A Personal Mission

A/N: Well, we end this story arc and on the 100th chapter of the branch no less. To celebrate so to speak, this chapter will have answers for a lingering mystery from way earlier in the arc...even if it raises a few more questions as well that you may hopefully find exciting.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this initially mystery point-of-view chapter, and if so, please remember to leave a comment at the end.

??? POV

You softly bit your bottom lip in frustration yet again as you looked from the deck, the gentle rocking of the anchored boat against the waves no longer feeling soothing but rather like a metronome counting the seconds of their exposure.

Each lap of water against the hull sounded like a warning that was fraying your nerves as the hours dragged on. You gripped the cold railing, your knuckles whiter from the pressure, and meticulously scanned the jagged silhouette of the coast for the tenth time in as many minutes. "Where is she?" you muttered, the words swallowed by the vast, quiet dark.

"Maybe she is...gone," Gabrielle whispered from beside you voice tight. "The things in the city...what if they got her?"

To your other side, the good doctor urged for calm, the psychiatrist's tone measured as it cut through your daughter's fear. "Molly, Gabrielle, I assure you, my contact is exceptionally capable. And impatience now is a greater threat than any delay," Grace said as she gestured toward the city, a deeper, darker silhouette against the starry sky. "Venturing in there without a guide, with only the moon to see by, is a recipe for becoming lost. Or far worse."

You frowned at that, knowing that Doctor Cullen was right but unable to fully shake your feelings of impatience. After all, you hadn't struggled to fight your way to their boat from Los Angeles after this madness started and then sailed south towards another collapsing city instead of looking for a safer island or something for no reason.

Before you could think further on possible solutions to your dilemma, however, a sudden, shuffling sound from further down the coast froze the words in your throat. You ducked on instinct, and before long, you spotted figures emerging from the shadows between ruined buildings across the beach, their movements jerky and shambling as they moaned and chattered mindlessly. You swallowed as you counted five of them, moving with a single-minded, shuffling purpose that made your stomach clench.

You didn't need to speak. You and yours found your weapons in unison, the quiet rasp of steel leaving leather echoing a bit in the tense silence. All the same, you couldn't help but hold your breath, praying their dull senses would pass you by. For a moment, it seemed that they might. But then the wind shifted, and you remembered that it would carry your scent.

Their heads snapped toward the yacht. A low, collective groan rippled through them, and their shuffling became an agitated, hungry lurch, making you inhale sharply as you mentally prepared yourself.

But then, abruptly, a sharp, wet thud echoed from the darkness, followed by the heavy sound of a body collapsing. Another of the figures dropped. And then another. Your eyes widened, struggling to track the blur of motion that wove through the ravenous pack. A woman, her hair a shock of bright red in the moonlight, moved with a brutal, fluid economy.

She was a phantom of efficient ****. A new swift stab, a twist later, and another corpse fell. The last one lunged, jaws gaping. She didn't flinch, planting a boot in its chest to create space before driving her blade up through its chin. Dark fluid arced through the air, a single drop splattering across her cheek.

She didn't seem to wince even slightly.

You stared, eyes wide with your weapon half-raised, suddenly more wary of this deadly stranger than the now-motionless bodies at her feet. But soon, you heard Grace let out a long, slow breath. "Ah, Natasha. Thank you so much for coming. But that was cutting it a little close, don't you think?"

The redhead, this Natasha, wiped her blade clean on the sand with a practiced motion. "The streets are not a pleasant stroll, Doctor," she grunted, a Russian accent clipping the words. "Took longer than expected when I realized I was going to have to persuade very many to stay dead in order to cover my rear on the way here."

You and Gabrielle exchanged a glance, a silent question passing between you. Before you could voice it, however, Natasha's sharp, assessing gaze landed on you. Her eyes, a piercing blue even in the dim light, scanned you from head to toe as if weighing your value. She shook her head slightly, a flicker of decision crossing her features.

She then turned her hand over, exposing the back of her palm to the moonlight. "This means something to you, I trust?" she asked, her tone expectant.

You leaned forward, Gabrielle crowding beside you. Scrawled in what looked like fresh ink on the back of Natasha's hand were two words: Michael Banner.

Your breath hitched, and the world seemed to tilt as recognition manifested itself within your mind. "Oh...I didn't realize...so my son owns you," you managed, the statement somehow feeling both impossible and utterly true.

As you blinked rapidly, Gabrielle seemed to grasp the implication faster, her voice bursting with **** hope. "Does that mean you can take us to him? To my brother?"

A slow, genuine grin spread across Natasha's blood-flecked face. "Of course. And it will be my honor," she said, her voice gaining a new, fierce warmth, "to escort my Owner's family to his base."

A/N: Well, that begins answering the question of who called the Russian spy in the building and why she got so extra interested in rushing to find them that she decided she couldn't wait for her Master to return from his mission to give her permission to act. More on that later. And while I don't actually expect many of you to remember, I actually mentioned Doctor Grace Cullen in a by now slightly outdated character bio chapter list, so here is the link for future reference: https://chyoa.com/chapter/Information-on-the-Cast%3A-Mentioned-Members-of-the-All-Female-Special-Forces-Squad.1458628

Now, with this chapter, we have officially finished the Story Arc I titled, If You Want Peace, Prepare for Survival. We will start a new arc starting on the next main update, though before that happens, I am planning to edit some of the character bio chapters and make a few new chapters to elaborate on the new recruits that joined during the recent arcs, as well as some additional info about them that may expand on their backgrounds and may foreshadow interesting things for them ahead.

That may take me a bit, especially because I also want to update a few chapters for my other stories, but by the time I begin the next arc, I should have my outlines more solidly developed, so here is hoping for faster updates when I am ready.

For now, thanks again for all the support, and until next time, guys and gals, see ya.