●　● Monserrat District, Buenos Aires, Argentina, SAU

Sebastian's head peered out from the stairwell from where the two remained, avoiding the flood of evacuees, hoping to spot a gap to run through. The sirens announced the order to seek shelter, but the town hadn't experienced the threat of strikes from above since the last war a decade ago. Throngs of those fleeing on foot flowed in and between the dead-stopped, bumper-to-bumper traffic stuffing the beyond-choked streets, giving Sebastian and Rodrigo no clear way to their destination.

[Still no good?] Rodrigo fussed, still trying to fight with his communicator, hoping to catch a stray signal from Enrai as he flipped between guesses at their encryption settings.

[We might as well just force our way at this point! We can't wait forever!] He turned to descend to where Rodrigo was, extending a hand to help pull him up. [If Infinity pulls out, that's our last shot at this whole operation!]

And as the two emerged from the stairwell, the daunting task lay ahead, clear as it was overwhelming: Somewhere between the Casa Rosada and the canal behind it was a mobile command station for Infinity, and despite the backing off of the Ai20 LTAC's they hoped to approach earlier, their movement towards that area confirmed it in their minds. And if they could get there, someone would have to have some way of helping them get back in touch with Enrai.

Thus, the two begun their struggle to make it upstream. At an aggravating pace, step by step, they aimed for unused street corners as waypoints. And after an infuriating string of near-confrontations with those angered by their obstruction, the two finally made it to a street corner that gave them a view of how far they would have to go, which put them at about half-way.

Sebastian squinted, making what almost felt like eye contact with a pair of Ai20s still standing at the center of the Plaza de Mayo. [There! Look! We can catch them first!]

Rodrigo nodded. [And worst case, even if they remain out of reach, just them being here means Infinity has to still be here!]

But after pushing off for what should have been their last run, speakers began going off from the direction of the plaza.

[Clear the way!] Bellowed the megaphone speaker from one of the LTACs as it sent a ripple of shock through the crowd scurrying by.

[No no no!!!] Sebastian spat out in near hysteria, realizing exactly what that meant. [If that thing is leaving, that means they're all moving out! We have to hurry!] His mind raced as he struggled that much harder to force his way upstream through the cars and foot traffic. And with his hysteria came those he forcefully bumped up against to push back even harder.

This drew Rodrigo to pull him back before any unnecessary conflict or injury could ensue. [Keep it together, damn it!]

[No! Forget them! This will have been for nothing!] But it was already too late, now hearing the jump boosters roar to life as the two LTAC's jumped and cleared the building behind them, meaning there might be no command center to speak of to remain behind to protect. [Shit!] Sebastian screamed out with a string of unintelligible curses, fists balled up, ready to be driven into whatever solid object he could find nearby.

[Keep moving! We won't know until we make it to the other side!!] Rodrigo continued stubbornly, matching his screaming volume as he started pushing him ahead. He then swiftly reached inside his half-opened windbreaker and unholstered his pistol, firing it into the sky several times. He normally refused to use such brutish tactics, but he too felt the urgency called for it. [Out of the way, damn it! Everyone clear the way!]

And as those nearby screamed and tripped over each other, Sebastian snapped out of it, feeling like the shots fired provided the needed slap to the face. And after finally having their pace picked up, Sebastian kept his pace just so long as he felt Rodrigo's hand on his shoulder, signifying to keep advancing.

And as if prayers were answered, the crowds thinned the closer they got to the actual plaza itself, feeling like they broke through the impossible. Now with a much clearer path ahead, the only option they had left was to hurry and check the area behind the Casa Rosada which was now in plain sight.

And without hesitation, the both tore off at running pace, feeling a surge of energy by the hope of making it after all. And yet again, the hope would not come without more distress.

Both had their pace instantly come to a halt, now staring at the night sky. What filled their ears was something they hadn't heard since they were in grade school. The steady grow of panicked screaming added to the spine-rattling hum of what left them frozen in place until they could gather enough strength to communicate the obvious, speaking out in unison:

[Air raid sirens!]

And in an extension of that unison, they knew the only safe place to run would be the Casa Rosada – the one thing a coup wouldn't aim to destroy if anything. [We'll have to get through the long way to the other side!] Sebastian yelled out over the screams of panic as the two bolted for the gates, praying one of the scurrying security guards would take their Hexa passes as reason enough to allow them safe passage.

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●　● Recoleta District, Buenos Aires, Argentina, SAU

Sam pulled her flight suit back up over her shoulders and zipped up, hurriedly walking out of an access hallway directly into the garage area. "They're going to use this upcoming chaos as a means to sneak in whatever it is they're trying to do, and I bet it has everything to do with the one target they haven't hit yet!" She thought aloud in reference to the Casa Rosada where she assumed Infinity was still posted.

"Anything from your Underground contacts?" Kerry asked from behind, tightening her glove straps as she kept pace.

"Not yet, afraid to expose us. Wait until we load up," Sam answered before coming to a halt. Everyone had been so protective of them since arrival, but whenever she saw a crowd around her or her LTAC, it instinctively shook her nerves every time. "Hold up."

The twenty or so staff and mechanics gathered around the Arondight and Ap50 turned to face them, first with surprise, and then quickly followed with enthusiasm. [It's our turn, now, right?!] One shouted with an arm waving her toward the ladder that extended up toward the opened cockpit.

[Go kick their ass, Cruella!] Another shouted to both her and Kerry's discomforted surprise.

[Yeah, let's go, Cruella! Let's go, Chalmette!]

The two couldn't help but reluctantly continue onward, unsure of how their identities were revealed up until Kerry walked past a mobile screen she could clearly make out, and it was the picture someone took back outside when they were nearer to the Assembly Hall before the fighter jet attack.

"I see word travels real fucking fast down here despite the jamming," Kerry spoke to clear up the confusion as she pushed Sam forward. "Hurry and get your buddies on the line."

The two then exchanged a handshake they formulated days prior and split paths, each to their respective LTAC.

Bags thrown under their seat compartment, restraints buckled in, and helmets pulled down, both pilots were readying their hatch locks and power system startup sequences.

"Kerry, listen," Sam spoke through their reestablished line-of-sight communications as she refrained from activating her communicator. "Before I connect, remember the 2:50 thing?"

"Yeah."

"Whoever is coming from SAU's side? They're not gonna be here, yet, going by that mark. I think someone else's dropping above us."

"Shit, you mean like the invasion drop pods kind of thing? You still think outside powers are stepping in?"

"Who knows, but regardless of what's about to go down above us, we're already aware of the insane amount of people and traffic outside as potential collateral. No matter what, stay at least a hundred meters apart to prevent any grouped targeting."

Kerry felt further unnerved by that suggestion, but she couldn't deny it. "No easy targets for them."

"Right. That, and anything else might be a trap we could get lured into, and that goes for Enrai commands as well, not just Bishop, Rex, who the fuck ever. I'm more worried about you and I both walking out of this together than I am with following orders to a group I'm not even a true member of. Hear me?"

"Same goes for anything Hexa might say as well, right?"

"You know it."

Intensifying sirens and screams indicated their prep time was short.

"Alright, connecting now," Sam spoke after a brief silence as they finished their pre-mobilization preparation. "Remember our one rally destination won't change. Our little call here is strictly for intel." She then switched her communicator on and called out without hesitation: "¿Que pasa afuera? ¡Dime algo!"

Kerry, who started listening in on the transmission Sam shared over their connection, held back a smirk, still unable to get accustomed to how much she had changed.

[You are still under their protection, correct?!] Enrai's distinctly distorted voice quickly roared the second Sam spoke up. [You are not to move until you are cleared to!]

Sam still had a long way to go with her Spanish, but she was content enough to have gotten their quick attention. "What the hell's going on out there?! You can't expect us to sit here if a drop invasion is what's about to happen!"

[National Guard reached out to the Rhodos Joint Defense Force sometime between the start of this mess and yesterday- when we're unclear, but you are safest where you are! Remain in place- that is an order!]

Huh? The Rhodos JDF?! Sam never expected to hear that name come up. That was the only remnant of the old global confederacy that remained multilaterally functional from a military standpoint. Stationed within the L1 orbit, their naval station operated in part to lingering cooperation between China, India, and the SAU's former space colonies. Each remained loyal to their former ownerships, acting as peacekeeping reserves and as a deterrent to any potential incursions from the Eden-Casares Union's space forces. But it wasn't the thought of a military response from Space that had her shaken, it was the very name itself.

The Rhodos JDF… that means… "Enrai! What about all those LTACs Infinity had stationed at Casa Rosada?"

[They've retreated after the threat of elimination by force! Now, retreat yourselves back to within the safety of the building! Hurry!]

"Understood."

Sam tried her best to hold her anxiousness back, quickly ending the call, but even more quickly speaking back up to Kerry as it all spilled out exasperatedly. "We move now! With Rhodos dropping, this is about to give Bishop the perfect cover! Whatever the SAU is sending here, they're as good as fucked!"

"Then we have to beat them to the Casa Rosada! Let's move!"

Roaring intakes for the warming of their catalytic systems served as plenty of warning for the mechanics and staff below to clear the way to the doors that began to open. And as soon as the doors opened, revealing the immediate dead end provided by the stopped, clogged traffic, both grimaced. They expected chaos from the unexpected mass-evacuation, but it still begged the question from Sam:

The Hell!! Where were these cars earlier!? Where'd they even come from!?

She naturally stepped up first, having the better equipment for dealing with any surprise attack or ambush. And as she located a prime location for her first jump out of the garage bay, she engaged her rollers and checked behind her to ensure no one was near the blast area. Roaring off, she slammed on the jump booster pedals and aimed for the lowest, flattest, largest building nearby to land on.

Midway through her jumping arc, she saw nothing but the nearby jam-packed streets and no safe place to accelerate upon landing. It would take a higher vantage point to calculate a quick route, and she quickly spotted one just one block away.

Kerry's LTAC landed on the same lower building Sam had just taken off from, gently touching down to avoid as much structural damage as possible. Turning to catch Sam out of the corner of her visor's screen, she also caught sign of a massive infrared detection overhead. "Look! A drop pod!" And aside from the metrics displayed, it looked like the sky was burning as the incoming orbital drop pod put on display to the world below its hellish entry.

But as soon as Sam thought to look up as well, something else caught her attention, and it was without any electronic warning; She spotted the sudden flash of jump boosters to her immediate north, coming from what had to have been the only empty lane in the area, and it was headed right for her. Nearly choking on the gasp that overcame her, she immediately proceeded to yell out: "Kerry! Split up! Now!"

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