“What do you think it’s leading us to?” Cyra asked. Her companion stopped and looked up. “Chiyo?”
“Look, Cyra,” the student said and pointed at what she’d seen. A large orb with what appeared to be wires or tentacles swirling around it glowed a dark-green color. More white and blue lights pulsed within.
“Is that the nodule?” the lead infiltrator asked. “That looks like a mutant, not a device we can interact with.”
“It’s the only thing I’ve seen that shows any possibility,” the other woman pointed out. The light they’d followed swirled up to it. “We should at least take a look.”
“Okay, so maybe it’s a little late for this, but do you think it’s a trap?” Cyra asked as Chiyo floated toward the corruption.
“I don’t believe so. It’s not like it hasn’t had the chance to stop us or eject us until now.”
“I’m worried something worse will happen than merely shut us out,” her companion muttered.
“I understand. You may leave if you wish, but I will continue.” The student moved closer to the light.
Cyra grimaced. “Like I’ll be shown up when this was my idea in the first place,” she whispered. “Hold up. I’m coming.”
They drifted close to the egg-shaped object and floated around it for a second. “I don’t see any way to interface with it,” Chiyo said and sounded disappointed.
“Do you think we should fly into it or something?” Cyra asked and studied the module intently.
“Even I think that’s inadvisable.” The student infiltrator sighed and focused on the guiding light that danced around. “What are you doing?”
The light scooted down toward the center of the node, where it spun and brightened. A large screen appeared, and the infiltrators floated down to it. “It created an opening,” Chiyo said in shock. “But this code… This could take ages.”
“Professor? Can you still hear me?” Cyra asked.
“Indeed, but faintly. I’ve lost contact with Sasha and Kaiden already. I feared the worst,” Laurie replied.
“We’re…in. Well, as far as we can be,” she told him. “We’re looking at the code, but even with the two of us, I don’t think we have the time to undo this ourselves.” The dull throbbing pain in her head began again. “Another wave of feedback will reach us soon. Do you have a plan?”
“You said you can see the code?” he asked. “Tell me, are there remnants of the Animus system there?”
“Yeah, bits and pieces, but the virus takes over the system it infects, right, and uses it against itself?”
“Precisely. And you’re right that undoing that by hand without the aid of EI would be close to impossible in a short period of time. But I think I know a way to finish this in minutes.”
“Seriously? We’re all ears.”
“It’s not simple, but you need to find the area that controls the upload of the Animus systems, then hack in and integrate the BREW device into it,” the professor explained.
“What? That would merely give it access to all the systems that it doesn’t control already.”
“Yes, but by merging it with the system proper, that will allow the security systems to come back online. Essentially, the BREW device would now be a part of the Animus instead of having merely taken it over. The system will override it and adapt the virus into itself as well as reset all the systems to normal functions. That’s all we need for now. I’ll deal with the rest when this madness is over.”
“It’s like you’re trying to turn cancer into a functioning organ,” Cyra protested.
“Desperate times and all that,” Laurie countered briskly. “Get to work, and make sure you eject before it’s completed the transfer. A sudden switch like that would shatter your connection and, well…”
“Vegetables. Got it.” The lead infiltrator nodded and deactivated the link. “Did you get all that?”
“I’ve already started,” Chiyo responded, her face focused and intent as she worked on it.
“Oh, good.” Cyra joined her and checked her progress. “I know you said not to worry about traps, but if it asks for clearance or anything like that—”
“Don’t bother. It’s probably trying to shut you out using your info,” her companion finished. “You taught me that the last time we worked together.”
“I’m glad you pick up on that sort of thing so quickly.” The lead infiltrator smiled before she gritted her teeth against another wave of pain. This time, her whole body convulsed instead of only her mind. “It’s getting worse.”
“Yeah… I’m not sure if—” Chiyo frowned as pieces of her chest and legs seemed to fragment. “I can’t say I’ve seen that before.”
“It’s not a good sign. We gotta finish this asap. The two worked in tandem to rapidly open the proper channels and locate their target. “We only need to open the link and let it in, presumably,” Cyra huffed as they worked to undo the safety protocols. “It’s ironic that all the security measures we had in place actually caused the system’s downfall.”
“That’s a rather basic hacking technique, is it not?” the student asked.
“In this situation? You’d think it would simply be easier to nuke it.” She chuckled as pieces of her avatar floated past. “Open, you stupid thing, before I’m nothing more than a floating head.”
They finished a few minutes later and drifted back as everything on the screen began to flash, disappear, change, and reform. Chiyo’s heart skipped multiple beats. She wasn’t exactly sure what was going on or what would happen. In fact, she had never been this unsure of anything since she began hacking.
“Chiyo, we need to go,” Cyra informed her. Most of the lead infiltrator had faded away now, and a hasty glance at her own body confirmed the same reaction.
“What if something goes wrong? I need to stay in case— Agh!” Another wave rolled over her and Chiyo felt like electricity surged into her through sharpened metal rods. Even the parts now missing manifested the painful effect.
“We’ll come back later if we have to, or the professor will be able to fix it, but we can’t—” Cyra’s voice cut off when the nodule changed color. The weird appendages vanished and the darkness around them began to glow. “The system is changing.”
The student, her trembling lips shifting to a small smile, turned to the lead infiltrator. “Let’s go. There’s someone I need to see.”
“Right, gotta get out of here before… Hey, where did that light go?”
Kaiden leaned against a tree and removed his left shoulder pad and gauntlet to free his movement. They were of little use now anyway. A deactivated droid, the top part of its head blown off and with two holes in its chest, sat beside the tree.
He grunted and kicked it and it toppled clumsily onto the dirt.
Sasha walked toward him with a pistol in each hand. “Where’s your sniper rifle?” the ace asked.
“I lost it to an Assassin droid’s blade. It sliced the stock and barrel off,” Sasha explained, irritation in his tone. “The next wave will be here soon. My radar tells me it’s a mixture of Havocs and Berserkers.”
Kaiden sighed as sweat and blood poured from his brow. The only part of his helmet that remained was the breather and he kept it on to combat the smoke and dust. “I don’t think I’ve fought one of those. It’ll be fun to try new things.”
“You won’t have much time with them. They are self-destructive droids that pursue their target and explode.” The commander vented one of the pistols. “Don’t let them get close.”
“I’m sure those kinds of tactics and strategy got you a commander position,” he joked.
“I also lived long enough to get it, so you might want to follow my lead,” the older man retorted and turned to face the tree line. “They are here. We need to—” He disappeared, and his weapons clunked onto the ground.
“Sasha?” Kaiden gasped, pushed up, and looked at the place where his companion had stood. “Laurie? Are you there? What happened to Sasha?”
&nbs
p; The only reply was the ominous rumble of the approaching robotic horde as metal feet crushed whatever brush remained. Kaiden turned and readied his rifle. He had said he wanted to go out fighting.
Pity it would be alone, though.
He waited, tense and ready, and his attackers finally moved into view. Havoc droids with chain guns and cannons were followed by small rounded droids, spheres that seemed to roll on two elongated tracks on their body with a single red eye in the center. The sightless eyes stared directly at Kaiden. He remained motionless and the enemy made no further movement, despite the fact that their target stood within vision and range.
The ace scowled at them with both caution and confusion until he was distracted by a white light above which ripped through the sky. The odd sight startled him enough that he almost dropped his gun. The luminescence engulfed the entire map quickly and he sneaked another look at his attackers. A familiar light glowed in the eyes of the droids and he grinned and pumped his fist.
Desync Initiated.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Wolfson limped up to Raza, who tried to remove Gin’s blade from his shoulder. His other arm had been cut too deeply to be of much use. He placed a hand on the Sauren’s back and looked at him as he gripped the hilt of the blade. Raza nodded and the giant used what remaining strength he had to rip it out in one swift movement. His friend hissed for a brief moment but quickly silenced himself. When he attempted to hand him the blade, the alien waved him off.
“I thought it was customary for the Sauren to take trophies from successful hunts,” the head officer reminded him.
“Only for the lead hunter. This was your quarry, so you deserve that.” Raza straightened and his arms hung limply. “It was my foolishness that cost you in this fight.”
“Are you talking about the eye?” Wolfson raised a hand to the wound. “Eh, don’t trouble yourself. I had grown too careless myself. Honestly, I simply wanted this bastard dead.”
“As did I. He has claimed too many innocents, even among the Tsuna and Sauren.” He flicked his head to the side. “He deserved a more prolonged punishment, but as long as he troubles us no more, it will suffice.”
“I won’t argue with that.” The man sat on the ground and studied the ornate blade. “Thanks for coming so quickly. I guess I was lucky you were so impatient that you couldn’t even wait for me to swing by and fetch you from the embassy.”
“If I wasn’t, did you plan to walk back to your home?” Raza questioned, his expression a little sarcastic. “Your subordinates told me you were knocked out of the sky.”
“I guess so. I would have made it, too, although you weren’t the only one I asked them to hail,” Wolfson informed him and winced when his eye pulsed with pain. “I’ll need a while to adjust to this.” He glowered at the pile of rocks under which Gin was buried. “It’s a pity he didn’t make it. Sasha told me he was after this bastard for many years. I guess he can take the corpse.”
“You have no desire for it?” the Sauren asked in surprise.
“The Academy would frown about a rotting head over my desk.” Wolfson chuckled. “He might let you claim it, considering you were the one who finally killed him.”
A blue blade pierced a rock in the rubble and sliced through it with ease. “You have to be shitting me.” The head officer growled his displeasure as he stood, a little unsteady on his feet.
The rock separated and Gin crawled out, his armor dented, cracked, and broken in places. He used another rock to hold himself up as he stumbled warily down the debris. When he reached the bottom, he fixed his adversaries with a hard look. Blood dripped from his brow and one eye remained shut, and he definitely wasn’t smiling. He pointed the Omni-blade at Raza. “Fuck you, gecko.” he snapped before he turned his attention to Wolfson. “How’s the eye?”
The giant gritted his teeth and stepped forward, but his companion raised one of his weakened arms to hold him back. He glared at him with both anger and surprise, and the Sauren flared his nostrils and nodded. The head officer immediately grasped his intention.
“So, no more fight in you,” Gin chided. “Well, it’s only to be expected that you would be at a disadvantage. Your depth perception must be shit now.”
“Keep talking. The only fight you have left is running your mouth,” the other man mocked.
The killer responded by twirling his blade. “You have no armor left—not that it would help much against a plasma blade, of course.” He glanced at Raza. “And it looks like your buddy has a couple of useless appendages now.”
“I can still rend you with my teeth,” the Sauren countered.
“I’m sure you’d give it your best attempt.” Gin chuckled. “This fight has been a fun distraction, I’ll admit, but I’ve also known that it has no point.” He placed a hand dramatically against his chest. “I’ve actually been the victor since well before we began. Your Academy is no longer the safe little haven that pumps out the next generation of heroes. Even if you fix the system, do you think the truth won’t get out? I’ve left more than simply a virus during my little visit. Three bodies so far, as you said. And I’ll make it five if you try to continue this.”
“You have a lot of empty talk for a man who tried to run away a few minutes ago,” Wolfson remarked.
“Like you don’t know anything about a tactical retreat,” the revenant countered.
“I never was much good at that.” He nodded at Raza and shrugged. “He can attest to that.”
The killer tilted his head to regard them with open amusement as he swung his Omni-blade and rolled the hilt in his hands. “So then, this is a matter of justice? Revenge?”
“We look after our own, murderer,” the head officer stated defiantly. “You won’t mess with our students and friends and simply walk away. I don’t give a damn how the universe sees you or how you see yourself. You should have known better than to come back here.”
Gin was silent for a moment before he grinned. There was an aloofness to it like he was happy despite something, not because of it. “It’s a pity your predecessors weren’t so hardened back when I was there. Maybe things would have turned out differently if they didn’t allow any jackass with an upper-crust background in.”
“Everyone has to deal with pain, loss, and hardship, but not everyone turns out like you.” Wolfson’s expression was grim as he punctuated his statement with a spit of blood.
The revenant’s grin faded and for a moment, he remained silent and simply stared at them. “Which one of you has my blade? I’m fairly sure I left it inside the lizard, but it doesn’t seem to be there anymore.”
The head officer held it up and flicked it casually to the ground a few feet in front of him. “Come and take it.”
Gin eyed the blade and took a few steps towards it. The duo tensed, ready for a final battle, but their opponent’s eye began to glow. “What? You’re still active? I thought I shut you off,” Gin muttered audibly.
“Is he talking to himself now?” Raza asked.
“I think it’s an EI,” Wolfson guessed as something vibrated in his pocket. He retrieved his tablet. The screen was cracked, and the body scuffed, but it was still mostly functional. “Keep an eye on him for a second.”
“Of course.”
Wolfson opened a message. It was only a few words, but they were enough to bring him relief and joy.
“What? The device destroyed?” Gin shouted in rage and shock. “Nullified—whatever, semantics. They shouldn’t have been able to do that so quickly… Damn it!” He drew a small EI device from the back compartment of his armor, threw it down, and crushed it under his foot. “Damn it…damn it!” he roared furiously, and he literally trembled with anger. Wolfson tossed the tablet toward him and it landed at his feet. The killer glanced at him before he picked it up and read the message on the screen.
Kaiden is alive and in recovery.
~ Laurie
The head officer expected this to send Gin over the edge and hopefully spur him to attack in
one last attempt to accomplish something. But instead, his body trembled once more before he threw his head back and laughed into the night sky.
“It appears we may win two battles here,” Raza muttered as the killer continued to cackle. “One physical and the other mental.”
The revenant’s laughter slowed. “Smartass.” He sighed and chuckled once or twice. “I guess I was never meant for this mastermind crap. I was better off doing what I usually do. Honestly, I should have stabbed him in his sleep—I told myself that a few times, actually.” He shook his head. “Even I have to admit, that guy Kaiden is pretty strong too.”
Wolfson straightened and fixed him with a hard look. “He also had people looking after him. It wasn’t only about stopping you, Gin, it was about keeping him safe.”
“That’s a nice thought. Do you wanna twist it around about how I’m scum one more time?” he asked and gestured lazily at the duo as if to give them leave to do so.
“There’s no point. It’s not like you’ll remember it when you're dead,” the giant replied.
“So you still think you can kill me? I already said that I have plenty left. You’re at the end.” He held his Omni-blade up. “Do you want one last try at killing me?”
“Damn straight I do,” he confirmed. “But it seems it wasn’t my fate to kill you.” He fixed the killer with a hard look before he and Raza stepped aside. “Only to get you in place.”
Gin frowned with momentary confusion before he caught sight of another figure behind them. The man was dressed in black and held something in his hands. The revenant’s eyes widened in recognition. He glanced at Macha as he considered the possibility of a swift attack that might reach his two adversaries in time. Instead, he smiled, opened his arms, and dropped his blade.
Three shots entered his chest and exited through his back.
He landed hard and immediately coughed and clutched his chest. He focused on the pair of boots as they strolled closer, then blinked a few times and smiled at the familiar face.
“Hello, Magellan.”
Animus Boxed Set 2 (Books 5-8): Revenant, Glitch, Master, Infiltration Page 38
