Chapter 26 – Bravo
April 17, 2065- UNR Headquarters
The large troop diminished vastly after leaving Weapons Department III. The group now consisted of about thirty-three men and women, as well as one cyborg. Now walking into the Honor Hall, they were close to the final exodus. The majestic foyer’s beauty was shrouded in the dim light of the area. Halsey would have never thought that such a magnificent room could be a part of the infrastructure of this hell. The enormous pillars made it seem as if they were trudging through an interminable forest. But he soon found himself in denial of that beauty. Up ahead was such a travesty he could hardly look, and yet he’d been sickeningly expecting something like it. His first instinct was to look at Jacob, whose was quivering but had remained put. He looked over at Gabby, and her tears were already streaming. Halsey had much to take in.
His pessimism was now merely realism. Right now, he had to accept two hard facts: one, an attack was inevitable, and two, that he would not be able to stop Gabby if she gave into her emotions. If she gave into those emotions, she would breathe her last breath. Perhaps it was not his place. His heart pounded. The final obstacle and I don’t think we’re going to get over it.
Will himself could not believe it. Dr. Neeson was dangling less than a yard above the floor, from the arm of the statue of the Chancellor. His hands were bound, and a noose was gagging him. Even from his position, the cyborg could see the bloodshot eyes and the markings on the man’s neck.
It was certainly unorthodox, yet definitely objective. Will knew, because he could tell, just as he knew the soldiers behind him could, that Neeson was still alive. He couldn’t even mouth a word, but his lungs pressed on. Jacob was in control and cautious and remained put. Will respected that. For once, he wasn’t quite sure what to make of the man’s actions. Normally Jacob was quite predictable, but this was willpower of a kind he hadn’t seen before. Was it an irregularity or extreme discipline? The cyborg saw the Doctor shaking his head as much as he could muster and he suddenly remembered Gabby. Damn it.
She took off into a full run for her father.
“Gabby, hold it!!” Jacob yelled, trying his hardest to turn his sorrow into rage.
It only half-worked and in his misery, he fought himself not to join her. Halsey also yelled, but she threw both of their orders aside without hesitation. The vehemence in the air was obvious, but the others also held their ground. Surprisingly, they saw Will run after her, but no one saw what Will spotted: a sharpshooter atop the statue’s shoulder. Will tackled her just as shots rang out from the darkness on the left flank, hitting several soldiers.
The sharpshooter also joined in, scoring several hits with ease. The reaction was immediate, though few shots were aimed at the assailant on the statue, due to his close proximity to Neeson. Instead, most retreated into the shadows of the pillars opposite. Explosions went off in the darkness and Jacob knew it was claymores. For many it was too late. In the few seconds their father had re-entered their lives, it had become utter chaos.
Will felt like an utter jackass for not realizing the situation sooner. In those few seconds of rampant fire, only a single bullet had struck anywhere near Gabby. While Dr. Neeson’s captivity was conceivable, it had some purpose beyond a simple trap. He rose to his feet just as the shots ceased, not even bothering to look back at the soldiers. He now fully grasped what he was up against and he accepted that it was very likely none of the mortals would make it out alive. Holding his PSD rifle, he waited for whatever might come next.
Gabby slowly rose to her feet, quiet now. She looked behind her to see the many dead. As their blood gathered together into a single pool, she cursed herself. She thankfully saw that Halsey had not been among those hit, but Jacob was attending to Alex. The blood of others was sprinkled on her dear friend, but he seemed fine.
“Oh, God, FUCK! FUCK!” Alex sobbed.
As she stepped closer, Gabby saw that one of his legs was shredded up to the knee from an explosion. He was shouting and cursing more violently than Gabby had ever heard him. She rushed to his side, not sure what to say. No one was.
“Oh, damn,” a voice echoed throughout the chamber, “you got to admit that’s a hell of a start.”
It was just as Will feared. He watched as Luis leaped down from the shoulder of Venloran’s statue, a twenty-foot drop. Of course, the cyborg landed on his feet, cracking the delicate marble floor. He casually reloaded his M249 SAW.
“Now if I were you guys, I’d stay put and pay attention.”
Luis admired his own handiwork and that of his partner, spotting only about twelve targets remaining. He saw the one who’d had the sad luck of not being killed by the claymore. His yelping was reminiscent of a dog that needed to be put down. In due time, he told himself, though his face still glowed with excitement. The lights far above them somewhat brightened and out stepped Valerie. She held her M-16, but she was silent.
Will tried to rationalize the mess they were in. It was clear that somewhere along the line, both Luis and Val had disobeyed their orders. There was no other possible reason to explain why Venloran would hurl waves of UNR soldiers at him knowing full well they’d only end up in pieces. Yet it was also apparent that it wasn’t rage driving the two. Still, something about Luis seemed off. Their actions hardly seemed visceral but somewhat illogical. Or perhaps, it was just that Will hadn’t figured it out yet.
“It’s obvious that this wasn’t part of any organized formal attack plan. Otherwise they’d all be dead by now.” Will reasoned, and he took it a step further, “Has Venloran given you reason for your faith to be shaken?”
“Faith?” Luis laughed, “I only believe in reality, and don’t worry, our loyalty is quite intact. You’re somewhat correct though. While this is not a strictly by-the-book operation, the end game still concerns you.”
“If that’s the case, then let them go. They’re insignificant.”
Luis kept that smug smile on his face, raising an eyebrow.
“Now that’s a damn lie. Insignificant to me yes, but to you, apparently not. However, I did have something in mind for all of you and thankfully, you played right into it. If you want them to live I only want one thing,” Luis pointed behind him at Dr. Neeson.
“Amuse me.”
Valerie stared at Luis with a look of bewilderment. He can’t be serious. Her magazine was still half-full and was more than enough to finish the job. Will was caught completely off guard by the request.
“Don’t do it, please,” said a quiet voice. Will turned to see Gabby staring directly into his eyes. “I’m begging you.”
He immediately looked away, knowing better. He had to be objective, but in a way that’d negate the whole reasoning of why he stood here now. Dr. Neeson had been kind-hearted to him and had been the sole savior of his life. Thanks to him, the truth had been revealed to the soldier when no one else could provide answers. That was an invaluable gift, one he could never forsake, but he had also lied. They all had except for maybe Halsey. In order to do their dirty work, they had fed him pure treachery. They had dangled the shadow of ghosts in front of him, and Will had followed like a fool. He felt a tinge of anger.
“Come on, all I ask in exchange for their pathetic lives is that you show our dear father mercy. Don’t let him just hang there and die slowly,” Luis taunted.
Will realized this was not the same Luis he’d known before his capture. This one was driven by some inner inclination of vengeance or insanity. He could see it in the way his pupils trembled. Inside him was not malice of purpose, but of pure desire. It would be impossible to reason with him. He instead thought about what Neeson wanted, and what both Val and Luis wanted. Both of them had their fingers steady on the trigger of their weapons and were ready to slaughter the man’s children before his very eyes. I played right into it. Will felt his palms sweat uncontrollably. It was a feeling he hadn’t felt in a long, long time. I ask now that I hope you forgive me.
Val noticed Will’s eyes glistening
. She almost felt pity, but the torture was self-inflicted. Gabby still stood right behind Will, placing a gentle hand on his arm toting the gun.
“You don’t have to do anything.”
Jacob still was on his knees next to Alex, who held onto his hand tightly. Though his breaths were ragged, his pain unimaginable, his eyes were also veering in that direction. Jacob watched on as if he were a helpless child. He’d accepted what Gabby kept trying to deny, that either way, they had no say in the matter, no power at all. His life, her own, their father’s, it was all in the hands of these gods now. To deny it was pure naivety.
Will looked at Gabby again, this time not looking away. Her eyes were a mirror image of her father’s. He realized something in those eyes: what it meant to be a father, to an extent. It was painfully undeniable that he could no longer grasp the full significance of having a child, not now, but Neeson had provided yet another gift to him. A glimpse of the beauty of fatherhood, and also the strength it took.
Still quite ambiguous, but determined, Will raised the rifle.
“Will!” Gabby yelled.
Luis’ eyes lit up. Will only needed one final push. He blotted out everything else: Gabby’s intense yelling, the smell of burnt flesh, the murmurs of the frightened, and the entire distorted environment. He even removed Luis from his line of sight, so as only to see his friend and father. In the end, it was Gabby’s voice that provided that final push–I’m not sure he’ll recover this time.
One shot to the chest was all it took. Luis didn’t even bother to turn and take pleasure in the death of Dr. Neeson. He instead focused on the expression of the people before him. Still, the cyborg could hear the old man’s final ragged breaths, until his body finally gave out. This was too perfect, indeed, just as he had envisioned. He clapped in appreciation.
“Bravo.”
Gabby slapped Will hard repeatedly. He could hardly feel the physical blows, it was the inside that was suffering. He took every curse, every blow as if a bullet to the eye. It was Halsey who finally pulled her off, her curses still ringing in his ears. Will could not bear to look her in the face, or any of them. Still, he saw Luis’ grip on the trigger relax. He was at the very least, a man of his word. Halsey struggled to control the woman, but he was able to force her to move forward. Jacob and Patrick helped Alex up and headed away from the bodies.
Will drowned everything else out, focusing on Neeson’s perfectly still corpse. A stain of blood grew around the entry wound.
Luis held out one arm, pointing in the direction of the exit doorway. He threw the daughter a brief smile, finding her rage amusing. The now orphaned son is not as fun, Luis thought, before returning his eyes to Will. He waited until everyone left, until finally, it was just the three of them. The gods, free of the distractions of the mortals. Will readied himself for engagement. There was only one way he could take victory, the other weapon he’d been saving. Even so, he was taking an enormous gamble. He figured in all reality he would die. Luis began walking toward him, as did Val. “Our battle is at last at hand. You will be the greatest opponent I have ever faced. After you, life once again becomes dull.”
Chapter 27 - Resting Place
April 17, 2065- UNR Headquarters
Valerie watched as the last of the filth slipped away. The vein on her forehead was bulging. Luis was alert to this even as he focused on Will.
“Humans are easy to understand, Val. I let them go because they will refuse to leave without the newest and most valuable member of their team.”
Val’s eyes widened upon hearing that, finally bringing her attention back to Luis.
“Quite a gamble don’t you think? What if they get desperate enough to leave?”
Luis shook his head.
“Halsey and Unit 21 are connected, even if by only the faintest of ties. If no one else, he’ll refuse retreat under any circumstance.”
This seemed to be enough to convince Unit 23, who now joined her partner in their advance. Will watched as they began to close in. He wasn’t sure how to lead, and probably wouldn’t be able to do so. For once in a fight, he found himself taking a step back. On either front, the bullets had little chance of being the killing blow. At best, they could only slow the combatants down. The cyborgs each knew the objective was to get in close. It was the only way to inflict serious damage. Valerie was coming in on his left even more quickly than Luis.
“Val, I know everything now. We have no reason to serve Venloran.”
Her face wasn’t very responsive. She had only one thing to say, “Will, enough.”
“All of the questions you’ve ever wondered, I can offer at least some of the answers.”
“Is this the legendary Wolf from the gore days?” interrupted Luis, “the mistake you make is that you think you’ve been reborn, enlightened. You’ve chosen faith over logic.”
“Not quite, but it seems I’ve been offered nothing else.”
Will opened fire on Luis first, aiming at his SAW specifically. Naturally, he was no slouch, running forward and allowing his arm to take the brunt of the fire. Val fired in return, and her hawk eyes tore Will’s weapon apart. Damn it…Will drew two nine-millimeter handguns. He rolled to take cover behind a large pillar, but instantly leaped away from it. The explosion of a claymore followed shortly after, and for what it was worth, the bodies of the dead soaked up most of the shrapnel.
Still, the force of the explosive going off knocked Will to his knees briefly. A corpse flew over his head, with dust rising as well. The cyborg fired off a few rounds, enough to empty the clips of both guns. One bullet struck right above Valerie’s left eye, but Luis evaded the shots. At the same time, his SAW also went dry. Will took his chance.
As Luis began to reload, Will discarded the handguns altogether. He ran at his target without drawing his sword either, hoping he’d timed it right. Val aimed her M-16 and Will knew she intended to use the grenade launcher. As she took aim, some of her blood dripped onto her eye, causing her to blink. Regardless she fired.
Will leaped up, drew out a single hira-shuriken star, and hurled it at Luis. Just as soon as the cyborg aimed his reloaded SAW at Will, the tiny star flew into the opening of the gun. Will’s weapon shredded into Luis’ barrel, just as he pulled the trigger. The SAW blew itself apart and fragments of the gun hit Luis in his face.
Simultaneously, the grenade exploded against a pillar. Chunks of it flew through the air, but it held steady. All of Will’s calculations had held up nicely.
Will landed on his feet, kicking Luis directly in his face. The blow sent the cyborg on his back, and he actually slid a distance on the smooth marble. Will turned toward Val, his sword drawn. Swiftly, he cleaved her weapon in two, but she landed a kick in Will’s gut. The blow knocked the wind out of him and sent him reeling.
Val quickly drew her swords as well. Before Will could even engage, he felt something slash into his back. Unit 21 pulled away from both of them, to see Luis touting his crimson-tinged sword, blood dripping onto the floor. His own nose was bleeding, which he wiped away with his sleeve.
“I owed you that,” Luis joked. Will could feel the warm fluid running down his back. His old pal could have swung harder, used the sword to cut into his vital innards, but that wasn’t Luis’ style. Especially when the victim was one of a kind.
Luis then took off his coat. He, like Valerie, drew both swords. She followed suit and removed her jacket. Val saw Unit 18’s glare and knew it was directed at her. He actually intends to go through with it. She was at the ready, but Val allowed Luis to have his wish. He went in fast, swinging his swords in a pincer movement, aimed at Will’s neck. With only one sword, all Will could do was leap backward to avoid being beheaded. He could hear the blades slice through the air as he landed nimbly.
Luis was just as agile and was on Will in a flash. He was able to block Luis’ left sword and the clang of the metal unleashed a dazzle of sparks. The right sword found its way into Will’s boot. The blade slid deep like a warm knife thr
ough margarine. Blood spurted as Will crumpled to one knee.
The sword’s edge had cut into the circuitry of his foot. Not a second after the blow to his foot, Will delivered a head-butt to Luis, directly to his nose, once more. He stumbled and Will took the moment to pull the other sword from his foot. Now armed with two blades, he took the offensive. Before Luis could regain his senses, his adversary’s boot hit his temple. The kick was enough to get Unit 18 to fall.
Luis fell hard, slamming into the marble floor and causing it to crack upon impact. Will leaped up and brought both his boots down on Luis’ head. Even with all of Will’s weight, the neoartium did not so much as dent. Still, the marble around Luis’ head had been demolished.
In that moment Will could have finished Luis off for good, but for once in a fight, he was not aiming to kill. Will did not observe him for long and left Luis on the floor in shock.
From his position on the ground, Luis’ HUD blurred and scrambled. You goddamned coward. Despite the possible internal damage, all he felt was rage.
Time to cut the shit. Val rushed in, Will meeting her blow for blow, strike for strike. She was somewhat surprised. This time around, Will’s fighting style was much more aggressive than their first sparring match. Still, this only clashed with her already head-on approach. Both were able to hold their ground quite well.
Will leaped over Unit 23 and swung down at her in mid-air. She was far too fast though, and the blade just barely grazed her shoulder. As he landed behind Valerie, his left leg buckled slightly. The injury to his foot was worse than he’d previously assumed. That small instant of imbalance was the perfect opening for his opponent. She tried to gut him, and Will sloppily dodged to his right.
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