Duty

“What is with you?” Evelyn asked, the EVAC pods dropped down, even faster than she was accustomed to pods arriving.

“The Director mentioned you by name, which means he thinks you’re important. Nothing with him is ever incidental. I ask again, why you?”

“I was in the Facility as a kid. Things got weird. I know who Null is, and so does the Director.”

“So, you're his bargaining chip? Does he hope Null will lay down and concede when he sees you?”

“I don’t know what he wants. Can we focus on our mission?” Evelyn asked, the constant line of questioning making her temples hurt with the throb of a coming headache.

Andreas huffed, and stepped into his pod, Evelyn following suit.

“You don’t need to come, Grant.” Evelyn said.

“What are you talking about?”

“You don’t want to work with me or him, do you? Said so much yourself. Weren’t down with our obedience to society and our role.”

“I don’t agree with it, but I’m not going to let you die.” Grant said, swiftly boarding his pod.

“You’ll get used to it, Grant. The way they’ve got it all set up; no matter who is the one on top, someones getting stepped on.” Andreas chimed in, furthering Grant’s belief in Null’s words.

The pods took off, hurtling through the sky, and descending through a hole in the pavement, further out from city center but still not too close to the remaining main entrance of the undercity. As they entered, light disappeared behind them.

“Why here?” Grant asked as they stepped from their pods.

“It seemed welcoming.” Andreas said.

“The undercity is in anarchy right now; our patrols have turned into crowd control units. The more populated zones are in utter upheaval.” Evelyn said, priming her rifle.

“You’re fun.” Andreas said.

“And you’re not a very good soldier.” Evelyn said curtly, scanning their surroundings.

Yet here you are, taking orders from me.” Andreas said, walking into the gloom, massive sword at the ready.

“This is a war, Striker.”

“A war would be required if there was any power equality.”

“You are on the powerful side, Striker.” Evelyn retorted.

“I know what kind of monster I am, do you?” Striker said, turning to face her.

“The kind that protects people.” Evelyn said.

“You should really question who needs protecting.”

Evelyn brushed past him, done with the conversation. She was certain this was a test of her loyalty, to see if she was capable of being a good neophyte. A scream echoed off a nearby building. Evelyn immediately pointed her rifle at the dilapidated building. Two small children ran out of it, one chasing the other. They were scabby and thin, almost entirely bone. Their pale faces displayed utter horror when they saw Evelyn, the larger child stepping in front of the other.

“Hello,” Striker said, “what are your names?”

“Are you going to kill us?” The larger child asked.

“No.” Evelyn said, keeping a wary eye on the area around them.

“Why not?” asked Null from the shadows.

With attention off themselves, the kids darted back into the shadows.

“Null, I presume?” Andreas asked, flexing his shoulders.

“Last I checked.”

Evelyn’s heart sank like a boulder into the sea. The man in front of them was without a doubt Markus. The boy she knew in the facility. The one who had cared for and defended her. The boy whose life she had saved on multiple occasions. The boy she let die in her arms.

“Hello, Evelyn.” Null said, acknowledging her presence.

“Markus-” Evelyn said, the words cut short by the sob forming on her lips.

“Agent Striker. You seem to have strayed from the rooftops where you belong.” Null said, his eyes remaining trained on Evelyn.

“You caused quite a stir; they send me in when punks get too big for their own good.”

Their conversation felt too natural, and it set Grant on edge, as if the two of them were friends.

“How will this go, neophyte?”

“You’ve killed a lot of people, Null. Higher ups want you dead and gone.” Striker said flatly, his blade edge humming with a light blue energy.

“And what do you want?”

“What I want hasn’t mattered in a long time.”

“So, nothing you’ve done is your own fault then? Of course.” Null said, a bitter tone hiding beneath a pleasant delivery.

“I know what I am. I can live with what I am. I suggest you find a way to do the same.”

Null lunged for Striker, who easily leaned out of the way, his face a mask of regrets.

“I envy you.” Striker said, holding the blade straight out towards Null.

A brilliant flash appeared, and a massive beam ripped through the dusty air straight into Null. Caught in the blast, he was thrust into the nearby building. Smoke and dust plumed as the rotted structure collapsed on him. Striker's blade edge grew slightly darker. Tentacles burst free from the rubble, dragging Null up along with them. Ruthless speed moved Striker to action, cleaving the blade down on the center of the pile. Debris flew past Evelyn’s face as she dared not look away. Four tentacle masses protruded from the center of Null’s spine, whirling like a shield and method of propulsion. Evelyn and Grant darted out of the way, knowing there was nothing they could do to aid in the fight. The tentacles sharpened into hardened ends, twitching with adrenaline. Null’s face mirrored the twitching, looking truly emotional for the first time yet. Striker, however, remained as deadpan as ever. He fired another beam towards Null, who curled the tentacles into a shield in front of himself. The beam dissipated and Null charged, throwing the tentacles ahead of himself. Striker met his rush, parrying and slicing through the tentacles with ease.

“You’ll have to do better than that.” Striker said.

Null breathed heavily, the tentacles reforming. Striker took the opportunity and dashed forward, slashing into Null’s midsection. The blade hit Null but glanced off. He looked at Striker, eyes wide with madness. With a flex, all of Null’s body exploded into hardened carapace spikes. Covered in blades, Null rushed again, every part of himself another sword to fight with. Striker continued blocking and dodging, never even getting close to being cut. The edge of his blade hummed a darker shade of blue after every strike and every strike he delivered seemed to hit harder than the last. Null pressed the attack, relentlessly swinging his body around, becoming a whirling tornado of death. Evelyn and Grant watched as Striker continued to effortlessly evade all the attempts at landing a blow, but Striker knew he couldn’t keep on like this forever. While long use of the Cyberse weighed heavily on him most fights were over quickly. Null, however, was a new type of enemy. Relentless, rage filled, and skilled, a dangerous trio.

“Form.” Striker ordered, his suit of nano parts gliding onto the blade, tripling its size.

The new blade stood twice as tall as Evelyn, and towered over the combatants, yet Striker still swung it with ease. The blade continued to glow darker, the hue growing colder and colder. Striker ducked under the next attack, lashing out with a heavy strike of his own, the blade passing straight through Null’s spiky protection. Striker landed gently on his feet before jumping forwards again, swinging the blade in a frenzy and tearing apart Null’s defenses.

Striker held out his arm again, the tip of the blade sparking with a dark energy. Null clutched his side where a deep gash was seeping crimson. The edge of Striker’s blade was pure black, darker than the shadows around them. Within those shadows around them stood eight masked figures, watching intently as the battle raged.

“Striker!” Evelyn said, raising her rifle again.

“I see them,” he said with a laugh.

A massive beam erupted from the sword, the color of night. The beam’s power sent Grant and Evelyn sprawling and dispersed the crowd. The beam dissipated, leaving crumbling structures and a massive tunnel of destruction. Striker began sheathing his sword.

“D-don’t think we are finished just yet.” Null said with effort, barely able to stand.

“Hmm, pity.” Striker said, firing another beam at him.

Hardened tentacles wove into a shield in front of Null, blocking the weaker beams one after the other.

“You can’t hide back there forever, Null.” Striker said.

“I don’t need to,” Null said with strained effort, “You’ll die eventually. That's how the cyberse weapons work. Slowly but surely, it drains part of you. Whatever keeps you human. Whatever keeps you alive.”

Striker frowned slightly, like the revelation bored him, “Even if you are right, I’m far from death.”

“Death is always closer than it seems.” Null said forlornly, “Goodbye, slave.”

A spiked tentacle erupted from the ground, stabbing Striker through the small of his back, where he no longer had armor to cover himself.

Striker grunted, all the air in his body leaving. The glistening red on the tip of the tentacle splashed to the dusty floor as the tentacle retracted. Striker collapsed, blood oozing from his mouth. Evelyn stood, mouth agape in horror.

“Striker!” Grant shouted, running towards the neophyte.

“Back.” ordered Null, a tentacle flying from his arm and blocking Grants path.

Striker gazed at the ceiling of the undercity, his eyes turning glassy. Null began walking over to pick up the Cyberse weapon.

“You weren’t wrong, Null.” Striker said, coughing on his own blood.

“About what?”

“I am the monster. But” Striker coughed again, “at least I'm still human.”

“I don’t need your anecdotes.” Null said.

Null leaned down to pick up the sword. Striker's body and suit began to glow the deep blue his sword was. In a brilliant flash his body exploded throwing Evelyn and Grant to the ground and enveloping Null.

Evelyn shakily stood and limped over to take the cyberse. “Grant! Call an EVAC, we need to leave!”

“On it!” Grant said, fumbling with his overlay.

“Give me that.” Null said, his arms and legs slowly regenerating.

Evelyn hefted the cyberse blade, its power thrummed in her hands. She glared at Null, her eyes a mixture of pain and rage. She rushed forward and slammed the blade into Null, his carapace spikes catching the attack, sending Evelyn stumbling past him. The sword felt heavier to Evelyn, like each strike made it weigh more. She thought back on an interview she had seen with Striker, he’d always said he fought with the weight of his choices, Evelyn only now realized how literal he had been. Evelyn mimicked Striker's form, holding the blade out and straightening her arm. Her muscles screamed and her arm threatened to buckle. She begged the sword to fire the beam as Null bore down on her, sharp tentacles flying forward.

The sword finally reacted, letting off a quick and small beam of light. The disruption was enough to stall Null backwards a few feet, however.

“Evelyn! We are leaving, let's go!” Grant screamed, his voice tense with fear.

“Coming!” she called, an EVAC pod landing close by.

She lunged for the pod, the blade dragging behind her. As she ducked inside, she felt a strong tug on the blade, nearly losing her grip. Null gazed at her, a tentacle wrapped around the blade.

“Let go.” she said, her voice hoarse and torn.

The EVAC pod began to lift off.

“Let go!” she cried.

“Drop the blade.” Null whispered, slipping into unconsciousness, his hold on the weapon not wavering at all.

“Please I can’t kill you again!” she screamed.

A thunderous noise filled the air as a beam, even larger than Striker’s, burst forth from the blade.

Null screamed, enveloping his body in a carapace armor. Evelyn pulled the blade into the pod as it shrunk to fit, sobbing softly to herself. Grant stared out the glass window of the pod, completely overwhelmed.