(A/N) Hey guys, coming up a bit late, but no less enjoyable for it, is another Phase Two: Betrayal chapter, featuring Agent Maine and written by the wonderful Jerem6401! Another incredible chapter, and is, personally, one of my favourites so far! Also, there will be an X-Ray and Vav update tonight, so keep an eye out for that, as we get our fics back on track after my break!
Enjoy!
Chapter Twenty-Four – The Danger Room
Agent Maine
Written by Jerem6401
"Fear cuts deeper than swords."― George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones
"How are you feeling, big guy?" York asked.
Maine was sitting on a bench just outside the training floor. He was adjusting all of his armour, making sure nothing was going to trip him up, once the mission started. Normally he didn't take so much precaution on a training session… but this was different. Maine was going into this one alone. He wasn't facing another freelancer, he wasn't joining up with a team, and he didn't even know what his challenge was. All he knew, was there was a new door on the training floor, something too big or dangerous to put on the MoI, so it had been installed in the main Freelancer compound on Eris. He didn't know where it led, or what kind of sinister technology the Director had installed on the other side. All he knew is he needed to go in there by himself, and emerge successful.
"Why are you asking?" Maine grunted. York sighed and shrugged. The other Freelancers stood around the room, twiddling their thumbs and glancing towards the metal door every now and again. Maine pushed himself to his feet and rolled out his shoulders. "I can handle myself."
"I'm just nervous," York admitted. "I mean… who knows what the hell is behind there? The Director sure seems like he's pushing us harder nowadays, too. I don't want a soldier getting hurt in a training session." Maine turned to York, frowning at him behind his visor.
"I'm not nervous," he replied. "So why would I need someone else doing that for me?" York was silent for a moment, before nodding his head.
"Attention freelancers," the Director echoed out through the speakers. "All agents will remain in the observation deck. A display will overlay on the windows and show the inside of the Danger Room."
"Danger room?" North asked under his breath.
"Agent Maine will be the only one entering. Do you understand?"
"Understood," Maine quickly responded. He was looking at the speaker when he spoke, and then turned his head to stare at York again. York nodded and slapped Maine on the shoulder.
"Knock 'em dead," he spoke. Maine nodded back to him and stepped towards the observation deck's exit.
"That's usually my strategy," he replied. Maine made his way to the floor and approached the entry to the Danger Room. The door slowly slid open, revealing nothing but blackness behind it. Maine couldn't even see the wall on the other side of the room.
"Step into the Danger Room, Agent Maine," the Director ordered.
"Sir," Maine began, "what is my mission?"
"Just enter the room, Agent."
Maine paused for a moment, before taking a deep breath and stepping inside. The door quickly slid shut behind him, burying him in darkness. Maine looked down, noticing it was too dark to even see his own body. He sighed and switched on his helmet's night vision. When the night vision activated, he was instantly hit was a blinding white glare. He yelled and stepped backwards, shutting the night vision off once again. The lights must have turned on the second his night vision activated, he reasoned, shuddering as he blinked a few times, his eyes recovering from the shock.
He reached to brace himself on the door, but felt nothing, and fell to his knees. He shook his head and looked up. Maine fell completely silent as his brain tried to comprehend what he was seeing. Before him was a massive city, the sky darkened with Insurrectionist ships and smoke. Buildings in the distance were buckling as explosions rocked the ground below.
"Sir!" a voice yelled. Maine snapped his head to the side, seeing four Insurrectionist soldiers standing in the street. "We've spotted a Freelancer. Prepare to engage!" Maine quickly pushed himself up, but noticed something on the ground as he did. A magnum. He snatched it and fired off a few rounds, making the soldiers scatter, ducking behind cover to avoid his fire. Maine jumped behind a car as a barrage of bullets rained down towards him.
"Director!" he yelled into his headset. "Director!"
"I'm here, Agent Maine," the Director responded immediately, as cool and controlled as ever.
"What the fuck is happening?! Where am I?!"
"You're in Triestina, Agent." Another explosion shook the ground. Maine poked out from his cover and fired two more shots. One tore through the chest-plate of an enemy soldier, dropping him to the floor.
"Triestina? How?! I was there when you destroyed that city!" Maine reached around to his back out of instinct. Halfway there he remembered he had not brought his assault rifle with… wait… what? Maine grabbed the assault rifle off his back and ducked back into cover. "But I… I didn't…"
"Agent Maine, are you there?" Maine took a deep breath.
"Director…you better tell me what the fuck is going on… NOW!"
There was a brief silence, a crackle of static, and a sigh, before the Director finally responded. "Your objective is on your HUD. Rescue the target. Do not disappoint me."
"Director?" Silence. "DIRECTOR!" Maine swung his fist into the car, horribly denting the side. He jumped back out of cover and fired his assault rifle, dropping two more Insurrectionists.
"Got him!" another yelled. Maine turned to his side and saw a soldier holding a pistol to him. The soldier fired. It was almost in slow motion that Maine saw the bullet whip towards him and rip into his chest. Maine flew back, slamming into the ground. He fought to get his breath back as the soldier closed in on him. "Freelancer is down," the soldier reported as he stepped next to the fallen Maine. Maine suddenly gripped the soldier's ankle and ripped him off his feet. Maine flipped over, straddling the Insurrectionist, before laying haymakers into his helmet. The soldier's helmet collapsed around his head, shattering his visor and dying it a bright red.
Maine took some deep breaths and looked down to examine his wound. But… but where was it? Maine had felt the impact, but his armour was in pristine condition. No entry wound, no blood.
Maine turned to the street, void of Insurrectionists for the moment. His HUD flashed a few times and then highlighted the outline of someone in a nearby building. He didn't know what the hell was going on, or how he got here… but all he had was the mission. It had to be his ticket out. Maine stood up and sprinted towards the objective. Two more soldiers jumped out from an alley and lifted their weapons.
"Freeze or…" Maine clotheslined the first soldier, feeling both of his collarbones snap in the process. Maine quickly spun and grabbed the barrel of the second soldier's battle rifle. He ripped it away and snapped it in two like a twig. The Insurrectionist turned to run, but was swiftly grabbed and pulled in, before Maine jerked the man's head to one side, snapping his neck. He dropped the body to the ground and looked up at the building before him. The sign was completely destroyed, and the building seemed like it was on the verge of collapsing. Maine stepped forward and slammed his boot into the door. He rushed in, firing his assault rifle wildly and dropping three more soldiers.
His target was just on the other side of the room.
"Hey!" Maine shouted through the smoke. "Over here!" Suddenly a fist slammed into Maine's visor, knocking him to the ground. Maine shook off the attack and forced himself to one knee. He looked up to a see a soldier stepping out of the smoke. This soldier was different, though. He wasn't wearing the standard green and tan of the Insurrection. It was more of a… coral colour. Maine stood up straight as the soldier lifted his fists. Maine grunted and cracked his neck, trying to process the situation.
"Ark…" he said quietly, confused, as Ark ran towards Maine, throwing several punches at the behemoth. Maine smacked each one away and slammed his fist into Ark's helmet, knocking him to the floor. Arkansas flipped back to his feet and jumped into the air, throwing two kicks before landing. Both struck Maine in the chest, taking away his wind once again.
"What are you doing here, Ark!" Arkansas remained quiet…strange for him. Maine charged in once again, trying to clothesline his enemy, but Ark skilfully slid out of the way and threw his leg into Maine's shin, knocking the giant to his knees.
"Agent Maine!" the Director yelled. "What is happening in there?!"
"Ark's here!" Maine yelled back, his voice filled with confusion and frustration.
"WHAT?" Maine stood up in time to block another attack and grab Ark's fist, torqueing his arm to the side and slamming his fist into Ark's visor. Maine saw his opportunity and started landing as many haymakers as he could, each time making Ark step backwards. Maine was getting angrier each second. The famous traitor from Project Freelancer was right in front of him… and Maine wanted blood. Ark was knocked to the floor and Maine quickly leapt forward, driving his knee into Ark's chest, pinning him to the ground. Maine ripped off Ark's helmet and balled his hand into a fist.
"Agent Maine, I need you to calm down and focus!" the Director yelled into his hear, and Maine froze.
"What the fuck are you talking about, Director?!" Maine asked, just barely keeping himself from murdering Ark… at least for the moment.
"Your mind, Maine," the Director replied, almost condescendingly. "Your suit is picking up too much neurological activity from your mind. You need to focus on the mission."
"My suit? Director what are you…" Suddenly Maine was sent flying backwards as a boot collided with his chest. He slammed into a wall and dropped to the floor.
"Taking your time?" a voice asked grimly, a smug twang to it. "You always were too slow to react, Maine."
Maine shook off the assault, his vision splitting into twos and fours. He looked up to see a massive solider walking towards him. His armour was no longer blue and white, like it had been, but red and steel. Jutting spikes adorned his arms, gleaming in the light of the room, and his stare was locked on Maine.
"Penn," Maine growled, struggling to fight his way to his feet.
"Penn?" the Director asked, suddenly. "He's in there, too?" Maine could hear the Director's voice grow quieter, as though he was speaking to someone near him. "Counselor, we need to end this mission. Maine's mind is far too occupied with…"
"Why do you keep talking about my mind?!" Maine shouted, gripping his helmet.
"What's wrong, Maine?" Penn asked.
Maine looked at him, and then quickly stepped back. Penn wasn't Penn anymore. He was smaller now, pointing a pistol at Maine's chest. A ski-mask hid his face. Maine recognized this man. He hadn't seen him since that day. The day that changed his life forever. He hadn't seen him since he was only eight. Maine backed up again, pressing against the wall.
"You seem scared," the man snickered. "You should feel right at home." Maine dropped to his backside and looked around. The floors… the walls. They were all the same. Maine was in a bank. A bank from back in his home town. Back when he was just a child.
"NO!" Maine shouted. "NO! GET ME OUT OF HERE!"
"Counselor!" the Director yelled in Maine's earpiece. "Shut this down immediately!" Maine gripped his helmet to the point where his visor started to crack. He slammed his eyes shut. He could hear gunshots. He could see blood forming on the floor.
"HELP ME!" Suddenly everything went silent. Maine was on his knees, breathing extremely heavily, panting really, and sweat poured down his face. He opened his eyes and saw a metal floor beneath him, his fists resting on its smooth surface. He raised his head slowly, to see a massive, empty, metal room surrounding him. There wasn't a single soul in there, just bare metal walls, covered with small green circles every four feet or so. Maine was just staring. Just staring into the distance. He could hear the door open behind him as several people entered the Danger Room.
"What the fuck was that, Director?!" York yelled.
"Calm down, Agent York," the Director replied. "This room is a massive holographic simulator. It can make picture-perfect simulations of whatever I program, allowing for very realistic training sessions."
"Then what happened to Maine, huh?!" Georgia yelled. "Why would you simulate something like that?!"
"The Danger Room works by attached to neurological receptors inside of Maine's suit. They read the signals fired from his brain every second and makes the appropriate response. Meaning a soldier in the simulation will feel every strike, every surface, every explosion."
"It appears the neurological sensors in Agent Maine's suit were detecting background thoughts he was having," the Counselor observed. "A coding error must have caused the Danger Room to then project these thoughts in a way it saw fit."
"F.I.L.S.S.!" the Director called out.
"Yes, sir?"
"Correct this flaw immediately." The Director turned to the freelancers standing behind him. He grunted and folded his arms behind his back. "This is the most advanced training utility that has ever been created, soldiers." He walked past them and towards the exit, pausing only for a moment to glance back at them over his shoulder. "And this is why we run tests." The Director exited the room, followed closely by the Counselor, functioning, as always, as his shadow. York knelt down next to Maine and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Maine…you in there, buddy?" Maine was still taking deep breaths and staring off into the distance. York carefully reached up and pulled off Maine's helmet. Maine's eyes were locked forward, and blood was dripping from his nose onto the ground. "Hey… it'll be alright, man. They'll fix this thing." Maine didn't respond. "It's over, Maine." Maine finally closed his eyes and took one last deep breath. He put his hands on his knees and shook his head, obviously trying to calm himself. "Maine?"
"It hurt York…" York stopped and turned his head to the others. They all looked away. York sighed and patted Maine's shoulder, trying to comfort the fallen giant.
"…it hurt so badly."