Hi everyone.
I feel like I'm doing nothing but apologising for being late with story lately: I don't think I realised the workload I'd be sticking myself under when I ended up with three stories running concurrently. 12,000 words a week is rather a lot to get through when I work full time and am planning a wedding.
Still, I've been feeling pretty crappy since someone alerted me to the fact that another writer seems to have pretty blatantly copied some aspects of my work. I just couldn't get into the right mindset for this chapter, and I refused to upload something I wasn't happy with.
I'm a perfectionist when I want to be – my writing is one of the few things I take a small amount of pride in, so I hope you enjoy this (very late) update.
Special thanks for reviews: Starlight Nightmare, Subtle Shenanigans, sarahlucylu and Tifflinck.
Chapter 11: This Isn't Goodbye
Matt studied Mark for a few seconds before giving him an apologetic look. Just as Mark was about to ask what brought it about, he screeched in agony as Matt pulled him away from the wall sharply, breaking him free of the metal pinning him there. Breathless, Mark slumped to the ground, his head spinning from the onslaught of shock, pain and slight nausea. Matt gave him a few seconds before he hauled Mark up to his feet and swung the other man's left arm over his shoulders, giving him support on his injured hip as his right arm grabbed on to Mark's side. The half-Korean hissed at the pain and gasped as they stood again. Matt flashed him a sympathetic smile while leading the shaky man onwards. "How bad is the pain, Mark?" he asked gently.
Mark breathed heavily as Matt set him upright against a wall, taking a closer look at his wound. While the older man was checking him, Mark took the opportunity to examine Matt a lot closer – there was definitely something different about him. He was outfitted similarly to Mark, except his leather jacket was a blue so deep it was almost black and the skinny jeans he wore vanished into combat boots, both a slate grey. His shirt beneath was a crimson red and his arms were covered by gauntlets of the same colour. What truly struck Mark however was the fine lines he could see stretched across Matt's face now that he was up close.
Black trails, almost like faint veins, wove their way outwards from his eyes, while a much more prominent one stood out from his neck. Two small groupings, almost like spider webs, fanned out across the top left of Matt's forehead and disappeared into his hair while another was slowly growing dimmer on his right cheek. Mark realised with a start they may was well have been scars: the physical reminders of Matt's struggle against Damien.
As his eyes continued to take in the horrific remnants, and they widened at seeing the cracks which were snaking up Matt's neck from beneath his shirt. They were…glowing, a pale purple in colour and stretched pretty much the whole breadth of his neck. This was very wrong. "Holy shit, Matt…" Mark whispered in muted dread.
Matt smiled at him and chuckled as he looked at the incision, deeming it to be mostly tissue damage. Fortunately, it had missed any bones or major arteries, though it was still bleeding. Satisfied that Mark would be all right until they met up with their companions, he swung Mark's arm back across his shoulders. "Looks a hell of a lot worse than it is, Mark. Trust me, I'm feeling better now that I have in over a year," he reassured.
Desperate screams of Jack's name through the headset caused Mark's heart to freeze and Matt instantly felt the difference. "Fuck, Sean! Matt, we've got to get down to them!" With a confirming nod, Matt helped Mark stumble his way through to the control room, and the onward back into the assembly room. They both gasped at seeing the carnage left behind, culminating in Alix shaking Jack's immobile form on the floor. "Alix!" Mark screamed, catching her attention.
She spun, tears streaming down her face and went still at seeing Mark being held upright by Matt. Standing on unsteady legs, she sprinted over to them. Her eyes fell to the steady stream of blood flowing from Mark's hip and his trembling form before switching over to Matt. He smiled at her warmly, but even she could tell it was off. The expression was genuine, but his eyes were…guarded. It had been over a year since she had seen Matt though, so she couldn't help but wonder whether this had been a gradual change, or a result of Damien seizing control. "What happened?" she asked fearfully.
"Damien thought he had outwitted you all, but he didn't anticipate me being able to jump into Mesmeria right behind him," Matt explained. Alix and Mark both looked at him in confusion, but he shook his head. "I'll explain the rest later, we're nowhere near safe yet. What happened to Jack?"
Alix shuddered at remembering the sight of Jack's limp form being held up by the machine, eyes flashing between Jack's own blue and the sickening green of Anti. "Anti caught him and was trying to upload himself into Jack. I don't think it worked though, Jack seemed to pass out from exhaustion and…relief. I think I got to him just in time."Her gaze turned back to the unconscious man. "He's out cold, I don't know if we're going to be able to wake him any time soon."
Matt helped Mark to stumble across and lowered the half-Korean slowly, giving him time to adjust to the pain as he changed levels. Once that was done, the trio examined Jack in more detail. There was a faint burn on his hand from when the knife had been shot out from his hand, while his neck was already bruising a deep purple. With gentle hands they turned him over, gasping at the long burn across the entirety of his back. "Crap, that looks bad," Mark muttered. Alix rummaged around in their bag of supplies and retrieved some bandages, at which Matt knelt and helped her apply them.
The trio worked together to ease Jack out of his coat, taking their time to wrap the bandage around the entirety of upper torso as Matt held him upright. As much as they may have wanted to clean the wound, it was going to have to do in the short term. It was a small mercy that he was still out cold, or else the process would have been incredibly painful for him. Once they were satisfied that the wrappings would hold, they slipped his coat back on carefully, but didn't fasten it again. Alix then gently strapped the burn on his hand.
Mark couldn't help but wince at seeing the multitude of injuries across Jack's body: he'd definitely taken a much worse beating than the rest of them. From the multitude of laser burns on his arm, hand, back and face, to the dark bruise which had already appeared around his neck, Mark now couldn't help but wonder how Jack had survived. He'd dodged a fatal blow many times now, but his luck was going to run out some time. With Jack patched up as best they could, Alix switched her attention to Mark, wrapping his midriff tightly. He couldn't help but wince not only at the pain, but also at seeing the red of his own blood seep through the coverings. It did feel much better, however.
A static crackle through the area had Mark and Alix jumping, while Matt glared at an illuminate panel on the wall. He abruptly stood and stormed over to it, eyes turning icy at the text which appeared there.
Y̥͖̏o̥̠̬̻̖̻ͨu̪̪̾̉̓ ̝̝̟̥ͬ̓̾̄̐̾̐̚c̘͔̮̅ͦȧ̟̮̠̳̺͓̫̰̫ͣn͖̣̭̿̃ͮ'͉ͭ̾ẗ̟̹̀̃͐ͮ̍ ̹̮̠̌̏̑͑̉ͤk̘͍̬͌͒̀̃e͙͉ͥ͌͒͊ͯ̊͐ͫe͚͚̫̙̺ͧ͒ͮ̿̑̓p͙̣̫̖͍̦̌̂̄͆ ͙̳̘͈ͣm̜̤̒̆͌ͧ͒̚e̘͓̞͎̰͉͈̬̪ͣ̉̓͌̆̃ ͎͓̖̱̰͚͙͓͒̆ͫͮô͉͕̭͖̞̬̜͓͒ͮͣͭ̽̀̿u̮͉̬̹̯̬ͣ͆ͯ̄̅̔ͯͥ͊t̥͉̦̻̙͈̰͂ͪͬ̓͒̀ͭ̑̔ͅ ̳͔̯͚̭̌̉̋̀̓̎̓̓̐ͅf͕̺̠̤̥̈́ͤo͕̠̯͚͔̗̯͍̾ͤ̽r̺̣̬̳͌ͮ̄̽ě̗̮͇͈̗̪̼̤̫̐̋͆v̘̲͍̜̦̩͙̓̋ͬ̈͗̒e̘̥͎̍̍ͥ̊̑͑̓̉r̖̗̾̈́ͨ͐ͥ̄ͪͨ,̟̞̼͕͍͋ͨ͋ͧ̿̚ ̫͖͔͚̟̭͓̦̾̿̅ͭ̽͑̎M͈̰͎̥̐ͮͬ̃̏͗ͅḁ̻͕ͥ̏̓ͦt̘͎͓̜̞͇͑͋̎ͤͮ̌̐̑ẗ͖͈͙̂̑͛͋͂̊.̭̬͈͙̬̙̠̖͇̓ͩ̐̎ͯ̑̿̊̓ ̘̪̾
͇̻͉̤̓͗ͫ͗̚
̭͍̹͓͂ͅỶ͕͙̲̳̯͉̰͓͛ͮ̇̅̑ͣ̐o̞͖͓̰͇̻̘ͯ̓́ͥ̽ͅṷ̲̼͍̤̻͓̊͌͗ͮ͒ȑ̭̗̻̭̤̤̟͗͆̀ͅ ̮͎̪͔͉̒̍́ḻ̖̫̹̲̱̘͊̎̈͑ͬ͂ͨͅǐ̼̜̩̲̳͔̖̖͉ṯ̬͕̘̏̔͌͗̿͋ͮt̖͖̘̝̦̫͇̺͛͒͆̄l̟̯̱̯̯̝͗ͅḙ̗̹̃̏ ͇̪̻͔̺̋̽ͧ̀h̫̝̗̿̑a̜̥͉̔̈́̈̑c̤̮͓͍͎̰̅̓̋k̩̩̘͎͚͙̳̈̿ ͖̯̘̩̖̹͛̅ͯw̰͎ͪ̅̒͒i̮̠͇͈͇͇͚͐͒ͫ̀̋l̟͖̣͔̓ͯ̽l͔̜͖̭̺͛̋͒ ͎̮ͩ́̋ͥ̃ͪͦ̇ö̤͍̠̻̙̯ͨn͓͖̂̍ͧ̉͂̎̓l̠̪̳̃ͭͤ͋ͣy̳̭͕͈̗͕̱͖ͭ ̦̲̖̩̰͓̠̰̿͑̾̓k̟̘̣̟̩̋ͣ̈́̇̏͋e̗͚̱̫̗̭̟ͣͯ͛̾̂̓ͅé̻̺̪̼ͫ͆ͭ̿̉̿͋p̟̝̻͕̲͎̪ͭ ̘͖ͤm̞̒̿ͦ̍̌e͖̙̾͆͑ͥ ̠͎͍́̿ͮ̀ͤ̎ͅo̲̲̝̹̤͂ͦu͔̱̎̐ͭ͋͛̿t̰̆̂ͫͭ͋ ͙̖̔ͭͮ̋͒ͮ̈ș͈̬͖͇̭̂͑̒ő̜͓͉ͦ̀ ̘̠͔̣̩̞̪͈̲͂̈l̞̳͑̄̃͗̇ͫȯ̗̤̈̑̓̔̊n̲̬͇̳̬̼̣̂ͦ̉ͣͣ͗ͤ̿g̗̰̰̼̙̺̲̰̜̀̍̍ͦ,̤̦̰̓̒̆ ̦̻͚̖̼̪ͩ̓́̄̈́̅a͔͖ͯ͒ͤ̀̅̒̈ͯ̚n̹̰̠͙̮͒ḏ̬̱̪͇͈̩̽ͣ̊͛̐̈ͦ̃ ̟̠̮͇̰̩̀̅y̗̆ͤ̾̓ͪ̈́ͧͅo͐͌̿ͪͅû̗̙̹̯̻̠̤̳̬̉ͦ̏ͪ̓r̤̲̟̫͓̮͈̔̑̅͌ ̪̣̞̞̦̈́ͬ̆ͯ̓̍̐ͥt̯͕̭̜͍͊͑i͔̮̯̱͖͚ͥͅm̪̫̄̚e̳͇̼̲ͪͫͅ ̬̙̟̹̲͑͆̏ͮ̿̄i̫̻͓̤̦͈͈̹̊̉̆͆ͯ̏̆ś̱̻̹̫̪̀̋ͨ̉ ̯̯̞̀̀̒̎̾̎̊̚l̤̼̜̣̩̜̟̔̃ͯ͂̐͗̈ͮi̠̻̹̲͈̔ͫ̄ͪ̄͑̌m̱̹̲͕̯̯̆̾̓͒̄͛̀i͙̺͙͍̰̪ͤ̅ͣ̄̎ͣ̓t͍̰̭̻̺͐̔͊̉̅ͅe͚͓̭̝̟̺̍̂̏ͅd̟̹ͤͪ̋ͪ̎̏.̯̤̯̙̖͋ ͉͙̝̯̲͂̂ͧ̓̓ ̹̞̲͎͔͚̑́ͫ
Matt scoffed at the message, smirking at Anti's arrogance. "That's what you think, Anti. I've got another trick up my sleeve, yet."
Hearing Matt's snappy statement, Mark and Alix shared a look before approaching him. They watched as Matt tapped on the screen, dismissing the message while bringing up the game codes. Alix watched in amazement as he went into the subroutines for the class assignments, approaching areas of the code which she didn't dare go near. As she hadn't been involved with constructing that area of the Dreamscape, she wouldn't risk destabilising it by messing around with the codes. "Matt, what are you doing?" she asked breathlessly.
He offered her a slight smile before turning his attention back to the mass of data ahead. "I didn't manage to keep Damien trapped in the metadata of the Dreamscape with no good reason," he answered idly, focusing on the streams on screen.
The pair behind him stared in shock. "Wait, you were keeping Damien trapped?" Mark said in shock. "We thought it was the other way around!"
Matt sighed briefly. "Anti wasn't lying to you. The Dreamscape couldn't separate Damien and I originally, but that bastard can move around inside the data of this place freely: we learned that after last time. Damien took his sweet time trying to overpower me but soon realised it would be futile as the Dreamscape couldn't tell our minds apart, seeing as we were uploaded from the same body. He realised his most effective course of action would be to cut himself free from my mind and enter separately.
"What he didn't count on, was the fact that I was conscious and aware within the metadata, just as he was. I was drifting through that subspace alongside him, and I used the time to learn what they had been changing. It may have felt like only a few hours to you guys in here, but… It feels like days have passed for me." Mark and Alix both watched him with sad eyes, hearing the strain in Matt's voice. They could instantly tell the mental damage which the situation had wrought on him. "I used to time to learn enough to write a new code, trapping Damien within the same uplink as me. He couldn't get away.
"Anti soon realised what I had done, but if he tried to erase the code I just rewrote it. We were stuck in an endless loop. He instead overwrote the safety protocols of the Dreamscape and tried to force an upload to Mesmeria, but the software still couldn't tell us apart. Now that we were part of this world, however, it soon became obvious that we had a struggle on our hands. There was one body, and Damien and I were going to have to fight for it. Except, both us soon realised there was a way to make that fight unending. Whenever one of us was about to lose, we triggered the reboot."
Matt finally found the code he was looking for and began typing new commands at speed, Alix leaning around to try and work out what he was doing. "So…we just made things worse?" she wondered aloud.
He flashed them a grateful smile. "No, you did save me. Damien managed to get a message out to Anti, somehow, and he began interfering. Don't ask me why, but Damien doesn't have anything like the power he did. I know that he expelled a huge amount of his energy on something, and it meant I actually had a chance. I got an inkling when I almost broke his control minutes before you guys uploaded us here: I was so goddamn close but I'd crippled myself too much. I passed out, and next thing I knew was Damien and I were floating through the subspace.
"If Anti hadn't stepped in, I would have managed to overpower Damien enough to upload myself here and leave him stranded, if I could do it quick enough to stop him initiating the reboot. As it was…when you guys spoke your plan aloud, Anti overheard it. When they saw you were ready, Anti unleashed a virus he had been keeping on standby to cripple me. If Damien got out, I knew what he'd do to you, and I didn't know if it would appear as him or me, so…"
Mark looked at him knowingly. "You caused the reboot to go into a cycle, didn't you? Fuck, Matt, you were willing to trap yourself with him for god knows how long to protect us…"
Matt stopped typing and turned around to face the other two with a soft smile. "You and Jack were willing to risk your lives to come back here and save me, Mark. I was always going to do the same after all you did in helping my family. I saw you that night you arrived to check on them, I could only watch from behind any reflective surface." Mark regarded him solemnly, guilt creeping through his body. Matt should never have been dragged into this mess, and he'd been willing to- Mark shuddered at the thought of what could have been.
"When you disabled the reboot, I knew I couldn't stop Damien in my crippled state. He emerged first, but once he was out I managed to follow his uplink path and generate my own body. Unfortunately…" Matt gestured to his messed up form, pointing out the cracks around his neck specifically. It was only now that Mark realised they were spreading upwards towards his face. The same markings were appearing across his hands at a rate. "I'm not stable. My body is going to collapse shortly, the virus is still ravaging my data."
Mark and Alix shared a panicked look. "What can we do?!" Mark demanded, refusing to believe that Matt was going to vanish after all this.
His smile turned even gentler. "Nothing. This body can't be salvaged, it will disintegrate soon. I knew this was going to happen, but removing Damien from Mesmeria and disabling Anti long enough to give you guys a chance? No way was I not going to jump in."
Tears welled in Mark's eyes. "Matt…"
Matt placed a cracked hand upon Mark's shoulder. "Don't worry, Mark. I'll be back soon, I've got a plan."
Alix spied the knowing glint in his eyes. "What are you going to do, Matt?"
He stepped away from Mark and placed a small disc in Alix's hand. She stared at in wonder. "Keep that safe, Alix. I can use that to find you guys again," Matt told her determinedly. He then turned back and typed a few more commands into the screen, waiting for one last line to appear.
Command Override Accepted
Class Override Accepted
Initiate Quarantine Protocol? Y/N_
Matt clicked Y and spun back to them with a slightly sad smile. Mark and Alix's eyes both widened at seeing the cracks begin to spread across Matt's whole body at top speed, the purple glow growing brighter. "Matt, what's happening?" Mark asked, terrified.
"I can't help you until I erase this virus, guys," he answered, his voice beginning to crackle apart almost like static. He just managed a final smile. "Don't worry, I'll find you, just keep that disc safe. This isn't goodbye," he re-assured them as the glowing grew so bright that the other two had to shield their eyes. Alix turned away, but Mark squinted through his fingers to see what was happening: only to wish seconds later that he hadn't.
Matt's body literally shattered apart before Mark's eyes, the fragments dissipating into code only seconds later.
"Matt!" Mark screamed in denial, desperately stretching out to grasp at the pieces, only to take a hold of thin air. He stared in disbelief, his mind spinning with what he'd just seen.
Did Matt just…?
Alix took a hold of Mark's shoulder and gripped it tightly. He turned with shell-shocked eyes to face her, seeing that she looked just as lost as he did. Her eyes raised to the screen, seeing the commands inputted and her stomach dropped. "Matt just quarantined himself," she deduced. "He's trying to purge the virus Anti infected him with."
Mark gritted his teeth and trembled with repressed anger. "Where the hell did he go, then?"
"My best guess is that he's back in the subspace of the Dreamscape, Mark. I honestly don't know – this place doesn't exactly run by the strict rules of code anymore…" Mark nodded tightly, and Alix offered a small smile. "We have to trust that Matt knows what he's doing, Mark. He seems to know a lot more about what was going on around here than we do. Matt said he'd find us as long as we keep this disk safe, so let's trust in him."
Their discussion was interrupted by a deeply pained groan from behind them and they sprinted over to Jack's side as they saw he was awakening. As more awareness came back to him the Irishman hissed in pain, shielding his eyes from the lights of the room. "Fuck…my head," he complained lowly.
"Jack?" Alix whispered, mindful of Jack's comments about his head.
He opened his eyes wider to see Mark and Alix hovering over him worriedly, but the pair breathed a deep sigh of relief when Jack's blue eyes appeared. It was definitely him. "Jesus, it feels like someone has been rattling around in my head with a jackhammer, fucking hell..." With the help of the other two, he managed to slowly sit up, despite the rapid dizziness which invaded his mind. Mark kept a hand on his back when he wobbled, Jack clenching his temples. It took him a few more seconds to at least get some semblance of his bearings back, at which he looked back to his friends. "Shit! What happened?" he asked in a panic.
Mark placed his other hand over Jack's chest. "Easy, Sean, you've been out cold for a while now. Do you remember trying to distract Anti?"
Jack nodded slowly. "Yeah, I remember shooting up all the machines in here. Then I-" He blanched as he suddenly remembered in perfect clarity.
The pain, the struggle…the fear that Anti was going to snatch control of his body.
"I- God, I really thought I was a goner there…Anti had me in a vice, I couldn't break free. He tried to seize control of me; I could hear him taunting, breaking me down…Fuck. How am I still here?"
Alix smiled shyly. "I got here just in time, Jack. Anti was so focused on you that I managed to shoot the machines and break the connection. It seems that he needed that physical interface to keep up his attempt. A few seconds later your eyes cleared, and you passed out. We were scared of what state you would be in when you woke up."
Jack hesitated. "I…I think I'm okay, my body just hurts like hell. That really wasn't one of my smarter ideas, was it?" Mark and Alix chuckled, but then Jack looked around and his face fell. He noticed the absence of Matt. "It didn't even fucking work, did it?"
The other two shared a look, at which Mark explained. "It's…pretty complicated, Sean. It did work, Matt is free, but…"
"But, what?" the Irishman asked, confused.
"There is a lot you missed out on," Alix continued. "I don't even know all of it, looks like I missed a few things based on what Matt said. We can maybe all get caught up as we head onwards?"
Mark nodded in agreement. They may be in the clear for the moment, but they still had a time limit. "Sure, what's our next destination?"
Alix pulled out the map from Mark's kit and zoomed into a building on the eastern side. "The power station: we'll need that to activate the exit portal. Hopefully we can sneak in there without another fire fight, I really don't want to push our luck any more than we have already. I'm hoping that Matt will be able to re-join us en route there, we could really use his support." Jack looked at them in confusion and Alix smiled at him. "We'll explain everything soon, Jack. I don't think we should hang around in this place any longer than we have to."
With their next action decided, Mark and Alix helped Jack to his feet and supported the Irishman as they walked back towards the elevator. His strength was still lacking, and his balance was completely unsteady, so they swung an arm over each of their shoulder and helped him.
As they strode onwards, Jack couldn't help but let his mind drift back to Anti's words. There was something that he had said which just didn't make sense in Jack's head…unless they had been making one huge mistake about Anti's motivation from the very start.
Shame I can't kill you, or that would make my life so much easier.
What the hell does that mean? Is Anti not trying to kill me? Is he…fuck, could he just be trying to take me over? That doesn't make any sense!
We're missing something.
They made it back down to the bottom of the tower with no issues, but it took them some time to make their way back to the monorail. Fortunately, their previous puzzle path had reformed as a solid walkway, but they still had to retrace their steps across the magnetized fragments. Jack's condition made it harder, though he was improving rapidly. The headache helped to distract him from the height at least. They managed to sneak back towards the monorail and board it without any hassle.
After changing from the green monorail to the red one, the group updated each other on what had happened during the heated moments of the confrontation at the assembly plant. Alix and Jack were both astonished to hear that Matt had stabbed Damien and then literally threw him out of the map. They hoped it was the end of the shadow, but Mark wasn't so sure. Despite Matt's assurance that Damien was weaker, something had to have caused it.
The question was, what could that be?
Jack kept his quandary concerning Anti's statement to himself, not wanting to concern the other two until he had sorted through more of his thoughts. He did tell them about the fight itself and relayed his worry that Anti wouldn't be held back forever. They worked out that Alix's assumption was probably correct, and that Anti needed a physical interface in Mesmeria to seize control of Jack. So long as he wasn't grabbed by another one of the machines, he would probably be all right.
Probably.
They also discussed what Matt had told Mark and Alix, and the three struggled to wrap their minds around a lot of what he had said. Matt had been left with limited time to tell them any details, and it almost left them with more questions than they had started with. A lot of the situation made even less sense than it did before. They soon realised that until they were reunited with Matt, they were just going to have to accept being kept in the dark.
Mark was determined to trust what Matt said. It wasn't an if, it was when. Matt wouldn't lie about something like that.
Would he…?
Their final changeover saw them take to the white monorail, and as they were jumping platforms a violent earthquake seized the whole area. It was so strong that it caused all three of them to lose their footing, and they shared terrified glances. Once it was over and they made it on to the next train, Alix quickly brought up the game codes. What they found was most definitely not good news.
WARNING
Mesmeria parameters unstable, simulation stability at 37%.
Evacuate simulation immediately.
None of them had to say much at seeing that message, their discomfort at the sudden drop in stability clear. All they could do now was hope that Mesmeria would last until it hit zero, rather than the collapse becoming all the more likely as the percentage dropped. They resolved to try and put it out of their minds, seeing as the decline was something outside of their control. All they could do was dedicate themselves to opening the exit portal and escaping.
As the monorail pulled up at their station, the three emerged armed and ready for a fight. Mark and Jack led with Alix covering the rear. They stuck with their established combination by this point: Jack using his rifle while Mark and Alix stood ready with their pistols, the half-Korean holding the tracker and the programmer navigating. Mark had confirmed there were many sentries stationed around the power station, and they were braced for a confrontation.
They examined their surroundings as they disembarked, seeing that the area was a maze of closely constructed buildings. There were a mixture of paths leading towards the power station, but they could already see a lot of company – however, there were also tight gaps between the buildings. Some alleys were blocked by security fences, others were just completely impassable due to debris. It was going to take some time to find a way through that labyrinth. Or they could take to the main pathways, but the sentries were patrolling in large groups.
It didn't take much thought before they started advancing through the backstreets.
Jack took aim around corners as Mark kept his eyes glued to the tracker, Alix right behind them. All their hearts were pounding at every little sound, and they made every effort not to disturb anything lying around. Large noises could draw attention to them, and they didn't want to be caught in a fight in such close quarters. The three of them would never be able to take cover together.
They began to grow more agitated as they bumped into more and more dead ends. While the security fences showed up on the map, the areas which were blocked by damage did not, and they knew they were wasting precious time.
As they advanced into the seconds half of the maze, however, both the map and the tracker started glitching out. The group shared a fearful gaze. "Crap, that's not good," Jack snapped, keeping an eye as they came to an intersection.
"Damn, this thing is completely useless now," Mark sighed. "Alix, what about you?"
She shook her head sadly. "The map's dead, but I suspect it is due to deliberate interference. Both of them going down at the same time? That's no coincidence."
"So, what? We have to advance blind?" Jack asked, exasperated. When Alix and Mark didn't answer, he sighed explosively. "Fuck, okay. Well, I've not seen any company in here so far, and you never found anything on the tracker, did you, Mark?" The half-Korean shook his head. "Okay, so we'll probably be okay. Do you guys see any landmarks we can use as a guide, so we make sure we don't get lost?"
Alix pointed out two large pylons to their right. "That's north-east, according to the map. We need to advance to the north-west from here. I think it's a safe bet those pylons are at the edge of the plant."
"All right, let's use them to help us keep track of our direction. Mark, you take the left of each opening and I'll clear the right. Alix, keep a watch of our tails."
With the plan fixed, the trio continued their advance. It was a long and fraught process with no firm idea of whether they were going the right way or not, but they knew they had to keep going. It was far too late to turn back now.
After another twenty minutes of stressful wandering, they spied an exit which led back to a main path: and the power station was dead ahead. They shared matching smiles and advanced through the last alley, focusing on their goal ahead. Jack and Mark each peered around the exit, making sure they were in the clear before venturing forth. As a patrol moved out of sight, Jack nodded that they were clear, and the pair emerged and took a deep sigh of relief. "Damn, I'm not one for getting claustrophobic but I'm glad to be clear of that," Mark sighed happily.
Jack chuckled in response, but soon noticed that they were one member of their team down. His eyes darted backwards, and his breathing became rapid when Alix was nowhere in sight. "Alix?!" he shouted, Mark soon following his lead. The pair looked around frantically, hoping she had just wandered off, when a shadowed figure emerged from the end of their alley.
They raised their guns as their hearts dropped. Alix's throat was being held in an arm lock by one of the sentries, and they noticed its other hand was behind her back. She was grasping at its arm in a mild panic, her gun missing and a gash across her forehead.
When a green flash appeared in the helmet, Jack's stomach clenched in fear. "Let her go, Anti!" he demanded.
They'd all hoped the glitch would be gone longer than this – and now he had Alix as a hostage.
Anti laughed, the sound coming out all mechanical, and both Mark and Jack glared at him hatefully. "All of you were so eager to be free, you never checked inside any of the debris you passed, Jack-a-boy," he chimed. "Now I've got myself a plaything." Alix whimpered and the other two took aim at the sentry's head. "Ah-ah, not so fast, princess."
A screech of terror ripped from Alix's throat, which caused the pair to flinch involuntarily. Tears were streaming down her face as Anti forced her to turn slightly. Mark and Jack paled at seeing the knife which was being pointed firmly in her back. "Remember, I'm in a machine, Jack. I can pierce her before your bullets even come close. Are you willing to risk her life so carelessly?" Alix sobbed as Anti forced it ever so slightly into her skin, just breaking it.
Jack's eyes were alight in fury and fear. "Don't hurt her, Anti," he begged. "She's not the one you want."
Anti sniggered. "No, she's not. The question is, are you going to spill her blood for your own freedom, Jack? Whatever happens now is your choice. You can sacrifice her, or you can take her place. Don't hang around though, or I'll choose for you – you know I'm not patient."
Alix swallowed on another cry and shouted towards them. "Don't do it, Jack, please! Don't let him win! Just shoot, he's bluffing!"
Both Jack and Mark hesitated. "Don't think they're willing to take the chance, bitch," Anti sneered.
Mark turned to look at Jack, seeing he was frozen. "Sean, you know what will happen if you give yourself to Anti."
Jack knew, but in his heart there was only one thing he could do. The other two didn't know that Anti wanted him alive: he just had to take the chance they could stop Anti, one way or another. "I can't let him hurt her, Mark," he answered helplessly, lowering his gun.
Alix shook her head frantically as Mark mirrored his action. "No, Jack, don't!" she pleaded.
Anti laughed once more. "Smart choice, Jack-a-boy. Now, bring your sorry ass here. We've got unfinished business."
Jack stared at him coldly before turning towards the other man. Mark watched as Jack handed him the rifle from his hands and leant over, whispering his ear.
"Don't let him escape in my body, Mark. Even if you have to kill us both."
Mark pulled back in shocked horror, but could see the conviction in Jack's eyes. "Sean, no…" he whispered, unable to even think about that horrific possibility. Jack soon turned away and began striding towards Anti and Alix. "Sean, don't!"
He was about halfway there when things flipped completely.
Anti screeched mechanically, electricity suddenly bursting forth from his body. Seizing the chance, Alix screamed as some of the discharge struck her but managed to break free of his grasp. Jack reached out for her and pulled her behind him as Mark quickly raised his weapon and shot the body, bringing it down. The trio watched in stunned silence for a couple of seconds before Jack felt Alix trembling behind him and pulled her into a swift hug. She gripped back desperately, her whole body shaking. That had been far too close.
Another figure off to their left caught Mark's attention and he spun to shoot it down, only to freeze completely. "No fucking way…" His exclamation caught the other two's attention, only to be rendered just as speechless.
Matt stood a few metres away, flipping a metal disc in his hand while smiling at them, his body carrying none of the ailments of before. His expression grew at seeing the shock in their eyes.
"I told you it wasn't goodbye."
Zalgo translations:
You can't keep me out forever, Matt.
Your little hack will only keep me out so long, and your time is limited.
And…that's the end of this part! Matt is finally in the fight for freedom properly.
Hope it was worth the wait, and you all enjoyed it. I'll see you all again soon!
*Smooch*