AN: Sorry for the late update. Exams have recently been stalking me. Scary *shudders.*
665 wished she had picked up some newspapers when she was tracking down her targets. For, then, she may have seen what must have been the headlines: Knockout Any "Innocent" Teens Day. It had happened twice in the same amount of hours and she was getting rather annoyed with it. Or, more accurately, the pounding headache it gave her. Judging by the stubborn taste lingering in her mouth, she suspected that she had been rendered unconscious by carbon monoxide. Didn't these idiots know that it was a pollutant? At the end of the day, it would be anti- climatic if everyone dropped dead as a result of poor air. But, hopefully, there would be no messing about this time and she could make her escape. She opened her eyes, not caring about anyone who may have been there, noting the iron chains she was securely and uncomfortably in. Finally, one of these morons had more than one brain cell.
"Those men were amateurs," a disembodied voice said from the shadows, "a distraction, if you will. They needed to be eliminated, regardless of events. My name is Hendrick, by the way. I don't suppose your mother has ever spoken of me."
"A distraction?" Her mission had had complications, so intelligence might save her from impending doom, also known as the Furans. Key word: might. "From what?"
"Now, that would be telling."
"You've wasted enough time. Either tell me or don't; I find myself quickly getting bored with your games. And when I'm bored, people have a queer tendency to die."
"Very well."
665 sighed. "You're not that great at giving people answers at a decent pace, has anyone ever told you that?"
This caused a reaction in the man; a humourless chuckle. "Such impatience. Just like your father."
"And you would know my parents how? You have mentioned them twice now."
"I do believe that you were the one who wanted to stop fooling around. So, I shall humour you- after all, you won't live to tell the tale. I will only say this once, so pay close attention."
665 got the feeling that he didn't get to tell his grand schemes many times and relished in the times he could. Stereotypical villain, really. Surprisingly, he stepped out of the safe refuge of the darkness and into her field of vision. This was the man present when she shot her bro- targets, she sternly corrected herself. This was no time to get emotional. Bloody Net.
"It is said there was a man with a strange fascination with the art of cloning. He was dismissed by many as a lunatic who was too scared to show his identity. Perhaps it was for the best he was anonymous; it wouldn't look too good for a major science research facility to be working for an obsessed, mad man. But they did, which turned out to be a grievous error. The scientists in charge of those particular experiments- a family called the Durgans or Furans, I think- got involved in some sort of freak accident and that's when you little maggots were first created. The youngest sister, Elena, paid the most. It was a shame. Elena was- and still is- such a great woman. Pretty, funny, caring... And generally good enough to be my girlfriend for over a week. But such personal matters are irrelevant, for they do not change the facts. You little brats are mindless killing machines. And for every person you kill, even indirectly, many more have to hurt because of you. Have you never stopped to think? Stopped to feel empathy? Oh, wait, hang on. You can't."
"We aren't the only assassins in the world, y'know," 665 wisely pointed out. She wanted to add a comment about it not being their fault, but that could make Hendrick stop talking. A voice unexpectedly echoed in her head:
Adrian? Adrian does not exist. Only me.
"But they are human."
"If you prick us, do we not bleed?" She countered, quoting Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice.
"Shhh," he hissed. "I had to leave her, you know. Elena. Because who could really stand to be in a relationship with someone who could drop dead at any moment without warning? But that's not the hard part. She fired me from the business that we founded together. I had no job, no house, no food other than what I shared with the dogs. She is now with my best friend. You things ruined my life. As you did to many others."
"I thought such personal matters were irrelevant. And you still haven't answered me."
"Do not speak."
"Alright, alright," she replied, not meaning it in the slightest.
"A few years later, your mother- my sister- died due to some complication when she had you that the doctors didn't pick up... I don't remember the specifics. Eventually those affected came together and the Unity was formed to bring your miserable lives to an agonizing end. It has been this way for years. Until now."
"So, what, have you given up now?"
The man made a noise that could only be described as a growl. "Have you got a death wish, kid?"
"No."
"That's a shame; it's fun when I strike a nerve. But don't you worry, for you will soon know all about it."
"I'm so scared."
"You better be."
For a fleeting moment, there was a look in his eyes that told her her life will become a living hell if he got his way. And, reluctant as she was to admit it, it made her blood freeze. He was almost as bad as Pietor Furan.
"As I was saying, the organisation has stuck to its merciful ways for as long as it has existed. That is going to change once we have more information. And information, my girl, is exactly what you are going to give us. Voluntarily or not."
A siren wailed, a horrible shrieking sound that made her nervous system feel as though it had been picked up and rattled around. She heard a low-pitched growl emerging from Hendrick's mouth again. She briefly wondered if he was a werewolf.
A voice stuttered though a communication system they had placed throughout the building, "corridor
45... Intruder... 7 guards dead."
He swore and glanced at her, realizing she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Then, with no small amount of reluctance, he left the room. The sound of the imposing steel door slamming shut was excruciatingly loud to her sensitive ears.
The Net was powered on. Her very emotions told her that. Ignoring the irregular, fast beating of her heart, she assessed the situation further. She was about to lift her head up to get a better view of the room but snapped it back down. A good thing she did, or she would've been rudely interrupted by a laser beam firing where she would have put her head. Net or no Net, she had her instincts and that she was eternally grateful for.
She knew he'd be back soon. As she noted before, he had a brain. And anyone with a brain would not underestimate her.
Suddenly, a voice hissed out through unseen speakers.
"I'm not stupid." It was Hendrick. Lucky her. "The second I'm close enough you will kill me, even with your power so reduced. It's why security such as that laser exists. I'm not scared to admit I am physically inferior and that I don't want to die. It's why I am so interested in the art of cloning and continuing the work that man started. Sure, it is laughed upon now, but in the future I will be famous. And if I don't succeed in this lifetime, my works will be found by someone who shares my vision just like I found the so called lunatic's."
665 held back a laugh. "So, all this because of your thanatophobia?"
"Just like your father."
"You have said."
There was no response to that. Good- it allowed her more time to think about the next step. With the Net on, she could not break out of the chains. With the Net on, she couldn't think straight. Step one: turn the damn thing off. With the limited information she had on the thing, her ability to do so came down to disconnecting the power or destroying the whole thing. She also knew that it didn't have to touch her to be effective, although she had to be in a certain range. If it touched her when it was on, it burnt. She would've described the pain as 'searing' before she was changed. The thought of before brought unbidden tears to her eyes. As childish as it sounded, she wanted her mother. She had to dismantle it now.
As she was pondering on how to best break the thing- she was partial to ripping it apart with anything she could acquire- and reminding herself her mother was gone and could never return, fate decided to assist her. For the lights went out. Then the Net faltered. She could get out of there. 665 wasted no time. She strained against the iron, slowly bending it despite it being about an inch thick.
"Time to deal with you," she said once she was out. She took the Net and ripped it apart. It was like paper to her. "And now to get out."
Pietor ran through the deserted corridor silently, his gun drawn. He heard a noise: footsteps about twenty metres away. Just under ten people. He ducked into the shadows as they turned into his field of vision.
"- we've only been on high alert for weeks. Can this man not give us a goddamn break?" One of the men moaned.
"All we need to do still is check the weapons locker. Can you please shut your whiney mouth so we can do so?" The front man- presumably the leader- answered. He approached the weapons locker, "er... What's the code again?"
"WeM5#/36fgds:e897533y." Another replied, reading off the phone- like device he held.
"Woah, woah, woah. Slower, please."
"You should really keep your voices down. You never know who might overhear." Pietor said as he stepped out of his hiding space. To say the men were startled was an understatement. They were petrified. Stories and rumours spread far, it seemed. The lead guard made to pull out his gun, but Pietor beat him to it. He brutally smashed the guard's head with his gun and a sickening crunch was heard as he broke his skull. He was dead before he hit the ground.
"Anyone else?" He asked. He received pale faces staring up at him in reply, none of which showing the intention to fight him. "Good. Place your weapons on the ground and kick them away. No tricks." They complied and Pietor acted without hesitation. He harshly grabbed the man closest to him and held him so that he shielded his body, reducing any chance of the others retrieving a gun and shooting him to nil. He wrapped his hands around his throat, squeezing gradually but firmly. He said something inaudible and was dissatisfied with the answer he received. As fast as a mamba, he snapped the man's head back and punched the back of it, hard. Blood trickled out of his neck as a result of his compound fracture. Pietor shoved his corpse to the ground. As predicted, the guns had been reclaimed by the security and they were clinging onto them like it was their only chance of survival. He plastered an apprehensive expression on his face as he slowly raised his hands. Four of the remaining guards surrounded him in a square; the other remained where he was. The latter made a signal- which would've been invisible to any other person- for the men to open fire. He ducked in anticipation of the angry bullets, causing the men to shoot each other. A classic move, and yet it still managed to fool many.
He addressed he last man. "Now, I would love to chat but I'm afraid I have some pressing business to attend to. Who's in charge of the Unitiy's agents?"
"His name is Hendrick. He's on the pale side, brown hair, abnormally bright green eyes. Oh, God, please... don't hurt me." The glorified ape dropped his weapon in undiluted fear. Pietor pressed his gun into his gut.
"What else can you tell me?"
"N-n-nothing," he stuttered, "I swear I know nothing."
"Pity. In that case, you have outworn your usefulness to me."
"No... Don't hurt me. I have a wife and kids and a dog and-"
"Don't worry; I'm not going to hurt you." Pietor moved his gun to the other's head and pulled the trigger. "I'm was going to kill you," he added as he stared at the lifeless eyes. As a siren went off, he ran out of the corridor.
He ran through the maze of a building, trying to find something but he wasn't sure what that 'something' was. He would normally be more prepared, however getting intelligence on this place had proven difficult. So far, he had managed to avoid any other encounters with UAUP's workers. It would be immensely stealthier to not have a trail of bodies leading to his whereabouts. As he came to a dead end, he realized something was wrong; he was being followed.
"Freeze!" Someone yelled from behind him. "Put your hands where I can see them! State your name, rank and reason for being here." Pietor turned to face the man. According to the guard he spoke to earlier, this man was Hendrick. And his was right, his eyes- which weren't dissimilar to light bulbs- were abnormally bright.
"Tell me where he is."
"Who?"
"Your traitor."
"Traitor?" Hendrick parroted.
"Yes, I was sent by security to eliminate him. It seems he has been working for the Furan's the whole time. I was told his codename is Jay."
"I see," Hendrick said while narrowing his eyes sceptically and lowering his gun, "but how can you prove your identity?"
"I don't need to," he replied, voice taking on a cold, concrete tone, "and you have no choice." Pietor swiftly pressed the nerve clusters in the man's hand, forcing him to drop his weapon.
"Floor minus three, training area 41."
"Thank you for your co- operation. You have been most useful." He shot Hendrick twice in his chest and walked in the general direction of the stairs.
665 was loose. The message echoed in the hall she found herself in. Luckily she was alone, but now the Unitiy's soldiers would be alerted to her escape attempt. Great. She pushed open thick doors, possibly made from titanium. The area was still deserted, but that only sent alarm bells ringing furiously and relentlessly in her mind. She brushed them off; it was not like any guards would be able to fight her when she was at full strength. She heard a soft moan.
"Hello?" She asked, aware of how naïve she must've sounded. She stepped further into the corridor and looked both ways down it. To her left, slumped against the wall was Hendrick. He was bleeding from at least one wound in his chest.
"Come here, child," he croaked, beckoning her. For once, there was no malice in his voice. "Your mother had a friend. His name is Matthew "Matty" Jackson. He is working to liberate you freaks. Go to him; he can help you. He lives..." His breath started fading and his eyes fluttered closed. "He lives with your grandfather. Tell him Jake sent you."
"Who's Jake?" She asked quickly, knowing his time was nearly up.
"I am." 665 felt for a pulse as he sank further down the wall even though she knew it was not there. She had no reason to believe he was lying- he certainly didn't show any of the telltale signs of it. A strange feeling swept over her, despite the Net being destroyed. She felt... Human somehow. She felt alive.
"Sometimes all you need is somebody to remind you that you are just a human." How many times had her mother said that to her? How many times had she questioned it? She realized now that they were true. She had needed some one. And in a discrete way- perhaps by filling in the gaps of her past- her uncle had done just that. It may be too late for her to become Lilia again, but she didn't have to be a mindless killing machine either. Furans, she thought, you better watch your backs.