ZET-MAN! (Re-Imagined)

~ Omniscient Pov ~

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The room was dim, lit only by the cold glow of monitors and the faint hum of machinery. Carter stood at the head of the table, his arms crossed, his face unreadable but for the faint tension in his jaw. The map before him was a essentially a spiderweb of red markers, each one a station of alien activity. The air felt heavy, charged with the kind of quiet dread that comes before a major storm...

"Alright," Carter began, his voice low but steady. "I've called in backup. Given the scale of what we're dealing with, the higher-ups are sending in Plumber units. They'll be here in a few hours."

The team exchanged glances, the weight of his words settling over them like a fog. Morgan, who had been typing furiously for hours, finally paused, her fingers hovering above the keys. She looked up, her sharp eyes narrowing as she studied Carter's face. "Still, I can't believe you of all people are resorting to back-up. That's... not like you," she said, her tone cautious but probing.

Javier leaned back in his chair, the legs creaking under his weight. He crossed his arms, a smirk playing on his lips, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Yeah, never mentioned it before but... since when do you invite the brass to the party? You usually keep this kind of thing close to the chest..."

Carter sighed, running a hand through his hair, "I do. But this isn't just about me, it it? This is bigger than us. If we're right about the scale of this operation—and I think we are—then we sure as hell can't afford to handle it alone. Like it or not, we need all the help we can get."

Riley stepped forward, her arms crossed, her gaze locked onto Carter. There was a hardness in her eyes, but also a flicker of concern... "Who's coming?" she asked, her voice calm but very much insistent.

"Plumber units," Carter replied. "Three squads, minimum. Enough to hit all three hubs simultaneously, with an extra squad on standby. Morgan's right—the longer these sites stay operational, the harder it'll be to shut them down later."

Morgan leaned back in her chair, her fingers tapping absently on the edge of her laptop. "And what's the plan for when we hit the hubs? If these aliens are as coordinated as we think they are, they're not going to just roll over just because we show up with more firepower like idiots."

Carter's jaw tightened, and for a moment, he looked almost weary about all this... "Then, we split into teams. One takes out the comms towers, another hits the resource stockpiles. Disruption first, intel second. If we're lucky, we'll find something—data, comm logs, anything that points us to whoever's running this show."

"And if we're not lucky?" Riley pressed, her voice steady but with an edge that made it clear she wasn't going to let him off easy.

"Then we make damn sure these hubs can't be used again," Carter said, his tone leaving no room for argument. His eyes met Riley's, and for a moment, there was something unspoken between them—a shared understanding of the stakes.

He knew that this operation wasn't something that his current team was used to, and it hurt him that he'd have to go through with this with them. However, they are the people he trust's most, and he believes in their capabilities...

Moments later, the room fell silent, the gravity of the mission pressing down on them like a physical weight... For all their potential planning, there were no real guarantees here. They were stepping into the heart of a highly dangerous alien operation—something far more dangerous than anything they'd faced before. Except, perhaps, for Carter...

Javier broke the silence with a dry chuckle, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the table. "Well, when you put it like that, it almost sounds easy."

"Trust me," Carter replied, his gaze steady. "It's not. But it's damn near necessary."

Morgan cleared her throat, her focus already shifting back to her laptop. "I'll get started on the jamming tech... If we can disrupt their comms in the field, it'll buy us time."

Carter nodded. "Do it." He turned to Riley. "You and Javier can scout the perimeter of the nearest hub. Map out the defenses and find the best way in. I want to know everything about that site before we move."

"On it," Riley said, already heading for the door with Javier in tow. As she passed Carter, she paused, her hand brushing his arm briefly. "Be careful," she said quietly, her voice softer now...

"You too," Carter replied, his tone matching hers.

As the team dispersed, Carter lingered by the map, his eyes tracing the red-marked hubs that pulsed like open wounds on the grid. Despite the meticulous planning, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were missing something...

~ Omniscient POV ~

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All the Plumbers moved in silence, their footsteps muffled by the dense undergrowth. The night was alive with the sounds of distant wildlife, but the tension in the air was palpable. Three squads, each with a clear objective, fanned out across the perimeter of the alien hubs. The mission was simple in theory: disrupt, disable, and dismantle. In practice, it was anything but such.

Carter and Riley led Squad One, targeting the communications hub. Squad Two, under Javier's command, was tasked with taking out the resource stockpile at a second site. Morgan, embedded with Squad Three, worked to keep the comms jammers operational as they advanced on the third hub—a coordination site suspected of housing critical intel.

Each hub was practically a fortress, filled with alien technology and guarded by Draxan soldiers. The tension was palpable at it's worst, and the air thick with the hum of machinery with the faint glow of alien energy...

Squad One: Communications Hub

Carter had crouched behind a stack of alien crates, his rifle pressed tightly against his chest and shoulder. The comms hub were just ahead of them, with architecture showing a grotesque structure of metallic spires and glowing conduits that pulsed with an eerie blue light... Draxan guards patrolled the perimeter, their hulking frames silhouetted against the facility's unnatural glow...

He gently tapped Riley on the shoulder, gesturing toward a pair of guards near the main entrance. She nodded, her expression calm but focused. Carter keyed his comm.

"Riley and I will handle the gate. Squad, hold your positions until we give the all-clear."

Riley moved first, silent as a shadow. Carter followed, his steps measured and precise. They closed the distance quickly, the rhythmic stomp of the Draxans' boots masking their approach.

Riley struck first, her knife flashing in the dim light as she drove it into the neck of the nearest guard. The Draxan gurgled, its massive body collapsing with a dull thud. Before the second guard could react, Carter was on him, his blade slicing across its throat in one fluid motion...

"Clear," Riley whispered.

The squad advanced, slipping through the entrance and into the heart of the comms hub. Inside, the air was thick with the hum of machinery. Alien tech lined the walls—gleaming consoles, tangled cables, and strange devices that pulsed with an otherworldly energy.

"Morgan," Carter whispered into his comm. "We're in. How's the jammer holding up?"

Her voice crackled through the earpiece. "Stable for now. But if they catch on, they'll boost their signal, and we'll lose the advantage. Move fast."

"Copy that," Carter said. He turned to Riley and the squad. "Take out the consoles. Plant charges if you have to. No comms leave this place intact."

The squad fanned out, moving with practiced efficiency. Riley covered the rear as Carter approached the central console, his eyes scanning the alien script scrolling across the screen. He plugged in a data drive, initiating a download.

A low growl echoed through the chamber.

Carter froze, his hand hovering over the console. The growl grew louder, deeper, until it was joined by the heavy thud of footsteps.

"Riley," Carter said quietly, his voice tense.

"I can hear it," she replied, her weapon trained on the doorway.

The Draxan reinforcements burst into the room, their weapons essentially blazing. Carter dove behind a console as plasma bolts sizzled past him, the air filling with the acrid smell of burnt metal.

"Contact!" Riley shouted, opening fire.

The squad returned fire, their shots precise but outnumbered. Carter gritted his teeth, gripping his rifle as he peeked out from cover. A Draxan soldier charged toward him, its massive frame barreling through the chaos. Carter fired, the shot catching it square in the chest. The alien stumbled but kept coming back up, crawling at this point.

"Riley!" Carter barked.

She spun, her blade flashing as she leapt onto the Draxan's back. With a grunt, she drove her knife into the base of its skull, the creature collapsing beneath her.

"Console's down!" one of the squad members shouted.

Carter glanced at the central console. The data download was complete. He grabbed the drive and shoved it into his belt.

"Fall back! Now!" he ordered. "Are the charges set?!"

"Armed and ready, sir!"

"Detonate on my mark!" Carter shouted as the squad retreated.

They burst through the entrance, the charges detonating behind them. The ground shook as the comms hub erupted in a plume of fire and smoke. Carter didn't dare look to look back. Knowing how powerful level 5 technology could be, he didn't need to...

However, just as they made it out...

Someone keyed in their comm, their voice low and urgent. "This is Squad Two. Do you copy? Over."

Static crackled in his ear, and for a moment, he thought no one would answer. Then Carter's voice came through, tense but steady. "We copy, Javier? What's your status? Over."

Javier took a deep breath, his grip tightening on the rifle. "We're in bad shape... Most of the squad's gone. Mack's dead. Torres is hit. We're trapped in the hub, and the Draxans are closing in on us. Over."

There was a pause on the other end, and Javier could almost feel the weight of Carter's silence. "What? Can you hold your position? Over."

Carter was confused, how was that even the case?

On the other side of the Comm, Javier glanced at Torres, who was struggling to stay conscious. The rookie's leg was a mess, and they were running out of ammo. The Draxans were advancing and fast, their heavy footsteps echoing through the ruined hub.

"Negative," Javier said, his voice grim. "We're out of options... The charges are set, but... we're not gonna make it out in time. Over."

Another pause, longer this time. When Carter spoke again, his voice was tight with urgency. "Javier, listen to me. You need to find a way out. We're not losing you. Over." Practically crushing the Comm in his hand.

Javier laughed, but there was no humor in it... "You might not have a choice, Carter. We're pinned down, and there's no way out. Just... make sure this wasn't for nothing man. Over."

"Javier—" Carter's voice cut through the static, but Javier interrupted him.

"Tell the team... Tell them we did our part. And Carter... don't let these bastards win. Over and out."

"Javier!"

"JAVIER!!!" Carter shouted, but nothing came through...

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The comm went silent, the static fading into nothingness. The man in question tossed the device aside, finding it useless at this point; as if on reflex, his jaw clenched in annoyance. He turned to Torres, who was watching him with wide, frightened eyes... He hadn't expected to see his young friend here on the mission. The kid was young, too young to be on this kind of thing...

But he wasn't gonna let it end like this... "Hey?" Javier said, his voice softer now. "We're not done yet. You ready to give these bastards some hell?"

Torres nodded, though his hands were shaking... "Y-Yeah. Let's do it."

Javier grinned, though it was more of a grimace. "That's what I like to hear."

They readied their weapons, the sound of Draxan footsteps growing louder. The hub was collapsing around them, the air thick with smoke and the stench of burning metal. The charges were all set, and the timer was ticking down slowly, but surely. They were out of time, but they weren't out of fight...

As the Draxans closed in, Javier and Torres opened fire, their shots precise and relentless. They fought with everything they had, their backs against the wall and their resolve unshaken. However, the hub was going down, and they were taking as many of the enemy with them as they could before they themselves fell.

The last thing Javier saw... Was the timer on the charges hitting zero...

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END