Of Sin and Cyborgs ( IC Thread )

Raquel, as she was currently called, had listened to the radio station relating news of this latest violence in a somewhat more socially accepted manner for some time before a “breaking news special announcement” caught her attention. Apparently there had been an explosion not too far from her current location caused by a gas leak. A crew of workers who had been present to repair the problem was injured in a residential area along with the family living in the home nearest the leak. Such occasions were true tragedies, acknowledged the voice on the radio sadly and the girl nodded to herself before hitting the button below her steering wheel once more.


“All hell is breaking loose out here,” she muttered without even waiting for a response. “There was the chase between two cyborgs before an unmarked helicopter deployed another figure to the scene, but the distance was too great for me to confirm or deny the entrance of another cyborg … The gas story is a load of crap … Who in their right mind wouldn’t first vacate a family off the premises before dealing with something like that? In any case … I’m going to go see which company is responsible for all of this … or if war has finally broken out between several.” The girl paused as she brushed her golden hair back over her shoulder and smiled at the steering unit in a rather condescending way as she knew that Ryan’s bitch secretary couldn’t see her. “I’ll report in once I have more information … laters, you cantankerous, old bitch …”


With that the girl climbed out of the car and smoothed her outfit calmly over her currently voluptuous form as she glanced around with all of the wonder of her fellow trapped motorists. Human nature, rather oddly, often demanded that people stand and watch as tragedies played out for the sick sort of entertainment value they provided. As such, she was among a good number of others who had already left their vehicles and thus managed to not attract attention as she crept off down the street before taking off at her full cyborg speed towards the neighborhood of the tragedy.


Tonight was turning out to be a fairly decent night for her. Her sense of adventure, desire for intrigue, and love of information gathering were all being seen to in a rather unexpected but not undesirable way. If the companies were truly breaking out in full out war over the city of Detroit, the information would offer her company a chance to spike sales by playing the field more effectively. This would offer them an edge and allow them to advance more easily than any intelligence that she may have stolen from the Black Phoenix Consortium might have allowed.


As she ran, the girl knotted her long hair behind her head in a tight bun but chose to keep the form she was in for two reasons. The first was a simple matter of convenience. Changing shape would mean that her clothing would no longer fit as it should, which could be quite detrimental for her in a combat scenario. The second was simply that as far as the other companies knew, there was no “Unit Pi.” She had been created in secrecy for the purposes of infiltration and as such it suited her needs much better to stay enigmatic and not reveal a true form to the company dogs tearing the city apart.
 
Beta walked through the suburban night in search of a cheap hotel. After all, he still wanted to seem normal. He could have found a place out of sight, or even simply stayed up and found something to do... but both of those would draw attention. Instead, he tried to stay low-key. "Three hundred twenty-five... should last me for a week or so. It works. I'll withdraw a few creds with the debit card tomorrow, then burn it. The credit card will have to be for life-or-death, though. Corps will be on me like stink on shit if I use it. Fucking assholes. Couldn't leave well enough alone." A pair of less-than desirable people began following Beta as he spoke to himself. Big mistake.


As Beta turned the corner of Jackson and W.155th, one of the men stepped out from an alley in front of him while the other approached from behind. Having seen this before, Beta simply scoffed and kept walking. "Hey buddy. It's not safe to be out here alone. How about you hire yourself a pair of bodyguards? Hundred and fifty creds and we'll make sure no one else bothers you." To this, the highly advanced cyborg retorted by saying "How about you get the hell out of my way and bother someone who gives a damn about your extortion." ... the men were not amused, of course. One drew a long-bladed knife and the other slid a pipe from within his coat sleeve. "Wrong answer, kid. Now you're g-" With a flick of his wrist, Beta had launched a length of wire at the knife-wielder's leg. Another flick and it snapped tight. Finally, a quick tug. The man fell backward and smacked his head on the sidewalk


The movements had been lightning-quick, almost too fast for the other thug to notice. All the guy knew was that this kid had done something that knocked down his partner in crime. "You sack of shit!" screamed the man as he swung the pipe down onto Beta's shoulder. It hit home with a satisfying clang. Wait a second... Pipes didn't 'clang' when they hit people. "What the hell are you?! asked the mugger as he took a few steps back. "Just an experiment done by someone who is rich and paranoid." said Beta as he pointed a finger at the man's foot. The thin beam of light shot through his flesh and into the ground. There was never any pain... but the shock was there. The guy freaked and bolted, leaving Beta to find a cheap hotel in peace.


And find a hotel he did. As he looked across the road, he spied a cockroach motel that was pretty typical of the areas closer to the metropolitan downtown of Detroit. As Beta approached the check-in window, he found the owner had even seen the confrontation which the cyborg had just been in. "That was some effed up stuff, kid. The hell are you?" Sighing heavily, Beta turned to leave. He was interrupted by the clerk, however. "No man, don't go. Shit like that happens all the time around here. Knowing the douchebags that are in the gangs near here, that should scare them off for a bit. Either that or make them come out in force. Either way, we'll need a badass like you around. If you need a place to crash, I'll drop you the weekly rate, plus a 75% discount." ... wow. Ask a guy for help, but still charge him for a room. Classy.


"How much that come up to?" asked Beta as he pulled his wallet out. The clerk/owner turned the display around, which displayed the following: "Weekly Rate. MANAGER DISCOUNT APPROVED. 50CC." to which Beta shrugged. "Yeah, sure. That works for me, I suppose. I appreciate it. So which room is mine?" Beta was handed a key with the number 212 on it. Second floor, room 12. Whatever. The room itself was basic. A bed, A TV, an antique microwave, a bathroom with a shower, and a desk with a lamp. For only 50 Creds a WEEK, he couldn't ask for more.


And so ended Beta's first night back on the run, as he lay back on the bed and attempted to finish his night's sleep.
 
Nu entered the room. They noted that the room seemed messier than it normally was. Did this mean something? Tai was not one to keep order of his things. Nu had already affirmed that he seemed to live in chaos. At first it confused them a little. It was more logical to keep things in order as for easy access and being able to find things. But this seemingly room of chaos worked out well for him and Nu soon found that they did not care. It began unimportant for them to know fast.


Nu moved around randomly placed items and found Tai waiting for them. He sat in the only area clean of mess. It was where he did his work and where Nu spent their time when in this room. Nu would only come here if they had need to. Otherwise they were out in the town or on a job for the company. Tai looked up from the magazine he was reading and gave them a smile. He gestured to a low bench in front of him. Nu stripped themselves of all but their undergarments and took a seat.


"Nu. Hello there."


"Tai."


"Let's see how we are doing okay? I heard the last job the bosses sent you on wasn't that nice. I swear someday they are doing to send you back to me in parts. And what am I going to do then?"


"I suppose rebuilding me is not an option."


They heard Tai snicker behind them as hands checked over their body. "You know you make me wonder sometimes. I can't tell if you have a sense of humor or are just that straightforward."


"I don't see why it matters."


Tai mutter an affirmation. The room was quiet again. The only noise was from some of the machines in the room, Tai muttering to himself and their own inner sounds. Tai made quick work of the check-up. He was fast but thorough and that was why they kept him around. If Tai couldn't fix up their precious weapon and do it in a timely matter, Nu was sure he would have been gone long ago. Nu watched him jot something down, humming something to himself. Would they care? No. Nu did not get attached to people. Although it would take an adjustment to get use to someone new, it did not matter who it was that was repairing and "taking care" of them. In the end it all lead to the same result.


"Okay you seemed to be in working condition. You should be able to get back to work, like right this second. Not that you will. You do a good job of taking care of yourself." He gave them what was considered a friendly smile. Nu did not returned it, but simply nodded.


"Of course. If I damaged myself I could not work nor would I be able to do what needs to be done. It would not be beneficial to allow myself to come to great harm. But it is also not easy to avoid all damages to myself when fighting."


Tai was silent for a moment, but then he nodded. "Whatever you say Nu. You're done here. You can go now."


Nu stood and re-dressed. They stopped and turned back. "Thank you."


"No problem."
 
Delta ran from the building he had been hiding in, and down several streets and alley ways. His feet pumped tirelessly and he sped down walkways and sidewalks at break neck speeds, narrowly avoiding civilians as he ran from the pursuing helicopter. The flying machine and its occupants managed to keep pace with Delta throughout most of the chase, firing their side mounted machine guns at him whenever they go the chance. But Delta was a small, moving target, and he was able to stay just ahead of the stream of bullets, using his superior maneuverability to shake the helicopter once it got too close.


Delta's body began to throb, and the desire he had, no not desire, the need he felt as his GPGs pulsed inside him grew stronger and stronger still. With it he could destroy the helicopter, destroy anything, but dared he destroy everything? Even the people around him? Despite the need, he rejected it, he refused to take so many lives. So instead, he just ran, and ran, and the sun began to set in the sky, and the clouds drew closer as night settled in.


Still Delta ran, tirelessly, endlessly, the gifts of a body born from pain. The helicopter eventually retreated, likely out of amo, or fuel, and Delta found himself slowing down. finally he came to intersection and stopped, slowing down and looking around. He quickly moved into the shadows of a building which hid him from the street lights. He peaked around the corner and saw an odd scene, two human's attacking a third human, and being completely out matched and out classed. Delta recognized the abilities he saw, and knew that the third human was in fact, a cyborg.


~They are everywhere, they wont let you be. You have to MAKE them stop!~ A voice told him, and Delta, ever the obidient soldier, nodded and continued to watch the cyborg as he made his way to the motel across the street and seemed to purchase a room. Delta tried to follow as stealthily as he could in his suit, and if he was able, he would follow him all the way to room 121.


~You have to make them stop. You have to make them never bother you again!~ The voice shrilled in his mind, and he nodded, walking up to the door and raising his fist.
 
Kappa looked and felt awkward wearing his green sweatsuit, standing out obviously amongst excitable and noticeably shorter people who were wearing those identical outfits (he towered over them by about 10 inches, he could see the whole spectrum of people and his nose had the misfortune of picking up all of the gross unwashed hair smells from across the dimly-lit basement). It didn't take him long to join their group (it felt more and more like a cult as he realised), he was convinced this was what he was looking for, a place to feel wanted, to be around appreciative, welcoming people who he could be himself around. Although they were all rather odd, they shared a common disinterest of the mega corporations and their agents who were hired to clean up the people who would fight back against them. It was good to have an alternative he thought; an organized group of anti-governmentarians. He would often see freedom fighters and heroes try to make a stand against these companies and the media just brands them as terrorists.


The room he was in was smokey and damp and only a gloomy yellow bulb lit the cabin-esque basement room. Since his 'recruitment' into the organization known as ACTS, 4 or 5 people had arrived and it was now almost 9 o' clock and the old man who owned the service station was to make a speech about the arrival of a cyborg to the team. He called himself Freddie and he was the president of the organization despite insisting everything was a "team effort" and "everyone shares equal responsibility for our union". All of the people had dumb codenames, for example the driver of the van was called Qualigula and was Freddie's right hand man. Kappa wondered what they had plans for him or how little they actually knew about him. The members were mumbling in awe and staring at him as if he was to be their savior and their prophet, which was a lot of pressure on his part as he was initially tailored for engineering and repairing machines in dangerous war zones, not for fighting (necessarily).


Freddie asked everyone to sit down on the cushions placed on the crowded floor and gestured Kappa to join him on the elevated stage by the staircase. The gist of the speech was the group was very happy he could join them and how this will push forward their "cause". Kappa was not paying much attention, the speech seemed full of recycled inspirational speeches which contradicted each other and felt out of context. Everyone seated appeared to be very enthusiastic and attentive, apart from Qualigula who was sitting on the stairs behind the stage treating the burns on his face Kappa had caused him. Occasionally Kappa would start nodding and smiling when he found himself drifting off into his own thought.


After the speech, almost everyone dispersed within 10 minutes including Freddie, leaving just Qualigula and Kappa and another man. He wore a tan jacket over his sweatshirt and his hair was sandy and long and relaxed. He pulled out a cigarette noticing Kappa was still here and offered it to him. He gave off a very carefree vibe; his cheeks were ruddy and his eyes glowed a light turquoise. Kappa declined the offer and the man introduced himself as Mariake.


"Kappa man I'm fascinated to see what you can do under the bonnet," he said with a strong Swiss accent. "I see you introduced yourself to Q by mangling his face." Qualigula scowled under his half-bandaged face.


"Yeah for sure, what have you got in mind."


"There was some government agents hassling some guy in central Detroit. A protester of some kind I think. I heard from someone he was a robot like you! Maybe you know him. Anyway they probably need help, those megacorps just throw agents at them until they are locked up or dead. I reckon they're sending more and we could benefit alot from getting hold of their intel, you up for it?"
 
Fairfield dug around in his bag and withdrew a length of cloth and passed it to Epsilon. The mercenary took the cloth , nodding in thanks and wiped the blood from the blade. The human enforcement troops were obviously nothing much to write home about, though she could probably chalk them up as, what, five legitimate kills in total, seeing how many scratches her armour suffered from all those bullets flying straight at her the moment she stepped out. The defining moment of stupidity was when she realised that they were all aiming at her armoured parts. So much for trained individuals, huh? Her sword cleaved past a majority of the group before they started fleeing, and she didn't even need to turn the damn thing on. What a bunch of weaklings.


The chopper carried the duo above the mass of bodies that lay in a collective pool of blood forming on the streets, the public beginning to gather around, pulling out phones to snap pictures and uploading them to social networking sites, some turning away from the mess and emptying their stomachs on the roadside in the form of vomit. Project Beta, huh? Quite the production, it seems. Epsilon raised her sword to a patch of light, examining the blade to ensure no blood remained on the sword, before flipping it so the blade pointed inwards, and sheathed it smoothly without problem. "Target location." Epsilon looked straight at Fairfield and threw his cloth back at him.


Fairfield caught the cloth and dumped it to the empty seat beside him. "Apparently, the reports were horribly wrong about our target being a normal human being and it turns out that it was Beta. Black Phoenix intel have previously marked him at the South End, where he left some casualties." Fairfield chuckled. "That's why I always carry some nerve gas with me just in case this things turn out this way."


Epsilon didn't remark on Fairfield's choice of weaponry, but instead went on to prod him further for information. "Target location."


"I was getting to that. Hold up." Fairfield waved his hands in order to get her to stop being so impatient. "Well, I have no real idea where the man is, but I'd say he's around the downtown area. I'd like it for you to do some investigations there." Fairfield scratched his head, as if wondering if he forgot something, then added, "No loose ends."
====================


Epsilon's sword blazed bright in the darkness and sliced across the length of pipe. The severed half hit the wall nearby and clattered on the ground uselessly as the sword hummed, slashing dangerously close to the thug's face. "You spoke of a man who fired lasers from his physique. Where is he?"


"I-I don't know what you're talking about!"


"Don't lie, filth. Lying is a sin, and sinners need to go to hell faster." Grey edged closer, her blade aimed at the man. Her fortune had been good. Wandering around Jackson, she had stumbled across two men at an alley, one nursing a broken nose, while the other was yelling something about a man having "laser fingers, man!" as his other friend dismissed it as evidence that he was on drugs. Epsilon had immediately given chase to the second man, and, seeing the black armour, the man started to flee. Not quickly enough though, as Epsilon stopped him dead with a single kick to the back. The man put up a feeble resistance, which was immediately rendered useless when Epsilon divided it in half.


"A-alright, I’ll talk! Some dude, we were just trying to scare him to get some money.” Hmph. Vagabonds prowling the streets. Their disposal won’t affect the economy in any way. “Right after we did, he smacked my buddy to the ground with some magic or something and then he went and shot some laser thing at the ground from his finger!”


Epsilon lowered her sword slowly. “And do you know where this man is now?”


“Kinda. He went off to the motel there. Probably got a room or something.”


“Hm. I see.” Epsilon dropped her sword arm to her side. “My gratitude lies with you. I shall-“


Pain shot through her back, cutting her short. The man in front of her gave a gasp of surprise, as if confused of what happened. Epsilon gasped, as the knife was withdrawn from her back, piercing a single gap where her armour did not cover, the man’s companion backing away slowly, looking at Epsilon and then his partner. Her pain soon turned to anger and without another word, the blade found yet another victim. Epsilon turned slightly.


“I guess you’d have to go too. Sad. I really liked you.” Grey said, her voice without emotion, despite her very words.


“But I told the truth, didn’t I?!”


“Sorry, bro. No loose ends.” Grey’s sword flashed once more, and red decorated the brick in a single stroke.


Epsilon wiped the blade on her sleeve and sheathed the sword, looking towards the motel nearby. Her foot went right through the door of the same motel right after, her Mark-7 handgun at the ready, directed at the clerk, who seemed only mildly surprised at her entrance.


“You here to collect extortion money or what?”


Grey took a glance around. “Seen some dude with laser fingers lately?”


"Nope."


"How much for a room then?" Grey wasn't about to play this game with a man like this.


“Keep that gun up and it’ll cost you your whole get-up, sister.”


“My bad.” Grey holstered the gun.


"200 CC." The clerk said.


“You’re fucking with me.”


“I fuck you not.”


Groaning, Grey dug into her pockets and withdrew a wallet. She slammed the cash on the desk and grabbed the key, reading “214” on it. She’d set up camp here for a bit and watch for anyone that looked remotely like her target. She shut the room door, and looked disdainfully at the pitiful bed that smelled of….juice. Bad juice. She unclipped her sword from her hip and placed it at the side of the bed, and removed her armour and her helmet, leaving her in the black suit, now with a tear on one corner of it. She removed her entire top, baring herself for once that day and moved to the equally dilapidated toilet to examine the wound on her back in the mirror, before getting to work on applying some bandages on herself with some she found in the first aid box in the room, a pleasant surprise in such a place. She should probably get some rest after this. A short respite before going to kick doors down tomorrow. She'd already paid this much for such a shitty room, so why not make the payment worth it?
 
The man in front of him fought the guards but Gamma stayed planted where she was, unwilling to help. Instead, she seemed to be fighting herself, her hands fisted into the sleeves of the clothes she wore as her heart seemed to squeeze in her chest. It was Kira, who, had been all but pushed back in her mind, was now affecting her body in retaliation. This pain was not unfamiliar, but lately it was getting stronger now that Iota had removed himself from Shinju-Kai. Finally, Iota’s eyes land on her and Gamma tightens her lips, remembering the cold atmosphere the company had sent them to the last time.


“Kira”





The voice makes a pain shoot through her brain, and she winces, closing her eyes and trying to remember the face of Fairfield. Instead, it is memories of the man in front of her; their tentative first kiss, and giggling at his blush. At his last comment, she feels a tear gather and slowly her eyes open, blurry at first. She manages to pry her fingers away from her arm’s folded position to push it away.


“Please get him in the chopper” she motioned to the nearest soldier, who seems to hover over her, worry on his face. Gamma simply hardens her glare, refusing to look at the man crumpled on the ground as the soldier nods in confirmation. As she herself heads towards the helicopter, she meets the men halfway, carrying her partner. His voice croaks out again, and there is a short pause of nothing from the girl under the surface until he pleads again.


The pain is sharp, and comes so fast that she has to cry out, digging her fingers into her pulled back hair and crouching under the assault. Barrages of images, of memories came into her mind; all painful remembrances of the process that turned Kira into her. Eventually figures surrounded her, an arm tentatively at her shoulder, but her energy seemed to be fluctuating. When she lashed out she was surprised to see a blade formed on her hand, and cursed realizing Kira could use this body just as well.


Momentarily, she lost control.


Kira could compare it to surfacing from the water; it was the same experience to suddenly blink and have your eyes obey you. It was a change from looking behind the lens of a body that did nothing you asked of it, but was yours. Sometimes, there were moments when she wasn’t trying to fight for control with Gamma that they fell in tune. Now though… she looked up but suddenly the guards were wearily looking at her…where was he?


“Matt!” she called, feeling Gamma at the back of her mind, already.


“Matt, where are you?” she calls, not being able to see him.


The members were crowding around her, and she didn’t understand why they were so weary until she looked around her. There was blood at her feet, and one look back told her it was from the guard who laid a hand on Gamma’s shoulder. Kira looked at the body, suddenly turning back to the guards “Sorry, but I didn’t mean to- I mean, I was…” she was flustered.


“Gamma?” there is a question from the crowd, and Kira felt the sharp pain herself, “Agh” she covered her head.


“Take her home…we’ll secure the target later” is the last thing she hears before she blacks out.
 
Matt was swallowed yet again by Iota, his pleas lost to Iota's calculating psyche and drowned within his cold personality. Iota stared at Gamma coldly, he wouldn't let that blood jockey get the best of him, not now and note ever. His options were slim at this point, he was surrounded by armed soldiers and wherever he ran, he'd be chased by Gamma. He thought it over as the men dragged him away from his former team mate.


He looked around him and noted that there were maybe 6 men guarding him and Gamma stood far enough away to give him a good head start, the man holding his weapons was only feet away from him. He closed his eyes and imagined his plan in his mind, for the moment it would have to do, making slight adjustments as he went was only to be expected but survival was a must.


He turned his head as he heard Gamma's....Kira's call for him...Mat. Then odder still he was released, his captors saw him as a secondary target, Matt surfaced and lurched towards Gamma/Kira but Iota quickly drowned his counterpart and stole back his weapons before running into the low brush avoiding the disgruntled calls of soldiers. Iota ran like the wind, he could hear the servos working and his heart pumping. Night was a good time to escape and then stay hidden, his clothes were dark and would give him good enough cover until he reached the city which was only minutes away.


Tired but still a little panicked at being caught again, he stopped at a roach motel and hired a room for the night until he could figure out what to do next. He clicked his neck idly as he waited for the owner to give him the key to his room. Tired and frazzled he turned in for the time being. His room was scarcely furnished and had the bare necessities.
 
An armoured figure stood in an alleyway. It was a veritable tank,with a large shield on the back,a rod on the hip,a rifle in hand,and a shotgun across the small of the back,and a strange hammer on the other hip. A hand drifted up to the ear,and pressed a button,and the lenses of the helmet flashed with a dim red light,and the figure's vision was filled by the infared spectrum. It turned it's eyes to a building outside the alleyway,across the street and on the far side of a massive parking lot.


It was one of Krane Industries' many office buildings. Of course,the figure knew that Krane had labs in every building,no matter how minor. Each and every one is a complacent accomplice. The figure cocked the rifle,and performed another sweep. They are guilty. They will die. The figure strode forward,heedless of any potential threats,except for traffic,which it taken care to avoid,and marched slowly to the building. They grow fat on their bribes for silence. The figure pulled the shield over it's head with one hand,deftly handling it and putting it in front. It was across the street.


Their silence damns hundreds. The figure held the rifle in one hand,stock clamped under the left armpit. Those damned demand justice. It reached the parking lot,which was home to a single guard,who was now babbling in panic into a radio,asking for a full assault team for support.


"I am Omicron. I find you guilty,and sentence you to death." The guard could only shout into his radio as a single high explosive .338 Lupa Magnum round found it's new home in the man's forehead,reducing the entire head to an explosion of gore and bone fragments.
 
Theta walks in the hallways of the Company's building. He had nothing to do at the moment, No missions, Nothing. The staff members that are walking towards him, seems to move aside as if letting him pass first then continue on their own business. He was feared in the company, Although he knows the reason why, he thinks they shouldn't be, Because their on the same side. All the staffs of the Maker's Mark Inc. was programmed on his head. From Janitor to CEO, John Markus. At the moment, Theta was not carrying any weapons but his 50. cal hand gun designed for him. It was holstered on his right thigh. He doesn't feel comfortable with it though, A few days ago, He sent a request to change the holster of his gun on his hips instead.


Theta decides to walk towards the CEO's office. He has the same power as the Vice-president of the company. He and Sigma, His partner, Does. He is free to enter almost any rooms of the building. Except, A room that the CEO is being kept a confidential and only high generals of the military can enter. He takes the elevator up to the CEO's office. The elevator stopped on the floor of the CEO's office, 30th floor. He walks down the halls as he can see the sign on the door, " CEO : John Markus " . He pushes it open and the man in charge of everything that happens in the building was sitting on his chair behind his desk.


" What do you need Theta ? " John asks him as he was busy typing on his holographic keyboard on his computer.


" Something to do, Boss " He said as the man looks up at him. He stops typing for a moment and looks at him while holding his own hands together and placing them on the desk.


" Well Theta, You are free to do anything, Just not against the law, Okay ? " He commands him as he goes back to his typing.


Theta leaves the office, A bit annoyed that he won't be sent on anywhere except guard duty and patrol duty. There really was 'Nothing' To do at the moment.
 
Sigma swallowed a lump in his throat. He was nervous, not just for the mission at hand, but for Theta's reaction when he would find out Sigma had sortied without him.


The technicians were going over the last of the briefing, and the last bit of information Krane Industries had sent to Maker's Mark. This mission concerned a rogue cyborg, codenamed Omicron. Sigma had taken in the information. A cyborg with similar specifications to his own, melee combat. Not quite as versatile, but maybe the single cyborg thus far who was more durable and better defended than Sigma. Balling up his hands into fists inside the specialized suit he was wearing, Sigma sighed.


"So, we're going to sortie you with the Hammerhead and the Stingray for large weaponry, and this will be your first real test for the Piranhas. They should work, even better than expected against this target. If you can't finish him quickly close up, don't hesitate to back off and use distance with the Piranhas." The head lab-tech, Dr. Gadley lectured Sigma. Sigma nodded, Clipping the tight pack of ten Piranhas onto his hip, sliding the Stingray into it's sheath on his back, and picking up the Hammerhead. Stretching a bit as he walked to the lab's exit, Sigma glanced back at Dr. Gadley, a sheepish look on his face.


"Please try not to let Theta know, at least not until I get back." Sigma asked, while the lab-techs scurried about doing their last minute sortie work, preparing the port. Dr. Gadley smiled softly.


"Of course, Sigma. Just keep your head in the right place, now's the time to focus. Krane Industries will be in the palm of our hand if we can take care of this." He theorized, his soft smile turning downright dangerous as he lifted up his fist, giving Sigma a look of confidence.


Sigma nodded again, his sheepish look not departing his face as he stepped forward onto the ejection port.


"Agent Sigma, prepped for sortie! Armed with Piranhas, Stingray and Hammerhead, all systems are go." The computer's robotic voice resonating with Sigma as the company communication software created the uplink in his head.


"Uplink established, Agent Sigma is green." He said, feeling tense, but ready, as the ejection port fired him up the chute, all the way to the very top of the Maker's Mark building. Landing squarely on his feet, he fired off with a titanic leap, bounding along the rooftops, armed to the teeth. Part of his suit flipped forward, coming over his face as a sort of protector and HUD, linking to him from the link in his left hand, displaying vital system information. "Sigma on route, ETA is four mikes." He said, the uplink transferring his notes to mission control back at Maker's Mark.
 
Omicron marched across the parking lot,and flicked the vision filter from IR to UV,primarily so he could see the laser sight,which he used to aim the weapon when it was under the armpit like this. Omicron saw a collection of armed and armoured corporate troopers forming up on the door,setting up Barricade Mk.I's of their own. Child's play.


Omicron crouched lower,and slammed the bottom of his own Barricade Mk.I to the asphalt. The feet and anchors deployed,and two wings folded out from the rear of the shield,providing instant cover that any man could stand behind. The mail slot peephole was just below eye level;perfect for firing out of. Omicron taken aim down his hybrid sight,and flicked the weapon to burst fire with a wave of the thumb.


There were nine troopers,stacked up behind three Barricades. One per mail slot,and one per wing. Omicron taken the time to line up his shots from behind his shield. BU-RAKAT! The first man fell,head nothing more than an exploding fountain of gore and debris,from behind the center shield's mail slot. A trio of deafening bangs resounded from each impact. The Krane troops were well trained,and wore soundproofed helmets,but they were still spooked. Nothing can prepare a man to be showered in the brains of their friend and ally.


The soldiers opened fire,taking aimed,controlled bursts. Their shots mostly pinged off of the Barricade,but one or two shots flew through the slot. One bullet struck the thick,steel housing for the lenses of his helmet,ricocheting with a comical PLIT-AWNG! and another struck the diamond lens of the helmet. This prompted a groan of consternation from Omicron. It was difficult to repair such damage to a diamond lens. That scratch'll be a b**** to get out. The Krane troopers were armed with the latest model of the C7. Although the building was in the heart of the United States,they still sprang to retain their Canadian identity,bringing in the same rifles used by the Canadian Armed Forces. Krane had consumed Colt ages ago.


Omicron ducked low and set his rifle to safe,and secured it to his abdomen. His hand flew to his tailbone,and he retrieved his shotgun. Rising slowly,Omicron stomped on the pedal at the bottom of the Barricade,causing it to collapse back into a portable shield. Plucking it up with practiced grace,Omicron strode forward,shield to the fore,assault shotgun poking out the side,ready to kill. "I am Omicron! I find you guilty of complacency with the war crimes committed by Krane Industries,and I sentence you to death!"


One man shouted, "GET THE FLAMER! WE CAN'T SCRATCH THIS THING!"


They know.
 
Nu debated heading to the main office. They might have an assignment for them. It was not so rare for Nu to be sent on a job and then come back and be sent on another right after it. Sometimes they didn't even wait for them to return before sending them back out into the field. Red Diamond Corps was a large company and they had a lot of enemies. Nu was their prized weapon and they used them almost to the point that Tai had complained because Nu got damaged a lot. To them though it did not matter so much. They were in fine condition with their skills and their ability to adapt near perfect to their enemy. Besides it's not like Nu had much else to do besides their job. Their life was this and nothing else.


Still the cyborg turned and made their way outside of the building. They had a feeling they'd be called soon enough. The rogue cyborgs situation was beginning to get out of hand. Nu had no illusions that they would not be sent to take one down or to be assigned a job based on one.


For a moment Nu felt a brief flash of someone's face and laughter but it faded before they could register anything about it besides it being odd. One of the few problems with blocking out memories of their human life was dealing with small moments when it did not work. It was distracting and annoying. Maybe Nu should request to get another memory wipe, but something kept them from doing it.


<<Nu don't go too far. I hear they are discussing something. You might be called back soon.>>


Nu affirmed Tai's comment and headed down the street. One of the reasons Nu rarely ventured from the building even on off-time was that it felt like a different world.


"Hey there pretty lady."


"Incorrect," Nu told the man passing them by. It was annoying to see he was checking them out. Nu didn't find their form appealing but many men - and sometimes women - were drawn to it. "I identify as no gender. Please address me as such."


The guy just raised an eyebrow and muttered, "Yeah whatever." He kept on walking. Most of the time Nu got the same kind of response. Most did not care for "non-binary" genders or dealing with those who identify as such. If Nu kept anything human in them it was their desire to be seen as they asked for. Gender was of no importance and the cyborg could care less about opinions but hearing themselves being addressed as "girl", "lady", "woman" or any variation of the sort grated their nerves.


Nu headed down still into the market area.
 
Sigma landed neatly in a crouched position, standing up slowly, watching the fire fight occur below.


"Patch me in, Gadley. I wanna talk to the Krane soldiers." Sigma asked, tensing his cybernetic joints a few times, as he spun the hammer about to get a feel for the weapon again. It had been a few days since he last practised with it, having been favouring the Piranhas of late. But those would be useless as long as Omicron was behind his shield.


"No can do, Sigma. Krane gave us the specifics. You aren't supposed to interact with their men. They won't shoot you, but they probably won't help you out, either." Gadley returned, earning a few groans from the rest of the lab staff about never having backup, and always having to leave the missions to Sigma and Theta. Gadley shushed them, picking the mic back up. "Anyways, it's all you. We're cutting comms, but monitoring the action from the feed." Gadley explained, cutting their end of the comms link, so Sigma wasn't distracted while engaging Omicron. They could still hear and see everything Sigma could, however.


Sigma nodded, to nobody in particular. He was more than a little nervous about leaping straight into a fight with another cyborg, but there wasn't really any better way to do it. Swallowing another lump in his throat, Sigma leapt from the four story side building, towards Omicron's right, hefting the Hammerhead up over his head as he fell quickly. He wasn't going in quiet, so he fully expected Omicron to be able to react, but he engaged the Hammerhead's propulsion system while overtop Omicron, swinging a titanic blow, surely enough to knock a few teeth out of even the hardest heads. If it connected, the blow would come down right on top of Omicron's head.
 
Theta was walking all around the company. There was nothing to do and he was bored as hell. He looks out the window to see the sun shining bright on the sky. That made him remember, " Sigma " he said as he walk towards the lab to where Sigma would always be maintained. Sigma and Theta had different maintenance areas because of the difference of their programming. Theta was the first to be made so he had lower aspects than Sigma.


He bursts inside and greets Sigma " Hey Sig- " he stops as he realizes the place is empty. Where'd he go ? He usually doesn't go anywhere without telling me. he thought and walks out of the place closing the door. Then he walks towards the nearby personnel, " Where's Gadley ? " He asks him. He was a short man with black hair, He seems to be young and a new university graduate. He then realizes him from his memory core being programmed, Jonathan Stalyon. " I-I don't know Theta ! " he said in a scared tone. Obviously the personnel are scared of him.


Theta runs towards the nearby computer system as he starts tapping on the keyboard with amazing speed. He then located Gadley on one of the Labs and ran there. " What's he doing in the Briefing area ?! " he said as he picks up his pace leaving traces on the ground. He slams open the door and looks at Gadley, " Where's Sigma ?! " he asks him in a high tone.
 
Omicron saw the men retreat into the building,just as Omicron heard a mighty whooshing to his right. On combat instinct,he threw his shield in the way,at an angle. The hammer's head struck the shield,rocking it and him to the core. The Barricade would likely have a dent in it,reinforcements or not. Omicron's arm was also worse for wear;although there was no injury,it went numb for a moment,and he could feel sensation returning,in a pins-and-needles sort of way. A cyborg.


Omicron turned to face his opponent,shotgun already going to it's home on the small of his back,and said, "We shouldn't be fighting. We're kindred spirits." His hand came down to his thigh,and Omicron pulled free a small,pointed rod that looked like it was made of iron. With the press of a button,it extended into a five foot spear. In the same motion,he pressed another button on his helmet,and his vision was filtered in the electromagnetic spectrum. Where's his wire to command?


"Who kidnapped you?" Omicron had an idea. Thank you,Morpheus.
 
After the titanic contact that had occurred, Sigma had practically bounced off of Omicron's shield. That had not been fun, he noted, planning to try and avoid colliding with the shield in the future. He had landed a little ways off of Omicron's position, about five meters between the two of them, only the air and a thick tension separating them in that distance.


"Nobody kidnapped me. And we are not kindred spirits." Sigma replied in a cold tone, readying the Hammerhead once again. That blow he'd delivered had even hurt him, his arms felt like he'd run into a wall at full speed with them outstretched. Glancing around momentarily, Sigma would have to plan a way to separate Omicron from his shield. Licking his lips from behind the mask his suit provided him, Sigma rushed the right side of Omicron, as this would make it harder for him to effectively use the spear he wielded in his left hand.


The jet of the Hammerhead activating as he rushed, Sigma prepared another massive swing, a sweeping swing, diagonally upwards, that would knock the shield into the air, if not out of Omicron's grip.


~~


Dr. Gadley sighed, turning to Theta, while keeping an eye on the screen that displayed what Sigma was doing. With a pained look, Gadley moved to Theta, placing a hand on his shoulder.


"Sigma just stepped out, a routine mission. He didn't need to bother you for help. Besides, it would be hard for you to help him right now anyways. The fight is too close quarters." Gadley tried to explain.
 
Omicron pivoted on one foot,and watched the cyborg come in. The hammer has a booster in it. Interesting. Smirking under his helmet,Omicron slammed the Barricade to the ground and stepped back,just as the hammer came in. The Barricade deployed quickly,and the hammer struck the shield so that it caught the crook of the head and haft on the side of the center segment. "We're both cyborgs. We were both kidnapped. They stripped us of our humanity to turn us into weapons."


Omicron swapped the spear to his right hand,and he drew the breach hammer from his collar. The hammer was tiny,barely a foot long,but the head taken up over half of that. Omicron knew what it would do. But did the other cyborg? Omicron observed his opponent in the EM spectrum,and growled in consternation. I can't find his pipeline. Omicron pressed the helmet button once more,and the filter flicked back to IR. "They even wiped our memories. I held onto some of mine. I remember some of what I was. But they stole my childhood. My family. My friends." He threw a piercing glare at the cyborg he was fighting.


"Or did they take away your capacity to care on top of that?"
 
The Hammerhead connected with the shield, uprooting the shield from it's plantation, and throwing it and parts of the parking lot across the street, destroying a poor mailbox that had done nothing wrong. The Hammerhead, on the other hand, was now deformed along the haft where it had connected. Sighing, and tossing aside the now useless weapon, Sigma drew his Stingray, wielding it in his right hand in it's cleaver form, while pulling out a Piranha, clipping a fiber cable to it's end ring as he pulled it up to ready position in his left hand.


"Like I said, nobody kidnapped me. We are nothing close to kindred spirits." Sigma spat, a little venom in his voice.


Little did Sigma know, everything Omicron and he were saying was being transmitted to the lab as well, where Theta was.
 
Omicron laughed bitterly,and advanced slowly. "So their wipe was perfect. But let me tell you something. Memories can never be erased." Step. "Only suppressed." Step. "It's basic neuroscience." Step. "Let me liberate your mind." Step. "I want to help." Step. "All it takes is the right nudge."


By now,Omicron was close. "But I know it won't be instantaneous." Omicron lunged forward,with speed that seemed impossible for someone in such bulky armour. But of course he moved fast,he was a cyborg,and was conditioned to the armour on top of that. The platinum point of the spear tingled with electricity,ready to unleash it's EMP,should it connect. "ANSWER ME! WHO MADE YOU!? WHO STRIPPED YOU OF YOUR HUMANITY!?"
 
Sigma scoffed as the tank-like cyborg rushed at him. Whipping the electrified Piranha at the cracks made in the cyborg's mask, presumably from a bullet or two earlier, Sigma planted himself firmly, ready to meet the charging enemy head on. He was about to find out how far his cybernetic strength would really take him.


"My humanity remains fully intact! If anything, you're the one who's a slave to their emotions!" Sigma yelled his reply as the enemy cyborg charged. Omicron knew nothing of his situation, what he had to do, who he had to protect. He gripped the Stingray tightly, ready to use the cleaver to deflect the oncoming spear.
 
Omicron met the defense head on. He was much heavier;his dermal armour added more mass than what was apparent,and his armour was heavy,as well,being hyperdense. "To possess emotion is the PREROGATIVE of humanity! I feel,therefore I am!" The spear scraped off the large cleaver his opponent held,but he didn't care. He had another option.


And that's when a knife found it's new home in Omicron's helmet.


It carried an EMP. His visor immediately bluescreened,and utilizing it's built-in redundancies,it rebooted. The helmet still worked,but the filters were down,for the moment. "Clever bastard."


Omicron,however,was undeterred. The reboot was near instantaneous. He was already thundering his left arm down,breach hammer in a deathgrip. "How good is your intel,I wonder?" The tiny,unassuming hammer was pure death. It possessed enough striking power to pierce even his own dermal armour...After piercing his battle armour.
 
Sigma leapt forward into the oncoming cyborg, narrowing dodging the breach hammer by sake of being too close to Omicron. That's when Sigma's body connected with Omicron. The sensation was instantaneous. It was like being hit by a freight train. Omicron's momentum would easily carry them forward still, but it was quite simple for Sigma to reach up with his left hand in the turmoil of their bodies being so close together, and grasp the ring of the Piranha with the link on his left palm, the one that powered his weapons. Holding himself up by grasping the Piranha, and sending electric currents into Omicron's visor, Sigma raised his right hand with his Stingray, still in cleaver-form, ready to bring it down upon Omicron's head.
 
Omicron's elbow struck the cyborg on the shoulder,due to the lightning advance. "You know your Zones of--Unf!" The impact was expected. The new EMP,from the already buried weapon,however,wasn't. His visor bluescreened again,and didn't go away. "So you generate the EMP." Working solely with his sense of touch,Omicron dropped his hammer. He'll recover it later. Or have a new one built. He had the schematics.


Omicron stepped forward,but instead of planting it on the ground to continue the charge,he planted it on his opponent's abdomen,and gripped the knife that was sunken into his helmet with his left hand. "Play to your strengths,kid." Omicron gave a mighty shove with his right foot,and heaved with his left arm. "The ant can never slay the elephant,no matter the ant's skill."
 
Theta grits his teeth as he looks at the screen showing Sigma's battle between a cyborg and him. He wasn't sure how this was going to turn out. But he knows one thing, He never lets Sigma go in a mission alone. They've been together ever since they were introduced to each other. Theta glares at Gadley and leaves the room as he heads out to the armory. He was going to get ready to lend Sigma a hand. He arrives at the Armory as the door slides open.


Theta walks towards a locker saying, " THETA" . The locker was locked with a Identification program that only opens when the identity required has been showed. He types in the code on the keypad and a pad for hand print appears. He places his hand as it scans it and there was a little beeping noise before his locker opens. Inside, It shows the 50. Cal sniper rifle that was custom made for him. Wait for me Sigma.. He thought as he takes out the 50. Cal and some ammunition for it.
 
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