AN: Ok, sorry about the last chapter being so short. This chapter doesn’t really push the story forward as much as I’d like but it contains information that will be vital in later chapters. Please review, its what keeps me writing.

Delta Compound, Ft. Bragg NC, 3 Months Earlier

“You ready for this Kafei?” Link asked as the doctors inserted IVs in his arms.

“About as ready as I’ll ever be. But this really seems like something out of a comic book.” He replied as IVs were inserted into his arms as well.

“Well believe it soldiers.” LtCol. Harkan began. “If this trial produces the desired results, then you will be the worlds first super soldiers.”

“And if it doesn’t?” Link asked.

“Then the project will most likely be scrapped. My sources at the pentagon tell me that if everyone in this team isn’t at least 5 times stronger and faster than they were before then the Pentagon will pull the funding.” Harkan replied seriously.

“Personally I hope this fails sir. There’s no telling what the world would be like with super men running around.” Link said as he watched the doctors prep the serum for injection into him and the rest of his team.

LtCol. Harkan leaned down closer to Link and spoke so only he could hear. “So do I soldier, this world just isn’t ready for that yet.”

Link nodded and looked at Kafei and held his fist out. “You going be there when I wake up?” He asked seriously.

Kafei smiled and touched his fist to Link’s. “Yeah, who else is going to watch after your crazy ass?”

Link smiled and looked at the rest of his men all prepped for the injection. “And you guys?”

His question was answered with a resounding “HOOAH!”

Link looked at LtCol. Harkan and nodded who, in turn nodded to the head Physician.

Link’s serum was administered first on his request. He felt, as the leader of this unit, he should be the first to expose himself to the potential danger of the serum. As Link fell into a deep sleep, the doctors began injecting the serum into the other members of the unit.

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1 Week Later

The way the serum worked, or at least what Kafei could understand of how it worked, was to put the user’s body into a coma while parts of their DNA were restructured. In the process the body’s muscles were rebuilt in a way that would allow the user to move faster, hit harder, and react better than any normal man could. The serum also improved the senses. Everyone had woken up from the slight coma in two days.

Everyone except Link.

It had been a full week since the serum had been administered and Link still hadn’t awoken from his coma. The serum had also failed to delivered the desired results. While the men had experienced a sizable increase in abilities, the project had guaranteed a 500% increase in physical and sensory abilities and the men, at least the eleven that had woken up, had only attained about half that. Needless to say, the project had been axed.

Now Kafei, along with the rest of the team, sat waiting in Link’s room desperately hoping that he would awaken.

And awaken he did. Almost 1 week to the minute that he fell into the coma, he awakened as if from a long nap.

Kafei didn’t know whether to hug his friend or punch him.

The men soon found out that the five extra days had proven rather lucrative for Link. He alone had achieved the guaranteed 500% increase in physical and sensory abilities. However, there had been some side effects. One in particular had stood out to the men.

Link’s eyes now had a tendency to change color in certain situations, namely during missions. Link’s eyes were normally a hazel-green, but during missions, and other times of stress, they changed from their usual color to a deep, solid blue.

At first the men were a little unnerved by their new blue-eyed CO but after they realized that the only changes in their commander were physical, they actually began to look at Link’s blue eyes as a good omen.

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Two days after Link had awoken, the team was treated to another surprise. The X5 armor. The armor was a secret NATO project that had been in the works for years. It was a three-part system of armor that would supposedly protect the wearer from almost anything the enemy could throw at them.

The first part of the system was known as the inner armor, which consisted of a set of trousers and long sleeve shirt made of inch thick, form fitting material. None of the men were ever briefed on the specifics of what the material was but the team was told that this material could absorb the impact of a major explosion and stop all but the highest caliber rounds.

The second component of the armor was the plates. Once again the men were not informed as to the composition of the plates. The plates were lightweight but supposedly could survive a direct hit from an RPG 7. The armor plates were placed on the most vital areas of the body. Armor plates were located around the shin and calves, over the knees, and around the outer thighs. Plates also covered the fore arms, upper arms, and shoulders. Four plates covered the torso, two plates covered the upper back and chest while two more covered the lower back and abs.

The third and final piece of the system was the helmet. The helmet was an open face headpiece with a slight bill that extended 2 inches past the eyes and was made of the same material as the plates. What made the helmet so impressive was the technology that was stored inside. The helmet had a built in radio so the team could communicate with one another and with Command. Link and Kafei’s helmets were also equipped with laser tagging technology for calling in air strikes.

“Now this is something out of a comic book.” Link had said.

LtCol. Harkan had ordered Link to begin training the men with the armor as soon as they were issued it.

Two weeks later, the armor and the physical augments would be put to the test.

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Jungles of East Asia, 2 Weeks Later

This was bad. Very bad. How had a force this large been assembled so quickly? How did they acquire this kind of military equipment without anyone knowing? All these questions and more ran through Andrew Kafei’s mind as he led the severely out numbered team through the dense jungle foliage.

Link had just been forced to test the both the X5 armor and his body’s endurance due to a well placed enemy mortar round. The X5 had lived up to its claims and taken the brunt of the explosion. But Link, even with the physical augments, still was in bad shape. At least three of his ribs were broken and he most likely had a severe concussion.

Kafei, being second in command had assumed the role of team leader for the time being. He looked back at his friend and CO. “Doc”, the team medic, was helping him along but the blue eyes were still shining and he drew some comfort from that. Kafei used to be a mortar infantryman before Link convinced him to go SF. Frankly he couldn’t believe Link was in one piece, let alone keeping up with the rest of the team as they ran through the jungle.

Kafei knew a lot about the New Axis. Hell, most of the missions they had been sent on in the last year had been directly related to the growing faction. He had seen organizations like them before but these guys, damn; they were years beyond anything he had ever seen before. Unlike most similar factions whose goals were military dictatorship of a small country or portion of a country, the New Axis’ goals were worldwide. And, judging from the Intel they had just gathered, they might just have the resources to do it.

Kafei halted the men as they neared the edge of the wood line and looked out at the small jungle village. Their extraction zone, and the safety of home, waited on the other side.

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Present Day, Fort Bragg, NC

“So, what’s our plan of attack?” Link voice cut through Kafei’s flashback and brought him back to the present.

LtCol. Harkan waved a hand over the projected map and the image zoomed in on New York City.

“Assuming that New York is their final destination, you and your team will insert via HALO drop here.” Harkan answered as he pointed at the map.

“Sir, is that…” Link began.

“Ground Zero.” Harkan finished the sentence for him.