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Description
June 6th 2552

District 9, North California Bay Area, United Republic of North America, Earth

District 9 is located where downtown San Francisco used to be in the 20th century. On a normal day, one wouldn't be caught after dark in the area. But as the war with the Covenant dragged on and more authority was given to the fleets and armies of the UNSC, the residents of District 9, along with others  in different parts of the world, grew bitter and began to lash out.

Buildings burned as the MP company flew to the district. Azula took in the scene from her airborne transport. Mobs of ragged, angry people were destroying whatever they could fine. Cars overturned, windows broken, trash all over the place.  While most of the mobs' yelling was often incomprehensible, "Down with the Military!" and "Give them what they want!" were what she often heard clearly.

"Alright listen up!" her squad sergeant bellowed as the company got off their transport, "Over the past 4 days, riots have broken out in the district. Normally, this wouldn't be too big of a deal, but someone with stars on their shoulders think that it'll be good practice for us. We are going to block off the major highway that leads from the district to the federal offices further north. We have not, I repeat, have not been authorized to use lethal force on the protesters."

"Well, what the fuck do we do when then get too fucking close?" asked one of the privates, "Give them a fucking cookie?"

"We were issued the MTTRs (Modified tactical training rounds) for a reason." the squad sergeant answered, "We were also authorized to use tear gas as well. And if that doesn't work..well, we brought Sparky here for a reason."

"And what reason might that be," asked an skeptical Azula,  with a pause before, "Sergeant?"

"The commander will brief you on the details," stated the sergeant, "In the meantime, help the squad put up the blockades."

"Yes, Sergeant." replied Azula.

The blockades were eventually complete, the green and black barriers sticking out like sore thumbs along the highway.

"Hope this works," said one of the soldiers to himself, "I rather not be on the wrong end of a mob."

"Company, listen up!" the CO said, "The mob have just started to head down this way. I want everyone in the positions, ASAP!"

"You heard the Commander, get moving!" barked a sergeant.

The Company broke apart with two platoons on both sides of the highway facing outward and one platoon spread across the barricade. Noting who was next to him, a private yelled, "Yo Napalm, try to not barbecue anyone, would' ya."

"Not unless I have to, Timm," answered Azula with a smirk.

Timm was going to say something, but remembered who he was talking to and turned his head towards the highway.

A large mob of people began march down the highway, their shouts of protest and cursing going louder as they came closer to the company's position.

"Remember," shouted the CO to his subordinates, "Aim center mass! Anyone who head shoots a protester will be pulling extra duty for a month! Do I make myself clear?"

"Sir, yes sir!" cried the company.

The commander then turned to the approaching mob and, over a microphone, said, "Leave the highway and go home. Continuing down this highway will result in serious injuries."

The mob ignored the warnings and ran for the barricades.

"Azula, on my mark" ordered the Commander.  Azula nodded and looked straight at the crowd. "Wait for it...GO!"

Azula motioned her hands and a wall of fire rose several meters away from her. The mob stopped suddenly as the fire rose in front of them.

"Go home," warned the commander, "Come any closer and you will get burned. Azula, lower the flames a bit. Just enough so I can see their faces"

Azula nodded and the flames lowered themselves. The mob stood in awe at the flames in front of them, unaware of what to make of it. Then a rock flew past Azula, barely missing her

"Your mother should have shallowed!" shouted someone from the mob. More joined in. "Go back to hell, freak! Murderer!...Monster!...ONI Bitch!...Cocksucker! ...Fucking army slut...No wonder your mother left you for dead, you cock.."

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" shouted the commander, feed up with the protesters insults, "Last chance, move or be burned!"

The mobs refused to back away chanting and cursing louder then before. A shot was fired and control was lost. The bullet glanced off Azula's helmet, knocking her back and dazing her. This, in turn, caused the fires to dissipate and the mob rushed forward. "Fire!" shouted the commander and his sergeants.  Groups of people fell to the ground, wounded by the MTTR's. In spite of the fallen, the mob continued to head towards the company.

Azula recovered and the highway become very hot very quickly. She brought up a massive wall of flames and pushed it towards the crowd. Those at the front of the mob were quickly engulfed in flames. Those unable to get up due to their injuries perished in the flames. The heat of the fire, the cries of the burned, and the smell of burnt meat was too much for the mob. It ran for its life, lest it get in the way of the flames.

Specialist Greenewit looked at the deserted highway and nodded in approval. "Not bad, Sparky. You cleared this highway fast....uhhh, Sparky?" Azula didn't respond, her eyes remained fixed on the highway, arms outstretched to maintain the flames. "Shit..."muttered Greenewit, "SARGE! She's doing it again!"

The Sergeant cursed under his breath and started heading towards Azula. "What's going on Sergeant?" asked the CO behind him.

"When ONI took PFC Hotman, they ran tests on her, sir," explained the sergeant, "They wanted to see what the extent of her powers were. They found that sometimes, after certain intense sessions, she froze up and can be dangerous if not handled properly. Fortunately, I know how to fix this."

The sergeant took a look at Azula face and then went behind her.  He took out what looked like a small USB drive and hovered it above Azula's neural interface. Instantly, Azula became conscious of her surroundings and put out the fire. "It happened again, didn't it Sergeant?" asked Azula.

"Not too bad," said her sergeant "I've seen worse from people who don't shoot flames. Besides the mission got done and know of us got hurt."

"Except for the protesters that you barbecued," said the Specialist added, "Just saying"

Azula took a moment to look at the bodies along the highway and took in the smell. "I did that?"

"Yes, but no one is blaming you," answered the CO, "Hell, you may have saved our asses."

Azula nodded, but still continued to look at the bodies she had burned. By the time she boarded the transport, she was unusually quiet.

Description
June 6th 2552

District 9, North California Bay Area, United Republic of North America, Earth

District 9 is located where downtown San Francisco used to be in the 20th century. On a normal day, one wouldn't be caught after dark in the area. But as the war with the Covenant dragged on and more authority was given to the fleets and armies of the UNSC, the residents of District 9, along with others  in different parts of the world, grew bitter and began to lash out.

Buildings burned as the MP company flew to the district. Azula took in the scene from her airborne transport. Mobs of ragged, angry people were destroying whatever they could fine. Cars overturned, windows broken, trash all over the place.  While most of the mobs' yelling was often incomprehensible, "Down with the Military!" and "Give them what they want!" were what she often heard clearly.

"Alright listen up!" her squad sergeant bellowed as the company got off their transport, "Over the past 4 days, riots have broken out in the district. Normally, this wouldn't be too big of a deal, but someone with stars on their shoulders think that it'll be good practice for us. We are going to block off the major highway that leads from the district to the federal offices further north. We have not, I repeat, have not been authorized to use lethal force on the protesters."

"Well, what the fuck do we do when then get too fucking close?" asked one of the privates, "Give them a fucking cookie?"

"We were issued the MTTRs (Modified tactical training rounds) for a reason." the squad sergeant answered, "We were also authorized to use tear gas as well. And if that doesn't work..well, we brought Sparky here for a reason."

"And what reason might that be," asked an skeptical Azula,  with a pause before, "Sergeant?"

"The commander will brief you on the details," stated the sergeant, "In the meantime, help the squad put up the blockades."

"Yes, Sergeant." replied Azula.

The blockades were eventually complete, the green and black barriers sticking out like sore thumbs along the highway.

"Hope this works," said one of the soldiers to himself, "I rather not be on the wrong end of a mob."

"Company, listen up!" the CO said, "The mob have just started to head down this way. I want everyone in the positions, ASAP!"

"You heard the Commander, get moving!" barked a sergeant.

The Company broke apart with two platoons on both sides of the highway facing outward and one platoon spread across the barricade. Noting who was next to him, a private yelled, "Yo Napalm, try to not barbecue anyone, would' ya."

"Not unless I have to, Timm," answered Azula with a smirk.

Timm was going to say something, but remembered who he was talking to and turned his head towards the highway.

A large mob of people began march down the highway, their shouts of protest and cursing going louder as they came closer to the company's position.

"Remember," shouted the CO to his subordinates, "Aim center mass! Anyone who head shoots a protester will be pulling extra duty for a month! Do I make myself clear?"

"Sir, yes sir!" cried the company.

The commander then turned to the approaching mob and, over a microphone, said, "Leave the highway and go home. Continuing down this highway will result in serious injuries."

The mob ignored the warnings and ran for the barricades.

"Azula, on my mark" ordered the Commander.  Azula nodded and looked straight at the crowd. "Wait for it...GO!"

Azula motioned her hands and a wall of fire rose several meters away from her. The mob stopped suddenly as the fire rose in front of them.

"Go home," warned the commander, "Come any closer and you will get burned. Azula, lower the flames a bit. Just enough so I can see their faces"

Azula nodded and the flames lowered themselves. The mob stood in awe at the flames in front of them, unaware of what to make of it. Then a rock flew past Azula, barely missing her

"Your mother should have shallowed!" shouted someone from the mob. More joined in. "Go back to hell, freak! Murderer!...Monster!...ONI Bitch!...Cocksucker! ...Fucking army slut...No wonder your mother left you for dead, you cock.."

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" shouted the commander, feed up with the protesters insults, "Last chance, move or be burned!"

The mobs refused to back away chanting and cursing louder then before. A shot was fired and control was lost. The bullet glanced off Azula's helmet, knocking her back and dazing her. This, in turn, caused the fires to dissipate and the mob rushed forward. "Fire!" shouted the commander and his sergeants.  Groups of people fell to the ground, wounded by the MTTR's. In spite of the fallen, the mob continued to head towards the company.

Azula recovered and the highway become very hot very quickly. She brought up a massive wall of flames and pushed it towards the crowd. Those at the front of the mob were quickly engulfed in flames. Those unable to get up due to their injuries perished in the flames. The heat of the fire, the cries of the burned, and the smell of burnt meat was too much for the mob. It ran for its life, lest it get in the way of the flames.

Specialist Greenewit looked at the deserted highway and nodded in approval. "Not bad, Sparky. You cleared this highway fast....uhhh, Sparky?" Azula didn't respond, her eyes remained fixed on the highway, arms outstretched to maintain the flames. "Shit..."muttered Greenewit, "SARGE! She's doing it again!"

The Sergeant cursed under his breath and started heading towards Azula. "What's going on Sergeant?" asked the CO behind him.

"When ONI took PFC Hotman, they ran tests on her, sir," explained the sergeant, "They wanted to see what the extent of her powers were. They found that sometimes, after certain intense sessions, she froze up and can be dangerous if not handled properly. Fortunately, I know how to fix this."

The sergeant took a look at Azula face and then went behind her.  He took out what looked like a small USB drive and hovered it above Azula's neural interface. Instantly, Azula became conscious of her surroundings and put out the fire. "It happened again, didn't it Sergeant?" asked Azula.

"Not too bad," said her sergeant "I've seen worse from people who don't shoot flames. Besides the mission got done and know of us got hurt."

"Except for the protesters that you barbecued," said the Specialist added, "Just saying"

Azula took a moment to look at the bodies along the highway and took in the smell. "I did that?"

"Yes, but no one is blaming you," answered the CO, "Hell, you may have saved our asses."

Azula nodded, but still continued to look at the bodies she had burned. By the time she boarded the transport, she was unusually quiet.