The Emperor's Jubilee II

[Proto Man]

As they crossed the threshold, the pair of Primes both noticed the large whirring machines to their left and right. The man with the rifle gestured toward them with his head. “They’re scanners. You got anything hidden on you, and we’re going to know.”

Proto Man shrugged his shoulders--he had nothing to hide--as he scanned the inside of the metal works. The interior of the Copper Eye’s stronghold didn’t speak nefarious paramilitary terrorist group. If anything, it seemed like most of their operatives were barely alive. Most were skinny, and almost all of them looked as if they’d slept less than eight hours in the last week. Even so, they were all within an arm’s reach of an extremely fancy-looking rifle, and from their eyes, none of them would hesitate to use them.

“What are you doing here?” The center man asked as he shut the door behind them and turned his eyes--and his gun--toward the pair. Proto Man wasn’t sure if he was the leader or merely the point man, but either way, he seemed to be the only one talking.

“Yes, what are we doing here?” Samus’ voice was nearly a growl behind her helmet. The way the woman’s weapon hand was tensed, it was obvious that the pot was on the verge of boiling over. “We found the hornet’s nest.”

“You want to kick that nest and see what happens, Lady?” The man asked, lifting his gun so it was flush with Samus’ helmeted head. In response, the bounty hunter swung up her hand, which was a cannon by the time it was in line for the shot.

“You pull that trigger and it will be the last thing you ever do.” All around them, people reached for weapons and automated turrets roared to life. Realizing that he’d lose control of the situation if he did nothing, Proto Man pointed his hand into the air and fiired off a burst of energy up into the air. While it didn’t have the resonating bang that a gunpowder weapon would have had, it got the point across nonetheless when the energy burst slammed through the reinforced steel roof of the factory.

“What are we doing here?” Samus asked, her primed weapon falling to her side as she pivoted to face the preteen. “We’re here to do a job and get paid. You’re not supposed to feel sympathy for the murderers. What was your endgame supposed to be?” She added as she gestured to the room filled with armed insurrectionists.

“It wasn’t going to involve mass murder,” Proto Man shot back.

“These people are all guilty of that very same crime,” Samus retaliated, prompting a few of the Copper Eye members to bristle or scowl. “They knew what they were doing the moment they started blowing up buildings and getting people killed.”

“You ever think they were driven to this?” Proto Man demanded. “You’ve seen Coruscant… you can’t possibly tell me that’s a place where freedom thrives.”

“Politics is none of my business, Blues.” Samus replied with a shrug of her armored shoulders.

“We’re being used by the Empire to do their dirty work, Samus, you can’t tell me you’re willing to be someone’s hired gun.”

Now it was Samus’ turn to bristle, as the woman in the suit surveyed the room full of dirty and haggard-looking men and women. Before she had a chance to offer up a response, several klaxons all started to shriek, prompting every member of the Copper Eye to start scampering around.

The man who’d done the talking earlier ran to a speaker. “What the hell is going on?”