Chapter 1: His Last Breath is My First

Being in a crisis can tell you a lot about yourself. Are you a runner or a fighter? Do you panic or keep your cool? I think people assume I’m pretty calm under pressure because of this permanent stoic face I was born with. The truth is I’m always anxious. I’m what you’d call a nervous wreck. It's not even warranted! My life is pretty average! What am I worried will happen exactly? Who knows? All I know is I’m always waiting for something to go wrong.

I guess that's why I’m the first one to notice when bad things do happen, and why I’m always the first to react. I hear the tiniest ping! in the very loud garage I work in. It's the sound of the lock in the car lift disengaging. The young man beneath the lifted delivery truck doesn’t notice the sound as he inspects the chassis. The truck jolts downward as the lift fails. It's going to flatten him. Only, I’m there just in time. I dive forward without thinking, tackling him out of the way. Everyone and everything jumps as the truck crashes into the ground, the useless lift crumpled underneath it. Disaster averted! I pull the kid to his feet. He’s pretty shaken up but otherwise uninjured. The other mechanics rush over to make sure we’re ok.

“What the heck happened?! Who broke it?!” A very short and sweaty man waddles over. That's my boss, Shino. It's his shop, and his faulty lift that he’s never bothered to replace. Cheap bastard. I push down my resentment but my voice is still a bit cold.

“Told you that thing was a death trap.”

Shino shoots me a cold glare but I ignore it. I turn my attention back to my co-worker.

“You good kid?”

He nods vigorously, grasping my hand tightly in his.

“Thank you so much Mr. Kenji!” He shouts. “I would’ve been toast if not for you!”

“More like a pancake.” Another mechanic chimes in.

The young man chuckles half heartedly as he examines his own mortality. He bows again and again.

“Can you stop with the ‘Mr Kenji’ thing please? I’m only thirty. Just try to be more careful.”

Shino starts shouting for us to get back to work.

“I’m not paying you ‘school girls’ to stand around and gossip! Back to your stations!”

I dust myself off and walk back to my station. The adrenaline in my body hasn't faded yet. I feel like I’m vibrating. I do my best to push it down and get my breathing under control. I try to get back to work but the socket wrench trembles in my grip. It's then I notice my hand is bleeding. It's a small but jagged scrape along the palm, lucky that’s all I got. It stings as I wrap it with the handkerchief I keep in my breast pocket.

Deep breaths. In. and out. The warm oil soaked air of the shop fills my lungs. It's weirdly comforting. You spend enough time in a place, it becomes part of you, helps you center. I’ve spent countless hours in the shop. I could probably work a shift blindfolded if I needed to.

Yama, another old shop vet, walks over to check on me.

“You good Kenji? You’re shaking like a leaf, old man! Ooo that looks nasty! Maybe you should get that looked at!”

I brush off his concern with a practiced smile. “I’m good, thanks for checking on me though.”

Yama claps me on the shoulder.

“Gotta be careful of yourself too. You’re not made of steel you know.”

I just laugh and shake my head.

“Couldnt just let the kid get crushed could I? Not his fault Shino would rather save a buck than our lives.”

Yama sighs heavily. I don't have many of what you’d call friends but I think he’d be my closest. Just as he’s about to say something else, my phone goes off in my pocket.

Fightin and Smitin! That’s the armored way! MechaForce will SAVE THE DAY!!

“Really? the MechaForce Theme song? What a cheesy ringtone!”

I shoosh him as I answer the call. “Hang on one sec, it's Mari. Hey Honey!”

My girlfriend’s voice is flat. Her words come slow and deliberate over the line.

[Kenji, it's over.]

“What do you mean? What's over?”

[I’m tired of living like this. I’m leaving you. For good this time.]

What is this? She sounds serious. Sweat beads on my brow. I force the panic deep down into the pit of my stomach but I feel like I swallowed a rock. I give Yama a quick smile and turn away to hide my face, whispering into the phone

“I can’t really talk right now sweetheart but we can talk about it when I get home okay?”

[You’re not listening to me! You never listen! I won't be here when you get home! I’m walking out that door because there is a life waiting for me! I refuse to be stuck here anymore!]

“Wait, just give me 5 minutes Mari please! We can work this out, I’m on my way!”

The line goes dead.

I slam the wrench down onto my bench and grab my coat. She’s not serious. She can't be! After what happened yesterday? I just need to see her, I know I can convince her to stay!

“Where the hell do you think you’re going!?” Shino shouts at me from across the shop.

I barely pay him any mind as I grab my lunchbox from my locker.

“Family emergency! I need to step out for a bit!”

“The hell you do!” He’s rushing over to me now, making a scene. God I hate my boss. He gets his stupid face an inch from mine.

“Every day it’s something different with you! A different excuse! And those ‘panic attacks’?” He says in a mocking tone.

“You know what I think? It’s a bunch of BS! You’re just a lazy bastard! Nobody should waste their time on you! Get outta my shop!”

My blood starts to boil. I stare down at the squat man, my fists clenched.

“And even if it is true, who gives a damn! Your messed up life isn't my problem! I’m not paying you to deal with your personal drama anymore! You leave, and you’re fired!”

My hands are shaking even more now. It takes everything I have in me not to smash his ugly mug. Nobody would blame me. He’s more parasite than man! Swallowing the lump in my throat, I turn and leave before I do something I’ll regret.

I don't hear Yama yelling after me. The blood rushing in my ears is too loud. I just need to see Mari, talk to her. I know she’s been unhappy but I can fix this! Everything will be ok!

Now that I think about it though, maybe I should’ve listened to Yama. Maybe he was trying to warn me.

I think I hear a horn honking as I run into the street but I don't really remember.

A flash of light, then Darkness. Silence. Nothingness.

And then everything goes white. I’m not really anywhere I don't think. I hear a woman’s voice from all around. She’s talking to me but it's hard to make out what she’s saying. Something about fate?

I hear another voice calling out to me, this time I feel myself being pulled toward it. I’m suddenly vaulted from the blank whiteness into a new space. It takes my eyes a second to adjust but when they do, my heart flips in my chest. I’m looking at a stunningly beautiful girl in a ridiculous wizards hat as she stares back at me. She’s also wearing a weird costume. Tears fill her eyes. They’re the color of rubies!

“Vergil! You’re back! Thank the gods!”

She wraps her arms around me and squeezes me so tight I can’t breathe. I wheeze and gasp for air but she doesn’t let go. She’s either very strong for her size or…

I looked down at her, then at myself and I’m horrified. All I can think is

Who’s body am I in?!

I’m much smaller and I’m wearing weird clothes, definitely not my greasy coveralls! My hands, they aren't mine! The scratch I got from the lift is gone! That's when I really start to panic. I feel like I’m gonna hyperventilate.

She pulls away from me and looks deeply in my eyes. She looks so worried.

“You don’t look so good! That was the last opal I had though, so no more resurrections ok?”

I’m barely processing what she’s saying. I look around to try and get my bearings but it just makes me feel worse. We’re in some kind of cave or, I don't know, somewhere underground? It's dark and damp. The walls are some kind of rough brick. There's a couple wooden torches that offer a little light. I can make out figures in the distance, dancing in and out of the shadows.

“What in the hell is happening?” I must be in shock, or maybe this is a dream.

I see creatures moving. Not humans, but these ugly squat little things, no bigger than a child! Their skin is a mottled greyish green. Their ears are pointed and their fangs glint in the torchlight. Some of them carry sharpened sticks while others hold little jagged knives at the ready. They’re chasing someone and they seem to be attacking them. I can't really make it out though in the dark. I see one of the little creatures sniff the air, pause for a moment and then turn toward us. A wicked grin spreads across its disgusting face. It charges us.

“I got this one! Watch my back!” The young girl pivots towards the thing with more courage then I think I’ve ever had. She picks up a long wooden staff and points it at the creature. It's twisted and gnarled almost like an old outstretched hand. I can't believe my eyes as a small orb of flame appears at its tip. There's a blinding flash of red light. I cover my eyes but when I’m able to see again, the green monster is lying charred and sizzling in a pool of its own blood.

“The little creeps aren’t so tough one on one!” She huffs triumphantly.

She turns back to me with a wide grin but something wipes it from her face. She's looking past me now in fear. Her arms go limp by her side. I turn around slowly and I’m stricken with the same horror. The thing that looms over me is not like the little green creatures. It is large. Very large. Its body is a solid 8 foot slab of muscle. Its eyes glow red and tusks jut out from its massive mouth. It roars so loudly that my bones quake. My ears are ringing. My arms feel like jelly.

The behemoth lifts what I could only call a tree trunk over its head. It brings it down on top of me. I raise my hands at the last moment, bracing for the sudden end. My last thought isn't something profound or inspirational. Its just-

Please don't let me die here!

But then the strangest happens. The hunk of wood shatters to pieces against my arms. I think I’m more surprised than the giant to be honest! I rise to my feet slowly and the monster takes a step back, unsure of what to make of me. It doesn't make much sense but as I look at my arms, they’re covered in some kind of armor! So is the rest of me! It's sleek, with overlapping white metal plates. Gold trim lines its edges. It’s incredibly sturdy too. The attack from the giant didn’t even leave a mark! Not only that, but for the first time in my life I feel… powerful. Like I could crush a boulder with my bare hands!

The girl behind me gasps. “Vergil! How did you-?”

I don't have an answer for her as I look at my surroundings through a digital display in the helmet that’s magically appeared on my head. It's feeding me tons of information. Tracking targets, assessing threats, measuring power output. A voice rings in my ears. It actually sounds like it's in my head!

[VOID WALKER’S EXO ARMOR IS NOW ONLINE]

[Your current power supply is at (30%).]