Chapter 7: People like us

Both Gene and Suzuka starred each other down, each unblinking like they were both trying to see into the others very soul or maybe it was simply like a game of chicken seeing who would flinch first.

"So, why are you hear? How dare you speak her name like that." gene said looking away

"Gene…" Suzuka began but paused looking skyward for some kind of divine intervention. What exactly was she supposed to say, how do you tell someone that the lover they lost 5 years ago, a lover they grieved for might still be alive.

In the end Suzuka simply decided to take the old saying 'actions speak louder than words' She reached out and grasped his hand, squeezing tightly in reassurance a gesture she never would have made ten years ago.

Gene relaxed instantly all the pain falling away in an instant, the two embracing tightly letting all the anger, pain, sadness and suffering draw away for perhaps the first time in 5 years.

Hours passed or maybe it was minutes, time lost all meaning and instant could have been eternity it didn't matter for the time the two were connected all that mattered was each other. This is what Suzuka wanted this is what she wished for ten years ago before everyone split apart – someone to hold someone to hold her and a protector.

Gene was very much a man confused in every aspect of his life, outside of a battlefield. It was a strange union and bonds the two shared for a woman who had nothing to protect to find comfort in the arms of a man who had lost all means by WHICH to protect and yet they seemed to compliment each other well.

If things were different they may have even had a future together, if things were different but they were not, she knew Gene would go looking for Melfina even if he accepted her death he would still go looking for her, he owed her that much.

The two separated from the prolonged hug and Gene mouthed his thanks to her to which she smiled. Though before their moment could progress any further the wooden door to the back room was thrown open knocking against the wall in a loud thud, there stood a creature like nothing Gene had seen before…

It was almost human but not quite, its skin was pure silver and metallic, it had no face nor wore not clothes though the ends of its arms where its hands should be were formed into long silver blades.

"Gene Starwind, Termination approved." it spoke in a sultry female voice.


Bump bump…bump bump.

A weak heartbeat echoed through the large open room.

Bump…bump…bump…bump

The heartbeat grew stronger as a green light flowed in through the glass and filled the normally dark area, a man of shadows approached the glass, his face and snow white hair illuminated by the green hue.

An almost sadistic smile crossed his face as he gazed upwards at the sleeping figure within the tank, there hair floating upwards, its arms crossed over its chest its body completely submerged in the green fluid, that provided the only light source in the room.

"Tell me Doctor, how does the Project progress?" said the man, not turning his attention away from the tank or its occupant

Another man stepped forth from the shadows, his attire that of a scientist, his white lab coat wrapped around his skinny body hiding the suit beneath.

"The first phase is complete sir, we will be entering phase 2 as soon as preparations are complete", said the unnamed scientist.

"Excellent" said the first man obviously pleased with the answer; "and Gene Starwind?" he added.

"The Death Strike unit has located him, it is being taken care of", replied the Scientist.

"Excellent" said the first man once again this time allowing the sadistic smile to spread across his face to a grin, "Soon nothing will be able to stop us…Mother"


Gene ran down the thankfully deserted street with Suzuka silently jumping from roof to roof silently tailing him.

"Just what the hell IS that thing", Gene yelled jerking his thumb at his metallic pursuer.

Gene had thrown everything he had at it; bullet just seemed to bounce off even his prized "Artillery pistol" couldn't dent it

Gene reached into his pocket and pulled out a Caster shall, a number 3. Gene smiled THIS should do it gene thought.

Meanwhile Suzuka leaped down from her spot on the roof, using the force of gravity to increase her speed sword at the ready she made a downward slice. However the Death Strike blocked both the blow and the powerful gust of wind the attack created with ease and pushed against a wall.

"Suzuka!" Gene yelled as Death Strike turned its attention to her.

Gene quickly loaded the Caster shell into the gun and powered it up, the turbines started spinning and a blue circle surrounded the gun as the shell was made ready, aiming and pulling the trigger the shell fired.

Like a bolt of lighting the electric blue beam fired forth crackling with energy and surrounded Death Strike, electricity flowed through its metallic, stray bolts discharged to near by TV Aerials, metal pillars and other conductor creating electrical sparks everywhere.

"Come on Suzuka, I have a feeling that's only gonna slow her down", Gene said as he grabbed Suzuka's hand and virtually dragging her along.

The effect of the caster shell wore off quickly and Death Strike was once again free to begin the pursuit, damaged but not destroyed it broke into a sprint to quickly regain the ground it had lost.


Gene and Suzuka burst through the glass doors of the police station followed moments later by Death Strike. Officers went for their weapons and began firing at the intruder but to no avail the bullets and laser beams alike seemed to bounce off with minimum effect.

Death strike leaped from its position and landed on the front desk decapitating the male desk Sargent in one swift movement of its sword arm, before his head even hit the floor it scanned the officer's weapons and tactics as to find the most efficient way to kill them.

Finding an effective strategy, its literally morphed its hands and arms into two Laser Vulcan cannons, the Vulcan's began to spin and laser fire spewed forth from there barrels destroying wood, metal, flesh and bone alike. Death Strike strafed the fire back and forth by pivoting its torso making sure that nothing survived.

When it was finished the entire first floor looked like it had been hit by a hurricane, Scanning the area it saw Gene and Suzuka just as the elevator doors closed.

Aiming its left arm, it fired, lasers penetrated the elevator doors leaving several hundred holes behind as the Elevator moved upwards.

One of the officers who survived the initial attack managed to sound the alarm; Death Strike did not take this kindly. Re-acquiring the Officer, it fired its Laser Vulcan's at him and the subsequently the alarm panel until he was nothing but a red mush splattered on the floor, desk and wall projecting a probable path Death strike begin its sprint to the stairs.


Gene and Suzuka exited the Elevator at the top floor, looking for the Roof exit where they might be able to escape. Running down the silver corridor they passed many officers some of whom was now dressed in full body armour, as they rushed in the other direction armed with high-energy plasma weapons.

The eventually found the exit to the Roof only to find it was locked, after some negotiation by Gene and his Pistol, the door was opened and they ran up the staircase to the darkened roof.

Death Strike reached the top floor, killing anyone along its path. Stopping at the end of the corridor by the stairs it scanned the area, finding nothing it switched to Thermal inferred vision; the body heat of perhaps 50 heavily armed officers was exposed waiting in rooms off the corridor to ambush it.

Morphing its single hand into a large cannon looking gun it began to take aim and fired, the blue energy blast fired straight through the walls exploding and killing the officer inside, this repeated itself until all the officers were dead.

Existing onto the dark roof, Death Strike switched to night vision mode, allowing it to see as clear as day in the shadowy area.

It spotted Gene Starwind and Suzuka at the opposite end to the roof waiting for it, morphing its hands back into the long silver blades it began its approach slowly walking forwards for it knew they had no where to run.

Gene quickly loaded the caster gun this time with a Number 12, the gun turbines began to spin up with an orange/red glow, aiming the weapon Gene pulled the trigger.

The orange glow seemed to expand and travel down the gun barrel and erupted shooting forwards in two streams of plasma, each stream struck Death strike simultaneously in a brilliant blue flash before the streams combined and twisted around each other.

Everything seemed to stop, time slowed down as Suzuka quickly grabbed Gene's waist and hoisted him over the Roof with her as they fell towards the ground Suzuka used her sword to create a wind cushion to land on.

They had barely touched ground when every molecule in Death strikes metallic body twisted and then exploded at the speed of light, the entire roof of the police station was engulfed by the explosion, flaming debris falling to the ground below.

Gene had faced murderers, assassins, pirates, thieves, androids and killer robot dogs but never anything like that, this had Arc Tech written all over it; reaching for his cell phone he dialled a number, the number one he had no dialled in a long time.

The owner of the number picked up on the third ring; "Hey Jim, I need a favour"

Authors Notes: BOOYA! Now wasn't that worth it, really enjoyed writing this chapter, got some of those destructive tendencies out of my system and let gene cut loose and blow 'em away. Might have been a little on the short side but I didn't see the need to do a drawn out blow by blow account and it walks us nicely into Chapter 8, now I need to get writing or Red Sky ok AGAIN with the seprator removal, ok I resorted to Horizontal Rules