The Union Aerospace Corporation is the largest corporate entity in existence. Originally focused on weapon and defense contracts, new ventures have expanded into biological research, space exploration, and other scientific endeavors.

With unlimited funds and the ability to engage in research outside of moral and legal obligations, the UAC controls some of the most advanced technology ever conceived…

He huffed as he gripped his injured side, tilting his torso away from the incoming shot. He didn't even see friend or foe anymore. Hell, through the gnawing pain, all he could see were light and dark blurs…

Hell…

His blond ponytail was drenched with sweat and blood, matted to the back of his cracking armor. His eyes narrowed at his target, the handgun snapping out a quick rhythm. Finally the 'foe' fell, slumping into a grotesque heap in the darkness. His eyes flew around the room, somehow making out the telltale teal blur in the enveloping, cold dark of the hall. He leapt towards the repair kit with gusto.

As the kit worked on knitting his seeping side together, he let the sedative take him away for a while…back to this evening…

Hell…

He didn't like it as soon as he set foot on it.

The Mars Base was simply so boring. Being assigned to that dungeon was the worst thing the government could do to you aside from dishonorably discharging you, but the bionic human honestly didn't give a flying fuck. In fact, he was rather excited.

An old war friend of his had been assigned to the base a long time ago, and the idea of seeing him again was refreshing, and made the long journey and lame assignment tolerable. The councilor across from him on the space transport coughed as he lit a cigarette, as the marine let the cabin fill with stale, choking smoke. No matter how many times the councilor and his bodyguard shot glares, he'd simply smile back through his visor and light another. Certainly took the edge off of leaving his old life.

He slipped off the transport after an especially rocky landing, stepping off onto the metal catwalk and proceeding to receiving—including those invasive bio-scans. The blond half-grinned as the folks at the machine gawked at just how black his lungs were. That is, until they confiscated his packs of cigarettes and insisting that the UAC was a 'smoke free' facility.

Well, fuck it…

That was an exceptional mood ruiner. He half-stomped to reception, tossing his things beside the desk unceremoniously. The receptionist gazed at him half-heartedly as he punched him into the system, shoving a security PDA in his direction. He groaned. So that's what he was doing. Guarding a military base where the only threat was overworked, unarmed civilians.

The scowl was deep- set on his face until they told him his first order: to go see the commander in charge. They sent another Sergeant, X, to train under Sergeant Kelly and fill his place until he returned from his extended vacation. The new marine was heading to Command briskly, footprints echoing in the cold halls, when suddenly he heard raised voices.

What appeared to be an aging man, bald as an egg and blind in one eye, was returning heated words to the councilman, his eyes narrowed.

"I'm here because there seems to be some very serious problems," The councilor stated dryly, eyes equally as narrowed at the head scientist.

"Oh really? Do I need to remind you of the groundbreaking work that we're doing here? " The doctor spat back, growing irate.

"No. But I've been authorized by the board to look at everything."

"The board authorized you? Hmm, the board doesn't know the first thing about science," the scientist turned, leaving a pregnant pause in the air, and the marine felt vaguely like he was choking. "All they want something to make them more money, some…product. Don't worry; they'll get their product. " For a split moment, the voyeur saw a ghost of a smile across the senile doctor's lips.

"After how many accidents? Tell me, Doctor Betruger… why are so many workers spooked, complaining, requesting transfers off Mars?"

"They simply can't handle life here. They're exhausted and overworked. If I had a larger, more competent staff and a bigger budget…these few accidents could have been avoided." Betruger replied with spite, the last few words hissing through his teeth.

"I'm afraid you'll get nothing more until my report is filled with the board. I will need full access Doctor Betruger, Delta included. I won't have any difficulty doing that, will I?" The councilor bristled at the very mention of Delta. The idea of going to –that- lab was unpleasant to say the least. He had only heard horrible stories of the place, and it was the center of most of the complaints against Betruger and the United Aerospace Corporation.

"Only if you get lost Swann," This time, Betruger really did grin. It was a sickening, false-pleasantry sort of smile. "Just stay out of my way. Amazing things will happen here soon. You just wait." With that, Betruger hastily stomped out of the room, his eyes flying to the eavesdropping Marine. For a moment, the man felt as if his Blind Eye's haunting gaze was piercing him through his chest.

Hastily he turned, the blond ponytail swiping at the air as he walked off, bionic joints creaking. He followed the signs he should have followed fifteen minutes ago, and as he was passing by the communications station near Command, he overheard the conversation with Delta Labs.

"We need another security team in Delta," a tired voice stated, emerging from the high monitor above their heads. The face the voice belonged to looked beyond weary, brow creased heavily and his face set in a serious frown.

"I'll put your request in." The marine stated, his voice dry as if he didn't take the man seriously. Apparently this happened a lot.

"…Thank you." The civilian replied, though from his furrowed brow, the marine imagined he was anything but thankful. He obviously doubted the man at the Comm. Link, and for good reason. As soon as the communication flickered off, everyone in the immediate vicinity burst into boisterous laughter.

The blond shook his head. Just what kind of messed up place was this? Though he did see some reason in the laughter; after all, what was there to be afraid of? He sighed deeply as he entered the main marine facility, when all he saw was bright green eyes and a smile.

"Zero! There you are! It's been forever!" The brunette shouted boisterously, lunging forward to greet him. His military steel façade was thrown away the instant Sergeant X set eyes on the blond, resulting in rather blatant, blank, and bewildered gazes by his men. The bionic sergeant reached out and grasped his fellow half-man by the hand, shaking vigorously, and pulling the soldier into a friendly embrace. He was a touch shorter than Zero, and was quite a bit softer looking. He wasn't designed for war, after all.

For one, X was much slimmer and slightly shorter than Zero, his build much more delicate and reinforced with much more armor. The armor looked entirely out of place on the thin frame, but it seemed to have held up quite nicely during the Sergeant's long assignment. His eyes, Zero thought, were always a bit innocent looking, and it always seemed to be the last thing on X's mind to hurt someone. That's how it was on Earth, anyway, and it seemed to Zero like as soon as X's eyes were off him, they grew cold and hard.

It worried him.

"Sorry to cut the reunion short, Sarge-" An irate soldier spoke, "But that missing scientist is still kind of missing." X gained a blank look on his face, and it suddenly lit up as he remembered. "Right! Zero! Since it's your first time around here, we're going to go look for this guy in the abandoned communications facility in the subsystem. It's what supports everything around us, if you didn't know already." X grinned, starting to step back into the labyrinthine halls and tugging the new bionic marine along with him. Zero had the faintest feeling he would quickly become lost without the Sergeant leading him along.

They had to go down a dingy elevator into even dirtier, older facilities, rusted red and gray from overuse and aging. "Come on, get your gear." X said impatiently, the security man behind the glass punching a few keys to open the blast screen between them and the armor and weapons. Zero practically threw everything on; wanting to get something between him and the stale, almost tense air. The armor felt at home on his body. The pistol at his side, however, was new. He sat through the radio test as they cleared them through into the subsystem, wandering down even more dirty halls. They passed people who looked like they hadn't slept in days; irate maintenance men that glared at the two security officers.

"…Why does everyone seem to look at us so contemptuously, X?" Zero asked aloud, his eyes flying to his smaller friend. X's endless smile seemed to fade into seriousness.

"Alright…do you know why no one wants to be assigned here, Z?" He asked seriously, his verdant eyes chasing up to Zero's aquamarine, "Do you know why there are so many people on waiting lists to get off this rock? Why people here look like they haven't slept in years…?"

Zero hadn't even opened his mouth and still X continued, "There's something –wrong- with this place, Z. Nothing on earth is like this facility…both in terms of amazing technologies…and…just… just don't let this place get to you, Z. Focus on your job. You'll be back on earth before you know it."

Zero quirked an eyebrow at the Sergeant. It wasn't like X to be so roundabout. Wasn't like him to stop smiling. While they were heading towards the airlock, they were nearly stopped by another maintainance man, who suddenly changed his mind about telling the two security officers why exactly they didn't want to find the missing scientist. Every second made Zero more unsure. Every pair of eyes watching him made him more unsure. Whatever was happening here, it was sure to be nothing like anything Zero had ever experienced. It was his last thoughts before the airlock opened, revealing the dusty, blustery surface of Mars.

Crossing the Martian surface to the old Comm facility was easy enough, panting from a brisk run across a bridge, an oxygen high from his tanks and a bit of dust across his armor was all that indicated he had been outside at all. The facility was nearly completely dark, the only noise a rhythmic thrum from the computers, making it sound like the walls were breathing on bated breath.

X flicked on his flashlight, leading Zero up a few stairs and around a bend. He stood at a locked door, patting his person somewhat frantically. "Aw, crap! I forgot my PDA back at Marine Command…" He snapped softly. "Here, this place is General Access, I'm sure you can open up the door with yours." He said, indicating the door and stepping back.

Detecting the PDA and the clearance, the door shot open with an alarming sound, and a human scientist yelped in alarm as his eyes flew to the two marines. Fingers ran through his short, black hair, fever in his eyes and sweat glazing over his skin.

"No! Please! You must let me get this communication out," He whipped back to the communications control panel, shivering, clearly either traumatized or out of his mind, "They have to be warned while there is still time. I can't let..." He trailed off as he was nudged away from the panel by Zero's gentle hand.

"Listen—" He chuckled, "Buddy—you gotta stop and come back with us—"

"You don't know what I've seen!" The scientist shrieked, pushing the marine off of him, "You can't possibly understand or comprehend. The…" he paused, swallowing. He was apparently hesitant to say what he was about to say.

"The Devil is... real…I know..." He trailed off, deep sorrow creasing his face, "I know because… I built his cage."