet, and she began to give chase after the two of them. She passed through the door with speed, coming into a hallway with one side of the hallway completely made up of large windows. Shortly after entering this room, a bright light shined upon her. She turned her head while throwing her arm up to shield her eyes from the light.

"Oh no…" she whispered once she realized what she was looking at. It was a helicopter strafing the facility, and it had her in its sights. She broke into a dead run, readying her vectors to defend against what she knew was coming. Sure enough, in the next moment, gunfire began to ring out from outside. Glass shattered and the sound of the whirling helicopter blades filled the air. Shards of flying glass slashed at her skin as she ran for her life, just ahead of the bullets that were tearing the walls behind her apart.

She dived into the next room, just ahead of the helicopter assault, sliding along the floor and smashing into the wall. She had just enough time to see Ghost and Ryota vanish further upstairs, which was not her immediate concern.

"It's her!" came a voice from inside the room.

Nana looked up to find herself in a room full of soldiers who all had their guns trained on her. Panic and surprise had stayed their hand for a moment.

Nana used her vectors to get herself to her feet quickly and defend herself as she quickly darted into another large room on the second floor to escape from the assault from the soldiers. Frustration swept through her at being pushed away from her quarry. She stepped backward and prepared to fight them off. She wasn't about to let them stop her for long.

Then she heard a door off to her left slam open, and knew it was going to take a little longer than she'd thought.

"Why in the shit do we not have a helicopter too!?" Bando yelled as he whirled back into the room they were using to take cover from the helicopter.

"Back at the hospital," Arakawa said, reloading her pistol.

"Doing a lot of goddamn good all the fucking way back there isn't it?"

The remaining soldier that was with them opened fire towards one of the hallways. Bando looked over to see Ghost's men beginning to pour out of it. Bando and Arakawa began shooting at them as well. They fired back with a vengeance, killing the soldier next to them.

"Motherfuckers!" Bando yelled as he began firing rifle grenades into the hallway. A storm of explosions rang out, shattering windows and blowing out the far wall. Men flew about in all directions. There was relative quiet after this, save for the sounds of battle outside. Snow began to drift in the room from the blown out wall and shattered windows.

"We're not going to make it…" Arakawa said in shuddering voice. Bando looked in her direction and felt needles in his blood. She'd been shot. Looked like a shoulder wound.

"Stow that shit girl," Bando said, deciding against acknowledging her wound, hastily grabbing more rifle grenade shells from his belt and loading them into the rifle, "they're cleaning up downstairs, that's why we're seeing more guys up here. We're seeing retreating soldiers."

He racked a new grenade shell into the rifle.

"Our guys will be here soon, but we got a more immediate problem."

"The helicopter?"

"It's got to go down. We're not getting to the third floor stairwell without taking it out."

"What about the catwalks in the other direction?"

"It's going to be a hellstorm in that direction with Ghost's retreating men, and our advancing guys. Besides, I blew up one of the catwalks…"

"And taking on a helicopter is safer how?"

"Because all I need is one good shot…"

Bando looked around and grabbed an assault rifle from the floor, checked its magazine, then chambered a round. He handed the weapon to Arakawa.

"Bando, what…?"

"I need you to cover me, draw its fire."

"Are you kidding me!?"

"I'm going outside," he pointed, "through that window. I'll have a perfect shot but no way to defend myself if they're looking in my direction. I need you to get them to look the other way."

"Bando…"

"You can do this! Go!"

Bando rushed towards the window as he heard Arakawa curse and lean out of the other door. Soon after he heard gunfire from her rifle, then return fire from the helicopter peppering the hallway beyond. As they traded shots, Bando leaned out of the window to take a look. He saw the helicopter hovering there, sharp lights flashing from the mounted gun on its side.

"Here we go," Bando muttered as he climbed out of the window and began to slowly make his way closer.

Ghost kept moving, shouldering open the double doors to the third floor room which housed Red Sky. Once inside, he quickly ran towards the rocket, then stopped, turning around the face the door. He didn't know what he was feeling at that particular moment. Hate, fear, apprehension. His hands shook as he waited. Any minute now. Any second. Any moment.

This is it Katsuo. He's coming. And he coming alone.

"I know…"

You know w…

"…what I…have to do."

Silence then. Absolute silence. No other voice. It was just gone. Not silent, but gone. Katsuo knew why, immediately and instinctively. They had been of one mind for a long time now. There was no longer a separation between him, and that Voice.

He commanded the Voice now. It had saved him from certain death only moments ago. He had scattered Nana, defied her, and knew in his heart he could conquer her.

Ryota burst into the room, breathing heavily. Ghost stood still, unarmed, but invincible.

"Katsuo," was all he said, before aiming his pistols in Ghost's direction. Pain slashed through him. Pain, and resentment.

"Go on," Ghost said, "do it. Shoot me."

Ryota hesitated. And so did Ghost. He wanted to kill him. He also couldn't bring himself to it.

"Isn't that why you're here Ryota? Why don't you just fucking pull that trigger!?"

More hesitation. That pain began flooding to the surface.

"Go on you fucking…just…DO IT!"

"Katsuo…" he said again, hesitating as if though he'd wanted to say more.

"PULL IT!" Ghost screamed, "DO WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE DONE YEARS AGO!"

"Katsuo, I'm sorry…"

"WHEN I WAS A BOY! WHEN YOU KILLED MY FRIENDS! WHY DID YOU LET ME LIVE!? WHY?"

He couldn't make the words stop. Why wouldn't Ryota fight him? Make the first move? Anything so he could just react and not have to think about…

"I'm so very sorry Katsuo."

"You're fucking sorry you goddamn fatherless son of a fucking whore?"

Silence after that. Ghost actually saw pain in Ryota's eyes. How DARE he act hurt. How dare he…

The sound of clattering distracted him. Looking down at Ryota's feet, he saw that he'd dropped his pistols. He started walking forward.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"I'd made so many mistakes. I'd thought saving you would help me atone for them. I thought raising you like my own, making you strong, seeing what you could become if given a chance at life, would make everything worth it."

Ghost remained silent as Ryota kept walking closer. He felt frozen in place. Paralyzed.

"I watched your heart darken as the years passed. I knew I'd made yet another mistake, but I couldn't bring myself to admit I'd failed you too. I believed I could still save you."

"You can stop trying now…'father'," Ghost spat bitterly, "or else you might save me to death."

"You're right Katsuo. The time for trying is over, and you cannot be saved."

Ryota paused, a mere arm's length from Ghost. They stared at each other intently. In that moment, Ghost remembered every happy moment he'd ever spent at Ryota's side. Every moment he'd seen pride in his eyes, as well as every moment Ghost had felt self-hatred when he'd seen disappointment there. How could it have gone so wrong? Why? Pain swirled through him, and he forgot where he was and who he was. For a moment, he was that child again. Staring into the eyes of a savior.

"I'm sorry I failed you," Ryota whispered.

"I…"

Loved you.

He couldn't say the words. He needed to say them but he couldn't.

"So," Ghost said bitterly, "you saved me…for you."

Ryota stared silently. Ghost's pain crystalized into hatred, as it always did. As it always had. Even when he was a child. Ghost glared and his fists clenched as that hate took him over. Overwhelmed him. Consumed him.

"FUCK! YOU!" Ghost screamed.

A sudden movement from Ryota made him snap to attention. Ryota had unsheathed the combat knife at his belt. Ghost caught his wrist with one hand, the blade only inches from his stomach. Ryota had been aiming for where the flak vest wasn't covering his body. Ryota stepped forward and Ghost recognized the move. Ryota was about to take him off of his feet, at which point the killing blow would be instantaneous. Ghost released his power in a small, localized sonic blast around Ryota's ears. Ryota froze, disoriented from the shock to his senses, which gave Ghost time enough to disarm him.

The rest, was pure instinct.

Ghost drove the combat knife up into Ryota's ribs and twisted the knife.

They stared at one another. Each realizing what had just happened. Ghost's mouth fell agape and his lower lip trembled. Blood trickled from Ryota's mouth as he stared in wide eyed surprise.

"Ryota…I…"

The look of shock, surprise, in Ryota's face was damning. Excruciating. Ghost couldn't believe what he had just done. He wanted to take it back. Right then. But then Ryota began to slump and it became all too real.

"No…" Ghost whispered, clutching Ryota's clothes and kneeling down with him, "no no no…"

He laid Ryota gently on the ground. Ryota coughed a few times and Ghost saw blood spray from his lips.

"I didn't...I…" Ghost ran a hand roughly through his own hair in panic, "why did you make me do that? I didn't want…I…"

A gust of wind broke the relative silence. Musical sounds from the windchimes all around filled the room. The sound was solemn, funereal.

"Can…y…you ev…ever forgive m…me?" Ryota stammered weakly.

Ghost could only stare. Tears stung his eyes. He hated Ryota for it. Hated himself for it. Hated the world for it.

"End…this…" Ryota said, "please…"

Ghost opened his mouth, as if to speak. He had been about to speak, but didn't know quite what he was going to say. He never got the chance. The double doors flew open again to revel a single person. Ghost stood up quickly once he realized who.

"No…" Ryota croaked, coughing up more blood.

"Oh son of a BITCH!" Bando yelled as he noticed soldiers downstairs that had looked up to see him scaling the outside wall. They fired upwards at him and his muscles tightened in fear of one of those bullets finding him when he was so vulnerable. He aimed his rifle down and returned fire, forcing them into cover. Then fired a grenade shell downward to where they were hiding. An explosion rang out and death cries followed.

"One shot left," Bando said aloud. He would have felt better about that had it not been for the helicopter searchlight suddenly realigning to investigate the explosion around the corner. He then heard the helicopter rotors getting closer.

"Ah hell!" he said as he hastily started leaping from ledge to ledge. If he didn't get to the building corner before that helicopter got him in sight, he was a dead man.

As he moved closer, soldiers on the ground appeared once again, apparently also investigating the explosion. They found him immediately and started firing. He knew he'd never make it to the building's edge before they cut him down.

Two priorities, only one shot, no way back inside from where he was.

He quickly looked up, and saw the helicopter blades slightly over the roof of the second story area he was scaling. That meant they were close. He had only one chance…

"Goddammit!" he yelled as he fired his last rifle grenade at the soldiers on the ground. They scattered as the explosion rang out. It would buy him a few precious seconds. He threw his rifle aside, and began scrambling to the edge.

Only one shot at this.

Nana stalked into the room, anger burning in her at the sight of Ghost right there in front of her. He was standing over Ryota, a bloody knife in his hand and shock cut through the anger for a moment.

"You killed him," Nana whispered.

Ghost dropped the knife, which clattered loudly in the large room, and he took a few steps away.

"You KILLED him!" Nana screamed, using a vector to snatch the knife from the floor. She immediately flung it towards him. Ghost rolled out of the way and drew his pistol. He fired three shots at Nana, which she deflected without blinking.

"You bastard," she hissed, "I've been waiting for this."

"Oh yeah? Then come and get it bitch!" he spat back. But there was something off though. Something not quite right about his anger. She could feel it. Actually FEEL it. It felt like a mask. A wall. Something protecting him from what he really felt.

"Spare me the act," Nana said while pointing at her own head, "I know what you are and I know what you feel!"

"Bullshit!" Ghost said, "you don't know a DAMN thing!"

She saw him begin to concentrate and all around her she could see reality seeming to warp. Like air was twisting somehow. The sounds of the windchimes became painful and sharp and she began to scream in pain but couldn't hear her own voice. She roused enough to notice Ghost was aiming his gun at her again, and darted out of the way just in time to avoid several of his shots.

Sounds. He was using the sounds of the windchimes to produce painful spikes of sound. They distracted her, kept her from calling her vectors. She hid behind a nearby crate for the next round of Ghost's assault. She realized quickly that she was not going to be able to take him on head to head like this. She was already at a disadvantage.

But she had one thing. She'd felt what lay beyond his surface anger. He was grieving. He was in pain. She took a shot in the dark based on what she'd seen walking in the door.

"How could you do it Ghost!" she yelled, "how could you kill even someone you LOVED!"

"Shut the fuck up!" he screamed, "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUCK YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!"

He lost concentration for a moment and she gained her own back. Immediately, she struck out at some of the nearby windchimes, blasting them away from the room from the holes in the walls where they'd been hung. The painful spikes of sound came back, but weaker now. She retained enough concentration to strike out at the crate she was hiding behind, blasting it outwards towards Ghost. He fired a few useless shots at it before it struck him, knocking him over and sending the gun flying out of his hand. Nana rushed him, hoping to end it quickly, but Ghost recovered faster than she'd anticipated. He brutally focused another round of sharp sound into her ears and she faltered, finding herself unable to defend against Ghost as he cruelly slammed his fist into her face. Pain went through her like she'd been thrown full force at a brick wall and she flew backwards.

He straddled her and wrapped his fists around her throat. She began to gag and claw uselessly at his powerful hands.

"Die you bitch!" he growled. Fear screamed through her as she began to lose consciousness. She knew if she did, she would never wake up.

Almost there.

Bando leapt to the final railing just on the corner of the building, right as the helicopter came into view. He broke into a dead run towards the handrail. He saw the gunner prepare to fire on him, but gunfire began to pepper the side of the helicopter causing him to take cover. Arakawa, watching his back.

Bando leapt onto the railing, and launched himself into the air towards the helicopter. He had hoped to land inside but the pilot had banked away from the building just as Arakawa fired upon them. Instead, Bando reached out for the helicopter's skids. He grabbed it solidly and held tightly as the helicopter moved away from the building. He locked a leg around a skid, drew his magnum, and waited. When the gunner leaned over to see what had hit the helicopter, Bando immediately shot him in the head. Blood and bone exploded from his skull as he tumbled out of the aircraft. Holstering the weapon, Bando heaved himself up and grabbed the barrel of the mounted gun for leverage when he felt hands grasp his upper arm and chest. Another soldier.

Bando grabbed his clothes in kind, then lurched up to headbutt the man in the face. Taking advantage of the soldier being stunned, he grabbed the mounted gun with one hand for leverage, then yanked the soldier out of the aircraft with the other, his scream quickly drowned out by the helicopter rotors. Looking down quickly, he saw that the helicopter had gained some altitude and was hovering just over the roof of the second floor stairwell, where he just was. Pulling himself into the helicopter, he drew his pistol once again just as the pilot turned around to see what was happening.

"Holy shi…!"

Bando put two bullets from his Desert Eagle into the pilot, then quickly bailed out of the helicopter, landing in a hard roll on the roof. He kept moving, already hearing the tell tale sounds of the helicopter spiraling out of control. He turned around only once as he ran, and his eyes went wide as he noticed the helicopter preparing to crash on the stairwell roof.

"Shit shit SHIT SHIT!" he yelled out as he made a beeline for the window he had originally crawled out of. He dove off the roof just as the helicopter slammed into it with a loud crash of grinding metal. He was in midair just as the fuel tank went up, and Bando could feel the heat just behind him as he smashed through what was left of the window, rolling a few times before hitting the opposite wall hard. He quickly covered his face with his arms as debris came flying through the windows, in addition to smoke from the explosion. A large portion of the ceiling had fallen away and fire was beginning to spread in the stairwell.

Hands were grabbing at him, helping him up. He nearly attacked the person before he realized it was Arakawa.

"Are you absolutely out of your goddamn mind!" she screeched.

Nana could still feel him. The core of him. Pain and loss ripped through Ghost, and she knew it was about more than just Ryota. She could feel his raw emotion. He had some kind of link with her but had no control over it. Through that link she could even feel that he was reacting to her personally. She sensed familiarity. She reminded him of someone. Someone he lost that he didn't want to lose.

It was her last chance.

She reached up slowly, no longer fighting him, and cupped his cheek with her palm.

It was as if though her touch were lightening to him, so intently did he react to her hand on his face. She felt his fingers relax. Enough for her to breathe.

"Who?" Nana asked in a weak voice.

A moment of silence then, as he seemed caught somewhere between past and present.

"Kasumi," he replied in a dead voice, caught in that link, in those memories she could feel but not see, "she had a doll…Bloss…"

Only one chance.

He was too fast for a killing blow, she would never defeat him that way. He'd scramble her vectors into something weak as he had done earlier when they passed through him.

But she didn't need them to be strong for this.

She gathered all her will and lashed out at him with all of her vectors, towards a singular target. He saw it coming, as she'd expected, and assaulted her mind with a throng of sound. Her vectors began to lose consistency with every inch, but they got closer…closer.

Time seemed to slow down, and she said a silent prayer, as quickly as she could. Hoping this would work.

The vectors were now incorporeal enough to not leave physical wounds, but still corporeal enough for one last thing. She struck forward…

And touched the pineal gland of his brain.

At that moment, her vector control vanished along with the painful sound, and she collapsed under him in pain and exhaustion. She looked up to see Ghost raise shaking hands to his head. Shock and horror was all over his face.

"What…the fuck DID YOU DO TO ME BITCH!?"

"I switched you off…asshole. That was for Mayu."

She gathered what remained of her strength and called her vectors. She lashed them out like blunt whips, not having the concentration to fashion them into edges, and blasted Ghost off and away from her. He sailed through the air and slammed onto the ground hard. He did not rise; knocked out.

"And that," she whispered weakly, and with satisfaction, "was for me."

With that, she passed out.

Arakawa was past fear or shock at what she had just seen Bando do. The man was suicidal.

"Are you?" she screeched again, "just completely insane!?"

"Come on," Bando said roughly, slapping her hands away, "helicopter's gone, we're clear. We have to get up there and help Ryota. And where the hell is Nana?"

Bando shook his head and he began running off towards the windowed hallway. Arakawa followed, dropping her spent rifle and drawing her pistol. She shifted the weight of the bag she carried, being as careful as possible not to let it bang anything or drop it. This would all be for nothing if the vial broke.

They ran until their lungs burned, upstairs as fast as they could. When they came to a set of double doors, Bando slowed down and readied his pistol.

"This is it," he said, "intel has Red Sky just past this door. This is what we came here for."

"I'm ready," Arakawa said, readying her pistol.

As one, they burst through the door. Almost immediately, Arakawa went into a sort of shock at the scene before her.

There it was. Red Sky, the rocket in the distance already going through the auto prep sequence before launch. It looked to be in the final stages, with launch only minutes away. But suddenly, that mattered so very little to her.

"RYOTA!" she screamed, seeing him lying there in a pool of blood. Pain turned to rage as she saw Ghost in the distance, moving wobbly towards the roof access door. She aimed her gun.

"YOU BASTARD!" she screamed as she opened fire upon him. Ghost shouldered the door open and escaped before she could hit him. Once he was out of sight, she dropped her spent pistol and hurried to Ryota's side, dropping to her knees in his blood, right next to him.

He was barely alive, but dying fast. Panic and sorrow gripped her as she grasped one of his blood soaked hands in both of hers.

"No…oh please no Ryota, please…PLEASE!"

"A…Akane."

"Why did you run off?" she said, tears beginning to gather in her eyes, "why didn't you stay with us?"

"I…h-had…to," he coughed up blood, and Arakawa gasped at the horror of it, "t…thought I c-could…s…stop him...myself. Didn't want him…t…to hurt….you."

At this, Arakawa began sobbing, and lowered her head to kiss his bloodstained lips. At this, she heard Bando start to walk towards the other person in the room. Nana. Shame coiled around her heart. Was she dead too?

"You're alright girl?" she heard him ask.

"F…fine," came Nana's weakened voice, "I…switched…him…off."

"What?"

"He…can't use…his power against…you. He's…just a…man…now."

Bando nodded, "you did good, just relax now. I'll do the rest."

"B…Bando," she whispered. He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You gave em hell…Seraph," he said with a wink, "goddamn proud of you. Rest. You earned it."

He then stood up slowly and looked in Ryota's direction, who looked back at him.

"You're a damn fool old man," Bando said, his voice hoarse, and his rough demeanor forced.

"I…know."

Bando walked over towards him and kneeled down, taking his other hand.

"Finish…it," Ryota said, "both…of…you. Finish…it."

Arakawa saw Bando's head lower and his hand tighten on Ryota's. Bando's teeth gnashed and pain showed plainly in his eyes.

"Proud…of you…boy. You…became t-the man…I…I'd hoped…y-you'd be."

Bando nodded. He couldn't think of anything to say worth saying.

"Always...remember...that Bando," he said with a weak smile, "now go."

Bando hesitated only a momebt more, then abruptly stood up, and stalked off towards the roof access.

"Kill that fucking son of a bitch!" Arakawa yelled in a ragged voice.

"Just neutralize Red Sky," Bando said, smoldering anger in his voice, "I'll be right back…"

As Bando walked away, Arakawa turned her attention back to Ryota. For a long moment, she couldn't think of anything to say, which made her feel desperate. These were his last moments. She should say something.

"Akane…"

"Don't leave me," she whispered, tears falling down her cheek, "please…don't leave me."

"You're…such a s-strong…woman…"

"…please don't…"

"You have to promise…m…me," he coughed again, a faint sound now, "p-promise m…me you'll…stay…strong. For what is to come."

She sobbed silently, her mouth open and her shoulders heaving.

"Oh Ryota…I love you…"

"Promise…m-me…"

It took her three tries.

"I…I promise Ryota."

He smiled weakly, gripping her hands more tightly with his own with what strength he had left.

"I…l-lov…"

He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes unfocused and unseeing. It took her a long moment to realize that he was gone. Forever. Shock and grief threatened to paralyze her as a new wave of sobs tore through her.

"Launch preparation complete," came a computerized voice from afar, "initiating ignition sequence. Red Sky deployment in t-minus two minutes."

It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that there was no time to grieve. But there would be time later. She stood up, barely registering her blood stained clothes, and began to run towards Red Sky. They were out of time.

She hoped Bando was up there making Ghost suffer for everything he had done. For taking Ryota away…

Bando angrily shoved the roof access door open. Freezing winter air rushed out to meet him. Searchlights aimed skyward illuminated the roof in many places but left deep shadows in others. Snow fell heavily from the dark sky and the sounds of battle were beginning to taper off further below.

Ghost stood there, alone, facing him. Snow collected on his head and shoulders as he stood still. Waiting.

Bando walked slowly forward, barely registering the sound of the roof access door slamming shut behind him. There was relative silence on the roof, save for the wind and thunder above, and the crunching of snow as he stepped forward. Neither spoke as Bando closed the distance between them, stopping finally when they were several paces apart. They glared at one another as the silence stretched, hatred rendering them silent.

Bando wanted to scream at him. Spit curses and hateful threats, but nothing he could think to say could adequately express the absolute bitter hatred he carried for Ghost. Judging by the look in Ghost's eyes, he figured that went the same for him.

"He was as much my father as he was yours," Ghost said finally.

"Says the man who killed him," Bando spat, "did he mean nothing to you?"

"He meant everything to me!" Ghost yelled, "HE tried to kill ME!"

"And you didn't have it coming motherfucker? You do. You know that don't you? You've got it coming so fucking bad…"

"Well nothing's stopping you now Bando," Ghost said, "nothing and no one anymore to get in our way this time."

"You're right," Bando said, with a calm sense of finality, "only one of us is getting out of here alive."

"Maybe neither of us," Ghost said as he retrieved a device from his belt. Bando's eyes widened as he realized what it was.

Arakawa slammed the viral compartment door shut and locked it just in time. She threw away Kakuzawa's viral compound, shattering it on the ground, knowing it would be useless in its liquid form and stepped away from the rocket.

"Ignition in t-minus 3….2….1….ignition."

Smoke and fire blasted from the rocket's propulsion system as it was lifted into the air.

It was done. They'd stopped Red Sky. The rest was up to Bando. And Lucy.

She turned towards Nana. She had to get her out of this place.

A whooshing sound made Bando turn his head around, though he quickly moved to the side to keep Ghost in his peripheral vision. Red Sky screamed into the air in a line of fire and smoke. It did not take long for the missile to disappear into the storm clouds. Bando grinned triumphantly.

"We won Ghost," he said, "Arakawa neutered Kakuzawa's fucking virus. It'll be inert by morning. You've lost."

"I don't give a fuck about Red Sky. I don't give a fuck about Kakuzawa, Westmore, their plans, none of it. I don't fucking care about any of it anymore Bando. This right now? Is about you, and me."

Ghost took a few steps forward, and Bando once again eyed the device in his hand.

"You think I don't know this was all bullshit? Us being here? This battle? If you haven't figured it out yet you're fucking blind Bando."

"What are you talking about?"

"Westmore set up us all up to die here. He's got another game going. He has to. Men like him always have a plan B."

"If you know that, than why…"

"Why am I playing along? I already told you Bando, this was about you, me, and Ryota. This was about closing the circle."

"And you had to do that by killing him you son of a bitch?"

"Not just him," Ghost said darkly as he pressed a button on the device in his hand, then threw it away into the snow.

"What the hell was that?" Bando yelled.

"I had this whole motherfucker rigged before you got here. Just in case you made it this far. We've got about fifteen minutes to dance Bando, and then this place turns into a bonfire they'll be able to see from Tokyo."

Bando stared at Ghost's hate filled eyes. This was it. This would be their final fight. Bando felt the weight of finality in this moment. The impending devastation to come when those bombs went off. The impending struggle.

A strange calm fell over Bando as the moment wrapped itself around both of them.

"So," Bando said quietly, "this is it."

"Yeah," said Ghost, "this is it."

Ghost. The man he might have been. In a different life. This was more than simply facing his enemy. It was facing the darkness in himself.

"You stole my life," Ghost said quietly, "took everything from me. Why couldn't you just stay gone you fucking son of a bitch? You didn't want that life. I did!"

"I didn't take a goddamn thing from you," Bando said angrily, "Ryota took you in, gave you purpose. You had it all right in front of you, and you fucking threw it away. That wasn't my fault Ghost. It was yours."

"FUCK YOU BANDO!" Ghost screamed, "FUCK! YOU!"

"Enough," Bando said, unlatching his holster and throwing it to the ground, "come and get it you goddamn son of a whore! Let's fucking finish this!"

Ghost set his feet and ran at Bando, screaming with rage. Bando ran to meet him, the cold wind rushing against his skin, adrenaline thundering through his veins.

They met in a flurry of flying fists as a gust of wind blew snowdrifts into the air. Bando throwing weight behind punches that were expertly blocked by Ghost, who fought back with a feverish rage. Only now could Bando hear the gunfire still raging below, the explosions in the distance. It had been as though the world had gone silent just long enough for it to begin.

Ghost slapped Bando's hands away on either side and grabbed his middle, tackling him to the ground. Bando hit the ground hard, the breath knocked out of him as he felt Ghost's fist on his face.

"Not so FUCKING tough now huh bitch!" Ghost yelled.

Bando moved his head in time to dodge Ghost's next punch, which connected painfully with the floor. Bando reached up and cupped his hands to slap against both of Ghost's ears, stunning him. Bando used the moment to set his feet, reach up, and flip Ghost back onto the ground. Bando got a few good punches in before he saw Ghost reach into his belt for something. Bando leapt back to his feet just in time to dodge a swing from Ghost's combat knife.

Taking a few steps back, Bando drew his own knife and set himself in a defensive stance as Ghost rose back on his feet, blood dripping from his nose and mouth.

"Is that all you got?" Bando said.

"Come and find out," Ghost hissed.

The closed the distance once more. Light gleaming from their blades.

Arakawa burst through the missile room with her shoulder, carrying Nana on one arm and pointing her pistol out with the other. She still heard fighting going on outside and the idea of being alone was terrifying. She didn't think her luck would hold out if anyone spotted her now. Nana groaned in her ear.

"Come on Nana," Arakawa said shakily, "you've got to wake up!"

"H…Head…hurts…"

Arakawa heard voices from downstairs and fear spiked through her. She had no idea whose men were down there. She made a break for the skybridge, bursting through the door dragging Nana behind her. The ground crunched from the shattered glass and Arakawa's panic made her feel like the noise could be heard for miles.

"W…Where's….Bando...?"

"Nana, I need you to wake up, we're in trouble!"

She had just reached the other side when she heard the doors behind her slam open. She turned around and panicked when she saw it was some of Ghost's men. She whirled her pistol around and started firing down the hallway. The men dropped to the ground and returned fire as Arakawa tried to get away. She had just gotten through the door when she felt the piercing agony of a round in her thigh. She screamed and fell to the floor as the metal doors slammed shut, deflecting the rest of the assault. Pain rushed through her and left her breathless.

This is it…I'm going to die here.

Fear and futile anger coursed through her. At least she had done what she'd come to do. She stopped Red Sky. But she had failed Ryota, and Nana. She was going to die…

"Please live Akane…I could not bear for a soul as bright as yours to wink out this way."

No…

Not like this…

Arakawa released the clip of her pistol and slammed her last one in, chambering the round. She pointed the weapon at the door. She was not going to be a helpless victim gunned down in cold blood. She'd go down fighting them. She'd been fighting them for so long and she wasn't going to die a victim.

"Nana, get up!" She screamed. Nana began to rouse, and open her eyes, clarity slowly entering her gaze, but not quite yet.

"Wh…What's…"

Arakawa heard a muffled, static voice coming from Nana's earpiece. Whatever it was, whatever it had said, suddenly made clarity slam into Nana's eyes with a violent force. She stood up quickly, noting Arakawa's weapon trained upon the door.

Nana reached down and grabbed Arakawa's arm, lifting her up and then bracing her on her shoulder. The fire was back in Nana's eyes and Arakawa couldn't have been more relieved.

"I've got you," was all she said.

The solders burst through the door. They never had a chance.

Sparks flew as their blades met, passing by one another once more, probing each other's weaknesses. Both already wore cuts on their forearms and faces from when they broke one another's guards.

"Always knew it would end this way," Ghost said, "you and me. I knew this day was coming right from the beginning."

"Yeah," Bando growled, "so did I."

They clashed again; light from the searchlights gleaming from their blades as they swung furiously at one another. Ghost caught Bando's wrist during one swing and attempted to drive his own knife into Bando's stomach, but Bando caught Ghost's wrist, then brought his knee into Ghost's groin. He immediately released Bando to step back but not before Bando managed to slash Ghost across the cheek with his knife. Rage glinted from Ghost's eyes as he raised a hand to the wound, smearing his hand and face with blood.

"You motherfucker Bando!"

"Is that all you've got? Come and get it you bastard!"

Ghost rushed Bando who braced, with a measure of amusement, at Ghost's terribly telegraphed attack, but then remembered too late that underestimating Ghost was a mistake.

Ghost's rush rapidly turned into a spin where he spun around Bando's guard and braced to ram his knife into Bando's rib. Bando leapt away just in time to miss a killing blow, but Ghost's knife still slashed painfully across Bando's side. Bando rolled and got back to his feet, placing his hand to his side. His hand came back bloody and Ghost grinned.

"Careful what you wish for Bando."

Bando spat and shook off the pain, wiping his bloodied hand on his pants to dry them, then readied himself.

"I swear you're going to die tonight," Bando growled menacingly, "you're going to pay for everything you've done…"

Bando lunged at Ghost, swiping at his knife in predictable strokes, allowing Ghost to block the blade as he gave ground to Bando's assault. He waited until he saw the smug, toothy smile of confidence. Of believing his moment to strike was coming. Then Bando adjusted his swing slightly, slicing one of Ghost's fingers. There was a split second when Ghost's guard dropped from shock at the sudden pain. Bando seized the opening to grab Ghost's knife arm at the wrist, then swung his own knife towards Ghost's stomach for a killing blow. Ghost grabbed Bando's own wrist and the two struggled while moving in circles, glaring at one another with grit teeth. Hatred in their eyes.

"Fuck….you….Bando!" Ghost spat.

"No," Bando growled, "FUCK! YOU!"

Bando set his feet, then threw a headbutt into Ghost's nose, who recoiled in pain, blood draining down his face. Ghost still had a firm grip on Bando's knife hand, so Bando released Ghost's other arm and threw an elbow into his face. Ghost let go of his arm as he fell to the ground. Bando rushed him triumphantly, going for the kill.

"I've got you now you…"

A series of beeping sounds was the only warning he received as a deafening explosion rocked the facility. Suddenly there was fire blasting through the downstairs windows and the ventilation ducts on the roof. The ground beneath their feet shook violently and he parts of the roof giving way. Ghost began laughing.

"Time's up Bando! We're both going to die here!" he said, getting to his feet.

"You first asshole," Bando said, rushing towards Ghost again. He didn't get more than two feet before the ground beneath them gave way. They fell down back into the facility, into a fury of fire and smoke.

The courtyard was hell on earth now.

Soldiers on both sides were dug in and fighting one another furiously, but Nana could already see Ghost's men being flanked and routed. Gunfire and explosions were everywhere and Nana could smell napalm, gasoline, and blood. Chatter coming through her headset was frenzied and almost seemed like white noise to her at this point. A grunt of pain brought Nana's focus back to Arakawa who was limping from a bullet wound to her side. The battle in the hallway had been short but furious, one of the bullets getting through Nana's guard and striking Arakawa. Her many gunshot wounds weren't fatal, but Arakawa was unable to move without help and so was leaning against Nana.

"We have to get you somewhere safe," Nana said.

"There isn't anywhere safe," Arakawa said bitterly.

"Somewhere you won't get shot again," Nana amended.

Using her vectors, Nana carried them both to a relatively remote area outside of the fenced in part of the compound. All of the attention was on the battle out front, so they were not noticed as they moved. Dim light illuminated the area where a large shipping container rested, its doors open wide. Nana moved Arakawa inside out of the falling snow, and sat her down. Arakawa shivered with pain and cold.

"Are you going to be ok?" Nana asked.

"If I can get patched up soon yes. It just hurts."

In the dark, Nana could see overwhelming despair creep across Arakawa's face.

"Akane…" she said, "I'm so sor…"

"Don't," Arakawa whispered, "just…just don't. I can't. Not now."

Nana fell silent, not knowing what to say, or if she should say anything.

"Bando?" came a voice on her headset, Takashi, "Command? Seraph? What the hell is going on in there? Someone report!"

Nana snapped back to attention. Arakawa was right, now was not the time for mourning. There was still a battle going on outside. A battle she needed to go back to.

"This is Seraph," she said in a shaky voice as adrenaline began slowly making its way back into her blood.

"Seraph, tell me something. What's the status of Red Sky?"

"Neutralized," said Arakawa in a hoarse whisper, having heard the question in the relative quiet.

"Red Sky has been neutralized," Nana replied, repeating Arakawa.

"And their commander?"

"Being neutralized," Nana said darkly.

In that moment, there was a massive series of explosions coming from the facility. Nana and Arakawa cried out in surprise as debris rained down upon the container's roof. Nana could already feel the heat from the flames.

Rushing out of the container, Nana looked on in horror as the industrial complex had become a hell of fire. Everything burned and fire leapt from nearly every window.

"What in God's name was that!?"

Nana's breath caught. Bando was still in there.

"I…I don't know," Nana said.

"That blast killed most of Ghost's men who were dug in within the building. There's ordinance out here that could go up at any moment. All units, fall back now! Get the hell out of there!"

"Bando's still inside!" Nana cried.

"Seraph, that means you too! There's no way Bando survived that! You'll just get yourself killed going into that nightmare!"

After everything Bando had done for them, after everything he had survived. Nana simply could not accept that Bando was gone. He had to be alive. She owed it to him to try.

"I have to go back," Nana said.

"Seraph, Ryota made you a part of this company, and I just gave you a direct order! Do NOT go back into that building!"

"Akane is in a shipping container off of the east side of the building, she's hurt and needs help."

"SERAPH!"

Nana took off her headset and tossed it on the ground. Bando was alive. Nana was not going to leave him for dead, and even if he was, she would collect his body. She would do that for him, and for Mayu who loved him. Nana looked down at Arakawa.

"Akane…"

"Go," was all she said.

Nana needed no more urging. She took off running in the direction of the burning building.

Bando slowly got to his feet, his whole body screaming with pain. Looking around he couldn't quite tell where in the facility he was. Holes were blown in the roof in many places where smoke escaped from, allowing some visibility in the room. Fire burned everywhere around him and sweat began to pour out of him. The room was filled with interlocking pipes and large metal tanks. Steam rushed out of the pipes from several breaches in loud hisses that were easily heard over the sound of the flames.

In front of him, he saw Ghost there, covered in blood and his clothing torn, as was Bando's. They had both lost their knives in the fall.

"Hey asshole," Ghost yelled, "I think your nine lives are almost used up."

He stalked forward towards Bando.

"I'm glad the fall didn't kill you," Ghost said, "I'm going to enjoy beating your ass to fucking death."

Bando ripped the rest of his torn shirt off and cracked his neck.

"Come and get it Ghost. Let's end this. Right now."

They both broke into a run towards one another. A fuse box exploded somewhere near them, sending sparks showering over both of them as they met in a flurry of fists. Steam rushed out like caustic mist, stinging Bando's flesh as he struggled furiously with Ghost, landing bone crushing hits and forcing himself to stay conscious when Ghost got his own in.

More small explosions rang out around them as they fought on, and Bando struggled to concentrate on his foe as the room became increasingly more unstable. Pipes groaned and burst. The sound of clanging metal rang out like violent bells.

His body screamed with pain and exhaustion, but rage fueled him. Bando remembered every moment of fear Ghost had caused those close to him. Remembered every drop of blood he'd wrung from them. Remembered Ryota. Bando attacked Ghost with a frenzied violence bordering on insanity. As Ghost began to give ground, Bando began screaming in fury.

"NEVER! AGAIN! YOU! SON OF A! BITCH!" Bando screamed, accentuating each word with a punch to Ghost's guard.

Bando set his feet and kicked at Ghost's chest. Ghost blocked the blow but it knocked him backwards into one of the steam pipes. As the hot metal touched Ghost's flesh, he screamed in pain and lurched away, only to walk right into Bando's fist. Ghost staggered away.

"FOR MAYU! NANA! AKANE!"

Each word, another fist in Ghost's face, stomach, ribs. Ghost coughed up blood.

"FOR RYOTA YOU FUCKING! BASTARD!"

Bando reared back to smash Ghost's face in, but he ducked and immediately reached down, pulling a knife from his boot. Bando noticed a steam valve behind Ghost, and as he was already committed to the punch, knew he would have one chance. The punch sailed past Ghost's head, who set himself up to deliver a killing stab to Bando. Bando spun around, caught himself by grabbing the valve, and caught Ghost's knife hand, stopping the blade inches from Bando's ribs. Bando then yanked the valve open with his other arm and ducked down.

Steam blasted into Ghost's face who cried out in pain, and lurched back, instinctively covering his eyes. Bando rushed Ghost who swiped blindly with his knife.

In a few deft movements, Bando disarmed Ghost, grabbed his shoulder, and with a scream of rage, rammed the knife into Ghost's ribs, through them, and into his heart.

Shock and pain made Ghost's eyes snap open. The world seemed to stop. Even the room seemed to quiet down as the release of steam pressure caused the pipes to quiet somewhat. Disbelief entered Ghost's eyes as he slowly looked down to see the knife embedded in his chest.

"Huh…" was all he said, before sinking to his knees. Bando followed him down, holding him up with the hand on his shoulder. Both men panted with pain and exhaustion and the moment seemed surreal. Bando had won. Ghost would not be walking away from this. Both stared at one another in silence for a while as the finality of the moment settled in on them both.

"So," Ghost said in a ragged whisper, "this is it."

"Yeah," Bando replied.

"I'm going…to die. It's…over now."

"It's over now," Bando repeated.

Another silence stretched and Bando could barely hear the sounds of the outside world. They didn't register in his mind.

"I…never had a chance…anyway," Ghost said quietly, "in…my life…I mean."

"But you had a choice."

"Did…I?" Ghost said, laughing bitterly and coughing up blood, "no…what I had…was fate. And that's what you've got…too…Bando."

Bando remained silent, barely feeling the heat of the flame around him. He knew it was getting worse and he should get out of there now. But Ghost's eyes, this moment, kept him rooted.

"Dying…like…this," Ghost continued, "it's our…fate. As…warriors."

Ghost cracked a smile from his bloodstained lips.

"I…may be…a monster. But…at…least…I still…have this. At least…I got…to die…as a man."

Bando stood up as he saw Ghost begin to slip away. Not long now. Not long.

"Maybe...you're right...Bando. I did...have a choice. I chose this. I wanted to be here. Didn't...have a...say in how...I lived."

Ghost coughed up a mouthful of blood, then continued.

"But I could choose how I died. T...that's really...a...all I...had...left."

Ghost laughed bitterly.

"I wonder what you'll choose," Ghost said in a hoarse whisper, "its Vanith you know. Angel…needs…him. He is…her world. And that…is where you…will find her. If that's...your...choice."

The hospital. Shit!

"Find her…and meet…your…fate…Bando."

And then, he was gone. His last breath spent, his eyes unseeing, his body unnaturally still.

Ghost, at long last, was dead.

Bando stared down at his enemy's corpse and thought of a hundred things he felt like doing to humiliate the body out of the burning anger still boiling inside of him. However, he couldn't bring himself to it. Ghost was one side of a coin, and Bando was the other. In Ghost, Bando saw what he might have become. If Lucy had not crossed his path. If he'd never met Mayu.

Perhaps Ghost was right in a way. Fate brought them together, but Bando still believed there had been a choice. Fate only gave him the chance to choose. With this victory, he knew beyond all doubt that he had chosen right.

As the flames burned all around him, he let the last of his former self burn away. Die away…

The old Bando was gone forever.

He was reborn in flames.

Nana tore apart another collapsed section of wall as she cut a path through the burning complex. She had tried to find windows or doors to reenter the building but found them all either choked with fire and smoke, or blocked by debris. If Bando was still alive, he would never escape the building without help. Panic threatened to consume her. They'd already lost so much. So many soldiers, and Ryota too. And who knows what else was happening in the city. She had to save him, he had to be alive.

She kicked something with her shoe and looked down, the sight froze her in place. It was a Desert Eagle, lying on the ground. Silver, so Nana knew it had to have been Bando's. She slowly bent down and picked the heavy pistol up off the floor. Despair threatened to overwhelm her. Was she too late? Was Bando gone?

Suddenly, Nana heard the loud sound of groaning steel coming from above her. Nana looked up and gasped as steel girders and part of the upper walkways began crashing down upon her. She called her vectors and smashed them away, screaming as she knew there was too much to stop on her own.

She was suddenly, and roughly, snatched up by a large, dark figure, who leapt with her out of the way of the collapsing ceiling. The debris landed loudly and more flames rushed outwards from sections of the walls that collapsed from the falling girders. Nana coughed loudly, having accidently inhaled a mouthful of smoke when she'd gasped. As she collected herself, the figure helped her to her feet.

"You alright girl?" a familiar voice asked.

She looked up to see Bando's dirty, bloodstained face. She had never seen a more welcome sight.

"Bando!" she cried, wrapping her arms around him in a quick, fierce hug.

"Later," he barked, "let's get the fuck out of here before it all comes down on our heads!"

"I cut a path back the way I came! Follow me!"

They began running as the sounds of destruction followed them. Exploding fuses, collapsing ceilings and walls threatened to stop them every few moments. It was almost like the building was one large, burning monster that knew they were trying to escape it's hungry jaws.

As if to confirm this, the exit ahead was suddenly blocked again by falling debris. But up above was a partially shattered window from which smoke was escaping.

"Nana!"

"Hang on!" she cried as she lifted them both with her vectors.

They sailed towards the window as fire behind them caught a cache of ammunition that had been placed there by fortified soldiers. An explosion tore out from behind them as they crashed through the window, fire licking at their heels and freezing wind meeting them as they passed. They both hit the ground running as the building finally began to completely collapse loudly to the ground. Once they finally reached a safe distance, they turned around and glanced at the destruction behind them. The complex was completely bathed in flame and sections of the building kept collapsing in on itself.

They'd made it. They had survived. More than that, they had defeated Ghost and stopped Red Sky. From behind them, they heard cheers. Slowly, Nana and Bando turned to face the men, clothes torn, bodies aching, bloody, and filthy from dirt and smoke ash. They faced the men and saw them elated with victory. Men who had faced overwhelming odds and had conquered them. Just as she and Bando had done.

Nana heard the men chanting names. Some cried Bando's name, and others roared the name Seraph. A new name. Her name.

Nana wanted so badly to collapse right there in exhaustion, but a new sense of strength and pride kept her on her feet. She had walked into the fire and had come out different.

"Nana," Bando said quietly, and with a small furtive smile, "you did good."

Nana smiled and nodded. She glanced over to Bando.

"He's gone?" She asked.

"He's gone," Bando replied gravely.

Nana took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Justice had finally caught up with Ghost. She was relieved to know he was dead. She couldn't think of a person who deserved it more.

Except perhaps for Angel...

Two figures broke from the crowd of soldiers. Takashi and Arakawa, who was patched up and walking with assistance from Takashi. Nana and Bando waited while they approached them. Takashi pointed at Nana angrily as he got closer.

"Damn you, I gave you an order not to go back into that building!"

"But look what I found? Can we keep him?"

Bando snorted, then broke out into a laugh.

"This isn't funny!"

"It's a little funny," Bando retorted, "also, fuck you."

"Look Bando, I had to…"

"Yeah yeah, I get it," Bando said, "still…our girl here knew what she was doing. She's tough as nails."

He nudged her roughly with his elbow and she had to catch herself, lest exhaustion cause her to fall over.

Takashi huffed, then smiled, "I'm glad you two are ok."

Bando pointed his thumb backwards towards the burning building, "going to take a little more than that to stop us."

"On that note, can I get a damn report? Had NO idea what was going on in there and then suddenly boom."

As Bando stepped away to give his report, Nana looked amongst the cheering soldiers and felt swept up in their victorious cries. She knew it wasn't over yet but she couldn't help but feel good about their victory here. Some of the soldiers were not cheering as visibly, still covering some of Westmore's soldiers who had allowed themselves to be taken prisoner. Looking over her shoulder, Nana looked at the destroyed structure, burning in a tower of flames. Nana felt it was somewhat symbolic. A forge in which she burned. A trial that tried to break her, but only made her stronger.

Ghost was back there somewhere. Dead. Burning in flame and buried by debris. She felt a dark, violent satisfaction at knowing it. At having been able to get a piece of him herself before Bando finished him.

"We got you," she whispered, "we got you, you son of a bitch."

A snippet of conversation caught her attention. Bando, Takashi, and Arakawa were talking in serious tones.

"Repeat that," Bando said urgently.

"When we were rounding up Westmore's men," Takashi said, "the ones that surrendered, we caught some chatter on their comms. There was a sizable second squad out there that Westmore was leading personally. They hit the hospital Bando. They've got Vanith."

"Fuck!" Bando exclaimed, "Westmore doesn't know what he's done! Angel's gunning for Vanith! He's been her target this whole time and when she finds him…"

"Bando," Takashi said gravely, "it's already too late."

Nana's heart stopped and her breath caught. It was only then that she noticed a radio in Takashi's hands.

It was only then that she heard the sounds of American voices screaming orders and commands.

It was only then, that she noticed the white noise filtered sounds of men screaming.

"It gets worse," Takashi continued, "some of Westmore's smaller squads in the city are tracking one of their stolen military vehicles. They've confirmed that Lucy is one of the passengers, along with several other people."

Nana's heart stopped and her elation vanished. How could she have forgotten? Her family was out there, and they were in danger…

"They're WHAT!?" Nana heard Bando roar, having missed what Takashi had said next.

"They've been seen heading for Westmore's convoy," Takashi repeated, "the…convoy that's currently under attack."

Bando immediately broke off into a hurried walk towards a nearby equipment truck. He quickly dressed in a black short sleeved shirt, then threw a vest over it. He then grabbed an assault rifle and started quickly stuffing ammo and equipment in the vest pockets.

"Bando?" Takashi said in a rising voice.

"I'm going."

"We're all going," Takashi said, "we have to finish this."

"I'm going ahead of you. I can get there faster than the rest of you guys on my own."

"Alone? Bando that's crazy."

"Not alone," Nana said as she walked over towards Bando, "I'm going with you."

Bando offered no protest to her decision. He hurried off towards where some of Ghost's military vehicles, that hadn't been destroyed, were parked. Nana heard Takashi attempting another protest, and heard Arakawa silence it with a protest of her own, but she didn't hear the words. The only thing that mattered anymore was getting to her loved ones.

Before Angel killed them all.