This was supposed to have been an easy target. His superiors had told him that with one well-placed bullet, the war was going to change. The Human Commonwealth would be thrown into a panic, and the Cyborg Confederation would finally be able to make its move.

Except this wasn't an easy target, for his target wasn't even there. Peering through the window, all the cyborg sniper saw was a teenaged girl curled up on the couch. No one else was in the room: the room his target was supposed to have been in.

They'd been watching him for weeks. Every night, he would come home from a council meeting and head straight to bed after kissing his daughter goodnight. Nothing about him was particularly special, except that he held half of the humans' government in his hands.

Just like her father, they'd been watching the councilman's daughter as well. It seemed like every day, she went shopping with a crowd of her most obnoxious friends and attended a wild party every night. Recently though, she hadn't been out as much. Instead she tended to stay inside the manor; she only occasionally went outside to ride her horse for several hours before returning.

The cyborg knew how hard it would be for her once her father was dead. Her world would be chaos, and that chaotic world would soon be conquered by an army of men and women with metal limbs.

"Sometimes I'm not sure who're the monsters," the cyborg whispered before tapping his ear piece. "Sir, Councilman Eric Stahlbaum isn't here."

"Are you positive, Agent Michael?" The voice on the other side of the intercom asked.

"Positive. The only person home is his daughter."

"Blast," his commander swore, "Why is today different from the rest? Could someone have seen you?"

"No," he replied immediately, "No one sees me."

"Then what changed?"

Leaning forward, he peered through the frosted window once again. His eyes passing over the sleeping girl, they caught on a brightly lit evergreen tree with a star on its highest bough.

He swore quietly to himself before answering his superior. "Sir, it's Christmas, a holiday of gift-giving and eggnog. Stahlbaum is probably out at a party. Shall I wait for him to return?"

"That's a negative, Michael," the voice replied. "One moment, let me contact my superior for instructions."

As his intercom transmission ended, Michael gazed at the councilman's daughter. Although she was human, she was what could be classified as beautiful. Dark curls framed her face, and he knew that hidden underneath her lashes were green eyes that shown like stars.

"Michael?" His intercom rasped.

"What are my orders?"

"Take the girl."