Shock and Awe Pt. 2

"Astrid," Zephyr said. "We're approaching the refinery."

"Copy. See anything suspicious?"

"Oho, yeah," Loki chuckled. "You've no idea."

The footage that Astrid received from Strider was nowhere near the same as what the two Calypsos were seeing right in front of them. They stood on the rooftop of a ruined apartment complex, ducking their heads down to avoid detection.

All was dark in the area, as it is for every blackout sector across the city's great length. Far off into the distance, the light of civilization could be seen, albeit not much. However, amidst the darkness, a beacon shone through the sea of black, enough to catch the eye of any who wanders this desolate wasteland.

Sitting at the edge of a massive canal was a ruined refinery. Waste tubes poured into the canal, polluting the water below. Lamp posts were set up all around the building, revealing a high number of hostiles patrolling the ground, the balconies, and the rooftop. Trucks were hovering across the empty streets, parking at the front gates.

"If your informant is right, Astrid, then this place isn't just an augmentation lab," Zephyr said. "It's a whole foundry."

"Hm..." Astrid mumbled. "This changes a lot."

"No, it doesn't," Loki scoffed. "We'll just go in Calypso-style and burn everything to the ground.

"You do that, and the entire Athenian division will be alerted."

"A blackout sector in the Undercity district? I doubt it."

"Better safe than sorry. Going in loud is a no-go, especially when we don't have the Boss with us."

"Speaking of which, she still asleep?"

"Soundly. For now, your mission is reconnaissance. The High Order making moves in the middle of nowhere is never a good thing. Check out exactly what they're doing in there, and report back to me. Whatever you do, do not get caught."

"Understood," Zephyr replied. "We'll keep you posted. Out."

She stood up and hung her scabbard around her shoulder.

"So... Stealth, huh?" Loki asked.

"We have no other choice. Let's just wrap this up before Captain wakes up. Otherwise..."

"...She's gonna kill us before the High Order gets to."

The both of them felt a sudden shiver crawling up their spines, a vague reminder that there was a fate far worse than being caught by the High Order.

"Let's move," Zephyr said.

"Yeah."

They made their way across the dark city covered in shadows, until they were close enough to hear the whirring of machineries and chugging of engines. The sound of people shouting at each other and calling out orders made it seem like they were preparing for a war.

"Fishy," Loki said while hiding in a brush.

"Yeah," Zephyr replied next to her. "Stay here and wait for my signal. I'm gonna take a look inside."

"What? For how long?"

"However long it takes for me to find something. Code: Eleventh Hour."

The next second, Zephyr was gone in a blurry flash, leaving Loki to her lonesome.

"Man... Now I'm bored."

Soldiers inside and outside of the refinery were none the wiser to a flash of white racing past them. However, to Zephyr herself, she was just running normally while they stayed completely still. She stopped at an empty office filled with office computers.

"Anything, Zeph?" Loki asked through the comms.

"Nothing yet. I found an office room with some computers."

"Huh? What's a place like that doing in a refinery?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

Suddenly, a sharp wail struck her ears like an ice pick.

"Standby, Loki."

Zephyr immediately dashed through the hallway, sliding around corners until she made it to a set of double doors. Upon the door was a small window, so she peeked in.

It was the boiler room, and a few makeshift operating tables were spread out in the empty spaces. Against the back wall was a line of people still chained to their electrical cuffs.

Strapped upon one of the many operation tables was a screaming man, blood oozing from his now augmented arm and leaking onto the floor below. Standing next to him was a pair of men in lab coats. A bloodied saw sat on a cart to the side.

"Hold still, will you?" one of the doctors said. "It will make it less painful."

"To hell with you and your damned augmentations!" the man shouted back.

"Hm... I'm surprised he's still conscious," the other doctor chuckled. "Maybe we should cut off a leg."

"Haha, might as well."

That was all it took to break her. As much as she tried to hold it, her anger was leaking through. The door slammed open, and she walked in. All eyes turned to her, particularly the pair of hollowed diamonds in her eyes.

"Y-you...!" the first doctor gasped.

"Does this amuse you?" Zephyr asked menacingly. "Is it fun to inflict pain on innocent people? Did you not stop for a second to think that maybe, just maybe... this was wrong?"

She stepped up and unsheathed her katana. As the blade slid out of the scabbard, a metallic ring echoed. Along with her dangerous eyes, the blade sprung aglow.

"No... You surrendered to the High Order, living a lifestyle that not all who bend to their tyranny are fortunate enough to have. You inflict pain and suffering because it's in your nature. People like you... have no place in this world."

One cut was all it took, a precise slash with the most perfect angle to slice out both of their heads in one fell swoop. After swinging her sword to remove the blood, she turned her head to see a pair of soldiers cowering in the corner.

"Tell me..." Zephyr muttered. "Do you agree with their ways? If you had a saw in your hand, and you were given the order, would you have cut off his arm?"

"I... I don't know, ma'am..." one of them stuttered in fear. "We... We just do as we're told."

"I see. You never tried to stop them either. That's just the way you are. Do I blame you? No. But... I can't just ignore those who would turn a blind eye to suffering."

Zephyr readied herself to kill them as well, until suddenly, a little boy rose from the crowd and tackled her leg.

"Don't kill them, miss!" he cried.

"...What?"

"T-they tried to talk the men in lab coats out of it but were told to stay silent. They tried their best, so... so don't kill them."

Surprised as she was, Zephyr lowered her blade. She looked back at the men who were still shaking in fear, but she also noticed something else. In their eyes was a hint of shame.

"Hah," she sighed. "You two. You have three minutes. Leave. And on your way out, spread the word, especially to those whom you hold dear amongst your comrades. Zephyr of Calypso is here. Those who value their lives may also leave. Anyone who is still here within those three minutes will die. Go."

The two soldiers exchanged a brief glance, before bolting out into the hallway. Letting strays escape may cause problems to arise in the future. However, they are disciplined. Calypso does not kill unless it is necessary.

Zephyr looked at the man on the operating table, the mechanical arm having been fully integrated with his being.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

He slowly tilted his head to look at her, desperately trying to stay conscious. In them, she saw nothing but pain and regret.

"What a shitty world, huh?" he chuckled, though it was followed by dreadful coughs. "Here I am, a man... who couldn't do anything when his family was right there... watching him. And of all people, it's an Athenian... who came to save us. I'm fucking worthless, huh...?"

"Not at all," Zephyr assured. "It takes guts to defect against the High Order. You did all you could."

He lifted his arm to his face as he began crying, while Zephyr tilted her head down to look at the augmented forearm that had fully integrated with his body. Even those mechanical fingers can tremble with emotion.

After a couple of minutes, the alarms of the refinery began to blare. A man spoke through the speakers, informing everyone that Calypso was near.

"Hey, Zeph?" Loki called out. "Was that a part of the plan?"

"No, but I'm changing it up."

"Whoa, someone's mad. What did you find?"

"Exactly what we saw from the camera footage that Astrid showed us."

"...Is that so? Then, what's the move?"

She glanced over at the group of people who were cowering near the back wall. These people had their lives stolen from them, subjugated to misery all because of a false belief that augmentation is superior.

Zephyr let out a sigh, her eyes now filled with determination. "Shock and awe."