I know this is late, but I think it will be worth it. ;) This chapter was so much fun to write, I hope you enjoy it. I do not own RvB, Roosterteeth does.
"The maintenance building with the generator is in sight. Be there in a few. Move up and head inside. Find the main control room."
"Moving up now," I heard Carolina reply.
I looked back at my partner. He been quiet ever since the start of the mission which wasn't like him. Carolina had probably just put him in a bad mood. Motioning for him to follow, we cautiously made our way to the towards a large building that had been constructed not too far away from the prison. Adam kept his two pistols readied while checked my SMGs one last time. The building was surrounded by an energy shield with patrols both inside and outside the barrier.
"I'm going to circle around. When I give the signal, open fire."
"Got it." he nodded.
I activated the cloaking I'd found at the facility and stalked towards the other side of the maintenance room. Hurling several grenades over the shields, the guards scrambled for cover as explosions shook the force field. Adam's grenades swiftly followed behind mine, taking out one of the energy fields and granting us access to the generator. The guards open fired on Adam's position, but we're easily defeated. I entered and deactivated the shields before they recharged.
The generator was simple enough. A big, important machine that powered the equally important prison. Removing a handful of plasma grenades, I placed them around the machine while Adam kept lookout.
'Are you sure those will be enough?' Zeta questioned.
'You got a problem with my plan?'
'I was simply going to suggest finding something with a bigger bang,' he stated.
'It will be fine, don't worry.'
I dusted my hands and admired my work. The generator was spotted with purplish grenades. One well placed shot and the whole thing would be history.
"What do you think Adam?" I asked only to be answered with silence.
Turning to look for my companion, I found no one. I stepped out of the building and looked around. The only company I had was that of the dead guards.
"Adam?" I called out lightly in case someone else was close by.
I turned back around only to have a fist slam straight into my visor followed by a bullet to the shoulder. Something caught my leg, and I fell to the ground. Adam pounced on me, his forearm pinning my throat to the ground. He pulled a magnum and tried to aim it at my face. I shoved the weapon away only have him grab my helmet.
I heard a message crackle over the radio. "Sota, we've released the prisoners. You can take out the power now."
Adam and I wrestled over the rough ground. "Adam, I can't believe you. I thought you were on my side."
"I found a better side," he laughed. "Your friend, the Chairman, made it very clear. I hand you over dead or alive, he leaves my team alone forever."
He yanked my helmet off and tossed it aside. I used the opening to grab one of my SMGs and attempted to surprise him. Barely any shots escaped as he used his other hand to rip it away and threw it aside. I threw him off, rushing to my feet and pulling my other one. Adam rolled away and drew his pistols. We stared down, weapons aimed at each. One of his guns trailed down towards my leg. He fired, but surprisingly it hit the back of my leg. I dodged when he fired again. His shots were ricocheting off my discarded helmet and back at me.
"I don't know what's worse. The fact that you're trying to kill me, or that you thought the Chairman would honor his end of the deal," I remarked.
"It doesn't matter as long as you're dead. To think you really thought I was your friend," the traitor laughed.
I rushed forward spraying ammo from my weapon. Adam ducked only to be met with my knee in his stomach. Tossing my gun aside, I grabbed his arm and disarmed him as well. He fell back and kicked me away, quickly getting to his feet.
"Zeta, could use a little help here."
"You seem to be doing fine on your own. Why do you need me?" the A.I. replied.
"Just shut up and help me," I answered as I drew my knife.
I heard him chuckle. "So what do you want me to do? I don't see how I can be any help."
Charging forward, I swiped and stabbed at him only to be blocked or countered with a blow to my ribs. I never let up on my assault as he struggled to keep up with each strike I made. The entire time, Zeta had done nothing. Adam blocked my next hit only to take my knife from me and shove me to the ground.
"You are hopeless. Let's see what I can do," I muttered.
I stood back up and waited. This time he was on the offensive. Adam stabbed and slashed at me but I felt a certain presence guiding me as I countered. After enough attempts, I managed to grab him and twist my knife out of his grasp. Zeta decided to help at this moment. I pushed Adam back and rolled away, as I stood there were two of me. It surprised me for a moment.
"Don't tell me you forgot about the Hologram ability you picked up at the facility," he groaned.
"Might have slipped my mind."
"Does he know you have it?" Zeta asked.
"I don't think so."
Adam looked confused as he pulled out a tomahawk. He seemed to hesitate on which one to attack. The hologram and I rushed him before he could figure it out. Luckily, He slashed at the copy, causing it to flicker away, and I plunged my knife as deep as I could into his shoulder. I jumped back and the hologram appeared again. Adam didn't seem to care that there was a knife in his back. Instead, he reached behind him and, with a grunt of pain, pulled it free.
"That can't be good," I complained.
"Do you trust me?" Zeta asked.
"More than you'd think. Why?"
He was silent for a moment. "Because, I know what he's about to do. And I'm going to need take control of all of your armor and functions in order to kill him."
"Zeta, what's he going to do?" I questioned as I readied myself for whatever Adam had in mind.
"Just give me full control," Adam rushed towards my doppelganger and I. "Do it now!"
Before for I could react, Adam threw his tomahawk through the hologram. It flickered into nothing, proving I was the real one. He turned and lunged at me with my own weapon. I tried to dodge, but it still forced its way into my chestplate. Pain exploded from the left side of my chest. With a kick, he sent me sprawling onto my back.
"You almost had me for a moment," he said as he retrieved one of his magnums. "But now it's over."
"You stupid fool. Why didn't you just listen to me? Now I have to do things the hard way."
My body felt heavier. The world seemed to darken. It hurt to breathe, to even think. The pulsing pain in my chest gave way to a throbbing headache. The slightest noise agitated the pain to nearly unbearable levels. Why did this seem familiar? Slowly the headache faded away as my vision dimmed as well.
"Just sit tight and try not to hurt yourself," Zeta whispered in my mind.
It was almost finished. After this, I'd have to reset the power and trap the rest of these weak Freelancers inside the prison. I don't really care if that old man kept up his end of the deal, as long as these losers were out of the picture. I aimed my magnum at Minnesota's chest. Before I could fire, a red figure appeared between my weapon and it's target.
"Hello, Adam. May I talk with you a moment before you kill my friend?"
His A.I. stared at me, waiting for my answer. If it weren't for the fact that he was about the size of my fist, he might intimidating. Then again, that was the purpose of Hayabusa armor, all scare and no protection. From what I've heard these things aren't to be messed with. I remember some of the Freelancer A.I.'s but this one didn't ring any bells.
I kept the gun pointed at Sota. "What do you want?"
"I am the A.I. designated Zeta. I don't believe we've met. Minnesota tends to keep me hidden from others. Tell me, how much do you know about my siblings from Project Freelancer?"
"Siblings? You mean the other A.I.? I know a few names and how you were created," I answered.
"Ah yes, the Alpha. Each of us was a different fragment of Alpha's mental state. Omega was his aggression, Sigma was ambition and creativity, and my dear Lambda is his kindness. Based on what you've observed, do you know what I am?" he questioned.
What was he talking about? Kindness, creativity, and aggression? This guy was might be useful after all. What the Chairman doesn't know won't hurt him. I tried to give a real answer but nothing came to mind.
I lowered my weapon a little. "I don't know, like you said I haven't seen you much. I'll make you a deal little guy. Come with me, and I'll spare your friend here. What do you say?"
He shook his head. "But you have seen me, you just didn't realize it. I've been guiding Sota all along. The subtle hints here and there to do things. I am the Alpha's instinct, that little voice that lets you know when something isn't right."
"So what's your point? You must not be that good if I can beat you this easily."
He chuckled. "Actually, I haven't been helping Sota much of this fight. I've bounced an idea or two off of him but nothing else really. I have yet to show you what I'm really capable of."
I didn't like the sound of what he just said. As I raised my magnum again, his size began to grow. Slowly, and with a creepy laugh, he continue to grow until he was the height of a normal person. Now he was intimidating. I aimed down at Minnesota, but his body was gone.
My gun immediately went to this thing. "What did you do with Minnesota?"
"I told you," he said. "I'm much more interesting than Sota. I don't need him."
I took a couple of cautious steps back. This definitely wasn't good. I fired a couple rounds through his face but went straight through, causing him to laugh again. I thought I saw a shimmer at his feet but there was nothing. What the hell was he?
"You're just wasting your ammo," he drew a sword from his side. "You can't hurt me."
Throwing down my gun, I ran over and picked up my tomahawk. Just as he swung at me, I countered with my weapon. To my disbelief, they locked. I rolled away as he laughed at me again.
"Scared yet?" he taunted.
Nearby lay one of Minnesota's dropped SMGs. I grabbed it and unloaded what was left of the clip into this... thing. Once again, they sailed harmlessly through the A.I. I panicked, and rushed him. Every swing and slash was blocked and countered with ease. Then we locked blades again, with me struggling to push him back. Suddenly, his hand reached out and grabbed my wrist. He twisted until I was forced to my knees. This couldn't be happening. How the hell was he doing this?!
"Tell you what. If you beg for your life, I might let you live long enough to show you how I pulled this off," he said.
With my other hand, I dropped my weapon and grabbed at his throat. Surprisingly, my hand clamped around it. The A.I. gave another laugh as he twisted harder, forcing me to release his neck and go for his arm instead. His glowing crimson helmet leaned forward until it was inches from my face.
"I enjoyed this little play time, but unfortunately I've grown bored with you," he whispered to me.
The monster dropped his sword and raised his fist. I could only wait for the inevitable end he would bring me.
Something smashed against my fist. Wait, my fist? How was I fighting? My vision slowly came back to me. At my feet was Adam, dead. His helmet lay a few feet away with blood smeared across the cracked visor and a massive dent in the side. A red aura covered my body. It slowly shrank until it formed Zeta in front of me.
"Do I want to know what happened?"
"Probably not. This would have been much simpler had you given me control when I told you to. It takes up more energy to force it. Not to mention running both your cloaking and hologram at the same time," he explained.
"So what did you do?" I asked, curious.
His image flickered for a moment before remaining stable. "I simply put on a show for him. I used the hologram to make a bigger image of myself while hiding you with your cloaking. He actually believed I was fighting him when really I just used you as a puppet."
I noticed my knife was no longer buried in my chest, instead it lay next my feet. Putting it away, I looked back at Zeta as his image distorted again.
"If you don't mind, I think I'll power down for a while. I've been regulating your body so you wouldn't feel much. When I do, you might feel a slight tickle."
Before I could reply, he disappeared and pain flooded my body. I collapsed to my knees and coughed up blood. The hole in my chest pulsed more pain through me. I fell to my side as darkness slowly over took my vision once more. The generator stared at me as I lay there. Using what little strength I had left, I tossed a grenade into it. The whole building erupted in a bluish flame in seconds. I watched the fire for a moment before my failing vision noticed something. Not to far from me sat my helmet. I tried to force myself over to it. My fingers just managed to reach it. I put it on and radioed for the others.
"Come in... I need..." I couldn't stay awake any longer as my body finally gave out.
"Sota can you hear me? Sota, respond!"