As the gates of Sceleratus groaned open so did the frustration within my heart. This was the second time I was making my way into the base, but I hope to god it would be my last.

The ride across the sand was smooth as you’d expect when it came to sand, and I was downright pissed to see the Doasian sitting opposite wielding my pistol and submachine gun.

The buggy rolled through the gate and swerved through the cement blocks that were spread across the road, stopping any potential incursion into Sceleratus.

“THAT’S AS FAR AS YOU GO!” Someone shouted above us.

Snaps and cracks echoed around us, as sixteen men held pistols, submachine guns and assault rifles toward us. The young men’s faces were half covered with scarves, but the intensity with which they looked at us through their scopes was clear. ‘We fucked up…but we’re ready to make it right.’

“I thought you said they knew were coming.” Calian, the Warchief said.

“They did,” I lied, “but not with the company.”

“How else are we to get to this ‘bunker’” Calian said mockingly. “I’m starting to believe Sarson’s words.”

“Stop being Coy, Warchief.” I said firmly, “You’re here earlier than expected. You think Gean wouldn’t have his guns pointed at you?”

“That old man knows full well where he stands. And it’s not behind any gun pointed at me.” Calian hissed.

The longer we sat there, waiting for Gean to arrive, the more my goosebumps washed over as I felt the growing animosity of the kids we duped.

“I think you know who I am,” Calian said firmly. “But in case the memo didn’t reach your ears. My name is Calian Blackrock. Owner of the VERY land you stand on. Now before any or everything gets unlikeable quickly. I will ask you to stay your hands and drop the aim.”

“Sod off!” A kid said to my right.

Calian’s eyes flashed a maniacal gaze as he turned left, looking at the kid who said it. The fingers of his right hand twitched slightly, but a light bulb seemed to go off in his head, which quelled the maniacal gaze and twitching within his right hand.

“There’s no need for the warning Warchief, they know their place! Unlike some.” Gean said, biting the last two words.

I turned around, then looked left, following Gean’s voice. He was skipping his way down the staircase, passing a kid with a pistol pointed directly at me.

He hit the bottom floor and scampered to the buggy. Beads of sweat dripped from his mouth and heaved deeply as he tried to fill his lungs with the air that’d escaped. “Thought we had five hours?” Gean huffed.

“Change of plans. The unwanted guests that are downstairs have sent some bugs, so we double timing it right now.”

“What? They’re here already?”

“They will be,” Calian grunted.

“But we aren’t close to gathering our stuff!”

“You’re in for the long haul now my boy, get your shit together, because no one’s leaving here alive unless I g—“ He said, but stopped himself.

Gean eyed him pensively as if he were trying to understand what the Warchief was trying to say, but Calian raised his hand. “I have a business, Gean. That’s why I’m here. I see you allowed these lovers to inform me of good news.”

“Good news?”

“Ahh, so you’re not aware. They found a way into the bunker. I’ll secure the radiation leak, and once I find a way out. All the armaments they have will just add to the upcoming battle.”

“Understood Warchief,” Gean said, eyeing Eltessa. His eyes drifted to me and I returned a smile.

The Warchief stomped the buggy floor twice, and the engine roared alive. “Take care Gean,” He said ruefully.

The buggy barked as we zipped our way through Sceleratus. I wasn’t familiar with the layout, but I could at least remember how to reach the Mess Hall. Once we reached it, I guided The Warchief’s entourage, which consisted of twelve men, me and Eltessa.

One of the Warchief’s men tugged me off the buggy, but I shrugged him off, earning a snare and a nozzle aimed at me. “There’s no need for this. I can walk on my own. It’s twelve of you. You think I’m stupid enough to fight you…here?”

“But you’re stupid enough to try something,” Calian said calmly. I turned to my left and watched as he smiled. The bastard wants me to try something, I thought, making a mental note to myself.

We walked through the kitchen, making ours to the back of the Mess Hall. The dim corridor appeared in front of me and we marched towards the trailer. “Nova,” I said softly. “What just happened back there with the Doasians and Arson?” I asked as I was finally given enough space to whisper.

A Doasian turned to me, looking at me funny. I stared back at him pensively, trying to make the bastard seem weird. He began motioning his finger in a circular motion around the side of his, trying to make me feel stupid, the asshole.

Doasians are descendants of Super Soldier clones from the Pre-Imbibe era, Nova relayed to me via text in my cybernetic eye.

Super Soldier Clones? I mused for a second, then realised that my brain had gone completely blank. Super Soldier Clones? From the era before the Imbibe? What the fuck is going on! Wasn’t the technology for cloning only discovered eighty years ago? This. Doesn’t. Make. Sense!

“You know what,” I said softly, I can’t afford this right now. Not when I can’t move freely. Once I can. I’ll be able to process this Super Soldier cloning business.

The rusted white trailer appeared in front of me and I walked up alongside it. The guard shadowing me from behind kept close whilst Calian went to the left and propped himself up against the wall, right below one of the lights.

I walked up to the console and looked at the Doasian-Shadow. I’m removing something from my arm. Don’t fucking. Shoot. Me.” I said firmly.

“Hurry up.”

I cracked the right thumb knuckle of my cybernetic hand, and the armour plating snapped up, showing the insides of my cybernetic arm.

I slid my hand inside, pulling the USR cable-free, then slot it into the console. The lights began flashing intermittently, just like when Nova reintroduced herself to me and a loud crack groaned through the corridor, followed by a loud hiss from above me.

Cold vapour wafted from the trailer, stealing warmth from my neck and lips. I pulled the USR cable-free, then turned to the Warchief. “Our entrance to the bunker.”

“Remember, Assassin,” Calian said coldly. “If you try to fuck me, I’ll make sure no one will ever be able to find your body again.”

“You done?” I said, pursing my lips.

The Warchief harrumphed and licked his lips then pushed himself off the wall. The men circled the newly opened vent and Eltessa, stood in the background, dazed. I’m starting to believe the act, I mused.

I hopped up, grabbing the edge of the vent. A cold shock ran down my right hand, but I ignored it whilst I hoisted myself pulling myself into the trailer.

The cold roiled around me as I pulsed my night vision on whilst I manoeuvred through the vent. Once I found the secondary vent, I yanked it open and pulled myself up, not waiting for the Doasians.

“Easy there,” A doasian said

“This leads to the Salent Coolant, there’s nothing here.”

The Doasian snapped the safety off and ground my teeth in annoyance. “Fine. Have a look first.”

I slid back off and watched as the Doasian made his way up. Two Doasians circled me, whilst two surrounded Eltessa to my right.

“It’s as he said Warchief, green liquid with three giant fans.”

“Can we get on with it?” I grunted.

“What’s the rush Assassin?”

“Do you want to save your children or not? I want to get this over with as soon as possible. Sceleratus is about to be turned into a bigger pile of shit when those reinforcements come.”

“What makes you think we don’t have our reinforcements?”

“Does it matter if we don’t save your kids?”

“True.” He admitted, “but I still don’t see the sense in bringing the woman along.”

“How else did you think I got Hallon to work with me? I told him that his sister was here, but we needed Arson because he’d been experimenting on Doasian children. Hence why you were outside, correct? Having his sister here will soothe him, he might even want to work with you…just like Hallon.”

The Warchief’s lips curled into a devilish smile as he walked past his men. He stopped right in front of me and looked down at me like the half-giant he was. “Careful Assassin, this bunker might be your final resting place.”

“If it is, be assured…you won’t be the one making that decision.”

The heat from my breath waft around around Warchief’s face and I could feel the anger rising within him as he smiled at me. This man’s insane, I mused bitterly. But I became that too when I thought my family was dead.

I turned and pulled myself up, ignoring the murmurs behind me. I looked down at green Salent coolant sparkling as the waves rolled from side to side, splashing against the reservoir walls and jumped in.

The moment I hit the water, a cold jolt washed over me and I ground my teeth because I should’ve placed a pistol within the reservoir as a backup.

I made my way towards the ladder that maintenance hatch. Seven more splashes followed and I waited for the rest to arrive. Eltessa was floating back and forth, but she was silent still. Whenever she eyed me, I could feel the fury in her eyes. The woman can act, I mused, no wonder’s she Mr Black’s number two.

I never confirmed that, but she carried herself as if she were number two.

“I need a pistol,” I said firmly.

“No.”

“And if someone’s up there looking for Arson? Do you want me to get a bullet in the head? If that happens you can kiss your map goodbye.”

“You’ve carried us this far, what makes you think we need your map?!” A doasian hissed.

“Give him a pistol.” The Warchief said. “He needs us as much as we need him.”

A doasian pursed his lips in annoyance and swam towards me, handing me a ziplock bag with a pistol. I snatched it from his hand and began my ascent, ripping the bag free with my mouth.

The Salent coolant trailed into my mouth a foul acidic taste erupted into my mouth, forcing me to spit it out. A sizzling sensation reminiscent of pepper followed and I bit the inside of my tongue, hoping to quell it with some saliva.

It didn’t work.

I began making my way up the ladder, and finally unclenched my jaw. “Nova, You still have the scans of the map Hallon gave us?”

“Yes Sir” The A. I said.

“Ok, Display them in my cybernetic eye bottom left corner. I don’t want to lead them to Ranton’s office, I at least want to take the long route if possible.”

“Understood Sir, but I believe it’s best if we find a console still. That way I have a layout of the entire facility”

“I know, but I have to shake these guys first. They aren’t playing.”

“Understood Sir.”

“Question Nova,” I asked, seguing into a new discussion. “Are the Doasians truly cloned descendants of Super Soldiers from the Pre-Imbibe era?”

“Yes Sir, they are.”

“I thought the Federation was the one who created the cloning technology because of the lack of food?”

“No Sir, that’s not the case. The Antillean Federation reversed engineered Pre-Imbibe technology and retrofitted based on the standard of today’s technology.”

“What? I’ve never heard of this.”

“You weren’t supposed to Sir. This intel is Classified SSS.”

“SSS Classification? Fuck. Then why did you tell me?”

“Because I’m trying to build trust, Sir. I can’t tell you certain things because of the parameters that have been placed on me. But the information that could increase the likelihood of you trusting me, I can use.”

I grunted as I rolled my eyes, it was as if he was reading my mind, somewhat. “Do you report to the Federation?”

“I do not Sir.”

“Who?”

“Someone that values you, Sir.”

“Sweet words, is that what you tell everyone?” I laughed, finally pulling myself to the bottom of the maintenance hatch.

“I’ve only gone steady with one person Sir, and that’s you.”

I ground my teeth into a bitter smile and nodded. Whatever, I said to myself.

I grabbed the latch for the maintenance hatch and pulsed my vision into an X-Ray. I scowered the floor above me, and nothing came into my eyesight, just as I hoped.

I slid the pistol into my right hand and noticed the weight for the first time. One bullet? I should’ve known better, they would never leave me with enough firepower to fight them back.

My left hand clenched on the rotator, and a loud click echoed down the shaft. I turned right, looking down and watching as the Doasian climbed up the ladder.

Footsteps were detected throughout the hallways.

“Good,” I said softly, now I just have to find a way to get Eltessa away from these Doasians and find a console.