Animus Boxed Set 1 (Books 1-4): Initiate, Co-Op, Death Match, Advance

by Joshua Anderle

  What was he doing again?

  Someone shouted above the rush of air as a door opened. Magellan hustled his two partners through the doors on the other side of the hangar. He waited for the bounty hunter to close them before he followed but as he turned, he could have sworn he saw the man’s eyes narrow in his direction before he pressed the button to slide the doors shut. That Magellan…it was almost impossible for him to see him in this state, but he wouldn’t put the possibility past him.

  Gin leapt off the hook and ran to the door. It would be too obvious to use it, even if he waited, and there was a good chance it was booby trapped or they had locked the console. He studied the wall. There were no other entrances that he could see, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t make one, he realized as he jogged to the far left. The interior of these domes was mostly fixed paths and between the corridors and rooms were small pockets of nothing. Tent and metal surrounded everything, which meant that he could make up for the lack of extra paths by simply slipping between them.

  He knocked on a couple walls and felt a metal surface on one and nothing but canvas on another. Quickly, he retrieved his blade, cut through the thin material, and slid into a large metal box that stretched up at least four floors and out for several hundred yards. He wouldn’t be able to pursue them directly, but he could cut them off. They seemed as eager for a fight as he was, and he didn’t want to disappoint them. That would be shockingly bad manners, and he wasn’t so despicable.

  He recalled that they’d discussed heading to the top of the dome to signal for a ship. Gin studied the metal fixture. They would have to climb stairs or ladders, but he wasn’t so encumbered. He could beat them by a few floors and simply wait.

  Aided by the jump jets in his boots, he leaned forward and jumped two stories, spun, and then released a pulse of barrier energy which boosted him up another ten feet. He flicked the fingers of his bionic arm. Small spikes emerged from the tips of his fingers and he used these to cling to the side of the building. He tested his knife against the metal, but it was too thick to cut through with his normal blade. Undeterred, he sheathed it and pressed a switch. Two clicks sounded and a plasma blade engaged. He drew it out again and activated the heated blade and forced it slowly into the metal plating.

  When he was most of the way through, he moved the blade in a circle to create an entrance. That done, he tipped the knife up and forced the metal out and caught it between his thumb and palm. After sheathing the weapon, he climbed through and switched to his normal blade as his feet touched the ground. He slid the metal gingerly back into place. It wasn’t perfect and jutted out a little, but he wasn’t too concerned.

  He could be stealthy, but that was when he was more interested in getting something done rather than enjoying himself.

  His journey had brought him to a storage room of some sort. Unless they wanted to stock up on toiletries and cleaning supplies before their departure—he grinned at the stupidity of the thought—they probably wouldn’t enter there.

  A beep from his wrist indicated that his generator needed to recharge. So be it. He wanted to be sporting anyway. Gin deactivated his cloak as he walked to the storage room door, opened it casually, and poked his head out. It led to a much larger room with white tiles and a high ceiling. A few empty cages stood off to the side. It would probably have been used as a server or containment room had Axiom not been chased off so quickly.

  He shut the door and wondered if they would come this way at all. They could have gone to the other side of the dome to try and find an exit at the edge. Would they risk it? There were probably more mutants that way. This place was absolutely lousy with them.

  Then, the silence was broken by a tapping sound. Metal pounded below in an almost circular pattern. Gin smiled. They were coming—quickly, fervently, almost as if they raced to meet him.

  Lovely.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Of all the things they set up in this place, they didn’t bother to install a working elevator?” Kaiden muttered heatedly as the group hastened up the steps.

  “If you wanna take a break, you can go ahead and wait on the shriekers and nagas to catch up,” Magellan suggested sarcastically.

  “Or wait for the killer to show his face,” Lazar added. “I haven’t seen him since the nagas first showed up. Maybe Kaiden was right—he might have bolted.”

  “Hey, you used my real name. Are we getting along now?”

  “He’s not gone,” Magellan interrupted before the gang leader could reply and he glared at him.

  “Do you have some sort of psychic link with this guy?” he inquired. “You speak like he’s some sort of boogeyman. He’s a psycho with some shiny shit on his body—mortal like you and me.”

  “Do you know how many people I’ve killed, Lazar?” Magellan retorted and headed up to another flight of stairs.

  “I can guess, but I have a feeling that was rhetorical.”

  “Hundreds. I don’t have an exact count as it isn’t good manners to count your kills in the middle of firefights, but you know my hunter rank. That wasn’t achieved by catching gutter scum and a few ex-mercs. I’ve never lost a bounty with the exception of Gin.”

  Kaiden paused and asked, “How many times have you run into him?”

  Magellan stopped his ascent and Lazar almost knocked into him. “This makes nine, now,” he answered without looking back. “Sometimes, he slips by without me having a good shot at him. Other times, I can take bits and pieces, but I have obviously never caught him. At this point, I feel much like the regretful owner of a feral dog.”

  “Yeah, you gave us the whole spiel before we came into the dome,” Lazar said snidely. “You also said you would deal with him if we ran into him. That has left me with two dead teammates and the kid with PTSD.”

  “I’m not sure I would go that far,” Kaiden muttered, mostly to himself. He had to admit he didn’t feel as excited as he usually did to charge into danger and the realization shook him. But he had back-up this time and wouldn’t face this guy alone. He checked his Tempest, examined the vents for damages or gunk, and brushed at a couple of scratches on the frame of the machine gun. It was routine to check his gear so it didn’t jam in the middle of battle, but his fingers trembled a little this time.

  “I’m aware of that,” Magellan continued. Kaiden stopped his nervous cleaning. “I’ve gotten too…cocky, I suppose. The last three times I’ve run into him, ever since I blew his leg off, he hasn’t really wanted to engage me directly, not like this. He’s much more self-assured now, apparently.”

  “If that’s how you want to put it,” Lazar grunted and checked the cannon that Kane had carried. “We’ll argue the details once we get on the dropship. But if you can at least keep the promise that I’ll have a proper fight with him, that’ll keep me cool for when this eventually hits me properly.”

  The bounty hunter looked up at the top floor as if he could see Gin through the walls above. “Despite what I’ve said, I know he won’t run here. I didn’t think he would attack so haphazardly, though.”

  “What would make you think he would stick around if he’s run from you the past few times?” Kaiden asked.

  Magellan drew a different pistol from the one that shot poisonous gas explosives. He twirled it once and inspected it. “His body count, the fact that he’s been wanted for over three years, and that he’s stolen tech from both official WC facilities and from top grade companies have placed him on the Revenant List. Do you know what that is?”

  The merc leader propped the cannon against his shoulder and his gaze darted from one side to the other as he thought. “Supposedly, it’s some unofficial wanted list that has guys with bounties worth fifty million creds or more.”

  “I can assure you it’s quite real. The name comes from ancient times, and it means the reincarnated corpse of a violent or blasphemous person that would spread disease and generally make life miserable for people—an abomination to God and blight to man.”

  “That s
ounds about right for this guy.” Kaiden nodded. “And the idea is to stick them back in the ground?”

  “Dead man walking and all that.” Magellan nodded. “Basically, anyone on the list is considered such a cancer on humanity that they have said fifty million-plus bounty on their heads, which can be turned in with no questions asked. But also, they regularly send out patrols of the WC’s finest to try to catch one themselves.”

  “He’s been able to avoid them all this time?” Lazar questioned.

  The bounty hunter placed the pistol back into its holster. “I never said that. He’s run into about four or five of them. Obviously, he’s still around.”

  “Good Lord,” Kaiden stammered. “This guy isn’t…damn.”

  “We get it at this point, Magellan. Gin is a sick and deadly motherfucker who wouldn’t spare your life if you gave him all your creds, a cupcake, and a bottle of something ridiculously expensive,” Lazar growled. “Are you his hype man too?”

  “My point is that this guy is hunted all over the galaxy. No matter how many Marines he has killed, coming to Earth—the home of the WC and tens of thousands of bounty hunters, trackers, soldiers, mercs, and gangs looking to make a name for themselves—is not the best place for a guy like him. He’s as likely to have people hunting him as he is to be attacked by some crazy punk on the streets to make a scene,” Magellan explained. “He’s here for a reason, and it’s likely that he will try to kill us as much for personal pleasure as for business. My guess is that he doesn’t want witnesses, which is something he usually doesn’t care about. It’s one thing to fight someone who is insane, but it’s another when they are insane and driven.”

  Lazar’s head tilted as he thought for a moment before the realization hit him. He turned to look at Kaiden. “Gin can take out a group of WC Marines alone. This kid is still training for that shit. What do you think he can do against someone like that?”

  “I don’t expect him to do anything,” Magellan stated and leaned against the stair railing. “On the next floor, there is a door that leads to the maintenance hall. Kaiden can take that to the outside of the building and hail the dropship.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Because I can see the sign on the door from here.” The bounty hunter jerked a thumb behind him. “Since he hasn’t already jumped us, he has to be waiting for us up above. I will engage him while the dropship makes its way back. You can obviously come too, Lazar.”

  “He could be right here,” the merc pointed out. “He has that cloak so could be right beside us and we wouldn’t be able to see—”

  Magellan unclipped something from his belt and held up a blue cube. “This device emits pulses in an area and registers changes in energies in around a fifty-yard radius. It’s mostly useless in normal circumstances—a heart or thermal scanner would do the same job it does but better. However, since no one really thinks of it when designing the latest stealth doodad, it’s actually favored in my occupation. It is also one of the only things that can find someone with an eidolon grade or higher cloaking generator.”

  “You’ve tracked him this entire time?” Kaiden asked. “Has he been with us all the way through the entire facility?”

  “He bolted when the nagas appeared but my EI told me he had a reading back at the hangar. We ran right beneath him.”

  “What?”

  Gin sighed and knocked the back of his head impatiently against the wall. The steps he had heard had come to an abrupt stop. They no longer ascended the stairs, and he could occasionally hear murmured speech. Did they break for snacks?

  They wouldn’t leave without wishing him goodbye, would they? That would be incredibly rude. Magellan knew he didn’t come to Earth very often, so this should be a special occasion.

  Maybe they were creating an exit strategy? It was a wise move, he supposed, but also an annoying one. He sighed. As much as he was delighted to face Magellan again, he had the other two with him. Gin wanted to see what they could do, particularly the boy—or, at least, he wanted his shiny things. But if they weren’t up to snuff, Magellan, big softy that he was, would probably prioritize their safety over facing him.

  He wondered if he should record the fight.

  The killer tapped his fingers together and considered his options. They had talked about a ship to take them away. This was a gig, which meant it was probably only a dropship and nothing with powerful weapons. Then again, they were rather fast and maneuverable, and for all his skills and gadgets, he had nothing that would enable him to tail them effectively. Worse, he’d arrived there in an escape pod, not exactly a multi-use vehicle.

  Perhaps he should create a distraction? Something that wouldn’t allow them to simply run off at their leisure? He checked the options on his suit. Most of his items were for personal use or use against human targets; he had nothing to destroy or disable ships. A little irritated, he fumbled through the compartments on his belt until he reached one on the back left. His fingers traced along something unfamiliar and he removed a glass vial filled with a brown liquid. It puzzled him for a moment until he remembered that he had found it at this very facility the day before. He smiled as he remembered its purpose. While it might not work as he intended, it would be something fun to add to the games.

  He pushed himself off the wall and walked to the door to the roof. Hopefully, he would make it back in time to greet the party. If he didn’t, it would be the height of rudeness.

  “We walked right the hell past him and you said nothing?” Lazar growled. His face took on a heated shade of red and veins throbbed in his temples. “We could have taken him there.”

  “Yes, in a hangar bay full of mutants ripping each other apart that would come after us once they were finished. We would have faced both them and him.”

  “We could have killed him before that happened,” Lazar rebutted. “Or we could have used more of that bait you have to distract the mutants.”

  “That’s not how bait works. They usually don’t care how good it smells when they are actively trying to kill you,” Kaiden stated.

  “Shut it, kid!” the merc barked. “Now is not the time to—”

  “Lose your cool. I agree,” Magellan interjected. Lazar’s head whipped round to glare daggers at him. “Maybe that wasn’t what you were going to say, but I must stress it.”

  The merc continued to draw in angry breaths and he clenched and unclenched his fists. “This is why I didn’t say anything,” the bounty hunter continued. “We have a chance to prepare for the fight right now, to plan for victory rather than simply hope for it. Gin doesn’t seem to exactly understand what hubris is, and my guess is that he’s underestimated you.”

  Lazar cocked an eyebrow. “He’ll regret that if he has.”

  “That’s my point,” Magellan said. “I’ve mentioned that I feel some personal responsibility for him. Maybe that’s foolish or self-centered, but I’ve never gone after him with anyone before. Perhaps that’ll be enough for me to finally put an end to him. You screamed at Hodder to not let his anger make him do anything stupid, so take your own advice.”

  The other man shook his head. His breathing was still erratic, but his features no longer twisted in rage. “Good point. A jackass way to put it, but I follow.” He heaved a sigh, opened his grenade launcher, and slowly slid the final grenade in before he turned to look at Kaiden. “Hey, Kaiden, hand me your shocks.”

  The ace opened his visor, clearly confused. “You can have them, but I already told you they are defective now.”

  “Getting hit in the head or chest by something as hard as a rock is still effective,” the merc stated. He took the belt, unclipped it, and wrapped it around his massive arm while his eyes counted off all six. “At the very least, they can provide a distraction.”

  “Take the maintenance hallways out of here, Kaiden,” Magellan said. “Use the map and find the fastest route. Have the pilot take you out of here, and we’ll signal for her when we’re done.”

  “I won’t leav
e you two behind,” Kaiden declared, his once shaking hand now balled into a fist. “How the hell would that sound? On my first chain mission, I left while two guys died and the other two got all the glory?”

  Magellan shook his head while Lazar scoffed, “Don’t be so pro—”

  “I swear to God, if either of you tries to lecture me about pride, I’ll kill you before you even find him.”

  After a minute of silence, Lazar and Magellan looked at each other as if asking whether they should debate it or simply club Kaiden on the head and leave him in the stairwell. Soon, Lazar turned and shrugged. “If he dies, I’m keeping his share.”

  “Fair enough.” Magellan nodded. “I’ll make sure your gig tag gets back to your loved ones.”

  “You won’t have to make too many trips to do that.” Kaiden slid his visor back into place “Who’s going in first?”

  Lazar, without saying a word, readied his cannon and grenade launcher and walked purposefully up the steps. Kaiden and Magellan followed as they prepped their weapons.

  “This isn’t smart, Kaiden,” Chief warned.

  “You’re used to that already, aren’t you?” Kaiden retorted. The EI uttered what sounded like a mix between a dejected laugh and an angry huff. “Besides, you’re here to back me up right?”

  “ʼCourse I am, dumbass.”

  When they reached the top, Magellan and Kaiden stepped to either side of Lazar who stood in the center and one step down from the door. He lifted a leg and in one smooth motion, kicked the door in. He growled as he charged with Kaiden and Magellan behind him. They scanned the room, ready to fire at the barest hint of Gin, but found nothing.

  Lazar snarled. “Seriously? Your intuition is shit, Magell—”

  A creak from the far side of the room announced Gin’s entrance. He closed the door behind him and raised a hand. “So you did come. I’m happy to see that.”