Chasing night

“There have been so many components to this operation, so many so, that I’m unsure where to begin.” Ace paused and scratched his chin which was developing a five o’clock shadow at this point, adding to his disheveled but still sharp style. “I suppose I can just start and end with where we’re going. What’s left for us to do.”

The room nodded in acceptance, and from that Kryder could tell that everyone loved the man that they were listening to. Continuing, Ace began to outline the importance of the Stone of Garo and how they were to acquire it back from the man called Joshua. “The Stone of Garo is a weapon. I’ve given most of you a very simplistic definition…simple to the point where it could be seen as deception, but allow me to clarify exactly what this Stone is, and what it does.”

Ace began pacing around the living room that was functioning as a meeting room for the remaining members of Ace’s team and Syndicate. “Ever since magic has re-entered our world decades ago, people have been able to control elements of nature, mental and physical abilities, and other feats of destruction and restoration. However, all of this magic is lumped into one category despite the varying affectations. They’re all considered Order Magic, they abide by laws of nature and conform to natural causes and effects. The Stone however, belongs to an ancient and dead form of magic called Chaos Magic, a school not practiced since before the third age.”

“Third age?” Called out Dave, still sour in his tone, but curious in his nature.

“Yes. We are living in the third age. An age where magic has re-entered our society. Astral Scholars have believed for quite some time now that the second age was the time before the Great Awakening, when magic was not present in the world. But before that age, in a time called Pre-History, where there were no records, magic is also believed to have existed. Where Chaos and Order battled for supremacy in a time when the Earth was just dawning. Humanity had made no attempts to endeavor into the sciences or to justify their own existence. Because of that, magic was allowed to exist, until the age of alchemy that is. That was the first age…the time when the Stone of Garo was created.”

“So how old are we talking? Hundreds of years? A thousand years?” Asked Coyote.

“I can’t really answer that question, not yet. We’d have to obtain the Stone first before I could satisfy that question.”

“So what does it exactly do?” Asked Cassidy who was standing over Kryder.

“It is a Stone crafted from the essence of Chaos and has an affinity for shifting the world’s order in any way possible. It can peer into the future with vague foresight, as well as offer those who wield it, spatial displacement.”

“…you mean teleportation?” Said a contemplative November who seemed to be recollecting something.

“Almost. But that can also be further explained when we finally obtain the Stone.” Then as the room fell silent, Ace began thenext portion of the meeting, where he would outline his strategies for obtaining the Stone as well as the motivation for doing so. But before he could start, Kryder cut him off with a question of his own.

“Why all the deception?” Kryder’s words cut through the air like a knife that pierced the heart of Ace in front of his subordinates. “Why the lies? Why not just tell us from the start. Maybe Stove would be here, or Hearts, or Seonne, or Vigil, or Zero, or Dev, or Karliah or anyone else that I might not know about that got caught up in this.”

“Not now Kryder…” Cassidy said while punching him in the arm.

“No it’s fine Cassidy, he’s right.” Ace collected himself and began to retaliate.

“I lied because I had to. No one could have understood, let alone believed me. And so, I sent them on missions with only direct and extremely relevant intel. In the end, their deaths had nothing to do with their ignorance towards the Stone’s function. It’s not my fault and it isn’t yours either. We live in a world where millions die a day. But in the end, I do feel regret and an extreme sadness that penetrates my soul every night when I sleep. A pain I haven’t felt in ages because I truly held all of those aforementioned people as my friends and responsibility. The man who has the Stone now will end the world and we cannot turn to governments for help for they will do the same. My company unfortunately has the burden of doing so, because we are the only ones that truly know of its existence.”

“Firstly, stop being so poetic when you spit out a solid stream of bullshit. Secondly, don’t speak of your company like it’s a real entity. It’s just you and the smoke you employ to hide your motives. There’s no one else. You’re Ace…you’re Gable you’re anyone if it’s convenient.” Kryder paused and began to lighten his assault to drive home a point. “But I don’t give a fuck about all of that. I’ll believe you if you can just answer me one question.”

“What’s that?”

The room was silent in anticipation and in reaction to the dramatic scene unfolding.

“Why me?”

“Because I need you to destroy the Stone of Garo, you’re the only person in existence with the ability to produce lightning, instead of merely channeling it. You’re more powerful than you can fathom, and the only person that can destroy you is Joshua if he has the Stone. More so, he’s the one who killed Karliah and everyone you just mentioned. He was the vulture that was lying in wait that managed to swoop down and take-”

“I don’t give a fuck about Joshua right now. I want to know where I stand with you.” Kryder swept his hair out of his face and sighed deeply out of frustration before continuing. “Were you grooming me or something? Cultivating me to be a weapon for your cause? What am I in the end?”

“You’re absolutely correct.” The entire room was slightly surprised at the blunt response that Ace offered Kryder. “The Stone of Garo is a gateway into the realm of chaos and worlds beyond. If Joshua taps into that power then the world as we know it will cease to exist. It’s also an incredibly safe bet to say that if anyone else winds up with the Stone they’ll also use it for evil.” Ace paced over to the middle of the room as to blatantly take charge of the conversation as well as the attention of all those around him. “If someone told me that the threat was that great, and that I could end it if I manipulated the mind of one man, I’d do it a thousand times over. You may be powerful, but not so worthy that I’d jeopardy all of this.”

“All of WHAT! What the FUCK is THIS! You’re mission, your game?” Kryder was once again becoming outraged. It was at this moment that Cassidy placed her hand on Kryder’s shoulder and gently squeezed, as to remind him who he was talking to. Someone who has manipulated him, but also cared for him and kept him alive up until now…for better AND worse.

“Because men who still cling to a life of decency and normalcy such as you are not fit to understand what I know. What I know will drive you mad. It’s not a slight against you, it’s a slight of all those who are still too innocent to understand the world they live in.” As the words left Ace’s mouth, he knew they would be poorly received by Kryder.

“Are you calling me naïve?”

“I’m saying you’re not ready. You’ve only been working for me, taking my paychecks for the past few months. I don’t even trust Dave with this knowledge and he’s been with me for years. You’ll know when the time is ready. And if you wish to walk away, to stop getting the generous benefits I dole out, as well as more answers, then so be it.”

“Just tell me who I am! What am I to you!” Kryder was now screaming out of frustration, an emotion that all those in the room understood too well given Ace’s cryptic tendencies towards Kryder.

“You’re the key to destruction. If I tell you the rest too soon it will unravel all that has come so close to fruition.” Ace looked remorseful, as if he knew that what he was doing to Kryder was cruel. However, contrary to expectations, Kryder’s stance changed. He suddenly understood what Ace meant. He only recently gained all of this power and he knew nothing about it. Perhaps there was something so large that he wouldn’t be able to understand through a verbal explanation. Moreover, Ace also finally gave Kryder direction, a goal. Get the Stone, and receive answers.

It wasn’t like Ace was fighting towards some ignoble goal. Moreover, Kryder also believed Ace, that he was honorable enough to keep to his word in destroying the Stone as well as give him answers as to who he was. Why did he suddenly awaken his powers of magic. Why was he so powerful? All of these things have yet to hit him, but Kryder understood that everything was going on much too fast for him to understand given his relatively green status. Perhaps he would go insane if he had to handle everything all at once and Ace was right in doing all of this.

“Alright. Fair enough. Pay me, and give me answers when the job is said and done.”

“I’m glad you finally understand your role in all of this Kryder.” Ace looked up at the sudden sound of footsteps. Unsurprisingly, they were Kryder’s, who was making his way to the door.

“I know my role. But I sure as hell hope you know yours, otherwise this whole fucking thing is pointless.” Kryder said with a smirk and a toss of the hand to bid everyone an early farewell.

“Kryder!” Someone was preparing to scold the dejected runner. Yelling out in protest was Dave, someone who hadn’t spoken in a while; and so his voice grabbed Kryder’s attention rather quickly. “Where the fuck do you think you’re going?”

“Out. I’ve heard enough for one day.” Kryder’s attitude was warranted, but Dave had had enough, and was ready to give Kryder a reality check that Ace’s patience wouldn’t allow.

“You’ll have enough when Ace tells you so.” Stepping out from the kitchen area, Dave placed himself between the door and Kryder and effectively in his face.

“Excuse me? What’re you my boss? I’m freelance just like everyone else in this room, or have all of you forgotten that we’re nothing more than sh-“

Kryder’s sentence was cut short by Dave’s fist which impacted his jaw, nearly fracturing it. The punch sent him backwards, away from the door and almost to the ground. Quickly lighting up with rage, Krdyer picked himself back up and ran at Dave without much thought, and attempted a haymaker simply as retaliation.

Sidestepping the blow and countering with a short jab, Dave proved to the room that although he may be past his biological prime, he was still well within his running prime. The scuffle continued for a little while longer, with Dave clearly exchanging more blows, but before it broke out into a continuous fight, Ace quickly stepped in.

With Dave in mid-punch, and Kryder poised to tackle him, Ace’s body quickly became a wall that separated the two of them. Easily restraining the both of them, Ace emanated some kind of energy that quickly relieved some of the tension. His paragon guise was able to bring Kryder away from vengeance and Dave away from frustration, as well as quelling the entire room’s stress level. But it wasn’t enough for a few more words to be thrown.

“That’s enough you two. Kryder. Go take some time off-“ Ace was attempting to regain control of the situation until he was cut off.

“NO! Fuck him! If it’s not clear to you now dickhead then you’ll never get it on your own. We’re more than runners here asshole and I’m pretty sure when Stove died for you he proved that.”

“What is WITH YOU PEOPLE! Why does everyone care? Do you not live in the same world as I do? We’re runners Dave. All we have in common is that we get paid by the same dude.”

“You are really starting to piss me off with that fucking attitude. Stop pretending that you don’t care about the rest of us. We’re all aware of the fact that we’re nothing more than mercenaries, but looking past the fact that you’re the key to stopping the potential end of the world, we ‘re also friends.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Kryder almost laughed at Dave’s suggested label of friendship.

“Do you honestly feel the way you do Kryder? Then why did you rescue me when you and Dev could’ve just run away? It would have been so much easier.” Cassidy’s words lanced through the tension and emotion.

“…and why did you cry so hard when Dev died? Why did you regret having to leave Stove behind? Why was Vigil’s death so hard on you. You may deny all of these things, but I can tell that this is how you feel. It’s not so strange that a group of mercenaries can find solace inside of each other’s company.” Ace’s words, combined with Cassidy’s stare were enough to pierce Kryder’s carapace of skepticism if only for the moment. “It’s true, that Dave only helped you because he was working for me. It’s true that November sees you as the key to his revenge, and it’s true that I see you as the biggest measure against Joshua. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to help you find out who you are, and it doesn’t mean that I don’t want to help you. You’re not just a pawn, and you’re not just someone I enlisted. You’re a comrade.”

“In the real world, a place that you recently came from, relationships took a long time to develop and maintain. But that’s because death wasn’t around the corner. A day in the runner’s life is a long time. It’s enough time to put you on top of the world, and it’s enough time for you to watch yourself lose everything ten times over.” Dave had finally calmed down and was now attempting to reason with the young man in front of him. “So it’s natural, that when you have someone who’s willing to keep a team together, that in a week you can feel like a family.”

“Look, it’s fine if you doubt us. In fact, it’s probably a good thing. It shows that you’ll be the last one to drink the Kool Aid, but you have to understand that I need you, that I’ll pay you, and that everyone who is here in this room counts you as one of us despite your attitude.”

Kryder had tears of rage in his eyes that he wasn’t ashamed to show the rest of the room. He was confused and felt as if he was being forced into this family. But for some reason, he knew that he would never leave Cassidy behind, he wouldn’t abandon Dave, and strangely, he knew that after his tirade, both he and Ace would continue on.

“No. I’ll tell everyone. You all need to know exactly what it is we were fighting for.” Ace took a long hard pause and looked around him. Everyone had just gotten back from the rescue mission, from within Aztec territory. Their clothes still sandy, their hair still dripping with sweat, and their expressions still solemn. “I wish there was another way I could have done things. I wish I could have told you sooner.”

“It’s fine Ace. We understand, we really do-”

“Do you really think you all have reasons to fight for me? Is that actually how you feel?”

“I can’t really tell you if the others feel the same way, but from what I heard, they all owe you something. Me personally? I owe you my life. My wings. You took me in when no one else was. I was in a dark time in my life and you turned me around and got me back into the sky. I owe you everything, and I will only ever fly for you.” Cassidy paused for just a moment, letting her heartfelt words sink into Ace’s mind. She always had a way with consolation. “I mean it’s not like anyone else would let an aug-less pilot fly for them anyways.” She said with a chuckle.

Her laugh rang solitary for Ace’s response to Cassidy’s words were nothing. Kryder couldn’t see for himself, but Ace’s expression was somber and silent. He didn’t smile, and he didn’t seem reassured at all, almost as if he were guilty, which made Cassidy all the more sympathetic. Even though Kryder was in the next room, he could almost feel Ace’s disconcerting silence.

As their conversation came to an end Kryder rolled over and began to contemplate to himself, what he could do given his position. He owed Ace nothing even if he was for some strange reason, emotionally invested in the people he fought with. If he wanted to find answers he could always leave them, and find them on his own. Or perhaps he could just leave everything behind and start a new life. After all his college degree was still valid, a thought that made Kryder laugh to himself if only for a moment.

Deep down he knew that there was no turning back and that regardless of this rabbit hole being forced upon him, he’d have to follow it to the end. After all he needed to know who exactly he was, and what the hell his new powers were. Ace was probably the only one that had a chance of giving him a good explanation even if he had been laying down smoke screen until now. After all, if Kryder was to set off on his own and ask anyone else for help, he’d probably just find himself back at Ace, just like when he went to Gorgeous Dave and Stove for help.

As Kryder’s eyes began to feel heavier and heavier he heard the door slide open. The hard wood floors gave away Cassidy’s presence when her bare feet attempted to quietly traverse their surface.

Kryder turned over and although his eyes were adjusted to the dark, he could tell that Cassidy’s were not. Kryder’s sudden movement sent her into a pause, but because of the continued silence, Cassidy pressed forward to the bedside. To her, he was still asleep, and so she continued to tip toe. Remaining quiet, Kryder looked on to see Cassidy as she was.

Her hair had been shaved down on one side while the rest had been pushed to the other. It was a new style that suited her well even in darkness. But as she drew near, the moonlight from the open windows bounced off her scalp, revealing her surgical scars to Kryder. The reason for her style choices.

Cassidy leaned over the bed and checked Kryder’s vital monitor. Smiling at their promising indications, Cassidy pushed her hair past her ear and looked at Kryder who was still awake.

With some of the hair remaining in front of her face, Kryder’s hand intuitively reached up and pushed it back for her. He hadn’t considered if she would be offended or opposed to the sudden gesture, he just did it. If anything, emotions were high in the base and Kryder was seeking some form affection.

“Oh.” Cassidy said, startled. “You’re still awake?”

“Yeah. Well I kinda just woke up a few minutes ago, and I’ve just been falling in and out of sleep.”

“How’re you feeling?” Cassidy sat down at the foot of the bed, trying to remain quiet for others that were also attempting to rest. Looking over her shoulder she noticed Stove breathing steadily and heavily. The other mattresses were empty for the moment because most people found it too hard to sleep given the recent events.

“I’m fine. The new arm works like a charm. It’s even smoother and quicker than the other one. Lighter too I think.” Kryder held up his brand new cyber arm. It’s lighter, carbon colored frame managed to reflect some of the light, which accidentally lit up Cassidy’s eyes.

“Yeah what exactly happened to the last one?”

“Apparently the electricity I managed to pull produced too much heat and soldered it shut.”

“That’s right. I keep forgetting that you’re awakened now. It’s such a hard concept to grasp ‘cause you don’t really hear about people doing it this late in life.”

“Yeah…” Kryder said still staring at his arm.

“I heard Ace went on his own excursion into Aztec data files.”

“Yeah, he tried getting some leads on the Stone and on the guy who has it.”

“Any luck?”

“A bit…” Cassidy paused and looked away for a moment. She tried finding the right words to use to bring the conversation over to her concern. “So what’s going on with you? You seem different.”

“What do you mean? Like my eyes and stuff? I think it’s part of my awakening.” Kryder innocently pointed to his eyes that were now a dim yellow as compared to the bright glowing gold. The color stood out against his seemingly ever paling skin.

“That’s not what I’m talking about; I’m more worried about what’s going on in your head? You seem… I don’t know, different. Whatever it is, it’s got me concerned.”

Kryder’s expression hardened and suddenly he became the unsettling version of himself that had Cassidy uneasy. In truth, Kryder was attracted Cassidy because there was something honest about her affection. She seemed warm and her touch was kind, so because of that he decided to tell her.

“That’s it right there.”

“Huh?”

“Why do you care? I’ve never been a runner before this, but I was under the impression that this life was filled with back stabbing and utilitarian after thoughts. Why do people act like they actually give a shit about me? It’s obvious that Ace is using me to further some goal, but why does he act like my best interest is his concern. Why did Hearts and Seonne care? Why did Vigil care? Why did Dave risk his life for me? Why did Stove die for me? Why are you in here asking me how I feel? I don’t understand any of it. If it wasn’t for you guys acting like you’re my friends then I’d have gotten the fuck out of here before I lost my best friend, my arm and time.” Kryder was maintaining a calm exterior but he was only a few breaths away from vehemence.

Everything fell silent and Kryder worried that he may have said too much and perhaps insulted Cassidy. He then realized that he could ask himself the same question. Why did he risk his life to save Cassidy from that burning wreckage? He and Dev could have simply left her behind and they would have saved time and injury.

“I think Ace takes pity on you. He knows how big of a deal this Stone is and he’s willing to do whatever it takes. He also knows that he needs you and that he can’t tell you exactly why. He’s told me before that the answers aren’t really words, and if he told you it would lose meaning. And because he’s using you, he cares for you… he knows he’s doing something wrong. He’s hurting you, and sacrificing you. As for everyone else, it could be pity, or it could be because they just like you. I’m not too sure why Stove did what he did. But chalk it up to feminine intuition that Ace understands where you are and that he is trying to do what’s best.”

Cassidy then looked up with a reassuring smile with her eyes closed but peacefully so. As the clouds passed under the moon a brief shadow covered her face before fading away. As her eyes opened her earthly green eyes resumed their coy nature.

“As for me, I flew down to Mexico to save your sorry ass because I unfortunately owed you one for pulling me out not too long ago.”

“Oh gee thanks then.” Kryder laughed as he threw a pillow at her.

“Alright try and get some sleep.” Cassidy said as she handed him back the pillow and quietly snuck out of the room.

Kryder was left to contemplate his thoughts. But he didn’t. He realized that they would get him nowhere. He had spent the first half of this journey, either on his back, contemplating or failing. But no more. He was going to get to the bottom of this. He was going to figure out what it was that made him the subject of Ace’s ire.

As his eyes grew heavy once more. Kryder drifted off to sleep. A peaceful one where he did not dream. Where he only rested.

04:23

There was no sunlight, not yet. There was still an hour or so until the sun was to rise, but for some reason, Kryder was already awake and putting on his clothes.

He noticed that Cassidy had left him some clothes by his bed side, and he laughed when the saw that the shirt was almost exactly the same as the last one he was given at this safe house. It was a soft cotton shirt, this time black in color, and it reminded him of how far he had come since the last time he had to be treated in Ace’s care.

Kryder pressed the wall control and the door slid open. The kitchen and living room had been cleaned up. Before it looked like a messy open space fit for a bachelor pad. Now it looked like a true safe house. Every surface was clean and shined with luster. If there was anything placed upon a counter top or table, it was a book, electronic resource, ammunition, weapon, or tool.

Taking a step out into the apartment, Kryder noticed that he wasn’t the only one awake.

November was sitting in the living room, filling several hypodermic needles with different fluids to varying amounts. Dave on the other hand was brewing a pot of coffee and buttering some toast for his breakfast.

“G’morning guys.” Kryder said walking over to Dave, feeling that November was too entrenched in his own doings. “Is there enough for two?” Looking at the pot and hoping that he could also have a cup; Dave took notice of Kryder’s suggestion and simply nodded in affirmation. But his nod exuded his unwillingness for morning pleasantries.

As soon as the alarm for the coffee sounded, Dave poured himself a cup and walked outside to eat his breakfast in solitude, with only the morning dew for company.

“He’s not really ready to talk.” November said as he shot himself with the first hypodermic needle loaded injection gun.

“What’re you doing?”

“De-immunizing myself among other things. You could argue that they’re all de-immunization, but I’m essentially making sure that my body has an immune system that won’t eat away at my cyber-ware. Because that would be painful. And would kill me.” November fired off another shot that sent a vile of forest green fluid straight into his thigh.

“Do you have to do this every day? Seems kinda like a hassle.” Kryder was sipping on Ace’s organic coffee. It was something that he would always remember, how it tasted, because anything authentic and edible was impossible to find no a days. Organic coffee was like Wine aged over a hundred years.

“Not quite every morning. Although my body builds a tolerance to it so the days I don’t have to do this are growing farer and fewer between.”

“What happens if you don’t do it?”

“Then I’ll develop a fever and my brain will fry. If I somehow survive the fever then all of my cyberware will be rejected which would eventually lead to shock and a heart attack because I have so much. There’s also a small chance I develop sociopathy and just go insane.”

“Wait, you might develop sociopathy? How is that possible?”

“You’ll be surprised, but killing becomes much easier when you-“ November winced and fired off his last injection. “have cyber ware, especially the eyes.”

“Well yeah, you’re made for killing people. Isn’t that what the cyber ware is for?” Kryder said as he sipped on his piping hot coffee.

“Well…yeah. But I’m talking more about the guilt and conscience stuff. When you kill someone, you usually have a tendency to think about that person. Their life, what they could have been. Sometimes they’ll pop up in your dreams if you looked them in the eyes or spoke to them, which is very common in our line of work. It’s also something that never completely goes away.” November sighed and began to pack up his injection kit, stowing it away for another day. “But when you kill someone with hands that aren’t entirely your own, or if you look at them through artificial eyes, it’s almost like you’re not the one doing it. It’s almost as if you’re looking at them through a TV, or your hands and mind have a justification of their own. Because of that, you no longer feel guilt when you kill someone. Or you’re less likely at least.” November took a deep breath and began to spool the winch for his cyberarm-grapple gun. “These things eventually bleed into the rest of your life, and if you’re unlucky, it changes you and takes over. It’s important to keep your head in the right place. Keep it grounded.”

“But I’m assuming the injections don’t help with that kind of thing.” Kryder said noting November’s hard expression. The drama and levity of the past few days and the growing situation had not left the house or the group yet. Everyone was contemplating, wondering and still lamenting.

“No. That’s all me.”

Kryder stood, looking at all of the books and pictures hanging around Ace’s apartment. It was typical Ace. There was nothing of importance. Photos of him posing with business executives on shelves and tables lie everywhere that may or may not have been forged to give him the air being a legitimate entrepreneur. He had awards, degrees, and scholarly business articles neatly tucked away on shelves and around the room so that if anyone ever tried to find him, all they would stumble across in this room, would be frustration and dead ends.

Sipping on his coffee Kryder realized that this would probably be the best time to ask November his side of the story. Where he came from and what exactly the Syndicate was. Why he decided to join the cause that Ace proposed to him.

“Hey November…”

“Yeah?” November said as he walked into the kitchen to prepare himself his own meal.

“Can I ask you something personal?”

“No.” November was blunt and open at what seemed to be the most random times. He could be personable, playful, sarcastic, sardonic, or cynical. It was literally impossible to try and figure out November. To be able to predict his reactions and thoughts would require telepathy.

“It’s nothing too invasive. I just wanted to know why you’re here.” Kryder paused but realized the ungracious tone he just used and quickly mended his statement. “It’s not like I’m not grateful for your help. I’m just curious why you decided to help? What’s in it for you?”

“One of the cardinal virtues in this business is to never reveal what’s ‘in it for you’ if it can be helped.” November flipped the pancake that he had simmering on the stove top before finishing his response. “…because that’s when someone takes it away from you.”

“But-” November quickly cut off Kryder to continue his answer.”

“BUT! Seeing as how everyone in this group lacks professionalism and cares n’ shit, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to tell you where I’m coming from.”

Kryder’s eyes lit up briefly. It would be something that could sate his curiosity if only for a little bit. It would also reveal a portion of the identity of a man Kryder was enamored with.

“Let’s just say that the guy who currently has the Stone right now is someone that I really want to pay back what I owe him.”

“Who?”

“Joshua…” November said his name with no emphasis, no hint of rage or anger in his voice. It was simply spoken aloud to Kryder, which confused him.

“Who’s Joshua?”

“He’s the one who leads Dead Sea and Caspian. He’s also the guy who did a lot to piss me off not too long ago.” November’s tone was slowly building steam, rising in levity as he turned the stove off. Turning around and wiping his hands, his cold eyes locked with Kryder’s in order to send him a message that revealed his intentions and who it was he had become. “I only have one thing left in my life. And that’s revenge. So as long as you don’t get in my way, and don’t fuck with me, we’ll be fine. We could even be friends if you want to call it that. But don’t think I’m like Ace and I’ll go down to Mexico for you just because I like you. My only concern is making Joshua look forward to death’s release…I will crawl into his soul and make him shriek for it.”

Krdyer believed November, despite being disturbed by the sudden flip in personality. He honestly felt that there was only one outcome between November and the man named Joshua, and that would be vengeance and retribution at the hand of the former Syndicate agent.

But, for the rest of morning, Kryder and November spoke only about pleasant things. They spoke about life, the world and their ideals, or perhaps November’s lack of one. But before long, people began to awake and fill the house with chatter. People were sitting around, tending to their equipment, searching for leads on the Stone and other various objectives, until Ace finally came out of his study.

When he was aboard the Sunset Circle both times, he had no idea that he would be subjected to these reality altering events. He had no idea who Ace was, and that he eventually would be serving as a lynchpin in his quest for some Stone he had never really ever seen. Originally he believed him to be a runner just like him, looking for work and looking for money.

It started out as a heist. Just a few armored cars. And then, before he knew it, Ace and his running team were chasing after a man and a Stone. Eventually he began to realize that Ace wasn’t just some low level shadow runner with cash to back his skill. Instead he was this man who had seen everything, who knew what to say at all times, but also knew when and how to use the truth. Kryder was constantly somewhere between a lie and the truth with Ace, and he had been carefully lead through a winding river of answers that revealed only what was necessary.

But after a car ride with a man known only as Gorgeous Dave, Krdyer had come to understand the situation much better. He understood that Dave, Stove and Coyote were Ace’s most loyal soldiers and that back when they had first met, these men served only as one of many bends in the river of carefully held truths crafted by Ace. Any answers they gave him in the past were all aimed at keeping Kryder away from the truth. But Krdyer knew that the truth was something that he could not have understood back then even if he had it laid bare in front of him.

He also came to know who November and the now destroyed and disbanded Syndicate were. He realized that they were a unique and powerful entity that were in charge of regulating the course of world events and balance. Given their role, their involvement with this mythical Stone seemed to make the sense.

Still there were a few questions that remained. But they were ones that only Ace could answer. Such as, what exactly the Stone is capable of that makes it so sought after? Why is Kryder so important to Ace? Why did he bother sending some of his most valuable resources after him? Why all the effort to begin with? But most importantly…who was Ace?

Looking back at Dave, Kryder took note of the cigarette’s embers that were approaching the same pallet and color as the Sunset that lay in the background, just past Dave’s head and the driver side window.

“But why me?” Asked Kryder once more, expecting no answer.

“Why any of us?” Dave spit out his cigarette and sent it flying out the window. His jet black hair was laced with sand thanks to the desert winds.

“I guess that’s the real question.” Kryder paused and grabbed the bottle of water that sat on the center console. Opening it he asked yet another question or Dave. “Thanks for coming all the way down here to save my ass. I just wanted to say that in case you know…”

“Shut the fuck up.” Dave said in jest. “Don’t talk about the situation like it’s any worse than it is.”

Dave took a long hard pause, as if he was looking for the right way to phrase the true response he had to Kryder’s gratitude.

“I saw it in Ace’s eyes, when he told me about you, about who you were and how you were needed for this operation. How you would help him get the Stone and save the world. So that’s why when he said he needed me to come down south of the border, I said yes.” Dave looked at Krdyer, who was still quenching his thirst. “Ace is a good man and I’m a good judge of character and intention. It’s what’s kept me alive long enough to witness the new generation of young runners like you. So I can tell when someone’s full of shit and when someone actually has a rhyme to their reason…and honestly even I don’t know what the fuck he’s planning. I just know that the Syndicate and people like November believed it was worth fighting for.”

Kryder took a sip of water from a canteen that lay near the center console. The water quenched his pallet and was the first form of amelioration that he had felt since being woken up not more than twenty four hours ago. Dave on the other hand, continued his solemn stare that pierced the desert landscape lying ahead of the car.

As the conversation in the front of the vehicle died down, Stove let out a cough that pasted the bandages that covered his mouth with a dark red color. Coyote knew that Stove was running out of time, but caused him to begin crying was that there was nothing that he could do. Coyote knew that there was a relatively high chance that the trio of him, Dave and Stove might come to an end by the time their car reached the LZ.

“Coyote?” November’s arms were crossed as he looked across the cabin at Coyote. His eyes were closed for the entirety of the trip so far. He was either surfing the net or resting, but now he was concerned. “Is he going to be alright?”

“Yeah he’ll be fine. I’ve seen him pull through worse.” This wasn’t an overt lie. Stove had only been with the group for a short while now, but he knew that Stove and Dave had what it took to survive worse. He had been with them in Costa Rica during the civilian uprising and the ensuing genocide. The battle in the jungle saw Stove burned alive. But not burned dead. “Seriously he’ll be okay. We just need to get him to the evac.”

“HEY Dave…how much time till we reach the LZ?” Coyote was surprised that November cared enough to hurry the process. Until this point, Coyote assumed November to be a cold blooded killer, soldier and machine.

“Why do you care if he lives or dies?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” November knew where Coyote was going with this. His social augmentations were putting up displays on his retinal image link that indicated that Coyote was on the verge of social offense.

“Well I thought-“

“That I was a machine incapable of love.” The twist of sarcasm and presumption put Coyote in his place but in a way that didn’t cause a divide between the two. November was a machine, he knew this deep down inside, but he refused to let other people know and would continue to playfully hide the fact. “Did I save you the trouble?”

Coyote looked at him puzzled, unsure of the trouble he was referring to.

“Of putting your foot in your mouth.” November clarified to the young man sitting across from him.

“Well you are a machine aren’t you? Well…I mean, not a full machine. But don’t augs, cyberware and bioware take a toll on you. I heard from Ace that you’re like, way past the ethical and biological limit. And just the way you act sometimes, I get the feeling that you’re like, a cyborg or something.”

“Did you know that Dave and Stove used to work for the Syndicate before they declared a joint operation with Ace in retrieving the Stone of Garo and sent them over as liaison agents?” November was clearly mounting an assault against Coyote.

“Yeah but what has that got to do with-“

“Well then you’ll know that they’ve seen some shit. If you had any idea, how many people I’ve killed, how many people I’ve seen killed and how many things I’ve lost to stay alive this long, then you’d understand. You’re some kid barely out of the fucking pen and you’re going to tell me who I am?” November scoffed, but rightly so. “Dave may still have that sense of humor up there that manages to deflect how he really feels inside. But I guarantee you he’s as dead as I am.”

Dave quickly interjected from the front seat. “Actually I’m half dead inside, and half dead is still half alive.”

Kryder and Stove chuckled for a moment to break the tension that November was conjuring.

“Here’s the point kid. You don’t need to be a robot to feel nothing.”

Coyote sat in the back and contemplated for a moment on why exactly he said what he said. He knew he offended November and that it wasn’t exactly the right thing to say to a man he was fighting with. In fact, Coyote was usually very amiable, but for some reason, he along with everyone else was getting irritable.

“Look, everyone keep it together. I know we’re all getting a bit anxious. But we’re almost there. The air field is about two minutes away. Once we get out of this car filled with sweaty guys and a robot, into an airplane filled with sweaty guys and a robot… I’m sure we’ll all be better for it.”

“Fuck off!” November said with a genuine smile followed by the joined laughter of everyone in the car.

“Hey sorry November.”

“Don’t worry about it k-“

Before November could finish talking, the screeching sound of a missile roaring through the air, interrupted the conversation. Before anyone could comprehend what was happening, the vehicle was hit and had already flipped twice in the air. As Kryder braced for impact he could feel the shattering glass scrape across his already blemished face. He could also make out one last glance before reflexively shutting his eyes. For some reason, this image stuck with him for it captured the essence of two people that he would be could to admire for two different reasons.

Even as the car was lifted off the ground, being thrown through the air, November had this look of fight in his eyes. It was the perfect mixture of adrenaline, fear and control. He knew this was another moment that could end him if he didn’t act, and so in this one moment, his eyes were wide open and his ears were perked and alert. It was more of a response than Kryder could have ever predicted November emoting even if he had just met him. His coldness faded into a blazing fire of will marked by the lines of his brow that were framing his face in a way that portrayed him to be a bow with its string being pulled taught. Any moment he would be ready to snap into action and release a bolt that would fly true as part of his ability to maintain control. Krdyer finally understood him in this one moment. He saw that November wasn’t a machine, but a perfect amalgam of logic and intuition. He was a person in control of his emotions and instincts like fear, while being able to apply them with logic. A blend of machine and man, something that Kryder would never forget, even if November did.

The man called Gorgeous Dave, sat calmly in his seat while bracing himself against the door frame and center console as to remain in one position while the car summersaulted in the air. With his one free hand, Dave had managed to secure his pistol already. Reflexes of a normal human being couldn’t do that. Perhaps it was something else, something less. Perhaps it was muscle memory. In the previous conversation that Kryder had with him, Dave shed light on his colorful past. He’s helped prevent and commit genocide on warring tribes in several different countries. He’s helped assassinate public officials and peasant leaders. He’s slaughtered men and women and it was usually for money. Even if Dave found a cause, it was only because Ace managed to convince him. When the conversation was over, Kryder was wondering how much of his humanity, sense of self and soul did Dave lose through his years of brutal survival. When Kryder saw Dave in this one instant, he took note of his eyes. They were keen, but they were fearless. They did not exude passion, confidence or courage, instead they voiced the chorus of the song called nihilism. Kryder knew that Dave had a detached sense of death and self. It was then that Kryder got his answer, and that he realized that Dave had lost much of himself to the life he lead. Unlike the bow, Dave was the arrow. Whatever the bow’s will, whatever the target, whatever the circumstance, he would fly straight and true. He wouldn’t care if he was wasted upon a shield, he just knew that all he could do was fly fast. And fly fast he did.

When the car landed, the remaining intact glass blew out and erupted in a cacophony of sound. Almost as if the Cruzer coughed out dust, the glass particles shot out, forming a ring of glitter in the sand. When Kryder opened his eyes once more, he immediately climbed out and reached for one of the weapons stored in the back of the vehicle. Fortunately it he found a functioning automatic rifle, equipped with a scope. Enough for him to see who their pursuers were.

Of course, it was no surprise to see that it was the remaining Aztec forces. Enceladus had given them the impression during his interrogation that Aztec had given up. Apparently this wasn’t the case.

“Hey! Can you guys get out alright?” Kryder was surprised that in his state, he was able to react. Staring down the scope he saw a pursuit force larger than they could handle. Four Desert Cruzers, and three choppers all lining the horizon. But where did the missile come from?

“Kryder! Help me get these guys out of the car, they’re trapped.” November yelled as he began to bend metal and iron to open the coffin that Coyote and Stove were trapped in.

“Hey! MAY! What the fuck is going on! Where is this orbital artillery coming from?”

The hacker known to Kryder as May, was someone that was only slightly alluded to as another ex-Syndicate operative now aiding the cause.

“---Ivory-2-Actual Do you copy!!!” May yelled to every runner who still had an ear piece. Kryder of course was without one. “Shit! They have a drone fixed on you and its generating white noise. You gotta get outta there now before it blocks me out again!”

Kryder wasn’t able to hear anything that May was saying, but when he saw Dave look over quickly at the now near air strip and hangars, he knew exactly what the next part of the plan was.

“Hey! What the fuck are we paying you for! Get the drone out of the sky!”

“Fuck you and run, you’ve got fourteen seconds before it reloads.”

Again, everything slowed down for Kryder as did every other tense moment of life and death. He saw Coyote and Stove slumped up against downed Cruzer. He noticed November wielding an assault rifle as well, firing round after round at the oncoming pursuit team. Dave on the other hand was torn between two decisions. Within a second he had to make a choice. Carry Stove and die with him, or abandon the only friend he managed to keep through his long and hellish life.

Then for some reason, Dev flashed before Kryder’s eyes. He didn’t know why. But she did. Then the feelings of guilt and helplessness washed over him. Then, before another second passed, Karliah’s face flashed before his eyes as well. Magnifying his pain, Kryder’s heart began to throb. He wouldn’t suffer failure again. He would not have Dave look at him with the eyes that Del did, and even though Dave would move on and blame no one but fate, Kryder knew that he couldn’t let this happen again.

Kryder dropped his rifle and began to run out from behind cover. Why? He didn’t know. He had no idea what he was doing. It just felt right. Perhaps some form of muscle memory that Dave felt when he managed to grab his gun was responsible for Kryder’s sudden intuitive movements. He also yelled wait to his comrades that were huddling behind the smoking wreck of a Desert Cruzer.

9-8-7

Kryder looked up and spotted the circling drone that was loading its next projectile, ready to strike in six more seconds. It was thousands of feet above the sand that Kryder stood upon. But for some reason, the next thing he did came natural to him. His body knew how to tear down the machine from the sky and bury it in the sand.

5-4-3

November continued to fire his rifle but his eyes were on Kryder. Dave too was also looking at Kryder along with Coyote and Stove, who was bleeding heavily, but whispering to himself.

2-1-

The skies began to darken, and Kryder began to glow. His hair began to furl and fly, and his eyes began to shine gold. Looking up to the heavens and raising his only functioning arm at the drone, Kryder let out a scream that shook the bones of everyone in the desert, even if they couldn’t hear it.

Then like the sound of someone tearing paper, magnified to epic and teeth chattering proportions, a beam of light shot down and met with Kryder’s hand that remained outstretched. However, the path of light also intercepted the drone that was instantly cut in half like a hot knife in butter. The drone fell before being struck by three successive bolts of lightning, which completely vaporized the machine. No trace left of the machine left. But before Kryder could regain control, he felt a piercing sensation cut through his stomach and both legs.

Three bullets penetrated Kryder while he had found his way out of cover. Was it stupid? Perhaps, but Dave had managed drag the wounded demi-god back to the wreckage. Normally these Aztec soldiers would have run away at the sight of the lighting storm, but the fear of failure and the hope of Kryder being killed by the gunshots drove them to press on.

As Kryder came too he could only hear November hailing someone over his commlink.

“---get the plane started, we’re coming to you now!” November yelled as he briefly looked back. They group had about thirty seconds before the ground team from Aztec would be on top of them.

“Come we gotta go. Let’s GO! Gabe, carry Stove.” Dave had used Coyotes real name.

“I can’t moveee…” Kryder could barely mouth the words as the pain was like a fist in his throat.

“That’s alright, I got ya buddy. I didn’t drive a thousand miles to leave your ass here.” Dave said as he hoisted him over his shoulder.

“GO! I’ll cover you guys, I’ll try and pin them on those dunes up ahead and I’ll catch up.” November said as reloaded his rifle. The chances of even someone of his combat prowess surviving his decision were unlikely at best.

Yet regardless of the best laid plans that they managed to come up with, Coyote was tapped on his shoulder by Stove, before he could be fully on Coyote’s back. For some reason, it seemed as if Stove had woken up from a slumber. Kryder could tell that Stove was making an unspoken connection to Coyote and Dave, almost as if this was something that they knew he would do eventually.

“No fuck off! I can carry you.” Coyote said desperately. And then for the first time, Stove spoke.

His voice sandy voice was raspy but had an elegance akin to a four string ensemble. It was quite unsettling in the most beautiful way. It sounded partially like static over a phone, while also sounding elegant, almost as if he were singing. Kryder, the only one who didn’t know exactly who and what Stove was, came to realize that he wasn’t exactly human. As the words came out of his mouth, he began to unravel the bandages that covered his body. Any moment now, the Aztec ground team would be there, but it all seemed to wait for Stove to undress.

His blackened skin, scarred and burned was laced with what seemed to be ancient runic tracings, almost as if his body was a tome. He took off his combat vest, and the iconic suit that he always donned no matter the situation. His eyes too were glowing much like Kryders, only his were a piercing blue.

“Go. You know you won’t make it out of here unless I do this.”

“NO!” Coyote yelled as he tried to wrestle Stove onto his back only to be thrown to the ground.

“Kryder. You chose to save me when you could have left me. I think Ace’s vision was a true one. You’ll be what he needs and what this world needs. Save universe and prove the architects right.”

“wait what?”Kryder was still mumbling with his consciousness slowly fading.

“Stove whatever you’re gonna do, do it fast. They’ll be here any minute.” November yelled as he emptied another magazine from his rifle.

“Find the Stone, destroy it and help Ace. He’ll tell you everything. Just don’t lose yourself.” Stove said as he took his shoes off. He wanted to feel the sand rise up in between his toes. “Run.” Stove said as the runes began to glow with the same intense blue as his eyes did.

Stove, reaching into his pockets one more time, pulled out his last cigarette. As he ignited it, a gust of wind kicked up an astronomical amount of sand which served to cover his friend’s escape. His wounds began to heal and stich themselves up all on their own, being replaced with more runes that spread. However as the runes spread, his eyes winced in pain.

Taking a deep breath of the cancer he could control, Stove stepped out into the open much like Kryder had done a moment ago.

By now Kryder was regaining his senses and began to realize his efforts in trying to save Stove were all for not. But unlike when Dev, Hearts, Seonne or even Camielle died, Kryder felt less. He couldn’t explain it but he began to see the path that men like Dave or November had taken. What actually broke Kryder’s heart was looking at Coyote who was crying. Coyote was still young and always looked up to Dave and Stove. Kryder knew exactly how he felt…helpless. Looking back, Kryder could see the last moments of Stove.

With a rising of his hands like a conductor of a classical concerto, Stove raised the sand even higher with gusting wind currents. The pursuit team was finally upon him, where Kryder was laying not a minute ago before leaving Stove behind.

Eventually Stove let out a cry, and the wind shot forth like a wall, sweeping up all the vehicles and aircraft that were sent to capture and kill them all. As they were all swept up into the air, Stove’s body became a source of light barely holding a humanoid form. Then as the typhoon winds came crashing down along with the rest of the Aztec team, all vanished with a violent explosion followed by one last gust of wind. No soldier remained, and Stove had vanished. It was like the sand had reached up and buried them, much like the former cities of Mexico.

As the devastated, tired and nearly dead runners made it to the landing strip, a small stealth Drake outfitted for special operations emerged from underneath a tarp. Its entrance ramp opened, and the aircraft was slowly turning around and preparing to commit to flight.

As Dave, Stove and Coyote ran with Kryder in tow, the approached the rear of the Drake. And to Kryder’s surprise, he saw a familiar face waiting waiving them on with her hand stretched out.

She was mouthing the word “come on” or something of the sort. And as Coyote and November managed to make it onto the craft, the pilot grabbed Dave by the shoulder and pulled him aboard. As the ramp closed and the red glow of the inner light turned on Kryder uttered out her name.

“Cassidy!” Kryder was still bleeding, but the sight of someone he wasn’t sure was still alive made all the pain fade away. Part of him felt that she was killed along with everyone else in their group by Dead Sea and Caspian. But her concern and warm touch was enough to put a smile on Kryder’s face for the first time in days.

“Kryder!” Cassidy took him off Dave’s shoulders and switched the Drake into auto-pilot. “What the- is he going to be okay?”

“He’ll be fine. He’s healing right now. Just like Stove.” Dave’s face was still just as ice cold as ever, except Kryder could see the remaining lights in his heart dim with the death of Stove.

“Kryder…” Cassidy sat down and rested Kryder’s head on her lap. Her fingers were running through his hair and for some reason she wept for him. Kryder didn’t deserve it though. He had failed too many times. But this time was different. He was sick of it. He was always being carried, he was always in the dark, and he was always being knocked down and unconscious. But after today, with Stove’s death, he felt different. Perhaps it was because he did everything he possibly could. Maybe that’s why he didn’t feel like a complete failure. Then again, why did he care? Shadow Runners were co-workers and colleagues at best. The unwritten warning is to never become attached, but Kryder seemed to consistently fail to heed the advice. At least this time he didn’t feel as guilty. He had too many bullet holes to feel anything.

The sounds of November’s grapples were muffled by the explosion and final collapse of the structure behind him. However, they were able to safely deliver him, Dave and Coyote off of the rooftop of the previously standing building.

“Jesus fucking Christ. What was that?” Yelled Dave, wondering what could have possibly caused such a commotion. Coyote was too busy coughing and wheezing from the sand he had inhaled to respond but like November and Dave, was able to look upon Kryder who was standing there emanating an energy they had never felt before.  

“What is going on?” Dave asked once more.

November just quietly stared at Kryder who was about thirty feet away from them looking into the building that was across the street from the Clinic. It was a department store and something inside had grabbed his attention. Sensors popped up on November’s Retinal display alerting him to the astral signature being exuded by Kryder indeed matched no known signatures or affinities. He wasn’t any type of mage or any type of adept. However, the astral signature was similar to one reading. It was similar to Ace’s, and this made November briefly think back when Ace had first hired him.

8/3/2074 – 2:43 Kirkland, Seattle

“Remind me again, why are you doing this?” Asked Gorgeous Dave who put on his tight black gloves and fastened his Kevlar vest that sat atop his black tee shirt.

“Money and the antigens I need to stop my body from killing itself.”

“Wait, you’re going to kill yourself?”

“Cyber-ware, I’m over the biological limit. The Syndicate used to supply us all with it, but now that they’re gone, only Ace can duplicate it given Gable Corporations subsidiary company GenCorp. They actually were the ones who invented the serum.”

November was sitting underneath a skylight in Ace’s safe house’s garage. It would be where the Thunderbird Aircraft would rise out of and transport them to Mexico to save Kryder. All November really wanted to do was to kill Joshua and get his revenge.

“Never really liked those Syndicate types, but you seem alright.” Dave said as he lit a cigarette and began to indulge his vice. He motioned his pack towards November to ask if he wanted one only for the Agent to wave his hand to refuse the offer.

“Alright listen up, before you go. I have one more thing to mention before I take off.”

“Ello Ace!” Dave said, standing up to shake hands with what seemed to be a good friend.

“Morning Dave.” Ace said as he tucked in his suit shirt into his jet black pants. “You guys are going to find Kryder and you’re going to need to know where he goes. That’s why me and the other team are going to go and investigate an Aztec Records building and try to get that for you, should trim back the time you spend looking for him.”

“You say that so cavalierly.” November said as he walked out from under the moonlight to meet Ace in conversation. “May already managed to hack into their registry to find out that he was somewhere in Durango. I’m sure we can just ask some questions and find him. No need to risk you, we don’t feel like having to save your ass as well.”

“I’ll be fine Novy. But the other thing is that we’re going to try and find more about Joshua and May needs a hard line in that building so she can have free reign to dig.”

As Ace was explaining all of this, out walked a girl November hadn’t seen in a few weeks as their expertise never allowed their paths to cross. Her hair was brown and her skin was light. She was a quiet in stature and in presentation but comfortable with herself. She was disheveled; looking almost as if she had just woke up and got out of bed. Which, given the time, could have been a possibility. But November knew her well.

“Hey May, glad you could make it.”

“Yo. Novy, what’s up?” She said, holding a coffee cup and rigging laptop in the other. Those two things and her AR gloves were all she needed to hack into the Aztec Registry. She was as good at hacking as November was good at killing.

“Ah, you know, nothing much, my house got blown up by some radioactive psychopath and now I’m working for this guy over here.”

“Oh shit, you too? Yeah I hear that insurance agencies don’t have claims for that kinda thing.” May took a sip of coffee before cutting to the chase.

“Alright, so let me get this straight. You’re paying me to find out where this kid Kryder is and where Joshua is. And you’re willing to hardline into Aztec? I feel like you have a death wish.”

“I did pay you up front didn’t I?” Ace said as he finally put on his suit jacket and motioned to someone outside the garage to start the car.

“Alright, we’re still waiting for out pilot, but we’ll just take off right after right?” Asked November who picked up his backpack and tossed it in the back of the Thunderbird.

“Yeah, sounds fine. Also I left some security for you May.” Ace was in a hurry and began to run out but was stopped in his tracks as he remembered one last thing.

“Oh…one more last thing. Here, let me send you this, it’s a recording of an astral signature. Do you have the software for it?”

“Mage Hunting software? Yeah of course.”

“Alright, take this recording, it’s my astral signature. If and when you get to Krdyer, and IF he has a similar reading as this, call me right away.”

“Why? Wait, what kind of reading is this?”

“It’s a special one. He might be a danger to himself in that case, so tranquilize him or something if he begins to show this signature.”

“Alright, do you think he will? Is it a probability?”

“Fifty-fifty. Alright, hurry and start heading south, I’ll call you when I get the info.” Ace said, running back out into the night.

November observed the astral signal but decided to deal with the situation if and when the time arose. Little did he know…

8/7/2074 – 14:01 Outskirts of Durango, Mexico

“Ace, we have a problem.”

“Wait a few minutes and then restrain him. Are you guys in the middle of combat?”

In the moments before November had called Ace, Kryder was captivated by a fight going on inside the store. A fight between Enceladus, Titan and Stove had broken out during the commotion. While November saved Dave and Coyote who were trapped atop the collapsing building, Stove had unwillingly engaged in a battle against two skilled Prime Runners.

Kryder eventually ran inside and began launching lightning bolts and soon managed to destroy Titan with one swift surge. It was beauty as he had run up to the Titan, dodged a strike and jumped, landing atop its large frame. As he planted his hand on its top, he sent down a charge that killed the AI and the drone it was commanding.

It was now a chase to capture or kill Enceladus. It was a whim to Krdyer. Enceladus was barely holding off a badly beaten Stove who was caught off guard by the hulking Titan, and a raging Kryder who was trying to find him.

“He is.” Replied November, signifying Kryder’s recklessness

“November, we’re going in to get Stove and pull him out. After that, I’ll stay in and get in a good spot to put Kryder down, just give me the signal.” Dave said as he and Coyote ran into the store and dove behind the arrow filled aisles to rescue their friend.

“Alright, well, as soon as the combat is over if he doesn’t just shut down himself, use a tranquilizer or just knock him out. When he wakes up, if he remembers… if he remembers everything then call me and put me on the phone, but if he doesn’t then it can wait until we all get back to the safe house.”

“Alight, November out.”

November just stood outside, watching as Enceladus duck and hide from the demon that was Kryder. He knew that Kryder needed no help as the Prime Runner was exhausting his cache of arrows. He was also beginning to corner himself. But he also began to feel sympathy, realizing that he had no affiliation with Aztec. He also had no qualms with the Corporation either.

“Dave, listen up, I’m going to run out back and I’m going to get Enceladus and try to capture him. You tranq Kryder as soon as I’m out of the area. I’ll be using my wires.”

“Roger that.”

November then ran as quickly as he could to the other side of the building, and kicked down the back door that led into the stock room. Quickly finding his way into the store itself, November kicked down another door in time to see a cornered Enceladus.

“In position November!” Dave yelled in November’s ear piece.

Kryder was silent, he had no idea the events that were transpiring around him, he just wanted to kill the last Aztec soldier. It was different this time, he could think straight. He was in control. But he still had tunnel vision for the kill was approaching closer and closer. If not for the tunnel vision, he would have noticed Dave lying prone atop a produce Aisle with his rifle loaded with stun rounds, pointing right at his chest.

But it didn’t matter for Enceladus had no escape route, just the corner to cower in. He had no arrows and nowhere to run, he would have to face Kryder’s wrath. But in one smooth instant, November zoomed by in a black flash, using his wiring system to grab a hold of Enceladus and throw them through a window. But before Kryder could understand what was happening, he felt three projectiles hit his chest with enough force to put down an elephant. Dropping to his knees, he felt the breath fly out of his chest, leaving him with nothing to gasp at. Instead his vision just darkened and once again, he fell asleep.

Kryder once again found himself within the dreamscape of his own mind. Or at least, what he thought to be his own mind. However, the past encounters with the man named Mu had them set in a room devoid of any furniture or color. Not to say that everything was black and white, but the walls were seamless, without obvious corners and purer than snow.

This time was different. The walls were saturated with glorious colors, some of which Kryder had never had the pleasure of enjoying before. He found himself captivated by the lively hue that his own conscious had taken and displayed. He wasn’t sure how he knew he was in his own mind, but he was rather confident of the prospect.

“Hello. Nice to see you Kryder.”

“Hello Mu.” Kryder had his back to Mu as he continued to look upon the wall before him.

A brief silence fell over the conversation and Kryder could almost feel the smile forming on Mu’s lips. Kryder for some reason was able to remember with increasing clarity with each successive dream.

“What’re you going to tell me this time? Blindly trust Ace? Throw my life away? Get more people killed, trust in myself?” Krdyer was angry but he was still biting his tongue, keeping his tone calm. He had begun to realize that he was complaining a little too much, almost to the point where it annoyed him, but that didn’t change the fact that no one really ever told him much of anything. No explanations, just a whole lot of trust and dead friends on his part, while Ace sat in the shadows.

“Nope.”

Kryder’s attention and mood took a sharp left turn at Mu’s response.

“Ace, Dave, November…. None of them trust you and they’ve all lied to you. They’ve been keeping the truth to themselves and feeding you lies. It’s time you broke free…it’s time you took back your life.”

These words didn’t sound like something Mu would say. Mu always seemed like the better conscience while this voice spoke straight from the insecurities and concerns of Kryder’s heart. Kryder wasn’t sure he was talking to Mu, but he was too scared to turn and see who it was. He wasn’t sure why, but he remained focused on the walls that were slowly turning darker and darker while maintaining their saturation.

“Why the sudden change in confidence?”

“Because, they shot you, they saw how powerful you really were, and so they sought to control you. You can’t let this happen. You need to get the Stone and go back home.”

“Home?” Did the voice refer to New York, where he and his almost long forgotten sister had lived. Why was it so hard to remember his sister, and his family. He hadn’t thought of them, not once in months….maybe even years. It was all so hazy.

“Ace is keeping you from your true nature, he’s keeping you from who you really are as well as the right to being the champion you used to be.”

“What in the fuck are you talking about.” Kryder couldn’t take it anymore, and the slight bit of outrage at the cryptic presentation of these words gave him the courage to face the other person in this room that slowly faded to black.

It wasn’t Mu. Instead it was a gaunt looking man. He was naked, pale and tall. His words were nothing like Mu’s, as they slithered out of this man’s mouth.

“You need to come home now. Reach your potential, do what you were meant to do.”

Kryder began having flashes of a place that looked like Earth, but was nothing like it. The buildings were old, stone and tall. Walls higher than a man could ever dream of climbing. But that was it, it was all he saw. Where was this place.

Kryder’s focus snapped back into the dreamscape as his vision within the vision broke. The gaunt man was still there, laughing, cackling, but he was joined by another. A human, someone who was pale in complexion. He was silent and he looked sick. But he also looked strong and possessed a look of true hatred. A look of a life broken by tragedy hung in his eyes just as silence clutched at his vocal chords. Who was this man? The whites of his eyes were gray and his Iris possessing a yellow that disturbed Kryder while the pupils were not just black, they were devoid of light.

Just then a voice came in through the walls that began to glow green, it was familiar. It was Mu’s. It called him from his dream. Kryder now knew, for some reason the fibers of his being spoke to him and was able to make him realize who Mu was. It was in fact his better conscience. It was the lighter side of him, while this other voice was all of the demons of a past that he couldn’t remember. That was now the question for Ace.

“Kryder!” Yelled November. Who was grabbing him by both shoulders and shaking him to wake him.

“What! What….” Kryder gasped as he awoke from his dreams that he was finally beginning to understand.

“Kryder…” November’s face was one of concern, that same look that he used when he first eyed him during their first encounter. He had something to say, something that he knew was going to complicate his job as Kryder’s watch dog. “…do you remember?”

It would be impossible for November to have alluded to any other memory than the one’s he had a brief flash of during his dream, provided by the evil voices swirling in his head.

“Starting to.” Kryder said with a look that instilled nothing but concern for November.

“Oi, Krdyer, I’m sorry for hitting you with that beanbag round. I hope you can understand.” Dave said as he ran over to Krdyer who was still lying down in the department store, the sight where he was shot.

He could have taken the doubts and the insecurities, and believed what the gaunt man had said to him, and lashed out at them. Maybe even fought them. But he knew the only one who’d give him the answers he needed was Ace. But Mu’s intention could be felt, and it kept Kryder grounded and his morality afloat.

“No, I understand. I also don’t understand myself so you guys made the right call.” As Kryder closed his eyes due to a grimacing expression brought on by the brief moment of pain, resultant of the bean bag round, he opened them to see a look of fear and concern in everyone. It was greater than before, something new had transpired.

Kryder turned around to look at what they were looking at, but they were in fact looking at him.

“What?” Kryder checked himself for wounds or something that would cause him the same level of concern but found nothing.

Coyote continued to stare at Kryder but reached at one of the shelves in the department store, grasping a hand mirror and pointed it at Kryder.

The whites of his eyes were faded and his Iris was a combination of the brown he used to possess with tinges of yellow, giving them a golden color as a compromise between the two.

“What the fuck?” Kryder said in horror as his dreams had become something more real.

Kryder began to lose control once more, but only on the level of his grip with the situation. He had it figured out, but that didn’t sate his quest for answers. Ace was hundreds of miles away and no one could give him answers and he wanted them now.

“Someone tell me what the FUCK IS GOING ON! One of you has to know who Ace is, one of you has to know who the FUCK I AM.”

“Kryder calm down.” Said Coyote who moved in to try and put a hand on his shoulder.

Kryder just smacked his hand away. “Don’t fucking touch me. Who are you guys even? Doesn’t anyone understand that I’m smarter than I look? I see you guys fucking me, leading me around like some kind of lab rat. I’m not some caged experiment. Someone give me a god damned answer. Someone tell me why Dave shot me, why November’s been eyeing me like I’m some kind of patient about to lose control. Someone tell me, why the people I hired a month ago to investigate Ace, are the people working for him! Someone tell me why my girlfriend is dead….just someone tell me why I feel so fucking LOST!!!”

November was calm, but ready to react to threats that Kryder could have presented. Stove, was too injured from the battle to do anything but lie there with a fresh cigarette in his mouth. Enceladus was tied up and unconscious and Coyote was standing over him with his hand on his holster, ready to pull his gun out. Dave however, was just as calm as November, but as he stepped on his cigarette, he just approached Kryder with a look of complete understanding. He had a faint smile on his face, almost as if he had seen this all happen before.

“Kryder, take ten seconds and breathe and relax. Don’t speak, don’t try and think just breathe. Heck, inhale this if it’ll settle ya mate.” He handed him his pack of cigarettes. “November, did May hack into the Desert Cruzer yet?”

In the time that Kryder was unconscious, they had begun to break into and hack an Aztec SUV that carried the troops in pursuit. It was the only one that escaped the destruction of the immediate area.

November opened his Commlink and asked May, his fellow syndicate member and hacker for the status of her task.

“She’s good to go, should be open now.” The sound of the bolt locks on the car sliding open could be heard as November turned off his Commlink.

“Okay the. Coyote, load Stove in the back. November get Enceladus in the back as well and then man the .50” The Desert Cruzer was a small and fast vehicle meant to blaze through the sand dunes of Mexico, as well as offer the support of a roll cage in place of a roof, a small rear compartment for two people and a gyro-mounted machine gun for one other crew member. It would be a tight fit, but they had no other choice.

“Who made him boss all of a sudden.” November said sarcastically as he had no problem with Dave issuing commands.

As the others began to shuffle around and carry out their orders, Kryder just stood there, fists still clenched, calming him down. He made a promise to himself. He knew what questions to ask now, and he wasn’t going to throw another tantrum, at least until he got his answers. He wasn’t a child. As he looked up, Dave placed his hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eyes with a stare that Kryder hadn’t known he had.

“You want answers Kryder…”

Kryder just nodded for all of the years of fighting, of death, of running and hiding that Dave had experienced had surfaced in Dave’s eyes. It was almost as if a mentor were speaking to him. Someone with something to actually say and offer, which made Krdyer simply nod yes to his offer.

Chapter 1 Sleepwalking

08/07/2074 – 5:12 Outskirts of Durango, Mexico

Kryder was tired, but a voice rang clearly in his head. It wasn’t his but it felt familiar.

“You can’t rest yet. Keep it together…just a little bit longer. Help is on the way.”

Kryder was collapsed on the floor, covered in sweat and blood. He had no recollection of what had happened, but he hadn’t felt this drained in his entire life. The feeling was oddly euphoric however, and if Kryder wasn’t suffering from delirium, he would’ve been smiling.

Lying in the middle of the bloodied living room, Kryder was fluttering between consciousness and sleep.  But before he completely retreated into himself and passed out, he heard the door to the house slam open, followed by the sounds of footsteps and tactical commands being uttered.

“Holy shit, what in the hell happened here?” Said a familiar voice. Kryder’s vision had already faded to black, but he was still able to semi-consciously perceive the events happening around him. Three or four men surrounded the living room, securing it, almost as if they were a tactical team. He could tell by the sounds and positions of their voices. They were serious soldiers, not just these corporate military teams that were underpaid and under-experienced, with the exception of the Red Wings.

“Call Kilo-1 and tell her to warm up the jets, we’re coming back.” Said another voice that Kryder had heard before, yet he couldn’t quite put a face to the voice.

“Shit, he doesn’t look so good.”

“He looks like fucking Swiss cheese! How could you say…not good. A sandwich can look not good. He looks like a stack of shit.”

“He looks like he might expire like a sandwich.”

“…not funny asshole.”

“Alright, cut the chatter, Coyote, get over here and try and do what you can for him. You guys are with me.”

As Kryder laid flat on his back, he could feel the warm touch of a person’s hands. They were the first set of hands that Kryder had come across, that hadn’t tried to kill him in the past several days.

“Guys, we need to get him to a hospital or something. He’s got an hour tops before his injuries kill him or make him a vegetable.”

“A hospital? Where do you suppose we can find one of those? On the corner of eight and go fuck ourselves? We have a few minutes before Aztec sends in the heavy guns to take us all out. We need to get back to our pilot, we don’t have time to go find band aids.”

“Fine it’s your call. He either dies or we get to a hospital.”

“Both of you relax, there was that clinic on the way into this town. It was abandoned just like the rest of this town, but I’m sure we might still be able to find something useful in there. What exactly do you need?

As the voices began to dive into details that Kryder couldn’t keep track of, he slowly felt himself fall deeper and deeper into sleep. Their voices finally gave way to the emptiness of his dreams.

“Hey Kryder, I don’t know if you can hear me, but I’m about…” The voice paused, as the empathy was welling up within the young man. “We’re gonna have to carry you out of here. If you’re awake it’s going to hurt, but we’re gonna patch you up. Just hang in there man.”

Time slipped by unbeknownst to Kryder. In the hours that passed, the men that came to rescue him fought their way from the house he was trapped in, to the other end of the ghost town to an abandoned clinic. Kryder on the other hand dreamed of Karliah, whose body was left in the house. Her bones were turning into dust in Kryder’s dream and soon she became faceless. To the uneasiness of the other men, Kryder began to shed tears in his sleep at the sight of his greatest failures invading his dreamscape.

13:32 Outskirts of Durango, Mexico

Gasp

Kryder awoke, choking on the desert air that was inescapable. The town was slowly being reclaimed by the desert. The town as a whole was a relic of the past, largely uninhabited for the past half century. Kryder didn’t know why, and he didn’t care, but the reason was because Aztec evicted the denizens and relocated them to the larger metropolises to help build the workforce, leaving this town to desiccation and nothing else.

“What the fuck? Where am I?” Kryder said, looking around to find himself in a room that was disheveled and turned over.

Lying on top of a desk in a room with nothing but cleaning supplies and some makeshift medical equipment, Kryder began to panic, remembering that he was last left in circumstances that sought to kill him.

“Hey man relax, you’re here with friends.”

Kryder looked behind him to see a familiar face.

“It’s me, Gabriel…Coyote.”

“Holy shit where am I?” Kryder said, holding his head as all movements made by his body were registered by his brain as pain. Kryder could barely breathe.

“Don’t move man. You’re barely in stable condition.” Coyote said as he laid Kryder back down and injected him with painkillers from his injection gun. “And to answer your question, you’re in a clinic. The rest of the rooms are sealed off and destroyed so we had to make do with what we had available. The good news is that you won’t die. The bad news is that we’re in Mexico still because we haven’t been able to move you.”

Coyote was familiar but Kryder couldn’t exactly remember where they had met before. But his innocent, starry-eyed demeanor rang a bell. Suddenly, Kryder remembered that he worked for Gorgeous Dave and Stove almost as an understudy. Recollecting and concentrating hurt Kryder’s head, but he managed to think back to when he went to see them in the Ravenna, Seattle.

“Wait I remember you, you’re the kid that worked with Gor-“

As the door slammed open, the familiar graceful, kind and obnoxious spirit of Gorgeous Dave entered the room, along with his thick London accent.

“He’s finally awake!” Dave held his arms up in celebration and somewhat in a mocking manner. “How’re you feeling bud?”

“Good…”Kryder paused, trying to piece together the confluences of events that must’ve taken place for him to be in Mexico and on a rescue operation. As far as Kryder knew, he was just a freelancer that he had hired to dig up information on Ace a while ago. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but why are you here, like what brought you here.”

“Ace did.” Dave, pulled out a chair, quickly spun it around and had his legs crossed and a cigarette lit in his mouth before Kryder realized it. The words and their simplicity aggravated Kryder a bit as this implied something much greater than what David’s tone suggested.

“What do you mean Ace sent you?” Kryder paused and slowly sat up, wincing at the pain in his ribs that were sore from the beating he had taken. “You’re talking about the guy I hired you to spy on not too long ago right? Why would you be working for him?”

“Look we don’t have much time to spend on this, we need to find a way out of this city and over to the next town which has an airstrip.”

As Dave broke into details, Kryder began to rethink his situation. He felt that no matter where or when he would wake up, Ace would somehow be involved with his life. When they had first met, Kryder saw him as a mentor, but now, he saw him as a manipulator, as someone who owed him a lot of time and answers. But as he began to find reasons to not trust Ace, he glanced over the fact that Karliah was now dead as a result of the work he had been doing for Ace. That’s when everything almost went completely to hell.

Kryder, broke through Dave’s debriefing with a tone most unsettling.

“Karliah. Where is she?” Kryder’s head was tilted down, his eyes were closed but his hand was up, in a gesture of interjection.

The room fell silent, slightly due to confusion as they thought her fate was aware to Kryder at this point.

“She’s err…” Coyote stumbled over his words, trying to find the kindest way to put them. “She’s not with-“

“I know she’s dead god damn it. I’m talking about her body. You didn’t just leave it there did you? You didn’t just leave it at the house to rot did you?” Kryder’s temper and patience were both about to snap.

“Look mate, we didn’t have the time to tell Aztec to stop shooting so we could find a way to drag out two bodies. We had a hard enough time-“

“Are you fucking kidding me? Ace gets her killed and doesn’t even have the kindness to send out a funeral service. He just got me, but not the woman I love?” Kryder’s broken body should have called out to him, but instead he stood up and looked Dave in the eyes. “We’re going back, we’re getting her so I can bury her.”

“Sit down Krdyer, before you hurt yourself.” Dave sad as he took the cigarette out of his mouth.

Kryder was about to snap. He couldn’t stand the thought of him failing Karliah and leaving her body behind. Even though he blamed it all on Ace, he knew that it was actually his fault for getting her involved. How could he? Why didn’t he just let her walk?

But before he could fall into the rabbit hole of guilt, the door opened once more.

In walked two men. One of them dressed in a black and white suit with a completely bandaged face in the fashion of a mummy. The scent of cigarette smoke doubled in the room with his presence. It was Stove, the wind mage that had helped save Kryder along with Dave and Coyote many days ago.

The second man that walked in after him was the first and only unfamiliar face Kryder had come across after waking up. This man had a light complexion with short trimmed hair on the sides but somewhat longer on the top. His face was sleek and angular and his eyes were sharp. He stood taller than his actual size, which wasn’t small to begin with, and his demeanor was very straight forward and direct. The interesting part was his eyes however. Kryder was able to notice the slight blinking lights within them, suggesting he had implanted cyber-eyes. The second thing he noticed was that they were wolf like, constantly aware and observing the room to the point where he almost seemed like a machine. But as soon as they made eye contact, the wolf broke his guise and started acting loose and personable. Yet, Kryder was unsure of which the guise and which the genuine affinity he possessed.

“Everything okay in here? It feels tense.” Chuckled the new face.

“Who are you?”

The man eyed Kryder up and down, almost as if he were assessing his health, or perhaps his current emotional state, he wasn’t sure.

“The name is November, pleased to make your conscious acquaintance.”

“November? What kind of name is-“

“Don’t ask, long story.” November tossed a look at Stove who seemed to be silently laughing in the corner of the room. Kryder had yet to hear him speak after all this time.

“Were you also hired by Ace to pull me out of this shit storm but leave my girlfriend behind?”

November looked at Kryder once more, and unbeknownst to Kryder, began to assess him emotionally to determine how he should respond. November was a cyberdemon, or someone who had been outfitted with so many physical and mental augmentations that he was barely human. Luckily for him, he seemed human thanks to his social augmentation and the small sliver of human nature he had left within him.

“There’s nothing we can do about it but apologize. We literally had no choice. Coyote over here took a bullet when we first tried leaving the house and before we knew it we got into our third fire fight. Then getting here wasn’t easy either. Coyote got shot a second time.”

Kryder looked over and saw bandages placed over Coyote’s left thigh and over his shoulder. Sympathy barely managed to work its way into his heart, but the small amount that did, eventually began to quell the fires of rage that blazed within him at the thought of Karliah’s slowly decaying corpse. But now, he understood how difficult it was for these four men to get into this Aztec controlled state.

“Alright, so what’s our play now?”

“Right! Allow me to continue!” Dave said as he uncrossed and crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair. “You’re not going to do jack shit because you might reopen your wounds. Instead you’re going to stay right here while we try to acquire some vehicles. When we do, we come back, toss you in and we move into the city, where there’s a small airstrip.”

“Wait, where exactly are we?”

“We’re in some shit hole town on the outskirts of Durango Mexico, formerly inhabited by the lovely people of Aztec until they were all evicted. Now it’s just a ghost town. Even the city is quiet, so hopefully we won’t get any civies getting in the way.” Dave answered.

Coyote, standing up, hobbled outside to grab fresh air as he had been sitting in the same room for a while, monitoring Kryder’s vitals. As he stood up, a sharp pain quickly came and went as his shoulder wound reminded him of its presence. The rest of the room continued in on their conversation, but as their voices faded into the distance, and as the broad and large windows of the front lobby of the clinic became visible to Coyote, so did the sounds of a distant whirring.

At first he hadn’t noticed it, or its importance, and so he took out his water bottle and began to drink the last of his rations. But as the whirring drew closer, he realized that their break from Aztec pursuit teams was to come to an end.

Slamming the door open, Coyote instantly grabbed everyone’s attention.

“GUYS! We’ve got birds, headed our way. Probably Aztec and they aren’t moving fast.”

“Shit, they’re transports.” Replied November.

“Relax lads, I’ve got Lucy here with me, we’ll be fighting on equal terms if they’re slow movers.” Dave walked pulled out and assembled a SAM that he had with him. A large  boxy looking weapon that housed four heat seeking missiles with a paint decal of a dragon on its side, was what Kryder assumed to be Lucy.

“So what’s the plan?” Kryder asked, straining to try and get up.

“Nah uh. You’re staying right here and you’re going to try and not hurt yourself or kill yourself. Yote, you’re with me, we’re heading up to the rooftop from stairwell A. We might meet resistance if they have a ground team moving in and they know our location.

The sounds of the whirring by this point were practically over the building and soon, a loud overhead speaker began to relay a message.

Attention all fugitives and prisoners of Aztecnology, you have two minutes to surrender and walk outside the front of the building with your hands up. If you do not comply we will engage and torch the building.

The sounds of ropes and rappelling troops  were soon heard.

“They weren’t moving fast? I’d say they got here pretty fucking quick.” November said, giving Coyote a dirty look.

“Nothing we can do about it now. You two, take care of the ground forces and work a distraction while Coyote and I get in position to take these fuckers down.”

“I can’t just sit here, I gotta do something.”

“Absolutely not. Move and I’ll put you down myself. Try and catch some z’s while we’re gone.” Dave said with a smile before grabbing Coyote by the shoulder pad and dragging him out and over to the stairwell.

Not too long after their quick exit, Kryder, November and Stove heard gunshots echoing throughout the halls and the corridor while Dave began shouting orders to Coyote.

“Well I guess we had better move before they get themselves killed.” November said to Stove who was standing there, looking out the doors that peered into the main corridor. The large windows that lined the street side wall were really all that were separating the Aztec soldiers from the three tired runners.

“You know, I know who you really are right? Ace told me.” November said, as the two agents faced out the door and towards the main corridor, preparing to engage in a fire fight that Kryder was still trying to ready himself for even though his body forced him to sit down.

Stove replied with a simple and signature gesture by putting two cigarettes in his mouth.

“You’re October. The original one.” November’s words were met with Stove’s silence and the sound of flint striking the stone wheel of his lighter. The burning of the tobacco in his cigarettes barely managed to catch November’s ears as the sounds of the troops gathering outside were beginning to flood the area. “Nothing to say?” November added.

Stove simply put one of the cigarettes he had lit in his mouth, into the mouth of November who accepted the carcinogen with a crestfallen smile. He would get no answers this time as Stove shook his head no, affirming his silence.

As Kryder, slowly slid out of bed and propped himself up he managed to catch a spectacle provided by Stove and his wind magic.

Walking into the lobby, Stove possessed a calmness that relaxed and put Kryder in awe. He couldn’t tell if Stove was confident or fearless of death, but either way, it was inspiring. The sirens, the sounds and shouts by the soldiers coming from the other side of the glass fell on what seemed to be deaf ears. Stove simply stood in the center of the lobby and stretched out his hand. Kryder then suddenly remembered the moment he first saw Stove’s powers. Atop the rooftop, with a similar gesture, Stove destroyed several well trained soldiers and this instant was to be no different.

For a moment, it was quiet and the soldiers outside, hiding behind armored vehicles, began to wonder what the man in the lobby would do. The man called Stove.

The loudest boom penetrated Kryder’s ears, almost liquefying his brain. Stove had summoned the winds of the astral plane, or something of equal ferocity as two gusts shot out from his hands. As the sound broke the ear drums of those standing in front of him, the glass, the steel skeleton and concrete façade of the building were all shattered and sent hurtling towards the shocked and dazed soldiers.

Dust, destruction and death all twisted into one amalgam and tossed on the streets of the ghost town. This was not to be the last act to be committed by these two agents. November and Stove seemed to possess a complementary skill set.  

Caught in the debris storm were six to ten armed soldiers that were said by Aztec, to be the elite. However there were two other things in that dust cloud that were actually of import. They were the Prime Runners Enceladus and Titan. A Prime Runner was a title colloquially given to Shadow Runners who lived long enough to be called as such. Whereas most Shadow Runners die in six to eight weeks, usually to receive this title, you need to live for more than a year or so. These two did.

Enceladus was a combat archer, clad in dark leather armor and capped with goggles on his head. He wore the bow around his shoulder and kept his arrows in an old fashioned quiver. He sat atop Titan, who was a large combat drone that was a dreadnaught class. It also had the gift and curse of having a fully functioning, but shackled AI program that received orders from Enceladus. These two, were not famous, but they were experienced, and were waiting along with the usual grunts of Aztec and two attack choppers. Waiting to kill everyone but Kryder. But Stove’s distraction had worked. All the men caught in the blast closed their eyes reflexively and winced in pain.

Then, suddenly, two loud bangs came from the dust cloud as the sound of wires on winches pierced the slowly coming silence from the settling debris. Two jet black daggers attached by wires came zipping out of the clouds. Latching onto the legs of the fourteen foot tall dreadnaught by way of the grapples, November came flying out of the building. His large cloak came off in midflight as he stuck low to the ground, skirting along the sand covered pavement.

Flying by at an insanely high speed, the gunners in the two choppers had no time to react and lock on. Instead, November darted right under the legs of Titan and flung himself like a cannon ball right at the group of shocked and awed soldiers. As he flew towards them he flipped out his forearm snap blade and quickly decapitated one of the soldiers who had his eyes closed. But, before any of the others could react to their comrade’s death, November had tucked and rolled past them and vanished behind cover somewhere. The cut was so clean that there was no blood spatter and there was no sound or scream. This quickly unnerved all but Enceladus and Titan who turned around. Enceladus seated in a harness atop the death machine, drew an arrow, ready to fire upon November as soon as he left cover.

With silent footsteps, November darted from behind a broken down and oxidized car, to a short wall that used to protect a small garden. As he ran low to the ground, gunshots began to pick at the brick wall. At the speed that he was running at, Enceladus guessed when he would come out from the other side of the wall. After picking his spot, he held his arrow in place as well as his breath.

When November ducked behind the south wall, the soldiers followed his predicted path to the north side of the wall with a hail of bullets. But as soon as the sight of his black combat boots emerging from behind the north side of the wall, the hail of gunfire turned into a wrath. This wrath included Enceladus’ explosive arrow that pinned itself to the ground, ready to detonate before November could dodge or change direction given his speed.

However, the sound of the winch and wire rang through the gunfire. Faking out everyone, November rose above the wall, almost escaping the ire of those shooting at him. They had been fooled.

November began flying up, higher and higher, but Enceladus and Titan both saw and realized this was all a ploy to get to the helicopters. His dagger tipped grapple was wrapped around the landing bar of the chopper, unknown to the oblivious pilot who still had his guns pointed at the debris cloud. But before he could even realize what the sudden shift in weight in his air craft was, November pounced on the surface of the chopper with a heavy pistol pointed right at the pilot. The gunner only had time to scream as a shot shattered the window and spattered the brains of the pilot, sending the chopper spiraling down. But almost as if November left before the bullet made contact with the glass, he was gone. No one on the battle field could keep track of his movements. By this point Enceladus was scared and Titan recognized the threat of such a runner.

Before they could decide how to deal with the threat, a large sonic boom swept the dreadnaught off its feet. It was the first time that had happened. Behind the toppled Titan stood Stove, still with a cigarette in his mouth. Kryder could only watch from his makeshift bed. Shortly after Stove’s entrance he could hear the maniacal laughter of Gorgeous Dave as the sound of a missile screeching through the air sent the second attack chopper spiraling down. Kryder began to laugh, realizing the class of people he was being rescued by. He had seen nothing like it.

But while he was laughing, the glass in the windows next to him shattered as rappelling troops kicked and rolled their way in. Four gunmen and someone who seemed to stand out. Kryder wasn’t really all that phased which surprised him.

As the five men gathered themselves , the tall one in the leather duster and tan skin spoke into his Commlink.

“Ground team, hold them off, we have the package.” The man had a Latin American accent and a sinister smile. “Okay men, while they’re busy dying out there, let’s make use of their sacrifice.

Two men secured a small perimeter while the other two moved in to restrain Kryder.

“Wait! You’re awakened according to your most recent encounter with us. You also managed to escape.”

“Yeah so?” Kryder said with a hostile look on his face, trying to bluff his way into instilling fear into the hearts of the men trying to take him. His body was still in pain. But not for long.

“So that means you used your grace pass. You two, take off his legs. If they escape, they’ll be carrying out this man.” The man in the duster began to laugh as watched a third grunt approach Kryder while unsheathing his machete. “Just so you know, I’m a mage too so if you try anything I’ll tear you from the inside out.”

Kryder had never felt as claustrophobic as this , men were restraining him, trying to put him back in the same house. The one that stank of blood. The odor still was fresh in Kryder’s mind. So was the sight of Karliah’s body. They wanted to take him back, throw him away. The psychosis that was justified in the eyes of many began to creep its way into Kryder’s mind. He could feel himself losing control and intuitively healing himself with mana. His bones began to heat up once again and his eyes began to water as they lost vision. He felt the same sickening feeling overtake him once more. But a certain sensation of euphoric rage overtook him along with this sick feeling of malcontent.

He couldn’t see them, but the three men that were ready to take him away all began to back up. Even the mage saw Kryder begin to glow and a smile appear on his face. There was no way they could have known. No one could believe that Kryder killed all those men back at the dungeon by himself. But it would be the last thing they learned. That Kryder wasn’t just a mage, or an adept, he wasn’t awake, he was just sleepwalking.

“What do you mean?”

“Where there is good, there is evil and where there is light there is darkness. With that said. Magic relies on order and so naturally there are aspects of this world controlled by chaos. Random chance, and mutations are just a few things that fall under the forces of chaos.”

“And you chose to be their champion? Why?”

“All of the things associated with Chaos, bring change. That is what we need. I intend to rid the world of the stagnation it has brought upon itself. Injustice has been allowed to exist because of those who claim to uphold justice. I intend to change all of that, and if that requires me bringing myself to the altar of chaos then I shall.”

“It’s going to take you. Everyone always thinks that they’ll be able to use evil for good, that the ends justify the means. But the ends and the means are one in the same. One leads to the other and if you chose evil, you’ll end with evil. No man can escape that.”

“Good thing I am no man. I died a long time ago. I made a deal with Chaos when I woke up in the city, lying on my back and bathing in the toxic radiation. I will be the first, to resist temptation, the first to walk the line and never falter. Because I am no man. I have no drive and no desire of a mortal nature. I just want peace. And I will do so by burning all those who get in my way and paving a path for the righteous and the ones who will stumble, but learn to stand on their own.”

“You’re an idealist.”

“You haven’t the slightest clue.”

Silence

“Water?”

“No thank you……but I have to ask you. Will you ever let me leave?”

“No. You’re friend. He’s coming. He’ll come and save you. But you have my message. And I can see that you finally know what I speak of and where I speak from. I am not as twisted as you all think.”

“What do you plan to do next.”

“To eliminate those who claim order. To dispense true justice and true freedom.”

“You’re going to destroy the Syndicate? You’re going to unleash chaos upon them?”

“I will.”

“How do you know that I won’t just stop you?”

“Because I can see it in your eyes. As I just said. You know now of what I speak. Men manipulating men for their own purposes. I can see that in your friend as he is the manipulated, and you want that to end. You know I am right and you won’t stop me. You hate order as much as I do.”

Laughter. “You’re very close to the mark…but I can’t just let you kill everyone and everything.”

“You know what I’ve come to realize in my time after death?”

“What’s that?”

“It’s moments like these, right here. This is when chaos is most savory, when the outcome of the hectic perturbation is the most gratifying.”

“Why?”

A cool breeze rolls in through the night. The air is thick with humidity and the scent of metal is palpable.

“Because the best chaos…is the chaos you could have stopped-“

The man in bandages stares at the bloodied man, deep into his eyes with a cold conviction that has become attractive. He could feel every word. Every syllable could be savored, the intent was ripe, flowing through the air as the breeze had just done just moments ago.

“but you chose not to. That is the best kind of chaos.”

“November! Holy shit…help me!” Said a voice that grabbed November from his trance.

Moving over, he looked in through a window that that was fogged from the dust that had begun to descend like snow throughout the hallways. But he was clearly able to make out an agent who was laying on the ground…it was April.

“April!” November said, slamming his hand on the re-enforced glass.

“November, you gotta help me! I’m stuck underneath this thing. It’s got my leg!” April said, motioning over a pile of ceiling that had landed on her leg, crushing and covering everything from just below the knee and down.

Another agent was also in there as well, it was March. The young and enthusiastic dwarf adept was standing by the door on the other side of the room. Something had him perturbed and November was thinking that it wasn’t just the recent events, but perhaps something on the other side of the door.

“March! Is that you in there?” November yelled. He realized that he needed to get back to the med bay and soon. He also would prefer it if March could help April instead of forcing him to waste precious time….wait. November caught himself. April was always there for him. How dare he consider this a waste of time. October would have to wait.

Checking his communication channels, he realized that the radiation would have muddled all attempts to try and send any short or long wave signals. All electronics that had any conventional devices would be offline and down.

“November…something is on the other side of this door. I felt something open up here when Joshua set off that bomb. I think it’s coming.” March said, pulling out his cobra police baton and an Ares predator.

“What the fuck?” November said, hushed, questioning the ominous words that the usually jovial March had just said to him. What was it that he felt.

All November knew was that he had to find a way to get into that room and free April and hopefully get back to October and escape this home turned hell.

Striking the glass, the pane made one slight crack no more than a meter in width. It was going to take more than that to get through the glass. Striking it once more, in the exact same spot, it spread just a little bit more.

November then eyeballed his body’s condition and strength output gauge and read that it was at sixty seven percent. If only he was at full capacity, this wall would be down.

Thinking to himself, he was quietly and slowly unsettled by the sound and feeling of a presence that was growing and creeping upon him. Turning around, to look at the dead bodies that lined the hallway which was now pitch black, he noticed that the emergency lighting had finally given out. His imagelink software hadn’t come online, so he couldn’t do anything to try and improve his vision. However, reaching down, he picked up a flashlight from the cold dead hands of a maintenance worker.

“November…we have company. Joshua didn’t just set off an explosion, he also brought something here. Many things. They’re foul. Prepare yourself November.” March said, as he carefully walked over to the crying April and began trying to dig her out with little success.

“What the fuck is going on?” Squinting in the dark, and approaching this sense of presence, he began to taste metal in his mouth. Almost as if he were chewing aluminum foil. Also the stench of something foul in the air grew, a similar taste and smell he experienced on his sojourn to the Dead City with Captain Matthew Woods. November was at least grateful that August and Woods were still in the Dead City away from this blast. Even May, whom he hadn’t seen lately, was off site and managed to serve as a reminder to November that all was not lost. But before he could get too complacent he heard a familiar growl in the darkness.

His flashlight ended like a spotlight on asphalt, except it was the darkness of the hallway that served as the disturbing backdrop.

The patters of footsteps could be heard.

“Please god no…” November said, with a dry and pleading voice.

Then, from the darkness, emerged a small pack of ghouls. Their presence caused November’s hairs to stand on end. Their abominate existence was stringent in the wake of all things normal.

Without panic, but with cause instead…November dropped his flashlight to the ground, slowly before turning it off completely. Sometimes he would envision a spectator watching his fights, questioning all the things that he does, only so he could justify it to the spectator and himself.

“They may be nocturnal, and they may be able to see in the dark while I can’t (at the moment) but I still have this.” November said to himself as a high pitched, and barely audible ping emitted from his fingertip.

Ultrasound. The walls and reverberation of noise and sound became his sight. Everything was visible in complete clarity. A white outline of a soft neon variety had bathed everything with form and matter, giving November equal footing with the nocturnal ghouls that had assembled in front of him, waiting to strike.

However, with a greater clarity, came a greater sense of uneasiness.

Skipping the question at hand, which was how they got here…November felt a change, a difference in these ghouls from the last. They were more slender, meeker, milder, but in their blanks stares and more gaunt appearance, they unsettled him more than the Dead City’s Apex Predators that were previously encountered.

As November prepared to fight these slaves of radiation, he was blindsided and scared nearly completely to death by an outer-one ghoul. The familiar muscular and impressive growl of the outer ghoul came crashing in through a window from November’s blind spot. As it tackled him to the ground, all the other ghouls descended upon him like a raging waterfall.

With one ghoul fighting to keep him down, and about four or five more approaching him, November, although agitated from the shock, never lost his cool.

Using his forearm to keep the outer one from infecting him with his vicious bite, he managed to plant his feet on the under belly of the outer one, and launch him over his head and into the small pack of gaunt ghouls.

While the outer one, soared through the air a few feet off the ground, November took advantage of its momentary immobility and fired off one of his grapple kunai. With true accuracy, piercing its left eye and exiting out the back of its head, November used the ‘deceased’ outer one as an anchor and rappelled himself towards the pack with blinding speed.

Blowing past the ghouls and breaking their line, he pulled out something he had never used but spontaneously decided to do so, especially given the current situation.

A SLPHC-Rx50, the newest redline laser pistol, modified for Syndicate usage and employees. Its sleek black and white hull, along with exposed firing barrel that glowed red, was pulled out from underneath November’s inner jacket pocket. Still sliding, November took careful aim at the ghouls that were lined up perpendicularly to him. Blinking before the shot, November fired the redline pistol, using a drain mod, that allowed him to fire a steady and lasting beam. The red light that came from the gun’s mouth, poured out like a hot liquid only to take form at the last second and align itself as one straight and impressive beam. The noise was a loud but sleek hissing sound, caused by the air particles around the laser heating up and being incinerated. The glow was strong due to the dust particles, but in one pull of the trigger, and a drag of the wrist, November had fired a steady beam and killed five ghouls with it.

Impressed with himself, November stood up and surveyed the area. The scent of burning air gave a respite to the horrible stench that accompanied the ghoul’s entrance.

“April..” November said to himself, running back over to March and April’s room.

The sounds of fighting could be heard, but as November approached the room, he saw a ring of ghouls forming a perimeter around the trapped April. However, to his delight, they were all dead. With skulls penetrated or perforated.

“NOT TODAY FRIEND!!!” March said as he held one barely functioning ghoul by the collar and bashed its head in with his baton that was not covered in muck.

“You guys okay?”

“November! I thought they got you back there!” March said running over to April but looking at November.

Trying to pull the rubble off of their friend, March once again caught the wind of something foul in the air. Ignoring it for sake of the task at hand both November and March began chipping at their respective boundaries.

“March do you think you can reach her?” November said as he was trying to not over exert himself given his injuries, but still trying to get through to his friends. “If you can’t just get this glass out of my way.”

“There’s just this one huge slab that’s resting on her leg. It’s gotta be close to a thousand pounds.” Said March who tried desperately to lift it off of the still frantic April.

“Oh my God…I’m gonna lose the leg. I can’t fee it any more. Actually I don’t think I could ever feel it to begin with.” Tears came to her eyes as she laid flat on the ground in a pose of desperation.

“Is your radio working Novem-“

Thump

                        Tremble

                                                Quake

“…what the fuck was that?” Said November as the three agents looked to each other for answers.

“Something else…it’s here. It’s coming for us. It can hear your crying April…” March said gently covering her whimpering mouth. “you must be quiet. You too November, you must stop hitting the glass.”

November was pensive, trying to figure out what the tremor was. Was the base going to sink into itself? Was everything falling apart? Or was this something else that Joshua had planned. What was he doing? Were Shaw and anyone else still alive? What about Ace?

Reeling himself back from his fast approaching anxiety, November regained his tactical state.

What was Joshua doing?

No doubt he was after the Stone, and these ghouls are just a distraction meant to keep the personnel busy.

TREMMOR

This one was noticeable, it wasn’t a subtle shudder, it was a quake, but it felt like it came from something, something near.

“I can feel it, it’s getting closer.” March whispered.

“What’s getting closer?” November was getting frustrated with March’s prose and explanation, it was a trait that March had when he was being drawn in by his astral perception.

“I’m not too sure-“ March was cut off by himself. He stopped talking and began to walk around the room, almost as if he were a dog sniffing out a trail. As he walked to the center of the room the quaking, the tension, it all seemed to fade away, even if just for a second.

But just as March began to turn around to resume his excavation, the ground opened up behind him. Crumbling and crackling right after a large quake, a hole appeared in the floor. With the trio of agents looking on in awe, at the sight of a giant, muscular, green-skinned ghoul briefly peaking up through the hole, exposing its featureless head and broad shoulders.

“Oh my God!” April said, with tears streaming down her face and a quiver in her voice.

Without hesitation March began firing off as man y rounds as possible at the giants head while staggering backwards away from the behemoth. But just as soon as he began back pedaling, the giant began absorbing the gun shots with one hand and reached for March with the other.

November then began punching the glass once more, hoping to get inside to help his friends, but this two ply, bullet proof glass was enough to hold him back, unless he decided to unleash all that he had. But for the moment he was only at eighty three percent capability.

April, whose arm had also been hurt in the initial explosion, used her other arm to pull out her pistol and load it with care, using only one hand. Firing off round after round, trying to distract it, the Giant continuously clawed away at March who began hiding behind a large steel lab table.

Reloading, March looked up into the glass and at November before turning out from behind the table in an effort to continue to try and save April.

“Back to hell with you, you foul putrid demon!” March yelled as he dodged the initial grasp and began running towards it, firing off several rounds.

Eventually the titanous being had enough and rescinded back to the underground lair from which it had come from.

March, triumphant, reloaded once more and walked over to the hole.

“What the fuck was that?” November and April both said in unison.

“Not a fucking cl-“

Then the door, previously observed by November burst open. This time, with the familiar outer one standing in the frame. In March’s blind spot.

“March behind you!” November yelled as the dwarf turned in time to stop an attack by the outer one.

The thrust attack by the ghoul however knocked March several feet back. But, close combat will always be March’s advantage as he quickly gained the upper hand with his barely superior strength. His adept powers proved too much for the ghoul as he began pushing him back. A smile then came on March’s face as he began to man handle the beast before him.

However, once again the ugly giant reached up from behind March…

This time grabbing him by his belt. His hand wasn’t large enough to fit around his waist, but it might as well have as March was slowly being dragged down to hell.

Screaming, and shooting at the hole where the giant was, the dark one just stood and watched his titan brethren kill his prey slowly.

“NOO!!” November said as he began to prepare his muscles for a power surge. His output would be too great and would cause him damage but he had to do something. But before he could, the screaming March was dragged down into the hole and a blood curdling scream could be heard, along with the growling of several ghouls.

Just like that, another agent was killed. A good one at that.

But before mourning could happen, the outer one began a slow walk towards the pinned April.

Screaming wildly and trying to kill the ghoul with her gun that merely clicked with a sound most horrifying, November realized that it was now or never.

Letting out his own scream, a roar of a lion, November flexed, tensed and then delivered a punch most seismic. Shattering the glass and destroying the wall by placing a hole larger than that of the giant’s own.

“FUCK YOU!” November said as he charged the ghoul and easily dismantled it with his bare hands.

His rage helped him, his viciousness and willingness to protect what was left of his friends had become his now recognized priority.

Again, awe struck once more, April stared upon the pinnacle of human and cyberware union. November stood over the deceased ghoul, angered at his hesitation and which led to the culmination of March’s death.

But again, before he could begin to feel the emotional and mental backlash of his actions and the events around him, a fire in the laboratory had gone off. Engulfing much of the room in flames and quickly closing in on April’s pinned body.

“Uhhh.. November….HELP!” April had begun to grow tired of needing assistance and being pinned underneath this mountain of rubble.

Although he could have lifted it off of her beforehand, he could no longer as his muscles were aching and some shut down for nano-repairs. His capabilities dropped back down to seventy three percent.

Shit…oh shit

Looking around November did all that he could do at the moment. Partially out of panic and partially out of an unwillingness to lose another friend and comrade.

“I’m sorry April, this is the only way.” He said as he unsheathed his forearm snap blade.

“Wait…no!” April yelled.

“April, can you move your leg…can you feel it?” November yelled. “It’s gone you can’t save it!” answering his own question.

“fuck okay..just hurry!” the flames drew even closer.

April leaned up and clutched onto November’s body as he squatted over her and let her bite his forearm for the pain that was to come.

With a quick slash and a feint scream, November cut off the pinned portion of April’s leg. At least it was quick and clean.

The now delirious April was slumped over November’s shoulder as the two emerged from the hole in the wall made by November.

Again they were in the darkness.  

00:12

“Stay with me April, don’t pass out now. All we need to do if find the med lab and we’ll be fine.” November said, stepping over mountains and valleys formed by the explosion. April was showing signs of going in to shock and although November had no idea of knowing if the med lab was still functional, he needed to supply hope. That social judgment came from the heart.

November ducked through the hallway as quietly as possible, but he still needed to dispatch a few ghouls on his trek. But eventually he found himself outside the medical facilities.

A feeling in his stomach unsettled him as he saw the med-bay’s lights were all off and its front wall was caved in. Had the ghouls gotten to them? Joshua? Were they taken out by the blast? Regardless he needed to go in and find out for himself for his sake and April’s.

Risking safety in an effort to save time, he bothered not to check the room before entering but instead just barged in past the broken glass and collapsed doorway.

“January! Anyone?” November yelled in the dark, awaiting a response.”

Eventually a door opened and to the relief of November, January, a Syndicate soldier and an armed doctor stepped out to escort them deeper into the medical lab facility which they had properly barricaded.

After being ushered in, with little in their way, November eventually found some sort of safe haven in the wreckage of his home.

With flashlights strategically placed throughout the waiting room, November found his way to a table and set down April while summoning as much help as he could get.

“Alright…I need doctors, she’s losing blood. I had to amputate her leg. We need to seal this wound now!”

“I’m on it!” Said the doctor previously armed with a light pistol, but now with a sealant gun and a nanotube ready to disinfect the wound.

“January help me hold her down.” November grabbed one of April’s arms as she began to slowly squirm out of delirium from her blood loss. “April, hang in there.” November said as he stroked her face and brushed her hair out of her eyes, doing his best to comfort her. He needed no help holding her down, but to not hurt her with his powerful grip, and to help establish friendly faces in front of someone who was enduring great pain, November needed January’s help. He also figured that she and “they” would need his as well.

“You guys okay in here?” November’s eyes met with January’s with a sense of steel and determination.

“We’re doing pretty well considering the circumstances.” January paused for just a moment to fasten her grip on April as well as to try and help the doctor roll up her pant leg. “Do you know what happened? What was that explosion? That wasn’t Joshua was it?”

“I’m pretty sure it was. August called me a few seconds before it happened and apparently he found out that this was all a trap laid by Joshua.”

“Why? What is he after?”

“I’m guessing the same thing the Syndicate has been involved with for the past few months. Either Ace or that artifact he’s chasing…that Stone of something or other.”

Getting the establishing information out of the way, a sudden expression came of January’s face that signified something terrible had happened. It was almost as if she had forgotten but after giving herself a moment to think, she had suddenly remembered something.

“November….” January said, with a voice ripe with levity. The steel eyed agent knew what was coming, but it wasn’t a reality quite yet. He gripped April’s arm tightly, hoping that his intuition was incorrect. “Look…something happened while you were gone.”

“April get ready, this is going to hurt a lot! Guys hold her down.” Said the doctor who put down the paste and readied the sealant gun, ready to meld flesh together in a crude attempt to save April’s life.

“What happened…”November’s voice didn’t tremble…it quaked instead. Passion was rife and tension was palpable. The anxiety of the moment was killing him.

“Ready?” Said the doctor, looking at April who just nodded.

“I’m sorry…” Tears came to January’s eyes. He voice cracking as she choked on the next words that barely escaped her breath.

“…October…he’s gone.”

The gun made contact…the hiss of searing flesh could be inhaled but not by November. He didn’t notice.

April’s scream from the pain broke the silence that November had succumbed to. January’s cry was silent, and the doctor’s gun wasn’t loud either. The only two things that November could sense, was the cry and scream of April’s beautiful voice as well as the thumping of his own heartbeat.

He could feel himself breaking. He could’ve cried, he could lash out and go on a rampage. But instead, he just snapped in the most reflexive way possible. A total implosion. His mind fractured and the side that floated to the surface of November’s face was a cold stoicism that only made January cry harder.

The flame was now gone. The wick cut from the wax.

“How is she doing?” November said with a quiet voice, directed at the doctor.

“Almost done.”

“April, was slowly reaching up at November, running her fingers up and down November’s arm, clasping at nothing.”

The moment was lost to him. He didn’t know what to do. But in the coming minutes, the people in the medical lab that survived the blast just took the shelter and waited for the injured to be treated and ready to be moved.

7:59

As the clock on his desk struck eight o’clock, November could see the sun icon on his clock begin to fade away.

“So you know you’re up for termination right?”

“Yeah, I kinda figured that.” November sighed, dropping his hands on top of his knees.

“If you’re still a Syndicate employee tomorrow you know you have thank people like January, August and June right? Even Matthew and all the crew members stuck up for you. Hell, even I fuckin’ stood up for you. Every fiber in this god damned base just pulled for you.”

“I really appreciate that Taylor. It almost makes me regret going after October…but I still don’t.”

“Yeah, I honestly don’t blame you. But you do that shit again, you’re out of here. You’ll be terminated and the implants we put in you will be stripped from you. You don’t want to know how that goes, given that so much of your body is owned by my bosses.”

“I’ll be on my best behavior from now own.” November said, trying as hard as he could to not be facetious.

“Doesn’t matter, because for bailing you out, you owe me.”

“There’s the Shaw I know.” November said, poking fun at Shaw’s utilitarian personality.

“Shut up, I honestly don’t have time for your antics November.” Shaw said passing a file over to November. “You’ll take this task, and that’ll send you away for a bit. You’ll be out of my hair, you won’t be in the council spotlight and you can still help us.”

“What the fuck? I feel like a kid being sent away to boarding school because his parents are pissed.” November said, browsing through the contents of his next assignment.

His next assignment was to be assigned to Ace’s Team and he would help them return the Stone of Garo to Gable Corporation. It was essentially guard duty.

“Wait, Ace is the guy that June ran with undercover right?”

“Yep. Just this night, June walked into the Syndicate with Ace barely alive and with Inari in cuffs. Apparently in a conflict, Inari had damaged the Stone, which somehow put Ace’s life in jeopardy. All that’s left is for us to put a cap on this situation by making sure the Stone gets delivered to Gable Corps headquarters.”

“Why do you need my help with this?”

“Because Dead Sea and Caspian are still unaccounted for in all this. This is a tier one campaign…the Stone’s I mean.”

“I still don’t understand why the Syndicate cares about Ace and this artifact.”

“Neither do I honestly. The Stone apparently will change the global economy and given that the Syndicate is in charge of controlling that, I’m sure they knew what they wanted to do with it.”

“And delivering this powerful artifact to Gable is what they want?”

“Don’t ask questions and just help Ace get this job done.” Said Shaw who stood up, motioning for November to get out of his office. Shaw himself wasn’t aware of the impact that the Stone would have, nor the Syndicate’s knowledge of this power it had. If only the both of them knew what the Stone really was, they wouldn’t question the Syndicates involvement in this seemingly menial affair.

“So now what?” November said on his way out.

“Well Joshua is about to be interrogated by July, but before that I advise going to see Ace and talking to him about it.”

November nodded and tucked his file under his arm and pressed the button on the wall to open the door. “Oh Shaw…thanks for sticking your neck out for me.”

“Get outta here!” Shaw said with a smile and throwing a pencil at November, which he caught.

8:13

“So how’d it go?” January asked, standing up out of her seat.

“A lot….a LOT better than expected.” November said as he continued to look over his mission parameters.

“…really?” Responded January.

“Yeah, I was headed in there thinking I was going to get an earful at best and a crucifixion as a likelihood.”

“So…what happened?” responded an anxious January, whose answer still eluded her.

“He basically gave me a slap on the wrist and appealed to the council. He thinks I’m gonna be okay, but I need to accept this mission to solidify it.”

“That’s a relief.” January said sighing in relief.

As the two walked down the hall they made two stops before going to speak with November’s new associate Ace. The first was an unexpected one when they passed the processing checkpoint where Joshua was sitting, handcuffed and being guarded by July.

As November walked past his rival, an air of unusual awkwardness and perplexity wafted over the two. But of course, it came to the amusement and supposed delight of Joshua.

“Evening November.” Joshua said through a bite guard. His eyes tilted down at the floor, peering through a new set of medical wrap which ran around his head.

“What’d you do to earn that new mask?” Said November with obvious disdain.

“It came at Shaw’s suggestion. This guy’s just been shifty as fuck.” Said July who was filling out paper work, ready to move Joshua into the interrogation chamber.

“My interview is going to be in a little bit. You should come and attend it. I’m sure you’ll like what I have to say.” Said Joshua with a tone most twisted.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Replied November.

As the other countless crew members passed through the brightly lit hallway intersection, everything seemed to fade away into the distance when Joshua looked up to stare into November’s eyes. Something was different since the last time the two had met. The air of awkwardness that Joshua had perpetuated with his presence turned into a tempest of certainty. Almost as if Joshua belonged right where he needed to be. The uneasiness pushed November away.

“Yeah, July, give me a ring when you pick this fucker apart.”

“You got it.” Replied July who forced Joshua and began to bring him into the preparation room.

As November and January walked down towards the medical wing November felt incredibly uneasy. He didn’t like what Joshua said, how he seemed, and how he came off. His demeanor didn’t fit the situation .In fact it never did. From the moment he threw him back into the basement, till now, Joshua just seemed like he was going through the motions.

“That’s the guy you were hunting? He seems creepy as fuck.” Said January who was looking back at the struggling July before the crowds of people and workers obscured the view.

“Yeah, hold on a sec, I just wanna call August real quick.” Said November as he pulled up his Commlink to call August who had stayed behind in Joshua’s headquarters with a few Syndicate soldiers to investigate for any clues that may help with understanding Joshua’s motives.

“Hey November what’s up?”

“Nothing much, just wondering if you managed to dig up anything on Joshua from your end?”

“Nothing really. Just shit that we already knew. I think our best bet is to ask October what Joshua is up to. Maybe he overheard some stuff when he was getting put through the ringer.”

“Yeah, he just seems off right now. Let me know if you’ve got anything for me.”

“Alright man. I’m following a literal paper trail right now. This guy doesn’t believe in binders or notebooks, just pieces of scrap.” Replied a frustrated and busy August before he hung up.

Just what November didn’t want to hear.

Why was this guy so weird? Why was there nothing that November could do, say or think to himself that would make him feel confident in his capture of Joshua. Ever since their first meeting, something just didn’t sit right with him. His powers are something new and uncharted, and his motives weren’t driven by money. In fact, he didn’t really know what Joshua was getting after. Perhaps that’s what really set November off balance.

“Do you think October is awake yet?” Said January who was standing in the doorway that led to the medical wing. November had just been daydreaming while walking, not even realizing that he had arrived at his destination.

“I hope so, but he was in pretty bad shape when I got to him.”

As the two walked in, the medical wing was relatively quiet with only a few doctors staffed. It had been a while since any large scale conflicts or W.I.A.’s were reported.

“Hey Novy…Jan. Can I help you guys?” Said a nurse who greeted the two at the front desk.

“Hey we were just looking to see if we could catch up with October real quick. Is he still awake?” Said January.

“Well, I’m afraid you just missed him. He was brought to consciousness for a moment to speak with doctors but then he was put into a medically induced coma so his burns wouldn’t cause too much pain. He’s about to go into surgery though, so if you want to see him and maybe speak with him you can.” Said the nurse as she motioned towards one of the doors that led to a pre-operation room.

“Yeah, that’d be good.” Replied November who looked at the door with a wistful gaze.

As the two were ushered in to the room they both looked upon a resting and peaceful October who was hooked up to a respirator and momentary life support. At the moment, the operating doctor was in the room, looking over the charts.

“Hey doc, how’s he doing?” Asked November.

“He’s not doing well. We have him on life support because of a few skull fractures compromising some secondary muscle movements. But hopefully the surgery will get him off life support and out of the MIC. We’d like to get him started on the burn therapy soon.” The doctor had a solemn but realistic opinion.

“Alright, do you mind if you give us just a moment before you bring him in?

“Yeah sure, just let me know when you guys are ready.” Replied the doctor who set down the chart and left the two agents to have a much needed moment with their friend.

As November and January stood over October’s resting body. The sight of their friend, wrapped in bandages and hooked up to machinery brought on a tone of sadness and sorrow.

“Hey, October, please just get better so you can see us kick the shit out of this Joshua guy.” Said January before she took a step back to give November a moment she knew he desperately needed.

After a few seconds of silence, November took in a deep breath. Realizing what October meant to him, what January meant to him, and his sudden emotional resurgence, he stepped forward and laid his hands upon his friend.

“Hey Toby. You’re gonna pull through and you’re gonna wake up and we’ll be back on the A team before you know it.” November said before taking a second to collect his thoughts. “I’m sorry I froze back there when Joshua and his men got to you. I could’ve fought harder and I could’ve chased after you right away. But I was scared. It was the first time I felt fear in years and because of that you’re here…like this, right now. I’m sorry. Shaw spent millions of nuyen on me, making me the machine you hate so that I could at least protect you guys. That was the upside that I always held on to. But even so….” November paused as real tears once again found their ways to November’s eye lids. His voice quivered, but he recalled the needless emotions. That was until January put her hand on his back, which triggered his only melt down. He wasn’t sure what January wanted him to do. He wasn’t sure what anyone wanted him to do, or if anyone thought what he did was right. But he cried while his hands clenched the blankets that gently rested on October’s near lifeless body. “…even so I still couldn’t stop it. I almost lost you and that shows me that I’ve sacrificed so much of myself for nothing. And for that, I’m sorry. I know you always told me that what Shaw was doing to me was wrong, and even though I had to, I could have always fought it. You were right and I’m sorry.” November said as his voice trailed off.

All January could do was hold November tightly, burying his head underneath her arms and in her chest. She was always seen as the one who would be the quickest to anger, but here she was, being the first to love and to comfort. That’s what she loved about November. He brought out that side in her. He made her a better person, no matter what he was like. Even when he was distant, she knew that giving him space was the right thing, even though it was so hard. It was her only solace when she spent nights alone…that she was at least a good person.

As the clock struck the hour mark the doctor came into the room where a red eyed November sat across from the patient that was to soon be put into an invasive surgery. For the past hour, January and November had talked about their lives and what they were to do and what November could do to catch himself before his humanity fell into an abyss that no one fully understood.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but we’re all ready to go in the operation room.” Said the doctor as he and his staff comforted November and wheeled October into his impending operation.

The two then walked outside, knowing there was nothing more they could do for their friend.

“What’s next?” Asked January, who was still trying to be as present for November as she could.

“Well Joshua’s interrogation started a few minutes ago…” Said November as he was interrupted by the presence of a certain man wearing a black and white suit, with a classy and refined demeanor.

“I take it that you’re November and that you must be January.” Said the man before the two.

“Yeah, and who are you?” Asked January.

“My name’s Ace. I’m going to be working with November for the next few days I believe.” Said the man who called himself Ace. “Do you think you could excuse us for a moment January?” Ace said as politely as he could.

“Yeah sure, I’ll just wait over here.” Said January as she sat in one of the waiting room seats.

As Ace and November walked away to a quiet part of the room they began to discuss the current situation at hand.

“So November, do you have a real name I can call you by?”

“…November is fine. It’s nothing personal, it’s just what I prefer.”

“Fair enough.” Said Ace, throwing his hands up to show that no offense was taken. “Tell me…what has Shaw told you so far.”

“He told me that June came here with you and Inari, and that you had the Stone of Garo. He also told me that you needed help with something and that I would pretty much do whatever you needed.”

Ace first laughed at November’s crude description before responding. “Well, he’s right with most of that. You won’t need to heed and answer to my every beckoning call though. But it’s true, June showed up with me and the Stone of Garo as well as Inari, an international Criminal that the Syndicate wanted caught. But, the truth is that the Syndicate has known about my activities for a while and they recently approached me about helping me. Apparently your organization is concerned with keeping planet earth on a predictable and manageable course. They also realized that if anyone but me gets a hold of The Stone of Garo that the world would cease to be what it is.”

“See that’s what I don’t understand.” Interjected November. “Why does the Syndicate care so much about you and your Stone?”

Ace paused a moment, smiled and gazed off in the distance, working his eyes back to November over the course of this next statement.

“The Seasons are Changing November. The world is at a tipping point. So many factions are ready to claim power over the rest and the world will be at their mercy. This Stone could potentially determine that candidate, however it is a power that no man should have-“

“Except you?”

“Not even me. Which is why the Syndicate is helping me destroy it. There’s just one missing piece to this puzzle.”

“And what’s that? Don’t you already have the Stone?”

“Yes, but it was badly damaged by that fool Inari. Right now the Syndicate HQ is the only place that has the proper equipment that can keep the Stone safe and stable. However, to fix it, it’s going to require the help of one more person who is currently indisposed and halfway to Mexico.” Said Ace who sat down in one of the chairs that was placed in the corner of the waiting room.

“Is this what you wanted my help with?”

“Precisely. I need to be here with the Stone at all times and contrary to many of my employees and associates’ beliefs, I cannot be in two places at the same time.”

“Who is he and what are the details.”

“Well, precise details can be explained later. But the man’s name is Kryder and by now’s he should be half way to Mexico City.”

“…the fuck? You mean he’s halfway to the Aztec Financial capital? You do know that the Syndicate have made themselves all but known to them and that our two groups aren’t exactly friends.”

“I’m aware, but that’s why you’re the man for the job. I wanted the best so they suggested you. I need you to go to Mexico and find and rescue Kryder before he gets to the capital. If he gets there then our cause is lost and the Stone will eventually pass hands when Aztec finds us out.”

“Alright, do you have any intel?”

“Yes, but all that is with the three other runners I have waiting for you at location. Meet them there tomorrow at sunrise and your mission will begin. Failure to find Kryder will lead to the destruction to more than you now.”

“Cool…so no pressure right?”

“Very funny. That wit will serve you well. In the meantime I’m going to go see what this man Joshua claims to be doing. Apparently your friend July is midway through an interrogation.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna go to, I’ll meet you there.” Said November who was now deep in thought and preparing himself for his next assignment, which was coming only moments after his most recent and voluntary one.

“Fair enough. I’ll see you soon then.” Said Ace with a smile before he departed.

As Ace left, January came and sat down next to November.

“I’m gonna have to go real quick to see July’s interrogation.”

“Alright, I’m going to wait here for October’s surgery to finish.”

“Yeah, if he’s awake I’m sure he’ll love to see you. I should be back in a few minutes anyways. July should make quick work of this guy.” Said November as he stood up to go see his adversary stand in the intellectual ring with Agent July who was adept in psychological tactics.

As November walked down the hallway, somewhat pleased with how things were going, he felt his Commlink vibrate against body. Little did November know that this phone call would be the start of a series of events that would change him, torment him and make him who he was to become.

“November!?!?” August screamed into the phone the moment November answered.

“Shit…”Said November as he rubbed his ear out of reaction.

“November, I found out what Joshua’s plan is and you have to get the base on full alert NOW!”

“Woah calm down and tell me what’s happening.” Said November who stopped walking towards the interrogation and instead just stood in the hallway, listening to the harrowing words that August was soon to say. Looking over at a monitor in the hallway that was playing the interrogation’s progress, he could see Joshua sitting calmly in the room, answering July’s questions.

“He wanted to get caught. Somehow, he knew that Ace was going to be there and that he was going to have the Stone with him. He wanted you to take him to the base so that he could get the Stone. I don’t know what he has planned exactly, but it’s big. You gotta alert the agents and Shaw!!!”

As November hung up the call, he instantly began sprinting down the hallway with a streaming feed of the interrogation playing on his retinal display.

It was too late.

Moments before August’s Call

Across the underground complex, about four hundred yards sat Joshua. In a white room with one door and a one way mirror. Three guards stood between him and the door and July sat across from a pristine steel table.

“So let’s start this right. Joshua Forrest. Is that your real name?” Asked July who crossed his legs and sat back in his metal chair.

“Yes. I was born with that name. Joshua Gideon Forrest if you wish to be precise.”

“That’s a meaningful name.”

“I’m aware.” Replied Joshua who was docile and calm. Or perhaps biding his time, entertaining the cat who had caught something that was disguised as a mouse.

“From our reports, it says that you grew up in Chicago during the Elven Pariah Rebellion.” July said, pausing for a moment before asking “can you tell me what that was like?”

“Fun.” Said Joshua who was then viciously smacked in the back of the head by one of the guards standing near him. “Is this an interrogation or is this a dinner conversation?”

“It’s a psychological profile.”

Joshua sighed but began to recall what he wanted about the Elven rebellion.

“It was a tumultuous time. My father and my mother were elves. I was adopted into their care and never a better set of parents existed. But when they were driven from Chicago, we were forced to relocate to Portland where I spent the rest of my adolescent years, learning the ways of law enforcement.”

“What made you enlist with law enforcement?”

“The fact that my father wasn’t a rebel but was killed in the riots. At that time, before and while I was an officer of the law I believed in a strict code of order, believing that it would be the best thing for saving lives in the wake of the political and social strife that was overtaking the nation.”

“But now you’re not as idealistic I take it?”

“I am…just in a different way.”

“So why are you interested in the Stone of Garo?” Asked July, trying to catch Joshua off balance by taking changing the content of his questions around.

“Because I know what it does and I know that I can help me accomplish what I want.”

“And what is it that you want?”

Joshua took a deep breath and subtly took control of the interrogation. He was an underestimated mastermind of psychological warfare. July was the best the Syndicate had to offer, and because of that he was able to recognize it. But he wasn’t able to stop it.

“You have a pretty extensive file over there. Does it tell you what happened in December of 2071 in Portland Seattle and where I was?”

“You’re referring to the great Portland disaster?”

“More than that. I’m referring to me waking up in the City while it died, with flames and radiation cooking the sins of the people into my burning flesh.”

“Sounds rough, but let’s-“ July was cut off and although he wished to steer the conversation elsewhere, he was too captivated to look away.

“I remember crawling my way from under a burning building and hearing voices. My days in Chicago weren’t mine anymore. I wasn’t just Joshua Gideon Forrest. I was everyone who was unjustly murdered in that political travesty. The feeling of Vengeance that overcame me when my hand grasped the top of the concrete foundation of the now called Monolith that rests in the center of the city is what drives me to go after the Stone.”

As this interview progressed, two key events took place in the Syndicate facility.

The first was Ace, Shaw and June arriving at the Chamber that that had the Stone of Garo in containment, keeping it from exploding. However as soon as the containment field was activated, Joshua was cued to its presence in the base. It was then that August called November and warned him.

The second event was November’s witnessing of the next few minutes and Joshua’s speech, answer and introduction.

With the intercom tuned to the interrogation room, and every monitor following its progress as this was an integral moment for the Syndicate’s and Ace’s progress, every worker and agent stopped and stood still to listen. Everyone including November who had just called Shaw to alert the base.

November wanted to move, he wanted to run and stop everything that was about to happen from happening, but he was vexed by Joshua’s voice. His passion, his purpose and his cause.

November listened closely and looked on through his streaming feed on his imagelink.

“You want to know what my involvement with the Stone is? Why I’m doing this?” Asked Joshua as he finally looked up to meet July’s eyes.

“…yes” Said July who’s voice expressed his trepidation.

“This is my defiance, this act of vengeance is my first song but it will be my swan song.”

“What do you mean?”

“This will be my war on the architects and my unity with Chaos. You, the Syndicate, November and Athayaver could never understand but, our world, magic and our existence is defined by law and order. Something I used to stand for myself. Magic, people and emotions all follow law and order. But law is corrupt. Order leads to subjugation which leads to exploitation which created the Dead City. But the Dead City is a gift, for borne of Chaos is freedom. Chaos is my father and freedom is my mother. I am the son who has returned to his home to destroy his enemies. I will tear flesh from bone, steel from concrete, magic from the astral and light from dark until people like you are torn asunder for the atrocities you’ve committed under the guise and façade of law and order.”

“That’s enough!” Said July, desperate to take the conversation back. Realizing this was impossible he quickly motioned for the guards to take Joshua away.

As the guards picked him up Joshua looked at the security camera and into what felt like November’s eyes.

“July said my name had meaning. I’m Joshua in that I am biblical, just like the prophet. I will tear down the walls of Jordan!” Joshua screamed. “…and Gideon means the destroyer, and feller of trees. It goes without saying what my last name means but all in all it implies that I will destroy all those who have failed to uphold true freedom.”

“Shut up!” Yelled July who punched Joshua who just coughed and spat on the ground. As his knees weakened he simply laughed. As he re-erected himself he screamed aloud the next words with a smile most sinister.

“You’ll ask yourselves why! WHY I’M DOING THIS!” Joshua was evil, November knew this and he began running once more. “I DO IT FOR CHICAGO…I DO IT FOR THOSE WHO DIED IN PORTLAND, FOR EVERYONE AND I DO IT FOR CHAOS!”

As he said those words, an explosion took place. Its impact could be felt by November who was knocked off of his feet and sent flying. The sounds of metal being ripped apart could be heard throughout the facility. November couldn’t tell what was being done to his body as it was thrown back and bounced off of a wall…or perhaps the floor. Maybe even the ceiling.

The ghoul’s behind him were part of the group commonly known as the outer city ghouls. They had no glow or anything too supernatural, but their skin was jet black. Literally nothing was darker than their matte black skin. However, their eyes were on the exact opposite end of the spectrum being a pure ivory color. The two behind Matthew were quintessential examples of such a species.

“November!” Woods said, ducking through obstacles, and turning corners with randomized sharpness.

Woods knew that his combat stamina was drained after killing his third ghoul, and that he would easily be taken in this two on one. To kill even one ghoul is a feat in and of itself, for ghoul’s on average are faster than a capable human being. They’re far more resilient to trauma, and they have a chaotic strength that could easily overpower anyone normal. On top of that they had pack like tendencies, even though they lived solitary lives. Wood’s was surprised he had lasted this long on his own. It was probably because Woods was simply lucky and smarter.

“Woods where the fuck are you?” November said over the radio with a static that was rife with static. The radiation had interfered with their communications but November was lucky enough to get a shortwave signal through.

“Novy? I need help…” Woods said in between breaths followed by a short pause. “I’m headed down the north wing of the fourteenth floor…I got three on my back…HELP!” Woods finished. Turning around, he actually noticed that there were only two ghouls chasing him. The third, no doubt, was trying to cut him off.

“Alright, making my way to you know, just don’t get cornered.”

Woods however knew that he was going to run out of hallway very soon and would be forced to face his predator. “Whatever you’re gonna do, you’d better do it fast. I’m running out of space here!”

As Woods turned around the last fold in the hallway, he began racing towards the window that lie at the end of the debris filled hallway.

Jumping through and ducking through hanging rebar and crackled wall frames he realized that he had two options. One was to duck into a random room, hoping it was defensible and open, while the other choice was out the window, hoping that November would catch him.

Playing it safe, he opted for the room that was to his left. Making a sharp cut step, and shoulder checking the door open, he fell down to the ground, scrambling up to his feet with his combat knife drawn.

As the ghoul’s rounded the door frame the glass that was the window shattered and out flew to daggers that were attached to razor wire. Penetrating both ghoul’s, the y were both slowly pulled out of the room while they fought and clawed to reach their meal that was Captain Matthew Woods. One of the ghoul’s was pulled out quickly, but the other managed to take a piece of the door frame with him.

Woods then stood up to his feet and looked into the hallway where November began a close combat encounter with two outer ghouls. That was something others would call a death sentence.

Whenever a ghoul would swipe at him, pounce at him or try and lunge at him, they would always come up with air. November was too quick, and before the ghouls knew it, they were outmatched.

But before Woods could jump in to help, he heard footsteps creeping up behind him.

He had almost forgotten.

The black skin of the ghoul blended in with the dim building’s environment, but his eyes were a giveaway. The third ghoul that had split off earlier almost snuck up on him. Woods quickly side stepped and the ghoul ran into the wall, stunning itself for just a moment. However in that moment, Matthew plunged his knife into the neck of the ghoul. Although he was aiming for the head, the ghoul managed to flinch enough to avoid a fatal blow. Fatal, at least by a ghoul’s standard.

Woods then stepped back with his hands held up and clenched in fists, for they were his only weapons left.

The ghoul pulled out the knife that was completely lodged into the back of his neck. The serrations tore more flesh upon its extraction, but it only served to make the outsider wince in pain for a moment. It then began to hiss and was ready to approach Woods.

As it charged with all of the intensity that a demon would have, Matthew was prepared to die. But something in him, a reaction, and an impulse was triggered. He instantly knew what to do with the environment around him.

Standing in a kitchen, he saw a remaining, intact stool, which he kicked/slid right into the path of the oncoming outsider, which clipped its knee and sent it tumbling across the kitchen floor, almost like an overzealous dog ready for dinner.

Woods then calmly grabbed a cast iron pan and violently bludgeoned the ghoul to death before it could get up. Eventually, the panhandle broke on the ghoul’s tough skin and bone, but Matthew resorted to his boot which saw to the deflation of the monster’s skull. The blood decorated the abandoned hotel room’s kitchen area, but the added morbid decoration seemed to fit right in.

As Matthew took in a deep breath and wiped the blood off of his face, which fortunately didn’t get in his mouth, he picked up his knife and walked outside to see how November was doing.

Walking out from the doorway and into the hallway, Woods saw one of the ghouls hung from the ceiling with a dagger coming out of its mouth. The string was acting as part of a makeshift Pulley system, which led back to November who was standing over another corpse. November then retracted his forearm blade and one of his daggers before asking Woods if he was okay.

“Yeah I’m fine…..do you have any idea where we are?” Woods aksed breathing heavily with his hands on his knees.

“According to my Commlink it says that we’re about seven hundred meters away from the Police Precinct we’re trying to head to. It’s about a block over from here.”

“At least the ghoul’s chased us closer.” Woods said, dusting himself off and regaining form.

“Yeah, I’m a little suspicious of that. I feel like we’ve been on rails since we’ve gotten here.”

“Whaddya mean?”

“I mean it feels like we’ve just been pushed and funneled through the city by one ghoul after another. Never enough to kill us, just enough to tire us and move us further in.”

“I guess it could be the silver lining right?” Woods said, hopeful that November would dash his optimism.

“I doubt it.” November said as he walked over to the floor’s elevator and called it forth. “C’mon, keep your guard up. We’re moving to the precinct.”

11:39

As November and Woods were crouching in the darkness of an alleyway that was straight across from their destination, November looked around for a way to get elevation.

“There, the gutter. It looks sturdy, can you climb it to the roof and cover me from there?”

“Yeah , I’ll do my best.” Woods said while he reloaded his assault rifle and adjusted his scopes. He was glad he went back for his gun given that his role was to be November’s protector for this part of the plan.

“August should be on his way already. We probably only have about twenty minutes before he gets here.” November said as he took out a small black chip. “Take this, it’s what August is using to track me. He’ll meet you on the rooftop and then you can guide him over to me.”

“Are you sure you don’t need me to come with you? Don’t you think Joshua’ll be too dangerous to handle alone?” Woods said, as he began to grip and climb the gutter.

“No offense but you would only get in the way. You’re a great soldier, but he’d easily exploit you.” November said as he prepared himself for what was going to come next.

“Alright, I’ll do my best to call out what I see.” Woods said as he ascended the building side and found a bird’s eye view of the street.

As November looked up and down the street, he noticed no signs of activity, and so he quickly shuffled to the Police Precinct.

Before radio contact had been broken with May, she had suggested checking out the basement as the layouts have the holding cells there. A perfect and logical spot to put October.

As he approached the door the Woods had affirmed to be clear, a familiar taste of metal began to overtake his pallet. Ignoring it to be a side effect of being in the Dead City, he quickly hacked his way past the security door and found himself inside.

The building didn’t have a musk that everywhere else had. It indicated that someone else had been here, which all but confirmed Joshua’s activity in this building. Walking past the front lobby, he had noticed that the place had been relatively cleaned out. A lot of the clutter that many other places had, had been cleaned out. Although the furniture and the overall health of the building was fading, a sense of decorum was here.

The desks in the Offices were all worn down, some were caved in and the electronics were a symbol of a generation that had passed long ago. The offices and the City in general were a twisted homage to the past.

Then suddenly, November heard a loud scream that pierced the silence. His heart had stopped and November quickly equipped his forearm blade.

“Did you hear that Matt..?”

      “Matt?” November asked once more “Matthew! Woods come in. Do you copy?” November said over and over again but realized that the radio communication was broken once again. However to his surprise, his radio was already set on short wave.

Something was wrong. Something wasn’t letting him communicate with his partner, or perhaps his friend was in danger.

But, something called out to him. Instead of running back outside to check on his friend, a door in the corner of the room called out to him. Where everything was grey and faded, the door was a vibrant steel color that reflected all of the ambient light present in the room. It’s presence intrigued, aggravated and called to November.

Unknowingly, November walked towards the door that was labeled ‘basement’.

Again another scream echoed through the halls of the precinct.

Maybe it was October!

November, quickly opened the door and ran down the steps as quickly as possible only to see a room that was basked in a red light. The holding cells were empty and there were scribblings all over the walls. Papers were tacked and taped all along the room while there was only a cot present in its center. This must’ve been Joshua’s home, his base.

As November attempted to read the tattered pieces of paper that lined the rooms, he found himself drawn in. The words were in English, but he couldn’t understand what they meant. Nothing formed a cohesive statement, not even in a clichéd serial killer way. It was just random words that meant nothing to November.

Then suddenly a piercing pitch rang through November’s ears and he was forced to one knee. His head was pounding and he had no idea what was being done to him.

Gritting his teeth, he forced himself back up and saw the man he was looking for.

“Joshua.” November moaned while holding his head.

“Head hurts?” Joshua asked with his hands at his hips and a smile on his face. He appeared like a ghost but had the presence of a demon.

“What did you do to me?” November asked, attempting to hold himself up in a defensive stance.

“It’s the city. You have several pieces of technology lodged into your brain right?” Joshua asked as he began pacing around November who was trying to keep his forearm blade between him and his enemy. “The cities will is affecting your programmed enhancements. Your brain is calibrated to your cybernetics which is being affected by the Chaos energy. Don’t worry it’ll wear off in a few seconds.”

“What? How can…magic affect…..cybernetics?” November asked, barely rising up to his feet.

“Chaos does not abide by any rules, hence its name. There are plenty of stories of Virtual Intelligence being corrupted and transformed into monstrosities due to the magic and influence of the Dead City. It can animate the dead AND the synthetic. And you my friend aren’t dead quite yet…so it must be your synthetic nature that is being manipulated by the city.” Joshua said as he began to glow green. “If you’re lucky, you might be able to hear it calling out to you. Go ahead, listen.”

November once again dropped to one knee and found himself in the throes of pain that was both physical and mental.

Then all of a sudden, he could hear the wailing of voices begin to form into one coherent voice. An echo both ancient and one of the future, or so it seemed to November. It never said any words, but the overall emotion it conveyed was one of desperation. The voices of the city calmed November down, but it also explicitly communicated that it was in desperate need of help.

November did not know what to make of this, however he noticed the pain beginning to fade. His blurred vision returning to normal, or at least partially. The city then said that it was in danger and that someone had come to end everything both evil and good. November then noticed that his vision was only clear in the area of his eye that had Joshua in it.

There stood Joshua in the red light. His arms folded behind his back. His chin up and his gaze averted over to November as he struggled to find meaning in what the city was saying. Was the city really talking to him right now? Could it do that?

“So, what did the city tell you? That it needs help? That I’m the bringing of the end?”

“Just who the fuck are you?” Was all November could muster up.

“I am an Agent of Chaos my friend, you’ll learn this soon enough.” Joshua said as he cast forth a radiation blast that sent November flying back into a wall.

Before November could recover, he saw Joshua in midflight, ready to descend upon him with a killing blow.

But before the blow could be landed, November quickly leapt out of the way and stood up on his feet.

The ringing in his ear was gone and the pain he had felt had faded along with the voices.

“Where is October?” November asked as he regained his composure.

“You’re quite resilient aren’t you?” Joshua said with a laugh. “He’s here alright, but you’ll have to get through me to save your friend!” Joshua said charging once more.

November’s enemy was strong, but November was fast. Dodging everything at once, November remembered his Ace in the hole and his secret that he was going to use on Forrest.

As he ducked and dodged around the dark and dank basement, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a smoke grenade.

“A smoke grenade?” Joshua said with a chuckle. “What do you think that’ll do? Make it easier to hide?”

November simply smiled with his lips tightly closed.

Pulling the pin the smoke began to fill the room. However this smoke was different, it was heavy and hard to breath for Joshua who instantly began choking. His radiation powers gave him an extremely high regenerative power as well as immunity to all things, but what could this smoke be?

“What is this smoke?” Joshua said as this time it was he who dropped to his knees.

The smoke was denser than anything he had ever breathed in. It was everywhere and nowhere all at once. He then realized that he couldn’t see November anywhere. Perhaps he had finally met his match. Then suddenly a voice came from the fog.

“It’s lead. Have fun trying to use your fantastic radiation when it’s all being absorbed.”

“Lead? But shouldn’t you be dead? You can’t breathe that in?” Joshua said, now collapsed on the ground. The green glow that usually accompanied him had abandoned him and left him for dead at the feet of his adversary.

“Nope I have an iron lung. It gives me two hours of breathing time.” The voice said again.

Joshua then propped himself up against the wall and attempted leaving the basement. His feet could barely carry him and his lungs were burning. His powers had faded almost completely. He only had enough to ensure that he wouldn’t die from the fog.

Looking for the stairs he stumbled across the room. However he was laughing, which was to the surprise of November.

“Real smart, I have to hand it to you. This is a first. People have used lead coated weapons, thinking it would affect me but this takes the cake.” Joshua said now hysterical.

As he began to climb the steps that rose past the smoke filled basement, he began coughing at the presence of the now clean air. However as he rubbed his eyes and reached for the door, a hand grabbed his arm and twisted it back.

Looking up, November was at the top of the stairs.

“Your home is now your dungeon.” November said as he delivered a near skull crushing punch to Joshua, sending him hurtling back into the smoky depths of the basement.

However, instead of screaming, all Joshua did was smile as he was tossed below.

November himself was delusional but he could have sworn that he heard Joshua laughing maniacally as he fell.

11:50

As August and January, along with Captain Matthew Woods and a few Syndicate soldiers stormed the police precinct they were shocked by the sight they came across in the front lobby.

“Hello.” Said Joshua Forrest who was bound and tied up against a support beam with scarcely enough room for his diaphragm to move.

“Woods, January go find November. Everyone else, secure a perimeter, I’ll take care of Joshua.” Said August who walked over to the man who had caused his friend November grief and October pain.

“And you are who?” Asked Joshua at the approaching August.

“August!” Was all he said as he slammed Joshua in the face and knocked him out cold once more. He then placed a sealing curse that paralyzed the chaos mage.

Meanwhile

Upstairs, Woods and January were searching all over for November, unable to find him. Finally, approaching the last room, they both took in a deep breath, hoping November would be there.

Even better.

As the door opened they were greeted by the sight of November holding the near lifeless body of October.

October was dressed in nothing but his Syndicate pants and his own blood. Legions, bruises and cuts as well as burns laced his body. There were chains on the wall where he was undoubtedly shackled to.

“November!” January said running over to her friend who slowly put down October and propped his head up on his trench coat.

January jumped into the arms of November who was crying. The familiar flame had returned as he was able to find one of the things, one of the people that kept him human.

In that  moment however, as January was kissing him with tears in both of their eyes, he realized that everyone around him was a reason for him to be human. They all supported him, they all were worried and risked their lives to come find him. Risked themselves in that they could be fired from the Syndicate, that they could have been killed or captured by Joshua or the city.

In the meantime, January was keeping watch by looking out of the windows. The house they were in was located in a “low economy” neighborhood and had been foreclosed long ago. That didn’t stop May the hacker, from suggesting it to her friends to use it as a staging ground for an interrogation.

November on the other hand was prepared to take things to another level while he stood in the kitchen of the old house, toying with some excess razor wire he carried with him that wasn’t currently strung up and connected to his grapple guns. Walking out into the living room, he pulled out his neat invention that resembled a spider web and stood behind Clyde.

“Alright Mr. Goodwin, I understand that you’re an Aztec Official that is registered on the payroll as the Overseer of Freelancing Acquisitions. Now that by association means that you know who Joshua Forrest is, as a contract was recently issued to and signed by Joshua. How do I know this? Because I was sent to crash that meeting a few weeks ago.” November said, taking Clyde’s hands that were currently strung up. The man who was bloodied but still perfectly coherent watched on in terror as November gently put the web on his hands while the wire ran and crisscrossed each of his fingers, interconnecting them all. At the very end of the web was a loose piece of string that November held onto. “Now, we’ve asked you time and time again. You have exactly one chance to tell me EXACTLY WHO and WHERE Joshua is. If you don’t answer quickly enough, you’ll lose all of your fingers.”

“I imagine that should make signing contracts difficult, don’t you?” July said, stepping back after wiping his face with a rag.

“Okay, here we go Clyde…you ready?” November asked with a sarcastic tone. “Who is Joshua Forrest and where is Joshua Forrest’s current location?”

Clyde hesitated for only a moment, and in that moment, November tugged on the string and cleanly sliced off three fingers that were now lying on the floor. But before he could fully cut off Clyde’s remaining ring finger and the rest of his fingers that led to the thumbs, Clyde screamed out in pain and for November to stop.

“STOP! Please I’ll tell you just give me a second.” Clyde said as his head dropped to his knees. November then untied Clyde and awaited his response.

“We’re waiting.” July said who was now sitting on a couch that was dustier than any piece of furniture in the house.

“Joshua Forrest is some guy who just fucking appeared. We had no idea who he was but he knew exactly what we wanted.” November waived January to come over and stich up their new friend’s wounds.

“Alright, and what is it that you guys are after?” November asked.

“Well, we’ve been after this artifact called the Stone of Garo that was technically ours for a little while but was stolen by this other freelancer we used to employ named Inari Hikata. It’s currently being fought over by him and this other group of runner’s headed by this guy who’s only known as Ace. Joshua somehow knew about this stone and its value. Because of this he offered his extremely expensive help in ascertaining the stone.”

“So you hired him?”

“Yeah, he’s been good. He came with these two guys and they’ve really been on Ace’s and Inari’s heels.”

“Alright, where is he now?”

“We don’t really know. He has an incredibly loose leash so we let him come and go.”

“Do you know anything about his history? Anything at all?” January said, stepping in out of frustration.

“The only thing we know of is that he served in Portland as a Swat Officer before the incident occurred. He also says that’s where he’s from.”

“And you know nothing else about this guy?” November asked, reading his social augment to see if he was telling the truth.

“I swear to god that’s all I know. He comes and he goes but he was too good and he really gets his hours in. You have to believe me, we were desperate when we picked him up so we let him come and go…I swear I don’t know where he is.”

“Bullshit.” January said as she stood up, pointing her Government 2066 heavy pistol at his head.

“No, he’s telling the truth. Let em’ go.” November said as he started to pack up.

“Please I’m telling the truth you gotta believe me.” Clyde said, moved to tears.

“Doesn’t matter guys, you gotta get out of there. Aztec response team is on their way.” May, the Syndicate’s hacker chimed in on the three Agent’s commlink’s alerting them of their narrowing window of time.

“Shit, how’d they get onto us so quick?” January said, packing up her weapons kit. The three agents scrambled themselves and prepared to leave for the extraction point set up around a block away.

“I’m assuming that Clyde has a GPS installed inside of him or something. I don’t know, I can’t tell from here. I’m sure you guys will be fine, just get out of there asap.”

“Alright guys, come on. We’re leaving from the roof.” November said as he quickly hopped up the stairs with July in tow.

“What do we do with Clyde?” January said, still pressing the barrel of her gun to his forehead.

“Nothing, leave em’.” July said as November was already out of the window.

“You’re lucky he’s here, if it was me your memories would be painted on the wall right now.” January said as she took off for the roof with her teammates.

As November broke out onto the rooftops of the underprivileged suburbs of the outskirts of Seattle, the afternoon sun broke on his neck and head. As he updated his path to the extraction point which was in an alley way three blocks over, his imagelink software highlighted the path for him. In the distance he could hear the Aztec sirens chiming. He knew that his team had about thirty seconds to get as far away from the house as possible.

“COME ON! We’re losing time here.” He said, shouting to his agents behind him who were just now getting out of the house’s attic window.

“Are you sure it’s a good idea to let that guy live? What if he says something about us?”

“What is he going to say? That three masked men from some organization showed up and asked him about someone who works for them? If that’s the case then so be it. We’ll be fine.”

“Keep it quiet guys. Let’s just focus on getting out of here. We don’t need Aztec on backs right now.” November said as he began leaping from rooftop to roof top.

“Yeah I guess you’re right. I just hate loose ends.” January said.

With the sun setting, the house behind them grew further and further into the distance until they found themselves in the alley way that November led them to. Although the car they needed to get to was just on the other side of the alley way there was a group of sprawl gangers standing in between them and the soldiers guarding the car that worked for the Syndicate.

“Come on guys. Just let us pass.” November said under his breath.

As the three agents passed the gangers who were just standing in the alley way, conversing about a house invasion they were about to commit, the fires from a lit garbage can illuminated the hallway.

“Hey! What’re you guys doing ova er’re. Ya’ll lookin’ pretty fancy.” Said an Ork Sprawler.

“Yeah, in fact. You guys look like runners…hot shots.”

It was inevitable. Sprawlers were deadbeats with nothing better to do than start fights whether they could win them or not. It might’ve been the drugs dumbing them down or maybe their overconfidence, but either way, they never gave themselves a serious demeanor.

As the agents continued to walk without addressing their jeering one of them threw a bottle that hit January in the head. Or at least it would have if she hadn’t blocked it with her hand that wielded the very same heavy pistol that she threatened Clyde with. As her arm completed the arc that intercepted the bottle , it found itself locked and pointed at the four or five sprawler’s general direction.

“Do it again. Throw or say something else and give me license to kill the fuck outta you guys. Go on…DO IT!” January said, shouting at the top of her lungs.

“January, we don’t have time. Aztec’ll be here any second, they’ll be searching for us.” November said, being unaffected by the instigation of the gang bangers. January had always been the first one to anger, the first one to love and the first one to cry. She could easily find the drive to murder, or to care. She was compassionate and never killed out of coldness like November, instead every crime was one of passion. Including her time spent with November. But although that time was pretty much over, November had learned much about January and could see the familiar rage in her eyes.

“Yeah and Aztec will be here even quicker if they hear some gun shots.” July added who was secretly conjuring up one of his spells.

“Yeah bitch, answer to the men and get outta here.” Said one of the gangers.

“Yeah I bet she does a lot more than that to the men.” Added another.

As the gangers laughed, November slowly stepped in front of the now flaming January. Her anger was almost visible as the seething energies were palpable. Even though the two runners weren’t as close as they used to be, they still had an amicable relationship with November being one of the few to be able to calm January down. As November held out his hand and put it on January’s chest and gently eased her off her toes, he got his point across to the gangers rather effectively.

“Hey look. I’m trying to keep you guys alive. If you say anything else, to her I’ll make sure that this alleyway you call home will be decorated with you guys.”

The stark contrast between the intense word choice and November’s calm demeanor was enough to puzzle the gangers into a silence that was eventually realized to be out of fear. November had that ability.

“That’s what I thought.” November said, walking away, taking January with him.

As they walked over to the car that had a driver, leaning out, they began to cool off from the near confrontation. However, the gangers had other plans…and so did July.

With their backs turned, the Orkish ganger threw yet again, another beer bottle out of frustration. As the bottle headed for November’s head, July stepped in. Walking in the flight path of the bottle, July snatched the bottle out of the air and simply redirected the bottle’s momentum. However, instead of throwing the bottle, he simply transferred it’s trajectory into an arc but sent the remaining liquid within it back at the Ork. As the beer turned to ice, it traversed the open air, transformed into ice droplets that beamed the Ork in the head and either knocked him unconscious or killed him. Either way, the group of gangers were now terrified and took off.

The three agents then entered the car quietly with July in the front seat and November and January in the back.

“Where to now guys?” Said the driver who was a soldier in the Syndicate. He had become relatively close with the agents as soldiers of high ranks often ran support missions that coincided with agents’ assignments. Or sometimes, much like in this case, went on missions directly with Agents.

“Hey Matt…just take us back to the Syndicate. We’ll need air transport for the next part.” November said from the back seat as the car took off.

“You got it.” Captain Matthew Woods said as happily as possible.

9:12

“Come again?” Shaw said to January and November who were seated in the office of the Director.

“We need clearance to get into Old Portland.” November said bluntly.

“I guess it’s to find Joshua..? You do realize exactly what you’re asking? You understand that Old Portland is called the Dead City for a reason right?”

“Yeah and you do understand that someone with Radiation powers would reside in the Dead City right?” January fired back with equal amounts of Sarcasm.

“It makes complete sense. We need to get in there, and we’ll find Joshua and October.” November said, scooting forward in his seat in an effort to establish a more pleading stance to appeal to the Director’s sense of authority.

“Do you know exactly where he is?”

“No, but we’ll find him. We’re both trackers and there isn’t much going on in the Dead City. Only few life forms are present so it shouldn’t be too hard to find the one living thing in the city.” November replied with equivalent fervor.

“No deal. The city is huge and I can’t run the risk of you getting obsessed and chasing rabbit holes until you get lost and killed. The Dead City is trick and it’s alive. It’ll warp you and take you down until you can’t go down further. Come back with a concrete location and you’ll have your clearance.”

“God fucking damn it Shaw!” November slammed his fist on his boss’s chair.

“Come on November, let’s go.” January said, pulling on his arm. She was usually the first one to react, the first one to flair her temper but she knew that November was only seconds away from complete desperation and a resulting melt down. She had been with him long before he had his cyber-ware enhancements, and she could tell when he was about to crumble for the signs remained the same.

“NO! Don’ you get it? October is dead if we don’t do something now!” November was actually raising his voice out of emotion. It was a feeling alien to him. But for that reason, when the feeling came to him, he could easily get lost in it and in the throes of an emotional maelstrom.

“Then do something.” Shaw said, never knowing when was and when wasn’t the right time to be spiteful and playful with his employees.

November’s eye’s widened. He stopped struggling for just a second but January knew what was about to happen, she could see it unfold before her eyes. Shaw who was still focused on his computer hadn’t realized his mistake, and November was like a lion ready to give into his carnal desire to tear flesh. He was about to leap over the table and blindside his superior who could have him effectively executed. Before she let this happen, she grabbed him with both hands and yanked him away from the room. She knew that she wasn’t as strong as November, but she knew that November wouldn’t resist her actions, knowing that if he stayed in the room, he’d do exactly what she thought he’d do.

As January dragged November into the hallway, literally kicking and screaming, she threw him up against the wall and looked him in the eye.

“Stop!” She said as she pressed him up against the wall. There were no other people in the hallway at that given time, and if there were, they clearly took off to avoid November’s wrath. “You’re only going to get yourself taken off of the case. Relax and just do the homework. We’ll get October together. I promise.” She said, putting her hand to his face. She could see the old November, the one who was joyful, charismatic in a humanistic way, and was someone who had a flame inside them. She could remember the love she had for him before Shaw took it away. But as she finished those words, she had effectively calmed November down, and a candle wick without a flame was all that remained in November’s eyes.

“You’re right…I’m sorry. I don’t know what got over me.”

“No it’s fine. It’s good to know that you still feel.”

As they walked away in silence and away from Shaw’s office, November quickly pulled January aside once more, away from the workers that were now going through the halls and told her…

“You know I have to go after him right?” He said, staring into her eyes just as she did before to him.

“…yeah…I know.” She said, realizing that this was a decision not made out of logic, but out of his love for his oldest friend here. She knew that if November lost October, then that would be the end and the crumbling of the strongest pillar left that kept his humanity intact. “just please, be careful.” She said, kissing him once on the cheek.

10:02

“Hey, I’m gonna need you to do me a favor.” November said to August as he approached him from behind in the rec center.

“Hey November, what’s up?” August said as he changed the channel on the television.

“I need you to wait about an hour and then tell the director that I went to the Dead City and that you need to go after me. Tell him you have a fix on my location so he’ll give you clearance.”

“That’s an odd request but I have a feeling I already know what you’re doing.”

“He didn’t let me go into the Dead City to find October, but I’m doing it anyways because fuck him. But I’m not stupid enough to go in there without a safety line and he’s too greedy to lose a million dollar investment to the Dead City. So he’ll naturally send out a team after me to chastise me and do whatever. Hopefully I’ll have October by then because I’m giving myself an hour head start.” November said, as he grabbed August’s Commlink and input a few numbers.

“That’s actually really reckless but responsible at the same time, and what’re you doing to my Commlink?”

“I’m putting in my gps receiver so you can track me for now. Shaw won’t let you leave until you give him enough evidence that you can handle yourself given the intel and resources you have. This will be a key resource.” November replied.

“…I don’t know what to tell you, but you know you might get disavowed for this right?”

“No, I won’t because I’ll have rescued an agent, captured Joshua and returned safely.”

“That’s a tall fucking order and a high stakes bet that you’re making. What if it doesn’t pan out.”

“Then I’m dead. I either come back with everything or I die in the Old Portland with nothing. Either way, being disavowed probably won’t happen.” November said with a smirk on his face. August almost wanted to wipe it off, but knew that November might actually pull it off, even though he highly doubted it upon examining the odds at surface value.

“…well what’re you waiting for, it’s not like I can or will stop you. I miss October as much as you do. But I’ll be on your ass in an hour to pull you out and make sure you don’t get killed. Count on that mother fucker. I don’t care what you have with you. You get the hour head start and then I’m dragging you back here kicking and screaming.”

“Thanks brother.” November said, patting his friend on the back and walking away.

10:54

It was still morning and the clouds were scarcely present in the sky. November had left the Syndicate with the help of Syndicate Soldier Captain Matthew Woods. The two drove here rather quickly, but knew that August would be on their tails shortly enough.

“Is here good?” Asked Matthew as he guided the car to a gentle stop right outside the wall of Old Portland.

The Walls were high and impressive and it made both men seem much more insignificant. The walls rose a hundred feet before breaking and achieving a crenulated pattern where snipers frequented.

“Yeah this should be fine. It’s daytime and the Rift Storm has shifted north so there shouldn’t be too much guard activity.” Said November as the two got out of the car.

“Alright, but could you refresh me on what it is you want me to do?”

“You’re just going to follow me into the city. May and I have decided that Joshua must be hiding in areas of significantly high or low radiation. One such spot is the old police precinct, where it has the lowest radiation readings in the entire city so that’s the first place we’ll check. You’re going to help me get there, and keep the ghoul’s off my back. Once I get into the precinct you’re going to run back, find a safe spot and overlook the area.”

“What if we run into an anomaly?”

“We shouldn’t, the rift is too far away for them to be in the area.”

“And you’re sure that Shaw won’t disavow me for this?”

“Positive, just tell him you were following orders. Agents usually supersede soldiers in these situations. Just tell him that you thought I had clearance.”

“Alright.” Said Woods as he cocked and loaded his assault rifle and strapped his bullet proof vest on, before putting on his modified hazmat combat suit. “Aren’t you going to wear anything protective?”

“No, I can handle low to medium risk doses of radiation without mutation risk so I’ll be fine.” November said as he approached the walls that just seemed to climb higher and higher into the sky.

“So how’re we gonna get up there?” Asked Matthew.

As November turned around to look his friend in the eyes sarcastically, Captain Woods quickly recalled his words for her remembered who he was dealing with.

Shortly after they collected themselves and went over the plan one more time, November took Matthew and grappled quickly and quietly to the top of the wall. With the guards had shifting their patrol routes, and with the help of May, the duo managed to get atop the wall without being spotted.

November and Matthew continued to quietly crouch along the wall in an attempt to reach the guard tower, where they would have to use the controls to open the door at the base of the tower. As they reached the door to the first guard tower, the two looked at each other and nodded, ready to head in and silently incapacitate anyone who would disapprove of their presence.

Go! November whispered.

As the two opened the door that May had hacked into, they came across a guard who was walking up the stairs slowly and tiresomely. Perhaps it was the end of his shift. Regardless, Matthew covered the door while November approached the man and used his shock gloves to stun him and knock him out.

The sounds of their boots tapping against the metal stairs gently echoed through the concrete pentagonal structure. November had been using thermal vision, alerting Woods of anyone who may interfere. As he had quietly removed three guards on their way up, he questioned if taking Woods with him was a good idea. November knew Woods and the two had a good relationship, which made him a good choice. That and the fact that soldiers weren’t being constantly tracked by the Syndicate, yet he worried if Woods was strong enough to survive. He didn’t have the perks of being an agent, which essentially makes you more than human. Perhaps he had dragged a friend into danger.

At last they had reached the top of the spiraling stairs and the console of the guard tower. Once they opened the doors, they would have to run before the UCAS Soldiers and Engineers would reseal it.

“Alright, are you ready May? I’m at the console.” November said as he drew closer to the console. But before May could respond, a soldier who was waiting and alerted to their presence leapt out from behind a short wall to take down November with his knife. Only Matthew had other plans.

As the nameless soldier managed to shove November off balance, Matthew quickly intervened and threw him to the ground. As the two grappled for a moment, the Captain proved to be the superior fighter and made short work of the soldier by punching him to sleep.

All November could do was laugh as not just a moment ago, he had questioned his friend’s place here on this mission to save October.

“Are you guys alright?” May asked with her usual innocent concern.

“Yeah we’re fine. Matthew just felt like boxing with someone for a minute. I’m at the console and I’m plugging you in now.”

As November established a link between the Hacker and the machinery that was to be hacked, he and Woods stood up and looked out the large glass panes at the Dead City. It was the first time either of them had ever looked upon the city. Even though it was sunny and warm at their backs where New Portland had found itself, the city in front of them presented a bone chilling sensation, given its lifeless presentation. The sky too was dark as the rumored perpetual overcast had the city in a constant darkness. In the far distance, the Rift was almost visible. The Green Aura and the lightning that accompanied it were at work over on the horizon. The city itself was desolate, but there was still something very much alive in it.

“Holy shit.” Was all Captain Matthew Woods could say as the breath was robbed from his lungs at the sight of the monolith that rested at the center of the city. Where the crater was, at the site of the Nuclear Reaction, only one building remained where all the others had been destroyed. At the epicenter, rested the remnants of the old Wells Fargo Center building, which was largely intact. But something about it was wrong. The building seemed mundane to the eye, but felt twisted to the mind…corrupt in the heart.  

“I really hope Joshua isn’t in that building.” Was all November said, as he started his descent down the stairs and into the darkness that was the Dead City.

“Hey November, we got a new assignment for you.  An assassination contract, are you up for it?” Shaw asked, November who was staring into his new cyber-eye home screen, adjusting the settings.

“Do I have a choice?” he said bluntly and sharply.

“Yeah, you can pass the mission along and the forty thousand nuyen paycheck can go to someone else and you’ll still be…” Shaw looked through a folder he had on him that was presumably November’s personal file. “…one million one hundred and seventy six thousand nuyen away from clearing your debt with us.” Shaw continued as he closed the file and took off his glasses.

“Yeah, didn’t think so.” November said as he logged out of his cyber-eyeware and walked past Shaw, grabbing the file he had on him. “What’s the mission?”

“You’ll be with October on this one. There’s a meeting in the Aztec headquarters in downtown Seattle and you need to break it up. May’s been monitoring the area and it seems to be a real small meeting.” Shaw said, following November out of the door. The director never liked standing next to November because it was those moments that reminded him that November wasn’t helpless under his influence. He may control the checkbook, but the man he helped create (or destroy in November’s eyes), could destroy Shaw and most anyone in the world with his implants and intellect.

“Alright, what do you mean by break up? And who’s Joshua?”

“You’re going to break in after April drops you off on top of the building, and you and October are going kill everyone there except for Joshua. If you want an additional ten thousand you’ll capture him alive and bring him back here. If you need to, kill him but not before October assess who the fuck he is. This man is dangerous.” Shaw said, browsing more folders he had on hand.

“Alright, what’s so special about Joshua and why are we directly interfering with Corporate business. Isn’t that not the Syndicate’s style?” November asked, knowing exactly what Shaw would say thanks to his psycho-analysis software.

“Just take him down, wipe the meeting and bring back as much intel as you can. You let US worry about our style.” Shaw said, breaking off from November’s path and turning down a different hallway which led to the cafeteria.

“When’s the meeting?” November asked.

“Ten days! Talk to May she’ll get you situated and briefed.” Shaw said, not looking back and waiving his hand as to bid his adieu.

As November sat in the Black Hawk, contemplating his relationship with Shaw and the Syndicate he realized that there was little he could do. With that said, he was still getting angrier and more frustrated with them. October was gone, thanks to a lack of intelligence and even if it wasn’t necessarily the Syndicate’s fault, he was till blaming them solely based on their attitude towards their agents. Something needed to be said about the mission parameters and about his recent implants severely affecting his humanity. The antigens weren’t enough.

“Hey November…”April said as she walked into the back of the chopper where November was sitting by himself with the exception of two guards that accompanied the chopper wherever it went. “…what’s going on, you okay?”

She nodded to one of the guards who then stood up and walked into the cockpit and took manual control of the chopper.

“Yeah, I’m just thinking.” November said with his arms crossed, his head tilted down and eyes closed.

“Do you mind if I ask what about?”

“No, I’m just running through the mission in my head again.”

“Alright, if there’s anything you want to tal-“

“May detected that there were two people there besides the Aztec representative.” November said, opening his eyes and looking at his friend in front of him. In the past few months everyone in the Agent Division had been extra kind to him, paying special attention and expressing concern at every turn. But for some reason, April always came off as more genuine than the rest.

“And, what’s the deal with that? Was she wrong?” April said taking off her glasses and helmet letting her blonde hair flow freely that now shone orange courtesy of the red light shining in the troop hold of the chopper.

“Well, there were three people accounted for. But we encountered six people.”

“Really…that’s not like May to miscalculate something like that.”

“I’m starting to think she didn’t.”

“What do you mean?”

“Joshua is special to the Syndicate and he managed to avoid capture while he and his guard took down October with relative ease. And I don’t’ mean to be self-serving with this next comment, but we’re veterans with a really good record for taking down persons of special interest.”

“…..again….what do you mean?”

“This guy, Joshua and his two guards. I don’t think they were picked up on the bio scan that May sent out because they aren’t human. They’re something more or less.” November said, making a bold claim off of a hunch.

“Hey, I gotta ask. It’s cool that you’re running through the mission details and trying to sort shit out. But aren’t you at all…concerned about October? You guys weren’t just partners and veterans. He’s the second oldest member besides you, you guys were friends.”

November’s eyes widened as he realized how cold he had been. Lifeless and calculating about the situation at hand. Even though he himself was young in age, he was still the oldest member of the syndicate with four years under his belt, October at three. Together they had seen many things, including the coming and going of other agents. April could tell that she had touched a nerve.

“Hey, I’m just making sure you’re okay. I don’t want to conjure up any-“

“No you’re right. But I know we’ll get October back so forgive my confidence.” November said with a smile, which again, was a calculated affectation of calmness and assuredness that alleviated April’s current concern for November.

“Alright.” April said smiling back. The two continued to talk until the chopper landed in the industrial center of Seattle.

As the chopper descended near the drainage facility, which was a concrete river bed with sewer drains everywhere, a section of the concrete opened up like gates to the underworld. A helipad, with crew members standing by to guide the chopper down were scattered across the landing spot.

“Alright, we’re here.” April said as she punched the button on the side of the hull which opened the back of the chopper, allowing November to do what he had a pension for doing.

November stood up and grabbed his backpack while placing his hand on April’s shoulder to establish a kinesthetic connection. As he walked towards the back of the chopper, he could hear the sirens sounding and people below talking and shouting orders to each other. Jumping out of the chopper he landed on the slowly descending helipad that would eventually lead to the underground lair of the Syndicate.

As he landed on the ground a crew member just looked at him and smiled out of November’s predictability.

“Classic November.” Crewmen Jordan said as he waived the chopper down and called for a fuel line to be established.

“Hey Jordi.” November said walking past him and waiving hi to the passing crew members, waiting for the helipad to reach the bottom of the descending tunnel.

“Hey sorry about October.” November heard a voice call out behind him.

“I’m sorry too.” November said, turning around to see the director standing there. His glasses caught the glare of the blinking orange siren lights. His suit was neat and trim as usual and his smile was insincere as always.

“Care to explain the failure?” Shaw said, not caring too much for his word choice.

“Yeah, it was brought about by horrible intelligence and an agency that practices the mushroom policy on its employees, especially when it concerns life and death.”

“The mushroom policy?” Shaw asked with a chuckle.

“Yeah, it’s when you keep us in the dark and don’t tell us anything but feed us shit because that’s what it takes to grow a fucking mushroom.” November’s human side was showing as his anger flared, catching the attention of everyone on the landing pad, including April.

“That’s fair.” Shaw said as he flipped through his folder and handed him a different one.

“What? That’s it?” November said, expecting Shaw to chew him out with his passive aggressive rhetoric as usual. He then looked through the folder with mission details from August and June’s latest missions as well as his. “What’s this?”

“It’s what you’ve always been complaining for. It’s what you’ve wanted all these years. Complete intelligence. Debriefing is in an hour in my office.” Shaw said as he started to walk away.

“Hey, there’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.”

“And what’s that?”

“You were monitoring the mission as always right?”

“Correct.”

“Why didn’t Caspian’s trick work on me?” November said, with the crew around him still listening in.

“Because, cybernetics interfere with magic, especially with illusory magic and telepathy.”

“So I’m not human enough for the magic to work on me?” November said, already knowing the answer.

“Pretty much yeah.” Shaw said bluntly. “What, would you rather have it work and you AND October be capture or dead right now? These implants have saved you twice now.”

“Yeah but at what cost?” November said as he walked closer to Shaw.

Shaw took a second to pause, smile and place his hand on November’s shoulder before he regained his pension for passive aggression. “Not much…” was his response that cut November’s heart in two. One half gripped in anger so violent that he was silent as he was also shocked. The other half was sorrow as he knew that the Syndicate cared not for his humanity. There were many things that he liked about the Syndicate. The y never abandon agents, and they treat them with a certain care, but only if it’s mutually beneficial. And to the syndicate, his humanity was not mutually beneficial.

Shaw then walked away, as the helipad stopped at the bottom of the tunnel. November stood there, with his mouth agape and his mind completely filled with thoughts of punching Shaw in the mouth so hard that he would spend days trying to find all of his teeth. However, April returned the previous gesture bestowed upon her by November and placed her hand on his shoulder.

“If it means anything to you…I’m sorry for what he said. You deserve better.” She said with levity in her voice and a sincerity that was like milk to a starving child.

“Don’t be.” Was all November could say.

01:21

November, browsing through June’s and August’s latest assignments was surprised at the sudden change of heart of the Director but realized that it meant that something huge was about to occur. Walking into the cafeteria, November saw many of his fellow agents walking about, socializing and enjoying their time off.

“Hey there Novy. How ya doin’!” March said from behind.

November had gotten on the food line for the Agents, which was different than the crew line as it had a more concentrated nutrition assignment customized for each agent and their condition. But as he turned around he realized he had to look down to see March as his fellow agent was of the Dwarf variety.

“Hey how’s it going Mar” November called his friend by his nickname knowing it would excite him. March was a giddy little dwarf always ready for a friendly competition and never scared of meeting any challenge with enthusiasm.

“Haven’t seen you in a while, how’s the road hittin the boot for ya?” March said as he received his meal on line, which was a large quantity of meat and greens.

“Well I wouldn’t call it a road so much as a dirt path.” November said as he held out his tray which was returned to him with a meal that couldn’t fill a child, a tube of antigen that he was to inject himself after his meal, and a protein shake that had all of the vitamins that the Syndicate wanted to inject him with.

“Is that protein shake any good, it looks like a pile of pink mud.” March said as he poured a large glass of milk.

“No, it tastes just like how it looks.” November said with a look of displeasure on his face.

“Well I’m sure it has all the protein and vitamins that a growing toaster such as yourself needs.” March said with a lot of laughter that was met with November’s dead stare. March reconciled and started to apologize when November snapped his stare, laughed and assured March that his joke was well received.

As the two reminisced for a few moments, November saw June and August calling him from across the cafeteria.

“Hey Marr, I’ll catch you later man but I gotta go see June and Aug about our newest mission.”

“Alright Novy I’ll see you later man!” March said as he grabbed a seat with a few crewmen and January. As November walked past January an air of tension wafted over them as the two of them used to be very close. Her scent reminded November of all the time they had spent together, as well as all the time they’ve recently spent apart. However things between them had seemed to die down and head towards professionalism, which was good…at least for November.

November continued to walk over as he sipped on his protein shake which tasted pretty close to the emotion of sadness, or so he thought to himself, which made him chuckle a bit.

“Hey man, how’s it going?” August said as he gave November an informal handshake.

June sat there and simply nodded at his old friend’s presence.

“It’s good to see you guys again.” Although November and October did a lot of missions together and were close friends, August June and November stuck together like a group of best friends. June was finishing his second year and August was coming up on two and a half, making them both veterans as compared to the younger agents such as March who was still in his first year.

“Yeah, we heard about Toby. Sorry bro.” August said as he began to bite into his sandwich.

“I heard the mission was fucked from the start though. April told me that May fucked the intel and that it was a death match in there, not a simple grab and bag.” June said with his arm on the table, holding up his head.

“Not quite. We had shit intel from The Director but the target we were assigned to take down is a demon. He’s like no one we’ve ever fought.”

“What do you mean?” June said, dragging his gaze over to November who slurped down his protein shake.

“All of the mages we’ve come across use a power that’s already existed but this Joshua used radiation. That’s never happened before.” November paused to look his friends in the eyes before continuing to say “have you ever heard of a mage controlling and GENERATING radiation like a fire mage does with fire?”

“Can’t say that I have, but that’s weird.” August said as he finished his dinner and was moving on to his drink.

“Hey why is the entire base alive and awake tonight?” November asked as he looked around noticing the abundance of all the crew members and all of the agents awake and present.

“Shaw’s been scrambling everyone, updating everyone on their newest tasks. Apparently a lot of the missions are overlapping like ours and he and the Syndicate are organizing everything.” June said as he stood up, taking his tray over to the garbage. “We should go though, Shaw wanted to see us.”

“Yeah, I’ll be right there.” November said as he injected himself with his latest dose of antigen that sent a shiver up his spine, neck and into his head. For a moment everything felt just a little bit colder, and then within a few seconds, equilibrium was restored.

As the three walked through the hallways they began discussing the latest details from their missions. June was in the middle of infiltrating a crime organization by utilizing his skills for deception. Apparently he was under two covers but on the verge of blowing one of them. August was an Occult investigator that was working on a group of Runners that were chasing after a relic that the Syndicate was interested in and was housed in the Market District, also under an alias that he wasn’t quite to fond of, but had kept up for years as patience was his forte.

“How about you, besides this assassination contract, what’ve you been up to?” August asked as they stood outside of the Director’s office, waiting to be buzzed in.

“I’ve honestly been doing just that, assassination contracts. In two months I’ve received twelve contracts and completed ten of them. Six of them were with Toby.” November said as he thought back to each of the assassinations and how each one was more difficult and dangerous than the last. It was almost as if they were a series of trials that the Director had put him through, seeing and testing his skills.

“Yeah I did two with you… and I’m pretty sure June did at least one with you right?”

“Yeah I did three. One of em’ got away, but I’m working on that right now actually. That’s been my mission for the past few weeks.” June said as he began taping his foot out of impatience as the Director had been keeping them waiting.

Suddenly the door slid open and a dark room was barely illuminated with large screens behind a desk where Taylor Shaw sat. The other dim lights were centered around three seats. The screens that also provided ambient illumination, were divided into five sections, each having a person sitting on a video call that had their voice and identity disguised by shadows.

“Please come in gentlemen.” Shaw said with his hands crossed on his desk.

“Well this is dramatic don’t chya think?” August said as they walked in and took their seats underneath their respective lights.

“Now, I’m sure you’re all wondering why we gave you intel on each other’s recent missions as you know it’s against company policy to-“

“Tell us anything?” November said with a smile.

“…anything you don’t need to know. But as according to plan, we’ve waited until now to tell you all that thanks to our coordinated efforts we have the three of your respective missions and talents at a cross roads.” Shaw said pausing and holding up the manila folders that he had given to the agents before him. “All three of your missions have a common goal and all of them are dealing with the same people. But just in case you haven’t done your homework or understood the mission details, let’s just browse over.”

“June…”Shaw said as he flipped through some papers to reach June’s file. “You were tasked with infiltrating a tier two crime organization that is headed by a freelancer. You were working and still working under the name and alias of Christopher Haku, a Japanese Yakuza agent. You posed in double cover to infiltrate Inari’s entourage which failed. Would you care to explain?”

“Well, I had gotten in with this group of shadow runners and posed as a runner myself and was hired by Inari. He was chasing after some artifact but I figured I would be able to get in good position to uncover intelligence on the artifact and take out Inari’s crew if I had completed the mission. Unfortunately by blind luck, he chose to betray us over another crew of runners.” June said, defending his failure.

“Don’t be defensive June, we were actually pretty happy with your performance. You’re not out of the game as it appears you’re still in league with the other runners. Your new task however is to assassinate your man.” Said one of the voices behind Shaw.

“Hold on, it said you had killed your informant?” August asked, questioning June’s actions as he flipped through June’s file.

“Yeah, I had this guy Merv be my connection to Inari. I used a little bit of pressure and he knew that I was trying to get close to Inari to take him down but he eventually split, leaving us to die. Then Shaw told me to ice em’ because he was a loose end.”

“Ah, gotcha.” August said, closing his file, satisfied with June’s answer.

“Alright, August, you’re next.” Shaw said, turning the page over.

“Woohoo” August said out of sarcastic elation.

“You were tasked with monitoring a group of Shadow Runners from the shadows and updating me on their progress. You’ve done wonderfully so far, keeping us completely updated on a step by step.” Shaw paused for a moment and looked at June. “So here’s the fun news. The group that you’re listening in on is the same group that June is in league with in their hunt for Inari.”

“No shit.”

“Fuck me, you’re kidding.”

November just scoffed at the Director’s ability to keep details such as this hidden.

“Yep, your mission for now is to directly report all intel to Chris as well as continuing to live in the Market District under your Alias as Declan ‘Drake’ Thomas.”

“Alright, so pretty much continue doing what I’m doing while keeping Chris in the loop as well.”

“Yep, but you’re also going to keep November in the know as well.” Shaw took a moment to let the agents piece together the web of events that the Syndicate had weaved together for them. “November’s recent missions have involved assassination attempts on several Aztec workers. Chris as you know, Aztec is after the members of the group you’re on and the group that August is listening in on. Recently they’ve contracted the help of Joshua Forrest, a mage whose power has never been seen before. In fact, we aren’t even sure if he’s a mage. November’s future assignments will be the continued manhunt for this VIP.”

“So November’s guy is trying to fuck my guys?” Chris said laughing a bit.

“I think my guy is trying to fuck everyone.” November said sucking the humor out of the conversation. “He didn’t seem like the kind of guy to play on anyone’s side or nicely. And more importantly, he’s got Toby.”

“Exactly. This is what makes November’s job even more important and anything that can help him with his overall picture of the situation should be given to him.” One of the people behind Shaw said, recognizing November’s role in these developments.

“November, your new mission is to find and relocate October. That is your number one objective. You’re number two objective is to capture Joshua Forrest alive if possible. If he turns up as a casualty then there have been worse things.” Shaw said before standing up in his chair and looking at June and August. “June you’re tasked with continued monitoring of Ace and Inari as well as the eventual capture or assassination of Inari when you next see fit. August, you’re person of interest is specifically Ace. He’s not against us, but you’re still responsible for reporting his actions to us…..understood?”

“You got it.”

“Yep”

“Mhmm”

2:00

“So what’re you going to do for the rest of the night?” June asked August.

“Get some fuckin’ sleep. I just got flown in from Africa this morning and I’ve been up all god damned day. I’m outta here.” June said as he stretched his arms in stride before yawning and splitting off from August and November.

“What about you Novy?”

“I don’t know. I don’t really sleep anymore so I’ll probably head down to the bar and grab a drink or two.” November said as he checked his brain chemistry diagnostics, which would indicate if he was sleep deprived.

“Why don’t you sleep anymore? Nightmares or some shit?”

“No, implants…”

“What’d you mean?” August asked, not following what November meant.

“I have nodes implanted in my brain’s grey matter that shut off portions of my brain when they aren’t being used so I only sleep six hours every forty hours instead of eight hours every sixteen or so.”

“Oh that’s cool I guess. I’ve been living as this guy Drake for the past few months which has me awake through the night as a drug dealer so my clock’s all fucked up, mind if I join ya?”

“Yeah that’ll be good, I haven’t had a drink with you in a while. Shit, I’m just happy that Shaw will let me get a drink at all…prick.”