Chapter 14

Yang

Voidwalker Maximus

My eyes opened, a pleasant surprise given how dead I should've been, but I didn't have time to revel in that fact. There was a much larger realization that was bitter-sweet: They were in the City. I was right, but I had silently hoped that I wasn't.

Pain coursed through me as I lay there. My vision spun slightly, but otherwise seemed uninhibited. By some stroke of luck, I'd landed on one of the tiers, the bottom one to be exact and only inches from the edge, but that was about where the luck ended. When I got to my feet, I realized that the nearest window was a couple dozen feet over my head, out of reach even if I glided or blinked. I'd have to solve that in a minute. First things first.

Starco I slipped me my helmet and I immediately opened a comms channel to Charli but nothing but static answered my worried voice. I immediately opened a channel with the Tower. I paced on the thin ledge for a minute waiting for someone to answer. Finally, some grunt picked up. After a moment of small bickering, I was able to convince him to get Ikora. I talked to her as I tried to find a way up without meeting the same fate as Mr. Tran.

"Maximus, what's wrong? Holmes told me it was a matter of life or death." Her voice sounded confused.

I cut straight to the point. "It's the Illusion. They're in the City. One of them just tried to throw me out of a window."

She muttered a harsh word. "Where are you at?"

"Suros headquarters past the market square. They killed Mr. Tran. I don't know who's Fallen and who's not, but I don't think we can take any risks." She muttered that word again, a little louder this time. "I don't think we can count of Suros anymore Ikora."

There was silence for a moment on the other end. After few seconds, she asked, "You're sure this is the Illusion?"

"I have no doubt in my mind."

"What's our next step then? We can't just destroy it especially with any civilians inside." Her voice was still as serious as it usually was, but there was worry in it.

I knew what we had to do, but that plan largely banked on Charli still being alive and not surrounded. "I need you to set up a perimeter around this place. Nobody gets in or out. I'm going to activate some sort of security measure that would seal off the building from the rest of the world."

"What about the foundry?"

Crap. I hadn't thought about that. I had no way of knowing if "Yang" had been able to send a message to his other operatives and give them their next set of orders. "I-I don't know."

"Alright, I don't see any feasible way of you being in two places at once, so here's my idea. Maximus I want you to get Charli out of there. I theorize that this was their move to take over Suros. They'll likely make Mr. Tran sounds suicidal, so that his death doesn't sound nearly as mysterious. I think being inconspicuous is our priority. If there are still civilians in that building, we can't let them know something's happened. That'll tip the Illusion off, and either cause a mass exodus from the building or they'll take hostages, probably a mixture of the two."

I didn't have anything better that didn't run a serious risk, so I had to go with that despite not liking it. "Alright," I agreed. "Just one problem."

"What's that?"

"How do I get off the building? It's too far down to jump without killing myself in the process." I could glide, but that would only slow me down so much for so long.

Ikora was quiet for a moment. "I know you won't like this, but you're going to have to try. Delay your glide as long as possible. I wish you luck." With that, the channel closed, leaving me in silence except for the gentle wind. On the horizon, a storm brewed black, violent clouds. I turned my gaze over the ledge to the ground far below. I tried to tell myself that this was just like all the times before it, just a long fall I could balance out, but this was stuck in that gray area. From here to the ground was just far enough to allow me to slow my descent initially but not enough for the glide to recharge before I'd need to use it again. If there were something solid between here and there, it'd recharge much faster, but there wasn't. Unloading it all at the bottom wouldn't cancel out enough of my momentum in time. I thought about blinking, but that would leave me the same as if I'd unloaded right as I launched, a mangled heap of metal.

I crouched down and leaned gently over the side, turning my head before I did to see if anyone was there. Without the scope, I couldn't do much about invisible foes other than assume they considered me dealt with and we're moving towards Charli. The thought made me shiver.

The ledge unsurprisingly gave way to a steep drop, the one that could kill me. As I went prone and looked over beneath it, I saw that the building curves outward. If I could lower myself from the ledge and swing over there, I could slide down, glide at the bottom and roll until I stopped. I didn't fancy rolling and getting jostled, but that was better than dying.

I tried to predict where I'd go. I was on the back of the building from what I gathered. There was an empty lot next door with some construction equipment all with the Suros branding visible even from here. Not the ideal place to roll into, but it could be worse. As far as I could tell, there weren't any large pits, just solid ground.

I stopped thinking. Now was the time to act. Charli could die and the Illusion would get away scot-free if this didn't work.

I carefully lowered myself from the ledge, feeling the strain in my hands as I dangled helplessly. I started to rock myself to give me a small boost when I let go.

3...2...1… I counted in my head. Just as I was going to release, a sharp pain coursed through my hands as my grip retired automatically and set me practically straight down. I quickly blinked onto the side of the building and pushed my hands, back, and legs against the wall's slick surface, trying to create any friction to slow my uncontrollable fall. The wall was far more vertical than I'd originally thought, doing next to nothing to recharge my glide or blink.

The ground was fast approaching, and I was quickly running out of wall with no way to slow myself. I looked for some sort of window ledge, but there was none to be found on this side. With no other options and death streaking forward, I kicked off the wall and braced for impact.

The concrete slammed into my back exactly as hard as it sounded. My vision went fuzzy as I rolled uncontrollably toward the construction site. My head hit a couple of uneven patches, sending my already poor vision swirling into obscurity until I decided to close them and except what came next.

No sooner had I done so when everything suddenly halted painfully and abruptly. I didn't move for a minute, waiting for the pulsating pain to subside, one that was renewed as I unsteadily rose to my feet. The screen on my helmet was cracked beyond repair, even by a ghost. "Not again," I said with a sigh, snatching my helmet off my head and tossing it to the side.

"That one's not your fault," Starco consoled.

"That doesn't make things any easier."

"I know, but on the bright side, you're off the building." True…

"No thanks to you," I lightheartedly accused. I immediately felt a sense of touché pass between us. We were quiet for a moment, me trying to let the pain subside and Starco probably considering our options. "You think we should just waltz in there and grab Charli?" I still hoped she was alright.

"Unless you want to go in there and risk murdering civilians," he answered. I knew he was kidding, but it was no less true. With our very limited knowledge of the Illusion's abilities and even more limited ways of countering them, that was a very real possibility. I honestly don't know how I could pull the trigger, but I probably would to save the City. I'd have to save the ethical debate for later. We couldn't risk leaving Charli in there any longer. Pushing away my thoughts and pain, I steeled myself and walked toward the main entrance.

The lobby was deserted save for one person, the receptionist. To say I was on alert was putting it mildly. I constantly flicked my vision about, looking for some sort of light distortion or hazy outline that would show someone-something-was watching me. My steps echoed like drums on the tile floor. I adjusted my robe just to assure myself of my pistol's presence inside. The receptionist turned towards me as I walked up. Her face seemed slightly surprised. "Oh, Mr. Maximus. I didn't see you leave."

"It's alright. I just needed to make a phone call. Could you tell me where I could find Charli?"

The woman smiled. "Of course. Let me get the room number." She stared at her screen for a moment and tapped few a few screens before settling on one and scribbling something quickly with shaking hands. She handed me a small slip of yellow paper: Elev B2; Sim Room 2.

"Thanks," I said, pocketing the slip. She looked unnerved and pale, stressed even, something that immediately raised my suspicion. Something suddenly brushed against me. I stepped to the side just in time to see something invisible, a blade perhaps, charge right into the front desk to the bewilderment of the woman. Without thinking, I yanked out my pistol and emptied several shots to the left of where I'd been standing a moment before.

A shape flickered as the first pair of bullets pierced their target. The next pair did it in, revealing a Vandal in sleek green and black armor now lying against the reception desk and bleeding profusely from its chest. I peered the gun over the desk, but there was no receptionist there. I had a sneaking suspicion she was one of them too. I kept my guard up as I took a few steps back. I wanted to call out to her to test her humanity, but I couldn't remember her name or if I'd even inquired about it. Instead I called out, "It's gone. You alright madam?" There was no response. 'I probably should not be standing in the same place,' I thought to myself. The easiest thing to hit was a still target. That said, I didn't really have a place to run and still get Charli out of here.

Carefully, I approached the desk, pointing my gun first before going behind it. Hiding in the alcove beneath it was the receptionist. She was curled up in a ball, hugging her knees and lying partially in the dead Vandal's gore that had leaked beneath the desk. Her eyes looked bigger than her sockets, and her breathing was ragged.

I got no response when I tried to coax her out of the alcove. I reached out to tap her when she suddenly seized my hand. Her eyes looked directly into mine, but her lips stayed silent. They sent a clear message however. I helped her out of the alcove and said, "Get out of here. Don't come back. It's not safe."

She nodded silently as she left. I didn't take the time to watch her leave. Instead, I dashed to the elevator and punched B2.

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Down the hall I heard cracks of gunfire echo against the walls. 'They must've attacked Charli,' I thought. I picked up the pace and kept watch for the room. I eventually found it at the end of the hallway. The door was heavy and sealed shut. Starco had just begun to work on it when it slid open. In the doorway, Mr. Yang. A sinister smile etched itself across his face. "Good to see you've decided to join us Mr. Maximus." His voice was much recovered now.

I pointed the gun in his face but stopped just short of pulling the trigger. "Hand over Charli or I blow your face off," I demanded. I should not have even been that courteous. In two swift motions, he disarmed me and pushed my own weapon into my face. My arms were suddenly wrenched back so I couldn't use them.

The smile grew wider. "I would have to argue the contrary my lowly guardian. Drop the weapon or my guards will kill you where you stand and then your human friend."

"What have you done to her?" I yelled.

"Absolutely nothing outside of what we agreed to. Why don't you come see for yourself?" He taunted. Suddenly, I was propelled forward by an invisible foot in my back. Mr. Yang, or whatever his actual name was, chuckled maniacally as he cuffed my hands and hauled me to my feet. Two previously invisible guards materialized behind me and forcibly led me into some kind of control room with screens showing various angles of a simulated battlefield. There six in total, each featuring some view of Charli as she fought through what was supposed to be an open field with a smoldering wreck of a ship in the background. The screen in the center of them all was a direct feed from her helmet, affording us a first person view of what she was doing. One seemed to follow her from above. Two others were devoted to following her from the sides. The final two were more...dynamic. They periodically changed their coverage, featuring in one moment a view from the simulated enemies and then in another a more cinematic view of what was going on, whether it was her running, shooting, or being shot at. If the room wasn't filled with Fallen who knew how to use them, I'd be impressed.

Charli was currently running and strafing around, trying to get a clear shot at a pair of Vandals that would jump side to side while the approached with their blades. She was able to gun down one of them but not before the other was in striking distance. She nimbly sidestepped the first blade and rolled away from the other. Rolling back onto her feet, she dodged another swipe and landed and electrified fist right on the Vandal's torso where it "died." Both Vandals slowly faded away, and Charli took off her helmet with a genuine smile across her face. "You guys need more?" She seemed tired but looked to be having a lot of fun.

Mr. Yang strode over to the headset and slipped it on over his head. "You've given us some great stuff Miss Hendricks. Really great. If we could get one more round, I think we'll have enough for our promos."

Charli shook her matted hair around and slid her helmet back over her face. During their exchange, my eyes hadn't been on either of them. I had been looking at the weapon she was using. It was an Auto Rifle, that much I was sure, but it was different from the weapons I traditionally associated with Suros. It still had the standard sleekness, logo, and iconic white and burnt orange, but it looked thicker from where I was, more dense in the middle. There was a pair of red lights on each side of the weapon that appeared to mark it was recording, but I got a more sinister vibe to them than that. They were visible for a reason beyond fashion, I could feel it.

"What's the target this time?" she asked, holding the weapon vertically and resting it on her shoulder.

"Dregs, Vandals, a couple Captains. Standard Fallen infantry. Should be no problem from what you've shown us. Just watch all of your sides." Mr. Yang turned to me, that devilish smile still etched on his face. "Now where were we?"

"You're a lying piece of Fallen trash," I spat. "Stop hiding behind your mask and show me who you really are." One of the guards kicked me into the control board, sending a few sparks flying and a few buttons went dark momentarily before flashing back on. The other guard hauled me back up and slammed me into it again. More buttons went dark permanently, and there was a large dent in the board.

"That's not how you treat a host," Yang warned, childishly wagging a finger. "But I'll forgive it for the occasion."

Fallen began to appear in waves, growing in number and circumference until Charli was surrounded. For the moment, Charli was handling it well, but there was something about that gun that was bothering me. I couldn't put my finger on what it was, but there was something off about that weapon. "What occasion?" I asked.

"Your doom of course. With you two gone, nobody can price we exist, letting us continue undisturbed."

Keep talking. Be as simple minded as I think you are. If I could get him to blab his plans here, we'd be that much better off. Dealing with it would be another issue. "And how would you do that when the Vanguard know we're here?"

Yang snickered. "Simple. Industrial accident that 'accidentally' wipes out the entire foundry and part of the surrounding area. The rest you'll have to find out."

How cliche was this guy gonna be? If the Illusion were like this, then we may stand a better chance on a planning front, but I had a feeling that this was unique to him. We fell silent afterwards, watching Charli as she was slowly getting overrun by her encroaching enemies. She ducked beneath their fire as I stood with the barrel of a rifle in my back. Eventually, she began to take multiple hits, and they looked more solid and painful than the normal simulation. Several of them left black marks on her plates and were accompanied by cries of pain.

She seemed confused by the first couple, but she hadn't said anything besides the grunts. If anything, she seemed to fight harder, angrier. She began shooting less and punching more, most of them electrified, but the unassisted ones looked more painful. All of a sudden, a vandal got a lucky shot on her head, and Charli dropped like a rock.

My anger came alive. I launched myself onto my feet only to get smacked in the back of the head by one of the guards. Once more, I was slammed into the control panel and held against the running current until I sunk to my knees and stopped resisting. Only then did they haul me away from it and throw me onto my back. My arms were bent in an awkward position that made any movement with them uncomfortable and next to impossible.

One of the guards kicked me in the chest and Yang placed another set of cuffs on my legs. I struggled fruitlessly to move the cuffs apart enough to break their magnetic seal, but I didn't get farther than a few centimeters before they snapped back and sent a mild shock through me. It wasn't nearly enough to hurt me severely, the fall earlier had succeeded in that already, but it was noticeable. Making a blind reaction, I kicked my tied up legs and felt them slam against something solid. There was a solid thud almost immediately after, followed by a grunt, incomprehensible words muttered under a wheezing breath, and angry steps. Mr. Yang suddenly grabbed me by the collar, hoisted me off the ground with uncanny strength, and slammed me into the wall. "I've warned you multiple times!" he seethed. "MANY TIMES! You are supposed to sit there like a good prisoner and die when everything is all said and done, but no. You just HAD to be difficult, and make my job thirty times harder. The boss doesn't deal with failure, y'know, so I guess we're just gonna accelerate the process then." Two extra arms, both of them fully skinned as though they were Human or Awoken, a horrifying sight, ripped out from his shirt and flung his suit jacket to the side.. He pulled out a device that looked like a foregrip on a gun, only slanted. It was a metallic gray and had a small, rectangular screen protruding from near the top.

He chortled maniacally. "Unlucky for you that you found us so quickly. We had a few surprises up our sleeve just for you guys." He pointed to Charli on one of the screens, specifically at the rifle she'd been holding. I was still praying that she was alright, but she hadn't moved since taking that blow to the head. The simulated Fallen still patrolled, several of them pointing their weapons at her when the others changed positions. "You see that gun, Metalhead? Never runs out of ammo. It's got a battery that recharges while you move. Unlimited ammo as long as you take a few steps to the left or right every now and again. Mind you, it's still a prototype with one 'fatal' flaw: the battery overheats with excessive use, resulting in a blast equivalent to twenty of your little nova bombs with an even larger radius. Far more than enough firepower leave this building in nothing but ashes. All I have to do is touch this button." The guards left the room. I stayed silent as his finger lingered near the button. I knew he wouldn't push it unless he wanted to die with the rest of us. I wouldn't put it past him though.

While he stood there gloating, I angled myself so I could see the screen that was tracking Charli, currently from the top. She was still lying on the ground motionless, the gun, bomb rather, was sitting just out of her reach. Suddenly, a thought popped into my mind. 'She knows,' it said. I was confused at first, but then felt the compulsion to look at the screen. It looked the same at first glance, but then I looked at her hands. Her right hand was now lying palm down with her middle three fingers extended.

'I went ahead and took a couple liberties after turning off the negation field,' Starco said in another thought. Negation field? I'll have to ask later. Thank goodness for Ghosts and their mysterious ways. 'Charli is a bit beat up, but Vern says she can fight her way out of here.'

Yang's chilling voice yanked me out of my thoughts. "You're doing it aren't you?" He was kneeling beside me a little too close for comfort. His four awkward arms were teeming with excitement but remained relaxed on the floor. "You're talking with your Ghost. Trying to plot something to get out of here unscathed." Charli's fingers counted down one. "It's incredible and incredibly futile. You're friend is completely incapacitated, so I wish you luck trying to send a message."

1…

He retracted his face and started untying my legs and hands in a rather confusing turn of events. I rubbed my wrists. In shock, I didn't punch him right away. "I'm not a monster," he laughed. "You aren't my primary target. The least I could do after telling you that displeasure is give you a minuscule chance to grab your friend before I blow this place sky high." He nonchalantly clicked the detonator. "Good luck," he taunted with a crooked smile.

In a single, fluid motion, Charli rolled backwards onto her feet, fired a few shots from the rifle, and tossed it, sprinting directly toward the one-way wall that separated us.

Yang's jaw cracked satisfyingly as I socked him across the face just as Charl's grenade detonated against the wall. A high-pitched whine filled the room as the wall exploded, and Charli immediately leapt into the air in a circular motion and smashed her way through the hole. I tackled the dazed Mr. Yang and flattened us against the floor. There was a sharp thud combining with a burning sensation in my hands, and a sudden wall of purple paired with the painfully high-pitched noise of the bomb until it was replaced by a crackling explosion, a rumble, and whiteness.

And just as the whiteness reached its climax, all went black.

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From the SFR: I apologize for the brevity of this chapter. It was part of a much larger chapter, but given it was 26 pages on google docs (where I type), I decided to break it up. To put it in perspective, Heart of Darkness, the last chapter to Resurgence of the Light, was 22 pages and I strongly considered breaking it up into 2 as well.

Regardless, huge thanks to every single one of you and watch out for chapter 15 in the next few days.