{Earth}

One hundred and thirty-two Icari waited outside the door of the Arsenal’s Faraday Cage. On the security monitors, they looked unarmed. But an unarmed Icarus was a well-trained soldier worth three humans in combat.

John held his nacre-disabling rifle close. Beside him, Caedes did the same. The Icarus’ dark green eyes went Atramentous. Lynn and Smith formed a human shield around Devis. The First Wave Progeny clenched his jaw as if resisting another round of “I thought you said I would be safe here.”

Lynn reassured him repeatedly that only she and Smith could enter through the Cage’s blood seal. And in all their tests, Sagan failed to enter. So far, the Cage remained Seamswalker-proof. Lucky for them. But John didn’t appreciate the way the Celindria-possessed soldiers lingered outside, awaiting orders. What orders? And from whom?

Caedes growled. “Still no word from the Ecology?”

Smith ran a hand nervously through his hair. “Nope.”

Lynn bit her lip, and her eyes glistened.

John also worried for Pablo and Jack—Everyone there. He couldn’t voice his concerns, but he knew they all shared in them. The Ecology was also under attack. With the rest of the Shadow split up on Cinder and Gait, no one would come to their rescue—

“Chief Lynn!” A dozen voices called her out at once. All of them sounded exactly like her.

Holy. Shit.

The dark brown woman paled to sheet white. “No,” she breathed. “No. No. No. Not again.”

Smith put an arm around her and checked her skin for clamminess. “She went into shock.”

Devis approached. “I can help. Lynn, allow me to look into your memory. I can ease—”

“We’re here to replace you.” That unmistakable gravel sounded extra grumpy in a small choir.

Caedes’ medium gray complexion held fast. If anything, he looked extra annoyed. More inconvenienced to kill himselves than intimidated.

For once, John was grateful for the amputation. Who would copy him?

“They’re at the door.” Smith waved for them to check it out while Devis treated Lynn to a brief memory walk.

A dozen Lynn copies led a garrison of five Caedes figures and over a hundred Icari.

John pointed at the monitor. “Hey, who’s that handsome fella?”

Caedes peered over John’s shoulder and scoffed with an exaggerated eye roll. The Caedes copies organized the Icari into squadrons with terrifying cogency. As John snickered with the most inappropriate timing, the gruff Icarus did a double-take.

“It would seem Imminent successfully incentivized educators across the multiverse.” Was that smug in the bald man’s tone?

Intrigued, John took another glance at the camera feed. And gaped. An eerie chill arrested him at the sight of ten copies of himself. Under his breath, he asked, “Why? Why would anyone want me?”

A friendly but violent elbow nudged him.

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“Hey!” He glared up at Caedes, but stopped short of bitching at him.

The bald Icarus looked dead serious as he explained, “You provide a valuable service for the blending of our races, and you perform it with surprising professionalism given your age. You’re a good soldier, John. Don’t undersell yourself here on the verge of combat. Confidence in yourself will save your life today.”

“Let’s hope you have it in spades.” Lynn sounded strong and sure. She eyed the door, gripping her pendant.

Right. It was time. John looked at Caedes, and they nodded to one another.

This nacre glass chamber was their last stand. They wouldn’t let no sinister copies overtake them for the Tantamount. No way.

Devis sat on the floor and crossed his legs. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Lynn and Smith backed against him, prepared to defend the Progeny to the death. She was breaking her vows, but John wouldn’t tell Pablo. He and Caedes took point, facing the door. Shoulder to shoulder. Well, shoulder to bicep.

They piled the nacre disabler rifles on either side of them. The current strategy called for them to use a charge, toss the gun for a refill, and pick up the next in the meantime. Once they ran out of rounds, they’d use their chains. And fight ’til the end.

From the floor, Devis assured, “I will do what I can.”

From the corner of John’s eye, he caught Lynn smirking as she said, “That makes you Shadow.”

Smith chuffed. “Welcome to the exclusive club of always being almost killed.”

“I’ll take ‘almost’ right now,” John joined in.

Caedes grumbled. “Like any of you could simply die. I’ve fought alongside you long enough to see a tenacity that turns my stomach but keeps me by your side. As a side-effect, you’ve raised my expectations. Live up to them.”

They raised their guns. The door opened, and the stream trickled in, two Icari-wide. Stun charges zipped and crackled. Icari flopped to the floor with their nacres disabled in pain. John hated this. His hand shook with it and adrenaline, but his aim stayed true. They collectively took out another four.

It was so quiet. The clatter of the metal when they discarded the guns. The awkward boot stomps from Icari climbing over their fallen comrades. The tazers and pained grunts provided the only sound. It smelled of people. Sweat and determination. No blood. Not yet.

The first of the Caedes copies came through the door. His was the first scream. Buckled to his knees and gripped his bald head. He rolled to the side and convulsed with a frothy mouth.

Devis’ dark skin sweat bullets from the mental exertion.

Another wave of Icari came through. John dropped his gun and reached for—for what? The pile was empty. Shit.

He glanced at Caedes who tossed him one while gruffing, “This is my last one. Lynn?”

Smith shouted, “We’re out. I’ll cover Lynn while she uses hers.”

“Right. John, take yours and in case you forgot—The knife is the sharp thing in your pocket that keeps stabbing your ass when you sit.”

“Fuck you, Caedes.”

Lynn downed her vial. Right. John drank his. Rayne’s blood tasted awful, but the instantaneous kick lit him up inside.

The Chief charged into the oncoming herd of Icari. The first one punched her. She evaded it and backed into him, throwing him over her shoulder. She stomped his skull in with her combat boots. With a back kick, she sent the next one down with a knee that bent the other way now.

John threw himself into the crowd, mostly relying on the combat skills taught to him by Xelan. It challenged the stability of his Enki prosthetic, but he managed. Knowing Caedes watched on, John withdrew the six-inch blade from his back pocket and stabbed the first contender in the eye with it. Thanks to Rayne’s dose, it went all the way through the skull to the other side.

“Wow.”

“Don’t stop. Keep fighting!” Lynn cried with no sign of strain, despite her three opponents. She lifted one over her head and threw it into the next wave. “Now! Take them!”

Caedes and Smith toasted to one another. Both of them glowed after the fact.

Devis opened his Atramentous eyes and bared his teeth. Screams erupted from the corridor beyond. On the monitors, a handful of the copies went to their knees and foamed from their eyes and ears. The First Wave Progeny hung his head, breathing far too heavy. “I must rest.”

Right.

The four of them dragged apprehensive Icari inside and went to work. Lynn slammed one into the ceiling and with a devastating crack, they stayed down when they hit the floor.

Caedes preferred the simple punch and nacre grab.

Smith. Well, Smith punched his assailants into a pulpy mess all over. A lot.

John stuck with the knife. All that blunt trauma was more personal than he wanted to get. While they were truly backed into a corner, he hated hurting people they promised to keep safe while experimenting for the sake of both their races. But what could they do? These people gave their volition to Celindria. And they threatened to replace him.

So, knife.

Maybe John would ask Devis for a memory lobotomy after they survived.