Kerry winced momentarily as dust and debris showered around her, then immediately resumed taking cover as close to the edge of the street and nearer to the taller building as she could. "Sam, answer!" She continued to call out, with only the thought of hearing just one explosion as enough proof to justify her survival.

"Enrai, this is Cruella!"

Kerry heard Sam call out over the radio, drawing an instant sigh of relief. But as she heard the booming of the fighter's engine echo in the distance, she knew Sam had also missed as well.

"I understand the orders to rally at the Casa Rosada, but…!" Sam shouted, gasping for breath after a near-crash landing after pulling off a dangerous evasive maneuver. "Infinity cannot be anywhere near prepared to face more than one of those! We need them ordered to back away and find cover!" She continued, wheeling around back towards Kerry's location. "Or else they'll be sitting ducks!"

She remembered the column of Ai-20's that she first dropped with many months back that all fell in the blink of an eye to far stronger firepower than they had prepared for, and now she stared down the same threat but in the form of a much faster, much more accurate, aerial threat.

[Stand by, Cruella,] Eryx's response finally came as Sam pulled up next to Kerry, still keeping an eye on the sky, paying no attention to the dangerously curious heads popping out from their balconies at a sight they never expected to see in their end of town.

Both Sam and Kerry had used this time to catch their breath, although it served no respite as they shared the fear their lost momentum would be for the worse.

[We count more incoming fighters,] Eryx eventually chimed back in, much to their dismay. [That's the right call. We're trying now to find some way to get proximity contact between our recon near Casa Rosada and the nearest Infinity unit. What we need you two to do is take cover until we get real backup.]

Sam didn't buy the order. "Take cover?! But where, and how?! Isn't this whole DF area Bishop's back yard?!"

[Do like you did in Manila and Dhaka!] Eryx barked back. [We'll get to you somehow as quickly as we can, but until then, manage!]

"What- hey!" Sam yelled back in frustration. "You can't just say that! We're blind out here!"

[Bishop as well as Rex have all their best hands tied far north of you!] Eryx snapped, seemingly revealing details he preferred not to but with no choice otherwise. [His forces are fully engaged with the Curtana! Reaper has turned on them, or vice-versa!]

That was something Sam least expected as an answer.

"Hey, look!" Kerry called out as she laser painted a fire station two blocks down the other direction. "We can make a run for it before those fighters make another pass! Maybe they'll help?!"

The open gates to the fire engine garages were up to modern specs, being tall enough for an average LTAC frame to fit underneath if in crouch-storage mode. And Sam quickly noticed the fire engine pulling out from one side, likely heading for the building behind them that the missile hit earlier. She felt relieved once more, not just by knowing someone is out there moving to rescue the innocent, but that she still had someone alongside her looking out for each other.

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"Good eye," Sam answered as she glanced across the sky one time while pondering the likelihood they would be accepting. "It's worth a shot asking if we can hole up there for the time being."

As the two made a dash for the fire station, allowing the opposite lane plenty of space so the fire engine could pass without a hitch, the thought of Isaiah out there actively fighting brought strong discontent. The whole reason they deployed was to seek or lure him out, yet now they were too powerless to move. I hope Enrai cooks up some kind of cover for us…

But as they quickly coasted to a better approach speed, both noted two men out with their arms moving in a guiding motion, aiming them for the opened door. "Wait. Are they already telling us to park!?"

"Something says these dudes either don't like the military, or they know something we don't. But do we have time to question it?"

"No," Sam admitted, shaking whatever nonbeneficial doubts she had left as she switched over her stance into a lowered crouching position, slowly rolling up under the garage's cover with Kerry right behind. "Not biting the hand that feeds us in a time like this."

There's no way a fighter would target this place- that is if they even saw us run for here.

Now would be a race for time. When could they move? Who would provide cover? How long would Isaiah be on the move, out in the open?

"I'll go out and greet, figure out what the hell's going on and if we're really okay," Sam suggested as she locked her rollers in park.

"Hey, look, I'm ready to start blastin' if they so much as…"

Sam didn't hesitate to quickly open her cockpit hatch doors, looking diagonally down from the naturally lowered angle of her LTAC, catching looks from two mechanics who had run up to speak. Visor withdrawn, she nervously nodded and signaled a "hello" with her hand.

"You stay here!" One of the mechanics shouted through his hands cusped over his mouth, in English, much to their surprise. "You are Samantha Knight, no!?" He added, now to their shock.

Shit! How did he know that's me!?

She gulped, feeling there might be some catch.

"You take down the Tiger, no?! And the big ones earlier! That was you, no?!"

Well, I'll be damned. Sam felt now why she and Kerry got such acceptance earlier, realizing the extent of their unexpected fame.

"You stay here! Keep you safe from the military!"

Both Sam and Kerry let out another sigh of relief, powering down their LTACs, climbing out to properly thank their newfound assistance. And after exchanged handshakes and confirmations of their identities, a third man ran up, looking to be the chief on station.

"You," he started with a finger pointed at Sam as the garage door quickly closed. "Who are you working for?"

Sam looked at Kerry, exchanging uncertain glances.

"Infinity?" The chief continued. "Our network was told to look for helping you, or, uh, any Infinity people." He then saw the markings on their pilot suits. "Yes, you are Infinity! What is going on outside?!" He then hollered in seeming concern and fear.

Kerry shrugged, conceding judgment to Sam whether or not to answer honestly.

Why not? What choice do we have?

"We're trying to stop two things at once, sir," Sam started after clearing her throat. "One is the man known as Reaper, or Isaiah Knight." She was quick to notice the shock on several of their faces at the mention of his name, which was expected given the news that had been spreading like wildfire. "And the other is the takeover that the SAU military is trying to pull."

"Que carajo!" The chief immediately yelled out in seeming anger – a phrase Sam had heard an awful lot since her arrival in the country. "So, it IS real news!" He then grabbed both of them by the shoulder and pulled them in a "follow me" manner. "Come! I have a wire radio I need you to use!"

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