It was man-sized, standing nearly six feet tall(a fact which earned it the name) as the stock of the weapon easily rested on the pavement. His short white hair was soon forgotten in favor of his scarring and leather-like skin. It was obvious to all onlookers that he had earned his keep in a war against the Ancients, and he carried a stone-faced grin to prove it.

Alicia's group began to walk forward to meet them when the third and final passenger of great importance jumped to the ground, falling only a couple of feet as his solid black boots hit the hardtop with a loud thud. Instantly, guns were on him, Alicia's pistols the first to take aim on the Ancient soldier as Calypso and G quickly followed suit.

“Stop, he's with us!” Nadia yelled loudly, stepping into the line of fire to protect Certes.

Without so much as a whisper, Alicia pushed the safety on both pistols to live fire, continuing her dead stare with the demon as Preacher and Nadia reluctantly pulled their weapons up to take aim on Alicia's team.

“Put your weapons down, or I swear by all that nobody will walk away from this.” Nadia said calmly, her words accented thick with German influence.

“I dunno, I've walked away from a lot better.” Alicia replied with sarcasm.

“There are no better.” Nadia replied quickly, steadily holding her chrome pistol in Alicia's direction. It was polished to a shine that led to believe it had never been used, a smooth wooden grip handle accenting it.

 

“Alicia! Put down your weapons this instant!” a man yelled as he briskly ran to them on foot.

Wearing a thick brown coat of leather and boots to match, his green eyes cut into her through glass lenses as he held an arm out and motioned for them to holster their weapons.

“For God's sake Alicia, I asked you to escort Nadia's group into the command center, not draw down on them!” he said sternly.

“You never mentioned they would have an Ancient with them.” Alicia replied as she continued to hold the unwelcome alien at gunpoint.

“I don't have to explain myself to you! It's one of the perks of being your commanding officer. Now put the damn guns away!” Commander Snelling shouted.

Seconds later, Alicia slowly holstered her pistols with a single motion, quickly followed by the members of her team.

“My apologies Nadia, I assure you I had nothing to do with your team being put into danger.” the man said apologetically.

“My team was never in any danger.” Nadia replied delightfully, quickly turning her attention from Snelling to Alicia and looking through her as if she weren't there.

The group had started to walk into the direction of the command center, which had formerly been known as the Washington Monument. After Invasion Day, however, it had been designated for military conversations of a sensitive matter.

“I think I'm in love.” Calypso said quietly, his eyes locked onto the curved backside of Nadia Jacobson and his mind on her attitude.

“Shut up Calypso.” Alicia said, glancing at him for a moment before the three followed the group up the steps and into the meeting.

 

“It's imperative that your group makes it to Texas.” one of the Resistance advisers said, directing the comment to Commander Snelling.

“What's in Texas?” Alicia whispered under her breath to both Calypso and G as they stood in the rear of the meeting, which included nearly a hundred top Resistance officials.

“Lackland Air Force Base. Or at least what remains of it.” Nadia Jacobson said loudly, glancing into Alicia's direction as the entire room turned to face her.

Giving both G and Calypso a quick glance of disbelief, Alicia turned back to face the woman who had an unbelievable knack for hearing.

“And when we get there?” Alicia finally responded, letting the blonde bombshell know up front that her team could accomplish anything.

“Our sources have confirmed that the Ancients are holding a power cell there. We need you to retrieve it and bring it back.” Commander Snelling said.

“Holding a power cell?” G asked, a rare vocal appearance on his part.

“They are using it to power one of their forward operating bases.” a government adviser replied, wearing his tuxedo style overcoat with black and gray pinstriped hat.

“So you want us to infiltrate an Ancient forward operating base, steal their only source of power and then slip out unnoticed in hopes of beating them back here?” Alicia asked, stunned by what had just been thrown onto her plate.

No replies came for a few tense moments.

“And there's gonna be Ancients there?” Calypso asked.

“Of course there are going to be Ancients there!” Alicia said under her breath as she forcefully slapped him across the upper arm.

“Don't worry, my team will be going along to assist you.” Nadia Jacobson said proudly.

“My only worry was for the unfortunate Ancients who get in the way,” Alicia replied loudly. She then added “bitch” under her breath, knowing Nadia would surely hear her.

“You will also have full support from the Norfolk Naval Base. They consider this a top priority mission.” Commander Snelling added, trying to reassure his team.

“Naval base?” Preacher asked.

“Yes. The Ancients pushed what remained of the American people into the protection of Guardian Angel. As we watched and waited from the streets of Washington City, they systematically destroyed every single military base in the country. One by one they fell, until the Ancients hit Norfolk Naval Base. The remaining U.S. Forces continued to fall back until they were all in and around Norfolk, and when the Ancients showed up for business as usual they got their asses handed to them.” Commander Snelling replied.

“Our army doesn't have the manpower to push its way back out into what remains of the United States, but we do have plenty to hold Norfolk, even without the protection of a Guardian Angel system there.” he added.

“Impressive,” Nadia said. “In Germany, we are not so fortunate. What remains of our military has been reduced to armored Tank divisions and foot soldiers. Nothing outside of the Berlin Safe Zone is free of Ancients.” She added.

“And when we recover the power cell, our people plan to send another series of satellites into orbit?” Alicia asked.

Nadia and her team gleaned at the Commander as he nodded his approval.

“It's alright, Alicia's team has level-five clearance.” Snelling said.

“We are not planning to launch another Guardian Angel, no. The power cell is for a ship.” Nadia replied.

“A ship?” Alicia asked, puzzled at passing on the chance to create a third safe haven for the human population.

“Our scientists have been working with the Germans in constructing a large space craft that will launch and go into direct combat with the Ancients' mother ship.” Commander Snelling replied.

Alicia and her team simply stood there, trying to soak up all of the information.

“We have three power cells at the moment, and this final cell will be enough to launch against them. If our ship is successful in destroying the Ancients' mother ship, their air superiority will be gone and the entire planet will become a safe zone. They will be reduced to fighting us in a conventional war campaign.” Nadia added.

“I see,” Alicia said. “And this ship?” she asked.

“The ship is approximately the size of six standard aircraft carriers, and is currently in the final stages of production deep inside of the Berlin safe zone,” Nadia replied. “Just help us get through the wastelands and retrieve the power cell, and I promise you that the Ancients will finally begin to regret the war they created. We will show them that the Human race is much more than the weak, mindless cattle they believe us to be.” she added.

“Get your team's needed supplies in order and then get some rest. First thing tomorrow we will be sending the convoy on its way.” Commander Snelling said, nodding to his team of elite soldiers with Alicia nodding back before leaving the meeting, both Calypso and G closely behind.

“Don't worry Nadia, my team will deliver. They always do.” Snelling added as he turned back to her group.

“I'm sure working together will lead to imminent success.” she replied with a grin, slowly gathering her group to exit into the streets of Washington City.

 

As she sat on the worn rooftop of a building close to the safe zone perimeter, Alicia looked across the landscape, her arms wrapped around her legs. The rooftop had long been her home, a shelter as well as many comforts around her. A glimmer waved across her dark hair as she began to look directly above, watching for several minutes the glowing lights which reflected above the city in unison.

Even during the day, Guardian Angel shielded them, though it was common knowledge that the Ancients very rarely traveled during the day. It had something to do with the gray pigment of their skin and the effects of a particular strain of ultraviolet light sent down by the sun's gleam.