There were a group of six ATV's and dirt bikes parked on the side of the mansion being gasped up beside a blue school bus, which was where they housed the containers of gas they were able to siphon from abandoned cars.
Tyler would point out the same five people who had been there in the desert when they found her - including Mikey & Mila - along with a young kid they were training.
"It'll just be the six of them plus us, kay? I'll be right back," he'd point out a bench Helena could sit down on. "I'm gonna go help load the rpg launchers and canteens."
Without another word Tyler jogged over to Mikey and began to load their vehicles with the appropriate weaponry and tools.
As they hit their final vehicle - Tyler's ATV - the Commander and Colonel Phillips could be seen walking towards them.
"Lieutenant." his father said very formally, before nodding to acknowledge Mikey's presence.
"Commander, any reason we're being so formal? It's just Mikey and Sir Phillips his excellency here."
Tyler would smirk at his clever little nick name for the Colonel, but his friend was unable to keep from laughing - something that didn't sit well with either men.
"That's enough!" his father would yell, harshly enough to cease any laughter - but the smirk on Tylers face would remain.
"This is serious, the Earthquake rattled everyone in the camp an if the Mechs are still lined up on the street that's just going to add to everyone's fears.
"Well it's not like we're gonna come back screaming it from the rafters if they're still there"
"Yes but such things never manage to say secret for very long - do they? Now, you are not to engage unless you're under threat from the enemy, this is purely a recognizance mission, if they're still lined up ten strong where the couriers said they were observe their movements and then return so that we can form a plan on how to deal with the matter. If they're not where we were told travel a few miles up an around to see if you can spot them. Do a good sweep of the area before you come back, we need to try and figure out if they're on our track or just passing by - understood?"
"Yes sir, a recognizance mission with no engaging unless necessary, got it."
"Good.....and be safe."
The Commander would firmly grab his sons shoulder as a subtle but clear sign of affection before walking off.
"Damn, just great, an I was all ready for some target practice - RPG style man!"
"You'll live to fight another day, no worries Superman."
Once his ATV was loaded up Tyler would lean against it and beckon the rest of the group to pipe down.
"Okay guys listen up," was all he'd get out though before Helena's voice suddenly caught everyone's attention, causing them to turn around to see her talking......to no one.
"I SAID SHUT UP!" the small red head yelled into thin air, which lead to confused expressions on the faces of those looking on. Then out of nowhere she'd pick up a blow gun tool from the ground and throw it towards the back of Mila's ATV, causing the the frazzled blonde to jump back.
"Oh boy..." Mikey muttered, right before Mila climbed over her bike and began to storm towards Helena.
"What the hell is your problem! Are you freaking insane or what?"
Tyler managed to step in between the two girls before Mila got too close though.
"Mila, stop."
"ME!? She just threw a damn blow gun at me!"
"I know, but-"
"But nothing!"
She would go to walk around Tyler but he'd grab her by the shoulders before she could.
"I said stop! Now back up....that's an order."
He'd let go of her shoulders after a few tense seconds and she'd step back - albeit reluctantly.
Sensing the others all staring Tyler would turn towards them and stretch his arms out in annoyance.
"Shows over! Get your crap ready, we're heading out in five minutes."
Once the others went back to what they were doing Tyler turned back to face a still visibly annoyed Mila.
"You can't SERIOUSLY be considering bringing her with us can you?"
Ignoring the question he'd go to his ATV and pull off one of the canteens to hand to Helena.
"Here, you need to stay hydrated, more than the rest of us."
"She needs to stay here! Tyler, she's clearly unstable!"
"Mila," he'd begin, before leading the blonde several feet from Helena so they could talk out of earshot.
"She's a liability!"
"Well if you think she's so unstable shouldn't she come with us, not stay here where you can't keep your ever watchful eye on her."
His joke was met with rolling eyes and crossed arms.
"I think she should be locked in a room with Hilary until we get back."
Mila would turned away from him and begin to pull her hair up into a ponytail.
"She's just dehydrated, lack of fluids can cause hallucinations...you know that. Besides, I told her she could come with us if she didn't wanna stay here, it'd be fucked up to drop her on Hilary now would it not?"
"What's it to you, it's not like she's a friend! But by all means, bring her. But if she throws something at me again-"
"-you'll what? Get yourself demoted?"
Mila would roll her eyes at his comment then begin to push her bike up towards the front of the driveway with the others, and Tyler would turn around to walk back towards Helena and his ATV.
"You feeling better?" he'd mention as he looked down at the canteen he had handed her.
Before much conversing could occur between the two of them his watch would beep on the hour, 10am in this instance, causing him to hop on his bike.
"Come on" he'd say as he looked back at Helena."You're gonna have to ride with me..."
He'd show her where to hook the canteen before sliding up some to give her room to sit, an only after she was holding onto him would he take off to lead the others to the property's main gate, where he'd turn his ATV around to face the others and finish off his rundown of the mission as well as an explanation behind the route they'd take to the scene.
"Okay listen up, it would be pretty stupid to stay on the road the entire way, so at the halfway point we're going to divert and take an old dirt trail the rest of the way. The path is a little overgrown but nothing we can't handle, and the trees are dense enough to provide some cover but not so much we can't get a decent look at the street from the pathway. Any questions??"
"Yeah, why are we going out so soon, what if there's an aftershock??" one of the men asked. "Don't fall into a crack and you'll be great!" Tyler responded with a smirk, before pulling the sunglasses atop his head down over his eyes and turning his vehicle around just as the gates were being opened.
The ride to the halfway point was smooth an uneventful, and the journey down the sometimes bumpy overgrown park trail was also meant with nothing out of the ordinary.
Once a mile out from where they were heading for Tyler would wave his hand in the air to signal to the rest of the group to slow down - eventually coming to a stop when the street could be seen through the trees and shrubbery.
They'd walk the rest of the way, pushing their bikes along with them, as to not make a lot of noise when they approached the scene, though it would soon appear such a move was done for nothing.
"Looks like they've moved." Mila said as the group peered onto the empty roadway the couriers claimed was impassable not long ago.
"Maybe, before we separate to search the area lets walk a few hundred yards up - see if we spot them at the T-Intersection ahead."
"Must we really continue to walk?"
"Oh I don't know Mila, do you really wanna roll up to the intersection with our engines roaring? I think we're all able-bodied enough to push these bikes to the end of the path, which according to my father's map just so happens to coincide with the intersection the street ends at. There we'll be able to survey the rest of the street as well as the main road that leads into town. I don't like the idea of being stuck in a dead end but we should be fine as long as we're aware of our surroundings."
Everyone made smart remarks about having to walk as they hoped off their vehicles again, seeing as how everyone had mistakenly gotten back on their bikes at the sign of no Mechs - Tyler included.
But no real protest was had other than some words, an everyone would quickly begin pushing their way up the dirt path.
"Ladies first." Tyler would say, before jumping off the bike first in an attempt to make Helena smile, or bet yet - laugh.
He'd wait for her to get off the vehicle being joining the rest in the slow but steady trek towards the end of the path.
"Nice park....minus the whole alien invasion part. You grow up anywhere close to LA?"
He'd ask Helena, as Mila occasionally glanced over at the girl.
Tyler would point out the same five people who had been there in the desert when they found her - including Mikey & Mila - along with a young kid they were training.
"It'll just be the six of them plus us, kay? I'll be right back," he'd point out a bench Helena could sit down on. "I'm gonna go help load the rpg launchers and canteens."
Without another word Tyler jogged over to Mikey and began to load their vehicles with the appropriate weaponry and tools.
As they hit their final vehicle - Tyler's ATV - the Commander and Colonel Phillips could be seen walking towards them.
"Lieutenant." his father said very formally, before nodding to acknowledge Mikey's presence.
"Commander, any reason we're being so formal? It's just Mikey and Sir Phillips his excellency here."
Tyler would smirk at his clever little nick name for the Colonel, but his friend was unable to keep from laughing - something that didn't sit well with either men.
"That's enough!" his father would yell, harshly enough to cease any laughter - but the smirk on Tylers face would remain.
"This is serious, the Earthquake rattled everyone in the camp an if the Mechs are still lined up on the street that's just going to add to everyone's fears.
"Well it's not like we're gonna come back screaming it from the rafters if they're still there"
"Yes but such things never manage to say secret for very long - do they? Now, you are not to engage unless you're under threat from the enemy, this is purely a recognizance mission, if they're still lined up ten strong where the couriers said they were observe their movements and then return so that we can form a plan on how to deal with the matter. If they're not where we were told travel a few miles up an around to see if you can spot them. Do a good sweep of the area before you come back, we need to try and figure out if they're on our track or just passing by - understood?"
"Yes sir, a recognizance mission with no engaging unless necessary, got it."
"Good.....and be safe."
The Commander would firmly grab his sons shoulder as a subtle but clear sign of affection before walking off.
"Damn, just great, an I was all ready for some target practice - RPG style man!"
"You'll live to fight another day, no worries Superman."
Once his ATV was loaded up Tyler would lean against it and beckon the rest of the group to pipe down.
"Okay guys listen up," was all he'd get out though before Helena's voice suddenly caught everyone's attention, causing them to turn around to see her talking......to no one.
"I SAID SHUT UP!" the small red head yelled into thin air, which lead to confused expressions on the faces of those looking on. Then out of nowhere she'd pick up a blow gun tool from the ground and throw it towards the back of Mila's ATV, causing the the frazzled blonde to jump back.
"Oh boy..." Mikey muttered, right before Mila climbed over her bike and began to storm towards Helena.
"What the hell is your problem! Are you freaking insane or what?"
Tyler managed to step in between the two girls before Mila got too close though.
"Mila, stop."
"ME!? She just threw a damn blow gun at me!"
"I know, but-"
"But nothing!"
She would go to walk around Tyler but he'd grab her by the shoulders before she could.
"I said stop! Now back up....that's an order."
He'd let go of her shoulders after a few tense seconds and she'd step back - albeit reluctantly.
Sensing the others all staring Tyler would turn towards them and stretch his arms out in annoyance.
"Shows over! Get your crap ready, we're heading out in five minutes."
Once the others went back to what they were doing Tyler turned back to face a still visibly annoyed Mila.
"You can't SERIOUSLY be considering bringing her with us can you?"
Ignoring the question he'd go to his ATV and pull off one of the canteens to hand to Helena.
"Here, you need to stay hydrated, more than the rest of us."
"She needs to stay here! Tyler, she's clearly unstable!"
"Mila," he'd begin, before leading the blonde several feet from Helena so they could talk out of earshot.
"She's a liability!"
"Well if you think she's so unstable shouldn't she come with us, not stay here where you can't keep your ever watchful eye on her."
His joke was met with rolling eyes and crossed arms.
"I think she should be locked in a room with Hilary until we get back."
Mila would turned away from him and begin to pull her hair up into a ponytail.
"She's just dehydrated, lack of fluids can cause hallucinations...you know that. Besides, I told her she could come with us if she didn't wanna stay here, it'd be fucked up to drop her on Hilary now would it not?"
"What's it to you, it's not like she's a friend! But by all means, bring her. But if she throws something at me again-"
"-you'll what? Get yourself demoted?"
Mila would roll her eyes at his comment then begin to push her bike up towards the front of the driveway with the others, and Tyler would turn around to walk back towards Helena and his ATV.
"You feeling better?" he'd mention as he looked down at the canteen he had handed her.
Before much conversing could occur between the two of them his watch would beep on the hour, 10am in this instance, causing him to hop on his bike.
"Come on" he'd say as he looked back at Helena."You're gonna have to ride with me..."
He'd show her where to hook the canteen before sliding up some to give her room to sit, an only after she was holding onto him would he take off to lead the others to the property's main gate, where he'd turn his ATV around to face the others and finish off his rundown of the mission as well as an explanation behind the route they'd take to the scene.
"Okay listen up, it would be pretty stupid to stay on the road the entire way, so at the halfway point we're going to divert and take an old dirt trail the rest of the way. The path is a little overgrown but nothing we can't handle, and the trees are dense enough to provide some cover but not so much we can't get a decent look at the street from the pathway. Any questions??"
"Yeah, why are we going out so soon, what if there's an aftershock??" one of the men asked. "Don't fall into a crack and you'll be great!" Tyler responded with a smirk, before pulling the sunglasses atop his head down over his eyes and turning his vehicle around just as the gates were being opened.
The ride to the halfway point was smooth an uneventful, and the journey down the sometimes bumpy overgrown park trail was also meant with nothing out of the ordinary.
Once a mile out from where they were heading for Tyler would wave his hand in the air to signal to the rest of the group to slow down - eventually coming to a stop when the street could be seen through the trees and shrubbery.
They'd walk the rest of the way, pushing their bikes along with them, as to not make a lot of noise when they approached the scene, though it would soon appear such a move was done for nothing.
"Looks like they've moved." Mila said as the group peered onto the empty roadway the couriers claimed was impassable not long ago.
"Maybe, before we separate to search the area lets walk a few hundred yards up - see if we spot them at the T-Intersection ahead."
"Must we really continue to walk?"
"Oh I don't know Mila, do you really wanna roll up to the intersection with our engines roaring? I think we're all able-bodied enough to push these bikes to the end of the path, which according to my father's map just so happens to coincide with the intersection the street ends at. There we'll be able to survey the rest of the street as well as the main road that leads into town. I don't like the idea of being stuck in a dead end but we should be fine as long as we're aware of our surroundings."
Everyone made smart remarks about having to walk as they hoped off their vehicles again, seeing as how everyone had mistakenly gotten back on their bikes at the sign of no Mechs - Tyler included.
But no real protest was had other than some words, an everyone would quickly begin pushing their way up the dirt path.
"Ladies first." Tyler would say, before jumping off the bike first in an attempt to make Helena smile, or bet yet - laugh.
He'd wait for her to get off the vehicle being joining the rest in the slow but steady trek towards the end of the path.
"Nice park....minus the whole alien invasion part. You grow up anywhere close to LA?"
He'd ask Helena, as Mila occasionally glanced over at the girl.