“Rayne?” he muttered and looked away in thought. “I thought I read about someone with that name who died recently.”
“I am not someone who will let death hinder my plans. This world interests me more than any afterlife,” the man said calmly.
Dario rolled his neck and sighed. “You can simply tell me you faked it. Fancy phrases and pretensions aren’t really something I enjoy.”
Merrick placed both hands on his cane. “And what do you enjoy, Mr. Adesso?”
“Not much, it seems—at least these days,” he admitted and lowered his arms “I used to love a good fight, or maybe merely violence itself. But I can’t find a thrill anymore. I came here hoping for a squad of revenge-hungry mercs to be waiting or something, but I assume you only want me to complete a gig for you?”
“Actually, I want you to join my organization.” The unexpected statement caught him off guard. “You say your current occupation bores you? I can think of two reasons for that, maybe. One is purely a lack of good opponents. I can easily correct that.”
“Is that right?” Dario demanded and settled his hands on his hips. “Since we’re chatting and all, I’ll hear number two.”
“That would be the fact that there is no purpose behind why you fight,” Merrick explained and pointed at him with his cane. “Under me, you’ll have a reason. One that would not only give your work meaning but would also help this entire world find its place once more.”
“The entire world…right…” Dario chuckled. “It sounds lofty and righteous—not really my thing. And under you? That isn’t to my liking either.”
“I thought fighters like yourself always recognized those stronger than them,” Merrick countered, and his voice revealed neither satisfaction nor frustration.
He smirked as he turned away. “All right. I think I had better head off, now. You honestly seem like a rich guy with too much time.”
“So the fact that I know who you are doesn’t bother you, then?”
“I can’t say that it does, mio amico. Like you said, I’m used to abandoning my name when it becomes inconvenient.” He began to walk away with a casual and confident stride. “I’ll let you live because I don’t feel like making new nanos, even if it’s only a few. Next time, try a merc group or something if you’re only looking for warm bodies.”
“I see. Then I suppose I’ll have to convince you another way, Mr. Adesso.” Dario shook his head and spun to catch the object he sensed had been thrown at him. He scowled at what appeared to be an ordinary throwing knife with no fancy metals or plasma lining. This guy was a—
He realized the man wasn’t there. Where he had stood only seconds before was empty, although no footsteps suggested movement. For someone with a cane, he could move with surprising speed and agility. The assassin activated one of his gauntlets. He might as well humor him, perhaps leave a hole or three and see if he’d return for revenge sometime. It could be fun. However, as soon as his nanos began to spread, he received a warning of something above. He glanced up as his adversary dove toward him and drew a long blade from his cane. Dario’s eyes widened and he scrambled back and formed a small energy shield with his nanos to block the blade. He stared in disbelief when the energy was cut through as if it were paper.
Merrick landed, held the blade up, and brandished it at the assassin. “That was a small shield, but it still takes about three hundred nanos to make, correct?”
He checked his nano count. His opponent was right—three hundred down—but the strike had merely cut the energy. At best, he should have lost only a third when the power dissipated.
“This is a dual-sided blade. One sends out an energy pulse that deactivates your particular model of nanos. The other side is a plasma blade,” the man informed him. “That one is for you.”
Dario held his other gauntlet up and activated it to release the other half of his nanos. For a brief moment, his heart raced and his lips twitched.
“If you won’t take my offer as a contract assassin, I suppose I’ll have to make you submit as a warrior.” Merrick held the blade up and continued to stare a challenge. “I’ll extend my offer once more, due to your reputation. Should you decline, I suppose I’ll have no choice but to force you to accept, unless your reputation is all you have.”
“What do you mean?” he asked while he formed spears behind him.
“If your skills don’t impress me…well, I don’t have the luxury of simply being able to change my name to have people forget about me. I have to be rid of them.”
The assassin finally allowed a true smile to blossom rather than the indifferent smirks he had limited himself to for so long, “Thank God I found you.”
Chapter Four
Their fight had begun ten minutes before and Dario was down to seventy thousand nanos. He had yet to so much as scratch Merrick’s jacket. The man was fast—abnormally fast. While he didn’t appear to wear armor, he could have an underlay with mods that allowed him to increase his speed and finesse. Or he could be a cyborg. That wasn’t out of the question at this point.
But he had him now, he was sure of it. The longer their fight went on, the more he could spread his machines. The combatants weren’t far apart, and to anyone with the right set of oculars, the two of them would appear to be in the eye of a hurricane of nanos. His plan was to keep his adversary in place and then cocoon him in the machines. It was a satisfying prospect, and there wouldn’t even be a drop of blood left after the explosion.
The older man relaxed his stance and Dario raised an eyebrow. “Are you done already?”
“Are you disappointed?” he asked by way of reply. “I have to say I am as well. That is such an obvious ploy.”
He clenched his teeth for a moment before his smirk slid into place. “So you can see them? Is this resignation to death I see?”
“I already said what it was,” Merrick replied, slid a hand into his pocket, then withdrew it and held up what looked to be a bomb trigger. He opened the cap with a flick of the thumb and pressed the button down. “Disappointment.”
Crazy bastard. The assassin immediately drew his nanos to him to form a barrier, but they didn’t respond. Neither, he realized after a breath-holding moment, was there an explosion.
He glanced quickly at the other man who rolled the trigger in his palm as he said, “That set a bomb off, but not a traditional one—a virus.”
When he pointed to the ceiling, Dario looked up and noticed a device with an antenna attached. He could barely make it out even though he looked directly at it.
“I’ve fought against people like you before. I merely needed time to confirm the proper sequence variation for your nanos,” Merrick stated and flipped his blade to the plasma side. “I can’t control them like you can, but they are on standby until I deactivate my device.” He began to walk over to his adversary with the blade poised and ready. “I am quite disheartened, Dario. I had hoped it wouldn’t be this easy to outwit you.”
“Outwit?” he asked and held a hand up to draw his fingers back. “Is that what I’m doing as well?”
Two spears rocketed from behind the older man. He noticed barely in time to slice one in half but the other lacerated the side of his shoulder. As he grunted with pain, he flipped the blade again.
“That’s a neat trick, isn’t it?” the assassin boasted. “It’s the same thing techs use when they develop nanotechnology—a type of electromagnetism they use to control small numbers of them at a time. I found a way to be able to use far more from longer distances. It’s a pain in the ass to use, though—way too much shoulder movement and focus are required.”
“I see.” Merrick stood, his blade ready. “So you’re not quite finished, are you?”
“Not at all.” A crash from above drew his attention. The spear he had missed had pierced his device after he’d lost sight of it while they talked. The nanos were now back under his opponent’s full control.
“I won’t take any more chances, capo,” Dario said mockingly and sna
pped a finger as dozens of bombs appeared to surround his target. “I’ll make this swift—call it a thanks for showing me I can still have a good time.” The bombs began to bundle around him, but he grasped the scabbard of his blade, pressed a button on the side, and thrust it into the ground. Electricity erupted from within in a dome that formed around him. It obliterated the closest bombs before it expanded rapidly and arced through the whole room. The assassin’s eyes widened when he was caught in the blast and saw his nano count drop rapidly.
He forced himself to stay on his feet and fumbled to reach the canister on his hip. It should have been insulated from the blast, so he still had around ten thousand stored within. He froze when he realized he couldn’t feel his arm. It occurred to him that it might have been from the shock, but when he tried the other, it felt strangely lighter. In that moment, pain screamed through him, the static gave way, and he sprawled painfully. Puddles of blood seeped beside him, and one of his gauntlets lay nearby with what remained of his arm still inside.
“If the truth be told, I am no extraordinary fighter, Dario,” Merrick stated as he circled from behind him, replaced the blade in the deactivated scabbard, and knelt. “I knew how you fought, and I prepared accordingly. And yet you still managed to force me to use every trick I brought with me. That is impressive.”
Dario, even without arms, was able to get to his knees and scowled at the bloody floor beneath him.
“So then, do you yield?” his adversary asked.
He chuckled. “One last thing—” He opened his mouth and a nanoblade protruded. Before the other man could react, he was able to slice into his face beside his left eye. He used the last of his strength to pounce and force the other man to the floor, hold the blade in his teeth, and thrust toward his throat. The attack stopped abruptly when the blade hidden under Merrick’s wrist stabbed into his neck.
The blade fell from his mouth and he managed a shaky laugh. “Was that your last trick?” He slid sideways. “That’s funny. I have no more either.”
A low hum was the first thing to draw his attention—a ship engine by the sound of it. Dario opened his eyes groggily and stared at a circular frame with a green eye that simply looked at him. Asiton model? He pushed it out of the way and grimaced at a loud clang when his hand made contact. His face contorted in shock when he realized his arms were now metallic.
“We can graft artificial skin onto it later.” The assassin turned as Merrick approached with a cup of coffee. “Or perhaps you’d like to decorate it differently?”
“What happened?” he asked, pushed to a seated position, and fixed his gaze on the other man. “I thought you killed me.”
“Not quite.” Surprisingly, Dario was able to take and hold the proffered cup with his artificial limbs. He wondered if it was drugged or poisoned but shook the thought away. At this point, his host—for want of a better word because he had no idea how else to think of him—already had the chance to leave him for dead. It would be a really macabre joke to keep him alive merely to kill him with poison. “I brought this droid with me. It kept you alive long enough for us to bring you here where the others could do the rest.”
He looked around and noticed several of the same droids floating about the room. “Those are Asitons, are they not?”
“They are, but no need to worry, however. They are quite tame.”
Dario took a sip and appreciated the fact that the beverage was still piping hot. “I heard you say you’re not much of a fighter. That has to be a lie.”
“What makes you say that? Pride?” Merrick asked.
He shook his head, “Even with all your gadgets and tools, to use it in combat under constant pressure like you did? That’s not the sign of some techie playing hero. You’re trained.”
“I am a former military and merc,” he replied and placed a hand on his chest.
“Trust me, I know the difficulty in using fancy tech as your main weapon. Speaking of which, are my—”
The other man nodded. “I retrieved your gauntlets before taking off. All your armor and other tools are waiting in the bay. I can replace the nanos fairly quickly if you would like.”
Dario put his cup down and rubbed the back of his head. The cold metal felt surprisingly welcome, although a part of him was still vaguely surprised that he seemed to be able to move his arms without thought. “Why do you want me? I’m sure a man like you could get hundreds of people to follow him for the creds.”
“I already have that,” Merrick stated surprisingly. “What I don’t have is someone who can represent my passion.”
“Represent your passion? What are you talking about?”
He grinned as he took a sip of his coffee. “Mr. Adesso, I have quite a lofty dream, as I’ve already hinted at, but part of realizing that dream means I cannot take the stage in a more deliberate or visible manner. I’ll need someone who can, should that be necessary. I’ve actually watched you for some time.”
“Since I eliminated those bounty hunters in that bunker we fought in,” the assassin guessed.
“That’s correct.” The man nodded. “I had sent them to retrieve someone else, but when I saw you at work—equally graceful and destructive—I felt you were a much more interesting choice.”
“I suppose I can agree with that.” Dario chuckled. “So what is this dream, exactly?”
“I’m afraid I can’t tell a mere acquaintance,” Merrick stated and took another sip before he put his cup down. “You don’t work for me, I simply did this in gratitude for a good fight. You’re free to leave if you wish.”
The assassin looked from the man to his new artificial limbs. “Just like that? You’ll even leave the arms?”
“I certainly have no use for them,” he confirmed. “Do as you like.”
Dario pushed from the medical bed, stretched, and made a few more complex motions to confirm that he was, in fact, already accustomed to his new arms. “Do you still want me?”
Merrick tilted his head, “The real question is, do you acknowledge me?”
Dario looked at him with a wide, feral smile, “I think I may even respect you a little.”
“Is that so?”
He turned to point at the older man. “That doesn’t mean I won’t challenge you again. I still have my pride which demands satisfaction.”
“Of course. You seem capable of that. If you finish your assignments with time to spare, I will take the time for whatever you wish,” he stated and held a hand out. “Deal?”
Dario nodded and took the hand in a forceful hold, but his companion didn’t even wince. “That’s a deal, capo.”
Chapter Five
Sasha Chevalier
“This is your last mission, isn’t it, Commander?”
“Hmm?” Sasha turned to the soldier behind him on the dropship. “Oh…yes, I’ll transfer to the Nexus Academy next month.”
This drew a few snickers from the group of ten soldiers. Some leaned over to check a tablet. Bets had obviously been placed. What they might be, the commander didn’t know, but it was probably at his expense.
“I can’t tell if I’m more worried about you or the kids you’ll take care of,” Lieutenant Ren mused. “You complain about us all the time. Do you really think you’ll have more peace at a place full of teens and twenty-somethings?”
“Are you saying the same about our ensigns, lieutenant?” he inquired. Ren glanced around sheepishly at the eight ensigns who regarded her angrily.
“Hey, don’t scare him off,” Ensign Calloway whispered loudly. “You’ll lose the promotion that way.”
“That ain’t how it works, Ensign,” Lieutenant DeMarco said and shook his head before he focused on the commander. “You’ll finally be back on Earth, then? It’s been ages for you, hasn’t it?”
Sasha adjusted his rifle and slung it across his shoulder as he took his helmet in his hands. “That’s normal for those of us in the navy, is it not?”
“We’re in space plenty, but we still make time to get ba
ck to ground for leave,” Ren pointed out. “You always hang around the embassy or some other station. Not to pry, sir, but I don’t think I’ll have another chance to ask if there was something holding you back.”
“I can’t simply enjoy space more?” he asked calmly as he pulled his helmet on.
DeMarco turned his comms on. “I guess that’s possible, but I’ve seen you staring down from the window in that bar you like. That’s the look of someone who misses something.”
The commander looked at him with amusement. “I wish you were this perceptive when trying to deduce if I wish to be alone or not, Lieutenant.”
“I am, but that would basically be anytime we’re not on a mission.” He chuckled and glanced at the door. “Speaking of which, do we have visual on the station yet? I hear this is supposed to be—”
“Ladies and gents, prepare yourselves,” the pilot warned over the intercom. “Things have not lightened up since we departed so we’re going in hot.”
“God, the silence of space is morbid.” DeMarco sighed and readied his cannon. “There’s a full-blown battle going on and I don’t hear a thing.”
Sasha took the tablet and activated it to display a hologram of the station. “Queen, we’ll go into one of the hangars, correct?”
“That’s correct, sir. Hangar four seems to be the safest option. But I assume you’re about to make a suggestion that’s less so?”
“There should be a large enough access port that we can fly into, which will drop us off in the middle of the station,” he explained. “It would put us within only a few kilometers of our retrieval target.”
“Or I can use one of the massive holes that have already been blown into the station,” she noted with a hint of concern.
Sasha pursed his lips. “How is the battle going?”
“There aren’t enough forces close by for this to be a real battle, sir. The pirates have the upper hand. Any battleships here are simply to clear a path and make time for all the teams to retrieve hostages and objects of importance. I’m not sure when they’ll pull back.”
Animus Boxed Set 2 (Books 5-8): Revenant, Glitch, Master, Infiltration Page 85
