Three weeks passed in a blur.
I had finally gotten a grip on my powers learning to release the flames in short concentrated bursts rather than wild explosion. The control came courtesy of the daily beatings from Silas in all our spars. He was a wall i couldn't climb for now.
Miller had granted me access to the upper floors. I quickly realised that the facility was running on hopes and fumes
When I first entered the staff areas, the sight shocked me. I saw a woman sobbing quietly in the corner of a breakroom, clutching a crumpled photograph. I saw groups of technicians desperately fixing shattered combat gear, the bags under their eyes so dark they looked like bruises. I watched exhausted medics sprinting alongside stretchers, carrying soldiers whose armor had been shredded to pieces.
All of them looked broken beyond belief Yet they didn't stop.
To solidify my curiosity Miller granted me access to the classified footage of Carcer City
I sat in the archive room looking at the footage in horrified silence.
It wasn't a battle if you could call it anything it was a massacre.
I saw tanks being crushed with ease by the Behemoths. The sky's covered with flying monsters snatching helicopters out of the air.
But the radio chatter was a horror story of its own. I heard a soldier screaming for reinforcements that didn't exist. I heard the agonizing cries of civilians being cornered and eaten alive by the nightmares I had faced in the Awakening room.
Watching the streets burn a strange sense of déjà vu washed over me but looking at the ruined city made my chest ache. I tried to grasp a memory but nothing.
If a single rift could destroy a city what would happen if multiple were to be opened? The doubt in my mind grew. Was I truly right for wanting to destroy this facility.
"We don't get to be the heroes of this story, David," Miller had said quietly from the doorway, his eyes reflecting the dead monitors. "We're just the ones who make sure there's still a story to tell tomorrow."
I stood in the Arena waiting for Silas rolling my shoulder but Silas wasn't there.
I looked up at the Observation deck. Miller was standing behind a central console. Holding a microphone. "Today you won't fight Silas, Today's practice dummy is the Behemoth."
He pressed a button on the central console "You can take it don't be nervous"
The massive container fell from above. The Behemoth stepped into the room unfrozen.
It lunged at me it was fast terrifyingly fast. Faster than Silas
But I had evolved. The training had sharpened my instinct
I sidestepped dodging the massive claw. Flames roared at my knuckles. I drove a punch straight at its maw breaking it's plating
The Behemoth shrieked swinging his massive arms to swat me away. I jumped running on his forearm. I kicked him straight in the jaw.
The Head of the Behemoth spun backwards turning a full one eighty degrees the monster didn't die. The monster grabbed my leg mid air hurling me across the room.
I crashed against the wall of the Arena leaving a massive crater. Coughing up dust. I looked up The Behemoth grabbed his head snapping it back into place
It rushed at me it's speed increasing it felt as if he was teleporting it's jaw opening he devoured my arm. Clamping down on my arm
The pain was bearable enough. I looked at the monster smiling at him. It had given me a chance to completely bypass his armor.
Burn
I released a massive wave of flame from my hand.
The Behemoth gurgled echoed from its stomach. The heat burned his internal organs. The monster fell forwards on the ground.
"Impressive" Miller's voice echoed over the intercom.
He took the elevator down to the arena. Slowly clapping his hands.
"Your control over the Complex has grown considerably" Miller said looking at me with approval "It seems you are ready for a deployment David"
He reached into his lab coat and tossed a heavy cylinder at me. I caught it.
"What kind of mission?" I asked inspecting the object it looked like a needle.
"There's a minor Rift opening in Carcer City Park. We need to close it before anything large slips through." Miller explained "That is a prototype space-time resolver. We call it the Dirac Needle. I want you to test its effectiveness in the field."
"You found a way to close the rifts?" I asked shocked.
"It's not a perfect solution per se. It's still in its experimental phase." Miller said turning back walking away "But if it works... it is the first step to taking our world back. Gear up, David. Your transport leaves in a hour" He left.
I stood alone on the arena. Amy's voice echoed in my mind.
Please don't betray us.
Miller's voice followed. We're the ones who make sure there's still a story to tell Tommorow.
I looked at my hand. It was still a little hot.
Then slowly.
I closed my fist on the needle.
For now.
I would fight. Not for him. Not for them. Not yet.
The Arena's blast door opened.
The guards came in.
One of them growled "Follow"
I didn't respond walking past them the heat still radiated from my body.
My room door opened. There she was the maid.
She stood exactly where I had left her that morning—hands folded, posture perfect, eyes empty.
"Your equipment has been prepared, Master," she said.
Her voice didn't change. On the bed folded neatly was tactical gear.
I ran my fingers across it the Material was nice it felt durable flexible.
"Who made this?" I asked.
"The engineering division," she replied instantly. "Designed to withstand extreme temperatures and physical stress. Calibrated specifically for your… Complex."
I let out a sigh ofcourse it was everything here was made to be perfect.
I looked at the needle.
"What happens if it fails" I asked
"It'll probably destabilize the rift further nobody knows for sure you're the first one to use it"
I looked at her.
"It sounds bad"
"It is"
I put it on the drawer. I removed my clothes putting on the gear. It felt perfect
"Do you ever think" I asked suddenly
She didn't respond
"About anything" I continued "About what this place is doing"
Still nothing.
"My purpose is to serve" she said
I looked at her. Then looked away. "Right"
A knock came from the front door.
"Time"
I walked out of the room getting in the Elevator pushing the button for the transport bay.
The transport bay was massive. Heavily Armoured Vtols were coming and going out just as fast. I saw Miller leaning against the railing.
"You're here David" He said no looking at me "I have something to hand over to you" He gave me a watch
"Whats this" I asked fiddling with it
"This watch is the control centre" He said "It will tell you everything you need"
He stepped closer "This is your first real operation. not a controlled environment"
His eyes locked at me "You hesitate you die"
"I won't hesitate" I said not a lie not anymore
He looked at me for a moment before nodding "Good." He gestured at one of the VTOL "Now go"
The interior was nice I sit alone on one of the seats of the VTOL I tapped on one of the buttons of the watch a hologram appears listed were it's uses It had a map it a pin on the rifts location, my mission objective was visible my Complex output level it was currently in Operation mode it had a option called Casual mode I clicked it. The watchs interface change it had apps a normal phone would have had. Cool as i changed back into the operative mode I looked out the window the skies were darkening. As the hologram displayed a message.
Entering the parameters of the Carcer City. Target location 15km left.