"Any bright ideas for me?"

"Huh?" Phil Smith looked up to see Chance standing a few feet away. He was wearing a Mandelovian soldier's multi-band scanning visor and appeared to be using it to look through the wall.

"I was hoping," Chance repeated, "if you had some sort of bright idea for me. Now would be a good time."

Across the room, Ozzy jumped to his feet. "So they're getting pretty close, then."

The Swede nodded. "I'd say about a dozen of them, headed this way."

"Damn." Ozzy muttered. He looked up just in time to notice Phil tossing him a field-stripped M4 carbine he had removed from his duffel bag. Ozzy caught the gun, followed by several clips of ammunition. "Came prepared, huh?"

Phil just nodded as he assembled his own weapon.

"I get the idea," Ozzy mused, "that you don't like fighting with your powers all the time."

Phil shrugged. "Special abilities can't always be trusted. I prefer not to rely on something if I don't know where the hell it came from."

Chance frowned. "They've been able to get past a decent-sized chunk of D'Goon's security."

"Do you think we should try and build up our defenses around this room?" Baxter asked. "Try and make a stand here?"

Phil shook his head. "No breathing room. We can't have a firefight near here. D'Goon would get caught up in it too easily." He slapped a clip into his M4 and turned to Chance. "Still, it's your call."

Schanz nodded. "We need to take the fight as far from D'Goon as we can. Infortunately, we don't have the numbers or the raw firepower to maintain a perimeter, so we'll have to resort to..."

"Hit and run," Baxter finished for him. "We create diversions, they come after us, we buy D'Goon that much more time."

"If that's going to work..." Chance thought aloud. He turned to where the others were standing, watching the various security monitors. "Velo," he called.

Kristogar turned. "Yeah?"

"We're gonna go shoot some shit up," Baxter said. "You in?"

Kristogar thought a moment. It didn't take a long moment. "I'm in," he replied as he walked over. "What are we packing?"

Phil handed Velo another M4 and a few clips of ammo. "I figure you brought your own sidearm in case things get ugly."

Velo nodded. "That I did." He frowned. "But I've heard these Strikeforce people have decent defenses against quite a few conventional weapons."

The telepath handed Kristogar a sheathed combat knife. "If that's the case, then we get in close and take it to 'em. I've heard enough about you to know that you can hold your own in hand-to-hand."

"You were a player once, weren't you?" Velo asked.

Phil raised an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?"

"You used to be in intel," Kristogar explained. "Everything about you seems to suggest that."

Phil shrugged. "If so, I don't remember." He paused. "What brought that on?"

Velo shook his head. "You just... reminded me of someone, that's all."

Phil chuckled. "It's a small world, you know."

Chance checked the safeties on his own weapons. "I never really enjoyed using these."

"Necessary evil," Velo replied. "Part of the job, my friend."

"So what's the plan?" Ozzy asked.

Chance thought a moment. "Grimm," he called.

The skull-faced biker turned.

"We're going to go draw some of Strikeforce's fire. Until I get back, you're in charge. Work with D'Goon's people and come up with some good defensive strategies."

"The hell?" Grimm interjected incredulously. "I'm no military man, Chance. All I do is run around and kick ass."

"I know," Schanz replied. "That's why you're in charge."

"I don't follow you," the biker challenged.

"If any of these people get out of line," Chance explained, "you have my permission as acting leader to kick his or her ass as needed."

If Grimm had a face, he would be grinning from ear to ear. "Just what I always wanted!"

Kristofer rolled his eyes. "All right," he said, turning to the others, "it's time to go."

"Let's get it on!" Ozzy exclaimed.

"Lock and load," Velo murmured.

Phil suddenly let out a yell. "Vanguard, get FUNKY!!!"

The others turned to him in utter confusion. "What was that???" Chance asked, flabbergasted.

Phil thought for a long moment. "I have no idea."

"I kinda like it," Ozzy said as they headed out the door.