Ambush
"No way, man." Epps repeated as the breeze started to rustle the scrub brush.
Jace remained where he'd finally collapsed, just waiting for the world to start making sense again.
That hadn't been English coming from the cop car, and Jace knew he wouldn't be able to replicate those sounds if he tried. It was impossible.
"They..." Jace finally picked up on some of the implications of what the other man was saying. "They happened. What do you mean?"
"It's classified." Epps grumbled.
"And there are more out there. Hostile." Jace frowned, staring at the moon– tranquil and cold. "Sector Seven used to exist, and now it's not supposed to. Something happened in Mission city that involved both of them."
Epps was slouching against the boulder, still giving nervous glances at the highway. A truck screamed by, doing at least half the speed that the cop car had taken off at. Jace doubted it would catch up.
"My guess is that they're not even human."
A sharp turn of the other man's head confirmed it.
"That was a language– it had sounds that I couldn't hear– not with human ears, anyhow. And I sincerely doubt that either of us could produce the same tones. It sounded almost... mechanical." Jace raised a hand. Silhouetted by the moon, it was harder to see that it was merely flesh, but the five digits grasping at the reflected light of a distant rock still looked odd to him.
He'd had the hallucination of a mechanical hand with one less finger earlier. Mechanical– and the language that he'd just heard aloud reminded him of something. A dream he'd had...
"How'd you understand it then?"
"I... don't have a clue." Jace admitted, "Or maybe I do. It has to do with Mission City. Something... happened there. Danni lied to me. Spooks just kept watching and waiting for me to step out of line. From what little I've found out about my life before that day, I didn't just lose my memory there. I ... completely transformed into someone else."
"Mission City was a battleground," Epps told him quietly, "for a bunch of giant alien robots. A few of 'em were killed, the ones that wanted to kill us, mostly. A few got away. The good guys are still hangin' out around, tryin' to make sure they don't do nothin' else. Protecting the planet."
"Epps..." Jace's hand dropped, and he turned to face the other man. Classified wasn't passed off that easily.
"You didn't hear any of this from me. Got it?" There was something about the man that was deadly sincere. "They cleaned up Mission City a couple of months ago. All the bodies were dumped, and most of the footage was confiscated. Only things you're gonna find there are lots of holes being patched up, and lots of unhappy people who don't really want to talk about it."
Jace winced, and rubbed his eyes.
No hope of finding anything in Mission City now. A sick sensation crawled from the pit of his stomach again, threatening to swallow him whole. Hopelessness wasn't like him, was it? But right now it was almost overwhelming.
"Maybe... the Sector Seven guys know something. If I try and talk to them– "
"Wouldn't count on it," Epps told him, giving him a rough pat on the shoulder, "Those guys were pretty clueless. If they'd been in charge, big bad would've gotten the cube, and the planet would've been toast. Or at least run by toaster ovens."
The rumble that Jace had heard before had become more of a light roar. Another vehicle was on the highway, and close. He nodded to Epps, and rose.
"They were talking about signals converging on this location." Jace reminded him. "I'm thinking that whoever it is might be friendly."
Epps clambered to his feet, as an emergency vehicle pulled to the side of the road behind his battered car.
An ambulance?
Safe. At least one of them was safe, and he'd done his job–
Who was safe? And why was he suddenly feeling so light?
"Yo." Epps called, jogging towards the road from their brief shelter. "I never thought I'd be this glad to see onna you guys again."
"Seargent Epps?" A gruff voice emitted from the ambulance, "What are you doing here?"
"Could ask you the same thing." Jace watched the man approach the vehicle, and carefully followed. The world didn't feel real. Perhaps he was just exhausted. "Car broke down– and some strange cop car decided to sniff around, givin' off the same vibes as the others."
"Barricade." The voice gave almost a familiar snort. "We've been tracking him all day. We are still trying to determine why he has returned to this area. Ironhide has gone on ahead, but with his speed, I doubt he'll catch up."
"He– Barricade-- wanted to capture and interrogate... Someone." Jace found himself saying. "And then was recalled when someone said there were signals converging."
"I didn't hear none of that." Epps said, "Sounded like that crazy static to me. I guess that's the language, right? Jace, this is one of the good guys. Look, man– I gotta get back to base, 'fore they knock me down as AWOL. And Jace here is heading to Mission City. Any chance of--"
A swarm of lights converged on the two vehicles, and two men before Epps could finish his question. Any responses were drowned out in the sound of slamming doors, and the clattering patter of running feet.
Jace hadn't even heard them coming.
"Mr. Hunt will be coming with us."The voice was very familiar.
Mr. Government himself was walking towards him– and next to him were several figures dressed in the familiar black suits. They were pointing weapons at him. That explained some of the clatter.
"We've been trying to locate him for some time now. If you gentlemen will excuse us..."
"Hold on a sec," Epps stepped in front of Jace, "You guys are Sector Seven, right? You ain't supposed to exist. So what do you want with him?"
"We're merely a government agency, now. Just trying to uphold the law and dealing with things that no one else was trained and capable of dealing with. He assaulted one of our operatives this..." Mr. Government looked at his watch for a moment, and smiled, "Yesterday evening."
"He grabbed me first." Jace protested, "And, you've been following me for longer than–"
"Because we were concerned." The false concern dripped like thick oil. "You were showing signs of mental instability after recovering from your injuries. And Danielle Hunt–"
"Leave Danni out of this." Jace scowled, "Epps... don't worry 'bout me. Just hitch with your friend, and go. I... don't have anything to go to in Mission City anymore. These guys might be my only chance at finding out what happened."
"These guys? Sector Seven didn't know jack, Jace."
The agents weren't even concerned that Epps had stepped into the line of fire. They were at an advantage, Jace realized. If he'd been in charge, there would be someone sneaking around in the dark to keep a bead on himself– the target. It'd be a risky shot, but somehow the words 'collateral damage' didn't seem to be something the spooks would be concerned about.
"Then they should also know who I am." The voice that emitted from the ambulance rumbled. "This man carries no weapons. He does not appear to be a danger."
"Yes..." Mr. Government admitted, looking almost unwilling, "We do know who you are. However, we have the authority to take one Jason Hunt into custody. He's considered unstable and dangerous. Sergeant Epps, if you will stand aside..."
"He has already agreed to go with you," The ambulance growled, "And my scanners have detected the presence of three other humans making an attempt to circle around into the bushes."
Jace stepped away from the man who'd tried to protect him. Briefly he wondered how far and fast he could run before they shot him down.
"I figured they were there." Jace shrugged, trying to look as defenseless as possible. Not that he had to try hard. "Could you at least tell me how you found me so fast? "
"That's classified." Mr. Government shrugged, giving the most insincere apologetic smile that Jace had ever seen. "But the sooner you realize that no matter where you go, we'll be able to find you, the better and less exhausting it will be for you. Now, Mr. Hunt, would you raise your hands, and walk over this way?"
"I'm not sure I can." Jace gave a quick glance at Epps and his friend. "I mean, you want to take me in for breaking away from some guy who bruised the hell out of my arm, and last I checked, there were laws against kidnapping."
"This is a special case, I assure you." There was a gesture, and the door to the closest car opened, allowing Jace to see the man inside holding a device that looked very much like the box that he'd seen in the hospital."But I suppose we can justify it for you, if you really feel it necessary. Epps, this is highly classified."
"Simmons?" Epps muttered, "What's that dink doing here?"
"Hello, Sergeant." The man reluctantly said, and strode determinedly towards Jace. "The readings are still off the charts. Ms. Hunt told us you'd been near one of them, but hadn't touched anything. These readings indicate otherwise. They should have faded in time, but they haven't... why not? You were injured, and hit by electricity. There were no downed power lines in that part of the city– the injuries can be accounted for by falling bricks, and flying debris, but not the latter. You obviously touched something that you shouldn't have– now what was it, Mr. Hunt?"
The peculiar fish-eyed gaze was fixed on him, obviously not expecting a response.
"Been having any flu-like symptoms lately?"
Direct contact.
The blue-white light colored everything, including the small figure next to him. Someone was nearby, and mobile. The face blended familiar and unfamiliar as it gazed at him with an expression of shock and awe.
He couldn't do anything. Couldn't tell the other to run away, couldn't ask him to stop staring. He was helpless, and in agony– there was a cold sensation that promised an end to the pain, however. Icy knives that burst through his frame, and stabbed at his heart.
Death wasn't far away.
He wasn't afraid.
One of the small creature's hands reached out towards the wound that had split his chest open, exposing his heart to the alien light...
The memory of pain stayed with himthis time, producing echoes in his physical form.
"No... don't... "Jace staggered, unable to speak clearly. Think clearly. He was human. He wasn't dying. "Don't touch..."
It felt as though he were though.
"Jace?" he heard Epps call from a distance, "What's the matter, man–"
"He has gone into a condition that you call 'shock'." The rumbling voice said. The voice was followed by a familiar noise. One that spoke volumes about metal parts moving around and rearranging themselves to change the ordinary ambulance into a bipedal shape. "Physically, he–"
Jace barely caught a glimpse of the ambulance turned robot before things started to swim.
"Ratchet..." he choked, "Help..."
And then the world went dark.