<P>He wanted to take another shot, but then he noticed two more gang members moving in. Each carried a sawed-off shotgun, their chosen tool for investigating such disturbances. Tiberius waved the assault rifle at them, but they seemed unfazed. As they took aim he jogged closer and opened fire. One of the goons dodged the burst, but tripped, staggering away on the pavement. The other strafed left and took a shot.
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<P>A few bits of buckshot from the blast dug their way into Tiberius's flesh, most of them going astray as the thug tried to avoid the opposing gunfire. Tiberius, fed up with the assault rifle's clumsiness, tossed it aside and again drew his pistol. By the time the gang member had his shotgun ready for another shot, he was knocked off his feet by two 10 millimeter rounds. Tiberius fired five times in actuality, but could not keep the weapon level enough to make them all hit.
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<P>The second thug was back on his feet and ready to close with the shotgun. Tiberius ran towards him and prepared to fire, but was suddenly overwhelmed by a beeping noise sounding all around him. It was impossible to find its source, but the targeting reticule that appeared towards the far right of his vision led him to believe that it was inside of his own head. Unable to concentrate, Tiberius fell forward and landed on his knees. He felt the rifle round sweep past him, just above his head, right before it impacted with the goon's chest. Surrounded by three fallen gang members, Tiberius staggered over to the window sill where the translator was cowering. The beeping noise had stopped after the reticule and a bunch of numbers had passed through his vision.
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<P>"That sniper's still up there," he said. "I'm going to have to go up through the building and take him head-on. Can you distract him for me?"
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<P>The translator nodded carefully, then ran frantically into the street. Tiberius crouched, and made his way up the stairs as quickly as possible. Twice he heard the sound of a silenced firearm being discharged, like a soda can being opened. With his pistol at the ready, he burst his way through the door to where the sounds were coming from. The sniper barely had time to be startled before Tiberius took him out. He shot him three times: twice in the back, and once in the head. The rifle fell forward and dropped out of the window. Tiberius looked out and saw a small man disappear into the shadows.
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<P>He took a deep breath and backed away slowly. Everything that he'd done had felt so natural, as if he were putting on a pair of shoes that he hadn't worn in ten years to find out that they still fit perfectly.
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<P>Carson mentioned military training. Maybe I know more than we thought...