Past the city walls, I descended the hill slopes towards the black market. The hustle and vibrant colors of daytime stalls were absent, replaced by a somber stillness. Shops had shuttered their windows, and the once lively tents were stowed and furled, their colorful canvases now just limp shadows under a moonless night.
I relaxed a bit. There was no one here to see me as far as I could tell. And even if there were, it was doubtful they would say anything to anyone official, their own clandestine activities being something they’d like to keep hidden.
That didn’t mean that I simply marched through the main thoroughfare, though. I kept to the walls of the shops and the shadows of the camp as much as was possibly, working my way through towards Geoffrey’s bunker.
When I came near, I shifted sideways, moving as far right as I could then creeping forward until I had eyes on the entrance.
Two guards stood sentinel at the entrance, goonish looking toughs bulked up in an obvious motley of monster-core enhancements. I watched as one of them yawned, whispering something to his fellow and then leaning up against the wall.
Importantly, I could see that their crimson-red thermatrix halberds were lying against the door, within reach but not at the ready.
Night duty has made them complacent, monkey man. Use that to your advantage, CD said.
I took another step closer. As I watched, the other guard slapped a meaty hand to the back of his neck and rubbed it, blinking his eyes desperately. It was obvious that CD was right; these guys weren’t used to nighttime meetings. They moved a lot, shifting their weight from foot to foot to stay awake.
Their sluggishness was my advantage. I moved closer, timing my approach with their yawns and shifts, each step deliberate, keeping me hidden within the deeper patches of darkness.
One of the men pointed in my direction and I paused, thinking that maybe I’d been seen. The other guard nodded, and he started heading towards me, his hands working the tie of his trousers as he did so.
The man had to piss, and he was heading my way to do it.
Cloaked in the shadows, I probably could have avoided detection. But I couldn’t wait too long anyways, I decided, thinking of the danger Techlock was in. It was time to battle test the Scout Nexus. I crouched, waiting until the guard was half the distance between myself and the door to the bunker, and leaped.
Night air whistled past as I soared, my claws out and at the ready. They shicked as they slashed, gouts of blood splattering out in an arc of gore and meat, the man already dead despite his enhancements. I landed and turned my eyes to the second guard, who swore and looked first at me, and then at the weapon he’d left on the door he was supposed to guard.
“You thinking of running?” I asked, taking a step forward.
“What are you?” he asked, his voice a terrified groan. He began to run for the door and I responded, sprinting forward with powerful agility and arriving just in time to kick the door closed as it was starting to open.
The guard turned and I caught the glimpse of flaring energy cascading off his arms, blue-white in color, before his right and then left fists connected with my torso. It was a strange sensation, being doubled over in the mech.
My human body wanted to retch, but the confused bio frame had no concept of a stomach nor any contents to release.
I backed off a bit, assessing the guard. He was turned sideways, in a boxer’s stance, and the strikes he’d just delivered indicated strength cores more powerful than even the knights. That made me reassess the situation. If he had the creds behind him, he’d likely been infused with endurance and vitality as well.
Even with max creds, though, there wouldn’t be room for more than three. He’d have to be a giant to get four. And that meant I’d well be above him in speed. He edged forward, kicking out in front of him, but I dodged sideways and slashed at the thick part of his leg. The man bellowed, but I noticed that his meat was hard.
Definitely vitality enhanced then.
The man lunged, swinging his fists and I twirled sideways, attempting to seize his outstretched arm while simultaneously activating my kick blades. As they extended, the man’s eyes widened and tried to pull away. But I had him in my grip, and a second later, I had cut him again, this time a hard gash against his hip.
“You’ll run if you know what is good for you,” I grunted from my speaker.
“You don’t run when you’re guarding Geoffrey. Not if ya knows what’s good for ya,” he answered.
And then I was on the ground. Another guard had appeared and apparently thrown me by my ankles, I realized, staring from ten feet away and on my back. This guard had a core I was unfamiliar with, something that made his eyes and fists sparkle red like a blood-gem stuck in a candle, and whatever powers that core provided were big ones, because unlike his wounded comrade, he was stomping forward towards me, eager to do battle.
I leapt to my feet, and the guard stopped, eyeing the sparkle of his energy from my claws. I took a wary step in his direction, and he lunged.
Through one of my arms, I willed the core to extend its shield, and there was a shimmering echo, like that of a gong being struck, as he smashed a fist into it.
Swinging the shield aside, I slashed out with the claws in my right hand, scoring a light strike against the guard’s chest. He grunted and backed off, while behind him the other guard tore a chunk of cobblestone from the ground and hurled it towards me with terrifying force. The projectile whistled through the air, arcing directly for my chest.
Reacting instinctively, I again threw my shield in the way, and the cobblestone shattered against it, fragments bouncing off harmlessly into the darkened alley.
Meanwhile, the second guard closed his eyes, and around him the air became a blur. He moved, and I struggled to track him, ghosts of his image appeared on both my left and right flank. I growled, bewildered by this unknown core, and made a decision.
I wasn’t going to stand around waiting for him to strike. Not when I had an easier target in sight. I took off in a sprint and leapt, the wounded guard by the entrance managing to scream before I half-decapitated him with my claws.
He gurgled as he fell, and more on instinct than out of skill, I spun, deploying my kick-blades as I did so. The blade sliced through the air, tearing the second guard into two as he was caught in mid-leap.
His bloody halves slapped wetly against the ground and I stepped back, leaning my back against the unyielding surface of the bunker entrance as I surveyed the battle scene. I could feel my bio-frame humming softly, a strange sensation of happiness radiating from its being, the core that was its heart beginning to slow, and I wondered just how intelligent these things were.
I sighed. That’d have to be investigated later. The immediate area seemed devoid of further threats, but that didn’t mean I could just sit here the rest of the night and watch the stars.
“CD, scan the perimeter. I need eyes everywhere,” I murmured.
There was a brief pause, then CD's voice crackled in my mind. You made quite the mess, warrior. I’m surprised that the whole of Alnda hasn’t noticed your attack. I’m scanning for signs of detection, but so far I don’t see anything.
I scanned the shadows one last time, my sensory enhancements piercing the darkness. “And the guards inside? What's the status?”
Minimal activity, CD replied. It appears there are only five guards left inside, including those with Techlock and Geoffrey.
Regarding the three dead guards splayed out before me, I wondered if they’d be harder or easier than the ones I’d just killed. They’d had quite a bit of force behind them.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
“Hey CD, those guards . . . their monster cores, can we recover them? It’s unconventional but could be valuable.”
Tear open simians, remove monster core enhanced human tissue, and try to repurpose them into our own cores. Sounds wicked. I’m definitely interested in trying, Al. Once Geoffrey is neutralized, it’s certainly worth exploration. Your adaptability continues to impress.
“Keep an eye out then, and let me know if anything changes. I’m going in,” I stated, shifting my weight, ready to breach the interior.
Your first enemy is around the first corner. Use stealth and you can catch him unaware.
“Thanks,” I told him, moving to the door. I regarded the unused thermatrix halberds, debating on whether wielding one would be more useful than my claws, then decided we’d check them out later and maybe integrate them into the design itself. Slowly, as quietly as I could, I set them aside before opening up the door and stepping within.
The air was stale and musty, smelling of rust and old metal. I hadn’t had a chance to see it before, but now that I could, I realized it was a bit of a shithole.
I moved in further, scanning my surroundings. The walls were composed of thick metal plates, pitted and brown with age. From hooks in the ceiling hung old oil lamps, burning dully in glass caked brown with use, while the hooks themselves hung from a series of pipes and wires that crisscrossed overhead, giving the space an almost industrial feel.
The floor was an old ground-down concrete, and as I pushed ahead I made sure to step lightly, keeping my steps from echoing ahead and giving warning to whatever guard awaited me next.
To my left and right, reinforced metal doors hinted at other chambers, their surfaces bearing words I didn’t understand, and I eyed them suspiciously.
Oh, go on. My scans indicate that this complex was a survival bunker during the war. The rooms are full of debris and broken devices. The guards are all in the hallway as of the last scanning data.
I nodded despite him being unable to see.
Ahead, the main corridor stretched forward, flanked by thick columns that supported the extra weight of the earth above. The lighting grew dimmer as the hallway extended, lamps appearing less frequently, and all of them leading in a single line, the unused portion of the complex entirely bereft of lamps at all.
Moving ahead, I stepped around the first corner, the mech suit’s sensors amplifying the sounds around me—something hummed lightly within the walls, and from somewhere more distant water spit and gushed, no doubt from a broken pipe. I could also make out the faint murmur of voices not too far ahead.
First guard's around the next corner to your left, stationary and sitting, likely dozing off. You can take him by surprise.
“Thanks,” I whispered. Navigating the corner with the lightest steps I could muster, I spotted the guard—a bulky figure slouched against the wall, his heavy breathing rhythmic and unsuspecting. I approached silently, powered by my mech’s stealth capabilities, and before he could register my presence, I had stabbed claws in his neck.
He gurgled briefly, the sound echoing lightly through the halls of the complex, and I cursed as he died, crimson fluid spurting over my kneeling form.
“CD, anyone moving?”
I am scanning for any sign of activity that may have been caused by a young simian warrior’s inability to affect his kills in a professional manner.
I waited, cursing under my breath, as he retrieved the data.
You are clear to proceed. The next guards are in closer proximity to their halberds. I suggest greater caution.
“What can those halberds do to us, anyways?” I asked.
Scans indicate that these particular weapons are continuously kept to a scalding heat. The Nexus will have no particular problems with them. In fact, you are almost certainly better off fighting them armed with halberds than fighting them unarmed, seeing as their cores can do substantial damage to your armor.
“Then why the hell are you telling me to take greater caution?”
You aped the first kill. I’m simply advising you to not ape the next ones.
I scowled and felt my bio frame shudder, unable to process the thought or gesture into motion. My attunement dropped a full ten percent and I thought calming actions into it, reattaining my control after a few tense moments.
Pressing on, the corridor forked ahead, and I continued to follow the lanterns that hung above. Stepping on a smooth patch of concrete, I nearly tumbled to the floor, an unseen puddle making it slippery like ice. Fortunately the echoes of my near fall were dampened by the suit's own automatic motions, and I was able to keep my feet without warning them of my presence.
Reaching the next corner, I peered around it to see two guards stationed outside a fortified door. They were indeed holding the halberds, though I couldn’t understand why. They were talking about something, their whispers low but forceful, carrying well in the still air.
Using the mech’s enhanced vision, I scanned for anything that might complicate my approach. Finding nothing, I plotted a quick course of action. The guards were much more alert than the previous ones had been, and their eyes were scanning the dimly lit hallway intermittently, but they hadn’t noticed me yet.
I took a deep, silent breath.
“CD, I’m going to charge them. They’ll react on instinct, try to cooking me with those halberd, and then I’ll have them where I want them.”
A solid plan, apeling. You may be getting better at this.
Breaking into a sprint, I charged forward, my claws out to my sides, ready to slice both simultaneously. The distance closed rapidly under my feet, while they shared a glance and set their halberds forward, preparing to meet my attack. Just before I reached them, I saw them share another look, and suddenly they were crouched, the butts of their halberds set against the place where wall met floor, and the sharp hexagonal spear points of the ax heads aimed perfectly to stab into my body.
It wasn’t at all what I had planned for.
Slowing my charge at the last possible moment, I pivoted, the mech's agility and my own attunement with it allowing me to twist in a way that would have been impossible in a human body. The halberds’ tips scraped against my armored sides, the sound a harsh, grating shriek that echoed down the corridor. Heat radiated off the blades, but it did little against the Nexus suit's enhanced resilience.
I ducked low, sliding almost, my claws extended and sweeping at the legs of the nearest guard. He stumbled, meat tearing off his calf down to the bone as the unexpected move wrecked his body. The second guard screamed, suddenly furious, and he swung his halberd in a wide arc, aiming for my head.
Twisting again, I rose and stepped inside his reach, my right claw crashing up against the shaft of his weapon, pushing it upwards and wide. With my left claw, I jabbed forward, catching him in the gut. The smell of seared fabric and flesh rose as my claw punctured his uniform and skin, the heat from his weapon now a liability as it burned painfully into his own body and ended his life.
“CD, did I alert the other guards?” I growled, keeping one eye on the other guard whose leg was no longer operational.
A commando team of just two of my people once eliminated a full human unit of 100 without ever being detected. You have managed 5 kills and now everyone knows you are here. Well done. Expedite your actions, simian.
I chuckled, not really worried. The guards outside had been a threat. But the ones inside were about as difficult to deal with as repairing a mech gauntlet.
The first guard scrabbled against the wall, propping himself up and somehow managing to retrieve his halberd. He regarded me with a face full of hate and pain.
“By the sacred light, I ward thee away, creature of darkness. The Guardians of the Holy Circle protect us. In the name of the Sacred Four, I cast thee back into the abyss from whence thou came. Holy shields guard my soul, sanctify my purpose, and banish this demon's deceit.”
His eyes were wide, reflecting a mix of fear and the fiery determination of his faith, as he clutched his halberd tighter as if it were a rosary of his sect, whichever of them he followed.
What a marvelous display of ape mythos! CD cried delightedly.
Something about the moment made me see red. This man, he was a bully. A thug. One of the many of us humans who went around kicking the weak, ripping up families and livelihoods, and he thought that he was good?! That he was somehow worthy of divine protection?!
“What you do here is help a monster. There is no help for you in the heavens, and I feel no sorrow in sending you to hell,” I bellowed, slapping his halberd sideways. He screamed as my claws slashed open his jugular. He fell again, thrashing in the growing pool of crimson, before finally going silent.
The door they were guarding took that exact moment to slam open. The two remaining guards took a look at their companions, a look at me, and tried to pull back through and close it.
But I wasn’t having any of that nonsense. I was somehow angrier than before, rushing forward and slamming the closing door back open with the bulk of my chest. One of the guards squealed and threw a glowing punch, but I brought up my shield arm and extended it to block the blow, all in a split-second. Surprised, I noticed that my attunement had risen to 70%.
My mech core pumped hard and I snarled.
“Fuck this,” the other guard said, taking his chance to turn around and take off running in the other direction.
A dark urge rolled over me to chase him down and I shook my head. “No. Mission. Now.”
The guard who’d tried to slug me stared, glassy-eyed. “You are judgement, aren’t ya? You’s the one the Father O’ Heaven warned us ‘bout!”
My attunement was 80%, and my rage had turned homicidal. I snarled and hissed, extending my kick blades and taking off both legs at the knees.
Watch yourself, Alaric. Calm down. Steady yourself.
I stared down at the man as he passed out and died, shaking, holding against new and dark desires. Something in me lusted for the blood and meat of the man, though I wasn’t sure how I’d consume it even if I had wanted to. But, as the attunement dropped back down to 70%, I began to understand.
“The bio-frame,” I muttered, back in control.
Higher attunement will require training, Alaric. You have exceeded my expectations, but your easy attunement to the frame also seems to give it easy attunement to you. For the rest of this mission, try to take things more slowly.
“Yeah.” I took a deep breath. “Already. Slow and steady. How is Techlock doing?”
As of the last scan data, Geoffrey has overturned his banquet table and is using it as a protective wall against your now obvious presence. He has Techlock sitting in front of him, a sharp blade to his neck.
“Great,” I said, sighing.
Going through the door and following the lanterns, I came to the door to his command room, and opened it, peering within.
Inside, the room was much as before, except that this time his banquet table was a mess of spilled food and drink, having been converted into a defensive position. Geoffrey sat with Techlock, a knife to his throat. His eyes met mine, widening in surprise and a flicker of fear as he took in the sight of the mech suit.
“Geoffrey,” I announced, my voice amplified and distorted through the mech's speakers, “We need to talk.”