prologue
"This doesn't seem like it will work. This isn't a controlled lab test you have going here; you let them loose in the real world. And for what?"
"With good reason, I assure you. You will just have to wait and see what happens because I am not going to explain myself to the likes of you."
"Fine, you're the one in charge of this project... And the one that has to answer to him if this goes south."
"It won't 'go south'; that I assure you of, Dismas; as well as of our safety from DeBeer's Page's suspicions. Not that they will matter anymore if this works out. We'll be rid of his little sect and all of those useless vermin clogging up our power with their nattering and mindless avarice and jealousy."
"...Whatever the case, what do we do if the subjects themselves become aware of this game? Especially that one? You know he's already getting close to the answer; if he figures it all out, he will turn on us without hesitation. Not to mention that not only are you adding in the element of Enoch –who isn't ours so who knows what he will do and what he is capable of these days now that he isn't under Sarif's thumb. And we still have one more variable you refuse to take into account. The Archangel who, as you may recall, got himself out; we did not release him for this. And the one we're letting run around, well... He's not a big problem but that strong will of his; even stripping his memories didn't take it away..."
"Then, it is all going to get very interesting~. Despite what you say, it is STILL a science experiment, my friend; if it messes up, we go back to the drawing board and try again. Nothing that happens can hurt us; you should know that by now. Not Azriel, not the Archangel, not Sarif's former attack dog, and certainly not our so-called 'White Ripper' Pouriel"
"But what if something DOES happen that we cannot handle? Something is going to end up broken, and you can't replace what we have here, Samhain. Any of it. And if they lose all that work, guess who gets the trouble for that?"
"How many times do I have to tell you to stop worrying? Haven't I proven myself to you already? I am in control of all of this, I have plans for nearly every eventuality, and there is no way I won't get the results I want. "
"Very well, have it your way. Anyway, have you found 002 again, speaking of him? After he removed the lenses, he took the GPS chip with them. Ugh, I can't imagine the guts it took to rip that out of his own face."
"As a matter of a fact, I have. En route to the desired destination as we speak~. As I said, I planned for everything; not even the loss of exact location tracking can keep me from finding that boy."
"Incredible."
"Oh ye of little faith~.. It will work out~.
One way or another."
CHAPTER 1
mirror and ripper
OCTOBER 3RD, 2029, SKIES OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN
Adam was lost in introspection when the message showed up in his in-box. He had so much to think about and did so often, but now the whirlwind of emotion and thought was especially closing in on and choking him. Maybe it was because it was the anniversary of all that had happened. Regardless, a brooding mood held onto Adam though he made an attempt to flip through his phone and distract himself until he reached his destination. Everything that happened played through his half-hearted tapping like a never ending film.
After the events that followed his return from Panchea those two years ago, he had questioned everything he had known and done. Most of all, he damned himself for choice he had made there under that hulking sea facility. He had taken out Darrow's signal and shaped it as Sarif wished, for in a display of rare naivety and optimism, he had had a hope for things to get better. His dream was that the technology, with the use of his DNA, would help people and the dissent would quiet. Humanity would not be free of all its problems, but at least that particular one would not hold them back.
Well, technology had indeed marched on, but the dissent, despite quieting for a time, had also gone on; growing more and more appalled at each new innovation it found problems with. He had rarely been home after his return, always out putting out fires, in both the literal and metaphorical sense, created both by zealous purists and overly emboldened augs who fought back. It made him tired, bitter and heart sick; Adam no longer felt he had done the right thing. He felt that lying had brought this upon himself and everyone around him. Karma, or whatever you wanted to call it was knocking on their door. And adding kindling to the fire, there was the Illuminati and others who he had come to realize existed. They were weakened by what had happened, but not completely brought down. They still had there hands in everything and were stirring up the anxiety and conflict of both augmented and unaugmented humans. Too much knowledge and too much suffering brought on around Adam by this and so much more; it was eating him from inside to out. He had to do something about it or he would go insane.
So Adam had left Sarif Industries and left Detroit without more than a few words to anyone. He had turned in notice to Sarif's office while the man he felt some grief against was gone, packed up only what he had need, and took the first train out of town. From there, it was a plane to another state, then another entirely out of the US and into the EU. There, Adam had begun formulating his plans to confront those he knew were somehow driving the return of conflicts: the Illuminati. This had brought him back in contact with the man who went by the handle of Gavin Quinn. He had not seen the man since Gavin — as Adam still referred to him to avoid confusion with his many other identities — had assisted Adam in taking down Pieter Burke. This time, however, Quinn offered assistance by bringing Adam in under the banner of the greatest rebellion against the Illuminati to exist, the Juggernaut Collective. They were a massive group made of hackers, soldiers, spies and so many more, and it was all under the foresight of a faceless being calling itself "Janus" that they were gathered to stop those puppeteering humanity.
Jensen was not entirely convinced of all Juggernaut's intentions, not even Janus, who talked the good talk as well as any, but he knew it would be far better than taking on the massive clan alone. He had joined them, then, and became a valuable and versatile agent; whether in disguise as Interpol as Quinn had been, as an assassin against Illuminati key members or as a simple reconnaissance runner; he did it all and did it well. In turn, Adam was becoming closer and closer to his goal of stopping the Illuminati and, hopefully, atoning for his mistakes. He was starting to feel some peace and believed himself close to his goal when the new problems began.
It was just a stray death here, an unexplained arson there, but the more it happened, the more people began to draw connections between the incidents. Soon, rumours arose of who was perpetrating the attacks: augmented terrorists. Adam was not convinced this was the case, but the incidents perpetuated further clamour and chaos that Juggernaut felt should not be ignored. Despite his protests to the contrary, Adam was the one sent to make sense of the mysterious deaths and damage.
It proved worse than chasing ghost, however. The trails left would suddenly vanish like sand through Adam's hands. A whisper here, gossip there, occasionally a shadowy recording, but there was nothing Jensen found that took him to a conclusive end. He was growing frustrated and had made known that he was going to go back to his quest with or without Juggernaut's help if they didn't stop running him around aimlessly.
"One more lead," he had been told. "One more and then we chalk it up as a lost cause."
Adam grudgingly accepted that, and was off once again. This time, he was returning to the US, Chikane ferrying him on what they agreed was a poor use of time. They had made the journey in silence; Chikane focused on his flying as he could feel his friend's tenseness, and Adam flicked through his emails listlessly as the aug tried to fight away that feeling of futility that continued to hiss up and down his spine like a cold chill. Jensen almost gave up and throw the device across the room in his frustration when the sender of a particular message caught his gaze and caused his eyebrows to shoot up and his lips to part in surprise.
Sarif. David Sarif had managed to find Adam's new contact address and reach out to him. The message itself added to Adam's surprise as he read it: "I think I know where to look for those 'aug terrorist' everyone is talking about."Adam thought it was a trick, but his doubt did not stand long. There was no way it was someone masquerading as the old augmentation manufacturer; no one outside of Juggernaut would have known to play such a joke, they had made sure to wipe his existence out from every form of data possible, nor would have chosen to do so in the guise of someone Jensen did not feel trust for anymore. How Sarif had managed it, Jensen could not fathom but it was little concern in the face of the messenger and what his message declared.
"Chikane," Jensen called out to the pilot as he opened the message. He did not entirely desire to, but if Sarif knew anything, Adam would put aside his petty emotions for his mission.
His eyes scanned over the words of the email, glazing over Sarif's apologies and attempts to justify his actions to get to the meat of the message. Just as the title stated, David made it clear he thought he had trustworthy evidence that something related to the unexplainable deaths and destruction was happening back in Detroit. Jensen was not entirely convinced, thinking it smelled of more lies, and was about to close it up and forget it but Sarif had included pictures. With nothing to lose, Adam reviewed them, cold surprise settling further and further into his breast. They were grainy, security footage, but it was enough to make out the vague shapes of humans; one enshrouded in flames but not burning, another hoisted above on tentacle-like protrusions on its back, and still another a bright white and blue wrapped figure with silvery grey arms that were impossible to mistake as anything other than augmented, the clearest of the images, partially crouched over the bodies of some local gang members laying strewn under the apartment camera that caught them. It was amazing, everything he had been looking for was back in the place he had left so hurriedly.
It is too good to be true, Adam thought grimly. On the other hand—
"You going to answer me, Boss?"
Adam jerked his head up at Chikane's voice, raised in his concern at Adam's lack of response. He was still tempted to dismiss it all; it would have been so easy to avoid Detroit and avoid Sarif. It did not take long to realize how irresponsible that would be, however. Swallowing his misgivings, Jensen looked up.
"How would you like to tour the air space of Detroit, Elias?" Adam made his statement slowly, trying to keep his tone casual.
"In a less round about way, Boss? Afraid I am not one for word play."
Despite his grim mood, Adam found it in him to roll his eyes and huffed. "I may or may not have something a little more useful than what our so-called intel agents gave us."
"That right? Hard to believe someone was that nice. Question is, are they for real?"
"Hell if I know, Elias, hell if I know. But it's worth the shot. How mad you think the upstairs people will be?"
"No one said they had to be aware where we're going." Chikane sounded almost mischievous, the tone causing Adam to shake his head.
"Janus will know," he replied. "I don't quite believe that he doesn't look at everything we get sent, after all."
Chikane seemed to think about that before responding, if only briefly. "He'll understand, I think."
With a shrug that was more satisfied than Adam would have portrayed in his voice or face, Jensen sat back in his seat. "Sounds like you're game. Let's get going, then. Home again home again... or something like that."
"Alright, Boss. Hang tight, then; we're turning this Bird around."
Indeed, Adam's chrome knuckles went taut as he felt the inertia working on the heli-vehicle and perhaps, with anxious anticipation. The man wondered dimly if he had made the right choice. That self-doubt that had settled in his heart over the past two years would not be shaken, even now. Adam felt there was but one thing to do for it; prove himself right this time.
Adam, for the first time in a very long time, really hoped that was possible.
THE BACK ALLEYS OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN
The young man in white and blue dashed through the rain-swamped streets; avoiding the streets lights and searching out a way up to the rooftops above the soaking wet streets. He was on the run, to be sure, but from what, the few that paid him heed could not discern. Or perhaps, felt safer not getting involved. Besides, whoever that was, they were an aug. You did not want to mess with those right now.
Oblivious to the small talk of those he passed by, the boy came to a skidding halt in a dead end alley landscaped with dumpsters, trash that hadn't quite made it into the dumpster and a variety of laundry lines hanging from the residency here. It was a sharp, antiquated contrast against the modern city that denoted this as the poor section of the city. Whatever their meaning, to the young man, his thin body sopping wet and breathing out steam due to the cold air that burned his lungs, saw them as a means of egress rather than a block. He used them to nimbly clamber to the tops of the buildings; perching on the edge of one to scan below for any trouble. Nothing. Good, that meant that maybe whoever those freaks that had caught up with him fromthat place had given up.
With that, he leaped off from his perch, the sky-high landscape becoming a playground to him. Chimneys and other raised pieces were spring boards; electrical wires and other cabling were a bridge to his next location. He could easily leap many distance with a good enough run and rarely had to catch an edge to keep from falling. Even when he did, though, he flipped back onto his feet gracefully and continued on. Nothing could stop him, nothing would catch him off-guard. Except maybe something flying over head
The young aug jerked his head up to watch a flying vehicle speed towards a black building with its glittering gold lights. The boy continued to keep his eyes in wonder and confusion on whatever the mysterious flying thing was as it lower out of sight. That thing had stirred something, some kind of memory of… something someone had told him he was suppose to do. The boy could not piece together what it was he was told, the voice was buried in watery haze of more lost memories, but he inferred that maybe, if he went to wherever that flying thing was, he could find some escape from the phantom pursuers on his tail. It looked enclosed enough to keep trouble off his tail. Yes, that is what he would do; he'd hide out there until he was sure he was safe. With a mighty leap, the young man rocketed down towards a power cable, using its rebound to shoot him up to his next foothold; ever working up and forward to his destination.
He had soon gained purchase atop an outside wall and peered down into what was some kind of private landing pad, the flying machine resting at the centre. He leaned forward to examine the figures coming from the vehicle more closely, though, it was more habit than out of any need; the retinal sensors implanted in his eye sockets made it more than easy to pick out the humans below. Even details were obvious to the sensitive prosthesis. A man in a coat of all around dark colouring and grim bearing and a dark-skinned man in some flight get-up with a militant demeanor emerged from the flying device and were making their way towards the door to the inside of the massive architecture before being stopped by some soft looking, brightly arrayed woman. Something about them made another nudge on the young man's consciousness, ordering him to go down amoungst them. Why though? He would have waged war with the prompting, but a flash of lightning and crack of thunder caused him to jump and the two below to look up. The boy froze as "Coat Man's" — as he had mentally dubbed the first man he had seen — gaze went from the light to the white and blue wrapped figure where he perched. The young man hoped the man would overlook him, think him just a trick of the storm, but they held each others gaze; one in shock, the other suspicion. So, the boy did what any one would when caught doing something they should not and have no other answer to deal with it with. He fled.
Adam was again wrapped up inside his one and million troubled thoughts when the Bird touched down at Sarif Industries in the centre of the stormy Detroit. He barely looked around as he clambered out, and when he did, he could only purse his lips and set his jaw. Things were dimmer than they had been, and parts of the formerly grand office was now just empty, damaged blackness. The city beyond the gates of the helipad was much the same from what Adam could see; the trash gone but things falling and returning to their state before Sarif Industries as the company lost its powerful grip in the wake of the many disasters. The company had tried to remain stable, but clawing for survival had done nothing, and with that, the city had fallen, too. At least in part; in the distance he could see where the burgeoning separation of augs and Naturals was causing a change in classes if the newer, richer edges of lofty buildings on one side contrasting heavily with the crumbling in the other part. If he and Juggernaut were to stop this taking place both here and all over the world, they had to act fast.
"Jensen!" the voice broke his thoughts into pieces, and the cyborg snapped his head towards it. Something of relief washed through him as he saw Malik approaching him at a quick trot.
Aside from some heavy settling of weight upon her hips, she was mercifully unchanged. She even had her flight suit on, probably getting ready to go out or having just come in.
"Malik." Adam met her halfway, face still unchanged but his tone warming as she closed in.
"Don't Malik me, Jensen; you owe me some kind of explanation for why you disappeared like you did without even a goodbye."
Adam winced as he met Malik's stern gaze, his glasses flicking back to reveal his gold and green eyes. It was true; he had gone away more abruptly than he had actually planned to. But he hadn't been able to think clearly enough to really have given anyone a clear message about what he was doing or where he was going. He would have to explain that to Faridah as best as possible.
"I'm sorry, Malik; I wasn't really thinking straight when I left. That's sort of half the reason I left without...saying much."
Good elaboration, Adam chided himself mentally for his shortness of words. That will totally make her feel better.
Faridah, as he anticipated, didn't look convinced, her lips pursing and her hand resting on a hip. "Yeah, well, I figured that much out myself."
Adam sighed, raising his hands to fend off her exasperation. "I will make it up to you later, promise."
Malik nodded firmly."You had better."
"I promise, Malik. Really. I'm sorry. You've been a good friend, and I left you hanging. It won't happen again."
They eyed each other a moment longer, but the tenseness could not hold forever. Malik slowly smiled and put a hand on Adam's shoulder.
"Oh jeez, why do you make it so hard to stay mad at you? It's just good to see you back, Adam."
Adam returned the smile, howbeit smaller and more subtle. It had a brotherly sort of affection to it as he replied,"Good to see you to, Faridah."
Adam was about to inquire after the health of those who knew and to Sarif's doings, but a massive crack of lightning struck at a building somewhere near by and surprised both him and Malik into looking up at it. Adam paused as something in the light caught his attention.
A person. A person was crouched on the wall of the landing pad. How had he got up there? Better yet, what was he doing here? An aug, most likely, but even then— Adam turned around all the way, moved forward a step and opened his mouth to shout at the trespasser, but the other had already jumped from the wall.
Adam growled out a curse as he turned on his Smart Vision to track the flight of the thin figure. "Stay here, Malik."
"Adam!" Malik called after him but Jensen had already broken into a run, bent on catching on the intruder. Why, he did not know. He did not need this; Adam had more trouble, more conspiracy than anyone could ever want, but here he was, running right to it. He was here now, however, and in Adam's mind, there was no turning back. Maybe it was the right choice this time around.
Beneath the otherwise all consuming pounding of his feet and in-draw of breath, he wondered if it was just another attempt at self-atonement doomed to failure.
The young man had gone across many roofs and through many a street before looking back, confident he had lost his pursuer, but he had not, and in dismay, his eyes widened at the Coat Man as he pushed onward to catch up. How— There was no way—
More out of hurt pride that anyone could catch him then fear, the boy recklessly launching himself up to a street light and using it to catapult himself a great distance. Upon landing, he was on his feet and took off running again. A Cheshire grin of smugness spread on his soft face and he glanced back to catch sight of the big man that pursued him.
"Ha! Now what are you gonna do about that?" he said, his Scandavian accent adding a lilt to ever jeering word."Catch up if you can!"
"Okay." the gravelly voice came from in front of the boy instead of behind as he might have expected, and the thin aug's head twisted to face forward as he slammed into his pursuer full force. He splashed down into the puddle-ridden pavement and stared up dazedly at the grim man looking down at him with dimly lit gold eyes.
"… Where did you come from?" the boy groaned in surprise.
"I know a few shortcuts." No further reply was made as the man reached out to jerk the young man up. However, the white-blue clad boy kicked his hand away, catching Adam off guard long enough for the young man to leap to his feet and away from the man.
"Hands off, gammel mand!" he hissed and flicks his arms so blades slid out from the bottom of his lower arm.
Adam could not help but react with surprise when the blades emerged, pulsing with blue energy that lit the boy's pale face and white hair in pallid light. Even with the new augmentations he had seen and himself been equipped with, this was new. In the light, though, everything else seemed so much like Adam's.
From the boy's eyes mixed blue retinal sensors of mixed blues that scanned over Adam warily, to the lense like the one attached to Adam's own face– howbeit, one was missing and had left a vicious scar to match the one slashed across the young man's lip — down to one of his ears being augmented, he was no where near short of augmentation. Most glaring amoungst, though, was the sleek dark grey, blue and white gold accented arms. The young man's sleeves were rolled up so that the lower arms were exposed up to the elbow to reveal a smooth machinery the boy clearly had no deprecation of.
Something else hit Adam. He had seen this white and blue figure before. His temperature went chill as he remembered the blurry photos Sarif had attached to his email. This boy was the one who had taken down the gangbangers in the last one.
"Where are you going? Where did you get those?" Adam questioned without any airs of tact.
"None of your business, Nosy!" The answer seemed straight-forward enough, but even without turning the CASIE on, Adam could see the real answer.
"You don't know."
The boy lifted his thin chin spitefully, not feeling any desire to admit his lack of remembrance, but the action spoke volumes for him.
"What were you doing trespassing on Sarif Industry property?" Adam was trying to coax answer from the other more gently now, hoping the young man would calm down as Adam made an effort to show he offered no violence.
"I wasn't trespassing anywhere," the boy quipped. "I was lookin'."
"For what?"
The boy dropped his gaze and did not answer for a time. After long silence, he slid the blade back into his arm and backed away from Adam.
"… I dunno," he grudgingly admitted at last. "But I'm gonna find out sooner or later."
Before Adam could say more, the boy had scaled his way up one wall, jumping onto a fire escape to make the rest of his way up. Jensen tried to call him back, but by the time Adam had shouted "Wait!", the boy was atop the roof and sprinting out of sight. He was close to being a blur on the horizon that, even with the new augmentations Adam sported, he would be hard pressed to catch up with. Not that he gave up without an attempt to do so, and using his Icarus Dash to launch himself up the escape, Adam made his way up to the roof. While perhaps faster, he was simply not as nimble as the boy, however, and skidded to a halt at the edge of the roof as the young man dropped out of sight several buildings away.
With a curse, Adam flicked his smart vision back on and tried to pick up on the fast moving figure before he could get too far, but the boy was already gone in the all-encompassing rain and fog. The streets had descended into a silence that was broken only by the pattering of the downpour on the chipped and cracked rooftops.
"Gone," Adam muttered to himself darkly. That did not sit well with him, for a thought began to settle into his thoughts now that he was not pressed by the presence of the other aug, one brought about by remembrance of the purpose of him being here.
That kid was one of the so-called terrorists he was looking for, and as such, Adam would have tried to hunt the boy down. He had a feeling it would prove fruitless if he just went looking. The young aug would be watching for Adam now. He would hide himself from Adam. Therefore, he decided it was high time he met with Sarif and found out what he knew, little as he wanted to. If he knew more, then it might be possible to figure out where the boy in white might turn up next. Turning, Adam jumped down from the rooftop and landed on his feet in a cloud of light and soft sound produced by his Landing System. As he went downward, Adam realized he did not at all feel disappointed. For the first time since he was sent on this tour of Purgatory, he actually had something to go on; not just a ghost of information but perhaps even something seen with own eyes and nearly touched with his own fingers. Even if the young man was not involved and Sarif was just another dead end, it still seemed so much more substantial. There was only one way to prove that, though. That way currently lead back to the place he had started his trip into the world of secrets and lies but two years before. Under his breath, Adam muttered to himself:
"It's funny how somethings take you right back where you left…"
TO BE CONTINUED IN
CHAPTER 2
factory front
