Clusterfrag

Rawhide scrambles up the side of the balcony and launches himself at the ramp.

"Geroninmo!"

Catching hold, he pulls himself up.

Doc takes a running leap at the ramp.

Max leaps from the edge of the balcony and hauls himself inside.

Doc catches the edge of the ramp with both hands and lifts his torso into the aircraft.

Following suit, the giant troll leaps up and grabs the ramp, bobbing the fixed-wing ever so slightly as he does so.

Lo is sitting in the cockpit, dressed in military camo and packing an Ares HVAR. The Johnson looks terribly out of place but at the same time, like he could handle himself in a fight.

"That's everyone Chen, time to make contrails!"

"Don't need to tell me twice!"

Chen dabs a touch-panel and yanks on the flight stick. G-forces tumble the team around inside the aircraft as every thruster on the under-side of the super-sonic blaze to life. The aircraft spins around to starboard and levels out.

"Hang on!"

The intrepid Triad smashes the afterburner controls and the jet accelerates to Mach I.

The sky seems to darken for a moment--or is the compound getting brighter?

Now just an obscure patch on a pure white tundra, Deus' fortress bursts into an impossibly bright orange globe that pulses, bloats and collapses, folding in and over to form a towering mushroom cloud.

"Shockwave!" cries Chen.

Once again, the runners are bounced about the cabin.

Doc grabs a fistful of cargo netting, and pulls himself toward the wall. He starts laughing loudly.

Rawhide cringes as a crate bounces off of his shoulder.

"You're all certifiable. But god help it if I don't love you to pieces."

Max, hanging on for dear life, looks at Doc and shouts over the roar,

"Just like in Neo Saigon, eh slick?!"

The fixed-wing levels out after rocking back and forth for a moment and Chen collapses in his seat.

"No severe damage from the blast... looks like we're home-free."

Mr. Lo offers up what could almost be described as a smile. "Nice flying, Chen. Hopefully we have enough fuel to get home..."

Max makes his way to Lo and gives him a familiar pat on the shoulder and says,

"Thanks for the lift."

Adams brings his breathing back under control, and heads for the cockpit.

"Getting your hands dirty, Lo?"

Lo lifts the HVAR and snorts. "Oh, this? I wasn't sure what to expect. I may have over-prepared."

Doc raises his eyebrows.

"So things went better than expected? I always knew destroying everything in our path would eventually lead to a happily ever after."

Max looks at the assault rifle and suggests,

"Better safe than sorry, Mr. Lo."

Lo stows the AR.

"I have no need for such things. Truth is, I'm retiring. Well, being retired. It's mutual. The Triads feel that it's better I step down and I'm inclined to agree with them. This whole chain of events shook up the organization and we're going through some... restructuring. I'm the old guard and it's time to change shifts. Such is the way of the world."

Max offers Lo a smile and suggests,

"You look like a man who could benefit from long afternoons and idle gardening."

Doc is suddenly concerned for the loss of the team's sole client.

"I see. Who will be our contact in the new organization?"

"Which brings me to the business at hand. You're fired."

Lo's eyes brighten slightly and he tosses a black lacquer box at Max.

"A parting gift. Your usual commission plus my pension. There should be an even 150,000 nuyen apiece. Thanks to you, I'll live in the annals of Triad history. My family name and honor are secure."

"Don't take it too hard," hollers Chen from the cockpit. "They fired me too. Something about stealing a jet from the Anchorage airport."

Lo makes an amused sound.

"I've given Chen a job as my personal chauffeur and body-guard. He won't want for much."

Doc eyes the box, feeling elated and disappointed at the same time. He holds a hand out.

"Well, Lo. It's been... Interesting," he says with a grin.

"Interesting. Thrilling. Terrifying."

Lo leans forward.

"Organized crime isn't for you. Not with skills like yours. Have you gentlemen ever considered going into business for yourselves?"

Max looks at the ragtag team and says,

"Well there's an idea..."

Doc looks around the cabin.

"I've seen my share of war. I've seen borders get reshaped, towns burned, and an army flattened by a dragon."

"But in the last few months, I've helped destroy a tanker, kill a god, and set off a nuke. Damn straight I'm not quitting this any time soon."

Max looks back to Lo and asks,

"What was it that your boys took to calling us, Mr. Lo?"

Max drops his face as a grin takes it over. Running his hand through his hair and scratching the back of his head, Max looks up, glances around the team, and asks,

"How about Firestarter?"