Friday 3:27 AM (Present)

            "So are you going to tell me what's going on?" Tanner asked.

Tanner wiped the blood of his tattered tank top and checked the bullets in all the guns that he and Jack scrounged up. The two of them sat against opposite walls in the small, dark storage room, exhausted, but ready for battle when needed.

            "How do you know I'm not going to just make it up?" Jack said, popping a new clip into his M16.

            "Because we both won't make it through this," Tanner said. "In fact, I doubt even one of us can, but in case one of us does, you might as well tell the world your story. And since the world is going to hell out there, you might as well tell me." He said it with a tired grin retying a piece of his shirt around the wound on his arm.

            "I dont know why, but I'm going to tell you everything right now," Jack said, "I have a feeling my story is about to end, so I might as well put it to some closure. Where do you want me to start?" Jack didn't care that Tanner was a detective who could have him arrested for years for everything he'd done. Like Tanner, he doubted he'd get out of this situation alive.

            "From the beginning." Tanner said, seriously, looking at Jack from his wall.

            Jack took a deep and relaxing breath, relieving his aching body and slowing down his heart rate. He began to tell Tanner of his shattered liberty, starting with his family, and his days in Carser City.

            "So you're saying you were involved in the first major Manhunt competition when you were only 17?" Tanner asked with surprise.

            "Yes," Jack said, "But the truth is I'd rather be playing that stupid game again than being here now."

            "Y'know," Tanner continued, "When I found a Destroyer's body earlier and lifted his mask I recognized his face from a police record. They broke out of jail, Jack. Most of those Destroyer soldiers ripping up this city right now are probably just Skull gang members who were brainwashed by some diabolical mastermind Tanner began to think hard. Anyway, continue your story."

            Jack continued to talk about his enlistment into the Army, his acceptance into the Ranger division, and his eventual leave from the Army for Liberty City, despite a bright future in the Army, due to a war hero reputation forged on the battlegrounds of the Middle East. 

            It sparked Tanner's interest when Jack began to talk about his arrival in Liberty, how he joined the Columbian Cartel and they left him for dead, how undercover police officer 8-Ball used Jack to gain information about the Leone Clan, how Jack miraculously and dangerously moved up in the ranks of the Clan, how he became a Hitman, how he wanted out of the Mafia when suddenly 8-Ball was killed in his apartment, how Jack met Tanner at the police station for interrogation, how Jack involved himself in a Diablo race to discover who killed 8-Ball, how he was set up to die in the middle of a Red Jack/Purple 9 gang war, how Vince and Maria called Tommy Vercetti to save him.

He told him of how Tommy invited Jack to join the Alliance, how Jack discovered the truth about everything and how Salvatore set him up, how Jack and Vince were the ones responsible for assassinating Salvatore in broad daylight, how Jack found out about Vince and Maria's love affair, how Vince and Maria were captured by the Columbian Cartel, how Jack single-handedly saved them and killed the same people that betrayed him when he first came to Liberty, destroying the Cartel's presence in Liberty, and how Vince was so badly tortured that he was sent into the StarRock Project.

            Jack told him about the StarRock Project, and how the supersoldiers broke free and were largely responsible for the Destroyer rebellions all over the world. He even told him about last nights battle between the Portland Mafia and the Leone Faction. Tanner was surprised to learn that Jack was responsible for killing Joey Leone. Telling the whole story to someone else made Jack think about how ridiculously impossible some aspects of it were, how it all played out much like a movie.

"Hmph, does sound like a movie. A damn good one." Tanner said, "Your life is every schoolboy's fantasy. Must be hell to live the reality."

"It sure is." Jack said, and continued.

He told Tanner how Maria ran away to a far-off place where he'd go if he survived this. He didn't tell Tanner where she went off to, but he swore he'd kill anyone who tried to track her down. Eventually, the story caught up to earlier that day, when Jack first discovered the carnage Liberty City would experience

Thursday 4:57 PM (Jack Flashback Sequence)

            It was a bright, sunny fall afternoon. From an overheard helicopter view, it looked like any ordinary day, save for the smoke rising from city streets and dozens of innocent people lying all over the street in pools of blood and body parts. The Alliance watched the news program in shock.

            "It's your brother," Tommy said gravely, "He's here in Liberty City..."

            Hyaku Kenji muttered to himself and spoke in Japanese to his father.

            "Now what do we do?" Donald Love asked.

            "We wait here." Tommy said in an admirably calm way. "We'll let the cops handle this one. If they can't, then we unleash everything we got with what we're working on downstairs in the lab." He brought up another screen showing the progress of the battle gear they were designing to fight the supersoldiers.

            "Why not attack them now?" Love asked.

            "I'm not gonna tear this city apart with a war against a couple crazy lab soldiers. Lets just wait to see how these guys do in urban territory. Just prepare the helicopter, we'll go out when I give the go."

Friday 4:14 AM (Present)

            "It sure took you people long enough." Tanner said.

            "Ya," Jack shook his head, "I had a feeling Tommy was having fun watching a war between you police and the supersoldiers."

            Tanner flared up with rage "Hey, a lot of my friends died out there today. Innocent people. Hundreds died."

            "I know." Jack said. "I know. I won't pretend I feel the same way, but I've had a lot of my friends die today too. I watched the battle from a TV screen, so I don't know what it was like out there..."

            "But I do," Tanner said. "My story is as integral as yours. This is how it was through my eyes..."

Thursday 5:32 PM (Tanner Flashback sequence)

            "This is Detective Tanner, what's going on out there?" he yelled through his cell phone as the wind pounded at his shades and hair. His expensive Cheetah convertible sped down the streets, sirens blasting.

Tanner got the call about half an hour earlier, while he was investigating the unspeakable Mafia war that killed almost 100 people the night before. Despite the growing international crisis, the Liberty police department was busy trying to solve and clean up the mess that happened due to the fight between the Italian Mafia and the Leone Faction.

Tanner was busy interrogating witnesses and filling up endless procedures with his partner Kang from night until morning. When everyone got the call about the unexplainable and random murders happening in Staunton, Tanner and Kang got into the Cheetah and sped back to the station. Many officers were told to stay at the Portland crime scene, but gradually more were called to Staunton to handle a criminal in a bulletproof Patriot Humvee.

 "Rich!" Kang yelled from the passengers seat as the Cheetah made a power slide onto a busy street, "Maybe I should drive next time watch the stop! turn!"

"Nick!" Tanner yelled back, "Shut up and let me drive!" The Cheetah turned and twisted down the road, skillfully avoiding and just barely hitting cars and people. It was around noontime and people were on the streets heading to lunch.

"There it is!" Kang pointed out. The Patriot was coming at them at a dangerous rate. The driver must have been skillful, for it eluded the envoy of police cars behind it. Kang peeked over the cars in front of him and saw that several police cars had crashed in pursuit of this Patriot.

"Hold on." Tanner said.

"Wait, I dont even have my seatbe..." Kang said, grabbing his seatbelt too late before Tanner did a 180 spin.

The Patriot flew by them and Tanner took out a pistol from his jacket. He floored the car and went zooming after the Patriot. Kang held onto his seat looking at Tanner shaking his head. He unbuttoned his underarm holsters and took out his two pistols. He readied it to shoot, but they weren't able to get a clean shot off. The driver of the Patriot was good. He purposefully drove near pedestrians and occupied cars so as to prevent any officers from being able to shoot at him.

"Did you get a look at his face?" Tanner asked extending his left arm with the gun and pointing it at the Patriot while chasing it.

"No," Kang said, pointing his two pistols at the Patriot, "Too busy trying to ask God to get me a better partner."

At that, a police car came around the corner in front of the Patriot to block it off, but the Patriot expertly stopped and started again. It went around the police car, setting Tanner up to hit the police car.

"Rich!" Kang yelled.

Tanner spun the wheel to the side, lifting his handbrake. The car slid sideways toward the police car, then Tanner slammed down on the accelerator just in time for them to speed toward the small opening. Tanner hit the brake again while turning the wheel the other way, and was back on track to pursuing the Patriot. He looked through his rearview mirror and watched the remaining squad cars converge in a horrendous crash.

Kang looked back over his seat and watched one police car fly into the air while another hit a civilian car, and yet another hitting the streetlight head on. "Rich," Kang said, turning back around slowly, "While you put my life at risk every second I'm in the car with you you're the best driver..." He turned his head to look at him, "...Ever."

"I thought you said you were asking God for another partner." Tanner said, focused on staying just far enough behind the Patriot.

"God works in mysterious ways." Kang said. A civilian car spun out of control to avoid the Patriot and just barely hit the Cheetah, were it not for Tanners excellent driving skills. "Hey God," Kang muttered, "Maybe I'll ask you about those mysterious ways when my partner sends me up there in a couple minutes."

The police radio sounded. The Patriot was heading for a roadblock it wouldnt be able to avoid. Kang took the radio and told the station they were right behind the Patriot and would box it in. The department also informed them that a police helicopter and several SWAT teams were called into help. The suspects were considered a 4 star priority.

"4 stars?" Kang said to himself, "How many could there be in that thing? Four? Five? What do we need 10 SWAT vans for?"

"Dont know," Tanner answered, "Just be ready to shoot."

The Patriot approached the roadblock of several SWAT vans. It didn't seem to be slowing down, so the SWAT teams shot out its tires. The Patriot spun out of control and toppled on its side. It slid sideways on the ground causing a loud screeching sound and sparks to fly everywhere.

"Hold your fire," Commissioner Gordon yelled over the radio.

The Patriot lay there unmoving, as the SWAT teams waited on one side and Tanner, Kang, and a few other SWAT vans that just arrived waited on the other. Tanner had pulled the Cheetah into a sideways stop. Tanner and Kang crouched behind the car and aimed their guns at the lifeless Patriot.

SWAT teams began to slowly surround the Patriot. The police helicopter hovered overhead. Suddenly the helicopter began to lose stability. Tanner looked up and saw someone grabbing onto the door. In an instant, the pilot and several passengers were thrown out. The helicopter spun down uncontrollably onto the group of SWAT vans opposite from Tanner. Tanner ducked for cover as the helicopter crashed and exploded in a loud boom.

Tanner and Kang looked at each other in confusion as they slowly brought their heads up from behind the car. The suspects inside the Patriot had come out, shooting crazily at all the SWAT and police officers. SWAT vans and police cars suddenly exploded into the air and the police force was barely able to pull off a shot.

"Lets go!" Tanner said, running away from their car.

They stopped near the flaming wreck of a SWAT van when the Cheetah was riddled with bullets and exploded when one bullet hit the gas tank.

"Lyla..." Tanner said in disbelief.

"My condolences," Kang said, while trying to peek around the fire without getting shot, "She was a good car. Almost got me killed too many times to count, but a good car."

The suspects had piled out of the Patriot somehow annihilating every SWAT or officer by spraying a storm out bullets all over the street. In less than a minute, the street had turned into a war zone.

"What do you see?" Tanner said, from behind a newspaper box.

"There's about only 4 of them?!" Kang said from behind a civilian car. "That's impossible. Why can't anyone get a shot off? Cover me, I'm gonna go in."

"No!" Tanner said, "Wait, what kind of firepower are we dealing with here?"

"I don't know how theyre doing it," Kang said, shaking his head, "But I think I can see of them holding two miniguns."

"What?!" Tanner asked.

"Rich, they're each firing two giant machine guns like toys." Kang said in disbelief. "That's impossible, those things are too heavy to fire around like that. Those things weigh a ton. How... y'know what, I'm going in."

"No!" Tanner said.

"Why n..." As Kang said that, a stray bullet broke the glass of the car over his head. "...Nevermind."

Tanner turned to the food store next to him, then back at Kang, "Nick, we have to get out of here. I'll cover you. We'll get into this store and use a back way out."

At that, Kang opened up the door of the car he was hiding behind. He shot at the space where the door was connected to the car. He kicked the door several times and the door fell off. "Here," Kang tossed the door to Tanner, "I'll cover you."

"No, I'll cover you." Tanner said, ducking his head from a ricocheting bullet that came close to where he was. "You always get to cover."

"No," Kang yelled over the sounds of constant shooting, "Last time I remember you covered me. Remember? It was that time wh..."

"Fine!" Tanner said, picking up the car door. He hurled it at the store window, breaking the glass open.

Kang got up and fired his two guns at the suspects, who were now taking cover. Tanner got up and dived through the window. Kang ran sideways, still shooting his two guns and diving in after Tanner. Tanner came up through the window after Kang dived in and he shot his handgun at the gunmen. Bullets flew into the store and the two partners crawled through a barrage of bullets and food flying above them. A bullet hit close to Kang's head and he froze in place. Tanner pulled him toward a door that led to a staircase.

They climbed the stairs, still hearing the sounds of nonstop gunfire, explosions, and police sirens. Kang turned onto a floor and found an apartment where LCPD snipers were posted. They entered the room and 3 officers and the sniper were dead. The room was tattered with gunfire. They crouched low and their shoes crunched on the glass and bullet casings on the floor.

Kang and Tanner leaned against opposite sides of a window and peeked out. They didnt fire so not as to draw gunfire to themselves. Looking down, they saw the spectacular and terrifying movements of the gunmen.

"Did you see that?" Tanner asked.

"See what?" Kang looked around.

"Exactly." Tanner said, "I've never seen anyone move like that before... they're so fast I can't keep my focus on any of them."

Kang went to pick up the dead snipers rifle, "I can take them out from here."

"Wait." Tanner said. "You'll never be able to get a shot off. Look."

They looked down and saw one gunmen throw off his two miniguns. He ran quickly at a group of dead SWAT bodies. Immediately gunfire rained down on him, but he somehow threw up the bodies of the SWAT members to shield him. He threw them up into the air and jumped up with them. He must have taken out their guns, because when they dropped back down, the gunman was firing two MP5s while doing a back flip.

None of the LCPD had a chance. More and more lawmen came to the scene, but were mowed down by just those four. Suddenly, large FBI SUVs surrounded the area. The gunmen stopped firing, and dozens of FBI armed with assault rifles were targeting the four. The firing died down, and the sounds of FBI agents ordering them to surrender could be heard. Tanner couldn't believe the mayhem he was looking down on. Hundreds of people just lay dead on the street. This was worse than what he saw at Portland. The streets were a drenched in blood. What is going on?

Suddenly, the wreckage of the helicopter exploded and gunfire erupted once more. It was one of the suits they saw on the television from the Destroyer rebellions. The suit fired two giant rocket launchers at the FBI and followed it up with two massive chain guns firing.

The suit walked over to its four companions and once again they waged war on the LCPD. Now they began to move down the street with the help of the metallic suit. It seemed to have some kind of targeting system, for it shot at the buildings around it and people hiding were shot through the wall.

"Lets go!" Kang ran back to the stairway, with Tanner following closely behind.

As they dived into the stairway, the apartment behind them was torn apart by chain gunfire. The two made their way to the other side of the building, opposite from where the small war was being waged. They piled out into the street while Kang listened to the police radio chatter on his belt. They holstered their guns in their denim jackets as they listened in on a sidewalk. They heard the sounds of LCPD and FBI continuously dying without one word of the suspects being taken out.

"That's impossible, there's just four of them." Tanner said.

"The way they moved, it wasn't..." Kang started.

All available units, disruption at Kasen Corp. building.

"I just noticed," Kang said, "Something always interrupts me when I'm saying somethi..."

"Shh," Tanner said. "Listen."

"I hate you." Kang muttered.

Unidentified armed men dressed in red fatigues seizing Kasen Corp. building. Gunshots fired. 8 officers down. Several civilians down. Several taken hostage. Hostiles requesting no demands. Continuing to take hostages. All LCPD available requested. FBI and National Guard will take over 4^th street situation.

"Red fatigues?" Kang said in confusion.

"Destroyer soldiers," Tanner said, looking around, "They're here in Liberty. I bet you anything that the war going on over on the other street was some kind of diversion."

"For what?" Kang said. "What do they want in Kasen Corp? Who are these guys, and how are they doing all this? If there's only five of them here, how are we supposed to handle a couple dozen at Kasen Corp.?"

"I don't think theyre the same," Tanner said, "There's something about those five we just saw that aren't human. The red clothed guys they were talking about on the radio are the same ones weve been seeing on TV, some kind of rebellion movement. I bet those superhumans we just saw are only creating a diversion for the Destroyer soldiers at Kasen Corp. I don't know how any of this is related, but we have to find out."

"I guess thats why we're detectives." Kang said, walking out to the street. He stopped a sport car with his badge and one gun in the air. "LCPD sir! We need to use your car, right now."

"Hey, wait a min..." the man said as Tanner went to open the door

"Detective Richard Tanner sir," as Tanner pulled him out. "Police business."

"Detective Nick Kang," Kang said from the passenger seat as he plopped in. "Tell your friends about us. You hear all those sounds? Ya, we're the good guys, so we're taking your car and youre gonna be okay with it."

"But," but the man said, as Tanner closed the door and put the car in drive and sped away.

"See," Kang said, fastening his seatbelt, "You gotta learn to let people finish their sentences. I mean, that guy back there was trying to say something, and you just cut him off all, 'I'm Rich Tanner, I'm the best detective ever. Ooh, look at my flashy car and wavy hair.' I think its listening skills, man. You gotta learn to listen."

"I'll call this car Sydney." Tanner said, ignoring what Kang was saying.

Kang sighed. "Already you're moving on to a new car? This one isn't even yours. You've been in it for less than a minute."

"But I feel something special with this one," Tanner said.

"You're not ready for a commitment, are you?" Kang said, with a grin.

"I need to do a bit of soul searching first."

"What you need to do is a bit of road searching. You're in the middle of the road, Rich." Kang said, "I mean sure, I'm annoying, but cmon, admit it, Rich you're crazy. Like, legally."

"It's obsessive compulsive disorders." Tanner said defensively. "And what about you? If it had to be one of us that was crazy, it would be you."

"Hey, I'm not crazy." Kang said, "I just talk a lot which is kinda've ironic, seeing as you don't like to listen, so basically our adventures together are one complete monologue for me. Man, I have to start recording our busts. Like a TV show or somethi..."

"We're almost at Kasen Corp." Tanner said, "Get ready... Wait, a TV show? How are we going to make a TV show out of our job? We spend all of our time at the station filling out reports and interrogating people about why their breakfast bowl told them to run out in the streets naked."

Kang laughed, "That was a keeper. Hey, remember the time with that monkey and the shotgun and..." He stopped when the building came into view and another warzone lay before them.

They arrived at the building with dozens of police and SWAT cars surrounding the perimeter. Tanner could see Destroyer soldiers dressed in red firing from within the building at the LCPD. Compared to the mayhem of the 5 suspects, this was much less dangerous. He stopped the car a far distance from the building and the two of them ran to a mobile command center.

"Hey," Tanner said as they ran, "I just realized we color coordinate too much."

"What do you mean?" Kang asked.

"I'm wearing a blue denim jacket and jeans, and you're wearing a red denim jacket and jeans."

"So what?"

"We're detectives, not clothing advertisements." Tanner said, as they approached the command van.

"So what," Kang said, as they slowed down, "We look cool, we've got a badge, and we have guns. Come on, we're action heroes, man, action heroes."

"Right," Tanner said, suddenly becoming serious when the commissioner turned around.

"Tanner, Kang," Gordon said. "You heard about the situation?"

"Sort of," Tanner said. "Care to fill us in?"

"There"s not much to know," Gordon moved to a group of TV screens in the van, "This all happened so fast. With all that on the other side of Staunton, we haven't been able to focus on whats happening here. It's all happening to quick to focus. We've lost a lot of our men out there..."

"I know, sir," Kang said, "But there's innocent people held hostage in here, and the FBI and National Guard are taking care of those guys back there."

"You're absolutely right," Gordon said, with a distant look in his eyes, "This seems so... planned. We thought we were ready, with all this going on all over the world. It just happened so fast but... yes, this. I've decided not to wait any longer. The hostages are being killed by the minute and as far as we know, these guys have no demands. We're moving in now."

"Sir?!" Tanner said, We can't just move in like that, there's people in there and you have no idea if this is some sort of trap, and..."

"Can it, Tanner," Gordon said, picking up a walkie-talkie, "We're doing this now. No more waiting while these people keep moving and taking over my city... This is Commissioner Gordon... all teams, move in."

"Whoa, whoa, wait," Kang said. "Just like that? You can't..."

"I can do whatever it takes to take out these whatever they are, wherever they're from, whatever they want, I don't care. I just want them eliminated. Got it? Either way, the teams are moving in now. You can either go in with them, or stay behind and get out of my way." Gordon pushed Tanner aside and barked into the walkie-talkie more as he talked to a SWAT specialist.

"What do we do now?" Kang said, watching SWAT teams slowly, but forcefully battle their way into the building. The Destroyer soldiers had large firepower, but SWAT teams were coming in from every direction with 10 times greater manpower.

"The only thing we can do," Tanner said, picking up as many clips from the SWAT truck as he could for his handgun. He let his old clip slide out and he popped in a new one, "We go in."

Kang brought out his two handguns and his old clips slid out, "You know we've been shot at way too many times for one day already," he said, stocking up on clips and putting in new ones.

Tanner cocked his gun and grinned, "Action heroes, remember?"

Kang brought his two guns up near his face and cocked them simultaneously, "I told you we should have our own TV show."

The two of them turned their heads to the fighting, then turned back to each other. They nodded with excited grins, yet could feel the danger that awaited them inside. They ran next to a SWAT team that was about to move in.

"Sir," the SWAT leader said, "We'll cover you."

"At least that settles the debate of who's covering who this time," Tanner said to Kang.

"This is Bear Leader," the SWAT leader said, "Covering fire for Detective Tanner and Detective Kang at my signal. Breach at Alpha. Covering fire, now!"

At that, the SWAT team fanned out, shooting offensively at any place where Destroyer soldiers were. Tanner and Kang jumped over the car and hid behind a water fountain in front of a stairway entrance. They used the SWATs covering fire to their advantage and covered each other as they popped over the fountain, fired shots at the enemies at the doorway, and went back down for cover several times.

"Alpha!" the SWAT leader said over the com-link.

Tanner and Kang bolted from behind the water fountain and began to run up the stairs. Destroyer soldiers popped out from everywhere, but a rain of bullets protected Tanner and Kang's entrance. They kept running as fast as they could with their heads down, as bullets kept hitting dangerously close to them at every moment. The only thing that saved them was the SWAT team guarding them from behind.

Inside the lobby, Tanner and Kang separated and found cover. Destroyer soldiers were shooting from everywhere, and they returned fire, covering for each other. Soon, the SWAT team entered, pinning down any Destroyer soldiers that were pinning down Tanner and Kang. The two used that to run to a hallway leading to large ballrooms and conference rooms. They hid behind opposite sides of the entrance of the wide hallway.

Alternatively, they would come out and shoot at any enemies in the hallway, who were hiding behind doors. Eventually, it turned into a standoff, where Tanner and Kang would blindly shoot into the hallway, keeping the enemy from advancing, as the Destroyer soldiers did likewise.

For the next few hours, Tanner, Kang, and the SWAT teams battled their way through floor after floor of the Kasen Corp. building.

Friday 5:03 AM (Present)

"So how'd you end up here like that?" Jack looked at a dirty, blood-drenched Tanner wearing nothing but tattered jeans and a ripped tank top.

"I'd ask you that same question," Tanner said, looking at Jack, who himself looked weary from some kind of fight.

"While you were doing all that..." Jack began.

Thursday 6:06 PM (Jack Flashback Sequence)

"What?!" Tommy said from his seat.

"Destroyer soldiers?" Asuka Kasen asked from across the table.

"What are they doing here?" Donald Love asked. "How are they in the lobby?"

Tommy got up, "Everyone, follow me. Jack, Vince, Reiko, get suited up, we're gonna defend our castle..."

Sir, the Destroyers are blocking every floor with armories. We cant get the elevators down to the lab. Sir, theyre on the 4^th fl AHH! The intercom fizzed out.

Tommy led the Alliance members to the elevators, and set the senior members to go to a certain floor. He, Jack, Vince, and Reiko found a stockpile of weapons and took them with them into the elevator. They stopped at a floor where Kasen Corp. would usually hold formal parties, displaying new technologies that created. The rest of the Alliance and many members of Kasen Corp. waited there on their knees with their hands behind their heads.

Tommy, Jack, Vince, and Reiko immediately dived for cover, shooting their twin RCP90s at all the soldiers. The hostages dropped down to the floor behind protection in fear. The battle raged on between the four and the Destroyers holding them hostage.

Suddenly, Jack looked up and saw a terrifying sight. All of their bullets weren't hitting anywhere near the Destroyers. They were being deflected up, down, and sideways. The four of them began to realize it after awhile and stopped shooting.

What the Tommy said, his back leaning against a wall. The Destroyers had stopped shooting, but he came out again and aimed directly at a soldier and his bullets were deflected in mid-air.

"Stop." Hyaku walked out. He wore ninja clothing, with the battle sword in his hand.

Jack remembered the demonstration from Antractica. The battle sword was a baton that could manipulate electromagnetic attraction and repulsion. With the battle sword, Hyaku was able to control any metallic object around him, even bullets. Jack realized how hopeless this situation was and thought hard of how to get out of the situation.

"Come out." Hyaku plainly said.

Reiko immediately put down her guns and turned around. She stood up straight and stared at Hyaku with eyes that made Jack forget she was a natural born assassin. She looked at Hyaku with a sense of sadness and joy at the same time. She whispered something in Japanese, and her eyes almost seemed to tear. Jack knew about Hyaku and Reiko's past love, before he was killed and sent to the StarRock Project. Jack had an impossible hope that maybe Reiko could turn Hyaku back to the way he was before, before the experiment, before it made him the smartest, fastest, strongest, and most dangerous man who ever lived.

Hyaku talked back something in Japanese, and Reiko returned the conversation. Her voice was shaky and she began to get emotional. Eventually she walked toward him, and surrendered. Jack looked over to Vince, who followed suit, and allowed the Destroyers to bound him. Jack looked at Tommy, who had a terrifying look of hatred in his face. He didn't look like he was going to give up at all. Jack wouldnt let himself get caught either.

            Destroyer soldiers began to approach Tommy, and he spun around and tore them apart with his two RCP90s while doing a side roll, over to where Jack was taking cover. Tommy looked and Jack, and the two of them exchanged unsure glances that basically read, now what?

            "That's enough," Hyaku said.

            Suddenly, all the metallic items around Jack and Tommy flew away. Their guns began to feel heavy, and they were drawn to the wall. Eventually, the force of the magnetic attraction was so strong that they were pulled from behind the pillar and through the air toward Hyaku. Jack and Tommy got a glimpse at his fearful figure and fired bullets as they flew through the air. Immediately, Hyaku brought the sword up, and the bullets stopped in mid-air. Tommy and Jack were suspended in mid-air too, with all the metallic items they possessed.

            Hyaku brought the sword down and Jack and Tommy were slammed to the ground. As soon as they recovered, they tried to fire again, but Hyaku seemed to disappear, and suddenly they found themselves pressed up against the wall, held by their necks. All their guns and weapons were somehow taken away. Hyaku almost moved as quickly as they saw him during the demonstration with the androids.

            "What do you want?" Tommy coughed out, as Hyaku slammed them down on the floor.

            "You will know in due time." Hyaku said, and picked them up as if they were as light as a feather.

Hyaku tossed the both of them into the elevator, and Vince was thrown in too. He pressed a button on the elevator and it closed shut. Tommy got up and pounded at the door as it closed shut. He stepped back and stared at the closed door as he was breathing furiously.

Tommy, Jack, and Vince had no idea where they were going, but Jack knew they must have all felt relieved that they weren't in a room with Hyaku anymore. The elevator was going up, and they tried to stop it with the Emergency Stop, but it wouldnt work. They kept going until they reached their floor.

When the doors opened, it was Tommy's giant one-room office. They stepped out unsure of what was there, but the room seemed empty. They proceeded cautiously and walked together, for they were unarmed. They reached Tommys desk at the far side of the room that overlooked Liberty City through a large window. Tommys seat was turned around, but it moved a little.

"Who are you?" Tommy growled.

"He's the reason why we're all here..." said a female voice from behind them, "He's the reason for this all of... this..."

"MARIA?!" Jack blurted out in confusion as he turned around to see her pointing a gun at them

Maria Leone?! Tommy growled, What are you doing here, with a gun? What do you have to do with this? Tell me now! He began to move toward her.

"Stay where you are," Maria said, directing the revolver at the three of them. "Just listen..."

A voice behind the chair began to laugh, and they turned around. Jack had a feeling the mastermind behind all the mayhem that was taking place all over the world was about to reveal his face. Jack's heart raced as he grew anxious to know what was going on.

"It's funny the way you think you know everything, until a new twist changes the whole story..." The man in the chair said as he spun around. "Miss me?"

"SALVATORE!" Tommy stepped back in confusion. "How..."

"How indeed," Salvatore chuckled, "I'd tell you what was going on, but, knowing you two, I need to make sure you don't pull a move on me.

At that, Vince walked over next to Salvatore with Maria. Vince picked up an AR53 assault rifle and aimed it at Tommy and Jack. Maria kept her gun fixed on them.

"Traitors..." Tommy whispered.

Jack was terrified. This situation was hopeless. The revelation of Marias betrayal was unbearable. Jack could barely try to understand what was going on. He didn't know why this was happening. Before he could attempt to try to put pieces together, Salvatore interrupted his thinking.

"Tommy and Jack..." Salvatore said, "Two of my most cherished pawns. It's too bad you had to find out this late in the game." He laughed diabolically, "In fact... I've already won."

Liberty City behind him smoked in wreckage from the supersoldiers' destruction, and the entire Alliance was held hostage. Vince and the woman Jack loved were his enemies. Jack and Tommy had nothing. They were betrayed and were playing into the game all along. There was nowhere to run there was no hope...

Thursday 8:09 PM (Tanner Flashback)

            Tanner pressed his back to the wall in the empty room. He listened to the com-link he picked up from the dead SWATs body. All the SWAT teams that had initially gone in were completely wiped out. The LCPD couldn't penetrate the building anymore. Radio signal was lost. Tanner looked out the window and saw a giant explosion in a far part of the city. He knew that all around the world this was happening too. Basically, their world was ending. He could hear the battle cry of the Destroyers, chanting the name "Apollo! Apollo!"

He sat back down and realized he was the only person in the building that wasn't taken hostage or dead.  He was one man but he knew he was the only hope anyone had left the only hope in a shattered city... in a shattered world...